The Strouds

A few pics of our babies!

2009-07-08T21:24:00.001-04:00

Took some pics of the kids tonight! Hope you enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=87687&id=500022158&l=83c14eb7ce

Eli and his tongue...

2009-06-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

This is what Daddy taught him...

Video of Eli holding Reagan...

2009-06-07T11:59:00.002-04:00

Proof that Eli did love Reagan at one time... :)

A little Bear fun...

2009-04-29T20:37:00.003-04:00

Well, we are home and enjoying our little girl... Well, she is sleeping, but we still are enjoying her! ;) This afternoon the hospital photographer came by to see about taking Reagan's hospital pics, and at first I wasn't sure we wanted to do it since we didn't do it with Eli, and I can take the pictures myself for a lot cheaper... Well, we found out they do it for free, and you can buy them online later if you like, so we decided to do it and then our families could see them online. Well, as the lady was setting up a few shots, Reagan was being VERY good and the photographer could not believe it, so she kept setting up different shots... Well, I thought one of the last ones she did was pretty cute, so I asked her if she minded me "stealing her pose" and she said go ahead, so I snapped a couple with my camera... I thought they turned out pretty cute and thought y'all might like to see one of them too!

Hope you enjoy! ;)

Uploading her pics to Shutterfly

2009-04-29T00:45:00.002-04:00

Uploading her hospital pics to Shutterfly, so once they've finished you should be able to pull them off there as well!

Hope you enjoy!

Here are the pics...

2009-04-29T00:26:00.002-04:00

Reagan is HERE!!! :)

2009-04-28T18:47:00.002-04:00

We are so excited to announce that Reagan Caroline Stroud is here!!! Story to follow shortly! (Reagan is eating right now, so one handed typing only takes you so far!)

She was born on 4-27-09 @ 1:16 pm, weighing 9 lbs even and 20 inches long! Everyone is doing beautifully! Here is the link to some pictures on Facebook... Let me know if anyone has a problem viewing the pictures!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73145&id=500022158&l=1afe235dbc

Updated Reagan's Room pics!

2009-04-21T01:21:00.006-04:00

Well, I've gotten some more done in Reagan's room, so I thought y'all would like to see! :) (I've actually gotten more done since these, but it isn't completely FINISHED, so I'm not posting those till everything is done!)

Here you go... ;)

We have over 1,000 diapers stocked up... :) Hopefully this will last for a little while! ;)

Got this changing table cover that I LOVE! It is sooo soft!

I'm not a "hanging clothes" person, but here are a few that I've hung up...

Got this towel that fit perfectly to hide the scuffs till I get a chance to refinish the dresser...

Her Newborn drawer... The whole dresser is packed with pretty little clothes for our little girl!

The diaper bag that we received from our church shower... It coordinates with our crib bedding

I LOVE this bedding set... so pink and pretty!

The gorgeous blanket that my wonderful Grandma made for Reagan! I love, love, love it!

Reagan's Room...

2009-04-16T22:59:00.005-04:00

Well, I've been working on our baby girl's room since we closed on the house and I am finally DONE with all the finish work! We just have to move all of her furniture in and then we are ready for her to make her arrival!

Hope y'all enjoy... Let me know what you think!

Here is her room Before...

I painted a light pink coat on the top half and then tediously taped off the stripes...

I then painted the darker pink on the alternating stripes

After I pulled the tape off...

Close-up... I was pretty proud of how "clean" the tape pulled off! ;)

I just liked how it looked against the white door! ;)

After I painted the chocolate brown on the bottom... (All these were taken with my cell phone, that's why the colors will look a lil' different than the finished pics which I took with my D300)

All done... Ta-da! ;) I really am so happy with how it came together... I've never done anything like installing and finishing a chair rail, so I'm very happy with how it looks!

This is the used dresser we bought that is very solid and just needs a little refinishing and some new hardware... Hopefully I'll get to this in a few months... ;)

Close up... I'm really thrilled with how it turned out!

So, what do you think? I am hoping to get all her furniture, etc... set up tomorrow and I'll take pics then...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T23:46:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm almost caught up, Yay! ;) Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter! We had a pretty relaxing one, and I got to take a few pics of Eli, and thought y'all would like to see them!

Here is the link to my Facebook album because there are WAY too many to post here, but thought I would put a few here so you can see!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=70334&id=500022158&l=1e49b277d4

Our little baby model...

The happiest kid on the block!

my favorite... such a goober!

Here I come... Where are the eggs!?

our "innocent" little man...

Ryan with a beard??

2009-04-13T17:48:00.007-04:00

Well, as most of you know, Ryan had surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids and to correct his deviated septum back in February... Well, because this resulted in a couple weeks off, he took the opportunity to grow his beard out. Something he's wanted to do for a long time. Well, this was right before he had to shave it off, so he wanted some pictures for posterity... Here you go, you be the judge...

They are such goobs! :)

Some fun with Grandma and Grandpa Swaringen...

2009-04-13T10:30:00.005-04:00

Eli was so excited to ride around with Grandpa!
They don't look very impressed do they!?

There's a little smile!

Eli was excited he got to ride into the garage with Grandma!
He's such a mess!

He wanted to show off his sliding skills to Grandma!

See, here I go!

Wheeeee!
This child HATES getting grass on him... He will do this till you come and pick him up cause he doesn't want to touch the grass with his hands!

Such a weirdo!

All better now!

Catch up Cell Phone pics...

2009-04-12T23:45:00.008-04:00

:) Here you go... It's hard to upload them, so I don't get to them as often as I should! ;)

This is Eli at the ER in November... He had an over 104 degree temp that wouldn't stay down with meds, so we headed to the ER... :( This was after lots of Motrin... He was happy for about 20 minutes, then miserable again!)

He was trying to offer us some of his snack! ;)

On our way to NC at Christmastime... The poor guy fell asleep mid-pizza slice! ;)

As you can see they BOTH enjoyed some slumber! ;) (This was at a stoplight!)

Sitting outside Cracker Barrell with Grandpa...

This was at our Real Estate Agent's office when we were making our first offer...

Ryan was very bored as you can tell...

This is the dresser we got at a local resale furniture store... It's solid and after a little work will go in Reagan's room! ;)

Jacob at Ihop on Free Pancake Day!

Jared enjoying his free stack!

Wade enjoyed a few bites too! ;)

Eli of course enjoyed his too! ;)

Us at our final walk through before we signed our lives away! ;)

If you click on this and make it bigger, you should be able to see it's a CVS... It's on the way to GA and NC and it's in a little strip mall... Just thought Mom would get a kick out of it... Never seen one before that wasn't free-standing... (I know, I'm weird!)

I was putting away Eli's saucer since Reagan can't use it for a couple more months and Eli couldn't handle it, he HAD to get in even with it folded up! ;)

Please ignore that he's pantless! ;)

Also took the cover off the car seat so we could wash it and get it ready for Reagan... Eli couldn't resist this either!

Reagan's Baby Shower at Calvary!

2009-04-12T23:35:00.002-04:00

Part of it may be hard to read because it's playing through so quickly, anyways, they had this pretty yucky game where they melted candy bars in diapers and then you had to guess what candy bar it was... It was seriously TOO real! ;) Very creative game though! ;)

They were so generous and such a blessing!

Emma and Reagan's Double Shower!

2009-04-12T23:05:00.002-04:00

We had so much fun at our shower, and I thought y'all would like to see some of the pics...
Heather's friend took them, so I am thankful we have a few pics of the event!

Hope you enjoy!

Reagan and I at 34 weeks...

2009-04-12T21:10:00.003-04:00

I'm 36 weeks now, but I thought y'all would like to see us at 34 weeks... I'll try to take a new one soon... ;)

Yes I know I'm huge, and NO, I'm not having twins, and YES, my due date is correct! ;)

Eli with his twin from church...

2009-04-12T20:55:00.003-04:00

Eli and Isabelle actually have the same birthday, so I sometimes call her his twin although she's a little more delicate than our rough and tumble Eli... She really is a sweetheart and they get along really well...

Hope you enjoy...

Eli's a little crazy as you can see! ;)

Poor Isabelle doesn't know what to think of Eli sometimes...

They are so cute...

At least Eli thinks his Daddy is funny! ;)

Eli and the Pig...

2009-04-12T20:40:00.003-04:00

Ryan got me this pig for our first Christmas as a way to remember him since he says he is a "pig"... ;) Well, I pulled it out for Eli and he just LOVES it! He'll just cuddle it and love on it, so I thought I would get a couple pics of him when he first woke up from his nap... This was in his old room at the apartment, so these are actually from back in February... :( I promise I'm gonna get better!

He is such a cuddle bug when he wakes up from his nap... (He wasn't very happy that I wasn't holding him!) ;)

He loves his Mommy and his pig!

(Of course the pig represents Daddy, so he loves Daddy too!) ;)

I'm baaaccckkkk... ;)

2009-04-12T20:17:00.003-04:00

Well, for now at least! ;)

Our life has been just a LITTLE busy as of late, and I'm afraid the blog has taken the biggest hit! I'm going to do my best to get caught up, so here you go...

Here is the business card I designed a couple weeks ago and they just came in the mail... (The printer did a great job I think!)

It will be nice to have a card to give people when they are interested in my photography... :)

Reagan's Clothes Deals!

2009-03-04T15:53:00.002-05:00

Here is the link to my album on Facebook of all the great deals that I've gotten or Ryan and his Mom have gotten! ;) I did really good today at Kohls, so I thought I also would post the pics of the clothes I got at Children's Place and then the clothes Ryan and his Mom got at a Consignment sale and Carters...

Hope y'all enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57414&id=500022158&l=db1cb

Preggo Pic...

2009-02-23T23:07:00.003-05:00

Well, since everyone is letting me know how ridiculously big I already am, I decided to take a picture and see how big it really is... I still have 10.5 weeks left and NO, I'm not having twins! ;)

Kids, Kids, Kids! ;)

2009-02-22T21:25:00.003-05:00

Well, Eli and I are in NC for a few days for Wade's birthday, and this afternoon after Sunday lunch, Mom asked me for a picture of all the cousins, so here is our little attempt... Jacob was fine until he got scared right before the picture, so I can't believe we got a pleasant look from him even after crying! Such a happy boy! Anywho, this is about the best of the bunch! ;) Plus there is one of Haylee and Jared that makes them look about 12!

Hope y'all enjoy!

Jared - 5 years, Jacob - 15 months, Eli - 20 months, Haylee - 5.5 years, Wade - 11.5 months

Daddy and Eli...

2009-02-19T22:03:00.004-05:00

Just thought I would post a few pics of post-op Daddy and Eli comforting him... :) Ryan had surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids and correct his deviated septum on the 9th, and has not been loving life, but thinks he might finally be on the road up to feeling a "little" better... I can speak from experience that this recovery is extremely painful, so Eli and I are trying to be on our best behavior while Daddy is on the mend...

So, here are a few pics of Eli sitting with Daddy while we watch Survivor... :) Eli thinks Sandy is annoying too just in case you're wondering...

Cheeseball father and son... (Ryan is loving not shaving just in case anyone is wondering!)

Ryan being silly and Eli investigating this "beard"

Daddy couldn't keep pretending... :)

Kisses for Eli...

Eli eating...

2009-02-19T21:38:00.006-05:00

Which is pretty much his favorite pastime... :) The first is him eating yogurt... He ate the first cup with very little mess and asked for "more"... He ate about half of the second cup and then just started playing... He had fun and then got to have a bath too! ;)

The rest are of him eating a little spaghetti... He was just so cute I couldn't resist... Hope y'all enjoy!

He is such a sweet little boy...

He loves the camera

Playing is so much more fun than eating...

On second thought...

yumm...

such a cheeseball

our happy little boy...

Eli having a little fun at the park...

2009-02-13T19:15:00.009-05:00

Since the weather has been so unseasonably warm, I've been itching to get out and take some pictures of Eli before he completely grows up on us! So, today after his nap, We left Daddy resting in the recliner and headed to one of our local parks... He was much more interested in playing than taking pictures, but I got a few fun ones... Hope y'all enjoy! (He just got a haircut today, so that's why his hair is extra short!)

I'm having problems uploading the pictures, so here is the link to my Facebook album...

I think this is gonna work now... :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59373&l=43b2d&id=500022158

(Added these to my Shutterfly account for those of you that are interested...)

Our "Sweet" little boy...

2009-01-30T11:37:00.003-05:00

Well, Eli has begun a fascination with my shoes of every style and type, and this morning I caught him wearing some flats of mine, so I thought I would take the opportunity to be able to embarrass him for years to come, so here you go... :)

They were taken with our new inexpensive camera, so sorry for the blurry pics... I just didn't feel like pulling out my D300... :)

Oh, and he had a mouthful of frosted mini-wheats in most of these!

Our New Home!

2009-01-27T23:25:00.007-05:00

Well, owning a home is something we've wanted to do for a while, but were nervous about the process and what we could afford in this area... We contacted a realtor about possibly buying a home and asked about seeing some properties we had found ourselves. We were quickly awakened that pictures do not always speak a thousand words! It was very eye opening to see what homes REALLY look like up close! We knew we wanted to find a place that was updated and required a minimal amount of work since Ryan works long hours and doesn't enjoy that kind of work, and I'll be just a little busy with a new baby and Eli... Well, after a couple weekends and weekdays of looking we found our perfect house and went home and slept on it... We called the next day and decided to put in an offer... We had a little false information from our replacement real estate agent (not on purpose) which led us to give a lower offer, but after a day of back and forth counter offers we were able to agree upon a $2,000 decrease from asking and $4,000 in closing costs, plus they are going to complete the privacy fence in the back. Well, Ryan wanted to go look at the house one more time and after looking at everything again, our agent called the listing agent and verbally accepted their counter offer. Then Ryan decided to pull the car in the garage to see how that would work. Well, as I directed him in to within 2 inches of the wall, we realized the car WASN'T going to fit! There was literally 1.5 feet of the car hanging out the back! We immediately told the agent to call them back and tell them this needed to be fixed before we went any further... The problem was there was a little drywalled room built in the back right that housed the washer/dryer and water heater... Well, because of this you lost about 3 feet of parking space which means only a tiny compact car could fit. My heart sank when the car wouldn't fit, and I just knew that the seller was going to tell us to hit the road since we had been a pain in the neck during the negotiations! ;) Well, the next day the seller came out and looked at the property and got in touch with our agent and said that they wanted to meet with us to discuss the layout we wanted, and that they would fix it to our specs! We were so relieved and honestly had started looking at houses again because we were just sure they weren't going to be willing to do anything! We ended up meeting them the next day and explained how we wanted everything and told them if this was changed to our specs we were ready to accept their offer! We signed our contract on Monday, and because of our lease situation we don't close till March 15th, which should give us a little bit of time to get everything settled before Reagan gets here! ;)
Here are some pics of our house! It's a 4 bdrm2bath 2 story home in one of our favorite areas... It's been completely remodled and freshened up and all we have to do is buy a Refrigerator, but otherwise it is move in ready! After taxes, insurance, interest, etc... We are still going to be paying about $100 LESS a month than we pay now for rent, which is of course great news...

I LOVE this kitchen! Pretty much everything has been updated...

All we have to do is get a fridge

This will be Ryan's bathroom since the "Master" will now be the guest bedroom/office

Now the Guest bedroom/Office

This will be Ryan's "Man Cave" ;)

Our Massive Master Bedroom... We're also gonna put a loveseat and recliner along with a Tv up here for those late night feedings. :)

Mine and the kids bathtub...

Our Living room which should have plenty of room for our big sectional...

Our Backyard... Imagine a privacy fence here... (It's barbed wire right now!)

Mine and the kiddos upstairs bath

Hallway leading to the guest bedroom/office

Eli's bedroom... :) Still figuring out what we'll do to his "big boy" room! ;)

The back of our house...

Stairs looking down... (These pics all came out yellow, but it's really a beige)

Our very green breakfast nook... I just need to figure out an acceptable paint alternative...

This will be my Master Closet since Ryan is going to take the HUGE downstairs walk in closet in the Guest Bedroom/Office... ;)

Reagan's room... So excited to get to decorate this!

Another view of Ryan's Man Cave! (The little boy comes with the house!)

I really like these stairs! ;)

They put quality fans in which is such a nice alternative to the shaky fans we have in our apartment!

The Breakfast Nook's light fixture...

I love the moulding, just not the green... :)

The front... :)

Nikon is sold!

2009-01-19T14:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone who contacted me, but the camera is sold! ;)

Nikon D70 DSLR

2009-01-19T01:42:00.005-05:00

I’m planning on selling my first Digital SLR camera because I bought an upgrade camera a while back and haven’t gotten around to selling the first one. I tested it and everything works great… Would be a great camera for someone wanting a lot more control than a typical consumer digital camera or someone interested in learning a little photography. Has full manual and automatic settings. Used it for my first wedding shoot with great results. Has 6.1 mega pixels, but don’t let that fool you, this camera up against a typical consumer digital camera with 10 mp is still a considerably better camera.

Included is
1 - Nikon D70 DSLR Camera Body (with cap and strap)
1 - Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 lens w/ front and back cap
1 - Sigma 70-300mm f/4 lens w/back cap (front cap is missing)
1 - Nikon Li-ion battery
1 - Synergy Digital Li-ion battery
1 - Charger
1 - SanDisk Extreme III 2.0 GB Compact Flash card (with case)

You can download the manual off of Nikon’s website because I have NO IDEA what happened to it! ;)

I can’t seem to find the USB cord since I use a memory card reader, but it uses a standard photo USB cord. If I find it or anything else I’ll include it…

I’m asking $150 which is quite a deal considering I can get more selling it online, but thought I’d see if anyone I know would like it. Paid over $1,000 in June 2005. I understand now may not be the best time with the financial situation where it is, so if no one is interested I’ll just sell it online. :)

Just leave me a comment or contact me on Facebook if you are interested… :)

Everything that is included...

Here are a few sample images that I took the last year or so with the D70...

Let me know if you're interested... :)

It was Santa time again!

2008-12-18T23:05:00.002-05:00

Well, we finally had the goofy cast off and we decided we needed to go get Eli's picture with Santa cause it's just a fun thing to do... :) He was fine walking up to Santa and waving at him, but not so much sitting in his lap... He started crying right away, but calmed down within about 15 seconds... If she would have given me another 15 or so seconds I could have had him smiling, but they were not there for good pictures... Just to get you through and on your way... :( Ryan tells me to relax and that it's fine, but it just annoys me cause he could have been smiling... Oh well, maybe next year! ;)

Hope y'all enjoy!

Here's his pic from last year at around 6 months old...

And this year at 18 months old! I can't believe how big he is! :(
(I just love his little red socks peeking through!) ;)

We found out what we're having!!

2008-12-18T21:53:00.003-05:00

I announced this on Facebook, but completely forgot that I need to post it here because there are a ton of people that don't have Facebook, and I might not have gotten a chance to tell yet...

We were the first ones in for an ultrasound on Monday, and the baby was NOT wanting to cooperate! It was moving all over the place and wrapping their legs up so you couldn’t get a good look, plus the umbillical cord was going between their legs... I was so sad cause the tech kept saying that it wasn’t looking good to find out the sex... I just laid there and prayed that God would let us see because I just didn’t know if I could handle going home without knowing! The tech looked for like 10 minutes and then finally said that she thinks she sees something and that she was 90% sure it was a girl, and that she hadn’t seen any evidence of any boy parts... Then our little girl spread her legs for us and plain as day we saw the 3 little lines! (What they look for on ultrasounds to identify if it's a girl) No boy parts this time!!! We are sooooo excited and I cannot wait to go find some cute girl clothes!!

I honestly get excited everytime I think about it and cannot wait to see what she'll look like and who she'll take after... We are just so thankful that she is healthy and everything seems to be going wonderful!

They put the pictures on CD's instead of print outs and I totally forgot to go back and pick one up, so hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow... The stills weren't really that great anyways, but I know y'all will want to see something! :)

Oh, and her name will be Reagan (middle name still undecided) Stroud... :)

Okay... Okay...

2008-12-18T15:51:00.003-05:00

I've been threatened to within an inch of my life if I don't start getting back on the blogging horse, so here we go again... It is just really daunting when so much is happening and you get so very far behind! :(

Anywho, I guess we'll start with a few of Eli's Christmas pictures... Sam and Heather helped me wrangle him and we got a few good shots... Crazily enough The actual edited shots are still on my Mom's computer in NC, so I only have smaller versions of them, so that's why they are smaller than normal when you click on them...

Anyways, hope y'all enjoy... Oh, and there is a whole nother blog on the adventure of getting them printed... :)

This is the one that went on some of his Christmas Cards...

And this is the one that went in the rest... :)

A little catch-up Veteran's Day post...

2008-11-25T09:46:00.004-05:00

Well, if you remember we went to the Veteran's Day parade a couple weeks ago, and I posted a video where we made it on TV, well, Ryan had taken some pics of us with his work camera, so when he got a chance he brought the files home, so here are a few pics of our little family...

Hope you enjoy!

Eli all bundled up watching the Parade...

(you can see he's a true Southerner at heart as he tightly clings to his American Flag!)

He was a little tired and out of it at first, so this was a rare smile from our normally happy boy...

Then he got into it when I started bouncing him on my shoulders... :)

Hey... There's Daddy...

Wow Mom.... You really need to get those roots touched up...

Daddy's turn... :)

And this is why they put me on the news, cause I'm just so stinkin' cute... ;)

Awww... I can almost breathe now... :)

2008-11-25T02:59:00.004-05:00

Well, I've had some issues getting the last wedding pictures edited and back to the Bride with the early pregnancy morning sickness and the way I take on too much and then never have enough hours in the day to complete it... Well, I told myself I WOULD have it all done by Thanksgiving, so I've been working night and day, literally, to get them done... And YAY YAY YAY, I finished it up tonight about 1:45 am! I still have a few more projects to get to as my sister will so quickly remind me, but this is a huge weight off my shoulders and I'm sure the bride can't wait to have them too...

Anyways, these pics just cracked me up... You should always check for objects or people in your frame, and when I say people I mean Brother-in-laws... ;)

I didn't even notice he was there, until I went to edit it! ;)

Bye-Bye Chris... I love Photoshop! ;)

Don't know if you can tell, but he's actually smiling and waving now!

I may post some more later... There were a few that I really liked, so hopefully Rachel will like them too... ;)

Uncle Russ and Aunt Erin's wedding pics

2008-11-23T09:54:00.003-05:00

Here are a few shots from Russ and Erin's wedding... I hope they don't mind me posting a few... I ordered a few off the website, but wanted to show you some so y'all could see how great everything came out... Isn't Eli too cute in his little suit?! ;)

CVS Black Friday Deals!!!

2008-11-23T09:26:00.002-05:00

I know these deals are all over the coupon blogs, but I just had to post for those of you that aren't avid readers, but might take a trip for these kind of deals... :) There are a TON of Free after ECB deals for Black Friday, but they start Thanksgiving Day, so if you’re a psycho like me, you can grab these deals while the turkey is cooking... :) And these are free even without a coupon, but if you have a coupon then you get overage... :)

Here is the website I got it off of, so you can go get the link to the printables... http://www.thethriftymama.com/2008/11/cvs-black-friday-ads-posted.html

Here you go...Free After ECBs Deals:Colgate Total 2.99
FREE after $2.99 ECB! Limit 2
-$1.50/1 Printable HERE.
-$1/1 from the 11/2 S

Magnavox Universal Remote or Philips Headphones 6.99
FREE after $6.99 ECB! Limit 2

Aussie Hair Care 2.99
FREE after $2.99 ECB! Limit 2
-$1/1 from the 10/12 PG

Johnson’s Soft Lotion 5.69
FREE after $5.69 ECB! Limit 1
-$1/1 Printable HERE
-$1/1 from the 11/2 RP-$1/1 Home Mailers

Gatorade 20 oz 1.49
FREE after $1.49 ECB! Limit 3

Hershey’s King Size Milk Chocolate 1.00
FREE after $1.00 ECB! Limit 1

Bic Soleil Single Razor with 2 Cartridges 5.99
FREE after $5.99 ECB! Limit 2
-$3/1 from the 11/2 S

Garnier Nutrisse Cleansing Towelettes 25 ct. 5.99
FREE after $5.99 ECB! Limit 1
-$1/1 from the 11/9 RP

Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation 8.99
FREE after $8.99 ECB! Limit 1
-$3/1 from the 10/26 RP
-$2/1 from the 9/21 RP

5-Hour Engergy 3.99
FREE after $3.99 ECB! Limit 1

CoverGirl Smoothers pressed powder 5.99
FREE after $5.99 ECB! Limit 1
-$1/1 from the 10/12 and the 11/2 PG

CoverGirl Smoothers liquid makeup 7.99
FREE after $7.99 ECB! Limit 1
-$1/1 from the 10/12 and the 11/2 PG

L’Oreal Colour Juice sheer lipgloss 6.99
FREE after $6.99 ECB! Limit 2
-$1/1 Printable HERE (Register and go through a survey to get the coupon).

Sally Hansen maximum growth plus nourishing nail color 3.79
FREE after $3.79 ECB! Limit 1
-$1/1 from the CVS Beauty Book

a funny little story... :)

2008-11-12T01:28:00.000-05:00

We ended up going to another hockey game this week for the Huntsville Havoc, which is the minor league area team.... As we were leaving we ended up behind this car in the parking garage... Somehow we started talking about what that little ball was on the left bottom of the rearview mirror of the SUV... It was one of those window clings were it's supposed to look like some sort of ball has "broken" the back window and there are cracks all around the ball giving the illusion that your window is cracked...
Ryan was telling me that it was a baseball, maybe even a softball, when it was obviously a small ball about the size of a golf ball... So, my logic kicked in and said it has to be a golf ball... He kept saying there was NO WAY it was a golf ball because it looked too big... I was SURE that he was just messing with me to get a reaction because I'm telling you, the ball was tiny, all white (no baseball stitching) and it just COULD NOT be a baseball... We kept jokingly arguing the whole way out of the garage and I finally took this picture in hopes that I could blow it up and prove my point... Unfortunately, when you start to blow it up too much it gets pixilated, but I still put the original photo up, so y'all can get the general idea... Well Ryan kept telling me just to get out and go look... Of course there was no way I was getting out and looking at the back of someone's car, plus, he wouldn't believe me even if I did, because he was so delusionally convinced it was a baseball... :) Well, we finally get out of the garage and ended up pulling up next to the SUV, so he dared me to roll down my window and ask the driver... At first I said no way, but finally, I decided I could do it, so as we pulled up I lowered my window and got her attention... She seemed really nice, so then I asked her what the ball was on her back window... She said it was just a sticker, which I think is hilarious... Of course we know it's a sticker... We don't REALLY think there is a ball broken in your window! ;) So Ryan clarified... "We were wondering what type of ball... Is it a baseball or a golf ball..." She of course was like... "A golf ball..."!!!! This produced "Aww Man's" from Ryan and loud hooping and hollering on my part as I screamed thank you as the light changed... :) She thought it was hilarious and was just laughing, and Eli was cracking up at us because we (Mommy) were being so silly... Oh the gratification... Ryan then says, "I'll admit I'm wrong because the lady said a golf ball, but I still think it was a baseball!!!" MEN!! ;)

I found a pic of the golf ball crack online...

And here is the baseball... See how they look completely different!! ;) I love it! ;)

A few cell phone pics

2008-11-12T01:12:00.005-05:00

Okay... I'm a little irritated right now because I had this entire post done and somehow it got deleted, so I'm having to redo it all right now... :( So, anyways, here are a few pics from my cell phone that I'm catching up on... Hope you enjoy...

Here is Eli rocking out on a rocking horse at Cracker Barrell pre-broken leg...

As you can see everyone was enthralled just to watch...
Jared wanted a turn, so Eli made sure the horse didn't get spooked or anything...Well, when we were in Chattanooga for our Anniversary trip we tried this restaurant out, Cheeburger Cheeburger (Yes, they left the "S's" out on purpose...) and they are known for their homemade burgers and fresh french fries... We then found out that there is one in Huntsville, so we decided we'd head on over there the other night... They have this deal that if you can finish their 20 oz massive cheeseburger, you get your picture up on the wall... Ryan loves attention, so he knew he had to give it a try...
Ryan pretending to be intimidated...
Eli wasn't worried... he was too focused on devouring those onion rings...
As you probably guessed, Ryan devoured his cheeseburger in record time... He literally finished his 20 oz burger before I finished HALF of my 7.5 oz burger! So, he ate 20 oz before I ate 3.75 oz! You'll be pleased to know this isn't the quantity he normally eats!
We then headed over to a local college's hockey game... Eli LOVED getting to sit in his own chair and really had a great time... We ended up only spending $8 for all of us to get in, so not too bad for a night of entertainment...
As you can see it definitely kept his attention...
the game...
Mommy had to make sure she got in at least one shot! ;)
Hope you enjoy!

I always knew he would be famous...

2008-11-11T21:43:00.004-05:00

Well, Ryan had to report on the Huntsville Veteran's Parade this afternoon, so Eli and I decided to go and join him... Eli was a little out of it at first because he was sleepy, but after I took him out of his stroller and started playing with him, he started to have a good time... Well, I had him on my shoulders and he was waving his American Flag, and when Ryan came back from taking some shots, I passed Eli on to him and he put him on his shoulders... It wasn't long until the cameraman spotted him and videod a little clip of Eli and Daddy! We checked online and it didn't make the "Live" parade coverage, but I taped the news just in case... Turns out Eli and Daddy made the cut! ;) And since I don't know how to transfer footage from our DVR, we just videod it, so here you go... :) Ryan was the videographer today, so hope you enjoy!

Eli wants to say Thank You! :)

2008-11-05T10:36:00.003-05:00

We had a surprise knock on the door this morning, amd Eli and I were surprised to see a balloon and a cute frog! Eli didn't want me to even take the time to read the card... He wanted to see what this was all about! Eli wants to say Thank You to our church, Calvary Baptist... It was really sweet of you to send Eli a Get Well gift, and I'm sure that Eli will get a lot of entertainment from the balloon and the stuffed frog!

Here are a few pics of Eli with his balloon and frog... He had just eaten some powdered donuts, so try to ignore the white powder everywhere! ;)

Some more pictures from the weekend...

2008-11-05T00:10:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures from happier times of the weekend... :) Sorry the ones on the end aren't rotated... I rotated them in Photobucket and had already redone the slideshow twice when I realized they still were sideways, and I was tired of messing with it, so oh well...

Hope you enjoy... Most of the pics are from Gramma Leigh-Leigh's camera, so she gets the credit... :)

A little Eli...

2008-11-04T20:54:00.002-05:00

Well, I thought I'd video a little of Eli and let y'all see... :) He was getting whiny and wanted the camera during it, but he decided he would say a few words, so enjoy... And sorry Mom, but I forgot to try to get him to say Grandma... :( He actually said it today when I asked, so maybe I'll try to get it on camera sometime...

Hope you enjoy...

Cousin Pics

2008-11-04T00:35:00.001-05:00

I know everyone has already stolen these and posted them already, but I don't care, here are a few... :)

Coupon Madness...

2008-11-03T23:26:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm attempting at catching up on all the blogging that I'm behind at, so the next few days should have the blogs coming fast and furious, so stay tuned... :)

I have been SO behind in couponing because of my early pregnancy nausea, and I was over 5 weeks behind, and considering I buy 3 papers a week, that is ALOT of coupons to cut and sort... Well, I made an impromptu trip to NC to see Mom because she was off for Fall Break, so I took my coupons with me, and the best Mom in the world helped me cut and sort, and Jen helped me clean out the expired coupons from my binder... I just thought you would like to see...

Here is the piles of expired coupons to be thrown away...

And here is Mom sorting through the Massive amount of coupons... (This pic doesn't even come close to doing it justice!) It literally took days to finish it all! Most of those stacks have hundreds of coupons in them...

Moral of the story is DON'T get behind in cutting coupons, but if you do, ask you Mommy for help! ;)

:) He still can make me smile...

2008-11-02T13:57:00.003-05:00

Well, the living room floor and his highchair have been Eli's world since yesterday, because he can eat in his highchair and I can put all his toys around him on the floor, so he can play as best as possible.

After eating some Goldfish for a snack, and Mommy giving him pretty much whatever he asked for because I still feel guilty, :) he laid his head down on his blankie and within seconds was sound asleep... I just thought it was so adorable, so I had to snap a pic... Hope you enjoy!

Notice all the random objects that he was playing with including a 3 ring binder and his empty yogurt cup from this afternoon... :)

The best part was I picked him up, and he actually went back to sleep in his crib! (Last night was NOT a good night! :( Poor baby will roll over and then can't get back to his back so he spazzes out, then he just wouldn't let me put him down, so I pretty much held him the whole night!) :( I'm gonna try to be a little tougher tonight and see if I can get him used to sleeping on his back the whole night again... Pray for me!

Why I'm not allowed on anymore slides.

2008-11-01T18:51:00.003-04:00

Well, today started off like a wonderful Saturday morning... Ryan's Mom is visiting, so we woke up, had some breakfast, got showered and ready, and headed to the Fall Festival at our Church... It was a lot of fun and they had a blow up bounce house and blow up slide... Eli enjoyed the bounce house but we weren't allowed to go with him, so he just kind of sat in there, and we played a few other games, but the slide looked like fun because Eli LOVES slides... So, the first time down I sat him on my lap and we flew down the slide and he loved it... We played a few more games and then I noticed there was no one on the slide, so I carried Eli back up and got ready to go again... I thought (stupidly) that since there was no one in line, I should let him slide in front of me and not on my lap. (first mistake) and unfortunately I didn't take his shoes off. (second mistake) So, on our way down he was enjoying it, until his rubber sneaker caught on the slide and his leg went underneath him and I and bent awkardly... I saw it immediately and was trying to get my weight off it, and of course he screamed instantly... He was absolutely inconsolable which is NOTHING like him... Whenever he's gotten hurt, I can always calm him down within minutes. We tried to stand him up and he screamed in pain as his leg quivered... Ryan was sure it was broken, and we both knew something was really wrong... We packed up and headed on to the Emergency Room (Eli screaming and fussing the entire way! He sreamed and fussed for at least a solid hour!) :( Thankfully they promptly saw us and literally were getting x-rays within 5-10 minutes of showing up at the hospital. One of the worst parts was I was not able to stay with him during the x-rays because I'm pregnant, so Eli did not appreciate me setting him down on the bed and walking away! :( Thankfully Daddy was there and did an excellent job of trying to console him... I FINALLY was able to get Eli comfortable and asleep when the Doctor came in and gave us the bad news that his tibia or shin bone was indeed broken! :( He said it is ALOT better than what they thought was broken (his hip bone) They let us look at the x-ray and it is a hair line crack across his left shin bone... It is not displaced, so there was no need to set it (Thank goodness!) and they came about 30 minutes later to place a splint on it and then he'll be getting a full leg cast sometime by the middle of the week... The reason they'll do a full leg is so he won't try to walk, which could cause a full break of the leg... They say because he is so young his leg should heal in about half the time as an adult, but still means about a month of recovery for a very active boy! :( He has been a little fussy, but overall, has been trying to play and be as active as possible... Here are a few pics of our pitful little boy...

Here we were on our FIRST trip down the slide when Eli was happy and before Mommy hurt him! :(

And here he is on the way home from the hospital riding in his carseat forward facing for the first time in the Taurus because his knees have to bend when he's rear faced, so he seemed to like that! He's so pitiful!

And here he is sitting with Daddy looking pitiful!

Oops... Forgot about these pics...

2008-10-20T09:26:00.004-04:00

I forgot I had a few cell phone pics that I forgot I was going to post as well! :) Oh, and I have some video footage too, but I forgot my cord in NC when I was there, so it is in the mail and I haven't gotten it yet, so no video until I do...

Here is Eli watching his daddy coach soccer for an Under 8 Squad... Their last game is on Thursday, so although it's been fun, Ryan is more than ready to be done... :)

Here are the boys on the ferris wheel at the Post's carnival they had a few weeks ago... Eli loved it, but Ryan not so much... Not much of a fan of heights... :)

Eli "pretending" to ride the toy at Walmart... Yes, we are "those" parents... :)

Ryan being goofy with Eli and their cousin Gunner while sitting on PopPop's motorcycle... (By the way, we want to adopt Gunner because he has to be the best babysitter ever!) ;) For some reason though, his parents don't want to give him up!

Don't get too excited... :)

2008-10-20T00:35:00.005-04:00

Who knows if I'll keep the motivation up to keep blogging regularly! :) I've just been feeling so poopy lately with the pregnancy, which I'm 11 weeks into so far, that the thought of coming up with original thoughts and content just seem so overwhelming! :(

But, anywho, here are a few pictures from our latest venture to GA and NC... We went to GA for Ryan's brother, Russ' wedding, and we had a lot of fun! Eli and I ran up to NC for an overnight trip for my Mom's birthday, so here are a few pics of Eli meeting his Grandma and Grandpa Johnson for the first time and then a few cousin pics... I'm a little sad that I forgot my camera when we went to the wedding, so no pics of that! :( But, hopefully the photog's pics will be nice! :)

Hope you enjoy...

Eli was such a good boy and went right to Grandma Johnson and was studying her hard! :)

He then went to his Grandpa Johnson and they were soon "fast" friends! :)

As you can see they had a little high-five time!And Eli has started giving me "kissies" and just to see if he'd do it, I asked him to give him kissies and to my surprise he leaned right in and gave him a little kiss! :) We all clapped and cheered, so he did it about 8 more times that night! Grandpa Johnson was the first person besides Mommy that he had ever given a kiss too, so I know Grandpa Johnson felt special!And then he gave him a hug to complete the fun!Here are the fun bunch... Eli was the sour puss of the evening, so these are about the only decent ones where he wasn't pitching a fit! We have Wade (7.5 months) Haylee (5 yrs) Eli (16 months) Jared (4.5 yrs), and Jacob (10 months)Isn't it scary how much Haylee and Jared look alike! :) This just cracked me up because Wade and Jacob are trying to take over Eli's "Happy Baby" position! Aren't they so cute! :)Yay, we're pretty much all looking the same direction!Wade and his Mommy... :)Nay's idea and again, Eli the sour puss... Eli with his favorite girl cousin!

Our first little peek at Baby Stroud take 2! :)

2008-09-30T13:22:00.003-04:00

We had our first ultrasound today, and it was very exciting getting to see and hear the heartbeat! Our little baby is measuring a little ahead of what I had predicted, so it's exciting that he/she is growing big and strong! ;) I'm not sure if I'll take the new due date, but they are saying he/she will be due May 9th instead of May 11th... It was so neat for Ryan to get to be there this time, and he really seemed to enjoy it!

The heartbeat was going away at over 160 beats per minute, so according to the old wives tale, it should be a girl! ;) Eli's was always at or around 140, so maybe it's true! ;)

Anywho, here is our first picture of our little bean!

Eli's newest trick... :)

2008-09-25T14:47:00.003-04:00

Well, I was minding my own business getting some "essential" things done on the computer when I noticed I didn't hear Eli anymore, which is NEVER a good sign... So, I walked into the living room calling him, and what did I find, but Eli perched on the loveseat playing with my cell phone! Notice that my cell phone was IN my purse ON TOP of the loveseat, so somehow the crazy kid managed to climb onto the loveseat and get in my purse, so I pulled him down and took my cell phone away... That is about the time Ryan came in the living room, so I told him what had happened and went about my business on the computer and Ryan started watching him...

A minute or two later, Ryan tells me to get the camera, so I grab it and this is what I find... We weren't sure if he'd do it again, but he was more than willing to oblige us, so here you go... He even showed us he can do it different ways too!

He still can't manage to get on the "big" sofa, but I'm sure our days are numbered there as well! :)

Oh, and sorry the bye-bye got cut off... Stupid computer!

Eli's Announcement

2008-09-20T23:41:00.000-04:00

Eli has a special message just for you!

Some serious catching up to do...

2008-09-17T14:27:00.008-04:00

Wow... I have so much to catch up on... I'm gonna just make this a catch all Eli post, so get ready...

I got this chair on Clearance at CVS for like $2 since Ryan is coaching soccer now, so I needed a chair since most of the places don't have stands... Eli could not handle NOT playing on it, and these 2 pics just cracked me up...

As you can see he had a little issue with falling between the crack! ;)

Here is another incident from our accident-prone baby! I was taking a shower with the bathroom door closed, and Ryan had opened the door to our bedroom to let him go out into the hall... Well, in his excitment to come find Mommy, he ran, tripped and fell headfirst into the door frame! It was a very loud crack followed by Ryan screaming something to the affect of, "Oh no, Oh no! It's okay buddy" Followed by blood curdling screams! I'm in the shower and can hear all this and start to panic... It was not fun! A nice knot popped right up, but after some ice packs it went down and he is no worse for the wear!

Here he is attempting to eat with a fork for the first time... (Just so you... He didn't accomplish much!) Oh, and all the junk on his head is my sad attempt at a bandage! ;)

This just cracked me up... I was working on the computer and turned around to see he had climbed into our makeshift toy chest!

As you can see, he is quite proud of himself!

This is what Eli's room looks like after he plays in there BY HIMSELF! :) He figured out he can open his dresser drawers and pull his clothes out, so that's fun! :)

After Mommy got a hold of it! ;)

I got this puppy costume last year after Halloween, and I was going through some junk and found it, so I had him try it on... Isn't he too cute! ;)

And this one is from NC... Eli and I went to hang out with Sam and Heather and Sam wanted to take a nap, so we (Heather and I) told him he could only take a nap if Eli took a nap with him! We were shocked when he actually got him to sleep! Heather and I thought it was just too cute, so she snapped this with her I-phone! ;)

Yay for deals! ;)

2008-09-08T14:18:00.002-04:00

I really had a GREAT deal day today, so I thought I would share! Didn't get around to any grocery shopping today, just some Drugstore deals! ;)

Here's how I did at CVS...
And I could have done a lot better, but I was lazy and just did 1 transaction per card!(Also this was 2 different transactions on Ryan and my cards, so some of these are a limit of one, so remember that you can't do this all together!) 1 - Swim vest 90% summer clearance - $1.99
5 - RightGuard Extreme Deoderant - $2.99 each
2 - Revlon Nail Polish - $3.99 each
2 - Herbal Essence Conditioner - $2.49 each
2 - Loreal Anti-Aging cleanser - $5.99 each
1 - Renuzit Tri-scents - $7.99
2 - Ambi cleansers - $1.99 each
1 - ChexMix - $1.99 (Supposed to be $1.00!) :(

Used...
5 - RightGuard $1 coupons
2 - $2 off Revlon CRT's
2- $2 off Herbal Essences Shampoo
2 - $2 off Loreal Coupons
1- $4 off Renuzit coupon

1- $1 off ChexMix coupon
2 - 2/10 CVS coupon
2 - $8.00 ECB
1 - $12.00 ECB
1 - $5.00 ECB

Total Cash OOP $4.33 (I messed up on the Ambi and didn't use the right card, so I actually got a refund of $4.30 negating my OOP to just $.03! And then used ECB's to purchase it on the correct card!)

Total ECB's before deals$49.90

Total After deals $55.88! (Plus I get to keep all the stuff!)

Profit of $5.95!

I just LOVE CVS!!

Now on to Walgreens!

I am normally not a Walgreen's shopper, but these deals were just too good to pass up! ;)

They have a deal where you buy 3 Robitussin or Dimetapp and you get $10 Register Rewards (a coupon) that prints out after your receipt... Well, they had them on sale for $3.99 and Robitussin has a $3 coupon out there making them $.99 each, so $2.97 for 3 and you get a $10 RR after purchase meaning they pay you $7 to take them out of the store! Dimetapp wasn't quite as good since it was only a $2 off coupon, but still a $4 money maker!

Plus they have Crest Mouthwash where you pay $4.49 and they give you a $4.50 RR, plus I have a $.75 coupon making it a $.75 moneymaker!

So, here you go...

6- Robitussin - $3.99 each
3 - Dimetapp - $3.99 each
3 - Crest ProHealth Mouthwash- $4.49 each
1 - Visine Eye Drops - $4.49
1 - Excedrin Gel Caps 20 count - $3.99
2 - Glade Scented Oil Warmer - $4.74 each
1 - Glade Scented Gel Warmer - $3.49

Used...
6 - Robitussin $3 off coupons
3 - Dimetapp $2 off coupons
3 - Crest $.75 off coupons
1- Visine $3 off coupon
1 - Easy Saver $2 off Visine
2 - Free Peelie Warmer coupons $4.74 each
1 - Free Peelie Warmer coupon - $3.49

Paid OOP or with Gift Card from previous rebate purchases - $30.69

Got $43.50 in RR!

Plus I'll get $3.99 + 10% ($4.39) in a Rebate for the Excedrin

Making it a profit of $17.20!! Plus I got all the stuff!

I turned around and bought these diapers and wipes since we're running a little low...

1 - Pampers 5 pack wipes - $8.49
4 - Walgreen's brand size 4 Jumbo diapers - $5.99 each
1 - Sticker Book - $.50 (It wouldn't take a coupon, so I added this hoping it would get my total up!)

Can't find my receipt, but I used $30 in RR and paid $5.45 in cash!

And I still have $13.50 in RR's! ;)

So between both stores today I got All of the stuff pictured for FREE with a $17.70 overage!!! And this is all LEGAL!! ;) Plus I plan to take pretty much everything but the diapers and wipes to the discount store and hopefully will get even more to add to the profit margin! I am seriously Addicted to couponing!! ;)

Our little weekend...

2008-09-03T23:16:00.007-04:00

Here are a few pics from our weekend in NC... We were up there for me to shoot the Chapin/Martinez wedding, and got a little family time in the meantime... :)

Here are a few completely random shots from the wedding...

Heather needed a mirror, so I obliged... :)

This cracked me up... The Bride helping do hair!

One of Erick's shots...

Sisterly love... :)

Some of the Groomsman...

Peek-a-boo
Kissy time
And then just some random family pics...

Eli loved eating his pizza rolls!
Poor Wade was subjected to Eli's poking!Something was very entertaining over there!

Mini-Chris and Mini-Ryan unite! ;)

Again, poor Wade!

They are so cute!

Little Jacob who isn't so little anymore!

This was completely random... We put that hat on him and it was so cute, that I threw a sheet up and started snapping away... :)

I love how serious he looks...

Eli was jealous, so he had to jump in and get a shot! ;)

Haylee too wanted in on the action!

So, that was our weekend... I have SOOO much to do to try to catch up on all my photo editing... Hopefully I'll be getting more pics finished really soon!

Deals, Deals, Deals! :)

2008-09-03T18:32:00.008-04:00

I LOVE shopping day and this was NOT always the case! ;) We were definitely hurting on our basic grocery needs since Eli and I had been gone for almost a week, so, off to CVS, Rite-Aid, Kroger, and the Commissary!

I did pretty well at CVS even with the mean lady there... :)

Here are my transactions...
2- Cristophe Shampoo and Conditioner @ $7.99
2 - $5 off Peelie Coupons
1 - $2/10 CVS Coupon
OOP - $4.30
Got $5 in ECB's back
Profit of $.70!

5 - BC Headache Powder's @ $1.29
1 - Ambi Lotion @ $7.99
1 - Arnicare Pain Relief @ $9.49
1 - $2/10 CVS Coupon
1 - $3 Ambi Coupon
1 - $2 Arnicare Coupon
Used $5.99 and $5 ECB
OOP - $6.82
Got $17.45 in ECB's back
Paid $.36!

6 - CoverGirl Lipgloss BOGO
3 - BOGO CoverGirl Coupons
2 - KitKat (not pictured)
1 - $2/10 CVS Coupon
OOP - $1.32

I should have split the second order into 2 orders and used another $2/10 and I would have done even better, but oh well! ;)

All that for $.98 after ECB's and there was still another $15 in ECB's that I didn't use or roll today! I LOVE CVS!!! :) I may even go back later tonight once the mean lady is gone! ;)

Then I headed over to Rite Aid to snatch up some of their Free after Rebate Items and came away with this...

4 - The Bic Markers @ $.33
1 - Loreal Revitalift @ $14.99 (Not pictured)
1 - Pantene Conditioner @ $4.99
1 - Crest Toothpaste @ $2.49
2 - $1/2 Bic coupons
1 - $3 Loreal Coupon
1 - $2 Pantene Coupon
1 - $.75 Crest Coupon
OOP - $17.95
Rebate of $ $18.74
(I forgot to use the $1/1 Pantene In Store Coupon, but I still made a profit of $.79, but it should have been $1.79!!) ;)

I headed to Kroger to get the Free Toilet Paper...

3 - Cottenelle Toilet Paper @ .99
3 - Kleenex Tissue @ $.88
3 - $.50 Cottenelle Coupons that doubled to $.99
1 - $.50/3 that only doubled to $.88 :( (Didn't notice it till I was leaving...)
OOP - $2.21 :(

Then headed to the Commissary for the "real" shopping!

Okay... Here we go...
I got a bunch of fruit and veggies totaling $8.85
3 - 3 lb bags of individually packaged boneless Chicken breast @ $2.50 a package!
1 - Tyson Whole Chicken $2.42
1 - 2 lb boneless skinless $2.54
2 - 1 lb boneless chicken for $1.08 each
3 - Hillshire Farm Lunchmeat for $1.84 each (Supposed to be $1.45 each!) :(
4 - Nature Valley Bars for Ryan $1.52 each
1 - 12 dozen eggs $1.41
1 - Daisy Sour Cream $.94
3 - Eggo Waffles @ $1.43 each
1 - Gallon of Milk $3.49
1 - 1 lb of Ground Turkey $1.94
3 - Sunsilk Hair Products @ $.17 each
1 - Edge Shave Gel $.97
60 - Koolaid packets @ $.15 each (This is what enabled some of the Free items)
3 - Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Bread - FREE
5 - Oscar Meyer Big HotDogs - FREE
5 - Kraft Fat Free Singles - FREE
3 - Nabisco Wheat Thins - FREE
3 - Crystal Light Lemonade - FREE
2 - Glade PlugIn warmers - Profit of $.66 each!
4 - Kraft Salad Dressing - FREE

Total before Coupons $152.71
Savings of $90.01
OOP - $62.70!

So all in all, a good day! Did I say I love getting a good deal! ;)

Image Tag

2008-09-03T08:51:00.016-04:00

I saw this on my friend, Mandi's page, so I stole it! ;)

It's a survey; but you type your answer into google search images and pick a picture from the first three pages to put up.

This is What I found:

My First name: Bette Anne

It pulled up like a bunch of pictures from myspace and my blog, so here you go... :)

My middle name: Anne
I love Anne Geddes!

My last name: Stroud

Apparantly there is a town called Stroud in the UK somewhere! ;)

My Age: 27

I haven't even seen this movie, but I thought the photo was cute!

Favorite Vacation spot: Paris, France
I love this place!

My college Major: Associate of Church Secretarial Studies
This made me smile because it had NOTHING to do with being a secretary!

Where I grew up: Shelby, NC
Enough said!

Where I live now: Huntsville, AL
There is a reason it's called "Rocket City"!

Past pet: Cocker Spaniel (Little Bit) He was a sweet puppy!

A friends nickname: Bubby (We called Eli this for a while!)
I couldn't believe other people used it too! :)

My first job: File Clerk

This is what I did after about 3 months!

My favorite color: Blue

I just thought this was pretty!

What i'm doing right now: filling out this survey

You can steal this too if you want!

CVS deals for the new week...

2008-08-29T10:17:00.001-04:00

I don't know if y'all's CVS changes over to the new week yet, but ours did and there are a few FREE and MoneyMaker Items this week...

I got some CoverGirl Wetslicks Amazemint Lipgloss that was $5.99 and free after ECB's... There is a $1 off any Covergirl coupon making this a $1 moneymaker! (Limit of 1 per card)

Also Colgate Total Advanced Clean is $2.99 with a $2 ECB and we got $1 off coupons in the last insert which would make it free... There is also the $1.50 printable out there that would make it a $.50 moneymaker! (Limit 2 per card)

Also, if you still have any BOGO CoverGirl Coupons, they have certain lines that are BOGO, so you get 2 foundations for free!

Also, Neutrogena is running a special where you buy 1 Neutrogena product pictured in the circular, you get $3 ECB (Limit 2 per card) So you buy 2 Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara @ $5.99 and use the $3 off 2 Neutrogena coupon from the August All You and use your 2/10 CVS coupon it ends up being $.50 for each! Not too bad of a deal...

Hope this helps someone out! ;)

Happy Anniversary to us! ;)

2008-08-25T09:42:00.011-04:00

Yesterday was our 3rd Anniversary, so we decided to take a little trip the weekend before to celebrate, since this will be our 1st Anniversary we've spent together! The 1st anniversary, I was in Germany, and the 2nd, he was in Iraq! :(

We asked his parent's to come watch Eli, and they graciously accepted, so they arrived Friday night around 6 pm and we spent a little bit of time with them, and then we headed out to dinner at Olive Garden, yum, and enjoyed the never ending Pasta Bowl! :) So yummy and a "little" cheaper than the normal meal that we get!

We then embarked on the 1.5 hour drive to Chattanooga, where we had booked a hotel for 2 nights... It was a Country Inn and Suites, and it was very nice and it was so much fun having a sit down living room area and kitchen area, separate from the bedroom... Ryan wanted to go swimming that night, (they have an indoor pool) but unfortunately it was after hours, so we just went to sleep.

We woke up pretty early and headed down for the Fabulous complimentary breakfast they had! They had "make your own" Belgium waffles, and they were to die for! ;) We then went back up and showered and finished getting ready and then headed to the Tennessee Aquarium which was only about 5 miles away... It was so much fun and we spent about 4-5 hours there touching baby sharks, stingrays, sturgeon, etc... It was a lot of fun and very cool since he hadn't been there since he was little, and I don't remember going to an Aquarium like this before.

Here are a few pics from my Camera Phone since I forgot the real camera! :(

That is a real shark! ;)

Ryan was so incredibly creeped out!
My attempt at touching the stingray while taking the picture!
Ryan touching the stingray!They felt so funny!

We also checked out the Imax movie on "Dolphins and Whales" which was 3-D... That was pretty much the only redeeming quality, unless you want to hear how horrible humans are and how we're going to to eventually destroy the planet if we don't save this dolphin or that whale, etc... Very liberal portrayal, but overall was fun...

We went to Cheeburger Cheeburger before we saw the Imax movie and if you havn't been, you should Definitely go! It was so yummy and about average price as far as nice burger joints go...

After the Imax and Aquarium, we headed to Ben and Jerry's for a little Ice Cream, and after we were stuffed, we walked around for a while, then went and signed up for the "Murder Mystery Dinner Show" where they have Italian Buffet and then there are "Characters" in the show, that walk around and interact with all the guests... It was supposed to be a High School Reunion where one of the classmates gets killed and you try to figure it out... There was the Class Nerd, the Prom Queen, the Class clown, the Coach, the English Teacher, the Class President... I think that's all... Anyhow, they walk around talking to you like you were in their class and this is your reunion too... It was a lot of fun and a little different, but a unique experience... It was pretty much a family friendly comedy show, with very little mystery! It would be impossible to figure out who had killed the victim, since it was totally random, but it was definitely more about the comedy! Ryan and I actually got called out to stand up since it was our 3 year Anniversary, and then they told me to sit down and said that "We want to thank Ryan because they were separated for a while because he spent 2.5 years in Iraq!!" Of course the whole crowd starts clapping and Ryan ends up getting a standing ovation!! ;) What does my "shy" hubby do? He starts doing hand guestures like he was shooting Iraqies! I thought I was going to wet my pants it was so cute! ;) I of course am proud of him too, so he can "fake shoot Iraqies" all he wants! Oh, and if you're wondering... The lady got confused... Ryan told her that we were separated for 2.5 years and that he was in Iraq, so she thought he meant he was in Iraq for that long, but still, it was nice that they appreciated it enough to say something! Overall, we had a great time and it was really funny!

We then headed on back to the hotel because Ryan REALLY wanted to swim in the indoor pool and then we watched, "What Women Want"... Overall, a fun day!

We woke up bright and early to eat some more Belgium waffles, Yum! Then we finished getting ready, packed our bags and headed out to the Ocoee River! We were so excited to go White Water Rafting since neither of us had ever been! We got there in plenty of time and after about 30 minutes we were on the stinky bus ready to head to the drop off point! We ended up with 3 other people who were really nice and did what they were supposed to do! I was afraid we were going to be stuck with a bunch of girly girls who would refuse to paddle or something! It was so much fun and we got soaked even before we decided to jump in! :) We definitely are HOOKED and are already planning on going on the Full River trip which is about 4.5 hours long and even more intense! It really wasn't as terrifying as I thought... If you have a good guide, he is going to put you at ease and make sure you understand everything you're doing!

So, if you haven't been before, you definitely have to try it!

I got these from the website... Ryan is the goofy one in the back with his mouth open in most of the pics... :) And I'm in front of him in the green shirt... You can't see me very well because I'm paddling like the instructor said while Ryan and the lady next to him were busy posing for the camera! ;)

We were a little sad when it ended, but happy that we would soon get to see our little boy! Ryan slept for most of the 2.5 hours home, and we were so excited when we got home and saw our Eli! He was soo excited to see us, even though his Grandma Leigh-Leigh and PopPop took very good care of him! He was pretty much attached to my hip for the first 2 hours, but we are definitely back in the swing of things now!

That's about it, hope you enjoy our pics!

Video of Our Apartment...

2008-08-25T09:40:00.004-04:00

Well, after promising photos for months, I decided to just do a video walkthrough and let you see the Apartment... I was waiting till I got more pictures up on the wall, but oh well, I'll get to that someday!

Anywho, here you go!

Sorry I'm such a dork, but oh well, that's just me!

A few Post Haircut Shots!

2008-08-20T01:17:00.003-04:00

I kept meaning to take some "After" shots of Eli, but I wouldn't think of it until he was down taking a nap! Well, today I was taking some pictures of some of my deals, and Eli came in and sat on top of everything to make sure he got in the shot!! It was so cute, so I turned the camera on him and tried to catch a few angles of his new hairdo! ;)

This was when he decided to sit down on Mommies stuff and then smile ear to ear! ;)

My Attempt of getting the back of his head

A little from the side...

Isn't he a cutie!?

A Man's Perspective...

2008-08-19T00:28:00.004-04:00

I was perusing one of my coupon blogs tonight, Money Saving Mom, and I found a link to this
hilarious description of the frugal wife... Interestingly enough, the writer's name is Ryan and their daughter's name is Sadie, which was going to be Eli's name if he was a girl... So anyways, I hope you enjoy! Too funny! I think my Ryan would definitely agree about all the crazy changes! Although I haven't made him drink any Joint Juice! ;)

Going CVSing, “the deals”, couponing, stockpiling, ECBs, Money Saving Mom- these new phrases have recently become part of my everyday life. Why? I’m the husband of a money-saver.

And I’ve had to adapt.

My wife started showing an interest in cutting our expenses several months ago. Great! I thought. Go for it! We were married young, with a newborn baby, the mortgage bills coming in—you know how it is. Obviously, any added frugality would help us meet our financial goals.

As I look back I pause to smile at my naiveté. I had no idea the new changes that were in store. Over the next few months I have seen my wife transform into a frugal warrior, armed with a new vocabulary, couponing-weapons, and shopping battle strategies. The change was more intense than I could have ever anticipated.

Read on if you’re curious about my brave new world.

1. Strange Products I Get to Try

Apparently product companies test their goods on the families of frugal moms. They give products away for free (through coupons) in an attempt to penetrate the market. The Frugals find these products long before the rest.

Joint Juice is one such product. It’s seeking to gain market traction to an elderly demographic fatigued by joint pain. These days, I drink enough Joint Juice to grease the joints of an entire retirement home. I’m serious. My buddies bring Gatorade to basketball, and as they drink their dollars away, I can’t help but feel lucky. My supply of energy drinks is free. Plus, my joints have never felt better. The stuff’s not so bad.

There’s plenty of products like this for me. Some lead to interesting conversations. When my co-workers found a batch of Go Diego Go Yogurts in the break room they were naturally curious. I explained that yes, adults eat them too. “And actually”, I explained “the yogurts are quite tasty, and they have healthy additives to help you grow.”

I don’t always have positive experiences, (Kashi Vive tastes like dog food) but overall, I’m really starting to enjoy the strange products I get to try now. Perhaps it’s made me a braver, more cultured husband.

2. The Coupon Box

Ah, the coupon box. The primary organizational tool of a Frugal, this mandatory accessory appeared early in the transformation process. There are two things that I’ve learned about the coupon box. First, it goes everywhere. Why? Because, you never know when you’ll need it. Miles into a casual day-trip we’ve turned back upon realizing the box didn’t make it to the car. I now know that where my wife goes, the box goes too.

Second, the box cannot be tampered with. “Don’t touch my box.” My wife doesn’t allow others to mess with her trove of glossy money-paper. I can see why, the organizational process is complex and delicate. A small change could result in catastrophic results in the grocery aisle. Not pretty.

3. CVS Used as a Verb

This one blew my mind. CVS isn’t just a store. It’s a verb. And it turns out, CVSing is the act of snapping up exceptional deals at CVS.

“Did you go CVSing today?” A few months ago, this would have been a nonsensical question. Now, I ask it several times a week as an entry point into further conversation about free diapers and ECBs (extra care bucks). The Frugals love their CVS.

4. Shopping with a Money Saver

It’s not for the faint of heart. Remember, for a Frugal this is the hour they’ve long awaited. The plans are laid far in advance. The grocery store is the battlefield, and my wife becomes the general and infantry. She travels from aisle to aisle with her shopping cart shaped assault vehicle. She’s clearly on a mission. And grocery missions, as you know, often take longer then the haphazard shopping a typical husband relies upon. For the husband of a frugal wife, patience is a virtue.

Then comes checkout. One not used to the process should expect embarrassment. I mean, the sheer volume of coupons is enough to make an amateur blush. But here’s a typical scenario: I look down to check my cell phone and look up to see the clerk dipping into the till to give my wife money. He’s giving her money for purchasing groceries! Holy smokes, what just happened? Was that a transaction or a holdup? Nervously, I rush our family out of the store.

Of course, if you’re looking for more excitement at the grocery store, wait for your Frugal to face up against the distrustful, ornery checkout clerk. It’s a Clash of the Titans!

5. “The Mail Is Here!!”

My wife and I were upstairs yesterday discussing plans for the day and mid-sentence, she stops me. “Shhhh…” I pause thinking Sadie (our baby daughter) must have awoken from her nap. I couldn’t hear a thing. “I think the mail’s here.” Amazed I concentrate on a sound, barely audible. Maybe a plane traveling 10,000 feet above our house. No, it’s getting closer. Perhaps a car. Then it hits me. Incredible! My wife has actually trained her ear to pick up the sound of the mail carrier. Her sense so honed it verges on premonition.

Why the excitement over the mail? A letter from a lost relative? No!

Free samples of course! I’m talking about a pack of Uncle Bens Cajun-Style Rice in neatly packaged orange. The sheer glory, as if Uncle Ben himself descended from heaven and bestowed his ricey goodness to our mailbox. I’ve tasted the newest flavors of Starbucks Coffee, pumped my body full of 6-hour energy, and freshened up my morning shower with Old Spice Shower Gel. Free shipping, free samples, delivered on demand. She’s a genius.

I could go on. I haven’t yet mentioned The Stockpile. (In the event of a nuclear winter, our toothpaste stockpile would ensure clean teeth for the entire neighborhood.) But I think I’ve made the point; there have been a few adjustments in all this money-saving.

But I will say this. I now eat healthier, save more, and am enjoying new and interesting products on a weekly basis. My wife’s frugal living has really helped our family. Thanks to her hard work, we’re living a better life.

I wouldn’t change a thing.

__________________
Author of this Guest Post
Ryan Adams is the husband of frugal-mom, Dana Adams, the author of the blog, Frugal In Virginia. Ryan has his own blog which he uses as a podium for his ideas about business, technology, jobs, and entrepreneurship. He finds his wife's blog much more interesting.

Publix Deals, Yay!

2008-08-18T20:31:00.004-04:00

I had a really good day at Publix today, so I thought I’d share!

Total Shelf
$35.64
Coupons and Discounts
$27.42
OOP
$8.22

6 – Kelloggs Mini Wheats
On Sale BOGO
Had 6 $1 off coupons from August "All You"
Paid $1.00 each

1 – Loaf of Sara Lee Bread
Regular Price $2.85
Had a FREE loaf coupon from Sunday Insert
FREE

1 – Helluva Good Fat Free Dip
On Sale $1.50
Used a $.50 coupon that doubled from Sunday Insert
Paid $.50

1 – Suave Kids 3-1 Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash
On Sale $1.34
Used a $.50 coupon that doubled from Sunday Insert
Paid $.34

1 – Johnson-Johnson Bar
Regular Price $.99
Used a $1.00 off printable coupon
FREE with $.01 overage

1 – Publix Brand Tissues
Regular Price $.99
Publix Penny Surprise Coupon (It’s a coupon in their ad where you clip it and if you spend $10, then you get that “surprise" item for $.01!)
Paid $.01

So overall a pretty good day and we always can use cereal, so Yay!

I'm still trying to keep our budget down, so how is everyone else doing?

Fever, Doctor's visit, and a haircut! (Still trying to upload the video!)

2008-08-18T12:08:00.011-04:00

Well, last week was quite eventful with Eli having between a 100.0-103.0 fever from Wednesday morning to Sunday morning! :( I kept giving him Tylenol and Motrin off and on, and that seemed to control it enough for him to sleep and basically function. He was definitely a lot fussier than his normal self, but that was understandable, so we tried our best just to accommodate him!

We already had his 12 month Doctor appointment scheduled on Friday(He's 14 months!), so we decided to wait till then since it is so difficult to get a sick appointment around here! :( We couldn't get his shots because he was still running a low grade fever, so I'm hoping to get that done the beginning of this week. Anywho, everything else was wonderful! He is 31.5 inches and 26 lbs 9.5 oz, so he is growing wonderfully and she had him walk around and said he was doing really well with his walking, since he is already picking up his feet to walk and doing a lot less waddling... I told her some of the words he is saying, Momma, Dadda, baba (his juice), dog, bampa(Grandpa), Pops, hello, bye-bye, Nay-Nay (Aunt Renee), No-No (His favorite!), Yay-Yay(He'll clap and say this)... He tries to say Haylee and a bunch of other stuff, but I think this is about it...

He also can give a High Five, shake your hands, give hugs, sometimes give me a kiss, run and hide, etc...

So, after he flirted with the doctor and all the nurses, we headed to the commissary to get some more free stuff with the free coupons that I got from the All You magazine, and then we headed home for Eli's nap, then we headed over to Cost Cutter's to get Eli his 1st Haircut! :( I know I've been saying he won't get a haircut for a long time, but it was just growing in unevenly in the back and the sides, so we decided it was time to get it trimmed up a little... I'm already missing his curls, but I know they'll be back soon... But, anywho, we thought y'all would like to see the process, so I videoed the whole affair, so I hope y'all enjoy!

Here is his Before pic (I pulled out the sides so you could see how long it was, but this isn't exaggerated much from how it stuck out everywhere!)

Here is his video... (Please ignore the goofy parents... We're just silly)

It isn't the best quality, but here you go! Sorry it's been such a hassle!

Have you checked your spending lately?

2008-08-14T01:49:00.003-04:00

Well, tonight I decided to do a little investigation about our expenses since We've started really locking down everything...

Our total grocery/dining out/toiletries/Baby/Personal Goods, CVS Shopping, etc... (Pretty much everything except Gas, clothing, and bills...) for the first 2 weeks of the month, was about $520 and that was with me doing the Grocery Game and eating out for Ryan's lunches and going out to eat 2-3 times as a family a week.

We realized we really needed to cut back, so I started making his lunches 5 days a week and cutting out our going out to eat to maybe 1 time a week. The last 2 week total is down to $180 and that is with a $40 Olive Garden Sunday Lunch! (Ouch!) I know I've gotten a lot better with the GG, but seriously that is a BIG difference just for cutting out going out to eat! Yay!

I really enjoy making his lunches, and he has benefited from getting a little healthier, and cooking dinner EVERY night is forcing me to try a few new things and hopefully Ryan doesn't get too bored with my cooking! ;) I just think it is crazy that we saved $340 over only 2 weeks just by cutting out dining out!

It really keeps me to committed to the Grocery Game and making our own meals! Hopefully each month our totals will keep going down, down, down!!! :)

I hope no one is offended by me talking about money... I just think it is so important to be a good steward of what God has given us, so I am really doing my best to get everything in order!

Our little mess!

2008-08-13T00:40:00.005-04:00

:) This just made me smile... I unbuttoned his pajamas to change his diaper yesterday morning, and he decided to escape before I had the chance to finish the job... He just looked so cute running around with what looked like a "dress", that I couldn't resist getting a few pics...

Hope y'all enjoy...

WARNING Crazy Coupon Post!! :)

2008-08-12T17:58:00.003-04:00

Not going to go into crazy detail, but I got some great deals yesterday and today, but for your sanity I won't go into detail besides the Commisary deals!

(no pic though, sorry)
At Publix...
Shelf $37.28
"Saved" $23.18
Spent $14.10

CVS
Shelf $32.45
"Saved" $27.53
Spent $4.92 (Used $4.99 ECB)
Got $13 in ECB's back!

Now onto today! :)

Kroger
Shelf $16.53
"Saved" $12.11
Spent $4.42 (Saved 76%)

I used to shop at the Commisary all the time in Germany and Fort Hood, but for some reason, I just haven't shopped at this one until Mom sent me a link telling about some great deals... Man, was I happy with what I found! I wasn't sure it was worth it to head onto post, but I definitely know where I'm going to get all my staple items! (Milk, bread, eggs, produce) It is unreal how much cheaper most items are! I don't remember the savings being this good, but I guess I have just gotten used to shopping at the higher end stores, and I forget what grocery prices SHOULD be!

Just an example... Boneless Skinless Chicken breast runs for over $4 a lb at Publix and Kroger and when it goes on sale for $1.99 a lb, I would buy up a bunch... At the Commisary the REGULAR price is $1.72 a lb!!! I COULD NOT believe it!

Don't get me wrong, there are still many great deals to be had at Kroger and Publix, so I just need to do a little homework to make sure I'm not overspending at either place!

A little Run-Down...

Total Price AFTER Sale and Coupon
1 pkg - Tyson Boneless Chicken Breast - $1.53
13 pks - Koolaid Drink Mix - $1.95
3 - Pillsbury Grands Biscuits - $2.26
1 - Kraft Mozzarella Cheese - $1.25
5 - Smart Ones Entrees - $5.95
3 - Eggo Waffles - $2.27
1 - Hormel Lunchmeat - $1.45
4 - CleanTeam Wipes $1.40
4 - Tomatoes @ $.88 - $2.29
2 - Broccoli Clusters @ $.99 a lb - $.73
1 - Crystal Light Drink Mix - FREE
1 - Kraft Salad Dressing - FREE
1 - Kraft Cheese -FREE
1 - Wheat Thins -FREE
1 - Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs -FREE
1 - Smart Ones Dessert - FREE
2 - KoolAid Packs - FREE

Shelf $44.21
"Saved" $22.76
Spent $21.45

I spent a total of $25.87 for all this, and only 3 of the coupons were doubled!

(I love that I was able to get a little produce and meat and still have a decent total, Yay!) And every single item here we do and WILL use in case you're wondering... :)

Somehow these got left out of the group shot!;)

A little Eli fun...

2008-08-11T00:08:00.002-04:00

Just thought y'all might like to see a couple pics of our silly boy... After he finished his dinner tonight, I thought I would give him a snack, so I pulled out an apple to see how he'd do... At first he just played with it like a ball, so I pretended like I was biting it, and then he got the idea... ;) I took the pictures because it cracked me up because there was a pool of apple juice forming on his shorts! ;) Anyways, hope you enjoy our cute little boy! Has to get a little smile in there... :) Is there something in my mouth?! ;)Admiring his work...Looking cute with his messy hair!

Just for fun...

2008-08-08T09:12:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, but usually when I take a picture with my phone, it is just for use on the phone, and I never send it to anyone or put it on my computer, so it's kind of pointless... I mean, what's the point of taking pictures if you don't share them? Well, since I purchased my new phone, I realized that the port for the MicroSD card (extra memory card) is on the side of the phone instead of behind the battery like the past two phones, making it a whole lot simpler to take out and download photos and upload ringtones, etc...

So, last night I decided to stop being lazy and give it a whirl... So, here you go...

This is just me being retarded when Eli was a couple months old...

My Men around Christmas time at the Tanger Outlets (Eli was about 6 months here)

I think I've uploaded this before, but it makes me smile everytime!

This was on one of our 4-5 hour layovers on the NY trip

This was such a fun night! We went to this fabulous Mexican Restaurant in Huntsville for Eli's birthday, and this great waitress brought him a Mexican dessert and sang Happy Birthday to him!! She was such a good sport about everything and so sweet! So I think this was Eli's first time getting sung too!Eli crashed Mom's 2 and 3 yr old class, so she sat him in the chair to see how he'd handle it! He didn't quite know what the think of it, but he sat there for a minute or two before he bolted for the toys! He looks so grown up! :( Oh my goodness... Best meal ever!! We checked out this restaurant, Landry's Seafood, because we couldn't really think of an alternative and I had been kindof wanting to go for a while, so we were already in that part of town, so we thought, why not! It doesn't look very fancy on the outside, but when we opened the doors, we felt immediately underdressed in our shorts and polos! ;) We were assured we looked fine(yeah right!) and we noticed there were a couple other casually dressed guests, so we relaxed and had a great time. The food is pretty pricey starting at about $15 and going to $30 or $35, but it was sooo worth it! I decided to try something new and I ordered this amazing dish... Stuffed Shrimp Embrochette, which is jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon with seafood stuffing, Jack cheese covered in an amazing momay cream sauce over a generous bed of rice... It honestly was the most flavorful dish I've ever had! Our waiter said they also served it as an appetizer, so I may just do that next time... Oooo... maybe we can go their for our Anniversary... Already getting excited! ;)

This just cracked me up... Welcome to Buger King! I know, I'm in 3rd Grade!
And Eli was fussing, so I gave him my Wendy's cup to play with... All it had left was ice, so he had fun shaking it and playing with the straw... I just thought he looked so cute, I had to capture it!
Here he is again... :)

Why I should say NO! ;)

2008-08-07T23:39:00.003-04:00

Don't get me wrong, that is probably my most used word right now, but sometimes he is just so cute I can't resist, so I let him play with something that I probably shouldn't! This brings me to my cell phone... :) He seemed to only cause minor cosmetic damage until a few days ago when I tried to make a call after he had been playing with it, and I couldn't hear my Mother on the other end! I could hear the faintest of sounds, but not enough to decipher what she was saying... I thought maybe he figured out how to turn the sound all the way down, but the sound was at it's highest volume and still no luck... I don't know how or why, but the speaker phone still worked, so I had to make do with that for a couple days... This probably doesn't sound that bad to you, but my speaker phone would randomly shut off, and I wouldn't realize it because I was talking until I realized I was talking to myself because the other person got tired of waiting... Seriously annoying! I tried to find a replacement on Ebay or Craigslist, but most of the dealers that seemed reputable were asking over $100 for even the cheesy phones, and I just couldn't handle paying that, so I called the local AT&T store and found out they had a couple returned phones for $50... I thought they were going to be older models, but they actually were pretty nice, so I coughed up $50 and got my self a shiny "new" phone yesterday, Yay! ;)

Eli doesn't quite understand why Mommy won't let him play with her new toy, but he is enjoying getting unlimited playtime with Mommy's old phone!

I wanted to get the Flip model they had, but it wasn't working right, so I decided to go with the Bar Phone type... I haven't had a bar phone for a couple years, so it is a little of an adjustment getting used to it... It's pretty nice though, so I am thankful that I was able to find one that didn't quite break the bank!

What do you guys think?

Shutterfly pics

2008-08-06T23:16:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am in the process of adding more pictures to our Stroud Shutterfly account... I think I've been adding them to the wrong section because I was sure I had already added some of these, but anywho, sorry everyone for the delay! Hope you enjoy the new pics! Hopefully I'll be done adding them tonight!

Update: It's taking a lot longer than anticipated, so I'm adding the GA birthday party pics and then going to bed! ;)

Rite Aid Coupon

2008-08-06T23:04:00.003-04:00

I know people get tired of reading about my coupon deals, but sorry, that's a big part of what is going on in my life right now! ;) Some of you that do deals, might like to know that I found a link for a $30 Rite Aid gift card for transferring a new prescription! I've gotten one of these before when Eli got his stitches, and I just finished it up today! :(

Sorry if y'all had already seen this one! Hopefully this will help someone!

click here
It's off the Rite Aid website, so it is completely legit! ;)

I just can't stop...

2008-08-05T00:50:00.003-04:00

saving money that is! ;) I guess being home with Mom renewed my vigor even more for saving money, so here you go... I bought 4 papers this week, I know... it's an addiction, so my savings can be even more... I have quite a few more to use at CVS, but it was really stressful trying to figure everything out with Eli in tow because he was super fussy! :( I hope to go tomorrow and finish the rest of my Grocery shopping while Ryan is home and Eli is taking a nap... (Ryan has 24 hour duty tonight, so he has tomorrow off!) Hopefully I'll get some great deals at Kroger and Publix too! Hopefully all this makes sense!

Anywho, here are the deals... (If you make it to the end there are a few cute pics of Eli!) ;)

4 Oral-B Toothbrushes
Shelf Price - $3.49
Sale Price - $2.49
4 Coupons - $1 off
ECB $1.50 per item
Final Price - $.04 overage!

2 Covergirl TruBlend Makeup
Shelf Price $8.99
Sale Price – BOGO
Coupon – BOGO
Final Price - FREE

2 CoverGirl TruConceal Makeup
Shelf Price - $7.49
Sale Price – BOGO
Coupon – BOGO
Final Price - FREE

2 PaperMate 10 pk Pens
Shelf Price - $1.99
Sale Price - $.34
Final Price - $.68

2 Pert Plus Shampoo/Conditioner
Shelf Price - $3.69
Sale Price – BOGO
Coupon - $2.00 off (Use 2 coupons)
Final Price – FREE with $.31 overage!

1 Phase 10 Card Game
Shelf Price - $6.99
Clearance Price - $1.75
Final Price - $6.99!!! I didn’t catch that it rang up full price!! I’ll be getting my money back tomorrow!

1 NiceN’Easy Hair Color
Shelf Price - $7.49
Clearance Price - $1.87
Coupon $2.00
Final Price – Adjusted to FREE!

2 CVS Aspirin (120 Ct)
Shelf Price - $.99
Coupon – Free CVS coupon
Final Price – FREE

1 Colgate Total Toothpaste
Shelf Price - $3.49
Sale Price - $2.99
Coupon - $2.00
Final Price - $.99 (Thought I was getting a $2.00 ECB, and didn’t, so I’ll be returning this as well!)

4 Sure Deoderants
Shelf Price - $2.69
Sale Price – BOGO
Coupons – 2 - $2.50 + 2 - $1.00
Final Price – FREE with $1.62 overage!

1 Instant Energy 2 pack
Shelf Price - $4.99
ECB - $4.99
Final Price – FREE after ECB’s!

1 Lamisal Spray
Shelf Price - $7.59
Coupon - $4.00
Final Price - $3.59

1 Excedrin Headache Medicine
Shelf Price - $5.29
Sale Price - $2.50
Coupon - $2.00
Final Price - $.50

1 Crest Toothpaste
Shelf Price - $3.29
Sale Price - $2.49
Coupon - $.75
ECB - $1.50
Final Price - $.25

Had 5 - $2 off $10 coupons
Started out with $21.95 in ECB’s
Total Shelf $110.15
Actual OOP after ECB’s and $2 off coupons - $5.41
Will be getting $8.23 back from returns tomorrow
ECB’s Remaining - $22.93
I LOVE CVS!!! ;) Plus I'm taking whatever we don't use back to Mom's and the discount store, so I just hope to keep rolling my savings, yay!

He decided his suitcase was a good seat to play with Mommy's phone! ;)

The crazy cousins...

2008-08-02T23:18:00.004-04:00

Well, on the last night of Eli and I's visit, we celebrated Mack, Chris, and Jen's B-days, and Mom and Dad's 34th Anniversary with a little dinner and party... It's always fun to get the kids together, so of course we have to do a photo-op, so here you go!

Here are the kids posing nicely with Grandma and Grandpa...

(Jared -4, Wade -5 mos, Jacob - 8 mos, Eli -13 mos, Haylee -5)

And These just crack me up! They were NOT in the mood for these pics! It was well past the babies bedtime, so this is the "best" shot of the group...

Now, for the funny ones!

Eli and Jacob were NOT very happy to be squished together!

Wade finally decided to join the boys crying party! Boys are just so dramatic!

Why didn't I start earlier??

2008-07-27T00:19:00.004-04:00

Start couponing earlier I mean! :) Eli and I got into Shelby around 7 pm Friday night and surprised Mom and Dad with an impromptu trip, so Mom's first thoughts... "Let's go to Harris Teeter for Triples!" I have to admit that I was excited that I might get a few deals, but still a little irritated that I missed out on quite a few because the shelves were already bare! Anywho, here are some of my crazy savings from Harris Teeter, CVS, Food Lion, and Ingles... Hope this makes sense...

I'll start with the smallest...

Ingles

Mom got a bunch of stuff, and I just threw in my Excedrin's that were on sale for 1.98 and I had 2 - $2.00 coupons, so they were free... she may have paid a few cents for tax, but she should have gotten .04 overage for the rest of her order...

Here they are!

Food Lion
We really needed another Sippie Cup since we are transitioning away from formula and ended up getting this for $.99 which is great deal for a sippie! :)

Total Shelf...
$8.31

OOP...
$1.87

Food Lion Stash

As you can see Eli is already utilizing his new sippie cup!

CVS
Went to CVS 3 times...
Total Shelf...
$46.50

OOP
$4.45

ECB's remaining after rolling...
$12.98

Had some issues with some of my coupons not showing up, so I plan to take the Life Saver Gummie Savers and one of the Mentos back tomorrow, which should be about $2.69...

CVS Loot

I got 16 more packs of Gum because a Gas Station on the way to NC had TearPads with the BOGO free coupons! Yay!

Harris Teeter
I went 2 times and my totals were...

Total shelf
$63.12

OOP
$2.66

-The kicker with this is that the Total cereal I thought was on sale for $2.00 and would be Free with overage, rang up full price at $4.79, which I didn't realize till I got home... :( So, Mom and I went back out tonight to get a refund, and the manager gave me $4.89 back in cash, told me to keep the Total and apologized for the inconvenience!! Now this is how Manager's should treat their customers! So actually, HT paid me $2.23 for $63.12 worth of groceries! So I actually made a $2.23 PROFIT doing Triples!! I couldn't believe it!

Harris Teeter Madness

ALL Totaled together...

Shelf...
$125.89

OOP...
$4.09

Plus I have $12.98 in ECB's left! Who WOULDN'T want to do this?!

Disclaimer... I KNOW I did better because Mom went with me, but I still think I would have done pretty good, but Mom is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to getting a bargain! Thanks Mom! :)

Also, about half of this I'm gonna sell to the discount store in the area, so don't worry... I'm not keeping all that CVS candy! :)

A few random pics... :)

2008-07-26T23:14:00.005-04:00

I didn't want to just have grocery posts for days straight, so here are a few pics of Eli and Haylee since we shot up to NC for a couple days because Ryan had duty this weekend and will be gone on TDY for the better part of next week, so here you go... Hope you enjoy! :)

Some more deals... Kroger style! ;)

2008-07-22T14:57:00.003-04:00

Well, after my succesful CVS trip yesterday, I was more than ready for some "real" grocery shopping...

Kroger has this buy 10 get $5 off Mega sale going on with items from $1.50 - 3.00, so essentially if you buy 10 items, you'll get $.50 off each one... This may seem like a pretty good deal, but when you match the items up with coupons, you can maximize your savings even further... You can read an even better explanation along with a list of available deals here, but suffice it to say, there were plenty of good deals to be had! I didn't get quite as good of a deal as I had hoped since the lady that compiled the list was from Ohio, so her Kroger sale was a little different on a few items, so I was thinking I was getting an item for free and then I ended up paying $.75 for it, 4 times over... :( I know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's barbecue sauce, and I already have like 4 bottles waiting to be opened! So, needless to say, I plan on returning it later today... :(

Anywho, onto the savings! :) I'll just list the final price I paid and spare you the boring details of which coupons, etc... ;)

10 - Kroger Apple Juice $1.00 each

2 - Rice Krispies w/Strawberries $1.00 each

2 - Irish Spring soap 3 packs $1.00 each

1 - Keebler Fudge shop cookies $1.50 each

2 - Lysol All purpose cleaner $.50 each

1 - Lysol Toilet bowl cleaner $.50 each

1 - Betty Crocker Warm Delight - Free

1 - Betty Crocker Warm Delight $.50

1 - Betty Crocker Cookie Mix - $1.00 (supposed to be $.50) :(

1 - Betty Crocker Frosting $.45

1 - Edward's Pie Singles - $.75

3 - Franks Red Hot Sauce - Free

3 - French's Spicy Mustard - Free

1 - Huggies Baby Wipes - Free

1 - Hunts Ketchup $.60
4 - Cattleman's Barbecue sauce - $.75 (supposed to be free) :(

Total Before sales and coupons was $82.14

Total Out of Pocket $27.42, even with the unplanned overages! :) Even less once I return the goofy Barbecue sauce!

Getting the juice alone would be a great deal since Eli goes through about a bottle and a half a week! ;) I'm honestly thinking about signing Ryan up for a card since I've reached my limit, and then getting 30 things of juice to stock up with! It's good for a year and a half and we normally spend about $2.50 a bottle, so we really would be saving money, so we'll see if I have the time tonight... Just have to figure out where to put it all!

Anyways, that's my savings, what about you?

A few CVS deals...

2008-07-22T00:31:00.003-04:00

I don't know how much I've talked about it, but I started doing the Grocery Game a couple of weeks ago purely because we can't afford not too! I have my good weeks and bad weeks, but today was definitely a good CVS week! ;) I haven't been getting soda lately since we are trying to get healthy and cut back, but a couple days ago Ryan tried Diet Mt Dew and absolutely loved it, so he asked if I could look for it if it was on sale... Well, CVS had a deal where you buy 4 packs for $11 and then they give you a $3 Extra Care buck back, so it was really like 4 for $8, which is a pretty good deal when it comes to sodas. I also got some All 3x concentrated detergent that was buy one get one free, and I had 2 $1 off coupons, so I spent about $2.25 on each which is pretty good for detergent. Got Colgate toothpaste B1G1 free and had 2 $1.50 coupons, so I spent about $.50 on each. Also got some Loreal Conditioner that was B1G1 and I had a B1G1 coupon, so got that for free... Also some Trident gum that was B1G1 and also had a B1G1 coupon, so I got 4 of those free since I had 2 coupons, plus you got a $1 ECB when you bought 2, so they paid me $2 to buy 4 packs... Pretty cool if you ask me! ;) Plus I had a $3 off $15 coupon and a previous $7.99 ECB, so walked out with $56.46 shelf price and spent $6.97 out of pocket and got $5 worth of ECB's for a future purchase! So I essentially spent $1.97 for all of this stuff! I wish I could do this everytime, but when I can get deals like this, they are sooo worth it!

You think you can tag me?!?!

2008-07-18T11:18:00.002-04:00

Well, you can. ;)

Okay... I believe I've done this before, but I am gonna try again...

8 quirky/odd facts about me...

1... I CANNOT stand it when my Mom or anyone for that matter, pours a Pepsi and loses all the carbonation because they just dump it in the glass and they don't pour it slowly! My Ryan kinda mocks me for this, but I can't help it... Makes me go nuts!

2... When I was younger, I had a bit of OCD about counting a lot of things out by 10... If we were driving on the highway I would HAVE to tap my foot 10 times between each light pole... I remember it so vividly... (said very fast) 12345678910...12345678910...12345678910 Oh the joys... ;)

3... I have an addiction to Bunny Tracks Ice Cream... It is physically impossible for me to walk past it in the store and not buy it! ;)

4... I get super annoyed when people say Always and Never when they are trying to prove a point.. I mean, really do I NEVER say Thank You, and do I ALWAYS slam the door? (Of course these are examples, not actual statements...) ;)

5... It really annoys me when people write emails, posts, blogs, etc... and there are horrible, glaring spelling errors all throughout them. I'm not talking about the run of the mill misspelling or occasionally forgetting a punctuation mark. It's mainly those who never attempt to use spellcheck or even proofread their work.

6... I'm a mocker... There... I said it. Although I think this is often a character flaw, not a quirk... ;) Whatever the case, it is very hard for me to control the urge of pointing out other people's flaws, usually when someone misspeaks or does something that I think is hilarious, and not mock them or make a joke of their perceived indiscretion... I mean, I don't make fun of something you were born with that you cannot change... I don't walk around making fun of the handicapped or mentally impaired, but I still think maybe I should tone it down a little... ;)

7... I don't know if this is a quirk, but I HATE scary/horror movies... My Ryan of course loves them and cannot understand why I don't. Why do people like being scared or horrified? I like action/thrillers, but they are different... Also, movies that could actually happen, i.e., someone breaking into your house and killing you, scare me a lot more than movies where aliens invade the planet... You get my point. Scary movies stink... bottom line! ;)

8... Whewww... I was beginning to think I wouldn't make it... :) Lastly, this probably isn't a quirk, but I HATE doing laundry... There are other things that don't bother me, and I don't mind loading the washer and switching things to the dryer... It is folding and putting everything away... I HATE it! I know this may sound stupid, but it is my most dreaded chore and one I pretty much do every weekday, so you would think I would get over it, but I don't... I guess it is so boring and there always seem to be piles and piles... Oh well... I guess I'll live. ;)

Alright that's it... I think all my friends have already been tagged, but if you haven't and you want to play along... Help yourself! ;)

Brace Face!

2008-07-17T01:06:00.002-04:00

This is a name that I WISH I would have been called as a child, because that would mean I wouldn't have to go through this now, but seriously, I am SO VERY GRATEFUL to be able to finally have this done (Thank You Ryan!) and be one step closer to having straight teeth and not be embarrassed to smile in public! Yay! :) You will definitely be seeing many, many more full teeth smiles in about 2 years! ;)

Anywho, I'm posting this because as I was brushing my teeth tonight, which by the way is like a 15 minute process to get all this metal cleaned, I noticed that I was seeing more of one tooth than normal... (If that makes any sense!) I have one tooth that is usually almost completely hidden behind one of my "2 front teeth" and I could see almost all of it! I took a picture and compared with a pic I took before I got braces, and sure enough, it has already started shifting! I still have a LONG way to go, but I am so thankful that God gives us little encouragements along the way through this somewhat painful process! :)

Under Construction...

2008-07-16T01:37:00.002-04:00

As you can see... I've been changing a lot of things as of late, and I'm still not quite happy with it, but this is at least presentable for now... I had created my own background, but just didn't like it after it was all done, so this will have to do for now, but hopefully in the next few days I'll be putting one together that I really love... So, if you don't recognize the blog everytime you come to visit, sorry... :) Soon enough I'll settle on a background!

Unfortunately, you can't shield them from everything...

2008-07-15T12:17:00.003-04:00

Well, one of the many joys that comes with your child learning to walk is their attempting to run, and in turn falling on their face a few times... :( Normally it isn't too bad, and Eli just hops right up and tries again. Well, last night Eli wasn't really wanting to go to sleep, so I thought I would let him run around a little to maybe burn off his last reserves of energy and then he would fall right asleep. Unfortunately, that entailed running towards the cofee table, (we put it away in the office fearing this exact situation) tripping before making it and falling headfirst into the sharp corner edge... You guessed it... the coffee table won. I run over to pick up my screaming baby thinking maybe he hit his chin and his mouth might be bleeding, but no, he hit just above his right eye and he was "bleeding like a stuck pig". I scoop him up and head for the kitchen as I yell to Ryan to come help me... We make it to the kitchen and I get a paper towel and try to hold it on there to stop the bleeding, then Ryan comes over and he takes the job... Of course Eli did not agree to our switch, so he starts panicking even more because Daddy holds him a lot tighter than Mommy can... So we talk and Ryan told me to call my Mom to see what she thought we should do... I almost told her that we already had a wet paper towel on there, so she better have another solution, but I didn't! She said you might as well take him to the ER since we couldn't get the bleeding to stop and it was a pretty good size gash, so off to the ER we went, but not before I crafted an awesome bandage from some leftover gauze and medical tape I had lying around... He looked like a wounded war veteran for sure with all the tape I used!

We got to the ER and didn't wait too long until we were seen and the Doctor took off my wonderful bandage, and I had succesfully stopped the bleeding (Yay for Mommy!) but the Doc decided to open it to see how deep it was and then it started bleeding again, :( so he said it was too deep and we had to have stitches! :(

After waiting what seemed like an eternity, we had to lay him on the bed, and I pretty much laid down on him and held his hands and feet down while Ryan had a vice grip on his head... This in itself brought panic mode on and when the doc put the first shot into his boo-boo it was all over! He was screaming louder than I've ever heard him and he got 3-4 shots to numb the area and then he had to start the stitches and it was so awful! I just felt so bad for him because he just didn't understand why Mommy didn't pick him up and protect him from the mean man poking him. :( He of course bled everywhere and after it was finally all done, Ryan had to hold gauze on it to try to stop the bleeding while I laid with him and sang and tried to soothe him... He basically calmed down and when they didn't come back in to tell us anything, I just picked him up and basically all was well with the world! ;)

I have to change his bandaid and give him antibiotics, but otherwise you would never know it happened! He is playing, sleeping and eating fine, so that is a relief! We have to go back in 5-6 days to get the stitches removed, Oh joy, but we are just happy he is doing so good now!

So that is our latest trauma! Here are a few pics of our battle scarred baby!

Still looking adorable even with his boo-boo

Showing off his hospital ankle bracelet!

Close-up of his boo-boo! :(

This was this morning when he first woke up... He's still got the hospital bandaid on and his bloody shirt. :(

This is the bear the hospital gave to him and he kept hugging it the whole night! :)

My Georgia Pirate Party...

2008-07-11T00:29:00.003-04:00

Woo-hoo! I am really starting to make headways with all the pictures, Yay! ;)

We had so much fun at his Georgia Party, and I think the pictures really show it! It was so nice of Gramma Leigh-Leigh and Granpops to host the party, and everything looked great, especially the massive Pirate Ship cake that we got at Publix! We were originally going to get something relatively simple, but a certain favorite MIL of mine let the crazy bakery lady talk her into this huge pirate ship, and I'm really glad she did cause it really added something to the party, so Thank you Gramma Leigh-Leigh for being crazy! ;) j/k about the crazy part! ;)

Anyways, thanks everyone for coming and for the awesome gifts that you brought... We really do appreciate you spoiling our baby, so... Thank you! ;)

Hope you enjoy the pics of our crazy son! ;)

My Alabama Party...

2008-07-10T13:01:00.002-04:00

Yes, I have to say "Alabama Party", since the kid had 3 parties! ;) I am starting to whittle away my pile of photos to edit, so here you go... A few pics of Eli's first experience with a birthday cake... :)

Hope you enjoy...

Curious George Lights up our Lives...

2008-07-07T23:40:00.002-04:00

Eli received this awesome Curious George doll...excuse me, Action Figure... for his 1st birthday from his awesome cousins Haylee and Wade, and until now, he hasn't shown a lot of interest in it... That was until he figured out it lights up! ;) Tonight Mommy and Daddy were watching TV while Eli played with his toys until all of a sudden I see him hugging his Curious George action figure ;) and it lit up and he just beamed, well, he couldn't manage to get it to work again, so he brought it to me. He got so excited when it lit up, that I thought I would video it, so all of you crazies could see... ;)

Oh yeah, hugging is his newest trick... ;)

A few fireworks...

2008-07-07T17:06:00.004-04:00

I know I am still behind on a few blogs, but I have A TON of pictures to edit and that has to come first, so sorry if you are going into withdrawl, but oh well, you'll deal! ;) j/k!

Anyways, I didn't really have to edit these, so I thought I would share a couple of my fave fireworks pics...

Hope you enjoy!

Love y'all!

part of the finale

my fave boys

I stinkin' love the colors in this one...

What I should have said...

2008-07-01T18:47:00.003-04:00

...was "I don't think my bottom jaw is completely numb"... (as the dentist comes at me with the extraction tool)... Oh wait... That IS what I said!! I cannot quite explain the pain that followed as he yanked and pried and pulled on my poor unsuspecting bottom teeth... I pride myself on "acting" brave when I am at a doctor, dentist, etc... I mean, I ALWAYS got a sticker for not crying when I got a shot as a child. I am tough, not to be messed with, or so I thought. The whole time he was yanking, and I do mean "whole time" because it must have been a good minute on each tooth, I was wincing and making pathetic sounds which one would think would cue the guy to stop, wait, take a minute and let me recover, but no, he continued to pry all the while telling me how "good" I was doing! I wasn't doing good, I was in agony, but apparently dentists have a different measuring stick of good then the rest of the sane world. I still can't believe I managed to let him continue onto the 2nd tooth knowing full well the pain that was sure to follow. I guess the knowledge of my beautiful straight teeth (2.5 years later I might add) was the only thing spurring me on, and the consolation that my top jaw felt much more numb, assuring me of a much more, I hoped, manageable experience. Thankfully the top two teeth, yes that is a total of FOUR, brought the typical strong pressure feeling that usually accompany teeth being pulled and was quite bearable. Really, should it worry me that when the doctor sees me, he starts beaming while saying, "Oooo, you're the 4 extractions!" or after yanking my poor teeth, state, "What large teeth you have?" Or, "Wow, that was really hard?" So after him assuring me that I was a very good patient, and I could call him at home if I have a problem, I exited the office with the greatest relief of all... a prescription for powerful pain medication and no bill to pay! ;)

I'm breaking my blogging silence... :)

2008-06-26T23:18:00.002-04:00

I have been slammed with pictures, housework, Eli, stomach virus, Ryan, etc... :) And I am finally breaking my blogging silence! Hopefully this will be one of many new blogs, but for now, this will have to do!

Eli had a wonderful birthday (another blog with a million pics!) and he got a ToysRus Gift Card from his Great Aunt Kim and Uncle Al and some birthday money from his Great Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, so Eli and I headed to ToysRus to pick up this awesome toy that I've been eyeing for a while and that has awesome reviews... After a lot of drama with the pricing, we walked out with our new toy and some awesome clearance Pirate shirts and shorts, Yay! ;)

Eli was trying to climb on it while I was still putting it together and about had a fit he was so excited when I put him on and he started bouncing around, so I decided to video him doing it and that was pretty much the end of him bouncing a lot and laughing hard! Little stinker! But I thought you would enjoy it nonetheless! Please ignore my annoying voice, but hey, that's just me! ;)

Love y'all!

Ahoy Matey! A pirate Party for me!

2008-06-01T13:53:00.003-04:00

I also made Pirate Invitations and sent them out to pretty much just immediate family, so don't feel bad if you weren't invited... we still love you! ;)

I had these printed at Walmart, so the inside had 3 more pics of him in his Pirate hat and this wording except it had the actual date and address... ;) We're having 2 parties (One in GA and one is NC) so the invites were customized for both places...

Ahoy Mateys!

Join us on the High Seas!

Setting Sail ~ x:xx pm

xxxxxx, June xx, 2008
Returning to Port ~ The First Mate's naptime

Grandpa and Grandma's Ship

115 Main St

Anytown, USA

Please reply to my email or walk the plank!

(Click on it to enlarge)

(image removed due to misunderstanding with www.inababycarriage.com)

Just a little announcement...

2008-06-01T13:37:00.006-04:00

To let you know Eli is almost One!! ;) I have tried to send this to about every address on the planet, so if you didn't get one, please don't feel left out, I just didn't have your address! ;)

So, here is the front (Just click on it to enlarge it)

And the Back...

(images removed due to a misunderstanding with www.inababycarriage.com)

Isn't he adorable?! ;)

Don't get any wild ideas...

2008-05-31T22:36:00.002-04:00

I am NOT a true crazy couponer, but this is just too good of a deal if you have babies in diapers!

I don't know how many of you like Pampers or even shop at CVS, but they have a deal starting tomorrow where their Jumbo pack of diapers is on sale for $7.99 and if you buy $20 worth they give you $5 Extra Care Bucks towards a future purchase that you can use same as cash, and if you have any coupons for Pampers you can of course use 1 per package...

So, tonight (some CVS' have the deals already in the system the night before)I bought 3 packs @$7.99 each, total $23.97, and I had 2-$2.00 coupons and 1-$1.50 coupon, plus I had a CVS coupon for $3 off a $15 order, so I paid out of pocket $15.47 and they gave me a $5.00 credit for a future purchase, so it's like I paid $10.47 for 3 packs of Jumbo diapers, or about $3.50 a pack!

Even if you don't have ANY coupons, it is still like paying just over $6 a pack, which is still a great deal! If you have boxes of Cheerios, most of them have a $1.50 Pampers coupon on them. Also, I used coupons for Pampers Splashers and Pull-ups from the Sunday paper and they worked fine!

You can only do the spend $20 get $5 back deal once per CVS card, so good luck, hope this will help you get a good deal! I hope I wasn't too confusing! ;)

Eli's first time swimming...

2008-05-28T12:30:00.003-04:00

I am slammed with picture editing right now, but I just have to share these photos of Ryan taking Eli down the slide when we were down in GA at Uncle Russ and Aunt Erin's community pool...

Eli is under all that water! Poor kid got the mess scared out of him when that giant wall of water hit him! Ryan's response when Eli is screaming bloody murder afterwards... "He'll be fine... Let's do it again!" ;)

This is Eli's face when Ryan decided to take him down the slide again! :( Do you think he likes it!? ;)

Daddy's are a mess! :)

-On a side note... Renee figured out why you can never click on my photos to make them bigger, so yay, now you should be able to click on them and see them full size! :)

A few pics from our fun day at the park...

2008-05-28T12:24:00.003-04:00

Well, we took a little impromptu trip to Georgia since Ryan had a couple days off because of Memorial Day... We had a pretty relaxing time and overall just had a lot of fun and here are a few pics when we took Eli to the Park. Ryan had never been to the Park with him, so it was fun getting to see them have fun together!

Yes, I'm married to someone famous...

2008-05-28T01:03:00.002-04:00

Well, Ryan has really gotten into the swing of things here at Redstone and has been doing story after story... Well, last week in honor of Memorial Day, he was interviewed and used in a couple stories and even made it on the news (it wasn't a speaking role)... So, here is a little video of my famous hubby! ;) See how many times you can spot him...

http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=8352796

You better watch out, cause here he comes!

2008-05-22T01:11:00.005-04:00

As all of you know, Gas prices are just ridiculous and it went up another 10 cents overnight and this afternoon was $3.89 a gallon! I'm sure by this time next week we'll be dreaming of the days when it was UNDER $4.00! :(

Anyways, Ryan drives about 20 miles a day round-trip which isn't a whole lot, but it does add up with these high fuel prices... He's been talking about getting a bike and riding it around the base, but we just didn't know if it'd be worth the hassle, so we then talked about maybe getting a motorized scooter... Now we all know that they look ridiculous and they aren't exactly the coolest thing to be seen riding on, but hey, this is cold hard cash we could be saving, so why should we complain! So, we headed down to the dealership on Saturday and found a little scooter that shockingly gets over 120 mpg!! That's right, 120!! Eat your hearts out! :) So after a little wheelin' and dealin' we headed home with our new purchase and trust me, I had a few laughs at Ryan's expense as he "climbed" onto MoBertha (his affectionate name for his new toy)! He's had a good ole' time tooling around the apartment complex and was finally able to the get the license and registration done today, so he's hoping to take it into work tomorrow to start the saving! ;)

We figure he'll use under 3.5 gallons a month, so we're actually paying less for the scooter and gas than we were for gas alone in the Cavalier!!! ;) We're still keeping the Cavalier of course, and he won't always take the Scooter in, but we definitely think we'll get lots of good use out of her and it really is fun to drive despite how goofy it looks!

Here are a few pics of Ryan and his "hog"! ;)

Poor Eli will always think we're taking the picture of him! ;)

Safety first! Notice all the crazy reflective material with the jacket and vest... :)

Yes, we are that cool! :)

Crackin' me up!

That's my Ryan...

Can you see me in the reflection? ;)

Look at that massive cloud of smoke coming from the beast!

Ryan looks so unimpressed by all my camera work!

I have so much to write, but...

2008-05-15T08:45:00.003-04:00

I don't know where to start! ;) So, I'll start with Eli's first time feeding himself his whole lunch! ;) I've been exposing him to more and more "people" food, so yesterday, I decided since I was having a sandwich, then he would have that too, so I cut him a little bit and he was so cute since he hasn't had some of the ingredients yet! Anyways, hope you enjoy... Don't you just love his little curls behind his ears!

Happy First Mother's Day to me!! ;)

2008-05-07T23:50:00.003-04:00

I know... Mother's Day isn't until Sunday, but this afternoon I was very pleasantly surprised by some beautiful roses and a very sweet card from my wonderful little boy, Eli! I'm sure he called the florist himself and made sure the card was worded just right... He also was sweet enough to have them sent on Wednesday, since I'm going back home to Alabama the day after Mother's day, and this way I will have quite a few days to fully enjoy them! What a thoughtful little boy I have! ;) Who by the way will be 11 months old on Sunday! What a wonderful Mother's Day present that is itself! :)

And, because Eli may not have managed to call the Florist, or thought of just the perfect thing to say, I'm guessing Daddy might have had a little something to do with it! Thanks honey, you really know how to make me feel special, I love you!

He really did a great job!

The view from the top!

Catching Up on some fun new pics! ;)

2008-04-28T15:04:00.002-04:00

Well, yesterday Ryan, Eli, and I checked out a new church, so we got all dressed up and I just couldn't resist taking a couple pics! Ryan was not as eager as I was, so that's why he is missing from the fun!

Then I decided to take a few pics of Eli today in one of his adorable new Children's Place outfits! (Notice how the jeans have a rip in them like he's worn them for a long time! Too cute!)

Anywho, hope you enjoy!

Yay, I love saving money!

2008-04-26T22:20:00.004-04:00

Well, I love it, but I don't dedicate my life to it like my Mom and sis! ;) If only I was that devoted!

Well, today we were walking through our local mall because my wonderful husband said I could get a pedicure before I head up to North Carolina for Sarah and Dan's Wedding, and we walked past Children's Place and they had 50% off Clearance prices, so you know I couldn't just walk past, so I stopped and we got some really cute stuff for Eli cause you know, he doesn't have ANY clothes! ;) When we got up to the register, I said, "You don't happen to have any coupons do you, because I didn't know I was coming and I have some at home?" She looked around and then reached into a drawer and pulled out a 20% off coupon! How cool is that? So, after ringing everything up I only spent $27!! I saved over $6 just for asking if they had a coupon!

Anyways, here's what we got... (the jeans alone would have been that normally!)

A couple new family pics...

2008-04-26T21:19:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to post a couple new pics of the family that I "forced" Ryan to let me take today! ;) I didn't really plan on doing it until we were getting ready to go out, and I realized I've been wanting to take one for a long time, but I just always get sidetracked...

Oh, Ryan and I didn't intentionally match, but once we saw we both had Orange shirts and tan shorts, that's what I put Eli in! ;) Maybe someday he'll forgive us! ;) We had to put the camera on a timer, but I think they turned out pretty good for indoor lighting! :)

Hope you like...

Our Emergency Visit...

2008-04-24T15:05:00.002-04:00

Well, this post somehow slipped through the cracks I think because it felt very daunting to write out the whole story... But anyhow, I thought I should post about our scary experience last week... As some of you know we have all been battling sickness the last couple weeks with Pink Eye, sore throats, flu like symptoms, etc... We seemed to keep giving the sickness to each other, and as of last Thursday, Ryan and Eli seemed to be on the mend while I remained feeling sick and yucky... Then within 24 hours, Ryan went from hanging out with Eli all day the day before to lying in bed moaning in pain and burning up with a fever... I thought it might help just to take some Tylenol and let him sleep, but his fever just kept going up and he was complaining of searing back pain and headaches, and it was hard for him to even focus to tell me what was wrong... I was getting a little worried as his fever climbed to 103.1, but decided to run a lukewarm bath to see if that would help cool him down and relax him a little... I searched online for an urgent care center that I could call and see if his symptoms were severe enough to be brought in, but I had no luck finding one that was open after hours, and really without any other options, I decided to bite the bullet and dial 911... I just wanted to ask if this was normal or if I was overreacting, but they didn't really want to talk to me, they said they could send an ambulance and they could look at him if I wanted and that it wouldn't be a problem... I reluctantly said yes, feeling silly for calling when I could drive him in myself, but I figured they can look at him and tell us that he is really okay and he'll be fine... So, I go tell Ryan that the ambulance is on the way, and he is less than thrilled, but he attempts to get dressed and collapses back in bed while we wait.. They were of course there in no time and barely took his pulse and blood pressure before they decided to take him to the hospital because his blood pressure was elevated and the fever was not responding to Tylenol...

So, he's packed into the Ambulance and I rush around to get all of Eli's stuff ready wishing more than anything that we were closer to family, so they could watch him! I ended up getting ready and out the door in time to follow the ambulance to the hospital... Unfortunately I still had to wait for nearly an HOUR in the emergency room just to go up and see him! I mean, I followed him in for grief sake! By the way, I was SO Thankful that we didn't go to the Emergency Room because Ryan could not have handled waiting in the waiting room for a couple hours in his condition! I think we both would have gone crazy! ;) Thankfully I had the stroller and Eli just sat in that smiling and laughing at all the sick/injured people around him! We finally were let up and they ran a bevy of tests and found he had a very severe case of strep throat, so after a big fat penicillin shot and a couple hours in the hospital we were finally on our way home! Well, after we stopped at the Pharmacy to pick up his pain medication... I think I finally laid my head on the pillow at around 2:00-2:30 a.m. Ryan still had a rough go of it with nausea and overall yucky feeling for a couple days, but thankfully has come out relatively unscathed! ;)

Eli and I were seen the next day and thankfully didn't test positive for strep, but they did give me a ton of antibiotics and other medicine to help fight the infection I was dealing with! I feel a ton better now thankfully, but it sure isn't fun when both of us are sick, because I still have to take care of Eli, so it gets a little interesting to say the least!

So, that's our little emergency visit... hopefully that will be the last time we see that hospital for a long time! ;)