The Luxuries

When we first considered me staying home from work I imagined what it would be like to "do without". I had images of myself in out-of-style clothes sweating it out in the house because we couldn't afford to run the air conditioning. Working nights and weekends sacking groceries to bridge the financial gap? I wouldn't even have TV to distract me seeing as how we wouldn't be able to afford cable. I have issues with people who can't pay their rent but you can clearly see the giant dish sitting up on the roof streaming . Cable is a luxury, not a necessity!

But aside from cutting the premium channels and the super-duper sports package, not much has changed. We still have basic cable, and more importantly I still have channel 250, TLC, which is home to all of my favorites. Little People Big World, The Little Couple, Say Yes to the Dress, A Baby Story and 19 Kids & Counting to name a few. As usual...I digress.

I'm not sweating it out all day long as I imagined I would have to. The rules are that we can't put the air down below 75 (although I splurged last night and set it to 74 since Turner was out of the house and we had a date night...why not go a little crazy?). We typically keep it between 75 and 76 when we're home, so no real sacrifice there!

I am not one to be pampered, so I'm fine cutting out the occasional manicure and pedicure (those only happened a couple of times a year anyway). Plus, I can think of a lot of things I can do with the $45 it costs to slap some polish on my nails and toes! I am always stunned when people complain because they can't pay their utilities but they can pay to have their solar nails refilled each week.

Sidenote: Turner is on the floor right now crawling around and around in circles...is that normal? Hmmm....

Focus, Kris.

I have however become accustom to having my hair highlighted several times a year. I will now be doing highlights once more before attending Susan's (my college roommate) wedding in Idaho later this month. And after that I will be lobbing off a few inches of hair and I'll color it myself. No big deal to me. If I had it my way I'd rock a completely bald head for a while. I've been trying to sell Troy on this idea for a while but so far he isn't going for it, but I think I'm wearing him down.

So...highlights are out.

The greatest sacrifice? Shopping at WALMART....aughhhhh! The whole experience. Dirty floors. Rude people. Long lines. Florescent lighting. Sometimes birds in the produce department. Plus, there's something about Walmart that automatically makes a baby cry, am I right? While at Kroger there are polite people who move out of your way when they're standing in front of the item you need. Shiny perfect apples stacked one on top of the other. Gorgeous ripe strawberries. And best of all, Turner NEVER cries when we go to Kroger. Coincidence? I think not. BUT when you can walk out of the store with a cart full of groceries for $130 that would cost $181 at Kroger, you realize that it's a worthy trade off.

I'll probably be wearing the same Old Navy tshirts and American Eagle jeans for the next five years. But other than a few minor inconveniences and less denaro going into savings, the changes have been far less dramatic than I expected.

I have to say that none of it adds up. Troy and I reviewed the budget a hundred times before I had Turner to see if there was any way I could stay home with him. We reviewed the budget, tweaked the budget, rang out the budget, and it just wasn't happening. We inevitably came up short by at least $400, even without a car payment. But I kept hearing this voice asking me to trust Him, telling me that it was best for our family, that it was possible. I may not have been able to see it but He made a way.

It took me a couple of months but I finally figured it out and took the leap of faith. It's been incredible for me. It's been good for our family, our marriage. I know I'll never regret this decision when I wasn't sure that I wouldn't regret continuing my career. It's worth the sacrifices of a few creature comforts to see my son change and grow.

Why is it so hard for me to trust God when I KNOW that without fail His plan is the best plan for our lives?