Weekend, etc.

The cute Stewart family @ Northpark Mall

We had a fun weekend! Eliza, Byron, and their little girl Avery came for a visit. Byron and Phil played a little golf and Eliza and I checked out the new mall in Cedar Hill. Unfortunately, most of the stores aren't open yet. Eliza and I also got to experience the joy of seeing a 4 foot snake draped across the front entrance. The boys were golfing so I had to ask my neighbor Javier to come over and kill it. I don't think it was a poisonous snake. I didn't get a positive identification, though, because after Javier cut its head off with a shovel, he tossed it down the sewer!! Ewwwwww.

Anyway, we were sad to see the Stewarts leave... hopefully we can make a trip up to Michigan sometime this year! (Preferably in the summer so we can get a little relief from the Texas heat.)

Today was a momentous day for me! I submitted my application for CPA certification. Exam? Check. Ethics course? Check. Notarized oath? Check. Work experience form? Check. Check? Check. Whooo hoo... I'm almost a CPA!

Sweet relief!

I am finished, yes, finally FINISHED with CPA examinations.

Introducing our new niece

Congratulations to my sister and her husband!! They have adopted a 3-month old daughter named Chloe. Here's a sweet picture of Austin and his new little sister.

I'm 79% dixie!

Though born in Illinois, I was raised in Tennessee and then, as they say, got to Texas as fast as I could! So I consider the other 21% of my score to be my parents' fault (Mom especially says stuff like "melk" for that white stuff you drink).

Click here for your own quiz.

my first mavs game!!

I am at my first mavs game! As you can tell I am not so into the game itself but the atmosphere is sure fun! Here's the pic from phil's iphone....

Thanks to my firm for a "suite" time! :)

Baby Steps

We have started a Total Money Makeover with Dave Ramsey and we're already so excited about finally having a real plan for our finances. We have been reading our book every night and planning our budget. (Yes, in almost 5 years of marriage, we have never had a budget.) I highly encourage anyone reading this to check out what Dave has to say. Our outlook on money, wealth, debt, and self-control is forever changed! And we're still on baby step #1!

"A budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went." - John Maxwell

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time" - Zig Ziglar

Dave is our new hero!

Am I a freak?

There is a Starbucks in my office tower and every now and then I like to get a chai in the morning. Usually I get it iced, except in the winter (which is, like, 2 months a year). My major pet peeve about getting the hot drink is that they give it to me like this:

Maybe I'm a little obsessive but I cannot allow myself to even take a sip until the cup, lid, and sleeve are perfectly aligned, like this. Shouldn't they train the baristas on this?!?!