Hi my name is Kimberly, I would like to share my story (well a readers digest version). At age 16 i found out i was pregnant and had a beautiful baby boy 2 months after I turned 17. His first year of life was hard for the father and I. I was still living at home as was he. Fifteen months later we had our second child, a happy healthy little girl. Yes it took us awhile to figure out how babys were made... Three months after she was born we got married, against almost everyones advice! But we are still married and very much in love. We had our own apartment for a year and just could not afford it any more. So we moved in with his parents. They had a full finished basment that we made our own. His mothers mother also lived with them. she had had a stroke several years ago. After we were there about 6 months we heard his grandmother yelling, my husband went upstairs to see came back and threw the phone at me told me to call 911. His father was drunk and raping his grandmother and his mom was at the bar. The police arrived and his mother about the same time. I rode with his grandmother to the hospital, and my husband took the kids to my parents house. a few days later we woke up and our brand new car was gone....his bother (who co-signed) came and took it and did not make any payments or ever return it....His mother would not let us get anything from the house.... We were 19 and had to start over with a 97 yr. old victom of abuse. during this time my grandfather passed away from cancer....I look back and dont know how I did it! We decided to move to southern IL. with his grandmother ....Because after my grandfather died it left my great grandmother and grandmother alone. At age 21 we had our youngest daughter and bought or first house...a real fixer uper but it was ours. after being there a year my husband brought home a couple who was living out of there car (he worked with the guy)...We were more than taken advantige of but six months later we helped anouther couple and one day we were out or house caught fire We lost almost every thing including my daughters cat Tink....there is no feeling worse then seeing your child in pain and a hug and kiss wont fix it! After they stoped acussing us of setting the fire and we got back to some what of a normal routine well there is no normal somthing is always happening....We live in a house that is half done, we hug and kiss our kids every night, we take care of an elderly women that is emotionally scared, and help my grandmother, I work as a Social Service Director at a small nursing home, as a CNA at another and am trying to start a photography Business, My husband works full time,we are still conciderd poverty but make to much for help, And we still know we are doing our best and not giving up, that saying the worst is behind you never works, and there is always someones story that makes you realize you dont have it so bad! Much love to all who read this and know God has a reason for every thing he does...Because I do!

                                                                                                     Kimberly Lonngren,