Tag: mortgage

Posted in Moments and Musings

February 2025

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

When I started out with this idea of posting a monthly life update, I didn’t mean to be so inconsistent. However, here I am, almost four months later, and just now finding time to write again.

I’m not going to try to backtrack too much. My family enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving and a quiet, comfortable Christmas. 2024 ended with a bang as I was involved in my first car wreck since my early twenties. I spent most of January dealing with the fall out of that.

God is so very faithful! Even when we are not. I still feel so undeserving of his total provision and yet, this car accident is proof of that very thing. Provision! I spoke it out immediately. I believed it immediately. God has surpassed by expectations.

And He’s not done yet! There is still more to come!!

At the beginning of February, I held a baby shower for my baby girl and her husband. My home filled to overflowing with so many folks who came out to celebrate. Of course, my anxiety and perfectionism kicked in causing me several panicky moments. (Oh, when will I ever learn!) My sister and niece came up from Tennessee and it was such a blessing to have them here! I love it when we can be together!

Emilie and Ben were blessed multiple times over with so many gifts. My sister, who has organized corporate parties, helped me with the food. My stepmom brought a lovely fruit tray, and we had perfect weather. What a wonderful day for them!

We finally got some winter weather in the form of about 4 inches of snow and a couple ice “events”. I love snow but I love it most on the weekends when I don’t have to go out anywhere. As a Midwest girl, born and raised, I know how to drive in the snow and I’m not afraid. However, I don’t like others who drive in any bad weather like they’re in a hurry to meet Jesus. It doesn’t help that I’m also still suffering from some residual trauma from my accident so driving has its challenging moments on dry pavement, let alone in slippery conditions.  

I purchased a new car – I had to, really, as my other car was totaled. But I’m loving my new car, and I plan to pay her off and drive her until bits and pieces are falling out behind me. She’s a 2022 Hyundai Sonata and she’s a comfort car! Definitely one of the most luxurious cars I’ve ever owned so I’m very happy with her. Again, God’s perfect provision!

On a financial note, I’ve waged war against my debt. I don’t have a lot of it but what I do have, I’ve decided to put as much as I can towards getting it paid off. I’ve been using Dave Ramsey’s snowball method and already have paid off 2 credit cards! I have one more to go and then a small personal loan (I know, it’s a complete no-no!). Money has been on my mind lately as I’ve put some big goals into place. While praying about it, I felt God challenge me to go big in my giving and go even bigger in my faith.

So, God told me to ask BIG. And I did. I’m 56 years old. I want to retire when I’m supposed to and when I do, I want the house that I just bought last year to be completely paid off. I want to own nothing to no one. No house mortgage. No car payment. I want to be completely debt free by the time I retire.

Creatively, I struggled just a wee bit. I have way too many incomplete projects and more ideas and plans than I can shake a stick at. I also have a deficit of knowledge where some much-needed technology is concerned (like Procreate and learning to read crochet patterns). I allowed it to all bash me about mentally and put me in a bit of a funk. So, I took a weekend off from crafting, put my phone down (no Pinterest) and did some reading. I haven’t spent a weekend with a book in a really long time. It felt really good to get back into the old groove and even better not having a crochet needle in my hand, if only for a little while.

I read The Crow Trap, which is the first of the Vera Stanhope books by Ann Cleeves. It’s a long read as Ann doesn’t rush when introducing her characters. In fact, the character of Vera Stanhope isn’t fully realized until you’re almost halfway through the book. It was very good and, after finishing that, quickly picked up the next one in the series called Telling Tales. Again, it didn’t take me long to get through it. All in all, I was pleased to have my reading mojo back.

I can’t tell what helped me creatively more, reading or not spinning through Pinterest. I think I might give myself a social media break for lent and just refocus a bit. More God. More Word. More ideas. More finishing what I started. That’s a big goal for me for 2025. I don’t mind having a few projects going at once, but I have many more than that at the moment and it’s starting to grate against my anxiety. Too many tabs are open and I need to close a few.

After another long really cold snap, we’re finally warming up. It’s giving me Spring vibes in a huge way. This is the time of year when I count down to when the clocks turn back, and I wait for the snow to melt, revealing an ugly brown carpet of mud and dead grass. Spring is an ugly time of year as far as I’m concerned. However, I’m ready to put away the heavy coats, scarves, hats and gloves in favor of rain jackets, umbrellas and Wellingtons. It’s time to come out of hibernation, get out in the sunshine and take some walks. Already, I’ve noticed new blooms on the trees and increased birdsong. I can’t wait to sit outside and soak it all up.

February ended on a super high note! And you can read all about it here! I’m absolutely in love! God is so very good. And this next season of my life is about to be the best yet!

Photo courtesy of Glen Carrie via Unsplash.com

Posted in Moments and Musings

Three Months Later…

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Hello all! I’m back from a bit of a break. Three months, to be exact. I didn’t plan it and I certainly haven’t been idle. These months have been a bit crazy.

So first, I moved into a new home. It takes time to settle into a new space. From unpacking to repacking stuff you thought you needed but now realize you can live without to decorating, it’s all very joyful, very tiring and very time consuming. There are new routines to discover and build. I moved to a completely new area so I’m learning my way around the town. I am adjusting to a new work from home space. My dog also needed some TLC as he sniffed and smelled his way around his new digs. I’m living with family members I haven’t lived with for years and years and while we get along, living with them is definitely different from visiting with them. We moved closer to my dad and stepmom so that was also an adjustment. I’m even adjusting to new weather patterns as weather here on the south side tends to be a bit more dramatic than what I’ve been used to. Isn’t that something?

Then the cicadas came. Boy, did they ever. My neighborhood was swarmed with them. They covered our trees, flew in our faces and were so very loud. I’m not a huge bug fan so this was not fun for me at all. Each morning, I rose early to get Percy out on his first long walk of the day while they were still clicking away in their sleep. Once they woke up, it was a quick run out, praying for Percy to be quick about his business before heading into the garage to shake myself down, not wanting to invite any of these things into my new home. I managed but my poor sister didn’t fare as well. After doing some gardening, she brought one into the house, clinging precariously to her jeans. Thankfully, my older sister was able to quickly show it the door. In steamy hot temperatures, I covered myself head to toe each time to walk Percy and even then, I still had to pull a few off of me. I hate bugs! I hate cicadas!

Shelby’s hours changed and since I’m her ride to and from work, my sleep hours changed as well. She went from working 8pm to 630am to 5am to 130pm. I get up at 4am now during the week which I’m not a fan of. But I am a fan of Shelby (😊) so I endure. It’s actually been good for our bank accounts as before, we were running through Stan’s Donuts, Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks on the way home when she got off at 630am. We no longer do that as many places are still closed at 430am when we’re leaving. So yay for more money. We only have about 6 different ways to make and enjoy coffee here in our new home so why we still feel we need to buy coffee out is beyond me. Yet, I do it as often as I can.

Coffee and yarn are two pleasure purchases for me. I can never have enough of either.

Shelby and I found a new church – yes, even that changed for us. I love meeting new people and then I don’t like meeting new people. I always feel like I wear everything that’s wrong with me on the outside, like a paper tag clipped to clothing. And it all points to them deciding I’m not worth knowing. Ah…the fear of rejection. Someday, this too shall be conquered within my soul, and I’ll be the beaming ray of sunshine I long to be without any hesitation or hindrance. So far, the only way I know to overcome this is to dive into the deep end, put myself out there and just be me.

I’ve also been crocheting a lot. I haven’t touched an embroidery needle since we moved. I’ve bought patterns but there’s been no actual execution. Crochet, planning crochet, buying yarn, and looking up new patterns has been a huge focus for me at the moment.

And then, as if that wasn’t enough, I treated myself to a Nintendo Switch Lite. I bought the game Animal Crossing; New Horizons. What a time suck!! But so much fun!!! I struggle with enjoying things like this because I always feel I SHOULD be productive, even in my down time. I tend to be pretty hard on myself so giving myself permission to do something fun like this has been…well…nice. I’m enjoying it.

So, what’s next? Getting back to Friday Fives, because they’re conversational and I like a good quiz. Posts showing more crochet projects and what I’m working on. I went on a small trip recently that was really fun and informative. And some personal news to share as soon as I’m able.

Until then, have faith in God that everything’s going to be ok, give yourself some love because you deserve it and find joy in imperfect things (and people).

Posted in Moments and Musings

6 Tips to Keep You Sane While Moving

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

It’s moving weekend! Finally here! I’m so excited for this new season to start. I also can’t wait to start unpacking because I WANT MY STUFF BACK!

As I’ve gone through this process, I began making a list of things I did that helped me stay sane during this whole process. I thought I’d put it here to help anyone who is in the process of moving or thinking about moving to a new home. I pray this is as helpful to you as it was to me.

Make a plan.

One of the worst things to do when moving is to do it all willy-nilly. The only way to keep stress levels low when moving to the new space is to make a plan and stick to it. If you’re a list maker, make a list. Buy a notebook and start writing out what your moving process will look like. Pinterest and the rest of the internet can provide you with any number of printables to help you get organized.

If you’re able, I highly recommend taking time off work before and after you move. Plan on taking the day before your scheduled move date and at least 3-4 days after. Speaking from experience, you’d be amazed at how much there is to do the day prior to your move. And taking a few days off after your move is essential to at least getting some stuff unpacked so you’re ready to go back to work. Also, give yourself time to sit back and enjoy your new home once all the hard work is done. After all, your new space is just that – new – and it will take some time for you to get to know it.

Purge as soon as you decide to move.

Before I get into this, let me let you know I’m really not the sentimental type. Both my girls are grown and anything of value has already been given to them. So I keep very, very little out of sentiment alone.

Let me also be blunt here: it’s dumb to move junk. I’ve done it before when I was married to someone who couldn’t let go of stuff and I vowed never to do it again once I got free from him. So before you do anything else, start going through stuff. Go through everything. Search through it all. Take it room by room. Spend a day in your basement or attic and touch everything. Then ask yourself these question – have I needed or wanted this at all in the last six months? In the last year? Is there some hugely significant sentimental value to keeping this? Is it holiday related and even if it is, is it time to let go of it in favor of something new and updated? If you’ve answered ‘no’ to most of these questions, chances are whatever it is can go into the donation pile or junk pile.

And for pity’s sake, do NOT hang onto anything “just in case you need it later on”. Chances are,  you’ll forget you even have it and buy something new or updated. Trust me on this one. When we were clearing out the house we shared with my mom, I found 4 glass coffee pots all belonging to coffee makers we no longer had. Mom kept them “just in case” we needed them. We never needed them!

Getting rid of stuff is a great way to start having a bird’s eye view on what exactly you’ll need to move which will help determine the amount of space you need in your new place.

So I urge you to purge, purge, purge!

Pack early and pack often.

The worst thing ever is to be unprepared the day of your move. Take it from one who knows. I’ve sorta “been there, done that”. Anytime I ever was completely prepared, not only did my move go well and take way less time than usual, but unpacking was easier . Organization is key and you won’t get that by packing at the last minute.

Every Pinterest post will tell you to start packing 2 months before your move. I recommend 3 months. Yes, it’s hard to live among boxes but again, the success of your move is dependent on your ability to be organized. So start with stuff you don’t use often. Seasonal clothing, shoes you don’t wear every day, special glassware and any dishes you don’t use on a daily basis can all be packed away. Empty out any storage and pack everything there.

Go room by room and pack what you don’t need three months out. Then go through each room again two months out and pack up some more. By the time you get to one month before your move, pack up everything except what you absolutely have to have out. Trust me, by the time it gets to your final week, packing will be a breeze! And if you’re in an apartment where you need to do some deep cleaning to get a deposit back, you’ll have time to do that.

Remember, it’s hard to pack stuff up because it feels like it’s going to be packed away forever. It’s not. It’s just for a short time.

Meal plan like your life depended on it.

The last time I moved four years ago, I wasted a LOT of money. We ate out way more than we should have in the two weeks leading up to the move and the week after the move. By the time we were all settled in, I felt so sick and tired. My body craved water and vegetables and I struggled with low energy levels. It was really unnecessary.

This time, I decided to be meticulous with my meal planning. Trying to figure out what’s for dinner each night is stressful enough when you’re not moving. But during a huge change like this, it’s easy to develop some bad habits that can cost you your health in addition to a lot of money.

I’m a meal-planner by nature so this wasn’t really new to me. What was new was taking a mental inventory of everything in my pantry and freezer and trying to find meals geared towards using up those supplies. I used a journal I found on Amazon (or any notebook will do) and wrote out what we were going to be eating two weeks prior to our move date. I stayed focused on what I already had so we didn’t need to spend hardly any money on groceries. We planned, on purpose, to eat out our last night here with the intention of packing up the remainder of the kitchen.

So now, not only have we not spent a lot on groceries but we’re also not moving a ton of food to the new house. Win and win.

Hire movers!

Why is there an exclamation point on this point? Because it’s so important. I know movers are expensive. VERY expensive. But I’ve been in situations where well-meaning people told me they would help me move and then didn’t show up. When I moved out of my mom’s house, I had about 5 people who didn’t show up and it made a huge difference in amount of time, effort, and stress. Family tends to get older as the years go on and soon, there just isn’t anyone young enough or able enough to help with something like this.

The last time I moved, I did hire someone. One someone with his son which meant I was paying for movers but I also was moving, lifting boxes, furniture and the like in addition to renting the truck and all. It was still very stressful. Much more than it needed to be. And that wasn’t their fault. They worked very hard. But two people who are not professional movers and who do not have all the equipment necessary are still different than hiring a reputable company.

Here’s what hiring a reputable company looks like. My sister moved into our house a month ago. Five strong guys showed up with all sorts of equipment to help them move stuff. They told my sister to sit down and relax which is exactly what she did. Within a few short hours, the truck was completely loaded! We were able to do some last minute clean up and then she was done in her old home. Once they arrived at the new house, again, they told my sister to sit down and just direct. Which is exactly what she did.

Do you know what this does? It leaves all sorts of energy to start unpacking. It gives peace of mind. It allows for this huge change to be made a little easier. It turns the mountain of moving into a molehill.

If you have people you can rely on to help – REALLY HELP – then by all means. But if there’s even a hint of a doubt they’ll be there for you, do yourself a favor and hire some professional movers. You’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Also, don’t forget to tip well if they’ve done a good job. 😊

Leave out something fun to help pass the time.

Moving is stressful!! Change can be hard. You may find yourself running the gamut of emotions including excitement, sadness, joy and maybe even some grief. Moving to a new home is wonderful but there’s a lot of moving pieces that disrupt your daily life. So my last tip is to make sure not to pack the one thing that calms you.

For me, crochet and embroidery are my therapy. I left out one crochet project to work on up to the last week. I also borrowed some e-books from the library and treated myself to a new Apple iPad – all creative outlets for me. Like anything else, I planned to make sure I had something to distract me from the chaos going on around me. If crafting isn’t your thing, plan a mani/pedi, or a night out with some friends. Take some extra long walks around your neighborhood and say goodbye to it. Get a great haircut! (I did that, too!)

Anything you do for yourself during this time is so very important.

Well, it’s that time. Time to pack up my laptop. Tomorrow is moving day! I’ll see you all from my new home! I hope these tips help you and if you’re in the process of moving, “may the odds be ever in your favor”.

Photo by Michal Balog on Unsplash

Posted in Moments and Musings

Move With Me: 3 Weeks to Go

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

I’m in that place where I’m so excited to move and yet, all I want is for it all to be over. All the work. All the changes. All the stress. All the anxiety. I’m just so ready to be done!

Haha! There’s some whining for you on this rainy Tuesday!

Honestly, what I’m experiencing is a temporary loss of peace. There’s not one room in my apartment that’s not in an upheaval. There’s boxes everywhere. Every room is half or mostly packed and it’s hard to clean to my satisfaction.

When my home is in disarray, I don’t have peace.

However, my new home is also in some disarray. The new carpeting is going in this week. And the contractor has started work on the bedrooms in the lower level of the house where Shelby and I will be. Here’s a sneak peak!

If I were there right now, I’d write 1 Samuel 25:6 on that wood.

Peace and prosperity to you, your family and everything you own.”

We bought ceiling fans over the weekend. It’s been at least 26 years since I had a ceiling fan in my bedroom and it’s been on my wish list for ages. And now, I’ll have it so yay me!

We also chose paint colors. Not gonna lie – I went back and forth on that. I really love the shabby chic look. All pink and pretty and girly. In my last house, I had a beach theme, which I love but since I’ve done it before, I wanted something different.

So after much Pinterest searching, I narrowed by colors down to light sky blue, a mild sage green, a whisper of pink and a buttery yellow. I also considered white however, I’ve had white walls in one form or another these last several years of apartment living. Either off-white (the kind all apartments have) or a grey – a dark, dingy, muted, overused grey. I wanted color! Something light, bright and cheerful. It is, for all intents and purposes, a basement bedroom.

I settled for a delicate yellow. It’s a lovely pop of color, just this side of bold, that instantly brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. (Color can do that.)

It also reminded me of my mother and her bright, cheerful yellow room.

I have a small egress window that doesn’t open. Again, I went to Pinterest for inspiration and found something lovely and unique. I won’t talk about it here but I will definitely post pictures once it’s all done.

Other things have also fallen into place. We’ve hired our movers, submitted address changes as well as our second notice to the apartment management. Shelby will be ordering a new bed for herself this Saturday.

I’m also ready for a different view and some privacy. I’m over this current view.

Twenty-five days to go and counting!

Posted in Moments and Musings

Move with Me: 5 Weeks to Go

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Annoyance. I love my current home but little things I once found so endearing are starting to annoy me.

Like every time someone goes out the side door and lets it slam shut rattling my patio windows.

Like listening to those stupid geese each night.

Like listening to my neighbors talk on their cell phone loudly in the courtyard at midnight.

Like finding other people’s underwear in my laundry.

Like paying $2 to wash one load of laundry and $1.75 to dry it.

Like walking from the parking lot, which is located at the opposite end of where my unit is, just to get into my own home.

Like people not picking up after their dogs.

All the things I won’t deal with in my new home. Of course, being a homeowner brings its own set of challenges. I’m ready to face those because I won’t be doing it alone. It’s a comfort to me not to be the sole “adult” in my living situation. I haven’t had that since my mom died.

Any-to-the-who….I’ve regained my sense of organization where this move is concerned. The office is now completely packed, except for essentials so now, all boxes can go in there. I may move my desk into my bedroom to completely clear out the office.

I’ve also started the “things to move by hand” box. Anything delicate goes in there. My bedroom closet and the office closet is all cleared out and packed also. I like being able to look around and know there’s nothing hiding away waiting to be boxed up.

Shelby and I also took the kids (aka Percy, the dog, and Natasha, the cat) to the vet to ensure they were all up to date on their vaccinations. Not only for their continued good health but also because we’ve booked their overnight stays in a pet hotel for the move weekend. Percy would only bark his fool head off and Natasha would hide where we wouldn’t be able to find her. I have to say I’m still nervous about this as this will be the first time I’d be leaving Percy overnight with someone I didn’t know. But the reviews are excellent and it gives me peace of mind not to have them underfoot.

As excited as I am, however, I’m also taking the time to slow down a little. With 5 weeks to go and 60% of the apartment packed up, I can afford this. My walks with Percy are longer now that the weather is nicer. I’m noticing the buds on the trees. There’s a pink tulip bud about to open in the tulip bed in front of my building. I’ve noticed more growth on Grandmother Willow and the grass is started to get greener (well, what’s not covered in goose poop, that is).

The weather is typical Spring Midwest weather. The kind where you need hat, scarf and gloves in the morning and shorts and a tank top in the afternoon. We’ve already had temperatures up to 75 degrees accompanied by storms. And this weekend, they’re calling for 1-3 inches of snow. Very typical weather.

Each year since Mom passed has brought some huge change of one kind or another. And it’s all been good. I’m really looking forward to this one!