Bankruptcy?

While some of you might be shaking your heads at us, wondering how we could let our consumer debt get so out of control that we've no option but to file bankruptcy, please stop making yourself dizzy. In fact, we've officially saved our 20% down-payment now, and as soon as we figure out where we want to live for the next five years, we're going to start looking for a house to buy there (holy crap, that's a scary thought). Yay us! Yay for setting and achieving goals! Yay for making budgets and following them!

So what's with the post title? Well, I might need your help and it has to do with bankruptcy.

My Philosophy class this semester is an 'Ethics & Values' class, and our grade requires the completion of a major group project. My group's assignment is to present arguments for and against the ethics of filing bankruptcy. We would LOVE to have guest speakers address our class - tell their story and take questions from the class - but none of us knows anyone that is able AND willing to do it.

This is where you come in. I'm looking for someone that can spend two hours on Monday evening, November 24, in a Lehi Junior High classroom talking about one of the following:

1. Their decision to file bankruptcy, how they came to make it, and how it's impacted their life since filing;
2. Their decision NOT to file bankruptcy although they had been considering it, how they came to make it, and how paying the debt has impacted their life;
3. Their current financial situation, why it has presented bankruptcy as an option, and the reasons they have for or against filing.

If, for some reason, you are or know someone that can help us out, but you're quite adverse to the idea of speaking in front of people and would be willing to answer some questions about your situation instead, please let me know because we'd LOVE to have real-life situations, feelings, and responses for our project. You can comment on this post or email me privately at cleaningvegas@gmail.com. Thank you!

Like Father, Like Son?

I've always wanted to post a baby pic of Grayson along with baby pics of Josh and I so we could determine who he really looks like once and for all. Unfortunately, Josh's mom doesn't have any pics of him until he started getting school photos taken, so I've never done it until now. But I can assure you he looks just like Josh. In fact, the only proof I have that he's my kid is that I watched him come out of my body.

My mommy and me, February 1, 1977

Me and my boy, February 2, 2008

My mom's a hottie! Too bad I look like a train wreck. And I don't think I was a big baby, but I look huge compared to my little Grayson.

Two days later, I look more like my mother and Grayson like me. Yay!

Daisy Paige, 7 months

Grayson Keith, 7 months

Maybe that's my nose and giant forehead, but he must look more like Josh did as an infant. Lucky for us, Grayson got Josh's cute little ears, and we're fairly certain his baby blues are going to stay that way. And even though his hair has lightened a lot, I'm pretty sure he won't go towhead like I did.

And just so Josh doesn't feel left out and lonely because there aren't any pics of him in this post, I am now going to dissect Grayson's personality. Following is a list of various traits Grayson has, in no particular order, and which of us I think donated them.

From Josh

1. Freakishly short second toe. I know this is a physical trait, but I have never seen someone whose second toe was shorter than the big toe as well as the third toe. And it's barely tied in length to the fourth toe. Sometimes I wonder why he's able to balance so well standing. Josh's sister told me a grandfather or uncle had the same weird toe.
2. Our silly baby thrives on minimal sleep. He doesn't get that from this sleeping beauty.
3. Speaking of sleep, Grayson is a light sleeper and will wake at the quietest noises. It drives me crazy about Josh, too.
   
4. Grayson has an obsession with electronics. He's playing with a mouse right now, with Josh's phone charger at his feet and the external hard drive on its side from him crawling on it. He heads straight for the mess of cords and routers under Josh's desk when he comes into the office, and he had a meltdown yesterday when I wouldn't let him pull on the printer cord. There's no question where his inner geek comes from.
5. Grayon shies away from PDA, just like his daddy.
6. Grayson will eat pretty much anything with little or no complaint, something I really appreciate about Josh.

From Me!

1. Now that both the top middle teeth are in, Grayson grinds them against the bottom ones. He gets this from my mom and my brother.
2. Grayson hates getting dressed, and seems to despise clothes in general. He's just plain happier when he's naked. Definitely comes from yours truly.
3. Grayson is a social bug. Forget eating or napping if there are people around to look at or play with. Cards, anyone?
4. Grayson isn't very good at taking naps. Neither is this mommy.
5. Grayson gets a big grin when he hears people talk. He loves the phone and he likes to jabber with me. Josh is relatively quiet, so even though he's always on the phone for work, I'm going to take this one as mine.
6. Grayson lunges for my Nalgenes and nearly drowns himself trying to get a drink of water. Been there, done that.
7. We've recently discovered that Grayson is a real whiner when he's sick. In the rare event that I don't feel well, everyone knows about it.
8. Grayson takes every opportunity to get his hands dirty and play with the houseplants.
   

That's all I can think of for now. I'm winning by two! I'll add more after Josh sees my list and comes up with some counter-arguments.

So adventurous!

You may notice I added a little bit o' flair to the edges of my blog this morning, but because I'm terrified of change, the primary format remained intact. I'm also thinking of venturing out into the world of slideshows and possibly music that starts playing when you open my blog to view it. However, I'm torn because I get frustrated when I'm blog-hopping with some Jimmy Buffett playing in the background and someone's playlist interferes when I click on their page. So I opened a poll to get your input, if you even care. See it up there? It's just under my header.

So what say ye, the masses? You have one week to weigh in. Wait...considering the length of time that passes between my posts, I'll give you until 9pm MST on Election Day to vote.

Letting it out

This is not a political blog, and I hate to intermix politics with my interpersonal relationships, but I just have to make one comment before I go insane. I tire of keeping it to myself day after day in my attempt to maintain peace with the Republican majority in Utah.

McCain is a moron for choosing Palin as his running mate. She alone is going to cost him the election - she cost him my vote and others' votes as well. If only he'd had the courage to choose someone this country needs, and not someone he merely thought could get him elected, this campaign could be going in a much different direction. But I can't feel sorry for him because this is what he chose, and if his desire to be elected outweighed his desire to find the best running mate, so be it. He doesn't deserve the presidency. Please don't give it to him.

But more important, please don't give it to her.

8 months!

Over the last month, Grayson...

• Grew to 18 pounds and 27 1/4 inches long
  
• Cut two more teeth with another two close behind
• Got his first professional pictures taken
• Learned to sit up by himself, then...
  
• Promptly decided it's more fun to pull himself up to stand than to merely sit around
  
• Helped Josh and I celebrate our 3rd anniversary
  
• Changed his babbling to variations of 'da-dah-duh-da', much to Josh's joy and my dismay
• Welcomed any food I put into his mouth *except* peas
• Watched his friend, Kimball, get blessed
  
• Impressed Grandma with his 'horn-honking' skills
• Attended his first ward campout (but we didn't camp)
  
• Actively cheered the Bomber Babes to yet another victory
• Ate his first tomato

I was picking veggies out in the garden last week and left Grayson on the lawn to crawl around (in fact, it was the same day as my last post, hence his outfit). While I was working my way around the garden boxes, fighting off leaves twice the size of my head in an attempt to find wayward zucchinis before they got too big, Grayson found my bowl of tomatoes and helped himself to one. By the time I reached him it was too late, so I let him finish it. After he was done, I took him inside for a couple of pics and washed him up. Sadly, these tomato stains didn't come out in yesterday's wash.
I think my favorite thing about Grayson right now is that he loves shaking his hands. No matter what he's holding, he will continually shake it up and down like a mad man. It can be paper, a washcloth, a measuring tape, a rattle, a magazine, a bottle, a toy, a shirt, a tomato...you get the idea. And he'll even clasp his hands together and shake them for a spell without holding anything at all. The best part about it is this little grin he gets when he's doing it because he's just enjoying himself so much. And when he notices you're watching him, he tops it all off with the cutest smile. Melts my heart every time. I need to get it on video before he stops doing it.