Couple deal with long year

Some years seem like they'll never end. For this young couple, 2013 was a very long year and far from an easy one.

In the early months, both husband and wife were in school.

"I was hoping to go to Culinary Arts School at NIC and end up being a chef," the wife said.

Her husband was studying to be a high school teacher.

"But then my parents got a divorce," he said, "and my mother moved to another state, while my dad left the country."

"And now," his wife said, "we have my husband's younger brother and sister living with us because my mother-in-law didn't want to take them with her."

In addition to their instantly-doubled household, the couple learned they were going to have a baby.

It was all pretty stressful, and they both ended up dropping out of school, trying to deal with the rapidly changing events in their lives.

The husband got a job at a fast food restaurant, but his hours were soon cut. Currently he works at a different restaurant serving and doing food preparation.

His wife was working at a convenience store until she got laid off a few months ago and is now waiting until after the baby's birth to look for another job.

"It's stress for sure," she said. "Having the kids living with us is going well, but it's different, that's for sure. My husband and I have been together since we were young, so I've known these kids a long time.

"We're definitely having a difficult time financially. The rent - that's what we struggle with the most. When my husband's hours at work get cut in the wintertime, that's the worst part.

"I'm hoping we can give these kids a good Christmas because we just want to be able to provide for them. Maybe a fun Christmas dinner - something that makes it a not-so-weird holiday for them."

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