WE SURVIVED!

This last week and a half has been rough. We made the decision that instead of buying each other and the kiddos Christmas presents we were going to pay all the tithing we were behind. After all Christmas is about Christ right?! It didn't seem right that we weren't paying him and choosing worldy stuff instead. So with that decision we were broke. We had $50 for a week and a half of food that got cut down to 20 with an accidental charge. I had to take back the girls Christmas eve jammies so that our account wouldn't go negative. I couldn't go to my gmas on Tuesday cuz I didn't have the gas money for it. (Every tuesday my girls and I go and spend the afternoon with my grandma and whatever cousin(s) that may appear!) I would open the fridge and there would be 2 gallons of milk, one thing of sausage, a bag of spinach and a dozen eggs. There were days that I just cried. I wondered how in the world we would make till payday (which is today!). How was I going to feed my family? Early on I made a list of what we would eat at what meals until today to make sure we could indeed survive. It was a rough long week and a half but I am pleased to say we made it! And this last Sunday we were able to go to our tithing settlement and pay the rest of our tithing and declare ourselves as full tithe payers! My mother ended up sending us some money so this week the girls are picking out presents for eachother and for mommy and daddy. I made Thom a present (i'll post a pic post Christmas :) and made Jetta a blanket and the girls super cute little treasure boxes out of old shoe boxes and modpodge and scrapbook paper. Thom and I will still not be able to get each other presents but our hearts are full and we will be okay without. Our vacuum just died last week too. That was another challenge. Pay tithing or get a vacuum. We chose to pay our tithing and I hope to borrow one of my grandmas for a little bit until we can find the money for a new one. It's been rough I won't lie. But I'm glad it's behind us and I feel good that we were able to make it. I feel like we were blessed and that we learned some really good lessons. Lessons that will help us make 2012 NOT SUCK money wise! We will once and for all get a good hold on our finances. We won't be well off by any means but the plan is that next Christmas we won't be completely broke like we were this year and last.