Count Your Many Blessings...

...Name them one by one: Stephen, Rachel, Jake, Hannah, Chip, Simon, Lauren, and Calvin Hixon. You are my blessings.

After reading my post yesterday, the entire Hixon family came over last night for Family Home Evening. After a lesson from my roommate, they swept our porch and driveway, and then Stephen proceeded to teach his boys how to fix brakes. They took my car away, and a couple of hours later, I got my car back with new brakes. And the car was sparkling clean as well - they washed it! Couldn't tell ya the last time my car got a shower. Heaven.

This act of service kept me up all night long. I am very humbled and grateful for people like the Hixons who see a need and act upon it. I am very weepy today (service + no sleep + painful dentist appointment makes Tara an emotional girl) and am still marveling at last night's events.

To the Hixon family, THANK YOU. I don't deserve your generosity but am so grateful for what you did for me. I love you guys!

Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

I went to the dentist last week.

Sigh.

I now have $2,500 worth of dental work I need to get done in order for my teeth to not fall out. Starting tomorrow. Urg...

Luckily they have a 12-month 0% financing program, so I will be able to pay this off in 12 months, but it's going to take away from my debt snowball and as a result that will take that much longer to pay it off. Joy and rapture.

And now my brakes on my car are making awful noises.

I'd be sobbing like a baby if I wasn't laughing manically!

Let's hope Tara doesn't go completely bye bye...

Happy Administrative Professionals Day

It used to be called Secretaries Day, but apparently that term went out of style several years ago and the PC term is now Administrative Assistant.

I am one of these. Actually I'm an Executive Assistant, but it's close to the same thing.

I always thought this was a day that was made up by the card and floral companies. I still personally don't find it necessary, most especially because I work at a place that constantly praises and recognizes everyone on a regular basis, not just because the hallmark companies out there say to. But it was awfully nice to come in and have a bouquet of flowers not only from my boss (daisies - amazing colored ones) but also from a fellow assistant (yellow tulips - wunnerful!). We've been getting high fives and well dones all day long from random people. Kinda makes me blush.

A great history of why this day exists is mentioned HERE. You may or may not be interested in it, but apparently the card companies did NOT create this day, though I find it hilarious to see the floral links at the bottom of the aforementioned article. They gotta get their digs in there somewhere.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying to all of you wonderful Administrative/Executive Assistants out there, HAPPY DAY TO YOU! And to all of you wonderful bosses out there, thanks for making this day/week special!

How do you like my background?

Does it hurt your eyes yet?

My darling niece is rather brilliant at creating these blog backgrounds. I love to change things up a bit every once in a while, and she has a blast doing them. Not to mention she does a dang good job at them.

I've put a link to her background-making blog to the right (you too can get fun backgrounds from her), but you can also check it out HERE.

This particular background probably won't last long 'cause I don't want to hurt people's eyes too much. But I sure like looking at it...

It's been a heck of a couple of weeks!

Sorry I've been AWOL for a while. It's been a crazy couple of weeks and I'm only now starting to feel like my life is getting semi-back to normal.

On the same day that my grandmother passed away (March 19), my oldest nephew married the love of his life:



(James and Tabitha Julian)

Tabitha had a daughter from a previous marriage, so I became an instant great-aunt, my sister became a grandmother, and my parents are great-grandparents. So cool. Anyway, how adorable is she?

(James and Olivia)

My grandmother's funeral was last week. It was lovely. All of my sisters attended:

Left to Right: Cassie [youngest], Stacey [next to oldest], Tara (me) [middle child - explains a lot, huh?], Andrea [next to youngest], and Leslie [oldest]

This was probably one of the best days I've had in a really long time. I am happiest when I am around my family, and to have my parents and all of my sisters close by was just simply wonderful.

Two days later, I flew to Colorado to attend the temple with my nephew who was receiving his own endowments in preparation for his mission (he's going to Trinidad Tobago West Indies French speaking) and to hear him give his farewell talk. Another weekend full of family and friends and it was lovely.

Left to right: Me, Jake the missionary, and Cassie in front of the Denver, CO temple.

When I flew home on Sunday night, my mom came with me to stay with Andrea's kids while Andi goes through some surgery. So my mom is around and has decided there is a reason why women are mothers in their early years. Here's why:

This is a picture of my 2-year old niece's leg and foot after she found a container of red nail polish this weekend. When my mom saw this picture, right before she was to get on the airplane to watch these kids, she got a little nervous to watch this particular 2-year old, a 2-year old that is REALLY good at being 2.

I can report that so far, Grandma and kids are alive and well and are enjoying each other immensely. Mom told me last night that if I was able to stop by each night this week, she wouldn't be unhappy about it. That's nothing but a treat for me.

Anyway, life is crazy and good and busy and all that good stuff.

The debt is still there. It's ALWAYS still there. But it's not being ignored. Sometimes I would really like to pretend it went away and use that money for fun things, but I quickly realize if I were to do that, it would take that much longer to get out of debt, and that much longer to NOT get a house that my family can come and stay in when they're in town.

Sure wish I had that house last week.

Someday...