Dirty four letter word...

D-E-B-T.

I think that I, like so many others, compare so much of what I have and do to what others have and do. I don't consciously try to keep up but I think we are all programmed to. Maybe not programmed to but taught to be constantly wanting more and being told by so many outside sources that what we have isn't enough and you need more. More clothes, more activities, bigger houses, newer cars, and bigger vacations to name a few things. No one talks about the toll all the "needing more" takes on people's wallet. Sure credit is easy to get and use but at what cost? To show others what you have?

Live and learn right? Well in our living nearly 8 years of marriage we have made mistakes. We have taken on student loans, car loans, credit cards and have foreclosed on a house. I could go into great depth on each one of these decisions and why they seemed like good ideas at the time. I will say that we had nearly no choice but to foreclose on our house. We tried every option to sell it and ruined our credit in the process. Loooong story. 

Eight years of marriage and we are finally learning what we need to do with our money. Please don't misunderstand, were not backed into a financial corner. Jeremiah is a great provider and we are very well taken care of. We're not reckless spenders. We have 3 credit cards with $2000 limits and we would never want more. We don't go on lavish vacations or buy the newest things. We go to yard sales, shop the clearance rack and enjoy finding the best deal. So why am I rambling on and on about finances?

I have wanted to read this book for awhile. Jeremiah's dad bought it for us for Christmas. I read it in a day and felt like I'd been smacked upside the head and things were all clear. We have been working for years to pay bills and going nowhere. Paying interest on student loans and never making a dent on the principle. Nickle and dime-ing our paychecks and just plain old never getting anywhere! We are dying to buy a house but have just not been able to believe that would happen for us again.     

Big changes had to be made if we wanted to stop working just to have all the money spoken for before it even hit our bank account. We want to stop working for money and make our money work for us! So we have started Dave Ramsey's baby steps. We saved an emergency fund, started snowballing our debt, wrote out a budget, and started using cash. I truthfully feel quite empowered. It sucks knowing that we have been paying so much money to debts each month that should just be our money. But I am loving having a plan for out money and knowing where EVERY SINGLE PENNY is going. No money is unaccounted for. 

It is not going to be easy. Sacrifices are going to be made. I canceled our cable tv. That was a big step for me. You know what? I don't miss it for a second. There won't be many trips to the stores, no big vacation this year for sure, maybe even for 2 years, no extra things to be bought and sticking to a strict budget. It seems daunting right now. But long term it will be so worth it. 

We want to be able to let our kids do extra activities. Help pay for school, missions, weddings and so much more. We also want to be able to help our parents when that need help.  If we keep going along like we are right now I don't see how that can be possible. So we are committed to doing this now so we can live like we want to later. It will be worth it to make these changes for the short term so out long term future will be great.

So don't be offended if we tell you no we can't go out to dinner or to the movies. Its not personal. Every bit of money that we have coming in will be going to pay off our debts. I have fun prospects and ideas to make extra money at home :) Hope you don't mind being bombarded with my new endeavor.

One huge thing we will be doing better is not eating out or making unplanned trips to the grocery store. I have always been a frugal shopper. In the past I would meal plan and shop but then be to tired at the end of the day to cook so it was just easier to go grab a bite to eat. What a waste!!! My crock pot is my new best friend. I cook in the morning and then is done and ready to go by the end of the day. So nice!

We have been using cash for the past month. I feel like the cashiers that I have used look at me like a drug dealer. Who actually uses cash these days!?! Well we do and we won't be going back. It was always so easy to think I was going to spend $100 but actually spend $125 because I could. I love not using my card and knowing exactly how much money it there. 

Everyone needs to read The Total Money Makeover. Even if you decide to not do it there are just so many great money tips in there. I personally have a new perspective on money. I don't know how long this will take. A year or two for sure. I am sure we will have setbacks along the way. I know we can do it. I can't wait to be debt free!

Hoops...

Bode started basketball through the city a few weeks ago. I am glad we live in a place that offers so many things for kids to do. Last year was painful to watch. He didn't get it at all. This year we can already see improvement. He has been practicing with our hoop at home and really listens to his coach. Last Saturday he even made his first basket in a game! He was very proud. I worry that sports will be frustrating for him. He has surprised me this year. Don't worry, I'm not thinking he's a superstar, but he has put in effort on his own and has improved. Who knows what he will do in the future but I am glad that he is working hard and having fun. Love this boy!  

Look Dad...

"I cut the cheese"

I know she doesn't really know what cut the cheese means but it made me laugh.

Silly girl.

Can't keep her down...

Piper is a climber. Laine was a climber too but she seemed to be less determined than Piper is. Little P waits until we leave the room for a second and she makes her move.  

We will be buying furniture anchors. 

Cinderella...

This past week Laine had a birthday party. It was a princess party. All her little friends came in disney princess dresses. Earlier in the morning as we were preparing for the day Laine brought down her dresses. Piper was trying her hardest to get it on. Laine went upstairs and brought down one of her older dresses. We put Piper in it and oh... it was the cutest thing. Piper was SO happy to be wearing a cinderella dress. She was so smiley and followed Laine around holding hands.

I hope they can always be friends.

A Sunbeam...

This sweet little bug is a Sunbeam at church. She did very good her first day. It is fun being in the primary where I get to see my kids in their classes and interact with their friends. Laine did really well sitting in her chair and listening to her teacher. Who knows how she did in class but she said it was so fun. I taught sharing time and she did want to come stand with me. They just grow up so fast. Love you Laine Jo!

Can I go on the ice to...

Laine and I, plus a group of friends, got to go see Disney on Ice. It was really well done and the girls really enjoyed it. Laine (and I) had a rough start to the morning but I am glad we made it. She wore a little mermaid princess dress. She ended up taking it off half way through because she said it was itchy. In the end all the princesses come out. She saw the little mermaid and jumped up to yell "Little Mermaid!! I wore your dress! I look just like you!". I love this age. Everything is so real and magical.

Since it is her birthday week she got to spend some of her birthday money at the show. She chose a Tangled hair kit. She has been offering to brush and do everyone's hair ever since. I am glad we got to go. It was a good memory for both of us.  

Ouch...

We have been riding bikes and scooters to pick up Bode from school in the afternoons. It doesn't take too long and the kids enjoy it. The summer coops you up for so long that you have to play outside while you can.  Laine got a razor scooter for Christmas. She was really good at riding Bode's and is so happy to have her own. Wednesday this last week she was showing me tricks on the way home from the school. She hit a patch of gravel on the sidewalk and went down face first into the pavement. She hit hard. She busted open her lip pretty good, scraped up her nose and got a good bloody nose. So sad. Luckily it was on the way home so I had Bode with me. He took his and her scooter home while Laine sat on my bike as I pushed her. She was really good about the whole thing and was ready to ride her scooter the same day.

Day 2

Her lip was so big! This picture makes her look quite sad but she really wasn't. She was on the verge of laughing and smiling while I was taking her picture. It looks good today. Still a bit swollen but not as noticeable. Sheesh, take a kid out with scrapes or a bruise on their face and you get a lot of odd looks.

Children's Museum....

Over the Christmas break we got to the children's museum with the Brooks's. These kids had a blast.

These girls loved rearranging the flowers.

We went a few months ago with friends and Piper was to little to do anything. This time she got to be more hands on.  She loved the little station where you used water to paint a rock.

Getting so tall and grown up. Love this guy.

14 cousins and counting...

plus one more Merrill baby coming in June :)

These kids don't get to see each other that often. As much as each of us bed and plead for people to move closer it probably won't happen. So when they do get to play together they sure make the most of it. They play hard, make messes, stay up late and enjoy each other. There will come a day that they are too old to play. I hope they will remember the times we gather as a family as good times full of cousin fun.

New Years...

For New Years we packed up the car and headed north to the snow where ALL of my siblings managed to be together for a few days. The kids were in cousin heaven!

The Papa's made it from Arkansas. It was so much fun to have both of my sisters together at one place. I miss have Jill around. We all went to Les Mis. It was fun.

We had planned on leaving Sunday night or Monday morning but it snowed. We used it as an excuse to hang out until Tuesday. 

These kids are so very lucky to have such awesome dads and uncles and grandpa. While we were at the moves they made a sledding hill in the front yard. 

Christmas morning...

Christmas came and it was a success. 

Santa brought presents and it was exactly what each of them wanted. 

Plus they slept in till 7:30. 

Christmas Eve...

The traditional photo by the tree. It's crazy how quickly things change in a year!

We spent Christmas Eve at our house with grandpa Steve, grandma Rena, Lee, Aaron, daisy and Rockwell. It was a nice evening. We didn't have to put complicated gifts together so we just relaxed.  Once again I am reminded that I cannot bake. My sugar cookies were horrible. The kids had fun decorating them anyway. We were saying our goodbyes to everyone and I mentioned to the kids it was just about time for bed. Before everyone was gone they had run up the stairs and where under the covers of their beds.  It doesn't matter how old you get, the anticipation of chairs at morning makes it impossible to sleep?

Love all these people!

Curls please...

On the Sunday before Christmas the kids got a squeaky clean to go to church. Laine's hair is growing out, finally, and I decided to curl it. She was happy to have me do it. I set her up to watch from church videos on the computer to keep her occupied. During the video saw these two girls taking. She made me stop the video and she proceeds to tell me, "no more curls mom! I want hair like those girls". They both had cute little bobs. Soon Laine, soon! Can't blame her for knowing what she wants. 

HSP...

Here we are again. In the hospital with Bode. Makes my heart hurt. This was the Friday before Christmas. Thursday he woke up kinda feeling yucky. I decided that since it was a half day at school he could stay home and come to my preschool party. By 10:00 he was taking a nap on our bed. That wasn't normal. He had a fever and was just not feeling well.  Later in the day he complained of being nauseas and having a belly ache. 

He woke up the next day feeling fine he just at little bumps on the back of his knee. He played at a friends house in the morning and I watched kids in the afternoon. Around 4 he came in saying his legs hurt. The rash that looked like bumps in the morning had spread and were flat and purpley red. My first thought was chicken pocks because we had a note home from the school a week or two before saying a few kids in his class had them. 

I called our doctors office and they recommended going to urgent care or the er. I chose the urgent care. While sitting at the urgent care Bode's joint pain worsened and they started to swell. The urgent care doctor told us to head to the er. She said she thought he had HSP but that tests needed to be ran before it was confirmed. 

It was a long wait at the er. Luckily Jeremiah was able to meet us there. He has a calming presence and we were both glad to have him there. We got a crappy nurse. If you work in a pediatric er shouldn't you have some kindness in your heart for children? She couldn't find a vein to draw blood and poked him 4 times before calling someone else to try. He was brave but its not fun to have someone fish around your arm with a needle telling you to stop crying. 

He got some good meds and tests confirmed HSP. Basically he has a virus. After his body fought off the virus it didn't stop and attacked him. It caused the rash, swelling and joint pain. Worst case scenario is kidney failure. He urine came back good that day and blood tests were great. We left there at about midnight with a tired boy and a prescription for the pain. Think arthritic joints. Poor boy. 

He was so hungry when we left. We all were. He really wanted nachos. But nothing was open. I remembered the Subway by our house is a 24 hour one. So we drove over there. Well apparently I missed the memo but it isn't open 24 hours anymore. Bode was all loopy from his meds and was mumbling in the back seat. I didn't catch all he said but I laugh out loud when I caught the words " it's all Obama's fault". Thankfully jack in the box was open and he settled of a burger. 

The rash has been pretty nasty but getting better. His joint pain is nearly gone. We went back in for a followup appointment and all the tests came back great. Such a relief. HSP is typically a childhood thing. It could come back but shouldn't have any long term effects. Just a rare fluke. Every doctor we saw pulled in a nurse or med student to see him because it isn't seen too often. 

He is good now. His feet hurt a bit but he is acting like him self. This kid! He sure knows how to much us worry. 

Typewriter...

Read this post.

I read my mom's post late the night after she wrote it. I called her and told her to go get it out of the trash because I wanted this typewriter. I have looked for years for one just to use as decoration. I am glad to have one that means something.  

Singing is hard work...

This is Laine Jo after her preschool party. She sang one song then stood by me the rest of the time. I sometimes for get that she is not quite 4 yet. She plays with older kids so she acts a little bit older. She is a sweet stubborn little girl that I love to pieces. 

Is that you Santa Clause...

W got to see Santa at a family party this year. Although Bode has previously written to the big man in red for a Snake Bite remote control car, he changed his mind and asked for a bb-gun instead. Santa said "you'll shoot your eye out". Bode came to me later and said, "mom, why would he even say that."  We watched A Christmas Story the very next day. 

Laine asked for a pink scooter.. You can see by the look on her face she is a bit skeptical of this whole Santa thing. 

Piper jus sat there.  

Dancing Queen...

Laine had a winter dance recital. Her joy and excitement over it warmed my heart and made me happy. She was so excited to wear make up and get her hair done all special for the occasion. 

She loves to be in on things. I can't really tell if she likes to dance or if she just likes being there. She is really coordinated. She runs fast, can throw a ball and has been riding a bike without training wheels since October. For now she likes to dance. I think she will enjoy t-ball and soccer when she gets old enough to play. 

She did great this time around. I guess not having a double ear infection will make you dance better ;)