Thursday, July 27, 2017

Updates and Future Plans

Hey you all!
Its been awhile. I had the best intentions of writing on a regular, or at least a semi-regular basis, but you know what the saying says... The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

*****SORRY AHEAD OF TIME FOR SO MUCH WORDS, AND NO PICTURES*****


So let me catch you up with whats been happening in my life these past few years, and what is in the works for the next year or so.

First, the kids. They are all growing up so quick. I will post pictures in a different post. (They are all on my phone, I have to transfer them to my computer.)

Gisela graduated from university with a degree in , and also had a little boy. My first grandchild. She is now working in a company as a quality control manager. Using her education. Which, in Honduras, is not an easy thing to do.

Andre is is the Army and is married. He has been in the Army for almost 4 years, and married for about a year and a half. They had a baby boy last September, Caleb. However, he was born very ill and only lived for four days. They are expecting another boy this September, Aiden.

Sendy is in Honduras, together with his girlfriend of forever. Seriously, forever, because I can barely remember a time that they weren't together. They are doing well. He graduated as an electrician. He and a nephew of mine, who also studied electricity are starting a business together. While he is waiting for business to pick up, he is also working for a palm oil lard plant.

Jordan is doing well as well. She had my second grandson Isaac, in November 2015, While I love all my grandkids, him and I have a closer bond because I have been there since day 1. He is the one I teach all of the bad stuff too, LOL. She graduated from Steiner Institute of Esthetics last year, and is now a liscensed esthetician. She also has met an awesome person and she and him are getting married next week.

Micaella is now almost 15, almost as tall as me and her father and is my big helper at home. She is the one that I count on to take control when Im not here. She is one of the 4 that are being homeschooled, and her plan is to finish everything in time to graduate before she turns 17. She is in 10th grade classes now, so she will more than likely do it.

Victoria (Isa) is almost 14, loves to draw and this is her first year back at being homeschooled. She is my helper when it comes to Isaac. She is his favorite aunt, and they are almost always found together.

Johan is 12 now. He just got back from spending a month with his dad in Honduras, and didn't want to come back. He is also homeschooled, and he is the one that gives me the hardest time with getting school work done. Its like pulling teeth.

Jolani (Lana) just turned 11. This will be her first year being homeschooled as well. She asked me if she could be, and when I asked her why she said "Last year I let me friends influence me into not making the right choices. I think next year in middle school there will be harder choices. I don't want to be tempted to make the wrong choices, so I think I want to be homeschooled." What a mature way to look at things when you are 11 years old.

Arles (Levi) is my Andre Jr. I am dealing with so many things that I have already dealt with, with Andre. At this point, when things happen, Im just like - whatever. I realized with Andre, freaking out over things didn't change anything. So Im saving my freaking out for major things. Like when its 2 hours past bedtime and kids are still up and talking and playing, LOL.

Ari is also my Andre Jr, but in a different way. She is so super smart. She is one of those smart people that just know stuff. Next year she is going into the GT classes at school. She is also little miss sass. Im trying to curb that, because it is borderline brat. And sometimes over the line brat. But its a fine line. Her personality is that of an older woman. She acts like an older woman, and in an 8 year old, that comes across as a brat. No one might be asking her opinion, but she will freely offer it to whatever you are talking about.

All my kids though are loving, good kids. In general they listen, and they are respectful. It makes my heart happy to hear how much people and teachers love them, and the compliments that I get on their behavior.


Now, onto the plan for the next year.
So, you guys know that I am here in the states. Come October, I will have been here for 2 years. I came because I needed surgeries and medical stuff that I couldn't get in Honduras, but I also came because I needed to have space between my husband and myself. There are changes that he needed to make, and never made the effort. Thats not true. He made an effort, but not a big one. He never expected me to leave though either. Him and I had issues for a long time, and I was always there to help him, support him, to never let him hit rock bottom. When he knew I was leaving, and as the day came closer, it started to hit him, but still he didn't get it. He would say he was going to miss us, but that this was better for the kids education, and for me. But because he hadn't got it yet, not once did he ask me to stay. My intention when I came was never to divorce him. It still isn't. We have been discussing how to fix us, and changes that needed to be made, the immigration paper process that we are doing and the time limit on them, etc.

Well in June, Johan went to Honduras with my in-laws to spend the month with his dad. I went down in July for a little over a week. In the days before I left, he kept asking me not to go. To please stay.

During that time, him and I continued our discussion and came up with a plan of things. A plan of our family being together once again. It will be easily another 3 to 4 years for immigration to approve his papers, but there are other steps that we need to do in these 3 to 4 years, but we don't have the money to do it. He talked about coming here illegally again, because his children do need him. Levi especially right now needs his father here to take charge, and not just me. But I don't want him to take that risk with his life, nor with the papers. If he got caught, its see ya later USA forever. So the plan we have right now is in January, I will take the 6 (not so) little kids to Honduras. I will stay a few weeks, then come back and work for 6 months. I will then go back to Honduras, and begin a 3 month rotation schedule. Spend 3 months in Honduras, come back to the states and work for 3 months. That cycle will repeat itself until I am tired of it, or until his papers come through. If we finish the immigration process, and he is denied or whatever, then we will re-evaluate what we will be doing.
Those plans those are contingent on him doing certain things, before we even buy the tickets. But knowing what life is waiting for me there, this time I will be more prepared. A garden will be going in soon, so that it will be producing before I get there. We will again have animals, but there will be some for family food, and some to be butchered to be sold. We also have an acre of fruit trees going in so that within a year of me going, they will be producing, and that is income. We have some palm trees - the kind that make palm oil, not like what you see in Florida or California. The trees are already producing, but by next spring, they will be producing enough to bring in some money as well. So over the next year, I will be once again planning my move to Honduras. This time with more knowledge about what I will need vs want. What I can get there, and the prices of things. What I can do without. So, I have set an alarm on my phone so that each week I will write a post. Hopefully I can get some calm time in the middle of this chaos that is my life.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm glad to see you are blogging again. I think it serves as an excellent outlet. I'm happy to hear your kiddos are growing up and doing well. Your dedication to your family is inspiring. I'll be praying for you, your family and your future plans. *Hugs*

PapillionMom said...

You are so dedicated to your husband and family, I admire your strength. Hopefully your husband makes the sincere effort to truly change and match your dedication.

I can't believe Ari is EIGHT!!

Looking forward to more blogs :-)

---Stacey

Jennifer said...

Thank you guys both for your kind words. And for still reading after so much non-writing.

Angela, thank you for your prayers. I hope that when you go next year, I will be there to see you, or maybe it will work out that we are going at the same time, LOL.

Stacey - It isn't my strength, the patience and persistence and everything else that has to do with this situation comes from the Lord. I have to give credit, where credit is due.

And I know right!!! She is 8 and a half!!! Actually, she is an 80 year old woman in an 8-year-olds body, LOL.