Due Diligence

Well, this has been a SUPER busy week. I haven't posted in awhile in due to time constraints. Tonight was a productive night for the boys and I. We went for a long walk (about an hour). Dustin spent most of the time walking our rat terrier named Bonnie. Although, she pulled him too hard at one point and he fell down and got a nasty scrape on his knee. So, we got that bandaged up once we got home. So, the dogs and the kids, save Dakota, got some good exercise. Once we got home we had some lime popcicles. Dakota shared mine and boy does he love licking those! Then it was shower time. Dustin was quite brave considering his newly obtained ouchie. Afterwards it was a brief playtime followed by a book and then bed. Nothing like Cat in the Hat to shut down the night. Dustin has recently acquired the bad habit of sucking his thumb. It makes me irritated however I think he regressing a little bit because he sees how much attention his little brother gets. I'm told that is normal, however I don't want him to mess up his teeth. I still have the Cat in the Hat rhymes in my head. I find myself wanting to rhyme as I write this.
Work is a never ending series of work. LOL! Although, they did move me to a corner cube which seems more spacious. Although, it's the same size as the others. I enjoy working in a corner cube after two years in the middle of everyone. It only took me 3.5 years to get a corner cube. :) Perhaps I'm moving up in the world.
My friend and I were talking today about adoption. What a difficult situation that would be to go through. I told her that the people that adopt must be stronger than me. She's had infertility issues, which my sister is now experiencing. Of course since I have no experience with either and I can only empathize with those individuals. It takes great courage do tread both paths. I'm lucky that when I wanted kids that I was able to conceive. With Dustin I accidentally missed three birth control pills (not in succession) and poof I was pregnant. He was the best oops I've ever done. With Dakota I tried for three months and became pregnant. I know how much I love my children and am in awe of people that have to walk the difficult path to experience such a wonderous gift. I'm sure that it makes it that much sweeter. However, I by no means take my children for granted. I realize that they are the best gift I've ever received and feel undeserving of such a wonderous gift. I become angry when I hear people tell young women (teens) that a baby will ruin their lives. I'm NOT saying I condone teen pregnancy, however I think a baby is a wonderful gift and telling someone that it will ruin their life is a travesty. It can be difficult and trying at times. However, I view my children not as something that I must SURVIVE, but as something I'm blessed to experience. Things are difficult right now due to finances, but at the end of every day I can look at my children and know that whatever I must go through to ensure that they are okay is well worth the effort. God Bless those that must walk difficult paths to experience what I have been given so freely. For they must be stronger than I.

Economic Hardship

As we all know, the economy is in quite a state fand has been fr the past eight or nine months. I know that my family has been affected considerably during the past few months. Due to the economy, I was promoted in January but was unable to receive a raise. We are obligated to wait until next April to receive our raise. A few factors affect our current situation. Given that I received my Bachelor's degree in Business Management a year ago in July and that I am currently pursuing my Masters in Business Administration I feel that I should be paid equal to what I could earn with my degree. I have basically had the same job for 3.5 years. Thus, I am not being paid what someone with a degree would earn. That being said, we've also had a recent addition to our family. We are also not allowed to work overtime at work. Thus, it is increasingly difficult to get our bills covered. I know that others have it far worse than we do, but we are still feeling the burn.
Although, the best thing that I can say about this situation is that at least I have my family. Without the support of my husband nor the joy that my children bring, it would be impossible to survive this difficult time. I have been operating through brief periods of depression followed by longer periods of optimism. It's difficult to remain positive during this time, but it seems like the only route to go. Having my children is a great relief and source of inspiration for me. When I had Dustin, I decided to finish my Bachelor's degree and when I had Dakota I decided to obtain my Masters degree. My children make me want to be a better person. Although this time is difficult, I hope that it will soon pass. I don't know what the future holds, nor do I understand the path that God has laid out for us. However, I hope and pray that our turmoil will result in a time of plenty.