For you, Lacee...

So it's been almost 7 weeks since my last post....and guess what...I'm still not bored! Between all the ball games, running the concession stand, homeschool, life chores, etc... I'm finally writing tonight.

Lets see: Gall bladder surgery went well...4 holes laproscopically and boom, dying organ out, then 1 week later...feeling about normal!
I could go on about the busyness of getting kids to dance and ballgames, about Sandy's truck breaking down and plunging us into poverty, or about the endless weeks of Yaks soccer concession stand (that is going well, mind you), but I won't. And after this week of meds, the diverticulitis seems to be under control again...
So off to Anchor Soul Preparations. I just finished the AS Menu plan for the week (starting tomorrow), which probably made Mom very happy since she has been waiting for weeks for it.

Tomorrow the craziness begins, but it is a short craziness, and it's good to hang out with friends - even if that means 10 hour days on my feet cooking and serving. I love it, but glad it is only once a year!

My purpose for writing tonight is to appease my precious Lacee and make a birthday list for my 40th birthday that is coming up on Tuesday. I have tried to ignore it, but it just won't go away, and my children keep reminding me of the approaching deadline. -only 2 more days to be 39....But I LIKE it here!
Anyway: here goes...my rambling, selfish lists of wants- you know we all have them, I'm just going to be so forward as to list mine in Cyberspace (finally catching up with the younger generation).

White spacemaker coffee maker at Target- attaches to bottom of cabinet
White spacemaker toaster oven at Target- attaches to bottom of cabinet also
Cato gift card for clothes
6 Tim Hawkins Tickets for the Smithfield show
Air Bake Cookie sheets/Pans
Target or Kohls Gift Cards
Clean and not broken Couch for Livingroom in a tasteful color

Thats my current list that I keep posted here, just in case I forget what I want - like that would happen. But wait, there is more!!!

My Van paid off
My second mortgage paid off
My first mortgage paid off
A larger kitchen that can fit more than 2 of us at a time - seriously... the holidays are just around the corner.

Too much? No doubt, but if I'm going to dream, I might as well dream big!!!

How about:
A local job for Sandy with a decent income, and medical/dental insurance
World peace.........oops, just kidding...I've read Revelation in the Bible...

So with that...off to bed I go to prepare for a busy Sunday tomorrow. I sure hope I get to see a football game tomorrow...last week I missed the Panthers while at the Urgent Care, this week the Pittsburgh/Vikings game ought to be a GREAT one, I'm looking forward to it...just not to turning 40. Aaaaaagh

Life is never dull...

How long has it been since YOU said you were bored...that just isn't an adult concept, now is it. At least for me, as an adult raising 6 children, volunteering regularly, and trying to make my house as near perfect as possible while it is on the market!

CJ surprised me this week by bringing a fawn to the back glass door...I mean truly, made me JUMP!



He was very cute, very afraid, and very trapped in our back pasture. CJ had gone out to mow the yard when he decided to take a leak in the back and spotted this little guy trying to break thru the fence unsuccessfully. CJ chased him down and brought him to the deck for us to see. After calling the wildlife rescue, we put him over the fence as they said to do.


This is Caressa modeling some tutu's for a friend's website. She wasn't very cooperative. I should have fed her before going.





Sweet!!!


As for the home renovations, they are coming along, slowly...but nicely.

I need to take a few better photos now that the trim is painted and looking sparkly white!

As for my gall bladder surgery, it is scheduled for Monday the 14th. I really liked the surgeon, he seems like a very good guy. As long as all goes well it will be done laproscopicly, with 4 small incisions and should keep me down for only 5 days. I hope that is the case as the fall soccer season has come and means each Saturday getting the concession stand ready.

It seems as though Lacee will not be able to attend SCAD this fall, we just weren't able to gather the $4,100 needed to get her there. It is a bummer, but very much like life, eh? I do hope the bonus eventually comes thru so that she can attend January's session. I really, really, really want her to be able to go! It's not always easy accepting that God's plan is better for us than our own...especially when you aren't privy to His plan.

I should be painting...

I had a test done at the hospital in Raleigh today. It had to be done fasting, and I left the house at 7:30 am. Traffic around the beltline was moving between 5-10 mph. Needless to say, I was half an hour late. It took an hour and a half to get there this morning.
Rex is a big place. They gave me a map to find Radiology with - it's a good thing, I'd have never found it on my own. Then they sent me down to Nuclear medicine.
I really didn't know what I was going for, just a test to check my gall bladder, after having 2 painful episodes last week, 5 over the past year and a half. My abdominal x-ray last week was normal, so this was the next step.
Ive been told by 3 different ladies in the medical field the same info now. There are 5 "F" factors for gall bladder problems:
1. Forty (or fifty)
2. Female
3. Fat (or fluffy as one lady said)
4. Fertile
5. Flatulence
After putting a catheter in my vein, they injected a nuclear medicine in and watched it enter my liver and make it's way to my gall bladder through their super technological machine. After 1/2 an hour, they took pictures with their bigger machine, gave me another injection to mimic a meal and took another picture of my gall bladder. 2 1/2 hours later, I was done and on my way. I went straight to McDonalds for coffee, even if it was 90 degrees out at 11:30am. I missed my morning routine of a double espresso with cream. I'm supposed to have the results back this afternoon. Now if the Dr. callsme with the info, that's a whole different story!

For more info on gall bladder issues, click on the following link: http://www.womentowomen.com/digestionandgihealth/gallbladderhealth.aspx

So it's back to painting. I'm almost finished with the Master Bathroom, but am taking on painting Seri's room today. She just is not as quick as I am. My years of painting experience are really coming to fruition. I'll post some pics when I have finished the projects.

Day 4 HT Coupon Deals

Today's trip didn't seem to save as much as usual, but I did get things we need now, or will use as time passes. I stocked up on the bandaids, seems like we are always out of those. Although I paid $5 for the Cascade, it was a 32 count pack, and I am just about out anyways.

Overall, the total came to $67.41, after coupons and sale prices, it was $25.56.

...and I have used up all my under $1 coupons. I hope the newspaper delivers some good ones tomorrow!

Day 3 HT Shopping Deals

Just in case you were wondering, yes I was out running errands already, so it was not an extra trip out just to shop.
Cianna has become my coupon helper. She is doing a very good job helping me find things and keeping it to 20 coupons per trip.
Today's purchases came to $58.87, then after subtracting the triple coupons, the final total decreased to $15.03.
I definitely have a good stock of toothpaste building up! I keep the baby wipes in each bathroom so that the kids can wipe down the counters easily.
Several items from today's trip HT actually paid me to take. True it was only a few pennies or a quarter, but it's better than the other way around!

Now it's time to go put a second coat of paint in the bathroom and clean the house back up. Man, those kids do create messes every day...

My HT Deals for Day 2 of Triple Coupons

I realize there are people much better at this than I, and probably could have scored this for free, but I'm thrilled with my catch for today. That is $55.27 in groceries for $15.83. I managed to get quite a few cleaning products that normally I can't afford to buy. Very cool!

My HT Deals for Today

If you didn't know already, Harris Teeter is doing triple coupons up to 99 cents this week. I stopped by this morning, and used 20 coupons to purchase the following products. I didn't have a coupon for the cotton rounds at $1.50, but it was cheaper than Walmart, so I picked them up. Some of the items were free, others I got paid to buy, and others I paid a dollar or so for.


After all was said and done, these items cost me $20.53 - although they first rang up at $62.80.

Not bad. The goal is to get things free or very much reduced in price, build a stockpile of things that you WILL use anyway, then not have to pay full price later.