ROC- Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge

 

This past weekend we participated in the Ridiculous Obstacle Course Challenge at the Del Mar fair grounds. This was a 5k race with 18 different obstacles throughout the course. We participated with a large group of people (43 to be exact) that were all wearing similar outfits. Our team was called, "The Victorious Secret." Of course our outfits were pink. The ladies wore pink tank tops with our team names on them and wings on the back, with pink tutus. The men wore lighter pink tops with the team name on them as well. My dad and Marci came with us and hung out with all the grand kids while we ran. We stayed in Chula Vista with them the night before so the drive wasn't as long, and because we love to spend time with Abuelita and Grandpa. :-) As you can see above Kellen was not a very happy camper before the race. But he perked up later.

 Our team mates Crystal and Amber waiting to start the race... and waiting for John and Cassie to show up! :-) Ha ha, as Melinda George says, "That's how we do it." We were so excited to get started!

 Unfortunately Colin and I did not get an "after" photo. I forgot. :-( But they hosed us down before the big finale so I wasn't as "colorful" as I was during the race. Some how we still managed to have green powder stuck under our arms.

 Shelley joined us for the festivities, what a cool chick! I am glad that she is hanging out with us. Maybe next year her beau James will come with us? :-P

Crystal and Russell posing for the pic. Russell signed up last minute so that we could have the largest team! Thanks for doing that by the way, the $30 return (courtesy of Amber donating her return to the Gilliland family) will be put toward the $110 dentist appointment our son has tomorrow to get his molars sealed so he won't get cavities and can keep those baby teeth until they fall out in 9 years.

 

 The girls, wish I would have known Shelley was behind us because I would have grabbed her into the picture. Random shirtless dude, apparently "Photo Bombed" our picture! Ha ha!

At the start of the race they sent us through the horse race starting boxes and then blasted us with some sort of soap cream, I was slightly blinded for a moment. My tutu was covered in soap pretty much the entire race. Once we passed the foam/cream, we were attacked by gorillas and climbed across the monkey bars. For a complete list of the obstacles check out this link: http://www.rocrace.com/sandiego/course.html. My favorite was the GIANT slide towards the end. I am most proud of the tight rope traverse. I made it all the way across, even with the crazy dudes shaking the heck out of it. However, we should have went across the other one behind us because it was shorter. Poor Amber could barely reach, which eventually led to her falling in the mud. The ONLY reason she fell might I add. She's one tough cookie!

 

 

And then you have this cutie waiting after the race with us to check in on her mama and pops. SHE IS SO FREAKIN' CUTE!

Here is my sister finishing up the final rope swing, OWNING it!! All the way across and then a skip through the finish line holding hands with John and Crystal. I am hoping that there are some pictures of that later. :-)

 The aftermath, we don't look too destroyed. They did a number hosing us down so all the colored powder is gone. Our shirts are now tucked in because they hang down to our ankles, but we look pretty good! Thank you Crystal and Cassie for inviting Colin and I to be a part of this! We had a blast! OK Russell, now you have to start thinking of next years theme... ROC 2013 here we come!

April Book Review

Alright, I'm a little behind. I finally finished the book I was reading for the month of April, "The Wealthy Barber." I think it took me so long because I was a little bored. Maybe because the information was starting to become so redundant.

"The Wealthy Barber," is a simple how-to-build-wealth book. It is realistic and tells you straight up that it doesn't happen over night. Some tips that this book discussed that stuck out:

-Pay yourself first... 10% of your income goes straight to a mutual fund/money market account. You don't touch it, you don't even realize it's gone because it is an automatic withdraw whenever you get paid. Down the road 20-30 years, if you are employed the entire time, you have plenty of money to retire wealthy and you really didn't even have to try. Every book I've read, or Dave Ramsey program I've listened to says this is very important to start as soon as you can, they just disagree on when. Oh- and Dave says to do 15%.

-This book also mentions the importance of a Will, a living trust if you have stuff, and insurance-the right kind. Every person has a different need, so make sure you have the kind that is right for you.

-"A dollar saved is two dollars earned." This book talks about living within your means, and the fact that there is a difference between being cheap, and being thrifty. :-) Unfortunately, the chapter on that, is pretty short.

There were a few things I did not like about this book. It overlooked the huge impact that debt can be on a family. And made credit cards sound like no big deal. Some people may have zero debt, and maybe this book is addressing them. However, to assume that and not give any advice on how to eliminate debt just doesn't sound realistic.

This book also said nothing about giving. That just makes me sad. I would assume even the wealthy barber would understand the importance of giving.

In order to really gain insight from this book (or at least for me to remember it) you would have to take extensive notes. And the Dave Ramsey program already does that for me, AND gives me all the forms I need as part of the program. 

All in all, I probably would recommend another book to someone seeking financial advice. It had nothing unique to the book and if I had to choose between giving people this book and any of the other financial books I have read, I would give them any of the other ones over this one.

Since we are currently facilitating another round of Financial Peace University, I am going to read a different topic for the month of May. My next book, which I just bought at the Women's Gathering last Saturday at Sandals Church is called, "Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already there; Trusting Him in Uncertain Times," by Ruth Graham. I am really looking forward to reading this book. Ruth Graham is a pretty amazing woman. She's real, and has had real trials just like most women. She's willing to share how God has changed her life and loved her unconditionally even when she has messed up. I'm sure there will be a book review on this one VERY soon, before the end of the month!

Crazy Busy!!

These last few months have flown by. This is our room mate Lori. We are pretty blessed. She is very sweet, easy to get along with, and has such an amazing giving spirit! 

Since our move we have: 

1. Completed facilitating our first round of Financial Peace University at Sandals Church.

2. Started the second group of Financial Peace University last night - as well as another group starting up Thursday that will be facilitated by graduates from the first group.
3. Colin's Soccer team won a Division 5 CIF Championship.

4. He had 4 days off and then started assistant coaching for the Girls Softball Team.
5. Eliminated the Wells Fargo Personal loan.
6. I am helping with the Women's Ministries at Sandals during the daytime, and some cool stuff is going to be happening over the next few months.
7. Kellen has successfully pooped in the toilet for the last week. (Yes, minor to most of you, but a HUGE step in the Gilliland house).
8. I completed another round of INSANITY... and will start Les Mills Pump in the coming days, and probably start running 4-6 days a week. I was running, but I've learned that when you don't feel good taking a few days off is better than being sick for a month.
9. I figured out how to use Instagram... but it's really slow on my droid. :-/

10. I have a pinterest... yeah, not sure what you really do, I just pin up cool pictures of things I like, and I think that is all you are supposed to do, but I am not sure why other people "follow," me on that. :-) Gilliland Pinterest Click Here
11. I have learned to make a few new yummy recipes, and I've taken pictures of them with my phone and/or camera but I have not blogged about them yet. :-(
12. Colin's sister Haley came to visit from New York for a whole week! Kellen instantly re-bonded with her and her friend Tyler. (So cute)
13. Easter came and went, and Sandals baptized over 300 people!!! The annual Easter Egg hunt and dinner with the Bardsley's was super fun. (Still need to post the videos!)

14. Kellen has now memorized John 3:16 and he is working on Genesis 1:31.
15. Colin has learned how to play Skipbo, pretty sure he is the first male in the family (in reference to the McDonough's) that has ever been willing to do this.
16. Bonus- Skipbo can be used as flash cards for Kellen to learn his numbers (at least 1-12)
17. Kellen is stuck on 3 books- he LOVES and must read his ABC's book every day, and his pop up book.
18. He also has to read his "Animals on the Farm" book while he sits on the potty... such a cute kid.
19. Kellen had his first "S'more" this month after he has become addicted to watching, "Sandlot." We made them with mini marshmallows on the stove. See Picture
20. Finishing up my April book, "The Wealthy Barber," and then I will write a review, and I will be on to a new book for May.

And that is all I can think of right now. I'm sure there is more, but then again, there is always more. :-)

Happy April to everyone!

Another One Bites the Dust

Well, we just paid off a student loan. With the help of our move, and our tax return, we knocked off over $4,000 in 3 months! :-) We are on our way! Only one loan left, it is large, but we have almost cut our debt in half since we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University less than 2 years ago!

Our next round of FPU starts the Monday after Easter at Sandals Church. We will be facilitating the class again. We were so blessed by those in our previous class, we are looking forward to making some new FPU friends and will have some help from some old FPU friends. Several people from the previous class were so impacted by the dramatic changes, that they wish to help others in their financial journey as well. I am a little bummed that Sandals was unable to get a preview video done to share with the church how much FPU has helped those that came to the class, but I know that we are still making a big impact in the lives of many families.

Any way, the count down begins. Our schedule to complete debt relief is 2016... I would LOVE to eliminate it much faster, and we probably will. Thank you to those that have been praying for us and encouraging us on our road to debt freedom!

Blessings!

Mindie Gilliland

Book Review: The Richest Man In Babylon

Continuing with my goal to read one book a month (or more) I have completed the finance book called, "The Richest Man in Babylon," by George S. Clason.

I am already starting to learn a pattern between each of the three books that I have read so far. They all require life style changes in order to accomplish your financial goals, and not just "spend less money here-" fill in the blank. The setting of this book takes place in ancient Babylon when it was once one of the richest locations. The Richest Man was a man named Arkad, and through a group of tales the book takes you through different stories of men earning a living and becoming wealthy while following several principals for spending and making money.

Some of my favorite quotes from this book were:

"In those things toward which we exert our best endeavors we succeed."

"He who takes advice about his savings from one who is inexperienced in such matters, shall pay with his savings for proving the falsity of their opinions."

"Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared."

"Better a little caution, than a large regret." In terms of poor investing/loans.

"Where the determination is, the will can be found." This is a really great chapter about having hope and getting out of debt. This chapter is called, "The Camel Trader." It reminded me a lot about our situation- lots of debt, but working our way out of it.

Each chapter gave different principals (some more similar than others) on how to make and save money.

For example, one chapter had three guidelines:
1. Live on less than you earn.(Delayed gratification)
2. Seek advice from those competent.
3. Make gold (money) work for you.

There is a chapter that talks about Seven cures for a lean purse. Which then explains how to earn money, even if you don't make a lot. Another chapter discusses the five laws of Gold, following these will make you wiser (yeah, read the book to learn more). Another chapter talks about the rewards of hard work and blessings.

This was a much shorter book than my previous book, but I really enjoyed reading it. There is a little bit of Babylon history in the back of the book as well, pretty fascinating stuff. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in seeking out financial (and living) wisdom!

Financial Blessings and Health to you all!