*CRUNCH*

I had hoped it was the Jeep. I thought, "Maybe it's haunted." I'd managed to put all other little fender-benders, wrecks, etc., out of my mind, and blamed it on the "haunted Jeep." And surely, Mary Kay cars don't get in wrecks right? They just float along on the highway unscathed.

Wrong.

Tuesday, my good friend Tab and I were out workin' it - putting facial jars out, rockin' the MK world, when CRUNCH. A lady in a pick up truck backed up without looking - right into my passenger side door.

This felt different somehow than any other wreck - I worked HARD for this car, and she just crunched it! Ugh! It's not the end of the world, but here's the damage:


And just for fun, let's do a Michelle wreck review:

1986 - rear ended in the car with my mommy (hello, i was 5, not doing the driving!)
1989 - our big family wreck - the one that left all of us a little injured emotionally and physically.
1997 - First day of school, first day driving to school, lady sideswipes me next to school. Dad's car. Yuck.
1998 - A run in with a pick up truck, also on the passenger side door. (sorry Dustin!)
1999 - Law student at Baylor rear ends me.
2001 - Alicia and I do a little spin by the Wal-Mart after getting hit by an oncoming car. (not my car and I wasn't driving on this one!)
2004 - Car pulls out in front of me, I crash into him - this is my other most injury-filled wreck. Still hurtin' a bit from this one!
2005 - Almost a year to the date later, lady in parking lot creams my Jeep. We replaced the same stupid bumper from a year ago.
2006 - I rear end someone.
2007 - The Big Weird One! A piece of an 18 wheeler hits the under carriage of my car and rips a big hole in the bottom of the Jeep. 6 inches from my butt. Yikes.
2009 - My brand new baby gets hit in the parking lot. :(

Hmmm, after looking at this list, I don't want to get in the car with me...

We're in March already?

When did that happen? It seems like time flies faster and faster! A year ago today, we were leaving on a fun cruise with 4 of our good friends. My, how life has changed in the past year! Both of those couples now have babies, and our life went to crap. Ha! Things aren't all bad. We've had a lot of positives come up, so we're just trying to learn to deal with a dose of both. We're really learning how to rely on each other for things.

I just began Month 3 of my Director Qualification. Yes, I had to do it again. I'm sometimes the slow learner, but I always hit my goal...it just takes awhile! I'm very excited about Career Conference this month and all the new promotions our company is offering!

Also, we are LOVING our church! Everyone there is truly an image of love and selflessness and we couldn't love them more. If you live close you should check us out! www.stpeterfw.org!

So what's up with the Gibsons in March? Here's a brief run down:

- KG is still looking for a job, but has had some good interviews!
- Michelle is headed to career conference and is excited!
- We love St. Peter!

Update.

Ok, the question I've gotten the most lately is, "What the hell is going on with you two?" I agree, it's been a crazy week, and where things were Sunday and where they are today is DEFINITELY not where I thought they would end!

We'll start with Kyle - I mentioned in my earlier post that he was laid off. His position was eliminated, so that left him out of a job. Fortunately, we received a little bit of severance. He's now searching for a new job, so if you have any suggestions, send them on over!

Now on to me. Due to my increasing MK business and my accompanying, we decided that I could leave my job as a nanny. Wonderful people, but this was not a good job for me. I was ready to give my two weeks' notice on Monday...right before the call from Kyle that he'd been laid off. Tuesday morning we decided that I would go ahead and resign from my nanny job. An hour later, we received a call from my church, officially offering me the job as the music person! (No, I don't know my real title, we'll see what the business cards say.)

Tuesday I resigned - my last day is January 30th, Kyle's birthday, and I start at the church February 1st! So things are looking up on my air, but we aren't sure where they are going in Kyle's direction.

Things are definitely interesting in the Gibson household! I try and keep everyone posted on the latest developments!

Seriously? Seriously.

In the Gibson house we've been sucked into a game of Musical Chairs: The Job Version. It's been going on for about a year now, starting with our previous company. There we weren't sure if the music was going to stop or if we needed to start moving around looking for another chair. But the music stopped, and we were both left on the floor. (Yes, "music stop" pun intended.)

At this point, I became a bit of a chair whore, hopping around to a few different chairs, holding onto about 3 at a time. For the last six months, I've held on to my Mary Kay chair, and my church chair, although that chair is changing, and I've flown through the retail chair and the nanny chair, but more on that later.

As for my dear husband, he keeps getting the chairs knocked out from under him. After being left on the floor, he went in search of a new chair - interviews, resumes, you know the routine. He finally landed a chair, and although it was not his favorite, in fact, he grew to hate that freakin chair, it was a chair, and he was glad to have one in a game where the chairs are few, and many are left out.

Until Monday.

That's right, K is back in the game. He was laid off on Monday, and is once again searching for that new chair. I mentioned mine was changing - I will be going to work for the church and the music ministry at St. Peter beginning February 1st. I am extremely happy about this upgrade, and I have to admit, I was REALLY happy to drop the nanny chair.

So where does that leave us?

Searching. The music is playing, and we're walking in circles, trying not to accidentally fall on our asses by sitting too quickly, but having enough faith to try and sit.

There's no subsitute for time...

From a John Mayer song, but so so true. Unfortunately, time doesn't always fix things. It's been 9 months since our world fell apart, and while time has healed some wounds, we still aren't back on top, or even on the elevator. We're stuck on the first floor.

There are so many questions that remain unanswered, so much still to decide on the future of our life. I'd love to say that despite all of this, there's a peace about it all, but honestly, I can't say that. Things aren't ok, and it'll still be awhile before they are, and I guess sometimes you're just stuck in a rut.

The last time I struggled through something I thought I wouldn't get through, I did make it, and came out of it stronger. I can only hope that this will once again prove to be something that turns out to be great.

Jesus, Take the Wheel

I believe God uses a variety of different ways to speak to people. Even non-musicians are moved by music, both words, melody, and the marriage of the two can truly speak to someone.

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I've been dealing with some depression this year. After a year of disappointments, losses, and unexpected things that have come up in our life, it's really no surprise either.

When I left the last church job I had, I left feeling that I really didn't understand Christianity anymore. I'd experienced so many things that didn't make sense, and that left me feeling angry, hurt, and kept me out of church for a couple of years.

How do these two events relate?

In the course of being completely broke this past year, I decided to take a job at a church playing the organ on Sunday mornings. Working for a church is something I said I would never do again after what happened, but I had a skill, and here was a place to use it. It was just a job.

6 months later, and I am way more involved in this church than I thought I would be! I have a new group of people who love and pray for me, something that makes me smile again (and these days, it hasn't been a whole lot), and this job may turn into a little something more than we originally thought. In the course of figuring some things out with said job, I realized that prayer was no longer an occasional option, but seriously, I needed to have a chat with God.

As my prayer life has once again increased, I'm finding God talking back to me. And in the one thing that truly touches me, He's talking to me in music. Several songs have been brought in front of me or brought to my mind this week that have really helped to comfort me this last week. One, Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take the Wheel - this one came to my mind when I was upset, driving, and just feeling at a complete loss. The song became a prayer and I began to get a little more control.

The second was one I hadn't heard for years. There was a CD in '99 called Exodus that my best friend Jenn and I listened to non-stop. I've since lost that CD, but one of the songs came to mind last week, then today, it came back in front of me when I friend posted it on her blog. Sixpence None The Richer's Brighten My Heart in itself is a prayer, asking God to let her clear her head, mind, etc. and focus back on God.

In this crap-tastic year, there have been only a few good things. So for you, my loyal readers, here's my suggested playlist on the GOOD things that've happened this year:

Brighten My Heart - (Sixpence None the Richer) Me, back in church, where I need to be.

Jesus, Take the Wheel - (Carrie Underwood) Me, learning to talk to God again.

God Bless the Broken Road - (Rascal Flatts) This would be me and my hubby. We had this song sung at our wedding (thanks Eric!) and through this year, we've grown closer and remembered that we do really love each other. :)

Gravity - (Sarah Bareilles) Ok, so this one might sound like a downer, but it's about setting yourself free from the past and moving forward. Something I'm still learning to do, but it's a good thing.

Red High Heels - (Kelly Pickler) I earned my Mary Kay car this year, and if you'll notice in my car picture, I have on my red high heels. :)

There's a short playlist for you. I hope you enjoy the musical journey that I have.

'Tis the Season!

And so the craziness of the Christmas season begins! I think Kyle and I combined have 6 concerts, which is very reminiscent of our Baylor days. Then there's director qualification, which will take up every free night I possibly have, Christmas parties, Christmas lights, and oh crap I haven't even STARTED Christmas presents yet! AAAAHHH!!

The hustle and bustle is kinda fun, though. I love the lights, colors, decorations, the shopping, the wrapping, the movies, the music, everything! Since money is tight this year we're doing handmade Christmas, so I'll try and post some of my creations on here, except if they are things that might be going to YOU my readers!