Snow White for Free

I have a few friends that have been bugging me about posting some of my great deals, so here is my favorite this week.

Snow White (Blue Ray and DVD) came out on Tuesday.  It was on sale for $19.99 at Toys R Us.  But if you pre ordered then you got a $5 gift card.  (Now 14.99--especially since I had a gift card to pay for it originally.)  Then if you pre-ordered UP then you save $5 on any Disney DVD. (Now $9.99)  Then Disney put out a $10 off coupon for Snow White!  Suddenly I only had to pay $5.71, and that $5 is to go towards my copy of UP!!!  So I got Snow White for free!!!  It is all honest and with in the rules of couponning!!  Loving it!!  I am not to concerned about when UP comes out, because Disney is in the habit of putting out a $10 coupon for each of their new movies...very nice for me with 4 kids.

One of my greatest blessings.

I am not sure what to think of this past weekend.  I think it opened my heart to  a few of the blessings that I may have been taking for granted.  

Friday started easy enough.  The kids got home from school early, so we decide to take them to the movie (by the way, four kids in the theatre is hard!)  When we got home I noticed a couple of missed calls from my mom.  I finally got a hold of her and realized that my dad was not doing well.  He had come home from the hospital earlier that day from a pretty routine surgery.  He was getting pretty sick, so the doctor wanted him to come back to check a few things out.  Not good, but not bad--yet.  Saturday night, after making two more batches of salsa, Chris and I got a baby sitter so we could go down and visit him.  On the way down, my mom calls, "Hurry, they are taking him in for surgery NOW!!! "  Aghh!!!  The surgery went well--if emergency surgery can ever go well.  He has a nasty infection and in imbalance of good versus bad bacteria...blah blah blah...(medical stuff I do not understand, talk to me in terms of financials--I am fine, but medical terms---AHHHH!).  The next day he spent in the ICU, but now he is in a regular room, and he is doing much better.  He is even bossing his nurses around.  

What I learned?   I am not OK seeing my dad sick like that.  My dad is a strong man, he is always working on something.  He is not one to take time off for anything.  He is the one that is there to help with any of my crazy (and I have crazy) projects.  He has helped my little family move several times!   He is the one that helped put in our sprinkling system.  The point is:  I need my dad.  I need my dad to tell me I am dreamer, but then push me to keep dreaming.  I need my dad to teach my kids how to plant a real garden.  I need my dad to tease my kids.  I need my dad to talk to Chris about his big career plans, and help him feel like they are possible.  I need my dad to remind me how to be humble and proud all in the same moment.  I need my dad for all of these things, and so many more.  

Where has our summer gone?

most recently...to Bear Lake...Pine view...Willard....basically any where that has water (and you understand that if you have been to Willard---blah!!)  Most recently my husband dream of owning a boat---correction-- a ski boar came true.   He has come to the realization that his body does not move as well or as long as it did 10-15 years ago, but he still has a few hot moves.  The kids have enjoyed the beaches and the boat.  Anna loves to tube.  (Don't let the in-laws know:  it is considered embarrassing for a ski boat to pull a tube, but when you have young kids...)  I even took Zac out for a mild ride.  I have done a little wake boarding--not much, but enough to say I can.  It has made for a fun summer, but I am tired and ready for school to begin.  Taking a boat out with four kids and a husband is a lot of work.   (Especially when the house is suppose to be left in perfect condition, just in case we have a showing.)

Last week was the highlight of the summer.  We went to Bear Lake with my whole family.  We all made it up for the entire week.  Tons of crazy kids+water+sand=fun!!!  I love it when my sister and her kids (and her husband--love ya Daniel) come to town.  It was not the most relaxing  trip, but it was a blast.  I love how the family can get together and drive each other completely nuts--but leave knowing it is all OK!

Swine flu...H1N1 virus....seriously???

Finally I have my car back...yea...I can go to the store...get out of the house..run errands...I am free...
Next day....
My mom calls, "You better call Anna's pediatrician, my results came back positive for the H1 N1 virus...ugh!!!! Not that we really consider my mom to be paranoid, but when she got sick last weekend and was saying that it was swine flue, we laughed. Then Anna got sick on Wednesday (poor girl, last week of school). No big deal, lots of ibuprofen, lots of sleep, a lot of coughing, keep her down, the usual sick stuff. This one hit her hard, but still, just a bug. Then Friday we learn the TRUTH!!!! Some how I just keep laughing, she is getting better and is really fine. We are not one of those bad cases, but the stories to tell. My mom can not go back to work for seven days. My dad was escorted out of his office--along with everyone he came into contact with that day, and told not to return for the next week. My brother and his wife (also sick) have been banned from their jobs for ten days. Chris can't go back to work next week (not that he planned to, we are supposed to be on vacation). Seriously??? Really it has been no big deal for our family personally, but it is kind of fun to see the shock value we can bring to the people around us. So, if you need an extra week off of work, come on by. Let the people know you visited a dear friend that has come down with the swine flu!!! Watch them wiggle...then take a nice long vacation...conviently at the exact time the kids are out of school!!!

a little bit of HELL...needing to vent....

I am sorry to all those I have offended with my title...but it is putting mildly what my life seems to be lately. I am so ready for this weekend with the girls. Tori is turning 30--am I the only one still hanging on to my youth? We are going to party all night and into the next day! I so need this.

Hoping that my car will actually be done tonight--only two weeks later than expected. It was OK for the first two weeks not to have a car--I was not really ready to drive it again anyway--but the next two were a little tougher. Begging for rides, trading cars with my parents, walking to and from school, the list goes on and on. I wished it to be totaled because I did not want to drive it again, now I wish it to be totaled so we could move on (literally)!
Did I mention that Anna is home sick this week with the flu (my mom thinks its the swine flu--but who knows). Poor girl, missing the fun end of school activities. Poor me--sick child home, with a two year old that will not leave her alone! Am I done venting? No, but what else can you do?
Did I mention I am getting a little crazy being home bound?

Picture Bug

I have been taking and printing a lot of pictures lately.  Check out artcow.com, register and use one of the following code to get an 8x8 photo book with 30 pages for $11.99 with free shipping.  (Plus, I get perks for you registering and ordering.)

ZTSDX51		Jul/11/2009
Z1XEGT8		Jul/11/2009
Z5JXLMW		Jul/11/2009
Z6QUUBM		Jul/11/2009
Z8T3W6F		Jul/11/2009
Z9SRNEY		Jul/11/2009
Z6W5PM5		Jul/11/2009
ZPUHZZX		Jul/11/2009
Z6YX7W6		Jul/11/2009
Z3BLVZ1   Jul/11/2009

These are the coupon codes to be entered at checkout.

Got to love inexpensive photo albums!

Hello Again!!!

I have not left the blogging world--I have only chosen (or forced) to keep quiet the past few months.  Our old computer was just that:  old!!  After many attempts to try and save it, we decided to let it go.  I have a new computer now, so be patient as I try to figure out the new technology that comes with it.

Anna is helping me go through some of the pictures and is insisting that I include pictures of last weeks Crazy Hair Day.  It was fun for the kids to be just a little wild for school--I am sure the teachers just love those days.

We have been busy with school, work, and just general chasing of the children.  Zac is officially mobil, which means I get nothing done.  Chloe is potty trained, which means 

she got her ears pierced!!!  (Too young in my opinion, but that was one of those fights that I just did not win.)

Preston is losing more teeth, and just enjoying being the big brother.  I will post more on the past six months when I have a chance to organize the pictures a little better.

Lost = No computer

My computer is still having problems so, I have taken over Chris' computer just long enough to catch up on all of my blogs. I thought I whould include a couple pictures of what we have been up to lately.

The kids enjoying the pool at our hotel just before Christmas.

Chloe at the Children's Museum.

Preston's last basketball game. (Basketball was voted a lot more fun than baseball or soccer).