The Trenchcoat

I was pretty stoked when I found this trenchcoat 

at the thriftstore a while back.

Did you know that it has a special pocket on the inside for a gun?

My hubby is the one that explained that to me.

I was just thinking how my hubby
would love for me to show up at his workplace
with just the trenchcoat.
If I packed a gun along with it,
I do believe it would make me 50% more sexy.

I got a free item with my purchase.
Of course I picked a book.

Happy Valentine's Day y'all.
I dare one of you to go to your husband's workplace in just a trenchcoat.
Let me know how it turns out.

Sorry LG.
All you get is another dumb poem.

There are days.

There are days I want to strip down
and arrive at your workplace in
nothing but a trenchcoat,
but then I remember that you have co-workers.

There are days that I look at our children
and think how amazing we are
and how our posterity is the finest
and then I remember that they screw up,
but they are still the best kids ever.

There are days I can only feel love.
A love so consuming that I feel nothing else at all.
All I can think of is you with your arms around me
and then I remember how that actually feels
 to my skin
and it makes me love even deeper
which I never think is possible.

There are days I want to scream at you
because you frustrate me to no end.
Why don't you do everything the way
I do everything?
And then I remember that you do the taxes,
and the technical support, and the math homework
and I am grateful that we are different.

There are days that I wonder where you are.
Are you in a man cave or another universe?
You retreat often inside yourself
because you are introverted and overwhelmed.
And then I remember what a great listener you are
which really helps me because I am the talker.

There are days in the distant past
(and hopefully many more in the future)
that the world consisted of just you and me
and we laid around and did nothing
but be together
and I remember those times as
the absolute best.
Ever.

There are days that are swallowed up in the busies.
And you and I run around serving our kids
our co-workers, and neighbors and friends
and we don't have a second to think about ourselves
or each other.
And at the end of the day,
it's all we can do to sneak in a good night kiss
and mumble an "I love you"
before the night turns into dreams
and I remember that I missed you
all day long.

There are days.
Many many days.
And hopefully many many more.
Where you and I are in love.
Through the think and the thin.
The wrong and the right.
The counseling and therapies.
And lessons learned and mistakes made.
The tired and the awake.
The kids and the jobs.
The cats and the dogs.
The sick and the health.
The sane and the crazy.
The summers and falls.
And winters and springs.
The basketball practices and dance lessons.
And doctor appointments and lunch breaks.
The afternoon delights and faraway business trips.
The jokes and the tears.
The broken down cars and the puking kids on flights.
The campfires and lightning bugs.
The mountains and hills.
The lakes and the oceans.
The hotels and pools.
The woods and the downtowns.
The pounds lost and the delicious treats.
The Christmases and birthdays,
and Easters and Flag Days.
The scripture readings and temple trips.
The vacations and lack thereof.

But really all those days
make up for the most beautiful thing ever.
Me and you.
Sharing the days.

Because through it all
we can count on one thing
and that is that
There are the days.
And they are ours.

Halloween

I guess I better get these Halloween photos up
before Thanksgiving gets here.

Our girls got some killer deals
at K-mart on their costumes.
Sometimes it pays to be late.
50% off plus another 20% off coupon.
Then I got another discount on Abigail's
because we had to sew a strap on.
I told the girls that we would only spend $5 on each of them.
They gladly subsidized with their own money
so they didn't have to make their own costumes.
I think we spent a total combined of $30.

I can't say that I was disappointed
since making our own costumes
would require my help.

I was going to dress Caroline up

as Shirley Temple

but she barely cooperated

for wings,

so what would have been the point?

Have I told you how much of a handful this kid is?

I wonder where she gets it from?

We dumped Caroline back at home with dad

after knocking on the condos

close to home.

Here are the girls out about in the neighborhood

with our two friends Natassja and India.

It seems we should live somewhere more exotic

than Utah

when we have friends with names like that.

I just loved this shot with the pumpkin.

Notice that we use pillowcases

for carrying Halloween candy.

It's what my mom used to make us do

when we were kids

and the tradition has stuck.

Best costume of the evening.

Obama and his Secret Service agents.

These boys are awesome.

My girls enjoyed following them around the neighborhood

on our perfect weathered evening.

We got a whole lot of candy.

I enjoyed taunting Obama at every door

that us Utahns only give our candy to Republicans

who work for their own stuff.

I'm silly like that.

Scenes from the Utah trail

We were going to go on another
family bike ride for
Family Home Evening
last night
until we realized
it was a bad idea
because of Sophia's broken arm.

So, we had Abigail give a lesson instead
from True to the Faith.
She had to do it for Personal Progress.
Might as kill two birds with one stone.

She taught us all about
modesty and profanity.

Abigail was sure to look in my direction
on that second one.
Damn semantics.
I can't do it all.
And my pet sin is
an occasional swear word.
Didn't it work for
J. Golden Kimball?

And really
what is the difference between
saying DANG or DAMN?
Go ahead,
feel free to enlighten me
and judge me
and tell me how evil I am.
I am such a horrible mother.
As evidenced by dinner
being served at almost
8 p.m. last night.

Whatever you do,
make sure and tell your kids not to read
my blog.
I would hate to be a role model.
The thought of it makes me cringe.

Sorry for the tangent.
Back to the bike ride.
We love riding in Utah.
It's our family hobby.
And oh so much fun.

Check out the view
and tell me you don't want to join us.

Yep, those are two deer,

right up the road.

Abigail said

"Mom, look,

it's the kind of tree

that every kid draws."

Only  seen in Utah

and children's doodle books

in your part of the world.

P.S. Biking is a great cheap source of entertainment.
And, did I mention great exercise?

Thriftstore Fashion

I totally don't get it.
There are women out there
who have dedicated whole blogs
to their clothes.
It's so very strange to me.

I thought I should try it,
to see if I could catch the bug.

I first give you
two views.
You always have to pose
in every possible position
you know.

Read more for the backside view.

Camping at Nunn's Park

One really great cheap summer/fall activity is camping.

I think we pulled off this excursion

for the price of $15 for the site (group rate)

and $20 in groceries.

(It helps a lot to combine efforts with other families.

We didn't share our smores though.)

If you don't have the gear just borrow some.

I love living in the state of Utah

with all its camping abundance.

I LOVE CAMPING!

I can't wait until all of our kids get old enough

to start backpacking.

There is something so relaxing about

leaving the rush of the world

and entering God's country.

Nunn's Park is so close,

we took full advantage

when a bunch of our neighbors

planned a great excursion.

This is how we do camping in Utah.

Warning:

Picture overload.

Hunting for Clothes

I haven't done a thrifty post in a while. 

I can't wait to post my hubby's Father's Day gifts. 

I did good. 

Really good.

And this morning I realized that I hadn't done anything for our dads yet.

Ugh.

Not ugh to our dads, but ugh to my thoughtlessness.

So, the other day, Abigail and I went through her list of "to-pack" for her first year of church girl's camp.

Enter squeals of delight. 

And lots and lots of vicarious living.

To our dismay, Abigail needed a winter coat.

She lost hers sometime in December and has been making due with heavy sweatshirts ever since.

Once we made it to the move in April, and it wasn't so terribly cold here in Utah, we figured we wouldn't have to worry about it again until next year.

We thought wrong.

There is still snow on the ground at the campsite.

Where am I going to find a winter coat in the middle of June?

No problem. We may find an even BETTER winter coat this time of year.

If we shop at the thrift store.

Which we do.

A lot.

So, guess what?

We found a $300 Nils winter ski jacket in almost brand new condition for  $18. I then used my 20% off coupon and saved a few more bucks.

The girl loves her new jacket

and I love it too.

It's the prettiest most pale pink with black and white.

And apparently the black and white makes the pink acceptable.

Win win.

Needless to say, I'm a bargain hunter.

I like the idea of being a hunter.

On the prowl.

Anyhow, anyone with lots of kids knows that you save the hand me downs.

I guess Sophia and Bella will be the proud owners of a pale pink ski jacket someday.

Meanwhile, Abigail will be wearing it to camp,

and when she gets home, we will put it in her closet bin with the rest of her winter clothes.

Three times a year, I go through the bins.

Summer, winter, and back to school.

I've got it down to a science.

Three times a year, I take time with each child to inspect every article of their clothing.

We put "still using" articles back in the drawers and closet.

We hand down the "too small" but will fit your sister next season to the correct person's bin.

And we retrieve and put away from the bin the seasonals:

bathing suits, long sleeves, sweaters, coats, shorts, etc.

It's so exciting.

In a house full of girls,

clothes are a big hit.

And finding a shirt that you had forgotten 

about buying months before 

is the equivalent to remembering 

you have $20 in the pocket of your jeans.

Throughout the year, I buy "off season" on sale.

Meaning when winter and summer things go on sale,

I stock up in the appropriate sizes.

I put all my bargains in the bins.

When back to school time comes, 

I rarely have to get my kids anything 

because they usually have a few nice outfits waiting for them in their bin.

Outfits that I got for cheap.

Real cheap.

Oh and shoes I also got for cheap.

The new things lighten the disappointment from the hand me downs.

Or at least I like to think that they do.

But to tell you the truth,

with this system, I think my kids have an equal appreciation 

for new, handed down, or bought second hand.

I believe in affirmative action.

Equal opportunity for clothes of all backgrounds.

Caroline is wearing the things from this bin now.

Check out those cute tennis shoes and Tevas.

The tennis shoes were bought at Target last year for $2.

And the Teva's were from a yard sale for a $1.

Both are in excellent condition.

And used equally.

And here is Sophia's bin from last year.

Yeah for her teeny little frame.

All of her shorts still fit!

Bonus.

The only place I had to hunt was the bin at the house.

The Dollar Store

As most of you know, I am all about being thrifty. I coupon. I thrift. I garage sale. I go without. I wasn't always this way, but I have learned the tricks of the trade out of pure necessity. Having three kids and living on student loans followed by owning our own business in a failing economy did wonders for this mother. If you call pinching pennies wonderful.

One thing I have learned in my journey for thrift is not to be duped by the stores. Just because they stick those items on the cap aisles at Wal-Mart, it doesn't mean it's the best deal. And just because you are shopping at a discount grocery store, it doesn't mean that everything is priced cheaper than other stores. And most of all, just because you are at the Dollar Tree, it doesn't mean that you can or should buy whatever you want. In fact, don't take your kids to the Dollar Tree. Ever. You will inevitably lose all the money you just saved. Unless you are a meanie and can say no to that glass figurine, and those coloring books, and those furry boas, and that candy...you get the picture.

However, there are two things that you absolutely should not buy anywhere but the Dollar Tree.

1- Diaper Disposal Bags. They smell good. They work. They are a godsend when your kids decide to poop everywhere, or puke everywhere, or mash a bunch of cheerios into the pew at church. They are .075 a piece + tax at the Dollar Tree. You won't find them any cheaper. We take one with us wherever we go. Even when we walk the dog. If you get my drift.

2 - Pregnancy Tests. I realize that this admission just outed my inner hillbilly, but I don't want all of you yuppies to go without this very great money saving tip. One dollar, people. And they work. They have worked for me at least 6 times. And before you think all my kids are running around without shoes and dirty (even though you'd be right) I only have four living children, and they each own many pairs of shoes. It's just that I don't always enforce the rule. (Oh, and I've had three miscarriages). So, don't buy your pregnancy tests anywhere else.

The last time I visited The Dollar Tree in Knoxville, I got a bout of nostalgia. I have spent a lot of time at that store. My kids have bought a lot of Christmas presents for their grandparents there. I am serious. My in-laws think that those presents are some of the funnest. I mean where else is someone going to let their toddler pick out a dog chain for grandpa? It's a dollar. It will be funny.

While I was walking down the aisle with my 10 boxes of diaper disposal bags, I noticed something. By the way, 10 boxes is roughly a two month supply. I buy a lot when they are in stock. It seems I am not the only one who knows a great thing when I see one.  Just to give you another shopping tip and I will hope that you don't shop at the same store as me. Anyway, I noticed the pregnancy tests. I am not needing those much nowadays. But, you wouldn't believe it. There were 10 boxes opened on the shelf. I assumed someone or 10 ones had opened the boxes and swiped out the tests without paying.

All I could think was this: "the poor unborn fetus that is in the womb of the person who couldn't even afford to buy a pregnant test for a dollar."

Not so white-trash, redneck, hillbilly, ghetto, (whatever you want to call it) after all, am I?

Dumpster Diving for Furniture

A while back I was in desperate need of a new dresser. Caroline and all her baby things had invaded. Well, LG was out of work and I was out of money. I made it a matter of prayer.

Look what God brought to me. It was on the side of the road in someone's garbage within the week. Dumpster diving is a favorite past-time. (I learned how to do it right in Tennessee. If we ever wanted to get rid of anything, all we ever had to do was put it at the end of our driveway. It would be gone in a matter of hours.)

One man's trash is truly another man's treasure.

I will treasure this dresser forever.



Not only because it's a beautiful antique but because it's a constant reminder that God is mindful of all of his children.

I

My Food Storage

As many of you know,

Mormons are huge on preparedeness.

We are counseled to have a three month supply of food on hand

in case of emergency.

I love this counsel.

I save a load of money and time on grocery shopping

by heading this counsel.

Not to mention, that in really hard months,

it saves me from worry about what I am going to feed my kids.

I am so excited for the great food storage room in our new place.

And I am so grateful for Stacey,

who came last Wednesday night

and helped me pack up my own personal grocery store.

French Toast for the Masses

I hate cooking. No, I should say I really don't enjoy cooking. I do it. I do it all the time. I'm even good at it. I would call myself a good cook. I am a cook who hates to cook, but I am also a cook who can put a smile on your face. Still I think it is safe to say cooking is just not my thing; it just happens to be a resume builder I have gained while living in survival mode for the past 13 years.

When LG and I got married, I cried when I realized that it was my responsibility to feed my husband and future children and it would be for THE REST OF MY LIFE. Cried would not be a totally fair assessment. I bawled one night while cooking, and I continue to cry inside every time I am magnetically stuck in the room of my house that sports a fridge, sink, and stove. Now I know I am gonna hear it from my naysayer our there who believes in women's rights, but from the get-go, I embraced my control over things inside the home. I more than embraced it. I, for lack of better words, peed over the threshold between family room and teeny tiny studio apartment kitchen, as my way of saying, "hands off man, this is my territory". The kitchen would be my domain. 

Man, I was such a fool. LG was more than happy to step aside for food duty, even though we were both working and going to school full-time. And not to my surprise and even to my blame, today the guy only has a handful of choices that he can pull off that involve a wooden spoon and pan, and most of them are in the breakfast category, come frozen, or out of a box. And I am smacking my forehead against my keyboard as I realize how totally stupid I was back then.

So, I live with the stubborn hell I have created. I cook. Even when I don't want to. In the past few years, while there hasn't been wiggle room in the budget for enough pizza and hamburgers ordered from other people's kitchens, I have learned many tricks.

I have very reliable go-to's. I keep staples in the house for each recipe. One happens to be french toast. It only takes six ingredients that I usually have on hand. My kids love it and so do I. My husband tolerates it, but if he was more worried about eating his favorites, he might ask me to teach him how to cook them. hint hint.

Before I share the flawless recipe, let me tell you two tricks that will make this easy peezy meal turn into 10 easy peezy meals.

Thrifty

I have always loved this old pioneer motto:

Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

Who knew that life would take me on paths

where I got to master the skill of thrift?

I thought that once law school was over,

life would be peaches.

Boy, was I wrong.

I'm not complaining though.

Really thrifty is my newest resume builder.

It makes me a better wife and mother.

I am grateful to God for the trials that teach me.

I wouldn't have learned without them.

Here are three examples of ways I have learned thrift.

I plan to post some from time to time.

I hope you will enjoy.

I am not one to throw handicraft out as a way of bragging.

I can't stand braggy.

I just thought that you may get some ideas of your own

on how to be more thrifty,

and we can all use ideas like that

in today's economy.

1. Make your own gifts.

(this is so much cuter on my wall

I couldn't get the picture of the picture to work well,

but trust me when I say that LeGrand

loved this for Father's Day

almost as much as the Beef Jerky.)

2. Recreate your curtains.

(My old plan panels have a new look

And the material only cost me $5 on clearance at Wal-Mart)

3. Create, create, create.

(Here is my refinished dresser

It started out dark and ugly

I bought the dresser for $35 at the thrift store,

paid about $15 for paint and new hardware.

Wha-la - A new baby dresser / changing table

I wouldn't be as in love with it

if I had bought it at Pottery Barn.)

Oops

Look, Sophia got baptized.

We are so proud of her decision to take upon the name of Christ.

And, she is gorgeous.

Can you believe she picked this dress

at the thrift store for $3.

She HAD to have it.

It's so Sophia.

"When was the big day", you ask?

"In October 2009, on her 8th birthday."

Oh, it's August 2010; I must be late posting.

No, I just took this picture 2 weeks ago.

Because I realized that I had forgot.

Lucky for me, Sophia is really easy going.

And she can't be mad at me for forgetting.

Because she covenanted to be Christ-like.

I wonder how long it will take for me to

remember child #3's baptism picture?

Have I ever told you that mothers lose

brain cells with every pregnancy?

I am pretty sure that this old wives' tale is true

(I have to say that my stone house makes a perfect backdrop.)

It's too bad that Caroline was only 4 months old back then.

I may have gotten away with it.

Tar jay

Where is your favorite place to shop?

The kids were so excited to receive these flashing reflectors from the Target workers at a local National Night Out dinner.

The kids thought that the Target workers were more exciting than the chief of police, a local politician, the mayor, and the head of the FBI.

Who am I to argue?

We know which employees offer a 75% off discount of the dollar spot from time to time.