I did it! I comandeered a computer! Yeah, yeah, I know it is early and yes, the kids and H are still asleep, but I also finally had some time myself to post.

The week has been quite interesting. Unfortunately it started with contact from BMOW. It was all business, but it had been SO nice to not hear from her for more than a month and a half! But my H did the right thing and promptly let me know about her emails on Monday. H calls her a martyr now. He says that her believing that of herself is probably what has prompted her to continue as the business manager this long.

BMOW doesn't know yet that the business will not be getting the influx of money she thought was coming. H and the business partners finalized their decision this week to NOT invest any more money into the business as long as BMOW remained a part of it. Thank You, Lord! Actually, they are concerned that the latest investment is all that BMOW is waiting on and that she will simply take the money and leave with it if it is provided. It would only be about four to five thousand, but no one wants to simply hand that over to BMOW to do with personally as she wishes.

My H told me to brace for one more episode with BMOW as they tighten the screws further and "force" her to leave the business. He said it is her personality to throw a fit and he expects her to throw a huge one when she learns that there will be no more investment money coming into the business and that they want her gone. I just pray that this all happens soon and ends very quickly.

We celebrated H's 49th bday on Tuesday and he loved all his presents. His kids have been nothing but wonderful, helpful and respectful to me during their visit. Every now and then I get the impression that they don't quite know what to make of the "new" me. Note: you can DB children very successfully, but be careful not to overwhelm them with the 180's--they will momentarily freak, but being so resilient, are able to adapt to the positive changes very quickly. It just perplexes me that my step-daughter can write such trash in her journal, yet be such a wonderful, polite and respectful child in person. I guess it is good that the trash is in her journal and not in her behavior. I suppose that when you think about it, it really is similar to venting here so that we don't vent otherwise and improperly.

In other news, we got SNOW! Now, it is a rarity for us to be snowed on in Texas and especially during the Christmas season, but the Lord answered a little prayer I had for some of the white stuff. HE also sent some especially cold temperatures for Texas along with the snow, but the cold has helped the snow stick around a day longer than it would otherwise, so I can't complain too much about it. The cold also means we can stand to have a fire in the fireplace, so that is just what we have been enjoying this week.

Well, I need to think about rousting H and the kids from bed soon. They have 5+ hours of round-trip driving to do today. My H got a phone call from his middle brother late last night. His middle brother and wife are in south Texas until next Wednesday for the holidays, but they had just gotten a phone call from their rabbit-sitter and she will not be able to take care of the rabbit until Sunday. So, unless my H can go feed and water the rabbit today and leave enough food out until the rabbit-sitter can appear on Sunday, his brother and wife will have to cut their trip short and come home. So my H agreed to go take care of the rabbit and he talked the kids into going with him. But that was last night. We will see how they feel today. I am staying home so that I can go to the candlelight service at church tonight. I had hoped that H might go with me, but it won't be happening now. Satan has intervened yet again. Sigh.

My suggestion for future trips (and they take many) was to simply board the rabbit at the vet (which they have done in the past but they didn't do this time to save themselves some money--no matter that it is costing my family in more ways than one--ugh), or make emergency arrangements with a second neighbor when the rabbit-sitter becomes unavailable. This is ridiculous, and on Christmas eve. But I will be telling my H before he leaves how much I *respect* him for doing this for his brother.

Much peace and joy to all,
LG

A blessed and happy marriage is a union of two forgivers and Him, because...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12.