Term Life Vs. Traditional Insurance

I have been pondering this for a long time. I am still not sure that I fully understand the differences between Term Life insurance and Traditional Life Insurance. Well, not necessarily the differences, but the benefits of one over the other. I guess what it will come down to, in the long run, is price, more or less. Does anyone know the best site for term life insurance quotes and traditional life insurance quotes? Hopefully, getting a quote will help me better understand the differences and benefits to each.

My Brother-In-Law found a job!

It's been a rough time for them, but luckily my brother-in-law has found a job. It's a ways away, up in Vernal, but it's money coming in to support his wife and three kids still living at home. Why is this a big deal for me, you might ask? Well, that would be because I currently have his motorhome sitting in my driveway, awaiting repair. So I guess this means that we had better get our tushies in gear and get some motorhome repairs done asap, because I believe he will be needing something to live in until he gets a little bit more settled down up there. Although, I can not even imagine having two little children (especially these particular children, Eli is just a sweet little bundle of energy) and a teenager all crammed into this motor home. Wow! I hope he gets himself settled down quickly!

But I love Vernal. It's where we took our very first "real" family vacation and it's where I went through the temple for the very first time. It holds a special place in my heart. I am very excited for my sister and brother in law and for the adventure this new job brings for them.

Legoland: Family Fun

On our vacation, we included Legoland as one of our stops. There were many reasons for this, the first being that my two boys had never, ever been there! My Lego freak boys, had never set foot inside Legoland. The second, they just revealed their Star Wars miniature land. You guessed it! My Lego Freak/Star Wars Junkie boys were in heaven! I am not exaggerating when I say that between the two of them, they took over 1000 pictures!

Then, on top of the pre-made Lego kingdoms, they found rides too. We rode a spinning, twirling ride, made completely out of Legos. And then there was the workshops. We found an area dedicated to making and racing Lego cars. This was the Lego version of a Pinewood Derby, complete with slick surface raceways, release gates and lights. The boys each built a car or two and raced them against other kids there. Now if you think it was like pulling teeth to get them to leave, your wrong. It was much, much more difficult! They really had a good time and I had a ball watching them.

Guns & Stuff

I am not much of a Gun Person, but my husband is really, really interested in getting a 9mm, for self protection. I would rather something that we could hunt with, as in times of trouble, that will put food on the table and deter possible dangers. However, he feels that a 9mm is the best option to start with. I am still on the fence.

But, I am playing the good wife and getting dragged along to gun stores to look at Glocks, Rugers, Colts and Smithfields, blackhawk holsters, hard-sided plastic cases and gun safes. I have test fired a 9mm Taurus, Glock and Ruger and found that I HATE shooting 9mm's. I just don't get the satisfaction out of shooting them that I do from shooting a 22. The 9mm's kick harder and for some reason, the brass likes to come right back at me.

So far, we have only purchased a nice gun safe, which is now installed in our basement. I am liking that it locks and keeps the kids out and I now have Mom's guns locked safely up inside of it. But as of yet, he has not settled on a hand gun. He still wants to test fire the Smithfield, I think. But before long, you can probably bet, that I will be the proud new owner of a gun that I hate. LOL

I just might be getting old?!?

Ok, really, I'm not that old. Early thirties, but I look in the mirror and I see the fine lines appearing, starting right around my eyes, and I don't like it one bit! So shortly after I begin seeing these small signs that I am getting older, I get a text message. It reads something like this...

Hi, My name is Kendal. I am a friend of Angie's and she gave me your name. I am a Mary Kay consultant and I am trying to earn my directorship. I am trying to do one hundred facials in 30 days and I am about 20 faces short so I am resorting to contacting complete strangers. Would you be willing to help me out?

I think, humm..... Mary Kay? The last thing I need is overpriced make-up. I seldom wear makeup as it is. But wait! Don't they have some of the best wrinkle creams? So I agree to a facial. But I took my 11 year old daughter along for moral support! (Am I the worst mother ever, or what?!?)

It's a Saturday afternoon and my little girl and I set out to get ourselves a facial! We show up to this really cute gals house and get started. It involved all your regular objectives... cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize. It was great for little Ladybug. She learned alot about taking care of her complexion. Then came a surprise. Mary Kay calls it Satin Lips, I call it oddly wonderful! It's exfoliation for your lips followed by a luxurious lip balm. My lips were all sorts of tingly afterwards. Ladybug didn't know what to think.

Then we started with the makeup. Kendal sorts through her sample size makeup and hands Ladybug and I each a set. I start with a mineral foundation, followed by a creme eyeshadow, lip liner and gloss and finish it off with a bronzer. Needless to say, I LOVED IT! It was exactly the look I have been looking for. Ladybug was a little more hit and miss. I loved the clear gloss lipgloss and light pink lip liner, but the mascara was too much for her.

I walked out of that house with a new friend, a lighter wallet and lots of new product to play with. I have since called her back and placed 2 more orders (this was a month ago!) and Ladybug is doing a great job of taking care of her skin everyday. Over all, I'm glad that those little lines showed up and made me try something new.

I went to the gym!

As sad as it is, that really is an amazing thing. While I struggle to keep weight on I am not exempt from getting flabby and lazy and way, way out of shape. I have always been pretty active and with 5 kids I stay pretty busy. I have never really had a need for a gym membership. But then my doctor diagnosed me with a chronic illness and that all changed. First, I knew why I felt crappy all the time but second, I was "allowed" to feel crappy, I had a reason.... and so I did. I felt yucky every day. I would sleep in late, go to bed early and sit on the couch all day.

It finally culminated one day when I could not get out of bed at all. It was after noon, my preschooler was hungry and had been entertaining herself all morning and I was still in bed. My whole body ached, I was tired and I just could not bring myself to get out of bed. Finally, those teary little blue eyes, peering over the edge of my bed were enough to motivate me. I rolled myself out of bed and on to the floor and I laid there until I was so cold that I had to go get in the shower to get warm. That was the day I decided "enough was enough". I was not going to let this control me!

The problem was, I had lived with it for so many years that I didn't know how to change it. I had been through 3 jobs in the interim, all of which were desk jobs. Long gone were the days of trying to keep up with the guys and hauling large boxes and hitches around. My job now consisted of getting to work and sitting in a chair for 6+ hours per day, snacking on whatever treats I had in my desk (and believe me! I had plenty!). I am still very thin, almost sickly looking most of the time, but the muscle I did have has long since turned to fat and that "baby muffin top" that I acquired after numerous rounds of childbirth, had just not gone away.

I have since changed my thinking. I will not let my illness control me. I get up every morning and I go to work and now I am getting myself to the gym. I am by no means ready to win any sport trophies or anything, but I am taking back my life, taking back my body! So today, for the second time this month, I went to the gym!