Goals!

Well the new year brings everyone to place some goals for themselves. I usually am one to do the "exercise and eat better" and that's it. However this year I am doing something different. I honestly have to say that one thing that I need to really, really do better at for myself and my family is stay on budget and SAVE! I am one that when I want something I want it and I will do whatever I need to to get it! Now I am not one that is totally over the edge, we are talking items here; clothes (for all), shoes (for all), things for the house, not outrageous things. As you can read in my other posts I like shoes/boots!

                                         

So this year I am buckling down and have started using an Expense Tracker Andrea Dekkers finance tracker workbook. It allows me to place ALL in and out monies and tracks everything. I am staying on track with making sure our checkbook is up to date at all times. I make sure my husband is up to date on where we are, as I am the one who pays the bills and keeps track of finances. We went to our church this past fall and took Dave Ramseys financial institution classes, which were eye opening. Especially when he talks about credit cards and that that dumb score really means how well you place yourself in debt and pay on it! So this brings me to our 2014 financial goal! We are going to pay off all of our credit cards and really ask ourselves before we purchase ANYTHING "Do we really need this"? We are placing all or most of my paycheck into our savings.

Of course I am doing the whole exercise at least 3x a week and be more patient! I would also like to read the Bible or a scripture a day!

Tell me whats on your Goal list this year?  :-)

Living in the Country in the Midwest

So winter has hit most of America, however here in Michigan it happens to be REALLY cold. We live in the country across from a couple of fields where you can see the wind blowing through the fields. You can see the snow masking itself as a cloudy fog. At night the moon shines down so bright across the fields and houses near by and into our bedroom window light a night light. It can be so pretty. I cant imagine living anywhere else.

We live in a house that does not have a furnace we burn wood and turn on a couple base electric heaters mostly in the bedrooms. The wood burner is centrally located in our family room/kitchen its basically one huge room - all open and pretty much does a good job on keeping most of the house warm. We start preparing for these days actually in the summer months. We have to cut down trees or find trees to cut, and then split them with a log splitter. Some say it burns twice, since we burn a sweat from all the preparation before actually burning it! However I have to say I owe that all to my husband and son! I do help stack and of course bring the wood in the house. It can be a pain having to go out in the morning if you did not prepare for ensuring that there is enough wood to burn throughout the evening and through the night. However it can be so refreshing with the cold air against your face in your pjs grabbing wood! It really makes you think about years ago when this was done to keep houses warm and we are still doing it!

When we first were looking at houses in the country we saw some houses with wood burners and I said to Bruce "That's what I want! A wood burner, that would be so awesome".  Little did I know all the work it entailed to have one that has to actually heat your house, I was so naive! I am constantly cleaning up around the wood burner as the wood breaks off and leaves a mess. We used to stack the wood in a metal frame made for fireplaces however quickly learned that it does not hold enough for what we need. So we now place the wood in a big Rubbermaid bin and use the metal frame for the small stuff. 

You can see we are low and I need to go get more wood!

Bringing the wood in tracks a mess on the floor because I do not expect one to take there shoes/boots off when bringing wood in, therefore I wash on a regular basis! As much work it brings us I would not change it for a thing! The smell of wood burning when you open the door to place more wood in is awesome! Every fall when the temp drops we get excited to start it and cozy up in a blanket. The dog loves it as the hearth rug in front of the wood burner is her favorite place to lay. 

Its a little messy! 

So to all those that wake up and need to turn the furnace up a notch think of me as I place a piece of wood in the woodburner! :-)

Stay Warm!

Winter and Snow Days

So we have gotten ALOT of snow this season already! This is the kind of snow I remember growing up. In just about a day we have received the majority of our accumulation in a normal season! The kids school has been cancelled for 3 days and my work is closed today (Yay!).  Now its supposed to get really cold, everything is closing; my husbands even coming home early due to the weather, which is a never! The stores I hear are almost empty from people shopping and stocking up. The kids played in the snow yesterday and Bruce took them sledding to the big hill, while I made a nice pot of potato and ham soup. I am going to get some more stuff done in the house (yay), organizing and cleaning!!! Of course after a game of spoons!

  

The kids outback playing in the snow!

Big brother Logan building their very own sledding hill, while Daddy plows the driveway!

Dinner!

Stay warm and safe!

Happy New Year!

The New Year is here and I always start out being organized and goals set in hand. However this past year I have done a lot of organizing and list making and have really been able to get my household in better order. I have a cleaning routine down, I make lists for weekly dinners, I make lists for groceries needed, I have a couple calendars I use for different things going on in our lives. All of this makes me look back on 2013 and feel somewhat accomplished. There are some things that I did not accomplish, but I am not beating myself up about it of course, its just life!

Our break has been great except for the part of Hannah and Bruce being sick, but it has kept us to be at home and just be together which is the best of anything anyway! We have watched movies, played games, ate a ton of sweets and popcorn (I received a new popcorn maker for Christmas!). I really am not looking forward to going back to work, I Love being home and being just a Mom and wife, but God has other plans for me and that is to help others as well! Here are some pics of our Holidays and time off!

Some Christmas goodies we made!

At my Moms on Christmas Eve.

                                                Uh Oh someone is pouting on Christmas Eve!

Trying to take a nice pic of my mom and brother-however Logan has other plans! Goof ball!

Logan and Taylor!!

Isn't little Mason adorable!!!

Getting ready for Santa to come!

The girls and their cousins, at Bruces Moms on Christmas Day!

Enjoying some more cousin time!

                                        Girls enjoying their holiday break-laying around and coloring

New Years Eve-playing a mean game of Twister!

It was a great Christmas, went to a beautiful service on Christmas Eve night, I love our Church! New Years Eve, we stayed home, I just love being home. We used to go to our neighbors house however they moved and we miss them greatly.  Logan had a couple friends over and they played games in the backroom, fun was had and we are ready to have a blessed new year! Peace to all! 

Happy New Year!!!!