Hum Dee Dum...

Oh, let's see. What's new. My kids were running completely naked outside all afternoon. And I didn't even stop them. I hope they don't need psychological reviews on childhood memories in their adult years when they get an indecent exposure lock-down. But....with all the magic tricks Harry sent home they should be able to bend the bars just right to escape....or at least entertain the jailers with their pull-the-bunny-from-the-hat trick.

Remember this? We added on. Got a puppy today. He needed a good farm yard to run around on. He is a yellow lab. 6 months old. Name: Diesel. Changing name. I think we will call him Buddy. Buddy will take some training. He has a few little habits we need to talk about.
1. He sniffs our female constantly.
2. Tries to mount. Baaaaad idea. Seriously. There are children watching. We laid the smack-down today.
3. He nibbled a little at Darin's hand - like a puppy would do.
BUT, he was eagerly welcomed in by the kids (Olivia would have rather had a parrot, though) and he didn't jump up on them or scare them at all. So, pictures to come. But, Welcome Buddy! We're glad to try this new adventure out - hope it's a permanent one! Maybe we can pull you from a hat, too. Here. Hold still.

Grocery Sales

Some of these deals were just too good to not post about. If you like Fareway (I shop at both), they will price match for you!! Printables are listed. If you don't other coupons, head over to the recycle center - I bet you could find them! ;)

1 lb. Strawberries 0.99
Hamburger or Chicken Helper 0.99
Chicken of the Sea Tuna 0.66
2 Cups HyVee Cheese 0.99

Barilla Pasta 0.99
PLUS -0.50/1 to -1.00/1 from newspaper insert (not sure which varieties are on sale)

Ragu Sauce 0.99
PLUS -0.30 coupon from newspaper insert

Quaker Granola Bars or Bites 1.99
PLUS -1.00/2 HERE

Hershey's Bliss 3.48
PLUS -1.00/1 HERE

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables 1.28
PLUS -0.60/2 HERE (May need to register)

Old Orchard 64 oz. Juice 0.99
PLUS -1.00/2 HERE

Life Cereal 1.98
PLUS -1.00/1 HERE

Hy-Vee Bacon 1.99
Dole Head of Lettuce 0.69 In-Ad Coupon
Pepsi 12 Pack Cans 3 for 8.88

Hello out there....

So, I got a call last week from Harry saying I better go buy new make-up because mine is in Pennsylvania. Cool - cuz you know I don't like spending money.....and this means money. So I'm in Stuff-Mart and meet a woman named Michelle that is a Mary Kay consultant. COOL! Yes, please let's get together because this is just too fun. I love new fun people. Went there today and spent 87 bucks on make-up - ME! I know. And I don't feel one bit bad about it. And maybe I found a new friend. LOVE THAT! :) Moving on.....

My computer cord doesn't plug in quite right on my computer and I have 32% battery remaining before it shuts down on me. Last night I propped up the cord with a Barney Colors book to make sure it hit the plug-in just right and charged. I have sucked 70% of my laptop battery's life out in one day.....and still more, because I'm not done.

A beautiful woman prayed for me this week and I have felt more energized to complete tasks at home and have a positive outlook. I was feeling a little worn, but I'm okay now. (new make-up helps a little)

And just in case you were wondering:
*I laugh at my own jokes.....in my own head
*I don't exercise
*I don't wash my face until I shower
*I like to watch cartoons maybe more than my kids
*Bugs are coming - creeps me out.
*I don't eat breakfast....unless you count coffee and marshmallow cream
*Did I mention I have tons of cavities, but I'm not a fan of dentist visits? It stems back to childhood. All the kids had tons of stickers because they had a visit with no cavities. Not me. I had 4 stars my whole childhood. Visited twice a year. You do the math.
*I am flying out to see my husband around the 15th of May. I am almost finished packing. Not kidding.
*I have a had a super busy week last week, and another this week. AND I like it.
*I'm bummed that there are no double coupons this week at K-Mart in my area this week.
*I have had my kids in my bed every morning this week since Harry's gone. I am so against that habit, and here I am, welcoming them in, cuddling the night away, with my INSTE book.
*I feel so blessed for great friends this week. :)
*Am surprised Beth didn't post about the dorky girl who came into the library that she knew, but the dork didn't know her, and wasn't smart enough to put 2 and 2 together. Out of context - you don't really EXPECT to run into anyone from blogsphere, do you? ME NEITHER. She forgave the dork very gracefully and didn't even make her feel bad.

Easter Thoughts

Easter is especially overwhelming for me. Not the holiday, or the huffle-buffle of the easter bunny. But the Meaning of Easter. As I watched "The Passion of the Christ" on Friday, I was reminded of what it was really all about. I think about choices. God CHOSE to come to this earth to teach us, and then to die for us. It wasn't a situation that he was forced into.....it was His CHOICE. As I watched him be betrayed and beaten and bloody, the phrase "this was His choice" kept coming back. He really chose to do all that. I may have backed out after the second guy spit on me. But not Him. He could have chosen to back out at any minute -He had power over everything. And He didn't back out. Not once. He chose us instead.

What did I ever do right to deserve that? Nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing, nothing, nothing. So my question is why? Why did he come? The only thing I can come up with in my earthly brain is that He is loving and unselfish. Obviously, Amie, right? I was always a little slower than the rest. Now you know.

I have no idea what it is to be unselfish. Sometimes I change a diaper so I don't have to smell it anymore. And sometimes I clean my house to escape the embarrassment of a visiting friend. And since we're being honest, sometimes, I even do nice things for people to obtain the praises of man. Maybe more than sometimes. On God's level, I don't know what it is to be loving, either. Patient......nope. Proud.....that's a laugh. Rude......when I'm not hungry or tired. Self-seeking.....I think we covered that. Does not demand my own way......laugh. Never fails......big laugh.

It's really not funny, though. Honestly, it makes me cry. I fall short every day to meet his expectations, and He still chooses me. Little ol' me. Sometimes I wonder ....doesn't he have anything better to do? Yes, He does. But maybe He loves me like a child loves their creations. A picture they colored, a play-dough sculpture, or a Lego jeep. Maybe He holds me up and says "LOOK! I MADE THIS!" And although I hope I am not stuck to a refrigerator with a magnet, I take joy that he made me, and chooses me every day, and loves me just as I am, because I know He's the only one that I will have forever. 2 weeks with the same person 24 hours a day would drive most people crazy......but not God. He loves you every minute, every hour, every day, just as you are. He chooses you.

Help, anyone?

I
I need
I need a
I need a great
I need a great book
I need a great book for
I need a great book for a
I need a great book for a misbehaving
I need a great book for a misbehaving child.
FOR ME. HELP. PLEASE.

Need some motivational ideas for the boy around here.

Winner

Turns out my hubby reads my blogs. :) He looked over the acronyms on my last post and put it to use!! As he was driving to work this morning, he was scanning the radio stations and caught a question of the morning which was "What does the acronym 'PLOS' mean when a child is chatting online or texting?" And he called in and answered Parents Looking Over Shoulder and won 2 tickets to Gallagher Bluedorn! for this. Now he's male and can't go, but winning stuff is super cool - can't beat that! :) So there ya' go - there IS a point to my blog!

acronyms while chatting

Hey, I'm going to start one of those great e-mails that says you need to forward everyone on your list within 9 minutes or a truck will run over your favorite hat.
It will go like this:
Do you have a teenager? Do you want to know what they are texting or chatting by abbreviations that they use? Go here.
http://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php
Send this to 273 people in the next 9 minutes and you will win the lottery - even if you don't play it. If you don't send it, a truck will run over your favorite hat this week.

I got nothin'.

Knew I needed to blog today, but not sure about what. My floor is swept, my dishes are done, my 3 loads of laundry is waiting to be folded and put away, and my half-caff coffee is waiting for Coffee-Mate, and then to be drank. I have a couple rooms full of "garage sale" boxes, along with an entire attic. Seriously, I want to get rid of EVERYTHING. Bananas are brown on the counter - I will be making banana bread today, along with chocolate cookies this weekend.

Ask me what "Doyle's Ditty" was last night at INSTE? Ask me! It's from Paul Harvey and it says "If you don't live it you don't believe it". It is going on my fridge for a long long long time.

My sister bought me one of these and I am going to make popcorn every day of the rest of my life, I think. She's the best. It came with a recipe book!!! Let me just share a recipe that I want to try out this weekend - Italian Breadstick-Style Popcorn

1 T Basil (my FAVORITE)
1 T parsley
1 lg. garlic clove, or 1/4 t. powder
1 t. salt
2 T olive oil

5 T popping corn
2 T olive oil

Lately.....

I am feeling a little discouraged today. To give you a recap of the last week. My step-son has been difficult at his mother's house. She has asked us to take him a few times in the last few months. He is too big for her to physically handle him and he is acting out. So with Harry being gone, I agreed to take him, but it had to be for a minimum of 6 months. So Sept. 2nd, we will reevaluate, but for now I will be getting guardianship of him. Last week went GREAT at home, and he had a little trouble at school. yesterday he had a great day at school, and we had a difficult night.

Let me just say he didn't come to the van after school like he was supposed to, which only escalated from there. He referred to me as his fake mom yesterday. Let me just say I am very frustrated with his mother, and am trying to keep that under control. He did great with the schedule and rules last week, but I feel like I am trying to redo the last 8 years of learning all at once. I was telling God last night that I am so weary, and He whispered a reminder in my ear "Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Okay. We really can't do this without You. And we can absolutely apply Your Word when the going gets tough. So there's a little prayer request for you. Trying to find just the right balance.

What do you need?

Looking for a great deal on diapers? Go HERE
Want 100 free business cards with free shipping? Go HERE
Looking for a job in housekeeping? Come HERE! I could keep you employed for a 3 years.

My Husband

He loves me. :) Can you tell?

Harry went back to work after New Years Day, and was laid off from his job temporarily. So he stayed home and warmed up the couch a lot, trying to find a job on the internet. And I am happy to say all that warming paid off! I could keep my feet warm AND he started a job at Steris last week! He had worked at his job for 17 years, and the last couple years, he knew it was going to be time for something else in the near future. Harry has always liked to feel "secure", and when that is thrown off, he is thrown off. :) I can say that because he will love me anyway.

I will be slowing down on the blogging, I'm sure. Here's why:

He is still in Iowa, but we will only get to see him on weekends for the next 4 weekends or so. Then he will be off to Ohio for a couple weeks, and then to Pennsylvania for 9 (NINE) weeks. He is planning to be back home at least by the middle of June. I will have to fly out and see him - he is a couple hours from Niagara Falls during the Pennsylvania weeks!

Anyway, this single mom thing isn't really what I had in mind while he was couch warming. I miss him. TONS. Even in the first week, I have quickly realized how much he really does for me. He keeps the girls occupied so I can actually get caught up on loose-ends housework (laundry put away, mail sorted, etc.). He would stay in the bathroom during bath time and I could clean up from supper. He picks on me enough to keep me smiling. He did my dishes while he was home. I MISS THAT ALREADY. And I really realized it when I went to the basement today to get some cookie dough from the freezer and found 4-6 inches of water covering the floor. Cool, huh?

Sump pump went out, Ray came over with a little pump, and fixed us up for now. Things will obviously go wrong in my house before June hits, but who will fix it for me? My fantastic husband does all the work on our cars, all the heavy-duty work, lifting, maintenance on everything (even if it doesn't need it!), and still keeps my feet warm at night. I love that man. He's my best friend. The girls aren't real thrilled about him being gone - let's just leave it at that. :) come back soon, honey! But, congratulations on finding a secure job, no matter what the economy does! I know it will be well worth it at the end of this!

Just for Fun

Daddy and Tiffany peeling a little orange, making small talk. Popping all the little seeds out and setting them beside the peels. And very matter-of-factly, Tiffany says "And Jesus said Don't eat the seeds."

I wonder what she is referring to......
Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart.....
1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

And yesterday she was holding her baby and asked her 2 year old sister "What does a baby say?" and her sister wipes her eyes and answers "WAAAAA" and Tiffany the Teacher says "Very Good!!" in a very encouraging voice.

Or when they fight like crazy girls until they are upstairs in bed, then it's a big slumber party....giggling and laughing. Tiffany tries to talk her sister into doing who knows what.....and follows up with "Oh Come on! Be FUN!"

Most days...if I stop what I'm doing and just watch them - I can't help but crack up.

Deals for the day

Old Navy had a Valentine's Coupon: $5 off any purchase when you color a valentine. So we did. All of us. :) So we had 5 coupons = $25 off today! Woo Hoo! White pack of socks to the left were marked 8.99, plus 50% off. $4.50 with a $5 coupon is FREE! The white shirts, blue shirts, and brown pants to the left were on sale for 2 FOR $6. So Tiffany and Stacy bought their own. $6 minus $5 coupon = $1.00 for 2 items. Stoked. Then the individual socks were 10 for $10. So those ended up to be $5 after the coupon. Then we headed to Younkers and bought TWO 2-packs of leggings on the right. The 2-packs were $22.00, marked down to $5.14!

Total today (including tax) for 6 pants, 4 shirts, and 20 socks in the picture: 8.56 Old Navy + 10:28 Younkers = $18.84
New clothes that will fit this year = priceless.

Save Some Money with me.

My name is Amie, and I am a coupon-holic. I love words like BOGO (buy one get one) and FREE! I have had a lot of questions about where I get my coupons and how much time it really takes. I guess this disease I have is contagious? So here goes all my secrets ;)

#1. The Recycle Center. It is a bit humbling digging through the newspaper bin for coupon inserts, but seriously - more coupons than you will need. But they are free - beats a $2 paper every week.

#2. Click here: The Coupon Loop - great.

#3. And here: SD - seriously great.

#4. Target Coupons

#5. Betty Crocker Coupons

#6. Pillsbury Coupons

#7. Smart Source Online

#8. Coupons.com

#9. Search by Store

#10. Or circulars for all local stores here

#11. A few great blogs:
Coupon Geek
Coupon Saving Family
Savvy Savings Tucson
Frugal in Virginia
Common Sense With Money
The downfall? Different states = different grocery stores. Haven't found one in Iowa yet. So I'd like to be it. Except by the time I get done reading and looking at all this, I don't have much time to type out my grocery list with corresponding store and coupon deals. But I am going to start trying. But I need your vote!!! Should I post this stuff on my this blog - or use the "Save a buck" blog?

What would you like to know about saving money??

Baby, Baby

Ahhhhhhhh.....

We made it through the year.

We have been without you for a whole year, but you are still just as real in our hearts. Our love for you has not faded, has not been forgotten. Although I have missed your new baby smell, and the classic first birthday cake pictures ... you somehow have this imprint on my soul that I am confident will never leave me. So much of you has made me who I am, and your life continues to make me into who I am to be. I have learned so much by having you on the earth for a blink of an eye, and have grown so much by having to learn to let you go, and especially by reaching out to my Savior -- the One who holds you now -- the One that has held me this year, and the One that will hold us together someday. Actually, I know you're the lucky one. I bet you're having a celebration of a lifetime today.....and every day. I miss you so much!

Trying to be patient.....

-Mommy

Stacy Jean Is 2 Today!

My parents drove down all the way from Minnesota to come to Chuck E. Cheese's for Stacy's 2nd Birthday! I was so excited! This is classic:

Stacy and Me eating cake off the candles. :)

Daddy and DarinTiffany very excited about her tickets to put in the Ticket Muncher!
Aunt Wendy and Jerry came!

And Tessa and Christopher!And Cameron and Brenda and sweet girls!

I was so happy they all came out today and we got to hang out together. My brother wasn't able to make it, but we still adore him. :) Believe it or not, this is the first real party we have had for a birthday - we usually just hang out at home and have cake and ice cream with presents, then a bath, then bed.

I leaned over to Harry today and told him that this sure beats the c-section 2 years ago! She came out something like this:

Stacy cracks me up. She makes faces and eye contact that can crack me up in 0.5 seconds. :) I wouldn't trade her for anything!!! Even on her bad days! Love you Stacy!

Question of the Day

If you never comment on my blog, today is the day!

My hubby and I are in a bit of a debate. And it's so important that I thought I'd ask my bloggy friends:

???? What age, in your opinion, is Over The Hill ????

Brrrrr

It's not really news to say that it's cold out. I think we all know that. But seriously....this picture was taken inside my house - normally there is not too much draft in the kitchen. But today, we got this:






Cool, huh?





The little hinges on the door were white with frost, too. Nice. And I wonder why the girls are found in my bed in the morning. Queen sized bed - 4 people. Guess I can't blame them, though. My morning breath rocks.

Scrappin' Girls

So my amazing weekend is recorded here. A scrapbooking retreat that I really really really really wanted. And I was looking at not going - it wasn't exactly in the budget. And then my friend calls me and says my weekend has been taken care of and all I have to do is show up - because they just want me to go. A couple days later, my husband gets laid off from his job - making the $70 weekend out of the question without these two women.

These 2 wonderful ladies paid my weekend - I spent a total of $8.19. $4 on paper and $4.19 on a rare treat my hubby doesn't find much. 4 grams of trans fat per serving - these things are awesome. But SO not good for you. Aaaaanyway.....I got Andy's scrapbook DONE up to the point of his gravestone being placed in the cemetery. And I cried a lot. No, it was more like a ton. By Saturday afternoon, I wasn't even going to attempt to reapply make-up. And it was healing - amazingly healing. And the best part? I had two women who were there for me. There's not a whole lot of support in my bedroom at my craft desk upstairs after everyone has gone to sleep. I had friends to cry with, and pause with, and reflect with, and talk with, and laugh with.....at laugh at. :) And they helped me keep on keeping on. I took a couple breaks, but I accomplished what I went there to accomplish - and Jenni and Sarah made such a difference in my life by holding me up and encouraging me and being so giving by taking care of my cost, and by just being there with me. I love them both. so. so. much. Jenni doesn't have a blog....yet.....but Sarah does - so stop on by here and give her a little love. She has great reads. :)

And on the 4th day.....

Harry is home today for his 4th day in a row. He has this "sit and relax with me" way about him. So how could I argue?

and I haven't finished anything. We watched a couple movies. We are taking turns playing this. And we have planted ourselves on the couch. for 4 days. Tiffany is sick today - she has a bowl in hand, and eyes glued to the tv - on the couch. So I will pick up some lysol spray tonight, but until then - here we will sit. :)

For 4 days?!