Whew!

This weekend of the year is always my favorite.

Report cards are done and ready to go home.

Grading is all caught up (had to get done to do grades).

I can feel the stress aches of my body going away.

Oh, that pain that's been bugging for a month seems to not feel so bad tonight.

Imagine that!

For you all non-teacher folks, it's not all weekends and summers off hooray!

It is an exhausting adventure.

But, I know you know that.

Most people are super respectful of the job teachers have in this day and age!

I thank you for that!

Tonight I went to another meeting for A Legacy of Love.

This is a pregnancy and infant loss support group.

It's so nice to be able to be in a room with other moms who know this road.

We don't sit around and have a, "woe is me" attitude or wallow in our grief.

We share what's going in our loves.

We give advice to someone struggling with a decision.

We talk about how we deal with different aspects of loss.

We listen to each other.

We laugh,

We cry,

We feel connected.

If you know someone who could benefit from this group 

please feel free to share my contact info. or direct them to 

A Legacy of Love. (also on Facebook)

So, Fridays are supposed to be about frugality and/or finances.

I wish I could say I've done an incredible job.

But, I haven't.

I'm addicted to the red stickers at Target.

I convince myself that each killer deal has a purpose and a place in my house.

I am working on having self discipline.

I went to Target two nights ago to get the men of the house some things.

Nathaniel got two pairs of shoes (one with a red sticker) and daddy got some stuff.

My only clearance buy was a pair of gray flats with a black bow for $7.48.

Come on, you know that a deal like that cannot, I say cannot be passed up!

I also took my First Friday of the Month visit to the Visalia Emergency Aid Thrift Shop.

Why you ask?

Because it's 50% off the whole store that day.

I bought a couple of candle holders and a curtain from the '60s or '70s.

The curtain has a burlappy look and was only $1.00.

Gonna make something purdy with it!

Eventually!  hehehehe

Anywho, we have managed to knock out a few bills, which always gives me a rush of excitement.

After reading the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker, 

I do find myself becoming more passionate about getting this all under control.

The truth of the matter is that I want to be a good steward of what God has blessed me with.

I want to be in a position that when a need arises in my community I am able to step up and help.

It is tiring to be strapped to debt.

We are slowly cutting away the binds.

This week we were able to help some friends out.

What a blessing to know that we are being God's hands in our community in a time of need.

We are excited for the plans God has for us as 

we become free from debt and become surrendered to His plans.

I want to end with some thoughts of gratitude.

Since I missed Thursdays post.

Yeah, was in bed by 8:30 pm.

Like I said, report cards, conferences, oh my!

I am thankful for the skills that God gives people in a variety of areas.

A couple weeks of ago our upstairs bathroom flooded.

Quick shout out to my boy child who loses focus easy and left the water on full blast after brushing his teeth and then went downstairs to take his bath! 

You the man!!

Servicemaster came in with their pleasant sounding fans and dehumidifiers to dry everything out.

Insurance came and gave us money to get repairs done.

Somewhere along the lines I assumed that the insurance organized the repair work.

Silly me!

Jason was able to get everything organized.

Last weekend and this week everything was repaired.

Good as new.

I am so thankful to the men who blessed us with their talents in construction.

They came in and did a wonderful job.

God blessed us with a painless fix to the flood in our life. (yeah, I know, Cheesy!)

Well,

It's late.

It's been a week.

I want to enjoy the extra sleep I get by sleeping in tomorrow.

Lord knows I'm not gonna like losing that hour tomorrow night.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead!!

Can't wait to share a weekend wrap up with you as I will be getting my craft on this weekend!

Finally!

Finding the blessings,

Denise