From Collages

HALLOWEEN! My absolute favorite holiday of the whole year! I love dressing up, yes even I sport a costume, but especially my kids. Kyle informed me that last year was the last time that he was going to do a "group thing". I was so sad,I had great hopes for the Scooby Doo gang this year, but he wasn't having it. So we rumaged through the dress up box and this is what we came up with. Not that anyone will see them...... it is 47 freezing degrees here. Seriously, what's up. Your coat is not suppose to be worn over your Halloween costume. This is also the one time of year that I truly loath Idaho. Never fails, Oct 31st it turns cold as a witches....umm....a witches...how does that saying go? Anyway it's COLD. While my family in California is running around in the 73 degree weather with their kids trick or treating, I will be sulking and freezing with my children trick or treating. Good thing we have a small neighborhood.

When black cats prowl
And Pumpkins gleam
May luck be yours
on HALLOWEEN!

From Collages

Sundays are rather "boring" around here, so my kids say! Every Sunday we go through the same thing....I'm bored, there's nothing to do, why can't we do this, why can't we do that. So in my effort to make Sunday a different day, I make a list that the kids can choose from of "appropriate" Sunday activities. So this Sunday was Rock Band, minus the Wii! Kennedy even got in on the action! No tour dates yet, but I will let you know!

I did it! I made grape juice! I am so excited! I have been really trying to domesticate myself and try to get some sort of food storage going. We have a food storage group at church that I try to go to, but I get so overwhelmed between the cost, the rotating, using it, storing it, that I just gave up and did nothing for a long time. My wonderful friend suggested I start with a 2 year supply. Which has helped tremendously. So I have enough beans, wheat, powder milk and cereal to last my family for 2 years!!!!! I have slowly been trying new things with food storage. Grinding my own wheat, freezing peaches, and now grape juice. It may sound silly to some of you but for me this is a huge accomplishment. When I was little I remember drinking grape juice all the time. But for some reason my kids have never had grape juice! We have always just drank apple juice, oh the money I have spent on apple juice. So they are excited as well to drink the grape juice. I am going to try applesauce next, another thing I spend a lot of money on!

I am totally obsessed with coupons and how much of a deal I can get. I guess you could say that my husband has rubbed off on me. And for those of you who really know Jake, know that that man can drive a bargain. I have become completely enthralled with clipping coupons and scanning the ads every Sunday. It is a ritual that my kids now know not to interfere with. Don't bug mom when she is coupon clipping. Kate is a good coupon cutter, though! I am not as nearly as obsessed as some of my friends, some of them get FIVE papers just to get duplicate coupons. My Wal-Mart days are over. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Wal Mart is like Costco- you always walk out with 2-3 things you don't need. I have graduated to the finer retailers such as Albertsons, Walgreens and Fred Meyer (like Albertsons and Wal-Mart put together) So every Sunday night I plan out my attack on the stores. Find the ad, clip the coupons, make the list and paperclip them all together. It has become sort of a challenge now. I do have some learning to do because my friend Pam, who's claim to fame is "never pay retail", always seems to beat me on getting "the better deal". She is teaching me and I am learning....slowly. Every week I am going to post my deal of the week, so scroll down and see what I got this week!

BUSTED

You have to know how much of an "issue" snacks are at our house to truly appreciate this picture. It all started with Cole ( as does all trouble around here), who would go into the pantry and dump cereal boxes on the ground and then proceed to stomp up and down on the cereal that was on the ground. Kennedy started to do the same thing and it didn't take us long to change the door knob to a locking one. It has helped a lot but on the rare occasion that it gets left unlocked...... she helps herself to a snack! There are 11 cookies there, just so you know!

Cole and Kens locked in the pantry! She is eating Ritz Crackers

still in the wrapper!!!!!