Tightening the budget

As I am sure that many people are. Life just feels so uncertain in many ways these days.

I find myself constantly looking for a bargain and really just not spending anything without a coupon. Today it was groceries. I was able to purchase $73.57 worth of groceries for $11.30 using coupons. It felt great to be able to save so much! Now of course it took planning and there was a bit of time involved, but it proved to be so worthwhile.

Here is what came home with me:

Not bad right?

And yesterday with the same thought in mind, I decided it was time to make good use of my scrapbooking supplies. I had purchased some Halloween items for 75% off and wanted to put them to use. Just because it is a holiday theme product doesn't mean you can only use it for those photos. At least in my book. So I found a way to stretch my scrapbooking dollar, also.

This was fun to create and I am glad to be using things that would otherwise likely sit and wait to be used for a themed project.

I meant to

catch up at the beginning of the year. Then I started it out like this:

We are all thankfully, fine. Someone in a F250 with a UHaul lost control of their vehicle on an icy, snow packed road. I swerved to avoid the collision and this is what we ended up with.

Otherwise all is well here. Just trying to get organized. And purging some of the clutter that has been taking over. Seems like I start each new year this way.

So here's to getting back to blogging!

In the blink of an eye

September came and went. I haven't posted in almost a month! Gasp!!

We are well adjusted to the routine of school being in and we just finished Cross Country. Both of the kids ran and last weekend we participated in a 5K. That was alot of fun!~

We took Brenden in for his spinal Xrays on Thursday. The curve has progressed another 2-3 degrees. So surgery is inevitable but not immediately. What a blessing! We have yet to decide when we will do it but at least we can put it on the back burner for now and until the holidays are over. We do need to have an MRI completed though because our orthopaedic doctor is concerned that he may have a tethered spinal cord due to some of the symptoms he is having.

We are also planning our vacation! Monty is getting ready to do the Ironman. All the hard work and training will soon pay off. From there, it's on to DisneyWorld.We will be gone for 12 days and it is taking more planning than I could have imagined. I guess that's part of being so Type A. We are all so ready for a vacation.

Tonight we are headed to Ian and Brittany's home for a surprise birthday party. Ian will be 19 on Monday. Hard for me to believe!! Really, you just wake up one day and your kids are grown!

I am amazed that she has been able to pull this off without him finding out. Should be a great time.

I will leave you with one of my latest creations. Just found this new Sassafrass paper, isn't it the cutest? And so appropriate for a tween girl!



Hope you have a great weekend!!

Remember These?

I had mentioned that I was going to list some awhile back. The ones I was going to list in my shop sold very quickly to some friends. So I have some more now that I have put in my etsy shop. I am getting ready to be make a few more for the holidays for some friends. I will gladly accept custom requests.

Check them out...I am hoping to add some other creations in the near future, too.

Schools in...

and I can tell in a number of ways:

We are getting up ridiculously early in the morning so the kids can be at the bus stop at 7 a.m.

Cross Country practice everyday until 5.

They both battled a cold about a week ago.

Endless requests for help with homework.

Yesterday morning Alliyah woke up with Pink Eye.

Lots of checks written for school-related expenses.

Here is our little sweetie. These were taken yesterday. Hasn't she grown so much in the last month? It still amazes me. She is up to 9 Lbs., 4 Oz. She doesn't know she was a preemie. Ha! I cannot get over the fact that it has been almost two months since she made her arrival...

Did you know that today is Grandparent's Day? That is how I "guilted" Ian into bringing her to see us. He is such a good son and a great daddy too. It's so cool to watch your kids grow up and see their roles change. I am so proud of him!

Look who...

stopped by for a little visit today:

So it has been...

a whirlwind of a week! Last weekend on a perfect Sunday morning, on a reservoir in Boulder, at the crack of dawn:



The kids and I watched Monty participate in his very first triathlon.





It was really a proud moment for me to watch my husband cross the finish line! I totally admire his perseverance and his example to our kids and to me. He had set a personal goal of finishing in 6 hours and 30 minutes. He finished at 5 hours and 41 minutes. Amazing.

This is in preparation for The Ironman Florida which is happening 1 November. Just a few months away. The training has been really time consuming and I have to admit we have hit some rough patches. It isa little difficult to be supportive of something that takes up so much of our family time. Especially when your husband is a Locomotive Engineer and spends a good deal of time away anyway. So I am trying to work on it. But I am definitely a proud wife!!


Yesterday, the kids went back to school. Although I couldn't take photos because the weather was being unccoperative. 54 degrees and raining is not good picture weather. So hopefully Monday morning will be a little warmer and drier. Although after today I'm not holding my breath.Ha! Their first day seems to have gone pretty well. But they started on a Friday and so next week they will be back in full swing!

Yesterday, Monty and I also celebrated our 16th anniversary. Every year it is hard to believe that another one has gone by. We decided to celebrate in the Fall/Winter with a ski trip. Last year we were unable to go because Brenden had broken his leg. So we have high hopes for this year! We did however enjoy a nice dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

I know I can't sign off without some pictures of our little sweetheart. These are from earlier this week:






I am off to cook dinner. Hope you are having a great Saturday!!!