Edyn Turns SIX!

I'm sooooo behind on posting that it's ridiculous! Oh well, I guess it's better late than never. Edyn's birthday was June 25th and again she wanted a Hello Kitty party which we didn't have until the 28th. On her actual birthday we decided to have a Edyn day and do whatever she wanted. So we went to Pizza Hut for lunch (her favorite), she got her nails painted at Velvet Touch (a cosmetology school right beside Chad's office), and then Toy Story 3 to end the evening. She was so cute getting her toenails painted. After the lady was done painting her flowers on her big toes, Edyn exclaimed in her cute girly voice "They are just perfect!".

For her actual birthday party we decided to do a party at our subdivision's clubhouse at the swimming pool and have pizza delivered and cake and icecream. It was the easiest party I've ever done and it came with no stress. I didn't have to worry about cleaning my house, which would be destroyed in 10 minutes after the guests arrived anyway, and I didn't have to worry about making all kinds of different things for dinner, and didn't have to think up any games to keep the girls busy. The girls swam for 3 hours and I think they could have swam for three more. They had so much fun and I loved just sitting in the sun and being the referee between the girls and Ethan and his friend. Oh, was he such a pest! I really think Ethan thought it was his job to reak havoc. I guess that is what a big brother is for. LOL. Good thing the girls were pretty good at dishing it out too. Anyway, I think Edyn had a really good time and she's so funny when she sees people now. She always has to announce that she is now 6. Here it is 3 weeks later and she is still doing it. I sure love my little girl! Hope you had a great birthday Edyn.


Sorry for the bad quality of the picture above of Edyn getting her toes done. My silly phone just doesn't compare to our Nikon.



Oh, how I love photoshop and making my own invitations. This one was especially easy since I took the one from two years ago and just tweaked it a bit with a swimming hello kitty and added those cute little paw prints. I think the only thing that stayed the same was the poem and the pink background. Not to shabby, I think.

Ethan's Baptism Invitation

For the past few years when there is ever a need for invitations I've really enjoyed using photoshop and creating something a little more personal. Especially love that when I'm all done I can upload it to Costco from my home computer and then pick it up an hour later. Now that is service!

Anyway, I got this idea online somewhere of putting faded words in the background of a primary song and so I decided to play around with it and see where it took me. So here is the end result, what do you think? I think I really like the old photo of Ethan! Don't you think it reaks of Ethaness?!

Ethan's Baptism

We made the 11 hour trip up to Canada so that we could visit family and have Ethan baptized out at the Wolff family cabin in a little creek. He was pretty excited but I think more so to see his cousins and grandparents. That is one disadvantage of living in Idaho but I guess 11 hours isn't so bad. Ethan was baptized on Sunday, July 4th and oooooeeeeee was it cold! He was quite the trooper stepping out into the freezing water, I think I would have chickened out. It sure was a special moment--one that warms my heart just thinking about it. The support of family was truly amazing and Ethan and his tender heart were a joy to watch! I love my boy.

2 1/2 months gone and NO posts!

I know, I know, I'm really sorry! I think I just got a little burned out there with trying to think of posts or maybe it was just actually sitting down to do it. So hopefully this summer will be full of things to do that we can blog about.

That is one thing that has been different in our lives here in Idaho compared to New Jersey. New York just seemed to be full of things to do where here in Star it's been completely opposite. Well, I'm sure there is lots to do but because we are so new we just don't know about it yet.

We did go to an airshow last weekend in Caldwell which was really cool and we were so happy that the rain decided to go away for once! One item on Chad's bucket list is that he wants to get a pilot's license and be able to fly. I don't know what to think of this but you could tell at the airshow that his desire seemed to get even stronger. The more I think about it the more I like being able to jump in a small plane and get to our destination in half the time, or less, than driving a car. So we'll see if that ever happens--Chad tells me there is NO doubt. So here's a few pictures Chad took of some of the planes putting on a show and some of the military vehicles that were on display. (Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them!)

This is Absolutely Shocking to Me!

Yes, I'm sorry that this is another post about my couponing but I think this is the best one yet! It consisted of 4 different Albertson's stores, 7 different trips through checkout, 16 separate payments of $0.36, a whole lotta cereal and doubler coupons, and 3 hours of my Wednesday morning! The result:

80 BOXES OF POST CEREAL FOR $5.76!
And the total cost wasn't even for the boxes of cereal. It was to pay for tax. That's right, all these boxes of cereal for our family were FREE! And the the TOTAL dollar savings (according to the receipts) was $376.80!


I can hardly believe it myself. Right now I have them all thrown on the floor in the living room trying to figure out where to put them all so every time Chad comes in the front door it's followed by a laugh because he is still shocked by the mounds of cereal we got for nothing! All I have to say is if you have an Albertson's close to you, head over there before Saturday is through for the Post Cereal sale. Even without coupons it's still a really good deal. Fabulessly Frugal tells you how it's done! The best thing about this is that I don't have to buy cereal for at least a year! Now that is some thrifty living right there!

*** UPDATE ***
So, I found a place to put it all!

Who says I can't store cereal in our entertainment center in our bedroom?! It has doors that can close so when it needs to look neat and tidy, wallah--I shut the doors! Oh, and I love how I can see all the expiration dates for each box. Now tell me you wouldn't want to walk into your bedroom and open up those green doors and shop for cereal?!

P.S. - I sure hope Chad doesn't want to buy a tv for our bedroom anytime soon!

Tea Time Anyone?

We took a very quick trip to Utah this past weekend for Chad's Implant course which meant only two full days of visiting with my sister, Shaneen, and her family. On our way home we had to pick up some things for Chad's office from Ikea and found the cutest play tea set for Edyn. Of course, I had to get it for her! All she talked about the entire way home was her tea set and the tea party she was going to have and who she was going to invite. I thought it was pretty cute. So, for Family Home Evening tonight we started off with a game of Ticket to Ride. It's ridiculous how addicted I've become to playing this game and what's more ridiculous is that I think it's all about trying to beat Chad. So far I've only done it once. Really sad if you ask me! Since it was FHE and the game is a little too hard for Edyn to grasp we let her put our trains on the board to help her feel a part of it. After a disappointing and HUGE loss for me I thought it was time for a little pick me up--SUGAR!


Edyn pulled out her tea set and poured everyone some chocolate milk and handed out the cupcakes. Then she proceeded to tell us a story about two puppies as we pretended to sip our tea with our pinky's pointed outward (very important) and making sure that we were polite with our please and thank you's. My heart just melted as I watched how happy Edyn was with her new toy. Even more adorable was when I put her to bed, I found her tea set all set up for her stuffed animals for the night. How very thoughtful of her!

Falling in LOVE with Albertsons

I'll be honest. Before couponing I really never shopped at Albertsons. Let's just say I was a Walmart/Target/Sam's Club kinda girl. Then I learned about Albertson's and their doublers and coupon stacking and not to forget register rewards at Walgreens! At first I was a little lost and I think my first coupon shopping trip took me a good two hours for 1/2 a cart load. I don't even think it was that full! LOL. And now, here I am 4 months later and still trying to get the hang of it but I am getting to be a lot faster and better at hoarding and organizing coupons. If it wasn't for these two websites, A Thrifty Mom and Fabulessly Frugal, I think I would have given up. They really are awesome as they give great tips and how-to's and they do all the hard work for you. They literally get the flyers and match coupons to things that are on sale and tell you where to find those specific coupons. I know, right?! So go ahead, I dare you to check them out. Who knows, maybe you'll catch the couponing bug too!

So, yesterday was a pretty big day of couponing for me. It took me most the evening to sort my coupons and figure out how many times I needed to go through the register but it was soooooo worth it! Six trips through the register, and what should have cost $217.12 (if I paid full regular price for each item) only cost me $47.96 for everything you see below! That's right people! I saved $169.16! This has been so much fun to see our storage grow and my pantry has literally become my own personal grocery store. It's even been fun trying new things that we wouldn't normally buy since we can get them for pennies or even FREE. Anytime I need anything, I shop from my pantry!

3-Shampoo, 3-Conditioner, 5-Frosting, 18-Dannon Yogurt, 2-Frz. Bagel Bites, 5-Smart Ones Frz. Meals, 1-Hairspray, 3-Toothpaste, 5-Cookie Pouches, 2-Frz. Mashed Potatoes, 1-Icecream, 1-Crackers, 2-Healthy Choice Frz. Meals, 4-Healthy Choice Frz. Cafe Steamers, 2-Cereal, 4-Progresso Soup, 3-Muffin Mixes, 3-Fiber One Bars, 2-Betty Crocker Warm Delights, 10-Frz. Cranberry Juice, 2-boxes of Popsicles

HEAVEN - A Weekend of Hockey

I know most of you won't agree with us but this weekend was one of the best weekends we have had in a long time. Saturday night our little family went to the IDAHO STEELHEADS hockey game thanks to a gift from a friend. Ethan was loving every minute of it. Edyn, well, after she got over the inital shock of how loud it could be in the ice arena she warmed up to the game. You would even find her clapping her hands and in her quiet voice yelling "Go boys! WIN!". At one point I heard her yell "Shoot the puck or I'll spank your butt!". You can't get any cuter than that! Honestly, where does she come up with that? Hmmmmm, one guess . . . Ethan! LOL.

Then came Sunday. OH, Sunday! We were so excited for the Canadian/USA hockey game and found out that it started the same time we had church. So we got everything set up to record and made sure to let others know at church that if they knew the score we DIDN'T want to know! Well, we made it through church without anyone spilling the beans and decided to eat dinner first so that in case we turned on the TV the game may be still going on and we would see the score. We even turned off our phones so no-one could call or text us the result of the BIG game. So I headed over to the crockpot only to realize that I had turned it on but hadn't plugged it in! Geez, looks like worrying about our hockey game was way more important than our bellies! I still can't believe I did that!

We finally got sat down to watch the game and WOWZERS, that third period was intense! And OT was even worse. I can't remember being that nervous. So Canada, we love you and knew you could do it! Thanks for an exciting game! Man, are we really sad that the Olympics are over!

Well, I hadn't had quite enough hockey yet so here is a hockey spoof that I hope you enjoy. I sure did and I am still laughing about it!

Does Time Really Heal the Heart?

It's been over 15 years but my heart still aches when I think of my friend, Danica, and the terrible accident we were in that took her life. It's weird how even though most things that have happened in my life I've forgotten over time but for some reason everything about that day is still as clear as a bell and can be relived minute by minute in my head. Why am I writing about this? Well, today is her birthday and even though she isn't here with us anymore, in my mind, she still deserves a birthday wish. Ugggghhhh, I knew I wouldn't be able to type anything without tears surfacing.

At the time we were a funny pair. We both weren't a big fan of girls and found ourselves hanging out with guys all the time. Less drama I guess. We pretty much spent every second together, even working hours, and would often find ourselves thinking the same thing and even finishing each other's sentences. I had never really had a best friend like that before. I completely loved her family and they were always so welcoming to me as if I was one of their own. I remember clearly driving home with my parents from Dillon, MT, the day after the accident and my mom telling me that we were going to stop at Danica's house to see her family. I remember the panic and fear setting in immediately as I thought of how upset they may have been at me for surviving and their daughter not and how angry they must be that I had the nerve to show up at their house. As we approached the driveway Danica's parents were waiting and as I walked up the steps they completely embraced me erasing all fears I had of any anger that they may have been feeling. Unconditional love is all they showed. They are an amazing family that I love dearly and always will. Time and distance has somewhat made us drift apart but to me they will always be a huge part of my life. I really need to be better at keeping in touch, I'm so awful at that. To this day I still wonder why her and not me. It's human to do so I think. And it's still human to think "If I had only done this, or this, or this" which I still find myself doing today.

One thing I do know is how grateful I am for Heavenly Father and his love for us. Without that knowledge I'm pretty sure Danica's death would have been unbearable to bear. And how grateful I am to my Father in Heaven for sending her to me at that perfect time in my life and that I was able to experience her friendship even though it was taken sooner than I would have liked. The hymn "Each Life that Touches ours for Good" is always a tear jerker for me. Not only because it stirs up feelings of the loss of a friend but also because it reminds me of all those who have played a part and who do play a part in my life and who have blessed me greatly. I am definately a better person because of your friendships. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Danica! I miss you.

If you would like to learn more about Danica and the scholarship that her parents set up for her visit the website Angels Among Us.

NEEDIN' A BREAK FROM MY KITCHEN

Seriously, the past few days have been NOT so good when it comes to baking in my kitchen! First, my chocolate chip oatmeal cookies came out of the oven flat as pancakes. Well, actually, they were a heck of a lot flatter. So maybe I should refer to it more as paper thin! Oh well, good thing they tasted good but then again if they look like hud who's gonna want to even pick them up to try them. So guess what I did, packaged them up on plates and took them to the neighbors and ran! LOL. Well, kinda! I did take them over with a warning that they weren't pretty and if they didn't want me to make them cookies anymore that they could return the cookies and leave them on my front doorstep and the message would be loud and clear! Then I ran! We really didn't want to pork out on 4 dozen cookies!

Today ended up not being much different! I was making dinner for a friend of mine who had surgery and decided I'd make use of my very ripe bananas and make banana chocolate chip bread. When I first started mixing the dry ingredients I quickly figured out that I hadn't been paying attention to my teaspoons and put way too much of the spices in and ended up throwing that in the garbage and starting over. When I finally finished mixing it the right way I threw it in the oven and everything seemed like it was now running smoothly. When it was time to pull it out of the oven it definately did not look normal! So I pulled out the recipe to check if I had missed anything and good golly, I left the baking soda out! Well, now I know why baking soda is so important! As a result, I was left with no more time to whip up something else and quickly raced to the store and picked up some klondike bars. Who doesn't like icecream, right?! Now that, I don't think I could mess up. Actually, this week, don't put it past me! LOL.

I would have posted pictures but then that would mean I would have had to put an "R" rating on my blog due to disturbing images! Ugggghhhhh, I think I'm putting my spatula to rest for a couple of days until my brain is no longer scattered! This baker needs to pull it together and fast! Valentine's is just around the corner!