Starting a New Life

Hard to believe that I have not updated my primary blog in 3 months...but so much has happened in that time. To start with in April my dear husband FINALLY went to the VA for his service connected issues, which resulted in multiple medications and we was not able to really work on the medications that were prescribed. At this point hubby was working and I was not, which is really unusual for me but it was working for us up until this point in time. I tried to look for work but the economy caused problems the world over and we lived in one of the poorest counties in the State of Washington.

Mid June we HAD to move, there were no options left, but without a steady income coming in what do you do? The kids had their last day of school and then I took them to visit with my sister, 1 1/2 hrs away. I came back and decided to try called the VA Social Work department and I had a call back within 24 hrs. The VA actually has a Veterans Homeless Prevention Program and there are programs to assist families in crisis. When I say crisis I am referring to losing their home, jobs, utilities shut off and such.

We packed up our home into a U-Haul and put everything into a storage unit then we met with the social worker and a VA Liasian with Catholic Community Services in Thurston County. Best news yet, they could and would help us...I cried. I was ready to leave my kids with my sister for the whole summer so they would not have to be troubled with worry and the feeling of hopelessness that was overwhelming so many times.

We were and are very blessed with wonderful people in our life. One of the guys that my husband serviced with offered us a place to stay while looking for a house but if not for that I have no idea what we would have truly done and I really do not want to ever find our first hand. So here we are, me, my hubby and our two kids, not to mention the beagle living in a converted basement and seven other people in the same house. I can certainly see why I only have 2 kids. LOL Overall it was not a bad experience and I was so very grateful to have my kids somewhere safe and with people that do love them. I have no idea what I would have done without our oldest friends...may I never have to find out.

Well it took a month to find a house that fit into the program guidelines for us and then we finally were able to move in and we have been here for 3 weeks. I can honestly tell everyone that a night does not pass that I thank God for EVERYTHING both the good and the bad.

There is some irony to this misadventure that we have just been through...for the last 4 years my hubby and I have been developing the idea of a farm or ranch project that would create homes and some training possibilities for Veterans and their families on the verge of homelessness. The statistics are amazing and we were about to join those ever growing numbers. After all is said and done we have found people that believe in our project and want to help us make it happen. So many blessings!

So here we are enjoying the comfort of a new home with the help of others because we finally admitted that we needed some help. Sometimes that is all that it takes is admitting there is a need but the hardest thing in the world to do is to actually ASK for help and that is the only way that is comes, by ASKING!