...has been one big roller coater lately. I usually like roller coasters, I don't like this one. Usually when asked what's been going on and I can reply, "not much", I count that has a huge blessing because it just means life has been good, with no big trials.
We have had one big trial after another over the last 5 months. Of course we have had lots of blessings come our way too. I'm sure Heavenly Father has given us those blessings to reassure us that he does love us and is mind full of our needs and that we can, and will get through all this.
Here's a run down of all our more major trials:
First at the end of March we found out we were pregnant. Usually this wouldn't be such a big trial, but it was this time. I REALLY wasn't ready to have another. I had been fighting with Heavenly Father for months. He would give me little promptings telling me that we needed to have another and I'd fight back with excuses like: I'm not ready, mentally or physically...we are just getting to where we want to be financially....just wait until we get the car paid off....then we won't have any debt and can afford to have another child.
Then two weeks later the morning sickness kicked in. This was not my normal morning sickness. I was sick all day long, every day. The morning sickness was very mentally and physically taxing on me. I thought it would never end. Thankfully it did, exactly 9 long weeks after it began.
In the midst of the morning sickness, the 4Runner broke down. It didn't just break down, it needed it's engine replaced. It took 7 weeks for the 4Runner to be fixed due to two bum engines, 1 week of waiting for each engine to be shipped to the shop, and some other minor problems.
On June 11th, just a few days prior to the 4Runner being fixed (and the repair bill becoming due), Jeff was laid off. It took Jeff three weeks to find employment, but not full time employment. He loves where he is, just wishes it was more hours, or at least more consistent hours. Last week he had 26 hours, the week before only 3 hours. He is still struggling to find anything full time in his field.
Two weeks ago Jeff got a letter from unemployment stating that his previous employer gave a different reason than Jeff did for his departure from that employer. His previous employer submitted that Jeff quit. The previous employer also slandered Jeff's character and work ethic in his submission to unemployment. So Jeff had to fill out more paperwork, explaining the situation further to unemployment that he was laid off, that he never quit, or gave notice of quitting and that he gave 100% to that employer up through the date he was laid off. Then last week Jeff got an email from unemployment that stated that his previous employer submitted a letter from Jeff that Jeff signed giving his resignation. Jeff never gave his previous employer any such letter, or signed any such letter, or gave any verbal resignation for that matter. We have not heard anything further from unemployment. In the mean time, until unemployment makes a decision on the case, we will not receive any unemployment.
It has been really hard for Jeff and I to not be really angry and lash out at this previous employer and do some of the things to him that he has done to Jeff. Notice I have never once, in this post or any of my previous posts, said the owner's name, the company name, or said anything bad about the owner, his character, his ethics, or the company? There have been times over the last 2 1/2 months when Jeff and I have been really angry, but with lots of prayer, the anger quickly fades.
I continue to pray that Jeff will be able to find full time employment. I would love to put this trial behind us. I know, in time Jeff will find full time employment and that this trial, just like all trials will pass. There are times when I think I can't handle the stress of this trial, but I am quickly reminded that my Heavenly Father will not give me any thing that I cannot handle. I know we have things to learn with this trial. Trials only make us stronger. I have learned a ton already during this trial, there must be more to learn though, or the trial would be over, right?
In each of the trials we have had over the last 5 months, I have learned something. Some things I have learned before, but obviously I needed a reminder, or I would not have to re-learn it.
Becoming pregnant, on my Heavenly Father's time, taught me to listen to him the FIRST time he tells me to do something, don't ask questions, make excuses, or hesitate. Have the faith that HE knows what is best for me, wants the best for me, and will provide the best for me if I would only listen and obey, and put that faith into action.
Being so sick for so long taught me that I am a stronger person then I thought I was. It taught me to rely on my Heavenly Father more. To pray more. I grew closer to my Heavenly Father through this trial, now that is a blessing. It also taught me that I need to have more compassion for those who get so sick during pregnancy.
Having the 4Runner break down, well I think that one was Heavenly Father's way of telling me that I can afford another child. I'm sure he was laughing hysterically at me when I was making excuses that we couldn't afford another child. Yeah, I'll show you what you can and can't afford.
Jeff being laid off, has again made me rely on my Heavenly Father and brought me closer to him. I have learned to more willing accept and ask for people's help. It has always been hard for me to ask others to pray for me. Why? I don't know. I guess because I think I'm very strong and I don't need people's help, even if it is just to have them pray on my behalf. I have learned that I need to go to my Heavenly Father for help sooner then I usually do. I can't always just figure things out on my own, I need him, his help, his comfort, his love.
I am now seeing the blessings that come from paying our tithing and fast offerings and following the prophets advise to get out of debt, have money saved for emergencies, and food storage. I know that we would not be surviving as well as we are if we had not heeded this counsel. Jeff's paychecks have been much, MUCH less than they used to be. Our bills have stayed the same, but somehow we have not had to use much of our savings. I cannot explain this myself, I cannot figure out the math as to how we have had enough money to pay our bills when the paychecks have not been much. The only explanation I have is that we are being blessed for paying our tithing and fast offerings and heeding the counsel of the prophets.
Here's a run down of all our more major trials:
First at the end of March we found out we were pregnant. Usually this wouldn't be such a big trial, but it was this time. I REALLY wasn't ready to have another. I had been fighting with Heavenly Father for months. He would give me little promptings telling me that we needed to have another and I'd fight back with excuses like: I'm not ready, mentally or physically...we are just getting to where we want to be financially....just wait until we get the car paid off....then we won't have any debt and can afford to have another child.
Then two weeks later the morning sickness kicked in. This was not my normal morning sickness. I was sick all day long, every day. The morning sickness was very mentally and physically taxing on me. I thought it would never end. Thankfully it did, exactly 9 long weeks after it began.
In the midst of the morning sickness, the 4Runner broke down. It didn't just break down, it needed it's engine replaced. It took 7 weeks for the 4Runner to be fixed due to two bum engines, 1 week of waiting for each engine to be shipped to the shop, and some other minor problems.
On June 11th, just a few days prior to the 4Runner being fixed (and the repair bill becoming due), Jeff was laid off. It took Jeff three weeks to find employment, but not full time employment. He loves where he is, just wishes it was more hours, or at least more consistent hours. Last week he had 26 hours, the week before only 3 hours. He is still struggling to find anything full time in his field.
Two weeks ago Jeff got a letter from unemployment stating that his previous employer gave a different reason than Jeff did for his departure from that employer. His previous employer submitted that Jeff quit. The previous employer also slandered Jeff's character and work ethic in his submission to unemployment. So Jeff had to fill out more paperwork, explaining the situation further to unemployment that he was laid off, that he never quit, or gave notice of quitting and that he gave 100% to that employer up through the date he was laid off. Then last week Jeff got an email from unemployment that stated that his previous employer submitted a letter from Jeff that Jeff signed giving his resignation. Jeff never gave his previous employer any such letter, or signed any such letter, or gave any verbal resignation for that matter. We have not heard anything further from unemployment. In the mean time, until unemployment makes a decision on the case, we will not receive any unemployment.
It has been really hard for Jeff and I to not be really angry and lash out at this previous employer and do some of the things to him that he has done to Jeff. Notice I have never once, in this post or any of my previous posts, said the owner's name, the company name, or said anything bad about the owner, his character, his ethics, or the company? There have been times over the last 2 1/2 months when Jeff and I have been really angry, but with lots of prayer, the anger quickly fades.
I continue to pray that Jeff will be able to find full time employment. I would love to put this trial behind us. I know, in time Jeff will find full time employment and that this trial, just like all trials will pass. There are times when I think I can't handle the stress of this trial, but I am quickly reminded that my Heavenly Father will not give me any thing that I cannot handle. I know we have things to learn with this trial. Trials only make us stronger. I have learned a ton already during this trial, there must be more to learn though, or the trial would be over, right?
In each of the trials we have had over the last 5 months, I have learned something. Some things I have learned before, but obviously I needed a reminder, or I would not have to re-learn it.
Becoming pregnant, on my Heavenly Father's time, taught me to listen to him the FIRST time he tells me to do something, don't ask questions, make excuses, or hesitate. Have the faith that HE knows what is best for me, wants the best for me, and will provide the best for me if I would only listen and obey, and put that faith into action.
Being so sick for so long taught me that I am a stronger person then I thought I was. It taught me to rely on my Heavenly Father more. To pray more. I grew closer to my Heavenly Father through this trial, now that is a blessing. It also taught me that I need to have more compassion for those who get so sick during pregnancy.
Having the 4Runner break down, well I think that one was Heavenly Father's way of telling me that I can afford another child. I'm sure he was laughing hysterically at me when I was making excuses that we couldn't afford another child. Yeah, I'll show you what you can and can't afford.
Jeff being laid off, has again made me rely on my Heavenly Father and brought me closer to him. I have learned to more willing accept and ask for people's help. It has always been hard for me to ask others to pray for me. Why? I don't know. I guess because I think I'm very strong and I don't need people's help, even if it is just to have them pray on my behalf. I have learned that I need to go to my Heavenly Father for help sooner then I usually do. I can't always just figure things out on my own, I need him, his help, his comfort, his love.
I am now seeing the blessings that come from paying our tithing and fast offerings and following the prophets advise to get out of debt, have money saved for emergencies, and food storage. I know that we would not be surviving as well as we are if we had not heeded this counsel. Jeff's paychecks have been much, MUCH less than they used to be. Our bills have stayed the same, but somehow we have not had to use much of our savings. I cannot explain this myself, I cannot figure out the math as to how we have had enough money to pay our bills when the paychecks have not been much. The only explanation I have is that we are being blessed for paying our tithing and fast offerings and heeding the counsel of the prophets.
Here we are in all our painting glory painting the brown on the lower half of the walls. Check it out, it's another one of Cooper's awesome "smile" faces. 
Then we painted a few brown stripes on the upper half of one wall.
Then we put yellow stripes on and painted the upper half of the other three walls yellow.
After doing all the brush work, I had just a little bit of paint left in the pan. So I thought I'd mark the room as Shioh's.
So once we got the light pink and green stripes on, we decided to change the dark pink/purple to a hotter pink. At this point all the painting was done and both Jeff and I decided that the yellow had to go! 
So we changed the three upper walls to green.
The yellow stripes also had to go! I really didn't want to buy more paint, but I wanted a lighter green. So I took some of the green we had and mixed in a little of the yellow and made a light green, so this is what we changed the yellow stripes to. 
They would bring me the camera and say something like, "Oh my goodness mom, it's the strangest thing! Someone has the same train table as us!" 
Or "Can you believe it?! Someone took our recycle truck!" 
This picture puzzled Mason, he couldn't figure out how his hand had turned red when he took a picture of it.
Cooper helped make his cake, and just like any good baker, he had to try out the batter. I'm pretty sure he liked it.
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