This week in review.

So it was an interesting week.  We came home Tuesday night to my Uncle Bill riding up on his bicycle.  He is the one in our family who knows everything has done everything., you can't tell him anything, and he is completely unteachable.  He has been living with his mother, my grandmother and claims to take care of her, but other eyes see him just living off her.  She is in her 70s with a limited income and unable to afford to feed him.  She has asked him to leave her property after several years of no change on his part.  A gentleman in our church runs a home for AT RISK men which Bill would be considered as he hasn't taken care of himself in at least 10-15 years but after speaking to the man who runs the program Uncle Bill said no thanks and says he will just move into the woods.  Idk.  All I can do is pray.  Bill didn't like the program rules, in by 10 couldn't take his dog or scooter..and he would have to attend church.  I am going to pray for his heart.  My personal progress in this matter is I stepped back and didn't try to meddle and fix it for Bill.  In the past I would have tried to give him a place to live or something regardless of how my husband felt or something.   I am just praying over the matter.  While Uncle Bill was here though, we did finish cleaning up all the leaves in front of the house.  There is just a small pile back by the hot tub but the mosquitoes were out in full force so we stopped working.

We had Wednesday off together as a family.  I scored a free air conditioner that will be delivered to us on this coming Tuesday (we have central air in part of the house) but in the other part there is nothing so when the unit comes it will help there.  While Uncle Bill was here we also treated him to breakfast at IHOP since we know he doesn't get to do stuff like that often.  (unfortunately he was kind of a complainer but all in all we had a good time)  We also picked up a plastic pool from Walmart for the kids  and I am calling it the peace keeper.  The hubs and I talked this week and we were evaluating was this whole me working thing is working for us etc.  He asked me if I liked it and I told him the job isn't hard.....it's just that the kids get grumpy sometimes because they get bored despite all the things we take or make with us for entertainment at work.  So this was our solution it has gotten very hot during the day and this is working out great

Something else we did this week was make the DIY Lego board game featured here http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2013/05/family-night-diy-lego-game.html

we played it at work and probably will throughout the summer and beyond

and we made the applesauce muffins featured here http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2010/09/deceptively-delicious-applesauce.html    
making the muffins and letting my son help with spooning it in was an awesome connection for us.  And i was able to make a breakfast we could take with us from ingredients I already had in my kitchen.

Many thanks to the creator of Blissful and Domestic, Danielle.  I have learned much since discovering the add on Yahoo that talked about the family who lived on 14000 a year.

Someone very near and dear to me purchased a nook HD for our family as well....So far I have downloaded a free game or two for a little entertainment too.  I also reconnected with the kids by reading them a story one night.  It was so nice to really connect this week.  Do things together.  Sometimes I feel like as a family we just co exist but aren't really participating in each ohters lives.  One watches tv or plays games here while another is working in the house, while another is watching tv in a different room.  So what did you do this week to connect with your kids.  Did you have any unexpected surprises come up? or maybe visitors?

I am ready to start working on some more beautification projects for the yard and try out some more home made stuff this coming week.  This week I made a loaf of plain white bread...and I am guessing it must have been good because i had packed it in the truck to eat for lunch but when i put the dog in to go for a ride i came back around the truck to find her wolfing down practically the entire loaf.  An onlooker suggested that now i have an excuse to make another loaf.  Didn't really make me happy with the dog but it is what it is..

The other revelation I had this week was that my budget goals don't have to be exactly like everyone elses.  In alot of books i read the goal is to get out of debt, and I do want to get there eventually, our debt consists mostly of old medical bills from the last three years.  Our budget plan does include monthly payments to pay it down.  We honestly just ignored it before.  Our budget plan at this point includes getting what we spend under control, being prepared for possibly unexpected expenses, and preparing to pay for winter expenses.  We have begun month two officially and it has been good changes, but I am taking the pressure off us to make our goals everyone elses and except the progress we are making.

Biggest thing i need to work on :my attitude...i do not enjoy all things domestic yet, and better meal planning especially for hot weather days when my energy is zapped from being so hot at work, I do not want to come home and cook over a hot stove.  I have to get researching solutions.  What will you be working on this week?