twenty-eight's gonna be great!

So I may not have been exactly thrilled about turning 28, but I have some wonderful people in my life who made this and awesome weekend!  Breakfast crepes, flowers, gifts, ice cream, movies, snow tubing, birthday cake, singing, phone calls, Ragtime the musical, dinner... it was all so great!  And I'm glad we chose to not go camping this weekend, we'll go some other time :)

twenty (freakin') eight

Birthday weekend is quickly approaching. The big 28.  I am so tired of being an immature 27-year-old and want to be able to make mature decisions like my 28-year-old friend, Jennifer Jo Meier. I mean, that's what you said, right Jen?  She makes me more excited to be 28, I still get a little saddened when I think about how close to 30 that is, but that is only during times when I compare my life to where I had always thought I would be at this point, not where I actually am. So I guess here is another chance to simply praise the God who holds my life in the control of His wonderful hands.

I guess it wouldn't look quite like this,
but I thought it was cute and
birthday-y looking :)

My sister asked me this week what I wanted to do for my birthday (I have this habit of making decisions that will please others). We talked about camping and I think that would just be so great if it worked out! It's been such a mild winter that there is a possibility but there is also a rainstorm coming through on Friday followed by a nasty cold front so we will see. I can dream.

a bit more southern

You know you're turning into a southerner when you're annoyed by arrogant comments made by the northerners about their excellent snow driving skillllllz.

credit weight

I hate credit cards. It doesn't click with me. I've never held a balance so it's not that.  It's just the feeling of....never catching up, possibly? The idea that every month the things I am paying for, I bought last month (or 2 months ago!). The bill I pay this week has a purchase from December 18th! I can barely even remember December, that was SO long ago! I am trying to wean myself off of using the one credit card I own and go strictly to debit. Sure, I'll miss out on those reward points but as little as I use the card, I think that having my sanity back is more important than a $20 check every few months! The biggest problem I am running into by switching is that I am now trying to pay off those December and January purchases made on the card as well as anything I buy this month.  My paycheck can't afford all of that. I don't know the best solution. I could keep putting little things on the credit card but how is that helping my cause? I could take some money out of savings and promise that I will replace it. That's probably what I will end up doing because I am tired of not being able to occasionally go out with friends and buy dinner when they buy dinner. Credit can be handy and I am grateful for it at times, but it feels like a heavy weight on the shoulders that I just want to get rid of! I remember buying my first (pretty expensive) desktop computer in high school and signing up for the Best Buy credit card because it offered 0% financing for a year.  I started making the small monthly payments and I believe that lasted for one month before I couldn't take it anymore and just payed off the entire thing! Alright, that does it - I am on a strict budget until I get caught up and this shiny, blue VISA will be laid to rest in my dresser drawer at home (and if it comes up missing, I'm coming after YOU!) :)

James, a bond-servant of God...

Memorizing is going well so far this week. We have 5 people, that I know of, who have committed to doing it which is really neat. It still hits me at random times what I am doing... Memorizing an entire book!? But also, there are times when I catch myself unconsciously going over the verses in my mind. It's good :)