My new utensil drawer

I have a little professional organizer in my home and didn't even know it. Well, that's not quite true because they've attempted at re-organizing my home before and I just won't allow it.

Yesterday, as I was doing the dishes(by hand, yes some people still have that skill) my "little helper" stood beside me on a stool and assisted. She did a pretty good job rewashing everything I washed. With the dishes all done we moved on to bigger housekeeping responsibilities and watched the satellite guy install our new system(yippee). My girl went off to complete whatever tasks that a two year old feel they need to complete at that moment.

As I began supper I opened my silverware drawer to quickly discover what a two year old does! Our utensils were all jumbled up. Someone had given us a free drawer makeover! What a blessing!

Today we went to the Health Department building and was finally able to receive W.I.C. it is a precious commodity now with Mike's hours cut and very little money coming in for things that are needed. We are learning what things are actually "needed" and what things are "wants". You don't NEED certain types of foods. You can live with beans and rice or ramen noodles if you have to. It's not pleasant but it's filling and keeps you from feeling like you are starving to death. I'm learning you can even go without a meal or two if you have to. As long as the baby has food in her tummy. But, praise the Lord the government still assists and we are eligible. I just got home from the store and we now have 2 gallons of milk, a pound of cheese(which we couldn't even afford to buy before wic) a huge box of cereal, oatmeal, eggs, juice, and peanut butter. Praise God. I only had to scrape together about 10 dollars for some bread. We can at least have PB&J sandwiches, or egg sandwiches and grilled cheese. We are praying God will bless us a little bit more financially so we can get some fresh veggies. In the meantime we are being thankful for the canned veggies that are very inexpensive. After getting our checks for W.I.C. I went by the post office hoping against hope that our landlord and his accountant had sent the deposit refund check they owe us. Everyday we check our mail in hopes of that check because it will help get our checking account out of the negative and everyday my heart is let down when it's not there. It is so frustrating to know there is money that could help us and it's rightfully ours but because of other people's actions we can't use it. (grow of frustration) Because they are dragging their feet we are about to lose our bank account and get into trouble with them and be turned over, yet again, to the credit bureau. It seems the harder one tries to get ahead in everything the thicker and stickier the mud gets so you end up further behind than when you started. The whole, "one step forward, two steps back" analogy. This is where our trust in God is truly tested. I think I'm failing right now though.
Another praise though is that a friend of ours sent us a telephone number to one of the "controllers" of Toys for Tots. I called him and explained our situation and he insisted I go down and sign Kea up for toys for tots this year. He explained that the program is normally for chronic needy families but this year he has been seeing alot of families who are in so much need that are normally self sufficient and he knows we are the type of people who will work hard to get back on track and pull out of this slump. He wanted us to be sure she has a good Christmas this year and so I went and signed her up and we are picking up her gifts on December 20th! Praise the Lord for friends who watch out for us!! My other friend is driving me to New Port Richey sometime this month to also register Kea for The Angel Tree Project. I guess it works like an adoption type program. Your child's picture, name, and information of clothes sizes, age, etc. is put on a card and hung on a Christmas tree in a public area or store. A random person looking to donate to charities or help out a needy family for the holidays then picks an "angel" off the tree and buys Christmas presents for them. They then take the gifts to a designated location and drop them off to be ready for pick up by the parents of the child they are being given to. I very nearly did this one year when I used to work in law enforcement. We also used to go out with the deputies who would fill their trunks up with toys and drive through needy neighborhoods passing the toys out. It was always so much fun and often times would make up for the dreariness of the job itself. I never would have believed that I might one day be the mother to a child whose family didn't have the funds to provide for them. My dream is one day to have the ability to budget some money so that Kea can buy presents for a child in need. I think it's even more rewarding than getting presents yourself. Watching the little faces light up to get something they never would dream they would have and seeing the parents faces fill up with gratefulness that their child wasn't left out this time. It's such a heart warming experience. I suggest that everyone do it at least once in their lives and, if possible, make it a habit every year. It certainly has taken a small weight off of our shoulders to know she will have a blessing this Christmas and that God is providing for her. We are definitely going to tell her that the gifts are from God and how he will use people, even complete strangers, to provide for His own children's needs. I do not believe in telling kids that this stuff comes from Santa Claus. First of all you raise your children telling them about Santa Claus, The Easter bunny, The tooth fairy, and all of that and then they grow up to find out they are imaginary characters thought up by people. What happens when you tell your child about Jesus Christ? They grow up to realize you can't see Him or even audibly hear Him. What's to say they aren't automatically going to assume He isn't real either? I don't want to take that chance. Every holiday we have or celebrate will be centered around Jesus Christ and all the grace, mercy, and gifts or provisions He and He alone makes possible for us.

Well, sorry this was so long today. There was a lot to catch up on and alot happened! It's been another good day.