Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Speaking of Pizza




Soooo...
Speaking of Pizza,
This week was the first time we had been out for dinner, in a while.
The preface to this may take a minute,
but is relevant to understanding us, a little more.
We've been an... 'on again,
off again 'Dave Ramsey' kinda family',
for some time.
Not that it is not a worthy plan,
but because
anything worth anything, is a challenge.
(if you are not familiar with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace, look it up...
It is well worth looking into)
This is not a plug,
just a good thing.

Never, have we taken our eye of the Prize of being debt free,
and to most standards, have been pretty aggressive.
Still, it often hurts. It's been challenging for us, to be so regimented, with making it happen.
Truth of it is... God has done all the work...
This may sound funny, e
ven scary to many...
It actually is....Scary. BUT, an amazing blessing.
An amazing roller coaster of a journey.
From buying Cars to Selling Homes...oh my.... God has done it all...
The ONLY thing we had to do was surrender it....ha ha ha.....
"The only thing..."
Please, hear the humor in saying that so tongue and cheek....

So, Here we sit in the 'present' trying to make go
od choices for our family, and a big part of that, is giving them a future without debt...
4kids and college, this is a scary thought friends...
We may never get it 'right', but we sure are trying.
It is a day by day, step by step journey.
We have been so blessed to have been guided and helped by so many over the years, Let it also be added that NONE of it has been on OUR time...
If there is a plug, that's it.

Soooo... Pizza.....
This week, we got to that place, you know the one...
The one, that says "I NEED A BREAK".
...and,
We decided to get Pizza.
We also decided to go out, and eat.
You do the math, eating out is not cheap for a family of 6.
An average fast food purchase, for us, is around $30.
So, going to a sit down restaura
nt, well, add another $10 to $20.

Out of 'desperation' we choose Ci-Ci's Pizza...
Explanation?
Not desperation because of Ci-Ci's its self.
It was more about the location.
It is nestled between an Ollie's and a Big Lots...
Again there is NOTHING wrong with these places, you can often find us perusing through the aisles looking for something interesting...
Example, Crocs for $10 and $15 dollars at Big Lots.
(Thanks to a friend, for that piece of info)
As far as Ollie's goes, you can not beat their prices for books,
especially kids books, amazing books.

The concern, then, was a bit of safety, and admittedly... a lot of stereo-typing.

We did a 'drive by' of the restaurant, and you all know that one :)
It 'looked' decent.
We decided, it would be ok... It was not very full, this was a good thing to us.
As soon as we walked in, the Lady at the front, greeted us with an amazing...
"Hi! Welcome to Ci-Ci's".
This was not contrived, she really meant it.
She was patient with us.
Yes, it can even be challenging for us to order a buffet.
As we went through picking our pizza's and such, this same lady, helped the girls with
their plates. Serving them hot items, they could not readily reach.
AHHHHH!!!!
Do you all understand how helpful these little things are,
when hands are going everywhere.
All the while,
she was asking customers how they liked their meals,
as if it was a reflection of her.
She was earnestly concerned that they were happy.
WHAT?
Who does that anymore?

Our meal was absolutely peaceful.
The girls were great,
they could roam a bit,
A-N-D....
The big people, were able to talk...
Oh Yes, this was a bonus.
Even the custodial worker was friendly and considerate.
He was a bit taken aback, when our eldest said,
"This was the best dinner ever."



We thanked them all repeatedly.
Maybe, it was our disbelief, that gave us such an appreciation, ;)
but,
without a doubt,
we will return to the Ci-Ci's
Again.






Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Introduction to Us

As we move forward, it is important that you all learn what it is that makes us 'tick'. This maybe confusing at first because with a family our size, well... Let's just say...there is a lot going on in our noggins.
We are your 'normal' family... scratch that...can't even try that one...probably because most families are not normal...and that is good.
  • We run around the house, often, with our heads in the clouds...
  • There is always something found, somewhere, that brings a pause, and tilt of head in confusion...
  • Not usually quiet.
  • And A LOT of impromptu moments.
If that sounds normal, or even intriguing, then welcome aboard...We are glad to have you.
Sanity is not required and sometimes, just sometimes, discouraged :)

Sooo....
Because of all that was just mentioned,
it is important to be in the loop as much as possible.
Gathering knowledge is a big deal to us...
As human beings we are designed to grow and learn, explore and conquer.
Not all information is relevant to everyone,
but everyone is relevant to someone.
What you hold in your mind,
could be the exact piece of info that your neighbor,
friend,
your child,
or stranger in the grocery store line, has been longing for.
(Especially if it is delivered with kindness.)

It is our desire to use this blog as a forum.
Helping bridge g-a-p-s of information,
and opening eyes to the things and the people around you,
that you didn't even know existed.
Along the way,
putting faces and stories,
to the people behind these places and experiences.

From the small business owner at the local bakery in your town,
to the missionary workers, who organize gleaning in your area.
From the cafeteria worker at your child's favorite school,
to your amazing grandpa like neighbor, who always knows the best fishing spots in your town.

It is these connections that make each day an adventure
and each encounter a pleasure.
It is the heartbeat of America.
It is one thing to know where to buy groceries,
but it is so much more to know the story and passion of the
Pizzeria Owner in your favorite Pizza Dive...

This my friends is worth knowing, You are worth knowing.

We are very excited to jump into this endeavor, bringing each and everyone of you along...

Oh the Fun We Will Have.