Friday, December 02, 2011

Photo Card

Merry Bright Greeting Holiday
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Wednesday, February 09, 2011

A Crazy-busy thing Called Life

From my post on facebook on 2-3-11. Just in case you missed it.....
After much thought and prayer, i made the decision (one of the hardest decisions ever) that it would be best for me to be a stay at home mom for at least a couple years.  
I had not made my decision until yesterday and It was not clear to me that it was the right decision, until abt 2:00 pm yesterday afternoon. i can see now, that this is the direction that God is leading me in. I often question why things happen but as i sit back and think about the recent things that have happened i can see His hands at work in every part of it. His plan becomes more and more clear to me every day. 
Everyone knows how much i love my job and why this has been such a hard decision for me. There has never been a day where i woke up and said "ugh i dont want to go to work". I love what i do and the people i work with.
These next 6 weeks will be very bitter-sweet for me for many reasons, but i know that i need to do whats best for my children.
I am not sure what God has in store for me years down the road but i can hope that Kellys will be in the plans at some point. I dont want to say good bye to kellys, instead i want to say "see you later".   :)
 
2-7-11- "Mommy, I liked it when you weren't working....you weren't so stressed out all the time, and you always had a smile on your face." --my kids.

So, I guess they are saying I am kinda a grouch!? lol. It is a bit stressful to get up at 4:45 am, get all of us ready for school and work, out the door by 6am, kids dropped off at the Rec Center by 6:30 and to the babysitters house to drop off the baby. I make it to work by 7:15 or so. I get off around 4:30-5:00, head to the babysitters house, then to the rec center to get the kids and fight traffic all the way home. I usually do not make it home till around 6:30pm or after.  I take the dogs out, get the baby's diaper bag ready for the next day, wash bottles, make the kids dinner, clean up a little bit, do home work with Jordan and Emma, take a shower and sometimes I am able to make it to bed by 9pm. (on a good night) There is no quality time spent with the kids at all (other than doing homework). Life was crazy and fast paced before the baby and now it's out of control, busy! And it doesn't help that Gabe is only home a couple of hours total during the week.

I have 5 more weeks until i stop working, and life will settle down a bit. I am still so nervous about my decision to stay home, but i need to keep trusting God. It wouldn't be such a hard decision if I didn't love my job so much. Not many people can say that they absolutely love their job like i do; BUT time with my kids is much more valuable and, that is what i keep reminding myself. Hopefully something will work out where i can still keep my job part time and then go back to full time in a few years.

Here are a few Little Things for today.

1. Sitting by Don at work and listening to his crazy rants and raves, he is SO funny!
2. Emma's "i love you"notes to me.
3. Still learning new things at work even though i am leaving.
4. Emma reading the baby numerous books after a long day of school and "daycare". And keeping the baby busy for a bit while i get things done around the house.
5. My mommy's love, help and support over these last few tough months. I wouldn't have made it without her help. Thank you, Mommy!
6. Big smiles from my baby boy.   
7. Gail being Gail.
8. "ahhh, Mommy!!! Norton keeps updating my computer while i am trying to do stuff!!!!" -Jacob. "Ummm, WHO is Norton?? Some guy???" --Emma.
9. Jacob's vocabulary. The words he uses shocks me sometimes.. lol he is too smart!
10. The "punch bug" bug game. Emma never plays and never really pays attention to the game, and all of a sudden one day she blurted out so loud "punch bug, punch bug, punch bug!!!!!!!!!" and got all three of the punch bugs that the boys fight over everyday on Story Road. The car was so quiet until she shouted out punch bug. It was like she had just caught on to the game after all these months of the boys playing EVERYDAY!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Is it Friday already?

I have to say this week has gone by SO fast! I am sure it has something to do with me going back to work on Monday and my maternity leave ending.  :(

 I tried something today that i have really wanted to do for a while now. i have always been a "smart" shopper but never to this extreme and i hope to learn more and more to become even more extreme!!!

I sat down this afternoon and went through my coupons.  i figured if there were a ton of other people out there getting so many great deals and having such great "stock piles" then i should be able to figure it out and do it too!

so i sat down for about 2 hours.... sorting, checking ads, putting together different senarios, ect.

Since i have not invested in a nifty coupon binder i put each senario and transaction in different envelopes with each shopping list written on the front of the envelope.  easy-peasy! all i had to do was look at each list on the front of the envelope, get the items, head to the check out and hand the cashier the envelopes at check out. no shuffling through coupons (no dropping them all down the isles, ect) i knew what i was going into the store for and thats all i came out with!

so here is what i got at Publix! i know it doesn't look like much but buying diapers and formula is comparable to buying diamonds and gold!!! small but pricey! hehe :)
I used store (publix), manufacturer, and target coupons.  Oh, and i also had some Similac $5 checks.

3 cases of diapers (on sale at Publix for 19.99)
(There is a coupon in the Publix ad for $3 off Huggies, plus i used target coupons and manufactuer coupons. )
2 Jumbo Huggies Little Snugglers
3 Wet wipes
1 wet wipe "refill" pack.
2 Bottles of A1 sauce
2 things of mustard
2 Campbells Soup
1 Large can of Similac formula (regular 23.49)
2 Cans of Similac formula (regular 14.49 each)
2 Gallons of Nursery water
1 Finish dishwashing tablets
1 Cascade dishwashing tablets
1 Smiliac 8 oz ready to feed individual bottles
1 Beachnut baby rice cereal

Grand Total? $196.65
total saved? $125.85
out of pocket? $70.80
Not bad, but i am sure i can do better, and I can't wait to try again!

So, question............What was your biggest savings shopping trip? What store? And how much did you save?

Monday, January 24, 2011

Time sure does fly!

As I was going through the baby's clothes i ran across an outfit that looked very familiar. It was the same outfit that Gabriel came home from the hospital in at 48 hours old, only in size "3 month". Look at how much he has grown!
 
Five days old (size preemie) and  9.5 weeks old

All good things come to an end

So, other than all of the sickness and bad news that has hit since i have been on maternity leave,  i have enjoyed being home more than i could ever try to begin to explain. My days of sleeping in, cuddling with my baby boy till 10 am; countless hours of sitting in the rocking chair talking and just admiring my precious baby; no need to wear make up or get dressed up because there is no need to leave the house; nights of staying up to whatever time i want; being home to take care of my sick children; and not having to scramble to figure out baby sitters on school holidays are quickly ending. On Monday, Jan 31, 2011 I will go back to the crazy, stressful, fast-paced lifestyle that we lead before Baby G was born. We will go back  to being away from our home from 6:00am to almost 7:00 pm. The kids will be back to LONG days at the rec. center and school, and the baby will be with Sandra more than he will be with me.  But, i am trying to stay positive. My four babies and i will get through these hard times.
  Jan 31 will be a very emotional day for me. For now, i am loving every last second of being at home with my children.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Thursday Jan 20, 2010 "Todays Little Things"

 With all of the negative things that have been happening lately and me being stressed to the max, I thought I would sit down and think of some positive things...

1. A new customizable blog background, ect.
2. The baby fussing ALLLLL day, wanting me to hold him, comfort him ect. Gabe holding him for five minutes and him crying the whole time (he wants his mommy!!) until he put Barney on Youtube.... the baby perked right up, stopped crying and watched the whole video clip and then started talking... i think he likes Barney!
3. Chicken cooking in the crock pot.
4. Wonderful nurses at our Dr. office.
5. Being off work to take care of all of my sick babies.
6. Hearing about someones "New life/new relationship". I am happy for them!
7. Gabriel growing and growing. He's now 11 pounds at 2 months. ( eek i forgot to ask what his percentages were!!)
8. Store brands that are just as good but cheaper!!! (store brand spaghettios are SO good!)
9. My Mommas help.
10. $5 formula checks from Similac that came in the mail. (love them!!!)
11. Last Sunday's church service. It was the first time I had been to church (period) AND understood/totally got every single word the pastor was talking about. I was glued to him the entire service.  It was a great message that really made me think about things.  I enjoyed it.
12. Learning to do things one-handed  since the baby is requiring my constant attention. I have cooked dinner, made bottles, done the dishes, laundry (not folded- but loading, unloading and switching from washer to dryer)  and much more.... all while holding the baby.  I can tell he is not feeling well at all.  Guess who is in my lap now?  :)



Our house has been hit pretty hard this season with sickness after sickness. My kids had a cough but were ok.... Then Isabella came up here sick and after that it just snowballed from there. First Isabella, then Ashley, then Gabe, Then baby Gabe. we were doing better and slowly getting better once Emy and Isa went back to Miami and then WHAM!!! Emma gets a fever out of no where and tested positive for the flu. Two days later, Jacob got a fever. I know its only a matter of time before it's Jordan's turn. We are spending so much money on meds, and doctors visits. I think we will all be getting a flu shot next year.  ;)

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Tuesday 1-4-10

Ahhh such a peaceful Tuesday. So much to be thankful and blessed with so many things.
1. Gabe quitting smoking.
2. Breakfast at the Ocoee Cafe and seeing my Mom and Melinda.
3. Melinda seeing Baby G for the first time (other than the hospital right after he was born).
4. Surviving the car line.
5. Asking Jacob if he has homework and him saying "no, but i would like to do some research." (just for his own personal education, not needed for school)
6. Jordan laying with Molly for long periods of time just talking to her as if she is talking back to him.
7. Emma being a big help with the baby in the mornings when we are all getting ready before school.
7.5. Random "i looove you"s from Gail. 
8. Everyone being well enough for the massive amount of "sick stuff" to be put away.
9. Having a counter top again...
10. Having the kids at home RIGHT after school and them not having to have such a long day at daycare and school.
11. A visit from Gabe's parents.
12. All of the beautiful moments captured in each one of the following pictures. 
 6.5 weeks old