The missionary...

I promise I will get some good photos in his new suit (the whole thing) he bought for his mission. These are only pieces he was trying of his new clothes and rain coat yesterday and I got a few pics before he wouldn't let me take anymore.

I just love his smile!!

He suggested a shot of him with the famous soccer shirt underneath and I could get a shot of him pulling off his shirt and tie "superman" style to unveil "the shirt" underneath. Honestly, I don't know where he gets the humor from... but he is sooo happy. It's good to sit back and watch him, a very special time in his life.

For me, fun, but hard too... up and down, over the top excited one minute, crying the next. For his Dad, I think he is still in denial.

What a journey!

Ah... therapy!

Thanks Kate!!

Savings...

I wasn't going to post about this. But I saw a lady in the store that I knew, and I was curious and wanted to know what she was buying and what deals she had found, not to copy or do what she was doing, but more just excited to see her little family saving and getting good deals. So I thought if I like hearing about others excitement on the subject, maybe it would be an interest to someone else too.

I had gotten into coupon shopping a couple of years ago... I wasn't an extreme coupon er (I really despise that new TLC show, makes humble coupon shoppers look bad, they are not all like that!! at all!!!!). But I was able to stock up some things at affordable prices, so that I didn't have to buy them again until they were on sale.

But last year before the holidays, I became overwhelmed with so much going on in my life, that I decided to stop my newspapers, stop getting my coupons, and use the time I was spending doing my coupon shopping to put back into my family time. I would still do it here and there, when I could find a printable coupon to use. But wasn't able to stock up much at low prices.

As I watched our little stock pile of things like shampoo and deodorant and laundry soap and razors and stuff get used up, and I watched the prices in the grocery store go up and up and up... so last week I decided to order my multiple newspapers again commit back to coupon shopping for our household.

It does take a little planning time, but not allot, because there are so many sites and blogs that are helpful to find the deals for you.

So only armed with a few coupons the first week (it takes a couple of weeks to get stocked up with them... and some deals you find the very first week are good with coupons that came out in the 2-4 weeks prior). But I was okay with all of that, I know for $11 in papers a month, I totally save that and much, much more. It's worth it.

So for my first week out, since there are so many more couponers out there now, even compared to last year. I had just a couple of things I was interested in finding. And I wasn't hopeful that the merchandise I wanted would even be left on the shelf.

But totally to my surprise, it was! I got a couple of, not GREAT, but good deals on things we actually needed at home.

Ranch Dressing for .40 cents a piece... I remember last year finding these for free lots of time with coupons and doublers... but we were out, and the missionary puts ranch on everything!! So I was very happy to have some on the shelf for a good price to get started. Same with the mac n cheese, he LOVES it, but at $2.00 a box I quit buying it... no way! So when I found them for .39 cents a box, I got a few, who knew mac n cheese would be a special treat one day?

I won't break down all my deals here, there are way more sites that do that really well. I don't know how they have the time to keep such good records, but I am trying to keep a spreadsheet on what I am able to save each month. It helped me last time show my family that it was well worth the time, and they very much supported some of the silly things I might do for a coupon or a great deal.

One of the BIG deals of the week were these Emerald Breakfast on the go... our local Albertsons had a big order of them. I saw couponers walking out with handcarts of boxes stacked on them. I would have like to have a box or two, but didn't have the coupons for them yet.

The next day I saw some pop up on the internet to print, but you are limited to 2 coupons per printer. So, I printed off 4 of them... it wasn't cases, but thought we could try them. And went back to the store... not super hopeful there would be anything left. Low and behold, there was 6 cases left on the last day of the sale. So I got me 4 boxes for free, just paid the sales tax. And put them on the shelf. The missionary loves them to take in his lunches and had already put a dent in the 4 boxes I got.

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Lunch snacks can be so expensive. He works hard, so he eats ALLOT!!!

We figured we might save just in groceries enough money while he is on his mission to pay for another full 2 year mission. That is allot of food.

But I know getting back on my coupon watching, it will be worth it and we will save money. I am soo grateful for the mind to do it, stores that are sooo good to be accomodating to coupon shoppers, and the opportunity to save money. It brings wonderful blessings. It's not for everyone, but it works well for me, if remember not to be too greedy, and just do what I can, and buy what I need.

I love to see the Temple...

Last week I had put a Temple trip on my calendar with some of "the girls".

And "the girls" all had things come up the days before, and couldn't go, but I kept thinking I should go anyway.

So Friday after much deliberation, and dragging my feet, I went, all by myself.

It's not a big deal, but I always only really liked to go with my Strong Silent Mysterious Man... and one day I decided I need to go much more often than he could (during spring and summer, he is soooo busy at work) and I broke out of that shell and went with "the girls". Whoever, just friends or ladies from my ward family, it was always different. But I have only be by myself a few times.

It's harder to motivate somehow.

But I have to say, it's soooo much better.

I love going without anything or anyone else to think about.

I can do everything in my own timing. I am amazed at how much I worry about what others think, or how others see me. I didn't have that by myself. Apparently I don't care what strangers think of me (that is a good thing... I probably did most of my life). I actually sat and wrote in my journal before I left the Temple grounds (I always wanted to do that, but never wanted someone to have to "wait" on me). It was a wonderful reflective time. I needed that time to get my mind quiet. It's very noisy in there lately. I don't concentrate well with noise.

I love the Temple.

Ice cold...

I bought drink the other day (for a special treat... I never rarely do this), and when I opened it... it formed ice on the top.

"Ice cold" soda tastes sooooo good!

What a nice treat :)

The shirt...

From the moment Jacob was able to start his paperwork to apply to serve a mission for our church, he had been thinking of what he would have to "represent".

If it were in the States, perhaps a tie from the major college or university, or if it was in another country maybe their flag or something.

Well as soon as he found out he had been called to serve in Paraguay, he wanted a soccer shirt. REALLY BAD!!

It was not easy for him to find, a nice one that was not a cheesy knock off, or $80 plus dollars (they must have the original game sweat from the official team still on them?). But he is my son, and has that "where there is a will, there is a way" attitude, and eventually found one.

You have probably already seen it in some of my pics... because he wears it ALL THE TIME!! And if you haven't, just wait an hour or so and he will probably come walking out with it on, because he changes clothes like a teenage girl (no offense to teenage girls).

But when he first put it on, he wouldn't model for me so these were all I got, he walking away from me, or trying to hide. I had to keep this one, because Jim is oblivious to anything going on around him when he is in his, what we call "Jimi zone" (in honor of Jimi Hendrix).

Now he can truly "represent", as he puts it. LOL!

It's all in fun, I just hope he never forgets who he is really representing.

And just when I didn't think I could live with his excitement another day... he met a missionary yesterday at church serving in the Spanish branch of our stake who is FROM ACUNSION, PARAGUAY!! He lives about 10 miles from the Temple there. He was so excited, over the top excited! So we will be having him over for dinner and they are planning to coordinate so Jacob can go out with them on splits very soon.

A horse of course...

Thanks Lynn for including me in Brooklynn's life!

My Sis (aka Gigi) sent me this photo of her grand daughter with the caption...

"The pony at Fred Meyer will never be enough now"

Of course before I opened the email, I thought "what the heck have they done now? Bought her a pony"??? It was a good subject line to get me to read your email post haste!!

Then I just had to chuckle.

She is so darn cute!

Her little hello kitty jacket and matching pants with her painted nails and pink hair bow, with her hands place in princess like fashion (not the death grip hold I would have thought if you told me she rode a horse). I can only imagine the conversation she is having with this little pony.

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It's hard to be far away from family, the little ones grow so fast and you miss so much. But thanks Lynn for calling me every Friday when you pick up B- to sing a song together, and letting me talk to her or should I say listen to her... because once you get her talking oh boy she has something to say with great enthusiasm, and for sending me pictures of her at swimming lessons, and in new dresses, and riding ponies! It really does help make the miles all the way from Idaho not quite so far.

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I love you and miss you!!

Love, The favorite ddd

("darling dimpled daughter", from my favorite Sesame Street Story; "The Diamond D and the Dreadful Dragon" a must read... Interesting that we both married into "D" families... now we are the Darling Dimpled Daughters from the Dayley and the Dennis clans... hmmm that just came to me. )