God is Good!

I have been meaning to blog all week, but never did it. I still don't have pictures from Kansas City, but Rach posted some, so that will do. I might still try to get some.

I didn't want to post about what had happened before I made sure it was alright with Derek. I can now tell you that he got laid off on the 18th. That was a hard day. I got the call in our hotel room and I would have done anything to be with him in a moment. There is nothing like crying together on the phone to make you closer together. My heart just melted for him. This first year of marriage has been trying, but we have and will overcome, thank you Jesus!!

KPMG cut 10% of it's staff and it just so happened to include Derek. We did not see this coming, but how convenient for this to happen the week after his busy season ended. Right when the 70 hour work weeks end, they lay him off. A little thanks would have been nice!

Derek has been told by several people that they are upset that he was one of the people to go and how great of a worker he is. That has been great to hear and very encouraging.

So, the Muellers are unemployed:) We both have a great peace about it and know this is where the Lord has us. I have been praying that this lay off will be a great blessing and that Derek would get a wonderful job, with no busy season or travel. AND with a company that will appreciate him as a person, not just a number.

Derek is such a dedicated worker and didn't deserve this, but I am happy because I have always hated his job. But, it was a job and paid the bills.

So, here we are, 11 months into marriage and loving it. Did I ever think that the stuff that has happened in our first marriage would? NO. But did our sweet Lord, YES. He is holding us and he has blessed us with great family and a great community of believers.

We are truly blessed and we are so thankful for your prayers in this time.
Pray that Derek would get a job soon, and it would be a great fit for us.
Pray that I too would get a job, at this point anything will do!
Pray that we would continue to just rely and trust that God will provide.

I am more in love with my husband than I was yesterday and I am amazed at that.
God is good!!


Instead of being sad:


We are choosing to be HAPPY:)

Life

Long time no post! Time is just flying by. I was in Kansas City Monday through Wednesday with my Mom and sister. We had a great time, just relaxed and shopped. It was much needed. I got some fun stuff, I still need to take some pictures of it all. We ate at some fun restaurants, Mommy spoiled us! Thanks:)
That was the good part of the week, life took an unexpected turn on Wednesday. But, God is good and he will provide. Prayers would be much appreciated. I don't want to go into detail yet, but we are just trusting that it will all work out for the best.
I will post pictures soon!

Shopping!

Lots of picture updates!! This fabric is what will soon become our valances in our living room. I should have probably done this a year ago, but at least it is getting done now! My mom is going to help me, I have never sewn anything in my life. Good thing I have a Mommy that know how to do it:) I will post pictures when I get them done. I also bought black fabric for valances in our bedroom!


Yesterday I spent the day with my Mom and a lady that she teacher, Lori and her 6 year old daughter, Allyson. Lori's brother owns a shoe store, so we drove 2 hours to get to it. Allyson calls it the shoe castle, very cute. My mother was gracious enough to buy me a pair of Keens. I have been wanting some for awhile, but they are expensive! I did get $15 off of them though! Now it just needs to get warm out so I can wear them! I have been wearing them around the house today and I love them:) Thanks Mommy!!!





We went to the outlet malls in Williamsburg on the way home. I got 3 tank-tops for $13, can't beat that! I live in Old Navy tank-tops in the summer, they are very comfortable. I love sales.



Since Derek has been working his butt off the past few weeks, I decided he deserved some treats. We went to this store that was kinda like a coop, they buy all the stuff in bulk and then divide it up and sell it cheaper. I wish we had one here! He got gum drops, orange slices and 2 bags of cinnamon hearts. Good thing I don't like those, so I can't eat them!


I also got some kitchen stuff, but it is too boring to take pictures of!! I didn't want to spend too much money because we are going to Kansas City next week to shop and have girl time!! It will be a nice break and it is suppose to be sunny and in the 60s! Yippee!

Another Monday:(

Next Monday will be a happy Monday, as I am going to Kansas City with my Mom, sister, and Sam and her Mom. But today, means that Derek will be working until at least 10:( This is the last busy week for him and I couldn't be happier! This has been a long winter and crazy last few weeks. I feel like I haven't had much quality time with my hubby and it will be wonderful to have him home at night.
I am sitting at my parents so I don't have to be home alone all night. I picked them up for the airport this morning and have been here all day. Rachel and I had a big surprise for them when they got home. We spent all day Saturday organizing the back room of the basement. It was time to reorganize and fine the floor again! For their sake, I am not posting before and after pictures. It was just something little we can do to say Thanks for being great parents!!!
I even got to go visit some of my favorite kiddos! They are growing up so fast! When I walked into the house Josie was like, "Liz is home, Liz is home!!" Then when I was leaving she said, "No, Liz stay home!!" It feels so good to be loved!
Weekends keep flying by too fast! Maybe it is because Derek works all day on Saturday. Daylight Savings Time killed us, so stupid! I let him sleep in on Sunday, he has been working himself too hard. I keep waiting for him to just crash! Poor guy! He deserves a LONG vacation!!
Since I hate not posting any pictures, here is a picture that I find funny for you:) I thought I was so cool! But sadly, I do suppose those glasses are coming back in style!

Storytime:)

Some of you know this story, others probably not. I just want to have it written down so in the years to come I will remember it!

August 21, 2007 was an amazing day! It is the day that Derek proposed to me. I was one happy girl. We had lots of fun celebrating that night and I couldn't wait to start planning everything. I had worn my promise ring on my left ring finger and I thought it was a size 7. So, that is what I told Derek when he asked.
I woke up at about 6 am the next morning and had to go to the bathroom. I was admiring my gorgeous ring and realized that my finger looked kinda swollen. I decided that maybe my ring was a little too tight and to take it off. It wouldn't come off though.
I went downstairs, to tell my mom. It was her first day back to school. She told me to stick my finger under cold water, didn't work. Try soap, no luck. Put it in your mouth and pull it off, nope. She got on the internet and looked up other ideas. I tried all of these, soaking your hand in ice water for 5 minutes, using dental floss to help pull it off, hemorrhoid cream, raising my hand above my head for 10 minutes. NOTHING WORKED!
My mom then said she read as a last resort you can cut it off. I was like no way am I cutting my engagement ring off my finger!!
My mom left for school and I just broke down. I called Derek and told him I couldn't get the ring off my finger and my finger was very swollen. He went to ask his mom if there was anything else I could do. She named a few tricks, but I had tried them all. I was crying at this point and my finger was throbbing.
I said I needed to do what I hated to do, cut it off. How ironic that 12 hours before this I was so happy to have this ring and now I just wanted it off! It was either the ring or my finger, I figured the ring could be replaced, but not my finger!
My mom works with a lady whose husband is a firefighter. I drove to my mom's school and the lady's husband broke the ring cutter that they use in emergency situations. She made one cut in the middle of the band. We couldn't pry it off, so I ended up going to her house and her husband used 2 set of pliers to pry it off. Man that hurt. Imagine having your finger being so swollen and then putting pressure on it.
But, it was off:) I was relieved until I looked at it. I put it in its box and couldn't bear to look at it again. I called Derek and apologized over and over again. Here he had spent thousands of dollars on this ring and I just cut it off! Ouch!
He was so good about it, while I was a wreck.
I drove up to his parent's house and we went to the jewelry store. The owner just looked at me and was like I will have this fixed by this evening. He could tell how much it killed me to do what I did. He fixed it and made it bigger. And said to not sleep with it on seeing that my fingers swell when I sleep. Good thing to know.
Talk about an emotional roller coaster. I went from an extreme high of getting engaged to an extreme low of cutting my ring off my finger.
I got it back that night and had to wear it on my right hand for a week to let my finger heal. It was completely bruised and cut up.

Ready for pictures??







Now I can look back on it and laugh, but that took some time!
Good thing it wasn't a hint of how our engagement and marriage would be:)

Lessons learned:
Know your correct ring size
Know if your fingers swell at night

Wahoo!!

All I have to say is that I LOVE that it is 67 degrees out and it feels HOT!!!!!
Praise Jesus!!

I am off to enjoy it more:)

For those asking about my header, I made it on http://www.scrapblog.com/

Just what the doctor ordered.....

So, I have been having horrible cramps all day, and they kept me up some of the night. So, I have been extremely hungry all day. This evening i was craving a Butterfinger blizzard. I haven't had one in months. I have been staying away from sweets for a while. I wanted to call my sister and make her go get one with me, but I didn't. At 9:00 Derek texted me saying he was going to be home soon. Then the garage door opened and I knew something was up because he always calls me right when he gets to his car. I opened the door and there he was with a blizzard in his hand. I busted out laughing!!
What a great and thoughtful man!
It was even better that I had been craving it:)
I rented the movie Australia today, it was like 2 1/2 hours!! But it was good!

Praise the Lord for the 60 degree weather we are having the next 2 days!!

Is it Spring yet??

The new haircut!! It still is weird to run my hands through my hair and realize that about 4 inches is gone. I still like it though! It has been a nice change! This picture is the best I could do by myself.

The next picture is so gross, well to me! Derek has been asking for tater-tot casserole for the last week, so today was the day. I made it for him for lunch considering he didn't get home until after 10 last night and that will probably be the same all week. So, he gets good meals for lunch! This is what he will be consuming for lunch until it is all gone.



Last but not least, when he walked in the door this afternoon this is what he had in his hands!! He is the best:) I have been having a hard last few days. Crazy emotions, love being a woman!! He just wanted to say that it will be ok and that he loves me! I am SO blessed!!


Anyways, I am enjoying the semi looking sunshine that is coming in through the windows. My parents are heading to Florida tomorrow and it is killing me that I have to stay in Iowa! I am taking them to the airport and I might just hop on the plane! If only we were rich and I could just randomly go somewhere warm:) Oh well, soon enough it will be over 30 here. And I hope soon means tomorrow when it is suppose to be 50 and that is never drops below that again. One can hope right??

When my Mom does get back, we are going to make some valences that have been much needed for like the whole year we have owned this house!! Have I mentioned that I am not creative at ALL and oh so wish I was? I might have to hire some help!! I wish I could just snap my fingers and it be done.