Dave Ramsey

is a brilliant man and an excellent teacher.  If you have never heard of him, I challenge you to go here to check out his business, which is actually a ministry to so very many people.  We are so thankful God placed his program in our lives when he did.  Sometimes we wish we had found him sooner (ok, all the time) but we are thankful that it was not years down the road buried in even more daunting debt.

We have had many people ask us about our Dave story, and I finally was encouraged to sit and write it all out after Sunday School this morning.  Our church started up his class this past week, and my husband impromptu decided to share a little bit about our blessing from the program.  As I saw the eyes of some other desperate people in our church longing to be debt free, I decided to share as much of our full story as I could.

 Before I get started, I want you to understand that I am sharing this so that others (possibly yourself if you need the encouragement) to see that it is possible.  I know for me, seeing people on the commercials or on the videos was neat, but it was not REAL to me because I had no clue who they were.  This is me.  This is our story and it is as real and dirty as the pig in the pen down the road.  I share this for God's glory.  He provided over and above opportunities for both CR and I to work more than usual for us to meet these goals.  We prayed and prayed for abilities, desires, and jobs to come our way.  I felt like during this time, the verse ""Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, " Luke 16:10 was living out right in front of us.  At first we just had a few ways and as God saw us being faithful to Him with what we had, he provided more and more each week for us to work more to earn the money.  As I look back I am brought to tears in awe of his grace for us.

Now, for our debt free journey.

When we got married in November of 2006, I came into our marriage with about $50,000 in student debt and a brand new car that carried a $30,000 loan balance.  Within that next year, we moved to South Texas and were convinced we needed a Rain Soft Water softener from Home Depot for about $4000.  No big deal, just open a Home Depot credit card and pay it off in 6 months interest free.  Well then I did not get a teaching job that next year, and just subbed.  Whoops.  With all my free time I decided why not get my masters degree?  Just add it to my student debt.  A year and half later and $30,000 added to my student loans (which I was always told was good debt .... LIES) I had my Masters.  Big deal.  At my new teaching gig it only gave me a  $1000 bonus.  Not so much of a promise to be worth it and pay for itself soon.  Yikes.  That next summer since I was not getting pregnant on my terms of timeliness I decided to get my principal certification.  It was JUST $6000 through the ESC and I could pay it off within the year I was in the program.  But what about all that other debt?  Oh, just keep paying the minimums and you will get through eventually.  Yikes.  And then since we still weren't getting pregnant, why not build a house?  And get a Direct Buy membership for $3000 to help you with those expenses ... you know, going through Direct Buy will save you 10 times over your membership cost when building a new home yourself.  FALSE.  So, let's recap .... we are at about $123,000 in debt scattered out here and there so it didn't look that bad.  Whoa.  How did that even happen?  That did not even include the house.  

In January of 2010 is when we started the process of our house.  We took Dave Ramsey in March of that year.  As we were going through the class, some emotions of regret MAY have creeped up our backs at each meeting.  But this is where we were, so let's buckle down and get to it.  I have on my notes that when we started getting serious, we were $225, 000 in debt including the house.  By December of 2013 we were down to  $157, 766 (with the house) and by June of 2014, we were debt free except the house.  I say that because that is the way Dave Ramsey likes to do it.  You pay off everything except the house, then build on other things (emergency fund, college, retirement) and then pay off the house after all of that.  So, to wrap it up, we paid off over $123,000 in debt (I say over because of the WONDERFUL interest rates) in about 4 years.  In those 4 years, I had 2 children via c-section (hello hospital bills), quit my full time teaching job to stay home, started a new business, sold a car and cash flowed a newer one, and still survived.  We definitely could have cut even more corners than we did.   FOR SURE.  However, this is what worked for us.  I remember sharing with my parents and grandmother one night over dinner that at the end of each month, I usually cook beans and cornbread (instead of rice and beans like Dave suggests) because it really does save on groceries.  I remember my grandmother looking at me puzzled and said, "Oh Lauren, y'all aren't that bad off, are you?"  I said, "No, but right now, until we get out of this burden on our shoulders, we will do whatever we can to save wherever we can."  

Being able to take a vacation to Disney World after we were debt free, was such an amazing feeling.  Here is our "WE'RE DEBT FREE" scream.

Another thing, we did not, and I say this with such thanks to God but encourage you to not skimp on it either, ever miss a tithe for church.  We truly believe that because we were faithful with that, the Lord was faithful and continued to provide ways to work above and beyond.

"You must set aside a tithe of your crops--one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year." Deut. 14:22

Do you have a Dave Ramsey story?  I would love to hear!!!  We are on Baby Step 4 and so eager to get to pay off the house within a few more years.  

Disney World

Ahhh, the most magical place this side of Heaven.  I think since the day of Kirby's birth I have dreamed of taking her to Disney World.  I so desired to keep princesses (mainly the mother overload of princesses and the princess like attitude that often accompanies) away from Kirby.   I have known many of toddlers, and some much older for that matter, that took the princess thing way too far and just short of insisted others call them as such, so I did not want to have to go there.  You know what I mean ... I am sure you have met one or five in your lifetime as well.   I was scared that they would overtake my dirt loving, boot wearing, curly toped little doll; instead they brought her more imaginative play than I could have ever dreamt up.  Slowly they have found her, but thankfully between prayer and parenting, we have been able to keep it down a notch.  She likes the idea of them and seems to play dress up throughout they day, but the movies they are in don't seem to appeal to her too much.  Rapunzel is her favorite.  Favorite.  Cinderella comes in a close second.  So we knew this was the time in her life that we needed to get to fantasy world.

Rewind back to this post.  We decided that since we have been putting all we could towards debt the last six years (if only we had found Dave Ramsey before we got married!) that our family deserved a bit of a celebration and treat.  And treat it was.

 I am so glad she got to see Sofia.  She is her all time favorite and I am so happy about that.  I love what Sofia's story portrays, her humbleness, and her love for just about everyone she meets.

 We got the photo pass added on to our package.  Eh, I may say next time we save our money.  They did get some good shots, but for the most part I was disappointed in their "eye".  Right behind us is a gorgeous, HUGE, lovely Christmas tree.  I wanted to get one in front of the tree to show just how big it was .... hmmmm, well we can see an ornament or 2.

 Snow White gave Patton a kiss that stayed on all day.

 Day 2 in the afternoon came down pours .... it did not slow this squirt down one bit!

 It got cold, I mean super cold on us.  Yes, we are from South Texas and wimps for the most part, however, we were not prepared for 40 degrees, wet and wind.  I had on 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of socks, boots, 3 shirts, a fleece vest, gloves and a ski cap and still was chilled to the bone.  

 Possibly the best part of the whole deal for CR and I was the musical light show that was at Hollywood Studios.  Amazing.  Took my breath away.

 CR was amazed that the tractors in the movie Cars started out as a cows head.  So need to see the animation side of things.  

     I think it is safe to say that Disney World was a good run for Patton Luke.  This was him on the plane ride home.  Funny story ... on the way there he was great but active and bouncy, and Kirby slept most of the way there.  So I told CR, "Hey, how about on the way home we switch so you can be blessed by Patton's inquisitiveness for 2 hours and I can snuggle with Kirby."  Bit me in the booty ... Kirby was the bouncy, active, curious little doll on the way home.  

This is for sure something that I would love to do with my family again.  We would like to wait probably another 2 years, though, so that Patton could enjoy it more and for Kirby to be taller.  She was just shy of the 40" marker so there were quite a bit of rides we missed out on.  Also, at this age they are both a little skeptical (ok scared to death) of dark and loud, so some of the shows were not great for them.  But the princesses at this time in her life were worth every minute and dime of the trip.  Disney does everything over the top and awesome.  On our anniversary, they had balloons and a card delivered to our room.  Everywhere we ate, the food was great, whether it be at a quick stop, buffet, or the sit down service restaurants.  Everyone was over the top friendly and greeted you with the warmest of smiles.  I also felt like we went at a great time of year; despite the crazy cold front that came through (everyone there said it was totally unexpected and rare) I would do that exact week again.  The lines were fast, even the ones that we did not have a fast pass for.  The longest we waited was about 20 minutes for the Sofia signing and that was because she had to take a quick break while we were in line.    

All praise goes to the Lord for allowing this trip to come to fruition.  I am so thankful that he blessed me with clients who booked me, bought their pictures, referred me, and for the many extra opportunities that CR has been given to make a little extra money here and there.  When you are diligent, faithful, and pray about your funds, it is amazing (aaahhhhhmazing) how the Lord provides ways for you to earn it.  The money is not going to just fall on your plate (I am still looking for that money tree I once heard about) but sometimes the opportunities do.  I am forever grateful for this moment we got to step away from the farm and from my business to completely be a family of 4.  I am thankful the kids adjusted well and did not have trouble napping or sleeping in the evenings.  I am thankful for a husband who became a kid again to join in on the adventure and memories.  

""Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."  Luke 2:14

Thankful

I am thankful that my life has been too busy to sit and update our family storybook.  This means that I am blessed with busyness by my little loves in my life and the big love of my life.  I had a moment this afternoon while I was doing my Bible study (currently Children of the Day by Beth Moore) that hit me like a sucker punch in the left eye.  The kids were napping so I took the time to really dive as far as I could into His word and soak up every ounce of clarity that Beth provides.  At the end of today's lesson she was talking about her Aunt Jewell and that she had this recipe that when she was 18 she loved (Squash Pickles) but now can't seem to really remember why she wrote the recipe down or why she once thought they were good.  Then she says, "It's so clear to me all these years later: she was the recipe I wanted."  You see, Aunt Jewell left a legacy in Beth's eyes and it was her she was after ... not her cooking.  Immediately in my notes I put that I want to be the recipe my children long to have and know.  I want to leave something with them besides hollering at them to stop hollering at each other.  Or something besides remembering that they got spanked for hitting.  Or to yell for them across the house to quit yelling for me when I am in the other room.  Catching my drift?  They imitate me already .... I want them to be imitators of someone I want imitated!