Wow, living this past year has felt like living on a roller coaster. This year started out with us still getting used to living in West Virginia again after 10 years in Florida. It was definitely a difficult change, and one that brought a lot of emotional turmoil within me.
The first Sunday of the year, my kids and I decided to try a new church, Cornerstone Family Church. I knew that Sunday that I had found my new church home. The people were so friendly and welcoming; there was such freedom in worship; and, the pastor was great.
At this time, I was also working at Winterplace Ski Resort, but in February, I started working at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. I also started taking classes online through University of Phoenix.
Now, the reason we moved back to West Virginia in the first place was because of my grandparent's health. They were getting to the point that they needed help if they were to stay in their home. So for the first few months of the year, my son was helping to take care of my grandfather when my mom was at work, but it was getting to the point of being too much for him to handle as my grandfather's health began to seriously deteriorate. So in May, I resigned from my job in order to help with my grandfather. He went home to be with the Lord just a few days later. The death of my grandfather was very hard on all of us. He was the rock of our family. All of us were extremely close to him, and watching him die was so hard. We miss him something terrible, but we know that he is no longer in pain and he is playing music in Heaven now.
Through the summer, I continued with my classes and helped take care of my grandmother. Then my daughter Elissa started back to public school after four years of being homeschooled. This was a difficult decision for me, and even though she is doing exceptionally well, she has been exposed to a lot and learned a lot of things that she wouldn't have had I kept her homeschooled. However, she has a good head on her shoulders and I am very proud of the young lady she is.
Throughout my adult life, I have struggled with depression and have been diagnosed with a couple of different things, none of which I would ever accept or believe. It was just depression. And for a time before we moved back up here, I was fine and not dealing with this. But when we moved back up here, and maybe even before that, I began struggling again. Things reached a point in October where I had to admit I needed help again. I am finally feeling better, and I am also able to admit that I have Bipolar II Disorder. It was not an easy thing to accept, but it is what it is. Bipolar Disorder runs in my family, I just hate that I ended up with it. I have struggled for many years and I also hate that it took me so long to accept it.
We also figured out that my son has Ausperger's. While being something else that has been a bit hard to accept, it at least gives us answers and makes things make sense.
So as this year closes, I am looking forward to starting school at Mountain State University (I stopped classes at UofP in September). I am also looking forward to the future with expectation and hope. I am part of the praise team at our awesome church. I have 3 awesome children. I am physically healthy, as are my children. We have a nice, warm place to live. We have so many more blessings that it would take way too long to list here. I am so thankful for the grace of God by which I am saved, and the love of Jesus that fills my heart and surrounds me. I have made SO many new friends this past year. They could never take the place of my wonderful friends in Florida, but they have their own special place in my life and heart and I am so thankful for each of them.
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