Category Archives: Lily

Not What I Expect……..

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Today is Saturday, day 3 of a 4 day weekend. I can honestly say so far this has not been what I expect!  Thursday I did enjoy time in Lily’s spring party. I forgot my camera and was using Matt’s phone so I had no clue how to take pictures. After lunch, we took Zach and Kendall to the doctor’s office because they are both sick. Kendall’s is suppose to have an old fashion cold which she has pasted on to myself, Lily and Matt. Zach has a double ear infection. In fact the doctor said that he actually had a blister on his ear drum.  On the way home from the doctor’s office my brother calls and my dad is in the emergency room.  I ended up spending most of Friday at the hospital with my dad.  Thankfully, Dad is home, Zach is feeling much better with antibiotics. The rest of us are praying we can all make it to church in the morning. On the bright side of things, I have been able to work on my project list and have completed several of the items.  The kids and I did dye Easter Eggs today, I took them outside in hopes of some decent pictures. Here is what I got….

Highlights

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We managed to add to the calender this week to the point where Matt and I actually did not see each other, for longer than 5 minutes on 3 of the 5 nights. Matt is currently serving on the church governing board and the pool board, this month both of the meeting occurred during the same week. I have also been picking up extra hours at work, Lily continues to have 3 nights of cheerleading a week and Haley’s birthday was Friday.
Things that I remember from this week:

1. Today (Saturday), church pictures and Haley’s birthday lunch. The pictures were really dark and I looked HUGE in them so I was not tempted to purchase any!  We ate at Texas Roadhouse for lunch and managed to finish the leftovers for dinner. The meal was really good and Zach had the only meltdown which occured at the end of the meal, while we were waiting for a check. All 7 of us enjoyed several hours together with no major drama!

2. Zach asked to wear underwear today. He managed to stay dry ALL day long even with us being gone alot!   I actually caught him in the act so he even pooped on the potty as well!!! I am so excited. He did not want to wear a diaper tonight so I am hoping this is the beginning of something big!

3. We have finally gone through all the clothes for the little kids. I am very hopefully that everyone has enough to make it though the spring and summer. Lily will most likely need new clothes for school  next year but I am planning to buy those at the end of the season so they should be less expensive. We have been so blessed in this area with Kendall,  not only have I saved alot of Lily’s clothes but we have been given bags and bags of clothes. I was able to totally change out her clothes to the next size today without purchasing anything.  On Thursday, we spent some time shopping for Zach, he needed shorts.  I did not realize he needed these, because several pair from last year are still way to big. I ended up spending around $80 but was able to purchase 4 complete outfits and 2 extra pair of shorts for him.

3. I actually only saw Haley the morning of her birthday! I had to work late, she and Matt have been waiting to see Hunger Games, since last August. They were able to get ticket to the 7:25 show. My parents watched the little kids till I got home from work and I was in bed before they arrived home from the movie.

4. Matt made Haley’s birthday cake. I got pictures on my phone and on the camera, if I can get the other computer to work I will try and upload for Wednesday this week. It is actually one of the best cakes he has made and it is almost all gone today.

5. I have gone WAY over budget for groceries for this month. Harris Teeter had a triple coupon event and we have made 2 trips. In addition, we most likely will be purchasing chicken breast from Zaycon this week as well. My plan is to replace this overage in the month of April. I also plan only to purchase necessities we run out of and things on stock up. I would like to spend including the pay back less than 400 in April.  This would place us in an excellent position for the summer.

6. Ruger has settled in some, he is still peeing in the house but it is down to once a day.

7. I transplanted broccoli outside and it appears that 5 of 6 may survive. I am not so sure of my chills, because of hail, we got today I am afraid it may have killed several of the plants. I am planning to plant both cucumbers and squash this week.

8. Finally I am excited about the weather. We have been have alot of unseasonably warm days. In fact, the temperature has been above 80 on several days. Matt and I have really worked at reducing our electric bill so we have yet to turn on the air conditioning. However, tonight it is cooler, suppose to be in the 50s and rainy so I will be sleeping well!

Tuesday Thoughts

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I have spent some time search for a Beach house for us this summer….. just not sure what to do?

For dinner this evening, I tried something new! I made up a recipe using what I could easily unthaw and use out of the refrigerator. It turned out ok, eatable but not a repeat. I am just proud that I tried something new without a recipe.

Haley is tanning on a daily basis now for the prom.

I hope to plant our broccoli outside this weekend in the square foot garden but I need alot of dirt before that will happen.

My work is starting to pick up and I need to learn to manage my schedule a little bit better. This week I am going to stay at home Thursday (my normal day off) even with a meeting. I really need a whole day off because it has been several weeks since I have had one.

I won’t be able to upload cheerleading pictures until the first of April.

My weight loss has hit a stand still. I know part of the problem is what I am eating and not drinking enough water but I am struggling.

I am trying a new method of organizing my coupons, it is from this blog. Basically I use 10 minutes a day and so far it has been going well. In two days, I have sorted through 2 months of expired coupons. My plan is to finish this task this week.

This is still the kids favorite indoor activity….

PROUD

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Yes, I am one PROUD Mom tonight but I am also a very PROUD American!  Today was the third weekend in a row that I have spent several hours in the car. Today, all seven of us traveled to Raleigh to watch Lily in her competition cheerleading. Lily was awesome and the entire team did a great job for their very first competition. They place 6 of 8 even not getting one of their stunts off the ground. Of course pictures will come later in the week!

But I participated in/observed several things today that make me a PROUD American. First, after the national anthem at the competition, all active military and veterans were asked to stand so that they could receive a round of appreciation.  I am so glad and encouraged to know that in our country even if everyone does not agree with the politics in Washington that we acknowledge the sacrifice these folks give!  The next thing, if you know me at all you will appreciate and realize why this was such an awesome event for me. While looking at the program, Matt pointed out that the final two squads were labelled as “Exceptional Children”. We noticed at one point several wheelchairs but I was thinking okay I wonder what is going on.  As the first of these two squads entered the stage, the entire place stood up and cheered! Yes, a standing ovation for this group of girls who were doing the same things as the rest of the kids. This group was awesome, they had stunts and a dance routine each of the exceptional cheerleader had a buddy to keep them moving in the right direction.  I honestly can say I have never heard more cheers for any other group. The finale was two of the girls lifted out of their chairs. As this first routine ended, the announcement came that they won first place and their trophy was given to them!!! Another standing ovation occurred!  As the second group arrived on stage again the entire gym stood up and cheered. The second routine was just as good as the first and they also had lots of cheers. Again as the team finished, “FIRST PLACE” was announced and a trophy present along with a standing ovation. I actually have tears in my eyes as I type this. As a mother, as a therapist, as a person  this makes me proud. This kids were awesome, they have worked harder than any other group I saw and they got the appreciation that they deserved. I am just honored to have been part of this!!!!

A nice reminder in what makes our country special if you ask me.

Andrea’s Wild West Sweet Sixteen

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Our friend Andrea turned sixteen yesterday. So on Saturday, we enjoyed  her wild west themed birthday party.  Haley was present as well and line danced for almost an hour but I don’t have any pictures of her because she has not uploaded them yet!  There are also rumored to be pictures of me dancing but I will not confirm or deny that!

Matt built the jail for this event..doesn’t it look real?

Partners in Crime

Sushi the Horse was a great guest but by the end of the night she was tired.

Izzy and Andrea

Lily the Cheerleader

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Lily’s first competition was on Saturday. It was the closest one to us as well. Of course she woke up really early and was ready to get on her uniform as well as hair and make up. We actually did really well on time so Matt took several pictures of her….ENJOY

Consignment Sale Shopping

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This is something that is definitely  not new for me. In fact, Haley wore only consignment sale finds for several years. However, it seems that in the last several years, I have not been able to consistently find these sales especially that offer good quality clothes.  The other issue has been driving to a particular sale, I often don’t remember when the sales occur and forget to schedule the time to get to the sale before everything is gone. The good news is that this changed this weekend.

Lily had her first cheerleading competition on Saturday in Concord (lots of pictures this week). As I was searching for additional information, I discovered that there would be a consignment sale going on in an adjacent building.  Lily squad met 2 hours prior to competition time so after dropping her off, we head to the sale.  I had gone through Zach clothes so I knew he needed shirts. I decided to start with his size first. I was able to find  1 complete outfit, 4 play shirts, 2 Polo’s for church or just to wear and 2 dress shirts for him.  They also had a HUGE selection of shoes. I found a pair of dress shoes and a pair of sandals for him that both appear new.  Next I headed over to Lily’s size to check out what might catch my attention. Kendall found a bathing suit so she ended up with that. For Lily, we found 2 outfits, 3 shirts and a bathing suit. Saturday was 50% off day. This sale was awesome, in fact, I am planning to return next year even if the competition is not the same day. I was able to find everything and check out in less than an hour!  I am even more excited when I came home and discovered that Zach now has 10 pair of shorts and 10 shirts for the summer. I will continue to look at yard sales for cute T-shirts but even if I don’t purchase anything else he has enough clothes for the summer!

My total was $63.75
Items purchased included: 2 pair of shoes, 2 bathing suits, 3 outfits, and 10 shirts, or $3.18 per piece!

Saving Money- Even When It is Not Convenient

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Living in a small town makes it difficult to save money most of the time. Add in the fact that most weeks, we don’t have alot of extra time to devote to saving money. But I have learned the hard way, sometimes saving money is not the most convenient or easy thing to do.

 Out of the 7 of us, 5 use contacts and/or glasses. I do carry vision insurance at work but coverage is very limited.  Glasses are very expensive, on average a pair has been costing with the insurance an average of $200.  We have tried places in town such as Walmart, however they refuse to place transition lens in Lily’s glasses and the “$10” kids glass still cost around $100.  In addition, the customer service is awful, we have waited around 30 minutes each time we go for a fix as well as they charge for each piece that breaks on the glasses, for example nose pieces are $10 each. I also have attempted to order glasses online but this does not work out either mainly due to trying to fit the small face structure of the girls.  I have been reading about Vision Works and decided to check it out. The closest Vision Works is in Winston about 30 minutes away. I stopped in 2 weeks ago, we were able to order 2 pair of glasses for Lily including one with the transitional lens, they also “slimmed down” the lens as well, the final cost $184.00.  I was most impressed with the selection of frames we had to choice from, even staying with the lower $69.95 frames, Lily located several pair she really like in about 10 minutes.  I was able to come home and submit for a part of the cost back from my vision plan. I can only get $90 back as opposed to $150 but the real difference is after reimbursement I will have spent $95.00 for two pair of glasses as opposed to $150 for one.  Yes, using Vision Works took extra time and the cost of gas but the overall saving is well worth it.  Check out Lily’s new frames below!  I was so pleased that Kendall will be receiving 2 pair of new glasses this week as well!

Another example of saving money not being easy is couponing in general. It takes time. Time to prepare and shop. An example is today, I knew that if on my way to CVS, I stopped at my parents then I would have a second set of coupons and therefore be able to purchase 2 toothpaste for free instead of one. At this point, I don’t need the second tube but it was a small inconvenient for a free item.

What We Have Been Up To!

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Things got really busy (read crazy) around here this week. Lily’s cheer leading squad is FINALLY going to try some competitions. The first one will be at the end of the month. They decided to add an additional night of practice so now we have somewhere to go every night of the week. In addition, I ended up working last 3 nights this week and on Thursday, I was at the doctor’s office and pharmacy til 6:15pm.  So here is a quick update on what things are going on around here:
-Our tax refund came in, so we had gutters installed on the house. This finally finishes the addition and is also a nice addition to the rest of the house with matching colors.
– We have re-furbished wood from our previous deck for another square foot garden box and our broccoli plants have started to grown. We only have a success rate of 50% with the seed so hopefully when transplanted they will survive.
-Lily has two new pair of glass from Vision Works and we are extremely happy with them. Kendall will also be receiving two pair later in the week.
-Haley has strep throat and a sinus infection. She has been sick for about 2 weeks  not and has already missed 3 days of school this semester.  I was really surprised by the strep throat because she has not ran a fever. Hopefully by Monday, she will be back at school, healthy and happy.
– I have schedule my surgery for March 5th.  Trust me you don’t want the details but I will be out of work of a week. So this should get interesting.
-At church tomorrow, both the little girls will be playing bells and Matt is taking part in a skit. I am teaching the Beginner’s Childrens Church. Matt and I spent about 2 hours today, cleaning out a room that we have now been moved to. I have lots of ideas to make this a fun, educational experience for this age group and just need to find the time to implement most of them!

An Educational Afternoon

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I mentioned that on Sunday, I began to work out a plan for our square foot garden this year. One of the new things I want to try is to grow broccoli. The main reason is that it is a “cool weather” vegetable. Meaning it can be planted early in the spring and then again in the fall with several harvest each time, this would significant increase my use of the gardening box. I went ahead and ordered some seeds on line. They arrived today, I was home around 2:30 and decided to turn this afternoon into a learning opportunity for the younger kids.

We first all watch a video on how to make paper pots from Budgetsavingmom.  Lily was in charge of searching the newspapers to find some without color, each of the 3 little ones got to tear apart the newspaper pages as well as “help” make the pots. Lily actually made her second one alone. Zach and Kendall were learning about positions (before and after) as well as turn taking. After finishing the pots we went out and filled with potting soil. Lily was given 2 word problems to keep her on top of things. Next we all planted the seeds and I watered. Hopefully they will sprout in around 10 days and we will be planting outside the first of March.  I am going to keep an eye on the weather and maybe getting all the plants outside by the first week of April?. But alot will depend on when the estimated last frost is, I have been reading that this can vary as much as a month in our area.  Finally after putting the pots in a cardboard box for easy transportation, Lily was able to use the calender and write the date we should have sprouts by followed by Zach and Kendall working on their names by signing their names. The total time we spent on this mini project was about an hour. But it provide the most teachable moments that I took advantage of in a while. It felt awesome to just be a mom but also know that I was spending quality time with the kids this afternoon.