Day Fifty-Seven: February 26, 2011

Today wasn't very eventful.

We met up with my friend Amy and her kids at the park by our house. The boys had a great time playing with them and were wore out by the time we got home.

I ran some errands during nap and we just had a low-key evening at home. It was nice.

I didn't get a picture with my camera today but Amy got some of the kids at the park. I will have to get it from her to post, but instead of the picture today I will post a video that I took of the boys tonight. Every night at bedtime/naptime we go over our bed rules: no climbing out, no jumping, etc... I will ask them "Do we climb out of our bed" and they respond now on their own with "Noooo Maaa'aaam" It is real cute and my mom said I needed to video tape it. So at dinner tonight I asked them those questions and taped it - sweet Michael then started talking to the camera. It was real cute. Hope you enjoy it. (I have another from tonight that Jeremiah tells me the rules, but it will take too long to upload and I am ready to go to bed. So I will post it tomorrow night)

Enjoy!

Day #57: February 26, 2011

Day Fifty-Six: February 25, 2011

Not much has happened today. It was raining this morning which made the morning feel crisp to me. Not sure if that makes sense but it just makes home feel fun. Anyhow...

Mike got the tire swing up today. But the boys were not fond of it - except for putting sticks in it. That's ok, they'll warm up to it soon - what boy doesn't?




When my mom came down for Christmas she brought some "Cupcake" bird food. The boys have loved that we have a birdhouse now so I brought them out so they could leave it for the birds! They were real excited about it and Jeremiah kept picking it up to see if the birds ate it yet (and I mean just 10 minutes later). I hope some birds will eat it before you tomorrow because the boys will be so excited to see some of it gone!



Pouring our cupcakes on the ground



Waiting on the birds to come

#46: February 25, 2011
Picture of Love: Jeremiah disobeyed Mike and Mike told him that he would have to go inside. Sometimes it is tough to follow through with things. This meant that Mike also had to go inside to talk with him and stay with him and talk to him about his disobedience and consequence. It would be easier to let him stay outside and play but we love him.

Friday Finals

I had a GREAT time at Bi-Lo this week, but all the goodness started at Harveys!

When I teach coupon classes I advocate two things:
1.) Pick ONE store and only go to that one for the week - (grocery store that is) you will save more money that way and spend less!
2.) When you see coupons on a tearpad at a store only take two - not twenty - save some for others.

Well, I did not follow EITHER of those! :) (oops)

I made my list to Bi-Lo but checked the computer before I left and saw that Harveys had a $2 off $6 produce purchase. I was going for produce at Bi-Lo anyhow, so I decided to stop at Harveys and at least take advantage of that deal. While I was there I saw a tearpad for .75 off any size Vitamin Water! JACK POT! I knew these were on sale at Bi-Lo for $1 each so I tore off half the pad! ha! I walked out with 19 coupons! oops :) but I Mike LOVES these and we only buy them when they are on sale and I have a coupon for them.

So we went to Bi-Lo and had one of our best trips!



I purchased:
19 Vitamin Waters (.25 each)
2 Gain Dryer Sheets (Free)
2 Chi-Chi Salsa's (.50 each)
2 Chi-Chi Tortillas (Made .21)
1 Angel Soft Toilet Paper (3.88)

TOTAL WORTH: $52.42
TOTAL SPENT: $9.42
TOTAL SAVED: $43.00!!!!

I was so excited! (as was Mike!)

Day Fifty-Five: February 24, 2011

Yesterday was a great day as well. We enjoyed time with others and time as a family.

A lady from our church had her grandson for the day so we met them at the park to let the boys play together. The park that we love is at a pre-k, so we can only play there after school hours (we can't wait for summer when we can go there any day), so there is another park a block away. It only has a few things that are toddler friendly but the boys loved those two things! The slide was their all-time favorite! They had a great time playing with Devin and I really enjoyed talking with Connie and getting to know her more!



The boys and I then went to the local drugstore to pick up some lightbulbs and then to the church to stop by and see Mike. We then decided to go to a local restaurant for lunch! We had such a great time - we ran into several church members and really just had a great time sitting and talking as a family. The boys ate every bit of their lunch (that is impressive to me) and we ended up staying there almost 2 hours! It was just fun!

The boys have really started to enjoy their train table in the past month. I will put the tracks and trains up every night and the next morning one of the first things Jeremiah does is re-build it. Michael will help and before he puts a train he asks Jeremiah if it will fit. Normally the answer from Jeremiah is either "yea" or "no bigger" - meaning, Jeremiah only likes the big trains (not the smaller ones) on the track. And Michael always just goes with the flow!



#45: February 24. 2011

Day Fifty-Four: Febrauary 23, 2011

I know this is a few days late - but, well it just happens :)

Wednesday was one of my favorite days!!! It was just good. period - good day!

The weather was nice (a bit chilly, but the sun eventually warmed things up) and so the boys and I went to Vidalia to run some errands and have a picnic ("Eat outside" as they kept saying).

I needed to go to Bi-Lo and Walmart for a few things and at the last minute decided to run by Harveys - and boy am I glad I did. Because of Harvey's I got some great deals at Bi-Lo - you will have to check in later on tonight for those when I do a "Friday Finals" post to link up to Southern Savers. It was just plain great - so check back :)

After we went to Harvey's and Bi-Lo we stopped at a park (actually the same park that Mike and I used to eat at when he worked at Handy Andy) and we had a picnic. The boys were so cute eating while keeping one eye on that "big" slide! They would take ONE bite and say "can we play?" I would tell them they needed to eat their lunch and they would take one more bit and ask the same question! This went on and on until they ate all their lunch and could play :) That slide was just so enticing!








We then went to Wal-Mart to get a few things. I normally try to avoid Wal-Mart at all cost but I am so glad we went. They had all their Valentine's Day candy/cards for 75% or more off! After Christmas I stocked up on some Christmas projects for next year for super cheap, and was able to do the same thing for next year for V-Day! I found packs of V-day cards (With pencils in them) for .50 a pack, packs of red bags (plan to use them for their birthday) for .25 a pack and all sorts of candies, lollipops, etc... for next to nothing! All the candy/food has a shelf life until December of 2012!!! Jack Pot!

I paid $11 for all this!
Now I won't have to buy anything for next year when they are older and will be participating in more V-Day things!


The boxes of lollipops, I opened up and put them in a baggie (it also came with stickers) and will be using those for our potty training days (which will be coming up next Thursday!)



Once the boys laid down for a nap, Mike came home with a WARM Pecan Pie! A lady in our church makes the BEST pecan pies and she graciously made us one! It made my afternoon even more amazing! :)



It was a good day!

Day #54: February 23, 2011


I think they were tired of waiting to play!

Day Fifty-Three: February 22, 2011

Both Mike and I woke up sick again today. Blah! :( He took the morning and I took the early afternoon/lunch/naptime! When we woke up this morning, both feeling awful I said "What do we do when both of us are sick with the boys?" he replied "Take turns" and that is what we did. :) He made the boys breakfast and then took them outside while I got a shower and get ready. That always makes me feel better when I am sick. I felt MUCH better and so then Mike went to rest a bit and get ready. He had to go to the office in hopes of not getting behind this week and I think that made him feel a bit better too. However, after dinner he was real tired and not feeling well again, so he went to bed earlier. I feel completely (mostly) better and I hope Mike gets a good nights sleep and wakes up feeling better!

Other then that nothing exciting has happened...

except of course....

Michael enjoyed the swing 100% of the time today,

(We did acquire a tire today that will replace this crate. PTL!)

Michael built a tower out of his carrots,

(notice that he stacked them biggest to smallest. Yep, he's smart like that!)

Mike taught Jeremiah a new handshake
(in the middle of it his knuckles crack)


Jeremiah almost jumped clear out of his bed!
(Yes, we have a no jumping rule in the bed that we try to enforce - fail parenting moment in video taping him doing it - but he just gets so high - apparently he is practicing, hmm.)


We took some photos with Mommy.


(I do exist)

Day #53: February 22, 2011

I love these faces he has been making lately! Too Cute!

Day Fifty-Two: February 21, 2011

Sick Day :(

We were suppose to go to Montgomery today to get Mike's braces off (HALLELUJAH!) But, I started feeling sick yesterday (Sore throat, etc) and then this morning woke up feeling absolutely horrible - body ached, fever, yuckiness! Thankfully, the church office was closed today, anyhow, so Mike stayed home and took care of the boys most of the day for me so I could rest. I took a nap for about 4 hours in the afternoon - it felt so nice!

The weather was perfect and so Mike spent most of the boys time they weren't napping outside. We have a large tree in the backyard and so the boys helped Mike hang the bird house that Uncle Jack gave us.




Then mike attached a crate to a rope and hung it from the tree in effort to make a swing! ha! I am hoping this is just temporary and he will find a tire swing or something like that to put up. The boys weren't huge fans of swinging, but then would be "brave" and it would quickly turn to scared again.

Right before dinner Mike comes in the house with a REAL frog! Mike was outside with the boys making a fire in the fire pit, and Michael saw the frog and told Mike it needed to go in the fire. Well, Mike walks in holding this frog trying to put it in my face while I am cooking! Ahem! Seriously - it is a live frog! The frog went pee-pee in Mikes hand on our kitchen rug - that's what you get when you bring a frog in the house. Mike took it back outside and put it down and it stayed in one place for a long time. The boys enjoyed looking at it (from a distance) and watching it wiggle and hop and all the other "fun" things that frogs do.

Mike has already gone to bed - he is starting to not feel well either, so hopefully he can get a good nights sleep and knock it out before it gets to him. I hope he feels better in the morning!

See - he wasn't a fan!


So Mike "Rode" with Michael in hopes to make it better.


And it did for a minute - see.
Day #52: February 21, 2011


and he went back to hating it.

Day Fifty-One: February 20, 2011

Good Day today!

Church was great and the sanctuary was packed! For a holiday weekend, we had a great turnout! Once again Mike preached the Word! I was talking to a friend in another city the other day and was telling her that what I love about sitting under Mike's preaching is that I KNOW him! You know how sometimes you can know someone so well, and have a hard time listening to their sermons because you know how they really are? Well I know everything about Mike - I know everything about him, his likes/dislikes, what his passions are, what he struggles with, his personality, EVERYTHING! And I can sit under his teaching, knowing his heart, and knowing that he is a humble man, a man that loves the Lord, loves his family, loves the Church, and desires nothing of himself but desires everything to be to the glory of God! I know Mike better then anyone in the world and it is a honor for me to sit under his teaching! I just love him and I am so thankful for him!

Mike's Mema (the one that recently went to be with the Lord) has a brother named Jack. Uncle Jack and Aunt Lucy live in Vidalia/Lyons area and when we went to BPC we would occasionally see them in the area. Uncle Jack and Aunt Lucy called the other day saying that they wanted to come out to church today to hear Mike preached. It was so much fun having them there this morning! They are so precious. Afterwards they treated us to lunch in Vidalia and it was a great time of fellowship with them. Uncle Jack makes bird houses and has been featured in several magazines in the south east area. He made one for us! I was so excited about it and so were the boys. First thing they said when they woke up from nap was "Bird house!"

Day #51: February 20, 2011

Day Fifty - February 19, 2011

Today's not over, but I figured while I did the past four days I might as well do today!

We haven't done anything today except play outside most of the morning! Which we loved! The weather is great and the boys just love outside and I am certain could stay out there for hours! We played in the backyard most of the time - I love the space that they have and the grass! It is so pleasant to sit on the swing while they play and play and play!

We then took the tricycles and put them on the carport while I tried to teach them how to ride it. Jeremiah can do it and Michael is really trying to coordinate it all! They are too cute and I think I am in shock that in less then 2 months they will be THREE! Oh. my. goodness. It has gone way too fast!

After we rode our tricycles we played in the front yard and we saw that we had a big box waiting on the front porch! This is exciting! My sister, Katie, sent the boys some valentines - a huge gorilla and frog - almost as tall as they are! Immediately they were excited, who wouldn't be?!? I asked Michael what he was going to name the frog and he said "Katie!"



We then came inside because it was way past lunch time. While I heated up some spaghetti for then they got their blocks out to build towers. Jeremiah always says he is building "Goofy's Tower". They are so good at it and Jeremiah was very proud of his today! I loved all of these pictures and can't decide which one is the cutest so they all get labeled the picture of the day!

Day 50: February 19, 2011




Doesn't he look so old in these pics?

Day Forty-Six (February 15, 2011) to Day Forty-Nine (February 18, 2011)

I know, I know - I missed 4 days!

Please forgive me but I have a good excuse for two of those days.

Tuesday and Wednesday Mike was out of town. He went to South Carolina to go visit the staff at Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church. Mike met the pastor of AMRBC while we were at Thorington Road and so Mike and another church member drove up there for 2 days and met with each staff member to learn from them and ask questions, etc. Mike had a great time and learned a lot from them.

Malissa came and stayed the night with me on Tuesday night - there is no way I would ever stay by myself - nope, not gonna happen! I love that we are close to Malissa and the boys love spending time with her (as do I):

Day 46: February 15, 2011


Mike came home about 30 minutes before church on Wednesday and wasn't able to spend time with the boys so after church he took them home while I was in choir so that he could play with them. They LOVE that man! I mean EVERY day when they the beep from the door the drop whatever they are doing and run to him squealing! They were glad he was home (as was I - I don't like it at all when he is gone!)

Day 47: February 16, 2011


Thursday we drove up to Macon so that Mike could visit a church member in the hospital. We brought the boys with us but we weren't sure if we could go up in the hospital or not. So Mike went in and was going to call me if he thought it was ok/appropriate. He called and said it would be better for us to stay in the car, so the boys and I stayed in the car and watched Nemo and cut coupons. The boys did good and sat contently eating raisins, cheerios, and watching Nemo.

While we were in Macon we went to Publix after lunch. I love Publix and they are definitely a top-notch grocery store that no others compare to! Here is how well I did: I spent $16 and saved $67!


(side note: for 12 cans of Green Giant Veggies, 2 boxes of Green Giant Frozen Veggies, 4 cans of Progresso Beans, and 2 cans of Hunts Sauce, I paid 1.09 for!)

Thursday was the first day the weather was amazing, so right when we got home we let them play outside. The boys were chasing Mike so he ran up in the tree - in his dress clothes! ha!

Day 48: February 17, 2011


They LOVE being outside - I am so glad that the weather is nice - it does us all good to get out more!



Yesterday I got up early to go to Kroger and CVS. Kroger had their chicken 1.99/lb so I wanted to make sure we got some. Mike still had sermon prep to do, so I needed to go early in the morning so he could have the day for that. Kroger is good, but it's not Publix. This is how I did:

First Transaction: Spent $19 saved $14. I am still trying to figure Kroger out - their sales are sometimes great and sometimes I just can't tell. We needed everything in this picture except of course the cereal. And the items are all the large ones (large butter, velveeta, and creamer). But $19! I spent less then that at Publix and came back with five times more! (but it did print off $4 in coupons for the next transaction)



Second Transaction: Spent $20 and saved $37 - now I was pleased with this one b/c the chicken ALONE was $21! So bascially everything else was free after the $4 coupon from the first transaction and my coupons!



Then I went to CVS. I haven't done CVS in about a month and just kept pushing it off because we are so stocked. But, my ECB was about to expire so I made a list and went. I was so glad I did. I got everything free and was just excited again about CVS.



How I did it:
First Transaction: 2 Herbal Essence $5.96
- $1/2 Manufacture coupon
Due: $4.96
Paid with 5 ECB = FREE with 2 ECB returned.

Second Transaction: 1 Listerine $3.99
- $2 Manufacture coupon
Due: $1.99
Paid with 2 ECB from 1st transaction = FREE with 2 ECB returned.

Third Transaction: 1 Listerine $3.99
- $2 Manufacture coupon
Due: $1.99
Paid with 2 ECB from 2nd transaction = FREE with 2 ECB returned.

I was excited about that.

After shopping, my friend Amy and her 2 children came over to play! I LOVE being near them and the boys love Rebecca and Jose. We played inside for a bit, ate spaghetti, and then spend about 2 hours outside! You know they ALL loved that and the weather was perfect to sit and visit with Amy. So thankful for them!

Day 48: February 18, 2011