Guide to Groceries under $250 a month!

Happy Anniversary!

6 years ago today, Bryce and I got married. We were supposed to get married on the beach, but it rained all morning. So, at the last minute we changed the location and got married in the cultural hall at our church. I used to think that rain on your wedding day was a bad omen, but I think the heavens were crying tears of joy! Ha ha ha! Bryce and I have had so many ups and downs through out these 6 years. Heck, for the first year I kept wondering if I had made a mistake. As we were reminiscing today, we went through a lot of stuff the first 3 years we were married. We had some family dnamics that we had to learn how to deal with; I became a memeber of the church shortly before we were married; we moved 3,000 miles away from my home; we had 2 kids during those first 3 years. The last 3 years haven't exactly been smooth sailing, but it has been a little easier to deal with. Bryce and I still fight at times, but we know that we are in it for the long run. Between the two of us, I have definitely changed the most. I went from a happy, bubbly, nurse with lots of friends and family to a very unahppy stay at home mom who didn't have many friends. I went through a really rough time after I had Sara. Those were the darkest days I have ever experienced. During these past few years, I have started to become more like the old me. I am a much happier person who has lots of friends that I know I can count on. I wouldn't have made it these past few years without the unconditional love that Bryce has given me. I am not the same girl he feel in love with and married 6 years ago, but I sure hope that I am an even better version of that girl now. Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband!!

P.S. Just 4 more weeks until we are sealed!!

6 Years Ago

6 years ago today, I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I cannot tell you how many blessings have been bestowed upon me these past 6 yrs! We also have a little less than 6 weeks until Bryce and I are sealed for time and all eternity! We are so excited to finally be a forever family!

Overwhelmed

I am having a really hard time right now. I just feel like I am an emotional wreck. The past 10 days has been very rough. Last Friday, the 6th, a friend of ours 8 yr old boy was in an ATV accident. He had a shattered femur and a skull fracture, which has caused his brain to bleed and swell. He is still in an induced coma and no one is really sure what the outcome will be. This happened a little over a yr after our cousins 11 yr old daughter was killed in an ATV accident. So, it has really hit home for me. To top all of this off, my parents were in a really bad car accident Friday night. My mom broke her wrist and is very bruised and banged up. My dad has a concussion and is pretty banged up as well. I'm glad it wasn't worse. I'm just having a really hard time because I am so far away from my parents. I have been crying off and on since I found out Saturday morning. My mom has always been the one to take care of everyone. So, she is having a really hard time not being able to do anything. And my dad has been disabled for 16 yrs so he cannot really help. I told my mom that I wanted to come down for a couple of weeks to help them out and she told me that 2 weeks just really isn't going to help her. She will still be in a cast after I leave and that she still won't be able to drive and use her hand. It really hurt my feelings. I know she is having a tough time, but I just want to be able to help them. I just don't know what else I can do being so far away. I know it sounds silly, but I guess I just never thought anything would ever happen to my parents. It definitely put things into perspective for me. What I wouldn't give to be closer to them. Maybe one day.

Craziness!

Wow! I just cannot believe all of the tornado's and damage that has happened in the past couple of days. It is so heartbreaking. I grew up in the south, but we just really had to deal with hurricanes. I will take a hurricane any day over tornado's. They are just so scary! At least with hurricanes, you have notice of when a storm is coming. Sometimes with tornado's, you only have minutes! My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who have been effected by these storms. I pray that God will comfort and provide for each of them.

O, Lord, My Redeemer

Our Week in Review

Boy, the weeks just seem to be flying by here lately! I cannot believe that it is almost May! On Sunday, we went to Chris and Erin's to celebrate Cade's birthday and him becoming a deacon in the church. The kids had a great time playing with all of their cousins as usual. Wednesday, the kids and I went over to Landon's house and played. He really is such a good kid! Thursday, we got to go on a field trip to the Roylance Dairy. The kids had been looking forward to this for awhile. They kept asking me, is it time to go to Jake's dairy farm? They had a blast! On Friday, I kind of lost my mind. I decided that the kids and I would ride the bus to Moses Lake to surprise dad at work. It was definitely an adventure! Plus, Bryce was totally surprised to see us! Saturday was the annual Cox Family Easter BBQ. We had the most beautiful weather on Saturday! We even got a little sun! The kids had a blast hunting for eggs out in the sage brush. There weren't as many of our family members there as there has been in the past, but we still had fun. I so love getting together with Bryce's cousins! We don't get to see each other often, so it is always fun to catch up and let all of our kids play together. All in all, a pretty great week! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter!

Our Trip To The Coast

Bryce and I went over to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival this weekend in Mt. Vernon. Ever since we moved here and I heard that was such a festival I have wanted to go. I am so glad that we were able to finally go! I love, love, love tulips! Now, all of the tulip fields have not bloomed just yet, but the ones that had bloomed were just beautiful! I never knew there were so many different types of tulips! So, many thanks to the best hubby in the world for taking me! I will remember this weekend forever!

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Bryce and I went over to the coast this weekend to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Here is a sneak peek of what we saw.

Wordless Wednesday

DVR

What did we do before DVR? Seriously? I hate to watch live T.V. Even my kids have to pause the T.V. just so they can go to the bathroom. Oh, the monsters I have created! It is so nice to be able to fast forward through commercials though. I love my DVR!!

Not too Bad

I must admit that my rice krispie treat eggs didn't turn out too bad. I just hope the kids enjoy them!

Another Chapter Closed

Last night was Cooper's last soccer game. Woo hoo! Cooper had so much fun playing soccer. Not really sure how much he actually learned, but he had fun and that is all that matters! I'm pretty sure Bryce is glad it is over too. Coaching 7 four yr olds and a five yr old was both hard and frustrating. So, another chapter has been closed in Cooper's short life. His first ever soccer season. I'm not sure if he will play this fall, but I am pretty darn sure that Bryce won't be the coach! Now, it's time for the soccer party!

Wordless Wednesday

Do You Ever.....

look at your child or children and think how lucky and blessed you are? (And I mean looking at them while they are sleeping!) Seriously, I cannot believe how blessed I am. As much as my kids drive me CRAZY, they are a wonderful blessing. I just hope that I will be the mother that they both deserve.

For Shelby

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~Claudia Ghandi

Inspired Words

"...our children might not remember about the Family Home Evening lesson later in the week, but they would remember that we held [Family Home Evening]."
Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy
(April 2011 General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session

Such an Embarrassing Moment

Today, I decided that we should take the kids to see the new movie Hop. What a great idea, right?!?! Well, let me set the scene for you. We left our house at 10:30 this morning so that I could take the kids to the pediatrician to make sure their ear infections were all gone. So, after the doctor, we (the kids and I) went and ate some lunch and then went to Wally World. I must say the kids behaved pretty well. We did a couple more errands while I was wasting time to figure out if Bryce was going to be able to go with us or not. Well, Sara fell asleep for like 3 seconds and then woke up. So, I thought I would just drive around for a bit and let her fall asleep so that she would be in a good mood for the movie.(Now, we haven't taken them to the movies since How To Train Your Dragon came out.) The car drive did put Cooper to sleep, but not Sara. Now, I am really dreading going to the movies and I probably should have said let's just go another day. But, of course I didn't say that.

So, we pick up Bryce from work and head to the theater. After we had been there for a bit, an elderly couple came and sat in front of us. (And let me tell you, that elderly couple could be a whole 'nother blog post.) The movie had been on for 45 minutes or so. Sara is really getting restless. She had finished all of her root beer and wanted more. So, I was going to give her some of Cooper's. I took the lid of her cup and handed it to Sara to hold for me. When she figured out that I was taking some of Cooper's root beer, she flipped out. So, she jerked her cup away. What I didn't know was that there was still a little root beer left in it. Needless to say, that elderly couple got a nice little root beer shower. I was so embarrassed! I almost started crying. I apologized and apologized and handed them the 1 napkin we had left. I totally wanted to get up and leave at that moment. Thankfully, Sara settled back down and we finished watching the movie.

Now, the theater has a couple of arcade games in the lobby. The kids had been asking to play the games since we first arrived. We told them they could after the movie. So, I head to the bathroom and left the kids with Bryce. As I was getting ready to wash my hands, I heard a little girl crying. Actually, she was screaming. I knew it was Sara as soon as I heard it. So, I rush out to the lobby to see what was going on. Bryce was walking to the change maker thingy and had just left Sara standing there screaming for daddy! I guess she got mad because Cooper sat on the motorcycle game first. So, I ended up grabbing the keys from Bryce and hauled her out to the car. She screamed the entire way to the car!! If that wasn't bad enough, when I put her in her seat, she started to buck and really screamed. Like ear piercing I just broke a bone scream. I just knew someone was going to call the cops on me! I finally fought her enough to get her in her carseat and get her buckled. Seriously, she was in the car for maybe 5 minutes before she was out. I just wanted to crawl under a rock and cry. It was such an embarrassing day and I totally wish I could say this was an April Fool's joke, but nope. It wasn't. Can someone please tell me when it's going to get better? Pretty please??

Preschool Snacks

I really don't know what my problem is when it comes to bringing snacks for Cooper's preschool class. I just love to do "cool" treats. So far, I have done a cookie snowman and a heart shaped rice krispie treat dipped in chocolate with sprinkles. Well, it is our turn again for snacks in a couple of weeks and I am already stressing over finding something cute. I don't feel like I have to make something cute to be better than the other moms. I guess I just feel like it is the only time I can be creative. Plus, the kids totally love it. The week that we have snacks, they are learning about eggs and flowers. So, I have found a super cute egg shaped rice krispie with M&M's inside! But, I am kind of stuck on what to do about the flowers. Any ideas?? And remember, they have to be somewhat simple for me. I am not that talented.

Wordless Wednesday

Thought for the Day

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

Somewhat Wordless Wednesday

Seriously, my favorite time of day!

Cooper

Our first born who was supposed to have been a girl. What a smart, caring (most of the time), and handsome boy he is. Cooper amazes me with some of the things he says. He is such a funny kid! But, he is also a sensitive little boy. He hates to watch movies with "bad"guys in them. If I am having a bad day, he will come up to me and give me a hug and a kiss to make it all better. I wish I could say that he is a good big brother. He has his moments, but most of the time he is fighting with Sara over EVERYTHING! He actually pushed her off the coffee table the other day. He is all boy!

Cooper just turned 4 in January. It is so hard to think that he will be in kindergarten in a little over a year! He is in preschool right now. He goes twice a week and he loves it! I am so thankful that we have been able to put him in preschool. He has learned so much this year. I am also lucky to have made some more friends. A girl can never have too many friends! Cooper has also made some good friends that I hope we can keep in touch with as the boys grow up. The really cool thing is the little boys that are Cooper's friends, also have little sisters Sara's age. The boys also go to preschool together and some of them even play soccer together. Cooper has become obsessed with dinosaurs this year. He can tell you the names of so many different dinosaurs and random facts about them. Thank you Dino Dan! Cooper also LOVES to read. He is starting to learn how to read. Cooper also loves to do puzzles and play games on the Leapster. He is definitely a smart little boy. There is no way I could go through all the things that he has learned and accomplished in the past year.

I am so thankful that Heavenly Father decided to send me a Cooper instead of a Sara first. It is amazing how much he has grown up in the past year. He can really be a wonderful helper, when he wants to. The kids and I went to Georgia this past summer to see my family and he was such a help everywhere we went. Oh, another thing that makes me so proud of Cooper is that he is really learning about Jesus and our Heavenly Father. He can tell you that we are supposed to obey and follow Jesus. This Christmas, he also learned what the true meaning of Christmas is. We are trying very hard to raise our children right and to teach them the things that are important in life. I cannot tell you what it feels like when your child reminds you to read the scriptures and say prayer before we go to bed. Or to tell you stories about Jesus that he has learned. Or to tell you that Christmas is about Jesus's birth and that we should always help others first. What a beautiful little boy Cooper is and is becoming. I feel so very lucky that Heavenly Father chose me to be his mother.

Sara

Our sweet baby girl. OK, so she really isn't that sweet. She has her moments, but for the most part she is a fiesty, stubborn, and downright mean little girl most of the time! I really believe it must be an age thing. For my sake and hers, it better be an age thing!

I thought I would just catch up on what she is doing right now. It is so hard for me to imagine that in 3 short months, she is going to be 3!! When did this happen?? I totally believe that 3 is the new terrible 2's! Sara is definitely a talker. Just like Cooper. She is also very much a girlie girl. She loves to wear dresses and cute shoes and loves to have her nails painted. However, she still loves to eat the dirt and dig in the dirt. She knows her ABC's, thanks to Leapfrog. She can count to 8 pretty good. Not sure why she stops there, but whatever. She is slowly learning her colors. She definitely knows pink and purple. We have been potty training for a while now. She was pretty much potty trained, except at night, back in December. But, one day she decided that she wanted to be a baby and wear diapers. So, we have slowly been working on it. She is doing much better these days. She got her first ever strep throat back in November and her first ear infection Sunday. For an almost 3 yr old, I would say that is pretty good.

I am in the process of planning her birthday party. I sure don't know what our lives would be like without her in them. I think one of the funniest things she does is when she gets mad at you, she starts yelling at you in jibberish. Bryce and I always say that she is cussing us out in Japanese! We are truly blessed to have such a beautiful little girl to call our daughter!

Life

Being a mom is hard. But, being a single mom is even harder. Not that I am single, although there are many times here lately where I feel like it. When, Bryce started back with home health, we really thought that our lives would be "normal"again. Whatever that is. This, however, is so far from the truth. Out of the 7 days of the week, Bryce is maybe home 2-3 nights a week. I do not know how single moms and dads do it. I am most definitely not cut out to be a single mom. I really hope that his work life gets better because if it doesn't soon, we are going to have to make some changes. It breaks my heart when the kids ask for dad because they haven't seen him in 2 or 3 days. (He usually is gone in the morning before they get up and they are asleep by the time he gets home at night). Especially Sara. She is such a daddy's girl. I am thankful that Bryce has a job. Please don't get me wrong. I just wish he was home a little more.

So It Begins

I am officially a soccer mom! Cooper had his first soccer game yesterday. It was a sight to see that is for sure. Our team, South Africa, has 7 four yr olds and 1 five yr old. The team we played had mostly 5 and 6 yr olds. Our boys loved to fall down! But, they had a great time and that is what matters.

4 yrs Ago

I was thinking this morning that it was exactly 4 yrs ago today that we found out that we were having a boy instead of a girl. I have to add that this was also 3 days before he was born! I had several ultrasounds when I was pregnant with Cooper and they all said girl. So, needless to say we were totally shocked when the doctor said, "Hmmm....girl parts don't jiggle." Those words changed our lives in a heartbeat! The baby that I had been carrying for 9 months, the one I called Sara, was in fact a Cooper. I wish I could say that I was happy when we found out it was a boy. But, that would be lying. I totally lost it on the ultrasound table. I had EVERYTHING ready for our baby girl!!! Clothes were washed and put up, things were somewhat decorated. Now, here we were 3 days before I was to be induced and we had nothing for a boy! Thank goodness for great friends who came to the rescue! I can honestly say that this was the biggest shock in my life thus far. But, ya know, I cannot imagine my life without Cooper in it. He is a great big brother, most of the time.

I'm Back!

After taking about 6 1/2 months off from blogging, I have decided to return. I am saying this up front and I am not saying this to be rude or to be offensive, but I feel like this needs to be said. This is my blog. If you don't like what I have written then you can either email me directly and we can discuss it as adults or you can choose to not read my blog.

I originally started this blog so that my family could keep up with my life and so that I had somewhere to document my kids' life and the things that they are learning and doing. Somewhere along the way, my blog turned into a place where I felt like I couldn't say what I wanted or needed to say. So, as hard as this is going to be for me, it is time for me to be able to say what I want to say on my blog and be OK with that. If you want to come along for the ride, then that is great! If not, that is OK and I understand.