debt-free.

this is what it looks like:



we took the photo above while waiting for our table at Pappa's Seafood on Shepard. it was a wonderful celebratory meal, commemorating the end of a year of aggressively paying off all of our debts except our house. goodbye, car note! sayonara, second mortgage! see ya, student loan! we are so grateful, and so glad for the lessons we've learned along the way. here's a brief listing of some of the people and things we're thankful for:

the Bells, who so generously have allowed us to live at 406 rent-free
the free ranch we were allowed to get married on last year, plus the Christian's gift of the catering
the paid business trip to Calgary, Canada that doubled as our honeymoon
employment!
Kroger store brand!
the little calculator in the office, the cheap binder that held our budgets together, and the new hole punch we splurged on
the online budgeting materials
the budget... it's a giving, saving, and spending plan for our family, not a straightjacket.
my brother, who introduced me to Dave
Southwest Central, for offering the class and then allowing us to facilitate it again
extended cable and DVR, which we often stayed home and watched instead of going out and spending moolah
God, for so many things, but primarily for teaching us to be more generous and trusting
and I'm particularly grateful for my husband, who did such a good job of leading us in this endeavor. we're a team, and this has grown trust between us and given us such a sense of accomplishment. it's fun to live and dream with him.

we also finished out our FPU class... there are a few fun still photos thrown in, because I can't visit the Tuckers without wanting to snap away: