I think I'm Back!?!

Let me say, this has been a CRAZY 3 months! It has been a very trying time. My patience, endurance, faith and health have all been tested.

From March til the first weekend of June, I was in Nederland and the rest of the family was in Blanco. I continued to work there so that we would have my salary through the summer in case we still had the house in Nederland to sell. Carlton and the kids came to Blanco so he could get started at the church. We made the decision for him to bring both kids because we knew there would be help for him here and we wanted them to stay together for their emotional well being. At the same time, it was very hard on them for me to be gone. It broke my heart each time I had to leave. All but the time I got sick, I came back each weekend. The drive was terrible at times, but it was worth it when I got here.

I am a "worrier" (I know we aren't suppose to worry). I worried about the kids, about Carlton, about my family....

Later I could really see the hand of God in our decision. I had some really hard things to go through that neither of us would have ever foreseen. I know I mentioned a while back that I was asked to take on the task of starting a class for students with Autism at my school. As soon as I got back from moving the family to Blanco, I was informed that one of the parents had given a list of complaints to a supervisor. Only 2 of the complaints had anything to do with the classroom and were things that were fixable, but there were many more against the district. Because of these complaints, the parent didn't want me left alone with her child. This really hurt me on a personal level since I had spent a lot of time with this parent and felt a "bond" of sorts. BUT I went on with teaching and making the suggested changes.

The student's behavior was a difficult one. One that was very trying everyday, and MANY times throughout the day. Behaviors escalated, rumors were started, the aides in my classroom were not supportive, and all this led to a suit against the district. Not against me personally, but against the district.

In all my years of teaching I have NEVER been in such a situation. I have had trouble with aides before, but never malicious, backbiting, hateful aides. FORTUNATELY I had a very supportive administration and several co teachers who knew the truth. But through it all, the driving back and forth, the worrying about the family, the mess at school, I ended up in the ER one night to find out that I had developed an ulcer. I was very sick for several weeks.

I am now in Blanco with the FAM and I am loving Blanco. I am still looking for a job and we are still trying to sell the house. We do have an offer on the house right now, but due to some insurance issues, we are having a difficult time getting it sold. As well as, because of these issues, our insurance company dropped us in January, I thought another one picked us up in March, but they didn't and now the mortgage company has slapped their own insurance on the house and our payment went up $600.

God has got to intervene here! We can't afford that increase and the stress of it is killing me! I have been so ugly to my kids over the past couple of days and this is NOT me!!

OK....I am rambling now...I have SO much on my mind and this is really turning into a book! SO, I think I will stop for now. Please pray for us...those of you who haven't given up on me ever posting again! :)