Now that Brandon is nearing the end of medical school and shall one day in the near future be job-seeking, I find myself giving more thought to what I would like to do. Where would I like to end up? What are my goals, my dreams for the future? It's pleasant to think such things, not that I am unhappy or unsatisfied now. It's just pleasant to dream up what else could be on my horizon?
One thing is for sure is that we hope to stay in Midland. It is so humorous to me that two people who once declared that 'never again' would we ever live in a certain town now have a passion for staying put. Grounded, so to speak. Well-rooted. Whatever you call it. We hope to stay here. Of course, every time we make bold declarations, things have a way of changing. I'm careful not to sound too much like a clanging cymbal.
I also would love to be able to work part-time somewhere just for fun instead of bearing the burden of being the bread-winner of the family. I'd like to be able to drop my kids off at school and leisurely make my way to work and then be the parent who picks the kids up early from school and have an afternoon snack waiting for them so we can talk about how the day went. I know the boys are young, but I can already see the time slipping away in the cloud of mad rush that we live in. I don't want it to always be like that. Steady and active, but not overwhelmingly busy.
I would love the opportunity to be able to write. Verbalize the words wanting to get out, either in children's fiction or another venue. Raising up two lively boys has really written stories without too much of my input, however, I love to use words in creative ways. Perhaps I will get that chance.
I suppose the overall theme would be - Slowing Down. I would like the opportunity to savor life while I'm still young so that I don't have to look back when I'm older and wish I had enjoyed life more earlier.
Some of this I realize can be done right now. Some of it, not so much. Looking forward to some new changes in the horizon, even if they are months away.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Cool Camping
I should probably title this 'cold' camping. Just sounds 'cooler' if I name it Cool Camping.
We just back into town from a 2 night jaunt to our favorite little camping spot - Junction, Texas. We've been 4 times in 2 years and we'd love to go back again. It's just a quiet little town where no one seems to be in a hurry and the Dollar Store workers treat you like family.
We tent camped again. We haven't camped this late in the year, um, like ever... It was GREAT during the daytime - Perfect, actually. The night times were chilly. Probably upper 40s/low 50s I'd estimate. We all were snuggled in our sleeping bags, for sure!
I hope that our boys always love to camp. I hope that when we bust out the tent and they are 15 and 17 we hear cheers coming from their lips. Oh, I hope, I hope! Fun times!
We just back into town from a 2 night jaunt to our favorite little camping spot - Junction, Texas. We've been 4 times in 2 years and we'd love to go back again. It's just a quiet little town where no one seems to be in a hurry and the Dollar Store workers treat you like family.
We tent camped again. We haven't camped this late in the year, um, like ever... It was GREAT during the daytime - Perfect, actually. The night times were chilly. Probably upper 40s/low 50s I'd estimate. We all were snuggled in our sleeping bags, for sure!
I hope that our boys always love to camp. I hope that when we bust out the tent and they are 15 and 17 we hear cheers coming from their lips. Oh, I hope, I hope! Fun times!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
From Here to There And Back Again
A Hamilton's Tale
Ever wonder how two reasonably sensible people could end up moving 8 times in 10 years and not be in the oil business? I've been thinking a lot about that with this latest move under our belts. I figured I'd cure the world of insomnia and answer it here.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love and they get married in 1999. Move #1 occurred when boy and girl move into together after the nuptials were exchanged.
Brandon was working at a local furniture store in Abilene. Nothing to write home about, but it paid the bills. It wasn't long into that job that the company decided to downsize, so Brandon being the newest, was tossed out like yesterday's news. We both thought it would be an exciting 'adventure' to move to a big city, dumped our Abilene apartment and moved to Austin, Texas in 2000. Move #2.
Well, after about a year of apartment dwelling in Austin and having double income, no kids it was time for the Hamiltonians to move up in the world. They decided it would be most glamorous to build a new house instead of buying a 'used' one. The house was completed in late 2001. Move #3.
After getting settled in their new digs, the baby train was stopping through, so they decided they might as well have one of the little stinkers. Having a kid and staying longer in lucrative jobs grounded them there for about 3 years. However, Brandon had his mid-life career crisis extremely early and discovered he could not work for Samsung for the rest of his career and still be happy. Come on, we all know THIS story seeing as how it's been told hundreds of times....But here's the shortest version possible. Becky agreed to work full-time so that B-Dog could go back to school full time on one condition only; They relocate the family to Midland so that baby Hamilton could have grandparents caring for him instead of a day care center. B-Dog agreed. Move #4 was into the Davis household in Dec 2004 so that they could save some green and also because the Austin house had not yet sold when they moved. A mortgage and a rent was not do-able on Becky's salary alone.
Well, here's where the sensible people started doing things not quite as sensible as sensible could be. Immediately upon arriving to Midland, the baby train made an unexpected, yet welcomed, stop for the Hamiltons. However, with our little family growing and despite the Davis' hospitality, we needed our own space. Move #5 was into a small 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse - What we could afford at the time. Afford it or not, times were lean.
After a year in the townhouse, we learned of a deal where we could live in a house with a backyard for dollars more than the tiny townhouse we were in. This was probably not our best decision. Enter Move #6. There was indeed more space and there was the benefit of being very close to the Hamiltons Sr. BUT the house was a fixer-upper and we were still just throwing money away into fixing it up and rent payments. Hmmmmm, probably not too 'sensible.'
After two years in the money pit, we took the Dave Ramsey course "Financial Peace University." It radically changed how we thought about money. We started to make better choices, although not ALL of our choices to that point were bad or anything. We just did 'better.' We opted to get out of the money pit and live with parents again, under the notion that we would be paying off a little debt and saving for a house. Move #7 - Back into the parent's house.
Ahhhhh, here's where the story gets sweet. While we didn't reach every single initiative we had intended financially while living with parents, Uncle Sam decided to offer $8000 to whomever wanted to live in their own house. Yes, we'd like that please! We found out that we indeed qualified for this program, so throwing caution to the wind (and banking on Uncle Sam coming through), we just completed Move #8. 2009
This is where the story ends. Eight moves in ten years of marriage. Go figure. Don't expect there to be a 'to be continued' to this story. We would like to get off the baby train and moving express now. Thanks...
Ever wonder how two reasonably sensible people could end up moving 8 times in 10 years and not be in the oil business? I've been thinking a lot about that with this latest move under our belts. I figured I'd cure the world of insomnia and answer it here.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love and they get married in 1999. Move #1 occurred when boy and girl move into together after the nuptials were exchanged.
Brandon was working at a local furniture store in Abilene. Nothing to write home about, but it paid the bills. It wasn't long into that job that the company decided to downsize, so Brandon being the newest, was tossed out like yesterday's news. We both thought it would be an exciting 'adventure' to move to a big city, dumped our Abilene apartment and moved to Austin, Texas in 2000. Move #2.
Well, after about a year of apartment dwelling in Austin and having double income, no kids it was time for the Hamiltonians to move up in the world. They decided it would be most glamorous to build a new house instead of buying a 'used' one. The house was completed in late 2001. Move #3.
After getting settled in their new digs, the baby train was stopping through, so they decided they might as well have one of the little stinkers. Having a kid and staying longer in lucrative jobs grounded them there for about 3 years. However, Brandon had his mid-life career crisis extremely early and discovered he could not work for Samsung for the rest of his career and still be happy. Come on, we all know THIS story seeing as how it's been told hundreds of times....But here's the shortest version possible. Becky agreed to work full-time so that B-Dog could go back to school full time on one condition only; They relocate the family to Midland so that baby Hamilton could have grandparents caring for him instead of a day care center. B-Dog agreed. Move #4 was into the Davis household in Dec 2004 so that they could save some green and also because the Austin house had not yet sold when they moved. A mortgage and a rent was not do-able on Becky's salary alone.
Well, here's where the sensible people started doing things not quite as sensible as sensible could be. Immediately upon arriving to Midland, the baby train made an unexpected, yet welcomed, stop for the Hamiltons. However, with our little family growing and despite the Davis' hospitality, we needed our own space. Move #5 was into a small 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse - What we could afford at the time. Afford it or not, times were lean.
After a year in the townhouse, we learned of a deal where we could live in a house with a backyard for dollars more than the tiny townhouse we were in. This was probably not our best decision. Enter Move #6. There was indeed more space and there was the benefit of being very close to the Hamiltons Sr. BUT the house was a fixer-upper and we were still just throwing money away into fixing it up and rent payments. Hmmmmm, probably not too 'sensible.'
After two years in the money pit, we took the Dave Ramsey course "Financial Peace University." It radically changed how we thought about money. We started to make better choices, although not ALL of our choices to that point were bad or anything. We just did 'better.' We opted to get out of the money pit and live with parents again, under the notion that we would be paying off a little debt and saving for a house. Move #7 - Back into the parent's house.
Ahhhhh, here's where the story gets sweet. While we didn't reach every single initiative we had intended financially while living with parents, Uncle Sam decided to offer $8000 to whomever wanted to live in their own house. Yes, we'd like that please! We found out that we indeed qualified for this program, so throwing caution to the wind (and banking on Uncle Sam coming through), we just completed Move #8. 2009
This is where the story ends. Eight moves in ten years of marriage. Go figure. Don't expect there to be a 'to be continued' to this story. We would like to get off the baby train and moving express now. Thanks...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Recipe
Don't fall over and faint. I'm sharing a recipe. I admit, I've stolen it from my mother in law. I'm betting she won't mind if I share it. It's been a family favorite for many years.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup medium light Karo syrup
5 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Mix first 3 ingredients over a medium high heat until it gets smooth & bubbly. Pour over Rice Krispies & mix. Pour into a 9x13 pan and pat down. Cut cookies with a sharp knife while it is still warm. Enjoy!!
Mmmmmmmmm...........
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup medium light Karo syrup
5 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Mix first 3 ingredients over a medium high heat until it gets smooth & bubbly. Pour over Rice Krispies & mix. Pour into a 9x13 pan and pat down. Cut cookies with a sharp knife while it is still warm. Enjoy!!
Mmmmmmmmm...........
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Thankful
I was thinking this morning how thankful I am for this house. Probably not exactly for the reasons you might be thinking, although it is nice to have a space we can call our own. But really, the reason I am thankful today is that I look around and I see things that remind me of those who have helped us get to this point.
I think of the many people who literally moved us from one house to another - Cody, Alan, Mark, Ashlie, Jan, Dana, Byron, Jake, Clint, Conner to name a few. I see the lawn that first was mowed on the day we moved in by Clint. I remember that our first meal in our new home was provided by April. I think of the afternoon that Dana and I had an intervention in the kitchen as she helped me get rid of items I will never use. I see a wall decoration I got from Jan. I see how the living room is decorated and I think of how Amy helped me get it looking nice. I look at the painted wall in Braylon's room and think of Marcie, my mother and my mother in law who helped paint it. I see the surfboard that Mark supplied for Braylon's room. I open the kitchen pantry and see the super cool trashcan that Mark & Dana bought for a house warming gift to us. I see various decorations that Amy let me bum out of her storage closet. I rest on my comforter set that my friend Ashlie gave to me. I see a display kitchen dish that I recently painted with several of my girlfriends at the Pottery. I think of my parents babysitting so I could get things done around here. I think of the advice from my parents and in-laws along with unnameable help they have offered over the last 5 years of us getting to this point.
I hope I am not painting the picture that we are moochers. I hope we are not that. We are just so incredibly blessed with friends and family who are 'there' for us and we look FORWARD to being 'there' for them and others.
Yep, I'm so thankful for this house.
I think of the many people who literally moved us from one house to another - Cody, Alan, Mark, Ashlie, Jan, Dana, Byron, Jake, Clint, Conner to name a few. I see the lawn that first was mowed on the day we moved in by Clint. I remember that our first meal in our new home was provided by April. I think of the afternoon that Dana and I had an intervention in the kitchen as she helped me get rid of items I will never use. I see a wall decoration I got from Jan. I see how the living room is decorated and I think of how Amy helped me get it looking nice. I look at the painted wall in Braylon's room and think of Marcie, my mother and my mother in law who helped paint it. I see the surfboard that Mark supplied for Braylon's room. I open the kitchen pantry and see the super cool trashcan that Mark & Dana bought for a house warming gift to us. I see various decorations that Amy let me bum out of her storage closet. I rest on my comforter set that my friend Ashlie gave to me. I see a display kitchen dish that I recently painted with several of my girlfriends at the Pottery. I think of my parents babysitting so I could get things done around here. I think of the advice from my parents and in-laws along with unnameable help they have offered over the last 5 years of us getting to this point.
I hope I am not painting the picture that we are moochers. I hope we are not that. We are just so incredibly blessed with friends and family who are 'there' for us and we look FORWARD to being 'there' for them and others.
Yep, I'm so thankful for this house.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Busy Bee
I stayed home from work today to be with my sick boy. He was still throwing up last night until around 11:30 p.m. when I guess everything he had eaten for the day was sufficiently out of his system. We all got a good night's sleep after that and so far we haven't had any further episodes to speak of. Slowly integrating food in. I can tell he's weaker than usual, though, because all he wants to do is sit and watch movies. Not like him at all.
Meanwhile I've made the most of my day off. I've worked all morning on the boy's rooms unpacking the final few boxes that were lingering. You know, the stuff you don't really need but that you aren't really ready to let go of yet. Maybe I'm the only one like that. I have a hard time letting things go, even when I can't quite put a finger on what the item would really be good for later. Brandon is good to keep this in check for me, but I still struggle on some level with it. If it weren't for him, I would probably be one of those hoarders or 'collectors' that you read about with their stacks of Pringles cans to the ceiling and a maze of newspapers throughout the house. You never know....It could happen...
Meanwhile I've made the most of my day off. I've worked all morning on the boy's rooms unpacking the final few boxes that were lingering. You know, the stuff you don't really need but that you aren't really ready to let go of yet. Maybe I'm the only one like that. I have a hard time letting things go, even when I can't quite put a finger on what the item would really be good for later. Brandon is good to keep this in check for me, but I still struggle on some level with it. If it weren't for him, I would probably be one of those hoarders or 'collectors' that you read about with their stacks of Pringles cans to the ceiling and a maze of newspapers throughout the house. You never know....It could happen...
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