Yea!!!! I have my life back!!! Yes we actually survived tax season! It was as grueling and intense as ever but it ended very successfully... especially since we were out of the office by 7:30 pm on April 15th. From January thru the deadline we filed over 600 tax returns (individual, corporate, partnership, trust) as well as filing just over 400 extensions that last week so we still have a lot of work to get done but now we have until October 15th to do it. Believe me, some of our clients will wait until October 1st to think about getting theirs done but that's what keeps us in business! We're just happy to have the pressure off.
Within days of finishing up tax season, I got to usher in the next season... T-BALL with Collin. So much fun! Cam & LaRane headed off to Boston last weekend so that Cameron could run the 120th Boston Marathon the next Monday (April 21st - where he did GREAT, by the way, finishing in 3:08! His toes took quite the beating but he was happy with the whole experience) and Collin got to stay with Grandma. Therefore I got to take him to his first ever T-Ball game. It was SO CUTE! All these little kids without a clue as to what was going on. It has been a long time since our kids played T-ball and I had forgotten what it was like. Collin's teammates were between 4 and 5 years old but some of them looked about as big as a 3 year old -- just teeny little guys! But boys will be boys and they LOVE bats and balls. All the Dads were out there giving hints and encouragement and so proud of their little guys. Collin caught on quickly about stepping up to the T and smacking the ball as hard as possible and then running to first base. He liked the running part a lot and after a short rest on first base he was ready to take off to 2nd even before the next batter took a swing. Then when his team was in outfield it looked more like "swarm ball" as the whole team would run to where ever the ball had been hit and 4, 5 even 6 kids would surround and tackle the ball and each other. Atleast they understood that it is important to get that ball -- at all costs! Collin added a new play to his game when he came running from outfield to give me a kiss and then go back out in time to race for the next ball -- so sweet!
Our neighbors across the street have 2 sons, twins, who are both deployed in Iraq right now and one of the sons came home for a leave of absence this past week. I have written a couple of posts about them before. Their parents have all kinds of flags flying in their yard designating the companies the boys are serving with. They have yellow ribbon stickers on their cars and they have become all things military. I like to always ask about the boys and how they are doing and I always remember them in my prayers. So when I saw that Brandon had come home I wanted to do a little something to acknowledge my concern and appreciation. I made a red velvet cake and had fun decorating it red, white and blue sprinkles and ribbon with a flag on top. He is a really brave, humble and respectful young man. He has grown up a lot in just a short 10 months that he has been "in harm's way". I'm sure that changes a person for ever; I hope in a good way.
Paul & I have been vegging out here in St George for the past 4 days. We always seem to need to get away and decompress after tax season. Salt Lake has been stuggling to get warm this year... which is fine when you have to stay forcused on tax returns but now we want it to warm up so we can get outside and bike and walk and enjoy some spring time activities. Well, if it won't come to us we decided to come to it. Paul has been biking in the house all winter long and he is in good shape.... me, not so much!!! I don't think I even rode my bike once last year. We rode a wonderful biking trail they have down here but after about 13 miles, I had to call it enough for the first ride of the season. Then today I went for a long walk and now my shins are telling me that the treadmill is not the same as the ups and downs of this area's terrain. I'm looking forward to getting in better shape and moving on to the upcoming summer season.
