A catch up

I am planning on doing a run down of the last year on each person. I realized that I need to download Photos so that it is a funner post. Man a year flies by so fast any more. But the last 10 have felt like a flash!

 

This Year Josh and I will celebrate our Tenth Anniversary. I think back on all we have done and been through together and it seems like this wedding was a couple of years ago. We have laughed much, found joy in having babies and sorrow in the loss of a parent.  We have grown in adversity and trials and came out the other side a stronger better couple and family. We are truly blessed. We both know that the lord led us to each other. We couldn't be more suited to each other...Well at least that is how I feel on my side of this relationship.

 

We have an amazing Family and through the next month or so I am going to try and give a run down of the kids life and experiences over the last year and a half. It is time to catch you all up on our oh so busy life.

 

 We are a funny bunch and we feel blessed that laughter plays a big Role in our house. Our kids have turned out to be quite the comedians and are joke tellers and even quote movies. We hear them laughing through the house and it is contagious!  We love how they make us see the world like a child again. We are so blessed to have these two. We always thought we would be Blessed with more...but are grateful for what we have! 

I hope that over the next little while you will love the entries and see how our little family is blossoming and growing. Drop by weekly and yell at me if you don't see progress because this is a goal for me and I have a hectic scheduled and need all the help I can get!!

I am loading pictures to my computer and I think I will start with My hubby Next week!

The goal...

Every new year I laugh off the the joke of making resolutions...they seem to be so unattainable! So instead of making a goal that I knew I could not Or would not Keep I thought I would make one that I thought I could! So my goal for this year Is to start writing on my blog once a week. It doesn't have to be profound or long just a note to mention what is going on in our little world...and keeping you all in formed (and maybe making this worth making into a memory book)! so If you catch me slacking call me on it I want you to!!!

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Couponing!!

So I have been Dabbling in Coupons lately!I have to admit if you mentioned couponing a yr ago I would laugh at you and say that takes to much time and you don't save enough to make it worth you time and effort!

But about 5 months ago I started seeing more and more ladies at church posting about coupons and how to get things for next nothing...

HMMMMM! Maybe it is worth looking into if that is the case! I have to tell you that I was a little skeptical then my sister Jen started getting excited about it and we found a few websites that walk you through the process. There wasn't hours of coupon clipping it does take about an hour to sort out your shopping trip but that is worth saving 50+ bucks Right! We watched the little web casts and started trying out the techniques they gave.

On my first shopping trip I mapped out the store sales with coupons and to my shock I saved almost 50%

We found the more we used the techniques we saved more and more.

We aren't calling the extreme couponing show yet...LOL But we are getting better and better every day! My best savings so far is 70%!
We have come up with our own ways for cutting and using coupons that work for us. We also spot deals and let each other know so that we can get all the best deals.
We have also set up mom and Risa too!
I think that even my kids are getting in on the deals too...they are learning that they can get more with coupons Ella lost 3 teeth in the last week and she had money burning a hole in her pocket. She wanted to buy gum...I had coupons! She was so excited to check out and and use a coupon and not have to pay a ton.

I think it is a good thing to teach them to save money!This is my 4 yr old son. He will find coupons and bring them to me. I have taught them that they can save money and that coupons are like money! They need to know that they can save and be thrifty!

I have gotten some good deals!!

I have gotten with coupons and sales together:
razors for free
floss for free
shampoo for free
tooth paste for free
sweet potato fries free
to name a few
ALSO
I have gotten :
Full bottles of finesse shampoo for .90 cent each
BBQ sauce for .42 Cents each
baby flush-able wipes for .62 cents each
and it goes on and on getting things for pocket change!

There are a couple of things I have learned:

#1 stock piles are OK but dont go crazy! Buy 4-6 items at a time so that you can let others get the deal too!
#2 Set a shopping amount limit and never go over that...it is tempting to wanna hit every good sale. Pace yourself there are always going to be more sales every week!
#3 It does save money! Try it! Here are a few site I use: Couponmom.com thefrugalfind.com & thekrazycouponlady.com
#4 Last but not least you are not ripping the store off...the manufacturer will pay the store they money back for the coupon and every one wins! You buy the manufacturers product the store gets there money and you SAVE!!!

I think we are just on Repeat!

the last few months!

Here is a run down of the things that have happened in the last few months..

#1 Josh was in a car accident. He fell asleep at the wheel and drifted into the truck next to him. The truck won. It was an F 450 utility truck. The maroon XB was totaled.

As for Josh....he had a bruise on his chest from the seat belt...other than that he was not injured..(THANK GOODNESS)!!!! the cars frame was bend at the door hinges and was more work and $$$$ than the insurance wanted to pay. So we are now down to 1 XB again!

#2 Ella Finished Kindergarten. She loved her school and Loved her teacher. She didn't love early mornings. My kids are not Early risers...they like their sleep!

#3 We had a great 4th of July with Risa and Chris and Ivie had her first experience with fire works. She loved them...I thought they might scare her but she is so interested in everything! Risa got some really neat pics of the kids with the fire works it was awesome! We got to have Michael too and it was fun to have a bit of family together for a holiday! It was still in the high 80's that night so it was pretty warm...the kids are in their swim suits trying to stay cool!

#4 Risa and I got a wild hair...and got wild with our hair! I think we have both wanted to go blond again...like when we were younger and had the natural blond hair! We walked to target for exercise and got boxes of hair color....my hair turned Yellow every where and Risa hair freaked out and stay brown every where but her roots that went Yellow....We had to have it fixed!!!! You can see Risa's hair in the 4th pics above....and mine below!

#5 Ella lost her 1st Real tooth...( she had an infection in her gums when she was 3 and they had to pull the tooth on the top) She remembered the tooth fairy and was so excited to get more visits from one! Ella let her cousin Ryan pull it out...she didn't even feel it....she loves Ryan!

#6 a few days later Ella was sitting in front of the tv watching a kids show all of the sudden she yells I lost my tooth...she played with the next loose tooth until it popped out...LOL By the end of the week she had cashed in $10. She was so excited. When we went to the store she bought a hungry hungry hippo game and finger nail polish. She keeps feeling for more loose teeth but hasn't found any yet....

#7 The next big thing is that Brandon has not damaged himself in a few months...and that is a big thing for us!!!

#8 We moved. We made a big move closer to Josh's work. It was a needed thing because the drive was getting the best of him. we are now about 20 mins from his work. We are in a great new church ward. It is multicultural I love the diversity of the people. I was at the church for a meeting and got to hear the Polynesian ward chior practise...it was so amasing the way the music sounded!!!

#9 We got to see Ivie grow for almost a year! she is the funnest, funniest kid. We really miss her giggles and her fun personality. She took over all our hearts and when we left it was like leaving one of our kids behind....But Risa would have kicked my butt if we tried to take her with us...I told her we have to set up visitation...because we need our Ivie fixes!


#10 I have lost weight...I am down 4 inches in my waist 2 in my arms and 2 and a half in my legs...not sure how much weight...I don't have a scale!

family time!

Brandons latest!

Brandon was really excited Sunday morning and he came running down the hall as fst as he could. I was lying in bed and he tried to open the door and and come into see me...But as he opened the door and tried to push it open with his foot he hit the door jam instead.

As you can see in the picture he is happe with the new addition!

Christmas....

Just want to show a blast from Christmas pasts!

Filling in the blanks...

Ok so for Halloween the kids dressed upas an Angle and Woody from toy story. Brandon LOVES toystory right now!

On halloween Day the whole family went to the pumpkin patch we play with the animals, fed them, rode the train, had a hay ride and had some yummy food...then home to trick or treat!

After breaking my my toe Risa and her hubby moved in to help us out....I can't drive while in the boot/cast! Now we get play with this beauty everyday!

Brandon is so Fun he makes me laugh everyday...he keeps us on our toes...this is just one of the fun days here in the funny farm!

We were taking pictures for christmas cards...thsi one made me laugh....

a little catch up...more to come!

I did a good job you got love the right foot second toe in from the big one...the one that is off to the right! yeah it was worse when i first did it...GROSSSSS!!!

I preceded to break it and really mess it up by kicking the table leg while trying to scoot out from the table...so bad that he had to numbing and twist it and pull it out into place...OUCH!

An yet again a week ago I kick the table leg again....I am seeing a pattern here!
this time it was healed enough that i re broke a bit...but back in a boot for the next four weeks but at least I can walk a little bit!!!