Swanger Family Update

Oh my goodness it has been such a long time!!!! Lets see.... Eve and Jackson both go to Hazel Dell elem. and it is good, but quite a transition. It is crazy to see my big guy in K and my first in 3rd grade...I REMEMBER 3RD GRADE!!!!! That is when you know you are truly getting older. Eve is now 9 and Jackson is 6.

We are still living in Geoff's parent's house and we are very blessed to do so. We make it work. It is nice not having all the responsibilities of a home owner on me right now in my life and I don't know when I will able to do so either. We will probably be in a transitional period for quite some time. I cannot quite explain what I feel and what I know is best for our family. We just want to become a stronger family and bring ourselves to Christ. Our life is so complicated making us detour from which we really want....time with each other. We are renting out our house and the last change was changing wards and going to 1st which is in the boundaries. I am having a little bit of a hard time with this new ward, but I know that this change was time. The ward is very dry and although I have found a couple warm spirits I feel very lonely and on my own. The meetings are different and I don't mean to knock it, but the spiritualness that I felt in my old ward was so much stronger and I find I have to really depend on my own personal testimony for strength. It is all a learning experience and I know it's a part of the refining process.

Geoff is looking into a profession which has just kind of crept up on us this past year and now we are both feeling really good about it. If everything goes well and we still feel this is right than he can start school as soon as Jan. 3rd. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father will provide a way!! I am normally a basketcase and yet I have had complete peace though out all our struggles and this life changing decision. It is amazing to me to look back on the past year and see all the changes that have happened and what has fallen into place. I've learned most of all this year that the eternal importances are the only things worth really worrying about.

We have only until the end of the month until we go on our big vacation to Florida!! :)
We are leaving on the 30th which is Manti's 3rd birthday. We will return after the 12th of Dec. We are celebrating our 10th anniversary on Dec. 2nd and going to Harry Potter park (us only) and then Disney World with the family. G's parents are coming back at the end of the first week with Eve and Jackson so that G and I can go to Key West for the remainder of the trip and visit his sister who lives there with her family. We will have Tiger with us and we will have so much fun! Hopefully the monster side of him will stay with the house while we are gone, but I know that is asking for a miracle.

I can't believe we are staring at Thanksgiving already!! And then the craziness of Black Friday (which I don't know if I will be participating in this year) and then we leave and when we come back it will be Christmas around the corner. I actually am almost done with Christmas. I got my kids done a month and a half ago! That is just pure craziness for me, but now with all the business of our everyday lives I am so grateful that that oportunity fell in my lap. Then it will be New Years and G will start school... hopefully!! At that point a huge change will happen for me and that is going down to 2 shifts a week, that is half of what I work currantly. Next month I will have been working at OB for 12 years!!!!! So this change is really gigantic for me and for our family and for my marriage. I will try 2 and if it doesn't work than 1 and if that still doesn't work than I am totally willing to part with it in my determination for a better life and most of all a stronger family. I have known for some time that I am nearing the end of my profession and this chapter in my life is almost done. I don't want to work anymore, I dream of being home with my family. I know that is so hard to do this, but it will be worth it. I just want G to choose a profession that he will be happy with and that he can prosper and grow while providing enough for me to not to ever HAVE to work. We know that we have to take steps backwards before we can go in this direction.