Craziness!!!!!

Hi all! Yes, we are still around. It's been crazy around here. For those of you that don't know we have been building a new house in Carey. Thanfully it has been a very positive experience. Tony and I work well together when it comes to building. Our taste is very similiar so we haven't been on the brink of divorce for the past several months. I have been busy working on the house for the past 6 or 7 weekends. I don't care If I ever see another can of paint and paintbrushes for a really long time. I will post pictures soon of the paint jobs in the bedrooms. Gretchen and Becca's room is my favorite room in the house, well maybe beside my laundry room. Do I have you're curiosity yet? Guess you'll just have to come visit to really see the house.

We did get some disturbing news this week about the house. Tony quit one of his jobs to be able to help on the house and that income was needed to qualify us for the loan. We are having to start the financing process over. We thought we'd be in by now and now this is setting us back a bit. Tone is also going to a 2 week class in April, which is when we should close on the house. Please pray with us that our financing gets figured out quickly and that we will be able to close in a quick manner. The underwriters are slow right now so things could take longer than expected.

I hope to be posting again soon from a new location.

Happy Spring All!!!!

Playing Catch up

Ok, so I know I haven't posted in FOREVER. Part of it is blog burnout and the other, well......we've been very busy. We had a very good, fun, uneventful summer and fall. We found out in July that our friends the Bakers were moving back from Kansas so we were going to have to move and let them have their house back. We looked at rental after rental and couldn't find what we wanted/needed. After looking and weighing all our options we decided that we would build with my dad on his lot in Carey. We moved into my grandmother's house in Bellevue until our house is completed. I'm really liking living in Bellevue again. We live a block away from my childhood best friend, Shari. It has been awesome to reconnect with her and her family.

Than played soccer again this fall for Sawtooth United. I think I enjoyed it more than he did. Sawtooth is a competitve league so we were traveling every weekend. We went as far as Jackson, WY. to Boise.

School is also keeping us very busy. Than is in the middle school. There are more days than not that I'm not sure if I will survive. Dani is in 1st grade at Hailey Elementary. She has the same teacher that Than had, it's been really fun so far. Gretchen is going to preschool at a friends house and loves it. It's just Gretchen and two other little boys. Becca is at home with me and getting lots of "mama" time. I love it!

I'm no longer doing child care in our home. Since we will be living in Carey I thought it would be best to look for a job sooner than later. I found a job at a local daycare/preschool/gymnastics. I work part time in the daycare and the hours work great with the other kids schedules. Dani and Gretchen also get to take advantage of gymnastics. They are loving it and doing awesome.

Sorry for such a long post, I guess that's what happens when I don't post for forever. I hope you enjoy the pictures and I'll try to get all caught up soon!

Tony's favorite past times

Gretchen's 4th birthday and annual Kimball/Shoemaker waterfight

getting the instructions for his new fishing pole and all the gear to go with it

Than's birthday at Red Robin. They sang to him and brought him a HUGE sunday. They also brought the girl's mini sunday's.

Class of 2021

We had an awesome first year of school. I can't believe that next year she will be in 1st grade. She had a great teacher that helped her excel in her strong points and was good at encouraging her in areas that needed improvement. By the end of the year she was participating in the Accelerated Reading program and taking comprehension tests and scoring very well. She was a little mother in the class room making sure everyone had what they needed and helped the kids that needed help.

I was very fortunate to be able to go into the classroom once a week and help in the centers. Most of the time we did art projects and sometimes we played phonics games. I got to have Dani in my center every week which was really neat to be able to work with her in her class room. There were only 3 kids in each group so I was able to get to really know the kids in her class which was really special.

I've had a hard time accepting this time in our lives. So grab a tissue and take a look at the next generation! Dani even tells people, "My mom was crying at my graduation, isn't that silly". I can barely look at their yearbook without tearing up.

Mr. Bailey welcoming the parents.

Ms. Murphy leading in the class

have to love that face!

All the kids had to introduce themselves and then say what the wanted to be when they grew up. You're looking at the next generation police officer. I'm not really sure that is what she really wants to be, but when she got out she looked straight at Tony. Her daddy is a great inspiration to her. There were a lot of police officers and vets, one lizard catcher and a nuclear scientist.

all 3 Kindergarten classes Ms. Boatright on left and Ms. Murphy on the right

just walked across the stage

first day of school. it's amazing how they grow up in just a few short months. all that new knowledge makes them so much more mature.

last day with her two best friends. Alexandra, Mia and Dani

Field Day

On the last full day of school for Dani they had a field day, which is a play day, at the local park. I met her class their with Gretchen, Becca and some of the kids I watch. We played there for a couple hours and had a great time. It was fun to watch Dani play with all her school friends one last time before the summer. She makes friends so easy and is friends with everyone. One last hurrah before she was no longer a kindergartener.

one of the mom's brought a bubble blower that was a huge hit.

Dani's class

Eli pushing the girls.

Dani and her good friend Ben

Awana Activities

All 3 older kids completed their books this year in Awana. Dani did review of last years book work perfect and then the workbook that also had several verses in each section. We are so proud of all of the kids for the accomplishments.

Dani recited the Sparks code. The Sparks code is 6 verses, one for each letter of the word.

S is for Savior - 1 John 4:14

P is for Power - Romans 1:15

A is for According to the Scriptures - 1 Corinthians 15:3

R is for Rose Again - 1 Corinthians 15:4

K is for Keep - James 2:10

S is for Saved - Acts 16:31

The grand prix is a pine car race. They get to make whatever they want they want out of a pine block. At check in they do a complete measure, weight, and height check to make sure it meats all the requirements. The adults also get way into it.

Than's space ship.

Dani's on the right, Gretchen's on the left

Awana games is a fun thing for the kids to do. It is a variety of relay games, 3-legged races and tug-o-war. They divide the older and younger kids. The older groups' games are the same as the younger group with a little more difficulty.

5 Things

5 things I was doing 5 years ago

raising 2 kids
working outside the home
driving a durango
selling our first home
supporting my husband in his career change

5 things on my to do list today

finish the laundry
get Than's soccer paperwork turned in
get a 1" picutre of Than for soccer
figure out what's for dinner
last minute preparations for the big race tomorrow

5 things I would do with a million dollars

give some to family
buy a house with cash
pay off all debt
give the neede funds for my churches addition
put all 4 kids through college

5 places I have lived

Bellevue
4 different houses and 1 apartment in Hailey
Idaho Falls
Boise
Meridian

5 jobs I've had

dishwasher
receptionist
cosmetologist
checker
most important job.....MOM

5 things I want to be doing in 5 years

be debt free
raising 4 kids
be active in my kids school activites
be content with where I am because it's where God wants me
be a happy homeowner

5 people I tag

Allison
Angela
Erin
April
Trish

Thrifty Nifty

I paid $25.00 for ALL THIS!

I got 6 Tree Top apple juices, 10 lbs. potatoes, 1 lb. strawberries, 4 lbs. cheese, 1 Lighthouse dressing, 2 bunches aspargus, 3 flavored milks, and 12 pack TP.

So I have been learning how to shop with coupons the last couple months and the work is finally paying off. I've always hear of big families feeding their family's for hardly anything and now I'm figuring out how they are doing it.

I've cut our grocery bill by half and I don't have to drive an hour to get all the good deals. Shopping with coupons locally and wathing the sales at both Albertsons and Atkinsons is so much more affordable than driving to Winco.

I know that when the checkers at Albertsons see me coming the want to run and hide. It's inevitable that when I get in line and start getting my coupons out they get busy. I felt bad at first but now that I'm saving so much I don't really care what everyone else in the store is thinking.

Last night when I was paying for my groceries in 3 seperate transactions the checker was showing everyone my receipt and how much I saved. It's also not uncommon to have to get a manager override on my transactions because I saved TOO MUCH!!!!!

My new found hobby is COUPONING! I have found several sites and talking to my sister who is also an avid couponer to find the best deals.

This week I've spent $126.37 and saved $160.89. I'm so thankful for my new found way of grocery shopping. I didn't get pictures of all my goods or I would post them, it would take me a week to list all my good deals.