Project 401k.....

Today, Matt and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. And we decided that this will be our best year yet! AND, we both have taken on what we think will be year long projects. And both projects center on some of our favorite hobbies.

My project will be finishing scrapbooks that I have set aside for mine and my sister's childhood photos. (Thank you, LaNelle, for keeping them safe.) I've been sitting on these pictures for a couple years, and I've been slowly working on getting them in albums. I took a couple months off when we lost our income so I would have minimal supplies to replace. Well, all the bills that got put on hold and fell behind have been caught up, school supplies purchased, almost all the new school clothes we need are purchased, and I got the go ahead to reintegrate my scrapbook spending money back into our family budget. YAY!!!!! Adhesive!!! WOOT! The only thing I ran out of while we got caught up.

Matt and I for years have been looking toward getting a second vehicle. Earlier this year, he found something, finances fit with the right price, and best of all... It was a Jeep, his dream car. A 1999 TJ Jeep Sahara. It needed a few repairs, but we figured we could work our way to getting it fixed. And then with all the job stuff, some of those repairs got put on hold. Now, those repairs have hit a fix it or park it permanently level. I personally want my Dodge back so I don't have to walk kids to the bus in the rain, so he started the repairs today. The Jeep, that we've dubbed '401k', is now parked in the garage. And I even got to help take some of it apart! (I hate to admit it, but breaking his Jeep, which will surely end up being a money pit, was sort of therapeutic!) Enjoy the picks of how we spent our day!!!

At 8 AM, while the boys took turns getting ready for church, Sissy and I watched a movie that was one of my childhood favorites, a 1980's live actor version of The Frog Prince. LOVE that movie. Helen Hunt plays one of the sisters and makes a good evil character. Ok, maybe EVIL is a strong word, but she sure wasn't nice!

After church and a quick lunch, Project 401k began.

In another 20 years, when we look back over our family albums, this will be our anniversary portrait for this year. One of the tools Matt needs is a mail order only thing, and he wanted to see if he could do the 1st job without it. Well, he managed to get the parts out, but he needed a strong hand to help hold the C-Clamp while he help the wrenches. Again, kinda cool getting to break something! Gotta love it!!!

We don't have one of them dolly things that you scoot under cars with yet, so at one point, one of the kids took a pillow out to the garage to protect his poor head from the cold concrete! I'm glad we only use those pillows for visitors and that it wasn't my only one! I think the culprit tried to sneak out with our special sleeping pillows and got sent back to retrieve a different option. This was before I went out to help break something, and believe me, I almost flipped when I saw it. But then, after a minute, I started thinking how it was a very sweet thing for the kids to do. (BTW... that pillow has a new home. The Garage!)

Last year, we couldn't go out for our dinner cause Matt had to work, and some of you might remember that we were separated for the two anniversaries before. Well, last year Matt promised we could go where ever I wanted this year. I LOVE Macaroni Grill, so that's what I picked. But that was before the whole debacle with AT&T and T-Mobile. (Had to throw in what I have named my sister's favorite word in there... debacle!).

But guess what? Macaroni Grill has new boxed diner mixes. Add chicken, some water, butter, and/or milk and TADA!!!! Macaroni Grill in the comfort of your home! AND at $5.99 for the mix, $6 for the chicken, and maybe $1 or 2 for the butter and/or milk, you save money too! Grand total, with soda, salad, and garlic bread sticks, dinner for Matt and I tonight cost maybe $16. Had we gone to the actual restaurant? Well, last time we all went it cost around $80. And the 2nd best part? (Go on, admit it, that price tag is the best.) It tasted FABULOUS!!!! We usually have the Basil Pesto Chicken and Fettucini but tonight we had the Chicken Marsala. If you haven't tried these yet and like us, hate the price of eating out but like Macaroni Grill, try these. FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!

Ok Ya'll... It's almost 10, kids are in bed and I'm going to take my anniversary present (A new scrapbooking technique and idea book.), and go enjoy the peace and quiet that only comes after everyone else has gone to bed.

SMOOCHIES YA'LL!!!!!!!!!!