Update

Updates are always nice.

What's nicer - is someone asking for an update.  We are remembered.  Two people asked me for an update last week.  ahh...  Makes me feel good.  Thanks friends.

I am finally getting to this - where I can sit and type with all my fingers.  Not just my thumbs.  LOL  That's not so easy for me... I'm old.

Dan and I are legally separated.  Final December 2014.

The kids and I are at a new church.  We go to New Covenant Church in Knoxville.  I really love that church.  AWANA on Wednesday - 4ONE2 youth group on Sunday evenings - I get to sing with the praise team on Sunday mornings.  Wonderful...

I'm doing ok.  :) I have been trying to exercise regularly at the local Recreation Center.  3 times a week... I bought a suit - maybe I'll try swimming on those other days.  I'm a bit afraid I'll only be able to swim 1 lap.  Then what?  HA.  My eating isn't under control.  I love food.

I bought some new glasses for myself.  Going to forgo the contacts - trying to save some money.

I got another job.  Still working at the school as an associate.  Like that job - love the perks of getting to be able to see my kiddos regularly.  My 2nd job is being a janitor at the City Hall building... which includes the police station.  10 hours a week.  I'm saving as much as I can through the school year - so that I can stay at home with the kiddos during the summer while they are off school.

Thus - I've started a chore chart.  The kiddos are supposed to help me - most of the time they do.  Or the house is a mess and I don't care.  That is a wonderful feeling actually.

Tori is still in TX.  She has been gone a long time.  I hope she is enjoying that weather down there.  It has been so bitterly cold here.

Mansel is about to start the shooting club at school.  It's an official sport that you can letter it.  How cool is that?  I don't remember a shooting club when I was in school.  Very neat.  Mansel finished up the wrestling season a few weeks ago.  I like watching him wrestle.  I hope he sticks with it - he got to wrestle varsity this season.

Milo is going to join Mansel on the shooting team - I believe they all practice together - high school and middle school.  They both have their own shotguns.  Another new sport I'll have to learn - I wonder if anyone cheers?  Milo also plans to wrestle next year instead of basketball.  He may practice some this summer with our Pastor.  (A former wrestler and coach). Pastor Strode does a great job of including my teens at church!

Dani loves school.  I gave her the choice the other day - whether or not to go - and she went.  The middle school had a bomb threat and the administration said they could stay home if parents wanted them to, and it would be excused.  She chose to go.  (she's not in the middle school yet, but the threat didn't say explicitly where the bomb was).  She's making friends.

Wayne doesn't love school.  That makes me sad - I'm not sure why exactly.  He is getting special attention for his reading.  Really doing well with that.  Improving. He and I really love his teacher.  He does have some crazy kids in his class - I told him what I would do and said I would back him up in the principal's office if need be... Some of the behavior is gross - like a girl talks while she is eating and spits food on his plate.  So then he doesn't eat his lunch.  So he just hasn't seem to hit his stride in school yet.  He chose to stay home that day I mentioned earlier.  He and Mansel. It won't be long... and they'll be done with school.  That's a sad thought.  Wayne went through a basketball academy with the Methodist Church in town.  He really liked that - seemed to learn a lot.

We are buying the house we are living in.  Soon.  I have the money - Speaking of money.  I feel like this was a God thing.  I was advised to save 30% of my settlement to pay taxes.  Well - the VERY day it was deposited in my account, I had an appointment to get my taxes done.  I had set this appointment up 3 weeks earlier and feel a little bummed that I had to wait so long to get my tax return.  HA!  I actually NEEDED an appointment that very day.  God knew when I needed it.  I was able to talk to that man about how much exactly I should be saving to pay my taxes in 2016.  They had taken some off of the top and prepaid it - but it wasn't exactly correct - too much federal, not enough state.  So I put some aside for next year's state taxes and now I'm good to go.  And it wasn't 30%.  You know what that means?

We went shopping!  :)  The kids and I all have regular beds and mattresses to sleep on now.  And dressers of our own.  They aren't all put together yet - but hey... they are ours.  LOL  A couch is on it's way. chair.  ottoman.  shelves for books...ahhh... wonderful feeling.

Attorney paid off.  Discover card paid off and reset to pay in full each month.  I may have all my bills paid through that to earn rewards and use it for Christmas money.  

After we get this house business settled, I'll call a contractor and see about adding a 1/2 bath in the basement.  As it is now - we have to schedule the bathroom use.

Oh... we also got a basketball hoop.  Milo played basketball this season.  He doesn't really LOVE the sport - but he'll shoot hoops at the Rec Center to kill time.  So - I got one for home.  Now we need nice weather to set it up.

One of my favorite things?  Since we don't do bible class in our home school anymore - we have started family devotions before the kids and I head to school.  My favorite time of day.  Love it.

I am practicing to sing a special with a lady at church - The Wonder of It All!!  The wonder of wonders that thrills my soul - is the wonder that God loves me.  He does...

Just to thing that God loves me.