My fourth decade: 2000's

Wow, my life is literally flashing before my eyes!

I sit in the same kitchen tonight that was built in October of 2000!  Chris and I moved four times before settling in this home.    We have been here more than a decade!

I really don't know where to begin to describe these 10 years of my story.  So much has happened!
As I take a deep breath, I realize I may not have the strength to re-live it.   I think I may have tried to block a lot of it out of my memory for a good reason.

I don't know how much of my story GOD intends for me to tell.  So I will sit awhile and pray....

My husband's mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2000.  She was confined to a chair for four years, and died in April, 2004.   I did not have a loving relationship with my mother-in-law or her daughters.  In fact, it was quite torturous to be around them most of the time.   I hesitate even today to bring any of the past to the present because it is exactly that...in the past!  I can't say I did not suffer emotionally from Satans attacks, but I can tell you I survived!  GOD is my strength and my refuge!

I was able to resolve my relationship with my mother-in-law before she passed, but the scars that were left took several more years to heal.

In 2006, Chris and I were going through another rough spot in our marriage  He was traveling frequently and I was suffering from depression after miscarrying a baby.  Satan kept us in his web for a few years.  We stopped going to church too.  I did everything possible to stay close to Christ during these trials, and HE never left my side.

I opened my  preschool business later that year, and firmly believe it is a calling from GOD.  HE continues to bless me each year with enduring children to teach!

In 2007, I became pregnant with a baby girl!  The doctors did not give us much hope, however, because a tumor was sure to cause another miscarry.  I was overwhelmed with faith that GOD was going to give me a daughter.  I held on to my faith every week, even though the doctors kept telling me she would not survive.  At 20 weeks, I had surgery to remove the tumor that was growing right beside my little girl, and went into labor.  The labor was stopped, but I was bed-ridden for the rest of my trimester.

Jessica was born in Feb, 2008 a very healthy baby girl!  I dealt with a few more problems after child birth and had a complete hysterectomy later that year.  Menapause at 40 meant depression, weight gain, and more marital problems.

In 2010, I discovered the HCG Diet!  I started a weight loss journey and lost 50 pounds in four months and ran my first half-marathon.  I thought being thin would make me happy....I will tell you more in my next post....