Session 4 -- Dumping Debt....

Tonight was Session 4 of our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class we're co-leading on Tuesday evenings for 13 weeks.



It is by far the most intense chapter (at least I think) of this class.



Our friend, Kendall, referred to this chapter as Dave's Signature Chapter. I think I would agree with that statement.

Here are some interesting facts outlined in this chapter.

**The credit card was born in 1950.
**The Visa brand was established in 1976.
**Discover entered the scene in 1986.

Dave Ramsey gives a VERY GOOD case for getting out of debt -- that includes credit card debt, car loan debt, student loan debt, etc....and eventually, mortgage debt (we'll be working on that one for awhile -- but, it's a goal).

He debunks a lot of myths about credit in this chapter -- VERY interesting.



PLEASE make sure you read the verses at the top of this blog. They're from Proverbs in the Message version -- again, great stuff.

Have I convinced you yet to take a class?

Unfortunately, we're full right now. But, we'll be offering it again next fall. If you don't live around us, click HERE to search for a class that might be happening near you.

Random Monday....

One week a month, Marc works late most evenings of the week. That would be because he's an accountant -- working specifically in Inventory Accounting at Cessna. During that one week a month, they're "closing out the books" from the previous month.

Well, this is that week this month. So, Luke and I know that we'll be "two peas in a pod" this week.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that tonight is the University of Kansas vs. University of Texas basketball game. Marc's a HUGE Texas fan. Since Marc wouldn't be able to see Luke awake today (because of work), he requested some photos of Luke in his Texas shirt. I did e-mail them to Marc at work, but here they are for the rest of the world to see.





Luke and I ran an errand late this morning. After the errand was completed, Luke said, "Chhhh," from the back seat. I knew that meant he wanted to go look at a train. So, I drove him to the tracks....and it was Luke's lucky day. There was a train -- a LONG one. So, here's a photo of Luke watching a train.



I was microwaving Luke a single chicken strip tonight. I followed the instructions on the package and even lessened the time because of our microwave's high wattage and tendency to overcook. Oopssss....I know this doesn't look at all appetizing, and that would be because it's not.

It burnt and left a nice smell in the kitchen. Marc actually just recently replaced an old smoke detector in the kitchen. The new one is a bit sensitive. Fortunately, though, it didn't go off for this burnt chicken strip.

And yes, I did fix him another one. I did much better the second time, and Luke did eat it :)



We got snow again last night. We didn't get as much as some folks south of here, and we certainly didn't get enough to at all compare to some of you folks on the east coast. But, it was pretty this morning. (And you east-coasters can keep your massive snow amounts on the east coast).

Here's looking out our front door.



And, on our deck....I LOVE the trees in our back yard -- as well as our neighbor's trees. We actually have quite a few trees, relative to Kansas, of course.



This past Saturday evening, Marc and I had friends Jerry and Shirley over for supper. Jerry and Marc used to work together years ago. We keep in touch with this couple. I failed to get photos of them, but I will mention that Shirley brought Luke some bubbles. Normally, I don't like bubbles in the house, but seeing how cabin fever has hit us all, I've been blowing some bubbles in the house. Our carpet could use a good cleaning anyways. Surely, some other of you moms out there do this as well :)

I hope you can see the bubbles in these photos....The bubbles kind of blend in with the carpet. If you can't, use your imagination. Just trust me -- they're there.







Luke's been wanting more and more to eat with a spoon. However, he will only use it on his own if it's something like applesauce, yogurt, or mashed potatoes. He has yet to figure out that a spoon can also be used for things like peas, peaches, etc. Never mind that I show him daily.

He actually doesn't do too bad -- for only being 18 months old.





Well, how's that for randomness on a Monday? Until the next post....

Meal Planning Monday....On a Sunday!

Whoa -- I haven't blogged in awhile -- not really like me.

I'm not sure why....I guess we've been busy. To be honest, I haven't taken many photos the last few days. Shame on me! I'll get right back on that tomorrow.

In fact, tomorrow evening is the big University of Kansas vs. University of Texas game. Even though we're Kansans, Marc's a H.U.G.E. Texas fan. So, guess who he'll be cheering for? He's already instructed me to make sure that I dress Luke in his Texas jersey tomorrow. So, there will be photos for sure :)

Anyways, until then, here's our meal plan for the week.

Monday, February 8, 2010
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Fruit

Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Frenchie Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Vegetable

**Yes, we did have this last week as well. We liked it so much. I have the stuff for the meal, and so, we're doing it again.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Tater Tots

Thursday, February 11, 2010
Southwestern Corn Tortilla Soup -- from Olde Westport Spice Company

Friday, February 12, 2010
Sarah: Out to eat with friend, Sarah H.
Marc: Beef Enchiladas

Saturday, February 13, 2010
Lunch: Rummage
Supper: Out to eat at Sumo with Community Life Group

Sunday, February 14, 2010
Lunch: Rummage/Leftovers
Supper: Pizza from somewhere; Dessert of some sort for Valentine's Day

That's all for now! It's snowing here right now (Sunday evening), and it's supposed to through the night. So, we'll see what tomorrow brings :)

A Minor Frustration....

I actually have several blog posts "on deck," and believe it or not, I was just sitting here at my computer for a bit -- trying to decide which to post.

This post actually happened a few weeks ago. It was a minor frustration, and I'm sure it's happened to most of you.

Luke and I typically do our grocery shopping on Monday mornings -- after I've made out my meal plan for the week (and posted on this blog). From the plan, I have a list.

We had been doing most of our shopping at Wal-Mart, though this month, I'm doing a little experimenting with our food budget. So, a good portion of my shopping will be done elsewhere.

Generally speaking, I grocery shop with reuseable shopping bags. I do not do this because I'm trying to "tout the green movement," because quite frankly, I get sick of hearing about it. I do it because I don't want to be wasteful with plastic/paper shopping bags, and remember, we, the consumers, ultimately pay for grocery bags. I'm just doing my part to help keep prices down. How's that for Economics 101?

But, on occasion, I do use plastic grocery bags because I do REUSE them at home for our small trash cans.

So, a couple of weeks ago, when Luke and I were shopping, was one of those times I needed to "restock" my plastic bag supply at home.

We had our usual cart full, and I was doing my usual wincing at how much my total was. (And, I know we all do that at grocery prices sometimes).

This was when Luke had his double ear infection that was not yet diagnosed. So, I was struggling just a bit to keep him happy during this grocery trip.

Sooooo, admittedly, I wasn't paying real close attention when the cashier was ringing and sacking everything up....

Oh, how I should have been paying attention and should have said something to the cashier on her sacking efforts:



This photo actually doesn't do it justice, but may I just say, "We don't buy groceries for a family of 10."

This particular cashier used SOOOOOOO many sacks for my groceries that day. I realize they're not supposed to put raw meat with other things, and cleaning products should not be with food, BUT....



Butter, Sour Cream, Tomato Paste, and Chili Beans SURELY could've been sacked with something else.

AND....



Cereal bars and stuffing mix SURELY could've also been with something else.

In the end, I stuck all of my grocery sacks in one sack....



I didn't count the number of sacks that day, but let's just say that I won't need to replenish my sack supply for quite awhile. Reuseable bags -- here we come for weeks to come!

Does this ever happen to anybody else? Wow!

A Little Boy Named Luke and Dave Ramsey Update....

Marc and I each have a visor from the Pikes Peak Marathon. Nope, I certainly have NOT run that marathon, but my wonderful husband has completed it a whopping 7 times.

Last summer one day, specifically in August, Marc was wearing the visor in the car. Luke was sitting in the backseat and was pointing at the visor. He wanted to play with it. To keep him happy in the car, Marc gave it to him....

Marc really hasn't gotten it back. In fact, here's a photo from last August of Luke playing with the visor while we were purchasing our Trail Blazer. It kept Luke happy during the vehicle buying process :)



Several months later, Luke still enjoyed playing with the visor. Then one day, Oliver was here -- the little boy I watch, along with his sister, Lily. Oliver too wanted to play with the visor. To avoid a fight between two little boys, I went and grabbed my visor -- a white one. Oliver took to playing with the white one.

Then, whenever Oliver wasn't around, Luke took to playing with both visors.

Are you following me on this one, or am I being confusing?

We thought it would be a little phase -- after all, Luke's young.

We couldn't have been more wrong.

Almost 6 months later now, Luke still LOVES to play with the visors. Generally, in the mornings, they're one of the first 5 things he grabs.

Today was no exception. I managed to capture Luke with both visors on camera today.





I actually bought Marc a Texas Longhorns visor for Christmas. He absolutely does not give it to Luke....We're not sure if he'd get it back.

*****

For Christmas, we bought Luke a truck. Since then, he's enjoyed playing with it off and on -- mainly pushing the buttons to make noise.

Last night, I was at a Community Life Council meeting at church. When I got home, Luke was in bed, and Marc told me that they had done quite a bit of playing together -- probably Father/Son type playing (some rough-housing, I'm sure, was involved).

Marc did mention to me that he worked on teaching Luke to ride his truck (the truck is indeed made to ride on).

**A little side note -- Keep in mind that Luke was a VERY LATE walker. So, he's JUST barely now starting to get into the climbing. I know that most 18-month olds are climbing all of the time, and I do realize our day is coming.

This morning, I was in the kitchen for a bit while Luke was playing nicely in the family room. I stepped in to check on him, and this is what I found -- with ZERO help from me.

See -- the climbing is S.L.O.W.L.Y., but surely, happening.



He was having a great time playing by himself. Soon though, I heard a bit of fussing....He managed to "break" his truck.



Don't worry, though -- Mama Sarah went to the rescue (and yes -- I did fix it without too much complication).

*****

One of my goals for the month of February with Luke was to teach him to drink from a straw. Now, I don't know exactly what the "parenting books" say about that subject, and quite frankly, I don't care on this issue. I just wanted him to learn.

So, this morning, I purchased some cups with straws. I have to say that he did learn very quickly with only a tiny bit of mess. But, I think we'll stick to water ONLY in the cups for now.







Next step -- working on NOT tipping the cup up to use a straw -- Luke didn't quite get that little idea yet.

*****

Tonight was Session 3 of our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class we're co-leading.

The chapter was on Cash Flow Planning -- The Nuts and Bolts of Budgeting. I actually didn't sit through tonight's class as I went to our church's Mom to Mom program instead -- which ironically tonight, the topic was Managing Your Finances.

But, I still want to include a Bible verse for tonight's lesson -- one that I will be praying over the course of the next week.

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds. Proverbs 27:23

Meal Planning Monday....on a Sunday....

Here is our meal plan for this week. If you follow our plan closely (don't worry about offending me if you don't), you'll notice a few things are repeated from last week. That would be because there were several things last week we never had -- you know, plans change sometimes....

Monday, February 1, 2010
Beef Enchiladas
Fruit

Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Marc: Leftover Beef Enchiladas
Sarah: At Mom 2 Mom at church (supper is a part of the event)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Grilled Hamburgers
Baked Beans
Chips

Thursday, February 4, 2010
Chicken (recipe from the Rakow Family)
Vegetable
Potatoes

Friday, February 5, 2010
Dinner at Graber's

Saturday, February 6, 2010
Lunch: $5 Footlongs at Subway
Dinner: Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops, Cheesy Potatoes, Oriental Salad

**Our friends, Jerry and Shirley, were supposed to come last week for dinner. They weren't able to make it. So hopefully, they'll be able to come this week. We haven't yet "confirmed" that, and so, this dinner is subject to change.

Sunday, February 7, 2010
Lunch: Rummage
Dinner: Will be at "Big Game" party with Sunday School Class from church -- am taking Taco Soup

**Also, on Sunday, I am "signed up" to take breakfast to Sunday School. I probably will take some banana bread and some muffins as well as some juice.

Have a fabulous week. If you have any questions, leave me a comment :)

Luke's Train Day....

This morning and a little into the afternoon, we spent some time together as a family....

Each year, Marc really enjoys going to the Pancake Feed in a town near us (that he grew up in). This Pancake Feed is a fundraiser for the Lions' Club -- which Marc's dad is a part of.

We got to the middle school this morning (where the fundraiser always has been), and there wasn't any fundraiser going on....We drove by another place in town where Marc thought it also might be -- no such luck, though. So, we ended up eating breakfast at the local donut shop -- since we hadn't eaten anything this morning yet -- thinking we were going to get pancakes and sausage.

Lo and behold -- Marc's dad happened to be there -- he goes there everyday for "coffee" with the guys. He explained to us that the pancake feed was last weekend, and he wasn't sure why they changed it.

Oh well -- we couldn't have gone last week anyways. Marc had something going on, and Luke was sick.

But hey -- at least Luke got to see his Grandpa Friesen.

*****

After the donuts, we headed into Wichita for the annual Train Show and Swap Meet.

Now, you might be asking, "How did you guys know about that?" Well, it just so happens that my dad has an intense hobby of trains. As long as I can remember, he has enjoyed them as a hobby. Perhaps it's genetic since Luke has taken such an interest in trains?????

It's basically a bunch of model trains set up -- which I will admit isn't too bad to look at. Also, there are vendors selling "train" things -- model trains, etc.

Luke, even though only 18 months, did, we think, enjoy looking at the model trains. Here are a couple of photos of Luke and my dad looking at the trains. In the second photo, you can certainly see a smile on Luke's face.





We did pick up a "paper hat." It's a conductor hat from Amtrak. As you can tell from this photo, Luke wasn't the most fond of it. He also received a train whistle (which is in his hand). We tried to show him how to get a sound, but he doesn't quite get the whole "blow a little bit harder thing" yet. Perhaps next year....



And, just for fun...here are some photos of some model trains that were at the show.







Soon, my mom joined us with our two nieces -- she was watching them this morning because their parents were both working.

Here are both of our nieces, Grace and Natalie, watching the model trains. Natalie is barely seen in this photo...She's right beside Grace.

They had these little "hand trains" as I'll call them. Basically, a child gets in and uses his or her hands to make the train go around the track. Grace really enjoyed this....Natalie said she wanted to do it, but then, when my mom went to buy her ticket, she wouldn't do it. Keep in mind that Natalie is two years old :)





Luke was too young for this this year (and too small). But, perhaps next year, he'll be able to do it :)

*****

After the train show, we went and ate at DQ. But, we didn't just eat at any DQ. We ate at the one Luke's Uncle Joel works at....So, that was fun to visit him. But, I didn't take any photos -- shame on me!

*****

And, just for fun --

Some of my former coworkers and friends from my ten-year employment with International Dairy Queen are down in Cancun this weekend. They're there for a convention. If I was still employed with International Dairy Queen, we could potentially be down there this weekend. The warm temperatures would certainly beat this cold.

But, I have absolutely NO regrets about leaving my job after having Luke. Luke needs me home more than what employment at International Dairy Queen could've or was willing to offer.

Cancun will have to come another day.....only, not for work :) Vacations without work are much better.