A Frugal Funny

We had a Christmas get together with my Daddy's side of the family a couple of weekends ago. My parents always cut off the slices of spiral ham and take them in a pretty dish (or dishes). When the get together was over I was packing my Mom's dishes for her. I had to step away from the table and when I came back one of the two dishes was missing. I saw it in my aunts basket and asked her if it was hers. She responded that she had brought a honey baked ham in it.

Here's the funny. I ate ham from that dish, it tasted just like the one my parents had brought. The only difference:

My aunt's was honey baked for $6.66 per pound.
My parent's was an Aldi ham for $1.28 per pound.

Funny!

It's Me, Again

I am suppose to be at the surgery center in the morning at 5:45am. Please say a prayer. John will post tomorrow to let you know how things went.

Also, this morning I took my boys (who now feel better) to school. The director (owner)'s husband fell dead of a heart attack around 9ish. He was not even 50 and in great shape. He and Ms. Lisa were not just husband and wife but true sweethearts and best friends (as well as parents of 3 beautiful girls). Please pray for this family. They are in shock and are devasted.

Blessings!!!

HELLO!!!!

Good morning y'all! The laptop problem was some viruses and other small issues. I got it back ate Friday afternoon. Noe, I cannot get my router reinstalled. I will be without it again for a few days. I hope to drop it off this afternoon. They were really nice and said to just bring it back in.

The boys have been learning their ABC's, some new songs and getting ready for preschool again in a few weeks.

Hubby has been working a little more. They actual had4 days work for him this past week! Yahoo!

Friday and Saturday we had a gigantic yard sale with other family members at my parents. Between 7 of us we sold $971. I thought that was great! We made over $300 off of our stuff. Hubby stayed home with the boys both days and I got some time off! I think he appreciates me a little more now. He did really well with the boys and kept things up too!

We are working on cutting the brush from the side of our driveway. There is a LOT of it since it has not been done since I was expecting the boys. Our driveway is 626 feet LONG to boot! We worked Saturday evening on that.

Saturday night hubby took me to eat at O So Good BBQ. It was absolutely delicious! Then we went to the rodeo. MY fil had gotten us free tickets. He met us there and we had a blast. The boys came home with cowboy hats and thought that was grand. They are just like hubby's hat.

Church was a no go yesterday. Mason was running a low grade temp with his allergies and we've had to start the eye drops once again. Bless his little heart! He and Lil' John are both taking oral allergy meds as well.

I still have a little sinus stuff but hoping it is on the mend.

This will be a busy week, since Easter is upon us and we have out of state company coming in as well. I will have some scheduled posts coming this week and maybe some spur of the moment too.

I do have a couple of prayer request though. First, one of my 16 year olds classmates was found dead at his home Thursday night. It was very devastating for his school and especially his classmates. They are not sure what happened, hopefully the autopsy results will be back today.

Also, the late cold snap is here. Tonight and tomorrow night it is suppose to be in the high 20's. We have a wonderful crop set this year, so we are praying the Lord will spare it. Specifically, we need it to stay 28* at above and we need winds to keep the frost at bay.

For all of you involved in the handmade thing, I will get your things mailed this week. Nikki, I will get your winnings out this week too. Thank you for your patience. Sometimes life takes hold and you don't know which way to go! LOL!

I hope to catch up on your blogs when I get the laptop back. I usually do my reading and commenting at night after the boys are asleep. While spending time with John. I can't take my laptop in there since the router won't connect......so I chose my husband.

Hope you all have a great Monday! Blessings!

Calling the Doctor

My laptop is on the brink. I have got to get it an appointment at the computer doctor soon. Is has been getting slower the last few weeks and nothing I have done has seen to help. There has been weird things happening and I have had nothing to do with them. There is NO one else on my laptop. This morning some of the security settings were changed and that really freaked me out. So, I will be calling the doctor for my sweet baby the laptop this morning and see if we can get worked in.

I may be offline for a few days.

My Dad is doing much better. Thank you for your prayers. He went to to the regular eye doctor yesterday and she was very happy with his progress! He will be going back to light work today! YAY!

The hail has showed little to no damage so far! Thank you Lord!

Have a great week! Blessings!

Other Things

I am sorry for lack of comments on your blog and the fact that I have NOT gotten the post up about the GIVEAWAY. It will be later today or even tonight until I get the giveaway one up. I will hopefully be back to commenting later on today or tomorrow for sure.

MY mind is spinning with details for the boys party on Saturday, a Sunday school party later that same evening, my Dad's upcoming surgery, the fact that it is raining buckets and the play yard (landscaping) needs to be finished by the party and the fact that I am potty training twins!!!!!

We are still recovering from the crazy weekend and I have been up since 2am this morning with Tiger. I am getting a little cold, starting a new diet, I could go on and on........oh me I am exhausted just writing about it all.

I am fine, promise and God is in control. Hope to see you in awhile! Have a Marvelous Monday! Blessings!

Finally Friday

What a week! Hubby has been home two days this week, due to the fact that there is not enough work to go around. We have done projects, been many places and just spent much needed time with our two little boys. We have had a ton of homework from our marriage enrichment class. Then we also have hit the potty training hard this week. Big boy under roos abound (not at sleep times!).

We are going away overnight this weekend and are looking forward to being childless for one night. YAY! We both are very excited!!!!!!

I am racking my brain, getting ready for this class I will start teaching at church, on shopping frugally, living frugally, etc.

I will be having a grand giveaway starting Monday.......gear up and put your thinking caps on! Thing about the one thing that defines how you save money and give some detail about it......JUST save it for Monday though.

OH and tell everybody you know! If the person you told comments and also leaves your name as a reference for my blog then I will enter you again......just think of all of the chances you have to win! If you mention it and link to me on your blog there's another chance. Enter yourself by leaving a comment.

Okay........everyone have a wonderful weekend! See you on Monday! Blessings!

This and That's

It has been a very busy few days around here! The weather has been positively gorgeous and the boys have enjoyed being outside. They have played until their hearts were content and then some.

Friday I went grocery shopping and such and then they played outside for awhile. We got one field ready for planting too. I am so excited to see Spring just around the corner! Friday night we burned a field off behind the house. This burn was INTENTIONAL! LOL! However, several passersby called 911 and the firetrucks roared up our driveway only to find out we needed the fire! IT is kind of funny now......

Saturday and Sunday was busy, busy as well. We detailed and cleaned up all three vehicles. We put the 99 Chevy out for sale afterwards Saturday morning. Praise the Lord, by Saturday afternoon it was SOLD! That was quick. I had been praying the Lord would take over because insurance in due on the 20th. They are suppose to come and finalize everything today. Get this......the guy had been looking for one similar to this over a year. His wife and I went to school together and she works at my parents bank.

Saturday night we went to Cracker Barrel and it was yummy. We had a wonderful server too!

We went to Lowe's to get landscape timbers, caulking and a kitchen faucet. The faucets similar to ours were around $150 +! Ouch....we'll wait and I'll look at a local place. We forgot about the timbers and I couldn't find the caulking I wanted to do the 4 bathroom sinks.

Then we went to Target. I had some pj's to take back. It was crazy though. I ordered them online and id not have the packing receipt because one was NEVER sent. We tried to pull it up online and it said my email addy was not in their system. They couldn't track it by my check card since we have new cards thanks to a hacker (from another event) and then they called the corp office. I spilled the info again and all of my personal info, only to be put on hold. She came back on the line (we had been there for over 30 minutes by then and the boys were cranky!) and asked me to hold a while longer. I told her to forget it, I would just give them to someone else for Christmas this year. I was so irritated! We went to get the storage thingy I needed for the playroom and they had one. It was suppose to be $59 regular and on sale for $37 this week (last week). The one box was open and when we checked, some of it was missing. I asked for a rain check and was told that they could not give me one! GRRRRRRRR! Needless to say we left and my Target shopping days are OVER!!!!!

Hubby thought I needed a little Dairy Queen after all of the drama and ordered me a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Waffle Bowl. I would have been happy with an ice cream bar! It was nasty!!!!!! I ate some of it and told him thank you. We tossed it once home.
We finally made it home with 2 very sleepy kiddos about 9pm.

Sunday morning we all slept in and then I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We lingered over coffee and the Sunday paper.

We rushed to get ready for church and finally made it on time. The boys started to Sonshine Village today (the 3-5 year class). They aren't in the nursery anymore.....another milestone! YAY! I missed service though by staying in there with them. Monkey refused to let me leave. Next week the youth does children's church. Miss KK goes to church with us and she will be in there with them.

After church we came home to hot Santa Fe soup in the crock pot. It was so yummy! Then we all took a nap and lingered around with an afternoon snack once getting up.

We got ready and back to church we went for Marriage Enhancement class. We finally rolled back in at 8:30pm and had a light supper. The boys and us were in the bed by 9:15pm.

Hubby had to get up at 3am for work today. The boys allergies are acting up and we are giving them meds. I am thinking the peds will need to change them though. They are much bigger than when given last year. I am calling the pharmacy this am, to get the correct dosage until their well check later this month.

I am doing the usual cooking cleaning and laundry for today. I will need to get the party invites in the mail today as well as some bills. I need to go by the water dept and pay the bill too. We are out of milk and foil. I also want to get some $.99 chicken breasts before the sale ends tomorrow.

I forgot to mention that I attened two market meeting s and a vegetable production meeting over the weekend as well. They were interesting to say the least.

What does you day hold? How was your weekend? Happy Monday! Blessings!

Better/Worse

I still have the ickies but am feeling better becuase I know what today holds! Promise of course!

They delivered the boys playground yesterday and the contractor will start on it today. Yay! We are so excited!

I am tired this morning and many things are calling my name. I started a wee bit late this morning. Expect pictures (if blogger is cooperating) later in the day with detils of the party and Val. day! Hope you are blessed today!

Love & Hugs!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

MORE UPDATE......OPUR COUNTY SCHOOLS AS WELL AS SOME OTHER COUNTIES HAVE CLOSED EARLY. SOME ROADS ARE ALREADY UNDER WATER. THE RIVER IS BEHIND OUR HOUSE AND YOU CAN HEAR IT INSIDE THE HOUSE. WE ARE SAFE BUT IT IS FRIGHTENING. BLESSINGS!

UPDATED!!!!!!
MAKE THAT OVER 7 INCHES SINCE MIDNIGHT, WE HAVE STARTED FLOOD STAGES NOW....PLEASE PRAY.


Yes, in a few months when the humidity is about to burn us up at the core of our being and the land is ravaged with drought we will be praying for this abundance of wet, but after 16 of the last 24 days of rain and just 3 inches since midnight I am ready for a break.

Thankfully, I live in the South cause if I lived in Oregeon with some of my dear bloggy friends I would go insane, in all of the wet stuff. No offense to you ladies.

I got to Wal-Mart yesterday for my Mom and found some sweet deals! Separate post about them.

I also wanted to let you know that I am usually in such a hurry that I just use my spell check and it is not working, so excuse any mispellings. I am a good speller but always in a hurry.

Someone asked why I don't post many pictures. It takes forreevvveeerrrrr with blogger. How do ya'll do it? Is there another program or something else I can try? Just curious.

We are home and organizing today. I also plan on sending off some cards and rebates too. I need to strip the boys beds, as that was not done yesterday. I also have some laundry to finish up. My coupons are in desperate need of being clipped and organized too.

Plenty to do and four extra litle hands to help. I am one blessed Momma! Well, we are having a pj today, but I need to brush my teeth and wash my face before breakfast (fresh baked spiral ham and buttermilk waffles, with maple syrup).

I hope to get a few posts up about Angel Food, some recipes and my deals (as well as January's spending).

Did i mention we think we have a water leak somewhere. Our bill was over $50 this past month. usually it is considered high at $39. Maybe the rain will stop so hubby can get under the house and then start digging if necessary. I hope he doesn't have to, there is 626 feet of line from the house to the meter. We'll see, I suppose.

Have a great day and blessings!

I'm Back and The Wrapping Paper is Gone!

Well, it's almost gone. I still have 9 more gifts to wrap for Saturday's get together with hubby's family. The unwrapped gifts are put together , the batteries are in, the toys are old now to the kiddos and all of the boxes have been burned.

Christmas was wonderful! Just being with family and friends. The gifts were nice too, especially the ring hubby gave me, but it's not about what you get. It's about the gift the Lord sent, right?! Thank you Jesus!

Hubby was off Christmas day only out of the 5 day work week and it will be that way for New's Year's too. That is fine, as we can use the income. I am so thankful he even has a job!

I am going to start taking the decorations down today. I also have a bunch to go through that we've had for 10 years or so, that are never used. I am going to make a large donation to the Salvation Army tomorrow, of clothes, shpoes, toiletries and Christmas decorations.

I have had several people ask about the taxes on the truck he won at work. They is something about an employer cannot give an employee something of that magnitude. So, the value of the truck was added on to his W-2. Normally it is the employee's responsibility to pay his part of the FICA and SS, but his employer cut us a check for that amount. We only have to pay the income taxes on that cut check. It will be about $2500 rounded around. So, his safety bonus will take care of that. We are blessed beyond words!

I am feeling better with the anemia. I am taking iron once again. It has helped a lot. I had a dental appointment yesterday. I had the porcelain crowns on my front two teeth taken off. I am going to have to have new ones, the old ones were cracking and debris had gotten to the nubs and caused decay. I did NOT know I was also going to have to have posts put in through the nubs. They are like small metal screws. OUCH!!! My gum line is supper sore......hurting like crazy is more like it. I has some loose tissue and they removed that. Then they made and put on the temporaries. I am still not myself from the anesthesia. Thankfully they did not give me a lot, because being supper woman I drove myself (40 minutes one way). Did I mention that my nose is even sore? I am bruised as well. My lip cracked and busted too.

I have a few things I am working on this week........2009's budget (more so just January's), tax stuff, January's menu planner, putting together a weight loss program and resolutions.

My Mom is coming to get the boys about 9am or so. I am so thankful.

I will be around now, so here goes!

There is not much more to write other than I have missed you all! What are you working on at this time of the year?

Coming Soon!

We'll I have several posts coming soon. I am a bit behind and have a sick little one. The Iron Bowl is just now over and I still have to get the kiddos bathes and such. The features are......

• Thanksgiving
• Spa Day for ME
• Black Friday Scores
• We are BIG boys Now
• December Menu planner
• Decorating For the Season
• Oh, Look What's Happening This Week

I hope to get some of them up tonight after the kiddos are tucked in tight.

Blessings!!!

Tornado Damage Update

The damage is quite severe. My in-laws still have no power and no land line phones. Cell phones are finally going through most of the time. Their house is splitting down the middle. There are tarps over that area. It is contained to one end mainly. There is debris everywhere around their home and large trees down.

There is a single wide trailer near them, that is lived in by several Hispanic families. A tree split it through the middle.

Trees, power lines, phone lines, power poles and debris is everywhere. I am not sure about deaths. Everyone is fine at my in-laws. My fil's boss got an electrician and a generator to them to use for my mil's oxygen for time being.


My husband pulled up at our house about 5:30pm and I had never been so glad to see him in all of my life. Thank you Lord for bringing my husband back to me! I think he was glad to see me too.;)

Thank you for your prayers during this time. Blessings on you.........

Random Pictures

We had some snow last weekend. Here's the boys out in it!

We took the boys to the playground for the first time yesterday and they loved it.


I love the colors of my new Easter outfit!

Here are the boys Easter baskets/ Everything seen here was only $22.00.

I had in mind posting a dozen or so pictures BUT blogger had other plans! Just my luck!

Blessings!!

Everyday Blog Reading

I am just curious, how many blogs do you read on a daily basis? How many do you actually leave comments on? For all of my lurkers out there.......it's time to delurk and let me know that you really are there.

I read 35 each day and leave comments on about20 of them. Whew! That's a lot!

Have a blessed day!

Happy Birthday Honey!!

Today is the Mister's birthday. He is 32 years old! I love you sweetheart and I hope you have a blessed day.

We are going to a Southern Gospel singing Saturday night and out to eat at Outback to celebrate. The boys are spending the night with my parents! Yeah!!!!! I hope you enjoy yourself honey!

Blessings!!!!!!

So MAD!!!!!!!!!!

GRRRRRR!!! I am kind of hot!!! I ordered the boys birthday party supplies including invitations a couple weeks ago. The invites were out of stock and are hard to find. So, I waited and waited. Finally they emailed me Monday and said they were shipping it all out by UPS. I was suppose to receive it yesterday. I took the boys in the stroller to my parents for a nice LONG walk.

While there I see the UPS truck at my house. Keep in mind they have left my stuff at the used car lot next door, my brother's house, my parent's house, my neighbor's house and my parent's business (when it was closed for the winter) before!!!

We do not have our street # up on the highway because it was mowed down last week by the state bush hog. We receive our mail at a PO box as well. He delivered a package to our neighbor (at her business, across the road from my house) after mine yesterday (as a matter of fact if he had asked she could told him where I live. She is buying a house from my parents just up the way, so she knows us all quite well!

HE didn't leave my package!!! GRRRRRR! He did however put in his computer that it was the wrong street number!!!!!! IT WAS NOT!!!!!! It was correct! So I call UPS and they say they have to confirm it. They email me and say it is incorrect. I see the UPS truck at the neighbor's business this am and then he goes to the car lot. He does NOT come here. I am mad!

I call UPS and they say because my PO Box was also listed that it fouled up the delivery. I am really hot by now and then imagine what I wan to say when they tell me it will be Monday before I receive the package! CRAZY!!!!!!!! He does not even have it on the truck!!!! I am told I can pick it up today at the UPS center, am hour and 15 minutes away, if I need it that bad. I am HOT HOT HOT by now. There is nothing that can be done. It will be delivered Monday. I wanted to get the invites mailed out today!!! I will wait....But, I'm still furious!

I know it's petty, but how stupid is that?

Where to Start?

Thanks you all for your prayers. My Daddy came through the surgery fine. His eye is hurting a good bit though and he is quite uncomfortable.

I am still sick and the household stuff is piling around me as I type. It is awful. I hate being sick, at least my kids are not sick this go around (at least not yet)! Trying to find a starting point and knowing what needs to be done torture in itself. It hurts to talk and I sound like a smoker with a real gruff voice (I have never smoked a minute in my life).

The boys have been a real handful today and trying to stay away from 2 almost 2 year olds is virtually impossible! I just don't want them to catch this.

We have been presented with some challenges with Hubby's employment.

OPTION #1
My hubby has the job offer with the new company doing the same job. However, he found out it pays $40 less per day times 5 and a half days per week. It is also 10 miles longer in his pickup to get back and forth to work a day. Also $1700.00 out for 2 months of Cobra Coverage, until new insurance kicks in.

OPTION # 2
His present company had 2 days worth of work to do for half of what he is making now. Starting May 1 they have 4 days work for more than he's making now. He also would be off Tuesday and Wednesday (as well as Sunday). This would be more time to help on the farm. The hours are long though. 2 days are 18 hour shifts. The other 2 are 14 hours. I just don't know what we would do for those 2 months, that the work would just be part time. We would not have the $1700.00 in Cobra to pay by him doing this.

So we are at square 1 again and Saturday is his last day on this particular job. like I said he could stay with the same company for option #2.

Please pray that he would let God lead his heart and our family. Please pray that I would let him be the man of the house (even though he values my opinion) and that he would go where he needs to be.

As you can tell I am having a very difficult day today and I just needed to get it all out. Thank you all for being here for me. You are such wonderful friends. Many blessings on you!!!!

Why and How I can

Crazy title I know. I just wasn't sure how to title this one. I have had some negative and some psoitive questions about my housekeeper and my Mother's help and baby sitter. With all you have and don't have finanically how can you afford this? And other questions. So I am going to post about this. Also about letting my kids watch televison. So here goes. One mail reasonI keep the house so clean is the health factor. My boys were a little more than 2 months early and their lungs were very under developed and still are. There lungs are the size of a 14 month olds. They are almost 23 months old. They cannot filter things out as well as adults or even children their age.

My bestfriend C.T. cleans my house every other week. I pay her the average amount for this area. She works a full time job as well. It usually takes her 6 hours or so to do general cleaning from one end to the other, (our house is a little over 2200 sq. ft. and has 14 rooms. She does an excellent job. I pay her with money I have made from Ebay, our semi-annual yard sales and/or consignment shop sales. This is my gift to me. My husband agrees fully and he wants me to do this. Having multiples does not allow for a lot of deep cleaning. She also does my spring cleaning. She has been helping me for about 5 or 6 years. We have been friends for about 10 or 11 years. She is so sweet and I know I can always count on her. She knows all of my secrets inside and out and I hers.

C.T.'s daughter, J.T., who is a college student also helps us out with the boys. She helps in crunches, since she also works another job. She is also a sweet heart. I can always depend on her as well. She gets paid a flat sum, per day.

My Mother's helper is a sweet young lady (K.J.) we have attended church with all of her life. Her grandfather was my husband's preacher for 25 of his 31 years of life. Her Mom and I are friends and she is very well loved by all. She just has that gift with children. She will be helping a lot this summer, if the Lord decides to supply us with a crop this year (as was NOT the case last year). She also gets paid a flat sum per day. She knows and is certified in cpr as well as infant cpr. She is wonderful with our kids and I have no problem leaving her and going about my business or a date with my husband. She can cook and clean up after my children and if I need help while they are napping she is more than willing to help. Keep in mind my parents and other family live right her on this large farm and could be here in an instant say if the tv caught on fire or something! She also comes once or twice a month on Saturday's to help out or so hubby and I can go out. She also helps on various days when she is out of school (say President's Day). My hubby is all for me having a helper and it makes it much easier. She also works with them on signinh as well as whatever letters and numbers we are doing that week or anything else that needs to be incorporated.

My parents watch the kiddos in a crunch as well. My Mom keeps them a couple three hours once a weeks (usually) so I can get our groceries, their groceries and run errands. They also watch one if I need to take the other to an appointment, etc. They love my kids as if they were their very own. We spend a lot of time with them. We pay them with hugs and kisses! ;)

As for televison. My kids have hardly ever seen a tv on. When we go on a long trip to the dr or something of that nature we let them watch Barney or Veggie Tales or something on those lines on dvd. There is almost nothing on these days other than rubbish and I would like my children not to see such. They watch a Braves game or maybe a Packer's game or say an Auburn game with their Daddy ever once in again. We are going to let them start watching a little more of Educational and Christian based cartoons when we get another televion. I am very hands on with them and I personally feel that God gave them to me to teach not for me to sit in front of a tv for a babysitter. We do a lot of finger painting, puzzles, play dough, coloring, drawing, etc. I feel good about this and I love to see my child's minds growing through creative play and art.

So, this is where we are and I am happy about it. I love my life and I am so blessed!!! God is so good.......all of the time, that includes fires, crop loss, health crisis, premmie babies and job losses!

Blessings!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just wanted to wish you all a day full of love and hearts!!!!!! May HIS love always be in your heart! Hope your day is wonderful!!! Blessings!!!!

Feeling Down and Out

WARNING: THIS IS A DEPRESSING POST!!!!



I have plenty to be thankful for and perhaps I should also tell of that, but at times like this I feel a little......lost?!
let's see what's going on in my life:

• Mother-in-Law is dying of cancer. The hospice nurse says maybe 2 weeks.
• Son is very uncomfortable and in pain from hydrocele surgery and circumsicion revision
• He is getting glasses soon (at less than 2 years of age)
• Wondering if I am going to have a job this year (with my parents, as they lost everything last year)
• My hubby losses his job at the end of the month. His company lost the contract he was working under
• My Mom is not doing well. She doesn't deal with stress, life death or anything very well these days.
• My Daddy has been in the bed sick with high blood pressure today and not doing well . He also is scheduled for eye surgery the 25th.
• My parents are due to leave for a conference that my Father will give lectures at next Monday. They will be driving and he does not see well to drive.
• My house is in complete disorder and I AM one of those people that if her house is out of sorts then her mind is too
• I dropped one of my glasses and and still have a shard of glass in my foot. Note to self: call doctor and make appointment.
• We also had our camera dock to start smoking and spitting sparks over the weekend. Thankfully we were home and took care of it BEFORE the house caught on fire.
• My friend is in the hospital with diabetic issues. Her twin baby daughter has sepsis and is very sick at home with Daddy and twin brother. They live well over an hour away and I cannot go because Monkey cannot ride in the carseat for that long. Yes, my child comes first!!!
• We are planning my mil's funeral and burial and taking on the finanical matters over their household.

• I think that is all for now..............isn't that enough????!!!!!! Please pray for us. We have NO idea what or where or how hubby will find a job. The medical conditions of my children, health insurance and pre-exsisting conditions are quite scary terms right now. We will have to have cobra coverage, assuming we can get it. I HATE uncertainity!!!!! Thank you for your prayers.