2015

Happy New Year! 

We are in a new year, and I honestly am hoping to schedule in some blog entries at least once a week. They may not say much, but I may find some challenges to do or something... Just to keep you guys in check.

RESOLUTIONS

1. Begin paying off my student loan so I no longer have that debt. I have been in forbearance & deferment for a few years now because I was unable to set aside the $100 extra dollars a month I'll need to pay for them. 

2. Successfully complete the 52 Week Money Challenge. The 52 week money challenge (which you can google) is a way to save money so you can either 1. Put it in Savings for the New Year, 2. You can do what I'm going to be doing (Christmas Money) 3. Save for Vacation.... ect.

We're going to be doing the opposite of what it usually says. We're putting $52 aside this week! 

3. Begin looking at houses. I know it will be a few years before we're able to move out on our own again, however; I still like looking at the market and determine what we can afford.

4. Join a gym (I'm hoping this really happens. The only way this can happen though is if they fix my knee)

HEALTH

As every one knows by now I have been struggling with knee issues since I got hurt in December of 2011. They did the first surgery to my knee to fix Meniscus tears  in 2012, but my knee was still having issues. I have gone to court with my lawyer, and have finally won a case! (That was in 2014). I had an MRI on my birthday Dec. 30th & I have another Dr.'s Appt January 5th with Dr. Guy. I'm hoping this will give him some insight on what is happening on the "inside" of my knee. The X-Ray I was given showed my knee cap moved out of place and to the right instead of in the middle. I'm sure I will let everyone know the outcome after the 5th.

WORK

Chris is applying for a management position at a different store (hopefully) in February. This will give us the opportunity to save for a house! :)

I have kept busy making stickers! I enjoy it a lot, and it gives me a little bit of pocket money to help Chris pay the bills. I still get my weekly Workers Compensation check, but that check isn't enough to pay the amount of bills that we have.  2014 was a great First Year for my growing business, and I truly cannot wait to see what this year will bring!

LITTLE MAN

Believe it or not, but come Monday (The 5th) I will be calling the school to see when I need to bring him in for testing (It will be sometime in February) This will be a test for 4K (The grade before Kindergarten) I'm hoping that he will get in, and we can work on his social skills a little more. Without these social skills it will be difficult for him in Kindergarten. 

This is all for now, See you guys Next Week! :)

-Melissa

Hello October, Vacations, Work, Little Man & Life Lately....

Hello Everyone! Even though October is almost through, I figured I would write an entry before we got into November. 

My blog this year has not really gotten far, and I was really hoping that I would be keeping up with it more than I would. I should be able to find things to write about and to share every day, but the truth is sometimes words evade me.

I do have plenty of things that happen in my life. Maybe there is too many to name. Too many activities going on in these past few months to really write about? 

I don't like super long blog entries. Maybe that is it? Maybe I'm just trying to sum up everything all into one, so that it is easier on the eyes to read? hmmm.....

VACATION

We finally got our vacation! :) 

We traveled to New York on October 3rd! Boy was that a long ride. We left South Carolina at 4am and didn't get to New York until about 7pm. Truth is we have a 4 year old who is still potty training, so we kept stopping so that he could go potty :)

We spent about 4 days with my papa! We had a big cook-out with all the family (I mean family that Chris just now met (after 8 years of being together) )

And I also got to see my father (I haven't seen him in 8 years either)

We spent a day at Chris's grandparents Lake House on Deruyter Lake. That was fun and little man had a blast! It was a little chilly, so we really didn't get to fish. (We really didn't have the proper clothing either)

We then spent about 4 days at Chris's dads house in Hopewell Junction (about 3 1/2 hours away from Deruyter Lake)

We went to this pretty cool, local, small music store where I finally got a violin! I have been practicing almost every day since :) (I haven't played since I was 10)

We left New York on Monday (the 13th) and we didn't get back to South Carolina until 7pm on Wednesday. 

We broke down (needed a new alternator) and ended up having to stay 2 nights at a Best Western. 

We had to borrow money from Esther in order to get home (we needed $150 more dollars... ugh)

But we finally made it back home and we miss New York horribly.

I have already been looking for houses up there, because I know that we'll be moving up there in the future. I no longer have family in South Carolina, I have a brother I don't talk to that lives in Florida, and I have a sister in North Carolina who I would see more in New York than I do here in South Carolina (even though she is only an hour and a half away)

WORK

My etsy shop has been doing so well. I enjoy making stickers and doing this. It provides an extra income for my family and it helps pay the bills every month!

Chris of course is still at Michaels. I'm unsure when the new store is supposed to be opening. I think Chris said sometime this coming Spring or Summer. 

LITTLE MAN

Little man of course is growing like a weed and his vocabulary is getting better everyday.There are some SUPER FUNNY things that he likes to say! He also is in love with all things music, and he sings with me everyday (and night when I sing a special lullaby) 

He is 40" tall!

Well this is all for now. 

Williams birthday party is on Saturday and it is still hard to believe that he is turning 3. Esther and Kevin want to go to the Renaissance Festival on Sunday. We may or may not go, depending on if Chris works or not. We really need the money right now, and can't be spending it. As it is we still owe Esther $150, plus $400 rent (for the month of September and October)

I still have yet to get my back pay and we are really relying on that to come.

I also need another Dr. Appt and an MRI appt (still trying to get in to get one)

Hopefully I write one more time this month. If not...

Till November :)

Melissa