road to maturity

several events in the past year have led to my feeling more like a grown-up. even though i had two kids already, i didn't really feel like i was older than 20 until we bought our home last summer. buying our home was awesome! i could paint the walls any color i chose (thank you, james, for that freedom!) and replace flooring and plant whatever i wanted. however, there is a side to home-ownership that is decidedly un-fun. replacing the chimney cap. fixing the air conditioning. having shingles replaced. even though each of these is totally not where i want to spend money, they are necessary and i need to look beyond the money vacuum and see the benefits of home maintenance. kalei's going to school has also inspired more maturity in me. now it really matters that she is in bed by 9, and that she eats enough breakfast so that her brain doesn't shut down 2 hours after she gets to school. each of these events has prodded me to put aside my own desires (to ignore the rusty chimney cap and blow some money at the pottery barn outlet! or to let kalei and koa stay up until james gets home after teaching a night class!) and focus on what's best for the kids, or the house. now i get to focus on what's best for our family. i'd really like to go to china. i think it'd be awesome to stand on the great wall. however, the prophets have counseled us for longer than i've been alive that debt is a no-no. we have been warned and warned to get out of it as fast as we can. so, with that in mind, i've decided to stay home. james' trip is paid for, but he won't make enough by teaching the class to even cover my airfare. i'm disappointed, but, honestly, china was never on my list of top 5 places to visit. so, like the mature person i'm trying to be, i'll set my goals and focus on debt-reduction so that we will be in a better place by the next summer olympics. that way, i'll be able to go somewhere that is in my top 5: london. :) -bess