$20 in my pocket.

Is it wrong that this song makes me want to go to the DI tomorrow? 
(Sorry about the language. I couldn't find the real video with the clean version.)

Don't worry. I won't be popping any tags. 

Lemonade

In about a month, my in-laws are leaving for {what could be} 18 months and have offered to let us stay in their home, with my sister-in-law, until we can find one for ourselves. At first, I didn't really see how it would be any different than my current living situation, which is already in their house with them. I was bummed. I knew my friends and my financial advisor would say, "Stay there and save money." Or "Why would you turn down a free house?" For me however, it was a prison sentence. It was just MORE time living in someone else's house when I wanted to be out on my own.

After the sun came up today, I began to look at it in a whole new way. This is time that I can spend preparing myself in the ways of wife-hood (or whatever) before it is all or nothing. I'm thinking of it as a trial run of cooking, cleaning, decorating and yard work before I have to commit to my own place. We have the opportunity to save quite a bit of money to put down on a house of our own.

Don't get me wrong, I still want a house, and will definitely still be looking, but I've just decided to make some lemonade from this shipment of lemons that life seems to have expedited me.

Thank you sunshine for pulling me out of my winter funk.

Finally!

It's funny how after a winter of single digit temperatures, a 46 degree day feels like the middle of Summer.  I just went and took the garbage out without a jacket or shoes.  It was a momentous occasion.  

 

For worse...then better...

The husband has been having some hard times lately and it has been really rough for both of us.  I love him and it has been difficult figuring out how I can help him.  I saw this picture this morning and it all fell into place.  This is the worse.  And it will get better. 

Let It Be

One week ago, about this exact time, a wonderful person was taken from this world.  Doug Bangerter was my sister-in-law's husband and I will miss him deeply. 

Doug was a fantastic father and husband.  I have never seen him upset for more than two minutes.  He made friends everywhere he went.  He cared so deeply about his family, that he put them before anything else.  He spent early mornings and late nights at the ice rink because he loved his kids.  He worked two jobs to support his family.  Doug could fix anything and was always tinkering with anything mechanical.  He helped me buy my car, and he helped me with many life lessons in the five short years that I knew him.  

I hope that I can be an example of Doug's sweet spirit now that he has passed.  I want to be there for his family and assist in any possible thing that they could need.  I want to have his care for people.  He was so genuine and took the time to talk and help anyone with anything they needed.  He was such a hard worker.  He made everything fun. 

He opened his heart to me and welcomed me into his family with open arms.  I hope his welcoming on the other side was just as great.  He lived an amazing life and I have no doubt that he is in a better place now.  I can't imagine a world without this wonderful man. There is laughter missing from my world.  My children will be worse off because they didn't know Doug.  I can only hope that he can love them for me before they are mine.  

Goodbye for now, my friend.  I will think of you when I'm camping.   I will think of you at hockey games.  I will think of you when we buy a house that needs fixing.  I will think of your laugh.  I think that is what I will miss the most.  

Five Things

Sometimes all you can do is post five things. These are the five things from my last week that seemed post-worthy. 

1. My sister-in-law's husband had a heart attack a few days ago. They lowered his body temperature to help prevent brain damage.  They eventually raised his temperature, but he still hasn't woken up. Hopefully his brain is just recovering a little more slowly than it should, but it could mean something else entirely. 

2. We put an offer in on a house we really like.  It was a pretty fair offer based on market value, but the house was a bit over priced so it is about $24,000 less than the sellers are asking.  I hope their hearts can be softened for a sweet little couple that really needs a place of their own. 

3.  We did our taxes.  The result was MUCH better than last year and I am definitely thrilled by that.  If only we could justify using our refund as frivolously as we would like to. 

4. I have a Vanilla Coke addiction. It's getting a little ridiculous. I have always been one to say that I didn't understand drinking your calories away.   Well I get it now.  

5. It's almost Valentine's Day and I made a semi-inappropriate card for the husband. I'm quite proud of it. I don't think I have ever been so excited to give a card in all my life. Thank you Pinterest for the inspiration. 

New year, new me.

I am such a slacker.  Just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't had time. I have just filled it with other things such as napping and re-watching Lost.  

I thought I should start out this year's posts with a little bit about what I have been up to. 

I have been wanting to make some changes so I started out by dying my hair red.  It's fun and frivolous, but it is also symbolic of the new me.  I don't want to spend this year worrying about what other people think.  I want to be true to me. Those who really like me will stick around.  Others, well, I don't really care about what they think. 

I started going to a step class.  It's pretty fun.  I'm not good at it by any means, but I am having a nice time trying it out. 

The husband and I have been spending time cooking together and I'm really enjoying it. It's a fun thing to do together and a learning experience in the process. 

That's about it for now but hopefully I will have some blog worthy experiences in the not too distant future.