Having fun with friends

Playtime at the Fludes was tons of fun! They have the perfect pool for little ones! It was fun to get together and play in there adorable house. Every time we go there I always feel so comfortable. They have a very inviting home. I think it is also their cool, calm demeanors that sort of balance out the wildness in my children! Thanks Julia, Ben and Micah! We had a great time and we will definitely be getting together again soon!





We also had a playdate with the Roberts earlier in the week. We always have a great time when they are over. Usually Jess and I get together on the days when our husband s are working either long or odd hours. We spend the whole day playing with our kids, talking coupons, cleaning my house( not my strength and totally hers!) or doing anything else we like. We end up having dinner together too then heading home just in time for the kids to fall into a deep sleep from a full day!
There is something to be said about a friend who knows where to find your silverware without asking or which cabinet your towles go in. She is a blessing to me. Thanks for the fun times!

Super Savings Saturday- Early Edition

Click on image for a better view


OOP this week is $64.44. Before coupons,sales, ECB'S and RR'S my total was $287.78. Again I will need to stock up on meat next week so it is great that I am under budget. I also need to grow my ECB'S and RR's. I am probably confusing most of you with all of this coupon jargon. I promise to post more details about the way I shop soon. In the mean time head over to Moneysavingmom.com and click on CVS 101 and Walgreens 101. That is a great starting place for all those who want to turn their grocery budget upside down. Until next Saturday.....

Super Savings Saturday-Late Edition

OOp this week( 4/26- 5/2) was $44.87! Total actual cost before coupons, sales, ECB'S, and RR'S was $297.66. Things are getting a little easier as the weeks go on to know when to buy what and where. In the coming weeks I will have to stalk up on meat so I will try to stay under my eighty dollars for the week. If I can't then this really low week will be able to balance it out. We will see what happens! It is amazing to see how the Lord provides. God has been so gracious in answering my prayers for finding a balance in feeding my family frugally.

Tasting Wine for Charity

Steven was part of hosting a fundraiser for CHOC at Downtown Disney. It was a sort of progressive appetizer and wine tasting experience. Steven was able to get tickets for me and guests so my sisters came along, minus Gretchen and plus Sam( she is definitely at sister status). And of course Sarah! We had a great time and I have to admit I am extremely proud of the set up and decorating that Steven had done for the event. By far the ESPN Zone was the most beautifully decorated stop of the evening. Good job babe! And thanks for the fun evening out!

A concert and a visit

We have lots of visits. I like that. I think it is important. I am thankful once again for the opportunities we have because of our decision to homeschool. Sydney is with us, serving, loving, visiting and just plain old playing with our families, friends and neighbors. It brings me tremendous joy. The bonding is deep.
The visit from the silly photos above ( a decent picture was not to be had by these four that day) was out to Fontana to spend the morning and afternoon with my childhood neighbor for almost twenty years. She and her husband and son live out there and had invited us to a mini Jana Alayra concert at her church's moms group. If you have never heard of Jana Alayra you definitely need to check out her website Janaalayra.com . She is a great resource for kids music and actually adults too. Anyway, we are very thankful to Desiree and Jacob for inviting us. It was a treat!

Visiting Situ

We were blessed enough to be given a free stay at our time share a couple of weeks ago, so we packed up and headed out to Las Vegas. This is a double blessing because not only did we get a great place to stay but we also visited with my Grandmother, Situ. Our Vegas trips are not like most I am sure. We have a ton of fun when we go there but probably not like most people. Thankfully my Husband loves to serve his family by way of giving us gifts and surprises. He always researches family friendly, fun and sometimes free things to do while we are there. This time we had a great time bowling as a family and a wonderful picnic dinner with Situ at a park that she loves. I got a special surprise as my sneaky husband called in a favor and got us tickets to see Penn and Teller. And we enjoyed a super delicious seafood dinner buffet. It was a great date night that was long overdue!