Hello!

Hi everyone! I finally got my invite and took the time to set up a Google account! This is pretty neat and I'm excited about being able to keep in touch with everyone....Chris, this was a great idea! Well I just got done reading your last entry Chris about the financial peace stuff and I got to admit that I had a conversation with Terry about that very subject this morning! We are able to pay our bills (Thank God!) but then there isn't a whole lot left over for things like groceries, gas, what have you. We have been trying to keep money in savings each payday, but something always seems to come up - either we need to pick up medications for Jessica or Madeline, or the kids need money put into their lunch accounts, or we need food or gas! It's crazy making! We make a fair amount of money between the two of us and thinking of having a thousand dollars in savings seems like an unlikely dream! I have to admit that I've been praying more just to keep myself calm and not go completely nutso about the whole thing...watching the news every morning certainly doesn't help when all they seem to talk about is how terrible the economy is and how much worse it's gonna get! AGHHHHHH! Terry was actually looking a car ads in the paper this morning, with the thought that if we get a new car that is more fuel efficient than the Ford Escape, we'll be better off...I have to admit it made me look at him a little funny since that way of thinking is completely the opposite of where my brain has been going, but I can understand his reasoning. So we went out to about two car dealerships "just to look" and I think he was surprised at the prices that they are asking. I think he though that since the economy is not so great right now that dealerships would be dropping prices to get people to come in, but apparently they haven't dropped them enough to get us inside the building, much less to want to test drive anything! This will be our first year doing taxes with the new house and I'm nervous about how that is all gonna work out, Terry isn't worried, of course not! That's my job! But anyway he is confident that we'll be fine and he already has our government "bonus" checks spent (on bills of course, what else is there these days?). Work for me is going well and I will find out in a week or two what percentage of a raise I can expect to receive, hopefully it's a decent one since I've been working my butt off! On a different note, Terry's brother, Dan has invited us to join him and his wife, Amy to go to Tennessee in March to see a NASCAR race. I am looking forward to the "vacation" but it's another thing that I have to find money for since we'll have to pay for our tickets ($300.00 per couple) and we'll be driving the Escape (gas hog). Terry's boss has basically given him permission to borrow one of the pop ups from work to take down and use so we won't have to worry about getting a hotel room anywhere. Dan has gone to several races before and has a plan in regards to saving money on groceries, beer, etc. It should be fun, if everything goes well financially and we actually get down there! Well, I'll sign off for now as this blog thing apparently is no different for me than speaking to you guys face to face -a long and drawn out conversation that doesn't seem to really go anywhere! Love you all!