Somehow I missed it....

I scan blogs all day - when I'm on hold on the phone, when I am waiting on something to print, when someone is talking to me and it's boring....lol. I even read Shelby's fall questions - but somehow I skipped right over the part where she tagged me. Sorry Shelby...you'll learn that I'm always late. :)


Fall Questions...

1. Do you like Starbucks? I don't drink coffee, give me a Mountain Dew and I am good to go! HOWEVER, when it gets close to Christmas, I usually WILL go to Starbucks for a peppermint hot chocolate! Mmmmmmmmm......

2. How do you decorate and prepare for Fall? I normally go all out - until this year! :( We sold out house about three months ago and are STILL waiting to close on it! So....I don't want to put anything up until we get to the new house - which looks like I am going to go straight into Christmas decorating! And I LOVE my Fall decorations....I'm totally bummed.

3. Will you participate in your college's homecoming activities? Does Calhoun have a homecoming!?!?

4. What is your favorite Fall clothing item or accessory? Boots. But they have to be the PERFECT boots and I have not found them yet. I will probably wear them with everything. I hate finding shoes. Can't find any that please me. UGH!

5. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid? I have absolutely no clue. I never remember what I dressed as. I know I went. I'm old people. Give me a break!

6. Do you like Halloween/Horror movies? No, No, and NO! I remember going on a date with Lee in high school and he wanted to go see a Steven King movie. I don't remember which one. I sat during THE.WHOLE.THING. with my eyes covered. Lee wasn't happy - he said he wasted his money. Duh?

7. What is your favorite Fall activity? I always like to have a BIG pumpkin carving party with my kids and nieces and nephews. I love to camp - which we are doing next week!! YAY!! PERFECT weather. My #1 favorite thing is to go to Gatlinburg though! I need to try to work that in soon!

8. What is your favorite Fall recipe? Definitely 100%....pumpkin dip with ginger snaps!!

Quick questions...

1. What movie coming out soon are you looking forward to seeing? I have no clue!
2. What will you miss most about Summer? My flip flops...I can actually walk in them.
3. When do you start your holiday shopping? When i come up with some money!
4. Favorite exercise/activity? Shopping....but see #3 above.... :)
5. Best book you've read lately? Anything Debbie Macomber.
6. Do you make your bed every day? wow - Cassie and I are alike! Yes, I make it (or at least "straighten" it - but somedays it's not until I start to bed! Just don't like getting into an unmade bed!
7. If you could choose a personal chef or a personal shopper, which would you choose? definitely the chef!
8. Which TV show are you most excited for this Fall? Alabama Football! lol. Seriously - I don't even know what other shows are coming on. I very very rarely watch regular TV.

And I'm tagging Drea, Melissa (who hasn't filled hers out still), and Dustin, and Melia!

I am thankful.....

Following Drea, Cassie and Melia and their posts...

I am thankful....because I go home to a wonderful husband who loves me very much and never fails to tell me that he does.

I am thankful....because I go home to a beautiful daughter who loves me very much and always tells me that she does.

I am thankful....because I go home to an awesome son who loves me very much and always tells me that he does.

I am thankful....because my house is now a home, with a family, who has been blessed beyond words this year.

I am thankful....that my home is prayed in numerous times a day.

I am thankful....for our church and for the opportunity to go there four times a week.

I am thankful....for my parents, there are no words to describe why.

I am thankful....for my three brothers, my sister, my 3 sister-in-laws and my 1 brother-in-law, they ALL always give unlimited "love biscuits." :)

I am thankful....that God healed my son's eye, even though the nurse called from school today to tell me he was having problems with it. Get.behind.me.Satan!

I am thankful....for the oodles and bookoodles of friends I have. They are amazing people.

I am thankful....that God saw fit to save our souls, provide us with the perfect jobs that we asked him for and for keeping us safe, healthy and together. He is an awesome God.

...how many people are now singing...."My God is an Awesome God"!?? :)

So neat....

Friends.... :)

And a few from Maggie's session...

A few more of Ashlea...

Geek Day!

Okay - Geek Day is made for our kids, or at least Kade and Konnor. Check out these pics. And of course one of the Diva - who told me that Divas do not do Geek. You go girl! :)

ETA: The more I look at the picture of Kensley the more I think it should go in the Enquirer. Kensley informed me that she WAS NOT dressing as a geek - that she was going as a ROCKSTAR today. When you look at the picture, it does look like she is a famous rockstar and Melissa is her bodyguard. lol.

ETAA: It's Homecoming week at school - that would be why our kids are dressing up everyday. Yesterday was camouflage day, didn't even think about taking a picture but I can recreate that in a heartbeat and no one will even know. :)

She waited FOREVER....

but I finally got them done! Tallie cheered for Wallace State for two years and at the end wanted some pictures of her in her cheerleading uniform. I am pretty much ashamed to say - but I took them MONTHS ago. She has either been really really patient or she forgot about them completely, she hasn't ask about them one time. Poor thing. I think they are great - she found the PERFECT location for cheerleading pics!!

Coming soon to computers near you....

Slight problem this week - my laptop - which is where I do ALL of my photo editing, etc.....died. Had to wipe it completely clean. It just hit me that all of my actions for my pictures (photography stuff), are gone. I can get them again - but it's going to take me a lot of time. ugh. I shot two sets of senior pictures last week - really.bad.timing. I hope to have every thing back up and running VERY soon. Until then, here is a glimpse of what I will be working on.

Boys....

they are strange little individuals aren't they? Okay - maybe it's just mine. But that kid has an imagination that never gives up! He always has - I remember when he was just tiny, he started talking when he was WAY TOO YOUNG...and he has talked and talked and talked and talked some more ever since! I remember he used to make up these long, outlandish, unreal stories. I would just worry and worry about it. He could make people believe him - and he was probably 2! My mother used to tell me that meant he was going to be smart, because he has a very over-the-top imagination. Well, I suppose that's true. He does do very very well in reading, language, literature, etc. (enough to get moved in the AP classes at school...YAY Kade!) But sometimes, even today, I just sit and watch him and think, "Where in the world does he get this stuff?! And what was it earlier in life that he DIDN'T get that would improve his math? lol. Don't get me wrong - he does well in math, right now. We just tend to struggle a little more than in the other subjects.

Anyway, I tend to blog around pictures that I take. And I definitely want to keep the one above. He went to a movie with his cousins - bless Kyle and Jennifer for taking them, poor souls. It was a 3-D movie - Kade became attached to his 3-D glasses, which he then took the lenses out of. And he wore them for several days after that. THEN he decided they needed blue masking tape in the middle - so he could be a nerd for a day. THEN he decided the glasses needed blue masking tape ALL OVER them. Don't ask - I have no answers.....

On a Roll!

There were just too many great bargains to pass up this week. I spent 3 times what I did before but I am stocked up on MANY things now! Here's the pics (yes I am actually a photographer, no, the pictures don't show it - but it's just way simpler to take pictures with my phone, I can send them directly to my computer that way!) My husband walked in yesterday while I had coupons spread EVERYWHERE trying to get the new ones organized. I think he is now looking for a treatment center. He says I seriously have an addiction. lol. I guess it didn't help when I got home and started staging all of the groceries just so I could take a picture...... :) (But he LOVED the amount I spent!)




In summary - I bought $309.06 worth of groceries and I paid $142.55. I saved $166.51!

I always want to know EXACTLY what other people bought - it's easier for me to plan my own grocery list that way. I can look at other people's list and it will hit me, "OHHHHH - I have a coupon for that!!" So here's mine. It's long. The actual receipt - about 4 FEET long! No joking!!

3 lb ground beef
1 Sara Lee hot dog bun
1 Sara Lee hamburger bun
2 Lays chips
1 Publix milk
3 Mueller Fettuccines
9 Mueller Spaghettis
1 Mueller Penne Rigatoni
5 Mueller Elbow Macaronis
8 Duncan Hines Cake Mixs
6 Duncan Hines Frostings
4 Ball Park hot dogs
1 Clorox toilet bowl cleaner
1 A-1 sauce
1 Newmans spaghetti sauce
2 Kraft BBQ Sauces
1 Wisk Detergent
1 Caramel apple dip
3 Air Wick Freshmatic kits
2 Hellmanns Mayonnaise
4 Pantene shampoos
2 Kraft Ranch dressings
1 Ivory body wash
2 Old Spice body washes
1 Pert Plus shampoo
1 Dixie Crystal sugar
3 Glade relaxation candles
2 Vlasic pickles
1 Air Wick candle
1 Glade fall spice candle
1 Glade fall spice spray
1 Frenchs mustard
2 Dole pineapple slices
1 bag of apples
1 tomato
2 Kraft velveeta cheese
1 Tampax tampon
1 Always ultra thin
1 box of Cheezits
1 bunch of bananas
1 Heinz ketchup
1 Publix hamburger bun (bought by accident!)
1 Kraft singles cheese
2 Aunt Jemima pancake mixes
2 Honey Nut Cheerios
1 Capri Sun
4 Green Giant Steamers
1 Publix White Bread
4 12-pks of Mountain Dews
1 12-pk of Cottonelle Toilet Tissue

AND....Melia and I decided to shop together, so we even had a ton of fun while we were there. The people back home waiting for us to come back to bring the groceries to fix supper - not so much. But man - that Pizza Hut pizza they ended up ordering was GOOD!! :)

Monday morning status update....

Well....the update is....I'm here and I'm breathing. :) Wow - No one filled me in on that little issue that when you become a full-time church-goer......that's all you have time for! Could someone fill this full-time worker, full-time mother, full-time wife, full-time church-goer when you fit your laundry into your day?! Drycleaning is calling my name....and so is a housekeeper! Any takers? Need everyone to put in bids - lowest one wins! ha!

Had a singing at Huntsville Friday night - had a great time! The singing was very good. Great way to start off "singing season!" Of course we didn't get in until after 11:00 and I had worked all day and I crashed! Got up Saturday morning and Lee and I were going to go to the new house and do a few things, and then hit a few yard sales....somehow he begged out of the yard sales and me, Mom and Melissa went. Didn't buy a thing!!! We just didn't have a good yard sale day. I guess I did too well the week before. I didn't post about that! I bought a brown glass patio table with 6 resin wicker chairs with the cushions (and I actually liked them!) and 4 extra resin wicker chairs and 2 wrought iron chairs for $75!! Unfortunately, didn't find that kind of bargain this time around....

(Notice in that last paragraph there was no mention of laundry.......)

Mom decided we needed to cook so Kylee and I ran to the store. We bought 20 lbs of chicken leg quarters and Lee grilled them and Mom made 10 lbs of homemade french fries and slaw and mac and cheese and then Kylee and I made a fresh fruit pizza. Oh my goodness. It was wonderful!

(Again, notice in that last paragraph there was no mention of laundry......)

Went to church Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. Mom and I did shop in between church Sunday. I went in to panic mode when I realized that I had NOTHING to wear for fall. I now own a few fall skirts - of course, there are no shirts to go with them but I am going to work on that soon....

(And again....notice....oh nevermind - you get the picture!)

Have a happy week!!!

And just because I like to always have a picture.... Here is one of Kylee's favorites and I want to blog it so I will always have it around. This is Ben Honeycutt. He is the guy from Rainsville that was on the last season of American Idol (briefly, but he was on television a couple of times!). Enjoy!

My secret....

Okay - I feel the need to tell my secret. NO. It isn't whay you are thinking and it will NEVER be! :)

I had several calls, texts, and emails...and then Drea....who were pretty much impressed with my shopping skills this week. Let me just say that I was pretty impressed also. But let me let you in on WHY I did so well this week. You see, I have 100s of coupons - so many that I was overwhelmed, frustrated and felt like picking them up and throwing them all up in the air and letting them rain down on me. Yeah, that bad. I decided last week that I WOULD figure out a way to get organized. I mean - I knew I had the coupons of things I wanted to buy, but I could never actually FIND the coupons I needed. So I set out on a quest. A quest for the perfect organization for my coupons. I knew some folks used baseball card binders, but I felt like they were too small for what I was printing. In the beginning I was using a small coupon organizer - not quite big enough for me now days. Then I bought a larger coupon organizer - still not helping, had to pull all of the coupons out to be able to see what I had. I couldn't find what I was needing. So I went to Walmart and I SEARCHED AND SEARCHED for my perfect solution. And I found what worked for me. A photo album. It holds 4x6 pictures and it has a row of three. I bought a package of stick on tabs and I went to work.

And it was what I thought. Perfect. I can flip through the tabs that I personalized just for me and it's right there in front of me. Ohhhh...and I also had a hang up with how much I spent for it - I mean, I'm trying to SAVE money with the coupons so I didn't want to spend what I was saving! The photo book was on clearance for $5.00 - I bought some extra pages for $2.50 a pack. Not a bad price! THAT is how I managed to save $90 this week. Because I could actually SEE the coupons I had. I took it to the grocery store with me and when I saw something on sale that I didn't have on my list - flipped the pages to see if I had a coupon and most of the time, I did. I scored big.

Here are a few pictures of what I did. Leave a comment if you have questions! Will be glad to answer!




Have an awesome day!!

Writers block....gone.

Obviously my writers block has been lifted. I keep thinking of things and saying, "ooooh, I need to blog that" today. Very unusual for me lately. I have been stareing at my blog daily thinking, "do I have ANYTHING to write about?????"

Here's what's on my mind....followed by an explanation:

DOUBT. Let us ponder on that word. The meaning is "to lack confidence in and to consider unlikely." Do you have problems with doubting? I have been rolling this around in my mind lately. Do I doubt? I am talking about spiritually. Do I? I have ask myself that question over and over.

Here is what I have come up with...kind of. It's sketchy to say the least.

Everyone knows about Kade getting shot in the eye. We have ever more had a time with it. I asked God an INFINITE amount of times to heal him. Did I doubt that he would? No. I 100% believed that he could and WOULD take care of Kade's eye.

Here's the story - Kade saw the same retina specialist six times in 3 weeks if I'm not mistaken. On the 5th time, he set him up to see a cataract specialist because he had a cataract. His reasoning for this was that he could not see the extent of the damage to his retina because of the cataract, therefore, the cataract had to be removed. So...we go to see the cataract specialist, he agrees the cataract needs to be removed and even agrees for the reasoning. That was on a Tuesday I believe and they scheduled him for surgery 8 days later. On Monday before the surgery on Wednesday, he had another appointment with the retina specialist. Lee takes him and it takes FOREVER. I finally get in touch with him and he is just acting strange about it. So he explains that obviously the doctor is crazy. lol. When they went in, the doctor looked at him, told Lee his retina looked good and he thought he was fine. He then proceeds to tell him that he has a small cataract and later on he might need to have it seen about. So Lee proceeds to tell him that HE sent him to the cataract specialist and Kade is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday! The doctor says, "Oh, I did? Well. Good. I don't need to see him again, he can just follow up with the cataract specialist." HUH? Remember back when I told you that the REASON for the cataract surgery was so the retina specialist could see the damage to the retina and fix it?? He told Lee his retina looked fine! So then Lee goes on to ask him about the three prescriptions three times a day he is on. The doctor's reply, "Oh, he don't have to take those anymore." And....the appointment is over. The cataract specialist had already told us that the surgery was no rush - he said it could be done in 2 days, 2 years or 20 years. Needless to say, we cancelled that surgery in a hurry.

So what did we do? Decided the doctor was a quack, and got an appointment with a different one for a second opinion. Then it hit me, didn't you ask God to take care of him? Yep - sure did. Numerous times. And then I cancelled the second opinion.

Do I believe God took care of him? Most definitely. Why have I failed to blog about it or tell everyone? (I have told very very few.) I have decided it isn't because I have doubted, but for fear. I KNEW that as soon as I made the statement that he was fine, Satan was going to be ALL.OVER.ME. Why have I decided to tell now? There were 100s of people praying for my son. And they deserve to know that he is fine. And I can handle anything Satan can throw at me. Period.

GOD IS GOOD!

And yes, Shannon Byrd, I know. It IS still very strange to read anything remotely associated with God that I write. :)

Couponing and other things....

Let me just confess. I am an addict. I LOVE to cut coupons. It's really nothing new - I have always loved to cut coupons, but NOW - I actually use them. For years I would cut cut cut and then forget about them. But NOW, I can't wait for Publix to send out their sales paper so I can see just how low I can get the price... and FREE is even better. It gets my blood pumping. Gets my brain to kick in to gear, I research and research on just how low I can get my total at the checkout. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an expert, I'm still in learning mode. But I do okay most of the time! Here's how addicted I am: I jumped up at 6:00 a.m. this morning, got ready, got Kade ready for school, dropped him off at Melissa's (she's doing the school driving this week)and went straight to Publix! I had my list, my coupons, and a nice quiet store. Bought what I wanted and was at work ON TIME!! Yeah, I know, it's kind of strange..... But check out this receipt!!



Ahhhhhhh! What a rush!! lol. Some people need drugs.....I just need coupons!! Maybe that's a new treatment plan? Get them addicted to coupons!? I may have just came up with something great! ha!

I told Melia I would put what I bought on here - the receipt is waaaaaay too long to take a picture of. So here goes:

1 Aquafresh Toothpase
1 Colgate Toothpaste
1 Bounty Napkins
1 Publix Greenwise Bath Tissue (Penny item today!)
3 bags of Chex Mix (Traditional, Chipotle Cheddar & Honey Nut)
2 Hunts Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding (both were FREE!!!!)
2 Franks Hot Sauce
2 French's Worcestershire Sauce
4 Betty Crocker Potatoes (2 sweet potatoes & 2 loaded baked potatoes)
5 Hormel Compleats Chicken and Dumplings (on Kade's list of GREATS!)
3 Nature Valley Granola Thins/Peanut Butter Bars (for Kylee who is on a major diet!)
1 Caramel Bugles
2 Chef Boyardee Mini Ravioli
2 Select Harvest Mexican Tortilla Soup
1 Little Debbie Honey Bun (only thing I bought not on sale)
1 Ritz Crackers
1 Clorox Bleach
1 Heinz White Vinegar
2 Lipton Teas
1 Orville Redenbacher Popcorn
1 Kraft Squeeze Mayonnaise
5 Right Guard Total Defense Deodorants
5 4-pack Yoplait Fiber One Vanilla Yogurts (the name of this kind of throws you but it is REALLY good - and I don't usually like yogurt!)

And the GRAND TOTAL is --------------------------> $36.21 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I may take a picture of all of the stuff to add here just for dramatic effect - but it will be later. :)

Yep, it's a good day - even though my tire was flat on my car this morning and I had to drive the truck ------- it's a good day!!!!

Also - if you have time, say a prayer for Br. Slick and Sis. Crystal - they have had a set back with the new baby and I'm sure would appreciate everyone's prayers! Here's the link to read about it - http://slickandcrystal.blogspot.com/

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY - LIKE ME!!!!

Happy 70th Birthday Granny Jones!!

Granny Jones is turning 70. She looks great for 70 doesn't she!? Her children and grandchildren threw her a BIG 70th SURPRISE birthday bash at church last night. Granny Jones has LOTS of friends that wanted to celebrate with her!! I had the honor of playing photographer. I still have a few pictures to upload but the majority of them are HERE (and a big "YEE HA!" to me who just figured out to link another URL!! :) ) on my photography website (and you can even order from there if you want! WOW! GO ME! lol.) Just scroll down the page until you see "Granny Jones Birthday."

Awwwww.......

My favorite thing to photograph......

Panic.

Okay - my panic is actually now over. For those of you with small children....you have soooo much to look forward to!

Somehow - and I still don't know how - my daughter (she's 19) ended up with a free beach trip, so she calls me and says, "Mom, the only thing is, Rachel and I have to drive down by ourselves." Rachel is also 19. And I certainly thought her parents would say, "NO WAY!" for me, but they didn't (geez Leslie! lol). So, I still wouldn't give the go ahead and I told her to call her very.over.protective.still.thinks.she.is.8.....father. Guess what he said!?! He told her yes, that she could drive - ALL THE WAY TO GULF SHORES. Oh, he did tell her that if it rained, she had to pull off?!? lol.

I never said a word. I just acted like it wasn't happening. Until 5:00ish a.m. this morning when she called to tell me she was leaving. Then I decided I might need to pray about her! ha!

They made it. They never even got lost one time!!

WHERE IS MY BABY!?

Changing colors.....

Well. We made a drastic change today. For YEARS my kids have worn the green and yellow colors for their elementary school and the ever-so-popular-spent-a-fortune-for red and blue for their high school. However, this year, this year is different. Kade will now be sporting purple and gold. It's like coming home for Lee and I. We both graduated in purple and gold and it's just, well, it feels normal. It hasn't been without some tears though. We took Kade to 6th grade orientation Thursday night and while I was sitting there I was fighting tears. Yes, me. Not Kade. Me. Kade is so excited. He has wanted to go to MCMS for a while now. He has numerous cousins and friends there. But while we were sitting at orientation it hit me - this is the first time EVER that one of my kids weren't at OCR. They both started kindergarten there. I was always head of this or on that committee. We were just involved. And there I sat - in the middle of a hundred people, and I knew one person there. Seems odd that I was the one upset but not really. We are expecting a great year though. I was so happy to see Kade excited. But for the first year ever - I FORGOT TO TAKE HIS PICTURE!!! He will so be reenacting this afternoon!!! lol.

So now, all my money goes to purple and gold. Let's start the new collection! :)

And here are a couple of pics that Nickie made for me at orientation! I'm gonna LOVE having Nickie around - she NEVER forgets her camera!! :)

By the way.....

UPDATE - Ignore the below post....Photoshop works wonders! :)

If anyone in blogland knows how to fix my header so that the words aren't across our faces - please email me at mkrogers3081@hotmail.com!!! Thanks!!