Christmas muffins

A good friend made these for my mom last year. I just made them tonight and the whole family loved them-
Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup pumpkin
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin and mix well. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and pour pumpkin mixture into well. Stir just until dry ingredients are moist. Stir in cranberries.
Spoon into greased muffin pans or paper cupcake holders. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.
Enjoy!!!!!
Note-fresh cranberries are only available for a few months out of the year. I bought 2 bags and threw one in the freezer to use later.

Had to do it-

We went to the mall yesterday. I had no expectations. I did tell the girls they could ride the train after we went to see Santa. McKenna had 2 meltdowns before we even got to the mall. She didn't want to sit on Santa or stand near him. I said that's fine. No big deal. We get there, she sees Santa giving kids candy canes and she decides he's not so bad, after all. Avery was ready to talk to him. We met Marla and Reese there. Reese went first. Here are the resultsAfter Reese, all 3 of my girls hopped right up to Santa. Avery talked to him for a while. She told him she wanted a Barbie (aka peek a boo petite) and McKenna said she wanted My little Pony. Santa called Presley a boy, and so it begins. None of my kids have hair for the first 2 years of their life, so everyone thinks their boys. Whatever.

I had a moment of weakness and I paid for a picture with Santa. I wanted Kevin to see it (he was at work) and wanted proof of the memory. $14.87!!!!! for one picture. I had a stomach ache afterwards. I can't believe I spent that much money for 1 picture that will most likely go in a box. Here's what $14.87 buys-Actually, we got 2 for the price of one. When we went to pay for the pix, the computer for the camera somehow broke and we had to wait for 20 minutes while the lady called someone to fix it. The other lady said she didn't know how to work the cash register so she just stood there. Ugh. When the first lady came back to check us out, I asked if we could just have the pix since it took so long. She said no but she'd give us another one for free. Anyone want a 5x7 pix of some cute girls with Santa? I'll sell it for $35! Just kidding, kind of...
Big plans today-the girls are going to a friends house for a Christmas party. I need to do some shopping and I hope to make it to the Y. Kevin should be doing some shopping, if he knows what's good for him :) Then we'll go out and look at lights tonight.

A Christmas Quiz

Heather at Whittaker Woman posted this list of Christmas questions. I joined in and here are the results.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper! Bags are no fun! Although I did use a bag for my nephew's gift this year. Simply b/c it was such an odd shape and I had one from last year.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I live in Kansas. The best trees here are artificial!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the day after Thanksgiving. Or the week before...
4. When do you take the tree down? sometime during the week between Christmas and New Year, or right after.
5. Do you like eggnog? No, but Kevin and Avery sure do!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I wrote about it here.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My husband and kids. I know what they want, need, don't already have, etc....

9. Do You have a nativity scene? Yes. Emmanuel gave me a beautiful nativity a couple of years ago. The girls have a Little People set under the tree they can play with. The girls also have one in their room they got from Church last year.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Christmas cards? Our family didn't do that when I was growing up, so I haven't gotten into that tradition, yet. I enjoy reading the ones we get, though!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? No comment

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I have a lot-Right now, it's probably Elf. Last night, we all watched the Grinch, I like that one, too.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I wish I could say all year. But this year, it's been in the last 2 months.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Again, no comment.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything my mom makes. She's the best cook. Some year I want her to fix mexican and we can sing Felix Navidad!

16. Lights on the tree? Seriously? We put 3 extra strands on our prelit tree, and put 12 strands on the tree in the basement.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night. I just like singing that one. I love to hear Avery sing Away in the Manger.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Going North to Abilene on Christmas day. Spending Tuesday night with Kevin's family.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. And Rudolph, too.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither and let me tell you the girls are not happy. They really want either a star or angel. I like my trees just the way they are. Fashion trumps theology on this one.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Hello, Santa delivers them Christmas night so Christmas morning is when you open them! The kids open one gift on Christmas eve every year. And every year that one gift is a pair of pajamas.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Last year, I bought ALL of the gifts for all of our families by myself. I didn't like it. This year, Kevin help a little. He does most of the wrapping of the gifts so I shouldn't complain.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I used to just like white or gold. Now I like all of the colors, as long as they coordinate.
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Last year we had beef tenderloin for the first time. It was good! And we eat homemade Chex mix alot during advent and epiphany every year.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I know this sounds corny, but I just want to watch my girls open their gifts and experience Christmas with my family. Wait, I would like to paint our bedroom, too. And I want some black boots at Target that I told Kevin about, showed him in the store, emailed him a link. I wouldn't mind some jewelry either. And I want a better pencil sharpener than the one we have. When you school at home, you use pencils and our little sharpener isn't cutting it anymore....Oh, yeah, and peace on earth-good will toward men.

I hope you all are able to spend this Christmas with your family, and that you'll experience the true meaning of this special time of year. Merry Christmas.

There's no place like home

I came across a new blog today, and I loved this post. I've worked outside the home off and on since Avery was born almost 6 years ago. I didn't realize that I wanted to be a stay at home mom until I actually had a baby. I just assumed I'd stay home on maternity leave, then go back to work. No conflicting thoughts or feelings. It would just happen. Boy, I was soo wrong. My heart ached when I went back to work. I remember pleading with Kevin after coming home from the hospital after Avery was born to let me not go back to work. I was teaching at the time and knew I couldn't legally just quit. And we couldn't live on Kevin's income at the time. Having to work outside the home was very hard for me. I would get depressed. I would be jealous of other moms who stayed at home. I was bitter. I had a good work ethic, I liked work, once I got there. I just didn't want to leave my baby. My heart was home. I felt called to be in the home. Kevin got this book, which confirmed by feelings. In 2007, Kevin was offered a position that allowed me to stay home. These last 2 years have been the best. I LOVE being home. Granted, I work 1 day a week during the college semester. Even working 1 day a week is hard most weeks. This position provides a cushion and some extra money for us. There have been many times when I want to quit. In my head, I feel I've been offered a great job, and I don't want to let it go. This job gives my kids a chance to spend the day with grandparents. But is it right during this season, while I have little ones at home? I still consider myself a SAHM. I thank God for the opportunity to be a wife and mom. I don't want to take this for granted. Ok, long rambling thoughts. Scroll back up and click on the link that started this post.

Christmas Confessions

I'm almost done with Christmas shopping, but not quite. I still have stocking stuffers and a few other things to buy. It's crazy cold out today, so I'm staying in with my baby. I got a few things Saturday, and, while shopping for others, I ended up buying a really cute shirt for myself. When I showed it to Kevin, he rolled his eyes and asked why I always buy things for myself at Christmas time? I admit, I do this every year. As I got to thinking about it, I realized that Christmas time is really the only time of year that I actually go shopping. I don't go to the mall, I don't shop just for the fun of it anymore. I just don't get around much anymore (hear the song playing in the background!) Since Thanksgiving, I've bought a pair of jeans, a vest, and 2 shirts for myself. Mainly b/c they were so cheap and mainly b/c I knew no one else would get them for me.

So, what about you? Do you ever buy stuff for yourself this time of year? Time to confess...

Family Pix 2008

Yesterday, we had these pix taken at Portrait Innovations. I made the appt for during the day, thinking it wouldn't be as busy as an evening or weekend time slot. Boy, was I wrong. We waited for almost an hour to get one set of pictures taken, then waited another 30 minutes for the second set. There were so many people there. Everyone was dressed in black, red, and white. Presley was awake the whole time, but didn't smile at all. The older girls were great. Kevin and I decided we will do this again, but just to get the girls pix taken. We weren't very happy with the family portrait. Oh well. I should have had our family pix taken earlier this fall, so they could be outside. I've been stewing over this since Presley was born, I'm glad it's over.

I'm a survivor!

I got the "all clear" from my oncologist last week! I'm so happy. It's been 16 years since I was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It all started at the beginning of my senior year in high school. I was singing a lot and getting ready to audition for college. I kept having sore throats and noticed a knot the size of a big gumball on my neck. This is one of my senior pictures, you can see the lump in the bottom right part of my neck. This picture was taken 3 months before I noticed any symptoms.

Hey, it was 1993, that style was cool back then! Anyway, we lived in southwestern Kansas at the time. After 10 days of tests and visiting 4 different doctors, I was finally diagnosed with metastatic papillary carcinoma. My first surgery was on September 26, 1992 (does that date sound familiar to anyone?) The weekend I had the surgery, over 100 people came to the hospital to see me. And the hospital was 6 hours away from my hometown! I spent a week in the hospital healing and having more tests done. Before I left to go back home, I had one radiation treatment, which consisted of taking a pill. My goal at the time, was to get home b/c I was nominated for homecoming queen and I didn't want to miss it. I didn't end up winning. 3 months later, I went down to Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center. I went there every 6 months for the next 4 years. In 1996, an ultrasound showed the cancer had come back. I had another surgery, this time followed by radiation that kept me in the hospital and in seclusion. I hated that. I've been on a yearly check-up schedule since then. I have ultrasounds and more thorough tests every 2 years, when I'm not pregnant or nursing. Had a scare back in 2004, but everything turned out negative.

I'm ready to be done with this chapter in my life. My right side of my neck and face is numb. I have a 9 inch scar on my neck and I'll take medicine for the rest of my life. At one point, I thought this disease had taken away any chance of having a baby. I've had the opportunity to witness and be with 2 other girls who've gone through similar surgeries, one a friend-the other a 10 year old student of mine. I've had good doctors, great doctors, and 1 horrible doctor. My family has been phenominal. The churches I've been a part of during these times have been great. My relationship with Christ has grown through this experience. I know he has plans for me. I see it in my little girls' eyes. My boyfriend turned husband has been wonderful, he is an encourager, motivator and optimist. I don't know what I'd do without him. I know the best time of my life is still ahead.

The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:7,8

Avery the artist

Kevin posted a drawing Avery did over the weekend here. She is so talented! She didn't get that from either of her parents. I can sing, I can't draw. Kevin can sing, he can't draw. When she was in preschool as a 3 year old, her teacher told me that Avery would get frustrated with the other kids who weren't coloring in the lines. The teacher had to put good colorers on either side of her. Needless to say, art is her favorite subject in school.

Misc. thoughts

Various thoughts I've been thinking include, but are not limited to-

• I miss singing. With the exception of a couple of funerals, I haven't sung or led worship in public in 2 years. I'm starting to really miss it. I've considered getting a church job, just so I could sing again ( and the pay would be helpful, too)


• I love this time of year. It's so magical. I can't remember figuring out about Santa, I've always believed in him. In my mind as a child, I remember thinking, "my parents couldn't afford this, so there must be a Santa!" My favorite Christmas gift was a bike I got when I was 5. My second favorite was a stereo-it was huge!


• I spent alot of money this weekend. I need to slow down, we still have 23 more days in this month!


• That said, I think I have most of our Christmas shopping done!


• Kevin gave me an early present. I got highlights in my hair yesterday. I realize this is so shallow, but I love having highlights! It's been 4 years since I've had my hair colored. The stylist kept saying my hair looked so healthy. Duh, I haven't colored it in 4 years!


• We're getting our family pix done this week. Finally. Presley is 10 weeks old and I don't have any paper pix of her yet. All of them are in the computer.


• We have a crazy busy week ahead. I have juries 2 days, we have dentist appts. pictures, and Friday night we're hosting a party for Kevin's student workers and my voice students, should be fun. Sunday, Presley is getting baptized up in Abilene. Somewhere in there, Avery will have school, Presley will be fed, and McKenna will get to play barbies with her mom. I love my life!

My mom's b-day

Here is my mom with Reese, my niece.


My mom was born on the anniversary of the bombing of pearl harbor. She is 59 today. I love her so much. She is the best mom in the whole world. She is also the best grandma. Things I love and appreciate about my mom.

• She loves her husband and cares for him. She irons his clothes, cooks for him, cleans for him



• She loves her children. She took care of us when we were sick, stayed in the hospital with us. She made dresses for us at Christmas. She permed our hair. She did all of our laundry.



• She loves her grandkids. She is always buying something for them. She reads to them, she plays with them, she cooks their favorite meals.



• She's the best cook. period. Everything she makes is delicious. Her gumbo is out of this world.



• She has the gift of hospitality. She loves to entertain.



• She loves yellow roses.



• She doesn't like chocolate very much

Being a mom myself makes me appreciate her all the more. Now I realize how much she sacrificed for us. If you see my mom today, wish her a happy birthday. Say a prayer of blessing for her.

Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!

Chex Mix thoughts

I love chex mix! Not the kind you buy at the store in a bag. I love the homemade kind. I remember our family made it every year during the holidays. My aunt Marlene makes the best, actually I think she pays someone to make it for her, but that's not the point. I usually follow her recipe to make my own. She does the original, but doesn't put in the bagel chips. Then she adds about a cup each of

• bugles


• cheerios


• kix


• cheese-its


• and cheese balls

Oh, it's sooooooo good! I could live on that stuff. Especially with an ice cold Coke in hand. I just found a crock pot recipe here. I think I'll try making it that way next! How do you make your chex mix? Leave a comment and let me know!

Save the Date!

Homemade Gourmet Christmas Open House!

the Osborn abode (leave a comment if you need directions)

Monday, December 15, 2008

6-8pm

This is a great opportunity to shop for those on your Christmas list. There will be great food, drinks and more gift-giving ideas to make the holidays extra special. If you can't make it, feel free to browse Sally's website and place an order. Or call me and I'll place an order for you. RSVP by leaving a comment. Hope to see you there!

Homemade ornaments

Last year I bought this book, and I loved reading the history about all of the traditions we do to celebrate advent and Christmas. Kevin wrote a little about it here. Last year we made homemade ornaments. We can't eat these, b/c of the glue. It was so fun we decided to make them again this year.

1 cup cinnamon

1 tbs each of ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves

1 cup applesauce

2 tbs glue

mix together to form dough. you may need to add some flour, we did. roll out and cut into shapes. make a hole at the top of each ornament, we used a straw. Let air dry for a few days, turning often.

Productive weekend

We had a great weekend putting up the trees, ornaments and decorating the house. I'll post pix of the outside tomorrow, hopefully. We've watched Elf 5 times so far. We've eaten more Chex mix than I care to admit. We had wonderful food and special times with our families and friends.

Here is our tree in the living room. Avery is playing with the little people nativity set.
Here is the tree in the basement. Kevin also painted the bathroom downstairs and it looks awesome! We found some $5 paint a few weeks ago in a color that we thought would be fine. It looks really good.

Yesterday, the girls and I made ornaments for their trees. They take a couple of days to dry, then we'll hang them and post more pix.

Presley had her 2 month appt. today. She weighed 11lbs, 12 oz. Hard to believe she had so much trouble gaining weight after she was born. She is doing great. Cried a lot after getting her shots. I've spent most of the afternoon holding her, which I don't mind a bit.

I'm making breakfast for dinner tonight. Chex mix for dessert! I'm hoping Coke is on sale at Dillons this week, b/c we are dangerously low! Good thing we don't drink pop with our biscuits and eggs!

Black Friday thoughts

Woke up at 3:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. I laid in bed 'til 4:30, woke up Presley to feed her, got dressed and headed to Walmart at 5:15. Then to Target. Then to Panera. Back home at 7:30.

• The parking lot was so full at Walmart, cars were parked in the bank lot nearby. It was crazy.
• Alot of people were buying a lot of junk.
• At 5:30, they were out of the Ironman dvd. Found the other thing I was looking for and got in line. 30 minutes later, went to Target.
• Crowds were much better at Target-Target was much more organized.
• Got the last game I wanted, the last other thing on my list, the last vest (I got for myself as a treat since I got up so early)
• Bought some m&ms to go w/ our popcorn tonight. We're watching the Polar Express.
• Went to Panera and picked up breakfast. The house was still dark and quiet when I came home.

Hope to go to a few more places later today. At home, we'll put up the tree(s) and enjoy the season together! Have a great weekend.

Thankful thoughts

I've spent the day cooking 2 turkeys for our church's big dinner on Thursday. The girls had fun rubbing "Sam" with oil and salt. My heart breaks for those who have no one to celebrate life with. I'm wondering how Thanksgiving will be for those who eat at Quincy's. Will they be excited? Will they be happy? Will they feel alone? Will they feel like there's a hidden agenda? I'm sure there will be all sorts of different people there, with different thoughts, histories, life experiences, emotions. I'm anxious to hear how things go.

We are heading North to Abilene on Thursday to have lunch with my family. My best friend from college and her family are joining us up there. Never a dull moment when Rachel's around! We'll spend Saturday with Kevin's family.

I have so much to be thankful for

• God has given me a husband who loves the Lord, loves me and his children


• God has provided a home for us to live in. We are able to pay our bills on time.
• God has allowed me to stay home and teach my children. I can't explain the thrill I get when I see their little minds at work, learning.


• God has given me a new hobby, learning to be frugal and living with less. I'm loving it.


• God has blessed us with good health this year. In spite of a few scares, we are all fine.


• God has given us Presley. She is a wonderful addition to our family and God has great plans for her. I look at her and am in awe of life and the greatness of our Father.


• God is still at work in this family. We are not the same family we were last year. Praise the Lord

The girls have been learning about Thanksgiving these last 2 weeks. When asked what they are thankful for, they responded by saying...

Avery-food to eat and a home to live in.

McKenna-getting to see you (Mommy) every day. (I didn't prompt her, I swear!)

Presley-I assume she's thankful to find her thumb in her mouth, which she's getting pretty good at, and to be held.

Happy Thanksgiving to you. In the midst of great turkey and stuffing (with raisens, of course) take time to express thanks to God for the good things He's given you.

Ready for a pedi!

We had a great time in Abilene. This week went by fast. We saw a lot of friends and enjoyed seeing Kidstuf. My mom came back to Wichita with us so she could watch the girls Friday while I worked.
Saturday, Marla, Mom and I are doing a spa day at Charisma. This is 2 years coming. Christmas of 2006 we got gift cards from our husbands for a pedicure, manicure, massage, and facial. We moved to Wichita the following March and my gift card got lost in the process. I was so bummed. Last summer on vacation, Kevin unzipped a tiny pocket in our suitcase and found it by accident.
I hope to get Christmas decorations out in the next few days. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Have a great weekend!

I'm IT!

My ever so loving husband tagged me in some blog game I don't quite get.

Here are the rules:
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write 6 random things about yourself.
Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
Let each person know he/she has been tagged.
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me:

1. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a waitress when I grew up.



2. I'm a survivor-cancer survivor. Thyroid cancer-1992, 2 surgeries, 3 radiation treatments, 2 recurrence scares, yearly check-ups. Forever on Synthroid and Calcium.



3. I like "smut" shows on TV-Friends, General Hospital, The Hills, Jon and Kate +8, etc...



4. I struggle with feelings of inadequacy.



5. I'm living a dream I didn't know I had-being a wife and mom (remember, I just wanted to be a waitress)



6. My dream vacation would be going to a vineyard in California with my husband.

ok-so, I follow 29 blogs on bloglines, 5 of which are people I actually know. Kevin tagged 3 of them, so I'm only tagging-

Beth

Brandi

If you read my blog and have one of your own, consider yourself tagged!

x-mas thoughts

Caution-this is a rambling post-

My brother in law called last night and I think we've got Christmas plans taken care of. We'll spend Tuesday night (the 23rd) with Kevin's family, do Christmas morning with just the 5 of us, then head North to Abilene Christmas afternoon. I'm so excited to decorate our house, make cookies and fudge with the girls and do advent devos and light the purple and pink candles as a family.
So, Kevin and I are brainstorming gift ideas for everyone. I really struggle with this, because I WANT to give gifts and presents to everyone. My heart wants to show my family how much I love them and how much they mean to me. But I/we usually don't know WHAT to get everyone. We don't NEED anything. No one in our family NEEDS anything. I want to give the girls something to open on Christmas morning, but in the back of my head, keep thinking they're gonna get so much stuff from everyone else. Why spend money on stuff that I'll probably toss in a few months? Avery wants a new bike. If we get Ave the bike, we need to get something big for McKenna too, right? We could get McKenna a dollhouse. We already have a dollhouse that Avery got when she turned 3. Where will we put another dollhouse? We need to get Presley something, but she doesn't need anything, but diapers and wipes. Do Kevin and I need to exchange gifts, just to show the kids that Santa didn't forget us? Kevin and I usually don't do gifts, just b/c all of the money goes to everyone else (there's 21 people in our 2 families). Do we buy stuff for each other for the girls' sake. Ugh, the thoughts in my head go on and on about stuff that doesn't even matter, long term. I guess I'm growing tired of buying stuff. Wow-never thought I'd say that. I'm tired of de-cluttering my house and throwing things away that we spent money on, then decided we didn't need (read-mostly the older girls' toys)
We didn't make it to Abilene today, hopefully tomorrow though. Didn't get as much school and laundry done yesterday, as I'd hoped. It's 11:30 and I'm still in my pjs, so today's not looking much better. Thank goodness, Avery's teacher can wear pjs to class!

Past and Future

(Presley and the baby sitter)

We had a busy weekend. Good, but busy. Date night last Friday was AWESOME. We went to Red Beans, shopping, and ended the night with Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from Starbucks. It's hard to believe Starbucks is having financial trouble, we waited in line for 20 minutes for our drinks. The place was packed. Anyway, we had a great night being husband and wife-not Mom and Dad.

• I went to the Y this weekend. The last time I worked out was the day Presley was born. It felt so good to get on the eliptical again.


• We got to see Gabriel baptized on Saturday. He is 4 weeks older than Presley. It was a nice service, followed by a great meal with friends.


• After church Sunday, I picked up 2 turkeys to cook for GP's Thanksgiving of Grace meal. We also picked up a boatload of invite flyers to sort into groups of 25 to hand out to area school kids.


• I packed up my maternity clothes yesterday. A friend of mine just found out she's having twins, so I'm taking them to her this afternoon.
• The Wizard of Oz was on 3 times this weekend. Guess how many times we watched it....
• Last night, after the girls were in bed, I watched the Notebook. I LOVE that movie.

The girls and I are going to Abilene this week. I hope to get to see the unveiling of the new home in Chapman Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday, we're going to see kidstuf. I'm hoping to get a nap sometime when we're up there as well! Thank God for grandmas! Kevin will be home working on his dissertation with no interruptions from us.

Friday thoughts

I'm getting ready to teach my last class for today. Can't wait to go home and hold Presley. Some quick thoughts-

• We're supposed to have a date night tonight. Kevin's sick though. It may turn into a "let's take the kids to the sitter, and come back home and sleep" kind of date.


• I'm ready for Christmas-I want to decorate our house. I want to go Christmas shopping...


• Presley slept from 10:30 last night til 5:30 this morning!!!!!

Unleashing Generosity

http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=9340666

Above is the link to a segment on Channel 12's news. Gracepoint was featured for unleashing radical generosity on the city of Wichita. Yeah God!!!

Lesson learned/2nd Chances

A lot of mornings we start school while still in our pjs. Today, I told the girls to get dressed before we started school. They didn't obey. Aunt Shawna just called and wanted to take the girls to see Great-Grandma. They didn't get to go because they weren't dressed. Avery threw a huge fit. She ran upstairs to pout. She was so mad at me when, in fact, she was the one who didn't make the wise choice earlier this morning.

How many times does this happen with us and God? God tells us to do something-we don't do it-then we get mad and sulk and complain when opportunity comes and we're not prepared. Am I the only one seeing a parallel here?

In the meantime, Shawna called back to say they were going to go after lunch instead. Wonder if the girls will be dressed by then...

I'm pregnant!

So, we were home yesterday and the phone rang. Kevin answered and it was someone from Wichita Clinic. They asked for Michelle, he gave me the phone and the conversation went like this...
Me-Hello, this is Michelle
WC-Hi, Michelle? I got your test results back and you are pregnant
Me-WHAT? That's impossible
WC-I'm sorry, it's not, you're pregnant.
Me-No, you don't understand, I just had a baby 6 weeks ago. There's NO WAY I'm pregnant. And I'm not currently a patient at WC, so there must be a mistake. Who was the dr. that ordered the test?
WC-Hold please....

After a couple of minutes, she hung up on me. Kevin and I had a nice laugh!

My Walgreens Deal

I've been taking synthroid since 1992. For the last few years, I've been taking 2 different doses. Since we've been in Wichita, I've floated my prescriptions from Walgreens to Dillons to Target, depending on price and incentive. One time this summer I got $60 in groceries for transfering my prescriptions to Dillons. Every once in a while, Target advertises a $10 gift card with each transfered prescription, which I take full advantage of. This week, I got a check in the mail from Walgreens for $25 if I transfer my medicine back to them. I was running out of my synthroid, so I refilled them at Walgreens. I got my check validated and started shopping.

I had coupons for the diapers, the creamer was B1G1, the coloring books were 3/$1, the 8x10 picture was free (deal they had over the weekend), Kevin needed starch and McKenna asked me to get straws. The grand total...$25.07! I paid $.07 out of pocket for everything above.

Side note-One of the best things about Christmas is that Coffee-Mate has peppermint mocha creamer available. I usually buy a whole bunch and stock up for as long as the date allows. It's so yummy. If you drink coffee, I highly recommend it!

High/Low

This week's high/low

Avery-High-getting to read Sam and Pam, Pam, and Cat Nap (stories she read all by herself)
Low-I do not have one

McKenna-High-getting to color
Low-I do not have one

Presley-High-being held
Low-not being held

Mom-High-getting to be with my kids
Low-not getting enough sleep!

Red and Blue thoughts

Before this election, I thought that I was only friends with those who thought like me. Reading my friends' statuses(is that the word?) on Facebook this morning told me otherwise. Boy, I have some very liberal friends! While these Democrat friends have yet to blog today, I found some interesting ones from the middle to Conservative viewpoint worth reading. So grab a cup of coffee (yes, I know it's in the afternoon, just heat what's left from this morning in the microwave) and enjoy!

Change needed

The Will of the People

Should We Be Surprised?

A Historic Day

The Supremacy of Christ

It's Monday...again

Go here to see the cutest kids on Halloween. We had a great time Friday night. Uncle Phil dressed as the wolf and walked around with McKenna and Aunt Marla was a witch and accompanied Dorothy, aka Avery. We have enough candy to last us a lifetime, or at least till Wednesday. lol
Presley had a great night last night. I've found out she doesn't like spinach alfredo pizza. I ate some Friday for supper and she was up 3 times in the night. Her tummy was making crazy noises. Darn! I love that stuff-OH well...
We have school today-Avery is learning

1. Math-0-6 backward and forward in order--very easy for her
2. Phonics-reading
3. Language Arts-reading the Runaway Bunny and making one of her own-bunny, that is
4. History-Arabian Peninsula (I'll be learning about that as well)
5. Art-artist Henry Tanner-creating a special moment portrait (drawing a picture of yourself doing something special-riding a bike, playing dollhouse, etc...)
6. Park-it's going to be nice out-

McKenna usually joins us for Language Arts, History, and Art-she plays by herself or watches Dora while we do Math and Phonics. Presley is learning to soothe herself to sleep without being held. I can't type well with one hand. Although I LOVE holding her, after 5 weeks, I'm realizing other things need to be done :)

Thursday-to do

Today is a crazy day. And Presley was up twice last night instead of the usual once, so I'm very tired. Don't know if I can fit a quick nap in or not.

• Called the dr. at 8:30 to see if I could get a flu shot today. They said to come right now. Loaded 3 kids in the van and went. Now my arm hurts.
• Worked on Phonics and Math with Avery-she's so smart. Math is really easy for her right now. She started reading last week, and this week she read her first book.
• Fed Presley
• Need to do 3 loads of laundry
• Need to clean 3 bathrooms
• Need to fix lunch and figure out what to do for dinner.
• Need to figure out what I'm teaching tomorrow.
• Plan to make gingersnaps with the girls and pumpkin dip-yummm!
• I told Avery and McKenna I'd paint their nails today. Wonder if they'll forget...
• Need to feed Presley 6 more times today.
• Today is my niece's birthday. Happy Birthday Reese!

Sugar Pumpkin seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds-scraped out of the pumpkin, rinsed, and let dry out for 48 hrs.
mix with 1 egg white
mix together 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp each salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
mix sugar mixture into the seeds to coat
bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes

Yummy!!!!

Quote of the week

This picture seems like forever ago. You'll know why I posted it when you read this week's quote. Presley Faith is 4 weeks old today. Time has flown these last 4 weeks, yet it's harder and harder to remember what life was like when she was inside me. We have a new schedule, a new routine, a new kind of normal.

Today was my first day back at Friends, and I survived. I cried alot earlier in the week, today I didn't have time to think about it. It went by fast, though. I'm glad it's over and I don't have to worry about it again for another 6 days.

On to the quote-my mentor, former voice teacher, and friend, Dr. Weber saw me today for the first time since Presley was born. He gave me a big hug and asked how I was. I said, "ok." He responded by saying,

"Well, you don't look fat anymore."

Thanks...I think-

It's what I get...

This is what I get for procrastinating. My husband took my post! I tried to put the pumpkin pix on my computer 2 days ago and it wasn't working. Kevin put them on his computer last night and posted them here.

I teach again tomorrow-I'm wishing time would just stand still, or that the snow would come and make Friends cancel classes. I'm just not ready to go back. I don't want to leave Presley. Ugh...And I'm tired of thinking about having to go back and being sad about it...

It's cold here-we're staying inside today. We have school and laundry to do. Avery is starting to read and it's so exciting! She's reading simple sentences and lots of different words. I'm so proud of her. McKenna is learning how to spell her name. She's doing really well also.

Presley is still gaining weight. She has her 1 month appt. next week. I can't believe she's already a month old. She is staying awake longer and is starting to show her personality. I love her so much!

We have 2 gift gards (from 2 different photographers) to get our family pix taken. I'm trying to decide if we should do fall pix or Christmas pix, what clothes to wear, when to do this, can I lose 20 more lbs before then, can we all buy new outfits to wear, etc...etc...

Afterthoughts pt. 2

These 3 weeks have flown by. I go back to teach one week from today. Every time I think about it, I start to freak out. I just can't imagine leaving Presley right now. Next Friday is going to be rough. Some more post-pardom thoughts-

• Nurses ROCK! I've had the best nurses with all 3 births. Our nurses in the operating room were amazing. The recovery nurse was wonderful. And all of the post-pardom nurses were great!


• I don't know why I didn't get one of these before. Kevin's mom made this and I LOVE it! I'm going to buy more fabric this weekend, so she can make more.
  


• We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family. We've gotten clothes, meals, gift cards, diapers, gifts for the older sisters, money, and offers to watch Avery and McKenna, so Presley and I could rest. Thanks so much! One of my favorite gifts, the one that caught me off guard, was the new Steven Curtis Chapman Cd. Every time I listen to Cinderella, I start to cry. I don't know how SCC can get through that song without breaking.


• This has been quite an adjustment to our family. It's been almost 4 years since we've had a baby in the house, 24/7. The older girls have had there moments, but overall, they're doing very well. We're working on a new routine. Trying to figure out what the new normal is for our family.


• My emotions have been all over the place. I don't remember being so emotional with the other 2 (except when it was time to go back to work)
  


• I would do it again in a heartbeat! The thought of Presley being the last one makes me sad. I'd probably even have another C-section. (We haven't gotten the medical bill yet, though) The first week afterwards is definitely the WORST, I've never been in that much pain before, but it's temporary. And there was no pain before or during the surgery.
  

We have a big day planned tomorrow-our family is going to a pumpkin patch! The girls are so excited. We're going to have pumpkin donuts in the morning and I searched online for pumpkin soup recipes to make tomorrow night. And Kevin has big plans for carving pumpkins to look like the characters from the Wizard of Oz. Should be fun! I love fall-

Quote of the week

Kevin was holding Presley the other day. McKenna walks into the room and says,

"Did Mom say you could hold her?"

What is something funny your kid has said this week?

Missing Reese's Pieces

This is Reese and her mom at the pumpkin patch last week-

For the last 9 months or so, I've had the wonderful opportunity to watch my niece, Reese, during the day while my sister-Marla-works. She's been at my house hundreds of times and I've helped take care of her since she was 2 months old. Her cousins-Avery and McKenna- would get up early and open the front door, waiting for Reese to come every morning.

In August, we all realized that it might not be possible for me to continue to take care of her after Presley was born. God knew this, too. Within weeks, Marla was offered a work at home position with the company she currently works at. I don't think we could have asked for a better situation.

I miss Reese. I miss her crawling over to me when she's tired of her cousins picking on her. I miss having to divert her attention away from the dog's water bowl a 100 times a day. I miss seeing her brown eyes in the morning, probably wondering why she's at Aunt Shell's house, again. I just miss her.

I still see her, just not as much. I'm so thankful, however, that we live so close to her. That my kids will get to grow up with their cousin. That they'll get to play together, fight with each other, learn about God and life together. We are very fortunate to live so close to family during this time. And I'm glad that Presley will have not only big sisters to look up to, but a big cousin, as well.

Jewelry giveaway!

Small notebook is giving away a piece of jewelry to one lucky person. Go here to sign up and see more.

PTL!

Presley gained 3 oz since last Wednesday! She's still not up to her birth weight, but we're rejoicing the fact that's she's gaining now and not losing. We weigh her again next Monday.

We started school up again yesterday. It was a long day! Kevin's mom is making me a sling for Presley, and I'm quickly realizing I need it, like, yesterday. Presley loves to be held and I love to hold her. But, for some reason, I need my arms to do school and carry stuff up and down the stairs. Go figure! I made my first meal in 2 weeks last night, too. Green chili enchiladas-and Presley doesn't have an upset stomach. I'm thankful for that too. Kevin got firewood last Saturday, and the girls have been asking for a fire ever since. He made one last night. The AC kicked on 10 minutes later. The atmosphere was nice, though. I'm excited about the changing seasons. It came so fast-I wore shorts to the hospital to have Presley 2 weeks ago and today I'm wearing sweats! Time to make the chex mix and get ready for the holidays!!!!!!

Weight Watchers

Presley was born weighing 8 lbs. 3 oz. She was over a pound bigger than her 2 older sisters were when they were born. Since her birth, however, she's been slowly losing weight. She eats well, I'm making enough milk for her, she's not a fussy baby, her color is good, etc... We don't know why she's not gaining weight. We're still waiting for the initial blood tests to come back before we do anything. She goes back to the dr. to be weighed again on Monday. Right now, we're simply praying that she would gain weight. Kevin and I would appreciate your prayers for Presley these next few days.

Prayer and Pastor thoughts

One of the blogs I read is from a pastor's wife in North Carolina. She's recently done a series of posts on how to pray-for your pastor, your church staff, and your pastor's wife. I'm hoping the next one will be about praying for pastor's kids, we'll have to wait and see/read. As a grown up pk, I appreciate her thoughts and ideas on how to pray for church leaders.

Most people have no clue what the pastor and his family go through on a day to day basis. The pastor's family has to share their husband and dad with the whole church and community, whether we want to or not. I remember, as a kid and young adult (and now), wondering what church crisis would happen when our family is planning something, like going on vacation, getting married, school recitals, concerts, etc. It never fails. Someone dies, someone is in the hospital, some important meeting or service, someone needs help. I can't put my personal thoughts on this in any type of stucture, nor can I eloquently write (or should write) what I think most of the time. Holly's posts were a good read for anyone in the church, and a reminder to pray for those in leadership, all of the time, not just during pastor appreciation month.

http://www.hollyfurtick.com/

Girly thoughts

Abby has adjusted very well to the new addition to our family. She shares her part of our bed and tolerates Presley's loud cries. Wherever Presley is, Abby is nearby. She doesn't look thrilled with me taking pix of her, though...

My wonderful husband had to go back to work this week. I miss him every minute. I got so spoiled with him being home last week. Grandma Keating came to help with the girls. She ended up taking the 2 older ones back to Abilene for a few days. They bought Sleeping Beauty yesterday and are so excited to watch it.
I feel soooooo much better now. Not ready to tackle the dishwasher and laundry yet, though. I'm wondering how much longer I can put those chores off. The pain is minimal. Nursing doesn't hurt near as much. I just get tired easily. Right now, I'm just so thankful that most of the pain is gone and I can think about other things than when can I take another percocet. Here is my sleeping beauty. She slept in her cradle for a whopping 15 minutes before she realized no one was holding her and started screaming. Presley doesn't like being left alone. And she hates lying on her back. The 1st night we were home, she (tried to) sleep in her cradle. It was a very LONG night. Since then, Kevin and I decided sleep was more important than establishing boundaries, so she's been propped up in her boppy on our bed in between us. For those of you who know us well, feel free to laugh. We don't care anymore. We like our sleep! She has slept very well since. I feed her at 10pm-she usually wakes up to eat between 2-3am and then again around 7am. Monday night was the first time I ate Mexican food. That was the only night she woke up more than usual. I guess that will be cut from my menu for awhile.

Avery lost her 2nd tooth last week. Here she is, showing her gap. She is enjoying "Fall break" from school. We (plan to) start up again next week. She loves holding Presley and is an awesome big sister!

McKenna is our diaper queen, she gets us diapers and puts the dirty ones in the trash. She is a huge help and is very interested in the whole "God designed mommies to make milk for the baby" issue. She is always asking if God made the milk for Presley yet. lol...

Here she is, showing off her new jewelry she got from a group of Friends employees. We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends and family. Thank you so much for all you've done for our family, and for including the 2 older girls in your gifts.

Grades for giving

Tim Stevens wrote a couple of posts in the last week or so that were interesting reads. He compared the giving records of the presidential candidates.

http://www.leadingsmart.com/leadingsmart/2008/09/joe-biden-ticks.html

http://www.leadingsmart.com/leadingsmart/2008/10/follow-up-to-pr.html

Is this important in choosing a leader for our country? I think so...

Afterthoughts part 1

Several thoughts keep coming to mind as I process the events of the last week. Some things we forget from pregnancy to pregnancy for a reason. Otherwise, there would be a lot of "only" children.

• true maternity leave only happens w/ the first child


• Breastfeeding really hurts the first week. I mean REALLY hurts.


• it's amazing how much you can love a person (baby) you've just met


• I know it was hard recovering from a "normal" delivery, but c-section recovery sucks


• it's difficult to realize that the pain is temporary


• I cry alot, over silly things


• I have the most amazing husband in the world. I can't imagine going through this without him. He is incredible. I am so blessed to be his wife.

Party of 5

Presley Faith Osborn was born last Friday, September 26, at 5:45pm. 8lbs 3oz. and 19 in. long. She is perfect in every way.

The countdown has begun

Yesterday, I did some retail therapy that lifted my mood, a little. We went to Babies R Us, which is my least favorite store, but I needed to get a couple of things there so I sucked it up and went. I got some nursing pjs to wear at the hospital and some other nursing apparel. In the midst of getting ready for Pink3 I realized I couldn't find any baby washclothes, so I got a pack of those, too. For some reason, those pajamas and buying something new made me feel better, don't judge...

Today, we're wrapping up some loose ends. Doing laundry, finishing up some school lessons, last minute cleaning. Kevin defends his proposal tonight. My C-section is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 5pm. And, I can't eat or drink anything after 6am tomorrow morning. I'm not getting up early just to eat, so I plan on having an excellent meal tonight, somewhere. And, Money Saving Mom informed her readers that Cold Stone is giving away free ice cream tonight. I may have to add that to our list of things to do.

Don't know if I'll post again for awhile, check Kevin's blog for name, stats, pix and updates.

Today's Thoughts

Today we found out that I'll have a c-section this Friday. Pink3's head is still up and the Dr. didn't think she would move any time soon. I was so looking forward to having a Jacuzzi tub in the labor room, having a queen size bed in the recovery room, and having the chance to have a "normal" delivery. I felt like, after going through the first 2 births, I knew what to expect and do this time around. To say I'm disappointed would be a severe understatement. I don't want to have a c-section, I don't want to pay for a c-section, I don't want to recover from a c-section. But I do want what's best for this precious baby inside me, no matter what. I'm just so sad, though. I can't get over this feeling of disappointment. I feel like I'm having the baby blues before I even get to meet her.

On the bright side, I'm grateful that we're in Wichita, that we're close to family, and that I know God is going to take care of us.

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. " Psalm 145:17,18

And, as if we didn't have enough going on, Kevin is incredibly busy at work right now. We didn't realize this would be such a busy season for him when we "planned" all of this. He is also defending his dissertation at KU on Thursday. Please pray that will be a great and rewarding experience for him. Or that he'll just get through it.

I'm headed to the park with the girls this afternoon. It's beautiful outside today. Hopefully the great outdoors will help lift my spirits, and give me an idea as to what to do for supper! Not doing MPM this week is already taking it's toll...

Babies, babies, everywhere!

Grandpa O. made this cradle for Avery. Grandma O. washed all of the bedding and brought it to our house last night. I just walked in our bedroom and saw this-I think we can fit one more in, don't you?

How do you coupon?

Since I've just recently gotten into the coupon scene, I've been wondering how to best organize my coupons. I've been using an accordian coupon holder that my mom bought me for $1 like 5 years ago. I like it b/c it fits into my purse, but it's a little hard to use. It's not very big and it's difficult to find certain coupons at times. I ran across this giveaway and thought it was worth a shot.
How do you organize your coupons? Do you cut them every Sunday? Print them off the web? keep them in your purse? Do you know what a coupon is? Leave a comment and let me know-

Dinners in the Freezer!

It's been a busy weekend. My poor family had to smell great food being cooked, yet I didn't fix much of anything for them to eat this weekend. I cooked 8 meals for the freezer- The 1st 3 recipes I found online, the others (except for the last one) are linked to a cookbook I got from the library.

• Cream Cheese Chicken
• Cheesy ham and potatoes
• Honey Lime Chicken
• Beef enchiladas
• Red beans/rice
• Beef/zucchini casserole
• Chicken w/ red potatoes
• Cider Braised Pork Chops
• Chicken enchiladas-I haven't made these yet, I didn't buy enough chicken and ran out. But I plan to make these sometime this week.

There isn't a Menu for this week. If you can find it, you can eat it. I bought a boatload of groceries this weekend. More snacks and convenience foods than usual. It seems, no matter how much I try to plan (make a list) I almost always get home, get everything put away, THEN remember something I should have gotten. Yesterday it was coffee. Ugh... Kevin assured me we had enough to get through the week, though.

I think Pink3's head is still up. We'll know more about her arrival on Tuesday. That's when I see the dr. again. Until then, we're cleaning, schooling, and enjoying the fall weather.

This room is reserved for...

Well, here it it. Our 3rd nursery, 3rd shade of yellow, 3rd baby blanket (thanks to Grandma O.), 3rd miracle waiting to arrive. Pink3 has a new crib and wall decor. Otherwise, things are the same as Avery and McKenna's nursery. I think we're ready now...

I told the Avery and McKenna that I would post pix of their room if they cleaned it. This is what I got. I'll spare you the image of the inside of their closet-

This is a weekend of de-cluttering, organizing, cleaning and cooking. Tonight, we're going to the Friends U. football game. Should be fun. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Take that, Bon Jovi!

I went to the Grow Up conference 3 years ago, and my thoughts toward kids, families, and ministry changed completely. Now the conference is Orange. It's about the only thing I miss about being in full time ministry, getting to be creative and witness creativity in the church. My "old" church started doing kidstuf 3 months after we moved away. They just kicked off their 2nd season. I'm so happy for them, that their doing this, yet I'm a little sad that I'm not a part of it.

I saw this today and got so excited. You have to watch the whole video, especially if you attend GP and saw the 80's series. It rocks!

Time to cook! And turn...

We found out Tuesday that pink3 is in a breech position. If she doesn't turn in the next 5 days, I'll have a c-section one week from today. I have a huge mix of emotions related to this, and can't seem to put them in writing, intelligently, anyway. My mind is full of things that need to be done. Cleaning, mainly, and cooking. I searched online and found some freezer meal recipes that I plan on making this weekend. I also have a couple of cookbooks on hold at the library. And my mom offered to make a few meals. Yeah for Moms, and Grandmas!!!!!

Here is the recipe for green chili chicken enchiladas. I plan to make these and freeze, as well. A friend of mine made this for a small group pot luck last spring. I've made it several times since. We love it.



1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and diced

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can (small) green chilis, chopped

tortillas

2 cans green chili enchilada sauce

cheddar cheese, grated



Mix first 3 ingredients. roll into tortillas and place in 9x13 pan. Pour enchilada sauce over all and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. We serve this with spanish rice and black beans, chips and salsa. Enjoy!

She'll visit tonight!

The tooth fairy is coming to our house tonight! Kevin pulled Avery's tooth when he was home for lunch today. She is so excited! I wanted to celebrate, so I thought we'd make homemade cookies this afternoon. I also planned her science lesson on teeth. However, in her science lesson she learned that sugary foods are not good for teeth, so we skipped the cookie project, for today. Actually, I'll probably wait until she goes to bed tonight and make some, b/c they sound so good! Does anyone know the going rate for a 1st tooth?

One of those days...

I feel like it should still be raining outside. Today has been a weird day. I anticipated it to be crazy busy. But I didn't expect all of the bumps in the road...

• we had homeschool co-op. It's not really working for us. We still haven't met anyone and it's on the other side of town. Avery and I were both miserable this morning.
• Kevin and I are trying to squeeze a date night in tonight. He should be working on his dissertation, I should be working on the house. The girls are spending the night at Grandma's. I hope we can enjoy tonight without thinking of what we "should" be doing
• Avery's 1st tooth is sooooo loose, I'm afraid she'll lose it while she's at Grandma's house. As a type A mom, this is really bothering me...
• McKenna has gymnastics and can't find her leotard. We've looked everywhere
• Today is an audit day at LVS, which means Avery needs to register her attendance online, do 1 assignment in each subject she's taking and I have to fill out paper work. Something is wrong with the K12 site and I can't get online to do much of anything. Kevin mentioned they were having problems at work b/c of servers going through Texas and getting messed up in the Ike situation, so I'm wondering if that's it or not. So, we haven't done much school today.
• Abby, the dog, is really limping. We took her for a walk last night and she can barely move today.

I hate being a Debbie downer. Isn't it just like us humans to blow up over a loose tooth or lost leotard? On any other day I would have totally brushed these things off. These issues are temporary and not even important, really. But I'm ready for today to be over. Or at least for tonight to start...

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfasts

• cereal


• yogurt/granola


• raisen toast/fruit


• oatmeal


• toaster strudel

Lunch

• turkey/spinach/provolone sandwich-I'll post the recipe later this week. It's Kevin's favorite sandwich


• soup


• leftovers


• taco salad


• pb and j

Supper

• Green chili chicken enchiladas-recipe coming soon!


• hamburgers/salad/fries


• Stuffed sole, green beans, rolls


• breakfast casserole/fruit salad


• chicken marsala/salad


• frito chili pie


• date night out!

My friend, Kim, told me today that McDonalds happy meals have the Wizard of Oz characters starting this week. Dorothy is the 1st one, so I'm sure we'll have one meal at that fine eating establishment this week (this is your official warning, honey). If you read last week's menu, you'll notice I've carried a couple of meals over to this week. Some plans changed and I didn't get a few meals made last week. We'll try it again this week.

Save more, spend less

The phrase I keep reading on the frugal blogs I try to follow talk about making sure you save more than you spend. I honestly don't know how they do it for every shopping trip, but today I scored my 1st Walgreens deal. Here's the breakdown-

2 packages of Pampers-9.49 each (I actually had a coupon for this and forgot to use it, ugh....)

2 packages of Always-postpardom essential -B1G1 1/2 (had .50 coupon)

Sunsilk shampoo and Sunsilk anti frizz creme-B1G1 free (had 2 1.50 coupons)

2 Colgate toothepaste -sale was 2 for 2.99(had .75 coupon)

2 packs of trident gum-B1G1 free

Shout-on sale for 2.49

Nature Made Calcium supplements-B1G1 free

12 votive candles (coupon for 6/$1)

2 bags of candy corn-b/c I didn't know if I had spent the minimun required for the other coupon I had ($10 off of $40 purchase before coupons)

Total came to $79.16

had $4.79 in regular coupons

had $23.98 in Walgreens coupons

and $15.74 in Nature Made coupon

after coupons, my total was $34.63. I saved $44.51! I figured out that the diapers and 1 bottle of vitamins alone cost $33.97, so I basically got the rest of the stuff in the picture for less than a dollar. After the Walgreens trip, I headed to Dillons. I spent way more than I saved, so I'll spare you a picture and breakdown. I'm still learning...

Only Child

Tuesday night, my sister and I took McKenna and Reese to Abilene to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Keating. Avery didn't get to go this time, b/c she's in school. I assured her that after the baby comes, she'll get to go to Grandma's for a few days.
So, Avery's been an only child for the last 2 days...
Avery slept till 9:15 on Wednesday

• Did Math, Language Arts, Phonics, and History


• Kevin had a lunch meeting so Avery and I went to lunch-her choice-McDonalds


• got a dvd from Redbox-Ariel's Beginning


• Grandma Keating gave Avery some $ to buy some fall clothes, so after lunch we went to Kohl's and Target. We shopped for almost 3 hours! Found LOTS of clothes. Narrowed it down to a few items and headed to Grandma Osborn's for alterations.


• Ate supper on our china and drank milk from our wine glasses. We read Sleeping Beauty earlier in the day and wanted to eat on gold plates like the fairies did. I'm counting the days until I can use those wine glasses for their original purpose!


• Watched the redbox dvd and went to bed-well, I did anyway. Kevin and Avery stayed up later...
  

Thursday

• Avery slept in again-


• Did Math, Language Arts, Phonics


• Went to Friends U. and had lunch with Kevin


• on Tuesday in science, Avery learned about bones, joints, her skeleton, and skull. Kevin arranged for us to go into one of the labs on campus and look at a real skeleton. It was pretty cool. Avery was so excited!


• came home in the afternoon, rested, did science (muscles, heart, brain), took a phonics assessment


• It's raining here, no plans for tonight-I need to go work out.

When asked what her favorite part of the last 2 days were, Avery said, "going shopping!" Yes, she is my daughter!