529's

Last week we started 529 college savings plans for our girls.

Hip hooray for getting the ball rolling on that one.

We went with the Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP).

Find it HERE.


We liked this plan because there is no minimum balance required to start the account, there are no contribution requirements, and the fees are very minimal.

Also, the state where we live has very tax favorable laws and allows us a write off no matter where our 529 funds are located.

The FAQ's answer many questions about their plan and 529's in general.

Every state has a 529 savings plan and many employers offer 529 investment options.

Education is one of the best investments we've ever made and we hope to provide that same opportunity for our children.

Do I delete?

I am feeling overwhelmed with pictures.

We just transferred all of the pictures on our two old computers to our new computer and now have almost 6,000 pictures. It is too much. I'm trying to sort them out and get them organized, but I feel overwhelmed by the volume of photos.

There are many pictures that are not good quality, dark, awkward, and almost duplicates of the same events.

Should I just delete them? What do I do in the future? Any advice?

Oh, and I am going to

run a marathon. May 21st baby. 26.2 I'm coming for you!

Tennis

J and I are taking tennis lessons.

They start tomorrow morning.

At the community center.

For 2 hours each.

For the next 7 weeks.

I signed up for intermediate and he's in the advanced class.

They were cheap.

It is now 10:30.

I should go to bed so I can wake up fresh at 7:00.

I am scared.

Of getting my bum kicked.

Of totally embarrassing myself.

I should have signed up for beginning lessons.

But I've already taken beginning lessons 5 times.

2 hours of playing tennis is a lot.

7 weeks could be a long time.

Here goes nothing.

Post Script
So thankfully tennis today was fine. I am not the best, but not the worst. It was good to play for 2 straight hours. If anyone is ever up for a game, just let me know.

My first iMovie

Called to serve

Tomorrow my parents in-law enter the MTC (Missionary Training Center) to begin their full time missionary service.

They are leaving for 18 months to go at their own cost to London to serve in the family history center in Hyde Park.

They were set apart this afternoon to serve as full time representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The Prophet called to "the mature brothers and sisters of the Church, I remind you that the Lord needs many, many more of you to serve as full-time missionaries."

They are answering his request.

They will leave their home, their vehicles, their ward, their friends, their neighbors, their hobbies and interests to devote their time to the work of the Lord.

They will be sorely missed by 7 children, 5 in-laws, and 13, soon to be 14 grandchildren.

But as they have done throughout their lives, they will go because the Lord has asked them to and they are committed to Him.

I couldn't be more grateful for their example to us and our children and hope that they will, as the prophet promised, "enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master."

Pete and repeat

Recognize this graph? I used it in my first ever blog post to explain why I was so slow and hesitant to start a blog. Well, believe it or not, the same phenomenon has occurred with our new iMac.

In marketing there is a model known as the technology adoption life cycle model which is used to describe the five groups of buyers to whom a product is sold during its life cycle: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards.

The Innovators are technology enthusiasts- they are the first to try out a new technology, but they represent just about 2% of the population.

Early Adopters, also known as visionaries, are somewhat keen to try out new technologies. They represent a larger slice of the market (10-15%), and they tend to have much more influence in an organization than do Innovators.

The Early Majority, sometimes called pragmatists, represent the bulk of the market (45%). They tend to buy in to new technologies only after they perceive solid references and safety measures that guard against potential failures.

The Late Majority, or conservatives, are also a very large portion of the market (35%). They are extremely cautious when buying into a new technology and want to see proof of results before they will accept a product's usefulness.

Laggards are skeptics who would prefer to avoid new technologies altogether. They will buy only if they really must and represent 5% of the market. 

Am I consigned to a life of technological laggardness?  I was resistant to getting a new computer (budgetary reasons being the main consideration), and have always referred all problems, syncing, uploading, importing, application, etc. questions to J. I am a "skeptic" in believing that technology will make my life better. I want to use my familiar old school pen and pencil methods.

But I'm starting to change my mind.  Today when I set up my calendar in iCal, with colors for each member of my family and saw how recurring events went up in a flash I realized that this program could be a huge benefit to our family life. When my friend H came over and gave me some tips on iPhoto, system preferences, and the dashboard I realized that I could learn to navigate around the computer on my own without calling to J for help. When my phone syncs with my calendar, email, photos, music, contacts, and other possibilities I'm not even aware of I realize that this technology could change my life for the better.

 In short, in just 4 days I have seen the "usefulness" of the iMac and wonder why I didn't want to get one before. I heart this machine and am excited to see what she can do. I will not be afraid to try out different applications and learn how to fix problems. I will solicit tips from other iMac users. And in the future I won't be so resistant to new technology.

I decide to be a technology laggard no more.