Remember your first slip&slide ride?
Fresh green grass, cold hose water and the summer sun beating on your unsunscreened back?(our Mom's just didn't know)
This is a great way to burn off 5yr. old energy, and water the grass at the same time.
Now, our backyard is a steep hill, so we get more bang for the buck, and our guest love the thrill of this simple pass time.

Here I go, again.

I bought this at Easter time from a thrift store for a quarter and used it to decorate Noah's room. Simple. Then it was in the easter box(to be stored), and brillant hubby says" why not use it for our cone shape coffee filters".

My knightinshiningarmor comes to my resuce once more !

Because, this is what I do;

Back to CVSing, I went this morning, before babysitting began.

Once again I had 3 transactions.

The male cashier was so nice to me, unlike yesterday, when the lady cashier gave me attitude.

Here's the breakdown,

Total out of pocket $26.24

I bought 27 items

with tax that's .97 each !

This works out better than the Dollar store, try it you'll like it. Lol

Here I go, again.
Baksins Robbins'/ Dunkin Donuts in our town, offering .31 scoops of ice cream on
Wednesday, April 30 ONLY from 5 pm to 10 pm!

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for posting that Ben and Jerry's will be giving out free ice cream cones on April 29, 2008!



On May 20th get a FREE cup of Birthday Cake Flavored Dippin' Dots in honor of their 20th "birthday"!! Get the details here!

My friend Kelly Renee loves Dippin Dots, so this is a shout out to her (although she doesn't read old lady blogs) LOL

Here I go, again.
Referral Link : http://www.artscow.com/default.aspx?Ref=338498


Like pictures and a bargin?
Check out this new company and it's promotion.

* 400 Free Prints (50 4x6 and 50 5x7 each month for the next 4 months)
* 8x8 Photo Book (20 pages) available starting May 31 and expiring Dec. 31

Here I go, again.

i would think Titus would look so small next to Noah, but when they enjoy one another's company so much, i envision teenagers hangin' together in the future, oh i hope so. Noah is very much a policeman in personality, and Titus a rowdy, they will be a good combination !

Here I go, again.

For those of you wondering about my CVSing, I'm going to try to keep it simple and encouraging.

There are great blogs that explain, step-by-step, how to collect coupons, earn extra care buck, and combine your order to make the most of the deals. Reading these blogs is how I learned little by little, and now I've got the hang of it. Feel free to click on pic to enlarge and see the "breakdown" on receipts.

Starter link; www.iheartcvs.com/2008/03/cvs-for-newbies.html

this Mom lives in N.VA, also. I'm waiting to see her shopping in "my"CVS.http://sahmmoney.blogspot.com/2008/04/cvs-this-week-427.html

These blogs often give links of what is on sale, so you can print it for yourself, or know where to find it,..ie.. Washington Post, etc...

Honestly this takes me a chunk of my time to gather the coupons, but it's allowed me to purchase items, I'd otherwise not afford.

This is my purchase today. I made three transactions. And, accumulated 23 items.

I spent $20.71, and have an extra care buck worth $5.00.

So, 23 items for $ 20.71. That's .90 each item. Now, that's not bad.

These are items, I'll give to my Mom or put in storage for later. Maybe even put a bag together for someone in need. Now you may wonder what in the world will they do with 5 lint rollers? One in laundry room, one in each car, one in each top drawer dresser. Now if you see me out and I'm covered in lint, remind me .

http://thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com/2008/04/are-you-cvs-superstar.html

Here I go, again.

Please ask me how I bought all this from CVS, for less than $14, and still have a $3.00 ECB.

For anyone who is new to CVSing, leave a comment. If there is interest I'll list some links to get you started. Caution it's addictive,****he-he.

Here I go, again.

These are nails in my washer, why? because he luvs me, who? my 5yr old, when? everyday, where? in my heart, what? (am i posting this 4) to remind me of lifes little blessings.

Here I go, again.

Most days are so sweet, i don't want them to end.

right now i've been blasted with allergies, therefore cannot go out in the backyard with my guys. It's so fustrating to be stuck in my house. So, i've added this scripture to remind myself to trust Him, even in my "safe bubble".

Conversation with Noah;

"Noah who is the tallest person you know"?

"Daddy is"!

"Well, is there anyone taller than Daddy"?

" Yeah, there are Giants".

LOL

For those of you who haven't heard our adoption testimony I thought it'd be fun to type it out here.

Way back in the day Mike and I were married and new Christians for about 3 yrs, and had not gotten pregnant.

We were so poor, a baby wasn't high priority as we struggled to pay our bills.

Then on New Years day, while Mike was at work, I listened to a radio program that explained adoption.

And, although I never considered it before, I bowed my heart and prayed to the Lord asking if this adoption thing was for us. The reply was "Yes".

How excited I was to tell Mike when he got home.

As soon as he walked in the door I proclaimed, "Honey, the Lord has told me we are to adopt".

Silence from Mike, then "The Lord hasn't told me that".

My utmost crushing.

Now, at this time I was doing a Bible study, that taught on not nagging husbands.

Therefore I dropped it with Mike and began to look to the Lord for direction.

Every New Year's Day I would come to Mike and remind him the Lord had told me, for 5 years.

This was a tyring time in my life, as I could not let my heart become hard towards Mike.

I didn't have a career, as I knew I always wanted to be a stay-at home Mom.

Time passed slowly as I worked as a Nanny for a couple different families.

Then at the end of a work day I almost passed out, the Mother I worked for put me to bed, and when I gain strentgh I drove myself home. Something was wrong with me as my stomach cramped in pain.

Mike took me to the emergency room that didn't have a clue. I crawled on the waiting room floor waiting to be seen. I was 6 weeks pregnant and the baby was stuck in my fallopian tube, it had burst and I was bleeding internally.

That was a hard recovery, but the Lord showed me every moment how he was my best friend, Savior I knew, best friend I needed.

About 6 months later, Mike came home from church with a prayer request for a lady at church that was going through the same thing. Then, Mike asked me how I was doing with my experience. I told him truthfully how I believe God was moving us from plan A to plan B.

I had already decided I'd not do invtro, as many of my friends suffered from that route.

Mike knew plan B was adoption, and that night after a Men's meeting he sat down with our Pastor and explained our situation. Pastor asked Mike " What is in you heart that would keep you from loving someone else's child as your own"?

Mike told me that in that moment the Lord touched his heart, and the scales fell off. He said it was second to Salvation, to have the Lord touch him that way.

Well, when Mike came home that evening, and told me, I was in "wait and see" mode.

But, sure enough the next day we both agreed on an adoption agency, he called while at work, and I went online while at work. The end of that work day Mike picked me up, and asked what country i was leaning towards. The Ukraine was listed as the least expensive, and quickest time frame. I told him, and he showed me his notepad where he had circled the Ukraine as his choice. From that day it took us two years to bring Noah home. He came home on Christmas day, and that is the day he became an American citizen. It's also the day Mike and I were married.

I share as this as an encouragement to all who have waited or are waiting, that it can be done.

With the Lord leading all things are possible. So keep looking up !

Here I go, again.

Noah & Mike are building a dog house.

It's the only exterior paint color we have.

Although dogs are color blind, we're guessing he'll enjoy the effort.

Noah asked his pre-school class to pray that Shep would go in.

Here I go, again.

Okay I had a great time at the Ladies' Retreat. The speaker/worship leader was funny, and convicting. Mike said I need to get away more, lol.I was really happy when I came home 28 hrs. later. Nice break, and HE got our taxes done ! While having the boys, he did an awesome job.

The trash went out today, so did I. Thus Noah with a wheelbarrow full of the dog's sticks. He's a good dog, we won't get into how he jumps his kennel fence the moment Mike leaves the house.

He is our $10 dog, with shots and a neuter voucher included. We went to the poor county to the east to get that deal. Our county charges $150, without the shots and neutering. Plus your entire family had visit the dog 3x in the shelter. I am not making this up ! I've done less work to adopt a kid, no not really. But, all that to say we have a good $10 dog.

Titus goes to the Dr.'s today, maybe we'll get to the bottom of all his screaming. A bachelor w/ no kids told me I'm being too nice, I told him he doesn't know me ! But, I am working on changing Titus' formula and powdered goat's milk could be in his near future ( see not nice). At the store today, he started his scheming/screaming routine, this was the public' response; one man said "Hello", to Titus, then pat me on the back. I forgot I'm from Balto., didn't give him a reflex kick, but fell assured ?????? I'm losing it ! Then an elderly lady stood two feet from me to observe, the cashier told her she'd be right with her, but she only want to make sure i wasn't "hurting the baby", give me a break, he's hurting me, i lost hearing in the right ear. Remember that if we're hanging out, i can no longer hear out the right ear ! LOL

Anyhooo, life is good and Noah's pre-school teacher thinks he'd be a good candidate for a preacher. Which would be so of the Lord, since right now his challenge is speech. I think our little "MOSES", just has so much to say, he trying to get it all out too fast. Chip off the old block, i am trying to slow down, ha-ha. yeah, for his sake i really am. His asst. principal to the elementary school just called to say, we have an appt. for his speech evaluation. Oh joy, sitting in the principal's office is something i outgrew.Or so i thought.

Here I go, again.

I am going away, not far. Just far enough that Mike will get a true taste of my daily life, and proof of the importance of good structure and precision schedules.

He has no clue, but soon, but soon....

I'm going to eat my meal with adults, and conversate with adults......

And i'm sure my heart will be home while i "retreat".