Blessings (Check-in)

Well, its been three months since the New Year and I blogged about our budget.  I talked about our hopes and our plans for the funds God gives us this year.  You may remember that our goals were the following:

1. to help us quickly pay off the $4500 in medical bills we accumulated in October 2010 (deductible & co-insurance time)
2. to put braces on Corrine's teeth
3. to pay into our emergency fund to bring it back up where it was when the boys arrived
4. to finish fencing the back yard and pouring a concrete patio
5. to install a new deck with a ramp into the backyard
6. and if all this is accomplished...then saving to fund our emergency fund by an extra 50%
7. and if God REALLY blesses, then a second washer and dryer hook-up and a super large capacity washer and dryer

I happy to report that the pay off on our original medical is down to $1,100.  Arkansas Children's Hospital gave us a Charity Grant for $2,025.  Then St. John's agreed to accept 65% on a $675 bill, and of course we've been making payments.  Since January 1st we also received an 80% discount from St. Louis Children's on the private pay portion of Vanessa's care.  With Vanessa having hip surgery, this is very important to help avoid new medical debt!

Number 1, 2 and some of 3 should be accomplished when our tax return finally arrives.  Oddly enough, we made progress on #7 because my cousin Brenda gave us a dryer.  I don't have a hook-up for it yet, but the dryer is here and ready! (I am so excited and thankful to Brenda!)

Food expenses have been on the rise (in case you haven't noticed!) and my goal of $1000 per month for all household (food, diaper, formula, cleaning supplies, clothes, gifts and shoes) has been reachable with the help of  ad matches and coupons.  Our family has 5 birthdays in April and May so there are some soup bean dinners in our future this month and next.  Sometimes I wonder how it is that our kids don't seem to notice that more beans, more pancakes, more grilled cheese sandwiches, more spaghetti, and more creative uses of tuna ALWAYS precedes holidays and birthdays!

I'm super thankful that we are only about 6 to 8 weeks away from getting to eat out of our garden (and our friends' and family's gardens).  With prices increasing, I cannot believe more people aren't planting gardens this year!  I had already planned herbs, lettuce, spinach and radishes.  Today David and I planted 8 tomato plants.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to get some green beans and peas out.