Two birds. One blog.

(Betsy): I'm all about efficiency (insert Scott doubling over in laughter in the background), so let's buckle down and cross off two more items off of our Thirty List.

Bird One:

We all know how I feel about this guy.  Scott's pretty fond of him too. And, almost one year after beginning his class, Financial Peace University, we can officially say we are debt free! No credit card debt. No car payments. No current mortgage.No school loans. Nada. Nothing. On November 23, 2011, Scott paid off his car 2 years and 3 months early, and boy-oh-boy, did it feel good! Financial freedom is just that--freeing. 

I write this good news with the risk of sounding prideful, even arrogant. But, I hope you trust that I only share our financial situation to be an encouragement to others who are just like us:

Others who find it extremely difficult to be patient.
Others who really, really, really, really enjoy spending money.
Others who have or had car payments, credit card debt, and student loans.
Others who struggle daily with loving and desiring things of the world.

Each and every day, I wrestle with discontentment. I want a nice, big home. I want to rock the newest styles and trends. I want a newer car. I want a cake (vanilla, with white icing, please), and I want to eat it too. I am no different--and probably worse!--than each one of you. So, from the bottom of my materialistic heart, I share our financial testimony strictly as inspiration and a confidence booster! Financial peace, I am learning, is achievable--even for my world-loving, big-house-needing, have-a-penny-and-I'll-spend-it self!

If you are familiar with Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps, you know Scott and I have a long way to go before we reach true financial freedom. First, there's that dreaded emergency fund. And the saving doesn't stop there--retirement, college (for our children), future large purchases...you get the picture. It's challenging not to get overwhelmed by how much more of this financial race we have to run.

I'm already out of breath.

But, if I can take a moment to step back and look at the big picture, I can't help but be excited to keep pressing forward. After all, Scott and I want to be a good steward of God's money. We want to build wealth so that, ultimately, we can give it away. We want to think for our children, our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren. We want to change our family tree, instilling values like patience and hard work (not to say our parents and grandparents didn't value these things). Lastly, we want our family to have a heart for those who are less fortunate.

We truly believe in Dave's teachings. He is honest, practical, and biblical. We like him so much that Scott is facilitating his class, Financial Peace University, at our church, Christ Community Midtown this spring. Please feel free to contact either of us if you are interested in learning more. The free preview class is February 12 at 3:30p.m., and we would love to see you there!

Give me a second to climb off of my soapbox.

Moving forward. Bird two:

Scott turned the big 3-0 last weekend, and I really wanted him to feel special and loved. I also had a hidden agenda of getting some things crossed off our Thirty List, so I lied to him (a ton!) and threw him a surprise party with a few close friends and family.

Leading up to his birthday, Scott knew I had something up my sleeve, and so, to cover my tracks, I told him I had a weekend out of town planned for just the two of us. I would fill him in on details as his birthday weekend approached.

As it turns out, I have been blessed with the gift of lying (Fear not, friends. I won't abuse this talent.) But as far as Scott was concerned, we were taking a train up to his favorite city, Chicago, for some yummy food and a "special event" planned for Sunday. Saturday night, our bags were packed, and Scott was ready to catch the train to the Windy City. My dad, I had promised him, was going to pick us up around 6:30p.m. to drop us off downtown amidst the beginning crowds of Superbowl Village. Unbeknownst to my honey, eighteen of his favorite people would be pulling up in a limo for a quick ride around town and a seafood feast at one of our favorites, Rick's Cafe Boatyard.

I think this video does a great job of capturing Scott's surprised look, a look of dumbfoundment (ya, I made that word up.) mixed with a little bit of disappointment (he was really excited about Chicago) and a taste of confusion:

We had such a great time with sweet friends and family. Here are a few snapshots of the evening:

So, there you have it. Two more items crossed off our list. We're trekking forward. Let's review, shall we?

1. Go skydiving.
2. Volunteer: frequently, consistently, long term.
3. Go to Hawaii.
4. New York City: Tavern on the Green, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty.
5. Go camping: hardcore camping. Legit, no b.s. camping. The real deal-tents, fire, etc.
6. Learn to snow ski.
7. Visit wineries in Napa Valley.
8. Zip Line: We prefer Costa Rica, but we will settle for anywhere!
9. Make a lobster dinner.
10. Read 10 or more books together.
11. Play a round of golf together.
12. Road trip out West together. (Don't worry, Teta! I'm still going to road trip out West with you too!)
13. Scuba Dive.
14. Take at least one guitar lesson together.
15. Play put-put.
16. Visit Wine Tastings Downtown.
17. Join a church.
18. Anonymously buy an old, cute couple dinner (must be someone we do not know).
19. Throw someone a surprise party.
20. Get Married (to each other of course :) )
21. Go to a Cubs game.
22. Take an all day bike ride.
23. Take a cooking class.
24. Run a mini marathon (RUN the whole 13.1 miles).
25. Attend a dating and/or marriage conference.
26. Take a train to Chicago.
27. Grow a garden.
28. Have NO debt except for a house.
29. Go white water rafting.
30. Visit Colorado.

9 out of 30...now, I'm no mathematician, but I think that means we are almost one-third of the way there with four years to go! I think we are on track :)