Employer stocks grants (including RSUs and options) are an extremely valuable part of an employee's compensation package. They play an important role both in long term wealth accumulation and in accelerating progress toward your financial goals. Here are some things to keep in mind when the time comes to diversify your holdings or raise cash to fund other objectives.

Summer has come and we are enjoying a little down time before the real adventures begin. We were basically slow-smoked like a brisket from May to October last summer so we made a solemn vow never again to spend an entire summer in Austin. This summer will include trips to visit family in California, spending 4th of July in Park City, UT and doing some exploring in Colorado with our trusty hound, Miley, in tow.

 

Beckett started summer off with a week of skateboard camp. He has also been doing his fair share of lizard and frog catching. He can usually get his target if he is chasing a green Anole but the Texas Horned lizards and Whiptails are still too fast. He also had his first taste of rodeo back in May when he got to participate in a local Mutton Bustin' event. For those who aren't familiar with this time-honored rodeo tradition, it is when kids between the ages of 4 - 7 are given the opportunity to climb atop a sheep and hang on for dear life as it bucks and thrashes across the arena trying to unseat them from its back. It's good clean Texas-style fun. Beckett's run lasted almost 6 seconds.

 

Ellery and Paige have been spending time with friends, baking treats and going to various local pools. They also were able to try out some rock climbing at a nearby gym. Paige recently went on a trip with her grandparents to New York to see a performance of Wicked on Broadway. She was amazed at the size and scale of the city compared to the suburban world she lives in. 

 

Ellery has been making short work of her summer reading list. She voraciously consumes mysteries, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Harry Potter and anything else she can get her hands on. She is looking forward to spending time with family in CA this summer and is doing some pet sitting for neighbors to earn extra summer cash. Miley has been spending her summer moving from pillow to pillow, couch to couch and sunny spot to sunny spot looking for the best places a hound can lounge.

 

The beauty of summer is the small routines we rediscover when the busyness of the school year is not compressing time. We enjoy a walk each evening, Amy takes the kids to the library during the day, our dinner prep becomes more leisurely and we're generally able to take a few deep breaths and watch the sunset. The charge we received from the keynote speaker at the kids' end of school assembly said, "Neither bored nor boring be". We are doing our best to live up to the challenge and find that balance between relaxation and leaning into new adventures.

 

That's it for this month from the House of Broughton!