Today I kicked myself!

I was thinking today...uh oh right!  After spending the day shopping and getting deal after deal after deal...I stopped for a moment to think about how much money I could have saved if I had been couponing the entire time Craig and I have been married.....than I kicked myself!  We could have saved over $78,000!!!  Why in the world didn't I start this sooner!  I am crazy!  We could have been saving all along instead of putting our blinders on and paying full price for everything.  HELLO.....earth to Sara!  I am so glad that I am on the right track now.  I am so proud when I get to the check out and I hear all that bing bing bing the register makes as they are deducting my coupons from my bill.  Ahhhh the joys of couponing.  I know I know, I sound like a crazy person, but I am excited!  What can I say....I have the coupon fever!  I feel good that I am doing something meaningful for our family.  And that is what it all boils down to right....doing the right thing for your family.  Everyone has their thing, everyone has their contribution to the family unit.  For some it's paying the bills, for some it's yard work, for some it's couponing and laundry!  I do both well and I'm sticking to it!  I can get any stain out of any fabric and I can save hundreds in one day.  The funny thing is that my kids won't be caught dead with me in a store, they call me the crazy coupon lady.  If I am going to the store they say, "please mom, don't make me go!"  LOL  They will be begging me one day to teach them, and I will. 

Sooooo I skipped a day...Coupons!

OK Ok, I skipped blogging yesterday, but I have a good excuse.  I worked 11.5 hours yesterday cooking for 250 people, I was exhausted!  Very very exhausted!  I do love being a chef and cooking for lots and lots of people, but man, it is hard work!  By the end of the night I was complaining so bad about my feet and my back hurting, I sounded like a little whiny baby!  Ok, enough about that....here's the good news.

I just went to Walgreens and bought an entire basket full of stuff for only $19.71.  My total bll was $131 and I walk about of there not spending more than a twenty dollar bill!  Woohoo!  I love coupons!!!!  I saved $111 today.  It makes me feel so accomplished!  I feel like I am really doing my family a HUGE favor.  I am trying so hard to build my stock pile and keep everything we need on the shelves at all times.  I have so much in my pantry right now that we are thinking about building shelves in the garage so that I have somewhere else to put things.  Right now I have 16 bottles of laundry detergent, 21 tubes of toothpaste, 10 bottles of shampoo and conditioner, 8 boxes of dryer sheets, the list goes on and on....  You might think that all of that is unnessesary, but we have 6 people in this house.  It goes faster than you think.  I am so thankful that I started my insane coupon book.  I feel like I can climb a mountain right now.  Thank you coupon printers!!!!  I LOVE YOU!

Church

It just warms my heart to see our church growing and prospering.  I know deep down in my gut that our church is going to continue to grow and grow.  I see it every week, I see new faces and I see the potential that we have as a congregation.  Every time I call someone about helping with something or talk to people about new ideas, I see the excitement in their face and I see the "want" to grow.  I know that God is at work in our church.  I see that God is guiding us and steering us.  I hope everyone can see that.  I hope that all the newcomers can feel that.  I know I can.  And I KNOW that God does.

Aunt Sissy....You'll be missed

I got a very unexpected phone call today.  My mom called and told me that my Aunt Sissy passed away today.  ...........needless to say I was shocked and sad.  She lived way up in Indiana, I didn't get to see her much over my life, only a handful of times, but for some reason it really got to me.  She was one of those relatives that you just always expect to be there.  Like, sending a Christmas card to Aunt Sissy is a regular thing, and getting one from her was a regular thing.  She did live a full life, she was in her 90s, and still sassy.  I feel for my cousin Mary Jo and her family.  I will pray for you guys.  The last time I got to see her was a few years ago at her 90th birthday party.  My mom and I flew up there and spent some time.  90 is quite an accomplishment!  She was the last of my grandma's family that was still living.  You'll be missed Aunt Sissy.  We love you.   

To spend or not to spend....that IS the question!

So, most of you know me and have been around me a while.  So you probably know I am working two jobs right now.  Needless so say my life is busy!  I thrive on it though.  It keeps me going and pushing forward...the people that REALLY know me know I need that!  : )  Anyhow...I've been thinking.  If I have to work two jobs, then I should at least get my nails done right!  Am I right?  I SAID, am I right!?!?!?!  I think working two jobs and working my butt of like I am deserves a little pampering every now and then.  I least that's what I keep tellin myself.  I am going tomorrow...I can fit a trip to the nail salon somewhere.  I hope!  Somewhere!  Pampering HERE I COME! 

It's the little things that matter

So tonight I was working our activity for the EYC/youth group meeting for tomorrow....I won't tell you what it is because some of the EYC members might read this and it's a SURPRISE!  ha ha   Anyhow, I was preparing outside (hint hint) and Jenna was helping me.  We were getting all wet (hint hint) and laughing and laughing.  We were all alone and she says she needs to tell me something.  She started opening up to me and telling me all her plans and how she's going to execute them and she has it all planned out blah blah blah.  It was great.  I love when those moments come around.  That one on one time is so precious and so hard to find sometimes.  When you have four kids like us, it is not very often that you get that one on one time that is sooo needed.  All it takes is an ear to listen, and some time to listen.  We sat out there for an hour and talked and talked and talked.  It was great.  Thanks God for giving me those precious one on one moments...I need that! 

Humor....some peoople have it..some people don't

Have you ever had anyone tell you a joke and you just don't get it??  Or been kidding with someone and they get all offended and snippy and you were joking!?!?!?  People crack me up.  Everyone in this world is so different.  I love it.  I love just sitting back and watching people interact and watching their reactions to other people.  Some folks will crack up at the most random things and some people will keep a stone cold straight face even when the most hilarious things happen.  How do they do it?!?!  Thank God we are all different and so diverse.  Can you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all carbon copies of each other and all the same.  Blah!  No thank you.  God is a genious!  He made us all unique with all of our little quirks and oddities.  Everyone is beautiful in their own way.  Thank you God!

My husband

I have never met anyone as hard working as my husband.  I know I know, I was complaining about being tired yesterday and the day before, but he is running circles around me today.  He is truly a "hard working man".  He has helped my mom get her house together yesterday (handy man kind of stuff), he has completely rebuilt the fence on the side of our house plus the gate, he has helped the girls repaint their bikes and stuff, and now he is helping Smash mow the backyard, and he has completely planned out and measured for the patio we are about to build.  Not sure if there is a "dad of the year" award, but I think he's trying his best to win it.  I don't know where his energy comes from.  He rarely uses the alarm clock, 5am comes and he is like BING....awake!  I wish I had that skill.  I wish I had that get and up and hit the ground running kind of attitude.  I need to hit the snooze a minimum of 6 times before I can even begin to get out of bed.  That just means I set the alarm 30 minutes ahead of time, not that I am ever late to anything!  Ahhh honey....I envy the energy and the determination you have.  I have to admit.....I married well! 

Work work work

Just got home from working.....long day, but a good day.  I sooo wish I wasn't so tired though.  I am a chef at a very busy wedding reception hall.  It is tough work and demanding work, but fun and rewarding all at the same time.  Currently I have two jobs, one during the week and one on the weekends.  Half the time I am a chef and half the time I am a youth director at our church.  I love both jobs, but, my feet are tired, my body is tired, my brain is tired....man I complain alot.  Let's talk about the positive.  I cooked for 150 people tonight.  It all turned out fantastic.  My boss was there and we work well together, so that's a plus.  It is so rewarding to see all the plates coming back empty...that means they evidentally liked the food.  I think today was a job well done.  Judging by my aching feet, I think I worked hard and put in an honest days work.  Tomorrow it's time to switch hats and be a youth director again.  I get to be with all of my awesome youth group members and laugh and joke and talk and plan.  So rewarding to my soul.  Both jobs make me smile and both jobs make me happy.  Seems like I'm going to have two jobs for a very very long time. 

Crazy tired!

I sent the kids off to school today, came home and crashed.  This has been one of those weeks that feels like it is three weeks long.  Anyone else have those weeks?  I slept until 12:30pm after I dropped the kids off.  I was sooooo tired.  You know it's getting bad when you look at your calendar and pick a day that you can do nothing but sleep.  I look for that empty spot on the calendar and keep on going and going until that day comes....thank God for empty spots!  I was reading my last bloodwork results and asked my doctor about the different IGGs and IGMs and blah blah blah.  Turns out it's not really good to know that sort of information,  hmmm who knew!  I found out that I have an infection flare up from my Lyme Disease right now.  No wonder I'm so tired and run ragged.  Curse you Lyme Disease.....curse you!  There has to be some over educated scientist out there somewhere that can come up with some quick cure for this, some kind of miracle drug that will make it all go away.  Hurry up guys, I need a fix, fast.  Life keeps come at us, time doesn't slow down for anyone or anything.  Life doesn't slow down for Lyme Disease either.  I know....Red Bull!  I'm off to Walgreens!

Ministry Conference Today

Wow....how powerful the Ministry Conference was today.  It was early in the morning and lasted all day, but man o man, I got so much out of it.  I am at a place in my life right now where my heart is happy and my soul is filled.  I am so confident in the work that I am doing with the church and with the youth.  I am so blessed and so full of love right now.  Please God .....let it continue.