deal of the day

Today's deal of the day was getting these RockStar drinks for $.67 each. They are normally $1.78 at Walmart and I was able to price match a local grocery store (that is 20 minutes away) and get them during my regular shopping trip.

Steve drinks these while he works, so hopefully this will last him a few weeks.

More deals today...

2 liter Pespi for $.88 (normally $1.25)

12 pack Coke for $2.50 (normally$4)

Yes we are a family divided. He likes Pespi, I like Coke. I am afraid that Andy has gone to the dark side. He will pick Pespi any day.

Swimming

This summer, just like last summer, we had "Pool Group". Pool Group was just a few moms and kids hanging out at the pool. It was great to have the same day every week and know that the kids and me, will have friends to hang with. One of the other great things about pool group is everyone, including mom sleeps good that night. We normally go to the Spanish Fork pool. It is close and not too crowded. But on this hot day we decided to head out to the Provo pool. Kelsey seem to like this one better. It had a more shallow part where she could crawl in the water and keep her face out of the water.

Pool check being over, I think Kelsey was ready to get in again.

camping

We were finally able to go camping this year! The one thing we did different was I got us all packed. Steve had worked the night shift and had to nap, so I was incharge of getting it all packed and in the van. Steve said to think of it like a puzzle, and if the pieces didn't all fit I would have to start over. I have to say for my first time I got it all in. Including the kiddos!

We headed up Spanish Fork Canyon to a new spot. One of the many wonderful things about living in Utah is we are so close to so many great camping spots. This one was just ten minutes from our house, which would come in handy Friday night when the baby wasn't sleeping just crying and I made the executive decision to take her home. After 40 minutes of crying I woke Steve up and said I was taking Kelsey home. He asked why. Have I mentioned he is a sound sleeper?

Kelsey and I both slept better at home (both nights). I don't expect this to be the norm for my camping, but it was sure nice to sleep in my own bed and get a coke from McDonalds on the way back to the campsite.

We had so much fun over the weekend, there were many things we did...

hang out in the hammock...

play in the tent...

have tin foil dinners...

(take chicken, potatoes and carrots, wrap in foil, place on hot coals and cook. super yummy)

eat smores...

roast and catch on fire marshmallows...

play games by lantern...

more hammock time...

have a game of horseshoes...

more hammock time...

(see the stick Ellyn has? that is because we got tired of hearing her yell "come push me!)

hanging out at the site...

collecting rocks down by the creek...

Kelsey loved the rocks. She would pick them up and look at them and then find more to look at.

play at the playground...

make mud pies...

and watch a movie. (?) I think Ellyn was ready to go home.

Have a wonderful Sunday

This is one of my new favorite worship songs

Our God by Chirs Tomlin

(click to listen)

Water You turned into wine
Open the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You

CHORUS
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

Into the darkness you shining
Out of the ashes we Rise
There’s no One like You
None like You.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

BRIDGE
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who can ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

daddy sit time

Kelsey like most babies has her fussy time. It is usually between 5-6pm. Just as I am finishing up dinner or we are trying to eat. So, as many frustrated mom's do, I hand the baby off to daddy. And wouldn't you know it, she settles down. Steve says she just needs her "daddy sit time." Whatever it is, it sure works.

There is nothing like daddy.

coupon burn out

We have been couponing since about February. And a few weeks ago I think I experienced coupon burn out. I had stopped looking at the coupon blogs, I had stopped using coupons, I had even stopped clipping coupons. (we take 5 papers each Sunday, one week there were only 2 inserts and one week there were 4, you do the math. that was a lot of coupons.) But I had just had enough. I think it started to happen around the time I was starting to plan our school year. I was getting our schedules worked out, trying to see how to fit it all in and trying to figure out what to do with the baby. And couponing was the last thing I wanted to do.

I had read a post on a blog that talked about dealing with burn out, which come to find out most couponers deal with at one time or another. But she had some great suggestions...

1) Don't try to hit every store and get every deal. (check)

2) Price match at Walmart to save time. (check)

3) Take a break. (check)

and the one that got me

4) Look for only the really great deals.

I found on the same blog a great cereal deal. I was able to price match at Walmart cereal that was on sale for $.97, and I had a coupon for $5 off 5 boxes. That would make them free, well free plus 3 cents overage! And... I had 4 coupons. Yes, that would be 20 boxes for free, plus the overage. But wait. I had more coupons, not quite as good but still pretty good, I guess. I was able to get 20 boxes for 25 cents each. (for those of you following along at home, that make it 40 boxes of cereal! for $4.) Now if that is not going to get me back in the game then nothing will.

It did. I hit Walmart once again for double coupon Tuesday. Got free nexcare bandages, a free post-it note, a 2 pack of dry erase markers for $.47, and was able to price match some great deals on produce. It feels good to be back.

I have to learn how to make this work with our life. Even tonight during America's Got Talent I will be clipping coupons. My goal is to be caught up on the clipping before Sunday. I enjoy couponing, my mom would be so proud of the deals that I am getting. In fact our last conversation was about couponing. I was just getting into it and told her and she was excited for me. She was big couponer when I was young, so it must be in my blood.

socks!!!

For some reason Kelsey loves socks. They don't have to be hers or even clean ones. I have to keep my eye on her when I am doing the laundry, she steals the dirty socks!

Today Ellyn was folding the laundry, and Kelsey saw the socks!

The socks were even responsible for the first fit Kelsey threw.

We were getting ready to leave and she found some socks, and I decided that she didn't need to take my socks to the grocery store. So I told her we were going to leave the socks at home, and then I took them away...and boy was she mad!