Okay, so it's been a little while since I last posted...my computer and I have been having a few issues, but we seem to be getting along fine...for the moment.

Here's the update:

Last Wednesday Alivia's class had a Mother's Day Tea. She brought home an invitation and proceeded to tell me that I was invited, but that no boys were allowed, so Sammy had to stay home. I explained to her that it really was okay for him to go and that he really liked seeing her at school. I don't think she was to happy about it, but she was excited enough that she was willing to let it go. We also invited Grandma Jill to go with us. I love going to these parties and seeing all the little kids...they are always so proud when their parents walk in. They have to sit in their chairs and wait for all the guests to arrive, and they try so hard to sit patiently, but by the time the party is ready to start they look like they have ants in their pants...LOL! Then they sing their songs, and say their poems. They are so proud of themselves for knowing all the words. Of course there are a few kids louder than some, a few more reserved, and a few who could really take over the show. It's so much fun and I hope that I can always remember my kids at this age.Yesterday was Mother's Day. My hubby made me breakfast and we all sat down together...something that doesnt always happen so easily on a weekend morning. Then we all went to church. After that we made our rounds to all the grand parents homes. They enjoy seeing the kids so much. It was a pretty relaxing day. I am so grateful that God gave me the privilege to be a mother to these children. I hope that they will see Jesus in me...I want to be the Godly mother that Pastor Shannon spoke of...of course, I have a lot to live up to, but it's worth the effort to know that some day my children will choose to live for Christ. I am also grateful that God blessed me with two loving mothers. One, I have known all my life, and she has taught me a lot about life, and has always been there for me through the good and the bad. She is my rock. The other, I haven't known as long, but by God's grace our lives crossed paths. She has also taught me a lot about life. She is a strong and wise woman and I look up to her. Again, these two woman give me a lot to live up to.

One more thing before I go...it's something that I was just introduced to (by my lovely SIL, Haley) and I am so excited about it. We all like to save money when we shop, right? Especially now days we have to pinch every penny. Well, I have started clipping coupons...that's right, and I'm not ashamed to say it...LOL! When I tell you what I have gotten for free...yes F-R-E-E, you are going to have to pick your jaw up off the ground. The Kroger store in Bay City doubles coupons up to $1...so $1 becomes $2. And when they have things on sale that cost $2 I can get them free! I have also gotten a lot of things for $0.50, such as laundry detergent. I have even gotten some pretty great deals at Wal-greens b/c of the way their sale is, their register rewards program, and coupons. I got the following for just over $11.00 at Wal-greens! All of it!!I am building a stock pile of toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, deorderant, and aleve; none of which I paid over 50 cents for...most of it was free. This is just from one trip and it was all free!In this picture the most I paid for anything was $1 for the pizza and the crunchers...the eggos were only 15 cents...no, you don't need to adjust your screen...there are no typo's here! The first time I went with Haley I came home with 12 boxes of cereal, and again, most were free and a few cost 50 cents. There are not always that good of deals, but when I check out and I see a $50 grocery bill go down to under $10 I get all giddy inside! The one day I almost cried b/c the relief of saving that much money was more than I could handle! So, I am proud to say that I am a COUPON CLIPPER! It takes a lot of work to figure out the best deals (luckily I have a great teacher), but I encourage anyone who wants to save money to give it some thought. I love telling Andy about all my good finds when he gets home...it's even better than yard sales!!

Hope everyone has a great week!