Cora
3 years ago
Sep 30, 2009
Another reason to love couponing
Not only have I saved money grocery shopping with coupons, but I am also making money. Today I received a rebate check from Kraft for $20. Yay Me!!!!!
Sep 14, 2009
Double Digits
Ten years ago today, we became parents. A day that Scott and I thought would never happen. Today we were blessed with a boy who is so loving, kind hearted, and very funny. At age 3, Garhett was on stage at the Primary talent show doing stand up comedy. Garhett is our performer, he loves to entertain us. Garhett is a great big brother to all his siblings. Garhett and Emmett have a special bond though. Garhett is able to calm Emmett and make him laugh and that is truly a blessing. We love you Garhett, thanks for blessing our family with your presence.
Sorry for the blurry picture. This is Garhett doing stand up at the Primary Talent Show. He was 5 years old and we had only been in Boise for a month.
This is my favorite picture of Garhett and his dad. This was Garhett's first time fishing and he had to use dad's pole, so he traded poles with Scott.
Sep 12, 2009
Fall Sports
It's that time of year again.
Trent is playing soccer. He is playing with the same kids for the past 3 seasons. They are really starting to groove. This year we have graduated to actually being able to play the positions on the field including goalie. Exciting times!!!!
Garhett has decided to play baseball again. Garhett took the Spring off cause of the not so good experience he had last fall. But this fall he's back in the swing of baseball and seems to be really enjoying it!!! I am happy with the coaches and the boys on his team. Should be a great season of fundamental ball. They didn't have their uniforms for the first game, but here is Garhett in action. Garhett plays catcher, third base, and is hoping to start pitching.
Trent is playing soccer. He is playing with the same kids for the past 3 seasons. They are really starting to groove. This year we have graduated to actually being able to play the positions on the field including goalie. Exciting times!!!!
Garhett has decided to play baseball again. Garhett took the Spring off cause of the not so good experience he had last fall. But this fall he's back in the swing of baseball and seems to be really enjoying it!!! I am happy with the coaches and the boys on his team. Should be a great season of fundamental ball. They didn't have their uniforms for the first game, but here is Garhett in action. Garhett plays catcher, third base, and is hoping to start pitching.
Sep 10, 2009
Entertainment for Paige
Well September has finally arrived for Paige!!! She has been patiently waiting to start preschool and dance. So this week we started it all.
Paige's first day of Preschool.
Paige's first day of dance. A little ballet and tap.
So now Emmett and I get to enjoy some alone time together and do one-on-one therapy without the distraction of Paige.
Paige's first day of Preschool.
Paige's first day of dance. A little ballet and tap.
So now Emmett and I get to enjoy some alone time together and do one-on-one therapy without the distraction of Paige.
Coupons..love them or hate them?!!
Well I have started couponing to see if I can help save on some expenses. I will say I have not been a fan of couponing because it takes too much of my time. I didn't want to spend my life running from store to store to get a "good" deal. That didn't appeal to me. So I started doing research on the Internet and still wasn't completely getting how to get the best deal, so I attended a coupon class (which I recommend if you are going to start this process or do a lot of researching on the web). I have scored some great deals, but the frustrating part to me is that the grocery shopping still takes me 2 hours at one store.
Here is a shout out to a great coupon site that helped me get started and keeps me so informed about the latest deals. Thanks Fabulessly Frugal http://www.fabulesslyfrugal.com/.
Here is my latest exciting deal. I only spent $30.75 total and I saved over $175. In the picture 11 boxes of cereal, 5 bottles of Hunt's ketchup, 8 cans of Hunt's spaghetti sauce, 4 cans of Manwich, 8 packs of snack pack pudding, 15 Haggan Daz ice cream containers, 2 packages of Keebler cookies and the London Broil and steaks I bought cost me a grand total of $2.35. Can you believe it?!! I couldn't. That reaffirmed to me that coupons are good and the more I do, maybe I will shave some time off of my grocery shopping.
Aug 20, 2009
You're Not Alone
Was the theme of our enrichment Tuesday night. We had an incredible speaker, Carleen Tanner. She spoke to us last year on self esteem. I was very excited to hear what she had to share with us this evening about, "You're Not Alone".
The question was asked, "What does it mean to you to feel alone?" Here are my thoughts on being alone.
Here’s a little song to help you get along.
It will see you through when you’re feeling blue.
And though it’s not profound when you’re feeling down, so down,
Sing this little tune, and you’ll feel better soon.
You’re not alone, even when you’re feeling on your own,
You are loved in ways that can’t be shown; your needs are known;
You’re not alone.
And when you cry, you’re just letting go of heartache deep inside,
And tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and sky and love close by;
You’re not alone.
And we know that it’s not easy, but we know that it won’t last,
’cause one that loves you more than me is sending blessings fast.
You’re not alone, say it one more time,
“I’m not alone,”
And even when it’s hard to find the words, our prayers are heard;
We’re not alone.
You’re not alone.
by Michael McLean
Each of our needs at this particular moment are ours alone. In this desire to somehow connect with our very individual lives, I began to think about something that every human being experiences—something that we usually see as negative—that we would avoid if we could. Sometimes we tell ourselves that no one else suffers from this as we do, or sometimes in an effort to control it, we tell ourselves that we simply do not experience it. That something is called fear.
I have lots of worries—"What will I say, how should I act, will they judge me for who I am? Will my kids be accepted or looked over because of me?"
I am sure there are lots of things others "fear" just like me.
As I read the scriptures, I find that fear has been a part of the history of individuals ever since the world began. I can even imagine that in the preexistence, when the two plans were presented, some may have chosen Satan’s plan because of fear—the fear of leaving the presence of the Father with no guarantee that we would return. Satan perhaps played on those fears by assuring that with his plan, all would return.
I can imagine how frightening it must have been for Adam and Eve, who had lived with complete security—friendly animals, plenty to eat, no opposition from nature—to suddenly be cast into a world where survival itself must have been a constant fear.
Why is fear part of earth life?
Perhaps Heavenly Father’s greatest hope is that through our fears we may choose to turn to him. The uncertainties of earth life can help to remind us that we are dependent on him. But that reminder is not automatic. It involves our agency. We must choose to take our fears to him, choose to trust him, and choose to allow him to direct us. We must make these choices when what we feel most inclined to do is to rely more and more on our own frantic and often distorted thinking.
As we try to live his commandments and pray to him, there are things he will direct us to do that will help calm our fears. Sometimes these actions require courage and direction from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost may help us to understand when and with whom we should share our fears. He will support us as we face our fears and try to do things that we have never done before.
Sister Tanner made a good point, "As women, we like to please others—sometimes seeking approval so frantically that we become torn and confused by the conflicting needs of those around us. Concentrating on pleasing Heavenly Father brings peace, a respite from fear and anxiety. We should think of that, the next time we are asked to perform in church, or visit an inactive sister, or watch another sister's children: “I only need to worry about pleasing the Lord.” I think some of our fears will evaporate. The prophet David said: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1.) "
Vincent van Gogh, a famous painter said, “I am always doing what I can’t do yet in order to learn how to do it.” A large part of conquering daily fear is simply doing things that we don’t know how to do—yet.
Are there things I don’t know how to do yet, that I am doing anyway? What about trying to make friends in the ward? What about sharing my feelings of fear with others even though it feels scary and is hard to do?
I feel like I gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which I really stop to look fear in the face. Even though it is scary and at times I get put down by others, talked about, and judged. I made the effort and the Lord has blessed me with the strength and courage to look another fear in the face and begin again.
As I concentrate on pleasing the Lord rather than others and continue to work hard, doing the things I don’t know how to do yet, I experience personal growth. This faith assures me that I will not only survive but I will know great joy and happiness.
Sister Tanner made an interesting point about all we need to know is in the story of Noah's Ark:
"WHY - WHY DO I CARE?" President Spencer W. Kimball’s talk “Beware of Pride.” discusses how pride can be a “I’m better than thou” feeling or a “I’m not as good as so-and-so” feeling. My favorite quote from the talk is the following: “There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.”
Sis Tanner told us, “Satan doesn’t care how much or how little you think of yourself, just that you think of yourself.” I loved that! When I start feeling discouraged, I start comparing myself to others and I start thinking that I am not good enough or that no one can possibly understand what I am going through. The cure to this is service. That’s when we start forgetting ourselves and when the Spirit again testifies to us that we are good enough and that we have a purpose here.
I learned a valuable lesson tonight, that I knew, but let fear rule me. When you are focused on pleasing the Lord, nothing else matters. What matters is doing things that we don’t know how to do—yet.
The question was asked, "What does it mean to you to feel alone?" Here are my thoughts on being alone.
Here’s a little song to help you get along.
It will see you through when you’re feeling blue.
And though it’s not profound when you’re feeling down, so down,
Sing this little tune, and you’ll feel better soon.
You’re not alone, even when you’re feeling on your own,
You are loved in ways that can’t be shown; your needs are known;
You’re not alone.
And when you cry, you’re just letting go of heartache deep inside,
And tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and sky and love close by;
You’re not alone.
And we know that it’s not easy, but we know that it won’t last,
’cause one that loves you more than me is sending blessings fast.
You’re not alone, say it one more time,
“I’m not alone,”
And even when it’s hard to find the words, our prayers are heard;
We’re not alone.
You’re not alone.
by Michael McLean
Each of our needs at this particular moment are ours alone. In this desire to somehow connect with our very individual lives, I began to think about something that every human being experiences—something that we usually see as negative—that we would avoid if we could. Sometimes we tell ourselves that no one else suffers from this as we do, or sometimes in an effort to control it, we tell ourselves that we simply do not experience it. That something is called fear.
I have lots of worries—"What will I say, how should I act, will they judge me for who I am? Will my kids be accepted or looked over because of me?"
I am sure there are lots of things others "fear" just like me.
As I read the scriptures, I find that fear has been a part of the history of individuals ever since the world began. I can even imagine that in the preexistence, when the two plans were presented, some may have chosen Satan’s plan because of fear—the fear of leaving the presence of the Father with no guarantee that we would return. Satan perhaps played on those fears by assuring that with his plan, all would return.
I can imagine how frightening it must have been for Adam and Eve, who had lived with complete security—friendly animals, plenty to eat, no opposition from nature—to suddenly be cast into a world where survival itself must have been a constant fear.
Why is fear part of earth life?
Perhaps Heavenly Father’s greatest hope is that through our fears we may choose to turn to him. The uncertainties of earth life can help to remind us that we are dependent on him. But that reminder is not automatic. It involves our agency. We must choose to take our fears to him, choose to trust him, and choose to allow him to direct us. We must make these choices when what we feel most inclined to do is to rely more and more on our own frantic and often distorted thinking.
As we try to live his commandments and pray to him, there are things he will direct us to do that will help calm our fears. Sometimes these actions require courage and direction from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost may help us to understand when and with whom we should share our fears. He will support us as we face our fears and try to do things that we have never done before.
Sister Tanner made a good point, "As women, we like to please others—sometimes seeking approval so frantically that we become torn and confused by the conflicting needs of those around us. Concentrating on pleasing Heavenly Father brings peace, a respite from fear and anxiety. We should think of that, the next time we are asked to perform in church, or visit an inactive sister, or watch another sister's children: “I only need to worry about pleasing the Lord.” I think some of our fears will evaporate. The prophet David said: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1.) "
Vincent van Gogh, a famous painter said, “I am always doing what I can’t do yet in order to learn how to do it.” A large part of conquering daily fear is simply doing things that we don’t know how to do—yet.
Are there things I don’t know how to do yet, that I am doing anyway? What about trying to make friends in the ward? What about sharing my feelings of fear with others even though it feels scary and is hard to do?
I feel like I gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which I really stop to look fear in the face. Even though it is scary and at times I get put down by others, talked about, and judged. I made the effort and the Lord has blessed me with the strength and courage to look another fear in the face and begin again.
As I concentrate on pleasing the Lord rather than others and continue to work hard, doing the things I don’t know how to do yet, I experience personal growth. This faith assures me that I will not only survive but I will know great joy and happiness.
Sister Tanner made an interesting point about all we need to know is in the story of Noah's Ark:
- Don't miss the boat
- We're all in the same boat
- Be prepared
- Stay fit
- Don't listen to critics
- Travel in pairs
- Two heads are better than one
- Build future on high ground
- Fast isn't best
- Float
- The Ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by professionals.
- Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, but learning how to dance in the rain.
- It isn't about the storm-it's about staying focused on the Lord.
- We will all have trials because Heavenly Father loves us.
- If we feel alone it's because we left Him, He didn't leave us.
"WHY - WHY DO I CARE?" President Spencer W. Kimball’s talk “Beware of Pride.” discusses how pride can be a “I’m better than thou” feeling or a “I’m not as good as so-and-so” feeling. My favorite quote from the talk is the following: “There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.”
Sis Tanner told us, “Satan doesn’t care how much or how little you think of yourself, just that you think of yourself.” I loved that! When I start feeling discouraged, I start comparing myself to others and I start thinking that I am not good enough or that no one can possibly understand what I am going through. The cure to this is service. That’s when we start forgetting ourselves and when the Spirit again testifies to us that we are good enough and that we have a purpose here.
I learned a valuable lesson tonight, that I knew, but let fear rule me. When you are focused on pleasing the Lord, nothing else matters. What matters is doing things that we don’t know how to do—yet.
Aug 18, 2009
First day of school
Six weeks have come and gone. We have enjoyed our summer break and are excited to get back to the routine of school!!!
Garhett is in 4th grade this year. His teacher is Mr. Mosley.
Trent is in 1st grade this year. His teacher is Miss Phelps. Trent is at school all day, yippee!!!
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