Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ A fun Halloween party for all of the kids with my family.

~ Digital cameras to capture memories.

~ Open windows and Autumn breezes.

~ Laughter because it just plain makes you feel better.

~ Quiet and restful Winter months ahead.

What are you thankful for this week?

Mr. Cheeky wants me to remind you to have a Happy Halloween!

Grocery Shopping and My Meal Menu

I did the grocery shopping for the week after having looked through my pantry and freezer to see what we had on hand and having made a menu for the week. I spent $68.16 not counting the pet food. Not too bad for a week's worth of groceries.

I have been trying to stock up on non-perishable food items, toiletry items, and the few cleaning supplies we do use a little at a time. This week I was able to buy four 48 oz. bottles of LouAna vegetable oil for $1.48 each with a raincheck I asked for last week. That alone saved me $7.24 because the regular price is $3.29 each. Maxwell house coffee was also on sale for $5.99 a canister....I saved $4.70 there. In all I saved $34.01 with my reward card and a $5 off $55 or more coupon.

Meals this week will be:

~ Pork chops, rice & gravy, green beans, homemade biscuits

~ Black-eye peas with cornbread

~ Tostadas with homemade refried beans

~ Spaghetti, corn, and homemade garlic sticks

~ Chili and cheese with crackers

~ Homemade red beans and rice with diced sausage

Breakfasts will be homemade muffins or pancakes with fruit.

Lunches are leftovers or sandwiches.

Desserts are home-baked treats such as cocoa, cookies, brownies and cakes all made from scratch.

Nothing says love like home-cookin'!

Facing the Future

What can you do when the cards seemed stacked against you and no matter how hard you try you can't get ahead? We are there now. My beloved is feeling very discouraged and my heart aches for him. Work is slower than molasses and there is nothing we can do about it, but pray.

To tell the truth, I was half-tempted to follow suit and fall into that deep dark hole of depression. But I won't. I can't. I can't roll over and play dead. Now is the time for me to strengthen myself in the Word and prayer, to prepare myself for battle because this is exactly what it is. It's a fight for survival and I intend to come out victorious.

It's time to make frugality an art in my domestic life. The trick is to think of it as a challenge and make a game of it. How much can I reduce expenses and save? What frugal meals can I prepare that are both nutritious and pleasing? How can I bring more beauty and fun into our lives with little or no money? In what ways can I make our home a haven of peace and comfort? These are the questions I will seek answers to in the coming months as we face our future of uncertainty.

Today...

 I will clean and freshen my home.

I will school the children, read with them, and then we'll watch a movie.

I will cook a good dinner and make a scrumptious dessert.

I will go through my cookbooks looking for new recipes to try for Autumn.

I will plan my budget for November.

I will pray and read my Bible.

I will set a pretty table, light candles, and gather my family around me this evening.

I will smile, sing and hum. I will offer hugs and kisses. I will laugh and look to the sunny side of life.

I will be thankful for this new day and will be content with what we do have.

Zeus

Zeus at 22 weeks old and 60 pounds....

Concert Memories

 Me and my best friend, Paula, when we were at the Brad Paisley concert.

Joel & his girlfriend Erika

Our kids

Me with Kendall, Kayla & Kenzie

Alfred & I

Monday Morning Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Spending the day with my best friend, Paula. We girls cooked hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill while the guys worked on Alfred's four-wheeler.

~ Zeus chewed up Kendall's glasses but we were able to buy another pair this morning. Though they recommended another eye test, which we could not afford, they let us get new glasses using the same prescription as it was good through the end of the month. Kendall needs glasses in order to see, especially while driving!

~ Stocked up on laundry detergent and dish doap. Eight bottles of Gain at sale price plus coupons were $31.92 and the four bottles of Gain dish soap on sale with coupons were $3.56. I saved more than half the regular purchase price and won't have to worry about buying those items for quite a while.

~ New sunglasses after Zeus chewed mine up. These are essential for me because I simply can not see without them when I'm out in the sun. I kept worrying about being run down in a parking lot because I was as blind as a bat. Really!

~  Getting into my comfy bed each night, snuggled up to my man, to drift off to dreamland each night.

What were you thankful for this week?

Star Encounters

Last night a group of us went to a haunted house - my first ever and I am 36 years old! While the haunted house was kinda lame in my humble opinion, I did get to meet the original Michael Myers (Tony Moran) from the very first Halloween movie made in 1978 and I got an autographed photo! 

Here is Kendall and I with Tony Moran. I was surprised that Kendall is taller than Tony. He looked larger than life in the movie!

Here is my autographed photo! Is that cool or what? :)

Also there was Brian Andrews who played little Tommy Doyle in the movie - the boy that Jamie Lee Curtis's character was babysitting. I was going to get his autograph and a picture with him too after we went through the haunted house but he was already gone. Boo-hoo!

This is little Tommy now...

Happy Halloween!

Tagged

Rosemi from Women of God tagged me to answer the following questions. So here goes...

1 Where do you dream of traveling to one day, and why?

I want to take my kids to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I have always wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom and it would be fun to experience it along with my kids.

2 What do you like to do for fun?

Oh, lots of things! I like to read, write, draw, sing, do crafts, spend a day at the beach, hang out with friends/family, browse thrift stores for treasures, do something creative to my home or garden....

3 What style of music do you prefer and why?

I like a little bit of almost everything - Christian, Pop, Country, Hard Rock/Heavy Metal, Soft Rock, Oldies, Piano Sonatas, Bluegrass. I do not like Rap though.

4 What movies or TV shows do you like and why?

 The Sarah: Plain and Tall trilogy are my absolute favorites! I love Sarah's femininity and her free spirit. She is definitely no pushover, but she adores her husband, family, and home.

5 What Frustrates you and why?

I get highly frustrated with people who like to cause drama for others. This is not high school....get a life people!

6 What is your favorite food? And for dessert?

I love seafood and pizza! My favorite desserts are homemade and involve chocolate. :)

7 What is your favorite color?

Pink!

8 Do you prefer cool or warmer weather and why?

I prefer weather that is not too hot or too cold. Living with RA, I swell in the Summer and ache in the Winter. I like a happy medium.

~~~

If you want to answer these questions on your blog, leave me a comment so I can visit and read your answers.

Still Decluttering

I am still decluttering, focusing on one room/area each day. On top of that, there is the regular housework to stay on top of, and meals, and taking the dogs out millions several times per day. But it's all good. I love the sense of freedom that comes from releasing things no longer wanted or needed in my life and home.

Today there are bills to pay and grocery shopping to do. Perhaps a trip to the library for myself and the girls? I am trying to gather the courage to tackle the two closets in the master bedroom. With all of Alfred's Army gear, it seems to be an impossible feat to make it look nice and neat - but I shall do my best!

One Weekend, Two Concerts

Had another great night down in Gulf Shores at yet another concert. One of Alfred's customers gave him four tickets and we were given more free tickets from a co-worker. I called my best friend of 31 years, Paula, and invited her and her family to come watch the show with us. It was so great to hang out with her. My, how we laughed! 

The opening act was Little Big Town. I love the way they harmonize and they put on a great show. I got to hear all of my favorite songs - Little White Church, Bring It On Home, I'm With the Band, Boondocks.

I was not a super big fan of Brad Paisley because many of his songs are kinda goofy, but I have since changed my mind. His show was awesome! Brad changed guitars with nearly every song. He also came out into the crowd. Man, he's got killer guitar skills. My favorite songs of Brad's are: She's Everything, Whiskey Lullaby, Then, Mud On the Tires, The World, Celebrity. 

Oh, and this time I got on the right shuttle and we were home a little past 10pm!

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Receiving a five dollar bill in the mail for a survey I took a couple months ago.

~ Went on a hayride and through a haunted house with the family at $2 a piece.

~ Alfred received 4 tickets from one of his customers to the Brad Paisley concert this evening down in Gulf Shores! Little Big Town is the opening act and I really like their music. :)

~  Bank of America dropped our interest rate to 5.5% which will help us get it paid off quicker.

~ A mug of homemade hot cocoa with marshmallows....delicious!

What are you thankful for this week?

Concert Adventure

So we went to the concert last night - me, Kayla, Kenzie, and my sister Laura - and it was awesome! They really put on a great show. My first concert was too see Bon Jovi with Skid Row as the opening act in the early '90s and now my girls' first concert was Bon Jovi, too. Pretty neat!

When the concert was over we headed for shuttle lines. I'm guessing we waited about 45 minutes to get on the bus. Only it was the wrong one! The sad part is I had asked two different workersr if it was going to the place we parked and both said yes. After a 30 minute ride on the wrong bus, we were finally dropped off two blocks away from the main beach and had to hike back to find our shuttle.

We stopped and I asked some State Troopers where our shuttle was loading after explaining our fiasco (which never would have happened if Alfred had been with us. Oy! Thank goodness I don't live in New York and have to take the subway!). It was 11:09pm at this time. The shuttle was supposed to run until midnight - that's what was advertised and what the Troopers were briefed. They stopped running at 11pm!

The girls were beginning to get cold and we were several miles away from where we'd parked. I was thinking our only hope was to hike our tired behinds back to the car (something I was not looking forward to). But one Trooper told us to wait there.

He let the girls sit in his car and turned the heater on for them and gave them cookies. He was a super nice guy who chatted with us while waiting. (Thank you Officer Furakawa!) Alfred called and asked where we were and I told him "standing with the Troopers". Hee, I think he thought we were in trouble. Heavens to Betsy, I can't imagine why he'd think such a thing! I have never even had a speeding ticket. Friendly Officer Furakawa jokingly says, "Put your hands behind your back!" loud enough for him to hear. Oh, that police humor!

Corporal Joe Piggot gave us a ride back to our car. (Thank you!) He is frequently interviewed on our local news stations so I knew who he was. I was just so thankful we didn't have to walk!

I finally crawled into bed at 12:40am, thankful to be off my feet and in my comfy bed.

What an adventure!

Autumn Nesting

Tonight we going to Gulf Shores to watch Bon Jovi live in concert... I can't wait! I know they will put on a good show. :)

There has been a flurry of activity here at home as I have been bitten by the Autumn nesting bug! I have scrubbed carpets, swept and mopped floors and cleaned the master bath. I won't do too much more today so I can be rested up for the concert tonight.

Do you deep clean in Autumn?

Gratitude and My Monday

I missed posting my gratitude list on Sunday, so I am posting it today. This week I am thankful for:

~ Visiting with Mama & my siblings at my youngest sister's 15th birthday party.

~ Eating candy corns and sharing with the dogs. :)

~ Joel is back and will be living with us for a while, along with his girlfriend, Erica.

~ Bought a Sunday paper for the coupons and there were 5 RedPlum inserts! Jackpot!

~ Spent a lovely afternoon at the beach.

What were you thankful for this past week?

***

Now on to Monday...

I have been waking before the alarm clock rings at 6am many days and today was no different. I set about doing laundry (several loads) and dishes, then it was off to the orthodontist with Kendall. Upon arriving home, there was more laundry, a pitcher of tea to make, sweeping, vacuuming, folding and hanging clothes.

I had to pick Alfred up from work for his lunch break, make lunch, take the dogs out too many times to count and call them to come back in twice as much as normal.

Finally a nap! But Alfred calls twice within 15 minutes. I ask if he's going to call again. He says, "Maybe." I say, "Don't!" He laughs. That's 18 plus years of marriage for you. *smile*

Mr Cheeky (my Yorkie) takes a nap with me. The girls do their school work under my supervision. I make dinner and make up my hot cocoa mix from scratch. My sister, Shelly, stops by to visit.

Alfred and I leave to run an errand. Once home, we eat dinner. I read blogs and check my email. Kenzie makes everyone hot cocoa...it was delicious! And now my energy is beginning to wane. The evening is winding down and soon it will be time to slip into my comfy bed and dream sweet dreams.

Then I will get up tomorrow before the sun rises and will do it all over again.

Random photos

The girls have been spending a little more time in the kitchen baking. Here is Kenzie baking brownies on her own.



We babysat a couple times for a girl who's in the NG with Alfred. Her baby is 5 weeks old and so sweet! Gave the girls a little experience in dealing with a babies, also. :) 



What's new with you?

Halloween decor

Growing up, Halloween was a fun holiday for us kids because we got to dress up and get lots of candy! I know some people shun the ideas of celebrating Halloween, and that's fine. For our family, it's just plain old fun! We never thought anything about "celebrating evil" or what-not. It is so easy to fall into legalism regarding holidays when kids just want to have fun. Just my thoughts on the matter.... 

Our front porch....



Halloween flag...



Are you brave enough to come inside?

We have four cats, but only one is black....and white. :)



Ghoulish decorations...



Slappy - the ventriloquist doll from R.L. Stine's "Nightmare of the Living Dummy"!

Spider web holding spiders and skeletons....