Christmas time!

It's starting to look a little more like Christmas! And so it is time to make cookies and Christmas treats :-) This week we made snowmen pretzels...... it seemed like a really cute/great idea.... but it became obvious right away that is was going to take alot more time and patience than I was aware of! Ginger bread houses are next on our list!

Strom photos

More pics

It has been so much fun dressing Ava in fall clothes! And the best part is Ava loves to have her picture taken now. She loves it!

Hat time!

The Testimony:

I have been asked by people the last week and a half what I said at church on Sunday so I figured I might as well post it on the blog so those people could see :-)

First off I am so excited that we are starting the Dave Ramsey course, Financial Peace University, here at our church. When asked if we would speak about our experience with this course my only concern was how I was going to contain everything into 3 minutes :-)

Ben and I took this course last October at Life Church. It was a gift from my parents. And in all honesty we agreed to go but were not excited about it. We thought we were doing fine and didn't want to be told anything different. But after we went to the 1st class our lives and attitudes completely changed. And we got really excited about taking control of our finances and our future.

Dave Ramsey taught us how to tell our money where to go instead of the other way around. How many times have you wondered at the end of the month.... where did all our money go? It somehow disappears.
Or how many times do you and your spouse have what Dave calls "money fights?" With money being one the biggest stresses today.... it's very likely. But since taking this course Ben and I can honestly say what we have not argued about money. And just that alone I believe is HUGE!

Ben and I had always had the thought tha a budget was a restriction or was holding us back from something. But once you tell your money where to go you will feel like you have just gotten the biggest raise of your life.... when really you didn't.

Dave taught us baby step by baby step how to and what to do with our money.We no longer worry about future things like: What will we do if the car breaks down, basement floods, one of us loses a job, kids colleges and retirement.

This course is for everyone and anyone who craves finacial peace. In our group we had people from all stages of life, Married, single, families and retirement. After the last course we were sad that is was over but excited to put to work what we had learned. Everyone in the group came up to Ben and I and told us "to stick with it"! Because if they would had known what they knew now there lives would be completely different. Where Ben and I wished we would have been taught this in highschool!

Dave's course teaches 7 steps to financial freedom. And we have not only gotten that but more!And we want everyone to experience what we have.

(The course starts Sept. 13th if anyone is intersted in it just let me know!)

Having fun at the lake

5k!!

I did it! I ran my first race. 5k isn't huge but it's a start.... and I wanted to die after it :-) It was just so humid out! Beth (in the 1st pic) has inspired me soo much. She was the most inshape pregnant mom I have ever known. She has a 2 week out little boy and yes she ran/walked this race too! Ben and Ava woke up early Sat. morning to come cheer me on! It was great to have the support there :-) Now I guess it's time to train for a half huh?

My Not so Little Girl

Well Ava has now moved out of her crib and into a BIG GIRL bed. It was sad to take the crib apart but exciting to repaint her room to go with the new bedding I found.

Catching up!

It's been alitttle bit since I blogged last so I'm playing catch up :-) My Aunt Linda was here a few weeks ago and recently got back from a trip to China. She bought this for Ava... and Ava loves it!

E this is for you since you aren't on facebook :-) Ava loves these tools and when I tucked her into bed a few weeks ago I found these in bed with her :-) So I convinced her to lay them next to her in their own bed... so here she is lining them up!

Arts and Crafts

In this cold weather today I thought I might try something I saw in a magazine this week. And it turned out great! And Ava loved it. 1 tray, shaving cream. food coloring , paper and a fork :-)

Jumping Rope!

Madelyn's Baptism

This past weekend we went to the cities for M's Baptism. We had such a great time! It was so wonderful to get to see M, E and Baby S too!

Happy Father's Day!

WE love you!!

So sweet...

The Parade

On Sat. we went to the parade with Jenny and Ellie. The girls did such a great job waving at everyone going by :-)