Black cloud

Ok so not only did we loose our salesman so we have lost 25% of our pay, they are requiring all employees to take 1 unpaid day off per pay cycle. This equates to us loosing $500 more a month. Which means we are loosing a total of $27,000 a year. I really don't know what we are going to do. One would say to be thankful you have a job and this is true, but I wonder what good it is if you still can't pay your bills? Seems like we'd be better off on welfare. This has never happened to us before. I don't know what to think, or what to make of it. I am worried. We shall see.

I married a mule....

not really...but he is as stubborn as a mule. I can't pick on him too much and I can be quite stubborn myself...afterall I am German and Irish. Two stubborn people can make for an interesting marriage!!!
For instance, I can't stand facial hair. I don't mind how it looks on some, but when you are rubbing up on my face....you better not have even one hair on your chiny, chin, chin. There is nothing good about it. Not to mention that my husband and I have "baby faces". We look a lot younger than we are. He does not look good with facial hair. Yet he is determined to grow it. I have asked many many times to shave it, to no avail. This is a battle that has gone on since he got out of the Navy, and was allowed to let the facial hair go wild. So I finally decided to stop complaining. I just let it be. Now he has not shaved his face in about 3 weeks. He is not a hairy person, but has quite a bit on his face at this time. This morning he woke up and he said..."I have to go shave, I cannot stand it anymore...it is so itchy." "I despise hair." My response was "I do too!" Then he acted like his feelings were hurt. To which I replied "It's no surprise how I feel about facial hair."

As you can see, he is so stubborn and likes to irritate me that he will put up with itchy nasty facial hair if he can get a rise out of me. What is wrong with this man?

Word

The Lord is close to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

~ Psalm 145:18, NLT

Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ He will quickly reply.

~ Isaiah 58:9, NLT

So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

~ Luke 6:46, NLT

These were my verses for the past 3 days. Very, very interesting.

9 Things Not to Worry About in '09

That You'll Never Again Be Able to Purchase Polaroid Instant Film
Don't lie—you were sad when Polaroid announced it was discontinuing its iconic instant camera and film. And if you're like us, you were initially skeptical of the high-tech replacement—a digital camera with a built-in printer called a PoGo. But it actually seems promising. It prints full-bleed 2-by-3-inch photos that are dry to the touch in about a minute. (No word from Polaroid on whether shaking is necessary.) Some critics will grouse that the printer sheets are expensive (a pack of 30 retails for $12.99) and that it's bulkier than other digital cameras. But when you consider that film for your vintage Polaroid costs even more (lots more on eBay) and that the camera required its own suitcase, it seems like a viable alternative. The PoGo will be available in March, 2009.

That You'll Suffer a Plastic-Wrap Calamity
You know when the plastic wrap starts to run low, and every time you tear a piece, the whole roll flies out of the box? Like you need plastic-wrap hassle, on top of everything else. Here's a trick we learned from—we swear—a forwarded email (which makes it maybe the single most valuable forwarded email of all time): At the ends of the roll of plastic wrap, chances are you'll find two little perforated tabs built into the side of the box. Don't believe us? Go to your kitchen right now and look. Press them inward, and they hold the roll in place. Amazing, right?

That the Telemarketers Will Find You
You know all about the Do Not Call Registry—a federally mandated way to keep pesky telemarketers from bugging you at home. But did you also know that it's been the subject of a number of Internet rumors and hoaxes since it was created? You may have heard that the list expired or that you need to register your cell phone. Neither is true. An expiration date was a possibility until 2007, when the feds abolished it. If you signed up your phone, you never need to renew it. And cell phones do not need to be registered and your number is in no danger of being released to telemarketers. So there—you can answer your phone without worrying that someone's trying to hassle you. Unless it's your ex or the collection agency, in which case the Do Not Call Registry won't help.

That You'll Accidentally Buy Counterfeit Drugs
Someone out there is making a profit by producing and selling bogus medicines that look remarkably similar to the real thing—it's a scary thought. But what's the real risk of receiving fake drugs? According to the Food and Drug Administration, licensed American pharmacies are safe. That even goes for licensed Internet pharmacies. (Yes, they exist—you'll know them by their "Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites" seal.) There have been a few instances of counterfeit drugs making their way into legit pharmacies, but in those cases, consumers noticed something was fishy. Drugs were in wrong-sized bottles, pills tasted funny, labeling seemed off. In short, if you have any questions about the taste, appearance or effectiveness of your drugs, bring them to the attention of a pharmacist or doctor.

That You'll Die in a Plane Crash
You're more likely to die in one of the following ways than in a plane crash: Heart disease, cancer, stroke, motor vehicle accident, suicide, fall, firearm injury, fire or smoke, natural forces (think earthquake, extreme cold), poisoning, choking and drowning. So you now have 12 more things to worry about, true, but cross the old paralyzing-fear-of-flying thing off your list.

That You'll Get Hairier Because You Shave Too Often
The more you shave your legs, the darker and thicker the hair grows in. Totally true, right? I mean, your mom did say so when you were 13. But here's a secret: Mom told you this because she thought you were too young to shave at 13, and she would've done (and said) anything to dissuade you from doing it. That, and she didn't really know whether it was true or not. Reality check: Shaved hair seems thicker because it's been blunted at the ends. In reality, it's the same old hair that's growing everywhere else on your body.

That You'll Be Seriously Harmed by an Over-the-Counter Gel or Cream
You've heard the scary news stories of people dying because they overdosed on pain-relief and numbing creams. But should you really toss your beloved stick of muscle strain reliever or steer clear of hydrocortisone forever? That's probably not necessary. While it's good to keep in mind that over-the-counter creams and gels are, in fact, medicine and should be treated as such, you don't need to ban them from your household. Just remember to always follow the directions on the package, and to use these products sparingly and only as they're intended. That means no more hemorrhoid cream for the bags under your eyes, got it?

That Your Forward-Facing Stroller Will Leave Your Child Emotionally Impoverished
A British study says that kids who ride facing forward in strollers tend to be more stressed out—and less engaged—than kids who ride while facing the person pushing. You know, in case you didn't have enough to feel guilty about. (And yes, the study did use the exact phrase "emotionally impoverished.") Before you ditch your ultra-convenient collapsible model for an inward-facing stroller, though, consider this: Your stroller style isn't reflective of your overall communication style. Sure, looking your kid in the eye while you're cruising the mall can raise your interaction level, but so can a bedtime story, a song or two during bath time, or regular old play. The point is to talk. It does a baby good! Your kid might even giggle along when he hears you cackling over phrases like "emotionally impoverished."

That Government Preparedness Web Sites Will Terrify Your Children
If only they rated government Web sites like they do movies. Did you know that both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have Web sites designed for children? They're done up in cheerful colors, feature cuddly-looking cartoon characters and include lots of info about fun topics like earthquakes, tsunamis and terrorism. (The DHS site includes a song set to the tune of "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" that reminds kids to "Grab your first aid kit and some clothes to wear / Don't forget your underwear," while FEMA features a quiz called "Disaster Math.") DHS also helps kids create a "basic" survival kit that includes an NOAA Weather Radio, plastic sheeting, and a wrench or pliers. You can stop the madness (and provide some perspective) by standing over your kid's shoulder while he surfs—not a bad piece of advice for any Web site. At least then you can reassure your child that he won't need to pack the signal flare all by himself.

Copied from http://www.momtourage.com/Article/0,,f273fwvv-9,00.html

Phew....9 things I no longer need to worry about! Thank God!

Freaking out....just a little bit

We got a call last night from Phil's boss. Phil's salesman quit. This wouldn't be as big of a deal if the salesman had just quit, but he quit and is going to a competitors company to sell for them. His territory is New England and New York...the same territory we are in now. So not only are we loosing probably 1/3 of our pay because we no longer have a salesman, if he does get a new one it will be hard for him to sell. You see the one that just quit is a fabulous salesman. In NY alone Phil's company sells 8 machines a month to customers....the competitor sells 20 a month in NY. This means that the salesman will probably be stealing the 8 that we do have. Which means we are double screwed. I hope this all makes sense. It makes sense to me, but I feel like I am not that clear sometimes.

Phil is still looking for a job but we have not heard back from anyone. I don't know what we will do. This is a real test of our faith. We need that extra money every month to pay our bills.

When he first told me I was shocked but ok with it. Now this morning I am freaking out. Apparently I was making all kinds of noises in my sleep, Phil asked if I had a bad dream. Today I feel very anxious about all of it.

I want to get past this point and be able to trust and have faith. I am not so sure I am good at that when it comes to money!

Well I have to go get ready for MOPS now. Just thought I would update on our turbulent life. I guess worse comes to worse we loose it all and have to start over. That's really not so bad...I just worry mostly about feeding and clothing my kids. Plus it is kind of embarrassing to have to admit to loosing everything. Hopefully it won't come to that...but who knows. Only God.

Date night

My sister Jen is here visiting and she so kindly offered to watch the kids while Phil and I went out! YIPEE! That has not happened in a long time. We went to go see the movie Paul Blart Mall Cop and then went to the mall to look around and then out to eat. We had a lot of fun and had 6 whole hours to ourselves!!!

When we got home we got the kids into bed and I felt extremely tired. I fell asleep on the couch at 8:30! I guess it was all to exciting for me....haha!
Our alarm went off for Phil at 2:30 am so he could put more wood in the fire. Normally I am so exhausted I don't even hear it. Not only did I hear it last night, I am sitting here still awake at 4:45! I cannot fall back to sleep. The worst part is that I am supposed to be up at 6 to get Emma ready for school. Now I am torn...do I go back to sleep and get up in an hour...or do I just stay up?

I am thinking I will just stay up, but I know I will pay for it tonight. It is a vicious cycle.

Oh yah and did I mention I am starving? I would love to put on some coffee and eat a piece of pumpkin bread that I made and start the day. Except my sister is sleeping on the couch and there are kids sleeping in every other room of my house. I don't want to disturb any of them.

Not much else going on. Today I am driving my sister back to the airport so she can fly home. I am thinking I will have to pick Emma up from school today rather than have her ride the bus. If she takes the bus she will be home with 40 mins to spare to get Jen to the airport in time. Which is ok cause the airport is 40 mins from my house, but that leaves no time at all for problems. Buffalo is not a big airport and it's rather quick getting through there...but it would be my luck that we would come upon and accident and end up being late.

And speaking of accident. Phil spoke to the bus driver on Friday and he told Phil what the truck looked like etc that came barreling down our road to fast and almost hit us. The bus driver reported the guy to his supervisor who just happens to be the the former police chief here in our town. What luck!!! I am hoping a ticket or some sort of fine will end up in his mailbox and hopefully teach that man a lesson. I hope....I will never know the outcome, but I do know that we are all safe and very thankful to God that we are!