Anniversary Memories...

One cold February day (during the love month) many years ago, the hubby and I were happily married, albeit during the middle of a chilly and severe winter snow storm.

Since that memorable day, we have celebrated sixteen (almost 17) years of bliss.

Now, as I look back over those "sweet sixteen" years, I see the error of my decision...

NO, not the GROOM -- but the decision to be married a mere 7 days after Valentine's Day. Due to the close proximity of our Anniversary, the celebration of the Valentine's Day is constantly overshadowed and vica versa.

In other words, 2 holidays for the price of 1. Basically I've been jipped all these years.

Because we have always been a practical couple and giving extravagant gifts for either occasion was usually not in our budget, we have always celebrated in a rather simple fashion... a new pair of socks, a romantic card with heartfelt handwritten words of love and adoration (which the hubby has compared to giving birth), and sometimes a special dinner at home WITH the kids.

This was the typical pattern of celebration until Feb 2008, when we reached our "fabulous fifteen" anniversary.

(Actually it really started with our celebration of "unlucky thirteen" which is an entire post in and of itself -- and if I ever blogged about it should be titled "Best Dam Anniversary Ever!" Curious?)

We decided that this was the year (#15) we were going make up for the past. The sky was the limit. No expense was to be spared (well, ok maybe just a little limit) in chosing a gift that showed the other how much we really cared.

His Gift to ME...

That's right!! He booked a 5 day Western Carribean Cruise with a group of our friends and by doing so knocked me right off my feet, again. The cruise was absolutely fabulous and incredibly memorable (so easy to get addicted to cruising!)

It was like... A 2nd HONEYMOON!!

My Gift to HIM...

Can you get it in one guess...

Perhaps this will help...

You got it!! I bought two burial plots in the city cemetery -- right smack dab next to each other. (Just between us - I think he was something beyond surprised, like maybe shocked!)

Now nothing says "I Love You, FOREVER" like matching burial plots, AND although I got a lot of flack for this well-thought out gift, you have to admit that we will NEVER FORGET our amazing 15th wedding anniversary.

(nor will I ever forget walking into the city office loudly announcing that I needed to buy 2 cemetary plots, causing the receptionist to gasp, place her hand to her chest and ask, "Oh my dear, has something happened?" I replied with a smile and a nod of the head, "Just my 15th anniversary!")

So... When our 16th anniversary came around in 2009 we simply had to come up with something that would "out do" the previous one.

Be sure to stick around for the next dozen posts because I'm going to show you what we did, one incredible day at a time.

It's going to be AMAZING!!!!

Living Outside the Box...

Been wonderin' where I am?

(and thank you for your concern!)

Well wonder no more, because I'm back

-- from spending two months inside this box...

9th Grade Assignment: collect, identify and label 25 insects

This assignment has become a joint family adventure, with every one of us busy helping Ryan find a variety of bugs for his collection. And because I'm an "All or Nothing" type person, I admit it has completely taken over my life and caused me to do things only a crazed mother could get away with.

EXAMPLE #1:

One day while knocking on the door of a lady in my neighborhood, I noticed the front of her house was covered in a variety of insects. When she opened the door, I completely forgot about the pile of tablecloths I was returning and instead greeted her with,

"Hi, Do you mind if I have some of your bugs?"

After dumping my load onto her, I whipped out my ziploc baggie (the one I carry in my pocket for just this reason) and proceeded to scoop them into the bag, all the while telling her what a gold mine of bugs she had and explaining the different orders and families they belonged to. I'm certain it made a great impression on her.

EXAMPLE #2:

This time I was at the School talking to a fellow mother when my attention was drawn to a bug on the ground not far away. (Sorry, I no longer make eye contact during conversations but instead scan the surrounding area for possible insect sightings.) Interrupting the conversation, I pointed to the insect and graciously asked my friend,

"If you don't need that bug would you mind

if I had it?"

I tried not to look at her while I scoop it into my bag (the one from my purse) but I heard her faintly reply, "Oh no, help yourself!" And so I did! Obviously she wasn't the mother of a 9th grader otherwise she would have understood the value of that bug.

Here are two victims that became the first residences of the box. Meet Praying Mantis and Banded Garden Spider. They hail from Antelope Island where Ryan captured them during our Labor Day weekend excursion.

Aren't they simply magnificent in their various stages of decay?

A close up personal view of "Life inside the Box" or rather "Death inside the Box". Doesn't it look like an insect graveyard (since that's what it really is)? Super Creepy!


Here we have our insect army, lined up and ready for battle. In the center we have a flock of moths, while at the far end the beetles congregate behind the grasshoppers who are ready to lead the charge.

(Really, it's a wonder any of us can sleep at night!)

Ryan arranged a nice display of wasps and bees around a nest. I'm amazed how many different types of wasps and bees exists. Several of the wasps I caught myself while watching one of Brock's football games.

The hoard of wasps unsuspectingly came to investigate my Diet Coke, which was purposely sitting alone on the bench. Before they knew what happened, I whipped out my ziploc baggies and caught them right out of the air. I'm telling you that really impressed all the little kiddies in the stands.

Before long I was surrounded by them (little kids not wasps) as they were begging for their very own Wasp in a Bag. (It reminded me of the time when Shrek caught a bunch of bees with a spider's web and turned it into cotton candy for Fiona.) The discovery of another hidden talent... Amy, the Wasp Catcher!

My favorite insect by far would have to be the Brown Mantidfly. Brock found the frozen carcass on the driveway of our home one morning before school. The Mantidfly looks like a cross between a Praying Mantis and a Wasp, which makes me wonder what version of the "birds and the bees" the insects are learning. I like this insect best because it's humble. That's why it always looking like it's praying, with forelegs folded and head bowed.


While this assignment for Ryan means an A++ (he had 10 extra bugs and identified all the genus and species for extra credit), for ME it was an opportunity to learn several things I definitely WOULD NOT have learned in this life and am now passing on to you...

1. The QUICKEST way to incapacitate a bug is to freeze it. (just don't forget to take it out)

2. There are no BOUNDARIES or LIMITS when it comes to drawing a family closer. (Our new family slogan: "Got Bugs?")

3. Decaying bugs have a DISTINCT and NOTICEABLE smell (Emilee refers to this assignment as "the stinky bug box") that is TERRIBLE and SWEET at the same time and are therefore banned to the laundry room, where all pungent things dwell.

Now that this assignment is done, it's time for us to start living...

"OUTSIDE the BOX!"

Question: Any idea how long these bugs are good for?

(Hopefully Brock can use them for HIS 9th Grade Biology class in 2012
AND Kelsie in 2014 AND Emilee in 2018.)

Lost & Found...

Sunday morning, while the hubby was fixing his delicious breakfast omelets and I supervised the sausage sizzling in a pan, we opened the back door and enjoyed the cool breeze and gentle rain. It wasn't long, however before the aroma gave us away and we were surrounded by our hungry kids... all except for Emilee.

After calling her name several times and receiving no response, we dispatched a search team to hunt for her in the house... No Emilee!

We sent the search team to inspect in the back yard... No Emilee!

We even resorted to using a highly sensitive scent tracking dog (who lead us straight to the sausage)... No Emilee!

I was starting to get worried, LOUDLY calling her name, and then quietly listening for the giggles that would expose her hiding place... No Giggles! No Emilee!

Where could she be? She was just right here and now... nowhere!

NOT in the back yard.

NOT in the house.

Certainly NOT in the front yard (because the doors were still locked.)

But found her we did, wandering around the FRONT yard, picking weeds to feed the horses.

When asked HOW she got into the front yard, she pointed to a section of chain link fence and happily exclaimed,

"I climbed over it!"

Then her Daddy asked,

"But Emilee, didn't you hear us CALLING you?"

(pretty sure the neighbors did)

To which she replied, with an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes,

"Dad, I didn't have a phone!"

Note to Santa: please bring us a cell phone - for our 5 year old - who climbs fences.

Back to School Blues...

Today I kissed the kids goodbye

and sent them out the door

(to hitch a ride with the neighbor)

In the excitement of the BIG moment

I forgot to take pictures

of the first day of school

the new clothes, the bright eyes, the smiling faces

(the kids looked pretty good, too)

After closing the door and securing the lock

(at least until 3:30 pm)

I reviewed my long list of "things to do"

and decided to start with

#3: read a book - in pjs - on couch

which quickly turned into

#7: take a nap

After an hour my wide-awake conscience

simply couldn't stand the surrounding environment

so I rolled off the couch

and begin removing all traces of summer from the vicinity

This was no easy task

considering the Kindergartner

who has to wait another week

for her first day of school

who...

slept in a little longer than usual

and woke up in a "water" bed

and while trying to rectify the situation

somehow missed the toilet

and promptly pooped on the bathroom rug

then decided to compensate for her accident

and help clean the already pristine windows & mirrors

using an entire bottle of windex and roll of paper towels

and ending up in the kitchen

poured sticky pop on the kitchen floor

while trying to fill up a cup

and after being banished to the back yard,

pulled everything out of the outside toy box

and scattered it across the yard

but stopped when she came to a bottle of sidewalk paint

and used it to paint her legs blue

while wearing a brand new school outfit

and then painted anything within reach

including the little girl next door

who had come over to keep the Kindergartner out of trouble

then ran and hid in the garden behind the carrots

and decided to pull them out of the ground

then fed them to the horses (that bite)

who gave her a scare and knocked her off her feet

that made her come looking for a bandaid

but stopped when she found the mailbox keys

and ran up the street to collect the mail

then skipped back home scattering a trail of said mail...

FINALLY, the clock reached 3:30 pm,

the school kids came home

and with a sigh...

I unlocked the door and let them in

and after the kisses and excited chatter

they ran outsided to reunite with friends

BUT not before they handed me a pile of "PARENTAL" homework

So... I sat down and started another "to do list"

for next Thursday

when the 1st day of school comes again

and I watch the Kindergartner skip off with the others

#1 take pictures of the kids

#2 hug & kiss them goodbye
#3 securely lock all the doors

#4 go back to bed

Treasure Hunt II...

Here are the items I PAID for...

3 Glad Forceflex Trash Bags

2 Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaners

1 Secret Deodorant

1Right Guard Deodorant

2 Smartfood Popcorn

10 Pringles - snack size

2 Fruit Rollups

4 Ritz crackers

1 Saltine cracker

6 Nabisco 100 cal packs

2 Kraft shredded cheese

8 Kraft Mac n Cheese shells

1 Crystal Light single packs

4 Italian Dressing mixes

Here are the items I got for FREE...

8 Bliss Candy Bars

9 Quaker Granola Bites

1 jar of Planter Peanuts

1 loaf of French Bread

Here are the items for which I WAS PAID

a total of .55 cents to remove from the store...

2 Planters Granola Bars
3 Wheat Thins - family size
4 Nabisco 100 cal pack
11 BBQ sauces

Total RETAIL price: $206.62

Total amount I PAID out of pocket: $24.94

Thanks a total SAVINGS of 88%, my friends!!!



Just to put this into perspective:

3 boxes of Glad Forceflex trash bags retail for $7.99 each.
That's a total of $24.
So, if I had paid full price for the trash bags,
everything else could be considered FREE.
____________________________________


These items were purchased during a two day period from three stores:

Target, Albertsons & Walmart

I went back to Target and Albertsons a second time
to cash in on more of their awesome, money-saving deals.

______________________________

ALAS, I must give CREDIT where CREDIT it due...
(although I prefer CASH)

I used http://www.grocerysmarts.com/ to print off my shopping list

and http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/ for alerts on good deals

but my favorite site by far is

www.krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

who provides constant daily updates with the best information

from krazy coupon ladies in several states who have scored on amazing deals and are willing to share them


On the Krazy Coupon Lady (KCL) blog, there are tabs for
Albertsons, Target & Walgreens
where you can get information about specific deals at each store.

KCL management members match up coupons with sale items, not only saving you money but also valueable time.

Target has incredible savings where I actually received money instead of paying for their merchandise.

__________

It basically works like this...

1. a product is put on sale

2. Target provides you with an online printable coupon
to use in their store

for the same product already on sale (here and here)

3. add a manufacturer's coupon on top of that
(which is called "stacking")

which can be found in the Sunday newspaper or online (here and here)
(remember to print in black to save money)

__________

EXAMPLE: Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs

retail for $2.99

Target had them on sale for $1.93
I used a Target online printable coupon for $1.00 off
and a manufacturer's online printable coupon for another $1.00 off

purchased for -.07 each


on Monday I bought 4 boxes
the next day I went back for more AND
Target had raised the sale price to $2.09

I bought 6 more boxes
but this time I had to pay for them

purchased for .09 each

____________________

I confess that I have spent a lot of time

researching online

trying to figure out how to

effectively use coupons

but now I can truthfully admit...

I am a KRAZY Coupon Lady!!!

(There's always room in the club for more!! Let me know if I can help you get started.)

NOTE: If you have the luck of standing behind me

in a check out line,

with my big binder of coupons and 10 seperate transactions

...PLEASE be patient.

(I know I was to the KCL in front of me, who also took the last box of Wheat Thins.)

A New Money SAVING Hobbie...

went on a treasure hunt

at the store today

with a printed grocery list

competitor ads to match

and manufacturer's coupons

Cash register price: $6.36

Reaction from the patient lady behind me: pat on the back

Reaction from the cashier: two thumbs up

My reaction (doing the victory dance): priceless

--------------------

Final price per item...

cereal - $1 a box

crackers - $.60 a box

frosting - $.33 a container

granola bars - $ .15 a box

muffin mix - $1.10 a box

bottle of dressing - FREE

--------------------

A tremendous thank you to

http://www.consumerqueen.com/

and http://www.grocerysmarts.com/ (code g84caa)

for doing ALL the leg work

organizing grocery lists

and cross-referencing them

to coupons found ALL over the place

AND

thanks also to my newspaper delivery dude

who chucks money savings coupons

onto my drive way

extremely early

each and every Sunday morning

English Language 101

In today's lesson, we will be discussing the following word...

oxy·mo·ron (äk′si môr′än′) - a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined

Several examples of OXYMORONS are: loosely packed, sweet sorrow, pretty ugly, original copy, black light, live recording, deafening silence, etc.

For now, let's FOCUS on the oxymoron phrase: "Spring Break"

If we take a look at the EXACT meaning of each word...

spring (spriŋ) - that season of the year in which plants begin to grow after lying dormant all winter

break (brāk) - to stop activity temporarily

... we therefore CANNOT fault Mother Nature for her LITERAL interpretation of the phrase this year.

In the PAST we have ASSUMED the phrase "Spring Break" to mean: a week long vacation spent ENJOYING the warmth of the sun INSTEAD of laboring at work or school in dreary winter weather.

BUT, with special thanks to Mother Nature, our UNDERSTANDING of the English language has been corrected and next year...

We will be better PREPARED for "Spring Break."

Enjoy these oxymoron PHOTOS entitled:

"Mother Nature's Spring Break"

Good Morning, Spring Break!!

Goodbye, Spring Break!!


It was a little hard to leave for Bryce Canyon

with a tree on top of our 4 wheeling trailer.


The trees were completely covered in wet, heavy snow.

The tulips were straining to keep above the snow.

Thankfully, most of the snow had melted by the next day.

We spent the first day cutting up the tree that fell on the trailer.

And THEN...

Now you see a leaning tree...

... AND now you don't!

Over the NEXT several days,

while Kelly, Ryan & Brock PACKED up the fallen trees,

Kelsie & Emilee helped me UNPACK...

6 suitcases, sleeping bags, a basket of food,

four wheeling helmets, and a bucket of winter clothing

(all of which had been packed the day before.)

Oh, Spring Break 2009, we will NEVER forget you!!

Next English Language Lesson Topic:

co·inci·dence - occurring at the same time

QUESTION: Was it a COINCIDENCE that Mother Nature chose to BREAK our Spring on the same day (April 15th) that the

U.S. Government annually BREAKS our bank accounts?