One Step Forward, TEN steps backward

Well, I had everything lined up to begin paying off the last bit of our debt in a "snowball" fury kind of way and had set a goal to be debt free by this time next year and my darling husband gets new car fever. He just couldn't seem to squash it either. So now we (let me rephrase that - HE) has a new car....and, for the next 6 years, a new car payment to go along with that! Oh krikey what was he thinking?!

Children & Grandchildren

Tina, Bryant and Bailee came in town on the 14th to visit for 2 weeks. They live in CA now while Bryant is stationed out there in San Diego. Bailee is 9 months old and getting more and more beautiful the older she gets! I am completely mesmerized by her eyes....they are a brilliant blue and she has the longest eyelashes!

We spent yesterday at dad's beach house just hanging out with everyone, grilling out, fishing, kayaking, canoeing - had a great time. I know this next week is going to pass by much too quickly. Bailee is just beginning to get used to all of us and come to us without wanting her mommy as much now. When she first got in town she wouldn't come to us without looking around for Tina - she was a big mommy's girl! LOL

Felicia and the boys are in Hawaii. We haven't seen them since April. We are trying really hard to go see them for Thanksgiving this year if we manage the plane tickets out there. She is raising the boys alone right now because Will has been on a ship for 3 months and has one more month to go. I know she has her good days and bad days being a single mom but praise God she has found a good friend out there who has helped her out with the boys. She is really a great mom!!

Mission Trip to Brazil

I am leaving August 24th for my first overseas Mission trip! I am so excited and extremely nervous. I am going with 19 fellow churchmembers - some who have been before and some who are first-timers like me. Our trip cost $2400.00.

When I felt the "call from God" to go on this trip I knew He was going to have to provide the financial means as well because I didn't want to take from our household money to pay for this trip. We have had a lot of group fundraisers (fish fries, concession stand duties at baseball tournaments, Chick Fil A spirit nights, sponsored a local high school baseball's end of the year athletic banquet) and I have had two yard sales on my own. There is a church-wide rummage sale coming up the first weekend in August but I'm tired of yard sales! They wear me out!! The greatest blessing has been the ability to work three different times this summer for my best friend at her office when everyone has gone to conferences or meetings. I fill in and answer the phones. That money has gone directly into my mission fund! Praise God because that has been almost $800!

I am just putting my faith and trust in God that the money will be there by the time I am ready to leave on August 24th! Praise be to God!!

Work-From-Home Search Begins

Vacation was WONDERFUL!! Oh the beautiful sunsets and the calming sounds of the Gulf - I wish we could have stayed longer....I absolutely love our beach vacations!

Greg has been working so hard since we got back from the beach. He was on call all weekend the week we got back so I didn't get to see him too much. I had a yard sale this past Saturday to help me raise money for my upcoming Mission trip to Brazil next month. I'll write more about that in another blog.

In this post I wanted to concentrate on what I have been working on the last 2 weeks. I have really been looking for "legitimate" work-from-home opportunities. I have researched and researched so many!! I did sign up for a few survey ones and I have actually earned money from them!! My checks are in the mail as we speak - when I get them I will scan them in and post it to prove it. These two have been my favorite so far:

Cash Crate

Inbox Dollars

I've discovered a couple of things in doing these surveys...

• sign up for a free telephone number from AIM so you never have to give your own number
• use a gmail or alternate "free" email address that filters out spam mail
• sign up for "RoboForm" at their website (look on google) - awesome program!! Quickly fill out forms for surveys - saves time!
• with Cash Crate - they tell you exactly what you have to do in order to complete the submission - once you do it, you're done! Close out the page and submit it; don't get caught up in clicking through all the erroneous survey junk.

There are a couple other things I have found that I am currently working on and if they prove to be "profitable" I will share them on here. If not, I won't waste my time writing about them!Have a blessed day!