spring break!

Paying off debt. This has been one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of our marriage. Chris and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class the week after our honeymoon. We were the youngest couple (by at least 10 years!) in the class, and we were also the only couple to attend every session (14 weeks!) haha...we were desperately trying to have perfect attendance so our class fee would be refunded. Hey...$100 was a lot to us!

"Living like no one else, so that we can live like no one else" is SO worth it! If you haven't taken the class, do it! Who cares if we don't drive the newest cars, go on fancy shmancy vacations, or live in a new house, if we can do it later with no debt! Living in downtown Dallas definitely amplifies the fact that we are "living like no one else" for the moment, but I've also come to realize how much it has opened my eyes to the meaningless things in this world vs. what really matters. To know that soon we'll have a good down payment on a house, a decent savings account, a car replacement fund, and no debt, makes it all worth it! Now.... I can't say I've done a perfect job at "living like no one else." My weakness is going to the mall and getting just that "one" thing I've been eyeing for months. But I think it keeps life fun and it doesn't exactly break the bank. :) I know I've written about FPU and debt before, but it's such a huge thing and writing about it helps keep me grounded and looking forward to reaching our goal.

On a lighter note, Asher slept for 5 hours, then another 4 last night! Saturday's sleepless night must have caught up with him. I actually woke up before he did this morning and had time to cook breakfast!

To-do today:

1) Put away mountain of clothes and organize closet and dresser.

2) Shopping. Yes...after that whole debt-free talk it sounds crazy, but I need some stuff that I can wear while I'm waiting for this baby weight to go away! I'm working at it, but having to wait 6 weeks to exercise hasn't helped. My maternity clothes are all too big and stretched out, and my pre-maternity clothes aren't exactly fitting. :( I plan to take the baby and my strange new body to Buffalo Exchange, my favorite store! At least I'll save money on "slightly-used clothes!"

3) Plan out the rest of my spring break/last week of maternity leave. redbox here we come!

It's Thursday!

I love Thursdays! Thursday is one of the only days that my husband gets to stay at home, all day, with no where to go, no meetings to attend, and only one short class. Thursdays make me happy. :)

Today we woke up late and went for a run down Swiss. Well, Chris ran while Asher and I walked. Yes... we still walk on Swiss, even though an old man was murdered there last week. Poor guy. The news reporters speculate that it wasn't a breaking and entering, but that it was his son or someone that knew him well. So I'll still venture out on my favorite street stroller in hand, but only if Chris goes as our bodyguard. :) The only weird encounter was a strange teenage guy with both hands in his trenchcoat pockets, walking up and down the street. As we passed him he made sure to graciously inform me, "Watch out for the spit. I spit dude. Dude...I spit!" Me: (quietly) "umm....ok....thank you." Trenchcoated teenager: "So yeah I spit. I mean...it's big. Watch out for that loogie. It's huge. Have a nice walk."

Wow. Needless to say, Asher and I strolled onto the street and on to the opposite sidewalk.

After our walk we came back and ate chicken fajitas. And considering I just walked three miles, I helped myself to my favorite treat in the whole world right now, Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. What a way to lose the baby belly!

My wonderful news for the week: Asher slept for 5 straight hours last night! I put him down at 10:45, went to sleep at 11, woke up to him crying at 12, fed him, and then woke up at 5:30 for his breakfast! What a kid. I'll chalk it up to our long mall trip yesterday. Riding around in a stroller must have really worn him out!

Speaking of my mall trip...

I was quite disappointed in my intended splurge of the month. The yellow Anthropologie shirt turned out to be plain ugly. So I headed on over to my favorite window-shopping store instead, Kate Spade. And I left my favorite window-shopping store with these:

Don't you love window-shopping? :D

Plans for the day:

1) Go to post office, buy stamps, put stamps on thank-you cards, mail cards!!!!

2) Dust the house

3) Go to Whole Foods for some fresh fruit

4) Catch up on 24

5) Enjoy watching Asher smile- he's started responding to us with smiles! It melts my heart...

Verse of the day:

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Honest Scrap

The "Honest Scrap Award" comes with a caveat or two. First, you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've given the award to know they've gotten in (comment on their blogs or something). And, finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you. Well.......none of my friends still do blogs, so I don't have anyone to tag, and no one tagged me. I guess it has to start somewhere, right? :)

1. I am terrible at writing thank-you notes. I always eventually get them out, but it can take months. I don't know what it is...I'll write them, stamp them, seal the

m, but finding addresses is what takes me the longest.

2. I shamelessly watch Meet the Kardashians. What can I say? They are hilarious.

3. I can't go to bed with

out the kitchen being spotless.

4. I love decorating my future house. Online. haha! I'll pick out my furniture from Pottery Barn, accessories on from Anthropologie, and various things on Craigslist, which won't even be there by the time we buy a house. It keeps me from over-decorating our own apartment. :)

5. I spent the first ten years of my life in the Philippines as a missionary kid.

6. I don't enjoy swimming because you can't wear contacts in the water, so I'm half-blind and can't see a thing.

7. For the most part, I would rather stay at home with friends and cook dinner, watch movies, and enjoy girl-talk than go out on the town. However, after being pregnant and somewhat limited from certain activities, I can't WAIT to go out dancing with the girls and have a fun night out!

8. I cry every time I watch "A Baby Story" on TLC.

9. I am a little overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that come along with parenthood. Just a few of the things overflowing from my to-do list: check on status of husband and Asher's new insurance, figure out where his birth certificate is, figure out how to pay all the hospital bills, call insurance company and ask why certain things are on our deductible and not on our co-pay and vice

versa, clean house and do laundry, figure out when to pump and how much to pump and when we might possibly need a bottle, learn how to deal with a large heavy stroller and baby everywhere I

go, ....the list goes on forever. And I only have 1 1/2 weeks left of maternity leave. ahhhh!

10. I am going to be a SAHM and WAHM! Stay at home AND work at home

mom. I feel so blessed that God put this job in my life. Two years ago when I was freaking out about not finding a teaching job, he had exactly what I needed waiting right ahead. Thank you God!

Things I would like to blog on next:

1) my birth experience

2) pictures and videos of Asher

3) life as a SandWAHM

4) My favorite baby items/what I've found to be really usefull

5) my etsy shop!

I'll leave you with a few lovely pictures :)

Our future bed. love.

My splurge of the month! Does it get any more spring-y than this?

Rice-krispie treat cake with chocolate marshmallow icing inside! How cute would this be for one of Asher's birthdays!