July Goals

1. Pay extra on Mastercard.
2. Deposit into savings.
3. Continue with Revelation Bible Study.
4. Finish one uncompleted project.
5. Set aside $20 in extra Christmas funds.
6. Weight loss (2-3 pounds).
7. Finish 2 books.
8. Finish emergency folder.
9. Clean basement.

Grocery Challenge Update

I'm trying to get my grocery budget under control, and up until now, I have not been successful. Not at all! But if I hope to make any dent at all in my debt, I have to hunker down and get "gazelle intense," as Mr. Dave Ramsey would put it. So my goal for these last 2 weeks (from one paycheck to the next) has been to keep my grocery budget at $125. Let's see what happened:

After my main shopping day I had $39.34 left over. This was to cover milk and sales that were too good to pass up the following week. On June 16, I spent $16.10 at Krogers; June 23, $9.40 at Krogers; and on June 25 I spent $11.10 at Wal-Mart. Grand total: $36.60! That even gives me $2.74 left in my food budget! The grand total would have been about $4 less if Wal-Mart had accepted my internet Kraft coupons, but still.....

Wow! I did it! I am totally amazed that I kept under my budget amount. I'm definitely aiming for this again during the budget period that starts tomorrow. We are going to Spirit Song at Kings Island for 3 days during this time and are planning to take a lot of our food with us, so I will have to decide whether that will come from the food budget or the entertainment budget - probably a bit of both - so that will add to the challenge. In any event, it's a good feeling to know that for at least one 2-week period, I kept to the budget! Wooo hooo! ;-)

Embroidery Floss in the Paint Store???

I love to cross-stitch and do embroidery. I always have a project going, and while I am slowly trying to pare down my stash of supplies, I have a collection of floss and fabric that could probably be displayed in its own mini-museum! The most common floss brand, DMC, comes in hundreds of colors and is very inexpensively priced at around 30-cents a skein at most fabric and craft stores. Ok, but what does that have to do with a paint store?

When repainting a room, usually most people try to coordinate wall color with drapes or bedding or pillows. So instead of dragging in a large piece of fabric or whatever to the paint store to try to color-match or hand-match to a paint swatch, I grab a skein of DMC floss. With all the colors available, it's easy to find a matching floss for your fabric (or to your paint if you've painted first and are now looking for accessories, drapes, etc.). DMC skeins are small and easy to toss in your purse or pocket, and you're assured of having the right color match. And I'm betting that even if you yourself don't do needlework, you do know someone who does, and they would be happy to help you out in the floss department!

Don't forget to stop over at http://www.lifeasmom.com/ for more Frugal Friday ideas!

Feeding a Crowd

It's Thursday, and that must mean it's time for the Ultimate Recipe Swap at www.lifeasmom.com. Today's theme: Feeding a crowd. Whether it's family reunions or graduation parties or even a low key wedding reception, it can be hard to take a beloved recipe and double or triple it, or even more. That's the beauty of the recipe I'm going to share. It's super-easy to increase or decrease according to the size of your gathering. Usually I'm decreasing it because I'm the only one in the family who will eat it, but I have quadrupled it when taking it to potlucks. Enjoy!

BROCCOLI/CAULIFLOWER/CHEDDAR SALAD

fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped onion

mayonnaise

sugar

vinegar

bacon, cooked and crumbled

Mix the veggies and cheddar cheese in a large serving bowl. (How much you will need depends on how many you are serving. I use 3 large crowns of broccoli , 1 head of cauliflower and 1 onion for 10 people, and 8 oz of cheddar.) In a separate bowl, combine 1-1/2 c mayonnaise, 3/4 cup sugar and 3T vinegar (per 10 servings); combine well and pour over veggies, tossing to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Stir in bacon (1 strip per serving) just before serving.

Vacation Bible School

We have such an amazing church! This week is our Vacation Bible School, the theme being "Shareword Forest." Volunteers have turned nearly the entire building into a forest with camping scenes and cardboard rangers, old Christmas trees turned into old pines - there's even an outhouse in the foyer! This is my 4th VBS here, and I continue to be amazed at how many teens and adults volunteer willingly and cheerfully during this week. (At our former church, it was like pulling teeth and/or having to hit someone over the head with a hammer to get even a handful of people to commit.) Between volunteering time and talents and donations of food and money, the support this VBS gets, again, just amazes me!

What is even more impressive is that this VBS went from 65+ kids Sunday night to 85+ kids last night! Our church is in a transition phase with an interim senior pastor, and "Pastor Paul," the worship pastor, who usually leads the opening and closing portions, is out of town due to his brother being very, very seriously injured in an accident last week. Yet "Mr. Andy," who runs our Sunday morning children's program, has stepped right up to cover all the MC duties, and "Miss Susie," the layperson in charge, has done a fantastic job keeping things running smoothly.

It warms your heart to see these kids singing and dancing and truly paying attention. They are bringing in supplies for Operation Christmas Shoebox and offerings and literally bounce in their seats because they are so excited to give! And it's not just little ones whose lives are changed -- DD was so excited to learn that she could help with the preschoolers again (teens weren't able to last year). It was 2 summers ago that she first helped with her little "munchkins," as she calls them, and while she knew she wanted to adopt when she grew up, these weeks helping with VBS has only solidifed that desire to adopt children in that age range.

We still have 2 nights to go, and, as usual, tomorrow (the last day), the forecast is for storms in the afternoon. It's almost a tradition that we have at least one day with storms and power loss, but it adds to the fun for the kids, and besides, if you were really in the forest, you wouldn't have electricity, right? haha Anyhow, our church is just really blessed to be able to continue to grow and provide these types of activities during this time of transition. It is truly a testamony to the love for the Savior that permeates this body of believers!

Tuesday's Blessings

1. The kids having an amazing time at youth camp.
2. Fun night out with a friend while the kids were gone.
3. Cool weather and not having to use the air conditioning until June 19!
4. Funds available from previous overtime to cover an unexpected increase in the home insurance bill.
5. A 5-day headache finally gone!
6. DD helping more around the house without prompting.
7. A friend's daughter staying safe at Girl Scout camp in spite of some not-very-wise adults being in charge.
8. Amazing volunteers at Vacation Bible School!

Father's Day Without a Father

Yesterday was Father's Day. This is always a hard holiday for me. My dad died when I was 15, so I don't have many Father's Day memories. But it's even harder now that I have kids. You see, they don't see their own father but once, maybe twice a year even though he lives here in town. They stopped giving him Father's Day gifts several years ago. He would refuse to see them on Father's Day, so they would leave the gifts at Grandpa's house for him to pick up. Not once did they get a phone call or a note or anything to say "thank you" or to even acknowledge that he had picked them up! In fact this year, when we were talking about what to do for Grandpa, both kids were very defiant about the fact that they weren't doing anything for their dad, and I wasn't going to force them.

I feel sad for my kids, not knowing what it's like to have a father who loves them and cares about them, but I also know that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them more than they can imagine and Who is always with them. I've shared with the kids my concern that, because they don't have a father here on Earth who is involved with them, that they would have problems relating to a loving Father in Heaven, and both assure me that that isn't an issue, for which I'm thankful. But they are still missing out on so much. Unfortunately so is their biological father. My kids are blessed that they are part of a church family, that they see Godly men and husbands all around them, youth sponsors, pastors, men just trying to help be a good example for them, and I praise God for them. One day, their dad may regret what he's done, but by then, it will probably be too late.

The Notebook

One very simple way that I save money is to carry a notebook in my purse at all times. How does it do that? Let me list the ways: ;-)

1. Jotting down prices for comparison shopping.
2. Impromptu list of things I think I need that I see while out and about - then I check at home to see if something else will work just as well. And if I forget by the time I get home, well, there's that answer!
3. Writing down gift ideas as kids and friends mention them while shopping.
4. Keeping a list of frequently-called phone numbers in the very back, eliminating the need for directory assistance.
5. A running list of books or movies that I/we want to check out from the library.
6. If I know we will need an item soon that needs a precise measurement, ie, curtains, I'll write that measurement in the notebook, so I'm always prepared if I see a good deal. I will also tape small color swatches from fabric or DMC floss on a page to aid with color selection.

These are just a handful of ways a notebook has saved me money. Now, head on over to http://www.lifeasmom.com/ for more Frugal Friday ideas!

Summer Desserts

Aside from fresh fruit and s'mores, we don't really have any favorite desserts that don't require use of an oven. Usually I pick a relatively cool day to bake and freeze several things, brownies, cake, crisps, etc. This dessert is can be partially made ahead and frozen, completing the day you serve it. It's one of my favorites!

Fruit Pizza
1/2 c butter, room temp
1 c sugar
1 egg, beaten to blend
1/4 c milk
1/4 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
11 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
your favorite fruit

Cream butter with 1 c sugar, using electric mixer. Add egg, milk and 1/4 t vanilla. Sift flower with baking powder; blend into butter mixture. Cover dough and refrigerate 25 minutes or overnight. ~~ Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 14" round pizza pan. Press dough into pan evenly. Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool crust to room temperature. (freeze at this point if desired) ~~ Combine cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar and 1 t vanilla. Spread over crust. Cover with your favorite fresh fruit. Cut into wedges and serve.

I like to use a variety of fruit - peaches, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges. You could also use refrigerated sugar cookie dough for the crust and refrigerated fruit dip for the topping, but I find this homemade version unbeatable.

Head on over to the Ultimate Recipe Swap at www.lifeasmom.com for more delicious summertime desserts!

I Have a New Friend

As I was writing the post on groceries a few minutes ago, a blue jay came to the fence that is just outside my window here where the computer is. We've had several blue jays in the backyard frequently the last month or so, and we also seem to be the neighborhood gathering place for wandering cats. Earlier this morning, the bird was on the fence outside the window, and I saw a cat eying him, so I just spoke to the cat and scared it off. Just now, the bird came back and was singing and turning to look in the window! Usually when he's that close and I turn my head to look at him, he flies off, but not this time. Then he starts his warning croak, and I look to see the black cat is back. So I went out and scared off the cat. Between me opening the door, and the blue jay dive-bombing it, I don't think we'll see that feline for a while! As soon as the cat cleared the fence though (going over it!), the blue jay was back in the tree that overhangs the yard. I'm thinking they have a nest up there, but I would expect the babies to be gone by now. Oh! The bird is back! He just lit on the fence for a quick stop and looked in the window, then took off. Such a pretty fellow. I've always been a cardinal girl, but I think blue jays are becoming a very close second! Hopefully he and his friends will stick around the rest of the summer!

Grocery Challenge - Take 2

On Monday I wrote about my grocery budget and how it is a pain in the you-know-what to keep on track. I'm really trying to keep this line item at about $250 a month and decided to break it down into mini-goals. I get paid twice a month, and when I get my paycheck, $100 is going towards the big shopping trip - Kroger, Meijer, Aldi, Wal-Mart and CVS/Walgreens when applicable. On the off week, $25 will be budgeted for milk and things that can't wait until the big shop.

Monday night, DD and I went shopping. She laughed when I told her what my goal was, but by the end of the night, she thought I had done pretty well. Here's my breakdown:

$ 8.97 - Aldi's
$21.86 - Meijer
$24.70 - Wal-Mart
$31.13 - Krogers
For a grand total of $86.66! That leaves me with $39.34 until the next pay check. The kids want to cook and bake for Grandpa for Father's Day, so I told them I would donate towards food costs, so with the leftover in the main budget, that should not be a problem. We'll see how the rest of the month goes!

Tackle a Pile Tuesday

I think it's time to hit the bedroom today. For some reason, my room is where all the *stuff* ends up. Piles of this and stacks of that. I tried to get to some of this the few past weekends, and it does look better, but there is still a long way to go. So today my plan is to go through the craft pile again, excuse me, pileS again. I need to be brutally honest with myself about what I will and will not complete, and I need to not feel guilty about those I don't want to finish up. This is something I won't get completely rid of today; my goal is to make it more managable, more organized and all the supplies for each project available with it so that I can just grab a package when I have time available to complete something.

My eventual goal is to have my bedroom look more like a bedroom and not a storage room with a bed in it! It will take a while, but little by little, I'll get there.

The Grocery Budget

I've said many times, my grocery budget does me in every month. I pretty much have our utility usage and other budget items under control, but that little line item called "food" kills me every time. I coupon, shop the sales and loss leaders, cook from scratch, everything I can think of, yet every month, my little tally at the bottom of my Kroger receipts are $250, $300 and more, and I don't shop exclusively at Krogers!

My goal has been to stick to a budget of about $250 a month (including cat food and litter), or about $60 a week. Not that I've been successful, but that's the goal. :-) Now I've been reading www.moneysavingmom.com for a long time, and Crystal feeds her family of 2 adults and 3 young children on usually $40 a week. Erin at www.5dollardinners.com feeds her family of 2 adults and 2 young children using only dinners that cost $5 or less --that's $5 for the entire dinner, not per plate! And Jane at http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ feeds herself and her 3 teen daughters on $800 A YEAR!

So I was trying to look to see what would be a reasonable goal for us, 1 adult and 2 growing, hungry-all-the-time teens. Most budget programs are income-percentage-based, and at my income, I have seen anything from $200 to $230 a month as a reasonable amount. Some other programs recommend $2-3 dollars per person per day. That would be $180-$270 a month.

So all in all, I'm thinking my $250 goal is a reasonable start. I do my major shopping twice a month, so this being halfway through June, it gives me $125 to work with. DD suggested that I get her and her brother involved in the grocery budgeting so they understand better why they can't get all the snack and junk food items they want, and I may do that this summer. I just have to get this part of my budget under control. Here we go...... ;-)

Clean Clothes in the Kitchen

For some reason over the last few years, whenever I did laundry, I would notice that yet another of my tops had a stain on it that I didn't see to pretreat prior to washing, and it would go through the dryer, setting the stain. It got to be so bad that I had only 2 or 3 shirts that didn't have some kind of spot on it. I figured that I must be doing this while working in the kitchen and so decided I wanted a full apron to wear while cooking and baking to help protect my clothes. My kids didn't want me to go out and buy one - they thought it would be a good, inexpensive gift that they could get me. But in the meantime, I was tired of messy-looking tops! The solution? When I knew I was going to be frying or using oil or something that could stain, I would change tops real quick (my bedroom is about 3 steps from the kitchen) and just wear a shirt that was already ruined. Quick and simple to change, and it definitely saved me replacing more clothing. It also saved on laundry pretreatment products - I only had to treat one shirt instead of seven! Wearing an old men's shirt that you could quickly button up or put on backwards would also work just as well.

DS did get me an apron for Mother's Day, and I use it all the time now. But in just in case, the old shirt is still in the "dirty-work" clothes pile! Head on over to www.lifeasmom.com for more Frugal Friday ideas!

I Shouldn't Have Looked

I made a big mistake a couple of weeks ago. I looked at our local Board of Realtors' website. I browse through there every so often, especially when I notice a house on our street is for sale, just to look. The last time I was tempted with a house that was on there was about 2 years ago, and I still kinda regret not at least going to look, but that's okay. I generally figure that what I want isn't going to be available in our county or really even anywhere within a 30-minute drive from town. In my wildest dreams, I want at least 20 acres, mostly wooded (I only want to have to mow an acre or less.) It would have a log home on it, with a front porch and a loft. There will be lilacs, and it will be on a road that has very, very little traffic. And it will be a good half-mile from the nearest neighbor. There are a few other things on my dream list, but those are the main ones. In reality, I will be happy to have a small home on an acre or two eventually, but it's not something I can go out and start looking for right now.

But back to the website. I'm browsing through the new listings and there IT is. A log cabin. With a front porch and loft. On 20 acres! The exact address isn't listed, but judging by the school district, it's 30-35 minutes from here. And it's listed for $126,000. Oh, it needs a new roof and a new furnace, but really, I haven't seen anything with 20 acres near so cheap, I mean, inexpensive. In fact, I'm not sure I've seen anything with 20 acres in the area at all! I had pretty well talked myself out of this even remotely being a possibility until last night, when I went to send the link to a friend so she could put the closing arguments on why I shouldn't be thinking about this. The price dropped in 2 weeks to $119,000. Boy, if I thought I could get even what I paid for my current home back in resale and use that for a down payment.......Let's see, theoretically I might be able to get them down to $110,000. Add in a new roof and furnace, and I would be back to a mortgage of what I originally started out with here.

So now I'm really trying to talk myself out of this. If I stay here, at this time next year, I will be mortgage free. That's a real plus considering I will have 2 kids in college in the relatively near future. I also am pretty fond of the idea of not having a mortgage to worry about when I'm ready to retire. If I stay here, the kids will stay in the same school district. This could go either way. DS is going into a tech/engineering program that is not available anywhere else in the state. The other school district is in a better academic standing, but I'm not sure socially it would be best to move the kids to a different school system. In my current house, I have pretty low utility bills - budget of $56 gas and $60 electric each month. If we were to move, while a log home is very energy efficient (6" or 8" thick logs tend to insulin well!), it would be hard to say what utility bills would be. I would be hesitant to put in a propane furnace because of propane prices, but I'm not sure electric would be a good choice either. Where we are currently, we are 10 minutes from Grandpa and 15 minutes (on a good day) from church. The log home would be 30-35 minutes from both; however, we would be closer to my brother.

Oh my....It's probably a good thing I didn't see the price decrease earlier, or I might have called to arrange to at least go see it while the kids are gone to camp. As it is, I have plans tonight to go to Columbus (in the opposite direction!), and I won't go see it after the kids are home. DD would be drooling to get out of town, and it's one thing for me to drool and dream, I won't bring them into it. Well, at least I know that properties similar to my dream home do exist in the area. Maybe someday......

Advice to Middle School Graduates

My children are now officially freshmen in high school. *sigh* Just yesterday they were looking forward to starting preschool, weren't they??? Anyhow, many folks write about advice to high school and college graduates, but it's just as important that students entering high school get the benefit of some wise words applicable to them, too.

1. Grades count for more than you think. Not only do colleges look at your grades for admission, and not only do grades count for many scholarships and grants, but if you are looking to get your driver's license at age 16, your insurance rates will more than likely also take into account your grades. A 'C' student will pay higher premiums than an 'A' student will. My kids know that they will be responsible for their share of the auto insurance increase, and they understand that good grades will help lessen the amount they will have to pay.

2. Being a responsible student now will help with scholarships and jobs in a few years. Many scholarships are based not only on grades but also on character. Demonstrating responsibility all 4 years of high school will give you an advantage over students who are satisfied just trying to slide by. Teachers will be more likely to give you a reference for a summer job or an internship or scholarship if you are consistently on time, polite and prepared.

3. I know it's not fair, but high school generally starts very early in the morning. I know studies show that teens do better with a later school start time, but this is how it is. Don't spend all summer sleeping until noon or later and then expect to be able to get up the first day of school at 6 AM and be coherent. It ain't gonna happen. I'm not saying to be in bed by 9 PM all summer, but use a little common sense and start adjusting your sleep/wake pattern a few weeks before school starts. It will make it easier on everyone - you, your family and your teachers!

4. Summer school isn't necessarily bad. Summer school tends to have a bad reputation sometimes. Many kids think it is only for those students who would otherwise be held back if they didn't retake a class or two in the summer. Not true! Many districts offer classes that you can take during the summer, thereby opening up a spot in your schedule for something else during the year. My kids had the opportunity to sign up for physical education during the summer. For 3 hours a day over 4 weeks, they would have been taking Gym and then been done with it for their freshman year. Eons ago, when I was in school, it was well know that if you took a required senior Government class in the summer, it was much easier than if you took it during the school year. We couldn't take the books home because they had to be shared with the afternoon session; therefore, no homework! We had only 1 term paper instead of two, and because the teachers were a bit more relaxed in the summer (hey, they wanted their vacation too!), tests were easier, and we had more time in the library. It's also a good option if you have a required class taught by a teacher that you don't get along with. Take the class in the summer with hopefully a different teacher, and avoid the other one during the school year. And lastly, taking classes in the summer can open up time in the regular schoolyear to take advanced placement classes or college classes (if your district offers them), getting you that much closer to a college degree while still in high school!

5. Try an extracurricular activity. While it looks good on college applications and can open up more scholarship possibilities, it will also introduce you to people you might not have otherwise have associated with, and you will probably end up with friends you never would have imagined otherwise.

6. Keep your priorities in focus. One of the things I love about our church is the fact that teens stay involved in the youth group activities all the way through high school. At our previous church, the youth group for the high school-aged kids had dissolved a number of years before because the teens were just "too busy" with homework and jobs and extracurricular activities to be involved in the youth group. That made me sad and actually a bit angry. You make time for what is important to you, and your relationship with Jesus Christ needs to be at the top of the list. Yes, it's important to get good grades, and that's great if you can balance that with a part-time job. But seriously think about what is important to you before you take on more than 1 or 2 committments outside of school work. Do you really need to be in 8 or 9 extracurricular activities? Do you need to work and volunteer at several different places? Are your grades and/or sleep and/or eating habits suffering? Are you constantly tired? (I mean, outside of normal teen tired!) Cranky and short-tempered? Take time to reevaluate what you are doing and what your priorities are. This is a skill you will use your entire life. Start exercising it now.

7. Finally, try to enjoy these next 4 years. There will be a lot happening - class rings, Homecoming, learning to drive, prom, college visitation trips, SAT and ACT tests, all the fuss that goes with graduation - and it will go much faster than you think! Of course, you will have days here and there when it will seem like it will never end, but it will. Sooner than you think, you'll be heading off to college or looking for a job or entering the military. So do your best these next 4 years, study hard, enjoy being with your friends (and your family!). We're already proud of you now -- we will be only more so when we see you get your high school diploma!

Tuesday's Blessings

1. Finding a swimsuit that DD is happy with.
2. Opportunity for overtime at work.
3. Finding a so-far trustworthy car mechanic.
4. Get-togethers with friends.
5. Friends who like to read as much as I do and share their books!
6. Cool weather and saving on utility bills.
7. Spotting a female cardinal in the backyard. I've never seen her without her mate before.

A Week Alone

The kids head off to camp today and will be gone until Friday, so it will just be me and the two kitties this week. So what are my plans for the new few days? My intent is to crank out the work, not get distracted and be finished by mid afternoon each day. I would love to get at least one unfinished project completed and also get some stitching and reading done. I also have a road tripped planned with a friend from church for Thursday. We're going to a discount Christian bookstore about 40 minutes south of here and then over to Olive Garden in Columbus for dinner. I've never been to Olive Garden, so I'm excited to try it.

We got the house cleaned and straightened up over the weekend, so all I have to do is a few dishes, and I won't have much in the way of housekeeping chores, although I will probably mow one day, depending on when the rain comes. But mostly I hope to use this week to get some things done that I WANT to do, instead of just trying to keep up with what HAS to be done, like what normally happens!

I will miss the kids. It does tend to get awful quiet by the time Friday gets here. But they will have an awesome time at youth camp, and I think it does us some good to have a bit of time apart. Especially since I work at home. And we're together. Constantly. Every day. All day. Until the end of August. ;-) It will be a good week for all us, and then it will be back to retraining next week to get into a more regular routine for the summer.

Choosing your Summer Baking Days

Here in Ohio we're in the midst of some cool weather. The other day, it was in the 40s and 50s....in June! And much to my children's dismay, I refuse to run the furnace in June! So while they are bundled up in blankets and quilts, I got the oven going and made brownies. The heat from the oven warmed up our small home just a bit, and the tantalizing smell enticed 2 teenagers to emerge from their fabric cocoons.

Today and the next few days I plan to do more baking to stock my freezer while the weather is still cool. When the temperatures outside are hot, t's not efficient to use your oven when running your air conditioner, and if you don't have AC, running an oven in an already hot house can become unbearable. During the summer my kids have learned that when a cold front moves through (a true cold front, not one that drops temperatures from 95 to 87!), they can count on fresh-from-the-oven baked goodies plus extra for the freezer. Baked goods in the freezer can be thawed in about 10 seconds in the microwave or an hour on the counter.

Pick your baking days wisely, save on cooling costs and treat your family, all at the same time. What could be better? Now, head on over to www.lifeasmom.com for more Frugal Friday ideas!

Summer Retraining

The kids have been out of school for 3 days now, and so far it seems things are going fairly well. I know from past experience that it takes them (and me!) about a week to get into a summer routine. They have to remember to get their own breakfast and to try to keep interruptions with my work to a minimum. The hardest adjustment so far has been reminding DD that she can't hop on the computer anytime that I walk away from it. Just because I've gotten up to get a Pepsi from the refrigerator doesn't mean that she can get on to check her email "real quick!" lol But I also have to remember that one of the reasons I work from home is so that I can be here for them -- so they can talk to me when they need to, ask questions, give advice (yes, at 14, they do ask for my advice once in a great rare while!), and most importantly, just to listen. It's a fine line, though, between being available when needed and being available just because they are bored or want me to go to the library NOW instead of in an hour when I'm done with work.

It looks like we are on a pace to hit the library twice a week. DD can't seem to read enough these last few weeks, and DS is interested in trying the teen reading club this summer too. Not that the chance to win an iPod or a Wii is an incentive or anything! haha Anyhow, I may also have to alter my shopping habits. We've usually gone through 3 gallons of milk a week but are into our 4th gallon already since I went to the store 5 days ago. I will mix up some Kool-Aid and lemonade at lunch today, and hopefully that will help slow the milk consumption. I can't really complain because my kids don't drink pop or a ton of Kool-Aid-type drinks, but shesh! At this rate it really would be cheaper to buy a dairy cow!

I'm also looking forward to not having to drive every day now that I'm not taking the kids back and forth to school. That will also take some retraining with the kids, in that we're not going to go to the store today because they think we have to have something or to get out of the house because they're bored. We have activities on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so those will be our main running-around days. This may actually be the hardest adjustment for all of us!

The kids have youth camp next week, and then we'll probably have a few more days of "retraining" before settling in for the rest of the season. I'm hoping this will be a time of resting and relaxing and that by the time school starts we are recharged for this thing called high school!

Easier Said Than Done

This has been on my mind for a while now. I think I've written before that we spent some time in our Sunday School class discussing emotional hurts and healing earlier this year. Our teacher rightfully said that one of the first steps to healing from a hurt is forgiveness and that it is only after you have forgiven the person who hurt you, can you start to heal.

I have a situation in my life where someone said something very hurtful to me a bit over a year ago. I'm sure this person doesn't even realize how one sentence basically finished off our friendship. One sentence.

I know I should forgive her. Like I said, she doesn't even know that she said something that hurt me. All she knows is that I am civil to her, not friendly anymore, but she has never asked if something was wrong. I've tried to forgive her, and I've asked God to help me forgive her, but what I really want to do is tell her what she did and how that made me feel. Not that it will restore our friendship, not that it would really do any good for either of us, not that it would further a goal of conflict resolution. But just because I want her to know how much that one sentence hurt. And that's not what I should be doing or feeling as a Christian.

Our sons are still friends, and her son comes over occasionally. I'm not overly fond of him, but he's been a decent friend to my son since first grade. They are both going to be in a technology program their 4 years in high school, so between the boys' friendship and school activities, I will need to interact with this woman for at least 4 more years. Again, I do try to be polite and civil, and will continue to be so, but I would truly like to be able to not dwell on this. I want the desire to forgive her, and I'm not sure I'm there yet. Isn't that awful? God forgave me of a lot more than one sentence, yet I can't get over this. I've told myself that I've forgiven her. I've said "I forgive you" outloud, but I can't let it go.

I need God's intervention in this situation because it is obviously something I won't be able to do on my own. Thankfully God has forgiven me and has given me so many promises through His Word, that I know in His time, He will give me the desire and the ability to truly let go.

May Goals Review

So how did May go? Let's see......
1. Make extra payment to Mastercard. Yes
2. Deposit to savings. No, thanks to new brakes on the van
3. Extra $20 to Christmas fund. Yes
4. Complete 2 chapers of Revelation Bible study. No
5. Complete 1 unfinished project. No
6. Complete a cross-stitch project. Working on it
7. Inexpensive fun day with the kids. Tried, but weather did not cooperate.
8. Look into selling inherited jewelry. Working on it

Hmmm...not so successful in May. Hopefully June will go better!

June Goals

1. Pay extra on Mastercard.
2. Deposit into savings.
3. Put aside $20 extra for Christmas.
4. Finish "In Case of Emergency" folder.
5. Continue with Revelations Bible study.
6. Finish one unfinished project.
7. Purchase tickets for vacation activity before early bird discount expires.
8. Finish two books.