Striving 4 Submission

Menu Plan Monday (week of 2/21)

2011-02-20T14:53:00.000-06:00

If you noticed, I was completely missing last week. We have had bouts of sickness and other things that have made our week a little busier and crazier than normal. I hope to stay on my self-imposed schedule of posting this week.

Menu is a bit simpler this week cause the hubby is going out of town Thursday - Sunday and the kids and I will be out of town Friday - Sunday. When Mike is gone, I tend to feed then kids & I quick and easy dinners.

Sunday
Toast, smoothies
snacks
beans and rice

Monday
cearl
school
Bacon wrapped meatloaf (we never had this from 2 weeks ago), mashed potatos, broccoli, croissants

Tuesday
eggs, toast
sandwiches
sweet potato soup (will post recipe, I plan to try out a couple of new recipes)

Wednesday
Pancakes
sandwich/salad
tacos

Thursday
cearl
simple
corn dogs (maybe eat out with gran)

Friday
pancakes
school
out of town

Saturday
Out of town

Sunday
Out of town

I also plan to do some baking on Tuesday and Wednesday! Hope to make some much needed cookies, cinnamon rolls and granola bars. I have to make sure the hubby has good snacks for his road trip! :0)

Menu Plan Monday (week of 2/7)

2011-02-09T12:18:00.000-06:00

Sorry this is a late! I will start with Wednesday's menu. There are some repeats from last week due to changes based upon the weather.

Wednesday
cearl, fruit
corn dogs, french fries
Spaghetti & Meatballs, Broccoli and Salad

Thursday
Pancakes
Grilled Cheese
Baked Chicken, Rice & Veggies

Friday
Dry Cearl or Pancakes (Freezer)
School (we pack a lunch)
Sonic for Kids and Date night for Mommy & Daddy

Saturday
Eggs & Pancakes
Birthday Party
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, Veggies & Bread

Sunday
Cinnamon Rolls
Hot Dogs
Breakfast for Dinner

I will post recipe from Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf. This will be my second time to make this. I got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman. It is so delicious. I made some adjustments and I will post my recipe after I make it the second time around! It is so good and holds together well. The main adjustment I make is to use a combination of ground meat, black beans and spinach. I plan to add sweet potatos or shredded carrots this time around. Not only does this save money because you are only use 1/3 lb of meat, but it is much healthier and you get in vegetables when you least expect it!!

To Know God

2011-02-06T10:55:00.000-06:00

"Often what we want to know most is where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do or even what he wants to do for us. But God wants to know us!"

"David says in Psalm 119:10 "With all my heart I have sought You." When you make knowing God your priority, He will reveal truths about Himself that will point to the path you should take, and when you take it, His blessings will follow"

"David's focus wasn't on his circumstances or what he expected God to do about them; it was on God Himself."

I found this devotional very encouraging and convicting. All to often, I get caught up in the everyday things of life: what are we going to do today, what are we going to eat, where are we going to go. Even the life things in general: what are we going to be doing in 1 year, 5 years, etc; worry about my kids and other random things. I find that my short quiet time each morning is just getting re-filled in order to accomplish those things. I focus on what I need to do better, how I can be a better wife & mother. This has motivated me to put away the self-help books and really dig deep and begin a journey of getting to know the Father again, who He is and the relationship He desires to have with me.

"I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches; I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."
Psalm 119:10-16

*the items in quotes are from the Journey Devotional, Priscilla Shirer

Recycled Gift Wrap (Frugal Fridays)

2011-02-04T13:33:00.000-06:00

One of the ways I save a little money is by not spending and arm and a leg on giftwrap.

A few years back I would have never dreamed of using the comics as giftwrap. But for Christmas that is the bulk of what I used to wrap our gifts.

I figured if I was spending less than $5 on this really nice gift, I really didn't want to spend $3 or more on the wrapping. Some ways that I save on wrapping gifts:

Comics and Newspaper
Recycle gift bags from previous gifts; Christmas, Birthdays, Baby showers, etc
Save the fronts of greeting cards. They really dress up newsprint, etc.
Save boxes, tissue and ribbons from everythings; you never know when you may need it

After Christmas I found 2 rolls of Christmas paper in our storage. I guess we will have to use it next year!

I also check garage sales and thrift stores for good deals on greeting/note cards. And I have enjoyed making my own greeting/note cards out of cardstock, scrapbooking paper and pictures. So much fun and can be made so personal! You do have to buy the invitation envelope, if you want an envelope! (I have found that less is needed when you just want to make due with what you have.)

What frugal ways do you save?

Finer Things Friday: Full Freezer & Pantry

2011-02-04T13:19:00.000-06:00

For the past 4 days, we have had lots of Ice and Snow! Schools have been closed all over. What a blessing it has been to open up my freezer and pantry to find plenty of fixings for lots of great meals! The nicest thing has been the little things that I have stashed away in the freezer. Small bags of beans used to make a yummy chilli. Pumpkin stashed away back in October to make delicious Pumpkin bread. And a box of extra 7-Up and Cream Sodas leftover from Zeke's birthday party! What a special treat for my two little troopers! These surprises are definately a Finer Thing!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T21:13:00.000-06:00

Simplicity

2011-02-02T21:10:00.000-06:00

No Cable TV

For the past 4 years we have lived without Cable TV! I have declared that any sort of TV is a want and not a need. It definately can be beneficial and I am grateful that we have the small TV that we have and the basic channels that we get with an antenna and the DVD/VCR we can use to watch movies, etc. But I am grateful that I have learned to live without it. Over the course of the past 4 years I have had times where we did not have TV or computer at all. It was very freeing! I read alot. I journaled alot. I played games with my hubby alot. My kids have been more creative when we watch less TV. And I will admit that when it is accessable I tend to watch it and allow the kids to watch it. And it saves us money.

Disclaimer: I am NOT saying that everyone should be like me and not have TV. This is just my way of chronicling the simple ways of life we have done over the years.

Menu Plan Monday (a little late)

2011-02-01T14:52:00.000-06:00

I have waited to post my menu because *gasp* I haven't made one yet. I had planned to eat only fruits & veggies Monday - Wednesday. Trying to Detox my body. Hubby would most likely eat the same and therefore I would just be throwing together something simple for the kids to go with the fruits and veggies.

The winter weather as well as hunger has motivated me to eat a bit more. Now I am in the mood for Chilli, Soup, Bread, etc. I still plan to eat mainly fruits and veggies but will eat a little bit more. I did not set out to starve myself just to eat a bit more healthy. It has motivated drinking more water and eating more fruits and veggies. With that, I have thrown together a menu plan.

Monday
Fruit, dry cearl
School
Veggies & Rice (PB for Zeke, Pasta for Abi)

Tuesday
Eggs, Toast, fruit, Smoothie
salad (cearl for kids)
Chilli, French bread, salad

Wednesday
Fruit, toast, Smoothie
Sandwich, Salad
Chicken Noodle Soup

Thursday
Fruit, Cearl, Smoothie
Salad, Leftovers
Breakfast Casserole

Friday
Fruit, Dry Cearl
School
Pizza, Salad

Saturday
Fruit, Toast, Smoothie
Sandwich, Salad
Fish Tacos

Sunday
Fruit, Eggs, Pancakes
Sandwich, Salad
Tator Tot Casserole

Deals for the Week 1/31

2011-01-30T19:02:00.004-06:00

I am so sad that my camera is not working because the deals I got today are definately picture worthy!! I think I saved around 57% at Kroger today! Just a quick recap of my "scores"!!! (I do not have specifics on coupons, if you have questions, just ask and I can try to remember)

Target

Tostitos Tortilla Chips 2 for $5 (if you buy 2 you get a Free Salsa)
* I bought 2 chips and 1 salsa, used 3 - $0.55 off 1 coupon

$3.35 OOP

Kroger (M=Mega Sale)

Kettle chips - $0.29 (1.29, used $1 off Coupon) (M)
Pure Almond - $1.49 (2.49 used $1 off coupon) (M)
Softsoap - FREE (0.88 used 0.35 off coupon)
Pampers Easy Ups - 5.49 (8.49 used 1.50 coupon and 1.50 ecoupon) (M)
Pampers Wipes - FREE (1.49 used $2 off coupon if you buy both pants and wipes) (M)
Blueberries - $1 per pint
Knorr Sides - $0.25 each ($1 used 0.50 off 2 coupon and 0.50 off 2 ecoupon)
No Yolks egg noodles - $0.25 (1.25 used 0.50 off coupon)
Adams & Eve Fruitables (8 pack) - $1.99 (2.99 used $1 off ecoupon)
Krusteaz Pancake mix - $0.49 (1.49 used 0.50 off coupon) (M)
Bar S Franks - $0.39 (0.89 used 0.50 off 2 coupon) (M)
Nestle Cookie Dough - $1.29 (2.29 used $1 off coupon) (M)
Kraft Singles - $0.24 (0.99 used 0.75 off coupon) (M)

I am sure there are some other deals I am forgetting!!! I load coupons to my Kroger card from the following websites.

http://www.cellfire.com/
http://www.shortcuts.com/
http://www.kroger.com/

You can double with paper coupons. Only one of each ecoupon will come off in a single trasaction.

I love me some good deals!!

Healthy Slop (Recipe)

2011-01-30T18:49:00.001-06:00

My amazing 20 year old son has created a wonderful healthy dessert!! After last nights introduction, hubby had to make some more tonight.

Basically it is a combination of Rice, Butter, Fruit, Nuts and Sweetner. Below is what me made it with tonight, You can tweak it to your taste or to whatever you have in your cupboards. Also amounts are whatever you choose.

Cooked Rice (hot so that it melts the butter)
3-5 TB butter
Fresh Blueberries and Strawberries
Dried Cranberries
Walnuts
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Turbando Sugar
Cinnamon
Vanila

We found that letting it sit made it a bit sweeter!! So yummy!

God's Way

2011-01-29T21:54:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Focusing on the goodness of God seeing the bigger picture! Boy am I glad that His thoughts are higher than mine and His ways are higher than mine!!

I recently was asked to complete a reveiw of myself at my job. I had the hardest time even sitting down and reading it to complete it. I did not want to speak too highly of myself but I also did not want to focus on the negative. Bottom line I would have much rather had someone else complete it! When it came down to it, I basically rated myself "mediocre". My supervisor came back to me and smiled and said "you do not think enough of yourself". She rated me "excellent" in most topics. She had great encouraging things to say.

Why is it that I was so quick to focus on the negatives? Not wanting to brag about myself? Do I sense a bit of insecurities?

My husband and I recently were discussing the scripture "Love your neighbor as yourself" from Matthew 22:39. How hard can it be to love your neighbor as yourself if you do not Love yourself? If you are not speaking highly or at least thinking highly of yourself how can you pass that on to your neighbor? Believe me I am not advocating being big headed, prideful or having your head stuck up your own butt! But I know I could definately "love myself" a little bit more.

How do you love yourself? Right now for me it is to not leave my "needs" at the bottom of the list. I have to take some time each day for ME! If I do not take care of ME there will be no ME to give away!

This post definately went in a couple of different ways, mostly I am thankful that God's thoughts and ways are greater and bigger than my own! I am thankful today that He sees the bigger picture. Makes it much easier to follow His lead!

Birthday Parties (Frugal Fridays)

2011-01-28T21:46:00.000-06:00

Birthday Parties have always been special in my household. With both sides of my famly we always have a celebatory dinner for the family member who is having a birthday. Now that we have grown, we combine and have a monthly meal if there are multiple birthdays in one month.

But for my little ones I am still throwing bigger shindigs!

Invitations: I used Evite for the majority of my invites. Others who either did not have an email address or I did not know it received a very simple invitiation printed on resume paper and folded into a business envelope.

Location: For the past two years we have been blessed to have had my son's birthday at the church where I work for a very low price. The price includes use of the sitting areas, gym, foosball table and pool table, kitchen, and BOUNCE HOUSES!! This year we had a much larger guest list because we included our new friends from Mother's Day Out! That made this such a frugal find since it is one price not priced per child.

Food: I made cupcakes instead of purchasing a cake which saved me a minimum of $10 (more since the amount of cupcakes was more than what one cake would have fed) I prepared other inexpensive dishes from home as well; Cinnamon Rolls, cut up fruit and veggies and Goldfish. These were great becuase any leftovers were easy to work into our menus.

Drinks: This was probably the most expensive item on the list. We wanted to be sure we had plenty. And plenty we did. Again leftovers were great!!

Goody Bags: After Christmas Clearance!! Need I say more?? I found great goodies for our guests at the Target $1 bins for 75% off! Everyone got a small dry erase board. Cost to me $0.25! I also gave away Magnets & small packages of M&Ms. Also frugal finds! The smaller guests got board books and older guest received small planners. Both found at Target for $0.25 each.

Decorations: This was very minimal. I did have some leftover balloons from a previous party and had them blown up with helium there at the church. Because I made cupcakes, plates and forks were really not needed. I had a big package of napkins and a smaller package of plates and forks. All the drinks were individual so cups were not needed. I purchased very neutral, inexpensive paper products to keep cost down.

All in all I spent around $100 for a party for 60+ people!

Finer Things Friday: Indoor Playgrounds

2011-01-28T21:28:00.000-06:00

We love to visit Chick fil A! Mainly because they have a great indoor play area. It is pretty small so not too much trouble to get into. And it is usually pretty clean. I try to get a table right by the door. If I can't get that table, I will get one that is beside the glass. If we are not there for a meal, I will get a drink (free coupon from calender) or coffee. Other places with great Indoor play areas include McDonalds, Burger King and recently founded Arbys!! Finding a place for my kiddos to play that is safe, comfortable and clean is definately a Finer Thing!!

Humbled!

2011-01-27T11:00:00.000-06:00

I am humbled to be the parent God has chosen for my children.

These past several days sickness has invaded my household. Started with my sweet little boy having Ear pain the day before his birthday. This was short lived and he seemed to feel better within 12 hours. Then my sweet daughter developed lots of congested, runny nose, itchy eyes and cough. Next sweet husband began to feel pretty under the weather and since he has a job in the medical field decided it best that he visit the doctor. Turns out he has Strep Throat. With the kiddos continuing to have congestion, etc we decided it best that they make a visit to the doc as well. Turns out they have Ear Infections (could have strep but antibiotics for ear infection with treat that as well).

My humbleness comes in the fact that I didn't think they were THAT sick. I would not have gone to the doctor. They were getting well! They played the entire time in the doctors office as if they were perfectly healthy. Had my husband not gone to the doctor and found out he had Strep Throat, we would have sat at home all the while my kiddos suffering from Ear Infections.

So grateful that God works circumstances and situations so that we make good choices. He is the one in control and He sees the bigger picture. I thank God that he is taking care of my children. And me! He is a faithful God so much bigger than I can even imagine!

How has God blessed you today??

Simplicity

2011-01-27T01:55:00.000-06:00

For the past 18 months my family of 4 has lived in a 1 bedroom apartment above a coffee shop across the street from an University! When we first moved here I was constantly focused on the negative things about this place. Over the past several months I have begun to see the roses in the thorns. So many of the things that I saw as soooo bad have become such blessings. Living in such small quarters has caused us to think and live our lives much simpler. So for the next several weeks on Wednesdays I will post a way that we live just a bit more simple.

So to start things off .....

One way that we live a simple life is Less space to clean - Purge Clutter Often

I can clean my entire apartment in less than an hour. The kitchen is small, so less to clean. I think the bathroom probably takes the most time to clean. Pick up is quick, there is less space to hold things. I purge things and get rid of them often. We have a storage building and we keep most of our things there and only get things when needed. We trade out toys for our kids often and exchange clothes seasonally. I have invested in several storage units that keep clutter and toys hidden. Baskets, Plastic containers, Closet Organizers and Coat/Bag racks help to organize our small space. I have two large wall hanging coat racks right by the front door. These hold coats, backpacks, purses, bags, strollers and any other random things that need to be kept out of the way. Most of my kids toys are in plastic containers or baskets. I also have a 9 cube shelf that holds the canvas drawers. This has been my favorite clutter container. I love that it is decorative and clean. I use 4 cubes for books and the other 5 with canvas drawers to hold toys, cds, note cards, etc.

Less Space, Less Clutter makes my life simple!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-23T22:43:00.002-06:00

Here is our menu for the week of January 24, 2011

I usually plan breakfast, lunch and dinners. We do not always follow breakfast and lunches but it is great to have an idea to go off of.

Monday
pancake & sausage
school (take lunch)
Beans & Cornbread

Tuesday
cearl
sandwiches
Fish Tacos, beans & rice

Wednesday
malt o meal
hot dogs
Chicken & Broccoli

Thursday
toast & smoothie
leftovers/sandwich
Blue Eggs, Blueberry Pancakes, Blue Jello

Friday
Cinnamon Rolls
School
Bacon wrapped Meatloaf, mashed potatos, green beans

Saturday
cearl
sandwiches
Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Sunday
eggs, toast
sandwiches
Turkey Meatballs

The 25 Day Praise Plan - Marriage Challenge

2011-01-23T21:47:00.000-06:00

One quality I admire most about my Husband:

Integrity

From the first time I met my husband, he has oozed with integrity. He does what he says he is gonna do. He is consistant. He cares about what others think, in a healthy way. He strives to do the right thing.

Now, I am not saying my husband is perfect! He has forgotten to do something I've asked him to do. He has been impatient and inconsiderate on occasion. But at the end of the day I strive to see his heart and it is then that I see who he really is. He lives a life of Truth. He is zealous for things he is passionate about.

I have NOT spent the week praising my husband. I wish I could say that I have but I shall not tell a lie! I have most likely been very impatient, moody and even a little mean. (it has been a rough few days). So tomorrow I will include a special note in his lunch letting him know what I think of him!

I love you honey!

What will you do to praise your husband??

Homemade Pizza (Frugal Friday)

2011-01-21T19:39:00.000-06:00

We love Pizza!! For a while we had pizza every Friday night. Sometimes it was take out. Papa Johns is our favorite. Sometimes it would be frozen. Now, we make Homemade. We often get day old bread from Jimmy John's (they sell it for 50 cents per loaf) and top with a variety of toppings. Chicken, Spinach and Feta Cheese is a favorite. I also have been known to make my own pizza crust and then top with Sauce, Pepperoni and Cheese. The nice thing about homemade pizza is you can pretty much make it with whatever toppings you have in the fridge. I usually use leftover sauce from when we have spaghetti. I use just enough cheese. And there you have it a wonderful meal for very little moolah!!

How do you save money??

I am linked up to Frugal Friday!

Finer Things Friday: Big Brothers

2011-01-21T18:30:00.000-06:00

I am so grateful that my oldest son lives next door and is able to enjoy time with his younger brother and sister any time he would like. They are able to spend lots of quality time with him, we are blessed to have meals together a couple times per week and he even offers to babysit from time to time! That, my friends, is definately a Finer Thing!

I am linked up at Finer Things Friday.

Eating 1 meal of the same color

2011-01-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

After reading a post from Chasing Cheerios I decided to incorporate food into our study of colors. So each week we will be eating one meal that consists of foods that are the same color. (I was not able to locate the post but the link will take you to the website which has so many fun and exciting activities.)

Last week was the first week and we talked about Yellow! So on Sunday night we ate all yellow foods. It was so much fun. On the menu was Yellow Rice with ground beef, squash & corn. The ground beef was seasoned with Tumeric Root so it was yellow tinted. I also made Banana Pudding. A first for me and it was yummy!! See pic below.

This week is Pink & Green and we will be having Spinach Pizza. (I am sure I will think of something else to go with it. Probably salad. ) Next week is Blue and we plan to have Blueberry Pancakes, Blue Eggs, Blue Koolaid and Blue Jello. I will post pictures so stay tuned!

The 25 Day Praise Plan - Marriage Challenge

2011-01-20T15:26:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to focus on my sweet Husband over the next few weeks!! I just linked up to the 25 Day Praise Plan - Marriage Challenge. You can get all the details at Woman Living Well.

I love to utilize different devotionals, challanges to encourage me and hold me accountable. This challange offers suggestions on different ways to encourage and love your husband each week over the next 4 weeks. Start now, you and your hubby will be glad you did!!

My sweet boy is growing up!!

2011-01-18T23:48:00.000-06:00

Today (January 19) my sweet Zeke turns 4!! I remember ever so vividly the morning I woke up in labor. The chair I labored in for about 3 hours before I woke anybody up is the chair I am sitting in to write this post. I remember getting to the birth center dialated to a 3 and being sent to the mall to walk. I must have been a sight walking all over Golden Triangle Mall with my sweet husband and teenage son dragging behind. I was so excited. Then they called us back to the birth center to get my IV set up. (I was group B strep positive with both babies) Once we got back things moved ever so quickly. By 1pm I was around a 6 and we were really getting into the heavy labor. By this time my sister had showed up. She and Mike were so good to me. They talked me through, held me up and encouraged me. I am sure I squeezed my sister's arm a little too hard at least twice. More family arrived as the labor progressed. Through the whole labor I was surrounded by family. Once my water was broke the contractions came quickly and I began to push Zeke out. I had my mom, sister, other mother, nana and husband surrounding me. My wonderful husband was able to pull his son out! What a wonderful moment! We were so blessed by Inanna Birth Center to be able to deliver like this. Zeke was born at 6:45pm on Friday January 19, 2007. He weighed 8 lb 15 oz. He was perfect! Today he is still my precious boy. He loves to write, draw, play with trains and dinosaurs. He even likes to cuddle with mommy sometimes. He is so smart and likes to just sit and talk. He is so very thoughtful and will just randomly ask me "how was your day, mom?". I love him so much!!

Our first time to really look at Zeke!

Our wonderful midwife, Jean Sala!

Zeke 1 week old! At home all cozy in his bed!

Zeke about 4 weeks old. This was after we found out I was starving the sweet boy! Once he started gaining some wait he just kept eating and eating and eating!!

Zeke probably less than an hour old!!

Mommy and Zeke about 1 week old

Zeke at 2 years old! What a character he is!

Zeke and his daddy! Zeke is 3 years old here! He loves to be with his Daddy!! His daddy is pretty fond of him as well!!

Sweet face of Zeke!! 3 years old

Zeke first signature and hand! 3 years old

Zeke first Vacation Bible School - 3 years old

Camping! Zeke trying to be like Daddy! 3 years old

Word for 2011

2011-01-11T14:10:00.000-06:00

After reading several blogs about choosing a word for the year, I have done just that!

The word I have chosen for this year is.....

Obedient

Obedience to God

Obedience to My husband

Obedience to My self

Obedience to My kids

I have broken each one of the categories down and found practical ways that I can fulfill this word over the next 365 (less now) days of 2011!!!

God:

Daily Quiet time

Read the bible through in a year

Daily Prayer time

Giving (not just finanaciallly)

Hubs:

Pray for him daily

Weekly date night

Taking care of myself

Daily flirting, encouraging

Being aware of my "tone" (I can say alot with the way I say something)

Self:

Daily Quiet time

Weekly Alone Time

Routine (me and kids)

Kids:

Pray for them daily

Play with them daily

Routine

Lesson Plans for School (we homeschool)

I have also made financial, personal/relational, spiritual and physical goals for myself for this year!

The phrase that has come to mind as I have prayed and sought the Lord over this word and goals for this year is...

"It is up to me!"

That is not to say that I do not have to lean on God to have the strength but to me it means that I have to put myself out there and allow God to meet me!!!

If you have made any goals for this year and you want to share, please leave me a comment!!

God Bless!!!!

33 things I am Thankful for

2010-11-23T07:48:00.000-06:00

Loving Husband
Forgiving God
Healthy Children
Place to Live
Food to Eat
Fun Friends
Blessed Job
Older Son who enjoys our company
A Husband with Vision and Dreams
Awesome Grandparents who are good examples to me
Funny Children
Freedom
Peace
Pumpkins (love having this in my freezer for last minute pumpkin bread)
Meat (we eat meatless meals often per hub's request so this is a blessing)
Dessert (Love me some chocolate)
Facebook (love that I can catch up with old friends)
Family
Good Chocolate
Abi's Smile
Zeke's Thoughtfulness
God's Provision
God's Direction
Learning
Denton Public Library
Denton's Community Activities
Coupons
Coffee & Dr. Pepper
Parents Night Out
Sleeping Children
Transportation
Faith
Contentment

New way of Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping!

2010-09-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been meal planning and grocery shopping little different. I used to be a super serious coupon shopper and while I still think coupons are great and I still clip those that I plan to use, I am not the serious coupon shopper I once was. At one time, I went to 2 different stores 4 times to get cearl for 50cents each. I ended up purchasing close to 30 boxes of cearl. I shared some with friends and family and of course had lots of cearl for some time. Then Abi came along and I just have not gotten back into it like I did. I still have my price points that I stick to, meaning I do not like to pay more the $1 per lb for fruits and veggies. I try to get pasta and rice for $1 or less per bag. I rarelly pay full price for much of anyting.

Lately I have done things a little different. I have tried to only purchase for one week at a time. I plan our meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner based upon what we have and also based on a few simple meals. We usually have pasta, rice and veggies, beans and rice and potatoes, green beas and sausage once per week. (more often if we want). Lunch is simple leftovers, sandwiches, pasta or another simple meal that we have around. Breakfast is pancakes, toast, eggs and occaisonally French toast when my hubby wants to treat us. (He did cook French toast several times in the past few weeks!) We have smoothies, yogurt, dry cearl, popcorn, chips and fresh fruit for snacks. My husband has a sweet tooth, so we try to have dessert often. I would like to make up some cinnomon rolls and freeze them so that he will have a quick dessert ready in minutes. (we do eat little meat, I will usually buy ground turkey, chicken or steak when it is on sale, but we do eat many meatless meals)

Eating from our cupboards and only buying what we need has really saved us in the grocery budget department. I also do not necesarilly stick to the menu. For instance if we planned to have rice and veggies tonight but I would rather have pasta I switch it up, it is that simple. I do plan it out so that I can remember to defrost things but I am very flexible! Also for lunch Zeke has had PB&J for the past two days so lunch has been pretty simple! (he recently learned how to make PB&J all by himself!)

Here is a sample menu plan:

Sunday
Breakfast - eggs & toast
Lunch - leftovers/sandwich
Dinner - Pizza (we get day old french bread from Jimmy Johns for 50cents each and add shredded chicken and spinach and a little mozzarella to make yummy pizza)

Monday
Breakfast - toast
Lunch - School
Dinner - Red Beans & Rice, fried potatos and green beans

Tuesday
Breakfast - Pancakes
Lunch - Pasta/Sandwich
Dinner - Rice with Veggies, Cornbread

Wednesday
Breakfast - eggs/toast
Lunch - Pasta/sandwich,
Dinner - Potatos, sausage, green beans

Thursday
Breakfast - toast/banana
Lunch - Hot dogs, chips, fruit and carrots
Dinner - Chilli, with chips

Friday
Breakfast - toast/banana
Lunch - school
Dinner - Eggs & Pancakes ( sometimes I add spinach to our eggs if we have them for dinner)

Saturday
Breakfast - Pancakes
Lunch - Leftovers/Sandwich
Dinner - Pizza, veggie or salad

Snacks - Smoothies, fruit, dried fruit and nuts, dried cearl, popcorn, chips

I am enjoying this simple way right now. Having about 10 meals to choose from makes shopping and cooking so much simpler! When I do purchase ground turkey or chicken I will cook lots up at once and freeze in small portions. I will use to make pizzas, tacos, chilli, enchiladas, etc. I also use my crock pot at least twice per week. It is so nice to put stuff in crock pot and be able to come home and just eat!

What have we been up to??

2010-09-15T13:33:00.000-05:00

Well, the kids and I have been doing some homeschooling on the days we are not at Mother's Day Out! Zeke is doing really well with his letters, numbers and sounds. He is working on writing his letters and loves to draw/color pictures. He is really quite good at making people! I have been working with Abi on her colors, shapes, letters and numbers. She is getting pretty good at her shapes. She also loves to color/draw. She has such a different learning personality than Zeke. She is a little stubborn, so mommy is learning how to teach her in her style! What a job this is. This month we have been talking about the Days of the Week, Months of the Year and the Seasons. We talk about this each morning and also watch a great video about the Seasons that we have had since Zeke was a baby. He knows all the seasons and can quickly tell you what season we are in. It will be interesting next week when we talk about it changing to Fall! He knows Fall comes next! We have also been talking about the weather so these rain storms and weather changes have been great for our learning. For Bible we have been focusing on Zeke's Cubbies scripture memorization as well as reading random bible stories in their bible. One that we have talked a little more about is Cain & Abel. I have been reading the kids books about getting along and being kind to your brother/sister, sharing, etc. At our library you can check out Reading Totes that include about 5 books and a video for different topics. We checked one out on Sibling Rivalry. It has been good. We will get one on Weather next. This week we did some painting and Zeke has learned to make his own PB&J! He does really good! He uses less peanut butter than I would so that's a plus. He also eats it much better than if I had made it! Not to mention the fact that my sweet boy who is growing up way faster than I would like is very proud of this new skill! I can tell that it makes him feel very good about himself when he makes his own sandwich. Abi is teasing me with her potty training. One week, she will do very good and the next she will get lazy on me and peepee in her pants. So for now, we are just waiting on her. I have full confidence that she is capable and will fully train soon! Below are a few pictures of our projects this week!

Zeke and Abi painted these and I wrote their names on them. We have them hung by their beds! Very simple. (We used a paper bag to paint on and a pipe cleaner to hang them) I may turn the sides under to make them look a little neater!

This is tye dyed with Koolaid. It was messy. You mix one koolaid pkg with 1oz white vinegar. If we were to do this again, I would have doubled or trippled the recipe. We quickly ran out of dye! The website I saw said to iron the shirt with a iron cover, to set the dye. So we will do this later when the shirts dry.

Here are two great books we have been reading relating to Seasons! They are both wonderful. "Pie in the Sky" has the recipe for Cherry Pie in it and "Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf" has directions for making a bird treat! Lots of Fun!

We are having lots of fun learning!

Birthday Present from my Sister!

2010-09-15T13:11:00.000-05:00

For my birthday this year my sister gave me a night away in Sundance Square in Fort Worth! We had so much fun! We stayed in a hotel.

Had dinner downtown in Sundance Square. After dinner we walked around, then got back to the hotel so we could swim and watch some TV!

On Sunday morning we woke up, had yummy breakfast at the hotel and then went to the Omni hotel for our Spa day! Here we are in our robes!

We both got massages and facials! It was so much fun. There was even Cucumber Water in the lounge! After the Spa we had lunch at the Corner Bakery and visited a few shops.

In one shop there was a display of all things Dr. Pepper. Dr Pepper Jelly beans, Dr Pepper Cake and Icing, even Dr. Pepper Beef Jerky. It was just so neat!

What a special birthday this was! We have decided to make this an annual trip! Thanks Tosh for such a special time!! I love you!

Free Aveda Products for your Birthday

2010-09-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

Do you like FREE stuff? I do. Last year I signed up to receive a few freebies from Aveda. Aveda is a line of hair and skin products. I was introduced to Aveda several years ago and have loved the products ever since. Although they are way expensive so I never buy them. Since signing up for freebies I get postcards in the mail for free samples of products (about 3-5 per year). Also on my birthday I get a postcard for a Free full size Personal Blends purfume or body care product. You choose the scent essential oil. This is a $25 product. For FREE!!! Happy Birthday to me! Last year i got massage oil, which I use in my baths to make them oh so spa like! Not sure what I will get this year, maybe a perfume!

If you want to sign up, go to http://www.avedabday.com/!

Enjoy!

LOVE YOUR MAN!!

2010-09-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

There is a song on Country radio that has really got me thinking! I love my husband dearly but there are too many times throughout our everyday lives that I am sure I have given him the impression that I would rather he just leave me alone. Of course I feel more than justified. I am so busy with the kids, cooking, cleaning and just plain ol every day life. He has become my "seconds". This song has so encouraged me to do everything in my power to keep my sweet husband from feeling this way. I love him and I need to make sure he knows it! He is my first priority (after Jesus of course)! Read these lyrics and tell me you do not want to just go hug your MAN!!! I sure did! ( I include a link to the video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5GVa1yWYZM
DO I by Luke Bryan

Baby, what are we becoming

It feels just like we’re always running

Rolling through the motions everyday

I can lean in to hold you, or act like I don’t even know you

Seems like you could care less either way

What happened to that girl I used to know

I just want us back to the way we were before

Do I turn you on at all when I kiss you baby

Does the sight of me wanting you drive you crazy

Do I have your love, am I still enough

Tell me don’t I, or tell me do I baby

Give you everything that you ever wanted

Would you rather just turn away and leave me lonely

Do I just need to give up and get on with my life

Baby, do I

Remember when we didn’t have nothing

But a perfect simple kind of loving

Baby those sure were the days

There was a time our love ran wild and free

But now I’m second guessing everything thing I see

Do I turn you on at all when I kiss you baby

Does the sight of me wanting you drive you crazy

Do I have your love, am I still enough

Tell me don’t I, or tell me do I baby

Give you everything that you ever wanted

Would you rather just turn away and leave me lonely

Do I just need to give up and get on with my life

Baby, do I

Still give you what you need

Still take your breath away

Or light up the spark way down deep, baby do I

Do I turn you on at all when I kiss you baby

Does the sight of me wanting you drive you crazy

Do I have your love, am I still enough

Tell me don’t I, or tell me do I baby

Give you everything that you ever wanted

Would you rather just turn away and leave me lonely

Do I just need to give up and get on with my life

Tell me baby do I get one more try

Do I, baby do I

The Yellow Cup

2010-06-24T21:30:00.002-05:00

God really does know best! If we could only keep this at the forefront of our hearts and minds we would save so much time searching in this life and more importantly save some heartche! I was reminded of this today when Abi was so determined to get a certain cup at bedtime. She had a yellow cup earlier in the evening and by golly, she was determined to get that cup. I was offering her a nice, full cup of juice (pink) but she wanted her yellow cup so bad, she was whining and crying and running all over the house franticlly searching for this cup. I continued to offer her the "pink cup" much to her disappointment and continued crying. I did not understand why she would not take the "pink" cup until she went in the bathroom, then I remembered that she had left her "yellow" cup in there. The "yellow" cup had fallen in the bathtub. I watched as she leaned over trying to reach the "yellow" cup. I cringed as I wondered if she would fall in. I was on my toes prepared to grab her if she started to fall in. She didn't fall. After a few tries she turned around and came to me and took the "pink" cup. Never to look back at her "yellow" cup. For someone so determined to get that "yellow" cup I was amazed at how quickly she was content with her "pink" cup.

This is so much like us in life. We are so determined to do things our way. When our way doesn't work or turns out to not be what we would want it to be, then we decide to look God's way. I wish I could say that I listen to God and obey every time. I pray that my heart and mind be so consumed with God, His ways and His thoughts that I will go for the "pink" cup next time instead of following the "yellow" cup! How much more content and happy could we be if we followed His way!

God Bless!

Pizza Inn Fundraiser

2010-05-31T21:37:00.001-05:00

Eat Pizza - Support the Brisman Family

Thursday June 3rd 5-9pm

Pizza Inn Denton

501 W. University

940-320-5656

Pizza Inn Denton will donate 15% of net sales to Rob & Heather Brisman on all Dine In, Carryout & Delivery purchases on Thursday June 3rd from 5-9pm. Please tell the cashier you are supporting the Brisman family. Rob has cancer and is currently undergoing radiation treatment. We will also be hosting a raffle and giving away door prizes.

Come on out, enjoy some pizza and support a great family!!

Late Afternoon Writings

2010-03-31T14:58:00.000-05:00

For the past several weeks, I have sat down to write out one of the several blog ideas I have had in my head and each time I was unable to get my thoughts out into words. So here it goes!

My children's routines and attitudes have changed lately and have been very challenging Abi is teething so that has always been a challenge. She has also become much more independent. She now, sleeps in her big girl bed and is really wanting to go potty in the potty! All this is good, but I was not ready for this.

It is just another example of the huge sacrifice we, mommies, have to make for our children and our husbands. It does not matter that I want to sleep til 8am on my days off. Abi is an early riser and gets up around 7am so up I go to! My kids bedtime has been 7pm for while now. While, that is great for Abi it is becoming aparent that I will have to make Zeke's bedtime a little bit later. When he takes a nap, he is not so eager to go to bed at 7pm. And it is becoming much more obvious that he needs daily naps! SO, changes will be made in the Adams routine! Mommy has been attempting to workout 3 mornings each week (at 5:15am). This is a new routine. And since we started going to Mothers Day Out twice per week the other days we are home have been very laxed and might I say, lazy! I know I have to jump back on the routine/structure wagon! It is just so hard! Don't get me wrong, I still have routines at naptime and bedtime but all the other times have become so relaxed we just play! I haven't made a real dinner in several days. If that tells you anything!

So all this to say, I gotta get back into my routine! I think I will start with writing out an outine. Add in a menu plan and go for it!!! Routine is great I just have to get myself excited about it! I know it will make our lives so much easier. And then somewhere down the line it will change again! The joys of being a mommy!

I am not so sure that is what I wanted to write about.
Some of the post ideas I hope to write about soon!

Living Simply - story about living well below your means
A couple of delicious meals we had about 2-3 weeks ago
Bragging/Updates on my great kids
Great Homeschool websites that I frequent
Other wonderful Blogs that I frequent

Until then, Enjoy!!

Tasty Treat - Strawberries with Hershey's Kisses

2010-02-17T09:21:00.000-06:00

Zeke had his Valentine's Party at Mother's Day Out on Monday. He came home so much candy. Yesterday for snack I wanted to let them eat candy but wanted to make it somewhat healthier so this is what they had.

4 Strawberries cut up into little slivers
3 Hershey's Kisses

All placed in a little bowl for them to enjoy.

They loved it. Of course they both at the Chocolate first!!!

Adult Children

2010-02-17T09:17:00.000-06:00

Well, I definately didn't think I would be sharing about my adult children at this age but I was blessed with a wonderful son when I married my husband. Brandon was 13 when Mike and I got married. He moved into our home 8 months later and lived there until he moved out on his own at 18. We had our many glorious experiences with his teenage years! He went to public High school for 2 years and then was homeschooled during his last 2 years of school. We had a house fire, he hugged his teacher tooo hard and got suspended, he played football, he talked back too many times, he played with his younger brother and sister, he kept his room clean (most of the time), he got staph infection in his knee, he had a big birthday party where they played Xbox in every room of our house (even the bathroom), he got twisted up like a pretzel when he was doing some kind of stretch, he became a special person in my life! I genuinely love Brandon as my own son and I did not even realize this until the last year that he has not lived with us.

While he lived with us, I felt o so responsible for his actions. I felt that when he was disobedient and did not do as we thought he should it was solely a reflection upon me and Mike. I was very emotional and angry when I disciplined him. When he would do some crazy stunt I would get all bent out of shape and go off on him. I yelled and was mean to him more times than I would like to admit. Through this journey I have learned to ask for forgiveness from my children. I am not perfect and I will make mistakes. But the biggest mistake I could make would be to not admit my wrong and go on being mean to him. Sure he needed discipline but he needed consistant, unemotional discipline. Now that he has moved out and is an "adult" things are definately different. I heard a minister state a while back that there are levels in our relationships with our children and as they grow we advance to these different levels whether we want to or not. I am going to try to recap what he said. When they are in our home we are in charge. They have to live by our rules whether they agree or not. But once they have moved out, it is no longer appropriate for us to tell them what to do. We are not to give advice unless they ask for it. You would not go down the street and consistantly tell your sister what to do. If you did, it would be wrong and the two of you probably wouldn't get along very well. Same with your children who have moved out from under your care. They will more than likely make many mistakes and do many things that you do not like. Mine sure has but I have been blessed with this amazing peace of God since he has moved out. I have had so much compassion for him. God has allowed me to see Brandon through his eyes. Sure he has been out there doing plenty of things I would rather not know about but he is still my son and I love him dearly. It grieves my heart to think of the pain he is bringing on himself but I pray (prayer is all I have) that he will open his eyes and remember what he knows! Of course I would love to go and tell him how wrong he is and what he needs to be doing but it is not my place. Until he asks for my advice I will continue to give him up to God. I have faith that God has him in the palm of His hand. God has always had a way of getting through to Brandon. Remember I told you he was twisted up like a pretzel. God had to slow Brandon down so he could speak to him. I am confident that He will do that again if need be!

I share this to encourage any of you with adult children. They are still yours but in a different way. God has blessed you with 18 years more or less to guide them, train them, put into them all that you have and all that God has given you for them. It is now time to enjoy a blessed relationship with them. Encourage them, love them, and offer your tips and advice on life when asked! I have been blessed with such a peace regarding Brandon over this past year. Sure there are plenty of times that I have wanted to go and shake some sense into him but mostly I have just loved him and found that it was usually better for me to keep my mouth shut!! He has come to me more than once and asked for advice. I am more than confident that Brandon knows the truth and the truth will set him free!!

FREE Books

2010-02-16T13:37:00.004-06:00

Books, Books and more Books. We love them in my house. I am running a special on Usborne Books right now. For every purchase I am giving away a FREE book. All you have to do is go to mymommystayshome and check out the wonderful books of Usborne Books & More. They are educational and fun. They are made very well and are very cost effective. They have over 1300 titles and 80% are under $10. If you would like to order online, go to mymommystayshome then click on my name (Angela Adams) on the right hand side of the page. You can place your order there or you can contact me via email at mikeswife2004@hotmail.com to order directly.

* If you think you would like to host your own book party and earn lots of Free Books, let me know via email.

Thanks!!!

Hurt Hand

2010-02-03T10:14:00.002-06:00

My sweet boy touched the iron last night! We weren't sure the extent of the damages until this morning when I was fianlly able to catch a glimpse of a blister. Not too big and not tooo red. So hopefully it will heal nicely. He is very protective of that hand. He cried everytime we talked about it last night. It wasn't a pain cry but one of those I know I did something I wasn't supossed to and got hurt cries. It was so sad. I really do not think he will be touching the iron again! I am amazed daily at the emotional, social and mental growth that I see in him. He now knows all his letters and numbers (0-9). Will voluntarilly say he's sorry to his sister when he is mean to her. Shows genuine concern for others. We were watching a commercial about the SPCA and they were asking people to adopt the puppies. While we were watching, Zeke said "yes, I will". I asked if he wanted to adopt a puppy. He said "yes, he's crying". It was so sweet! I love my sweet boy! I hope he always stays sweet, considerate and loving!!

Sorting Activity

2010-02-01T14:07:00.004-06:00

I tried these great sorting activities I found on a wonderful Montessori blog called Chasing Cheerios. http://www.chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/ She always has wonderful activities for her children to do. Sorting with colors, letters, numbers, sizes, etc. I did this with numbers where I had cards with the numbers 0-5 written on them and Zeke had to put that number of cars there. He did really well with little help. Then I had foam numbers and he matched the foam numbers to the cards. He did that with no help at all. Last we sorted his toys with these letter cards. It was lots of fun and we sounded out different letters. This will be a regular part of our learning!

Happy Birthday Zeke!

2010-01-19T15:32:00.004-06:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet Zeke!! Today is my little boy's 3rd birthday. 3 years ago today I was in labor for the first time. I had everything prepared and I anxiously awaited the arrival of our second (I didn't give birth to our first) son! He has filled our lives with joy ever since. He is so considerate, sweet, loving, active, happy, busy, creative, funny, cute, smart and a joy to be around. Right now he is playing happily with his new Thomas & Toby train. He has been playing with them since 8 this morning. Great gift! As I know he is still young I am realizing more and more every day that he grows up every day. He learns new things, good and bad. He has new feelings and emotions, good and bad. I pray that he always has an open mind and an open heart. That he is always loving and full of zeal for life. That he learns from his mistakes and is always comfortable confiding in and talking to Mike and I. He knows that God lives in his heart and we pray that God will keep folly far far away!! I love my little boy. He is the apple of my eye and I enjoy spending my days with him. Thank you God & Mike for allowing me to stay home with my 2 sweeties. No matter how hard it is the blessing is much greater! Happy Birthday Zeke! Mommy, Daddy, Brandon & Abi love you!

3rd Birthday Party for around $150 (20 kids)

2010-01-19T15:27:00.002-06:00

I am very proud of my frugel self! I added up all the costs involved with Zeke's upcoming birthday party and realized that everything, including his gift from us, was around $150. This is great. Last year I relyed on Chuck E. Cheese and I bet we spent over $200 easy. And it was a stressful party. This year we are having his party at a church. They rent out their gym with a bounce house and an inflatable slide. Cake and drinks. The goody bags were only around $15 for 20 of them. I have to say that I am very proud of myself. It feels GOOD to spend LESS. I did our entire Christmas purchase for around $200. God Bless!!

More Funny things Zeke says

2010-01-18T10:34:00.002-06:00

Last night Zeke and I had a conversation about pottying in the potty. Here is how it went.

Mom - Zeke do you need to go potty? (I know I should have just taken him to the potty and had him sit there)

Zeke - No

Mom - Are you going to wear diapers forever?

Zeke - Yes

Mom - Who is going to change them?

Zeke - Katie (katie is a sweet girl who has kept the kids for me)

I am so grateful that he is not planning on me changing his diapers. I am hoping to get him consistantly potty trained this week. We have been working on this for what seems like forever. He will do really good and then have several accidents in one day. I believe that he is capable and just needs the practice so my thought is if I am consistant and take him to potty several times per day he will "get it". Pray for us please!!

Craft Idea

2010-01-18T10:26:00.003-06:00

I love to do crafts with my kids. They also like them. A while back, Zeke was wanting to do a "cwaft" every day and Abi jumps at the chance to maybe chew a few crayons. A week or so ago I saw a Martin Luther King, Jr Day craft online where you cut out different colored handprints and put them together like a wreath. So that is what we did. I added the song "Jesus loves the little Children to our wreaths. It was very easy and turned out very cute!!

Giveaway - Moneysavingmom

2009-12-14T15:45:00.002-06:00

Moneysavingmom.com is having a great giveaway today! She is giving away 5 $100 giftcards to the store of your choice. You can enter up to 5 times. Check out her website for more details.

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/12/24hour-giveaway-5-100-gift-cards-to-the-store-of-your-choice.html

Funny things Zeke says

2009-12-09T17:19:00.002-06:00

My Zeke is so funny. I just thought I would share a few of his "funnies" with others.

The other night, he didn't want to sleep in his bed. I told him to go back to bed and he said "mommy, my bed not work". So he proceeded to climb in my bed.

He tells me quite often "mommy, you are my best friend" and "mommy, let's talk".

When he wants to play catch with the ball he will say "mommy, catch ball??"

More to come.......

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T09:54:00.002-06:00

I feel very blessed today! I have an amazing husband who loves me very much! We enjoy eachother's company and help make eachother's lives easier. Is there a better way to get throught his life? I have three beautiful children. 2 boys and 1 girl. The oldest has moved out and works in a coffee shop. I am very proud of him. He moved out 1 year ago, and he has managed to keep an apartment, a truck and pay his bills for the past year. He is a good kid, works hard and knows how to have fun! My middle child, is growing up. I love that I can carry on a simple conversation with him. He is almost 3. We talk about his favorite things each day and for the past few months it has been "juice". My youngest is growing up as well. She plays very well with her brother. (minus the minor fighting that is normal for bro and sis) I am grateful to be in the phase where they play so well together. Today we have played Memory and Playdoh. Now they are contently playing with toys while I write this post. I think we will finish our Thanksgiving craft before lunch! I am also blessed with a great family and many wonderful friends. I talk to my moms and nana at least once per week. I meet with one friend once per week at IHOP. It is such a treat for me to get out one night per week just for me and enjoy coffee with her. I am blessed that I am saved by grace and not by anything I can do or not do! I love the Lord with all my heart! He is my friend and comfort in time of need! I am learning to lean more and more on him. To trust Him with the decisions in my life. Even the simple decisions, like where to go on Thanksgiving! I am blessed that we live such a simple life. I don't need fancy things and I hope to teach my children not to need them as well. I am blessed that I get to stay home with my kids. We enjoy playtime, mealtime and naptime throughout the hours of the day. They have been very healthy and I attribute that to me being able to stay home with them. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! My the Lord bless you and keep you in perfect peace!

My Baby Boy's Curls are GONE!

2009-11-18T14:20:00.005-06:00

Today, my husband took Zeke to get a much needed haircut. The barber apparently misunderstood what a "Trim" means and literally cut all my baby's curls off! I am posting before and after photos. We are grieving the loss of Zeke's beloved curls this evening! To all you out there who have been asking "when are you going to get him a "little boy" haircut?" Well here you go!!

Marriage Books

2009-11-13T17:32:00.002-06:00

I just have to share about 2 of my all time favorite books that are encouraging to marriage.

Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl

Wife after God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

I read and have reread several times Created to Be His HelpMeet right after Mike and I got married. This book is very direct in regards to godly submission and how a wife is to treat her husband. It is very practical and easy to follow. It has lots of stories and practical application. There are sections/chapters relating to serving your husband, time management, children, being frugal and so much more. One chapter that I just love has a menu plan for an entire week. You use the leftovers to make your meals go further. I just love it! She also includes a great Spaghetti sauce recipe that I use often and freeze so that I have lots of spaghetti sauce in the freezer. I then use this for pasta and pizza.

I read Wife after God's own heart about a year ago and have been reading on it a little recently. This book also has tons of practical application. She has listed 12 different categories that really matter in marriage. She goes into detail on each one with scripture and practical ways to put this into practice. At the end of each chapter she lists specific things you can do to make a difference in your marriage relating to that topic.

I enjoy reading books that encourage me to be a better wife, mom and woman! If you have any books you just love, leave a comment!

Christmas Cards

2009-11-10T13:07:00.002-06:00

I have noticed a couple of ways to get a great deal (maybe even free) on your Christmas Cards this year!! I hope to take advantage of this as soon as we get ours taken!

Below are links to www.moneysavingmom.com where she has information about these great deals. Enjoy!

Vistaprint - Holiday Address labels and Postcards
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/11/140-custom-holiday-address-labels-for-3-shipped.html

50 Free Photo Cards (I hope to take advantage of this)
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/11/50-free-photo-cards-with-free-shipping.html

Kodak Gallery - $15 Free to the first 100,000
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/11/kodak-gallery-free-15-gift-to-the-first-100000-available-again.html

Online Purchases

2009-11-10T12:58:00.002-06:00

I follow www.moneysavingmom.com on a regular basis. She always has wonderful things to say and great deals to get!

Recently I was reading on her blog about purchasing online. She has lots of links to sights where you can get coupon codes as well as where you can purchase and get $ back.

I researched this when I bought my laptop a few weeks ago. You do want to do your research before you purchase. I found out by going into Office Max that I actually saved about $160 by buying in the store vs. online. But just yesterday I researched for my mom on purchasing the Sketchers Shape Ups and she will actually save about $18 by ordering online. And shipping is free so they get delivered right to her door!

Below is the link to MoneySavingMoms blog about purchasing online.
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/make-your-money-go-farther-online-with-coupons-and-cashback.html

Proverbs 31 Wife

2009-11-10T12:46:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you but I desire to be a Proverbs 31 Woman, Wife and Mother everyday. That doesn't mean I even come close to getting there even on my best days. When my husband and I got married I learned about this thing called submission and I also began reading more in depth into Proverbs 31. Really reading it for "me". I came across a website that will email you daily devotions regarding being a wife, mother and a woman.

Today I got a devotion that I definately needed to hear. I have been bickering with my husband over the past few days. Not over anything big just some insecurities of my own that I tend to blame on him. (I have to be honest and say that it takes me a while to admit that this is what was going on, hence I said I have been bickering for a few days)

The part that spoke the loudest to me in this devo was where she said to "be silent". I have the hardest time being silent. If Icould just figure out how to keep myself from having the "last word" we would all be okay. But I tend to think it is my job to tell my husband what he is doing wrong and how to fix it. Boy does that not work well in marriage.

SO for today I will learn to be silent. I will choose my words wisely. I will pray and speak the truth over my heart and my family. I will love and serve my husband every day. I will teach my daughter what it means to be a Proverbs 31 wife, woman and mother!

I have put the link below to the devotion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2009/11/battles-within.html

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T13:13:00.007-06:00

Here are our pics from Halloween. I hope you all enjoy them. The kids had a blast and of course we have more candy than we will ever eat.

The Adams Family - First Baptist Denton Carnival 31

Group Shots - Delia - Vampire , Abi - Ballerina , Zeke - Rockstar

Abi - Playing Castle Ring Toss game Zeke sliding down slide (that is Mike's head)

Abi watching Zeke Zeke tossing ball to knock over Milk bottles (he knocked
all of them down)

Zeke the Rockstar Abi looking sooo sweet

Daddy helping Abi toss in the bean bag. She knew exactly what to do.

Homemade crayons

2009-11-03T12:37:00.004-06:00

I have been reading a new blog lately. http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/. Her name is Stephanie and in 2008 she made a resolution to make something in her crockpot every day for a year. She did it and her blog boasts with wonderful recipes. One that was interesting to me recently was Crockpot Crayons. My 1 year old generally eats our crayons so I thought trying out the chunky crayons my be a good idea. I did not use the crockpot because my muffin tin would not fit but I did include the link for Stephaines Crockpot Crayons experience.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-make-crockpot-crayons.html

I took all of our broken crayons and broke them up into small pieces. I lined my mini muffin pan with foil and seperated the crayons into each tin by color. I made sure to press them into the holes. Then I put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes. They seemed to melt pretty quick. I then took them out to cool. Once they were a little cooler I put them in the freezer to cool quicker. After that they popped out of the foil pretty easy. Now the true test will be to see if Abi will color with them!!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Raisin cookies

2009-11-03T12:26:00.002-06:00

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday evening with my friend Olivia's daughter Ariel. She is 3 weeks younger than Zeke and since Zeke went to bed at 5:30pm last night (and yes he slept until 6:30am) it was just me, Ariel and Abi and later Ariel's sister Analiese. We decided to bake some cookies. Mike had asked me earlier yesterday to make him some oatmeal raisin cookies. Since I had cooked pumpkin all day I figured it would be fun to try that in the cookies. I got the base of my recipe from a Beter Homes and Gardens cookbook but I made several changes. I do not have pictures but will be happy to include the recipe.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup agave necter
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs (I substituted with 2 TB flax seed mill + 1/3 cup water)
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup brown rice flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup cooked pumpkin (you could use canned)
1/2 cup raisins

Mix butter, brown sugar, agave, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add flour. Mix. Add oats, pumpkin and raisins. Mix well.
Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

I also put balls of cookies on cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen I remove and place in freezer bag to pull out any time you or your husband want cookies.

I plan to try this again and omit the brown sugar. I will have to let you know!

Enjoy!!

Beans and Rice for a Week

2009-10-29T13:17:00.002-05:00

I have read a few different blogs recently about eating beans and rice to save in the grocery budget. We tend to have beans and rice often and then use the leftovers in at least one if not two other meals. Here are 2 blogs to check out some ideas on eating beans and rice all week!!

http://thehappyhousewife.com/saving-money-with-beans-and-rice/

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/how-to-live-on-beans-and-rice-for-a-week.html

Simple Life

2009-10-29T13:01:00.002-05:00

I just have to write about our current living experiences and say how grateful I am to be living the Simple Life.
About 2 months ago my husband, 2 children and I moved into a 1 bedroom apartment across the street from a major university. This was not my first choice in where to live. I remember the day we moved in I was thinking about how soon can we move out. The amazing thing is over the past two months I have grown to LOVE our living conditions. Last weekend while I was doing laundry at a laundrymat I had this great revelation with God that he completely will make what seemed to be soooo bad into something so amazing. There were several things about our situation that I considered awful:

no washer/dryer
no specific parking spot
only 1 bedroom
small kitchen
climbing a flight of stairs with 2 small children

I am sure there were others but for now lets just look at these and let me tell you I have found
so much blessing I do not know what to do with it. (so I thought I would share it with you)

Going to the laundrymat once per week allows me to get a weeks worth of laundry done in about 2 hours. I get to do the laundry and have those 2 hours alone away from the house. This has become my new favorite thing. I get a soda and a book and head to the laundry mat. It is so fun and relaxing.

Not having a parking spot and having to climb the stairs with the kids has encouraged me to stay home most days. I completely enjoy this. We tend to get better rest this way. The kids have been healthier considering they are not out there breathing in other peoples germs at Target, Barnes & Noble, or the mall. We also have had fun homeschooling, cooking together, playing and plenty of other fun things we do at home.

Cleaning the apartment is a snap. I can basically clean the entire place in 1 hour. The kitchen is small and that is still a bummer but hey at least it stays pretty clean since there is less to mess up.
Also the kids pretty much stay in one room or the other. We tend to be in the living/kitchen area during the day and only hang out in the bedroom during nap/rest time and bedtime. Their toys are contained to one room and clean up is quick.

My husband has wanted to open his own business for a few years now and by sacrificing and living in a 1 bedroom apartment I can help us get there. Our rent is very cheap as well as our utilities are low. We spend a little less on gas since I stay home and of course spend less money on fast food and other activities.

We know that we can do anything for a season. A lady once told me "this to shall pass". She was referring to my small children and how they will grow up and be easier to take care of in the future. But I think we can think of this in all areas of our lives.

Kids and Naps

2009-10-21T14:00:00.002-05:00

Wow! Time flies. My kids are already up from their nap and I have not done much of anything I needed to do. Does this ever happen to you? My children are 1 and 2years old. About 2 months ago they started going down for their nap around 12pm vs. 2pm. This makes for a very crazy afternoon. My 2 almost 3 year old has often not even slept. Which if I look at the bright side, this means he will go to bed by 7pm and sleep til at least 7:30am tomorrow. But I do encounter a "witching hour" aroudn 5pm. I guess there are two sides to every coin. On the one hand, I do enjoy some time to myself in the afternoon but hey the evening is good too! I guess I should just be grateful they nap at all or at least stay still and quiet for a period of time. :) more on napping and routines later.

Remembering Michael Allen Church

2009-03-11T18:24:00.003-05:00

Two years ago today my precious nephew, Michael Allen Church, went to be with Jesus! He had two and a half wonderful years with his mommy and the rest of his family and friends! He had many, he was very popular!! He was born on August 30, 2004. I will always remember going to see my sister in the hospital in Dallas after he was born. Then getting to go see him in the NICU. We got to talk to him, pray for him and just be there with them. He was born 2 months early and had some health issues. But God was watching out for him, because when he was about 2 months old home he got to go home and be with my sister. They were able to share those two and a half years together. We enjoyed 3 beautiful Christmas together. He had two amazing birthdays. He was there when my little boy, Zeke was born. They even had matching Valentine's Day shirts in 2007. I will always cherish the memories I have of this precious boy. He always had a peaceful spirit about him. I also want to honor his amazing parents. Sunny Parpart, my sister and Chris Church. They are truly people to be honored. They have taught me so much about unconditional love and how to be a great parent. I only hope that I can be as good of a mother to my children as Sunny is to Michael. Her love for him is beautiful. They have shown me so much courage and perserverence over these past two years. I love them both alot!! Below are some pictures of my nephew! May he look down on us and smile today and everyday! I can't wait to walk and talk with him in heaven one day!

This is him. His grammy is loving on him. She did this often. She loves him so very much!!

This is him and his Poppy! He was also a big fan of Michael. They were pretty close friends!

And this is Michael and his wonderful mommy! I love you both very much!!!!

Love Dare - Day 9

2009-02-27T21:53:00.001-06:00

Day 9 – Love makes good impressions

This chapter is about your greeting! How do you greet your spouse when you encounter them throughout the day? The chapter asks the question “If you are nice and polite to other people, doesn’t your spouse deserve the same? Times ten?” The author talks about how this is probably not something you think much about. “Here’s something else you probably don’t stop to consider – the difference it would make in your spouses day if everything about you expressed the fact that you were really, really glad to see them.”

Today’s Dare - Think of a specific way you’d like to greet your spouse today. Do it with a smile and with enthusiasm. Then determine to change your greeting to reflect your love for them.

Love Dare - Day 8

2009-02-27T21:52:00.001-06:00

Day 8 – Love is not jealous

This chapter talks about jealousy of your spouse’s successes. One statement I underlined is “If selfishness rules, any good thing happening to only one of you can be a catalyst for envy rather than congratulations.” Another is “he sees her as completing him, not competing with him.”

Today’s Dare – Determine to become your spouse’s biggest fan and to reject any thoughts of jealousy. To help you set your heart on your spouse and focus on their achievements, take yesterday’s list of negative attributes and discreetly burn it. Then share with your spouse how glad you are about a success he or she has recently enjoyed.

I didn’t think I had a problem with yesterday’s Jealousy topic. I felt like I have never been jealous of my husband’s successes. Where this is true I may have never been jealous of his success, I have been jealous of his freedom. I am a full time stay at home mom. My husband works very hard and lots of hours so needless to say when he is off work he would still like to have some time to himself, just about the time I would love a break as well. I have struggled in this area in the past but have worked hard to get some alone time when I can in order to fend off any jealousy that could result in me saying negative things and hurting my husband. I also find that the things he does in his personal time I am not so interested in. So I focused today on showing some interest in one of those things.

Day 7 - Love Dare

2009-02-27T21:51:00.000-06:00

I think I did Day 6 a little different than it read. I listed areas where I have to be cautious to not react negatively. I think it was asking for you to list areas where you can relieve stress from your life to allow for the things that may cause you to become irritable. I can make that list also. Although on the day I did this I completely bombed at not reacting negatively I have my list and will try to re-read it often as well as the list of areas to relieve stress. One way I try to relieve stress is to get some time alone, even if it is only once per week. My husband is very encouraging in this area. Today a friend and I were planning to meet and we didn’t so I took advantage of that and got away for an hour alone. It definitely is helpful to me. It gives me a new perspective on my day!

Day 7 – Love believes the Best

This section talks about the “Appreciation Room” and the “Depreciation Room”. To me this was a good chapter. The author describes the Appreciation Room as where we list all the things we love about our spouse and the Depreciation Room as the place where unfortunately we list the things that bother us about our spouse. If we focus too long on the things in the Depreciation Room we tend to only see the negative. Even though the things in this room are true it is important not to dwell on them. “Love knows about the Depreciation Room but chooses not to live there.” Love focuses on the positive.

Today’s Dare – Get two sheets of paper. On the first one, spend a few minutes writing out positive things about your spouse. Then do the same with the negative things on the second sheet. Place both sheets in a secret place for another day. There is a different purpose and plan for each sheet. At some point during the remainder of the day pick a positive attribute from the first list and thank your spouse for having this characteristic.

Love Dare - Day 6

2009-02-24T21:34:00.001-06:00

Yesterday’s dare wasn’t too hard. It is easy for me and Mike to discuss things. I did have to hold my tongue to not defend myself. The challenge will be trying to avoid doing these things. (ie. One thing that bothers my husband is my sneezes. They are loud and annoying to his ears. This is something I will have to try to be more aware of.)

Love Dare – Day 6
Day 6 – Love is not irritable
This section says “Love is hard to offend and quick to forgive”. I was surprised at this next statement “Some people have the motto “Never pass up an opportunity to get upset with your spouse” when something goes wrong they quickly take full advantage of it by expressing how hurt of frustrated they are” This section lists 2 key reasons that contribute to a person being irritable. Stress and Selfishness “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:34. Being easily angered is an indicator that a hidden area of selfishness or insecurity is present where love is supposed to rule.

Love Dare for today: Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list below of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. Then list any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life.

Love Dare - Day 5

2009-02-24T21:33:00.000-06:00

Let me catch you up on how I have been doing with this Love Dare over the past few days. I have not been doing one dare a day. I have been getting behind and also making sure I accomplish the dare before I go on. Sometimes this has taken time. I also have been trying to keep up the previous dares. For example, being patient. It seems that my patience is very thin since I started this dare. But stay firm as you progress with the dares you are challenged in so many areas and I have been motivated to take it one day at a time and if I screw it up to keep trying. I think the main goal is to not give up!! My Husband is worth it!!

Day 5 – Love is not rude
In this section it describes rudeness as unnecessarily saying or doing things that are unpleasant for another person to be around. “Genuine Love minds its manners. Good manners express to your spouse “I value you enough to exercise some self-control around you. I want to be a person who’s a pleasure to be with.” The section lists three guiding principles when it comes to practicing etiquette in your marriage: “Guard the Golden Rule – Treat your mate the same way you want to be treated. No Double Standards – Be as considerate to your spouse as you are to strangers and coworkers. Honor Requests – Consider what your husband or wife already asked you to do or not do. If in doubt, then ask”

Love Dare for today: Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so without attacking them or justifying your behavior. This is from their perspective only.

Love Dare - Day 4

2009-02-10T21:57:00.002-06:00

I got busy over the weekend and fell behind. I am now catching up! For Day 3, I did not go out and buy anything super fancy for my husband. I have been doing daily notes and small gifts for him for the 14 days til Valentines Day. I gave him a special handmade card (Zeke and I made cards on Monday) and Raspberry Chocolate candy bar yesterday. This may not be expensive or anything but I believe it does show Mike I was thinking about him because I remembered recently that he bought Raspberry Chocolate candy.

Day 4 is Love is Thoughtful! This part of the book talks about how easy it is to be thoughtful in the beginning of the relationship but once you are married and living everyday with this person it could be easy to neglect them. (i paraphrased in my own words). "Love thinks!" I have felt like I am pretty thoughtful of my husband but lately with a 2 year old and a 7 month old I forget things and have neglected him more. There are a few things he has asked me to do several months ago that I haven't done. Also ironing his shirts is something I know I could do to be more thoughtful! Can you tell I dislike ironing??

Today's Dare - Contact your spouse sometime during the business of the day. Have no agenda other than asking how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them.

This shouldn't be too hard. I am also still working on not saying anything negative. It seems that in the days since I started this Dare I have been more and more impatient. I seem to have so much on my mind and not being focused on Mike! I have been thinking about how this is going to change my way of life and thinking! One of the things stated in this chapter is "the fact that marriage has added another person to your universe does not change" and when you have children there are more people added to your universe. You are not alone anymore! This has been on my mind lately and I am learning that there are some things I am having to let go of. But that could be a whole other post!! Maybe later! gotta go focus on my hubby!!! :0)

Love Dare - Day 3

2009-02-06T22:52:00.002-06:00

Well I have completed Day 2 of the Love Dare. I did very well today. Several times I did things that I knew my husband would like. I ironed his shirt this morning, made cookies and encouraged him to take his time coming home. This was a big deal because usually I am begging him to come home quickly!!!
Day 3 of the Love Dare is about Love is not Selfish. The book asks this question "Why do we have such low standards for ourselves but such high expectations for our mate? The answer is we are all selfish". This chapter encourages you to put the happiness of your spouse before your own happiness. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3"

Day 3 - Love Dare: Whatever you put your time, energy and money into will become more important to you. It's hard to care for something you are not investing in. Along with restraining from negative comments, buy your spouse something that says "I was thinking of you today."

Enjoy!

Love Dare - Day 2

2009-02-05T23:03:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is Day 2 of the Love Dare. I did not do very well today. I did not feel well and was very tired so therefore had a couple of moments where I was not very patient. I will try again tomorrow. The reading for day 2 is about Kindness. "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you" Ephesians 4:32. It says "kindness is love in action". It also says "if patience is how love reacts in order to minimize a negative circumstance, kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance". It breaks kindness down into 4 core ingredients: Gentleness, Helpfullness, Willingness, and Initiative. I like how it says that "kindness graces a wife with the ability to serve her husband without worrying about her rights".

The Love Dare for Tomorrow is - In addition to saying nothing negative to your spouse again today, do at least one unexpected gesture as an act of kindness.

I am not sure what act of kindness I will do. I am thinking about either ironing his clothes (I hate to iron and my husband knows this) he would be very surprised if I iron his clothes without him asking me to. I may also bake him something with butterscotch chips in it. He really likes that! I will also have to practice patience and not say anything negative again tomorrow! Hopefully I will feel better!

Enjoy!

Love Dare - 40 Day Challange

2009-02-04T20:45:00.003-06:00

I have started reading the book "the Love Dare" by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. This is the book that is featured in the movie Fireproof. My husband and I watched this movie last week and ever since I have been wanting to get this book and do the Love Dare! I am always up for ways to serve and love my husband better! I checked the library for the book and there were 10 people ahead of me waiting for the ONE copy that is available at our library. It would be a LONG time before I got it there. I went today to another library and there is one person ahead of me there. So it would be about a month before I can get the book. My mom asked me which book I was looking for and would you believe she had that book in her car! I drove on over and got it from her today and began the LOVE DARE! Actually I start tomorrow. I read Day One. It is about Patience. The book says that "Love is built on two pillars "Patience and Kindness" It says that "when you choose to be patient you respond in a positive way to a negative situation." Proverbs 14:29 says "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly". It also says that "Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human."

The first Love Dare is "For the next day, Resolve to demonstrate Patience and to say nothing Negative to your spouse at all. If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything. It's better to hold your tongue than to say something you'll regret."

SO, for tomorrow, I will resolve to be patient with my husband and not to say anything negative. I will let you know tomorrow how I do and I will post the next Dare!!!

Valentine's Day for my Hubby

2009-02-04T20:39:00.003-06:00

I read on another blog, http://www.thebeautifulthriftylife.blogspot.com/ about a wife who celebrates the 14 days til Valentines' Day by giving her husband a special treat each day leading up to Valentines Day. I thought this was such a fun idea so I am going to do the same for my hubby! I got behind and gave him the first 4 days in one. I went to Market Street today with my mom and got a few treats. And I began writing 4 notes on index cards (I did 4 to catch up, after today I will only do one per day). As I was writing them out I decided that each day I would write a reason why I love him and choose one attribute or one thing I really like about him to focus on. I put the cards with a Reeses Candy on his side of the bed. He came in earlier and hasn't noticed! I can't wait to do this each day! Then on Valentines Day I will probably try to cook a nice dinner and have the kids in bed so that we can have some time alone that evening!

What kinds of things have you done for your husband on Valentines Day??

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-02T10:03:00.002-06:00

Here is my menu for this week!

Monday - Salmon, rice, spinach and broccoli
Tuesday - Meatless Spinach Lasagna
Wednesday - Turkey Chili Dogs (turkey chili (23cents a can) and turkey hot dogs(1.29per pack)
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Sweet and Sour Turkey Smoked Sausage with zuccini, served over rice
Saturday - Stuffed Bell Peppers (http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/01/stuffed-green-peppers.html)

I am trying to use less pork and beef. My husband enjoys it but his tummy doesn't take it too well. If anyone has any meatless recipes, I would love to hear about them!!

I Teddy

2009-02-02T09:58:00.002-06:00

ITeddy is a cool toy that my little boy got for his birthday. My "other mother", Sonya got it for him. It plays music, shows videos, has games and photos. It already has some videos and photos but you can download your own. We downloaded some music of my niece, Delia singing. Zeke loves Delia. He calls her "YaYa". He can sit for a long time just listening to her sing. Great for me when I need a little time to get things done or to myself.

I checked this out on the Target website and it looks like they are on clearence for about $54. I haven't seen them in our Target store. Definately worth the cost, in my opinion.
I don't have a picture right now, but I will take one!

to long since last post

2009-02-02T09:57:00.001-06:00

It has been forever since my last post. I have so much to say. Stay tuned for lots of new info that has been in my brain. Also my weekly menu this week.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-24T13:12:00.002-06:00

I am finally posting the finished picture of my christmas decorations. Hope you enjoy! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!!

No Media = Less Distractions

2008-12-12T09:59:00.002-06:00

I chose to remove media from my day in order to remove distractions and focus on Me (not selfishly but to get things in order in my life)! Isn't it ironic that when you begin to remove things from your live others just tend to move in on it. I have been thinking of so many things I could be doing on the internet lately since I decided Not to be on the internet. Someone asked me to be their friend the other day on Facebook. So of course I joined and got into adding pics, comments, etc on there. Also I have been searching for things such as a play kitchen on Craigslist for Zeke for Christmas as well as other gifts and looking for events around town for New Years Eve. If you have ever searched the internet you know that when you start looking for one thing it leads to many many others.
So starting today for the next 19 days I will allow myself 30 minutes each day to blog and check email, and anything else I need to to. After that I will put up the computer.
God has still changed somethings in me during this time so far. My communication with Mike has gotten better. We both have been a little more patient with eachother. I have been letting things go that I can't control. We have enjoyed our time together with and without the kids. Abi has gotten on more of a schedule and Zeke has been going to bed easier and taking better naps. God has blessed me in all these areas! Abi has even been sleeping til 7:30 am for the past week. (no 5am bottle)
Getting up early is still a challange for me. Mike and I are going to work together to both get up earlier in the AM. This also means we will be working together to get to bed earlier as well.

God Bless!!

Live each day to the Fullest

2008-12-10T13:54:00.003-06:00

I was encouraging my sister yesterday to live each day to the fullest. I thought about what I had said to her and decided to encourage myself with the same advice. Each day we have 24 hours we will never get back. I hope to not waste that time worrying about something I cannot change, arguing with my husband or anyone else about something that doesn't matter, not allowing my kid to be a kid because it will make a mess. I hope to enjoy each and every minute of every day! Letting go of having everything figured out and everything "looking" perfect. I am gonna let it all go (within reason, of course) and just enjoy this life God has placed me in one minute at a time!

I tend to look forward to the next big thing on our calender instead of enjoying each moment so right now I am enjoying my kids napping and me relaxing while blogging. About to clean up the house before my amazing hubby gets home. Then we will be going to have a date night! Thanks tosh for keeping a kiddo for us!

Remember to enjoy every moment, you will never get it back! Hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful day!!!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-08T14:00:00.004-06:00

I was beginning to decorate my home for Christmas this year and thought I would post a few pics. Last year I started a tradition of purchasing picture frame ornaments and framing a picture of each family member each year. So we put up the tree. Put on the lights. Added our picture frame ornaments from last year (I haven't bought any this year). Then Zeke and I made the rings out of construction paper. He was so good at helping me with the tape. I also purchased a Window cling thing of the nativity scene for our front window. I am going to hang blue lights there also. I am also planning to make an angel topper for the tree out of construction paper. It is amazing what you can do with things you have around the house. I am posting a couple of pictures from this morning and will post a few more when we finish. (we have to go out and get an extension cord to finish!) One pic is of Zeke and his car. We made a wreath for his car! I thought it was too cute!

Gift Cards

2008-12-02T21:19:00.002-06:00

Some places offer specials that when you buy so much in gift cards you get an extra gift card. For example if you buy $25 in gift cards you get an extra $5 in gift cards. If you are planning to shop at these places it would benefit you to purchase the gift cards and get the extra cards!

Just a thought!

Tom Thumb gas - $1.27 per gallon

2008-12-02T21:17:00.002-06:00

Today I got gas for $1.27 per gallon. If you shop at Tom Thumb you probably already know that for every $100 you spend you receive 10cents off per gallon of gas. Well, did you know that if you have earned more than one of those you can add them together?? I did not know this. I had earned 4 and was able to save 40 cents per gallon of gas today! Pretty Neat!

Day 2 - No Media

2008-12-02T21:08:00.002-06:00

I made it to Starbucks this morning! Abi woke me up around 5:30am so after feeding her I was dressed and off to Starbucks. I got my Nonfat Caramel Machiato and found me a very quite corner and spend some awesome time studying the Word of God! I have been drawn to several passages in Proverbs. I continued to meditate on Proverbs 31:12. I have had much energy and patience today. I made a to do list this morning and accomplished more than 3/4 of it. I also had time to make pizza for lunch and run a couple of errands this afternoon. It is amazing to me how diligently changing one area of your life affects all the other areas.

I struggle with not reading other blogs, etc when I am online blogging. I have been checking Craigslist, etc for gifts for Christmas and ordering pictures, etc. I want to be more diligent to only get online to blog.

I will be back tomorrow with another day of No media!

Day 1 - No Media - Proverbs 31:12

2008-12-01T13:41:00.002-06:00

Proverbs 31:12

"She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life"

Wow, what a scripture to start off this amazing time with the Lord. Please tell me I am not the only one who has ever been mean, hateful and down right ugly to their husband. I hate to admit that this is how I was over the weekend! I am astonished at some of the things I said to my husband and really emberassed about some of the ways I acted. I believed so many lies the enemy was telling me and in turn took everything out on him. I was on my period over the weekend but I do not want to lean on that as an excuse but to notice that this is the time during the month that I struggle. I hope this drawing to the Lord will help me to do better in 28 days when I am faced with this struggle once again.

I am going to work on memorizing this scripture this week. I will also be working on getting up early to spend time with the Lord. We have a Starbucks across the street from where we live and I plan to walk my little self there tomorrow at 6am!

When I read Proverbs 31 or a book about being a good wife/mom, I sometimes get discouraged and think that those women must have super powers to be able to do all those things in a 24 hour period. To me it is impossible. What I/we have to take notice of is that they do have super powers, Jesus! If we are consistantly communing with him everythings is so much more possible. I believe for me it has to be the beginning of my day. I have tried to work it into the later part of the day and it does not have the same effect. So for tomorrow, I will attempt to arrise early and spend those early moments with my Heavenly King! Then I will be better prepared to serve my Earthly King!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of Dec 1

2008-12-01T13:32:00.003-06:00

We will be going out of town later this week so my menu is short.

Monday - Pasta with Veggies
Tuesday - Homemade Pizza, Salad and Brussel Sprouts
Wednesday - Taco Soup

I wanted to add that the Pumpkin Pancakes I made last week were yummy! I got the recipe from Money Saving Mom. I also tried the Pumpkin Dinner rolls from MSM as well and they were a huge hit. I made a tester batch last week and decided to make them for Thanksgiving. My family loved them. They were easier than I expected.

Thankful

2008-11-30T21:56:00.002-06:00

I got busy last week but I did want to post at least this one more thing I am thankful for!!

MY HUSBAND - my husband is very patient with me.

I am grateful for a husband who encourages me to be honest, to take care of myself, and who loves me even when I do not deserve his love.

My husband is a great father. He loves to be around Brandon, Zeke and Abi. He and Brandon have a very open relationship. Brandon knows how Mike feels about things and He knows that Mike is the boss but he also knows he can talk to him about anything. Mike loves to play with Zeke. Zeke loves his daddy too! He loves to watch for him at the window and to give him kisses when he gets home. Abi knows her daddy's voice too. She will completely turn her head just to see him when she hears him.

My husband is a great leader. Mike wants what is best for our family. He is a great provider. He decided that we should move closer to his job so that he could continue to work hard for us but also be around us more. Now we are so blessed that we can have lunch together most days.

My husband is a Visonary Man! He loves to dream! Never tell my husband he can't do something! He will reach for the Moon and Catch it!!! ( i read this somewhere "Reach for the Moon, even if you don't catch it you may catch a star") Kinda cheesy but great point! I hope he never stops dreaming! I will follow him anywhere!

My husband loves to have fun! I love him very much!!!

31 Days - No Media

2008-11-30T21:38:00.002-06:00

I am about to embark on 31 days of No Media. I have had a rough weekend and I will probably share a little more about that over the next 31 days. I am posting about this because I want the accountability. I know my friend marli reads my blog so even if she is the only one at least I have now told one person so I am currently held accountable to this 31 days! This means No TV, movies, radio (only music to be worship music), and internet (only use internet to blog, I will not be reading other blogs,etc).

I was reading "Life Management for Busy Women" by Elizabeth George and was encouraged to manage my mind. This brought on a vision for many changes in my life. I have grown frustrated and stressed with my life. My two youngest children keep me busy all the time and then there is my oldest son who I homeschool. Then I have to cook, clean and all the rest. I also have a husband who wants a wife to be there for him. That has left no time for me. I have to stop right now and state that my husband has encouraged me consistantly to take time for myself. I find that when I do take time for myself i tend to do things that need to be done. I rarely just relax and spend time alone. This has taken a great toll on my spiritual, emotional and physical being. Therefore after reading this morning I decided that I would take 31 days and remove as many distractions that I could and focus on me as much as I can! When I told my husband I was doing this he was very encouraged. He has gone without media for periods of time before and was very encouraged by this. The first time he did this was 9/11. It was very life changing for him to not be focused on the media during this time in america. Another neat coincidence I thought of today was that 5 years ago in October Mike and I had broken up (this was before we were married) and then got back together around the first of December. When we got back together we decided to not kiss until January 1. What an amazing thing that was for our relationship! I am very encouraged in doing this. I already saw that i had more patience with my 22 month old earlier tonight. If you are reading this, pray for me. Pray that God would open my mind to see the things He would have me see. Pray that He would show me disciplines He wants me to have. Pray that I will listen to Him and be strengthened to be the wife and mother he has created me to be!

I will be back tomorrow to keep you posted about my No Media as well as to post my Menu for the week!!

Thankful!

2008-11-24T20:34:00.002-06:00

What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for

my relationship with Jesus Christ
my amazing Husband, Mike
my 3 great kids, Brandon, Zeke and Abi
my husbands great job
that we live close to his job and he gets to come home for lunch on most days
that I get to stay home and be with my smaller children, Zeke and Abi
that I have a good close relationship with Brandon, who is my "step" son
that both Zeke and Abi were happy babies
that Abi is content to play alone when needed
that Zeke is happy most of the time and enjoys helping me around the house
that my husband supports me in losing weight (15.8 lb lost since Sept 23, 2008)
that my husband loves me even if I never lose weight
that God has blessed us financially so we have all we need and can save and pay debt

that I have an older son who takes us out to eat!! (We are about to go right now!)

I will post more things I am thankful for tomorrow!!!

Budget - leave the debit card at home!

2008-11-24T20:00:00.002-06:00

Do you budget? Mike and I have been sorda budgeting for about 2 years now. We definately write everything out each pay period and allot money for each need. Do we stick to it 100%?? No not really. We are both very quick to use the debit card when needed or so we think we need it. So this past pay period I decided that I would place my debit card in the safe. This way when I go out I have to plan and take the cash with me or Tough Luck! This will probably mean less money spent eating out and more planning on my part! By staying home more over the past few months I have learned a little more about planning. I rarely go out with both kids so I plan most of my errands, grocery trips and other shopping for my one night a week that I go out by myself. This by itself has saved me much of my blow money. When I would run my errands and get out more than this I spent much of my blow money on fast food. I am excited to see how much we can save just by me leaving my debit card at home. This is also a way that I am being more submissive to Mike. I usually justify using the card because I know he has used it. Kinda silly huh??? I will keep you posted on how I do these next 2 weeks with out my debit card.

Using Leftovers

2008-11-24T15:14:00.002-06:00

I have been very conservative lately with our grocery budget. Due to my obligations at home with two under 2, a husband and a homeschooling Senior i have had to stop using coupons as much as before. I still clip the ones I know I will use, such as soy milk, diapers, wipes, baby food, etc. Some of the things we do is eat very little meat. This is more of a personal preference for my husband than a budget issue. We probably eat meat about 2 times per week. I usually always make beans once. Tacos and Pasta are also regulars. We eat lots of salad, fish and other fresh and frozen veggies.
When I make beans I usually have lots of leftovers and in the past I have either froze them and forgot about them or thrown them away. I thought I would try to plan our menu to use the beans in at least one or two other meals. For instance, I will make beans one night with cornbread and rice. Then use them with tacos the next night. I have also used them in chili, taco soup and meatloaf. I am going to post my recent meatloaf recipe! I am very proud of it! It was delicious. My almost 2 year old ate it for about 3 meals.

Meatloaf
1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 cup black beans (chopped finely in mini chopper)
3/4 cup cooked rice
1/3 can of stewed tomatos (chopped finely in mini chopper)
meatloaf seasoning of your choice (as needed to taste)
whorstershire sauce (as needed to taste)
1 egg white
1/4 cup milk (extra if needed)
crackers, bread crumbs (as needed for consistency)

Combine all ingredients and form into a loaf. Top with ketchup if desired. Cook at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

I am planning to add carrots and spinach next time I make it.

Another thing I do is buy whole chicken. Then I spend one morning or afternoon boiling it. I then shred it and use it in soups, casseroles or anything else I can think of. One whole chicken usually yields at least 2-3 meals.

I also have leftovers from the weeks meals on Thursdays. Below is my menu for this week for my family.

Monday Pasta and Veggies
Tuesday Eggs & Pumpkin Pancakes (recipe on moneysavingmom.com)
Wednesday Out of Town
Thursday Thanksgiving
Friday Beans, Turnip Greens & Cornbread
Saturday Smothered Pork Chops, Greens, Salad
Sunday Meatloaf, Potatos, Salad

It is possible this menu will change due to the holidays. We may have some leftovers from Thanksgiving we will need to eat!

I hope to post my menu more often. It will be neat to look back and see what we have eaten when I get in a rut!.

Welcome Back!

2008-11-24T14:42:00.002-06:00

I thought I would just welcome myself back to my own blog!! I am not sure how many people read my blog but if you do, I am sorry to have been gone so long. My computer was being fixed. Hopefully it is all better and will work wonderfully for me for a long time to come! With that being said, if you regularly read my blog please leave a comment so I know who you are! It is fun to know who your audience is!

Not having a computer for several weeks taught me so much. I learned that I had to plan a lot better. I was able to check email , etc at the office of our apartment as well as at the library. I go to the library once per week to get videos and books for Zeke so I would just take a few extra minutes and check my email and other things. I have also done lots more baking and cooking. Less computer time means more time for other things. I have learned that Zeke enjoys cooking with me. Sometimes he really helps and other times I just give him a little ingredients to play with. He loves it! I have posted a cute picture of him cooking this morning! I have been able to go through boxes and our closet! I still have a few other things to go through but this was a big start for me. With two growing kiddos and Me losing weight it seems that we are getting rid of clothes all the time.

Hope everyone is well and thinking of all they have to be thankful for this week! I have plans for at least 3 more posts so I hope to get those up before Tuesday night!

Sacrifice

2008-09-16T20:53:00.002-05:00

I was singing to my son as I tried to get him to sleep tonight (big challange right now in our house) and I just began singing the phrase "I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross" this is from the song, "Here I am to worship". As my son fell asleep I thought of this: there is always "Cost" involved. As a mother/wife I see the "cost" in caring for my children, serving my husband, etc. When I was an employee there was "cost" involved in my job. As a friend there is "cost" involved in relationships. Sacrifice is something we will always come across! How awesome it is that God thought it was worth the sacrifice of His Son for us to have life! I have been studying Genesis lately. The fall of Man and Noah. Without the sacrifice of God's Son we would not exist! We would naturally sin and have to die for those sins! If Adam and Eve could sin so easily without any distractions, struggles, etc do we think we are any different! Tonight I want to acknowledge how Blessed and Grateful I am to be Saved from Sin! Thank you Jesus for the sacrifice you made for Me!!!! I want to follow that example of sacrifice and be a Cheerful Sacrificer with my family! I want to sacrifice for my husband and children without complaining! I want to embrace the beauty and blessing I have to be a wife to an amazing husband who loves to serve God and loves his family and a mother to three wonderful children who all need me in different ways. Thank you God that you have given me eyes to see how to serve them all!

Happy Birthday Tosha!

2008-09-10T22:59:00.001-05:00

Today is my sister's birthday!

Happy Birthday Tosh!! Hope your birthday is special! We love you!

Singing with my children

2008-09-10T22:32:00.002-05:00

I love to sing! If you know me and you did not know that it is because I do not sing well! Isn't it fun that our children do not notice our lack of talent? I am always singing with my two smaller children. When I sing silly songs loud and crazy it always makes my Zeke laugh and we just dance and sing together. Sometimes in the car or at home. I have also enjoyed many moments of singing worship songs over my children. Recently I have started singing a song over my 19 month old when he goes to sleep. The song goes

Lord prepare me
To be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy
Tried and True
And with Thanksgiving
I'll be a Living
Sanctuary
For You

I believe the Lord put this on my heart as a prayer for my son as he grow! What a privilage it is to raise these beautiful children God has given me. It is so hard sometimes with two very young babies underfoot but God will give me strength during this season to raise up a Strong Man and Beautiful Woman of God.

I have also been blessed with an amazing Older child. Brandon came to me when he was already 13 years old. In this time he has moved in with us, played football, hurt his knee about 3 times, liked a few girls, knocked over a few mailboxes, seen my faults, requested that I choose his wife. We have had many special moments over the years. I always knew there would be special things that would just be "Brandon things". One of those things was "Special Dinner Night". For about a year on the nights that Mike and I would go on date night I would plan a special dinner night for Brandon. I would give him a goody bag with snacks, special treats and drinks as well as a special note just for him. He even had a specil placemat and plate for that night! I always wanted Brandon to feel special. I never ever wanted him to feel like he was any less my child than the children I gave birth to. There is a special song that has been on my heart for the past year or so for Brandon. I have never and never plan to sing this song to Brandon but it is and will always be in my heart. The name of the song is "Find your Wings" by Mark Harris. I have to include the lyrics because they are so amazing. I will probably cry as I type them.

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray for all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know you're walking in the truth
And if I never told you I want you to know As I watch you grow

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind that leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong Guide you on your way
May there be many moments that make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

Sing with your children! It is fun and definatly creates a bond between you!

Schedules

2008-09-10T22:19:00.003-05:00

Let me just start this post by saying that I HATE schedules. But I have to get one. I have three children. One is 17 yrs old and will be finishing high school via homeschooling in December. One is 19 months old and is currently getting into everything (hopefully not at this moment since he is supossed to be in bed). One is 2 months old and naturally needs mommy to do everything for her (I am very blessed that she sleeps 10-12 hours at night). As I have thought about this schedule business for the past few weeks I have determined that it is really mommy that needs to get into a routine. So every morning I plan to get up at 6am to have some time to myself and then start my day with the kiddos. I think this worked maybe twice. I have tried to plan a variety of activities for my 19 month old so that he will stay busy and this only keeps me extra busy. He has fun but I get nothing done. I think I am one of those people who plans her goals so far fetched that she never completes anything. I told my husband the other day that I was going to get up at 6am everyday. He said "why don't you just try to for tomorrow". What good advice that was. SO with that said, I will try tomorrow to get up early and have time to myself. And then we will go from there! If you read this post and you have a good routine/schedule please share it with me! Maybe I can learn from you!

Two under 2

2008-07-17T21:25:00.006-05:00

I am officially the mother of Two under 2!! And boy is it challanging! Hence the reason I have not blogged in about a month! I have so many things rolling around in my head but no time now to get them down. I just wanted to post a few photos of my new family member and also to let you think about something I have been thinking about lately.

I have been thinking about the different roles we all have in a family. For example a mother has a different role than a father and a husband different than a wife. A husband is responsible to provide for the family where the wife is to submit to him and follow! I am grateful that i do not have the responsibility to provide for my family but some how buck up to my husband when I think he is crazy for wanting to do something! Ladies, we have to trust them. I know it is hard sometimes to think that God would have us trust these crazy sinners but He put them over us for a reason! And the role as mother and father. The father's role is not to care for the kids. That is our role as a mother. Yes, they can help out as they see fit but it is not their job! It is a mother's job. And yes, when they do help and do it different than you would like, feel free to correct them but I wouldn't expect them to help out again! I speak from experience. I appreciate my husbands help and learn the hard way that if I want his help I need to let him know I appreciate it and not correct him. Another tidbit I have learned regarding this. They will not remember the simple things (like which lid goes with which sippy cup) even though you think they should. This is NOT their job! Their job is to love us wifes and to provide, among other things. Our job is to take care of the husband, kiddos and the home! WOW! I guess I really did blog about this! LOL Here are some photos of our sweet Abigail Rose!!! Feel free to comment regarding roles and responsiblities in families.

Trusting your Husband

2008-06-15T23:53:00.002-05:00

My husband was sick this past week. And we are not talking about a little sick. He came down with Tonsilitis and missed work for 3 days! My husband works contract as a nurse and does not have sick time! He was really sick! At first I was a little annoyed with him. I am 38.5 weeks pregnant and he came to bed late Sunday night complaing and waking me up that he didn't feel well and that he may have to call in to work. Well, I was very annoyed that he woke me up and then I was annoyed that he was talking about calling in to work. We need the money! So I responded with no sympathy and told him to quit whining! As hard as it is to admit it I did tell him that. The next morning I knew he was sick. He kept telling me it was tooo cold in our house and that we could hang meat in there, etc. He was obviously running a fever. He was in bed all day. At some point I realized that my issue was a trust issue (I love to have my husband home during the week) and I needed to trust that God would meet our needs and know that my husband would not call in sick unless he really was! He knows our needs as well as I do! He does not call into work that often! As I began to understand this and deal with the root issue I was able to serve my husband during this sick time that turned out to be 3 full days. The next day we went to the doctor and he found out it was Tonsilitis so he was on antibiotic and since I was pregnant I saw my midwife to make sure i was okay. My throat was a little sore. My throat was a little red so she prescribed me and antibiotic as well. I wasn't feeling the greatest but I just kept wanting to serve my husband. This time of sickness brought us closer to eachother. It was a very hard time for my husband ( he said several times he didn't think he had ever been this sick) and I am glad I was able to submit to him and trust his judgement. How awful of me if I had whined and complained and he had gone to work sick!? I even turned off the fan one night since he was shivering so bad!

I also wanted to add something I heard this morning at church about Submission! Tommy Nelson was talking about how a wife is to submit to her husband but he explained how the Husband submits to Christ and Christ submits to God! So as we submit to our husbands we are ultimately submitting to Christ and then to God! So when we are NOT in submission to our husbands we are also NOT in submission to Christ! Really makes me think! I will have to remember this when there are times I don't want to submit. Our husbands have to answer to Christ for everything they do! When I trust God it makes it a little easier to trust my husband.

CVS Trip

2008-06-15T23:40:00.002-05:00

I had intended this blog to include some of my coupon shopping experiences so that others could be encouraged and benefit just like me. Below is two transactions I made a couple of weeks ago. It shows how you can get things you need for very cheap! This particular trip I needed my sunday papers and charcoal. I did not have coupons for either so here is how it went:

Transaction 1
2 Chex Mix 1.00 ea
2 Listerine Smart Rinse 3.49 ea
2 CVS bandages 1.99 ea
2 Dallas Morning News papers 1.50 ea

Total 15.96

Used 3/15 CVS coupon, 2 $1 off coupon for Chex, 2 $1 off coupon for Listerine, and a 9.98 ECB
Total out of pocket was $ 0.00
And I got $3.98 ECB for bandages and $6.98 ECB for listerine

Transaction 2
1 Pampers Diapers 7.99
1 Gum Go Between teeth cleaner 2.99
1 Kingsford Charcoal 5.99

Total 16.97

Used 3/15 CVS coupon, 55cents off Gum coupon, 1.50 off pampers coupon, and 3.98 and 6.98 ECB

Total out of pocket was $1.50
And I got $1 ECB for the Gum product

I hope this is helpful to someone! If you would like more advice on how to do shops at CVS let me know. I love helping people get the things they need for Free, better than Free or almost Free! It is so much fun for me.

Contentment

2008-05-29T05:54:00.002-05:00

The Lord has been teaching me about Contentment lately. Almost 2 years ago (September 06) my family and I had a house fire. We had just purchsed an older mobile home (3.5 months earlier) and were beginning to make renovations (the night before we began to redo the master bathroom) and low and behold on a Sunday morning while we were all gone it caught fire and burned! It only burned in a small place in the living room but there was smoke and water damage throughout the house. It was declared a total loss. We salvaged those few things we could and went on our way. We spent the next 2 months in a men's ministry home (we did have our private area) while we waited on the Lord to direct us to our new place of dwelling. Did I mention that I was 6 months pregnant when this happened?? This experience only made our then family of 3 much closer. I learned to be content with what I had and not need so many material things. I have since been more willing to give things away. I do not hold on to things like I used to. I do not get upset when things go missing/taken (Mike has taken a few pots and pans, etc from our kitchen camping and I never see them again). I gave away or sold most of Zeke's baby things only to get pregnant about a month later. And wouldn't you know God has blessed me with so much more! I rarely want for much! Just last night I was fixing up our bathroom with a few things I bought at garage sales or had around the house. When I am finished I will try to upload a picture.
Anyway back to contentment, I have truly learned what it means to be content with Things what I am currently learning is how to be content in my Circumstances. I tend to look forward and think about the next Big thing going on in our lives. It can be a special trip, my birthday, the birth of our daughter, etc. While this isn't entirely bad when it consumes you and you cannot enjoy the moment or day your are in it can be a problem. I think I have done this for all of my life. This week I have made a great effort to enjoy each moment of each day. I feel more rested and relaxed! A friend recently told me that she received a package of M & M's and with it someone encouraged her to "Live Moment by Moment". I want to practice this every moment of every day. The first day I tried this was Tuesday and my husband works late on Tuesdays. Lately I get very upset when he doesn't come home right away after work. I feel neglected and that he sees other people as more important than me when he doesn't come home to me right away! This night was no different he came home about an hour later than I thought he should, he went by a friends house to say "Hello" which is what he does quite often and I really have been letting him know what I think about that. (not a great picture of a submissive wife and not a good thing for the marriage) This night when he came home I came downstairs and we talked normally. Remember I am trying to live in the moment so for some amazing reason I have no anger or bitterness towards him for not coming home right away! Miracle in my opinion! He then proceeds to ask me about my day! WE sat on the couch and talked for about 20 minutes about my day and other things, then we went to bed! I was living in the moment! Again the next night same thing, he was a little later than he said he would be getting home and I did not get MAD! Living in the moment has been great! Thank you God for this great Revelation!!!

My very first Blog!!

2008-05-28T21:41:00.003-05:00

This is my first post on my blog! I wanted a way to communicate all the many things that go on in my head. I enjoy reading other peoples blogs so I thought making one of my own would allow me an outlet for talking about everything. I will talk about myself first. I love my family! My husband is amazing. He is very kind and loving toward me. Although, I do not always acknowledge that, lately I have been pretty grumpy and mean (I am 36 weeks pregnant). He calls me his Queen and he is my King! We have two wonderful boys and a girl on the way. I love to coupon shop! I enjoy and get pretty wrapped up in finding things for FREE or better than free. I enjoy cooking and decorating our house. I am blessed to live by my sister and niece! I get to take my niece to school 4 days per week and am very involved in her school activities. She has her last day next week! It is also neat that they get to spend so much time with my youngest son, Zeke. He is 16 months old and my niece, Delia is his best friend. You should see how excited he gets when he sees her! You would think he hadn't seen her in forever! She loves to play with him too! I use a midwife instead of a doctor for my pregnancies. I can't imagine it anyother way. I have the most amazing midwife, Jean Sala. She is with Inanna Birth Center. She pays so much attention to me and I feel like she is more my friend than my midwife. She and Lynne have taught me that I can do anything if I can push a baby out! Zeke was 8 lbs 15 oz. It was an experience. One I will never forget and i am so grateful I experienced it where I did. It was like a bed and breakfast! If you are thinking about using a midwife, check them out at http://www.inannabirth.com/. I have a Home based business, creating customers accounts for a 23yr old Health and Wellness Company. The products are amazing. I have fallen in love with the cleaning products. They do not use harmful chemicals. My favorite cleaner is a hospital grade dissinfectant and it contains the herb Thyme. It smells great and I do not worry about spraying it around my son. It won't hurt him like Bleach would! If you would like more information you can check out my website at www.livetotalwellness.com/mikeswife. Well, I did not plan to ramble but hey, isn't that what this is for? I plan to utilize this blog for sharing my everyday life as well as encouraging myself and others to completely submit their hearts to Jesus Christ, their Heavenly King as well as those who are married to submit themselves to their earthly King, their husbands! God bless everyone! Start referring to your husband as your King! It will make him feel great about himself and he will feel your honor and trust in him!