Life in the home of the Hardy's

It's already February and Michael is already a year older. Time seems to be flying here in E-ville, CA. Honestly, I've been wanting to do this since the beginning of the new year but haven't really found the right words until now. So much happened to Michael and I in one single year I just can't believe it. I just want to prove to everyone that you can't expect anything and that anything you expect will not come out the way you expected it. So I start...
The beginning of Feb. 2008 Michael had just started school. Both him and I had JUST managed to find jobs for the first time that year. I was working for Chevy's Fresh Mex as a hostess making NO money and he was slaving away at Fed-Ex making some money but slowly killing himself because he was juggling it with school. The plan was that once Michael had started school he would no longer work because school was work load enough. But, with the cost of both of us commuting and the fact that Vallejo was about to claim bankruptcy I just couldn't find a job that would pay me enough. I even tried having two jobs...but still not enough.
We struggled for two months trying desperately to make ends meet. We knew we needed to move to Emeryville but never had the money to move. I finally did all our tax stuff in March and low and behold we had received enough to MOVE!!! It only took us about two weeks to find our new place and we didn't even look back as we said good bye to Vallejo.
This is our current apartment but it was bran spankin new at the time. I really didn't want Michael to take this picture because I was really sick in it. What I didn't know was that this sickness was the start of me getting diabetes. Ya, I recently learned that diabetes starts with some type of sickness. So, boo to this.
So, anyway, voiceless and all I started back up at work. I was working at Cold Stone in Pinole which is way closer to Vallejo then it was to Emeryville. But, I got paid just enough for us to make it. Michael didn't have to work and that's all I really cared about.
Working at Cold Stone was it's own little world. I would get back from school and have just enough time to eat and change then I would have to head off to work. I would work really late into the night and come home to sleep just a few hours and start over again. In the mean time Michael was being piled on with homework. Most days the only time we saw each other/ our first kiss of the day was when I would come home from work and I would be heading to bed. Through the grace of God we still managed to have some type of marriage.
May was an eventful month for us. Michael had just finished making his first movie and they were doing a "movie night" at his school of all the student films. His parents surprised us and flew down to see us and the movie. Even though I was exhausted (from working, schooling, and having diabetes and not knowing it :)) we had so much fun. We went to the city (which is lingo for San Francisco around here) and they spent a lot of money on us. It was so awesome! We are excited because, almost one year later, they are heading out here again for my graduation ceremony!!
Even though the beginning of May rocked we had a rough end of the month. Michael had some neurological problems. I was scared out of my mind but my friend, Marielle, was there to help the second I called her. I soon realized the importance of a ward family and how much it meant to me. I also realized the importance of an Eternal Marriage and how much Michael meant to me.
The next few months were pretty uneventful. We tried very hard to make ends meet and had to get help from the church several times. The second...or third...time we received help from the church I realized it was time for me to get a job that paid more and was closer to home. (This was after purchasing a new fuel efficient car. We miss our Equinox but we had to be more practical.) I managed to find a job as a server at Elephant Bar. Food is good, job was pretty crappy. But with the knowledge that the end of September would mean that I would be done with school and finding a "real job" I kept a smile on my face. I thought it was full speed ahead.
During this time Michael decided to leave me for a week to go and help his two sisters and thier families move to WV. I'm still sad I couldn't go but I'm SO glad Michael was able to get out and help.
During the time that he was gone I was slowly...well quickly...loosing a ton of weight. I was also so tired that I would even be able to stay awake if I sat down. I figured it was because I was eating really crappy or because of the fact that I only got 4 hours a sleep..if I was lucky a night. But it soon got so bad that I decided to go to the hospital. I will have you all know that it was more than just being tired and loosing all the wieght. I also had lost 1/2 the hair on my head and was extra moody. Well, come to find out...I have diabetes: type one! It was an eventful/emotional/crappy weekend in the hospital. But I know have a pretty good handle on it and now it's just part of my life...whatever.
The month of September, though, was pretty emotional. I was trying to get a hold on my new disease and trying to finish up school. Somehow I managed to do it and even got a job at Panera Bread. Ya to having benefits and to NO SCHOOL!!
From there on out it's been pretty uneventful. Michael and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary and Christmas alone.
Now, I just work every night and Michael stays wrapped up in his school work. We are getting by and loving life! I can't believe how far we've come together and it blows my mind to think of how much more we have to go. A life time together is a long time to learn a lot and it then goes onto eternity. I'm so glad I chose Michael as my companion because no one could make a bettter one!
Hopefully this year brings us more joy than the crap we got last year! ;) It was a great year though. I learned a lot about myself and the importance of my marriage and I could not ask for more!