Are they ALL yours?

How I plan our menu

2012-01-28T16:51:00.002-06:00

I honestly don't know how people can do dinner every night without a menu plan! It may just be me. I have to have a plan and recipe for almost everything I cook. My husband Kyle can just open up the pantry and refrigerator and whip up a 3 course gourmet meal. It's annoying but at the same time awesome! I do wish I could provide 'made from scratch' meals like that for my family but God did not bless me with cooking skills!

Here's how I plan our meals:

I use these cute menu planning sheets to write everything out. Since we homeschool, I try to plan breakfast, lunch and dinner. (I am also not a mom that does hot breakfast. I stay up late waiting for Kyle to get home from work so we sleep in in the morning! The boys must fend for themselves most mornings.) I also try and plan snacks. With 4 boys, someone is always hungry!

I use several sources for recipes. One of my new favorites is Pinterest. SO many great food ideas! Several of the dinner and lunch ideas I have in the photo are from Pinterest. My favorite this month are the pizza rolls (so awesome with homemade ranch!). I also use several blogs, such as Heavenly Homemakers, which has lots of healthy-ish and organic recipes. (I am not an organic mom by any means, but I try here and there to buy less processed food and make more things from scratch). I also like Pioneer Womans website for recipe ideas, like the Marlboro Man Sandwich (which we call Cowboy sandwiches). I also have several cookbooks I'll refer to every once in a while.

I'll just make my grocery list from the recipes listed on the planner and then I am ready to go! I make little checkmarks in the boxes after I have made sure I have written down all the ingredients for that dinner.

Thanks for stopping by and checking things out!

Aidan's 8th Birthday!

2012-01-19T23:23:00.002-06:00

Being Silly!

Birthday boy!

A video camera!

Aidan had been asking us for this crazy notebook for months!

He really is excited about this shirt, I promise. (And don't worry, I did not pay $25 for this shirt, I got it on sale!)

That's our crazy little Boo!

Aidan wanted the nastiest Spongebob cupcakes from Sam's. I don't even know if he ate one!

It is a tradition be pinned with money on your birthday here in the Big Easy! Aidan made about $14 this way : )

Blowing out his candle!

He loved all of his gifts!

I thought this was a cute way to give money as a gift!

Aidan had a great time. He and his friends went to the movies with Kyle to see Tin Tin and then came back to the house for pizza and cake!

Zoo Visit before and afters

2012-01-01T00:00:00.003-06:00

I love playing around with PSE. Here are a few pics from the zoo that I played around with. Kyle took the first two and I took the last two...

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Judo!

2011-12-30T18:21:00.000-06:00

The boys have been taking Judo lessons for about a year now. There is a man at our church who gives them lessons twice a week for free! I love all the things they are learning in this class...discipline, respect, self defense. We love Judo! Here are some pictures from our first tournament at Tulane.

(The red belt is just to tell one opponent from another, if they are both yellow belts then they won't know which one to score.)

Stretching!

Serious about his first match.

Colby wins!

Jackson is actually pretty good, but did not take this tournament very seriously...he lost both of his matches, but had fun anyway!

Colby's next opponent was a beautiful redheaded girl...he beat her too!

Tyler and Kyle were the only kids in their weight class, so they had to fight each other like they do in class every week. Tyler won one and lost two.

This kid has Aidan pinned...I think this is the one he lost. He won two other rounds though...

Waiting on his match...

Aidan beat this black belt!

Colby, Tyler, Mary, Aidan, Jackson, Kyle and Mr. Larry.

So I can't find the pics of my tree or wreath right now but here are a few random pictures of crabs!

Tiger eye crab shell ornament

Jackson at the craft fair

Some of the crabs Kyle had at the craft fair.

Time for a new blog post.

2011-12-03T23:56:00.007-06:00

I am tired of looking at the football pics every time I look at my blog.

So here is a new one! Even though it is Christmastime, I am gonna post a pic from Halloween!

We trick or treated in the area around our church while also

collecting food for kids at local schools to bring home. We didn't have the extra funds for new costumes so we had to use a little imagination. Colby is an artist. Jackson is wearing a 3 year old costume that we found a free printable mask for online, Aidan is wearing a costume that used to be Tylers when he was that age, and Tyler is wearing his dad's hunting gear and using his air soft gun to be a hunter.

In November we had a table at the craft fair here on campus and Kyle made and sold crab shell ornaments, which were pretty popular. He is still getting order for them a month later. Here are a few of my favorites:

Not the best light in the kitchen at night...but you get the idea.

Cute snowman scene

LSU ornament - Tiger Eye

Saints

I don't like Alabama, I just like the detailed work on this one.

This was a popular one.

Sorry this one is not too clear, its from Kyles iPhone.

He made a lot more ornaments, a lot of them being SEC teams.

On to other news...we are getting ready for Christmas over here! We have our tree up and decorated, and we also have our LSU tree all trimmed and lit up. I'll try to get a few pics when I have better lighting of our trees and our front door decor.

Fall = Football

2011-09-26T20:46:00.003-05:00

My cute little hubby loves competitive sports. He plays flag football here on campus. I thought I would share some of his cuteness : )

I thought he looked kinda funny in this one but he said
"I am in correct throwing form" to me...I still think he looks funny ; )
Also, his left foot is completely missing! They keep the grass really tall on campus...

I liked this one because he seems genuinely happy to have that football but little does he know that fella in red is about to steal his flags : ( Plus check out that calf muscle!

This is what Jackson looks like while his dad plays football.

He is really determined to take this guy down...you can see it in his face...he has determination eyebrows.

but he was too slow!

He is in "the zone"... and so handsome in this pic!

He coming for ya...be afraid!

I love this action shot! Get it Kyle! Interception?

Nope! So close. Get his flag instead!

Good times!

2011-09-20T06:00:00.006-05:00

Here are a few things I have found on Pinterest and made:

Date/Weather Board

I whited out my address and phone number in the picture so crazies on the internet don't stalk me : )

I got my months and days from the Dollar Tree just to add a little color. I also added a little cork strip at the bottom so they could add their drawings.

I love you because...

I love this! I picked up the frame and mat at Michaels. I just used scrapbook paper for the background. I used my Cricut for the letters and we just use a dry erase marker to write messages back and forth to each other whenever we feel like it! It hangs in our bedroom.

Magnetic Makeup Board

I had had this frame for years sitting up in my closet. The fabric cost me a little over a dollar. I had to buy some sheet metal for about $5, magnets for about $2, and some spray adhesive for about $3. I love it because I can see all my makeup without having to dig around in a bag for it!

Here is one that I made my mother in law for her birthday:

I had gotten some keys several years ago from Goodwill, intending to make some really cute craft with them...didn't happen. Until now! We sanded down the key, painted it and hot glued magnets to the back. She can use this to put pictures up (those are magnets at the bottom). I had gotten this frame at a garage sale a couple of years ago for a dollar. We spray painted the frame a nice cream color. I thought it was adorable! I think she did too.

My husband demands a new blog post...

2011-09-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

So things have been pretty slow around these parts.

All the boys have started school. Tyler and Colby are using Switched on Schoolhouse, where all their schoolwork is on the computer. Tyler loves it, Colby not so much. Aidan and Jackson are doing Konos, which is a biblical unit study curriculum, First Language Lessons, Math-U-See, and Explode the Code. They enjoy doing school. They are all taking some classes that the campus homeschool group offers. All four are taking Conversational Spanish, Beginning Public Speaking, and P.E. classes. Tyler, Colby, and Aidan are all taking Drama (Jackson is too young). Tyler and Colby are doing a Science Lab once a week. We are pretty busy during the weekday mornings.

Kyle just started a new job at a restaurant in Metairie. He should finish training this week. He says school is going well so far. He's also playing flag football here on campus.

I'm president of the Student Wives Fellowships this school year. Basically I am in charge of planning and organizing fellowships each month during the school year for the wives of the students here on campus.We just had our second one on the 15th, and about 40 ladies came. This time we learned about couponing. Next month we are doing a recipe trade/tasting. Everyone will prepare and bring their favorite appetizer or main dish and then bring a copy of that recipe to share. That way you can taste everything and only take home the recipes you actually liked. Then we are gonna play Bunco! I am also the teacher for the younger Beginning Public Speaking class that Aidan and Jackson are in, which is funny because I am absolutely terrified of public speaking, which I have to do for Student Wives Fellowships!

That is all for now...I'm gonna go take some pictures of the Pinterest things I have made and hopefully get some pics from our Student Wives Fellowship this past Thursday and share them with you ASAP!

July!

2011-08-04T14:54:00.003-05:00

I haven't been taking very many pictures lately...I guess because I have been spending a lot of time inside since it is so darn hot outside! I'll do better next month I hope. I can't wait until the weather cools off!

My sweet husband and oldest son are leaving in the morning to go on a mission trip to Canada for 10 days! We are hoping Kyle can find some free wi-fi up there so we can all Skype with each other. I'm gonna be missing them!!! They are really excited about going.

Gotta love getting almost $40 worth of free Chick-fil-A! We also won best herd at our local store! 6 more free meals plus free chicken biscuits!!! We LOVE Chick-fil-A!

My almost teenager playing ping pong at the game room...his favorite thing to do! Look how fancy he holds the paddle!

I wanted to document the first time Tyler started the BBQ pit by himself. He did great, but the fire died about 15 minutes later...he was too conservative with the lighter fluid : )

My little Aidan!

Painting in the breezeway with a friend...

Last time we went to Lake Charles we visited the Orleck...

It was sooooo hot!!!

It was interesting...but I would definitely wait until it cools off outside to go if you haven't been...

PSE 9 with PW Actions

2011-07-02T17:52:00.003-05:00

Linking up at Works for me Wednesday at We are THAT Family and Feature Yourself Fridays at Fingerprints on the Fridge!

My lovely cousin Bronwyn gave me Photoshop Elements 9! I have no idea how to use it...but I downloaded Pioneer Womans PSE Actions, and I am loving them!

Here are some blueberries the boys picked at my grandmas house Father's Day weekend...

Here they are SOOC (straight out of camera)

Here they are with the Pioneer Woman BOOST Action done twice...

Here's another:

My sweet cousin Breanna and her very handsome little boy Henrik

Another PW Action: Colorized with Slight Lighten ...Isn't Henrik just so cute!

So fun!

Here's one more for the road...

Kyle and his dad...a little too bluish I think

I think this is a little better, but still too grainy...not sure how to fix that just yet...I think I used "Warmer" or "Warm Up" (can't remember the name of this action!) in this one

Thats all for now...thanks for stopping by!

Using Photoshop Elements Actions works for me!

How to make a Vietnamese Iced Coffee

2011-06-24T21:30:00.118-05:00

I will be linking up with Laurie at Tip Junkie "Tip Me Tuesday" Kristen at We are THAT Family "Works for me Wednesday", Rachelle at Fingerprints on the Fridge "Feature Yourself Friday"!

My husband Kyle learned to make this at Vietnamese restaurant he
worked out after we got married way back in the day...it is so yummy and sweet!

The Ingredients:

-Hot water: I just ran filtered water throught the coffeepot, but you could boil it on the stove if you wanted.
-Sweetened condensed milk
-Cafe Du Monde New Orleans Blend Coffee and Chicory
-Vietnamese coffee filter (you can get these at an oriental market for around $5-$6
-a cup of ice
-Vanilla syrup (optional)
-a mug or wide brimmed cup to mix the coffee in before you pour it over ice

Add the sweetened condensed milk to your mug...about 2 tablespoons...the more you use the sweeter the coffee will be!

Next you will add your coffee to the filter

One nice heaping tablespoon of coffee.

Now put the press back into the little pot.

Screw that bad boy on nice and tight. You may have to take some coffee out if you can't get it on the threads of the screw. After it has been screwed down all the way loosen it just about an eighth of a turn. If it's too tight it won't allow any water to drain through.

Place filter on the coffee cup.

Pour hot water in the filter until it reaches the brim. After it drains past the top of the screw fill it again to the brim.

Now for the hardest part, wait for all the water to drip through the filter. I know you are excited for this delicious coffee concoction but I have faith that you can endure the 3 minutes it will take to drain all the way.

Black Gold!

Stir vigorously (I said VIGOROUSLY! That's better.) to mix the sweetened condensed milk with the coffee.

For a little added yumminess, add some vanilla syrup. Or go plain, it's amazing either way.

Do not be alarmed at the black specks, they're only coffee grounds.

Pour into a large glass of ice.

Stir like a boss.

If I knew the Vietnamese word for done, I would put it here, but I don't so...

*Disclaimer from my hubby. These drinks are good, sweet, strong, and very easy to down quickly, however do not overdo it, your kidneys will thank you later.

*Disclaimer from me. The lighting in these pics is terrible, but my only natural
light is 20 ft away in my living room... gotta love apartment living!

Random pictures, mostly from June

2011-06-21T22:27:00.002-05:00

Looking out from a parking garage in the French Quarter

Feeding parakeets at the aquarium

Playing at the pool

Our Freckle King!

My sweet grandpa on Fathers Day!

Kyle and his dad on Fathers Day


A picture I painted a couple of months ago...so fun! We had a lady come to campus and teach us how to paint this. I normally can barely draw a stick figure but this was easy!

My husband before he shaved his head bald : )

Mission Trip to Alabama May 2011

2011-05-23T18:34:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday Kyle, Tyler, Colby and I left with a group from our church for Pleasant Grove, Alabama to help the residents there clean up their houses/yards.

It was heartbreaking to see what kind of damage the tornadoes had done. Where I am from all we have to worry about are hurricanes, and we have plenty of warning and so we are able to pack up all of our important things and get to safety. I can't imagine having all of your belongings blown away or damaged beyond repair and having to start over from scratch. While we aren't to set our minds on earthy possessions, I know it must be hard to lose pictures, baby books, family keepsakes and sentimental things like that.

We were so blessed by all the residents we came in contact with. Everyone was so friendly. We had a lovely couple that some friends from church knew that opened their home to 10 of us, cooked dinner for us, and bought us the best ribs at Dreamland in Tuscaloosa! We had a church that was providing disaster relief and hot breakfast and lunches. We had a guy from our church (that wasn't able to come) who's mom lived in Pleasant Grove that made dinner for us one night. There were vans driving around neighborhoods giving out ice cold water and Gatorade to people that were working.

It was a great experience for the boys too. I think they learned a lot about sacrifice and being a servant. And they learned that they LOVE Alabama and want to move there when Kyle graduates : ) They just couldn't believe how "hilly" it was and wished they had been able to bring their bikes.

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,

but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

Church Gym

A house pushed back off of its foundation

We helped clean the trees out of this yard.

Colby looking through the debris...

Getting to work!

Closet where the homeowners were during the tornado

Tornado path

Awesome ribs in Tuscaloosa! We ate with some lovely people from a church in Pleasant Grove that we attended Sunday morning.

April-May 2011

2011-05-09T23:24:00.004-05:00

Things that happened in April-May

Tyler sliced his middle finger sharpening his pocket knife...

Had to get 5 stitches : (

Colby turned 11 and had his friends from his old class come and spend the night with him at Bic and PawPaws house.

Jackson just being Jackson!

Colby won 1st place for hula hoop-ing the longest on Field Day!

Took a field trip to Fox News with the CHESS group...got to see how they do the news!

Measuring the boys one last time before we signed the papers selling the house!

The boys at a little judo get together. They have been taking judo since February.

Yummy crawfish with garlic, sausage, corn, lemons and potatoes! We had a picnic after the judo thing.

Good times!

2011-04-11T12:32:00.001-05:00

The boys participated in an event called "Flood the Five" this past weekend. They are going to start taking classes on how to do public speaking and also how to share our faith and the gospel. We are really excited about it!

Some of my handsome boys! Jackson was too little to take the class.

Aidan in class

Aidan with his Flood the Five class

Cutie!

This past week Kyle and I celebrated our 11th year of marriage by going to dinner and a show

at the National WWII Museums Stage Door Canteen. The show was set in the 1940's and was a "live" radio broadcast from New Orleans. They sang and told corny jokes and came and danced with the audience. It was so much fun!

All dressed up! My precious husband bought me a corsage that matched my dress!

Waiting for dinner!

The stage

The awesome cast...they all sang so beautifully!

I got called on stage to answer some trivia questions...I was so nervous my mind just blanked and I didn't know the answer to any of them, she had to show me her card!

Trying to think of the answer...

Nervous that my slip was not hanging right...

I think I finally got one! SO embarrassing but a little fun I guess!

Posh Paints

2011-04-05T10:04:00.001-05:00

Our homeschool group had a field trip at a place called Posh Paints. The kids were able to pick out a piece of pottery, choose their colors, and paint. I wasn't sure how it was gonna go. I was sure that Aidan/Jackson + paint = giant mess. But they did really well, and everyone had a great time!

Working hard on his LSU mug

Painting his turtle

Tyler working on his Saints fleur de lis

Colbys vase!

I told Jackson to hold his up so I could take a pic and this was the pose he wanted to do...so silly!

Now we have a "hurry up mom!" smile : ) and a lovely turtle.

Not sure what this look is all about, but his mug is almost done!

All done!

The owner was so nice! She took the kids in the back and showed them the kiln.

There was a giant green T-Rex in the bottom so she picked up Jackson so he could see : )

Great field trip day!

March-ish

2011-03-11T12:26:00.002-06:00

I forgot to add pics from our aquarium visit. I let Colby have my camera and he took over 100 pictures. Don't worry, I will not put all of them here, but I wanted to share a few of the really good ones.

Feeding the rays

Seahorses

Seahorse

Hermit Crab

Aww...it's Nemo in his anom...annan..anemone! Great pic Colby!

Love these pics!

The photographer : )

Jackson, Aidan and I did a craft project...they hate cutting so I was stuck with printing out the pattern, tracing it onto the contruction paper, and cutting out enough for 3 leprechauns. It took me at least an hour to cut everything out!!! But the boys enjoyed putting it together.

Craft time! We made a leprechaun.

Painting the face...

Painting the body...

Adding the hair and beard...

Done!

February

2011-02-28T11:27:00.002-06:00

This month has been kinda slow, not a whole lot going on.

We made a visit back home for Kyle's sister Kayla's graduation from comestology school. We were really glad to see everyone back home! We had not been home since Thanksgiving. The kids really hate making the trip, and it will be a while before we are able to go back with the gas prices being so high!

NOBTS put on a progressive dinner for Valentines so Kyle and I went a met some new people and had great time.

I got the Pioneer Womans Cookbook and I love it! I think I have made at least 4 recipes from it since I got it. And they were edible and everything...

We just had our friends the Powells come in to visit. We had a really good time with them. On Saturday we brought the kids to the Aquarium and then went to Deanies for lunch. It was our first time to eat there and it was very good! The kids were excited to eat there because Adam Richman from Man vs. Food had eaten there before. Tyler was excited because he got to try raw oysters for the first time.

Sorry its grainy...its from my cell phone

He was not impressed...didn't like the gritty texture. Very funny!

We also we to a parade in Metairie. The kids enjoyed themselves.

Here are my little Mardi Gras decorations... we have so many beads. We copied a neighbor and strung some beads from our balcony. I would get a picture but it's raining.

Loving life here in Nola!

January 2011

2011-01-19T10:30:00.002-06:00

Sorry it's been such a long time since I have updated!

Here's some recent pics of what we have been up to lately!

Spur of the moment crafts

Glittter glue snowflakes

Homeschool Christmas plays

Homemade Christmas presents

My boys!

New pj's

Twister!

Childrens museum with the cousins

Colby

Birthday parties for 7 year olds

Decorating LSU cookies

Birthday boy!

So that's what we have been up to! Getting back into the swing of things around here with all the boys starting school again, starting a family job cleaning our church, possibly starting a craft night here at the seminary, taking a class on Feminist Theology and starting a ladies Bible study at church. Busy busy busy!

Remembering Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-14T12:28:00.005-06:00

Linking up at We are THAT Family: Works for me Wednesday!

I don't know why I never thought of making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers! It was so much cheaper than buying each kid a $9 house from Walmart!

We used store bought icing to glue them together and we let it set up overnight.

Toppings!

More toppings!

My handsome husband Kyle! He made the royal icing with egg whites and powdered sugar.

Mine! The kids all made fun of my snowmans nose : (

Jacksons (my 5 year old) reindeer...so cute.

Tylers (my 12 year old)...love the covered walkway.

Colby's (my 10 year old)

Aidan's (6 years old)

Jackson added Santa to his reindeer!

The kids had a lot of fun!

What we've been up to lately...

2010-12-11T20:01:00.001-06:00

Colby got a black eye bumping heads with Aidan...

Practicing his F's in sugar

Waiting for the CHESS Thanksgiving Picnic to start...

Blessing the food...

Some campus ladies making coffee filter wreaths at our apartment.

Chapel at night...

Homeschool weeks 7 and 8 (I think)

2010-10-25T19:43:00.008-05:00

I thought I had taken more pictures this week but I guess not! I'm gonna try and do better!

Tortilla recipe

Tyler making his tortillas...
Colby making his tortillas...

Mmm...so good!

Fiesta!

This past week was fall break at my husbands school so we took a break too. I used the free time to do 3 weeks worth of lesson plans so hopefully that makes these next couple of weeks a little easier on me! Now I just need to do that with my menu plans!

Homeschooling week 6

2010-09-29T15:44:00.007-05:00

First of all I have to share this cute little wreath I make for

a woman in my Ministry Wives class. She had a little baby girl named Isabella!

Here is Kyle teaching the boys what happens when you mix colors together...

Making cookies to bring to neighbors on the 1st day of fall...

Science Lab...learning the laws of mass and force (I think)...

Planning my homeschool week...

2010-09-18T22:07:00.002-05:00

I just got done planning the boys school week. Ugh...

Its always so hard to plan it out but so much easier during the week to have it all done!

I am doing the workboxes with Aidan and Jackson, using this worksheet to plan them out for the week. I was including snacks as a fun treat but I found that they were rushing through all their folders to get to it so I decided to let them know they could just have snack when they were done with school.

Here is Aidan's workbox schedule for Monday:

1- Animal book p. 32
2- Read What is an Adjective?(from library)
3-Review addition flashcards he made last week
4-Discuss meaning of plural (adding -es) using examples on whiteboard
5- Read Human Body book
6-Explode the Code p.33-34
7- Write in journal
8- FUN- Thumbprint art

Jacksons Workbox:

1- Bible reading
2- Glue string on S sheet
3- Learn at Home p. 62
4- Read "Colors" book (from library)
5- Discuss body parts that come in pairs
6- Read Websters Reading handbook on short E
7-Use counting bears to practice adding 1
8- FUN- Thumbprint art

For Tyler and Colby we are still doing Exploring Countries and Cultures and we will be learning about Mexico this week. We are also going to be:

learning the hymn How Great Thou Art
learning about Van Gogh
reading Oliver Twist

I'll be posting some pictures of our week "in Mexico" later on the week!

Homeschooling week 4

2010-09-15T14:33:00.016-05:00

Here are a few things Jackson did from his workbox:

We worked on our CVC binder, learning words that end in -ap, -ad, -at, -an, and -am.

We read "If you give a moose a muffin" and then did muffin math...

Learning about part of our family tree...

Organinzing the Rhodes side of our family...

Decorating the letter C with a carrot and paint!

Aidan did some math with a Fruit Loop graph...

and for fun (and logic!) a cereal box puzzle.

Tylers Science work...

Having a great time doing their DIVE cd!

Colby's "indoor" nature walk, using a great book I found on clearance

at Borders about American trees...

Some of Colby's science papers...

Tomorrow we are going on a field trip to see where the Battle of New Orleans was fought! Ought to be interesting, I am having to go with all the kids alone!

Monday Meanderings...

2010-09-12T17:40:00.003-05:00

I will be linking up with Sarah for Monday Meanderings!

Bible Study:
Just got a new book by Lisa Welchel called "Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study" and I am really liking it so far!

Memory Verse:
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may bring grace to those who hear."

Husband Encouragement:
I read Blessings To Do at Homegrown Mom and I really identified with how she felt and I want to specifically bless my husband this week!

Train them up:
I am doing a trial run with workboxes for my younger 2 this week. If it works out well I will make some for the older 2 next week.

Personal Goals:
Keep walking 4 days a week, try to find some good thrift stores around the city.

New habit of the month:
Aside from getting dressed in the mornings as soon as I get up...try a clothes washing schedule! Like maybe Tuesday, Thursday...

Must do:
-Restock workboxes daily
-Mentally prepare myself to take all 4 boys on a field trip by myself on Thursday
-Finish reading my book chapters for Ministers Wife class Tuesday

Zone:
-Clean out van!
-Organize middle bedroom to make room for books brought over from our house

Menu:
Monday- Meatball Subs
Tuesday- Pancakes and bacon
Wednesday- Eat at church
Thursday- Pulled pork sandwiches
Friday- Spaghetti and french bread
Saturday- Smothered Chicken
Sunday- Chili cheese potato wedges

Fun Stuff:
Go to Student Wives Fellowship Thursday night...the field trip will hopefully be fun for the kids!

3 things I am Thankful for:
1. Sweet Tea
2. A loving husband
3. Air conditioning

Monday Meanderings...

2010-08-30T15:05:00.001-05:00

I joined up with Sarah @ In Light of the Truth to do Monday Meanderings!

Bible Study:
I have been reading throught the New Testament, I am in Colossians right now...

Memory Verse:
I don't have one...although I would like to! Hmm...

Husband Encouragement:
Do more of "his chores" (taking our trash...etc) around the apartment so he doesn't have to...start over on the 30 Day Husband Encourangement Challenge... let him nap when he gets home from work

Train them up:
Pray with them daily, having patience with them is the hardest part of my day...so working really hard on being patient and loving and not using harsh words or tones! Its no wonder they talk to each other the way they do...they hear it from me all the time!

Personal Goals:
Walk for 30 minutes Monday-Thursday evenings with a new neighbor! Read my bible daily, have patience!!!

New habit of the month:
Getting dressed in the morning before school. We just moved into a new apt building and everyone around us homeschools. So there is no telling when someone might show up!

Must do:
Get the kids on time to their homeschool classes, go to the public library to get books on hold, go to seminary library to return books and give the librarian her mail (we live in her old apt!), go to used homeschool store in Slidell, clean house before the in-laws visit his weekend!

Zone:
Pretty much the whole apartment, since we are having visitors this weekend!

Menu:
Monday- Kaiser roll sandwiches
Tuesday- Pulled pork sandwiches
Wednesday- Eat at church
Thursday- Ham and Cheese calzones
Friday- Chicken Empanadas

Fun things:
We are saving up all our fun for the weekend (see my last post for all the weekend activities!)

3 things I am thankful for today:
My husbands job, The Swap Shop, new friends!

Busy week

2010-08-28T17:36:00.001-05:00

This past week has been quite busy! I think I had something to do every night. Monday we all went to the CHESS (Christian Home Educators Support System) picnic, Tuesday I had a Ministry Wives class, Wednesday we went and ate dinner at church, Thursday I had a Student Wives fellowship, and Friday we had a BBQ with our apartment complex. Good thing there was nothing planned today, it hasn't stopped raining!

I finally made it to the main library here all the way in downtown only to find out there is only "pay to park" all around it! Really? Who is going to pay to park at the public library? I was so annoyed! I requested the books I wanted from that branch to be sent to a more local (and probably more more scary!) location.

Our first week of homeschooling went well. The boys are really liking My Father's World. Here are a few pictures from this week...

Their vocabulary words for this week:

Tyler working on his continents:

The kids will start their co-op classes this week. Everyone is taking P.E. on Mondays and Fridays, and Tyler and Colby are taking Choir and Science Lab. Then at the end of the week Kyles family will be here! Here is what the kids want to accomplish while their grandparents are visiting:

-Get fudge from the The Fudgery at the Riverwalk

-Ride the streetcars

-Go to Cafe Du Monde and eat beignets

-Go to WWII Musuem

-Go to the Aquarium

-Go to the Zoo

-Go to Superior Grill

and go to a Zephyrs game...all in one weekend!

My Father's World

2010-08-24T13:38:00.007-05:00

We started school this week!

I was scared to make big plans and make lessons that I wasn't sure were going to work for us so I figured we would just start and learn by trial and error. So far that is going great! I haven't wasted any time making lesson plans or writing out strict schedules to follow. I just try it out and if it works I write it down. Now, I am only on day 2, so I don't know if this approach is going to continue to work or not, but I like it so far!

The boys are loving My Fathers World. Here are a few of the things we worked on today:

Kyle found a globe ball at the Dollar General and I used it to cut up and show the boys how and why maps can be distorted compared to globes. It really helped them "get" it. ( I need to remember to take more pictures!)

We also worked on our John 3:16 poster! Tyler said, "This is fun Mom", which I never heard from him when we did A Beka!

I bought Applications of Grammar for the boys to do for English but we barely got throught the first lesson! It was really hard. I am going to have to piece together another English curriculum for them out of some old A Beka books I found in the resource room. We are gonna review 5th grade for about 8 weeks and then go into 6th.

Math is going as well as can be expected. I am not really impressed with the DIVE dvd. I think the guy teaching could make things a little clearer and go along more with what is in the book. We'll use it for a while longer and see if things get better!

Lesson Plans!

2010-08-12T22:05:00.004-05:00

I am up to my ears in lesson plans!

I am glad I decided to wait until the 30th to start school or I might not have everything ready in time! I think I have everything ready for MFW, I got all the supplies for the first 2 months. I wrote out lesson plans for their Saxon math, their Writing Strands, and Applications of Grammar. Its hard to decide how much they need to get done in a week with the writing...I might just end up letting them take a writing class with the local homeschool co-op...we'll see how it goes! I have only made up 8 weeks of plans, and I am not looking forward to having to do it all again! There has to be a better way...

I haven't even started on Aidan and Jackson yet. Today I got Aidan the Explode the Code books 3 1/2 and 4 at the Lifeway store. I need to figure out how many pages to do a day, not too sure about that...

I also still need to plan out their hymn and artist study, not too sure on how to do those either. I'll probably have to do some more research online, maybe find some good ideas from other CM mommas!

Getting ready for the big move!

2010-07-01T09:08:00.004-05:00

I'm getting excited! We are moving in about 4 weeks to the "Big Easy"! We haven't started packing just yet, we should start collecting boxes though...

Kyle resigned from his job last week so as of now we are unemployed, and Kyle is trying to get hired on at a temp agency for the last couple of weeks that we are here. Good times!

I've gotten almost everything I need to homeschool the boys next year, so I am pretty relieved about that. Now I just have to do some organization and planning. We are using My Father's World, Saxon 76, Applications in Grammar Book 2, and Writing Strands for the 2 older boys. I am not quite sure what I will be doing with the younger two. Aidan will be doing 1st grade and Jackson will be doing kindergarten. I got some Learn at Home workbooks for them and I think I will use those along with some phonics for Jackson, but I still need to find a good phonics program for him.

The house is for sale, we have had LOTS of people come by and get fliers from the for sale sign but so far we have had only 2 people come look at the house. We are praying the Lord will sell it before we move, if that is His will.

DisneyWorld Pictures

2010-05-30T19:30:00.021-05:00

Blogger is giving me issues trying to upload pics into my blogs so here is a picture blog...the pictures aren't in any kind of order...I'll upload somemore tomorrow!

DisneyWorld May 2010

2010-05-30T11:19:00.010-05:00

We just got in from Florida yesterday afternoon. We had a blast! We left the afternoon of May 22nd and drove to PCC in Pensacola, getting there at about 12:45 am. Me and Kyle and the boys went and visited Breanna and Steve for a little while since they were still up. We all got up the next morning and went to IHOP and then drove the rest of the way to Orlando.

Our vacation house was awesome. It had 3 king size suites, 1 queen, and a Mickey Mouse themed kids room with bunk beds, all with their own bathrooms. We also had a private pool and hot tub, a kitchen, washer and dryer, and a large playroom with a Playstation 2, toys and a large air hockey table.

Once we got unpacked we went and ate at Fudruckers, where they had a lady going around making balloon objects. Aidan and Jackson and Colby got balloon swords, which was a really bad choice for them to have in a restaurant...Tyler got a fishing hat and Gracie of course got Minnie ears. When we were done eating the men took all the kids home and the ladies went to Walmart to get groceries and snacks for the week.

We got up on Sunday and decided to go to Magic Kingdom first. That probably wasn't the best idea since I think it is one of the biggest parks with the most rides. If I had known I would have chosen a smaller park, like Animal Kingdom, to start off with so we wouldn't have been so tired the first day! But we had fun despite the heat and the crowds. I rode Splash Mountain with Jackson, who had never ridden a roller coaster before and did not like it one bit. There was a small drop in the middle of the ride and after that he was terrified. I felt so bad for him because I knew there was a big one at the end and I knew it was gonna scare him to death. So the rest of the ride was ruined for me because I just knew it was gonna traumatize the poor baby. He cried for about 5 minutes after the ride and was fine after that. Oh yeah! While we were walking around Colby stuck his hand into a bush and came out with a bird! Of course everyone freaked out and we fussed and told him he was giving the bird a heart attack and not to catch any more animals on our trip. I wish I would have gotten a picture! We were exhausted by that afternoon and decided to go home and rest a bit, eat dinner, and go back to the park. When we got back Beckie and the little ones wanted to watch the parade and everyone else (except me and Tyler) wanted to ride Space Mountain. So while they did that Tyler and I rode Buzz Lightyear 4 times! We had a blast!

Monday we went to Epcot, which was a little better because they had a lot of stuff to do inside out of the heat. My mind is blanking on what we did at Epcot, I know we were disappointed that Honey I Shrunk the Audience was closed. We did take some funny pictures in a photo booth. We also rode Nemo a couple of times with the little ones and took them to Turtle Talk. That night we went to Medieval Times. I had no idea what to expect. They told us to get there an hour early so we did and we ended up getting decent seats but we had nothing to entertain the kids with so it was kinda a rough wait and we were tired and annoyed by the time the show started but still excited. Our knight was the blue night, and he lost. The food was pretty good, and eating there was right up Jacksons alley since there were no utensils and we had to eat everything with our fingers! The kids were impressed and enjoyed the whole thing. Gracie got a rose from our knight at the end.

Tuesday we went to Hollywood Studios, which I think everyone agreed was our favorite. We rode Toy Story Mania, watched Prince Caspain, took the Universal Studios tour, and played in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. Kyle, Kayla, Colby, Aidan, and Thomas rode Tower of Terror, which terrified Aidan but did not stop him from riding everything Kyle rode. Colby also rode everything the adults rode and wasn't scared of anything. Tyler is like me, we hate the falling/dropping feeling so we hung back for most of the rides. We watched the Indiana Jones show and Kyle was picked to be in it! He was chosen with about 10 other people and was given his own death scene to act out in front of about 3,000 people. They acted as extras during the "show". He had to dress up as an arabian, with a turban and long tunic. He had so much fun, that is right up his alley! That evening we took the kids to the big pool at the clubhouse that had a 20 ft tunnel slide. I was scared to ride it (yes, I am a big chicken) but Tyler was scared too and I wanted to show him that I was gonna do it so he could too. Well, I didn't want to go down too fast so I sat up as much as I could and dragged my arms on the way down so that I would go down slower which worked...too well. Once I was at the bottom of the tunnel I still had about 6 more feet to go and I was totally stopped. The tunnel wasn't big enough for me to sit up in and scoot my behind down so I had to lay on my back and scoot myself with just my legs, which was very embarrassing. Thomas went after me and also got stuck but it was was funnier because he is about a foot and a half taller than me and had no leverage to get himself out and he was stuck further back. We laughed so hard that the whole pool was watching and clapped when he finally made it out.

Our last day we spent at Animal Kingdom. For me it was one of the best days for several reasons. One, we actually left on time and made it to the park early, which I had planned on doing for every park but that is something you have no control over when you don't have your own vehicle. Anywho, we made it there early enough to where there were basically no lines for any ride. So we rushed over to Expedition Everest where Tyler actually wanted to ride. They had watched a video of part of the ride at home and Tyler thought it didn't look so bad. I tried warning him, I could hear the screams for the riders going down the drop at the end of the ride but he was confident that the ride wasn't scary. So Beckie, Kyle, Kayla, Thomas, Colby, Aidan, and Tyler rode the first time. Tyler was alright when he came off, but refused to ride it a second time. Dave decided he was gonna ride it though and got off clammy, pale, and sweating. Everyone but Kayla rode the Rapids next which was very fun. I stayed mostly dry the first ride and Beckie and Dave got soaked. It was awesome, they did not have a dry spot anywhere! Tyler and the little ones wanted to ride again so we rode a second time and Jackson and I got completely drenched! It was fine though because it kept us cool for the rest of the afternoon. We rode the Safari and saw bats and tigers and a few other exotic animals. We watched a really cute show about birds that everyone enjoyed. We did several 3-d type shows which completely freak Jackson out. He ends up taking the glasses off. We did one about bugs and they turn off the lights and pretend to spray us with bug killer (smoke) and he was scared the whole time after that. We went to "Dinoland" after that and we rode Dinosaur and then Primeval Whirl, which is a close to a roller coaster as I am gonna get. The kids played in the fossil playground, which they loved.

Wednesday night Beckie watched the kids while us big kids went to Downtown Disney. We ate at House of Blues and shopped. I kept getting nauseated all that evening so when we got home I took some Phenergan and went to bed. The next morning I was still tired and the little ones wanted to stay home and swim so Kayla and Thomas took Tyler and Colby back to the parks, Kyle and I stayed home with Aidan, Jackson, and Gracie. Dave played golf. That evening we met everyone back at the parks and watched the fireworks at Epcot.

We left Friday morning and stopped on our way out and got a few last souvenirs, drove all afternoon and made it to Pensacola Friday evening after a few LONG stops. We spent the night in a tiny (but nice) hotel room and got up the next morning and headed to the Pensacola Beach. I had gotten this weird sunburn rash on my arms shoulders and chest so I didn't want to get anymore sun so I didn't swim but the boys all got to swim in the beautiful clear water, looking for shells and sand dollars. We stayed there for a while until I started getting too hot and then we ended up splitting with the family and heading home. Tyler and Colby stayed behind with Beckie and we took Aidan and Jackson home with us, trying to make it back in time for Aidans first T-ball All-Stars practice yesterday afternoon.

Whew! It was a tiring but fun week, I can't wait to go back!

Homeschool

2010-05-10T22:17:00.003-05:00

I have been researching and trying to figure out what we are going to use for homeschooling next year. While the boys have been doing well with A Beka, I think using the Charlotte Mason method is going to work better for us next year. I am tired of fighting with them to get all their worksheets done and not doing school as a family. I love the idea of everyone sitting on the couch listening to me read Swiss Family Robinson and then counting that as school! I also love the idea of the boys learning from "living books" rather than textbooks. I think they will enjoy using Charlotte Mason methods as well. She encourages parents to have their children have a weekly nature walk which my kids will really enjoy. I cant wait to learn about different kinds of birds and trees and flowers with them!

The only downside I see to this curriculum is trying to get it all organized. Hopefully I can get Kyle to sit down with me and help me out with it. The kids will be studying history, math, geography, Bible, hymns, artists, composers, literature, science...I think that is everything. I think they are also supposed to study poetry, but I really hate poetry, so we might skip that! I am really looking forward to planning the new school year!

A blog for Grandma

2010-05-09T21:16:00.005-05:00

My grandmother has fussed at me for not blogging enough...so this is for you Grandma!

Here's whats going on with us:

-I am looking forward to school being over with the boys. We still have about a month left to finish since we got started later than all the regular schools. I am looking into doing the Charlotte Mason method with them next year. I think the boys will really like it since she really focuses a lot on nature study.

-We are getting ready to go to Disney in about 2 1/2 weeks with my in-laws. I am NOT looking forward to the drive. My kids don't really travel well. They are super whiny and have to pee a lot. I think we are going to split them all up between 3 cars though, so maybe it wont be too bad. I'll probably get some good books and magazines to read and tune everyone out!

-We are also in the process of getting the house ready to sell. Kyle is actually cutting drywall as we speak. As soon as we get the ceilings done we can put the for sale sign up... I am so ready! I am tired of trying to keep this house clean!

-I go back to the dr tomorrow to see what he has to say about my headaches. I am still having them all day everyday. They are either sharp pains around my eyes or the dull achy pain at the top of my neck. Hopefully he will have something that will help. He gave me some samples of Maltrex which seemed to work but when I went to go pick up a prescription she told me it would be about $8 per pill! I was like, "No thanks!".

I guess that is all for now...I will try to have something more interesting for you later in the week Grandma!

Great Homeschooling/Mothering Blog

2010-04-30T09:04:00.004-05:00

Don't remember how I found this blog but I love it!

Its called Raising Arrows.

She has a cute little blog button but I have no idea how to link it to here!

Anyways, check her out. Her blog focuses on homeschooling and mothering large families.

10 YEARS!!!

2010-04-05T09:56:00.004-05:00

Kyle and I have been married for 10 years now! It seems like it has flown by. We have spent a third of our lives together! It's so crazy to me.

For our anniversary Kyle wanted us to enter into a covenant marriage and renew our vows! I have been driving myself crazy trying to decorate and figure out music and vows and readings and what everyone will wear and trying to do it all on a budget.

When everything is said and done I will post our budget...but we still have to get a few things so I dont know what the total is yet!

Homeschooling week 3

2010-02-04T12:21:00.007-06:00

This week was was not as bad as the first, but we are still trying to work out a few kinks. Tyler is doing really well, getting all his work done by 11 or 12. Colby takes a little more time to get his done because he is so easily distracted, I am going to have to figure out what works best for him so both of us don't end up frustrated at the end of the day.

Aidan and Jackson are doing well, mostly enjoying their schoolwork. They are both reading very well. I am trying to find a smaller table for them to work at so they dont have to reach so much at our big table. We are doing our Creation lapbook and they are really enjoying that.

I got an idea from a friend of mine to try chore sticks. Basically you write the kids daily chores on one side of a large popsicle stick. Then you put a smily face or star on the opposite end and stick them in a jar, chore side up. When the kids have completed that chore they turn the stick over to show that they did it. Check their stick before bed to make sure all the chores where completed. We started this today...we will see how it works!

First full week of homeschooling...

2010-01-21T21:55:00.005-06:00

So tomorrow will be the last day of our first full week of homeschooling...and I am ready for it!

I spent 2 weekends making up our own curriculum with the A Beka books the boys got from school. I made 4 weeks worth of lesson plans in a daily calendar for all four boys.

I am just now realizing the work that I had planned for the big boys is too much per day...that Jackson and Aidan hate doing worksheets...Aidan especially...we have 2 days out of the next 2 weeks that we will not even be home but I have already made lesson plans for those days... I don't have any arts or crafts for the little ones...we are all already dreading school everyday!!!

I asked the kids what we could do to make homeschooling more fun...all they could give me was "We want recess!", which doesn't really make sense because they do have a "recess" time, so I was pretty much on my own for ideas.

So I had been thinking about it for the last 2 days and I thought of a few things to make things go more smoothly and make things more fun for the boys...

-Getting started earlier so we are not still working on a lot of stuff after lunch...not too early now! We had been starting at about 9:30...

Here is my proposed schedule:

7-8 am- get dressed, eat breakfast, clean up a little
8-830 am- Bible reading time
8:30-10:30 am-schooltime
10:30-10:45- snacktime
10:45- 12:30- more schooltime
12:30-1 pm- lunchtime!
1pm-2pm quiet reading time
2pm- finish any extra schoolwork!

-More internet time for the boys...Starfall and Spelling City

- Plan field trip days every 2-3 weeks

-Some sort of PE

-And the most exciting thing so far...Lapbooks!

I am so excited about the lapbooks! I did some research on the internet about them and I am really excited about doing them with the boys! I was a little worried about how we would do that on top of all their regular subjects but then I thought about doing them with their textbooks! Instead of doing History and Science we are going to make lapbooks for each chapter and learn about them that way! I have a dinosaur one planned for Jackson and a Fruits of the Spirit one planned for all of them to do. I am still brainstorming for ideas for one for Aidan...

So although we started out rough...I am looking forward to the coming weeks when I finally have my act together and the kids are actually having fun AND learning!

New Years

2009-12-31T19:39:00.008-06:00

I have been pondering "resolutions" for the upcoming year. Its kind of hard to do when your children are sliding down the staircase in pillowcases screaming like banshees...but I don't really have to think too hard. I have decided to do everything my friend Kelli does! I read through her resolutions this afternoon and I have been thinking about them since then. She "said" all the things I desire to do and be, especially about being a Godly wife.

The thing that stuck with me most was this verse...

{...forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13b-14}

One of the hardest things for me to do is forget the past, to forget about how I have been wronged. Even as I type the words I can see how selfish it sounds. Although I feel like I am justified in my anger and hurt, I know I am not handling it in a biblical way. I react to things in the here and now instead of looking forward and upward and looking at the "big picture".

{ Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many (Hebrews 12:14,15). }

{ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:31,32). }

{ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly (I Peter 2:23). }

{ For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14,15). }

Lord help me to remember these verses in the next couple of days as issues are being resolved!

And thank you Kelli for your biblical insight...it is God's providence that you have these types of posts when I need them the most. I look forward to stealing more ideas from you in the future! ;)

Homeschooling!

2009-12-29T20:40:00.003-06:00

Kyle and I are going to spend some time tonight getting the boys homeschooling stuff organized. We can only do the little ones because we dont have the quizzes and test for the older two yet. I dont think we will get them until the day we are supposed to start school! Maybe the day before if their teachers are at church Sunday! I am really looking forward to having the boys home and I pray that that feeling will continue once we start. Lots of changes coming up this year!

Chris Tomlin Giveaway!

2009-12-01T07:57:00.002-06:00

Kristen at We are THAT Family (my favorite blog!) is hosting a giveaway on her website today. It features books, cds, candy and gift certificates! Click here to enter into the giveaway.

I have got work to do...

2009-11-04T09:50:00.005-06:00

(Wow...don't you just love that picture! I just found it on Google...it's called Rest)

I have had so much going on these past couple of weeks, like parties, field trips, school and being sick. I feel like I haven't gotten anything done! I have several organizational things I need to do as well as some trash to treasure items that need some work. As soon as I get a camera that works I am going to get some pictures taken for my projects so you can all be super impressed with my craftiness!

Now that things have slowed down quite a bit, I feel like I just want to sit and rest and enjoy some peace and quiet...but I know that is just my laziness coming out! So I need to get to work! There are several things I need to get done today...groceries, going through the boys shoes and clothing to get rid of what doesn't fit anymore...and just general cleaning around the house. Plus I need to help my handsome husband with a few things.

We'll see how much gets done!

Busy Week!

2009-10-24T07:48:00.005-05:00

Before I went to bed last night I was praying and thinking about what I have going on this week:

-Saturday- 2 birthday parties, one for Tyler 12-2 and one for Colby 6-8:30
-Sunday- Both Kyle and Aidan are getting baptized! Yay!
-Monday- Reach Visitation for our Sunday School Class (kids out of school too!)
-Tuesday-Nothing...possible Bible study...
-Wednesday- Jackson field trip...then choir practice that evening
-Thursday- Aidan field trip
-Friday- Go see Tenth Avenue North
-Saturday- Another birthday party for all the boys...then Wild West Carnival at church
-Sunday- Another birthday party for Aidan at Chuck E. Cheese

I am tired just looking at it! Lord help us honor You this week and not get too busy and help us to remember Psalm 90:12-"Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop a heart of wisdom".

October 2009

2009-10-18T12:44:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in quite some time. I have been busy with school and just with life in general. I would like to start blogging again, even though I still don't have my computer back...I am borrowing Kyles!

This past month has been awesome for our family. Both Kyle and Aidan got saved this month and are getting baptized soon. We have all been blessed by Kyle's decision and we are all growing in the Word and growing closer as a family and we are striving to be "set apart" from the world so that people can see Christ and His love through us. I hope to share on my blog the things that the Lord has shown us and what He is doing in our lives.

Right now we are attending a weekly Bible study at a friends house every Monday night. The Lord has really blessed us with the people He has put into this group. We eat and fellowship and spend time in His word and pray. This past Friday the wives of the group got together at the Coffee Beanery and just had a great time visiting and talking about our struggles and what we could do to change them and how to serve Him better. It was really awesome and I can't wait to do it again!

Works for me Wednesday

2009-08-11T20:16:00.007-05:00

Only 6 more days until the first day of school! The kids are excited...I am very exited. All the supplies and uniforms and backpacks have been purchased and we are prepared to have a great school year.

I was helping one of the teachers set up her room today and I thought of how much work they do throughout the year and just how little they get paid! And I was also thinking of how little I will probably get to help this year because I will be in school also. So here is what I was thinking I would do. Make a form for all my kids teachers to fill out with the following questions:

1. What is your favorite color?

2. What is your fav. fast food lunch and breakfast?

3. Where do you rent your movies?

4. What is your fav. beverage?

5. What is your fav. candy bar?

6. When is your birthday?
7. What is your fav. dessert?

8. What is your fav. author/books?

9. What is your fav. snack?

Then I can use this info to send the teacher a little something every once in a while, like her favorite candy bar, or maybe a McMuffin for breakfast, or a Dr. Pepper in the afternoon when I pick up the kids. It also helps to have this info around Christmas and Teacher Appreciation Week.

That's all the ideas I have for picking up little inexpensive items for the teacher...if you can think of any more ideas please share them with me in the comments! I got some of these ideas from an anonymous comment on my last blog post. (Thanks!)

Back to School traditions

2009-08-05T00:10:00.003-05:00

(Click on the banner above to get more Works for me Wednesday Ideas!)

Here are some ideas I have come up with for a Back to School tradition...

1. Getting ready early and taking everyone to IHOP for breakfast. (Or recreating their face pancakes at home with cherries/strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate chips.) You could also go to McDonalds for their yummy cinnamon rolls, or go to a donut shop and get sprinkled doughnuts!

(We opted to make pancakes at home, letting the kids pick out what they wanted)

2. This one is pretty easy: Have everyone decorate a poster board with the date on it and take a picture with it on the first day of school. Repeat this in the same spot every year (changing the date of course!)

3. After picking the kids up from school take them for ice cream and let them tell you about their day. (Or have all the fixings for ice cream at home so they can make their own)

4. I have read about people that are doing a countdown until the 1 day of school. They have their children hang their backpacks on the door when they go to bed.Then the parents leave a new school supply in it for them to find in the morning. This is a great idea but I don't have to buy school supplies for my childrens school, they do it for us!

5. I saw this in Family Fun magazine. If you have a lot of children in your neighborhood get together with the other parents and have a breakfast buffet near the bus stop. The parents and kids can all meet and eat and play together before school starts. Again this would not work in my situation since there are no other school age children on our street!

This is all I could come up with. I saw that Fish Mama over at Life as a Mom had a similar post that was more geared towards ideas for homeschoolers, so you can go check that out as well!

Please feel free to leave any ideas you might have in the comments section!

Artesian Springs

2009-06-29T08:59:00.004-05:00

May 2009

2009-06-16T13:35:00.013-05:00

What we have been up to the last couple of weeks...

Baseball...

Swimming (before the pump broke...)

Colby's 9th birthday party at Cabela's...

Everclear concert...

Field Day at school...

Mrs. Brenda taught everyone of the boys except Colby...now she is retiring!

Tyler's 4th grade teacher...

And fishing...always going fishing...

Colby's 2nd time in the ER since January...

I need a new name for my blog

2009-05-01T10:28:00.003-05:00

(Edited to Add: My old blogs title was "Youngish Mom of FOUR Boys")

I am tired of perverts searching for "young boys" finding my blog so I need a new name! Any suggestions? I obviously don't want "boys" in the title!

Oh and BTW, my computer is broken again...thats why I haven't been posting. But it is being worked on (I think) and I should get it back shortly!

Trip to New Orleans!

2009-04-05T17:47:00.012-05:00

This is my friend Jennifer posing behind New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin.
Jennifer posing with the mayor.
Beautiful Jackson Square.

Fun masks in the French Quarter.

The girls at Beth Moore.

Me and the In-Laws.

Eating dinner at Landry's after Beth Moore Friday night.

Beth Moore!!! She was just so much fun! She helps me understand things in a ways I never thought of.

Me and Kayla

My mother in law Beckie offered to pay for my ticket, hotel room and dinners. She also gave me my Mothers Day gift early...shopping money!!! I had a really good time.

April Fools!

2009-03-31T22:02:00.002-05:00

SO this is what we are sending to school with the 2 older boys on April Fools Day.

The napkin will be at the bottom of the lunchbox and their real lunch will be in the office!

BTW, that is a rutabaga (sp?).

And please ignore the large koolaid stain mkay?

2009-03-20T22:29:00.010-05:00

Here's a cute pic of Colby at the park the other day...

Tyler's class took a field trip to the Capitol. The kids had fun, although I think they were a little bored by the tour guide. Kyle and I thought it was really interesting though! This was a relief map that was right when you came in the door with all the parishes around the outside.

There's our parish!

Here is Tyler in front of the House of Representatives...

the roof was made from sugarcane to help with acoustics!

Here's his class in front of the Capitol.

We also went to the old Capitol too. After the tour the kids got to eat outside underneath some huge oak trees. It was beautiful weather!

One of the moms in Tylers class arranged for us to tour the Governers mansion.

Here is the dining room...

and the "living room"... although I don't think they do much living in there!

Our last stop was the USS Kidd on the Mississippi River.

This picture is really neat. It was taken by a doctor on the USS Kidd. A kamikaze plane looked like it was going to crash into the ship in the background. It pulled up in the last minute and started for the USS Kidd. The doctor didn't realize how close the plane was until he looked away from the lens and he barely had any time to move before the plane hit. He had severe injuries but survived...and so did the camera!

Helping a mother that is grieving...

2009-03-18T19:08:00.002-05:00

From CompassionateFriends.org:

What Can You Do to Help?
There are no easy answers, no standard approaches that are universally helpful. There are no magic formulas that will make the pain go away. It is natural to feel helpless when the child of a friend or relative dies. Remember that showing your loving concern can be very comforting to a grieving family. Please don’t avoid them because you feel inadequate. Families are more likely to reach a healthy, positive resolution of their grief if they receive continuing support and understanding. The following suggestions may help you provide that support:

— Don’t try to find magic words that will take away the pain. There aren’t any. A hug, a touch, and a simple, “I’m so sorry,” offer real comfort and support.

— Don’t be afraid to cry. Your tears are a tribute to both child and parents. Yes, the parents may cry with you, but their tears can be a healthy release.

— Avoid saying, “I know how you feel.” It is very difficult to comprehend the depth of the loss when a child dies, and to say you do may seem presumptuous to the parents.

— Avoid using “It was God’s will” and other clichés that attempt to minimize or explain the death. Don’t try to find something positive in the child’s death, such as, “At least you have other children.” There are no words that make it all right that their child has died.

— Listen! Let them express the anger, the questions, the pain, the disbelief, and the guilt they may be experiencing. Understand that parents often have a need to talk about their child and the circumstances of the death over and over again. It may be helpful to encourage them to talk by asking a gentle question such as, “Can you tell me about it?”

— Avoid judgments of any kind. “You should . . .” or “You shouldn’t . . .” is not appropriate or helpful. Decisions and behaviors related to displaying or removing photographs, reliving the death, idealizing the child, or expressing anger, depression, or guilt may appear extreme in many cases. These behavior patterns are normal, particularly in the first years following the child’s death.

— Be aware that, for parents with religious convictions, their child’s death may raise serious questions about God’s role in this event. Do not presume to offer answers. If the parents raise the issue, it would be better to listen and allow them to explore their own feelings. They will need to arrive at an individual philosophy about this.

— Be there. Run errands, help with household chores, provide child care, and help in whatever way is needed. Don’t say, “Call me if there is anything I can do.” That call will probably never come. Be aware of what needs to be done and offer to do specific tasks.

— Give special attention to surviving children. They are hurt, confused, and often ignored. Don’t assume they are not hurting because they do not express their feelings. Many times siblings will suppress their grief to avoid adding to their parents’ pain. Talk to them and acknowledge their loss.

— Mention the name of the child who has died. Don’t fear that talking about the child will cause the parents additional pain. The opposite is usually true. Using the child’s name lets parents know that they are not alone in remembering their child.

— Be patient. Understand that grieving family members respond differently to their pain. Some verbalize, others may seem unable or unwilling to talk, some withdraw, and others strike out angrily.

— Sharing fond memories of the child through statements such as “I remember when she . . .” or “He had a wonderful gift for . . .” can be reassuring to parents and show that you appreciated their child and are aware of their sense of loss. Relate amusing anecdotes about the child. Don’t be afraid of laughter. It helps to heal the hurt.

— Remember the family on important days such as the child’s birthday and death anniversaries. Send a card, call, or visit. Let them know you remember, too.

— Gently encourage a return to outside activities. Suggest a lunch or movie as relief from the isolation of grief. If your invitation is declined, don’t give up! Ask again and again, if necessary. The third or fourth time you call may be just the day that an outing would be welcome if someone took the initiative.

— There is no standard timetable for recovery. Grief usually lasts far longer than anyone expects. Encourage bereaved families to be patient with themselves. They often hear, “Get on with your life; it’s time you got over this!” Those demands are unfair and unrealistic. When parents express concernabout being tired, depressed, angry, tearful, unable to concentrate, or are unwilling to get back into life’s routines, reassure them that grief work takes time and that they may be expecting too much of themselves too soon.

— Be sensitive to the changes a bereaved family experiences. Family members will adopt new behaviors and roles as they learn to live without the child. This is a painful and lengthy process. Don’t expect your friends to be unchanged by this experience.

— Refer a grieving family to The Compassionate Friends. Many types of support are available, both online (www.compassionatefriends.org) and through the nearly 600 TCF chapters in the United States which are ready to offer friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved families. Call the TCF National Office toll-free at 877-969-0010 for chapter referral information and to request a no-charge customized bereavement packet.

— Continue your contact with the family. Grief does not end at the funeral or on the first anniversary. Stay in touch often, and in conversation, as easily as you would mention any other member of the family, don’t forget to mention the name of the child who died.

Some Pictures...

2009-03-04T15:46:00.010-06:00

Here is a poster that I...ahem...Tyler made for his report on Orleans Parish. Cute huh?

The boys at Locke Park...

Walking to the parade...
Waiting for the Childrens Parade to roll through...

Jackson eating 3 suckers at once...

This is Leia!

This is Aidan and Leia!

My 100th Blog!

2009-03-02T16:31:00.002-06:00

Yay! My computer is working...for the time being.

And I have nothing interesting for my 100th post. Once I print some pictures off my camera I will post those, thats all for now folks!

Ask me how much I hate my computer...

2009-02-28T17:40:00.002-06:00

My computer died. Again.

I am using my hubby's when I can.

Anybody have a laptop they don't want anymore???

Review of January

2009-02-15T13:46:00.022-06:00

Here is the Indiana Jones cake that my husband made for Aidan's birthday. Awesome right?

Aidan at Chuck E. Cheese for his party.

Aidan and his cake! Watching the Harlem Globetrotters!

Slick Willie Shaw of the Globetrotters

Spider Auguste of the Globetrotters

Handles Franklin of the Globetrotters

Crazy Hair Night at Praisekids

Jackson made himself "handsome" with a brown marker on the way home from church.
Kyle helped Colby with his "100th Day of School" project. The eagle and trees were made with 100 little squares.

Yay!!!! I finally got my computer fixed!

2009-02-09T15:51:00.000-06:00

Be prepared for a massive picture upload in the next couple of days!

Computer Troubles

2009-01-17T19:51:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in a while...my computer's power cord is all messed up and I have no power to my laptop. I am using my hubbies computer when I can. So no pictures until I can bring my computer in to get it fixed! I hate not showing pics, my blog is really boring with out them. I have some really good pics to share too. Kyle made an AWESOME Indiana Jones cake for Aidans birthday party Friday. You will be impressed...

Another E.R. visit

2009-01-04T23:00:00.000-06:00

This time it was Colby, not Tyler that needed to go. He and Aidan were supposed to be taking a shower upstairs before bed. But they were not. Colby was standing on the back of the toilet looking across the room into the cabinets to see if any magnetic darts were up there. Unfortunately the lid of the back of the toilet wasn't made for standing on so Colby fell on the floor and landed on his ear which just about ripped in half...see?

We were in the ER for about an hour and a half and they gave him 5 stiches in his right ear and he was good to go. Just another normal day at our house!

Here are the little ones waiting for brother to get done...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T09:16:00.000-06:00

Here are some cinnamon caramel chocolate nutty apples Kyle made.

Some cute pics of the boys Sunday before church.

These are the presents the boys picked out for each other this year.
Here's the fam at Grandma's house.

Happy Birthday Jesus

2008-12-25T20:57:00.003-06:00

My wonderfully talented husband made this cake last night at midnight...when he remembered we were supposed to bring it to his family's house today. Isnt it beautiful?

Happy Birthday Jesus!

What we have been up to lately...

2008-12-19T19:19:00.023-06:00

Tyler had a scope done on his bladder on Thursday because he has been having blood in his urine. His Dr. said everything looked fine! He was really worried about the I.V. because the last time he got one they stuck him 3 times trying to find a vein. But when we talked to the anesthesist right before they took him back they told us they would give him some gas to make him sleep and then put in the I.V. He felt a lot better about the situation after that conversation!

Nervous about the IV...

Trying not to smile...

Can't help it! Mom can always make me smile whether I want to or not!

After we got home from the hospital Tyler and I made a gingerbread house that my grandma bought for him. I like the tree on the side and the LSU rooftop!

The day before the "scope" Tyler's class went shopping at Wal-Mart to buy presents and food for a local family whose parents were having money and medical problems.

We also went to a local childrens museum where Kyle and Tyler and I built a big long bridge from blocks.

Isn't he so cute?

Playing at the magnet table...
On Friday all the boys had Christmas parties at school. The younger boys sang in a little Christmas program. Colby's class made snowflakes from sparkly pipe cleaners. Tyler's class made gingerbread houses with homemade gingerbread.

The finished product...

Christmas Tour of Homes

2008-12-15T16:50:00.012-06:00

BooMama is having a Christmas Tour of Homes. So...welcome to my home! Its not as fancy and most of the homes I've seen today but it suits us just fine! At least until the boys move out...then we can have nice things again! Anyways, please leave me a comment letting my know you've stopped by!

Here is my tree, decorated with mostly homemade ornaments (my favorite kind)...

Here are the stockings I made for $1 a piece...

Here is my favorite "Nativity" scene...

Here are the window sticky snowflake things we made...

Here is my Christmas Tree card holder that I got at a garage sale last year...

Here is our collection of Christmas books, we try and read one everyday in December until Christmas day...

And here is my house, decorated beautifully by my good lookin' husband!

That's all folks!
Thank you so much for stopping by!

Our Christmas Tree

2008-12-12T20:43:00.011-06:00

Kristin at We are THAT Family wants to take a peek at her readers Christmas Trees. So I decided to share mine along with a few of my favorite ornaments.

My mom bought us this ornament last year...it has all of our names on it and we thought it was so cute. Open closer inspection we realized that I was the gingerbread man and Kyle was the gingerbread woman! But I still really like it.

This is my 2nd favorite ornament. My super crafty friend Jennifer made it for me for my birthday last month and I LOVE it! She should totally open up a shop on Etsy but she hates to sell her stuff...she would rather just give her creations as gifts...

I also love homemade ornaments that the kids make at school. We actually made these last year...they still smell like cinnamon and were really easy to make. Here is the recipe/directions.

And last but certainly not least, this is my dear husbands favorite ornament. It is a Christmas scene inside a little walnut. Cute!

What we have been up to lately...

2008-11-29T15:06:00.008-06:00

Last week we saw this at the Wendy's downtown...the man in the suburban said he thought he was in reverse but was actually in drive. He hit the drive thru menu and also the fence behind it and also the white SUV in the foreground.

Tyler had a dr. appointment and stayed home from school so we took him out on the boat to fish while his brothers were at school. It was his first time on a boat!

Me, Tyler, and Colby made these turkeys for Aidan and Jackson's Sunday School class.

This is what Jackson did to his tooth on Wednesday. He fell in the living room and it popped right out!

Kyle caught this huge redfish! It was 40 inches long and weighed 25 pounds!

And here is our Thanksgiving table!

What I am Thankful for...

2008-11-27T10:31:00.006-06:00

-A forgiving, loving and grace-giving God!

-My wonderful husband Kyle that provides for us

-A healthy family-Jackson lost one of his front teeth yesterday and I was very upset (he is a snaggletooth now) because he lost his handsome smile. But then I realized that didn't matter! I know a family that is in the hospital with their youngest of 3 sons that is just now recovering from meningitis...Jackson is totally healthy otherwise and a crooked smile for a couple of years is not the end of the world.

-A nice home in a safe neighborhood

-2 cars that run

-Good friends

-A loving church family

-Ability to send my kids to a Christian school

-Dr. Pepper and Reeses

-My computer

-Websites like Money Saving Mom and We are THAT Family (my favorites)

-Having enough money to go shopping on "Black Friday" for Christmas Gifts

-Grey's Anatomy, Jon and Kate + 8, Desperate Housewives and the Style Network

-The ability to go to school and learn to be a nurse

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Tree Farm

2008-11-20T22:03:00.006-06:00

Tyler's class went on a field trip to a Christmas Tree farm on Tuesday.

Kyle really likes this tree right here!

Kyle and Tyler

On the hayride...handsome boy!

No room for robots...

2008-11-19T22:05:00.002-06:00

One of these pictures is of Kyle...and one is of me...can you tell who is who???

What's been going on...

2008-11-07T08:01:00.001-06:00

Another trip to the Pumpkin Patch! This time with Aidan...

Fish catching...

Pretzel making...

Ant attacks...

(That is oatmeal water in the background...it looks really gross in this picture!)

Halloween 2008

2008-11-05T20:31:00.005-06:00

My little convicts...

we actually had them chained together...like a chain gang...everyone thought it was so cute...except for them...they whined and cried so we took them off half way around the neighborhood!

My little scarecrows!!!

Bringing your child to the ER

2008-11-02T14:16:00.002-06:00

After our experience in the ER on Wednesday I have some advice for parents who have to bring their child to the emergency room.

Document the time you arrived, the names of all the drs/nurses/staff that you come in contact with, your wait times, and medicines they give your child.

If you feel like your child is not being cared for properly get in touch with one of the hospital directors or administrators. Always be polite...you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar! I was very frustrated in the ER and wanted to fuss at the dr's and nurses who weren't doing their jobs but I knew that wouldn't get me anywhere. However now I wish I had been a little more assertive!

We were able to convey our discontent with the hospital after the fact. My husbands mother used to work at the ER we brought Tyler to. She was able to get in touch with one of the directors at the hospital to let her know everything that had happened. I feel better knowing that something might be done there so another child might not have the same problems we had but at the same time I wish things had been taken care of while we were there...

E.R. Visit

2008-10-30T14:49:00.003-05:00

(This is not Tylers!)

I think this is only our second time in the ER this year. Not bad for having 4 boys right?

So here's the lowdown. Kyle picked up the boys from school yesterday and Tyler was complaining about his left thigh hurting. Kyle figured that he might be having a growing pain, because what else would make your thigh start to hurt in the middle of a spelling test? Well, anyways, the pain got progressively worse to where Tyler was moaning and crying for about 45 minutes straight. Then he started vomiting. So Kyle decided to take him to the ER. LOOOOOONG story short, we got there at 3:30pm and he was diagnosed with a kidney stone at around 10:30ish. The doctor said Tyler was the 2nd youngest child he has ever seen with a kidney stone. So we were sent home with some pain meds and anti-nausea meds around 11pm. They had given Tyler some morphine so he slept like a baby all night and is feeling a ok today. He should be able to trick or treat with no problems!

American Heart Association Heart Walk!

2008-10-27T10:41:00.005-05:00

On Saturday November 8th I will be walking for the American Heart Association. If you would like to donate click here!

2 parades in 1 night!

2008-10-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

Thursday we went to 2 Homecoming parades...one for a high school and one for our local college team...and we racked up! I think we have about 25 cups, 10 footballs, 2 t-shirts and an ice chest full of candy and necklaces! The boys were dancing and hollering...they had so much fun.

Jackson's fun day at the Pumpkin Patch...

2008-10-23T22:13:00.003-05:00

Jacksons head was cold... Jackson is very pleased with his face painting!

Jackson's serious side...

Jackson loves this pumpkin!

Update...

2008-10-20T18:51:00.008-05:00

Haven't blogged in a while... I have been so busy with school trying to make good grades! I thought I would take a minute and post some pics of what we have been up to the last couple of weeks.

We have gone fishing a lot lately:

I caught this one...it is a monster!

Not really... this is the actual size...

I played Bunco with my friends (we used it as an opportunity to dress up for Halloween!)

Kyle made a Kitty Litter cake:
I have been studying lots of anatomy!

Yay!

2008-10-08T07:54:00.002-05:00

Guess what I got on my lab practical? A "B"!!!! I am so excited! To put things in perspective last year on my Bio 225 labs I made a "D" on both! The class average was a 60! I am so glad to have that test behind me. Now I have to start studying for the A2 test I have to pass to get into my clinical nursing courses. I am taking that on the 23rd. Ok. I am done gloating now. Have a great day!

I did some bargain shopping Sunday...

2008-09-28T19:59:00.009-05:00

First I went to CVS and this is what I got:

-Colgate toothpaste $3.29

--on sale for $2.50

--$1.oo off CVS coupon

--$0.75 off mfg. coupon

-Colgate toothbrush $3.99

--on sale for $2.50

--$1.00 off mfg. coupon

-Fusion Power Razor $11.99

--on sale for $9.99

--$4.00 off mfg. coupon

-- I used a $2 ECB

Total: $6.24 (plus tax)

I got $7 back in ECB's and a coupon for $2 off AMBI body care

At Walmart I got :

-A pair of 12 husky blue jeans on clearance for $7

-8 cloth napkins on sale for $1 a piece ( I am going to frame and display them!)

-9 packs of Koolaid-$0.20 each

-3 packs of Kraft Singles cheese-FREE!

-2 golden bell peppers- regularly $1.89-price matched from Market Basket 2 for $0.99

-I joined "Psssst" and got a coupon for a free Pillsbury Flaky Twists

Total: $17.76

And at Walgreens I got:

-Puffs tissues $1.49

--on sale for $0.89

--$0.25 off coupon

-Puff tissues $1.79

--on sale for $0.89

--$0.25 off coupon

-60 Dixie cups

--on clearance for $0.94

-Vanity Fair bowls (18)

--on sale for $1.99

--$1.00 off mfg. coupon

Total: $ 3.21 (plus tax)

In the city...

2008-09-25T15:25:00.010-05:00

So Kyle had a training in Houston this week and I decided to accompany him. Beckie and Dave were "unable" to keep the boys so a good friend of mine offered to watch all my chil'uns so off I went! Kyle leaves the hotel at about 6:40 every morning and comes back around 5-ish. Needless to say it has been very quiet around here.

I drove over to meet him Monday evening. He had a "dinner meeting" to attend and got back in the room about 8.

Tuesday I read a book and a half (all day) and then we went to the Katy Mills mall after sitting in traffic for an hour and a half and we played glow in the dark putt-putt. Don't know how well you can see in these pictures...it was dark!

Wednesday I ventured out all by myself. These Houston people are crazy drivers! And the one way roads get really confusing. Anywho, I survived. I went to the Museum of Health and Science thinking that since I was not studying my books that I might learn something there. But it was a total waste as it was more suited for elementary students. So back to the hotel I went to wait for Kyle. Did I mention we are on the 23rd floor? VERY high up. That took a couple of days to get used to. So back to Wednesday. Kyle and I braved the traffic once again and headed to Dave and Busters. When we left for the restaurant there was a fire truck and an ambulance in the valet area. We didn't see anything so we didn't think much of it. Well when Kyle went to training this morning the other guys tell him that there was a man that jumped from the 23rd floor and landed in the front end of the lobby! All the hotel room doors open up into an atrium like area and he (supposedly) jumped from the walkway in front of the rooms. There was no sign of anything when we got back from the restaurant and no sign of anything at all this morning but Kyle says the other guys staying here that are also on this floor were (by the police) and everything. He also said that crazy stuff like that happens all the time in Houston and it doesn't even make the news anymore. And I was kind of starting to enjoy it here! Its just so busy and there is tons of stuff to do.

Ok, well that's all I have to say about that! I am headed back early tomorrow morning and I am gonna unpack and clean and pick up the kids and wait for my hubby to get home !

Not a whole lot going on!

2008-09-17T21:06:00.003-05:00

Everyone is finally back in school now after the hurricane business! I am doing ok so far...I haven't failed anything yet, so thats a plus! The boys are doing well also. Kyle is getting settled in with his new job, still in the training stage but excited to start doing what he does best! Other than that, not a whole lot is going on. Next week Kyle will be in Houston for training. I will probably go meet him after I take my Bio lab quiz on the heart on Tuesday. Can't miss it... I really need those points! Beckie and Dave are keeping the boys.
SO that is what is going on with us!

Problems at Walgreens?

2008-09-16T13:35:00.002-05:00

Has anyone else had a problem using their Register Rewards at Walgreens when using coupons?

I went yesterday to get the Benefiber and Excedrine and I had 2 man. coupons and 1 Easy Saver coupon and I tried to use my $10 in RR from the Robitussin deal last week. The cashiers NEVER have any idea why, they just tell me it won't work.

Walgreens and CVS

2008-09-08T20:26:00.009-05:00

Walgreens

Here's what I got at Walgreens:
-Flip Flops $1.99 (clearance for $0.50) They match my school colors!
-Schick razor $4.99
-Poptarts $2.19
-Crest Pro Health mouthwash $4.49

Coupons:
-Schick razor $4.00
-Crest Pro Health mouthwash $0.75
-$2 in RR from the Exedrine deal

Total: $5.41 (before tax) and I got a $4.50 Register Reward for the mouthwash!

CVS

Here's what I got at CVS:
-Soft and Dri deoderant $2.99 (ECB $2)
-Aussie shampoo $2.49 (ECB $1)
-Aussie conditioner $2.49 (ECB $1)
-Revlon nail polish $3.99 (ECB $3)
-2 Ambi soap $1.99 (ECB $6...$3 for each)
-Gummi Bears $0.99 (FILLER)

Coupons:
-$0.75 Soft and Dri
-$2.00 CRT any Revlon product

Total out of pocket: $0
I paid with a $5.92 ECB and a $6.45 ECB
I got $13 ECB in return!
I also got a $5 off of a photobook CRT.

Not again!

2008-09-08T09:26:00.009-05:00

Looks like we might miss this one...but it looks like we will be on the east side of it which is never good...

Dillards..

2008-09-05T19:40:00.005-05:00

Dillards is having a good sale right now. We just went and got some clothes for the boys for a total $25. I think they were all 75% off.

On the Colorado River in Marble Falls, Texas

2008-09-05T10:09:00.001-05:00

The trail down to the river...

Skipping rocks...

Playing in the water...
Building a dam...

and my lovely husband...he stopped and cut this cactus to show the kids...

Money Maker at Walgreens

2008-09-04T12:46:00.003-05:00

This week at Walgreens you can get Excedrin for free!
Here's how you do it:
2 Excedrin Migraine: $1.99 each
2 Excedrin PM: $1.99 each
Use:
2 printable Excedrin Migraine coupons (found here)
2 manufacturers Excedrin PM coupons (from the newspaper)
Find 4 of the cheapest items you can in the store to make up for the $0.01 (check the clearance). Do 4 separate transactions and with each you will get a $1 Register Reward! If you do them all at once you will only get 1 RR.

So basically you are paying the tax and whatever extra things you buy to make up for the $0.01. and then you are getting $4 back! I messed mine up...I only did 2 transactions but I paid $0.75 for 4 Excedrins and got $2.00 back!

Yay! Kyle fixed my camera!!!

2008-09-04T09:05:00.007-05:00

So now I am going to spend all day uploading pics!

First, I wanted to show our Family Fun Day at the Civic Center. We had to pay about $12 to get in but the kids had tons of stuff to do. They made masks, went "fishing", made bookmarks (that they laminated for us!), saw a goat and some pigs, decorated hardhats, went bowling, decorated cookies, watched a magic show, got tons of little toys, pencils, keychains, coloring books, and Aidan and Jackson got back massages! Colby was with Kyles mom so it was just the 5 of us. The kids really enjoyed it!

Home!!!

2008-09-03T20:19:00.003-05:00

So we are back. No damage...from the hurricane anyways. While we were gone our water pipe busted in the front yard. Lucky for us our neighbors stayed throught the storm and noticed and turned off our water for us AND called the water office for them to come repair it. So that worked out well.

Evacuating was HORRIBLE. It took us about 14 hours to get to Austin when it should have taken us about 7. I was sick almost the whole way there. VERY stressful. Better safe than sorry, I know, I know. But we will not evacuate for the next hurricane until the day before and it has to be a direct hit and at least a Cat. 2. So I pray that Ike and Josephine decide to go elsewhere!

Got some good deals today but I hate to post them with out pics! Maybe Kyle will work on getting the camera hook up to work soon. I have so many pics to share!

Evacuation!!!

2008-08-30T17:56:00.003-05:00

Since it looks like Hurricane Gustav is headed our direction we are headed out of town! We waited until a mandatory evac last time and it took us 6 hours for us to go somewhere that generally takes us 2 hours or less to get to. So we are leaving early this time for the great state of Texas! It will take us about 6-6 1/2 hours to get to our destination. We have everything packed and we are leaving bright and early in the morning. I have books, dvd's, printable activities and snacks and drinks...I hope the kids do ok on the trip. We are thinking we will get up somewhere between 3-5 am and driving while the kids sleep a while. Hopefully the weather doesn't get too bad around here and our house will be exactly as we left it!

Problem with Comments?

2008-08-29T20:00:00.003-05:00

I am having problems with my comments! I can sign into blogger with my password but I can't leave comments on any ones blog. It tells me incorrect password. So I have to leave a comment anonymously. Does anyone know how to fix this or anyone who can help me?

This weekend...

2008-08-26T20:11:00.003-05:00

Kyle has started his new job and has been home all week waiting for all the paper work to get processed. SO he has been home since Friday and it has been so nice! Since the boys are back in school we have a lot of free time to spend together. Saturday we went bowling with the boys. I wish I could post pictures but I can't get my computer to load the software for my camera! BTW, I am on a desktop computer now...I think my hard drive got fried on my laptop. Anyways we had fun and the kids enjoyed themselves...I think I came in 5th place!

School is going well so far. I can't stay on here too long...I gotta study for my Microbiology quiz tomorrow! My professors all seem pretty easygoing...but it has only been a week, so I will see! The boys are enjoying school too. I was helping Tyler study for his spelling test and he has words even I have trouble spelling: receipt, Pennsylvania, discipline...I have spell check these and make sure I have spelled them right! But they all seem to be adjusting well.

Hope to get my darn camera connection working to post some cute pics from the weekend...