Jonathon and I are both very adament about staying out of debt and we never want to go into debt if we can help it. The decision for me to go to graduate school this year was a difficult decision to make financially. Graduate education does not qualify for any kind of grants, and academic tuition scholarships aren't given out like they are at BYU-Idaho (which got me through my undergrad debt-free). However, Jonathon & I both felt like it was the right decision, so we decided to move forward with faith.
After the honeymoon, Jonathon had a very difficult time finding a job. We went 6 weeks before he found the current temp job he's at now. That was a very trying time for us emotionally. We were able to make ends meet just fine with my job, but we didn't have much left over to put into savings, and we knew once the school year started and I wasn't working full time, we would really be scrimping. On top of that, Jonathon felt bad because he wasn't doing anything productive to support us financially and he felt like he was failing in his duties as the provider and head of our family.
Thankfully, Jonathon was able to find a job! And the hours fit perfectly with our needs, due to only having one car. It hasn't been easy getting up at 5:30 every day and getting home a little before 5. It's actually been really tiring. But we can't complain too much :) Jonathon makes almost as much as I do, and we decided to put his paychecks straight into savings. The amount has almost doubled since we got married.
A couple weeks ago, I had a really hard time falling asleep because I just couldn't stop thinking about our finances. I knew we would make it through this school year just fine, but after that it was hard to tell. What if we weren't able to work next summer, or didn't make enough money, or didn't have enough money in savings to get through the next year? My mind kept going through all these different scenarios and worries.
Today I paid off my tuition balance. I received a scholarship from the English department that was bigger than I expected, so tuition wasn't as much. Jonathon has a full-tuition scholarship so we're good there. And he's getting a pell grant that will more than cover our housing needs. On top of that, my graduate instructorship position would cover my tuition and housing (if we didn't already have those other sources to provide). And my second job at scheduling provides enough to live off of.
As I balanced the checkbook and realized all of these added sources of income (scholarships, a grant, jobs), I was filled with an overwhelming gratitude. The Lord is watching out for us. He is aware of our needs and He is providing for them. We definitely have to be diligent in doing what we need to do (living the commandments, paying tithes and fast offerings, and living resourcefully/within our means), but He will take care of the rest. He will help us through. He knows the desires of our hearts, and if they are righteous desires, He is going to make them come to pass.
As a caveat, if you are struggling financially, I am not implying that you are not keeping the commandments or living your life the way God wants you to. Some people endure financial struggles when they are doing everything right. It's just a part of life. But God is still there and is still watching out for you. He blesses each of us in so many ways, and sometimes I loose sight of that.
I am so grateful for His hand in my life and where I have been led to up to this point. Everything is going to work out perfectly, like it always has. And for that, I feel so incredibly blessed.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Life as Mrs. Wheelwright
I haven't even been married 3 months and my husband has already almost killed himself. Ok, not really. But he did shoot himself in the knee last week with a nail gun, and I've been walking around with Mr. Gimpy for the last few days ;) He's ok though. The doctor said the nail didn't hit bone, so we are grateful for that!
I thought the adjustment from Kandace Hansen to Kandace Wheelwright would be a very difficult change for me to deal with. I never practiced writing "Wheelwright" before I got married because I felt like it was blasphemy against the Hansen name. The days leading up to my marriage, I tried to persuade my dear fiancé to change his name to Hansen instead, for Jonathon Hansen sounds so much more appealing than Kandace Wheelwright. He refused it for some reason though...
The day we got married was weird. I was not a Wheelwright, I was just married to one! However, a week after being home from the honeymoon, Kandace Hansen seemed so foreign to me. Yet, Kandace Wheelwright didn't feel right either. I was in limbo land, going through the process of changing my name at a million different institutions.
Once the name was officially changed, it seemed a lot easier to accept myself as that person. I never struggled with signing my name, as some women seem to do. Writing "Wheelwright" in cursive at the bottom of my checks seems so natural now and fun to write. I really enjoy all the little swirls I get to do.
So, now that you've read that boring saga about my name change, let's move on to actual life as a married woman.
I work 7-3 Monday thru Friday, and Jonathon works 6-4:30 Monday thru Thursday. We only have one car, so we get up about 5:15 every morning, we take him to work, and then I go to my workplace and chill for about an hour before I start (I usually take a nap). After I get done with work, I chill at my work some more until it is time to pick Jonathon up. By the time we get home, we've already been up for 11.5 hours. That makes for a long day in and of itself and we are both usually ready to crash and relax. If not watching a movie, we can be found watching either Family Feud or Pawn Stars (though occasionally we'll watch something else on GSN). Before bedtime, we usually read a chapter of Harry Potter together, which has lead to many funny moments. For example:
Jonathon was going off on this big long tangent about why and how Ginny was so perfect for Harry Potter. I like to rock the boat a bit, so I asked some questions to which he retorted answers on Ginny's behalf. He was defensive and almost admirable of Ginny that I finally asked "Jonathon, do you love Ginny?" Emphatically, he answered, "NO! I love Harry Potter!" *Awkward pause* "Uh...the books, I mean. I love the books!" Uh huh. Nice recovery.
We are almost done with the second book. I can't wait to start the third!
Weekends are a bit more exciting than the week days. We usually go out to eat once a week along with some other activity. We've gone to Seven Peaks a couple times, a local production of The Sound of Music, mini-golfing and laser tag, and we're going to see The Scarlet Pimpernel this weekend. I'm so excited!! It's my favorite play, and after making Jonathon watch the movie, I think I've convinced him to love it almost as much as I do :)
I have also had quite the effect on Jonathon's wardrobe. Before he met me, he had 2 name-brand shirts, both from Aero. On Saturday we went shopping for shoes and jeans for Jonathon, and he realized that now all of his clothes are name-brand. Earlier this year, I introduced Jonathon to the wonder of AE jeans, and he fell in love. Well, in going to get more jeans, I convinced him to stop at AE before checking out JC Penney. We found a killer deal! All jeans were $30, which was amazing since they usually run from $44.95-49.95. That deal was so great, we had to get 2 pairs :) Jonathon has learned that name-brand clothes look 10x better and fit 100x better. I think he thanked me about 5 times that day for making him buy name-brand clothes and teaching him the art of shopping for them on clearance. He now has shirts from Aero, AE, Express, and Macy's, along with a very nice lamb-leather jacket. Jonathon has also learned that more expensive shoes last longer and are more comfortable. I almost feel guilty for introducing him to this new way of life, but dang! My man looks good! ;)
That's all for now. Sorry this post is so random, but this is what we've been up to since our return from the honeymoon.
I thought the adjustment from Kandace Hansen to Kandace Wheelwright would be a very difficult change for me to deal with. I never practiced writing "Wheelwright" before I got married because I felt like it was blasphemy against the Hansen name. The days leading up to my marriage, I tried to persuade my dear fiancé to change his name to Hansen instead, for Jonathon Hansen sounds so much more appealing than Kandace Wheelwright. He refused it for some reason though...
The day we got married was weird. I was not a Wheelwright, I was just married to one! However, a week after being home from the honeymoon, Kandace Hansen seemed so foreign to me. Yet, Kandace Wheelwright didn't feel right either. I was in limbo land, going through the process of changing my name at a million different institutions.
Once the name was officially changed, it seemed a lot easier to accept myself as that person. I never struggled with signing my name, as some women seem to do. Writing "Wheelwright" in cursive at the bottom of my checks seems so natural now and fun to write. I really enjoy all the little swirls I get to do.
So, now that you've read that boring saga about my name change, let's move on to actual life as a married woman.
I work 7-3 Monday thru Friday, and Jonathon works 6-4:30 Monday thru Thursday. We only have one car, so we get up about 5:15 every morning, we take him to work, and then I go to my workplace and chill for about an hour before I start (I usually take a nap). After I get done with work, I chill at my work some more until it is time to pick Jonathon up. By the time we get home, we've already been up for 11.5 hours. That makes for a long day in and of itself and we are both usually ready to crash and relax. If not watching a movie, we can be found watching either Family Feud or Pawn Stars (though occasionally we'll watch something else on GSN). Before bedtime, we usually read a chapter of Harry Potter together, which has lead to many funny moments. For example:
Jonathon was going off on this big long tangent about why and how Ginny was so perfect for Harry Potter. I like to rock the boat a bit, so I asked some questions to which he retorted answers on Ginny's behalf. He was defensive and almost admirable of Ginny that I finally asked "Jonathon, do you love Ginny?" Emphatically, he answered, "NO! I love Harry Potter!" *Awkward pause* "Uh...the books, I mean. I love the books!" Uh huh. Nice recovery.
We are almost done with the second book. I can't wait to start the third!
Weekends are a bit more exciting than the week days. We usually go out to eat once a week along with some other activity. We've gone to Seven Peaks a couple times, a local production of The Sound of Music, mini-golfing and laser tag, and we're going to see The Scarlet Pimpernel this weekend. I'm so excited!! It's my favorite play, and after making Jonathon watch the movie, I think I've convinced him to love it almost as much as I do :)
I have also had quite the effect on Jonathon's wardrobe. Before he met me, he had 2 name-brand shirts, both from Aero. On Saturday we went shopping for shoes and jeans for Jonathon, and he realized that now all of his clothes are name-brand. Earlier this year, I introduced Jonathon to the wonder of AE jeans, and he fell in love. Well, in going to get more jeans, I convinced him to stop at AE before checking out JC Penney. We found a killer deal! All jeans were $30, which was amazing since they usually run from $44.95-49.95. That deal was so great, we had to get 2 pairs :) Jonathon has learned that name-brand clothes look 10x better and fit 100x better. I think he thanked me about 5 times that day for making him buy name-brand clothes and teaching him the art of shopping for them on clearance. He now has shirts from Aero, AE, Express, and Macy's, along with a very nice lamb-leather jacket. Jonathon has also learned that more expensive shoes last longer and are more comfortable. I almost feel guilty for introducing him to this new way of life, but dang! My man looks good! ;)
That's all for now. Sorry this post is so random, but this is what we've been up to since our return from the honeymoon.
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