As luck would have it we found our new place 5 days before we needed to move out. It's a 2 bedroom condo in Aix La Chappele complex. It's sunny, bright and has TONS of closets. Last night Ty and I moved as much as we could. He headed to appointments around 8 and Marie came to my rescue. We moved for 4 hours straight. PJ and Dave from our ward came to our rescue on the big stuff. Finally at 11:30, with our apartment half empty, no food and utilities shut off, we surveyed the damage.
To be honest, it was almost bittersweet. This apartment was our first starting ground as husband and wife. Ty and I had so many first in this place. We have really learned to rely on each other and hold on tighter when things get tough. I'm excited for the new place and to actually have an office for Ty. I really believe things are heading toward greatness.
Another good news is that we got both cars back. After a week in the shop, we got Tyson's car to have cold AC. Yeah! This weekend we are finishing moving, I get to organize my new place and we will keep building a dynasty.
Thanks to all of you (Heather Cochrane) that were so sweet and helped me look for apartments and to the people that helped us move. You guys rock!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Apartment Shopping
This last week has been a roller coaster. The search for apartment is so depressing. I am realizing just how lucky we were to live in this area and to be in our apartment complex. We have been blessed our first year. I do recognize that this move is stretching us and will lead us to bigger and better things.
Some fun experiences include:
1. Apartment with the lesbian neighbors.
2. Apartment with the kitchen the size of a bathroom and NASTY floors.
3. Apartment that screams "break into me".
4. Apartment with no windows to let the dryer fumes escape.
5. Apartment with the "crazy landlord" that is "professional" Monday - Thursday but liberal during the weekend ... aka CRAZY PARTIES!
The other thing that really bothers me is how high the prices are.I mean, you are paying in rent as much as you pay in a mortgage payment?!! It reminds me how hard it is for families to have a decent life. The search continues. I have faith that that the Lord will lead us to where we need to be. I was talking to Tyson last night and just thought how lucky I was to have someone that will fight with me. I'm grateful we run to each other when life gets challenging.
On a nicer side, my sweet primary girls threw me a surprise leaving party on Sunday - complete with streamers and fruit. They were so sweet. I was very lucky to teach my girls and I know they will do great things in life.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Funny Things in Life
Does life ever feel like it's spinning out of control? This last week feel that way. Don't get me wrong, I fully realize that I pretty much have been on vacation the first two weeks in August, but talk about a jump back into reality. I write this, not to whine, its not productive, but because I plan on printing out my blog into a book with Blur and I want to remember the tough times too, not just the seemenly perfect life.
Tyson and I found out we had to move out of current apartment 30 days ago and quickly started our search. About a week later Melynda told me of this great deal to rent out a house and it seemed perfect. We saw the house and loved it; sadly this last week we went to draft the final contract and found out lots of extra expenses that would put us over our budget. We backed out. Now the problem is that we have 10 days - yes 10 days - to find a new place to live.
I was driving Tyson's car yesterday and ran over something sharp. New tires needed. We also took Tyson's car to the shop to see why his AC was not working. The electrical system is down and needs to be fixed. So we were juggling my car and the car my mom lets me borrow while she is in Nicaragua. So today Tyson calls me; my car broke down and needs a new fuel pump. So now we don't have place to live, both cars in the shop and the only thing keeping us going is my mom's car. Lesson's learned: save, save, save, save some more. In the last week we have spent almost $3000 in unexpected things. I can't tell you how grateful I am for our business at this point.
So Martha and Tyson, when things go back to being smooth and peachy, take the time to pray and say thank you for all the blessings in our lives. We are surrounded by leaders who push us to be better. We live a great life and it's all due to our choices. I bet I will laugh about this and it's not like I'm down. I'm happy I see this situation for what it is - a single incident, or many incidents at once - and the fact is that moments like this defy our character and help us become better people. I love my husband. He is steady. He is brave. He is my rock.
So if any of you know of a good, cheap place to live ... send it my way.
Great Advice
Americans carry $2.56 trillion in consumer debt, up 22% since 2000 alone, according to the Federal Reserve Board. The average households credit card debt is $8,565, up almost 15% from 2000. The average US student emerges from college carrying $20,000 in educational debt. Household debt, including mortgages and credit cards, represents 19% of household assets, compared with 13% in 1980. Share of disposable income that consumers must set aside to service their debt has risen to 14.5% from 11% just 15 years ago. US savings rate, which exceeded 8% of disposable income in 1968, stood at 0.4% at the end of the first quarter of 2008, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.1
Over the past few years, millions of Americans have refinanced their mortgages, often repeatedly, to take advantage of falling interest rates and to lower their monthly mortgage payments. Yet at the same time, millions are still carrying credit card balances with annual percentage rates (APR) of 18% and higher.
When you don't pay off your credit card balances in full at the end of each month, you're robbing your ability to save and invest for your future. In a report on the credit card industry for PBS, Elizabeth Warren, the Leo Gotlieb Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, argued that credit card debt makes it difficult for anyone to build a solid financial foundation.
Warning Signs
There is a severe lack of understanding about debt and personal finances today, according to New York Law School Professor Karen Gross, founder and past president of the Coalition for Consumer Bankruptcy Debtor Education. "We have equal opportunity ignorance -- it cuts across all levels of society," she says.
For a quick assessment of your situation, ask yourself these questions:
Am I making only the minimum payments on my credit cards?
Do I live from paycheck to paycheck with no savings?
Do I sometimes skip payments on one credit card in order to pay off others?
Have I reached the credit limit on one or more credit cards?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need to take action to get back on track.
Stepping in the Right Direction
"It's essential to pause, take a deep breath, and look carefully at possible solutions," explains Gross. "The last thing you want to do is to try to relieve your financial headache with a solution that will be worse than the hangover itself." Like a New Year's diet resolution, quick fixes rarely work. What does work, according to Gross, is a simple four-step formula for financial H.E.L.P.:
Examine your situation. While your debt problems may be serious and appear urgent, first get an accurate sense of the extent of your problem. "Lots of organizations offer help, but don't take the first solution that comes along. Take time to assess, compare, and contrast multiple solutions," she says.
Pay at least the minimum amounts due on all of your credit cards. This last step is critical due to a new clause that has worked its way into the fine print of many credit card agreements. It's called the "universal default" clause and it permits a credit card company to raise your interest rate if you're late on another company's credit card or any other outstanding loan. Banks argue that it's logical to raise rates for a consumer who has shown evidence of becoming a higher risk.
Over the past few years, millions of Americans have refinanced their mortgages, often repeatedly, to take advantage of falling interest rates and to lower their monthly mortgage payments. Yet at the same time, millions are still carrying credit card balances with annual percentage rates (APR) of 18% and higher.
When you don't pay off your credit card balances in full at the end of each month, you're robbing your ability to save and invest for your future. In a report on the credit card industry for PBS, Elizabeth Warren, the Leo Gotlieb Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, argued that credit card debt makes it difficult for anyone to build a solid financial foundation.
Warning Signs
There is a severe lack of understanding about debt and personal finances today, according to New York Law School Professor Karen Gross, founder and past president of the Coalition for Consumer Bankruptcy Debtor Education. "We have equal opportunity ignorance -- it cuts across all levels of society," she says.
For a quick assessment of your situation, ask yourself these questions:
Am I making only the minimum payments on my credit cards?
Do I live from paycheck to paycheck with no savings?
Do I sometimes skip payments on one credit card in order to pay off others?
Have I reached the credit limit on one or more credit cards?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need to take action to get back on track.
Stepping in the Right Direction
"It's essential to pause, take a deep breath, and look carefully at possible solutions," explains Gross. "The last thing you want to do is to try to relieve your financial headache with a solution that will be worse than the hangover itself." Like a New Year's diet resolution, quick fixes rarely work. What does work, according to Gross, is a simple four-step formula for financial H.E.L.P.:
Examine your situation. While your debt problems may be serious and appear urgent, first get an accurate sense of the extent of your problem. "Lots of organizations offer help, but don't take the first solution that comes along. Take time to assess, compare, and contrast multiple solutions," she says.
Pay at least the minimum amounts due on all of your credit cards. This last step is critical due to a new clause that has worked its way into the fine print of many credit card agreements. It's called the "universal default" clause and it permits a credit card company to raise your interest rate if you're late on another company's credit card or any other outstanding loan. Banks argue that it's logical to raise rates for a consumer who has shown evidence of becoming a higher risk.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sixteen of our awesome team members and us spent the most incredible weekend at the Ritz Carlton in the Lake Las Vegas Resort. We arrived Friday to a formal gala completed with personal waiters, live entertainment, unbelievable speakers and the feeling of royalty. In the midst of all the glitz and glamor, I did have a very deep moment. My personal Waiter was this a darling Latin lady name Carla. She was so sweet, kind and humble. I looked at her and could not help but see my mom, who for years worked at hotels taking care of business owners and people with more money. I looked at her and realized that she was someones mom too. My mother worked hard for years for me .. to provide me with a better life and I had found it. Primerica has given me the life that my mother could only dream of. I told Tyson that night that when we go back to the Ritz in two years, I would personally take my mother, and this time, she would be the one served.
The entire weekend was unbelievable. What we do is unbelievable, but more importantly, the fact that we offer the same chance to everyone else is what makes this company amazing. I love this company and I am here forever. I have some fun photos to post, but I just had to write down my feelings on what I do. I've had friends question what I do and that it's one of those "funny business" but all of that juts comes from people who don't know Primerica. Anyone who has actually done Primerica, even if they weren't mentally tough enough to stick it out, will never talk bad about PFS. It's only the quitters that whine.
Tyson and I came home with a new mindset. Tyson gave our TV away. He gave his surround sound away ... anything that will distract him from building us a business of our own. He is my hero.
We were able to mingle with Ray Young ($1.5 million a year), Bill Whittle ($2.4 million a year), Chris Howard ($1.3 million a year), Brendan Murton ($1.3 million a year), Brandon Neil ($900k a year) and they were more than willing to help us. The fact that we can associate with these people on a consistent basis has raised my standard of life. I mean, when did it become normal for both parents to work and dad to have a third job? When did it become normal for parents to not help their kids pay for college? When did it become normal for people to find working into their 70's and 80's acceptable? I'll tell you when ... when jobs decided it was OK to not pay enough to their workers and to send business overseas for cheaper labor. The only way to improve yourself is to start your own business, even just part time. W2's are never going to get to retirement. It's a 1099 world (for those of you who don't know what that means, ask any business owner you know)
I have so many reasons to win; not just for my family, but for the millions of families I will touch because I won't quit when it gets hard. My drive to win is deeper than my insecurities and sarcastic comments from people more broke than me.
I love what I do. I'm so grateful for this company and for all the people who believe in me.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
San Francisco 5 & 6
We spent a large time at Fishermans Wharf. Its not only a great place to eat but it has fun places to see. We saw Gheridali Square, The Canery, Pier 39. Tyson's favorite thing was the Sea Lions at Pier 39. They migrated there more than 30 years ago and because of the safe enviroment, food and people they have stayed there and are now covered by Peta.
We ate real clam chowder and I could not get enough of the sour dough bread. All in all, San Francisco was awesome. Tyson and I are on the run to get our next promotions and in order to do that we need to help 50 families get educated on how to actually retire. We are so blessed in this company - every day I say thank you for the person that brought Primerica into my life.
We ate real clam chowder and I could not get enough of the sour dough bread. All in all, San Francisco was awesome. Tyson and I are on the run to get our next promotions and in order to do that we need to help 50 families get educated on how to actually retire. We are so blessed in this company - every day I say thank you for the person that brought Primerica into my life.
San Francisco 3 & 4
The next day we hit China town. All the shops, the awesome traditional food, the cheap gifts ... all part of the experience. We ate at an awesome restaurant and no I won't be able to repeat the name or even want to try.
After China town we headed across Golden Gate Bridge to Sauselito. This was my favorite part. It was so beautiful. It was warm, pleasant and had awesome shops. Steve, Theresa, Kendall and Heather rode bikes all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge and met us at downtown Sauselito.
After China town we headed across Golden Gate Bridge to Sauselito. This was my favorite part. It was so beautiful. It was warm, pleasant and had awesome shops. Steve, Theresa, Kendall and Heather rode bikes all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge and met us at downtown Sauselito.
San Francisco Part 1 & 2
Our trip to San Francisco was awesome and a growing experience. We arrived August 5th, got picked up by the PFS bus and got to our hotel. We got our first gift of the trip - a darling bag and treat basket to welcome us. Our room was really nice, I specially loved the bathroom.
After checking in we got to know the city. (note, I forgot how cold San Francisco is, even in early August.) I went crazy at H&M, Forever 21 and all the great shopping that San Fran has to offer.
We headed down to the big welcome night. We had eight, yes eight food stations - Chinese, sea food, steak, dessert, Mexican ... you name it, they had it. You feel like a king when you are there.
The next day we had a big award ceremony. Ty and I got our "Green Jackets" and sat with two million dollar earners. We picked their brain, asked questions, got advice. It was awesome. After the award ceremony we hooped in the car. We visited Lombard Street and the Natural History Museum.
After checking in we got to know the city. (note, I forgot how cold San Francisco is, even in early August.) I went crazy at H&M, Forever 21 and all the great shopping that San Fran has to offer.
We headed down to the big welcome night. We had eight, yes eight food stations - Chinese, sea food, steak, dessert, Mexican ... you name it, they had it. You feel like a king when you are there.
The next day we had a big award ceremony. Ty and I got our "Green Jackets" and sat with two million dollar earners. We picked their brain, asked questions, got advice. It was awesome. After the award ceremony we hooped in the car. We visited Lombard Street and the Natural History Museum.
Discipline ...
Even during our vacation the energy of the Olympics was strong. When we had walked all over San Fran we could not wait to get back and cheer our nations athletes - and of course Michael Phelps. I just have to say that he makes me want to be a better human being. The reason why the nation loves him is the fact that he is the model of "total human potential." The kid has broken three world records in four days; and yet he is humble and wants his team to win. I heard his mothers' story on the news; a single mom, raising three boys and working hard to give them a good life. I can't help but think of my mom. Phelps tells me that it's OK to work hard. It's OK to practice on your birthday, Christmas, New Years ... everyday. Being in our business I have heard people say "Martha you work too hard. Relax ... etc" and yet I see this man who chooses not to let up and goes after his dreams! Suddenly the entire nations thinks he is a hero ... not a hero. Disciplined.
Too many of us choose to take the easy way in life and root someone else that stands above the crowd. I say, why not you? Why not push yourself and become something great? I heard a great quote in our trip from one of the top guys in Primerica, "I'm not where I want to be, but thank goodness I'm not who I use to be."
Enough said.
Monday, August 11, 2008
San Francisco
Here is just a couple of pictures from our amazing Primerica trip.
(The Passanis are an amazing couple. Making more than 100K per year)
(Our awesome leaders and mentors, Steve and Theresa. Just went over 300K in income)
(Brandon and Lexee Niel. 29 years old and will make 1 Million this year)
(One of my personal heroes; Cheryl Barlett. Has led the way for women in PFS all over the nation. Making 900K per year)
(The Passanis are an amazing couple. Making more than 100K per year)
(Our awesome leaders and mentors, Steve and Theresa. Just went over 300K in income)
(Brandon and Lexee Niel. 29 years old and will make 1 Million this year)
(One of my personal heroes; Cheryl Barlett. Has led the way for women in PFS all over the nation. Making 900K per year)
Friday, August 1, 2008
Happy Anniversary
I'm such slacker!!! Ty and I celebrated our official anniversary on Sunday, July 27th, but I am just posting about it. It was hard to celebrate it on a Sunday but we made the best of it. Ty got up and made me breakfast - waffles, eggs, milk and homemade whip cream. Tyson insisted that we watch First Night. I've never seen it but I ended up loving it. What a romantic tale.
After breakfast we got ready for church. I taught my 11-yr old girls and I showed my wedding video as part of the lesson. All my girls were looking for Tyson to wish him a happy anniversary, it was really cute.
We made a very simple dinner and took a walk. We visited friends and just talked about the last year. Tyson and I have been so blessed! I am so grateful for all our blessings. I am mostly grateful for Tyson. What an amazing person. He is solid, loyal, honest ... just the perfect man for me. I love him. I'm grateful for him.
Now just to clarify, we are going to San Francisco next week as part of our anniversary, so we do have some fun things planned. Thank you to all of you who have supported us in our first year. It was awesome and it will continue to get even better.
After breakfast we got ready for church. I taught my 11-yr old girls and I showed my wedding video as part of the lesson. All my girls were looking for Tyson to wish him a happy anniversary, it was really cute.
We made a very simple dinner and took a walk. We visited friends and just talked about the last year. Tyson and I have been so blessed! I am so grateful for all our blessings. I am mostly grateful for Tyson. What an amazing person. He is solid, loyal, honest ... just the perfect man for me. I love him. I'm grateful for him.
Now just to clarify, we are going to San Francisco next week as part of our anniversary, so we do have some fun things planned. Thank you to all of you who have supported us in our first year. It was awesome and it will continue to get even better.
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