Double negative = POSITIVE

When there are multiple minus signs on any of my receipts it definitely makes ME Positive!! I love finding a good deal or getting something free. I think as women we want to find the best deal and get away from that stereotype of always spending the "money" and show some good tactics of saving the "money" or at least getting the most out of it. I really love it when I see this at the end of my receipts.

and can see my money saving tactics here.

If you can't see the number it's $117.70 in savings!! Yeah I'm excited can't ya tell!!!!

Cutting those dang coupons and taking the time to match them to the sale ads is worth it.

I feel so giddy going out a store when I get some major savings. Feeling giddy is so much nicer than that empty retching feeling of money being burned, thrown down the toilet, gone with the wind, wasted or how ever else you call the money we had to spend on necessary things that are way over priced. Just thought I'd share some giddy feelings!! he he he he

Poor Sick Clayton

What a crazy week or so we have had. First Clayton was sick. Throwing up and sitting long time on the toilet sick. I felt so bad for him. During his all night throwing up party, (where he couldn't even keep a sip of water down) he said a couple of things that tugged at my girl emotion strings. ( I Kept it together though he he )
First sitting on the floor leaning over the toilet he says, "Mom, I'm trying really hard not to cry." What a tough boy!! and then two to three hours later and alot more sick time he says "Mom, I just can't take it anymore." Oh how I wished I could have just taken all his hurt away from him. It was so bad the Nathan asked if he wanted a blessing, which he gave a really good one. The next morning Clayton was still sick and he left this message for Nathan at work "Dad, I know you used your power to help me get better...but I'm still sick... and I'm wondering why your power didn't work...well I'll talk to you later but I'm still sick...bye"
Oh I wish this was one of those complete conviction stories of the power of the priesthood and Clay would have a strong testimony of it but things are in God's timing. I explained to him that he might have become even more sick without the blessing and maybe Heavenly Father wants him to learn what being sick feels like so he can be prepared for the next time and his body will be able to fight it off better. I was making sure he stayed hydrated and gave him a Popsicle to have. He picked blue of course and with his sunken eyes, skinning looking frame, and now blue lips he really had the look of death on him eeeeek.
Needless to say it's all over now and we just finished having a two day garage sale at my house and it's clean up time for the things scattered around that didn't sell, laundry that is clean in separated baskets, dishes to be located in cupboards, not to be taken out of the dishwasher to use, and a promised back massage to give to Nathan as he is learning his new calling of Elders Quorum President in our ward and all that goes with that. He will do a great job and I hope I can be as helpful as I can be for him with his calling (you know not nag or tone it down some right he he) As my brother Max says all the time "It's all good!" Life carries on and we will go forward one sick kid to the next!!

Mom's quilt /// Great Friend

I forgot to post the pictures of the awesome quilt my mom made for Justin. She hand quilted it all and the bottom has fringe on it!! So Adorable. I wish I had that talent maybe someday.
Mom says this little boy looks like Clay...She's right he is that cute!

See the Fringe?





I have a great friend in Crystal Lake and her name is Anna Marks!! She is the best!! Just look what she found to go with my cowboy room!


Love it! The wall stickers completely match my quilt I made and the wall paper in the room





We get together when we can and let our kids play. She has five kids of her own and the last three are almost the exact same ages as mine. Our baby boys are just 13 days apart!! We don't have to have some special occasion to see each other, we just do and I love that there is such an easiness with it all that we can put a fast lunch together for kids, talk about life, learn new projects to do, and not care if we or our houses are messy. I don't know if there is anything Anna can really learn from me because she pretty much has been there done that with everything I still have questions about, but hopefully I bring something to the table. Anna is my sista away from home!! Thanks, you are awesome!

3 month old Justin

My third little man is 3 months old!! WOW Justin is very alert and happy baby (most of the time). He has the best little smile and even trying to capture it with a picture, it just doesn't do any justice to the feeling you get when he gives you a personal smile all of your own! I love it when they start to enjoy little toys and try to grab them and shove them into their mouths and all the slobber that goes with it. He sleeps well, sometimes even taking a long four or five hour stretch! Justin is laughing at his brothers right now playing fighting in the background and I bet he can't wait to get in the mist of all that chaos!! My favorite time with Justin is when he falls asleep on me all curled up under my neck! Who doesn't love a cute sleeping baby!

Justin has a little blanket that has a blue puppy head on the top. He cuddles with this all the time and buries his head into the soft fleece and satin edges. I love babies, they can do no wrong!

LOVE FRIENDS

All I can say is I love friends. It makes my day...no week....NO MONTH to get together with friends!! It's not a real jab session at my house with wrestling boys using as little words as possible to have more room for 'HI Yahs' and 'got ya' lingo and an accountant tired from talking too much at work, I am actually able reach my girl quota for talking and use some laughing muscles when the friends gather!! The boys get a thrill making up new games and having multiple little people around to roam with!! So Thanks all you friends of mine your great!! When's the next party . . . I need my fill ;)!!

Hair Drama

Having what is called a "Dirty Blond" hair color I have had my share of hair drama. I like to dye it blond for the summer and maybe tone it down a little for the winter with darker hair with blond highlights. Hair tends to do alot of weird things to a gal at times though. I am very familiar with hair turning a bright orange or florescent yellow which is looks way to trashy looking. Hair dyes that have worked just fine before each of my kids have turned against me. I don't fall apart and think the world is over when after I dry all my hair dyed out hair and the wet look is gone but the orange is not. I have been here before!! So choices are: tough it out and wear a crazy hair do, get another dye and damage my hair more, or just cut the dang thing. I did all three of these!
I wore it around for awhile making fun of myself with friends or if I couldn't stand looking at it a ball cap does wonders for self esteem. Then it got to me and I picked up a different color that is "suppose" to turn the color darker and take brassiness away. It toned the orange down a little, and made the too much blond ends gray!! This would be because of the medium ash blond that I used; again was my friend before and worked fine. NOT any more or maybe not right after a bad dye to begin with huh. Notice the orange and then the grandma ends!! the horror !! he he

Not a terrible fix and I wore that around for a day and I am sure Nathan was burnt out with me asking if it looks real bad and why does my hair do this. He is a good support to me and can laugh right with me about it all. After telling me to do what ever makes me happy and can fix my hair problem I decide to just chop it off!! Even though Nate said to go get whatever I need done at a salon I can't bring myself to spend those crazy rates they charge to do any type of dying so an easy fix is cutting. It was sad to see the long hair go when it takes time to get it that way, but hair grows back and it feels healthier to me. And it doesn't hurt to change things up with a sassy short cut either!!

Yes Laundry!!

You know what they mean when they say "He's a love sick puppy"? Well I have a Laundry Sick Puppy and his name is HAYDEN. Hayden has created a love for watching the laundry machine run and with no hesitation try to fill it to maximum capacity. I have found him completely naked in the laundry room putting what ever clothes he can find into the washer. One conversation has gone like this:





ME: Hayden no more laundry it is too full
H: But mom laundry says 'I hungry'
ME: No he's not saying 'I'm hungry' he's say 'Ouch my belly full' no more clothes in the washer OK?
H: OK mom


I leave to go help Justin, only to notice that it is really quite and know something is up so I go into the laundry room and see an overloaded washer and a very guilty looking boy. My UH OH radar goes off when the washer starts making some weird sounds. I have to unload the entire washer into the sink and everything is soaking wet making it all heavy. The washer was a full load of kids clothes before Hayden got to it, but he felt that four more towels, a sweatshirt, his entire drawer full of undies and rolled up socks needed to be added to the load. After emptying all the clothes, the total amount could make four separate loads!!


ME: (holding a baby clothes outfit) HAYDEN NO MORE CLOTHES!! You will break our machine and then how will we wash our clothes? NO MORE!
H: He said "I hungry"
ME: No. no more OK
H: OK (looking at the baby outfit in my hand) Is that dirty?


AHHGHHHH but I have to laugh. He is so adamant about it. A little OCD about it at times I think! Especially when he feel like it is a punishment to not be allowed to watch the laundry machine work it's magic.


I had to draw a line and tell him he can't do laundry if he was naked because he would strip his entire outfit off if it had the slightest bit of dirt. I actually had to pry his hands off the side of the machine and help him get dressed. I have left a clean basket of clothes out and it ended up being thrown into the washer by Hayden mixed with dirty clothes so I had to do the whole load again. I think I might have to lock my laundry door to keep Hayden out!! CRAZY KID!!


*Also*

I have to add that my very active boy Hayden has yet another bruise on his head!! I swear that kid can't stop, he has so much energy and think he can do everything and climb everything and his head is paying for it!! This picture doesn't even show yet another bump he got today on his chin. I just look at him and my face hurts. Poor kid, I try to give him extra loves because of his whole hurt head but he can't sit still enough for even a get better hug!!

Easter Hunt

We had a fast little Easter Egg Hunt this past Saturday with a really great friend of mine Janice and her adorable two kids!! Nathan was downtown for an interview with University of Chicago to get into their Executive MBA program so he wasn't able to be with us but we had a great time with Janice and the kids. I love to see the anticipation on their faces as they are waiting for the count down to run and grab some eggs. Clayton pick up alot of eggs and most were filled with little Easter toys that last oh about a minute because of such great engineering of the toy-- HA. I think Hayden had the right strategy though, go straight for the candy! He just couldn't pass up all the sweet stuff he could see for a single mystery egg. He's so funny. We live for kids and the fun they have huh!!

Thanks Janice for driving all the way to the Easter Hunt and bringing the kids. Both the boys couldn't stop asking when the next time we get to play again!! Thanks for the snacks too you are ALWAYS so thoughtful of others!!

Justin's Blessing Day

Last Sunday was the day we gave Justin his baby blessing. My parents were both able to come and they brought my little sister Sophie as well. My other siblings (Emily, Max, and Jessa) all gave us calls and congratulated us over the phone. Nathan did a great job on the blessing and it was great to have both our fathers take part in the blessing. I am so thankful to family and friends that show their support and love to our family. Even those who could not attend the actual blessing, their comments, calls, or congratulations meant alot to me. We all can't do everything or be everywhere, but it goes a long way and says alot when a person recognizes something in your life that is important and they let you know that they care. We went home and had a really nice ham and potato dinner with all the fixings! My parents and Sophie were here for less than a week but it always brightens me up to spend time with them. We watch some good movies, played cards, attempted to do get high scores on the WII games all the while eating and laughing at each other. Clayton is really into hot wheels and every morning he would hound dad up to race cars down his race track. He was relentless at times and I had to pull him aside and explain to him that you do bug people when they are in the bathroom taking showers or trying to get ready for the day. I said "You need to be patient, what does being patient mean?" Clay answered "Ahhhhh I have to wait" all sad like.

Sophie all serious he he he

Ouch!!

This has not been the week for Hayden. First while running around the house with Clayton he slammed into the corner of a table in my foyer, making him have a nice looking black eye for church. Then just went that is beginning to fade to that ugly green bruise color, he slips off the the laundry bucket he is using as a stool to reach the sink in our bathroom so both he and Clayton can play car wash and wash all of their Hot Wheels. Unfortunately, being too excited for shiny Hot Wheels Hayden tried to reach in the sink too much and the laundry bucket slips on the (of course) wet floor and he hits his head on first the porcelain sink and then the tile floor!! As I was helping him up and saying "Let me see" I totally gasped at how huge and purple the bump on his head was already! Poor guy. Hayden is a tough boy and it takes alot for him to cry out in pain, so when he does it's important. I have a Spider man ice pack I keep in the fridge and we rotated that with a bag of frozen peas to get the swelling to go down.

I promised him we would go look at Easter stuff and let him pick out a new Easter bucket. Out of the four choices of the $1.50 buckets he choose the RED one!! Some of those baskets are so darn expensive WOW!! Having a bad day like this I think it merits a "Hayden Day" where he can pick out his favorite movie, what kind of dessert to with dinner, and be the first to play wii games. Again poor guy!!