I took my wedding ring and diamond earrings to Kay's to be cleaned today and - of course - I couldn't find the paperwork for my earrings. The woman was so sweet and patient and combed the super-old looking computer system to find the purchase slip while I was trying and failing to corral both kids. It made me think back to when we bought the jewelry.
It was the beginning of 2010 and we had just been engaged a few months. When Tony originally bought my engagement ring he got a gift certificate where you spend a certain amount of money and you get a certain amount back... I don't remember the specifics. Anyways, long story short, we went in to buy our wedding bands and picked out some tiny diamond earrings for me that would end up being free after purchasing our bands. Sweet! You really can't beat free, especially when you're saving to pay for a wedding. Plus, I'd never had diamond earrings before, so this was exciting! When we pointed out the tiny set of earrings, the saleswoman said, "Oh no! You don't want those! The diamonds are practically black!" When we assured her that those were in fact the earrings we wanted, she still tried to talk us out of them and kept dissing the diamonds. It irritated me so much back then and for some reason it still irritates me today. Maybe it's because I didn't speak up and tell the woman I was happy to have them and that I thought they were beautiful (and that she should shut the hell up).
While I was recalling this memory in my head today at the jewelry store, the kind and patient woman helping me handed back my earrings after inspecting and cleaning them. Then she leaned over and whispered to me, "It's time to get some bigger earrings, dear." WHAT is wrong with people?? Why can't I just be happy with what I have? Do you think I would be happy with gigantic diamond earrings? SURE. But guess what? I am happy with tiny diamond earrings, too!
Tony and I were literally just talking last night about how more money/more problems is so true. I am able to stay home with the kids because ONE: it is our choice/what we want to do and TWO: we live within our means. We cut back where we need to. Do we make bad decisions with our money from time to time? Yep. Are we perfect? Nope. But we opt not to have cable. We don't have the best internet in the world. Or really the best anything. We intentionally don't have car payments. We don't pay interest on credit cards. We saved up for our upcoming family vacation. We're not hardcore Dave Ramsey people -- I wish we were -- and we have a LOT to learn about making wiser decisions with our money, but we pay our bills and we take care of our family's needs and so many wants.
We want to move to a place in our lives where we can save more, give back more, and do more (for ourselves, for our kids, for others, etc). Once the kids are in school it will be nice for both of us to work and make money but I know these babies of mine will only be little and home for a limited amount of time and we intend to make the most of it. I remember feeling SO OVERWHELMED staying home with Presley in the early days and wish the days away until I could work and be in the adult world on a regular basis again. (#mommyconfession) And now that I see how fleeting these days come and go I see that this is just a season in our life!!! One that I am enjoying.
Is there a point to all of this? Not really. I do this thing with my daughter all the time... if she starts complaining about having to brush her teeth before bed I remind her that some people don't have clean water or a toothbrush. It helps her to be happy and grateful for the things we have. So, just do that every once in a while in order to stay grounded.
It was the beginning of 2010 and we had just been engaged a few months. When Tony originally bought my engagement ring he got a gift certificate where you spend a certain amount of money and you get a certain amount back... I don't remember the specifics. Anyways, long story short, we went in to buy our wedding bands and picked out some tiny diamond earrings for me that would end up being free after purchasing our bands. Sweet! You really can't beat free, especially when you're saving to pay for a wedding. Plus, I'd never had diamond earrings before, so this was exciting! When we pointed out the tiny set of earrings, the saleswoman said, "Oh no! You don't want those! The diamonds are practically black!" When we assured her that those were in fact the earrings we wanted, she still tried to talk us out of them and kept dissing the diamonds. It irritated me so much back then and for some reason it still irritates me today. Maybe it's because I didn't speak up and tell the woman I was happy to have them and that I thought they were beautiful (and that she should shut the hell up).
While I was recalling this memory in my head today at the jewelry store, the kind and patient woman helping me handed back my earrings after inspecting and cleaning them. Then she leaned over and whispered to me, "It's time to get some bigger earrings, dear." WHAT is wrong with people?? Why can't I just be happy with what I have? Do you think I would be happy with gigantic diamond earrings? SURE. But guess what? I am happy with tiny diamond earrings, too!
Tony and I were literally just talking last night about how more money/more problems is so true. I am able to stay home with the kids because ONE: it is our choice/what we want to do and TWO: we live within our means. We cut back where we need to. Do we make bad decisions with our money from time to time? Yep. Are we perfect? Nope. But we opt not to have cable. We don't have the best internet in the world. Or really the best anything. We intentionally don't have car payments. We don't pay interest on credit cards. We saved up for our upcoming family vacation. We're not hardcore Dave Ramsey people -- I wish we were -- and we have a LOT to learn about making wiser decisions with our money, but we pay our bills and we take care of our family's needs and so many wants.
We want to move to a place in our lives where we can save more, give back more, and do more (for ourselves, for our kids, for others, etc). Once the kids are in school it will be nice for both of us to work and make money but I know these babies of mine will only be little and home for a limited amount of time and we intend to make the most of it. I remember feeling SO OVERWHELMED staying home with Presley in the early days and wish the days away until I could work and be in the adult world on a regular basis again. (#mommyconfession) And now that I see how fleeting these days come and go I see that this is just a season in our life!!! One that I am enjoying.
Is there a point to all of this? Not really. I do this thing with my daughter all the time... if she starts complaining about having to brush her teeth before bed I remind her that some people don't have clean water or a toothbrush. It helps her to be happy and grateful for the things we have. So, just do that every once in a while in order to stay grounded.
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