Seriously, Read This!

http://www.naturalnews.com/032558_flu_shots_wear_off.html


This is the article for one of the "random headlines" I posted about yesterday. 

Passed Out

So, this is how I found Cullen the other day.  Asleep.  On the stairs as usual.  This kid is so taken with the staircase that he practically lives on them.  He takes legos and makes stairs out of them too!  And when I ask what he wants to do that day, he always replies with "stairs!".  What a nut!  Just one more reason to love him to bits!

Christmas Crafts

 Cullen looking sweet as usual!

 Grandma Kelley and grandkids

 Eden McFroo

 Such a pretty little girl!

 Asher very intent on what he is doing

 Tristan trying to get his paint just right.

 Jeremy and Froo

Chaser McFee

On December 17th we had Kelley Christmas!  One of the first things we did was some Christmas crafties!  They didn't really turn out but we learned some valuable information for next year! LOL!  We had a good time making them though!!  So much fun!!

Just Some Random News Headlines

Most of you know I am not real pro-vaccination.  I have and my kids have been vaccinated against things like polio and Diptheria.  I however REFUSE to be sold on this stupid flu shot!  And the chicken pox vaccine?!?!  Don't even get me started! People are such cattle...oh we'll do it because the government says it's good......has anyone seen our government lately!?!? Crap Almighty!!  Anyway, here are the random headlines:

CDC openly admits flu vaccines don’t work.

Merck vaccine scientist Dr. Maurice Hilleman admits vaccines contain cancer-causing viruses

Swine flu vaccine admittedly causes neurological disorders

U.S. government recruits churches to push flu shots on congregation members

Eden and the Underware

Look, she's even cute with Buzz Lightyear undies on her head!!  She wore these for at least an hour around the house and since then she has done it again with any other underware she finds lying around.  Notice how she didn't quite get the band around her little head so they are just kinda balanced there! LOL!  She is definitely MY daughter!!!!

Cornflakes Rule!

Asher and I decided to make my favorite Christmas treat to leave on the plate for Santa Claus sometime last week!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the green cornflake wreaths!!!  I had a few leftover from the Kelley Girl Cookie Day but, they were pretty nasty at that point and my mother in laws recipe isn't quite my favorite so we definitely needed more!  Asher and I had a super time, just me and him!  He loved putting the food coloring in and watching the color swirl around!  And of course he HAD to stir!  We didn't make nearly enough because we all know that Santa can eat at least a couple of batches of these bad boys!!  Good time with my Asher!! 

Arbonne and Me!

You may have to click on the picture to see it in full size.....For those of you that don't know, I am an Arbonne Independent Consultant. Arbonne offers some of the best anti-aging skin care and health and wellness products on the market today! Starting in January I am offering a challenge! Anyone who orders a 30 Day Fit Kit at 40% off will be entered into the challenge...whoever loses the most at the end of 30 days will receive $125 in FREE Arbonne products of their choice from me!! The 30 Day fit Kit includes:
2 protein shake mixes (chocolate or vanilla)
2 Fizzy tabs (citrus or pomagranate)
2 fit chews (chocolate)
2 herbal detox teas
1 daily fiber boost
1 feeling fit guide
This is enough for 30 days
Normally $276...now only $165.60!!!

Add the 7 Day Body Cleanse normally $49 for only $30!!

Start 2012 off right and get rid of those holiday hangover pounds in just 30 days!! You will feel more energized and confident!!

Also offering the RE9 Anti-aging Skin Care Sets at 40% off!! Best Skin care I have EVER used!! Normally $323, now only 193.80!! All items subject to tax and shipping.

OR host a "Skinny Jeans" party or a "Spa party" in your home in January or February and receive:
*$20 Kohl's gift card
*FREE and discounted Arbonne products (35-80% off!)
* a fun, relaxing night with friends!!!

Just ask 4-5 friends over and I'll do the rest!!
Thanks for all the support guys!! Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous new year!!

Can't Wait!

I can't wait!!!  Only a few more months!  Tristan is really excited too!  I'm so glad that he read the series with me!  I agree with most people that the third book was a little "off".  I liked the ending but, didn't quite "get" the rest of it.  Still the first two books make up for the third pretty much sucking.  Maybe on the big screen, the third book might make more sense than it did in written form.  It's almost as if she (Suzanne Collins) was trying to write a great big epic ending that kind fell flat.  Oh well, we will wait and see.

Dumb People

Bad mood this morning.  I'm sick of dumb people.  Some people will just always be dumb.  And whatever comes out of their mouth will be dumb too.  It's their small brains.  And, I don't care what you say because you are dumb too.  Bwahahahaha! 
And to end it:
"When will then be now?"
"Soon."
"How soon?"
"Very soon."

Asher-isms

Just got home from Christmas Eve on the Kelley side.  Asher is coloring with his new Crayola studio thing and he says: "Mom, who got me this present?" 
Me: "Grandma Kelley"
Asher: "Hmm, she must be a good friend to get me present like this."

I LOVE that kid!!!!

Flurg

Well somebody did something to the computer that made the cursor disappear. I have no idea where it went....
In other news.....  Chantelle and Ramona Hallman just stopped by with a plate full of cookies!! (Actually it was just Chantelle but Ramona's name was on the tag too and know she helped too!)  They are not like any cookies I have ever seen before.  I'm pretty sure I would have to use my belgian waffle maker to get these cookies to come out right.  I wonder what they are called?  They are chocolatey and waffel-y.  Yummy!!  That was sure nice of them. 
I'm not ready for Christmas yet!  AGH!  And so darn tired. 
You people just get ready for all the pictures that are coming from my new camera! lol!  Once I figure that bad boy out, there will be NO stopping me!  Mwahahahaha!!

Christmas Rambles

Jeremy gave me one of my Christmas gifts early (last week) so that I would have it for the Christmas festivities.  He got me a new camera!! YAY!  Except that I think I hate it.  I mean it is the kind I want and it is PURPLE which is awesome but....I can't get the darn thing to work right!!! AGH!  I guess I need to just mess around with it.  I really do appreciate it though and it certainly is better than what I had before. 
I have all the kids home today and they are climbing the walls!  They are so excited for Christmas to come!  I remember feeling especially crazy around Christmas time as a kid.  I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt but the headache I woke up with this morning is only getting worse!  The good thing is that starting this evening my hubby will be home with me and the kids through Tuesday!!!!  woot!!  I'm especially excited for Christmas Eve at home.  I never thought as a child that I would ever want to be Santa.  But, it is so much better!!!  It's a special time for Jeremy and I to reflect on our family and our 6 beautiful children and the life we created together.  I love getting everything ready for the morning and the great spirit that is in our home!  I don't know what I would do without Jeremy here to help with it all!  It is a big undertaking, lol! 
I'm torn today between doing projects with the kids and cleaning the house.  Let me tell ya something....these kids can mess a house up in about a minute flat.  No joke.  I think I will go with projects though.....memories are what it is all about!  Tomorrow night I have some special stuff planned!  I hope they can contain themselves long enough to do it! 

Colista Ruins Christmas

So, a couple of weeks ago I posted about problems I was having finding Jeremy a Christmas present that actually meant something.  I'm not really a practical gift kinda girl.  I don't like to get what is on your list, I like to give the things you didn't even know you wanted on your list!  Who wants boring crap for Christmas!?!?  I got myself in trouble one year with Jeremy when I was telling him just days before Christmas that I didn't want dumb things that I actually needed for Christmas like dishes or pots and pans.....I wanted something I didn't know about, that was truly a surprise, and that actually required him knowing and liking me enough to know what I would like and want....without me ever having to say anything.  Make sense?  Well, it does to me! ha!

Anyway, that was the year that he had spent quite a large sum of money on brand new EVERYTHING for my kitchen.  He got an all new dish set complete with serve ware, glasses, a kitchen aid mixer, a VERY nice set of knives (which every good chef knows is ESSENTIAL in a decent kitchen), salt and pepper shakers, canister sets, .....literally everything I could want and need in the kitchen.  Now, I did not know that he had done all of this and was complaining just two days before Christmas!  Dumb me!  He was really nervous then for me to open my presents.  He got way more for me than I did for him and I just kept opening and opening!  I loved my new kitchen stuff and still use all of it today!  Anyway, I felt like a big fat jerk. 

Anyway, to get back to this Christmas....I couldn't figure out what to do for Jeremy.  I sat at the computer thinking.....what does Jeremy like besides computers?  I know!  The San Francisco 49ers!!  Would they be in our area anytime soon for a game?  It was a long shot I thought but decided to take a looksie around anyway.  And what to my wondering eyes should appear????  Tickets to a St. Louis Rams vs. 49ers game IN St. Louis on New Year's Day!!!!! Holy Crap!!!  Best Christmas present EVER for Jeremy!  He would be so stinking surprised!!  hehe~!  So, I snatched those tickets up on what I thought was the 40 yard line, ten rows up from the field!!!!  Oh my goodness, I was so excited!!!  About 10minutes later I got a confirmation email.  I looked at it to check the tracking and when they would arrive.....and it said Club End Zone on the tickets.  What the crap is Club End Zone?  So, I started looking around and realized that I had somehow purchased tickets in the end zone and not on the 40 yard line!  How, I don't know.  Good grief. 

Well, then panic started to set in.  This is not what I wanted.  I wanted good seats.  This was supposed to be a GREAT surprise.  And then I saw some number that made me think we were in the nosebleed section and I freaked out!  I called Jeremy at work and asked him how I can return a non returnable item?  He said that he needed to know what website I bought from in order to help me.  I said that if I told him the website then he would know what I got him for Christmas (I had bought from StubHub).  He said that he couldn't help unless he knew....I was crying at this point because I wanted it to be a great surprise but I also wanted it to be right....no point spending money on it, if we couldn't even see the game.  So, I told him Stubhub.......and he said that tickets bought through there are non-refundable.  No matter what.  Then he said what did you get.  I was so upset that I had ruined his Christmas that I just told him then that I had gotten him 49ers tickets.  To which he was like "What!?!? REally?!?!?"  He thought it was pretty awesome and said he would look into it some more and see if there was anything we could do to change our seats. 

So, remoted into our home computer from work and started looking around.  What he found out was this:  I had actually bought really super duper good seats!!!  The Club End Zone is actually like THE place to sit at the games in the Edward Jones Stadium!!!! You get all these perks with it:

2011 Club Seat Holder Benefits:

• Exclusive access to private Rams Club Level, Club lounges, and the newly renovated Rams Club
• The greatest food and beverage variety in the Edward Jones Dome with high-end options located throughout the Club Level
• In-seat food and beverage service - never miss any of the action
• Complimentary FanVision hand-held unit with live stats, scores, and video from around the league including the NFL Red Zone channel
• Extra-wide, padded seats with abundant leg room
• Club Seat Holder Gold Card status in the Rams’ Rewards Program offering you special opportunities with Rams’ partners
• Club Level concierge service
• All new HD flat screen TVs throughout the Club Level
• Complimentary issues of the Rams Insider magazine available on the Club Level for each home game
• Post-game on-field access once per season for all Rams Club members
• Exclusive Club Seat Holder Newsletter with inside access to exclusive Rams content 
• Access to the Clarkson Jewelers Club Waiting List. Click here for more information.

2011 Additional Club Seat Holder Benefits with Membership:

• Club Seat season ticket savings over those without a membership
• Opportunity to purchase Club seats for non-Rams events including the 2012 NCAA Mens Basketball Regionals
• Annual Training Camp event exclusive to Rams Club Seat Holders
• Annual Club Seat Holder gift
• Price protection over term of agreement
• Those with a Club Seat Membership enjoy first rights to purchase their same seats for home playoff games
• Club Seat Holders without a membership will have access to a playoff pre-sale before the general public

The guy who sold them is a season pass holder with VIP parking spot as well!!!  We did a panoramic view from our seats on the Rams website and we have some pretty awesome seats!!!  

If I had just kept my mouth SHUT and not freaked out, I could have given them to him and it all would have worked out great for Christmas!  Instead he knows and now has nothing for Christmas.  DUMB ME!!!  UGH, sometimes I just can't figure myself out!  Crap Almighty!  But, he's really excited to go!!! I am too, even though football bores me to death....I know once I get there I'm gonna get really into it and be cheering my butt off!!  LOL!  Next year, I'm gonna get him something super duper!  I WILL surprise him with something he LOVES!!!

Christmas Funnies

We Need A Cat...And I NEED To Complain (about a few things is all!)

Today I am going to a halfway house for Cats to get one!  lol!  For real, some old lady here in Carthage has too much money so she bought this huge old house that she has given to cats that have no other home.  I guess a butt load of cats live there.  I don't understand why so many people pay so much money for dogs and cats with pedigrees and stuff when there are so many that are neglected and need homes.  Stupid.  But, the world is full of stupid people.  I digress.  Anyway, we had to put Cammie to sleep last week.  It was heartbreaking.  She had a tumor and it was her time.  She had a good long life and hopefully we made her life good!  Now, I would like another kitty.  Not a kitten.  I want to help an adult cat that needs a good family.
Sidenote****I have had so many people tell me that my kids need a dog.  A freaking dog.  It's like having a really annoying kid.  It can't understand you even more than your baby can't understand you.  I don't need another kid.  I want a pet.  A pet should enhance your life, not make it more difficult.  My kids need a dog like they need a hole in the head.  They wouldn't take care of it, I would.  That is why I love cats.  They take care of themselves.  Also, I grew up ALWAYS having a dog and cats.  I NEVER liked the dogs.  And we had many.  I am just NOT a dog person. What if my kids are not dog lovers?  You can't make a person like something just because it is there. I don't think them not having a dog is going to scar them for life.  You know what else I really like....OWLS.  Maybe I should go adopt an owl.  Stupid huh? 
They can decide for themselves when they are older.  I like cats and that's it.  Leave me the crap alone about dumb dogs already!!  Bah!  
So, I'm looking for an adult cat that needs a good home.  I LOVE cats and so do the kids.  Preferably litter trained but good outdoors too. 


Onto the other subjects of the day.  Trapp Christmas is on Christmas Day this year.  What a rip off!  We like having Christmas day to ourselves as a family.  Junk monkey.  We must go though because when Trapp's gather there is much FUN to be had!!  And it doesn't happen a whole lot so there's that too.  My sister Vicki is cooking a goose I think!  Never had goose and a little frightened to be honest. LOL! 
Growing up, I did not have 82 Christmases like I do now.  We had one Christmas on Christmas morning and it was great!  I believed in Santa forever!  I loved it. 

Another thing, the stupid garbage company that picks up garbage here in Carthage is the worst!  (Area Disposal, INC.)  How can you suck at picking up garbage?  HOW?!!?!?  IT's freaking garbage!!!!!!!!  I want a new company so bad but the city has a deal with them or some such nonsense.  Why can't I decide who picks up my garbage!  They have stupid rules and they are FORCING me to recycle because of their stupid 6 bag limit!  6 measly bags for a family of 8!!  Are you kidding me !?  Even with the 55 gallon bags we are hard pressed to get in under the 6 bag limit.  And the 55 gallon bags are entirely too large for my kitchen trash can.....

Busy Little Miss

Today my goal is to empty the house entirely.  This little girl of mine in in to EVERYTHING!!!!!!  Holy crap!  And the things she can do!?!?  There is no end!  She really does just decide to do something and then does it.  I don't recall my boys acting so grown-up at this age. She thinks she's 32.  Really she does. 

Oven Nearly Kills Me.....AGAIN

Lots to post about but little motivation to actually do it.  Today I did the unthinkable.  I cleaned my oven.  Yes, that's right, I cleaned my oven.  Only once before have I ever cleaned my oven myself.  It was in Utah when Jeremy and I first were married.  I nearly died.  Seriously.  Somehow I inhaled VERY DEEPLY when I was spraying the oven cleaner in the oven and I almost passed out!  I should have probably went to the doctor because I was so sick the rest of the day.  Puking and all.  The whole house smelled of that wretched oven cleaner!  Three days later I was hacking up my lungs still!  I swore right then and there that I would never clean my oven again!  And I never have!  For reals.  I've had people clean it for me.  But, I won't go near oven cleaner.
Well, today I decided it was high time for me to do something about my oven because the girls who used to clean it are gone and the oven was FILTHY!  I put it off long enough.  I opened up my whole kitchen and set to work with rubber gloves a face mask and all.  I still smelled that nasty crap though!  Made me sick and took all my motivation away.  Stupid oven cleaner. 
But, I got my floors scrubbed and my nasty oven kinda sparkling.  Now, I'm afraid to cook in it though because it smells like freaking oven cleaner!?!?!?  Isn't there some other way?  I'm gonna google it.  My head hurts now too.  Oven cleaner should be banned.  I hate it.  I don't think I will clean my oven again, EVER.  I need a new oven cleaning lady.

Present Problems

I'm stumped for Jeremy's Christmas gift this year.  Absolutely nothing.  He likes computer related items but he owns a computer store!  What am I supposed to do then?!!?  Bah!  And to top it off, he always gets me the most thoughtful and special gifts.  How am I supposed to compete with that!?  I need some help here........any ideas, oh blogger world?

What?

I finally got my kohl's order in the mail, that FedEx took three weeks to deliver (sheesh!), and I had ordered two new bras.  When I looked at the tag on one of them I saw that it was called Disappearing Act.......wth?  Do you think it will make my boobs disappear?!?!  Or maybe disappear and magically reappear somewhere else?  I wonder who came up with that name?  An out of work magician that had to take a second job at a bra company would be my guess.

Cookie Day 2011

On Saturday we had Cookie Day at the my mother in laws house!  I love cookie day because it is full of cookies!  Even though I was trying to be good, I got to sample tons and tons of yummy goodies that we slaved over all day long just for those we love!   And it was fun spending time together too!  Soon the camera is coming and I will start going a little picture crazy! (maybe Trisha will post some that I can steal, haha!) But, seriously it looked like a freaking cookie factory in there!! lol!  SO FUN!

Monday Can't Come Soon Enough!

Here are a couple of indications of how cold it is in my house right now.  On Sunday I accidentally left a pound of butter in my dry good cabinet.  (that's my life.)  When I discovered it, it was still fully formed into sticks and hard.  Not softened in the slightest! I couldn't believe it.  Another great thing....our liquid soap pumps....they can't pump the soap.  It barely comes out in small little cold lumps!  Another thing....Asher asking to put on more clothes! ha!  That kid loves nothing more than rumming around in just his underware. 

Today's Funny

Too true!  This is me in a nutshell.....and a couple of my kids I think!

Brrrr...It's Cold In Here! There Must Be Some Toros In the Atmosphere!

Every morning is worse than the one before!  LOL!  In terms of heat that is.  We get a new heating and air conditioning unit plus all the duct work to go with it on the 12th.  Until then it is space heaters.  The problem with that is for some reason, no matter where we are in our house, we can only plug in three space heaters at any one time without throwing the breaker in the basement.  Then we have to reset everything in the house.  Pain in the butt.  Yesterday, I had my oven on the entire day and I was like a sweaty pig.  Maybe I should leave my oven on all day long.  We do have an infrared heater that my sister let me borrow, that is pretty dang awesome.  But, in the mornings, nothing can keep up.  It's COLD in here!  Only 10 more days though! woot!  Thank goodness!

Thanksgiving Roundup....all done now.

Thanksgiving this year was fun!  We got up in the morning and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and A Christmas Story!  Both things are integral for my Thanksgiving Day to be just right.  then I tossed a turkey in the oven and peeled some potatoes for later on.  (The night before I made 2 custard pies.  Just a quick note....DO NOT make a custard pie in a deep dish stoneware pie dish.  It ruined one of my pies.)  Then we got all the kids ready and drove to Nauvoo and stopped in at Jeremy's parents' house.  There were people from the Boyer side and the Kelley side there!  We chatted it up for a bit then headed over to my sister Vicki's house to see my fam.  My brother Sam was there too!!1 I didn't know he was coming so it was a very pleasant surprise!  We hung out there for awhile then headed back home for our very own Thanksgiving.  Since we had already snacked quite a bit I just made turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, noodles, rolls and egg nog.  The next day we had a "party" as the kids like to call it.  I made some snacks (sausage cheese dip, cheese and crackers, cheese ball....notice the cheese theme, lol!)  They played games, watched movies and vegged!  We all sat down to watch Cowboys and Aliens together.  Cedric turned to me at one point and was like "that guy looks like someone else"....meaning Harrison Ford!  I told him that he also played Han Solo from Star Wars and Indiana Jones.  He thought that was cool.  I thought Cedric was cool! lol! 
So, I am grateful for a ton of stuff!  Thanksgiving was gave and we all enjoyed each others company! 

Gratitude

This is awesome. I wake up every morning and before I even get out of my bed, I say a quick prayer and always remember to thank God that I woke up and am able to be alive with my kids and husband that day. It truly is a gift. I do need help seeing the beauty around me in the Midwest. I don't find many things here beautiful. But, we do have some of the best sunsets I've seen anywhere I have traveled!

Watch This

Tristan is amazing at origami.  He is always learning new things to fold.  He makes very complicated things that move and everything.  he even had a little origami business at school.  He is gonna flip out when I show him the things that they made with origami in this video! This video shows just how my industries origami could be used in.  It is fascinating.  I can't wait to show Tristan when he gets back from his big black Friday shopping trip! He's been out all night.  Grandma Trapp and Nick are his sidekicks.  They left last night about eight and just called us about an hour ago (it's now 8:30am) from Staples! LOL!  I can't believe he is still up!  Jeremy and I did our thing from home.  They have the same if not more deals online than they do in the stores.  From the comfort of my bed.  Sweet.

Finding Hope

I loved this video. It really isn't about the money you make. It's about family and time spent together. Today I am thankful that my husband has a job that affords us the opportunities to grow as a family. We have him available to us all the time and I don't feel like we have to compete with his work. I love him for that. Happy thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy your family!

I Needed To Hear This Today

Tomorrow Is Thanksgiving!

So, I think I will have Thanksgiving right here at my house for our "little" family.  There are just too many variables elsewhere this year.  And too many sickies in this house.  All day I have gotten nothing accomplished except getting Liam and Asher's hair cut at the salon.  Which they both LOVED by the way!  Or maybe I will cook all this to eat when we get home from other family functions.  If us sickies decide to go out.  The problem we have every year is that we end up with no leftovers....not this year.  Nope. LOL!  I want to make turkey noodles soup afterwards.  And turkey sandwiches. 

I have a turkey and I'm gonna cook it, along with:

pineapple upside down pie

custard pie!!!!

stuffing

mashed potatoes and gravy

egg noodles, very important

sweet potatoes

corn

green bean casserole

Egg Nog Punch

apple cider

cranberry sauce

lil smokies

spinach dip

spicy sausage dip

rolls

cookies
cheese ball, smoked sausage, crackers

Ummmmm, what else sounds good....the kitchen sink?!?  Might as well throw that in there.  And it's nice and shiny all due to the flylady!

The kids are off of school today this year.  Usually the Wednesday before Thanksgiving they have half a day.  I'm so happy they are here though.  I've had my blog Christmas Music playing all day!  Love it! 

The Turkey Diaries

24 Days of Thanksgiving #15

Two again.

1.  I am thankful for my kids.  All 6 of em!  Some people might think we are CRAZY for having that many kids....and they would be right.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  Each one of them brings more love in my life and how can that be a bad thing?  The more love I have to provide, the more love I get in return.

2.  I am thankful for God and all he does in my life.  What a blessing it is to be able to pray and have a direct communication!  And what an awesome and loving Heavenly Father to continue to believe in me even at my worst moments!  I'm thankful for the plan of salvation and all it provides me and my family.

Glasses

Tristan has been having headaches for awhile now.  I finally got him an eye appointment yesterday.  The doc says that he is near sighted in one eye and far sighted in the other.  Weirdo! lol!  Anyway, one eye is definitely worse than the other.  So we were up last night choosing glasses!  Jeremy and I both wear glasses.  We have been going through www.zennioptical.com for some time now.  They are awesome!  Those who know me well, know that I am PICKY when it comes to certain things.  One is my glasses.  These are not cheapo, craptasitic glasses.  They range in price from 6.95 to 35ish.  They take about 3 weeks to get here because they are coming from China.  You can't beat the value! Why go spend 2 or 3 hundred dollars for one pair of glasses when you can spend $30 and get 2 or 3 pairs of glasses?!!?  And yes, we can see out of them.  Believe me, I can complain with the best of em, and I'm not complaining! LOL! 
So, Tristan picked out a few pairs.  We even uploaded a picture of him so we could "try them on" before buying!  We're gonna get him 2 or 3 pairs for the inevitable break or losing that will occur.  I feel much better about losing a pair of $10 glasses than $300 glasses!  And we're getting him a couple of different styles too!  Can't wait to see how he looks! 

My Brother

My brother, Matt, and his wife, Kathy, and their three kids, Josh, Jordan, and Madison all moved to Doha, Qatar recently.  We miss them so much but are excited for all the opportunities that have!  Anyway, I just added their blog to my blog list again....I still haven't tracked down all my old list.  Also, my brother, Russ, is in the process of starting a blog that I am helping with with more of a political tone.  It is awesome!  I love my family so much!  They do the coolest things! 
And for those of you that don't know your geography, Qatar is located in the Persian Gulf.  It's absolutely beautiful!

It's That Time of Year!

I LOVE this time of year!  Last night we put our tree up!  Now, some people will say "Hey, wait a minute, it's not even Thanksgiving yet!"  To that I say "SO WHAT!"  Crap almighty,what a bunch of misers!  This time of year makes me FEEL GOOD!  How is that a bad thing again???  There are posts on facebook about people capitalizing on Christmas and it keeps creeping into Thanksgiving.  To me the two holidays go hand in hand. It's the end of a year, be thankful for what you have and what you have accomplished, share with and serve others, celebrate Christ's birth, look forward to the New year, celebrate it, and start fresh!  It's like the last 6 weeks of the year are reserved for all this celebrating and thankfulness because the rest of the year we are focused on other things!  A six week party!  I'm so in!  Now am I Right? YES, I'm RIGHT.

24 Days of Thanksgiving #14

Today I am thankful for My baby girl and her extreme fondness for shoes.  She LOVES them!  I can't wait to go shopping with her when she is a little older!  I had a bunch of shoes that I had bought on clearance or from a yard sale that I had picked up along the way when I found out I was having a girl.  She is just now starting to wear them!  She will put them on and point her toes and bend over and just stare at them.  I love it!  She is going to have quite the shoe collection! lol!

Bragging......Again

My husband is the best shopper around! No joke. That man will do all the necessary research to get the best product at the best deal possible.  It really bugs me when people treat him badly or don't appreciate all the effort he puts into things.  He puts a lot of thought into everything he does too.  Some people are just born jerkfaces and never grow out of it.  I don't think jerkface is a word but, I sure like it!  I think I will do something extra nice for him today....like baking him cookies.  I haven't done that in awhile because of my whole weight loss thing (up to 63 pounds! woot!).
Anyway, we have been trying to have more one on one time with the kids.  So, that means having Grandmas watch the others while we focus on just one.  It has been AWESOME!  The only downside is that we haven't had a date with just him and I in a while.  That will have to change.

24 Days of Thanksgiving #13

Two things again.

Thankful for Fizz Tabs.

Thankful for self-disipline.

True Story

Today in the shower, I was shaving my arm pits.  The hair on my head is very long.  It was hanging down around the back of my arm and somehow I shaved a big hunk of it off!  WTF?!!?  Seriously.

Jeremy and Tristan's Birthdays!......Finally!

 I just found the pictures of when we went to Chicago to celebrate Jeremy and Tristan's birthday weekend.  It was just the three of us and we had a ton of fun!  We went up there originally with the plan of going to the Cubs/Cardinals game.  WE are a Cubs family...as in Jeremy, me, Cedric, Asher, and the babies.  Tristan and Liam are traitors and like the Cardinals for reasons that they themselves don't understand.  Poor kids ;)   Also that weekend was a HUGE air show.  Everything about got crapped on though because we woke up that morning to a horrible thunderstorm.  So we went to the Field Museum.

 We got to see Sue the T-Rex!  And we shrunk down to a quarter of an inch tall and looked at the world underground!  It was pretty cool.  We also looked at the whale exhibit and some crazy guard lady yelled at me for now reason.  (why do I attract all the crazies?!?!)

 Jeremy and Tristan with Sue the T-REX!

 When we walked out of the Field Museum the storm was clearing so it looked like the air show and the baseball game were back on! woot!  We watched a little of the air show from the road and went to Wrigley for tickets.  We realized beforehand how stupid we were not to get tickets but we figured if we couldn't get any,t hen we would go to the air show.  We ended up with standing room only which actually turned out not too bad because lots of people end up not showing up with their tickets and you can sit in their seats anyway! lol!

 Tristan was praying that the Cardinals could eek out a win but the Cubbies blew them out of the water! LOL!  Jeremy thought it was great!

It was a great weekend.  Very relaxing and we all enjoyed ourselves.  I love when we get to spend one on one time with the kids.

24 Days of Thanksgiving #12

I have to do two again today.......

Real quick sidenote though.  Every day that I write one of these up, I want to be thankful for a different family member.  I have SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY!  Both immediate and on both sides.  I want to make each person feel special though and I'm afraid to leave anyone out.  And I don't want to be thankful for family every day on here but, that is what I am most thankful for all the time...is my family.  I can't believe how awesome they are!  Also, everyday, I have to stop myself from talking about my husband too much....because he such a SUPER DUPER guy!  I don't want to annoy people with my praise of him but just so you all know....you should all be jealous! LOL! For reals. He's my soul mate. End side note.

Today, I am thankful for my space heaters.  Our boiler went out in the basement and we are still figuring out what to do to fix it.  There are so many options and we want to make the right decision.  Its a weighty one to make.  In the meantime, thank you little space heaters for chugging along!

Also thankful for crock pots!  Some times you have to just throw some crap in a pot and walk away!

24 Days of Thanksgiving #11

Today I am thankful that it is sunny and bright!  It really gets me motivated!  And it makes fall so much prettier.  I do not like when everything is cold and gray.  And everything is dead.  SOOOOO....yay for colors and life and everything good!  haha! 
Also thankful that underneath that nasty carpet in the living room is a beautiful hardwood floor!  Whatever possessed someone to cover that up is beyond me!

Cullen Loves Dr. Suess

These are Cullen's obsession right now.  I've come to the conclusion that he loves Dr. Suess.....he loves the books too!  Every day he asks for "Elephant", which is Horton Hears A Who.  An elephant has always been his favorite animal too.  I don't know why, but, he loves elephants.  And he thinks the Grinch is hilarious!   This kid has great taste in literature and movies don't ya think?  I do! 

24 Days of Thanksgiving #10

I am thankful for the first Thanksgiving.
Without which, I wouldn't be thankful for anything.

(that is a joke.)

Toilet Talk

I have been working with Cullen in tiny little baby steps, implanting the idea of going to the bathroom in the toilet.  Cullen is going to be another very stubborn little guy just like Liam.  Why do my traits have to rub off on my children!?!? Anyway, this morning he told me that he pooped and needed a new diaper.  (well, not in those words, but in Cullen's words)  So, I checked and he had not pooped yet.  I said you should be a big boy like daddy and go poop in the toilet.  He actually grabbed my hand and walked with me to the bathroom door!!!  Sweet!  This is a BIG step! haha!  When we got the bathroom door open, he changed his mind though.  But, my constant rambling about being a big boy that pees in the toilet is finally making a dent! woot!

This Guy Says It Perfectly

The Lie – Renting is throwing money away

Although I am currently debt free I do not own a home, have no immediate plans to buy one, and have been renting an apartment for nearly 3 years now.
You may remember a past discussion on the topic of renting before buying a home, and while there are many factors involved in the renting vs. mortgage debate, today let’s hone in on one common misconception that often drives people into the arms of mortgage lenders:

“Renting is just throwing money away”

Well intentioned friends like to remind hapless renters like myself how much we have “thrown away” in rents over the past several years.  They are also quick to point out that had we only bought (a.k.a. mortgaged our lives for) a home, some of our rents paid would now be counted toward our net worth calculation as equity.  In reality this is misleading at best.  Actually, avoiding a mortgage has provided us an opportunity to build more equity while renting.  To prove my point let’s compare a hypothetical mortgage against my current rental housing situation.

The Truth – Renting cost vs. mortgage cost

According to Bankrate.com borrowers in Laredo, TX with credit scores over 700 can borrow $165,000 on a 30 yr fixed note for about 5% – if they put 20% down.  I don’t know a lot of first time, prospective mortgage slaves with $33,000 in their pocket.  Heck, many may be hard pressed even to have credit scores of 700 or higher.  So we will go with the default numbers in Bankrate’s payment calculator: $165,000, for 30 years, at 7%, with no down payment.  That is enough to buy a house about twice the size of my current apartment in the same neighborhood.
I currently pay $700 for a 626 sq ft, 1 bedroom apartment in a gated community, with a pool and a gym.  We are trading up to a larger house in this example, because that is what most people do.  Few go looking for a 600 sq ft house, as they usually leave apartments for more space.  Feel free to run these numbers with a more expensive apartment or cheaper house; the results should be similar.
Here is a snippet of the Amortization Schedule (click image to see the full amortization schedule.)

Our imagined loan results in monthly payments of $1,097.75.  At the first payment, only $135.25 goes toward principal. After one year of payments the equity, according to amortization schedule, would be $1,676.09 not $13,173.  As you can see… that’s not a whole lot of equity.
We THREW AWAY almost $12,000 in the first year with a mortgage; my apartment only costs $8,400!
Also, by the time the loan is paid off, $230,189.68 has been thrown away in interest paid to the bank.  That is more than the price of the house!  Mortgages steal from your future standard of living. Sure… you will get into a house sooner, but think of all the things you could buy with $230,000 if your house was already paid for!

The Solution – Build more equity while renting

The snippet amortization schedule above shows the initial & final payments on our imagined loan.  It also shows the turning point where the money I through away on interest is less than the money through away on rent.  Notice it is 15 years in the future.  That means I could rent for 15 years before buying a house and still come out money ahead, and maybe save enough to buy a home with cash.
The loan payment is $397.75 more than my current rent.  Instead of making the larger payment to a bank, I continue to pay my rent and put the difference into an ING Direct savings account labeled “Personal Equity.”  At the end of one year, I will have $4,773.  That is more than double the equity I would have with a mortgage, and it is also a liquid asset in MY bank account… accessible without having to sell my home or qualify for a HELOC loan.  You build your personal equity faster as you save money, I like to think of this as mortgage pre-payment. 
My own personal equity grows by $875 with every paycheck.  I will have $22,000 by the end of the year.  I am also looking for a cheaper apartment, and probably will spend less than $165,000 on a house.  If I maintain my current standard of living, as my income increases so will my savings.  Eventually I will be able to buy a house with cash in the time it takes most people to pay off a car.

Final Details

You might notice I didn’t account for the mortgage interest tax deduction.  I wanted to keep the math simple, so I also left out costs for home maintenance, property taxes, or private mortgage insurance that more than offset the tax break.  These forgotten expenses will only add to the savings a renter can accumulate while those paying mortgage continue to pay, pay, pay.
For this to work you will need to secure housing below your means while you save to afford something better a few years down the road. This concept of sacrificing now to benefit later is a fundamental building block of sound personal finance.  Renting indefinitely without saving will never get you into a house, but paying a mortgage guarantees that you throw away money on interest.
There will always be a few areas with no available rental housing, but most people should be able to find a decent rental while they save for a home.  However, most people choose a mortgage over renting because they refuse to live below/within their means for a few years… never realizing how much it actually costs them in the long run.

What Do You Think?

I encourage you to visit Bankrate.com and try out their amortization calculator with prices from your area.  If you rent, take note of the difference between your current rent amount and a mortgage payment.  How much personal equity could you build in a year?  If you already own a home, try the pre-payment calculator to see if you can pay that bugger off early.

----note from Colista.  I just reread this and realized I didn't say who this "guy" was.  He is a writer on a blog called Debt Advantage

What the????

Awhile back I went to find something to put next to my Dad's grave.  I didn't have much luck.  What I did find, I decided to snap a picture and text it to Jeremy because I was dumbstruck.  A praying rabbit and squirrel???? With wings!?!?!? What are these things for?  Angel squirrels are praying for you!?!?  I'm blown away.  Religious bunnies with the power of flight!?!?  Was I supposed to put this next to my Dad's grave as if to say, Don't worry, Dad, the angel bunnies are praying for you!  Bahahahaha!  I just don't get it.  I wonder if the same people who buy these statues also think there is no possibility of life elsewhere in the universe?  That's right.  Praying angel bunnies are MUCH more believable!