Homeschooling Four

Avery State Competition

2011-12-12T23:30:00.002-05:00

Avery competed in her first State Meet this past weekend. She did FABULOUS!! She placed 1st in her division on the bars and 2nd on floor which helped her to place 2nd in overall! We are so proud and just love to watch her do what she loves.

Morgan came along for the 3 hour drive there and back and the 2 hours sitting at the meet just to support her sister and keep her company. Awww, how sweet! However, she refused to let me take any pictures of her. That's ok, I am just posting this one anyway!

Here is a video of her on the bars!

And, here she is on floor!

Kid Christmas Party!

2011-12-12T21:25:00.001-05:00

This year my kids wanted to throw a party for all the kids in our neighborhood. We painted sun-catchers, made Holiday door hangers decorated cookies and ate "North Pole" cupcakes. The kids all had a blast, made a mess and ate more sugar than anyone should!

Decorating the Tree

2011-12-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

Last week we picked out our Christmas tree and decorated. Cory was able to take a day off and we spent one complete afternoon doing the decorating tradition. In our family, you just can't decorate a tree without junk food sitting around to pick at all afternoon. We had fun and it sure does get easier to do this kind of thing as our kids get older. I don't have to stress about the ornaments breaking or stepping on lights or being electricuted. I also have given up control and just let my kids do most of the lighting and hanging of ornaments. It may not be perfect but they have so much more fun!

There was a little bit of a war between Cory and Sydney this year... apparently they both thought "their" ornament should be the highest on the tree. Guess who won? I'll give you a hint... the taller one :) As you can see, my kids can hardly wait for Christmas time. Before we even had a tree, all those presents you see were already wrapped and tagged. And, those are just the ones that they have bought. I love to see them get excited about what they want to give instead of what they want to get.

Camping

2011-12-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

We had our first family camping trip last weekend with some friends. It was a quick trip for us because we didn't get there until Saturday morning and left first thing Sunday morning. But, we did have lots of fun and so did the kids. Jordan has been begging to go since I keep going on camping trips with my Girl Scout troop. I have already mapped out several dates to go again in the New Year.
This time, we decided to bring bikes for the kids. They loved it and rode all around the campground.

How many coolers does it take to feed 5 families?

Nothing quite like sitting around the fire with friends and chillin'

This is how Sydney and Allison attempted to keep the smoke out of their face... and our little scorpion friend that the kids found in a pinecone they collected from the ground! Ewww!

GS Camping Trip

2011-12-01T00:30:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I took my Girl Scout Troop camping for the weekend. We had a great time and here are some of the highlights...
The girls cooked all meals and started the fires themselves. For breakfast we made egg muffin sandwiches. We cooked the eggs in muffin tins, toasted the english muffins on the grill and added some cheese.

This is the finished product... They were actually very good!

They also each took turns on a team that was the Hostess for our meals and they set the table and decorated with nature :)

Each girl also took a turn on the "clean up" crew. They all worked hard and did wonderful!

Reading in the cabin... and some crafts for charities.

Here are a group of girls starting the fire in the fire pit.

You always have to be ready to face one of these yucky guys. They have huge webs and they are the size of my hand!

We also did a geo caching hunt and had to search in some strange places for those little boxes.

It was a fun weekend... The weather was perfect.... Can't wait to do it again!

Avery's 1st Gymnastics Meet

2011-12-01T00:09:00.000-05:00

Avery competed in her first Meet a couple weeks ago. She did great and had a great time! We are so proud of her!
She placed 5th in the bars and she is getting ready for the state competition in 2 weeks. It's so much fun to watch her do something she loves and excels at. Looking forward to the upcoming Meet :)

Fall Party

2011-10-31T22:00:00.000-04:00

Jessica hosted a fun Fall Party at her house. Most people brought 1 pumpkin per kid. I brought 1 for my 4 kids to share. Why, you ask? Well, I only have 1 kid that will actually stick her hand in that thing and clean it out :) Avery really does enjoy this tradition (started with Jessica, not me, btw).

Sydney tried a couple handfuls and then went to the spoons :)

Look at all these fun foods! Jessica has quite the nack for finding creative and fun ways to decorate for a party and serve unique food.

Josh really would rather not touch that pumpkin at all! This was his face the whole time :)

Austin just decided to "hang out" for the party!

We had a great time hanging out with family and celebrating the Fall season. I sincerely appreciate when other people have the creative juices that I lack and choose to involve my kids. It helps me feel like my kids are missing out on that experience as much :)
We did have a lot of fun and have lots of fun stuff planned for this holiday season. It's going to be a good one!

Avery's 11th Birthday!

2011-10-19T16:41:00.002-04:00

Yes, I am catching up on these birthday posts :)
September and October are crazy birthday months around here. But, last week, Avery celebrated her 11th birthday. The day of her birthday (Friday), we were in NC (see last pic). So, to celebrate with the Orlando crew, we waited until Sunday for lunch.
She asked for a cookie cake with icing on top. And, that is exactly what she got with her name written in chocolate chips!

We had a fun day celebrated her life and the difference it has made in ours! Avery, you have the most serving and sensitive spirit I know. I love you and Happy Birthday!

Morgan turned 12 in September!!

2011-10-18T17:18:00.001-04:00

Only 1 more year and I will officially have a TEENAGER!
That's right, Morgan turned 12 last month.

For her birthday dinner, she decided on chicken nuggets, mac n cheese and green beans. Yum!

She wanted to make her own cake in her own way. We had vanilla cake with strawberry's and whipped cream in the middle and chocolate frosting. She loved it and it was good!

Happy Birthday Morgan! You help keep us all on track and following the rules. Love you girl!

Blue Man Group

2011-10-18T17:08:00.000-04:00

Cory is one of those people who is just lucky. He enters contests through the radio all the time and he often wins. Well, his latest score was 4 tickets to the Blue Man Group show. We decided to make it a family night since we would only need to purchase 2 child tickets. We knew this opportunity would not come around for our family again and the girls have all been asking to see this show for years.

Well, it did not disappoint. We were not allowed to take any pictures during the show, but you it was a LOT of fun and funny!
Afterward, the girls got a picture with some members of the band.

Outside the theater

After the show we played in the field out front; running, jumping, chasing, handstands and some wrestling with daddy.

2011-10-18T16:58:00.001-04:00

Jordan turned 7 in June. I know, I know... it's October. Don't worry, there are 2 birthdays after his that I missed too. So, back to Jordan. He had a fun evening with his family.
This is him wiping a kiss off. He does not let ANYONE other than mommy and daddy kiss him!

He will give out a hug here and there though...

Someone likes to jump in other people's pictures!

He held his breath the whole time we sang "Happy Birthday"

For some reason, he felt the need to eat his cake with no hands. Oh, boys!!

Happy Birthday, Jordan. You bring an element of funny and crazy to our family that we just wouldn't know what to do without!

Vaca In NC

2011-10-18T16:40:00.002-04:00

We were fortunate enough to be able to go to NC for a week with Cory's parents and stay at his aunt's cabin. The weather was amazing. The leaves were gorgeous. And, we had a great time! Here are a couple pics of the week.

We walked down to the stream at the bottom of the driveway and the kids all wanted to take a drink.

Apparently, Jordan needed a little help:)

Jordan walked back with Papa to "make sure he didn't die on the way up" :)
Our view from the porch

Two days, we headed to Gatlinburg, TN... This time, we went to the Ripley's Aquarium and Guinness Museum. Lots of fun!

Papa showed the kids a Pioneer village. The kids just love to pose together.

The same day, we ate lunch by this river that had an outlet from lots of rocks. So, we had to "walk on water". The kids started with their shoes on, then we chucked the socks, shoes and rolled up our jeans. Eventually, Cory and I joined in. The water was cold and the rocks slimy, but all the kids said it was their favorite part of the day!

The guys spent a couple days working in the yard and cutting down dead trees and hauling limbs down the mountain. The kids jumped in to help, but Jordan especially thought he was just "one of the guys".

Driving over the mountain from Gatlinburg to Dillsboro

Our 2nd day in Gatlinburg, we had a lot of fun going to Ober Gatlinburg. At the top of this mountain (taken there by tram), we were able to go ice skating, flume slide down the mountain, chair lift, and other fun stuff. We went there on Avery's birthday and we all had a grand time.

At the end of the day, we headed to Pizza Hut (her choice) for dinner and I told her to stand on the chair so I could sing Happy Birthday to her. After dinner, I asked the entire restaurant to sing along with me :) On her way out the door, one of the tables called her over, said "Happy Birthday" and handed her $5! See, it sometimes pays off to have an embarrassing mom.

All in all, we had a really fun, relaxing trip. One of my prayers was answered when Cory did not have any cell phone service at the cabin and could not communicate with work very often. I didn't realize what a pain it would be for me not being able to update facebook and talk to my friends :) I guess I needed a break from that too.

Show Me the $$!!

2011-06-26T18:21:00.003-04:00

Well, I have completed my required births for my certification and read all the books I need to. I will start attending the Childbirth Education classes in 2 weeks and I still need to write my essay on the value of a doula. I feel like the end is near. But, I also feel anxious. Now, I actually have to find clients who find the value of a doula to be high enough to hire me :) I have invested money, lots of time and hard work to get through this certification. I just hope that it was all worth it. I would be a doula for free anytime if I could. But, I know that would not work out to well for my family. I am nervous and excited to see what the future holds.

Double Header

2011-06-15T22:06:00.002-04:00

No, not 1 baby with 2 heads... 2 births back to back :)

Sunday afternoon around 2 I get a call from my client letting me know she is at the hospital and being admitted for labor. So, I get myself and my stuff together and head out. When I arrived she was having good, strong contractions that were fairly close together. She was waiting for a room to open up on the labor/delivery floor. While she waited, she could not get the epidural that she was anticipating. So, we started working hard on relaxation and focal techniques. It didn't take long for her to discover that she could work through this contractions in a productive way. After a couple hours, she was moved to the correct floor and her anesthesiologist was in the room in minutes. Once the epidural was in place, mom relaxed a little. Luckily, her labor continued to progress on it's own and by 10:30 that night she was ready to start pushing. She welcome her little girl into the world at 11:30 p.m. Mom did great work and both her and baby were healthy and alert. After getting cleaned up, baby returned to mom and she was able to nurse for the first time. I was able to assist in positioning and latching techniques and things to go very smoothly.

About 1:15 in the morning I was on my way out of the hospital.

As I was walking to the car, I received a text from another client letting me know that they were on their way to their hospital.

So, I hopped in the car and drove to that hospital and met my 2nd client for the day. She was already 5cm dilated and doing a wonderful job at relaxing through the contractions. She was moved to a labor room where she continued to work through the pain beautifully! By the time she got to 7 cm, she was ready for an epidural. Because of the excitement of what was coming, she was not able to get any sleep even after the epidural. Her body also progressed well without pitocin and she was complete by 8:45 a.m. However, baby was still fairly high up. So, nurse had her practice pushing a couple times and then decided to let her "labor down" for a little while since she had the epidural. She did this for 2 1/2 hours and contractions started to lessen in frequency and intensity. So, she was given some pitocin to help move the baby down. 1/2 hour later, she was ready to start pushing and within 30 minutes, she was holding her new baby. She was able to delay the cutting of the cord and had the baby laid directly on her chest as they cleaned him up. Within several minutes, mom had the opportunity to attempt breastfeeding.

I was completely exhausted by the time I headed home at 2 p.m. But, I truly can say that I do not wish it was any different. I loved every minute and I'm excited about my next client that was due 3 days ago.

loneliness...

2011-06-03T16:41:00.002-04:00

is a word that we all can relate to. although, it can take on so many forms.
there is physical loneliness when you truly are isolated from the rest of the world.
there is emotional loneliness when you feel alone even with loved ones around.
there is spiritual loneliness when you allow your soul to drift away from God.
there is loneliness in specific areas of your life when you feel like no one else understands what you are going through.
there is loneliness in the loss of life of someone you love.
there is loneliness in the loss of friendships that have been instrumental in your life.

right now, mine is where i am in life. i have been here before. i started having kids very early in our marriage (i was only 21 when the first one was born). all my friends were still going to college or waited several years before starting a family. the first 5 years of my kids life felt very lonely. i couldn't just drop everything and go like everyone else i knew could. while other's talked about their careers and school, i was changing poopy diapers and pregnant.
as my kids grew, things got easier. my last was on his way while everyone else was just getting started. but, they were all pre-school and i started homeschooling, so our lives meshed well.
now, my kids are older. i am still homeschooling. most of the people i know will have their kids in school next year. i am beginning to get involved with the youth group at church while my friends are just getting started with elementary school. i don't have any friends my age with kids my age. i don't have any friends that i can do school with or play hookie and head to the beach with.
i was watching home movies yesterday and i was overwhelmed with sadness at how many people in the videos are no longer part of my life or my children's lives. i know change is inevitable. i know i shouldn't expect things to always be the same. but, right now i am mourning over the loss. and, i am nervous about the future. i don't want to look back 10 years from now and feel the same loss over the people who are part of my life now.

i know the truth and i know that God has plans for my family and for me that are far greater than i know. i have to choose to trust him even when loneliness looms overhead.

My ever changing normal

2011-05-13T13:09:00.001-04:00

Almost 2 years ago, I started working part time at a kids resale store. I remember so vividly how the impact of the idea of working outside the home hit me. I cried and cried. I could no longer call my self a "stay at home mom" like I had for 10 years. I had no idea what this would look like in our home or how we would pull it off.

For 5 months, I worked during the day and Cory did the homeschooling. When Cory started working as well, we had to adjust again. I went to nights 4 nights a week and he was working all day. Figuring out child care was an ongoing challenge. We started giving our kids more responsibility and freedoms.

The adjusting and depending on others to help so much was very difficult but we finally got into a rhythm. We figured out (most of the time) how to make this new life work.
We waited and waited and waited for our mortgage company to offer us a modification. We started the process over countless times. I spent entire days on the phone being transferred from one dept to another and being told something different each time. I was frustrated and at my wits end. I knew in my heart that God's timing is far better than mine but my head did not always listen.

Well, after much back and forth, we did receive an offer and with our new payment amount, I am able to quit my job and return home.

I am so thankful for the job God provided for me and the great boss and co-workers I had the opportunity to work with. But now I am excited to come home to my kids.
I also am looking forward to building my doula business and pursuing a long time passion and dream of mine. I love that the doula work will still allow me to be home most of the time and to get paid doing something I love.

It has been a hard and stressful couple of years for our family. I am so thankful that our bumpy road is coming to some smooth pavement. I know there will be potholes in the future and we may even have some off road experiences. But, for right now, I am enjoying the ride.

Easter

2011-05-08T16:35:00.000-04:00

We had a great Easter just relaxing and spending time with family.

Valentine's Day

2011-05-07T16:15:00.000-04:00

We have made it a tradition to have a Valentine's Dinner as a family. We all dress up and the boys pick up the girls for dinner. We love having a "fancy" dinner with our kids and being able to share the holiday with other families.

Late Birthday Post

2011-05-06T15:50:00.004-04:00

Sydney and Cory's birthday was a couple months ago. After our laptop was stolen, I slacked seriously on blogging and facebook. But, trying to play a little catch up today. So, here we go :)

We had a fun day! Our family and life would truly be so much more boring if it were not for Sydney as part of it! We love her zest for life and everything else!!

My First Training Doula Experience

2011-04-27T16:46:00.002-04:00

Well, I have completed my first birth experience that counts toward my training. About 11 days ago, I received a call from one of my clients that she was officially in labor. It was about 11 p.m. on Saturday night and I headed out the door to meet the couple at the hospital.

When I arrived, they were just checking into triage and she was having very regular contractions. Once she was checked by a doctor, they gave the report that she was 5 cm and transferred her to a labor/delivery room. I met them at the room and we got everything set up for the long night. The couple worked beautifully together and allowed me to get some "hands on" experience by massaging mom's back during contractions.

This continued until about 3:30 a.m. when mom asked the nurse for the epidural. After receiving the epidural, mom (and dad) got a chance to rest. They slept off and on and after several hours, mom was checked by the nurse to see her progression. Unfortunately she was still at 6-7cm and they suggested pitocin. After weighing the pros/cons she agreed. By 10:30 a.m. she was ready to push.

She had a WONDERFUL nurse that helped her try several different positions and did everything possible to help that baby move down. It took lots of hard work and over 2 hours of pushing, but she delivered a healthy baby boy.

It was another amazing experience and I LOVED being a part of it! It reminded me why I am doing what I am doing. I cannot wait for my next client to go into labor and to have the privilege again to welcome one of God's greatest miracles into this world!

A Couple Updates

2011-02-17T11:43:00.003-05:00

Well, school decisions have been made and my kids are officially registered for next with the same school that they have been with. I am very relieved to have this one piece of "unsureness" settled.

My pastor's last Sunday was this past week. It was sad to him end his 20 year ministry at my church. It is difficult to imagine what our congregation will be without him. I am excited and happy for this new adventure in his life and I am slightly anxious about the new adventure in our church. I am excited to see how God will take this hard time and bring something beautiful from it.

House stuff... Well, still waiting. I have gone back and forth with this mortgage company for about 2 years now and it's always the same... waiting. I hate waiting. I really do. I am ready for this to be finalized and done and to know what our life will look like.

I am currently overrun with cookies, yes, cookies. I am a girl scout leader to 27 girls and it is cookie time around here. By the end of it all, our troop will have sold approximately 3500 boxes of cookies!! And, by the way, they all started at my house before being distributed out. What does that mean? O, just that I have not had a living room for a couple weeks :) It's fun, it's crazy, it's cookie time!!

Still plugging away at Doula stuff. I am looking forward to my first official appt. this Saturday. I am also scheduled to attend a training seminar the 1st weekend of March! Looking forward to have the training behind the passion.

Step 1 of Doula Training Down

2011-02-04T14:29:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night, I spent about 4 hours online completing my breastfeeding training class. I am still waiting to find out about the Doula training in March. Hopefully that works out. Now, I just need to start reading some books!

I am also working on scheduling my first Doula appt. with my first client that will go towards my certification :)

Doula, Doula, Doula

2011-02-02T19:58:00.003-05:00

Ok, NOW I am actually pursuing this. If you have been a reader of my blog, you might remember this post talking about me pursuing my dream of becoming a Doula. Well, as for most things in my life, my timing was not exactly on. So, now almost 2 years later, I am going for it. I am hoping to attend my DONA training in March (3 days long) and attend 3 births of friends by October. During that time I will also need to read 5 books about Doulas, labor, delivery and postpartum care. I will need to attend a childbirth and breastfeeding class. On top of all that, I am required to write a 500-1000 word essay on the value and purpose of labor support. It feels a little overwhelming to take on, but I am planning for most of the work to take place during the Summer when I won't have to worry about school or Girl Scouts.

I am so excited and I cannot wait to have this opportunity to be a part of one of God's greatest miracles.

He almost got the RAZORS!!

2011-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, we had someone break into our house while we were gone. Thankfully, either me coming home or something earlier in the day spooked the crooks and they only got away with our new laptop (from Black Friday) :( and a couple pairs of earrings (I only had like 2 that were real). But, our new t.v. was dropped in the backyard (somehow it still works) and a bag of razors (yes, shaving razors that I got for free from CVS) was laying on the back porch.

The whole ordeal was a little scary and we have since taken more safety measures to keep the bad guys out... like pins in the door, wood in the track and leaving the dog out of the crate while we are gone.

But, I just couldn't get over the fact that he filled a bag with razors. Is that really a hot item on the streets?

An Unsure Future

2011-01-26T10:34:00.003-05:00

We have not even hit the end of January and this year already feels so unsure. Some days I don't think about it all, other days my head is spinning.

It is just one of those times where I am reminded again how NOT in control I am of my life and what goes on around me. From our home to our church to our families to our schooling. Things are just unsure.

We continue in the process for a Home Modification because of the 16 months of unemployment for Cory. We are still not sure what our monthly payments will be and we are not sure how that is all going to work out. But, the thought of leaving the neighborhood and community we are part of scares me to death.

My Pastor of 20 years just announced his resignation a couple weeks ago at my church. Although I am excited for this new phase of life for him and his family, it is hard to imagine what our church will look like without their family. We also had the air conditioners stolen last week and the entire body seems to be in a state of uncertainty. I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if we will be able to sustain the money needed to keep our building. I have attended this church since I was 4 years old and my heart aches for the trials it has endured.

Different members of my family are going through different life-changing events. I want to be the support, I want to be the shoulder, but I feel ill equipped and out of time to spare.

We have been part of the same Christian/Homeschool School for 5 years and my plan was to stay there for the remainder of my children's schooling. However, next year seems impossible for us to stay where we are. So, now we are looking at other options and not sure what that looks like for our family. I feel guilty with the possibility of moving my kids from their friends, I want them to be part of a school that will allow them to succeed and my options are minimal.

Life feels unsettled and unsure. I just want to know if it is going to feel this way till I get to Heaven or if there will be a time of rest before I leave this Earth. Trying to rest in His Sovereignty. Trying to "not worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worries of it's own". Trying to live out what I know to be true. Right now, I am tired.

2010

2011-01-01T15:47:00.002-05:00

As I reflect back over this last year, I am amazed at God's provision. After Cory being without a job for 15 months, he was hired as the Operations Manager of the Orlando location of Ripley's Believe It Or Not. It was such a cool way that this all came together that we know it could only be God. The couple months before this job Cory had started working part-time at Home Depot from 4-8 in the morning and part-time at another manual labor job from 9-4. I was still working part-time 4 days a week. It was a VERY difficult couple months for us and we rarely saw each other. I think this made the new job even that much more appealing.

This job has been an extreme answer to prayer and Cory is doing great. I am still working at a local children's resale store and teaching at a part-time Christian School. I am now working night/weekend shifts so that I can do school with the kids during the day. Our lives still feel crazy and we still cherish those evenings when we are all home and have no other commitments. But, we do feel like we are getting used to this rhythm of life.

Morgan is in 6th grade this year, so it is her 1st year as a "Middle Schooler". She was super excited to be able to join the Youth Group at church. I had been teaching the 2 year old Sunday School class at church for several years, but decided to make a change to join Morgan in Youth ministry this year. She actually was fine with me moving with her. With Cory getting a job and me continuing to work, her responsibility load increased a good bit. I often have to leave for work a couple hours before Cory gets home and Morgan now is "in charge" during that layover time. We are very fortunate to have 3 different families around the corner if she ever needs help. But, she is in charge, makes dinner and keeps order when there are no parents here. I have been so impressed to see her take on such a huge role in our family. Along with this new responsibility, she has decided that her opinions should have the same weight as her mom and dad. That doesn't always work out for her :) She loves attending school on Tuesdays and is very ready to get back to school in January to see her friends.

Avery is in 5th grade. If you ever want to know how divide things exactly evenly or to make sure that everyone gets their fair share, you should just ask Avery. She lives up to that "middle child" stereotype to a T. She loves gymnastics and continues to be asked about joining Team. She is not a competitive girl at all, but the gym she is at now gives her the comfort level to perhaps join a Team in the future. She is about as creative as they come. This year for Christmas she decided to make name plates for every cousin and sibling in the family. When, I say make... I mean from scratch with hot glue, paper, sequins, ribbon, beads, pipe cleaners, bendaroos, foam and anything else she could find in the house. They all turned out so cute and the parents loved them as much as the kids. She turned 10 in October and her and mommy had a weekend away birthday celebration and "had the talk" just like Morgan last year.

Sydney is in 3rd grade and thinks that most days of school are easy. She is very smart and breezes through most things I give her. She is still the most inquisitive and blunt kid I have ever known. As I think into her future, the most obvious job title I foresee is Investigative Reporter. She is listening to every conversation (even when you think she isn't). She wants all the facts and wants to share those facts with anyone that will listen. Her famous tag line when someone walks in our door is... "Why are you here?". I never said she was tactful. She would much rather play super hero than house and will hold strong to what she believes no matter who is trying to convince her different. She is a spit-fire and a love bug rolled into one.

Jordan is in 1st grade and loves to be the baby of our family. He finally learned to tie his shoes this year with much disappointment. He would much prefer to not know how and have someone else do it for him. He looks for any opportunity to have another boy around. He is so glad that there are 3 in the same neighborhood and friends who will take him in for a day and night. He will complain to me that there is nobody to play with and when I suggest his sisters, he will look straight at me and say... "A BOY, Mom!". He comes up with some of the greatest sayings and likes to use the word "defeat" in as many sentences as possible (like "Mom, how does water DEFEAT hiccups?"). He could talk to you all day about Mario and Luigi and he loves to play baseball when ever he has the chance.

This year has also brought another loss to our family... my sweet grandma Carnefix passed away in May. She was an amazing woman. My kids were blessed and fortunate to have a relationship with their great-grandmother. She loved to have sewing class and tea parties with the girls. Her wisdom and teaching on Eternity and Prayer impacted my walk with the Lord and I will never forget her.

Earlier in May, I went on my very first missions trip. I went with a team from my church to Bosnia for 10 days to minister to the families of the missionaries in that region. Our team facilitated a children's program for all the missionary kids. We had fun and worked hard. It was also my first time out of the country and we were lucky enough to have a layover in Vienna on the way home. It was so much fun to be able to see sights and walk through the city. I look forward to going back one day with my husband!

This was also our 2nd year being a Girl Scout family. I am a Troop leader and our girls went from 14 girls last year to 28 this year! We have Kindergarten through 6th grade and have lots of fun together. We are looking forward to 3 camping trips this year!!

It has been a busy year full of ups and downs. We learn more and more about releasing control of our lives and trusting God's plan and direction. It does not always look pretty or the way we expect, but we know His plan is better than ours.

Christmas Morning

2010-12-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

Opening Stockings on Christmas Morning...

The only person in our family who thought the dog needed a present was Avery. She is such an animal lover!!

After opening all presents downstairs, we had one surprise present upstairs from Mimi and Papa... A WII! They were so excited. This is the kids opening some of the games.

Christmas Musical at Church

2010-12-28T11:49:00.005-05:00

Avery and Sydney both had solos in the Christmas Musical at church. They were so cute and did great.

Twas the Week before Christmas...

2010-12-21T18:30:00.003-05:00

And all through house, everyone was puking, just missed my blouse.
The stockings were hung on the wall with care,
Better be sure it's all even and fair.
The children took turns sleeping on mom and dad's floor,
In hopes that there would be puking no more.
And ma' in her sweats and dad on the pot,
Complaining his stomach sure hurt a lot.
When in the oldest's room there arose such a clatter,
I ran down the stairs to see what was the matter.
Away to the bathroom, I flew like a flash
When I opened the door, I heard a big splash.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
The toilet being missed and the splash far and near.
With a hunched over child calling, "Come quick",
I knew in a moment.. another one is sick.
The next morning, in my room they all came,
And I whispered and uttered each child by name;
Now Morgan! Now Avery! Now Sydney! Now Jordan!
We have to kick this sickness before Christmas mornin'
To the vitamin C, to the hydrating water!
Go my young son and my 3 daughters!
And, then in a twinkling, I heard down the stairs,
The screaming and fighting of which one is theirs'.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the stairs I came running with a bound.
They were not dressed or ready at all,
They still were in PJs from the big to the small.
I said not a word, just gave them a look,
When they got bored, I said "read a book".
And putting their finger inside of their nose,
they heard the exclaiming of "No!" and my woes.
We spent the day making and wrapping our presents,
We ended the evening by being quite pleasant.
Although it's not perfect and not everything is right,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!!

Hanukkah

2010-12-09T20:59:00.001-05:00

Our Troop walking in the Parade

2010-12-08T19:45:00.000-05:00

This year, our troop decided to walk in the Winter Garden parade. I was so impressed that at the end none of the girls complained about being tired, asked to go potty or for a drink. They had a great time and we sang the the girl scout cheer the whole way.

Thanksgiving in Georgia

2010-12-06T19:01:00.004-05:00

This year we headed to Georgia for Thanksgiving. As per our tradition for Turkey Day up North, we (daddy and Papa) raked all the leaves in the yard into one big pile and the kids all jumped in and started a leaf fight. :)

A stray cat wondered into the backyard and became the kids' favorite thing to play with all week. Even though Avery is allergic, she couldn't keep her hands off of Nibbles (yes, they named it).

Aunt Jaime planned 3 different crafts for the kids to do while we were there. This is the fruit kabob Turkey.

Roller Skating Party!

2010-10-13T22:29:00.004-04:00

It's a milestone birthday and everybody knows what that means! A REAL party!! Avery choose the roller skating rink. We spent 3 hours there learning and remembering how to work all those muscles. Everyone seemed to have a good time and no one got frustrated or gave up. I guess we have a determined bunch of kids :) Here are some pics of the evening. Tomorrow, my girl officially turns 10. The party may be over, but the celebrations just keep going. She has birthday meals all planned out. On Friday, we are keeping the celebrations going by Cory and the kids heading to Georgia. She is gonna think her birthday goes on forever :) I guess you only hit double digits one time in your life.

Mommy/Avery Weekend Away

2010-10-07T14:36:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Avery and I went away for 2 nights (thanks to an awesome hook-up) for a mother/daughter weekend away. Last year, Morgan and I did the same thing for her tenth birthday and now it is a tradition. Sydney is already planning what she will do with me on our trip :)

Anyway, the purpose of this trip (besides having a fun and bonding weekend together was to explain to Avery all about the birds and the bees. I have a CD set by Dennis Rainey that is designed for a weekend and has a journal for the daughter as you listen. I love this set because it starts off by talking about relationships in general, moves to puberty and eventually covers all the details of sex. It makes it so much easier to listen to someone else explain and prompt discussion and questions then for me to go for it on my own.

My big goal is to be able to be the first person to explain and talk this subject over with my girls before a classmate or friends spills the beans. So far, that has been a success. Avery had no idea about ANYTHING! As hard as it was to take away a little of that innocence, I am so glad that she was able to hear everything first from her mom. We had some good discussions, but mostly she decided the whole thing is "odd and disgusting!". She also could not understand what teenager would want to do THAT!

She had a few questions but not too many. I expect that my deep-thinking little girl might come up with a few more in the next few weeks or months. She likes to process things and come back to me at some random time and bring it back up. I hope I'm ready :)

All in all, we had a GREAT weekend and lots of fun! We spent 5 hours at the mall on Saturday! I could hardly believe it. But, everytime I asked her if she wanted to go somewhere else or to another store in the mall... She would choose the mall. We also rented a movie for our hotel room and even ordered room service (with a restaurant.com certificate) the first night. She was so much fun to hang out with and was impressed by everything! She thought the hotel was amazing! She commented on the carpet, the bathroom, our view, etc... several time throughout the weekend. She also thought it was awesome when I actually would buy her something at the mall. And, like the little girl she is, she still loved going up and down the escalators. I just love that girl!

Her actual birthday is coming up next week and we are having a roller skating party. She is looking forward to it and I think we will have a great time!
We got all dressed up for a night out!
This is my sassy little girl
She fell in love with these sparkly clips at the mall. I still can't believe I actually bought them at $5/each!! She is lucky it is her 10th birthday :)
Attitude :)
Mommy's attitude
The awesome flip-flop extravaganza at Payless. They were all on clearance and BOGO 1/2 off!
Is she cute or what?
Love this girl!!

Avery and I had a fun time at a photo booth at the Mall. Take a look

2010-10-04T09:01:00.001-04:00

I want you to take a look at: Avery/Mommy | Watch this Video | at The Florida Mall

Morgan turned 11

2010-09-19T19:56:00.002-04:00

My oldest daughter celebrated her 11th birthday last week. Even though we only have "parties" on milestone birthdays, she had a family celebration that consisted of about 30 people. She is not the easiest kid to buy for those days. Really, the only thing she asked for this year was a bulletin board for her room. So, we handled that and the rest was just guesses :)

She does still get to choose all her birthday meals and be free from doing any school or house cleaning. I mean, if that's not a celebration... I don't know what is. So, we had her birthday breakfast on Saturday morning at grandma and grandpa's - she picked out pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs. Then, we had birthday dinner for lunch on Sunday - chicken pie, green beans, fruit salad and ice cream sundaes for dessert (she's not much of a cake eater just like her mama). Birthday lunch was on Monday (her actual birthday) and she requested sub sandwiches with all the works. So, somehow, she managed to stretch her birthday celebration over 3 days (just like her labor and delivery 11 years ago :)

Even though this year was not an official "milestone" year, it seemed like a big milestone to me. She has been a junior higher for about a month now. So far, it is not as scary as I imagined. The road ahead is still unknown, but I look forward to seeing her grow and mature in her walk with the Lord.

She has been more responsible than I ever thought possible this past year and I am so thankful that God choice to start our line of children with her.

Huey Lewis and the News - Date Night

2010-09-05T22:26:00.001-04:00

My husband registers for all kinds of contests with local AM and PM stations. He wins stuff all the time and it just cracks me up. This time, he won 2 tickets to the Huey Lewis and the News concert in Daytona.

We went Saturday night and had a great time going "Back in Time" and thinking of the "Power of Love". It was a nice concert on the beach at Daytona. Afterward, we took a walk on the beach and watched the Labor Day fireworks that shot off from the Pier.

We enjoyed the time away and together and having the opportunity to do it all for free. I guess listening to the radio really does pay off :)

School is in Session

2010-08-27T14:00:00.000-04:00

Well, we have completed our first week of school! The 1st day was a little bit of a rough start, but by the middle of the week, we got into a pattern and things seem to be running smoothly.

This year, I offered (ok, required) a lot more independence from my kids (especially the older 2). We have our weekly schedule of what subjects are required on which days. They are expected to look at the schedule, pick out their books and write down everything they accomplished for the day. They are allowed to pick which subjects to do first and what to save till the end.

With me still working some nights and Cory working during the day, I just needed them to be able to do some of this all on their own. So far, it is working out well. We have finished (or almost finished) every day before lunch time. I know that will change, but it made for a nice first week :)

Middle School

2010-07-31T09:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, this year Morgan is entering the 6th grade and moving to Middle School. She is so excited about being in the Youth Group at our church. Her mom is a little nervous. After much thought and prayer and talking with my husband, I have decided to move from teaching the 2 year olds at church to being a Youth Sponsor. In some ways it won't even be that big of an adjustment. I know lots of teenagers that act like 2 year olds :)

I am so interested to see what this year brings for Morgan and for me. This is a whole new phase of our life and one that I have been anxious about. Before I know it, I am going to have 4 teenagers at once. Doesn't that sound fun?!

Jordan is 6

2010-07-22T10:20:00.004-04:00

On June 27th, my little boy turned 6. He had a great day filled with big breakfast (his favorite meal of the week), Papa Johns pizza (he likes it better than the good stuff) and family and friends. He even had his 2 good friends, Jakob and Andon come for a sleepover. He really loves having more boys around. Between his 3 sisters, and 2 girl cousins, he is always looking for a little more testosterone to balance out. He had a lot of fun and I can hardly believe he is 6.

Jordan,

You have the sweetest disposition and I thoroughly enjoy being your mom. With 3 big sisters and girls at every turn, you have learned how to turn playing House and School into a super-hero game. You can be as easy-going as they come until you decide to take a stand and then no-one can change your mind. You are ALL boy and a momma's boy. You state very clearly that there is only 1 girl allowed to kiss you... your momma!

I look forward to watching you grow this year and I pray that your heart will become tender to a saving knowledge of Jesus. I am so thankful that God completed our family with you. We could not imagine life without you!

Relationships

2010-07-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

Last month, my pastor preached a sermon about intimacy (spiritual, soulish and physical) in all our relationships. The timing was perfect for me and God spoke directly to my heart during the entire service. I have been struggling with life in general lately. I didn't realize how much MORE difficult it was going to be for me once Cory started working. Now, we are both working (opposite schedules) and time together is few and far between.

One of the main points that stuck out to me is the order our intimate relationships should be in:

God
Spouse
Children
Friends
Acquintance
Stranger
Enemy

It only took me one look to realize how out of order I had that. God has been on the back burner for a couple months now for me. I get to him when I can and intimate is definitely NOT a word I would use to describe my relationship with Him.
The rest of my relationships have not been in a very good order either. So, I look to Cory to fulfill something only God can fulfill and I look to my friends to fulfill something only God or my husband can fulfill.

Guess what?! It doesn't work out very well. I ended up trying to figure out why I was disappointed, let down and lonely. Well, it was because I was expecting things that were unreasonable and I didn't even know it. This continues to be a learning journey for me and I often have to do a self check and re-arrange again. My prayer is that God will continue to soften my heart toward him and make me sensitive to his calling in my life.

2010-06-25T01:04:00.003-04:00

So, for my birthday this year, I decided I really wanted to get a tattoo. I have been wanting one for a couple years now but I just have never gotten around to it or been able to convince my hubby. Well, this was the year. So, my sister and friend (who have both already been inked) told me they would be supportive and get another one with me!! That's all it took to syke me up and I made an appointment for the evening of my birthday. We went to this great place that came highly recommended and was super clean.The night before I asked my brother to help me design what I wanted. I found a couple things I thought were cute but I just wanted it to be one of kind and I love that I can wear a piece of my brother's art work. My idea was small birds from a distance and we decided that it should be 4 to represent my kids. After he drew it and printed it out, I showed my kids and they each guessed which ones they were. The funny part is that they each guessed exactly the bird I intended for them. Love it!!

So, what you have been waiting for... the PICS

Here is my support team cheering me on!!The artist and me

The finished product

Kourtney and Sunday's feetWe certainly worked up an appetite after that ordeal, so we headed to Season's 52 (one of my favorite restaurants in town)
The brave girls of the night :)

My Sweet Grandma

2010-05-21T18:33:00.002-04:00

Last night my grandma went to meet Jesus. She had been in the hospital for a couple of weeks and had good and bad days (hours). Nothing seemed critical, but she was not up for visitors most of the time. Everyday when they thought she was going to go home, she would start to feel bad again and they would run more tests and do more scans. Last night, they called and told my grandpa and parents that she was not doing well and that they should head to the hospital. Before they pulled out of the driveway, they received another call saying she had already passed. As much as this was sudden and a shock, we celebrate as we mourn knowing that she is standing in the presence of Jesus right now.

She left an incredible legacy and was a true example of what it means to walk with the Lord into eternity.

First Trip to the Beach in 2010!!

2010-04-15T09:27:00.005-04:00

Aunt Jaime got down and dirty and worked with the kids to make this super cool sand castle. I "supervised" and took pictures :)

Morgan was nervous that someone might steal our buckets while we went back for another load, so she left a nice message in the sand :)

They really had a fun time burying each other in the sand. Morgan and Allison were the only 2 that opted out.

She was such a good sport. Sand in the face, buried up to her chin and still smiling

They built their very own beach chairs

I'm Going to Bosnia!!

2010-04-13T09:12:00.003-04:00

Dear Blogosphere:

I wanted to let you know about an exciting opportunity God has called me to.

I will be joining a small team from my church that is traveling to Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia from May 5th-15th. We will assist a group of C&MA missionaries who are gathering from three fields in the Balkans for a Field Forum. Our team of eight will provide leadership in Teaching, Worship, Children’s Ministry and Childcare. I feel privileged to be a part of this significant ministry opportunity, and fully expect to be challenged and changed by the experience in the process of ministering to others.

Westwood has developed a partnership relationship with the Bosnia Herzegovina field, and particularly with Mark & Debbie Byrom, who are C&MA missionaries there. It will be exciting to be able to see firsthand some of the people and projects we have been dialoguing and praying about for the past year.

The cost for this trip is $2,000 per person, and we are in the process of raising support. If you are in a position to help, and only if God prompts you to do so, we will be grateful for your support. There are a couple of ways to send funds:
* A check made out to Westwood Church (with “Bosnia” and my name on the memo line) can be sent directly to the church at 4412 N Apopka-Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32818, or, if you prefer, to my home address.
* A gift can be made through the website www.westwoodchurch.com, where you click on “Giving/Calendar,” then on the “Click to Give Online” link. When the Giving Page opens, click on “Give Now” and fill out the form. You will use “Other Deductible” under Categories & Funds, and be sure to include “Bosnia” and my name in the “Please specify other…” box.

I will appreciate your support in prayer while I travel, as well as for my family in my absence.

Cassie

Summer Fever!

2010-04-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Some school years seem to last longer than others. This one feels like it has been going on for 3-4 years. It has been such a stressful year overall and homeschooling doesn't help in that arena.

Next year I will have a middle-schooler. That makes me sick to my stomach just writing it.

So, yes, I have a bad case of Summer Fever. I am ready for this year to be over and to just have some down time. I am ready to relax, sleep in, go swimming (after the 50 pounds are gone), keep my house in order and hang out with friends again. Oh, it sounds so nice. Can we just declare that Summer starts in April? I'm sure most kids aren't going to learn anything new between now and May anyway, right? Come on, who's with me?!

Getting in Shape Sucks!

2010-04-07T20:29:00.003-04:00

Ok, we joined the YMCA a couple weeks ago. We applied for a scholarship and got 1/2 off the price. My main reason for joining the Y as opposed to other gyms is the kids. I love that the Y not only has child care, but lots of activities the kids can be involved with. As far as joining a gym in general... Well, that just has to do with 50 extra pounds I've been carrying around. I am just sick enough of myself that something HAD to be done. Obviously, I cannot seem to be consistent on my own working out. I know I need some accountability and taking classes at the Y seems a great way to accomplish that.

But, I thought taking classes would make working out fun and less painful. I know that may sound stupid to some or funny to others. But, to me, working out is just NO FUN!! Maybe I am just lazy or maybe I just like instant gratification. I don't know. But, sitting here tonight unable to walk well and barely able to sit down or get up, I remember clearly why I hate working out. I know, I know... It will all be worth it in the end.

Trying to convince myself that all these stupid classes will eventually be fun is about as crazy as when I tried to convince myself that eventually I would learn to love running (if I would just do it long enough).

The only motivation I have right now is the mirror. Well, the mirror and my clothes. I just hate that it is going to take a lot longer than I want to see some serious results. Maybe I should just have a bowl of ice cream!! :)

2010-04-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

We had a great Easter spending time with family and remembering the resurrection of our Lord. The kids had fun with their egg hunt and coloring eggs with daddy the day before while I was working (he is such a great dad!). Here are some cute pics from Sunday. I am amazed at how much easier it is to take pictures now that my kids are getting older. This used to be such a frustrating and long process. Now, they are little pros.

Back in the Saddle

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

For blogging, for couponing, for homeschooling.

I look forward to having a little time to spend blogging more consistently. I'm sure nothing like I used to, but we'll see.

I also am head first back into couponing. During the crazy schedule, full house time, I backed off coupons BIG TIME! But, I have had a couple shopping trips that have wet my appetite and I am ready to dive back in. This week, I spent $182 and saved $300. Not nearly as good as I used to do, but it's a start.

Homeschooling. I'm so glad that when you homeschool, you have the freedom to take a break when you need it and to cram when you need to do that to. So, we are back to our normal homeschooling schedule and catching up on some lost time.

Cory's job is going well. We have visited and the kids all approve. The hours are wonderful and the lack of stress is amazing! Cory and I actually can spend some time together in the evenings after I get off work. He's not racing to get to bed by 9:30 anymore. It's the little things that count.

Moderating Comments

2010-04-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

Ok, I feel like a real ding-dong. A couple months ago, I switched my blog to only have comments show up after they had been approved by me. For some reason, I thought these would be sent to my e-mail and I would just approve from there. But, I guess I was wrong. I just noticed the 80 comments awaiting approval on my dashboard.

All this time, I thought I had not gotten 1 comment from my numerous (maybe 5) posts :) I feel much better now. But, if you had written a comment and were wondering why it wasn't showing, there is the answer. I'm just a little slow.

2010-04-01T10:58:00.002-04:00

We had our last day at the kids homeschool school last week. They had a little production that gave a synopsis of what they learned during the year. The class I taught was American Girl and my 3 girls all dressed up like one of the girls we studied and gave a couple sentence overview of that girl. The program was fun and the kids loved every minute. Here are a couple pics and videos from the day.

Missing Daddy

2010-03-30T22:32:00.003-04:00

Last week, Cory went to Missouri to train for his new job. Cory has never had a job that required him to do out of town training or business trips. So, this was all new for our family. He was gone from Monday until Friday.

So, on Sunday night, Cory was tucking all the kids in bed and telling them goodbye (he had to leave the house at 5:30 a.m. the next morning). Things went fine with the 3 younger ones, then he went to Morgan's room. She started crying and telling him that she didn't want him to go. He stayed with her for a little while and then came up to our room. He said that she broke his heart. As he was talking, we heard our little Sydney girl make her way up the stairs sniffling and crying. By the time she got to the top, she was all out hyper-ventilating. She also did not want her dad to leave. He gave her a big hug, took her back to bed and scratched her back for a while.

As he was scratching Sydney's back, Morgan came out of her room again all red-faced and upset. I asked her what was wrong. She answered the best she could through her tears that she didn't want daddy to go. I told her that he was only going to be gone for a couple of days. She said, "I know and I am acting like a BABY!!" Poor thing. I reassured her that she was NOT acting like a baby and that she was just showing how much she loves her daddy. So, after Cory was finished scratching Sydney's back, he made his way back to Morgan's room to do the same for her.

For some reason, the other 2 kids didn't really struggle emotionally. But, the 2 that did, really did. I thought it was just the sweetest thing and it really assured me of their relationship with their dad. I love to see these girls grow closer and closer to their dad. It is exactly what they should be doing and it makes me smile.

Oh, one more thing... One of the nights that Cory was gone, Morgan was saying her prayers. Somewhere in the middle she said, "God, help the days not to feel so long when daddy is gone." I thought it was the sweetest thing. I told Cory that the days just feel longer when he is gone.

The Searching and Waiting is Over

2010-03-11T23:02:00.003-05:00

HE GOT A JOB!!!!

I have a feeling that this is going to be a long blog post. So, don't feel obligated to read the whole thing. I just need to be able to record how awesome God's timing is and how he brought this all together.

It has been 14 months of waiting... Waiting for a job... Waiting for God's provision... Waiting. The long waiting ended so abruptly, I haven't really had time to process it all. All I know is that Cory went in for an interview on Tuesday, was called back today and starts on Monday. Amazing!!

He will be working as the Operations Manager for Ripley's Believe It or Not on I-Drive. His hours will be 8-5, M-F. He will get Health benefits. He will leave his work at work. He will NOT be waking at 3 am to go to a part time job earning minimum wage! Praise You, Lord!!

The last couple of months had really started to discourage me and God had to remind me of his faithfulness and he gave me the faith to trust in him no matter how I felt. I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I could feel His arms holding me close. I could hear His voice calling me to trust in Him.

As I look back on this waiting time, I am so thankful for everything God has taught us. I know I will continue to see more and more of His plan in it. But for now, this is what I see:
-He brought 2 lukewarm believers to their knees.
-He strengthened our marriage.
-He strengthened our family.
-He gave me a renewed longing to cherish the time I have with my husband and children.
-He humbled me to be the person receiving charity from others.
-He called me into fellowship with Him daily. I didn't always answer, but I sure heard Him loud and clear!
-He showed me the support system that I have and how blessed I am.
-He changed my identity .
-He gave me a new perspective on life.

When my husband called me today to tell me the news, I laughed and cried at the same time. I never knew I could display such emotion over a job. I am awe-struck and relieved. I feel as though I can breathe again.

It has been such perfect timing as well that I have been going through the Beth Moore study "Stepping Up". Every week and day has been like a walk through my life. It is a pilgrimage up the Psalms of Ascent. Here are some verses that have spoken to my heart on this journey.

Psalm 120:1 - "In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me."
Psalm 121:2 - "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Psalm 123:3 - "We're watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy. "
Psalm 124:1 - "If God hadn't been for us..."
Psalm 126:4 - "And now, God, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives."

And He did!! He brought the rain! Today had to be one of the most rainy days in Central Florida this season. He brought the rain figuratively and literally. My dry, drought-stricken life has been rained on today. My soul feels refreshed and I see the buds blooming. Thanks you LORD!! Thank You!!

Camporee 2010

2010-02-20T22:55:00.005-05:00

Our girl scout troop attended a service unit wide camping trip called Camporee this year. The girls had a blast and we learned a lot as troop leaders (both good and what not to do).

It was cold and drizzly, but we made S'Mores and sang campfire songs... you know all the good ones like the one about the shark that eats your leg and you do CPR but it doesn't work so you go to heaven. Yup, that is actually one of the songs.

We also took part in a flag retirement ceremony.

At the end of the 2nd day, all the girls exchanged their S.W.A.P.S.
(Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned SomeWhere).

Sydney is 8

2010-02-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Sydney,

You have made our home more fun and crazy. You bring laughter to the hardest situations and you are not afraid to embarrass yourself if it will make someone cackle. You have strong opinions that seem to change every day :) You ask questions about EVERYTHING. You want to know every detail about everything that is going on or might possible go on or have already happened. I think you might just be a reporter or investigator one day. You have a compassionate spirit and you are willing to give up a prized possession to someone you love. You do everything with fervor. You love bigger and stronger than most people I know. You already have developed a passion for people who do not love Jesus and you are not afraid to tell others about him. You are a complete and total odd ball and proud of it!! I love you and I am so glad God chose to add you to our family in His perfect timing. Love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Mommy

Breathing Room

2010-02-18T22:09:00.002-05:00

Our home that has been filled with 10 people for the last 7 months is back down to 6. Our friends found a house around the corner for sale and closed this last Tuesday.

It has been great to be able to co-habitate and help eachother financially, but both families were ready for a little more breathing room. But, not too much... They needed to stay within walking distance :)

So, now the great debate with my girls is who is going to have their own room.

I also am teaching Morgan how to make a few dinners from beginning to end so that she can do the cooking the days that I leave before Cory gets home. She is excited and had her first chance to show her stuff tonight. She made dinner, fed all the kids and was in the process of cleaning by the time her daddy arrived. I just need to remember this the next time she gives me that pre-teen attitude.

Job Update

2010-01-14T10:22:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to update everyone on Cory's job status. He started working this week with Home Depot from 4-8 a.m., 5 days a week. He is still working with the temporary job that he thought was only going to last through the end of last year. So, he goes straight from Home Depot to the other job and works until about 4 p.m.

We are not exactly sure how long the temp job is going to last, but we are thankful for it lasting longer than what we expected.

I am still working about 25-30 hours at my job as well.

We are thankful for God's provision and continue to ask him to answer our heart's cry.

2009

2010-01-01T15:16:00.000-05:00

I used to write a letter at the end of every year to sum things up and let family/friends know what life is like in our household. However, the last 3 years have seemed to pass me by without me even thinking about that letter (well, at least not until March/April the next year).

So, here is my attempt for the year 2009. It has not been an easy one for us and most of it seems like a blur, but it is worthy of being remembered.

In January, Cory was officially laid off from his job. He was in construction management, and the company didn’t have enough work to keep him on. He has been feverishly looking for just about anything, but has yet to find a permanent position. He has been fortunate enough to find occasional side jobs, but his search continues. He interviewed with 2 different places this month and is hoping that one of those will come through. It has been difficult for Cory to be unemployed this long and he is learning more every day what it means to truly trust the Lord with our provision. He also has started to play a major role in teaching the kids this year.

In August, I was hired part/full-time at a local Second Hand store for kids. I don't mind the work and I am able to leave the kids with their father. However, this was a tremendous adjustment for me. I went from a stay-at-home (10 years), homeschooling (5 years) mom to a working (30 hours/week) mom overnight. I had a little bit of an emotional breakdown, but we are starting to get into a groove with this new rhythm of life. It has been a year of releasing control for me. I had to let God teach me that it is ok for me to not be in charge of every detail of my kid's lives. Hmmm... I wonder if I'm gonna have to learn that lesson again in the future.

Also in August, we had another family move in with us. The purpose was 2-fold: 1. They pay us rent to help us pay the mortgage and 2. They save on other bills to help save up enough money for a down payment on their own house. Having 2 families (a total of 10 people) under 1 roof has been an adjustment for everyone. We have had people live with us before, so we were not completely taken off guard, but with our extreme change of schedule at the same time, it made the adjustment a little more difficult. We worked through some hard things and determined in the beginning to NOT allow this situation to destroy our friendship. And, thank the Lord, it hasn't! They are now looking at closing on a house by the end of January or soon there after.

Morgan turned 10 this year!! I can hardly believe it's true, but it is. She now loves being able to refer to herself as a "pre-teen". And boy does she live up to the title. She loves being the oldest when it comes to the privileges and independence. She doesn't like it so much when it comes to the responsibility. For her 10th birthday, she and I went away to a local hotel for the weekend and had a girl's weekend together. We did all things girly and also had "the talk". Hopefully, she wasn't scarred too badly :) She loves to read (especially mysteries) and is a great student. She is in 5th grade and loves the 1 day a week we go to school. She is my "never wants to be home, always on the go" kind of kid. She wakes up asking what the plans are for the day and is very disappointed when there are none.

Avery is now 9 and already planning her 10th birthday party. She is Morgan's shadow most of the time. And when she's not, she is off in her own world, doing her own thing. She LOVES gymnastics and has gotten very good. This seems to be an area where she is confident and enjoys actually being better than her sister at something. She is much more of a home-body than Morgan. Sometimes she even chooses to stay home when she is offered to stay the night at her grandparents. (It's nice to be wanted.) She is very concerned about what is "fair". Even if fair means she is the one that would be missing out, she wants things to be fair. She is in 4th grade this year and very bright. She struggles with mild dyslexia, but she doesn't let it get her down.

Sydney... there is so much I could say about Sydney. I don't even know where to begin. Well, she turned 7 in February and is just as spirited as ever. She is a non-stop, go, go, go girl. She can talk a mile a minute and manages to think of questions about everything and anything. She doesn't just want to know why... she wants to know why, what, who, when, where and how. She is in 2nd grade and is very good at Math (even though she says she hates it). She thrives on one-on-one attention and can make you laugh out loud daily. She has a hard time knowing the line of what is appropriate, but I know many adults just like her. She is very dramatic and can go from excited to crying in 2 seconds flat. It's very hard for her to be serious because she wants to make everything a joke. She also is very abrupt and candid. So, she will say exactly what she is thinking and has yet to learn the art of subtlety.

Jordan turned 5 in June. He is still my baby and I take any chance I get to give him hugs and kisses. There are not many people he will give those to (in fact, I can only think of 3). His dimple will melt your heart, and he knows how to use it get his way. Most of the time, he goes with the flow and doesn't look for a fight. He also is 100% the baby of the family. He still doesn't know how to tie his shoes (I guess a lot of Floridians have that problem) or much less find them. Most of the time he stands in one spot, announces what he cannot find or do, and waits for the first person to come running and help him (usually one of his sisters). Once he makes up his mind about something, you really can't change it... especially when it comes to food. He is by far, our pickiest kid. He doesn't even like the foods most normal kids like. He won't eat mac 'n cheese, pb&j, or pie. He also despises Holiday food. He doesn't like the turkey, dressing, veggies, casseroles. But, if you put all of that on a piece of bread and make him a sandwich, he will eat it up. I know…it's weird. He also started Kindergarten this year and has learned most of what he needs to know from his older sisters. I love it!

Also, the beginning of this year, my dad was diagnosed with lymphoma and had a large mass removed from his abdomen. Only a few weeks later, the mass was back just as big. So, he started chemo and went through several treatments of that and then radiation over the Summer. Thankfully, the chemo and radiation did their job and last week he was given a clear bill of health. Praise the Lord for watching over him!! During all his treatments, his dad passed away. It was such a bittersweet time for our family. We know exactly where my grandpa is right now and we celebrate him escaping the pain of this life. He was an amazing man and God used him in such tremendous ways. He impacted my life and left a legacy that is incredible.

So, as we bring 2009 to a close, we look forward to seeing God’s continued creative vision for our family. We can rest in the fact that even though it may not feel like it in the middle of our situation, He is in control. He sees the entire scope of our lives at the same time and nothing we are experiencing now takes him by surprise.

Citrus Parade

2009-12-31T11:06:00.005-05:00

We went last year and had such a great time, that we decided to go back again this year. Again, the weather was just beautiful! We found a great spot to set up with lots of room to run around and an empty water fountain that doubles as a playground

Christmastime

2009-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is our year to travel to Georgia for Christmas... So, we actually opened gifts 4 different times! We started on the 12th of December to exchange with Jarrett/Jaime before they left for PA.

My mom, grandma and sister made all these pj's by hand. They are so talented and the pj's turned out too cute!

Then, on the 22nd, we had the gift exchange w/ my Orlando family. This year, we let the 4 big kids take turns and read a portion of the Christmas story.
There was lots of cotumes... including a couple doctors :)
Then, on the 23rd, we had the gift exchange with just our family before we got on the road to Georgia. We always have a picture of all the kids on the couch holding their stockings before we begin.
Jordan said that opening the stockings is more fun because there is more stuff in them :)
We headed to Georgia on the 23rd and had our final gift exchange on Christmas morning with Cory's family.
Here are some pics of my kids playing with some of their favorite things.
This is Avery's doll that you can dye the hair and color on the clothes. How fun is that?!
Jordan loves the Leapster. His sisters have each had one for several years now and he is so excited to have a Red one for himself.

He was so excited that he couldn't contain himself and he ran and jumped in her arms.Morgan loves this "Liv" doll. I still don't really know what it is, but she sure does.
Sydney now has her own American Girl doll. Both her sisters, her cousin and her friend all have one and she has been wanting one for about a year now. She was very excited.
Nothing like a toasty fire and cold toes.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T14:44:00.003-05:00

From our Family to Yours

Girl Scout Christmas Party

2009-12-23T14:12:00.000-05:00

Our Girl Scout Troop joined another one and had a Christmas Tea Party last Friday. We had so much fun getting all dressed up and then dancing the night away.

Camping

2009-12-22T12:50:00.000-05:00

This is how our weekend started. We got there after dinner time... 6 hungry kids... 1 tiny flame.
Don't worry, it did get better after that.
The kids had so much fun. They thought we were roughing it because we slept in tents. Nevermind the blow-up mattress, the fully functioning bathroom within 100 yards and coke machine glowing on our plot. Oh ya, we were like Survivor :)

We did several fun "campy" things. We went to the nearby spring and went on a nature walk.
These are the ones I said yes to. See all the sticks on the ground? He wanted ALL of those too. What a boy :)We turned pancakes and eggs with a paper plate... Oh, wait, that's not "campy"? Right, just stupid. Yes, we forgot the spatula and had to make due. Not to worry, the plate flipper worked out just fine. Like I said... Survivor.Everyone enjoying their freshly flipped pancakes and eggs :)We made S'Mores. You can't camp without S'Mores, can you ?And we lit the Hanukkah Candle. Yes, it was the first night of Hanukkah. No, we are not Jewish. Yes, we think the celebration and the meaning behind it are just that cool.And like I showed in the first picture, we cooked hotdogs over the fire. That was certainly an adventure.All in all, we had a good time and the kids loved every minute. We are looking forward to heading back out into the "Wilderness" again soon.

ICE

2009-12-21T11:53:00.006-05:00

This year, my brother/sister-in-law decided to take us to the local attraction of ICE! For those of you not familiar, it is at the Gaylord Palms and it is a walk-through attraction where everything is made of, you guessed it, ICE. They have elaborate carving and an ice slide. In order to keep everything frozen, the entire exhibit is a chilly 9 degrees. So, we borrowed and bundled in our best Florida winter gear and headed out.

It only takes 45 minutes to walk all the way through, but we wouldn't have been able to last any longer. Everyone was cold and ready to go by the end. Fun times! Thanks Jarrett and Jaime!

Getting a Tree, Decorating and Turkey Day

2009-12-01T23:05:00.004-05:00

Ok, I have a few minutes (actually this took me 4 days to complete :) and I just have to document some fun moments to look back on one day. This post will include 3 different events because they all happened within 4 days of each other.

First, I should include that my husband has some temp work that started last week that will last through the end of the year. The good news is that he will be working 6 days a week (50 hours). The bad news is that he will be working 6 days a week at the same time as I am working 4 evenings (25-30 hours). So, this next month is going to be even crazier than usual.

So, we looked at the calendar last week and realized that the only time our schedules were going to mesh for decorating a tree was going to be this week before Thanksgiving. So, on Monday, we headed to Home Depot for our tree. Luckily, they had just received all their trees that day. So, we had some good, fresh trees and nothing picked over. Also, the size we were looking for were only $20 and we split the cost with the family living with us. The first tree we looked at is the one we picked and we were gone in 5 minutes. Doesn't Jordan look happy to be there?

Our very own "kid tree"

It couldn't have gone smoother. Then, we headed home and set the tree in water for a couple of days.

On Wednesday, we decided to have our decorating party. We have a tradition in our family of eating a prescribed diet of junk food while we decorate the tree. In case you wondering, it is Rotel dip (with hamburger), french onion dip, chips, pigs in blankets and Christmas candy. Oh ya, junk food to the max.Junk food on Wednesday night and Thanksgiving the next day. I'm pretty sure I gained 10 pounds in 2 days.

So, the main point of my blogging about Thanksgiving is to have documented proof of my fun-ness (is that a word?). I actually decided this year to do something creative with my kids. I usually rely on someone else, but I have been learning creativity by doing a lap book all year with my students at school, so I figured I could handle it. So, we worked on a family Thanksgiving lap book and made turkey pop-up cards. Below is the result.

Now, That's Dedication!!

2009-11-28T22:42:00.002-05:00

I read this news story today and just couldn't help but to share!

Sometimes, you should just let the turkey burn :)

Avery's 9th Birthday

2009-11-25T09:00:00.004-05:00

About a month ago, Avery turned 9 years old. We had a great day. We started the morning with breakfast sandwiches. After much debate between herself and herself, Avery decided she wanted to stay home and watch a movie and play outside. She is so my home-body.I know this isn't the greatest pic... but this is all the kids enjoying the movie and eating in the living room (big treat around here).

We had some frozen pizza for lunch and then headed to grandma and grandpa's for chicken pie dinner with the whole family.

The week before, Cory took the kids to Georgia for 4 days and she celebrated with Mimi and Papa. She was so excited to get a brand new bike!! Actually, I think that is the first new bike my kids have ever gotten. Until now, we have been fortunate to get bikes handed down.

Back to Orlando, she also asked that she be the one to decorate her cake. So, we got a cake mix, frosting and different colors of icing and sprinkles. Below is the result. What a creative little girl! She is one of a kind.

Happy Birthday, my little love bug!! And yes, she is already planning her 10th birthday party :)

My Baby Turned 10!!

2009-09-17T20:17:00.007-04:00

No, this does not mean that I am back to blogging, but I couldn't not mention my oldest girl turning 10. She crossed over to double digits on the 13th. Since, we only do non-family parties on milestone years, she has been planning this one for a long time. But, before I get ahead of myself, let me back up.

The weekend before her birthday, I decided to take her on a weekend away with just her and mommy. The purpose of the weekend was 2-fold - to have a rockin' girls weekend and to have "the talk" (yes, that talk) with her. Cory and I have been discussing what age is the right age to have this talk. As much as I would love to wait another couple of years, the last thing I want is for her to hear about it from someone other than her mom. And, I know several of her friends already know. It was only a matter of time. So, we ordered a great kit called Passport2Purity by Dennis Rainey. A great friend told me about it.

So, I got the hook-up from my dad for the hotel. He is part of the Florida Barter network and was able to get me 2 hotel nights at no cost! Sweet. Now, I just got to plan the fun stuff.

We started the weekend by heading to the hair salon and Morgan receiving her first ever professional cut! Take a look Then, we headed to the mall and got some shoes on a great sale! She has outgrown every pair she owns and we just happened to find exactly what we were looking for at a better price than I expected. Don't you just love it when that happens? After the mall, we headed to the local pizza shop where I had a coupon for a free pizza with the purchase of 2 drinks. Perfect. Dinner for $3.75. Gotta love it. After all that, we headed to the hotel to check in, watch some t.v. and go to bed.

The next morning, we started the day by getting matching pedicures. I let her pick the color and boy did she pick it :)The rest of the day, we spent window shopping, a little actual shopping, swimming and just hangin' together. It was fun.

"The talk" went without a hitch. She was a little grossed out and thought it was weird, but didn't have any questions for me. She also knew NOTHING!! When I first asked her if she had ever heard the word sex before, she answered yes. I asked her if she knew what it meant and she said whether you or a boy or a girl. I asked if she knew the other meaning and she said no. Then, I asked if she knew how a baby gets inside a mommy's tummy and she said, "I have NO idea!". Well, now she does.

One more thing I have to share. The packet I ordered comes with cd's where he does all the talking for you and you just sit together and listen. Well, after he described what exactly happens, he asks her to repeat back to her mom what she thinks it is. With a very confused look on her face, she looks at me and says "When a boy (now the tone in her voice turns to a complete question) pees on a girl?" I almost bust out laughing! Instead, I decided to describe it again to make sure we had the info right. So, that was our birthday weekend away.

On to the actual weekend of her birthday...

She chose 2 friends to have a sleepover on Friday night. We kicked daddy and Jordan out of the house and Morgan and her friends slept in my room while the littler girls slept downstairs. We stayed up till midnight watching a movie and actually got to sleep by 1.

The next morning, Morgan picked waffles for breakfast at Grandma's and wanted to swim most of the day. So, her friends hung out and swam their hearts out. For lunch, she picked homemade pizza and dessert was ice cream sundaes.It was a fun-filled and busy weekend. It is still hard for me to believe that she is already 10. The years have flown by and I know these next 8-10 are going to go even faster. Lord, thank you for blessing me with such a fun, confident, loving girl.

Taking a Break

2009-07-30T09:30:00.002-04:00

I am going to be taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks. I realized this week how much I have to get done and how little time I have to do it and something had to go. So, for grocery deals, I would point you to the grocery gathering
where you can find several choices for the stores you shop at.

As far as family updates, that is just going to be put on hold.

To give you an idea of what I am trying to get on top of in the next 3 weeks:

I am now working about 30 hours a week
I have 20 weeks of lesson plans for grades K-7 to plan for the 1 day a week school I am teaching at.
I have to put together a school schedule for my kids for the days I am away.
I am still trying to figure out if I can do girl scouts and plan for that.

Life is a little overwhelming. Pray for me.

Full House

2009-07-24T09:12:00.001-04:00

No, not the show... my house. This week/weekend we are having another family join our home. Our good friends are moving in on a temporary basis. Here's how it all came together...

They have been looking to buy a house. Right now, they are renting and wanting to move closer to this area of town.

We have not had any income for 6 months and, as you might imagine, having a hard time paying the mortgage.

So, they are going to move in, pay us rent (so we can pay the mortgage), and they are going to save up money for a down payment on a home of their own. I love that we both are able to help the other one out.

I know what you are thinking, "where is everyone going to fit"? Well, things will be a little tight, but it is going to work out good.

Their 4 year old girl is going to join my 3 girls and they are all going to share a room. There was already one set of bunk beds in that room and we just added another. So, 4 girls, 4 beds, 3 dressers, 1 table, 1 t.v. Ya, it's a little tight. Fortunately for them, this is the old master bedroom, so it is big enough to accommodate all that.

Their almost 2 year old boy is going to move in with our 5 year old boy. This room is much smaller but half the kids, so it works too.

Then, right across the hall, Jess and Nathaniel will have a room to themselves. They will share the bathroom with the boys.

Cory and I will still have the master bedroom upstairs and we will share the office/school room. Jess is also going to homeschool, so we added another desk and organized the room to fit all school supplies.

Cory and I realized as we talked about this possibility, that we have had people live with us 5 other times in the past 8 years. It's always an adjustment and involves flexibility from everyone, but it also can be a benefit for all parties involved. We are going into this situation with the understanding that we will not allow for this to ruin our friendship. We know there is potential to do so and we are ready to nip that in the bud.

Living It Up With Mimi and Papa

2009-07-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

This post is written specifically for the Mimi and Papa of my kiddos. They left yesterday to spend 5 days in Georgia. I know they are going to have a great time, but I thought it might be nice to send the grandparents a do/don't list. Here goes:

Make them eat their fruits and veggies (fruit roll-ups don't count, Mimi)

Make them say yes ma'm and yes sir

Give them hugs and kisses from mommy (you may have to chase Jordan down, but he'll be glad in the long run :)

Make them clean (you are not their maid)

Teach them a new language... you know the langauge of the South. I wanna hear some ya'll and drawl when they get back :)

Take lots of pictures

Don't

Let them convince you that they can watch anything they want (Texas Chainsaw is OUT! :)

Buy them everything they want... REALLY, I mean it!

Make 4 different meals for 4 different kids. I promise, if they are hungry enough, they'll eat it.

Try to make them all happy... It's impossible

Buy them everything they want... wait, did I already say that? I mean it!

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/23-7/29

2009-07-22T12:03:00.002-04:00

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!

Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from

$10/$50 Gas Gift Card (BP or Shell - with coupon from 7/9 ad) - The Coupon expiration date is extended again due to a lack of availability - the 3 stores closest to me are still all out)

Jif PB and Smuckers Jelly (bogo @ $6.09/2 and $3.39/2)
Use $1 off wyb both from ebay AND/OR
$1/2, $.35/1 Smucker's from ebay
Makes them $.70 - $1.35 for the Jelly and $2.54 for the PB

T-Bone or Porterhouse Steaks ($6.29/lb. - save up to $4.30/lb.)

Bananas ($.49/lb.)

Hebrew National Hotdogs (bogo @ $5.09/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or here or $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.54 - $1.79 each

Cherries ($1.99/lb.)
Use $2/5 produce Food Lion printable

Mangos or Rainier Cherries(bogo)
Use $2/5 produce Food Lion printable

Alexia Natural Crunchy Snacks (bogo @ $2.89/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 printable or buy $1/1 from ebay or from SS 6/14
Makes them $.45 - $.70 each

Yoplait Go-Gurt 8 pk (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use 2 $.40/1 or $.80/2 printable or here or $.75/2 from SS 5/31, 6/7, 7/12
Makes them $1.15 - $1.20 each

Simply Smart Milk (2/$5)
Use 2 $1/1 from recent spitters
Makes them $1.50 each

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward Booklet or buy from ebay
Makes them $.75 each

Popsicle Ice Pops (bogo @ $2.98/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward or
2 $1/1 from Raise Your Hand for Savings Booklet (new) or buy from ebay
Makes them $.49 each

Starkist SeaSations Fish Fillets (bogo @ $5.99/2)
Use 2 $3/1 from RP 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them FREE!!

Pillsbury Supreme Cake Mix (bogo @ $1.69/2)
Use 2 $.35/1 from RP 5/17 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.50 each

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.31/2 - includes Frosted/Unfrosted Mini-Wheats)
Use $1/1 or $1.50/2 printable or $1/2 from ebay
Makes them $1.15 - $1.65 each

Lawry's Garlic Salt (bogo @ $3.69/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/5 or 5/17 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.35 each

Kraft or Seven Seas Salad Dressing (bogo @ $3.07/2)
Use $1.50/1 from ebay AND
FREE produce wyb Kraft SD from ebay AND
FREE meat wyb Kraft SD from ebay
Makes them $.03 each and FREE produce and meat!!

Lawry's Marinade (bogo @ $2.81/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 4/5 or 6/28 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.90 each

Snapple Tea 6 pk. (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.75 each

Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($.99)
Use $1/1 printable or here or here
Makes them more than FREE!!

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Publix Macaroni Salad ($2.19/2)
Mott's Apple Juice ($3.07/2)
Immaculate Baking Co. Cookie Dough ($3.09/2)

Kid Cuisine ($2.47/2)
Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwich ($4.49/2)
Bird's Eye Voila Meal ($3.99/2)

Quaker Granola ($5.29/2)
Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars ($3.59/2)
Near East Rice ($2.19/2)

Eight O' Clock Coffee ($5.13/2)
Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna ($3.67/2)
WISE Chips ($2.99/2)

Arnold Bread ($3.69/2)
Honey Maid Grahams ($4.09/2)
Doritos Chips ($3.99/2)
Keebler Vienna Fingers ($4.09/2)

First Day on the Job and Everyone Survived

2009-07-21T17:55:00.002-04:00

That's right, I left my kids for 7 hours today with their daddy and everyone did fine. My first day was nothing too tremendous. It was actually pretty monotonous. I was only trained on one thing. So, for 5 1/2 hours, I attached tags to clothes. Sounds fun, doesn't it? I'm sure that will get better with time. Tomorrow, I work from 4 - close. I'm interested to see how different the night shift is.

When we told my kids about me starting work the other day, they didn't seem too phazed. In fact, Jordan was happy that mommy wouldn't try to kiss him when he gets hurt anymore (BREAK my heart!!). But, I did get to see the love today. Jordan actually told me he was going to miss me and gave me a great big hug. Sydney kept telling me not to leave and that she was going to go with me. Avery (the quiet one) just kept giving me big hugs and telling me she loved me. Morgan seemed to care less :) Oh, those oldest children always have it all together, don't they? Well, daddy actually found out throughout the day that she missed her mom. I can't believe she admitted it, but she did.

So, it was hard leaving them today, but not nearly as hard as making the decision last week. I didn't even cry this morning. I was calm and collected.

Thank you, Lord, for your provision. It may not look the way I envisioned, but your plan rarely does.

Working Hard for Her Money!

2009-07-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

Starting this coming Tuesday, I will officially be a working mom. On Tuesday of this week, I decided to take an application to a local consignment store that I knew was hiring "just in case". Well, when I got there, the owner just happened to be there too. She asked me if I had time to sit down and talk with her. Of course, I said yes.

So, we headed to her office and she told me that the other applicants had already been through 2 interviews. She decided to catch me up and do both interviews right then. So, we sat and talked for a little bit. I knew things were going well and she seemed to like me. It also was very evident that the job description fit my personality well. All of this should have made me excited, but...

it didn't. I left the store actually feeling scared... scared that I was going to get the job. The reality of it all started to sink in and I realized I wasn't so pumped about the idea. This job was going to change a lot more than an adjustment to our schedule.

It wasn't 5 hours later that she called me and offered me a job. What?! Oh, I wasn't ready for that yet. I was on my way out the door when she called, so once I got in the car...

I called my mom. She has this magical way of asking just the right questions to pull the tears out of my eyes. As I talked to her about my hesitation, I just started crying. I didn't like the thought of leaving my kids. For now, they will be home with daddy (while he continues looking for a job). But, what about the future? What if I decide I like this job? What if I'm good at it and I can move up? Is that really what I want right now? What happens with school? Am I still going to be able to teach this year? So many questions were reeling through my head.
So, I sat in my car and had a good cry by myself.

Then, I got home and needed to talk to my husband. I needed to explain everything I was feeling but not make him feel guilty or change our decision for what we needed to do. I thought I already got my good cry out earlier, so we should be able to talk about this rationally. WRONG! That good cry earlier was just the pre-cursor to the "ugly cry". I don't know how many of you are familiar with that, but it is the "I can't talk, I sound like an idiot, my chest is heaving" cry. I'm pretty sure my husband was in a state of shock. I also realized that what I really was struggling with here was a change in my identity. I've been a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom for almost 10 years. Now, with no time to blink, I am a working out of the home mom. I know lots of people do this. But, now that I was up for the title, I didn't want it.

Still, we talked our way through all the pros and cons and decided that it was NO coincidence that the owner just happened to be there and had the time to interview me immediately. It was NO coincidence that I happened to NOT have my children with me while running errands. Nope, God knew what he was doing. So, yes, I accepted the job the next morning. I will be working 20-40 hours a week. I am doing much better today. I'm not exactly excited yet, but I'm not so sad either.

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/16-7/22

2009-07-16T09:25:00.002-04:00

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from

$10/$50 Gas Gift Card (BP or Shell - with coupon from ad) - I was told at my store that this coupon will still be accepted through this week (straight from corporate). So, if you have any extra sale ads from last week, you can still cash in on some free gas. If you don't, I have plenty and would be glad to send some your way.

GM Cereal (bogo @ $5.13/2 - includes cheerios, honey nut cheerios, multigrain cheerios, cinnamon toast crunch, total raisin bran)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or here or here or $.75/1 printable or here or here or $1/2 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.57 - $2.06 a box

Dannon Yogurt (20/$10)
Use $.60/6 from SS 5/3 or 6/21
Makes them $.40 each

Northwest Cherries ($1.99/lb.)

Nestle Coffee-Mate Creamer (bogo @ $2.57/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 6/28 or buy from ebay or $1.50/2, $1/1 printable
Makes them $.27 - $.77 each

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt (10/$6)
Use $.50/3 printable or buy $1/4 from ebay
Makes them $.35 - $.43 each

Kozy Shack Pudding (bogo @ $3.19/2)
Use 2 $.35/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.75

Whole Fruit Sorbet (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 6/28 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Gorton's Fish or Shrimp (bogo @ $7.73/2)
Use $.75/2 printable
Makes them $3.50 each

Kellogg's Eggo Waffles (bogo @ $2.47/2)
Use $1/1 from ebay and submit for $10 rebate wyb 10 (find out how here)
Makes them almost free and qualify for $10 rebate

Farm Rich Cheese Sticks (bogo @ $7.69/2)
Use $.75/2 printable
Makes them $3.48 each

Deli Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey ($4.99/lb.)
Use $3/10 Food Lion printable
Makes them $3.50/lb.

NY Texas Toast Croutons (bogo @ $1.49/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 from RP 4/5 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.20 each

Hellmann's Easy Out! Mayo (bogo @ $4.69/2)
Use 2 $.60/1 from RP 5/17 or 6/28 or $1/1 printable or $1.50/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward booklet or buy from ebay
Makes them $.85 - $1.75 each

Ken's Steakhouse Dressing (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$2/2 Food Lion printable
Makes them $.04 each!!

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.51/2 - includes Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.25 a box and is also eligible for $10 rebate

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (bogo @ $3.07/2)
Use $.75/2 from RP 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.16 a box

Zatarain's New Orleans Style Mix (bogo @ $2.05/2)
Use $.75/2 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.65 a box

McCormick Grinder Seasoning (bogo @ $1.99/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from Nothing Goes to Waist magazine or $.75/1 from RP 5/10 or buy from ebay
Makes them FREE - $.25 each

Pop-Secret Popcorn (bogo @ $4.85/2)
Use $.50/2 from SS 6/14 or $1/2 from ebay
Makes them $1.93 - $2.18 each

Keebler Club or Town House Crackers (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$1 off water wyb 2 Keebler crackers from ebay AND
$1 off deli cheese wyb 1 Town house cracker from ebay
Makes them $1.54 each and cheap water and cheese

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 from ebay or from SS 6/14 AND
$.75/1 Target printable
Makes them $.50 a loaf

Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($.99)
Use $1/1 printable or here or here
Makes them more than FREE!!

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Stouffer's Skillet Meals ($5.15/2)
Starkist Gourmet Canned Tuna 4-pk ($7.39/2)
Taco Bell Home Originals ($2.69/2)

Barilla Pasta Sauce ($2.75/2)
Ghirardelli Brownie Mix ($2.79/2)
Hunt's Tomato Sauce ($.99/2)

Quaker Rice Cakes ($3.09/2)
Nabisco Chips Ahoy! ($3.79/2)
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers ($2.19/2)

School Supplies bogo:
Fiskars Scissors for kids ($2.49/2)
Master Lock Combo Lock ($4.99/2)
Sharpie Markers 8 ct.($6.99/2)
Sharpie Highlighter 4 ct.($2.99/2)
Crayola Washable Markers ($3.69/2)
Pilot G2 Fine Point Gel Pen 2 ct.($2.99/2)
Pilot FriXion Ball Gel Pen 2 ct.($3.99/2)

School Supplies (Save over 70%!!)
Crayola Crayons 24 ct. boxes (3/$1)
Dixon No. 2 Pencils 10 ct. (3/$1)
Elmer's Glue (3/$1)
Paper Mate Flexgrip Ball Point Pen 2 ct. (2/$1)
Bic Mechanical Pencils (3/$3)

Winn-Dixie Deals and Coupons for 7/15-7/21

2009-07-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Keebler Town House or Nilla Wafers (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$1 off water wyb 2 Keebler crackers from ebay AND
$1 off deli cheese wyb 1 Town house cracker from ebay
Makes them $1.54 each and cheap water and cheese

Post Cereal (bogo @ $4.59/2 - includes Family Size Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Honeycomb, Selects or Trail Mix Crunch or Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach or Pecan)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay or $2/1 printable Trail Mix Crunch
Makes them $.30 - $1.80 a box

Ken's Salad Dressing (bogo @ $3.29/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
Makes them $1.15 each

Hillshire Farm Bratwurst (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $2 each

Kraft Cheese (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Totino's Pizza Rolls (bogo @ $2/2)
Use $.40/2 from SS 7/12 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.80 a bag

FREE Milk wyb 4 participating Kellogg's products (4/$10 items include - Special K or Fiber Plus bars, Corn Flakes, Corn Flakes Touch of Honey, Rice Krispies, Mini-Wheats Little Bites, Honey Smacks, Mini Wheats,Bite Size Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 a box, FREE Milk and is also eligible for $10 rebate

Thomas English Muffins (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Famous Amos Cookies (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 printable AND
$1 off milk wyb 2 Famous Amos Cookies from ebay
Makes them $1.45 each and cheap milk

Crystal Light Drink Mix (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use $2/2 or $1/1 printable (no longer available) AND
FREE Skin Essentials wyb Crystal Light printable (no longer available) AND
FREE water wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$2 off Wheat Thins wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$1 off What Thins printable
Makes them $.80 each and FREE water, Skin Essentials and Wheat Thins

Dole Salad Kits or blends (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use $1/1, $1/2, $1.50/2 from ebay
Makes them $1 - $1.50 each

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Edy's or Haagen Dazs Ice Cream (save up to $6.69/2)
Del Monte Canned Veggies ($1.69/2)
Mama Mary's Pizza Crust ($4.79/2)

Aunt Jemima Breakfast Entrees ($2.29/2)
Doritos ($3.99/2)
Mott's Applesauce 6 pk. ($2.69/2)

How to Get $10 Easy!

2009-07-13T16:00:00.003-04:00

The deals for Publix this week end soon, but starting today, you are able to use your shopping and receipt to earn you $10 in Publix GC easily. I would like to share a couple of easy scenarios on how you can do this and spend virtually nothing.

Remember, you can earn up to 3 Gift Cards per household!!

#1
BP or Shell GC ($50)
-$10 off coupon from inside Publix Sale Ad
4 Jell-O Pudding ($5-$6)
Spend $45 and qualify to receive a $10 GC after rebate (you must combine this receipt with another receipt of atleast $5 PAID or add $5 to this transaction in order to receive the rebate)

#2
4 Kraft BBQ ($6)
6 boxes of Post Honey Bunches of Oats ($1.99 each)
-3 $1/2
2 Gallons Milk ($2.89/gallon)
-FREE Milk wyb 3 Post from inside Publix Sale Ad
4 Smart Balance Spread ($3.09 - bogo)
-2 $1/2
4 Smart Balance PB (I think these are about $3 each)
-4 FREE Smart Balance PB wyb Smart Balance spread
4 Smart Balance Milk ($3.50/half gallon)
-4 FREE Smart Balance Milk wyb Smart Balance spread
Spend $16.50 and qualify to receive a $10 Publix GC
(you must combine this receipt with another receipt(s) of atleast $37.50 PAID or add $37.50 to this transaction in order to receive the rebate)

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

2009-07-10T19:13:00.005-04:00

The Whole Herd headed to Chick-Fil-A for free meals tonight.

Annalise and Avery

The calves chowing down :)We had a great time. We were lucky enough to pick a restaurant that wasn't even busy during dinner time. Look around us, we were basically the only ones there. It was easy and completely FREE!! We are marking this one down for next year.

Publix and Kraft Rebate Offer

2009-07-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

From 7/13 - 8/9, you can receive a $10 Gift Card from Publix when you purchase $50 in groceries at Publix, including 4 of the following Kraft products:

STARBUCKS Coffee
KRAFT Mayo Mayonnaise
MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
KRAFT GOOD SEASONS Salad Dressings
KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese
VELVEETA Shells & Cheese Dinner
PLANTERS Sliced Almonds
SHAKE ‘N BAKE Original Chicken
Seasoning Mix
JELL-O Pudding
KRAFT Grated Parmesan
OSCAR MAYER Bacon, Bacon Bits,
Deli Fresh Shaved Meats, or Chicken Strips
California Pizza Kitchen Thin Crust Pizza
KRAFT 2% Milk Cheese
A.1. Steak Sauce
KRAFT Barbecue Sauce

Just fill out the rebate form here and send away for up to 3 $10 gift cards!! I don't know about you, but these are items we normally buy anyway. Now, I'm just going to get money back for it! Gotta LOVE Publix!!

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/9-7/15

2009-07-08T14:53:00.004-04:00

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from

$10/$50 Gas Gift Card (BP or Shell - with coupon from ad)

Publix Pork Chops ($1.79/lb.)

Kashi Entrees or Dinners, Waffles, Pocket Bread Sandwiches or Pizza (50% OFF)
Use 2 $.50/1 Target printables AND
$2/1 from ebay
Makes them $2.50 off each one! (Price not listed, but should be a great deal)

Ocean Spray Juice (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from ebay or printable or 2 $.55/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/31
Makes them $1.04 - $1.50 each

Crystal Light Drink Mix (bogo @ $4.11/2)
Use $2/2 or $1/1 printable AND
FREE Skin Essentials wyb Crystal Light printable AND
FREE water wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$2 off Wheat Thins wyb Crystal Light from ebay AND
$1 off What Thins printable
Makes them $1 each and FREE Skin Essentials and FREE Water and almost FREE Wheat Thins!!

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks (bogo @ $2.81/2)
Use $.50/2 printable or from SS 6/14
Makes them $1.15 each

Post Cereals (buy any 3 and get 1 Publix Milk FREE - with coupon from paper - Honey Bunches of Oats on sale for $1.99)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or $2/1 Trail Mix Crunch printable or $1/2 from ebay
Makes them $1.49 each and FREE Milk!!

Mueller's Pasta (bogo @ $1.99/2)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.50 each

GM Cereal (bogo @ $3.99/2 - includes Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Kix, Reese's Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/14 or $1/3 from SS 6/28 or buy from ebay or $.75/1 printable or here or here or here
Makes them $1.25 - $1.50 each

A.1. Steak House Marinade (bogo @ $2.89/2)
Use 2 $2/1 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay AND
$1 off beef wyb 1 A.1. from ebay
Makes them FREE plus overage and FREE BEEF!!

Blue Diamond Almonds (bogo @ $3.19/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 printable or $.50/2 from SS 5/17 or $.75/2 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.10 - $1.35 each

Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 printable (if Fudge Deluxe are included)
Makes them $1.54 each

Planters Peanuts (bogo @ $3.29/2)
Use $1.50/2 or $1/2 from ebay or $1.50/2 from SS 6/28
Makes them $.90 - $1.15 each

Nabisco Single Serve Tray (bogo @ $6.17/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from ebay or SS 6/21
Makes them $1.83 a box

Smart Balance Spread (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use $1/2 printable AND
Use buy Spread, Get Milk FREE from RP 6/28 or ebay AND
buy spread, get PB FREE from ebay
Makes them $1.04 each and FREE Milk and FREE PB!!

Simply Potatoes (bogo @ $2.57/2)
Use $1/2 from ebay AND
$1/2 Publix coupon from Smart Summertime Savings
Makes them $.27 each

Klondike Bar or Sandwich (bogo @ $4.29/2)
Use $1/2 printable or $1.25/1 fromFamily Is It's Own Reward booklet or ebay
Makes them $.90 - $1.65 each

Tai Pei Dinners (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 3/1 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Rosetta Pasta (bogo @ $4.33/2)
Use $1.50/2 printable
Makes them $1.41 each

Kim and Scott's Gourmet Pretzels (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use $1/1 printable
Makes them $1.50 each

Huggies Bath Products (bogo @ $3.29/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from SS 4/19 or buy from ebay AND
2 $.50/1 Food Lion printable
Makes them $.14 each

Rotisserie Chicken ($6.99)
Use $3/2 from in-ad coupon AND
$3/10 Food Lion printable
Makes them $4 a piece (when you buy 2)

Muir Glen Tomato Paste ($.99)
Use $1/1 printable or here or here
Makes them more than FREE!!

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Betty Crocker Cake Mix ($1.95/2)
Bertolli Olive Oil ($6.39/2)
Pasta or Rice a Roni ($1.75/2)

6 pk IBC Soft Drinks ($3.79/2)
Nature's Own Bread ($3.49/2)
Entenmann's Little Bites ($4.29/2)

Pepperidge Farm 3-Layer Cake ($3.99/2)

Winn-Dixie Deals and Coupons for 7/8-7/14

2009-07-08T13:36:00.004-04:00

The Holidays are over and so are the good deals at Winn-Dixie. There was not much to write about today. I hope you stocked up last week.

Cantaloupe (2/$2.99)

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.99/2 - includes Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies)
Use 2 $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 each

Hershey, Reese's or Kit Kat Candy Bars (bogo @ $.89/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 from ebay
Makes them FREE Plus Overage!!

Big G GM Cereal (buy any 3 and receive $3 off at checkout AND $3 off next order)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/14 or $1/3 from SS 6/28 or buy from ebay or $.75/1 printable or here or here
Makes them $2.33 - $2.75 off each box (price not listed but should be good deal)

Orville Popcorn (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay AND
FREE Soda wyb 2 Orville from ebay
Makes them $2 a box and FREE soda

Kraft Mac n Cheese (bogo @ $1.89/2)
Use B3G1 printable
Makes them $.47 each

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs ($5.19/2)
Mott's Apple Juice ($3.29/2)
Keebler Vienna Fingers or Oatmeal Cookies ($3.99/2)

Arnold Bread ($2.79/2)
Winn-Dixie Sugar Free Drink Mixes ($3.99/2)

4th of July Fun!

2009-07-07T14:58:00.005-04:00

We had a fun weekend this past weekend. However, we didn't really do anything much different than normal. We spent most of the day at my parents, the kids swam and we grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs. It was a typical Saturday afternoon during the Summer. It wasn't until evening when we brought out the fire, that things started to feel a little different.

Just imagine with me... 11 kids under 10, fire, muddy ground, hot and muggy outdoors (even after dark) and mosquito's. Awww, just the perfect combo for a 4th of July kind of night. We have learned from the past and made everyone wear shoes so that no one stepped in the Sparklers droppings, but somehow we still ended the evening with a few burn marks to the arm, crying children and chaos.

It wasn't all bad, I think some of the kids actually had fun. Most of the parents were exhausted though. Here are the few pictures I was able to capture amidst the craziness and smoke. We went to the golf course green behind my parents house. Lots of room for the lots of kids :)

Ethan wasn't crazy about the fireworksThe magic of sparklers

Good friends

My Poor Garden!!

2009-07-04T13:22:00.001-04:00

Yep, those squash are goners!! But, that's not all. It looks like we had the exact same problem with the cantaloupe. The leaves on the vines have gradually been getting darker with spots in the last couple of weeks. Well, a couple of days ago, all the leaves were brown and shriveling up. It wasn't much later that we noticed the 6 different fruits that were growing started to also shrivel up and die.

We didn't even get 1 cantaloupe from that bed!! I was so prepared the over-abundance but was left with nothing. I think we had the same issue with the cantaloupe because we started out with those growing on the ground in the bed. They didn't want to stay in the bed so we kept re-directing back in. When we did that, they started growing on top of each and around eachother. I think this allowed the plants to hold way too much of the ridiculous amount of rain we've been getting.

What a bummer! Now, we are down to all the tomatoes and green beans. The tomatoes are finally starting to turn red and we have picked several good ones. We have also picked several handfuls of green beans that cook up nicely. I was surprised at the amount of green beans though. We planted 18 plants and have not had anywhere close to enough to feed the 4 families who went to together. Next time, we will probably fill an entire bed with those.

Super-Star!!

2009-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

T-Rex Cafe

2009-07-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

On our Way

Here are the results of my new camera. Woohoo!! No more borrowing other cameras and having my pictures all over the place.

Well, I got it just in time to test it out for Jordan's last birthday celebration this year. My parents were not in town this last weekend, so they hadn't had the chance to celebrate with Jordan. So, on Tuesday, they decided to take him to the T-Rex cafe at downtown Disney. None of us have ever been there before, but we had heard that it was very cool. We were not disappointed.

Jordan loved every minute. From the outside decorations... all the way to where we were seated, he was in awe. This woolly mammoth was right next to our table.He was not scared at all. In fact, he wanted to touch them all and was a little disappointed that there were not REAL dinosaurs to pet. I love his little embarrassed expression here.A quick review:
The food was actually pretty good. A typical meal ranges from $15 - $30 for an adult. So, don't plan on getting out of there too cheap. But, the bright side is that the portion sizes are HUGE! I split an appetizer with my mom and we couldn't finish it. The burgers are mammoth as well. So, you don't have to break the budget for the experience if you plan to split a meal. I split the nachos and my dad got one of the burgers. Both meals got a thumbs up.
The atmosphere is definitely a sensory overload. It is LOUD at all times and there are constantly things moving and changing colors. Like always, Disney did a great job of bringing your imagination to life.

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 7/2-7/8

2009-07-02T12:01:00.001-04:00

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from

Kraft Mayo (bogo @ $4.81/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or 2 $.75/1 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.65 each

Coca-Cola 12 packs (B3G2 @ $18.67/5)
Use $1/2 or $1/1 from ebay
Makes them $2.74 - $3.24 each

Ball Park Franks (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 6/7 and 6/28 or buy from ebay AND
$3 off watermelon wyb Ball Park franks and Sara Lee buns from ebay
Makes them $1.50 each and FREE watermelon!!

Oscar Mayer Lunchables (bogo @ $2/2)
Use $1/2 printable
Makes them $.50 each

Ground Chuck ($2.29/lb.)

Florida's Natural OJ (2/$5)

Hershey's Syrup (bogo @ $2.25/2)
Use $1/2 or $1/3 from ebay
Makes them $.62 - $.81 each

Kraft Salad Dressing (bogo @ $3.07/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or buy from ebay
Makes them $.53 each

A.1. Steak Sauce (bogo @ $4.29/2)
Use 2 $2/1 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay AND
$1 off beef wyb 1 A.1. from ebay
Makes them almost FREE and FREE BEEF!!

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner (bogo @ $1.33/2)
Use B3G1 printable
Makes them $.33 a box

Kellogg's Special K Cereal (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.04 each

McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning (bogo @ $1.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/3 or $1/1 from ebay or recent Publix mag.
Makes them FREE - $.50 each

Orville Gourmet Popcorn (bogo @ $4.89/2)
Use $1/1 printable or 2 $.50/1 from ebay AND
FREE soda wyb 2 Orville popcorn from ebay
Makes them $1.45 - 1.95 a box

Lay's Potato Chips (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use B2G1 from recent peelies AND
$2 off Dip wyb 2 bags of Lay's from ebay
Makes them $.67 each (wyb 6 w/B2G1 coupon) AND almost free dip

Famous Amos cookies (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use 2 $.55/1 printable AND
$1 off milk wyb 2 Famous Amos cookies from ebay
Makes them $1.25 each and cheap milk

M&M's Big Party Bag (bogo @ $4.69/2)
Use $1/2 RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.85 a bag

Cheez-It Crackers (bogo @ $4.09/2)
Use $1/2 from recent peelies or ebay
Makes them $1.50 each

Thomas English Muffins (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1 each

Kraft Philedelphia Cream Cheese (4/$5)
Use $1/2 printable AND
$1/2 Publix coupon from Smart Summertime Savings mag.
Makes them $.25 each

Breakstone Sour Cream (4/$5)
Use $1/2 printable
Makes them $.75 each

Luigi's Italian Ice (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 6/28 or buy $.50/1 or $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $.75 - $1 each

Cool Whip Whipped Topping (bogo @ $2.07/2)
Use $1/2 printable
Makes them $.53 each

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Deli Iced Tea ($2.39/2)
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ ($2.29/2)
Chatham Village Croutons (bogo)

Hi-C Fruit Drinks ($2.43/2)
Bush's Best Bakes Beans ($2.37/2)
Hunt's Tomatoes ($1.39/2)

Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes ($3.99/2)
SheerBliss Ice Cream ($4.99/2 - sign up here to receive coupons)
Diana's Banana Babies ($4.49/2)

Winn-Dixie Deals and Coupons for 7/1-7/7

2009-07-02T08:41:00.002-04:00

The Holiday is bringing good deals at Winn-Dixie. There are several items that turn out to be FREE or nearly free!! Gotta love July 4th!

Fresh Ground Chuck ($1.99/lb.)

Breyers Ice Cream (bogo @ $5.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from RP 5/17 or 2 $1.50/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward Booklet (found at Publix stores - man. coupon) or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 - $2.25 a carton

Ball Park Franks (bogo @ $2.99/2)
Use $1/2 from RP 6/7 and 6/28 or buy from ebay AND
$3 off watermelon wyb Ball Park franks and Sara Lee buns from ebay
Makes them $1 each and FREE watermelon!!

Lay's Potato Chips (bogo @ $4.79/2)
Use B2G1 from recent peelies AND
$2 off Dip wyb 2 bags of Lay's from ebay
Makes them $.80 each (wyb 6 w/B2G1 coupon) AND almost free dip

Kraft Mayo (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.75 each

Mt. Olive Sweet Relish or Salad Cubes (bogo @ $2.29/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from SS 6/28 or buy $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $.40 - $.65 each

A.1. Steak Sauce (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use 2 $2/1 from SS 6/14 or buy from ebay AND
$1 off beef wyb 1 A.1. from ebay
Makes them more than FREE and FREE BEEF!!

Kool-Aid, Country Time or Crystal Light (bogo @ up to $4.99/2)
Use 2 $1/1 Kool-Aid from ebay AND
$2 off sugar wyb Kool-Aid from ebay
or $2/2 or $1/1 from recent Crystal Light printables

Lipton Family Size Tea Bags (bogo @ $5.29/2)
Use 2 $.75/2 from RP 5/17 or 6/28 or 2 $.60/1 from RP 5/17 or $1/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.64 - $2.27 each

Kellogg's Cereal ($1.77 - includes Special K, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Rice Krispies, Corn Pops)
Use $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.77 a box

GM Products (Save $4 at register wyb 4 participating GM products - 4/$10 items include Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, Fruit Shapes, Cheerios, Whole Grain Total, Total Blueberry Pomegranate, Cookie Crisp Sprinkles, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon toast Crunch)
Use $1/2 or $1/3 GM cereal coupons from SS 5/31, 6/14 or 6/28 or $1/3 or $1/1 or $3/3 from ebay
or $.50/2 Betty Crocker printable or from SS 6/14 or buy $.50/2 or $1/3 from ebay
Makes them $.50 - $1.17 each

Simply Smart Milk (2/$6)
Use $1/1 from recent spitters or buy from ebay
Makes them $4 a gallon

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.79/2 - includes Marshmallow Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Flakes Gold, Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran Crunch, Raisin Bran)
Use 2 $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.40 each

Mueller's Pasta (bogo @ $1.69/2)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.35 a box

Pompeian Olive Oil (bogo @ $8.29/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable
Makes them $3.15 a bottle

McCormick Grill Mates (bogo @ $1.39/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/3 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.20 each

McCormick Grill Mates Seasonings (bogo @ $2.69/2)
Use 2 $.50/1 from RP 4/19 or 5/3 or $1/1 from ebay or recent Publix mag.
Makes them $.35 - $.85 each

Nabisco Snack Crackers (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use $3/4 from ebay AND
$2 off wyb 2 Nabisco crackers and 1 6,8,or 12 pk. coke from ebay
Makes them $1.05 a box and $2 off coke

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:

Nature's Own Whitewheat Buns ($2.89/2)
Bull's Eye BBQ ($2/2)
Cole's Garlic Bread ($1.99/2)

Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup ($3.99/2)
Arizona Tea ($.99/2)
Entenmann's Loaf Cake ($4.29/2)

Winn-Dixie Mac n Cheese ($1/2)
Duncan Hines Brownie Mix ($2.79/2)
McCormick Grinders ($2.59/2)

Jordan's Birthday Party

2009-06-30T23:06:00.006-04:00

I'm sure I've said this before, but we only throw birthday parties in our family (other than a family dinner) for those milestone years. Well, Jordan just turned 5 and that is definitely a milestone in our book. So, he got to choose what he wanted to do and he immediately asked for a sleepover. I wasn't sure if I could convince many 5 year old boys to sleep away from home, but I decided to give it a try. Well, we had 5 friends at the party (plus all the family) for the evening and then 2 actually stayed the night.
For his birthday dinner, we made homemade pizzas. Being the non-messy person that I am, I just had to stand back and watch. I let all those kids dig in and make their pizzas however they wanted.

Then, they were able to swim for a little bit while we cleaned up inside and got the cake ready. We ended up doing cake and presents on the pool deck to avoid all those wet bodies coming inside. One of Jordan's favorite things to do is swim, so the night was just right for him.

After we were done with all of that, the boys packed up and headed to our house for a sleepover. Cory said the bedroom floor looked like a crime scene without the blood. There were just bodies sprawled all over floor and they all like to take up as much space as possible.

Jordan had a great time hanging out with the boys. It was good to have all the girls gone and watch Batman cartoons and just act like boys. No silly girls trying to put make-up on you, no one telling you what to do. Life was good.

On Saturday, Papa and Cory took Jordan putt-putt golfing. Again, just the guys. Can you tell my little guy needs an escape from here every once in a while?

Birthday Week

2009-06-29T14:12:00.003-04:00

Well, my birthday was on Wednesday and I turned 31. The up side to having a husband out of work is that he was willing to watch our kids and some friends kids so that a couple girl friends could take me out to lunch and a movie. We had a great time! I don't think I've ever been to chick-fil-a without my kids since I've had them. It was a nice, relaxing time and quiet :) After lunch, we headed to the movie theater and we watched "The Proposal". By the way, I totally recommend this movie to everyone!! It was hilarious and not raunchy. In fact, it is just funny enough to entertain those male viewers as well. It's not quite appropriate enough for those young viewers, but for us adults, a very funny movie.

After the afternoon out, we headed home and had a quick dinner before small group. Amanda even brought me a yummy chocolate cream pie (shout out just for you :). Then, we had one more birthday celebration for me on Thursday night. We had dinner at my parents with my whole family. I got to pick my birthday meal and we had some fabulous grilled salmon and mashed potatoes!! Mmmmm... my mouth is still watering.

My husband also spent a good bit of the afternoon making a home-made ice cream cake. That's right, home-made. He took ice cream from the freezer and formed into a square pan. Then, he baked a cake and cut it to fit on top. Then, he frosted the thing all over. It was very creative and thoughtful. He knows I really don't care for cake. I always ask for an ice cream cake for my birthday and he made it happen :)

Then came Friday....
Jordan turned 5 on Saturday, so he had his birthday party on Friday night and had a boys only sleepover. He kicked his sisters out of the house and didn't even want mommy there. He ended up with 5 boys for the party and 2 that agreed to stay the night. He probably wouldn't stay some where else for a sleepover, but he sure loves to have friends stay at his house. He's gotta find a way to balance out the estrogen over here :)

Friday evening, we made home made pizzas (his choice) and went swimming all evening at my parents house. Then, the boys headed back to our house for movies and sleeping bags. They actually went to sleep earlier than I expected. They were all out by 11.

The next morning, Jordan wanted to have BIG breakfast. We basically do this every Saturday at my parents, but he looks forward to it all week long. Usually, we either have pancakes, waffles or french toast. Well, since this is Jordan's favorite meal, he asked for all 3. So, we did. We had pancakes, waffles, french toast, eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls and parfait. It was quite the spread.

The rest of the day was mostly spent in the pool and he was exhausted by the end.

I don't have the pictures yet, because someone else was taking pictures. I am very excited though, because one of my birthday presents is a new camera!! I am going to pick one out this week. Woohoo!!

Publix Weekly Deals and Coupons for 6/25-7/1

2009-06-25T12:43:00.002-04:00

Publix will allow you to use 1 manufacturer AND 1 store coupon (this includes competitor store coupons) on every item you buy.

When an item is 3/$5 or such, you don't have to buy 3 to get the sale price.

Remember, you can use 2 coupons on BOGO items!!
Sunday Paper Insert Code:
SS - Smart Source
RP - Red Plum
GM - General Mills
P&G - Proctor & Gamble
KL - Kellogg's
V - Vlassis
UN - Unilever

If you want multiple coupons of bogo items for this week, be sure to order your coupons today from

Pork Spare Ribs ($1.69/lb.)

Pepsi Products 8-pack (B3G2 @ $8.97/5)
Makes them $1.79 each

Tostitos Tortilla Chips (bogo @ $4.99/2)
Use FREE Tostitos Salsa wyb 2 bags Tostitos chips from in-store peelie or buy from ebay
Makes them $2.50 a bag and FREE dip!!

Curly's Chicken or Pork BBQ (bogo @ $5.69/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable
Makes them $1.84 each

Oscar Mayer Beef Franks (bogo @ $3.99/2)
Use $1/2 SS 5/10 or 6/21 or buy from ebay
Makes them $1.50 a pack

Tropicana Pure Premium OJ (2/$6)
Use $1/2 from RP 5/3 or buy from ebay or use $1/1 Trop 50 printable (if included)
Makes them $2 - $2.50 a carton

Mt. Olive Pickles (bogo @ $2.79/2)
Use $.50/1 - $.75/1 from recent spitters or ebay
Makes them $.30 - .54 each

Kraft Barbecue Sauce (bogo @ $1.39/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable or $.75/1 from SS 6/14
Makes BOTH FREE plus overage!!

Lawry's 30 minute marinade (bogo @ $2.81/2) ***UPDATE*** - Use this printable coupon for $2 off beef or chicken wyb 2 Lawry's marinade and get some FREE Meat!!
Use $1/2 from RP 4/5 or $.50/1 from RP 5/17 or buy from ebay
Makes them $.90 each

French's Mustard (bogo @ $1.89/2)
Use 2 $.30/1 from SS 3/29 or 5/29 or 2 $.50/1 from SS 5/10 or 6/21 or register here for $.50/1 printable or buy $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $.20 - $.65 each

Lipton Family Size Tea Bags (bogo @ $2.53/2)
Use $1/1 from ebay or from Family Is It's Own Reward booklet or $.60/1 or $.75/2 from RP 5/17
Makes them $.26 - .86 a box

Post Cereal (bogo @ $4.29/2 - includes Selects, Grape-Nuts, Grape-Nuts Flakes, Trail Mix Crunch)
Use $1/2 from SS 6/21 or $2/1 printable
Makes them $.15 - $1.65 each

Kellogg's Cereal (bogo @ $4.51/2 - includes Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops)
Use 2 $1/1 from RP 6/7 or buy $1/1 from ebay AND
$2 off milk wyb 2 Kellogg's Cereal from ebay
Makes them $1.25 a box and Cheap Milk!!

McCormick Ground Black Pepper (bogo @ $3.59/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from RP 5/10 or $1/1 from Save Money, Save the Planet Booklet or from ebay
Makes them $.80 - $1.05 each

Crystal Light Drink Mix (bogo @ $4.11/2)
Use $2/2 printable AND
$2 off wyb Crystal Light and Wheat Thins from recent peelies or ebay AND
$1 off water wyb 2 Crystal Light from recent peelies or ebay
Makes them $1.05 each and cheap Wheat Thins and Water!!

Ragu Pasta Sauce (bogo @ $2.63/2)
Use $1/2 printable or $.60/1 from RP 5/17 or $.75/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward or ebay
Makes them $.56 - $.81 each

Emerald Nuts (bogo @ $5.79/2)
Use $1.50/2 from SS 5/17 or ebay
Makes them $2.15 each

Nabisco Ritz Crackers (bogo @ $3.89/2)
Use $1/1 printable AND
buy Ritz and get Wheat Thins FREE from SS 5/17 or ebay
Makes them $.95 a box and FREE Wheat Thins!!

Trident or Stride Gum (bogo @ $4.29/2)
Use 2 $1/1 from Smart Summertime Savings (NEW!) publix mag. (if bottles are included in sale) or $1/1 or $.75/1 from SS 5/10 or $1/1 printable
Makes them $1.15 - $1.40 each

Land O Lakes Spread (bogo @ $2.19/2)
Use $.55/1 printable or buy from ebay
Makes them $.55 each

Sara Lee Desserts (50% OFF)
Use $1/1 from RP 4/19, 5/17 or 6/7
Makes a great deal!

Bird's Eye Steamfresh Frozen Veggies (50% OFF)
Use $1/2 printable or buy from ebay

Breyer's Ice Cream (bogo @ $5.13/2)
Use 2 $.75/1 from RP 5/17 or buy $1.50/1 from ebay
Makes them $1.07 - $1.82 each

Contessa Frozen Cooked Shrimp (50% OFF)
Use $1.50/2 printable

Claussen Pickles (bogo @ $3.09/2)
Use $1/2 printable or buy $.75/1 from ebay
Makes them $.80 - $1.05 each

Bertolli Complete Skillet ($4.99)
Use $2.50/1 from Family Is It's Own Reward booklet or $1/1 from RP 6/7 or $1.50/1 printable or buy any from ebay
Makes them $1.49 - $3.99 each

Kraft Velveeta Cheese Product (bogo @ $6.13/2)
Use 2 $1/1 printable
Makes them $2.06 each

More BOGO Deals w/ NO Coupons:
Mangos ($1/2)
Betty Crocker Potatoes ($1.79/2)
Gatorade (B2G1)
Green Giant Canned Veggies 4-pk (4.99/2)