Busy, Busy Again

So you are probably wondering where I have been lately. I've been doing the impossible! I was tasked at work with a very hard assignment in an impossible time frame, but I took my time management skills I had during college out of storage, dusted them off, and organized my and my team's time and accomplished what other people thought we could not do. We had to write a troubleshooting guide for the Army and submit a polished draft one week after we were tasked. We had no idea what we were doing, but we hit the road running...researching, talking to people who did know, having impromptu training sessions with experts, etc...to be able to learn what we had to know to write this document. My team submitted their parts to me and I compiled them together to make it sound like one person wrote the document. I submitted the polished draft to the director who tasked us, and he seemed very pleased with our efforts. He gave us some more ideas of what to flesh out, and he gave me to that Friday to turn in the final copy. I was able to add the details and turn it in on time. Today I was told to send it to off to Army officials making the decisions. Wow! That was a little scary when I pressed SEND on the email message. But it's out there and will probably become an official Army document in the next two weeks. I was told by my government team lead that our boss was in a meeting with other management folks, and held up my document and said it was the best first draft ever submitted for our organization. Double WOW!! That is such a compliment! That made my day today...actually, it made all our work, stress, and lack of sleep worth it! Yay!

While we were working on that document, we had another huge project that was due the same time. And some how we were able to get that finished also. Also, I was able to update two more documents I've been struggling with for two months.

On the home front, I was put in charge of decorating the tables for the Young Womanhood Recognition dinner on Saturday. I decided I wanted to make table runners for 12 tables as part of the decorations. For someone who has hardly sewed in her life, that might have been a little ambitious, but I thought the table runners could be used more than once, so I wanted to make them nice...and double sided. I only used one side for the tables on Saturday, and the other side can be used at a future event. I was a sewing factory for two weeks!! Every waking moment at home was sewing, sewing, sewing! I finished the last four table runners Saturday morning mere hours before the event. :o) But dummy me! I forgot a camera to capture the table decorations for all to see. Oh well.

I really don't know I got so much accomplished during the last two weeks, but I've learned if you put your mind to it...you can accomplish anything! Even the impossible.

Cause for Celebration!

I've been bad...but I am trying to repent. During all the stressful, surreal, and crazy things that happened last year, I racked up fairly high balances on my two credit cards. I NEVER do that. This is the first time in my ENTIRE life that I have had to pay interest to a credit card. Before this, I ALWAYS paid the balance of the credit cards each month. But I guess I needed some retail therapy after my dad died and I bought too much and couldn't pay the balances. My two credit cards were roughly the same balance, and in January I noticed one card I was paying about $7 in interest, where on the other card I was paying about $35. I couldn't figure that out, so I went searching. After going clicking through several pages online, I found that on my Mastercard I was paying 4% interest, but on my Discover card I was paying 26%! WHAT?!? How can they do that! And to hide the APR from me was just underhanded and sneaky. I set a goal to pay that card off as soon as possible. I didn't want to keep paying them so much money.

I am happy to report....I just made the final payment so now I have a zero balance again. Hip! Hip! Hurray!

Now I need to focus on paying off my other credit card. My side business is starting to pick up again, so I have another small income coming in. I will use that to pay off my Mastercard, then focus on paying off my car. Yikes! I hate, loath, and abominate debt. So now I am doing something about it:

My sister, mom, and I just signed up for a class by Dave Ramsey on how to obtain financial peace. I am really excited about this class. I usually am very frugal and careful with my money, but he should teach me how to save better and invest in my future. Here are the class titles:

- Super Saving
- Relating With Money
- Cash Flow Planning
- Dumping Debt
- Credit Sharks in Suits
- Buyer Beware
- Clause and Effect
- That's Not Good Enough
- Of Mice and Mutual Funds
- From Fruition to Tuition
- Working In Your Strengths
- Real Estate and Mortgages
- The Great Misunderstanding

The classes start this week and last until mid-July (they are not every week). I hope to learn a lot from them. Once I get knowledgable, I'll post some financial tidbits for you to use as well.

Blonde Moment

Yesterday morning, I had an interesting, but confusing experience:

I was running late to work but I wasn't that worried...I could make up the time. My music was a little louder than normal in the car, but it was a good song so it was all cool. I had to drive around the parking lots a few times until I could find a space...I had to park about 1/2 mile away from my building because the parking lots were mostly full by the time I got there and the only available spaces were in the outer reaches. I got out of the car, swung my bag over my shoulder, and started walking to the building. I took about two steps when I heard...

Hello?

Hello?

I thought...where is that coming from? It sounds like my friend Danny's voice on speaker phone. Hmmm... I'm so confused!

Then I realized, it's coming from my bag! I pulled out my phone.

Me: "Did I call you?"
Danny (laughing): "Yes, you called me!"
Me (totally confused): "How? I just got out of my car and my phone was in my purse."
Danny (still laughing): "I called you a minute ago and then you called me back."
Me (still totally confused): "That's weird. I didn't hear the phone ringing. And it's been in my purse! I haven't touched my phone!"
Danny: (laughing hard)
Me: "I must have hit some buttons when I swung my bag on my shoulder. That's so crazy. It was the right combination to call you AND put you on speaker phone!" (laughing hard as well)

I was having this conversation through the parking lot still on speaker phone. The other people walking into the building kept looking at me. I just got a new cell phone, and I still don't know all the ins and outs of it. I didn't even know how to turn off the speaker phone. I know now. :o)

We got a good laugh about that one. I'm glad I bag-called Danny and not someone I don't know very well. :o)

Random Confession

I have something to confess...

I had a little extra money so I decided to buy an iPod Touch at Costco. I've had a lot of fun with this iPod...not only with the music, but also with the apps available. I downloaded an app that is just PERFECT for me! It's called the iHandy Level. Yep! It's a level that I can take with me anywhere. I've already gone around my house to make sure all my pictures are level. I know...this plays into my obsessive compulsive disorder, but this app really makes me happy! :o)

iHandy Level -- iPod Touch app

Young Women / Young Men Winter Ball

This year, the Stake Young Women Presidency hosted the Winter Ball for the youth in our stake (ages 14 through 18). It was held Saturday, February 14. This dance is the only formal church dance of the year...our version of Prom. Because of this, we were instructed to make this the most special dance of the year. Okay...we are women...we can go above and beyond very easily. Here is how we complied to our instructions:

THEME: Dancing with the Stars...Starring You!

DECORATIONS: We went all out...we decorated the cultural hall like a wedding reception, complete with Christmas trees with white lights set up in many different locations around the room, white icicle lights down the walls and across the stage, silver and gold stars on the tables and around the walls, several hundred yards of tulle, mini decorated Christmas trees for table centerpieces, fifteen long tables with enough chairs set up for 132 people (and each chair had a pretty white chair back), more white lights down the middle of those tables, tons of glitter, and of course the disco ball to throw "stars" around the room during the dance.

DINNER: Roast beef, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, salad, steamed vegetables, Costco rolls, and for dessert Costco Cake (I LOVE COSTCO!!! They have the BEST cakes and rolls...and they are really inexpensive!!)

SNACKS DURING DANCE: Lemonade, cookies, pretzels, and left over Costco Cake.

On Friday before the dance, we began decorating the cultural hall. We continued through Saturday morning and afternoon. We were all a little nervous about how many people would show up, because it was Valentine's day and people may have different plans. But on Friday when we were setting up, a young man came to the church building all decked out in formal wear...he got the days wrong and came a day early. It was neat to see the excitement in his eyes, but the disappointment the dance was not that day.

We worked long and hard cooking and decorating, but all the work paid off when nearly 100 youth arrived and about 30 leaders with their spouses showed up as well. This was one of the largest turnouts in years. Everyone was dressed to the T's. Some young men even wore tuxedos. It was really neat to see mostly all the girls in modest dresses...and some were ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! I wish I had the body to fit in some of those big skirts and fitted tops. :o)

The dinner was a huge success too. They came expecting spaghetti, but got roast beef and potatoes. Usually, we have the high council, bishopric members, and stake presidency members serve the food to the youth, but this year we wanted them to have a nice Valentines dinner with their spouses, so we invited some of the Beehives (girls ages 12 and 13) from around the stake to be the servers. Those girls were really good and efficient, and they were able to see a little of the dance and (of course) the dinner so they could get excited for when they turn 14 and can go to one themselves.

I wish I would have thought to take pictures of the event...but I was working so hard in the kitchen and helping supervise the Beehives that I didn't even think about pictures until everything was over and we were taking down the decorations. Oh well. Next time I'll be more on top of that!

But I was really pleased at how everything turned out. It was a successful evening for the youth and the leaders.

Yellow Cake Recipe

Here is an awesome yellow cake recipe. It is so moist and delicious. I really didn't like yellow cake until I tried this recipe. And it is so easy to play with, like put some cocoa in 1/3 of the batter to swirl in the other 2/3 yellow cake batter to make a marble cake, or put chocolate chips in the mix, or add cocoa to the whole thing to make a moist chocolate cake. It is a fun cake recipe to have. So, without further ado...Enjoy!

---

Moist Yellow Cake

1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x13 inch pans (or one 11x15 inch pan). Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternatively with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Isn't it the rule to give handouts after Young Women lessons?

I wanted to show you the bookmark I created for a handout. We are giving one to all the Young Women of the stake when we visit them during Ward Conferences. On one side is this year's Mutual Theme:

"Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

And the other side is part of a talk given by President Thomas S. Monson in 2005 called "Be Thou an Example". Our Stake Young Women President wanted to stress this code of conduct to the girls so our lesson is based on these four parts:

- You have a heritage; honor it.
- You will meet temptation; withstand it.
- You know the truth; live it.
- You have a testimony; share it.

So there you have it. They were a lot of work...took me several hours from start to finish...but I think they turned out pretty well. What do you think?