HALLELUJAH!!!!

WOOOHOOO!! We are officially Debt FREE! We have 0 consumer debt! And it feels FANTASTIC!! We still have student loans....but I'm not counting those.
We got twice as much back from taxes as we thought we were going to. So we had more than enough to pay off the remaining credit card debt we had. AND then, after getting some counsel from some wise people...(G & G R.) We decided to pay of the Van. Wow! I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me! We might actually be able to save some money and feel like we are getting somewhere......that seems so foreign since we haven't ever done it.....but I am so excited not to have to pay those bills anymore!!!!!!!!
WOOOHOOOO!!!!!!

Seth is 9!! I can hardly believe it!
Seth is a wonderful son. I am such a blessed Mom! He was such a cute baby....always screaming it seemed....but really cute when he wasn't screaming! I gave him a hug and picked him up and I thought...I wonder if I'll be able to do this next year. He is getting so tall! Tall and Skinny! Even though he is the only one of our kids that actually eats! And eats, and eats and eats! Thank GOODNESS he outgrew his picky food stage...(now I am just praying the rest of them do too) He is a great eater now. He will try everything at least once, and generally likes it after he has tried it. I love Seth's attitude and his never ending smile. He is a happy boy and it is fun to be around him because he can make you smile at the silliest things. The last couple months, Seth has been self conscious about his teeth. His front teeth are pretty big, and some stupid kid at school keeps telling him that his teeth are really yellow. I hate mean kids....ugh. Anyway, Lucky us, we live with Grandpa R. the dentist. Seth asks him teeth questions all the time...especially How can I make my teeth white? Anyway, Grandpa is great and pretty much says the same answer everytime....BRUSH! So Seth brushes his teeth VERY faithfully and has his dental appointments scheduled for the next...oh 2 years or so!! Who knows...maybe he will grow up and be a Dentist!
Anyone who knows Seth knows that he loves to sing and dance! Well, we were able to put him in a choir! Western Plains Childrens Choir. And he loves it! (of course). They sing and dance and every song has some kind of movements to it. There are only 20 kids. 3rd and 4th grade. And with him, now there are 3 boys. All of the kids are so nice and fun... They had already started a few weeks before he joined. But they all were so willing to help him and get him involved! One girl even came up to me and said "He is really good. He is doing great!" I wanted to hug her!! I LOVE IT!! (mean kids=bad....nice kids=good!!!) Anyway, they have a big concert in April. We are all very excited.
Seth, I love you. I hope you will never forget or wonder about that. I will always remember the day I brought you home from the hospital. I was up in the room waiting for Daddy to bring the carseat up, and I looked out the window and saw all the cars whizzing by, the people rushing around, every one was in such a hurry. I just cried. How could I take this precious new baby into such a cold, mean world? I didn't want to take you out there. But I heard a whisper..."It will be alright. He is stronger than you know. He will make it." I just pray every day that I am doing all I can to make that true. You are a strong boy. The Lord knows you. He loves you. Remember that always and you WILL make it. I LOVE YOU SETH LEWIS RICKS!!