Things are sort of looking up for us.

So this week a few things happened that will affect the family tremendously. First of which being, I finally got my family to listen to what I've been saying the last two months: My brother cannot continue living with us, in this much too crowded already home. It is stressing Nate and I both to the breaking point. We've argued more the past 3 months than we ever have throughout our entire marriage. He eats way too much, to the point it is cutting into the food that Nate, Trinity and I need to eat. It took Gramma calling my Granny, and then calling my Momma to tell her that I cannot continue caring for my brother as if he were my son. But they have finally listened. He has been gone since Tuesday, and it has given Nate, Trinity and me a MUCH needed downtime! My Momma, however, made me cry the night it was all laid on the table for her. I was accused of blindsiding her with this information, essentially. When, in fact, if SHE would have LISTENED to ME when I told her my feelings on the situation two months ago, SHE would have HEARD exactly what I supposedly blindsided her with this week. But that is the past now, I think she has come to terms with the fact that Bub was causing too much stress on my family, and I didn't want to play mother to him any longer. He is a big boy, 22 years old in fact, he can find a job and take care of himself, make his own choices, and hopefully he is smart enough that said choices will keep him out of trouble.
Second event this week that affects my family: Nate has been cut from 8 hours per week to 4 hours per week. That was the last straw for the both of us. I took it upon myself to call the Better Business Bureau, WV Labor Board, and the Area Director/Corporate Director of Bob Evan's about Nate and my situations. It turns out the Labor Board can't do anything about it, but I did receive a call back from the Area Director of Bob Evan's. Unfortunately, I received the call while we were not at home today, so I will have to call back tomorrow. I hope that the way the current GM is interpreting the labor/hiring/firing practice is looked into so that what has happened to Nate and myself will not happen to anyone else. No one should EVER have to deal with the stress that Bob Evan's has caused my family.
Third event: I also applied for Unemployment Compensation Benefits. And I have been qualified for $110.00 per week. So that is something that will help out immensely! I'm so excited that I finally stopped tucking my tail between my legs and went after the benefits! I was afraid if I tried to get them, they would take it out on Nate. But since they cut him down to 4 hours per week, what else could they have done to him, FIRE HIM?!? I think we'd be better off, honestly. Four hours per week isn't even enough to pay for the gas it takes to get back and forth from work!

So, even though this may just be meaningless to everyone else who might read our blog, this week has been a major week in our lives! I'm hoping that our troubles with Bob Evan's Unit 491 will be a stepping stone for the new employees of that company. I can only hope that the future and current employees will not be wrongly discharged or be pushed out the door by diminishing work hours!

This week has been a better week thus far. (Though the pain & mood swings are horrible.)I'm trying to learn to deal with everything life is throwing at my family in the best possible way, to look at it in the best possible light.I am unemployed, I look at this as a chance to spend more time with Trinity, and maybe work on my crafts more than ever. Trinity and I have even wrote down recipes for bath and body lotions, bubble bath, soap, bath beads, and bath soaks among many others! We're doing homemade gifts for Christmas again this year, so we'll be getting started on them by next month.Nate only works two days per week. That just means he gets to spend more time with us on a daily basis. However, this is one bad thing bout this- it is making him stir crazy and moody. But I know how he feels, so I am sympathetic.We do not have enough money, but it makes us appreciate everything we already have that much more. My brother is still living here, but he was gone for the night, and I was finally able to get him to listen to me when I asked for more privacy, now just to get him to clean up after himself. My mother is still acting odd, but she is my mother, and I will always love her, all I can do is hope that she will get through this odd phase with no lasting harm. Trinity is so excited about getting to do all the craft stuff from now until Christmas! She has been talking about it nonstop since I got the idea and she has taken over making the list of who is getting what homemade gift this year! I'm so proud of my little girl! I am also going to sell my bath and body products as well as my crafts, so if you know anyone that would like some handmade lotions, moisturizers, sugar scrubs, etc...let me know! Until later on, {{{good vibes}}} to all of you, and try to keep my family in your thoughts, as it can always help!

STRESSED

It has been a pretty rough month for our household. I'm not able to work at the moment, so we only have 1/2 the income we are used to. Nate is being walked all over at work, or that's how I see it. Every couple of weeks they are nice enough to give him a week off, unpaid. His checks are only approximately $30.00 to $50.00 per week. We're having a very hard time making ends meet. If it weren't for Gramma we would not be making ends meet now. It has been lovely getting to spend more time together as a family, but it is so taxing wondering if we are going to be able to make it the upcoming week. Thank goodness Trinity doesn't understand our situation enough to fret over it the way Nate and I are. I wish there was some way that we could stop worrying so much about the money issues. I fear that the stress is going to drive us apart. I do not want that! I've been stressing out more than I ever have in my life here recently. I have a severe case of cabin fever with no job to go to, so that ups my stress level even more. I'm also stressing out way too much over what might be wrong with me. I'm also stressing way to much over my brother staying with Nate and I. My daughter is sleeping with us, on a cot, or in her upstairs bedroom, because he has taken over her room down here. We have NO privacy. He has taken over Nate's x-box and our TV. He doesn't clean up his messes very often. He is supposed to be helping out with some household chores (i.e.: mowing the lawn, helping with the dishes, helping sweep and mop since I have a very hard time doing it, cleaning up after himself)but he hasn't done those in a long while. Nate gets so fed up, he just goes and does them himself, so he doesn't feel like smacking my brother for staying up all night on the x-box and then waking up and taking over the TV all day. He is making us stress out way too much! I guess, that's it for now. It does feel a little better getting some of these things off my chest, but now I fear that my brother will find this post and WWIII will break loose in my home. But maybe that is what will need to happen. I have tried to reason with him about his status here, about how it was only supposed to be a for a couple-few weeks and now it has been almost 3 months. He really doesn't have anywhere else to go, and he has no job, he is banking on getting SSI, but that is at least another 6 month wait- and I refuse to support him anymore. The only reason we've dealt with it this long is because the only way he will get to see his daughter is if he's here so Nate and I can help watch over her as well. My brother doesn't possess very good parenting skills. *sigh* So, while I love spending time with my niece, I am at my wits end trying to take care of her father because he would rather revert back to being a child rather than growing into the man he needs to be for himself , his daughter, and for my household's sanity.