BLACK FRIDAY SUCCESS!

This year was the first year, really, that I got out in the madness on black Friday. My inlaws have made a tradition of shopping on black Friday, something that I was never really too fond of. However, this year I was in WV (where my inlaws live), and I couldn't wait to experience it with them! I always hear the crazy stories, and was anxious to make some memories of my own. My MIL was awesome and watched Rowan so that I could do some shopping. First we hit Walmart, then Circuit City, JC Pennies, a couple stores in the mall, Toys R Us, Old Navy, I don't remember what else...We started at 4 AM. We also had lunch at Applebee's, YUM!
I would LOVE to tell you what deals I got, but then everyone would know what they are getting for Christmas! LOL So, that won't work...I will say that I got everything I set out to get and more...SUCCESS!!! Now, I can't wait to do it again next year!
Hope everyone had a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving!!!

West Virginia

Hello loyal readers! For those of you who have continued to check my blog for updates, I thank you for your patience! LOL I know I have not been so loyal at updating my blog, and am sorry!!!
Anyway, Rowan and I braved the long trip to West Virginia this past Saturday. It is normally about a 9 hour drive...add a baby in the equation, and it is a sure disaster! Anyway, last time we made the trip, I had my hubby and stepson with us...it turned out to be, if I can recall correctly, about a 16 hour drive. So, you can imagine my anxiety when I set out to make the trip with my toddler...by myself! Much to my surprise, it did t take as long as I had thought. We left home about noon, and arrived by 9:00 PM ILLINOIS TIME! I was shocked. Pleasantly so, of course! We only stopped three times: once for lunch, twice for fuel and to stretch. Rowan did REALLY well, only having two screaming episodes, which for him is reallllllllllllllllly an accomplishment!
Rowan has never done well at car rides. In fact, I have questioned if he may get car sick??? Does anyone have any good traveling toddler advice?

ELECTION DAY!!!

Today is the day to make your voice be heard!!! :-) My husband, along with many, MANY, other men and women have fought for YOUR freedom to vote and have a voice! Please exercise your right to vote...

It is 5:04 PM here in Illinois right now, with two hours left to vote! PLEASE GO VOTE!!!

I really want to go into my political views, but I am trying to refrain. I just PRAY for our country right now...we are in desperate need of God right now!!!

God bless you all! :-)

Chilly weather

So, it is getting cold outside...and the nights are REALLY cold and lonely. This weather makes me miss my husband even MORE than usual...I want to jump into bed and curl up next to him and put my freezing cold feet on his legs...he likes that! HAHAH
So, tonight, when you go to bed, ladies...please do this for me...and be thankful that your hubby is here for you to annoy! I sure wish mine was!

Rowan and I are loving the weather here lately!!! Yesterday we got to play in the leaves with his best buddy, Kayli, and Wesley.

FUNDRAISER!!!!!!

PLEASE SEE MY SISTER'S WEBSITE!!! Click here to view her fundraiser efforts for the food allergy network. Also, you can read her message below. If you would like to help and make a donation, it is very simple and easy to do...It only took me a matter of seconds to set up an account and make a small donation. See Jamie's blog if you would like to help! Thanks!!!



Raising Money For Food Allergies
This year our family is helping to raise money for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. You can read about the Trick or Treat for Food Allergy fundraiser here.If you would like to donate, you can go here and donate online. In the comment box, please type in "Miles K, age 3", and your donation will count towards our efforts. Since we pray that Miles will outgrow his milk allergy by age five, it would be neat to rack up a slew of $5 donations. Every little bit helps, and it all adds up. Your support would mean a lot to us.Serious food allergies are a fairly new phenomenon, and we pray that a cause and cure are found in Miles's lifetime. Money and research are needed to accomplish this. Thank you for all your support...even in just reading this blog. God bless.

computer???

I have been actively searching for a new computer...no luck so far...I just hate to buy a new one, when I know we have two perfectly good computers in Germany AND a new laptop in Iraq...makes my tummy hurt to think about it!!!

Anyone have a computer I can BORROW until next year? HAHA Fat chance, huh??? Just think, you will get to enjoy my uselsess blogging more! HEHE

So, yesterday I had a successful trip to Walgreens! Just a rundown:

2 bottles of Windex
2 bottles of Shout
1 bottle of Fantastic
2 cans of Scrubbing Bubbles
2 Jack pizzas
1 Crest toothpaste
1 Oral B toothbrush,
2 Vanilla Glade candles

SPENT OUT OF POCKET: $15.98
REBATES : $10.00

TOTAL SPENT AFTER SALES, COUPONS AND REBATES: $5.98

Yay me!!!

I also got two more rebate checks in the mail yesterday:

Capital one: $15.00
Huggies: $5.oo

this brings the total for the month to a whopping $115.00!!! Now, tell me I am wasting my time! I will soon be able to afford a new computer! HAHAHA

dang pictures!!!

Not sure why this is so difficult for me! The first picture on the last post was NOT supposed to be there, but I don't know how to take it off!!! Someone please tell me!!!

<------MY NEW CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ain't she purty???

PICS FROM JAMIE'S R&R HOME!!!

I sure wish these pics would upload in the order I put them in, but no such luck today.

LEFT: Jamie and Ro at the park

RT: Rowan going down the slide

Jamie and Rowan playing hard!

LFT: Rowan at the park, dirty boy!!!

RT: Jamie will KILL me for this one! The boys in the shower; Rowan's very first shower, ever!!!
LEFT: Jamie and Rowan at the airport, reunited!!!

RT: Lee and Jamie, dressed for our 8o's party! NICE!!!
Bruce (dad) and Melissa, my sister.

LEFT: Uncle Lee, Karena and Kyle, dressed 80's!!!

RT:

Kyle, Ro, Jamie and Karena, ready for bed!

Very, very sad day....

Okay, so I thought I found a great buy on a new laptop computer...turns out it was LAST week's ad, and they were sold out. I will be checking the paper tomorrow to see if I can find something comparable. DANG IT!!! Another day (or week, or MONTHS) without a computer!!!

Jen, keep praying that one falls in my lap, k??? Heehee

For Jen, because I love her!

So, I know I haven't exactly been keeping up my blog...I have been without a computer since we moved. My loving hubby was SUPPOSED to bring me a laptop home when he came home for R&R, but it didn't happen...so, I thought I could get by without one, but my sis (JEN), has informed me that her life just is not the same since I do not have a computer. Now, I do not want to be cause for any boredom or anything like that, so I think I will just have to go and get a new computer! LOL (THANKS JEN FOR THE EXCUSE TO GO SHOPPING...FOR MYSELF!, love ya chica)!!!
So, I will let you all know what I end up doing...hopefully, like Jen said, "one will fall in my lap!". HEHE

OUR LATEST MONEY SAVER

So, we did it! My hubby was home for 20 days, and he bought me a new car!!! I absolutely LOVE IT. Our Jeep had 150,000 miles on it, and only got 16 MPG. We got a new Chrysler Sebring Limited. It is really sharp; I'll put pics up soon.

We will save money b/c the gas mileage will be SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been averaging 30-31 MPG. YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How about a nice TREAT this year???

This was posted by my sister, milkallergymom.blogspot.com. As most of you are aware of the situation with my nephews, I will save the story! :-)

FAAN's Trick-Or-Treat Fundraiser
Last year, food allergy families raised $25,000 for The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network through the Trick or Treat for Food Allergy fundraiser. If you are interested in participating, go here to request a donation box or to get info on how friends and family can donate online. I think we will do this. It sounds like a positive way to channel my anxiety right now.

Wags deal

I felt like I won the lotto lastnight at Wags! I lost my plan sheet, but here is what I got.

Crest mouth wash 4.49
Ajax .99
Tylenol PM 3.49
Robitussin 3.99
Robitussin 3.99
Tylenol cold glcap 4.99
oust 2.99
oust 2.99
20 ft foil 1.19
20 ft foil 1.19
pmprs sz 4 9.49
pmprs sz 4 9.49
pmpers sz 4 9.49

--------------------coupons, savings, RR
1.38 off TWO foil = 2/1
oust $2 off mfgc
ajax .60 wags
tyl pm -1.00 mfgc
tyl cld glcap -1.50
mfgc2.00
mfgc2.50
mfgc1.00
mfgc1.00
mfgc1.50 off pampers
1.50 off pampers
1.50 off pampers

5.00 RR for 2 robitussin (ended up 2/.99)
4.50 RR for crest mouth wash (ended up FREE!!!)
So, my total came to $32.10 AFTER the 10 off $40 purchase coupon... AND I still have 9.50 in RRs to spend! YAYAYA!!!

WAG coupon savings 1.98
WAG advertised savings 14.20
MFG coupon savings 14.75

I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so beyond mad at myself right now!!! So, I just went through the ads for this week, hoping to find a great diaper deal. I was all pumped because I had several $2 off Pampers Walgreen's coupons, P&G coupons for $1 off, and my Walgreens register rewards for $2 each (totalling $10). I got the RRs last week when I bought 5 packs of Huggies. When I got home, I immediately filled out the Caregiver's rebate forms for $1.00 back on each pack I bought. I put the other coupons in a seperate white envelope...well, just now, I went into my purse to find my stack of coupons, all ready to go get soem GREAT deals on Pampers...................

FREAK FREAK FREAK FUDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you serious??? I mailed the WRONG ENVELOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The caregiver's envelope was still in my purse, but the envelope containing allllllllllllllllllllllllll of my coupons is NO WHERE TO BE FOUND!!!!!!!!!!!! I accidentally put the envelope with alllllllllllllllllllllllllll my coupons in the damn mailbox! Obviously, it does not contain a return address since it was not intended to be mailed! Somebody will get a nice surprise when they open that baby up! I had TEN DOLLARS OF WALGREEN'S MONEY IN THERE, not to mention about $20 in Huggies and Pampers coupons. I could cry right now..........somebody cheer me up!

things are too quiet!

All the fam left on Sunday, and Rowan and I don't know what to do!!! It is tooooo quiet!!! Jamie will be home on Friday, and I can't wait! His bday is today, so of course I am having a bummy day today. MISS YOU HONEY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola!

Today I took Kyle to Springfield to catch a ride back to his mom's house. It's sad, and I always hate to see him go. He is so much fun to have around!!!
Tomorrow the WV fam will be arriving for Jen and Lee's Saturday wedding, so I will keep busy and keep my mind off of missing Kyle...maybe? Okay, probably not! My nephew Tyas will also be staying with me, and I am super excited to get to spend some QT with him!!! :-)
I am working on getting their wedding programs finished, so hopefully I will have the printed, finished product IN MY HANDS by Tuesday.
I still don't have my home ready for company! I didn't expect to stress over this the way that I have been, but....well, I am! I STILL have not got my doors all painted...I need to put the second coat on the back sides of the doors, and I need to paint three sides around the doors. UGH! Oh, and let's not MENTION that I don't have a clue how I will get them up! Yeah, so six people staying at my home, and not a SINGLE door hanging up! That's right, not EVEN the bathroom! Oh boy...................

So, I cleaned! But, I have two boys...so guess what, my house is a MESS AGAIN! It is really driving me nuts.

On a good note, I got my hair cut, and I am loving it! Yep!!! Super cute and sheek! Alright, gotta run! Toodles!

Parade pictures

What have we been up to lately??? Here are a few pictures to update all of you loyal readers!

Rowan at the water park for a bday party: Graham at his bday party!!! He is ONE!

Rowan playing in the back yard.



Rowan and Kyle at the park.

Kyle Bub watching TV before bed

Awe! One of my favorites!

Uncle Jeff with Miles and Graham

Rowan found his tongue! And Aunt Jamie with Graham



Pictures at the water park.

Rowan sleeping with the quilt that Grandma made for him!

Dearest readers:

Well, I am so sorry that I have not been blogging on here as often as I promised! As most of you know, we got moved into our new house, and all of our belongings are still in Ktown, Germany...until OCTOBER OF 2010! I am without a computer... I am trying to keep updated as much as I can. Next week will be super busy with the fam from WV here, and Jen and Lee's wedding...then right after that my beloved hubby will FINALLY be home...for just a visit.
So, hopefully I will get some time to blog and put up some pics. For now, the boys and I are headed to the water park for a bday party! YAYAY

Oh, and Rowan and Kyle are finally feeling ALLLL BETTER! Yayay! I think I should write a book: The Mommy Chronicles??? Perhaps? In all my free time, right?

Sick babies...:-(

I have had an exhausting last couple of days. Rowan woke up from his nap on Sunday, and he was just not himself. He was very lethargic, not playful at all, and wouldn't eat or drink anything...all he wanted was for me to hold him, and when I wouldn't, he screamed and cried. He ended up vomiting all over his room, and when I took his temperature, it was 102.4!!!
I brought the boys to my aunt's house, and Rowan just couldn't get the life back in him, even after three doses of Motrin...so, I called his doctor and was told to take him to the ER. Once there, the doc told us that he had a double ear infection, with the left ear being more severe, a throat infection and a viral infection. YIKES!!! My poor baby!
He started on meds that night, and his temp was still high. I have been giving him (rotating) Motrin and Tylenol every three hours. Well, in the middle of the night, Kyle came in my room crying and holding his head. He said he had an awful headache, so I also gave him some Tylenol. Before much longer, he was over the toilet...needless to say, between the two of them, I got NO sleep that night! LOL They are both on the road to wellness, but not fast enough!
Hope you all are doing well!!!

House pics

These were all taken last week, and obviously a LOT has been done since! I will get up some new ones soon; we have more furniture now! WOOOHOO!!!

WE ARE MOVED IN!!!

Hi folks!
We have officially moved into our new home! We still have some work to do, it is a work in progress, but it is officially where we will lay our heads tonight! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!
I will not have a computer for a while, so I don't know how well I will do at keeping my blog going...stay tuned!

Loves, happiness, and many cheeky smiles!
Ashley

Need to post!

Sorry readers, I have been terribly busy these last few days. There is a lot going on, and a lot still to do! I promise, I will fill you all in soon! :-)

Jamie, I love you honey! Sorry I had to rush off the phone today. MUAH XOXOX I miss you!!!

Loves and hugs,
Ashley

coming along?

So, pictures do not do justice, and certainly do not validate my hard work! LOL Nevertheless, there they are. List of things accomplished:

new front and back doors are put in

new stuff around the windows and top of the house (whatever it is called???)

had the carpets cleaned

got a good start on the bathroom/painting is done

new bed for Kyle's room!!! YAYAYAY

new and WORKING smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

hallway is painted and finished

Kyle's room is painted and finished

LR is painted (need to remove the tape still)

laundry room is painted and finished

washer and dryer are in and hooked up! WOOT!!!

new chair railing is primed and painted (ready to put up)

sidewalks are finished

I can't remember what all else...but for those of you who have been leaving me messages, and I have not called back...I hope the running list above is proof that I have been busting my ass and super busy! LOL