FREEEEDOM!!!

WE DID IT!!!

Thanks to everyone who supported us. Thanks to everyone who still invited us out…it's nice to be remembered even when we need to say no. Thanks to everyone who accepted our answer "our financial advisor told us we can't" as a viable!

We paid off the loan several months earlier than planned (and 14 years earlier than the required payments would have taken.). The best part? We surprised ourselves with this news! I haven't been adding up the money going into my business accounts (it's much easier NOT to watch it—bad for bookkeeping I know...) but on Adam's birthday I decided to do the math and—tah-dah! Best birthday present EVER!

Next step #3: 3-6 months of living expenses in a savings account. Here we go!!! We've decided to add emergency food storage to this step as well.

Addendum: Oct 4th
Below, Adam wanted a photo of us paying off the loan. Maybe if you squint really hard you can see that the payment was over $16,000. A huge chunk but so worth it.

In all, since we started this Dave Ramsey thing about 2.9 years ago (and then got REALLY serious in February) we've paid off my school loan, the car, purchased a second car in cash, and paid off Adam's loan. 

About a week after we became debt free I was driving home from the grocery store and a rush of happiness overtook me so much that I started laughing out loud and the tears of gratitude hit. I must have looked ridiculous (and I missed slowing down in a school zone…eeehhh.) I felt SO incredibly GRATEFUL for getting this obstacle out of our lives. Grateful to Heavenly Father for putting a plan in our path at a time when we were ready to listen (after backing out of a house purchase that would have been a massive mistake). 

This debt free thing truly is freedom, freedom for the soul.

Weird

This girl you see below is responsible for surprising us with free tickets to Les Misérables at the Dallas Theater Center. Dafni found them for ONE dollar folks—If I remember correctly, the tickets go on sale and are sold out in minutes. It's a pre-performance of sorts.

The theater is small and modern. Below is a photo in the hallway leading to the restroom. We walked in and were completely thrown into disorientation by the color. I like this shot—it's iconic in a way.

Some walls are magnetic and have yards of chain mail adhering to them. Although visually interesting from a distance…they also look cheap and…well, flat chested up-close. I imagine the walls will be redone at some point.

Friends waiting in the lobby.

The theater is like a giant cube. Inside all the seats are removable, the stage too. It can be formatted to fit any event need. There were no bad seats. We were on the second level and look how close we were to the action!

This particular rendition was fun to watch, although not my favorite. It was set in 1815-1832 France but the costumes did not stay true to the 1800's which was bothersome to me (I mean, some were actually modern.) And let's just say the trouble Fantine got herself into at the whore house was too explicit. The audience was gasping out of shock…not awe.

During some musical numbers, the actors stood at different places around the room. One took a seat next to Adam and kinda freaked him out! It was great.

On another note on some other different random day (can you tell I'm doing a photo dump?), we decided to try the Grub Burger Bar. We'd heard it was good.

And it was! But not for me. I seem to always try something a little too different. I went with a Thai Peanut Butter burger: Creamy peanut butter, roasted peanuts, cilantro lime coconut flakes, and Sambal mayo. Let's just say it was like eating a peanut butter sandwich with meat in it. My fault. I should have known it would be weird. Everyone else was pleased with theirs so I would recommend this spot.

And I just enjoy these shots, so I am posting them. Hah!

The Amazing RACE

Girls Camp this year…oh where do I start? I've put off blogging about it for a few months because I've had to let my feelings about it settle. It was difficult and humbling in a lot of ways.

Some of you wanted to know if I did crafts. I was asked to do the crafts again, but after two weeks of not feeling calm enough to accept the responsibility—I realized my answer needed to be no. If something is meant to be, the kind of angst I was feeling should not have been present.

Consequently it turned out I was needed elsewhere as the assistant camp leader for my girls. So I got to spend my days running around with them instead of hanging out in a craft room.

The theme was The Amazing R.A.C.E. Our youth leaders (girls ages 16 and 17) came up with it.
Remember to Act as Christ and Endure. I thought it was pretty good.

Each ward picked their own color t-shirt and team name. We went with NEON! Neon orange—which I loved because I could find the girls from afar. If we had a bigger budget I would love to get a t-shirt for every day of camp just so I can keep a better eye on everyone.

Last year was physically difficult (due to incapacitating back pain), this year was emotionally difficult. I love my girls, and I think that's why. I want them to have a good time. I want them to participate and build relationships with one another. I want them to make memories, great ones that will last, to build their testimonies that will cause them to come again next year.

However—I think some girls come for their own reasons and with their own ideas of what the camp experience should be. And ALL of them are teenagers. I give you permission to read between the lines here. Read a lot between the lines.

Good thing I love them!

What did I learn? Patience. Better leadership. Greater love. Inner calm, inner calm, inner calm. And appreciation for the adult leaders who helped ME.

Oh yeah, and chiggers. I learned about chiggers.

Don't think it's possible to attend camp and not come back changed. If you want to see what you are made of, go to girls camp.