Great day

We had a great day! We actually got some down time and fun family time. We did a craft together and went in the pool, after we cleaned for 30 minutes together. I also got a nap earlier today. We did not get any school work done (we are supposed to be doing a little each day,) but I did not yell today and that is a VICTORY. We also went to lunch with Jason's Nannie (his dad's mom) and I sold a bookcase for $20 on craigslist that was picked up today, so I was able to put gas in my car. I
actually have only one bill left to pay for July (which I am expecting a check in the mail that will cover this bill) yet still managed to get gas and food taken care of for rest of month. GOD IS SO GOOD!

Tomorrow I have work 9:30-4:30 (my mom is watching the boys), then we are going to a free concert in the park.

Then Fri. early we are going to drive to Ohio with my younger brother, Kevin, so we can visit my grandparents (my real dad's parents.) We are going for four days and I am so excited to get away. I actually already packed all the boys clothes. Tonight I am going to pack my boys clothes and the boys treat bags (I have been saving toys and crafts that can be used in the car, I will wrap them all up and in the car the boys each get to pick one every hour or as they are bored; my mom always did this with us as kids when we went on car trips.) Tomorrow night I will pack all snacks and food for the Fri. car ride. We will stop to eat but we will eat what I am packing (this is a very frugal trip.) My goal is to actually come home with money left from my trip money, we will see.

But overall we had a great day! Now we are going to watch a movie and then the kids are going to bed. -Becky

My two little blessings doing a craft

Jason, notice how neat his paint is, too funny
Joshua, notice he mixed all the colors to make all black, lol!
Jason & Joshua painting sun catchers

New Job

Update on my new office job two days a week. Well, they are pleased with my work and have asked me to go full time, which I can not do since I don't have a sitter, am going to home school Jason, and really don't want to. I am so grateful to have a job that is so flexible especially in this economy, but honestly I do not think office work is for me. I dread going to work and leaving my kids and at work I am so bored!!! I get all my work done then I go around and clean and still I am so bored! I know I should not complain but I miss my in home daycare and the kids and such. I miss running around and doing crafts and playing games and having lunch with all the kids.
Yes, I am still doing daycare 1 or 2 days a week, but it is not the same. I feel like I am always running around. Drop kids at sitters, go to work, pick kids up, dinner, get ready for bed. Plus all our doctor's appointments and other stuff. I know all mom's feel this way, but I miss being home ALOT!!!!

I am sorry if lately my posts have been complaints.
Still I know I am so blessed in:
Jesus loving us
our health
our home (thanks to my grandmother)
our two running cars (thanks Erli's)
always having food
we get to sleep 8 hours each night
my free aerobic class I attend (thanks CINDY)
the Bible study I attend and the awesome ladies in it
my mom watching the kids for free ALL the time! (thanks mom)
all bills from Jan-June paid in full
Jason got to go to camp
Jason is home from camp, safe
Jason loves the Lord & has given his life to him
this computer I am typing on
our MICROWAVE
working stove & running fridge
I can have ice any time I want (can you imagine many in this world can not even say that!)
my wonderful church family
my wonderful family
my amazing friends
freedom to type this blog!!!

We are so blessed, so blessed indeed, I guess I will pray that I give 100% at my job even if I don't love it all the time and hope that I can be a witness for Christ in my actions at my job so that seeds for HIM would be planted- I want to be the fragrance of Christ. -Becky

YIKES! Electric bill!

I just got my highest electric bill since moving 11 months ago. It is $223.08. I only budget for $100 a month for electric, so obviously this is no good. I have had the air on everyday since June 20th, and I have greatly enjoyed it, so I guess now I'll pay for it. Yikes! I do have lower bills in Sept. & Oct. after the air and before the heat. And also in April & May, so it will balance out. I just set the thermostat 2 degrees back, I will deal with it being 75 degrees in here. I think my biggest problem is that I have very little insulation in my house, so I am cooling off the outside too. Plus it is so hot in my boys room, but nice in my living room. My room is ok as well.
I just can not have 2 more bills that are over $200, which I probably will July & Aug. bills as it will probably get hotter in Aug. I guess complaining does not help much, but ahhhhh!
How are your utilities, are they much more than they were last year? -Becky

Sponser a child through Compassion

Hi! We have so much in America. One way I try to counteract my kids wanting more is that we sponsor a child through Compassion. We sponsor a 13 year old boy named Edelson. We write and he writes back quiet often.
Once Jason asked me if we could get cable, so I showed him our budget and said what do you think? I said cable costs about what we send to Edelson every month, would you want to stop sending this money and get cable. He immediately said, "no way."
To remember to pray for Edelson daily we pray at every red light for something for Edelson, his health, for his family to have enough food every day, for clean water daily, for his baby brother, for his parents, for his dad's fishing and his mom's sewing work.

I challenge you to also sponsor a child, Compassion is a legit organization who are doing God's work! We think sponsoring a child will change that child's life and it does, but more so it will change your life! It has really changed ours!!! -Becky



Compassion International

Sponsor a child online through
Compassion's Christian child
sponsorship ministry. Search for
a child by age, gender, country,
birthday, special needs and more.

Jason is home

I just got back from picking up Jason. I am so happy he is home. He looks exhausted (and really dirty) but he said he had fun. I did not realize how much I missed him, but I was overwhelmed with emotion when I saw him. I am so happy!!!! -Becky

Worst financial month so far

I messed up big time this month. I have spent about $400 not budgeted for and just paid all July bills, but for the first time in a long time I am not able to pay them all (because of the spending on unbudgeted stuff.)


I paid all bills but phone/online which is $70 and although it is only the 18th I have no gas money or food money at all until Aug. Opps! I am going to list a few things on sale with craigslist and a local free site. I hope to get about $40 for gas to last me until the end of the month. For food we will just eat up everything in the house. Plus I have a check coming next Fri. that will cover the phone/online bill, but still this is very poor planning.
I need to immediately cancel my debit card and unlink my savings account from my checking account.

I do still have $600 for our trip next Fri. and $300 for Jason's homeschool curriculum, and $300 for the breaks my car needs in savings, plus 3 months living expenses in a cd. But I need to seriously halt any additional spending. It would have been way better to buy $70 worth of food as opposed to the crafts we bought at AC Moore the other day. YIKES!!!!! I think stress makes me spend, but I need to take my stress to the Lord and also put it into energy for cleaning my house, which so needs a good cleaning! -Becky

how is your summer spending going?