To Market, To Market, with Coupons in Tow...

Everywhere I turn, from helpful friends, blogging, my MTM group, and my family, I am surrounded by news and info about coupons, money saving web sites, and sales. I know that I could really save my family some green if I were to pull myself together and really utilize the information and availability of these resources. Now let's just be honest and say that it is daunting just thinking about it and then overwhelming when you actually stop and decide to use them...where do you start? Surely I am not the only one feeling this way...Am I??? To make things easier for myself, I sat down and compiled a list of all of the sites I use or have been referred to. They are great tools. One may work better for you than it does for me and vise versa. This is just a beginning as there are so many ways to save money. I personally love that Coupon Mom is free! I hope that this helps to get you started, just click on the name and it will take you to the fabulous links!

Coupon Surfer

Fabulessly Frugal

Free4Moms

Groceries Dirt Cheap

Mom Advice

Mom2MomDFW

Mommys Wishlist

Mummy Deals

P&G E Saver

Right at Home

Shop4freebies

Shortcuts .com

Sisters of Savings

Smart Source

The Frugal Mom Blog

The Grocery Game

Happy 2nd Anniversary Wesley

Happy Anniversary Wesley. I love you more than you will ever know. Two years down, a lifetime to go. I look forward to the adventure with you. I am so glad you were here for at least a little while to celebrate with me. Thank you for my beautiful roses and delicious lunch. They were perfect!

XOXOXOXO,
Love Always and Forever,
Heather

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Everyday this week while I watered my plants, I wished it would rain. I have always loved rainy days. A good rain can wash away a lot of things and makes the world look clean and new again. Thank you Lord for the rain. We needed it so badly. My heart breaks for other the families that lose sleep at night afraid that a drought induced fire will burn their homes and ranches. I feel more at peace today knowing my parents can rest a little tonight not having to worry about the dry conditions. I am going to enjoy this wet weekend resting with my family and praying for Wes to hurry home safe and sound. Maybe I see just how many songs about rain I can find for us to listen to...
Morgan and I had a great time playing on the porch while it stormed this morning. This was her first puddle to play in. Correction...this was the first puddle she didn't create to play in. She ended up really dirty and wet but it was so worth it watching her try to catch the rain drops with out stepping on the grass...that is still uncharted territory...for now anyway.

Block Frames and Picture Holders

I have been trying to spend a little more "me" time doing things I love again. As we all know, I love to make things and would love, love, love to have a cute little whimsical shop one day full of random photos, my own studio, a little cafe and all the most adorable things! Until then, you can shop till ya drop here on my blog. Last summer I promised to start making these and held off for one reason or another. I was recently re-inspired by the VERY last minute need to help a friend with a baby shower gift. Needless to say, the Mommy to be was thrilled with her custom made gifts. I have been working late like a lil' elf each night since. I am taking custom orders and hope to have a full line up and moving soon.

Happy Easter...take two

I had this really long blog typed up and somehow lost it all. It talked about how much I miss Wes, especially on holidays. It talked about how Hunter thought he was too big for an egg hunt...and how his eyes still lit up when he was searching for his eggs. I even talked about Morgan not being quite big enough to join the hunt and our visit with Grammy. Of everything I typed and lost, the most important was the part about how God gave his only son, allowed him to die on the cross to save us, so that we may be forgiven and know Him...and how glad I am to know Him.
Hunter called me in his room this afternoon to listen to a few songs I had downloaded to his iPod. It was Meredith Andrews 'Your not Alone' and 'Draw me Nearer'. Both are beautiful songs, but what surprised me was Hunter how the words seemed to touch his heart. He was almost in tears. We talked about how he felt about the songs and then prayed together on our knees with Morgan crawling all over us. We prayed for forgiveness, for peace, for better attitudes, direction, and thanked God for our new beginnings. I love him so much!
Random and weird but my other post showed up somewhere else and I was able to cut and paste it here....I have a hard time dealing with holidays and special days when Wes isn't here to share them with us. I pray that this is the last year we have to spend a holiday apart. I also pray that he knows how much he was missed today and how much we appreciate him. I was so happy to have Hunter here for Easter this year. It seems he is always in Houston during this weekend spending time with his family there. He said he didn't need eggs and a basket this year...you should have seen his eyes light up when he was searching for eggs in the living room and going through his basket to look at the goodies. Morgan isn't quite old enough to share in the hunt so we just laid her basket out in front of her to play with the plastic eggs. We had lunch and then headed out to Momma's to visit for a bit. The best part of my whole day was praying with Hunter after he stumbled on a song I had downloaded to his play list. The words apparently touched his heart. He is such a beautiful son. I love him so much that I can't even imagine the anguish God must have felt when his son chose to die for our sins. I don't think I could have done it, not even to save the whole world. His blood and life for our forgiveness means even more to me now that I have children. Thank you God for allowing your beautiful son to sacrifice his life for us so that we may know you and be forgiven. I am so very far from the mother, wife, friend, and witness I need to be. Please help me to get there. I know that without you...I can't get there from here.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!!

Happy Birthday Wesley!
I am just so glad for the day you were born. I am so blessed to be your wife and have you in my life as my very best friend and so much more. Sometimes I wonder if we would have turned left somewhere when we turned right, would we have found each other sooner. It seems that God had been trying to help us find each other for a long time. I love you and I am so blessed by your big heart and soft eyes. I am so blessed that you are such a loving Daddy. I am so blessed that you love me so wonderfully. Again, Happy Birthday Baby...You rock!

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY!!!

Well butter my bun's & call me a biscuit...

I was very blessed with a girls weekend in Canyon Lake! My wonderful SIL, Amy, mentioned that she and her Momma were going to the Round Top Antique weekend and I asked if I could go with them. There is no feeling quite like inviting yourself to tag along on someone else's weekend away but I couldn't help myself...I needed to get away. Plus, I love Round Top and had gotten some pretty cool antiques there ages ago when we lived in neighboring Burton, TX. Plus, plus, it was free since Amy's boss loaned her the use of her time share and they happened to have an extra room. So I packed up the kids, dropped Hunter off at my brother's, and Morgan and I hit the road. Hunter was excited to spend time with the boys....I was excited to get away from boys. With only a few rounds of 'You are my Sunshine', Morgan was a content passenger in the truck. After zooming along for a handful of hours we happily arrived with notes of "Take me down to the River, Comal County Blues, and Southbound 35" still lingering in my head. It was pretty late Friday and were welcomed by the girls into our suite...IT WAS GREAT! We were in a"Presidential Suite" which was pretty cool. This place had two full kitchens, two full baths (one with a jacuzzi tub & laundry room), a living room, two king bedrooms, and a great view from the patio. Thinking back, I think my favorite thing was that I didn't have to clean, find, or organize anything there and we watched HGTV the whole time!!!!
Saturday morning we woke and had a fresh fruit breakfast together and then headed out for an adventure. We decided Round Top was too far and taking it easy seemed really appealing. None of us were in a hurry or had a preplanned agenda. We just headed out and decided on Historic Gruene, Texas. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! We shopped the antique stores and such, had wonderful food, walked and walked, and had great conversations. Later in the day we sat and swung in a storefront porch swing and chatted while I nursed Morgan. I didn't even know how much needed this time surrounded by women who are so loving and supportive and just fun in general. Thank you so much Amy. I pray this is the beginning of a wonderful tradition.

Clearing the air....

Wes and I both quit smoking two years ago today (at 4pm on the way to the airport to be exact!). I don't recall Wes ever struggling with it & I don't allow myself to voice it often, but it is still one of the hardest things I have ever done. I smoked exactly a pack a day for twelve years almost to the minute starting with my drive to work as soon as I dropped Hunter off at school. I haven't touched a cigarette at all since that day. It was a horrible time to quit too...three weeks before my wedding! What was I thinking? I need to get on my knees and thank God that Wes still wanted to marry me after three weeks without a cigarette. For those of you who smoke or have quit, I understand. For those of you who have never been addicted to those evil things, I hope you never go through something that hard. Never ever judge or criticize...it only makes a smoker go for another cigarette when ya do. Wes's Momma was wonderful about it. She didn't want me to smoke, but being an ex-smoker herself, she understood and was kind about it. Now here I am two years later and I don't want to even be near someone smoking. I guess I am afraid I may want one...and then there is the horrible smell. Ironically, being around smoke gives me a headache now. The weight gain alone is enough to make a gal start back up. However, I figure I can lose the weight a heck of a lot easier than I can replace a lung. There are times I completely come unwound and can't figure what is wrong and realize, ahhhhh this is when I would have stepped out for cigarette....what do I do now? I loved my little breaks. I would dead head the flowers on the porch, sweep the drive way, water the lawn, talk on the phone and watch the sun set from my porch all while smoking away. With that said, when I am cranky and you are thinking Geeeezzzzzz! please know that I did this for you & your Daddy, because I love you more than words can express. I have had to watch my Dad's struggle with related health issues and don't want to put my family through the hurt of watching me go through the same thing. I want to be healthy as long as possible so that I can run around and play with you, your children, and maybe even my great-grandchildren. You are worth you. I am worth it. I love you!Speaking of airing it out....here are a few shots of Morgan airing her business on the way to the tub after turning cookie monster. Her bum was a little red so we were letting her get some fresh air and she loves it! Yes, she is actually drinking her bath water. It is her new thing. She will fill up the colander (she thinks it is a bowl) and bend over and drink right out of the tub. As usual, she is a HOT MESS!
Here is Hunter showing off his guns after he fixed the busted kitchen pipe that I couldn't get to budge. He was so determined and patient with it. There are so many times I want to wring his ever lovin' teenage neck and then he turns around and amazes me. Hunter, you were definitely my hero today! Thank you for a job very well done. YOU ROCK!!!!