Bring on 2009

2008 is almost over. I can't believe this year is over already. I feel like it just started. It has definetly been a fun, exciting year. This is the year we really decided to jump on Dave Ramsey's plan. We completed Baby step 1 ($1000 Baby Emergeny Fund) and we made a plan to finish Baby Step 2, which is to pay off all debt.

I don't think we really made a New Years Resolution last year. If we did, I honestly don't remember what it was. It was probably something about eating better, getting out of debt, or losing weight.

This year we:

1. Celebrated our First year anniversary. We spent the day in Michigan where we went on our Honeymoon the first night.

2. We paid off our last credit card in May and trust me, that felt good.

3. We took a vacation to to Texas and Tulsa in March, then buried my best friend's husband a week later.

4. Went on a journey with some friends to lose weight this summer. Congrats Greg on winning the contest. Steve got second place. Even though we didn't win, it was still fun. I lost 10 pounds. Steve lost over 20.

5. Even in this "recession", we got a raise at work and picked up a second job working part-time at Sears.

6. We had a house literally fall in our laps. It was a foreclosure that my dad's bank foreclosed on and the price was just perfect for us.

7. This year because of how we budgeted we were actually able to spend more this year on Christmas then ever before. We saved and spent what we had.

8. We took a week vacation this fall and just stayed home. It was our "staycation."

9. We welcomed a new neice into the family (Steve's side) on December 22 and she is so cute. I can't wait to meet her.

10. We welcome a "Great Cousin" (My cousin and his wife's son) into the family in April. He is precious. He is our first "Great Cousin", so it was excited to see our family grow again.

11. We found out Steve has high cholesterol because it runs in his family, so it changed the way we eat and what I cook. It also raised our food budget. Why is healthy food, so much more expensive?

I'm sure we did other things too. The year flew by really fast.

I'm excited and ready for 2009. Almost every news story you read in the paper or on the internet is telling us that we should give up hope. They are telling us of a horrible recession that is coming and "we will never recover from it." I don't know, but I refuse to live my life without hope. We have a plan to be financially responsible and God that is good. Now are there people that are legimately struggling, of course, and could something major happen next year to derail our plan, of course, but I like to live with a positive attitude. I have amazing friends, an amazing husband, an amazing job, and an amazing God. Together there is nothing that we cannot do.

I think we can get through this suppossed recession if we live on budget, get out of debt, and build up our emergency fund. I'm excited about what is store in the next year.

Do I have a resolution for next year? Well it will probably be the same as the last year.

We will try to eat better, get out of debt, and build up our Emergency Fund.

I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. - Helen Keller