Jackin Prices..

Seriously people...yeah you with a business..I have one too...so hear me out... Please quit Jackin your prices. Today I ordered some candles from Party-lite candles. Anyone who knows me knows I love candles. I burn them everyday. I wake up I go the coffee pot and then light my candles. It gives me peace in a house where you will never find any. don't get me wrong..I do try to create a safe, warm loving atmosphere among the house but with 4 kids, 4 fish,1 dog, a husband and the dust bunnies...quiet is hard to come by. When it is quiet I know that one might be coloring on the walls, putting Backyardigian stickers on my hope chest, playing with Comet, eating my candles or had an accident. So I am not a big fan of quiet right now...peace yes,quiet no...

Anyways, Back to Jackin prices...Partylite..shame on you...You have taken away 3 of your best scents ( they are my top 3..and I am the candle queen) Jacked your prices and your shipping. Yes, my Partylite friends you do have the best candles around ( well, there is local lady who I love!) they burn to nothing, not wasting my money and can make my house smell wonderful covering up the pee & poop accidents on my carpet. Plus they had a great deal...order 1 dozen tealights get 2 free.

I also went to another local company and they jacked their prices! I know..minimum wage went up..It sucks, I know I have small business myself. But why must you jack your prices up 2.00 on each item? We charge 8.99 for a battery that can be used in your watch, car alarm,hearing aids and kids board books...and they last a lifetime!! when I hear people complain I cringe...we are not rich..we are not living in the lap of luxury..I mean my husband works 3 jobs sometimes. But we would not considering raising the price right now. People are struggling...they need us to be fair in price and competitive...and sometimes when people complain about the 8.99 for a lifetime battery..I see them drive to the car wash and pay 13.00 for a clean car for One week.

What is up with the fuel surcharge fees on stuff? Gas is down 2.00 a gallon right now then it was a while back...why must we keep paying those fees?

Next complaint on jacking the prices...The Keg Steak House...RIP OFF.....noting how money is tight we decided to take the kids to dinner on Sunday. Jeremy had been working alot and we could not really afford to do anything else and considering we had a 50.00 gift certificate to use we opted to go to dinner. I wanted to go the Zoo and leave the kids there but with gas prices..it wasn't economical

I told the older boys that if they could they needed to order form the kids menu , and try to keep every meal under 10.00. Olivia could Share with us. Dad could order whatever he wanted to eat and drink. It is always best to set the rules with teenagers BEFORE you get there so you don't hear them coughing up a hairball when you tell them they can't order the 30.00 meal. With me having the Lap band I though it was perfectly fine for Olivia and me to share our meal.

We sit down...I open the menu..the cheapest meal I could find!?!? 19.99..with out a salad!! Are you for reals!? Next because I am banded I can order form the kids menu...cheapest price 7.95 and the steak or ribs where 11.95. really? Your place looks like a 1980's lounge, your food is nothing to write home about and the waitstaff was talking about sex as they where preparing salads at the salad bar.

Kyoto's was cheaper then that and they give you a cooking show!! We did decide after watching how our 2 youngest acted in restaurant that we will keep them locked up in the van next time by ordering at a drive in style restaurant.

Maybe this won't do any good...but if for some reason PartyLite stumbles across my blog...I BEG YOU TO QUIT..jacking your prices!!

Ahh...am I being a bit harsh? I am I the only one who has had enough?

*sigh*

Nothing witty

I am here....I just really have bloggers block! Skipped the Not Me! Monday! due to losing my mind over the last week. It has been a roller coaster of emotions. I would like to say I feel guided right now but I don't. I read my sister in laws new blog and it
brings me such relief to know that I we all have a story. Good or bad we all have one.






I woke up this morning after finally making it to bed at 10:30 last night (early for this momma) with finally feeling as though I can accomplish something but instead woke up with a sore throat and an icky nose. I am already feeling Blah..so that just topped it.

I log into play that darn Bejeweled game thinking that they have reset the scores and wouldn't you know I hit over 100,000 but it would not give me my medal. I had not beat my last score and they did not reset the board. Still leaving Ms. Jenn in first place. I close my eyes and can see the jewels falling into place. It is bad..but I did finish up all the laundry yesterday and grocery shopping before somebody called CPS telling them I starve my kids and they are filthy due to my addiction of that darned Facecrack bejeweled game.



Last night I heard the boys laughing so hard downstairs I had to laugh too. It has been awhile since they both laughed like that. Matthew had decided to TP Mikey's room. Matthew asked me if he could I told me that we only have 3 rolls left and they would be lucky if I went to Costco this week. He told me he had just enough. Mikey came back upstairs to tell me Olivia had gotten into the toilet paper again, I told him that I don't think It was Olivia...he quickly realized that it was Matthew. Mikey is on the next prank...


Olivia is really concerned about not being able to write her name out for preschool. She would like to learn it so they can move her to Kindergarten. we have been working on gathering up all the Binky's and putting them in an envelope with her letter to the Binky fairy...she will mail them off in return for a new Tinkerbell bike. She is overly excited to put her car seat into Gramie Karen's car and have Gramie take her to Great Wolf Lodge ( we are going there Spring Break) I told her Matthew and I will be joining her but she doesn't want us to. She only wants her Gramie and Papa. I told her Papa was not going and she started to get hysterical. Everything is Drama...the boys are calling her drama momma..


Stupid Dish network still has not renewed with Komo 4...that means I don't get to watch my top 3 favorite shows..unless I pull out the laptop. This was fun for the first few weeks and now it is pain in my butt. Seriously Dish network..get it together. I will be calling this week to pay the extra 5 bucks for another feed of ABC. Maybe I will feel like I am actually taking me time...and that might make me happier :)


Adventure Club will be coming to a close this week...this year has went by so fast...the boys will be out of school in no time. Oh, what to do with them...Matthew is go getter..he is already starting his own garden and has lined up 2 lawn mowing jobs. Mikey..needs to find a job. SOON!

Jeremy has been working a lot..I love this guy!! He is such a hard worker. I can see where Matthew gets it. Jeremy is raising money for his missions trip and with that we are doing a big garage sale. You know when we are starting to get busy when garage sales and opening day fishing is right around the corner! Olivia is so excited...Her princess pole is ready for Papa to help her get "big fish". She tells me they are to "heaby" for her so Papa will need to do it all for her. She tells me that Papa will let her drive his boat. Matthew tells her he won't because she will crash it. Of course...she starts crying. Matthew loves to get her going...okay, piss her off... to really let you know how it goes EVERYDAY between the 2 of them,


Well, the kiddos are stirring and I want to play the game at least 10 more times...Have a great day..I have all my posts on paper and soon will be getting them on here.

struggling...

Being a step parent has to be hard job...Now I am not step-parent ( where did they every get that from? I hate it) and I am not an official foster mom but right now i have a young man in my house who is not my biological child. I love him. I worry about him. I care for him. But he is not my child. He is has not been with me since birth. He has not laid his newborn head on my chest seconds after birth. I care tremendously about his welfare. I feel torn. I feel lost. I feel like I am not sure if this is the best thing for me. This is wearing me out. This is a huge challenge. I have always wanted to be foster parent...to a teenager? not so sure.

Drugs. Sex. friends. Everything seems to moving full speed ahead and I am not ready for Matthew to arrive to the temptations. I am a not ready for all of this. How DO I do this?

When your parenting another child why is so wrong to admit that you have a different kind of love for them? Why are people so quiet about the struggles of this dynamic parenting? I am finding that I keep hitting a road block when it comes to seeking advice or counsel on how to go about all of this?

You may not be the parent but you are here. You are holding their hand when they are scared, You are bringing them to the doctor and the dentist. You are folding their laundry. You are coaching them everyday on the right thing to say and do....and yet you are not their parent.Plain and simple. SO when it gets tough do you walk away? Should I walk away? Should I throw my hands up in despair and call it quits? Have we impacted his life? Will we make a difference? How many of you have been foster parents?

I look back over the last 9 months..He has grown closer to God...He has been baptised.. He passed a few classes...but the he has also given us run for our money with a few run ins with the Law.

Someone Said to me yesterday that when your doing Gods work..he will take care of you and your other children. He calls us to take care of the children....is my will Gods will?

Six days and counting... Miss America will not take her swimsuit off!

and he is off...

updates...

Yep, Jeremy made into the USA...Only after his loving, hot, super supportive, mom to his wonderful kids stood in line waiting for the Department of health to open at 8:30am and then driving all the way to the Sumas Border to hand him the piece of paper to prove he was born. I told him to call his mom and have her talk to the border agent. He didn't think that was such a good idea. Anyways, He is safe and sound!!

Ms. America needed a new swimsuit so she spotted the tutu Tinkerbell suit and had to have it! Best money I have ever spent. Bought it on Saturday and she has yet to take that thing off. Don't worry I have given her a bath. Oh, I love her! Pictures soon! She is excited about Easter. I do believe that this is her favorite Holiday. We talk about Jesus everyday and try to explain to her the meaning of Easter but she is only focused on getting the eggs in her Princess basket ( which I will not buy for her)

Today she spilt my coffee all over my Planner. My precious planner. My life. My love. ruined. When I noticed what she had done...She quickly reminded me that I have Jesus in my heart and that I should not get mad.

Matthew is just getting over a nasty cold. Spent the last 3 days home from school. I am starting to get it. I have been loading up on the vitamins!!

Carter is walking all over. He loves to be outside and as of yesterday I brought all the toys to the deck and put up the gate. He love his cozy coupe car.

Mikey is working on passing all of his classes and is looking for a job. He went and got a few applications. Now I just need him to fill them out.

Carter is sleeping in the crib. It hasn't been to bad I must say. I love having my room back.

Jeremy will be graduation from his Bible class!! Very Proud of him and all he has learned. The class is going to Bethlehem and Jordan in May. Through much prayer and sacrifice he is planning on joining his class on the mission trip. He is looking forward to doing Gods work. They have so much planned for the days he will be there.

And Me? well, I have been a bit sluggish lately. Not sure why. I see the back specialist on the 6th and form then they will decide if another surgery is needed. I am pretty anxious. This road to recovery is LONG!! Not sure how much more I can take. I have Faith in the Lord that this is his perfect plan for us but at times it really sucks. Point Blank...I hate it. I hate not being able to live my life like I want to. I hate having limitations. I have also learned to take each day and work it to my advantage. Like laying on the horn when I can't unload from a big Costco trip and watching everyone scurrying to get their shoes on to help me. Nice!! No, seriously...I am learning to bridge the gap from where I was to where I am now.

I am still working on my Frugal Fridays Blog postings!...This is my passion. I am a lover to being frugal. I am not the best at it but I am learning...more to come!

Thursday's with Tiffiny

I am Thankful for

This week I am Thankful for my Best friend Jenn..We are so Opposite...Night and day different. Our political views are very different. She has Organization skills I have NONE. I Cook everyday..she cuts her fingers every time she is in the kitchen. what makes us best friends? I was thinking of this the other day....Her heart is pure as Gold. She is not judgmental. She looks at every situation with calmness. Something I don't do. She is giving!! She never brings Kayleigh over with out something for Olivia. She spoils Matthew and always has. She has no siblings however we are as close as sisters. She is honest with me at all times even if it hurts. I cannot remember a time in over 15 years I have gotten mad at her. I love her. She impacts my life daily.

My heart has been full of gratitude for those around me who love me and my family. who love my children and take time to nurture relationships with us. I really feel this is the best thing I can EVER give my children is relationships. A Relationship with the Lord and with people..some we call family and other we call friends.






I am Listening to.....

The Backyardigians...Carter's new thing is to actually lay on the couch for a whole show!! How awesome is that!?! I get to be a complete lazy mom for 30 minutes!! or 30 hours!! HA!!

What's for dinner?

Crock pot...Spicy Steak and vegis over noodles.YUMMO!



I am looking forward to....

Finding that missing Boy Scout shirt...I am going to have a giveaway party when I find that darn thing...Maybe the lucky blog commenter will win the boy scout shirt considering I might not need it!!...Okay, maybe I will just in CASE I lose the new one.

Spring Break...We are going to spend the night at the Great Wolf Water park!!

I am looking forward to the sun sticking around for a few days at time...My yard is calling me!!

I am also looking forward to kicking Jenn's cutie patootie on Bejeweled!!


I am Missing....

My Blog time..I always think of so much to blog about...But lately I am not sure if I should post. I felt better knowing that I didn't have very many readers...and now I get bloggers block thinking of what all you might have to say to me. So maybe now that I am not blogging as much I can look for the Boy Scout Shirt!!

Happy week to all of you!

irritated.

When the phone rings at 3:40 am do you ignore it? NO! You are already finding the phone in a panic..thinking that a loved one has been killed. Okay, maybe that is just me but pure adrenaline kicks in.

So when MY phone rang at 3:40 in the morning I get up and get it all the while saying a little quick prayer that everything will be okay. It is my husband. He is stuck in Canada with NO birth certificate. He wants me to bring in to him so he can cross and finish working. I should have had him call his mom and go claim him...like an animal at the pound.

My eyes are glued shut my head is foggy and through the blah..blah..blah...I got this out of it....

I need you. I need you. I can't manage paperwork or let alone taking out the trash without you. I need a list given to me everyday of what you need from me. I will in return give you a list of all the things I can do myself but would rather play on the weekends then do them. I can't live my life without you. I have needed a secretary and a maid my whole life and I found one.


All he heard...

Are you for reals? I will call you back. I need to think. You did WHAT? Did they tell you that YESTERDAY when you went through? You knew YESTERDAY that it was not in your wallet? When did you plan on finding it? This really irritates me.

So I go to the filing cabinet...look in the folder of all the birth certificates and WhOO NELLY...there is everyone BUT Jeremy's. WTHeck? Really? Seriously? I can't think. I am now really super pissed all the while saying quick Little prayers to help me find it.

after 1 hour I am done. I have ripped apart the filing cabinet. Dug through every piece of paperwork. I can't find his stupid birth certificate. I call him. He is worried they might keep him Canada. I am thinking..Good, serves your irresponsible butt right...then I think..oh, poor guy..he had to call his wife at 3:40 in the morning..knowing she went to bed at 12am and tell her what an idiot he was. I know he must feel really bad. Then the pissy me starts thinking....okay, you don't want to know. It wasn't pretty and his mom reads the blog.

So No birth certificate. He is trying to make it through the border as we speak. But I can't search anymore...Matthew has been throwing up since 4:50am...

Looks like I Will standing in line at 8:30 am a the health department with 2 screaming kids in tow.

Ahh..the things we do for Love....Yes, I still love him.

On a good note....

I can play Bejeweled with out interruption.

Carter slept in his crib for the very first time last night!!! Only woke up once and didn't wake up Ms. America. Maybe just maybe I will get my room back!! If I don't I think I will paint the bathroom walls blue throw up his name and call it his room.

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.















Things I did NOT say this week...

Don't call your brother a jerk or a loser..That is not nice.

Give me one more minute for my game.

Go to your room.

Do not eat your dinner like a dog.

You cannot take a bath with your tutu on.

Keep your fingers out of the sour cream.

Don't bite your brothers butt.

Go get me the scissors and do NOT cut your brothers Hair.

Do not ride your skateboard on my flower box

If you do not feed your dog...I will not feed you.

If you go through another box of caprisuns in 2 hours I will never buy them again.

Stay out of my coffee.

You are grounded until you graduate.

Take that rap crap off your Ipod.

Have a great week...I am hoping the sun shines!

Looking

Growing up was not easy for me. It was a dark and uncomfortable childhood. I have gotten past all that. I have forgiven and I hope I have been forgiven. I don't have alot of dark days where I find myself reliving the past. I DO have traits from my childhood that I have learned that makes me who I am today. It makes me remember why I do what I do, why I feel the way I do and how I process situations.

I remember as a child looking at these other "happy" families and making a mental note on what and how they did things. One family went swimming every Friday night. Another family always had their door open for anyone. One family sang in the car everywhere they went.

Where am I going with this? I just figured out that I have never stopped looking for a role model. Not then and Not today. Does this make me weak? I don't think so. I think it makes me wise. I was not equipped with the basic tools and if I was I am sure most of life is from trial and error. I believe knowledge is power. I don't stop looking. Looking for advice. Looking for comfort. Looking for direction.

I can't sleep..I want to write every single person in my life then and now and tell them the one thing they did that changed my life forever. I don't ever want to miss my chance.

Wow..this is deep...:)

Thursday's With Tiffiny

Had to give the Bejeweled a rest and hop on over to give you the scoop on our life. You know the title of the blog..The story of our life? It should be called the story of my life. Gone are the days of sleeping. Gone are the days of showering with out 2 kids dumping boxes of cereal on the floor , hitting each other, locking one in the cupboard until he is screaming hysterical and I have to get out soaking wet and rescue him. Normally I can handle my life...I just roll with the flow...the flow of getting JACK CRAP done all day. I play with my kids, I love on my kids, I try and make my kids obey , I read to my kids, I show my kids how to Text, blog and surf facecrack all day. I have even showed them how to play Bejeweled. Matching the colors. Olivia likes the diamonds the best. Thanks Gramie!
Anyways, Sorry for the rambling...I guess your here to read Thursday's with Tiffiny...You should check out my Partner in crime. Thursday's with Tiffani She is another mom here in town..Met her once years ago at a BBQ..we are VERY similar..Maybe we could meet someday of we could find our car keys or get off the computer and get the kids dressed.

I am Thankful for

I don't normally have a problem with this one. I am thankful everyday I am thankful for everything. From toothpaste to my right to vote and have children. But I have been a little stressed lately. I really don't have nay need to be..who doesn't have stress? I mean we all do..I am Thankful I have stress which means I have a life.


I am Listening to.....

Olivia munching on Popcorn. She waits everyday for Carter to go to bed so she can get a bag of popcorn.


What's for dinner?

Taco soup...Jeremy's Favorite...I am going to Chuckee cheese for dinner!!



I am looking forward to....

BUNKO on Friday..Having a garage sale..I got my room done today..every nook and cranny De cluttered and cleaned!! It feels like I just moved in! Okay, take out the darn playpen and the 1year old and It would feel like I just moved in..I am still pretending we are downsizing to a 3 bedroom apartment!

I am Missing....

The sun!! It really is making me go crazy!! So crazy I still can't find the darn Boy Scout Shirt...and yes, I had to buy a new one!! 71 bucks Later...

Wordless Wednesday's

I know it is Thursday...But I was not able to upload yesterday...:)

Facecrack...

I hate facebook...It has consumed my life. I have turned into one of those husbands that play video games into the whee hours of the night. Ignoring their children and their wives. The next step in the addiction would be Not showering for days.
I feel it coming. I am going to have to cancel my facecrack account if that happens.

Darn you 25 things, darn you Bejeweled Game, darn you status stupid updates, darn you friend requests!!

If you don't have a facebook account..DON"T do it!! You have no idea how it will suck you in! It will take over your life. One friend is all you need to be an addict.

At first I was excited over the friend request...Log in over morning coffee and BAM! you have people wanting to be your friend..I don't know if the really want to be your friend because most of the time you would be to shy to say anything to them in public. I wonder if all 200 of my "friends" would come to my funeral or send me money if I need it.

Do you how many people I talk to who actually sneak themselves off-line and then just refresh the home page to see what everyone else is doing? I wouldn't know I don't abuse my facecrack like that.

I also know that if where really honest on our status updates people will remove us from their friends or think we are really messed up. Would people really want to know this?

Tiffiny is yelling at her kids to not jump off the kitchen table.
Tiffiny is drinking her 3rd glass of wine
Tiffiny has not removed her butt from this computer for 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Tiffiny has packed her bags she is looking to run away.
Tiffiny should not have been out so late and now is a crabby at her kids.

Oh, and you Bejeweled game...I read about you...It says that it is for gaming and just for fun...Give me break...you team me up with MY friends and rank me and you say it just for fun!?! I am a LOSER...I can't beat Jenn or Leah if I tried...and every time I log in it tells me someone has kicked me out of my spot...c'mon Bejeweled...your not nice..your like a mean cousin who teases you and then says it was just for fun...IT is NOT fun when your the LOSER...and people rank over you!!

Anyways...I am off to lie on my status..Play a game or two or hundred and then crawl into bed and VOW never to touch that nasty Faecrack again.

#3...

I tried to get the computer to randomly draw the lucky number comment but I was having problems figuring it out..Okay, My kids where screaming in the background. One was trying to body slam the other as one was yelling at them to use their hands for helping not hitting.

So I had them pick a number between 1-10 and then they argued like all good kids and chose the number 3..well actually Olivia wanted 3 because she is 3 years old!! So the WINNER is Ms. Leah Roorda!! YIPPEEEE SKIPPEEE!! I will deliver your goodies on Friday!!

All of you keep stalking me for the 10,000 views giveaway!! I have some fun things planned!! Oh, I love this...Thanks for making my days brighter you big LOVABLE audience!

Not Me Mondays

Hello my faithful follower's!! Hello my new found blogging friends!! Here is to another week of the NOT Me's. I don't know if you guys truly enjoy the every Monday post but I do..and I am going to do it just so my kids will some day see that I am not perfect..HA..like they need a blog to tell them.

It was NOT me who tried so hard to dodge the cute little faces outside the grocery store selling those no good poison cookies. It was NOT me who could not resist just a few more boxes to my already depleted stash. I did NOT just tell the whole world that I have a problem with those cookies.
It was NOT me who put juice in the bottle because ran out of milk and could not pull off going to the store tight then and there. It was NOT me who grounded the boys on their 4 day weekend due to bad grades and attitudes and it was NOT me who used them as yard boys.
It was NOT me who had NO guilt doing NOTHING on Sunday to the point her husband actually commented on the house and loaded and unloaded the dishwasher 2 times!

Have a great week!! I am still working on my Frugal Fridays!! I have some great stuff!!

I have noticed I have to use two !! every time :)!!

Maybe...

Maybe I am just worn out. Maybe I am depressed. Maybe I am missing a vitamin. Maybe I need the sun to fill me up with some good ol' vitamin D ( I am SOO low..like number 13 LOW!) Maybe I need an overnight trip away? Would that really work? Maybe a housekeeper? What would it take so I can get past this hurdle? 10 hours of sleep?

I find myself not wanting to leave the house. It seems like way to much work to go anywhere and the whirlwind that is created by us just trying to leave the house is NOT worth it. I have every drawer open in the little kids room, my clothes all over the floor, the living room looked like Toys R US threw up in the middle of it. My bathroom looks like the health and beauty Isle at Target after My kids have gone through it.

Do you know that it takes approx. 30 minutes per house member to get ready to leave? I am serious. 3 HOURS..3 hours I am busy trying to get out the door. If we need to do it fast we can..but that only means one thing...BIG FAT MESS awaits me when I get home. That leads me to the next area..why do I struggle so much with making sure that this house is perfect at all times? I want more from this parenting adventure!!! What can we do with no money or very little money? What can we do with 2 different age groups of kids?

I can't wait to hear form you!! I need inspiration!!..or maybe a housekeeper.

It is as easy as 1-2-3..

So how do you win the giveaways!?!

It is easy...Just leave a comment...how do you do that? If you do not have a blog you are going to set up an account. enter your email address and a password and from there you can leave comments on ANY blog. I set mine up so you do NOT have to enter in any cheese letters or numbers..saving you valuable time...

Then from there on MONDAY!!! We will be doing a random number generator to see who will win the gifts...what it will do is pick a number and if it is 23 and your the one who left the 23rd comment..you are the winner. See how easy cheesy it is!?!

I have included a few special treat along with the Slo Day Designs goodies. You will LOVE the goody bag!

Quicker Picker Upper

I open the fridge door to make a bottle for my screaming 1 year old and with all the commotion from the others I didn't notice the raspberry ice-tea was not sitting on the shelve very well. Yep, not good. Red sticky juice all over the floor ,1 gallon of pure redness running under the stove, red and yukky.

I quickly reach for the towel..I change my mind..red will equal stains and I am not the type to run it to the washer that moment. Okay, not in the next day or that week....it will grow mold on it before it makes it to the wash.

I grab the paper the towels...I watched them SOAK it up...it dawned on me..they are Brawny!! The Quilted Quicker Picker Upper!! I love them!! I am ALWAYS going to buy them. It happened to be the first time I bought them..thanks to the coupon that Costco was offering and the fact I HATE my slider door all grimey looking..I hate it so much I added it to the everyday chore list for the boys.

Plus who can resist the strong handsome man on the package!?!



Anywhoo...Never, ever, ever buy anything else other then Brawny..when the red juice hits the floor you will be so thankful and you will always be thinking of me.

**I was NOT paid for this, I truly LOVE their snazzy paper towels.***

Corned YUCK...

I tried that corn beef and cabbage and I think it is a cross between fat slimed spam and soggy bacon. It was not a hit among my family. Matthew being the sweet kid he is was super nice at telling me just how gross it was...

Matthew: Hey mom, I don't want to hurt your feelings after the hard work you put into dinner but it is NASTY!!

Me: Hard work? Nope, crock pot did the hard stuff...and yes, my son grab a bagel...that stuff is nasty.

But the spam gone wrong was not thrown away...Mikey liked it!! Mikey likes anything...

8,000 Hits!!

I know..I know..Small things give me such JOY!! The Story of Our Life has received 8000 hits!! That only means 3 things...

1) You are BORED and find yourself blog stalking me

2) You really care about the ramblings of our life

3) You need to get a job

HA!!

We are doing a Giveaway!! Thanks to my crafty and fabulous friend Sarah over at
Slo Day Designs we are giving away some of her wonderful baby items!! She has made some hair pretties along with a burp cloth and bib set!! These will make a great gift or you can use them yourself!! She will be offering a ton of new spring designs! Keep checking her blog.

Just leave a comment..and we will enter your name into the drawing!! I will ship them to you for a 100.00 shipping service fee......okay, not for a 100 bucks I will do it for FREE! I am just super nice like that.





You can also visit Sarah's Blog by clicking the link on the Left hand side of my page! If your looking for that one of a kind baby gift...you will find it at Slo Day Designs!!

Thursday's with Tiffiny

I am Thankful For.....

for having the 2 older boys home today. Yes, I am a slave driver and they are my slaves. They think I am their personal ATM...we are cleaning out the garage and the down stairs craft room...HA!!It is not really a craft room....I am NOT crafty!! Nope, not me. I like to use the would craft...it sounds better then "my crap room"

Jeremy is bringing his store home. Don't know the exact date yet...but we are needing to prepare.

I am Listening to.....

The fish tank...Everyone is still asleep..


What's for dinner?

We are trying corned beef in the crock pot..They had it for 4.00 at Safeway!! Never tried it but it is meat...add brown gravy and I am SURE the boys will eat it. everything is better with brown gravy.

I am looking forward to....

Cleaning the garage...the "crap room"...the yard...Very ambitious with the kids free time.

I am Missing....

the winning lottery ticket...it must be inside the MISSING Boy Scout Shirt.

**** If you could all bow your heads and say a little (OKAY HUGE BIG)prayer that I find that thing over the next 2 days...I need to replace it by Tuesday and it is like 75.00*****

Wordless Wednesdays....

I am "stealing" mu husbands laptop..I really need to get mine fixed to run faster..I need to back up my pictures first..that is why I am avoiding using mine and "stealing" his..He bought this for work and the only work I see him do is kick butt on spider solitaire!!!

Here are a few random pictures that are on his computer...My grandma died 2 years ago..and the only pictures we have are on here. He has lots of clock fixing pictures...

Instead of Tightwad Tuesday's I am going to do my very own Frugal Friday's post...I have so much to blog in general but the more readers I get the more I freeze up in blogging..Bloggers block...That's what I have right now...

Anyways..Enjoy.

Not me Mondays

Oh, the joy of being a mom....If you have not heard about Not me Monday's I urge you to check out MckMama Blog...You can do this too...It is not hard...don't pretend you don't encounter just one thing in your week that might make others cringe..your just being honest and living to tell about it!!

It was NOT me who was suckered in to 3 more boxes of those darn Girl Scout Cookies to add to my stash. It was NOT me who thought we could ration them until Summer.

It was NOT me who went and Hijacked the neighbors swing set because I did not want to load up the kids to take them to the park. I need a swing Set.

It was NOT me who went through the local coffee stand and ordered 2 coffees using her buy one get one free for herself..one hot and one cold for the next morning. I limit myself to one coffee a week. So this way I got two for 3.85!!

It was NOT me who decided stock upon ice melter knowing my husband would be upset that I bought 4 bags the last Snow we got for the one day. He was thinking that we wouldn't need it. It was NOT me who was laughing at him this morning..Doing the " I have salt for my walkways dance"

It is NOT me who is just a tad bit excited for my best friend as she might be facing the Summer off with me..I am Sad for her, I promise. I am NOT a bit selfish.

It is NOT me who decided to spell things wrong for a certian someone who is my spelling NAZI.

Have a great week!! What did you NOT do this week?

Front Row

I do not like sitting in the front row at church. I don't even like sitting in the first 10 rows at church. I know..how can I go to church and get so insecure about sitting towards the front. It is almost like a death sentence. I get so nervous and worry the whole time on what people are thinking of me. Sad!?! I know...we are in church!!!

Last week my darling husband sat us in the 3rd row. I could not focus on the sermon. I kept praying that I would quit worrying what people thought..so I could listen with an open heart. I wasn't impressed with my darling husband. He knew I get anxiety sitting in the front.

So this week knowing how he loves sitting towards the front I took off to the VERY FRONT row!! He looked at me like " WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" I smiled and thought well..if you want the front then go for it and that I did...and I LOVED IT!!! I had to get over the fear that 1) our children's number would start flashing any moment for us to get them and we must leave the front row and WALK in front of everyone 2) that when I worship there would be people thinking bad things...3) we would always have to have the front row...

I have no idea why I am sharing this but It was a life changing moment...I was filled to the brim yesterday!! I have no idea if it was because of the front row or if it was because I did cast my fears to the side and went for it...it was empowering!!

Thursday's with Tiffiny...

Are you serious? That is what my son asked me yesterday in regards to the fact I have Not me Mondays..Tightwad Tuesdays..Wordless Wednesdays..Thursday with Tiffiny and then I think I am going to add frugal Fridays..But I am going to come up with 7 daily posts all different just to bug him..okay and bug you too...

Today is a blah day...bed late..early to rise..I had to be in town at 9am with 2 kids in tow to deal with the insurance company for a minor truck incident. Don't worry I wasn't hurt but the truck was! HA!

and I really need to comment on the weather...Rain, sun,snow,and now Sun? Oh, weather you are as moody as me!

So here it is Thursday again..




I am Thankful For.....

That my van needs 800.00 in repairs....Why am I thankful? well, because I have a vehicle..I am I excited about the timing of this? NO!! It sucks. I hate it. It really sucks but I do have a vehicle and I am not standing in the bus line. So, yes I am thankful!

I am Listening to.....

Carter wanting me to go get him from his playpen...I am hurrying through this..

What's for dinner?
Cold cereal..It is part of the budget. I wonder if you can put it in the crock pot?!?
Don't worry..I got Jer is favorite foods...and 35 candles...we might burn the house down!! :)

I am looking forward to....

Jeremy's birthday tonight...A nice hot bath and the couch being my friend...oh, and I have started the mega of all mega garage sale piles..we have decided that we will pretending to move to a 3 bedroom apartment...

I am Missing....
my mind..today is just not a good day..well it is a good day..we are alive and nothing major to report...I am just wanting to go to bed...maybe I will crawl in there and then peek under the bed to see if I SEE the MISSING boy Scout shirt...

Happy Birthday to the LOVE of my life

Today is my husbands 35th Birthday...WOW!! I can't believe he is 35..Not that it is old but considering I remember going out with him for his 19 birthday..Time has just flown by!!

Matthew thinks we are so old! I swear we are not!! Just because I do not know how to download itunes to the I-pod or set up the DVR to record or protect shows. He hangs over us when we are on the laptop trying to walk us through programs...WE ARE NOT OLD!! I still have cute hair!

Anyways, I love you my darling husband! Happy Birthday...I am so thankful you are part of this world and even more thankful to your mom and dad for raising such a wonderful man and father to our children!

Here's to many more years of birthdays...and it is okay that our kids think we are old..it just means we are smarter then them.

Wordless Wednesday

Olivia's new fun thing...find mommy's camera and take pictures..I have to hide it. I had some that I took awhile ago waiting to be uploaded...

Tightwad Tuesday..

I found this great title on a friends blog...She recently lost her job when the major coffee company she was working for laid off hundreds. She has a 1 year old son a few weeks older then Carter. You can read more by clicking here..

So here is to a new weekly post of being a tightwad and loving it!! I tend to collect things...no not fancy bells,plates, or china but just stuff. I collect stuff faster then dust. Stuff is taking over my life!

Some of my good friends can remember when I bought 7 pallets of valentines and Easter stuff. I had over 300 boxes of egg dye, over 200 boxes of Valentines and to just to much stuff. I gave all the Easter stuff to the church. Bags of goodies to my Friends and then tried to get rid of most of it by donating to the local thrift store. I still have some Valentines and Easter here. No Surprise to those who know me.

I stand in line at the thrift store waiting to see what treasure I can find...I got a Gymboree peacoat for Olivia for 1.29!

So here is what I try and do....CONSIGN!!! That would be the tip of this Tuesday Tightwad Post.

Clean out your closet and bring it to the consignment shop. They take jewelry, purses, shoes, unused bath gift sets, and much more. You will be surprised on how much money you can make.

Clean out your children's room...any toys still in packages either re-gift them or bring them in to sell. They take anything related to baby including your maternity clothes.

There is new place in town that will take your household items to sell on consignment. I have not tried them out but have a pile to bring in. I will let you know how it goes.

I have made over 800.00 last year on consigning. I absolutely love it and hope to one day open up another store. It is so Simple and you will get the hang of it.

So here is to the Tuesday Tightwad...look for it every week!! I am so ExCiTeD!!

I should just be stinky

I can't believe how hard it is to take a shower..I mean really!?! I never ever thought that this would be a problem..

Carter still sleeps in our room. Thankfully NOT in our bed but in play pen. He will not sleep in a crib..he will not even play in the crib..actually Olivia will still sleep in there even though she has a bed. Carter does not sleep through the night..Getting better waking up 1-2 times for a binky or bottle.

If I wake up and shower before everyone gets up I run a hellish schedule all day but at least I don't stink..Here is why showering in the morning sucks..1) carter wakes up in a GROUCHY mood 2) Olivia will wake up in a GROUCHY mood because she is not ready to get up. They are not morning people. They enjoy taking their sweet time waking up. So If they wake up before they are ready they are miserable..

Today...I shower at 1:15pm..I know..I know..ridiculous! I am frantically calling Liv's name..no answer...so I hurry..only to have her come running in after I get out of the 3.2 minute shower to tell me there is lady on the phone..Carter wants out of his high chair ( I placed it in front of the TV) She spilled all the puffs and banana bread is squished all over the white (well once was white pre-4 kids) carpet, she tried to make chocolate milk..I promise this shower was only 3 minutes!!

As I am come out in a towel..to see the mess I start to walk back to my room only to see her place Carter on the skateboard and push him and before I could say the word..he was screaming..he cut his lip and has a nice big bump on his forehead.
So Is Showering really worth it? Not today...

Note: The lady on the phone was from the school..I tried to call back but there is 61 phones in the school..no idea who it was..

Not Me Monday's...

Oh, the joy of being a mom....If you have not heard about Not me Monday's I urge you to check out MckMama Blog...You can do this too...It is not hard...don't pretend you don't encounter just one thing in your week that might make others cringe..your just being honest and living to tell about it!!

I did NOT catch Miss America in the bathroom playing with the whole thing of Comet that I did NOT leave out. I did NOT freak out I did NOT grab the phone ready to call Poison Control. I did NOT have my husband give me the lecture. I did NOT have him rinse her down and then bath her. I did NOT let Carter accidentally down leaving him to crawl into the bathroom just to have my husband bath him too. I did NOT apologize for accidentally letting Carter find them in the bathroom.

I did NOT buy 4 boxes of Girl scout cookies and I did NOT hide them in the van for my personal consumption. Nope NOT I! I do NOT have a weak spot for any child selling anything even if I am on a budget.

I did NOT put my children to bed at 6:45pm and then ignore all my night time chores just so I could start reading a book and be in bed by 8:45 myself.

I did NOT pretend to be sleeping at 3;00am just so my husband could get up and get the baby a bottle.

I did NOT tell my persistent little girl that the library had a fire so we could not go on Wednesday. I did NOT hear my husband when he asked if every place she wants to go to had a fire.

I did NOT go out for the 3rd Friday in a row with my girlfriends , certainly not leaving my husband with the kids.

What an adventureous week!! I am sure you have had a better week then me NOT doing anything!

What to do....

Jeremy could not find his cell phone this weekend..I mean we looked everywhere. I was pretty sure it was sitting on the arm of the living room chair Thursday night when I went to bed.

Matthew told me that he tried to call dads number today and this crazy song was coming on with the first ring. I dialed the number and sure enough I knew it had been stolen. I thought to my detective self that the person who stole this is using this phone so I went on-line and found out they had used 184 minutes, 174 text messages and over 12 downloads. During my searching I found that this person tried to call Mikey during the stolen time frame.

I called Mikey told him he had 10 minutes to get his butt (not sure if I used that word) home and find Jeremy cell phone. Jeremy was on the phone with the cell phone carrier shutting the phone off. Mikey comes home (like RIGHT away) to start calling the numbers w found on-line.
First one...Bam!! We find that it one of Matthew's friends. WHAT!!!!!!!! Matthew's friend? So I call back...super nice (i promise!) and ask if he is been getting text from our number. He said no. I said ___ don't lie to me...I know you have. He quickly told me "oh, yeah that is ______new phone" Thanks honey have a great night...
Oh, _______ new phone? Oh, really? She got a new phone alright by stealing mine!!
Jeremy and I go to the house only to find the mom home. The mom asks what our number is and I told her and she replied' yes, she has your phone" WHAT!!?? Then she proceeded to give me a long story on how she got her a phone but it was a trax phone and when the mom asked what the number was the girl gave her our number.
About 20 minutes later the girl showed up with our phone..I gave her the long lecture on stealing and how I forgive her but she needs to pray to out Heavenly Father for forgiveness. I gave her the mommy speech..only because her mom did not come with her..WHAT!? Yep,she had the girl, who was staying with her cousins walk to my house bring the phone and then walk back to her cousins even though she lived next door and her mom was home. The mom knew that there was over 100.00 in charges and still did not do anything about it.

Knowing that her mom is single and works 50 hours week and mostly weekends as a bartender I couldn't bring myself to call the police or yell at her. I felt bad for her in a way. She has nobody to process this with. Nobody to walk through the shame and embarrassment with her. As she ran down the street sobbing...my heart was full of compassion for someone who just stole from me.