Catching up

If one were to go back and read my blog as the journal I have intended it to be, one would gather that Jill doesn't do much Jaunting. My life really isn't as dull as it has appeared, but I have sat down to the computer almost every day since I started this blog and just haven't quite figured out what to write about! Thanks to the proding of my sister-in-law Lynsey, I have been told that "it's time to update, my dear!" After all, I do have a hilarious 3 year old daughter who is constantly providing me with a good story. Like the other day when she was riding along in Dallas with Aunt Sessie and Aunt Julie and she pointed out a GPS on a tower they were passing! I mean, she said, "There's a GPS!". And today when she told Gabe that the birthday gifts we got for his 33rd b-day tomorrow were NOT something to drink, and that the cake we got him does NOT have cotton on it. (I hope he doesn't read this before tomorrow because we got him a case of IBC rootbeer in the bottles and his cake actually does have icing cotton burrs on it - lovingly created by Mrs. Camp's bakery!) We (I) got him a few more things that little eyes haven't seen so at least he'll have a surprise or two.

Last week Avery and I made a very fun trip to Allen to surprise my parents with an Alaskan Cruise to be taken in June. This summer is their 40th wedding anniversary, and they are both turning 60, so it's a big year for them. We 3 kids and our families thought that now would be a great time to help them celebrate and to thank them for raising us so well. We don't want to wait TOO long, since as mom said, on their 50th anniversary they'll be turning 70 and "will have one foot in the grave already!" I don't know if they were more surprised about the cruise, or about us coming! They thought they were meeting Mike & Julie at a restaurant for supper, but when they got there, Les and her boys, Avery and I, AND Mike and Julie were all there. We immediately had to tell them that no one was pregnant, since we figured that would be their first thought (and it was). Then we read them a funny poem we had written which revealed all the essential information about the Cruise and then they opened their present which was the Cruise Line book. It was thrilling for us all! They were gracious enough to let us go ahead and crash at their house, and we had a great week there and in Sulphur Springs with Caleb & Carter, Les, Iz, and Snoopy, of course!


We have started the dreaded Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Course, but it is actually very inspiring to do it with a group of friends and to know that you are not having to be disciplined alone! He has really common-sense stuff to say, but it really helps to hear it and be committed to living within our means, not above them. Mom and I were talking about how difficult it is for our generation - to be in a time when you can basically have most anything you want, when you want it.....on credit. It's almost difficult to go back to the mindset of not getting something until you can afford it. Anyone else struggle with this about our culture? It's just a belief system that I think maybe we have bought into that there is no reason to wait for anything. It is hard to practice that discipline in this day and age, but we are going back to the basics! We are ON A BUDGET!!!! So....if you want to go out to lunch with me, we can either go get a 99 cent burrito with water, or you can put lunch on your credit card! We should be in good shape in about a year, and then I'll take you out to lunch.....promise!

Well, I hope I've made up for lost time with my lengthy update!