Today is a pretty good day for a Monday. The plumbers are almost done on the work at the house. They started this morning, and are close to finishing already. Now, of course, they were supposed to start this work 2 weeks ago, but I suppose now is better than never.  We also received the check for my rent deposit back today, and we got the invoice we needed for Josh to be refunded by his insurance for some roof work he had done. All of these funds were necessary for our baby doctor fund. Our next payment is due on March 9th, so it’s good to have them in.

Things seem to be falling into place for us to get a bigger house as well. We have a friend that is willing to owner-finance her house to us, providing she is able to buy another house. She found one this weekend that she is going to talk to her bank about. I pray that she is able to get the financing she needs, so that we can start making plans to move into her house.  I really like the house, and with the baby on the way, desparately need more room.

Well, that is about all for now. More updates to come.

It’s been a while since I last posted, but not because there’s been nothing to report. I have been super busy. I got moved from New Boston finally. We are currently praying about where to attend church.  We have a possibility of getting into a larger house, which is going to be necessary in a few months, as I am pregnant.

I went to my first doctor’s appointment yesterday, and I am 10 weeks along. Josh and I are very excited, as well as everyone else. We are hoping for a boy since he has 2 girls already. The baby is due around the 10th of September, and we think it would be really fun for his birthday to be 09/09/09. If it is a boy, we will name him Jacob Haynes Young. Haynes is Josh’s middle name and has been passed down since sometime in the 1800’s. We don’t have any prospects for a girl’s name yet. The baby wiggled his little arms yesterday in the sonogram, like he was waving to us. It was very special. I can’t wait to hold the little one in my arms, but I am determined to enjoy every moment of pregnacy. I have had virtually no morning sickness, which has been a great blessing. I won’t know if we’re having a boy or girl until April 14th (if the baby cooperates). This is the day after Josh’s birthday, so that will make a nice present for him. Right now, the baby looks like a tadpole.

So, for now, life is quite hectic. But I love it! Maybe very soon I’ll be able to report that we are moving into a bigger house. That is my prayer.

Just as last year was simply amazing, so far this year has proven no different. I was married on Jan 17th and so far simply love married life! Josh is the best! He is more than I ever dreamed for. I am truly blessed.

We are currently working feverishly to finish moving all my junk from New Boston to Texarkana. This week is the last week. We are fortunate enough that we will not have to pay my rent for the month of February, as my landlord sold the house. This is good because it will save us some money, but the bad thing is that my landlord did not give me much time to get my stuff moved and the house cleaned. I am trying not to stress out, but that is difficult when I know how much junk there is to get moved.

We are looking around and praying about getting a new house. We have been driving around town in different neighborhoods, seeing what’s for sale, and where we’d like to move. We are going to write down everything that we want, and start believing by faith that God will grant us our desires. This is so much fun! I just love the new adventure God has me on.

This year has been remarkable! So many changes have taken place in my life this year, internally and externally. Today is the 1 year anniversary of the greatest job ever. God has moved in and through my life, touching every aspect, this year. I feel closer to Him than I ever have in my entire life, and without all the struggle and fuss. It’s finally an easy relationship; I hear His voice and respond. I feel His love, and am changed. I met the greatest man ever, and will be marrying him in just 2 weeks and will gain two beautiful daughters as well. I finished a semester of college and managed A’s in English and my computer class and a C in Algebra. Not bad for not having taken any math classes in 17 years. I got a new car and my finances are somewhat in order. Of course, more money would be better, but at least I’m making it from one payday to the next without much struggle. I’ve lost 35 pounds and still working to lose more. I have started an exercise program and I am continuing to modify my diet to a workable, healthy plan.  So many things are finally going my way.

I have waited and prayed for many years to reach a point in my life where I truly felt happy, and I really believe that I’m there. There’s a nagging voice in the back of my mind that keeps telling me that this is only a dream and I’m going to wake up soon and find it all gone. But I recognize that voice, and it’s not the voice of my Father. My Father tells me that I have been faithful, so this is my reward and it’s not going away. He loves me, and has blessed me. I used to listen to that other voice, and I stayed in bondage to what it said. But this year I have learned the truth, and it has truly set me free!

I am so excited about everything that 2009 has in store for me! I know that each year, for the rest of my life, will be better than the one before. Not to say that there won’t be struggles, but I have the heart and mind now to overcome. And I have the support system I have always desired. I can make it through anything. With God and Josh by my side, there is nothing that will keep me down. I pray that everyone that I know and love finds all the joy and happiness that they have longed for in 2009. Have a happy new year!

Everything in my life is moving forward at the most overwhelming pace.  But despite the madness, I am immensely happy. We have just 4 weeks until the wedding, and trying to figure out how we are going to have time to get all my junk moved is a bit stressful. Josh has assured me that he can get it all done. I think I just have in my head a different plan than he does. I think his plan is to just box all my stuff up and move it, while I would like to go through everything and decide what to keep, what to sell, and what to throw away. I know that he wants us to be able to go through all the stuff we both have and prepare for a yard sale, I am just guessing that he would first like to get it all in one location (his house). This is fine, and definately less time consuming than my plan. Especially since a yard sale would probably reap greater benefits in the spring when the weather is a bit warmer. We may just try to get rid of some of the larger furniture items at first, and figure out how to store the rest until the great sale. I know I just need to relax and enjoy this time, but getting my mind to fall into line is another issue. I need to remind myself to breathe.

I am having the best time getting to know my soon to be stepdaughters. These girls are simply the greatest! I am so very blessed. They are so sweet and accepting. I know so many people who go through terrible times in the stepmother/stepdaughter relationship. I really hope everything continues to go well. I know that we will have conflicts and struggles, as I will with my natural children. But my prayer is that our love for one another will see us through. I pray that God gives me wisdom and understanding in dealing with these precious girls.

School is almost over, praise the Lord! I have my algebra final tonight, and that will be it. Well, for the most part. Wednesday I have a “post test” in English which is over literary terms. It’s the same test we took at the beginning of the semester & just measures how much we have learned. It will take all of 15 minutes max to take, and only counts against us if we do not show up to take it. I really wish she had allowed us to take the test last week, since all we had to do was turn in our research papers. But oh well. After that post test, all will be done and I’ll be getting my grades soon. Then all of my time will be devoted to getting my stuff transferred from New Boston to Texarkana. And we’re off…….

I am now engaged to the most wonderful man in the world! We will be eloping on January 16th to Eureka Springs. I am so very excited. I have dreamed about the man that God had for me, and I can truly say that Josh meets and exceeds my wildest dreams. I love God more everyday because of Josh. God gave me more than I could have ever asked for in him. I am immensely blessed!

I have gotten a little behind in my posting. With so much going on, it’s hard to keep up. Everything is going so well, it’s almost surreal at times. The Thanksgiving holidays were great. I was able to spend a lot of time with Josh and his girls. It was very good. The girls are just the sweetest. The 5 year old was in my lap or beside me or loving on me the whole weekend. Her daddy was feeling a little left out. It was precious. The 9 year old is very sweet too. Both of them have just opened their hearts to me in such an amazing way. I love them so much! I told him that it appears now that we have to stay together; for the kids. He thought that was funny.  Everything between Josh and I is steadily moving forward. We are both ready for Christmas. Things are simply falling into place in such awesome ways, there is no doubt in my mind that this is God’s plan.

We sold my old car this past weekend. I was able to pay off some old debt with it, which makes me feel so much better. I also got my Christmas bonus already, and my boss was fabulously generous. This helps make Christmas easier and I can get some other things paid. Again, God’s hand in moving so powerfully on our behalf that there is no doubt in either of our minds that He is in this relationship. He just keeps pouring out His blessings on us.

The weight loss is going well. I still managed to lose 2 pounds over the Thanksgiving holidays. I am enjoying my workouts at Curves. I was going to go this morning, but I wasn’t feeling very well, so I brought my stuff so I can go after work. I will be starting to reduce my carb-intake even more in the next few days. I have been craving carbs a lot the last couple of days, so this will be difficult. I don’t know if it’s hormonal or if it’s just my mind reacting to the knowledge of the elimination. I ate a very high protein dinner last night and it was great. I didn’t miss the carbs at all. I will just have to hold fast and determine that this is what I need to do. My biggest struggle is in the mornings. I don’t get up early enough to make a good breakfast before I leave the house, and sausage biscuits are much more appealing than a bowl of oatmeal. I just have to get up on time in order to make this work. I’ll try again tomorrow.

Ok, so I’m a little ADD. I can’t keep things the same for too long.  I change the background on my computer almost weekly. I decided to change the background here. I’m surprised that I kept the other one for as long as I did. I chose this particular one because of the girl on the right. I am in the process of losing weight, and she will be a reminder of what I am shooting for. I will try to keep this background until my goals are met. I also chose it because it’s green.

Lots of changes are in the air for me, and I just love it. For me, the same old thing, day in and day out, is depressing. I need things to change, even if it’s just a little. Just to get a new shirt, or even paint my toenails a new color makes me feel better. I don’t think I will have any time to be depressed or stuck in complacency for quite some time. There are so many things that will be changing over the next 6-12 months. I will be sure to post them as I am able. But for now, I will leave you wondering. <cue suspenseful climatic music>

I weighed again this morning and I’ve lost another 3 pounds. This puts me at 210, making my total weight loss at present a glorious 30 pounds. I would really like to lose at least 10-15 more pounds before Christmas. I will be signing up with Curves this weekend (early next week) to try to help with the endeavor. My wonderful boyfriend has been so encouraging and has motivated me. He is also trying to lose weight and get into shape. It has really been an easy transition this time with my diet. I really don’t feel like I’m missing out on things. I give myself occasions to eat foods that normally wouldn’t be on my diet so that I’m not tempted to really overdo it. I’ve done well with cutting out the pastas, which I was afraid would be one of my hardest tasks. Pasta and cokes are two of my biggest weaknesses. I allow myself a coke every once in a while, but haven’t had any pasta lately. I have even found a high fiber, low cal cereal with flaxseed that I really like. When I bought it, I thought it would taste like cardboard. But much to my delight, it’s actually good. I eat that at night when I’m hungry but it’s too late to have a meal. It satisfies me until morning. I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast, allowing myself one sausage biscuit a week. I try to make it a Friday treat. Lunches and dinners have been mostly soups and/or salads. I really like doing the soup thing. It’s so easy and inexpensive. I have found some really great ones in the can, and I’ve been making some in my crockpot. I just love the crockpot! With the holidays coming up, I will have to be extremely cautious about my choices. I’m really glad that I’m signing up for Curves before the holidays so I will be able to endulge a little. But I’ve come too far to go overboard. With the addition of exercise and tenacious portion control, I should be able to continue losing, even with the multitude of temptations.

I just love that God is moving so mightily in my life in every area. Things are absolutely better than I could have ever dreamed. I am seeing His hand moving on my behalf everywhere I turn. It’s a beautiful process. He has taken the hearts of my boyfriend and me and knit them together in such a powerful way. I am truly amazed at the depth of love we feel for each other in such a short amount of time. The joke of our relationship is that “a day is as a thousand years with God”. He has no constraint of time. He can make something take as long (or as quick) as He chooses.

In the ever continuing weight loss saga, I got on the scale again this morning. I have now lost a grand total of 27 pounds! This is from my heaviest to where I am now. This is very encouraging, especially since I weighed yesterday, and I lost 3 pounds in one day. My goal is to lose about 23 more pounds by Christmas. This goal is more than acheivable. I was able to go down one size in my pants about 2 weeks ago, and now those pants are getting a little roomy (not roomy enough to warrant a new pair yet though. Shucks). Oh well, if I keep things up, I’ll need a new pair before too long. I’m actually enjoying this! WHEEEE!