30 Before 30: Prep Time

One of the last items on my 30 before 30 list involved prepping for a family.  I know you can never truly be prepared to become first time parents, but there were 3 major accomplishments that Chris and I wanted to achieve prior to trying for kids.

1. Pay off credit card debt

It's embarrassing to admit, but my credit card debt had crept up into the 5 figure range.  I always paid more than the minimum amount, but interest was eating me alive!  When we moved in with my parents I was able to really focus on the debt and knock out balance after balance until I was down to $0.  During this time period I also read up on credit scores (the blog at credit.com and the forums at myfico.com) and did regular checks of my credit reports.  Now I use my cards responsibly, making small purchases here and there (to keep the cards active) that I quickly pay off.  That hard work resulted in an 60-80 point (depending on the credit bureau) increase in my credit scores and lead us to a better rate on our mortgage.  As an added bonus, once my credit cards were paid off I was able to pay off my student loan early!

2. Graduate from UNT

Chris has worked so hard to achieve this goal of his!  After meeting him, I truly realized how fortunate I was to be able to go to a four year college straight out of high school.  Chris went to school and worked full time while earning his associates degree and now his bachelors in information technology, even making the Dean's List one semester.

Thanks UNT and USPS for bending this

We had a set back when he found out the advisors made a mistake with his transferred electives, but Chris pushed forward and accomplished what he set out to do.  I was such a proud wife, watching him cross that stage and receive that degree in August!


3. Buy a house

I know you don't need a house to have a baby, but it was a major goal for both of us.  Chris' family moved frequently growing up, and he has always wanted a house that was truly a home for him.  We are so excited to do what we want to this house and make it our family home!

And with those three goals achieved, we're excited to announce...

We have hit for a 1UP (nerdy video game reference) and can't wait to welcome our first child April 2014!

And for anyone counting back - we found out right before our trip to San Fran/Napa so I did not get to partake in all of the wine tasting.  Instead I sipped on water and a couple of these: