UserIDs, Passwords, and Account Numbers...Oh My!

I've just spent the last three and a half hours of my life sorting through paper mail, emails, websites, and calculators trying to figure out my billing schedule to repay my student loans from college. As it turns out, I will be paying hundreds of dollars a month for the next thirty years or so of my life. (Was school really worth it?-Yes.) The stress of my unknown financial future has been driving me crazy! Organizing the bills I have now and the ones that I already know about for my future has been a major relief! It helps so much to see everything on paper right in front of you instead of digging through what seems to be hundreds of paper and email notices that all say different things!

Life Lesson #6- If your financial life is organized, chances are the other parts of your life will follow suit. Spring cleaning should apply to ALL parts of your life!

They Call It Puppy Love

I find that the most pure form of love comes from the innocence of a sweet puppy dog! When I look into they eye's of my beautiful Liza and Chance all I see is their love for me. They don't judge or hold grudges. They are loyal to me no matter what. They live everyday trying to do anything they can to please me. They are content when I am happy and they comfort me when I am down. They can sense the way I feel and know what to do to make everything easier. They know me. They are two of my best friends and I am so thankful to have them.

-Life Lesson #5- Try to be more like your dog! They give everything they have to others and they would never judge a friend!

"Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder" is WRONG

OPINION- So the whole saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is a crock of poo poo. Terry has now been gone for three days and I'm positive that I can gain the same fondness with him here as I can with him away! I am missing him terribly and I am ready for him to come home! I'll get to spend the weekend with him and then he will be gone again. Only five weeks to go after that! Obviously the person that came up with that phrase did NOT love the company of their significant other! Well I do and I am rather fond of him being home!

Woo! I feel better. Just had to get that out! Thanks!

Make New Friends but Keep the Old!

As I was sitting, feeling lonely because Terry isn't here, I started to think about how much I miss having my old friends around. And then I thought about how great it is that I have made new friends. A stream of guilt ran through me because I felt for a moment like my old friends are being replaced by the new ones and that is NOT what I want to happen! Over the last few years my friends and I have moved away from each other and nobody has really taken the time or effort to keep in touch or visit. There have been times when I've felt neglected by them and I'm sure they've felt the same about me. After receiving the sweetest "you are a great friend" card from one of my best friends the other day, I realized that maybe instead of waiting for them to come to me, I should suck it up and go to them. Whether it be a physical visit, a phone call, or a card or letter, it is just as much my responsibility to keep our friendships strong as it is theirs. I'm also going to make an effort to let my new friends know how much I appreciate them and enjoy being around them! There is no competition between old friends and new and I am so grateful to have them all. To all of my friends, I love you!

-Life Lesson #4: If you are missing your friends, they are probably missing you. Make the first move.

-And Life Lesson #5: As you get older keeping your friends close only gets harder.

Super Quick Tip!

Life Lesson #3- If someone spills red wine on your dress immediately pour white wine over the stain and then wash in cold water and hang to dry! Repeat until the stain is gone! It works the next on a dry red wine stain too! I promise!

Finding True Love- A Lesson from my Parents!

So today is my mom and step dad's 8th wedding anniversary! Their relationship has taught me so much about love and what it means to care for someone unconditionally. They got married when I was in 9th grade, one of the most crucial times in a young girl's life when you are no longer a little girl and you are trying to figure out what type of woman you want to be. Their marriage showed me that life doesn't always take the path you plan but sometimes the fork in the road leads to better things. I'm so glad that my mother found the love of her life and that my step dad was there to show us all that not all men are bad. I love you both very much and I look forward to watching your love grow for many years to come!

-Life Lesson #2: Love with everything you have and you shall receive the same in return!

Terry Leaves for the Fire Academy

I knew that after a great weekend spent with friends the time would come for Terry to leave me for five whole days to go the the fire academy in Jackson, MS. Well that time has now come and gone as I sit here at home with all of my chores completed and wonder what to do next?! This is the first week of six and I'm already bored and lonely without my Terry here to keep me company. My puppies are great but they don't speak English! Too bad! This is going to be a loooong week! At least I won't be complaining about needing "me time" for a while!

-Life Lesson #1: Enjoy your time alone because it will be sooner than later that you have no "me time" at all.

First Timer!

Hello all! This is my first time to blog so this post is sort of a test run to see how it works. Good luck to me!