I am grateful that my boss trusts me so much. It gives me the opportunity to work from home.

Except yesterday, she told me that she wants me to handle ALL of the quarterly taxes for 1st quarter. Which means I have to do them for 65 clients.

So if I am not here very much, please be patient. It's like this every 3 months now.


from Working Momma 247 by Jean


1. What is something your mom always says to you?
The Teenager (age 15) : Go do your chores.
The Artist (age 12) : Clean your room.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Do your chores.
The Princess (age 4) : I love you. 
Apparently The Princess hasn't entered the droning world of chores in our house yet!  LOL

2. What makes your mom happy?
The Teenager (age 15) : When they (the chores) are done.
The Artist (age 12) : Dad and love.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : When you say I appreciate you for doing stuff and give her hugs and kisses (Yes!  He got it down!).
The Princess (age 4) : I kiss her and hug her.

3. What makes your mom sad?
The Teenager (age 15) : When I yell at my brothers.
The Artist (age 12) : Fighting.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : When we argue and fight and talk back.
The Princess (age 4) : That I get in trouble.

4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?
Every one of them said tickle me.  I guess I tickle a lot!
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Again, they all said I don't know.  I guess it's time to talk about how perfect I was.  Yeah, right!

6. How tall is your mom?
The Teenager (age 15) : Smaller than me (And that is true and it's so sad!).
The Artist (age 12) : Almost the same height as me.  Well, I'm almost the same height as her.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : I don't know.
The Princess (age 4) : Like as tall as my grandma (Like, fer sure!).
7. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
The Teenager (age 15) : Scrapbook
The Artist (age 12) : Scrapbook
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Her work
The Princess (age 4) : She likes to work
Yep, I like to work.  NOT.  It's just that's all I do anymore.
8. What does your mom do when you're not around?
The Teenager (age 15) : Work
The Artist (age 12) : Work, laundry
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Work or scrapbook
The Princess (age 4) : Work
This makes me sad.  Just does.
9. If your mom becomes famous what will it be for?
The Teenager (age 15) : Perseverance (Huh?).
The Artist (age 12) : Acting (Again, huh?).
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Being the best mom (Awwww).
The Princess (age 4) : When she gets married (LMBO!).
10. What is your mom really good at ?
The Teenager (age 15) : Getting us to do stuff we don't want to do. 
The Artist (age 12) : Piano.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Her work.
The Princess (age 4) : Playing games.
11. What is your mom not very good at?
The Teenager (age 15) : I don't know.
The Artist (age 12) : Playing video games.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : I don't know.
The Princess (age 4) : Playing Candy Landy (her words) because sometimes she wins and sometimes I win (Too cute!).

12. What does your mom do for her job?
The Teenager (age 15) : Bank reconciliations.
The Artist (age 12) : Accoutant.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Payroll and Taxes.
The Princess (age 4) : Work like Daddy.
All true!

13. What is your mom's favorite food?
The Teenager (age 15) : Lasagna? (He said it as a question.)
The Artist (age 12) : Chocolate
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Macaroni and Tomatoes
The Princess (age 4) : Macaroni and Cheese (Definitely not! That's her favorite).
14. What makes you proud of your mom?
The Teenager (age 15) : She never gives up. (I'm guessing this goes along with the perseverance thing.  I am going to have ask him more about this.)
The Artist (age 12) : She works, cooks, and does our laundry for us.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : She gives us hugs and kisses, loves us, takes us to school sometimes, and feeds us.
The Princess (age 4) : That she love me so much.
15. If your mom were a cartoon who would she be?
The Teenager (age 15) : Tigger (?)
The Artist (age 12) : Supergirl
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Jerry cause she hardly gets hurt (as in Tom and Jerry).
The Princess (age 4) : Tom and Jerry (They must have been watching Tom and Jerry just before I asked them these questions!  LOL).
16. What do you and your mom do together?
The Teenager (age 15) : Talk
The Artist (age 12) : Hardly anything (oops)
The Chocoholic (age 10) : Play games
The Princess (age 4) : Play
17. How are you and your mom the same?
The Teenager (age 15) : We kinda have the same interests.
The Artist (age 12) : I don't know (I think I might be dropping the ball with this kid!).
The Chocoholic (age 10) : We like to play games and we like chocolate.
The Princess (age 4) : We love each other.
18. How are you and mom different?
The Teenager (age 15) : We like different things (which contradicts his answer to #17.  I'm just saying...).
The Artist (age 12) : She's a girl and I'm a boy.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : She's an adult/girl/mom and I'm a kid/boy/not.
The Princess (age 4) : She wears glasses and I don't.
19. How do you know your mom loves you?
The Teenager (age 15) : She says so.
The Artist (age 12) : She kisses me and hugs me.
The Chocoholic (age 10) : She cares for us and loves us.
The Princess (age 4) : She kisses me and hugs me so much.
20. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
The Teenager (age 15) : Wal-Mart
The Artist (age 12) : Red Lobster (not anymore!)
The Chocoholic (age 10) : I don't know.
The Princess (age 4) : To the store.

Okay, so I am going to give a short overview of this story.  If you want the whole story, go to the Today show
About 40 years ago, these 2 guys were in London and saw a little lion in a tiny cage.  They bought him and raised him.  He was so gentle and loving. 
Eventually he got too big for where they were raising him, so they took him to Africa to be introduced into the wild. 
A year later, they went back to see him.  The following video shows what happened.  I was crying, and all my kids were crying.  Granted, we are an emotional family, but still. 
Someday, when Christ has come again and the wild animals will become tame, I am going to find me a lion to hug.  I can't wait!

I have a grandfather clock. My dad made it a few years ago for each child and for my Mom for Christmas. I love it and I love hearing the chimes.
So last week, The Doctor's mom, 2 of his sisters, and their 5 children, came down to see The Teenager's play. After the play, they all came over here.

When the clock would chime, one of the nephews would go up to the front room where it was, and then come back down. Finally, when it was chiming 10:00, he said, "Someone is ding dong ditching you again."
LOL I thought that was so funny! I guess he has never heard a grandfather clock before. I also was glad to hear that it has a different name that what I called it growing up!
I eat kind of differently. For instance...

When I eat a PopTart, I will only eat ones that don't have frosting. I break them in half, then each in half again. I eat the filling part first to get it out of the way, then enjoy just the crust from the sides.

When I eat a Twix, I eat it one of two ways. I either take a bite, then suck on it until the cookie part has softened and then eat it all, or I will eat the chocolate off the sides, then eat the caramel off the top, and then eat the cookie. I eat all my candy bars section by section.

When I eat my dinner, I will eat the vegetables first to get them out of the way. Then I will eat the other items one at a time. I can't take one bite of one and one bite of another. The flavors mix too much.

I don't care for pickles, black olives, and raisins. I hate onions and peppers (including bell peppers), raw broccoli and cauliflower, black licorice, green olives, and radishes. I am a master at picking the "bad" stuff out of food.

I do have to say that I have gotten better since I got married. The Doctor has introduced me to new foods and made me try them. And I liked them. Some of the foods I used to not eat are chili, crab, lobster, and cabbage (green and purple). I hated touching raw chicken, and now I can skin it!

So I guess this post merged from eating my food weird, to foods I hate, to how I have grown up since I have become a grown up. LOL This is how my head works!

So what food quirks do you have?
What are your middle names?
The Doctor's is James and I don't have one. I hated that growing up. I was so excited to get married so I could use my maiden name as a middle name. Lame, I know.
How long have you been together?
17 years and 7 months.
How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 1 1/2 months.
Who asked whom out?
I asked him out to the girls' choice formal in October 1991. I got sick during supper and spent the evening throwing up in the bathroom at the dance. We couldn't leave because he had been asked to give the closing prayer. I know, I know, he could have asked someone else to fill in, but that's not how he thought.
How old are each of you?
I am 36, and The Doctor turns 40 in 3 weeks.
Whose siblings do you see the most?
Mine. The Doctor's family all lives out of state except one, and my family all live here in the valley.
Which situation is hardest on you as a couple?
Money. We are a lot alike, so when we get stressed, we spend and use the credit cards. So then we get more in debt and that stresses us out more.
Did you go to the same school?
Um, the same colleges!
Are you from the same home town?
Nope. He is from small town Idaho, and I lived in 4 different cities in 9 different houses.
Who is smarter?
Wow. Nothing loaded about that question. When we were first married, I would have said I was, but I later learned that he didn't have good grades because school wasn't emphasized in his house. He is extremely smart in different ways than I am. I would say we are equals.
Who is the most sensitive?
Again, I would say we are both equal. He has a very tender heart and I love him for that.
Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Texas Roadhouse and Applebee's.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
We went to Kansas City a few years ago for a drafting competition. His student took 2nd in the nation and we got a week's vacation without any kids! It was great.
Who has the craziest exes?
Neither. We haven't seen or heard from any since we got married.
Who has the worst temper?
Me. Definitely me.
Who does the cooking?
I do most, but he is amazing in the kitchen. He can get in the fridge and make a delicious meal with anything he finds in there.
Who is the neat-freak?
LMBO Definitely me!
Who is most stubborn?
I would have to say we are equal here as well.
Who hogs the bed?
We have a king-size bed, and so we pretty much stay to our own sides. I love it. Now, if you want to talk about hogging the blankets...
Who wakes up earlier?
He does on weekdays because he leaves for work at 6 a.m. I do on the weekends and I let him sleep in.
Where was your first date?
The girls' choice dance I mentioned earlier.
Who is more jealous?
Neither.
How long did it take to get serious?
Well, we were engaged 3 1/2 weeks after our first date, so it didn't take very long!
Who does the laundry?
Me. He's not allowed to touch it anymore because he keeps shrinking my shirts!
Who's better with the computer?
Again, I would say we are pretty equal.
Who usually drives when you're together?
He does. He just naturally gets in the drivers seat. Most of the time I like that, but sometimes I want to drive. All I have to do is say something and he will move and let me drive. He is sweet that way.
In January, The Doctor's car was starting to show signs that it wasn't going to last much longer.

(I can't find a picture of just the car! I am so sad. So I had to zoom in on a picture.) It was a 1997 Dodge Avenger. Red. Cute. It only cost us $5,000. We bought it in 2003 and it ran and ran and ran. At one point The Doctor was having to travel for work and he put many miles on it. Then, when he was going to school to get his Ph.D. he took classes a state away. 200 miles. Each way. He drove there and back once a week for an entire year. When we sold it, it had 174,000 miles.
Because The Doctor commutes an hour each way to work, we wanted a car that had really good gas mileage, but wouldn't break our wallet. That is when we became "Smart."

The Doctor had been researching on which cars get the best gas mileage and he discovered the Smart car. It gets 45 mpg. That is not a typo. 45. There is only one dealership in our whole state who carries them, and when he called last August, they had a year waiting list, and you had to pay $100 to get on the list. So we waited.
In January, he called the dealership and they said they had over 20 on the lot right now because they weren't "exactly" what the people on the waiting list wanted. So we went down to look. We looked. And test drove. And bought. In 3 hours. The Doctor was so excited, and to get a blue one...well, that's another story for another day.

So this is our Smart FourTwo. Weird name, great car! We call it Super Smart...another story, another day. He still has to fill it up as often as his first car, but that' because Super Smart only has an 8.7 gallon tank. Last September we spent over $500 on gas. Between the price of gas going down and the gas mileage on Super Smart, we now spend less than $200 a month on gas. So it's paying it's own car payment (which is less than $300 a month).
It only seats two, but the inside is surprisingly roomy. The engine is in the back. It doesn't have power windows, you actually have to "roll" them up. They also don't come with cruise control.
But The Doctor loves it. And that is what is important.
I am so sick. Please go read this post and then go sign this petition. Please.

So last night, we were up late because The Teenager is in the play at his junior high. So we didn't get home until 9:30. The Princess was very emotional because she was so tired. So after I tucked her in bed, I laid down beside her (which I can do now that she has a twin bed).

I sang all 4 verses of "I am a Child of God" to her and then was humming while I stroked her hair. I thought she was almost asleep, when she stirred.

"Mommy?"

"What?" thinking that she was going to say I love you or something equally sweet.

"What are baby piggies called?"

LMBO!

I answered "piglets" and she was content. Ah, the moments that make motherhood worth it! LOL
  • You are driving down the road and there is a puddle in the road. A big puddle. Not one that will really wreck your car or anything, but a big puddle. There is no other cars in front of you or behind you - do you drive through the puddle or drive around it? Right through it! I would do it even if there were other cars around. I love driving through puddles and seeing the splash!





  • Go to Google Images, type in any word that comes to mind and post the 1st picture you see.

    The Doctor is watching "Justice League" so I thought I would what pictures of Supergirl there would be. And look at how buff they all are! Goodness, none of these girls have ever had a baby, that's for sure!





  • A college calls you up and says that you have been selected to take get any degree that you want on their dollar…. what do you choose? Photography. I think. I only want to be a mom, and I already have my B.S. in Accounting. I can't think of anything else.





  • Are you blogging on a laptop or desktop? A desktop.





  • Which store, excluding a grocery store, do you shop at most often? Wal-mart, hands down. I love that store.





  • My daughters tried out for the school musical last night. Were you ever in a school play/musical? Which one? I was in "Guys and Dolls" when I was in 9th grade. I was a hot box dancer. Ooh, laa laa! It was fun! My best friend was Adelaide and she had an amazing voice!





  • I read yesterday that a school PTA group wants to try to ban white bread, cakes, brownies or any other “treat” from their lunch menus… plus make kids’ lunchboxes brought from home not include any “junk food”. Thoughts on that one? Try it on me. Just see what I can do. You can't dictate what I feed my children. Feel free to ban it from your menu, but don't ban it from mine. I tried that once, remember?





  • How many people can your kitchen table seat? 6. And we are pushing the limits of our dining area. A 4-seat table would work better, but how would I choose who doesn't get to eat?





  • What time is it right now? 9:22 p.m.





  • Walk out the front door of your house/apartment, turn right, walk 2 blocks. What do you see? Houses, houses, and more houses!
  • June 19, 1992 - Idaho Falls Temple

    My wedding day. Oh my gosh, I was so young! I was 19, The Doctor was 23. My parents are next to me (Mom in purple, Dad next to her) and The Doctor's parents are next to him. The cute little girl in pink in front? Is now 27 and has 3 kids of her own. The cute girl hiding behind me in the black dress with white polka dots? Just turned 30 Saturday and is the best aunt ever to my kids!
    I am amazed at how fast life goes by.
    I hate wearing shoes. I hate them being enclosed and sweaty and wearing socks too. We don't wear shoes in our house (mainly so the carpet stays nice). I take my shoes off every chance I get. When I started working, I asked about the dress code and my boss said that she just asks that we wear our shoes when there is a client in the office. I knew I was in the right place!

    However, because of this, my feet are dry and cracked and look like a road map. I occasionally use a pumice stone in the shower, but I forget most of the time.

    Saturday was my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday Aprill!) and we (my mom, other sister, sil, and The Princess) took her to get pedicures. At first I wasn't going to get one, but they talked me into it.

    Oh, I am so glad they did!

    First of all, I sat down in the chair and put my feet in warm swirling water. Heaven! Then I discovered that the chair was a massage chair! Double heaven! I played around with the controls until I found the perfect one. So I was sitting there with warm feet, getting a massage, and of course, having the best conversations. Life doesn't get much better than that!

    After my feet had soaked forever, the tech brought over a cheese slicer (that is what it looked like!) and proceeded to shave old dry skin off my feet. Gross! I was disgusted at how much was coming off! Then she used a pumice stone and smoothed it all off. And clipped and trimmed and filed and buffed. Then I soaked some more. Then she put stuff on my feet and rubbed it in. Then I soaked.

    Finally she dried off my feet and proceeded to rub lotion in and massage my legs and feet. Oh, triple heaven! LOL Finally, she painted my toenails with the cutest shade of royal blue! I love them!

    That is the best $20 I have spent in a long time! I have decided that I am going to get a pedicure on a regular basis.

    The downside? I kept slipping in the shower on Sunday morning because I didn't have any traction! :)
    I am loving meme's right now. Why? Because I don't have to think. I can just fill in the answers! I know, it's a cop out. But I love to read them, so you have to read mine!
    However, I was looking in my drafts and found this one from the week after Valentine's Day. And it was completely done! I don't know why I didn't post it! I am not changing the answers, so enjoy!
    1. What were you doing and who were you with at 9:59 PM on Friday night? Wow, that was 6 days ago. Oh yeah, we had gone out to dinner for Valentine's Day (we avoid the actual day because it's way to crazy) and then we went to Walmart and did some shopping. So that is where we were.
    2. What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? I'm trying to read The BFG by Roald Dahl, but I am having a hard time getting into it. But I will keep going because that is what I tell my kids to do!
    3. Do you nap a lot? Do you know me? Have you been reading my blog? LOL
    4. Who was the last person you hugged? The Princess. I love her hugs!
    5. What’s your current obsession/addiction? I am sewing some rag quilts for "some people in the ward." I am almost done sewing the last one, and then I have to clip them all. Feel free to come over and help me!
    6. What was the last thing you said out loud? I called a friend to sympathize with her because her son has been decorating with poop!
    7. What websites do you always visit when you go online? My home page is the news website so I look to see if anything interesting has happened, then I log onto my blog so I am signed in, then I go to Google Reader to see who has updated their blogs. I currently subscribe to 90 blogs!
    8. What was the last item you bought? I bought groceries today while The Princess was at preschool. Good times.
    9. What is your most challenging goal? To get out of debt. We were doing okay, then The Doctor needed 2 root canals and we both needed caps. so that all is going on the credit card.
    10. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished- anywhere in the world, where would it be? Somewhere rich people live so I could see it at a really high price, come back here and buy a modest house and use the rest of the money to pay off our student loans!
    11. Favorite Vacation spot? Anywhere. I would love to have the money to be able to take vacations. Just not camping!
    12. What is your favorite beverage? I love the slushies from Sonic.
    13. Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you? Cheetos. I love Cheetos.
    14. What is your favorite item of clothing? I love sweaters. They are so cuddly!
    15. Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is over flowing with a zillion others?! Flip flops. I love them. However, Old Navy's flip flops last year were really bad. They were too narrow and dug into my instep. And I hated the texture. I hope they change them back!
    16. Name one thing you can not live with out. Besides the obvious (family, church, etc.), I would have to say my cell phone. There is an absolute comfort knowing I have it. If my car breaks down, I run out of gas, my kids need to reach me, etc. We got our first cell phones after we were traveling from Challis, Idaho back home and our alternator went out and we sat on the side of the road for 2 hours before someone stopped to help us. I swore then that I would never be that vulnerable again.
    17. Has a celebrity’s haircut ever influence you on your own hairstyle? Nope. I pay no attention to what they are wearing or anything.
    18. What is your favorite Disney Movie? The Little Mermaid. I love it. It came out just before my birthday when I was a sophomore in high school and my friends came and kidnapped me from our ward Christmas party and blindfolded me and took me to see it. My boyfriend at the time was ticked because he had wanted to take me to see it. So you can see how it brings back lots and lots of memories!
    Whenever I heard about people working from home, I thought that was the easiest way to work. However, after working from home for over a year, I have discovered that it may be the most convenient, but it's not the easiest.

    It takes me 6 hours to get 4 hours of work done. When I am at the office, I leave my timer running when I go to the bathroom, and while I am visiting with my coworkers for short periods of time.

    When I am at home, I turn my timer off when I go the bathroom because inevitably I will make a bed, or pick up some toys, or something similar while I am up. And when the phone rings with a personal call, I turn off the timer. Or The Princess needs some help putting on a Polly Pocket dress. You get the idea.

    It's also hard because The Princess watches way too much TV because that is the easiest way to keep her entertained when I can't give her attention.

    Don't get me wrong...I love being home and working in my 2 day funky hair and pajamas. I'm just saying that it's not as easy I thought it would be. But I am home with her and if she really needs me, I can stop and be with her. That is what is important.
    Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then forward. The real challenge is to send it to your husband to see how right you really are.

    1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Superman, or SuperFriends, or Justice League.
    2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Whatever kind of dressing they put on a Caesar salad, because that's the kinds of salad he is eating!
    3. What's one food he doesn't like? Cream of Wheat.
    4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Water with lemon.
    5. Where did he go to high school? Burley High School
    6. What size shoe does he wear? Between and 11 and 12.5, depending on the shoe.
    7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Anything Superman, the older the better.
    8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Club on wheat.
    9. What would he eat every day if he could? Tacos
    10. What is his favorite cereal? Frosted Mini-Wheats or Raisin Bran
    11. What would he never wear? A dress.
    12. What is his favorite sports team? Whoever is winning...we watch very little sports.  I guess he always roots for BYU.
    13. Who did he vote for? I stay out of politics.
    14. Who is his best friend? Me!
    15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Probably talk under my breath when I am mad.
    16. What is his heritage? Polish (hee, hee, hee.  I grew up on Polish jokes, and now I have Polish children!  LOL)
    17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? German Chocolate. 
    18. Did he play sports in high school? He played one year of football just to get the letter.
    19. What could he spend hours doing? Playing video games
    20. What is a unique talent he has? He can go in the fridge and make a delicious meal out of whatever is in there.  It's amazing!
    I found about a new fashion magazine. I know, you're thinking I am the LAST person on the earth to read a fashion magazine. And you would be right. But I know that my daughter might read them, and when I found out about Eliza, I was excited.

    Eliza was started by an LDS runway model who wanted to create a fashion magazine that would appeal to the everyday modest woman. I have subscribed and I am looking forward to reading a magazine that isn't filled with smut!

    From the Eliza website:

    ELIZA Magazine is created for women who want to be stylish, sexy, and engaged in the world while retaining high standards in dress, entertainment, and lifestyle. In a media culture that frequently objectifies and commercializes women and their bodies, ELIZA strives to provide an alternative to the current mainstream media that emphasizes sex and skin in order to push products or sell magazines.

    ELIZA magazine brings you "Fashion without Fiction." We are realistic about everyday women's price points, showcasing pieces that are worth the big price tags and discovering deals at your local department stores that are just as hip. We are realistic about women's bodies: we don't retouch bodies, and we mix real women and professional models. We are realistic about women's interests, featuring fashion and beauty information, current issues, and real life problem solving, all while keeping perspective on what's really important in life.

    Each issue provides exciting and informative features in Fashion, Beauty, Health, Entertainment and Lifestyle. Some of our staple articles include: History Repeats Itself—fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O. and how their style translates today. Fit to Be Tried—everyday women modeling classics they love. Saving the World One Issue at a Time—highlighting various social causes and how to get involved. Guys Guide—mini-tutorials on what matters to men and why we should know about it. The Least You Should Know—useful information about everything from changing a tire to your personal finances. Plus health tips, entertainment picks, and breathtaking fashion stories by ELIZA's innovative team.
    Last night, I was trying to get The Princess to hurry up and get ready for bed. I told her that she was going to her cousin's house tomorrow.

    She looked at me, her eyes got wide, she put her hand to her mouth, and said, "Oh! What am I going to wear?"

    LOL I am in trouble!
    So I have been working on making 4 rag quilts for some people in the ward (*wink, wink). I have them all sewed and now I have to do all the clipping. I bought the special rag quilt scissors and those are going to save my hands. However, when I did the first one, I did it on Friday while sitting on my bed...hunched over...for 3 1/2 hours.

    I am in so much pain now. My lower back is killing me. I took 2 ibuprophin yesterday, and they didn't touch the pain. This morning I took 4. They didn't touch the pain. It didn't help that I had to get dressed in nylons and wear high heels for 4 1/2 hours while at church and dancing around trying to get the kids to sing!

    So I just took a Percocet and I am really hoping that will help. Plus The Teenager is going to help The Doctor flip our mattress tonight in hopes that it will help. It's been a while since we did that...like 2 years. I know, I should be better about doing that.

    So does anyone have a sure-fire way of helping back pain? Because I don't like it!
    When The Doctor and I got married, he had credit card debt, and I had credit card debt. And no matter how hard we tried (which, looking back, wasn't that hard), we never could pay it all off. And with me at home with babies and him going to school for 12 of the 16 years we've been married, we supplemented with student loans, which means the big stuff went on credit cards.

    When he lost his job from the college, we cashed out his retirement, paying 40% in taxes, and paid off both our cars and we paid off the credit cards. As sucky as it was to pay the taxes, it was so wonderful to be out of debt (except for student loans, which will never get paid off!).

    With our tax return the following spring, because we didn't have to dump it on credit cards, we decided to finish our basement. We had just enough money...for the basics. I didn't budget paint or fixtures or carpet. So even though we did that ourselves, how did we pay for it? Yep...credit cards.

    And once you have some on the credit card and you can't pay it off each month, it's so easy to put a little bit more on. The problem comes when you put a little bit more. And more. And more.

    However...

    Now that he has a good stable job that is bringing in a good income, and he is working a second job that is bringing in way more than I thought it would, we have been able to pay off the smaller credit card. That felt awesome.

    Then last night I did my taxes and filed them, and we should have our refund by the end of next week. And...it is enough to get us completely out of credit card debt again!

    Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I am just a titch excited!

    Then we can start saving for a fence. Because that is next on our list! Along with a shed, recliners, hitch on the van, tankless water heater, etc., etc., etc.
    I love my grandparents so much. But this post is about my Grandma. She married my Grandpa in the temple and then watched him leave for World War 2. She raised 5 children who are all active in the gospel. She taught 2nd grade for years and I even got to be in the school where she taught for 4 years. I loved the attention I got from her. She taught me to crochet. She taught me to make her potato salad. When The Doctor was going to school, he lived with them that summer and she made sure he always had plenty to eat. I love her.

    And now she is dying. That is what the doctor said. She has cancer. Pancreatic cancer. Which has a median life span after diagnosis of 3-6 months. I can't even talk about it because I am so sad.

    I know she has to die sometime. But why cancer? I hate this. I want her to live forever. And I know that after she goes, my Grandpa won't be far behind.

    But I am so grateful for the gospel, and the knowledge that we will all be together after we die. I will only have to say goodbye for a short time.

    I love you Grandma. Thank you for being such a wonderful example to me and to my husband and my children.