Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Running, how I hate thee.

So Mike and I decided to become more active, i.e. playing racquetball, hiking, and just getting into shape. I know my cardio strength is nearly nonexistent, but it is getting ridiculous. I have been jogging only a half mile in the mornings now, and I think I am getting worse! How is this possible? When I started, I wasn't out of breathe until 1/4 mile, now I can't even go 100 m with out losing it. Running has never been my forte, but come on people! I don't understand how my sisters can run half marathons and I can barely make 3/4 of a mile. Maybe you have some suggestions and pointers.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

As good as sold!

So our landlord call this morning, and our contract for our wonderful apartment is sold. I am going to miss this place. We have worked so hard to make it our home. All the painting and all the scrubbing goes to $25 more a month for the next tenant.
It just feels like our home, but at the same time it is missing something. Maybe we are missing chairs for our "Malone" table (Mike thinks is tall enough for Carl Malone), or perhaps we are missing a side table...or just maybe it isn't furniture at all. I just feel like something is missing from our little family. But just as I begin feeling motherly, I called my mother and found out that Spotty is going to be a father! And the best part is, I get one of the puppies! But I am not sure I really want one (think of the training!). But that nagging void pulls me toward the animal shelters and pet stores. I miss having a four-legged cuddle buddy.

Now this poses a problem if we are moving to Hawaii. One-will we be able to have a dog? Two-how will we get the puppy to Hawaii? Three-What will we do with the puppy while we are at work?

Oh Man I really want a dog!

I love my husband! He did the grocery shopping, and bought me roses. He is so thoughtful. He set them up in our bedroom with romantic pictures set up all around. He really is the bomb, I can't imagine a better fit for me. I really love this man. But back to my original point. He too feels like something is missing. He likes the idea of getting a little dachshund to run around our feet, he also likes the idea of other little feet. I think I am getting more open to the idea. (wink wink!)


So many things are changing. We are moving. I might change majors. We might get a dog! I might transfer to BYU Hawaii...It doesn't seem like alot, but to me it feels like alot. Anyhoo that is all I have for now.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

THE PLAN

10 AM.. I love my wife..

Yesterday, I went and helped my friend Vaughn with 'finish work' on his house for 5 or 6 hours.. He started building this house a while back and I've been there offering my help with the hard labor.. framing, roofing, and now finish work.. It feels good to help a friend out, but I also see this as an opportunity to learn first hand (from a reliable source) how to build a home.. I am learning everything I can.. not just the physical labor part, but the financing, legalities, and how to take bids for sub-contracting.. I love the idea of building houses for a living, and I am playing with the idea of having him help build my house..

When Kendra and I decided to get married, the plan was to have our house built before the winter set in.. Nothing huge, just a cute little 3 bedroom rambler in Springville.. I found a lot for 50,000, and since no one was buying, I talked him down to 42,000.. (boo yah) and I started talking with Vaughn about building our home.. I like the idea of Vaughn being my 'General Contractor'.. I trust him and I would pay him what he thought he was worth.. but the best thing, I would profit from learning.. While I'd work with Dish and Mona Vie from 3 PM - 8 PM, I would work with Vaughn in the mornings, and I'd have him teach me everything about building my house..

We would move into our tiny apt until the house finished construction, then live in our awesome rambler for 2 years while Kendra finished school.. After 2 years of appreciation and equity built up, we had the choice to sell the house, rent it out, or call it home for starting our family..

SELL IT: If we sold it, we could (conservativly) expect to sell it with 2 years of 7% apprectiation and pocket $40,000 equity we've put in it ($15,000 down for loan and $25,000 for 2 years mortgage payments @ 1,000 /month).. At that point, we'd start the whole process over again.. rent out a tiny apt for the summer and build a new home..

RENT IT OUT: If the market still sucks, we would refinance and rent it out for $100 / month more than the loan minimums would be.. that would generate an additional 100 / month cash flow for us and buy us time til the house would sell for what it's worth.. at that point, we would start building our 2nd home.. by refinancing, we'd get our equity out and would put that money down on a 2nd construction loan and start building a 2nd house..

the good thing about renting out the first home is that the tennant will be building our equity AND putting 100 / month in our pocket AND we take advantage of the 7% appreciation.. imagine if we rented that first home out for ten years.. 12,000 bucks residual income for us and another 120,000 paid off on our first loan.. if we do it for 20 years, then we own that first home, literally PAID OFF.. retired @ 40 ? that sounds ok by me..

MOVE IN: If we love our home so much, we'll move in and call it home.. We make the mortgage payments and build our own equity.. Realistically speaking, get into a $250,000 home while paying off a 200,000 construction loan.. there is 50,000 equity right there.. refinance immedietely and put it toward a 2nd home..

All options are good.. I love living in a 'recession' of a market.. The builders are literally out of work and will bid lower than usual because there is so little work going around.. while the cost of building the house drops, the actual worth of the house remains the same.. it may not sell for the actual worth, but that's fine.. we'll rent it out or live in it ourselves til the enonomy recovers..

So.. the plan is there.. why arent we moving on it right now? We do not have 10,000 to put down on a construction loan.. :( That's where Hawaii comes in..

In Hawaii, we'll have lots of things going for us, financially speaking..

First off, they pay for our plance ticket to and from Hawaii, housing, and $900 / month for food.. Our budget demands 510 / week here in Utah, while our Hawaii budget will be need 250 / week.. right there is a savings of 1100 a month..

I will work 40 hours a week for 10 / hr.. I am not looking forward to the construction-cleanup work, but if that's what my family and my future needs, so be it.. so there is 400 / week income.. Kendra will have to work for a week while we're out there so they will pay for her to fly her out there.. but after that, my friend Harold, who is the manager, will FIRE HER because she "simply isn't cut out for the work." Kendra gets a plane ticket out there and can either be a cute house wife and not work, or she can get a job at one of the resorts out there, or can do school via internet classes..

I do NOT like the idea of my baby working that job out there.. With my experience in construction, I know that is NO PLACE for my Lover and I WILL NOT put her in that situation..

I will also be taking my Dish Network business out there.. I be taking in between 350 - 450 for every account (depending on what bonuses we earn), because I'll be taking comission for sale and install.. by myself, I have been averaging 3 a week here in utah, and I plan on making minimum 2 sales a week in Hawaii.. It takes about an hour of knocking to find a sale, and I am going to be comitted to bringing in 2 sales a week..

I will also be taking my Mona Vie business out there.. this will have long term effects, whereas a few years from now I can come back to Hawaii to check on my business and call it a business expense ;) .. I'll be to the point where my Utah business is rockin, and my Hawaii business is moving.. and extra residual income will be nice :)

So here is why we are moving out there..

First.. it's Hawaii.. we'll be on the beach for every sunset we want ;) We have only a limited time where we can do this.. being young, newlyweds, and not having any kids means we can move on this awesome experience and remember for our entire lives..

Second, the finances simply line up.. our weekly income will be 400 from the job, plus 700 - 900 from 2 dish sales, plus Mona Vie money.. all together between 1200 - 1500 a week, depending on what kind of bonuses we get for our Dish sales.. Expenses will be 300 / week, so after it's all added up..

1200-1500 Income
- 300 Expenses
-----
900 - 1200 weekly Net Income
* 18 weeks (project ends on December 31)
-----
16,200 - 21,600 Expected Net Income from August 14 - December 31

and guess where that money is going to go ? It will be the down payment on our construction loan for our AWESOME NEW HOME..

The program ends in the dead of winter in Utah, and since it's not easy to sell Dish door-to-door in 2 feet of snow, I'd like to do a semester of school in Oahu before moving back to Provo.. Kendra wants to finish her school @ BYU where she is familiar with the program, but I do not like the idea of moving back to Provo in the winter.. I am sure that we will find a compromise of some sort.. :)

I have to run.. taking my baby to school and it's time to get some work done.. stay tuned..

PS- sorry to take up the last hour of your life.. I'll try to keep these things more brief in the future :) have a nice day

Thursday, July 10, 2008

This week on

So I was told that we aren't posting enough. Seriously people, our lives are not that interesting. But if you really want the mundane then you got it.

This week has been flying by, I alone have two tests, a paper and wouldn't you know it, a talk in sacrament. But it will all work in the end. Tomorrow is my last day at work in Springville at Airtime Gymnastics (they don['t know I am moving and think its only till the term is over....they are going to be so mad!). Mike is excited because we wont feel like a house wife, taking me to work, making me a lunch, taking me to school and on some nights making dinner. He has it sooooo tough! (lol) Anyway, I will be able to do the Dish Biz finances in the mornings and know where all the money is going since it feels like it just disappears. All and all I will miss gymnastics and my three year olds, even though some days I feel like shooting myself after work.

So my new "job" will be managing the home, dish finances, and maybe even dabble in some Mona Vie work. Maybe I might even get excited about it....we will see. ^_^

But that is all for now. Wish me luck on my tests!

-Kendra Taylor

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Hi! I'm the Wife!

Hey ya'll! My new name is Kendra Jean Taylor, and I love it! Sometimes I forget it. Anycase, onto the important stuff. We are moving to Hawaii! Isn't that exciting....until I think about moving. But that is a whole month away. Yeah, we are moving in August to Maui. Mike's business buddy got a job offer and is taking us with him. He will be the manager of a construction cleaning crew, and we will be the cleaners...woot. The most awesome part is that rent and food is paid for by the company plus an hourly wage of... are you ready for this.... $10/hour. I know what you are thinking, that sure is alot of money....lol. But in the long run it will set us up financially pocketing between $14,000 and $24,000, which will help pay for my education, especially because we were denied a federal grant (saddness). The only downside is that it puts my graduation off till April 2010...(again saddness).

I can imagine it now. Working from 7am-3pm five days a week (my first full time job) and then going to the beach in the evening....every evening. This is probably a once in a lifetime event for us, when else are we going to be able to live in Hawaii and be paid for it, without children.

With graduation so far away, Mike isn't happy about that because I said that I don't want to be the pregnant mother squeezing into the desks in the class room. But who knows.... ^_^

Right now Mike wants to stay in Hawaii and I would go to BYU Hawaii to finish. I want to come back to Utah and finish here at BYU with the teachers I already know and a course I am familiar with. But again who knows, we stay out there for a long while, or be back in January when it is freezing and feet of snow....

I think that is all for now on our lives. We will keep you updated!

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Ahhh.... Married Life :)

I love it.. I love her.. Life is good :)

The sun woke me up about an hour before the alarm went off.. and it was awesome !! It sure is nice to wake up next to my best friend and cuddle with her in the sheets before starting the day..

It's only been a month, but I do not remember what single life was like.. I don't miss it either.. It's nice to have this kind of companionship.. the kind where we know that whatever we are going through, we are going through it together.. through the fun, and the not-so-fun stuff..

There have been rough spots.. For instance, we are getting used to having to cater to each other time demands.. We have only 1 car and quite often, we have to be in different places at the same time.. That has brought on some stress, and we have had a few petty arguments trying to convince each other that our agenda is more important, but we end reminding each other that we are on the same team and we work it out..

I've always been one to get excited about challenges and following my PDCA process til the challenge becomes a cake walk..

Plan
Do
Check
Adjust

I have found that any idea has to run through this cycle 3 times before success is a sure thing.. I have found the thrill in learning by experience.. while the consequences and results are real, and often more severe, the lessons learned are far more rewarding than anything.

I have to run off to work now.. this one was somewhat scrambled..
but have a nice day :)