couponing

is something i don't understand.

i'm trying desperately. i am really REALLY looking for ways to cut our grocery bill.
we've been working at hard at eating healthier, and that, unfortunately, costs more moolah.
i don't even know where to start really
online?
newspapers?
what kind of ads am i looking for?
i've read that toiletries are the easiest to save on at first.
i feel like so often the coupons i see are for things we don't eat or use.

so couponers....
hit me with your best ideas please.

i need them!

Cousins

Tuesday morning, that other little guy appeared at our house.

Meet Logan.

Levi's cousin.

They played, they giggled, they tortured the poor dog, they took naps, we went for a walk to the park and played, and they ate hot dogs, mac n cheese, and carrots for lunch.

I'm pretty sure these two are going to be big time trouble makers when they get older, and, I have a feeling Levi will be leading the way. Logan's pretty easy going, and then there's Levi, he thrives on adventure.

We walked down to the park. Logan in the wagon, Levi in the stroller. Everything went smoothly. (Logan sat quietly hanging onto the sides the whole way down) On the way back, I thought we'd try Levi in the wagon. I kept looking back at him, because I didn't know what he'd do.

I looked back.
Levi was hanging on with both hands

I looked back
Levi was hanging on with one hand

I looked back
Levi had his hands up in the air

I looked back
Levi was leaning, looking over the side of the wagon

I looked back
Levi was STANDING UP, holding on to the side and leaning over the side of the wagon...

He was ousted from the wagon ride.

a sequence of events

as told by levi.

(thanks to bella for providing the bone)

random ramblings...

i'm so behind here it's pathetic.

life has been incredibly busy for us. second to christmas, this is my next busiest season filled with festivals, solo and ensemble, concerts, and musicals. it's a lot of crazy scheduling and late nights at times, but it is fun, and i'm especially enjoying it as last year i missed this season, though i did work in limited amounts, i spent all of february and march snuggling a newborn.

oh musicals. they are so fun. a ridiculous amount of work for the time and pay, but so worth it.
(in case you were wondering) :)

so quick updates

mike--taking 2 classes right now, plus working part-time, and spending about 3-4 hours a day job searching. we are still just seeking the Lord, and hoping to find a job that suits our family. we've had a few leads here and there and we're just taking each one as it comes and looking for a good fit for our family.

levi--- he's crazy, he's funny, he LOVES being outside right now, he giggles constantly, he points, he starting to pick up some limited sign language and he's so close to walking it's ridiculous. he will let go and walk maybe 5-10 steps and then when he realize he's walking, he sits down. too funny.

jen--working. yup. that pretty much sums it up. every day this week i've had additional rehearsals, sometimes 2 different rehearsals, plus teaching. it's busy. but it's good. i finished my first knitting project ever. it involved this yarn. i made a scarf, and i actually had fun, and it's fairly straight for my first knitting project.

pictures soon... hopefully sooner rather than later.

Like Father...

Like Son...

We don't generally have the TV on during the day around here. We have too much to do, and there are much better things to do than watch that ol' thing. Anyway, we have discovered that Levi loves watching the Wiggles. My mom and dad got him a DVD for his birthday, and we occassionally pop it in for something fun. I was working in the kitchen, and came around the corner to find this scene...

Mike and Levi chillin'... watching Wiggles.

Norman

Yesterday we were blasted with about 10-12 inches of snow.

It was gorgeous, and provided a happy snow day

for everyone, including myself.

what else is there to do a snowday, but make a snowman?

I present to you

Norman

He says hello.

Those are chocolate fudge cookies for eyes and of course, a carrot nose.

This is my favorite picture.

Levi was quite fascinated by the nose.

we did it....

....we stripped the diapers.

i know it's thrilling, right?

i had been researching and researching it, convinced if i did one thing wrong i was going to ruin our diapers. the problem? there are about a zillion and a half ways to strip diapers.

i was seriously in a panic.

then it occurred to me....check the website.
thank you bumgenius for saving my life.
there, with a bit of a shining ray of light around the paragraph, was how to strip your diapers.
why i didn't think to check it sooner is beyond me....


so we stripped them, and they seem to be okay at the moment.
i also put the diaper pail in bleach water over the weekend since we were gone and i'm hoping that killed the smell of that thing.

2 cheers for a clean smelling diaper. :)