Hello!

This is Laura, previously of Keeping it Frugal in TX. For whatever reason, I can't seem to login to my other blog. 

I looked at the last entry and was shocked to see it was from 2023!

Lots of changes since then. 

Work - I've now been at my current employer for a little over six years. About four years in my current position. I absolutely love my job and the people I work with. (We help seniors to stay in their homes as long as possible. My job is making sure we're following state and federal regulations as well as a lot of administrative/data stuff. )

 I just turned 50 years old a few weeks ago! It feels kind of bizarre. The one thing I really looked forward to- was getting my shingles shot!! Which I did!

DH is 59 now, and is looking forward to August when we've agreed he can retire. He still works as a delivery driver. He loves going on road trips to pick up speakers and other electronics- some that he resells right away, and others that he's keeping as stock for when he's retired. He's mostly gotten rid of his fish - only two 40? gallon tanks left. Plus his turtle. 

We are down to two cats - Pepe (12) and Kari (14).  Kari has been fighting kidney disease for the last year or so. 

I've gotten much more involved at church. I'm the head money counter, on the costume committee, on the finance committee, and the secretary/treasurer for our community service ministry. 

My brother has had TWO children! My first niece was born July, 2023, and my second niece was born November, 2025 They are seriously precious! I've been spoiling them rotten- from afar unfortunately. I haven't been able to talk him into moving out of CA yet. 

Mom, who had been in an ALF with declining mobility and dementia, continued to get worse. In August 2024 I moved her here to NE after she developed bedsores which the  ALF staff were not able to handle. Unfortunately, she had already declined so much that the staff at the nursing home weren't able to do anything to reverse it. She passed in November, 2024. 

I dealt with her probate most of 2025. It was finalized in August. I was SO glad to be finished with it!

In 2026 I have three, possibly four trips planned. First will be to CA end of February to see my nieces! Then in April DH and I will be celebrating our tenth anniversary! (Possibly go to Branson. )Then in July I will be doing a bucket list item- going to Chintoteague Island in Virginia for the pony running! Lastly, we possibly might do another CA trip around Christmas.