Embrace the Extraordinary in Every Day Life

Dessert Bar

2011-02-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

This was the dessert bar featured at our Young Women's Valentine fundraiser dinner. It was fun (and stressful) to put it together. I think it turned out great! There was hardly anything left for the girls to eat when the evening was over.

Fundraising Project

2011-01-30T00:28:00.005-07:00

Last week Mike's Dad was diagnosed with Stage 2 prostate cancer. He met with the oncologist this week and they decided that radiation treatments will be most effective right now. We are grateful for good doctors and medical treatments that are available.

This treatment will be expensive. The estimated cost is 40 to 50 thousand dollars....Holy Crap!! Yes, he has insurance - but his portion will still be several thousand dollars.

We have decided to use this opportunity for our fundraiser this year. We will be selling homemade bread and rolls. We are talking about other options (like cupcakes for Valentine's Day), so we will be adding more items in the near future.

We are also planning a yard sale for early summer. If you have any items that you would like to donate for the yard sale, just let me know. I will be happy to pick them up (as long as you live around here :)

We have started another blog dedicated to this fundraiser.....please check it out for more details

New Year = New Project

2011-01-23T20:49:00.006-07:00

For a while now, I have been contemplating what I could do to help others. I have had the pleasure of working on a couple of different fundraisers/charities over the past couple of years, and I have truly enjoyed it. I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do this year.

I finally had one of those "aha" moments yesterday.

I want to be a better person.

I want to help more people.

That idea was solidified in my mind today by a talk given at church. The talk was based on this talk given by Elder Christoffersen at General Conference a few months ago. A quote from the talk that answered any doubts of what I was to do:

"True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives - that is, our time and choices - to God's purposes."

Over the past few years, I have met so many wonderful and amazing people through volunteering my time for different causes. I want to continue helping others - I feel very passionate about it.

But, I always wonder if I can make a difference. Can one person really make a difference? That nagging question was also answered today at church. It was a powerful experience that showed me that the Lord is aware of each and everyone of us. He knows what we need, and if we pay attention and have an open heart, answers will come.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have felt a strong desire to help out in some way. I wasn't sure what, who, how or any of the details - I just knew I wanted to help.

Then last night, I realized the answer was right in front of me the whole time ....duh!!!

I have started to make preliminary plans and this week I hope they take shape.

I will post more details in the next few days.

Fish Lake

2011-01-08T23:37:00.003-07:00

The summer of 1983 we went to a family reunion at Fish Lake.

My sister, Michelle, was great at catching fish.....I wonder if it had anything to do with the special stance she is using here....???

I am considering putting this on Facebook and tagging her in the picture so that all of her friends can enjoy the picture too. What do you think? Perhaps a little bribery might keep it just on the blog.......love ya Michelle!

A Post for Anna!!!!

2010-08-17T11:24:00.003-06:00

I have a great friend named Annalisa. She lives in New York City. I miss her. Anna commented a few days ago about my lack of blogging. So this post is for her.

Every time I drive by this headstone place I think of her.....and I laugh! Maybe she will leave a comment about why this place is significant in her life.....maybe she won't.....

And YES, I think Anna should carry a web cam around with her wherever she goes!!!!

Specific Items Requested for Baskets

2010-05-20T08:00:00.012-06:00

Friends have been asking me what they can do to help with the fundraiser for Nick Jardine (see next post if you don't know what I am talking about). Here is the list of items that I have come up with to put in our theme baskets. If you would like to help, just pick from the list below. You can drop off your new items to my house, or give me a call and I will gladly pick them up! And if you have other fun ideas - go with it, these are not set in stone - just ideas!

If the item is red that means we have already received the donation.

THANK YOU!!!!

Family Fun Night
· Board games
· Card games
· Microwave popcorn
· Puzzles
· Markers/crayons
· Play dough
· Silly string
· Candy

Family Movie Night
· Movie
· Microwave popcorn – buckets pending
· Candy (big movie theater boxes)
· Drinks
· Pretzels

Car Wash
· Bucket
· Polish
· Armor all
· Rags
· Soap
· Air Freshener
· Tire cleaner
· Car Wash Pass

Spa
· Foot Zone $50 Gift Certificate
· Bubble bath
· Bath sponge
· Lotions
· Oils
· Candles
· Relaxing CD

Gardening
· Small shovel set
· Knee pad
· Seeds
· Use large pot or watering container
· Garden decorations
· Gloves

Baking - A Family has volunteered to finish this one...:)
· Matching Aprons
· Measuring Cups
· Measuring Spoons
· Mixing Spoons
· Timer
· Mixing Bowls
· Mixes(cake, cookie, brownie, etc..)

Baby
· Baby carrier - pending
· Blanket (2 rec'd ) - 1 more pending
· Onesies
· Diapers
· Wipes
· Lotions
· Hairbows from The ruffle bottom bowtique
· Shoes

Tool Box – backup idea
· Hammer
· Screwdrivers
· Measuring tape
· Pliers
· Nails
· Wrench set
· Duct tape
· Utility knife

A Special Request for Help

2010-05-19T20:46:00.003-06:00

We have some good friends that live in Shelley that we have known for 10+ years. Mike and I met Josh and DJ (before they were married) while we all worked together at Walmart. Anyways...long story short, Josh and DJ Jardine have 3 adorable little boys. Their middle child - Nick (who just turned 6) - was born with serious heart problems. His doctors at Primary Children's in Salt Lake have determined it is time for a substantial open-heart surgery. They have to travel to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for this surgery on June 15th. If you would like to read more about his story go here: http://nicksheartstory.blogspot.com/

Family and friends decided to host a fundraiser for this extremely expensive surgery.

We are assembling theme gift baskets for the silent auction to be held on June 10th. If you are able, please join us in supporting this wonderful family!

Currently, we are working on the following theme baskets:

Baking

Baby

Family Movie Night

Family Fun Night

Car Wash Bucket

Gardening

and Spa

If you would like to help contribute to any of the baskets, just let me know.

THANKS!

2010-04-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

This is one of my favorite CDs right now. I love to listen to it all the time. Especially if I have a bad attitude, it helps remind me of what is really important in life. Have you heard it?

Is It Possible?

2010-01-06T17:12:00.004-07:00

UPDATE: I think the C-clamp (pictured below) was squeezing a little to much on the head....my nose has been bleeding on and off for 2 days now. I have tried every remedy I know (trust me - I know a lot!) and still no end in sight....ugh. It is like having a leaky faucet on the front of my face - nice mental image huh?

Any suggestions?

After the last 2 days of feeling like this.....

I really wonder if it is possible for a part of my head to implode!!! I am just grateful that I only get a few sinus infections now, compared to every other month before I had sinus surgery.

Unadvertised Neosporin Deal at Walgreens

2010-01-04T19:44:00.003-07:00

I had read this scenario on several frugal blogs, but I wasn't sure if it would work in my area - it does! (Walgreens only sends our area a shortened ad....which means we miss out on deals that other areas are getting.)

I picked up 2 neosporin lip health products - they were marked $5.49.

They rang up 2/$8. I then used (2) $3 coupons from here. I also picked up 2 bags of Christmas Hershey Kisses. I paid $4.26 and received a $3 register reward to use on my next purchase. I bought 4 more bags of Kisses and used the register reward - making my total $.56.

Total out of pocket = $4.82

I plan on using some of the candy for Valentine's day - I will just take the green ones out and use the red and silver ones.

I love it - I basically got paid to buy the neosporin - and there isn't anything much better than cheap chocolate!!

Albertson's Trip

2010-01-04T19:43:00.003-07:00

Albertson's has a great sale on cheese that goes through tomorrow - January 5th. The Albertson Brand 2 lb bricks or bags of shredded cheese are on sale for only $2.99! The Rexburg store was out of the shredded - but I stopped by the Ammon store tonight and they were completely stocked.

I used this coupon for an additional $1 off any 2 lbs of cheese.

The Dannon Light and Fit yogurt is on sale this week 3/$1. I purchased 12 of them and used 2 of these coupons that saved me $1 for every 6 I bought. Then I used a coupon doubler that came with the Albertson's ad on Sunday. Grand total for the yogurt = tax!

Total spent = $3.98 + tax for 4 lbs of cheese and 12 yogurts

Sunday Best

2010-01-03T14:06:00.006-07:00

I think this is a rite of passage for each young man - learning how to correctly tie a tie. My baby is certainly growing up.... *sniffle*sniffle*sniffle*. I sure love them!

Bountiful Baskets

2010-01-02T15:31:00.005-07:00

I picked up my 3rd basket of produce through a co-op named Bountiful Baskets - and we love it! There is one opening in Rigby on January 16th if you are interested. The delivery is every other Saturday, and I have been driving to either Idaho Falls or Rexburg to pick it up, so I am happy there is going to be one so close. This is what we picked up today:

This is a picture of our first basket.

Our only problem is we now have an over abundance of oranges. I have been able to use, freeze, or give away to family members the rest of this healthy food.

So what does this cost? Only $16.50 per basket! Since it is a co-op, not a business, we pool the money and then they buy produce at wholesale prices.

The only down side is that we are never sure what we are going to get. Like this week, I am not sure what I am going to do with a bunch of brussel sprouts - but it gives us the opportunity to try new things that we wouldn't otherwise even think about.

If you want a basket you have to make your contribution between Tuesday at noon (sometimes it opens earlier) and Wednesday at 10pm. The next order will open on January 12th. Go to Bountiful Baskets if you want to order.

A New Post

2009-12-27T17:00:00.003-07:00

So, as I lay here on the couch after a nice day at church (minus the part where I had to speak), I am enjoying the sounds of Mike teaching Kenneth how to cook a new dish. I realize how lucky I am to live the life I do, and I really want to remember times like this, so I better start blogging again - because that is the only medium I seem to use to record stuff like this (that was a serious run-on sentence). Hopefully I will be encouraged to blog frequently.

Last Day of School

2009-06-02T16:31:00.001-06:00

Kenneth was pretty excited for the last day of school (last Thursday). I can't believe that he is already done with 6th grade!!! Time just seems to be flying. He did well in all of his classes this year. He wasn't too excited about his shop class - he was glad he only had it for one trimester. However, he found that he really enjoys history, and he started playing percussion in the school band - he loves it!

Dove Kit

2009-05-10T21:35:00.000-06:00

I received this Dove kit in the mail last week. There is a full size dove ultimate deodorant (that smells really good) along with 25 coupons booklets for $2 off. There are 2 coupons in each booklet. This product was just introduced last week and should be in most stores sometime in May. If you are interested in some free coupons - just let me know.

Big Foot Award

2009-05-09T11:20:00.000-06:00

Kenneth came home from school the other day with an award!!!

They measured their feet at school (not sure why, the details are a little fuzzy to me) and Kenneth won the Big Foot Award.....look at the size of those things! He wears a mens 9.5 - and he is only 11 years old. He has always had big feet - we keep thinking that some day he will grow into them. The award had been floating around the kitchen for a week and I asked Kenneth if he wanted to keep it - sure enough he wants to save that puppy - he is pretty proud of the award!! hahaha - what a funny kid....

Piano Recital

2009-05-09T10:52:00.000-06:00

Kenneth played in a piano recital last night - he did awesome!!!! He performed Fur Elise by Beethoven. He was pretty nervous, but he said once he got up there - something just took over and his hands just started to move.....we are very proud of him. Normally he would have played the same peice for festival - but since he broke his arm in February and couldn't play for 6 weeks - he didn't have time to learn and memorize 2 different pieces. He was so bummed he didn't get to do festival........NOT!!!

Kenneth with Grandma Davis - he is very excited about his reward - an ice cream bar.

Grandma Jensen, Kenneth and Grandpa Jensen - enjoying the ice cream....

Dad, Mom, and Kenneth

Kenneth had lots of support at this recital - we didn't get pictures of 2 aunts, 1 uncle, and 4 cousins that were also able to come. Thanks for supporting him!!!

Whew!!! - Now we have the summer off from lessons - Kenneth is pretty excited.

Free Food at KFC

2009-05-05T10:59:00.004-06:00

Oprah is working on a bunch of different "hook-ups" for people across the country. Go to this link and you can download a coupon for a free 2 pc Grilled Chicken meal at participating restaurants. This includes 2 pcs of grilled chicken (manager's choice), 2 individaul sides, and a biscuit - all for FREE!!!

Oprah's website says: "Coupon download available from 9 a.m. CDT on May 5, 2009, to 9:59 p.m. CDT on May 6, 2009." So get it done quick! I was able to print 4 coupons from my computer.

2009-04-23T17:03:00.003-06:00

Smith's has 1 lb cartons of strawberries on sale this week for $1.29. I have been watching prices for a couple of weeks, and this seems to be one of the lowest prices I have seen. I need to make some more jam - but I have been waiting for a great price. Have you seen a better price - if so, where????

2009-04-23T16:59:00.000-06:00

Albertson's has a couple of great sales this week! My favorite is on the front page of their sales flyer. When you spend $10 on participating products, save $4 instantly. My favorite picks are the Ritz, Wheat Thins and Triscuit crackers for $1.20/box, Jello-O Cheesecake with topping for $1.50/box, and Bagelfuls for $1.50/box.

This is an example of how to maximize your savings:

Buy 4 Bagelfuls @ $2.50 each = $10

Less $4 instant savings = $6

Less 4 $1 coupons from Kraft = $2

I can handle paying $.50 per box for a quick snack item to use on busy days. These are a frozen product, so they will last a while.

Albertson's Coupon Doubles

2009-04-21T15:52:00.004-06:00

Today I had a great time at Albertson's. I had 3 coupon doublers from the Sunday paper to use. I used a Tree Top $1/2 coupon and 2 Right Guard coupons - $1 each. Then I used the 3 coupon doublers. Final price was $.18 (the tax)! The cashier was so surprised that she actually had to look back through the transaction to make sure that it was correct....hehehe...

After the purchase a catalina printed out for a free gatorade up to $2.50 - I paid $.12 in tax for a big bottle of gatorade. At this point, the cashier was really stunned....the lady behind me wanted to know what I bought ..... it was great!

So, if you think that doublers aren't worth it - think again....you just have to be creative!!

This will be added to my stockpile for future use.

Where Have I Been???

2009-04-14T15:12:00.003-06:00

The last week has been crazy busy for us!!!

Last Thursday, Mike had to have sugery on his mouth....ouch!!

He had an infection in his gum above his front teeth, and it was eating a hole in his gums. So we had to go to a specialist and he created a flap in his upper gum....I will spare you the details. Then I drove him to another specialist that cleaned out the infection, did a root canal on his front tooth, filled it with some stuff and then we were sent back to the first specialist we saw. He ended up doing a gum graft to cover the hole and he changed the little tissue thingy that attaches your lip to your gums. I know that all sounds so technical - but I didn't want to know any more...eeewwww!!!

It took about an hour for them to stitch him up. Then they glued a bandage over the surgical site that is suppose to remain there until next Monday. It is driving him nuts!!!

This picture was taken while we were waiting at the second docs office. He wasn't so happy to have his picture taken...but you can see some of the swelling. When it was all done, his top lip stuck way out from his bottom lip and it looked like a bad botox job!!

In total it took about 3 1/2 hours to get all the work done and travel back and forth. We are just glad it is done and he is recovering pretty quickly. He is just really uncomfortable with the bandage in his mouth. He can feel a few of the stitches which are also bothering him. The swelling has mostly gone away now that it has been 5 days....he just tends to be swollen in the morning when he wakes up. We go back next Monday for a follow up appointment and to have the bandaged removed.

We are hoping for good news and to know that the problem has been resolved - keep your fingers crossed for us!!

My New Addition

2009-04-14T15:08:00.000-06:00

I work at home sometimes and I have been using 2 folding tables as a "desk" for the past couple of years. Well, Mike felt bad that he had such a nice desk to use for playing around with his computer, and I was still working on crappy tables. I found it really difficult to stay organized with the make-shift "desk" and no drawers, so my office was usually a mess! So my sweet husband has been looking for a good desk at a great price.....not so easy to find. I didn't know he had been looking - but he showed me a picture of one the other day and it looked pretty good. He found it on Craig's List and we went to pick it up a couple of weeks ago. I am so excited!!!

The only problem we had is trying to fit it through my office door. They had to take it apart. This is Kenneth helping to put it back together. He is much smaller and able to fit under the drawers much easier than Mike could. He was more than happy to help...of course!

THIS IS IT!!!

My new setup gives me a ton of desk space and now I have 4 drawers to use...which is wonderful!!!!

How sweet is Mike for doing this for me???

Ahhhh....

Money Saving Madness

2009-04-06T17:06:00.004-06:00

I like to play the guessing game at my house - so I am constantly asking Mike - "How much do you think this cost?" Honestly, he could care less - but once in a while he humors me.

So - since I don't have a willing participant at home - I will ask you - how much do you think all of this cost?

ANSWER: I spent $7.57 + 3.40 in tax = $10.97

Thanks for playing the guessing game!

Walgreen's Deal of the Week

2009-04-06T17:04:00.001-06:00

UPDATE:

There is another location to print a $1 coupon for this deal. Go to RedPlum and don't forget you can print this coupon twice - more toothpaste that will make you money!! Walgreen's has Colgate Total Toothpaste on sale for $3.49 this week. When you purchase it, a register reward will print for $3.50 off your next transaction. This means you only end up paying for the tax. Not too bad!!!

If you want to make the deal even better, go here and print a coupon for $1.00 off Colgate Total. You can only print one coupon - but that is still a pretty good deal!

Just remember, only purchase 1 toothpaste per transaction to get the register reward to print. Also, you cannot roll the register rewards at Walgreen's. You have to buy something other than the toothpaste to use the register reward.

Weekly Menu Plan

2009-04-05T14:47:00.005-06:00

Sunday:

Broiled Chicken, Broccoli, Green Salad, and Mashed Potatoes

Monday:

Tacos

Tuesday:

Shake-n-Bake Chicken, Crazy Beans, Cornbread

Wednesday: Kenneth's Night to Cook

Hamburger Helper and Peaches

Thursday:

Yummy Potatoes

Friday:

Tin Foil Dinners - Beef with Potatoes and Carrots

Saturday: Mike's Day to Cook

Free Coupons!

2009-04-03T17:15:00.001-06:00

I have eleven Post coupons leftover from the great sale this week. I have purhased all the cereal we need for the next year. So I am happy to pass these along. If you would like them, just be the first person to leave me a comment. The deal only runs through the middle of next week, so this offer is only valid for locals that I don't have to mail to.

Free coupons - they will save you $11 on good cereal!!

Potato Bread Recipe

2009-04-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

I had a request for my bread recipe that I talked about here. It is nice to know that people are actually reading this blog!!! (Thanks, Wendi)

White Potato Bread

3 cups warm water

1/8 cup oil

6 cups flour

1/6 cup sugar

1 T salt

3/4 cup potato pearls

1 T yeast

Combine ingredients in breadmaker according to your breadmaker directions.

(If you make the mix shown in the previous post, I put all of the dry ingredients in the mix except for the yeast. Then all you have to do is put water, oil, bread mix, and yeast in - it is a big time saver.)

Set breadmaker on dough cycle. I always check about 30 minutes before the cycle is over and punch the dough down. On lightly floured surface, separate dough and knead into 2 loaves. Place in baking pans and let rise. Bake at 350 for 42 minutes. Remove from pans and lightly spread butter on top of loaves.

The original recipe called for mashed potatoes - which works great if you have some leftovers, but I found that the potato pearls work great.

I have also made this recipe using my Kitchen Aid mixer using the dough hook. It works, but I like the convenience of the breadmaker.

Holy Cereal Batman!!!!

2009-03-30T15:01:00.003-06:00

I made my first trip to Albertson's today for cereal - and it was great!!! I purchased 10 Trail Mix Crunch - the only flavor they had was Cranberry Vanilla - but it is good! I also picked up 5 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats. I did this in three transactions - that is why you see 3 receipts.

Transaction #1 - 5 Trail Mix Crunch. Total with tax was $8.85. I used (4) $2 coupons from here for a total of $8 off. Out of pocket I paid $.85. Then after I paid I received a catalina for $5 off my next purchase.

Transaction #2 - Repeat the first transaction again.

Transaction #3 - 5 Honey Bunches of Oats. The total with tax came to $8.85. I used a catalina from the previous transaction and only paid $3.85 out of pocket. Then another catalina printed out.

So..... I spent $5.55 out of pocket, and walked away with 15 boxes of cereal and $10 in catalinas to use on my next trip.

I am waiting for some coupons I ordered on Ebay to get here before I go buy more (the Select varieties). I took my sister with me to show her how it works and we ended up with a great cashier (at the Rexburg store) who knew exactly what to do and it went pretty quick. Between the two of us we had 9 transactions. If you are going to do this I highly recommend that you use cash to speed the process up.

What a great way to start the week!!! Has anybody else tried this yet?

Sunday Thoughts

2009-03-29T17:51:00.006-06:00

Feeling Sour?

Squeeze in some time for others .

Kindness and service bring sweetness to your life.

This is so true!

I found myself having a pity party a couple of weeks ago. So I put together a daily plan for myself. It is a quick worksheet that helps me to outline my day. One of the sections of the page is for service. I have found that there are many opportunities to serve that don't take a lot of time. I made bread a few days ago and I wanted to give a loaf away. I wasn't sure who to give it to - so I got in my car and just drove around my ward until I felt like I was in the right place - it didn't take long to know where I should make my stop.

Service can be a variety of things. It could mean making an effort to smile at a stranger that day. Sometimes you don't plan service, it just happens. Like helping a mom at the grocery store with her 3 young children that are tired and cranky. It only takes a moment, but to that mom it could be a life saver. A quick phone call or email are both great forms of service that can help others to realize that people care about them. Another form of service that I have been trying to focus on is service to my family. Making sure that I go the extra mile to do nice things for them.

Making sure that I include at least one service oriented task every day for the last couple of weeks has really helped me to have a better attitude.

Great Cereal Deal

2009-03-28T20:33:00.001-06:00

Check your Sunday paper for details on a great cereal deal at Albertson's this week. Select Post cereals will be on sale for $2.07 - but if you buy 2 - then the price drops to $1.57. The deal gets better - if you buy 5 boxes, you get a $5 catalina on your next purchase.

This is how the math works out - buy 5 cereal - 4 @ $1.57 and 1 @ 2.07 = $8.35. After you do your transaction you will get a $5 catalina which basically makes the cereal $.67 per box before tax.

I bought 20 coupons on Ebay that will deduct $20 for purchasing 40 boxes. So I am looking at some pretty cheap cereal. There were lots of auctions for Post coupons still available - check it out!

There is also a coupon here that is for $2 of Post Trail Mix Crunch.

Thanks Kimber for a heads up on this deal!

Weekly Menu Plan

2009-03-28T15:43:00.004-06:00

Sunday:
Chicken/Broccoli/Rice Casserole

Monday:
Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta with Broccoli/Raisin Salad

Tuesday:
Meatloaf, Baked Poatotes, and Green Beans

Wednesday: Kenneth's Night to Cook
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Crackers and Tomato Soup

Thursday:
Shake-n-Bake Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Peaches

Friday:
Sheppard's Pie

Saturday: Mike's Day to Cook

Easy Bread Making Tip

2009-03-27T21:32:00.004-06:00

I read a blog a while back that gave me this great idea...I just wish I could remember which blog it was so I could give appropriate credit.

Anyway.....this suggestion has made my life much easier. Every time I want to make bread I have to pull all of the ingredients out which is time consuming. The last time I made bread I filled 2 additional containers with all of the dry ingredients. Since I already had everything out, it only took about 2 minutes. Then I made a label to go on the container that lists any other ingredients that need to be added. When I am ready to make some homemade bread, I just grab the container, dump it in the bread maker, add water, oil and yeast and it is good to go!!! So easy - and such a time saver.

I found that the best container was a 2 quart container that is easy to wash and has a large opening, which makes filling easy and no need to use a funnel. I found this plastic Rubbermaid container at Wal-Mart and it was only $1.88 - so I bought 2 of them.

If you want the recipe for the best homemade bread EVER - just leave a comment - and I will add it.

Look What Came in the Mail Today!

2009-03-26T16:06:00.002-06:00

Back in January, Pepsi ran a promotion for pop and chips - just in time for the Super Bowl. I had to buy 2 Pepsi products and 3 Frito-Lay products (I think - it has been a while). Then I had to save my receipts and clip the UPC label from the products. I then mailed them in with a short form and that was it! Today I recieved (5) $2 coupons good an any Pepsi product and (2) coupons for Frito-Lay snack/dip products. It probably took me less than 30 minutes all together and I ended up with $15 in coupons that we will definately use. So when you see these kind of promotions - read about them before you dismiss the idea - some might really work for you! I also did an Oil of Olay promotion at the same time and received a $15 Visa gift card. Let me know if you hear of any promotions like this!!

Albertson's Preview

2009-03-24T15:35:00.004-06:00

You can see a preview of the Albertson's ad that starts tomorrow through hot coupon world - here. This is for the northwest region. They have a select variety of Kellog's cereal on sale 3 for $5. You can also get free milk when buying the cereal - see the bottom of the front page for details.

Select Nabisco crackers are part of the spend $10, save $3 instantly. This makes Ritz and Wheat Thins $1.75 per box - not too bad!

They also have a variety of meat on sale for $1.88/lb.

Grocery Deals of the Week

2009-03-18T23:46:00.001-06:00

The best deal I see at Albertson's this week is cheese. They have assorted varities of 2 lb. bricks on sale for $3.99. The picture shows medium cheddar, colby jack, and mozarella. Cheese will last a long time in the fridge if unopened. When a good deal like this comes along, I like to buy a couple bricks of each flavor and shred them, using my kitchen aid. I package them in about 8 oz servings in freezer bags. Putting them in smaller packages makes it quicker to thaw, and I have already measured it so I can just toss it in when ready. This is a big time and money saver.

Smith's ad this week has the mega sales event still going. When you buy 10 mega savings items you save $5. You can buy 30 items per transaction for a total of $15 savings per transaction. One example of a good deal - they have 32 oz Powerade on sale for $.49.

Festive Treats

2009-03-17T23:12:00.003-06:00

I made some quick treats using a cake mix today and they were easy and yummy! I have a couple of cases of cake mixes after the great Albertson's sale a few weeks ago. This recipe uses a yellow cake mix, butter, eggs, quick oats, and pecans. Since it is St. Patrick's Day I added some green food coloring and they turned out great! They taste like pecan sandies from the store, except they are soft and moist.

Old Navy Summer Clothes

2009-03-14T23:57:00.000-06:00

Old Navy is running a promotional website - Old Navy Weekly - that is updated every Thursday with new coupons and discounts. The good coupons disappear within a matter of minutes, but there are smaller coupons available all week long. This past Thursday, I checked the website often and I actually got in right when they had updated the coupons. I ended up getting a coupon for $75 off a $100 purchase - YEAH!!! Kenneth was in need of new summer clothes - not much fits him from last year. So we headed off to our local Old Navy today - and this is what we got:

4 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, a cute dress (for a niece - requirement for the coupon) and a clearance lipgloss as a filler. We ended up paying just over $27 for all of this. I was thrilled!

Applesauce at Target

2009-03-14T23:51:00.002-06:00

Target has 6 pack Mott's Applesauce for $1.69. You can stack a Target coupon and a Mott's coupon to get these for only $.14 each!!

Print the Target coupon for $1.00 here

Print the Mott's coupon for $.55 here

Food Storage Items of the Week

2009-03-13T20:28:00.004-06:00

UPDATE: I went Saturday to check on the pasta - and they had it in stock!!! I was pretty shocked. They do have a limit of 30 to a customer, but I understand that. They still had plenty of spaghetti, but the other types were pretty much gone by the time I left. The cashier said that they have more coming in the first of the week and to check back if I wanted more....duh, of course I want more!! I ended up with 30 lbs of pasta for only $15.

I was pretty excited to see the Smith's ad this week. They have American Beauty pasta on sale for $.49 for a 16 oz bag. They also have extra lean hamburger on sale for $1.89/lb. I went to the store on Thursday and was very disappointed - they were out of pasta already. They said a few people came in and totally wiped them out. They did tell me there was another shipment coming in and to check back. However, the sale is limited to 30 items per purchase - so they are going to try and limit each customer to only 30 items so that everyone can have a chance to get some. I am going to check again tomorrow to see if they have any in stock - if not I will check and see if they will do a raincheck for me. Milk and cheese are also a decent price - but you can get a 2 lb block of cheese at Fred Meyer for $3.99 - limit 2.

Food Storage Item of the Week

2009-03-05T20:26:00.001-07:00

I had never been to Smith's Food and Drug until tonight. I have heard people talk about them, but I haven't found much positive information about the store in Idaho Falls. So I thought I would check it out for myself. I was pleasantly surprised with the store....I thought it would be old and rundown, but it appeared to be a very nice store. We wandered around for a bit just so I could see what they offered. I did go for one item in particular. They have boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.69/lb. I still have chicken in the freezer, but for this price, I couldn't pass it up. (I keep telling Mike that we need to get another freezer, but he doesn't agree.) I aksed the cashier how I could get a fresh values card, and he said that they were out and waiting for more to come in. However, he was more than happy to scan a card he had at the register so that I could get the advertised price on particalar items. I think I will have to start watching their flyer closer now for good deals.

They also have milk on sale for $1.89/gallon.

What Is Special About Today?

2009-03-04T19:20:00.003-07:00

Did you know that today is Ark Day?

Go here to learn all about it.

My Family

2009-03-03T19:08:00.003-07:00

I was sorting through my pictures that are saved on my computer and I ran across this classic picture......how can you not love them.....???? It just confirms my theory that Mike has too much time on his hands!

Tasty Tuesday

2009-03-03T18:36:00.003-07:00

I tried a new recipe tonight - and it is a keeper! It sounded a little different but, we loved the cashew beef sitr-fry recipe that came out of the Feb/March 09 Taste of Home magazine. It was simple to make and you could eliminate or add any vegetable that your family prefers. I got the cashews and broccoli for free, which made this meal really inexpensive - I figure it cost us less than $3.00 - which is great for a meal with meat in it. It fed our family of 3, and there are plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. If you would like the recipe.....just leave a comment, and I will add it to the post.

Here is the recipe:

Cashew Beef Stir-Fry
Taste of Home - try a FREE ISSUE today!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups cold water
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
3 medium carrots, julienned
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium green peppers, cut into strips
2 medium sweet red peppers, cut into strips
2 medium onions, halved and sliced
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1-1/2 cups salted cashews
Hot cooked rice
Directions: In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a very large skillet or a wok, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in 1 tablespoon oil until vegetables begin to soften. Add the beef, garlic, pepper and remaining soy sauce; stir-fry until meat is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, stir-fry the green and red peppers, onions and squash in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Return beef to the pan. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice. Yield: 7 servings.

Do I Laugh or Cry?

2009-03-02T20:28:00.004-07:00

We have been working on completing our basement since we moved in 3 1/2 years ago. We were able to trade for almost all of the labor to complete the basement. The only thing we had to hire out is the drywall......which we paid a pretty penny for - but it was well worth it. Well, tonight Mike brought me the bad news....Jenny was chasing her ball that someone kicked and she ran into the wall and did some pretty big damage. I am not to the laugh or cry stage yet - I am still fuming about how much it will cost us to have it repaired. It is right at the bottom of the stairs, so it is not like we could just push a couch in front of it to hide it for awhile....it is very noticeable. Hopefully the killer death rays will quickly cease shooting out of my eyes. Mike said he will call the drywall guy tomorrow and see what can be done.

Walgreen's Deal of the Week

2009-03-02T16:07:00.002-07:00

Walgreen's has Colgate toothpaste on sale this week for $3.29. There are a few coupons out there for this that you could use to reduce the price, but unfortunately I didn't have any. However, I purchased just the toothpaste in my first transaction and it printed a register reward for $3.50. This covered the entire purchase price, plus tax. I paid for this transaction with my gift card. I used that register reward to pay for the next transaction. I bought 2 small boxes of Ritz crackers - buy one at $1.99 and get one free. I also had a coupon for $2 off two packages of crackers. I also picked up some Axe hair paste for $5.99(for Kenneth), and some generic headache relief gelcaps $2.99. Both of these items have MIR this month. The Sprite ($3) I just wanted. So in total I spent $12.80 on my gift card, but I will get $9.88 back on my gift card for the MIR products. Net for this trip was $2.92 - which is less than the Sprite cost.

Weekly Menu Plan

2009-03-01T22:54:00.003-07:00

Sunday:
Candy Chicken, Cheesy Vegetable Chowder, Homemade Bread

Monday:
Homemade Mini Pizzas (thanks for the great idea, Kimber), Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Potato Chips

Tuesday:
Chicken Noodle Casserole, Green Salad, Cornbread Muffins

Wednesday:
Cashew Beef Stir Fry, Rice

Thursday:
Slow Cooker Chicken with Dumplings, Mixed Veggies

Friday:
Fettucine Alfredo, Broccoli, Shrimp

Sunday Thoughts

2009-03-01T11:40:00.003-07:00

I love 1:00 church!! I know that sounds weird, but I have really enjoyed it this year. I am able to take my time in the morning and not feel rushed. Today I enjoyed a lazy morning of laying in bed and reading articles from the March Ensign. I don't subscribe to the magazine for two reasons - first, I can read it all online for free and second, I am not using additional paper products that I don't know what to do with after a few years - should I hoard it or get rid of it???

As I was reading I came across this article from Elder M. Russell Ballard on becoming self -reliant. It is a good reminder that we need to prepare physically, but also spiritually. I think the reason it stood out to me is at our Ward Conference a few weeks ago, our bishop spoke on this same topic. Perhaps that means I should pay special attention to the topic. I know that at our house, we focus on the temporal preparations a lot - like getting our food storage in order, water storage, 72-hour kits. That is all great, but we need to focus more time and energy on preparing ourselves spiritually.

Elder Ballard divides this topic into five different areas.

1. Find Answers Through the Spirit

2. Appraise our Lives and the Needs of Others

3. Choose Between Good and Evil

4. Think Straight

5. Seek the Lord's Guidance

There are also some good suggestions to use for a family home evening lesson. I found this article to be a great reminder that we need balance in all things in our lives.

How Does Your Credit Rate?

2009-02-27T16:10:00.007-07:00

How often do you check your credit reports (you have three of them)? Did you know that you are entitled to a free copy of each of your credit reports once a year? There are lots of places that you can go to get them, but most of the places require you to sign up for a "free" membership. This translates into getting a certain amount of time for free - say 30 days - and then they start charging you a monthly fee for their service. However, there is a website that is a legitimate way to get your reports for free. You can go to http://annualcreditreport.com/ and try it for yourself. You have the option to get all 3 reports at once, or you can spread it out throughout the year - so every 4 months you can get a different report. They do try to upsell and get you to spend money to get your credit score, but your credit report is totally free.

I pulled all three for both me and Mike last night, and I am happy to report everything looks correct. The only weird thing that came up is an address on my report that we have never lived at....hmm....weird.

If there are negative marks on your report, this will impact you whenever you want to borrow money - for a car or a home. Your credit also can be used, in part, to determine your auto insurance premiums - did ya know that? Many employers are also starting to check credit reports....(why would they trust you with their money if you can't handle your own???) It is always good to know what is on your credit report and to check it at least once a year.

Food Storage Item of the Week

2009-02-25T20:26:00.004-07:00

Have you ever wondered what an entire year supply of sugar would look like?

Well, this is what ours looks like. At least I can check one item off of my food storage list. We now have our year supply of sugar!!!! Albertson's has a sale this week on 5 lb bags of sugar for $1.75....which is the best deal I have seen in a while. So I ended up getting 200 lbs which came to $70....however, I still had 2 catalinas from the soup sale last week...so I ended up paying only $50 for the sugar. I am pretty excited to cross this off the list....now how to store it......

Does anybody have suggestions.....should I put it in buckets?? - regular lids or gamma lids???.....or should I seal it in #10 cans from the cannery??????? How do you store your sugar?

Kmart Double Coupons

2009-02-23T22:48:00.002-07:00

Kmart is doubling coupons again this week - up to $2.00. You have to use coupons from newspaper inserts - they won't double internet printable coupons. But this is what I got today ... before coupons, my total was $32.47 - after coupons I paid $6.14. It should have been $2 less, but one of my coupons didn't double and one didn't double for the full amount. So if you go to take advantage of this good deal - make sure and watch closely as the cashier applies your coupons.

Victory at Walgreen's - Finally!!!

2009-02-23T22:36:00.004-07:00

I finally have figured out how to work the best deal at Walgreen's..... This week they have Reynold's wrap on sale - there is a coupon in their weekly ad that brings the price down from $1.59 to $.89. However, I had a coupon from the Sunday paper for $1.00 off. The problem that I have always run into is that if your coupon value is greater than the item, then the register beeps and won't accept the coupon. But, tonight I finally figured it out - you have to present the coupons in the correct order to get it to work correctly. After the casheir rang up my items, I gave him my manufacturer coupons and then I had him scan the coupons from their weekly flyer which reduced the cost even more!!! I purchased 4 rolls of foil and 4 candy bars (B1G1 Free - stacking a Walgreen's coupon and a manufacturer's coupon) and spent a total of ........................$.46 which includes $.32 in tax.

Gotta love free chocolate!!!!

Free Subs

2009-02-23T17:13:00.004-07:00

Sign up for a free Quizno's Sub here. After you put in your info, they will email you a coupon for a free sandwich. It is a quick and easy signup. My email arrived within a minute - but you have to use the coupon within 5 days of printing.

Weekly Menu Plan

2009-02-22T14:34:00.004-07:00

Sunday:
Chicken Rolls, Green Beans, and Green Salad
Monday:
Tacos
Tuesday:
Chicken Enchiladas and Broccoli/Raisin Salad
Wednesday:
Steak on the grill, Baked Potatoes, and Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Thursday:
Lasagna (homemade - from the freezer), Corn on the Cob, Green Salad
Friday:
Leftovers or Frozen Pizza

Thrifty Thursday

2009-02-19T12:17:00.007-07:00

One of my friends at work was asking what a catalina is - so here is a picture....I have 2 catalinas left over from my shopping trip to Albertsons this morning. I got the $10 one for buying 10 GM products that are on sale this week. The $3.50 one is for buying 5 fruit snacks/roll-ups in one transaction (which also goes toward the 10 GM products....yeah!!).

My receipts to show what I really paid (double click on the picture to see up close) ...I had to do 3 transactions....I broke it down into 10 items per transaction so that I could roll the $10 catalina from each transaction.

So ... this is what I ended up with today....none of which I would buy at full price. However, with coupons and the good deal that Albertson's has going on....I paid OOP $19.84....but I still have the 2 catalinas to use next week.....so net for the trip today is..............$6.34!!!!

I ended up getting:

12 Progresso soup
6 Fruit Roll-ups
4 Fruit Snacks
4 Chex Mixes (Cheddar is the best)
2 tubes of crescent rolls
2 Peanut butter cookie mixes (these are good)

Menu Planning

2009-02-15T19:04:00.007-07:00

Monday:

Orange glazed pork chops, mixed veggies, fried rice (using left over ham)

Tuesday:

Spaghetti, Green Salad, Sweet Corn

Wednesday:

Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice casserole (from freezer)

Thursday:

Shake N Bake Chicken, Peaches, Au Gratin Potatoes

Friday:

Leftovers or Frozen Pizza

FINALLY DONE!!!!!!

2008-12-17T21:04:00.003-07:00

I have finally finished school!!! I took my last final on Monday night and now I am just waiting for my grades. I had to do a comprehensive oral exam on Dec 5th. That was the most stressful part of my whole program - but I passed and I am so relieved!

My mom sent me these beautiful flowers the day before my oral exam to encourage me.

Mike went with me to my exam since it was in Pocatello and I didn't want to make the drive by myself - I was a nervous wreck! Afterwards we were planning to go to dinner. When we got there, my mom and sister and her family were all there. Mike had arranged it a couple of weeks before - I was very surprised. We had a nice dinner and then my sister, Melissa, brought a surprise over to my house - she made me this AWESOME cake -it is huge!!!

Red Ribbon Week at Kenneth's School

2008-11-02T19:35:00.006-07:00

Last week at Kenneth's school they celebrated Red Ribbon Week. On Friday they wore Halloween costumes - Kenneth was a football player.... Scare drugs away - stay drug free!

Thursday was crazy hair day - this was the best! Kenneth has been needing a haircut for a while, but we knew that this day was coming, so we let him grow his hair out. Mike buzzed the sides of his head Wed. night and left a big strip down the middle. I found some hair glue at the store (I never knew that such a thing existed)which worked really, really well. Then we spray painted it bright orange with black stipes along the sides - it was great!! The theme for this day was Don't be crazy - Don't do drugs!

Wednesday kicked the celebration off with crazy hat day....the theme was Be Cool - Too Cool to Do Drugs! Kenneth found a leatherhead hat that he instantly knew was the right one for the occasion - he now needs it to keep his head warm since he has no hair.

Happy Anniversary

2008-10-14T20:02:00.007-06:00

Well, it is now official - we have been married for 13 years! And for the first time since we have been married, Mike actually forgot. This morning before he left I got up and gave him his gift - I got him an iPod docking station/alarm clock. But he made it up to me by taking me out to dinner tonight. Kenneth went with us and the food was really good - we all had a good time.

So in honor of our 13 years together, I thought I would list 13 things that I love about Mike. (Not in any particular order)

____________________________________________________________________

1. He is very laid back. Most people don't know him very well because he is pretty quite and doesn't say a whole lot. But that is typical for him - he is just real easy going.

2. Mike is the best dad I could have ever asked for my child. He spends a lot of time with Kenneth. They like to just hang out downstairs in the man cave, they mow lawns together - which is teaching Kenneth a great work ethic, and they just goof off together. Last week Mike and I were both sick with food poisoning, and Kenneth had his last football game of the season. I told Kenneth that since we were both so sick he would have to miss his game. Mike felt bad about this and so he had Kenneth get ready and drove him to his game in Firth. Mike waited in the car - sick as can be - for about 2 hours and then drove home - what a good dad!!!

3. Mike is patient - he puts up with me and my craziness - need I say anymore?

4. Mike is a hard worker. He has one of those jobs that requires a lot of flexibility and sacrifice, but he does it day after day because he loves it. He gave up his education and working as an engineer because he knew that he wanted to be a cop. It isn't always a glamorous or high paying job, but I think that he gets a lot of satisfaction out of being able to help people.

5. He embraces his inner computer nerd. He has fully accepted that he is a computer nerd and is often found fixing a computer around the house or helping out any one of our numerous friends/family that need help with technology crap.

6. Mike is a good friend/brother. Mike would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He often gets calls that someone needs help with a variety of things and he always is willing to sacrifice his time and energy to lend a helping hand.

7. He protects our family. Not that we live in a high crime area or anything, but I always feel safer when he is around. He is always available to take care of whatever we need.

8. He still thinks of himself as a kid. He doesn't ever really want to grow up. He enjoys doing so many activities and "fun stuff" that sometimes I think I have 2 kids. You can often hear me saying - "no horseplay in the house - somebody's going to get hurt" For example, a few weeks ago Mike and Kenneth were goofing around and Mike accidentally slammed Kenneth's head into a corner of the wall in the hall. Now we have a big ole dent on the corner of the wall that I don't think can be fixed........like I said, sometimes I think I have 2 kids. (don't worry - Kenneth's head is just fine)

9. Mike takes care of the "manly" things around the house. He feels that it is his responsibility to take care of things like mowing the yard and fixing things.

10. Mike is a fantastic artist. He really has a talent. He likes to draw things - he still has a picture he drew in high school - it is called vision master. I think he use to have a poster of it in his room .... or something like that. It is really cool.

11. Mike has a terrific sense of humor. Most people don't get to see this part of him because he is so shy. But once you get to know him, he is pretty hysterical. A great example (he won't like me sharing) was last night we were saying goodnight to Kenneth and Mike was wearing a halloween shirt that glows in the dark. It is a black shirt with a skeleton outline on it. Well, he charged it up with light so that it would glow really well and then we turned the lights of - he started dancing around and Kenneth and I were laughing so hard we coulnd't catch our breath....I know you had to be there to get the whole effect....

12. Mike has stuck with me through good and bad. And believe me - there have been both. I have never doubted his love for me. Some days we don't necessarily like each other very much, but we still love each other no matter what.

13. Mike is my eternal companion. Thirteen years ago today we knelt across an alter in the Idaho Falls temple and he agreed to be sealed to me for time and for all eternity...how lucky am I??????

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

First Day of Middle School

2008-09-24T23:02:00.002-06:00

This post is about a month overdue - oh well - better late than never! This is Kenneth all ready to tackle his first day at the middle school. I think he is pretty excited about rotating classes (he has 8 classes a day) and he is happy to have a locker. So the day started off great.....until we tried to get him on the bus - but he eventually made it to the right school.

Then around 4:30 I was starting to get a little concerned because he wasn't home yet. I had already called the bus department twice that day, because his morning bus didn't pick him up where it was suppose to.......All I got was conflicting information and no one really knows what is going on........I still don't know if they have figured it out yet.

Finally around 5pm this is how he arrived home:

Nice!!!! I send my happy kid off to his first day of middle school and he ends up coming home in a cop car!!!! At least he didn't do anything bad......the bus system was even more screwed up in the afternoon and the resource office (who is also our neighbor) ended up bringing him home. At least he made it home safe and had a good first day!

Garden Harvest

2008-09-21T17:43:00.006-06:00

A sample of what we got out of our garden this year. Mike dug the rest of the potatoes up and we had home grown carrots, corn, and potatoes with our roast for dinner tonight - YUMMY!!

Kenneth Playing Football

2008-09-21T17:19:00.003-06:00

Kenneth has been playing football for the last 6 weeks and is really enjoying it. He saved up a lot of his lawn mowing money to pay the $90 fee to be able to play. Then he had to invest another $100 for all of his gear. He practices 3 days a week and has a game once a week. For the most part he has played hard and learned a lot. Some days it is frustrating because he doesn't get to play the position he wants or he is just physically exhausted - but he always looks forward to his next practice. This particular day he came home from practice just a mess! He got a bloody nose and of course got it on his white jersey. Luckily, Mike was there and able to help him take care of it. This picture shows how happy he is after a grueling 2 hours of practice.

He said that their cleats kept tearing up the soft grass and he was just covered in mud - I don't think you can see it in the picture very well.....but notice he is standing with muddy cleats on the cream colored carpet.....(sigh) oh boys!!!

My Friends

2008-09-05T20:56:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about friends a lot lately. I have made several friends during my life, but eventually time moves on and things change. This picture is of me and my friends Anna and Jamie. I laugh every time I see it because it reminds me of all the great times that we had together. I actually have it hanging up on my office wall at home. Jamie and I met about 6 1/2 years ago at work and I think we became instant friends, she is so likable and easy to get along with. She even invited my family to her extended family campout (which was a ton of fun)! I interviewed and hired Anna for a job at the beginning of 2006 and at first we weren't too sure about her, but she proved to be one of the most hilarious people I have ever known. They have both moved on to better and more exciting things in their lives, but most days at work I think about how much I miss having them around. These are just 2 examples of how blessed I am to have such great friends that bring joy and happiness to my life!

Work??

2008-09-05T20:47:00.000-06:00

So, one day I come in to the office and sit down at my desk and this is what I see........

What the crap??? Why is Connie under her desk?? I thought maybe she had finally been buried by piles of paperwork, but nope - she was just repairing her desk or keyboard tray or something......she doesn't believe that she needs help doing any of this "manly stuff" and she fixes all of her own stuff - notice the blue tool kit on the floor - that is the one that she keeps at work, just for jobs like this.

Now, as for the following, I had nothing to do with it!

These are a couple of salesman at the store I work at. Their manager had them wear these lovely, bright green "hats" on the sales floor. They weren't allowed to take them off until they made a sale that morning.......hhmmmm...they look like dunce hats to me.

I thought that Tanner looked like an elf with his hat on.....

The New Paintball Gun

2008-08-03T17:59:00.002-06:00

Kenneth has worked really hard this summer mowing lawns and he finally saved enough to buy a paintball gun. He was sooo excited - this is him practicing in our backyard - he shot at the wheelbarrow for a while.

Kenneth's Birthday

2008-08-03T17:44:00.005-06:00

Kenneth wanted a german chocolate cake for his birthday this year - so I made a triple decker. I had one more layer to add, but I thought it might tip over because it was already so tall. I am not sure why he is holding up 3 fingers - he really turned 11 this year.

He got a couple of air blaster rockets that he plays with outside.

They actually go pretty far.

And of course, they have many uses.

He also got several smaller things like a package of his very own Reese's peanut butter cups, ice breakers, a new bottle of flarp and he got a new Play Station game - the new Legos Indiana Jones game. I think he had a pretty good day.

Trying out Ricky's Motorcycle

2008-08-03T17:42:00.002-06:00

Ricky stopped by on Kenneth's birthday and Mike wanted to test out the motorcycle - and of course Kenneth wanted to go with him. I think he was a little nervous - but he loved it.

My Baby is A Boy Scout!

2008-08-03T17:24:00.002-06:00

Kenneth turned 11 last month and is now officially a boy scout. This was right before his first meeting with his new group. Grandma got him the shirt for his birthday - we think it will fit him all through his scouting years!

Mike Won a Bet!

2008-08-03T17:11:00.005-06:00

Mike was at work a while back and he had Jenny out and one the guys he works with bet him a quarter that he couldn't get the ball out of her mouth.

Well, Mike won the bet - but he has a big ole gash in his right index finger. He is finding it hard to type or work with small things. I just can't believe he stuck his hand in her mouth - she has big teeth!

Webelos Readyman

2008-08-03T16:21:00.002-06:00

Kenneth spent an afternoon at the local fire station learning all about first aid to complete his Readyman for Scouts. A volunteer came and taught the boys a lot of great information. Kenneth got to demonstrate a choking victim and JW got to participate in the CPR demonstration. After they did the classroom work, they got to go look at the fire trucks and the equipment that the firefighters wear....they even got to try some of it on.

Garden - Week 3

2008-08-03T16:17:00.002-06:00

If you look really closely in the middle of the picture, you can see the first signs of a head of lettuce - it is actually growing!!!!!
I know it doesn't look much different from week 1 - but there are small things popping up.

Reading

2008-08-03T16:13:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I came home from work and found this book that belongs to Kenneth laying on my pillow. There is a pink sticky note on it that says READ! Kenneth figured as long as we are making him read this summer, we should have to read as well.....

Kenneth and Potato Faces

2008-08-03T16:03:00.001-06:00

Kenneth was helping me in the kitchen and I asked him to peel some potatoes. He was being very creative and made faces on the potatoes - he thought it was pretty hysterical.

The Jensen's Garden - Week 1

2008-05-25T18:23:00.004-06:00

For the first time, we are attempting to grow a vegetable garden at our house. Mike cut out the sod from this corner of our yard and we brought in some top soil and compost to get it started. This is the first picture taken after we planted. We have planted corn, carrots, onions, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, peas, beans, and zucchini.

An example of our tomaotes, we have surrounded them with water walls to insulate them from the crazy Idaho weather until it warms up and the plants become a little more sturdy. The tomato cages are just there for decoration at this point. Once the water walls come off, we will turn them over and use them correctly.

Kenneth Playing in the Water

2008-05-25T18:06:00.002-06:00

Kenneth had a blast last week putting the sprinkler underneath the trampoline and cooling off for a little bit. We haven't had to many hot days - so this was a treat for him!

My Attempt at Planting Flowers and Shrubs

2008-05-25T17:51:00.002-06:00

We have a white vinyl fence that extends from the side of our house to the edge of our property in the front. It is really stark white, and so I wanted some color in front of it. My neighbor, who knows a lot about plants and such, went with me to the store and helped me pick these out....hopefully they will grow and fill in the front of the fence. On each end I planted Spirea that have pink blossoms and in between I planted some annual yellow and purple flowers - I don't remember the names of them. If they survive - I will post more pictures as they grow.

A close up of the yellow flower - since I can't remember the right names, we just appropriately call it the yellow one.

The tulip bulbs I planted came up very beautifully this year!!!

The Importance of Rotating A 72-hour Kit

2008-05-25T17:32:00.003-06:00

I made 72 hour kits back in 2002 for all three of us. I worked pretty hard to get them all put together and was pretty proud of my accomplishment. However, we have never looked in them since....which we found was a problem (DUH)!!! Kenneth brought his in to me the other day and wanted to see what was in his - this is what we found....

Size 6 pants - he now wears a size 14...

A really cool Scooby Doo T-shirt that is a size 3T (although it was more like a 5 or 6) and the black jacket that he managed to squeeze in to.

And the most interesting stuff - the food.....most of which expired in 2003. We opened up the Frosted Flakes - they were pretty stale, but I think if you were starving, they would get you buy. He tried a couple of things that I thought would probabaly not kill him, but he refused a second serving of anything he tried. From the assortment in the picture, I think that I will duplicate a lot of what I used last time. Mike and I both had more extensive food kits, which included a few canned soups and beans along with some peanut butter.

So, now I have my work cut out for me again, but this time I have a better plan that I heard a while ago. Every year during general conference, empty out your kits and have a picnic with the food you have.....this will help use the food before it goes bad and the kids will think it is a fun adventure! I still have all of the non-perishable items, we will just update the clothing and food and be ready to go.

May Hail Storm

2008-05-25T17:24:00.004-06:00

We have had the craziest wheather this spring! It can be 80 degrees one day and the next it will snow! Well, the second week of May we had a massive hail storm - Kenneth is holding a piece of hail in his hand...

He thought it would be fun to attempt and catch a few of the hail stones in his mouth - I think he actually caught one in this picture....

However, he wasn't so lucky in this one - it got him right in the eye!

Mother's Day Cooking

2008-05-25T16:47:00.005-06:00

Mike and Kenneth made crepes for mother's day breakfast. Here is a quick picture of them working away at the project. They had me get out of bed and I laid on the couch to help direct the preparation. They turned out great!

This is a picture of how the yummy crepes look - until they are devoured, 2 seconds later!

Football in the Front Yard

2008-05-01T17:28:00.003-06:00

Kenneth and a bunch of his friends like to play football most days after school. Now it seems that half the kids in the neighborhood show up to play.

Are there even words?

2008-05-01T17:04:00.002-06:00

I bought a baby watermelon at the store the other day and Mike wanted to know how I checked to see if it was ripe. Apparently this is his "method" of checking. Are there any questions as to why I love him so much????

Piano Festival

2008-05-01T16:57:00.003-06:00

Kenneth participated in Festival at BYU-I a few weeks ago. He memorized 2 different piano pieces and played them for a judge. He wasn't excited about doing it, but he did very well. He ended up scoring a 97 for his performance. This was the highest score that any student got from his teacher's group. This picture is outside of the Snow building as we got ready to go inside.

We had to wait for about 5 minutes outside the room until it was his turn - just more time for the nerves to gather and the enthusiasm to fade even more. I love the fake smile!

Breaking into the Neighbor's House

2008-05-01T16:49:00.004-06:00

Our neighbor, Becca, was locked out of her house a couple of weeks ago. She was gone and her husband left after her and locked the door. She asked Kenneth if he could come and climb the fence and help her get in. So here they are working out a plan.

Here is the initial boost.

They had a little problem with the coordination at this point and Kenneth started talking in a shrill, high pitched voice. He apparently landed rather abruptly on the fence in this position.

Luckily, he suffered no major injury - he recovered rather quickly and we were able to get her back into her house.

May Day!!!

2008-05-01T16:37:00.004-06:00

My poor flowers have really taken a beating - or should I say a freezing? I hope they survive because they are sure pretty. I wish that Mother Nature would finally give in and decide that summer really is just around the corner. The day before we got all of this snow, it was over 70 degrees. It was snowing Wednesday night on my way home from class and it was still snowing when we got up Thursday morning.

When Kenneth headed off to school this morning - the first day of May - we had about 4 inches of snow in our yard!!! How crazy is that?

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-23T18:13:00.002-06:00

We came home from church to find 50 eggs that had been hidden throughout the house....Kenneth had a lot of fun trying to find them.

After much searching, Mike finally gave him a few clues to find the last 3 eggs.

Snowman Cake

2008-03-23T17:53:00.003-06:00

I had the opportunity to decorate the January table for our Relief Society Dinner. I choose a snowman theme, and so I made a cake to go along with it. I have a Betty Crocker dome cake pan set that I used. I had never used them before, so I was a little nervous - but it turned out pretty good. It is hard to see in the picture, but each cake is not only in the shape of a circle, but also rounded into a dome shape. I frosted them and put white coconut on it to add dimension.

Relief Society Birthday Dinner

2008-03-23T16:02:00.003-06:00

We had a great turnout for our Relief Society Birthday Dinner. We have so many talented sisters in our ward that decorated the tables according to monthly themes. Each table represented a month of the year. The sisters who share a birthday month sat together - it was a fun way to visit with sisters that we don't always have a chance to visit with. The food was delicious and it was nice to have an evening to visit with each other. Thanks so much for everyone who helped to put this event together!

Sisters Video

2008-03-14T21:58:00.005-06:00

Sisters from NTSMadDog on Vimeo.

Kenneth's Cooking Night

2008-03-08T12:24:00.003-07:00

I am trying to convince Kenneth that he should be responsible for dinner one night a week. This means that he gets to plan the menu and be the official chef of the evening. I am mostly there just to answer questions. Well.......last week he decided that he wanted tomato soup and melted cheese sandwiches. He got the bread out and put the cheese on it. I told him to turn the oven on to broil. He pushed the broil button, but didn't realize that he had to push the start button. So 5 minutes later we realized that the oven was not ready. He got the oven turned on the second time and I told him to go ahead and put the sandwiches in on the top tray and melt the cheese. Silly me, I didn't think to tell him that it only took a minute or two and that he had to watch it closely. As I was cleaning the table off so that we could set it, I smelled something burning and realized that the sandwiches were still in the oven.....this is the result -

So he started over and the second attempt turned out great and we had a good laugh. I think that next time he will remember to watch them closely.....I am just glad they didn't start on fire!!

Ark Day - March 4th

2008-03-08T10:07:00.005-07:00

My sister, Melissa, gave me this fun idea - her daughter has received Ark Day stuff from a nice neighbor for the last couple of years. I made the ark out of popsicle sticks - lots of popsicle sticks. I used a hot glue gun to build it - and I only had a few mishaps with the hot glue.....but all of my fingers have recovered most feeling! I lined the ark with tissue paper and then filled it with frosted animal crackers.....a fun and inexpensive idea -however, it is a little time consuming.

Here is a copy of the poem that we attached.

After Noah loaded the ark,
It rained for forty nights and forty days
Most of the animals didn’t complain
They thought the ark was a pretty nice place to stay.

The only one to complain was the bunny, Winky
After a while it did start to get pretty stinky.

The rain waters covered the land,
But Noah fed all the animals by hand.

When the ark finally stopped,
The animals were so happy they hopped!

“What way are we facing?” - Most of them thought north,
So, old Noah let down the ramp - And said March Forth!

Happy Ark Day
(March 4th)

Kenneth's Hair

2008-02-28T22:37:00.002-07:00

Kenneth has been asking me for a while now if he can color his hair. So I started to pay attention to kids his age and noticed that a lot of them have colored their hair.....mostly highlights or just the top part of their heads are colored......Come on, they are only 10!!!! So I finally gave in and told him as long as he didn't dye it black, he could have it colored. So we went to the store and bought a bottle of brown hair color. He wanted to be almost as dark as me. So he called his Aunt Emily to come over and actually do the dirty work.......this is him "meditating" before the process begins.

No turning back now.......

This picture was taken once all of the dye was applied - he had to leave it like this for about 30 minutes. He thought it was pretty cool.....Once he washed it and saw the final results, he was a little disappointed. It did go brown, but it has a reddish tint to it and it is not very dark. I think that since he was so blonde to begin with, maybe we will have to go with a darker brown to get the right color. He hasn't said anything about doing it again, so we will just wait until it starts growing out a little.

Easter Bucket

2008-02-28T21:29:00.006-07:00

I had fun creating a kids easter bucket for some friends. I took large plastic easter eggs and used letter stickers to put their names on each of the eggs. Then Mike drilled a small hole in the bottom of each egg. I pushed wooden skewers through each egg. I glued some floral foam to the bottom of the bucket and then covered it with easter grass. I then pushed each skewer into the foam to create an egg bouquet. We filled it with other fun stuff like straws shaped like bunnies, easter pencils, paddle balls, sunglasses, and candy. I filled each egg that had a name on it with something special for each child.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T23:15:00.002-07:00

This is the front window of our home. We live on a corner and everyone who drives by sees this message that I left for my special Valentine this year. I did something similar last year. The words are printed on a very bright pink paper that can be read from the street. I plan on leaving it up as long as Mike doesn't get too upset. It was a fun and inexpensive way to let my husband know that I love him. Thank you for being you and putting up with me -Love you tons!!!!

Grandma D.

2008-02-10T21:55:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to Salt Lake City this weekend for a quick vacation. While we were there, we stopped to see my Grandma Davis. She is 98 years old - she turns 99 on April 20th. She was having a good day and we were able to visit for a while. The following is a picture of Grandma, Kenneth, and me.

Grandma was telling us stories of how she played the saxaphone in a band. She had me go dig the saxaphone out of the closet so that we could see it. Even though it is a little tarnished, it is still a beatiful instrument. She told us that when she finally turned 16, she was old enough to join the union and play in a band. This would have been in 1925. She played with the same band for 8 years. She is very musically talented. In the background, you can see the organ that she taught me to play when I was a teenager. She was thrilled to hear that I am now playing the organ for my church ward. Of course, she had me play for her while we were there. Kenneth also played the piano for her. I think that I got part of my love for music from her.

Grandma also played the clarinet during her younger years. She said that it had a broken piece, so we didn't take it out of the case.

The Trouble Jenny Gets Into

2008-02-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, I was sitting in my office working away when Mike started hollering from the basement. I hurried to the stairs and he told me I had to come right down. Apparently I had a look of panic on my face, because he clarified that nothing was wrong. Then I heard all this thumping and banging. The more noise I heard, the harder Mike would laugh. So I go downstairs and find Jenny running aroung the basement with a potato chip bag over her head.

I told Mike that I had to grab the camera before he took it off. By the time I got back, she had given up trying to get the bag off by herself. She just stook there like a statue and waited for one of us to help her. Meanwhile, I don't remember the last time I saw Mike laugh that hard.......as Emily (his sister) says - his eyes sunk into his head.

Finally, Mike took a break from the laughter and helped her remove the bag.

Snow...SNow....and more SNOW

2008-02-07T20:23:00.001-07:00

It has snowed more this year than the past several years. The top picture shows Kenneth standing next to the mailbox.....ours is the one on the left...and yes there is actually snow on top of the mailbox. We have to clear away the snow from the area so that they will deliver our mail, which has created a pile taller than Kenneth!

This is the other side of the driveway from the mailbox. We are grateful to have an old snowblower that works most of the time. The problem now is the blower won't shoot over the tall mountains that we already have. I took these pictures 2 days ago and it has snowed both days since then - about another 10 to 12 inches. We need the moisture - it is just a lot of snow!!!! The kids in the neighborhood have had a great time with all of the sledding opportunities. Kenneth has had 3 or 4 snow days already. Today he stayed home and at dinner he prayed that it would be warm enough to go to school tomorrow......I asked him why and he said that staying home is boring :)

Patriots or Giants?

2008-02-03T16:41:00.001-07:00

Kenneth has been anticipating the Super Bowl for several weeks now. He has been very interested in football since early fall. He played football almost everyday with his friends (in our front yard) until there was too much snow to play. Now he is just excited to watch the games on TV. He even sets the DVR to record the games in case he isn't going to be home.

Yesterday, we went to the grocery store and got "snacks" for the big game. We ended up with crackers, cheese, and meat - a main staple for watching any game. I made a Tex Mex dip to go with all the chips and crackers. We even splurged and bought a small tray of shrimp with dip.

As you can see from the picture, the boys are ready for the game to begin....The game just started, so I am expecting to hear significant noise coming from the basement very soon!!!

Basketball

2008-01-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Kenneth is playing basketball again this year. He has got the basic skills down now and is working on improving he technique each week. He really puts forth a great effort every time he plays and even made a long shot in their first game!!!! I wanted to jump and cheer, but I have been instructed that I am not allowed to do that. (He is number 45 when you are trying to find him in the pictures.)

Kenneth's Antics

2008-01-17T21:52:00.001-07:00

Kenneth got out the bath tonight and decided to go with a different hair "style" - it looks more like he stuck his finger in a light socket - but he thought it was pretty cool.

This is a picture of one of Kenneth's homework assignments. He had to make a geometry poster. He had to do three columns - shapes, lines, and angles. We took pictures around the house for each category, then we printed them and he labeled them. My favorite is the picture of the right angle. Kenneth and I laid down on the floor to form a right angle. Mike stood on a stool and took the picture from above - I think it turned out pretty cool. His teacher did say to be creative so it was fun. The only downside is that Kenneth (along with Mom and Dad) procrastinated until the night before and then we were in a mad dash to get it done - but I think it turned out great!