#clarksdreambig

I wanted to start 2016 with a post about our newest adventure: building again. We are so blessed to have had this opportunity once in our life, let alone twice. The last house was perfect for us, on a perfect piece of land. Still, we had an itch for a change for a few reasons. Mostly because we had big dreams, and knew it would be more possible if we did it all again, a little differently.

I'm sure it confuses people when we say we are trying to build smaller this time around. Most people our age seem to look for or build bigger homes. (Which is just fine. Everyone has their reasons of what they need/want, as do we.) Building smaller to us is important, for these reasons:

1) A smaller home will hopefully mean a smaller mortgage, and smaller monthly utility bills. Less money towards a house means more money towards other important things like retirement. As Pat often says, "I don't want to be eating dog food in retirement."

2) It will hopefully also mean more money to go towards family vacations and other memory-making experiences. While a house and possessions are important, they don't compare to the importance of our family.

3) We want to try and live with just what we need. Now, we have watched episodes of Tiny House Hunters, and while it's tempting, we just aren't that crazy. There are so many around the world who live with so much less, or really don't have enough to live. We aren't solving major world problems by building smaller, but living with less can hopefully help. We can teach the kids about giving to those in need, and the difference between needs and wants.

Other bonuses: This is the home we plan to retire in. When our kids move out it won't be too big of a house for just us two. It's also about 10 minutes closer to my work and the kids' school, which is nice to save on that driving time. We have a slice of beautiful country land, close to family. Both of which aren't for everyone, but are so important to us.

While I use the hashtag #clarksdreambig on my Instagram posts, this is the dream I refer to. One where we have more money to put towards retirement, family experiences, and giving to others.

I feel like I need to pinch myself sometimes that we are actually living this dream!