One of the most annoying things in the world that could happen around the holidays, always seems to happen. Without failure, something breaks, somebody gets sick, a window falls out of your house, your vehicle doesn't pass inspection, or your electric company decides to revise your budget plan for the coming year, in December!
For as many years that this has been a "tradition" in our family, it has also brought some of the best lessons, and brought our family even closer together.
It usually happens around, October, each year. (this is also when my pick up truck is due for inspection)
Inspection went ok this year, with the exception of the gauge cluster dying. That doesn't sound bad, right? Wrong! In my truck, (a Ford F150), the gauge cluster display of course, displays the mileage, and also all of the warning lights, the tach and speedometer, typical gauge cluster...... Until, my husband takes it out and there are no fuses, no wires. It looks like something from a science fiction movie lol! There is a circuit board attached, along with a bunch of tiny, little tongs!! (It does always seem like everything that does happen here, is beyond complicated, it can't be something simple!)
So, after some research and phone calls, and some very outrageous quotes from local Ford dealers, we found a place who could fix it, and since the gauge cluster holds the actual mileage for the truck, we were able to keep the low mileage that is on the truck and have it repaired within a week.
Yes, as odd as it is, the mileage is inside the cluster, nowhere else in the truck. Which is strange, because, once the cluster goes, your mileage will be off.
My options were:
Buy a used one from a junkyard with super high mileage...
Go to a Ford dealer, and have them take it out, charge a fortune, send it to Ford to repair, and charge another giant fee, and then pay them to program, and do whatever magical things they need to do to supposedly get my truck running again.
OR, we could run it to a shop, (in another vehicle of course), and let them have it for a week, to reprogram, repair, whatever they do. BUT, it sure was not even a fraction of the price that the dealer wanted.
We opted for the latter, of course. It saved us tons of money, money we didn't have at the time, since this was the 3rd thing to break in a month.
Now to the "good luck" or "positive" that came from this recent dilemma....
Since the truck really couldn't drive without the cluster, (the battery wouldn't charge with it removed), I had to gather all of our groceries, and make sure that every little errand for the week was done, all in one morning.
That took quite a bit of planning, cutting coupons, and lots of lists!
We live in a very rural area, and sometimes, groceries alone take a whole day to grab. Especially when I want to get actual groceries and have to travel several miles just to get to a store with more then one brand of each product.
We also are down to one vehicle, so, this is tricky. Thankfully, I work weekends, and I am able to stay home with the little ones throughout the week.
Sunday morning was a bit of a struggle, but I was able to knock out each list, in 6 stops.
The rest of the week, for the first time in several years, I was able to stay at home, without having to run somewhere, everyday of the week. That was a vacation in itself!
The kids were more then pleased too. No rushing around after school, or after dinner, for a full week, we stayed home. We had so much fun! I was able to get a few things done on my "project to do lists" that I don't often get done, due to our super hectic schedule, and we had time to sit and enjoy each other's company.
I will take a broken gauge cluster, anytime!
I always believe that something good always comes from everything. Sometimes, it may take a while for it to shine through, but in time, it will. This particular time was almost instant.
For this I consider myself, very lucky, and yes, I do plan on making more time like this, by "pretending" that the truck is in the repair shop again.
Not just another deal blogger, but a super cool, crazy, busy, trustworthy, mom of 4, who stands behind and uses all that I feel is worthy on blogging about!!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Pepper Steak Recipe
So, I was real happy to have found a similar recipe a few years ago, and this dinner makes it on our menu sometimes twice per month!
Deegan loves the peppers the best, and the same with Genevive. Although, she really loves the steak parts too! Our 8 year old, Aaron, is super picky the last few years, (it is literally driving me crazy!!), but he will eat the steak and rice.
My husband was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which is very hard to accommodate, but he insists on eating regular foods, and he needs to stop that. I am looking for some sort of gluten free rice and pastas that taste good, so if any of you know of any, please comment or contact me!! Anyway, he loves this recipe too.
I am not a big "exact measured person", lol, so I apologize for my menus and recipes, not having exact cups, tsps, tbsps, etc. But I do cook this way most of the time, and I think a lot of us do.
Pepper Steak with Brown Rice
2 1 - 2 lb sirloin tip steaks (cut into 1" cubes)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 yellow pepper (chopped)
1 orange pepper (chopped)
1 medium sweet onion (chopped)
A couple tsps of minced garlic
Soy sauce
1 box Minute Brown Rice (follow directions on box)
Cooking spray
Spray large frying pan with cooking spray, add steak cubes. Cook for about 6 minutes over med-high heat, stir often.
Add garlic, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Add peppers and onions, and reduce heat to medium, add soy sauce, and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.
Serve over brown rice.
This recipe is also excellent when you are out of time! It is quick, and is a very filling dinner.
I choose sirloin steaks, but you can use whatever cut of meat your family likes best. There are times I also add green pepper, the peppers are also fine to mix up a bit to your liking.
Bbq sauce was in the original recipe for this meal, and I did use it, and I was the only one who liked it, so I have since omitted it. (I do sometimes add it to my own)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Advertising on blogs
Is this actually something that we can earn a substantial amount through?
I am working on getting more affiliates for companies and products that my family love and uses, and I am just curious as to what to expect for income purposes?
I am assuming I need a large amount of followers, and clicks, etc. But I am fairly new on this blog, and will be getting bigger, ( I hope;p), and I would love to hear how others do with advertising.........
I am working on getting more affiliates for companies and products that my family love and uses, and I am just curious as to what to expect for income purposes?
I am assuming I need a large amount of followers, and clicks, etc. But I am fairly new on this blog, and will be getting bigger, ( I hope;p), and I would love to hear how others do with advertising.........
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
my breakdown friday
we recently had to replace a dryer, due to a lightning storm, and i should have figured then, that when it starts, it never sems to go away.
our life has always been this way, "bad luck", and it usually seems to happen in "threes".
if it isnt my husbands tractor (i normally refer to this as "the big truck", lol. since we also have a Ford F150, which i have to say, has treated us very well!), it is a roof, a household appliance, higher taxes, some sort of breakdown or anything that will almost completely drain us. i'm quite certain everybody has the same kind of luck;p
like i mentioned earlier, we recently had to replace a dryer, well and an air conditioner, and now a fridge. not to mention the rather large amount of deli meat and cheese and various fruits and vegetables i just, 2 days earlier, had stocked up on!
what a mess!
luckily, i was able to find a decent deal on a used whirlpool. same thing with the dryer, thank goodness!
i can deal with small dilemmas like this, especially when i think about how there is always somebody worse off. we should be grateful for our things, no matter how samll, or if they are pre owned. it definately could have been much worse.
actually, the enormous amount of work that i was not planning on, was worse then the actual breakdown. i had a pretty long to do list, and a baseball game to get to that night with my 7 year old.
but looking at the bright side of it all, lol, i did have a nice clean, replacement fridge, and had a reason to try and take down a ton pf drawings and coloring pages and clean all of the magnets! so, it was kind of a blessing.
it is running quite well, it came with a warranty, and it is stainless steel. my last one was just a regular old white one, and i believe i like this stainless steel;p
our life has always been this way, "bad luck", and it usually seems to happen in "threes".
if it isnt my husbands tractor (i normally refer to this as "the big truck", lol. since we also have a Ford F150, which i have to say, has treated us very well!), it is a roof, a household appliance, higher taxes, some sort of breakdown or anything that will almost completely drain us. i'm quite certain everybody has the same kind of luck;p
like i mentioned earlier, we recently had to replace a dryer, well and an air conditioner, and now a fridge. not to mention the rather large amount of deli meat and cheese and various fruits and vegetables i just, 2 days earlier, had stocked up on!
what a mess!
luckily, i was able to find a decent deal on a used whirlpool. same thing with the dryer, thank goodness!
i can deal with small dilemmas like this, especially when i think about how there is always somebody worse off. we should be grateful for our things, no matter how samll, or if they are pre owned. it definately could have been much worse.
actually, the enormous amount of work that i was not planning on, was worse then the actual breakdown. i had a pretty long to do list, and a baseball game to get to that night with my 7 year old.
but looking at the bright side of it all, lol, i did have a nice clean, replacement fridge, and had a reason to try and take down a ton pf drawings and coloring pages and clean all of the magnets! so, it was kind of a blessing.
it is running quite well, it came with a warranty, and it is stainless steel. my last one was just a regular old white one, and i believe i like this stainless steel;p
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
funny things our kids say and do
my children are my life, and they make me laugh till i cry sometimes. even when they're misbehaving.
from time to time, i plan on sharing some of what my children say and do that makes me laugh so bad it actually starts to hurt, and i would love to hear your stories as well!
genevive, and aaron, (4 and 7), like to tattle on each other, argue, make messes, just like other kids, i think?
they were playing in one evening, and normally everything is very loud,and of course you hear the bickering and the ear piercing, "MOM!!!!"
i was making dinner, and trying to get a few other things done, when all of a sudden, everything was eerily quiet. for about one second, i thought, what a relief! immediately, i started to wonder, "what is going on over there?" so, went over to where the 3 little ones were, and asked what was happening?
they were kind of shocked and just stood there with their little mouths hanging open, not saying a word. i went on to inspect the room, and i could not find anything wrong. aaron said, "what seems to be the problem? we were quiet?"
i tried to explain that mommys know when something isnt right, because of the eyes on the backs of our heads , and that when it gets real quiet, we know something is going on.
so they just kind of stared at me in amazement, and i walked away.
not even a minute later, i hear a bunch of, "woo hoos!" and "yippees" and "yays".
i thought to myself, thats a little strange, they dont often yell those types of things.
well, this went on for a few minutes more, and i decided that it was once again, time to check to see what really was happening over there.
when i got to the doorway, there was a mess of course, but i could not keep from laughing, they were standing there, facing the doorway, swinging their arms in the air, yelling, "woohoo!", "yay!"lol.
i asked them why in the world they were standing there like this, and they told me they were going to probably be in trouble for the mess, and they figured that i would not come back for a little while since they were making so much noise. lol
from time to time, i plan on sharing some of what my children say and do that makes me laugh so bad it actually starts to hurt, and i would love to hear your stories as well!
genevive, and aaron, (4 and 7), like to tattle on each other, argue, make messes, just like other kids, i think?
they were playing in one evening, and normally everything is very loud,and of course you hear the bickering and the ear piercing, "MOM!!!!"
i was making dinner, and trying to get a few other things done, when all of a sudden, everything was eerily quiet. for about one second, i thought, what a relief! immediately, i started to wonder, "what is going on over there?" so, went over to where the 3 little ones were, and asked what was happening?
they were kind of shocked and just stood there with their little mouths hanging open, not saying a word. i went on to inspect the room, and i could not find anything wrong. aaron said, "what seems to be the problem? we were quiet?"
i tried to explain that mommys know when something isnt right, because of the eyes on the backs of our heads , and that when it gets real quiet, we know something is going on.
so they just kind of stared at me in amazement, and i walked away.
not even a minute later, i hear a bunch of, "woo hoos!" and "yippees" and "yays".
i thought to myself, thats a little strange, they dont often yell those types of things.
well, this went on for a few minutes more, and i decided that it was once again, time to check to see what really was happening over there.
when i got to the doorway, there was a mess of course, but i could not keep from laughing, they were standing there, facing the doorway, swinging their arms in the air, yelling, "woohoo!", "yay!"lol.
i asked them why in the world they were standing there like this, and they told me they were going to probably be in trouble for the mess, and they figured that i would not come back for a little while since they were making so much noise. lol
today is almost over
ok, i fell asleep for about an hour, but i am awake again, and anxious to get a few things finished up online.
but my 7 yr old, aaron, decided that he is wide awake and says, "i am not even close to being asleep!"
so, i will have him standing here next to me, reading every word of everything i do. hmmm. plus, he does not stop talking, not for a minute. there are times i just want some time alone, without any children around. as much as i love being able to watch them grow up and find their little ways around, i would love for just 30 minutes a day, without kids talking my ears off!
that is exactly what this whole day was like. this started at 6am with my youngest daughter. she is normally an early riser. then the baby is soon after, and then the day officially starts!
today i was waiting for the directv serviceman to show up with a Fathers day gift for my husband. they were running a real cool deal on hdtv programming and installation, and a free hdtv dvr, so i ordered one. i have been waiting on a deal on these for about 6 months. ( i refuse to pay full price for anything;p, and after the Fathers Day promotion, this ends up being completely free!)
of course i had my to do list finished for the day, and the "waiting on directv service" was first, and everything else was going to have to wait until he was here and gone.
when i made this appointment, i kept the rest of my schedule in mind. so i opted for the "somewhere between 8am and 12pm" ( but we all know this means, 11:59 am, lol)
i started cutting out my coupons, started a shopping list. yes, just 1 store today with the little ones! this was all stopped abruptly with mr climber. the only way to outlast him, is to strap him in high chair or walker, lol. we started breakfast and aaron woke up around that time. "aaron is making faces at me!", "MOM aaron has his tongue out", "mom! genevive is staring at me", had already started. this is unbelievably annoying, and why does this have to be a several time a minute, especially in the morning? when does this even end? then we start with the cereal boxes. if one wants Rice Krispies, the other says, "I want Rice Krispies! he/she is copying me!", " i said it first" , " I want the box in front of me, not her/him". AAAAAAHHHHH!!
please tell me this also happens at your house, so i don't feel so wierd lol.
so, finally they are all eating breakfast, deegan, (the baby), is throwing half of his on the floor, the other 2 are fighting, i'm trying to get my lists, and coupons done. i also want to get the days housework done, pay some bills, and most importantly, i have to get online!!
i have so much going on online, it's sometimes so overwhelming. but i really enjoy it, plus it is a decent supplement to my income. (which is needed very much). there are quite a few of the "earn gift cards with points" websites, that i am very active with, and i must say, i am impressed, and very thankful for these sites.
that is another thing i will be mentioning from time to time. i have been using these sites for a few years, and believe i have found the best ones. i earn enough gift cards to take care of school clothes, gifts, holidays, help with groceries, the once in a while need for pots and pans, coffeemakers, sheets, towels, candles, etc etc. so, it is an important part of my day, to get the online "work" done.
back to my morning;p
after breakfast, and some spills, messes, a very quick needed diaper change, and a dog eating crumbs from the floor, (thank God!), i realize the time, and that the serviceman still hasnt arrived.
i plan on charging my cell phone, and calling directv, but there are to many battles and messes, and of course, mr. climber. then the "MOM, genevive smacked me" and "mom, aaron is looking at me", starts again, well, with this day and age and the terribly annoying voice activated customer service calls, they usually end up disconnecting me. i have to literally go into the bathroom, lock the door, and call them again. well, this time, there was something wrong with their phone lines. lol, just my luck. so, i figure i will get the laundry done, the housework, and everything else, and just wait for him to show up.
now its after 12, we are starting lunch, he has yet to contact me, and i am getting pretty aggravated. i finally get a hold of somebody at directv, and they say, "oh well, he has been there several times, and has called you over and over agin" um, ok, well, i know that isnt true. at least he wasnt calling my number or knocking on my door. i dont have the time to argue, so i'm happy with the answer, "i'm very sorry. mrs.oliver. we will have him call you within the half hour". well, i thought, ok, even though i needed to get to the grocery store up the road, among other things. i figured i could still have a chance when he was done with the job.
by this time, our oldest gets home from work. she is a huge help with her brothers and sister. even though, she also likes to argue with them, and shes pretty messy herself! usually with leaving things lay around the house, and the bathroom is the worst! but all in all, she's trustworthy and a very good sitter.
i have a weekly schedule. we are very busy with errands, dr appts`, (the baby and i have some usually every week)and i also try to get at least 2 days a week, where bethany can keep the kids out of my hair for a few hours, (no, it doesnt always work out as well as i'd like it too;p), so that i can get online work done, and run a few errands by myself.
in turn, she gets to choose, (unless there are special dr appt days), which days she would like to have her free time.
alright, i get a decent amount of online work done. my goal was to answer several emails, play a few of the free card games on worldwinner.com, (another fun site, as long as you are very careful!), write a few blogs, work on my website, work on my facebook pages, order from www.oldnavy.com (they had an awesome promotion with 24% off everything and free shipping on orders of $50 or more), check out the sales on kmart, and i am in need of a few more gardening supplies. oh and check on my upromise account, online banking, and pay a few bills.
i did get a decent amount done, even with the constant little kids running in and out of the room, tattling on each other.
i am very content when i finsh an actual project, or a pretty big daily goal. so, i was pleased with the small amount of time i had, and what i had accomplished.
well, now it's 4pm, and still no knock, and no phone calls. i grabbed my cell and called them for the 4th time since noon. again, "i'm very sorry, mrs.oliver. we seem to keep missing you. he is calling you and you are not answering." well, no, i'm sorry, but he is not calling me, and he has yet to arrive.
bethany did mention at one point during the day that a blue truck was outside of the house, but it ended up, not being our directv guy.
well, he never called, and never knocked, and it is 3am;p
i'm pretty aggitated, as i really needed to get to the grocery store. not to mention, get to the market to pick up a few things for our garden that we have to finish. especially a fence! since we have families of bunnies, living throughout the yard!
i have a problem with feeling as though a day was wasted, when i can't get my "to do list" finished. it drives me crazy, and i have long lists for every single day, and i hate to have to add to it.
tommorrow especially will be crazy, because, i most definately must get the little ones to the grocery store, and we have to finish the garden. i'm certain that directv will call me in the morning to tell me to stay home between the hours of 8am and 3am, again, lol. i doubt it. i'm probably going to play phone tag with them again.......
oh, that's right, i didnt finish the whole day yet;p
well, after some arguing, corner sitting, and finally cleaning up their toys, i begged bethany to run up the road to Subway, for dinner. (thank God for Subway!!) however, our Subway is closing down. which is absolutely terrible to my family, and im sure, our whole community. the kids love their food, and i love them, because they are making my day a lot easier, by making my family their dinner lol. ( i often turn in points for Subway cards too! Subway also offers a points program, where you can earn free subs, chips, sodas, etc).
after dinner was the ever dreaded bathtime, and finally i had 2 out and 1 to go.
ps; aaron fell asleep very shortly after the 1st paragraph;p
but my 7 yr old, aaron, decided that he is wide awake and says, "i am not even close to being asleep!"
so, i will have him standing here next to me, reading every word of everything i do. hmmm. plus, he does not stop talking, not for a minute. there are times i just want some time alone, without any children around. as much as i love being able to watch them grow up and find their little ways around, i would love for just 30 minutes a day, without kids talking my ears off!
that is exactly what this whole day was like. this started at 6am with my youngest daughter. she is normally an early riser. then the baby is soon after, and then the day officially starts!
today i was waiting for the directv serviceman to show up with a Fathers day gift for my husband. they were running a real cool deal on hdtv programming and installation, and a free hdtv dvr, so i ordered one. i have been waiting on a deal on these for about 6 months. ( i refuse to pay full price for anything;p, and after the Fathers Day promotion, this ends up being completely free!)
of course i had my to do list finished for the day, and the "waiting on directv service" was first, and everything else was going to have to wait until he was here and gone.
when i made this appointment, i kept the rest of my schedule in mind. so i opted for the "somewhere between 8am and 12pm" ( but we all know this means, 11:59 am, lol)
i started cutting out my coupons, started a shopping list. yes, just 1 store today with the little ones! this was all stopped abruptly with mr climber. the only way to outlast him, is to strap him in high chair or walker, lol. we started breakfast and aaron woke up around that time. "aaron is making faces at me!", "MOM aaron has his tongue out", "mom! genevive is staring at me", had already started. this is unbelievably annoying, and why does this have to be a several time a minute, especially in the morning? when does this even end? then we start with the cereal boxes. if one wants Rice Krispies, the other says, "I want Rice Krispies! he/she is copying me!", " i said it first" , " I want the box in front of me, not her/him". AAAAAAHHHHH!!
please tell me this also happens at your house, so i don't feel so wierd lol.
so, finally they are all eating breakfast, deegan, (the baby), is throwing half of his on the floor, the other 2 are fighting, i'm trying to get my lists, and coupons done. i also want to get the days housework done, pay some bills, and most importantly, i have to get online!!
i have so much going on online, it's sometimes so overwhelming. but i really enjoy it, plus it is a decent supplement to my income. (which is needed very much). there are quite a few of the "earn gift cards with points" websites, that i am very active with, and i must say, i am impressed, and very thankful for these sites.
that is another thing i will be mentioning from time to time. i have been using these sites for a few years, and believe i have found the best ones. i earn enough gift cards to take care of school clothes, gifts, holidays, help with groceries, the once in a while need for pots and pans, coffeemakers, sheets, towels, candles, etc etc. so, it is an important part of my day, to get the online "work" done.
back to my morning;p
after breakfast, and some spills, messes, a very quick needed diaper change, and a dog eating crumbs from the floor, (thank God!), i realize the time, and that the serviceman still hasnt arrived.
i plan on charging my cell phone, and calling directv, but there are to many battles and messes, and of course, mr. climber. then the "MOM, genevive smacked me" and "mom, aaron is looking at me", starts again, well, with this day and age and the terribly annoying voice activated customer service calls, they usually end up disconnecting me. i have to literally go into the bathroom, lock the door, and call them again. well, this time, there was something wrong with their phone lines. lol, just my luck. so, i figure i will get the laundry done, the housework, and everything else, and just wait for him to show up.
now its after 12, we are starting lunch, he has yet to contact me, and i am getting pretty aggravated. i finally get a hold of somebody at directv, and they say, "oh well, he has been there several times, and has called you over and over agin" um, ok, well, i know that isnt true. at least he wasnt calling my number or knocking on my door. i dont have the time to argue, so i'm happy with the answer, "i'm very sorry. mrs.oliver. we will have him call you within the half hour". well, i thought, ok, even though i needed to get to the grocery store up the road, among other things. i figured i could still have a chance when he was done with the job.
by this time, our oldest gets home from work. she is a huge help with her brothers and sister. even though, she also likes to argue with them, and shes pretty messy herself! usually with leaving things lay around the house, and the bathroom is the worst! but all in all, she's trustworthy and a very good sitter.
i have a weekly schedule. we are very busy with errands, dr appts`, (the baby and i have some usually every week)and i also try to get at least 2 days a week, where bethany can keep the kids out of my hair for a few hours, (no, it doesnt always work out as well as i'd like it too;p), so that i can get online work done, and run a few errands by myself.
in turn, she gets to choose, (unless there are special dr appt days), which days she would like to have her free time.
alright, i get a decent amount of online work done. my goal was to answer several emails, play a few of the free card games on worldwinner.com, (another fun site, as long as you are very careful!), write a few blogs, work on my website, work on my facebook pages, order from www.oldnavy.com (they had an awesome promotion with 24% off everything and free shipping on orders of $50 or more), check out the sales on kmart, and i am in need of a few more gardening supplies. oh and check on my upromise account, online banking, and pay a few bills.
i did get a decent amount done, even with the constant little kids running in and out of the room, tattling on each other.
i am very content when i finsh an actual project, or a pretty big daily goal. so, i was pleased with the small amount of time i had, and what i had accomplished.
well, now it's 4pm, and still no knock, and no phone calls. i grabbed my cell and called them for the 4th time since noon. again, "i'm very sorry, mrs.oliver. we seem to keep missing you. he is calling you and you are not answering." well, no, i'm sorry, but he is not calling me, and he has yet to arrive.
bethany did mention at one point during the day that a blue truck was outside of the house, but it ended up, not being our directv guy.
well, he never called, and never knocked, and it is 3am;p
i'm pretty aggitated, as i really needed to get to the grocery store. not to mention, get to the market to pick up a few things for our garden that we have to finish. especially a fence! since we have families of bunnies, living throughout the yard!
i have a problem with feeling as though a day was wasted, when i can't get my "to do list" finished. it drives me crazy, and i have long lists for every single day, and i hate to have to add to it.
tommorrow especially will be crazy, because, i most definately must get the little ones to the grocery store, and we have to finish the garden. i'm certain that directv will call me in the morning to tell me to stay home between the hours of 8am and 3am, again, lol. i doubt it. i'm probably going to play phone tag with them again.......
oh, that's right, i didnt finish the whole day yet;p
well, after some arguing, corner sitting, and finally cleaning up their toys, i begged bethany to run up the road to Subway, for dinner. (thank God for Subway!!) however, our Subway is closing down. which is absolutely terrible to my family, and im sure, our whole community. the kids love their food, and i love them, because they are making my day a lot easier, by making my family their dinner lol. ( i often turn in points for Subway cards too! Subway also offers a points program, where you can earn free subs, chips, sodas, etc).
after dinner was the ever dreaded bathtime, and finally i had 2 out and 1 to go.
ps; aaron fell asleep very shortly after the 1st paragraph;p
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
my intro
i believe i should introduce my family. since that is mainly what my blog is about.
i am trying to figure out the best way to write about my daily events and who it involves. i think if i write it as a play, it would be easier to follow.
first, there is me. i am a 37 year old, partially disabled, coffee drinking, sort of obnoxious, told i'm eccentric, passionate, super proud mommy of 4 real awesome children.
i consider myself a SAHM, however, on my days off, i do work part time as a bartender.
i enjoy my job very much. i have always been a workaholic, working 2 or more jobs at a time. until we were blessed with our 3rd child, and i had finally given in to get long needed, reconstructive foot and ankle surgery.
of course, with my goofy luck, the surgery was a complete failure. so now, i have been diagnosed with RSD, (or CRPS), among other things. which by the way, i hope to also include in my blogs.
i was going to get my other foot and ankle done, after i healed from the first surgery, but of course that may never happen. neither will i ever find a surgeon who can fix some of what went wring with the first surgery. maybe through my hopeful new network, i will find some contacts, who knows. but so far, i have yet to find a confident surgeon who even wants to attempt this.
i also seem to have a hard time finding real information on the internet, about these diseases. so, i hope to meet some other RSD patients, and their families, loved ones as well.
pain is a constant battle with me, and there are several times throughout the day, that i have a hard time dealing with the pain.i usually only sleep for a couple hours a night, however, here are some nights that it is easier to sleep. i am usually up and about, pacing, drinking my trusty maxwell house with coffeemate powdered creamer. yum!, or eating ice.
it isnt as bad as it sounds, as on a normal night, the kids would be asleep and i do use that time to figure out bills, cut coupons, work on the computer, paperwork, and finish my to do lists.
i will stop with the chronic pain issue for a bit, as that will be another focus of my blog.
back to my introductions;p
my husband is also 37, and we have been together since we were 16. he is my very best friend and i can not imagine life without him.
of course we have arguments, and bad days. we have always gotten through them, fairly well. of course this will be another part of my blog and website that i am working on. i plan on having a section where we can all share tips and advice on "date nights", how we get through crazy days with kids, and i hope to help people with some, as well as learn from others too!
my husband is an owner operator (truck driver), for almost 14 years now. before this, he was a photographer. unfortunately, we dont live in the type of area where his talents can flourish;p which is terribly infortunate, cause he has a lot of exceptional talent!
he also absolutely loves vw's. he is very talented with those as well. he is in the process of building, yet another show car, and i'm secretlu hoping this one stays longer then the last;p
so, if anybody has any questions, or needs some help with vw's. feel free to ask! because he does real well working on them too.
on top of that, he is a real awesome dad! he is a very hard worker and he will actually change diapers, get up with a baby on the weekends, and help out every ow and then with housework. we are all very lucky to have him.
although, i do believe he has been going through midlife crisis since we met. i realize this is a common issue with males. he is always torn between, jet skis, dirt bikes, vw's, motorcycles, 4 wheelers, and these are just recent. lol.i usually don't know what to expect each day! another big player in my sanity levels!
he has always had a bad back, (ruptured disc) and was recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
we are in the process of learning about this disease as well, so, i would be grateful for any input!
from time to time, i will definately have much to say about in laws! i am sure we all do.
my father in law is a very grumpy, mean little man, who is always complaining, and angry about something, and everything.
my mother in law, she is sort of a hypochondriac. well, not sort of, lol, she is a major one. she has a very strange way of having teeny little issues, turn into gigantic, enormous, life threatning catastrophes!
i have 2 sisters, and 2 brothers, and my mom. we are a very closeknit family, for the most part. we talk on a regular, and sometimes daily basis, and spend a lot of time together. plus, there are several small children between all of us. which leads to a lot of birthday parties, and picnics;p
now to my children;p
bethany is 18, she is a very smart, funny, sweet, messy, loud, and smart alecky young lady. she graduated with honors, and plans to be a chef. she loves music, playing guitar, and coloring her hair.
aaron is 7, and has a huge imagination. he loves legos, the xmen, spiderman, all the normal boy stuff. he also loves to play baseball, and ride his 4 wheeler. he is a very talkative, sweet little boy, who follows his mommy all day, and goes crazy when i leave the room and he can't find me. he is going into 2nd grade, and has accomplished getting straight a's so far through his school career. he also gets his feelings hurt, really really easy.
genevive, is 4. she is an adorable, sweet, little angel, who is very loving and loves to be held, hugged, and is a big daddy's girl. she is also very smart, and very loud, loves to get into trouble, and hide from us, and fight with her brothers and sister, and she would like to be a zombie or a vampire when she grows up.
deegan is our 1 year old. he is a nutty little man, with no fear. he loves to giggle, is afraid of baths, loves cars and trucks and blocks, and he loves to climb, everything he can get his little arms and legs on!
he was born with cleft lip and club foot, and that is a whole other blog post series as well. but he has had a couple surgeries, and in time, will have a complete and full recovery;p
so, i believe i should write my blogs as a play. at least when i am writing about my family, or my day, and all of the exciting adventures we go through;p
i can't wait to meet your families as well!
i am trying to figure out the best way to write about my daily events and who it involves. i think if i write it as a play, it would be easier to follow.
first, there is me. i am a 37 year old, partially disabled, coffee drinking, sort of obnoxious, told i'm eccentric, passionate, super proud mommy of 4 real awesome children.
i consider myself a SAHM, however, on my days off, i do work part time as a bartender.
i enjoy my job very much. i have always been a workaholic, working 2 or more jobs at a time. until we were blessed with our 3rd child, and i had finally given in to get long needed, reconstructive foot and ankle surgery.
of course, with my goofy luck, the surgery was a complete failure. so now, i have been diagnosed with RSD, (or CRPS), among other things. which by the way, i hope to also include in my blogs.
i was going to get my other foot and ankle done, after i healed from the first surgery, but of course that may never happen. neither will i ever find a surgeon who can fix some of what went wring with the first surgery. maybe through my hopeful new network, i will find some contacts, who knows. but so far, i have yet to find a confident surgeon who even wants to attempt this.
i also seem to have a hard time finding real information on the internet, about these diseases. so, i hope to meet some other RSD patients, and their families, loved ones as well.
pain is a constant battle with me, and there are several times throughout the day, that i have a hard time dealing with the pain.i usually only sleep for a couple hours a night, however, here are some nights that it is easier to sleep. i am usually up and about, pacing, drinking my trusty maxwell house with coffeemate powdered creamer. yum!, or eating ice.
it isnt as bad as it sounds, as on a normal night, the kids would be asleep and i do use that time to figure out bills, cut coupons, work on the computer, paperwork, and finish my to do lists.
i will stop with the chronic pain issue for a bit, as that will be another focus of my blog.
back to my introductions;p
my husband is also 37, and we have been together since we were 16. he is my very best friend and i can not imagine life without him.
of course we have arguments, and bad days. we have always gotten through them, fairly well. of course this will be another part of my blog and website that i am working on. i plan on having a section where we can all share tips and advice on "date nights", how we get through crazy days with kids, and i hope to help people with some, as well as learn from others too!
my husband is an owner operator (truck driver), for almost 14 years now. before this, he was a photographer. unfortunately, we dont live in the type of area where his talents can flourish;p which is terribly infortunate, cause he has a lot of exceptional talent!
he also absolutely loves vw's. he is very talented with those as well. he is in the process of building, yet another show car, and i'm secretlu hoping this one stays longer then the last;p
so, if anybody has any questions, or needs some help with vw's. feel free to ask! because he does real well working on them too.
on top of that, he is a real awesome dad! he is a very hard worker and he will actually change diapers, get up with a baby on the weekends, and help out every ow and then with housework. we are all very lucky to have him.
although, i do believe he has been going through midlife crisis since we met. i realize this is a common issue with males. he is always torn between, jet skis, dirt bikes, vw's, motorcycles, 4 wheelers, and these are just recent. lol.i usually don't know what to expect each day! another big player in my sanity levels!
he has always had a bad back, (ruptured disc) and was recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
we are in the process of learning about this disease as well, so, i would be grateful for any input!
from time to time, i will definately have much to say about in laws! i am sure we all do.
my father in law is a very grumpy, mean little man, who is always complaining, and angry about something, and everything.
my mother in law, she is sort of a hypochondriac. well, not sort of, lol, she is a major one. she has a very strange way of having teeny little issues, turn into gigantic, enormous, life threatning catastrophes!
i have 2 sisters, and 2 brothers, and my mom. we are a very closeknit family, for the most part. we talk on a regular, and sometimes daily basis, and spend a lot of time together. plus, there are several small children between all of us. which leads to a lot of birthday parties, and picnics;p
now to my children;p
bethany is 18, she is a very smart, funny, sweet, messy, loud, and smart alecky young lady. she graduated with honors, and plans to be a chef. she loves music, playing guitar, and coloring her hair.
aaron is 7, and has a huge imagination. he loves legos, the xmen, spiderman, all the normal boy stuff. he also loves to play baseball, and ride his 4 wheeler. he is a very talkative, sweet little boy, who follows his mommy all day, and goes crazy when i leave the room and he can't find me. he is going into 2nd grade, and has accomplished getting straight a's so far through his school career. he also gets his feelings hurt, really really easy.
genevive, is 4. she is an adorable, sweet, little angel, who is very loving and loves to be held, hugged, and is a big daddy's girl. she is also very smart, and very loud, loves to get into trouble, and hide from us, and fight with her brothers and sister, and she would like to be a zombie or a vampire when she grows up.
deegan is our 1 year old. he is a nutty little man, with no fear. he loves to giggle, is afraid of baths, loves cars and trucks and blocks, and he loves to climb, everything he can get his little arms and legs on!
he was born with cleft lip and club foot, and that is a whole other blog post series as well. but he has had a couple surgeries, and in time, will have a complete and full recovery;p
so, i believe i should write my blogs as a play. at least when i am writing about my family, or my day, and all of the exciting adventures we go through;p
i can't wait to meet your families as well!
my blog
i have always wanted to be a writer. i especially always wanted to write a book;p
i never knew what i would write about, but what seems to make people laugh, is when i talk about my normal everyday daily routine, my kids, our constant string of bad, but funny, bad luck, my in laws, and the people and situations i run into on a daily basis.
i do have a lot to say, and i have a lot of opinions. i am rather stubborn, and yet very open minded. i tend to find humor in almost everything. i believe its the only thing that keeps me sane.
i also like to try and learn something new each day, it does'nt have to be anything in particular, i just google the first thing that comes to mind.
i know you're probably sitting there, thinking, "i wish she would learn writing skills";p i do write on paper with a pen, quite well. i am a 1 finger typist and i do think i will someday learn typing, keyboarding, whatever. i also might have the time to learn all the punctuation keys, and have the time to do this. but for now, you'll hopefully be able to deal with this.
i was thinking of hiring a proofreader;p
i will always be keeping my opinions away from my blogs. (politics, things of that nature). the only opinions i plan to share, will be product reviews, kid stuff, retailers, food, and people in general.
i believe what i have to offer, will hopefully help people who different or similar views.
i will say that i do love my Country, and support our troops! i also firmly believe, that we need to figure something out soon and learn how to stick together, no matter how hard it gets.
i do want people to get along better, help each other in time of need, and i think we need to reach out in our communities to grow as a country.
that being said, i know there are those that know me, and if you'd like to discuss or argue politics, you know where to find me;p
back to my original point. yes, i am the queen of run on sentences, and thinking faster then i can type. welcome to my crazy, but ecstatically happy and content mind. i apologize since i do tend to drift off....
i also enjoy having such a hectic and busy schedule, and doing a million things at once.
i have always said that my life, family, daily events, would make a great sitcom. so, i believe that is what most of my blog will be about.
i never knew what i would write about, but what seems to make people laugh, is when i talk about my normal everyday daily routine, my kids, our constant string of bad, but funny, bad luck, my in laws, and the people and situations i run into on a daily basis.
i do have a lot to say, and i have a lot of opinions. i am rather stubborn, and yet very open minded. i tend to find humor in almost everything. i believe its the only thing that keeps me sane.
i also like to try and learn something new each day, it does'nt have to be anything in particular, i just google the first thing that comes to mind.
i know you're probably sitting there, thinking, "i wish she would learn writing skills";p i do write on paper with a pen, quite well. i am a 1 finger typist and i do think i will someday learn typing, keyboarding, whatever. i also might have the time to learn all the punctuation keys, and have the time to do this. but for now, you'll hopefully be able to deal with this.
i was thinking of hiring a proofreader;p
i will always be keeping my opinions away from my blogs. (politics, things of that nature). the only opinions i plan to share, will be product reviews, kid stuff, retailers, food, and people in general.
i believe what i have to offer, will hopefully help people who different or similar views.
i will say that i do love my Country, and support our troops! i also firmly believe, that we need to figure something out soon and learn how to stick together, no matter how hard it gets.
i do want people to get along better, help each other in time of need, and i think we need to reach out in our communities to grow as a country.
that being said, i know there are those that know me, and if you'd like to discuss or argue politics, you know where to find me;p
back to my original point. yes, i am the queen of run on sentences, and thinking faster then i can type. welcome to my crazy, but ecstatically happy and content mind. i apologize since i do tend to drift off....
i also enjoy having such a hectic and busy schedule, and doing a million things at once.
i have always said that my life, family, daily events, would make a great sitcom. so, i believe that is what most of my blog will be about.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
ready to start?
ok;p i believe i can figure this out!
a little about what i plan to do with my blogs, communities, websites, and facebook.
i am on a mission to help as many people as i can, learn how to save money with the use of coupons, mail in rebates, cash back, deals and freebies, using the internet as a tool for a fair income, including gift cards and cash, and helping other busy moms, and dads, have a much less stressful day;p
so, with that being said, i will soon be posting all of my links to my sites, blogs, facebook pages, and so on.
i hpe to be able to help you find recipes, plan menus, help you find the best sales of the week at your local drugstores, grocery stores, and online.
i also would love to help you find some cheap and fun ways to spend quality time with your children, whether it be staying at home, doing crafts, cooking, baking, or going to the park, shopping, the movies, wherever!
i am also going to rely on a lot of people to join and contribute in any way you can! as i would like for this to be a community of families who will help each other out, network, help with advice on a variety of topics, post your best deals of the day or week, at your local stores, share recipes, funny family stories, and so on.
i also will be using this blog, as a way to get what really happens to me and my family on a daily basis, out there. mainly because i find my life, rather odd at times, strange, hilarious, sad at times, nornmally awkward, fun, and very off the wall;p
between my husband, my 4 kids, and myself, we have quite the crazy, nutty days! i often, throughout my life, thought that if a director were to see some of what goes on, he would beg to take our goofy mishaps, family dilemmas, strange in laws (hehe), and put it in a sitcom;p
im quite certain there are a lot of our type of family out there, so i would appreciate any funny, moving sweet, kind hearted, humorous stories you have to share!
we do have a seemingly long, long, long string of "bad" luck in our house, however, i enjoy the constant learning experiences, and the never dull lifestyle. i would never trade a part of my life with anybody, and im pretty sure my husband and children feel the same way.
we live by the saying, "there is always somebody worse off then you"
at times, it may not seem that is possible, but it always ends up being the truth.
we also live by the saying' " everything happens for a reason" i have an endless supply of examples for that quote as well.
oh, one more thing. i type with one finger, im a bit busy, and maybe at some point in the near future, i will decide learn how to type. but for now, you will have to let the punctuation slide with me, as i tend to not use much other then the occasional comma. (sometimes i think to many commas;p). i will try and make my posts as presentable for you as i can, but it takes me long enough to type the words with one finger. you cant really expect me to learn where all the punctuation keys are, can you?
a little about what i plan to do with my blogs, communities, websites, and facebook.
i am on a mission to help as many people as i can, learn how to save money with the use of coupons, mail in rebates, cash back, deals and freebies, using the internet as a tool for a fair income, including gift cards and cash, and helping other busy moms, and dads, have a much less stressful day;p
so, with that being said, i will soon be posting all of my links to my sites, blogs, facebook pages, and so on.
i hpe to be able to help you find recipes, plan menus, help you find the best sales of the week at your local drugstores, grocery stores, and online.
i also would love to help you find some cheap and fun ways to spend quality time with your children, whether it be staying at home, doing crafts, cooking, baking, or going to the park, shopping, the movies, wherever!
i am also going to rely on a lot of people to join and contribute in any way you can! as i would like for this to be a community of families who will help each other out, network, help with advice on a variety of topics, post your best deals of the day or week, at your local stores, share recipes, funny family stories, and so on.
i also will be using this blog, as a way to get what really happens to me and my family on a daily basis, out there. mainly because i find my life, rather odd at times, strange, hilarious, sad at times, nornmally awkward, fun, and very off the wall;p
between my husband, my 4 kids, and myself, we have quite the crazy, nutty days! i often, throughout my life, thought that if a director were to see some of what goes on, he would beg to take our goofy mishaps, family dilemmas, strange in laws (hehe), and put it in a sitcom;p
im quite certain there are a lot of our type of family out there, so i would appreciate any funny, moving sweet, kind hearted, humorous stories you have to share!
we do have a seemingly long, long, long string of "bad" luck in our house, however, i enjoy the constant learning experiences, and the never dull lifestyle. i would never trade a part of my life with anybody, and im pretty sure my husband and children feel the same way.
we live by the saying, "there is always somebody worse off then you"
at times, it may not seem that is possible, but it always ends up being the truth.
we also live by the saying' " everything happens for a reason" i have an endless supply of examples for that quote as well.
oh, one more thing. i type with one finger, im a bit busy, and maybe at some point in the near future, i will decide learn how to type. but for now, you will have to let the punctuation slide with me, as i tend to not use much other then the occasional comma. (sometimes i think to many commas;p). i will try and make my posts as presentable for you as i can, but it takes me long enough to type the words with one finger. you cant really expect me to learn where all the punctuation keys are, can you?
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