As you can see, I enjoy my family. It is really nice being a grandparent.
It takes the place of being a mother. I can make up for the mistakes I made when my boys were young. Mothers know it is difficult at times going through all the different stages a child goes through as he/she grow up.
- Sue
- Wilson Borough, Pennsylvania, United States
- My world consists of my boys and their women in their lives. My grandchildren, who bring such joy to my life. My pets, who I adore very much and love watching them interact with each other. My hubby, Chuck, and his passion, Stampede Band. Plus, any ramblings I want to do. So, I hope you enjoy your visit into "My World" through my eyes.
April 27, 2007
The Birthday Party of their friend
I finally was able to add a picture of Steph enjoying her kids. She is due in July with another baby boy.
Justin loved the lawn mower. My boys did too when they were toddlers too.
Leanna loves to play with dishes and kitchen stuff. Timothy looks like he does too.
A Happy Spring Day
Here are Timothy, Leanna, and Justin enjoying the beautiful Spring day we had this week.
Leanna and Timothy
This has got to be the most cutest picture ever of Leanna and Timothy together. Wow! Leanna is growing up so fast before our very eyes.
Stephanie's pictures of her gang
Steph keeps trying to get a nice picture of all three kids for her grandmother's scrapbook, but as you can see it is a very difficult task.
Funny pictures of the boys.
This scene is Justin and Timothy riding dinosaurs. Justin made up this game. Aren't they so cute!
April 10, 2007
Ten critical items to review before you file your taxes
Before you do your taxes this year check out the list for what to claim.
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- As of March 23, more than 74 million tax returns were filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Was yours one of them? If not, you've got your work cut out for you.
At this point, you have two choices: scramble to finish your tax return or take the pressure off and apply for an extension on the time to file.
Are you planning to file? Here are 10 things to check before signing that tax return (electronically or in ink) and sending it off:
Find the checklist of missing information you or your tax professional put together back in February. Is everything checked off? If you're still missing information -- and don't have the means to arrive at a good estimate -- get an extension.
Review your tax return to make sure all your income is reported -- with no transpositions of numbers or typing errors. One digit missing extra, or in the wrong place can make a big difference.
Did you remember to take the child tax credit, the education credit or expense, the dependent care credit? And do you have all the providers' identification information entered correctly. Read more.
Did you receive 1099-Rs with distributions from IRAs, pension plans, annuities or other retirement accounts? Are all the amounts in the "Taxable" box correct? If the "taxable amount not determined" box is checked, did you take the trouble to make sure the amount you determined is correct? Sometimes, doing research into the basis of 1099-R distribution will yield a basis you'd forgotten about. For instance, non-deductible IRA contributions. Make sure you have the correct distribution code entered. If it was a rollover from one account to another be sure you're showing 0 in the "taxable" box. If the 1099-R is not showing it as a rollover, be sure to attach an explanation about the rollover transaction. Do you qualify for any exemptions from the early-withdrawal penalty, or part of the penalty? Things like buying a first home, education costs, health insurance (if you're unemployed), and several other things will eliminate the penalty.
Bill Fleming, a Hartford-based personal finance managing director with PricewaterhouseCoopers Private Company Services points out that there were tax benefits not appearing on the tax return, like tuition and fees deductions, educator's expenses, state and local sales tax deduction, among others. Did you remember to take advantage of them? Read more.
IRA and other retirement contributions -- make sure you've funded the deductions you're taking on your return, says Peter Sander, author of "The Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs." Don't just assume you sent the money in. Check with your financial institution to make sure they've received it and that it's applied to the correct year.
Health savings accounts -- Sander also urges you to maximize your funding for your HSAs. This is a very flexible way to save. And you don't have to wait until retirement to use this money. Fleming suggests you take advantage of a one time IRA to HSA rollover, which is permitted beginning in 2007 (limited to the maximum current year contribution).
Paying your children. Sanders points out that people often forget to do tax returns for their children to reflect their earnings from parents' businesses? If you haven't prepared your child's return, and don't have time to do it now, file an extension for your children. And put yours on extension too. Not a great idea to take a deduction on your Schedule C for paying your children, without having your children report the corresponding income.
Remember the "kiddie tax" rules are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006. Fleming explains that this mid-2006 change requires children under age 18 to pay tax on investment income in excess of $1,700 using the parents' marginal tax rate. If the child is 14 to 18 and has investment income in excess of $1,700, you can report this income on their tax return or yours. But, did you remember to account for your 16-year-old's investment income? Go on extension!
Beware the charitable contributions trap. Do you have all your receipts for contributions made after Aug. 17, 2006? If not, get them before you file. Fleming explains that charitable contributions of $250 or more require acknowledgement from the charity with special language in order to support a deduction. Contributions less than $250 are permitted for 2006 without a receipt, but the taxpayer must have some other record of the contribution (such as a cancelled check or thank-you note).
More time
Feeling overwhelmed? Or did you just get some good ideas making you want more time? Either way, if you want to file an extension here's a quick checklist to help you do it right and avoid problems.
Did you find the forms for IRS? For individuals it's Form 4868 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf. Partnerships, trusts, and other entities use Form 7004 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f7004.pdf. Gift tax return needs a Form 8809 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8809.pdf. (Note: if you are filing a Form 4868, your gift tax return is automatically extended too. Use Form 8809 if you have already filed your income tax return or don't need to file a Form 1040 at all.)
Did you find your state extension forms? http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html
If you must pay, do have the payment vouchers for the IRS and your state(s)?
Checks can be a sticking point. Enter the form number, year and the taxpayer identification numbers for yourself and your spouse, if applicable, on any check. Be sure the checks are made payable to the United States Treasury or IRS and the correct state entity for your state. Put the check into the right envelope -- look again.
Don't be afraid to file an extension and look over your tax return just a bit more. With the last-minute extender legislation in 2006 and all the on-again, off-again changes -- and some of the opportunities that arose in last year's series of tax bills -- there just may be some tax-savings opportunities worth exploring one last time before sealing that IRS or state envelope.
Eva Rosenberg is the founder of TaxMama.com and an enrolled agent licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS. She is the author of the book, "Small Business Taxes Made Easy." Reach her at taxwatch@gmail.com.
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- As of March 23, more than 74 million tax returns were filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Was yours one of them? If not, you've got your work cut out for you.
At this point, you have two choices: scramble to finish your tax return or take the pressure off and apply for an extension on the time to file.
Are you planning to file? Here are 10 things to check before signing that tax return (electronically or in ink) and sending it off:
Find the checklist of missing information you or your tax professional put together back in February. Is everything checked off? If you're still missing information -- and don't have the means to arrive at a good estimate -- get an extension.
Review your tax return to make sure all your income is reported -- with no transpositions of numbers or typing errors. One digit missing extra, or in the wrong place can make a big difference.
Did you remember to take the child tax credit, the education credit or expense, the dependent care credit? And do you have all the providers' identification information entered correctly. Read more.
Did you receive 1099-Rs with distributions from IRAs, pension plans, annuities or other retirement accounts? Are all the amounts in the "Taxable" box correct? If the "taxable amount not determined" box is checked, did you take the trouble to make sure the amount you determined is correct? Sometimes, doing research into the basis of 1099-R distribution will yield a basis you'd forgotten about. For instance, non-deductible IRA contributions. Make sure you have the correct distribution code entered. If it was a rollover from one account to another be sure you're showing 0 in the "taxable" box. If the 1099-R is not showing it as a rollover, be sure to attach an explanation about the rollover transaction. Do you qualify for any exemptions from the early-withdrawal penalty, or part of the penalty? Things like buying a first home, education costs, health insurance (if you're unemployed), and several other things will eliminate the penalty.
Bill Fleming, a Hartford-based personal finance managing director with PricewaterhouseCoopers Private Company Services points out that there were tax benefits not appearing on the tax return, like tuition and fees deductions, educator's expenses, state and local sales tax deduction, among others. Did you remember to take advantage of them? Read more.
IRA and other retirement contributions -- make sure you've funded the deductions you're taking on your return, says Peter Sander, author of "The Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs." Don't just assume you sent the money in. Check with your financial institution to make sure they've received it and that it's applied to the correct year.
Health savings accounts -- Sander also urges you to maximize your funding for your HSAs. This is a very flexible way to save. And you don't have to wait until retirement to use this money. Fleming suggests you take advantage of a one time IRA to HSA rollover, which is permitted beginning in 2007 (limited to the maximum current year contribution).
Paying your children. Sanders points out that people often forget to do tax returns for their children to reflect their earnings from parents' businesses? If you haven't prepared your child's return, and don't have time to do it now, file an extension for your children. And put yours on extension too. Not a great idea to take a deduction on your Schedule C for paying your children, without having your children report the corresponding income.
Remember the "kiddie tax" rules are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006. Fleming explains that this mid-2006 change requires children under age 18 to pay tax on investment income in excess of $1,700 using the parents' marginal tax rate. If the child is 14 to 18 and has investment income in excess of $1,700, you can report this income on their tax return or yours. But, did you remember to account for your 16-year-old's investment income? Go on extension!
Beware the charitable contributions trap. Do you have all your receipts for contributions made after Aug. 17, 2006? If not, get them before you file. Fleming explains that charitable contributions of $250 or more require acknowledgement from the charity with special language in order to support a deduction. Contributions less than $250 are permitted for 2006 without a receipt, but the taxpayer must have some other record of the contribution (such as a cancelled check or thank-you note).
More time
Feeling overwhelmed? Or did you just get some good ideas making you want more time? Either way, if you want to file an extension here's a quick checklist to help you do it right and avoid problems.
Did you find the forms for IRS? For individuals it's Form 4868 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf. Partnerships, trusts, and other entities use Form 7004 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f7004.pdf. Gift tax return needs a Form 8809 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8809.pdf. (Note: if you are filing a Form 4868, your gift tax return is automatically extended too. Use Form 8809 if you have already filed your income tax return or don't need to file a Form 1040 at all.)
Did you find your state extension forms? http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html
If you must pay, do have the payment vouchers for the IRS and your state(s)?
Checks can be a sticking point. Enter the form number, year and the taxpayer identification numbers for yourself and your spouse, if applicable, on any check. Be sure the checks are made payable to the United States Treasury or IRS and the correct state entity for your state. Put the check into the right envelope -- look again.
Don't be afraid to file an extension and look over your tax return just a bit more. With the last-minute extender legislation in 2006 and all the on-again, off-again changes -- and some of the opportunities that arose in last year's series of tax bills -- there just may be some tax-savings opportunities worth exploring one last time before sealing that IRS or state envelope.
Eva Rosenberg is the founder of TaxMama.com and an enrolled agent licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS. She is the author of the book, "Small Business Taxes Made Easy." Reach her at taxwatch@gmail.com.
Is Bottle Water Really Better Than Tap?
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Bottled water is not necessarily healthier or safer than tap water, Tampa, Florida-based sports nutritionist Cynthia Sass told the American College of Sports Medicine 11th annual Health & Fitness Summit in Dallas.
Twenty-five percent of all bottled water is actually repackaged tap water, according to Sass.
"Bottled water doesn't deserve the nutritional halo that most people give it for being pure," she says. "If you're not an exclusive bottled water drinker, you may find it worthwhile to check into filtering your tap water to save money."
In a recent Gallop survey, most consumers said they drink bottled water because they perceive it to be purer than tap water. Taste and convenience are also factors.
Because bottled water is considered a food, it is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both types of water are subject to testing for contaminates.
But Sass points out that an estimated 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water in the U.S. is packaged and sold within the same state, which exempts it from FDA regulation. And 1 in 5 states do not regulate that bottled water.
Moreover, tests on 1,000 bottles of 103 different brands of bottled water found man-made chemicals, bacteria and arsenic in 22 percent of the bottles.
Tap water is also not immune to contamination problems. While most cities meet the standards for tap water, some tap water in the 19 U.S. cities tested was found to contain arsenic, lead, and pesticides, Sass told the conference.
While most healthy adults can tolerate exposure to trace amounts of these contaminates, some people, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, individuals who are HIV positive or recovering from a transplant or major surgery, pregnant women, children, and the elderly, are more vulnerable.
For these individuals, Sass favors bottled water treated with reverse osmosis, distilled water or city tap water with a filtering system certified by the National Sanitation Foundation.
As for the fitness water craze, skip it, Sass says, noting that fitness and specialty waters with not give an athlete an advantage or edge. In fact, vitamin-fortified waters may pose a risk for over-supplementation.
"Think of your one-a-day vitamin," says Sass. "Some of these waters are multi-vitamins in a bottle, so read the label and compare with the rest of your daily intake, including food," she advises.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Bottled water is not necessarily healthier or safer than tap water, Tampa, Florida-based sports nutritionist Cynthia Sass told the American College of Sports Medicine 11th annual Health & Fitness Summit in Dallas.
Twenty-five percent of all bottled water is actually repackaged tap water, according to Sass.
"Bottled water doesn't deserve the nutritional halo that most people give it for being pure," she says. "If you're not an exclusive bottled water drinker, you may find it worthwhile to check into filtering your tap water to save money."
In a recent Gallop survey, most consumers said they drink bottled water because they perceive it to be purer than tap water. Taste and convenience are also factors.
Because bottled water is considered a food, it is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both types of water are subject to testing for contaminates.
But Sass points out that an estimated 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water in the U.S. is packaged and sold within the same state, which exempts it from FDA regulation. And 1 in 5 states do not regulate that bottled water.
Moreover, tests on 1,000 bottles of 103 different brands of bottled water found man-made chemicals, bacteria and arsenic in 22 percent of the bottles.
Tap water is also not immune to contamination problems. While most cities meet the standards for tap water, some tap water in the 19 U.S. cities tested was found to contain arsenic, lead, and pesticides, Sass told the conference.
While most healthy adults can tolerate exposure to trace amounts of these contaminates, some people, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, individuals who are HIV positive or recovering from a transplant or major surgery, pregnant women, children, and the elderly, are more vulnerable.
For these individuals, Sass favors bottled water treated with reverse osmosis, distilled water or city tap water with a filtering system certified by the National Sanitation Foundation.
As for the fitness water craze, skip it, Sass says, noting that fitness and specialty waters with not give an athlete an advantage or edge. In fact, vitamin-fortified waters may pose a risk for over-supplementation.
"Think of your one-a-day vitamin," says Sass. "Some of these waters are multi-vitamins in a bottle, so read the label and compare with the rest of your daily intake, including food," she advises.
April 9, 2007
Justin and my hat
Justin saw my hat and wanted to wear it, he loves hats. Maybe one day he will play baseball.
As you can see by his shirt he spilled chocolate milk on it. Plus, he loved his candy and gifts from us.
Easter Day, Pic #3
Tom had to add his 2 cents in there, LOL.
Leanna showing off her cute look to the camera.
Easter Day, Pic #2
Another cute pic. Justin makes the cutest faces when he gets his picture taken. He reminds me of my son Bill, when he was that age. You bring out a camera and all he did was smile and make cute faces too.
Easter Day, Pic #1
We had such an enjoyable day with the kids. Here are some pics before they got dirty, LOL.
We have Leanna, Maree', Justin and Timothy sitting on Maree's lap.
April 5, 2007
Sad News....
The baby rabbit that my kids loved so much has died and gone to rabbit heaven.
I'm so sorry kids. I took his picture off, hope you don't mind.
I'm so sorry kids. I took his picture off, hope you don't mind.
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