Happy Halloween

Soccer & Getting on the Bus on the First day

Zachary's First Day of School

July 3 fun

Slacker

Here are pictures from the last few months.  I was completely and totally wrapped up in school and didn't have time to anything else.  Since the last post in early February Ryan turned 3, I turned 33, and Zachary turned 5. Our car died the end of February.  We got a new one on Ryan's b-day.  Reece got a job at Badin Inn.  My horse, Ty, was diagnosed with cancer in his eye and had to have it removed at NCSU.  He is doing great.  I finished an extremely difficult semester with an A and 2 B's.  Overall it was a pretty good couple of months.

Snow the beginning of March

Zachary's snowman before Mira ate his carrot nose.

April

May

Ryan highlighted his face.

March

Ryan, Pike, and Mira

We took Ryan to Ray's Splash Planet for his b-day.  It was so much fun.

Ryan's b-day present--rubbie blanket from Grammy, Pop, and Travis

Words that make me laugh

When spoken by a 3 year old
efelant=elephant
assinin=allison
BO-jangles

or an almost 5 year old
boodog=bulldog

Understanding Ultrasound Physics

New Look?

Trying out some new looks.  Yes?  No?  I need input.

Sold 7 items on Ebay and made $148!  Maybe this should be Reece's new source of income.  

If you don't know, he was laid off the week before Christmas.  Send him love and a new job (with family benefits) please!

My love of coupons and deals

This summer I decided to get serious about couponing and deals. I have to say that I am pretty good. My drawback is wanting to shop every week even if we don't need it--Stockpiling and the "rush" I get from the great deals. At this point we will NEVER be without cereal. We might not have the kind you like but you won't go hungry. I have had an especially profitable week.

Friday the little boys and I went to Harris Teeter b/c they had triple coupons and Perdue chicken breasts buy 1 get 2 free. (Occasionally I need a reminder why I go by myself. I remember now). We didn't need chicken but b/c of my freezer inheritance from my grandfather, I knew just the place for it. I bought 6 packets of chicken, 3 breasts per pack. I also got about 8 bags of other groceries. I only splurged on one package of hummus for me and the boys. Everything else had a coupon X3. My bill--$49+change. The chicken alone when not on sale would have run us $48 before taxes.

So tonight I ran out to Rite Aid and Walgreen's. These are not my normal places, but they did have some excellent deals.

Rite Aid:
Cottonelle tiolet paper: 2/$5.00--2 $0.50 coupons ($4.00)
10 Soy Joy bars-10/$5.00--$3.00 coupon ($2.00)
2 Soy Joy bars-BOGO coupon ($1.39)
Total:$4.48 (now that I look at this the math is wrong...looks like Rite Aid lady gave me 2 $3.00 coupons for the Soy Joy bars)
Plus there was a Rebate for the Soy Joy bars--buy 10 get $5.00. So these actually made me money. Real Cost: money maker of $0.48

Walgreen's:
#1
4 boxes of Kellogg's cereal-4/$10.00-4 $1.00 coupons ($6.00)
1 box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal-on sale $1.99- $0.70 coupon ($1.29)
Total: $7.53
got $3.00 in Walgreen's money back for next purchase

#2
Electrosol gel-$3.49-$2.50 coupon ($0.99)
2 Children's Motrin-$13.98-$2.00 of each Walgreen's coupon and $2.50 coupon ($7.48)
Quilted Northern-$4.00-$1.00 coupon ($3.00)
Minus $3.00 Walgreen's money
Total: 9.74
Plus I got a rebate for $1.50 for the Electrosol tabs (made $0.50!).
Real Cost for both transactions: $15.77

These are some of the things that make me happy.

Attention Little Boys

Please listen to your mother when she tells you not to slam the toilet seat and lid down. You will get something stuck in the middle of the two and you will cry......a long time. Not to mention a lovely purple bruise in a not so nice place. If you are over 3 feet tall you shouldn't need to worry about this, but I don't have boy parts so I don't know about all the precautions one should take. Go ask your Dads.

The last 6 weeks

What have you been up to the last 6 weeks?

Here's where we have been:
Thanksgiving weekend in NYC to see the JMU MRDs
Finals for me the 2nd week of December
December 20-Ashley and Josh's wedding
Pre-Christmas with MawMaw and PawPaw
Christmas in VA at Grammy & Pops
Back home to unpack and get ready for the Spring semester

I know these pictures are in reverse order--I do the best I can with Blogger.

Christmas Day at Grammy and PopsLater the same morning--taking a nap anywhere a kid can

Ashley and Josh's Wedding day--December 20

Ryan and Melissa on the Brooklyn Bridge
The Saturday after Thanksgiving

In the hotel lobby after the parade (photo taken by Zachary)

Back: Grams, Dad "Boatman", and Linda "Grandma Linda"
Middle: Me, Melissa, and Kathleen
Front: Julia and Deborah

Zachary, Deborah, and me on Broadway and 53rd at the end of the parade. We were human popsicles by this time.

In front of Macy's Thanksgiving Eve.