I watched Ethen for Steph and Randy yesterday so they could paint the house that they bought. We had fun playing with the puppy. Of course the vacuums were brought out too and after lunch we took a little nap together. He's such a sweet little angel.
After he woke up from his nap, Steph asked if we could drop Ethen of at the new house. And surprise of all surprises, Jason decided to go with me. We got a tour of the house and Jason and Randy even said a few words to each other. Could this be the start of something good?
On another subject. I've been asked to give my testimony at church on Thursday. Of course, I'll have to condense it and keep it under 5 minutes. I'm having trouble deciding what to include and what to skip over. Any suggestions?
Showing posts with label Jason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jason. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Part 7: What was I thinking?!
For Part 1 click here
For Part 2 click here
For Part 3 click here
For Part 4 click here
For Part 5 click here
For Part 6 click here
I'd heard horror stories about getting through customs in Saudi, but I had no problems. I had packed everything that I thought I would need in our suitcases. Clothes, toys, books, my art supplies, my spindles and fiber..and my Bible (that is what I was really worried about). But we had no troubles there. After we passed through customs, Jason was there waiting for us. He looked so happy and relieved that we were finally there with him.
He drove us from the airport in Dammam to the ARAMCO compound in Dhahran. It was a bit surreal passing the machine gun nests as we entered the 10 square mile compound. Jason was excited to show us the house that he had prepared for us and the car he had bought and fixed up so that we would have transportation. I was so exhausted from the 24 hour-plus trip to get there, that I just wanted to sleep. But when I went to bed that night I just cried. I missed Steph and Paul so much. Everything was so different there.
Henry loved it there. There was a park right across the street from our house. The compound was kind of like 1950's America. Women stayed at home and went to club meetings. The kids were in little league. We got Henry registered for school and were amazed to find that the class sizes were small. There would only be 15 kids in his class. He and Jason got to come home for lunch every day.
I didn't even have to clean house while I was there because we had a house boy. All I did was read, paint and spin. They even had church services there (on Fridays... the weekend was Thursday and Friday there). But I was miserable and I was making Jason miserable.
I can look back now and remember the good things about my time in Saudi, but when I was going through it.... it was terrible. I felt so guilty about leaving Stephi and Paul. Steph seemed fine when I talk to her on the phone, but Paul. Oh, talking to Paul made me feel so bad. He was as depressed as I was. He missed me, he missed his sister, he missed his friends. Jason kept telling me that they would be fine. That if I stayed I could travel home for holidays and for 3 months in the summer.
I knew that God wanted me to be there with Jason, but I became less and less sure of why. I was so sad. Jason and I argued all the time. I thought for sure that there was some great purpose for me there... but I never learned what it was. I complained and complained until Jason couldn't take it anymore and we came home in November, less than 5 months after I got there.
Jason came with us and we had a great Thanksgiving with our family and had lots of interesting stories to tell. Jason returned to his job in Saudi a few weeks later and I started job hunting at home. I thought that I had made it through the toughest time in my life - but my greatest trial was just around the corner.
For Part 2 click here
For Part 3 click here
For Part 4 click here
For Part 5 click here
For Part 6 click here
I'd heard horror stories about getting through customs in Saudi, but I had no problems. I had packed everything that I thought I would need in our suitcases. Clothes, toys, books, my art supplies, my spindles and fiber..and my Bible (that is what I was really worried about). But we had no troubles there. After we passed through customs, Jason was there waiting for us. He looked so happy and relieved that we were finally there with him.
He drove us from the airport in Dammam to the ARAMCO compound in Dhahran. It was a bit surreal passing the machine gun nests as we entered the 10 square mile compound. Jason was excited to show us the house that he had prepared for us and the car he had bought and fixed up so that we would have transportation. I was so exhausted from the 24 hour-plus trip to get there, that I just wanted to sleep. But when I went to bed that night I just cried. I missed Steph and Paul so much. Everything was so different there.
Henry loved it there. There was a park right across the street from our house. The compound was kind of like 1950's America. Women stayed at home and went to club meetings. The kids were in little league. We got Henry registered for school and were amazed to find that the class sizes were small. There would only be 15 kids in his class. He and Jason got to come home for lunch every day.
I didn't even have to clean house while I was there because we had a house boy. All I did was read, paint and spin. They even had church services there (on Fridays... the weekend was Thursday and Friday there). But I was miserable and I was making Jason miserable.
I can look back now and remember the good things about my time in Saudi, but when I was going through it.... it was terrible. I felt so guilty about leaving Stephi and Paul. Steph seemed fine when I talk to her on the phone, but Paul. Oh, talking to Paul made me feel so bad. He was as depressed as I was. He missed me, he missed his sister, he missed his friends. Jason kept telling me that they would be fine. That if I stayed I could travel home for holidays and for 3 months in the summer.
I knew that God wanted me to be there with Jason, but I became less and less sure of why. I was so sad. Jason and I argued all the time. I thought for sure that there was some great purpose for me there... but I never learned what it was. I complained and complained until Jason couldn't take it anymore and we came home in November, less than 5 months after I got there.
Jason came with us and we had a great Thanksgiving with our family and had lots of interesting stories to tell. Jason returned to his job in Saudi a few weeks later and I started job hunting at home. I thought that I had made it through the toughest time in my life - but my greatest trial was just around the corner.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Part 6: Saudi Arabia
For Part 1 click here
For Part 2 click here
For Part 3 click here
For Part 4 click here
For Part 5 click here
After Jason went back to work at the Cardiac Cath Lab at the hospital and I went back to work at the SNF, I think Jason started to worry about money. I mean, we had enough. We were making it OK, but it wasn't like when he was in sales.
For Part 2 click here
For Part 3 click here
For Part 4 click here
For Part 5 click here
After Jason went back to work at the Cardiac Cath Lab at the hospital and I went back to work at the SNF, I think Jason started to worry about money. I mean, we had enough. We were making it OK, but it wasn't like when he was in sales.
He met a guy at work who had worked overseas and had made a lot of money that way. So Jason looked online and applied for a job with ARAMCO (that's the Arabian-American Oil Co). A month later they called and he went to Houston, TX to interview for the job and long story short, he got it.
That was in the summer, but with all the paperwork, the passport, the work visa... Jason finally left for Saudi in
October. At first we were all going to go, but we learned that the schools on the ARAMCO compound only go to the 9th grade. Paul was a sophomore and Stephi was a junior. We looked at boarding schools and we found a nice Christian one in Oregon. The kids were excited about it. It was only 3 hours from my dad in Northern California and 1 hour from my friend Michelle in Oregon. So we went to visit it. It was great! The kids applied and they were accepted.
October. At first we were all going to go, but we learned that the schools on the ARAMCO compound only go to the 9th grade. Paul was a sophomore and Stephi was a junior. We looked at boarding schools and we found a nice Christian one in Oregon. The kids were excited about it. It was only 3 hours from my dad in Northern California and 1 hour from my friend Michelle in Oregon. So we went to visit it. It was great! The kids applied and they were accepted.
The months went by and our visas were not approved... because I was taking Zoloft. Of all things!
Jason said that the first few months over there were the hardest for him. We talked on the phone every few days and after the New Year he was able to come home for a few weeks. It was so hard to put him back on the plane, but he told me that if I stopped taking the Zoloft that he knew he could get me cleared to join him finally. So I weaned myself off (painful, and really deserves another post altogether) and I filled out the visa forms again.
In April, Jason told me that he finally got me approved to join him. Only now Steph and Paul didn't want to go to boarding school. Argh! Steph was starring in the spring musical - she was popular here. She had a boyfriend and would be starting her senior year in August. And Paul didn't want to go without her.
So I made plans for Steph and Paul to stay. My family and most of my friends didn't understand why I thought that I needed to go to Saudi to be with Jason. Before I became a Christian I probably wouldn't have, but I knew that God wanted me to be with my husband.
The kids were supportive of my choice amazingly. I found a nice, young, Christian woman who was in college and working at the church nearby to stay at the house with Stephanie (who would be 18 in a few months). My brother who lives in town said that Paul could stay with him, but he would have to change schools.
On July 11th, 2005 Henry and I got on a plane and flew to Saudi Arabia.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Part 5: A Wise Woman Builds Her House
For Part 1 click here
For Part 2 click here
For Part 3 click here
For Part 4 click here
"A wise woman builds her house." This is what Hannah told me I was doing by staying home. I really did focus on my family that year when I was home with them. Jason had been worried that Stephi was growing up too quickly. She was 15 and had been hanging out with a boy that Jason really didn't like, and I was finally starting to see things that way my hubby did.
I started making Steph and Paul go to youth group at the church. At first they weren't very keen on it, but after a while they enjoyed it. They became invoved in the teen small groups at our church and Stephi even sang for the teen worship service. That year Steph and Paul really blossomed into a couple of nice, clean cut kids. And I felt good that I was finally giving them the kind of parental guidance that they deserved.
I really felt God working in our lives. Jason and I found a great small group also. There was even a gal in our group that used to practice Wicca like I did. I really connected with her and we felt that God had put us together for a reason. He showed us that we didn't have to be ashamed of who we used to be because now we were His.
So, we grew together as a family that year and we were all baptized as well (except Henry because he was too young.) I started volunteering with the kids youth group and even read through the Bible for the first time.
But my time at home with my family didn't last forever. Eventually Jason stopped selling Xray equipment because the market dried up and he was forced to return to hospital work. This meant that I had to return to work too. I was surprised to see the Christian nurses that I used to work with at the skilled nursing facility(SNF) at my church one Sunday. I didn't know that they went to my church! They were so happy to learn that I had changed my ways and told me that they had been praying for me. I told them that I had been off work for about a year, but that I was looking to return and they said there was a night position open at the SNF.
So the next day I applied and 2 weeks later I was working there. Just 2 nights a week. It was perfect. I'd probably still be there if Jason hadn't have been offered the job with ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia.
For Part 2 click here
For Part 3 click here
For Part 4 click here
"A wise woman builds her house." This is what Hannah told me I was doing by staying home. I really did focus on my family that year when I was home with them. Jason had been worried that Stephi was growing up too quickly. She was 15 and had been hanging out with a boy that Jason really didn't like, and I was finally starting to see things that way my hubby did.
I started making Steph and Paul go to youth group at the church. At first they weren't very keen on it, but after a while they enjoyed it. They became invoved in the teen small groups at our church and Stephi even sang for the teen worship service. That year Steph and Paul really blossomed into a couple of nice, clean cut kids. And I felt good that I was finally giving them the kind of parental guidance that they deserved.
I really felt God working in our lives. Jason and I found a great small group also. There was even a gal in our group that used to practice Wicca like I did. I really connected with her and we felt that God had put us together for a reason. He showed us that we didn't have to be ashamed of who we used to be because now we were His.
So, we grew together as a family that year and we were all baptized as well (except Henry because he was too young.) I started volunteering with the kids youth group and even read through the Bible for the first time.
But my time at home with my family didn't last forever. Eventually Jason stopped selling Xray equipment because the market dried up and he was forced to return to hospital work. This meant that I had to return to work too. I was surprised to see the Christian nurses that I used to work with at the skilled nursing facility(SNF) at my church one Sunday. I didn't know that they went to my church! They were so happy to learn that I had changed my ways and told me that they had been praying for me. I told them that I had been off work for about a year, but that I was looking to return and they said there was a night position open at the SNF.
So the next day I applied and 2 weeks later I was working there. Just 2 nights a week. It was perfect. I'd probably still be there if Jason hadn't have been offered the job with ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Big Blow Up
For Part One Click Here
So it was about a week before Easter when Jason told me that he wanted a separation. I knew that things were strained between us, but I had no idea that this was coming. I was devastated. We had only been married about 3 years at that point and Henry had just turned 2. Before I married Jason I had been a single mother for 7 years, raising 2 kids. I just could not imagine going through that again. And with another small child to boot!
I asked him if there was someone else and he denied it (of course). But with some not to difficult detective work on my part, I figured out who she was and made a little visit to her at her place of employment. Did I mentioned that this was also where my husband had been working just a few months earlier?
I found her and introduced myself to her and asked her (strongly suggested, rather) that she follow me outside to talk. We sat at a table on the patio and a calmly took out pictures of my children and told her the names of each one and suggested that she remember them since they would now also be a part of her life. She told me that she thought Jason was already separated. I explained to her that could only be true if she considered the 5 hours since he pulled out of our driveway that morning a 'separation'.
Right about that time Jason arrived. Evidently one of his former co-workers called him and gave him a heads up to what was going down. He looked so angry at me. I stood and yelled at him and asked him, "How could you do this to me? You told her we are separated!?!" And he look right at me and said, "We are." I couldn't believe it. I came unglued. I spewed a stream of obscenity at him and hit and punched him repeatedly. By then the hospital security (that's right...they worked at a hospital) was on the scene and I was escorted from the premises. I left humiliated and called my Wicca friend(lets call her Sally) who consoled me.
That was a horrible summer. Jason told me that he was moving in with his friend Mike, but he actually moved in with 'her'. I spent our 3rd anniversary alone. Mother's day alone. My birthday alone. I sent my older kids to spend time with their dad and I spent most of my time with Henry and Sally. I wasn't able to work. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep.
So Sally and I started spending a lot of time working on our Wicca. I even cast a spell to get Jason back. Later that summer he did return home and somehow I forgave him (as best I could). Even though he disliked me practicing Wicca and was quite verbal about it, I continued to study and practice Wicca with Sally for another 2 years.
So it was about a week before Easter when Jason told me that he wanted a separation. I knew that things were strained between us, but I had no idea that this was coming. I was devastated. We had only been married about 3 years at that point and Henry had just turned 2. Before I married Jason I had been a single mother for 7 years, raising 2 kids. I just could not imagine going through that again. And with another small child to boot!
I asked him if there was someone else and he denied it (of course). But with some not to difficult detective work on my part, I figured out who she was and made a little visit to her at her place of employment. Did I mentioned that this was also where my husband had been working just a few months earlier?
I found her and introduced myself to her and asked her (strongly suggested, rather) that she follow me outside to talk. We sat at a table on the patio and a calmly took out pictures of my children and told her the names of each one and suggested that she remember them since they would now also be a part of her life. She told me that she thought Jason was already separated. I explained to her that could only be true if she considered the 5 hours since he pulled out of our driveway that morning a 'separation'.
Right about that time Jason arrived. Evidently one of his former co-workers called him and gave him a heads up to what was going down. He looked so angry at me. I stood and yelled at him and asked him, "How could you do this to me? You told her we are separated!?!" And he look right at me and said, "We are." I couldn't believe it. I came unglued. I spewed a stream of obscenity at him and hit and punched him repeatedly. By then the hospital security (that's right...they worked at a hospital) was on the scene and I was escorted from the premises. I left humiliated and called my Wicca friend(lets call her Sally) who consoled me.
That was a horrible summer. Jason told me that he was moving in with his friend Mike, but he actually moved in with 'her'. I spent our 3rd anniversary alone. Mother's day alone. My birthday alone. I sent my older kids to spend time with their dad and I spent most of my time with Henry and Sally. I wasn't able to work. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep.
So Sally and I started spending a lot of time working on our Wicca. I even cast a spell to get Jason back. Later that summer he did return home and somehow I forgave him (as best I could). Even though he disliked me practicing Wicca and was quite verbal about it, I continued to study and practice Wicca with Sally for another 2 years.
The Past
I was watching What Lies Beneath today. And it brought back memories of when I first saw it. Jason and I were separated at the time and I was practicing Wicca.
I have thought about doing a post on this part of my life, but I'm not really sure how to start. I suppose that this is as good a way as any.
Jason and I had been married about 2 years and Henry was just 1 at the time that "The People" came to stay with us. That's what I called them when I talked to my work friend anyhow. They were Jason's friends from when he was a teenager. They were having some hard times and came to stay with us. Them and their 3 kids. It was just too much having them in the house along with me and Jason and Henry and Steph and Paul. I remember spending hours in my bedroom just to have some alone time.
I had always been into astrology and I had a friend at work that gave me a set of tarot cards. The next thing I knew I was reading tons of books about tarot cards, Wicca and candle magic. Even after The People moved out I continued with my fascination with it all.
My friend and I started meeting on the full moon to draw a circle in the backyard. We would burn candles and incense and cast simple love and money spells. We felt it was harmless and fun. But that all changed in November. My friend and I invited a coworker to join us. She wanted us to cast a spell on our boss because she was having a problem with her. We said sure, why not. That was on the full moon 2 days before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving evening we learned that our boss's husband had died and she would not be returning to work.
That's when we really realized the power and the seriousness of what we were dealing with. I started spending hours researching spells and writing them in my own leather bound book. I collected tons of tarot decks and would do readings for anybody and everybody and my friend and I started making our own oils and incense and candles. We were consumed.
That next April Jason told me that he wanted a separation and I learned that he was having an affair.
I have thought about doing a post on this part of my life, but I'm not really sure how to start. I suppose that this is as good a way as any.
Jason and I had been married about 2 years and Henry was just 1 at the time that "The People" came to stay with us. That's what I called them when I talked to my work friend anyhow. They were Jason's friends from when he was a teenager. They were having some hard times and came to stay with us. Them and their 3 kids. It was just too much having them in the house along with me and Jason and Henry and Steph and Paul. I remember spending hours in my bedroom just to have some alone time.
I had always been into astrology and I had a friend at work that gave me a set of tarot cards. The next thing I knew I was reading tons of books about tarot cards, Wicca and candle magic. Even after The People moved out I continued with my fascination with it all.
My friend and I started meeting on the full moon to draw a circle in the backyard. We would burn candles and incense and cast simple love and money spells. We felt it was harmless and fun. But that all changed in November. My friend and I invited a coworker to join us. She wanted us to cast a spell on our boss because she was having a problem with her. We said sure, why not. That was on the full moon 2 days before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving evening we learned that our boss's husband had died and she would not be returning to work.
That's when we really realized the power and the seriousness of what we were dealing with. I started spending hours researching spells and writing them in my own leather bound book. I collected tons of tarot decks and would do readings for anybody and everybody and my friend and I started making our own oils and incense and candles. We were consumed.
That next April Jason told me that he wanted a separation and I learned that he was having an affair.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Saudi
My Thursday Fro' Me To You is about this picture.
In October of 2004 my husband decided to take a job with ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia. What can I say...the pay was REALLY GOOD. The original plan was for the whole family to go. Then we learned that they didn't have school for the (at that time) teenagers on the protected compound, only up to grade 9. I talked to the kids and we looked at Christian boarding schools. They finally decided that they would rather stay here in Arizona. Stephanie (nearly 18 at the time) stayed in our house with an older Christian girl from church and Paul (still 16) stayed with my brother. By July 2005 Jason had finally got me and Henry approved to join him in Saudi.
It was very difficult for me to leave the teenagers behind, but I knew that I'd be back to visit in 3 months. I just felt that God wanted me to be with my husband. It was a tearful goodbye at the airport for all except Henry. He was so excited to be taking this adventure. But when we got up in the air and he looked out the window to see the city and houses below, he started crying which made me cry again too.
It took us more than 24 hours to get to Dhahran, KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). We went from Phoenix to Denver to Frankfurt to Dubai to Dhahran. It was late at night when we arrived and Henry and I had to go through customs before we could get through to the area to meet Jason. We had brought 4 suitcases packed with clothes, shoes, computer games, books, art supplies, toys etc. I was so worried that they would confiscate my Bible, but they didn't even open our suitcases. What a relief.
After customs we finally saw Jason. He looked so happy that we were finally there. All the way to the ARAMCO compound he was telling me about the car he got so we get around easier, the house they assigned him and how we could decorate it, trips we could go on, etc. He was clearly so excited that we were finally there with him. But I was so tired and miserable (I had weaned off my Zoloft before this trip). Once we got to our house I couldn't stop crying.
The next morning we went to the Dhahran Mall so that I could get an Abaya. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
I look back on our time in Saudi Arabia fondly now. I never thought I would.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Silence, Sweet Silence...
I just received a text from Jason that he and Henry are on the airplane and set to take off on time. After staying up until 3am, I was up at 830 (and feeling very sleep deprived, I might add) so that I could drive Jason and Henry to the airport.
After the drop-off, I stopped-off at Walgreen's to pick up my Zoloft prescription. I've been working at weaning myself off Zoloft AGAIN. The last time I did this I was taking 100 mg daily and had to go off it so that ARAMCO would approve me to go to Saudi Arabia (a long story). After returning from Saudi and Stephi getting pregnant half way through her Senior year in high school, well, the stress was too much and I started taking it again, but after a few months settled down to 50mg daily. But that was over 2 years ago and it is hard to lose weight while on SSRI's. So I am weaning myself off again. I'm down to 25mg daily and about to go down to 12.5mg. So far I haven't had the horrible withdrawal symptoms that I had last time. No nausea, headaches, dizziness, 'zapping'. Of course I had been on 100mg daily for 7 years. This time on 50mg for 2 years. Here's hoping.
I also picked up some Alli at Walgreen's. That should help with the weight loss as well. I'll keep you posted.
So, back to the silence. It's so nice, I almost hate to go to sleep. But since I have to work tonight, it's not a good idea to stay awake. Off to bed for me.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
My first blog entry.
How's that for a title? It seems that everyone is blogging, so I thought, "Why not me?" Surely I have at least as much to say as the next person.
Tomorrow Jason and Henry fly to Texas to visit Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jerry. Henry is looking forward to getting a BB gun and shooting whatever Grandma Linda lets him. Jason comes back on Monday and Henry will be staying until June 29th. There will be tons of cousins to play with. He should have a blast and perhaps my house will stay clean.
Paul will be done with his training in Great Lakes, IL sometime in August. Right now he's not sure where he will go next. We're hoping for San Diego, but it may be Virginia or even Mississippi. We really miss him though. He's been gone since last October and we missed seeing him on his 19th birthday.
Steph and Randy are currently looking for a house to make an offer on. They really want to stay in the Westgate area because those home are most likely to increase in value in the near future. Of course, that is assuming that our economy EVER recovers.
And finally an update on me. I have been working only 2 nights a week since I started at Banner Estrella almost 2 years ago. However, the week of July 6th I will be working 3 nights a week. I am pretty excited about this because I will finally have paid time off! Plus, with the price of gas and food going up, we can really use the increased income. Jason and I forget how blessed we are sometimes. At least we work in health care which tends to be very recession proof.
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