<p>HImom, you are so lucky!!! I am so very jealous, and dream about the day we can say the same!! You are free, you are free!!</p>
<p>Yep! H retired on 12/31 but is thrilled that heāll start his short term emergency hire job on 1/28! In the meantime, heās cleaning up some of his stuff around the house and happily puttering. So far, weāve managed to avoid getting in each otherās way, for the most part. 
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<p>We pre-paid and planned very carefully so that we would be done with the mortgage payments by the time of Hās projected retirement. That was a HUGE relief for us that it worked out as planned (and that he wasnāt downsized). We are thrilled but now need to do some cleaning (mostly my junk). We could have done the structured payment for the tuition and fees but were able to and decided to just pay it all and be done with it.</p>
<p>Congrats!!!</p>
<p>congrats romanigypsyeyes!!!</p>
<p>My peace Lilly is blooming big time. It seems to do this every January. I feel like a brilliant hortculturalist!</p>
<p>Congrats, Romani. I have long enjoyed your posts.</p>
<p>Well, DD just started her last semester of senior year, and someone handcarried her resume to a well known government agency. The guy it was handed to had a great response: āHoly $h/t, where else is she applying?ā Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>DS found out that he has been awarded a three and a half year ROTC scholarship starting this semester.</p>
<p>Congrats MD Mom! So glad to read such great news. When S went to interview at an Engineering carreer fair at his college in SR year, he was frankly told that he was their top choice at one of his favorite employers. He has now been working there for 1.5 years and is learning a great deal. So happy when our kids have great jobs!</p>
<p>Thanks, MD and a huge congrats to your D! Thatās wonderful!</p>
<p>Met my DH 29 years ago today. Still thank my lucky stars.</p>
<p>Sometimes, it would be so handy to have that āLIKEā button. Congrats jym. I could not tell you the date I met my husband, but I know it was at a Christmas party.</p>
<p>Recently graduated S1 called to thank us for allowing him to attend his 1st choice school and to be able to graduate with no debt.</p>
<p>Just barging in on here because I love to tell everyone how I met my Hubby. I met him in 5th grade!! Grew up with him at the same church going on tours, camps fundraisers etcā¦his mom was my moms boss for a while. We wrote love notes to each other as kids and hid them in each others bible. As teens we didnāt date each other. He was dating a friend of mine He ended up getting married and I danced with him at his wedding. I was engaged at the time and then I went to the baby shower of his first daughterā¦long story he got divorced, I had been engaged 2x since his wedding but recently broke it off right before he came back to his old church grounds and we met up and well that was 21 years agoā¦Still love him to piecesā¦I am so blessed.</p>
<p>MD Momā¦congrats on such an accomplished daughter and big woohoo for the ROTC scholarship. S1, who did NROTC, is now deployed to Bahrain. </p>
<p>I guess my brag would be that S1ās in Bahrain but still calls his dear olā Mom on a regular basisā¦even though he has to stand on the roof of his building to get a connection.</p>
<p>^^^Thatās awesome!!</p>
<p>Scored 40/50 on Adult Jeopardy online test!! First time taking the test as first year Iām eligible and Iām an avid jeopardy fan. Crossing my fingers to be selected for an audition.</p>
<p>If you make Jeopardy, you will have to tell us when to watch. Exciting.</p>
<p>I finally finished the last of my applications. </p>
<p>Not really a brag but I am incredibly happy and I feel like a weight has been lifted. </p>
<p>Now I wait, but since Iām already in one of my top picks, the wait is not really at all torturous. :)</p>
<p>Romani: Happy times. Enjoy this period!!</p>
<p>My husband continues to make me laugh. Last night, we turned on the House of Commons while turning in for the night. Could not get to sleep until it was over, as the Monty Python quips just kept coming. Happily, my son inherited his wit, and belly laugh, and I only hope some day a nice young lady with a good sense of humor will get the joy from him that I get from my husband.</p>
<p>^^Aaawwwā¦</p>