2 o'clock meeting

Jake just informed me that they have a meeting at work at 2 today. I'm praying that it isn't about layoffs because he's one of the first to go. I just have this feeling that it is, he was told yesterday that there is a 75%chance that he'll get laid off. Another guy told him this morning to go to his former employer and see if they need help. I know that it wouldn't be the end of the world and we could make it through, but geez we just started making good money and are trying to pay off our debts. I guess that credit card won't get cut up for awhile. For all of you FPU'ers I know that sounds bad but if I had to use it to buy groceries I would. I'll keep everyone posted.

Update on the cows: 6 were captured and returned home to their pen, 2 are still on the loose. Dad gave up for the day and came into work. Hmmm...I wonder where he might find the other 2 the next time he goes looking, maybe someones freezer???

Is it spring yet??

Last night we had 8 calves get out of the fence at our house, I spent 2 hours driving around looking for them, Jake, mom & dad each were canvassing the miles around trying to find them. I finally gave up when it got dark, do you realize it's very difficult to see black cows at night? lol Mom and dad took off on a 4-wheeler and found prints & poop but could not locate them. They finally gave up and decided to try in the morning.

I woke up freezing this morning, it was 46 degrees in our house. Jake was checking everything and finally found the problem. Miss Carmen had turned the A/c on and the fan was running constantly, so not only did we not have the heat running, the a/c was on. I guess we will have to show her tonight that that is not an appropriate toy to play with.

I so don't want anymore snow, the last update I heard was 2-4 inches. I have really been enjoying this mild weather and wish it would just stay around. Calving season is here, we don't have any new ones yet, but dad keeps telling me March 1st. He just got 11 more bred cows last week, so we should have 24 calves born this year. We might stay pretty busy in the next few weeks. I hope that we don't have many problems and that they are able to birth the lil ones on their own.

As of 7:30 this morning, they thought they had spotted the calves, but were waiting for permission to access the property. I will update more when and if they catch them.

Girl Scout Cookies!!

I just got a call that the cookies I ordered are in! That will do wonders for my diet, good thing I only ordered 3 boxes. Just to warn everyone, they are no longer accepting checks. I now have to go to the atm and withdrawl cash to pay for my $3.50/box cookies. Yep that's right, $3.50 I sold them for $2 a box 20 years ago. They haven't changed the favorites and have added some new ones over the year. I would much rather support the girl scouts by buying cookies any day over the boy scouts popcorn. A small tin of popcorn is $9 and they go up from there. With Cordell being in scouts this year we spent $20 on trail mix.

Speaking of scouts, last night was the pinewood derby. Cordell made his car look like a mouse and Corby had a ship. Neither one was very fast, but Cordell's got quite the compliments. I'll try to post pics of them but it won't be until next month when they get the cars back.

I like to mentally make notes of my to do list-today I got the phone company called to fix our phone line, Carmen's birthday party reserved at Chuck E Cheese, Cordell's wrestling registration turned in and I did have time to run 1.5 miles. Now it's time to play Rockband with the hubby before bed.

The "B" Word

No, one of my children didn't develop a potty mouth, I'm talking about the dreaded Budget. Jake and I are participating in Financial Peace University, through our church. It's a 13 week dvd course put on by multi-millionaire Dave Ramsey. The first couple of weeks have been a breeze, until our homework included a monthly cash flow plan (sophisticated form for a budget)and an allocated spending report. I've tempted a few budgets in my day, after all I'm good with numbers. They just never seem to work and I'm stuck again with too much month left at the end of the money. I needed discipline, I buy what I want and then just shift all the money around to make it work. I have tried taking this homework seriously and have been doing it on time.

It took me an hour to do the first budget only to find out at the next class that I had to change some things in order to pay off our debts. The redo took me another hour, when Jake decided to tell me I did it all wrong. How frustrating, why didn't he suggest that in the first place, afterall we were supposed to be doing it together. I'm not quite finished with our March budget, but I hope to have it finalized by the time March rolls in here.



If you don't know about Dave's plan, he has you follow 7 baby steps to have financial peace.

1. $1,000 emergency fund

2. Debt snowball - payoff all your debt except your mortgage

3. 3-6 months expenses emergency fund

4. Save 15% for retirement

5. Save for college

6. Pay off mortgage

7. Build wealth & give



I am happy to say we are working on baby step #2, which will take us awhile, as Jake still has $9,000 left on his student loans. It feels really good to be working toward a goal though. If anyone is interested in the FPU let me know you can come with us to a class for free to check it out.

Weigh In

So today was the dreaded weigh in, I was up early this morning and debated whether to run on the treadmill before church. I decided we would all just go to early church, see I'm telling you my motivation has lacked. I stepped on the scale and in the last 2 weeks (since I skipped out on church last week) I lost 2.5 lbs. I had to step back on and check the numbers again, I couldn't believe that even though I had been putting crap in my mouth and not excercising, I still lost. Grand total so far of.......9lbs in six weeks. I'm hoping if I step it up a notch the last 11lbs I want to lose will come off before April.

Today I'd ask for prayers for a young mother who dealt with the death of her one year old Dec 30, 2007 and just recently her son Liam was born sleeping just 10 short days before his due date. I have never met her, but do know the father of her kids. I remember feeling so horrible after the accident that took her daughter, little did I know that 3 weeks later I would be dealing with my own grief of losing my baby. She is a strong woman, but know that she is suffering terribly right now and I know that she believes and will some day hold her babies again.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepard, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he lead me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for your are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I am looking forward to the upcoming Lent and Easter season, what better time is there to give thanks to our God, for the gift he gave us in the scarification of his Son. Jake and I watched Fireproof last night and if anyone hasn't seen it, I would highly recommend it. We both agreed it's the best movie we've seen in a long time. It's very powerful and it makes you think about how you can improve your own marriage.

I hope all of you have a blessed week,
Becky

A New Year - Time for change!

This past January we joined millions of others who wanted to lose weight. Jake and I didn't make resolutions to get fit but we joined our church's version of The Biggest Loser. We neither one are that overweight but we definately aren't as healthy as we could be. The first few weeks went pretty well, we cut out all pop, counted calories and were excersing nightly. I have not been motivated this past week and a half. I'm sure some of the 7.5 pounds I lost have somehow crept back on. It wouldn't have anything to do with the cup of frosting I just ate either. Seriously though, I need to kick my butt in gear, my goal is to lose 13 more pounds by April.

It's about time!

Welcome, I am finally venturing out into the blogging world. I have contemplated it for awhile and am just now getting around to it. I'm not a great writer, just thought everyone could be updated on our life with this.

Today being 16 months since Carter's birth, I thought I would share this poem that was written after he passed away by a lady in our church.

Our Smallest Lamb

Sometimes it is just too hard.

Too hard to understand and comprehend.

Too hard to bear the weight of sorrow,

And too hard to find words of hope for tomorrow.

We shudder at the thought-"If it was us,

What would we do if we were them?"

We cannot begin to feel the weight they bear,

And yet we know-Our God is there!

God sees it all and bends nearer the earth

So He can touch and hold and comfort one and all.

We know our Lord is no stranger to pain,

And yet our hearts cry-"Lord, was this in vain?"

There is no sense that we can make of it all.

We want to see-to understand,

But on this side of Heaven we may never know,

Why one day a little boy had to go.

Our smallest Lamb has left our flock,

And our hearts will never be the same.

We will never forget that he was here,

Anmd we pray that the Lord is holding him near.

We cannot take away the pain,

But we can be God's hands and feet.

And lift our loved ones up to Him,

And pray for His Eternal Healing to begin.

The sorrow nearly overwhels us all,

As we pray for strength and peace to come.

Lord we cannot say how we truly feel,

We only know we need you to be real!

Real enough to hold us up for we are weary.

Real enough to calm our hearts for they are pulsing.

Real enough to sense Your peace for our minds are fearful.

Real enough to comfort us now for we are broken.

Broken but not defeated.

Hurting but not beyond despair,

For we know oh Lord that you are here,

And above all else we know-YOU CARE!

You too have once lost a Son.

On a hill called Calvary-very lond ago.

So you know the loss and the pain,

But through your Son-our lives are gain.

So thank you Lord for all you do,

When we are at our very wits end.

We lay this burden before you throne,

Because we know-this Lamb was also Your Own!

By: Mary Baker

I can't believe that it has been almost 13 months since I last held my precious baby. I miss him so much, but my God is good. If it were not for my faith I would have been lost this past year. My life verse is I can do all things, through Christ who strenghtens me Phil 4:13

Nite