A look back in 2010

Is it really already December 31, 2010? I wrote my 2010 goals and re-read them recently.. I must say, I accomplished 95% of those goals!

Last year, I said I would read 6 books .. I think I read 4. Hey, not bad for someone who hates to read!
I wanted us to be debt free:
I awanted to save $10,000.00. We were blessed with some money from Todd's disability with his former employer as well as the VA.
We paid off our credit cards, Thank you LORD!
Our 3 vehicles + stuff-hauler, aka trailer, are also paid off. The only thing we have left is our home here in NC and in FL.
We also purchased close to 6acres in Lillian, AL for our future home!
The Lord was good to us this year financially.

Todd's work-life has been confusing since we met in 2005 but slowly and surely, it's become more safe and less confusing. He was recently State Department certified to teach driving and firearms, which makes him finding contract jobs very easy. Thankfully, he won't be in harms-way anymore. He'll be teaching others instead of protecting.. My heart is at ease knowing he finally knows what he wants to be when he grows up :)

Let's see, what happened this year...

• January - I was 3 months pregnant and was working 3 people's jobs at work. It was very stressful and I thought I was going to die from anxiety. My work hours were reduced to 32 hours a week and life was just a tad better.
  
• February - Wow, life was a blur.. I can't remember much in this month. My g/f lost her sweet baby and I think I cried for about an hour after reading her blog. I don't know how she does it, but she is a strong woman. I've lost a father, but never a child.. Hey, guess what? You will see those lost babies in heaven! God has them in the palm of His hand!
• We also found out this month we were having a boy. We named him instantly! Owen Neil Schrader. He's such a handsome young man :)
  
• March - Todd and I celebrated our 3-year anniversary of marriage. As I look back, I can say 2010 was a great marital year for us. Year 1-2 were hard but year 3 was great. Here's to a better year 4!
  
• April - I didn't post hardly anything on my blog so I must've been really tired. I was heading into my 3rd trimester and I was very sleepy then. Ha! I had a lovely baby shower at my moms home!
  
• May - We were praying our home would sell. We had a lot of people look at it, but alas, no one bought it. Better luck this time!
  
• June - We are gearing up for the baby to be born. Just one more month left. I had a great baby shower at work and I am prepared for his arrival. Work-wise, we got a new boss who is amazing. He is the best thing that has happened to that company in a long time. I truly hope he prospers there and can change some things there. He's very smart.
  
• July - Owen is born!! But like Ayden, we weren't able to bring him home. What's worse than leaving your baby in the NICU? I don't know.. it's horrible. I had a bad epidural affect and had a reverse epidural to stop my spinal fluid from leaking. I am glad God made me a strong woman.. this was the worst pain I had ever been in. I then went hysterical with laughing/crying.. It hurt. Badly. Man, was I ready to get home. Then, the nurse comes in with Owen in an incubator and took him to a different hospital. Wow, our hearts sank and we cried together for a long time.. We were ready to get home and sleep. Our man came home 6 days after he was born and is fine and healthy!
  
• August - Ayden turns 7! My husband was gone training and flew my sister up for a surprise. I thought it was my mom and was in utter shock when I saw my sister walk up to my truck. I love her endlessly.. She is the best sister EVER!!!!!!
  
• September - my birthday .. and I was given the opportunity to work from home. I didn't want to work and put the baby in daycare so my boss helped me out and let me work from home for almost 3 months. It was HARD!
  
• October - Still busy. Hating working from home. I was still a salaried exempt employee but my life was 'hard'. I had time for Owen and my job. I didn't have time for Ayden or Todd or me. I knew my time with Blackwater would soon end.
  
• November - a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I gave my resignation. I could've stayed on for a bonus in December but honestly, it was way too hard and I gave myself a bonus.. being a stay at home mommy. Now I clean, do laundry, do the dishes and take care of the kids.. BEST job I've ever had! :)
  
• December - Well, this month is finally at a close. We went to MI for Christmas and Todd was sick on Christmas Day. He's upset he missed Owen's first Christmas.. He was 'fine' in the morning and got to see Ayden open his presents at least! I told him "Don't worry, there will be more Christmas-es"

I'm happy this year is coming to an end. I love a new year .. it is the beginning of a new chapter in my life and I'm praying God continues to bless my family the way he blessed us last year. He has always found favor in me.. I always run into money and it's not by chance either! God blesses us for some reason.. I hope 2011 goes well. I hope our country turns around and thrives. I do think prophecy is being fulfilled though and am grateful I know where my family is going when "that time" comes.

So, for 2011 - I wish you peace, joy, happiness, love, wealth. Be blessed beyond all measures.. hey, when you're blessed, why don't you turn around and bless someone else :)

View from my backyard

God is Amazing

Christmas card 2010

Just wanted to post a cute Christmas card of my sweet boys. I took the picture and my future-bro-in-law edited it for me. Ha! I am so dumb when it comes to photoshop or whatever you fancy people use :D

So, I am only sending this to my family. I was lazy.. no.. I was busy with a 5 month old and didn't make time to get addresses. So, here's your virtual Christmas card!

Don't forget to check out my food blog http://www.twokennedysdesign.blogspot.com

God is amazing!

Man,

This picture just isn't as pretty on here. I took it this morning from my backyard. God is simply amazing!

Here's to an early New Years Resolution

Well, it's been 15 months since I was able to work out and I started again this past week. My neighbor sent me her copy of 30-Day Shred and I've done it 3 times already. Level one has kicked my butt, but in a good way. I love the feeling of working out and getting healthy again. It's been too long since I looked and felt good. I'm glad she sent it to me! I bought a used copy from amazon.com with my swagbucks FOR FREE!!! and it should be here this week so I can return the neighbors copy.
The only goal I am setting for myself this year is to be healthy. I have tons of allergy problems and get sinus infections that kick my tail. I don't know how I'm going to do it without my allergy shots, but I am going to find something that makes me well if I get sick. Working out will help fight infection and it will make me feel pretty again. I haven't felt pretty in so long!
What are your goals? :)

It's been a while blogger, I missed you!

It's been a while. I think I missed talking to you. I'm glad to be back and finally have some time to post. I've been reading some other blogs lately and am really sad and depressed after seeing them. It puts my spirit in such a bad mood and then my heart just drops and I am upset so hopefully I haven't done that to anyone.

Let's see here, Owen is now 5 months old. He wears 9-12 month clothes and is roughly 21-22 pounds. I have a great eater on my hands but man is this kid heavy! He is such a joy to have around and almost always has a smile on his face. It's nice to see that sweetness in this small body. I am blessed to have two great kids!!!

Ayden is 7 and doing well in 2nd grade. We just had a change in our family name.. well, he did :) His name is now Ayden McCoy-Kennedy Schrader!! YAY! It's official! He was adopted by my husband and the paperwork finally went through on November 30, 2010. Bless his heart, he is still clueless about the name change. I was talking to him tonight about it and told him me and daddy have known each other for 6 years and that he is 7. It did not enter his mind at all. Apparently, this is for a reason since it was the 2nd time I tried to talk to him about it. All is well in this house and I will not ruin anything if I'm able to.

Todd and I are doing great! It's always good to hear that, isn't it? We're going on 4 years of marriage - a few more months and it'll be our anniversary. Time sure does fly. I'm amazed at how much closer we get every day. I love that man endlessly <3

As for me.. well I'm part of the Stay-at-home-mom's club now. I really enjoy spending my time with Owen and seeing Ayden get off the bus and not go to a crappy daycare. He loves spending time with me. I hope that never changes. I have a lot of baby time and don't have a lot of 'me' time, but I'm okay with that. When he takes his 2-hour naps, I enjoy watching tv or just sitting.. or taking a nap as well!

My long-term goal, to be a mentor to young women. I don't know when or how, but I know I've saved one baby's life already and to me, my life is a success!!! Anywho, I hope you are well.. <3

How my Saving Grace came to be...

...It wasn't because I was in love. It was because I even remotely liked this person who hit me.. It was sexual abuse. I was taken advantage of and that night, my body decided it was time for me to have a little baby grow inside my belly. It scared me when I found out. I cried. I was 19 years old.. single.. pregnant.. ALONE. Yep, the one who said "It would never happen to me!" So, it happened and that's how my little one came to be.

I got the courage, finally, and kicked him out of my apartment. He was no longer welcome in my life. EVER! He finally left and I had a lot to clean up. My apartment; my life. If it wasn't for this one wrong thing that happened, I don't think I would be alive today - which is why I call Ayden my saving grace.

You see, if it wasn't for me getting pregnant, I truly believe I would have died at the hands of an angry young man. I locked myself in the bathroom when I took my pregnancy test and he came at me with a knife then he said he was leaving (PRAISE GOD! ... but then he ended up staying a little bit longer). He beat me, he choked me, he came at me constantly with kitchen knives. I almost passed out the day he choked me and boy that was it! I couldn't believe that someone would choke a pregnant woman.. well, someone who is normal wouldn't do that.

He left. I moved out and back in with my folks. I suffered.. but I became whole again. I paid my mom back for what I owed her. She nursed me back to health. I slept, constantly. Anyone who's been pregnant knows you sleep a lot but this was a healing sleep. This was survival. If I didn't sleep.. well, I'm just glad my family was there to help me.

Ayden was born at 39 weeks. He was healthy. Beautiful. And all mine! I never had to share him and in fact, I have 100% custody because 'he' signed over his rights. Almost 6 years together with Todd and our adoption will be final in a few weeks. He's a great husband and father and I'm happy to announce Ayden will be a little Schrader one of these days soon :)

If it wasn't for Ayden ... if it wasn't for all those STUPID mistakes ... I wouldn't be here. Ayden wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have married a great man and Owen wouldn't be here.

My Saving Grace ... I love you!