#thedertings

back to basics.....I started this blog to share sorrow in a time (way before blogging was popular) to deal with grief.... I continued writing for a purpose of sharing a testimony I feel very strongly tied to-debt-hiding the secret of debt.... lately, I would say over the last few years....the basics have left me, its probably because of life....you know it, you're living it too----married, kids, a house, a job and if you are like me your kids schedules supersede yours! I really am enjoying this part of life, mostly because I know that it will be over too soon...Bryson is less than a year from high school and I just did 3rd grade homework with Brit....who was not even with us when I started this blog journey!  but, something keeps pulling at me....a friend posted the other day, that you need to take time to do something for yourself....its so very true----we spend majority of our day doing for many others----so last week I started running again, I have always had a love/ha...

.......its been almost 2 years since i jotted down my thoughts. but this subject, this time of year always urges me to write....i think because there is someone out there that needs some encouragement. most know i had a secret addiction to credit cards and 7 years ago it was discovered! for those that dont recall it was $37,000 all on credit cards (that sounds ridiculous to say out loud). money (and debt) are scary words that drive peoples emotions, can make or break relationships, it can bring happiness and can bring even more sadness. we all know it makes the world go round.... i have to say a budget is not the most fun in the world, but a budget has turned our (my) debt into financial freedom. as a matter of fact i said to brooks last night how much i despise our budget. his response, DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT? and honestly, i dont. it seems like a pain and hard work, but it also gives us the ability to do and provide for our kids and ourselves in a way that debt never could. the ...

The groceries in this cart cost $54 (and I added some frozen broccoli after the pic)....in the cart is breakfast for 7 days (eggs, bacon and of course chocolate chip muffins). Brooks makes breakfast every morning unless its a special occasion. Betty Crocker muffin packs are .99$ at Food Lion so several packs feed the 4 of us a few days a week. Sometimes we eat eggs and bacon or bagels (which are purchased at the bread store for the discounted price) or pancakes or waffles (I get the Food Lion brand of pancake mix for about a $1.80 and it last a few weeks). Lunch is also in cart....Brit is into lunchables at the moment (and they were 10 for $10 the past 2 weeks so I stocked up), Bryson prefers Chef Boyardee which are usually 10 for $10. Brit likes cheese and yogurt, Bryson prefers gold fish, granola bars, gummies.  Brooks and I do leftovers for lunch or grab something with our own allowance. If we are home on Saturdays we usually snack and we have Salsaritas after church on Su...

I have been trying to write for over a month.....my goal was to write one post a month and you see I missed January. I have lots to say, but its just finding the time to get it down and then making it have some sort of main idea has been hard for me.....BUT I do have a topic to discuss this month because I feel like it is a testimony #thedertings need to share.....we all have a story, we just have to tell it!! It is once again our debt anniversary.....I tell this story a few times a year to random people because there is hope to be debt free, there is a chance to live a life without living pay check to pay check, I dont promise or pretend to promise that it is easy because it, in no way is....BUT I do have promises in this.... As I am getting older (because lets face it, I am getting older) it is becoming more and more evident that I don't care about pleasing others, making others happy, having what others have, etc....I read in a magazine just last week that 68% of people say ...

As I am sitting on the couch, looking out onto the beautiful leaves that are changing....I see it just as I did 6 years. This little blog of mine was born exactly 6 years ago tomorrow. It has evolved into a place that I don't get to visit often, but it always has the power to remind to sit back and be grateful.... Grateful because this time 6 years ago.....we (#thedertings) were in pain, pain of a loss, pain of losing a baby that we never got the chance to meet. BUT from that pain came a beautiful, spunky, 5 year old girl also known as #britanrae. I have said it before, September is not my favorite month, probably my least favorite (school is back in full swing, routines have started, but aren't settled, and this week always finds me every year). To that I do have to say, this September, I honestly haven't focused on because it has flown by faster than I could ever imagine.... There is a reason things happen and often that reason is to remind us of our blessings and the...

Hi Friends! Again, its been too long, and by now you know I have some things brewing in my head drawing me to blog about them.....FYI: it might be long..... We, #thedertings, are at it again overcommitted and counting the days till the end of the school year....the 20 min chores aren't done, I have emails (I hate anything in my inbox), my to-do list doesnt have everything highlighted in pink (pink means its DONE), my kids are exhausted, because y'all see it, we run them to death! BUT I am yet, again, seeing these signs and having people remind me daily, that I love this life of mine!!! and I really wouldn't change a thing! Just a recap of our last week (in case you havent seen my million pics on fb) which brings me to another point I will get to in a moment.... It was a normally scheduled crazy week: Brits soccer party, Bryson soccer practice x2 in the rain, Brit dance, one night at the gym and then there was the weekend.....bridal brunch which included an amazing fr...

So this morning I had a little moment of perspective on life....today was headcount day for the EC Dept (this is the day that we have to have every EC teacher verify their caseloads to make sure we have all kids accounted for, for funding)....its kind of like a rat race to run around to each school, have teachers look over sign their sheets and then run back to the finish line...in the past I have always wanted to be 1st, but somehow that changed for me before I even got to work this morning.... I needed to be at the central office to collect the sheets by 7:45 so I was making decent timing (for me being that it was morning and I am not a morning person)....I was putting my bracelets on and looked out my bedroom window and I could see headlights at the top of the road (we live on a dead end road, just us and family), so this was odd....I panicked (bc if you know me I immediately assume something is wrong)....I texted Brooks and he was going back by our house to take Brit to save me s...