2008:​​​ End of the year recap​

2008:​​​ End of the year recap​
Where did you begin 2008?at my house with lots of friends. Praying for Nicole cuz she was goin into the hospital to have Micah

Were you in school any time this year?Nope....but I could be....Isnt TRA great?

Did you have to go to the hospital?I did...that's where I had Nehemiah

Did you have any encounters with the police?dont think so.....

Where did you go on vacation?vacation??? What's that?

What did you purchase that was over $100?a house....a baby (LOL) deep freeze, baby stuff, toilet, auto repairs, computer, suits for Alex, fridge, stove, I'm sure there was more...I just cant think of them..

Did you know anybody who got married?my cousin Joe & Kerri, Cam Smith & Julia Numer, James Cooper and Kelly,

Did you know anybody who passed away?too many Sharon Jones, Josh, Mom's cousin, Connie,

Did you move anywhere?I did

What sporting events did you attend?baseball games, football games

What concerts/shows did you go to?none that I can think of

What is the one thing you thought you wouldn't do in 2008?I never thought Josh would be murdered! I also didnt think I'd lose my job

What have been your favor​ite moments?having my baby boy, watching Micah grow, falling more in love with Alex everyday

Any new additions to your family?uh huh...Micah, Nehemiah, hopefully Adaliah (she has until midnight! LOL) Kerri Seay, some of my Mom's new dogs....2 dogs....and Nicole got another dog

What was your best month?every one was special for one reason or another

Made new frien​ds?*shrug* I'm sure

Favorite night out?the night before I had Miah Alex and I went out....it was an exciting night....knowing the next day I'd be holding my baby boy! :)

Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?Nicole's, Mom's, church

Change your hairstyle?got it permed for my birthday

Have any car accidents?I didnt....but the weekend after we moved into our new house, the neighbor mans father in law backed into my car! What a great welcome to the neighborhood eh???

How old did you turn this year?*shudder* 27

Do you have a New Year's resolution?uh no....

Do anything embarrassing?I'm sure I did

Get married or divorced?nope

Been snowboarding?nope

Find a special someone?does giving birth to Nehemiah count?

Closest friends this year?Alex, my sisters, and Mom

Did you lose a boy?nope...I gained one! :)

Are you happy to see 2008 go?doesnt matter....I dont get too worked up about a date

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I posted some video's on youtube of Nehemiah! :)

Ice Storm

The day of my cousins funeral we woke up to the power goin out...at about 5:30 or 6 in the morning! Lovely...what a GREAT way to start the day!

There were limbs covering our yard!

Soon after we lost power we went downstairs to look and see what was goin on...and saw all the limbs so I asked Alex to move my car (It was right were this limb was!! The limb is right where my windshield was!!) It took him about 20-25 mins but we're both glad he moved it! My car is paid off and still runs good...and we do NOT want to go into debt because we were too lazy to move it!

I took our dog outside to use the bathroom and since she normally is chained out front I didnt think that was the best place to put her! While her and I were out back I heard a BOOM!! When we got back inside I looked in the front yard...there was a limb right were Meda would have been at the time (It covered about the whole yard where her chain is!)

We were out of power for over 36 hours and it was VERY cold...but we survived! Yesterday morning they AEP truck came by and shut off our power AGAIN...but they turned it off...so we knew it wasnt gonna be too long! They were trimming branches!

My Mom lost power for over 48 hours! Ekkk!! We ended up spending alot of time at my brother in law and sister's house! At one point Mike opened the fridge door and asked why there were 4 gallons of milk! LoL....guess that's what we all wanted to save! (My other groceries went into the garage)

Taken from us....

Scrolling down The Lima News obits wasnt easy....but seeing Josh's name made me cry. His name isnt supposed to be there. He's only 32! It's not real! He's just far away...he cant be dead. His funeral will be Friday and I dont know how we'll hold it together! We can't pretend it's not real then...we can't joke and talk about something else! Tomorrow I am goin over to my aunt and uncle's house to put together pics for his funeral....a funeral that shouldnt be happening. What would cause a woman to stab someone?! A woman with 4 small children! She took him from his family, from his parents, brother, daughter, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who all loved him very very much!

Josh loved life, he was full of life. And now...he's gone....gone! Many stories for a long time will start, "Remember the time Josh...." and then we'll stop....b/c there is no more Josh. No more of his dreams. He can no longer make plans to come back and see us, to see his friends and family. He can't call my Mom and tell her "You're my favorite Aunt you know...I'm not just saying that" And he said it...everytime he talked to her!

32 year old men don't die! They just don't!! Old people die, sick people die!

The last picture I have of Josh (the picture in the last post) was taken 2 years ago....that was the last time any of us saw him. He came for my Grandpa's funeral....and now...we'll see him at his funeral. He won't be laughing, he won't be joking and tormenting us. He won't be making fun of everyone he sees. He won't be doing anything. He'll just....be. And then, he'll be gone. He'll be in our thoughts, our hearts, our minds. We'll think of him and smile, laugh, cry. We'll remember the time he got his head busted by someone throwing a pop bottle at him from a moving car. We'll remember him getting married, we'll remember him as a Dad, as a friend, a cousin, son, nephew. I'll remember him calling my parents house and not getting any of us b/c we were gone and saying that there were too many of us for someone NOT to be home...but we weren't. And he'd call back. Now, there is no calling back. We have pictures, video's, memories and smiles. But we dont have Josh. We have hurt, we have anger and somehow, sometime we have to forgive. Maybe not today...or tomorrow or anytime soon.....

Like all other times, in this pic....Josh was in the center. He loved having the attention on him...here's to you Josh!

Forever and always....Love, your cousin Maria

Joshua C. Hope
December 16, 2008 - 5:35 PM

Lima
Joshua C. Hope, 32, of Lubbock, Texas, formerly of Lima, died Dec. 14, 2008, at his residence.
He was born June 25, 1976, in Lima to Larry A. and Joni D. Barnhart Hope, who survive in Lima.
Mr. Hope always enjoyed talking with his Grandpa Delbert, and Grandma Virginia.
Survivors also include a daughter, Paige Shelton, of Chicago; a brother, Keith L. Hope, of Lima; and paternal grandmother, Margaret Faulkner, of Batesville, Miss.
He was preceded in death by maternal grandparents, Delbert and Virginia Barnhart; and paternal grandfather, James A. Hope.
Services will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at Chiles-Laman Funeral Homes, Lewis Eastside Chapel. Pastor Craig Booher will officiate. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery, Westminster.
Friends may call from 11 a.m. until time of services Friday at the funeral home.
Condolences may be expressed at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.

Josh

Yesterday I got a text message, then calls that my cousin Josh was murdered. He was the kind of guy that was an older brother you didnt want to have. He tormented, he teased, but you knew he loved you!

Growing up Josh and I looked alot alike....and I thought that was so cool! I remember one lady being convinced he was my twin....and wouldnt believe me that he wasnt!

Alot of my childhood memories include Josh....including a time that my sisters and I were getting picked on at school and Josh wanted to go and beat the guy up!!

Please keep our family in your prayers....

Baby it's cold outside!

How cute is this pic of my lil man?! Last night was my brothers band concert (3 brothers....) So under this adorable lil outfit is a onsie that read "I'm with the band!"

While Mom and I were waitin on my brothers to get out of the house and into her van (I was carpooling with her) we were sitting behind my truck, RIGHT behind my truck, and some woman went up to the driver's door on my truck and tried to open it! My Mom said, "Maria, I think that woman is tryin to get into your truck" So I grabbed my keys and kept hitting the lock button (it honks then...should have hit the panic button!! LOL LOL) But thank goodness we were running a little late...who knows what she wanted in my truck for!!

And while I'm complaining about stupid women (Yup...another complaint about neighbor...I told myself not to....) I was making supper yesterday and her son walks the dog to my yard.....(I'm gonna have to take a pic so ya'll know how big her yard is compared to mine!) I run to the garage and did what I did to his sister....open the garage door...he hides behind my shed!!! Then I did what hubby told me and hit the panic button on my truck! I might be goin to Target tomorrow...so I will be getting the stuff to make that sign! Mom said to buy a shovel instead! She is about to confront the woman! She also talked about bringing my brother's dog over! LoL...a big ole blood hound that is as big as a horse!! And put Mona (the dog) in the neighbors yard!!