Less is more.

Here lately I have been spending a considerable amount of time online trying to figure out how to maximize our money and to save on our grocery bill.I love a challenge and enjoy researching and trying to find the best deal possible,this is totally up my alley and I love doing it.:)
It is wonderful to me to know that so many others have done exactly what I am doing,have learned a lot and saved even more. I feel so blessed to have the internet where you have the world and every-ones work at your fingertips.
Right now I am enjoying this website
http://moneysavingmom.com/http://moneysavingmom.com/

it has excellent ideas,tips and is very helpful in saving you a lot of money which I am very excited about.

Another thing I really like is that the lady who does moneysavingmom has been in a similar boat as Chris and I are in now.She got married while her husband was still in school and she worked hard to help put him through school and not go into debt  which is something we are striving to do. So it was very encouraging to me to read how they made it and survived and even after he was done with school.

I am such a dork but the other day it made me really excited to think of how if Chris and I learn to live on less then once he is out of school and is (hopefully) making more money and we continue to live on less think of all we can sock away into savings! And if he is not able to find a fabulous job right away we will be alright too as we are not planning on changing our living standards regardless of what kind of job he gets.
We know a young couple who are expecting their first child this month and at the same time will be paying their house completely off,which I find VERY inspiring and is something I very much want to do.
And very often I have to remind myself that I need to be saving and not spending on silly things,I do not need anything but so often I think I *need* something.Going through Dave Ramsey was one of the best things we did for our pre-marital preparation and is something Chris and I agree on and are committed to.

Mad ramblings

I am so happy to finally be reading more again.After being so busy with wedding plans and trying to get everything together it feels so delicious to once again be diving into reading. I was quite afraid my brain had turned to mush.:)
I am currently reading 'A Severe Mercy' by Sheldon Vanauken which is a excellent true life love story and the fact that Sheldon was a friend of C.S. Lewis certainly does not hurt anything.:)
I really like how Sheldon and Davy (his wife) had a 'Shining Banner' in their marriage and how they set out goals from the very start on ways to keep their marriage going strong,a proactive approach which was ingenious.
So it is inspiring me to do better about not getting busy with life and letting Chris fall in my priorities which even now is easy to do as it seems like life has already hit us full force and  sometimes it seems like I barely see Chris. So just being reminded about what is really important and being reminded to up our own Shining Banner is what I am gleaning from 'A Severe Mercy' so far.

Chris and I are looking for another vehicle,a more fuel efficient vehicle  as even though we both love Lysander (our beloved Chevy Suburban who I affectionately named from 'A Midsummers Night's Dream' which is character Chris played when he was in grade school) he really does not do good things to our budget as he is a horrible gas guzzler.But Chris does need him for mowing so he is a necessity,we just have hardly gone anywhere because he gets 14 gpa on a good day.
So we went to the Tow Lot auction on Tuesday and got nothing but are looking at craigs list and are praying to find the best car for us,right now we are thinking a Honda Civic or Accord but whatever comes along would be fine.:)

I have been thinking a lot here lately about what opportunities I have to share with other about Jesus and how many I have not grabbed a hold of for fear of being labeled 'weird' or 'strange' and yet some of the people I admire the most are people who are valiant in their testimony and are excellent witnesses.They do it in such a way that is genuine and real because God is a BIG part of their lives so it spills over and they can't not share about Him.
So it makes me want to strive to be a better witness and a real,genuine Christian not a phony,their are plenty of them around,but someone who is known for being loving,kind,gentle,willing to help anyone,not judgmental and real.I have so far to go but that  is what what I  want to strive to be.

Updating our Kitchen

So we have been very,very blessed with a gorgeous house that is so wonderful and I love it so much but one of the first things I am dying to do is do something about these very dated and ugly cabinets! Chris is very much against painting wood as he likes the look of natural wood but even he is in favor of painting these cabinets so that tells you just how bad they are.:)
So we are thinking that we will be painting them in hopes that they will make them better and between that and changing out the hardware on them they will *hopefully* look quite nice.
Of course we are going to be doing this on a very tight budget which I have to keep reminding myself of as I am looking up websites for ideas as some of those kitchens are simply gorgeous but cost a arm and a leg for sure,this website http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/kitchen-remodeling-ideas-how-to/kitchen-designs-design-ideas/french-country-kitchen-decor-designs.htm had me drooling for as I am hoping to decorate our kitchen in a French Country theme,but all of those kitchens are anything but budget friendly for sure.:) Methinks I need to be looking at more budget friendly websites.....

Oh,here were some very good ideas and this one http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Kitchens/My-1700-kitchen-makeover/detail.esi?oid=6367509 only cost $17 and it looks really cute.I am inspired.:) These two http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Kitchens/A-Romantic-Vintage-Kitchen/detail.esi?oid=13218367 and http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Kitchens/Cottage-kitchen/detail.esi?oid=14014991 are really cute too although I am not sure I would have the cabinets without doors and your dishes showing,it is a really cute idea and but I am not sure I am that daring.:)

So I have visions of a new and improved kitchen floating through my head.If anyone has any ideas,suggestions or websites they just love I am open to hear them.Especially if they have anything to do with saving money.

Zion for others

Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee; or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 41 And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me' Matthew 25:35-41

Chris and I read this passage of scripture in our devotions this morning as we are going through the New Testament together (we started the reading in Matthew the day we got married and have been pretty diligent in reading every morning,I hope we continue to keep it up!).It is always fascinating to me how with God their is no coincidences and how after reading that in the scriptures today and then coming across this website http://www.hopechest.org/sex_cafe-in-moldova/
which is insight-fully and yet horrible at the same time.To think that these poor innocent girls are sold into such a horrible lifestyle and against their will! To think that all of this is done in the name of greed and lust.It is disgusting and it is all to real.

With reading that article and watching 'Blood Diamonds' last night it makes you realize how much wickedness their really is in the world,something that at times I can almost block out because I have been so blessed and have seen a lot of good.And when you read such things it makes me want to do something to make it better and while I can send money,heighten the awareness,etc, I know that the greatest thing I can do in my life is to seek to bring Zion and to work towards establishing it here on this earth because only then will the greed,corruption and great wickedness stop.Only when we are living by the Celestial laws will things be as they should,as God created and only then will the tears of sorrow cease and will be replaced by joy.

So as I ponder what has been laid on my heart today I realize that their is a whole world dying for the light of what I so selfishly hide and that not for myself should I seek Zion but for others,for the young girls who have their innocence stripped from them,for the children who know nothing but hate and war and for a world that turns a blind eye to these things and does little to change them.

The start of something new

Here I am starting yet another writing endeavor,Chris really thinks I should have enough of a outlet for my writing between keeping up on Facebook with people and writing in my journal but I am finding yet another thing that I thought I *need* to do.:) Only time will tell if I actually keep up with it very well but I will try my hardest.

It is interesting how much newness is involved with getting married,you have the newness of being around someone 24/7,the newness of being in your own home,the newness of no longer being single,of putting your spouses needs before your own,of being on a budget and so much more.So it is a very exciting time but I am learning so much too! Some lessons are easier then other.:)

I am convinced I have the most amazing husband ever,even though Chris informs me that I am totally biased but he is pretty darn amazing.On Friday night I was not feeling too good due to overeating on fried fish (again,you would think I would learn) so I went downstairs to empty some contents out of my stomach and my darling husband instead of staying in our warm bed he came down and rubbed my back as I was hurling.So he made me VERY happy by doing that.Oh,and did I mention that he gets up EVERY morning and makes me breakfast? I am one very happy girl.:)

I bet get off and be social with my husband,although right now he is watching a National Geographic movie about being a National Geographic photographer as that is his dream job.:) So I am off to dream with him....