Step 1: Debt

This has been the one (HUGE) negative thought looming over my heart-debt. Obviously we have some since we had quite the expensive 2009:

• Hunter born mid-December 2008, med bills didn't arrive til January 2009
• Bella's tube surgery (doc, hospital, anesthesiologist)
  
• Diagnosed with cancer in April: oncologist visits, major expensive surgery, radiation (although I had met my out-of-pocket max, insurance still charged $25 copay for every single thing-each radiation treatment, weekly xray, blood checks, weekly doc visits, EVERYTHING)
• Blood transfusion
• Mammogram and subsequent breast biopsy
• Hunter's tube surgery (doc, hospital, anesthesiologist)

Not to mention that at the beginning of 2009 I was still working from home and my hours were JUNK because of the change in the Administration (hold on most Congressional projects) and then recession and stimulus which didn't favor Congressional projects. Got my 1099 the other day and compared to my W2-in November and December alone I made 1/2 of what I made all year on 1099!!! No wonder we were strapped.

So step number 1: get on the ball!! FINALLY put into practice everything we learned from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Get on the envelope system (I think this will help me immensely) and stick to a hardcore budget (ok so we'll start with a test edition with the understanding it can be revised over a period of a few months til we get somewhere that works for us). Pre-cancer our emergency fund had been established and we were working on the next baby steps of saving 3-6 months income and knocking out debt. Post-cancer there were a few months where we were literally living on credit cards.

So we have a ways to go but that was something I already knew, and played a big factor in my "pray pray pray for the remainder of 2010". A huge part of me wants to send off for that information packet and get the application process started but I know there is alot of preparation our family needs to begin before we can even start seriously dreaming. Handing it over to Him to take my anxiety and fear!!