2016 was one of the worst years and one of the best years of my life.
2015 was a very hard year. John worked a contract job most of the year, but they had not paid us regularly. Most of the year, we did not have enough money to buy food. While John spent every Saturday the whole time he worked applying for other jobs, nothing came of it. By midyear, we knew we would need to sell our house. We sold it and had to leave Utah. Because no jobs came up, we had to move in with my parents. That was the hardest thing we had to experience as a family. The kids had to sleep on the floors and go to schools that were very different and very strict. We decided that because things had been so difficult we would rent a home for a week for Christmas. Once we got that settled and paid for, a kind family that was leaving North Carolina and moving to Utah offered to rent their house to us. We finally had a home to rent, our kids could choose to homeschool, and they would get their beds and toys and all of their clothes. We had every reason to expect that John would find a job in January or February. I was pregnant and expecting a new baby in May. By the end of December, we firmly believed that 2016 would bring us the blessings we had been seeking. And it did, but not the way we expected.
January 1, 2016 was our move in day. We left the beach house at 11am. We got to the rental at 1pm. I went with Ruth to buy stuff to clean the house and some food and paper dishes. By 3pm, I was sure that the pains I had been having that morning were meaningful. I was in labor and delivering a still born baby at 21 weeks. We had a baby boy and named him Christopher. That was the sad beginning of 2016.
After dealing with a difficult move, selling a house we loved, leaving schools we loved, and then losing a baby, I did not have enough energy to make new friends or be involved in anything outside the family. We had a quiet winter.
John spent hours everyday applying for work and I homeschooled the kids and that was it. The kids were happy and spent a lot of time playing outdoors. In this small house we spent more time together and grew closer as a family. I was blessed with another pregnancy just 6 to 7 weeks after the loss of Christopher.
By springtime, we were running out of money. I began applying for jobs too. Ruth had been applying for jobs all winter. She was supposed to be making money for college and instead she was usig her savings for soap and things for the family. Nothing came through. I think, Ruth, John, and I had maybe one interview each all spring. I was getting nervous. Our cash ran out in April and we had to start living on credit.
As the year continued to progress, I did not know what to do or even if we were going to end up homeless in a few months. I spent a lot of time praying. John had more faith. He never panicked and never once questioned the promptings from the Holy Ghost. He would always tell me not to worry. He reminded me that we had been promised by the Holy Ghost that he would get a job.
On July 1st, I paid the last rent. All of our money and all of our credit was gone. We had nothing left and no where to go for help. After I paid the rent, I said a prayer. I told the Lord that we had been doing all we could, but that we had reached the end. We had nothing left. A half hour later, the Lord answered my prayer. John got an email asking him to call the place he had recently interviewed at. They wanted to hire him as a contractor. The job came and we would not need to move.
John started working July 12th. They told him that the first hour that they had advertised the position they had 40 applicants from all over the nation, but John was the only qualified candidate in Eastern North Carolina. I was glad to know that. We did not know there were so many people looking for jobs in the same field as John. It gave perspective to the last couple of years.
July was a hard month because we had no money. I cannot even describe our feelings when on August 1st, we had money deposited into our bank account.
At the end of August, John's grandfather died. He went out to Utah for the funeral. When John got home Ruth and I flew out to Utah so I could take her to BYUI.
At that point in time, Ruth heard that she got a pel grant that would cover her tuition and the rest of the money we owed for her housing. Before then, we did not know, but I told her not to sign any papers for loans. I would rather we stay very poor than Ruth take out a loan. After Ruth was at BYUI for a week, she found out that she had been awarded a full tuition scholarship. I am not sure how she missed that before. One usually knows before classes start. At that point Ruth had more than enough money to live on. In fact, she will have enough to pay for her medical expenses in preparation for her mission. In the end, it did not matter that Ruth couldn't get a job. Heavenly Father had found other ways to take care of her and us.
John's job continued to go well through the year. He is the only one working on improving and adding to their product and he is doing that quickly. So even though, John is only a contracted employee, he has job security.
In November, we gave birth to our second little boy in the same year. This time, we had a breathing, fat, healthy, full term little son.
2016 didn't turn out at all like I expected. It was a year of very difficult trials and immense blessings. It was a year of sorrow like I have never known and it was a year of joy like I had never known. It was a year of poverty and a year of prosperity. Most importantly it was a year of intense learning. Together John and I spent hours upon hours reading, studying and learning about Jesus Christ, His character, and requirements for us. I believe 2016 was an important year of growth for many members of our family.
I have no idea what 2017 will bring. There will definitely be another move and there may be another job change. Ruth will leave for a mission. Kate will graduate and move away for college. Things will continue to change. My prayer for 2017 is that we continue to learn and grow in light and knowledge.
