Shopping trials

So I outgrew my regular clothes just before Christmas. No big deal to move on to maternity clothes, except that after three pregnancies, my preggo wardrobe is stretched pretty thin--no pun intended. I have a few shirts and a couple pairs of pants. Not too bad since I don't have to really be anywhere special these days. Not like when I was pregnant with Paul and Katie and teaching and I had to be dressed up every day. So my problem is I have one skirt and one dress that I can switch between for church. I still have four months to go and it's gonna get warmer and warmer around here and I want to be able to wear something besides the two pairs of jeans I have. I went in search of maternity clothes at Old Navy, Sears, JC Penney, Kohls, Target, Walmart, Gap, EVERYWHERE!! No one here sells maternity clothes in store now. They are all in a catalog or online only. OR their selection is one tiny rack with a couple shirts and jeans. All I need is a couple skirts to get me through this!!! Finally today I found a few racks of maternity clothes at Macy's. Of course the prices were ridiculous, but I was so desperate at this point I didn't care anymore. So, I got a cute knee length jean skirt and a mid-calf cotton black skirt and paid $60--and one of them was on sale. Ugh. Oh well. Now I have something to wear on my bottom half AND they are generic enough that I can pair them with any of the tops I have to make a few different outfits. Wish I were one of those girls that can wear their regular low-waisted jeans the whole time and not have to bother with having to get new clothes for only a few months. Everyone has their challenges, right? :)

Catching up

December was very busy with 1st grade programs/parties, my own final essays, morning sickness that lasted all day, choir concerts, a trip to the ER, a long drive to and from Utah, Christmas, Katie's birthday, New Year, and all kinds of other fun stuff!

Well, the kids had a great Christmas thanks to their wonderful grandparents--ALL of them! I think they got some awesome toys that will make them very happy for a long time. It snowed a lot while we were in Utah. The kids totally loved playing in it. Wish I could get my videos to post.

We switched health insurance at the beginning of the year. I have a new doctor. He is great! Excited for an ultrasound in two weeks!

And after years of dealing with dining sets that were either from the 1950s, way too big and not my style, or one that you could never keep clean because of it's sticky coating on top...I got the dining table and benches of my dreams as an early birthday present! I got a steal of a deal because it was on clearance and being discontinued and the store only had one bench and couldn't see that it was in stock in any other stores in California. I thought I might be able to get some chairs to go on the other side at a later date, so we bought it. Well, I went home and got online--completely out of stock and unavailable. So, I called all the World Market stores in the valley. Everyone was sold out. Then, I got a break! There was one left in Stockton--almost 3 hours north and one that a customer decided not to get after all in Tracy--2 hours north on the way to San Francisco. These were the only ones left in California, so if I wanted that other bench, I had to get it the next morning pronto! So we called the Tracy store to hold it for us and drove north. Although I couldn't persuade the manager at that site to match the price of the other bench, I still got a good deal and she gave me a small discount. In total, I paid an insanely small fraction of the retail cost for this solid wood, brand new set that can seat 8! I absolutely love it. It cleans so easily. No more hassle with chairs. I can sweep right under it without moving everything around. Who says money can't buy happiness and make your life easier? This purchase certainly has!

Baby J #4 - The final installment

Who is glad to be nauseated? I am. Every day that I have been sick has been a day that I know everything is alright with June Bug. But, I am excited for it to be over. :) 

Fuzzy Math

It's the most wonderful time of the year--for credit card companies. Didn't get a statement from Kohl's, therefore I forgot to pay off my recent charge of $34. It consequently had a $8.55 late fee tacked on. I called to ask for the late fee to be removed and to pay my $34 bill in full. Because I have a great payment history, they were more than happy to take off the fee as long as I agreed to pay the bill in full over the phone right now. Sure, no problem. Then, the service rep says that there will be a $10 processing fee for me to be able to pay the bill over the phone. What?! They just took off $8.55 in late fees only to add on $10 in processing fees because I HAVE to pay over the phone right now?!! I calmly explained a little math to him and asked how this equation could possibly benefit me. He was quiet for a minute, then said, "You're absolutely right, ma'am. That doesn't make any sense at all. I'm not supposed to do this, but I'm gonna dismiss the late fee and the processing fee and just charge what you owe--$34." Thank you! Happy holidays to everyone, and remember to spend wisely and pay off your credit purchases pronto! :)

Tree up

No judging. Just see the cuteness with me. We put up our Christmas tree tonight since we won't be here all week, and it was convenient. Afterward, the kids all curled up under the tree and just stared at it. Love it! I remember doing that as a kid and wanting to be as close to the tree as possible in the evenings when the lights were on. Putting up the tree and decorating the house is one of the best parts of Christmas. What I really love is that nearly all of our ornaments and decorations are handmade by us or the kids, so even though the tree looks a little hokey, the kids love it all and they all have some special meaning. This is how we decorated our tree growing up. Except we always had a real tree. We had one last year, but opted to put up our fake one this year since we'll be gone for the week of Christmas. I'm planning on making a real wreath, though, so that I can still get that awesome smell. I got the kids some Christmas CDs just for them--Chipmunks, Muppets, The Grinch. Trying to re-create those same sentiments and feelings I had as a kid for them. So many little things just fill me up with the Christmas spirit and remind me of my childhood. My mom and dad really made that magic happen for us. We have all our Christmas books out, and I'll start putting the movies out after we get back from Thanksgiving.

family pics!!

We only got a few shots. With these rugrats, it's lucky we got any at all.

Faith

Financial decisions for next year are made. Holding breath, moving forward. Feeling pretty good that things are gonna start looking up--they already are a bit. I was grateful for many of the talks at General Conference. I think I got all my crying and overwhelm out during the Relief Society broadcast, so I was super humbled to feel the spirit of GC. Incredible announcement about the missionary program. Wish it was 19 ten years ago. I'm pretty sure I would have gone. Glad my young women have more options after high school, though. I think this will help keep our youth more focused. Had some wonderful spiritual experiences the past month or so. Many answers to prayers. I've had some really eye-opening and confirming experiences that faith, patience, and especially hope are very important. Take comfort in the scriptures and attend the temple often. Follow the prophet. Peace is awesome.