My Week: June 18th - 23rd

My Week 

Sunday, May 18th - Happy Father's Day to all!  Eric had a local weekend event for Money Is so he worked all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Our Volvo is still in the shop (went in last Sunday) so the girls and I were without a vehicle.  We watched the live stream of the church service at home.  I made a big pot of red beans and rice in memory of my father-in-law (his recipe!) and it is one of my husband's favorite meals.  I also made a five-minute 4-ingredient cheesecake.

I did some catch-up blogging and a few other things.  I made out my menu and grocery list even though I am unsure when I will have a car to shop. :)  Hoping for a great and productive week!

Monday - The Volvo was still in the shop.  I spent the majority of my day organizing the office/school room.

I made tuna noodle casserole for dinner and when Eric got home - Summer, he and I went swimming.

Tuesday - The Volvo was finally done at the end of the day.  Autumn took me to go get it around 6pm.

I made my hamburger helper for dinner.

Wednesday - Addie, Sierra, and I went to the DMV to get our Florida driver's licenses.  I was able to get mine ok first.  When she went to process Addie's, she came back and said they wouldn't be able to accept her birth certificate because it does not specify the gender at birth on it.  These are the original birth certificates that they issued to me.  I've never had them not accept it.  So, I had to mail off a request to for Lake County, IN to send them new ones.  So no driver's licenses today.

After the DMV, we got our weekly groceries at the Jacksonville Wal-Mart close to the DMV since I couldn't go Monday.

For dinner, I made golden rod toast (creamed eggs on toast).

Thursday, I spent so much time getting quotes for car insurance and boy, that was a shock.  Florida car insurance is more expensive and especially with two youthful drivers.  After getting off the phone with Liberty Mutual, a local State Farm agent called me and said they saw I completed a quote and did I have any questions.

Long story short, I cut down the insurance until it was affordable.  The agent had been in insurance for 20 years and it is always so much more helpful to speak to someone who knows their stuff.  I also changed over our homeowner's insurance policy to bundle it giving me a better discounted rate.  I was just happy to get that done.  And to speak with someone so helpful.

Speaking of helpful, the employees that work for the United State passport helpline are NOT.  Autumn applied for her passport for her missions trip to Hungary.  At the time we applied, we knew we were moving but didn't have a new address to send it to.  I never once thought to put Rachel's address done.  Of course, the simplest solution sometimes doesn't come to mind.  I just figured it would be forwarded like other mail would be.

We had been waiting and it was overdue in arriving.  So Thursday, I spent four hours on hold (two different calls) to the helpline for passports to really get no help at all.  Basically an email that said, Send this form to the Seattle office telling them you never received it.  We were within 14 days of her trip.  I just knew that even if we sent this form, it was very likely we would not receive a new passport in time for her travel.  I was in tears.  All I could do was pray and pray.  My heart was so heavy.

I called Rachel and she went to the Newberg Post Office and all they could tell us that it had been delivered to the mailbox at our old home.  They did not show that it had been returned to sender.  She went by our old house but no one was home.  She returned about 8:30pm and the new homeowners were home.  She explained the story and the lady went inside the house for a few minutes.  She came back with the Priority Mail that was addressed to Autumn from the US Government!!  The lady said she had it and was going to try to find out how to get it to us but hadn't got around to it yet.  It was delivered on June 3rd and it was June 22nd!  I was just so shocked that she still had it!  

It was such a moment of relief!  God had been answering a prayer that hadn't even been prayed yet.  He knew it would have been delivered on June 3rd and we had no clue to pray about it then.  He was orchestrating the answer to our prayers before we even asked - what a God we serve!!  Thank you, God, for taking care of my daughter.  I am so very grateful.

For dinner, I made BLT's and broccoli-cheese soup and did some weeding.

Friday was Eric and my 22nd wedding anniversary.  He had a work event in Denver and I took him to the airport for his flight at 8:30am.

Sierra asked if I would take her around to businesses in Oakleaf to look for job openings.  We spent a couple hours going into places asking if they were hiring and at what age.  When we got home, I took Summer swimming.  I then made veggie pizza for dinner and the girls and I watched Little House: The Final Farewell.  And I cried.  LOL!  It was a good day together.