~Rejoicing~

Today finds us in beautiful Malibu, relaxing as much as is possible with two attention-starved children. Except it's not all that beautiful because for the gazillionth time since Christmas, it is cold and overcast, and quite yucky. I think Hunk's heard me about 50 times (today) say how much I hate winter.

We just got home from running around for a bit. We were originally supposed to drive out to Pasadena with our friends D & J so they could get new cellphones, but they couldn't make it at the last second so we just wandered out with the kids. Seems like they rarely get out of the house sometimes, so we owed them. So, we just got a yummy lunch and headed over to Target for some totally unnecessary spending. Well, Mama did need some new underwear since I never packed any for myself when we left home. LOL Funny how you can remember every single thing for every member of your family, and forget THE most important thing for yourself.

Today the Lord has really placed on my heart the emotional roller coaster we've been on the past 12 years. Namely the times we hit rock bottom. It's just so amazing to see where we've been, and be able to rejoice over those lessons and those trials.

When Mikey was just under a year, we got evicted from our home. We spent the next 2 months living in hotels; one in which Mike took his first steps. Any money Big Hunk made went to pay for the hotel, and eating out every night because we had no other choice. After that, we were invited to live in someone's guest house almost free, and we stayed in this ridiculously tiny "home" for another 2 months. But it wasn't a home at all- it had one bedroom (loft) where the 5 of us slept (when the boys were over) and a teeny tiny living space (or lack of!) that you could barely walk through with our TV and two chairs.

But God answered prayers, and proved himself faithful- just as He always is. Our attorney arranged for us to move into the rental he was leaving, and we then had a nice home in a great neighborhood- still close to the boys. We had Ikey there, and were there for 2 years.

Of course, because life is full of ups and downs, we hit rock bottom-again- a short time after we moved out of that house. Hunk was out of work and we couldn't pay our rent, and I got pregnant and lost my baby. We were evicted again, but you know what? There was no doubt in our minds that we would somehow get through it. We knew God had a plan, and had His hand on us. Sure it was tough- it was incredibly tough. But we were able to look to the future with anticipation of what the Lord had in store for us. And we knew it was good!

Even through the worst times in our lives, we KNEW God was preparing a way for us. We didn't always have the best of faith- there were so many times that either Hunk or I were lifting the other up because we just couldn't see the end of the tunnel. But we got through it, and as we look back now we can thank God for those times, and know the lessons we were meant to take away from it all.

And, perhaps best of all, we can look at the past and know with absolute certainty that our marriage will survive through it all. Because it already has. And for that I am so so thankful. To know that in our lives we've been slammed with the darkest days, and that each day we woke up to a new sunrise- together. By the grace of God.