three years ago

back to school 2006. Jason was starting 3rd grade. Joshua was 3 and home with me in my in home daycare.
Me in 2006 before I broke my ankle the first time.

more financial praises!

All August bills are paid in full! Sept. rent is paid as well (it is due the first.) This month in addition to paying all regular bills I got an oil change and tune up on the car as the check engine light was on. I had the car over a year and had never tuned it up, so it was due. I got it with 60,000 miles on it, now it has about 85,000 (I had the car a year and three months.) Also we were able to sell a few things and get the homeschooling stuff we needed. We now have everything we need for school, and probably more than we need as well. We also were able to pay an unexpected gas bill, as well as buy a friend a baby shower gift.

God never ceases to amaze me!!! He has blessed us so!!!

I pray you have felt blessed this month as well. I pray that God will continue to bless you in Sept.

-Becky

Being shy

Jason doing his devotion and hiding from the camera

Edible art

to make it healthy those are blueberry eyes-lol
Joshua working hard on his marshmellow man

First full day homeschooling both boys

Today I followed the schedule I posted yesterday pretty well. I got up at 7:30am to pray with my friend on the phone, but then fell back asleep. At 8:00am Josh was fully dressed and ready to go on a walk. He was like, "we are behind schedule." It was cute. So I got up and we walked around the block. It was nice to have a few minutes alone with him.

I think this alone time really helped, because Joshua only ended up in time out two times today and he did not have any real meltdowns. I am so proud of him. He did annoy his brother a bit during schoolwork, but that is normal sibling stuff. He also tried to whine his way out of his journal writing, but when he saw I was not going to give in he did the work.

After our walk, we all had breakfast and did our devotions together. We got through all our school work (except I think the boys did not do all their reading time.) Josh even did two art projects (these were not even on the list, but I needed to keep him busy while Jason and I did language arts.) Joshua loved his math, he got to make muffins, but he had to do all the measuring himself. He was so pleased when we all ate his muffins at lunch.

During recess the boys got to play catch with Duane, which led to after chores us going to a baseball field to play catch more. Both boys really enjoyed themselves.

So here it is 10:00pm or so, both boys are sound asleep. The house is clean, all schoolwork for today is done. Lunch is ready for c-op tomorrow, as well as all clothes laid out for the morning. I feel so accomplished and so exhausted. I am going to watch a little tv, then off to bed.

Today was a good day, a really good day.

-Becky

a calm moment

Things are actually calm in my house right now. We all went to church this morning. Then we hung out at home and I took a nap. We just had a nice easy dinner (pasta with sauce and garlic bread.) And the boys are outside playing catch with Duane. I am about to do the dishes but wanted to make a blog post (anything to procrastinate housework-lol.)

We made our homeschool schedule on Fri. and are looking forward to implementing it tomorrow.

7:30-me up, prayer on phone with friend, walk around block
8:00-boys up and dressed
8:30-we all meet at table for healthy breakfast (if I am not up my boys like to eat junk)/clean up kitchen
9:00-Bible and devotion time, we may all do together not sure yet
Mon. and Fri.
9:30-meet at table to start school
12:30-lunch
Tues. & Thur.
9:30-leave for co-op
3:00-return home
Wed.
9:30-leave for latin class
3:00-return home
6:00-dinner and children's activities at church
everyday afternoon:
3:00-chore time
4:00-6:00-free time / outside play
6:00-dinner time
family activity (maybe board game, etc.) / ready for bed
8:30-boys in bed Josh read for 1/2 hour / Jason read for 1 hour
8:30-me time with God
9:00-10:00-me straighten house, next day prep
10:00-11:00-me relax time (a.k.a. tv time-lol)
11:30-me in bed (hopefully asleep)

Monday after lunch we will go to gym class. Fri. after lunch we will do mini field trips (park, reptile house near us, beach, etc.)
We still have to fit in Josh's karate two days a week and Jason's music lessons once a week. Plus I may do aerobics two times a week, and have to add that in. Saturdays is cleaning, errands, and me work. Sundays will be church, family, and no chores or shopping.
So this is my proposed schedule. Pray that if it is God's will we will stick to it. Also pray as our most important lessons are the attitudes of our hearts. As lately we all have angry hearts (me especially.)

Well, the calm is gone, the noisy boys are back in and we have to get ready for bed (the dishes will have to wait to later.)

-Becky

thoughts of Eric

I am just thinking about Eric. I have been so busy preparing for our homeschooling co-op that I have been distracted from thoughts of him. It is good to be distracted and interested in life, however when the thoughts come back it is like being hit with a brick again.
Yesterday I went to my ankle doctor and although my ankle is healing nicely, Eric took me there last and all I see is him sitting in that waiting room with me. He actually sat with me while we waited about an hour until I was seen by the doctor. That is how our family is, we do things for each other. We help each other. We spend time together. Now I will say that I did not spend as much time with Eric as I do with my mom, but if you needed him he would be there (same for anyone in my family.) Last year Eric and Scott redid my closet so I could have a more usable space. They did an amazing job. In April, Eric helped Jason and Scott put up our trampoline. Everywhere I look I see something that makes me think of Eric. I guess I finally realize he is gone, and am now trying to live life without him, but it still hurts so much.
I have had one panic attack in my life before Eric died, but since he died I have had a few. Just two days ago in KFC I had one. The walls were actually spinning. I could not even order. I felt like I was in a movie watching things happen. It was so surreal. My heart was beating so fast. I was crying and yelling. Duane thought I was upset with my boys. My boys didn't really notice as they were busy deciding what to order. I thought, "Am I crazy? Who loses it at KFC while ordering chicken?" I couldn't read the menu as all the words were not making any sense. It didn't last long as I somehow snapped back to reality, placed our order, and we all ate in peace. I guess that is progress, being able to come back from these moments. A few weeks ago it was hours until I could snap out of it so to speak.
I don't really know, all I do know is I still really miss my brother. I want him back. And I hate KFC!!!
-Becky

Many uses of vinegar

This is from another blog. Since I use vinegar for everything, I thought I would share.

"When it comes to green cleaning, most of us know that baking soda and vinegar are two of the mainstays. But vinegar on its own is incredibly versatile. It’s a healthy, cheap, non-toxic solution to everything from bathroom mold to cleaning the toilet bowl.

So, let’s look at all the frugal, eco-friendly ways we can use vinegar to clean our homes.

1. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Mold and Mildew- Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water, and spray on the mold or mildew. The acetic acid in the vinegar kills the mold and mildew, and will discourage future growth.

2. Use Vinegar To Clean Your Toilets- 2 cups of vinegar in the toilet is all you need. Pour it in at night, let it sit, and then next morning swish with the toilet brush. The vinegar kills bacteria, and will dissolve hard water stains.

3. Use Vinegar To Stop Itching- Have a bug bite or poison ivy? Soak a cotton ball with some vinegar and wipe the area.

4. Use Vinegar As An Air Freshener- You can put vinegar in a spray bottle to neutralize odors from garbage cans or smoke. Just spray it in the air! And o, this won’t make your home smell like vinegar. Vinegar absorbs odors, so as soon as it dries your house will just smell neutral. You can also use this in the refrigerator or your kids’ lunch boxes. Spritz, let it sit a few minutes, and then wipe down.

5. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Hiccups- One tablespoon of vinegar down your throat and the hiccups will be gone. Good luck not gagging, though…

6. Use Vinegar To Clean Your Microwave- In a microwave safe bowl mix equal parts water and vinegar, then nuke it for two minutes. Next, dip your sponge in the solution and wipe down the sides. If you’ve got baked on food it will come right off. In addition to softening the food, the vinegar will disinfect and neutralize the odors.

7. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Grease- All you have to do is soak your sponge or rag in some vinegar and then start wiping. The vinegar will cut right through the greasy gunk to give you a sparkling clean stove.

8. Use Vinegar To Clean Cloth Diapers- Use one cup of vinegar to two gallons of water. Soak diapers in this solutions to neutralize odors and prevent staining.

9. Use Vinegar To Clean Crayon Marks Off Walls- Don’t blow money on a MagicEraser. Simply dip and old toothbrush in vinegar and start scrubbing. The crayon marks should come right off.

10. Use Vinegar To Wash Fruits and Vegetables- If you have hard skinned fruits and vegetables, simply spray them with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water. For soft skinned, fill a bowl with an equal balance of vinegar and water and then soak for up to two minutes, then rinse. The acetic in the vinegar helps dissolve waxes and pesticides.

11. Use Vinegar To Clean Windows- Forget Windex. Mix a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar, and clean windows with that instead.

12. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Clothing Stains- Soak the garment in full strength vinegar. Stains should wash right out.

13. Get Rid of Bad Breath With Vinegar- Sound counterproductive? Well, it’s not. Brush your teeth once or twice a week with vinegar. It will also help whiten your teeth.

14. Kill Weeds With Vinegar- If you have weeds or plants where you don’t want them, simply pour full strength vinegar on them. This also works well in cracks between cobblestones or in your driveway.

15. Make Cut Flowers Live Longer With Vinegar- If you have cut flowers that are on their way out, or you want to make a fresh bouquet last a long time, simply add two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar to the vase.

16. Kills Ants With Vinegar- If you have ant hills in your hard, pour full strength vinegar on them.

17. Clean Your Dog With Vinegar- If your dog has gotten sprayed by a skunk, or rolled in something nasty, wipe them down well with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Then, rinse with plain water.

18. Dissolve Chewing Gum With Vinegar- If you have chewing gum in your hair or on your shoe, dissolve it with full-strength vinegar. If the vinegar is hot, it will work even better.

19. Dissolve Frost On Car Windows With Vinegar- If you want to keep your car windows frost-free overnight, spray them down with a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar.

20. Clean Urine Stains From Carpet With Vinegar- Spray thoroughly with an equal part mixture of water and vinegar. Then wipe up with a rag.

21. Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal With Vinegar- Pour a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of baking soda down your drain. Let it sit for at least five minutes, and then run your garbage disposal.

22. Clean Stainless Steel With Vinegar- Simply spray down with full strength vinegar and wipe up. Your stainless steel will sparkle!

23. Disinfect Sponges With Vinegar- If your kitchen sponges are getting nasty, simply soak them in a bowl of vinegar overnight. By the next morning the bacteria will be dead and you’ll have a fresh, clean sponge."

Some of these are even new to me and I hope to try them. I have used vinegar to kill weeds and it works great! Also I use vinegar as fabric softener. It works great to keep clothes soft. As an added bonus it cleans gunk from inside your washer drum.

Do you do anything else with vinegar? -Becky

What is co-op?

Our co-op is a group of homeschooling families that get together to exchange teaching to glorify God and benefit each other's children, as well as our own children.

In order to participate we pay:
-$50 registration fee which covers all ink and supplies needed for co-op for the school year
-$ insurance fee -we use a church at no cost but we must have our own insurance (amount to be determined, but should be about $12 a person for the year.)
-for all the books our children need for each class
-any and all materials we need to teach our our own class (i.e. I teach preschool, so I provide the paint we use in class.)

In addition we must agree to teach a class or assistant in a class or with cleaning while our children are in class. I teach preschool while my boys are in History & Science. I will assist with Josh's Latin as well.

The benefits of our co-op are:
-children get socialization with other Christian children
-children benefit from knowledge I may lack
-worship time before classes start
-support group for homeschooling moms and dads
-children learn to work in groups and as a team (group projects, etc.)
-science lab (I could not possible get all that at home)
-getting a break from mom and siblings (if your siblings are in a different class)
-mom gets a break from her kids as well (unless she is teaching a class they are in)
-getting used to a routine (if you do not have one at home)

They are more as well, but I think you get the idea.

Our co-op meets at a church Tues. & Thur. from 10:15am-3:30pm.
The schedule is:
10:15-10:30-Worship and prayer time
10:30-12:00-History (children eat lunch in history)
12:00-12:30-children in rec / parents in meeting
12:30-1:45-Science
1:45-2:30-Latin
2:30-3:30-Odyssey of the mind

I just wanted to share what our co-op is. But a co-op can be as simple as a playgroup or as complex as an entire school. Co-op just means all involved have say and are required to work in exchange for participation.

Are you involved in any co-ops? How do they work?

-Becky

Our day at co-op

Today co-op went incredibly well.

Joshua did so good. His teachers commented that he was polite and cheerful and seemed to fit in well.

Jason did well, but had some difficulties adjusting to new classes and rules, especially during history as the teacher was one he had never met. Last year it took him about 6 months to warm up to his history teacher.

My preschool class was awesome. I have two teachers assistants, which is great. There are 6 preschool boys in my class (no girls at all!!) If you have ever seen an active preschool boy you can only imagine 6 of them. Yikes. But we have a very structured morning planned with Bible songs, verses, and stories, plus crafts and lots of moving activities. After lunch is science and free play for my class. They get a bit tired after lunch, so free play works well. Today we went outside and saw two amazing butterflies landing on flowers. The preschoolers loved that. Then we played with a parachute and ball. They all had a blast.

Joshua said he enjoyed his day, but for some reason has turned into a crank and has gotten in trouble, so he lost his DS lite and had to go to bed early. I guess he is tired, but he still has to have consequences for misbehaving.

Jason also landed himself an early bedtime. I think getting up and back into school routine will take a bit of time (pray not too long.)

I was super glad to be in fellowship with some wonderful Christian homeschool families today. Starting our day in group prayer was awesome. Plus getting up before my boys (thanks mom) this morning was so helpful to our day running smoothly.

I pray Thur. at co-op goes as smoothly, perhaps even better, especially for Jason.

When do your kids start back to school or back to homeschooling?

-Becky

My two sweeties

Can you feel the love?

Back to school

Joshua first day of first grade

Jason first day of sixth grade

Family Shot

taken this morning

Today Co-op starts

I am up (it is about 8 am.) We are starting our homeschool co-op today. It is really neat. First class is history. Then lunch and rec. Next is science. Then we will have latin. During history and science I teach the preschool 2-5 year old class (we also have a nursery.) I will be helping out in latin (so I can learn it as well.) The kids are all broken up by grades. Preschool/K, 1st-3rd, 4th-6th, 7th & 8th, and high school. We start the day with worship and prayer. It is really cool. I am super excited. Please pray the day runs smoothly for all families (about 35) that are involved in co-op.

-Becky

One year of homeschooling complete

I know it is late August and school will be starting up again soon, but I have finally completed Jason's paperwork regarding his first year of homeschooling. It was an interesting year. We did not get through as much as I'd have hoped, but we still did alot. Jason also took a standardized test in March and tested at 5th grade or above in everything but spelling, which he tested at 4th grade. However, in science he tested at 9th grade. This gives me a sigh of relief. He also came out of his shell alot this year (which has back sliden a bit since my brother's death, but I think that is due to me more than him.) But overall I am extremely proud of the progress we have made.

This year we did

daily:
Bible reading
devotions
handwriting
reading

two times a week or more:
journal writing
math
history
science
language arts
spelling
Odyssey of the Mind (his team came in third place at competition)

once a week:
art appreciation (for half the year only)
music appreciation (for half the year only)
gym (at class, but of course we did more activity than this a week)

once a month:
current events
book reports
pen pal letters
field trips

for 6 weeks:
art class

Now I have to get everything organized for our new year of homeschooling. I have almost everything purchased that I feel we need. Tuesday we start co-op, and next week we will start at home as well. I am actually excited about it all again (I have not really been too excited lately about anything.)
Jason will be starting 6th grade. Joshua will be starting 1st grade. They seem excited to get back into a routine as well. We so need that daily structure that summer seems to lack. But I will miss sleeping in a little, ok A LOT! LOL!

-Becky

For sale

I have for sale:

DS game UP from Disney Pixar movie $12 cash with free shipping (it is almost new in original case)
DS game Nintendogs Dachshund & Friends $7 with free shipping (no case though)

and

Four DVDS:
Seven Pounds with Will Smith
The Lake House with Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock
Disney's Pete's Dragon
VeggieTales Lyle & the Kindly Viking

If you buy all four DVDS for $18 I will ship them to you for free. That is less than the cost of 1 new DVD. Or $6 each with free shipping.

I have a paypal account if you are interested.

We are trying to raise the extra money we need for homeschool supplies by selling a few things we no longer need.

Thanks! -Becky

doctor's appointments

I have almost all doctor's appointments I need made. I am going back to regular doctor next week to discuss results of my blood work, as well as the psychiatrist again next week. I also made an obgyn check up appointment for the first week in Oct. Now I just need to make eye doctor appointment and dentist appointment. I have the money for eye doctor and contacts, but not for dentist (my insurance does not cover vision or dental.) So I think I will make eye doctor appointment today as well.

My boys are caught up on well visits, the dentist, and the eye doctor. Both boys have appointment's to see the therapist in the next two weeks, so they can talk about losing their uncle and whatever else they want to talk about.

It feels good to be accomplished. Now on to homeschooling planning (yikes!)

-Becky

Ankle update

Another huge praise my ankle is actually finally starting to feel normal. I don't usually need the brace at all. The pain is not everyday anymore. And the other day we went to the beach and I walked barefoot a long way before I felt any pain. Yipee!!! I think the surgery was worth it after all.

-Becky

Praise

All Aug. bills are now paid. We have gas in the car. The car is running well and getting a maintenance tune up as I type (with the money to pay for it in the checking account.) We have food in our house to last until the end of the month. Sept. rent has been sent as well (it is due Sept. 1st.) Almost all homeschool supplies have been bought (we need about $200 more to get everything, but do not need it all right away.)

We were blessed with two financial donations this month (thanks Cindy & a blogger friend) as well as some gift cards to the food store (thanks Sue & Bill.) God is so amazing. I had only planned on not working until June, so all my bills were only paid through the end of June, yet here it is almost the end of August and we still are ok.

I did have to touch some of my savings, but that is not the worst thing in the world. I still have an emergency fund that will last about 6 months, plus my house buying fund.

I can not say it enough that God is so amazing!!!

-Becky

Samantha

This post is about my younger sister Samantha. She is beautiful and amazing. I wanted a sister so bad being sandwiched in between two boys (Eric and Kevin.) When I was 9 my sister was born. I was ecstatic. She was so so beautiful even then with her blue eyes and blond hair. I doted on her and adored her. I took her out with me and showed her off to my friends. She was so much fun.

She is growing up now though. At 19 she thinks she knows everything and doesn't need anyone. But even in normal everyday life situations we need each other. God has shown me we need Him and each other. We can't do this alone. But especially in times of trial and tragedy, we really need each other. But my sister is trying to get through this time of grief alone.

Yesterday my mom called me and told me to go to my sister's immediately. She had posted online how she was not herself and not wanting to handle life anymore, so my mom was concerned. I dropped my boys at a friends and went to my sister. She seemed ok, but was agitated that I thought she could not handle this. She feels we baby her (we do.) But in this situation I tried to let her know I need her just as much as she needs me (and my mom and Kevin.) We are the only ones going through this loss of Eric, we need each other. Yet, still I think we all want to retreat into our own worlds and minds, stay in our pj's and never leave the house again. I know I do at times. Still when I see my mom, Kevin, and Samantha it hurts, but I do feel comfort. They are the people closest to me. I wish Samantha could see that. Even if she doesn't I will still try to be around for her, as well as my mom and Kevin.

Pray today for my mom, Kevin, and Samantha. Pray that we would all lean on God and each other in this time of loss.

Thanks! -Becky

Samantha is to the far right

Calmer

The past few days have been calmer.

Monday I went for a physical. My heart is healthy. I got some blood work, results not in yet. I didn't realize but it had been two years since I had been to my primary care doctor. I guess I need to remember to go every year from now on.

Tuesday was a nice relaxing day.

Wed. my boys had dentist appointments and they had no cavities. Yeah! Jason only has three baby teeth left. Josh has another loose tooth (he lost two already-I forgot to blog about that, will follow with a picture.) They both did well, although Josh was a bit apprehensive.

Thur. we walked around a town close to us that has a harbor with boats and stuff. Lots of people were crabbing and fishing. It was fun to watch. I also went to see my therapists. It is so helpful to have a professional to talk to about all my sadness and stress. It is also helpful to blog about it and talk with friends as well.

Today I am watching two boys from my church. They are 7 and 4, so my boys are happy to have some playmates. I used to watch the youngest in my in home daycare so it is nice to spend some time with him again (he is so sweet.)

My house is completely painted. It looks so nice. I will also post a picture of that later. Now the fence and awnings have to be painted (I want them white.) The fence is about halfway done.

Today is the 14th, it has been two months since my brother Eric died. It is still so hard, I would even say it is harder. I think going through this whole process is normal and healthy, but it hurts so much. I am glad I have the Lord to lean on. He makes it possible for me to face each new day. Yet still my heart is heavy and sad.

I so appreciate all your prayers and concerns.

-Becky

Day 4 and 5 of VBS

Well, I made it through the week. It was tough for me. But I was also blessed by being with the children at VBS. Thur. night we had our parents night show and Jason actually did the songs. Josh stood on stage and picked his nose. The joys of parenting.

Then for some reason I had a really difficult weekend. Saturday night I could not breath, and felt like the walls were closing in on me. It really came on sort of suddenly. I wanted to take a drive or go for a swim in the ocean (this was late at night.) But instead I sat on my back porch. It was amazingly cool and it was slightly raining. It helped a little. But it is also so hard for me to be in my yard and stare at the trampoline Eric built with Jason and Scott just a few short months ago.

Sunday was a bit better. The kids were with grandparents and I went to church. I sat in the back pew with sunglasses on and cried for an hour. But at least I made it to service (first time since my brother died.) Then Duane and I went to Mt. Mitchell (a scenic overlook) and Sandy Hook. The day was overcast, but we enjoyed just looking around, walking, and talking. It was nice.
















Now I am all on edge again. My boys are fighting (I mean trying to kill each other) and screaming. They also let a few bad words fly. I can't believe this is my life. It is horrible. It's like my house is full of hate or something. This is so the opposite of what I want. I can't comprehend how God expects me to parent especially when my boys are so full of anger and pain, while I am in la la land somewhere. I know I need to snap out of it, but it is so hard.

Parenting my boys was hard before, but now I need serious prayer. I know I need the Lord's strength and love more now then ever.

-Becky

Day 3 of VBS

I have made it through three days of getting up and out of the house by 8:30am. Yesterday seemed easier in being at church and I thought today was too, but when I got home I was hit with such sadness again and I have been in tears since about 2:00pm. I was calm and relaxed when I came home, but that quickly passed.

At one point today I was sitting on the couch crying and someone said, "it's ok.", but no one was there and it was not my kids. The weird thing is I felt Eric for a second but he would have never said that to me. Is was surreal. I guess I wanted him to be around so bad.

I am not sure if I have ever felt this drained, but my soul seems so exhausted I feel I could sleep for days and still be tired. Last night I was able to get to sleep by 2:00am, and I slept until 7:30am, so that was better than it has been. But tonight I am hoping to be asleep by 11:30pm, so I can get up at 7:30am. I so need more sleep.

Overall our church vacation Bible school is going well and my boys are enjoying themselves. I am glad I am there, but it is still so hard to be around so many people. There are 101 in attendance, it is our largest VBS yet. It is amazing. Pray God works in the hearts of all students and teachers alike.

-Becky

Day 1 of VBS

I did it. I was up by 7:30 (my mom called at 7am, Monica called at 7:45am.) I got showered and dressed. I got the boys up. I even cooked bacon and eggs. Then we picked up my grandmother and made it to church by 8:55am. This is a huge accomplishment. I did spend the first hour and a half in tears, but after that was able to help out in the preschool class.

I am now exhausted and going to take a nap. Josh is doing chores and then is going to do some schoolwork, so when he is all done he can play Club Penguin online. Jason is relaxing and building with Lego's.

Pray I can do VBS tomorrow as well.

-Becky

Being Lazy

I am starting to feel like I am using my brother's death to be lazy. I am not spending time with God. I am not exercising. I stay in bed till about 10am. I stay up late. I am not working either. I have not been back to church. I dropped out of teaching VBS.

At what point do I snap out of this and do what I need to?

I am sure I should be spending time with the Lord every day.
I am sure I should be exercising, even if only a 20 min. walk everyday.
I am sure I should be in bed by 11pm, and up by 8am.
I am sure I need to be at church.

At least I am:
-keeping house clean
-keeping laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away (so / so on the putting away part still have three loads in living room to put away)
-keeping food in the house
-making sure the boys eat something healthy daily (even making sure I cook something daily)
-having boys do chores daily
-having the boys do schoolwork three times a week
-talking with a friend at least once a day
-talking with mom, Scott, Kevin, or Sam at least once a day
-praying with boys at night
-doing some fun stuff with boys (we did water park, regular park, two fires with smores, swimming, and lots of movies in the past week)
-making sure boys still play with friends once or twice a week
-praying with boys at least once a day
-cuddling with boys a few times a week

As I reread my lazy list I was doing all that stuff before my brother died, so these are not new problems. I guess they are just worse. I need some motivation.

I think my goal tomorrow is to get up and go to VBS even though I said I would not teach I can still help out. Pray that I get up at 7:30am and get in gear. Thanks!

-Becky

Finances cont.

I was able to pay myself back the $75 I spent yesterday. Now I am figuring out how to come up with:

$43 gas bill due Aug. 11th
$116 electric bill due Aug. 12th
$200 owe contact money need asap to get contacts

$359 needed by Aug. 11th. Plus I need $260 more to cover Aug. bills, but I should make this at my Sat. job., so it is really the $359 I need to figure out.

I just posted on a few of my friend websites that I am available for childcare. Plus tomorrow I will go through the house and see what I can try to sell online. We have some dvds that I can try and get like $5 each for. I also have some new ladies clothes that are not my style (not the ones you bought mom.) They still have tags on them. I have 6 new shirts and 1 pair nice capri's all new with tags. Maybe I can get a few dollars each.

I also may not have to pay the gas bill as I am on the budget option and next month (Aug.) plan recalculates. It looks like I am over but will call Monday to see about that (meaning I paid more than I used, so in Aug. they credit the difference.)

It will all work out. It always does. I just am using this as a reminder to only spend cash, and once that cash is gone don't borrow from another budget category.

-Becky