Bad blogger

I have really been slacking on the blogging lately. Life has been busy and really have been just blogging to put a few facts down here and there. I often go back and check old posts and I like being able to recall certain information.

Life in my world, let's see...
I really have been doing much better at balancing my duties. Some days my kids suffer and other days my work suffers, but I hope it all balances out in the end. But, it is all a matter of prioritizing in the moment. I try and cram and get work done while the kids are sleeping and I try and take time out and play one on one...on one with the kids when I can.
A lot of days I feel trapped in this house, but because I am a home body at heart, it isn't nearly as bad as it could be.

Mark and I are getting caught up on some bills, which feels soooo good. I love being able to pay things off. At this rate, we are on a good road to become debt free. A ways off...but on the road. And if we can do some work on the house in the mean time, well even better.

Mark started a new job with DeVisser Landscaping in Oshtemo a week or two ago. They are still trying to sort out what his hours will exactly be, it might be less then full time. But the company is awesome and the people are great to work with. It is a family owned business that has been going for 70 years. With the economy the way it is and less people may be spending money on their lawns this summer...there is question as to how things will go of course. But, since Mark has been working, he has already landed an account with the casino in New Buffalo, which is huge for the company.

We are just praying this is a good fit for Mark. Mark keeps trying to steer away from sales as a career, and it keeps getting pushed back in to his face. This job came because a friend referred him to the company and they called Mark. It is crazy how things work out. He is excited about the job and it is a business he knows well. There is an expo coming up and he is geeked about working it. Of course...Mark with just the whole day to talk to people?? It is his "heaven".

My work is going well. I still have the two jobs. My first job is still just 8-4 every week day. Some days are crazy busy, and other days not as much, but working with my mom and brother are great. I feel much more connected to them, because I talk to them every day.

My second job is going well too. It has really picked up lately, it is actually turning in to almost a 40 hour week...so I am basically working two full time jobs. But, I can't complain about the money. The last two paychecks have been about 4-5 hundred more then I budget for, so I have been able to pay off those people that keep bugging me;) And guilt free grocery shopping has always been on my happy list. The hours might not stay the way they are going, which is fine either way. The company might be taking a turn...for the better and either my hours will go down, or my duties will change. Either way, I think my job is safe. Ebb and flow...I just go with it.

This summer Cindy and I are going to start a garden in the back of her house. We will start out as big as we can, but will probably start out on the small side and we can always add more next year. We are going to build boxes and put up some sort of fence around. There are a lot of deer, gophers, rabbits, cats....well, you get the picture, so in order to try and protect the crop we need to put up some "defense". Our list of food we want is quite long...so we may need to pare it down, but it is hard. I get so excited about fresh fruit and vegetables that I start going on a tangent. Plus, there is something that everyone wants. Mark and Garry like certain things...asparagus...radishes... and we need lots of fruit for the kids and ya gotta have corn! Not to mentions, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots, strawberries, watermelon,....ok, so you see how we can get ahead of ourselves?? How do you pare it down? How do you choose? We will see what is available I guess...and what actually grows! But, I am excited to say the least and I hope it all works out. I also bought a small box for at my house and I am going to do some herbs in it. I so miss fresh herbs and they are just too hard and expensive to buy at the store. So, I will just grow my own!

So, life is good. We are all happy and feel blessed on a daily basis. I can't ask for too much more then that.