A few hard things and A LOT of good...

Sometimes life is so hard. Sometimes trials come into our lives and I can't help but feel like we are the most picked on people in this world. I'm sure everyone has felt that way at some point. It really is hard to see the good in a trial when it first pops up.(I am actually not going to complain this whole post). BUT from my experience, and me feeling like I have overcome a decent amount so far in my life, I know that if we have faith and trust in the Lord, then everything really does always work out and that the outcomes are usually greater than the trial ever was.
This post I am going to get kind of deep in to our personal life and I hope that those who read this understand that the blog is my journal about our children and our life and I post it because I have confidence in those who read it that they love our family and are interested in our lives and that they will not judge us but only feel for us.I have been really feeling lately that I need to write down things that have happened in our lives these last few years and share them. I feel like we have a good story and it might bless someone else.
Keep in mind we have only been married three years..
Financially we have gone from being upside down on three vehicles, having no health insurance and owing at least $30,000 in medical bills. We went from having 4 jobs all together to one, and at one point not having a job at all. No we don't have any dumb debt that we could have all and all avoided like a house or a car we really couldn't pay off in two years or any toys we didn't need. But we had debt and a lot of it, because life happens.
Eric graduated in may 2010 and ended up taking a year off before graduate school because we could not afford to take the GRE or apply for schools.
Spiritually our faith has been tested. Eric has not been able to take the sacrament or go to the temple for over a year and a half now. I have been holding our family together making sure that all four of us attended church every week,I have been fulfilling my callings the best I could, and that our tithing was being paid along with everything else I needed to do to get Eric back where he wants to be and our family strong.
Health wise I have been in the hospital/Er too many times to count.
Easton has been sick most of his life and he is almost a year old.
I have only listed a few things but these are the things that have tried us,and at some point we didn't know if we would ever make it through.
AND WE DID AND WE ARE!
Financially we own both of our vehicles out right. We will be completely debt free INCLUDING medical bills in March.
Eric will most likely be reinstated in the church on Sunday and will be taking me to the temple next week.
We have had health insurance for almost a year and the doctors office that took out my tonsils ended up paying us $37 for the surgery.
Eric just got his fourth promotion at work and is doing very well there.
Eric is taking the GRE in November and we will be turning in application in February and leaving for grad school in August.
Things are not perfect.. we have a long way to go, but they are better and are SLOWLY getting better everyday. FINANCIALLY it was SOOOOO HARD! soo hard! It takes A LOT of discipline and tight budgeting to go from where we were to where we are now so QUICKLY.
Like I said... At times we thought we would never make it. At times the last thing we wanted to do was have faith and trust in the Lord. At times we felt like we were failing completely but I know now that the Lord NEVER EVER gives up on us.. He never leaves our side... He loves us and will do everything He can to help us through as long as we ask for the help and then ACT IN FAITH.
I know that our trials are far from over and we will see new trials come our way every day, but I can look at them with thankfulness, faith and an understanding that I will be a stronger, better person and our family will become closer because of them. We will continue to try our hardest in staying positive and doing our part to keep our family close together, happy, healthy, and strong.
I honestly look back at our trials and the trials we still have and I can't help but be thankful that we have these trials instead of things that other people are having to go through. I always feel like we have it SOOO easy compared to others and I would never want to trade. I really believe that Heavenly Father knows us and that our trials are very personal. He knows what we can handle and what we need to learn and will give us the strength and comfort for each particular trial.
Eric and I love each other more than we ever thought possible.
I am so proud of our little family. We have come so far and are stronger than ever. I cannot wait for the rest of our lives together.
We love our children and they bring us the most joy in our lives. A lot of people have looked down on us and our timing to have children. Children to us are a blessing from God. I love being a mother and I know the Lord is proud of me for my faith in bringing children into the world even when things were rough and we were not all the way financially stable. He promised us that He would provide a way... and THAT HE DID and DOES! We will continue to have children along with faith in the Lord and in his timing. My role in this life is to be a wife and a mother and that is all I want! I have and I will continue to give it %1000.

SHORT UPDATE ON THE KIDDOS--
Oakley turned two at the end of July and is so ridiculously smart.. haha at least we think so.
A few things...She can count to ten in English AND in German. She knows her ABCs', colors, and some body parts in German. She knows a lot of shapes and is still learning more. She can recognize letters and a few of their sounds.
She is very out going and loves to play with friends. The two year old attitude is very much in full force. She even bosses her babies around and will tell them they are being naughty. She LOVES LOVES LOVES to play with Easton. They will play for hours, it is really fun to watch them and watch Easton try to be big like her.
Easton is ten and a half months old. He is starting to say little words like, dog, hi, bye, yay, whats that and a few others.
He goes up and down the stairs and stands with out holding on to anything. He has taken a few steps here and there but isn't as determined as Oakley was so it will probably still be a little bit before he is officially walking. He is still a very little thing wearing anywhere from 3-6 month clothing and some 9-12. He is right around 16 lbs and in the 0%. He is very very sweet and happy and loves to do everything Oakley does.
WORDS CANNOT EXPLAIN THE LOVE I HAVE FOR THESE TWO KIDS! They really are my everything and I love every little thing about them.