August Comes to a Close

Our darling Emma turned two August 23rd! We did what she loves to do best- we took her to the park and made her pasta! I love 2 year old birthdays! I figure I have maybe one more year until the "birthday demands" kick in. We always let the birthday child pick an activity and dinner (within reason) on his/her birthday. Since we home school we can almost always celebrate on their actual birthday depending on Dad's work schedule. I don't do too many parties (Only for big years, like when Brad turned 8 and was baptized we had a big party. We will probably do something special for Savanna's Sweet 16 NEXT year- yikes!). I love that some of my family and friends go all out with the parties every year. I love attending when we can and enjoy how creative they are, but throwing my own parties stresses me out. The preparation, the hosting, the cleanup- yep, the whole thing! Maybe I will enjoy that more when I have a bigger space, a bigger budget, and more time (so when ALL my kids are grown and gone, I will throw myself some amazing birthday bashes)! For now I much prefer a family activity and special dinner. One day, and then back to real life! Savanna's birthday is next month and she wants to go get her hair done at a Salon (dyed and cut), she wants to shop with her anticipated birthday money, and then she wants to pick up her best girlfriend and go eat Sushi. LOVE it! One day, super fun, DONE. :)

Okay, back to Emma. Here she is in all her cuteness:
 

She refuses to let us pick out her clothes. She picks out all her own outfits (mostly skirts and dresses). Savanna says we should nominate her for "What Not to Wear." She might win with this one!
 

She is still loving her doll and stroller from her Auntie for her birthday as you can see!
 

Benjamin lost his first front tooth when he fell off a bar stool on our tile floor. He lost his second front tooth last week when he fell on Brad's foot while jumping on the trampoline (AKA Brad kicked him in the face "accidentally")! Dang Boys!!

Brad had his first soccer game today! He is having a blast. He is such a team player. His team's name is The Scorpions. I love going to the games. Now that he is getting older they are becoming much more coordinated and competitive. Emma loves going too. Every time Brad would get the ball she would scream, "Thank you, Brad!" She cheered for him and waved and clapped. Totally cute!
 

 Our garden is doing awesome! I have enough greens for smoothies usually once or twice per week. Having fresh herbs is amazing! I use the basil and parsley a lot, and the kids love to go out and pick fresh cilantro for their burritos or tacos. Our tomatoes and cucumbers should be ready to harvest in the next couple of weeks as well. We haven't had a very hot summer so it is taking a bit longer. We just planted some kale too.
 

 But our pumpkin patch is doing the best! We have several large pumpkins, and the kids can't wait until they turn orange.
 

 

Not too much else to report here! James is officially off training and has started graveyard shift. I absolutely love it, and he absolutely hates it! He sleeps until about 5pm so we have dinner together every night. He helps me at the hardest part of my day with cleanup, baths, and bedtimes. He leaves at 8pm (all the littles are tucked in and the house is clean!), and I blog, read, hang with Savanna- whatever- and then go to sleep. I wake up and he arrives home within an hour and we all have breakfast! The only downside on my end is keeping everyone quiet and having the baby nap downstairs during the day. His body, however, is having a hard time adjusting to being up all night. Plus graves are dead boring so the time drags. He will have this shift until January and then he will be one of the first people to pick their shift instead of the last! In the mean time he is having a great attitude and is just grateful to be out on his own without a trainer breathing down his neck!!

School is still going well. I feel like we just hit a good groove. Savanna is super motivated. The boys are always excited to learn. Benjamin is doing so well with his reading and has gone to the library twice to get more books. I am going to spend tomorrow putting together some "toddler totes" I read about to keep Emma occupied while I do school with the older kids. Having her whine and run around during the bulk of our school morning is pretty distracting. I'm going to make her a rice table with cups and funnels and spoons. Maybe I'll add some dried beans too. Savanna's daycare had one when she was about Emma's age and she played with that ALL day. Someone suggested paint brushes with water and cardboard. Maybe some homemade playdough and cookie cutters. She needs simple, hands-on, independent activities to keep her happy. And then everyone else will be happy too (That's the plan, at least)!

August 19 -  Sept 8, 2012

Some of My Notes

WARNING: This is a very LONG post with NO pictures!!

I feel like I have finally reached my own scholar phase. I didn't think is was possible for a Mom to be a scholar along with four kids and a household to care for, but somehow or another it has happened! I have found myself studying for multiple hours every day. I am taking notes, discussing my findings, sharing my enthusiasm for learning with my kids (and anyone else who will listen to me!), and researching the areas of my interest in depth. Instead of going out with friends once a week, I leave the kids with my husband and go to the library! I have read 4 books in the last month, some of which I believe will be life changing. Sacrifices have been made for this endeavor (I have had to neglect a few past times- such as this blog, my house is not as clean as usual, the kids make a lot of their own food, and I have been staying up a bit later and rearranging some of my morning exercise goals to make sure I am well rested- always a balance to figure out!).  But the blessings are HUGE. 

I find that I am much more excited in general. Learning time does not always mean Mom helping Ben with his phonics or Mom testing Brad on his spelling. Yes it still means that, but it also means Mom gets to study what she is passionate about and Mom gets to learn new skills to make herself better. And you know what I've found has happened as I study independently? The KIDS study more independently! The 7th key of great teaching is "You, not Them." We must be an example for our children to follow. How can they eventually become scholars if they have never seen a scholar phase? Granted I can't possibly study 6 to 8 hours per day like many scholars do, but I am taking great strides to study more frequently and for longer stretches of time. I am doing it for me, but it is also blessing my family!

I am a woman of action. I love to study, and I mostly read non-fiction/how-to type books. I have a problem or a question and I want to find out HOW to fix the problem or answer the question. And then, I want to DO it! Lately I have found myself devouring financial books. I have my calculator and paper and I'm crunching numbers, and I have been absolutely blown away by some of the ideas that I have been exposed to. Myths and belief systems I have had my whole life about money and financial security have been annihilated. James and I have completely re-done our budget and the way we handle our money. We are so excited at the prospect of becoming completely debt-free (including our home) and we are dedicated to this plan of action! Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey is one of the books I have been reading and it is the one I am most excited about right now.

SO...before I post dozens of pictures from the last month of our family adventures, I thought I would post the notes from this pivotal financial book in case there is some nugget that might help one of you. Thanks for indulging me, I hope you learn something too!

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Notes:

Motto: If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.

Debt Myths: 

Myth: Debt is a tool and should be used to create prosperity.

Truth: Debt adds considerable risk, most often does not bring prosperity, and isn’t used by wealthy people nearly as much as we are led to believe. It always leads to bondage, and is contradictory to the commandments of God. If you do not have the money for something, then you should not purchase it right now (very few exceptions exist where debt should be used and none of these are to create prosperity).

Myth: If I loan money to friends or relatives, I am helping them.

Truth: If I loan money to a friend or a relative, the relationship will be strained or destroyed. The only relationship that would be enhanced is the kind resulting from one party being the master and the other party a servant. If you have the money, and you feel it would truly help someone, just give it to them.

Myth: By cosigning a loan, I am helping a friend or relative.

Truth: Be ready to repay the loan. The bank wants a cosigner for a reason, which is that they don’t expect the friend or relative to pay. If debt is the most aggressively marketed product in our culture today, if lenders must meet sales quotas for “loan production,” if lenders can project the likelihood of a loan’s going into default with unbelievable accuracy- if all these things are true, and the lending industry has denied your friend or relative a loan, there is little doubt the potential borrower is trouble.

Myth: Buying things with cards but paying them off before interest starts accruing, is like paying cash.

Truth: It is not the same as cash. If you flash cash in front of a store manager who has a sales quota to meet, you will likely get a discount. If you can’t get a discount, go to the competitor and get one. You never get a discount when you sign up for the finance plan. Also, most people do not pay off the debt in the allotted time, and lenders bank on this happening.

Myth: Car payments are a way of life: you’ll always have one.

Truth: Staying away from car payments by driving reliable used cars is what the average millionaire does: that is how he or she became a millionaire.

Myth: You can get a good deal on a new car at 0 % interest.

Truth: A new car loses 60% of its value in the first four years- that isn’t 0 %.

Myth: You should get a credit card to build your credit.

Truth: You won’t use credit with your Total Money Makeover, except maybe for a mortgage, and you don’t need a credit card for that. This is the best myth that bankers, car dealers and mortgage lenders have told America for years. Get into debt so you can get more debt because debt is how we get stuff! The truth is cash buys stuff better than debt. You will need to “build your credit” by borrowing and repaying debt in a timely fashion if you want to live a life of credit cards, student loans, and car payments. If not, you don’t need credit. If you can’t afford to pay cash for your house and you choose a 15 year fixed rate loan, you will need to find a mortgage company that does actual underwriting. That means they are professional enough to process the details of your life instead of using a silly score. You can get a loan if you have lived right:

You have paid your landlord on time for 2 years.

You have been in the same career for 2 years.

You have a good down payment, which is more than “nothing down.”

You have no other credit, good or bad.

You are not trying to take on too big of a loan. A payment that totals 25% of your net pay is conservative and will help you qualify.

Myth: You need a credit card to rent a car, check into a hotel, or buy online.

Truth: A debit card will do all of that.

Myth: Make sure your teenager gets a credit card so he or she will learn to be responsible with money.

Truth: Getting a credit card for your teen is an excellent way to teach him or her to be financially irresponsible. That’ s why teens are now the number one target of credit card companies. 80% of graduating college seniors have credit card debt before they even have a job! Teach your kids the principles you are learning yourself and let them see your example as you handle money responsibly and pay for things that you can afford appropriately, not with someone else’s money.

Money Myths:

Quick, easy money is one of the oldest lies, or myths, in the book of the human race. A shortcut, a microwave dinner, instant coffee, and dot-com millionaires are things we wish would give us high quality, but never do. The secrets of the rich don’t exist, because the principles aren’t a secret. Living right is not complicated. It may be difficult, but it is not complicated.

 Myth: Everything will be fine when I retire. I know I’m not saving yet, but it will be okay.

Truth: Ed McMahon is not coming. And please don’ be under the illusion that this government, one that is so inept and dim-witted with money, is going to take great care of you in your golden years. That is your job! You have to save. You have to invest in your own future.

Myth: I can get rich quickly and easily if I join these groups, buy this tape set, and work three hours per week.

Truth: No one develops and makes a six-figure income on three hours a week.

Myth: Cash Value life insurance, like Whole Life, will help me retire wealthy.

Truth: Cash Value life insurance is one of the worst financial products available. A Cash Value policy is an insurance product that packages insurance and savings together. Do not invest money in life insurance; the returns are horrible. Even VULs are only averaging 7.4% and you pay expenses and commissions out of your monthly payments.

Myth: Playing the Lotto and other forms of gambling will make you rich.

Truth: Lotto and Power Ball are a tax on the poor and people who can’t do math. The Lotto is a rip-off instituted by our government. This is not a moral position; it is a mathematical, statistical fact. Gambling represents false hope and denial. Energy, thrift, and diligence are how wealth is built, not dumb luck.

Myth: Mobile homes, or trailers, will allow me to own something instead of renting, and that will help me to become wealthy.

Truth: Trailers go down in value rapidly, making your chances for wealth building less than if you had rented. People who buy a $25,000 double-wide home will in five years owe $22,000 on a trailer worth $8,000. If I were to suggest you invest $25,000 into a mutual fund with a proven track record of dropping to $8,000 in just 5 years, would you invest in that? Call it a manufactured house, put it on a permanent foundation, add lots of improvements and landscaping, and it is still a trailer when you are ready to sell it. The only exception is to buy a used trailer for cheap (and with cash) and live in it while building your dream home on the same property.

Myth: Prepaying my funeral or my kids’ college expenses is a good way to invest and protect myself against inflation.

Truth: Plans for prepaid funerals and college expenses give low rates of return and put money in the other guy’s pocket.  When you prepay something, your return on investment (interest) is the amount the item will go up in value before you use it. In other words, by prepaying, you avoid the price increases, and that is your return. Prepaying items is like investing at the item’s inflation rate. For example, prepaying college tuition will save you about 7% (tuition inflation),  but mutual funds will average about 12 % over a long period of time, and you can save for college TAX-FREE. The same is true for prepaid funeral expenses. Preplanning the details of your funeral is wise, but prepaying is unwise. An average prepaid funeral and burial plot can be $3,500. If you put $3,500 in a mutual fund averaging 12% for 40 years you will have $368,500!

Myth: I can’t use cash because it is dangerous. I might get robbed.

Truth: You are being robbed every day by not using the power of cash. Cash is powerful. If you carry cash, you spend less and you get more bargains by flashing cash. Cash enables you to say no to yourself. When the food envelope is getting low on cash, we eat leftovers instead of going out to eat again.

Myth: I can’t afford insurance.

Truth: Some insurance you can’t afford to be without (see the how to section below).

Last few thoughts that may hinder us from success: We must identify our hurdles or personal obstacles to winning financially. Once we identify and admit our weakness (for us eating out, entitlement spending- we deserve that, we “need” that etc.), we must plan a way over them, through them, or around them. Budget money for the items we splurge on. Find cheaper ways to get them. Bargain hunt, if applicable etc.

We must invest time in learning how to be financial “fit.” We have a basic understanding of what to do, but we need to set aside time and energy to becoming great with our resources. We need to read books, communicate properly, spend more time and less money acquiring the things we need/want, and be mindful of every dollar we spend. Above all, we need to never compare ourselves to others. We do not need to keep up with the Joneses (read The Millionaire Next Door). Peer pressure is powerful. “We are scaling down” is a painful statement to make to friends and family. “We will have to pass on that trip or dinner because it is not in our budget” is virtually impossible for some people to say. Being real takes tremendous courage. And being successful, like with all other things in life, takes determination, sacrifice and follow through. But the results are so worth the effort. So let’s get started!

HOW: BABY STEPS:

1.(a) We must make a promise NEVER TO BORROW AGAIN!

1.(b)  Set up a budget EVERY Month. Do this as a couple. Every month make a new one BEFORE the month begins. Spend every dollar we make on paper before the month begins (zero-based budget), and give every dollar a name. Income minus outgo equals ZERO. Agree that each of us will never do anything with money that is not on the paper. If something comes up have a meeting to rebalance our budget. A Dr. visit comes up during the month that costs $50, we must then lower our spending somewhere else by $50 to balance the budget. We must always agree.

1.(c) SAVE $1000 CASH as a starter emergency fund. Keep it liquid and accessible, but not too accessible. Put it in a savings account that is not linked to our checking so it can’t become overdraft protection. This is not meant to earn us money so we don’t have to worry about the interest on the savings account. This is to help us not go into any more debt if an emergency comes up, and one always does!

Things that are NOT emergencies: Annual events like birthdays, Christmas, kids needing new clothes, routine Dr. visits. We know these are coming up and these should be in our monthly budget. If we do not budget for these they will seem like emergencies.

How to save $1000 FAST: Wring out the budget, cash out any life insurance savings, bonds, etc. Work overtime. Sell stuff. Whatever we need to do, we need to do this step as fast as possible, and no longer than 30 days. Even if we move on to further steps and an emergency comes up and we are forced to use money out of this fund, stop whatever step we are on and put any excess money we have into our emergency fund until it is fully funded again ($1000). So if we spend $300 to fix the car, we will repay $300 before we do anything else. Always keep $1000 in this account for now.

STEP 2:  DEBT SNOWBALL:

Make a list of ALL of our debt from smallest to largest owed (excluding our mortgage). Pay off smaller debts FIRST, pay the minimum or eliminate (if possible) all others and keep going until that first debt is paid off. Then use all our excess money plus the old payment for that first debt and apply it to the second the debt- keep going until we are debt free! Every dollar we can find goes to this debt! 

Get creative- cut out all unnecessary spending and sell anything we can’t pay off in 18 to 20 months (except our home), or find ways to bring in more income. Stop retirement contributions, cancel any unnecessary subscriptions, cancel VULS and replace with term- get radical! The sooner we get through these steps, the sooner we will be debt free! EXTREME SACRIFICE is needed here.

Again set a goal, 18 to 20 months tops!

STEP 3: Finish Funding Our Emergency Fund:

Now that we have $1000 in our emergency fund and NO debt except our home, we have freed up control of our largest wealth-building tool- our income! Now we need to save 6 months of expenses (expenses, not income). Be very choosy, and prayerful before using this fund. Always agree, and “sleep on it” before dipping into this fund. This is for true emergencies only. Again keep this liquid but since it will be a good amount of cash, find a money market acct with no penalties for withdrawals and full check writing privileges. Find one that pays interest equal to a one-year CD. Bank’s money market accts are not competitive. This money is not for investing or making money off of, it is for security, but it is still nice to have a large lump sum somewhere that earns a little.

3.(b) Now that we are debt-free and have a large emergency fund, it is time to protect this emergency fund by making sure we have the appropriate kinds of insurance in place. Here is the insurance we should have:

Home and auto (choose high deductibles to save on premiums)

Life Insurance (20 year term, if we follow this plan we will be self-insured after this term expires)

Health Insurance- HSA (health savings acct- again choose the highest deductible to save on monthly premiums)

Long-term disability- buy this through work.

If over 60- long term care insurance (nursing homes can cost up $40,000 per year and can eat up a spouse’s savings very quickly)

Once this step is done, we should focus our efforts on building up our food storage and other emergency items we have been wanting to purchase. We should also spend some time and money on our Will and Estate Planning. We can also play a little. Maybe take a small vacation or do some home renovations. Budget and save for them, and pay cash. Remember we are not going into debt ever again! Don’t play too long or we will lose all of our momentum.

STEP 4: Invest 15% of our income in our retirement. That’s 15% of our gross income, not including company matches. Do this through growth stock mutual funds. Read Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey for more info and study this in depth ourselves (or go to www.daveramsey.com, MY TMMO).

Always start with our 401k if the company matches. If they match 3%, that will be the first 3% of our 15% we will invest. Next fund Roth IRAs- fully fund them. The remainder of our 15%, put in our 401k and research more in this area to make sure we can retire in comfort and style.

STEP 5: Save for College (our kids or ourselves):

College is not a necessity and it certainly is not a reason to go into debt (As far as wealth and success go, college/education gets your 15% results while attitude, perseverance, diligence, and vision take you the remaining 85% of the way). A college education or degree does not guarantee a job in this economy. Unless you or your child wants to go into something very specialized that requires a degree, college is a luxury. Either way, debt should be avoided at all costs. That being said, college should be high on the “luxury list.”

Places to save- we must earn 7% to keep with the inflation of tuition. ESA- Education IRAs- grow tax free. You can invest $2,000 per year, per person ($166,67 per month).

For kids if you start before they are 8, you will be fine. If you need more money or your income doesn’t allow you to use an ESA, check out 529 plans but pick a “flexible” plan.

Also, always check into scholarships. You can buy a software program that will tell you all the eligible scholarships you can apply for. Thousands of scholarships are available each year in various amounts. Apply for EVERYTHING (or have your child apply) and it could help tremendously. Free money is the best.

STEP 6: Pay Off Our Mortgage:

Every dollar in our budget above living, retirement, and college should be used to make extra payments on our home. If we purchase a home in the future, never take more than a 15 year fixed rate loan and never have a payment of over 25% of your take-home pay. Saving and paying cash is an even better idea (the 100% Down Plan) so pay off your first home as fast as possible, and then a save a LOT for the next bigger house following the above rules.

STEP 7: Build Wealth

Now that we have all of our affairs in order (We have NO debt, not even a home payment, we have a fat emergency fund, we have the proper insurance in place, we have a year’s supply of food and water, we are saving for retirement and college, etc.), now we can have FUN. Fun we can actually afford. So don’t feel guilty- have some fun, also invest and give to others as we feel prompted by the Spirit (large fast offerings, helping those in our family, community charities, etc.).

By now we have built years of good financial habits. We should continue to use these habits, have our budget meetings, and be prayerful about our money, but it will not take quite as much effort as it did in the beginning.

Investing- Keep it simple until you have over 10 million dollars. Use simple mutual funds and debt-free real estate. Always manage our own money. Gather a team to help, but make sure we are VERY involved and call ALL the shots. Our team should consist of:

A good estate planning attorney

CPA

Insurance Pro

Good Realtor

Maybe a Financial Planner (but make sure you are the boss!)

Now we have reached the point where our money works harder than we do! When our money makes more than we bring in from our income, we are officially wealthy. We have reached this point when we can live off 8% of our nest egg. To figure this out, simply times our savings by .08 and if we can live off of that number or that number is more than we bring in from our jobs, we have made it! We can also use this formula to figure out how close we are to hitting this financial security milestone.

Lastly, GIVE. Being wealthy is not a sin, but making money our God is. Be careful to stay Christ-like and share appropriately.  This is actually the best part of truly being wealthy- helping others. 

*I think what I loved most about this book was that it was the first book that I have ever read that explained to me how we could truly become financially independent on James' current salary; how we can utilize the money we already have coming in more effectively to pay off debt and use our discretionary income wisely. I have always thought we needed to make more money or start a new business or have a second job etc. This is a plan almost anyone with any income can follow. We were able to save up our $1000 emergency fund in 2 days by making a few simple changes. Three days after that, Emma fell and we had a $200 emergency room visit. We were easily able to pay cash for it instead of putting it on a credit card. Two days after that we received 3 child support payments so we were able to re-fund our emergency fund and put extra money toward our debt (we had not received child support in many, many months so this was a testimony to me that we were doing something right!). We have created very detailed spread sheets and have had several budget meetings. Fortunately James and I are both on the same page and are both willing to make some sacrifices to get where we need to be- it will be tough for awhile, but the blessings FAR outweigh the sacrifice once again. :) 

Update on the Family

Can I move HERE? Someone posted this on Facebook with a very clever caption. Something like studying books makes rivers of knowledge that flood the world ...but more eloquent... At any rate, we have been doing lots of reading and studying here! Currently the boys and I are reading Johnny Tremain. We are also still studying ancient history, they are learning to type, write in cursive, and we just started times tables. I am personally studying the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, The Doctrine and Covenants, and I am still reading MindSet. So much to learn, so little time!

Savanna recently made a list of skills that she wants to learn and has been focusing on those skills for the majority of her "school day." Her Adult Skills include sewing, crafts, cooking, baking, childcare, fitness and gymnastics, photography and PhotoShop, bookkeeping and business, Excel, and blogging. She has created bigger lists breaking down each skill into bite-size pieces and is figuring out mentors and/or classes that will help her learn each of the items on her lists. Her next step is funding some of her marvelous ideas. I love that she is ambitious but whenever she gets excited about learning, it seems to involve lots of money. I tell her, "Great. Do it. But you'll have to fund this project yourself." I learned from a very wise mentor years ago NEVER invest money in a Love of Learner. It may sound odd but in the Love of Learning phase the student tends to flutter from subject to subject. One day they want to be an architect, the next a gymnast, the next a make-up artist. It's not bad, in fact it is great that Savanna is finding subjects she loves, but until she settles a bit and gets closer to Scholar phase she can learn some business and budgeting skills by making her own cash!

Bradley practices his typing daily. He is also impressing the socks off of his piano teacher. He pretty much impresses me on a daily basis. This kid is super neat!

James brought some cool items home from the academy like this light box. Benjamin is our artist. He spends HOURS tracing on this thing. And, he's gotten pretty darn good!

Oh and here is our darling Emma Leigh! She has only one volume (LOUD) and one speed (FAST). She runs around everywhere barking orders and telling people how it is! She is talking so much just in the past couple of days. She will repeat pretty much anything you say but she still most often just toddles around saying "hi" to everyone. "Hi Ma, Hi Da, Hi Na Na, Hi Ba (Brad), Hi Ba Ba (Ben), Hi Doddy (doggy)" all day long! And when you ask her something she doesn't like she will emphatically scream "No! No!" and shake her head and run away. The only time she is quiet is when she is sleeping, drinking her milk, or cuddling with her Daddy reading a book. She is still a major Daddy's girl. Since James has been home she follows him around EVERYWHERE. He can't get anything done when she is awake. She wants his full attention, and she usually gets it! We all absolutely adore this girl.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

I have been able to get out with my girlfriends on a fairly regular basis. We hike or go to the movies or rock climb. It's been great! I didn't realize how much I needed to get away with other girls and just chat, giggle, and let off some steam. A couple of hours a week and I am different person! Rock climbing is awesome, by the way. I couldn't believe how hard it was and how many muscles in my fingers and forearms it used! I couldn't use my forearms or fingers for about 2 days afterwards (seriously, I couldn't squeeze the shampoo bottle or the mustard- it was ridiculous)! I was able to climb 35 feet to the top and ring the bell three times! I am going to take James very soon!!

I am at day 30 of my P90X program tomorrow (my big 33rd birthday)! I am finding that I really love this program this time around. It is challenging but not hard like it used to be. I am getting stronger and stronger every day. My diet has not been as pristine with my husband's arrival home but I am tweaking a few things to get it together in that area so I can reap the rewards this program has to offer!

I have finally committed to waking up early! It has been something I have been trying to do for months and months. I found that I was spending all morning trying to do my items of self-care (exercise, prayer, scripture study, bathing, etc.) among four children vying for my time. I often felt stressed out and frustrated and found that I had little time to study myself or with my children. By the time I got all my personal stuff done it was lunch time or later and half the day was gone! I would then spend hours in the evening when the children were asleep planning my menus, blogging, studying, or doing my church work. That would lead to me waking up later and the whole cycle would start again. I have finally been able to let go of my sacred night hours and embrace a daily schedule where I put God and myself FIRST, and then I can be a good wife and mother. This requires me to go to bed by 9:30pm so I can wake at 5:30am well rested. I usually nurse the baby, then pray, study my scriptures and government books, exercise, and then hit the shower- all BEFORE breakfast! It is awesome! The scriptures say, "...cease to sleep longer than is needful. Retire to they bed early that ye may not be weary. Arise early that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated." I can attest to this statement whole-heartedly!

James is absolutely loving his new job. He feels like it was tailor-made for him. He says, "I get to wear a gun. I get to go around being the boss, telling people they are wrong, and telling them what to do. I get to wear a gun. I get to drive fast and get the bad guys. Did I mention I get to wear a gun?" I'm paraphrasing, of course, but in all seriousness he really feels like this is where he is supposed to be and what he is supposed to be doing. He is excited to use his brain and take some initiative in his career. He is three weeks into his field training and he meshes well his training officer; however, he is looking forward to being on his own and having even more opportunities to learn the streets and make more decisions on his own. I am so happy to see him so happy. His hours are long, and honestly it seems like he is back at the academy in some ways because we don't see him for 4 days out of the week. But we are grateful for his willingness to provide for us and even more grateful that it is something he feels passionate about doing!On his days off we have been continuing with our house purge. We have finally completed our garage! Here is the before picture:

And the after pictures:

 
We got rid of so much stuff, reorganized the remainder, and built some shelves. It is an amazing room now! I look forward to spending my mornings working out in there. The kids go out and play and do crafts often. It is safe and clean for the baby to join us. We even hung our electronic dartboard and friends from church gave us a 52" TV! Our next purge project is either going to be our Master Bedroom or the kids' room/closet.

Emma crawls in anything that will fit her little bum. Boxes, totes, baskets, large tupperware...little kids love little spaces! 

March 26 - April 15, 2012

And the Rest of the Month!

Well we got home from graduation and we all got terribly sick! It's like the stress that was pent-up for 5 plus months finally took it's toll...and it was BAD! The baby got it the worst with a 105 degree fever and she didn't eat for a week. No sleeping for anyone, and no one escaped it (even our dog had a minor kennel cough spell)! The only upside: we spent lots of quality time together curled up on the bed watching movies. Even the baby would just lay on our chest and cuddle for hours. And, no one was hungry so I didn't have to cook for close to 10 days! See, aren't I the eternal optimist! :) We are all fully recovered and back on our game, thankfully!

We finally took Emma to the zoo! She loves animals of all kinds, except she still calls all of them doggies. She ran around the zoo barking at every animal, even the big tortoise. We're working on that!

Savanna is our aspiring gymnast. Her new thing: she wants to try out for a competitive cheer team. She has been working hard and has even taught herself (with the help of YouTube) how to do a front flip! She has been continuing with our Turbo Fire DVDs and sometimes exercise 2 to 3 hours per day! It's fine by me! I am seeing so much positive change in her body. She used to be super skinny and frail. She is now becoming firm and toned, and very healthy looking. It makes her happier and gives her confidence and focus...sounds like a win-win to me!

I need to take a new picture- she is almost all the way to the ground now!

Our Emma is a feisty little thing! She is a chatterbox...and she pretty much chatters every minute she is awake! She toddles around the house all day and every few minutes she will say, "Hi Mom" or "Hi Dad" or "Hi Na-Na." Despite my efforts she has learned the word "NO!" and shouts it often, especially at bedtime or when you take something from her. She is still quite the drama queen and can turn on the water works instantly (and it works WAY to frequently for her, especially with the men in the house)!

Oh, but she is so sweet! She loves to give kisses and hugs. She is a monkey and climbs on everything!

And IN everything!

And her favorite past time...putting on other people's shoes or "shews" as she calls them. The many "shews" of Emma Leigh:

Benjamin is our little artist. He has been excited about painting lately. And he paints and paints and paints! He also recently has gotten very excited about reading. He read 15 books tonight (With a little encouragement from In-N-Out Burger....they have a program through our library where they will give you a gift certificate for a free burger if you read 15 books...the exact number he wanted to read tonight...hmmm)! He is getting very excited about his birthday also, and is trying to decide what he wants to do to celebrate.

Bradley is still loving scouts! He had his first awards night and he earned his first badge and two belt loops (one for chess and one for astronomy)! Since that night he has earned another badge and 3 more belt loops. He will be getting those the first week in April. The scouting program has really given him focus and has helped him set simple goals and feel the confidence that comes when he achieves them. He is really blossoming intellectually and has moved smoothly into the Love of Learning phase. This is the phase in Leadership Education where a child embraces and tastes all different types of learning. It is also the phase where they begin learning a myriad of life skills. This dovetails beautifully with his scouting objectives and also with the church's Faith in God program. It is up to the child to determine what phase he is in, and Bradley has declared that he is in Love of Learning. He even asked me to get him a planner so he can start recording his goals daily like I do. He's a remarkable kid.

All of the kids are so happy to have their Daddy home, but Emma seems to be the happiest of all. She follows Dad around all day long, and hops in his lap every chance she gets. She goes over to the couch and pats the cushion and yells, "Dad!" and he will obediently go and sit down. She brings him book after book and they will read and cuddle. It's extremely sweet.

We made it out to Morro Bay this month too. They have a place in the park with tables set up to play chess. There were guys from a local chess team who gave the boys mini lessons. Benjamin got some serious help and even beat James at a game!

The girls were not as excited about spending a day in the park playing chess- well, you can't please them all!

They even set up a lifesize chess set and the boys battled it out. It was a good workout for them hauling those pieces around! Benjamin won...again!!

I completed my Turbo Fire program with some pretty amazing results! Another 11 lbs and 12 1/2 inches GONE! That brings my grand total to 66 lbs lost!!

I didn't quite hit my goal for James' graduation, but overall I'm feeling pretty good about my efforts. I have one more dress size and approximately 10 more lbs to lose. I took one recovery week, started P90X, got sick, and then re-started P90X last week! I forgot how amazing those workouts are. There is no way, if I can keep my diet in-check, that I won't have far surpassed my fitness goal by the end of these next 90 days. Either way, I plan on bringing it! It's just about 90 days until summer...let me know if I can help any of YOU achieve your health and fitness goals!

And, I tried out the new Shakeology flavor- tropical strawberry. It's awesome. I love it. 'Nuff Said. :)

Lastly, our family has decided to devote the next several weeks to getting our house back in order. Many things- financial, physical, emotional, and otherwise- were put on the back burner to help James through the academy. Now that he is home, we are focusing a lot of our time on our family. We have decided to do a "Purge." We are going through every room, closet, drawer, and our entire garage and getting rid of anything and everything that we don't need. We have written a family mission statement and anything that does not move us towards our family mission is outta here! We got rid of half a driveway full of stuff just yesterday! And I can't tell you how freeing it is to get rid of clutter. Even the boxes sitting in our garage untouched are taking up space that we could use and space in the back of our minds. I have been told by many who do these purges regularly that when you free up space and energy you make room for and attract the things that you truly need. The children have been really great about getting rid of toys and clothes that they don't need. We are going to turn our garage into a really awesome gym and play room. I'm documenting the progress and will share soon!

March 1 - 25, 2011