Coming Clean

Since we've started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace program, I have not shared with anyone how much debt we actually have.  I think the main reason is that I'm embarrassed about it.  I've been trying to decide if it would be beneficial for me to share the numbers, or if it really doesn't matter.  I see a lot of blogs online of folks who vow to get out of debt and list all of their debt amounts, just to see them go up over time, or the blogging falls apart because they're just not able to conquer the debt.  I wonder if that is becuase they've shared their numbers, or becuase of something else.

When I was losing all my weight, I was very open about my weight.  I had a lot of folks cheering me on and I felt by being honest about my numbers, I was in a way cheering them on, too.  I have NO problem telling people what I weigh (166) or even what I did way (212) when I started.  But ask me how much debt I have and I cringe at the thought of telling anyone.

I really don't know if I have much of a blog following at this point, so a lot of times, I feel like I'm talking to myself....almost writing a diary.  If you follow my blog, I'd love to hear from you.  Do you think I should share my numbers?  Would it make my story easier to follow; harder to follow?  Any input would be great.  Thanks!

Free Baby Mermaid Seashell Bra Pattern

Since we're in the middle of a couple snow days, I decided to revisit my baby mermaid pattern. This time, I made the mermaid tail two colors. I also worked up a pattern for a seashell top. 

Here' said close up of the top:

Here's the pattern.  (I used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton for this set as well.) Please let me know if you have any questions or notice any errors. I did find a couple on my mermaid tail pattern so those have been fixed. :)

Seashell Bra

With H hook, chain 5, turn

Change to G hook

Row 1: sc 4 across, ch 1, turn

Row 2: 2sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in last st, chain 1, turn (6)

Row 3: 2sc in first st, 1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next, ch 1, turn (8)

Row 4: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in last, ch 1, turn (10)

Row 5: 1 sc in each st across, ch 1, turn (10)

Row 6: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in last st, ch 1, turn (12)

Row 7: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in last st, ch 1, turn (14)

Last row, scallop: sk first st, *5 DC in next stitch, skip next st, sc in next* repeat twice across, chain 1, fasten off leaving several inches to sew with. 

For connector piece, using H hook, ch 7, turn

Change to G hook

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, and in each st across, ch 1, turn (6)

Row 2: sc in each st across, ch 1, turn (6)

Row 3: sc in each st across, ch 1, fasten off leaving several inches to sew with. 

With F hook, make a chain of 50 for each side tie. Leave long tails for sewing.

Sew shells together with connector piece; sew side ties on either side. Weave in ends. 

Extra Snow in Wilmington for the Debt Snowball

Aaron and I just finished tweaking the budget for the next two weeks.  He gets paid tomorrow so we always sit down to make sure all of our bills and cash-out needs are covered before we start spending.  I tell ya, this budgeting thing takes a lot of time and effort, but it really is worth it.  I heard this the other day:  It's better to tell your money where to go rather than wonder where it all went.  I love that!  So many times, we've gotten a padded paycheck (thanks to overtime and/or holiday pay) and I think that I'm going to finally be able to catch up and maybe buy some fun things for the kids, just to see that when I finally get around to balancing the checkbook, we've spent the surplus....and more.  Now, since we meet before the check is actually deposited, we can come up with a game plan on how and where to put each dollar.

After bills and a few extra things (girl scout cookies, for one and an ACT test for Jake) we had $188.30 left to put on the debt snowball.  Yea! 

It's actually snowing in Wilmington right now (a very rare thing) so it's fitting that we have snow to put on our debt snowball.  :)  I'm hoping we wake up to several inches of snow so we have enough for a snowball fight with the kids tomorrow.  {I must clarify....I really hate snow.  Growing up in Michigan, I've had my fill for life.  To me, it's a four letter word.  ;) But, the kids want to see it every now and again so I try to act like it's all fun and games.  I could live without it, but they do love to see it, so I don't pray against it.} :)

Changing Our Family Tree

One of my favorite phrases from FPU is when Dave talks about changing your family tree.  When I think about it, I get so excited about teaching my children what I'm learning.  Dave's daughter, Rachel Cruz, says, "more is taught than caught" and I completely agree.  The more I set a good example for my kids, the more they'll soak up. 

Last week Kip asked me to take him to the credit union so he could open a savings account.  I was thrilled!  We went over to our credit union and the staff was awesome.  They made a big deal about him wanting to open a savings account.  They explained how credit unions work and why they call them "share" accounts.  They gave him a tshirt, stickers, and temporary tattoos with the Fat Cat logo.  (Fat Cat accounts are designed for kid's starter accounts.)  He opened his account with $12 - all of his remaining Christmas gift money!  (He only needed to start it with $5 but he was so excited, he wanted to put it all in.)

When we got home, he was so excited to tell his siblings.  They haven't opened accounts yet but I think they might come around.  :)  We offered Kip "commissions" for five extra chores every two weeks.  If he chooses to do the work, he will be paid one dollar for each on our next payday.  The first dollar he earns will go to his giving envelope.  The next two dollars will go to savings; the last two for him to spend however he'd like.  We've made the same deal with the other kids but so far he's the only one who has taken us up on it.  He has until Tuesday to do his extra chores for commissions.  I'm sure hoping he does them.  :)  I think once the other kids see him earning dollars, they'll jump on board.  I could be wrong, but time will tell....  :)

Milestone Blanket

So I thought it would be fun to start a milestone project to work on as we dig out of debt. I'm still trying to decide just what to do, but I'm thinking of crocheting one square for every so-many-dollars we pay down debt. I need to do some figuring on how many I'll need to join together in order to get a nice size blanket that's not too big and not too small. 

Of course I immediately wanted to price out yarn. My new favorite is the 'I Love Cotton' from Hobby Lobby but I don't have much of it, so I'd need to buy some. That's not a good idea. So, I decided that I can only make it with yarn on hand. I have a lot of Vannah's Choice yarn, so I'll use that. Here's my first square:

I got the idea from back when I did Weight Watchers. I had a friend who made a denim tote bag. Everytime she lost five pounds, she sewed a button on her tote bag. I love visuals so the idea really works for me. :)

I quit Monday...

Yep, I did. I told Aaron, my mom, my dad and even the kids that I was done. This stuff is hard and definitely not for the weak. I was feeling very weak and just didn't want to do it anymore. Even though I know it's not an option to quit and knowingly dip back into the sinfulness of being a bad steward, I really wanted to. I didn't want to go shop; I just didn't want to keep going with this plan. What I really didn't want to do is replenish, yet again, the $1,000 emergency fund. We've already replenished it twice and now I have to do it again - all because of my car. We haven't had a repair bill on her in almost a year but it seems like ever since I've tucked the emergency fund away, I'm getting hit over and over again with repair bills. 

Aaron was so frustrated with me. He kept saying that having the emergency fund is supposed to eliminate stress, not add to it, yet I find it SO stressful to have to take from it. The three car repairs have been especially frustrating because the mechanic we have seems to be guessing at the problem. The last thing I want to do is replace parts that I don't need, especially when we're H-bend on getting out from under the credit card debt. 

I need to find a way to figure out how I can use the emergency fund on an emergency without feeling stressed. I want that peace!  My dad thinks I'm frustrated because having to stop the debt snowball makes my numbers and projected debt-free date off. That could be.  My mom thought I was having a hard time because I haven't had a dependable car to be able to get out. That could be too. Maybe it's a big combination. 

I woke up this morning with a changed heart. I suppose I owe everyone an apology for being a big baby. I suppose I could not blog about the down times, but I want to be able to look back and be reminded of the struggles, not just the easy times. Sorry for ranting!

Free Pattern: Crocheted Mermaid Costume for Newborns

My second cousin is expecting a baby girl next spring and we recently saw a picture of a sleeping baby in a mermaid costume.  We thought it was so cute stinkin' cute!  Unfortunately I could not find a pattern for a newborn, so I decided to create one.  Here is a photo of what I made:

Here is the free pattern.  Please feel free to use it and share it on your blog, but do not sell it.  Let me know if you have any questions or have any trouble. :)

Baby Mermaid Costume

Yarn: Hobby Lobby “I Love This Cotton” in turquoise or desired color; optional contrast color for drawstring at waist

Hook size:  US G

This pattern was created for a newborn.  If you need a bigger size, you can use a bigger hook and chunkier yarn to increase pattern, or increase as needed after round 21.  (You'll catch on to the increase pattern as you work the rounds).

The pattern is worked in rounds; use a stitch marker to keep tabs on your rounds.

Round 1:  Magic ring > 12 DC (If you don't want to do a magic ring, just chain two and work 12 DC in the first chain. This area will eventually be covered by the fins.)

Round 2-8: 1 DC in each stitch (12)

Round 9: *1 DC in next 3 sts, 2 DC in next st* (15)

Round 10: *1 DC in next 2 sts, 2 DC in next st* (20)

Round 11:  1 DC in each st.  (20)

Round 12:  *1 DC in next 2 sts., 2 DC in next st* (26)

Round 13: 1 DC in each stitch around (28)

Round 14:  *1 DC in next 2 sts, 2 DC in next st* (34)

Round 15:  1 DC in each stitch around (34)

Round 16:  *1 DC in next 3 sts, 2 DC in next st* (41)

Round 17:  1 DC in each stitch around (41)

Round 18: *1 DC in next 4 sts., 2 DC in next st.* (49)

Round 19:  1 DC in each st around (49)

Round 20: *1 DC in next 6 sts, 2 DC in next st* (56)

Round 21: 1 DC in each st. around (56)

Repeat round 21 until you have your desired length.  You can switch to HDC for the final rounds.  (I did this on the turquoise tail in the photo – just because HDC is my favorite stitch.)

Final Round: (shell ‘waistband’) 1 SC, *skip 1 stitch, 5 DC in next stitch, skip 1 stitch, 1 sc in next* around.  Slip stitch to first SC. (14 shells) Tie off; sew in tail.

 

Using same or contrast color (I used white.), make a chain long enough to weave around shell top and tie off to cinch in the waist for a custom fit on baby.  Use a yarn needle to weave in and out of the center of each shell.

 

Fins (make 2)

Leave tails slightly longer than normal – you will use these to gather and to sew on to the tail.

Chain 14

Round 1: starting in second chain from hook, 12 DC across (12), ch 2, turn

Round 2: DC2Tog twice, 8 DC across next 8 stitches, chain 2, turn

Round 3:  DC across (10), chain 2, turn

Round 4: DC2tog twice, 6 DC across next 6 stitches, chain 2, turn

Round 5: DC across (8), chain 2, turn

Round 6: DC2tog twice, 4 DC across next 4 stitches, chain 1, tie off leaving a long tail.

 

Using the long yarn tail, weave in and out through the last row of stitches to gather it.  Sew both pieces together at their short ends.  Sew to bottom of tail.  For additional shape and support, block piece.

How do I budget?

The next most asked question I'm getting is how I'm budgeting; whether I'm using software or apps.  So far, I have not jumped into any budgeting software.  I have created spreadsheets that log our monthly income, our monthly bills and our debts.  Each month I update our total debt spreadsheet with current balances so we can see each balance dropping.  (Sometimes I update them two or three times a month becuase I'm a bit obsessed.)

I've found that the easiest thing for me right now is to use good old paper and pencil!  I have a spiral notebook that has become my financial diary.  I have a lot of figures in it - total debt, income, lists of bills that are due from paycheck to paycheck and so forth.  I don't keep a traditional check register anymore.  Since Dave teaches us to use a "Zero-based Budget" I don't see a need to keep a running check register.  Instead, before each of Aaron's paychecks, I start a new sheet in my spiral notebook for that period's checking account transactions.  The first line is our starting balance which is always $0 because every penny is sent to the debt snowball after bills are paid. The next line, I add Aaron's paycheck amount and the next is our cash out line.  (We pull cash for everything we can to limit debit card transactions.)  I then start listing the bills that are due (by date).  After that, whatever is left goes to the debt snowball.  I typically leave about $4-$5 for the first week just in case I've made a math error. Once I'm certain that I haven't - typically by the next week - I transfer those few dollars over to the credit card.

So far this system works for us.  I do have a couple of iPad apps that I use.  One is a debt snowball app.  I like to play with it to figure out our debt free date.  You can see a payment schedule as well as interest paid and "fun" stuff like that.  (I think it's fun but I am a big nerd.)  The other app I use is a simple calendar called Bills.  It just keeps track of my monthly bills so I don't miss any.  I like to see them placed on a monthly calendar.  I also like that I can check them off as I pay them.  If I don't check one off and the due date arrives, I get a notification on my iPad.  You could do the same type of thing on a printed calendar but the app is free and I just kinda like it.  :)

I've had several people suggest Mint as a good budgeting app.  I may check it out, but for now I've just found that the old fashioned paper and pencil are working well for us.  Maybe as we sharpen our budgeting skills we will dip into some fancy software or apps but for now we are content with our system.  :)

Here's a screenshot of the three budgeting apps I'm currently using. I believe the one on the far left was one that I paid around a dollar for because the lite (free) version was limited to just one or two accounts. 

Is budgeting hard?

Okay, so we've been at this budgeting game a full two months now.  We built our first budget in early November just before our Disney trip (I know...I can't talk about it.) but we didn't put it into play until we were back home.  I've been pretty open in conversations, on Facebook and, of course, this blog about our - um - adventure.  The most common question I've gotten, and I get it often, is if budgeting is hard and/or overwhelming.  I thought I'd take a minute and write about that in case any of my readers are wondering the same thing.  (Assuming I have readers.....) ;)

At first, it was very hard to sit down and face the music with where we were on our credit card amounts.  I'm not a drinker, but I could relate to the scene in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic when the girls sat down and totalled up Rebecca Bloomwood's credit card accounts.  Her roommate said something like, "You get the bills, I'll get the tequila."  Really, the hardest part was coming clean.  Now I feel the need to say that I never thought I was a big spender.  I - pretty much - only used my credit cards when I felt what I was buying was a need.  I've charged a lot of pet food, groceries and gas.  Because my intent while shopping was to check out with my Discover card, I would easily add extras on in the name of "need".  (Cleaning tools, extra groceries, etc.)  I was very nervous for Aaron to see just how much my Discover had racked up since the last time we had a "budget" meeting.  (We had no idea what a true budget meeting was.  Back in the day, it was more like a budget throwdown.  LOL!)  My nervousness quickly disappeared when I saw that he had charged gum to his Bank of America card.  We were both guilty.  We both knew it.  We didn't blame each other though.  Instead we decided to work as a team to get a budget on paper and figure a way to make it into the black so we were making more than spending.  That was tough.

Getting our budget to the black took cancelling our iPhones.  That hurt.  However, I almost immediately realized that I was checking it WAY too much and therefore missing out WAY too much of my children.  Now that it gone, I'm kinda glad.  I am not saying that I'd never want one again, but if we ever do get phones again, I will be very conscience of how often I'm on it.  Having cancelled the cell phones, we were just about in the black, so long as Aaron could pick up an overtime shift or two and I could teach piano.  Our goal was to get where we could live off of Aaron's paycheck without overtime and my church paycheck.  (It's small because I only work four hours a week but it's steady.)  Once we paid off Old Navy and QVC, we found that we were very close to that goal.

Once the budget was in the black, I found a lot of peace and much less stress by having cash in envelopes to spend from.  Having the decisions already made before payday makes my day-to-day life much easier.  I love that I no longer have the guilt of charging things that I always knew I should be paying cash for.  I also love that I know I have the money for the things my family and my pets need for the next two weeks; and that we have an emergency fund for...well...emergencies!  There's just a lot of peace in those things.  I've also found that I have a lot more time on my hands because I'm not shopping nearly as much as before. 

Just two months in, I can't imagine going back to our non-budgeting days!  I also can't imagine charging anything.  It's amazing how new habits can totally change your life.  If you're on the fence about budgeting, go for it!  It's changed our life for the better and I think the Lord is pleased with it.  I finally feel like I'm being a good steward with His money.  Amazing!

Homemade Elizabethan Collar For Cats

Tomorrow is a big day around here: Mrs. Puff is getting spayed!  Our vet clinic insists on dogs and cats leaving the office with an Elizabethan collar on. (Also known as a 'cone of shame'.)  Since we've put ourselves on such a tight budget, I didn't want to spend $15 on one since it's not something I intend to use. So, I decided to make one!

I bought a plastic placemat from Walmart for $1.58 plus tax. I used Velcro that I had on hand, as well as some felt so it was softer around the neck. If you need a cone collar for a cat or a small dog, you should definitely make one of these!  It only took about an hour to make!

I used a plastic protector for the neck hole and a pizza pan for the larger circle; plus my sewing machine and a heavy duty needle. For specific instructions, leave a comment and I'll put together a tutorial. :)

First Big Chunk!

I can't believe it!  I just paid $860.32 on my Bank of America Visa!  Today is payday. As I sat here doing my bills, I decided to just go ahead and pay it out before I chickened out. I'm giddy, nervous, and proud all at the same time. :) That big payment will bring that card's balance close to $2300. Our goal is to pay it by Aaron's birthday which is April 16th. $2300 is much closer to zero than $3148!

Daddy Knows Best!

Aaron gets paid every other Wednesday and the day before payday, he can access his paystub so we know exactly what will be deposited into our checking account the next day.  We knew this check was going to be large because of four paid holidays as well as overtime pay.  Well, it was almost twice the size of a regular paycheck!  We wrote out our budget and after all of our bills and cash out, we will have about $900 extra to throw at the Bank of America Visa! 

Instantly I began dreaming of spending that money on other things:  fencing in the back yard, a new patio door, our 20th anniversary that is right around the corner..... you get the idea.  I was on the phone with my parents and I was telling them about the extra debt payment we'll be able to make and mentioned that I was having "evil" thoughts about spending it on other things.  (Just to be clear, my intent was always to go ahead and put it on the card!) 

My dad pulled a great parent line.  He said something like, "Well, Malissa, you have a perfect opportunity here.  You can be like most people and buy more stuff, or you can decide that you're serious about getting out of debt and pay it down."  LOL!!  Yes, Daddy!  :)

I have such great, Godly parents.  They are mine and Aaron's accountability partners and they are leading the Financial Peace University class at church that starts tomorrow.  (I'm so excited!!)  They are also my biggest cheerleaders and so supportive of our debt-free journey.  I can't wait to tell them that we're debt free.  :)

Side note:  we were able to deposit piano money into our starter emergency fund today so we have officially rebounded from our first emergency ($435 car repairs).  Now that the fund is back to $1,000 any paino money I make will go to the debt snowball.  Woohoo!  I can't wait to kiss Bank of America goodbye!

Getting Ready!

Our Financial Peace University class starts this Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at church.  Today I spent quite a while working on getting my box and desk space ready.  I'm a nerd, so I actually filled out the lines on my box and added a family photo.  I can't help it....I'm just a nerd.

Working on getting my things together, I was thinking about what I hope to accomplish during the nine week class.  I'm realizing that FPU is much more than just paying off debt and living within our means.  Really, debt is a small part of it.  Of course, we will have to work hard to get it cleaned up and payed off so that we can put the rest of what we learn into practice.  It covers life insurance, estate planning, giving, investing and other big, life-altering issues.  I'm looking forward to the classes and working through everything with Aaron!

Faith

Remember my dilemma a couple of weeks ago when I had about $212 to send to the debt snowball when my car started acting up?  We were in a pickle about what to do with the money: rebuild the emergency fund (since we had to pull $400 out for car repairs) or send it to the credit card. Because we were undecided, that money sat in our checking account until the next pay rolled around. Ultimately, mostly because Aaron's next paycheck was missing OT pay, we had to use that money just to cover bills. I was a little down about it. Not just because of the specifics, but because it got me thinking, "What if I had sent that money to the debt snowball?  How would I have made ends meet with the smaller paycheck?" Well, Aaron and I discussed it a lot and we weren't seeing eye to eye at all. I was suggesting starting a second savings account 'just in case' we didn't plan well and/or had another small paycheck. That wasn't sitting too well with Aaron, but I was thinking that it's because he's so easy going. I tend to think up tragedies while he sees everything as no big deal. (I could write a whole post about how he is the perfect man for me because he keeps me so balanced!) :)

So, after praying about it, I got my answer this past Sunday. During his message, Pastor Ken was talking about faith. He put a chair on stage and said that many people think they're showing faith if they say, "I believe this chair will hold me."  He then said that was all wrong. He said, "You're not showing faith until you actually SIT in the chair!" Now, he wasn't talking about finances at all, but the Holy Spirit immediately showed me that I was missing that piece from my financial dilemma. I need to sit in the chair by sending the debt snowball payment without worrying about the next paycheck. I need to put my faith in the Lord, not in 'horses and chariots'.  Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

Our next paycheck comes next Wednesday, January 15th. After my calculations, we will zero out our checking account and send the snowball payment, without worry, and without fear. Thanks Pastor Ken for the great message and reminder. (George Michael's song "You Gotta Have Faith" just popped into my head. LOL!)

Dave's Question

So I've been listening to Dave Ramsey's show almost every day and whenever someone does their debt free scream (if you've never seen or heard a debt free scream, you have to check some out on YouTube!), he always asks them the same questions: How much debt have you paid off?, How long did it take?, How much money were you making?, and the one I've been pondering lately: What was the hardest thing you've had to do?  We've only been at this for two months, but I've already had to make some not-so-fun decisions. So far, the hardest thing I've done is give up my iPhone - boy do I miss that little gadget of goodness!  That was a good decision though because losing that $209.22 bill each month put our budget in the black, which, obviously, is essential to maintaining a budget.  Another hard time was standing in Walmart at the self checkout machine using - literally - pennies, nickels and dimes, to buy ice cream for Jake's birthday. I had enough coins, but barely. That's not a fun feeling. I also thought it was hard to not be able to buy my kids a Christmas present. I kept reminding myself that Disney was our Christmas and, when all was said and done, the kids said they'd definitely pick a Disney trip over presents again. 

Right now, I'm facing another hard situation. My friends invited us to Buffalo Wild Wings for this Saturday night. I am a big Tom Brady fan (my middle son is named David Brady after Tom Brady!) and the Patriots are playing the Colts. I love going to BWW with these particular friends but we vowed we would not eat out until our debt was gone. Not going is not the hard part.  Telling them no is. I'm kinda embarrassed to say, "We're on a budget so we can't go."  I've also gotten some push back from some folks when I've mentioned Dave Ramsey, FPU or budgeting. I don't think these particular friends would bat an eye at that, but I'm still embarrassed to mention it. Bottom line:  I'm a baby.  I need to suck it up and just tell them I can't go. Aaron does have to work this weekend so that's an easy way out, but I really feel that I should be honest and say why we can't go. If the shoes were on the other feet, I'd want my friends to be honest with me. I guess I better go let them know.......

Here's my son Brady with Mrs. Puff.  He's such a great kid! <3

Cute Mickey Mouse Crocheted Cap

I had some leftover red cotton yarn from Christmas so I made myself a hat. It's from a pattern in one of my favorite crochet books: Cute & Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench. Instead of adding a flower, I created a Mickey Mouse pin for it. I can't wait to take it to DisneyWorld! :)

Here's the book on Amazon:  

http://www.amazon.com/Cute-Easy-Crochet-Adorable-Projects/dp/1907563202/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388714668&sr=1-6&keywords=Crochet+cute

*sigh*

Today has been tough. It's one of those days that makes me feel like we just won't be able to get out of this hole that we're in. So much has happened lately and I think I'm just tired. Last week I said we had about $200 to put on our debt snowball but then we had to fix Tina (my car) and we weren't sure where to put it: on the debt or towards rebuilding the emergency fund. Unfortunately, we weren't able to put it on either because our check this week was missing almost $400 of overtime so it had to go to help with bills. Aaron's looking into why there was no OT pay but we think it was probably because of the New Year. Regardless, it's a downer. *sigh*

I haven't mentioned it yet, but last week we were in a car accident. We weren't at fault, but Aaron's car took a beating!  A guy ran a red light, hit a car in the right lane, then side swiped us in the left lane. He then sped up and rear ended another car. After hitting that car twice, he lost control, swerved onto the curb and his car died. When he hit us, he hit right behind my seat and I was knocked around quite a bit. I wound up with a sprained shoulder and am on two different medications. I'm certain they aren't helping with my state of mind. I'm never the same when I'm on meds. *sigh*

Here's a few pictures of the wreck. The guy was driving a white Jaguar and we were in Duke, Aaron's black Dodge Charger. 

The guy says he has no memory of hitting either of the first cars and says the minivan he rear ended stopped right in front of him for no reason. He wasn't drunk but he really seemed out of it. We got the police report today and found out that he was charged with reckless driving. We haven't had much luck with the man's insurance company. They want to replace Aaron's doors with used doors and Aaron is not too pleased with that idea. Their adjuster said it should cost about $2600 to fix using used parts. I think Aaron is going to get a few estimates done before accepting their check. I've yet to hear anything on my medical bill reimbursement. *sigh*

The day before our accident, Carrie (our oldest) was also in a very minor accident in a Starbucks parking lot. She backed into another driver as they were pulling into a spot. In North Carolina, young drivers pay a high premium ($1,000 every six months) to have a license. Each year that cost should go down as long as they stay accident and ticket free. She wasn't given a ticket, but the lady is filing a claim to have her car fixed. I'm assuming her insurance will go up. *sigh*

To top it all off, my car is still not fixed.....it's still thumping.  Looks like I either need a new tire or new rotors. Aaron's off Saturday so we're going to see about the tire first, then possible rotors. *sigh*

So, after all of those sighs, I'm reminded that nothing is really wrong. My shoulder will heal, our cars will fix, and we'll help Carrie with her insurance. We're healthy, our marriage is strong, and our God is bigger than any of these pesky problems. Sometimes it's hard to keep smiling when it feels like it's raining. Thanks for letting me rant. :)