Another Week Gone By

There were quite a few days this week that I didn't want to get out of bed. It seems as though life just keeps getting harder for us these days. Just when I think things can't get worse, they do. Jeremy was laid off on Tuesday this last week. At the time, I really didn't know what we were going to do. And to be honest, I still don't really know. On Wednesday he went to apply for unemployment. When he told me the amount we qualify for (if we are approved,) I started doing some figuring. The unemployment will take care of rent and our electric bill. We still have to worry about food, phone, internet, gas, etc. Our tax return isn't looking quite so big anymore. Especially if he won't be able to find another job for a few months. If I knew it would only be a month or two, I could relax and plan accordingly. But it's the unknown that really has me down. So if any one knows of any graphic design jobs that are available, please let us know!

We did get our computer back on Wednesday this last week. We were able to enjoy 3 days of a working computer before the hard drive crashed on us AGAIN! So we are now going to buy a new computer. Once again, we know people with connections, so we will be able to get a new computer for a good deal. My problem is that I feel so guilty spending money on a new computer when I know that will make our tax return money run out sooner rather than later. But we can't survive without a computer. The internet is the only way to apply for jobs these days. Sure we could use the internet at our local library which is just a few blocks away. But that means we can't reply quickly to emails concerning job interviews and things. Also, since Jeremy is a graphic designer a few job will send him mock projects for him to do as part of the interviewing process. Without his Adobe Creative Suite, he won't be able to do any of those.....
So we have our new computer ordered, taking a deep breath, and moving forward with the faith to know we'll be taken care of. We are already seeing so many blessings coming our way. For example, Jeremy's brother, Michael, offered to loan us one of his laptops while we wait for a new computer. Considering our track record with ruining hard drives, that was a HUGE blessing for us. Even the computer we were borrowing from Jeremy's cousin left our house with hard drive issues. But at least we have internet and a borrowed computer that will meet our needs until we get ours. Thanks again Michael, we really appreciate it.

We have had good things happen to us this week. I've had to focus on those a lot these last few days. Jeremy gets to play with us a lot more now that he's spending more time at home. I've loved having his help around the house.
We do qualify for unemployment, which is a lot better than not having an income at all. Jeremy had a few interviews this week, which is a good sign. Also, as soon as friends and family have found out about our situation, they have been sending us a lot of job leads, which is great.

It spread around the ward on Sunday that Jeremy had lost his job. When a neighbor learned of this, she immediately offered to bring us some food. She ended up bringing boxes and bags of food. She filled the trunk of her car and brought it over. I couldn't believe how generous she was, especially since I know they struggle themselves. Her generosity inspires me to be better.

When I went in to get a crown put on my tooth, the dentist decided to let me wait for the tooth to break. He thinks that if it does break, it won't be as bad as what he thought at first. So we were able to save a few hundred dollars there this week.

I've been seeing an increase in the amount of people who need a math tutor. So I've been working more hours than I have in a long time. I work about 2 hours a day instead of 2 hours a week. I've also been able to get some baby sitting in as well.

I have a friend who does testing for a company who makes tests. She gives the test to people and gives the results to the company so that they can make better tests. We get paid to take these tests, and it just so happened that she had tests for both Jeremy and Clara to take this week. So that even brought us some extra money.

And of course our biggest blessing is our little Clara. She is always so happy and so oblivious to our situation. She has caught me crying a few times this week. When she does, she'll climb up on my lap and in a very concerned voice ask, "Happened?" When I tell her that Mommy is just sad, she says, "Mommy happy!" She will then grab my cheeks and pull so that my mouth is forced to smile. That does make me laugh and hence smile. She really is such a joy and I'm so glad we have her in our home.