The Thompsons

Cammon turned 3!

2010-12-29T18:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Sunday...

2010-12-29T17:57:00.001-08:00

Coltons Christmas Solo

2010-12-02T20:20:00.001-08:00

Colton performed a solo at school for his Christmas program... words cannot describe how thrilled and excited I was for him!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv7ZkkilMYU

The Holidays...

2010-12-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving morning - The Family

Cam helping make pies for Thanksgiving dinner. Since we have 5 pecan trees in our yard we had plenty of pecans to make a delicious pecan pie... it was superb! We celebrated with wonderful friends and enjoyed watching football and scanning the Black Friday sale ads. After dinner we enjoyed our annual tradition of going out to the movie - and we all made it through Megamind, very funny!

We finally got out our Christmas tree and decorated it. Cam loved looking at all the ornaments and had such a ball helping put them on.

Enjoying eggnog with the hubby after decorating the tree.

Miss Cortlynn turned 4 months during the holiday break and would not lay still long enough for me to take a decent picture.

This picture is a true representation of her hair on a daily basis... it's crazy and wild and gets many compliments when we are out :)

Happy November...

2010-11-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

The fall season has come and Miss Cortlynn is welcoming it in style...
3 months old and enjoying her time in the Great Pumpkin :)

Cammon 10 months old and hating every minute... 2008

Colton 7 months old... 2001

This year for Halloween Colton chose to be Sherlock Holmes, it was a wonderful unique choice. And because Cammon doesn't really have a preference I decided on the fish costume, because it was so cute and bright. They had a full week of Trunk or Treats, trick or treating at the Ranching Heritage Center, activities at the library and school parties.

We chose not to trick or treat on Sunday and didn't bother buying any candy since we didn't think that we would have any kids... turns out our neighborhood gets packed with kids and we were the bums with no candy, so our lights and decorations were off all night... boooo... we are going to be ready for next year!

At the beginning of October we took a week long trip to Utah to see family and enjoy the mountains... we even toured BYU campus (which Stephen practically grew up on) and although we are not Cougars, the boys were gifted with BYU hats and helmets.

We visited with some friends who moved away to Utah...

We spent the majority of our time with Stephens parents who came all the way from Korea...

And Grandpa Tab was so willing to tour Salt Lake with us even though he lives there...

Cammon took a mini basketball camp (which turned out to be really lame) but he loved every second of it... he loves basketball... and here he is with his team shirt and basketball shoes!

Miss Cortlynn turned 3 months and started eating rice cereal... much earlier then my boys but I had a feeling that she was ready and I was right... she loves the stuff and enjoys being fed in the high chair like a big girl.And a quick pic of Cammon enjoying some playtime at the mall with Mom...

5 Years...

2010-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

We've come a long way... and the journey is still not over... loving every minute!

Bees Pleeze...

2010-09-23T08:47:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when we moved into our house to find out that we had a pear tree in the back yard... I was planning on picking them when they were ripe and enjoying them all winter (pears are Stephens favorite)... but I honestly never could figure out when they were ripe and then they started falling and the next thing I know...

the ground and tree were covered in bees! :( I rake the pears up and more fall and more bees come... it's become very overwhelming. Unfortunately, the pear tree takes up half our yard so playing outside has become harder to do (although Cam and Colt don't seem to think that bees will hurt them and walk right in the middle of them). The bees are so busy gathering nectar that they don't really bother us at all... its just super annoying and something that will happen every year. Pear trees and bees go hand in hand. So now I am looking into sterilizing my tree so it wont produce fruit anymore (which is super sad because I was so happy to have a fruit tree).

And look who is 2 months old already! Hooray... I must say that the first few weeks with this girl were painful, she cried a lot and just seemed very unhappy and Stephen and I were going crazy with all the walking and rocking and patting and shushing... but time works things out and we have finally figured each other out. :) Her hair is still as wild as ever and shes getting more beautiful everyday...

Sunday...

2010-08-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Going to church late in the afternoon means we get to spend our whole morning in our pjs playing... makes for a perfectly relaxing, lazy day... nothing ever gets done...

...and after seeing this picture I have become aware of how much damage I did to myself while pregnant with my little beauty queen...

I have a lot of work to do :)

One Month Old

My new yard man...

2010-08-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Now that Colton is home he can start mowing our monster of a yard so I can quite paying "David" to do it... lets face it David costs more...

apparently though my neighbor doesn't think Colton should have to do such hard labor and came out of his house to tell Colt that... really!!! the kids almost 10 and the mower is self propelled... and fyi he gets paid... it's just really hard because I really like the neighbor (they gave us free bean seeds last month) and now I have to question my real feelings about them... well at least my yard is mowed...

My friends rock...

2010-08-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Cynthia and Kristy are awesome friends and I absolutely love hanging with them... Cynthia loves to knit (booooring) and Kristy loves to have kids really close together (craaaazy) so we all naturally became great friends... here we are at Olive Garden eating out with just the girls so Owen and Tanner had to stay home but cutie Cortlynn got to come (girls rule and boys drool)... thanks for a wonderful evening... even though my salad dressing had to be put on the side :)

neti pot

2010-08-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

We received our free neti pot in the mail today (i emphasise free because i would never buy a pot you stick up your nose) ... we all tried it out... very exciting... even more exciting is the fact that they really do exist... i thought everyone was making the whole thing up!

Sunday Best...

2010-08-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

The kids in their Sunday best... this was Corts first time to church... I know shes only 3 weeks old but she is so big and alert that I figured she would enjoy a reason to get all dressed up... she was wonderful and slept the whole time in mommys sling... she loves to be "worn"...

and this week Cam decided to remodel his kitchen....

before...

and after...

he loves his new kitchen... it has a microwave (which makes food cook faster) and an ice machine in the fridge door... he spends a lot of time in his kitchen and loves to cook along with mom at dinner time... future Master Chef...

almost over...

2010-08-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Cortlynn had her first bath... I waited until she was over 2 weeks old and had finally lost her loverly newborn smell... now she smells like store bought night time soap and lotion... not as loverly but still sweet... and I love that all my kids have pictures of their first bath in this tub... that means its really old :)

... and does anyone elses 2 year old stand right infront of the TV when watching a movie? so annoying and the TV gets so filthy becuase not only does it get touched but licked and spilled on... and during the whole movie all you can hear is "cammon can you move... move please... MOVE!!!"...

just another lazy summer day...

Saturday...

2010-08-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Stephens new hobby has involved shooting guns... a lot... which is fine with me considering I grew up with animal heads hanging all over the house. So after buying ME a BB gun (pictured above) to shoot the neighbors crazy dog and those pesky Blue Jays he decided it was time for the boys to be involved (about time... Colton is 9). Cammon was so excited to shoot the gun he hardly could contain himself...

Where am I, you ask? I am holding the camera and the little beauty that is now 2 weeks old. She has become one of those babies that doesn't sleep unless your holding her (uuuggghhhh) or should I say one of those babies that has to be held WHEN she sleeps... because she hardly does that during the day. We are adjusting to the little addition and I even attempted taking all three kids to McDonalds for breakfast and after Cammon pooped in his underwear, a chocolate milk dumped all over the floor, Cortlynn decided to have a meltdown, hardly any breakfast was touched and poor Colton got sick to his stomach we left after 20 minutes. That was hard! But I was so proud of myself because I stayed so calm and collected as I dragged everyone out of the restaurant while listening to my 2 year old screaming about poop... so after lecturing Colton about helping me out more (since he is like really old) I decided that I will miss these kinds of days because unfortunately they do grow up :(

One week down...

2010-07-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

One week old!

We've made it a whole week! I like to countdown the first 6 weeks in my babies lives because after that my life can resume to normal. We don't leave the house, we don't like lots of visitors and we take the time to really get to know each others personalities and mannerisms. It keeps me sane and allows me an excuse to not have to rush around and get things done... plus I like staying home and just relaxing... it's very refreshing. Cortlynn has turned out to be such a sweet, quiet baby... hardly ever cries. She eats like crazy and never seems full and is very alert at certain times of the day and unfortunately at 11 at night. Cammon has warmed up to her but is finding it very frustrating to have to share mommy with someone else.

Speaking of Cammon...

Here he is with his most favorite things in the whole world... his basketball (and his "Wildcats team shirt"... from High School Musical)! He LOVES basketball and wants to play it and watch it all day. I introduced him to the High School Musical basketball dance scene and it now gets watched or listened to every morning... over and over and over again... until mommy gets really annoyed and makes him turn it off. He has a basketball hoop inside and outside and really works hard at making baskets and dribbling. We think this is going to be his thing... which could be fun since older brother hasn't really shown any big interests in any particular sport.

We are all really excited to see Colton today who is flying in from Dallas where he has been all summer... he will be meeting Cortlynn for the first time... and I am thrilled because he is really happy about having a sister. Hopefully he hasn't changed to much!

Cortlynn Diane

2010-07-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

Say "hello" to the new little addition to the Thompson family!

My home birth story... On Thursday I woke up feeling "crampy" thinking it was a result from the castor oil that I had downed the day before. The "cramps" were coming and going all morning but nothing to unbearable so I cleaned the house (because the midwives were coming for a visit and hopefully get my labor started) and sewed a few things for Cammon. At about 11 the midwives showed up and decided to check me (this would be the first internal I had ever had with the midwives) and they were shocked to see that I was at 6 dilation and 90% effaced with no outside signs of labor. I still was a little skeptical about the whole thing considering I was 41.5 weeks and felt like I would never go into labor. We all decided that the crampy feelings I had been having all morning must be contractions and they left me with a breast pump and told me to get to work on that and hopefully I could get some of them really started. In less then an hour my contractions were down to 5 minutes apart and incredibly manageable... I was busy laughing and talking with Stephen in our room only stopping momentarily for each contraction. At about 2:30 I was moving into the serious stage of labor so I turned on some Jack Johnson and began focusing more on my contractions which were coming closer together and more painful (I would pace back and forth and drop to all fours once a contraction started)... I absolutely loved being able to move around and do what I wanted and not be tied down to anything. The midwives would occasionally come in to check the babies heartbeat and ask how things were going but mostly they just stayed out of me way. Very quickly I knew that I was moving into the last stage of labor and had everything turned off and laid down on the bed and began having very intense contractions. After about 6 contractions which made me want to die my body took over and it was time to push. This was the most incredible part of the entire labor process which only took about 15 minutes and was the only time I was actually vocal. At this stage I did not have to do anything because my body just instinctly knew exactly what to do to get the baby out. It was a perfect delivery with no complications (even though she was born at home... for all you skeptics) and was practically born in her sack of water... which really excited the midwives. I honestly imagined a home birth to be so different then what I experienced... I thought it would be a little more intense and serious and instead it was so calm and free and relaxing and felt wonderful to be in my own environment. Stephen commented on how much better the whole process was for me and felt so much more involved with the whole birth. For all those wondering... the mess was so minimal (I don't have stains on my sheets or carpet) the midwives took care of everything and made it look so easy and perfect. I am so happy with my deicision to bring Cortlynn into the world this way and am so grateful for a husband and midwives that supported my choice and kept me sane through my whole pregnancy.

Here we all are right after the birth...

Daddy and his little girl...

So happy shes finally here...

Baby Cortlynn getting weighed in... 9 lbs. 9 oz.

The wonderful midwives and our chubby baby girl...

MOOOOO....

2010-07-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today was dress up like a cow and eat free at Chick-fil-a... HOORAY! Cammon joined his friends Kylie and Bryson and dressed up for some yummy chicken and fries... mommas joined in too and scored some free lunch also! Surprisingly we were the only ones dressed up for this holiday. Cam was so excited to get his lunch and woke up this morning talking about it... so fun!

Summer 2010

2010-07-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

Summer has been lazy and uneventful for us... which is exactly how we like it... after moving and going to Korea we have loved staying close to home... Colton has been gone for the summer so Cam has had the advantage of being an only child... at least until little Cortlynn comes...

Cam and I have been traveling back and forth to Midland for "baby midwife" visits quite often and love getting to stop off at Grandmas for fun day visits...

Getting a new house in order takes a lot of frequent visits to Home Depot... we have been going about everyday for just about everything... and this is how we roll...
My dear husband put in new wood floors in the living room all on his own (after the disaster in our old house we chose a much better quality and easier to manage floor)... it looks so good...

We also spent about a month without a master bath as we had it remodeled... yes i am pregnant and knocking all the yucky tile off the walls... pregnancy has not stopped me from completing a lot of projects around the house... it's harder to complete a job but not impossible...

Cam looks forward on Saturday mornings to go garage saleing... he has learned that I am so much more willing to buy toys when they cost next to nothing... and yes he is wearing underwear... potty training was super easy as it was with Colt... I don't know if I have just been blessed to have really easy potty training kids or if I am just awesome at teaching it... love the vacuum that he got for a quarter (can you believe its normally a $40 kids vacuum... that's how much my real working vacuum cost!!!)

And for cuteness only... Cam is in love with Blues Clues (Steve version) and has a notebook and had designated the big armchair as the thinking chair in the TV room until we found this "real Blues Clues thinking chair" on Craigslist... So exciting!!! He adores it...

And as I sit here I am 39 weeks and 2 days preggo waiting to have this little darling girl... can't wait to add her to our little family!

My feelings exactly...

2010-05-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is how I am feeling about my house right now... completely insane! I'm just waiting for our water heater to fall through the second floor... that would be a laugh!!!

KOREA...

2010-04-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break we packed up and headed to South Korea to enjoy two full weeks of foreign fun and food. Stephens parents are stationed there in the Army and my parents actually lived there in the 70's when my dad was in the army so visiting was personal to both of us. Being in Korea was a completely different experience for us compared to other overseas vacations we have had... we really felt "foreign"!!! The people were overly nice (unlike France) and absolutely LOVED Cammon and couldn't stop touching and taking pictures of him. Not a lot of the people spoke English (and when they did their accent was so strong I still couldn't understand them) so communicating was a challenge everywhere we went. Traveling pregnant with a two year old in tow is not something that I would ever recommend and will probably never do again but I do appreciate the experience of visiting! The food was the best part of the trip for Stephen... he LOVES kimchi (yuck) and even learned how to make it. I had had enough of the food and got miserably sick the night this picture was taken... still can't stomach even looking at Korean food!!!

The fish market in Korea was an incredible place to view exotic sea creatures that actually get eaten... it was like being in an aquarium!!

Koreans love to eat and have extensive side dishes... this was one meal... of course he loved it!

Stephen posing with the DMZ guard... they are in their Tae Kwon Do ready to fight stance...

This is one of the local markets... they can be found in the back alleys and have anything and everything you need or want...

A totally cute Korean character that I just had to meet...

Changing of the guards at one of the temples...

Doing hard labor in the Korean Folk Village...

Posing in China Town in Korea... Cammon was such a trooper everywhere we went.

SOOO YUMMY...

2010-02-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

While I'm not packing to move (tomorrow, yikes) I'm usually eating and stuffing my face with crap because I'm preggers and I find its a great excuse to eat everything and anything... sooooo

during one of my "walk down the frozen desert aisles in Wal-Mart" moments I discovered this...

at .75 cents I bought two, one for me and one for the hubs... but i ended up drinking both of them cuz they are that good... hooray for totally yummy easy-to-make milkshakes!!!!

Our New Home...

2010-02-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

After taking our home off the market and feeling great about it, putting in wonderful new floors which we love, and meeting a fantastically persuasive and energetic realtor we hesitated with knots in our stomachs and put our home back on the market.

(By much persuasion from the realtor.)

It sold in 4 days...

and this is our new home...

HOME SWEET HOME!

I gotta say it was a good day...

2010-01-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

It's only 8:45 in the morning... so far my day has started out great!

Perspective...

2010-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

Seven months ago we decided to put our house on the market. Not becuase we had to but becuase we wanted to find something that we would be happier with. We did not feel about our house as we had when we bought it.... we had fallen out of love with it. As people trampled in and out of our house on a daily basis I always wondered what they thought of my family and of me personally... a house says a lot about a person.

I would wonder if they knew that the "Pineapple Citrus" that I had painted the majority of my home was one of my favorite things about this house and that it looked so warm at night and so welcoming during the day...

I would wonder if they knew how great the basement was and that throwing the kids down there and not seeing the mess they made was wonderful...

I would wonder if they knew that it took me over a year to choose the "Ginseng Red" on our bedroom walls (becuase it never takes me that long to choose a color) and that the ceilings were one of the main reasons we liked the room becuase our enromous bed would actually fit...

I would wonder if they knew that they kids bathroom makeover was one of the first projects my hubby and I worked on together... and although there was a lot of screaming and crying we got it done successfully and are so happy with the results...

I would wonder if they knew how fun the backyard was for our kids and how much time we would spend out there in the summer and how much I loved to watch my little garden grow...

I would wonder what they thought of my countertops which are not granite but a much cheaper alternative that I am so happy with...
I would wonder if they appreciated seeing the Temple through the front window as much as we did and that at night, all lit up, it was just beautiful...

I would wonder if they felt as I did the first time I walked into this house and just knew that it was the home for my family and how we had to outbid another buyer to get it...

As I thought about all the wonderful things about this house that other people should be seeing I realized that I was once again in love with my home. I began to see all the wonderful little things that I had been too busy to and could not imagine someone else appreciating this house like I do. Sometimes we get so caught up wishing that we had what so and so does that we miss the really special things that we already have. So we took our house off the market and feel great about it!

2010-01-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

I KNOW!!!!

Are you as excited as I am... can you believe it!!!

Who could ask for better news...

And although it's been really hard to wait these last few short months I am so happy that Biggest Loser will be returning to my Tuesday night viewing pleasure! Can not wait.

Oh and if you didn't notice... I have finally added the ever popular preggo ticker to my sidebar... all my friends were doing it so I decided to jump on board. Cool huh... thats pretty exciting too!

Even though this pregnancy has been really tough on me emotionally and physically (we have had and continue to have quite a few scares) this baby has been wanted for along time and I hope all goes smoothly (my fingers are crossed).

Hooray for me!

The New Year...

2010-01-01T14:03:00.001-08:00

Advice for the new year... before pulling up all the carpet in your house and jackhammering out the tile in your kitchen to lay hard wood floors, know HOW to lay hard wood floors... or you may be stuck with cement floors for two weeks while you try to figure out what to do. And youtube videos about laying wood floors do not count, they make it look WAY to easy!

So after bringing in the professionals who know what they are doing we now have floors... and just in time for Cammon to play with his super new birthday toy from Korea... Grandma Sarah always sends the coolest gifts becuase she always lives in the coolest places... yes it rolls around the house and sings in Korean... how great is that...

...now what project will I be trying to attempt next... because home improvement is so my thing!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-10-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

I introduced my family to the fun of Geocaching... at least Colton and I love it... so we traveled as a family to a nearby town to discover a pretty weird landmark and a hard to find cache... Colt found it... he was so stoked!

Saturday evening, we started our Halloween season off by visiting the local pumpkin trail... it was a very long trail full of tons of people with lots of carved pumpkins... ok, it was fun and some pumpkins were definitly worth seeing... like my little pumpkin head... :)

2009-10-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

www.silversixpencephotography.blogspot.com

2009-10-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Colton has been doing so good at school I decided to treat him to a treat... Krispy Kremes... I love the hats...

2009-10-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Colt in all his Cub Scout glory... just returned from Camp Post Scout camp this past weekend... where he had a wonderful time shooting BB Guns and bow and arrows... boys are so much fun!

Procrasinators Party - before...

2009-10-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am joining Melissa at The Inspired Room for a procrastinators party... at first I couldn't think of any project that I have been putting off... until I remembered this still sitting in my garage...its a childrens size play fridge... needing a major make-over to match its all ready finished partner the play stove, oven and sink... I adore the Pottery Barn Kids kitchen sets ranging in price from $299 to $499... but found this all wood set on Craigslist for $15... Cammon loves to play with the set which sadly had to be pulled to the garage while the house is in showing mode... but I think it will be pulled back inside once it's all finished to be enjoyed... who cares if its in the way... right?!?!

2009-10-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Cam and I play at the park while Colt takes piano. He wanted to try the swings which lasted for about 30 seconds... because unlike his brother, Cammon hates to swing! But he does love to pretend a potato is a ball and throw it around the house... so it's all good.

Happy Anniversary...

2009-10-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

10-8-2005

It's crazy I'm thinking
Just knowing that the world is round
Here I'm dancing on the ground
Am I right side up or upside down
Is this real or am I dreaming?
-Dave Matthews

Me??....

2009-10-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks Cam... I know :)

HOUSE HUNTERS... Have you seen it?

2009-10-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Our house is on the market... and has been for longer then we were hoping for. We do not "have" to move but would "like" to move into something that fits our needs better... possibly in the near future. The other day our realtor called and asked if we would mind having our home featured on the HGTV show House Hunters... apparently the producers chose our home from the market in Lubbock for the "potential buyers" to tour. Even though the "potential buyers" have already purchased their home and evidently the whole show is "set up" we were still pretty thrilled for our home to be picked. After watching the show numerous times I am reminded at how nit picky and tacky some of the buyers were to some of the homes they toured.. it makes me nervous about what comments they are going to make about my home... and what TV viewers will think about my home... OH... makes me rethink this whole thing!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

2009-10-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Stephen turns 28 today!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!

In honor of his birthday I surprised him with a Star Trek Mystery dinner party with 6 of our friends. We enjoyed pretending to be different Star Trek characters as we tried to figure out the "mystery" while wearing our designated Star Trek shirts and gorging on wonderful food.

Isn't that an awesome cake I had made for him...

Colton enjoyed the party as our official greeter...

Stephen also received this Lacquer Box all the way from Korea from his parents...
we can't wait to visit them in Korea at Spring Break...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBY!!!!

alone time...

2009-10-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

thank goodness for cages.... i mean cribs...
i wasn't feeling good the whole day and really needed to sleep so thank goodness my son enjoys alone time in his crib because that's where he was most of the day!!! fortunately for me he hasn't figured out how to get out of his crib... as long as he has some books and a few toys he can last for about 3 hours... i know i am soooo lucky!

Chef Colton...

2009-09-28T15:50:00.001-07:00

I picked up this book for Colt after watching Paula Deen on the view and just falling in love with her... she is soooo country...this book is one of the best childrens cookbooks I've seen... she has included "real" dinner and dessert recipes with pictures and easy instructions... not just how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...

so tonight Colt made sloppy joes for us all by himself for dinner...

Fall Festival...

2009-09-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a small fall festival at our local community center in town. Colton spent much of his time putting together a great looking scarecrow for the "Scarecrow Contest"... but didn't win. The boys played a lot of little games and took a few bucket and hayrides while mom shopped the arts and crafts booths. It was the perfect start to one of my favorite times of years.

CRUNCH...

2009-09-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

Our local mall candy store challenges young shoppers to a "Fear Factor" stunt by eating a dead cricket in the store. The stunt also comes along with a reward - their mugshot stuck to the wall next to all the other insect eaters in the mall. Colton has been talking about trying out the challenge for a few months now and finally gave in today - his cricket of choice was the sour cream and onion flavored cricket. After asking a million questions about the entire stunt, he finally crunched down on the flavored snack in front of a few fellow shoppers. He was thrilled to have an audience and described to us how delicious it was as he grabbed for his "real" candy and started chomping it down!

** At Colts soccer game on Saturday I looked down at Cammon as he was finishing a snack he had found in my purse... it was the box of grasshoppers... they were all gone!

Morning...

2009-09-24T12:40:00.001-07:00

Colton really wanted his picture taken this morning before school with Cammon...

morning is the best time of the day at our house... Colt gets himself up, dressed, lunch packed, breakfast made, and gets himself to school on his bike all on his own... and he's only 8... we have worked very hard to train him to be independent and take care of himself... so we don't have an 18 year old who has no idea how to turn on the washing machine (yes, they are out there)...

now we are working on Cammon... he just doesn't seem to get the whole "get your own breakfast and change your own diaper" idea... hmmmm, someday...

VROOOOOM...

2009-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Colton is now in Cub Scouts and loves it... for his Pack Meeting they wanted the boys to decorate a box as a car for one of the activities... its quite amusing watching him run around in a box car... and he decorated it all on his own...

CHEE CHEE CHEE...

2009-09-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Cammon has been feeling very under the weather the past few days... today is so far the worst... hacking cough and all... but no matter how bad he feels or what might be going on around him he is always ready for a picture... he even lets us know he wants his picture taken by saying "chee chee chee" and posing by standing very still and throwing his head back... he is extremely tired here... his poor cough will not let him rest...

we also pulled out some of our Halloween decor today and found this costume that I bought last year for him.. although I totally forgot about it and already decided on a different costume Cam tried it on for pure pleasure... he hated it and wanted it off right after this picture was taken...

2009-08-26T20:52:00.001-07:00

Colt and I visited the grave of Buddy Holly... who just happens to be a native of Lubbock, Texas. Look at all the treasures that were left for him... what a treat!

Have a musubi day...

2009-07-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have never been to Hawaii and will probably never make it to Hawaii (hubby hates the beach) but I have a fantastic friend who actually lived in Hawaii and shared with me a treat from the paradise state. This evening I dived right in and created the tropical treat Musubi which is a mixture of sushi and Spam! A piece of seaweed, some sushi rice and a slice of fried spam rolled up makes a yummy snack and makes me feel just a little bit closer to Hawaii.

(I watched a 7 minute video on how to make this on youtube and

I just summed it up in one sentence!)

Aloha and enjoy!

And now check out my garden... the only things that actually made it were the cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes... I found this great old fence in my alley - the new dog has begun to dig up everything including my veggies...

And the little one...

Our new little bundle of joy...

2009-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Announcing the arrival of

Sir Didymus Thompson

He is a Miniature Schnauzer mix rescued after being completetly ignored and covered with fleas. This poor little guy is still recovering from his mistreatment and is culture shocked as we attempt to acclimate him to his new home!

ISN"T HE THE CUTEST!

Paint Party

2009-06-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am so excited... Melissa over at 320 Sycamore is hosting a paint party! My favorite thing about my house is the wonderful colors I surround myself with. I tend to gravitate towards colors that reflect my personality and I choose them based on what will make me happy every time I look at them... but don't we all do that!
My living area is painted in Kilz Pineapple Citrus... I LOVE this color... it is a refreshing, happy color... and so inviting... The downstairs basement TV/play room is painted in Kilz Sprig of Sage...The color is so relaxing and makes the small space feel calm...

I will soon be repainting my office with a more sophisticated color that I found on Melissa's blog... I love finding new colors to transform the look in my home.

Thank you Melissa for hosting such a fun party!

2009-06-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I took the boys and myself to the Metroplex for a mini-vacation... my weekend consisted of repainting my BFF Tracy's bathroom...

visiting a Wildlife Safari preserve...

and hanging out with this sweet little girl...

To Check Out...

2009-05-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Bertie over at http://www.bertie411.blogspot.com/ is giving away a Pilate's DVD. She has dedicated her site to improving her readers health with exercise and diet tips. Who doesn't love a Friday freebie!!!

The Bathroom Redo...

2009-05-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my hubby and I tackled the boys/guest bathroom... the walls were entirely covered with this.... the original paper when the house was built over 15 years ago... and strangely enough I think this is the same paper that is in my parents bathroom... I was having deja vu while stripping it down... hhhmmmm....

The cabinetry was white so it got a coat of dark, dark brown and the top half of the walls were texturized and painted white (which was an odd color for me to paint... I NEVER use white unless I'm painting baseboards) and the bottom of the walls were covered in beadboard and a coat of a lovely grayish blue... which i LOVE!

I will soon be getting a few beach themed pictures up from Etsy and a starfish or two for a chic beach feel without all the cheesy seashell decor...

I am now rethinking the white shower curtain, the white walls, the white rug, and white in general... especially after finding mud splattered all over the walls and mirror because the Lego men had to take a bath after being outside....

Backyardigans...

2009-05-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have been working really hard during these Spring months getting our backyard to be a fun and nice place to be... Cam loves to be outside digging, exploring and getting wet... we spend a lot of our days in the backyard which makes all the work very rewarding!I taught Cam to get his much needed water breaks from the hose... ok... seriously, like who didn't do that?!?!

Our square foot garden is starting to produce some fun things for us... hopefully we will soon have veggies galore!

The Zoo... in Abilene...

2009-05-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was itching to take her kiddos to the zoo... Lubbock does not have a Zoo but Abilene does (which is only 2 1/2 hours away)... as I am always up for a road trip I volunteered my time and services to accompany them. Despite the zoo being incredibly depressing and animal-less we had a fantastic time with the kiddos and with each other. Thanks for the fun memories!

Colton's Baptism...

2009-05-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

Colton was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 25th, 2009. He was very happy and excited for this day and it turned out wonderful.

Colt and Grandpa and the fiery dart of Satan.

Look who's walking....

2009-05-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2009-04-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

Cammon had a friend over today to play... they had so much fun together playing with toys and sharing chicken mcnuggets... and I survived a trip taking Colt to the dentist with two babies... I think I'm pretty happy with just one :)

Kitchen Counter Redo...

2009-04-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

We decided to have our countertops painted instead of installing new ones... two guys wrapped our house up with plastic and tape, took two days spray painting the tops and made a major improvement in the kitchen... although the second day smell was unbearable...

Happy Days...

2009-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Our countertops are getting redone in our kitchen... they are a salmon color which is not very appealing... so for the next three days we will not have a sink or a stove... which means i have two less chores for next couple of days... YEA!

Birthday Boy...

2009-04-13T13:39:00.001-07:00

Isn't it great.... Colton is 8!

Happy Easter...

2009-04-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived...

2009-04-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

along with warm weather and wild winds... which has not stopped some of us from getting outside and enjoying the new season...

Colt and his friends played a little Star Wars... even though they spent half an hour discussing who was going to be what character, at what age, in which episode... We attempted to fly kites... they wind over took our sorry little Wal-Mart kites...

and Cam learned how to climb stairs and slide... I was sooo excited about that!

My spring decor... must have nests and eggs...

HAPPY SPRING!

Happy Birthday to Me...

2009-04-01T11:06:00.001-07:00

My hubby came through with a wonderful surprise for my birthday...

a Twilight cake from Mrs. Camps Bakery and the special edition movie!

Just Dance....

2009-03-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else becoming overly obsessed with Dancing With the Stars? I was only introduced to the show after stumbling on it over the internet when I was unable to watch anything else... and have become hooked!

Is it not hot that Ty Murray is shaking it on stage...

or that a complete dork, who will never be a good dancer, is not ashamed to show it all off...
and who would have thought that Lil'Kim or Steve-O could handle being normal and decent on live TV...
Being a non-dancer I have become inspired to take dance lessons with my professional dancer (that would be Stephen - he does know how to dance and constantly reminds me that I can't)!

Sick day...

2009-03-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Cammon and I took a sick day today... what better way to spend it then to dump all the toys in the middle of the floor and raid the candy bucket... at least he had a good time!

Eavesdropping...

2009-03-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Baby monitors aren't only good for hearing your baby's cries but they are excellent at listening in on neighbors! The other night I could hear music playing somewhere in my house but could not for the life of me figure out where it was coming from... until this morning when I put Cam down for his nap and suddenly could very clearly hear a woman's voice through his baby monitor. Of course I jumped to action and ran to his room only to discover that no one was there... but the woman's voice was loud and clear. This mystery woman was busy talking to her baby and having conversations with her husband about a bill and talking on the phone about how cute her daughter was going to look in some adorable outfit. I know all of this information because somehow my baby monitor no longer monitors my baby but now monitors some other home in my neighborhood. No... I have not figured out who's home I am now lucky enough to listen in on but am patiently gathering context clues from their conversations to find them! I am secretly wishing though that my secret family was more exciting... and that I could catch them doing something illegal and be the hero of my subdivision. Now I am left wondering if someone is listening in on my family... kinda creepy.

Jump, Jump...

2009-02-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed watching Colton show off his jump roping skills at his PE program at school. We were very excited! His favorite jump trick is the leprechaun dance?!?! The kids who particpated in the program had to try out and Colt made it! Way to go!
And no Cam is not walking yet... but has recently, like as of today, is interested in walking as long as he is holding someones hands or pushing something solid. Very soon!

Like magic...

2009-02-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the pleasure of seeing David Copperfield and his great illusions. Not only did we have 2nd row seats but Stephen was chosen to go up on stage and participate in one of the BIG sets. After David embarrassed him with some personal questions about our love life...giggle...he was told to hug a large metal beam and was draped with a large cloth... and five seconds later when the cloth was removed a real 1949 Lincoln Convertible was over him on top of the beam! I kept asking him where the car came from and all he could say was that he had no idea... it just appeared! It was wild. And of course in true Copperfield magic, he himself disappeared along with 13 guests. It was of course unbelievable to be there in real life and so much fun to see Colt's face after each trick! I still don't know how he does it!

cookie monster...

2009-01-30T05:07:00.000-08:00

Someone found the cookies... ...

recycle your old crayons...

2009-01-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

Instead of giving candy out this Valentines day in Colton's class,

we decided to recycle old crayons into these...Melt the wax in a coke can in a boiling pot of water...

Then pour into some cute mold shapes

(I found these soft heart shaped molds at Dollar Tree)...This super idea came from an ultra cool website http://howtomakestuff.com/.

Must check out!

Spread the Love...

2009-01-29T09:19:00.001-08:00

One of my very favorite sites to get ideas from during the holiday seasons is http://www.familyfun.com/. I have never enjoyed just buying store bought Valentines, writing some kids name on it and passing them out with a piece of candy. Colton and I search the site each year to find a Valentines card idea that we love and we sit down on a Saturday and prepare them together. I love the way home-made Valentines look made by the hands of the giver. And for those of you who don't want to get crafty they even have printable Valentine cards for free! Enjoy and spread the love!

FREE Dr Pepper...

2009-01-27T10:59:00.000-08:00

Go here to snag a free 20 oz or 2 liter bottle of Diet Dr Pepper... I have officially been off caffeine for the past 4 weeks so I will NOT be getting a free bottle... :(

Free Photo Valentine Cards...

2009-01-26T13:02:00.000-08:00

Go here to get 6 free Valentines with free shipping... use the code valentine at checkout. I ordered a set to be sent out to Grandparents!

Free Movie Monday...

2009-01-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

Todays Redbox promo code is...
57VH9L
Happy viewing!

Bath and Body Works Coupon...

2009-01-20T10:46:00.001-08:00

Go here to print off (as many as you like) coupons to receive a free signature collection item with any purchase in the store. That means by a nail file for $1 and get a free bottle of lotion! Great deal.

Hoorray Photobooks...

2009-01-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hurry over to www.hoorray.com and put together a photobook for only $7.99 (shipping)... use the promotional code bzzalbum when ordering and the price of the book ($34.95) will be taken off. I ordered my book today and am excited to see how it turns out. The promotion is for the large photobook and ends today!

Free Movie Monday...

2009-01-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Redbox promo code for today is...

K6W3G4

Happy viewing!

Beaver boy...

2009-01-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

Apparently a beaver lives in Cammon's room. This morning I discovered my sons front rail on his bed completely gnawed from one end to the other... is he trying to eat his way out!?!

Homemade Yogurt...

2009-01-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

What?!? You can make yogurt at home... how fun!

Begin with only a few ingredients...

8 cups milk

1 cup powdered milk

2 Tb vanilla

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 sugar (optional)

Bring the 8 cups of milk to 185 degrees on the stove. Use a candy thermometer... it should not be boiling and stir so that it doesn't burn on the bottom.When the milk has reached the temperature take is off the heat and cool it down to 110 degrees.

I put my pot in a bowl of ice water to speed up the process.

When the milk has cooled to 110 degrees add the remaining ingredients.

Now pour into your desired containers (make sure what ever container you use has a lid that can be sealed pretty good).

Now place your containers into the oven (if your oven is electric) with the pilot light on to keep the yogurt at a constant temperature of 90-110 degrees. If you are like me with an electric oven get a cooler and place the containers inside. Fill the cooler with 110 degree tap water. The water should come right up under the lid. If you use the cooler method be prepared to check on the water temperature about every two hours. If the water gets to cool then dump some out and fill it back up with warm water. Your yogurt should stay in the warm environment for up to 10 hours. It will be ready in about 6 but the longer the better!

After the yogurt is finished place the containers in the fridge to make cold. Eat plain or add fruit for a yummy treat! Trust me it's totally edible.

$40 Grocery Week...

2009-01-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

Todays shopping trip... Wal-Mart and United. My total came to $41.39 (what?!?... I know I went over budget by $1.39. No excuse....
Chicken was B1/G1 Free so I will be using a lot of chicken recipes... ( I didn't have enough money for ground turkey... so I will also be cooking up a turkey from the stash that we bought months ago to grind some up)
My menu for this week comes from the wonderful Thompson family collection...
Mon - Fazolis (for $.99 kids meals and free wings at Buffalo Wild Wings - credit to Steve)
Tues - Citrus-Ginger Chicken
Wed - French Onion Soup
Thurs - Easy Manicotti
Frid - Left Overs
Sat - Creamy Chicken - Rice Cassarole
Sun - Ministroni (Olive Garden Recipe) - I am so excited to try this one out

Fazolis...

2009-01-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Sign up today at www.fazolis.com and join the club for some great weekly coupons for eating out. Just for signing up receive up to 3 coupons for a free spaghetti entree with purchase of a drink. fast.fresh.italian.

Redbox Free Movie Monday...

2009-01-12T08:54:00.001-08:00

The Redbox promo code for today is...
H48MX2
Expires tonight (Mon, Jan 12) at midnight.
Happy viewing!

Doober...

2009-01-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

Don't not let this sweet faced Doober (Cammon) fool you... he is trying to become quite the man in charge around our house. Just because he has no capabilities of an understandable language does not stop him from screaming his demands at the top of his lungs. I am beginning to think that he is old enough for time outs - but he is so darn cute - except when the screaming is directed at me or is 5 inches away from my ear!

Ebay Rocks...

2009-01-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

For Cammon's first birthday my mother sent a small memento from my childhood...
a year-to-year birthday candle clown from Avon from 1983. Although it only goes to age 4 it is a small reminder of my earlier years, it always sat in the china cabinet and even though I don't ever remember it being used, I at least remember looking at it and playing with it. I was thrilled to now own the small glass clown and used it on top of 'Cammon's small cupcake. How devastating it was when the following week it went crashing to the ground into a million small pieces. How this clown survived 25 years in a house with 5 children and yet can't make it a week in my serene household is beyond me! Oh what joy I felt when alas someone on Ebay was selling one with the original box and candle. I had to bid, and would be relentless. Although, I was the only bidder... it seems others did not see the value in the clown... this purchase meant the world to me. Thank you Ebay seller fjk2525! Now the world is right again.

Our new challenge...

2009-01-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Yes... my grocery budget had to be increased...

Since I'm not pregnant (yet everyone else I know is) I decided to start, with Stephen, the 12 week Body for Life challenge. Never heard of it?!? Well check it out online. Downside... you have to stick to a very regimented workout program and drink lots of protein and creatine, upside... you get to eat 6 times a day. It's totally intense... way up my alley! :) We even took before pics... HA like I would post them here! SCARY!

Blazin' Good....

2008-12-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

Stephen kindly included the boys in his new Tuesday tradition... buffalo wings at Buffalo Wild Wings for there 40 cent wing day! Not only did they love the wings but they looked so CUTE in the Wing Man hats. YUM!

Who's that kid...

2008-12-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

Cammon has turned one and in celebration received his first "real" haircut... now he will no longer be mistaken for a girl. Goodbye sweet curls!

HAPPY HANUKAH...

2008-12-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight the eight days of Hanukah begins... we started our annual tradition by the lighting of the first candle while enjoying some joyful Hanukah music! Although, we are not Jewish we enjoy learning about and celebrating the holiday and religion of our ancestors.

Bath and Body Works... Love it... FREE PRODUCTS

2008-12-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

Print this and get a free trial size item with ANY purchase in the store.
Print this and get a free 2 oz. lotion with ANY purchase in the store.
Print this and get a free item of your choosing (up to $13 value) when you spend $10.
YEA!

Todays Groceries...

2008-12-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

Spent $34.00. Will go back to United for Wed. sale on apples and avocados!

$40/Week Groceries...How do you do it?

2008-12-15T06:05:00.001-08:00

I have been getting asked this question lately by fellow wanna-be-money-savers.... here's the secret!
As I have become obsessed with saving money, one area in our budget that has taken a huge hit has been the grocery envelope. Stephen and I started with a $450 budget and have gone cold turkey and now only spend $120 (or $40/week). Of course, when we entertain, which is about once a month, the food and drinks for those events do not get covered in this envelope... we put it in the entertainment budget!
To be successful at this you must PLAN. Each Sunday evening after getting all of my ads together I take a few moments and check out whats on sale at the various grocery spots... United, Walgreens, CVS and Target. I then check out the coupons - I do not buy groceries according to my coupons, but I clip them so when I'm in the store and I see something on sale that I know I have a coupon for I can whip it out to see if it's a good deal - that would be an item that I had NOT planned for but it was a good deal so I need to buy it. After seeing what items are on sale I then plan a menu according to those choices.
I know that Walmart always has lower prices then United and Target, but sometimes those places are having deals on food that beats Walmart.
United - these are great deals
milk $2.99
eggs $.99
pork chops buy 1/get 1 free
tomatoes $.99/pound
green beans $.79/pound
chicken drums/thighs $.99/pound
lunchmeat 2/$4
stuffing $.79
cornbread mixes 2/$.89
pears $.99/pound
red potatoes $.79/pound
flour $1.50

AND ON WEDNESDAY - ONE DAY ONLY SALES
apples 5/$1
avocados 3/$1

Now I look in my cabinets and see what things I have and then start planning menus... this week I worked out of one of my new cookbooks... which I bought off Craigslist.
My menu for the week -
Mon - to a friends house - will eat there
Tue - pork chops in a sweet chili and onion sauce with creamy cilantro and potato salad
Wed - fajitas
Thurs - hamburgers
Frid - Left overs
Sat - BBQ sloppy chicken Pan Pizza
Sun - Salsa Soup and Double Decker Quesadillas
Desert sometime - Apple Crisps
Breakfasts - pancakes (will make double batch and freeze half to eat another day), apple sauce with toast, eggs, oatmeal
Lunches - sandwiches, salad, leftover soup from this week

If you will notice... my meals are based around what I know that I will be able to get on sale. And the meals all call for a lot of the same ingredients which makes it much cheaper then having to buy lots of things that I will only use a little of.
To keep things simple I buy cookbooks that have lots of different foods as opposed to a cookbook with only Italian food... then I can get all my meals out of one.

I have also learned to make things from scratch that I feel are a waste of money - like (tortilla chips, yogurt, bread, cookies, salsa, baby food) and Colton takes his lunch to school everyday which I believe is a huge money saver then the nasty school lunches - and STOP buying junk food, no one needs cheese curls and ding dongs in their house - they aren't healthy and they serve no purpose!
I try to NEVER buy pre-made dinners in the frozen section but will have a a few on hand just in case I really don't feel like cooking.

Planning is key to making this system work - do not go to the grocery store and just buy items that you think you need or think that you will use... you will get to the final bill and discover that you have spent WAY more then you thought. Learn to just live without... we ran out of milk on about Thursday - so we did without it! I actually had to make drop biscuits with water (couldn't even tell the difference)

Key items that I will have stocked in my cabinets - I buy everytime I go to the store - if you buy a few at a time (they are really cheap) then you will get a good stock pile of them and I use mine all the time -
diced or whole tomatoes in a can
celery - great filler for all kinds of food
baking staples - baking powder, baking soda, flour, sugar, brown sugar and spices
creamed soups - cream of chicken and mushroom
tomato soup
chicken broth
basic cooking veggies - onions, garlic
potatoes
baking mix - my favorite is Pioneer mix (sold at United)
oats

Take your coupons and your calculator with you to the store - don't be embarrassed! I went into shock the other day when the family in front of me bought $500 worth of groceries - and most of it was pre-made and junk food - I couldn't believe it! Food is important but not worth that much! Learn to stock up on cheaper foods that can have shelf life and learn to plan your week - you will see a difference!

SANTA CAME TO REDBOX...

2008-12-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

Santa came early to Redbox and is offering a free movie rental on Sundays... works exactly the same way as Free Movie Mondays! Rent with the special promo code on the correct date...

12/07/08 - 11MOMS4US
12/14/08 - 11MOMS4UA
12/21/08 - 11MOMS4UN
12/28/08 - 11MOMS4UT
01/04/09 - 11MOMS4UA

Happy viewing!

CHRISTMAS MUSIC...

2008-12-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

Colton performed his first piano recital this afternoon... PERFECTLY! What a treat it was to listen to not only his wonderful piano music but also his lovely singing voice. He is definitely not shy about singing in front of people (just like his mom) and as far as I can tell is developing quite a talent in both areas. His repertoire consisted of Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells.

Home-Made Christmas...

2008-12-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

I needed 15 party favors for a Christmas Cookie Exchange Extravaganza that I recently had to give to party goers that wouldn't break my bank but would also serve a purpose... so I decoupaged some super cute Christmas coasters. Home Depot sells individual tiles for $.19 a piece... Mod Podge on a cut to size Christmas picture (I used Christmas cards), use Mod Podge to add a few layers over the card to seal and glue on felt to the bottom cut to size (you don't want to scratch your furniture). I have recently been loving home-made gifts... they are so heart felt! Merry home-made Christmas!

WALGREENS...

2008-12-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have not been able to contain myself at Walgreens for the past two weeks... they have so many goodies for $.39 and good for today... if you spend $25 get $5 in rapid rewards. This great little book is on sale at Walgreens for $15... get the in ad coupon for $10 off and get it for $5! Spend $25 and get $5 RR and get it for free. The book is worth checking out... packed full of coupons for dining out and rebates on hotels and car rentals nation wide.

FREE MOVIE MONDAY...

2008-11-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Redbox promo code for today is...
2MNC92
Happy viewing!

DR PEPPER LOVERS...

2008-11-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, I can't live without a Dr Pepper everyday... 10...12...and 2. (that's Dr Pepper lingo for us addicts!) Well, the head guys at Dr Pepper promised a free Dr Pepper to EVERYONE when the new Guns & Roses CD dropped- well the CD came out FINALLY and now Dr Pepper is ready to pay up! Go to the Dr Pepper website on Sunday starting at 12:01 AM and sign up to get a free Dr Pepper coupon... they will only be available for 24 hours!

FRIDAY FINDS...

2008-11-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

This morning before Strollerfit class in the blistering cold, Cammon and I visited a few garage sales (looking for Christmas wreaths or garlands... having no luck there) but finding some other fun items...

three wood holiday garlands to hang...$3a bag full of wooden apples... love these...$1

a basket (which is getting spray painted) to hold my Christmas books by the tree...$1

another basket (can't have to many), a bag of pinecones, a great planter... $4

decorative holiday flags for the flag pole in front... (i love my flag pole and changing out flags) $4

FREE MEDIUM PIZZA w/online purchase...

2008-11-19T06:06:00.001-08:00

Papa Johns Pizza is giving away a free medium pizza w/ ANY online purchase if you become a fan on their Facebook page here.

FREE Betty Crocker 2009 Calendar...

2008-11-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

Go here to get a free Betty Crocker calendar filled with yummy recipes.

TARGET DEALS...

2008-11-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

If you are like me and love the reusable totes that store are selling... the this is a great deal. Target has these cute bags for $1/2. I will be grabbing some to use as a gift bag for Christmas presents!I love that Target is now giving $5 giftcards when purchasing some items in the store... it can really work to your advantage. Buy two Enfamil formulas and get a $5 giftcard. Use those Enfamil coupons that new mommies are getting in the mail almost weekly and this could be a great price!

WEEKEND DEALS AND PROJECTS...

2008-11-17T09:45:00.001-08:00

This weekend I headed out early Friday morning to visit some garage sales (in search of a car seat, which I found... for $5)... needs to be cleaned, but otherwise in good condition - some people just really want to get rid of their stuff.

I also came across these cute wooden reindeer $2 for 3 (they were ugly with pom pom noses and tails) which I have been busy making cute... to put on the front porch or under the Christmas tree...

Have been loving the berry covered wreaths... but they are so darn expensive (even at Hobby Lobby) so when I saw these sweet dried REAL berries laying on the ground outside of the church I attend I set out with Colton to "clean up" the area. I had to explain that we were not stealing from the church because they were already on the ground dead. Found an old wreath in my garage and spent 30 minutes hot gluing them on. I love it...

Then I saw these wreaths on clearance at Wal-Mart for $2.50 - they are not pretty but I love the colors and the berries (so I picked up 2) and will be tearing them apart to be used in a later project... and the wreaths can be used for almost anything...

I stopped by my local Goodwill for some Christmas supplies and found this great toy - in perfect condition for $5! We are loving it...

And we finally did get a new car (I think Stephen is going to keep this one)... after months of saving and searching, he decided on this beauty... a 2007 Ford Fusion - paid in full... thank you Dave Ramsey!