It's been a long, long time....

I have ignored this blog thingy now long enough! It's time to make a come back! I just really, really love the quickness of Facebook. This blog thingy is way to much work for me and I feel like no one ever reads my blog. However, I just recently have had a few people question me on my blog, and why it hasn't been updated! Wow....people do care and love me! haha! Maybe that's going to far. In celebration of a come back I thought I'd post some pictures from the past! This is me and my sister Shera when we were "younger!"


Yes....I was chunky, okay!

Albertsons - 6/3 Deal

Transaction #1:
Spend $15 on certain freezer items, get a free Dreyers 1.5 Qt ice cream and a Redbox code for a free movie.

8 Lean Cuisines at $1.88 ec. = $15.04 / 2 coupons $1/2 (-2.00)
Free ice cream
Free movie rental
2 Double coupons (-2.00)

Total: OP $11.04

Transaction #2:
2 Ritz crackers - $1/1 IP (I used a different one, see below)
3 Wheat Thins - (2- 5/17 - buy Ritz crackers get free Wheat thins)/1-$1/1 IP coupon also
Kraft BBQ sauce - IP coupon ($1/1)
2 Saltines - IP coupon ($1/1)
2 California Pizza Flat Melts- 5/17 SS ($.75/1)
2 V8 Fusion - 4/19 SS ($1/1)

4 double coupons (- $4 )(The register guy loves me and let me use 4!)
2 Kraft deals - $3 instant savings (-$6 )

Total: OP $4.24

IP= Internet Printable

The Church and ABC news.

A friend of mine posted this on her blog and I watched it today. I was very impressed with it. It's a good clip to refer to friends about our temples, and Prop 8.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6616644

Canby Gator Grinder - Our "Sprint" Triathlon

This is my girl friend Sara Wilcox, who happened to kick my butt in the event! She's an awesome athlete who has worked really hard training this year. Last year I kicked her butt, however, she had just had a baby a few months prior. So I don't know if that counts! ha ha!

This is Dave and I with our brother-in-law, Troy Bolinger, who also participated this year. Dave had just come in off the finish line....that's why he looks more tired and less happy then me and Troy. We had been in for about an hour before Dave.

Dave is "THE MAN!" He took 2nd place in his age division this year. It is very competitive in this age bracket, so it's a big accomplishment!

These pictures are all out of order, cause I'm not the best blogger out there. I have yet to learn how to download my pictures so that they are uploaded in the right order. However, this is me and Dave...."team blue." haha...we didn't plan that!

Dave crossing the finish line.

Dave coming in off the bike ride.

Not a great picture of me....it's the transition between the swim and the bike.

Me in the pool, before starting the race. Look! I'm smiling and not puking! We had great weather, and lots of fun with our friends. However, I think it's the last year for me! I get too much anxiety before hand....it's just not worth it! I'm glad it's over with!

FHE on Service

We had a fun FHE tonight on service. We read the parable of the spoon, which in it's shortened form goes something like this:

A man asked an angel to show him what true happiness was. The angel showed him a building with two rooms in it. When the door opened in the first room, people were sitting around a large circled table with a large pot of stew in the middle. They all had long sticks stuck to their arms and at the end or the long stick was a spoon. They were miserable, because no matter how hard they tried to eat the stew, the spoon couldn't reach their mouth and they were starving.

In the second room, the same thing, however, the people were all well fed and very happy. This is because the people had figured out that to eat they had to feed the person across the table from them the stew. They were happy because they had learned to give of themselves and serve others, and in return they too were served.

We decided to give this a try with our chocolate pudding dessert! It was really fun!

Brynn also made "Mr. Secret Service Man," out of a spoon. He will secretly be going around our house causing all kinds of secret service to happen this week. Where he will show up, nobody knows?

Avory's Dance Team Debut

Avory's first dance team debut was at a OC girl's basketball game. She was nervous, but did a great job for her first time. She's hard to pick out while they are in their big group, but when they spread out you can see her better. She had one little slip up where she popped up early, but it just helps us to see her better! haha!

Her official competition was today at the High School They had their costumes on and looked great! I didn't get it on my digital camera this time, so next comp. I'll video it again and put it on here. The competitions are really fun to go to! We had lots of fun cheering for her. We embarrassed her as we screamed..."We love you Avory!" She didn't acknowledge us, so we all waved at her. haha! She gave a timid wave back. I love being a mom for these reasons!

My "Good" Addiction

My sisters tease, but why I ask? I LOVE coupons. It took me awhile to love them. At first I hated them. Now however, I have a fatal attraction to them. Sometimes it's maddening, because I need something, but I don't have a coupon for that item, and so I won't buy it. Then Dave asks, "Did you buy some butter at the store." And I have to reply...."I didn't have a coupon, nor was it on sale."

See, the problem is, that once you know how low you can buy that item, you never want to pay full price again! It's maddening! The below picture is an example. I bought everything on that table for $28.16. I got the Tide (150 oz) for only $3,99!

So, the other problem is, that I am addicted to going and getting the good deals, even when we don't need anything. I chalk this up as "Food Storage," HOWEVER, how many shampoos does a family of 7 need? I think 30 is way more then needed. Today as I look through the paper, I have to control myself as I see that Totino's Pizza Rolls are on sale, and I have a coupon that will make them .35 cents a box. I don't even like those things, yet I'm debating buying them!

In conclusion, I think couponing is AWESOME! I love to see if I can beat my last lowest price with really good items. Notice in the picture above, that there isn't any Hamburger Helper or Rice-a-Roni. Nope, just good, expensive stuff, that I payed practically nothing for!

To wear skinny jeans or not....that is the question!

These are the skinny jeans that I got on clearance for $6 at Target. I can't decide if I should actually wear them in public or not. Haha! I have the hips of all hips and I've always said that NOBODY looks good in skinny jeans. However, for $6, I thought, maybe I could them off....LOL!

I don't know? What do you think? Longer shirt needed? Or just less hip needed? LOL! (I can't wait to see comments on this one. Be gentle, but truthful!)

Kelton turns 14!

Poor, poor, Kelton. His mother must not love him as much as all the other children, because she didn't take any pictures of him on his birthday, however, there's a story behind it.

Kelton LOVES his cell phone. However, about 3 months ago he broke too many rules, and had his cell phone permanently taken away. Oh, how this broke the young boy's heart. So Kelton made a deal with the devil (his mother.) He asked if he could get back his long, lost cell phone for his birthday. In return, he would promise not to ask for anything else for his birthday, not even a party. Seeing the wonderful opportunity not to spend any more money right after Christmas, the devil excepted this offer. Thus, there was no friend party to take pictures at.

However, the devil was really an angel in disguise. She let him have the YM deacons come over on Wednesday night and have a good-bye/ birthday party for him, with a cake and snacks even. She also got him a really cool outfit to wear on his birthday, let his cousins spend the night, and took them out for Cold Stone ice cream, along with his Dad taking him to go see a movie the day of his birthday. So, somehow he squeaked through the deal and had a great birthday, despite the deal! However, no pictures were taken and no door was decorated. (That was the first time EVER that I haven't decorated a door. I kinda feel bad!)

Thank goodness for Nana though. She took pictures at the Harris family birthday party for me. So there will someday be record that Kelton DID turn 14! Can you believe I have a 14 year old. Scarier yet, he can go to church dances now!

My honey's 33rd birthday!

Let me start out by explaining the cupcakes. Dave and I are trying to eat healthier and are training for a sprint triathalon. So Dave didn't want a huge dessert or cake hanging around the house, since we were in the first week of trying to eat better. These are lemon poppy seed cupcakes, only 2 weight watcher points each. LOL!

The muffins each equal 10 years, and the candles the 3 other years. He did get all 3 candles blown out! Happy birthday to my younger man!

Oops! I skipped Christmas Morning!

6:30 am, after sending them back to bed at 3:30 am. All kids are to jump in our bed Christmas morning so that we can turn on lights and get the camera's ready! I love tradition. My siblings and I did this also as kids!

This is the first few minutes of seeing the presents. Total chaos! It was...even though you can't tell by this picture. They all look so calm! haha.

Brig got a new camcorder, video game and a new robe.

Cade, my 22 year old brother, refused to wake up even though he was sleeping in the middle of the family room where we were opening presents. LOL!

Mom and Garhett were there too. Garhett doesn't like pictures, can you tell.

Kelton and his new clothes. He's SO cool.

Avory and her weirdness. She got this crazy robe and these crazy socks, and LOVEs them.

The dream barbie house.

And last of all...an ugly morning upshot picture of me. Yay! Thanks Brynn.

Happy NEW Year! 2009

This year, Dave and I decided that we were going to let the kids do something for New Years. Kelton went off to a friend's house, and Avory had a party with her goofy friends. This is (top) Susie Clegg, and Avory, (bottom left to right) Rylie Spencer, McKenna Wadsworth, Bethany Kerr, and Zoe Clegg.

This is the girls attempting to pop their poppers. It's just not that difficult girls!

The New Year's toast, with sparkling apple cider! I love these girls. They're a great bunch of girls. I hope they grow up forever together! BUT....I can't wait to black mail them with these pictures as they get older! LOL!

Christmas Day (Night) 2008

We attended my in-laws house for Christmas dinner and present opening. This is me and Dave attempting to be is some of the holiday pictures together. Payton was unaware of the picture taking, unfortunately.

This picture represents our typical big family Christmas program. These are the older boys, pretending to sing the songs, looking at the music, but not singing. Nana is running around in the background with her head chopped off, and Parker (little kid in green) is running around distracting everyone. I love it!

These were my favorite presents I got for Christmas! Silly girls.

This is Nana, opening her "practical" present from us. If you ever ask her what she wants for Christmas, it's always something practical. This year it was book ends. Exciting isn't it!

And then you have Dad (papa). He wanted a new fishing rain hat and a book about curing salmon eggs. Diane, I'm putting this picture on here for you! I know you'll appreciate it! LOL!

Happy 10th Birthday Brigham!

Brig turned 10 this December! I can't believe this is my baby boy! So sad : ( He's growing up!

Brig had 3 parties this year. This one was with his friends at a Laser Tag place. It almost got cancelled because of the snow. He had a blast, litterally! haha!

This was his cake he helped me make for our family party. It's suppose to be the Grinch with a Santa hat on. The fact that I have to tell you what it is doesn't say much for my cake making skills. It looks more like Oscar the Grouch.

This is the Harris family December birthday people. Aunt Karmen, Brig and Little Wil. Nana made them a Christmas tree cake. It was really cute.

Happy birthday Briggy!

Snow storm December 2008

We were locked in the house for a week! Oregon kinda is retarded when it comes to snow. We have like one snow plow for the whole state, I think. So after a week we got kinda bored. We played Perfection until we truely became perfect at it! Cade (my brother, see here) holds the record.....for now! 26 seconds!

This is my back deck. We typically get around 1 to 2 inches of snow here in Oregon City. This was over a foot!

Brig found a huge icicle. We thought it was very cool!

The kids were in total bliss. No school for a week and then Christmas break!

The snow fort me and Payton built. It was a Dora Snow Princess Castle!

The snow was fun, but I'm glad it's gone!