September Financial Update~

If you'll recall, August was kind of a downer month on this whole financial situation.  I was getting impatient on the purchase of a new vehicle.  This is still a bit of a problem, but I did much better this month than last month.  Baby steps, I guess.  I held myself accountable to all outgoing money, and as a result, we were able to add more to the car fund.  Progress is, well, progress.  No matter how little.

1. Get PMI taken off of our Home Loan -Done in February!

2. Pay off Alex's small student loan ($641.00 to be exact)-Done in June!

3. Save enough money to replace Jolie's car by November 1, 2013 in cash! I was able to add to this fund in September, and we are up to 47% of our target at the moment.  If I add in the value of our car, which we will either sell or trade in, I am up to 67% of our target.  Not bad!  Accountability sure helps the results;-)  Hopefully next month I'll have good news too~

The Race....

It has been busy around here to say the least.  Here's a run down of the week:

Monday-both home around 5:30.  Score!

Tuesday-Alex had a meeting until about 7:30 at the lake.

Wednesday-I traveled to KC with my volleyball girls, and Alex ran the kids to church where he helps with the midweek program!  Everyone was tired this night!

Thursday-Alex had a young professional's organization meeting, and he got home around 7.

Friday-Alex texted me to feed the kids but not myself.  Hmm.  Something was up!  This thoughtful guy called Grandpa to come babysit for a couple of hours so we could have some time to catch up!  Yep, that's right folks.  We needed to talk about the weekend, clothes, haircuts, the checkbook, and all that stuff married people talk about when they actually see each other;-)  It was a good breather, and I won't lie.  I enjoyed the quiet of eating an entire meal without anyone needing me;-)

Saturday-I got up at 5:45 and was on a bus bound for Emporia by 7:30.  The girls had a rough morning to say the least.  We were home much earlier than I would have liked:-( Once I got back, I ran to the mall to grab some new jeans for Rowan since he is a Growan Rowan these days.  I got home about 3 and just in time to go to the neighbor's 4th birthday party!  It was a great party, but I'm exhausted. 

One more week of volleyball, and I'm hopeful for some pictures to make an appearance again;-)  The kids are doing great, and we are all healthy.  Many blessings at our house~

Make a Difference Monday

Sunday at church our pastor challenged us to follow through with "Make a Difference Monday."  The premise-go out of your way to do something unexpected or nice for someone.  Her suggestions were the typical: pay for someone's groceries, surprise someone with something they don't anticipate, call a friend etc.  I was moved by her sermon, and I felt that it was something I could certainly do. 

The truth of the matter is we get caught up in our own lives.  I get caught up in cooking, and school, and laundry, and cleaning, and all of the stuff that is really of little significance in the very end.  I mean, yes, we must eat and have clean clothes, but in the very end, the only important things I will leave behind will be the relationships I have formed with people.

I was touched and moved to be better.  Give more.  Go outside of my comfort level and give of my talents.  It takes energy and a little time, but it is certainly something I plan to do on a regular basis.  In fact, this just might be my new self improvement goal.  Make a Difference Monday~   

Week in Pictures~

Before bed after a LONG day!  Isla has finally figured out books!  Yeah!

Oh how she has Daddy wrapped around her little finger~

I know, don't judge the paci.  She only gets it at night!  Isla had been to bed once already, but she just wasn't ready.  She needed some Daddy love!

Cool weather means a fire pit!  Yeah!

Sassy liked it!

Sassy really wants to climb the swing set, but she just isn't quite brave enough yet!

Sibling love!  They really do love each other!

Dixie, our beloved dog!  What a good puppy she is!

The kids and I before church last Sunday!  Sassy is finally letting us put her hair in a pony tail.  It stays for a while;-)

Tired Doesn't Even Sum It Up~

It is a beautiful fall evening here, and our house is open with the fresh cool air drifting through the house.  We enjoyed a beautiful little fire pit complete with Smores this evening before we put the kids to bed.  It was fabulous, and I always forget how much I love homemade Smores:-)

We have made it through another week of volleyball, and can we just say that work is kicking my ever-loving rear end, and there is just so much of it to do.  I have worked late many nights this week, and I have lots to do on Sunday to finish up our current unit. :-(  I miss my kiddos and the stress-free days of summer, but I have a fantastic husband who is helping us get through this!

Don't get me wrong, I love coaching volleyball.  It is fun, and I truly love this sport.  I just wish I could do it in the normal 8 hours of a day that most people work.  Tuesday was an 11 hour day, Thursday a 13 hour day, and I have a volleyball tournament tomorrow!  It is just so time consuming, plus I have to stay on top of the classroom.  It is so frustrating to be a teacher, not in the fact that I don't love the kids, but in the fact that there is just so much work to do all of the time! Sigh. 

So, it's a Friday night, and I just spent 45 minutes catching up on the emails I needed to reply to today and making a line up for our volleyball tournament tomorrow!  It's a rowdy Friday here;-)

The kids are doing great, and I hope to post some pictures before the weekend is over.  Hopefully;-)

August Financial Update

I'm bummed and frustrated at my lack of progress on my goal for a car.  Truth be told, I've given myself a lot more freedom lately, and while it is fun, it has definitely shown in my lack of progress;-)  We've had many conversations here that go something like this:

Me- "Can I please just go buy a frieking car?"

Big Al- "Do you have enough money?"

Me- "Not exactly."

Big Al- "And why is this a conversation, then?" 

Me-:-(  Sad heart

This is funny, only because we have switched roles so much in this journey.  Alex a.k.a. the spender, and me a.k.a. Mrs. Tightwad.  Every Sunday I go to church, and I hear a message such as "Contentment," and "Material items don't make you richer."  It's a message I so desperately need to hear, and I continue to come to peace with our decision to purchase with cash.  

The decision to pay in cash requires much patience, and my patience is dwindling:-)  Thank goodness Alex is here to keep me grounded and on track.  

With that said, I'm so frustrated with myself, I'm not even going to post my progress this month, but I'm coming back in September with the challenge to not buy anything that is not consumable or a necessity.  The new curtains for my living room will have to wait as will new clothes for the kids!  Progress must be made!!!!! 

1. Get PMI taken off of our Home Loan -Done in February!

2. Pay off Alex's small student loan ($641.00 to be exact)-Done in June!

3. Save enough money to replace Jolie's car by November 1, 2013 in cash!

Week in Pictures!

Labor Day weekend was glorious at our house, and we are starting the week all caught up and even a little ahead;-)  Love it when that happens!

The K-State game was fun on Saturday!  We left Sassy with Alex's parents, and we headed to Manhappiness with Rowan in tow.  He was so excited to go, and while he did pretty well, we have determined he is still not quite old enough to enjoy the Wildcat experience;-)

So excited to ride the school bus up to the stadium!

He spent a lot of time on the concrete at my feet.  At one point, he was even laying down underneath the bleacher!

Look at all that purple.  Oh how we miss this!

Money well spent;-)

Sunday night we headed to Orange Leaf!  Sassy loves that stuff.  She demanded we go;-)

Rowan had orange and brownie with sprinkles.  It was actually really good!  Tasted like a chocolate orange you get at Christmas-really.

Sunday we had a fantabulous fireworks show at the golf course by our house!

It really was impressive!

I had made a wreath last Halloween, but Big Al said it was too early for orange.  So I put purple on it;-)

Sassy playing with Dixie!

Maybe the caption should be, "Abusing Dixie."

No, that's love for sure!

Look at these eyes!  Don't mind the hair in the eyes.  I try to do the bow, but she won't have it~

We enjoyed Happy Hour!  I think Isla enjoyed it the most.  She finished off everyone's ice!

This is supper for tomorrow night.  See-ahead;-)  It is smoked pork enchiladas. I'm pretty excited to put these in the oven tomorrow!

As far as my goals, I did pretty well!

1. Take Rowan to the K-State football game today!
2. Clean our bathroom top to bottom-including the toilet.  I really hate the toilet. Alex helped with the shower, and it looks amazing!
3. Brown and freeze 6 pounds of hamburger.
4. Sunday School and Church on Sunday!
5. Run twice!-Fail!  I ran once, and it was really humid!
6. Finish the book I started the end of July.  I've got some serious reading to do to get this done! Fail!  I read a little bit, but I still have quite a bit to do!

I could also add to this list- buy new glasses, update Christmas spreadsheet, update checkbook, complete laundry, go fishing with the kids, dust, clean doors, grade and enter papers, finish 2 things for school that had to be done, and catch up on Bunheads in the DVR;-)  It was a great weekend!

Happy Labor Day!

It is a three-day weekend here at the Darby household!  Can we say, "Yippee!"

 So far we have gone and purchased 2 new pairs of glasses for me after I lost two this week.  Isla helped destroy one pair, and I took a volleyball to the face to seriously maim the other pair:-(  Isla and I did our usual Target weekend run, and the boys are over helping Grandpa work on Aunt Reesa's car.  The goal is to get some rest over the holiday weekend, but I have a few things I'd like to accomplish.

1. Take Rowan to the K-State football game today!  (I'm way excited about this!)
2. Clean our bathroom top to bottom-including the toilet.  I really hate the toilet:-(
3. Brown and freeze 6 pounds of hamburger.
4. Sunday School and Church on Sunday!
5. Run twice!
6. Finish the book I started the end of July.  I've got some serious reading to do to get this done!

See, no stress. Easy going and laid back weekend!  Happy Labor Day!