Friday, April 27

plate designs

So I saw this post on hip2save for 30 free cards.
 If you need baby announcements, birthday invitations, graduation cards, or as I chose, thank you cards - snag them before the deal ends! I always need more thank you cards and they get expensive quickly so I always love these deals where I can grab a bunch. I was searching for a couple pics for the designs and came across these 2 photos. I loved the beauty & design idea of both of them.
 from the delightful Knack Studio


Thank you cards don't have to be boring. =)

Thursday, April 26

a wet garage sale

Last Saturday morning we decided to pull off a garage sale
(2 neighbors also joined in).
We advertised it starting at 8am.
At 6:20am someone was poking around my neighbor's driveway. 
At 7am, 4 people were looking at Andrew (standing there in his pj's) and asking where the sale was. Vultures, I tell ya!
So Andrew quickly got dressed and starting pulling all our stuff up from the basement.
They also felt the freedom to paw through each item as it arrived + give him tips as to how things should be placed. :)
This to the man who hadn't shaved, eaten breakfast or put on deoderant.
I was trying to get the kids up, dressed & given breakfast.
They were excited to wander in & out and make friends with our visitors.
The professional garage-salers hung out on our street for over an hour.
Our one neighbor refused to bring anything out until 8am (haha!) and they literally wandered the street until they did.
Thank you for the $3 you spent - was it worth your time?!
Such a bummer that it was cold & rainy. But we still had pretty good traffic.
And thank goodness for a nice porch which allowed us to keep our sale open!
We were able to get rid of a few big ticket items which I think made it worth it.
Andrew was able to sell a couple things on Craig's List after we were done as well.
The best part - 6 boxes of stuff in our basement are now empty + a few big items are now gone! The overflow is heading to our local thrift store - def not coming back here to live!
We set up a lemonade/cookie stand for Graham to try for the first time.
He ended up making $5.
But seeing as how his cookie box was empty, this means he either ate or gave away a good majority!
His basic strategy was to walk up and shove a cookie in someone's hand. And seriously, the people that still refused? You're cold. :} But not bad for his first sale!
Next time, I think we'll plan for June......but I am happy it's over!

Monday, April 23

14 (+) months

Ok, I missed her 13 month update, then her 14 month passed.
So I am determined to get a few things written before 15 months comes (in 2.5 wks).
*
I still can't help giving so many kisses to those soft baby cheeks!
She is definitely coming into her own and she is one determined chicca.
She used to be SO fussy between about 4-7, but I am happy to say I think we're slowly passing that phase (YAY!)
She is a happy girl who loves to giggle.
{Especially when she's running away with something she's not supposed to have} 
She loves to listen, dance & clap to music.
And a little hand-raising sometimes. :)
She loves clothes and this combines 2 favorites - some item of clothing draped on her and typing on the computer. She also loves to come and slam the keyboard inside when mommy's working on it. Not very subtle is she? :)
She loves to be outside. We miss our warm weather that was here for a very brief time. She grabs her shoes and brings them to me. Or sometimes she tucks her hand in mine and leads me to the door.
Chalk is always fun!
She loves to put things on her head, especially baskets.
Ironic that getting her to wear a hat is quite a battle. :)
Get this thing off me!

I love when they both fall asleep on the way home from playdates.
It makes me want to keep driving and driving! I am so thankful that E allows me to put her right to bed when we get home and still takes a good nap. Seems like G never did that and I was always fighting to keep him awake.
Speaking of naps, I'm dabbling with the idea of easing her out of morning nap.
It's usually under an hour now. And she seems to do pretty well on Sundays now when she only gets 15-20 minutes to sleep before we're out the door.
She absolutely squeals when daddy comes home.
Attack of the dad!
c-l-i-m-b-e-r.
This week was the first that I caught her standing on TOP of the dining room table. That little chair she is standing on? She has learned to carry it around and build herself stepping stones to get on the highest object possible.
Crazy girl!
This is also a favorite pose that always makes her giggle!
driving on a playdate
As soon as she sees me start making dinner, she grows this strange attachment to my leg. :) A little trick I use with her (& used to with G), is giving them their bowl of veggies to munch on. Somehow they gobble them up faster than they would at dinner.
 Not many words yet, but G wasn't really talking at this age yet either. She's slowly starting to have a few distinguishable babbles. She also loves to randomly yell - and yes, her lungs work well.
Some kids have a list of 10 words they say by age one, but not my kiddos! The pediatrician asked me at her 1 yr. check-up if she was communicating.....yep, no worries there. She can definitely get her point across. :)
We love our sweet & spunky little Eden!

Sunday, April 8

a great day

Since we knew Sunday would be a full day, we decided to do our first family Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. It involved jelly beans, so it was a big favorite.

 is this here, let me help you or give me all your goods, sister...............??



 After church on Sunday, we were invited to our friends', Eric & Laura. They have a downtown condo and were so gracious in letting our kiddos invade! Thankfully they left it in one piece :) and for the second Sunday in a row, Eden napped well in a strange place.
This allows us much more freedom on Sundays!
Mama Hughes sent them special Easter outfits - we were likin' the purple/grey! 
We didn't like picture time so much.  


You know it was a tiring day when Graham asks to nap on the couch when we get home!
Mommy & Daddy jumped on the purple wagon as well.
And ironically, 5 out of 6 worship team members.
3 men all choosing purple shirts..............what are the chances?!
 We had such a great Sunday service ~ loved being a part of it.
Thankful to everyone who has been so kind in their encouragement as Andrew settles into his new role.
And I love our red church doors. =)

Saturday, April 7

happy Easter.

We are excited for our first Easter Sunday at 3RG!
Looking forward to a great worship service and ending with this great song of praise {also playing right now}.

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a Virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming, oh, glorious day!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him
The grave could not keep Him from rising again

Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming, oh, glorious day!

It is a very glorious day indeed.

Tuesday, April 3

pricematching.

I have to admit something that truly pains me a little bit. It's hard to believe, but Walmart actually made me a tiny bit happy this week. I know, hard to believe.
But one word sums it up: pricematching.
You've probably seen their commercials over the past few months and may have even figured that, like many advertisements, there was a lot of fine print involved. So I've been giving it a try once in a while over the past few months........and well, I must say, I've been very pleasantly surprised. Not one hassle. Not one argument. They simply adjust the price.
Their marketing technique may even work brilliantly if it continues.
I was one who being fed up with such horrible customer service & long lines had said
see ya Wally's and hello Trader Joe's & Target.
And I love my TJ's & Target there is no doubt.
But I also have this thing called the Bottom Line and for us right now, every single penny counts.
So I save the ads that come in the weekly circulars and write down all the best prices I see. (It works easiest for me to write them all down in a list so I can easily tell them at the register instead of digging through 4 circulars.)  

Aldi's & Bottom Dollar are the ones that work best for me. Aldi's doesn't have brand names, Bottom Dollar has some....but where I have scored so big is in the produce!
We seriously go through the produce. I have paid close to $20 a week sometimes.
Produce can be so expensive, but A & BD throw out some really great deals.
(btw, I was also able to do deals on bacon, sausage, toilet paper & sugar as well)
Here's some of my happy produce deals:
 cantaloupe & pineapple: 99 cents each
3 lb. bag of onions: 89 cents/bag (yes, that's 7 onions!)
5 lb. bag of potatoes: 1.68
sweet potatoes: 29 cents/lb.
4 lb. bag of oranges: 1.97
strawberries: 1.68
bananas: 39 cents/lb
baby carrots: 97 cents
All in all, my total for produce was 11.66.
Without pricematching, it would have been 23.37.
And so that, my friends, is significant enough in my book to occasionally drag myself back. =)
So now you know why my shopping day essentially takes up my entire day {around taking care of the kiddos}. I do my 2-week meal plan, write my list, plan my pricematching, manage coupons.....thankfully I only have to do this every 2 weeks. :)
Here's what we'll be eating the next 2 weeks:
{I'll let it go without saying that fruit/veggies will be obvious sides.}
T: sweet & sour chicken/rice - 'cept changing the sauce
W: Ham/Cheese Sliders - trying this for the first time!
F: doing a restaurant review for the Momtourage
{Bd's Mongolian Grill!}
S: Hamburgers on the grill/potato wedges
S: dinner at friends for Easter
(making homemade crescent rolls & dessert)
M: Omelets/Bacon
W: Chicken fajitas
Th: homemade bbq meatballs/mac & cheese
F: tuna sandwiches/sweet potato fries
S: Sloppy joes
T: Chicken parm/pasta
Also going to try some homemade ranch dressing, since Graham goes through it like it's going out of style.
And now, I think I need a snack. =)
A fresh buttermilk oatmeal muffin should do!

Sunday, April 1

hosanna.

I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes

I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

{This is no April fools}