Thursday, December 11, 2008

Kayla Dawn



Kayla is finishing her first semester of college today. How is that even possible? I feel like she should still be a pre-schooler! She had a full load this semester and I know she is ready for Christmas break. Kayla received the high achiever scholarship so she is going to Rend Lake for FREE!! Even books are paid for. She will graduate with her Associate's on May 15, 2009. Mike and I are so proud of her!!

She also works about 24 hours a week at the Dairy Queen. That's good for her but bad for us because we always think we have to eat there so we can see her!!!

She bought a car this summer and it is so cute! It's not new but it's very nice. Unfortunately it died on her about a month ago! All it needed was a tune-up but it cost 544.00 :( Mike and I said we would help her pay for it, as in pay for most of it, but she said No it was her car and her responsibility. So she paid for well over half of the bill! It is a bittersweet moment when you see your child making adult decisions. When they are small, you think "I can't wait until they are old enough to do for themselves." Then they CAN and it's hard because you get this sense that they don't really "need" you as much as they used to. It was hard for me not to step in and say "No Kayla you are just a baby and you can't possibly pay for this mean old broken car out of your own cute little money." (you really have to imagine me saying that in baby talk to get the full effect). Kayla went to the bank and she told my mom (who is a bank teller) that after depositing her paycheck, writing out her tithe check and paying her car payment, she had $30.00 left!! But she will make that stretch because luckily she inherited my frugal gene!! Did I mention we are proud of her!?!?!?

We shopped til we dropped

Mike and i took our annual Christmas shopping trip yesterday. Overall, it was a very successful trip. We always have the best time and we laugh so much. I am thankful for Mike and the fact that we still have so much fun together after 21 years!! I was cracking up yesterday before we left because as I was making sure I had our Christmas cash and coupons, I was also making sure I had tums and Advil! We know we are getting older and can't make it shopping without being drugged!!

I had completed about 75% of our shopping online already (YAY for Amazon and their free shipping) so the list I had was very short and specific. I am always torn this time of year because we ALWAYS say we are going to cut back this year, but I LOVE to buy for family and friends. I simply CANNOT stop buying for the kids. And Mike is WORSE than I am. Our kids don't need anything at all, but I love to give to them and see the look on their faces when it's exactly what they wanted. And now we have Miles in the family and we feel the same way about him! My parents say every year not to get them anything, but I love to try to remember things they've said they wanted and surprise them with it. Mike's mom is a little harder to buy for and I really stress about it. So at the end of the day, I would say we are 95% finished with Christmas shopping. I still have to take Jenna to shop for her friends, so by Saturday, I will be done.

I would like to end with a verse that I thought of several times yesterday!!

Matthew 7:9-12 (New Living Translation)

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.