I apologize that I haven't updated my info in a week, but we were on vacation in Fredericksburg, Texas last week (FABULOUS) and I am extremely busy getting caught up now that we are back home.
I do want to say that I finished the sequel to Love Comes Softly, which is entitled Love's Enduring Promise and I was thrilled with it as well. I am now on the next one in the series. While on vacation, I came across the movies that were made based on these first two books and sadly, I have to say I was very disappointed. The storyline was not followed very well. I think I will stick to the books!
I promise to have an update on Fredericksburg and the house sometime this week. Thanks so much for your patience! Please let us know if you are reading a good book!
Have a great day!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Apples this year?!
My apple tree is blossoming! This is the first year it has had blossoms. It is four years old and I had to transplant it this year to the new house, so I wasn't sure if it would do anything or not. This little tree just made my day! Now to pray that it will actually produce some apples! My neighbor has about five grown apple trees so there should be no problem with mating it. We'll just have to wait and see. The blooms smell wonderful!Another little blessing from the Lord up above.
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COUPON NOTE
Check out www.moneysavingmom.com today for a link to another site that is have a huge coupon giveaway!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Adara learns to sew...
I sat down this evening to work on some sewing projects and decided I would start making some baby bibs to sell. I pulled out my patterns and got busy.
Adara, my 9 year old daughter, came into the room, and being the crafty little one she is, immediately started working on copying a pattern for herself. I showed her how to pin the pattern to the material and then cut it out. She listened and followed directions quite well. When it came time to sew the pattern she cut out, she asked eagerly if she could do it herself. She informed me that this bib was going to be for the new cousin she is expecting.
I told her sure and proceeded to guide her through sewing this wonderful gift. She had to do some seam ripping, and re-sewing, but in the end she did a beautiful job. When she finished, she made the comment that it wasn't very good, and I immediately told her she had done a lovely job and Aunt Leslie would be thrilled to have the bib, knowing it was made by her. She was very proud. And to be honest, so am I.
I will not even mention the times that I feel as if my children are just getting shoved aside due to other daily duties. I go through times when I think they just must not be learning anything. And then these moments come up and I am reminded again that my children are learning the most valuable lesson there is. Each one is spending their day helping their family. Each one is learning that there is nothing more important in this life than knowing and honoring their Heavenly Father. Each one is learning how to be the person God wants them to grow up to be.
In this day and age, it is extremely easy to get caught up in the world and lose sight of what life is truly about. I thank God for these precious moments that remind me of Him and allow me to see the rewards of following His Word.
Adara, my 9 year old daughter, came into the room, and being the crafty little one she is, immediately started working on copying a pattern for herself. I showed her how to pin the pattern to the material and then cut it out. She listened and followed directions quite well. When it came time to sew the pattern she cut out, she asked eagerly if she could do it herself. She informed me that this bib was going to be for the new cousin she is expecting.
I told her sure and proceeded to guide her through sewing this wonderful gift. She had to do some seam ripping, and re-sewing, but in the end she did a beautiful job. When she finished, she made the comment that it wasn't very good, and I immediately told her she had done a lovely job and Aunt Leslie would be thrilled to have the bib, knowing it was made by her. She was very proud. And to be honest, so am I.
I will not even mention the times that I feel as if my children are just getting shoved aside due to other daily duties. I go through times when I think they just must not be learning anything. And then these moments come up and I am reminded again that my children are learning the most valuable lesson there is. Each one is spending their day helping their family. Each one is learning that there is nothing more important in this life than knowing and honoring their Heavenly Father. Each one is learning how to be the person God wants them to grow up to be.
In this day and age, it is extremely easy to get caught up in the world and lose sight of what life is truly about. I thank God for these precious moments that remind me of Him and allow me to see the rewards of following His Word.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
This book is definitely going on the reading list...
One of the things in life I really enjoy is finding a good book. I am quite choosy when it comes to what I read. I am the same way with movies. So, on that note, I would like to share this little story.
A little less than a month ago, I was in Mardel's and came across some DVD's they had marked at 5 dollars. I noticed a couple of them were by Michael Landon Jr. The name of one was "Love Comes Softly" and the story line was written by a woman named Janette Oak. Now I am a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie and this movie looked to be along those lines. I decided to write down her name and look up her books on ebay and amazon. I did that and came across some, but decided I would order them later.
I, of course, forgot all about this little find just about the next day. At this moment in my life, with the house building added on to all the other duties in my life, my brain cells are not working at 100 percent! Ha, Ha! I tend to forget things just about 10 minutes after I think about them. Anyway, back to the story.
Our little town library just finished moving into a new and much needed building this month and the kids and I were thrilled to go check it out. As I was walking through the aisles and admiring the fact that you could easily see what books were available(the old building was so crammed, it was very difficult to even get through the aisles), I came across a section of books for teenagers. I decided to look for some wholesome reading that would be good for my kids over the next few years. I came across some books by a woman named, you guessed it, Janette Oak. I did not even remember the fact that I had already come across her name. There were at least fifteen books by her on the shelf. I searched and found the one she wrote first in her life, and you guessed it again, it was "Love Comes Softly".
Now I know you think I must be lying, but I did not remember anything about this title or her name. The book looked good, so I thought I would give it a try. I proceeded to take this book home and stay up until after midnight for three nights in a row to finish it. It was beyond excellent!! I still can't help but wonder about the future of these characters! I went to the library today and got the sequel. Maybe not such a smart idea, seeing as how I had to lay down and take a two hour nap today due to exhaustion!
Anyway, after finishing the book (I am not sure if it was ten minutes later or hours), I realized I knew the name. I checked my notes by my computer to make certain it was the same author and yes, it was. I then said a short prayer to God, thanking him for putting this book in my way. God blesses me with little things like this all the time. I believe he realizes how scatter brained I am and helps me out. In any case, if there are any other "little house on the prairie" lovers out there, you've got to read this book. It is definitely going on the list for required school reading for my kids! I'll let you know if the sequel is as good.
In fact, I suppose I will probably read every book the library has on the shelf by her.
Hope this blog has been worth the reading! Have a great week!
Oh, and if you have a book that just couldn't put down, let us know about it.
A little less than a month ago, I was in Mardel's and came across some DVD's they had marked at 5 dollars. I noticed a couple of them were by Michael Landon Jr. The name of one was "Love Comes Softly" and the story line was written by a woman named Janette Oak. Now I am a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie and this movie looked to be along those lines. I decided to write down her name and look up her books on ebay and amazon. I did that and came across some, but decided I would order them later.
I, of course, forgot all about this little find just about the next day. At this moment in my life, with the house building added on to all the other duties in my life, my brain cells are not working at 100 percent! Ha, Ha! I tend to forget things just about 10 minutes after I think about them. Anyway, back to the story.
Our little town library just finished moving into a new and much needed building this month and the kids and I were thrilled to go check it out. As I was walking through the aisles and admiring the fact that you could easily see what books were available(the old building was so crammed, it was very difficult to even get through the aisles), I came across a section of books for teenagers. I decided to look for some wholesome reading that would be good for my kids over the next few years. I came across some books by a woman named, you guessed it, Janette Oak. I did not even remember the fact that I had already come across her name. There were at least fifteen books by her on the shelf. I searched and found the one she wrote first in her life, and you guessed it again, it was "Love Comes Softly".
Now I know you think I must be lying, but I did not remember anything about this title or her name. The book looked good, so I thought I would give it a try. I proceeded to take this book home and stay up until after midnight for three nights in a row to finish it. It was beyond excellent!! I still can't help but wonder about the future of these characters! I went to the library today and got the sequel. Maybe not such a smart idea, seeing as how I had to lay down and take a two hour nap today due to exhaustion!
Anyway, after finishing the book (I am not sure if it was ten minutes later or hours), I realized I knew the name. I checked my notes by my computer to make certain it was the same author and yes, it was. I then said a short prayer to God, thanking him for putting this book in my way. God blesses me with little things like this all the time. I believe he realizes how scatter brained I am and helps me out. In any case, if there are any other "little house on the prairie" lovers out there, you've got to read this book. It is definitely going on the list for required school reading for my kids! I'll let you know if the sequel is as good.
In fact, I suppose I will probably read every book the library has on the shelf by her.
Hope this blog has been worth the reading! Have a great week!
Oh, and if you have a book that just couldn't put down, let us know about it.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Coupons really work!
WOW!!! Okay, I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to save this much. I have used coupons before, but never anything like this.My sister called me one day a few weeks ago and told me to check out a website called MoneySavingMom.com. That is where it all started. I figured it couldn't hurt to save a couple of dollars, especially since we have to buy groceries anyway! So, I started printing off coupons from the internet and buying the Sunday paper(I don't subscribe to any papers). It does take some time to go through the coupons and find the best deals, but that is where websites like MoneySavingMom come in. They find the best deals and let you know about them. This was my first trip after all the hard work of getting started. I think I did pretty good.
So here they are, my totals:
WalMart: Grocery Total was $80.40, Coupon Total was $47.75, Total I spent was $32.65
Target: Grocery Total was $21.41, Coupon Total was $12.10, Total I spent was $9.31
Albertson's: Grocery Total was $67.55, Coupon Total was $30.58, Total I spent was $36.97
Walgreens: Grocery Total was $23.98, Coupon Total was $20.00, Total I spent was $3.98
So all in all I spent $82.91 and saved $110.43! I just can't believe I saved more than I spent. I think I am going to enjoy this coupon thing!
Thanks so much MoneySavingMom (and sis for the idea)!
If you have a great coupon trip to tell, please share! I get excited about these things.
Friday, April 4, 2008
house update...
Just a quick update on the house building... I got to paint today! Now that is exciting! My dad got the cabinets started, so now we can see more clearly what the kitchen will look like. We've got four rooms ready for paint and we've painted the ceiling and under the cabinets already. I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel now!
I had no idea it would be this much work when we started the house back in August of 2007. I knew it would be work, but this is hard work. I love it though. I know that forever in the future, I will look back and remember working on the house with my husband and children and my parents. That makes the work well worth it.
The house is going to be beautiful! I will try to get some pics up next week.
On a seperate note, I am going to be making my rounds in the morning hitting the stores with coupons in hand. Hopefully to find some great bargains and post what I find tomorrow. I am very new at this coupon thing and I am loving it!
Have a fabulous evening everyone!
I had no idea it would be this much work when we started the house back in August of 2007. I knew it would be work, but this is hard work. I love it though. I know that forever in the future, I will look back and remember working on the house with my husband and children and my parents. That makes the work well worth it.
The house is going to be beautiful! I will try to get some pics up next week.
On a seperate note, I am going to be making my rounds in the morning hitting the stores with coupons in hand. Hopefully to find some great bargains and post what I find tomorrow. I am very new at this coupon thing and I am loving it!
Have a fabulous evening everyone!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
One of those days...
I know I am not the only one that has these days. I went to Walgreens today to get my printer cartridge filled for free(there was a coupon for today and I made a special trip just for this). I knew they would be very busy, so I got there before 8:00 this morning. Since I was in town(I have to drive about 25 miles to get into town), I decided to run a few other errands.
A new thing I have been trying is clipping coupons and checking out websites for ideas on good savings for groceries. So, I went to Target and got 6 bags of goldfish crackers and two bars of children's soap and paid $1.60 for all of it! Pretty good start to the day so far.
Then I went to Wal-Mart and got some things there. Of course, the kids are starving by now, so I find some cinnamon rolls on the day old bakery rake and buy a gallon of water and some cups. We ate this at the Subway inside Wal-Mart. I am so thankful they put that place in there. I got a couple bags of groceries here and left with sixty cents in my pocket.
Then off to Hastings where I just knew they would be interested in the used books I had and therefore I might have a little more pocket change. They weren't, but that's okay. Maybe next time. We went straight to the YMCA for some exercise time-basketball and volleyball and of course, this was enjoyed by all of us. We always enjoy playing games together. But about half way through our time there, my daughter slipped on the ball and hurt her tailbone and my son tripped and hurt his pinky. So, time to go.
Next, we catch the Friends of the library bookstore to drop off the books hastings didn't want. Unfortunately, we walked in and the lady said, we're closed. So I didn't get to check out their store yet again. They really have terrible hours. Back in the car and heading to Walgreens to pick up that cartridge.
Sounds too easy doesn't it. After about another hour and a half wait when we get there, come to find out the cartridge isn't any good any more. Go figure. So, I am home now and typing this, fixing to head to the library for some school time. Oh, my daughters decided two minutes after we got home to put the ant farms together that have been sitting on the shelf for months and then go hunt for ants. No bites yet.
My headache is pretty much gone, so I guess we will head to the library. Typical day for us. How about you?
A new thing I have been trying is clipping coupons and checking out websites for ideas on good savings for groceries. So, I went to Target and got 6 bags of goldfish crackers and two bars of children's soap and paid $1.60 for all of it! Pretty good start to the day so far.
Then I went to Wal-Mart and got some things there. Of course, the kids are starving by now, so I find some cinnamon rolls on the day old bakery rake and buy a gallon of water and some cups. We ate this at the Subway inside Wal-Mart. I am so thankful they put that place in there. I got a couple bags of groceries here and left with sixty cents in my pocket.
Then off to Hastings where I just knew they would be interested in the used books I had and therefore I might have a little more pocket change. They weren't, but that's okay. Maybe next time. We went straight to the YMCA for some exercise time-basketball and volleyball and of course, this was enjoyed by all of us. We always enjoy playing games together. But about half way through our time there, my daughter slipped on the ball and hurt her tailbone and my son tripped and hurt his pinky. So, time to go.
Next, we catch the Friends of the library bookstore to drop off the books hastings didn't want. Unfortunately, we walked in and the lady said, we're closed. So I didn't get to check out their store yet again. They really have terrible hours. Back in the car and heading to Walgreens to pick up that cartridge.
Sounds too easy doesn't it. After about another hour and a half wait when we get there, come to find out the cartridge isn't any good any more. Go figure. So, I am home now and typing this, fixing to head to the library for some school time. Oh, my daughters decided two minutes after we got home to put the ant farms together that have been sitting on the shelf for months and then go hunt for ants. No bites yet.
My headache is pretty much gone, so I guess we will head to the library. Typical day for us. How about you?
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