We're Moving WHERE???

WE'RE MOVING!

Yup, it's official we're leaving BG!
~I'm sorry, what's that?
You wonder where we're moving TO?
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CLARKSVILLE, TN
Where our little love story began!

Ok, so that's what I'm sharing for now!

What A Difference A Year Makes!

2008

(Very pregnant, very exhausted!)

2009

(Not pregnant,
still exhausted!)

I enjoyed breakfast in bed
(which is a tradition), plus gifts and cards from my hubby and kiddos.

One card they all signed together (even JoJo!), and one my big girl colored all by herself!

Then a "quick" family photo, which seemed to take years off our lives as we tried multiple takes to get both kids looking at the camera simultaneously!

Next, out and about as a family. I was treated to a couple things I needed in the way of shopping, plus we dined out for a late lunch/early dinner. Our waiter attempted a couple of awkward, blurry photos. Apparently photography is not his 'thing', but he tried (thanks, Brian!).

Oh, I also got to share a carousel ride with cutie Kyleigh,
and we both had so much fun!

And of course I was
lavished with silly time
by sweet Siah before bed.

Thankful to be a mother, at the end of the night I got to kick back and chill with the guy who helped make that possible.

~I ♥ my baby-daddy~

We Have An Announcement!

Chris asked what I'd like to do/have
to make this Mother's Day special.

My answer???

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(you think I'm gonna say "Another Baby", don't ya?!)

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MOVING BOXES!
*And a new place to move them to, of course!*
(Maybe I'll ask for another baby next Mother's Day!)

And my amazing husband is in the process of making the dream of moving come true! Obviously he's not doing it alone. We serve an amazing God who is with us every step we take, and it is really He who has made this possible! And yes, I realize I'm using frequent exclamation points, but that's 'cuz I'm so stinkin' excited!

We have been wanting out of BG for pretty much the whole time we've been here. Chris has been so successful at his job, and enjoys many aspects of it, but has longed to complete a degree that would take him on a new career path. Jobs out there with better schedules (to allow Chris to complete school) can be found, but without enough pay to support the family. Jobs out there with sufficient compensation have similar or even worse schedules.

But now he has some approaching opportunities that could help accomplish both those goals.

Chris currently works anywhere from 50-80 hrs/wk, and sometimes it's a week and a half straight w/out a day off...it's crazy! But on Sat. 5/2 he received a job offer in another city with better hours (i.e. 35-40 hrs/wk!) and still enough compensation to support our family. This better schedule could allow him to finish school and move on with life, so we're thrilled at the opportunity. Also, he's had two other job prospects pop up for consideration since!

I haven't told most of you that we took our house off the market a while back. We never stopped wanting to leave BG -- seriously,never! -- but we felt we were seeking for ourselves and not following God's prompting. And I promise you that literally from the week we took the sign out of the yard, the Lord began to bless us so abundantly since! I believe He just wanted us to fully trust Him (ya think???). He's blessed us financially, he's blessed us more quality family time, he's blessed us with health and protection in the craziest circumstances and in the most evident of ways. (Some of you know of these: the healing of Kyleigh's eye Easter wknd? Or the gasping/ER trip late one night? Those could have been so much bigger, but they were no match for HIM!) Yes, quite evident! He's made His presence be a known comfort to us.

So now we just need to get our current home rented or sold STAT and we'll be good to go. Ironic, huh, since we had to take it off the market for all these other possibilities to open up?! Ha! What else is ironic is that this first job offer came on a weekend, and by Monday 5/4 a Realtor came knocking on our door. Seriously! He'd noticed on the MLS that our short-term listing with another company had ended; he wondered if we were still wanting to sell and perhaps with his real estate company. Being that Chris is a former Realtor, there are certain things he looks for in the process and the people who are a part of it, so we had a meeting with this guy last week and decided to hire him to sell our house. Yay!

It's all just so crazy, and needless to say, it's been quite a week for us! But to be clear, nothing is official. Nothing is in writing, and we're still waiting on details to be finalized. We should know details this week on how things are shaping up! If for some reason the final stats are different than anticipated, we may not move at all, but be staying here in BG...so please pray for our situation knowing God's in control. Just your prayers, that's all we're askin'. Not even gonna ask you go help us pack and carry heavy boxes (though I probably wouldn't send you away if you offered!)

So, where are we moving to???
Wouldn't you like to know! Location is TBA!

I have to maintain at least some suspense, right?! Well, that, and we're waiting until each "t" is crossed, every "i" dotted, and all the spaces are filled in on a W4! Basically, waiting until all decisions are official and certain. But believe me, we won't be keeping it to ourselves for long...we can't wait to share what God is actively orchestrating in our lives! What I can tell you is that such big changes are not easy decisions, so I'm selfishly thankful and also humbly grateful that my Lord has given me such a wise and capable husband to lead our family--I'll follow him anywhere!

P.S. My hubby did give me moving boxes for Mother's Day--
complete with a bow, too!

Motherhood

Can you believe that tomorrow I'll be celebrating
my 4th Mother's Day?! Amazing!

In 2006, just 2 wks + 2 days after discovering our first pregnancy, I got to celebrate Mother's Day! (I realize some people would think I wasn't actually a mom, since I didn't have a baby I could hold. However, we believe that from conception a baby is alive; a real person; fashioned by God who has a plan and purpose for each one of us. So whether any of you female readers have an interior baby or an exterior baby, I encourage you to celebrate your motherhood this Mother's Day! And if you're waiting and hoping for a child, continue to pray!) On that Mother's Day, I remember I certainly wasn't 'showing', but felt so proud to be in this new league--to be a mother. And I remember dining out on Mexican food---I had a new excuse to eat and eat and eat!

I remember my first pregnancy test. I remember showing the results to my husband. I remember my husband holding me as I solemnly said, "Our lives are going to be changed forever." We were both thrilled and nervous and goofy with excitement, and I know I was certainly beaming! I was just so completely freak-out happy!

I remember our ultrasound that revealed we were expecting a daughter! I remember Chris holding my hand and warm tears running down my cheek as we realized we weren't just watching "a baby", we were seeing "Kyleigh"

This is our first family photo! I loved the birth, I loved the whole process! Especially the pushing part--truly! Labor sort of happens to you, not much you can do about it. But pushing is where moms get to be proactive in meeting their children! I remember being in awe. I expected to be in awe, but the occasion was more than that. More than words can define. Once again that feeling struck me, "Our lives are going to be changed forever." And since we met Kyleigh December 30, 2006, we've never looked back!

My 2nd Mother's Day ('07) was my first with an 'exterior baby' to hold, and I loved telling Kyleigh over and over how humbled I felt to be chosen as her mother and how much I'll love her forever! It was also an extra-special day in my family because my adopted baby sister was born that week & got to go home with my parents on Mother's Day weekend! Chris, Kyleigh, and I went to visit, and it was such an amazing time! How special to see my parents doting over this newborn girl, praying with her before she rested at bedtime, and of course I enjoyed Moriah's snuggles too! (She turned 2 this week, and we're sad to miss the party today due to Kyleigh's little cold. Luv you MoMo!)
(And Happy Mother's Day, Mom-o...hope your gifts arrive today!)








In the fall of '07 I took my second pregnancy test--another "Positive" discovery! I was once again freak-out happy! So last year ('08) was my 3rd Mother's Day and I was VERY pregnant! I realize that pregnancy isn't really measured in degrees...you either are or you aren't...but if it were measured that way, I would officially have been VERY pregnant! Haha! We were about 35 weeks into our journey as parents to Josiah, anxiously awaiting the day we'd meet our son, Kyleigh's brother. (We also went out to eat that day at a hibachi grill. That far along, it's not like I was worried about weight gain!)











I remember the day we learned we were harboring a son in my womb. It felt exciting to find out we'd be parenting a different gender child than our first, and that day I knew "Our lives are going to be changed forever." Ha! Oh so true! Nothing about our lives has been the same since Josiah joined us on June 18, 2008--

and I wouldn't trade a single moment of it!

So this weekend I'll celebrate my 4th Mother's Day, and I feel so blessed. I'm abundantly loved by my family and appreciated for my role as a mommy, and I feel honored to be a part of this fantastic journey with my hubby & kids!

Happy Mother's Day!

Free Stuff Friday!

What's better than FREE stuff???

Free stuff I'll actually use!

Thanks to our far-away friend Jodi, we were tipped off on Tuesday to a coupon for KFC. We don't typically eat at KFC, for their prices are generally too high for their portion sizes
(or I just eat a lot!). Anyway, we ended up with a bunch of coupons for FREE meals which incl. 2 pieces of chicken, 2 sides, and a biscuit--yup, completely FREE! We passed out 1/2 to Chris's employees and had some left for our household, so Chris has some FREE lunches in his future! Chris typically brown-bags it, so Jodi--thanks for giving my guy a break from the norm!

This week we also got FREE sunglasses from Charlotte Russe. All that was required was to take in the cover of Seventeen Magazine or just print the main page from their online source on Tuesday 5/5/09. Um, yeah, I printed it rather than buying the magazine (duh)! Chris actually took care of this for me, since he works in close proximity to Charlotte Russe. Our local store hadn't received their shipment yet, so we were awarded a raincheck for the time being. Come Thursday, an employee snatched up a pair of the new arrivals and delivered them personally to my hubby at work---great service! The manager was super apologetic that the glasses were two days late. WhAt??? They're FREE...who can't wait 48 hrs for FREE sunglasses??? (I've actually had to wait longer than that, since Chris completely forgot to bring them home! Haha! They're supposed to be similar to the photo, possibly different color frames? Can't wait to see!)

Thanks to online saving sources, I'll also be receiving these fine items by mail (all for FREE):

A sweet treat from Betty Crocker ~

New Aveeno Shampoo & Conditioner ("Nourish+") ~


Cottonelle Ultra TP & Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes ~

Thrifty Thursday

If you know me (or have read my blog for even a minute), you've likely heard/read me say that I truly LOVE saving money! After catching up on blogger-pal Kara's page this week, I saw her recent post on shopping/saving and I realized I hadn't replied to all of you who've inquired
(and teased!) about my frugality!

To quote my pal Summer, I "used coupons before the media was doing news bits on them and everyone thought it was cool." For so many years Summer and I have both been cheap ...I mean frugal, always appreciating a good deal!
I think of it as *being responsible with our cash flow*!

Some of you have asked me on this blog, facebook, text, etc exactly how I save. You may know some of the answers, as I periodically send out some of the fun coupon links online (like the recent free lipgloss @ B&BW!). I use coupons from the newspaper, magazines, and some online, plus I shop store sales---the basics. I'm certainly not against yard sales, but my hubby works most weekends, and at this stage in life that would leave me to tote around two tiny kids really early in the a.m and that's just too nutty for me! Just picture that--hilarious and exhausting! But I do recommend yard sales for those of you who want to find good deals on books, toys, or some kids clothes (especially when you're talkin' about the baby stage, since most often babies 'out-grow' before they 'out-wear' or 'wear out' their toys and clothes!)

Things to keep in mind when shopping:

*Don't buy stuff 'just because it's on sale'!
~~~If you get an item you'll NEVER USE for $8 instead of $12, you haven't saved $4, but essentially wasted $8!

**EXCEPTION: If there's an item you can get totally FREE or for like .25 cents, it may not hurt to snag the deal, even if it's not an item/brand you typically use---for $0.00 to $0.25 (or maybe even $1), you can try it or gift it to someone!

*Be prepared!
~~~Know what you're looking for in the store, make a list, and arrange your coupons before you go. This will help you stay focused and make good decisions.

*Avoid distractions!
~~~Most often, it's just me with the kiddos during the day. But if I'm hitting up a store that opens early enough, I try to jet out there in the morning before Chris leaves for work. This way, I can beat the crowd plus get what I need without distractions (i.e. my kids!). Plus, there's more room in my cart, so I don't have to worry about making a second trip
(if you have multiple kids, you understand how little space they leave in the grocery cart for the actual groceries!). This also lets me get back home and enjoy my family all day, not worrying about trying to tote the kids in and out of stores or in and out of their car seats while carrying groceries...and without worrying that we'll be out during meals or nap time. Oh, and don't forget that hassle it is while it's raining (OY!)

That said, here are some of the deals I got this week:

For all items above, I paid a grand total of $15
and saved about $55!
One of my faves in this pic is the ice cream! It was BOGO Free...
PLUS, I had a $0.75 coupon that was TRIPLED on the one I "bought"! So $2.25 off that, and basically I got both for like nothin'! Some of the other stuff was completely FREE, too, but I just had to tell about the Bryers 'cuz ice cream maketh my heart happy!
(I had some great coupons of $1.00-1.25 off, but none over $0.99 were tripled in discount. But I still saved with each coupon used!)

These items cost only $6 -- Or less!
With a coupon, I bought 2 pks Clorox wipes, got 1 FREE--
but there's more...
I also had $1 off coupons for each pk I bought, so another $2 off!
Cottonelle was on sale, plus I got $1.75 off using
both a store coupon ($1 off) + manufacturer coupon ($0.75 off).

***Note, these were at Target. There are also certain items @ Target you can purchase and be rewarded with a $5 gift card.
Scan those items @ checkout first, then use that $5 gift card toward the items pictured above and pay only about a $1!
Truly: 3 pks of Clorox wipes + 6 Double Rolls of Cottonelle
for about $1 ?!?!?! Wowsa!

There's A First Time For Everything

I did something today for the first time.
I didn't hate it, so I'll likely try it again.
But I'm not telling what it is...
Yet.