2010 in Review

As I look back at all the events of 2010 i can't help but see God's hand print on it all!

January we were starting our financial recovery from a very hard ending to 2009. Brad had his heart problems in 2009 and then after going back to work after his 2nd surgery, they left him go from work. We had to short sale our house, we lost our quads, and had to borrow money from family just to live. It was such a horrible way to end the 2009 year, but we were glad to move into 2010. Brad started selling telescoping flagpoles for Aaron Kranz. He started doing some trade shows in Minnesota and Iowa. He was traveling quite a bit, but we were able to resume paying our bills again. I was still teaching at Covenant Kids Day Out M-W-F mornings. Peighty was going to preschool with me and the boys were enjoying school at Castle Rock Middle School and Castle View High School.

February brought more recovery financially and a possibility of a great job opportunity for me in Larkspur as a Director of a Christian Preschool. I would be the director lead teacher at New Covenant Academy on Tuesday and Thursday and continue teaching in Castle Rock at CKDO on M-W-F. During this time, we were struggling with our church and our life group. PCCC just didn't seem to be meeting the needs that we were looking for, a lot of that was due to our church in Arizona and how much we loved and missed everything about it. No other church would have had a chance with our frame of minds and saddened hearts. It was really hard to get involved with the events of the church and especially teaching in the classroom environment...a movie theater.

Our life group relationships were dissipating due to a lot of judgement and opinions! The people in our group were very judgemental and not very supportive or understanding. They would make crazy accusations and were not handling themselves in very Godlike manners. Instead of reaching out in love, they reached out or didn't even reach out, in hurtful ways. We were starting to really withdraw from all of that! our neighborhood culdesac was full of the same judgement and materialism and clickiness that made us really withdraw from the church, considering all of those people attended and were even part of leadership at PCCC! Not the kind of church body I want to be associated with!

March brought about more financial recovery and the director job in Larkspur! I was so excited and overwhelmed at the same time! Brad was traveling A LOT, which left a lot of responsibility to come my way. Not only was I balancing 2 jobs, 3 kids, and the events of each day, but I had to do the bills, and run the house as well. I was wearing a lot of hats and was feeling quite out of control, which would explain my anxiety and panic attacks returning! I was in denial for a while as signs started creeping in!

April my anxiety came on full force! It took me over a month to get a halfway decent handle on it this time! I was pretty much inoperable for 2 plus weeks! I did all I could to get through each day. Brad was still traveling, given a dealership of the flagpoles for the Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky states. He was still traveling a lot, causing added stress because all expenses were out of our pocket now! I had to take a few weeks off of each job, to regain myself. All I did was walk, walk, walk. I wanted to be outside, because that is were I felt most like normal! I tried the homeopathic way, but I couldn't keep living this way, trying to find a remedy. I chose to get back on the meds that I knew worked in the past. So I started the Lexapro 10 mg again, which took 3-4 weeks to really start to work. I returned to work the end of the month and started to feel normal again!

May was a hard month for us as we contemplated a move because of Brad's heart and the Colorado elevation. He wasn't living the quality of life that he deserved in a lower elevation and he was traveling so much to IN, OH, and KY that a move just made sense. Things really started taking off after we prayerfully considered a move. We found someone to take over our lease, my school year would be over, the boys school year would end, we were finding a lot of possibilities of farms to live on in Indiana, we would be closer to my dad and our home of Minnesota. On May 31st, we finished the last of our packing and moving. 99% of our belongings were in 2 storage units in Denver and we were off to Minnesota for a month long vacation with the Dandurands and then on to Indiana in July to solidify a place to live, enroll in school, etc.

June felt great being out of Colorado and away from all the judgmental people! The hardest part of leaving Colorado was my job in Larkspur! I worked so hard bringing it together, and now I had to leave it behind! But honestly, that was the only thing I would truly miss about Colorado...that preschool and the conveniences of Castle Rock and Denver! We really had a great time with family and spending time with Doug and Betty! I enjoyed cooking and spending time with the family as did the kids. Brad was still traveling A lot! It was so nice being around family and people who genuinely are kind and loving!

July after graduation parties and family reunions, it was time to head to Indiana to find our residency there and start a new! The minute we arrived in my dad's driveway I knew this isn't where we were supposed to be. Doors didn't open for us there. It just didn't feel right. I wanted to be back in Minnesota. So, after a lot of prayer and seeking, we decided to go back to Minnesota. Things didn't come easy there either. Doors would slightly open and then close. We were having a hard time trying to find a place to live in Granite Falls. Finally 5 days before our belongings were coming from Colorado, I found a house to lease in Montevideo. It wasn't Granite, but it would be big enough and have to do.

August was spent unpacking and getting things organized and getting the kids ready for school. The boys decided to attend YME in Granite and I found a Christian Preschool for Peighton to attend on M-W-F. The summer was okay with the exception of mosquito infestation! I still missed Arizona and all our friends, our house, and our church. We were having a hard time getting settled and finding a church. Our neighbors across the street, were a lot of fun. The Omalleys' have 7 children ranging from 20-2. They home school and are a catholic family. They are full of fun and we have come to enjoy them!

September The kids are getting adjusted to small town schooling and living. We do miss the conveniences that a city brings, but we make due. The boys have made friends, Paxton went out for football and really enjoyed it. It was hard at first, but he got the hang of tackle and made new friends at the same time. Preston found himself a girlfriend from Monte. Things were starting to feel more normal for the Dandurand Family.

October I started to feel like I needed a purpose. The kids had school, Brad had his job, what did I have? So, I prayed about starting a Christian Preschool in Granite Falls. I contacted a local and established Lutheran Church and started to get the ball rolling. After a meeting with Pastor Steve Carmany, I felt pretty confident that this could really be God's plan for me and for the community. Preston had to start drivers training all over again because Minnesota wouldn't accept his Colorado permit...ugh! Brad had a good October with sales. We still haven't really connected to a church, which is hard because we are feeling the need to be fed. I started attending the local MOPS group, which is so different from the one in Colorado...more intimate and a lot less materialistic and clicky!

November Our family got hit with pneumonia! Peighton first...she was such a trooper at the emergency room, where they drew blood, swabbed her throat, and took a chest x-ray. She didn't even bat an eye! She was amazing and impressed the doctor and nursing staff. She had to be on an antibiotic and breathing treatments for two weeks. Daddy was on a business trip during all this fun. After he got home and Peighton was almost done with her recovery, daddy got pneumonia, which is not a goo thing for a heart patient! He was a great patient, too in the er...lol, but a little scarier with him. They put him on steroids, antibiotic, and breathing treatments. It took him a nit longer to heal than Peighton. So thankful that he did fine through all that and that he went in right away for treatment. we had the Dandurand Thanksgiving at our home post pneumonia. It was so nice celebrating with family. We had a great meal and a super time!

December we enjoyed having Brad the whole month, granted he kept busy with handyman job and hunting, but he was home every night! I was harder for us to get into the Christmas spirit this year with all the adjustments to being back in Minnesota. It helped having Christmas here with my family. It is always a lot of fun with the Carlsons' and all the games we play and laughs we share! The preschool planning is coming along quite well as things move forward. My prayer is to open in time for the 2011-2012 school year. There has been a lot of family drama with the Dandurand family since Cody and Amber have moved to Minnesota. I think there are expectations from others that don't always work out for people or are not in the best interest of others. That has been hard to deal with and has caused some hurt within the family, but I know things with work out. Jeremiah 29:11

We are thankful for all that God has provided for our family and know He has a plan for our lives and we look forward to continuing pursuing His will in 2011