more deals...

I know, I had several complaints about the "deals" that I post. I was SOOOO good over Halloween and the whole black Friday deals, but I think it is in my blood and I just have to post some things I find out there. (sorry) I promise I will add more "our life" things in between!!

FREE REDBOX MOVIE
Good through 12/2, use code SPNSV9.


I don't know if you do the "picture with santa" thing, so if you do you might be interested in this:

The Digital Photo Center at Walmart is having free photos with Santa (courtesy of Fuji Film) on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6 from 10AM to 2PM. I would probably call your local Walmart to see if they are doing this deal (and you might want to get there early, I imagine any FREE event at wally world will be CRAZY busy!!!)

happenin' deals

12 Days of Free Food at Whataburger

Sign up and you will receive a coupon for free food valid every other day from December 2nd to the 24th, 2009. It could be anything from a shake, to French fries, to a Whataburger. Click HERE to sign up!



Order online by 11:59 p.m. CT, December 3, 2009, to get free standard shipping on ANY purchase, within the contiguous U.S.

Oriental Trading

Enter key code WCX8726 during checkout. Only one offer allowed per order.

Halloween overload

Wow! it is amazing how you can drag one simple day out over 1 1/2 weeks. Sam was so excited about Halloween this year. I am not sure where or how he knew about this wonderful day, but he talked about it for weeks. For some reason he was CONVINCED that he was going to get cotton candy when trick or treating as well. (yet again, I am not sure where he heard or learned about cotton candy or why it is a staple at halloween) There were trips to two different pumpkin patches, trick or treating at the fire safety town (so cool) --- the highlight of that night was the school bus shuttle! trick or treating and or course our church's fall fun festival. I have always LOVED Halloween, I mean really, what other day is it ok to knock on your neighbors (those you know and those you don't) and ask them to give you candy?! To top it all off you get to dress up in cool outfits like princess dresses and spiderman! I tried to not overload this post with pictures, so here are just a few of the highlights of the 2 weeks of Halloween!!!

The most handsome cowboy in all the west (and east and north and south)

Who can resist the sting of this cute little bumble bee?

Trick or TreatAt the Festival there were games
Animals
bounce houses, slides and obstacle coursesand of course a photo session

Run, Lauren, Run!!

A couple of weeks ago, Kirk's 23 year old cousin, Lauren, passed away unexpectedly. Lauren suffered from Cerebral Palsy had been confined to a wheelchair all of her life. On Tuesday October 20th, Lauren was able to talk, walk, run, dance, jump, sing, and fly for the first time. I can only imagine the sight as she leapt into the arms of Jesus and hugged Him without feeling pain. Lauren's life was cut very short, but as you read the obituary written by her sister, you can see she was able to see and do a lot.

Lauren

Lauren Nicole (23) was never able to speak words the way most people do, but she spoke with more love and depth than many people can comprehend. Her presence in the world brought a love so sincere and pure, that the hardest of hearts could not help but soften when she smiled. When Lauren was born on June 1, 1986, she unexpectedly came upon cerebral palsy. This condition kept her from the ability to walk, to talk and to move the way most people do. The American society might consider this a disadvantage because of system structures and physical barriers, but in God's world she is so blessed and so lucky. Now Lauren is walking, running, singing, dancing and talking with God in heaven experiencing a love we can never imagine. Lauren was at the least a blessing and was the central force and strength to her family and friends. Her physical end on October 20, caught her family and friends off guard but the strength she bestowed is still present.Everyday she woke up she had a new adventure ahead of her. Lauren got to spend months at Disney World with her mom Mary Janel, her dad Jimmy, her sisters Meagan and Kimber and her brother Alex. There she was able play, just like the other kids. One of her favorite things there was riding in the giant honey pot experiencing the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Last summer she got to ride her honey pot 5 times in a row without getting out.Lauren made her way across the world, sailing through the Bahamas on Disney Cruises, heading down to Key Largo for Dolphin Human therapy, and sipping smoothies on the beaches in Malibu. There was nothing that she could not do and nothing her family and friends would not support.Lauren was active in her community, her family and her extended family Southwest Church of Christ. She was always out attending movies, musicals, festivals and parades. She loved going to church every week and greeting everyone. Thursday mornings she loved to spend time in the church kitchen with her mom and friend, Becky making lunches for the meals on wheels program. Her family was behind her and had a tight bond.

**Jimmy and Mary Jane, I am so very sorry for your loss, though Lauren's new body is perfect and she is in a much, much happier place in heaven, I can not imagine losing a child.

home depot Christmas light deal

Take your old Christmas lights to Home Depot from November 5th-15th and get a $3 coupon for each set (up to 5 sets) good on any energy efficient LED Christmas lights. Home Depot LED lights will be $5.97 during that promotion- or only $2.97 each after the trade-in coupon!

Rain drops keep falling on my head

WoW!! to say that it has been raining here is an understatement. It is amazing how one year we can have drought and then a couple years later have so much rain in a season! I love the rain, don't get me wrong. I love the way it smells, I like that I don't have to water the grass and flowers, I like that it has brought in some cooler weather (can you sense what is coming next?) BUT why so much all at one time?! It has been raining or drizzling for like 4 weeks here. Seriously almost EVERY single day. If you don't believe me, just look at my header, it is almost the end of October and there is still no pumpkin/fall pictures of the kids yet! Why? because of the rain. It has prevented us from going to the pumpkin patch. The state fair came and went and were we there? No sir-ee bob. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to change this, we are suppose to go to the patch (barring no more rain or sickness)--- oh yeah, did I mention that it was a BEAUTIFUL day last Fri- sunny and perfect, we were suppose to meet our friends at the patch... did it happen? Nope, Sam came down with a fever of 102.5. Although he acted his same energetic self, there is this little bug running around out here called the swine flu (not sure if any of you have heard about it or not) so, to make sure that 1) he wasn't sicker than he acted and 2) he did not infect other children with whatever he had, we stayed home HUGE BUMMER.
Whew, wow, I must not of gotten all my 10,000 words out today, that was quite a lead in to say: "look what we did while it rained outside"

Molly was finished sooner than Sam, apparently they taste as good as they look
and of course the high chair needed a little color as wellJust one of many of Sam's masterpieces

wrestle

The kids truly do like each other. Sam of course, has always been Molly's favorite person in the whole world. It is funny how while Sam is in class she can me moaning and fussing all morning, but as soon as the door opens and he climbs into view she just lights up and smiles and giggles.
Sam seems to be pretty protective of Molly and always keeps tabs on her. He knows where she is at all times and tends to really be concerned when he asks "where Ma-wee?"
These two have learned to play hide and seek with each other. Their version is a little different in that Sam ALWAYS hides and Molly ALWAYS finds him. (it does help that he usually hides in the same 2 places)
They also enjoy wrestling one another. Sam does tend to forget that Molly is just 1 and not quite as strong as he is, but then again that might be part of the fun right?! He can push her around, knock her down etc and does she cry about it?! NO!! she just giggles and giggles. Molly has recently leaned that she too can "attack". If Sam is laying on the floor in any way (back/side/belly) she will just PLOP right on top of him. (and of course the 2 of them just giggle and giggle and giggle :)
The attack:
The "let me touch your face to show you I got you"The Yes, I do love you, Let's hug:The "OK, get off me, it's my turn to attack":

Deals around town:

If you don’t mind purchasing a large drink, you can get a free Jack In The Box grilled sandwich on Tuesday, October 20. You'll get to choose between the Grilled Turkey Bacon Cheddar with roasted turkey, cheddar cheese and bacon, or the Grilled Deli Trio, with salami, sliced ham, roasted turkey, provolone cheese and pickles.

7-Eleven is offering up a great freebie! Snag a FREE 12-oz Hot Beverage with this coupon You'll get to choose between coffee, cappuccino, hot chocolate and tea. This coupon is valid thru 10/31/09. This is perfect for this beautiful cool, fall-like weather.

Build-A-Bear: $5 off a $10 Animal!

Build-A-Bear: $5 off a $10 Animal!

Build-A-Bear has a new coupon available: save $5 off an animal priced at $10 or more! This coupon is valid through October 31st. This is something fun do do now especially since it has been cold and rainy outside!

Have any of you heard of Hippopost.com before?
If not, it's a site that will send FREE personalized printed postcards with your own photos! They even pay for postage! Go here to check out all the details and start creating your postcard. The best part--you can send up to 2 FREE postcard per day, everyday! What a great way to send the grandparents pictures of the kiddos or just send a thank you note to a friend! This is an excellent--FREE--service to take advantage of!

Why are they offering this FREE service?
This service is made possible through sponsors advertising on the back of each card. By using Hippopost to send FREE postcards you are agreeing to allow sponsor messages to be placed on the back of your postcard.

~~~~ I have "heard" that it takes quite a while to get these postcards, so I wouldn't send them for a really special occasion, or else gamble and send it way in advance ~~~~~

Cool stuff to do and make at Michaels. apparently they have been having fun events all month long and I am just now finding out about it... oh well, looks like fun anyway. go here to see more details

Rainforest Cafe

Rain Forest Cafe has a great coupon:Save $10 on your next food or beverage purchase of $25 or more! This coupon is valid through 12/31!

good advice

ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE Even If you dislike attorneys..You will love them for these tips. Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company: 1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.' 2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it. 3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it. 4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel.. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.. Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know: 5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them. 6.. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.) 7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number.. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.. By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.. Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen: 1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289 4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

Boston Market

school bells are ringing

As I stated earlier, Sam was accepted into the speech program through our school district. He gets to go 2 days a week for 1 1/2 hours. We really talked it up about him getting to go to "school". He was really excited about it, too. (That is until we were actually THERE.)

As a security measure, we have to drop off and pick up the kids at the door, instead of the actual classroom. In a way, I think that this adds to the anxiety of the 3 year olds, (but then again they did not ask me for my opinion) I am not sure what he is doing here, but almost looks as though he is saying a quick prayer "please dear Jesus, be with me today"As I was saying goodbye, Sam softly whispered in his sweet little voice, "mommy, go wiff me"--(thus the reason he is going to speech :)) "don't go, mommy, go wiff me." then he looked at me with those precious brown eyes of his, it took all my strength to not tear up, but instead tell him that he was going to have so much fun and that I would see him in just a little bit. His sweet teacher, Ms. Jennifer, took him by the hand and led him in (not before he looked at me like I was leading him to the wolves, though)true to my word, I was there just a little later to pick him up, he had a big smile on his face, and said that he had a "great day".
I thought we were all good, until Thurs. morning... it was rough, really rough which worried me because Sam has never had a problem going to church, going to class while I am in Bible study, meetings, Acteens etc. Thursday he threw a fit as I was leaving. He clung onto me as tight as he could screaming: "No, MOMMY. Don't go! I DON'T want to go to school!!" as the teacher took him from me he continued screaming "MOMMY! MOMMY! NO, DON'T GOOOOO!" Talk about heart wrenching. Thankfully he was all smiles when I picked him up. Unfortunately this was to continue 3 more times. He would start telling me that he did not want to go to school before we would even leave, all during the drive and then the crying/screaming/clinging would begin at the door. As a parent you know you must just say goodbye, as cheery as you can and make school sound like fun. As a mother, your heart is breaking and you just want to snatch him up in your arms and tell him he doesn't have to go. He now likes going to school and always has a good time there. I am so glad he is happy, and no, I am NOT looking forward to kindergarten!

balloons, tatoos, and trains

Wow, I can't believe it is already the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Time really does seem to fly by (trust me, there have been some REALLY long days in there, but also a lot of happy, fun days and events) The last week of August seemed to be one of those crazy busy weeks where we had BIG events everyday, all day long. We managed to head to the pond several times that week (it was quite HOT, but we needed to be OUT!) and of course the ducks and fish didn't seem to mind our visits either. Sam was (finally) accepted to, and started school (another post), Mommy's birthday came, Bible study started, baseball game, throw in a shift of work and finally the reason for this post, the fun evening at the Gaylord:


Kirk watched Molly, so that Sam and I could spend time together. It was suppose to be fun and of course a lot easier on me since I wouldn't have 2 to chase after. I wasn't really sure how it was going to really be as it did not start off the best. As we were unloading the car, Sam decided to take off and head out on his own... and RIGHT INTO THE STREET. talk about your heart stopping ~ a car had to STOP for him. (I know that God was watching out for Sam that day, he could have been hit so easily- what if the driver was changing his radio station, or talking on the phone or even TEXTING? just one little thing to distract him and he never would have seen Sam.) After this event, Sam was then made to hold my hand as we walked (and as you could imagine, he was none to happy and wanted everyone to know it)
Once inside, for some reason I thought I could trust him. (whatever was I thinking?!!) It doesn't take long before he bolts away. I decided not to follow, in order to see how long it would take for him to realize I was not there, get scared and want to stay by my side. Well, this (like most of my brilliant ideas) pretty much back-fired on me. You see, Sam did not care that I was not there, and it was ME that got scared. I headed around the corner, and down the enormous hallway to see this sight: There were many emotions and thoughts that occurred the moment I saw him: take deep breath, as he is safe and not kidnapped, try not to smile as he sure is cute, try to stress the importance of staying with mommy without being too angry, oh and of course...make sure to get a picture of this for the blog! Oh, and by the way, apparently we were playing a fun game of hide and seek (no one filled me in on that secret until I "found" him)

TRAINS!!!! this is Sam's new LOVE. There were several areas that had trains, all of which held his attention. He even got to blow a whistle at one spot!

He got to watch the balloon man create a cool dinosaur thing

He watched the monkey (he and Hanna even snuck in a few touches!!)Oh, and the COOL Superman tattoo. The only kind he will EVER have.

All in all, it might have started out a little rough, but that quickly changed and fun was had by all!

let's cool off in the water

Water fun in the backyard is awesome! (according to Sam, and now I believe, Molly, too)

Don't cry over spilt milk

I know it has just been a saying, but to me it is a little more literal