That has been another revelation in our short stay so far. We had to get used to the long distances to larger towns and services in Shickley, NE. But notice I said long distances, not longer drives. It just takes longer here in Ohio, due to traffic, curves, hills, stop signs, etc.
Shopping - I like going into a store in Nebraska, finding what I want and going to the register to check out. In Ohio, we wait in line to find what we want, and wait in line to get to the register.
Parade - We went to Orrville to a parade last night. It took 30 minutes from the start of the parade till it finally got to us. Then, the parade was nearly 90 minutes long. Lots of candy. It was fun.
Camping - We are going camping about 36 miles away. It will take over an hour to get there. Does that make sense?! I like Nebraska. 36 miles = 36 minutes.
Ohio is not so bad, I really not complaining. But we'll take Nebraska's time. It doesn't take as long. :)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Where did Monday go?
Well, we are here, in Ohio, and it is Tuesday. I remember leaving on Sunday. But where is Monday? It seems to have passed.
Wonderful trip. Everything went smoothly. A few extra stops with Gloria along. So, 5+ hours on Sunday, and @ 15 on Monday. Aha! That's where Monday went. We were on the road. Arrived at Suzanne's parents around 11pm Monday night. The girls traveled angelicly! Either that or I was in a fog:)
A couple things stuck out to me while driving. There are woods in Ohio! And big trees together. I saw few to no pivots during our whole trip. The fields have character; terraces, winding loops, gentle hills, etc. The corn is about a foot high. Nebraska was waist high or better. Chicago traffic sits still, for a long time. And this was on I-80. So we got off on an exit and drove through town. It was beautiful to see the artwork on bridges and buildings, and to see some of the old buildings.
Blessings
Wonderful trip. Everything went smoothly. A few extra stops with Gloria along. So, 5+ hours on Sunday, and @ 15 on Monday. Aha! That's where Monday went. We were on the road. Arrived at Suzanne's parents around 11pm Monday night. The girls traveled angelicly! Either that or I was in a fog:)
A couple things stuck out to me while driving. There are woods in Ohio! And big trees together. I saw few to no pivots during our whole trip. The fields have character; terraces, winding loops, gentle hills, etc. The corn is about a foot high. Nebraska was waist high or better. Chicago traffic sits still, for a long time. And this was on I-80. So we got off on an exit and drove through town. It was beautiful to see the artwork on bridges and buildings, and to see some of the old buildings.
Blessings
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Happy first day of summer
Courtney had a ballgame this evening, and it was 65 degrees, cloudy, and windy! I had my winter coat on, zipped up, and spent most of the game in the van! It has been 80-90 up until today. Weather...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
New secret to making it financially
http://lifehacker.com/5809285/the-most-basic-personal-finance-truth
Really that's it. Spend less than you make invest and give away the rest:) One thing that Suzanne and I decided even before we got married was to spend much less than we made, so that we could give consistently and not worry about money. We are tempted often to spend what we make, but continue to remind ourselves and each other of our goals. So we give up some things so we can enjoy other things. And we write it down. That's a budget or spending plan. Without it how do we know when we are overspending? How do we know if we are putting enough aside to cover a new used car, or a trip, or those bills that come due yearly?
An early great example: During our first year of marriage, we lived on my meager teaching salary, and saved half her income and paid off her college debt with the other half. When Alyssa was born, we were debt free, we had 10% saved for a down payment on a house, and Suzanne quit her job to stay at home.
An early bad example: A couple years later we bought a house that extended us very tightly (stressful), then did 12 months same as cash to waterproof the basement (more stressful). We learned from both of these mistakes. We plan to have 20%+ down payment for our next (whenever) house, while we contentedly enjoy renting. Wait to spend money till it is in the bank. Continue to live without "necessities" like cable tv. Become content with less and teach our children the power of enough. And trust God (not our savings and wise money usage). It could be all gone tomorrow, or God could tell us to give it all away. What's left then? God!
Really that's it. Spend less than you make invest and give away the rest:) One thing that Suzanne and I decided even before we got married was to spend much less than we made, so that we could give consistently and not worry about money. We are tempted often to spend what we make, but continue to remind ourselves and each other of our goals. So we give up some things so we can enjoy other things. And we write it down. That's a budget or spending plan. Without it how do we know when we are overspending? How do we know if we are putting enough aside to cover a new used car, or a trip, or those bills that come due yearly?
An early great example: During our first year of marriage, we lived on my meager teaching salary, and saved half her income and paid off her college debt with the other half. When Alyssa was born, we were debt free, we had 10% saved for a down payment on a house, and Suzanne quit her job to stay at home.An early bad example: A couple years later we bought a house that extended us very tightly (stressful), then did 12 months same as cash to waterproof the basement (more stressful). We learned from both of these mistakes. We plan to have 20%+ down payment for our next (whenever) house, while we contentedly enjoy renting. Wait to spend money till it is in the bank. Continue to live without "necessities" like cable tv. Become content with less and teach our children the power of enough. And trust God (not our savings and wise money usage). It could be all gone tomorrow, or God could tell us to give it all away. What's left then? God!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Quality vs Quantity
How about quality and quantity? Can we separate the two? Sometimes we can't do both, but I have found that the goal must be both. I took off Monday and spent the day with the girls. We went shopping in Hastings, swimsuit shopping! Does a man enjoy shopping for swimsuits with 5 females? Not really, but it was quantity time. But that isn't enough. I needed to be more than present. I needed to be a participant.
So, I gave my opinion. I complemented their choices. We held hands, we hugged, we gave high fives, we ate Subway, and we enjoyed time (quality and quantity) together.
This is a picture of the church. We, the local body of Christ, need to spend quality and quantity time together. Sometimes we will be doing things we wouldn't have chosen, and we grow in love, faith, patience, deference, and the body of Christ is built up to a unity of faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, until we arrive at maturity, attaining the full measure of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13)
So, I gave my opinion. I complemented their choices. We held hands, we hugged, we gave high fives, we ate Subway, and we enjoyed time (quality and quantity) together.
This is a picture of the church. We, the local body of Christ, need to spend quality and quantity time together. Sometimes we will be doing things we wouldn't have chosen, and we grow in love, faith, patience, deference, and the body of Christ is built up to a unity of faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, until we arrive at maturity, attaining the full measure of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13)
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