Good Morning.....Happy Monday!   I am hoping life is starting to settle down for us.  Things are starting to get better and hope they continue to improve.   I am trying to get caught up at home and work as that makes me feel so much better.   I did work for about 7.5 hours on Sunday at the office and accomplished alot.  So things aren't so bad when I came in this morning.  

Hubby was great while I was at work on Sunday and ran some errands for me and took the dog to be groomed.  I really appreciated that!   We didn't get around to putting up our Christmas three this weekend, which we always do right after Thanksgiving.  I am sure we will get to it this weekend.   We had a very quiet Thanksgiving, which was very much needed.  Hubby is feeling good since getting out of the hospital and returned to work today.  He still has to see a hematologist to investigate why he got the blood clot. 

My parents came and helped out alot when hubby was in the hospital.  Bless my mother, she got me pretty caught up with laundry.  I am so far staying on top of it.  Hopefully I can keep that up. 

We went to the movie Flushed Away on Saturday night.  It was alot of fun.  We rarely get to the movies so it was a real treat.  Tommy loved it!   I am working all this week and then this weekend a childhood girlfriend is coming into town and I hope to get time to visit with her.   Friday night I am hoping to go to movie night at a friends house as well.   Otherwise our weekend is pretty quiet.  

I have been revising my weekly schedule at home again and have decided that I really like the week at a glance format so below you will see the draft of the new Weekly Schedule I will be testing out until the end of the year.   I am hoping to take some time off in January so I want to keep caught up around the house so that the time I take off can be to do things I want.  

I have been reading a number of website about living plain and simple.  I am so intrigued by the lifestyle.  It must be amazing to live off the land and home school your children.  I found a few people who have their own homestead, very interesting.  I was always interested in the hutterites back home so it still seems to interest me.  Maybe I am just dreaming of a simpler life!

MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

MONDAY - Sloppy Joes and Vegetable

TUESDAY - Tater Tot Casserole

WEDNESDAY - Beef Stew (crockpot) I have been planning to make this for weeks!

THURSDAY - Cheese Beef Macaroni and Vegetable

FRIDAY - Pepperoni and Cheese Crescents, Green Beans and Salad. (FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT)

JEN’S WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Sunday afternoon at the office.....I am the only one in this bulilding I think.   But I am getting some more plans/budgets done!

My brother warned me the other night, don't say "what else could go wrong", which I did!!   Not anything too major I hope, but seems someone has accessed some of my accounts online, mainly Yahoo mail and attempted on my paypal account.   I had an unauthorized transaction on my paypal account which was debited from my bank account.  This is already being credited back to my account.   The person must have hacked into my yahoo mail account as there was a message in my sent folder asking "where is my sons order".   So I changed all my passwords to a more secure password and closed my checking account and opened a new one.  All new numbers and passwords all around.   I rather go over kill on this and make sure our funds and lives are secure.  

According to Paypal an IP address from the Netherlands was trying to gain access to my account.   It doesn't seem like they got through.  I get plenty of spoof stuff or fake paypals stuff, but I have never ever clicked on any links so I am unsure where and what has been violated. 

So anyways, I will be changing to a new email account so I will send my new email address to those in my address book!  I should get that all switch over tonight.   What a pain!  So if I don't respond to an email, know that I have changed it and please resend.

Today we are taking it easy, gearing up for the upcoming week.   I took the younger two boys to church and then came home.   My parents took us out for lunch at Old Country Buffet before they headed back to South Dakota.  I am extrememly grateful for all the help of my parents this weekend.   With them being here I was able to be at the hospital with hubby and make sure he was ok.  My mom caught up all my laundry and they cleaned the living room while I was at church.    I am still feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I know how much work awaits me at the office since I took more time off unplanned since hubby was in the hospital. 

Finished Reading....

Daniel Isn't Talking by Matri Leimbach  - 4/5

It is a story of a family dealing with the diagnosis of autism and how it affects their family and marriage.  

Well hubby is still in the hospital tonight.   They have not exactly figured out what is going on.  He has a blood clot in his kidney that has damaged his kidney.  I am not sure what will happened....

And of course Erik couldn't give me one day off from his antics.......not even with his dad in the hospital.  

I went to my in-laws in the morning and met with the social worker from the county.  My MIL was assessed for the Elderly Waiver.  She will beginning receiving some services next week so hopefully that will lighten some of our load.   Then I headed to work for the afternoon. 

I got a few budgets done and turned in yesterday.   I then decided not to go to book group as I was jsut too tired.  So I headed home to sleep.   I had supper with the kids and my parents.  My hubby came home and wasn't feeling well.  He had severe abdominal pain.   He went to lay down for a bit while Josh and I applied for his student loan.  

I went to check on hubby and he was worse and we headed up taking him to the emergency room.   Josh and I got him in there and then we had to wait for almost an hour for him to be seen.   After first they thought he had a kidney stone.  But that was ruled out.  They ran a lot of tests and we were still at the hospital after 1:00am this morning.   So they decided to admit him into the hospital and run more tests today.   I called this morning and he is doing about the same.  

My parents are going to grandparents day with Tommy and I am going take a little nap before heading back to the hospital.   Life always has it's struggles...............I am very glad my parents are here to help out a bit. 

I am safely home from work.  It is about 11:20 and all is quiet in our home.  I just went in our bedroom and Tommy is curled up asleep in his Daddy's arms.   Too Cute....

I was very tired driving home from work.  I need to get more sleep!  I was whipping down HWY 52 and a patrolman was under the bridge.  He had mercy on me and didn't stop me.   Did I decide to drive within the speed limit after that??  Nope..I was tired and had the air on to keep awake on the drive home.  I wish I had a shorter commute home!   So I am blasting down the freeway and it is under construction and of course there are two patrolman sitting in the dark waiting to catch speeders in the construction zone...yep...where fines are double!!   God again smiled on me and I didn't get pulled over.   I never have seen so many patrolman out this late at night when I am driving home.  

I am trying to post more as I know my mother has been worrying a bit about me lately.  Truth be told, I have been struggling a bit, but I seem to be improving.   I still am under some very strict deadlines at work, which is stressful and I am scrambling to get everything done I need to by the end of the year.  I will be taking a vacation in January!!   But rest assure Mom, when I don't post I am not in the hospital.  I actually have been in pretty good health this year.  What is up with that???  Life just has been bit much ...

I was worrying about money on the way home and to my surprise there was a check from my flexible spending account waiting for me at home.  It was double the amount I was expecting.....God is Gracious.   We have always been provided for.  They finally seem to have my account all caught up.  I am not impressed with the new company that took over our flexible spending accounts at work.  

I am back attending my bible study on Wednesday night and that is such a joy to me.  I always leave there feeling so much better.  What an amazing group of people!   

So how is that....Three posts in one day!!   The grey cloud must be lifting...

I am off to bed....have a great night.  Count your blessings.....I am taking inventory tonight and I am truly blessed in many ways!

10:15pm....cleaning up my desk and getting ready to head home.  I am tired.  I am going to need to cancel my appointment with my lawyer tomorrow.  I just can't miss any time from work right now.  I am running head on with a deadline that seems to be winning at the present time.  ARGH!!  I hate budget time!!!

Later!

Hello Everyone - It doesn't seem like I will ever get back to having enough free time to update daily here.  We had a very nice weekend.   It was a nice change...

- FRIDAY -

 Hubby and I both had the day off.  Each year we always take this day to start our Christmas shopping and have a nice lunch out together.   I got most of my shopping done and I did pretty good on the budget as well.  We finally remembered to take our front picture windows in to get them reglazed and broken glass repaired.  Figure with winter almost upon us we better get that done.   We had a nice lunch at AppleBee's .  We tried their new Sweet Potato Fries....YUMMY!!!   We also went to a consignment shop in St Paul to look for some winter work clothes for me.  I of course bought my work pants at Wal-mart - funny enough, the pants I really like are carried there now and much cheaper than at Kohl's.   I dropped another pants size so all my pants were two sizes too big and I finally had to give in and get new pants.  

We really didn't go too many places to buy Christmas gifts.  We were at Sam's Club, Barnes and Noble and Walmart.   Now to get to the wrapping.  I have all the gifts for South Dakota so I will wrap those up and send them home with my parents.   We stopped at Fantastic Sam's and got a haircut for hubby, Tommy and I.   My haircut was TERRIBLE...it was the new store that opened in Mahtomedi.  I won't be going back there again.  We stopped at Aldi and bought some appetizers to make and headed home.

We bought the movie Cars so we made appetizers and had family movie night.  Josh got home shortly after we started the movie and he joined us.  It was fun!  We have been trying to have family movie night each Friday.  We each take a turn picking movies.  

SATURDAY

In the morning I went through the cupboards in the kitchen.  I straightened the pots and pans and cleaned up the snack cupboard.  Then headed to Half Price Books to sell some of my books.   I needed room on my shelf!   I can't buy anymore books until I read a few more.   Hubby treated us out to lunch at Great Moon Buffet.  Tommy actually tried alot of new foods and even like them.  Then I went home and took a very short nap and hubby went to the library.   I did some cleaning on Saturday.  I went through my clothes in my room and got rid of a whole garbage bag of clothes that I no longer wear or are too big.  I was able to go through all my drawers as well.  I worked on laundry all evening as well.   I started weatherizing the windows in our home.  I put plastic on the windows in our bedroom, living room, dining room and kitchen.  

Hubby and I headed to bed early and watched a movie after I got Tommy to bed. 

SUNDAY

Yikes...we over slept and missed church.  I got up and started going on laundry again.  I finished putting plastic on the windows in the house.  I did Erik and Tommy's rooms.   I cleaned both boys rooms.  I washed sheets, blankets, comforters and swept.   I also sorted through each of their clothes and brought some winter clothes up from the basement.    Tommy's room was a disaster.  I went through toys and really weeded those out.  I donated a garbage bag full of toys and threw out two grocery bags of junk.  I might even go through there another time before Christmas.  

After I was done with both of the boys rooms, I sat on the couch and watched, Flip That House on the learning Channel.  I love that show!!   Josh was busy working in the basement.  He is laying a new floor in the hallway in the basement.  He is doing so well at helping to fix up the house. 

I actually cooked a meal on Sunday.  I made Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.    It felt good to accomplish some things this weekend.  I tried to get Tommy to bed early, but that didn't work very well.  I still have alot of laundry to do, but I made a good dent in it. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE UPCOMING WEEK

Tonight I am working late.  Tomorrow we are meeting with the lawyer that is handling my car accident from a few years ago and are starting to get ready to submit my suit against the insurance company.  I wish I could say my back and neck was better, but this seems to be life long thing now.  Wednesday we are attending court with Erik.  I haven't shared this on here, but Erik got in some trouble with the law.  It has been a very difficult and stressful time for our family.  I hope it is soon behind us.  

Thursday I need to be at my inlaws as the social worker is coming to do an assessment for the elderly waiver.  My parents are also coming on Thursday.   They will be attending School with Tommy on Friday for Grandparents day.  They will be staying until Saturday and want to help out with some things around the house. 

Erik's mom will be picking him up on Sunday evening and will keep him until Thanksgiving.  I have to work during the week and he has no school.   It is a great help and I am very grateful to her for offering to help. 

I hope everyone is having a great day/week!    I have been stopping by but no time to comment.  I hope all is well with you and your families! 

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Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person. (Selwyn Hughes)