Our blog shares glimpses into the journey of Baby Step Two. Some weeks we were gazelles, some weeks we were turtles, or somewhere in between. The point is: if we can do it, anyone can. Here's our debt-free story: The Story Behind The Story.
To show our gratitude for what we've learned, we are giving away a free online Financial Peace University (FPU) subscription. This is a $99 value and is a 16-week online course you can do from the privacy of your own home, anywhere in the world. FPU was life changing for us, and I hope it will be for someone else too. To learn more about the online FPU, click here.
To enter, just leave a comment below by midnight January 7th. On January 8th, I will use a random number generator to select one of the comments. You can enter for yourself, or enter and give away to someone else. Note: If you leave an anonymous comment, please include an email address within your comment so I can contact you if you win.
Thank you for your support and encouragement in 2011. I won't continue the 52 Weird Weeks project in 2012, but we will chisel away at Baby Step Three: saving our six-month emergency fund and the "next-home" down-payment fund, and hopefully, not the "Oh Well, the Rav-4 Didn't Make It After All" fund. We don't expect to complete all of this in 2012, but will prayerfully work through these goals.I will continue blogging in 2012 with a new blog. I've set lofty goals, so more more to come!
Happy Holidays to everyone. A few scenes from our holidays.
My mother's tree.
George enjoying his new shaving kit.
Of course brother's gift is far more fun than anything he was given.
Little man against the big world. And I leave 2011 wondering if I will ever capture him without a pacifier in mouth.
59 comments:
My heart stuttered when you wrote that you wouldn't be continuing your 52 weeks blog, but it calmed at the reassurance of another blog you will begin! I have been lurking and not posting on your blog since Melissa linked to it with her photographs. I admit, I would miss your musings and photos! Although I write for several other blogs, I am not brave enough to start my own, so I admire your courage as well as your creative spirit!
I found this through the Dave Ramsey forums and I really believe it paying it forward. My husband and I are just beginning our journey of being debt free. We have purchased the TMMO book and I have read it twice and listen to Dave's show every day. My husband and I would love to take his online course.
I love the photos.
Great pics! I too found this through MTMMO site. Great job with your finances. We've been working the plan for 12 months now, and have another 33 months to go. Who knew, hard work and persistence actually pays off!?
I would love this! We could definitely use some guidance in this area.
Your photos are lovely. I linked to you from Dave Ramsey site too. His book is one of my annual re-reads but we have never taken the class.
Your photos are gorgeous!
I also followed the Dave Ramsey link here... but spent time lingering over the photos. Beautiful.
I also like the pay it forward idea and plan to steal it form you! :-) I had a flash of "duh, why didn't I think of that?" We are just startin gon our path to Financial Peace but totally plan to micmic your idea and pay it forward when we finish BS3! Thanks for the inspiration. And congratulations on your financial achievements!
I would love this. I found this post through the Dave Ramsey site :)
Thanks for doing this! You have a beautiful family! Great idea on the pay it forward!
Thank you so much for this blog. We just started living the "Ramsey Lifestyle" two months ago. I have been struggling with wants and needs and your dress story just hit me hard today! I needed that! Your pictures are beautiful and have inspired me to continue with a goal (to learn how to use my camera and really use it) that I have pushed aside for quite a few years.
This is so generous of you to offer! What a blessing it would be to whomever wins it! (and your pictures are beautiful too!)
What a thoughtful way to pay it forward! You have a beautiful family! I know you said you are ending your blog, but why not continue it with your successes as you finish your TMMO. I just got the TMMO book from the library (Trying not start out on the right foot by getting caught up and not spending $10 on a book!) It gives me hope and motivation to see success stories! Good luck on your journey! Cannot wait to be able to check off each Baby Step as I get them done!
Happy New Year!
Jen
Very cool reading about your yearlong adventure.I loved seeing the photos of your boys as they grew thoughout the weeks.Good luck with the rest of your journey.We've been on it for a while and have a student loan to pay off and we will be debt free.Wendy
This is a great idea. Perhaps we will do the same thing for up and coming folks once we accomplish our goals. My fiance and I are getting married and will have a major change in lifestyle together. new job, new home together, new state, new life. She said she wanted to finance furniture for the apartment and was trying to talk me into it. That's when we ordered the dave ramsey ttmmo. We plan on attending this course, for free would be a great budget! Happy new years
Happy New Year and thank you for posting your thread in the TMMO forums. I'm not sure what you're looking for in choosing a person to put through the FPU program, but I wonder if you could tell me how the program did more for you than reading the book, hearing the show and using the tremendous forums? I've been doing all 3 of those things, but with the pathetic shovel I'm using I don't know how FPU could help me. Is FPU a big help if I'm a single parent, disabled and scared by the fact I have zero retirement dollars? If I'm not blessed with gratis FPU is it something I should make a priority to save for and attend? Many thanks in advance for your input! (I'm reachable at: Love2Lampwork on the TMMO forums.)
What a generous offer! I recently read Total Money Makeover. I would love to get my husband to do FPU with me, so we can figure this out together! Thanks so much!!!!!
What a wonderful gift you're offering to others and I must say your photos are fantastic. Thank you for this opportunity; best of wishes to the winner selected. Have a beautiful new year!
Kim, what a wonderful year you have had, full of accomplishments. Congratulattions and I can't wait to follow your new blog.
Happy New Year!
Love,
Meg
Can't wait to see what you have in store for the new year! So glad this year has been a good change for your family and pray that you all continue to be blessed!
So glad to have "met" you through CM and so glad our friendship goes way beyond photography skills!
Happy New Year!
Congrats on a successfully "weird" year!! Awesome giveaway - I'd love to attend!
Beautiful pictures! I love the way you decorated the tree, and the boys are adorable (but you knew that. ;)
Would love to attend, too, since online's about the only way I will.
I love your blog and pictures! Very cute boys :) Hope you have a great year and congrats on your successes. And thanks for paying it forward!
Beautiful pictures! I got here through the Dave Ramsey site. We started TMMO in July 2011. I would love to attend the FPU online with my dh. This would be great for him as he as irregular hours and we could do this together. Happy New Year 2012!!!
God Bless you for paying it forward!!
So awesome to hear how FPU changed your life! I would love to be able to give this to my sister. We graduated FPU in November and are so excited to begin this journey. My sister is wanting to begin the journey for herself and this would truly be a blessing to her.
What a wonderful giveaway! I arrived through CM, thank you for this generous PIF!
Your pictures are beautiful and you breath such life into them. I enjoyed your blog and thought, you should take up writing a book and you could do your own photography for it.
I enjoyed reading your story and can totally relate to the postpartum hormonal mess! I just gave birth to baby #5, with #4 & #5 coming in less than 16 months! Number 4 was born with birth defects and I had really bad PPD and number 5 was born at 7 1/2 months! We are "restarting" our TMMO journey, but actually doing it this time. Congratulations on being debt-free! I can't wait til we are able to join your family in the ranks of those who are debt-free.
I have enjoyed your blog all year and all your beautiful pictures. What a blessing to pay it forward to someone else. Hope you have a blessed New Year!!!
I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THIS COURSE AND GET MY FAMILY OUT OF DEBT.
One of this year's goals is to go through FPU. I'd be excited to win it, and in the future pay it forward to another person trying to walk this walk. Happy new year!
LOVE the photos! I'm a hobby photographer and like to take photos on the ranch.
Anyways, I had every intention on buying FPU when it was on sale but we had unexpected expenses come up and I missed out. As someone who is self-employed, I never know when my next check will be so I have to be careful with my money. I'm hoping to be able to budget it in for March...
Thanks for the chance. It's very generous of you.
lori@acowboyswife.com
Would love to win this for my husband and I!
bananastrawberrysplit@yahoo.com
My journey is new with TMMO-just getting started with my baby steps. One of my goals once I start moving foward is to take the FPU course online. Not only for myself, but to educate my children. If I have this opportunity as a gift, that would be more than a "delighter"! Either way, you have inspired me to give share this gift with another, once I am there! Your gift is inspiring!
Loved your pictures and your story! I have a three month old son so I loved all the photos and stories about your sons. We would love the opportunity to go through the FPU course. Thank you for your generosity!
Your pictures are beautiful. I would love to win this for my husband and I. I have been wanting to take this course, but can not get myself to spend the $99 for it.
alisagoins@ymail.com
Fellow CM'er:) Saw your post and thought this was a wonderful PIF! I would love to win it, get out of debt, and then PIF myself:)
What a generous offer and wonderful way to start the New Year. I loved the movie Pay It Forward, what a blessing if I could win this opportunity. I haven't been able to squeeze it out of the budget so this would be amazing. L.Williams@cpsagu.com
I adore your pictures and look forwad to what you have in store for 2012!!
And what a great opportunity to get my financial 2012 on track!!
I was just telling my husband about peace university!! Congrats on an awesome accomplishment!
We have read Dave's books & this would be awesome! Congratulations on your accomplishments & thanks for a wonderful PIF!
Awesome giveaway! Congrats on your weird year!
katiekuras@gmail.com
Fascinating and encouraging. Thanks for taking the time.
Beautiful family and I would love a chance to get to take FPU!
I am starting a fresh new year with a fresh new plan to becoming debt free and would love the opportunity to accept your gift of enrollment in FPU. I'd love to be able to pay it forward one day as you are!
Marsha PTWykes@aol.com
I have really enjoyed reading through your posts--you truly have a talent in photography! My husband and I have read TMMO, but have not yet gone through FPU. Thanks for the chance to win!
Thank you for paying it forward! I enjoyed reading your posts. We are new to TMMO and have been following it for two months (meaning we're finally at a point where our budget actually seems workable!).
Whether I win or not, I just discovered something that will certainly help me get through the next 52 weeks learning to live the Ramsey way. I need all the encouragement I can get...and this blog looks very encouraging! I will certainly look for your blogs on your new adventure as well...Happy New Year!
I love your photos. Thank you for sharing your year. :) I also linked here from your TMMO post - read the book, working on it, but still sadly watching too many snowballs melt. FPU = Silver bullet?
thanks for the opportunity with this giveaway. And congratulations on your successful 52 weeks :)
Very generous of you and your family. Your blog is lovely and so informative and interesting. Pictures are beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing who you are.
Congratulations on getting past Baby Step 2! Thank you for being so generous. Wife and I are on BS2 right now, and have been for 6 months. We are making good progress and we would be delighted to win the contest. We wish everyone good luck and a Happy New Year!
Enter Me 3! Me and my husband are working on BS2 but have never been throuh FPU! We cant wait to be where you are, so enter us too!
Thanks so much for this I saw it on Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover Site.
Hey, That's awesome... Congratulation for completing BS2
Congratulations on completing BS2! It is so inspiring to read about someone's journey and to know that you aren't the only one out there. Best Wishes as you continue on the road to Financial Peace!
Awesome blog! Paying it forward is the way to go! Keep up the journey and you will have the freedom and financial peace!
Congratulations on your accomplishment!!! Just starting our journey after reading tmmo. Thanks so much for your generosity. Good luck to you and your family!!!
What an amazing give away! Congrats what an amazing achievement!
At the beginning of the year we were on track with our pay down debt goals. Then Hurricane Irene hit, caused $6000 in damage and we lost everything in our basement. The insurance company just got back to us with their estimated return. We're going to get $38 back.
Needless to say, we're not on track anymore and I'm ready to ask for professional help figuring out how to get back on track.
This is wonderful! I would love to win!
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