My realtor just sent me a better link to the house we like. Here it is: http://sckmls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=15a16790-6ed1-4e65-91e7-4292a09d65f1&Report=Yes
We are trying to decide if this is over our heads or not...we need to carefully consider. Luckily, we have time.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Hunt
In my defense, :) we have only looked at houses to see if we would be comfortable/happy living in the price range we could afford in Wichita. Then, when we lowered our price range rather dramatically, we decided that we'd best look again to see what THOSE houses were like. We ARE done now until we've got a contract on our house here in Olathe. Thanks for the advice, though, Kelly...we can all use a little "be smart so you don't get hurt..." advice. :) Where were you the LAST time I needed it?!? :) :) :)
***Because the typed word is so abiguous as far as tone and delivery are concerned, I felt it necessary to put a disclaimer that I was being sincere with the thanks and not sarcastic as someone might take it. I really was saying thank you and I hope that the Christain love/advice/friendship will continue as we make Wichita our home. :)
***Because the typed word is so abiguous as far as tone and delivery are concerned, I felt it necessary to put a disclaimer that I was being sincere with the thanks and not sarcastic as someone might take it. I really was saying thank you and I hope that the Christain love/advice/friendship will continue as we make Wichita our home. :)
WFMW
This is my first ever WFMW. I thought I'd give it a whirl. This one is simple and a no-brainer, if you will, but I wanted to be sure the world knew about these simple cookies. They are called cake mix cookies and they are pretty fabulous. Here's what you need and what you do:
**1 cake mix of ANY flavor (my favorites are...well...I guess I can't pick a favorite...they are ALL fabulous. If I had to, I'd pick cherry chip or strawberry, but they are all fabulous!)
**1/3 cup oil
**2 eggs
Mix all ingredients together until well blended. I use my hands, as that is easiest in my opinion.
Roll into 1 or 2 inch balls and place on greased baking sheet. You can just drop them by the spoonful, as well, but they look prettier if you roll them.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until LIGHTLY brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE! If they don't look done at 10 minutes, still remove them, but leave on the baking sheet. These cookies will set up after sitting for a bit.
FUN IDEAS:
Make chocolate cookies and make ice cream sandwiches.
Frost them with homemade or canned frosting. The cherry frosting is a favorite of mine.
Make strawberry, lemon, and chocolate and arrange all on a platter together...very pretty!
Use a white cake mix and use food coloring for different occasions!
Add in nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, dried fruit, etc. for variations!
Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
OCTOBER 13
That's the day Mark starts his new job...IN WICHITA! WOOT! WE ARE SO EXCITED, but desperately need this house to sell now. PLEASE pray that someone just loves it as much as we love the house in Wichita! Thanks and more updates to come!
WHAT A WEEKEND!
Oh me, oh my!
We went to Wichita this weekend for 4 things:
My Dad's surprise 60th birthday.
My brother's 34th birthday.
To look at houses.
An interview for Mark.
What a weekend it was!
We get there partway through my dad's party. He was SHOCKED by the party and SHOCKED when we showed up! There were a ton of people and I was really glad that we finally pulled one over on my dad! We did a MADLib that I wrote about him...it was just a random story. At one point it said: Rob came home to his (adjective) wife and they had a(n) (adjective) evening. What I had in my mind when writing that sentence was lovely and relaxing. It turned out like this: "Rob came home to his sweaty wife and they had a dirty evening." EWWWW!!! Too funny!
Yesterday, we went and looked at houses in the morning. Yeah, we pretty much fell in love...with a house. I don't have any inside pics of it, but if you click here, you'll see the outside. Remember the house that I was so sad was gone? I love this one WAY more. It's new...it's gorgeous...it's functional. It's...well...fabulous!
After looking at houses, we went to Red Lobster for my brother's birthday. It was yummy. That's about all I can say about that. Mark left from there to go to his interview. It went really well...really, really well. He has a job in Wichita should he choose to accept it...which I think he will. WHAT?!? That's right. We've got the job! He is supposed to call the guy today to talk about it. He is thinking he might accept it starting Oct 15. Obviously, we will not be moved by then, since we don't have a contract on our house yet, so we would be living with my parents. Not ideal, but maybe necessary. I have seen a few events leading up to mom and I being able to live in peace in the same house...namely a confrontation or 2 that we've had lately that have really revolutionized our relationship. We'll see what God has in store for us, but that's what I'm thinking is on the horizon. Oh, my!
I've been avoiding the excitement feelings about moving back home for some time now at the risk of complete and utter disappointment. They are starting to creep in. I've got that excited feeling in my belly. This could really happen!!!
So, that's my story. I'll let you know what comes of it all. Please, please, please pray that our house will sell...SOON! We really want this all to work out, but cannot do it all if our house won't sell. *sigh* I know full well that God has a plan and I really feel (for a number of reasons) that this job is a part of His plan. I just need patience and peace until it all comes to fruition. Thanks everyone!
We went to Wichita this weekend for 4 things:
My Dad's surprise 60th birthday.
My brother's 34th birthday.
To look at houses.
An interview for Mark.
What a weekend it was!
We get there partway through my dad's party. He was SHOCKED by the party and SHOCKED when we showed up! There were a ton of people and I was really glad that we finally pulled one over on my dad! We did a MADLib that I wrote about him...it was just a random story. At one point it said: Rob came home to his (adjective) wife and they had a(n) (adjective) evening. What I had in my mind when writing that sentence was lovely and relaxing. It turned out like this: "Rob came home to his sweaty wife and they had a dirty evening." EWWWW!!! Too funny!
Yesterday, we went and looked at houses in the morning. Yeah, we pretty much fell in love...with a house. I don't have any inside pics of it, but if you click here, you'll see the outside. Remember the house that I was so sad was gone? I love this one WAY more. It's new...it's gorgeous...it's functional. It's...well...fabulous!
After looking at houses, we went to Red Lobster for my brother's birthday. It was yummy. That's about all I can say about that. Mark left from there to go to his interview. It went really well...really, really well. He has a job in Wichita should he choose to accept it...which I think he will. WHAT?!? That's right. We've got the job! He is supposed to call the guy today to talk about it. He is thinking he might accept it starting Oct 15. Obviously, we will not be moved by then, since we don't have a contract on our house yet, so we would be living with my parents. Not ideal, but maybe necessary. I have seen a few events leading up to mom and I being able to live in peace in the same house...namely a confrontation or 2 that we've had lately that have really revolutionized our relationship. We'll see what God has in store for us, but that's what I'm thinking is on the horizon. Oh, my!
I've been avoiding the excitement feelings about moving back home for some time now at the risk of complete and utter disappointment. They are starting to creep in. I've got that excited feeling in my belly. This could really happen!!!
So, that's my story. I'll let you know what comes of it all. Please, please, please pray that our house will sell...SOON! We really want this all to work out, but cannot do it all if our house won't sell. *sigh* I know full well that God has a plan and I really feel (for a number of reasons) that this job is a part of His plan. I just need patience and peace until it all comes to fruition. Thanks everyone!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Do you hear the bells???
I hear them...sound like wedding bells to me!
If you've followed my blog over the past year or so, you just might know what I'm talking about...WEDDING BELLS! My BABY sister is now an engaged woman at the ripe 'ol age of 18!!!
Let me back up to catch people up with our story in case you're not familiar with my family. In fact, let's back up about 19-20 years ago and really do this story justice. Then, we'll get to the engagement details...
Our family had decided that we were not whole. I was 8. I had always wanted a baby sister and as we sat around the kitchen table with my parents asking if we'd ever want to have another baby in the family, I saw all of my dreams coming true before my eyes. Fast forward past the whole adoption process to adopt a 2-3-y-o from Mexico through an adoption in town that fell through to a baby that was due ONE WEEK FROM THE DAY WE GOT THE PHONE CALL ABOUT HER! I was almost 10 by this point...we hadn't had a baby in the house for that long. This baby was due in 1 week! Basically, the case worker had randomly stuck our homestudy in with 100 others and had put the parents in separate locations to review them. Both of them chose our's as their top pick. There was a catch, though. The birth dad wanted his baby to grow up in the church of Christ. The solution to that catch? US again! My mom grew up in the C of C and my dad went to it from adolescence on. A God thing? I think so.
She (which we did not know the gender at this point) ended up giving us 1-1/2 weeks to prepare. The day that the birth mother was in labor was the loooongest of my life, I do believe. It was a girl and we immediately started calling her "Danielle (Dani for short) Lanae," the name we had chosen. Two days later, we all walked into a hospital room to meet that little baby girl for the first time. There was not a dry eye in the room and we were all head-over-heels in love with her!
So, I'm 10 years older than her pretty much. I was her second mommy. I sometimes got up with her in the night. She slept on my tummy every night from age 2 until she was too heavy to do so. We were inseparable and are still the best of friends to this day.
Last year in July, my parents went on a trip and I was sent to "take care" of Dani while they were away. There was a guy that she thought she might be interested in that was a few years older than her. I wasn't crazy about the age difference with her in high school and all, but thought that the whole thing was sorta cute. At the end of our time together, she went to Teen Camp with our church. Things took a completely different turn on that trip and she started falling for none other than Mr. David Herrington. Remember that age thing? HA! He's not a few years older than she...he's SIX years older. They started dating in August of last year and, as of last night, are now engaged with a wedding set for June/July of 2009.
Now, the age thing is definitely crazy to me. If they were 28 and 34...not such a big deal. She is fresh...FRESH out of high school. There is only 1 thing that makes it okay for me...David. I'm pretty sure he is someone that I might pick for her. He loves her, treats her so well, and is definitely a man of high integrity. If ever there was a couple with God as their foundation, it was this one. I think what stole her heart initially was when they would study the Bible together until late at night; reading, discussing, and learning.
We knew something was up soon. It was just obvious. Besides, now that she's at a Christian college where the joke motto is "Ring by Spring or your money back," we knew that he'd be wanting to get a "taken" sign on her just as soon as he could. :)
Last night, they went and picked up sushi to take and eat. He then made her put on a blindfold. They ended up riding an elevator to the 25th floor at which point it opened up to my cousin's apartment, which is the entire top floor of what used to be a Holiday Inn. From what I understand, it and the view are both breathtaking! There were a dozen roses worth of petals strewn all over and soft music playing...a playlist including all of the songs significant to them. After watching a sunset and eating, they watched a slideshow that David had prepared detailing their romance in pictures along with the first song that he ever sang to her (though the name escapes me). When the pictures ended, the song continued as he retrieved his guitar and sang and played along. When the song ended, he kept playing and singing it to her telling her how important she was to him. This ended with a hug and I'm sure a few smooches. As they went to set back down on the couch, he suddenly dropped to 1 knee and proposed to which she gave a huge yes. After enjoying the moment of realization, they went out to the balcony where they threw handfuls of rose petals over the balcony (which I'm sure is less than legal). All in all, she thought that the night, the ring, and the memory were all pretty amazing and pretty perfect.
So, there you have it. My sister is now engaged. Now, I have to look stinkin' good in a tight-fitting, strapless bridesmaid dress in June or July. OH MYLANTA!
More info to come as it unfolds! :)
If you've followed my blog over the past year or so, you just might know what I'm talking about...WEDDING BELLS! My BABY sister is now an engaged woman at the ripe 'ol age of 18!!!
Let me back up to catch people up with our story in case you're not familiar with my family. In fact, let's back up about 19-20 years ago and really do this story justice. Then, we'll get to the engagement details...
Our family had decided that we were not whole. I was 8. I had always wanted a baby sister and as we sat around the kitchen table with my parents asking if we'd ever want to have another baby in the family, I saw all of my dreams coming true before my eyes. Fast forward past the whole adoption process to adopt a 2-3-y-o from Mexico through an adoption in town that fell through to a baby that was due ONE WEEK FROM THE DAY WE GOT THE PHONE CALL ABOUT HER! I was almost 10 by this point...we hadn't had a baby in the house for that long. This baby was due in 1 week! Basically, the case worker had randomly stuck our homestudy in with 100 others and had put the parents in separate locations to review them. Both of them chose our's as their top pick. There was a catch, though. The birth dad wanted his baby to grow up in the church of Christ. The solution to that catch? US again! My mom grew up in the C of C and my dad went to it from adolescence on. A God thing? I think so.
She (which we did not know the gender at this point) ended up giving us 1-1/2 weeks to prepare. The day that the birth mother was in labor was the loooongest of my life, I do believe. It was a girl and we immediately started calling her "Danielle (Dani for short) Lanae," the name we had chosen. Two days later, we all walked into a hospital room to meet that little baby girl for the first time. There was not a dry eye in the room and we were all head-over-heels in love with her!
So, I'm 10 years older than her pretty much. I was her second mommy. I sometimes got up with her in the night. She slept on my tummy every night from age 2 until she was too heavy to do so. We were inseparable and are still the best of friends to this day.
Last year in July, my parents went on a trip and I was sent to "take care" of Dani while they were away. There was a guy that she thought she might be interested in that was a few years older than her. I wasn't crazy about the age difference with her in high school and all, but thought that the whole thing was sorta cute. At the end of our time together, she went to Teen Camp with our church. Things took a completely different turn on that trip and she started falling for none other than Mr. David Herrington. Remember that age thing? HA! He's not a few years older than she...he's SIX years older. They started dating in August of last year and, as of last night, are now engaged with a wedding set for June/July of 2009.
Now, the age thing is definitely crazy to me. If they were 28 and 34...not such a big deal. She is fresh...FRESH out of high school. There is only 1 thing that makes it okay for me...David. I'm pretty sure he is someone that I might pick for her. He loves her, treats her so well, and is definitely a man of high integrity. If ever there was a couple with God as their foundation, it was this one. I think what stole her heart initially was when they would study the Bible together until late at night; reading, discussing, and learning.
We knew something was up soon. It was just obvious. Besides, now that she's at a Christian college where the joke motto is "Ring by Spring or your money back," we knew that he'd be wanting to get a "taken" sign on her just as soon as he could. :)
Last night, they went and picked up sushi to take and eat. He then made her put on a blindfold. They ended up riding an elevator to the 25th floor at which point it opened up to my cousin's apartment, which is the entire top floor of what used to be a Holiday Inn. From what I understand, it and the view are both breathtaking! There were a dozen roses worth of petals strewn all over and soft music playing...a playlist including all of the songs significant to them. After watching a sunset and eating, they watched a slideshow that David had prepared detailing their romance in pictures along with the first song that he ever sang to her (though the name escapes me). When the pictures ended, the song continued as he retrieved his guitar and sang and played along. When the song ended, he kept playing and singing it to her telling her how important she was to him. This ended with a hug and I'm sure a few smooches. As they went to set back down on the couch, he suddenly dropped to 1 knee and proposed to which she gave a huge yes. After enjoying the moment of realization, they went out to the balcony where they threw handfuls of rose petals over the balcony (which I'm sure is less than legal). All in all, she thought that the night, the ring, and the memory were all pretty amazing and pretty perfect.
So, there you have it. My sister is now engaged. Now, I have to look stinkin' good in a tight-fitting, strapless bridesmaid dress in June or July. OH MYLANTA!
More info to come as it unfolds! :)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A brief update before the silence
I'm going to have a brief computer outage, so I will be back to posting next week. I thought I'd update before then so I don't get nasty messages that say I need to update like I leave all of you!
Potty training is going super-de-duper, as Barney would say. Yes, we are a Barney household. She is doing really great. She is ready for full-time panty wearing, but we aren't going to start that until Monday. She is still pottying great on her potty and is very motivated by 2 things: keeping the flowers on her Pull-Ups (they disappear when they get wet) and candy corn. I think she might do just about anything for candy corn. The bonus? They are CHEAP!
I don't know if I mentioned this last time or not, but Mr. Chunk AKA Conrey is now over 18 lbs. Seriously...he's huge! He is so incredibly fun right now and we are really enjoying his "talking" and smiling. His smiles seem to never end!
Well, that's all for now, I suppose. I will catch up with you all when able. If you haven't been following the musings of my brothers, I'll remind you of the site at which they are both posting now: http://tacodave.blogspot.com. Check 'em out!
Potty training is going super-de-duper, as Barney would say. Yes, we are a Barney household. She is doing really great. She is ready for full-time panty wearing, but we aren't going to start that until Monday. She is still pottying great on her potty and is very motivated by 2 things: keeping the flowers on her Pull-Ups (they disappear when they get wet) and candy corn. I think she might do just about anything for candy corn. The bonus? They are CHEAP!
I don't know if I mentioned this last time or not, but Mr. Chunk AKA Conrey is now over 18 lbs. Seriously...he's huge! He is so incredibly fun right now and we are really enjoying his "talking" and smiling. His smiles seem to never end!
Well, that's all for now, I suppose. I will catch up with you all when able. If you haven't been following the musings of my brothers, I'll remind you of the site at which they are both posting now: http://tacodave.blogspot.com. Check 'em out!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Two stories about the potty
My site is still messed up. The most recent post that shows up on my blog for me is "A Challenge For Us All," which is from August 25th or something. DUMB! Don't know what the deal is. I've even tried coming to it without signing in...same. I think I need to reboot my comp. Anyway, here are 2 stories about our potty training adventures that I thought I'd share with you all.
First of all, I just got pottied on...on my leg. She tried SO hard to make it to the potty...ran upstairs in the middle of her show and everything...it just wasn't quite soon enough. She was already pottying when I yanked her pull up down. That's how she pee-peed on me.
Last night, though, is a whole different story all together. She poopied on the potty 2 times yesterday. I was so proud, even though cleaning out the potty is so nasty! Anyway, after the 2nd time, she and I were playing in her room. All of the sudden she got a horrified look on her face and said, "GET IT MOMMA!" I asked her what she meant and she said, "YOU NEED TO CLEAN MY POO-POO!" Still confused, I thought perhaps I didn't clean it good enough after she poopied and maybe it was itchy. I turned her around and to my horror, saw a pretty big loggie that she had pooed while standing there, but it was still attached. EW!!! I had to get a BIG wad of TP to extract it and get it into the potty. Then, I had to once again clean her up. ICK! As far as poopy is concerned, I prefer the 'ol diapers...at least right now. However, I'm so proud that she's taken the initiative to poopy-train herself, so I'm being hugely encouraging and told her it was good for her to tell mommy, etc., etc. ICK ICK ICK!
Hope you enjoyed this installment of "Potty Tales." I'm gonna be MIA tomorrow and Monday, so I'll shoot you a post some time after that. OUT!
First of all, I just got pottied on...on my leg. She tried SO hard to make it to the potty...ran upstairs in the middle of her show and everything...it just wasn't quite soon enough. She was already pottying when I yanked her pull up down. That's how she pee-peed on me.
Last night, though, is a whole different story all together. She poopied on the potty 2 times yesterday. I was so proud, even though cleaning out the potty is so nasty! Anyway, after the 2nd time, she and I were playing in her room. All of the sudden she got a horrified look on her face and said, "GET IT MOMMA!" I asked her what she meant and she said, "YOU NEED TO CLEAN MY POO-POO!" Still confused, I thought perhaps I didn't clean it good enough after she poopied and maybe it was itchy. I turned her around and to my horror, saw a pretty big loggie that she had pooed while standing there, but it was still attached. EW!!! I had to get a BIG wad of TP to extract it and get it into the potty. Then, I had to once again clean her up. ICK! As far as poopy is concerned, I prefer the 'ol diapers...at least right now. However, I'm so proud that she's taken the initiative to poopy-train herself, so I'm being hugely encouraging and told her it was good for her to tell mommy, etc., etc. ICK ICK ICK!
Hope you enjoyed this installment of "Potty Tales." I'm gonna be MIA tomorrow and Monday, so I'll shoot you a post some time after that. OUT!
Presidential Comparisons
2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS
JOHN McCAIN
BARAK OBAMA
Favors new drilling offshore US
JM Yes
BO No
Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
Yes
No
Served in the US Armed Forces
Yes
No
Amount of time served in the US Senate
22 YEARS
173 DAYS
Will institute a socialized national health care plan
No
Yes
Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy
No
Yes
Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately
No
Yes
Supports gun ownership rights
Yes
No
Supports homosexual marriage
No
Yes
Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase
No
Yes
Voted against making English the official language
No
Yes
Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals
No
Yes
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN
15% (no change)
OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN
(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax
Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!
You can verify the above at the following web sites:
http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html
http://elections.foxnews..com/?s=proposed+taxes
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/
I don't care what party you're a part of...this stuff makes me a bit frightened for my financial future!!! With Obama as our next president, our money will NOT be our own!
JOHN McCAIN
BARAK OBAMA
Favors new drilling offshore US
JM Yes
BO No
Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
Yes
No
Served in the US Armed Forces
Yes
No
Amount of time served in the US Senate
22 YEARS
173 DAYS
Will institute a socialized national health care plan
No
Yes
Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy
No
Yes
Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately
No
Yes
Supports gun ownership rights
Yes
No
Supports homosexual marriage
No
Yes
Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase
No
Yes
Voted against making English the official language
No
Yes
Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals
No
Yes
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN
15% (no change)
OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN
(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax
Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!
You can verify the above at the following web sites:
http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html
http://elections.foxnews..com/?s=proposed+taxes
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/
I don't care what party you're a part of...this stuff makes me a bit frightened for my financial future!!! With Obama as our next president, our money will NOT be our own!
Friday, September 5, 2008
POSTS?
So, my posts are not showing up when I look at my blog? Did you all see the one about saving the country money and the update one with the recipe??? Someone please let me know! Thanks!
Updates and a yummy recipe
So, I haven't updated on things going on here in awhile other than the house stuff. Let's see...where to begin? Here's my list so I'll include everything:
Our house
Jobs
Cassie
Conrey
Me
Recipe
First, our house: No bites yet. We've only had positive feedback, though, so that's good. We have an open house at our home on Sunday, so hopefully that will be fruitful.
The job that we felt was an almost-sure-thing 5 weeks ago has flopped out. They called 2 hours after Mark's 4.5-hour interview to proceed with the next step. That was 5 weeks ago. After 5-7 phone calls that were either not returned or returned after several days of silence, Mark would talk to the lady and she would tell him this or that sounding like everything was still on. Then, we went through that process again. This time, she tells him very sheepishly that they are wanting someone with more experience than he has. WHAT??? So, basically, we wasted 5 weeks on this whole thing when we could have been looking elsewhere. Man, oh man. It obviously was not the job for him, but it's still irritating that they strung him along only to say that they wanted more experience. HELLO?!? They had his resume for 4 weeks BEFORE the 4.5-hour interview! Whatever, NEXT!
Cassie is doing SUPER with potty training. Yesterday, she was dry all day long. We're still wearing pull-ups because Mommy has been getting ready for aforementioned open house and can't stalk her and doesn't quite trust her. She's proven me wrong again and again and I'm thankful for it! She is quite the ham these days. This morning when I sloshed some juice, she said very supportively, "Don't worry, Mommy...accidents happen sometimes." She gave me a sympathy smile and went about her business. I was rather amused by this exchange.
Mr. Conrey...what do I say about this hulk. He is almost 12 weeks. He weighs over 16 lbs. He is beginning to be very interactive and smiley. He chews on anything he can. He loves his big sister and she loves him. He's currently upstairs screaming his little head off. He's in his bed and doesn't want to go to sleep on his own today. Sorry, buddy...you're gonna have to get back in the swing of that. He's always gone to sleep on his own. Today, he just wants to be held. Hmmm... He's a very good-natured baby and smiles more than Cassie did and we thought she was a very smiley baby. I know he's only almost-3-months, but we've certainly been blessed thus far with 2 good babies.
I'm still dizzy, though not constantly so. It is back to the every so often twang of dizziness that makes me pause momentarily. Maybe that's what this is all about...learning to pause and take a deep breath every so often. :) Other than that, I'm just trying to get this house ready for the open house.
NOW, for an ultra yummy recipe. It is for balsamic chicken and it is sooo yummy. I'm making it tonight. Below it, I'll describe another addition to our dinner...the almost-gauranteed-way to make anyone like cauliflower.
Balsamic Chicken Breasts (MAY WANT TO DOUBLE THE EVOO, VINEGAR, BROTH, GARLIC, and BUTTER--I used this amount for just 2 chicken breasts)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
2-3 teaspoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
8 teaspoons butter
Directions
1 Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness
2 Press lemon-pepper seasoning evenly on both sides of chicken.
3 In a large skillet heat EVOO to medium temperature.
4 Cook chicken breasts 3-4 minutes per side or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease and it is cooked through (not pink and juices are clear).
5 Remove chicken and keep warm.
6 Add vinegar, broth, and garlic to frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat (scraping up brown meat bits) about 2-4 minutes or until mixture is reduced and syrupy (it took mine longer to reduce and get syrupy).
7 Add butter; stir to melt.
Serve over chicken and enjoy! :)
AWESOME Cauliflower
*Cut fresh cauliflower into florets...kind of the size you'd do on a veggie tray.
*Put them evenly into a casserole dish. They can fill the dish or can be in a single layer...it doesn't really matter.
*Drizzle EVOO over the cauliflower making 2-3 passes back and forth. You don't have to hit every piece.
*Sprinkle coarse salt (sea salt or kosher) over all similar to the way you did the EVOO
*Bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your pieces. You want them to be browned and tender. Some will get dark brown...that's okay. Those are actually my favorite pieces. :) It is soooo yummy and even if you don't like cauliflower, I would STRONGLY suggest you try it and give it a chance. I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised! :)
Well, that's my ultra long post for the day. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Our house
Jobs
Cassie
Conrey
Me
Recipe
First, our house: No bites yet. We've only had positive feedback, though, so that's good. We have an open house at our home on Sunday, so hopefully that will be fruitful.
The job that we felt was an almost-sure-thing 5 weeks ago has flopped out. They called 2 hours after Mark's 4.5-hour interview to proceed with the next step. That was 5 weeks ago. After 5-7 phone calls that were either not returned or returned after several days of silence, Mark would talk to the lady and she would tell him this or that sounding like everything was still on. Then, we went through that process again. This time, she tells him very sheepishly that they are wanting someone with more experience than he has. WHAT??? So, basically, we wasted 5 weeks on this whole thing when we could have been looking elsewhere. Man, oh man. It obviously was not the job for him, but it's still irritating that they strung him along only to say that they wanted more experience. HELLO?!? They had his resume for 4 weeks BEFORE the 4.5-hour interview! Whatever, NEXT!
Cassie is doing SUPER with potty training. Yesterday, she was dry all day long. We're still wearing pull-ups because Mommy has been getting ready for aforementioned open house and can't stalk her and doesn't quite trust her. She's proven me wrong again and again and I'm thankful for it! She is quite the ham these days. This morning when I sloshed some juice, she said very supportively, "Don't worry, Mommy...accidents happen sometimes." She gave me a sympathy smile and went about her business. I was rather amused by this exchange.
Mr. Conrey...what do I say about this hulk. He is almost 12 weeks. He weighs over 16 lbs. He is beginning to be very interactive and smiley. He chews on anything he can. He loves his big sister and she loves him. He's currently upstairs screaming his little head off. He's in his bed and doesn't want to go to sleep on his own today. Sorry, buddy...you're gonna have to get back in the swing of that. He's always gone to sleep on his own. Today, he just wants to be held. Hmmm... He's a very good-natured baby and smiles more than Cassie did and we thought she was a very smiley baby. I know he's only almost-3-months, but we've certainly been blessed thus far with 2 good babies.
I'm still dizzy, though not constantly so. It is back to the every so often twang of dizziness that makes me pause momentarily. Maybe that's what this is all about...learning to pause and take a deep breath every so often. :) Other than that, I'm just trying to get this house ready for the open house.
NOW, for an ultra yummy recipe. It is for balsamic chicken and it is sooo yummy. I'm making it tonight. Below it, I'll describe another addition to our dinner...the almost-gauranteed-way to make anyone like cauliflower.
Balsamic Chicken Breasts (MAY WANT TO DOUBLE THE EVOO, VINEGAR, BROTH, GARLIC, and BUTTER--I used this amount for just 2 chicken breasts)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
2-3 teaspoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
8 teaspoons butter
Directions
1 Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness
2 Press lemon-pepper seasoning evenly on both sides of chicken.
3 In a large skillet heat EVOO to medium temperature.
4 Cook chicken breasts 3-4 minutes per side or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease and it is cooked through (not pink and juices are clear).
5 Remove chicken and keep warm.
6 Add vinegar, broth, and garlic to frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat (scraping up brown meat bits) about 2-4 minutes or until mixture is reduced and syrupy (it took mine longer to reduce and get syrupy).
7 Add butter; stir to melt.
Serve over chicken and enjoy! :)
AWESOME Cauliflower
*Cut fresh cauliflower into florets...kind of the size you'd do on a veggie tray.
*Put them evenly into a casserole dish. They can fill the dish or can be in a single layer...it doesn't really matter.
*Drizzle EVOO over the cauliflower making 2-3 passes back and forth. You don't have to hit every piece.
*Sprinkle coarse salt (sea salt or kosher) over all similar to the way you did the EVOO
*Bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your pieces. You want them to be browned and tender. Some will get dark brown...that's okay. Those are actually my favorite pieces. :) It is soooo yummy and even if you don't like cauliflower, I would STRONGLY suggest you try it and give it a chance. I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised! :)
Well, that's my ultra long post for the day. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
How to save the nation some $$$
How To Save the Government $5 Million
A president's pension currently is $191,300 per year, until he is 80 years old.
Assuming the next president lives to age 80, Senator McCain would receive ZERO pension, as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president.
Senator Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800 in pension.
Therefore it would certainly make economic sense to elect McCain in November. How's that for non-partisan thinking???
I thought this was funny, but also true! Just one more reason why I'm for McCain! HA! :)
Seriously, though, I thought his speech was great and I'm so excited about his running mate!
A president's pension currently is $191,300 per year, until he is 80 years old.
Assuming the next president lives to age 80, Senator McCain would receive ZERO pension, as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president.
Senator Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800 in pension.
Therefore it would certainly make economic sense to elect McCain in November. How's that for non-partisan thinking???
I thought this was funny, but also true! Just one more reason why I'm for McCain! HA! :)
Seriously, though, I thought his speech was great and I'm so excited about his running mate!
McCain/Palin 2008!!!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
GONE
It's gone...the house, I mean. I'm quite sad about it, but I'm trying to be positive. It's hard...
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