Saturday Evening Post

It's been a busy weekend and it is not even finished yet. But tomorrow is the Sabbath. I've done my cooking tonight, just to ensure that it truly is a day of rest. We will be feasting on shrimp and garlic potatoes, french bread, deviled eggs, and chocolate silk pie. YUM! Now, I like to cook my most elaborate meals for Sunday lunch, but this is more than usual, and my miserliness rarely allows me to spring for shrimp, but we have cause to celebrate. In addition to our risen Lord, we will be commemorating TWO MORE PIECES UP ON OUR DEBT SNOWBALL!!!! The kids are really getting excited, because the poster is over half-way back together. Cinderella is no longer dissected and Mulan and most of Belle are smiling from the wall. Unfortunately, I did not cut the pieces "to scale." They are all roughly the same size regardless of the amount owed. We are now to the BIG DADDY debts. I can't think too much on it, or I will depress myself--for now it is enough to know we are two steps closer to our elusive goal.
Tonight we kicked 'ole Sallie Mae to the curb. It irked me to no end paying on a student loan for ONE STINKING SEMESTER...NINE YEARS AFTER GRADUATION....FOR A DEGREE I DON'T EVEN USE. And doesn't look like I will be using any time soon. I went to yet ANOTHER job fair today. No good vibes. At most of the tables I asked what positions they would be filling for the next school year and the answers were something to this effect: "None that we know of...." "We have one position in third grade..." "You can leave a resume if something comes open that meets your qualifications..." BAH! I have no idea why districts put on these elaborate, expensive job fairs, if they aren't planning on hiring a considerable number of personnel. So much for my "fall back" degree.
We camped on Friday. The kids had a good time. Cara did not. I had to bail on the tent camping experience once again to bring a fussing baby home to their own crib. You'd think I'd learn by now. Luckily, we were close to home and my midnight drive only lasted an hour. Pictures--of the fun, not the fussing--coming soon.

Two More Pieces!

Tonight we put up two more pieces to our debt snowball puzzle. That is exciting!! We called the whole family in for a little ceremony. I hummed a processional march and the children cheered as I pasted some climbing roses, Snow White, and one half of Cinderella into place. It has been a LONG, LONG, time since we have been able to add to the Disney Castle collage. Before the move, before Cobra premiums and two house payments, before Cara. Without a second income, our snowball wouldn't budge. No way, no how.
But we finally got the last payments for our vending machine business--in one lump sum. Guess the dead beat didn't want to show up for court. We were scheduled to appear mid May. One of the debts we payed off was Marina's adoption loan. WooHoo! It feels good to pay off any creditor, but even better knowing that money will be turned around to help another child come home. I let her kiss it before sticking it up on our puzzle. Her ransom is paid in full.

Hodge-Podge Post

I've been out of blogger sync the last week or so. It's working great for my comments, though! Six comments on that last copy/paste post. That is tied with my all-time record from Just Another Day. And that was from my surprise, "We Have A Daughter" post. By holding out posts, I force your hand to comment on posts you wouldn't normally comment. Ahh....blogger strategy. Of course, you can counter move by tagging me. Like Suz. Accordingly, here is my fourth picture from my fourth file.

This is a three year old Ian at DisneyWorld's Magic Kingdom in 2005. If memory serves, this photo was taken right across from Mickey's house, where my sister and I stood in line for HOURS to get the kids' pictures taken with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and the Ducks (Donald and Daisey respectively). When we finally finished, it was LATE, and the rest of the fam got tired of waiting for us and disappeared. We hung out in this toddler play area and put out some APB's on the cell phones. Yes, he was still having a great time even at dark thirty. For Ian, it's always a good time for a party. He cannot wait to go back. We have a cut up poster of the Disney castle in a zip-lock bag and a matching blank poster board on the back of our closet door. Each piece of the poster represents one debt and the poster board is market with the name and amount. As we pay off a debt, we put a piece of the puzzle poster up. When the picture is complete, we will be debt free (except our house) and have the four thousand dollars in hand for a return trip to Disneyworld. Ian is the only one who checks our progress almost weekly. Dave Ramsey would be so proud.

I tag Kelly the aforementioned sister, and Katy from "Beyond Decaf" if you are reading, Mamaporuski, and Allison. ** Post the fourth picture in the fourth file on your computer.**

I want to give you all a sneak peak of our Christmas picture. For those of you who have not e-mailed me your address, this is as good as you are going to get. I'm contemplating drafting a newsy family letter to include with the photo-card as I have in the past, but I've always gotten pretty personal with those. The secretary said the last pastor always sent out a family letter to the CONGREGATION and told me she would be happy to help me with it this week. I took this as a not-so-subtle hint. Sigh. Could I really open up and be myself with the church at large? Excuse me while I put my head between my legs and breath into a paper bag....

I know we are stunningly beautiful, but as this is a pirated picture, please resist the urge to print it and sell them to the highest bidder. Thanks. Abby's hair is a trifle fluffy, and Randy had a goofy fish face, but all in all it's not bad. I think the photographer could have waited for a full blown smile from Cara. He wasn't much of a kid person, but it is not difficult to get a smile or even a chuckle out of her, she is that good natured. Here is proof:

Jenny, if you are out there reading, please let me know how I can contact you, because that link from your comments is a dead end.