Personal & Financial Crisis

To say we've had a financial crisis around here would be an understatement.  We started having septic issues a couple months ago and had our tank pumped.  Problem solved until 2 weeks later when the problem came back.  Fast forward 6 weeks to today, when we find out that our drain field has been ruined by a STUPID TREE (the only tree we have in our back yard, mind you) and now we have to get a $300 permit in order to get a new drain field put in (which will cost an additional $1,200 - $2,000).  When it rains it pours, right?  All I can say is God has kept us above water this long, he can surely bring us out of this storm.  I'm going to pray extra hard when I write out that next tithing check too :-)  So until further notice I will be taking a little break from blogging until things settle down around here.

About the personal crisis, if you have heard about Senate Bill 6 then you know what I mean.  Enough said.

Love you guys!

Piano Lessons

Laney has begged for literally years to take piano lessons.  I have always wanted to play myself, but have been unwilling to shell out the $50/month for her to get lessons once a week.  I stumbled across Zebra Keys a while back and am thinking about giving it a try.  So it looks like Laney will be starting piano lessons with me this week.  Eeeek!  I may try to learn some piano skills myself while I'm at it.

The Most Precious Gift

I have never understood why anyone would ask me to teach a class at church.  I don't know nearly enough about the Bible or the Book of Mormon to teach anything...espcially since some of the kids I am teaching know more than I do!  Well as I was finishing up my lesson last night I made the comment to Josh that I really did not like teaching the story of Abraham and Isaac.  I said I simply could not understand how anyone could even consider sacrificing their own child - even if Heavenly Father asked them to.  I have never liked the story of Abraham & Isaac, and I was really disliking the idea of teaching it today.  Then I watched the most amazing PowerPoint presentation (you can watch it here).  I cried so much after reading the comparisons between Abraham & Isaac and Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ.  What hit me hardest was that Heavenly Father was just like Abraham.  They both loved their sons more than their own life.  I understand this kind of love.  The only difference between Abraham and Heavenly Father is that Abraham was spared the task of sacrificing his only son.  Heavenly Father wasn't spared that torture.  He gave up his only son and sacrificed him for US.  What a blessing that is!  I feel so lucky to have been able to teach this lesson today.  I never understood the parallels between those two stories until now and I have so much respect and admiration for our Heavenly Father for offering his son as a sacrifice for us. 

Hotwheels Goodies

Become a fan of Hotwheels on Facebook here and there is a goodie coming out sometime this week.  We definitely need more tony cars around here!

Beautiful Saturday

I managed to accomplish so much yet so little today.  Laney & I went to a baby shower for Merinda, then I took ALL THREE KIDS to Dothan with me to do a little shopping at Old Navy (and use my 30% off coupon), then we came back and went to Primary Activity Day to top things off.  I didn't, however, clean house or attempt to tackle the mountain of laundry that creeps up on me every single week.  Does laundry multiply overnight?  I seriously think clothes are leaping out of the dressers and randomly showing up all over the place. 

Anyway, we went to Old Navy and managed to get a few new clothes (over $100 worth) for just under $70.  If you know me, then you know I wear my denim jacket like it's a life preserver - literally every other day.  So many tops nowadays are strappy, strapless, or sleeveless, so the denim jacket is my only option for wearing cute tops.  Anyway, I scored a new one of those in denim and white, a black boyfriend cardigan, plus a cute black maxi dress, an adorable shirt for Laney, and a must-have shirt for Ava (AKA Cookie Boo).

Free Pssst!

Go here and get a free sample of Pssst! Dry Shampoo.  This stuff is awesome...I'd love to keep a sample in my desk at work on those "greasy hair" days that we occasionally have :-)  Not that I do.  Just sayin.

Princess & The Frog DVD

I bought this for my kids on Tuesday, and they LOVE it!  I have to say I am not crazy about the voodoo/witch doctor parts, but we just skip past those.  Anyway, if you miss the "old school" animated movies that we grew up with, you will love this movie - it isn't computer animation like all the other Disney movies that have come out in the past few years.  There are a couple of ways to score a good deal on this DVD right now.

• CVS currently has the DVD priced at $19.99 with $3 ECB, so it's like paying $16.99
• Wal-Mart has the DVD priced at $19.97, Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack at $29.97
• Target has the DVD priced at $15.99

There are also a couple of different rebates floating around if you buy Band-Aids, Success Rice, or Frog Tape.  If you use coupons and send off for the rebates your DVD would be FREE!

There is a $5 coupon here for the DVD
There is a $10 coupon here for the DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack

Freebies from Wal-Mart

Click here to see the new list of freebies from Wal-Mart.  These are great to keep in your vacation travel kit, food storage, or even in the vehicle for emergencies (hey, you never know when you might need a sample of dog food on the road!).  These change often, so make sure you bookmark the WM website and check it often.

30% off Old Navy this weekend only

Click here to get a printable coupon for 30% off at Old Navy through 3/21.  This is a great opportunity to give back to the community since Old Navy will donate 5% of your purchase to the charity Feeding America.  Fall/Winter clothes should be going clearance by now, so we should be able to get some good deals.  The item of the week is the tube dress (looks great over leggings as a top or as a swimsuit cover up) - with the coupon they will be less than $6!

Mother's Day

Looking for a unique gift for your mom/grandmother/wife/daughter/sister this Mother's Day?  Visit my website for Heritage Makers, and create a storybook or photo project that is guaranteed to please.  Better yet, host a digital scrapbooking workshop and earn credits for free products!  This month's hostess gift is a photo collage bracelet or discounted storybook.  Guaranteed delivery if you order on or before 6 P.M. on April 22 (USPS/Ground); April 26 (Two Day); April 28 (Next Day).

I'm Back!

Yay!  I finally remembered my password, and can start blogging again.  I am sure this thrills my THREE followers to no end :-)  There are a lot of exciting deals and some super-exciting news coming soon...stay tuned.  And I promise not to forget my password this time!