and the award for most neglected blog goes to...

me.

wow. early november? wish i could say it was because i was just so busy making all kinds of fun memories.

the truth is that november was a reeeeeally hard month and sometimes you just don't want to type all of that out to share, you know? the worries, fears and doubts associated with bobby's layoff got the best of me.

we've lived this before. we KNOW the truth. the fact of the matter is that God has always provided for us, even in the roughest times. we are blessed. our children are blessed. and even if, God forbid, we would lose our home, we still would have family and friends who would be there for us. so compared to so many in this crazy world, we are still far better off.

but it still doesn't change the fact that november was dark for me.

and now december is almost over...and i have some catching up to do.

so get ready for some random updates from the month. will be adding events as i have time.

xoxo.

should i be worried?

think carson may have a little bit of hypochondriac in him...whatcha think?

little bruisers

today marks the 50th DAY OF SCHOOL.

so all the kids dressed up fifties-style. here are my little men on their way out the door. hee hee.

HO HO HO...LETTERS FROM SANTA

i have to be careful how i say this because a couple certain someones are reading very well these days. not sure they'd ever make it to my blog but just in case...

so...hmmmmm...well, let's just say that i have this friend. and she's REALLY GOOD FRIENDS with santa.

check out her website if you're interested in having santa send your kiddos a personalized letter this year for christmas :)

the first shipment goes out on november 27th. check it out:

http://www.santaslittleletters.blogspot.com/

what can $20 buy these days?

that depends on WHO you are and WHERE you spend it!



in my super thrifty cheapskate world, $20 can go a loooooong way.



take my target gift card from sissy for my birthday...what to buy...what to buy? i browsed the aisles looking for just the perfect thing...not a candle (though i love them so) because it would burn and be gone. not clothing because at the rate i am pigging out (thank you stress) nothing will fit for very long LOL. and then i stumbled upon them. two crumpled up plastic bags with the red sale sticker on them. i wasn't even sure what they were...had to take them out of the bag...because i'm nosey like that :) and low and behold (mark, if you're reading this, 'beholes!!!!'), it was two PERFECT curtain panels for my window-treatment deprived master bedroom. $8 each instead of $34.99 each!!!! add the cheapy hardware for $5 and...okay, okay...so it was $21.00. but LOOK, LOOK, LOOK at how fabulous they are. THANK YOU SISSY.

and the thriftiness doesn't end there, my friends. oh no. how 'bout a rousing round of the grocery game? if you haven't heard of it and your heart beats at the thought of stretching your dollars, go here: http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ and if you decide to join, please be kind and use me as your referral :)


anyhow, it rained allllll day. so i didn't get to go til after the kids were all tucked in bed. much as i was ready to climb into my raggy jammies (um, maybe i should have skipped the curtains and gone for new pjs instead????), i COULDN'T miss out on this week's deals.

12 cans of chicken noodle soup

4 boxes of chex mix cereal bars

3 boxes of cheerios

3 boxes of cinnamon toast crunch

3 boxes of cocoa puffs

3 bags of birdseye veggies & pasta

a partridge in a pear tree (hee hee...just checking to see if you're still with me)

and a FREEEE (yes, FREE) glade soy candle...



the total before my savings: $65.91


what i paid: $21.90




(yeah, yeah...i know...it's $21 again...maybe i should change the title of this entry LOL).


OH, AND GET THIS...not only THAT, but i also got coupons at check out for THREE FREE BOXES OF CAPRI SUN JUICE BOXES for my next visit. that's like another $6.00.



i can go lay down in my curtain-flanked bed and sleep tight now. i think i've earned it!

and p.s. if you're concerned that all my children are getting to eat this week is dry cereal and chicken noodle soup, please be advised that i also went to kroger. i only saved 45% there but still got out with enough food to MORE than last our family a week for under $50.

p.s.s. if you had told me 20 years ago that someday this would be the stuff that made my heart skip a beat, i probably would have just ended it all right then. LOL.

after weeks of wiggling...

and wiggling...

and wiggling...

and bribes of happy meals and trips to the toy store...

and attempts at pulling it while he was sleeping (hey, it worked the first time),

an afternoon of rough-housing with huddy did the trick.

carson is down another tooth.

hudson is SOOOOO proud that he knocked his BIG brother's tooth out. he asked if i would bake him a cake to celebrate. i thought the kid who loses the tooth was more worthy, but not in HIS mind LOL. he did what we've all been trying to do, and was way more effective at it :)

and now, count down for the other one...it's already wiggle-worthy :)

Go LaDy eAgLeS!

due to the previously described meet the teacher evenings, i missed jordan's first volleyball game of the season.

SOOOOO, thursday night i got to see her second game. they won the first game but struggled through the second two.

but watching my daughter, interacting with her teammates and her coach, and loving the game is the real measure of success. spoken like a true mom, right? seriously though, it just brings a smile to my face to see the unity amongst these girls. teamwork is such a great thing to learn early on.

here are some pictures from the evening:

team captains flipping for courts.

jordan serving.

waiting.

serving again.

it's up there somewhere...getting ready to bump it over.

setting...

bump...there it goes...

passing...

lady eagles soar!