Following that; the news that if I could get through February without earning an extra cent, I would get out of my bankruptcy without paying anything further to my trustee. I was guaranteed by my boss that our bonuses would not be rewarded until March - I was in the home stretch. I think I must have thrown up in my mouth when my boss cam
e and told me that on February 28th, the LAST day of the month, our bonuses were "surprisingly" deposited into our accounts. Isn't that nice. That 24 hours cost me an extra $3000. There was nothing I could do to stop it. It was like watching that part on the Griswold's Christmas vacation where Clark tells his whole family he paid for a pool even though he didn't have that Christmas bonus yet. Could his family have been any more excited? Remember the tear of happiness in his eye? Then remember the crushing blow when he opened the envelope from his work to find a year's subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club? Ya, that face couldn't describe the face I had when I had to THANK my boss for the bonus that COST me $3000! So, that behind me, I happily went on my way believing that the year was bound to get better. I, of course, had to go about the daunting and impossible task of interviewing candidate after candidate to work for me. This was inbetween my 12 hour days trying to keep the company afloat; and while offering for a salary "peanuts" that I would not even offer a rabid squirrel.
For a few months beginning the year, a very crazy reality reached up and wacked me in the face everyday - "You're dating a man that's not yet divorced"! I know most of you know, that Denny's divorce was not yet final when we began dating. We decided we would not get engaged until the divorce was final. (We also said we wouldn't kiss until the day we got married. RIGHT.) So, that meant that I would have to muster up the last granule of patience that I possibly could to wait for my boyfriend to ask me to marry him. I think I pooped a little when the divorce certificate came in the mail. You may be thinking, "Hmm, is that right that she was excited to see a marriage come to an end?"
Don't go there - that's a whole ball of feelings you don't want this Drama Queen to help you understand!
So, that precious day came on March 9th when my Boyfriend gave me a Kinder Egg with a little diamond ring as a prize. 
I couldn't have been happier! Finally, I was going to marry the man I loved! Any pact we made not to kiss until our wedding day was pretty much annihilated that night. Happily, like a Fuzzy Little Bunny in a park, I went skipping along knowing that life was what it should be once again. Rough start? Yes, but NOW was my time!
So, this little Fuzzy Bunny left work early one day in May. I left early to pick up my cute little neice from DayCare so I could spend the weekend with her. On the way home a lovely 2006 Silver Hyundai Accent decided to run over the Fluffy Happy Bunny! I was hit hard by a man who decided STOP signs are not manditory. Billy, my wonderful car and companion, decided to fight back and sent the man flying into a yard on the side of the road. All I have to say is, poor Raynae didn't get picked up and God Bless Billy. *A moment of silence here would be appropriate.*
What a PAIN in the butt it is to take the little bit of money you get for your old junked car and find something that you can drive with that amount. It was NOT my favorite thing to do! I attempted to learn to drive Denny's standard truck and not a word of a lie ended up completely SOAKING my pants with urine I was laughing so hard doing the funky chicken. So, since that didn't work I saw Denny 24/7. He picked me up, I saw him at work, he took me home from work and we hung out until bed time. I don't find being married to him as hard as that was!
About when this mess was over is when I decided to stop taking the medication I had been on since January for the little pockets of infection that had riddled my body since a teenager. Due to the harshness of the medication, nearly 1/3 of my hair had fallen out as a side affect, my lips were so dry I considered making a career change to start sanding furniture for a living; and the bi-weekly blood tests for my the high cholesterol that developed had taken it's toll. I was sure that I had seen my doctor so many times in 6 months that I'd be invited to her family Christmas dinner this year. (To add to all this pain, I never did get that invitation in the mail.) So, I QUIT the medication out of sheer frustration.
So, that being said, God sent a very special, very bandaged Angel to watch over me during that accident, because besides a bruised liver that healed quickly; I was not hurt seriously. AND best of all, the burn marks from the airbag washed out of my brand new pink zip-up that I was wearing - SO that HAD to be the last bad thing that would happen - after all - I was getting married!!
Fuzzy Bunny had a few burnt patches of hair, but deciding to bouce back, got in that new OLD Toyota Corolla and drove it with pride. Until July 26th when the newly named "Sally" was hit from behind. I didn't think that within 2 months I'd hear "write-off" twice. But, there I was with another ICBC cheque, looking for another new car, thinking that God MAY be laughing at me.
More work and responsibility was given to me at work. I was planning a wedding, which is enough to make any woman wish she had become a Nun at the age of 16. I was told that they needed me to take on even more and hire and train another employee. I just kept saying YES, NO problem, I can handle it! All the while I was slowly starting to feel like I wanted to walk out and quit at any moment. I had about 3 or 4 colds, but I was determined to get well and get through our wedding without falling apart.
We had the most WONDERFUL wedding. It went off wonderfully. My mom MAY have freaked out about the order of the silverwear on the table at one point, but other than that, I think ours was the best wedding I had ever seen! I had so many wonderful friends and family that made our day truly beautiful and cherished to us...
Then, on September 9th, 2006 I ceased being a virgin. I was finally a married woman and I loved it! We had the most awesome 2 nights after our wedding before our honeymoon at the River Rock Casino Resort, where we ate, did IT, won $135 and watched movies. We then got on our plane for the honeymoon that we saved and saved all year to pay cash for. We spent a week in California and 3 days before we were set to fly home, I started feeling like the year was taking its toll and I was getting a little sick. Nothing major, just a strange tired feeling. It sort-of ruined the much anticipated Magic Mountain day. I was only able to handle one big roller-coaster and it was a little tough to keep on my feet in the heat. But, we got through the last few days and still had a great time.
Unbeknownst to me, I was a carrier for Mono and one month later I began my journey into Hell on earth. I missed 3 weeks of work and spent 2 nights in Surrey Memorial Hospital. And even worse, during this time I began soul-searching. I made the dumbest decision I've ever made in my life during this time. I decided I would go to College. People in my life should have known I was loopy from the Morphine and various other drugs I was obviously on, but NO they decided to support me!
So, my wonderful, supportive husband agreed that God's leading to take a Leap of Faith was one we would follow, so here I am ushering a New Year with a goal to quit my job and everything I know to be normal; to become a 29-year-old student. Going into a field that I have never set foot into, but have an unnatural excitment for. I have $6000 to save, because I have no credit and can't get a loan, I have to work RETAIL in order to pay rent during school - all to gamble on whether or not I'll do well and actually get a job!
I lost my Granmother this year too. But, after all the hard experiences I've had this year, her death really showed me the most out of anything this year. You see, when I think about my Grandmother I think about a woman who loved God more than life. Who had struggles and her little idiosyncrasies, but always prayed, always followed, always cherished her God. She was a woman that loved her husband so much that when he passed, she went with him, though not physically. They served God together and when I think about them both, I smile. When I think about them I think of how wonderful they were; how they cared for their children and the work of God. How they took care of each other until the last minute she lost the man she loved. She was true to him every day of her marriage. She wasn't afraid to be who she was and she was proud of what God had given her, no matter how small.
So, when I think of her, I think that I want people to remember me the way I remember my Grandparents. I want the ones I leave behind to remember that I loved my God and followed Him no matter how tough. I want people to remember that all my flaws were part of my character, but that every year they noticed a new part of me being smoothed by my Maker. I want my friends, family and those who need a hand to remember that I was always there and that my heart would break for them and that I would give all of my heart to them in God's name. I want people to remember the look in my eye when I looked at my husband. How much I cared for him and loved him, how I treasured him with every action.
Last year was a tough year, and 2007 will have it's moments, but I know my God will show Himself to me this year, just as He did last year and every year of my life. I know He is faithful and as long as I am in His Will, I will be okay.
"But me, I'm not giving up. I'm sticking around to see what GOD will do. I'm waiting for God to make things right. I'm counting on God to listen to me." Micah 7:7
