Ups and Downs and Ups and Downs

Well, again today, I find myself both up and down. I used to be able to sit down and have one thought straight in my mind and elaborate on that one thought... but lately, I sit down and a whirlwind of thoughts just zoom at me. Some up, some down.

So, for some 'ups'.
*Michael says the other night, "Mom! Ethan almost learned it all!! He can burp, toot and whistle... Now he just has to learn to snap!".... as he runs away happily. Apparently, those are the important skills for being a 3 or 4 year old boy. :) You can imagine what my house is like on most days. :):):)
*Trinity is jabbering all the time now. I should try to capture it on video next week, but the problem is that she rarely speaks on command .. she just mimicks you all day long. Ie, you tell her she's poopy and she yells at you "POOPY!!!". :) She says bubba, hi, dad, mom, more, all done, bye, love you, please, thank you, Bear, Zeus and her favorite new word "NO!" :) That's just a short list, and I just love the phase we're at - where she just seems to absorb information like a sponge!!! We also have to keep all bathroom doors shut, as she has discovered the joys of unrolling toilet paper. Good thing I get all that TP for pretty much free!!!! She is officially a toddler now, and most days it makes me so happy to realize that we are on the road to having four 'big kids'.... formula done, bottles done, babyfood done, etc.. I still have a little sentimentality some days realizing my 'baby' is the last baby. I guess we always knew someone had to be the last one!

Some 'downs'
* Still working on my dad's job hunt. It's been 5 months now and I am more and more sad all the time that he's not here. God and I have many, many discussions about it. And to be brutally honest, I felt for a while He kept telling me "Your timing is not my timing." GRRR.. Not what I wanted to hear. BUT, I am happy to report I felt a distinct change in that this weekend. I feel like He says now, "The time is drawing near". I am so encouraged and excited about this. Now, I always have to keep in mind that God's sense of time is not always measured in days and hours and weeks.. but still I have to trust that this indeed God's voice, so please keep praying!
*Philip's truck seems to be ca-poot. I'm sure that's not a word in real life... but it is in my house. We are now faced with the dilemma of putting $1200 into a car worth about $2000.. or having to get him a new one. Now, having just finished reading Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover", having to take out a new car loan is NOT what he preaches... but sadly, we are only in month 1 (though we ARE on baby step #2) into our plan... and here we are. So, we are trying to figure out the wisest decision to make.
*Also relating to Dave Ramsey and his financial wisdom, we are faced with some decisions about life insurance and debt and other such decisions. Some are not cut and dry decisions, so it's tough making those. BUT, we are committed to getting debt free and living 'like no one else, so later we can live like no one else'... (If that phrase is unfamiliar, read good ole Dave)
*And last but not least, the issue that has been plaguing our family for several weeks now, but which I haven't felt like I wanted to divulge much. Philip's job is well, unsure. We are pretty sure he will have a job, but the job that we moved here for is no longer an option (barring a miracle). I don't want to get into how it all came about here on blogging world, but anyways... it's hard to think that the job we moved her for (the one we left our family, friends and home for) is gone. If' I'm honest, we moved here because God told us to... not for a specific job, but still. So now we are again in transition and waiting on God to 'make clear the path'. So please keep us in prayers!