At the end of every year I try to gather all the receipts for that year: all the utility bill receipts, bank statements, medical information, explanation of benefits, all of it, and file them away. I can never get it done before the end of January because there are always bills or receipts I’m waiting on that were billed out the end of the year. This year is no exception… except it’s worse.

In November our dentist notified us that everyone but Jack was well over-due for checkups and cleaning. Since we had insurance we paid for and never used for 2007, we decided to get us all appointments in December. BAD idea, paperwork-wise. On top of that Cody’s surgery was at the end of December and I had a little ER trip. Then Jack and Kevin both had eye doc appointments in December that included new prescription for glasses. It feels like we lived at the dentist, doctor, and eye doctor in December. And I haven’t received any of those bills yet (because they are waiting on insurance payments first) so I can’t get them paid and filed away. On top of THAT, we had a medical flexible spending account that’s been closed out with a balance left on it and I have to figure out how to still get the money left on it to pay for the bills for services rendered in 2007. To add more ‘fun’ to all this, the insurance crap with the car accident still hasn’t been resolved either.

*takes deep breath*

Tonight I tried to organize it all (for the millionth time) and I got most of it figured out… hopefully a few phone calls tomorrow will get the rest resolved. I’m pretty anal about keeping track of all this stuff and it’s never truly unorganized, but when you have one company who wants on receipt and another wanting another, and medical bills you’re receiving that you shouldn’t be, it gets confusing and frustrating. Amazingly, none of this stuff is even related to my own diabetes care, medical bills, and management. So far that’s been the easiest to maintain out of all of this. Go figure.

Jack already posted this but this weekend we did find the energy to gas up the van (darn gas prices… almost need to invest in a transfer tank to stock up when prices are down) and sneak off to Cathy’s house. This year they’ve had 100 inches of snowfall so far and there was feet upon feet of snow piled up in her little neck of the woods. It was simply beautiful and a real treat to get to spend a weekend away at Cathy’s Snow Land (as Cody likes to call it). (Miss you already, Cathy!!)