It has been a while since we last posted anything on the family blog. We have been plenty busy since last December and have made some big changes in our family life. The biggest change of course is that Brent and I are expecting our third child, a baby girl. She is due to arrive any day now this June and we are very excited to meet her. The boys can't wait to be her big brother, they love their little sister already.
We also recently moved from North Liberty to Cedar Rapids. The location is very convenient and is close enough to downtown that Brent can actually bike to work. There area has lots of parks for us to enjoy together as a family and the local school is just blocks away. It is a good fit for us and we really love the new place. It is an older home but has a lot of unique charm. We have 3 bedrooms now and a much bigger kitchen which I love. It really fits our simple lifestyle. Or favorite thing about the home is the GIANT backyard and walk out deck. The boys have discovered there is a lot of exploring to do in the backyard, it kind of feels almost like a farm. We have a little farm shed complete with a ladder and attic, a long clothes line, their big swing set, lilac trees, honeysuckle trees, a mulberry bush, rhubarb and even grapes growing in the back yard!!! Every day we go outside and discover a "new" plant or flower that we hadn't noticed before. I don't have much of a green thumb but I might have to try out my hand at a little bit of gardening. I think we will try to start out small with tomatoes or strawberries this year, maybe even some potted herbs. I will have to post how that goes, I am sure I will have some memorable epic fail moments to share with all of you.
In other changes, I now stay at home full time with the kids. The funny thing about staying at home is that I am finding I have less free time than when I was working part time outside of the home! The kids really do keep me busy. No bonbons and daytime TV for this mom! We make many trips to the park or pool and find fun family activities to do around town. Don't worry though, we are just about all settled in now so I have no excuses for not posting anymore. I will make sure to share pictures and stories once again.
Additionally, Brent and I have started what I would call the second chapter of our Financial Peace journey. As most of you know, we finished Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace course in the spring of 2010. We have undergone many lifestyle changes in the last 16 months. We don't use credit cards or take out loans and we have discovered how freeing it can be to simplify your finances and have a working budget. What is interesting though is that by simplifying our finances we have actually simplified how we live as well. This I think is because our priorities are being reshaped. Money is not important, stuff is not important, and things are not important. Our friends, family and God have become the most important things. I wouldn't say we are prefect as we still have lots of work to do and a long journey ahead of us. However, I do feel that this has really helped us grow closer as a couple and made our family stronger. Financial Peace has changed more than just our finances. It has changed our outlook on life as well. What a blessing that has been! We are excited to see where our journey will take us in the next few years.
We are so excited to blog again and can't wait to share all the happenings our family has going on. Look to see more posts from us very soon!
