Frugal tip #2 This tip might be odd or maybe many people do this, I have done this for years. Make your own personal hygiene products last longer. I buy my eye shadow at the dollar tree and use it for both blush and eye shadow. Making your foundation last longer, I cut the end off the tube and it last an extra week I would have to buy it every 7 weeks but I get to stretch it to 8 weeks.

blush and eye shadow

foundation

The results

New year, and new ways to save.

Our family lives in San Diego, California we have a family of 6 and live off of one income. We get to have the privilege of being creative and smart with our budget.I thought I would start the new year out to share one of my thrifty ways. Cooking panda express at home, most people enjoy eating out and this is true for us, but the cost of 6 meals even with fast food can quickly add up two adult meals at $7.00 and 4 kids meals at $5.00 equals out to be $34.00 for one meal! With a little extra time (not too much extra time if you add in the getting 6 people out the door dressed and wearing shoes and fighting over who gets what seat in the van) and some work I can make the same food at home for a total of $11.00. Everyone enjoyed this New Years Day lunch.

27 Blessings

27 Blessing for My 27th Birtdhay 1. God Blessing me with 27 years and a Beautiful Family 2. Girls Weekend 3. Galilee's Fashionable Self 4. Living in San Diego 5. Being Married to Mylove for 10 years. 6. Molly Bears 7. New Camera Lens (Insired this blog entry, Thank to the in-laws for thinking of me and gifting this new lens to me!) 8. Baking Treats 9. Ice Cream Cake 10. Sea World Passes 11. My Mama 12. My Sewing Machine(and My MIL's thanks for letting me barrow yours I promise I am returning it SOON!) 13. Felicity learning to blow bubbles from bubble gum 14. My Growing collection of vintage dresses 15. My Silly and Helpful Dad 16. Our Ipad and getting the extended warranty from Wal-Mart(Being replaced for the 5th time no extra charge) 17. My Camera 18. Molly Bears 19. Good Friends 20. The Midnight Orange 21. My Brother Josh and his family 22. Having a fun ride home with Tessa, Trent and Mom 23. Tea Time 24. My Wonderful Grandma 25. Seeing My cousin after 4 years 26. My Husbands Degree and Great opportunities 27. Waking up each morning and not having to worry,

Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Wedding

Cousin Jon and new cousin Danielle married on Saturday it was a warm but lovely ceremony at the top of Mt. Helix. Hundreds of yellow butterflies danced the whole time. These two were made for each other and I pray they have a lifetime of happiness. To Mr. and Mrs. O'Neal may blessings surround your marriage, and may you have many many years of bliss.

This photo is a photo 100% full of Slagle's in case you were wondering what a Slagle is.

Time to talk about simple JOYS I opened my front door today to a package, I love packages! Inside were BEAUTIFUL embroidered foot prints of my sweet Esther's feet from a sweet friend over at https://www.facebook.com/JamiesButterflyKisses

Today I also got a gift of cookies from my neighbor, delicious cranberry, blueberry white chocolate chip cookies.

When you share you love, time, and gifts with others it makes for a happier world. Keep spreading love!

Really Bad no good day

Have you ever had a day that just beats you up and crushes your heart? Yeah me too that was my day today. I am using this photo of my 9 year old on her very bad day. I want to put on some sunglasses, on lay on the slide, eat my grilled cheese sandwich, and cry my eyes out.

Was there one thing that made my day bad or sad nope: #1 Missing Child: started off with my dear friends little girl Emily's Heavenly 18th Birthday, my heart is so heavy for her.

#2 Messes: Yes I am a pretty relaxed Mom, I let some messes slide by, dare I say sometimes even encourage them,I don't like them all, but why let the stress rule my days...and nights. Chocolate fountain explosion, turned into chocolate facials and chocolate arm rubs are another story. Peanut butter on the walls, baby powder all over the room and living room, lip gloss and sunscreen on stuffed animals, clothes and in the hair are not ever my idea of fun.

#3 The wrong colors:I sent out a bear that were the wrong colors than requested, a request that was lost int he shuffle of my busy life. I got a very unhappy email explaining why everything about a bear I sent out was wrong. I offered my apologies and offered to fix the problems. I am hurt, I spend HOURS on each and every bear I make (75 bears last month) Unfortunately the only tutu in the colors she wants is my Esther Bears tutu, so I am sending her my very special tutu, I made a matching name bottle cap and a matching bow. This is daily what my home looks like, because I am dedicated to bringing comfort, but with that dedication there really does comes sacrifice. I still love, love, love the work I do, but I think I just need others to see my reality. I am spending over 40 hours a week making bears,taking photos, filling out paper work, mailing packages, taking and making phone calls, sending emails, managing a FANTASTIC team and facebook page, and supporting my fellow baby Loss Mommies. Here it is in the RAW.

#4 My Mistake: While out driving with the family today, I made a mistake and had my right turn signal on, I thought the freeway was the next right, but at the last second I noticed it was one block up. I quickly switched and put my left signal on before I turned, but it was too late for the driver behind me, I slowed down and let her pass, I waved a "I-AM-SO-SORRY" wave and she pulled into the next driveway...just to get behind me speed up honk and flip me off! UGH shocked is an understatement of how I felt, like this photo of sweet baby Owen.

Alright, it felt good to write this all out. I know I am blessed and loved and I know there was never a promise of an easy life. Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. My love to you and thank you for letting me vent my woes.

Baked Apples

5 large apples, cut in half
4 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1.5 cups Bunches of Oats cereal
pinch of cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Cut apples in half and remove core and seeds with a small pairing knife or spoon. Bake for 8 minutes up side down. take out and turn right side up.

In a small bowl combine butter, brown sugar, flour, oats cereal and cinnamon. Spoon on top of the apple halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy.

Our Sunny Winter photo blog

I love to see the wonder in their eyes, playing and laughing together.

Adventures in Home School

Our family has come to the decision, that the best education and environment for our sweet kids is for me to home school them. I am looking forward to this time with them and all along praying that we will have success. These days the funding for public education has been cut so much it is a disservice to both the teachers and students. We are passing kids through an educational program that is no way setting them or our country up for any well rounded future. Not to say that there are plenty of teacher putting in over time and their own funds into our children and their education. I am just ready to regain control of these children of mine, and if the only reason for me to send them off to school is to have less kids at home and "free time" then I am not doing my giving job as a mother. I have 18 years with these precious children, to pour love and knowledge, and pray to God that they are contributing members of society. My years with Galilee as a child are HALF way over, she is turning 9 years old this month, action needs to be taken now! I am ready, hoping, and praying this all goes well.

This is my 3 year old Felicity-Reese, I know parents say it all the time about their kids growing so quickly, and that time flies, it is truth (unless we are talking about homework time, then it seems to d...r...a...g... on). I was talking with a sweet friend of mine today, whom I met here on blogger world, she gave birth October 13th to her rainbow Ava, and she says time is going so quickly. She cannot believe her precious little one has been home for over a week. So I am happy to hear I am not the only one thinking "WOW if I blink I'll miss it". I am enjoying many parts of age three with Felicity (not everything,for instance look at the hair), she has started story telling, not just any story telling but stories that crack her up! I love it, and she tells the same 3 stories all day long and I cannot get enough of it. She is also such a great big sister to Quinn. I love this girl! And I cannot believe she is 3 years and 5 months old.

The simple things

I love the simple things in life, such as a thunder storm in summer, and sunsets. I got both of these beautiful things on Labor Day and we celebrated my younger brother and his wife moving into their new house, they closed escrow and moved back to San Diego this weekend, they were living 2 hours away (not far) but I like that they are now 5 minutes away!

My sweet Quinn woke up in the middle of the night sick with a fever, but she was so sweet and chatty I just wanted to stay up and enjoy her gibbering away, pray she gets better.

I really feel blessed and I know I use this word so much but I am thankful for, who I was made to be, and who has graced my life with their presence, I strive each day to be who God has meant for me to be, I feel like there is so much to be done in this short life. What will you do to make your mark?

Saying goodbye to summer and gearing up for a busy week

I was meaning to post this 2 weeks ago, a local church was putting on a pretty neat event for the community, it was a clothing exchange for the new school year. I just happened to be leaving my house with some bags to drop off at the Salvation Army when I read a flier my kids brought home from VBS a couple of weeks prior, it was about the clothing exchange happening at the very moment. It is so wonderful to see people coming together to help others, and it is really awesome to see it at church. I went and dropped off old clothes and picked up new ones for my kids. As I was there the volunteers were getting Moms at the local taco shop to come and get clothes, one Mom was just so over joyed, this is just was she needed for her little boy, she squealed with excitement and her older daughters early teens were happy to help their Mom find the right clothes. Everything was set up in a nice organized fashion, folded clothes on tables sorted by gender and size with signs to point you in the right direction. Thank you Pathways Church http://www.pathways.cc/ for being a blessing to my family!

We are getting ready to start the School year, I have a 3rd grader and a 1st grader starting on Tuesday! I am sad for summer to come to an end, but I am praying for a GREAT school year. 3rd grade was one of my favorite years of school, I hope Galilee has a very awesome school year, and I love hearing all that Owen is learning about. I will have 6 hours to send more focused time on my 2 sweet rainbow girls, I am looking forward to that time, we are joining a Mommy and Me group as well.

So here's to, homework, packing lunches, shoe finding, teeth brushing on the way to school, backpacks, and arriving on time! Wish us luck!

I feel like blogging

I feel like blogging but I am not sure what about, there is so much. So I went to check my photos to see what about, we have beach days, Disneyland, Sea World with friends, tea parties, lemonade stands, bears, Pirate Ship Adventures, park days, theatre award shows, summer is in full swing and all at once soon to come to an end, Mylove starts back school (well going into school, he took 18 units this summer) he goes back in 10 days, it has been nice sleeping in next to him each morning, but all good things must come to an end, and the bed get to be made before 10 am each day yahoo! Some reason if the bed is made a bit of my heart is content, I have always felt this way. Ok back to summer and it's end, the kids have just over 3 weeks left, I don't even want to think about what madness that brings to my life, I'll blog about that at a later date.

I have blogging A.D.D.

Now I want to talk about the 2nd Annual Remembrance Gathering put on by Sweet Pea Project http://www.sweetpeaproject.org/remember I am not savvy enough to make that link to just say sweet pea, I will be hosting San Diego's event along with Tara, and Bridget moved so we are hoping this year she gets to come down for it!

Oh maybe I should update on my last post; Save, Give, Spend. There is money in each Jar, we re so good at the spending jar, Save Jar could look better, and give jar I was able to give towards http://www.active.com/donate/holdenuganda/teammichigan $6 not much at all but when a lot of people come together big things can happen, it takes about $2000 for 1 well to be built but with that 1 well it means water for hundreds of people! I will be looking for more things to give towards and hoping to continue with The Holden Uganda project as well!

Living life each day with purpose to bring Him glory. Feeling blessed as I lay in bed with my lap top, internet, and my snoring 3 year old.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8

Today I had an idea so I am putting forth what has been laid on my heart.
Save, Give, Spend
This concept isn't new, just the way we are going to go about it is new for us.

SAVE: Pretty easy to understand save for future us. Easy to understand not as easy to put into practice for us. Labeled RED for STOP don't touch!

GIVE: In this jar is the money we can use to bless others; family or friends in need, church, the homeless, or special non profits that speak to our hearts. Labeled YELLOW for pray-fully consider who to bless.

SPEND: No need to explain this is our extra spending cash. Labeled GREEN for go ahead and spend.

Over two months!

Sorry for being away so long, many things have gone on in the past 9 weeks!

~Galilee and Justin's show opened and closed "The Music Man" Justin did a great job directing and Galilee was so sweet up on stage

~Justin had a birthday during the shows run so we really haven't celebrated

~We had a double rainbow birthday party for Felicity and Quinn, they are growing so quickly before our eyes!

~Katie and Cassie graduated high school!!

~Esther had her 4th heavenly birthday, we had a Esther bear party where family came over and got to make their very own Esther bears.

~The kids are out for their summer break, so this means a lot of swimming, beach days, and trying to keep 4+ kids entertained, we get to have nieces, nephews, and siblings over during the summer.

~Justin became a pirate(fun stuff)

~Mylove(justin) and I celebrated our 9th anniversary!

~Our wonderful friends The Crews had their darling rainbow baby Jason, he is so perfect and beautiful!

A lot going on, we are blessed with love, family, and friends! Sorry I don't have more photo's to go along with this blog (I am on the wrong computer)

Mother's

T'was the night before mothers day and all through the house not a child was stirring not a peep or a sound. Some mothers might say, this is, yes the best part of the day, but many more mothers I know their hearts ache and their souls yearn to hear that pitter patter of dear sweet ones toes running down the hall and a tiny voice saying "mama I can't sleep, can you read me one more story?" Some are blessed with babies here that do just want one more story and an extra kiss goodnight, and some are blessed with being a Mommy to ones that not everyone is privileged to know or see. Those with Earthly angels hug them and kiss them extra tonight, for that is what I will do, but know that 1/5 of my heart flew away when my 3rd child was born into perfect glory. My heavenly angel I love you my dear. Happy Mother's Day to ALL and to ALL a BLESSED night.

5 things

I am blessed

I am writing this blog in response to Marybeth's blog she quoted this from a book
The Prescription for Contentment:
Never allow yourself to complain about anything-not even the weather.
Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
Never compare your lot with another's.
Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
Never dwell on tomorrow-remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

1. I live in San Diego and even in the middle of winter we have green grass and the warmth of the sun.
2. I am married to the love of my life, with whom I can be myself and he still loves me for me.
3. I have a computer and can afford to pay for some interweb connection.
4. I have darling children with beautiful giving hearts.
5. Jesus has giving his perfect life for all of us so we may live eternally in glory and if this is all I ever had in life it would be more than enough!

March

March is here, I am reading through the book of Proverbs for this month. I love doing this, I did this 11 years ago for the first time, and Proverbs 31 is my FAVORITE chapter of the bible. I have done 3 chapters thus far and I am getting wonderful messages from God out of each one, very refreshing! I read to my kids the first chapter and after I asked what they got out of it, "if we follow God and listen to him we will be safe". I love that I was reading to my kids and right there in chapter one was: 8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck. The theme right now is wisdom and learning and listening here are a few of the verses that I am in love with right now
1:33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.
3:3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart
3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
3:11-12 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
I know this last verse seems like the least appealing and encouraging but I think it is what speaks to me the most.

LOVE

We are called to love above all else to L.O.V.E. we were created to love, and to be loved, to bring God glory, to love him, have him love us; to to have a relationship. Love it more than attraction, love is more than a feeling of butterflies. Love can be at times the most painful thing in your life, when love isn't loving back, when things aren't, just so. Love isn't a plan, and it isn't scripted, it can be messy.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I was singing(I use this term very loosely)a made up song to Owen tonight, I love you like_____ loves______ (fill in the blanks) I love you like sunflowers love the sun I love you like frosting loves the cake and even in my silly song of love to my son there is a relationship where love is loving.

We are to love and to be loved!

enjoy the moments

I am not sure where to start to sum up my week, I really need to blog more often. We are busy and have so much that we can blog about. I am going to start with awww such an amazing day I had, on February 15th, I got to meet with 7 of my beautiful friends from my on line support group DailyStrength. Each of these woman have meant so much to me, these past 3 1/2 years and for most of us it was the first time we had received a real hug and not just encouraging words. It was such a blessed day. Bridget and I were able to surprise each of the ladies with their Molly Bears (excluding Tara and Cynthia whom already have their bears). Tara was such a life saver to be our San Diego driver! I wish I could put into words what it is like to get together with other Mommies that have been through losing their babies, God has brought each of us into one another's live through such heart break so we could build each other up, it is really amazing how women from Alabama, Colorado, and all over California, could form such a beautiful bond via the internet and come together!


The next wonderful thing of my week was getting to see The Fantastic's, mylove has spent weeks working on and preparing for his role, and to see it all come together was FANTASTIC, the kids and I enjoyed the performance. I am so glad giving up my evenings with Justin was worth while ;)




Susie turned 11 this week! Happy birthday to this wonderful girl. She is a blessing and a joy and I am so glad to have her as a sister in law!


Life, love, beauty. Don't forget to take time out of your day to enjoy it. Pull over and capture that beautiful rainbow, or sunset, or smell the roses that are growing, or listen to that music playing!