Ch-ch-changes

When I started this blog, I had the best of intentions in keeping up with it and it being something that held me accountable and all that good stuff, and well, to be quite honest-it hasn't. And I haven't. BUT- life can always change, so I can too!

Looking back, I started this blog to encourage myself and others to get out of debt and live in financial peace. While it has been mainly focused on that, I have also swayed from that topic only and added in other things here and there about my personal life. Alot has changed in the last year, and since it has been over a year since I have been blogging very sporadically, I thought I should give an update on what this blog was originally based upon.

1. Hubby switched jobs in August 2008-which I vaguely remember blogging about last yr. That was a major blessing because it was in the same exact field, just with the competitor of his previous employer and he was on-call SO. MUCH. LESS. The downfall to that was that he wasn't getting 60+ hrs. every week anymore. Therefore, our income changed significantly and we had to start using some of our savings. Fast forward-
2. We decided that I needed to finish my certification. So I student taught in the spring. This was a huge financial strain because obviously, student teaching is unpaid and I was subbing for the school district prior to this so I was bringing in some money.
3. I got certified! WooHoo!! And I was offered a teaching position for summer school. I knew this would help us so much financially so I taught Elem. ADAPT, which stands for Abilene Developmental and Practical Training. That is a fancy, schmancy term for a life skills class that I absolutely, totally, and completely adored. I finished yesterday (0nly 6 weeks) and was very sad. But also super excited because-
4. I got a job! Yep, you read right- I am really, truly a certified teacher who has a job! I will be teaching PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilites) at Locust and I am so, so very excited!

Throughout the past year, we haven't paid off much debt-mainly just minimum payments on the things that we are making payments on. But, now that I have a job and will be more than doubling our income we should be debt free besides the house in about a year. Hopefully less. God is good. He is SO good, even in a time when I thought I had it all figured out and would be a stay at home mom forever- He revealed to me that my career will be one that is rewarding and will also allow me time with my family.

Thank you Lord, for blessing our family!

...a small rant, if you will...

Warning: This isn't going to be the most positive post I've ever posted. I'm just saying.

I am so frustrated. One of my goals for this year was to lose at least 30 lbs. Yeah, that hasn't happened. And until about a month ago, I wasn't doing anything to help it happen. But, in the last 4 weeks I have walked 4.5 miles 3X a week and have seen zero results. Okay, so I sleep better. And I am not nearly as tired during the day. But I'm talking the kind of results that all of us women love to see. The kind where there's a decrease in numbers, you know what I mean. I have intentionally not weighed myself so that I didn't get discouraged.

This morning I just knew that I would have lost at least a few pounds, so I decided to fire up the Wii fit and see for myself. +1.8. Seriously? I know that's not that significant, and that your weight can vary by a few pounds depending upon the time, temperature, or tilt of the earth (okay so I made that up). But still, it's discouraging.

The most encouraging thing about all of it was that as I was crying and wallowing in my sorrow, a small little hand that belongs to an adorable little blondie patted my arm as she said "It's okay, Mommy." If only I could have a childlike faith like my 2 yr. old.

Tired Tuesday

Geez, have I seriously not blogged since January? I am such a slacker blogger- oh well.

I am almost finished student teaching-just a week and a half left. I will miss my class and my coworkers, but the light at the end of the tunnel to being certified is definetely shining through. I will officially be on the job search as of next friday. (well, I kind of already am but I will be able to say that I am certified by then)

Our girls are doing great. They are both growing up so fast that it is almost unbelievable. Haleigh scored her first goal on Saturday at her soccer game and we were so proud of her. Gracie is talking like a big girl and definetely thinks she's a big girl.

Prince charming finally came to his senses and agreed to take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It has blessed our lives in a major way- I feel like we are finally, I mean actually on the same page regarding our finances. I have to give credit where credit is due so I will say that my hubby has always provided for and taken great care of our family, especially when I was so graciously able to be a stay at home mom. But we are finally there, finally both ready to attack our debt - now if I can just get a teaching job we will be debt free in no time! I cannot wait for that day!

God is good, and our family is blessed. These past months during student teaching have definetely stretched us financially, physically, and emotionally- but we are almost there!!

Till next time-which hopefully will be sooner than 3 months from now!!

Wacky Wednesday

Today is not too wacky, but we have been out of school for the past 2 days due to icy road conditions. It has been fun but yesterday I accomplished absolutely nothing! I did cook and pick up the house, but to me that is an everyday thing. Today I aspire to do better and actually get a few things done-like walking on my Wii fit, filing my taxes, and watching Days. Okay, watching Days is not really 'getting' anything done, but I will be walking on the Wii fit while I do it:)

I guess I had my wacky thought for today a few minutes ago while I was sitting with Gracie as she went to sleep for her nap. Want to know what it is? Okay here goes, even though some of you will really think I'm wacky~I would love to homeschool my girls. While sitting there, playing with her curly blondish-reddish locks, she looked so peaceful, innocent and well-calm! (for those of you who know Gracie, you know she is not always those things:) It made me feel so blessed to be a mommy and made me want so badly to spend every single moment I can with them during the short 18 years that we have been assigned to raise them.

I have expressed this to prince charming, and he, like most of you, thought I was crazy. Homeschooled children have no social skills, they don't know how to function in society, etc. were many of the reasons why that would be an insane idea. But I tend to disagree. I think that that can be the case in some situations, but I don't agree that that is true for every homeschooled child. And who better to teach them everything that they need to know about life than one of the two people that God appointed to guide them through life? Besides, I don't particularly want them to learn how to function like today's ridiculous society.

Anyways, at this season of our lives it isn't going to happen, so I suppose I should just be happy that there are a few good private schools in this town that we will consider for our children. Until then, I urge you to rethink your perspective on homeschooling-I'm not saying that you should do it or that it is the best thing for your family, but it's just upsetting to me that homeschooling has such a negative hype when it can really be such an absolute blessing to a family.

Menu Plan Monday - on Tuesday:)

So today is actually Tuesday, but that's okay. It is COLD here-okay, I know some of you people who are used to this kind of weather would think us Texans are major weenies, but hasn't got above 25 degrees today, ya'll! Wow! Anyways, last week we did pretty good on our menu plan and I actually made this weeks plan last friday which is great for me as I am usually doing it sunday night:) When I made it, we were running what we consider 'low' on groceries, so I had to get creative. I did go grocery shopping yesterday, but am still going to stick to the plan so that I can use up some things that have been hanging out in my freezer or pantry for a little too long! So here goes:

Monday 1/26-Tator tot casserole

Tuesday 1/27-Marinated pork steak, broth simmered rice, black beans

Wednesday 1/28-BBQ chicken legs, broc. cheese rice, green beans

Thursday 1/29- Mushroom soup pork chops, noodle mix, corn

Friday 1/30-Brown gravy chicken, lentils, green beans

Saturday 1/31-Cheesy chicken and shells w/broccoli, black beans

Sunday 2/1-Breakfast burritos (sausage, egg, cheese)

Menu Plan Monday

Well, at least I am keeping up with menu planning. Blogging? Not so much - but I aspire to do better. Last week we did pretty well on our menu. Except for Sunday, which is always our biggest struggle regarding eating out. We did have a leftover night on Thursday, which is usually the night that I am the most tired for some reason. I have been subbing almost every day so having a menu plan has been very beneficial on tired evenings. Here's what's cookin' this week at our house:

Monday 1/19-Grilled Cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and tater tots

Tuesday 1/20- Homemade Chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes

Wednesday 1/21- Hamburger Helper, corn

Thursday 1/22- Chicken and Dumplings, green beans

Friday 1/23- Pork chops fried in butter, rice side dish, broccoli

Saturday 1/24 Breakfast for dinner

Sunday-1/25 Lunch-potluck at church, Supper-Leftover buffet

For more menu's, go here.On another goal-related note, today I am embarking on my final attempt at losing weight through Weight Watchers. When Haleigh(our oldest) was 11 months old, I did WW religiously and lost every bit and then some of my baby weight. Well, Gracie Ashlynn entered this world almost 2 years ago and I am still hanging on to a good 35-40 lovely pounds. Since she was born, I have attempted WW 3 times and have failed miserably each time becuase I have had a lack of motivation. I told my hubs last night that I am going to try this one. last. time. before I wash my hands of Weight Watchers! (at least on my own) By that I mean that I have never actually attended a WW meeting, I just have all of the materials (the very old and outdated ones) and have always done it on my own. I think that I would be more successful if I actually went to a weekly meeting and had to face the scale, but at this time that just isn't financially feasible for us. Anyways, wish me luck.

On another note, please pray for our baby girl, Gracie. She will be getting tubes in her ears within the next couple of weeks and while I know that this is a very simple surgery, it will be the first time that either of my children have dealt with anestesia. And that freaks me out. So pray for her, and also pray for me-that I will be a calm, patient, faithful mommy! Till next time!

Menu Plan Monday

Yes, my darlings, it's already Monday again!! And Monday is almost over,yippee! So-here's how we did with the menu planning last week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wed. we had what was planned. Thursday I subbed for the first time since before the break so I was pretty pooped. Luckily, we had lots of leftovers so it was no biggie and we had a left over buffet, if you will. Friday we ate at *gulp* Bueno, but we fed our family of 4 for under $9 there by eating off the value menu and drinking water. Saturday we stayed on plan, and Sunday night I made what I was actually going to make Thurs. with a little tweaking. (we had pork steak instead of pork chops)

So, without further ado - here's our menu for the week!

Monday 1/12- Sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches
Tuesday 1/13- Teriyaki chicken, rice, stir fry veggies
Wednesday 1/14-Baked ziti, salad, garlic bread
Thursday 1/15-Homemade chicken pot pie, salad
Friday 1/16-Chili w/beans and cornbread
Saturday 1/17-Hot dogs w/chili, cheese and onions and french fries
Sunday 1/18 -Lunch-leftovers
Supper-grilled cheese sandwiches,tomato soup, and tater tots

As you may notice, I planned two things for sunday. This is because we have a terrible tendency to just grab something on the way home after church and right now we just really don't need to do that. So, there you have it - check out Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for more menu planning ideas!

Wacky Wednesday

Tell me - when it rains, does it ALWAYS have to pour? geez.

I am trying to keep a positive, Christ-centered attitude about this, but for crying out loud we have poured so much money into our vehicle already that I am wondering why we bought it in the first place! Oh, that's right - I hadn't met Dave Ramsey yet - otherwise, we'd own an almost paid for VW Jetta that although it might have been cramped space wise, we almost had it paid off!!!!!! ugh, why were we so stupid?!? Lesson learned, I guess.

And not to mention I have a head cold, that doesn't help either. Send positive vibes my way, peeps - I am in dire need of them!!

Tasty Tuesday

Umm, yum. That's all I can say about last night's dinner.
We had this, and this. I wish I would have taken a picture, they were amazing.
We also had a green salad, which was good too-but on a day as cold as yesterday, this was definetely a heart-warming meal. I didn't have chicken bouillon, so I just used some broth. The rolls weren't AS amazing as the soup because our oven is jacked up and you can only cook things on broil (don't ask, it's crazy but it works for now). Anyways - try these, they are great!

Tackle-It Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, and I tackled quite a big chore today. I put away ALL of our Christmas decorations. While most of you are probably thinking,"wow, I did that a week ago!" - well, I didn't. So today I did. And I also went through both of my girls toys again and put away things that they don't play with. My next chore of the day is to get all of their Christmas gifts (and birthday too for my oldest) out of the garage, out of the package, and into some sort of organized and neat order. I'll let you know when I finish that one-ha!!

I have learned since having two children versus one that each year they both get tons of stuff, so even though my oldest truly loved a certain toy when she was my youngest's age - she will very likely receive one later and even if she doesn't she'll live. Basically, I can't save everything for Gracie that was once Haleigh's even though she's too old for it because then I end up with a closet that looks like my spare closet does now. Too bad I don't have a picture to show you - wow! Dittos for Kiddos could not come sooner this year!! Next time I do a Tackle-It Tuesday, I'll post before and after pictures for ya'll to see!

Menu Plan Monday

In addition to the three main goals that I hope to reach in 2009, I also hope to become a more organized person/wife/mommy. I have gone through phases of incredible organization, and have also slacked off alot and let things get pretty unorganized. (like my computer desk that is in front of me-yikes!) About two years ago, I began menu planning. At that time, we shopped only once a month so I would plan for the entire month, dinners only. That worked okay, but sometimes we would use something that I intended to use later in the month and then I would make a million trips to the store and...I digress. I then started planning for a week or two at a time, and that has worked out so. much. better. I shop every two weeks or so for groceries. BUT, lately, I have seriously slacked on menu planning. I am going to attempt to post my menu plan weekly and participate in Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. I think that that will hold me accountable, because I used to be really good at keeping up with it. I have also learned that we eat out less and are alot less tempted to run through the drive thru somewhere when I already know ahead of time what I will be cooking that night. So, without further ado, here's what's on the menu at the Buse home this week:

Monday 1/5- Potato soup, homemade rolls and salad (it's cold today, ya'll!)

Tuesday 1/6-Wet burritos, refried beans, rice

Wednesday 1/7- Chicken parmesan served over spaghetti, salad

Thursday 1/8-Butter fried pork chops, rice side, green beans

Friday 1/9- Teriyaki Checken, rice, stir fry veggies

Saturday 1/10- Tacos, beans, rice

Sunday 1/11- Breakfast for dinner

So there you have it. I'll let you know how well we stick to it.

2009 is upon us!

Wow, I truly can't believe it's 2009.

Here's a little (well, maybe not) known fact about me:
I have now officially been a vegetarian for 11 years. Random, I know, but 11 years ago yesterday was when I quit eating meat and have never turned back. At that time I was a very emotionally crazy 13 yr. old who thought that eating meat would help me to lose weight. I weighed like 105 pounds, for crying out loud!! Anyways, 11 years later that is obviously not the reason that I have continued this eating habit - I now simply just don't have any desire to eat meat. Really. I know that may sound incredibly crazy to some, especially my darling husband, but it's true. The point to me telling this somewhat embarrassing story for all the world to read is that I really think that that is the only New Year's Resolution that I have ever kept. EVER.

This year I would love to do many things on a consistent basis that I haven't done in the past. But, I hate making new year's resolutions every year and never keeping them. So, without making a resolution I will say that these are the top three things that I would like to do this year :

1) Spend time in the Word and in prayer, every single day.
2) Lose 30 pounds. Really.
3) Be a more patient and loving person.

Vernon and I will celebrate our 5th anniversary this summer. We plan to go on a cruise with a couple that we have become very close friends with who will be celebrating their 10th anniversary. If I have done all three of the things above by July, then I will truly feel like I am living my life for Christ. (and not to mention I'll be able to knock the dust off of all of my old clothes just in time for the cruise!) Wii fit, here I come!!