Happy February!
For Valentine's Day we used the Edwin McCain tickets that Chris had got me for Christmas.
He and the band were playing at the Bijou and like always it was a great show. Of course he is known for the 90's ballad "I'll Be" but he really is much more than that song. I always recommend anyone go see him because the band as a whole is fantastic and very talented.
His opener was a gal I had never heard of Mallary Hope and she was quite the performer. A country artist and super talented. She even follows me on Twitter now! :)
This year also starts our trek again on Financial Peace with Dave Ramsey.
Chris likes to call us "Dave's misfit children" because we have started and stopped so many times. In December Chris made the choice to sell his car and in doing so we were able to pay off my car and a couple of odd debts. We are both on the fast track to getting out of debt and hopefully we will be able to do our "debt free scream" in August for our anniversary. At least that is our goal and realistically we should meet it.
Dave Ramsey is a no-nonsense kind of guy and I always try to catch his radio show while running lunch errands. It's a great way to stay motivated and every time I hear a person do the debt free scream it gives me chills.
I would encourage everyone to get on a plan. Doesn't have to be Dave's plan but something that sets you up for a better future. My whole adult life I have been strapped with looming credit card debt and the thought of not having those monthly payments is getting so surreal.
I couldn't even tell you what was on the credit cards... probably some stupid clothes that I don't wear anymore, makeup from some dumb cosmetic counter and a whole stock pile of bath salts and lotions that I never used.
Just today we made a large credit card payment and can see the meter heading towards zero. Sure it would have been nice to take that vacation with friends or buy new things for the home but we are committed this time around to staying on course.
So once we hit August we will only owe for our home and all before we are out of our 30's. We both wish we would have done this years ago but we can only look forward.
We have started a "wish list" of sorts of things we want to purchase - with cash - the first month out of debt. I for one want to set aside some money to finish fully decorating our home. We only have a few pictures up.. kind of sad.
Chris would tell you he wants to jump back into auto-x and that is fine because now we won't have to stress about how much he spends going out to dinner with the boys after an event.
Good things are happening in the Harp household. I'm blessed to be here :)
Saturday, February 22, 2014
January 2014
For New Year's Eve we spent it with our good friend Steve and finally went to downtown Knoxville for the big ball drop. Typically we spend NYE at friend's houses but wanted to do something different this year.
We started out doing dinner at Soccer Taco, one of our favorite Mexican joints, and then headed over to Suttree's for some really good high gravity beers where we met up with some other good friends. Then at about 10 till midnight we headed to Market Square for the big ball drop. It was so cold so as soon as it hit midnight we scattered and got the heck out of dodge!
Over the holiday's I also got to spend some time with my good friend that came in from her studies abroad in Vienna. It was great to catch up and on another occasion had dinner with another good friend. It's so crazy that since high school we have gone different directions but still have a very strong connection so no matter how long it has been we can always pick up right where we left off. I'm truly blessed to have them in my life and will try to work on keeping in better contact with them. All my friends really.
Hope your NYE was as fun as mine!
xoxo
We started out doing dinner at Soccer Taco, one of our favorite Mexican joints, and then headed over to Suttree's for some really good high gravity beers where we met up with some other good friends. Then at about 10 till midnight we headed to Market Square for the big ball drop. It was so cold so as soon as it hit midnight we scattered and got the heck out of dodge!
Over the holiday's I also got to spend some time with my good friend that came in from her studies abroad in Vienna. It was great to catch up and on another occasion had dinner with another good friend. It's so crazy that since high school we have gone different directions but still have a very strong connection so no matter how long it has been we can always pick up right where we left off. I'm truly blessed to have them in my life and will try to work on keeping in better contact with them. All my friends really.
Hope your NYE was as fun as mine!
xoxo
December 2013
I'm writing this in February so I'm sure I will forget some of the high notes of December.
Of course this month is all about Christmas and to be honest it was kind of hard to get in the "spirit". Not really sure how to put it but I think I got caught up with a lot of work duties that it kind of spoiled it for me personally. Since I'm the Office Manager I am the go-to person for getting all of our clients their respective Christmas cards, Christmas baskets, etc.
I also was in charge of planning our company Christmas party so it was a lot of stress in a short amount of time. I did rely heavily on some of the girls but there was only so much they could do. I do remember the day before the company party that I stayed in bed literally until about 3:30 in the afternoon. Suffered from the worst migraine I have ever had and no doubt it was stress related. I got through it and our Christmas party was a blast. For the first time we had a photo booth from Knoxville Photo Booth and that was a lot of fun! Here is a sample of our pics.. Super cute!
For Christmas Eve we had some friends over for Christmas brunch and it was great to catch up. Chris and I had our family's over for Christmas day lunch and as usual had a pretty good spread of food. Of course holiday's are always hard with out our dad's here but we know they are always with us.
Chris and I don't really lavish each other with gifts but he did get me get tickets to one of my favorite performers Edwin McCain.
Hope your December was fun filled!
Of course this month is all about Christmas and to be honest it was kind of hard to get in the "spirit". Not really sure how to put it but I think I got caught up with a lot of work duties that it kind of spoiled it for me personally. Since I'm the Office Manager I am the go-to person for getting all of our clients their respective Christmas cards, Christmas baskets, etc.
I also was in charge of planning our company Christmas party so it was a lot of stress in a short amount of time. I did rely heavily on some of the girls but there was only so much they could do. I do remember the day before the company party that I stayed in bed literally until about 3:30 in the afternoon. Suffered from the worst migraine I have ever had and no doubt it was stress related. I got through it and our Christmas party was a blast. For the first time we had a photo booth from Knoxville Photo Booth and that was a lot of fun! Here is a sample of our pics.. Super cute!
For Christmas Eve we had some friends over for Christmas brunch and it was great to catch up. Chris and I had our family's over for Christmas day lunch and as usual had a pretty good spread of food. Of course holiday's are always hard with out our dad's here but we know they are always with us.
Chris and I don't really lavish each other with gifts but he did get me get tickets to one of my favorite performers Edwin McCain.
Hope your December was fun filled!
Monday, November 4, 2013
November 4, 2013
The last couple of months have been pretty normal. Work, home, repeat.
We went camping over the summer to Hot Springs with some friends and the dogs (and humans) loved it. We hiked up to Max Patch and the views were absolutely breathtaking. In total we had 4 dogs and they loved the wide open spaces. We have been keeping Kooper for our good friend's but she is getting ready to be returned to them in a couple of weeks. I'm sure she is ready to be back with her real family although I'm not sure how Abby will react. They have been together since July 4th so I'm sure it will be an adjustment for both of them.
Last week we went to New Orleans for J's 40th bday. Originally Chris wasn't going to go but I'm glad he was able to get the time off work. NOLA is not some place I would want to be by myself. Granted there was a big group but it's not the same. Here is a group shot of our Halloween costume. Yes, we went as the Care Bears. It was a lot of fun and somewhere out there we are probably on some else's FB since people were taking pictures of us the entire night. Side note that we actually did make these!
During the days we recouped and ate some fantastic food. My favorite being a dish from Palace Cafe. The specific pork dish that I got reminded me of dad's home cooking and nothing has come close to that. On top of that Chris and I split a piece of Crabcake cheescake. It was to die for!
We also hung around Jackson Square and saw some really good artwork and a piece. I wish we had bought more so maybe next time. Here is a pic on the grounds of the church on Jackson Square.
The music in the city is fantastic and we found ourselves wishing we had more time to take it all in. Our last night there we did a haunted tour in the French Quarter and learned some interesting facts about the city. That was probably a highlight of the trip.
In a couple of weeks we are heading to take Freddy back to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for some more heart tests. Over the summer he had a couple of spells with his heart that put him in the hospital on a couple different occasions. Chris took him to Vanderbilt the first time in August and when they left his house there was a police escort! Loudon loves Freddy Ray! This time around the Dr. is wanting to try and re-create the episode under a controlled environment to see if they can target what exactly is causing them. We will be there overnight so hoping for a good outcome.
Hard to believe but the holiday's are here again. I went shopping over the weekend and there was Christmas music playing! I guess I forgot that at Goody's we started Christmas music on November 1.
I really don't miss working retail this time of year.
We went camping over the summer to Hot Springs with some friends and the dogs (and humans) loved it. We hiked up to Max Patch and the views were absolutely breathtaking. In total we had 4 dogs and they loved the wide open spaces. We have been keeping Kooper for our good friend's but she is getting ready to be returned to them in a couple of weeks. I'm sure she is ready to be back with her real family although I'm not sure how Abby will react. They have been together since July 4th so I'm sure it will be an adjustment for both of them.
Last week we went to New Orleans for J's 40th bday. Originally Chris wasn't going to go but I'm glad he was able to get the time off work. NOLA is not some place I would want to be by myself. Granted there was a big group but it's not the same. Here is a group shot of our Halloween costume. Yes, we went as the Care Bears. It was a lot of fun and somewhere out there we are probably on some else's FB since people were taking pictures of us the entire night. Side note that we actually did make these!
During the days we recouped and ate some fantastic food. My favorite being a dish from Palace Cafe. The specific pork dish that I got reminded me of dad's home cooking and nothing has come close to that. On top of that Chris and I split a piece of Crabcake cheescake. It was to die for!
We also hung around Jackson Square and saw some really good artwork and a piece. I wish we had bought more so maybe next time. Here is a pic on the grounds of the church on Jackson Square.
The music in the city is fantastic and we found ourselves wishing we had more time to take it all in. Our last night there we did a haunted tour in the French Quarter and learned some interesting facts about the city. That was probably a highlight of the trip.
In a couple of weeks we are heading to take Freddy back to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for some more heart tests. Over the summer he had a couple of spells with his heart that put him in the hospital on a couple different occasions. Chris took him to Vanderbilt the first time in August and when they left his house there was a police escort! Loudon loves Freddy Ray! This time around the Dr. is wanting to try and re-create the episode under a controlled environment to see if they can target what exactly is causing them. We will be there overnight so hoping for a good outcome.
Hard to believe but the holiday's are here again. I went shopping over the weekend and there was Christmas music playing! I guess I forgot that at Goody's we started Christmas music on November 1.
I really don't miss working retail this time of year.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Time to Play Catch UP
I have stepped away a few months from blogging because, well, nothing really interesting is going on that I felt was blog worthy. I just happened to be on my desktop looking through some random photos and realized that I really need to start to keep up with writing again. If anything to help me remember stuff since I'm notorious for forgetting the details (I blame my fall in 2007).
So for starters Chris and I are just about to wrap up our 60 day Insanity challenge. We had to take a brief detour while Chris recovers from yet another eye surgery. This time to remove a cataract that was caused from his Retinal detachment surgery a couple years ago. As of today he says he's able to see things a little clearer so that's a plus. So like I said we are about to wrap this crazy workout up and it's been a great eye opener for us as well as a lifestyle change. We are way more conscience about what we are eating, how much we are eating and how often. I was worried at first that it was going to take a toll on our budget but it's not been that bad. I have really liked cooking new recipes (some not so great!) and I'm always looking for the next best, and easy, recipe. To date Chris has dropped about 15 and I'm down about 6. I can tell that I have lost several inches and my clothes are fitting better. When we finish this up we are going to start another Beach Body program - ChaLean. It's working with weights which will be a nice change of pace from Shaun T and his crazy Max Cardio Circuit!
A is just a few weeks out from graduating high school and moving on to college land. I know she will do great! She has me looking up some photos of her and I together and it's amazing how quickly time has flown by. Amazing how a few short years ago we were still living under the same roof and I was braiding her hair for church. I love that kid!
Our Godson is almost 14 months and keeping his mom and dad very busy. We kept for a few hours last weekend and had fun reading and playing. He has learned a few signs so all of a sudden he stopped what he was doing and did the sign for "eat". I was pretty impressed.
Mother's day is this weekend so I think we are getting the mom's together for a cook out provided it doesn't rain. We have had a ton of rain lately and I'm about over it!
Well, I guess that's all for now. I'll write more when I can.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
January 2013
Welcome to 2013!
I'm trying to pick up from the last time I posted. Let's see.. We closed on the house and moved to Lenoir City in June and love being on this side of town.
I am still working at In10sity and the job is keeping me very busy. I am our representative for EWI and have enjoyed being a part of a great organization. I have met some great people and looking forward to getting more involved this year.
We had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas and spent it with our good friends and family so that was a lot of fun. I have really enjoyed being in the kitchen and it was nice to cook for everyone.
We spent NYE at Shaun and Jen's along with some other friends. Pretty low key but that's the way I like things.
We had Abby a little birthday party a couple of weeks ago to celebrate her 5th birthday. We had our good friend Emily at Confectionista's Kitchen make the dog friendly cake and it was a hit.
I have some pictures somewhere so I'll try to post those up.
I don't really like making resolutions for the new years but I do have a few goals I would like to meet this year. One of them would be to get back on the FPU bandwagon and see a real difference in 6 months. I also want to pick up more crafty/kitchen related hobbies. I've recently become a Pinterest fan and have started a collection of ideas.
Happy New Year! Here's to making 2013 the best one yet.
I'm trying to pick up from the last time I posted. Let's see.. We closed on the house and moved to Lenoir City in June and love being on this side of town.
I am still working at In10sity and the job is keeping me very busy. I am our representative for EWI and have enjoyed being a part of a great organization. I have met some great people and looking forward to getting more involved this year.
We had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas and spent it with our good friends and family so that was a lot of fun. I have really enjoyed being in the kitchen and it was nice to cook for everyone.
We spent NYE at Shaun and Jen's along with some other friends. Pretty low key but that's the way I like things.
We had Abby a little birthday party a couple of weeks ago to celebrate her 5th birthday. We had our good friend Emily at Confectionista's Kitchen make the dog friendly cake and it was a hit.
I have some pictures somewhere so I'll try to post those up.
I don't really like making resolutions for the new years but I do have a few goals I would like to meet this year. One of them would be to get back on the FPU bandwagon and see a real difference in 6 months. I also want to pick up more crafty/kitchen related hobbies. I've recently become a Pinterest fan and have started a collection of ideas.
Happy New Year! Here's to making 2013 the best one yet.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
May 2012
Hi Ya'll!
Well, here we are in May and I think spring completely forgot to stop by. It's been in the 80's but, I'm not complaining. I'll take hot weather over cold any day.
We are still in Loudon and have a contract on a house down the road from work and about 15 minutes from his mom. We are still working out the details of an inspection so we are hoping we have some good news tomorrow. Keeping our fingers crossed!
Did I mention that we are godparents? Our best friends had a sweet baby boy in January and asked us to be his godparents which I am so excited! We have already told them that we will be the "hippy" side of the family in his life and have plans to buy him his lifetime fishing license. Yep, you heard right.
My niece recently got our license and *getting choked up* is driving. She bought her first car and I have said more prayers this week than I have in a long time! She getting ready to wrap up her junior year and is taking classes at Pellissippi and working at Food City. She's staying super busy but I'm glad she is getting to experience a lot of opportunities.
So on another note I think I'm this close (imagine me holding my fingers close) to closing probate on my dad. Yes, almost 3 years in the making. I wrote out the last attorney bills last week so I'm just waiting to get the final word from my attorney.
I have recently become obsessed with the Long Island Medium. While I'm not into fortune tellers or anything like that I think she has an extraordinary gift. Let me know your thoughts on what she does. People might think I've gone off the deep end.. that's ok..
Here's to a great summer!
Well, here we are in May and I think spring completely forgot to stop by. It's been in the 80's but, I'm not complaining. I'll take hot weather over cold any day.
We are still in Loudon and have a contract on a house down the road from work and about 15 minutes from his mom. We are still working out the details of an inspection so we are hoping we have some good news tomorrow. Keeping our fingers crossed!
Did I mention that we are godparents? Our best friends had a sweet baby boy in January and asked us to be his godparents which I am so excited! We have already told them that we will be the "hippy" side of the family in his life and have plans to buy him his lifetime fishing license. Yep, you heard right.
My niece recently got our license and *getting choked up* is driving. She bought her first car and I have said more prayers this week than I have in a long time! She getting ready to wrap up her junior year and is taking classes at Pellissippi and working at Food City. She's staying super busy but I'm glad she is getting to experience a lot of opportunities.
So on another note I think I'm this close (imagine me holding my fingers close) to closing probate on my dad. Yes, almost 3 years in the making. I wrote out the last attorney bills last week so I'm just waiting to get the final word from my attorney.
I have recently become obsessed with the Long Island Medium. While I'm not into fortune tellers or anything like that I think she has an extraordinary gift. Let me know your thoughts on what she does. People might think I've gone off the deep end.. that's ok..
Here's to a great summer!
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