~~~ Sew, we’re debt FREEEEEEEE!!! And headed to DLP! ~~~ Spring 2018

[Wood Nymph]

Your camping trip at the farm looks like it was lots of fun. We saw huge inventories of campers at the RV centers when we were in Wisconsin last weekend. Hopefully you can get something for a low price.

It must be nice to see them working on your "home" for 17 days next May. It makes it feel more real to see where you will be staying.

I'm somewhat obsessed by the Hurricane Irma coverage. I have family in Naples and Fort Myers, which are expecting a direct hit. It seems like the waiting is harder than the "knowing." I just want to know that they are fine, then I can relax.

 

[DMGeurts]

Your camping trip at the farm looks like it was lots of fun. We saw huge inventories of campers at the RV centers when we were in Wisconsin last weekend. Hopefully you can get something for a low price.

It must be nice to see them working on your "home" for 17 days next May. It makes it feel more real to see where you will be staying.

I'm somewhat obsessed by the Hurricane Irma coverage. I have family in Naples and Fort Myers, which are expecting a direct hit. It seems like the waiting is harder than the "knowing." I just want to know that they are fine, then I can relax.

It was a lot of fun! I am looking forward to doing it again. The awesome part - for me anyways - was that I still had a real shower available to me. If Josh and I do get a camper - I really, really, really want a vintage camper - but that will take some convincing for Josh - as he is a "modern is best" type and thinks (for the most part) all my vintage stuff is just old and crappy... While I look at the new campers and think that they are over priced for crappy modern construction. LOL It's going to be difficult to find some middle ground here!

(photos used without permission from http://vintageyellowstone.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-vintage-yellowstone-restoration.html)

But to me - this is "camping" and exactly what I would want, just a small tow behind trailer with a booth/table (which would fold down into a bed if necessary), and a dedicated bed on the other side... My grandparents (Dad's parents) had a camper very similar to this when I was a child - and this is just so nostalgic to me.

Ahhh... What dreams are made of... After we are debt free, of course.

It is so fun to see the progress on BMTL's house!!! There were LOTS of pictures posted on FB the other day - and it's just beautiful, and huge (especially by Dutch standards) - and the windows!!! Yes - we are so excited for them!

I know, me too... I've been watching the news closely - I too have way too many friends in the path of Irma, and I am very unsettled about it... And I feel so helpless. Praying for all of them, as it's the only thing I can do.

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I have nothing to update today... Other than I did a "healthy living update" this morning on page 1.

I spent the day out with Allison yesterday, and we ran a bunch of errands.

Today - I plan to leave on a walk shortly.

Then I will work for a while.

Then I plan to go see Dad.

I hope you all have a great day... Sending prayers and pixie dust out to - most especially those affected in any way by Irma.

D~

 

[Clio]

The pictures of your dream camper looks like my niece's Shasta. They got a good deal on it and have fixed it up really nice but it's a little small for them and their two kids, now.
I'm glad your dad is adjusting to his little place and you an see him more.What I don't like about the Vera outlet store is that they don't have the retired
Nothing much is going on around here. My daughter and I did go to the Pittsburgh Zoo and had a great time walking around. On the way back, we stopped at the outlets. I did get a new Vera bag. It's solid navy. My daughter got another blanket because you can never have too many blankets. What I don't like about the Vera outlet is that the no longer carry the retired patterns and now have their own line.
Enjoy youe day
Liz

 

[rdkeim]

For what it's worth, I LOVE the look of the vintage camper! If your daughters aren't traveling with you, it looks like the perfect size for the 2 of you. Thanks for posting your healthy living update. You're really in the zone! I've gained back 10 of the 30 lbs. I lost over the last year and 1/2. But, at least it's not the entire 30. We have a wedding coming up and a Disney trip in Dec. so I'm trying to use those things as motivation to get my a** in gear

 

[Terkina]

I'm back and have caught up on your PTR.

We were on the road for 40 days visiting 20 countries, driving about 8389 miles. We got home on Sunday. Since then we have tried to clean up everything after the trip. The caravan has to be washed and cleaned both on the outside and on the inside. Yesterday and today we have cleaned it on the outside because the weather has been good. Tomorrow we will clean the car on the outside because it's going to be nice weather tomorrow as well. We will clean the inside of the caravan and car later because the weather doesn't have to be nice to do that.

My phone died half way through the trip. Luckily Ulf had his phone with him so we used that for the rest of the trip.

 

[Texan]

Hello there Dorine; just thought I would pop in as I am following along. I understand your feelings about your Europe trip. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my vacations with my husband, but this year I just really had a hard time putting everything together and moving forward. Just wasn't that excited for some reason. I think once you get closer to your date your excitement will build. I would love to see Normandy. One day. The new house in Holland is going to be amazing.

Good to hear your Dad is settling in better. I know he is enjoying all of his visits from family. With the holidays around the corner, it will be so nice just to have him a few minutes away.

Is Allison going to take college courses while living at home? I could not remember what her plans were. She has done amazing with her loan debt. It was a hard mistake for her to learn from; you should be so proud of her.

We are so glad to have you back on the boards, no matter what little tidbits are thrown here and there. Sending a hug Dorine.

 

[DMGeurts]

The pictures of your dream camper looks like my niece's Shasta. They got a good deal on it and have fixed it up really nice but it's a little small for them and their two kids, now.
I'm glad your dad is adjusting to his little place and you an see him more.What I don't like about the Vera outlet store is that they don't have the retired
Nothing much is going on around here. My daughter and I did go to the Pittsburgh Zoo and had a great time walking around. On the way back, we stopped at the outlets. I did get a new Vera bag. It's solid navy. My daughter got another blanket because you can never have too many blankets. What I don't like about the Vera outlet is that the no longer carry the retired patterns and now have their own line.
Enjoy youe day
Liz

Sadly - I don't think I am going to get my dream camper... We will see? But a girl can still dream, right? LOL

He is adjusting pretty well... He sure does light up when we walk in - so that's good.

I've noticed that -I have been very unimpressed by the VB outlet as of late... I'll stick with my Disney VB - as I still have quite the stock pile from last year - Likely another 5 years left of new bags to work through (all the same patterns. LOL)

It sounds like you had a great trip!

I hope you have a nice weekend Liz!

For what it's worth, I LOVE the look of the vintage camper! If your daughters aren't traveling with you, it looks like the perfect size for the 2 of you. Thanks for posting your healthy living update. You're really in the zone! I've gained back 10 of the 30 lbs. I lost over the last year and 1/2. But, at least it's not the entire 30. We have a wedding coming up and a Disney trip in Dec. so I'm trying to use those things as motivation to get my a** in gear

Thanks!!!! I don't think I will win too much of a compromise on this one - but I will be happy to have any camper one day, where we can go and have fun with family. And nope - no girls with us... We will always carry a tent for them, just in case. LOL

Thanks - it's going very well for me... I am getting anxious to weigh again, though I am trying to hold off for a few more days... I like to do it closer to the 20th of the month - I just don't want to get into the habit of becoming obsessed with the scale.

It's so hard isn't it... I had such a hard time when I was gaining... I just couldn't get back to it and it was such a struggle... Then I was feeling defeated and embarrassed on top of that - it just wasn't a good scenario. I just really had to get hard on myself - and a Whole30 wasn't it, as it was just too strict for my perfectionist mentality... and I knew that allowing dairy into my life with Primal wasn't restrictive enough... So, I just had to settle on Paleo - with a little bit of half and half in my coffee in the morning and a little bit of blue cheese on my salads. So far, so good. It's such a difficult journey we are all on, isn't it? There is no perfect solution. And at least you have good motivation!!! I miss using my Disney trips as motivation. Good luck to you - I know you can do it!

I'm back and have caught up on your PTR.

We were on the road for 40 days visiting 20 countries, driving about 8389 miles. We got home on Sunday. Since then we have tried to clean up everything after the trip. The caravan has to be washed and cleaned both on the outside and on the inside. Yesterday and today we have cleaned it on the outside because the weather has been good. Tomorrow we will clean the car on the outside because it's going to be nice weather tomorrow as well. We will clean the inside of the caravan and car later because the weather doesn't have to be nice to do that.

My phone died half way through the trip. Luckily Ulf had his phone with him so we used that for the rest of the trip.

Lillian!!!! Hello there my traveling friend!!! I knew you were off exploring the world - and I wasn't sure when you'd be home... I am so happy to see you here!

It sounds like you had a wonderful trip!!! I hope you were able to see and do all that you wanted to! I'd love to hear more about your trip when you have time to share it!

Bummer about your phone! Are you planning to replace it now that you are home?

Again - welcome back!!! It's great to see you!

Hello there Dorine; just thought I would pop in as I am following along. I understand your feelings about your Europe trip. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my vacations with my husband, but this year I just really had a hard time putting everything together and moving forward. Just wasn't that excited for some reason. I think once you get closer to your date your excitement will build. I would love to see Normandy. One day. The new house in Holland is going to be amazing.

Good to hear your Dad is settling in better. I know he is enjoying all of his visits from family. With the holidays around the corner, it will be so nice just to have him a few minutes away.

Is Allison going to take college courses while living at home? I could not remember what her plans were. She has done amazing with her loan debt. It was a hard mistake for her to learn from; you should be so proud of her.

We are so glad to have you back on the boards, no matter what little tidbits are thrown here and there. Sending a hug Dorine.

Hi Carol... Yah - this trip just isn't the same to plan for me... I think of DLP and I just get all "ho-hum" about it. Sad. And while I think it would be wonderful to see Normandy - I am just not all that excited about that either. LOL There must be something wrong with me? However - I am INCREDIBLY excited to see the littles and spend time with all of the family! We did enjoy Holland so much when we were there in 2011. I am sure - once we buy our airfare in a few months, then I will get excited. I hope.

Yes - he is doing much better... I still feel like there is an undercurrent there, but he seems to enjoy the rest of it... He is making a lot of friends, and everyone seems to like him. I truly enjoy taking my lunch to town a couple of days per week, and I just sit at the table in the dining room with him and his table-mates... We all chat and have a good time.

Allison's future plans change almost daily... Hahaha! It's true. As of this last week, she plans to pay off her student loans - all of them by the end of the year. Then she plans to live at home (though there has been some talk of her moving in with Gus... Trying to discourage this - because if they decide to move in together, there is no way she will be able to afford to go to college) and SAVE like crazy until fall - she hopes to save enough to pay for her first two years of college. She plans to step down to "on-call" only at her work in the fall (once she starts school) and continue to save as much as she can to pay for the remainder of college as she goes. She has no idea what she wants to do or to be yet... She talks nursing... Then she talks teaching... I told her just to GO and figure the rest out later. LOL So - that's all I can tell you now... I am sure it will be different next week.

Thanks - I need to do some sort of genuine trip planning something here soon...

It's always great to see you Carol... How's the family? The boys? Any plans for fall?

*************************************************************************************************************

I wish I had something exciting to update you all on... I didn't work at Target this week, so I was able to put in extra hours upstairs - which is good. Sadly - that was what my entire week consisted of, working...

I did go have lunch with Dad twice this week - this works out so well for me, as I just bring my own lunch and sit in the dining room with him... Dad isn't much of a conversationalist - so having his table-mates there to keep the conversation going is a huge blessing. We all have a good time, and they are good at keeping dad in line when I am not there.

Ummmm... Seriously - nothing else is new here. Still working hard, still paying off debt and making progress. Still eating well, and making good choices there.

That's about all! Thanks for continuing to check in, even though it's pretty boring at the moment. Have a great weekend all!

D~

 

[Ladyfish77]

Popping in to catch up. Sounds like your Dad is settling in--so happy to hear that. Love the vintage camper. I'm getting more interested in owning a camper. We have one for the dive shop that we keep at the lake where we do our training. I'm definitely spoiled not having to pitch a tent for the weekend!

We are in litigation hell. Every day brings a new lawsuit or craziness from BIL's ex. She has everything locked up where no one can touch anything (not that there's much to touch in the first place). My DH is supposed to be the executor of the will (which she is contesting is even valid). She has totally gone off the deep end. The sad thing is that it is her own sons who she is battling. She thinks she deserves everything because she's been a "good friend" to BIL and supported him through his illness. Sigh. She's even got the police investigating whether BIL was murdered (seriously, I can't make this stuff up). BIL died due to his transplant rejection and he died in the hospital. Lots and lots of medical people and medical records to prove why he died. Sigh. Did I mention they've been divorced for 24 years? Did I mention her new husband is a lawyer. Did I mention they don't need the money. Oh, and she evicted her son and granddaughters who she professes to love and want a relationship with. OK, sorry for the rant, but it is just so disgusting. We can't even mourn because every day brings a new piece of litigation or investigation. That's why I've been MIA. Need to spend more time looking forward to our WDW trip in November, but it's hard to focus on with all the noise.

 

[Texan]

Just sending a howdy your way Dorine. I saw some of your bags popping up at WDW; that must be so exciting. Your bags are all made with such care and detail. I love seeing the I-spy's.

That is so wonderful you are able to go have lunch with your Dad. I had to laugh at the comment that your Dad is not much of a talker. I am not either, I let others do the talking. But my Dad, oh my goodness, could he tell the stories. Any time any where. He was quite the talker and never met a stranger. I think I got my quiet streak from my Mom. Dad talked enough for all of us. I miss that more than anything. I hope your Dad finds his place more welcoming and more like home, day by day.

I don't about you Dorine, but I get so frustrated with Shane and his not knowing what in the world he wants to do. Two years of college and still no clue. He just continues to take courses for a Public Health degree but no clue why The degree didn't include a lot of math so he opted for it, good reason don't you think (ha ha)? Allison will find her way. Like you say, she just needs to jump in. So impressive that she is saving like crazy for school. We have the Texas Tomorrow Fund from when the boys were 5 and 1, I started paying into it. It pays for the tuition hours only, up to 120 hours. I pay for all fees and extras. Once it hits 120 hours, you are on your own. So, Tyler's 5th year we paid for, and we are giving him a loan for the master's program. When Shane quite school in the middle of a semester way back when, we lost 15 hours. College is so complicated. At least Allison has a plan for Fall. Tyler is loving his residency work. I miss him and Ariece like crazy. We have our Universal trip coming up the weekend of Oct. 6! I can't wait, but DH is already starting to grumble about crowds. The crowds in the parks during the day are apparently really crowded this time of the year with the Halloween nights, and we are going to the Halloween Nights the most crowded time as well, on a Saturday night, but that is the only night we could plan for. I am having to get slowly mentally prepare him and just hope for the best. I can't wait to see Tyler and Ariece, in Orlando! I know the weekend will just fly, but I am excited for a few days with them. I haven't been to Universal in forever, over 10 years. DH and I are going on another road trip the very end of October as well, for a week.

Love to hear how you are doing and what all is going on in your world. Love to see your healthy living and your wonderful smile and your beautiful family. Take care Dorine!

 

[DMGeurts]

Popping in to catch up. Sounds like your Dad is settling in--so happy to hear that. Love the vintage camper. I'm getting more interested in owning a camper. We have one for the dive shop that we keep at the lake where we do our training. I'm definitely spoiled not having to pitch a tent for the weekend!

We are in litigation hell. Every day brings a new lawsuit or craziness from BIL's ex. She has everything locked up where no one can touch anything (not that there's much to touch in the first place). My DH is supposed to be the executor of the will (which she is contesting is even valid). She has totally gone off the deep end. The sad thing is that it is her own sons who she is battling. She thinks she deserves everything because she's been a "good friend" to BIL and supported him through his illness. Sigh. She's even got the police investigating whether BIL was murdered (seriously, I can't make this stuff up). BIL died due to his transplant rejection and he died in the hospital. Lots and lots of medical people and medical records to prove why he died. Sigh. Did I mention they've been divorced for 24 years? Did I mention her new husband is a lawyer. Did I mention they don't need the money. Oh, and she evicted her son and granddaughters who she professes to love and want a relationship with. OK, sorry for the rant, but it is just so disgusting. We can't even mourn because every day brings a new piece of litigation or investigation. That's why I've been MIA. Need to spend more time looking forward to our WDW trip in November, but it's hard to focus on with all the noise.

I know - I just think it would be fun. I was also thinking it would be a "cheap" vacation option close to home... I was thinking I could budget like $500/season towards camping, but then I looked at campsite rates... $500/season would get us 10 nights of camping take/give. Camping is a bit more expensive than I thought... And that doesn't include any extra gas...

Oh no... This is just terrible - and sick. I am so saddened for you, for all of you. What an awful thing to have to go through at such a hard time. Please know I am thinking of you and sending lots of prayers and pixie dust your way.

Just sending a howdy your way Dorine. I saw some of your bags popping up at WDW; that must be so exciting. Your bags are all made with such care and detail. I love seeing the I-spy's.

That is so wonderful you are able to go have lunch with your Dad. I had to laugh at the comment that your Dad is not much of a talker. I am not either, I let others do the talking. But my Dad, oh my goodness, could he tell the stories. Any time any where. He was quite the talker and never met a stranger. I think I got my quiet streak from my Mom. Dad talked enough for all of us. I miss that more than anything. I hope your Dad finds his place more welcoming and more like home, day by day.

I don't about you Dorine, but I get so frustrated with Shane and his not knowing what in the world he wants to do. Two years of college and still no clue. He just continues to take courses for a Public Health degree but no clue why The degree didn't include a lot of math so he opted for it, good reason don't you think (ha ha)? Allison will find her way. Like you say, she just needs to jump in. So impressive that she is saving like crazy for school. We have the Texas Tomorrow Fund from when the boys were 5 and 1, I started paying into it. It pays for the tuition hours only, up to 120 hours. I pay for all fees and extras. Once it hits 120 hours, you are on your own. So, Tyler's 5th year we paid for, and we are giving him a loan for the master's program. When Shane quite school in the middle of a semester way back when, we lost 15 hours. College is so complicated. At least Allison has a plan for Fall. Tyler is loving his residency work. I miss him and Ariece like crazy. We have our Universal trip coming up the weekend of Oct. 6! I can't wait, but DH is already starting to grumble about crowds. The crowds in the parks during the day are apparently really crowded this time of the year with the Halloween nights, and we are going to the Halloween Nights the most crowded time as well, on a Saturday night, but that is the only night we could plan for. I am having to get slowly mentally prepare him and just hope for the best. I can't wait to see Tyler and Ariece, in Orlando! I know the weekend will just fly, but I am excited for a few days with them. I haven't been to Universal in forever, over 10 years. DH and I are going on another road trip the very end of October as well, for a week.

Love to hear how you are doing and what all is going on in your world. Love to see your healthy living and your wonderful smile and your beautiful family. Take care Dorine!

It is very fun for me to see so many people enjoying my hard work. Every time I see one there - it's like a piece of me is there enjoying the trip too... Strange, I know.

Yah - Dad is so much NOT a talker... So much so, that he often nods off or looks like he is sleeping, so I have to tap on his hand/shoulder to rouse him - to which he says "I wasn't sleeping, I was listening..." OK Dad... I know you miss your dad so much Carol - it's so hard when our parents are gone... I miss my mom terribly much - and she has been gone for the majority of my life - it's' not even the missing of "her" so much anymore, but all of the things I could have shared with her, and the girls too... I am lucky though - very lucky - as I have so many "other moms" who have stepped up and become very important people in our lives.

I hope Shane figures out what he wants to be soon... I know, for Allison (or even both of my girls), the fact that they have to pay for college themselves, they will get in and get r' done quickly... That's the hope anyways. LOL

How could I have forgotten about your trip??? Gosh... I am a bit disappointed in myself for that one. I am so excited for you - it's going to be a great trip - hopefully crowds aren't as bad as they predict. I will say though - at US, there was a definite difference in crowd levels and wait times between Allison's January trip and V's October trip - October was hands down much more crowded. I am glad you are prepared for that. You are staying at a US hotel though right??? I thought you were anyways... If so, I think you get into the parks early - I'd definitely take advantage of that.

I am glad you are enjoying my meager updates. Thanks for checking in!

************************************************************************************************************

Nothing too exciting to update here...

Josh and I spent the day on the road, a family member had their washer go out on them, and we happened to still have our old washer in the shed - so we delivered it 100 miles yesterday... Kind of trashed our whole Saturday, but it was nice to do a good deed. This family member has let me stay in their home countless times while dad was in the hospital - so it was the least we could do to return that favor.

Josh and I also went out for dinner last night... I didn't choose the best meal choice I could have - but I could have done a LOT worse too... It was a nice evening.

Today - we have a few errands to run... I want to stop by Dad's too.

I hope you all have an enjoyable Sunday.

D~

 

[Wood Nymph]

I can understand why you haven't been too interested in planning your DLP trip. It is just too far away and there are too many things to think about before then.

We were out of town this weekend visiting our daughter, son-in-law and youngest grandson. It was his 8th birthday and he was really excited about it. I told my daughter to enjoy it while you can because pretty soon he'll hit those pre-teen years when toys aren't interesting any more.

 

[Terkina]

How great that you could help out a family member by giving them your old washer.


This weekend I was at a conference outside of Oslo. It was nice. Next week Ulf and I are going to Vienna, Austria for a few days with fellow geocaching friends. I'm really looking forward to that trip.

I have sent my mobile phone to repair. I don't want to get a new phone since the one I had was only 1 1\2 years old. They say the repair can take 2 weeks. So I'm crossing my fingers that I will have it back before my trip to Vienna.

 

[ljcrochet]

That was nice you gave your family your old washer.
My washing machine is broken. My laundry hallway makes it next to impossible to replace. I think we found one. It would be nice to actually do a load of laundry without having to hope it drains enough to open the door and then having it do a few rinse cycles.

My mom has been physically gone a month but it has been almost a year since she got sick. I miss being able to tell her what is happening. Using her as a sounding board.

I haven't planned a thing for my December Disney/universal trip. Dh made adrs both other than that we have done nothing. But before Disney, I'm tagging along in DH's business trip to Copenhagen. I have to start planning for that.

 

[Ladyfish77]

Oh no... This is just terrible - and sick.

First court case is next week, pray for a judicious outcome!

I am having a hard time getting excited about our trip, because of this black cloud hanging over the family. But I'm sure a certain custom package that is due to arrive before my trip will get me excited again!!!

I'm kind of in that waiting with nothing to do stage of the trip--still over a month away, so plans made, dining ressies and FP+ made. Now the wait for the trip. I'm also going to a work convention in Orlando which I'm not too excited about, but I need to go. It will be fine because I plan to spend the evenings at Universal! I haven't been for about 6 years, so I am excited to see the new HP stuff. They had the first HP stuff open then, but the Diagon Alley portion wasn't created yet!

Hope all is well with you and the family. I'm sure you are glad V is back home!

 

[Iamthequeen]

I am finally back. I spent most of the summer creating costumes for our MNSSHP and making a dress for our Victoria and Albert's dinner - Charlie wanted to go with a 20s theme again. I didn't want a "flapper" dress, so I found a vintage pattern and made my own dress - directions were almost none existent, but I managed to figure it out. Thank goodness I have a dress form to use! Then, 2 weeks before our trip, my son comes to me and said his gf started a new job and did not have time to make their costumes....so naturally, Mom volunteered to make the gf's costume and a shirt for Steve.....what was I thinking???? I did finish everything with a couple of days to spare, but I did not finish packing until the night before we left. We had a great trip despite Irma's visit. Had to rearrange some details, and did not get to go to the water park, but that was ok.

My brother is there now, staying at Shades of Green. Can't wait to hear from him when he gets back.

 

[cajunfan]

I haven't stopped in for a while. Glad to hear things are a bit better with your dad. I hope they continue to improve.

I can't announce it on FB yet (and Matt really should not have done so either) but we have a trip booked for next year. I will have my house paid off next September, with the car note not too far after that, so I do not feel too guilty about booking this for then. Hopefully nothing will bow up and we can make it then!

Allison will decide what she wants to be in time. and keep encouraging her to go to college...it is a place to discover what you do want to do! My son was so scared to tell me he wanted to change his major after the first semester...I just laughed and reminded him that I changed mine 3 times..

Take care!

 

[gopherdame]

I hope you get your camper. That is so popular these days to redo old ones. My father and his wife fixed up my grandparents old one many years ago. We used it on our honeymoon to travel very cheaply. My niece just totally redid one for their weekend camping trips. They redid everything and it is so cute.

My husband just had cataract surgery. He is terrible about anything touching his eyes though so the drops have not been fun. He is getting a little better now. They weren't bad yet and his doctor said he would probably need them done in 3 years, but he just wanted to do it now.

We had a huge maple tree removed from our back yard. It had branches going over the house and we thought about just having some trimmed. But since we had to take down the fence to get the lift back there, we just decided to do the whole thing. It was quite expensive and we decided to remove the stump grindings ourselves instead of paying an extra $200. My husband likes to say we have more time than money. If I had known he would have a weight restriction after his surgery I would have paid it. It was a lot of work to haul it all and spread it around my garden as a mulch.

How nice of you to gift your old washer to your relatives and you even delivered it too. I hope it was at least a nice day for a drive. We're thinking about driving to Duluth for a few days. We haven't gone up there for a long time and it would be nice to see the leaves changing. We decided to close our cabin early before his surgery so we didn't get to see any leaves this year. It was lucky we got the dock out with his weight restriction.

We're heading to the apple orchard after my husband's follow up eye appointment since it's on the way. Hopefully no more rain today.

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

I'm still here, I promise! Work stuff cuts into my DIS and FB time -- not fun! LOL But I'm still here. Like you, not much exciting going on here, other than we think we found a lot for a house in a neighborhood that we really like. And we went to church there last week to see if the congregation was friendly and they really were -- a good mix of people and we really liked it. So we've told the builder we want him to hold the lot for us and we're starting on the prequalification process for the loan -- that scares me...I've put Mark in charge of that because even thinking about it makes my anxiety start to skyrocket. And we're looking for a house plan. I need to feel like I'm moving forward on getting settled somewhere. As much as I love my MIL, and as grateful as I am that she's letting us live with her rent-free, I just need to feel settled. But we should be able to pay off a good chunk of debt while we're living with her and that's wonderful. I'm paying off another small credit card today (only around $500 -- but it will be paid off). Here's a question for you -- I've heard different things about closing accounts -- should I close the account or cancel the account? It's not one that I plan to use again, and I'd like to be gone. Recommendations?

I'm so glad you're able to spend time with your Dad -- it sounds like he's feeling more settled and getting adjusted?

Brie is doing ok...she had a rough weekend and we spent some time on the phone with her while she cried. Mark ended up going up to see her Monday night and took her out to dinner. Turns out that she left her mailbox key and room key (not apartment key, just her bedroom key) with us when she brought her car down to leave it with us a week or so ago....and he also took her an assortment of fall/winter coats that were in storage since it's getting colder here much sooner than we expected. She's struggling with not being the best at everything anymore like she was in high school. Alyssa and I both went through that, and I feel like I'm going through it again with my adjustment to my new job, so I felt like I could relate to her feelings. We had a good conversation on Sunday and Mark had a good talk with her Monday night. We'll see her this weekend (going to her first lacrosse game, although it's highly likely she won't get any playing time, which is a first for her and making her sad and frustrated) and then she's coming for dinner Sunday since Alyssa and Andrew will need to be picked up at the airport and driven home.

Just like Allison, Brie hasn't really figured out what she wants to major in. She declared biochemistry but she's really not enjoying her chemistry class at all. So she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life and that stresses her out. I told her to take advantage of the opportunity she has in college to explore different subject areas. It can be an exciting time, if she'll just relax and let herself take different classes until she finds something that really sparks her passion. Allison will figure it out, too. SO impressed with the wise financial decisions she's making!

I need to watch that video you posted on FB...I'm feeling a glimmer of hope about our financial future as I look at our ability to pay down debt over the next several months. You are such a great example!

 

[branmuffin]

Hey D! Sorry I have been away for a while. I will explain below. But- your camping weekend looks so fun! I like your idea for a little camper for you and Josh. Although, I might have to agree with him on having the conveniences. Emma is always begging us to go camping. I remember camping in the mountains when I was a kid, and I always hated it. We slept in tents and had a make-shift port-a-potty. It was really roughing it. Anyway, I've loved seeing pics of your bags in the parks- it's so neat that so many are there at the same time! It was really great of you & Josh to drive all that way to deliver the appliance for someone. It is nice to know that people still take care of each other.

I have been a little distant lately on all social media because we are dealing with looking at a much more serious diagnosis for Quinn. I haven't told anyone yet, not even my parents. She hasn't been diagnosed yet, because it has to come from a specific doctor, but we have been told that she more than likely will. And when that happens it would be an automatic return to the States for us because they do not have the required resources here. So that puts us in a situation of looking at moving, requesting orders, dealing with commands and how it would affect promotions. None of that is as important as Quinn getting the help that she needs. I don't really want to name the diagnosis until they give it to us officially, and that could be a few months from now. For now, I have been trying to work with her more diligently on her speech and interaction. I find myself questioning every decision I have made with her since the day she was born, and thinking that I maybe if I had done more of this or less of that it might have been different, but they said nothing would have changed it. Anyway, That's where I have been. But I am caught up here now. I always enjoy coming here and reading about how things are going with you. Also- the Renaissance Faire looks fun; I've always wanted to go to one of those!

I hope you have a great weekend and week ahead!

 

[dnllmz]

Sorry I haven't been keeping up lately but just caught up.

She chopped off her hair on Monday!!! And it's ADORABLE!!!! I love it so much - it makes her look so grown up, and after her independent summer - it fits her perfectly... However - it does remind me a little of someone...

I love, love her haircut! It fits her perfectly.

The aprons and potholders are adorable! Great job.

Overall, it was a fun weekend! And it sounds like the camping will be an "annual thing"... Which means - Josh and I are hoping to buy a camper sometime next fall - likely not before next year's event though.

The camping trip looked fun. The vintage trailer you posted was cute but I'm like Josh and would prefer a modern one. When the time is right, I'm sure you will find one you both like.

I did go have lunch with Dad twice this week - this works out so well for me, as I just bring my own lunch and sit in the dining room with him... Dad isn't much of a conversationalist - so having his table-mates there to keep the conversation going is a huge blessing. We all have a good time, and they are good at keeping dad in line when I am not there.

It sounds like things are going well with your dad. That's good to hear!

Ummmm... Seriously - nothing else is new here. Still working hard, still paying off debt and making progress. Still eating well, and making good choices there.

All good things. Making good choices doesn't sound like much but it really is a big deal. Good for you! I started a workout challenge with a friend almost 3 weeks ago and it's going very well. It's nothing major. She just challenged some of us to do a 20 minute or so pilates video at least 5 times a week. I've been doing it more than that and really like it. It's really easy for me to do it at night while the kids watch their nightly tv show before bed. Last night I did an extra video and my 5 yr old daughter decided to follow along with me. She was so cute. 15 minutes after I finished, she was still trying to do one of the moves that she couldn't figure out.

Your steak fajita sheet pan looked really good. Keep making those good choices!