Guess what we got in the mail this weekend? Keith's diploma! After all of the nagging, begging, pleading and crying he has officially graduated from Pima Community College! I am so happy to have that piece of paper! If only to have something to show for all of the torture (on both our parts) over the last nine years. Selfish huh? But it's done! Hallelujah! Maybe I'll frame it and hang it in the office, like he's a doctor or something.
We went out for Frosty's to celebrate (thanks Grandma for the free coupons, we're cheap!) It was kinda funny that we chose the coldest day so far this year to get ice cream. My kids were freezing. Oh well...proud of our papa!
14 October 2012
06 October 2012
A Temple for Tucson
On a scale of 1-10, how excited am I that Tucson is getting a temple? 150! So, so, so, so, soooo EXCITED! Yes, I know I don't live there anymore. And yes, I know that the Phoenix Temple already under construction is merely 15 minutes from my house, but still! In my heart, Tucson will always be home to me.
I remember sitting in the Stake Center when the Snowflake, AZ temple was announced. It was sort of a shock that Arizona could have two temples. It seemed a privilege only Utah and it's large LDS population was worthy of. And that's when the buzz started, at least for me, about when a temple in Tucson would be announced.
Years later when the Gila Valley temple was announced, the speculation became fierce as to why Tucson had again been passed over for a temple. Not enough full tithe payers, not enough worthy priesthood holders. Our Stake Presidency encouraged us to become temple workers in Mesa to prove we could staff a temple in Tucson. We needed to show the Lord that we had the committment and were willing to sacrifice for that great blessing.
I wrote in my journal the day the Gila Valley Temple was dedicated in May 2010 how grateful I was for my Arizona pioneer heritage. Many of my ancestors had settled that land and built the Church up there. I recorded the words Pres Eyring spoke about the new Bountiful Temple strengthening and changing the whole LDS community in that region. How faith, hope and charity had dramatically increased. And I longed for the day Tucson could receive such blessings.
Then new temples were announced in Gilbert and Phoenix. Five temples in Arizona, and yet, not one in Tucson! It was heart wrenching! And quickly becoming a constant topic of conversation. Just earlier this week my mom shared how her stake council had questioned the lack of a temple in Tucson, bringing up dangerous road conditions along the freeway to Mesa as evidence that it was their time.
And now, here it is! The announcement of a temple in TUCSON, ARIZONA! One of the happiest days of my life. Not even joking. All day, every time I think of it, I tear up. It's just that AWESOME! I cannot wait to walk through it, to see my mother's dream of becoming a temple worker come true there. Such a huge blessing. I am so grateful! So, so, sooo grateful, and SO EXCITED!
I remember sitting in the Stake Center when the Snowflake, AZ temple was announced. It was sort of a shock that Arizona could have two temples. It seemed a privilege only Utah and it's large LDS population was worthy of. And that's when the buzz started, at least for me, about when a temple in Tucson would be announced.
Gila Valley Temple
Years later when the Gila Valley temple was announced, the speculation became fierce as to why Tucson had again been passed over for a temple. Not enough full tithe payers, not enough worthy priesthood holders. Our Stake Presidency encouraged us to become temple workers in Mesa to prove we could staff a temple in Tucson. We needed to show the Lord that we had the committment and were willing to sacrifice for that great blessing.
I wrote in my journal the day the Gila Valley Temple was dedicated in May 2010 how grateful I was for my Arizona pioneer heritage. Many of my ancestors had settled that land and built the Church up there. I recorded the words Pres Eyring spoke about the new Bountiful Temple strengthening and changing the whole LDS community in that region. How faith, hope and charity had dramatically increased. And I longed for the day Tucson could receive such blessings.
Then new temples were announced in Gilbert and Phoenix. Five temples in Arizona, and yet, not one in Tucson! It was heart wrenching! And quickly becoming a constant topic of conversation. Just earlier this week my mom shared how her stake council had questioned the lack of a temple in Tucson, bringing up dangerous road conditions along the freeway to Mesa as evidence that it was their time.
And now, here it is! The announcement of a temple in TUCSON, ARIZONA! One of the happiest days of my life. Not even joking. All day, every time I think of it, I tear up. It's just that AWESOME! I cannot wait to walk through it, to see my mother's dream of becoming a temple worker come true there. Such a huge blessing. I am so grateful! So, so, sooo grateful, and SO EXCITED!
16 September 2012
Random Awkwardness
I am socially awkward. I believe that has previously been established. However, I wanted to provide another example. Going out intimidates me so much that for days leading up to any social outing, whether it be book club, a baby shower, or a large family dinner, I brainstorm things to talk about with people. I'll stay up til the wee hours of the morning thinking of TV shows we have in common, how I must ask about home improvement projects or inquire about a common friend's health or whatever. But you know what? It never helps! I inevitably end up sitting next to someone in awkward silence making paltry observations about my kids' behavior. Then I come home and beat myself up because I forgot everything I wanted to say. Like how grateful I am that my mother-in-law ground all that wheat for me and we've been baking pizzas, and waffles, and apple crisps with it all week. Or how I saw the blog photos of my friend's latest DIY project and it looked fabulous. It's exhausting. I guess I need to start bringing notes with me. Which I suppose leads me to the question, what do you think is worse: reading from a topics of conversation list or chatting about my kids' potty training schedule?
09 September 2012
What I Did This Summer
I was really looking forward to summer this year so I could get some projects done. Don't get me wrong, I love a routine, but having to be at drop off and pick up for two kids at specific times, and plan preschool co-ops and Primary lessons each week didn't leave much time for me to do the stuff I wanted to around the house. So I was super excited for school and other activities to be out and have the freedom to do whatever, whenever.
Here's a few of the projects I got crossed off my to-do list. (And since I am not one of those cool DIY bloggers, I don't have any before pictures, only finished products, sorry.)
Repainting my son's dresser:
When I found out we were having another baby I stole an old dresser from my parents' house so we could use it in my son's room and give his to the baby. We removed all of the dated hardware and sanded it right away, and then it sat in the garage for months waiting for me to paint it. I finally looked up some DIY blogs in June and got to work. It was quite the drama. Of course my son picked red which is the hardest color to paint because you have to do so many coats. After two layers of primer and five coats (that's an entire quart) of paint it finally looked decent. Only I was afraid the color wasn't quite right so I did one more coat in a different red I had lying around. Big mistake! The dresser turned purple! So then I ran to Walmart and bought some spray paint and primer in one and had to do two more coats of that for it to be okay again. I then tried to spray a protective finish on top but it kept squirting big drips instead of a fine mist so I finally gave up before I ruined it.
Drama number two came with the new hardware. I measured the holes to be 2.5 inches. When I went to Home Depot all they carried were 3 inch drawer pulls. I figured I must have measured wrong and bought the 3 inch pulls. I got home to discover that I had measured correctly, the holes were 2.5 inches apart and my pulls wouldn't work. The DIY blogs mentioned filling the old holes with putty and redrilling new holes, but I didn't want to do that since I had already painted the dresser. So I returned the pulls to Home Depot and asked for help locating the right size. They don't carry any in 2.5 inches. And neither does Lowe's or the specialty cabinet store they referred me to. So I searched online and found a great product at a great price. When we went to install them, they were too short! Keith measured the holes and they were 3 inches apart. What the heck! Turns out some of the drawers were 2.5 inches and some were 3. So irritating! I tried and tried to find pulls that were the same style and came in both sizes but to no avail. We finally ended up buying the stupid wood putty and drilling new holes. Thankfully the new pulls were wide enough that they covered the old holes so I didn't have to go back and paint AGAIN.
Anyhow, this is how it looks in his room. It used to be the same color as the mirror above it. I haven't decided whether I am going to paint the mirror yet or not. (And yes, the mirror is hung a little too high. That's what happens when Daddy asks the kid where he wants it hung. I think he wanted to be able to look at himself from the top bunk!)
Baby's Bird Mobile:
Here's a few of the projects I got crossed off my to-do list. (And since I am not one of those cool DIY bloggers, I don't have any before pictures, only finished products, sorry.)
Repainting my son's dresser:
When I found out we were having another baby I stole an old dresser from my parents' house so we could use it in my son's room and give his to the baby. We removed all of the dated hardware and sanded it right away, and then it sat in the garage for months waiting for me to paint it. I finally looked up some DIY blogs in June and got to work. It was quite the drama. Of course my son picked red which is the hardest color to paint because you have to do so many coats. After two layers of primer and five coats (that's an entire quart) of paint it finally looked decent. Only I was afraid the color wasn't quite right so I did one more coat in a different red I had lying around. Big mistake! The dresser turned purple! So then I ran to Walmart and bought some spray paint and primer in one and had to do two more coats of that for it to be okay again. I then tried to spray a protective finish on top but it kept squirting big drips instead of a fine mist so I finally gave up before I ruined it.
Drama number two came with the new hardware. I measured the holes to be 2.5 inches. When I went to Home Depot all they carried were 3 inch drawer pulls. I figured I must have measured wrong and bought the 3 inch pulls. I got home to discover that I had measured correctly, the holes were 2.5 inches apart and my pulls wouldn't work. The DIY blogs mentioned filling the old holes with putty and redrilling new holes, but I didn't want to do that since I had already painted the dresser. So I returned the pulls to Home Depot and asked for help locating the right size. They don't carry any in 2.5 inches. And neither does Lowe's or the specialty cabinet store they referred me to. So I searched online and found a great product at a great price. When we went to install them, they were too short! Keith measured the holes and they were 3 inches apart. What the heck! Turns out some of the drawers were 2.5 inches and some were 3. So irritating! I tried and tried to find pulls that were the same style and came in both sizes but to no avail. We finally ended up buying the stupid wood putty and drilling new holes. Thankfully the new pulls were wide enough that they covered the old holes so I didn't have to go back and paint AGAIN.
Anyhow, this is how it looks in his room. It used to be the same color as the mirror above it. I haven't decided whether I am going to paint the mirror yet or not. (And yes, the mirror is hung a little too high. That's what happens when Daddy asks the kid where he wants it hung. I think he wanted to be able to look at himself from the top bunk!)
Baby's Bird Mobile:
Umpteen years ago I found a cute bird mobile online. Only it cost $60 and was made out of paper.
I figured I could make something similar only out of wood so it would last longer. Fast forward to my pregnancy with my fourth kid and I finally decide to actually do it. I had my dad and husband cut the birds out of thin wood left over from my brother's adventures in building his own longboards. I sanded and primed them sometime in the ninth month of my pregnancy and then, you guessed it, they sat around for months and months. Shortly after the New Year I broke them out and slowly began painting them. It wasn't until the baby was nearly 10 months old that I finished painting them however. And then I had a heck of a time trying to hang the flighty things. I ended up cutting two birds out of the mix because I just could not get the mobile to balance. But I am pretty happy with how it turned out. And the best part is, this project cost me NOTHING! I used only materials I had on hand. Awesome huh?!
My other big projects of the summer were sewing some curtains for the family room (and they turned out pretty cute if you ask me, but I don't have any pictures, sorry) and painting the girls' rooms. My big girls share a room. The previous owners painted an accent wall pink and then let the girl run wild and paint whatever she wanted on the closet and bedroom doors. Who paints doors?! It is so ugly, especially all the I love so and so graffiti. Drives me nuts. Anywho...we used the leftover gallon of pink they saved in the garage and mixed it with some leftover white from our other house and painted the whole room one color. I LOVE IT! And once again, it was a FREE project. It will look so amazing once I hang all the stuff on the wall and get some curtains sewn. Oh, and repaint the doors. They are still as ugly as ever. Last but not least I painted the baby's room aqua. (See above pic of the bird mobile.) Now don't tell my mom, because she came up and helped me paint both rooms in two days which was AMAZING, and don't tell my husband who was upset that I actually went out and bought paint for this when we have so many leftover gallons in the garage, but I don't love this room so much. The color is pretty, but it's just too dark for the stuff I was wanting to put in there. I should have gone with the safer light color but I was trying to be daring. I don't know whether to revise my decorating scheme or repaint. Either is a pain and will take up time and money I don't have so for now I wallow in my indecision.
20 June 2012
Four weddings and a funeral
Nov 2011
One month after having baby #4 my youngest sister got married:
the happy couple
My sibs, and yes, we're weird
my cute little family
Right after this picture my three year old threw up all over the steps.
That's why she's not smiling.
That's why she's not smiling.
Dec 2011
Six weeks after my sister's wedding, my brother got married:
"I do!"
Newlyweds front and center, siblings surrounding
my cute little family again, still not smiling though no longer sick
Mar 2012
Three months after that wedding, my other brother got married:
"Cheese!"
Aren't we cute?!
And here's my family all dressed up.
The kids are finally smiling, but I look like one tired mommy!
Maybe because the baby screamed so hard she vomited the entire two hour car trip...
Apr 2012
And one month after my last sibling was married off, one of my roommates from college got married:
This was a little mini vacation and reunion all rolled into one because I got to go out of state completely childless (WOW!) and see several friends from BYU, as well as my sister-in-law and her family that I hadn't seen for almost three years. So fun!
May 2012
In May our beautiful Gran Marie passed away. I am so grateful for her strong testimony and example. And for the Savior she loved that made eternal life as families possible.
XOXOXOXO
04 April 2012
Yes. Yes, she is
This is the conversation I overheard today.
J: Why did Mom cut this?
C: I dunno, she's kinda weird sometimes.
J: Yes. Yes, she is.
C: Yes.
J: Yes. Yes, she is.
J: Why did Mom cut this?
C: I dunno, she's kinda weird sometimes.
J: Yes. Yes, she is.
C: Yes.
J: Yes. Yes, she is.
01 April 2012
April Fools
This is no ruse, I am actually updating my blog! My parents spent the night at our house last night and reintroduced my kids to April Fools' Day as soon as they woke up. I've been listening to tales of bedwetting, scorpion discovery and fantastical magic powers ALL day as a result. Thanks a lot Dad!
It did spawn a little journey down memory lane however. I remember as a kid, every year, without fail, my dad would tell us a peacock was in the front yard. By upper elementary I didn't even bother to look anymore, so he had to come up with other stories about bobcats or hot air balloons to try and trick me. Then I started pulling stunts like cooking cottonballs into the cornbread muffins and trying to sneak Kool-aid powder into the shower head.
By college my roommates and I were pulling pranks on apartments of boys we knew. After I was elbowed in the face during a particularly rough game of basketball in the pool, we told them I had broken my nose and had two black eyes. The guys brought over ice cream the next day to apologize. When they saw me in full health it became an all out war. They snuck into our apartment and removed all the lightbulbs. We knew right where our emergency flashlight was so it didn't even phase us. But soon thereafter, we broke into their apartment and deposited hundreds of goldfish in every vessel we could find. The sink, toilet, and bathtub were all full of them. I don't recall that going over too well...
Anyhow, these days I'm relegated to such tame tricks as serving meatball cupcakes with mashed potato frosting and colored salt sprinkles for dinner. And of course our traditional strawberry lime "fools" for dessert. But my kids think it's fun and that's all that matters right? What do you do for April Fools' Day? Or what pranks have you pulled in the past? I'd love to read about them (and garner ideas for next year)!
It did spawn a little journey down memory lane however. I remember as a kid, every year, without fail, my dad would tell us a peacock was in the front yard. By upper elementary I didn't even bother to look anymore, so he had to come up with other stories about bobcats or hot air balloons to try and trick me. Then I started pulling stunts like cooking cottonballs into the cornbread muffins and trying to sneak Kool-aid powder into the shower head.
By college my roommates and I were pulling pranks on apartments of boys we knew. After I was elbowed in the face during a particularly rough game of basketball in the pool, we told them I had broken my nose and had two black eyes. The guys brought over ice cream the next day to apologize. When they saw me in full health it became an all out war. They snuck into our apartment and removed all the lightbulbs. We knew right where our emergency flashlight was so it didn't even phase us. But soon thereafter, we broke into their apartment and deposited hundreds of goldfish in every vessel we could find. The sink, toilet, and bathtub were all full of them. I don't recall that going over too well...
Anyhow, these days I'm relegated to such tame tricks as serving meatball cupcakes with mashed potato frosting and colored salt sprinkles for dinner. And of course our traditional strawberry lime "fools" for dessert. But my kids think it's fun and that's all that matters right? What do you do for April Fools' Day? Or what pranks have you pulled in the past? I'd love to read about them (and garner ideas for next year)!
25 June 2011
E.R.
Three hours, four staples, two popsicles, one CT Scan and mini race car later, we have officially survived our first trip to the Emergency Room.
In preparation for the new baby, we had switched all the kids' beds. Addison got a new bunk bed, Charlotte moved out of the railed toddler bed and into Addison's old bed, Jocelyn moved out of the crib in to the railed bed, and the crib was left open for baby. Unfortunately, our ceilings are not that high and the top bunk of Addison's new bed was mere inches from the ceiling fan. We warned him not to go up to the top bunk when the fan was on and being the cautious boy that he is, he decided he would just sleep on the bottom bunk and not have to worry about it.
That only lasted one night. The next day, the bunk bed became the best new toy in the house and the kids were climbing all over it. Right as I was calling the kids to lunch, the screaming began. Somehow Addison was still on the top bunk when the fan was turned on and it gave him a few nasty cuts.
Luckily the damage was minor, no fractured skull or internal bleeding as the doctor feared, and so he got a few staples and a few popsicles and we were on our way. Hope that's the last time for a long time!
PS- The ceiling fan was removed this morning, and replaced with a more child friendly light.
In preparation for the new baby, we had switched all the kids' beds. Addison got a new bunk bed, Charlotte moved out of the railed toddler bed and into Addison's old bed, Jocelyn moved out of the crib in to the railed bed, and the crib was left open for baby. Unfortunately, our ceilings are not that high and the top bunk of Addison's new bed was mere inches from the ceiling fan. We warned him not to go up to the top bunk when the fan was on and being the cautious boy that he is, he decided he would just sleep on the bottom bunk and not have to worry about it.
That only lasted one night. The next day, the bunk bed became the best new toy in the house and the kids were climbing all over it. Right as I was calling the kids to lunch, the screaming began. Somehow Addison was still on the top bunk when the fan was turned on and it gave him a few nasty cuts.
Luckily the damage was minor, no fractured skull or internal bleeding as the doctor feared, and so he got a few staples and a few popsicles and we were on our way. Hope that's the last time for a long time!
PS- The ceiling fan was removed this morning, and replaced with a more child friendly light.
10 May 2011
03 May 2011
Diagnosis
I've been having terrible allergies lately. Today Addison told me he had figured out why.
A: Your allergic to us. The kids.
Me: That could be. I guess I'll have to send you to live with Grandma.
A: What? No! You just go to work, in the office. Daddy can pretend to be the mommy and you'll never have to be around us.
Problem solved.
A: Your allergic to us. The kids.
Me: That could be. I guess I'll have to send you to live with Grandma.
A: What? No! You just go to work, in the office. Daddy can pretend to be the mommy and you'll never have to be around us.
Problem solved.
01 May 2011
Shark Attack
Addison's 5th Birthday! If you dare...Those are the invitations we sent out for his party, which took place yesterday. I added the gills and eye on the shark after three consecutive people told me it looked like a dolphin.
Unfortunately we are still kinda new around here and I guess not very noteworthy because a couple of moms from Primary thought Addison was a girl. Does blue and orange shark party scream girl or what? Luckily we intercepted the barbie present in time, and that mom was able to return it and get something more appropriate.
We had the event at the park, amidst crazy wind, and another party for a girl named Addison (Do you ever wish you could go back in time and change your kid's name? I am starting to feel like that.) that arrived before us and hogged the only ramada and table. But it went okay anyway.
We played "What time is it, Mr. Shark?," a dry land version of Sharks and Minnows, and feed the shark (basically a bean bag toss). I got the idea for the fish bean bags made out of old socks from Parents magazine.
Unfortunately we are still kinda new around here and I guess not very noteworthy because a couple of moms from Primary thought Addison was a girl. Does blue and orange shark party scream girl or what? Luckily we intercepted the barbie present in time, and that mom was able to return it and get something more appropriate.
We had the event at the park, amidst crazy wind, and another party for a girl named Addison (Do you ever wish you could go back in time and change your kid's name? I am starting to feel like that.) that arrived before us and hogged the only ramada and table. But it went okay anyway.
We played "What time is it, Mr. Shark?," a dry land version of Sharks and Minnows, and feed the shark (basically a bean bag toss). I got the idea for the fish bean bags made out of old socks from Parents magazine.
Then we ate shark cake and opened presents. I got this idea from familyfun.com. The sample picture looks way better than mine. I think I cut the head too narrow and maybe made the teeth too big for the mouth. I couldn't find the pastel candy corn they used so I tried to cut up marshmallows. It was a sticky mess. I also started out piping the whole thing, but after an hour of the frosting melting down the sides of the cake, I got fed up and just spread the frosting with a knife. Maybe I will hire out the cake decorating next year. This is definitely not one of my talents. I must add, however, that the red velvet cake inside the horrible exterior was quite delicious. I can make a cake, just not decorate it.
The highlight of the day, though, was definitely the shark pinata. Back in Tucson, you used to be able to visit the streets around the rodeo grounds and find a dozen little hole in wall party stores where you could buy all kinds of Mexican candy and pinatas. They were even willing to make a custom design, as long as you paid cash. We haven't found anything like that up here, so I just ordered this one off Amazon. When I ordered it, it said it would arrive on Thursday. Then I started checking the shipping status and that date changed to May 3, which would have been way too late. But it's okay to pray for things like that right? I think Heavenly Father wanted us to have a good time, so he pushed it along a little faster and it arrived on Friday. Whew! We filled it with discounted Easter candy, shark fruit snacks, and little shark toys from the dollar store. It was seriously a big hit. (No pun intended.) We are going to do pinatas every year!
The remains of the shark. I didn't get a beforehand picture.28 April 2011
Date Night
Keith and I have found our new favorite way to spend time together. Scorpion hunting! After we found scorpions #3-5 in a single day, we invested in a black light flashlight. Internet research informed us we would probably find between 20-40 scorpions on our first search (we live in a scorpion hot spot apparently). If we continued to search once a month that number would hopefully dwindle.
So it was with great excitement that we set out on our first adventure. We found absolutely nothing! We searched the house twice and the yard once and didn't find a single one! But we freaked Addison out enough that now we have to check his room every night before he will consent to go to bed.
Today Addison spotted scorpion number eight in the hall and Keith smashed two more in the garage on his way in from class. So we decided to go scorpion hunting again. It was much more fruitful this time. We saw a grand total of ten scorpions! More than we have seen in the two and a half months we have lived here combined. And just for the record, Keith killed seven. I think he even enjoyed it. Maybe since he was sneaking up on them rather than the other way around. Unfortunately two got away in the chase. Both of us have seen enough of them to give us the heebeegeebees for a month, so I'm sure I'll have nightmares of those two finding us in the house to get revenge for their friends.
Anyhow, it's kinda fun. You know, in that weird scaring yourself kind of way. I'm too chicken to visit a haunted house but I'll hunt for scorpions. We get to hang out together, talk and do a little stargazing along the way; a good time all around.
Here are some of the fruits of our labor. Sweet dreams!
So it was with great excitement that we set out on our first adventure. We found absolutely nothing! We searched the house twice and the yard once and didn't find a single one! But we freaked Addison out enough that now we have to check his room every night before he will consent to go to bed.
Today Addison spotted scorpion number eight in the hall and Keith smashed two more in the garage on his way in from class. So we decided to go scorpion hunting again. It was much more fruitful this time. We saw a grand total of ten scorpions! More than we have seen in the two and a half months we have lived here combined. And just for the record, Keith killed seven. I think he even enjoyed it. Maybe since he was sneaking up on them rather than the other way around. Unfortunately two got away in the chase. Both of us have seen enough of them to give us the heebeegeebees for a month, so I'm sure I'll have nightmares of those two finding us in the house to get revenge for their friends.
Anyhow, it's kinda fun. You know, in that weird scaring yourself kind of way. I'm too chicken to visit a haunted house but I'll hunt for scorpions. We get to hang out together, talk and do a little stargazing along the way; a good time all around.
Here are some of the fruits of our labor. Sweet dreams!10 April 2011
Must Have Qualities
Did your young women leaders ever have you make a list of desirable qualities in your future husband? It seems like we drew one up every year. Mine included typical things like temple worthy, returned missionary, working towards a college degree as well as personal things like won't show love in materialistic ways and thinks I'm pretty without make-up on. What it didn't include was anything about a fear of heights. It just didn't cross my seventeen year old mind as something important.
Well, let this be a lesson to you single friends. You might want to double check that your potential mate is not afraid of heights or you too may be climbing 28 foot ladders while somewhere between four and eight months pregnant to patch stucco holes or paint fascia boards. Or in an even more embarrassing event, calling the neighbor to come take your Christmas lights down because your husband is having a panic attack. Just a warning.
And not to bash on my husband too much, but it might also be a good idea to see about his tolerance for creepy crawling creatures. Out of the seven scorpions we have found in our house thus far, my "man" has maybe smashed one or two. The rest of the time he calls for me, points it out and then leaves the room while I take care of business. Good thing I grew up with creepy crawly things all around me huh?
20 February 2011
Shopping Tips
So there were a few comments about my poll (which has now been removed) and how I spend so little money at the grocery store. A few months ago, my SIL asked me the same thing and I emailed her a list of "my secrets." I thought I would share a modified version of that email to appease your curiosity. Mostly it comes down to having a budget and a plan.
1- I sit down with the ads and my recipe file each week and plan out a menu based on what is on sale. I never buy ANYTHING unless it is on sale. I try to do all of my shopping at one store so I don't go crazy running around with the kids, so whichever supermarket has the most of what I want on sale is the store I go to that week. I'm trying the coupon thing too but I'm not that good at it and it mostly helps me get a little more food for my money, rather than a huge savings. MoneySavingMom.com is a great site to help match up sales and coupons.
2- I generally know the prices of what we eat a lot, so I can tell if it's a good sale or if I should wait for another week. I only buy cereal if it's under $2 a box, yogurt if it's less than $0.50 a cup, etc. Then I try to stock up at the cheap price. (You can freeze a lot of stuff like bread, milk and cheese too). A lady at church says she never has to buy anything on a need basis, only on a "this is the cheapest price I can get this product for" basis; someday I would like to be that good. If you never run out of diapers, you won't be making extra trips to the store and forking out more money than necessary and ruining your budget.
3- I do a lot of brand comparisons. Most stores are good about telling you how much something costs per ounce on their little tags (if they don't have tags I whip out the calculator on my phone. Seriously). So I always go for the least expensive item per ounce even if it means buying a little bit bigger bottle than I need right then. It also means buying generic sometimes, but sometimes the brand name is on sale for less than the generic. And, I try to remember to get rain checks if they are out of something I want or substitute another item for the item that was on sale.
4- I only spend $10 out of the $50 on produce. I would like to have my kids eat more fruits and vegetables, but they are expensive and so I can't put as much money into that or we wouldn't have enough for everything else.
5- I rarely buy junk food like chips, candy or ice cream. The only time we have dessert is for FHE. Treats around here are chocolate milk or popcorn on Movie Fridays. Or lately we're into frozen Go-Gurts. I don't get already put together meals either. It's so convenient to pop a frozen lasagna in the oven but a lot cheaper to make it yourself. Often Keith complains that we have nothing to eat, but it's really that we don't have anything "ready to eat." Most stuff around here has to be made.
6- My menus are pretty simple (though sometimes lacking in variety). Breakfast mainly consists of cereal or instant oatmeal. I don't buy a lot of lunch food, we generally eat leftovers from dinner the night before. I do keep PB&J on hand, and occasionally we have Mac 'n' cheese or turkey sandwiches. We also eat a lot of quesadillas! Dinner is the meal I spend the most money and focus on.
7- I try to stretch the expensive ingredients. I only use one chicken breast in a casserole and usually I split a 9x13 casserole into two 8x8 pans, eat one and freeze the other for another day. Or split a 1 lb package of hamburger into two meals. We probably shouldn't eat so many carbs, but pasta and rice are good filler foods!
8- And really, it just comes down to sticking to the budget. I know I only have so much money to spend so I walk around the store adding everything up in my head. "Bananas $2 + celery $1.50 (I always round up to the nearest half dollar to try and account for tax) is $3.50. Plus bread is $5, etc" It's a great mental exercise, especially when you start throwing in those BUY 8 save $4 sales because you have to keep track of how much you are spending and how many items you have, plus entertain the kids. Once I get to $50 I have to quit or start putting things back that are not entirely necessary so I can get the stuff I do need. There are some tough choices sometimes, but I've done it enough that now Addison knows we don't have money for everything we want and even explains to Charlotte that we're getting this instead of that because it's not as expensive.
I admit that my budget may have to increase soon. My kids are getting older and eating more, but the principles will remain the same. Do you have any helpful hints for grocery shopping?
1- I sit down with the ads and my recipe file each week and plan out a menu based on what is on sale. I never buy ANYTHING unless it is on sale. I try to do all of my shopping at one store so I don't go crazy running around with the kids, so whichever supermarket has the most of what I want on sale is the store I go to that week. I'm trying the coupon thing too but I'm not that good at it and it mostly helps me get a little more food for my money, rather than a huge savings. MoneySavingMom.com is a great site to help match up sales and coupons.
2- I generally know the prices of what we eat a lot, so I can tell if it's a good sale or if I should wait for another week. I only buy cereal if it's under $2 a box, yogurt if it's less than $0.50 a cup, etc. Then I try to stock up at the cheap price. (You can freeze a lot of stuff like bread, milk and cheese too). A lady at church says she never has to buy anything on a need basis, only on a "this is the cheapest price I can get this product for" basis; someday I would like to be that good. If you never run out of diapers, you won't be making extra trips to the store and forking out more money than necessary and ruining your budget.
3- I do a lot of brand comparisons. Most stores are good about telling you how much something costs per ounce on their little tags (if they don't have tags I whip out the calculator on my phone. Seriously). So I always go for the least expensive item per ounce even if it means buying a little bit bigger bottle than I need right then. It also means buying generic sometimes, but sometimes the brand name is on sale for less than the generic. And, I try to remember to get rain checks if they are out of something I want or substitute another item for the item that was on sale.
4- I only spend $10 out of the $50 on produce. I would like to have my kids eat more fruits and vegetables, but they are expensive and so I can't put as much money into that or we wouldn't have enough for everything else.
5- I rarely buy junk food like chips, candy or ice cream. The only time we have dessert is for FHE. Treats around here are chocolate milk or popcorn on Movie Fridays. Or lately we're into frozen Go-Gurts. I don't get already put together meals either. It's so convenient to pop a frozen lasagna in the oven but a lot cheaper to make it yourself. Often Keith complains that we have nothing to eat, but it's really that we don't have anything "ready to eat." Most stuff around here has to be made.
6- My menus are pretty simple (though sometimes lacking in variety). Breakfast mainly consists of cereal or instant oatmeal. I don't buy a lot of lunch food, we generally eat leftovers from dinner the night before. I do keep PB&J on hand, and occasionally we have Mac 'n' cheese or turkey sandwiches. We also eat a lot of quesadillas! Dinner is the meal I spend the most money and focus on.
7- I try to stretch the expensive ingredients. I only use one chicken breast in a casserole and usually I split a 9x13 casserole into two 8x8 pans, eat one and freeze the other for another day. Or split a 1 lb package of hamburger into two meals. We probably shouldn't eat so many carbs, but pasta and rice are good filler foods!
8- And really, it just comes down to sticking to the budget. I know I only have so much money to spend so I walk around the store adding everything up in my head. "Bananas $2 + celery $1.50 (I always round up to the nearest half dollar to try and account for tax) is $3.50. Plus bread is $5, etc" It's a great mental exercise, especially when you start throwing in those BUY 8 save $4 sales because you have to keep track of how much you are spending and how many items you have, plus entertain the kids. Once I get to $50 I have to quit or start putting things back that are not entirely necessary so I can get the stuff I do need. There are some tough choices sometimes, but I've done it enough that now Addison knows we don't have money for everything we want and even explains to Charlotte that we're getting this instead of that because it's not as expensive.
I admit that my budget may have to increase soon. My kids are getting older and eating more, but the principles will remain the same. Do you have any helpful hints for grocery shopping?
It Ain't Over 'til the Fat Lady Sings
Whew! This selling and buying a house business has turned out to be one heck of a ride! So much so that I don't even really want to relive it for you. But we are finally done with the whole thing. Thursday afternoon the paperwork was officially filed and we now own (or are at least paying a mortgage on) our new house in Anthem, AZ.
I think we landed the perfect spot, except for the fact that it is a few hours away from family. It's nice and deserty around here, but still populated enough that we don't feel like we're out in the boonies. I have enjoyed listening to the birds wake me up in the morning, actually being able to see the stars at night, and watching the wildlife skitter about my backyard. Of course, the scorpions in the house aren't very fun or the woodpeckers pecking a huge hole in the side of my house, but there has to be opposition in all things right? We are within walking distance to preschool and the library, get admission to the pool and gym with our HOA fees and have plenty of shopping close by. As soon as we make some friends our lives will be complete.
So if you ever find yourself on the way to Flagstaff and need a potty break, call us up and we'll be happy to have you!
These are a few pictures from the MLS listing. I'm not a wine bibber, I promise. We have barely begun to unpack so the after pictures will take some time to be posted.
I think we landed the perfect spot, except for the fact that it is a few hours away from family. It's nice and deserty around here, but still populated enough that we don't feel like we're out in the boonies. I have enjoyed listening to the birds wake me up in the morning, actually being able to see the stars at night, and watching the wildlife skitter about my backyard. Of course, the scorpions in the house aren't very fun or the woodpeckers pecking a huge hole in the side of my house, but there has to be opposition in all things right? We are within walking distance to preschool and the library, get admission to the pool and gym with our HOA fees and have plenty of shopping close by. As soon as we make some friends our lives will be complete.
So if you ever find yourself on the way to Flagstaff and need a potty break, call us up and we'll be happy to have you!
These are a few pictures from the MLS listing. I'm not a wine bibber, I promise. We have barely begun to unpack so the after pictures will take some time to be posted.06 February 2011
Poll
By the way, thanks to all those who voted in my poll. A few recent conversations have left me feeling like I might be starving my family by spending so little at the grocery store each week. Your answers pretty much confirmed my fears. Most everyone spends more than I do. So if my kids eat all your snacks at church, I apologize. I'll work on that.
A New Low
I may have just earned the title of the world's worst hostess. I served chili mac (aka three boxes of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese and a can of Hormel chili) and two loaves of frozen garlic bread to the missionaries for dinner. No fruits, veggies or dessert to be seen. Pathetic.
In my defense, I haven't been to the grocery store in over a week. (I was waiting until after our upcoming move so we wouldn't have to transport so much food.) And I didn't know they were coming until 30 minutes before. Our friends desperately called three times in a row (that's how long it took me to find my phone) to say they had forgotten their assignment and were out of town, could we possibly fill in for them? The chili mac was already made for our dinner, so I kept it warm on the stove and then busted out the bread, knowing three boxes of macaroni and cheese wouldn't be enough for two fasting missionaries.
The elders were very gracious about the whole thing, eating off of mismatched plates (who has the dishes done when company isn't expected?) and stepping around already packed boxes piling up all over the room. But I felt terrible, the way they scarfed down four helpings, even scraping the last bits out of the pan (that's right, I served them out of the pan I cooked it in. Don't tell my mother) because I knew they could've eaten more if I'd had it.
All in all, it might have been my lowest moment. Good thing we're moving right?
In my defense, I haven't been to the grocery store in over a week. (I was waiting until after our upcoming move so we wouldn't have to transport so much food.) And I didn't know they were coming until 30 minutes before. Our friends desperately called three times in a row (that's how long it took me to find my phone) to say they had forgotten their assignment and were out of town, could we possibly fill in for them? The chili mac was already made for our dinner, so I kept it warm on the stove and then busted out the bread, knowing three boxes of macaroni and cheese wouldn't be enough for two fasting missionaries.
The elders were very gracious about the whole thing, eating off of mismatched plates (who has the dishes done when company isn't expected?) and stepping around already packed boxes piling up all over the room. But I felt terrible, the way they scarfed down four helpings, even scraping the last bits out of the pan (that's right, I served them out of the pan I cooked it in. Don't tell my mother) because I knew they could've eaten more if I'd had it.
All in all, it might have been my lowest moment. Good thing we're moving right?
03 January 2011
AWK-WARD
Dear Awkwardness-
We can't be friends anymore. I am tired of being embarrassed and uncomfortable in social situations. Go find someone else to bother okay? I would appreciate it tremendously. Thanks!
Amanda
A little background on the above letter. In September I got pregnant. Over Thanksgiving we announced the news to family and a few friends and ward members. Three days later I hit the twelve week mark, went to the doctor for a routine check-up and found out that the baby no longer had a heart beat. A couple of days after that, I had a D&C.
The awkwardness comes from the fact that I was far enough along to be showing, that horrible stage where people aren't sure if you're just gaining weight or are actually pregnant. I was squeezing into a few of my normal pairs of pants and beginning the transition to maternity clothes. Only now it feels like that stage is going on and on and on forever. I'm not getting any bigger because I'm no longer pregnant, yet I still have this kind of post pregnancy pooch without a baby to show for it.
So when all of the "Oh, are you expecting?" and the "Are you having another baby?" and the "When are you due?" questions come my way I'm not sure what to say. If I reply with an explanation along the lines of, "Well, I was, but then I had a miscarriage," people feel terrible and trip all over themselves to apologize for my loss. But then if I just answer, "No," they are so mortified they trip all over themselves trying to cover up or excuse their blunder. It's embarrassing for everyone no matter what my response. Maybe if I could come up with something witty like, "Just a few too many treats over the holidays," it wouldn't be so bad. I dunno. What would you say?
PS- I am not looking for pity in this post. I've had plenty of that. I'm just venting about a discomfiting situation and perhaps looking for some helpful suggestions. Thank you for your consideration.
We can't be friends anymore. I am tired of being embarrassed and uncomfortable in social situations. Go find someone else to bother okay? I would appreciate it tremendously. Thanks!
Amanda
A little background on the above letter. In September I got pregnant. Over Thanksgiving we announced the news to family and a few friends and ward members. Three days later I hit the twelve week mark, went to the doctor for a routine check-up and found out that the baby no longer had a heart beat. A couple of days after that, I had a D&C.The awkwardness comes from the fact that I was far enough along to be showing, that horrible stage where people aren't sure if you're just gaining weight or are actually pregnant. I was squeezing into a few of my normal pairs of pants and beginning the transition to maternity clothes. Only now it feels like that stage is going on and on and on forever. I'm not getting any bigger because I'm no longer pregnant, yet I still have this kind of post pregnancy pooch without a baby to show for it.
So when all of the "Oh, are you expecting?" and the "Are you having another baby?" and the "When are you due?" questions come my way I'm not sure what to say. If I reply with an explanation along the lines of, "Well, I was, but then I had a miscarriage," people feel terrible and trip all over themselves to apologize for my loss. But then if I just answer, "No," they are so mortified they trip all over themselves trying to cover up or excuse their blunder. It's embarrassing for everyone no matter what my response. Maybe if I could come up with something witty like, "Just a few too many treats over the holidays," it wouldn't be so bad. I dunno. What would you say?
PS- I am not looking for pity in this post. I've had plenty of that. I'm just venting about a discomfiting situation and perhaps looking for some helpful suggestions. Thank you for your consideration.
02 January 2011
Resolution to Read
Remember how I had a list of ten resolutions at the beginning of 2010? It was going to be my finest year; the year I did everything I had ever wanted to do but for one reason or another had put on the back burner. Yeah, well, that didn't happen. The year threw me one too many curve balls and I just couldn't cope. So let's just skip the review of 2010 shall we?
The one goal I did get close to accomplishing was the reading of 100 books. I decided to do this when a friend mentioned how she had to read 100 books in a semester for a Children's Literature class. I believe about twenty of them had to be what the education world calls "chapter books," and the rest could be picture books or non-fiction titles. I thought, "Huh! I bet I could read 100 books, but all of them chapter books. Remember that one time I read 10 books in a week?" Arrogant, wasn't I? It came to bite me in the end, don't worry. I somehow forgot to account for the fact that I now have three kids to raise and a house to clean and clean and clean again. And perhaps I didn't realize how much time I waste on TV and internet usage. By November I was scrambling to read one or two books a day and neglecting most of my other responsibilities. So all in all, I only read 97 books and a few dozen I am embarrassed to have counted because they were so short, but oh well.
Here they are in chronological order:
The one goal I did get close to accomplishing was the reading of 100 books. I decided to do this when a friend mentioned how she had to read 100 books in a semester for a Children's Literature class. I believe about twenty of them had to be what the education world calls "chapter books," and the rest could be picture books or non-fiction titles. I thought, "Huh! I bet I could read 100 books, but all of them chapter books. Remember that one time I read 10 books in a week?" Arrogant, wasn't I? It came to bite me in the end, don't worry. I somehow forgot to account for the fact that I now have three kids to raise and a house to clean and clean and clean again. And perhaps I didn't realize how much time I waste on TV and internet usage. By November I was scrambling to read one or two books a day and neglecting most of my other responsibilities. So all in all, I only read 97 books and a few dozen I am embarrassed to have counted because they were so short, but oh well.
Here they are in chronological order:
1- Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne
2- Vacation under a Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne
3- Lions at Lunchtime by Mary Pope Osborne
4- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
5- Good Morning, Gorillas by Mary Pope Osborne
6- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
7- Day of the Dragon King by Mary Pope Osborne
8- Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
9- Tigers at Twilight by Mary Pope Osborne
10- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
11- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
12- Papa Married a Mormon by John D Fitzgerald
13- Mamma’s Boarding House by John D Fitzgerald
14- On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck
15- Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne
16- A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
17- Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
18- Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
19- Best Shorts: favorite short stories for sharing selected by Avi
20- Shopaholic takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
21- The Book of Mormon
22- Born Standing Up (Audio CD) by Steve Martin
23- The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
24- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
25- Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne
26- Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne
27- The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
28- The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
29- Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne
30- Dark Day in the Deep Sea by Mary Pope Osborne
31- A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
32- Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne
33- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
34- The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
35- The Seeing Stone by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
36- Lucinda’s Secret by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
37- The Ironwood Tree by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
38- The Wrath of Mulgarath by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
39- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
40- Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
41- Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo
42- Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy by Jenny Nimmo
43- Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
44- Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
45- Charlie Bone and the Hidden King by Jenny Nimmo
46- Charlie Bone and the Beast by Jenny Nimmo
47- Charlie Bone and the Shadow by Jenny Nimmo
48- Charlie Bone and the Red Knight by Jenny Nimmo
49- Season of the Sandstorms by Mary Pope Osborne
50- Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff
51- Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
52- Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt
53- A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
54- Twister on Tuesday by Mary Pope Osborne
55- The Nixie’s Song by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
56- A Giant Problem by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
57- The Wyrm King by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
58- Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
59- Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
60- Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson
61 – The Wednesday Letters by Jason F Wright
62- The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas
63- The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
64- Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne
65- Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
66- Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne
67- Buffalo Before Breakfast by Mary Pope Osborne
68- Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer
69- The Time Thief by Linda Buckley-Archer
70- The Time Quake by Linda Buckley-Archer
71- Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey
72- The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
73- Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
74- River Secrets by Shannon Hale
75- Forest Born by Shannon Hale
76- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
77- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
78- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
79- Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent
80- The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup
81- Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
82- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
83- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
84- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
85- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
86- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
87- The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka
88- The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
89- The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
90- The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
91- A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
92- The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
93- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
94- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
95- The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney
96- Oh Say, I Can’t See by Jon Scieszka
97- Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne
I'm afraid if I add commentary or recommendations this post will be a mile long so perhaps if you are interested in any additional info you could comment and I will write more as necessary.
Happy Reading!
23 December 2010
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