I swore I would never do this...

If you know me really well then you know that my new big thing in couponing. I have really gotten into it! And I swore to myself that I was never going to dedicate a blog post to the deals I'm getting. But today as I was dancing out of the store (that's right... dancing!) I knew I had to blog about this trip. I have to tell SOMEONE about the awesome deals I'm getting- and Eric just doesn't quite get into it like I do. So I'm going to tell whoever is reading this right now.

It's taken me some time to see results, but I am definitely seeing them. And I'm not like some couponers out there who buy something just because it is a good deal. I don't buy something unless it's something that I will ACTUALLY use. I guess I figure that if you buy something you don't normally use, chances are you're going to end up not using it- and even if it was a really really good deal- it's still a waste of money. But maybe that's just me. Eric always says that his grandpa used to say something along the lines of "If you don't NEED it, it's a waste of money- no matter how good of a deal it was." So I ONLY buy things that we use. And with couponing I buy ALOT of it now, so I guess you could argue that it's a waste to buy 5 boxes of crackers when you only go through 1 box of crackers a month, but this way I buy 5 boxes of crackers for pennies and then when I would normally have to go back to the store to buy another box for regular price- I just skip down to my storage room and pull out another box-- I'm mean, it's not like their going to go bad (unless a mouse gets into them or something)! I get things like pasta sauces, pastas, canned goods, jarred goods, dishwasher and laundry detergents, etc- and none of those things are going to go bad before I can use them. By the way, my food storage is AWESOME for a little family of 4! So this is my justification: if I can buy 4 times as much stuff for the same exact price- I'm going to do it!

So today I was able to get some AWESOME deals. Smith's has some major sales going on. So here's what I got



Total at checkout: $67.35
Total I paid: $17.44

I saved $49.91 on groceries today (which, by the way, is a 75% savings!) So how did I do it? By combining coupons with sales. Let's break it down! (oh my gosh I am so nerdy!)

Here is a list of everything I bought and what I paid for it:
* 4 boxes of saltine crackers: .69 cents a box!
* 4 bags of Quakes rice snacks: FREE- I paid nothing for these!
* 4 tubs of "I can't believe it's not butter"- .49 cents a tub!
* 5 boxes of Krusteaz cookie mixes: .49 cents a box!
* 3 pkgs of Solo plastic cups (which will be great for our baby blessing coming up
this summer): .49 cents a pkg!
* 2 Edge shaving creams: $1.25 each!
* Eggs (18 count): $1.89
* Milk: $2.00
* Bananas (not pictured): $1.50
* Tic-tacs: (which were for Sawyer for being such a "good boy while shopping"): .79
cents. (not exactly a great deal but worth it!)

Throw in some tax and I paid $17.44! An average of .67 cents per item! Isn't that CRAZY!!! I love it. Like I said I was dancing out of the store! They were even out of a few items that I need to go back for on Friday (stocking day) that will bring my average even lower!

Now not every shopping trip is like this. But I have noticed enough of a difference that I am going to keep on doing it. Maybe I'll keep doing little updates like this- just so you can see how great it really is- even though I swore I wouldn't. It makes me happy!

Catching Up

After a few months of silence I guess it's time to do a quick update. Here is what's going on with us...

* Lindsay is now working in the billing department at Alpine Pediatrics and loving it. (same company, new department).

* Eric just finished his first semester of his master's program and his grades are amazing!

* Sawyer celebrated his 2nd birthday last week! It was so much fun to watch how excited he was! We took him to Cabella's to see the "animals" (the fish are his favorite), and we had a birthday dinner/party with some family and close friends. We ate tacos-- which are Sawyer's favorite right now, and had cake with the greenest frosting you have ever seen!

* Our "bun in the oven" now has 4 outfits to call all her own. That's right.... IT'S A GIRL!!! Due May 2nd, 2009.

* Christmas is in full swing at our house. We got a Christmas tree for the first time in 3 years, put up our Christmas lights, got all the shopping done and the presents wrapped, and made our annual trip to SLC to see the lights at Temple Square.


I guess that's pretty much it. Incredibly lame I know, but none the less, it's there!
Here are a few pictures just because.


Happy birthday to my little bug.


Helping dad water the Christmas tree!


The beautiful lights at Temple Square!


Another one from Temple Square (sorry it didn't turn out very good)


Another one of Sawyer just because he is so stinkin cute!

Ready or not here we go.....again.

For all those of you who think this is a pregnancy announcement, well....you're right! Eric and I are expanding our little family of 3 to 4. Baby Mitton #2 is due the first week in May and we are so excited!!! It has been so long since I've posted anything and I'm going to blame it all on morning sickness (which is actually worse in the evenings, but whatever). If you have any foolproof remedies let me know. I wasn't sick with Sawyer so this is all new to me, and it is not fun at all! So here's to the next 7 1/2 months of heartburn, indigestion, swollen feet, back aches, nausea, throwing up, going to the bathroom every 10 minutes, sleepless nights, wierd cravings, crying for no reason, and hormones way out of wack....but in the end it's all worth it for that little piece of heaven! Wish us luck.

Bitter-sweet Moments

You know.... those times when something great happens but there are some not so great things that go along with it. I know that everyone has had these moments. Graduating from high school, getting married, pretty much any life-changing event has it's ups and downs. For us, here are just a few.

About a week ago we found a new apartment and decided for sure that we are going to move. We love the new place, love the area, love that we won't have to commute to work anymore, and just LOVE it! So what's wrong with this picture. Well for one, we are going to have to leave our little apartment that we have been in for the past 4 years. And you would think that after 4 years in a small 2 bedroom apartment we would be ready for an upgrade, but we've still loved this place too. We've had great neighbors, an awesome ward, and granted we do live in the "ghetto" of Provo, but the ghetto's been good to us. This place had seen us through Christmas's, birthdays, births, new furniture, new cars, lots of fun home decor, and a ton of other things that aren't so physical. So many good times were had, freinds were made, and memories were created. So yes, we are so excited about a change, but we are also sad to leave a part of the past 4 years behind us.

I was also released from Young Women's yesterday. I have been working with these girls for almost 3 years now. And when I first found out that I was going to be released, it was like a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders. No more mutual activities every week, no more stressing if I offended this girl or that, no more having to deal with young hormonal/attitudal teenagers. But I love them. I love laughing with them, crying with them, seeing them show up every week to be with us. I love that their testimonies have grown so immensely that they aren't even the same girls they were a year ago. And I think my favorite thing is watching as they finally grasp a concept that they didn't get before. It's like a light turns on and they think "Oh wow, I get it now!" I am going to miss that. And I am especially going to miss the other women who I've served with. They are truly amazing!

We are going to miss our whole ward in general. There aren't many families that have been there longer than us, and being here has been a great experience. I hope I can always remember the feel of the Freedom 2nd ward. You know, its easy to have faith and realize your material blessings when you are well off (not that being financially well off doesn't have it's hardships), but since we have been here I have seen people who have no material blessings. They have nothing. They cut their own hair, wear donated clothes, and have stop by the food bank to feed their families. I've seen so many single mothers, struggling to get by and not complaining about it. But they still come to church every week, and they still are so sincerely grateful for everything that they have. They are the examples for me. And to be honest, I'm a little bit scared to leave this place and go somewhere more financially stable. I'm scared that I will forget to always be grateful for the blessings that I have, even if they aren't the blessings I WANT. This ward has provided us the opportunity to serve in ways that we never thought we would. And we've been blessed for it. I'm a little bit nervous to give that up. But I am excited to see where I'm needed next...it'll be an adventure I'm sure!

I guess every good thing has to have it's opposite. And when we make decisions, we have to take the bad as well as the good. And just maybe, if the bad wasn't there, the good wouldn't seem so good. So I'm going to try and take the "bitter" part of the sweet moments and be grateful for it, because I think THAT is what makes it so sweet.

Anyone need a photographer?

In case anyone is wondering, the pictures of Sawyer that are on my header were done by my amazing friend, Marci. She did such a good job...especially considering what she had to work with! If anyone is interested in getting some done, her prices are amazing and (as you can tell) she does an AWESOME job!
For more information check out her web site.....you'll be amazed! (And yes, I did just use the word amazing/amazed 3 times in one tiny paragraph-- there's just no other word!)

www.jesseephotography.com

(I'd post a link, but I'm not that smart!)

Just Another Day in Paradise...

Eric and I have this song that we LOVE!! And I'm sure most of you know it! It's called "Just Another Day in Paradise". Written and sung by
Phil Vassar(who is an amazing musician!).We love it because it depicts real life perfectly and still makes it something that you want to have. Here are the lyrics.

The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the washing machine
Baby, don't kick it.
I promise I'll fix it
Long about a million other things

Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Friday, you're late
Guess we'll never make our dinner date
At the restaurant you start to cry
Baby, we'll just improvise
Well, plan B looks like
Dominoes' pizza in the candle light
Then we'll tippy toe to our room
Make a little love that's overdue
But somebody had a bad dream
Mama and daddy
Can me and my teddy
Come in to sleep in between?

Yeah it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

I am so glad that I get to wake up in "Paradise" everyday. Not the paradise that one pictures with miles of white beach, crystal blue water, palm trees, and an incredible sunset, but the paradise that I have right here. My family and all of the things that we go through. What an amazing gift I have been given!

Easter 2009

We hope everyone enjoyed their holiday... we sure did! We started off by going to church (well, half of church). Even though we have every Sunday to stop and consciously THINK about our Savior, it's nice to have a specific day that we FOCUS on Him and all He's done for us. I'm so grateful for the blessings I have in my life because of Him. In young women's we had an amazing lesson on the blessings of the priesthood, and I know that alot of women have issues with the fact that we don't get to have it, but I'm honestly so glad that I don't have to worry about the responsibility that comes with it. I just get the blessings without having to really do anything (granted I have to live worthy to recieve those blessings), but I kind of like to think of it as recieving a paycheck without doing any of the work. In some weird way that works for me!

After church we cooked up a delicious meal and headed over to enjoy it with some friends. And after that we put on an easter egg hunt for the kids. This was the first year we've done that (since Sawyer was only 4 months old last year). They loved it! We didn't really hide the eggs, we just set them out all over the grass for them to pick up. And the weather was AWESOME! It was so good to get outside after being cooped up all winter in our little apartment! I hope it keeps up! The "Easter Bunny" brought Sawyer a few fun little gifts. He recieved the movie Oliver and Company (it has dogs), Crazy 8's, some alphabet fridge magnets (which he likes to knock of the fridge and then laugh), and some candy! It was great...my 15 month old has smarties and chocolate for breakfast! And of course, once he had the candy he didn't want anything else! But he had a really fun day. It was full of yummy food, candy, new toys, playing with Emma, jumping in his crib, shooting basketball, playing outside, and wearing himself out! Definitely one of his top 10. Here are a few pictures to sum it all up.

Sawyer and Eric ready for dinner...


This was our Easter egg hunt!


This one turned out blurry, but of course, it's my favorite one!


Sawyer and Emma just picking up eggs.


After they had picked up all the eggs, they got distracted by a bunch of birds. And needless to say they forgot all about the festivities, all they wanted were those darn birds!


All three of us.


Sawyer and Emma doing their favorite activity....jumping in the crib (it's really quite funny, they jump and jump and jump until they just can't jump anymore!)


Emma giving Sawyer a hug. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it... but it was cute!


And Sawyer has finally figured out how to shoot at his basketball hoop from the floor. We used to have to stick it up against the couch and then put him on the couch so he could make it, but NO MORE!! What do you think....a future NBA star in the making? (Sorry- I am incredibly computer dumb and i couldn't figure out how to flip it it!)