The Koetting Family

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks to the inspiration of Pintrest, I went a little crazy making Valentines this year. Normally, I just buy premade ones with candy from Walmart and call it good. But, this year, after seeing all of the neat things and so many free printables on Pintrest, I decided to make different ones for each of my children.

I made the one at the beginning of this post for our family and Pintrest linked back to this website with the idea.

After seeing this precious idea for a Valentine's, Colby volunteered to do a photo shoot with my handmade mustache.

He had fun playing around!

Here's the finished product that I ordered from one of my favorite sites to get photo books, calendars, cards, etc.

Well.... after I received them, Colby expanded on his idea that they could ONLY be for our family and not his friends, as it would be embaressing! Well, darn... so I do have an extra 20 of these! But, anyway, fine, we prepared them for our family and I looked for another cute idea that would be appropriate to give his 9-year-old friends. I found this precious idea of covering a Sweet tart Heart Candy box with an iphone printable.

On to Abigail, who was certainly the most in to crafting with me :-) Here's her finished product that I found on this site. It has a precious little poem on it too.

Creating these handprint cards sounded like an easy task, but then realizing she needed 17 for her class & 15 for our family, it took a while to get them all done! She was a little sensitive to the smell of the paint, hence the bandana!

I made a few different ones for Isaiah also. The one below went to our family in town, and I found the printable topper here.

His other Valentine was certainly the one that took the longest of all I made this year to make. But, they turned out pretty cute - Superhero Suckers! The printables I found here.

Finally, for Jacob I saw this cute idea & made my own simple baggie topper.

This precious idea caught my eye and I had Colby, Abigail & Isaiah each make a few of these Mail-a-Hugs to send to our out-of-town family.

Colby purchased each of these wax lips for his siblings last week at his school's student council Valentine's shop. So fun! I remember getting these when I was a kid.

One last pose with little Jacob!

So, after 3 weekends of making Valentine's we were able to mail them to out-of-town family and give them to in-town family and all of the kid's classmates and teachers!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Advent Giving Quest - Week 4 Report

2011-12-29T10:22:00.016-06:00

Last week was the 4th week of Advent. We celebrated my third child's 5th birthday on Wednesday the 21st, which was also the last day of school for my oldest three for 2011.

On Thursday, we bought the meal for the person behind us in the drive thru line at Chick-fil-a :-) Then, that afternoon we went with my kid's cousins to visit a few of the convents in town to bring them fruit baskets.

Then, on Friday, we went caroling with my family, my mom, her husband and my two sisters. We first visited one of my grandparent's friends.

I love this picture of my four caroling children :-)

Then, we visited a sweet friend from our church who we sing with in the adult choir. He was so precious and had hot chocolate ready for us.

Finally, we visited one of my mother's friends from her church, also a precious woman!

It sure was fun spreading God's love and joy to these people.

This year, we put our Christmas treat downstairs and my mom made a felt Christmas tree for our living room. During Thanksgiving break Colby, Abigail & Isaiah helped her make felt ornaments. Then, as we did different Random Acts of Christmas Kindness, we printed the pictures and put them on felt for our tree.

Wow, hard to believe the 4 weeks of Advent are over & we are now in the Christmas season. I have really enjoyed our Advent Giving Quest this past month & am planning on continuing Random Acts of Kindness throughout this year.

Thinking about each thing we have done, it's exciting to think about the possibilities of what we began. If each random act was continued on or inspired someone else to help someone, that would be awesome. It reminds me of a song and a video - Steve Weeks has a song called Someday that's all about passing it on. The lyrics are here and a sample of the song can be found here. I also saw this video on a friend's facebook page the other day - such an amazing video about passing it on!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Giving into the New Year!

Advent Giving Quest - Week 3 report & Week 4 plan

2011-12-19T08:55:00.008-06:00

This sure has been a busy week, but we were able to squeeze in a few Random Acts of Christmas Kindness. This past Thursday after school, I took Colby, Abigail & her friend to the laundrymat on the way home. Thankfully there were 3 people doing their laundry, so each of the kids were able to give them a card with $1.50 in quarters in it. One of the ladies even followed us out and said what a blessing it was.

So much fun!!

I ended up purchasing quite a few of the items for our Angel Tree recipients online and finished up my shopping at Old Navy on Thursday. I wanted to get my kids more involved in the picking out and purchasing of gifts, but it would have been too crazy with all 4 of them. On Friday, my mom helped me wrap each gift individually, then we put all the presents in a big wrapped box. We were able to bless a 7 yr old girl, 14 yr old girl, and a woman in a nursing home. It's hurts my heart thinking especially about these children who have probably had to deal with so many issues my children don't even know exist - possibly being unfed, unclothed, parents being unemployed or addicted to a drug or alcohol, or other challenges. I am so thankful for all we have and all we are blessed with. I hope through this Advent Giving Quest my children have been able to feel the joy in giving and helping others & also been able to realize how truly blessed we are.

Last night, I braved Walmart to shop for this week's groceries and took Colby with me. It was crazy full of people, as we are supposed to have a blizzard this afternoon. When we checked out, Colby asked the clerk her favorite type of gum & bought it for her. She thanked us probably 3 times. Then, he gave the person behind us in line a $10 gift card to walmart on our way out & she was truly touched.

For this the last week of Advent, we plan on buying the order for the person behind us in a fast food drive-thru lane. On Thursday, we plan on blessing some sisters at a few of the convents here with goodies and carols. Then, on Friday, my family is planning on caroling to a few of my grandparent's friends. We started this tradition last year & it was so wonderful! We will also continue handing out the candy canes and m&ms.

My kids have a few more days in school, before being out for Christmas break, so the days will be filled with Christmas parties and fun with friends. We will celebrate Isaiah's 5th birthday on Wednesday & then my precious sisters will be coming to town on Wednesday and Friday. Our week will also be filled with final preparations for the music for the Christmas eve masses at church. I have the last presents to wrap, sweet treats to make, laundry to do & my house to clean - but, we WILL take time and slow down to enjoy the time we have together with family & friends making memories and enjoying this beautiful season of giving.

Advent Giving Quest - Week 2 report & Week 3 plan

2011-12-12T11:10:00.025-06:00

I know it's already Tuesday and I'm finally getting this posted, but I want to stay up to date with our happenings. Please excuse the poor quality of some of the photos in this post. Somehow I was only able to take pictures with my phone during some of our givings, but I still wanted to document it.

Last week, we had a great week of giving!! Last Thursday, my children had the day off because it was a Holy Day, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. So, we took the opportunity to begin our day with giving. We first visited one of the Fire Houses close to my mom's house & brought them 2 dozen donuts. One of the firemen noticed my kid's jackets with their school's logo & said he goes to the church.

Then, we went to another Fire House and brought them 2 dozen donuts also.

They were very welcoming and offered to have us take a picture in front of the firetruck.

Then, one of the firemen let the kids get in the truck.

He let them try on the helmet and look at some of the gear.The kids all enjoyed it!Then, we went to a nursing home to bring a few gifts to their residents.

The kids did an amazing job going up to the people and giving them gifts.After all of our giving, we were able to meet lots of our friends at church and decorate cookies together, color Christmas sheets, watch a Christmas movie, and sing Christmas carols together - such an awesome full day!!

This past Saturday, I took my oldest two and one of Abigail's friends for more giving. We first went to the Dollar Store and picked out some mylar balloons.

We loaded up into the car with all 9 balloons & headed to the mall!Each of the kids had 3 balloons tied on their wrists & I held a basket with candy canes, m&ms, and Christmas books. The balloons sure did catch the attention of people as we were walking through the mall. The kids were on the lookout for young children who might not be enjoying their shopping experience :-) All 3 of them had a great time giving them away!! Thinking back on it, they didn't ask once to keep one of the balloons, pretty precious.

When we made it down to the children's play area, I held the 5 balloons we had left and each of them took a Christmas book into the play area to give away. Abigail's friend had no reservation & walked right up to a parent sitting on a bench & asked if her child would like the book. Thankfully she said yes! I happened to be standing behind her and her friends & it was so neat watching them open the book and read the card about Random Acts of Christmas Kindness inside. Here's a picture of them walking away after giving it to them:You can barely see the 2 girls scoping out who they would give the other book to - As we were walking through the mall and looking through a few stores, the kids were able to give away some of the Christmas books, candy canes & m&ms to some of the people working in Gap, Victoria's Secret Dillard's. They also gave them to some a few people sitting on the benches throughout the mall.

This past week, we were also able to give the candy canes & m&ms to various people we came in contact with. The best story so far happened Tuesday evening after the kid's Christmas play at school. We went through the drive through at our local coffee shop to get hot chocolate to drink while we drove around looking at Christmas lights. I had Abigail come up and give the person who made our coffee a Candy Cane with the story attached to it. He was so appreciative & said it was the best tip he had ever gotten & as we drove away I heard him telling his fellow employees how excited he was with what he had been given. So fun!!

Here's our plan for Week 3 of our Advent Giving Quest:

Thursday after school, we will stop by the Laundrymat that's on our way home & bless people with the cards with $1.50 in quarters inside.

Friday after school, we will go shopping for the 3 people we will be buying Christmas gifts for from the Angel Tree at church.

We also need to get more candy canes & M&Ms and attach the Christmas story to each to give away. They work great for giving away to anyone we come in contact with!

As the opportunities arise, we also plan on:
Grocery Store - buy a gift card and hand it to the person checking out behind me.
Grocery Store - buy a package of gum & give it to the checkout clerk
Grocery Store - buy a coffee or hot chocolate & give it to the Salvation Army bell ringer when leaving the store
Restaurants - hand out coupons that I have or small gift cards before leaving restaurant
Restaurants - Leave a small gift for waiter/waitress
Drive-Thru Restaurant - pay for person behind me in line

As I read on a friend's Facebook page this morning, "A little *spark* of kindness can put a COLOSSAL BURST of sunshine into someone's day!"

Have a wonderful week of Giving!!

Advent Giving Quest - Week 1 Report & Week 2 Plan

2011-12-04T20:37:00.019-06:00

Advent has begun!! This past week, on the evenings we were home to eat dinner together, we began reading through a Family Advent book the kids received last year from St. Nicholas. It had great short readings with thoughts about Advent and even tied in with our giving plan for the season!

On Monday, my mom, my kids and I put together quite a few packages to give out during Advent. We put the Candy Cane story onto candy canes, M&M nativity story on individual M&M packages, taped quarters into cards, and packaged candles and body lotion sets.

Jacob enjoyed "reading" books while we were putting together our gifts.

Abigail had fun taping all of the quarters on the cards:Isaiah joined us for a while helping out too!Mom and I finished up the preparation of all the gifts, as my kids got a little side-tracked!

Here's our completed packages ready to give away! We divided up the packages between me and my mom and put them in our cars so we would have them throughout the week.

Throughout this past week, we were able to bless quite a few people with Random Acts of Christmas Kindness! Here's a few pictures of our actions:

My mom gave away a package at the post office:

and the bank:

On Monday, Isaiah went to Walmart with me for groceries and he asked our checkout clerk what her favorite gum was, then we gave it to her with a card when we left. It made all of us smile :-)

We met my mom at a few laundrymats on Tuesday and each of my children were able to give away a card with $1.50 in quarters taped to it to six different individuals.

They all loved giving them away!!

Their school is doing a drive to collect items for a local association to help less fortunate children and the SPCA. Each of my kids were able to donate a bag full each of items for this cause.

Abigail decided to give a few more things the next day of her own toys.

Isaiah gave our checkout teller at World Market a Candy Cane with the story on Wednesday.

My mom gave gifts at Texas Roadhouse, Stockyards restaurant, United, Outback, home Bug Sprayer, and our hair dresser. She also bought coffee for a Salvation Army bell ringer at United.

It was a VERY successful week of Random Acts of Christmas Kindness!

Week 2 of Advent Giving Quest Plan:

This Thursday is December 8th, the Feast of Immaculate Conception, so my children have the day off from school. We are going to use this opportunity to get started early with giving that day! We are planning on delivered donuts to a firehouse and then bringing candy canes, m&ms, and small gifts to a few nursing homes.

We are also planning on Saturday to go to the mall (after picking up mylar balloons at the dollar store) to handout balloons to children shopping with their parents, putting Christmas books at the children's play area, handing out coupons for free food at Chick-fil-a (I bought these at a silent auction), & handing out Candy Cane & M&Ms with their stories.

As the opportunities arise, we also plan on:

Grocery Store - buy a gift card and hand it to the person checking out behind me.

Grocery Store - buy a package of gum & give it to the checkout clerk

Grocery Store - buy a coffee or hot chocolate & give it to the Salvation Army bell ringer when leaving the store

Restaurants - hand out coupons that I have or small gift cards before leaving restaurant

Restaurants - Leave a small gift for waiter/waitress

Drive-Thru Restaurant - pay for person behind me in line

Have a wonderful week of Giving!!!

Week One of Advent - Giving Quest

2011-11-27T17:34:00.012-06:00

I took this picture today after church - I love my happy kids!!!

Last night, we began to get out our Christmas decorations - they all had fun helping me decorate and playing with everything!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, we are planning an Advent season full of giving. We have been printing labels and cutting today, thanks to Colby and Abigail. Tomorrow, my mom is coming over and together with my kids we are going to put together some of the things we will be giving away.

Our first Random Act of Kindness is planned for this coming Tuesday afternoon. Tomorrow, we are going to put quarters on the four corners of the card below.

Then, on Tuesday, we will take these cards to a local laundrymat or two and hand them out to people there. I hope there's going to be lots of people washing their clothes after the Thanksgiving break so each of my kids can bless at least one person! I know $1 will not even pay for a load to be washed or dried, but hopefully it WILL bless that person's day & my child's heart in giving something away.

Here's a few other projects we will be assembling tomorrow:

We will be attaching the Christmas story printed below to M&M candy wrappers. I found this story through pintrest and it led me to this site.

We will also be attaching the Legend of the Candy Cane story below to candy canes. I found this cute printable thru pintrest too & it led me to this site.

We are going to hand out the M&Ms and the candy canes at nursing homes and the mall later this month.

I've planned two specific givings each week of Advent. I will be highlighting our plans here each week. I also have a list of other things we can do during the week, depending on where we are. I will have the small cards to explain what we are doing in my purse so I can hand these out as we do something!

These things are:
Grocery Store - buy a gift card and hand it to the person checking out behind me.
Grocery Store - buy a package of gum & give it to the checkout clerk
Grocery Store - buy a coffee or hot chocolate & give it to the Salvation Army bell ringer when leaving the store
Restaurants - hand out coupons that I have or small gift cards before leaving restaurant
Restaurants - Leave a small gift for waiter/waitress
Drive-Thru Restaurant - pay for person behind me in line

Next week, I'll report back with our progress of this week & give the coming week's plan! I hope you will join us on this Advent Giving Quest! Let me know what you and your family have done or are planning on doing!!

Advent Plan - Random Acts of Kindness

2011-11-13T15:50:00.014-06:00

This Advent, I am planning on performing Random Acts of Kindness with my children. I have been searching the internet and Pintrest to find neat ideas. I thought I would compile my list here & would love to add any ideas you may have!

I found this great post about this family's experience with Advent Random Acts of Kindness for last year and am modeling our plan after their's. I ordered cards to put with each of our gifts from Cardstore.com when they had their awesome 80% off sale a few weeks ago :-)

On the inside of the card it says:

"Random Acts of Christmas Kindness - You'ved Been RACK'ed"

"This Advent, we are celebrating the true meaning of Christmas by performing Random Acts of Kindness. You are a child of God and we pray you find His blessings this Christmas season."

Here's another blog post I found with lots of great ideas - it was a woman celebrating her 38th birthday by doing 38 Random Acts of Kindness!

During the Advent & Christmas season, it is easy to be self-centered. I hope by blessing others with these random acts of kindness, my children will focus more on how we can help and give to others, rather than what they want to receive for Christmas.

Ideas:

Taping coins on vending machines - toys, snacks, or sodas

Single dollars in toy aisle of dollar store

Candy canes at ATM machines

Hand out $5 Starbucks gift cards at mall

Coloring books & crayons in a waiting room

Donate items to food bank, homeless shelter, etc.

Hand out mylar balloons to children shopping with their parents at mall

Handwritten letter to old friend or family member

Buy gift card at checkout of grocery store & give it to person behind you before leaving

Give gift card or coupon to table at restaurant (good way to use freebie or discount coupons for restaurants)

Read a story to children at book store or library

In drive thru line, pay for person's meal behind you (give cashier the card to give to them)

Make a meal (double your evening's recipe) for a friend or loved one

Giving someone on the street corner a bag with bottled water & granola bars
Take a set of holiday books & leave at the mall play area
Get an angel from an angel tree & buy the needs & wants for the child or person in need
Buy hot cocoa or coffee for a Salvation Army bell ringer
Buy a package of gum or mints for checkout clerk at grocery or convenience clerk
Hand out flowers to random people
Leave a basket of Christmas gifts on doorstep of family in need
Leave note & candy canes on cars in parking lots
Take a bunch of quarters to the laundromat & give them away
Take a roll of pennies or other coins & drop them all over a playground for kids to find

People to bless with small gifts:

Mailman

Firemen

Police Officers

Teachers - school, Sunday school, coaches, activity leaders, etc.

Health care professionals

Waiter/waitress

Service people working outside (hot donuts!)

Nursing Homes - gifts, cards or caroling

Neighbors

Small gift ideas:

coffee

small amt gift cards

cookies or candy

caroling

food

Here's a few blog posts with good ideas for small gifts:30 Neighbor Gift Ideas and Gifts from Your Kitchen

So, this is our plan!!! We will begin Monday, November 28th, the 2nd day of Advent. To keep us accountable, I am planning on blogging as I can on our progress! I am also wanting to get a tree where we could tie to it all of the blessings and random acts of kindness that we have done throughout the season. I am copying this blog by also planning to pray during our evening prayers for the people that we met or blessed that day.

I invite you to join with us in this project! Please comment with additional ideas of things you can do or have done. Have fun spreading the love of Christ with others!

Peanut Butter Power Balls

2011-11-05T13:28:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, I was searching the internet to find ideas to pack for the kid's lunch. I came across the recipe for Peanut Butter Power Balls. They quickly became a favorite for my kid's for lunch, snack or anytime!

Here's the original recipe:
1 c peanut butter
1/2 c non-fat milk powder or soy protein powder
1/2 c raisins or chocolate chips
1/4 c honey
Graham cracker crumbs

I've amended it to:
1 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c non-fat milk powder
1/4 c mini chocolate chips
1/4 c quick cooking oats
1/4 c honey
1 t flaxseed meal
Graham cracker crumbs

Mix all ingredients except graham cracker crumbs in large bowl. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in crumbs & refrigerate or freeze.

I usually make this recipe times 5, so I can use an entire 40 oz jar of peanut butter! It makes enough to fill a large tupperware to keep in the fridge & the remaining in a ziploc in the freezer. We just made them this morning & it made 85 balls.
I usually get everything mixed up & then whichever of my kids are around, they help me roll them in the graham cracker crumbs. It's a fun activity & great snack!

Five Little Pumpkins

2011-11-04T19:38:00.016-05:00

Five Little Pumpkins sitting on a gate,

The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"

The second one said, "There are witches in the air."

The third one said, "But we don't care"

The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run"

The fifth one said, I'm ready for some fun!"

OO went the wind and out went the light

and the Five Little Pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Online Savings from an Amarillo Mama

2011-10-21T08:11:00.024-05:00

For the past year and a half, I have been trying to save money where I can. The internet is an amazing resource in this project. I've attempted to compile everything I've learned on this journey so you can join me!!

For a lot of what I'm going to share with you, if you want to take advantage of them, please click on the links here. Then, if you sign up for accounts & make a purchase with the different sites, we both might receive referral/signup credits. So, please go through the links!

I have found many blogging moms who list great deals daily for shopping, how to use coupons at various stores to save, codes for diaper rewards, and many other great tips. You can sign up to receive their new posts through email, google reader, facebook or just check online.

I recommend that you sign up for a new email address when you sign up for accounts on any of these sites or send off for samples. (like gmail, yahoo, etc) - That way possible email won't clog up your personal email address.

Some of my Favorite Blogs to Save:

On each of these sites, they post quite a few times a day with free samples, sweepstakes, coupons, store guides to coupons, diaper codes, alerts about markdowns at different sites, discount and free shipping codes to various sites, redbox codes for free rentals, etc. Most of them also host giveaways. Some of them also list info about meal planning, craft ideas, parenting and ideas about faith.

I follow a few of these on facebook, so I can quickly see if I want to go to their site and take advantage of a deal. Sometimes they have the same deals posted, but other times they're different.

Hip2Save - Not Your Grandma's Coupon Site - This is my favorite site to check! She also believes in giving back to the community and others in need, which I love.

For the Mommas

Common Sense With Money

Crazy Coupon Mommy

Faithful Provisions

The Thrifty Mama

There are MANY other sites like these above that list some of the same deals, as well as others!:
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, She Saved , Surviving the Stores, Fashion Sense for Mom, Hoosier Homemade, Penny Pinchin' Mom, I go BOGO, Keeping the Kingdom First, Moms Need to Know, Mrs. Moneysaver, Passion for Savings, Coupon Cravings, Sisterly Savings, Happy Clippings, etc.

There are always discounts and freebies to make photo gifts or print pictures! Don't ever pay full price. I've been able to stock up on future birthday and Christmas presents on many different items at a greatly reduced price.

Online Shopping:
Before shopping for anything online, check these sites to see where you can get a percentage of your purchase price back. They also have coupon codes where you can save even more. The % back that you receive changes, as they feature different stores each day & change the amount you will get back.

ShopatHome - I have received $105 since Sept 2010! They send you a check each month when you have at least $20 in your account. For example, recently they were giving 10% back at Gap, and Payless Shoes was 8%. We will each get $5 when you make your first purchase through their site within 30 days of signing up.

Ebates - I have received $395 since Aug 2010!!! They pay every quarter, as long as you have at least $5.01 in your account. For example, recently Gap online was giving 10% & Snapfish was giving 20%! We will each get $5 when you make your first purchase through their site within 30 days of signing up.

Upromise - This one saves $ for kid's college. I have saved $766 since 2002!! You enter your credit cards into your account. Then, when you shop through their site to other online sites you receive % back for college. You can also link your Albertson's & CVS cards to receive more savings. Another way to save $ through Upromise is to apply for one of their credit cards & a % of all purchases goes into your child's account. The great thing is anyone who will sign up can save for your child, like grandparents, etc. When you have enough $ saved, you can start a 529 plan for your child.

Discover Card - If you have a discover card, I would also recommend you check through their shop discover link on their site. It works the same way as ebates & shopathome, but you have to use your discover card when you check out & the % you get back goes into your cashback bonus amount, which is redeemable at any time. One of the best %s they have right now is for the Groupon site - 15%! (Ebates only gives 6%). My mom actually got a Discover Card just for her Groupon purchases :-) The positive about the % back from Discover Card is after your monthly bill is paid, you can redeem your % back immediately - credit your account balance, transfer to a bank account and other ways.

Websites Featuring Different Discounted Items:
I have found quite a few sites that showcase different products at a greatly reduced price, each product for a short period of time. Most of these have referral & signup bonuses too!

Here are some of my favorites:

Target - Target's website features around 5 daily deals that always ship for free.

Jasmere - on this site, they feature one thing each day or so. The price of the item goes down with each person who purchases. The final price is what everyone pays. I've gotten a few neat gifts with this site!

Zulily - this site features many different children's clothing, shoes, accessories, toys, and a few maternity and nursing mini-stores of different brands - at a discounted price. They have really, really cute items! If you are considering checking it out, please leave a comment or email so I can send you a referral email.

The Mini Social - this site features different children's clothing & accessories at discounted prices.

Totsy - this site also features children's items. If you sign up, they will send you an email with the items they are showcasing for the day & at times they run free shipping.

Heartsy - this site features homemade items, like etsy.

My Habit - This is amazon's daily deal site. Their items always ship for free.

Living Social - sometimes they have local deals

HauteLook - This site features all different items for children & adults.

Rue La La - this site features mostly adult clothing & items.

Swirl by DailyCandy - this site features mostly adult clothing & accessories.

There are many, many more!!

Sites for Amarillo 1/2 off Gift Certificates to Restaurants & Retail

Groupon - They feature different local and internet businesses for usually 1/2 off. I've purchased deals for: Macaroni Joe's, Belmar Bakery, and much more! Like I mention above, go through ebates or shopdiscover before clicking on groupon to save even more!

Restaurants:

Amarillo.com Daily Deals - They post deals for local restaurants & retail businesses. They are usually available for a few days before changing. Recently, I've gotten a deal through this site for D'Vine Wines & for 575 Pizzeria!

These sites have been active in the past, but haven't run any specials lately: Thrifty Thursdays, Deals on Dining, Tasty Tuesdays,Half Off Gift Cards, Hometown Half Off

Sites That Feature 50+% off Gift Certificates - Items Change Daily

These sites feature businesses in various cities across the US. But hidden within some are online offers too! You just have to find them - sometimes some of the blogs to save I listed above will list all of the offers & where to find the online offers. You can set one city that closest to you as your city, but look through the other cities to find possible online deals.

Eversave - Similar to Groupon, with daily savings in different cities. I've purchased a few deals from them. The most recent is one I used to purchase our Christmas cards. It was $25 for $75 to picaboo.com. I had $24 in save rewards from referrals and sharing deals after purchasing. So, I got it for $1!!! After purchasing a deal, if you share it through email or facebook, etc they automatically put $2 in your save reward account to use on future deals.

Tippr - Similar to the others. I've purchased one deal from Tippr for 4 movie ticket vouchers, including IMAX or 3D movies - it was $20, redeemable through fandango ($56 value). You'll get a $5 credit for signing & I'll get $5 when you make your 1st purchase.

Buy With Me - Similar to the others.

Seize the Deal - Amarillo is listed for local daily deals. But you can also shop the other cities!

Coupons:

Using coupons can really save a lot of money. I get some coupons out of the Sunday newspaper, but there are also quite a few sites where you can just print the coupons that you want.
Coupons.com

Smartsource

Redplum

Health Esavers

Target - When I know I'm going to Target, I always check on the Blogs to Save to figure great deal scenarios before I go. This usually involves using quite a few coupons. At Target, they will accept one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon on the same item! You can also sign up to get a weekly text with a link to more coupons. The checker just has to scan your phone at checkout. Recently, I purchased a jumbo pack of Huggies diapers, original price of $8.99- but I used a manufacturer coupon for $2.50 & a Target coupon for $2, so I only paid $4.49! You can also apply for a Target credit card that automatically gives you 5% off of every purchase.
Here's a deal I got recently: Curel lotion was on sale for $2.99. Target was running a promotion if you buy 2 of the various Curel lotions, you get a $5 Gift Card for use on a future transaction. I printed online 2 $1 off coupons, so I paid $4 and received a $5 Gift Card!
Mambo Sprouts

Great sites to enter Giveaways & see Reviews for Children's Products:

Busy Working Mama (I won a giveaway on this site before!)

Classy Mommy

Real Moms Real Views

Natural Baby Goods

Songberries

Simple Mom Reviews

My 365 to Size 5

Mommy Mandy

Cool Baby Kid

Vanilla Joy (she also posts a lot of neat crafting ideas!)

Momma Told Me

HSUper Parents

Usually the blogs who do giveaways first review the product & then give one away. So, it's a great way to learn about new products for kids that some of our local stores don't carry.

A Few More Sites to Checkout:

Amazon.com is offering a program called Amazon Mom where anyone can get a free 3 month membership to Amazon Prime, which gives you free 2-day shipping. You can earn additional months by purchasing $25 of products from the amazon baby store. It also qualifies you for 30% off subscribe & save diapers. You do not have to be a mom to qualify, as you can choose family member (be an aunt, uncle, etc). This will really come in handy with Christmas coming!

I also shop the site 6pm.com for great deals on shoes. But make sure & go through ebates (2.5% back) or shopathome (4% back) before purchasing!

Before checking out of various online stores I search at Retail Me Not to see if I can find a coupon code for free shipping, or an additional amount off.

The Graveyard Mall is a site that has lots of discounted items.

The Plastic Jungle - a website where you can sell, buy, exchange or donate gift cards. You can purchase gift cards for up to 30% off of their value, and you can sell your unwanted gift cards for up to 92% of their value.

Reward Programs:

Huggies Diapers - There are codes in every huggies diaper and wipes package. You enter these online & then redeem them for prizes. On a lot of the blogs to save sites they list other codes you can enter along with your diaper codes. If you haven't joined this & would like to, please let me know & I'll send you an email referral so I can earn extra points!

Pampers Diapers - The Gift to Grow program reward codes are found in every pampers diaper & wipes package. Enter them online & then redeem them for prizes. Extra codes are also shared on some of the blogs to save sites!

Disney Movie Rewards - The reward codes can be found in Disney dvds/blue-rays, as well as Disney movie theater ticket stubs. Also, the blogs to save sometimes have extra codes to enter. You can redeem your points for prizes. If you would like to join this & haven't already, please leave a comment or email so I can send you a referral email, as I'll get extra points for the referral!

The End

Wow - that's a lot of information! I hope you've enjoyed reading through this post. If you have any sites or ideas to add, please email me or leave a comment so I can add it to this post! As I said before, please click on the links from this post so I might get a referral bonus. Thanks!

Happy deal hunting!

Jacob is 12 months old!!!

2011-06-02T11:32:00.006-05:00

Jacob turned 1 year old June 2nd!!
You are 17 lbs, 15 ozs (less than 3%) and 30 inches (50%)

You are wearing size 2-3 diapers & 6-12 month & 12-18 month clothes

You are nursing 4 times a day, and eating food with 3 of those meals. I've started weaning you by taking away one nursing a day this week... not your favorite thing!! Most days you like baby food, but you're also enjoying "real" food.

This past month or so, you've finally gotten into a great sleeping schedule! You go to sleep between 8-9pm and wake up between 7-9am. You are taking 2 good naps a day.

You light up when you see your brothers and sister. They LOVE you!

You love music & try to "sing" along.

I've seen you take 2 little steps, but not since then. You are a quick crawler. You are able to stand up without holding on for quite a while. I bet you'll be walking in the next few weeks!

We celebrated your birthday Saturday, June 4th. Unfortunately, you began running a fever (the first time in your life) on Friday. I took you to the doctor Monday & you had an ear infection.

You can sign: more, please & finished
You can say: mama, dada, bubba, and starting to say dog

Happy 1st Birthday Happy Boy!!

Jacob is 11 months!

2011-05-02T16:19:00.010-05:00

Jacob is 11 months old!

You are still wearing size 2 diapers & 6-12 month clothes

You are nursing 4-5 times a day & usually get baby food at breakfast, lunch & dinner

You like pretty much all foods you have tried so far!

You can eat a whole banana in one sitting!

You go to sleep around 8-9pm & wake between 5-7am & take a morning & afternoon nap

You are now up to 6 teeth!

You started cruising around furniture this month - so you don't stay still very long!

It was hard to try and take a good picture of you!

You still LOVE to see and play with your brothers and sister - and they love you!

You are a very happy, sweet baby! It's hard to believe in one short month you will be a whole year old. It's been an amazing 11 months with you in our lives Jacob!

Jacob is 10 months!

2011-04-02T20:44:00.004-05:00

Jacob is 10 months old today!

You are still wearing size 2 diapers & 6-12 months clothes

You still nurse 4-6 times a day & we give you some baby food during the day

We've given you bananas, applesauce, avacado & rice cereal

baby food: sweet potato, carrots & squash

You are still usually sleeping 8pm-5am, nursing then back to sleep a few more hours

You are taking 2 pretty good naps each day

You've had a busy month - you now have 3 teeth that have come through in the past 2 weeks!

You've started making a pretty funny face often: You sported your flame leg warmers & flame converse today:

Not your dad's favorite fashion statement, but I love them!!

You are precious, smiley, sweet & happy 10 month old Jacob! We love you.

Babywearing

2011-03-28T14:21:00.012-05:00

Babywearing - yes I do! I have been blessed with four precious children and pictured below are my oldest and my youngest. With my youngest, I have certainly wore him more than the other three put together - pretty much out of necessity - to have both of my hands available while also holding Jacob. Why Babywear? Here's a few of the reasons that I choose to wear my baby: 1. Frees up your hands to hold other children's hands, cook dinner, fold laundry, etc 2. Keeps your baby close, where they want to be 3. Your baby can be awake, sleep, or nurse 4. Allows you to move around easier with your baby, without worrying about carrying a car seat or pushing a stroller 5. Allows you to decide who can touch your baby 6. They love it! I went a little overboard when preparing for this baby and purchased an array of slings and carriers. By far, my favorite is the ERGO Baby carrier. After using various slings, I started researching to find a carrier that would disperse my baby's weight better, therefore also not causing as much back pain.

He comfortably sleeps in the carrier.

Is awake in the carrier.

Goes Christmas caroling in the carrier!

At his brother's 4th birthday in the carrier.

His dad even tried it out this past Thanksgiving! (He's 6'3" & able to wear it!)

At his sister's Thankgiving celebration in the carrier.

ERGO Baby carrier -

Pros: comfort; easy to put on; able to use front, back, or side; able to safely sleep in it; able to nurse in it; adjustable; so many other pros! I truly use this carrier almost daily. It goes on with a few snaps & Jacob loves it. There's a handy zippered pouch I can put my keys, phone or pacifier in. It is my favorite carrier.

Cons: only use with baby facing inward (This may be a con with some people, but it hasn't been a problem yet with my almost 10 month old)

Before I discovered the ERGO baby carrier, I tried out quite a few different slings. I still keep these around & use them if I need to go into a store quickly or pick my kids up from school.

Here's a few I have tried:

My cousin sent me this sling that she found at a garage sale. I have lent it to a friend with a newborn right now, so I don't remember the brand, but it's a basic pouch sling.

Pro: goes on in seconds

Cons: not adjustable; back discomfort with longer use

I found this water mesh ring sling on ebay last year and have used it quite a few times too! It came in handy last Fall when it was hot in Disneyland.

Pros: adjustable; usable & quick drying in water

Cons: back discomfort with longer use

I also like this Moby Wrap.

Pros: many options for wearing; adjustable; more comfortable than slings

Cons: lots of material & a little complicated to figure out how to put it on; material tends to sag and stretch out as you wear it

Here's another pouch sling I found on ebay.

When Jacob was born, I gave my daughter a mini-Moby wrap, which she likes to carry her dolls around in.

My mom even tried out babywearing with the water sling.

Back to the Moby.

Here's Jacob's 1st time in our pool in the water sling.

As I said before, Jacob has been worn tons more than his older siblings, for sure.

Now, a quickly look back into babywearing my older three:

Here's a sling my precious friend made me after I had Isaiah. It's a basic pouch sling. With my daughter, our second child, I used this sling (she was only 5 weeks old). Looking back at my oldest, who's now 8, this is the only carrier I had with him. (This is my sweet sister carrying him on a hike we took when he was 3 months old!) So, personally, if I were to put them in order of my preference:

1. ERGO baby

2. Moby wrap

3. Pouch Slings & Ring Slings

When deciding which one is for you, I urge you to take advantage of a great program I just found out about on Heavenly Hold's website: They have a baby carrier 2 week trial program! It's only $8 per carrier! You could pick a few to try and keep them or return them, no problem. Such a great idea!

Happy Babywearing!!

Spring Family Pictures

2011-03-11T07:55:00.008-06:00

We had our family pictures taken this past weekend. Somehow getting 4 kids to cooperate, look the same way & smile is a bit challenging!!! But, we got a few good shots. This picture makes me laugh - the way life really is!

And smile!

An attempt using big brother/sister shirts. Thankfully Colby has never complained about me having him wear these shirts... and he's 8! It makes me happy to see them wearing them!

Jacob was done with pics....

3 happy kids!

While Dan & I were taking shots, we looked over & Colby & Abigail were keeping Jacob warm, as it was quite chilly outside!

My 8 1/2 year old!

My 6 1/2 year old!

Persnickity 4 year old!

& our 9 month old - eating sticks!

We are all ready for spring break, which begins in 1 hour!!! Yeah! Thankful for the beautiful weather this week should bring.

Jacob is 9 months!

2011-03-04T07:44:00.002-06:00

Jacob is 9 months old!!

You are still wearing size 2 diapers & 6-9 and 6-12 month clothes

You still nurse 5-6 times a day

We've started experimenting with giving you bananas, avacados and rice cereal & you love it!

Your new normal is sleeping 8pm-5am, waking to nurse and back to sleep for a few more hours

You usually take 2 naps a day

You are so active & crawl everywhere!!

I took you to your 9 month checkup yesterday & you're right on track developmentally

You are 15 lbs, 13 ozs, which is less than 5% for your age

You are 27 1/2 inches, which is 25% for your age

You certainly love your brothers and sister and are so excited when they come home from school each day!

On Wednesdays, I've been pushing you in the stroller to pick Isaiah up from his 1/2 day of school & you love riding back home with him next to you.

It's hard to believe you're 3/4 of a year - it's gone by quickly, but it's hard to remember life without you. Thank you Lord for the precious gifts of all four of our children. They are truly blessings in my life!

Jacob is 8 months old!

2011-02-02T08:21:00.004-06:00

Jacob is 8 months old today!!!

(Somehow with the craziness after Christmas, I missed doing a 7 month post...)

You are still wearing size 2 diapers & have moved into 6-9 and 6-12 month clothes

You eat 5-6 times a day

Your nighttime sleeping is still irregular... but most of the time you sleep 8:30-6

You are taking 2-3 naps a day, with the best one being in the morning

You've had a very busy month - you began crawling a few weeks ago!
Gone are the days I could set you down to play & you would stay there,

but it's lots of fun watching where you wanders!

You're exploring your voice more every day

& you like to move your tongue around different ways

It's hard to believe right now it's -4 with a wind chill of -28

when last Friday we were swinging on the porch in almost 70 degree weather!

You haven't enjoyed the swing very much & usual look very scared, shake & start to cry

But, thankfully last week, you finally realized it was fun!

I am so thankful you are in my life precious Jacob.

It has been an amazing 8 months watching you grow

& watching your siblings grow in love with you too!

Preparing for Christmas

2010-12-20T09:35:00.010-06:00

Here's a few pictures from our Christmas card:

Abigail danced in her 1st dance recital at the beginning of December & did an amazing job! No fear!

Abby & Mum.

Backstage, ready to perform!

My ballerina

We went to Dallas to run in the 5k of the White Rock Marathon the first of December. It was a great weekend getting together with my dad's side of my family. Here we are ready to run! I think this is going to become a yearly tradition!

2 of my precious siblings!

This is our post-race picture!

Post-race with John, Colby & Uncle Tony. Colby is very happy to say he beat me by 2 minutes!

We decided to celebrate by going to P.F. Chang's & got to sit in the back at the chef's table.

My little Jacob with my cousin, now "big" Jake!

My kid's posing in front of our tree before their Christmas program at school.

Gannie & Jacob.

Jacob had his official 6 months pictures - but unfortunately, he decided he didn't want to smile. There's a few cute ones anyway!

Isaiah always likes to pose too, since he's home when Jacob is having his pictures made.

Santa Jake

We had a special visit from Santa Claus last week! He read the kids "The Night Before Christmas" and took special requests for their presents.

Colby, a little bashful telling his wishes.

Isaiah, the elf.

Jacob was a bit scared of the big man.

That brings us to the present! We have a busy week of visiting with family and singing at church. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Jacob is 6 months!

2010-12-10T14:40:00.003-06:00

Jacob Thomas is 6 months old! - so hard to believe it's been 1/2 a year already

You are still wearing size 2 diapers & mostly 3-6 month clothes

You eat 5-6 times a day

You are normally sleeping through the night, but you got an ear infection last week

(your 1st sickness) & have had 10 nights of not so great sleeping.

You recently began sitting up on your own

You like to make all sorts of noise, and have started saying "dada"

You are trying to lift your bottom up to crawl, but thankfully aren't moving much yet :-)

At your 6 month appointment yesterday, you were:

15 lbs 4 ozs, which is 10% for your age

27 inches, which is 75%

Jacob is 5 months!

2010-11-02T17:19:00.004-05:00

Jacob Thomas is 5 months old today!

You are still wearing size 2 diapers & 3-6 month clothes

You eat 6 times a day

You rolled over from your back to front for the first time on Oct 16th

You are now sleeping in your own room & are doing better at sleeping through the night.

Since you can roll both ways now, you are usually on your stomach

when I get you out of bed in the morning.
Your brothers and sister still adore you & you love to listen to them read books,

laugh at them & play!

You are a trooper - going everywhere with me - walking with your siblings, work at church, Colby's flag football and now soccer games, and everywhere in between.

You are a very happy, precious baby!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T21:08:00.007-05:00

We had our pictures made this past weekend. I love the kid's shirts!

I know I'm biased, but I think Miss. Abigail looks quite beautiful here.

With such a cute baby, I love to dress him up! I found this cute outfit at Happy Green Bee. I just checked & their clearance store has quite a few cute clothes marked down around $5-8, from around $30! There's limited sizes, but it's worth a check! Their clothes are mostly for babies to around size 3 or 4.
Jake in a Box!

He loves to get his feet in his mouth!

This past weekend, we went to a local pumpkin patch for some Halloween fun. It was REALLY windy, so thankfully Jacob slept in the carrier while we were there.

Braving the corn maze.

Riding the cow train.

It's hard to believe it's the last week of October - pretty soon we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving & Christmas. The school year is zooming by. It's such a fun time of year though, with so many celebrations and activities!

California Dreamin'

2010-10-18T07:57:00.015-05:00

After staying in town all summer because of having my sweet Jacob, we decided it was time for our 1st family vacation as a family of 6! With the 2 hour time change going west to California, we were able to fly, check in to our hotel & go to Disneyland for 2 hours all in the first day! I don't have any pictures to document our 1st day, as we hadn't unpacked at all.

It's always good to take a little break with a mini-nap - such long legs my 8 year old has! Ready for Disneyland, Day 2!

They had a nice visit with Prince Ali & Princess Jasmine.

Thankfully Disneyland is quite family friendly & I was able to take Jacob on most rides with me. But there were a few with height restrictions, which left Isaiah off. Amazingly, it didn't bother him much, which was a blessing! Abigail & Isaiah had fun playing around the honey pots while Dan & Colby went on Splash Mountain.

Day 3 - California Adventure:

Playhouse Disney Live! Now, Colby didn't get up and dance around, but he didn't mind coming to this more for Abigail & Isaiah!

In California Adventure, they have a Redwood Creek Challenge Trail that Isaiah could have spent the entire day playing in. I think he went down the slide probably 50 times! Jacob decided it was a great time to have a nap - with his eyes 1/2 open...

That evening we saw the water/light show at California Adventure, World of Color. It was pretty awesome!

Day 4 at Disneyland:
The longest line we stood in all week was to see Tinkerbell and the fairies... I waited in line with my little princess for 45 minutes for a minute experience meeting a few fairies - but it made her happy :-)

We rode the Buzz Lightyear ride quite a few times - so much fun!

We played a few hours our last day in Disneyland, then drove down to San Diego for the remainder of our vacation. While we were making our way to the gate, we saw Arial walking around & were able to stop her & take a few pictures! Isaiah just saw these pictures & asked why she was out of water... Such thoughts!

The next morning, we went to Sea World.

Abigail & Isaiah loved touching & learning about the sea stars!

We all got the chance to touch & feed a dolphin.

Saturday morning, my internship director, Dr. Barbara Reuer of MusicWorx, from 9 years ago met us for a nice breakfast by the bay. It's hard to believe it's been 9 years since I spent 6 months living in San Diego to finish my degree in music therapy. Such great memories! She said of all her many, many interns past & present, I have the most kids! Makes me smile.

We journeyed to Balboa Park for the afternoon, visiting the Science Museum & the Natural History Museum.

Where's Abigail?

Then, we drove over the amazing bridge to Coronado Island to enjoy the beach.

Jacob & I attempted to stay warm, dry & sand free.

My other 3 kids did not - they were sandy, wet & cold!

But happy!! On our last day in Sunny California we went to Oceanside to take part in their Harbor Days Festival.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Mission Bay & really enjoyed the resort! The kids had a great time swimming, going down the slides & enjoying the hottub.

They also enjoyed making s'mores a few evenings too! Isaiah's double decker chocolate s'more

I love to travel, love to spend time with my family & love California! So, this was a wonderful week. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Awesome Savings on the Internet!!!

2010-10-15T07:26:00.029-05:00

This summer after having Jacob & staying home more than being out, I found a lot of great online sites I'd like to share with you! Rather than sending my friends individual links to each site, I decided to organize them all here on this blog post.

With a lot of what I'm going to share with you, if you want to take advantage of them, please click on the links here. Then, if you sign up for accounts & make a purchase with the different sites, I will receive a referral credit & you might get a signup credit. So, please go through the links!

I have found many blogging moms who list great deals daily for shopping, how to use coupons at various stores to save, codes for diaper rewards, and many other great tips. You can sign up to receive their new posts through email or google reader or just check online.

I recommend that you sign up for a new email address when you sign up for accounts on any of these sites or send off for samples. (like gmail, yahoo, etc) - That way possible email won't clog up your personal email address.

Some of my Favorite Blogs to Save:

Hip2Save - Not Your Grandma's Coupon Site - she posts quite a few times a day with free samples, sweepstakes, coupons, store guides to coupons, diaper codes, alerts about markdowns at different sites, discount and free shipping codes to various sites, redbox codes for free rentals, etc. She also hosts giveaways.

Crazy Coupon Mommy - she posts quite a few times a day also with similar things to Hip2Save. She also does giveaways.

Faithful Provisions - she posts about coupons, store guides to coupons, meal planning

The Thrifty Mama - she posts similar things too. Sometimes they post the same things, but other times they're different. So, it's good to check the different ones!

There are MANY other sites like these above that list some of the same deals, as well as others!:
For the Mommas, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, She Saved, Surviving the Stores, Common Sense With Money, Fashion Sense for Mom, Hoosier Homemade, Penny Pinchin' Mom, I go BOGO, Keeping the Kingdom First, Moms Need to Know, Mrs. Moneysaver, Passion for Savings, Coupon Cravings, Sisterly Savings, Happy Clippings, etc.

There are always discounts and freebies to make photo gifts or print pictures! Don't ever pay full price. I've been able to stock up on future birthday and Christmas presents on many different items for really reduced prices.

Online Shopping:
Before shopping for anything online, check these sites to see where you can get a percentage of your purchase price back. They also have coupon codes where you can save even more.

ShopatHome - Currently I have $20 saved up & should be receiving my 1st check soon! They pay each month when you have at least $20 in your account. For example, right now Robeez gives back 7% & Banana Republic is giving 4% back.

Ebates - You should receive a $5 signup bonus & I'll receive a bonus too! Currently I have $25 saved up & should be receiving my 1st check soon! They pay every quarter, as long as you have at least $5.01 in your account. For example, right now Gap online gives back 8% & Snapfish is giving back 20%!

Upromise - This one saves $ for kid's college. I have saved $766 since 2002!! You enter your credit cards into your account. Then, when you shop through their site to other online sites you receive % back for college. You can also link your Albertson's & CVS cards to receive more savings. When you have enough $ saved, you can start a 529 plan for your child.

Discover Card - If you have a discover card, I would also recommend you check through their shop discover link on their site. It works the same way as ebates & shopathome, but you have to use your discover card when you check out & the % you get back goes into your cashback bonus amount, which is redeemable at any time. One of the best %s they have right now is for the Groupon site - 20%! (Ebates only gives 6%)

Websites Featuring Different Discounted Items:
I have found quite a few sites that showcase different products at a greatly reduced price, each product for a short period of time. Most of these have referral & signup bonuses too!

Here are some of my favorites:

Jasmere - on this site, they feature one thing each day or so. The price of the item goes down with each person who buys it. The final price is what everyone pays. I've gotten a few neat gifts with this site!

Zulily - this site features many different children's clothing, shoes, accessories, toys, and a few maternity and nursing mini-stores of different brands - at a discounted price. They have really, really cute items! I've purchased a dress for Abigail and a few nursing dresses for me. If you are considering checking it out, please leave a comment or email so I can send you a referral email.

The Mini Social - this site features different children's clothing & accessories at discounted prices.

Totsy - this site also features children's items.

Here are some others:

HauteLook - This site features all different items for children & adults. *** Currently, you can get $10 off any order by using this code ENJOY10OFF (It can go towards shipping too, which starts at $7.95)***

Rue La La - this site features mostly adult clothing & items. **** Now through 10/25, new members will get $20 credit to be used by 12/31!!

Swirl by DailyCandy - this site features mostly adult clothing & accessories.

Sites for Amarillo 1/2 off Gift Certificates to Restaurants & Retail

Groupon - See more about this awesome site below. They recently added Amarillo to their featured cities and have featured deals for: Macaroni Joe's, Belmar Bakery, Kwahadi Indian Museum, and more! Like I mention below, go through ebates or shopdiscover before clicking on groupon to save even more!

Restaurants:

Retail:

Sites That Feature 50+% off Gift Certificates - Items Change Daily

Groupon - This is one of my favorite sites!! I've gotten quite a few deals lately. For example, I purchased for $39 a 16x20 canvas wrapped print, including shipping from an online store, valued at $125! I've also purchased a $50 gift certificate to Gap stores for $25, and a $50 gift certificate to zazzle.com for $25 that sells photo personalized products. Also, before purchasing, go through ebates to get 6% back or through ShopDiscover Card 20%!! They just added Amarillo as one of the featured cities too!

Eversave - Similar to Groupon, with daily savings in different cities. I've purchased one deal so far from them.

Buy With Me - Similar to the others.

Seize the Deal - This is the only one of these 5 sites to have Amarillo listed for local daily deals. But you can also shop the other cities!

Coupons:

Using coupons can really save a lot of money. I get some coupons out of the Sunday newspaper, but there are also quite a few sites where you can just print the coupons that you want.

Coupons.com

Smartsource

Redplum

Health Esavers

Target - When I know I'm going to Target, I always check on the Blogs to Save to figure great deal scenarios before I go. This usually involves using quite a few coupons. At Target, they will accept one manufacturer coupon and one Target coupon on the same item! You can also sign up to get a weekly text with a link to more coupons. The checker just has to scan your phone at checkout. So, yesterday I purchased a jumbo pack of Huggies diapers, original price of $8.99- but I used a manufacturer coupon for $2.50 & a Target coupon for $2, so I only paid $4.49!

Mambo Sprouts

Great sites to enter Giveaways & see Reviews for Children's Products:

Busy Working Mama (I just won a giveaway on this site!)

Classy Mommy

Real Moms Real Views

Natural Baby Goods

Songberries

Simple Mom Reviews

My 365 to Size 5

Mommy Mandy

Cool Baby Kid

Vanilla Joy (she also posts a lot of neat crafting ideas!)

Momma Told Me

HSUper Parents

I've entered quite a few giveaways over the last 4 months & just won my 2nd one! It's lots of fun to get something free! It's also great to learn about new products for kids that some of our local stores don't carry.

A Few More Sites to Checkout:

I also shop the site 6pm.com for great deals on shoes. But make sure & go through ebates (2.5% back) or shopathome (4% back) before purchasing!

Before checking out of various online stores I search at Retail Me Not to see if I can find a coupon code for free shipping, or an additional amount off.

The Graveyard Mall is a site that has lots of discounted items.

Reward Programs:

The End

Happy deal hunting!

Jacob is 4 months!

2010-10-13T10:19:00.003-05:00

Jacob Thomas is 4 months old!

(This is a bit late since we've been in & out of town)

Last Thursday we went to your 4 month well visit - you are:

14 lbs 3 oz - 25%

26 1/2 inches - 90%

You're already following in Colby's & Abigail's footsteps - long & lean!

As this picture shows, you love playing with your feet.

You are still wearing size 2 diapers

You eat 6 times a day.

You had been sleeping all night, but this past month you are back to waking up once a night.

You have been quite a traveler this month!

We went to Austin for Labor Day weekend, then on a family trip to California.
Jacob & Godmother, Brigid.

Jacob - you are a precious, easy going sweet baby.
I am grateful you are such a happy little boy!

Happy Birthday! Colby is 8 & Abigail is 6

2010-09-14T20:45:00.008-05:00

My two oldest had their birthdays last week. Hard to believe they are now 8 & 6!!

I was looking back at pictures from their past birthdays & compiled them all together. I took a picture of the sheets (but they're not in order because they were next to each other :-))

I took them for their well visit yesterday & they are both 50% for their weight & 90% for their height!

Thankfully they are both still ok with having their parties together & having them in our backyard. I was thankful this year the weather cooperated and was nice and hot for swimming.

Here's Colby doing a lovely dive! Abigail throwing balls!

Isaiah playing with a friend.

Isaiah playing with one of Colby's friend's little sister.

Lots of friends playing!

My beautiful 6 year old!

Playing with Uncle John!

Loving on Uncle John

Water balloon fun (thanks to great-aunt Teresa)

Such cute birthday kids, waiting for cake!

Anticipation...

Opening presents...

Most of the kids gathered on the island for a few pictures - then all the parents threw water balloons!

Abigail & Jack

Isaiah & cousin Ross building with Magnetix.

Jacob & great-Aunt Teri!

It was a great party - with about 60 people - family, friends and family of friends! Both are doing great starting 2nd grade & Kindergarten. It's just hard to believe how big each of them has gotten. My precious first two children. I love you both.

Jacob's 3 month joyful pictures

2010-09-14T20:22:00.004-05:00

"The Lord, your God,
is in your midst,

a mighty Savior;

He will rejoice over you

with gladness,

and renew you in his love,

He will sing joyfully

because of you."

Zephaniah 3:17

Jacob is 3 months!

2010-09-02T10:45:00.005-05:00

Jacob is 3 months old today!

He's wearing size 1 diapers & size 0-3 month clothes

He started laughing last week & has lots of tickle spots!

He eats 6 times a day & is consistently sleeping through the night!

He usually sleeps 10pm-7am!

Jacob is such a sweet blessing in our lives. His brothers & sister still enjoy holding him most every day. The house is a lot quieter without the older kids here, and it's amazing how Jacob's napping length has increased. :-)

He's going to go on his first plane ride tomorrow with me to visit Aunt Lisa. Hopefully he'll sleep through the flight!

The First Day of School 2010!

2010-08-20T13:48:00.006-05:00

This past Wednesday was the kid's first day of school! Crazy to believe it's already here. The summer has gone by quickly, but also very slowly. It's was a lot different than usual because of having Jacob. The first month or so is always a blur after having a new baby, then it's getting into a routine, and now it's halfway through August!

All three kids are going to the same school this year, which will be wonderful! Isaiah started Montessori with this precious smile.Abigail began Kindergarten

And Colby started 2nd grade!

My 3 kiddies ready for school on a foggy day!

Walking into school with daddy.

Abigail & her Kindergarten teacher!

Colby & his 2nd grade teacher!

Isaiah & his Montessori teacher!

It was sad to see them go, but at the same time exciting to find our new routine for the year. Isaiah will just be there 3 days a week, and one of those only a half day. So, I'll get to have a lot more one-on-one time with Isaiah & lots of Jacob alone time! I'm excited to see what Colby & Abigail will be learning this year - I know it will be a lot!

Isaiah has been taking swim lessons all summer in hopes of learning to swim & he's done so well!!! Here's a short video of him swimming Wednesday afternoon all the way across our deep end!

Jacob's Baptism

2010-08-16T15:00:00.008-05:00

Jacob was baptized yesterday morning at church. Thankfully all four kids acted great at church! The best all summer!

"This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go" Genesis 28:15

Msgr. Tash & Jacob

"There shall be showers of blessings." Ezekiel 34:26
This is quite a funny pictures - check out all of our expressions - with Abigail wizzing by!

God's given you a family, to always take good care of you,

to rock you in their arms and hug you tight

to keep you comfy, warm, and dry,

to hold you when you start to cry

and tell you everything will be all right.

Here we are with godparents - Brigid & Mark.

You'll bless their lives in every way,

You'll make sweet memories every day.

You'll celebrate good times year in, year out.

God says you're always in His hands

and that He has some special plans

for good and hopeful things your whole life through.

Our 2nd official full family pictures since Jacob's arrived!

Cousin Emily & Abigail.

The blessed boy:

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

Cuties at the Park

2010-08-16T14:16:00.003-05:00

After Abigail's last ballet class, we went to the park to feed the ducks. These precious impromptu pictures were created there!

Baby Holding & Summer Camps

2010-08-15T17:19:00.012-05:00

Abigail & Dan's Lego creation:

Colby did a week long "Making of a Cave" camp through the junior college. He really, really enjoyed it! They created a cave out of trash bags, with a fan to keep it blown up. They learned about cave drawings and created some of their own.

They also learned about stalactites and stalagmites.

Here's the blown up cave:

Colby's creation:

Isaiah loving on his brother.

Abigail did a 2 week long princess ballet class. She completely enjoyed it! So much that I've finally decided to break down and sign her up for a weekly ballet class. I've been putting it off thinking of the time commitment, as well as costumes, makeup, recitals, etc. But, she loved it and was quite good, amazingly!

Look at that perfect pose!

Babywearing. I've been doing quite a bit of it with Jacob. I had one sling with Abigail and Isaiah and I didn't use it too much. But, this time around, I need to have both hands available and it's usually at a time Jacob needs a little attention too. So, slings have been an amazing solution! When I was pregnant, I found a few on eBay and other websites. I was able to find this Moby orange one on clearance at Target for only $7 too (regularly $40)! After finally getting the hang of how to wear it comfortably, it's my favorite!

Here's a few videos of Abigail's dance class.

Jacob is 2 months!

2010-07-30T15:52:00.004-05:00

I took Jacob for his 2 month checkup this morning. To my surprise he weighs 11 lbs 8 ozs & is 23 1/2 ins! I can't believe he has grown so much!!He is holding his head up more and more every day, focusing on your face, smiling and cooing. He is wearing size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes. He nurses 7-8 times each day, with only 1 of those during the night. He usually goes 6-7 hours between feedings at night, then right back to sleep.

His brothers and sister still love to hold him every day!

Thankfully, he's pretty laid back with all the happenings of the other 3 kids! A very precious baby!!!

Galivanting With Gannie

2010-07-30T12:37:00.007-05:00

We've had a fun week hanging out with my mom a lot. Here's a few of our activities:
Making a fruit pizza out on the front porch. Very determined workers:

Baby holding:

The finished product!

I ordered these cute clothes on clearance from Happy Green Bee!

Gannie took us to one of her friend's ranch outside of town to visit lots of animals. Here's the 2 month old miniature horse.

with her mama:

Then - a 3 week old pygmy goat!

This is the goat's cage - somehow I think we could use one of these at home with a bigger lock for Mr. Isaiah!!!

Abigail was quite in love with the goat. I think she might have a veterinarian future. She asked if she could live there. I said she would be put to work caring for the animals & she was very excited!

They even got to help feed him a bottle!

There was also a rabbit, lots of dogs, puppies, and more horses! I think my kids would have stayed all day if we would have let them!

Swimming & Church

2010-07-30T10:42:00.006-05:00

I got Jacob in our pool for the first time July 15th. He was really calm! Here he is dressed up for the occasion: In the water sling ready to get in!

These pictures are courtesy of Colby, age 7 - pretty good job!

I love these sweet pictures of Isaiah & Jacob!

We finally went to church all together as a family July 18th. Jacob slept through the entire service. Here's some after-mass pictures with:

Aunt Michelle:
Cousin Emily:

Sister Abigail:

Msgr. Tash:

And - our first complete family picture:

Summer Months

2010-07-13T15:33:00.008-05:00

It's amazing a month has already passed since I blogged last! Jacob is 6 weeks old today. That's hard to believe! It's gone so quickly!

So, here's a catch up in pictures:

My sweet sister, Lisa, took Colby with her to Austin for a visit in the middle of June. He had an amazing time swimming, snorkeling, canoeing, playing in fountains, looking at the bats, going to Toy Story 3, eating sushi, putt-putt golf, and the list goes on - all in 3 1/2 days!

Abigail is quite the little mother. She greatly enjoys holding Jacob every day, many times. I discovered that grounding her from being able to hold Jacob is quite a "good" punishment for her. I've only done it once, but she was crying saying, please take something else away from me! So that tells me it was the perfect consequence!

My momma & Jacob - after going through our 1st 2 weeks of pictures of Jacob, we discovered she was only in 1 picture with him! So, we quickly made up time and there's plenty of pics now!

Father's Day present opening: My mom helped me make a precious tie for Dan with the handprints of the 3 older kids & Jacob's footprint. It's quite precious!

Jacob's umbilical cord stump and his circumcision ring finally fell off when he was 3 weeks old. So, he got to have his 1st "real" bath. Colby was able to snap a screaming shot for me! Since then he has come to enjoy the bath a bit more. There's the initial shock when he gets in, but then he quickly calms down, thankfully.

#1 & #4

Isaiah played t-ball with a few of his friends this year for the first time in an organized sport. It was a nice 5 week season, so short & sweet. I was able to watch a few games, since it was right around when Jacob was born.

The little mama again

Precious boys

My dear mother is obsessed with getting a good "foot" picture of my kids. So, here is our latest trial. Pretty cute!

Aunt Lisa, Abby (being a stinker) & Isaiah

You've got to catch those loving moments! Abigail is sporting her new outfit from Aunt Lisa - so cute!

I'm starting to put Jacob down for some tummy time. He tolerates it pretty well so far!

We will go for his 2 month checkup in just a few weeks. I think he has grown in length for sure and put on some weight. It will be interesting to see how big he is! Just this week he's outgrowing the Newborn size diapers. His schedule lately is pretty nice - I feed him before I go to bed around 10pm. Then, he sleeps until about 4am, then after feeding him he sleeps until 6 or 7. Pretty good for a 6 week old!

Jacob's 2 week Pictures

2010-06-18T20:04:00.004-05:00

These are Jacob's 2 week old pictures! I took him for his 2 week checkup & he weighed 7 lbs 8 ozs, so up a few ounces from his birth weight - right where he should be!

He is sleeping amazingly well most nights - only getting up once to eat.

Whenever he cries, one of his brothers or sister are there to sing to him. He calms down when he hears their voice.

Of all my children, Jacob has surely been held the most! All 3 kids line up in the morning waiting for their turn to hold their brother. He's only been put in his bed a few times for a nap!

This morning, Isaiah in a sweet voice said, "Look at his precious little foot."

Colby went to Cub Scout camp when Jacob was only 10 days old for the weekend & he had a hard time leaving... he had to hold Jacob for quite a while before being OK with going!

Abigail & Isaiah are especially helpful in getting diapers and everything ready each time I change his diaper (which is quite a lot!).

Lots of people who have seen Jacob or have seen his picture think he looks a lot like Abigail.

He is quite a sweet, precious gift from God.

Colby's a Traveler!

2010-06-17T16:18:00.004-05:00

My sister, Lisa invited Colby to come spend a few days with her this summer. We were thinking it would work best in late July, but Colby would have to fly by himself for the 1st time. He was not ready to do that, so we quickly decided he could go ahead & drive home with her yesterday and they could fly back together this weekend. This was a bit of surprise for Dan, so in hopes to convince him to let Colby go, Lisa & Colby wrote a poem/rap for him:

Hey Dad, my Dad, My very sweet Dad
I want to go to Austin, really, really bad.
The good news is, I've found a way,
So I want to know - What do you say?

This trip will mean a lot to me,
All the things I'm going to see.
I'll feel real safe, with Weezer by my side,
If you'll just say yes, She can be my guide.

I'll be excited to tell you what we do,
And just know Dad that I LOVE YOU!

Imagine these words coming from a precious 7 year old! So cute! So, he's down in Austin for a few more days, and I know he's having an amazing time with his Aunt/Godmother!!!

Jacob Thomas - Week 2

2010-06-17T12:49:00.006-05:00

The last 2 weeks have flown by! But, it's already hard to remember life with Jacob.

Here's a few pictures from our week:

Aunt Lisa snuggling with Jacob:I love this precious face!

4 sets of sweet feet!

My FOUR kids!

We've taken this same picture on towels with each of my kids. I hope to now frame each of them & hang them in the bathroom!

My grandmother holding her 5th great-grandchild!

Abigail & I took Jacob out for his first walk in his new stroller.

Looking at Lisa

Jacob Thomas - Week 1 at home

2010-06-14T14:11:00.009-05:00

Here's a few pictures from our 1st week after returning home from the hospital: Dan's brother, Matt got married the Saturday after Jacob was born - here's Abigail dressed up for the occasion.

Precious feet!

All my 4 children! I ordered this necklace from the Vintage pearl.

Jacob with Aunt Karen:

Pop (my dad) & Abigail:

My dad & 3 of the kids:

My Aunt Teresa & Jacob

My grandfather, Pappy & Jacob:

The very proud big brother Isaiah!

Aunt Lisa & Jacob:

Proud Abby!

Colby went to a golf camp last week & had a blast!

My little golfers!

I LOVE this picture of my oldest & youngest boys

In March of 2007, we took my brother, John, to the Koetting Bluebird Ranch. Quite a few of the adults and kids were outside doing some target practice. My brother shot at a pan, and the bullet ricocheted and landed in Dan's leg, right next to his knee. The blessing of that day was that Colby, age 4 1/2 at the time was not inches away, standing in between Dan's legs. The bullet finally began bothering him the end of last year. So, Dan had it removed a few months ago. John came to visit last week & had quite a hilarious shirt on! It says, "If I were ever to shoot you, it would just be in the leg."

Gannie & Jacob

Aunt Lisa holding a sacked out Isaiah.

Isaiah recently decided he's a Big Boy now so he's jumping off the diving board like a crazy man!

Jacob Thomas Koetting - born June 2, 2010

2010-06-13T16:19:00.005-05:00

It has been a crazy few weeks!! I began having contractions Tuesday evening, June 1st around 7:30pm. They weren't very regular and not too painful, so I wasn't sure that I was really in labor. By 11pm, they were getting more uncomfortable, so I decided it was time to start for the hospital. My mom came over to deliver our other 3 children to where they would be staying, so by the time we all loaded up, it was midnight. We got up to L&D around 12:15am Wednesday morning & then I began having really strong contractions. The nurses quickly checked me & I was already 10 cm dilated! They wheeled me into another room and 20 minutes later Jacob was here! The nurses ended up delivering him, as my doctor didn't make it in time! Needless to say, it was so quick I delivered with no meds!

He was born at 12:41am, weighing 7 lbs 6 ozs & 19 1/2 inches long. He and Abigail weighed exactly the same, and were my smallest babies! A very proud dad:

Seeing my baby for the 1st time!

Big brother Colby came to visit later that day - here he is holding Jacob for the 1st time:

Abigail holding Jacob for the 1st time:

Grandma & Jacob:

Isaiah was very excited about holding his brother!

Uncle John

Such a sweet face!

Cousin Ross

Cousin Emily

Family Pictures at 37 weeks Pregnant

2010-05-21T21:19:00.009-05:00

Last night we went to Medi-Park for some pictures to capture my very large belly!

37 weeks down, 3 to go!

Colby's front tooth looks a little crooked, because it's about to fall out!

Superhero Isaiah to the rescue!

It's Finally Up to Date!!!

2010-05-21T20:11:00.004-05:00

Wow - that was a quick 5 months in review! I hope you enjoyed all the pictures!

I am now on a 19 day countdown to my due date for our 4th baby. It will be interesting to see when he's going to arrive! The kids only have 1 more week of school, and then summer vacation! We opened our pool this past week and have enjoyed swimming in the afternoons.

We had our pictures made last night with my very pregnant belly - so when I get those I'll post one more time before the new baby comes!

May

2010-05-21T19:17:00.006-05:00

The kids all enjoyed skating at the end-of-year children's choir party. It's been quite a few years since I've taken them, so it was like their 1st time!

The beautiful roses in honor of many mothers on Mother's Day at church.

Dan went to Las Vegas on Mother's Day weekend, so the kids & I planned a fun weekend! We went to mass Saturday night so we could take advantage of cheap bowling on Sunday morning. This is another activity that somehow we haven't done in quite a few years. The kids did a great job & Abigail & Isaiah won the games!

I drove some of Colby's classmates on their field trip last week. We began at an indoor miniature golf place.

Last Saturday, I took Abigail to a wedding shower for a high school classmate of mine. She had a wonderful time watching all the presents being opened.

Above is a video of Abigail & Colby skating - pretty good for basically their 1st time!

Isaiah enjoyed skating and dancing to the music!

The rest of April Happenings

2010-05-21T18:52:00.005-05:00

Abigail painting a flower for her room. Brigid came over for one last visit before her 3 month trip to South Africa to volunteer in an AIDS orphanage! We will surely miss her! If you want to check up on her experiences, she's writing a blog: isaiah4817-southafrica.blogspot.com

I moved Colby and Isaiah in a room together the first of March to prepare for the new baby. Though they each have their own twin bed - most nights they would prefer to sleep together. This is how I found them sleeping a few weeks ago!

Abigail had a little singing program a few weeks ago where she sang her heart out & did all the motions!

Isaiah took a gymnastics class at the community college this semester & enjoyed it!

My mom gave me a baby shower at the end of April to get all those essentials!

This is my precious friend, Kelly.

And my friend, Tiffany.

And my momma!

All the lovely ladies that attended:

The Great Wolf Lodge

2010-05-21T18:40:00.004-05:00

We took one last family trip before I was "grounded" because of being too close to my due date to the Great Wolf Lodge. It was a perfect time for all the kids to enjoy the lodge. Dan and Colby tried all the slides, while Abigail & Isaiah were happy to stay with me in the kiddie area and wave pool.

It was a few days before my birthday, so it doubled as a birthday present too! We went to eat at the yummy fondue Melting Pot Restaurant. I took Abigail to Let's Pretend Tea Parties. She got to have makeup put on and her hair done, as well as get dressed up and have tea and cupcakes!

She surely enjoyed being so girly!!!

We went across the street to checkout the Gaylord Texan hotel.

Happy Easter!

2010-05-21T15:56:00.009-05:00

The Friday before Easter I took the kids to Gannie's (my mom) for some Easter egg decorating fun. The kids enjoyed blowing the yolk out of the eggs - though Abigail crushed more than she completed. They also tried many different way of decorating them with stickers and rubber bands before dying them.

They also decorated some cookies - with so many sprinkles they had to be decorated and eaten outside!

We went to the country club the Saturday before Easter for their festivities.

Here's Abigail ready to hunt some eggs.

Isaiah found quite a few too!

The amazing face painter was there again this year & did a wonderful job again!

Here's Colby & Abigail after Easter mass with one of their favorite babysitters, Rachel.

I attempted to get a good picture of my 3 kiddies... somehow this is what transpired:

The kid's yearly picture with Brigid!

A little outdoor play after church!

I took the kids to my mom's house that evening and we had our annual Easter egg hunt. She filled so many we had 2 separate hunts to find the 147 eggs!

Uncle John helping Colby get the high ones.

Bubbles are always a fun activity!

March Mania

2010-05-19T20:33:00.008-05:00

We celebrated Dan's mom's 70th Birthday with a surprise party the first weekend of March.

Abigail & Isaiah enjoyed dancing!

Dan & his cousin, Chris.

Dan & his momma, the birthday girl!

Dan's brother, Tim, and his mom.

My mom and I decided to take a quick trip to Albuquerque with the kids during Spring Break. We haven't spent much time there before, and found quite a few fun things to do with the kids! We had a beautiful day at their zoo.

Colby & Isaiah took a ride on a camel!

We visited the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science.

Then, across the street to Explora, the children's museum.

This was by far the coolest elevator I have ever seen! I guess it's this big to transport large exhibits upstairs. But, they made it pretty amazing inside with furniture and pictures on the walls! We rode it up and down quite a few times!

Then, the snow storms rolled in and postponed our return home because of closing I-40! Kind of crazy in March!

February Portland Girls Visit

2010-05-19T12:38:00.007-05:00

I decided to take Abigail for a long weekend to visit my sister in Portland back in February. We had a great time seeing many beautiful things there!

We began our trip at the Outlet Mall. Of course, it rained. But, it was a great excuse for Abigail to get a raincoat & rain boots! Then, we visited the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry.
The next day we went to the Portland Children's Museum.

Abigail's creation with clay:

Then, we visited the zoo, which shares the parking lot with the Children's Museum - so handy! Here's Abigail in one of the exhibits.

Lounging Lions.

Abby & Aunt Laura.

The next day we took a beautiful drive by the Columbia River & stopped at Vista Point. Such a lovely view!

Then, down the road we reached a beautiful waterfall - Multnomah Falls.

Abigail with Herman the Sturgeon - he's 60 years old, 9 ft long & weighs 400 lbs! - at the Sturgeon Ponds.

We went to the Oregon Children's Theater to see The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs - quite a cute musical!

Then, we went to the Portland Lan Su Chinese Gardens to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

It was great to visit the beautiful city of Portland, and especially to spend time with my sweet sister. It's such a different area of the country with moss growing on the trees from all the moisture, awesome public transportation, and beautiful scenery!

The Rest of January Happenings

2010-05-19T07:35:00.004-05:00

Colby participated in Cub Scouts this year at school. So, with it came our first Pinewood Derby. Though Colby was the only one who needed to create a car, Dan also helped Abigail & Isaiah make their own car to race. Here's Dan making the final adjustment to satisfy the weight requirement.

Isaiah was quite proud of his car!

Colby at the finish line.

Mom and I took the kids to see the Broadway touring production of "Wizard of Oz." It was quite good & Colby & Abigail enjoyed it! Abigail especially enjoyed an excuse to dress up!

Our winter was filled with quite a few snow storms, which the kids loved!

Post-Christmas Caribbean Cruise

2010-05-17T16:37:00.029-05:00

Here begins a very long post filled with lots of pictures from the cruise we took after Christmas this year. I figured taking a family vacation while being 4 months pregnant would be lots more fun than any later in my pregnancy and would be a great time since this summer I'll be busy with a new baby. Dan had only been on one cruise while a teenager and it had been quite a few years since I had cruised. The kids were in for a new adventure. We were blessed with being able to bring along our family friend/past nanny/babysitter/past piano student/past children and youth choir member/etc.: Brigid. Having a 1:1 ratio with each child made the trip so much easier and much more enjoyable for everyone! We went on a Celebrity Cruise, sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Before I begin with the pictures, I thought I would list some of the highlights of our trip, from my perspective and the kids!

Personally, a cruise was an amazing choice being that I enjoy packing a vacation in with lots of activities and Dan would prefer a more leisurely, relaxed vacation. We were able to achieve both things with the cruise!

Food and service would probably be on the top of the list for why cruises are so great. It was awesome knowing that when we came back to our room filled with sand and all took turns showering, after going to dinner we would return and our bathroom would be cleaned and beds turned down for bed. Amazing. Between the six of us, I bet we ate 50 waffles while we were there. They were wonderful and they had this delicious orange cream butter to put on them. It still makes my mouth water thinking about them!

Colby's thoughts: My favorite thing was the pool and the songs that they sang. I loved the breakfast every morning.

Abigail's thoughts: The best part of the ship was the kid's play area. I loved the pool and going to a lot of different places & being with Brigid & staying with our family.

Isaiah's thoughts: The best part was going at the beach & on the little boat & swimming with the floaties.

And now, for the pictures!
After a few long flights, we made it to our hotel for the evening, the Embassy Suites in San Juan. It was quite a rough night of sleep, especially for Isaiah & this is how I found the boys in the morning:
After taking advantage of their amazing pool, we loaded up for the pier!

Onboard in San Juan, Puerto Rico!

Isaiah checking out the place (using his binoculars backwards)... this was the last time we saw the binoculars!

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas:

On our balcony before the 1st Formal Night:

Handsome men:

Abigail managed to spill her chocolate milk on my dress this formal evening :-)

My serious boys with Bendaroo glasses:

Isaiah enjoyed dessert every night!

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands:

This was probably one of my favorite days! We spent 3 hours at the beach just having fun. Here's Isaiah testing the waters.

Finding shells was one of their favorite activities. (now that I think of it, we were planning on doing some kind of craft project with those shells... wherever they may be now...)

If there's a way for Abigail to get messy, she's sure to find it first!

Relaxing in the sun, enjoying the sand!

The Celebrity Summit

Digging in the sand. The tide was pretty strong, so as soon as the kids created something, it would quickly get washed away!

A very embaressed Colby after winning Bingo with the Kid's Club. They made you do the Bingo Dance to win a prize!

Basseterre, St. Kitt's:

Dan & I left Brigid and the kids on the boat while we went in for a shore excursion together, called Caribbean Cooks. It was a fun afternoon of learning about the history and tasting the flavors of the food.

St. John's, Antigua:

Waiting at the pier to go on our shore excursion!

For the shore excursion we went by taxi from the ship to the other side of the island. Then, we went on this small boat to the island in the distance. It was an amazing day! There were six or seven people there serving drinks and food, as well as helping with the snorkeling. This was for our small group of I think 12 people, of which we were 5!

Playing in the sand.

My snorkeling family. Colby did awesome and got the hang of snorkeling quickly. Abigail decided it was not for her. Isaiah enjoyed holding on to Dan's back while he paddled around. They all enjoyed watching Dan try to pull a lobster from a part of the reef.

Isaiah on a mission:

Our "private" island.

Abigail highly enjoyed making patterns with the sunscreen while ensuring Brigid would not get sunburned.

The 2nd Formal Night:

Here's Isaiah cleansing his palate in between courses with some sorbet.

Most afternoons we would swim on the boat, then take showers & get dressed up for dinner. So, the kids would have some downtime playing their Nintendo DS's (thank you Santa Claus for ensuring each child had their own! :-)

Castries, St. Lucia:

Brigid got up early this morning & went in for a shore excursion by herself - ziplining through the rainforest! After returning, this was the only afternoon that it rained for just 30 minutes of the entire trip.

A sleepy swimmer!

Snuggle time with Brigid!

Still loving each other waiting at the airport to return home!

We are all ready to go on another cruise already!!

Catch Up - Here We Go!

2010-05-17T16:34:00.002-05:00

Alright - somehow I fell off the blogging wagon... but, since our 4th baby is due in 3 short weeks, I think I want to catch up before blogging about his arrival!!!

Somehow my computer crashed with pictures on it from the last time I blogged around Halloween through Christmas... sad, very sad. But, thankfully I hadn't erased them from my memory card on my camera starting right after Christmas. So, I will begin there!

Halloween Happenings

2009-12-28T09:20:00.000-06:00

The month of October included lots of Halloween carnivals and fun with the kids!
One nice Saturday we went to the Palo Duro Canyon for the day for a little hike and picnic with my mom and Brigid.

We saw many hairy caterpillars:

Halloween carnival at our church: Abigail got to wear fake eyelashes for her ladybug costume:

Halloween night began a few weeks of sickness in our house. Abigail didn't get to trick-or-treat because of a pretty good fever. So, here's how she spent the evening:

while the boys were going door-to-door on our block.

Colby made his first Jack-o-lantern with his friend Will.

Family Pictures!

2009-12-28T09:15:00.000-06:00

We had our family pictures taken in the courtyard of one of the downtown churches the first of November. She did an amazing job! This is my personal favorite: My precious Isaiah!

Dainty Abigail:

Cool Colby:

I was very happy with these pictures & they were all captured within 20 minutes! It's so nice when everyone cooperates!

Trike-a-thon & Glorieta Trip

2009-12-28T09:00:00.001-06:00

The first weekend of October I led a retreat for our youth and adult choir in Glorieta, NM at the Lifeway Retreat center. This is the 3rd year that we have gone there & I would highly recommend it - whether for a family weekend to a large get-together. It is a very affordable and beautiful facility.

I drove with Abigail and one of our friend's and her daughter that Friday so we could enjoy Santa Fe before the group arrived. We first visited the Santa Fe Children's Museum. Somehow my pictures are jumbled.... so here's a few from the St. Jude's Trike-a-thon that Abigail participated in at her Montessori school.

I really wish I would have videoed the start of the race. Abigail was hilarious! She was so serious! She quickly found her way around everyone so she could get to the front of all of the kids. As she went around the oval, there was no smiling, just racing. So funny!

Back to the museum!

Weaving away - her great-grandmother would have been proud.

Below is 3 of our scholarship students and my boss, Jim at the end of the retreat.

Here's a majority of our group in the prayer garden.

Atkins Family Reunion

2009-12-16T12:08:00.005-06:00

Ready for a lot of catch up posts?!?!?

Here goes:

In late September my grandmother held a family reunion at her house. She is one of 10 kids! 2 of them have passed away in the past few years, and 1 was caring for her sick husband, so a total of 7 and some of their families joined us. We had a photographer come and capture the event. Isaiah and my cousin, Taylor.

My precious grandparents:

Here's the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that were able to attend:

The 7 siblings:

Everyone attending:

Here's my grandparent's clan in attendance:

Me and my 3!

Rodeo

2009-09-26T21:10:00.001-05:00

Thursday evening we went back to the fairgrounds for the rodeo. I attempted to dress the kids in as "cowboy-like" attire as we have...Uncle John joined us for the event!

This was Abigail's 2nd year to try Mutton Bustin' & Colby's 1st year to attempt it. Last year he refused, so I'm glad he got up the courage this year, which will be his only time, as it's only for kids ages 4-7. We signed up early so they were 2 of the 10 kids who were able to do it! Here's Abigail excited face as we were waiting to get suited up. She was the only girl!

My very serious Colby... Waiting on the platform to be put on top of the sheep!

They went 3rd & 4th of the group of 10 & Abigail held on the 2nd longest out of all of the kids!!! I was so proud of her! But, when she finally let go of the sheep, it proceeded to step on the side of her face and her arm, so she came away crying... Unfortunately I didn't get to see Colby's ride in person, but it was very short lived! The video is at the bottom of this post!

They all received a medal:

Isaiah's big boots!

Gotta love Ring Pops!

Isaiah hiding from our self-portrait opportunity.

And the moment you've all been waiting for - the footage of Abigail & Colby's ride!

Fair Fun

2009-09-25T16:17:00.006-05:00

I took the kids to the fair this past Tuesday after school with my mom. We began at the petting zoo. Isaiah loved touching the animals! or... grabbing the animals

Abigail, of course, found the baby animal to pet.

feeding the animals -

Thankfully Isaiah measured right at 36 inches so he could ride most of the kiddie rides. It was going to be very interesting if he wasn't...

Abigail & Isaiah with a crazy carnie!

Brotherly love!

Colby & Gannie!

Dan joined us for dinner and for one ride on the ferris wheel!

Lots of fun was had by all!