Car Accident : (

Time is flying by much much faster than I appreciate. I feel I blink my eyes and the days go wizzing past me. Since I last posted, a lot has happened. I was in a car accident. It was a residential street and a woman ran a stop sign. I spun around in the street and ended up the opposite direction I was driving. You know the statistic that says accidents usually happen close to home? I was just 2 blocks from my drive way. I was fine and turns out the other person was my college room mate! She had just picked up her daughter from pre-school and was taking a different route home than usual, and never saw the stop sign. Fortunately, her daughter, her almost 2 year old son and unborn baby are all okay. I am too. I am still seeing a chiropractor (our friend Dr. Chris) and he continues to work out any kinks that come up.

The accident totaled out beloved swagger wagon. The insurance company came back with a fair offer and some amazing church friends gave us a gift to help with the purchase of a new van. The timing was more than perfect for my one year bonus from the church. God is so faithful to see us through every circumstance.

We found a 'new' van. We traveled to Broken Arrow the day of OU/TX; actually pulled into the parking lot of the dealership at kickoff. Jon said "I never thought I would be sitting in a dealership parking lot about to buy a minivan of all things, at the kickoff of an OU/TX game" Haha!..there is a reason God doesn't let us see what our future holds : ) The vehicle was a burgandy Toyota Sienna, just like my other one, just a different color. After test driving the van and paying for the car in full with cash : ) we made it to a sports grill for lunch. The kids were with us and they did AMAZING! Real troopers!! Maggie Beth rode with me in the van and slept the whole way home. As we hit the city, it began to rain. A nice soaking thunder and lightening storm. OU stomped a hole in Texas and we pulled out the Wii Dance Party game and had a nice family evening. It was a perfect end to an already great day.

The 'new' Swagger Wagon

Hello Kitty

My Warrior pirate and my Hello Kitty princess in her pajamas and sparkly pink slip on shoes.

We took it to the doughnut shop. Leaving it in the car was not an option.....pick you battles.

The bag goes to Wal-mart. It had to have a special red sticker on it when we went in so they would know we brought it in with us and weren't leaving the store without paying for it.

Yaya bought Maggie Beth a Hello Kitty backpack. Boy, does she think she is some kinda cool now that she has a backpack like Bubby has. So now every time we leave the house she thinks she needs to take it with her like Price does when he goes to school. In public, she gets many smiles and comments about how the bag is as big as she is, which makes her walk with a little more swagger.

The Character that is Maggie Beth

Here are some pictures that give you a peek into our Maggie Beth. She is a character for sure. She keeps us laughing and guessing what she will do next....

Never say 'never'

That would be my daughter...wearing Dora pajamas, holding a Dora doll, drinking from a Dora cup and watching Dora the Explorer. Never say never people....Never say 'never'

Best friends

I grew up an only child. I had a half brother and sister who are 9 and 10 years older than me. I vaguely remember them living with us, but even when they did, it was for a short time. I did have cousins who were like my siblings. I loved being an only child, but there were times I wondered what it would be like to have have someone close to my age who lived with me. I would see my friends fight with their siblings, but then at the same time, it was like they had a built in best friend. That is how I see Price and Maggie Beth. Though they are 4.5 years apart, they play together. Every morning through the monitor, I hear my children saying good morning to each other. What a precious way to start the day. They are always calling each other to play or asking where the other one is. They like to sit by each other at the dinner table and play in the covers of our bed. Price will pour a drink for himself and his sister. Maggie Beth will grab 2 bowls when I am dispersing snacks, knowing her brother will want one too. They roll around on the floor, Price gives horsey rides and as you can see from the pictures, they are also partners in fight crime! Maggie Beth loves wearing his clothes and putting on his shoes (which, she has a shoe fetish anyway...) Price is great about sharing treats and taking turns with special toys. A friend once told me that a sibling is a gift. Some may say it divides love among children, but true love doesn't have to be divided; it multiplies. What a blessing it has been to watch these two little people develop a relationship!

Limbo

A year ago, Jon started his own insurance business; Molder Insurance Group. With much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears, he poured himself into serving others and meeting their insurance needs. Sounds dramatic and a little cheesy, but it is true. His phone rang non-stop. He met customers on demand and worked long hours. I have no doubts the business could have been successful, but insurance had lost its luster and he hated the daily grind. Jon is the hardest worker you will find, but he hated waking up everyday to deal with the claims, the complaints, the paperwork and spending time on quotes that never got issued. We also found out that the insurance business is like a fraternity of sorts. If you were not a "legacy" so to speak in the industry, then those who are will try to keep you down. It all turns out to be a good thing though! Jon found out early on that insurance is just not for him. You have to have a certain 'personality' for it. Jon was not willing to 'tweak' applications to get a lower premium, or as one guy suggested Jon "whore himself out to get business"....uh, no thank you.

Jon had been contemplating closing the office since spring. He knew for sure it was the right decision by June. Come July, he made the decision official. He notified his partner and sent out a letter that stated August 26 as the official closing date. Just in the short amount of time (a month or so) that he has not written insurance, he is a totally different person. He is eating better, sleeping better, is happier, looser, friendlier, more relaxed and much less stressed. There are still obvious concerns regarding money and a career path, but there are a few options available.

Seeing God's hand in the last year and a half has got me excited about where things are headed. We are renting a house from our church. I am working part-time there and get to spend everyday with Maggie Beth who is just down the hall in the church nursery with a precious woman who loves Maggie Beth like she is her own granddaughter. I get to take Price to school and pick him up. Jon has NEVER gone a day unemployed, and now is no different. Our friend, Ryan owns a manufacturing company. He hired Jon for a temp job through the end of the year. We are currently waiting to hear about a job Jon has applied for at Union Pacific Railroad. He has had both a test (which he passed) and an interview. We should know more tomorrow, so more about that later.

In the meantime, we see how God is providing for our family while we wait on Him. We will trust and obey whatever he leads us to do.

Can it be?

I can't believe summer is coming to an end. My little man is growing so fast. Tomorrow is his first day of first grade! Princess is 20 months old. She is full into discovering her independence. Price watched the Harry Potter movies this summer and we might end it with a bang this weekend by watching the final movie in 3D. Maggie Beth has is a complete and total fish. She loves being submerged in water and shreeks like a dolphine when its time to get out. This was my first summer to work (part time), but none the less, it was different than summers past. Price and Maggie Beth spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a women from our church they call Gogee. We didn't go to the lake near as much as we normally do. It was too hot to be out, even in the water. These record high temps (108-111 degrees) day after day have been a real drag! The grass and my flowers are dead. Maggie Beth cries every time we head to the car saying "hot, hot." Price is constantly asking to play video games and most of the time I say yes. There is nothing else to do. We have crafted, colored and read books until we are all sick of it. So, though I can't believe it is time to go back to school, I have to admit that Price and I both could not be more thrilled! He misses his friends and the routine of school days. Here's to hoping fall will bring more smiles than summer 2011.