The Life That Got Us Here – Part 2

Financial Peace – Dave Ramsey got it right.  We had been having layoffs for a while; so, when I got the call to come to my manager’s office, I had a clue.  But imagine this if you can, Jodi and I are debt free but the house, we have 6 months worth of expenses saved up, we’re living off her income, and of course, we have a really BIG God!  So, when I walk into my manger’s office – who knows we are expecting our first child any moment – he starts crying, saying he’s so sorry, and I am the one who comforts him.  You see, the only true peace comes from knowing the Prince of Peace!

On Air With Dave Ramsey

Well, I was off work for one month, then we had our first baby girl, Kendall Alexis Tuten.  The week after she was born, our chiropractor friend needed help in their office; so, I went to work for them for the next 6 months, which was actually a very sweet time.  I worked 3 days a week 730a – 730p with a two hour lunch break to come home, be with my wife and baby girl and take a nap!  We buckled down and lived on my income, putting Jodi’s maternity leave money in the bank.  By living on rice & beans and having no payments other than the house, we were able to put together all we had saved and pay off the house before Jodi had to go back to work.  Thus, she was able to stay home, and a few months later, I got a new job.  The cool part for us was that our story got us into Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover Challenge, and we won a trip to Atlantis in the Bahamas with Dave & his family and 9 others who were gazelle intense about getting out of debt and changing their story!

Fast forward 7 years, and we haven’t changed much.  A few more kids – 5 to be exact – 4 girls and 1 boy!  With Jodi pregnant & nursing off and on over the past 7 years, our adventures have looked a little different – adventures in home birthing, home schooling, and home remodeling.  And though we have really enjoyed getting the kids out rappelling, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking whenever we can, it has been much more sparse than before.  And we have learned to be creative.  Instead of a ten hour day rappelling through a canyon, we have put up zip lines off second story balconies or when camping.  We have kayaked down the Lower Salt River (class 1) versus the waterfalls of Mexico’s Cascadas de Micos (class 3).

Lower Salt Fun

Zip Lining Fun

And with these changes, we have found that our adventurous Funhog hearts have changed as well.  God has brought us on a journey these past few years of learning what it really means to be a family and what we desire our family to look like.  We don’t just want to adventure together, but we want to worship God through our adventures, through our journey, and bring others alongside us. And for me, God has made a special place in my heart for my family.  He has slowly been turning my heart back to my children, and I feel burdened to show what a father wholly devoted to Christ and his family can do.  And so we begin our Funhog Family 50 State Adventure Challenge …