happy last friday in july!

well, you all will be happy to hear that I was able to snatch some dinner last night, even got seconds! Yummy spagetti cassoral (sorry Jen, forgot to tell you!) I've been getting annoyed lately... at people who aren't like me. When people aren't on time, don't do things they say they are going to, forget to return things to you, or don't return them in the same/better condition. Anyone know the feeling? I don't know why I do that, usually it's not even affecting me. If I just know about it it annoys me. Sometimes I think I'm better than people because of certain things I do/don't do. Maybe now's the time to work on that:) Hope you are having a great weekend!!

diagnosing the problem...

So for some reason I've had this major urge to move...not like move up the block or something, I want to move out of the country(at least for a little bit). I can't figure out why, and why I am not actually just doing it, if I want to so bad. It's not that I want to get away from the people...I don't know what it exactly is though. I think I struggle with our American culture. The self centeredness, pride, selfishness...hm can't think of other words right now. But it sometimes feels like I can't be who I am or want to be because of it. Does that make sence?? (If not, don't worry) I want something new, not to be stuck in the same ol' same ol' thing. For some reason (depending on where I have in mind to go) the biggest thing holding me back is this job. I can't imagine one day walking up to McKenna's parents and saying, I'm sorry but I am leaving and don't know when I am coming back. Who know's though, maybe it's some sort of illness that can never be cured! YIKES!

But for today my traveling spirit is just taking me to Belmont. Because we have 12 extra people in our house this week, I'm the one who got kicked out becasue I wake up so early and noone else wants to get up when I do, why not people?? I'm staying with a friend tonight and tomorrow night. Then we're in Canada over the weekend and I come home early next week to work so I'll have my house to myself for a night I think then it's off to another friends' house for a couple nights till most of my family leaves, then I think I'll be allowed back in (I'll have to check with the head momma on that one though I think). HAHA my mom is funny right now, with all these people over she is kinda going crazy I think. She is having a great time with her siblings but like this morning I came back home with the baby for breakfast because it wasn't ready before i left for work, and she totally forgot to feed me! She fed everyone their french toast and eggs and I came out of my bedroom and everything was gone and everyone had left! My sister said she didn't get fed either. And yesterday they all went to the beach and somehow my sis and bro didnt get fed there either. I guess she's teaching us to be more forceful, devour what we want before anyone else can get their paws on it. That's the lesson, right mom? Oh well...It sure is fun to see my family again!


Jen just re-taught me how to do menus on my videos that I'm putting onto DVD so that means I can get the ones on my computer onto DVD and start working on ISRAEL!!! YEA! I am SOO SOO excited to work on that.

My life according to...ME

Being as addicted to this Blogg thing as I am, it's starting to make my life seem kinda dull. I keep wanting to post but can't think of anything interesting to talk about! I just got stung by a bee though, that's pretty interesting to me. I've only been stung one other time at my neighbors house, but now I was just sitting outside in the sunshine while the baby slept and I crossed my ankles and I guess there was a bee inbetween them because it hurt! So now it's all white and puffy...I don't think I'm susposed to do anything about it am I? I went to the doctors on Monday for a "routine" (once every 8 or 9 years in my case) physical exam. Yikes, it was crazy but they ended up having to draw a bunch of blood in order to check my cholestoral because of my dad's heart attack and now my arm has this sick bruise on it where I was shot. It has this big purple line running through it, hope that isn't bad. And then today... I had an eye exam cause I didn't like my other contact lenses so she gave me new ones that are $50 a box per eye! YIKES! I just bought one box of each so when I get them I can look on-line for cheaper ones.

My mom's family is coming into town starting this weekend. That is pretty exciting. We have an extended family reunion in Canada next weekened for a couple days so we decided that most of the closer family would just come to our house the week before and the week after for our own family reunion cause we haven't seen them in forever! I'm excited to see them again, I wish more cousins were coming but we will still have fun. I love having people I know come to Grand Rapids where I've lived all my life and show them around and stuff. Well I suppose I should be off finding better things to do with my time right now...hope you all are havin' and great day!

Free to Disagree...2

Well this started out as a reply to comments on my last post on this book but I just kept typing and typing so I decided to just post it:) Something Jen's comment made me think of was at another point in this book the author talks about gossip. Gossip was one of those things that i never felt I had a clear definition to, so I started to ignore it. I read what he wrote on it and I haven't forgotten it since. So not to preach at you or anything... but maybe it'll help you a little too:) He says, "The sin of gossip occurs when a person gives and unauthorized, distorted, or false report that influences another person to form a bad opinion about the person being talked about." I never thought about it that way, it is so true though. That definition is showing the power that our words totally have! Just by saying ONE thing about someone, we can cause a person to have a flase opinion about someone else so easily! Whether we are talking about our friends, parents, siblings... He also suggested some questions one should ask themselves in order to detect or become more aware of gossip/slander. (It's hard for me to ask these cause I tend to judge the person who's gossiping and I forget that I am just as bad as them, hopefully I can use these just to kindly talk to my friends and maybe try and make them aware, as well, when they are gossiping.) "

1. Why are you telling me this?
2. Where did you get this information?
3. Have you gome to the people named?
4. Have you personally checked out all the facts?
5. Can I quote you if I check this out?"

"(This) reminder just might be the dam that holds back the rampaging river of gossip."

bUdGEts...

So I FINALLY started working on my very first budget last night. I don't know why it took me so long, I guess it probably had to do with the fact that I didn't think I was a bad handeler of my money. Which compared to some people, I'm not, but none the less I guess it is wise to have a budget to help me reach my goals and help me be a wise steward of what I've been given. Just trying to balence it has been really hard. I'm trying to balence it using the least amount of money I could make in a week to be sure I have enough each month, but it has been SO hard making sure I have enough in every catagory. Before the days of the budget I enjoyed "splurging" every once and a while on things like clothes, spa, vacations, ect... yet I always had pleanty money to pay my bills at the end of the month, so I didn't see a problem with that. I guess the reason I'm having a hard time now is because I have catagories I am putting money into each week like car repair/replace, doctor and dentist, and those are things that don't happen everyday. So I know I will be thankful I set money aside when the time comes to fix those brakes and get new tires. I guess the more I think/talk about budgets the more I applaude them. It is going to make me so much more aware of what I "need" as opposed to what I really want. I'm sure I'll make mistakes and get confused and lazy in it all, but hopefully I'll keep it up and the Lord will be glorified through the way I spend this money. AND hopefully I will be able to afford many, many more trips out to Jackson Hole...or just maybe one LOOOONNNNNGGGGG trip out there;). Or maybe just get married so I have an excuse to move somewhere...don't exactly know why marrying someone would necessarily give me the excuse to move away, but hey - it just might! So thanks again to my "financial advisor" out there, yer makin it all happen!
Baruk Hashem