Note: These photos are from three days ago.

Now that becca received her surprise package, I can post this picture of Angela helping me put it together!
I made stroganoff and sent it home with Angela, who ate some out of the large pyrex bowl I lent her to take it home in:



Silly girl!

Today I will:

• Have lunch out with my mom! yay!!!
• Pay Melody to clean (she wants to make money, I want help cleaning!)
• Maybe iron that shirt that's been waiting for ironing for weeks. I hate ironing.
• If I do that, I can take pictures of the piano room clean, because I already took pictures of it dirty and then I can post them on this blog.
• Angela's coming over at 4!
• Shower and make myself feel pretty
  

I haven't felt pretty in a while. I guess I just haven't been putting the effort in. I'd like to do that today.

(Edit: 12:06 - I have now showered, dressed, put on earrings and a necklace, and put on MAKEUP! I feel pretty! Oh so pretty!)

Mmm! I'm on my second cup of tea this morning. This has been a glorious week off. I have to admit, I'm not looking forward to school again. But I'll do it!

We've been meeting with a realtor to discuss selling our house and buying something that doesn't require this much work and headache. Originally we were going to keep this house and buy another one. Joe asked me last night for my thoughts on all this, like how much of a loss we should be willing to take selling this house, etc. Here's where I am, even though it's technically "my" house with my name on the title.

• Were I single, I would rent out rooms to cover my mortgage, work to pay bills and pay down principal on the house, and pay off the house and save up for a down payment on a new house. At that point I'd move and rent out the railroad house. This would take time but it would keep me from having to sell the house at a loss, and allow me to keep getting income from it.
• I'm not single. My interests have changed. I hate seeing my poor husband come home after working on his feet for 12 hours and driving for 2 hours to a house he can't stand, because he doesn't have the time to fix it. He isn't relaxed here. This isn't home for him. The house came with me - he didn't choose it.
• So my single greatest concern right now is getting us to a place where he can relax. If we didn't have money, we could make this work. But we have a way to get out of here now. Sure, it might make better sense financially in the long run to do what I was originally intending. But it's about what's best for our family, not necessarily our finances.
  

After I told him this he jokingly said "thanks for nothing" because I hadn't given him any of the financial feedback he wanted. But it's true - I am not working right now. I think in terms of relationships, not numbers. I love him so much that I willingly and excitedly do whatever he thinks is best for us. Yes, I should be using my head and thinking about this logically. But I already told you what I would do "logically"!

Anyway, that's what's going on right now. Probably the only reason I don't want to sell the house is because I don't want to have to get it ready to sell. I am really dreading that!

Love you girls!

Amber