Get along Little Dogies

You know that Wyoming will be your new home!

Well, it'll be ours anyway. Jason has accepted a job offer in Gillette, Wy- and we are in the process of moving.

I despise moving. I really do. I hate the hassle, the packing, the cleaning, the mess, the stress, the fact that the children are underfoot 24/7... it's really a pain.

I also am bummed to leave behind all the terrific friends I have made here, and I will miss that fact that we've been so close to Grandma and Grandpa Moore that they could stop by for a day without major travel plans.

So far I have "most" of the bathroom packed
"most" of the boys' room packed
"most" of my craft items packed...
"most" of the dvds/ tv stuff packed...
see a trend here? The "most"s are not alls and are making me really antsy. I hope I can get this all done in time.

Pre-Winter Blues

It's not officially winter yet, I guess. But The view from my window would suggest otherwise. I have not posted in a while because I was ill for a time- and just didn't feel like it- now that I am feeling at least 97% I decided I'd update.

Update #1: On October 21st Hudson turned 5!

Update #2: We're MOVING!!! Yes- I am afraid it's true. Jason is graduating in less than a month and we are packing up our things- and going to......
well, we don't know where exactly yet, but we know we're moving.
The thing I dread most is our awful landlord who is (and I know it sounds trite, but there is no other way to describe her) mean. She is just mean. She has no reason to be cruel she just is- and that is what makes her so bad. So we are probably not going to get our desposit back even though I have lived for 2 1/2 years without putting up a single picture on the walls. (and before you ask, yes I tried those 3M sticky things.... don't work for anything that weighs more than a piece of paper and I have several broken frames to testify of that....)

Also I know my procrastinating ways- and I am combatting them even as I write this. It is my goal to have everything packed up and boxed away before Christmas EVE... And I don't fancy the idea of having to carry boxes out to the truck (which hopefully some company will PAY for) in -45 degree weather... today it is 8 degrees, but it might as well be 45 below... brrrr.

Update #3: I sold my red car to my friend Paula at work. This way we don't have to trailer 4 cars or make two or three trips. We've had our ups and downs in that red car, but it is reliable, and should work well for her. :) Plus this way we no longer have that specific monthly payment and it will help to pay down our debt.

Update #4: I have really come to enjoy taking portraits and think that if I get enough practice, I might be able to do some freelance photography in the future. I'd like to be able to save enough money to buy a "real" camera- a digital SLR and some nice lenses. I could then make some money doing something really fun and creative. (obviously not make ALOT, but just as a hobby)

Well, that's about it for now. We're going to G-ma Griffin's place for Thanksgiving, then possibly to Colorado but for sure up to Wyoming which may be our new home in 2011- if Jason likes what he sees...

Fulfillment

Is there anything more satisfying than meeting the needs of your children? I would argue no, there isn't.

Teen Suicides

I think that the recent increase in teen suicide due to bullying is very very sad. But wonders what kind of message we are sending to kids by martyring the teens all over the news so much? Yes- it is a call to action- something must be done. But if I were a teen with suicidal thoughts (and you don't know if I wasn't so don't judge) I think knowing my image would be on tv- publicily humiliating my tormenters, and the candles and the teddy bears and all the people who would gather together in my name- might just be making suicide look that much more appealing. I'm just saying- No excuse for bullies- very sad about the suicides, but instead of letting the media tell the story, shouldn't we sit down with our kids and TALK about it?

Mysterious Ways

I know that most people would say that Heavenly Father isn't interested in the trivial things of my day, like what shirt I choose, or what I eat for breakfast- but I know that he is aware of me- and that he blesses me in Mysterious Ways.

You know that Psych season 4 DVD that I was loathe to return, but put on my frugal big girl panties so that I could get my son a much needed coat? (small sacrafice, I know, but it was still hard for me)
well.... It's on netflix streaming! YAY! I can still watch it! :)

Ok- Netflix has become our entertainment budget. For 8.99 a month we get unlimited movies streamed to our computer and our tv with the wii- and one dvd at a time. This is what we do instead of renting videos and going out to movies. It works pretty well, actually. :) And I have sworn off buying movies for a long time- I don't really need to buy movies. I will watch it how many times after purchasing it? And I have to store the darn things and that just adds to the "stuff" that I am hoping to rid myself of soon.

Ok- I know- it may not be an earth-moving miracle- but it's a miracle to me. And I am thankful for the blessing. :)

The Frugal Beast

Ya, Ok, I admitt it. I am a reluctant frugalista- I would MUCH rather have a billion dollars to spend on whatever it is that I want. The fact is- I don't - and maybe if I did I still wouldn't be happy because I wouldn't know how to manage it. Maybe that's why we're struggling right now, to help prepare me for the blessing that are on their way. To prove that I can work with very little so that I can better manage it when we become better off... I don't know.

Anyway- my inner comedian is at work- and it makes these LEAN times a little more bearable.

For Example:

I wanted to buy Lincoln a Bumbo chair- but I knew he'll be sitting up on his own before too long, and I don't have an extra $40 sitting around. (also, don't want to store the darn thing when he's too big for it ...see hoarders post) So this is what I came up with instead.

And when you put a blanket in it it's even MORE comfy for him... This is the bucket we store Hudson's toy cars in, but when its not being used Oh Boy! What fun!

Also- I thought it would be nice to have one of those double stroller things where you have the one child sitting in front and a chair for the older child in the back- but this works equally well...



Ok- I know, it's not the intended use, but Hudson got tired on the way home from a walk and this seemed like the easiest solution... Not winning mommy of the year with this one, huh?


Anyhow- I did something that was pretty hard for me to do, but I am proud of myself for it. This July I bought season 4 of Psych at Wal Mart. I was SOOO excited, but when I brought it home I had buyers remorse. I didn't really NEED it- I shouldn't have spent money on it.... so I left it shrink wrapped. Well, things are pretty tight here, like I mentioned, and I sucked it up and returned the dvds to wal mart. I used that $40 to buy Hudson a new coat and to make a payment to my hospital bill. It wasn't easy, but I am proud that I could make a responsible decsion. And now, someone can buy me Psych season 4 as a gift later since I now no longer have it... hint hint. ;)

Look at me go! Maybe I can do this after all!

Sloppy Jofus

(This Beef Flavored TVP is found at http://www.shelfreliance.com/beef-tvp-1.html) It's the best price I have seen online- I got mine in Canada for about $15 a can)

I used TVP to make sloppy Joes last night- For those of you who don't know, my husband is a wonder bread and hot dog type guy. He likes easy cheap foods, but he wants them to be familiar. He has expressed less than enthusiasm about my using TVP in the past (TVP, incidentally, is Texturized Vegetable Protein, dehydrated soy basically) but what he doesn't know won't hurt him right? He doesn't even notice when I use it in chili or with taco meat as a filler... Well, my plan was to reconstitute the TVP before he got home so he didn't notice. It's actually "Beef flavored" so it tastes a little more like real meat. Texture-wise it's a little softer, but I know there is a noticeable difference. I was also planning to use 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 pound TVP to better disguise it.

But that's not what happened.

I had a pretty stressful day yesterday and was not in a good mood when Jason came home from his class. (I was actually still crying about cat feces to Erica- see previous post) so I was running a bit late and had to hurry with dinner if I wanted to eat before work. So I was just putting the TVP into the skillet with the tomato paste water and seasoning when Jason walked in. He looked at it for a second, but Bless that Man, he said nothing.

I think if he had said something, he knows he's get a Pyrex bowl thrown at his head- so I served it up and Hudson complained that it didn't taste like meat- I asked what it tasted like and he said water. I wonder if reconstituting it in Beef Broth would improve the flavor? hmmm...

Jason again said nothing. He ate two sloppy- jofus without complaint. If he's hungry he'll eat it. Of course I wasn't like "Oh honey look! I am using our TVP food storage- what do you think?"

and if he barfed later I am unaware because I went right to work. :)