When it rains...it pours

We have had a very rough month. I don't say that for sympathy, but just to keep it real. Life is such a blessing, but let's be real...occasionally it just plain sucks. Excuse my French. We have had a January that I would like to punch in the face, as Weston would say.

We started off the month finding about 9 fraudulent charges to our personal account. Not a huge deal, but for sure not the way we wanted to start off the year. This was pretty much just a big inconvenience of dealing with the bank and trying to get our money back into our account. I just find it incomprehensible that someone has the audacity to just steal your money. Money that we work hard for. I guess I don't understand how someone has no conscience at all. So frustrating.

Couple days later I encounter a dead car battery and Christian has two flat tires, all in one week.
Pretty easy fixes again, just inconveniences.

I had noticed a large lump in one of my breast back in the summer, we ran some test and all came back ok. I didn't really pay much attention to it, but low and behold this month I realized it was back and much larger than before. I mentioned it to my doctor and we decided to really keep an eye on it and check back in a few weeks.

In the meantime, I had some routine bloodwork done at my doctors office, and on Christmas Eve, they called to inform me that it had come back abnormal. I was told to have it checked again, just to be sure. I went back in for round #2 and again, it came back showing my white blood count was off. This news, combined with the lump, sent us into a slight panic. My OB referred me to an Oncologist to see what was going on. Having abnormal blood results and being sent to an Oncologist was extremely unsettling. We really had no idea what was going on and I honestly feared the worst. I had to wait about a week and a half before seeing the doctor and this was one of the worst weeks of my life. Just the unknown can send you into a breakdown. I let my mind wander with the "what-if's" and I was really feeling discouraged and beat down.

Christian and I clung to the fact that no matter what, we would stand strong and allow God to work in whatever situation would come our way. We always know that troublesome times will come our way and we were confident that God would walk us through this no matter the outcome. When we are weak, He alone is strong. He NEVER leaves us and I never once felt abandoned or alone.

We saw the doctor and were given an all clear on the lump, she felt like it was not cancerous but rather just some benign cysts.  The doctor did more bloodwork and it was still abnormal. She felt like the two were not related in anyway, but rather a severe deficiency was causing my white blood count to be low and my red blood cells to be enlarged. We are starting on daily shots to help boost my B12 and Folic Acid for the next few months and then we will recheck everything to be sure that that was the cause.

We walked out of the Oncologist office and literally just cried. We feared cancer and instead were given a more simple diagnosis and treatment plan. We were so relieved. All praise and glory to God that we were given a clean bill of health.

I'd say that was the absolute worst of the month, but the tiny troubles just kept on coming.

My car broke down and we had to have it towed back to the mechanic. We had over $1,800.00 worth of repairs to fix.

Then my sweet Weston gave us some fun times by having some carsickness. Nothing like a little vomit thrown into an already bad week!

Weston also started up with a terrible cough and fever. Things just continued to get worse until we finally took him to the doctor. By that time, he had developed pneumonia and poor thing was just pitiful.

I then get my car back from the shop and not a day later, I go to close the garage door.  Apparently our garage door sensors are not working and instead of sensing that my car was slightly in the way of the door, and going back up...the garage door crushed itself into my car. Thankfully my car was not damaged but our garage door was broken. I most certainly did a little more crying on this particular day as well.

This week, I am routinely checking my business account, and notice over $900.00 worth of fraudulent charges on THAT account.  I immediately call the bank and once again begin the process of trying to get those charges disputed and money put back into my account. At this point, we suspect that our wireless has been hacked and file a police report.

Today I go to get my shots, and I am informed that insurance will not be covering any of my treatment. We will have to pay all of it out of pocket. Again, nothing life shattering, but yet another discouraging situation.

Oh and to top it all off, my car is back in the shop. Apparently something is still not right and so we are once again down to a one car family!

So here we are, only 19 days into 2016 and I am already ready to say let's start over! This has definitely been one of the most trying months we have encountered in a while. However, with all the issues I have to step back and realize all these things aren't huge, some frustrating and some frightening, but none that are fatal. We are so blessed...we will not allow satan to discourage us or get us down. We will press on and do it with a joyful attitude.

Again, I don't share all this looking for any sympathy, but rather to just encourage you. I know I am not the only one to have horrible, no good, bad, awful days. I know so many have walked through things 1000 times worse. I also know that sometimes, it is nice to know everyone's life isn't perfect. Things aren't always sunshine and roses. Sometimes life can get us down and at times we may even want to just give up and crawl under the covers. We must remember that we serve a God who is on our side, a God who is for us...not against us. Not to mention that He is MIGHTY and willing to do amazing things through good and bad situations. 

So here's to hoping your January was much better than ours and also calling for February to hurry up and get here and please to go easy on the Moots' Family!  

Top six in 2015

Well hello 2016. I can't believe the New Year is upon us and I am excited about a new year full of wonderful opportunities!  We are so excited about what is in store for us this year and are looking forward to seeing God move in powerful ways in our family. I love to look back over the previous year and see what we did throughout the year. Most years, I take it month by month and go over all of life's happenings, but this year I decided to do it a little differently.

I am gonna break it down to my top 6 events from 2015.

 

2015 was a great year for us. We did a whole lot of fun things and really spent a lot of time with family and friends. Making memories was kind of our theme for 2015 and we definitely lived up to that mantra.

 

Ok here we go.  Top 6 events/moments of 2015.

 

6.) A new decade. I turned 30 in January of this year and it was extremely difficult for me. Thirty seems so old to me and leaving my twenties was a real challenge for sure. I did celebrate in style though and that was a blast. Dinner at Stabs (my fav) and a craft night with my girls was just what I needed to get me through my depression over turning the big 30. Christian and I also took a weekend trip to Covington which was a huge deal for us. We haven't left the kids since...well ever. We had a blast just staying at a bed and breakfast and then eating out and seeing movies. It was a much needed weekend of relaxation and fun.

 

 

 

5.) Beach Trip- Moots Only. We took a spontaneous, three day trip to the beach with just us and it was a highlight for sure. We surprised the kids on the day we left and they thought it was the best thing ever. It was a first for us to take a trip without any other family. We had never done a trip alone with just us. It was so incredible to spend one on one time with just us at the beach. We stayed in a rinky dink hotel, and ate jambalaya every night, but that didn't matter one bit. We soaked up our kids and did nothing but have fun in the water. Don't get me wrong...we love taking trips with our extended families...but this one was just so intimate and special having just the 4 of us. It was absolutely one of my favorite trips ever. Simple yet packed with special moments.

 

 

 

 

4.) Grandpa- Losing my sweet grandpa this summer was definitely not a high point of the year but it was a memorable moment that I don't want to leave out. My grandfather was in his late 90's when he passed away but he lived an abundantly full life. He was always there for me and loved me unconditionally. He loved my sweet babies and took great delight in just having them around him. His funeral and burial ceremony was very special and I took great joy from spending that intimate time with family. Family that we don't see often, but spending that time crying, laughing and reminiscing was very good for our healing. I am so thankful for the memories with my grandparents and I look forward to one day reuniting with them in heaven.

 

3.) Christian decided it would be best for our family if he went back to school!  We talked long and hard about what was best and we both agreed this was important for his advancement and for the good of our family. We knew going into it, that it would be a difficult two years, but in the long run, it would be a huge blessing for us. Christian started in August and it honestly we have adjusted quite well. We have all made sacrifices but we do see a small light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

 

2.) Bye Bye Plant Work. Another huge, special moment in 2015 was my daddy retiring. This was something that we discussed and had heated debates about for much of the year. My daddy has always been the most hardworking person I know and this was a huge step for him. Leaving behind a secure job for retirement was not an easy decision for him. I think ultimately he chose to take his retirement for his family. I don't think he really wanted too, but he knew it was what we thought was best and were cheering for. We simply wanted him to slow and get to enjoy life with us. He missed so much, not to mention working long, hard hours was wearing on him. They threw him a retirement party at his plant, and I honestly thought it would be about 15 or 20 people, and when we walked in I was blown away to see probably over 100 people there to support my daddy. It was truly heartwarming. I loved listening to stories about him and getting to hear how much he influenced so many lives. It was just a blessing for sure. Those first few months were hard for him and me, cause I knew he missed his job and friends.  I hated seeing him struggle but I knew if he would just hang in there, he would grow to love it. I think if you were to ask him today, he would definitely say it was the right choice and that he is enjoying where he is at. Life looks different for my parents...but I believe it is much fuller and more fun for sure. I absolutely love getting to see and talk to my dad on a daily basis. Having him retire has been a wonderful milestone in my life for sure.

 

 

 

1.) Growing as a family. Last but not least, we were thrilled and shocked to learn in late October that our family would be growing by one more in 2016! We are beyond excited that a new addition will be joining our family and even though I am very overwhelmed at the thought of having three little ones, I am thrilled for the opportunity to have more laughter, more kisses and more love running through the walls of our home. God alone holds the blueprints for our family, and although it maybe a little earlier than we expected...we know it will be a blessing to us all.

 

So here's to a wonderful new year!  May God do great things through us for His glory in 2016!