Price drop!!

As ladies, don't we just love those two words? No seriously. I do. Things have changed a lot around here the last few years, and for the better I might add in the finance department. We started our family very young (as in I graduated from college almost 5 months preggers with Kyleigh), so we never really had a "nest" built up you wouldn't say. Tack on 3 different student loans, car payment, mortgage, credit cards, groceries, utilities, etc. and it was a recipe for disaster. We spent a couple of really hard years just floating through all of it. But, we made it through and live to tell the tale. Once I got into a decent paying job, things seemed to level out a bit, but it doesn't mean we were any better really with being responsible with our money, we just had more of it to spend. Again, we would put things on our credit card or eat out just because or I would feel the need to "treat" myself to that pedicure every week or so. When I started working from home, things changed a bit and seriously took a turn when I started toying with the idea of quitting my job and staying at home.

I took out my highlighter one month and just went through and organized our expenses for a month and I couldn't believe how much we spent on just eating out alone. Yes, I worked late a lot and was so overwhelmed at that time with everything going on and eating out was SO much easier, but still. You just get a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach when you sit and break things out like that. It's so easy with debit cards to not really see where your money is going until you get that monthly statement. A change was going to have to be in order if I was seriously considering quitting my job and staying at home. We had already begun a year ago to only use our credit card for online purchases or emergencies and cut up any other ones we still had. We cut out eating lunches out. Cut out eating dinners out 3-4 nights a week. Cut out shopping at the mall just because and really started looking for deals.

It started out as a tool to see if our family could afford one income, but it became so much more. I just couldn't believe how much money we wasted before we started using coupons and shopping smarter. I swear I would not be able to sleep at night if we spent money like we did back then! I feel guilty for buying anything without a coupon now! Of course you can take it too far and get obsessed with couponing (there are some crazy folks out there online!), but for the most part, we have saved an incredible amount of money on everything from groceries to clothes to toiletries and diapers. In fact, I've not paid full price for any pack of diapers we have for Asher and after over 18 months of buying diapers, we are pretty stocked up!

I wanted to share a few tools I use with everyone. Below are just a few sites that I check out for coupons and deals. Depending upon what stores are in your area, you might find a site that works for you! We also get a Sunday paper and have signed up for several coupon sites (groupon, etc.) which lets us get deals for half price! Hope you guys enjoy!!!

http://www.southernsavers.com
http://www.moneysavingmom.com
http://www.thethriftycouple.com
http://www.becentsable.net
http://www.mycouponteacher.com
http://www.budgetsavingmom.com
http://www.momsbyheart.net
http://www.smartcouponing.com
http://www.passionforsavings.com
http://www.freestufftimes.com
http://www.dealfindingchik.blogspot.com
http://www.happyhomemakercindy.com
http://www.savingdollarsandsense.com

I have signed up for email deals on the following sites:

http://www.groupon.com
http://www.livingsocial.com

If you have a favorite restaurant or clothing store, sign up for their emails. I regularly get coupons for Old Navy, Gap, Children's Place, Kohl's and restaurants like Friday's, Quiznos, Ruby Tuesdays, etc. I want to say at least once a week I get a coupon from each of these places!

I also do some online survey taking. You are in no way going to get rich from this, but the points sure come in handy around Christmas....and when you have to re-buy all of your baby stuff years later! We haven't paid full price for any baby items we had to buy for Asher! I rack up the points from survey taking and cash them in for gift cards for Amazon, etc. Several Christmas presents were bought this way this past Christmas and I'm hoping between these and the twice a year toy mark down at Target (look for this in January and July...toys marked down 30-75% off!!), our Christmas will be paid for in full and at half price :-)

http://www.swagbucks.com
http://www.mypoints.com
http://www.i-say.com
http://www.opinionoutpost.com
http://www.globaltestmarket.com

So pretty much now we either buy it on sale, with coupon, on sale with coupon (which we LOVE) or we just don't buy it at all. I've learned to be patient and wait things out (oh the patience I've had to learn these last couple of years!). Hope these sites help some of you guys out and happy deal hunting! I know my coupons for Old Navy are about to be used to get some much needed Spring clothing around here :-)

Relay for Life

Saturday was our annual Relay for Life cancer walk in our community. We started doing the kid's walk last year and were gearing up for this years. Unfortunately, we had more folks to walk for, but I think it's a great opportunity to share with my girls.


Here they were starting out. We do the first lap for everyone who has been affected by cancer in any way.





Then we do a lap for every two people in honor or in memory of. I put their names on paper and the girls decorate the paper as we talk about or remember them.



In memory of my dad (Papa Price) and little Jolee who you guys have read about on my blog


It was so hard to see my dad's name again. I was glad it was a sunny day and I had my sunglasses on because I was wiping my tears. Miss my dad so much.



In honor of my husband ("our daddy") and in memory of my husband's grandmother ("our Granny"). This was a tough lap for Kyleigh...who was greatly affected by granny's passing. Even though she was only 4, they were incredibly close and she still talks about her always. We all miss Granny.






In honor of my mom ("Nannie") and Sandra (my sis in law's mom)



In memory of Bobby's grandfather ("Grandpa Byers") and Mark (sis in law's dad)

If you hadn't noticed, we picked up another walker at this stage and Kyleigh's face has lit up. *J* joined us from Kyleigh's school for the last few laps.



This is just my favorite picture yet. She walked all those laps with such determination and even though it was hot and long, he held those signs up with a smile on her face :-)

Lots of driving yesterday!

Yesterday was an incredibly busy day, but such a joyful day! We got up and went to church, which is about 40 minutes from our house. It's always worth the drive and we always leave with a great message. After church, we ate lunch and then headed home to finalize my next outing to Wilmington that afternoon. For those of you that do not know, my best friend Meredith is leaving for Ethiopia on Wednesday to go get baby Aaron and bring him back to his forever home. Like I have said before, being with someone from the beginning of their adoption process to finally being united with their child is an overwhelming mix of emotions....can you imagine how Shane and Meredith are feeling right now??!!

So, I cooked about 2 or 3 batches of my homemade spaghetti sauce on Saturday and had it all ready to go. We had also gotten a few outfits, a couple of bags of the girl's clothes and some cans of formula to donate to the orphanage. When I got to Meredith's house, there was already so many bags of clothing and formula people had donated. What a blessing to that orphanage! We worked to go through a few of the bags and toys and then planned to head out to Wal-mart to get some containers to put them all in. They will be traveling with these containers full and then leaving them all at the orphanage. I just cannot describe the love felt. People reaching out all over from their church, friends and community to help these kids. It's an unbelievable thing.

Abby (their 2 year old daughter) woke up and was NOT impressed that I was there without my girls! (not that my girls were impressed with the fact I left them home!). She wouldn't even talk to me for a good while...so funny seeing that personality come through! I promised the next time I would bring them, so hopefully we have made up!

After the Wal-mart trip, we went and ate and J. Micheal's Philly Deli, which was one of my most favorite places to eat when I lived there. Oh, it was delicious! And the company made it even better. Just to be able to sit and talk about anything and everything was great I think for the both of us.

They leave out on Wednesday and I'm just asking for any of you that read my blog to please keep them in your prayers for safe travels. If you would like to follow their journey, their blog is on my blog roll (From Ethiopia to Wilmington, NC).

Sickness

Not sure what kind of funk is going around here, but it has hit our house. Last night, my lower back felt like I had been beaten with several baseball bats, I didn't even want a massage :-( After Alieve, hot shower, and snuggling in bed, I finally got comfortable enough to fall asleep. I'm so happy to be feeling a little better today. Poor Reece has had the runny nose for days now with no end in sight (and the red-raw nose and snot covered shirt sleeves that go along with it...how to you break them from using their sleeves instead of tissues that are right there anyway!!!!). Oh how I love winter! Hope you all are doing alright and missing out on this stuff!

Blog Award

So my blogger friend at http://aheritagefromthelord.blogspot.com/ has given me a blog award describing my site as "honest". Thanks Jenny! I really enjoy reading your blog and wish you guys the best of luck!

So now I get to pass the love to someone else..
Here's the rules:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Copy and paste the logo on your blog.
Link the person who nominated you.
Nominate no more than 17 people (why 17?) who you love or think could use some love.
Write one word (you can only use a word once) about what you love about their blog.
You cannot nominate someone who's already been nominated - the love has to spread to all.
Post links to the blogs you've nominated.
Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.


http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/ :Inspiring
http://ethiopiatowilmington.blogspot.com/ :Positive
http://inhishands-ouradoptionjourney.blogspot.com/ :Adorable
http://huntforrachel.blogspot.com/ :Sweet
http://lifeglimpsedthedenglers.blogspot.com/ :Strong
http://babystjohn.blogspot.com/ :Honest
http://createdtocare.blogspot.com/ :Heart-changing
http://thebosofamily.blogspot.com/ :Anticipation!

That's it! For those of you that read my blog, feel free to check these out!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Take me away

So, I don't know about all of you, but I am ready for the warm weather! I have had a bad case of "springitis" for weeks now. Bobby and I bought our Jimmy Buffet tickets today. So excited, 4th row center stage! It's going to be especially special knowing how much my dad would have love to have been with us. This trip is definitely in honor of him.

I know I normally share some deep conversation with everyone, but today I'm just sharing my love for warm weather and my great anticipation for it to get here! We have so many plans this summer. We finally have met some great people in the neighborhood, so we have lots of friends to go to the pool with. Kyleigh will be starting softball in the next month, so that will be a great outdoor activity and Bobby bought me a bike for my birthday and I haven't really had a chance to break it in properly! We really want to make it a priority to get outside a lot with the kids...go to the beach more, spend more time outdoors than in. The girls are the same way, especially Kyleigh. She loves the warm weather. She is already asking how much longer does she have to wait for winter to be over and summer to get here already. Just like her Papa Price and mama! :-)

Hope you all are doing well!!!!!!!

These Dreams

A central theme that has seemed to be occurring these past couple of weeks has been dreams. Not the kind that you wake up and wonder what in the world you ate before to have such crazy things go through your head, but the ones for your future. Remember before we turned into old boring adults when we had dreams for our futures? Things we wanted to do that we were passionate about. Maybe a job, a trip you wanted to take, the type of family you wanted to have. Over the years it seems we have all done the "responsible thing" and settle into jobs or situations that just made sense or fit into the norm. Why?

What did you want to be when you grew up? I know I changed my mind it seemed a thousand times in college, but not really for the right reasons. When I was a little girl, I wanted my job to be a teacher or an author. I love to learn and I love to teach and I love to write, I always have. I started my teaching degree, but didn't finish because I missed the timing and it would have been a whole year before the classes I needed would be offered again. I felt like I needed to graduate and didn't want to wait, and I couldn't afford to go to school another year! So, I got my Biology degree and was 4 classes short of my teaching certification, always saying I could go back.

I did the sensible thing. Got a good job with my degree, did all the right things, moved up the ladder, never went back. I made it work for me. I was lucky, with my position, I had the opportunity to teach and mentor, so it filled that void.

Listening to close friends this week, I cannot help but think we've all had this on our minds lately. Whether or not we all realized it, we've all been talking about our dreams for our lives....things we want to change, what we would do different, what we are going to do with our futures.....it's fun to sit and let your mind wonder to the "what ifs".

And not just about jobs, about our families too. Some people know they never want to have kids. I always knew I wanted to have children young and have one of those marriages where I am still completely in love with my husband after 50 years of marriage (7 years and counting!) I am most inspired by listening to dreams for our families. Isn't it funny when you think about it, how we only set limits on ourselves? We feel like our kids can do anything, we feel like our families can do everything. What happened to feeling that way about ourselves individually? What are we teaching our next generation about self esteem and believing you can change any situation you are in? Do we teach them to settle because one day it may all pay off? Or do we get down and figure out what makes us tick and will make a difference? Do you remember what your real passion is? Are you brave enough to go for it or have you set an age limit on yourself like the rest of us?

Pay attention to your dreams....and stay posted for mine.

Nature's Cure

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears or the sea."

Thought I would share one of my most favorite quotes because it rings true no matter the situation.

How good have you felt after putting a little "sweat equity" into something? Maybe it's that healthy body you want (where mine is coming from now) or that house project you have been wanting to finish. Nothing is better than wiping that sweat after a workout and having a completely clear mind.
Or how about those tears? Our body's physical result of our emotions. I was feeling pretty down earlier this week...missing just seeing people. Missing the excitement of my day which has fallen into predictable monotony. It was still weighting heavy on my mind at dinner when Reece was sitting and playing with her roll instead of eating it. She finally spoke up and told us she was making a face, but she couldn't make the "smell holes" (aka nose). Ah, tears of joy at her innocence...almost instantly healing that hurt.
And the sea. The sea represents my reconciliation with my dad. Just the smell of it brings a calm and smile to my face.
What a simply natural, wonderful thing salt water is in all it's forms...and it's one of those things we take for granted everyday.

The Kite Runner

So, I bought this book along with several others a few months ago and have saved this one as the last, mostly because it was considerably longer than the others and I usually cannot find time to read more than 3 or so pages at a time!
I started it last week and finished it yesterday and I have to say it is one of the best books I have ever read. It is the story of a boy's childhood in Kabal, a country near Afghanistan, and it follows him and his experiences throughout his life well into his 30's. I could not put it down! There were so many twists and turns and shocking moments, I ended up taking the time to read over 100 pages in one sitting, which because I am such a book dork was a big treat for me. Most importantly, it taught the lesson that is it never too late to do the right thing no matter what has happened in your life.
I do not want to give away anything that happens, but if you enjoy a great story like I do, make the time to pick this one up. You will not be disappointed!

Shine on

So, I've been working at home for almost a month now and really starting to get into my groove. I have to admit, it wasn't as smooth as I thought it was going to be. This week, I have realized something profound about myself.

Last week on vacation as Bobby and I were enjoying the hot tub, we found ourselves talking about the future, and about our careers. When I was growing up, I could never decide what I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to impact people, I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to do something important. As I started talking about the new path I have taken this year, I began to hear a tone in my voice I have not heard in a while....restlessness. Now, don't get me wrong, I am PLENTY busy, but with my previous position I was in constant motion and pulled in a thousand different directions. That is where I felt I would shine, put me in a difficult situation, while others would complain, I secretly loved it. What I didn't realize was I was allowing it to validate who I was.

Without that constant "in your face office" everyday, I had come to feel like less of a person. I was almost depressed. How could I have let a job symbolize who I was?

I once had a person that worked for me tell me in a conversation about our company that she felt the priorities were all wrong, that we were putting our jobs/careers over everything and that she only answered to God. As a manager, that put me in a difficult situation and I know now I really missed the point she was trying to make. In her own way, I think she saw it in me even then and was trying to reach out (if you are reading this, sorry it took me so long to come around!).

I am very blessed to be working for a company that works everyday to save lives. Our CEO is generous and kind, something that seems to be few and far between these days. I have been given an opportunity that has allowed me to stay and continue to grow with them. For that, I am forever grateful.

Just a word to the wise to all of those career junkies, it is important, but don't let it validate who you are or who you want to be. Find that thing that makes you get up with the sun every morning. Find your own way to shine, don't depend on someone else to give you that "artificial light". It causes cancer you know.

Experience

Experience. That's a word I have heard a lot on talk radio lately, especially since the elections have started heating up. I love to listen to both sides debate...Obama doesn't have enough experience and now neither does Palin. How important is it really? Let's see....can you imagine leaving your children (or dog for that matter) with someone who knew nothing about them? Would you hire someone for a very complex job with absolutely nothing on their resume but high school? Seems pretty important huh? But, I remember graduating college and being so frustrated because no one would give me a chance. I heard that word a lot then too. No one was interesting in listening to my new ideas, they just wanted to know what I had already done. I am amazed at how much people focus on the past and never think about what it would mean for the future. Yes, I hear some of you saying...past predicts future. Of course it does if that is the expectation we give it.
Experience is a great teacher and one we should not take lightly. I've been kicked in the butt by it several times, however, it's an ongoing struggle not to base your entire life on past experiences. I feel a lot of times I have missed out by "practicing my past"....selling others or my own self short because of this. Keep an open mind about experience and the kinds of new ones you want to have....and which kinds are important for our new leaders.

Einee minee mini moe......

Isn't it funny when you hear of other people's decisions and wonder to yourself "how the heck did they come up with that?". It's so easy to judge when it's not your burden to bear. For those of us that obsess over every little thing, it's easy to obsess just on the method to this "decision making"...are you a "pros and cons" list maker? Do you value other's opinions and base your final choice on them? Do you flip a coin? Wasn't it nice when you were little and it just took a flip of a coin to make the correct, fair choice for everyone? As we all grow older, the decisions tend to get more and more complex, and in consequence the method to our madness does as well. Why is this? Does it really need to be more?
We are all faced with hard choices, as a friend, family member, parent or even being an American citizen. Bottom line, you just need to be able to live with it. The joy of us all is the fact that we are different, what works for one is a completely insane thought for another. The best lessons and most valuable ones I have learned in life came from my ability (or inability) to make the correct decision. I hope one day I will be able to refrain from stepping in my girl's lives and let them handle most of them on their own (there are some of course that will be non-negotiable!).
Point is to be more open-minded in yourself and dealing with others. Think outside the box and try and new way to look at a problem the next time one comes around or really make the point to listen and understand when a friend tells you of their problem/solution the next time you are talking. You may open up a whole new you.

At a crossroads

Ok, so after a lot of coaxing by friends, family and co-workers, I am taking the time to start a blog for our family.
I've named it "byerscrossroads" as I've been thinking a lot about how many crossroads we face in our lives and the directions we choose to go in. Do we ignore the fact that we have other options to turn to and keep on the straight and narrow? Do we take a chance on a new road, not knowing where it leads or what is going to be around the bend? Have we even considered that we can tear down trees and make our own roads? 2008 has definitely presented it's share of crossroads to our family! While it's scary to think of getting off that beaten path that so many have gone down, I have found so much adventure in exploring new paths, although sometimes I do need a push from fate :)
These last few months for our family have been a blur between Bobby starting at a new store, moving to a new town, myself starting a new position and now Kyleigh starting school. For those of you close to me, I cannot thank you enough for your understanding of my craziness this summer...and sometimes continued craziness! While this crossroad is far in the distance, looking back I am glad we took the chance as a family to make our own way and step out of our comfort zone. I hope that you all will have the support of great family and friends as I do to take that chance and go down the road less traveled. And I hope you all enjoy our blog :)