Top 10 Reasons I'm not an accountant

1. I HATE reconciling spending, or whatever you call it.
2. I don't like numbers, nor do they like me.
3. Money stresses me out.  Always.  Even if I have some...or none.  STRESSFUL.
4. I loose receipts and don't really like them at all.
5. My eyes hurt from looking at the computer for so long.
6. If you just miss one little number on your calculator, it screws it all up and you have to start over.
7. If I add 20 numbers up 3 different times, I will without a doubt get 3 different answers (even if I use a calculator, write them down, and check them off as I go.
8. It's even harder when you spent some money as dollars and some as rubles and you are trying to figure out the conversion rate and when you spent dollars and etc.
9. Rubles are even bigger numbers, which makes my margin of error even bigger!
10. It's not easy when your computer  doesn't actually let you use excel...it says you only have a trial version, and therefore you can only look at your wonderful husband's expense spreadsheet from when you were in Russia...you however cannot change or add to it.

Anyone want to be me for the rest of the day?  Or buy me a new computer? 

:)  I'm actually going to stop now, I've done all I can without the help of excel, and Barry's brain.  His system really was a great one, except once we got Sveta...it just became a pile of receipts and a blur - so I'm not sure how to figure all of that out.

Week in Review

Since I last posted, here's a day by day play by play (sort of):

W:: Sveta and I joined Barry at church (with ton of other people) for dinner.  Sveta's Baba (April) came to speak to the kids...so we stayed for the first time.  Sveta went to her preschool class with her buddies, and I went to listen to April.  She did GREAT!  Until we left, and then she was sad because Barry wasn't coming with us.  Understandable...I was a little sad too.

Th:: We went to have the tires on the Honda rotated for free (thanks to the fundraiser last April).  While we waited, Sveta and I went to school.  We walked over to Good Shepherd to say hi to my friends that I miss dearly.  Sveta got to play with the 1st graders (my first Pre-K group) and she really thought she was going to school.  Then she ate some pretzels while the teachers talked (since it was lunch/recess time).  FUN.  Then once Barry got home we ate and went for a walk (at least I think that's when it was).  We stopped at a friends house up the street and got to chat with them (and new friends) for a bit!  Lots of fun.

F:: I met with Rachel to talk about the Bible Study Interrupted that we are working through.  We're going slow, because there is just SOO much to digest.  It's AWESOME.  Then I dropped the Saturn off to get the tires rotated (again, free). Barry and Sveta went out for a bit, so I walked to a doctor's appointment behind the hospital.  I was on time...too bad the appointment was supposed to be in Batesville.  I walked home. Barry and Sveta napped in the afternoon and I went to the eye doctor (for free...blessed).  My eyes actually are better, and I didn't need such a strong prescription.  LOVING the new contacts that are much clearer...now just to order more (anyone know how I can get more: free??)  Saturn came back home with 2 new tires...because they were so bad they couldn't be rotated.  (Not free). In the evening we were blessed to have dinner and time with the elders, pastors, and their families from church.  Good time.

Sa:: I honestly don't remember what we did Saturday...and I think it is because it wasn't an event.  We just hung out.  I think. Sveta and Barry ran to the church while I was baking/cooking/doing dishes...and I got a phone call that they had a flat on the Honda.  So, Barry and Sveta changed the tire (yes, she helped...her hands were dirty too when they came home). 

Su:: Barry leaves for church early, so as Sveta and I were getting in the car at 8:40 I realized that the spare tire looked flat.  I cautiously drove down the driveway and it was clunky.  I don't know if that's really the word I should use...but I don't know what else to call it.  Thankfully, my wonderful in-laws hadn't completely left the house (although one was in the garage, ready to leave).  They swung by and picked us up.  Sveta and I stayed in Greensburg for Worship and Education (also something we hadn't tried before) and then went home for lunch.  Barry came home shortly after and we enjoyed our afternoon together.  Barry went to Batesville in the evening for youth...and Sveta and I went grocery shopping.  (PS - the Honda got a new tire because it was shot too after it went flat...also, not free)

M:: Sveta spent a few hours at Nana and Pop's "School."  She seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit, and her mama enjoyed getting a few things done, including extended Bible Study time and getting my mind around the rest of my week.  After "school" we went to Troyer's...it is an amish store right on Highway 3.  I LOVE this place...and wish I would have gone before.  Evaporated sugar cane...like, real sugar...real salt, candy necklaces, the best pretzels I've ever put in my mouth, and cheese that is half the price it is at walmart.  Can't wait to go again.  Sveta didn't nap at all, she just had a quiet time.  Laid down, but never fell asleep.  Oh, and we learned to Play Candy Land and went to the library. (Oh, and adoption related things I found out:: 1. There is a family who is adopting a little girl named Stacia from VCH in Vladimir.  YAY! 2. There is a family adopting two children who live in Martinsville, VA...I have family from there, and no one has heard of it...so I was excited. 3. There is a packet you get when you come back to the states with your adopted child that you can't open or ELSE that apparently you can apply to get back.  Pretty stoked about seeing what was in it that was so confidential!!

Tu:: Yesterday morning Sveta and I read tons of books!  Then she practiced writing A and B.  She is awesome.  I also made bread.  Like, homemade from scratch bread.  Well, I made the dough.  I haven't actually baked it yet (mostly because I was successful with the dough and am afraid the bread being baked won't be so successful...and if you don't try, you won't fail...right??).  I plan on doing so this evening (hopefully).  Barry came home for lunch, and won a game of Candy Land (beginner's luck).  Sveta did nap, and we enjoyed a great evening last night.  I didn't want to cook so we went to Chili's for dinner (thanks Jill!) and then went out to a friend's barn to see the animals. Sveta LOVES animals...and isn't afraid at all. 

W:: Today was our field trip day...and we went to the Begg's for a play date.  SO much fun...for Sveta and for myself.  It was a much needed time for me to talk to other mom's about what God is doing in their lives, and in my own.  It was confirming to me that other people see the need for Christian's to take action and do something to help the hurting world around them.  And it made me thankful that I have friends with which to do such things.  And it made me want to make my own yogurt, buy a dairy cow, own some chickens, and dive into taking care of my physical health more than I do...in terms of how I eat, my activities, and what products I'm using.  It challenged me to be a better mom, wife, follower of Jesus, friend, church member, and steward.  And guess what...it was FREE too.

So glad God created us to be in fellowship...and to be the fellowship.  I don't know what that means exactly, but I'm chewing on it.  If you could DO anything to serve Jesus, what would you do?  What are you passionate about?  What makes your blood boil when you hear about it?  What makes you so excited you'd drop anything to be part of it?  What makes you tick?  Seriously...I'd LOVE to know, and help you get connected with others that might have that same passion (in Greensburg, Batesville, and to the ends of the earth).

Love you friends and family.  Thanks for taking the time to read and care.  and share.

A

We started the letter A this week...

sadly, the apple orchard was not open when we stopped by today. 

Sveta knows what sound a makes, and is doing well with the new plan.  I'm going to try to think of a fun "field trip" each week for the letter of the week.  If you have any examples let me know.

These are a few of my favorite things...(some are products, some are intangible)

1. Chobani Pineapple Greek Yogurt:  Sveta can't get enough of it...and it's got TONS of protein.  Thanks to Baba for introducing her to it. Now, if she would only eat other flavors.

2. Couponmom.com has a Walmart Price Matcher Tool.  Amazing.  You type in what you need to buy and it tells you the prices of that item at competing stores. Then you go to Walmart, buy that item, and tell them it's cheaper at wherever and they match the price.  Seriously...Don't pay $3 for milk.  Pay $1.49, that's how much it costs at Aldi.  Tell the cashier at Walmart...I guarantee it'll work.  It's their policy.

3. Reese cups.  I can't stop eating the ones I bought for Sveta for Easter.  Neither can Barry.  Peanut butter and chocolate = best thing ever created.  (Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration)

4. My Kindle (thanks mom).  I can flip from my Bible to my book, to the dictionary without having to lug all of that around.  Plus, I can highlight things without having to remember where I placed the pen I just had. 

5. Quiet Time baskets:  Just grab a basket, your "supplies" (Bible, journal, etc), and a quiet and fun activity for each of your kids (that's reusable).  Place it all in the basket.  Then, when you go to have your time with Jesus...they can have quiet time too (if they are old enough, store the quiet time stuff the church gives you, or their Bible, etc here).  Sveta has a little pad of paper, stickers, and some flash cards...all in a nifty little 31 organizer thing.  The only time she can play with these items is during the "quiet time."  LOVE this idea.  Has worked well for me for about 2 days...haven't been doing it long.  :)  (Thanks Kelly for telling Barry about this)

6. Giving my stuff away.  I know it sounds strange, but as I go through the house trying to get ready for our garage sale (last weekend of April...come buy it all!!) I have little conversations with myself.  They typically go something like this, "I don't need all of this.  Oh, but I love that little _______.  So and so gave it to me."  Or, "It's ok that I have 87 blankets...they were all homemade, or given to us at our wedding...or what if the heat goes out and we need them. Wait. There are people who live without heat, and without blankets.  Why do I need this many?"  (It's not really 87, but it might as well be). 

The best part about my internal dialogue:  It makes me truly look at my heart.  Am I trusting and loving things more than I care about the poor, the needy, the broken, the abused and abandoned?  Wow.  Most of the time, yes.  I want to keep my homemade hats, and my nice things...more than I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Ouch.  It hurts, but at the same time, realizing my own selfishness makes me fight against it and place something else in the ever increasing pile of stuff to sell.  And, it makes me realize that I must fight my natural tendencies.  It keeps them in my face, instead of buried deep down. 

And it confirms my desire to not be like Sodom::  "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:  She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."  Ezekiel 16:49.

Oh, how I am Sodom so many days.  Going through my stuff reminds me that I no longer wish to live like that.

Lord, forgive me for being arrogant (judging others), overfed (both with food and stuff), and unconcerned (living in my own little bubble...not knowing anyone labeled poor or needy). 

Lions, Wolves, and Snakes

So, I was ready to blog yesterday, but something happened to a tower or something nearby...NO one had cell service, which also means when you use a Verizon card for your internet, that it's down too.  So, that's my excuse for not blogging yesterday.

Miscellaneous thoughts::
1. Sveta has developed a new "feeling."  It's fear.  She is afraid of shadows mostly, but today she decided she was absolutely terrified of a lion.  We had just gotten home and I was carrying her in the house when I noticed she was being really clinging.  I asked if she was ok, and she said "lion scared me."  Except "scared" sounds like "sceered."  It's adorable.  I asked her where the lion was, and she just kept repeating "lion scared me."  So, after attempting to distract her to no avail, I asked again where she saw a lion.  "Outside" was the reply.  She told me to go catch it.  I told her I'd call Papa. So, I pretended to call Barry on the phone and asked him to catch the lion and take it to the zoo.  After a few minutes, I pretended to call back to make sure the task was accomplished.  I assured Sveta that Papa had taken the lion to the zoo, and she immediately stopped crying.  Barry came home for lunch and he talked with Sveta about his experience (he'd be warned via text).  Then after lunch, Sveta told me we needed to call Papa at work and have him catch the snake and the wolf that were outside too.  They needed to go to the zoo also, because she was "sceered."  So, I pretended again, and she was happy.
2. I'm heartbroken.  Go here to see why:  www.casonandcolleen.blogspot.com Then pray.
3. Check out the video of Sveta on Facebook that Berea Jurgensen put up.  It's Sveta talking on the phone to Noah (who was in the front seat), but Sveta thought she was talking to her Poppy. Awesome.
4. Easter is one of my favorite holidays.  I love the meaning most of all...a time to remember the biggest gift I've ever received.  I love that there's family gatherings, and coloring Easter Eggs (not sure why I love this so much, but I do), and finding Easter goodies.  Barry and I have decided that even though the Easter Bunny won't come to our house necessarily...Sveta should still have fun traditions to enjoy for Easter.  So, we're going to help her make "nests" around the house and when she wakes there will be Easter goodies in them.  This is something that Barry grew up doing.  We always had to find our Easter basket...and mine was almost always in the oven.  Apparently my Easter Bunny couldn't remember where he'd hidden it last year...and seemed to think the oven was a great idea year after year.  :)  We may do this on Friday night instead of Saturday...because Sunday morning Barry wouldn't be here when Sveta woke up.
5. I have a friend who is blogging about her "favorite things" and I LOVE the idea.  I think I'll be doing that soon.  Stay tuned.  As a sneak peek:  I love my coffee maker.  I can preset it so that it makes my coffee and it's ready without me having to do a thing.  It's my life saver...because even though my 4-year-old sleeps through the night, and takes naps...I'm ridiculously tired most of the time.  Thankfully, coffee, and a healthy amount of creamer keep me going in the mornings.
6. I am so so grateful to be living life with Barry. I trust him completely, tell him everything, and enjoy spending time with him so so much.  Today when I texted about the lion, his response was something about it having sharp teeth.  Made me smile.  He makes me laugh when I need a good laugh, knows when I need to just talk, shares what's going on with him so I get to hear his heart, let's me cry (and doesn't think I'm crazy), only makes fun of me a little for going to bed early, doesn't ever look at the dinner menu...but is thankful I make one so he gets dinner, only cares about the BIG things, and doesn't worry over details.  He's fabulous is what I'm saying.  He's so good for me, and he's so good for Sveta.  She lights up when she sees him coming.  We can hear when he gets home and she gets this excited look on her face.  She giggles with him, hugs and kisses him, wants him to give her a bath instead of me, and truly LOVES him.  It's amazing to watch.  And, he's smitten.  He loves her more than life...and there's nothing better than knowing my husband loves his girls. (Except knowing that he loves his God even more...and his God loves his girls even more than he does).