Is there a Positive side to Unemployement?

Yes you read that right. John lost his job Friday. While the specifics aren't important, and well to be honest we are just tired of talking about it and dwelling on it. Today we decided to start to compile a list of the good things about John losing his job when he did. So heres what we have so far

1. He gets to grow his goatee back :) If you  know anything about me you know I LOVE when he grows facial hair.  No job at UPS means he can grow it back.

2. He will get to attend ALL three hours of Church on the Sunday before Christmas. Whats even better is we invited his parents to come watch the program in  Sacrament meeting which John and I are both participating in. Im excited because the program will be really good and is inspired. I told the sister who asked us to participate that she was inspired. I feel like Heavenly Father knew this was going to happen and wanted us to really live the spiritual side of this holiday season.

3. John doesn't have to work 16 days straight 12-14 hours each day until all hours of the night in the nasty weather.

4. We get to spend the entire holiday season together for the first time since we got married.

5. Not going to bed alone waiting for him to get home.

6. Being able to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Its not about the gifts. This is only something you really get when you make the conscious decision to not buy gifts for each other but instead others, and really putting thought into those gifts.

7. John being able to allow his knee more time to heal. One of the issues we have had since October with both the Insurance company and UPS is them wanting him to return to work before both he and the doctor felt he should.  We noticed tonight that all of the swelling has gone down in his knee and you can actually feel his kneecap.

Im sure we will think of more later. We have been truly blessed in many small ways. It has testified to us that Heavenly Father is looking out for us. Bills that should have been higher were significantly lower, and we found cheaper insurance than COBRA that we may go with if everything works out. We ask for continual prayers that we are able to find job or jobs (if its Heavenly Fathers will) that will allow us to meet the goals we have as a family.
One last note.. Its REALLY Ok for you to no longer use UPS. :)

Peace

With everything we have going on right now, one thing I was not expecting was the results of the Presidential election. I along with many other Americans was truly heartbroken that our current President won re-election. I only say this so you can kind of get a glimpse into my current state of mind.   I should also back up a year and say that ever since TOFW came to Reno last year and I knew it was scheduled to be in Sacramento, CA this year I was determined to go. Fast forward a year and as I have stated before John had knee replacement surgery at the end of July. I had talked to a friend a couple of months before that about having her go with me and thought it was all set. Well when I contacted her in August before I bought my tickets to go, I found out that she would not be able to attend. I was crushed. Especially since I didn't feel comfortable with driving over the hill to a city I really don't know that well to go to this event by my self so I decided not to go. I was really bummed but figured life goes on and there is always next year.
Right at the time that our fight with the insurance company began I found out that TOFW leaders had decided to do a live stream of the Salt Lake City event over the internet. And the Best part was it was for free. No I wouldn't get one of the nifty tote bags but it was the spirit of the speakers messages and the music that I was really wanting. Well I was lazy I admit and didn't make it a priority and missed out. I found out Monday morning that they decided to put it up for two more days and I knew that this was Heavenly Fathers way of saying I gave you one chance and you screwed up but because I love you and because you are a faithful daughter, Im giving you this second chance to hear what I need you to hear. So I told John I needed to do this and he agreed.
As the election results began to come in I knew what was going to happen so I turned off the TV and turned on my computer and began to listen and watch. And I watched all day today in between doing my daily must dos around the house. As John and I sat and talked late this evening we both said that for tonight at least in this small moment we feel peace in our home.
I have a testimony that our Heavenly Father does know each and every one of us and what we are going through and if we turn to him for comfort he does hear and will help us. While I know we have to have faith and be patient its hard to remember that the results we are waiting for are truly in the Lords time and not ours. While we don't know what will happen I am grateful for an amazing husband who has made it a point to have a substantial savings that can get us through for a couple of months if we are careful. Im also grateful we have food storage that so far has fed us with the exception of a couple of items we have had to purchase. Im also grateful for a father who was inspired to send an email out this morning to offer fatherly/brotherly advice..

Prayers

Without going into a lot of detail, we are asking for prayers in our behalf that Johns job situation gets resolved soon. Whether that be a new job or having the dispute with the disability resolved. This has been one of the most difficult trials we have faced, but we are grateful for the law of tithing and that we have savings to fall back on. I promise to give more information after this is all settled.

The newest member of our family

Meet Selena. Shes a Chihuahua/Mini Pin mix that weighs 8 pounds. She is very tiny but is full of energy which keeps Sophi active. She also has one of the sweetest personalities and is very loving. Shes not a super yippy dog that most Chihuahua's are which is nice. John and I had talked a lot about getting a second dog and had looked. We thought we had one we were going to meet but the organization who had her didn't make it convenient to see her. Then he found one dog named Ferguson who was similar to Sophi's breed but when we introduced the two of them the day after we met him we just didn't feel right about the match. That may not make sense but its the only way I can describe it. We talked to the volunteers and they suggested Selena. John bent over into the pen she was in and picked her up, then we walked the two girls and we just knew. So we adopted her. Having two dogs is a lot of work especially since Selena is an early riser to go out and do her business. She has her schedule which is go outside then come in and eat then play or sun her self then nap. That means that no matter how little sleep I got I'm up for the day.  Could this possibly be preparing me for parenthood? Who knows and before anyone assumes anything no I'm not making any kind of announcement about any little Zinnicks running around. LOL.
The only problem we have with her is that she is so small she fits through the slats on our fence. She does however listen and comes back when we call her. She's been a blessing to us at this time in our lives as we are facing some trials. We are so grateful we could give her a home. We strongly encourage anyone considering getting a pet to look at your local shelters because there are dogs and cats for any personalities. Selena is a perfect example. We were told she was a stray but after getting her home have found that she is housebroken and comes when shes called. So theres our plug for adopting pets. So far we are two for two

3 Years

Today we celebrated our three year anniversary. My day didn't start out very well. I dropped my ipod that I have had since before I got married in the toilette (long story don't ask) at 5:30 am. I did my usual worry session which meant I didn't go back to sleep, remembered the rice trick did that and tried to sleep. Finally it was time to get up and shower so I could go to my WW meeting. I got up went to my meeting and was down again this week. The meeting was great. I have a great support group every Tuesday and they really are becoming my friends.
This afternoon we went to the temple. About three weeks ago my friend Marie who joined the church a year ago told me she and her husband were going through the temple and being sealed today. When I told her it was our anniversary she had a look on her face that was priceless. I told her I was honored and that we would be there. It was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary this year. With all the challenges we have had regarding the future and other things, it was nice to be reminded of the covenants we made three years ago. After the Temple we went to dinner at a local Italian place. It was the perfect end to a great day! Neither of us can believe its only been three years because it feels like we have been together for much much longer and yes in a good way.

Johns new toy

Ever since John had his surgery and probably before that, he's been looking to get a larger Lathe. The one he had works fine but it doesn't work to make larger projects. Well a couple of weeks ago he finally found one he liked that didn't cost an arm and a leg.  Well today it came. He was like a kid in a candy store after he got it all set up. The only problem? He didn't have anything to make today. I will try to post pictures soon. So what did he do in the mean time? He tore down the rain gutters from over our garage, and painted the trim. We are going to replace them ourselves because its a short span and we don't feel like spending $500 to have someone do it when we can do it ourselves.
The other thing he's been working on is my Laundry hamper. Its being made out of wood we either had, my father in law had or we bought from the Habitat for Humanity store. Im super excited. All he has left is the lid and to paint it. it will be nice to be able to hide my laundry. We have also cleaned out our side shed. Its so nice to know what we have and where it is especially since our camping and emergency stuff is out there.
Theres lots of little projects being done. We know Heavenly Father has a plan as far as his job goes whether thats with UPS or another company has yet to be seen.

Busy Summer and more

We have had a busy few months. In June we made a trip to Utah to attend my nieces blessing. It was so nice to see my parents and two of my siblings. I wish we lived closer to one another so we could spend more time together. We were also able to see a few Aunts and Uncles that I haven't seen since we got married.
Two or so weeks later we hosted my families first family reunion. While it wasn't perfect, I'm hopeful that as we keep having them we will in time slowly create a reunion we ALL look foreword to attending. I was disappointed that some chose to leave before they could really see what Reno has to offer. I'm sorry if this offends some but this blog is a place for me to be honest about my feelings.
A month late, John had his knee replacement surgery. One thing I have learned is that when a family is going through a medical challenge it
Affects not only the sick person but the rest of the immediate family. I was criticized because it took me longer than one day to get caught up on my housework. All I can say is when I'm faced with one of the worst arthritis flare ups i have had since I got married that I will get stuff done it just might take me a while. So until you have been in my shoes don't criticize. Anyway getting back on track his surgery went well. He was in the hospital from Tuesday till Friday afternoon. He has done an amazing job with his PT and has been going to the gym as well. The therapist said he may be going too hard and that he may need to back off a bit. Not something he wanted to hear but we will do what we have to. He is out on disability until the beginning of December and it looks like he may stay out until January. He doesn't want to go back to work and reinjure himself. One thing I learned through all this is I know who to rely on when I need help, and my ward won't offer sad but true.
The rest of the summer has been spent focusing on getting John better. Doctors visits therapy making sure the house stays together. So that's our summer.
I have been working on trying to read the Book Of Mormon. I am doing a program 42 days to Christ and while its taken me longer than 42 days its one of the most amazing things I have done for myself. I also decided to really read the conference talks from the last conference and then the one we Just had when they come out. In a
Talk by Boyd K Packer he made a statement that brought comfort to my soul. He said while telling the story of a young couple he was talking to ," at least you want children, and that desire will weigh heavily in your favor I. Your earthly lives and beyond because it will provide spiritual and emotional stability. Ultimately, you will be much better off because you wanted children and could not have them, as compared to those who could but would not have children." I realized that I'm ok. I'm not going to be punished if despite all my efforts I'm unable to be a parent.
So that's what's going on with us. We love and miss all our friends and family.

My First Quilt

Some of you may already know that one of my new hobbies that I have begun to love since moving here to the Reno are is quilting. I joined a quilt group that was going on in my ward as a way to get to know other women and meet new friends. I have started three quilts, finished one top thats ready to be basted and quilted and then I started this pumpkin quilt. Its very small and I thought it would be a great one to do before I started quilting the big one that I have. Thanks to my friends Melanie and Summer I was able to finish it. Summer was a huge help getting me started on the quilting and basting. My friend Brenda helped with the batting and got me started on this new passion of mine. Im so grateful for all the help I was given with this. Its not perfect but Im so excited its finished.

Finally an Update

I know I know, its been way too long since I wrote an update. I have been trying to do one for over a month, but I was hoping my wonderful husband would upload the pictures from our cruise so I could share. However that hasn't happened yet because well life has been a bit crazy and stressful for us.
At the end of April-first week of May we went on a Pacific cruise that took us from Los Angeles to Vancouver BC. We got a great deal and well we needed a vacation from everything. Phones Internet ect. John actually needed it more than I did but the time away was good for us both. We had a fantastic time. The weather was so so. It rained the day before we got to Astoria, OR and the day we were there and the day after. But we didn't let that ruin our vacation. We stopped in Astoria OR, Victoria BC, Nainamo BC and Vancouver. We decided that we could go back to the first three but Vancouver we are so so about. I would like to go back simply so John can see the Vancouver BC Temple.  I was blessed to be able to see it when my cousin went through for the first time and its a beautiful building. In Victoria we went to the Buchart (Im pretty sure I just spelled that wrong) Gardens and they are AMAZING. We were there for an hour and 45 minutes and honestly I could have spent the whole day there. John agrees. He was in total Heaven with his camera. So maybe a trip for a long weekend back to Victoria is in our future. In Nainamo we had the most amazing fish and chips. On the bus ride from the port to town, we were told there was a great small shack that was right on the water that had the best fish. Oh man was he right. John had the actual fish and chips. I had a Halibut Sandwich on a whole wheat bun. It was delicious. No breading and the cajun marinade was just right. They don't salt there fries which I realized I actually like them that way. It made the day. So our advice to you is if you are ever in Nainamo BC go find the fish place. I don't remember the name of it off hand but will post a picture with the name as soon as I get john to send it to me.
The other goings on include me no longer being in Primary. It was hard at first but I realized afterword that my job is to do my best to fellowship a few sisters in our ward that feel the same way I do. One of them is a new convert and she was become a good friend. We also decided that we need to go to the Gospel Principles class to help teach the new members. We went one Sunday for reasons i won't get into here and John said we need to keep going to this class. Its been rewarding and I feel like its helping me to build up courage to more freely share the gospel and to be able to share it more with Johns parents.
The other big news is that after much prayerful consideration, lots of discussion and visits with the doctor. John has decided to go ahead and have a Total Knee replacement on his right knee. He has been living with pain off and on for several years, however its become worse in the last year. In November he was referred to an Orthopedic Surgeon. The doctor who is amazing told him that he had two options. 1. Do nothing or 2 have the surgery. He told us John would know when the time was and when he was to come back. Several months later we are moving foreword. We don't have an exact surgery date yet but more than likely it will be the first part of June so that we can fully enjoy my families family reunion. There are lots of unknowns in all this but one thing I do know is that my Father in Heaven is aware of us. He knows what is best for us and if we put our faith in him he will take care of us and lead us in the direction that will help us be closer to him.

Sophi

John and I were talking the other night with his parents and we discovered that our wonderful Sophi is more of a protector than we realized. Ever since I got sick, in order to prevent John from getting the crud I had we slept in separate beds. Anyway I realized that when Sophi slept in the room with me either in our bed or in her bed, while she may look like she was asleep she was actually awake most of the night. I was telling John and his parents this and John made the statement that when she slept with him she was out cold all night. Thats when we realized that Sophi really looks out for me. She is constantly on guard, and when Johns not in the room she watches out for me. She may only weight 18lbs, but she is loyal and very protective and Im so glad she's part of our family.

37

I didn't think that this birthday would be as hard for me as it was. I guess being that much closer to 40 was harder than I thought. I am hoping that this next year is full of accomplishing some or all of the goals that I have. We shall see.

Had to share

Several months ago I bought President Thomas S. Monsons' biography for my Kindle. For those of you who are not of my faith he is the the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Anyway, in the last couple of months I really put forth the effort to read the book. I found that if I did it while on the treadmill at the gym that my workout went better and I had a calmer spirit.

I have always loved this man and have known how wonderful he was, but after reading the book I have come away with a true testimony that if each of us tried to live our lives in even the smallest way that this world would be a much better place. He truly loves everyone and uses kindness and charity to others to teach simple lessons. I learned that if we love someone we are more likely to help produce change than if we are domineering and forceful. I honestly believe that these lessons apply no matter what your religious beliefs are. So my challenge to all of you out there is to show a little more compassion and love to those around you this week and see what happens.

Lesson Learned today

So when traveling with a dog in the car, if your car is equipped with power windows and child locks for said windows its a GOOD Idea to enable the child locks. My in laws dog Dee Dee figured out how to roll down the rear passenger window of my car today on our way back from walking the marina. It was quite comical.

Challenging January

This month has seemed like one very long month. The challenges started at the end of December when our dog got the doggie flu. Who knew dogs could get the stomach flu. Sophi got diarrhea Christmas day. She wouldn't eat and barely drank. This went on until Tuesday night when we realized she had blood coming out with her poo..(yes I know gross). Well if you know my husband then you know that his family and pets are his life. It has only been a year since we had to put our beloved Cheyenne down. We got concerned because in Sophis paper work it said that when she was rescued and put into the shelter in Las Vegas that they Vets thought she had Parvo. So Wednesday morning John told me we had to take her to the vet. So I called and then off we went. I got worried when I got there and they immediately put us into a room because of her symptoms. The vet came in and said the main concern was she had a blockage so we had to leave her so they could x-ray her. Well several hours later and no phone calls, John headed to the vets office and was told they didn't know what was wrong but thought it was probably a bug..He gave her a shot and sent us home with some medications. Once I got her home she was her old self. We have had to cut her diet so she can lose weight..Yes mommy and Sophi are on a diet. Sophi hates it more than mommy..HAHA

The next challenge is one for me that has been on going. I have had a hard time getting really close to people here and finding the dear friendships I had in Oklahoma. I have a few people I am very close with but after some events, I have a hard time trusting people. I find that my Heavenly Father knows me and knows when I need a reminder. I love working with the kids in church. Their sweet spirits and unconditional love help boost me every week and for that I am grateful. In the midst of all this, and because we haven't had snow and its been warm, I decided to take a drive to Sacramento to see my friend Sabrina. That was the best thing I could have done. It totally gave me the boost to my spirit that I needed.

Johns job has presented some challenges as of late. While we waited to see exactly what would happen we prayed to our Father in Heaven that he would guide us in the direction we need to go. While the journey the last couple of weeks was nerve-racking, in the end we had our prayers answered. While the recent changes in his job mean more responsibility, I know that this experience will help John shine.

I am grateful for the inspiring women in my lives. Some live here in the Reno area others live out of state, one clear across the country. I am grateful for the examples they are, even though they don't realize it. So to you I say Thank you!