Wow - long time/no update!

Where have I been?! Things have been absolutely crazy at our house. I've been training for a half marathon, ran a 15K, running.all.the.time. M went through a fairly arduous job search that came down to the last minute, switched jobs, has been traveling a ton, & the kids are both playing spring baseball. My schedule at work was also adjusted, I get up early to run these days, & go to bed during what used to be "computer time". Phew. I'm exhausted just thinking of all that. :-)

All of that  said, we just got back from a fabulous spring break, & I'm ready to put the pieces back together. We've been doing relatively well with our finances, & I've still been tracking - which as been tremendously helpful. Things are still up in the air with regard to M's new salary, potential insurance changes, and we're still waiting to see if he will owe a sales advance back to his previous employer. Oh, & I paid $11K+ in taxes today. Fun times. ;-)

After M's salary is finalized & we know if he owes his previous employer, we will be making budget adjustments. His new job comes with a higher salary, but part of that may be offset by an increase in health care benefits. I hate waiting to find these things out, but c'est la vie.

Here's a down & dirty list of things we need to get done in the next month or so.

1. Figure out M's salary, & adjust budget accordingly.
2. If M doesn't get life insurance through his new job (he is at orientation now), then find a private policy. We're both covered via our previous employer, but he will likely need a private policy now.
3. Continue my training runs. My first half marathon is on Mother's Day - May 13th!
4. Focus on eating well. I've been snacking much more than usual, & despite all of the running, haven't lost any weight. I need to keep the snacking more under control.
5. Firm up our summer plans/expenses. We have a few trips coming up (M & I are taking a quick weekend visit to San Diego in May to visit friends, I have a girls trip to Las Vegas in July, & my sister & I are planning a 60th birthday trip for our mother).
6. Rebuild our emergency fund. With just paying the taxes, and the potential for paying back the advance, the emergency fund has taken a hit. I expect to have this back up to our comfortable amount by the end of June.
7. Plan a date night! We've both had a ton going on, & I miss our regular nights out.
8. Our long-term savings goal (outside of retirement) is now focused on a full remodel of our house. We have no idea how much this will cost, but are considering hiring an architect to draft plans for us. The first phase will be saving for the architect.
9. Get back to regular menu planning. I've been winging it a bit more than I'm comfortable with, & need to get the freezer restocked.
10. Blog regularly! I miss the accountability & reading all of your blogs for inspiration.

How are all of you? Is everyone still on track with their 2012 goals? Was today (tax day - in the US, anyway) a happy day, or more of a bummer? ;-)