Back to blogging

It has been 8 years since my last post and so much has happened since then!

1. Wilson and I remarried in 2013, and we have never, ever been happier!

2. Finn and Rowan are our grandsons who have brought joy and laughter into our lives. Juniper will be born by c-section next Tuesday, July 10th (unless she decides to arrive earlier).

3. My sweetie pie, Jazz, passed away two years ago. He was the BEST dog! Smoke, Diamond, and Gizmo miss him like crazy.

4. I was working up to four jobs 8 years ago, but now I’m down to one. :)

5. Jamil graduated from the University of Toledo in 2016 and got a job in Columbus. This spring he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, after getting a promotion.

6. I teach two women’s Bible studies that are going extremely well. One is focused on Revelations while the other one is studying spiritual warfare. Those are some heavy duty topics, but I love teaching; if I don’t know the answer to a question, then I do my best to find out.

7. Tomorrow is the 4th of July, so Wilson has already prepped the grill while I cleared to prepare for the family gathering.

Life has been wonderful! God is amazing; he is showing me how to forgive when I’m hurt, encourage others as often as I can, and to rest when I need to stop moving and listen to Him.

May you have a beautiful evening and a lovely July 4th!

Remember me?

Wow! I haven't been here since March? Guess I've been busy. Let's see:

1.) I taught summer school, and EVERY student passed! I wish the success rate was that wonderful during the school year!

2.) My son got an engaged. He and his fiancee are going to be seniors this year, and they're planning to get married right out of high school. I can't get them to change their minds. Hmph.

3.) I left First Baptist and an returning to Maranatha Church. I'm excited about this too! Pastor asked me to come back and play the piano so that the current pianist can retire, and I accepted that position officially last week.

4.) I am still teaching the women's Bible study at a local mission, and it's going extremely well.

5.) Perhaps the biggest change in my life has to deal with my diabetes diagnosis. My blood glucose level was 600, and some people go into a coma at 500! I've been taking meds to get my sugar at healthy levels, and it's working pretty well. I don't have to take insulin, though, and I'm grateful for that. I sure do miss chocolate candy! :D I don't like sugar-free choclate; it tastes ok, but it upsets my stomach. I'd rather have nothing.

I hope all is well at your house!

peace

Hello everybody!

I hope all is well in your world!

The sun came out today, and it brightened my mood considerably! ;D

I will tackle my never-ending supply of dirty laundry while Jamil is at youth group. Have a good evening.

another update

I can't seem to keep up with blogging! Here's another update of what I've been up to lately:

1. I tried to move in my mother, but that didn't work at all. I was on vacation, so I thought I'd try taking care of her. Unfortunately, she was up at 11:00 p.m., midnight, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. The realization that she needed round-the-clock care was difficult to accept, but she is now in a nursing home for a month to get some extra physical therapy.

2. My brother, Eddie, has been awesome by going to see her twice daily, making sure she walks, and cracking jokes to make her laugh until she cries!

3. My job is fantastic! My students have such a positive attitude after the Christmas break, and they're working much more diligently than at the beginning of the year.

4. I began two women's Bible studies: one at a local mission and one at my church on Sunday mornings. Both are doing well, and I'm looking forward to what God has planned for us.

5. I am a chicken as far as dating is concerned. A friend has offered to set up some blind dates, but I'm not entirely comfortable with that. The one person I would love to spend time with doesn't find me attractive that way, and I've had some creepy dudes that have actually made me more cautious than ever. Single is better than the marriage I had, so I can't complain.

I hope all is well with you in this new year. May God bless you and yours!

Getting ready for Christmas!

I finished wrapping gifts last night, and the only job left to start is the cooking.

I want to get the cookies done tomorrow (or Wednesday at the latest).

If I don't get a chance to get back on the computer, please know that I wish you a very Merry Christmas! God bless!

** update on my life **

Wow...I haven't checked in for some time, eh?

Here's a little synopsis of life at Michelle's house:

1.) Work from 7:00-3:00 (which will change to 5:00 in January).

2.) Visit mom (who has had a second stroke since October)...do her laundry...bring it back to rehab center...try to make her laugh...go home and sleep...repeat process.

That's pretty much it.

Last night we had a concert at my church. I was tired and wasn't in the mood for really loud Christian hard rock, so I left and went to visit mom since I hadn't had a chance to do that after work.

When I got to the rehab center, mom was having a really hard time controlling her body. Man, it's hard to see her lose control, yet they're still sending her home on Tuesday. She can't even go to the bathroom by herself! She can't brush her teeth, get dressed, or do anything alone, so I'm worried about her.

My friend has been noticing that I'm running ragged and mentioned that I probably need to create some boundaries to avoid having a break down, so I told my mother that I would help her as much as I could but not at the expense of my own family. I'm trying not to feel guilty as I think about how impossible it would be to work my full-time teaching job in addition to two part-time jobs, keep my own home clean, cook, and give my boys the attention they deserve while committing to 4 hours of nursing my mother back to health.

That's not possible.

I'm really tired every single night that I go to bed, and I haven't even worked out in the last few days because it would have meant getting five hours instead of six hours of sleep.

Something's gotta give...

Don't worry; I don't expect solutions. I just needed to write through my thoughts and, hopefully, come up with some ways to keep my sanity while still trying to fulfill my obligations as her daughter. I'll let you know what I decide to do...

This is my niece, Lina, and my nephew, Leonard. They were in town to see my mom, who has been recovering nicely. We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, and it was so much fun! I'm still recuperating from the work of hosting such a big celebration, but it was definitely worth it!

The guy on the left is my son, Shaq, who did a magnificent job in the drama club's production of three one-act plays. That's his buddy, who was also phenomenal (and one of my students too).

My life has been crazy, but I wanted to take a minute to share a little of what has been going on lately. Best wishes for a wonderful week!

God bless!