The Search for A Modest Home

Life has been pretty exciting recently. But let's talk about the past for a minute...After the short sale of our town house in 2012, Brandon and I thought we would not be able to purchase a home for at least 4 years after it was finally sold. We knew this would put a ding on our credit, but unfortunately, he lost his job and we didn't have the resources to continue to pay for our mortgage, plus we needed to move 2 hours north of our current house for Brandon's new job position.

As life has gone one, we have slowly been talking about the prospects of purchasing a house at the end of next year! So one afternoon we had always discussed one area of Saratoga Springs that we loved, and hey, a builder that we knew and liked was building in that area. Guys it's perfect, and I found the perfect floor plan I love. In the back of my head though I kept thinking, we still have to wait, I know it takes time to build, but these will still be done before any bank would finance us due to our previous short sale...Well...we started talking with the salesman (never a good thing), and found out we only had to wait 3 years! 3 years! That means comes this December we could have a house. WHAT?! The dream is real guys! It has consumed our thoughts, and time, which isn't necessarily the best thing since we're both in school and have the kiddo's and work.

So since we found the perfect area and floor plan, really it was a great time to potentially build!

The thing is, I'm in a Family Finance class at BYU. This is such a practical class that honestly should be available to everyone, especially married couples! Within our class we have discussed the discouragement of debt, except for three different categories. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin put it best when he said, "Some debt - such as for a modest home, expenses, for education, perhaps for a needed first car - may be necessary. But never should we enter into financial bondage through consumer debt without carefully weighing the costs."

As we kept looking at our dream lots and floor plan the price of it kept creeping into the back of my mind. Although Brandon is making significantly more than he ever has, this is still a house we could not afford...Not right now at least. I brought this up to Brandon, who unfortunately agreed with me, so we started to discuss maybe purchasing a home already built, for less.

We are still on the hunt and searching. But this term "modest home" is what has been continually on my mind. I had heard that quote by Elder Wirthlin before, but as we are truly searching for a home, and we want so many wonderful things, this small phrase of "modest" keeps coming into my head.

A thought that has come back to Brandon is maybe we should purchase another town house for now. We could get into one fairly quickly, and have a mortgage for about the same price we're paying in rent right now. Then, we can keep our budget the same that it is and continue to pay off debts as quickly as we can. Once all other debts are paid, except for a mortgage, then we can maybe look into selling the townhouse and then putting the equity into a down payment for a larger house in the future.

Nothing is for certain right now, and if for anything, I'm grateful for the fact that we are taking our time and truly talking about all the options we have before us. I'm excited for the future, and what it has in store for my little family. I truly hope we can continue to have the Spirit guide us to find our new modest home.

Love/Hate Relationships

We all have love/hate relationship? Right? Or is it just me?... Either way, here is a list of my l/h relationships, in no particular order.

Hair: I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. I love it longer, I think it looks nicer on me, but it gets so heavy! I love to change my hair up, but you really can't change it up when it's long, unless you have the time to curl it. Which I don't. I'm trying to get enough gumption to do a pixie cut. But, I don't have the balls yet. So 5 in the other day, was all I could part with. It's still long enough to pull it back when needed, but yet it doesn't feel like I'm getting a headache from it every day.

Cars: I love the independence I get with my car. I can go and do anything! I hate when they break down and suck. I also hate putting a ton of money into fixing a car, and it breaking down a couple months later with the same issues...thank you, you stupid, incompetent mechanics. Long story short, we're getting rid of one of our cars, and upgrading to a (hopefully) more reliable model.

Working out: I love the feeling of progressing with working out. I love how I can push myself a little further each time, and see my body improve. I am completely exhausted and lazy though. So I don't get to work out...I could, I just choose to do homework/work, or snuggle up with the mister to a movie instead. Priorities people. (I am trying to motivate myself to working out more again. I'm not getting younger, and it's harder to maintain my weight than it used to be. Thanks kiddo's!) ;)

School: I love getting my education. I love getting away from the kid's to do something selfish. I could probably go to school forever, which sometimes it feels like that's going to happen. I do hate missing out on my children growing up (even if it is only a couple of hours each day). I miss sleep. I hate writing papers, and the stress that causes. I also hate statistics. Even though, it has helped me to understand (or at least think I understand), a lot of the back end of my work. Plus, sometimes I want a break from school...like a Spring Break...BYU doesn't have one. WHAT?! :(

Teething munchkins: I love when they get teeth! It means they can try more challenging foods...but really...This is mostly a hate relationship. Ammon is in so much pain. He wakes up early, takes forever to take a nap, and goes to sleep late because he just wants me to snuggle him to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I love snuggling him all day, but unfortunately when it's their bed time, that's my time to clean up/do my work/finish homework. I have to cut the cord, and I hate it. Boo for teething. Yay for ice-cream though!

These are a few that have been on my mind the past week...I'm sure I'll come up with a part two with it at some point. Do you have any love/hate relationships?

Journal Entry 1

As I am horrible at keeping a journal, hopefully my Religious class at BYU will help. I have to write out journal entries a couple of times a week and figured I'd post my thoughts on here. Maybe as I post more about my testimony it will lead to posting more about my cute kiddo's and the craziness that is our lives.

Here are a few thoughts on one of my favorite scriptures. :)

           

An all time favorite scripture that has buoyed my husband and I up during unexpected trials and helped us increase our faith is 1 Nephi 3:7. This is Nephi accepting Lehi’s, and truly Heavenly Father’s commandment to go back to Jerusalem and retrieve the records from Laban. Even after his brothers murmur at the idea of retrieving the plates, Nephi proclaims “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commmandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:7) I’ve always admired Nephi’s unwavering faith, he did not know how he would accomplish this commandment, but Nephi knew the Lord commanded it, and so he knew they needed the plates before they could continue on with their journey to the promised land.

There have been times in my life when the future was uncertain for my family and myself, change was inevitable, but security was missing within my life. Last summer my husband told me that he had been prompted multiple times over the past few weeks that I should apply to BYU.  This act was hard for me because we were settled in Logan; both students at USU and Brandon had a stable job that was able to support our family so I could stay home with our sons. The wait to hear back from BYU of my acceptance was excruciating. Brandon and I tried multiple times to find housing in Utah County as well as find employment for him so he could continue to support our family but things never worked out. Just like when Laban first tried to persuade Laban to give him the plates, he was denied what was commanded of him. (1 Nephi 3:11-13) As well as when Nephi convinced his brothers to go back into the city to offer up their inheritance they had left behind to Laban to purchase the plates. They were again rejected and fled for their lives. (1 Nephi 3:22-25) It was then that I looked upon this scripture and dived into the footnotes. One of the footnotes leads to the comforting voice of our Heavenly Father saying “…Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee.” (D&C 5:34) It is only when we stop, and are patient with the Lord, that we are lead in the direction he needs us to go to follow through with keeping his commandments. It wasn’t until Nephi truly paused for a moment as he went into the city alone, unknowing of what was about to happen that he was “led by the Spirit.” (1 Nephi 4:6) It was in those quiet moments when Nephi was patient and awaiting the direction of the Lord, that he was then guided to Laban. Just like Nephi, my husband and I needed to be patient with the Lord. It wasn’t until my husband and I were still, and quiet within the holy walls of the temple, that we were finally calm. We knew that things would work out in the end, and that our Father in heaven was guiding us to where he needed us most.