• On the Road Again: Where Were We?

    If you guessed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri you are correct!  We have actually been in St. Louis 4 times already this month.  I have seen the Arch many times driving through St. Louis, but a couple years ago we actually went up in it.  It is a great place to visit with some neat history.  There is actually a museum in the bottom of the arch.

    Did you know?

    • Arch is 630 feet tall
    • It is made of Steel and Concrete
    • Eero Saarinen was the Finnish-American architect who designed the Arch
    • From the top of the Arch on a clear day you can see up 30 miles in either direction
    • Tram ride takes 4 minutes to go up and 3 minutes to go down
    • There are 1,076 steps inside the arch, however, they are only used for maintenance and emergencies
    • It was originally called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial now it is the Gateway Arch National Park
    • The Memorials to Thomas Jefferson, for his role in opening the West & Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse
    • Directly across the Mississippi River from the Arch on the Illinois side is the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park  where the Gateway Geyser (the tallest water fountain in the U.S.) and the Mississippi River Overlook can be found

    If you are going through St. Louis, Missouri and have extra time I encourage you to check it out.

  • A Note of Thanks – Happy Veteran’s Day!

    We want to say a big THANK YOU to those who have and are currently serving our country! Our country is very blessed to have people protecting our freedoms.  We have a lot to be thankful for today.

    Let us take the opportunity today to “thank” the Veterans in our lives.  Also, make it a point to thank any veteran you meet today.  Today provides a great venue for teaching our children who veterans are and why we have a special day set aside to honor them.   We are grateful for those who serve.

    Thank You!  Happy Veterans Day!

  • Book: “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey

    Seven years ago my husband and I read through The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey with a group of young couples from our church.  It was a great time in our marriage to review our spending habits and find ways to get our finances in order.  In just a few years we paid off all our debt (with the exception of our mortgage) college loans, cars, credit cards, and saved up enough money for emergencies, 12 months of expenses, and to start our own business.

    It was freeing for us as a couple to have structure with our money including doing a budget together and being smarter when spending.  It took some sacrifices to meet our goals but reading this book and going through it with friends helped us stay on track.  We are still learning and adapting as we adjust to what life brings are way (including some financial setbacks, 12 weeks of bed-rest and beautiful twin daughters who spent time in NICU).  The neat part about the setbacks is you now have guidelines already in place to help you get back on track.

    Dave Ramsey’s has a lot of great financial tools for your family.  I encourage you to start by reading or listening to this book.  He has a Workbook that goes along with the book and a CD if you prefer listening over reading.

    Workbook – The Total Money Makeover Workbook.

    Audio Cd – The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

    I wish you the best as you find ways that work for your family!  Going through this with friends provides an additional support structure while you learn together.  We have given our book out to family and friends numerous times!