Addie

For the last two years Addie has been attending advanced classes at the elementary school. They are for the gifted and talented. These classes are not easy to get into. She had to take a 4 hour test, and get written approval from her 4Th grade teacher. We waited for months to see if she would qualify and sure enough she did. These classes are not easy (especially for the parents) she is already doing junior high work. But she is a straight A student and is really enjoying the classes. Well the opportunity came up for her to try for the program in Junior High (yes she is going to be in 7Th grade next year:( Well several months ago she took the 4 hour test, got written approval from her teacher and then we waited. She didn't feel so good about the test. She thought she did her best but that it probably just wasn't good enough. Well she was wrong. We just got the letter that she is in the program. She was so excited, she couldn't even sit still. We are so proud of her, she is going to do great in these classes. Way to go Addie

SAVING MONEY

Now I know that most of you may already know how to do this but for me, it is something a little new. I attended a class several months ago hosted by the "Savvy Shopper" she was teaching us how to save our coupons, and organize them. But also how to use them with the stores to save the most amount of money. She told of an experience where she went to Smith, to purchase her groceries. The first total on the receipt was a little over $700.00, but of course this isn't what she paid. After all was said and done with the coupons and the fresh values card her total came to $150.00. Yes you read this right, what a huge saving. The receipt paper was just about as tall as her and she is almost 6 feet tall. I bought all the things that I needed to get me organized. Off I went, I ordered 5 Sunday papers (that is all they would let me get) I would cut and organize and boy did I feel great. But then reality set in. TIME!!! who has the time for this?? Certainly not me. With work, school, PTA,... the list goes on and on. I just started collecting the papers, they would stack up for weeks on end before I would just throw them away. Then I got to overwhelmed with all the coupons that I had. So I admit I just gave up, I figured I would just by what was on sale, plus I usually just shop at Costco anyway. Then New Years came along and this was going to be one of my New Years Resolutions. I threw all the papers away from last year, along with all the coupons and I started from scratch again. Well I am proud to say that I clipped the coupons and then I used them. I just went to Albertson's, they were having a great sale. I spend $101.22, and I got a lot. (food storage) but the best of all...Drum roll please I SAVED $134.36. Can you believe that I saved more than I even spent. What a great feeling, no one else is going to take all of our hard earned money from me. It almost puts you on a natural high. Knowing that you did so well. I am so excited for Sunday to come so I can do it again next week. Happy Shopping

IT"S WAY TO COLD

Addie was letting Ginger outside the other day and said "Mom the rain gutter is falling off the house. Of course I didn't believe her and I just thought that it was the down spout. Well she was right. It has been so cold and stormy that the water/snow had frozen and then thawed out and pulled the rain gutter away from the house. So there was definitely a project for Mike. Brian Gillman came over with his blow torch and they were able to put things back to normal. Where is our warm weather???

Welcoming in 2009

What a fun night. We had Cameron and his kids down for the night to help celebrate 2009.
We went out to Chinese food, then we came home and played Rock Band all night. There is nothing funnier than listening to a bunch of little kids singing to "Dirty Little Secret or Orange Crush" they had a blast. Then at midnight we let all the kids go outside and bang pots and pans, then they all did fireworks while the big kids (Mike and Cameron) did bottle rockets. What a riot. Cameron and the kids stayed the night and we played all day the next day. What a great way to ring in 2009

Merry Christmas

Christmas 2008
What a great year. Christmas morning was wonderful home with the girls. Brianna asked this year if we could come into the room in a different line this year. You see Brianna is the middle child and no matter if we go oldest to youngest or youngest to oldest she is always in the middle. So this year we let her go first. Thus why she isn't in the picture she wouldn't wait long enough for me to get the camera going. Poor Brianna was really sick on Christmas day so it wast quit as fun as it could have been for her. After we did the present thing we got the house ready for Mike's annual "Omelet Fest" This year was the best year yet. Mike with the help of our good friends the Gillmans, made about 60 Omelets and 6 bags of hash browns. We had a wonderful time. There were so many here all at one time that we ran out of places to sit.
Then off to Grandma and Grandpa's we went. We had a wonderful time with Dave and Jessica. The girls loved every present that they received. It is always so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's lots of games and food. The only sad part about Christmas is that we prepare for months and within hours it is over. Only to do it again next year. And yes my Christmas cards are still on their way. I am just a little slow this year, SORRY