Following our dreams with the Lord's help

We have begun to really settle into our home. A lot has happened since we signed the papers for our house on January 10, 2014.

Dan got in a car accident and our car was totaled- January 11th
We bought a van- Early February
Went to Disneyland with my parents/older sisters family, just carli and I- Feb 17
The van's transmission died- Mid March
Had a birthday party for carli-March 22
Bought a second car from sister inlaw- March 22
Celebrated Dan's bday- March 25
Van's power steering had issues- End of March
Van has oil pan problems- End of March (currently just using small car)
Celebrated Carli's bday- April 2
We adopted a dog- who with in 24 hours attacked Carli- April 3
Spent time in the hospital- April 3-5
General Conference- April 5-6
*something I am not suppose to post about online lol at Dan's request.

And now the big thing.... Dan confirmed he was quitting his firm and we are moving forward with starting our own Bankruptcy Law Firm.

When Dan and I first began our relationship we talked about what we wanted in life and what kind of career Dan would want. He wanted to be a lawyer that helped immigrants at the time. He wasn't concerned about being rich or being above others (some attorneys have a "Big Man Complex" if you can believe that...*sarcasm*). Dan sincerely wanted to be there for those in need and walk them through the door that led from heart ache and despair to the side where one can look forward with hope and have a clean start.

I am grateful for all the experiences we have had. We know what being poor is. We know what it is like to have family help and feel in debted. We know how it feels to worry about medical bills, electrical bills, car bills-will having children and having to sell things to make due. We have used government support through our time in school and felt blessed that we had so many places we could turn to when we weren't in the best place financially because we wanted Dan to focus on school and for me to stay home. We have been truly blessed and are grateful that we have an opportunity to put ourselves in a position to serve others, be an answer to someone's prayers (hopefully), and for us to continue as a family to grow closer to the Savior and Our Heavenly Father.

In order to begin preparing for this next step in our lives we have to create a business. Dan and his mom have been working for a few weeks to create the website, logo, business plan, ect. This week Dan has been finalizing his office space from the places I have researched for him. He is getting his banking set up. We only bought a computer for his office space in our basement. We found a homemade desk/shelf in our basement and used a chair from his parents.

We have been truly blessed. The office space Dan is leaning toward was a perfect example that Heavenly Father is leading and guiding us through this process. Here is what happened: I found on craigslist this office space about a year ago when we knew we were coming to Illinois and possibly wanted to start a law firm right out of law school after Dan passed the bar. So now that we need a place we went over on a weekend and it was closed but a truck was outside with a man getting supplies. We approached him and it turned out to be the landlord and he was making repairs. So he gave Dan a tour while I stayed in the car with the girls since they were napping. 45 minutes later Dan came back and said it was great. He could have a banner out front on the law as well as a sign on the big board for businesses in the building. He didn't like the location of the office in the building... it is like a old high school like what I went to- or the one from Boy Meets World- it was confusing and hard to find inside the building. Anyways so we tucked it away and set up for an appointment Tuesday (yesterday) at another office that was closer to our house- "Fincham place".

I informed Dan this last week that the "High School" office space went from having spaces for $199 to $325 being the lowest. Our budget is $300 for an office space but we felt we might be able to negotiate with the landlord at the "high School" office since he seemed willing to the first time we met (example: an advertisement sign on the lawn)- but we didn't contact him since we had an appointment for Tuesday at "Fincham". Monday- Dan goes to leave work to come home and the Landlord for the "High School" is outside Dan's work getting carpet at the Carpet Place next door.... What?! So Dan talked with him and he only had spaces for like 395 :(

Dan called him Tuesday after seeing the Fincham place which was awesome and he did another walk through.... the landlord ended up with a place for 235 (I think!) since a tenant hadn't paid and was gone. The tenant says she doesn't want the place so Dan gets it!!!! It is a great location in the office building/ High school!!! We are sooo excited!!!!

If you are still reading- I am shocked since that was an insanely long post. I want to say though that I am grateful that this feels right. That our family is growing in many ways spiritually and that it is wonderful to have Dan's parents helping.

Patience, A Virtue I Lack

Yesterday was the one month mark since we went out to celebrate my birthday and look at potential rentals. If you had asked me October 18, 2013 if I would be in a home of my own 2 months later I would have laughed. I feel very grateful to be in this part of my life but boy am I ready to be in my new home- like yesterday!!!!

I am not patient. I have ideas for every part of my house- my pinterest boards are overflowing with projects to start. My excitement spills over into every conversation. When I was a little girl my parents knew I had a crush on a boy because I would "casually" bring him up in conversations. Well I feel like once again my "crush" is being "casually" talked about- but I am pretty sure as much as I want to be on  my own and getting these projects started my sister in law and my mom/dad in law are totally over hearing all my frustration, excitement, and ideas. They are much to kind to say "Brittney- we know you are crushing on this house but must we hear all your stories 100 times each day." (there is only so much to talk about- when my mind is fixated on a cause). 

Dan is in Chicago this week for work. Literally they have him there all week- put him up in a "Ghostbuster" looking hotel. Dan says the hotel is creepy but nice. Anyhow- since he is gone for the week he is saved the agony of coming home from a long day at the office to hear a repeat story I have slightly elaborated on with new details. I am sorry to all those who have lived through my obsessions whether boyfriends, pregnancies, fights, or house obsession. You not only sacrificed your sanity but allowed me to express the emotions of my heart- whether is was positive or negative. 

Now since I have this intense obsession with the house and I hadn't seen the house for a few weeks I took the girls up on Saturday and we explored around the outside of the house. (I am always paranoid about going against the rules and getting caught- so I was a little worried a neighbor would think the worst and call the police... but no such tragedy took place!)

Here are some pictures we took of the outside of the house :) Tomorrow is the home inspection. Hopefully we get only great news. I also plan on taking a video and pictures inside the house. 

Here is the front of the house: Do you think there are enough leaves?

Here is the front of the house:

 Here are some of the garage and side yard.

Here are a few pictures of the backyard. 

Time to settle down

In the almost five years I have been with Dan our lives have constantly been changing. Many time we have simply had faith that as we take an unknowing step forward in life that Heavenly Father does not leave his children to wander on their own. I am grateful that I know that listening to the prompting of the spirit does bless your life.

Two kids down, Dan with both his Bachelors and Juris Doctorate degrees, we started in Idaho, went to Illinois, went to Florida, and now are back in Illinois. I feel extremely blessed, a bit strained from all the uncertainty, and completely ready to settle down for years to come- which brings us to why I am writing this little blog post.

Last January Dan and I had a serious talk about being self reliant. Not having to ask for parents help over the summer or to get by. We worked really hard over the year. Selling furniture so we could make it on our own without our parents help before moving from Florida to Illinois- my parents must have received inspiration because they sent us money to help us move- which no one in our families knew we were struggling- we are grateful- but knew we couldn't rely on people to take care of us financially for ever. Almost a year has past since we began trying to become self reliant- I am pleased to announce that Dan has found a job as a Bankruptcy Attorney- He has passed the bar and been sworn in for the State Courts- and soon the Federal Courts- We are now being the most self reliant we have ever been and....... Have found that we can afford to buy a home (yesterday I bought my own phone).


For my birthday present from Dan, we drove around Rockford to look at potential rentals (every girls dream- right?), but as we were looking nothing seemed "right" and everything wonderful was like 1100 a month to rent. Bummer!!! So it was small 900 sq foot apartment with no upgrades, probably no washer/dryer and no yard for our two girls. So Dan and I laughingly decided to look at the possibility of buying (never ever a good idea to allow me to dream-especially around my bday). As we talked about numbers that I have been crunching on the computer we start thinking it is a good idea. This is Oct 19, 2013... notice as of right now that was less than a month ago. October 21, 2013 was my bday. I was working on getting out Credit Scores, by Wednesday October 23 I was on to getting a Lender and real estate agent. We got preapproved October 24. I honestly thought 95k was out of our budget but as I crunched numbers it ended up working (taxes are the big thing in our area- they don't match the price of the home).

Saturday October 26 was our first day out for looking at houses. The first one was in a great location but needed too much work for us to handle (realtor's pick), the second ended up being the wrong address from a place a wanted to see, the third was a colonial we liked and was ready to move in but wasn't the best area. That was day one and I was so bummed- only 3 houses- because all the others were unavailable. hmmm :(

Well I knew what I wanted ( I had studied it out enough over the last 4 years of marriage!), but I didn't understand how much we could actually afford since my budget didn't calculate our total income each month- a few extra dollars makes a big difference and I like to round down. So after figuring out exactly what we could afford and still have some savings leftover we went out again on Tuesday. We looked
at four houses total. I liked them- they were in great school districts (compared to Rockford schools) but I couldn't pick- I was having a stupor of thought with the first three.

Arriving at the fourth house- I thought it was going to be in a different area. I thought it was going to be hard to afford. As we drove there I kept getting shocked. No way is it 5 minutes from Dan's work! No way is it above State Street! No way is it in the same neighborhood as the rental Dan's grandparents own- meaning Dan's grandma might live three blocks away someday, Dan's parents want a place in the same subdivision. What have I done? We cannot afford this amazing home, with a good Rockford school!!!!!

We got up to the house and Carli is loving the front yard with all the leaves. The house is brick!!!! A bay window in the living room. Hardwood floors throughout with some tile. I am in love!!! After crunching numbers and discussing we found that we can afford this fabulous place.

In the future I assume my post will be about the house and the changes we plan to make!


Here are some more pictures of the place:

Yesterday we signed the contract that begins the being approved by Lender. I am grateful I knew what I wanted, had a realistic idea of what we could afford, and have a Heavenly Father who is watching over Dan and I as we make these steps forward.

Craft of the Month: Wreaths

I thought I had picked a verily simple, inexpensive yet fun craft for September; I shocked myself to find out how complex picking a wreath design is. There are so many choices. Once the design and material are bought you are limited to a certain type of wreath: rag, yarn, tulle, felt, and an assortment of other material. Different designs also ask for different kinds of wreaths. Knowing all this now I knew I needed to sit down and put some kind of file together for those wanting to make a wreath this month!


 I created a powerpoint to help view pictures, supplies, and link for tutorial all in one place!

Pinterest: crockpot dinner recipes

For some time now I have been wanting a crockpot. Well I broke down and bought a small used crockpot at the JBF consignment sale here in Gainesville, Fl. Turned out to be one of the best investments I have made in quite awhile, and I make good investments normally when I bring something home non-food.

This purchase was not only a great non-food purchase because it makes my life easier- making dinner hours ahead and walking away to deal with the rush of a busy schedule with two girls but it has led Dan and I into the world of grocery shopping once a week- making my grocery shopping more productive and less focused on treats.I also have been making creations from Pinterest not just "pinning".

So today I will be telling you about one of my "pins" that I have been using and loving! When I began making my shopping list (now weekly) I pulled up pinterest and headed straight for crockpot recipes- which seemed like a dream come true! I pulled up a site page worth five meals with a shopping list set up. There is now a SECOND menu on the site which I will need to check out.

The sites name really is true; Saving You Dinero when it comes to food- I have yet to check out what else the bloggers have gathered to help me save money.

It is recommended to freeze the entire meal but I opted this time to just freeze the meat because it takes no time at all. If you decide to make some of these meals just be away that some of them may have time restraints based on veggies or creams used.
Here are the meals:
 Garlic Honey Chicken-delicious!
 Beef Burritos- tomorrows dinner
 Chicken Fajitas-haven't made
 Hawaiian Chicken- made a similar dish which was Amazing! 
Teriyaki Pork Chops-delicious, should have cut into bite size pieces to fit the meat in the sauce all the way.


For those just starting out with either a crockpot, freeze meals, or both I highly recommend these recipes to get started. One huge benefit to these recipes is that they come with the shopping list all ready to go- so there is no hassle when deciding to do all these meals. Love it! At the end of each recipe is a quick review of sides to go with the meal such as served with "lime" rice.  I enjoy the extra information.


:)Brittney

Red Beans and Rice

This is probably my favorite Red Beans and Rice recipe ever. Mom found it in a healthy eating book and I have not been able to find it anywhere else since. It is not even in the family cookbook. So here it is, along with a picture of what it looks like.

Red beans and rice

2 - 1 lb 14 oz or, 4 - 15 oz cans of red kidney beans

2 teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½  teaspoon  black pepper

1  teaspoon  ground cumin

2  teaspoon  salt

1 ½ cup celery chopped

1 ½ cup onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced

3 cups cooked brown rice

1  teaspoon  sugar

Warm olive oil in a pan, add garlic cloves onion and celery, cook until tender, then dump everything else in and cook it. Cook rice and combine with mix. 

David the Viking

So for David's first Halloween I decided to go with ancestry and make him a viking costume. Considering that he has a lot of viking ancestors on Kevin's side it seemed fitting. On that note I wanted to discuss how I went about the whole thing.

David the Viking and his axe

Teddy bear vest and boots

Remember, a loose Viking is a pillaging Viking!

The costume was made up of a stuffed fabric axe, a crocheted Viking hat and beard, a pair of fake fur boots and a fake fur vest, and a neutral colored onesie along with a pair of brown pants.

The Axe: To make the axe I went to JoAnn's Fabric and found some grey felt and brown burlap in their remnants bin. Remnants are almost always 50% off so I got them for a great deal. I cut out an axe pattern on the felt and sewed it wrong sides together, then I turned it inside out and stuffed each side. Then I took the burlap and sewed it together to make a handle, turned it right side out and stuffed it pretty tightly so that the handle would be pretty stiff. Then I hand sewed the handle to the axe head.

The Vest and Boots: I needed some fake fur to make the boots and vest, but fake fur fabric is expensive. So I went to the thrift store and found a stuffed Teddy Bear that was about the same size as Davy. Using my seam ripper I removed the head and opened the seam down the bear's back. I made sure to unstuff the bear (and kept all the stuffing for later use on other projects, stuffing can be expensive). I found that I could cut the arms off halfway down the arm and it made the perfect length for shoulders on the vest. I reinforced all the seams I was keeping intact so that they did not come undone now that the bear was being unsewn. I put the bear on Davy (now that the paws were off the arms fit him perfectly) and measured how far down I needed the vest to go. Then I cut the vest along the bottom (which ended up being right before the legs began). Next I put the legs on Davy to see how far up I needed the boots to go. I cut the top of the boots at the correct length. Now the vest and boots were basically done, but I still needed a way to keep them on his little body. So I got eyelet rivets and placed them evenly on each side of the vest opening, I also put two eyelets on the bottom back of the boots and on the top front of them. I laced the vest with leather cord once I had it on Davy, I laced it up in such a way that the bow ended up at the bottom of the vest (because Davy is teething and I didn't want the laces ending up in his mouth). I laced the boots in the back and then wound them around the boot to the top front and laced them again then tied bows with the laces.

The Hat: My mom made the hat and beard for Davy. She found a hat online and figured out a pattern on her own. If you are not as crochet savy as she is there are patterns for viking hats on etsy. Or you can also try your hand at sewing a hat.

The onesie and pants I got from Babies R Us.

Overall the costume was pretty easy to make and ended up being super cute on him. And I hope that this has been a helpful guide on how to make something similar if you are interested.