Ok, so I really wanted to title this post "Oh, Hail!" but I wasn't sure that would go over well with some people. The more I've thought about the storms from last Wednesday evening and night, I want to put some memories down.
Before school that morning I had "informed" my children that Nana and I would be getting pedicures, shopping and having lunch for our Mother's Day gifts. I told them there would be no early pickups from school today, belly aches, head aches and just not feeling good wouldn't get them picked up. I would only pickup early if they were dying. I told Mollie's Parent's Day Out teacher basically the same thing I had told the kids.
Nana and I got our pedicures and were shopping when it started raining and the wind picked up. As we were running in TJ Maxx my cell phone rung. It was Kristi, Mollie's PDO teacher. She had drawn the short straw and had to make the call. "I hated to have to call," she said. I was thinking about just telling her to let her take her nap somewhere else, but as I was thinking, "Oh what a wonderful day," she told me school was letting out early because of the storms.
Nana and I grabbed lunch and went to pick up kids. By this time the sun was shining which I've since learned is not a good thing with wild and wacky weather. As the big storms came closer to town the kids and I debated whether we wanted to go to church. But Michael, being a 6 year old genius, told me, "We are safer at church, because we can hide in the back class room downstairs and God is there. He will protect us." You guessed it, we went to church.
Mikie had decided he was leaving work 30 minutes early to beat the storm, walked to his van and had to return to his office because of a tornado warning in the county where he works. At 5:10 he called to say he was leaving, an hour after he originally tried to leave. He barely made it out of the front gate when another tornado warning was issued.
Church activities were busy that night as usual and there was only heavy rain. We stood around and talked and finally got home about eight o'clock.
As Mikie went out to bring Maximus from his outdoor kennel to the basement I heard a tornado warning had just been issued for our county. I quietly and peacefully told the children to go to the basement. Oh, okay I can't lie, they were upstairs, I was on the main level and I panicked. "Everybody downstairs, go to the basement now. I don't care that you're peeing. Finish in the basement. GO, GO, GO NOW!!!!"
I've always aggravated my Mother (Nana) that it is her fault I'm terrified of storms. The last tornado that went through our little hometown was 34 years ago. She was pregnant with me and working at the White Way. The manager didn't know a tornado was coming through town and told her to hold the front door shut cause the wind was blowing everything in the store. Needless to say when she finally decided she couldn't hold the door shut and took off to the back of the store they realized what was going on. So I'm sure there is some inter-womb caused fear of storms there. Which one day I will think to ask my friend Kristel if that is possible.
Back to Wednesday night, as we went down the steps, I turned them around and sent them for flashlights while I informed Mikie who was now standing in the backyard looking up at the sky what was going on. One of these days the inevitable will happen he will become a lightening rod. I've heard we have other friends who may join him in this same demise.
As Mattie cried uncontrollably about her friends who didn't have basements, lived in apartments and the trailer park, about the cat who was afraid of the dog in the basement and chose to stay upstairs, and the bunny in the cage upstairs that I wouldn't bring to the basement because of the dog, Maggie and Michael discussed what they would do if Momma and Daddy died. This whole conversation was taking place in a very small bathroom which contains a toliet and vanity and at that time, 3 small lawn chairs, 4 very upset kids, one sitting on top of the toliet and a great dane. I shut the door and went outside with their Daddy.
As the first hail storm began, I went to the hallway outside the bathroom and sat down. Michael was deep in conversation with Maggie.
"If Momma and Daddy get killed I'll shoot myself with my new bow and arrow. I can't live without my Momma and Daddy." Me, "Michael your new arrows barely go through the target all you will do is hurt yourself." Him, "Then I'll get out my BB gun and shoot until I die." As much as I appreciate his dying love for me and his Daddy I couldn't help but laugh. Mikie broke up the woe is me and made them go to the sliding door to watch the hail storm. Once it stopped they had fun playing with it. And of course hollering "Oh Hail!"
This whole event occurred within 15 minutes of getting home from church and the power went out in the process. We spent the night in the basement, sat in the bathroom several more times, one included Mikie when he saw a cloud he didn't like the shape of over the lake. At 4:30 the next morning when Mikie got up to go to work we all went to our own beds. School had been canceled and we slept for a few more hours. Once we got up I surveyed the damage, which fortunately wasn't too bad, considering our neighbors got much worse. Pictures on the news and Facebook showed the damage to our friends homes and cars and to our little hometown were an F1 had passed through tearing up the high school and lots of homes, which started in that cloud Mikie didn't like over the lake.
As the kids and I spent the day doing basically nothing cause we were mentally and emotionally exhausted I thought about how God has blessed us. I don't know why He continually blesses my family. We aren't anything special, we just try our best to follow His will and do what He tells us to do. I pray for those families in my hometown and other counties close by that have damage and have lost loved ones. I can't understand why the Lord lets things like this happen. But I've realized it's not for me to understand or comprehend. Only to trust to Him.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
My Royal Wedding
Ok, I have to admit, I only watched about 5 minutes of the entire Royal Wedding television event of the 21st Century. My girls on the other hand watched longer. They questioned why Prince Philip is not King and how the whole monarchy thing works, and why we Americans care in the first place. None of which I understand either, maybe someone can enlighten us all. Anyhow, we were pleased to see that Kate looked just like any other woman on her special day. Beautiful!
It got me thinking about my own wedding 13 years ago this month. It had been planned for 14 months and had grown from a small, simple affair to a much bigger, longer, more expensive gathering. It would have been much easier to have eloped or gotten married in my parents back yard (where I wanted to). Being the only daughter, my mother wanted everything in my wedding that she didn't have in hers. She and Daddy were paying, I obliged on everything except the dress.
The last few weeks became very nerve wracking. My soon to be husband was on a deployment and cutting it too close for comfort on his arrival back home. But nonetheless he made it home just in time. Our very talented soloist delivered her child early and was still able to grace us with her beautiful voice. The church's new carpet, pew coverings and wall paint were finished the week before our ceremony, a little behind schedule, but done. I appreciated them wanting to have it done before our ceremony, but everyone was a little nervous it wouldn't be. The new electronic grand piano had been ordered to replace the old organ and was late on delivery, so I spent the day before the ceremony playing and recording all of the instrumental music to its computer memory. Papaw had been placed back in the hospital, and bless his heart, promised me he wouldn't die (like he had a choice) until after our wedding if I promised to reserve him a "missing man" position on the pew. I did and he didn't, the Lord took him home to be with Mamaw two days later.
The day of the wedding was pretty laid back thank goodness. We didn't follow most of the wedding etiquette that Ms. Post would recommend in her books. We took almost all the pictures beforehand including the ones of Mikie and I. We let people in the door as they arrived, some out of town guests arrived extremely early. My piano students and the children from the church's children's ministry (where I was working at the time) were honorary bridesmaids and groomsmen. They wore their Easter outfits and sat on the front pew in front of the family, because all children love weddings and should be able to see what's going on up front. No one stood as I walked in or out, because we both had Grandmothers who were not physically able to stand without assistance at length and we wanted them to be able to see.
The maid of honor hurt her foot the week of the ceremony and so she hobbled down the aisle way. Daddy and I slowly walked down the aisle to where my mother and Nana were seated when I realized I had left their roses in the back window of the church. I stopped, turned around, motioned to the wedding director to bring them to me. At this point the flower girl was heading back down the aisle when she stopped and crawled in Mom's lap, so she handed her off to the wedding director when she brought the roses. After giving the roses to Mom and Nana, I took a step and heard this extremely loud, air being sucked out of the room gasp by the 300+ people in the Sanctuary. As I attempted to take another step I felt my dress pulling behind me and thought that the wedding party would be viewing something they didn't need to be seeing. I had managed to get my train caught on the bottom of the candle holder fastened to the pew. As I had stepped the candle holder had tipped and my quick on her toes cousin had managed to catch it before it hit the new, just installed the week before carpet, or my dress.
We made it to the alter, where the Pastor proceeded to preach a 15 minute sermon before Daddy gave me away, he asked me if I took Mikie as my lawfully wedded wife, Mikie plighted me his "trough," I got really nervous and Mikie had to hold my music book while I sang to him (but it kept him occupied), it lasted 45 minutes and we exited to the "Hallelujah Chorus." Mikie let out a big, redneck whoop on the front porch of the church as we went out and half of the Hell's Angel's Motorcycle group must have been passing by.
Yes, it was a wonderful, eventful, hard to forget wedding, that will never be seen on national television or talked about for decades to come, but it was my day of royalty and no one else mattered. Well ok, maybe Mikie did. And my children love to watch the replay with Mom and Dad and have vowed if they get married it won't be anything like ours.
It got me thinking about my own wedding 13 years ago this month. It had been planned for 14 months and had grown from a small, simple affair to a much bigger, longer, more expensive gathering. It would have been much easier to have eloped or gotten married in my parents back yard (where I wanted to). Being the only daughter, my mother wanted everything in my wedding that she didn't have in hers. She and Daddy were paying, I obliged on everything except the dress.
The last few weeks became very nerve wracking. My soon to be husband was on a deployment and cutting it too close for comfort on his arrival back home. But nonetheless he made it home just in time. Our very talented soloist delivered her child early and was still able to grace us with her beautiful voice. The church's new carpet, pew coverings and wall paint were finished the week before our ceremony, a little behind schedule, but done. I appreciated them wanting to have it done before our ceremony, but everyone was a little nervous it wouldn't be. The new electronic grand piano had been ordered to replace the old organ and was late on delivery, so I spent the day before the ceremony playing and recording all of the instrumental music to its computer memory. Papaw had been placed back in the hospital, and bless his heart, promised me he wouldn't die (like he had a choice) until after our wedding if I promised to reserve him a "missing man" position on the pew. I did and he didn't, the Lord took him home to be with Mamaw two days later.
The day of the wedding was pretty laid back thank goodness. We didn't follow most of the wedding etiquette that Ms. Post would recommend in her books. We took almost all the pictures beforehand including the ones of Mikie and I. We let people in the door as they arrived, some out of town guests arrived extremely early. My piano students and the children from the church's children's ministry (where I was working at the time) were honorary bridesmaids and groomsmen. They wore their Easter outfits and sat on the front pew in front of the family, because all children love weddings and should be able to see what's going on up front. No one stood as I walked in or out, because we both had Grandmothers who were not physically able to stand without assistance at length and we wanted them to be able to see.
The maid of honor hurt her foot the week of the ceremony and so she hobbled down the aisle way. Daddy and I slowly walked down the aisle to where my mother and Nana were seated when I realized I had left their roses in the back window of the church. I stopped, turned around, motioned to the wedding director to bring them to me. At this point the flower girl was heading back down the aisle when she stopped and crawled in Mom's lap, so she handed her off to the wedding director when she brought the roses. After giving the roses to Mom and Nana, I took a step and heard this extremely loud, air being sucked out of the room gasp by the 300+ people in the Sanctuary. As I attempted to take another step I felt my dress pulling behind me and thought that the wedding party would be viewing something they didn't need to be seeing. I had managed to get my train caught on the bottom of the candle holder fastened to the pew. As I had stepped the candle holder had tipped and my quick on her toes cousin had managed to catch it before it hit the new, just installed the week before carpet, or my dress.
We made it to the alter, where the Pastor proceeded to preach a 15 minute sermon before Daddy gave me away, he asked me if I took Mikie as my lawfully wedded wife, Mikie plighted me his "trough," I got really nervous and Mikie had to hold my music book while I sang to him (but it kept him occupied), it lasted 45 minutes and we exited to the "Hallelujah Chorus." Mikie let out a big, redneck whoop on the front porch of the church as we went out and half of the Hell's Angel's Motorcycle group must have been passing by.
Yes, it was a wonderful, eventful, hard to forget wedding, that will never be seen on national television or talked about for decades to come, but it was my day of royalty and no one else mattered. Well ok, maybe Mikie did. And my children love to watch the replay with Mom and Dad and have vowed if they get married it won't be anything like ours.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Do you do chores or jobs?
Do your kids have chores or jobs? We have both. Chores are done daily and pay in hugs and attaboys. Some jobs are daily, some are weekly but they pay commission. We've used chore/job charts for a long time to list what needs to be done, how much it pays if it does and when it needs to be done. We use them for a while and then it seems we get bored with that particular process and I switch to something else.
Even the kids get bored with the commission process. I've noticed lately that we are having more difficulty doing our chores/jobs because of a couple of new shows on PBS Kids in the afternoon. Then one of my piano student's Moms told me she has started paying in electronics time. So for each job/chore done correctly the child is awarded so many electronics minutes with his Nintendo DSi, computer time, TV times, etc.
So for the next few weeks in our house we are going to try this, especially since Spring Break is next week and I won't be letting them lay around and watch TV everyday. Although that's what they will want to do. It will help with getting the work done around here and give them a chance to earn some TV time. They can earn enough time daily to watch a 30 minute show or can save their minutes for a longer time period.
I have typed up a new chore/job chart for them to check off and I think it will bring new excitement to our jobs.
This won't be a long standing process, I plan to use it for 4 weeks. I will then go back to commissions because I get paid in money for jobs that I do for others and I expect my kids to develop a work ethic.
I know that we are going to have a few issues with the payments in minutes process because some of my kids could care less if they don't watch TV and other's will get up extra early to do all the chores/jobs for the day to get all the minutes. So I will have to manage it well as problems arise.
The other problem, and the main reason we will only do this for 4 weeks is that there is no way to tithe our TV minutes. It's hard to turn in a voucher to church for 10% of our time in front of the TV. However we can tithe 10% of our time in our Bible reading before we watch TV.
My hope is that this process will get things done around here a lot faster and without much argument. I think it's a great idea and am thankful for the Mom who gave me the idea.
Our first week starts Sunday, so we will see how it goes.
I can't upload my chore/job chart so if you would like a copy please email me and I will send it to you.
And if you know how to help me get it on my blog, please let me know!
Have a great weekend!!!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Advent 2010
Two years ago when my children were 2, 3, 5 and 6 years old, their Dad was deployed through Christmas, I purchased an Advent wreath. It was made of different sized boxes. I stuffed each box with a goody or a note for a goody. You can use this same concept with anything that you have 25 of at home, like paper cone trees on the table, 25 mismatched socks, or 25 brown paper bags. Below you will find my gift list for this year’s 25 days of Christmas. Each of the gifts is typically limited to $1.00 per child, since there are four, including the outfits they will receive on Day 1 and Day 12. I purchased those at Belk in February for 98 cents as I have the last couple of years. I budget and buy all year for Christmas so I am able to find really neat gifts for $1.00 or less.
1: Check the foot of Mom and Dad’s bed. (a new Christmas outfit or shirt for each) (put note in calendar)
2: Afterschool trip to Sonic for a half price slush (place 4 $1.00 bills with note in calender)
3: Cadoozles pencils. They're mechanical and have cool colors and decorations. Look for them at office max. The kids got 2 each.
4: Note for Movie Night @ home with popcorn and Pepsi (soft drinks are treats @ our house)
5: Trip to the Air Base and watch Daddy’s plane take off (note)
6: New Board game (I’ll have to check my stash) (note, game on table)
7: Choose gifts to purchase for Samaritan’s Purse (money budgeted in Christmas gift budget)
8: Note of encouragement for youngest 3, eat lunch with Mattie @ school
9: Super Glow Wands, sword, stars. Dollar Tree after Halloween
10: ICEE from Weigels
11: Cookie baking with friends to take to Nursing Home
11: Cookie baking with friends to take to Nursing Home
12: New Sunday dresses and suit (for church Christmas program)
13: Lunch with Maggie, notes of encouragement for other 3
14: Drop, Ring and Run gifts @ Neighbors (dollar tree hand towel, pot holder, etc)
15: Lunch with Mattie and note of encouragement for other 3
16: New Pj’s for Pj day at school (bought @ consignment)
17: Trip To Air Base to pick Daddy up.
18: Veggie Tale’s movie (free with Pre-buy of Sweet Pea Beauty)
19: Coloring Book/Word Search Book
19: Coloring Book/Word Search Book
20: Christmas shopping with Daddy for Mommy (yes more than $4 but time with Daddy is priceless)
21: Grammy's 3 day Christmas Adventure with the cousins
22: No gift today, still at Grammy's
23: Ride and look at Christmas Lights
24: New Christmas book
25: Baby Jesus is here and placed in the Nativity set and Daddy reads the Christmas Story
Think about your children and let your ideals come from them and their interest.
We also use a book with a devotion for each day of Advent. Some families read a little bit of the Christmas story each day until Jesus arrives.
We also use a book with a devotion for each day of Advent. Some families read a little bit of the Christmas story each day until Jesus arrives.
Merry Christmas,
Michelle
PS. Since I'm late on publishing I will tell you school was out today, the 8th. So I couldn't eat lunch with Mattie. Instead each child spent 15 minutes with me alone doing what that wanted to do with no interruptions from anyone else. Of course they loved it and Mommy did too. Michael doesn't have a special lunch day because I worked in his room the 2 days before Thanksgiving and ate lunch with him both days.
For more ideals check out my post from last year about the 25 days of Christmas.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Dear Dave,
Back in January I wrote a letter about our journey to becoming debt free. I've read it at the Leadership Team Meeting one month for Building a Better Future but never published it. When I sent it in to Dave Ramsey the events team asked for a photo of our family and permission to quote from it at live events.
Below you find my letter to Dave, for safety sake I've removed names because I am becoming a little more paranoid for the kids safety online. But I wanted to share it with you. We will be starting another Financial Peace University Class in August. Contact me if you need info. Hope you enjoy!
January 18, 2010
Dear Dave,
This letter has been many years in the making. I grew up in a “tight” family. As a child we lived on the envelope system, only ate at McDonalds if we had a coupon and always took our own cheese for our burgers. Mom never taught me to use the envelope system but she did teach me not to buy if you didn’t have the cash. We used credit cards and paid them off each month.
My husband’s family was just the opposite. His father owns a construction company and they live from house to house often using draws on the business for living expenses.
When we married in April 1998 our financial knowledge, or lack of, collided. We financed furniture for our first home which my husband spent five months building. Then we financed our first computer. Both payments were no interest if paid on time and paid off in a certain number of months. We had the money to buy both with cash and didn’t. We needed to establish our credit right? Stupid we know now. We both were working, spending, and living paycheck to paycheck with not much to show for it.
Five years later we had sold the first house, built a second, had a one year old and pregnant with a second child. The war in Iraq started and my husband was deployed. When Turkey closed its borders to our military personnel, his unit was sent to England to wait with most of the other units. Fortunately, he was home in six weeks. During those six weeks away, he had a lot of time to read, listen to the radio, surf the Internet and think.
We both knew that God had called me to stay at home with our children. My husband was full time with the Air National Guard with a big desire to finish college and take over the family construction business. When he returned home he wanted nothing more than to use a budget. We had tried in the past but always gave up. This time though we knew it would be different.
In June of 2003 we decided to take a huge step, our families thought we were crazy of course. My husband had learned about you and Crown Financial Ministries. We started the Crown 13 week Small Group Study on our own. It took us five and a half weeks. At the same time we were reading and studying your books. We did both because we wanted a Bible study that we could do together that gave us the Biblical reasoning behind what we were doing. But we also knew that we needed to apply your principals to really stick to it.
Fortunately the only debt we had was our mortgage. I was a public school music teacher and hated the thoughts of having to return to work in the fall. Our second child was born in October and then I returned to school after Christmas. I think it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I knew that it wouldn’t be much longer and I would be home full time.
We learned to live on his paycheck and save mine. Every three months we would pay a chunk on the principal of the house and reamortorize. Our mortgage began to shrink and I could see my next career a little clearer.
Our oldest child was three years old and our second was 17 months old when our only son was born. He was born into a debt free family, with a stay at home mom and a dad who at the age of 31 had returned to college while working fulltime. It’s took him six years but he will graduate from Carson-Newman College in May with a Bachelor in Business Administration. We had paid our mortgage off in three and a half years, had an emergency fund of nine to twelve months, and even paid cash for a used, reliable minivan. Fifteen months later our fourth child was born and we knew that our family was complete at this stage in our lives.
During these years we had taught the Crown Small Group Study at church because honestly our church just wasn’t ready for Dave Ramsey. We often had friends over for dinner and conversation usually led to money. I always felt and still do feel guilty talking with friends who have so much debt when we don’t have any. But then I look at the cars they drive, their home, their clothes, their children’s expensive activities and the fact that both of them work to keep up with their lifestyle and I realize I shouldn’t feel guilty. I should feel sorry for them.
In December of 2007 three couples had dinner at our home on separate nights. Each couple had the same mission when they invited themselves over, seeking advice with their money. By January we had registered a new Financial Peace University class for our church. The first class had 17 families. Another couple and I provided childcare free of charge. In the fall of 2008, he taught his second FPU class before being deployed through the holidays.
During his deployment I began promoting the next class. Worried and afraid I would let my guilt get in the way, I prayed and started the class as he returned home. We finished in April. This time he provided childcare.
We met last spring with one of your ELP’s to discuss our retirement and wealth building. He said we were on the right track. Although it had taken us 11 years we can live comfortably when the housing market bounces back, he retires from the guard and begins building houses. Thanks to you and a great military package offered through the Shades of Green we took our then seven, five, four and two year olds to Walt Disney World for the first time last summer.
Friends often ask me if I will go back to work when all the kids are in school. I don’t know, I want to have a flexible schedule so I don’t miss out on anything. What I really want to do is counsel other families and help them with their money, time, and family management skills. But I want to be available where there is a need and I feel led by God. I believe that I will be able to do that thanks to your teachings, our sacrifices and God’s grace.
To close I have a couple of stories I would like to share, the first about our now seven year old daughter. When she was five the compact disc player in the van always played the cd’s from Financial Peace University. One day she heard you talking about the bridge that Jesus built. She began to question her daddy about that bridge. She prayed that day to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. For our family, Dave, you not only taught us how to manage our money but also encouraged our daughter in becoming a Christian.
The other story is about our six year old daughter. She has had the hardest time with you Dave even though she has known no different. She often makes comments about you when she is upset about not getting something she wants. Our family favorite was during a weekly trip to Dollywood last summer. She wanted popcorn and coke during a show. I told her no that I didn’t bring enough money and she could eat a snack that we brought. She replied with, “I guess Dave Ramsey won’t let me have popcorn, huh?” Sorry Dave, but at least she got it.
Last spring my husband went to church to watch the Town Hall for Hope, I put the kids to bed and turned on the radio. Our second oldest daughter’s asthma was acting up and so she was lying on the bed with me. As we listened, she asked, “Why does Dave Ramsey know so much about money?” I told her that at one time you had a lot of money, then you owed and didn’t have much money and now you have a whole bunch of money. She told me she was just tired of us always talking about money and Financial Peace and Dave Ramsey. I turned and looked at her and said, “You know, because of Dave Ramsey and God, Mommy gets to stay home with you. If we hadn’t listened to Dave Ramsey I would take you to daycare every morning and go to school to teach.” I stopped to let it soak in for a minute. Before I could say anything else she replied, “Sh, Mom, Dave Ramsey’s on the radio.” Thanks Dave. We lived like no other, so now we can began to live like no other.
Below you find my letter to Dave, for safety sake I've removed names because I am becoming a little more paranoid for the kids safety online. But I wanted to share it with you. We will be starting another Financial Peace University Class in August. Contact me if you need info. Hope you enjoy!
January 18, 2010
Dear Dave,
This letter has been many years in the making. I grew up in a “tight” family. As a child we lived on the envelope system, only ate at McDonalds if we had a coupon and always took our own cheese for our burgers. Mom never taught me to use the envelope system but she did teach me not to buy if you didn’t have the cash. We used credit cards and paid them off each month.
My husband’s family was just the opposite. His father owns a construction company and they live from house to house often using draws on the business for living expenses.
When we married in April 1998 our financial knowledge, or lack of, collided. We financed furniture for our first home which my husband spent five months building. Then we financed our first computer. Both payments were no interest if paid on time and paid off in a certain number of months. We had the money to buy both with cash and didn’t. We needed to establish our credit right? Stupid we know now. We both were working, spending, and living paycheck to paycheck with not much to show for it.
Five years later we had sold the first house, built a second, had a one year old and pregnant with a second child. The war in Iraq started and my husband was deployed. When Turkey closed its borders to our military personnel, his unit was sent to England to wait with most of the other units. Fortunately, he was home in six weeks. During those six weeks away, he had a lot of time to read, listen to the radio, surf the Internet and think.
We both knew that God had called me to stay at home with our children. My husband was full time with the Air National Guard with a big desire to finish college and take over the family construction business. When he returned home he wanted nothing more than to use a budget. We had tried in the past but always gave up. This time though we knew it would be different.
In June of 2003 we decided to take a huge step, our families thought we were crazy of course. My husband had learned about you and Crown Financial Ministries. We started the Crown 13 week Small Group Study on our own. It took us five and a half weeks. At the same time we were reading and studying your books. We did both because we wanted a Bible study that we could do together that gave us the Biblical reasoning behind what we were doing. But we also knew that we needed to apply your principals to really stick to it.
Fortunately the only debt we had was our mortgage. I was a public school music teacher and hated the thoughts of having to return to work in the fall. Our second child was born in October and then I returned to school after Christmas. I think it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I knew that it wouldn’t be much longer and I would be home full time.
We learned to live on his paycheck and save mine. Every three months we would pay a chunk on the principal of the house and reamortorize. Our mortgage began to shrink and I could see my next career a little clearer.
Our oldest child was three years old and our second was 17 months old when our only son was born. He was born into a debt free family, with a stay at home mom and a dad who at the age of 31 had returned to college while working fulltime. It’s took him six years but he will graduate from Carson-Newman College in May with a Bachelor in Business Administration. We had paid our mortgage off in three and a half years, had an emergency fund of nine to twelve months, and even paid cash for a used, reliable minivan. Fifteen months later our fourth child was born and we knew that our family was complete at this stage in our lives.
During these years we had taught the Crown Small Group Study at church because honestly our church just wasn’t ready for Dave Ramsey. We often had friends over for dinner and conversation usually led to money. I always felt and still do feel guilty talking with friends who have so much debt when we don’t have any. But then I look at the cars they drive, their home, their clothes, their children’s expensive activities and the fact that both of them work to keep up with their lifestyle and I realize I shouldn’t feel guilty. I should feel sorry for them.
In December of 2007 three couples had dinner at our home on separate nights. Each couple had the same mission when they invited themselves over, seeking advice with their money. By January we had registered a new Financial Peace University class for our church. The first class had 17 families. Another couple and I provided childcare free of charge. In the fall of 2008, he taught his second FPU class before being deployed through the holidays.
During his deployment I began promoting the next class. Worried and afraid I would let my guilt get in the way, I prayed and started the class as he returned home. We finished in April. This time he provided childcare.
We met last spring with one of your ELP’s to discuss our retirement and wealth building. He said we were on the right track. Although it had taken us 11 years we can live comfortably when the housing market bounces back, he retires from the guard and begins building houses. Thanks to you and a great military package offered through the Shades of Green we took our then seven, five, four and two year olds to Walt Disney World for the first time last summer.
Friends often ask me if I will go back to work when all the kids are in school. I don’t know, I want to have a flexible schedule so I don’t miss out on anything. What I really want to do is counsel other families and help them with their money, time, and family management skills. But I want to be available where there is a need and I feel led by God. I believe that I will be able to do that thanks to your teachings, our sacrifices and God’s grace.
To close I have a couple of stories I would like to share, the first about our now seven year old daughter. When she was five the compact disc player in the van always played the cd’s from Financial Peace University. One day she heard you talking about the bridge that Jesus built. She began to question her daddy about that bridge. She prayed that day to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. For our family, Dave, you not only taught us how to manage our money but also encouraged our daughter in becoming a Christian.
The other story is about our six year old daughter. She has had the hardest time with you Dave even though she has known no different. She often makes comments about you when she is upset about not getting something she wants. Our family favorite was during a weekly trip to Dollywood last summer. She wanted popcorn and coke during a show. I told her no that I didn’t bring enough money and she could eat a snack that we brought. She replied with, “I guess Dave Ramsey won’t let me have popcorn, huh?” Sorry Dave, but at least she got it.
Last spring my husband went to church to watch the Town Hall for Hope, I put the kids to bed and turned on the radio. Our second oldest daughter’s asthma was acting up and so she was lying on the bed with me. As we listened, she asked, “Why does Dave Ramsey know so much about money?” I told her that at one time you had a lot of money, then you owed and didn’t have much money and now you have a whole bunch of money. She told me she was just tired of us always talking about money and Financial Peace and Dave Ramsey. I turned and looked at her and said, “You know, because of Dave Ramsey and God, Mommy gets to stay home with you. If we hadn’t listened to Dave Ramsey I would take you to daycare every morning and go to school to teach.” I stopped to let it soak in for a minute. Before I could say anything else she replied, “Sh, Mom, Dave Ramsey’s on the radio.” Thanks Dave. We lived like no other, so now we can began to live like no other.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
How Do I Get My Blog Off Facebook
I don't know what I did to get all my blogs on my facebook notes, but they are all there. I don't want them to be there. Does anyone know how to stop it from sending them to facebook?
Monday, March 15, 2010
How Do You Spend Your Tax Refund?
I finally filed our taxes tonight. You would think working at H&R Block that I would have done them sooner. But no, I procrastinate. Having four children and the Making Work Pay Credit give us a pretty good chunk of a return. If it weren't for the kids we wouldn't get anything back. We don't have a lot taken out of the paycheck. Better to have the money in hand each pay period than to loan it to Uncle Sam and get it back at the end of the year. Because of the kids our tax liability is low to zero every year which we love.
After I filed I sat down with a notebook and my return and budgeted our refund. Now I'm not going to tell you how much we got back total but I will give you some idea of what we are going to do with it.
Each person who worked this year will receive up to $400 back on their return. If you didn't work or worked very little you will receive up to $400 too. So I decided that since the President wants us to spend some money in this poor economy we should split the amount we will receive and use it as blow money. I have lost 27.5 lbs so far and think that a new spring wardrobe on the government is exactly what I deserve. Well of course Mikie doesn't., so we compromised. I can spend $100 on clothes, he gets $100 for whatever he wants. Hopefully clothes, cause he's lost 2 pants sizes too. But nonetheless the rest will purchase new living room furniture and I can move the money I was saving for it to something else.
The next thing we agreed on was to take the amount we received from the additional child tax credit and split it between the four kids mutual funds for college. It won't be a huge amount but it will help in this year’s contributions.
We received a month's worth of Parent's Day Out fees in the daycare credits so that will be budgeted for PDO. Which will free up some money in the monthly budget.
Then we had about half of the refund left. I was thinking I would use it for school, my teaching license runs out next year and I've only taught 4.8 years of the 5 years that I needed to teach on this license. That's what 4 kids in 4.3 years gets ya.
Anyhow, after talking with Mikie we decided it would go into the used car fund. So I'm keeping my eyes open for a newer Suburban. As for school, Mikie will graduate in May and we still have money saved from his degree. I can also use military spouse options. Now I just have to decide on what classes I want to take.
So I know that most people use their refund for vacation, to pay off bills, or buy a car. But what will you do with your tax refund? Leave me a comment and let me know!
After I filed I sat down with a notebook and my return and budgeted our refund. Now I'm not going to tell you how much we got back total but I will give you some idea of what we are going to do with it.
Each person who worked this year will receive up to $400 back on their return. If you didn't work or worked very little you will receive up to $400 too. So I decided that since the President wants us to spend some money in this poor economy we should split the amount we will receive and use it as blow money. I have lost 27.5 lbs so far and think that a new spring wardrobe on the government is exactly what I deserve. Well of course Mikie doesn't., so we compromised. I can spend $100 on clothes, he gets $100 for whatever he wants. Hopefully clothes, cause he's lost 2 pants sizes too. But nonetheless the rest will purchase new living room furniture and I can move the money I was saving for it to something else.
The next thing we agreed on was to take the amount we received from the additional child tax credit and split it between the four kids mutual funds for college. It won't be a huge amount but it will help in this year’s contributions.
We received a month's worth of Parent's Day Out fees in the daycare credits so that will be budgeted for PDO. Which will free up some money in the monthly budget.
Then we had about half of the refund left. I was thinking I would use it for school, my teaching license runs out next year and I've only taught 4.8 years of the 5 years that I needed to teach on this license. That's what 4 kids in 4.3 years gets ya.
Anyhow, after talking with Mikie we decided it would go into the used car fund. So I'm keeping my eyes open for a newer Suburban. As for school, Mikie will graduate in May and we still have money saved from his degree. I can also use military spouse options. Now I just have to decide on what classes I want to take.
So I know that most people use their refund for vacation, to pay off bills, or buy a car. But what will you do with your tax refund? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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