Thanksgiving is over - can Christmas be far behind?

Wow, it has been 2 weeks since I posted last. Guess that goes to show that my life is not all that exciting. Nice, actually! We spent Thanksgiving at the farm with 60 "close" relatives! I was glad to be back home to the peace and quiet. I cleaned house today and decorated for Christmas so, except for a tree, the house looks ready for Santa. It is warm and rainy today, not really very festive weather for decorating but, we made do. December is shaping up to be a BUSY month, already! I have 2 surgeries to get through, Claire has 2 dance performances at Victorian Christmas, Hannah has 2 band performances (parade & concert) and we will have the usual school activities, holiday get-togethers and church activities as well. I look forward to the girls' being done with school on the 19th and then, just relaxing and enjoying the week of and after Christmas. We have decided not to go the property like we did last year. Dave Ramsey (and FPU) have convinced us it is more important to establish our Emergency Fund than to spend the extra money we will have from my Christmas bonus! FPU is going well and we are excited for 2009, financially speaking. We should have most all of our small to medium debt paid by the fall and will begin the real work on the bigger credit card debt, the HELOC and even the van! To be "debt free" will be astounding!

All Vanned up!

We traded my beloved Subaru (boohoo) for a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan (yippee!). It has the stow n' go seats that swivel to face backwards and a place for a game table and the key fob - it is TOO cool! It remotely starts the car from up to 325' away and turns it off, too! And, best off all (in keeping with our FPU "training") it costs $75/mo LESS than the Subaru! I will be able to tote all my carpools kids after school, even my BIG Wednesday Choir group! Love it! Hate the weather, though :( HOT, HUMID, RAINY and 2 weeks from Thanksgiving! Please tell me it will cool off before the holiday...

FPU!FPU!FPU! Go TEAM!

We have signed up for FPU - Dave Ramsey's money and debt management course. In 13 weeks we will be graduates of a program that will transform not only our financial future but, the rest of our lives. We are each keeping an Expenditure Journal and we are reassessing our vehicle situation. So, we are EXCITED! 2009 will be a year of changes for the country but most especially for the Sivyer family. We are committed to bringing our finances in line and to teaching the girls to be fiscally responsible.

Quiet weekend...NOT!

We spent the day in Ochlochknee yesterday, as Hannah marched in the Old South Day Parade. We ate lunch at a "Mom & Pop" diner in Pelham, stopped at the Amish bakery and came home to wash all 4 dogs. When Don went hunting for a couple hours in the afternoon, I took a much needed nap! We are on the go again today, with church this morning and Choir Sharing tonight at 6pm at 1st Baptist. I think we have finally come to the point where we have made the decision to move back to FBC and away from the weirdness at Trinity. TTL! Don said yesterday that now that the Stewardship Drive and Building Fund drive have begun, he sees no reason to stay when we have no intention of pledging to the budget for either. Some of the people we have met are fairly "normal" (right, whatever that means) but most of them are very far left of what we feel comfortable with, including Jim & Shari. I know the girls will be served well at FBC, with Sunday school, choir, GAs and ACTEENS. I also feel like Don and I will find our niche again in Sunday School so, God has led us "home".

History?

Well, I never believed in my lifetime that someone like Barack Obama would be elected Preisdent. And, I don't just mean the color of his skin! I believe we, as Christians, are in a time of chastisement and reproof by the Lord and I am committing myself to a greater dependence on Him for all that I will need to literally survive in these coming times. I believe we, as a nation, will see trials and tribulations the least of which we have only read about (in the Bible, maybe?) and the greatest of which we have feared ever happening to us. I refuse to live in fear and trepidation when I fimly believe that God has all things in His hand and will protect us if, "(His) people, who are called by (His) name will turn from their wickedness and seek (His) face, then (He) will have mercy and save." That is all I can do now. My vote was cast and I was NOT in the majority. However, I have the greatest leader and Commander in Chief watching over me and He will not be shaken. PRAY!

The Love Dare

I have found the perfect birthday gift for Don! We are celebrating his impending 60th birthday by having "Birthday Month"! Anyway, I am reading and doing The Love Dare book for Don. I am on Day 2 and, so far, I am doing a good job and actually enjoying getting more in touch with the feelings that brought me together with Don in the first place. It gets difficult as the years progress to keep the flame lit and to remember that this person you married is the base for all the rest of your life as it relates to family, friends and even work. The book is wonderful because it relates scripture to the bonds that are shared by a husband and wife and ordained by God. I can already feel that it's helping me relate better to the girls, too.

I think the girls are more excited than I am...

Okay, so I told the girls that I started a blog and they went bonkers! They want to post to it and add pictures and do the layout - NO WAY! This is MY outlet! I will write lots and lots about both of you, girls and post what you're up to so don't worry about getting "press"! Gee, this may really be fun :)

November Beginning

This is my first posting! How exciting! Hannah is working on her Science Fair project, Claire is out playing with the dogs, Don is trying out his new "crow call" and I am blogging! I feel so 21st century. I wonder if anyone will even bother to read this - my life isn't real exciting but then, God doesn't call us all to be in the spotlight, right?