Another Crazy Weekend

Well, it might not be crazy by some folks’ definition, but it was by ours! Lots of running around having fun. We got to have a game night with our Page buds, which we always enjoy, with the game of choice being Farkle this time. We rotate games as we get tired of them, you know… we play so often we have to switch around, yet not often enough! Sunday was a good day of worship and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, whom we are very blessed to have. After a weekend like this one, I always wish we didn’t have so far to drive home, as I feel like we’re driving away from everyone. I wouldn’t be opposed to Craig’s being transferred back to town so we could move closer in again, though I really love Blanco, and would be sad to leave it. It’s not as important as our friends and fellowship, though. But, as we are often reminded, the Lord places us where he does for a reason, and we’d better “bloom where we’re planted,” as they say.

We have had two Financial Peace University classes so far, and it is so nice to be going through it with a group, so you have support and accountability. I feel a lot more guilty spending outside the budget when I have a whole group to which I have to confess at the end of the week! I want to be able to go back and say, “Yes! I DID stay on the budget this week!” Even better will be when I stay on it for a whole month. Unheard of! The Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover Live Event is this coming Saturday, and I’m pumped about that. Some of the men in our class, who will remain unnamed, have not been terribly enthusiastic about the whole thing, but I know this will get them going. Who DOESN’T want to save money and feel good about their financial discipline? I do! I do! For the first time ever, I think, I am going to go all week without buying groceries because my grocery envelope is empty. We’ll actually EAT WHAT WE HAVE instead of buying more of WHAT WE WANT. Imagine that… using what’s in the pantry BEFORE buying more food. It’s not like there isn’t plenty there, just maybe not what we’re in the mood for that week. It will definitely be new for me. I’m going to cut back on the gourmet cheeses and little extras to which we’ve become accustomed, and really TRY to stay within the constraints of the budget. And Craig is going to really TRY to be happy with the menu, even if it doesn’t have large amounts of meat, cream sauces, and desserts. It’s a compromise, you know, and I’m sure my upper thigh region will have to learn to do without, too. Hey, everyone has to sacrifice to reach our goals!

The kids are playing Wii right now. No, they haven’t been playing all day. I know you were wondering that. We slept late this morning (after the crazy weekend), cleaned up the house (messy from the crazy weekend), had lunch at home with Daddy (who didn’t get to sleep in, but drove home to eat), read a few chapters of Despereaux (because we ALWAYS read the book before we can see the movie), and then the boys spent an hour in their rooms while I worked on a project on the computer (a gift project that I’m GLAD is done! Say Amen, Kari!). So, while it hasn’t been a regularly-scheduled day, it’s been a productive one. That doesn’t mean I’ve gotten to everything I need to do, but we’ve done enough.

Okay, Jake just brought me the camera, on which he’s filmed a video of Neco. As he plays it back in slow-motion for me, I’m thinking, “Great. My son is making doggie porn,” and I ask him, “What’s he ‘doing?’” Thankfully, Jake replies, giggling, “No, he’s scratching!” Whew! That’s a relief. I was starting to think that Jake was NOT going to get a camera anytime soon!

My good friend Celia and her toddler Rowan are coming in for a visit this week from Arizona, so we’ll be having a girls’ night Friday. I’ll send the boys to the bedroom with their Dad and a movie before bed, then we’ll send Craig BACK to the bedroom with his own movies. He won’t mind a bit, since he had previously planned to vacate the premises for the night. Sounds like we need a yummy dessert planned… for the girls!