The Keith and Annette Stoddard Family

Hi there! I thought I would post a quick update for my fam...since I have been severely neglecting my blog. LOL.

We are hanging in there. We just finished our 2008 taxes (filed an extension after the mess our accountant created for us with our 2007 taxes in the hopes of getting that screw up paid off before these new ones were due) and now we are in a pickle. We owe a large amount, and with little to no work coming in and all our credit lines maxed living month to month we are now part of the scared part of the population at the mercy of the IRS... and we pray they let us honor our payment plan and don't get any wild hairs to steal from our bank accounts or lien our home. It is scary and it sucks.

I have closed on 6 homes in the last month or so... yet every penny went to catch up all our late payments, etc. from little to no income for 4 out of the last 9 months. *sigh* I keep hoping the economy picks up and Jestin gets SUPER busy. As it stand right now he is working tons of little tiny jobs all over that gas to get there and negotiations on price dwiddle us down to not even covering expenses. Even a job he did for the CHURCH told us they couldn't pay for what was done and we ate a couple thousand dollars. It's not been fun being self employed. And to boot no one is hiring.

I have a home listed in Provo (originally listed for $999k) that just dropped to $850k. We had a call on it last weekend... but the homeowners wouldn't show it. They insist on being there when it is shown and wouldn't budge. Even when I told them the buyers were here from Texas and were leaving the next day. *sigh* Talk about disheartening. I just keep praying it will sell. That would cover our taxes! Then I wouldn't care we were in debt everywhere else! LOL
(Jenny! Stick to your debt free living with all you've got ok??)

The kids are good. Well... ok... mostly good. I just told Cody tonight that we have to send him back to school. I have to be able to work during the day at my job without hours away from it and he needs more than I can give him right now while I am trying to help Jess dig us out financially. Maybe next year he can home for school again... but for now he must go back. I visited with the American Leadership Academy today - a charter school - and LOVED what I learned about their interest in academics and the needs of the student coming first. They aren't pigeon holed as much as regular public school is and there are FAR more enrichment options for him. He will do marvelously I have no doubt - I am just so sad to break his heart. He is deeply bummed out. He loves being home with me. It breaks MY heart! :( Stupid economy!!!!!!

Ohhhhh... this post sounds gloomy! I am sorry!

We really are not that sad around here. We are blessed more than we deserve! I had a crown fall off over a month ago and have not had funds to go get it fixed. Last week I got a sore above that tooth on my gums and was affraid it had abcessed, so I went in. Turns out it was a canker sore, the tooth was fine, so he replaced the crown. He also filed it down to the right height so I can close my teeth for the 1st time since my heart first acted up when I had it put on. (I was so wigged out about the experience of being defillabrated that I did not CARE that I couldn't shut my mouth right when I went back for the permanant crown - I wanted out of that chair and out of that office! LOL) I was grateful, but sick as I walked to the counter to pay. I knew my account was in the negative, as we had been waiting on the church job to pay for weeks, and I was about to write a rubber check. She said $75. I got ready to pay and she looked up and said... oh! Wait! You have a $75 credit on your account! No charge for today! *GRIN* Now... first of all... I paid our tithing the day before. Secondly... there is no way I had a credit because 1 - I paid cash, at the cash discount when I paid last because we had no insurance, and 2 - that was over 2 years ago! If I had had a credit that long...wouldn't they have sent me a refund check?? Either way... I know Heavenly Father paid that dental bill for me. :) And I am so thankful!

Our chickens are doing great! We get 6-8 eggs a day. They taste SO good! They have TONS more yummy flavor than store bought eggs! Ahhh... it is lovely. The kids love to play with the chickens too... they are fun pets to have!

Emma is slowly getting over the loss of her hamster Shadow. She is not sure she wants another one anytime soon. She will be 12 in just a few days! WEIRD! She got her temple reccomend interview tonight and the bishop gave her her reccomend, dated for her birthday. We are planning a baptisms trip shortly after then... she is excited. She also gets to start wearing makeup - weird! - and we are going to start that whole adventure too! She gets to attend her first YW activity the day after her birthday. I am so not ready for all this growing up stuff! She went trick or treating for the first time by herself with friends this year... and I was fine with it... even excited for her... 'til she walked out the door and down the walk! I burst into tears! It was like sending my first child to kindergarten all over again! Wowza! LOL! She did great and had a wonderful time. :)

Cam is super pumped! He gets to move to ALA (the charter school) with Cody. (Emma is on the waiting list - 6th grade is full) He has a neighbor that goes there that he enjoys playing with, and he is struggling at school. They have 2 teachers with small children Team Teach. One does morning, and one does afternoon. (they cant get teachers because the pay is so crappy and the classes are so full!) There is little to no consistency and he got over half of his report card in beaming NI's or U's. He is not doing well in that confusing environment... so when the charter school said they had room in both boys grades I was really relieved! (see? more blessings from heaven! We really ARE blessed! :))

Well.. I better get to bed! I have some apples to finished putting up tomorrow and then I need to take Cody to explore the school and see if we can't get him somewhat excited about his new adventure... we also need to hit DI and see if we can be blessed enough to find a couple of uniform clothes for the two of the them. So fun!

Hope all is well with your families! post when you can! (((HUGS)))