tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463077494658424552011-11-27T18:56:26.584-06:00My husband and I have 4 kids, 1 of whom joined us September, 2010 in Ethiopia. My interests also include deals, freebies, thrift stores, and homeschool stuff.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.comBlogger951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-26943299138826205622011-07-24T22:35:00.010-05:002011-07-24T23:46:27.541-05:00

It has been a very busy couple of months. We went to Florida the beginning of May. I got to go to the opening for my sister's solo show. My mom did face painting, and I got to vamp it up with my sisters. Oh, if only they lived closer! We went to the beach with my cousin and her sons (I love you, Cherie!). Thankfully, no one drowned, although Child #3 did her best to go face first into every wave

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-11398337293035462702011-03-30T12:51:00.004-06:002011-03-30T13:12:39.007-06:00

Because their kids don't... Actually, child #4 does nap. But this is the work of Child #3, capable of doing more disaster in five minutes than all the other children combined throughout a full day. What you don't see in the photo is that she also painted the walls, the windows (apparently taking the time to lift the shades, paint the glass, then politely put the shades back down), and dripped

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-80441596454246411022011-02-07T23:33:00.003-06:002011-02-07T23:43:20.718-06:00

I had some vegetables to use up in my fridge, and I decided that tonight was the night that I would finally work up my courage to try out an Ethiopian dish and crack open some of my berbere. I used this recipe. I used baby carrots, potatos, one onion, and a half a head of cabbage. Instead of the spices listed, I used salt to taste and a teaspoon of berbere. It was a big pot, but I could have used

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-70809771446610729792011-01-27T00:25:00.002-06:002011-01-27T00:35:52.698-06:00

the time she spent in orphanages. She was in orphanages for four and a half months (which is a blessedly short amount of time compared to most orphans), and she has now been home longer than that! She is usually quiet, unless she wants food, but lately she is babbling more during playtime. I am really glad to see her trying to talk to the pets and her brothers and sister now. I think for a long

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-884976501485279322011-01-17T22:31:00.003-06:002011-01-17T23:42:41.123-06:00

Yes, I forgot I had a blog. My bad.I could say it's because I have been crazy busy and overwhelmed and exhausted at the end of every day, and that would all be true. But it's mostly that my brain just hasn't had enough cells to work with for writing anything worth reading. That may still be true, but I'll give it a try anyway.Our first few weeks were the hardest, but even at the hardest, it

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-56750888885948110802010-10-20T11:22:00.013-05:002010-10-20T11:57:07.112-05:00

Craft Bazaar at the International Evangelical Church -My favorite table there Abebe at the Oziopia Guest House Some photos from our trip to the Southern Region 2nd Day with her

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-71395307166401030132010-09-15T21:08:00.000-05:002010-09-15T21:51:26.684-05:00

We've been home a week and a half, but I've been a little busy...Our week in Ethiopia was wonderful, but we didn't get out much. The first day we arrived, we were on our own, so we stayed at the wonderful Oziopia guesthouse. Abebe was the best guesthouse manager I have met yet. He took us around in the blue minibuses (that was a thrill! and only 2 birr each, unbelieveable), and he even suggested

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-22106680546788701552010-08-19T12:32:00.000-05:002010-08-20T12:59:59.667-05:00

We arrived in Gondar around lunch time, and agreed to split a taxi with a German couple. I had no idea how seriously the husband took bartering, and all to save 5 birr. I think he may have pissed off our driver too. We seperated from them at our hotel, the Lodge du Chateau. From the moment we drove into Gondar, it had a very different feel to it. Our driver told us about how they love Americans

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-56888058894670607572010-08-17T00:40:00.003-05:002010-08-18T12:56:26.721-05:00

We actually recieved our embassy date while I was still coming back from Ethiopia! But I've been so busy with preparing for our new daughter to come home, and doing laundry, and catching up on everything then getting ready to leave again, that I haven't had time to post about it. Our embassy date is just 32 days after our court date! I can't believe it myself. My post about Gondar is coming soon.

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-69361553302888434582010-08-07T21:03:00.012-05:002010-08-07T22:28:25.661-05:00

We went to the airport early in the morning. The plane is a Dash 8 and looks brand new. It's a super fun flight and less than an hour long. The countryside is beautiful and green. We go on a wild twenty minute ride from the airport to town. We see tukuls, livestock, barefoot children tending goats and a few woman carrying the bright yellow water containers. We hire the guide that is associated

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-77955476984935987262010-08-07T01:05:00.010-05:002010-08-07T02:04:02.126-05:00

We arrived in Addis Sunday night, and we were pretty exhausted from the long plane ride. We made our way through the airport, first time ever that my baggage claim tickets were actually checked. They actually x-ray your lugguage on the way out of the airport, so that was a little different. Sidenote to future travelers: the porters outside the airport are very determined, and if they so much as

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-37530468993214775802010-07-14T22:48:00.003-05:002010-07-14T23:01:12.900-05:00

I'm actually going! Here's how I found out:Yesterday, I called my agency on a fluke, just to ask some minor questions (and I just can't resist calling them at least once a week to milk them for information). Anyway, after I babbled away to my specialist, she told me she had been planning to give me a call. She gave me the news with such a dour voice, I was sure it was bad. She said "Your birth

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-14731447005595684822010-06-30T17:41:00.002-05:002010-06-30T17:48:51.252-05:00

AAAAAH! Can you hear me screaming in disbelief and delight????I just got a phone call today that we have a tentative court date of July 29. They won't tell us what the first court date is (when the birth family are going), but they will let us know sometime in the next two weeks if all went well. Then we get to buy tickets!! Oh my gosh, I might actually be leaving for Ethiopia in three and a half

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-29612263895934154312010-05-25T22:55:00.004-05:002010-05-25T23:30:07.796-05:00

On Friday afternoon, I got the call. Only I didn't know I got the call because I was buying groceries, and my cell phone battery was dead. When I got home, there was a message on the phone machine from our specialist asking me to call her back. I knew it had to be big news because I had told her a few months ago not to call unless there was a really good reason :) I was freaking out, and I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-22225323456882483092010-05-25T22:39:00.004-05:002010-05-25T22:54:40.980-05:00

I haven't posted much about the garden because I'm always forgetting to take pictures. I have grape tomato plants, yellow beans, bell peppers, eggplant, and lot of strawberries. Here are some pictures of the blackberry and grape plants that we planted three years ago. My blackberry vine is huge. I've gotten at least a pint of berries from it already. We finally have grapes! Our grapevine takes

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-64045237410421594962010-05-08T23:13:00.003-05:002010-05-08T23:14:57.698-05:00

This is kind of a long read, but so awesome. Anyone that is thinking of adopting or has adopted should read this post.

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-71201467001006000232010-05-03T21:56:00.004-05:002010-05-03T22:08:11.424-05:00

It is defenitely getting harder to keep track of time passing. It feels like the months are just running together now. I can't believe it's almost the end of another school year. We are very hopeful that we are getting closer to a referral. That could mean anything. I really think it will be in the next one to three months, so I am taking guesses on the date of referral again. I know we tried

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-5077757425076601842010-04-26T17:41:00.000-05:002010-04-26T17:41:39.425-05:00

Well, it wasn't a vacation in the relaxation sense of the word, but it was jam packed full of fun. We had an awesome time visiting everyone, and going to Disney World. Here's how our trip went. Left Friday, and drove 19 hours straight through. Got there late morning and decided to stop at the Playmobil Fun Park before going to my mom's. Brief time out in the parking lot when Child #3 vomited her

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-88299767554462589062010-04-26T17:09:00.011-05:002010-04-26T17:40:15.422-05:00

Hubby's parents enjoying breakfast The awesome and awe-inspiring matriarch of my fam Individual and unconventional brother Strong and energetic sister #1 Sweet and vivacious sister #2 Buzz Lightyear at Magic Kingdom WDW The Orlando Science Center The Battleship we didn't get to go on. (FYI they close at 6 pm).

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-44005125166005739232010-04-03T10:11:00.002-06:002010-04-03T11:33:51.295-06:00

So March has been interesting. The first two weeks saw all three kids get ear infections (when 2 out of 3 had never had one). I thought I was fighting a nagging cough/cold and came down with a raging fever. I had - can you guess? - an ear infection AND pnuemonia. I could barely get to the doctor, and it hurt so bad to try to breathe. I figured I had either mysteriously broken some ribs or I was

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-11513993708968396082010-03-01T22:25:00.003-06:002010-03-03T14:02:29.641-06:00

First note, and I will post more on this later, we are seriously planning a trip to south Florida, possibly for mid-April. No concrete dates yet, but let me know if you really want to see us, otherwise I think we'll spend the bulk of our time at theme parks :)If you haven't noticed already, I have been hiding. January sucked, and February wasn't much better. If you're interested, here is what

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-81422637929310799792010-03-01T22:08:00.002-06:002010-03-01T22:27:13.393-06:00

I have been very busy sorting and pricing toys and clothes to put in the Second Blessing Consignment Sale, but I am finally done! If you are able to go, I highly recommend shopping there. There are tons of great values on baby equipment, furniture, toys, books, clothes, etc. I have only gone to Old Navy for all of last year because I never need clothes anymore. I find Gymboree, Gap, at Second

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-11052312832004691342010-02-04T23:47:00.002-06:002010-02-05T00:08:46.423-06:00

Yep, still waiting...So for the good news, it looks like we will be okayed to expand our age range, which hubby and I are really excited about. After all these months of waiting and all the learning and research we've done, we've really felt led to go older. I'm really hoping for a referral on the older end. That being said, we could still end up with a baby, and we would be overjoyed no matter

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-88296930028863118722010-01-13T13:16:00.002-06:002010-01-13T14:31:47.870-06:00

I love learning new things - how to tile, traits of different kinds of animals, cultures of other countries, history, etc., but I'm not real keen on life lessons. I've learned some interesting things over the last month, some were fun, some not so much. Since I like being organized, here's a list:1. Beatles Rock Band is the funnest game ever. It is way better than Guitar Hero and it is more

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-296355733721272022010-01-04T13:35:00.003-06:002010-01-06T22:37:36.959-06:00

Most of the time I force myself to forget that we're waiting for a referral. I still check the forums obsessively though, so that probably doesn't help. Mostly I am just sick of it. I'm sick of people that only wait a few months for a referral, and don't really know anything about the process because they didn't have to learn it. I'm sick of agencies that pop up in Ethiopia because it's the

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-74360228547202785262009-12-11T00:59:00.009-06:002009-12-11T01:07:10.545-06:00

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-8302960488275624222009-12-05T23:45:00.002-06:002009-12-05T23:53:16.092-06:00

Twelve years ago, we drove to an animal shelter in the sticks of North Carolina and paid $10 for a puppy. We had been married one month, and we were starry eyed young newlyweds. When we first saw Verona, she was the size of a kitten and four weeks old. We picked her because she was eating solid food. I was glad to get her out of that dirty animal shelter. Cats were roaming everywhere, and the

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-91501533504920636432009-11-11T00:07:00.004-06:002009-11-11T00:29:18.358-06:00

I don't really get much free time, and then it's usually at night when everyone is asleep. What do normal people do with their free time? Do they blog more or do they - - watch the New Moon trailer multiple times when they're feeling down (watch it on Hulu!)? - practice twists and braids on their daughter's My Little Pony because they're still waiting for lovely African hair to style for real? -

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-2833883471358551752009-11-11T00:03:00.002-06:002009-11-11T00:07:33.211-06:00

Our agency officially upped the waiting times today. They have been telling families 12-18 months for a while now, but at this point most families have been waiting 17+ months. They are currently giving referrals to families waiting since June, 2008. They are now quoting 16-24 months. I saw it coming, but it is horrible to see for real. I'm peeved today, but hopefully we will be on the shorter

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-48793275914640861942009-10-16T19:53:00.004-05:002009-10-16T20:04:20.494-05:00

Yes, we celebrated our our one year waitiversary. We went to see Zombieland, which seemed appropriate somehow. It is so out of character for me too, the last scary movie I saw in theatres was Scream (the first one). Embarrassing right? but Zombieland wasn't scary, so much as over the top silly and really funny.We did get our homestudy update in the mail and we went and got re-fingerprinted this

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-86063849456718444512009-09-06T00:28:00.001-05:002009-09-06T01:56:42.283-05:00

I love Amazon's free MP3 downloads. They send me an email every now and then with new ones, but I only get to go through them every few months. So I spent a few hours listening to snippets and downloading oodles of music by bands I have never heard of. Here are some of the best (I think):Eternal Baroque by Various Artists (whole album is free!)Boom by Anjulie We Should Fight by Ezra Furman and

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-10402989541894411052009-09-05T22:55:00.003-05:002009-09-05T23:01:13.164-05:00

Well, courts are closed right now until October 5, so things are a bit quiet. Boring, really. We are waiting for our finished homestudy, and re-fingerprinting appointments. And that's about it.Oh, and our house hasn't sold...

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-37169185234300834902009-08-04T00:14:00.003-05:002009-08-04T00:24:27.725-05:00

Has it been 10 months? Am I losing count yet?Boy, that means we are definitely more than halfway there. I think.So, what news? We met with our social worker to do our homestudy update. We still have to get a couple updated forms, then it should be complete (I'm hoping by the end of August/beginning of September). Then we get to redo our fingerprints downtown. Yay!Ethiopian courts stayed open

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-42030349771481729712009-07-28T21:59:00.004-05:002009-07-28T22:28:21.297-05:00

I have often made the comparison of selling a house to courtship. You gussy it up with paint and elbow grease, then you put it out there on the market hoping for the phone to ring. When a walk through comes, it's like the first date. Sometimes you do all that cleaning/prettying up and they stand you up. Sometimes they show up early when you're not ready. And then you wonder if they liked you

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-84811362363161564102009-07-14T23:42:00.010-05:002009-07-15T00:47:56.076-05:00

Here is my much delayed post about all the cool stuff I won from the Sew Mama Sew giveaway day. I just recieved the last item this week (I guess she was much delayed also :). Let this be a lesson to you, if you neglect house cleaning and cooking dinner for a few days and devote yourself fully to entering oodles of blog giveaways, you too could be just as lucky as me. I was extremely surprised by

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-2215532233001712522009-07-14T23:16:00.002-05:002009-07-14T23:36:28.214-05:00

I have been busy busy busy lately. Relatives visiting, summer camps, and occasional walk-throughs. I'm feeling happy this week because Ethiopia just announced they will be leaving courts open longer this year. See, usually Ethiopian courts close for about two months every year during the rainy season (August-September). It has been confirmed that they will be staying open through August, not sure

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-49692732909662394012009-07-02T21:59:00.004-05:002009-07-02T22:03:57.080-05:00

This article was written by one of the ladies on my adoption agency's forum about the Madonna adoption fiasco, and it says everything I wish people knew about our decision to adopt from Africa. She says it all so eloquently, and well, just read the article...

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-58571020839772969632009-06-10T00:01:00.000-05:002009-06-10T01:34:46.975-05:00

We will probably have to do a homestudy update soon, but we are just waiting to see if we will be moving or not. I'm not sure we will have a clear answer on that anytime soon.So, the families that are recieving referrals right now have been waiting an average of 14 months. Which means that theoretically we are halfway there. In theory.Not much else to report with that.I'll post soon about what I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-55463492521786369842009-05-27T09:23:00.010-05:002009-05-30T14:58:15.483-05:00

It is time once again for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day, (most sites will let you enter until May 31. They have divided it into Knitting/Sewing and Handcrafted. Nicely organized! Yeesh, I may just have to give something away myself next time.http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/Sneezerville is offering two great giveaways, one for knitters and one for sewers. (And I am really hoping for the sewers!)I am

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-53251021302026051032009-05-13T23:55:00.003-05:002009-05-14T00:46:22.181-05:00

I finished reading Marley and Me, a very funny, sad book about a rather sweet, stupid dog. The author called him the world's worst dog because of all the stuff he got into and destroyed. It dawned on me today that I have the baby equivilant to that dog. Technically she isn't quite a baby anymore, she'll soon be two. Keep in mind that she is my third (following two very active boys) and I am in

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-18154330272211017242009-05-13T23:42:00.002-05:002009-05-13T23:55:04.649-05:00

What do I have to blog about? I have disappeared because my husband is still doing obscene amounts of overtime (obviously I am grateful for this, but I'm tired too), nothing new has happened (two walkthroughs in two months), and I'm kind of depressed with the news coming out of Ethiopia right now. Things are tumultuous, and some newer, smaller agencies have been doing some despicable things, if

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-14779659242455550462009-03-12T23:57:00.003-06:002009-03-13T00:06:12.442-06:00

5+ months waiting and I have disappeared from blogging.It is because:a) The house is for sale, so I spend all day cleaning. Ironically, there hasn't been a walkthrough yet.b) Poor hubby gets up at 4 am and doesn't get home until 6 pm. So I spend all day watching the kids, then he gets 2-3 hours before bed to eat dinner and spend time with us. Oh, and sometimes he works on the weekend. (I am not

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-72236696291706473502009-02-04T22:47:00.003-06:002009-02-04T22:52:32.880-06:00

We have been waiting for a referral for four months, and we anticipate another eight to nine months before recieving one. I am actually okay with that right now because of all the other stuff going on. It is actually perfect timing for a job change, this will give us plenty of time to get resettled before we bring her home. So that's the status of our adoption right now, not much to report. Dear

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-80647400850834281232009-02-04T22:08:00.003-06:002009-02-04T22:45:10.259-06:00

What isn't?After a hellish week of car shopping, (sometimes with three cranky kids, and sometimes without) we bought a car. We went through the gamut of possibly getting a newer car that we would have to slowly pay off or getting a really cheap older car for my dear Mr. S_ just to drive to work. We ended up somewhere in the middle with a minivan that is exactly like our beloved brown Sienna,

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-69382344328605042772009-01-23T22:45:00.004-06:002009-01-23T23:19:06.011-06:00

Today was a beginning. It was one of those days that your whole world shifts. After a frenzy of sending an amazing resume to 20-30 places in the last two weeks, everything from dream jobs to worst case scenario jobs, my husband heard back from one place. Granted it was the one place that made me jump when I heard the message. I called hubby and screamed at him, ______ wants you to come in for an

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-15592973634585144182009-01-10T14:48:00.002-06:002009-01-10T14:58:12.740-06:00

This week started out really good, but it has ended up sucking. After months of rumors, poor husband's company has finally started doing more than just asking employees to conserve office supplies and electricity. All hourly employees have been cut down to 32 hour work weeks. It is temporary (in theory), but no word on how long. This makes my chest feel heavy when I think about it. I knew God was

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-22431158050962812102009-01-06T21:58:00.003-06:002009-01-06T22:04:42.614-06:00

We have now been on the official waiting list for our agency for just over three months. If things continue on as they have been, then we have about another nine months of waiting until we get a referral/match. It can be difficult sometimes to be patient when people with other agencies get referrals after only weeks of waiting, but I continue to be thankful that we chose a proven and ethical

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-55763023658703597792009-01-06T20:11:00.000-06:002009-01-06T22:23:45.103-06:00

Multiple Choice - which of these do you not want to happen to you when you travel a few hundred miles to visit family?A. Come down with a relentless, high fever for the entire duration of the vacation that causes delirium and confines you to the couch. Oh, and it doesn't respond to Tylonel.B. On the night of your arrival, have the entire family find out that one of the family members has a

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-7036376105679692112008-12-22T22:16:00.004-06:002008-12-22T22:28:25.786-06:00

We were blessed this week by someone. We don't know who, but they left us three bags of food and a very large gift. It was broken up into something for each of the kids and something for each of us. I am just overwhelmed by it, and I hope they know how much we appreciate it. We have gotten so used to being self reliant and working for everything we have, and it has been like that since the day

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-71177779969521631012008-12-10T17:00:00.008-06:002008-12-10T17:24:51.327-06:00

So all those blog giveaways actually turned out pretty good for me. I won a total of three items. I would like to thank all the bloggers for their great giveaways, and I am looking forward to the next giveaway day from Sew Mama Sew!I am most looking forward to getting Festive Knits a book of knitting patterns from Fuzzy Thoughts. I really hope I am able to grow past my comfort zone of scarves and

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-84764333028563950112008-11-30T00:00:00.000-06:002008-12-01T02:15:33.568-06:00

I love Black Friday. I dislike spending money though, so I like to focus in on lower priced items. But really, it is more of a competitive sport to me. It is something I am really good at, so I really look forward to the Day After Thanksgiving. I start out with the sales papers, then I focus in on the stores that I like or that have the best sales on what I need. I automatically try to ignore ads

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-51878086029937337772008-11-24T21:55:00.003-06:002008-11-24T23:45:44.510-06:00

I have been using some of my frozen mashed pumpkin lately, so I will share my favorite recipes with you. (For future reference, to cook pumpkin - cut it up into pieces, cut off the outside rind with a knife or a peeler, cut off any stringy section on the inside and I usually end up with 1"-2" square cubes, put them all in a big pot with water and simmer them until they're tender, drain and mash -

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-23247355644248213832008-11-19T21:34:00.003-06:002008-11-19T21:48:23.749-06:00

I am sick, not terrible stuck-in-bed with a stomach flu, but just a nasty cold virus. When I go to sleep my lungs feel heavy and when I wake up, I feel like I am breathing tar. I haven't had taste buds in three days, and my voice sounds like a man.On the upside:-I haven't smelled poop in four days.-I have no motivation to go out of the house, so we are saving money.-I finally found a use for that

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-88970856090131236122008-11-14T15:01:00.001-06:002008-11-14T17:14:35.355-06:00

Clearance sale at Learning Resources: http://www.learningresources.com/category/teachers/clearance.do?code=PROMO-SAVE40EGreat sites:http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ = all sorts of fun for rainy day science/nature lessons!http://www.starfall.com/ = LOVE this site for young kids learning to read!http://www.hsiz.org/ = You can register for free, and get a great Fall lapbook for ages 4-8. There

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-75886091585617732292008-11-04T11:45:00.001-06:002008-11-04T11:45:56.808-06:00

Thomas Jefferson's prayer:Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties,

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-22560057012681146732008-11-01T23:19:00.005-06:002008-11-01T23:32:29.295-06:00

Aside from playing dressing up and gorging on candy, I don't really like Halloween as a holiday. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas much more. The kids had a lot of fun last night though. We went to our church's fall festival, and the kids played lots of games. Child #2 went in the bounce houses for about five minutes and then spent the rest of the night going through the cardboard box maze. He

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-27531739743142501182008-10-30T14:58:00.010-06:002008-10-30T22:42:01.429-06:00

I know, I know. I say we are finally on the waiting list and then I decide to take a three week nap, leaving my faithful readers in the lurch (all four of you). Life has been kind of stressful lately. We have been trying to catch up on a lot of things that we put off while we were saving money for submitting the dossier. One of those things was a vacuum. Our vacuum handle broke off again, and

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-57217819041089334062008-10-09T14:18:00.004-05:002008-10-09T14:45:29.022-05:00

I am pleased to announce that after many unforeseen delays, we have finally sent in our dossier and are officially on the waiting list! We were disappointed to learn that we did not receive a grant from Shaohannahs Hope. But thankfully, God in his provision seems to have made in unnecessary. The only thing we have to save for now is travel. We are happy, excited and relieved, and now we get to

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-3468412515563050362008-10-05T16:05:00.008-05:002008-10-05T16:40:55.598-05:00

Well, I really don't want to admit to anybody in the area how quickly we got our electricity back, but here's a clue, it was less than three days. It is nice to finally be able to find milk, eggs and the essentials - ice cream. And thank goodness the gas lines are gone.In a sick way, I sort of missed hurricanes when we first came. I missed the camaraderie and family time and forced isolation from

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-17978071135746314432008-09-20T21:09:00.002-05:002008-09-20T21:38:28.267-05:00

I swear I will post about the hurricane and post photos too, but I just haven't gotten to it yet. On that note of procrastination, I would like to wish my sister and mom belated happy birthdays. My wonderful mom officially became eligible for the senior discount at select restaurants and theaters on Sept. 16. My sister just celebrated her birthday yesterday. (I hope you bought yourself that

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-16786169401191272222008-09-11T08:47:00.004-05:002008-09-11T10:37:03.438-05:00

My husband and I made a bet three days ago. I said Ike would hit within 20 miles of Galveston and he said within 20 miles of Corpus Christi. Looks like I will be winning! Too bad I didn't put any money on it. For those of you that don't know, we moved away from south Florida less than two years ago, and one of the reasons (along with high taxes and insurance premiums) was hurricane fatigue. I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-90457514543723624442008-08-29T23:48:00.003-05:002008-08-30T00:06:45.224-05:00

I've been a bit bummed lately because it has become glaringly obvious that it will take another two to three weeks before we have the money for our dossier to get sent off. We had more dents in our wallet than I expected, most of them having to do with teeth. My husband has bad gums and I have bad teeth. It is marginally less expensive to take care of bad gums. I went to the dentist last week for

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-71623681938185545032008-08-13T12:31:00.003-05:002008-08-13T12:41:36.299-05:00

We have everything for our dossier, so we are just waiting for the last bit of money to submit it. We had a lot of pitfalls this month in our quest toward saving. I mentioned most of them in my Summer Vacation Report, and my husband didn't get much overtime. He got a small bonus, so that was a blessing. Despite all that, I think we will be able to submit our dossier by the end of this month, but

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-27004885245150574442008-08-13T00:43:00.000-05:002008-08-13T12:30:12.767-05:00

No time to relax. There is painting to be done. We painted a mural on one wall of the boys bedroom last year. It was supposed to extend onto two walls, but we ran out of time. I was determined that it would finally be completed this summer. My mom does wonderful murals. She does all the landscapes and people and I do the brick walls. I am very good at bri and I am a perfectionist about color. I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-74263596770517821352008-08-11T01:02:00.011-05:002008-08-11T23:06:30.891-05:00

This was a big week. We took our long-planned-for trip to San Antonio dragging my mom along for fun. I really do think she had fun... I'm pretty sure. Now since we are saving money, or rather, just not spending it, we only had three days and two nights there. We loaded up the minivan with all the kids, grandma, one giant suitcase, and lots of snacks, games and DVDs. We thought if we left early in

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-10973325409846320152008-08-11T00:40:00.004-05:002008-08-11T02:43:41.277-05:00

Okay, I wasn't technically on vacation, but I was on hiatus from my blog and most emailing. I dove deep into listing on Ebay and I made almost $300 for the month off of miscellaneous book lots. I specialize in book lots, and they are my favorite thing to ship (very easy to package). My mom came to visit for three weeks. I wasted no time utilizing her babysitting services. My husband and I went on

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-44530791492480326822008-07-03T00:32:00.003-05:002008-07-03T01:25:27.295-05:00

I don't really understand how, but we are 64% to the total. I triple checked it, but it seems right. Apparently, we still socked away money despite a few pitfalls this month. Such as, my husband's motorcycle running over a nail and having to be towed. Sadly, he happened to be FAR away from home. So he was towed to Brenham for it to be fixed. 25 miles into his return trip, the tire went flat again

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-37681040044047249632008-06-18T00:33:00.003-05:002008-06-18T01:55:10.591-05:00

I hate the mall. I used to like going and occasionally buying something on clearance, but no more. The mall is only good for teenagers with high paying minimum wage jobs and no responsibilities, and for older women with disposable income. It is too easy to spend money at the mall, so I stay away. But I have gift cards for a few stores and I was on that side of town... so I thought today would be

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-82530611285830113302008-06-16T00:14:00.006-05:002008-06-18T00:33:03.393-05:00

Just thought you might like to hear the mundane details of how I spent my free time this weekend. Well, it wasn't really free time. I was compiling, copying and typing most of this while the boys were bickering five feet away. Child #2 has been cranky from going to sleep too late and Child #1 split his lip this morning so, he's sort of cranky too (but with a fat lip). That means that their

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-38270835768711727812008-06-13T23:37:00.002-05:002008-06-13T23:40:21.989-05:00

We recieved the completed home study in the mail yesterday, which means we have officially been approved! Now I get to start on the next chunk of paperwork, but we are just so happy to have this big step completed.

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-69604622782853437212008-06-06T15:55:00.003-05:002008-06-06T16:49:40.034-05:00

We have had to change our driving habits drastically. It costs $12 a day just for my husband to go to work, so the small motorcycle that we bought last year as a weekend sanity saver for him, has actually become a big saver (only $4.50 a day). Only downfall is that he gets really hot in his armored jacket, and I only feel safe if he doesn't take the highway. His afternoon commute home is not very

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-73063270858897570992008-06-02T00:50:00.004-05:002008-06-02T01:11:24.090-05:00

What a month for savings! Uncle Sam decided to put a nice chunk of money into our adoption fund (granted, he was merely returning money we had paid to the government, but I appreciate it all the same). I made about $230 on Ebay for the month, but my husband totally has me beat with all the overtime he racked up. I don't understand how we are able to keep saving like this, considering how much gas

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-60781327506713498752008-06-01T23:32:00.009-05:002008-06-02T00:50:17.508-05:00

It was one year ago that we first visited this pick-your-own blueberry farm. I was very pregnant and I went with the dual objective of 1) doing something that I would not be able to do once the baby arrived and 2) trying to go into labor. My mother and husband picked about 5 pounds, while the kids and I barely got a pound all together. The kids ate most of what they picked and I just went too

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-4709072327922278182008-06-01T22:24:00.005-05:002008-06-01T23:32:33.468-05:00

We had an errand right near this large thrift store located in Conroe at 727 West Davis St, so I got to do a little shopping! They are in a strip mall right near the Schoolhouse Store, and right down the road from Nearly New Thrift Shop:http://dealsandbargains.blogspot.com/2008/02/thrift-store-review-nearly-new-thrift.htmlI really appreciate this thrift store because they are open later (until

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-36431847153395807282008-05-21T00:04:00.004-05:002008-05-21T00:31:43.166-05:00

I have neglected the blog again. I blame it on a number of factors:1. Poor husband worked this weekend. Good money, but very tired mommy and daddy. Thank goodness for three day weekend coming up!2. Another head cold! Very minor this time but still annoying and snuffly. Lost my taste buds for only one day though.3. A very weird neck problem. I woke up four days ago with a stiffness and thought I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-84741400961320189982008-05-12T11:44:00.004-05:002008-05-28T20:06:14.257-05:00

For three days, Curr Click has it's 3rd Annual Mother's Day Freebie Event!"Spend Sunday with your wonderful family and then visit us on Monday, May 12th for an event that will give you a reason to keep celebrating Mother's Day for the rest of the year: From May 12th through May 14th, download up to 20 FREE Homeschool titles from our generous publishers, worth over $100.00 in value!http://

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-18458683554861730422008-05-04T00:50:00.002-05:002008-05-04T01:15:21.287-05:00

Well, it's been a slower month for making money. Sweet husband of mine had less overtime this month and even ended up doing jury duty for a week, so that took away a little potential revenue. Don't feel too sorry though. Jury Duty was actually a little bit of vacation for him. Easier drive, shorter hours, free soda and snacks, and sitting in a comfy chair all day - he was pretty happy about it. I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-22404598768230507952008-04-28T00:19:00.006-05:002008-05-04T00:49:21.150-05:00

My oldest turned six. This is the cake I made for him. I was very thankful that it actually stayed standing, since it was mostly held together by frosting. My son was actually really excited about it, and at $6, it was cheaper than one of those boring bakery cakes. Like most of my birthday projects, I got this idea from Family Fun magazine. I changed it from their sand castle cake to my medieval

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-13407028328904284942008-04-23T23:41:00.006-05:002008-04-24T00:50:12.043-05:00

I am totally and completely overwhelmed. I spent the last few weeks visiting with my mum (awesome!!!). That's her, isn't she beautiful?? She does face painting, and she did all the kids faces, mine included. Then I did hers. I was going for a landscape. We also went to Blue Bell and drove by all the bluebonnets. After she left, I became steeped in filling out forms and making appointments in

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-95885274604916482008-04-17T19:39:00.004-05:002008-04-23T23:39:58.558-05:00

My mom visited us, which partially explains my long absence. I decided we should try a new thrift store to celebrate. Northwest Assistance Ministries actually has about three resale locations. This is the only one I have been to, but I hear that it is the largest. It is in an old Wal Mart building at 3645 C FM 1960 West, so it's nice and spread out. Call for hours 281-880-9000. There are even

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-66811393334210555412008-04-01T15:50:00.009-06:002008-04-01T17:29:22.500-06:00

Surprisingly, pretty well. We haven't lost any more plants, and I am doing super with my seedlings. We just did yellow bean seeds and those were fun! They are almost a foot tall and I only planted them last week. They need to be transplanted to the ground, but I am running out of room. I have already put my cherry tomato seedlings in the ground, and they look nice. The watermelon seedlings I put

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-22851900466617650182008-04-01T15:14:00.004-06:002008-04-01T17:31:13.475-06:00

I don't know where these people get the time to post on their blogs every day! I am kicking myself to do it once a week. It's better than my diary though, since I write in that about six times a year. Sooo... March has been a busy and productive month. My dear, hard-working husband had more overtime this month than he has ever had at this company. He has worked almost every Saturday, and one

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-24164338483491930762008-03-26T20:18:00.003-06:002008-03-26T21:09:29.225-06:00

We had an interesting Easter Sunday, not bad exactly, just humbling. It was sort of one of those lessons that God gives you to let you know that no matter how prepared and organized you are, you have no control. We woke up early, and we were determined to get to the early service. We got the kids fed. Everyone was dressed. Yet, by the time we were out the door, we were already running five

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-6426526394628042132008-03-21T22:56:00.004-06:002008-03-21T23:41:38.538-06:00

So, we have had a really good week. First of all, my poor husband has been working lots of overtime because it just happened to come up the last couple of weeks. Convienient how that coincides with money going out for the van problems and termites. He also found out that he is getting a merit raise. Granted, it is just the yearly raise, and it probably won't even cover inflation this year, but

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-30931726726248406802008-03-19T12:07:00.002-06:002008-03-19T12:29:50.543-06:00

Apparently there are people on Spring Break this week, so the kids and I decided to do nothing today. And I mean nothing. I should be doing all sorts of things with my free time - call the insurance company, work on the cookbook, list things on Ebay, price things for the garage sale, fold laundry, and on and on. But the kids and I have actively chosen to have a useless day today. We caught up on

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-37466772771856894532008-03-06T14:58:00.007-06:002008-03-06T16:44:54.055-06:00

Well, our weekend was sort of demoralizing, and Monday was like a hole had sprung in our bank account. On the flip side, the kids were really well behaved and got oodles of schoolwork done.I bet you're wondering how our at-home car repair went, aren't you? Everything was ready to go on Saturday, and my husband started right when the sun came. We inevitably ended up running to Wal Mart to find a

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-11157878822857106322008-02-26T22:38:00.005-06:002008-02-26T23:13:29.683-06:00

Well, we have completed our first month of total saving and directing all money toward the adoption fund. We are 27% of the way there. That is mostly due to some money we already had in savings for a rainy day, and a nice fat income tax refund. I don't know if the income tax refund should count really, since it technically means we are paying too much in taxes. Still, it's money in the bank. I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-30237405921327724012008-02-23T19:01:00.006-06:002008-02-24T00:23:31.751-06:00

We started the spending freeze about a month ago, and it has been quite a change. I have less interest in sales. We eat at home every night. Aside from the grocery store and library, we don't have any list of errands. It has also freed up our Saturdays because we don't go shopping or out to eat. We have been spending all that time hanging out together, playing and "gardening". I use that term

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-49703511714285418732008-02-18T22:49:00.002-06:002008-02-19T00:00:45.338-06:00

I was feeling really down this week, and I was in much need of retail therapy. This presented a problem for two reasons. 1) I love to shop, but I hate actually spending money. 2) Even if I liked spending money, I can't because we are on a total spending freeze. My solution was to take $10 from my Christmas money stash - thank goodness we still have parents that remember us and not just our

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-52857158230201527942008-02-14T00:57:00.004-06:002008-02-14T02:25:09.603-06:00

This post is a little off course for me, but I need to vent. So I am trying to think of an appropriate adjective for the last couple of days, but all the words that come to mind are rather vulgar or just profane. Monday wasn't terrible, although the low point was using a plunger repeatedly to try to dislodge... Oh well, you don't really need to know. Yesterday, the hits just kept on coming. Child

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-84278590792199996732008-02-11T21:37:00.001-06:002008-02-11T23:43:46.635-06:00

I had a request for this. My curriculum/educational picks and tricks are mostly geared toward preschool and early elementary. I cannot justify buying box curriculum for kindergarten, partly because I think kindergarten should be more fun than that. So here are my methods to setting up a classroom. 1. Furniture/Organization -I set up our classroom when we first moved, which is good since we're on

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-17282473928211161952008-02-05T00:18:00.000-06:002008-02-05T00:35:40.565-06:00

I don't shop online too much, but if you do, you might be interested in these sites. You can find coupon or promotional codes that are current to put in at checkout. Sometimes they give you free shipping or a percentage off. www.edealfinder.com is easy to use. You can search for promotions by the store or website name. www.dealhunting.com is another one, but I didn't think it was very easy to use

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-91286402920794803432008-02-02T23:47:00.001-06:002008-06-16T00:44:23.584-05:00

We've been going along with long days that blend into each other until the months have flown by. My oldest son is learning to read and write right before my eyes, all the while growing taller and taller. I am thankful that he will still cuddle when we read books together. They all grow fast now that I think about it. My newborn isn't a newborn anymore. She is heavy. She tries to crawl. She has

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-47322727392415115032008-01-31T21:27:00.001-06:002008-02-19T22:12:56.083-06:00

When I first moved here, I kept looking for a thrift store that would compare to my beloved Faith Farm in Florida. I had a hard time finding any. It took a lot of searching and word of mouth and luck to find the ones I have found. I would have really appreciated a thrift store guide, so I will be posting reviews in the future of thrift stores that I am familiar with or have recently gone to. I

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646307749465842455.post-7935755870872726802008-01-31T00:59:00.000-06:002008-02-11T23:46:19.270-06:00

A bit of background first:I am constantly trying to figure out how to make our paychecks go further, and that's gotten even harder lately. Prices on food keep going up, which is really bugging me. I understand if clothes or electronics cost more, but food? That's just not fair. Anyway, I have always been a penny pincher, also known as thrifty, money wise, or just plain cheap. Recently,

Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07018288123878568071noreply@blogger.com0