Wow!!

Yesterday I went to the bargain barn which is a part of Goodwill to peruse their books. In a previous post I talked about the bargain barn's books costing .20. Well, it blew my mind, but book prices at Goodwill Bargain Barn have increased to .50. Prices really are rising everywhere.

Speaking of high prices...

Last night David went to the store to pick up milk and bread. My kids have been begging me to make Creamy Chicken Enchiladas...a family favorite. I had most of what I needed, but I needed Whipping Cream.

For crying out loud...it was $4.59. It's a good thing I've been saving money, but my goodness. We will be eating our liquid gold this week.

Diane

Pinching Pennies

As gas and milk prices soar, we are trying to cut our budget as much as we can. I've found a few websites that are helping our family with this effort.

www.moneysavingmom.com
www.couponmom.com
www.paperbackswap.com

While I am a newbie to the whole coupon thing and still have a ton to learn, it really is exciting to see how much money we save when I take time to shop sales and combine those sales with coupons. We're getting necessary items for a fraction of the cost.

Today I'm excited about paperback swap. We devour books around here and our book expentitures are pretty high. So, this week I decided to check out the paperback swap option. Here's my experience thus far...

It is free to join. You post ten books to get started. By posting ten books, you get two credits. That means you can browse through their books and order two books.

Our oldest has been desperately wanting the next book in a series she is reading, but I kept saying "no". Lo and behold, the book was in the system and I pressed the order button and it's on it's way!! She's pumped.

Of the books I posted, someone has already requested three of my books. This is the "hard" part, the actual work. We printed off two sheets of paper to wrap and mail the books. We pay the shipping. It cost about seven dollars to mail three books. When the books are received, the recipient will log on and note that they have been received. Then, I will receive a credit and will get to order another book.

Here are my random thoughts...

• We are going to save some $ on school next year
• While it's not free, it's a lot cheaper than purchasing new books
• Parting with books is difficult for us, but when we realize we get to read new books, it makes it easier to recycle.
• This is an excellent exercise in delayed gratification for our children (well and for us too)
• JustKidzBooks in Bartlett is still my favorite way to get books for school. I bought over $500 worth of books this week for $100 (tax free)
• The Bargain Barn at Goodwill is still a treasure hunt that I enjoy. You can't beat .20 for a book.
• And, Garage Sales are still the bomb!!!

Now, I'm off to pack up some bags to take to Goodwill.

Holding Back the Laughter!!

Our oldest son has a difficult time with his conduct grades at school. Sometimes this is hard to handle because both of our girls had almost perfect conduct scores every year. (However, if I remember correctly I made a U in conduct my first grade year).

This week has been a particularly trying week. Noah had to pull his clip three times one day (you pull your clip when you break the rules). We talked sternly with him about the importance of following rules. The next day he didn't pull his clip. YEAH!!

Yesterday he had to pull his clip once. Here's David's description of why according to Noah. "I broke one of the rules". David asked which one and what happened. Noah said, "The teacher went out of the room and everyone started talking loudly. It was bothering me. So, I screamed loudly, The Party is Over. The teacher heard me and I had to pull my clip.

David almost wrecked his truck he was laughing so hard. Needless to say Noah is not happy about our laughter. But come on, that is hysterical!! So I'm holding back my laughter and sharing it with you.

We're Back!!

We finally departed from the Orlando airport yesterday morning at 8:00 am. The day before we attempted to get on 8 flights to no avail. When we didn't get on the first flight I offered to purchase Clara a treat after every flight we missed. Little did I know that I would be buying her so MANY treats. She now has three little stuffed dogs, a cool American girl doll puzzle book, a necklace, AND she consumed Starbucks, Burger King and a plethora of snacks. (I might have spent more $ in the airport than I spent on our whole trip...AAAHHH)

My goal for the getaway was to spend time with Clara. We bonded in a unique way sitting in the airport for so many hours. I was amazed at her quiet demeanor as we waited (of course the treats helped). She did not complain once!!

We also met some lovely people throughout the day, some of them became our buddies for the day. A lady from Dallas, a fun young woman from Atlanta (Clara thought she was the coolest), an elderly couple from Philadelphia, a couple from Portland, Oregon who had just completed a Disney Cruise with their whole family (three kids + spouses and several grandchildren), a professional specializing in cancer treatment plans.

It was also an excellent teaching opportunity to show Clara how a little kindness goes a long way. At the end of the day we wanted to determine the best way to get home. There were two represetatives at the counter...one did the minimal. She wasn't rude, she just didn't show a bit of compassion.

After receiving little help from her, we asked the lady standing next to her for some help. Her name was Luz R. She went out of her way to help us. She treated us with kindness and compassion. She made me smile when I wanted to cry.

It was a great moment to show Clara the contrast between treating someone as an individual and treating someone as one of the masses. It was a valuable visual lesson for treating people with kindness and respect.

Progress

This weekend Clara and I went to visit some friends in Florida. We had a great time with Madison and Renee!! And, we went to the Pirates and Princesses party at Magic Kingdom. A GREAT DEAL!!! We rode ride after ride after ride with little to no wait.

Yesterday we set out for the Orlando airport at 9:00 am flying on standby tickets which we are very grateful for. Today I sit at an airport hotel waiting for our shuttle to the Orlando airport. Yes, we are still here!!

Clara and I have certainly had an adventure and I am proud of her endurance.

Quotes from the AM

This morning Hannah made a statement that made me laugh out loud. She was getting ready for a trip and remembered that she wanted some gum. Her dad said , we can get some at the store. Her response was classic. "I already have some. We don't need to spend unnecessary money!!" We've been watching our pennies around here, but I had no idea it was sinking in so deeply.

Elijah has a new way of asking for what he wants. Rather than saying may I please have something to eat, he says..."This room makes me hungry" or "This room makes me want Diet Coke." or "This room makes me want to watch TV" Where in the world he came up with this concept we don't know. We do wonder if he is going to be the primo manipulator around here giving the others a run for their money.

In the Midst of It

Do you ever wake up in the morning with a thousand thoughts whirling around in your head bumping into each other? This morning I felt like a massive beehive had been stirred and the bees were on a major rampage in my brain. The thoughts ranged from the mundane...I need to do the laundry, clean the house, exercise, get to work on time....to the intense...how is my dad going to respond to chemo today, how can I be supportive to my parents when physcially removed. I will refrain from listing all that was swirling in my head, but you get the picture.

As I sat and attempted to pray, which I might say was difficult with all the buzzing thoughts, I remembered how God had spoken to me recently right before my dad's surgery. He used a line from a song that was the theme of a Bible study I was in at the time.

"I'm finding myself in the midst of You. Beyond the music, beyond the noise. All that I need is to be with you. And in the quiet hear your voice. Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain, washing my eyes to see your majesty. To be still and know that you're in this place. Please let me stay and rest in your holiness."

My prayer to God that day was "No matter where I am, I am in the midst of You. Nothing can separate me from you and your love. Lord, help me to get that. Turn my attention to you. Right now I'm realizing that you have placed me in this season of life in a busy place. It is an opportunity to live in the midst of You in the midst of it."

So much of life is "in the midst of it". "It" can be pretty much anything. You fill in the blank. No matter what our "it" is. No matter how we feel. God surrounds us and is bigger than our "it". He wants us to see Him. He wants to speak His truth in our circumtances.

Happy Easter!!

This Easter is shaping up to be unique. David and three of the kids just headed out to church. Me and Little E are going to hang out at home in an effort to avoid the spread of germs. Last night he left some presents in his diaper that we are choosing not to share with friends at church. And, he has a hacking cough.
Rather than dressing up and heading out the door, I'm dressed in comfy clothes and settling down for a few hours just me and Little E. Really it is a gift to get to hang out with my little man and enjoy him. He is a delight! He laughs. He plays. He snuggles. He tickles. He is such a joy and I know we will have a good day. .
And even though we will not be in the presence of 1,000 of our closest friends I believe that Jesus will enjoy hanging out this morning with me and Little E. So, I'm going to turn on some music and celebrate the life of Christ with my son. He is Risen!!
Happy Easter!!

Innovation!!

You may have heard of job sharing, house swapping, but many of you may not have heard of dog sharing. Well Hotel Smith has a new venture undertaken to combat the incessant "When are we going to get a dog?". We have agreed to be a second home to our friends Matt and Ari's dog Marley.

A few weekends ago Marley came for a visit. He didn't know what he was getting into!! He spent all day Saturday outside playing with the neighborhood kids. We sang to him (badly) which drives him crazy. He's pictured here plumb tuckered out asleep with Clara.

Snow Day!!!

This past weekend it snowed!!! Snow is rare in our neck of the woods so when it comes we really appreciate it. We all had a blast. Saturday morning we went back into the woods with our neighbors. It was breathtaking and a little Narnia-like.

The kids have their favorite (little) hill that we went to for sledding. Of course, Hannah and Clara were pros. Noah found that he REALLY likes to sled.

Elijah was game. He kept up with them all, BUT EVERY time he went down the hill he closed his eyes. It was hysterical!!

Finally, he asked if he could go down on his tummy. We said "Sure". And he did. On his tummy, WITH NO SLED!! He thought that was GREAT!!

What was I thinking?

Here's a pic of my best friend from college, Jill, and her family. They currently live in Russia. Jill has been telling me for months to download Skype. So, it's been on my to do list forever.

Well, today I downloaded said Skype. Once I called Jill and saw her beautiful face coming through my computer AND heard her voice clearly, I promptly jumped into my car, drove to the store, and purchased a webcam. I could see and hear her, BUT she could not see nor hear me.

Once I got everything set up we had the best conversation (1 1/2 hours). It was so INCREDIBLE. It was FREE (apart from the purchase of the web cam). What was I thinking? Why did I wait so long?

Steve Saint

This week very well could be the most memorable of 2008. Two events occurred. One I'll share in this post and the other I'll save for another post.

Our church hosted an evening with Steve Saint (pictured here with Mincaye). I am so thankful me and Hannah were able to attend together (David was also there, but he was working). Our neighbor, Cindy, kindly watched the boys so that I would be able to focus (rare in my world). So I sat and soaked while Steve Saint shared experiences from his life.

For those of you who do not know...he is the son of Nate Saint. His father along with four other men were matyred in Ecuador when they made contact with the Auca Indians. Then, by events that can only be explained by God, some of the women and children went and lived with the very people whom had killed their husbands and fathers. This tribe went from being violent to being loving.

That surprises us. As christians, why does it surprise us? Much of the New Testament was written by Paul who went from being a christian-killer to a leader in the church, a missionary with a tender heart for God's people. And really, if we look at our own hearts we know how vile they can be apart from Christ. So, I digress.

While I can't tell you everything Steve said, I can tell you my impressions. Steve was real. He was down to earth. He was funny and engaging. My strongest impression was sitting beside my daughter and watching her face light up as she listened. She was 100% engaged. She loved every minute of it. Of course her favorite part was when Steve was asked what was his first impression of the people when he went to Ecuador. His answer was "It was very revealing". And yes, he meant their nakedness. My girl thought that was FUNNY.

Personally, my deepest impression is that God has a plan and a purpose for all of our lives. Sometimes we get derailed because we do not choose to walk His path...we'd rather go our own way. What if those five men had said...no way man, I am not going to the jungle? Maybe they would have lived long lives. But, would their lives have impacted the world. What if those widows had said...no way man, I am not going to live with those savages who killed my husband? Would they have seen how God can redeem the darkest circumstances?

My take away is that each day I must listen carefully to the voice of God and follow him. Wherever He Leads I'll Go!! You know the really cool thing...Steve and Mincaye are speaking at our church this morning. It feels like Thursday night may have just been a warm-up

My saddest moment was to hear that Elisabeth Elliott is not well. I remember seeing her speak when I was a newly wed twenty-three year old. She of course has influenced my life in countless ways through her books.

Odyssey of the Mind!!

Our homeschool group has been doing a class entitled "Odyssey of the Mind". It has been a blast. We have twenty students who come together to solve problems creatively. These pictures are from our first class where they were given the problem of creating the longest rope with a few basic materials. They had a great time and worked together quite well.
Noah got to go to "class" this last week because he was on holiday. This afternoon he asked me when we were going to work on his project from the Odyssey of the Brain class.

Speechless!!

Noah's quote for the day while I was giving him a hug..."Mommy, sometimes when you hug me for a long time, it makes tears come to my eyes." Then, he leaned back and said "See, they are happy tears".
And sure enough, his sweet, clear, beautiful blue eyes were welling up with tears. And a big smile was on his face. Words cannot convey how that tender-hearted little man touched my soul in that moment!!!
Love deeply!!

Elijah is Three!!

Elijah is growing up before our very eyes. He turned three on January 27th. His verbal development is amazing. Here's some of my favorite quotes from this past week.

"The poop is hiding" - While sitting on the toilet during our first attempt at potty training.
"You're a sweet boy" - to Hannah when he was trying to convince her to do something.
"Your burgers (boogers) are hiding" - While cuddled up in my lap during reading time. He was holding my nose at the time, tightly I might add.
"Fire" - when Clara's friends Molly and Caroline took away the candle lighter from him (scary actually)
"I'll be a sweet boy and will not knock over the trash can" - after being sent to time out for knocking over the trash can. What remorse!!
"E-L-I-J-A-H, mommy is my name" - While trying to sing the song I sing to him. The lyrics are actually "E-L-I-J-A-H, Elijah is my name. I am three 1-2-3".
"I'm too busy" - when we ask him to do something. How many times has he heard that before?

Weekend Guest at Hotel Smith

Hotel Smith welcomed a VERY important guest this past weekend..."Little Bear". Little Bear is a stuffed animal that goes home each weekend with the star of the week from Noah's class.
You guessed it, Noah is star of the week!! This child was more excited about little bear than a snowstorm (maybe not). He and little bear had many adventures that are picture journaled for your viewing pleasure.
My husband brought up a great point. He observed that "Little Bear seems to me to be a breeding ground for germs and sickness". Well, I'm not a germaphobe, but I did pull out the Lysol Can!!
Little Bear went back to school today.
Hotel Smith awaits our next guests...we have plenty of openings this winter.

The Lake House

Thirteen Ladies.

Mounds of food, not laundry.

Movies galore and Miss American, not Dora or Little Einsteins.

Space and time to pursue scrapbooking, reading, jewlry-making, haircuts.

Total girl time.

Uninterrupted conversation.

Sweet God time.

Roaring Fire.

Tranquil setting.

Time with friends is truly a precious gift.

My trip to the Lake House was wonderful and I'm so thankful to David for taking up the slack at home so I could get away with friends for the weekend.

Thank you Jennifer and family for opening this beautiful home to us and for the reminder of how God the Father lavishes his love on His children!!!

Another View of Tornado

Another view of the tornado that passed by really close to our house. We've decided that tornados are really scary and so incredibly unpredictable.

Picture

Here's a pic taken from our neighborhood yesterday. Our house is located right in front of the trees pictured.