Happy Monday

I can say that now that it is past 6 pm right? That means what stands between now and Tuesday is a few chores, a little DWTS on TV, and some sleep.

It really feels like fall here now! Yesterday evening after the little rainshower, a cold front began moving in. The breezes really picked up. Today only reached somewhere around 60. My front planters look like fall...

Combine newly planted urns with the fresh paint on the steps and it makes me happy...happy, even though I still have leftover weekend chores to do. They consist of: finishing laundry, putting the basement back together since the paint is dry, sorting the girl's closet and taking out the items that no longer fit, and sweeping the porch. If there is more time (I highly doubt it), there are other things on my to-do list.

Well, I must get going or my leftover chores will continue to chase me.

I <3 Weekends!

It feels nice to get a project or two done and have fun in between.
We spent our Friday evening having simple family fun. We had a few errands to run and that we did. Chili's was a yummy dinner...mmm followed by ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop. It will be closing soon so we have to enjoy it now.
Since we had to go to Wal-Mart to make a return, we stopped to check on this year's HOT HOT HOT toy...we nearly gasped because they had them (only a few). We bought them--of course.
Saturday morning started bright and early with fog and a bit of a chill for some garage sales. Well, this week's sales were less than stellar, however we can't complain after all of the great things we have found week after week!
We headed home took a bit of a nap since we got up SO early. Since it was on the rainy side most of the day, I made the suggestion that we work on the basement. We purchased some floor epoxy several months ago. With our other projects and wanting to enjoy being outside, we purposely put off the basement floor project for a day like Saturday. It felt great to clean it up and get it half-way finished. We have to move things from one end to the other and do half at a time. It made us realize that we really need to purge some kids toys!
After that, I went to my neighbor's very-fun birthday party. Yummy banana splits for dessert followed by plenty of games made the night enjoyable! A twist on the gifts...the birthday girl used the gifts as door prizes. I enjoyed my gift which was a fun necklace, a raspberry and dark chocolate Ghiradelli bar, a slim credit-card case, in a cute re-usable bag.
Today was a lovely and beautiful day. We went to church. The girls had fun outfits with little hats. Not matching exactly, but pretty close. Lunch was a wonderful as it was pot roast and all of the yummy sides. MMMMM--we were all happily stuffed.
After a little nap for me and some football-watching for Josh, we took a nice afternoon walk. What a GORGEOUS fall day. The basement was ready to be finished and that's just what we did! There was just enough paint left for me to get the front steps and side steps. The evening wrapped up with Papa John's pizza, some cleaning/straightening and watching the season premiere of the Amazing Race.
Of course, there are things to do this week like laundry and cleaning, but that's okay. We had a wonderFULLy fun and great weekend. I love my 3 luv-doves!

F R I D A Y is coming!

Does anyone else really look forward to the weekend? Oh c'mon now, I know they do. Usually at least once a week if not more, I see it mentioned on other people's Facebook statuses that they are working for the weekend or that it is almost here.
Well, it's not just them...I am too!
The weekend gives us a break from school, a break from daily routine, and every now and then some rest and fun.
I hate that nagging to-do list that has been slow to diminish this week. It's not for lack of trying. Yesterday, I said I was going to clean upstairs. Well, Josh got home from his work meeting and then he began putting baseboards back up in the kitchen. That necessitated me with a can of paint--painting.
The upstairs floors did not get cleaned, but the baseboards are back in place and looking great.
Never fear, the floors that needed cleaned yesterday are waiting for me to clean them today. They certainly did not disappear.
Even though I look forward to the weekend for some rest (maybe) and fun, I'm thankful for the blessings of the week. My children are happy and healthy, I have a wonderful, loving sweetie-pie, we have a sweet kitty, and God supplies our needs and so many of our wants!
I think one of the things where reality always hits me is when I read a couple of blogs or a caring bridge site and I see the struggle that some go through each and every day because they have a little one fighting cancer or the struggle of someone with 13 children to care for in a place like Uganda. It hits me in the gut to know all of the things I have to be thankful for...which are many! It also reminds me to pray for them.
and again...yay for Friday!

Grocery Game

So I had heard so much about this grocery game dot com craze. Now, this is obviously personal opinion, and most probably do benefit from it. That said, I signed up for the free 4 weeks of it to just check out the hoopla. Turns out, it really is as I thought. I already do play my own version of the Grocery Game.
I already have the stockpile of items that they talk about getting built up in the beginning so that you only have to buy staples like milk, bread, eggs etc... We truly do not usually have a list of things we need aside from milk typically. Most of the stuff on my selected store list, I don't even buy so that didn't really do anything for me. Our local Kroger is awesome about having items on "manager special". It is unbelievable really,. Back when we were using diapers, I was getting Huggies jumbo packs of diapers for $3.99. You get the idea. You never know what they will have necessarily, but if it is something we use and like--we buy. A typical week there, we spend between $30-40 and sometimes LESS!!
Anyway, I know all sections of the country are different and even neighboring cities are different. So, maybe the grocery game is something you and your family would see great benefit in using. If so, sign up and try it for a couple of weeks. If it isn't something that will benefit you, then do like I am going to do...click the button and cancel.

On to other things...
Last week, we went to a festival and were given a couple of coloring sheets. Since Aliyah enjoys doing the coloring contests, she came home and finished right away. Keirah took a bit longer, but did a great job on hers also. Well, Aliyah won her age category. It was a large one 6-12. Keirah did not win, but that's okay too. They each got this cute little pig keychain (it was put on by a bank). Today, we went and picked up Aliyah's $50 savings bond prize.
Josh and I got to take a bike ride before it turned dark this evening. That was very nice. We were "informed" by some people driving by that we should be riding on the sidewalk. Mind you, we were in a neighborhood on a side street and not in their way at all. Josh informed them that sidewalks are for pedestrians. Either way, I love bike rides!!
I think September has been more like summer than any other month of summer so far. Our energy bill is breathing a sigh of relief from this summer. It hasn't reached more than $88!!! Yep, that's money spent elsewhere and that's the way I like it!
On the topic of energy, we bought a few more energy saving bulbs (the candleabra style) on clearance. They only had two. There are only 4 left that we don't have in that fixture. We have been using CFL's since they first came out (right after we got married) and have benefitted greatly from the energy savings!
Oh yes, and for more great clearance Target items...I bought another bathroom rug today for $2.98!! Can't beat that! Speaking of clearance and good bargains, the end of the week is approaching. You know what that means...hopefully a few good garage sales to visit. I hate to say it, but I have a couple of items I am hoping to find: a container for our cat food and some LS shirts for the girls. We have done very well this year at finding the clothing brands we like for the girls at garage sales. We have found Janie and Jack, Hanna Andersson, Gymboree, and American Girl. Oh yes, and we even found Keirah some Dora pj's last week for 50 cents!! She loves them. I'm not big into dressing the girls in "character" clothing items, but pj's are okay for that and for the price I was okay with that as well.
Anyway, yes it is after 10 pm, and my upstairs is still wanting me to finish cleaning it. Off I go!

Meet Chaney!

So, here he is...Chaney!

Initially, when we told Aliyah that things didn't look good for Tufsey, she said that she didn't want another cat since none could be like Tufsey. She's right, he was a very special kitty. We still miss him.

In spite of tears, Aliyah and Keirah as well said we needed a new cat right away. Keirah says that Tufsey is hiding in the dirt and he will come back to play with Chaney sometime. I always say that I wish that was true.

After burying Tufsey, we went on a search. To us, it was more like we were just taking Aliyah to look at pets. This is something she just loves to do anywhere that has pets. We went to a local store and they had one cat--not for us.

We told Aliyah that we wanted to make sure that we got the right cat for us. We felt like God sent Tufsey to us when we weren't looking for a cat. We headed to a new Pet Smart. As we walked in, I noticed that it was a "national adoption weekend". Having looked so many times (for fun) at pets, I knew that cats run $125.00. When we arrived, I was first surprised to see that it was an "end of summer special" for $50.00. Don't worry, we weren't sold yet just because of that. There was a nice Volunteer for the Humane Society on hand that offered to show us any of the cats that we wanted to see. Initially, we thought we would get a cat with a good amount of white in it. We also wanted a younger one. There was a beautiful peach/white cat that we thought looked nice. He was a big one--14 lbs. Josh held "George" and he was fine at first, but then began to act like a brat. We decided against "George" in spite of his good looks. We also wanted to look at "Constance". She was pretty as well, but wouldn't leave her li, tter box or quit cleaning herself to let us interact with her. Not so great.

As we were looking at the cats, I saw a lady coming in with two cats in carriers. I spotted a calico and immediately told the Volunteer that I wanted to see that one. Tufsey reminded us of a male calico. This lady also volunteered for the Humane Society. She was wonderfully nice as well. They were great at giving us as much info on the cats as they knew. They told us the backgrounds etc... Connie, the calico was very pretty, but was quite nervous and very "sheddy" even though she was a short hair. Sheddy doesn't work well for us especially because of Josh with the allergies.

I told Josh we should look at "Arthur"--a sweet, friendly tabby. Granted, he wasn't the look we were looking for, but WOW--he was sweet and loving. He wasn't nervous at all for just having come from a cat carrier. Another huge plus, he wasn't really "sheddy" and his hair is VERY short!

We held "Connie the calico" once again and decided upon "Arthur". Actually, the $50 price is a bargain and a half since they have all of their shots, are neutered or spayed, have a flea/tick treatment, and have been tested for FIV/FLV and heartworm. For us to get Tufs tested (no shots or anything else) was $60!!

It was a pleasant experience and it is cool that we were able to rescue an animal since he came from a "kill shelter". The money goes directly to the Humane Society and Pet Smart in turn donated $25 per cat adopted that weekend to the HS. We also received a huge packet of coupons and some samples because of the adoption weekend thing.

Here he is...



They were guessing about his age of 1-2 years, but WOW does he act like a kitty. Tufsey was a year or so, but Chaney is so kitten like. He weighed only 7 lbs. when we got him. Tufsey weighed 10.5 lbs when he was sick.
He's a sweetie for sure and loves to play. He nuzzles my cheek and loves to be petted. He prefers dry cat food and isn't really in to treats yet. We have offered him all of it.
More to come on sweet Chaney or the Chane, Chane, Chane or the Chanester. It wouldn't be us if we didn't come up with nicknames.

Weekend Hobby

Keirah coloring her first coloring contest picture. I think she did an awesome job!!

Those blue eyes get me. They aren't edited in any way shape or form!

The girls enjoying a fun day at the apple orchard!

Since this summer, I have become a big fan of weekend garage sales. Prior to this year, I may have gone to 5 or less garage sales a year. Since the sales this year started out with a bang early--meaning we got a lot of good stuff, we picked up steam all summer.
Before you think I go from early morning to late afternoon absolutely stopping at each and every one--think again. I don't have that much time for this...
A few things: I only go to garage sales in certain neighborhoods. If those hoods don't have them, I don't go. I'm not necessarily looking for anything in particular--just great stuff. Usually, I don't go to more than 5. I go early.
The last two Saturdays, we have gone to ONE. The first and only sales we have gone to have been so great we just didn't feel the need to go to anymore--lest we be disappointed.
Last week, we headed over a couple of blocks to a moving sale. This sale was packed full of stuff! We spent $48!! Everything at the sale was packaged in a ziploc bag and neatly tagged (that is if it fit into a bag).
$2.00--new pair of white Skechers
$2.00--a pair of Avia sneakers--if not new, then she must have tried them on in the house
$1.00--bamboo cutting board for Josh for all of his fruit
.75--cash drawer with bills/coins for the girls
.50--bag with Polly Pockets with accessories for Kiki
$5.00--Bulova watch
$5.00--assortment of jewelry including 3 toe rings, 2 rings, necklace, earrings, bracelets etc...
$10.00--Lia Sophia ring
$10.00--brand new Craftsman hose--100'
$1.50--bag with Hot Shot, and two cans of Raid
$2.00--boxes of nails and screws
$1.00--new paint tray and liners
$1.00--paint roller covers(new)
$1.00--cell batteries (8)
$3.00--bag of 14 new bath/shower poufs
can't remember the other where the other couple of bucks went--but great stuff for sure!!
This weekend I started off by going to two sales on Friday morning before work. I found a few Gymboree outfits for Keirah and another new pair of Skechers.
Saturday morning came early. I went alone and Josh got some extra shut-eye before work. The girls stayed with him. I started by going to the only sale that opened at 7 am. I made it right around 7 and was first--oh the joy! This was a moving sale as well. I spent $110.00--don't gasp--more great stuff.
.75--3 pretty pins and a new fake Rolex (hey it was a quarter and it was new)
.50--sandals
free--brand new Caterpillar Louisville Slugger (he had like 7 of these)
.50--2 Caterpillar tractor paperweight things for my dad
.50--oscillating sprinkler
.25--adorable night light
$10--barely used chainsaw
$5.00--Chaps Ralph Lauren trench coat for my brother--worn maybe one or two times
$3.00--suit for my brother--coat and two pairs of slacks--fit perfectly
$4.00--2 pairs of Nike pants and 8 pairs of shorts for my brother (Eddie Bauer, Izod, etc...)
.50--decorative metal lantern--the price is not indicative of how nice this is...
$2.00--black fall coat for yours truly
$3.00--6 great light-weight sweaters for my brother--Chaps, Izod, etc...these were like new
.25--U of I t-shirt
$80--4 stools--these were over $200 each new and they are still close to new!
These people had some great furniture for sale including an awesome bedroom set. We measured, but it just wouldn't fit up our stairs (it is a king set and we have queen).
This isn't all of the jewelry, but some of it I have passed along a few pieces to my mom.
.50--really??!!
Keep in mind, I have now worn these shoes.

These stools are very heavy and swivel as well!! We love them!!!

Anyway, maybe this gives you an idea as to why I have become hooked on this and look forward to what I may find next.

Thankful

We have stayed busy lately, thus the lack of posts. I am just thankful today for my sweet family and the laughter that they bring. We visited an apple orchard today (a yearly tradition on a nice September day). We picked up only a few goodies like delectable fudge, pumpkin butter, and apple sippers for the girls. The day was gorgeous.
I am thankful for our new kitty, Chaney. He is really sweet. We still miss Tufsey a lot, but Chaney is bringing us much laughter. He is a little fellow and full of cuteness.
I'm happy and thankful for beautiful evenings to enjoy on the porch with crickets chirping and pleasant conversation with my soulmate!
What of life makes you thankful?

Tufsey

We had a full weekend from start to finish, and I'm TIRED!

Tufsey had an up and down road since his first sickness back in August. He seemingly recovered from the first one and came back with tons of energy. We enjoyed loving on him. He was well for a few days when he caught an upper respiratory infection. That one wasn't as bad and he fought through it. Again, he was happy and full of life and we made sure to enjoy playing with him. He then started to get lethargic again. He was breathing quite heavily at one point and we didn't think he would make it, but sure enough he was back again. He didn't make a complete recovery from that one, but was semi-recovered for a few days. He then began a relapse back. Tufsey's body was so weak because he hadn't gained back enough weight to fight this one.

We didn't figure he would even make it past Labor Day, but somehow he did. We came home from the festival to check on him and he was under the chair--gone. It was hard for all of us. Keirah doesn't quite understand. Yesterday morning, she looked out the back door and asked us where Tufsey was--I told her that he was gone now.

We buried him under the honeysuckle vine with his collar and favorite toy. Aliyah drew some artwork on the patio blocks that cover the spot.

Why was Tufsey such a special cat to us?

Seemingly, God dropped him right out of Heaven to a little girl who wanted a pet. We never figured out where he came from. He turned us into kitty lovers. Since he was an outdoor cat, we allowed him to roam as he wanted. We would come home in the evenings and he would be waiting for us in the drive-way. We loved it when he would fall over to the ground as we were petting him. He absolutely loved to be loved. Nothing really bothered Tufsey. He would watch as robins would eat his food, lay in the yard while we mowed, and loved to drink from birdbaths. He came running when we called him (if he was within earshot). His spots and markings were adorable causing the girls to call him Tufsey, Tufsey, Furball, Cow . We loved the ever-changing meows (changed to garner pity and attention). We were charmed by him! He would come inside when we got home and look at the cabinet under the sink. Sometimes he would even paw at it. That just meant he was waiting for a treat. Keirah loved to give him his treats. He fought long and hard to stay with us and made several come-backs. We in turn took care of him and gave hime lots of love--we felt loved in return.

I'll miss the little Tufster, it was hard to say goodbye.

Remembering

The year was 2001. A fresh school year had begun. I was teaching kindergarten. The day was a perfect September morning, much like the one we are experiencing today. The sun was bright and all was gorgeous. Children began coming in to the classroom. I remember a little boy named Jeremiah telling me that planes had just crashed into buildings in New York. Figuring it had to be an accidental thing, I wasn't overly alarmed. A mother of a student mentioned something as well. Of course, details were so new and I hadn't even seen a tv screen to have any clue.
What I do know is that that day forever changed so many things.
Througout the day, a high school teacher would come in and update us on what was happening. As the day wore on, the news got worse and WORSe.
I remember being fearful. The air felt different after that. It was like a heavy cloud of sadness enveloped everyone.
Parents were late picking their children up from school. Many of them because they were trying to buy gas. Gas had risen to over $4.00 per gallon at the pump that day and people were panicked. The lines were long. $4.00 gas at that time was unheard of. We had hovered near the $2 mark, but had NEVER gone over.
I remember leaving school that day and coming home to watch some coverage. It was heartwrenching. It was odd to not see any airplanes in the sky. Everything was pretty quiet.
We lived in an apartment behind an ice cream shop. Josh and I decided to take a walk to process everything. It was then that we looked up and saw the one and only plane that could be flying that day fly over. It was Air Force One carrying our President.
News anchors were choking up which is far from typical. Sheer panic began to ensue even througout the country. I remember being glad that we live in a smaller city, and glad that we hadn't planned that trip to NYC that we had talked about. BTW, we never have made that trip. As stories began rolling in, the new reality began to set in that the United States of America was clearly a target of an act the likes of which had not been seen before on this scale.
There were the what-ifs, there was sadness, but there was also hope and thankfulness.
Hope of finding survivors, hope of vindication, and hope for patriotism and freedom was among us. Thankfulness for the simplest yet most important things in life, thankfulness for a leader who vowed to take them on.
The thing that I remember so vividly from that day is this: after what these people have gone through, how can I sit and complain of a bad day? I've tried to change my perspective in that way, and be much more thankful.
Programming continued for weeks. There were specials and documentaries as the story still unfolded all those weeks following. With Josh being at work many evenings, I watched them. I remember sobbing through them with such a deep sadness that reached right into my innermost. The one show I remember most was the story about the plane carrying the brave men like Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham and others. What they did that day was so heroic. The medical personnel, the victims, the leaders, the soldiers, the families--let us not forget. I'm thankful for the privilege of living in a country that values freedom and will protect.
Today is a reminder for me to remember, be thankful, and pray. I hope it will be the same for you.

Homeschooling

With various issues facing our children these days, I have found myself saying many times that I'm glad my children do not have to (fill in the blank). Most recently that would be listen to the latest speech that our President has construed to help shape & form the youngsters of America.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for patriotism and respect, however this has me really wondering. Honestly, I was surprised to know that Aliyah knew who the President was before he took office. I am guessing as a result of various children's programming and such.
This morning, I was searching around and looking for various restrictions regarding homeschooling. I know a few states have banned it. I had looked before for the state of Illinois and had not found really many requirements. During my research today, I found that Illinois is the most free homeschooling state. I am very thankful!
Of course, there is the option of private schooling which I wholeheartedly endorse as well.
There are many great teachers and public schools out there, don't get me wrong. It's just at this point in our girl's lives, we feel that we should be one of the most influencing factors in their lives--not government.
While homeschooling requires time from both Josh and myself as parents, it also offers great freedoms. They can be kids--plain and simple. Think about it, children put in the equivalent of an adult work day at school. That is fine for older ones, but a lot to ask of a younger child!!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Keirah!!

It's hard to believe our baby is turning 3!!! I always remember wondering if I would go into labor on Labor Day weekend. Well, it turns out, I made it a couple of days past the Labor Day weekend that year.

Happy Birthday to Kiki, the girl who loves anything a little or big girl loves--purses, shoes, lip gloss, hair-dos, hairbows, flowers, babies, clothes. Kiki is a happy riser in the morning, and she doesn't miss a trick. She knows all kinds of details. She is a name person. By that, I mean she remembers people's names. Josh and Aliyah are not name people--they don't remember.

Keirah has several characteristics of me, however one thing that she most certainly gets from Josh is her appetite. She also has that "wilting flower" issue like he does when she gets really hungry.

Those big, beautiful blue eyes that stare into your soul...that is Kiki!! As Aliyah has said, "this is my sister Keirah, isn't she a beauty"?

Happy Birthday to my favorite little 3 year old girl!!! Time has flown by so quickly. We love you, Kiki!!!

Curb Appeal

I received an email today that our house is one of the finalists in a curb appeal contest. If you go to this link http://216.247.167.209/curbappeal/curbappeal.asp and vote for house #4--the house that is tan with cranberry shutters, we would greatly appreciate it!! If you do not wish to receive promos or info, be sure to unclick the two boxes at the bottom.

The voting ends on September 10!!!

Thanks in advance!!!!!

Lovin' This

Josh has been on vacation the past few days. I am loving this!! It gives us a chance to spend every evening together which only happens on vacations. With the mild weather, we have enjoyed some evenings on our porch. Every time we are out there, at least one of us comments that we are so glad that we re-did the porch this year. Tufsey enjoys our presence out there and usually gets some extra attention.
In between just doing daily life at a more relaxed pace this week, Josh is tiling our kitchen floor. I absolutely cannot wait for the finished results!!
What else have we enjoyed lately, we had a very nice weekend of fun this past weekend. Lots of laughter, a bit of shopping, and just plain fun.
Keirah is looking forward to her birthday. I will be glad that she will not have to ask for the Dora bike anymore. I can't believe our baby will be 3!! She is doing well with the pre-school thing!!
We have removed the training wheels from Aliyah's bicycle in order to help her learn how to ride her bike. She definitely wasn't too keen on the idea at first. Granted, she is 7 so it is high time she learned. By the same token, most people think she is 4--no lie. This isn't because of how she acts, but judging by size only. The other day when the girls played in the sprinkler, Aliyah wore Keirah's swimsuit.
School is going well for Aliyah as well. She is on lesson 23!! Cursive is going better--yay!

I'm glad to hear that the weather is supposed to be more normal (at least during the day) for the next several days. I'm not ready for summer to end so quickly.

Well, bye for now.