One year ago we were in the midst of refinancing our mortgage. It doesn't feel like it's been 1 year since rolling our car loan and some cc debt into the mortgage.

Has it been good? Well, it's been nice not having the crippling car payments every 2 weeks.

Was it the best thing for us? This question is secret code for have we racked up the debt again...and again the question, was it the best thing for us? Well, our cc's are sitting with some debt and that LOC is still there and we have not made any extra payments on the consolidation loan...

Did we learn? Did we break the rules? Did we do the right things?

I don't know. We did what we thought was right at the time. It helped ease the financial burden while we underwent job losses and financial uncertainty. For sure we didn't follow the rules. We acquired new debt. Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks? I'm not sure. Sometimes I think we still have our heads buried in the sand.

I was talking about what I should name by Crafty Business.

Sadly, I still have not made a decision and it's 365 days later. I ended that post by saying that things were happening...but just slowly. So, I guess the definition of 'slowly' is really 'standstill'.

I gotta get moving on that -- slowly. :P

One year ago I was being very industrious and crocheting up a storm for Andrew.

Check it out here

I wish I was that organized this year. Between working full time, part time at the church, keeping up with the house & Andrew & Husband & Dog & myself, and starting this call to ministry I just have not had time to do much crafting. I made the round ripples for my friends wedding, but after a while that became work, not relaxing fun. Now, I'm starting in on Christmas stuff....:P

Just for fun I thought I'd look up what I was blogging about 1 year ago today.

It's a fun post about trying to be more Green and Cheap. :P

& then if you're an uber die hard Who's A Blogwhore fan you can read the update here.

I have made a resolution. and yes, I know I made a resolution last year, but this one is different.

In 2008 I will lose 25 pounds.

Now, I know that realistically I need to lose over 100 pounds. In the past I have always said, "this is the year that I am going to take it all off". Well, as you can see it hasn't worked, so I'm trying something considerably different. I weighed myself this morning and I was 274 pounds. By December 31, 2008 I will weight 249 pounds, nothing more, nothing less.

I spent the last six months of 2007 maintaining my weight. I fluctuated between 269 & 276. With mostly sitting around 273-4 pounds. I think I've learned what I can eat to stay the same and how much I can eat to stay the same.

Now, I just need to learn how to make healthier choices, so I lose weight. I need to learn to make healthier choices so that I become a healthy person. I'm tired of being out of breath. I'm tired of being tired of doing up my shoelaces. I'm tired of not fitting my clothes. I'm tired of being tired.

My 2007 Retrospective

Well...a lot happened in 2007.

Some highlights and lowlights.

1. We bought a house. We looked and looked. & ended up buying a house that needs quite a bit of work and is 100 years old.

2. My Grandpa got very sick and passed away. It was sad.

3. We traveled a bit--If you call Fargo travelling. :P

4. We bought a new car. 2004 Echo. Da Blue Car and we love it!

5. I got the swanky Gov't job where I don't really work but get paid well and for 12 months of the year. In exchange for the swankiness I had to say good bye to some really fantastic and wonderful people at AMVC. That made me sad.

6. I met with a shrink regarding my anxiety problems and even though it was just an assessment it totally helped and made me feel 10000 times better. I am on the wait list to meet with a shrink one on one with a shrink. He diagnosed me with mild OCD compounded by a phobia.

7. We tried to have a babay for the year. Although 'try' is probably too strong a word. We didn't prevent not having a baby. Hopefully 2008 will be our year.

8. Andrew continues to enhance and add to our lives in so many ways. He is talking in sentences now. & likes to offer his opinion. He is going to Daycare and loves it there. He is Gabby's favorite.

9. Steve started a new job as well. It is a job with a potential future and the pay is better. It is not the final jobl, but it is a start.

10. I proved that I work well under crazy situations in the Flood of 07. We relocated, I drove clear across the city and back and then did it all again every day. We set up office in a temp school and then set our office back up at AMVC. I organized the back room and we sent 21 boxes to shredding. I am a valuable employee.