In the case you didn't know.

I have been doing some photos...again. So I decided to do another blog for just that. Stop by if you want to see what I have been up to.

just click here!

Hipstamatic

So if you know us at all...you would have seen us on our phones.

Andrew on his iphone, and me on my free phone that comes with the sprint plan from 4 years ago.

as you know, one of the best things about the iphone is the apps.

our friend, Aaron Seavers, told us about Hipstamatic a camera app for the iphone. (In 1982 it was a camera in Wisconsin it was an SLR and had a bunch of film options..only a few hundred were produced) Andrew has added the app and these are some of the results.

Hillsong Concert

Getting ready for prayer group

Thanks for stopping by

Dave Ramsey...

Oh, Dave Ramsey. Andrew and I have just finished our course of Financial Peace University. Was it fun? Yes, actually. Was is worth it? um..yeah! Do we love the envelope system?

YES! More than you know. We are beating down our debt and enjoying life not worrying about money. I have been taking a lot of pic's lately to help with the offset! I will add a pic of a family I photographed last week.

I was excited after 12 weeks of Dave telling me I needed to be a "winner" which I had serious issues with for some reason, to have him finish with a complete lesson on giving.

I am a 100% believer in the philosophy that stuff isn't ours, money isn't our we are just taking care of it for the Lord. Give sacrificially, give abundantly, and give with joy.

Two days ago was tax day and so the better part of yesterday's morning news was about the "white house tax returns". Andrew and I had this crazy realization that maybe our country would do a little better if the leaders of our country gave more and had that mentality. Did you know that the Obamas gave 6% of their income...which isn't too bad...but get this...

Andrew and I gave almost double what the Biden's gave. ALMOST DOUBLE. This isn't to say that we are awesome givers...this is to say that this is ridiculous!!!!!!

As a married couple we know that we receive all kinds of flavors of blessing because we give...this isn't why we give, but it is a reward. We find it hard to believe that the country wouldn't be better off if the people running it found it as important as we do.

We also learned that only 2.3% of Christians give. This blows my min

d.

People, we need to reconsider our state. We need to understand that God asks us to give! The best thing is knowing that when you give, God is going to take care of you! He promises that. And not only that, but there are benefits of giving. We get to watch the Lord in Action as he blesses those who receive and us for giving.

In our marriage, we have always been givers. This is an act of worship and we know that it has enriched our lives! We want to encourage you to do the same!

If you are interested in doing FPU and haven't convinced yourself yet...call me and let me convince you!!

love and peace to you

New hair? of course...

I see that I am slowly getting out of the habit of checking in each day...and I am definitely not blogging every day. In fact, it has been far too long. I will say, though, that I tend to catch myself when it has been too long.

My easter was beautiful and this past weekend was wonderful too. I actually got to get to know some of you, my lovely readers, and I got to visit with some seriously amazing people.

It was really great to actually sit and talk with you!

Andrew and I were allowed to be a part of quite a few meetings/studies over the last few days and one in particular was especially fun to us. We were talking to a room of young women about marriage. Let me tell you. I love my husband. I know that I haven't talked about marriage for a few posts, but I am all riled up again!

It became abundantly clear (for the millionth time) to me that marriage when the two people are living for the same thing, (in our case that is Jesus) life can't get any better.

Andrew and I are in an interesting place in our lives...we are so excited about living a life of service, and the most exciting thing is not knowing what is coming up and being totally okay with it, because we serve a God who is a Shepherd!

So...I also got my hair cut and colored on Sat. I got tired of the blonde...and Andrew gets a new wife like every 5 or 6 months!

Here are some before and after pics. (before was taken when I first bleached it)

Before

After

sassy face

Friends forever

So last week, I went on a date with my friend Amy. We met on the Plaza and had dinner. Andrew met a friend, Elliot, and had dinner with him.
I met Amy in Gap and we wondered through Barnes and Noble and then decided on Dinner, where the creepy manager was a little too friendly. After dinner we headed to Anthropologie (excitedly) to realize that the Plaza stores lock up on a Friday night at 7:00pm! BOOOOO! SO DISAPPOINTING!!!

I am not writing this to tell you of our shopping experience, but that I don't see Amy much. There are a lot of friends that I don't see much. But I love those friends that as soon as you sit down, (or walk through a store) your conversation has purpose. We immediately talk about things that matter because we don't get to have conversations every day...NO WASTING TIME.

However, since Friday, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about our dinner. I realized that the last time that I was at dinner with a friend at a restaurant, Just me and a girl, was last time that I met Amy, in October and then I met some friends from Springfield with Jodi in Dec (or January). As I talked to Andrew, he realized that the last time that he had a meal with with Guy, was with Matt, when Jodi either just had John or was pregnant with John...who is nearly 2.

I think two things play into this...We can't do things on weekdays, and Friday night is a night when we go hang out with friends (which really doesn't happen that much) and Saturday night we have to be up so early on Sunday that staying out late doesn't appeal to us much anymore...
Want the truth?
It really kinda sucks. I feel like I have no friendships that are constantly developing, I only have friends that survive because they have already passed the test of time and long distance.

When I talk to other women, even women who have multiple kids, they are involved in some sort of "girl time" whether once a month or weekly. I love Andrew and we need time that isn't work time, but when all time is work time we cherish the times we go out...which takes up the nights that girls may be doing something...So the solution? We have to try to get something figured out for next year so that I can actually spend time with girls who are older than 18.
(not that that is bad)
I know that some of you will say, I was in town for a week and called you and we never figured anything out...That is because my weekdays are insane, and unless it is written in my calendar 2 week ahead of time, it isn't going to happen.

I know this sounds like a horrible downcast post, and I am sorry for that. It isn't. I am very happy with my life and I feel like the way I use my time is great...I just wish I had more girl time, that's all.
What do you do?

Thanks for stopping by.
Sarah