Getting the bug...

Unfortunately for my husband ,I'm getting the decorating bug again. (I can hear you groaning from here Bri. Just cover your eyes if you don't want to know.) I have Paint ADD and can't stick with a paint color for more than a few months. I thought it would be easy to choose paint colors but it's HARD. So I'm really thinking it through this time and will be getting samples to try out before buying the whole stinkin' gallon.

I also want to slipcover a chair we found at Goodwill and rearrange the living room. I would like to finish decorating my bedroom and I'm so close. I want to find some vintage mirrors for one wall. I found the perfect ones at Pottery Barn but they are waaaaaay to expensive. If anyone knows of a cheap alternative, I would be grateful.

The hallway is boring and small so I want to punch it up with an Art Deco flavor. I'll probably stencil some type of art deco pattern and I would love to get a mirrored desk since it is kind of dark in there. Again, this one is way to expensive.

The school room needs a new paint job as well as the ceiling molding put back up. Graedon decided that the walls needed some pencil art so the whole room is looking shabby.

So lots that I want to do but I don't have any money. The hospital bills came in from Molly's birth and Ava's bungled trip to the e.r. We now owe $4000. That's after insurance. I "cheerfully" sent off $100 to them yesterday. I'm very generous. It's going to take awhile to pay them off.

Oh and we need a new hot water heater, washer and dryer. Oh and the old van just went in for $600 repairs (paid for with cash from our new emergency fund). And the half the girls and the boy need some new fall shoes because they insist on outgrowing their perfectly fine ones.

Aaaahhhhh! I'm looking around the house for anything to sell ;) The girls are starting to feel anxious and holding their posessions closer to them. I know their hiding places though.

Brian did remind me that God has always given us enough money to pay our bills and I shouldn't be anxious. It's hard not to be but he's right. (Yes I did just say you were right Bri, it's even in print). So we'll see how fast we can tackle those bills. Hopefully by Christmas or the girls will only get oranges ;)

Good golly Miss Molly

Don't you just love sleeping baby lips. They are all relaxed and so soft and kissable.

Well Molly has proven to be a very good baby. She's almost 9 weeks now and sleeps 5-7 hours at night. In a row people. We have never had a baby do that. Of course she grunts and tries to get out gas in the early morning hours. She flings her little fists right in my face and I'll start to mindlessly pat her tummy. Sometimes I think about moving her to her crib but I really do love having her there right beside me at night. Makes nursing so easy.

Molly smiles at all of us and I even got her to laugh (witnessed by Maddie and Ava). She gave her first non-immediate family smile to a very nice lady who owns a garden store nearby. She's also making those adorable and very serious coos. She loves to watch Grae and Ellie talk to her. She'll watch them play until her eyes just won't stay open anymore.

She's getting on a schedule (hooray!) and will take a really long 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. It's even the same time as her brother so I am free to do laundry, sweeping, mopping, sewing, computer work. Why am I never free to read a magazine or nap?

It's amazing to think how depressed I was when I found out I was pregnant with her. We really were undecided if we wanted another baby but God said we did ;) Then He gave us an easy baby. THANK YOU.

Now off to take care of our not so easy toddler who only wants to scream and listen to pirate music.

Help a gal earn some money.

I listed on eBay two outfits I made with my very own hands.

Here's one:

































And the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270157591358&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017

And the baby gown:




















Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270155823588&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017

Going greener...

We're making the switch to cloth diapers and I'm so excited. We did cloth for 3 months when Lauren was born but then stopped. Now in an effort to not clog our landfills with more of our diapers and to save money, Molly will be cloth diapered. I spent two days researching and asking questions and am convinced it is the right way to go.

I already do 2-3 loads of laundry a day so 1 or 2 more won't be any big deal. Our clothesline came and I've been using it everyday to hang clothes. Hanging clothes on the line is one of my favorite times of day. It's surprisingly relaxing. I can't wait to see our electric bill this month.

We've come under our grocery budget so far this month and I'm really excited about that. I've been cooking meals everyday and getting creative with what we have here.

We've been able to put an extra $250 toward our van payment so far and the month is not over. I love the challenge of not spending money and looking for ways to earn or save it. I need to pull out the fall clothes to sell on eBay. I have about $300 worth of stuff laying around that I need to list.

I really hate being in debt to the bank for our van. Hopefully by this time next year we can say we've paid it off. We owe a little over $13,000 for it. Ouch - that hurts to type it but there it is. We paid $20,000 for it and have had it a little over 8 months. I don't regret its purchase. We only had one van at the time and we couldn't all fit in it after Molly came. So we just need to be free from the payments as soon as possible. How can anyone be happy with their purchases knowing they don't have the money to pay for them? Credit is dangerous. So many people that we consider "well off" and have lots of new stuff are actually so far in debt that they can't get out. That's sad.

Well Molly is awake and telling me she needs to be fed RIGHT NOW. So no more debt talk for now. Aren't you glad, lol...

Love Thursday

Yee-haw

Ava and her wagon....
The robber...

Grouchy

Everyone in my house is grouchy today. Ava doesn't like math so she's taking a looooong time doing her test. Maddie actually broke down in tears twice, one in math and another because Lauren beat her to the shower. Ellie slammed Graedon's fingers in the closet door this morning and they have been alternately fighting and playing. Ellie just screamed because Grae just took a cracker from her plate.

Molly is sleeping. Yesterday she was awake practically the whole day, which didn't make for a very happy momma. I felt so defeated by this. How quickly we go from feeling happy and content to feeling sorry for ourselves. How quickly we forget to thank God for everything He brings.

So today I declare comfort day. We will finish up our Friday chores and veg out in front of a movie or make cookies or do some sewing. Oh and eat lots of licorice that I bought. Thank you God for making sugar.

Bye Harry...

Last night Brian and I finished the Deathly Hallows. Wow.

I'm sad there will be no more books to read, but wow, what a way to end it.

My first born, my guinea pig

Yesterday Lauren celebrated her 12th birthday. She requested tater tot casserole, lemon bars and Tillamook mud slide ice cream. Molly Kate was an angel yesterday so I actually made all of it (and did some sewing too!).

Lauren - you are our guinea pig. When you were first born I had never held a newborn let alone changed a diaper. Your dad changed the very first one and then changed them all week as I had lost a lot of blood giving birth to you and could hardly get up off the couch. How happy our first days were with you! What a miracle you were, did we really have a baby? I was only 21 but now I was a mother.

We experienced firsts as you experienced them. First smile, first foods, first words (dada of course). You went to work with me for 3 months until I had to make a choice. I chose to stay home with you even though it meant a slight loss of income. You were worth it.

We made so many mistakes with you but by the grace of God, you have turned into a beautiful young lady. You are growing up so fast. Where is our little Lor-lor?

I couldn't take a shower when I need to without you holding Molly or keeping an eye on Graedon. I thank you and everyone who has to smell me thanks you.

I realize that I need to teach you so much. So now when I make dinner, you are in there learning how. You keep your room clean (and actually care if it is messy). You see messes around the house and instead of stepping over them (ahem -Maddie & Ava), you pick them up.

Thank you for all you do around the house and thank you for loving your brother and sisters. Happy Birthday.

Savin' dough

I'm tired of our big van payment and student loan payment. The student loan isn't very big but we just make slightly more than the minimum payment each month. I'm ahead several months on the van payments and always put all of our extra money toward it. We aren't in any credit card debt so once we retire those debts we will only have the house payment.

I've been reading the Dave Ramsey books and we are going to follow his plan for getting out of debt and building a 6 month emergency fund. Then we will work on retirement saving. We already have a Roth IRA and some stocks going toward retirement but I would love to put lots more money toward it.

So in an effort to reduce our grocery bill, I finally went to the Orowheat Bread outlet store. I used to go all the time. We can go through 1 loaf of bread in one lunch meal so bread was an expense I wanted to reduce. We do make our own bread for evening meals but it doesn't make very much and fresh baked bread doesn't last long in our house!

Here is what I got. I HAD to buy donuts for Graedon but still ended up with $45.00 worth of bread for $11.61.

Four loaves of buttermilk bread, two loaves of Orowheat wheat bread, two loaves of Orowheat light wheat bread (for me as it's lower carb than the rest), 3 big packages of hamburger buns including the ultra gourmet onion buns, a huge package of hot dog buns, a package of sandwhich rolls and a box of assorted donuts.

We love going down to farmer's market on Saturday and buying berries and veggies. We are growing our own veggies this year and the blueberries we wanted to buy are terribly expensive. So we hopped into the van on Saturday and went to pick our own. $1.00 a pound! We spent $20.00 and our freezer is full of fresh berries.

Now I'm looking for more ways to save money in our budget and get out of debt in 1 year. Fortunately I'm a frugal person (or I used to be when we had NO money) so I just need to get back into the swing of things. I need to get to the sewing machine and sew again as it saves us money on our kids clothes and I also sell my clothing on eBay.

Picture day

Molly Kate - 6 weeks




Ellie - 4 years


Grae - 2 years




Maddie - 10 yrs


Have a great weekend!

Love Thursday

I love the way you nurse.

I love that your little feet kick in anticipation of getting something to eat and your little clenched hands wave around in the air.

I love the little sounds you make while you wait for the first taste of warm milk.

And if I dare take too long, I love the way you keep telling me of your annoyance even while you are eating.

I love stroking your hair and gently tucking it behind your ear.

Sometimes you will look up at me with those big blue eyes and we just stare at each other.

I love the way you look slightly drunk after you're done and I burp you and wipe up your milk face.

Thank you God for my little Molly Kate.

Thanks Toots...

I found this painting at Goodwill for $3.99 shortly before Molly Kate was born. I LOVE it! It is hanging in our living room and I need to find an old robin painting to hang above it.



I especially love the signature.