Unlce Scotty's and Aunt Ashleys'

We went for a visit to my bubby's on Saturday...as always Amanda got really fussy about 1/2 hour before we got there...other than that we got to see my adorable nephew and eat lunch with the family :) It was a great visit and I am glad that I got to spend time with my family even though Rod was working :) We have to work on getting that man a break ;)

Zoo

My mom and I took the kids to Binder Park Zoo this last Friday...Adam says his favorite part was feeding the giraffe's. They charge $1 for a piece of lettuce so I am glad that him and Amanda enjoyed it. When we talked to him about the zoo he would go on and on about the giraffe's and then he would say that the zebra's wouldn't come near him, lol... At least they had fun. My mom got the kids each a giraffe and train to remember the trip and the kids got to ride the carousel. Adam rode the Bengal tiger and Amanda rode the red panda. Overall it was a great experience and hopefully we will be able to do it again ;)

Father's Day

Father's Day was yesterday and it is a very hard time of year for Rod...even though you will never hear him speak of it. It has now been 8 years since Rod's Dad passed away. Don was one of the men who has made Rod who he is as a dad. He has lived on to be exactly or better than what Don would have hoped he would be as a dad. It doesn't take much to be a father...but it takes a lot to be a dad :)

Rod and I started dating almost 1 year to the date after Don passed away...even though we lived right next door to each other...we didn't talk until I finally had the guts to get his number ;) He is my world and I know just from the reaction that the kids give him when he gets home that he is theirs too :)

The kids got Rod a new Char-broil Infared Grill for his father's day present. We let him pick it out because I wanted to make sure he would like it :) I even got him a better price...I loved the fact that we got to spend the whole day with Rod. It doesn't happen as much as he would like. But hopefully after we sell our old house we will be able to make it happen more frequent ;) Yesterday we went to town and took Amanda's old crib, bassinet and changing table to some friends so they can use it for their new baby. Then we went to Lowe's picked up the grill, Sam's and got a mattress and then went to mom and dad's and got my old bed. Came back did some swimming after we got Amanda's "new" bed together and her room situated and then went out to visit Rod's Father for Father's Day. Spent some time back at the camper eating hot dogs and grilling smores.

Much love to all of the Father's and Dad's out there...be the better of the 2 ;)

Living Life

I really hate it that I haven't been able to blog...not that I don't have anything else to do ;) But I like that it keeps a record of life as we know it...I don't keep a journal and maybe I should start...

I have been busy working on our old house...it is now listed for sale through Production Realty and Amy Gilpin has already had 2 people see the house...so we are hopeful to see an offer in the very "near" future ;) It was a lot of time and money spent to get it where we did get it...So hopefully someone will be able to enjoy it as their own :)

Still going to grandma's and taking care of her. I love that my kids get to spend time with their great grandma. She is going to be 88 this year. I can't believe that my grandpa has been gone 11 years already. My kids were only able to see my grandma Sweeney when she wasn't really the grandma I remember so that is hard...because even my grandma Hagemann isn't the woman I remember with the 3 strokes and having to be confined to a wheelchair. But I can still make her smile bringing those kids into the room :) That alone is more precious than anything to me :)

Grocery shopping has been a little more expensive as I have taken on getting things for my grandma as well. I prepare meals that we have and take them there...But the added costs are the separate items such as milk, bread, etc ;) and household items she needs.

I haven't been couponing lately but I am still a price matching machine ;) Which I know saves me both time and money right now with the price of gas...It is back down from the high $4.15/gallon to $3.77 now...but still ridiculous.

Preschool has been great for Adam socially this year and I plan on trying to work with him on letters and numbers along with Amanda over the summer. I have already made copies of color by numbers and other things that are new but that will help him with recognition ;)

Amanda has been becoming such a big girl...she was wanting to do everything by herself...then lately she witnessed an older girls friend of mine getting her mommy to do things for her...so she has "regressed" a little. So we are working on some things again...I am planning on working on potty training again soon as Adam is done with school and we are home more frequent without having to take him to school.

Rod has been working non stop trying to keep the ends met with bills. We are doing good. Would be doing better if a relative that owes us quite a bite of money would pay us back...but apparently we aren't at the top of his mound of debt...So Rod will keep plugging away at our debt. He had someone question us on why I wasn't working not to long ago...I went to speak and he stopped me. His statement was because he doesn't want me to, "it is my choice, my kids are better off in my wife's care than anyone else". I love that he trusts me with his whole world ;) I love the fact that I get to enjoy everyday that the kids ask me to do something with them. I wish everyday was like our Monday. We were busy all day doing things that the kids wanted :) I try to only clean 1 day a week as I hate telling the kids no that I can't do something. I love the smile on Adam's face when i say yes that I can do something with them and Amanda jumping up and down ;) Melts my heart.

More than anything Rod keeps our family together and from falling apart. We both turned 30 over the last month and I have to say I don't feel any different. I feel loved more than anything when I get to spend the days that I know would be very hard if I was working not missing a thing :) We make the things that we do look easy, but without Rod working and me trying to save money where we can...not sure if we would have the things that we do have...Well, hopefully I will be able to keep more on top of this as PTA summer break is here as of tomorrow ;) Take care and hope you are enjoying your summer with your kiddos too!

Busy

I really hate saying that I have been too busy to blog...but I have been too busy :) Working on PTA essays, fundraising, getting quotes for the walking track and the other projects that no one else makes time for along with trying to get the house back that we own and someone won't leave...as well as spend time with my family :)

I have been saving money as I haven't really been shopping in the last month...I went shopping for food for Amanda's party but other than that we have only been getting the necessities ;)

Mainly because there is a lack of money around here with the land contract people who are not paying and owe upwards of $6k...but that is another subject in itself...me being too nice for too long to people who live off of the system...puts that taste in your mouth if you know what I mean...

I plan on getting to the store this week...working on my list as I type and trying to find the sites I use to go to...my computer took a turn for the worst over the last few weeks and I am still trying to load the things I use to use back on it...fun, fun.

Take care and I will keep in touch soon!

Review of homemade detergent/granola

I have to say the homemade detergent for the laundry and dishwasher have been great. My dishwasher seems to love the detergent and the laundry smells great with the Ivory based powdered detergent I made ;)

Rod said the granola I made tastes way better than anything in the store, BONUS :) Rod is not very big on eating healthy but loved this :) AWESOME ;) The kids loved it too!

Homemade Soaps

I just got done making laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent...these were found on Tipnut.com

Powdered Laundry Detergent

2 cups borax

2 cups baking soda

2 bars of Ivory soap finely grated

Shake container well before each use...

2 T per full load

I can't wait to see how it does :)

Dishwasher Detergent

2 cups borax

2 cups baking soda

Fill dispenser...it says that if dishes are cloudy after wash start using vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser...I am going to start doing this after I use up the rinse aid that I bought...that stuff is Super Expensive :)

Took me about 10 minutes to make both of these and that includes grating the soap ;) I used the old box for the dishwasher detergent and used a funnel to fill.

I used an empty plastic container with lid for the laundry detergent and filled 2 T into a small plastic "scoop" and marked it so that it will be easy to measure each time ;)

I am toying around with the no-shampoo aspect of washing your hair...it involves using baking soda paste massaging your scalp and rinsing with vinegar...it says that it makes your hair more manageable/softer...which I need...I hate trying to do anything with my hair as it always frustrates me that nothing stays where I want it to...we will see if I try to attempt this...it may be a summer thing ;)