In Which We Get Wet

Michael and I grabbed a sunny moment, threw the kayaks in the truck and drove to Brandy Brook on Sunday. You gotta get in the water when the sun shines these days, as the autumn days are swiftly passing. We had a picturesque paddle as the sun shone on the trees ahead luring us to the very end of the brook.

And then we turned around...and saw the heavy clouds gathered over the St. Lawrence River. We paddled hard and fast, but could not outrun the rain. I laughed and enjoyed the entire thing. It was a grand adventure!

Gotta Love Free

So, I went to Price Chopper in Malone yesterday. You do know about Price Chopper in Malone, don't you? That's the one where they double coupons worth a dollar. As in huge savings if you match your coupons to the sales. So, here are my totals from yesterday. I spent $192.47. And I saved $248.02. Yup, that's right I came home with $440.49 worth of groceries for $192.47. Not too shabby, although I have done better. I got $48.00 worth of Dannon yogurt for free. You can bet my boys are loving that. I also got 6 Colgate toothpastes, three deodorant and a few other things for free. Fun, fun!

As fun as this is for us I have to say, it is also God's provision. I remember when groceries started going up, but my grocery money each paycheck was not. I didn't see how I was going to make ends meet on that same amount of money. God was so faithful to lead me to some blogs that really opened my eyes to the savings that could be had through couponing and shopping the drugstores. I learned about stockpiling, so that I would never "need" anything, because I had already stocked up when things were at rock bottom prices. I learned that I should never pay for toothpaste or toothbrushes and never pay more than pennies for deodorant or shampoo or conditioner. I learned that when I can get toilet paper for .41 a roll, it's a good idea to buy a ton of toilet paper. So, I am going to share with you one of my favorite websites. Go there, read, follow links, and you can learn how to save money on groceries too. Because free is fun!http//www.moneysavingmom.com/

Forever in Love...or how I am playing at making collages

It's true. This guy still makes my heart thump when he walks into a room. He knows how to make me happy, and he pretty much spends his life doing just that. I AM ONE LUCKY GIRL!

Appreciation

My thoughts these days never stray far from thankfulness. There is such sorrow in this world. I carry burdens that can only see release through intercession and thankfulness. I intercede for those living through pain and sorrow and yes, I feel a partial release of the burden. It is the act of praise to a Living God though that brings me complete release from the burden I carry. It is as I thank Him that I am reminded of his great love and faithfulness. And I remember that He cares more than I do even. And release comes once again, for he is a good God!

The Hippy Van

My thirteen year old has a dream. And this hippy van is it. He is hoping to buy his first car a little early and 'fix it up" a.k.a. paint flowers on it, cover it with stickers and put a table and a bed inside. How cool would that be? He is a one of a kind kid. He doesn't want to be like everyone else. He has his own way of looking at things and doing things. I sure hope he stays that way!

Alas... the Hippy Vanagon.

Vacation

Michael and I took the two younger boys on a mini vacation this past weekend. It turned out to be a lot of fun. We spent the first day in downtown Syracuse. We took the boys to the Museum of Science and Technology. It was very interesting, and we all really enjoyed it. Then we walked around to find a pizza joint. That was great fun, as we were able to eat outside and the weather was gorgeous. We had tickets to IMAX at seven, so had to kill time and fortunately we found a Starbucks with a comfy couch that was perfect for time killing. You can't beat coffee and leather together! Yum. IMAX was very cool. We all loved the movie.

Next day, off to Corning to the Glass Museum. I highly recomend it. It was informative, interesting and fun. The men enjoyed it as much as me.

Add in a day of shopping, lots of eating out, HGtv, pools and hot tubs and all in all, it was a great get away.

Summer Fun... or how to upload pictures to my posts

Just Chillin'

Such joy...a good book and a bowl of cherries.

kayaking on the Raquette

Mini golf guys