2018

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Sheila

Did you hear that sigh of relief? Do you have a clue what it means for us?

This is the month, that we hopefully final get our feet back on solid ground. In addition, we are actively seeking ways to increase our overall income as well. My prayers is that by the end of June, we will have significantly increased our income and can adjust our budget accordingly.
The square foot garden should been to produce. We currently are able to harvest lettuce, basil and cilantro. I hope to add at least cucumber and squash to the mix by the end of the month.
Matt and I will have some “alone” time this month. For dinner tonight, we used a gift card and enjoy a large meal at Applebee’s. Total spent was $11! Amanda has taken all the kids with her camping this weekend. All three kids are planning to attend our church camp which be for the entire third week of June. Currently, I have scheduled myself an additional 10 hours the week they are gone to camp. This weekend, my plans are to finish up some spring cleaning and relax.
School ends for Lily next Wednesday. Zach and Kendall will both finish on Friday. This summer will be a definite change as Matt will be working one or more days. We get to start using our “Wet and Wild” pass for the summer. I am hoping to go twice in the month of June alone.
I am finally feeling caught up. I still have several things I would like to accomplish around the house but they are all things that are simple items that will just keep things moving smoothly.

Thanks for sticking with us!

Wordless Wednesday 11/22/2017

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Sheila

Wordless Wednesday- Annie

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Sheila

Wordless Wednesday -Celebrating Amanda’s Birthday

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Sheila

5 Things Friday 9/15/2017

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Sheila

We were unable to repair the kitchen faucet so we ended up purchasing a new one yesterday. We decided to go with a name brand and great warranty. It was expensive but this should be the last kitchen faucet that we ever buy.
Lily is really enjoying the youth theatre this fall, they are working on “Annie” Each family is required to provide a silent auction item. We purchased 2 stainless steel cups and Matt has customized to make a special souvenir.
We did end up spending more money than I had anticipated on groceries this month again. We also had to renew our Costco membership as well. The total spent for the month is $353. My strategy for the rest of the month is to avoid grocery stores. I am sad that Food Lion is running their quarter back sale but I am not planning to go.
I was able to score an awesome deal on soda. We managed to grab 4 cases for my mom, 5 8 packs for our Disney trip and 11 12 packs for us to use. Spending a total of $40.14!!!! This should keep us stocked until the end of November.
I have returned to using a paper planner. Partially by choice and partly because of the new computer. EVERYONE is assigned a different color and so far I am liking the ability to glance ahead and behind.

Wordless Wednesday 8/16/2017

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Sheila

5 Things Friday 8-11-2017

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Sheila

This is our beach vacation week. It has been awesome to spend time with all 5 kids and my mother at the same time.
The weather has been less than ideal with storms and rain most of the week except for today! The kids and Matt rode jet skis this morning and then we spent the rest of the day on the beach.
i am usually a little kid person but I am really enjoying this age of the little kids. They are pretty self sufficient but like to hold my hand while walking,
i have never had a problem with my life proof case on my phone until today. My phone got wet and started acting wired. It is drying out and seems to be working better so hopefully it is not a total loss.
Our biggest decision of the week……to head home on Saturday night or Sunday morning…. decided to let the weather decide!

Saving on Saturday 7/15/2017

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Sheila

I am sitting in a really quiet house, except for the occasional dog bark, it should stay this way for at least the next twelve hours or so. Lily left this morning for a missions trip to Mami Florida, she will not be returning until next Sunday. This afternoon, Amanda, Haley, Lily and Zach left to camp overnight and play at Sliding Rock NC. We do have an Amanda dog but that is really not a big deal. In the past, we would have taken advantage of the kidless night to go out for dinner most likely a very expensive dinner just because it was two of us instead of five. But not tonight!! We have definitely tighten the budget this month as we enjoyed Michigan in June and have plans for Myrtle Beach in August and Disney in November.

Tonight, Matt and I saved money by eating at home. Our menu was T-bone steaks (from freezer), baked sweet potatoes (last year’s) and a strawberry cheesecake. I made the cheesecake in my new Instapot that Amanda bought me for my birthday. We even chilled a bottle of wine from the wine rack to make the meal complete. The meal cost us zero out of pocket and was honestly one of the best I have eaten in a while.