Just frustrated...

I know I have a lot of things to be thankful for. A new job, a wonderful husband, fantastic daughter and great family. I am building my skills and presence as a writer. Things have definitely turned around in the last two months. But I'm still struggling with some things.
My main concern is financial. It's frustrating when you can't give your family the things they would like to have. Now, I have a great family that never shows any frustration or resentment about it, but I can't help getting angry. My daughter wants to try new things and have new experiences. And with all that she has overcome, I hate telling her no. She's actually very reasonable in what she asks for. But I have to make the decision to get her the things that she needs and can't always afford to give her what she wants. The same thing applies to my husband. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful man in my life. He stepped up and dealt with a very difficult situation when we struggled with me not working. And he never complained. He takes care of us. I hate knowing that there are things he wants to buy and do that have to be put off.
I'm not going to go into specifics about why money is so tight right now. Those who know me well, know my situation. I just needed to voice my feelings. I know things will get better. And we still work together to make things work. I just wish it were easier.

Jenna's sailing adventure

We had a very busy day today. Jenna got to go sailing for the first time. With the wonderful group at Sailing Angels Foundation, she got to experience the thrill of being on the water under the full power of sails. I can't say enough good about an organization that is so willing to give children with special needs and others as well this wonderful opportunity. Such an amazing thing. I recommend to anyone in the Clear Lake area of Texas to look at this group.
Jenna took to it like a pro. She helped with the main sail and helped steer. She couldn't stop smiling. It was such a thrill to see. I hope she gets to do it again someday.

Busy times....

It's been a while since I've had time to sit and write. My life has gotten very busy in the last month. Lots of changes and new schedules.
The first and biggest change is the new job. I have almost finished my first month at American National Insurance Company. I love my new job. A great environment, great coworkers and a job I enjoy has made easing back into work much better. I know that there will be good and bad days. All jobs have them. But I feel like I have finally landed in a  company that believes in taking care of their employees. I have educational opportunities that I have never been offered before. I'm excited about this. But this is not the end of my creative outlets. I still intend to keep writing. I am still working on articles and my books as well as my blogs. I just may not get here as often. But I know I need the creative outlet as well.
Jenna has gone back to school now. She has started her junior year and is going to have a very busy year. She has a lot of exciting classes and is involved in the church as well. Hard for me to believe that she's already an upper classman. Two years left!!! (Scary!)
I have also been invited to submit another article to RealCity. So thrilled to be given that opportunity.
I feel like I'm finally getting my voice out there. I'll keep everyone posted.

The beginning of something new...

Tomorrow is the first day of my new job. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. It feels strange to know that tomorrow morning, I'll get up and head to work for the first time in sixteen months. The time off was both a blessing and a curse. The first few months were wonderful. I got to spend time with my daughter, my husband and my friends. I also started some new things. I learned a lot more about cooking. I started blogging and writing again. I also got involved with advocacy work for chronic illnesses. I started practicing yoga. I think the new interests have definitely helped add character.
After I was home for a few months, the monotony started to set in. I felt like all I did was housework and appointments. I started losing touch with people. I found myself starting to feel depressed and isolated. With very little personal contact other than a sixteen year old, it got boring and tedious fast.
Would I change it? Maybe. I'm grateful for the time I had at home with my daughter. I'm also very blessed with a husband who stepped up and dealt with the changes that my unemployment brought. I'll always be glad for the new skills and hobbies.But......
Now I'm starting a new chapter. Starting a career in a new field that looks much more exciting and more fitting to my skills and my mentality. I have been lucky to land a job that will give me a chance to advance, to build my education and to network.
I'm nervous about starting a new job. It'll be a learning experience, but I'm going in with a positive attitude and the true desire to learn the skills necessary to make myself a valued member of the team. It's a chance for me to branch out of the rut I was in. It also gives me a chance to give back to my family and take care of them the way my husband has been caring for us.
So, tomorrow morning I will get up, put on my business attire and go in with notebook in hand and a willing and open mind to start learning. I'll let everyone know how it went....

Good news...

I know I haven't posted in a while. Been kind of busy here. The best news of everything is that I finally got hired. I start work on August 13th with American National Insurance Company. I'm thrilled and excited beyond words. I feel like my long and unanticipated vacation is finally over. I'm ready to go back to work.
I also got an article published for RealCity online. I'll be attaching the link
http://www.realcityonline.com/maintain-living-without-insurance/

I'm very proud of both of these accomplishments. I feel like I'm finally established in the world again. I will be getting back to writing more throughout the next few months.

Now for an update...

It's been an up and down ride lately. I've gotten a few more rejections on job applications which brought me down. Then I got some good news. I submitted an article on ghostbloggers.net which was accepted for sale. My first submission and it was accepted....YIPPEE!!!! As you can tell, I'm just a bit excited.
I also submitted an article to an online publication for my first draft today. If it gets accepted, then I'll release the name of it. I hope it does. I have a few other irons in the fire too. Hopefully something will pan out.
Had a decent day today with the weather. We got to see sunshine for the first time in a week. I didn't know quite what to do with that. I start a week of appointments this week. It's going to be busy. I'll post as I can.

So excited.....

I am SO excited with this:

Hi Jennifer!

Your article "Advocacy for the Average Person" has been Approved

Thank you for submitting your article to Ghostbloggers.net. After careful consideration your submission has been approved and it is now listed for sale.

I'm still surprised.  It makes me feel so thrilled to have something like this. Couldn't have happened at a better time.