God's Timeline

Well, an offer has been made on the house. Because of our situation, we don't even have to worry, it goes straight to the bank. So that is the nice part. It does take time and I am thankful for the family that put the offer in, that they are so kind to be patient. We are so thrilled. I am praying it goes quickly so that we can go ahead and find the area we would like to rent in.

The kids are awesome!! I can't believe that Mady turned one and is such a joy. She is so sweet. She has moved into the room with Hunter. They really are so sweet to one another. Hunter has been with his dad now for 2 weeks and he seems to be doing really well. We have been really doing well. School is taking a lighter version as I learn some more and change again our style of learning and schedule to fit the changing needs of our growing family.

Bret is still taking his CPA class and all is going well. It has been quite a journey as we come over to Phoenix every weekend so that way we can be close. The girls have been enjoying swimming all day on Saturday. I have been enjoying laying out and getting a little color. :) Bret really loves that.

I started a Bible study with my friends, Beth Moore's, "The Ascent of Psalms." So far, because we are only one week into it, it is very good. It talks about song and how we truly rejoice in songs. Our souls were created to the angels singing, so it would be natural that songs/music could encompass our being in a way that words can't. But to be careful to know the words you are listening to. Whether contemporary Christian or good old fashion hymns. So far, the one thing I got out of it, was how God is always so pleased and rejoicing when we are taking steps of success to being closer to him. It has been a great encouragement.

Summer has been going, we are slowly starting to pack and I am starting with the garage. That is a challenge. I am really just enjoying hanging out with my girls and starting to revamp our learning style.

God bless to you all. Have a blessed week.

Way too long...

Well, life is full of many surprises. Especially when you are serving an Awesome God! I never know the full plan of my life, but I know that I am a servant for the Lord first and foremost. And when the chaos of life throws itself at me, well, I know where I stand...most days.

It seems that Hunter has gone to live with his dad for the summer on a trial period. The joy that has filled our home has been immense. For those that aren't divorced or in a situation of shared parenting, it is hard to understand this decision. Hunter, it seems has a syndrome..."the grass is greener". So we let him experience with a little net of security. He may choose to be there permanently, but I am at peace with where the Lord has taken this situation.

Another bend in the road has been that we have to short sell our home. It wasn't planned at all, but with a loss in some income for my husband, it seems to be our only option. We knew when we purchased this home that we should rent, but rather than listen, we are now eating our consequences. :) But the Lord has been good and it was on the market for less than 2 days there was a offer. A wonderful family with three boys. Our backyard will be perfect for them.

We will look for an option to rent only and hopefully something a lot less than our mortgage and start paying down our debt. That is our number one priority. If we really buckle down we can do it in 2 years!! I am so excited.

Along with this move, we may put the internet back in the home. Not quite for sure, but maybe on my phone. :)

The kids are doing great and Mady's first birthday was yesterday! I cannot believe it. She is a miracle and I am so thankful for the Lord's blessing our family.

So here we are, the short version. Perhaps later I will write more in detail.

One Week and Counting...

I am counting this past week as a week of missing something. I didn't realize how much time I spent on the computer till all the frills were gone. Now I have more time to really focus on the kids, character training, discipline, reading, laughing, playing, and just really enjoying the small moments. I can't believe how much time has gone by.

So at the end of the day I am here at the library. I am really trying hard to remain focused on our goal and not what I am missing out on. I do miss the people, it does get rather lonely with it just being me. With Mady being on such a great schedule I do miss out on a lot of my other mom's groups because I am not willing to mess with the schedule. It has been hard.

It really makes me keep things in perspective, and really keeps me on my knees. It helps me to be creative and really stay on top of things, because I do not have anything else to get int he way of that. There are things I miss, but I really feel that the Lord will bless my heart and the goal that we have of being debt free.

Mady is 10 months old now and crawling everywhere! She loves the freedom. Emma, Lauren and Hunter are all doing awesome in school and the summer will be here before we know it. It will be busy as we will continue with year round school this year. We have found 2 rattlers in the yard and it has been fun. The garden is growing and I can't wait to have the extra time to plant more things. Danielle is just sweet as can be.

We are all well after 2 weeks of sickness...fevers, coughs, ear infections, sinus infections, and just allergies. I am glad to be on the mend. I hope to post more, but little one is fussing and my time is almost up. Life is good, my heart is full and my eyes are on the Lord. God bless.

A Debt Ladder

Today I spent some time on the computer making a debt ladder. Taking our credit cards and putting them in order from least to greatest. Then I added the $200/month savings from disconnecting our internet and phone to our lowest credit card bills monthly payment. Going from $100 to $300/month. So basically in 6 months I will have that one paid off, then I will roll the $300 to the next one and move up the ladder.

There are a few options, the first one is that our car will be paid off in 2 1/2 years. So that is exciting as we get higher on our ladder and need that money, it cuts our time down by 1 year. And because we do owe to the government, hopefully we can negotiate and then that can lower it another year. So we are excited.

Seeing it written down does help to keep us focused and it doesn't seem so daunting.

My goal is to print it out and put it on fancy paper and then tape it up by my bed so I can have my focus be on that, and pray over it each night.

So within 4-5 years we could be completely debt free, only house and 1 car and then some regular monthly bills. Oh what the Lord will have us do with the money He is freeing. I can't wait. I hope to encourage others in this venture as well.

God bless.

Priorities

Not quite sure if I am going to give up my blog. I love sharing much of who I am. I am not perfect and I like showing that to people...just in case you think otherwise. :) We are for sure going to get rid of our internet and phone at home. Life is changing drastically at our home.

We are in debt, it isn't a happy place to be and the burden is much to bear. So with that, we are going to sacrifice in every little area that doesn't matter and then pay off our debt. So, perhaps what I will do is chronicle what we are doing. Giving you the truth and nothing but the truth and the nitty gritty, so that way, if you are challenged or convicted you can maybe glean from our past mistakes.

Our first big thing is we no longer have our credit cards...they are gone...all of them. We have sat down and looked at our bills and have seen where most of our money went...oops that is my fault, eating out, Starbucks and Target. (Who doesn't love Target.) So we now know where to cut back, we haven't gone out to eat since we put our bills in order, though over the weekend, Bret and I did go on a date. We did eat out, though it was happy hour at our favorite restaraunt, so that helped a great deal.

I will chronicle our credit cards and the debt we owe on my next post. But for now, the first step was for us to get rid of all the little things...phone, internet, cable/dish, weight watchers online, Onstar, internet on hubby's cell phone, lowered our minutes, lowered anything that we paid for monthly that was excess. It has been amazing that we saved over $200/month just on that alone! We also have really put a tight reign on our groceries and have a set budget...

So here we are. The next post just might be at the library, or hubby's computer at work when I visit him. Praise the Lord I can type fast. :)

God bless.

Isolationism, Fear and Addiction

Well, this is a heavy topic, but one that my heart has been led to talk about. Mainly because it is just now that I feel comfortable with where I am at, where the Lord has taken me and how he has taken me there.

My goal has always been to be a great mom. Not just the kind that stays home with here kids, but the kind that interacts, loves and kisses her kids. I want to encourage them, disciple them, train them, etc. But I will share with you what keeps me from all of that.

My computer, my emails, my facebook, my blog. Other things are more important and get in the way. Other things make my heart more selfish and long more for "me" time then for the important things...my children.

I have known this about myself for a long time. So long in fact that the Lord really spoke to my heart many times before about my problem. You see having a large family is great, full of so much fun and surprises, but it also can lead to, for me, fear of being alone. I am a huge people person, so my fear is not having people around me. Besides my children.

So how does my title play into where the Lord is leading me right now...well, when you are a people person and have a little one who nurses and is on a tight schedule come the evening not really allowing me too much time, you fall into a rountine that usually involves the same thing and you can't do much outside of that. When you have little ones who are sick and you miss a few weekends at church, where your family is, you feel a little isolated when you come back. The fear of the unknown.

That one is big. You see we are at a crossroads. The Lord has showed us that we are missing blessings because of the debt we have over our heads. So we are cutting back, I mean really cutting back. To the point of no land line, no internet, and many others. I don't mind it because I know that in the end we are following the Lord's promptings. We can then enjoy the Lord's blessing because we are doing what He has asked of us. But there is fear of not knowing what to do, so much is being taken away, so there is fear.

My addiction to the computer has also brought up the fear and isolationism. You fall into a rut of doing the same thing, you fall into a rut of just going through the motions. The fear of finances. I don't want that fear anymore and am willing to sacrifice all my creature comforts for us to successfully get out of that debt. It may take a few years, but it will be well worth it in the end!

I am excited to see where the Lord is leading us. It won't be easy, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, I see the silver lining and it is so much more beautiful without the burdens.

Don't worry I will give warning before I just disconnect.

Just Fun Happenings

Life goes by fast. Blink an eye and my 9 1/2 month old is trying to crawl. My 2 1/2 year old is trying to go potty by herself, and my 5 year old is learning so much more each day!

Life is hectic and I am learning the preciousness of enjoying and savouring each moment. The good ones and the bad ones. The good ones are filled with laughter and love, the bad ones, lessons that are learned and humbling of spirits.

Here are some fun photos we took the past couple of days.

Lauren on our walk to Sabino Canyon. It was so beautiful outside and the sun was shining with a cool breeze. She is growing up so fast. She is so beautiful on the inside and outside.

Hunter and Lauren. Theyare so cute together. They really enjoy playing together. I love them so much.

My hubby and 3 of the girls. This is water run off from the snow melt. It was really high and rushing today. This spot had some beautiful rocks to hike through and there was even a bat on the side of a rock. (Not the one they are sitting on :))

Amidst the desert there is green, lush green. The kind of green that reminds me of living in Colorado - my favorite place.

More lush green. There was such a clean, sweet smell in the air. It was so refreshing.

My hubby and myself, with Emma. We had such a nice walk. We walked 3 miles!

Lauren, Emma and Hunter. They are so cute! I can't wait to have more!

This is what a 15 passenger van looks 1/2 full. :) There are plenty of empty seats for more blessings.

This is what happens to a baby when she is having way too much fun in the bathroom. She was trying to reach for anything she could within eyes sight. It was too funny.

"Look mommy, look." "What are you eating D?"

"Dis mommy, dis."

"Cheeeeze."

Bread pudding before a 2 year old found it and devoured almost 1/4 of it! I couldn't believe how much she loved it! It was so tasty. I will definitely make that one again.

Well, these were just a few pics of a few days in the life of me. Nothing too exciting, but you know what full of love and memories. Tonight a wonderful movie with my hubby and a nice and quiet evening...well, hopefully if the kids will go off to bed. :)

Good night and God bless.