Q & A

Since I posted about the dreaded day in January when it was decided that the Nephew would leave our home I have been asked a lot of questions.  So I thought I would take a few minutes and answer some of them.

1. Why Phoenix?

It was where he lived before with his mother and had made a few friends that he stayed in contact with. One was a boy that he actually wanted to live with (his mother wanted that too)but back ground checks that needed to be done on certain people didn't happen (clear indicator that maybe its not the best place to live if people don't want a check done on them) and the other was a girl, whom he had liked before and was itching to be "with" again. She is the girl that when he wasn't dating some one out here he would claim to be dating her, even though he never saw her just texting her.

2. What about school?

He withdrew from Combs and registered with Camelback.  I don't know if he is graduating since they were having to figure out some of his credits. Being a foster child he has the opportunity to go to a State school for 4 years pretty much free.  Not sure if he will since some things he hasn't done.  Like 2 years of a foreign language or a GPA that they will accept him.  At one point he thought he would just get in cause of being a foster which we reminded him no he still needed to apply so his grades he needed to keep up and get a better GPA.  According to his Independent living agreement in order to still receive money once graduated from High school he must be full time student in college or part time student/part time job.  No he has no job as of yet so if he doesn't get one the money will change then too.  

3. The money that he was to get but wasn't ???

Yes when he turned 18 it was determined that he would switch to what is called Independent living.  So the monthly money we were getting directly from the State would now come to him and he would learn to pay rent and other bills like phone, food, clothes etc.  When he decided to move out he knew it wasn't coming yet and that it would take a few months to get it but instead of waiting he had to leave and so then had to rely on others because of his choice.  Which like I mentioned before I don't  think should have happened because he knew what he was doing but he also knew that certain people would just take care of his $$ problems and they did.  He has started to receive money and yet he still owes us almost $600 dollars that he AGREED to pay to us as soon as he received his money and of course HAS NOT.   He even posted on FB that he is getting a car and will come to visit down here.  A CAR?!!? well at least we know what he is doing with the money now!

4. Any contact?

Only with our son.  Which is fine.  Our family doesn't need to have his name mentioned in our home.  If it ever does we all get quiet and pause for a second like we are all reliving events and then we leap over it and continue on.  He said he was coming to visit friends about a month or so ago and ended up staying with the ex girl friend he was told not to see.  A few of the friends were upset by this but in true Nephew form he says what they want to hear and then doesn't follow through.  He is saying he wants to attend our son's graduation which I am not to happy about but its for my son so I will be polite and not say anything.

5. How are your kids doing?

For the most part they are adjusting him being gone.  Certain things are being noticed like how much more involved certain people were in our lives while he was here and now that he is gone it is less.  They realized just how much he got when being here.  Like asking for things and always getting them, he did it and did it often. Cause that is what he knows(to him getting things means love). It was noticed all the attention he got during his basketball phase, all the photos and videos of him. It was hard on them to see the attention he got.  But they also understood that he craved the attention and when it wasn't happening or enough he would do things to get it.   

6. Any thing from his Mom to you guys for taking care of him?

No we haven't heard from her at all.  I don't really think we will either.  It may come up later in life, maybe when she is out of prison but for now not hearing from her is totally fine.

7. The rest of his family?

His older brother is living his life in Washington state with a girlfriend and last time I knew his father lived with them also. The nephew has been to see his brother I am not certain about the  father (when living with us he said he wanted nothing to do with him) His sister decided to moved to Tennessee with a man who got her pregnant which I know now she has left him, told him he was loosing everything by leaving him, but really I don't think he sees it that way.  She is gone with the baby so he now has no responsibility for taking care of or providing for either of them. (how is that loosing?) She went for a visit to Washington to see the Brother and Father, and is now back in Arizona. I am sure she as seen the Nephew by now.  His mother is in prison and we just were told that she has about 1 1/2 year left.  It will be interesting to see how life plays out when she is out?  Will things change or fall back to the way they were? 

These are just a few of the most asked questions.  I would like to thank everyone for all the love and support we have received during this whole thing.  It means the world to us.

Time to catch up

I didn't realize it had been this long with out a blog post.

My lovely charger for my Mac died a very sad and painful death.  The sad part was the covering on the wires was coming off and then soda got dumped on it and the painful part was the cost of replacing it would be. However Thanks to my Dude he found me one that I didn't have to cut off my arm or leg for. So I am back, and after a few more depression days I am hoping to keep up on this blog.  I know I can do it from my phone but I don't exactly like the Blogger app its to hard to add pics and change fonts.

so let's catch up shall we (I will keep it simple swear)

Feb 26th my Mom and Sister took me out I can't really remember the totally real reason other than to cheer me up. 

I think we went to the flower market and then to lunch which we had my Dad show up for too ( when he got there he said I am here so now it will be paid for, what a funny guy) We ate at the Piggly at the Fair in Mesa. 

Omgosh you guys this place was super fun and good food too.

After eating a stuffed baked potato with turkey on top my Mom ordered deep fried Oreos!

Me and My Sister (aka ToneTones)

and my Mom and Dad doing what they always seem to be doing showing love as much as they can!

(I did find out that my Mom had thought about stealing me away for the weekend and take me to Disneyland to help cheer me up but things just didn't work out…That would have been the best but this was just as nice)

Feb 28 Eminem had a Band Concert.  It was so last minute that even I didn't know about it till that day.

They were awesome. They showcased what they are doing for Regionals and had some of the solos played too.

After we headed to Olive Garden for some girl time.

(thanks to ToneTones for the gift card we still had)

The first week of March was a low again for me and wouldn't it be fitting that I am scrolling through Pinterst to get some motivation that I find this…

Yup just what I need!!

Eminem had the opportunity to be in the Cultural Celebration for the opening of the Gilbert AZ Temple.  

The youth (1200) had been practicing since January for this.  

The week before they practice for like 15 hours it was insane and hot and lots of kids had allergy problems from the grass being so dry. It was amazing the photos that were posted (a cool note though that I noticed was the kids were asked not to use their phones in fact to leave them at home which a lot I think actually did) so it was adults posting fun again.

This is a view of the weekend before the Celebration.  The different colors are the different Stakes/Regions of the youth.  

The day of the actual Celebration is was suppose to rain and rain a lot!!  Now here is Arizona we love it when it rains cause it doesn't happen often.  People prayed for the rain to hold out till after and during the day practices they even considered to tape it and possibly just show it on TV. (it was being shown on TV since the grand scale was to much to have all the youth and leaders and TV people that they had people stay home to watch) But there was this opening over the field most of the day when you drove by you could see the gray and darkness just waiting to open up but this one spot was sunny!

Then it was time to start and when it started so did the rain! 

President Monson and President Eyring were both there and even told the kids this would be something they would never forget. 

I have asked Eminem to write in her journal about this and I think she has.  

The rain came and came and came the kids were soaked to the bone but in the video they are nothing but smiles cause they know what they are doing is important! 

Here is Eminem with her friend who is also and Em.  Their shirt color was light blue and on the front of it was the Moto for the Celebration which was LIVE TRUE.

I love picking them up from school and still seeing kids wearing these shirts. What pride they must have knowing what they did and  lived through.  

President Monson even mentioned it in this past (click here) General Conference 

If you would like to see the video of the (click here)

 Celebration 

the video is long but so worth it!

Next was the General Women's Conference.

Whitealicious asked if Eminem and I wanted go with them.  I excitedly said yes of course!  This was the first time ever that the Conference was open for all girls from the age of 8 and up to attend! How awesome it was to see those young faces sitting with their mom beaming about being there.  

It was a wonderful Conference!  After the prayer we scurried out as fast as we could and went to dinner. It is fun to be out and happy (I sometimes forget it happens) 

This is me and Eminem after all the fun

That was most of Feb and some of March. I am on to finish March and start in to April.  Also have had lots of questions about the Nephew so I may do a post answering so questions.  

  

From my journal

Entry from my DayOne Journal~~~~ Laying in bed at 4pm. What is wrong with me this depression is killing me. I have to kick it in the butt and soon. I hate the me I am when I am like this. My home is better now with just my five in it. So why why why can't I just be the happy me I used to be. Or was I ever happy? Really?~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hard to type, hard to see, and harder to understand.  I have happy moments sure and I am trying to find as many as I can to help with this "slush" in my life. 

Tomorrow I get to have a day out with my Mom. We are going to Phoenix to get supplies for upcoming Proms and Mother's Day stuff.  Here's to a happy tomorrow! 

Gilbert Temple

We decided to take the family to see the new Gilbert, Az temple. Eminem was going to work a shift during the open house putting shoe coverings (aka booties)on all the people who would be going through on the tours.  So I planned our family's tour to be about the same time. 

I have been to one other open house back when I lived in 

Rome, New York it was to the Toronto Temple in Canada about a year and half before we moved.  Most of the time we lived there the temple that was the closest to us was the 

Washington D.C.temple. So having one a bit closer was nice and in another country was cool too.  

The Gilbert temple is one of 6 in Arizona. (back in 1991 when my family moved here there was only 1)so now to have 6 is amazing.  The Church is growing by leaps and bonds in these the last days.  

I am forever grateful for a family that is eternal and forever!

While walking through I thought about my kids and all the great memories that will possibly be made in this actual temple with them like missions and marriages.  It's exciting.  

Here is Eminem looking as beautiful as ever.  She signed up for being a helper during the tour and I asked if she wouldn't mind if I tagged along.  So her and I went back after our tour and lunch with the guys (Dude, Bugs & Bugaboo).  We walked as a group up to the temple and got a few instructions of what to do and just as we were getting ready to work our shift I was waved up to the front door by our supervisor.  I walked over and was asked if I could take an usher's place at the front door letting the tour groups in after they got their shoe coverings.  I said yes of course but was so nervous too.  So as the groups got the coverings their tour guide would wait at the front door with me and then I would get a nod from the inner door usher so I could let the group in.  It was interesting to watch the different people walk thru the doors.  Some you could tell were LDS and others you could tell were there to almost defiantly walk through.  Which was hard to see but I just kept a smile and welcomed them all the same.  Some points I remember 

1. Some little children didn't like the shoe coverings on their feet almost as much as having to sit on Santa's lap.

2. Some loved taking a quick photo of the shoe coverings for Facebook or Instagram.

3. One guy was so disgusted with the shoe coverings he told the missionaries he was with it was insulting to put plastic over his $400 shoes. (good grief guy really) 

4. A lot of older people were amazed about the temple commenting on the amount of money that must go into the temple and how it would be better used to feed the masses or help the poor.  (another good grief --do they really not know the  amount our Church does around the world in relief).  

5.  One lady walked right up to the door dressed in church attire but had a few tattoos and some piercings and stopped.  She started crying and taking deep breaths I asked her is she was ok and she just whispered that she didn't know if she could go any further.  I said sure you can.  She looked at me with tears and said I never thought I would come back.  I said well you made it now go enjoy it and come back often. (WORDS TO LIVE BY!)

6. LDS FAMILIES ARE THE CUTEST THING EVER

This sunday it will be dedicated and will only be open for LDS members whom have a recommend to enter. I hope to be one of those people and can go often and receive the blessings that come from attending.  If you are interested in knowing more about the LDS church click here LDS

Corsage savant?

There are many things in this world that make me feel happy, as I am learning. But this is something when I quit working at the Flower Shop I thought I would be so happy to be done with.  However it seems to be something I actually like doing. Sure I agonize over what to put in them, will others like them, and will they ever ask AGIAN for another one.  I try to make something so unique that is creates a stir of emotions from people. It could be amazement, astonishment and yes even envy!  AND SO IT ANOTHER THING THAT NOW MAKES ME HAPPY!  What a blessing to recognize a talent that I have been given and the ability to use it for good. Here is the latest one I got to make it is for a little lady who is going to a dance with her Daddy. 

I hope you find things that make you happy.