Don't forget your green...

"Here's to you and yours, and to mine and ours, and if mine and ours ever come across you and yours, I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and ours and mine and ours have done for you and yours!"

Irish Blessing

Oh, and by the way...

(Well, I'm a wee bit Irish... pasty skin, freckles. Can't you tell??)

Calling all computer nerds...

To all my tech-gifted friends...

Here's the scoop.
Be forewarned, it's a little TMI, but you'll understand why.

I'm finally getting my computer back. This was a computer I purchased a few years ago when I was married to the evil one. It was taken by detectives when I found evidence of child pornography on it. That was nearly three years ago. I'm going to be given it back, hopefully by the end of the week. I've been warned that there are now operating system errors on it. That and in the words of the detective, "a ton of porn". Gross. I know.

The detective I've been working with has graciously agreed to carve from the hardrive all my pictures. The only thing of value on it. What I really could use come help with is rebuilding the computer. The detective suggests completely wiping the computer clean to rid the porn and viruses. Then reinstalling Windows and rebuilding the computer.

Since I am tech stupid, is this possible?? Or should I just scrap the computer and hope for a new one. My only reason for wanting it back is that we're not in a position to buy a new one. If I can realistically and practically rebuild mine, that would be perfect. I only really use it for girly stuff anyway. Blogging, Facebook, shopping... you know, girly stuff.

So friends... is it possible? Does anyone know someone I could hire? To be honest, the only reason I'm begging help from friends is that I'm too embarrassed by the content of the computer to take it to someone professionally.

Any suggestions??

Quote of the Day

"A few years ago, when Arturo Toscanini was musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in New York City, he had a Saturday afternoon radio broadcast. And one day he received in his mail a crumpled little note on some brownish paper which read:" 'Dear Mr. Toscanini, I am a lonely sheepherder in the mountains of Wyoming. I have two prized possessions: an old violin and a battery radio. And the batteries are getting weak and beginning to run down on my radio, and my violin is so out of tune I can't play it anymore. Would you please sound an A next Saturday on your program?'

The next week on the program, Arturo Toscanini announced: 'To a newfound friend in the mountains of Wyoming, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra is now, all together and in unison, going to sound a perfect A.' And they sounded the perfect A. Then that lonely little man was able to tune the A string and then the E string and the D and the G from that perfect A.

Isn't it interesting to reflect in our own lives and in the lives of the many people who may hear me at this time—those whose violin or lives may be a little out of tune—that we are able to come to a general conference of the Church and hear the marvelous messages that are spoken?"

David B. Haight

"Faith of Our Prophets, Ensign," Nov. 2001, 22

Stuff

We are de-stuffing with a purpose.

Four weeks ago Dan and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace courses. Check him out here.
I don't mean to be sentimental, but it will change your life.
Seriously.
His tag line is "If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else!".

Meaning, we are changing the way we let out money run our lives. We're paying cash for everything possible and saying goodbye forever to credit cards. And debt! The debt will take us a while, but soon, we will be able to say, "We are debt free!".

His advice is sound financial advice. He teaches you to "live like no one else". Which isn't a bad thing. It's being smart, being frugal and as I'm discovering, it's exactly what our church leaders have been counseling us to do.

We're also going to be saving money like crazy. So that we will "live like no one else".
Meaning, we will once and for all stop being slaves to our debt.

We've completed out first Baby Step. Our emergency fund is safely in the bank. Dave calls it "Murphy Repellent".
Now we're on to Baby Step 2. We're dumping our debt, which means Dan is going to be picking up some extra work, I've trimmed our budget to the bare ultimate minimums, and we're getting rid of stuff.

So, need some furniture??? I'll be posting some pictures soon. But, we have a bunch of very nice furniture just collecting dust in storage. It's all being sold. Here's a list of what we've got that needs to go...

Read leather couch set
Gray/blue Couch
Brown plush furniture throws for sofa and love seat
Black coffee table cube
Dinning room set with six upholstered chairs
Small entertainment center
White fridge
Ladies golf clubs
Acoustic and electric guitar and amp
Large area rug
Small dining room set with drop table and seating for four
Leather office chair
Various sports memorabilia

Pictures and descriptions coming really soon...

Wish us luck!!

I Could Really Use...

Some sunshine right about now.

This time of year gets really hard for me.
Everything is grey.
Grey sky. Grey grass. Even the buildings seems grey.


Ugh.

Dear Springtime,
Please, please hurry up!!

Disney, Disney Everywhere...

I guess I'm a little slow on the Disney recap...

Can I just say, I have to absolute best parents ever?!?
Disneyland was so much fun!

I love Disneyland, but to experience it with all the kids on their first time was absolutely priceless. Everything was exciting. Every was "the best". And to the little guy's credit, they were angels.
Even my little one!

Celia, we've discovered, is quite the little adrenaline junkie, dare devil.
(Were we actually surprised??)

She went on just about everything. Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion.

The only big rides she missed were The Matterhorn, which was closed, Indiana Jones because she was a little too short, and Space Mountain, because we ran out of time. Not bad for a first timer!

At the end of every ride she would squeal, "Again! Again!"
That's my girl!

We will defiantely go back!

Bill and Mom, thank you, thank you, thank you!

We love you!