Tough Times in our Camp

So I know most of us are sick of hearing about the economic crisis that's going on in our country, but it really plays a big part in our family's lives. Since I work for a company that builds stuff for all the major department stores in America (i.e. Walmart, Target, Kmart, Sears, Lowes, Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, etc...) and those companies have all experienced loss in sales, they start cutting where it is easiest to cut... our services.

So after losing Toys R Us and Target, and hearing that Kmart is headed out of business, and Lowes and other companies just cutting our hours, my paychecks have gotten significantly smaller. The last two paychecks we made about 1/4 of what we were making only 3 months ago.

The strain of traveling in my own vehicle to and from all these worksites (Elko - NV, Vernal, Price, Richfield, Twin Falls - ID, etc) my car finally had enough. Over the course of 5 days I had to be towed into town, replace the serpentine belt, idler pulley, and many other interrelated parts TWICE. yes each of those things two seperate times. We spent over 500 bucks in repairs just to get back on the road and do it all over again.

After all the trimming of our expenses, living on a budget, shopping for the cheapest food deals, exhausting our savings and asking our families and friends for any help they could provide, we saw no other alternative but to cut and run.

We decided last Sunday to call our land-lady, to see if she'd let us out of our rental contract, so we could move in with the Thomas family. She agreed to let us move if we were out by the end of the month (with a little leeway to clean the place afterward). So we crammed our whole house into 2 bedrooms and a storage unit. Finally today we're done cleaning and we're exhausted!

We really want to thank all those who helped us with our move! My family for the use of their trailer and help moving our stuff. Amy's family for watching Lily most of this week and allowing us to intrude into their home and lives. All the friends who lent a hand with moving, especially Tanner Danis for moving us a few days and getting a truck. Also we should acknowledge all the prayers said on our behalf. We appreciate them and continue to need them.

Through this whole experience we've learned that the most important thing we have is our faith in God. He knows our individual struggles and how to come to our aide. He watches over us and answers our prayers, even if the answer isn't at all what we expect or want to happen. Our relationships are what matter most in this life. As long as we cling to each other we can get through anything.

Although we haven't settled in, and our lives are still up in the air, we have peace of mind and a hope for brighter days ahead. Just thinking of all the blessings we have been given and the help we're receiving, helps us keep our heads up.

If any of you are looking for a spacious 2 bedroom town-home located on a private drive in south Orem for around $750 per month, let us know so we can get you the information.