Sometimes I just appreciate my kids more

when they are...

Starting to feel a little like Job here..

Well, ok maybe that's a little exaggeration but it seems like every time we think we are moving forward we get slapped in the face, kicked in the "nuts" and sent flying backwards onto our butts. It's a little bit harder than just going into a bank and switching banks after you have had the same bank for 9 years. You have to make sure that all your electronic payments get converted to a new account, you have to make sure your job redirects your paycheck to the new account, you have to order new checks, debit cards, etc. But I think after being screwed with this BS "return to maker" 2 times in the past 2 months that it is time to freaking change our banks. The first time it happened we ended up paying Brad's truck payment twice in the same month (because that return to maker actually got cashed!) which sent us in the hole. Hard enough as that is to recover from, this month's rent check does the same thing and FOR SOME REASON 3 weeks later is when they call us to tell us that we owe the June rent + 75 dollars plus 150+ dollars for the days the rent has been late. We call the bank to find out what is going on and apparently they said to just resubmit the check because we have the funds in the account to cover it...meanwhile we're getting all these late fee charges and etc...I am totally aware of the fact that if this was an error on MY part that I would have to correct it right away, that I'd have a "fine" or whatever to pay, and quite frankly I'm getting sick and tired of being stuck in situations like this. There's a good chance we can't go away for our weekend that we've been planning for about 2 months now, and I think that pisses me off the most. Just once I'd like for something GOOD to happen to BRAD AND ME. Everytime we think we are moving forward...WHAM! And I know it happens to everyone, and I know it's happening to us because we are trying to get our temple recommends back....and I know it's only going to get worse because the economy just sucks...but I just need a break so freaking bad...from reality, from finances, from kids...from WORRYING MY HAIR GRAY...from everything...

Livin and Learnin

So, I know it's been a long time since I've blogged, but there's been a good reason for that. Lately we've been going through a rough spot and for a while there I didn't know how things were going to turn out so I wasn't reporting anything new, but I think that now is a pretty safe time to discuss at least a few things that I've been thinking about or going through lately.
Firstly, and I think most importantly as well, Brad and I have stopped playing World of Warcraft. I think that game consumed us to the point where our priorities were out of whack, our relationship suffered, and our children didn't get all the attention they deserve from us. Since quitting the game there has been so many instances of me saying "I'm bored" but I can honestly say that I do not miss it at all, nor do I regret the decision to stop playing it. I just have yet to find something equally as enjoyable to fill some of that time that the game consumed. I have started doing jigsaw puzzles with Brad but that gets expensive really fast because we are finishing 3k piece puzzles in less than 4 days, I've been baking a lot more because I honestly enjoy it!! and because everyone here loves my cooking for the most part. We've been reading more, which brings me to my second thing.
Since our rough spot began we have been reading a chapter in Scriptures every evening before we go to bed. As soon as we head to bed, Brad picks up the scriptures, reads a chapter, and there we decide if we are going to stay up later to read our other stories or just go to bed, but that is a priority now for us. It's not something we've done with the kids yet (we used to read the BOM every night to them, but life is always changing routines etc.. or maybe it's just us being lazy...but the important thing is for US right now to become more spiritually connected and we will worry about the kids later.
I think in the past few months that Brad and I have grown together and I personally have realized a lot of things that I can be doing better not only for my relationship with my children, but also for my relationship with Brad. I am honestly proud of where we are at right now, and I know we have a ways to go before we are at where we want to be, but I am glad we are back on the right track. :)