The windows and doors are in! They all look fabulous. They had to cut some drywall to install the pocket door which I expected. Will just have to repair it.

The storm door works great, and the cat has already figured out how to use it. No more drafts.

The mortgage payment has hit bringing our total down to $47,920.23! Yay, finally got to the 47s!

In other news, I was recently put on a a round of new medicine for a week. It made me terribly sick. Joint pain, shivering, sweating, metallic taste, constant headaches and nausea. I haven't been able to eat much and have lost 4 pounds in 3 days. Not sleeping. I'm also vomiting, which I haven't done in over 10 years. I've been hurting so much that I've spent the last several days crying, sitting by the toilet, and trying to make it through work.

The taste of the pills themselves are so horrible that I had to wrap them in bread or candy to swallow them without them coming back up.

Yesterday was the last straw and I decided I couldn't do it anymore. I stopped taking it at the halfway point. I called the doctor this morning and they said they don't think they have a substitute, and that I need to tough it out. But they are going to call me back. I'm sorry, but it is literally poison to my body. I don't think I've ever felt so sick, and as a person with heart and lung problems that is saying something. I'm not a weakling, but this is ridiculous. Sorry, not taking it. (I've taken a lot of medications in my life time, and NEVER get side effects)

After 24 hours I feel a lot better, and was able to hold down some breakfast this morning. My taste is still messed up, but apparently the side effects can last a couple months. Hopefully not.

I feel wiped out. It's been hard adjusting to working so much. I'm going to have to be careful managing my time so I can stay up on my web design work.

Was able to pay towards the computer, my credit card, and purchase some hay. Feeling pretty good.

Today is payday at the vet, but I will only being getting one day of wages on this check. I will be putting it towards the fence. I've got the money to pay the installer, and I have already purchased the actual fencing. Just need to buy the posts, concrete, and little things like staples.

I am so tired of waiting on people.

Still waiting on the fencing guy.
Still waiting on the windows/doors.
Still waiting on the bank to mail the papers for the LOC.
Still waiting on the carpenter to cut our closet trim.
Still waiting on the repairman to fix our broken furnace.

I am paying all these people, I don't now why they keep dragging their feet. I have all this stuff needing done, but no one to do it. I've called and called and they keep promising it will be done next week. And then the week comes and goes. Gr.

So frustrated.

The goats are going to their new home tomorrow. It's sad, but good at the same time. They are costing me several dollars in food a day. And I'll be glad to have one less pen to take care of.

They will certainly be missed.

Well I am really enjoying the vet job. Except for yesterday was pretty scary.

First the other new girl, (who was extremely lazy and drove me crazy) had a flat tire and was less than 15 minutes late. She did call and say she was running late. When the boss got in she was instantly fired. That is kind of concerning... What if I have a flat tire, or I get stuck behind a train, etc... Yikes.

Also, I'm not sure what happened with the other workers, but the boss was in a rage from something they did and basically laid down a bunch of new rules, and took privileges away. Such as everyone was getting paid breaks, but now no one is getting breaks at all. She is cleaning out the break room and turning it into an office. She just bought them a picnic table a couple days ago and she hauled it off. If anyone is caught on their phone it's instant termination. If you forget to clock in, too bad you work without pay. Plus a bunch of other rules which I'm not really sure affect me. But she sure gave several people a chewing out, in a nice "polite" voice that was just rich with attitude. She was very nice to me. I guess because I wasn't involved with all of it. Basically she said it's her business and she can do whatever she wants, so she took away all the fun and rights, except what she is required by law.

Anyway, it was a bit frightening, and no one argued, but I'm sure this isn't the end of it... Kind of hoping she was just having a bad day, and that it will die down soon.

I'm pretty tired from all the early mornings. Starting next week I will have a set schedule of Monday afternoon and Tuesday and Thursday morning. Everyone is also required to come in on Wednesday for an hour and a half for a staff meeting. Which kind of sucks since I live 30 minutes away... Driving up there 4 days in a row may be too much for me, so I may have to cut down one of my working days. I tried to get a shift on Wednesday but they didn't have one open right now.

Overall the work isn't bad, the workers are fun. Just do not tick off the owner. She is not a nice person.

My goats I sold a while back have been paid for, and they should be leaving next week. I also sold my horse trailer, although I won't get the money until January. I paid down the credit card, and I will put back $250 for the animals. I did purchase some of the fencing materials, and I can't wait until they get started on that.

Well the good news is that the vet called me this morning and said they loved working with me, and that I'm hired!!!

I start tomorrow.

The tough news is that while I was on the phone with the vet my old job called... Apparently their secretary quit this morning, and the pastor was calling to beg me back again. I feel just horrible. For those who don't know, I worked for my church for 3.5 years, and quit in January to pursue Web Design. It did have it's perks. I worked mostly alone, and I could take off whenever, or leave early, surf facebook, etc. But it was a very stressful job, 5 days a week, with only 30 hours, 2 days were split shifts. They would call me at night, I would have to come in on weekends, lots of responsibility, and last minute emergencies, etc. They have been struggling to find a replacement ever since then, and I've been asked dozens of times to come back.

I had to tell him that I just accepted a new job offer, and I'm sure he is hurt since I don't want their job but I took another... It was just too much for me to handle all the stress and days and do the web design. The vet job is only 2 or 3 days a week, and it's over after my 5 hour shift. No stress no mess.

Now he is trying to offer me just working a day or two, and a significant pay raise. Ugh.

I feel guilty. I see these people several times a week, and they are really struggling. He says no pressure, but he was practically crying and asking what he could do to change my mind. And it's apparent they are falling apart and need my help. So while there is no "pressure" there is a LOT of implied pressure.

I will talk to my husband, but he is going to say no way. I have to agree, I don't think I want to take on 3 jobs, even if it is only 1 day a week.

But we will see. I think I need to try out the vet job and see how I handle that before I tack on any additional work. But it's hard to turn down a friend that really needs my help. It's so hard to stand strong, especially when I get asked by numerous well meaning people every week. When it's all going down the crapper everyone looks at me to fix it. I guess I should feel honored since I excelled at my job, but it puts a lot of burden on me.

No word yet on if I got the job, but I'm nearly positive I will get it.

The owner wasn't there yesterday, but I think the other staff enjoyed me being there. They said I fit right in, and that I offered to help and worked more than any other person that had shadowed.

It was fun, but it was exhausting! Yikes. I didn't realize how long it had been since I actually had to stand on my feet for 6 hours. (I'll need to dig out my comfort shoes I work when I worked fast food)

They are so busy there. Goodness, both of the girls skipped their breaks because they felt guilty leaving the other alone to deal with all the business. I can see why they need more workers. I was mentally and physically tired afterwards, and I mostly just watched. I will definitely have to build up some stamina, and bring something to drink next time.

Overall I think it will be a good fit, although it is a LOT of hard work. Exercise is good for me.

The clinic is actually open until 6pm, 3 days a week. And I didn't get home until nearly 7 last night. So I'm thinking I will try to work the morning shift as much as I can. I hate getting up early, and I really enjoyed the evening staff (the morning ladies are a little more cranky) but I would really like to be home to cook dinner, and also feed my animals before dark. Ideal would be morning shift 2 days a week, and evening 1 day a week. We'll see what happens.

FINALLY got a hold of the fencing guy. He says he will put it up in November. Right now is harvesting time (farmer) so he is swamped. I also called the window guys, and my order should be there in 10 days. So hopefully the windows and doors will go in soon.

Husband and I made a push and got the archway trim all done and up. It looks great! That means we are done with trim until the windows and doors come in. It's weird not having a project to work on! Our house is still in chaos, but basically everything is waiting on something else which requires money.

After we pay for the windows, we will begin saving to refinish the floors. After they are done we can put in all the baseboards, and we really will be done with trim!

I finally had the interview yesterday. I think it went really well! They talked for over an hour and a half, and they would say things like, "when you work such and such we will train you" or "you will really enjoy doing this." Sounded like a sure thing, not an "if you get hired."

They invited me back today to follow them around during a shift. Also my cat is getting neutered Friday and they said I can come help.

So, I'm pretty excited. First thing they told me is that my resume was perfect, and that I seemed very intelligent. lol.

It seems like an even better job than I thought. She said they pay well, very flexible days, friendly people, they have potlucks and go out to movies, etc, and I can pick up as many hours as I want. The manager there is just so sweet and delightful. And I believe she gets to pick who is hired, which is good because she knows me.

Shifts run from 7 - 12 and 12 - 5. I'm not sure which one I would prefer. I hate getting up early, but I would like to be home before my husband to get dinner started and such. So maybe I'll do some of both.

Also, they noted that I was a web designer, and the owner said, "you are just what we need." They are definitely interested in me redoing their website.

So all in all, I'm pretty excited. But don't want to get my hopes too high. Keep me in your thoughts today. Need to make a good impression.

So I did get the windows painted.

I stopped in the window company to push them along. They couldn't give me the final estimate but they did give me a price on the windows and also a rough estimate. It comes out way cheaper than I was expecting. It looks like it will be around $2k for all the doors and 2 downstairs windows. Whereas I was initially thinking it would be $3k. I'll know more when they send me a written estimate.

Husband wants to go ahead with the windows. After payday I'll have $500, and my parents are giving $500 to count as an early Christmas present. The other $1,000 we'll have to come up with. But we do have the LOC open if we need it. It will take about a month to get them in, so it's possible to come up with some of the money before then.

Husband and I have sat down and talked, and we also went into the bank and looked at our options. We had a heart to heart with what we really want. We have decided to forgo a truck at this time. Husband will probably purchase another cheaper Jeep around 3k.

We are going to make a large push and try to get as much finished on the house as we can. Then we hope to get the ball rolling in the spring/summer with the addition, and refinance, etc. We have decided we would rather have the addition than a truck, and also after talking with the banker it will only add an additional $100 - $200 to our monthly payment if we can get it done at the price we are shooting for.

We will see how it pans out. Lots that has to happen first.

Also, a position has opened at the local vet for a part time receptionist. I'm seriously considering applying. It would give me some stable additional income, and also I'd get out of the house a couple days a week, and get to work with animals. Win win. I'm practically family there anyway, lol. Feels like I'm there every week.

Husband doesn't want me to work a 2nd job. But I don't work many hours now anyway, so I don't feel like I will be overworking myself. Besides if business picks up and it gets to be too much, I can always quit later.

Anyway, I will talk to the boss. And maybe put an application in. If I get it, great, if not, no big deal. We'll see.

Last post was getting long. And I've not finished my pity party yet. haha.

I've never been the jealous type. But lately I've been feeling it a bit. :/ One of my best friends, recently met and is engaged to a guy. I mean they've literately known each other for less than 4 months.

They are great together, and he is great. I am so happy for her, but I'm feeling a twang of jealousy.

She just finished college, and hasn't been able to get a job yet. Her family is poor, and she has always been raised frugally. Well he is loaded (and very good with money). She went from the pauper to the princess, nearly overnight.

He has a nice house which he just purchased about a month before they got together, he has a newer truck, a Dodge Charger he purchased new a couple years ago, and he just bought a new custom order Dodge Charger Hellcat. In case your wondering, starting MSRP is $62,000!

All his cars are paid for with cash. She was driving an old Sebring last month that would die at idle, and this month he surprised her by buying her a close to new Subaru.

Right now they are on a 2 and a half week "pre-wedding' honeymoon at Disney World.

It's just such a quick and shocking change. A couple months ago, our girls nights consisted of watching movies at home because we couldn't afford to go out, and chatting about her crushes. Now she is at Disney World, going out to eat everyday, and I'm sitting at home trying to figure out how I can save enough money to have a bathroom door.

It's just hard to swallow. I've never had close friends with so much disposable money.

Add that to the fact that I recently had to tell husband we can't afford to buy a truck right now. (He's been looking.) Now he is upset with me, and anytime I talk about spending money he will say something like, "Oh so we can afford to buy a storm door, but I can't have a truck."

My new computer has been brought up several times. I do feel bad about it. But it's done, and we are using and enjoying it. Hind sight is 20/20.

Well the kitten is back sleeping in bed and so far no more accidents. *fingers crossed*

He is quite hyper at night though, so I am finding myself waking up half way through and locking him up. Little stinker.

Not much going to be happening on the money front for the next couple weeks. It's been a spendy month with car repairs, parties, and I'm a bridesmaid again, so I'll be buying another dress.

Dog is starting heartworm treatments next week. Really hoping it doesn't go over the amount they estimated for me. All money is going to be flowed for recent expenses, and I highly doubt I'll have any extra to save this month. Rats.

Kitten is doing fine. He is not as snuggly as I was hoping. I was expecting to be able to sit and hold him on my lap for hours like I did with my old kitty. But the kitten is a bundle of energy and begins crying and struggling after about 10 seconds.

Hoping he will settle down once he gets more used to us. He likes to sit close to me, or on my feet, but he does not like to be held.



He has been sleeping in our bed, and lays either on my pillow or by my feet. He was doing great, and slept through the night.

Then last night when I put him in bed he peed. We locked him in the kennel overnight, and early this morning when husband put him in the bed to snuggle with me, he peed again all over me. (a rude awakening)

He had already been running around for about an hour, so I'm not sure why he didn't use the litter box.

That really stinks. Now he won't be able to sleep in bed anymore until we figure out why he keeps peeing. He's not even digging or anything. Just as soon as you sit him down he pees. Weird.

I cleaned my desk and file cabinet, organized all our papers, and burned a whole trash bag full. Hurray! Today I'm hoping to work on cutting and staining the boards for the shelf underneath where the tower is supposed to sit.

I went to the doctor this week and got some really good news about my chronic health conditions. After 6 years they don't think I need my pacemaker anymore so they are going to let the battery run dead. At this point I won't need a new one. They will check again in 2 years.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and Sunday I'm having a girls night. Ought to be a fun weekend.

Well I'm a horrible person. I bought the computer, against the good advice here.

I wasn't going to get it, but when husband came home he was so excited about it. When told him I wasn't going to get it, he talked me into it. My boss also tried to talk me into it. (Bunch of enablers, lol)

So I'm having a little buyers remorse, but it's all husband has talked about all night.

Shame on me. But oh well. What's the fun of working if you never get to splurge every once in a while.

I already have some money to put towards the first payment, and everyone is giving me cash for my birthday (tomorrow) to help. It will be okay, and I'm sure I will pay it off quickly.

To answer some previous questions, no I didn't buy it for the tv or gift cards. I was expecting to pay full price for it eventually, so the price was actually lower than I was expecting. Which I why I decided to purchase it at this time instead of waiting. We may sell the tv to offset some of the cost.

The reason it is so pricey is because it has a high quality graphics card, a solid state drive, and lots of ram. Add-ons that I specifically chose. Things most casual computer users don't need, but I do. Between my work, and husband's gaming; el cheapo wouldn't cut it.

My work laptop is already full and slowing down, and I've only had it 6 months. No joke. This is without ANY games on it, or personal files. And it's a very nice laptop, in the $1,000+ range.

So I knew I needed to go bigger and stronger. Husband is into photography and frequently uploads and saves hundreds of pictures. This computer will give us room to grow, and will hopefully last many years. My previous one is 7 years old, and it was a cheap one.

That's not to say I couldn't have found a lesser known brand, and got the same stuff for less. I could have.

Many people spend lots of money on the latest electronics like the iphone. We are frugal and don't buy the latest gadgets and gizmos. Husband is still using a flip phone. lol. So honestly I'm not too upset, a new computer isn't the end of the world and it's a long time overdue.

Mortgage payment hit bringing our total down to $48,305.97.

So I told myself I would buy a new computer when I graduated highschool... Then when I graduated college, then when I got a web design job... I would shop around, look at the price of what I wanted and cringe, and then put it off.

Well the time has come. I can't stand it anymore. I can use the company's laptop for work but it's not mine. I can't use it for pictures, or games, and I feel guilty even watching youtube videos.

Husband and I have both been patiently waiting for me to buy a computer so we can resume playing computer games which I love and have gotten for my past several birthdays and I haven't been able to play them all this time.

My old laptop which husband has been using (barely: could only load basic text) has finally hit the crapper a couple days ago and is no longer working, at all. So husband has no access to the internet. (Not allowed to use company laptop)

We talk about it all the time, "We really need to buy a computer." or "I can't wait until we get a computer someday."

I've been shopping around and bookmarking computers for literately years, and I've had one picked out for a while now. Well while aimlessly checking in on it today, I seen Dell is offering a HUGE discount on it... But it expires today. Yikes! So I am sitting here about to make myself sick deciding if I should just spring for it or not. I don't think I will find another deal this good. But the price tag is giving me sticker shock. (Even though I have been expecting to pay this much.)

So the price (after discounts): $2,000 plus tax. Ugh. I want to throw up a little.

Discounts:

Free 2 day shipping
1 year warranty
$400 off instantly
A free 32 inch TV
$200 in gift cards (which I would use to purchase a printer which I also need badly)
12 month 0% financing which I am approved for

Minimum payments are $60 a month. Of course I would pay it off as fast as I could. But I'm trying to decide if it is worth putting my goals on hold for or not.

Part of me feels guilty about spending when I need to be saving. But part of me says I've been waiting a long time, and I'm a professional web designer for pete's sake without a computer.

Please help!

Really, have you ever seen something so adorable in your life?



I'm picking up my "MoMo" this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. I can barely wait.

I am SO excited!!

We finally have an armoire to put our clothes in. We've gone without a closet for close to 3 years now, and all our dress clothes, and my dresses have been wadded up and wrinkled. Plus we were very out of room in our dressers.

Well I've been searching craigslist nearly daily during this time to look for the perfect wardrobe for us and every time I've found one I like, it's either too expensive or gone by the time I see it.

Well I finally found one I liked, but I couldn't come and get it until after my last weekend trip and I was worried that someone else would take it before I could get there. So I called them, and it turns out they were on vacation anyway. Score.

So we get there to pick it up, and it's a lot bigger than I expected. I mean it's huge. We try to fit it in the van and it's too wide/tall. We were about to give up, but found if we turned it backwards it could fit. Barely, I mean there was less than 1/2 an inch room.

We get home, and it just fits through the front door, again less than an inch. Then less than an inch into the dining room door, and the bedroom door. I mean it couldn't get any closer. I've taken it as a sign that it was meant to be.

It's beautiful, and HUGE. Biggest wardrobe I've ever seen. Real wood too, dove tailed joints, and very well made. I only paid $140!! That is a steal. All the real wood ones I've seen have been upwards of $500+. But it wasn't listed as real wood in the description, and in fact I expected panel board or something. So it was a happy surprise.



It's over 4ftx2.5ft wide and 7 feet tall. Super heavy. It took four of us to move it, and we struggled. Plenty of room for all our hang up clothes, plus it has a shoe rack, and 4 big drawers. I'm in heaven.

Husband woke up this morning and stared at it for a while, then he said. "I could just look at this all day." lol!

I can't remember the last time I've been this excited. Better than Christmas. Words can't describe how stinky it is to go without a closet in the house.

I saved a bundle of money today. I called and added full coverage to one of our cars, so I don't have to purchase the rental car insurance for our vacation next month.

It only cost me $24 to upgrade to full coverage until September!!!

The rental car insurance is $20 a day... for a 10 day vacation. $24 vs $200. Crazy!

Leaving bright and early tomorrow at 4am for our goat trip. 10 goats will be heading to their new homes. Driving all the way to the ocean tomorrow, staying the night. Saturday we are going to the beach, and sight seeing a bit. Then staying with relatives in TN. Then Sunday morning we will be heading home. Going to be a lot of driving. Yuck.

Wish us luck for safe travels!

Diet and exercise is going pretty well.

Since Monday I have lost 6 pounds. Which I know is more than you should lose. But the first couple pounds always seem to melt off, then after that is slows way down.

Have about 14 more is get down to my goal weight. I can do it!

Found a really helpful app called my fitness pal. I'm using it to track my calories, and my progress. So far so good.

Mortgage payment was sent today. Bringing our balance down to $48,626.32

Whew! I have so many checks to mail today.

$540 for my two goats, and their transport. (3 checks)
$200 for my kitten deposit.
$119 for electric bill.
$45 for water bill.

Trash bill still hasn't arrived. I called them and they sent it out Friday, so it should be here anytime.


Have a meeting today for lunch, then I have to teach a class this evening at my old school. So I'm going to just have to hang around the city all day, because it's too far to drive. I will probably just go work at bosses house.

FINALLY stained half of my top of my desk. Hopefully I'll get the other half done tomorrow. I just want to get it done, so I can have my own workspace!

Payment brings mortgage total down to $48,797.49.

Might get down to the $47k's this year, that would be sweet!

Can't wait until one day when I can make large lump payments, and the balance will drop more quickly.

Still hoping to refinance this year, and will probably change it to a 15 year loan rather than a 30.

Also put $100 into the vacation fund.

Well I got the dogs shots. They ended up not being able to get the 3 year, since this is their first rabies shot, and they need the smaller dosage once to work as a booster.

Now for the bad news.

Juno the one year old puppy tested positive for heartworms. I don't even know how that is possible. 6 months ago would have been winter, which means she must have caught it when she was a tiny little puppy.

The vet says it is going to cost a minimum of $500. But the main problem is that she needs to be kept calm and quiet for up to 6 weeks after treatment. Yeah right. If she even sees you she is jumping up and down, running in circles, barking, etc. Walking on a leash is no better. She does not hold still ever. Not for petting, not for brushing. She is a huge bundle of energy.

I have no idea how it is going to be possible to get her down. I'm guessing I will have to purchase a crate that is too short for her to jump. And she is probably going to have to be sedated for a month. I'll talk to the vet about options.

So upset. We still have a $1,000 check coming soon. So I will be using that for vet bills, and either the fence or paying for the goats I reserved.


The gun is no longer a priority at this time.

Added $100 to vacation, and $60 to the gun fund. Also I just started a new savings fund for fencing. Husband wants it up ASAP, so if I don't save for it, then he wants to put it on the LOC. I'm putting all my goat money there for now.

We got some trim up, and my desk is slowly coming along. Progress is progress. Garden is growing.

This weekend the dogs are getting their shots. It's going to cost $250! Ouch! But it's 3 year shots, which is good because they are 100 pounds each, and never been around other dogs, or rode in the car... So that's going to be fun. Also they are getting heart worm tested so they can begin going on prevention. I do have the money put back for this.

Goodness, I have a lot of buckets going. Seriously considering condensing them all, and just working on one at a time. But they all have different time frames. I'm not even sure which are the most important at this point. I'm not too worried about vacation since I've got a budgeted amount going to is and it will be completed before the trip. Anyone else have a lot of separate saving buckets?

Thanks so much for all the well wishes.

I'm doing okay. Very lonely. I held that cat for 8 hours a day, and working from home is very quiet and lonely without him.

Husband is determined to find me a new companion, and I've always wanted a ragdoll cat. I started looking for kittens but they were $800 and up!? I seen some that were $1,800... For a cat. Yikes.

I was about to give up, but I finally found a small breeder that breeds only for pets, and her kittens are significantly cheaper. $400. Still more than I would think of spending on a cat, since you can get free ones. But my mom has pledged $150 to buy me a new friend. I called the breeder and she was so sweet and nice, and I've made my decision. I'm going to go for it.



This is what a ragdoll kitten looks like. Have you ever seen anything cuter in your whole life?

She has some due in the next two weeks, and then at the end of May. So I'll be able to wait and see which one I like. They won't be ready for pickup until July, so it's going to be hard to wait that long.

She is about 5 hours away, but I have a wedding to go to nearby, in June. So I'll be able to stop by, and play with the kitties, and maybe pick mine!

I'm very excited, just hoping I can make it a couple months alone. :/

My cat passed away in his sleep last night.

He was my best buddy, and 12 short years were not enough.

He has been very sick since Christmas, so I'm glad his suffering is over. But last night he was acting his chipper self, eating, walking, using the litter box, etc. So it was a bit of a shock. I wish I had more warning, I expected him to slowly go down hill, and I would be able to be there with him until the end.

I guess this way is better. He's had a very good week, and was happily purring and snuggling right up until last night. Which is better than him loosing his ability to eat and walk, and slowly suffering for days.

I held him for a couple hours last night, and then put him to bed. I wish I had held him just a little longer. I wish I had been there to comfort his passing. Despite him acting pretty normally the last few days, he has been meowing more, and been more clingy. I guess I now know why. He wanted someone to be near him.

I'm going to be so lonely working from home now. Everyday he sat on my lap or my feet, and I would hold him and talk to him for hours. I'm glad I got to stay home and spend so much time with him these last few months.

I already miss him. Even my tough husband was crying this morning. I've only seen him cry a couple of times in the past 12 years.

I'll never forget the wonderful time I shared with my cat. He was the best pet anyone could ask for, and I will miss him terribly. I don't even know what I am going to do with myself. I feel lost.

So, we got a good surprise yesterday.

We received a letter from husband's work that they have a Profit Sharing plan.

It said as of December 31st 2014 that his account balance is $2,600 and that he is 20% vested.

That means if he quit today he would be given 20% or $520 right? That's pretty cool!

That just doubled our current retirement money! I like free money!

I'll have to do some more reading on profit sharing, I don't really understand it.

The desk is coming along great. The pipe is all put together, now I just have to build the top.



Here is what it currently looks like. The board is just set on top for demonstration. Don't judge my floors! They aren't dirty, just need refinished.

I'm facing a dilemma though. I had planned on staining the top the same color as our floor and trim. But I'm worried that will be too much of the same color.

What do you guys think? Too matchy, or do you think it would help it blend and fit in? I'm torn. I love the stain color, I just don't know if too much will look ridiculous. The desk will have wall built shelving as well, so part of me thinks it might look good to have the same color and go for a "built in" look?

I also stained the next part of our trim. Yay for progress.

Been a very busy week, and the stress has flared up my lung disease. Ugh. Feeling pretty poorly. Hope things slow down, and my health returns soon.

Next week is an "extra paycheck" for husband. Should have about $350 to put towards something... I'm not sure what yet. Possibly the IRA or my gun.

Also I posted some pictures of my new baby goats, and within the day someone had decided to purchase two of the bucklings! It is nearly unheard of for a person to just buy bucklings. So I'm pretty stoked.

Proposal is over, and now it's time to catch up with everything... Work, cleaning, fun.

I paid all my bills, and have almost all the materials purchased for the desk. I went to 3 different hardware stores yesterday, and still have another to go to. They don't keep enough in stock.

Also, I think I have located 2 goats that I will be able to purchase. Not exactly what I wanted, but still good. And each one is $100 less than the ones I had reserved. So that will save me $200.

The goat kids are a joy to watch. They are so full of energy, and love running in a big herd and jumping and playing. Too cute!

We got our 3rd garden box filled, and got all our garden planted. Ideally we still have 2 more boxes to build, but I think they can wait until next year.

More goats were born. Two single bucklings. I had two girls reserved. So that stinks. Only one goat left to kid.

The lady who was suppose to transport my new goats keeps changing her mind about the route she wants to take. So I had to back out of my purchases. I guess I will be skipping goat buying this year. Bummer. I already had the money taken out of the LOC. So I just paid it back.

I bought part of the materials for my desk. My husband convinced me to change my design at the last minute, so I wasn't sure what I needed to purchase. I just had to guess. I think I may have bought some pieces that I won't need, and they are non returnable. Oh well. I'll only lose about $10-$20, and maybe I can find a way to use them. I'll have to sit down and figure out what I still need.

Got our next trim cut and sanded. Can't wait to stain, but it's pouring rain here.

Very busy at work. Have a big proposal tomorrow, but hopefully after that it will calm down.

Well it just so happens that one of husband's co-workers was selling a very nice saw that was practically brand new. So we bought it for $200.

I can't wait to use it! This weekend we are having a friend over, and going to the Zoo. But hopefully next week we will knock out the next bit of trim. Our house will look so much better once that's done!

I have purchased 2 goats which I have to pay for now, and also we would like to get my desk built. So we may be putting some money on the LOC for the short term.

Savings are on hold for the time being, but I'm okay with it. We've both been working hard, and it's for some reward.

More goats due today!

After some discussion with husband, we have decided to hold up our savings for at least a check or two.

There are some things we need, that we can't keep putting off.

Firstly, we need a miter saw to do all of trim. We have been borrowing one from father-in-laws work, but I think it's time to buy our own. I'm pretty sure he isn't suppose to be loaning out tools, and we use it a LOT.

I can get a very nice basic new one for $250, or I can try to find a used fancier one for $350ish. We need it ASAP, so we might have to go with new.

We also need the materials for 2 more garden boxes, and my desk, the gun, and we need all the plants for the garden as well.

Next paycheck if I don't save I will have the money to purchase one of the things on our list... Just not sure which one is most important. Probably the saw, since it is holding up any progress on the house.

I received a letter from my college stating I was picked by the faculty to receive this year's Outstanding Web Designer award.

Cool! Oddly I'm not enrolled in any classes this semester, so I'm not sure why they picked me. I guess just from my overall performance. 4.0 GPA.

They are having a little awar breakfast, and I talked my husband into going with me. I don't usually go to things like that, but I think the award would be good for my job credibility.

I'll be officially graduated in May since I missed the fall deadline.

Also, this weekend I purchased the materials for a garden box and the next two pieces of trim.

Yesterday we actually built the box! Yay! I love checking stuff off our to do list. It still has to be filled with manure and dirt, but that's a job for another day.

Now hopefully we will be as productive and get the trim finished this week too.

New employment is going well. We have some lulls, and then we get extremely busy. Which is expected with this type of work.

If a couple of deals go through, employer said I could be looking at a raise in May or June.

So fingers crossed everything goes as planned. That would probably boost my income $500+ a month! Nearly doubling my amount of savings. That would be so awesome.

Also I've picked a desk! I'm going to build the darn thing myself. lol. I love building, and I can't find one I like that I can afford, so seems like a good plan.



This is similar to what I'm envisioning. But I want a shelf underneath on one side to hold the tower.

Husband thinks I'm crazy, but he likes it.

Of course this will have to wait until after we get some trim done. Hopefully we are going to get the materials Saturday, and will start working on getting the dining room knocked out.