Today is a monumentous day for Popeye and I.  After being in debt for over 11 years, I am happy to say we are completely debt free.
No car payment.
No credit cards.
No collectors.
No mortgage.
No medical bills.
It's. All. Gone.
And I feel liberated!!!!
There's a reason why the prophet has told us to get out of debt.  I know the stresses of having these debts have caused me (at the expense of my children sometimes) to become depressed, anxious, and irritable.
No more.
Not only can those stresses be shed, but I assume that the emotional eating I did because of it, thus adding the extra pounds, can be shed, too!  (There were a lot of commas in that sentence.)
I am So. Happy!  And I live so far away from dear friends that I can't even celebrate properly with a "Burning of the Bills" Party!  So not fair!

Anyway.  Merry Christmas!  Because this, by far, will be my best Christmas EVER!!!!

Popeye isn't coming home this weekend.
I miss him.
(Insert huge frowny, pouty face here.)

So I did the craft fair the week before Thanksgiving.  Oh. My. Goodness.  The orders came swarming in and ever since then my fingers have been busy making little (and big) hats for the people of my town. 
And this afternoon I went to make phone calls to let people know their orders are ready & wouldn't you know it, I gave the wrong order to someone on Friday. And in the little bag that had the cute little owl hat was the order form.  And the cute little bag that has the cute little owl hat and the order form are now in the hands of the gift recipient.  In Utah.
I have no clue who ordered that hat originally.  But they already paid for it.  And I feel sick about it.  I hope that they call me and ask where the hat is so that I can give them the one I will make tonight after I finish writing this post.
I feel horrible about it.  Not just because it's already been paid for and it is needed by Christmas - but I feel bad because I got "the feeling" that I should check the bag before it left the city.  And I didn't.  Grrrr.

A low-down before my fingers get back to work....

Popeye is gone.  He'll be in the academy for the next 12 weeks - until the first week of March.  He's been gone one week and already my sanity is leaving.  I've been trying to do something fun with the kids each day to enjoy them (and the season).  Most days they're just interested in going sledding.  The huge city park hill is right behind our house - which makes it convenient for me to send the older kids sledding & then calling them in at night.  We've built snowmen and piled up snow against the back brick wall in the backyard.  Thor's been having fun pushing his toys on sleds down that one.  We've also read some Christmas books, had hot cocoa by tree-light & sang Christmas carols.  Tonight was supposed to be filled with cookie making but in my need to try and think of the name on that order form, time slipped away & the kids let Grand Duchess destroy my bedroom - thus causing everyone to go to bed early & me to have a headache.
So here I sit, wanting to blog and spend all night on the computer but knowing that I should get a decent night's sleep and head to my room.
Hmmm - the mold issue in the basement is taken care of and the contractor comes back tomorrow to finish hanging the paneling over the drywall.  I'm glad to be able to use that area now.
We've got our ward Christmas party this Friday and tomorrow and Wednesday are our days to surprise our 12 days of Christmas recipients!  We're doing it as a group so that the recipients won't know who it is getting them!  And it's easier on the baking and pocketbook!
I think that's about it.  I hear the kids aren't quite asleep yet.  In fact, I hear too much coming from that room.  I better go put the fear back into them.
'Night all!  I'll try to check in a little more regularly. 

retirement's gonna suck

Popeye's been unemployed since the beginning of October.  What does that mean?  It means he's been home All. Day. Long. for the past month and a half.

Don't get me wrong.  I love the man.  But boy, we are starting to get on each other's nerves. (this is not just my point of view - he stated the very thing to me just 2 days ago.) It's a good thing he's starting his career all over again, thus prolonging retirement another 20 years (maybe 25, I don't know).

We don't have a whole lot to talk about while we're alone because we already know what's going on during the day with the happenings of the munchkins.  And when it comes to tv watching - all bets are off, we have to watch his show.

Oh Miss Austen, how I miss you!!! 
Is it bad that I'm somewhat counting down the days to his departure (and not like, "Oh how I'll miss you" either)?  I know I WILL miss him while he's gone and I'm sure he'll miss me, too. 
Just right now, the 29th can't come fast enough.

A chilly, eventful day!

The wonderful state of Wyoming supplied the National Christmas Tree this year.  A 65 footer!  So the whole elementary school got onto buses and drove down to Triangle Park (aptly named because it is, in fact, in the shape of a triangle) and stood out in the 20 degree weather waiting for the tree's arrival.  Popeye, Thor, Grand Duchess and myself went down there as well!  I forgot gloves for all of us so I wrapped Thor's fingers in his scarf, while the rest of us put ours in our pockets.
The main drag down our town was shut down for the better part of an hour while everyone lined up to look through a plexiglass window with a hole cut out to see the tip of the tree that had a few strands of colored lights lit up for effect.  Some people reached in to touch it - but not I.  Then people walked down the side of the trailer to sign the side of it.  Luckily, I was pretty close to the beginning of the line and got some good pics and prime signage space!
Popeye was getting grumpy because Grand Duchess was so cold.  So we didn't stay to hear the speeches presented. 
We then went home and I plopped the munchkins onto the radiator to warm up their outsides while Popeye made hot cocoa to warm their insides!  I love having radiators in the house!!!!
After we warmed up, I took the kids over to someone's house for playgroup.  Most of the ladies there are in the 3rd Ward (I'm in the 2nd) - but it was nice getting to know them anyway.  They all convinced me that I should totally set up a stand at the craft fair next week.  Grand Duchess was sporting her new hat that I created last night.  Her little Owl Hat was quite a Hoot!  (I'm so funny.)
After lunch we went to the high school to watch the fourth graders present a musical concert for all the veterans.  It was nice.  Some nice poems and great songs.  The CD wasn't working properly so half the time it was too soft or too loud - but the message was clear - THANK YOU VETERANS!!!
Here are some pics of today's activities for your viewing pleasure!

Today.
Today I am supposed to get my internet up and running.  This will be the last time (hopefully) that I have to blog from our local library.
I am SO. DANG. EXCITED.

Yesterday I ordered from Bountiful Baskets.  I'm pretty stoked about it.  Here's how it works.  Go to the site and look at the orders.  You always have to order at least one basket.  But then you can order extras, too.  In each basket is all kinds of produce.  And then the extras are specialty breads, ethnic packs (this week was italian with eggplant, fresh herbs, zucchini and other yummy stuff), and sometimes they have large boxes of fruit or veggies.  Last time it was green beans and this time it's apples.  Anyway.  I jumped on board with it because our little grocery store doesn't have a very good selection of produce. (Can you believe that when asked if they have eggplant the store clerk asked, "What's that?")  So it will come on Saturday morning and I can hardly wait to eat up my 5 loaves of 9-grain wheat bread, yummy rolls and delicious eggplant.  I don't think eggplant will be in my italian meal, though.  I hear tempura calling my name!

We're enjoying it here so far.  It hasn't snowed yet, but I expect it to any day now.  The air is getting colder and the kids are finding themselves needing coats more frequently.  But it's nice living right next to the park and being able to send the kids out the back door to play on the playground. 

Another bit of news - and I want honest feedback on this - the 4th grade here runs a craft fair every year to help fund their annual Yosemite trip.  I was thinking of selling my hats.  The not-so-nearby VoldeMart sells the most yummy array of Sugar n' Cream Cones.  There's at least 30 colors!!!  I drool everytime I go there.  So I was thinking of maybe buying a bunch of those cones of color and setting up a table at the craft fair to let people pick and choose their colors and patterns of hats (since most of my hats right now fit Grand Duchess and aren't much bigger).  What d'ya think of that?  The table costs $20 but I'm pretty sure all that I sell comes into my own pocket....  It's a debate in my mind...

Well - story hour is about to start and Popeye will be here with the kids in a minute. 
I promise my next post will be more inspiring or interesting - or maybe even spur more drama.  Who knows.

Yesterday I walked into Murdoch's.  I have never been in there before - but have always wanted to.  So I made Popeye and the two littlest ones follow me around while my inner cowgirl started coming out!
I know what I want for Christmas now!  YEEHAW!