Call me "cheap" or call me a "tight wad"...but who doesn't LOVE to save money!? Saving money makes me happy. I realize that you are only saving money if you are buying things that you would be buying anyways...and that's what happened today! (Woohoo!)

So...we're in need of some new dressers around our house. We need one for the baby. Plus, Adelin's (that I picked up for 30 bucks at a thrift store and refinished) only has half of it's drawers that work now. Kaitlyn's is in relatively good condition...all the drawers work fine. I might think about holding onto that one unless I find someone who could really use it. (Let me know if that 'some one' is you!) We got that one for free from my cousin. It was a light wood, sort of banged up a little with some dings and scratches...but I gave it a fresh slap of white paint and we've been good to go for the past 5 years with that one! Anyhow! I found these dressers online. I looked around for the best price...and Kmart was the winner! Then I found a coupon code to save $30 off the purchase....but the shipping was still making the total pretty high. So...I decided to order the three dressers seperately and use the promo code three different times! I wasn't sure if the site would let me...but it did! I saved 60 bucks! (woot woot!) Of course we have to assemble them...but we've assembled (okay, Brandon has assembled) 98% of our furniture so he's pretty good at it! Plus, it gives him a chance to break out the power tools! Oh! And I ordered through E-Bates....so I will get 2% back on my purchase!

Oh! My sister in law Mindy called to tell me about some Children's Place promo codes. One is for free shipping...and one is for 15% off...and you can use them together!

Free Shipping: FSFEB2010
15% Off: A3AAR7DV2A

Happy Shopping!

I found this song called "Held". I don't remember ever hearing it before....or ever hearing of Natalie Grant. I am wondering if she is related to Amy Grant. The messages in their music are similar.
Anyhow.
 I thought this song was so good...I had to share. I listened to some of her other songs and found her blog. I don't really like the rock-n-roll sort of Christian music...but I liked her slow pretty songs.

Here's the song "Held".

I was at Bashas' (that's a grocery store for you non-Arizonians). I saw this bouquet and wished I could take it home...but I rarely buy myself flowers. That's Brandon's job right? But...I knew that if he were with me he'd tell me to get them. I love them! They remind me of Spring...warmer days and sunshine.

Has anyone seen my three hole puncher? I can't find it anywhere! My mom taught me as a kid that if you can't find something, start cleaning up and chances are you'll find it! I cleaned out 5 drawers looking for that darn thing and NOTHIN'! It's in some black hole somewhere. Which reminds me. Brandon rearranged our bedroom today and set up the baby cradle. He found 2 pacifiers in the process. Funny how things show up when you don't need them anymore. I am sure it'll be the same way with my hole puncher. As soon as I buy a new one, the old one will magicall reappear!

I have been wanting to do an update on what's going on around here....but I never have the time. I don't know if I'll ever have time to post a proper update...so I am going to do a quick one. (And if you know me...you know this'll probably be a longer post that what "quick" defines!)

Let's go in order.

Brandon: He learned to change the brakes on our van and is seriously thinking of doing his trucks. We've needed new brakes but didn't want to pay the labor fees (hello! over $200 for the front brakes!) He did ours for much much less. It took him a little longer than he thought it would. He consulted his brother who had changed brakes before (once or twice) and had a little internet tutorial...but he got the job done! I love that Brandon can pretty much figure out how to do anything. Brandon's also been playing a lot of basketball. Our ward team he plays with is undefeated right now. He also gets up at like 5:30 a few mornings a week and plays a little B-Ball with a bunch of other guys over in Taylor. Things are going good for him at work too. He's busy like always...and a little more so with the handful of taxes he does for people. But we don't mind too much because he always manages to make time for us.

As for me:


I am plugging along! I just had my 28 week appointment. Notice the drink in my hand? That's my yummy
:{ orange glucola I drank for my glucose test! I am hoping to not have to repeat the test. I forgot that I wasn't supposed to consume too much sugar before my blood draw and I had 2 glasses of orange juice in the morning plus a couple cookies later on...oops! (oh...Addie just looked at the monitor, saw my picture and said, "you look so cute like that". That almost makes up for her telling me that my thighs are fat the other night. Sadly, the scale never lies...so I know she's right...about the fat. Oh well...all the more reason to breast feed right?!) I don't want to sound like a complainer. Really, I have done this before, gained the weight and lost it...and even though I know my body will never feel or look the same again,  I actually enjoy being pregnant. I love feeling Connor move around and kick his feet out. The fact that we are having another baby is starting to feel 'real'. I sometimes can't wait to meet the little guy...and other times I feel like there is no way I can go through the newborn phase again. BUT...like I said, we've done this before. I know it wont be easy but will be SO worth it. I am down to going to the doctor every two weeks (as opposed to once a month)! This little guy will be here before we know it!
 
Kaitlyn: This girl is our super learner. Aside from school, she is taking piano lessons from her Grandma Flake. Like all kids, she doesn't love to practice...but I can see that she is learning. She and I both agree that summer is too far away. She had a fun Valentine's Day. Luckily she was over feeling sick and got to go to school. So far, she's been healthy without so much as a snot nose or a cough. I hope this'll last! We went to Mesa last weekend and she loved going to the zoo.
 
Adelin: She's still my climbing kid...but she's also a good helper. She can fold socks and towels. She can also change Weston's diaper and get him dressed. She loves to help me cook too. Addie got her hair cut into a cut little bob. I need to take a picture. She loves it and so do I!
 

Weston: This boy makes me laugh one second and want to pull my hair out the next! He is VERY much a two year old! He'll say he wants something and then cry when you give it to him because he changed his mind and didn't bother to tell you. If you tell him one thing, he will want to do the opposite. He's also a little chatter box and I LOVE the things he says! He has a great imagination and loves to play with his sisters. He still loves to wear his cowboy hat and boots. I don't know if that'll ever change. ~ Let me explain these pictures of him. Weston INSISTS on buttering and cinnamoning his own toast. I am all for the boy learning to do those kinds of things...so I let him. Well. Yesterday morning I turned my back for a minute and he had shaken cinnamon and sugar on to the table. This didn't pose a problem for him at all. He had fun licking it up...and Addie did too! (okay...really...I let them do it long enough to get a picture then I wiped up the rest)

 

 

Connor: That's what our new little guys name will be...{we finally decided....mostly because of this necklace I want with the kids names on it. :)} As far as we know...Connor is doing great. His heart beat has been good and he moves around plenty. I pray for him often.

 

Oh...and I took this picture a few weeks ago. I love it!

The girls were playing "baby" with Weston. He's in a little doll cradle, drinking from a baby doll bottle. Addie and Kaitlyn were pretty disappointed that we didn't let Weston sleep there that night. Weston was loving being babied too! Don't you just love it when your kids play together nicely!?

Other things that have been going on:

*Sledding in Show Low

*Family date night at the Chuckwagon Resturant

*Trip to Mesa and the PHX zoo

*sidewalk chalk fun

* enjoyed some temps. in the high 50's last week. It was great for the kids to get to ride their bikes!

I am sitting here at the computer..."putering" as Weston puts it (aka checking email and blogs) and he just came up to me and asked, "Mom, how do you spell sheep?"...and I slept it for him. Then, "How do you spell farm?"...and I spelt it...then, "how do you spell horse?"....spelt it...then "who do you spell chicken?"...I spelt it...then he said, "Oh." and walked away. :)

The other night he was laying by me on my bed and he told me, "I have a girl friend".

Me: "What?"
Him: "I have a girl friend"
Me: "Who's your girl friend?"
Him: "Bo Peep" (and he pulls out from under the sheet a Toy Story (the movie) Little Bo Peep.)
Me:  (laughing)"Oh! Bo Peep?"
Him: " I have an nunna (another) girl friend."
Me: "Who?"
Him: "I get her" and he brings back his little Jessie toy.

My Aunt Bev sent a whole paper bag full of Toy Story toys in December (ones from McDonalds Happy Meals that my Uncle has saved over the years). I gave Weston a few for Christmas and put the rest up. On Saturday, he was looking for his Woody toy and couldn't find it and I was honestly not feeling like looking for it (because that would require lots of bending over and standing up and that's just not easy to do right now)...so I got out the paper bag and gave him all sorts of Toy Story toys. He carries them around in a bucket. But he and Bo Peep must be having some relationship issues because I found her under my pillow last night.

new button

Did you notice that totally adorable little boy smiling at you from the side bar!? His name is Mason. He is 26 months old and he and his mommy Summer will soon be leaving (on the 16th of this month) their home and family behind in Utah while they go to Standford to await Masons new heart. He is a sweet and precious boy who captured my heart the first time I saw him on his blog. He was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. (Go to his blog to meet him and read more about his specific heart conditions.) His mommy is an amazing, inspirational person who, through reading her posts has helped me focus more on the time I spend with my kids.
Please remember to "Pray for Mason"...and his family.....and also for my cousin Carinne who is due in May. She is in the early stages of learning what being a "heart mom " means. Her baby will need surgery soon after birth and who know how many more procedures or surgeries after that.
You know....I am just pondering on that phrase, "heart mom". I know (personally or through their blog) quite a few ...Angela, Natalie, Sariah, Carinne, Anna, Summer... and these are women who have more "heart" than you could imagine a person ever having. They have been through hard times...to me, the hardet a mom could go through... and they still smile, laugh, "dance in the rain", serve others and live their lives "walking by faith". I have relativly healthy kids. We deal with the normal viral and bacterial things...(and some of the not so normal ones too). Kaitlyn has been sick with one thing after another since she started up school again after Christmas break. I think she's maybe gone to a full week of school without missing a day twice since January. I don't know why, but she seems to get every illness she comes in contact with. We were in the ER with her Monday  night because she had been complaining of stomach pains. Then her fever sky rocketed and on top of it, she was unable to urinate...couldn't even force herself to leave a sample for our family doctor. Then...while we were in the exam room (at our dr's office) I noticed a rash on her belly and back. Dr. Peterson just told me that something was not right and that looking at her worried him so he sent us to the ER. We came home and she had a Priesthood blessing and then we (Brandon, Kaitlyn and I) went to the ER. We were not there 15 minutes before she went to the bathroom and was able to "go". She's been fine ever since (as far as being able to go #1). They did a urine test, x-ray and CBC blood work and it all came back normal. (this to me is a miracle...and when I took her in to see Dr. P again yesterday he was amazed that all her tests were normal and he agreed with me that it was because of the blessing...{I love having a LDS dr.}) But, she does have fifth disease which I am trying to not worry and stress about. Anyhow...my point is in telling you all that is that this is cold and flu season and having sick kids is normal. It's also very tiring, draining and stressful. These "heart moms"...they don't get a break from the worry and stress. Some of them can't take their little ones out and life revolves around keeping their kiddo as healthy as possible.  Some of them have had to force themselves out of bed everyday because they miss their little one who they no longer have to worry about. I don't pretend to know how it feels. Angela has told me that she doesn't want anyone to have to know how "it feels". But when I look at my life and compare it to theirs (I know...we shouldn't compare ourselves) I can't help but be in awe of these magnificent women!

*To grab yourself a cute button of Mason like mine, click on his picture to go to his blog!*

i ain't braggin....

really...i'm not....just feeling very blessed because my cleaning angel Carmen is here and i get to have a clean house...all of it clean at the same time! you moms know how nearly impossible that is when you have little ones at home...and if you lived in my brain...you'd now how wonderfuly happy it makes me!

...i still need to do laundry and dishes though....but i'll take it!

~~~~~~~~~later~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weston took off his poopy diaper and got some on the carpet while I was in the shower. So, those of you coveting my nicely dusted, newly mopped and vaccumed, orange Plegde infused house can stop. :}