We got bad news

Our Tribe of Many
9 May 202434:30

Summary

TLDRIn this video, the speaker shares a deeply personal update with their audience. They reveal the heartbreaking news of a miscarriage at nine weeks, their seventh such experience. Despite the emotional turmoil, they discuss an upcoming family trip to Kenya, emphasizing the importance of the journey despite the challenging timing. The video also covers various logistical details, including preparations for the trip, managing a large family, and the use of budgeting and personal finance apps like Rocket Money to meet financial goals. The speaker offers a glimpse into their family's dynamic, including packing strategies, birthday celebrations, and the progress on their new home. They also provide financial advice on how they, as a large family, manage to afford international travel and maintain their lifestyle, suggesting that prioritizing experiences and family connections is key.

Takeaways

  • 🙏 The family experienced a miscarriage at 9 weeks, which was particularly hard due to previous experiences with six miscarriages at 6 weeks each.
  • 🏡 They are preparing for a month-long trip to Kenya with their whole family, which adds to the emotional stress of their recent loss.
  • 📅 Despite the timing, they are managing their time carefully, with a doctor's appointment pending if the miscarriage process hasn't completed by the end of the week.
  • 🌱 They have a lot of work to do before the trip, including homestead preparations and packing, amidst dealing with a broken lawnmower and overgrown property.
  • 🧳 They are strategizing their packing, using budget-friendly suitcases and packing cubes to keep things organized and manageable.
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The family has a system for traveling with a large group, including a buddy system to ensure no one gets lost and each person is responsible for their own backpack with essentials.
  • 🎂 They celebrated Destiny's 6th birthday with a sushi lunch, showing their efforts to maintain normalcy and celebrate despite challenges.
  • 🏠 There's been significant progress on their new house, with decisions on design being made quickly due to the upcoming trip.
  • 💰 The family has multiple streams of income, which helps them afford their international travels and large family expenses.
  • 🚗 They are driving to Chicago to save on flight costs, showcasing their willingness to endure long journeys to stick to their budget.
  • 🌍 They prioritize visiting Kenya to connect with their children's cultural heritage and family, even when it's financially challenging.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is an update on the family's situation, including a recent miscarriage, upcoming trip to Kenya, and various household and financial matters.

  • What difficult news does the speaker share at the beginning of the video?

    -The speaker shares the difficult news of experiencing a miscarriage at nine weeks into the pregnancy.

  • How does the speaker plan to handle the timing of the miscarriage with the upcoming trip to Kenya?

    -The speaker mentions that if the miscarriage has not occurred by the end of the week, her doctor will provide medication to help with the process, as it is not something she wants to deal with while traveling.

  • What is the purpose of the trip to Kenya?

    -The purpose of the trip to Kenya is to visit family and to expose the children to their Kenyan heritage and culture.

  • How does the family manage to afford the trip to Kenya?

    -The family manages to afford the trip through careful budgeting, saving from various income sources including their businesses, and making the trip a high priority.

  • What is the significance of the speaker's mention of Rocket Money?

    -Rocket Money is mentioned as a personal finance app that has helped the family meet their savings and budget goals, which in turn has assisted them in affording their trip to Kenya.

  • What is the current state of their home before the trip?

    -The home is in a state of preparation for the trip and for the family's absence. There is a to-do list for the homestead, and tasks such as mowing the lawn and cleaning are being completed.

  • What is the family's strategy for packing for the trip?

    -The family uses a buddy system for the children, packing cubes to keep things organized, and each child carries their own backpack with essentials like headphones, a change of clothes, a water bottle, and a few activities.

  • How does the family handle the emotional aspect of the miscarriage?

    -The family allows themselves to mourn while also focusing on the tasks at hand, such as preparing for the trip and managing the household. They also find comfort in their existing children and the support from the ultrasound technician.

  • What is the current status of their new house construction?

    -The new house construction is progressing well, with significant developments since the last update. The family is excited about the upcoming completion of the house.

  • What is the family's approach to managing finances and saving for big goals?

    -The family uses budgeting strategies, saves money from business income when it is high, and puts money aside specifically for big goals like the trip to Kenya. They also use apps like Rocket Money to manage their finances effectively.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Difficult Family News and Upcoming Kenya Trip

The video begins with the vlogger expressing gratitude to Rocket Money for sponsoring the video and then delving into personal family matters. They share the heartbreaking news of a miscarriage at nine weeks, which is particularly challenging due to a history of six previous miscarriages. Despite the emotional toll, the family is preparing for a month-long trip to Kenya, which adds an extra layer of complexity to their current situation. The vlogger discusses logistical challenges such as doctor appointments, home preparations, and managing the family's reactions to the miscarriage. They also mention the need to complete numerous tasks around the homestead before leaving, including mowing the lawn and tidying up, as well as dealing with vehicle and travel preparations.

05:01

🎒 Packing and Travel Tips for a Large Family

The vlogger shares their strategies for packing efficiently for a large family, including the use of packing cubes and personal backpacks for each child. They discuss the importance of having children carry essential items like headphones, extra clothes, water bottles, and a few activities. The video also touches on the financial aspect of traveling as a large family, mentioning the use of the Rocket Money app to help save and budget for the trip. The vlogger provides insight into how they manage to afford such trips not just on a pastor's salary but through entrepreneurship and multiple income streams. They also talk about the emotional impact of their recent miscarriage and how staying busy with preparations helps them cope.

10:03

🏡 Home Construction Updates and Family Dynamics

The vlogger provides an update on the construction of their new home, highlighting recent progress and changes made to the design, such as the installation of a pass-through window in the mudroom and the decision to forgo a hearth to accommodate their large L-shaped couches. They mention the large windows, the view from the upper level, and the plans for the loft space, which may include a grand piano. The vlogger also discusses the family's excitement about the upcoming trip to Kenya, the importance of knowing their children's cultural heritage, and the various ways they save money on their trips, such as eating at home and taking advantage of local prices for Kenyan citizens.

15:06

🚗 Travel Logistics and Staying Connected with Family

The vlogger talks about the logistics of traveling with a large family, including an 8-hour drive to Chicago for their flight and the decision to stay in a hotel upon returning home to adjust to jet lag. They emphasize the importance of maintaining close relationships with family in Kenya and the value of in-person visits over virtual communication. The video also discusses the financial planning that goes into making these trips possible, such as setting aside money from business profits or asset sales specifically for travel to Kenya. The vlogger reflects on life's unpredictability and the importance of not postponing opportunities to connect with loved ones.

20:08

🌳 Home Improvements and Future Plans

The vlogger takes the audience on a tour of their home, showcasing the new changes and improvements made during their absence. They discuss the new bathroom, the laundry room, and the storage solutions being implemented. The focus is on maximizing the use of space and making the home functional for their large family. They also talk about the decision-making process for their home design, working closely with an interior designer to select styles and materials quickly due to their impending trip. The vlogger expresses excitement about the progress and shares their vision for the home's final touches.

25:09

💰 Financial Strategies for Large Family Travel

The vlogger shares financial tips and strategies that enable their large family to afford international travel. They emphasize the importance of prioritizing travel expenses and adjusting one's lifestyle to accommodate these financial goals. The video discusses the benefits of entrepreneurship and having multiple income streams, which provide the flexibility and funds needed for trips to Kenya. They also mention the emotional significance of these trips for maintaining close ties with family and understanding their cultural heritage. The vlogger offers to share more about their financial strategies and encourages viewers to use financial tools like the Rocket Money app to manage their finances effectively.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Miscarriage

Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. In the video, the speaker shares the difficult news of experiencing a miscarriage at nine weeks, which is a significant moment that adds emotional depth to the video's narrative. The speaker has had several miscarriages before, all at six weeks, making this instance particularly hard due to the later stage.

💡Kenya

Kenya is a country in East Africa that holds personal significance for the family in the video as they have roots and extended family there. The upcoming trip to Kenya is a major event that the family is preparing for, and it serves as a backdrop for discussing various aspects of their life, including cultural connections and the logistical challenges of traveling with a large family.

💡Budgeting

Budgeting refers to the process of creating a plan to manage one's income and expenses. In the video, the concept of budgeting is central to how the family manages their finances, particularly in saving for their trip to Kenya and their ongoing home construction project. The mention of Rocket Money, a personal finance app, underscores the family's commitment to financial planning and goal-setting.

💡Travel Preparations

Travel preparations encompass the various tasks and logistics involved in getting ready for a trip. The video details the extensive preparations the family is undertaking before their journey to Kenya, including packing, organizing the homestead, and dealing with the emotional impact of the miscarriage. These preparations are a significant part of the video's narrative, highlighting the family's dynamic and their approach to managing a large family.

💡Cultural Connection

Cultural connection refers to the bond and understanding individuals have with their cultural heritage. The video emphasizes the importance of the family's Kenyan cultural connection, which is a driving factor behind their frequent trips to Kenya. The family's efforts to ensure their children are familiar with their Kenyan roots and family members there illustrate the value they place on maintaining these cultural ties.

💡Homestead

A homestead is a piece of land on which a family resides and often works, typically in a rural setting. In the video, the homestead represents the family's current living situation, which they are preparing to leave for their trip to Kenya. The homestead requires maintenance and organization, which adds to the family's to-do list before their departure.

💡Financial Goals

Financial goals are specific, measurable objectives related to an individual's or family's economic situation. The video discusses the family's financial goals, particularly in the context of saving for their trip to Kenya and managing their budget. The use of Rocket Money is highlighted as a tool to help achieve these goals, emphasizing the importance of financial planning and management.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching, and running a new business. The video mentions that the family is involved in multiple businesses, which contributes to their income and enables them to afford their lifestyle, including trips to Kenya. This keyword is significant as it provides insight into how the family manages to support their large family and save for significant expenses.

💡Family Dynamics

Family dynamics refer to the relationships, roles, and interactions between family members. The video provides a glimpse into the family's dynamics, particularly in the context of preparing for a major trip and dealing with a miscarriage. The family's system of 'buddies' for travel, the involvement of all members in packing and preparations, and the emotional support they offer each other are all examples of their family dynamics in action.

💡Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are a type of travel accessory designed to help organize and compress clothing within a suitcase. In the video, the speaker mentions using packing cubes for the first time as part of their travel preparations. This detail illustrates the family's efforts to efficiently pack and organize their belongings for the trip to Kenya, highlighting their practical approach to managing a large family's travel needs.

💡Buddy System

A buddy system is a safety and accountability measure where individuals are paired up to look out for each other, especially in unfamiliar or challenging situations. The video describes the family's implementation of a buddy system for their travel to Kenya, which is a strategy to ensure the safety and well-being of each family member during the trip. This system is a practical example of how the family manages group dynamics and responsibilities when traveling.

Highlights

The vlogger expresses gratitude to Rocket Money for sponsoring the video.

The vlogger shares the heartbreaking news of a miscarriage at nine weeks, after previously having six miscarriages.

Despite the recent loss, the family is preparing for a month-long trip to Kenya.

The vlogger discusses the logistical challenges of managing a large family and homestead while dealing with personal loss.

The importance of timing and the need to medically induce the miscarriage before traveling is highlighted.

The vlogger talks about the support from their church community, who will be looking after their home during their absence.

The family's extensive to-do list before their trip includes home maintenance and packing, with an emphasis on organization.

The vlogger shares their packing strategy, which includes using packing cubes and personal backpacks for each child.

The vlogger mentions the use of Rocket Money, a personal finance app, to help manage and save for their large family's expenses.

The vlogger describes the 'buddy system' they implement while traveling to ensure no one gets lost and everyone is accountable.

A birthday celebration for their daughter Destiny with sushi is mentioned, adding a lighter moment to the video.

The vlogger provides an update on their new house construction, discussing design decisions and the progress made.

The vlogger shares personal stories and moments that bring joy and laughter amidst the challenges they are facing.

The vlogger emphasizes the importance of family and staying connected with their children's Kenyan heritage.

The vlogger offers financial tips on how they afford international travel on a varied income, including prioritizing and saving for trips.

The vlogger talks about the decision to drive to Chicago to save on flight costs, showcasing their commitment to budgeting.

The vlogger discusses the various ways they save money while traveling in Kenya, such as staying with family, borrowing vehicles, and eating in.

The vlogger mentions working online while in Kenya to keep their businesses running, demonstrating their dedication to financial stability.

The vlogger considers sharing more tips on saving money in different areas, such as building a house, in response to audience interest.

Transcripts

00:04

hi guys welcome back to another video

00:06

today is going to be a huge update video

00:08

I have good things to share and I have

00:10

hard things bad things to share but

00:13

first of all a really big thanks to

00:14

Rocket money for sponsoring today's

00:16

video we really appreciate you guys all

00:18

right so I got to find some light here

00:19

it's been a minute since I um vlogged I

00:22

skipped a video this week we lost our

00:25

baby we just went to an ultrasound and

00:28

found that the baby had grown by a

00:30

couple weeks it had been a couple weeks

00:31

since the previous ultrasound where we

00:33

heard a heartbeat and um baby had grown

00:36

really well but heart was his his or her

00:39

heart was not beating and it was hard it

00:43

was super hard news I I have a lot of

00:46

experience with miscarriages I've had

00:47

six before um but they were all at 6

00:50

weeks exactly uh this is nine weeks I

00:53

was over nine weeks um baby was

00:55

measuring at 8 and 1 half weeks

00:58

so it's hard um yesterday there were a

01:01

lot of tears off and on but listen guys

01:06

I'm going to tell you the real part of

01:07

the story is that we are leaving for

01:09

Kenya with our whole family for a month

01:13

in one week a week from tomorrow now and

01:16

we have so much to do like the timing

01:19

couldn't be harder but I know that the

01:21

Lord knows um I haven't actually had the

01:24

miscarriage yet if I haven't by the end

01:25

of the week my doctor's going to give me

01:27

some side attch to help that along

01:29

because

01:30

it is um it's something that I can't do

01:34

while traveling and I don't want to do

01:35

while there so that's the gist of it

01:38

basically I had an update video that was

01:40

going to go up a couple days ago but um

01:43

I I had already had it filmed and edited

01:45

just about the whole first month and the

01:47

ups and downs we've had we have had a

01:49

few unusual things about this

01:50

pregnancy uh but it's hard to hide when

01:54

you have a lot of kids it's hard to hide

01:56

um when we tell them it's hard for them

01:57

to hide the news and a lot of my kids

02:00

have been around for a lot of babies so

02:02

they know when I'm pregnant so basically

02:03

there's a lot that has to happen in the

02:05

next week and this is now one of the

02:08

other things that has to happen um I

02:11

came home yesterday

02:14

and uh we had to tell the kids that was

02:18

awful

02:20

[Music]

02:22

but you know I I just realized okay I

02:25

can lay in bed or I can just start

02:29

working

02:30

and I just decided I better start on my

02:32

list cuz I don't really know what the

02:33

the week will bring we have a huge list

02:36

for oh there's an ant we have a huge

02:38

list just for the homestead we we're not

02:40

used to having the homestead when we're

02:42

leaving we have a wonderful couple from

02:43

church that we trust and love staying

02:46

here um the whole month so thankful for

02:49

them um they but we want to just like

02:53

have things clean and in order our

02:56

lawnmower has been in the shop for weeks

02:58

our property we've had a lot of rain our

03:01

property like exploded with grass and

03:04

weeds and everything everywhere um we

03:07

finally got that back yesterday so we've

03:08

been trying to mow like crazy there's

03:10

just a lot of things we wanted to get

03:12

done we want to have everything ready

03:13

for the animal so it's as easy as

03:14

possible the homestead list itself is

03:16

extensive then there's all these things

03:18

that we have to do for our trip there's

03:19

still some details on the other side for

03:21

this month coming that we haven't

03:23

finalized like some of the places we're

03:25

staying so there's some stress there I'm

03:28

trying not to be stressed visas uh that

03:31

need to be gotten for a couple of us

03:34

there's just so many details so many

03:37

details I went to pull out the strollers

03:40

yesterday from the van um because I

03:42

wanted to make sure they're in good

03:43

working order we almost never use a

03:44

stroller but we're going to need to

03:46

especially cting car seats through the

03:49

airport and realize that the van is in

03:51

the shop right now with the strollers

03:54

which is not helpful to me and it might

03:56

be there for a week and I this is like

03:58

one of my last days to order stuff on

03:59

Amazon it's just insane so yesterday I

04:01

threw myself in a packing our dryer is

04:03

like not working very well so just

04:05

getting through the laundry has been an

04:07

issue the last week or two um and our

04:10

laundry is kind of piling up which makes

04:12

it harder to pack but we're getting

04:13

there I have two kids totally packed

04:15

after yesterday to pack I had to switch

04:17

out the summer and winter clothes was

04:19

which was just another task on the list

04:21

um which is hard when you're behind on

04:23

laundry here's my list I I really have

04:26

like one thing completed and I just did

04:28

it now I packed up all the winter Coates

04:29

our hallways never looked so clean

04:31

actually it wasn't since last fall that

04:33

it looked this clean this was lined with

04:35

coats and um this was lined with coats

04:38

and snow stuff uh we have more room in

04:40

our pantry now cuz we had a big basket

04:42

of gloves and and hats I don't even know

04:45

how they used to fit in there but they

04:46

did and we just packed them up as I was

04:49

packing up I realized that the next time

04:51

we have to bring all that stuff out we

04:53

will be in our new house with a mud room

04:55

that has room for all of that stuff and

04:57

I just can't wait that made me happy so

04:59

try to focus on the good things

05:01

definitely letting myself mourn all of

05:03

us um but it's hardest on me I'm sure um

05:09

when it I love myself more when I need

05:11

to and then I am also I have so much to

05:13

distract me and keep me busy so it's

05:16

actually very helpful I have to show you

05:18

the house today too because there has

05:20

been so much done since the last time

05:23

you guys saw it and when we get back

05:24

from Kenya it's going to be close to

05:26

being done which is insane I mean maybe

05:29

not back close but maybe not moving in

05:31

yet but I think I'll show you that later

05:35

this is our first picture of our baby

05:37

and this was just this last one which it

05:39

was a kind of a blurry picture I wasn't

05:40

sure I wanted one at the last minute I

05:42

said give it to me but this is a

05:44

terrible picture cuz in real life it

05:46

looked way more like um you could see

05:49

body and head and little limbs much

05:52

clearer so she just didn't snap a good

05:54

one cuz of me I am in my kids messy room

05:57

cuz we're packing it's a mess that's a

05:59

messy process rather um but I wanted to

06:03

tell you a story when we were getting

06:04

the ultrasound done yesterday when the

06:07

tech realized that there was no

06:09

heartbeat she could see we were upset

06:12

sad and she's like do you have any

06:15

children and then it really helped break

06:18

the ice a little cuz we're like yes we

06:20

do we have a lot of children um we were

06:22

excited about this one but we have a lot

06:24

of children at home and she's like you

06:26

do a lot how many and so we said 11 and

06:30

she almost fell on the floor she was

06:33

shocked

06:35

11 that was so funny so made us giggle a

06:39

little amidst the

06:41

tears but we are indeed very blessed but

06:44

um we told her oh it's hard cuz our our

06:47

kids knew and everything and she's like

06:49

oh she was very understanding yeah it

06:51

was a fun moment we are very blessed we

06:54

have a lot of beautiful children and it

06:56

really helps to come home and hug them

06:58

and hold our baby we have a few like

07:00

really big hard cover suitcases but

07:02

Judah and Bell they're both in Asia

07:05

right now and they each have two of them

07:06

we didn't have that many I think we may

07:08

have two more is all so I do like going

07:12

to Walmart and getting these they have

07:13

these cheap duffel bags they're pretty

07:15

cheap they used to be 15 bucks last our

07:17

last couple trips now they're 20 I think

07:20

it was 28 everything's so more so much

07:22

more expensive but they have wheels here

07:24

and they fold up to nothing they fold up

07:26

to this size here so it's really helpful

07:28

if we um we're taking a lot of things

07:30

that we're not bringing home things for

07:31

other people that's where these things

07:33

come in handy because we can fold them

07:35

up to bring them home they only last

07:36

about two trips in our experience

07:38

although they do look a little better

07:39

quality this time maybe that $28 reflect

07:43

that but uh also we don't feel too bad

07:46

if we just have to leave stuff for other

07:48

people leave the suitcases as well um so

07:51

that's kind of our solution for packing

07:52

we try to pack as very light as possible

07:54

but every time we go to Kenya we end up

07:56

taking a lot of stuff for other people

07:58

that's just how it is and of of course

08:00

we have a lot of everybody gets two

08:02

pieces of luggage no way on Earth we

08:04

were using all that we wouldn't be able

08:05

to transport it anyways but uh that's a

08:09

lot of luggage they only had three of

08:11

those yesterday but they had a little

08:13

smaller one which is green and this was

08:15

$20 I think

08:16

so got that one too yeah it is cool we

08:21

packed Noel's stuff already she's one of

08:22

them that's packed she gets to go her in

08:24

peace get to go I don't know about

08:25

everybody else we haven't gotten anybody

08:27

else packed but one thing I did pick up

08:29

this time as as well is packing cubes

08:31

I've haven't really ever done packing

08:33

cubes before but I think it'll help a

08:34

lot I ended up having to use all three

08:36

but there's these packs of three I got

08:38

for like just under $9 I think I didn't

08:40

get it for everybody but for the young

08:42

ones I had a couple packing cubes

08:45

already that I used for pece and then I

08:47

was able to get hers all in two and then

08:49

Noel's in three and I think it will help

08:51

because we can shove all of these in a

08:53

big suitcase and keep it stuff organized

08:56

so I got several sets of these for my

08:57

younger children everyone will carry

08:59

their own backpack except pce and I will

09:01

share um this one I had to pick up for

09:03

Seth and Eli needed one but everyone

09:05

else had something I think that they can

09:07

use which it really does help when they

09:09

have their own things we make sure they

09:10

have a pair of headphones for themselves

09:13

always at least one change of clothes um

09:15

if in case we get stuck somewhere or

09:17

there's a big spill that's always

09:18

helpful um carry their own water

09:21

bottle and a few little activities we

09:24

don't take too much but definitely I

09:25

want him to be able to carry this on his

09:27

own but you know got to have a few

09:30

things traveling overseas as a large

09:33

family Probably sounds insane some of

09:36

you very expensive to some of you it is

09:38

expensive and there are a lot of ways

09:40

that we are saving money and that we

09:43

work to save money those suitcases just

09:45

being one of many things uh that we have

09:48

figured out um to help us be able to go

09:51

overseas one thing I Really Love solo

09:53

and I have been using now for quite a

09:55

while is rocket money rocket money is an

09:58

app it's really helping us to meet our

10:00

savings goals and our budget goals we

10:03

are budgeters and maybe later on today I

10:05

will sit down with him and tell you some

10:07

ways um some other very practical ways

10:10

that we are able to take our large

10:13

family overseas while we're building a

10:15

house it's just crazy I can't even

10:17

believe it's happening but there's some

10:18

very specific things we do and have done

10:21

to make it happen rocket money has been

10:23

a great asset in our lives we really

10:25

like it um to help us meet our goals so

10:27

if you haven't heard about it before

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rocket money is a a personal finance app

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that really can help you meet your goals

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manage your money well lower your bills

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cancel subscriptions it's a great way to

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do all of that and grow your savings all

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in one place we really love it for the

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budgeting features and the smart savings

10:45

we can either one of us can just see at

10:47

a quick glance exactly where we're at

10:49

and how we're doing um even if we're not

10:53

at the same place it helps keep us on

10:55

the same page which really helps us meet

10:57

our goals rocket money has over 5

11:00

million users so it's very popular not

11:02

only in our household but with a lot of

11:04

people so if you're trying to meet some

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big goals like we are you want to get a

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11:11

financial needs are I encourage you to

11:13

get started for free by clicking in the

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link in my description box or going to

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www.

11:21

rocket.com our tribe of many I haven't

11:23

decided yet if I'll do snacks um all

11:26

together or I'll I'll carry them or I'll

11:28

have them each carry some snacks I'm not

11:29

sure but one thing we are doing for sure

11:32

is we are buddying up actually Katie is

11:35

going with us I don't know if I told you

11:36

that guys that yet I don't think I did

11:38

Katie is judah's girlfriend we're so

11:40

excited she's going with us we're

11:42

meeting Judah and Bel there they're both

11:44

coming from Sri Lanka Judah leaves in a

11:47

couple days to go see Bell in Sri Lanka

11:49

spend a few days with her and then

11:50

they'll fly together to Kenya to meet us

11:53

so Katie and Judah will be reunited in

11:55

Kenya um all of us will be reunited but

11:59

Katie is going to help us and so one

12:00

thing we are doing is a buddy system we

12:02

never used you probably heard of a buddy

12:04

system before some big families talk

12:06

about it we never use it in real life

12:08

except when we are traveling we do

12:10

because it really does help um who's

12:13

your buddy Katie Oh Katie is your buddy

12:15

so Katie's willing to be a buddy Luca

12:17

and Eli are together Micah has hope I

12:20

kind of match them up with who they just

12:22

really get along with well um which

12:24

whoever the the little kids will listen

12:27

to some big kids better than others so

12:29

whoever they listen to very well Tori

12:31

and Destiny are

12:33

together dad and peace no dad and Seth

12:36

and me and peace think I got everybody

12:38

so we're buddied up like that at least

12:40

for the way there which will help so

12:42

like Katie and her will try to sit

12:46

together she'll Katie will help make

12:48

sure she remembers her backpack gets

12:49

everything back in it and because we are

12:51

buddying up I think it'll probably be

12:52

fine to like put snacks in their bags

12:55

cuz their buddy will help them you don't

12:57

need too much help do you no I don't

13:00

even need help oh you don't at least

13:03

we'll make sure you don't get

13:12

lost so one other thing we're doing

13:14

today is finally doing Destiny's

13:17

birthday

13:20

lunch a few days ago she turned six so

13:25

exciting I love six it's got to be one

13:28

of my favorite AG

13:30

does it six a favorite age is it a cool

13:32

age you like being six she wanted us to

13:35

surprise her with sushi or one other

13:37

choice and so we surprised her with

13:41

sushi oh man are you excited yeah what

13:45

did you order um

13:48

I it's going to be good and we got to

13:51

meet Dad in the middle of the

13:54

day and have us a wonderful day in Jesus

13:57

name amen lots of good sushi being

14:00

eatting here yeah so good I ran a bunch

14:04

of errands with Destiny picking up

14:06

animal food and things for When We're

14:08

Gone came back to make some decisions at

14:10

the house with the builders um things

14:14

are going so fast so fast and now we're

14:18

working to clean up the yard spring is

14:21

no joke on the farm those guys are

14:23

picking up trash we putting these rocks

14:26

back where they go did you get hurt a

14:28

little while you were picking up

14:30

rocks on your leg I'm so sorry

14:36

ouch mhm she was picking up Rock so good

14:40

throwing him in the driveway do you like

14:42

to work

14:43

hard mhm okay you rest for a second

14:47

okay Sol's home using a small mower

14:50

around

14:51

here the big one can't do some of those

14:55

pots and those kids are trash hunting

15:00

it's the Big Spring Cleanup that's

15:02

taking us weeks after a long winter with

15:05

dogs and children all over the yard and

15:07

mud everywhere it's a lot of work all

15:10

right we're down here to look at the

15:12

progress I haven't actually come in in a

15:14

couple

15:16

days it's a precarious little Bridge

15:19

here trying to stay out of the

15:22

mud okay let's go grab my hand grab my

15:26

hand and get on get on get on on we're

15:31

walking in a garage door

15:34

here the garage floor they I think they

15:37

have to soak it down before they cement

15:38

it they add more dirt and soaking and I

15:41

don't know at

15:43

all see all the trees out there so

15:47

pretty and let's go in the

15:49

garage I mean in from the

15:52

garage see our beautiful mud room we

15:54

added a pass through window I don't

15:56

remember if I showed you guys that

15:59

wow so much Plumbing has been

16:01

done

16:03

really yeah Mommy please keep there's a

16:06

little

16:08

bathroom M room with some

16:12

lockers storage closet laundry room

16:15

behind

16:16

it wow we got some windows

16:20

everywhere I haven't seen this door

16:25

in the door has some film on it but you

16:28

can see solo walk out there it's a long

16:31

way

16:35

down but wow what a view there's some

16:38

guys out there removing some trees

16:40

[Music]

16:42

today yeah oh I love these high doors so

16:46

glad we went with the taller

16:49

doors I don't know if I showed you this

16:51

but they did fill in that wall that I

16:52

was hoping would be open this is our

16:55

Island the counter we'll be able to see

16:58

like 10 or 11 around it which is so cool

17:01

you know we'll use that a lot this

17:03

dining room we could literally put two

17:05

tables two 12T tables our table is 12T

17:09

so we could put two of them if we wanted

17:11

to put card tables or be able to move it

17:12

around so we're not doing a chandelier

17:14

over it so that we can have a lot of

17:16

Versatility so I'm excited about that

17:19

but lots of new changes with

17:22

plumbing sink stuff solo decided at the

17:25

last minute we should have a pot filler

17:27

over the stove

17:30

and he said it's a long walk from the

17:32

sink to the big

17:34

stove you still got to walk back to

17:37

drain that pot that was my opinion but

17:39

whatever anyway this is our pantry looks

17:42

good our front door is not in yet and

17:44

that one window I think it arrived

17:46

broken so that's why that one's not in

17:48

yet but there's another patio door back

17:50

there I don't know when all the film

17:53

comes off the windows and doors but I'm

17:55

so excited for it uh one decision we did

17:57

make is to get rid of the he

17:59

around it was such a hard decision we

18:02

have these L-shaped couches I don't know

18:03

if they'll still fit here like for a

18:05

regular basis but with the Hearth they

18:07

really don't you can't walk around both

18:09

sides they're huge couches we really

18:11

wanted to be able to have them both here

18:13

so when we went with the Hearth we

18:14

weren't thinking about that size we

18:16

thought there was plenty of space still

18:17

for it and when we got in here measured

18:19

it we realized oh we need to make a

18:22

decision so we decided to go without the

18:24

Hearth it will just buy us a little more

18:26

space cuz it's like it was a foot and a

18:28

half all the way around and hopefully we

18:30

don't regret it you got to do the best

18:33

with what you know you know you know you

18:35

can only do the best with what you know

18:37

I haven't taken you upstairs yet this is

18:39

the first when you go walk like this one

18:42

thing I love is these huge windows on

18:44

the upper

18:49

level oh

18:51

yeah oh you're going to sing a song up

18:53

there this is their stage believe

18:57

me there you go right

18:59

there okay do it

19:05

there so we come up

19:07

here there's more

19:15

windows all those trees there are coming

19:18

down today so that we have a view of the

19:19

water

19:21

better it's kind of sad but we also have

19:23

so many new baby trees everywhere so not

19:26

too worried oh there's a bathtub in

19:29

there this is last shower this is not a

19:32

shower this is for a about wow I knew it

19:35

because Dad told me

19:38

oh we have a couple of these bathrooms

19:41

where where we have a sink on either

19:44

side and then um pocket door that locks

19:47

with the toilet and shower so that we

19:49

can get maximum use out of our bathrooms

19:52

this loft is so huge this turned out

19:54

bigger than I thought it would be I'm

19:56

not an architect so seeing the numbers

19:58

and the drawing

19:59

I had a pretty good idea we're the ones

20:01

that kind of designed what we wanted but

20:05

to actually see it in person The Loft is

20:08

over the kitchen and dining room so it

20:09

is really huge it will be a great SP

20:12

space to keep homeschool stuff and have

20:15

toys we have a couple storage closets up

20:17

here that are pretty large where we can

20:20

store our toys um we may eventually have

20:23

some built-ins here I'm not sure if

20:24

we'll do it right away or not looking at

20:27

the budget but

20:29

um it will be great I've even thought

20:31

about putting the grand baby grand piano

20:34

up here and it might be a really good

20:36

solution for us cuz it would save us

20:38

more space in that living room down

20:39

there for seating um but also we could

20:42

hear it down there which would be nice

20:44

and it's car going to be carpet up here

20:47

I'm sure the piano movers would not

20:49

enjoy bringing it up the steps but it is

20:51

possible to have it up here so it's just

20:54

something we're considering I don't want

20:56

it to be like right under a window for

20:58

wreck light all the time it's not good

21:00

for the finish of it so lots to consider

21:03

this will be a good railing up here that

21:05

looks over the house so when the kids

21:07

are playing up here they won't feel like

21:09

they're separated completely from the

21:11

rest of us I can listen in on his

21:13

conversations from

21:16

anywhere our Builder works with an

21:18

interior designer sometimes or most of

21:21

the time so he asked us if we'd like to

21:23

work with her and we said yes for sure

21:26

when I see what I like I know right away

21:29

so I can make very quick decisions I

21:31

would say that solo and I have made a

21:32

lot of very very quick decisions in fact

21:34

we've had to speed it up because of this

21:36

trip to Kenya we're gone for a month

21:38

like in a very critical time so we made

21:40

a lot of decisions that would normally

21:43

wait and we've had to just keep like

21:45

meeting with her and making a ton of

21:47

decisions and she kind of figured out

21:49

our style pretty quick which has been

21:51

very helpful um to make it go faster and

21:54

she just brings step and we're like yes

21:56

yes yes no yes yes yes we're just like

21:59

flying through so we've decided I think

22:01

everything but lighting and paint and um

22:06

some of our hand handles like what do

22:08

you call that not fixtures but

22:11

um you know some of the hardware not the

22:15

word I'm looking for some of the

22:17

hardware on cabinets for bathrooms and

22:19

kitchen I don't think we finalized that

22:21

but we've decided so much um it's just

22:25

those couple end things so uh they they

22:28

told us it looks like we might be

22:30

drywalling when you get home and then a

22:31

week later they're like it looks like we

22:33

might be putting cabinets in and

22:35

woodwork trim and stuff when you get

22:38

home that's

22:40

crazy it's amazing it's going so so fast

22:45

we could not be more thankful for that

22:47

too so I dropped off some of our middle

22:49

kids at our old neighborhood cuz there's

22:52

a neighborhood play every year and our

22:54

kids are usually a part of it and they

22:55

couldn't be in it this year because the

22:57

performance is happening while we're in

23:00

Kenya but they're having some dress

23:02

rehearsals so they invited our kids over

23:04

to come see the play they're so excited

23:07

so Tor Eli and Noel are over there

23:08

having a good time the big boys have

23:10

been doing school all day it's school

23:12

day for them like where they go to a

23:14

school so we're just home with some

23:16

little kids now I promised that I would

23:18

share some Finance tips you know we had

23:20

a message the other day come through

23:22

like a comment um she

23:25

said I just I feel so overwhelmed what's

23:29

the secret to affording all of this

23:31

stuff on a pastor's income I felt bad

23:33

for her that she thought that because um

23:37

we are not doing all of this on a pastor

23:39

Sal salary we actually I wrote her back

23:41

we have several businesses and we're

23:45

entrepreneurs as well so um that really

23:48

helps us but we have definitely lived on

23:53

a lot of different incomes and somehow

23:56

we've still managed to get to Kenya

23:59

yeah by the by the grace of God I that

24:01

is for sure that's for sure Solo's tired

24:04

can you tell I'm tired guys yeah I want

24:06

to take a

24:07

nap I'm making you talk so how we can

24:10

afford to go to Kenya even on so many

24:13

different income levels is um it has

24:16

been it's just been a huge priority for

24:17

us we determined when we got married

24:21

that we would make sure our kids know

24:23

their culture um even the one we we

24:27

thought we'd be living in Kenya guys so

24:29

we thought we would have to make sure

24:31

that they're knowing American culture

24:33

turns out we lived in America so far all

24:36

this time and so we've had to make a

24:38

point to take them to know their Kenyan

24:41

culture and that's been very important

24:42

to us not only their culture their

24:43

family we have so much family there solo

24:46

has four siblings there his mother's

24:48

there she hasn't been able to visit for

24:50

a while but we we've wanted our kids to

24:52

know their cousins there and I tell you

24:55

FaceTime is wonderful and we're

24:57

appreciative of appreciative of it but

24:59

nothing is like being with your family

25:02

in person yeah um even if you're across

25:05

the country your relationship goes so

25:07

much farther when you're in a room with

25:09

somebody when you spend a week in their

25:11

house or in a house together there's

25:13

just nothing like it personally I have

25:16

always just determined that I'm going to

25:17

make sure it's enough it's as much of a

25:20

priority as it would would be to me if I

25:23

was the one living in Kenya so I would

25:25

want my kids to get home to see my

25:27

family spend time with them to know my

25:30

culture too and so um I try to make it

25:32

that much of a priority in my own heart

25:36

so uh throughout the years like if we

25:38

have sold an asset sold a house we'll

25:40

take some money and just put it right

25:41

away toward Kenya because we are

25:44

entrepreneurs or we have our own

25:45

businesses our income fluctuates a lot

25:48

so if our business is suddenly doing

25:49

well and we've been used to living on it

25:51

doing not so well before our living

25:53

expenses adjust to a better income we

25:56

right away take money and just put it

25:57

aside for trip to Kenya we've mostly

25:59

only gone as a whole family every 5

26:02

years or even less yeah so there was a

26:04

stretch of

26:06

time that we were kind of busy our kids

26:09

were little and um you know we're doing

26:13

okay we're doing well financially I

26:15

think based on the our lifestyle at the

26:17

time but it was the time taking time

26:22

that much time off we didn't want to

26:24

just want to go for 2 weeks or or less

26:27

than 3 weeks so it was kind of like a

26:30

gamble do we go for 3 weeks cuz that

26:32

maxes out all the vacation I had yeah

26:35

and um but so we went for a stretch

26:39

where I only went in between a window of

26:42

time twice but nobody else went and then

26:46

it was in that

26:48

time before we could go my dad passed

26:53

unexpectedly uh the timing and that just

26:56

was awful and we just decided decided

26:59

that changed everything that just

27:00

changed everything you know the life is

27:02

just so too short mhm to keep postponing

27:06

these opportunities and so even though

27:10

it was always our desire and our

27:12

priority yeah we kind of we felt like we

27:14

either didn't have time or we didn't

27:16

have enough money but really we could

27:18

have we could have done even if it was

27:19

just even if it was two weeks we could

27:22

have done 2 weeks we're always hoping

27:24

that we could go longer than that you

27:26

know and some of those decisions led to

27:30

maybe really pushing into stepping out

27:32

of a job and starting doing

27:34

self-employment so you can control your

27:36

own time and so that was about that you

27:40

know some of those things you're like

27:41

okay I'm done with this yeah so there

27:44

are obviously it is very expensive we

27:46

have a number in our mind like a nice

27:47

even round number that we basically need

27:50

in order to go to Kenya with our big

27:51

family and so we kind of have that

27:54

number all the time in mind when we're

27:55

thinking when can we do the next trip

27:57

last year we thought we were going to do

27:58

a trip and we didn't um ways we're

28:01

saving money and making it happen this

28:02

year is um we are driving to Chicago

28:06

because take a couple hundred cheaper on

28:11

a ticket you wouldn't just drive to

28:12

Chicago take a couple hundred cheaper on

28:14

a ticket and multiply it by 12 it was

28:16

more than that this time it was 300 even

28:19

two I would have considered doing

28:20

without trust it was over 300 a ticket

28:25

so you multiply that times a lot

28:28

and you end up driving

28:31

[Music]

28:33

to multiplication we're driving to

28:36

Chicago so we have an 8 hour drive to

28:38

Chicago which that is always a bit

28:40

nerve-wracking because the old nothing

28:43

can go wrong old that I get the more

28:46

Navas I get with that idea yeah things

28:49

can go wrong in cars you know when you

28:52

young you're like you can give give me

28:55

anything and I'm realizing I'm starting

28:57

to think like I

28:58

I've lost more hair and I'm like am I is

29:01

this really smart to do this cuz the

29:04

last time we drove to Chicago just a few

29:06

months ago yeah we had an accident on

29:08

the road like we had a isue yeah we did

29:10

we nothing can happen this time yeah

29:12

with a with a new car newer car you know

29:15

new newer to US Car newer to us well it

29:17

wasn't newer too the car is only like 3

29:20

years four years old you know and so

29:23

then you start thinking boy you know the

29:25

tolerance is very I'm must started think

29:28

we should drive halfway through to see

29:30

the Rapids where we have good friends

29:33

and uh spend the night there and just

29:35

have a shter drive you know uhhuh anyway

29:38

instead we have an 8 hour drive okay

29:40

we'll be getting up like well when did

29:42

we decide we're leaving in the morning

29:44

we haven't decided but we know it's

29:45

going to be 4:00 a.m. I think it's 4:00

29:47

a.m. because our flight's at 5: p.m. and

29:51

we want to make sure we have plenty of

29:52

time for the travel and plenty of time

29:54

for check in with our massive amount of

29:56

luggage then we have so 8 hour drive

29:59

there that's not with stops and then two

30:02

8 Hour flights to get to Kenya that is a

30:05

long trip so then when we come home we

30:07

get a hotel room because of the jet lag

30:09

we don't want to just get right on the

30:10

road I feel like that would be very

30:11

dangerous and then when we wake up

30:13

sometime in the middle of the night with

30:15

jet lag when everybody wakes up like

30:16

2:00 or 3: in the morning this is what

30:18

we did last time too we just got in the

30:20

car and drove home um because we wanted

30:22

to get home before that jet lag

30:24

tiredness hits again so it is a long

30:27

journey and it's longer because of our

30:29

need to make it fit in our budget um

30:32

when we're in Kenya we stay with friends

30:36

and family as much as possible family I

30:39

we have been known to sleep on floor

30:41

somewhere we'll just do whatever we can

30:43

so we try to do that as much as possible

30:46

how else do we save money when we go

30:48

yeah we stay with people that's huge we

30:52

we so far we've been able to borrow

30:54

Vehicles that's huge borrow car from

30:58

family yeah borrowing CS from it's

31:00

harder it's getting harder cuz uh

31:03

there's there's more of us and so there

31:05

are not many people some family members

31:08

that would happily give us cars but

31:09

they're not big enough yes it's getting

31:12

it is getting harder the bigger the

31:14

bigger we are a few other ways that we

31:16

save big time by when we're traveling

31:19

with this huge group is that um we eat

31:22

at home a lot and we're not like eating

31:25

at restaurants we tried to eat at

31:27

restaurants if a few times because there

31:29

are some really good restaurants in

31:31

Kenya like the the Indian food there is

31:34

out of this world the Ethiopian food is

31:37

obviously neighboring Ethiopia best I've

31:41

ever had so we will eat out a couple

31:44

times but um eating at home mostly the

31:47

food is actually when you're buying food

31:49

to cook it at home very affordable um

31:53

also when we're doing some experiences

31:55

that are more touristy safaris different

31:57

and things like that are so much cheaper

31:59

for residents solo is a Kenyan citizen

32:02

he's a dual Citizen and all our children

32:05

are dual citizens so they all get in on

32:08

the Kenyon prices mine probably costs

32:11

the same as all of theirs combined

32:13

although and I'm argued with them guys

32:15

over there I said if my wife was from

32:18

Nigeria and she looked like I do you

32:21

would even be asking to see if she's a

32:24

or not and they'll admit yeah yeah but

32:28

now sometimes he does get me in

32:31

for he tries every time let me tell you

32:34

but they've gotten harder they used to

32:35

be more lenient before understanding but

32:38

now they're like oh yeah your wife will

32:40

pay more yeah so most of us travel

32:42

around there um with the cheap rate on

32:45

things so that really does help a lot

32:47

too so those are just some of the things

32:49

we do to make it more affordable more

32:51

Within Reach this plane tickets are

32:53

definitely the expense of the century

32:56

and both of us by the way have jobs that

32:59

we work still while we're there that we

33:01

work online um not the church the church

33:04

is well taken care of while we're gone

33:06

um by our team here but we just keep the

33:09

the businesses rolling while we're over

33:11

there guys if you like to hear how we

33:13

save money in different things um let us

33:15

know cuz we could do a video I was

33:17

thinking about how we save money

33:18

building a

33:20

house I think we have enough things that

33:22

we have come up with creatively there's

33:24

a lot of things that we've come up with

33:26

that have helped us save um from the

33:29

conventional way so we could do that

33:31

video if you're interested let us know

33:33

if you are wanting to get a hold of your

33:35

finances and make some changes or just

33:38

get ahead don't forget to check out

33:40

rocket money in my link in the

33:42

description box below or you can go to

33:44

www.

33:47

rocket.com our tribe of Mone we will

33:49

talk to you again in the next video

33:51

hopefully I will have a lot more than

33:52

two kids packed when I come back to talk

33:55

I need to focus I'll talk to you in the

33:57

next video

33:58

bye this house is so weird when we only

34:01

have little kids it's way too quiet it's

34:04

the big ones making all the noise

34:08

realiz

34:10

mess yeah that was the big ones too and

34:13

the little ones

34:15

[Music]

34:28

a

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