Happy Birthday America!!

We're not looking too shabby for being 233...
America is sooooo young compared to some countries.
It's amazing when you think of the journey that our country has been on: declaring ourselves, demanding our God-given freedom, and growing as a country....

I appreciate my freedom A WHOLE LOT more since marrying an ARMY guy.
It's just different now, than it was before I was a military wife. I have a deeper appreciation for my country, its military and the price they pay to protect our freedoms.

Just like many of you, I was at a small town parade today. In the town we live in, Purcellville, there are about 7,000 people. ALL of them were at or in the parade today. It was pretty cool. Literally. Only about 80 degrees, which was nice. Small floats and tractors and trucks drove by, throwing candy at kids who cared for nothing more than the candy....Flags were waving, smiles were in abundance. It was a lovely parade.

My favorite part was this: my son's Tae Kwon Do school,

Dragon Yong-In participated in the parade. They were GREAT (no bias. Seriously they were great!) Greg walked the parade route (and took the photos) with Adam, while I supervised Micaela, grabbing candy from parade people....and here are some of the funner moments with Adam in the parade.

Adam has his warrior face/ war cry well in hand.....the haircut doesn't hurt either.....Hard to believe he was too shy to holler in class that first week....Now, he's louder than just about any of them!

Dead center and looking good (and the only one with a High & Tight), he's been working on his form and he's having sooo much fun. He was the ONLY white belt to participate in the parade.

I am king od glad that I didn't see him doing flips in the STREET, because I am a Momma, and I would have been like, "Oh no, he's gonna fall and have another concussion..." This is where it's good that his Daddy was there...

I love how TKD is teaching him respect and discipline. That is worth the mountain of money I paid for the tuition. Well worth every penny.....

probably my favorite shot from the whole day. My boy in action. We'll be framing this one for his room. I like thinking that this discipline, this conditioning of his mind and body, will be very useful when he joins the military.
If you're local and considering Tae Kwon Do for your child(ren), you'd be wise to check out this school. The staff is professional and caring. It's a big committment but well worh it, in my opinion.

Tonight: hot dogs and fireworks. Good times.....

Thank God, from whom all blessings flow.....

Let me say this upfront: I had an AWFUL morning.
Just a rotten, yucky morning.....one I don't want to repeat.
And I was in no mood.
Just when you're at your darkest, God's light can still reach into your heart....

A few months ago, I co-hosted a "Blessings Exchange" where families brought stuff they didn't need or want (books, clothing, toys, etc) and we all pooled our stuff and shared the Blessings. No money, just blessed each other. It was a huge success and it resonated....

Today, another woman who was inspired by our Blessings Exchange hosted one at her church....and I got to attend this one. And boy, did we get some goodies! When I co-hosted, I didn't get to look through everything, it was coming in so fast, but this time, I struck gold...

My haul:
2 pajamas (one from Victoria's Secret)
8 shirts (3 still with tags on them!)
3 pants
2 shorts
1 swim trunks
2 dresses (one from Hannah Anderson)
7 bottles of lotion (which made Micaela squeal)
a rose-scented gift basket (I love roses...)
a National Geographic activity Dinosaurs & Fossils (Adam is already barricaded in his room with this....)
a Phonics game for Micaela
a pair of Teva sandals for Micaela (they match mine perfectly!)
A set of orangutans for Adam (don't even ask...)
a nice, spacious black purse that will be perfect for an upcoming trip :)
A lighted extra large magnifying glass (perfect for the Summer of Science!)
and a yellow Estee' Lauder make-up bag...full of make-up.....(although I am not a huge fan of yellow, I am grateful to turn this into THE most stylish First Aid kit for our camper...)

All for free. Not a penny spent.
I. LOVE. IT.
Interactive Generosity.

So I am washing the kids' "new" clothes and smiling.
And thanking God for His grace.
And that is enough for me.

Plus total bonus: I got to see my friend, Barbara from Mommy Life

I love my freedom

This weekend is the 4th of July.
I'd like to stop a moment and say how much I love my freedom.
I do take it for granted, that I can say what I want. I can disagree with my government without fear. I can dress in what I like. I can vote. I have FREEDOM. What a beautiful God-given gift.
I'll be watching a small town parade this weekend, standing beside my uniform-wearing ARMY husband, holding my kids' hands....and my heart will be full of gratitude.

Saw this cool link, Write Your Name In Sparklers, on Mommy Life isn't this cool?

table>Available from Phantom Fireworks

Enjoy your weekend.
Be grateful for your freedom.
Love your country.

sadness with joy

July starts tomorrow.

And with it, a day I thought I would never see: Jonathan's 21st birthday. (in mid-July)
My BABY will be 21. Legal by most standards, but with the mind (and the impulses and demands) of a child. I always get depressed around his birthday.

It's common amongst parents with special needs kids, this sadness..... Often on a birthday, we take stock and list the accomplishments of the past year. But with Jonathan, it always reminds of where he's NOT, what he WON'T be, how he's never kissed a girl or driven a car....

Even though it's illogical, it still makes me sad. So in an effort to prep for Jonathan's big and very special day, I will do my best to welcome this milestone with a different attitude.

I will do my best to remember how far he HAS come.
I will honor his accomplishments and be proud of them.
I will celebrate his life. The one he has, not the one I longed for.
Raising kids with special needs is a marathon.
Sometimes, I feel like an expert, but most times, I feel like I am just crawling...

On a lighter note, he has already planned his party: it involves bowling. Big shocker there...

:)

thank God he's okay

Adam fell off his bunk bed last night, around 920pm.
Greg whisked him off to the ER and I met them there.
He had the BIGGEST knot on his forehead I've ever seen.
All of a sudden, my active little boy was listless and under-reactive.

CT showed nothing serious. But he does have a concussion.
I watched over him last night and as I type this, he's lying in my bed.
No physical activity for a week and he has to lay low.

Thank God he's okay. Literally, THANK GOD.....

ssshhhhh

While Micaela was with her Daddy all week, I cleaned her room.
I rid her space of all the bits of paper and junk. I wonder if she'll even notice.
I *did* take care to toss anything important looking, but to an 8-year-old, everything is important (and dramatic)....

link to a contest

Money Saving Mom has a contest that all you M&C'ers should take note of. (M&C'er's are Mac&Cheese eaters...)

24-Hour Giveaway: A year's supply of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

I'll be entering for my kids.
Who think Mac&Cheese is fine dining.
IF I win, I am donating ALL of it to the Good Sheperd Alliance for the Homeless. Just in the last year, they've seen a 40% increase in homelessness in my very over-priced county. I know that M&C won't solve that, but I do what I can to help.

Now, go enter......

stuff on a Friday

We all know that money does not grow on trees. If it did, we'd all have an orchard or two......That's why I am surveying my way to buying the Kids a Wii (possibly, still haven't decided 100%....) When I last reported on June 12th, I had surveyed my way to $118.00, which is good. A mere 2 weeks later, I have added a nice chunk, bringing the working total to $183.00.
SwagBucks makes it easy. And the other survey companies I use....If you're not on SwagBucks, click the logo below and get with it!!




Today, we are getting back on track with Tae Kwon Do. And then on Monday, I go back to the gym. I am tired just thinking about it...

I had such a great time visiting at my friend, Angela's, house. Adam thinks of her home as Boy Heaven....she has FIVE sons and a trampoline. And they have LEGOS!

And tonight, I am taking my boys to see Monsters vs Aliens (2009)
at the cheap theater in Winchester. I get to go to the Super Wal-Mart AND a cheap movie....We are NOT seeing it in the 3D though. I will comment on the whole 3D ripoff later as well as my review of "Up".......but right now, my Friday evening awaits!!

TRIPLE COUPON DEAL!!!

Hey all you local chicks...
How could I have missed this??
It's Bloom's TRIPLE COUPON DAYS!! (up to $0.99)
Limit 20 per person per day (and they are real sticklers about that.....)
I have my 20 in hand and I am headed there after visiting my friend Angela!!
Wooo HOOOO!
I am a coupon nut, I know. But THIS is how I built The Stockpile.
Deals and pictures to follow.................

total slacker

I realized today that I had not blogged about my fitness stuff in a while.
That could have something to do with the fact that I have not BEEN to the gym in like 2 week....(head hangs down in shame)....And I started eating crap again.....

Well, I am back on track....starting tomorrow...HA! No seriously. My asthma is bothering me, and there's nothing that is as powerful reminder to be healthy that GOOD BREATHING :)

So I'll be in the gym again starting tomorrow. I need to. I need to feel some sort of accomplishment. It wasn't even the food that brought me down this time: it was stress. It was letting everything else come first. (Isn't that what Moms do???)

On top of getting myself under control, I am also undertaking a massively stressful deal: I am taking Jonathan COMPLETELY off of ANY fried food. You'd think this wouldn't be THAT hard since we don't fry any food at home, ever. But Jonathan lives for fries. And it's something that I KNOW will calm him. But how can I, as his Mother and Nutritionist, keep sticking that crap in his mouth? Shameful....so he's gone cold turkey. He was pissed when he saw that he had mandarin oranges with a ham sandwich today. I thought for sure I was going to be wearing oranges, but he rallied. He knows fruit is good so we're going to support each other. We're going out tonight to pick out some fresh fruit. You know at Wegman's or Harris Teeter that they will allow you to sample ANY fruit? So we're going to branch out a bit.....

mail call

I love it when I go away for a brief period and then I come home to a full mailbox. Makes me feel popular. I love getting stuff in the mail.

Today brought BOOKS and coupons (which is always a winner in my house!)



from PBS, I rec'd this gem:
Adam is ITCHING to start up on the Science. He parked himself next to my chair and found a few experiments he'd like to do...

And then before the movie today, I went to Borders and used a 30% off coupon (which I get for being a Borders member, they e-mail coupons like crazy!!), I bought this....I love Glenn Beck and his books are always good.

Tonight, I hope to finish reading Lisa's copy of the Duggar book. I love watching their show. And the book is a quick read, full of inspiration. I was so inspired I cleaned my bedroom. The WHOLE room....Seriously.

Now, I have to clean the kitchen and get ready for my date tonight. I have been invited to a verrrrry exclusive Lego building party. It's very hush-hush......

off to the movies

We're off to see "UP" in 3D....(last time we saw a 3D movie, it scared the life outta Adam, but that was DINOSAURS.....)
I have heard such GREAT reviews for this movie......
If you're going to see it, you can even download printables!

Disney-Pixar UP Printables | Entertainment | Disney Family.com

Will review it when we get home......

every day is new....

(picture has NOTHING to do with the post...I just like it...--couldn't find one with Jonathan and the kids---)

When Jonathan and I are in the car, we listen to the JAMS. The jams are CD's that I burn from my existing iTunes collection....a VERY weird collection of rock, country and Contemporary Christian music...but Jonathan LOVES it....

There's one song, I've heard it so many times that I can't even tell you the name. I know it's on CD #5, if that helps :) Nonetheless, it says in the song, "Every day is new..." and it is. Every day, God gives us what we need.

Today, I awoke refreshed and mended from my day yesterday. It's funny how God catches your attention. Last week, Lisa sent me a book that I'd been wanting to read "The Duggars: 20 and Counting!" and it said something that I really REALLY needed to hear:

God wants me to have a servant's heart.

Let me explain what I got from that: He gave me Jonathan (and the other kids, too) and I am The Momma. And I serve them. And I should do so with a willing and open heart.

I was NOT feeling so open and willing yesterday. I was angry and resentful and mad and yes, selfish. But God is always working on me.....Just like grief (which is a constant companion with raising special needs kids....) is a process, so is my willingness to let go and Let God.

I am humbled and I've decided to let God guide me today. And probably tomorrow, too.

life happens....

(Beware, I am going to whine A LOT in this post...just let me ramble and I'll be fine.....)


We lasted ONE day.
Jonathan got sick (mostly caused by anxiety from being out of his norm.....) and I get no vacation....Instead, I get woken up to deal with poop AND puke. In a small tight space of a pop-up...Not fun. Not anywhere near fun...I am so not liking fragile x right now. It's so much easier when they're 5 and you can pick them up and move them at will. But when they're almost 21 and they outweigh EVERYONE, not so much.....

I should be here, with Greg and Micaela and Adam and Jonathan.


Instead, Adam and I brought Jonathan home...to settle him back into his comfortable surroundings. And to do a whole lot of laundry. I am so upset, I can't even articulate how much this broke my heart. Having kids with special needs is TOUGH. I don't want a pat on the back or a medal. I just want to be able to do FAMILY STUFF without all the drama!! It's tough.....The whole drive home (90 minutes) I didn't say one single word. Jonathan just kept looking at me, begging for silent forgiveness. I KNOW he can't help it. God knows I understand that.....but still I wanted some Family Time.....I was aching for it......

Micaela has been looking forward to this week for a LONG time. So I left her in her capable daddy's care.


They are fishing and relaxing and having fun, and I am glad for that. She was thrilled to catch her first fish last night....At least I was there to hear about that.....(she wouldn't touch it for fear it would bite her nose...???)

Meanwhile, I am doing the laundry. And praying.....the whole time this morning, I just kept repeating, "Lord, make this moment holy..." and He has. I am just going to cry myself to sleep tonight, missing my husband and wishing I was sitting lakeside, listening to the nothingness and the calm. I could use some calm right now....

(all photos were taken with my iPhone.....right before it gave me the Black Screen of Death....oh yes, less than a week of ownership and I get to go make some new friends at The Apple Store....I don't even wanna talk about it.....I'm going to my Happy Place with that....)

----Lord, make this moment holy......please--------

ETA: THANK YOU GOD!! My iPhone healed itself. I plugged it into the computer and it did a whole bunch of stuff that apparently wiped it clean and re-downloaded it. It's HEALED :)

I am outta here.....

I won't be blogging for a few days.
I'll be too darn busy RELAXING..
We're headed to Cowan's Gap State Park in PA.
Actually Adam and Greg are already there, having logged in 2 days of Man Time (Adam caught his first fish!!) If you locally or anywhere near, you should really look into this park. We've been going for a few years and it's GREAT.

Pennsylvania State Parks - Cowans Gap - PA DCNR

Things I like about Cowans Gap:

1. It's VERY close to our home. Barely more than an hour's drive, so if Jonathan cannot tolerate it much, it's a quick trip home.
2. It's FAMILY oriented.
3. It's incredibly inexpensive, less than $100 for a whole week of camping.
4. It has a big lake with man-made Beach, bats, hiking, canoes and lots of nature....

Growing up, my family NEVER camped. We didn't really vacation much at all. My dad liked his spot at home..... but in my house, my kids LOVE to explore. And Greg, he grew up camping, REAL camping stuff.....like Boy Scouts and all. So thankfully our kids have developed an appreciation for the outdoors. Camping is also a great equalizer. It's challenging to find activities that appeal to ALL of the kids. (AS I type this, Jonathan is sitting on the bench by the door...even though we won't leave for HOURS......)

whew.....long day

It was a long day.
With the men away, Micaela and I hit the thrift stores.
I wish I could share with you some pictures of our amazing bargains, but I am washing all of the clothes we bought.....We shopped, we ate. Then we shopped some more. We even got to go to a store that we've wanted to see for a long while:

The Pink Shop in Leesburg.

Just like the title says: it's all pink, which made Micaela squeal with delight. They have a bear dressed in costume out front (don't know why...)---(and I don't know why all of a sudden, she's all about making her teeth seem buck-ish...)

Inside the shop, you'll find LOTS of unique items, some bizarre but all are memorable. The one that made us laugh till he hurt was this:

I can't imagine WHY or WHEN you'd give this as a gift but it's hilarious. But please, don't rush out and buy me any.....


I liked this plaque, but am I wrong in interpreting this to me if I display that, I am calling myself a Witch? Hmmm.....

We ended this shopping trip with a perfect Pink Umbrella. She'd been clamoring for one. And it'll make a nice prop (if she'll let me borrow it..)

One thing's for sure: my money ran out before Micaela's energy did :)
She's born to shop (at thrift stores, that is.....)

is YOUR vacuum a Decepticon?

In our house, we LOVED the "Transformer" movie. I thought it was very well done. While Greg is on leave, we just might go see the new one this week...

Did you know about this? One of the Decepitcons is actually a Dyson vacuum. I TOLD MY HUSBAND MY VACUUM WAS COOL!! Nope, mine doesn't transform. It IS a machine, but it doesn't transform. (if it did, I would totally draft it to do either the Sock Basket or unload the dishwasher, but I digress.....)

The cool Mama over at From Dates to Diapers and Beyond! is having a contest....I'll admit that I almost didn't share with you guys (because I wanna win), but my goodness won out.



The drawing is on Jonathan's 21st Birthday. You think if I win that I should gift it to him? Naaaahhhhh......the only way he'd dig it is if Megan Fox (I) herself was cleaning his room for him :)

Now, go enter the contest. You stand just as much chance as anyone (I love random!)

To see more about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Official Movie Site & Trailer
(I, for one, can't wait to see the movie!!)

freebie at Wags

Anyone like FiberChoice? It's a good product that we use in our house, so I was glad to see the lil coupon spitter... (I heard a lady call it that once and it just stuck...)

Anywho, the coupon sitter has $2.00 coupon for ANY FiberChoice product(no size requirment listed). Now most of those jars are between $11.99-14.99, but they have these lil rolls, (sort of like Lifesaver size roll) for $2.29, which means if you use the coupon, you will get a small roll for only $0.29!

A good deal! And EVERYONE needs more fiber. Ideally from natural sources but if you can do that all the time, you can supplement. The thing *I* like about FiberChoice is that it works, and it doesn't taste like chalk...

(and how do you like this photo....? Snapped with the new iPhone camera. People were staring at me taking pics of the FiberChoice section.....but I am willing to suffer stares to bring you the good deals, you guys!)

couponing for others....

I am blessed with this life.
With an ABUNDANT life.
And I feel called to SHARE.....as much as I can. I wanna give like I have plenty......

With THAT in mind, I often buy things with my coupons that are not for me.
I always cut out coupons for products for diabetic care. The meters, the drinks, the test strips, etc. And if I can find them for very cheap, or better yet FREE, I buy them.
Then I donate them to a local Women's Shelter.
I know personally how scary it is to leave everything behind and start over...
Now imagine having a health issue and you NEED supplies. I would think that would be even scarier....


So it's with these women in mind that I coupon for others...
Today, I was THRILLED to see at CVS that they offered the Freestyle Lite kit for $9.99 and I had been holding onto two coupons for $9.99.....so I scored two kits for FREE.

Makes me feel good that this might help a woman in need.
We also scored some toothbrushes and toothpaste, but nothing as fabulous as the kits. They're valued at $75.00 retail. So catching them on sale THIS MUCH is big.

I encourage you to save the coupons for high value medical supplies for times when you might be able to bless someone else.

let God wash it clean....

There are MANY ants in my kitchen.
This upsets me greatly.
They're lil sugar ants, annoying as all get out.
I have washed my dishes about 400 times.
Okay....only twice, but it might as well be 400....

I am off to shoot a wedding in a few hours and it's raining.
(It's actually Good Luck to get rain on your wedding day.
The wisdom behind that is that God washes you anew to start your life and love together....)
---But I do hope the sun comes out for the photographs...---

The laundry is piling up.....but I will make time for that tomorrow.
Right now, I just want to look out my window and think about God washing it all clean...
I love thinking about that....

I have MANY blessings in my life. It's all good, as they say.
And even is it ain't, it still is, you know?

I took this photo yesterday, while doing the Wedding Recon...and it just caught my eye.
A tiny lil flower. (and I took this with a basic lens, not even a prime lens.....) It helped me focus on finding something, anything to appreciate...

I am a steak-n-potatoes gal.....

For all you local chicks:
This is a printable coupon for Giant Meat... it's Save $5.00 on a $15.00 purchase. Last time they posted one of these, I went EVERY DAY and bought meat. At the end of the week, it was like I had 3 packages of steaks for FREE!

Don't delay. Print your copies now. Go once a day, every day if you want. But don't miss out. This goes hand in hand with "knowing your Meat Guy". They can clue you in on the best deals.

I'll be using mine to get some burgers and steaks for Father's Day....I wonder if Greg even thinks that special enough: we have steaks all the time :) Maybe I'll grill some shrimp for him....

Nonetheless, get your bargains!!

gimme the Math for $400, please

You know, as Adam's momma, I have developed a finer appreciation for how a Math-Brain Person works. He's all about the Math. In Everything. At all times. He was quizzing ME today on my multiplication, Math Shark in hand. I got one wrong and I swear I'll never hear the end of it....

Anywho......I am sharing my homeschooling experiences and Math adventures over at

Math Paths

It's a blog that is about teaching basic arithmetic skills, and math relevancy. The focus is on everyday math, how to incorporate math into daily life and activities, and how to teach math so children will be excited about it, not afraid of it!

When they asked me to join, I felt like Sally Field, clutching her Oscar....You know, where she blurts out, "You like me. You really like me!" Seriously, I'll be yapping in twice as many places....about twice as much Math. My College Math professor should see me now!!

wow.....

Wonder how the Obama administration will spin this...

Retailers abandon Detroit

randomness on a Thursday

1. I got a new iPhone this week. It rocks every bit as much as they said it does.....and then some. Those SwagBucks earned iTunes gift cards are coming in real handy! And the fact that it will be HALF of the bill with the evil Verizon makes me soooo beyond happy.

2. Saw this story and was FURIOUS......I think there needs to be a smackdown of that park. I'm just sayin'......Amusement Park Denies Paralyzed Vet Free Entry

3. I just want to publicly declare that I despise sugar ants. Needed to vent...

4. Public schools let out this week for the summer. Jonathan, thankfully, is in year round school. This will be his last year. It's so bittersweet. My baby will be 21 this summer. When he turned 10, a double digit, I felt old. I feel positively decrepit now...

5. Greg and I will be homeschooling the kids during the summer, too. We're doing the SUMMER OF SCIENCE. Lots of experiments, gooey things, we're gonna grow things. It's all about Science. I am looking forward to it....

Now I must go. It's time for Living Room Math....it's where we all lie on the floor and do Math. Last time we did this, Adam was marvelling how he'd NEVER be able to bring a bean bag to public school....Amen!