Becoming A Favorite

So I have received a fabulous new recipe from a gal in my neighborhood and I thought I would share with everyone!

Very easy to make...... For every Mom our there!

Ingredients:

One sleeve of Saltine crackers

1 Package of milk chocolate chips (I have also tried with semi-sweet chocolate chips and they taste just as delicious)

1 cup sugar (I use the Pampered Chef stone bar cookie sheet, which I find to be a little smaller so I cut the sugar to 3/4 cup)

2 sticks butter (when using the bar cookie sheet I use 1 stick and 5 tablespoons of butter)

Melt butter and then add the sugar (I melted the butter in small sauce pan on low). Line a cookie sheet with a sheet of tinfoil, and then Saltine crackers. Pour sugar/butter mixture over crackers. It'll look soupy when you do it. Then cook in oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes. when you pull the cookie sheet out of the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Once they start melting, spread them to cover the entire top of the cracker mixture. I also toasted pecans before hand and sprinkled them on top as well.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or you can be like me and pop them in the freezer to shorten the time). Once the candy has set up, pull the cookie sheet out and start peeling back the tinfoil and gently break crackers apart.

That's it!!!

Enjoy!

Thanks Cari!

Quick Trips

So I usually do not post my shopping trips unless I find some really great deals at a fantastic price!

Joel and I had a few hours to ourselves on Sunday because Abbey was napping and my Mom said that she could stay at the house with her. Yay for Joel and I!!!

We made 3 stops....

Target

Total Out of pocket...... -$4.01

That's right, they gave me $4.01 back. That has never happened, they usually make me add items, but not today!!!

CVS

Total Out of pocket.... $0

I couldn't pass up the Revlon BOGO deal. The cheapest are nail files for $1.79 with $2 in coupons. making $.21 in overage. I bought 8 of them!
I had to put a little more then a wanted onto my gift card because I needed the pictures for my Scrapbook Retreat at the end of the month. They were a little over $5. Goodness they get more expensive every day!

Big Lots

Total Out of pocket..... $15.91

I love running into Big Lots and seeing what they have. I found Gerber Beef/Carrotts and Pears/Chicken baby food for $.25 each. I couldn't pass them up so I bought 12. I found a Playtex sippy cup for $2 and then a Baby Einstein meal time gift set for $6. Joel found Anger Managment for $3, not bad for a DVD. The Zebra Cakes are for Joel's lunches, he loves them.

Too bad Big Lots doesn't take coupons

All in all I think I did pretty well on todays shopping trip. Not a bad total for everything I got. 72 items for $11.90!

Before And After

We all know that life can get a little CRAZY, right? I have come to realize that with work, cooking, shopping, laundry, staying organized, and trying to stay sane, Joel and I's bedroom has turned into the ultimate dumping ground. Left over shopping items and bags, unfolded clean clothes out of the dryer, dirty clothes that have never made it to the hamper, the messy diaper bag, and toys that just do not have home all end up on our floor or even worse, our BED. My Mom had a friend coming from California so it became the perfect opportunity for me to start cleaning.

Before

View from the door way
From the closetFrom the closet

My Desk. I was trying to finish a scrap page, didn't really get too far.

With a few hours behind me, many paper towels and cleaner later, and a lot of elbow grease this is what our room really looks like! I have come to enjoy a clean room.

After

You can actually see the CARPET!

View from the closet

From the bathroom door. Don't you love Joel watching BIG DADDY on the TV?!

Finally the view from the entry door. I can't believe it can actually be this clean!!! Yay for US!

9 Months And Counting

9 Months And Counting

My baby girl is getting so BIG! I can't believe how much she can do now. Abbey can crawl, walk around all furniture, and stand all on her own. She laughs and giggles and it just makes me want to eat her up.

Joel and I decided to enter Abbey into Parenting Magazine's baby contest. This is her picture that we entered and we can't wait to see what they say. I know I shouldn't get all excited considering I am completely biased, but she is DARN cute!

Will It Ever Get Easier?

As each moment in life passes by, I find myself wondering if it will ever get easier? I know that many people say it will only take time to heal and others find themselves saying “Life must go on." I always wonder what it must mean to “Move On?” I don’t ever see myself really “Moving On.” To move on means that you must forget what you had and to move forward without those memories that make each moment in life worth it. How can I ever find myself doing that? At this very moment moving on would mean that each day would go on the same as it did, which we all know does not. I do know that time heals all, but how much time? I know it has only been 2 months and I know that is not enough time to move forward with out feeling the same pain as I do now, but really enough is enough. I find myself saying “I’m tired of crying,” and the truth is, I am. I hate that with every song on the radio my reaction is tears. I hate that there is no longer a Priesthood holder in our home to comfort and protect us. I hate that we will never feel the same blessings that he had brought into our home. The empty chair at the dinner table, the empty spot on the couch next to my Mom, the car missing in the driveway, and a spirit that is no longer here are all the things which make me not want to “Move On.” So for those who say “Life still goes on” has something coming!
It is strange that a picture I walk by everyday on the way to my bedroom has a different effect on me. I can walk by and smile for the good times we had or I can stop, look, and cry for the memories I will no longer have. That one picture can say so many words without really saying a thing.

A smile from Abbey has so many effects as well. I feel pain because Abbey will never know how wonderful her Papa was, I feel guilty because she does not have the memories as I do, and I feel blessed that they had six months together! I know that it has become my obligation to help her know truly how wonderful her Papa was, how much he loved her, and that each action he made was for another person’s gain. I also know that it is up to me to make sure she understands the power of influence he had on all of our lives and how grateful we were to have him at all! I just hate that I have to be the one to tell her and that he can not be the one to show her.
I know that with each passing milestone I will feel pain and sorrow that he could not be here to watch and see the proud accomplishments. Abbey’s first birthday will only be tears knowing he never made it, which only makes it worse. When each baby receives their name and a blessing I will walk out of Sacrament meeting with tears rolling down my cheek wondering who will ever be good enough to bless my next child. With each and every moment in life, I will wonder why he couldn’t have been there? I know that this is just the beginning of a very hard and rocky road that I must face head on, but I still wonder why it had to be him? As my Mom says, “He was just spiritually ready.” Well, in that case, let’s all make sure our children and family members are not spiritually ready anytime soon. I know I will never know the answer to the question “Why him” until I am with him once again and I know I will one day be alright knowing that he is with me in spirit. I just hope it is someday very soon!
I know that life will always throw you a curve ball and it just depends on how you swing the bat, but let me tell you, I have been swinging the bat for quite some time. I know that eventually it will get easier, but I just want to know when? I also know that people are looking out for my best interest and that people are praying for our family. I do know these things, but my bitterness is what shows through. I know I am loved and supported throughout all of this and that I do have friends I can lean on, and let me tell you I am truly grateful for it all!!! I do want to say that I love each and everyone of you who do care, who do try to understand, and who listen no matter what!

The Best I Have Ever Done

Today was the best I have ever done!!! Joel and I went to CVS today and this is what we walked out with. 42 items! We had a few hitches, especially with the Aveeno deal. I bought the $25 worth and then it would not give me my EB so I had to return it all. I guess I will try again this week, the only bummer is I lost my coupons because the transaction was already processed! Thats alright I guess! I do have more, I was just planning on saving a few. Another hitch was at the end when I was paying, the customer terminal would not let me pay. Yes that is right, it would not take any form of payment. We figured it out and I payed at a different register.

It turned out alright considering what all I got. Because I did one of my Aveeno returns last I got a $15 giftcard for next time. That would of taken my total even lower if I had done it before. Are you ready for my grand total without the giftcard............... $25.64! If you minus the $15 GC it's $10.64. Plus I recieved $10EB for next time. I did wonderful! So everyone go out tomorrow and stock up on some great baby items. They were pretty much FREE or $.61 each. It depends on how you look at it!

I would like to extend my deepest apologies to Delaine. I always thought you were a little nutty for doing the coupon thing. I am very Sorry!!! Now that I know, I wouldn't want you any other way than NUTTY!!

Abbey Misses Her Grammy

Abbey has been missing her Grammy since she left Friday morning!! We both decided we would find a way to tell her how we feel!

We hope you have a great vacation and come home safely!
I love and Miss you Grammy!!