Do You Love Me?

A few months ago, Andrew's parents let us borrow "Fiddler on the Roof" because I had never seen it and since I loved "The Sound of Music" so much, they thought I would like this movie, too. Well...I do love that movie. I love it so much that this morning I woke up singing, "Do you love me?" I could even hear Tevye and Golde's voices in my head as I song their parts.

Here is the video for that part of the movie: 

I absolutely LOVE that part of the movie. I love when Golde says, "For twenty-five years I've lived with him, fought him, starved with him. Twenty-five years my bed is his. If that's not love, what is?" It's true that we can show people that we love them by our actions. They say that actions speak louder than words, but words can speak pretty loud, too. For 25 years, they hadn't told each other "I love you." That's a long time. 

Andrew told me of this man who was burying his wife. They had been married for some time. At the burial, the man spoke. He said, "I almost told her that I loved her." He was filled with regret. It's so important to tell people that we love them, not only for their sake, but ours as well. My heart gets full when I look at Andrew and he looks at me with that look that says "I'm his all" and I can't help but tell him that I love him. I'm sure he knows it without my saying so, but it warms my soul to say those three words because I really mean them. And I I know it's important for him to here them.

We never know when someone is going to die and leave this world. Why wait until tomorrow to say "I love you" to someone. Tomorrow isn't promised. Forget about the petty little things. Go say "I love you," because NOW is never too late.

CRAZY Grocery Trip

Last night I got so high! High off of shopping with coupons! It was definitely the best grocery trip that I've had. I paid about $16 for $130 worth of stuff! When we went to the store, I had my list all ready to go. Something I didn't plan was finding that the bbq sauce (which were .59 each) I wanted to buy had coupons on them for $2 off country time or kool-aid canisters. I checked the price of the canisters and they were on sale for $1.69! Whoo hoo! So, I ended up buying a few of those canisters.

Andrew and I had finished shopping, but I knew that I wanted to get more bbq sauce, huggies wipes, and kool-aid. I just didn't want my coupons to go to waste! While we were gathering the stuff, I told Andrew that if I spent more than $4, I was going to be a little upset because I had it all planned out. In the coupon world, people do "cashier profiling." The idea behind it is to find someone who looks like they won't give you trouble. Usually those cashiers are male and they are on the younger side. I got up to the register and the guy rang up all of my stuff. It was $31 before coupons. After my shopper's card took the price down, I gave him the coupons and watched that price drop to -0.08! That's right, they owed me money! He asked the girls what he was supposed to do and they were like, you have to put it on a gift card. I declined. I didn't want to take their money, but I sure took my stuff out with a HUGE smile on my face. The other cashiers were looking at me kind of funny. They probably thought I cheated the system or something, but I didn't! I did honest shopping with coupons. It's just that pairing the sales with the coupons allowed me to not pay much.

Here's a picture of everything that I got last night:

4 containers of Huggies wipes 
9 bottles of Dial hand soap (FREE)
3 boxes of Magnum Ice Cream
12 bottles of bbq sauce
6 Hefty storage bags (.19 cents EACH!)
4 canisters of Kool-aid (FREE)
1 canister of Countrytime (FREE)
3 Skintimate shaving cream
2 Beech Nut Fruties (FREE)
5 bottles of Ken's Salad Dressing (FREE)

If you divide the price by the amount of items, then you'll see that I paid about .33 per item! What a trip! And I see have a coupon (called a catalina) for $2 off my next order. Now I see why people coupon. Every trip isn't like this, but I get the stuff that I need and I don't pay full price. 


Here's what I got from my trip on Wednesday night. 

I spent 17.74, but I got $66.06 worth of stuff. That's what typical savings look like. About 70% savings. It doesn't take much work to save money for your family, but it does take the will to do it. You just get to a point in your life when you say, "I can do so much better." I've reached that point.

How We Get By

I'm a stay at home mom. It's one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my life, and I love it. In order to be a stay at home mom, you have to sacrifice a bit. We are living off of one salary and we have one car. But, we make it work. How?

I wrote a post a while back about freebies and deals. Since then, I've taken on a few more things. I've been taking surveys like crazy! I mostly do them during KJ's second nap. When he's awake, I make time for him. He ALWAYS comes first. I'm trying to make sure that I establish a good relationship with him from the getgo. And he makes sure that he keeps me on track. He's pretty unforgettable. If he thinks that I'm not paying enough attention to him, he will climb up on my lap and get between me and whatever is holding my attention. :-)

Pinecone Research has been amazing! I have three, maybe four checks from them sitting on the arm of the couch. I don't want to cash them. They just look too pretty. haha! Some of my friends have signed up with Pinecone, too. One of my friends has already gotten like two checks since I told her about it about three weeks ago. So, Pinecone is definitely legit.

Another site I joined is called Tellwut. If you want to sign up with them, let me know and I can send you an email. (They have a referral program where you can get extra points if people sign up under you.) This site is pretty simple. It takes between 2-60 seconds to answer the questions on there. Each question is worth 5 or 10 points depending on the length. Once you get to 4,000 you can redeem the points for Amazon gift cards...or you can choose to do something else with them. It took me about 3 weeks to get to 4,000. After I requested the gift card, it only took maybe 3 days before it was sent to me.

This is the gift card and little note they've sent me. 

I'm a member of a few other survey sites, but I'll post about them once I'm able to redeem points for rewards. Since about April, I've received at least $50 in gifts, ranging between gift cards and checks.

Another way that we get by is through budgeting. Before each paycheck comes out, Andrew and I decide what needs to be paid. We do a part envelope/checking system. We pay bills with checking. We set aside money for diapers, clothing, car maintenance, car insurance, groceries, and a few other things each month. Sometimes we might fall a little bit off budget, but there's always a little extra cash in one of the other categories that we move around.

Since I finally have the hang of motherhood, I've started couponing again. I'll tell ya, it is so exhilarating to walk out of a store paying 1/3 of what you would usually pay. I mean...I've been able to find brand name food storage bags for .19 each! Those bags usually cost at least $2 per box! I've found cereal for .88 and bags of chocolate for .25 each. I've been doing a lot of online shopping. I've started buying baby shower gifts super early. I even have some bridal shower gifts...I still pay full price for some things, but not everything. I'm following two new blogs. Centsableshoppin is Arizona-based, but she posts about some online deals, too. She's amazing! Because of her, I've gotten tons of samples, which I'm going to use for trips or when guests come to stay. I've gotten diapers, makeup bags, food, shampoo, conditioner, and a lot of other stuff. I love it!  Hip2Save is just like centsableshoppin, but I think she's on the East coast.

There are lots of ways to save and make money, but you just have to take the time to look for them. I buy just about everything on sale now and I try to plan my meals around them. Amazon gift cards are helping me to save money, too, because now I don't have to spend a ton of money (which we don't have) on gifts.  These things are making it easier for my family to have a comfortable life. It's not a lot, but every penny counts.

Oh, the joy!

You know it's been a long day when you walk out to get the mail and the left cup of your nursing bra is folded down.

KJ has been...a baby today. haha. I don't know how else to put it because that's what he is. I thought today was going to be amazeballs. I put a load of laundry in the washer and managed to put it in the dryer before Kayson and I went outside to spend some time in the grass before the Arizona heat set in. We stayed  outside for about 40 minutes. When we came back in, we played a little bit more and then he knew what time it was. Naptime! He cuddled right up to me, I nursed him, and he was out in like 2 minutes. I think that was record time for this month! I laid him in his crib, and he was so cute...yeah. Then, after about 30 minutes, he woke up. And he was still cute, but another trait came out...he had horns! He just cried for a while. He basically wanted me to hold him, but he wanted to cry and flail about too. This went on for eternity. At least that's what it felt like.

Fortunately, though, Andrew came home and saved the day. He made me a cake with chocolate frosting. My, how I love that man. Right now KJ's sitting in his high chair going "eeeeeeee" and "aayyayayaya" and I'm just trying to keep my mind on that chocolate cake.

HAPPY MONDAY, EVERYONE!

Our 11 month old

It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I wrote the post about KJ being 10 months old. But it's been a whole month! Time really does go by fast. (I know, I know, I say that every time.)

Here's a list of what's been going on with our favorite 11 month old:

-Has 6 teeth-

-Can stand by himself-

-Likes to steal Mommy's food-

-Still pees on Daddy-

-Slowly starting to walk (takes 2 steps at a time)-

-Can say cup, dada, and car-

-Loves to be outside and playing with rocks-

-Likes being in the pool-
-Walks around and around his play table-
-Typing on computers is his absolute fav-

 

And now...photobomb!

What Shall We Do?

I got this neat little idea from a website that I found on Pinterest. I poured some paint into a gallon size Ziploc bag, sealed it shut, and then I taped it to the window in our living room. KJ stood there and played with paint for a little bit. 

My little guy is an Einstein! Look at the picture. He totally wrote out his own name. He has pretty good penmanship!

We've started going outside in the mornings because it's way too hot to go out anytime after 9am. There's a nice little spot in our complex that is grassy and shaded so we usually go over there. While outside, KJ decided that he wanted to taste his rock, which was covered with dirt. My gut reaction was "Ew gross, I am NOT letting my baby put that in his mouth." But, I figured if I let him taste it, he would realize that it was yucky and not try to eat it anymore. So...I let him taste it. 

You can't tell from the above picture, but he did NOT like it. He made a hilarious face that went away before I had time to pull out my camera. 

 Instead of eating the rocks, he started banging them together. That was definitely more fun than having a mouthful of dirt! But...he was not willing to smile for me when I had the camera out. He looks pretty dang bored. That's a disguise, though. Trust me, he had a lot of fun. It was just 8am in the morning, though, and it was already in the high-80s!

Date Night

Grandparents are amazing. They're even more amazing when they're your child's grandparents. Ma and Pa (what I called Andrew's parents) came over to babysit KJ so that Andrew and I could go out on a date. We didn't even ask. They just volunteered. How awesome is that?! 

It hasn't always been awesome, though. I used to be all scared to leave KJ with other people. Yes, even with Andrew. I can remember when KJ was about 2 months old and I didn't even want to leave him with someone while I ran out to get something at the store. It was just too hard for me to be apart from him. I mean...I did spend 24/7 with him for 9 months. I knew that he was safe inside my tummy. But, once the kiddo was on the outside, I wanted to keep protecting him and making sure he was safe. It's hard to do that when he's not with me!

But, Andrew and I needed a date night BAD so we took Ma and Pa up on their offer. It was so hard trying to figure out what we wanted to do. We thought about laser tag, going to Applebee's, bowling, and skating. Laser tag was going to be our choice, but once Andrew let me know that it was $8 per person per game, I decided that I didn't want to go and I wanted more "bang more my buck." We finally settled on skating because there was a coupon for a free skate rental (oh yea!) and it only cost $7 per person for skating from 7:30-10:30pm.

We got to the skating rink and there were a bunch of kids. But hey, I'm still cool. I'm still h1p. I'm d0wNnn. (It hurts my hands, my eyes and my college diploma to type like that.) Are kids still using "down?" (Man, I'm only 23, and I already feel old.) Anyway, back to skating. We put on our skates, and I stand up to to try to skate and immediately my arms starts flailing a bit. It's been about 3 years since I last skated. Andrew looked...interesting. It was so cute, though. Like watching a toddler trying to learn how to walk. He just needed some practice. We got out on the floor and hadn't even gone around a full lap when BAM! This kid ran full force into Andrew.
  
Yeah...Andrew was out. The kid felt so bad, though, for running him over like that. While Andrew recooped, I went out and skated a few times by myself.

The wind was blowing through my...scalp...and I was loving it. I thought I looked like this.


GIFSoup

But, then I looked around me...and yeah, I wasn't doing the same thing as those other kids. Some of them looked so smooth the way they were gliding around. That used to be. It'll be me again someday. It was a lot of fun, though. By the end of the hour, Andrew was loosening up a lot. He even let go of the wall!! YAY! And we got to hold hands. (Aw!!)

Someone even paid for Andrew and I to play a game of table hockey against him. He wanted me to try on his wig, so I did.

Check out that hottie:

After we left, we hit up a Chinese buffet. It was like 10pm though and they were about to close. The lady was nice enough to tell us, "You can fill a takeout box with food for $5." She shouldn't have told us that! I was glad they didn't weigh our boxes because I filled mine until it couldn't be filled anymore! I could barely close the box. I had to use a toothpick. The food was soooo good! Maybe I'll go there after 10pm more often.

This Little Light of Mine

I am so so so very grateful that I get to be a stay at home mom. Sure, finances are a bit tight since only Andrew is working. And sometimes I wish we could splurge a lot or go on vacations to fun places like Disneyland. But our bills get paid, we still get to have a bit of fun, and we are happy. I would be so sad if I missed out on all the new things that Kayson is learning. Each and every day there is something different going on with my little guy. He helps me to appreciate the simple things in life.

Just this morning, KJ and I were laying on the living room floor playing. He kept kissing my cheek and slobbering all over me, and I kept biting his chin. It was so much fun just rolling on the floor playing! He has brought so much more light and happiness into mine and Andrew's life. No amount of money could replace that.

I might get frustrated when he messes up my computer, whines for me to hold him constantly when I have to do stuff around the apartment, decides that he needs to nurse every hour at night, but it's so worth it to have him as a son. I've learned to laugh at things rather than get upset. Oh, KJ peed on the carpet? That's so funny! Oh, KJ just snatched my burger out of my hand when it's the first thing I've gotten to eat all day? Wow, that boy must be going through a growth spurt! You said KJ made a mess in the living room when I JUST cleaned it? I hope he had fun.

He's changing so much. I don't want to look back years from now and just remember feeling frustrated. That's no way to live. I want to remember all the little moments that made me smile. The moments when KJ gave me a hug, offered me his snack, crawled really fast to the front door when Daddy walks in, gave shrieks of happiness at the thought of being chased...it's the little things like that that make this life so enjoyable.

"Everywhere I go...I'm going to let it shine."

Cousins

Last year when I found out I was pregnant, my sister found out a month later that she was pregnant, too! My due date was 8/9 and hers was 9/11. The funny thing is neither of our babies were born on their due dates! They were both about three weeks early and we both had a few complications. It's so strange that even though our babies are close in age, they are both so different! For instance, KJ is crawling and cruising, but still wanting to nurse every two hours. Brenna is just starting to crawl, but has been sleeping through the night since she was like a newborn! I love seeing how they are both changing so much over time. I also love seeing them interact when they get together every few months! It's adorable, especially since they are just now paying more attention to each other.

KJ trying to take the Carmex from Brenna.

He's all happy that he got it. Brenna's like, "Hey!"

Cuties!

Bath time at Grandma and Grandpa Bowles' house

Another Milestone!

For a few weeks now, KJ has been standing up by himself. It's funny, though, because he first started standing up by himself in the same time frame that he contracted roseola and was cutting two new teeth. He was burning up with fever, but he was still trying out new things. Whenever I would try to get a picture, though, he would always sit down. Finally, I figured out that if I gave him something to distract him, then he would stand up long enough for me to get a picture.

This is the first picture I managed to get of him standing. 

He was just about to squat back down. 

I had Andrew hold up a picture and ask Kayson who was in the pic. 

He stood there for quite a bit looking at the picture.

When we went outside to lay in the grass, 

I managed to get a few more pictures of him standing!

(Yay for sunglasses being a distraction!)

It's been so cute to watch him stand beside his activity table, let go, and clap his hands. Oh, and yesterday he actually took two steps towards me! He has been so proud of himself for all the new things that he's done! I have to admit that I'm torn between being happy and sad! My baby is growing up.

Lost

After three days of being fussy and in pain, Kayson's fever shot up to 103 this morning, I decided that I would take the car so that I could take him to the doctor. Too bad Andrew had to be to work at 6am! It's going on 10am right now, and I've been awake with KJ since 3am. I wanted to leave the apartment at 5:20 so that Andrew could show me how to get to the doctor's office (which is less than a mile from his job) before I dropped him off at work. I needed him to show me, though, because I am HORRIBLE with directions. 

Backstory: For those who know me--and I mean, really REALLY know me--you know that I can get lost going to a location a mile away and I'm not good with the whole north, south, east, west stuff. One time I had the car and I wanted to do a little bit of shopping before picking Andrew from work. I left the apartment early, hoping to spend about 30 minutes shopping. The shopping center that I wanted to go to was like right down the street from Andrew's job. Well...I drove up and down that street at least 20 times trying to find the dang place. I asked at least three people directions. They told me to go up the street to the light and take a right. I did that. Still didn't find the place! After Andrew got off work, I had him take me to the place. It took him less than two minutes to drive there! Good grief! In my defense, it was really cloudy and raining. I'm all about the visual. Someone HAS to show me how to get there or be right beside me TELLING me exactly when and where to turn.

Back to today. When we were in the car, we found out that the doctor's office that was open today wasn't the one that was by his job! It was almost 6am, so I just told Andrew to just forget about it and I'd try to find it by myself. I read the directions on Google and thought that I was good to go. Get off on this exit, merge, turn left, and turn left again. For 40 minutes, I drove up and down the road trying to find darn "North Black Canyon Hwy." I even asked a man for help. I was so frustrated that I couldn't find this place. It didn't help that people were driving on my tail and my baby didn't feel well. I just broke down and started crying big time. I even said a little prayer. Finally I  decided to call the doctor's office. I explained to the person that I was really lost. She asked me where I was and I told her. Then she gave me directions on how to get there. After one more mishap (I missed the turn and couldn't drive in reverse on the highway...especially not with a truck on my tail!), I made it to the place.

I felt like doing this: 

I was so proud of myself!

Something profound: It did make me think, though. In this life, we think that maybe we can return to our Heavenly Father on our own. But, there are times when we get lost and we wonder if we'll ever find the way. Then along comes Jesus (who has actually been there all along, but was waiting for us to ask him for help). He tells us exactly where to go. All we have to do is follow his direction. Once we make it to our final destination, the joy we feel is amazing!