Today was a moment with Spring.....snakes..snakes...and snakes.

Alrighty, owning a home I have learned each spring to accept the acts of nature and carry on about my day..

Today, it has been a struggle. I am writing this still in shock.

This morning starts out great, because at 8:30a it was FIFTY, that means a warm day is coming and after a long winter, nothing can make you want to be inside, except for snakes.

Last year on our trail I got to the point where I would see snakes slithering away and didn't do my very girly something like this scream, " AHHUUGHHHHSHHHH.... SHIT!"

For the sake of my daughter I try to stay calm... now its just a " UGHHHH" whooo...

The day the weather and the poop dripping from our kitchen matched my mood.

So most of you know that my parents live in North Carolina and well it SUCKS. Before I had my first daughter I said that I would not get pregnant until I lived by my mom... Well some major life changes came about and I put that thought on the back burner and what do you know I was pregnant!

Now I have another daughter and my mom and I are still not together.

Sure I spent days trying to think if this was a punishment for the horrible 17 year old I was when we lived in Vermont... And really I was horrible.. made such terrible choices...

I thought was this her punishment for something?

But after I got over my anger and accepted the fact we are not living closer.... I let God speak to me about it and shape my heart a little bit more and realized that this is not a punishment.

Now I have to enjoy our moments together and hold on to them so dang tight for when we are not together.

Ok so to my poop in my kitchen.

I woke up on the last day my parents were visiting us. Laying in bed already feeling like I was going to burst into tears. But yet so excited that my parents were here with me. They got to see my house see what I like to do and see all the little every day moments.

We drank our coffee and talked like we always had but the air was different. The dark clouds started rollling in and I couldn't help but let that totally take over my mood too. We didn't plan anything for the last day, and we could barely talk after we enjoyed the morning together. The sadness was just getting too heavy.

So we went to the Chinese Buffet. Well that was supposed to be a great time, but Riley was acting out once again, and of course throwing a fit in the bathroom stall which was totally disgusting and I wanted to throw up and scream from all of it. So instead I grabbed the stroller with Kenzie in it had Riley on my hip and looked at my mom with the Im so pissed off and tired I just want to stop, and said we will be outside.
I had to have a talk with Riley and have her stand in one spot outside until her grandparents came. It was a good cool down but not how I wanted to enjoy my last lunch with my family.

Then we get home and get ready to head to the airport. Its my husbands birthday and poor guy I'm in such a sad mood. Thank goodness we had a date night the other night to celebrate. Well.. we come inside and see water dripping from the kitchen ceiling. Eric comes home and punches in the square that took shape with water dripping...... PEEE AND POOP WATER pour down everywhere.... the ceiling was holding who knows how much water.... The smell is bad.... really bad..

I say Happy Birthday!!!

The next day Eric opens up the pipe and the smell of shit is way more than I can bare. I'm still depressed that my parents left.. and had to watch the girls all night again cuz he was working on the pipe. And the fact that he works alot of late nights over time and out of town... but anyways besides the point or is it? ( a whole other post!)  The smell is so bad we are stuck in our spare bedroom downstairs.... The worst smell.

The next morning Riley pooped in her diaper... and it was everywhere... It was not fun changing a two year olds poppy diaper she has not pooped in a diaper in so long... I could barely handle it. I just prayed that No one would do a surprise visit to our smelly home.

That night Riley got a stomach bug and was up all night puking...

I have Riley in bed with me my arm wrapped around her and Kenzie in bed on the other side and instead of crying from everything. I laugh and say my two girls..... Then I ask God... when is my break??

I think his response would be a big smile bit of a chuckle and say.. My dear child there is no break...... but I will give you rest!!!

Greek yogurt $.30/cup, Granola bars $.67/box and canned tomatoes $.47/can

My total for the yogurt picture was $4.80 and the Granola Bars $11.60. You can find out how to get these great deals at the web site www.wnydealsandtodos.com

I want to add that I also had 2 Buy One get one free coupons from the Sunday paper for the Yopa Yogurt and I had a dollar off your next order from the Planters Peanut deal last week.

Are you couponing yet?? :) 

So it's Valentine's day.........

So it's Valentine's Day.....

Today it means something different than it has any other time. It's different because first of all its on a weekday, which means by the time Eric and I are together it's 8p. and I am exhausted from being 9 months pregnant and really just wanna sit on the couch eat my cereal and zone out to whatever may be on. 

The weekend we can plan for a date night, but then I think do we really want to spend money? But then I think this is a great excuse for a date night and could very well be the last one for awhile with a baby on the way.   

But then it's also not just another day. It's a day there are a bouquet of flowers on the table, and presents left this morning for Riley and I. A day where I get to be sappy and write my heart out to my husband. 

So yes, Valentines day has changed and continues to change every year but the one thing it always does is remind me to make it a priority to love. And especially love my husband, who gets put on the back burner do to the demands of a job, toddler, and pregnancy among many other things. 

Valentine's day started for me back in elementary school spending days thinking about which valentine card I would give to my crushes....  I had to sign my name different, pick a card that said more then a basic Happy Valentines day, and make sure I didn't give a boy a valentine card that made him think I may "like" him.

Then receiving the Valentines cards took up even more days of analyzing. Did he really mean "Valentine you are so sweet!" or "Be mine?"

Desperate at such a young age for love? When you know today those boys most likely didn't think twice about grabbing out a card and signing their name, because their mom or dad told them it had to get done.... Thank goodness little girls don't realize that.... right?

My dad became my excitement on Valentine's day. He would always get me and my mom something special. When I started school he would always have something special sent to 

me at school. I loved it. The fact that I would get flowers or candy left on my desk while no one else did had me glowing. 

I'm really excited that Eric has started this with Riley and I know our girls will look forward to it just as much as I did. 

Eric and I are celebrating our 9th Valentine's together... Well I wouldn't go as far as saying celebrating I guess. But loving one another will work!!! :)

I remember our second Valentines together.... He did my room all up with red and white streamers and balloons and got me a Teddy bear ( That riley now loves of course!) And an awesome ring that had both of our birth stones in... Super sweet and amazing..... Super horrible that I lost that ring 3 years ago ( this is why I do not own expensive jewlery!!)

Valentine's was so exciting because it always seemed like the time you could really let someone know how crazy you are about them without any risk in a way. Marriage before kids had its challenges but marriage with kids brings so many challenges in so many different ways, the only way to get through it is by love. 

Sometimes I look back at those beginning Valentine's Days and wonder is it about love or lust? Our world gets that confused so much.  Love is utterly unselfish.  This kind of love is unnatural for us. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us 

 aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. The more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.

I remember my dad saying when we first got married drawing a little diagram of eric and I at the bottom and two lines going up to God. Describing that we have to grow closer to God in order to grow closer to each other. It was such a awesome feeling when Eric reminded me of that a year or so ago. 

Since having Riley we have both grown closer to God and learn every day about what it meas to love. 

Marriage shows us our need to grow and deal with our own issues and self- centerdness through the help of a lifelong partner

If we are teachable we will learn to do the one thing most important in life- to love.

I will end with a great devotional from the Love Dare. 

No matter who you are or what you do,it comes down to whether you'll live a life of love or not. And there is a vast difference between the two. One is priceless and one meaningless. 

Love is the most important ingredient to any meaningful relationship. Your quality of life is directly tied to the amount of love flowing in you and through you to otehers. Though its often overlooked, love is infinitely more valuable than riches, fame, or honor. They will pass away, but love remains. You can be fulfilled without these, but not without love. 

The absence of love leaves a devastating void. When it is not present, your spirituality becomes superficial, your benevolent deeds self-centered, and your sacrifices insincere. In any relationship where love is not your motivation, you can expect it to feel bland and unfulfilling- if not meaningless. When asked to to define life's greatest command, Jesus summed it up this way: to love God with all you are and to love your neighbor as yourself. Will you embrace a life of love? 

13 Items for under $10 bucks at Tops!!

I haven't done a post like this for awhile, but this week there are really good deals at Tops and because each time I go into the grocery store I keep feeling amazed at how people spend money on food.

I have terrible cart judgement.
I'm in line thinking oh dear when I see people buying a cart full of items and spending $100 or more... No coupons it makes me want to go through my coupon book and see if I have any they can use.... but usually Riley is way to distracting but maybe I should make that a section in my book, extras.. hmm

So this week I'll share... Another thing I am going to do thanks to the blog www.wnydealsandtodos.com is keep a track of my savings and expenses at Tops so you can see that it really is worth it. It's worth it if you have to buy a computer, or buy ink, or get a newspaper, and if you spend an hour a week clipping and organizing its TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!

I hear so many people coming up with excuses as to why they can't but when you have so many blogs out there today doing the work for you, printing and cutting and organizing the coupons is nothing compared to those who are doing all the coupon match ups for us.

Ok so this picture I have  13 items for $9.52 And got $.10 off a gallon just from this transaction.

Here's the breakdown:
2- Egglands Best Eggs= $5.38 used $.55/2 Final price- $4.28 for 24 eggs!!
2- Beechnut stage Fruities= $2.00 used 2 $1/1 Final Price- FREE !
3- Yoplait Simplait = $1.50 used 3 $.30/1 Final Price- FREE!!!
1 -Hershey's simple pleasure chocolate= $2.99 used $1.75/1 (from coupons.com member program) Final price- $1.24 ( and this is really a treat, my excuse is pregnancy ;)
1- Good n natural granola bar= $1.00 used the free coupon from newspaper 1/6. Final price- FREE
3- Boxes of Honey nut cheerios and 1 box of Lucky Charms= $6 use.d $.50/1( was internet one not available anymore)  for cheerios and a $1.00/3 from newspaper 1/6- Final Price- $4.00 or a $1.00 a box!

The price for all this without coupons would have been = $18.87 and that's with everything on sale. Can you imagine the price buying this when it is NOT on Sale???

Gotta love coupons!!

Hey People, I'm growing a baby here!!!!

Exhaustion does that word even do your second, third, fourth, fifth and so on pregnancy justice?

 Yeah I don’t think so either.

I remember my first pregnancy seemed as though everything was happening right along with my, “ What to expect when you are expecting” book. It was my mission to lie on the couch and read my updates for the week, and confirm that everything is going as it should.

My second trimester hit and just like the book said I felt ALIVE!  It said you could also be feeling frisky. It was great I was rejuvenated and wanting my husband so much that I would wake up at 4a just before he got up for work, for sex. 

Yes Sex!

Well what happens with your second?

I’m still waiting for that second trimester like with my first. Some days I lie in bed thinking I’m only 27 and I'm too tired for sex. Then my mind wonders thinking but you are in your second trimester….

I’m tired all the time. 

 It must be the fact of taking care of another child, your husband, and you and that growing baby. I also top it off with building a house on Wed. and Sat. and you got me begging for sleep by Saturday evening.

And the messes, the demands, the food, it doesn’t compare to when it was just two adults.  My advice when you are pregnant for the second time is, to know your cues.  It is very easy for me to not eat as much as I should because I'm busy being a mom.  But when I wait too long to eat, things can get ugly very quickly.  And I know as soon as I start to snap at Riley, that I need to take care of myself first thing in that moment. Now I can tell Riley, that mommy has to eat, and explain to her the baby and she backs right off. I try to remember that messes are not important. The piles of dog hair in the corner can wait, the toys the stuffed animals all across the floors, can wait.  Because you know what they say, keeping a clean house with a toddler is like shoveling while it’s still snowing.

My second piece of advice is, when you are tired, sleep.  Find a way for your child to occupy themselves even a 15 min. nap really helps. When I need just a quick boost I take Riley up to her room, we shut her door and I tell her that mommy needs a rest. She usually then plays with her Teddy's and gets them dressed over and over. And the nap is usually 15-20 mins until she has to go potty! And I feel much better. ( notice the word usually, it doesn’t happen every time I want!)

My third piece of advice, for when you are so tired, and it’s not possible to nap, and your child is driving you to wits end, take some quiet time with God. They don’t have to be “quiet.” If you wait for moments in order to pray and be refreshed by scripture they may never come. Your children need from you the love, strength, and wisdom only God can supply. Keep your bible open. Pray quick, specific “arrow prayers” throughout the day. This will be a great model for your children, and someday your quiet times with God will be quiet again.

Quick thing with modeling behavior,  I was singing a song from church the other day, and it had Jesus in it. Riley started singing with me and then when I stopped she started putting her hands together and rocking back and forth singing,  yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me….” It was so precious. I had never even thought to sing this song to her. I have never heard her sing it before. I am assuming she learned it at church, but I think it was my singing of Jesus that brought it on for her to sing it for me!

Today I learned this.  Riley usually naps around 11a or noon. Well it was 11:30 we had already been outside out an about and I was hoping she would go down soon. She still seemed too awake. I was feeling tired. So I tried eating, helped but not enough. I couldn’t shake the feeling of I'm about to pass out.  

So it’s 11:30. I told Riley that I had to take a nap and it was just about nap time for her too. I told her that momma was gonna go lay down in her bed and she could take her teddy and piggy in her bed with her along with her milk and she could take a rest. She was excited to play in her bed with them.  I laid down got to listen to her sweetly play with her stuffed animals for about 20 mins. Then she started with her mommy Mommy.  I told her I was sleeping in my bed and she should sleep too.  She played a few more minutes. Then I heard nothing. We both feel asleep for two hours! It was great and stress free.

So sometimes, not all the time, explaining things to a 21 month old can help.

When I was visiting my family, they wanted me to stay up with them so bad.  I couldn’t.  Everything was so exhausting.  I could barely make it up til ten and let alone not take a nap.  When my dad started to whine about me staying awake and join the party, I said, “   PEOPLE, I’m growing a baby here.” They laughed, I laughed and then I passed out J

 I think it’s important when we can’t get those moments to take a nap, find rest, to seek God’s wisdom.  Everything can just over take us, and when your tired it’s easy to put off checking with God about all the decisions we make.

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask  of the giving God who give to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly without reproaching or faultfinding and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

If things seem so complicated that your no longer able to enjoy the life as God intended, it’s time to see God’s wisdom. In all things, God wants you to acknowledge and seek Him, use wisdom, and make the best decisions you know how to make.

Through a simple prayer from wherever you are, you can ask God for wisdom about any situation you face. Before you commit to something, or buy something, check with God.  If you have peace about it proceed, but if you don’t feel right about it, then wait.

Seek Gods wisdom and make decisions based on what you sense in your spirit. This I find is so important with pregnancy too. Then move forward believing that God will bless you because you acknowledge Him in your decisions. 

How can I put down my overloaded bags of worry?

It's amazing how when you become a mother you just have a way to fix almost anything. It doesn't matter if inside our heads we are freaking out wondering how will we fix this, because what we show is we get the job  done. Mothers take care of things. Wouldn't you agree?

I guess once you have a baby you learn quickly how to be prepared. It seems that may be one less worry when you are carrying your second, third or  forth child. It may seem that because we have done it all before we are more prepared for the next.

But with all new unpredictable things in life worry is hanging on the backside for dear life.


Dang right?

It seems that once worry grabs on tightly enough we carry a heavy load around.

And you can only carry a heavy load for so long before it gets harder and harder to take steps towards anything.

Take for example the diaper bag. First time moms probably pack it with EVERYTHING you can think of for any situation and then still stress thinking they might have forgotten something.

But haven't you been known to pack unnecessary things in that bag?

The chances are you did this today. Not with material things of course, but with burdens from the day before, the day ahead and the hours upon you.

Us moms we carry the suitcase of GUILT!

Here's what Max Lucado says about our suitcase of guilt.

The sack of discontent. You drape a duffel bag of weariness on one shoulder and a hanging bag of worry on the other. No wonder you're so tired at the end of the day. Toting those kinds of bags is exhausting.
What you were saying to me, God is saying to you, " Set that stuff down! You're carrying burdens you don't need to bear."

"Come to me," he invites, " all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28
If we let him God will lighten our loads.
But how do we let him?

May I invite an old friend to show us? The first few verses of 23rd Psalms.
The Lord is my Shepard;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
e leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Have you been packing your purse with some burdens of your own? Do you think God might use Davids psalm to lighten your load? Traveling light means trusting God with the burdens you were never intended to bear.

Why don't you try traveling light? Try it for the sake of those you love. Have you ever considered the impact that excess baggage has on relationships?

We've made this point at our church by virtue of a drama. A wedding is reenacted in which we hear the thoughts of the bride and groom. The groom enters, laden with luggage. A bag dangles from every appendage. And each bag is labeled: guilt, anger, arrogance, insecurities. This fellow is loaded. As he stands on the altar the audience hears him thinking, Finally a woman who will help me carry all my burdens. Shes so strong, so stable, so.......

As his thoughts continue, hers begin. She enters, wearing a wedding gown but, like her fiance, covered with luggage. Pulling a hanging bag, shouldering a carry on, hauling a makeup kit, a paper sack-everything you could imagine and everything labeled. She has her own bags: prejudice, loneliness, disappointments. And her expectations? Listen to what she is thinking: Just a few more minutes and Ive got me a man. No more counselors. No more group sessions. So long, discouragement and worry. I wont be seeing you anymore. He's going to fix me. 

Finally, they stand at the alter, lost in a mountain of luggage. They smile their way through the ceremony, but when given the invitation to kiss each other, they can't. How do you embrace someone if your arms are full of bags?
For the sake of those you love, learn to set them down.
And for the sake of the God you serve, do the same.
He wants to use you, you know.
But how can he if you are exhausted?


God has a great race for you to run. Under his care you will go where you've never been and serve in ways you've never dreamed. But you have to drop some stuff. How can you share grace if you are full of guilt? How can you offer comfort if you are disheartened? how can you lift someone else's load if your arms are full with your own?

For the sake of those you love, travel light.
For the sake of the God you serve, travel light.
For the sake of your own joy, travel light.

There are certain weights in life you simply cannot carry. Your Lord is asking you to set them down and trust him. He is the father at the baggage claim. When a dad sees his 5year old son trying to drag the family trunk off the carousel, what does he say? The father will say to his son what God is saying to you.

"Set it down child. I'll carry that one."

"Unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you." 1 Peter 5:7