As a family, we cherish the time we can get outdoors. Whether it is a weekend in the mountains, or just a stroll around the neighborhood, we enjoy getting out. Today, Mr. Weatherman is predicting 6 to 8 inches of snow, and the way things are going he’s probably got it right this time. But for the past week we have had higher temps allowing us to enjoy the world out there. 
Besides the opportunities to show you some pictures (keep scrolling down) and tell you a little more about ourselves, we share this blog with you because getting outside is one of the best forms of entertainment. It’s free, and it never ends. Although there are some pretty creative and incredible artists out there, nothing compares with the magnificence and beauty of GOD’s creation. HE doesn’t charge us a thing to enjoy HIS work; it’s a gift to us. 
After some modifications to the stove and the chimney, we ended up paying $300 for a stinking awesome heat source. And man does that thing crank out the heat! Eight logs will keep us in shorts and t-shirts for 8 hours! After installing it ourselves, we turned off the furnace completely. And not only is a fire great for the atmosphere, it saves money. With natural gas being a pretty expensive utility, we were paying around $350 a month. Electricity is significantly cheaper, meaning the blower on the stove and a fan heat the entire upstairs for a fraction of the cost of gas. And we do fine with a small space heater and humidifier in the basement. My estimate; heating the house by fire will save $500 each winter. Add to that the joy of cutting and splitting your own wood, and you’ve got yourself the best winter ever!
I love my husband! One of my favorite things to do is to spend time with him one on one. We have been married almost four years now, and something that has become a tradition and priority in our marriage is a weekly date night. It is our time to forget about everything else and focus on each other, and let me tell you, we have so much fun! Since beginning our savings challenge, we have been inspired to find creative and frugal ways to spend our date night. Here are a few of our favorites and a couple ideas sent to me by some of my dearest friends. 
The product at hand is a top of the line leather briefcase. I hesitate to post a picture because the smolder of the battle field is still settling. No reason to tempt myself again right? I’ll be strong for your sake. Although this particular briefcase is way less than some of those Italian leather companies’ products ($1,500), it still would put us behind about $500. In justifying the obvious lack of need, I imagined all the places on the globe I would travel to in my lifetime, and than passing along this bag as an heirloom to a son or grandson of mine. (Photo courtesy of 
In all, it was a good reminder that life isn’t about money; making it, keeping it, or spending it. While in the DR, this truth really was driven home. Our dear friends and rich-in-love community live life in a deeper way than most of us 'Americanos' do, and they do it being one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. And although we will punch those numbers eventually, we’ll make sure finances don’t take priority over the things that really matter to us.
On a side note, Michael’s great-grandmother passed away this past month. She was 106. Nana was an incredible woman whose parents immigrated from Czechoslovakia and farmed the soil of central Nebraska, crossing the plains by covered wagon. While reading through some of her remarkable memoirs, I stumbled upon this quote that brings the message home.
Even better ,we can keep a few spare boxes hidden away (ones with different colors and sizes). That way when she losses interest with one box, we’ll swap it with a ‘new’ one and cycle them through every four weeks or so. It should work for awhile, at least until that whole short-term memory thing starts happening. Right now our box collection is at 3. We could probably afford two more. Oh man, I can just imagine Samantha’s grandparents (and Nana) all cringing at the thought of their precious little baby only getting a box for Christmas. Calm down everybody, we're not THAT frugal! 
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