Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Pink :)

My Presleigh.......I finally let her do it!! Lol
Sent on the Now Network™ from my Sprint® BlackBerry

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Life right now........

Warning, this is a bit of a thinking out loud, well on keyboard post. Our life is doing a bit of changing at the moment, and I am trying to catch on and keep up..........

Terry took a second shift job. A "real" job from a company doing something he knows how to do. Not real sure what he does, but it's dirty machine mechanic stuff.
The blessings here are evident.

We have fallen behind on some bills. I told him in a fit of being scared that day, that he had to get a second job or I had to immediately. Our business is doing great, but the cost of having your own business is killing us and for some reason we have been knocked down with soooooo many unexpected expenses lately that for him, one man, to work 140 hours a week, it just isn't enough!! We don't have employees, so one man can only do so much!! Then so much of what he earns has to go back into the business and well, after one year of being self employed my sweet husband had to swallow his pride. He now works his business from 9ish am to 4ish pm and then his second shift job from 43opm till sometime in the night. The shift ends at 1230am but there is lots of overtime right now and this being his second week, he hasn't been home before 3am yet, normally he gets of at 330 and gets here at 4am, then I have to wake him at 830am to go back out................and being this has only been 2 weeks, I still haven't been able to get the money to catch up yet. That part is frustrating because I see him dragging and busting his rearend and we are behind still for the moment!!

My new mission in life is to make every dollar go as far as I can!! If I am going to be home with our children, then I should make it my job to stretch those pennies!! Something I was never taught to do, never had to do, never thought much about......it was a non issue and I understand that sounds stupid because even people with money coming out of their ears should be good stewards, but it just wasn't what I was taught. I grew up thinking money was endless and things didn't have monetary value. how horrible...........I pray I can totally change that for my kids.

So, will you help me? I am humbled here...I need to learn things that most children grow up learning!! We never shut the lights off when we left a room even! I never heard my mom say any of those things to me. I have been asking friends, and have been getting some great advice!! Things I would NEVER think to do, I have tried and it is actually become a......a what? What is the word?? Not hobby per say, but a misson!! And it's sort of fun to see what I can get away with!! For instance, I made Terry tuna salad for lunch. I have never made his lunches, he always ate out, but I have made his lunch every night for his new job. Of couse his lunch is at 8pm, but anyway..
I made the tuna the way I always do. Hellmans mayo, celery, salt and pepper etc, then from the advice of a friend, I took a 50 cent can of white beans and drained and rinsed them. Smashed them and mixed them in the tuna. Got a ton more salad that way, you couldn't see the beans, it added protein and something to stick to the ribs, way cheaper than that much tuna would be and would you believe he didn't have a clue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he even complemented me on the tuna!!!!!
Never in a million years would I have thought to do that...........and now i will do it every time!!
We also changed all the bulbs to floresent in the house, try to unplug things we aren't using like the coffee maker or chargers for cell phones etc. turn the heat down and put on more clothes.......
But food is the big thing here....

If you have just one or even 10 things, hints, ideas, that would help me learn to be more thrifty with a large family, would you take a minute and comment?? I would love to hear them!!!! Then maybe others who read can get ideas that will help them out also!!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

You have GOT to meet this mama!

So if you look to the right, you see a button with words that say, "Your gonna miss this". That is the link to Pam's Blog..
Well, if you go visit her, promise you will come back and visit us cause her blog is much "cooler" than mine!! haha
She always has fun stuff going on, but outside of her creative awesomeness, she reminds me a little of myself.....wears her heart on her sleave. Something I admire, here I am, take it or leave it. She is mama, bio and adoptive (trans-racial like me) and a woman after God's heart.

And......if you like cool games and giveaways, she is doing some cool stuff this week!! All ya do is comment on her post and she picks someone and sends them things like a cookbook, a coffee mug and coffee etc. Fun, honest, real and loving mama over there. Check her out :)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
























Cubby baskets are done!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy with
how they turned out! You can see the mama who
made them at Etsy Shoppes.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5004735















And just because I don't think I posted it yet,
a picture from Cassidy's adoption party with
mama and daddy!!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Friends Kieran and Claire with Zoe :)






































Jarrod making a smoothie for extra credit at school :)












Our visit from Willow and the girls this week!




Zo and Siri







Hannah and Cassidy









Kieran and Zoe givin kisses :)