Not only do I have a $534 check in the mail for an escrow over-payment, my mortgage is going down about $20/mo

Fantastic news!

Something just tells me 2009 is going to be a fabulous year!

Well, DH's flight leaves on Friday which coincidentally was also the night we had reservations for dinner for our anniversary & his birthday.

Oh well, nothing stops us from having a fondue night at home on another night instead. And that doesn't change the fact we've been married for 9 years, or that he's turning 30... all that stuff still is. So we don't get to go to dinner on THAT night, it's okay. Our whole marriage isn't wrapped up into one night & this trip is for work.

We have a lot of priorities we have to get out of the way before we can really start celebrating. We'd celebrate earlier but I REALLY have to study for my accounting final.

I feel a little better about it, I've been carrying my books around EVERYWHERE I go and reading as much as I can. Eventually it'll sink in.

I need a 92% to get an A, 81 for an A-, 71 for a B+, and a 51 for a B.

My best friend and her hubby fly in tomorrow. I'm so excited! I've written out a menu for the week and she actually seems excited to cook at home with me.

Oh, and we switched cable companies to Verizon so now we get the David Ramsey show. Can't say I'm hooked. I haven't read his book but I'm not that into the show. I don't have time for many shows to begin with so I think I'll stick with Suze Orman on Saturday nights.

Other than that, I will be sooo glad after Thursday. I'll be bummed DH is gone but my friend's hubby leaves on the 14th and then it'll be like a big slumber party for her and I till the 18th when DH gets back.

No, not financial checks - weight checks.

My baby went to GI today at the Children's hospital here. She's always been small, born at 5 lb 13 oz then she shot up for awhile but then from 6-9 months she didn't gain anything. She's gained a pound since last month, so now she is around 14 lbs at 10 1/2 months.

Dealing with a failure to thrive issue can be such a touchy subject. On one hand you wonder if the docs think you're a bad parent, on the other there comes a point where you just have to swallow your pride and take whatever judgment they may have to get your child help.

So they drew blood today to test for food allergies & we need to do weekly weight checks with our ped for the next four months & we have a follow up appointment in 6 weeks.

A huge part of me is just exhausted. I want to collapse on the bed and sleep for a long time.

My oldest and I are still going to therapy weekly for her social development. She has a hesitancy that the other kids don't, it had gotten to the point where she was not answering the teachers in class because she was afraid of getting the wrong answer. In October, I had received notes that she was having to retake tests, getting C's, D's, etc.

Since going to the therapist (and really it is helping me know how to parent her better) she is now bringing home A's. We were going to do a Sylvan program but couldn't afford it till we realized our healthcare coverage covers mental health therapy.

I'm glad after next week Thursday, I can relax. I only have my Int'l Accounting final left. I turned in my tax paper & final exam a week early, no sense waiting to turn it in when its been done for awhile.

Next semester has me nervous. School on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. My oldest and I need to fit in therapy sessions once a week, now the stuff going on with my baby. My 2nd child has to have her eyes checked on the 15th of January.

I have a dry erase board keeping this stuff all straight for me.

Plus the stuff going on with work. But I put together a proposal today and am getting feedback on it so that I can make improvements to it and our processes.

Just a lot of stuff. I'm still positive about it all overall, but very exhausted.

I just want to get my master's degree, for my baby to start gaining weight like she should, for my oldest to continue branching out, and yeah then there are the financial goals too.

I guess the good part though is, as long as I am busy - which I always am - I have no reason to spend money cause I'm either busy, working, or sleeping. None involve spending money. LOL

Just after I wrote the earlier blog, DH's unclaimed property check came via certified mail

How is THAT for timing? I hadn't thought about it for weeks and then yesterday ask about it, check on it today, and shortly after I blog about it - here it is

So I decided to look up the status of DH's unclaimed property from Hawaii today to see if it was still showing as available. It wasn't so I'm presuming it is on its way to us right now.

But something nudged me to check and see if there was anything for myself.

Sure enough there was, it was from our old cable company.

I have to just chuckle about it because although the amount is small, I think about all the other times we've received money this year not related to our paycheck and its amazing. It won't seem amazing if I detail it out, but truth is, it is money we weren't expecting.

In March & April, DH got extra pay for trips he had taken.

In May, I received a check for $1700 for an overpayment of our escrow account

In June, DH received about $700 from a trip

In July, I got money as a gift

In August, Dh got more money from traveling

I don't remember if we received anything in September, but my greatest sense of gratitude there is that we pulled our money out of the market & into secured funds at the end of September. If we had, our money would be worth $12K right now vs the $15-$16K it is right now.

October & November I received the reimbursement for my tuition expenses and we were notified of our unclaimed property
In December, DH is taking another trip.

I don't know, I seem to find money when I don't expect it which is nice. I opened my wallet the other day (I don't do that often because I usually use my debit cards and they are in the front) and realized that I not only had money in the main part but also more tucked behind a pocket.

I haven't spent any of it and don't intend to, but as I said, its just nice to find cash around when you don't expect it.

Anyhow, so off I go now to file another unclaimed property form so I can get that money back.