Do You Have One Yet?

If you are like most people, you don't have one.  You want one.  You have promised yourself you will get one.  Why don't you have one?  It is too much work.  It is too scary.  It isn't important...yet.  Unfortunately, when it is important, it is too late!  Who should have one?  Everyone.  When should they get one?  Now. 

Writing a will can be a lot of work.  Albert and I postponed writing our own will.  We were worried it would be a lot  of work.  We finally buckled down and did it earlier this year.  We ordered a kit (recommended by Dave Ramsey).  We set a date.  We sat down during Harli's nap time.  We wrote our will, together.  It is not perfect.  It was more important to have a draft than for it to be perfect.  We set reminders to update the will every year so that it will gradually become more perfect.  We also told our family members what was in our will and how to find it.  We don't want any surprises.

 Writing a will can be scary.  It can be terrifying.  It forces you to think about things that most of us prefer not to think about.  It forces us to think about our children growing up without one or both of us. 

It forces us to think about losing each other.  Albert took this time to write a letter to Harli for when he dies.  I wept when I read it.  I have yet to bring myself to write letters to loved ones.  I know I should.  Just like you know you should write a will.  However, it IS terrifying.

We put things off when we think we have more time.  Very few of us are willing to admit that we may be gone tomorrow.  You may think a will isn't important because you don't have money or things to pass down to loved ones.  Maybe you don't have children yet.  Maybe you are so young you don't think it matters yet.  Maybe you are so old you think it doesn't matter anymore.  It doesn't matter how old you are.  It doesn't matter how many or how few assets you have.  A will is important for everyone to have. 

It is not for YOU.  It is for your family.  It helps your family know what to do with your physical body.  If your spirit has already left your body, why does it matter what happens to the shell?  Your family is grieving.  Let them grieve.  Don't make them have to decide (or fight about) what to do.  Your family should not be given such a heavy burden.  Clearly lay out what to do with you, your possessions and especially your children (if you have children).  Give them this gift.

As you make your goals and resolutions for the new year, deeply consider writing a will.  It is a true testament of your love for your family and it is the responsible thing to do.

Our Family Christmas Letter

... on a budget.

Our 2013 began uneventfully.  Then the whirlwind hit.  Surprise!  We found out in the beginning of March that baby number two was a part of our lives.  We had the joy of celebrating our beautiful Harli Grayce's first birthday with loved ones.  We had planned to live with mom and dad for the rest of the year and work like crazy to become debt free.  Knowing baby was on the way encouraged us to move out early and put a pause on our debt snowball.  However, we continued to keep Dave Ramsey in our lives by hosting our first FPU course.

In April we were able to sell and pay off the F250.  Our debt reduced to $44,000.  We also made our very first vehicle purchase with cash.  It was an awesome feeling.  May was a big month for Harli.  She began walking on her own.  She also got to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time.  We ended May celebrating my twenty-eighth birthday.



 June was a special month.  Albert and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary by enjoying a romantic evening in old Folsom.  We found out that baby number two is a boy!!  I spent a wonderful summer with my baby girl, including her first camping trip. Then I started my sixth year of teaching in August.






September hit us like bulldozer and flipped our lives upside down.  This is the month we found out cousin Andrew has tumor in his brain.  It was a month full of weeping and praying.  The praying continues daily.  I busied myself with preparing the nursery for Levi Harrison.  While the weight of this news was still in our lives, October was a more joyous month as we celebrated Albert.  Albert became a Senior Payroll Specialist.  Albert also became thirty-one this month.





November and December have gone by incredibly fast.  In November we were blessed with a healthy, natural and beautiful birth at home! We finally got to kiss and love our handsome son.  Harli got to meet her Bubba!  In December we paid off Pepperdine, bringing us to only $40,000 in debt.

2014 will be another busy year as we work even harder to bring Mama home!!  Follow along as we journey through more ups and downs and pay down our final debt.  We will continue to move towards more natural cooking and cleaning in our home.  We will be doing fun projects to help Harli learn and grow.  We will be hosting our second FPU course.  Most importantly, we will be striving for Heaven!   

In Case of Emergency

We have an emergency fund.  It serves exactly that purpose.  We turn to our emergency fund whenever we have a financial burden we have not planned.  Sometimes there isn't enough in the car maintenance budget for a big repair. We turn to our emergency fund. Our rental may need more work than we have expected.  We turn to our emergency fund. Unplanned medical bills may creep in to our lives. The emergency fund is there for us.

It doesn't just provide cash if needed.  It provides peace.  It provides security.  We always know that we have that extra little bit to fall back on.  When we do, our number one priority changes to building it back up. Since creating the emergency fund we have never needed to borrow more money.  We have never regretted cutting up those credit cards.  We have never had to ask for financial help.  Now that we have paid off much of our debt, many emergencies can even be cash flowed. 

An emergency can feel like a mountain that was thrown in your path. You don't have to turn to mom and dad.  You don't need to use a credit card. Going into more debt causes an emergency within an emergency. Create your emergency fund as quickly as possible so that your next emergency is merely a bump in the road.

Dave Said, "Sell the Car"

I don't consider myself to be a materialistic person, but for some strange reason I get attached to vehicles.  They become part of the family. Perhaps it is because we rely on them so much.  Maybe it is because they are involved in so many memories.  The first time I recall selling a vehicle was my family's little jeep. One of those gems with the wood paneling. My sister and I loved that car!  We went to work with Dad the day he sold it.  We cried when it drove away.

I'm not the only one that feels this way. It is likely the most difficult part of completing Dave's plan.  It is also the most monumental. It reiterates your emotional commitment to Dave's plan.  It frees up several hundred dollars a month and many thousands of your total debt.

Did we sell our trucks?  You bet!  Was it easy?  No way.  Did we, like so many of Dave's callers, resist and make excuses?  Absolutely!!  Why?  Those trucks were a part of the family.

Cinnamon had to go first. We sold her while still living in Ridgecrest. I thought I felt about her the same way I feel about little dogs; little pickups just aren't trucks.  But the day she sold, I nearly cried. That little red pickup was the car I couldn't wait to see every other weekend during our six months of dating. I would wait longingly, like a child waits for Christmas, to see that truck pull into my driveway. Even after we got married I found myself looking out the window waiting to see that truck every lunch hour and at the end of the day. It was a symbol that my Love was within arms reach and not seven hours away. 

We survived nearly a year with only one vehicle. After moving back to Northern California we finally admitted that we needed to sell Pepper, our beautiful diesel F250.  My first truck. This was going to hurt. I survived. We survived.

We now proudly drive two beaters. The car doesn't have AC, only one window rolls down and the stereo doesn't work. The truck's AC is finicky, the paint is peeling off the hood and it smells like smoke. I doubt I will cry the day we sell (or donate) these cars, but I might.  They have become part of the family. They are reliable. They aren't accompanied by a large monthly car payment. They aren't contributing to the family debt. 

It isn't an easy step. It is an important step. It is life changing. If you have a car payment it is time to sell!  You too will survive.

Your Family has a Mission Statement?

Being on the same page with your spouse and your family is a must!  This is true for any goal in life.  Agree on everything?  Certainly not!  Agree on the important, life changing aspects?  Absolutely!  

Before our first child turned one, we sat down TOGETHER and made a plan. A plan for who we wanted to be as individuals and as a family. Our financial position certainly isn't our only aim, nor is it our main one!  We gave our family direction. A parent guide. A child guide.

We encourage you to do the same.  Where is your family headed?

The Krabbe Family Mission Statement

Papa’s promise:

I will always put God first and allow him to lead me as a man, as a husband and as a father.  I will be the spiritual leader of this family and take full responsibility for myself, my wife and my children.  I will be faithful to Mama, loving and honoring her and I will never leave her.  I will teach my children to love God, be faithful to His Word and live responsibly.  I will walk with integrity and teach my children to do the same.  I will protect my family and will diligently work to provide for their needs.

Mama’s promise:

I will always put God first.  I will always trust and respect Papa, and I promise to never leave him.  I will always love and serve my husband and my children, and I promise to keep our home a place of comfort and peace.  I will always be productive, and I will be joyful in my work.  I will keep my body and mind strong.  I will lead by example in teaching my children to care for those in need.  I will keep my family nourished and clothes, and I will do my part to provide for my family.  I will give my children an excellent education.  I will pray daily for my husband and my children, in thankfulness and supplication.  I will be praiseworthy of my husband and my children.

As a family, we promise:

We will always put God first, and will only use His name with honor.  Our home will always be filled with laughter, music, and hospitality.  We will pray together and for one another, and treat each other with respect.  We will honor and love our parents.  We will love our enemies; we will be kind to them, pray for them and see them as Jesus would see them.  We will be wise stewards with what God blesses us with, and will be thankful and content.  We will take time to enjoy and be in awe of God’s nature.

          Together, we will strive for heaven

Becoming Weird

I grew up listening to talk radio and perfecting the art of tuning it out.  Some days I would actually try to follow along to Rush or Hugh in an attempt to have an "intellectual" conversation with my dad in the car.  Other days I would entertain myself with my own thoughts, only tuning in to the radio when they played bumper music.  This trend followed me into adulthood and one day I asked Albert what we were listening to. Dave Ramsey.   My life was forever changed. From that moment on I have listened intently to talk Radio.  Let's face it, I am addicted to Dave. 

We are passionate people.  When we believe in something we don't just dip our big toe in the water, we jump in.  So, we started working Dave's plan full force.  We took the class, we taught the class.  We always find a way to bring up "Uncle Dave" in conversation.  We obtained several copies of his books to give away as gifts when anyone shows the slightest bit of interest.  You have to be careful when asking us about Dave.  It's like when you ask your dad how to change the oil and he teaches you how to rebuild the engine.  We eat, sleep and breathe Dave.

Starting the baby steps was easy for us.  We already had more than the emergency fund in our bank account, so we set that aside and got to work.  Our first credit card had a balance of $0 so we were able to feel accomplished immediately from closing that account.  We had very little to go towards our debt snowball, but several of our debts were small and we were able to close 12 of them in the first 5 months.  Freeing up those minimum payments gave us a large enough snowball to start hurling at our other debts. 

Today we have only two debts.  We have zero credit cards.  We have two paid for cars.  We budget every penny, every month, together.  We love being weird!