MOVING!

Alright, so I just got off the phone with our new landlord! YES!!! We got the house. We meet with Jonathan to sign the paperwork tomorrow afternoon. Next week, we will start moving our things over to the new house! I will update this post with pictures as we get things settled. I just had to share the news with everyone who has been praying with us. Thank you all so much!!!

A home of our own...

In March of 2008 we were living in a 2 bedroom apartment. My husband, myself, our daughter and our baby boy; all in a 2 bedroom apartment... We decided we needed more room. We began looking for a house to purchase.
It wasn't long before we found the home we are in now. It was newly built, never lived in. It sits in a quiet, little subdivision, back off the main road. It is 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 car garage with large living room and huge laundry room.
We quickly found out, due to earlier issues, we couldn't buy right away. So instead, we decided to do a lease-purchase. After a year, we tried to do our purchase again. We ran into problems again... So we resigned a lease and continued to hope. Until this past fall. The managment company switched hands. The new management was not very nice. They were very impatient and not at all understanding. Sometimes they were even rude.
Then, last month, we found out that the management company we have been paying has not been paying their bills. They were forclosed on. So we lost all our down payment and had to make a choice. Do we stay in a house that we no longer really love and resign a whole new lease with a whole new company, or do we start over. Well, we found out the bank wants to sell the houses... so we started looking for something else.
After hours of looking through ads, surfing sites online, and making phone calls, we found several properties that fit our budget, our size needs, and our neighborhood preferences. Unfortunately, many of them had already been rented, or were in horrible condition... On the verge of giving up I stumbled upon a certain house. The photos online made it look wonderful. The price was the same as what we pay now. The size is a little smaller, but the yard is larger. It is a little further from Bryan's work and Ayla's school, but it is still close to church and the rest of town.
So, the question is whether or not it is available. After talking with the super nice realtor, we find out it is open. So we fill out an application... now all that is left is to wait and hear from the owner... He called. He is very nice. We are going to meet him and walk through the property Saturday afternoon....
So we went to look at the house. It is WONDERFUL! The yard needs a little work, but it is 3 times as large as the yard we have now! It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with hardwood floors in most of the rooms. It is so cute! We just have to pay the deposit, and pet deposit, and first months rent. Thankfully, I get a stipend check this week from the college I attend. It should pay it all! We just have to pay before anyone else takes the house. I really feel though, that this place is the right place. We certainly appreciate all the prayers from those who knew about the situation. We would also love you all to continue to pray that we can pay quickly and get moved in without too much hassle.
We are trusting that this is our new home. Today a dear friend of mine is coming over to keep an eye on Zachary while I start to pack and clean. Tomorrow, Zach is going to a family member's house to play so I can work some more. Then the rest of the week, I will be packing little by little. We will keep you all updated as things progress!!!

Waiting

rumble..... rumble.....

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what? I didn't hear anything"

"Listen..."

rumble..... rumble.....

"That!"

"Yeah, so... what is it?"
"I dunno"

rumble..... rumble.....

"Hey, is it just me or is it getting closer?"

"Yeah, what is it? Can you see anything?"

"No. Shhhh......"

rumble..... rumble......

"Oh no!"
"What? Can you see it?"

"Uh huh...."

rumble..... rumble.....

"RUN!"

"What is it?"
"It's her!"

"Who?"
"HIS BRIDE!!!!"

.........

Let me have the kind of faith, so that with each step I take in my walk with the Lord, all of Hell will be shaken...

After a time of trials, I am standing - Now, tonight. I know that within the next few days I will have some amazing news to share with you all....

So stay tuned!

Working on something...

Alright, so I felt like posting today, but can't make up my mind... I seem to have so much going on right now. It gets overwhelming if I think about it too much. So instead of telling you about the tons of stuff I should be doing instead of writing (cooking, cleaning, homework...) I figured I should talk about one of my favorite past times.
Party Planning.
For the last year, I have been getting the young women from my church together every few months. We meet at my house for food, games, and some good fellowship. It is such a great opportunity for us to bond and have some good fun. Each time we meet, I plan a theme. The food, the games, our clothes... they all match a theme.
Our first party was a SNOW party. I dressed up as an ice princess. I made appetizers and a snowflake cake. We played snow themed games and I had fake snow all over my living room.
Then we had a LUAU. We all dressed in Hawaiian clothes and ate luau food. We played pass the coconut and luau charades.
Our last party was 'Around the World'. We each picked a different country and brought food from there. Some of us dressed up also. We played games to collect 'stamps' for our passports.
Now it's time for me to plan our next party. Guess what the theme is going to be?...?...?


WESTERN
Yeehaw, pardners! Yep, the next party is going to have a western theme. We are all going to have to dress western. The menu is traditional chuck wagon and prairie settler foods. The decor is going to include some good ole fashioned western items... And the games. I love cooking and decorating and dressing up, but coming up with games to play is my favorite part of these parties.
If budget and planning time allows, we are going to have a blast. Pannin fer gold, rustlin cattle, and roping broncos...
I also have nicknames for all the girls... Mine is Jessie James... so each girl will get a sherrifs badge with her western nickname on it.
And what party would be complete without goody bags. I always make sure the girls have something to take home. This time they'll get their name badge, jerky, a bag of gold, and some other creative western treats...
I can't wait... Once I have finished up the invitations I'll try and add them to the blog so you can see...
And if you ever need someone to plan a party for you, feel free to drop me an email!

First Entry

"LIFE by Charlotte Bronte - Life, believe, is not a dream So dark as sages say; Oft a little morning rain Foretells a pleasant day. Sometimes there are clouds of gloom, But these are transient all; If the shower will make the roses bloom, O why lament its fall?"


My name is Jessica. I am a wife, a mother, a student, a business owner, and more...


I spent my highschool years in Great Falls, Montana. My mom was working hard to raise my sister and I on her own. My senior year at Charles M Russell High School, I worked full time at $1-N-More in addition to my school activities. I was a good student, involved in choir, theatre, and several clubs. In October, during homecoming week, I began dating someone special. During that school year I studied, worked, and spent time with friends. I graduated in the top 10% of the class. I registered for classes at the University of Great Falls to study Forensics and Psychology. I worked all summer at $1-N-More and prepared for fall.

In August, that special boyfriend and I got married. I went from being Jessica Milligan, to being Jessica Hembree. Bryan was in the Air Force and stationed in Great Falls. We had a small wedding at the courthouse and a reception, done by my mother, at Gibson Park. Soon after I quit working as a manager at $1-N-More to take a less stressful position with Paradise Amusement. I was an office clerk for the casino management company. I worked there for the next year, as I worked on my degree from UGF. Life was pretty simple for the most part. What I probably need to mention is that two weeks after Bryan and I got married, he had to spend some time away. It was a little over 8 months before he got to come home. When he came back home, we continued on as normal. I quit working in August, so I could focus on the upcoming semester. Everything was great... Until the fall of 2004.

In mid-2004, we decided to try to have a baby. By October we were successful! Unfortunately, the pregnancy made me very ill. I even ended up in the emergency room. I withdrew from my classes at UGF and focused on moving into a new apartment. Thankfully, my mom was a tremendous help during this time. Bryan was working for a furniture sales company by this time, and we waited for the baby to arrive.

On June 9th, I woke up with mild, but painful, contractions. I called my mom and she came over to help Bryan. The whole day they watched me and timed the contractions. That evening we went down the block to the hospital (yes, we really did live a block from Benefis Hospital). The nurse hooked me up tot the monitors and did an exam, only to tell me that I wasn't far enough along to be admitted. After talking with us, and seeing the pain I was in, she found an extra room and got us into the process. It wasn't long before I decided to get an epidural. Too bad it didn't work properly. After moving around and playing with the dose, I was finally able to rest. By hour 35, I had finally made it far enough to push. The doctor came in and examined me. He told me I could push, but he didn't think it would do any good. At a week overdue, the baby was just too big. After 35 hours of pain, I opted for the emergency C-section. Shortly after, on June 10th, 2005, Ayla Marie was born. She was 21.5 inches long and weighed 9 pounds 6 ounces.

My family was a great support during the next few months. Bryan was now working for a landscaping company on the base. I stayed at home with Ayla and enjoyed the joys, and pains, of being a first time mom. After several difficulties, and much thought, we decided in 2006 to move. In March of 2006, we left from Great Falls, Montana, with a small U-Haul attached to our car and headed out. We went from Great Falls to Yuma, Arizona, to see my mother's parents. Then we went to Tucson to visit Bryan's family. Then we left and headed east, toward Georgia.

It was around 11 o'clock at night by the time we reached Covington, Georgia. Bryan's cousin was kind enough to let us stay with them. Bryan went to work landscaping and I adjusted to several BIG changes...

In April we moved into our first apartment and began trying to settle in. Bryan worked hard and I spent much of my time at home with Ayla. We went to church with Bryan's family. It was the church his father had built, and his uncle was the new pastor. While we had gone to church in Great Falls, I wasn't prepared for the experiences at Word of Life Tabernacle in Covington.

It took a few months for me to understand just what God had given to me. In the early fall of 2006, I surrendered myself to the Lord and was baptized. A few months later, just after Thanksgiving, we found out that we were going to have another baby! We had been trying for almost 6 months, so we were very excited!

This pregnancy went wonderfully. I was hardly sick and I gained less than half the weight I had with my first pregnancy. After much prayer and careful consideration, we opted for a planned C-section this time. Early in the morning we went to the hospital and checked in. After the paperwork, prep, and meds, we got ready for delivery. Mid-morning on July 26th, 2007, we welcomed our son, Zachary Wilson. He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces and was 20 inches long. After some health concerns (with myself), we settled into our new routine. At this time Bryan was working for a rent-to-own furniture company, so Ayla helped me at home with the baby. Bryan's family was a great help also.

In March of 2008 two big changes happened. The first thing was our move into our first house. It was a simple 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in a quiet subdivision. At the same time, I returned to school. I began taking online courses to earn my Bachelors in Education. The next year flew by, with several small changes. Nothing too important though...

In 2009, I opened my own home-based business. I make and sell gift items. Ranging from jewelry, to clothing, bath products, candles, food items, and more. I also start involving myself with a group of young ladies from my church. I invite them over every few months to my house for a time of fellowship. Each of our get-togethers has a certain theme. We eat, play games, and enjoy ourselves. In August of 2009, Ayla started K4, or Pre-K. She excels right away and has a great time. About the same time, I also begin selling Mary Kay cosmetics and skin care. I really enjoy the products and I have a great time selling them. For several months, I take over one of the Sunday School classes at our church. It is a great experience! I still sub occasionally, when the regular teacher is unable to make it.

And now as 2010 begins, this is where I am. I am a wife, a mother of two, a full-time student, a small business owner, and Independent Beauty Consultant, a party planner, a volunteer at my daughter's school, a Sunday School substitute, and much more... For Christmas of 2009, we got a wonderful gift for our children, a puppy! Romeo is the newest addition to our household. He is a 9 week old, lab mix. He is black except for a white spot on his chin and chest. So now I am also a puppy trainer, dog walker, and yard cleaner.

So why add blogging to the mix? Well, many of my friends and family still live quite a distance from me. I also am about to turn 25 years old. As I think ahead to what this year might hold for me, I have made some decisions, hatched some schemes, and dreamed some dreams. I have a lot on my plate, and often much more on my mind. Sometimes this blog will simply let you know what has been going on in the Hembree house. Other times, I might let you guys know what I have in mind for the upcoming weeks or months. I might even let down some of my walls and share some of my more personal thoughts with you. Some of you might read to keep up with my family and others might read for fun, but my hope is that - perhaps in me sharing my life and myself with you, I can make a difference somewhere. Maybe it will be in my own life, maybe it will be in yours...

So I will close this first post with a simple wish for 2010. I pray that the Lord bless you all, in many ways, in the year to come. With love, Jessica Hembree