Carnival of Family Life

On Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

I hope all of you have had a nice week end.
On Thanksgiving Day We took this photo of our little fold of fellows
that share the holidays together.
The children were not too pleased to stop their play for the photo op.
Look quick... Dove said "she will not be waring a dress any time soon".
They had agreed together to put on 1900's faces where they do not smile in a picture.
Goof Balls! This was the best of three.

Instead of cleaning up a big Thanksgiving feast...
We spent Friday working on our "Dave Ramsey" zero balance budget. We had to type out the forms and I did all the years filing and assessing the amounts in each category and getting a baseline for all the monthly standing amounts. We worked so hard for 14 hours on this. We have some things still to work out. But we are getting our monthly form in line.
Friday was a very stressful day as we addressed our goal to live "in the black" with goals in order for each month. It is the opposite way to budget than I have ever tried before. You really must twist your thinking around to understand it and organize it. You start with your income and allocate every single dollar into a category and sub category. Any variance has to be a peter rob Paul so that you do not over spend the savings,
and the projected expenses that will need funds set aside.
We are talking about MAJOR discipline here.
We are doing our part in improving our relationship with each other and money.
Financial stress is a major stress.
We are doing our best to come together and overcome.
Really look at where we are , where we want to go, and how we might plan to get there.
Relationally finance can be one of the hardest things on a marriage. It is also one of the greatest targets of the enemy of our hearts.
I have the review of the Childrens' Rehab Services for Dash (hearing aids and medical support for the possible Ushers and such) due this month. So I need to get all our deductions listed and in order to get the amount into the qualify for services range. It is a matter of hours of number crunching and paper sorting. It will be ready though for taxes so that's got a benefit too.

I went to my meeting this morning and then to the store for bread and butter.
We all had a little time together before Dash had a 2 1/2 hour play date.
After the child left we headed over to our sweet neighbor across the street.

A single woman who is my age. She works so many hours and just wanted (to decorate with someone there) help to get the tree up and sights outside. She spoke of how much we helped. I suppose , but I think she really just wanted to bless us with funds for Christmas gifts for the kids. She had called "out of the blue" stating that we had been on her mind. I am afraid I was not the best company. I have been very worn of late. Rather exhausted of the race that we have been on.
We will get the kids each two gifts with the funds. Share some with charity and give the kids some to get gifts for the other family members (sibling /Parents)

Living Debt free takes some self (and Child, the harder) denial and yet still I see Him supplying. I am educating myself on making my own soy milk and soy yogurt. MILove loaned me her yogurt maker. I have been doing research and educating myself on the process.

I lit the BBQ and grilled some steaks (I got on special 1/2 price) that I had defrosted and had it with nicely steamed butternut squash.
It was wonderful!
We all sat together and watched the movie DVD "The Kid".
It is a well acted story of time full circle.
We had a nice cuddle time.

Tomorrow there will be "Happy Dogs"!

In the mail our hopes for flossing Dove with more ease came.
It is a system that is like a "Water Pick" only it is hooked straight to the faucet, no noise (sensory nightmare), and no container to sanitize. I loved it! I have 14 porcelain teeth that have all had root canals. It was great to clean out the margins.
Dove got used to it and loves it!
Ya!
Daddy man and Dove do not have to do the floss dance every night.
Daddy Man has really hit a wall with it .
You try flossing a kid with sensory integration dysfunction.
They both were suffering, but we did not want Dove to have her teeth rot.
When there is a problem...
Think out of the box!

It has a valve that can send the water to the pic or the spicket.

Daddy Man and the Bible time. Dash (in the sleeping bag) is having a sleep over.
This has been a full day.

The Carnival of Family Life will be hosted this coming Monday, December 1, 2008, at Suburban Wife's Daily Dollar Diary. This is Elizabeth's first time hosting a blog carnival, so it would be wonderful if you would support her effort!!

You can submit your family-related posts by using this link.