A few short weeks....

...... and it will be a year since my last post! Not what I had planned. And hopefully this attempt will change that. Over the last year, I have been couponing. Seriously--it has been like a job to keep up with. And not one that you get paid with in money. But sort of. We save money. Which ultimately is like getting paid. I have saved so much money over this past year. So much that we were able to take a trip to Cozumel, just Scott and myself. That was so great! But it has also afforded the nicer things in life. Couponing isn't just a paper coupon you use a grocery store, it's also discounts going out to eat dinner, shopping online and signing up for free items to come in your mailbox. I have to admit, those are such a big bonus! I love getting my mail. I love trying new products. I love entering sweepstakes or giveaways and seeing if we win. I used to think that we could never win...until I entered into the Dockers men without pants giveaway...and won a free pair of pants for Scott. Even though it wasn't for me, it was really cool. These are the things that I do almost daily. And it is so much fun. And now that I've found a balance with it, it's so much better. I really could never go back to the way it was before a year ago. This is our new way of life

Frugal Living(stons)

Just about a month ago...I took a class from a friend about couponing. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it could come to what it's growing into now. Here is a picture of my "free" finds. I'm so excited about being frugal. It's like a treasure hunt finding all these good deals. And I have to say that I'm addicted to it. This stash here is just of the free things that I've gotten over the last month. What is pictured isn't all of them. Many--I've already given away to friends. And some have been used by our family. I used to be a casual couponer, saving a buck or two on items I needed. Now I buy things I normally wouldn't have bought at rock bottom prices or free. It's crazy. But oh so much fun.

Daddy's Girl

Much anticipation went into having a baby girl. Finally an end to the testosterone filled home. Before Lili it was only the dog and I. And the dog lives outside. So I foolishly thought it was going to be pure bliss. Not only is she a girly girl..the opposite of me. She is a daddy's girl. She wants to be with him all the time. I don't blame her really. She spends all day with me...so when dad comes in, she's all over him. I have to admit..there's a little jealousy on my part. But I'm ok with it now. I'm happy that she has a dad that is so good to her. He treats her like the princess that she thinks she is. Last January, we thought we lost her. She had a fibrial seizure, and stopped breathing. And now everytime she gets a temperature, we both lose our minds with fear. Knowing that this can happen up until the age of 5. And to make thing even worse...she is allergic to Ibuprofen. The most effective medicine for fevers. We unfortunately had to find that out the hard way. For almost 8hours she was high as a kite. She had her mood swings up and down. At times she walked around the house chanting jibberish, and staring up at the ceiling. It was funny until we hit the restless stage. That part lasted the last 4 hours. No sleeping, super fussy, irritable. So we stay clear from ibuprofen. My boys could only use ibuprofen. They didn't tolerate Tylenol too well. Weird.

Now it's just nice to see and capture moments of Lili being with her dad.

The Princess

My baby girl--Ellyana! She is such a mix between both of my boys. There are times when she looks just like Sky, and times she looks just like Jadan. And her disposition is perfectly mixed as well. She can be very stubborn, and very independent. First of all--she is petite. She is beautiful. She is the epitome of a girly girl. She loves pink and all that goes with it. Before she was born, I wasn't fond of pink. But the first week she was born, we put a green outfit on her and took it off immediately. It wasn't her. It has only escalated from there. She loves babies, purses, dress up clothes...etc. She loves to sing, and dance. And princess' are her favorite. And that is exactly why we call her our princess. Because of all the testosterone that has been in this family for so long, her addition sparked a very giving father. Not that he isn't in love with the boys. But he says that there is something about having a daughter that melts his heart. It's different. I understand. Her needs are different than the boys. She is very emotional..whereas the boys weren't so much. She even has the boys under her thumb. They give her everything she wants. I think I'm the only one that puts a foot down. It's hard to believe that she wasn't with us before. She finishes off this family so well.

He has dimples...

Jadan....My middle child! He follows the middle child characteristics to a T. Just like me. He is extremely hard headed, strong willed, stubborn and indecisive. In that same breath..he's my most loving, caring child. He will drop anything to give someone love. He goes out of his way to make you comfortable. He is loyal. He is always there when you need him. And family is everything to him. He is shy. Doesn't go out of his comfort zone very often. He has also been our hardest child to deal with. But with the most rewards. When he was a baby...he didn't want to be with anybody but me. Dad was ok but only for a little while. He suffers from alot of things that I did as a child. He has night terrors. For 2 years straight almost every night we dealt with him screaming terrified that something was going to hurt him. We couldn't wake him. It was traumatizing to us all. He still has them, but not as often. And now he is a littie more easy to deal with. Or maybe we've just gotten used to it. Jadan is now 8 years old. And still a challenge at times. He has such a tender heart though. It shows through in his eyes and smile. Everybody that meets him sees this bright light that shows through, and touches every soul he comes in contact with. He has dimples. Oh, and his humor...he's funny. So I guess, I'm saying his good far outweighs his challenging moments. And I really love seeing him grow up. I'm excited to see the man he'll turn out to be.

Next year he will be a teen....

* My Sky*

What can I say? He's my first born. My first little man that I fell in love with.
He is sweet, loving, caring, independent, adventerous, sometimes a homebody, a family guy and a joy to be around. He is growing up too fast! He's already 12 years old (I won't even go into how old that makes me feel). Next year he will be a teen... He's learning so much so fast. And I don't want to make a mistake with him. I know how fragile these transition years are. Since I'm a stay at home mom..I'm fortunate enough to be able to keep tabs on his whereabouts. A couple of weeks ago, we were sitting at the table eating dinner, he asked if he could have a cell phone because all of his friends had one...(which I believe). I said.."there's no reason for you to have a cell phone. I know where you are at everytime". He said..."what do I tell my friends?" I replied.."you tell them that when you have a job to pay for your cell phone then you'll have one too". Not that I am going to give in..but it makes you think. Am I being too hard on him? I've always wanted my kids to know what it means to work for what they have. I want them to be hard workers, and grateful for what they've earned. I don't want to raise "credit leeches". In other words...they will never be accused of being spoiled. So my point is--Sky is getting too big too fast. It's bittersweet. I remember all these wonderful qualities about him and just hope that he carries those into adulthood. I know he is wonderful. And I'm confident he will go far. I guess my questioning of myself is assurance that I'm on the right track.
For now--I will enjoy every moment that's given to us. Even the hard ones. My mom keeps telling me...these are the golden years. They don't last forever. Enjoy them!
Thanks mom.

A time to Blog...

I used to be good at writing in a journal--almost daily. But since the demands of a mother and wife have come before everything else...it's been put to the side. When I do get the chance..I'm not as organized as I used to be.... I end up writing my journal on any piece of paper that's close by. Too difficult. And then they're floating around for everyone to find. If something were to ever happen to me..Scott would have years to find my journals. Could be fun. Like a treasure hunt (of my feelings). So, here we go...embarking on a new adventure. Organized...structured, in one place. And I already check my e-mail everyday...so it won't be that hard to keep up with it. (can't you hear me talking myself into this already?) So for now, I think this is more for myself.