Winter Blues

That's what I'm blaming my hiatus on.

There is a craziness to this time of year and a boring mundane part.

I do things like make many trips to Costco for normal groceries...

...but also for events. Things like Super Bowl party, car trips to Helena for Bible Quiz meets, and Financial Peace class at church.

Yeah Giants, yeah for the Manning family! Sorry just had to put a little interjection in there.


Jarrett and his team earning their ribbon at Bible Quiz Meet. I think they came in third...I should remember and document such things. If you look closely you can see that Jarrett is beginning to look like a shaggy dog. He wants to grow his hair out. He thinks it will make his cowlic lay down. I love his cowlic...and so will all the girls...maybe the shaggy dog look won't be so bad!
Where we ate on the way home. The food was so good! And it reminded me of when my family bought a jar of Kim-chi to try since we were adopting Joy from Korea. My mom opened the jar in the kitchen ignoring the "contents under pressure" warning. The jar exploded and my grandmother, sitting in the living room, was almost instantly in tears. It was potent stuff!

This is our group that completed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class. It's a much better picture than this one...
It was an amazing class. It is a lot of common sense money principles that really aren't common sense. I learned a lot about investments and insurance and mortgages as well. I feel like I have the tools to understand financial stuff now. That doesn't mean that I completely understand MY finances! Seriously though, it does feel good to have a solid handle on our finances and to have a plan for our money. It 's not just coming in and going out. Although I do use the phrase, "Darn you, Dave Ramsey" with some frequency. It is said in love, people, in love!

In the 12 weeks, the class as a whole paid of over $67,000 worth of debt, saved over $10,000, and turned down over $3 million dollars worth of credit card offers! We decided to cut the cake with one of the remaining credit cards to be shredded!

The rest of our days have been filled with PTA events at school, daily homework and chores (you know, make a meal...clean up from a meal...make a meal...clean up from a meal...make a meal...or maybe bathe a kid...do a load of laundry...bathe a kid...do a load of laundry...bathe a kid...maybe that's just if you have a million kids...that's how many I have you know...I'm sure of it...at least it seems like that from the mess they make!)

oh, and Hannah Montana...
But they are all lovely children...especially in sweaters sent by grandma in Texas. (mom, they all fit great with some growing room!)
And now I think it's time for some winter hibernation...
...at least until we get above freezing!