"B"

Last week while my mom and I were on vacation my brother's two dogs got out of his yard and went on an adventure. Daisy, the younger of the two, returned without her older counterpart Brittany. We feared the worst as Brittany is known to attack anything that crosses her path (she has had more than one run in with a porcupine and snakes and well a chicken)! We feared she may have met her match. However, two days (Wednesday) after Daisy returned there was hope as one of my brother's friends saw a picture of B on Facebook with a posting from a girl who had found her.

The rejoicing didn't last long. When the girl was contacted, she said the dog had been claimed the day prior (Tuesday). The girl said a man  had called her from a blocked number, said he lived in Youngwood, and that the dog was his. He made arrangements to meet her at her work that day and he came and took Brittany. The girl knew very little about him, other than he drove a green car, said he lived in Youngwood, PA, and was probably in his mid thirties. He called the dog 'April'. The girl did say that B growled at him and did NOT want to go with him. Proof that dogs really can sense awful human beings when they encounter them! Poor B.

We have been told two theories. One she was taken and used to train pit bulls for dog fighting, in which case I hope that the dog they are training one day turns on the vicious excuse for human beings training them and they get everything they have coming to them. The second is people are snatching dogs and waiting for reward money to be offered and then collecting the money. Either theory is sick and twisted and the person responsible deserves every bit of bad unfortunate luck that is thrown their way.

Regardless of what happened to B, I just hope she did not have to suffer, and I can only hope she first turned on the poor excuse of a man that stole her from my brother and my four year old niece, because frankly, explaining to a four year old that her dog 'ran away' and you don't think shes coming back isn't easy. Especially when *Sparkles* my niece dreams B came back out of the woods every night and she gives her dog treats and puts her back in her pen, but B always escapes by morning and Sparkles gets sad all over again.

Beach Therapy

My mom and I are heading to Rehoboth Beach Delaware on June 16 for 4 days!! I can't wait!! I'm long overdue for some beach therapy!! 

Although I had some amazing vacations and experiences last year throughout Europe, none of them involved me laying on a beach soaking up harmful sun rays!! 

Progress......

I'm working on my 30x30 goals. So far I haven't made that much progress.... But I did make some (along with some modifications also!!)

2. I put my last check directly into savings!! My goal for one check a month!

3. I've read 1.5 books. Although it wasn't a paperback book that I finished, I did read a book I had waiting on my Kindle. Only 13.5 more books to go!!! I promise, the next 13 will be actual print books, not the electronic kindle books!

7. I decided to sign up with Tupperware for now! My sister in law Liz wanted to do it so we signed up together. It was a win, win situation for us! It only cost $30 to sign up and as long as we have $900 in sales by July 15, we owe nothing else! I already have 2 parties booked from my friends and Liz has been collecting orders from the hospital! Although I really like jewelry, I will probably stick to Tupperware for now, and maybe add jewelery in the future!

9. This will be my 3rd blog post since my goals were laid out! Only 27 more to go!!

12. I started to get a list together of people to invite to Matt's graduation party. I'm trying to talk my mother into hosting at her house, but she doesn't seem to be biting the bait!

13. I started to build a rock wall, to do something with all the rocks, but so far that is the extent of where we have made it.

17. I still didn't get myself a Jersey, but I did get a James Neal shirt since they made it to the second round of the playoffs (and now the third!!! 4 more wins to the cup finals!!) Its a black and gold Eastern Conference Finals! Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins. GOOOO PENS!

26. This is huge!! I FINALLY won and EBAY auction for a BRAND NEW VERA BRADLEY PINK ELEPHANTS PURSE!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I'm so excited!!!

28. The garden is planted and starting to grow. Here's hoping it continues!!


Matt found out I made a 30X30 list and he now wants to make one. HA! He doesn't even have time to go to dinner, let alone make a goal list and complete it! I can't wait until August when he is done with school! Maybe we can actually spend some time together and have a life again!

Until Next time~
Amanda

One Stepping Stone at a time...

$66.30... That's what I need to earn by May 31 to put myself on target with my 2013 goals of earning an additional $50/month for the first 6 months of the year, and then upping it to $75/month the last 6. I had a great week last week on eBay, almost everything sold. Now I just need to get some more auctions started.

I must disclose also that if I hadn't bought as much as I have this year off of eBay I wouldn't be so short of my goal. Oh well, you learn and keep going forward!

This year is all about goals for me. I have set goal after goal after goal for myself to accomplish. Here's to hoping I make it through some of them sooner rather than later!

Let the playoffs begin.....

LETS GO PENS!!!

Adoption

Many people don't Know that I'm *mildly* obsessed with the idea of adoption. Matt and I want a family. No if, ands, or buts about it, we want a family. However, the 'traditional' methods of starting a family are not working out for us. To put it bluntly, We had not been preventing pregnancy for OVER five years. (And if you do the math, yes, that is longer than we have been married!) While its not something either of us like to talk about, its become such a part of our lives and we have been dealing with for many years. I've always thought Adoption would be in my future, however, I never thought it would be our first step.

I've come to realize there are a lot of people out there that do not support adoption. I'm not sure why, but at the same time I'm sure they don't understand why I DO support adoption. 

A vast majority of people have never dealt with infertility and they don't realize what it's like. There is a HUGE difference between choosing not to have children and not being able to. 

I've had so many people recently try to talk me into fertility treatments, but I must say- for me that's not the route I want to take. I don't believe taking a pill will 'fix' our problem when the do toes can't tell is what our problem is to begin with. 

I want nothing more than to be able to conceive a child , carry the child, and five birth, however, it doesn't seem like this will be in the cards for me. Trust me when I say this has tested my faith. I don't claim to be a devout follower but I believe in God and all he stands for, however, my trust in him has been questioned. I often wonder if because I doubted him while he tested us if that's why we can't conceive or if in the end we can't conceive because we are to open out hearts and home to others. 

If I ever figure it out, I will be sure to pass it on! But for now, I save to cover the high cost of adoption, and pray for a miracle in between. 

Every Penny counts, and I save them all!! 

Until Next Time--

Amanda 

30X30

I turned 29 on April 11 and I've been having some issues with it...... I can't believe THIRTY is right around the corner!!! Oh My Goodness! To me that is crazy! So, I've decided to create myself a 30X30 list..... please help me hold myself accountable....

1.   Install Trim in house.
2.   Build up XXXXX into Savings (Sorry I'm not going THAT into depth!)
3.   Read AT LEAST 15 books before I turn 30! ( I only have about 100 sitting around un-read)
4.   Sign up for Pittsburgh Penguins Season Tickets Waiting List
5.   De-Clutter Home
6.   Earning $100/month on Ebay *Net Profit*
7.   Start selling Jewelry, and host at leaset 2 parties a month. All funds go to pay principal on car.
8.   Start selling Crafts. Start a facebook page to sell them.
9.   Have at least 30 more blog posts before April 11, 2014
10. Go to Ohio Amish County Wineries.
11. Visit Niagria Falls.
12. Throw Matt a massive Graduation Party-He should graduate in August 2013!!
13. Landscape around the house.
14. Start a 'House Addition Fund'.
15. Host a Craft Day/Pinterest Party.
16. Get at least 5 people to attend my Pinterest Party.
17. Get a Penguins Jersey.
18. Have a MASSIVE Yard Sale. (Make at least $200)
19. Get at least 200 Followers on Pinterest (Currently at 167)
20. Get at least one other follower on my blog, come on, someone follow me?!?!? Please?!?!?!?
21. Make Sangria. Candy- can I have your recipe??
22. Finish some Unfinished Crochet Projects.
23. Finish the Shadow Boxes for my Great-Grandmother.
24. Decorate Outside for Christmas. I mean I have to do it one year, right?!?
25. Host a Christmas Party! December 21- Mark your calenders!
26. Get a Vera Bradly Pink Elephants Purse.
27. Say Goodbye to 15 pounds I'm not attached to!
28. Fresh Veggies from my garden (co-op Garden at Mom's House)
29. Start an Adoption Fund.
30. Have FUN!!!

The above is my quirky take on how I want the next 11.5 months to go....... lets see how it plays out!

~Amanda