Enough Already!!!

I'm sure everyone is a little tired of seeing our fam. pictures now, 
but I LOVE them!  

Never again will we spend $60+ at Penney's :0)!  It's one of those things this year that we gave up as a sacrifice for our adoption.  And as you can see quality can really out-weigh quantity (we'll see how they print out--eeeekk).  

We have taken some pretty big steps with our finances and put our trust in God to take care of things...we know He will. 
We were able to pay off our credit cards (also cut them up and closed them out)when I gave up my shopping sprees (remember, I am that clearance rack diver....but it does add up). 
I have become quite the home-body, but I do have my one coffee date a week (thanks, Ang) so I don't go crazy.  

When we need groceries, I usually send Dic...and with a list.  I have stepped into Target a time or two and I wasn't even that drawn to great prices (AMAZING for me).  It's kinda like when you go on a sugar diet and after the first week your cravings start to go away.....a "sweet" deal.  

We started this state of thinking at the same time we started our adoption paperwork.  We vowed to eat out less, which we have accomplished and are seeing the benefits.  In almost two months, we have gone out ONCE.....and, oh, how I wish we wouldn't have! Yuck!  It isn't necessary and all it takes is a little self-control (which I've never had a lot of).  
Don't get me wrong I have made my sacrifices just to be at home with my kiddos--I nursed them, cloth-diapered them, made my own baby food, gave them their haircuts, bought clothes at rummage sales (and clearance racks, of course :0), I found alternative ways to heal their sick little bodies, and I've always highlighted my own hair.  These were things I wanted to do anyway, but it sure helped with our budget. So this isn't a new thing at all, but it took some training again.  

We are using the "if we don't NEED it, we don't buy it" rule.  Dic and I agreed that eating out as kids was a treat for us.....kids these days just expect it.  It's soo sad when things are taken for granted because there is soo much...we all do that.  This is a big life lesson for all of us and I'm excited to make the change in our lifestyle.  

So even though our 11-year-old sofa has holes all over it, and our carpet is stained and worn, and the linoleum in the bathroom is hidious (God is using THIS money that I'd saved for other things:0)......I want to live on manna---what God provides. Even though our back deck needs a railing, and the walkway still needs flagstone, and we were ready to add on to the garden....it will all have to wait.  And the suburban that we were waiting for will stay with it's previous owner while our mini-van remains parked in our garage.  God has put His trust in us and we will abide.  
It will be enough.

So this is just one more thing we were able to accomplish on our own--we have become pretty good photographers (and so have my bro. and his fiance'--thanks Clay and Jess) and that's plenty for us....

 Lord, 

YOU
 are 
enough 

for 

us.