I can't believe it. Hannah is almost 1! Time has flown by. Life is good. God is good. We have been busy busy since my last post - training clients, chasing Hannah, and just trying to be good stewards of the wonderful gifts that Christ has bestowed upon us. We met many of our new neighbors, and really love our new home. We could not ask to be in a better location. Our neighborhood is lined with the Queen City's famous huge oak trees; I try to constantly capture their beauty, but no matter how hard I try I feel as if I can never appreciate them enough.
Steve is doing great. He passed the written portion of the firefighting exam, and has his CPAT (physical test) in April. If he passes that, and if the recruitment committee likes him enough, he will move onto the interview process. The hiring process to become a Charlotte Firefighter is about 1 year long, and is VERY competitive. If Steve does well in interviews, he will be selected for the upcoming 2011 class, and begin training in the academy in July. From what we hear, about 1,000 men and women tried out this year....they will choose only 15 to enter the class. I know I am biased, but I think my husband is a perfect candidate for this position, I would trust him with everything to save me from a burning building!
On that note, Steve has pretty much decided to retire from football. He is leaving the door "cracked" just in case, but too many things are pointing in a different direction for his career. I think he is coming to realize that his back just can't take any more. Steve's injury has really been the thorn that cut his professional football career short of what he wanted or expected. Not only does it hurt him physically, but he told me yesterday that it has impacted his ability to perform at the level that he and the NFL wants. Steve's agent is still keeping his ears and eyes open, but we think many teams have "red flagged" him because of his injury. This has been incredibly tough for all of us, but we continually hear that still, small voice assuring us that there is more out there...that we are going to be ok. We trust that voice and strive to obey it in everything that we do.
So, life is amazing right now, because Steve and I get to work as a team to help people live heather lives. One of us is always at home with Hannah while the other one trains at the gym or at our respective clients' homes. God has brought so many wonderful people to our door, and we give all we have to help them with the gifts He has given to us. We know this lifestyle won't last forever, as Steve or I will eventually need to do something that provides benefits (or additional income to procure those benefits), so we are trying to enjoy this while it lasts!
Speaking of benefits, we pray that the NFL owners and players can agree on a new CBA soon. We are scheduled to remain on NFL insurance (which is incredible in its coverage) until September. If there is a lockout, we will lose that insurance, and either go on COBRA (which costs a gillion dollars a month) or find our own self-employed plan (not cheap either). Now that we have a family, having no coverage, or even a small lapse in coverage is not an option whatsoever...especially if we want to have another baby soon ;-) wink, wink!
Want to hear a crazy story? Ok, I'll tell you one ;-). About 4 months ago, our client Bill seemed very sad during one of our sessions. I asked him what was up, and he told me that one of his good high school friends was in bad shape. She was in the process of getting her home in Atlanta ready to show, and she dropped a computer part on her foot. Not thinking much about it, she bandaged it up as well as she could, and continued with daily life. Well, about three days later, her whole leg had swelled and she felt horrible - fever, nausea, weakness - the whole shabang. She finally went to the ER after not being able to pick herself up, and she learned that she had developed a staph infection. She got progressively worse through the night and the doctors learned that she had become septic with streptococcus (thats right, the same thing Hannah has when she was born). She fell into a coma and had to have her leg amputated from the bottom of her knee and down. It didn't look like she was going to make it. She was the mother of two young boys, and according to Bill, was a beautiful person on the inside and out. I was so sad for this woman, and I didn't even know her. I thought that I could have easily been in her situation. It made me feel incredibly blessed to have my health, something I take for granted all too often.
Well, the next day, literally, another client, Patricia, seemed very sad. When I asked her what was wrong, she choked back tears while she told me the exact same story. This woman was the daughter of Patricia's boss' best friend. Yeah, trace that one, but holy moly. Both Patricia and I were so far removed from this lady, but we were so grieved for her. That night, I prayed for Janelle, after learning her name from Patricia. Weeks went by, and I got updates from Bill and Patricia about how she was doing. After about a month, I learned that Janelle had made a miraculous recovery! That was about the last I heard, until we moved into our new home.
The first night we spent in the new house was frantic. We had been working all day, and moved the last of our things from the old home late in the evening. We had a dinner date scheduled with two of our good client-friends at 7PM, and Steve had to run back to the old house around 6PM to get clothes and shoes for the date. He forgot his phone, and while I was unpacking silverware in the kitchen, I sliced my finger open. Of course I had no idea where the band-aids were and OF COURSE Hannah starts screaming because she was tired, hungry, and had a dirty diaper. All I could do was wander out in the freezing cold to ask a neighbor for a bandaid, and a phone to tell Steve to get his butt home. So, I went next door to a home that was full of holiday cheer and a very nice lady who was quick to give me everything I needed. She walked me back to the dinner table, where she introduced me (her new dirty, smelly bloody next door neighbor with an even smellier baby) to her family. As she made her way around the table, she ended with Janelle, her daughter who had just moved in from Atlanta. She told me that Janelle had been very sick and that it was a miracle that she was alive. You guessed it...it was THE Janelle that Bill and Patricia had told me about! INCREDIBLE! I almost passed out, no joke. I told JJ (Janelle's mother) that I knew all about Janelle and that it was such a blessing to meet her and her family.
Long story short (ha, yeah that was a very long story, sorry), we have befriended Janelle and her family. They are the most amazing people, and we are blessed to live so close to them! Janelle has a younger sister, Melissa, who has a baby girl Macon, who is only 2 months older than Hannah. They love to play together. Melissa and her husband are moving across the street in a few weeks. Janelle and her two boys, Jim and Hill, are staying with JJ and Butch (our neighbors) until she can get used to life with one leg. Janelle has been through a lot in her marriage, which is one of the reasons the got so sick - her immune system was very compromised because she was under so much stress. But Janelle is doing great with her new prosthetic leg, and we see her walk to and from the bus stop to get her boys every day. But, and are you ready for this? I just started training Janelle last week. I told her it was not an option, my BOSS (aka. Jesus) told me it was time. I knew it all along, way down deep, after I met her.
God put us in this home for a reason - many reasons - and I know that one of them is to help Janelle and her family in any way that I can. I can never let Janelle pay for training, even though she insists. She is a gift to all of us, and she has blessed me more than I will ever be able to bless her, but I can try my darndest. We have decided that Janelle is going to get a "running" leg and try a race before too long. Let me tell you guys, this girl is amazing. And she is GORGEOUS. She has the most beautiful blue eyes....she looks like an angel.
So, that is my story. I hope you enjoyed it. We have some other great training stories - Jim, who has lost over 30 lbs since January; Patricia, who can do 15 REAL push ups in a row, after not being able to do 1 when we started; Kathy, who can run like the wind after being afraid to jog her entire life; Edward, Carlton and Chris who have toned and cut body fat like whoah; Mandy, who at 45 and pregnant is staying in great shape for her coming baby and 2-year-old; and Jackson, a 9-year old aspiring lineman who adores Steve ... are just a few examples of people that we get to help every day. We love this job and hope to do it for as long as God wants. Our dream is to have our own place some day. We are praying about this and seeking guidance from our friends and family. Who knows if that dream will ever become a reality, but we are very happy to be where we are at now.
Hannah's first birthday party is in two weeks! We are having a big birthday fiesta. Homemade tamales, guacamole, salsa, and chips! I ordered the cake a few weeks ago, it may or may not be two-tiered ;-). Of course we will have a pinata, duh. Even though Hannah will not be able to break it, I'm sure my other child (Steve of course), will jump at the opportunity! I wanted to get a Mariachi band, but Steve put the veto on that one. Darn. Either way, we hope that it will be a party to remember! Hannah had a rough start, so we are going to celebrate 1 year in style!
I guess I have written enough for now, hehe. You guys be blessed, seek the Lord, and enjoy the ABUNDANT life that only He can give!
Peace, Love, and 1-year old birthday parties.....
Jakes
