I just realized I haven't blogged in over 7 months. Wow... Let me do a quick update, then tell you all about my new found love.
Ian and I finished up our lives in CA the end of December (2011). I went from Deseret Industries to Toys R Us (30 miles one way to 2 miles one way). Since Ian didn't always work the same schedule as me, my in-laws would take me. I know they were glad when I was closer to home, so I could either walk or it wasn't so much on the gas if they had to come and get me.
We started out the new year moving. We got to UT Jan. 4th and moved into our new place Jan. 5th. We live in a 3 bed, 2.5 bath townhouse on the end unit (only share 1 wall), and it's a non-smoking, non pets facility, so I love it. We're right across the street from Jordan Landing, a strip mall which has 2 gas stations, plenty of clothing stores, restaurants, a Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Target, Sears Grand (Sears and K-Mart mixed), Best Buy, etc. We never have to go far to get anything, or to just get away.
2 weeks after moving in, Ian applied for a company called Intermountain Health Care (IHC). It's one of the largest medical companies here in UT, and he works at one of their main hospitals, fixing computers, updating software, etc. He loves what he does but it's only an internship, so he's done the end of March. It's been nice having the paychecks coming in and being triple what he made in a month at Famous Footwear in CA, working the same hours. He's gone from 7:40-5 (8-4:30 job with 30 min lunch) and he's home on the weekends. I love having a reliable schedule, where I'm not waiting to make doctor's appointments because I'm not sure what his schedule for the next week will be. I'm hoping it continues so we can continue this lifestyle of eating healthy, continuing our stockpile, and not living paycheck to paycheck. We're finally able to pay off debt we haven't touched since we opened it. I don't wake up depressed in the morning, I wake up wanting to clean, do school with the girls, play with them in their toy room, exercise, keep up with laundry and cooking, etc. I love how I feel now that we're here and we're stable.
Hunter turned 5 in February and we had a nice party for her. We celebrated small the night of her birthday, then threw her a party that Sat. where my cousin Sharon made a cake for her (she has the pictures on her camera, sorry), we had presents, and the adults could get together and talk while the kids played.
We've also been able to host get togethers. We've had 2 of Ian's cousins over on his mom's side with their spouses/boyfriends, had my cousin and her husband over and a new friend I made through an adoption group I go to out here.
That's what's up with us in a nutshell. As soon as I get our pictures back that we had taken from my cousin, then I will post them on here.
My newfound love.... I started couponing back in April 2011, and I LOVE it. I wasn't able to acquire much since I didn't have a lot of room, but I made sure to stay with it. Things were tight financially when we first got here, but now that we have storage space and money, I plan to add to my stockpile. I will also be starting a couponing blog here shortly, and will post the link on here so you can follow my deals and how to do them yourself if you want to start.
Blogger is not wanting to upload my pictures, so I will add them later.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, July 17, 2011
FINALLY!!!!!!!!
Finally, I got a job working for Deseret Industries. I started on June 17 (been there a month now) and I'm glad to finally have some steady income coming in. I work 7-3:30 Mon-Thurs and 8-4:30 on Sat. I get rides on Mon and Tues., so it just leaves Ian and my in-laws to take/pick me up Wed., Thurs and Sat. I LOVE staying busy and I LOVE the opportunity that it provides for me to get to know other people. I thought when I started that it was only members of the church that worked there, that you had to be referred from your bishop. I have since learned that there are people who walk in from off the streets and apply, and they come from all walks of life. I work with people who are active, inactive, druggies, homeless, smokers, drinkers, preparing to go on a mission, or the parents that are trying to provide a second income for their kids.
I work in Clothing Production, which means I sort through all the bins of clothing that come through on a daily basis. I'm on my feet for 8 hours, and looking through dirty clothes (seriously, some people don't look through their bags before they give them to us), to gently used clothes, to clothes with tags still on them. We have a criteria of what we can put through (nothing with stains, holes, gang indication, sex indication or drug indication), and it makes me proud to know that we are only putting out the BEST of quality. Even if something is clean but it's faded or is starting to ball (another term for when the cotton is washed so much that little "balls" form on the shirt), we still put it in a bin to be sent to UT. Then it is either sent to food banks to help the homeless or third world countries.
I'm excited to finally have steady income coming in, and to be making as much as Ian. This will help us to put money away (which we haven't started yet) for the move, and to feel more comfortable financially. Yes we went through some rocky times, but I appreciate the love of you (my friends) and my family, to support me through the times of unemployment, and to help to give me the faith to stay strong. I love you all and miss you tons.
Hopefully I'll be able to post pics soon of our staycation that we took in July. We didn't make it to UT since money was tight and I had just started working. The girls are growing up fast and I need to learn to cherish my time with them better. Until next time......
I work in Clothing Production, which means I sort through all the bins of clothing that come through on a daily basis. I'm on my feet for 8 hours, and looking through dirty clothes (seriously, some people don't look through their bags before they give them to us), to gently used clothes, to clothes with tags still on them. We have a criteria of what we can put through (nothing with stains, holes, gang indication, sex indication or drug indication), and it makes me proud to know that we are only putting out the BEST of quality. Even if something is clean but it's faded or is starting to ball (another term for when the cotton is washed so much that little "balls" form on the shirt), we still put it in a bin to be sent to UT. Then it is either sent to food banks to help the homeless or third world countries.
I'm excited to finally have steady income coming in, and to be making as much as Ian. This will help us to put money away (which we haven't started yet) for the move, and to feel more comfortable financially. Yes we went through some rocky times, but I appreciate the love of you (my friends) and my family, to support me through the times of unemployment, and to help to give me the faith to stay strong. I love you all and miss you tons.
Hopefully I'll be able to post pics soon of our staycation that we took in July. We didn't make it to UT since money was tight and I had just started working. The girls are growing up fast and I need to learn to cherish my time with them better. Until next time......
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Where is the faith?
It's almost June now, and still no job. We've paid tithing twice now, both of which times it bounced in our bank account. I am going through some personal trials with the church right now, and I am frustrated with how things are going. Money is flying out the window (despite not having to pay rent), and we are running out of options. Despite living with the in-laws, we still don't have daycare available (county won't pay for daycare if we live with the providers). I'm applying everywhere and nothing is coming up. It's hard to stay strong when you're praying, reading your scriptures diligently (as to not having read them before), and going to church alone (because Ian is now working 3-4 Sunday's a month, missing all of church).
On top of all of this, we also have a trip to UT coming up in July. I have a family reunion on my side and we're going to research housing expenses and availability of income. Our other option is IA which we'll research in November. Our savings account is draining (due to having to dip into it every 2 weeks just to get by because Ian's income is less than our bills all together), and i'm running out of faith. We can't afford for Ian to be off for a week of unpaid vacation with no money coming in, and then pay for gas to go to UT for a week. We can't move in 7 months with no money in savings account.
The most frustrating thing, is that we're not even paying all our bills. We pay cell phone (so we can keep in touch with friends and family, because we don't have a home phone), storage (that's where all our stuff is), 5 credit card bills (one of them we pay, because it went to the attorney, the other 4 are in collections), gas for our van, car insurance, and we also pay Ian's mom and dad for the difference in utilities (normally about $30/mo). We still have 3 more credit card bills that we don't pay (no money), and we have a student loan (from me in 2003), and a car loan from the Honda (I totaled it in 2009 so I stopped paying it). I'm sick of living like this every day. I wake up trying not to be depressed but have no idea how my day will go.
I've tried to do Pampered Chef, and was going strong until January, and then I hit a dead end and haven't had a show since then. I don't know that many people that want to host a show. They're either too shy or their place is too small, or they're worried about who would come and who wouldn't, etc. So many excuses and I don't push it. I figured it would be a money maker, since more people are cooking at home. I guess if you have a good network of people then you can succeed.
Well, off to take the kids to the park. I guess I'll finish my thoughts later.
On top of all of this, we also have a trip to UT coming up in July. I have a family reunion on my side and we're going to research housing expenses and availability of income. Our other option is IA which we'll research in November. Our savings account is draining (due to having to dip into it every 2 weeks just to get by because Ian's income is less than our bills all together), and i'm running out of faith. We can't afford for Ian to be off for a week of unpaid vacation with no money coming in, and then pay for gas to go to UT for a week. We can't move in 7 months with no money in savings account.
The most frustrating thing, is that we're not even paying all our bills. We pay cell phone (so we can keep in touch with friends and family, because we don't have a home phone), storage (that's where all our stuff is), 5 credit card bills (one of them we pay, because it went to the attorney, the other 4 are in collections), gas for our van, car insurance, and we also pay Ian's mom and dad for the difference in utilities (normally about $30/mo). We still have 3 more credit card bills that we don't pay (no money), and we have a student loan (from me in 2003), and a car loan from the Honda (I totaled it in 2009 so I stopped paying it). I'm sick of living like this every day. I wake up trying not to be depressed but have no idea how my day will go.
I've tried to do Pampered Chef, and was going strong until January, and then I hit a dead end and haven't had a show since then. I don't know that many people that want to host a show. They're either too shy or their place is too small, or they're worried about who would come and who wouldn't, etc. So many excuses and I don't push it. I figured it would be a money maker, since more people are cooking at home. I guess if you have a good network of people then you can succeed.
Well, off to take the kids to the park. I guess I'll finish my thoughts later.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
On the Home Stretch
Yep, we're on the home stretch to move from CA to IA. We still have 10 more months, which may seem like a long time, but in all reality it flies by a lot faster than you think. We're in March now, and then there's April. April brings our anniversary (6th), General Conference (2nd and 3rd this year), and a swap meet where i'm putting up a table for Pampered Chef (22nd). April also brings the mother in law's birthday (26th), the in-law's anniversary (22nd), Easter (24th), and a family celebration at Ian's grandparent's house (23rd). Then we have May, which brings the end of Ian's semester at school, the father in law's birthday (5th), McKenna's birthday (6th), Mother's Day (2nd Sunday of month) and the warmer weather for parks and swimming.
June brings Father's Day (3rd Sunday), my dad's birthday (29th), more warmer weather, and having Ian off school for the semester. July brings my sister's and my BEST FRIEND'S birthday (love you Lacey) on the 2nd, a fun food holiday (4th), and this year it brings a Family Reunion in UTAH. Yay for us being able to travel and see family, most of whom we haven't seen in 10 years since the last big family reunion in AZ. August brings my birthday (2nd), Ian's birthday (24th), my brother's birthday (11th), more warmer weather and the start to Ian's last semester of school EVER!!!!!
September brings cooler weather as it heads into winter. October brings another round of General Conference, Halloween, and more cooler weather. November brings Thanksgiving and Black Friday. December brings Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve. It's also the last month that we're in CA so it will be the busiest. Ian will graduate with his AA in December and we'll be finalizing paperwork on where we'll be living and making sure everything is lined up.
So you see, even though it's still 10 months away, it'll fly by faster than we know. Hang on for the ride of your lives.... Stay tuned for happier updates from me as I figure out who I am and what I want in life, and how to take things a day at a time.
June brings Father's Day (3rd Sunday), my dad's birthday (29th), more warmer weather, and having Ian off school for the semester. July brings my sister's and my BEST FRIEND'S birthday (love you Lacey) on the 2nd, a fun food holiday (4th), and this year it brings a Family Reunion in UTAH. Yay for us being able to travel and see family, most of whom we haven't seen in 10 years since the last big family reunion in AZ. August brings my birthday (2nd), Ian's birthday (24th), my brother's birthday (11th), more warmer weather and the start to Ian's last semester of school EVER!!!!!
September brings cooler weather as it heads into winter. October brings another round of General Conference, Halloween, and more cooler weather. November brings Thanksgiving and Black Friday. December brings Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve. It's also the last month that we're in CA so it will be the busiest. Ian will graduate with his AA in December and we'll be finalizing paperwork on where we'll be living and making sure everything is lined up.
So you see, even though it's still 10 months away, it'll fly by faster than we know. Hang on for the ride of your lives.... Stay tuned for happier updates from me as I figure out who I am and what I want in life, and how to take things a day at a time.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
New Year, New Us
Here are the pictures I finally promised. Sorry they're taking so long, it's been a long and hectic winter with no internet, Ian and I both working, and other things.
It's still January, here are my goals for the year:
1. Losing 20-30 lbs. That would put me between 140-150, which is a comfortable weight. I was 140 in college and a size 8 jeans. I don't care that "America" wants me to be 119.5. Not happening...;
2. Reading scriptures more often, even if it's only a couple verses, or 1 topic each night (tithing, fasting, whatever I may be struggling with);
3. Saying personal prayers more often, and really giving myself to Heavenly Father when I pray to him; listening more rather than closing out the prayer and climbing in bed. He listens to us, why can't we take a couple minutes to listen to Him;
4. Having debt paid off to tuck money away for the future;
5. Get settled into our new place after Ian graduates, and staying settled down. I would LOVE to not be moving every 6 months-1 year of our marriage, like we have been. The girls need stabilization. Hunter is almost ready for school, and I don't want to keep moving her;
6. Build a happier family for us by spending less time watching tv or on the computer, and more time at the park, pool, walks, mall, or whatever it may be that the girls want. They're only young once.
I'm excited for what this year has to hold, and rather than dwelling on the negatives that have happened (Ian's hours will drop in February, I just lost my job yesterday, we're having to move to keep from being evicted, Ian's taking 3 classes while we're living with his parents, and working through some recent struggles in our marriage), I want to focus on the positive. HE will bless us if we are true, faithful, positive and try.
That's all. Enjoy the pictures and little videos I took.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
