Payday

Today is payday. I love paying bills. I really like meeting our financial obligations, as goofy as that sounds. It's true that we're not rich, but we're also not "bill pickers," which feels good. I like paying the bills, putting money in savings, and having enough left for the things we need. I am a nerd.
We have a pretty quiet weekend coming up...hint hint, Lucy...I think we're going to drive out to look at some furniture, and we are going to swing by the house and see if anyone is working on it...since our structural inspection is on Monday, everything needs to be done- I can't wait to see the new carpet and have those radiators gone! It's going to be so nice to get that place painted and have it feeling more like home. So weird that my this time next week, we'll be picking up our keys and moving into our own house. What an amazing opportunity! I can't wait to bring Lucy home to her new house! It's so funny to me that just 9 months ago, we had no job, no place to live and no plans, and here we are. It seems like God has really taken us on as a special project! He is so good to us. About 4 months ago I was sad because we wouldn't have a nursery to decorate for our little girl, even though I know that's a very silly thing to get upset about. And now we're just trying to decide which room to give her. Andrew and I spend a lot of time marveling about how things just seem to work out perfectly when you're living the life you should be living. It feels like our willingness to live a simple life rewards us over and over and give us so many opportunities. Andrew is part of what makes that possible. So many people have to have things, vacations, cars and stuff. Andrew really wants a flat screen that we can mount above the mantle in the new house. This is something that's not a ridiculous desire, but it's expensive. If we're going to have a tv in that room, it will need to be mounted- there jsut isn't room otherwise. But it's not really in the budget right now. I think this fall will be a good time for it. But Andrew doesn't say a word. He just says, "I think we should hang my wedding painting over the fireplace until we get the flat screen." No finaggling, no whining and no extravangance. Being the money manager in the house, I hate having to say no over and over, and I only do it when it's necessary, but right now we're just overloaded with trying to get things in order with the house. The best way to manage it is to take it slow and spend very cautiously. Andrew knows this and makes it possible to say my "no's" without feeling bad. He makes life such a pleasant place, and we both know that that flat screen will be such a fun reward when we're in the right place to buy it. I hear so many spouses/partners nagging at each other, and it's so sad. Life is SO short. My very wise in-laws tell us to be "life-giving." It always sounds funny when you say it out loud, but it always means so much when you live it consciously.