McMillan Clan

Not all is Lost

I have been contemplating the costs of all that is included when owning your own home. There are many things that might happen, and there are indeed other bills that arise from having your own house.

• Garbage Removal
• Pest Control
• Landscaping
• Maintenance

There are probably lots more to think about but those are the ones that come to mind when I think about owning my own home. I guess that living on base isn't all that bad. I can even have my own home-based business if I want to. I just have to deal with all the hoopla...but doesn't that come with everything on it?

So for now it Does look like we will be on base, and it does look like it isn't going to bother me as much as I thought it would.

• My husband will be close to work.
• We will be close to the commissary.
•  I can care for one more baby and have all the kids lunches paid for.
• I can invest time and money into my writing profession.
• I can still grow my own food, and live frugally.
• I can still home-school the kids.

So for the most part we will be okay. Perhaps even pay off some more debts. I think it will be good for us. Maybe in ten years we will have a home, but it was a nice thought while it lasted. After all, it's not like we are going to live in it forever!

Hopes of a house are dashed by Navy Federal

I am not dissing Navy Federal, but with their on-line mortgage calculator, My husband said "okay... we are going to get a house on base". So thanks Navy Fed.. I think that  your mortgage calculator is a little off. I don't understand it, but it said we could only afford a 890 dollar a month mortgage payment. The military gives us a BAH in Northern Virginia for 1855. I don't understand how we couldn't't afford more, but Navy Fed says we can't. We don't splurge, We don't go here or there or everywhere. I home-school. It's a cheap way to learn! It's better too.

So It looks like (for now) that we are at the Mercyof Clark Pinnacle. They have no new housing available, and even if they did... you can't pick what house you get. You get what comes up, and that's it! When we lived up in Virginia the first time, we had 10 mice get caught in our cheese traps the first couple of months that we were there! I am not joking! It was awful. There was NO carpet in the Whole House! It was really a bad house but we didn't have a choice. What can you do... It's the military.

For now I am happy with the house we have now. It's a four bedroom, but we use one of the rooms for storage, since there ISN'T any storage here. I really do sound like I am complaining, but maybe if I make it Public, than something will be done about it.

Sick as a Dog, and ashamed of McCain

I had one of those frozen coffee treats at Baskin-Robbins...and they got it to me real fast. They didn't clean anything after making the customer's order in front of me. This is what I suspect, and I am sick now. I think it was a bad case of someone not washing their hands.

I could hardly make it home, and for the next hour...I was sitting on the toilet. I have made several visits to the bathroom after that, and now I am really weak. I can hardly type. I am not complaining though...my dad can't even get out of the bed. He has cancer. It's robbing him of his life, and yet he can't stop smoking. He might have stopped now, since he can't even get out of the bed. Death for him might feel welcome. He is in pain.

After watching a news segment of McCain saying that he thinks that same sex marriage should be encouraged...I am ashamed that he is even a Republican. Sure I believe in Democracy...but I don't think that (same sex marraige) it should be encouraged. What happened to the values of marriage. If you encourage one thing... and call it a Civil Union is it the same as marriage? According to McCain it's not. but IT IS. IT IS the same thing. I don't hate people that choose to lead this life... I just don't want them to put it on my kids as "normal". That it's "okay". According to the BIBLE it's not okay, and according to a HOLY GOD... it's not natural. Why do you think that God destroyed the Earth with a flood? Because the people were all doing it with their brother, or their sister. They were all doing things that they shouldn't and God was sickened. I am surprised that  he hasn't done anything like that since then... or has he?

Well.. I am getting off on a tangent... so I will just say that I don't think that I will vote, because it will all be voting for the same thing. There is NO conservative option for president this time around. So much for Huckabee. He would have been a good runner for the White House.

Poor McCain has to be spineless and say that it should be encouraged for the sake of the vote of who? Those that don't want Obama? Who knows.. and really who cares.. I am really fed up with this political mess.  It's almost as bad as spending time on the toilet. Only the toilet is a little more comforting.

Mr. President is coming to "Our Town"

I opened my inbox today and found out that the president will be here on our base this morning. He will be inspecting the barricks for the 82nd Airborne. I wonder if this has anything to do with the deplorable conditions of soldiers housing that was posted on youtube by an irate father? At any point he is coming, and that will boost morale for many soldiers.

My husband and I are on a quest to find a house. We have been looking online, but wonder if these houses are really what they say they are. How old are the listings? It seems like everyone has to have a realtor ro do the job for you.

I don't know.. I am not convinced.

I am upset with Mr. McCain who was on the Ellen show and said that we should "encourage the relationships of those who want to marry of the same sex" I am not directly quoting but paraphrasing... so I guess I should remove the quotations... but I won't.

The Long Talk

My husband and I had a big talk. One that only comes a few years at a time. Inhale, exhale....ahh....

I was furious, he was furious, and then we were silent for a couple of days. Then last night, we talked.

I am glad that is over with for now. <><><><><><><><

Isaac has been off of wheat for a couple of weeks. He seems to be doing much better. He has a CT scan on his skull at the end of this month. He might have a case of something or other (where his skull bones closed up too soon) and his head is shaped oddly in the back. That might even be contributing to his Chiari. If he does have it then... surgery could be in the future.

That's A Wrap!

This week has been loaded with interruptions. We did get some schoolwork done. I purchased student of the word home school curriculum...but alas I have decided not to waste anymore money on any thing that isn't needed. I can teach the kids with the resources that we already have.

Our goals for the future are buying a house in Virginia. I would really like to have a place where we can plant a garden, and grow food. I look forward to this experience. When I was young my mom had a garden and she canned peppers, and we had green beans and other vegetables. I enjoyed it. My grandparents had a small garden patch near my grandfathers work. I remember each summer we would go and pick crops like corn, and green beans.

I have been researching ways of how to buy a house and what is the best way to do that. There are many options for military and their families. We are looking into VA loans, and militaryforsalebyowner.com

The military will give us a housing allowance so we are looking at buying a house since the market is down. How bad could it get? I don't think that it could get much worse.

We are looking at manufactured homes and if they are worth it. We like the idea if new, but I am wondering if they are safe. Still researching I guess. There are some houses that are dirt cheap but they are in Maryland, and I don't know how the neighborhood would be.

If we do choose to buy a house... we are looking at mike's commute to work taking At least 30 minutes a day to and from. That's really not a big deal. But if we choose to stay on base he would be 5 minutes from his building.

That's really not a big deal when you live in northern Virginia. It's quite good actually. But we are wondering is there such a thing as a piece of the country life in northern Virginia? I am fervently looking and wondering that.

I will continue on my quest until I find a tranquil place to live.

Have you heard about the homosexual lifestyle being civilized in California? I don't think that is a lifestyle that I would condone. I don't think that we can stop it. I don't see the harm in trying to stop it. The world is going to end up doing what they want to do no matter what. I see it as a lapse in time... where the Lord God Jesus Christ will come back sooner. I see it as a way of being closer to God and knowing that the end is coming for those that do not choose him as their Lord.

But in this country where we live...we have these God given rights... and right now...  it's not working for the man and the women that is joined together in holy matrimony. There are other people that claim rights that seem unnatural to everyone.

Well.. I must go to serve some cookies to my family.. see ya later<>< 

Some free time...and Naomi's Day

I have some free time...well I call it free time. Isaac's asleep and not getting into anything. Rebekah is on the rug looking at all the designs...and babbling.

I just  turned on noggin so she could look at something.

The girls have a friend over and they are playing. I thought I would blog.

5 Minutes later

Wow it's amazing what a  couple of minutes can do to ya! Now my girls are downstairs in front of the TV. (they must have heard it)... with their friend...

They are watching spider sunny patch or something like that...

Inhale...exhale.....

Take another deep breath.....Ahhh.....

I feel better. Writing has always been therapeutic but it once was my enemy. I went to a psychologist when I was a kid because I was having some rebellion problems with my mom. I was also abused by a family member... so yeah... I HAD problems. But I am okay now. There is nothing wrong with me that God can't fix. When I was a teen I decided to write my thoughts down... even the ones that were most private to me....

Well my mom found them and she used them against me. My mom and I have a good relationship now.. but back them we butted heads. She took all of my writings and critiqued them.. basically telling me what she thought of my personal thoughts. Well... I was devastated as any teen would be. My privacy had been invaded and I felt violated.

I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let anyone ever read my thoughts again.

Hmmm....

Here I sit.. writing my thoughts.... hoping that no one would be offended by anything that I have to say. I know that there will be those that critique me... and I really don't care anymore. I am throwing caution to the wind... and saying adios amigos.....

No more being so quiet and prideful. I don't have pride anymore. Not after 4  kids. I am humble to the bones. If you don't like what I have to say then.. I am sorry... but I am glad that we live in a land of free speech.

Today is Naomi's Birthday. Naomi will be 6 ( ohh she is 6) She still has all of her teeth... thanks to her finger sucking techniques. She started that early... right when she was born she had her fingers in her mouth.. and I think it's just something that soothes her. I suspect PDD but it's never been diagnosed. She hates scratchy itchy clothes.. she even cries when she doesn't like a church dress. She hates tights... she only wears them now sometimes because she wants to be like a ballerina.

I decorated a castle cake for her birthday. It's nothing great but it's homemade. We started a tradition of every other year homemade.. every other year ordered cakes. This year it is homemade time.

Now the girls are enjoying cupcakes ( from the leftover batter of Naomi's cake. I freeze them so they keep well. Hannah just pops em in the microwave and defrosts them. It's a great snack, and I also make pound cake like this, and carrot cake, spice cake.

So I don't have anymore free time. The baby is crying and the girls are making a mess.....what a bummer. I need more free time. I was actually on track for once.

All things holds together in Jesus

Wow, who knew?!

SO I got home tonight after church and I find that I have a comment on my typepad blog...wow... someone is actually reading this?

I am literally blown away... and so I have decided to keep it going cause really I have been fighting the urge to unplug everything and go natural.

I can do that and still feel sane...for a while

SO I did FAIL a class...and I have to pay it back so.... there goes my savings.

I  really think it was post traumatic stress after seeing the bill.

It all went downhill after that, Wonder why?

Did I mention that We got a Wii?

Its the best things since scrabble around the dinner table.

We go bowling without the smoke and loud music.

We go golfing without the squitos, and the blazing sun.

We can even wrestle but we haven't got there yet.

We love to play mariokart.It's fun...we live  childhood memories again. Aww! The thrill of being a kid again.

Rebekah is calling for her mommy..so it looks like another short blog

until next time<><

I blog because...

I have been seriously depressed lately. Mainly because I got my school bill and it's awful. I'm imagine sitting at your computer day after day, typing what you think about everything... and basically run up a bill of over 10 thousand dollars! This is exactly what I did.

I do not recommend University of Phoenix to anyone! In fact

stay away from them.... if yo get a call form someone telling you that education will help you....run as far as you can as fast as you can....

I will be paying it off for the next couple of years.....

Its not worth it at all. I learned that I can type anything...and get a grade for it....

basically I am paying for an associates degree

You get a  much better education At a   community college somewhere and it's a fraction of the costs.

If you have 4 kids and you can get by each month just barely...

just be glad that you can get by...'

anyway I am preaching to myself here......

I blog because I have a huge bill to pay off!!!!

I blog because it makes me feel great to express myself. After being stuck inside the house I can relate to anyone...even if it is thru my computer screen.

I blog because I like the exclamation points!!!