Artie, Troy and I are reading this new book. It just came (from e-bay) last week. So far it is excellent - although Troy hasn't quiet yet found the joy in reading it with us.
"And whatever you do, do it heartily" Colossians 3:23
Here are a couple of ideas from the first chapter...
give more than is required in your work - just like God
learn to put abundance into what you do
put your heart into your work
use your imagination
Our goal is to read a chapter (they are very small - only about 4 pages) a day and then maybe talk about it at dinner.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Mama's Movie Night
I also got a movie night this week. Artie went to bed early and I settled in and watched Miss Potter all by myself!! It was a beautiful movie!!! I loved it!!!
Emily is going to be studying Beatrix Potter in her artist study this year and we will top it off watching the movie. It seems like the little town Beatrix Potter lived in wasn't too far from Ambleside (Charlotte Mason)...then there's Phillipa in England too. It would be such fun to go and visit some day. It is such a beautiful country!!
Emily is going to be studying Beatrix Potter in her artist study this year and we will top it off watching the movie. It seems like the little town Beatrix Potter lived in wasn't too far from Ambleside (Charlotte Mason)...then there's Phillipa in England too. It would be such fun to go and visit some day. It is such a beautiful country!!
Night at the Museum
We had such a fun movie night last night. We popped six bags of popcorn (free thanks the a Harris Teeter triple sale a couple of days ago) :-) and away we went.
Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight was the first to recommend this.
http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2006/12/eight_thumbs_up.html
It was a huge hit. Ben Stiller is great. It's a family friendly movie that even had Terry laughing!! Owen Wilson is my favorite in the movie - he's a "little" cowboy who doesn't like to be man-handled.
The littles had it back on this morning when we got up.
Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight was the first to recommend this.
http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2006/12/eight_thumbs_up.html
It was a huge hit. Ben Stiller is great. It's a family friendly movie that even had Terry laughing!! Owen Wilson is my favorite in the movie - he's a "little" cowboy who doesn't like to be man-handled.
The littles had it back on this morning when we got up.
Monday, July 23, 2007
School Book Preparations - Brenda
Here is my best shot at listing Brenda's books. I'm still working on lots of her preparation. She is doing Marbleised Pre-year 7 and Keepers at Home - Year 2.
Here is her book list...
Bible
Devotional -
Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
Pursuit of God - Tozer
Pursuit of Holiness - Bridges
Bible History - Trial and Triumph
History -
Augustus Caesar's World
The Story of the World - Modern Age
Story of the Greeks
Story of the Romans
Biography - beginning with Mother Teresa
Ruth Bell Graham
Amy Carmichael
Sara Edwards
Geography - this will be a study corresponding with her biographies - beginning with India
Nature Study - School of the woods
Math - Saxon 87
Spanish - still looking
Poetry - still looking
Literature -
Pilgrims Progress
Anne of Green Gables
Little Women
Little Men
Little House Series - book 2
Shakespeare - Charles Lamb
Artist appreciation - studying Mary Cassatt (pictured - The Cup of Tea) first quarter
Composer appreciation - studying Keith Green first quarter
Memorization - beginning with the greatest commandment
Physical Science - Apologia
Science Biographies-
Einstein
Archimedes
Galileo
Keepers at Home - Subjects:
Cooking - Amish
Home Management/Cleaning
Sewing (from year 1)
Gardening - Four Season Harvest
Knitting? (from year 1)
Godly Womanhood (with Emily)
~Beautiful Girlhood
~Making my Room Special
~Spirit of Loveliness (Emilie Barnes - Emily's namesake)
~Welcome Home (Emilie Barnes)
Here is her book list...
Bible
Devotional -
Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
Pursuit of God - Tozer
Pursuit of Holiness - Bridges
Bible History - Trial and Triumph
History -
Augustus Caesar's World
The Story of the World - Modern Age
Story of the Greeks
Story of the Romans
Biography - beginning with Mother Teresa
Ruth Bell Graham
Amy Carmichael
Sara Edwards
Geography - this will be a study corresponding with her biographies - beginning with India
Nature Study - School of the woods
Math - Saxon 87
Spanish - still looking
Poetry - still looking
Literature -
Pilgrims Progress
Anne of Green Gables
Little Women
Little Men
Little House Series - book 2
Shakespeare - Charles Lamb
Artist appreciation - studying Mary Cassatt (pictured - The Cup of Tea) first quarter
Composer appreciation - studying Keith Green first quarter
Memorization - beginning with the greatest commandment
Physical Science - Apologia
Science Biographies-
Einstein
Archimedes
Galileo
Keepers at Home - Subjects:
Cooking - Amish
Home Management/Cleaning
Sewing (from year 1)
Gardening - Four Season Harvest
Knitting? (from year 1)
Godly Womanhood (with Emily)
~Beautiful Girlhood
~Making my Room Special
~Spirit of Loveliness (Emilie Barnes - Emily's namesake)
~Welcome Home (Emilie Barnes)
School Book Preparations - Emily
I am beginning to get things ready for school. I can't believe it is less than five weeks til the first day!!
I am going to start with Emily's books (second grade). Hers are a little easier for me to get all together than Brenda's.
Emily will be doing Ambleside Year 1 and Training Your Daughters to be Keepers at Home - Year 1.
Here is her book list...
Bible - I am stilling deciding on the child's version we will use
Bible History - Trial and Triumph
History -
An Island Story
Fifty Famous Stories Retold
Viking Tales (maybe?)
American History -
Benjamin Franklin - Ingri D'Aulaire
George Washington - Ingri D'Aulaire
Buffalo Bill - Ingri D'Aulaire
Geography -
Paddle to the Sea - Holling C. Holling
Tree in the Trail - Holling C. Holling
Seabird - Holling C. Holling
Nature Study - The Burgess Bird Book
Phonics - Hooked on Phonics
Math - Saxon 2
Spanish - still looking
Poetry -
A Child's Garden of Verses - Robert Louis Stephenson
Now We Are Six - A.A. Milne
When We Were Young - A. A. Milne
Oxford Book of Children's Verse - Iona and Peter Opie
Literature -
Aesop's Fables - illustrated by Milo Winter
Tales from Shakespeare - Charles Lamb
The Blue Fairy Book - Andrew Lang
Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling
Parables from Nature - Margaret Gatty
Free Reading -
Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pocahontas by Ingri D'Aulaire
Handwriting - Getty & Dubay - Book B
Artist appreciation - studying Beatrix Potter first quarter
Composer appreciation - studying Keith Green first quarter
Memorization - beginning with the greatest commandment
Keepers at Home - Subjects:
Cooking - Rachael Ray (Emily's favorite)
Rubber Stamping - (Brenda will be teaching this)
Sewing
Gardening - Square Foot Gardening
Knitting?
Godly Womanhood (with Brenda)
~Beautiful Girlhood
~Making my Room Special
~Spirit of Lovliness (Emilie Barnes - Emily's namesake)
~Welcome Home (Emilie Barnes)
~ The King's Daughter
Carowinds
Sunday, Artie's work sent all their employees and their families to Carowinds. We had such a good time. We meet and had lunch provided for us - hot dogs and hamburgers. I got to meet a lot of the people I hear about every day from Artie's office.
We split up - Troy and Brenda went to ride the Borg (a 1 1/2 hour wait) and Artie and I took the littles to the Nickelodeon rides. Everyone had such a good day. Stephen, Bobby and Terry rode their first roller coaster and first bumper cars. Terry was the funniest!!! He was terrified on the roller coaster and loved it - they rode it four times!!
We spent most of the afternoon on that side of the park - Troy and Brenda came and rode the little cars with us. We all met back up in the water park. The littles played in the wave pool. It was a great day!!
My camera is still acting up, but I found some pictures on Flicker of our favorite things.
This was the littles' favorite ride - Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion
You ride in the mystery machine throughout the mansion and shoot ghosts and Scooby snacks.
This was Troy and Brenda's favorite ride - The Vortex
We finished up the day with a nice meal at Taco Bell. The children were exhausted - not to mention Artie and myself!! :-) Thanks Comfort System!!
$1008 worth of groceries for $145!!! - Triples Coupons at Lowe's Foods
I had my best ever one day shop and best triple sale shop too this past weekend!!! (the picture is from the first shop on Thursday - sorry the picture isn't the best - there was a bad glare from the window)
Thursday, Brenda and went to Lowe's Foods in Gastonia (about 40 minutes away). We each did 6 shops (you could only do 20 coupons per order - so we went through 6 times) - for a total of 12 shops.
Our total bill before coupons was $711.68 we only paid $89.57 - a savings of $622.11!!!! What a shop.
Artie and I went back on Saturday. We went through 3 times each and our total was $297.08 before coupons. We paid $58.94 - saving $238.14!!! Artie was so funny. He couldn't do anything but laugh at the register!!! :-)
So our family total for the triple sale was $1008 worth of groceries for $145!!!! WOW oh WOW!!! :-)
There is another triple sale coming up this weekend (Thurs - Sat) at Harris Teeter. I usually go to the store in Shelby. It is only about 30 minutes from our house. I pack up the coolers to keep the cold items in and head out. Brenda will probably go with me and help out. Wow, if I had learned to shop like this before I was married - we would be way ahead financially where we are now!! Better late than never I guess! :-)
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Swimming at the Griffins
What a pool full!!! 9 kids and 4 grownups!! Notice how Gwyn and I avoided the camera!! :-)
Emily and Terry
Bobby had just had stitches in his pinkie toe - Artie and Shay wrapped his foot in a Wal-Mart and then taped it up with duck tape!! A man and his duck tape - what a match made in heaven!!
Bobby had just had stitches in his pinkie toe - Artie and Shay wrapped his foot in a Wal-Mart and then taped it up with duck tape!! A man and his duck tape - what a match made in heaven!!
Terry got more and more comfortable as the day went on.
Camping
The sun set was very pretty the first night there. Artie, Marshall, and Ryan got most of the tents set up before we got there. I brought all the children a little later (we had been at Emily's Girls Scout program in Spartanburg - Artie left and went straight to the camp and I went home and got the other children and finished packing the car)
We stayed busy playing all weekend. Brenda's baiting someone's fishing line - she's definitely her daddy's girl - didn't get that from me~~~~ My Papa Troy would have been proud!!
Bobby had a lot of fun swimming in the lake. He would just get off in his own world floating in his life jacket. He reminds me a lot of Troy when he was younger.
Troy spent most of his weekend playing with Ryan. They canoed all over the lake and swam all the way across a couple of times. I wish I could have taken more pictures, but my camera wasn't cooperating.
Stephen had a good time swimming and fishing in the lake. (Adam is canoeing with Troy in the background)
Emily fishing. She said she had a good time even though she didn't catch anything this trip.
Terry caught his first fish, then he caught a snapping turtle and then another fish. All right in a row - every time he threw his line in the water. The other children were all screaming!! It's amazing any fish stayed nearby. Stephen and Bobby also caught their first fish - but my camera didn't want to take any more pictures~~
10 children kept the dock pretty active all weekend. I'm sure the fish were ready for a break after we left!!
10 children kept the dock pretty active all weekend. I'm sure the fish were ready for a break after we left!! 
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
High Blood Pressure
I spent the day in bed yesterday - checking my blood pressure. It is way up and is messing me up. My head is swimmy, I'm dizzy. Anyone have any good tips? I think I am going to have to end up going back to the doctor and having my prescription updated.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Beacon Drive-In
Yeah, Friday we got to go to the Beacon. It's one of the things I miss about living in Spartanburg.
When my mama and daddy were dating - they use to go to the Beacon on Friday or Saturday nights. It was the place to be. My daddy lived within walking distance in Park Hills.
It's such a fun place and they have the best food. We all got chili cheeseburgers and french fries. Troy told the little boys they were fixing to eat the best hamburgers in the world - I don't think they were disappointed!!
I miss seeing Mr. White there, but the man that served us was very kind. He was inviting a little boy in front of us to Bible school the following week.
When my mama and daddy were dating - they use to go to the Beacon on Friday or Saturday nights. It was the place to be. My daddy lived within walking distance in Park Hills.
It's such a fun place and they have the best food. We all got chili cheeseburgers and french fries. Troy told the little boys they were fixing to eat the best hamburgers in the world - I don't think they were disappointed!!
I miss seeing Mr. White there, but the man that served us was very kind. He was inviting a little boy in front of us to Bible school the following week.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Today at the Quinn's
Today was Emily's first day at Girl Scout Camp!! She will go all week. I have such good memories of GS camp. She is at Camp Mary Elizabeth - me and my mama spent many camping trips there!! :-)
Troy took Stephen and Terry swimming with the church. Stephen can swim under water now.
Bobby wasn't able to go, he still has stitches in his pinkie toe (sliced it last weekend on Troy's truck's windshield wipers - 5 stitches). He is going to see if they will take them out tomorrow morning.
Brenda spent the day getting ready for a beach trip to Charleston tomorrow. She is going with a friend from church. They are gonna stay a week. She has washed her clothes and has almost everything laid out to go. If I could just get her to clean her room before she leaves.
(For those keeping up - we still haven't heard from Brian. Gaffney High School called today about Brian's registration and I had to tell them he wouldn't be there in the fall.)
I spent the day packing lunches, taxing everyone around to their different activities, sweeping, washing dishes, stopping by the store (twice - got some good deals at an Eckerd's that has been bought out by Rite Aid), cooking a little supper (Artie grilled), and cleaning out a desk drawer.
Tonight's Dinner
Grilled chicken with smokehouse BBQ sauce
Corn on the Cob
Caesar Pasta Salad
Artie and I are fixing to watch Freedom Writers - I hope it's good. Gwyn recommended it. I don't like Hillary Swank (she has a problem with gender roles I think - acting like a boy, boxing, just not my cup of tea) - so it's already got one strike against it.
Troy took Stephen and Terry swimming with the church. Stephen can swim under water now.
Bobby wasn't able to go, he still has stitches in his pinkie toe (sliced it last weekend on Troy's truck's windshield wipers - 5 stitches). He is going to see if they will take them out tomorrow morning.
Brenda spent the day getting ready for a beach trip to Charleston tomorrow. She is going with a friend from church. They are gonna stay a week. She has washed her clothes and has almost everything laid out to go. If I could just get her to clean her room before she leaves.
(For those keeping up - we still haven't heard from Brian. Gaffney High School called today about Brian's registration and I had to tell them he wouldn't be there in the fall.)
I spent the day packing lunches, taxing everyone around to their different activities, sweeping, washing dishes, stopping by the store (twice - got some good deals at an Eckerd's that has been bought out by Rite Aid), cooking a little supper (Artie grilled), and cleaning out a desk drawer.
Tonight's Dinner
Grilled chicken with smokehouse BBQ sauce
Corn on the Cob
Caesar Pasta Salad
Artie and I are fixing to watch Freedom Writers - I hope it's good. Gwyn recommended it. I don't like Hillary Swank (she has a problem with gender roles I think - acting like a boy, boxing, just not my cup of tea) - so it's already got one strike against it.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
I love Bible School!!!
I love Bible School. My children love Bible School, but I love Bible School too!!This only happens once a year. For 3 1/2 hours a night, for five night - all my children are out of the house at the same time!! They even eat dinner at church. This is the only time ALL YEAR (even during school hours with homeschooling - some one is always here) that they are all doing something at the same time away from home. I can count the number of times I've been alone in the last 16 years!!!
It is so quiet in my house!!! Artie and I eat out every night of BS.
Sunday was Artie's pick - but he couldn't make up his mind - so I picked Long John Silver's. It's in with an A&W and set up like an old time soda fountain. They had oldies music playing. I kept telling Artie - I know this song - it was on my Donnie and Marie album or my Kristie and Jimmy McNichol album or me and my friend Allison use to sing this on her front porch. :-) After dinner I worked on some homeschool things for the upcoming school year. I still have to order Brenda's book and got a good list ready.
Last night we enjoyed the air conditioning at Bronco's Mexican Restaurant. We just had a new one open here in town and it was the first time we've eaten there. I didn't eat lunch saving up my WW points for dinner!!
Tonight I think we are eating at Sub Station II and then tomorrow and Thursday are Artie's picks again.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Yeah!!
Gywn found my homeschool notes I lost!!!! I left them at a book sale at Restoration Church. One of the secretaries held on to it and was trying to find out whose it was. That is such a relief!!!! I have so many plans in there!!!
Now, time to get to work on our plans for the upcoming school year!!!
Now, time to get to work on our plans for the upcoming school year!!!
Our Favorite Summer Meals
I love the different seasons!! I love change and making things different. I love looking forward to things and making family memories.
We have different things we serve at different times of the year. We don't grill much during the winter and we don't have salads and things from the garden. Likewise - we don't serve spaghetti (sometimes at a birthday if it's requested) or chili or stews in the summer. My family looks forward to their favorites coming up each season. Keeps their love alive. They sit in the summer and say I can't wait for some of your chili mama or in the winter - I can't wait till we can grill out some hamburgers with garden fresh tomatoes on them. It keeps the food fresh and not boring.
Here are some of our summer foods -
Grilling:
hot dogs
hamburgers (my all time favorite summer meal)
hamburger steak
pork chops
ribs
steaks
chicken
Summer dinners:
A big salad (using things from the garden)
A big sandwich - a loaf of french bread - sliced lengthwise and loaded like a Dagwood then sliced for individual slices
Subs
Tomato and bacon sandwiches (tomatoes from the garden)
Corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and sliced cantaloupe. (I don't get away with many meals without meat - but this one is okay cause it's so summer-y)
Chicken Taco Salad - great served cold
Pepperoni pasta salad
Tuna salad
Chicken salad
BBQ sandwiches
Sides:
Veggies and dip
baked beans
coleslaw
macaroni salad - want to find a good one
potato salad - not much
boiled eggs
deviled eggs
Drinks:
lemonade
sweet tea
Desserts:
I want to learn how to make homemade ice cream this summer!!
ice cream
ice cream cones
Popsicles
Italian icee
strawberries and whipped cream
strawberry shortcake
watermelon
jello
milkshakes
From the garden:
fresh made salsa
Meal Activities:
picnic at the park
picnic at the lake
when it gets really hot - sometimes we will put a video in, turn fans on everyone and watch a movie during dinner on a blanket
hobo lunch - I love this one - I fix the littles a lunch - Pb&J, carrots, a little Debbie, chips or something - tie it up with a bandanna and hang it on a stick. - little boys and sticks with a lunch on it - it doesn't get better than that!!
Please share your summer meal ideas....
We have different things we serve at different times of the year. We don't grill much during the winter and we don't have salads and things from the garden. Likewise - we don't serve spaghetti (sometimes at a birthday if it's requested) or chili or stews in the summer. My family looks forward to their favorites coming up each season. Keeps their love alive. They sit in the summer and say I can't wait for some of your chili mama or in the winter - I can't wait till we can grill out some hamburgers with garden fresh tomatoes on them. It keeps the food fresh and not boring.
Here are some of our summer foods -
Grilling:
hot dogs
hamburgers (my all time favorite summer meal)
hamburger steak
pork chops
ribs
steaks
chicken
Summer dinners:
A big salad (using things from the garden)
A big sandwich - a loaf of french bread - sliced lengthwise and loaded like a Dagwood then sliced for individual slices
Subs
Tomato and bacon sandwiches (tomatoes from the garden)
Corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and sliced cantaloupe. (I don't get away with many meals without meat - but this one is okay cause it's so summer-y)
Chicken Taco Salad - great served cold
Pepperoni pasta salad
Tuna salad
Chicken salad
BBQ sandwiches
Sides:
Veggies and dip
baked beans
coleslaw
macaroni salad - want to find a good one
potato salad - not much
boiled eggs
deviled eggs
Drinks:
lemonade
sweet tea
Desserts:
I want to learn how to make homemade ice cream this summer!!
ice cream
ice cream cones
Popsicles
Italian icee
strawberries and whipped cream
strawberry shortcake
watermelon
jello
milkshakes
From the garden:
fresh made salsa
Meal Activities:
picnic at the park
picnic at the lake
when it gets really hot - sometimes we will put a video in, turn fans on everyone and watch a movie during dinner on a blanket
hobo lunch - I love this one - I fix the littles a lunch - Pb&J, carrots, a little Debbie, chips or something - tie it up with a bandanna and hang it on a stick. - little boys and sticks with a lunch on it - it doesn't get better than that!!
Please share your summer meal ideas....
Using up my grocery stock!!!
So, here I am talking about stocking up my freezer and pantry and now my stock's down - but it sure came in handy. Last Friday night my billfold was stolen from inside my car in my carport.
It was totally my fault - Artie told me all the time not to leave my billfold in there - but somehow I never really understood he meant it. But guess who isn't leaving anything in the car now?
So, Friday was the day after Artie's payday and I had all my grocery money in it from the week. All gone!!! I could have gotten more money out of the bank - but really felt like it was my fault and I needed to try and do the best with what I already had in the house without buying more.
I've made it through the week now and am ready to plan some real meals for this week!!
It was totally my fault - Artie told me all the time not to leave my billfold in there - but somehow I never really understood he meant it. But guess who isn't leaving anything in the car now?
So, Friday was the day after Artie's payday and I had all my grocery money in it from the week. All gone!!! I could have gotten more money out of the bank - but really felt like it was my fault and I needed to try and do the best with what I already had in the house without buying more.
I've made it through the week now and am ready to plan some real meals for this week!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Planning Our Meals
So, my meal planning has changed a little over the years. I started with a calendar and a piece of paper. I would see what was going on that week - note it on the calendar and then plan what we wanted to eat around that (our four meals plus one new to try). :-) My grocery list was pretty similar each week.
As I grew in my cooking, I began to learn to get the store sale papers each week and see what was on sale. If it wasn't on sale - we didn't eat it!! :-) It help my learning experience to find new meat on sale(besides my favorite hamburger) and then find some way to cook it. My learning kinda hit a wall as far as planning was concerned. My meals were still growing, but I didn't change my method of preparation for years.
Months ago, I had a revelation. I had been sweeping my living room and there were a few pennies and a dime in the dirt pile. You have to understand my house - when I sweep (a multi - times a day event) - the dust pan is always overflowing!! We make a lot of dirt!! I never would get little pennies out of the dirt pile. As I was sweeping I was reminded of the story of the widow woman in the Bible who was rejoicing when she found her lost coin. Then I thought about the verses about keeping account of your herds and how God was a God of order. It wasn't honoring to Him or Artie (who works so hard for us) for me to sweep up money and throw it in the trash. Basically it was laziness. I could justify - it's just a penny - but wow, they add up. I decided I would be more faithful about the money God and Artie gave me to work with. I started collecting every penny I found. I began finding them everywhere. Some days I would have more than a dollar in my pocket at the end of the day.
It was that same time that my eyes were opened to couponing. I use to coupon - saving maybe $5-8 a trip - years ago. That's not what I'm talking about. I am COUPONING!!! In one weekend at a triple sale I saved over ....$550!!!! It has been amazing to me and everyone who has watched the process. I have found so much to buy with those little pennies I had been throwing away. Bread for $.29, spices for pennies, sugar for $.19, the list is endless. That's not even counting the many many things I've been able to get totally free.
Now, for the first time in our marriage, my freezer is full from stocking up when I can get things very cheap or better yet, free. My grocery bill has dropped from $300 a week (for everything - paper products, cat food, diapers, health and beauty supplies) to $200 a week for 8 people. I didn't get a bunch of money and go and stock up. I am adding to my stock each week as I'm watching my grocery bill go down!!! It's amazing to me to watch the growth and the money savings all at the same time. I think God smiles when he looks at my growing pantry. It feels very Proverb 31ish to me!! :-)
So, now my planning consists of getting my little piece of paper and my calendar - seeing what is going on that week - and then going to the freezer and writing down the meats I have in there. I plan meals based on what I already have and then just get the few items I need to round it out.
As I grew in my cooking, I began to learn to get the store sale papers each week and see what was on sale. If it wasn't on sale - we didn't eat it!! :-) It help my learning experience to find new meat on sale(besides my favorite hamburger) and then find some way to cook it. My learning kinda hit a wall as far as planning was concerned. My meals were still growing, but I didn't change my method of preparation for years.
Months ago, I had a revelation. I had been sweeping my living room and there were a few pennies and a dime in the dirt pile. You have to understand my house - when I sweep (a multi - times a day event) - the dust pan is always overflowing!! We make a lot of dirt!! I never would get little pennies out of the dirt pile. As I was sweeping I was reminded of the story of the widow woman in the Bible who was rejoicing when she found her lost coin. Then I thought about the verses about keeping account of your herds and how God was a God of order. It wasn't honoring to Him or Artie (who works so hard for us) for me to sweep up money and throw it in the trash. Basically it was laziness. I could justify - it's just a penny - but wow, they add up. I decided I would be more faithful about the money God and Artie gave me to work with. I started collecting every penny I found. I began finding them everywhere. Some days I would have more than a dollar in my pocket at the end of the day.
It was that same time that my eyes were opened to couponing. I use to coupon - saving maybe $5-8 a trip - years ago. That's not what I'm talking about. I am COUPONING!!! In one weekend at a triple sale I saved over ....$550!!!! It has been amazing to me and everyone who has watched the process. I have found so much to buy with those little pennies I had been throwing away. Bread for $.29, spices for pennies, sugar for $.19, the list is endless. That's not even counting the many many things I've been able to get totally free.
Now, for the first time in our marriage, my freezer is full from stocking up when I can get things very cheap or better yet, free. My grocery bill has dropped from $300 a week (for everything - paper products, cat food, diapers, health and beauty supplies) to $200 a week for 8 people. I didn't get a bunch of money and go and stock up. I am adding to my stock each week as I'm watching my grocery bill go down!!! It's amazing to me to watch the growth and the money savings all at the same time. I think God smiles when he looks at my growing pantry. It feels very Proverb 31ish to me!! :-)
So, now my planning consists of getting my little piece of paper and my calendar - seeing what is going on that week - and then going to the freezer and writing down the meats I have in there. I plan meals based on what I already have and then just get the few items I need to round it out.
Meal Planning
I am working on some meal planning notes for a Yahoo group I am a part of, so I though I would do some of my thinking out loud here.
I have always planned my meals from the day I got married. I was so excited about the first meal I cooked for Artie. I can't remember everything I cooked, but I know there were several dishes including a pasta salad and some other side dishes. It looked so pretty and fresh. Artie sat down at the table and just looked around waiting for me to bring the rest of the food. He thought it was some kind of joke. I was broken hearted at his disappointment. He couldn't believe I would serve a meal with no meat!!!! What was wrong with me? Wow, what an eye opener - he expected meat at every meal. I hardly ever ate meat and had no idea how to cook it!!!
I had four meals I could cook and we rotated them each week (or really every four days)...
1. Hamburger Helper (which has many different varieties!!) :-)
2. Tacos
3. Cubed Steak
4. My mama's spaghetti
(Notice it's almost all hamburger meat!!! I had no idea how to cook any other meat!!)
That was it. That was all I could cook. We ate those four things and then one new thing. After we ate the new meal - we would vote if we ever wanted to have it again or throw away that recipe. They were a "keeper" or a "thrower". There was only one night that I remember that we actually had to throw the whole dinner out - it was a corn chowder - I've never made it since. So, slowly, the list of things I could cook grew. I got pregnant two months after we got married and was extremely sick. I couldn't even be in the same room where meat was cooking - there was a chicken commercial (we're having "chicken tonight, chicken tonight") and every time I ever heard that commercial I threw up. That lasted the full nine months of pregnancy. So it was a very long process with my learning!!!! But, I don't think my family has had to suffer too much. I have come a long way in my cooking. I'm not ready to be in any type of cooking contest, but if you sit seven hungry children down at my table - I can make them and their daddy happy!!! (most nights)
I have always planned my meals from the day I got married. I was so excited about the first meal I cooked for Artie. I can't remember everything I cooked, but I know there were several dishes including a pasta salad and some other side dishes. It looked so pretty and fresh. Artie sat down at the table and just looked around waiting for me to bring the rest of the food. He thought it was some kind of joke. I was broken hearted at his disappointment. He couldn't believe I would serve a meal with no meat!!!! What was wrong with me? Wow, what an eye opener - he expected meat at every meal. I hardly ever ate meat and had no idea how to cook it!!!
I had four meals I could cook and we rotated them each week (or really every four days)...
1. Hamburger Helper (which has many different varieties!!) :-)
2. Tacos
3. Cubed Steak
4. My mama's spaghetti
(Notice it's almost all hamburger meat!!! I had no idea how to cook any other meat!!)
That was it. That was all I could cook. We ate those four things and then one new thing. After we ate the new meal - we would vote if we ever wanted to have it again or throw away that recipe. They were a "keeper" or a "thrower". There was only one night that I remember that we actually had to throw the whole dinner out - it was a corn chowder - I've never made it since. So, slowly, the list of things I could cook grew. I got pregnant two months after we got married and was extremely sick. I couldn't even be in the same room where meat was cooking - there was a chicken commercial (we're having "chicken tonight, chicken tonight") and every time I ever heard that commercial I threw up. That lasted the full nine months of pregnancy. So it was a very long process with my learning!!!! But, I don't think my family has had to suffer too much. I have come a long way in my cooking. I'm not ready to be in any type of cooking contest, but if you sit seven hungry children down at my table - I can make them and their daddy happy!!! (most nights)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Tonight's Dinner
Tonight we are having Zatarain's Yellow Rice with Smoked Sausage fried up and added in (of course sweet tea will be served as always!!). Brenda is cooking dinner for us. /this is her first time cooking this dish - she likes making new things!! We used to eat the Jambalaya, but it was a little too hot for the younger children. I hope this will be a little better tonight.
The Zatarain's (we are using 3 boxes) is from my first triple sale at Lowe's Foods. It was free. The smoked sausage was on sale at Bi-Lo this week for $1 after a coupon was added to the sale price. So.,.. 8 of us are eating dinner for $1 tonight!!! Wow, Artie will love this meal!!!
New School Books
I love when the mailman comes with packages. We got in two new school books for next year: Keeping a Nature Journal by Leslie and Roth and Paddle to the Sea by H. C. Holling. I am excited about the nature journal book. I've never been very good about drawing or journaling or being outside!! ;-) School teaches so much - even to the teacher. I'm going to start my own nature journal this year with the girls I think. There are journal examples for each season. Brenda and I have already both been drawing from the pictures inside.
Paddle to the Sea is one of the books Emily will use for her Geography. Brenda used it and loved it. It is a story about a boy who sends a little toy boat with an Indian inside down through the Great Lakes on a journey to the ocean. I am planning on Brenda being the teacher for this subject for Emily - it will help reinforce the things she learned and I think they will like working together.
Monday, June 11, 2007
I Love Girl Scouts!!
Emily has had so much fun in Girl Scouts this year. She sold Girl Scout cookies (thank you to all who bought some - she sold over 100!), walked in parades, visited a nursing home, earned a bunch of badges, dressed up like Cinderella for a tea party, had a cook out and played on a water slide. The list just goes on and on. It brings back so many fun memories of my mama and me when I was in Girl Scouts. She was the leaders helper and involved in everything I did. I hope Emily will have as many good memories as I do.
Emily;s troop is ending next year. I hope we can find another good troop for her!! I really wish we could find a troop for Brenda - this year there weren't any troops for her age in our town. There are lots more opportunities for younger girls here - but much more fun things to do the older you get. I wish more girls were involved here. We'll just have to wait and see....
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Planting Time
I am so late this year with my garden. The freeze on Good Friday threw me off. I just got my corn planted today. The garden is growing more each year. Last year we planted our first corn and planted about 4 stalks. It was so yummy, but only enough for one meal.
Today I planted 51 stalks. I hope it is as good as last years!!!
My new try for this year is strawberries. I hope they do good, the children love them so!!
We have also already planted 30 tomato plants, one banana pepper plant, one cucumber plant, and some carrots (with more to come).
I am still hoping to get some spinach in before it gets too late!!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
My Current Favorite Lunch
Lean Cuisine Panini
I eat each side of the sandwich by itself - makes it seem like more. It is very yummy and only 7 points.
I am doing Weight Watchers again and my day is pretty set right now. I have Special K and skim milk for Breakfast - 3.5 points and then my sandwich for lunch with a peppermint patty for a little chocolate snack. What kind of day would it be without a little chocolate? It's only 1 point. That leaves me with plenty of point to eat a normal dinner with the family at night and sometimes enough for some ice cream for a late snack.
...Guess what I'm doing around my lunch??? You guessed it - More LAUNDRY!!! :-)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Laundry Day
Today was/is my day to work in the laundry room. Wow, it has gotten in such a mess!!
This is what I've done so far...
*sort our clothes (me, Artie, Stephen, Bobby and Terry)
(Brian, Troy, Brenda and Emily are responsibile for their own)
With nine of us and 8 beds - laundry is a huge undertaking each day!!! I wouldn't know what to do if I ever got caught up!!!
*hang out Brenda's sheets (it was her day to wash her's this morning before school)
*wash colors
*hang colors on the clothes line
*wash jeans
*hang jeans
*wash more colors
*hang more colors
*wash towels and twins' sheets
*sort all Brenda's clothes
hang towels and twins' sheets
wash third load of colors
sort Emmies' clothes - colors, reds, jeans
gather Brian and Troy's dirty clothes for them to wash
sweep laundry room
throw away all trash and put empty laundry bottles in the recycling bin
clean between washer and dryer and move back together
hang colors on the line
Brian - washed his work clothes (Brian's clothes all washed!!)
hang Brian's clothes on the clothesline
wash second load of towels (yeah!! the towels are all washed!!)
hang out towels
wash whites (whites are all washed!!)
hang out whites
dry socks in the dryer (waaaaayyyyy to many to hang out)
wash forth load of colors
everything taken down from the clothesline is folded waiting to be put up.
If you walked in my living room right now and saw all the clothes on the couch and the love seat - you'd wonder why haven't I been working all day??? :-)
Right now, I'm taking a break from cleaning off the top of my dryer!!! How does so much stuff get piled there?
Okay, back again...
hang out colors from earlier
wash fifth and final load of colors!!
dryer cleaned off and stuff put up
one last load of leftovers to wash
one new burgandy shirt to wash alone
and one bathroom rug left to wash!!
YEAH, I'M DONE!!!!
This is what I've done so far...
*sort our clothes (me, Artie, Stephen, Bobby and Terry)
(Brian, Troy, Brenda and Emily are responsibile for their own)
With nine of us and 8 beds - laundry is a huge undertaking each day!!! I wouldn't know what to do if I ever got caught up!!!
*hang out Brenda's sheets (it was her day to wash her's this morning before school)
*wash colors
*hang colors on the clothes line
*wash jeans
*hang jeans
*wash more colors
*hang more colors
*wash towels and twins' sheets
*sort all Brenda's clothes
hang towels and twins' sheets
wash third load of colors
sort Emmies' clothes - colors, reds, jeans
gather Brian and Troy's dirty clothes for them to wash
sweep laundry room
throw away all trash and put empty laundry bottles in the recycling bin
clean between washer and dryer and move back together
hang colors on the line
Brian - washed his work clothes (Brian's clothes all washed!!)
hang Brian's clothes on the clothesline
wash second load of towels (yeah!! the towels are all washed!!)
hang out towels
wash whites (whites are all washed!!)
hang out whites
dry socks in the dryer (waaaaayyyyy to many to hang out)
wash forth load of colors
everything taken down from the clothesline is folded waiting to be put up.
If you walked in my living room right now and saw all the clothes on the couch and the love seat - you'd wonder why haven't I been working all day??? :-)
Right now, I'm taking a break from cleaning off the top of my dryer!!! How does so much stuff get piled there?
Okay, back again...
hang out colors from earlier
wash fifth and final load of colors!!
dryer cleaned off and stuff put up
one last load of leftovers to wash
one new burgandy shirt to wash alone
and one bathroom rug left to wash!!
YEAH, I'M DONE!!!!
The Dirty Clothes Bus
I guess I'd better keep the dirty clothes under control or they may start spilling out of the car - or we might just have to buy a bus to hold them all!!!!
My Current Favorite Homeschooling Book
Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss
I found this book at one of my favorite blog sites - By Sun and Candlelight - http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/. I get so much inspiration from Dawn's writings and pictures I wanted to see where some of her inspiration came from. She says this book never leaves her night stand.
Mrs. Foss is a mother of seven, I believe - must be the connection I feel!! :-) She is a Catholic, homeschooling mama. I am learning a lot about the Catholic faith, but mostly her emphasis on the home and family.
I can't wait to start implementing some of the ideas when school starts in the fall!!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Valentine's Day
Here's a picture of the roses and card my sweetie gave me for Valentine's Day. There's also a card from Brian and Brenda. It was a nice surprise. (I'm just a little behind posting my pictures!!)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Gaffney's Middle Schools' Honor's Chorus
The honor chorus sang at the High School for the Art's festival. They sang three songs (one from the Rent musical). It was a nice evening. This is Brenda's first year in the chorus at the middle school. They will be performing in the musical Aladin coming up in the spring.
Emily's Seventh Birthday Party
Emily enjoyed her birthday with friends from school and girls from her Girl Scout troop.
Emily skating at the skating rink with her birthday balloon.
Wow, look at all those presents!!! Mrs. Sandy always give the best presents!! She gave Emily some cute outfits and pj's!!
Stephen and Terry at the skating rink. They liked the video games better than skating.
Brian and the birthday girl.
Emily skating at the skating rink with her birthday balloon.
Wow, look at all those presents!!! Mrs. Sandy always give the best presents!! She gave Emily some cute outfits and pj's!!
Stephen and Terry at the skating rink. They liked the video games better than skating.
Brian and the birthday girl.
Gwyn and I went to our first triple sale this week at Lowe's Foods in Gastonia!! We did very good for a first time I think. I got $231 worth of groceries and spent $42!!! That's $189 worth of free groceries!!! Just in case anyone is wondering - I think it will be a while before I run out of Ziploc bags, tomato sauce or any type of rice!!!! :-) (Next time I will take a better picture!!)
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