I promise

To resume Thursday deals next week! :)

I also want to finish Owen's alphabet book posts for you - I've already ordered the book, and it is awesome!

But, here's a sweet picture from my visit to Taiwan.  Love those people!

Every once in awhile

Every once in awhile, you meet people who can bring sunshine into the rain, smiles out of sadness, and laughter from tears.  And, in one giant bear hug, all that matters is that this person genuinely loves life and the people in their life.  Any moment with that person is the best moment of that person's day.  Tomorrow, my family will bid farewell to one of those people.  Rest in peace, Patrick.  May the angels speed you to paradise.  Watch over us always.  I'll always wish for one more of your hugs, one more of your smiles, and one more smart comment to make Susan snort. :)

Forgetful

Everyone tells me that you get more forgetful as you get older.  I'm in so much trouble.  I forget my keys frequently, I often lose/forget where I put my camera transfer cord, and I have even managed to forget to show up to play for a couple of masses in the past!  Tonight, on yet another search for my camera cord, I discovered that my CAMERA itself is MIA.  Well, I was at a wedding on Saturday.  I took pictures at the church and none afterward.  I can picture the last moment I saw my camera (sitting on the organ bench at this church), so I'm hoping it is still there.  Looks like I'm making some phone calls in the morning.  Ugh...so frustrating!

In peace

After my last post, we were able to work it out so that I did end up going to Taiwan to offer my mom her support and pay my respects to my grandmother.  I returned state-side today, and learned of my young uncle's passing.  Just a reminder that you never know what can happen. I hugged my family extra close when I was re-united with them this evening. 

More thoughts on everything later.

She'll be missed

My grandmother passed away Sunday night (Monday morning Taiwan time).  Various members of my family are headed over to Taiwan now.  I am so sad, and wish I could be there to honor my grandmother and offer support to my mom.   She's going to need it.  

Thursday Deals - 8/4/2011

Happy Birthday to my big sis!

1. FREE sample of Purina Beneful Wagpack, plus they'll send you a FREE copy of their magazine, Wagworld.

2.  Ruby Tuesday is offering 2 FREE mini burgers with fries when you purchase two nonalcoholic beverages.  You have to like them on Facebook to claim the coupon, and there limited amounts.  Details here.

3. FREE Post-It products sample here.  You need to sign up for Post-It perks, but still a good deal!

4.  FREE Sun-maid recipe booklet here.

5. Snag 5 Gifts to Grow points with code BABYISDUEANYDAY

6.  $10 off $25 at JCPenney with this coupon through August 6!

7. Get FREE fries and a drink at Arby's with this coupon when you purchase an Angus Cool Deli sandwich or wrap.

8.  Request your FREE sample of Huggies Snug & Dry diapers here.

Owen's Alphabet Book - I, J

11 months

Yesterday, Owen turned 11 months old. Can you believe our dear, sweet Owen is nearly one year old?  Even Isaac {as unsure as he was in the beginning} would agree that Owen has been a wonderful addition to our family.   He fits just perfectly, and he gives the BEST hugs. :)

He still has four teeth {two up, two down}, his molars are flaring up in the back though.  He stands unsupported for short periods of time, has attempted taking a step or two, but usually will just fall down and resort to his speed crawl.  He loves riding the four-wheeler with Grandpa {he can even point to where it is while making a bbbbb sound}, loves almost all food {he's still crazy for bananas!}, supported walking {holding someone's hands or following his walker},  matchbox cars or anything with wheels, circles {oddly enough, he ALWAYS wants to hold the circle pieces from Isaac's puzzles}, puffs, musical instruments, wrestling with his brother, peek-a-boo, some books {he doesn't love every book like his brother did.  He's kind of a book snob, he'll eat just about anything {paper clips, stickers, price tags...}, and he loves the night light {LOVES.  He plays with it.  Unplugs it.  Then proceeds to stick his fingers in the outlet!}.  Lately, he's become more dramatic:  If I put a spoon of food in his mouth that he doesn't want, he just sits there with his mouth open and then will stick his tongue out.  He arches his back when he's had enough of anything.  And by arches, I mean, he does a complete back bend and will hold it for quite a long time.  Ever since my trip to Louisville, he has been stuck to me like glue.  He doesn't let me out of his sight for very long. 

But, we LOVE him to pieces and we could not imagine our lives without him.  Happy 11 months O-dubs!

Drama King

Isaac has become our incessant whiner.  Often times, he'll just start whining without any reason at all {except to try to attract attention to himself}.  It gets worse every day that he creeps closer to age 3, continuing on his tradition of being ever-so-dramatic {we called him a divo when he was younger!}.    Everyone tells me this is normal, but it sure does get on my nerves some days.  And others, like today, it's hilarious because of conversations like this:

Isaac {on the couch}: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, waaaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah"

Blake {in passing, from the kitchen}:  "Oh stop.  Are you trying to be a drama king?"

Isaac:  "Waaa ----  NO, I'M NOT!  WAaaaaaaaaaAaaaAaaaahh!"

You know you wish you could live with this too. ;-)

Thursday Deals 7/28/2011

1. Head on over to Einstein brothers and get a their new triple decker club bagel.  Print this coupon, and you can buy one get one FREE!  It includes a side {it even says so on the coupon!}.

2. Sign up here to get a coupon for $1 off any white milk purchase.  Thank you whymilk campaign!

3. Are you into canning fruits?  If so, head over here to request a FREE canning sample of pectin from Ball.

4. Get a FREE sample of Depend here.  If you think it's appropriate, you could sign up for one for someone you know. ;-)

5. Enjoy an additional 30% off at Coach outlet with this coupon.

6. FREE sample of Exederm baby care products here.

7. If you like Sun Drop soda, you can print a buy one get one FREE coupon here.

8. Like Mary Kay perfumes?  Get a FREE sample of four of them here!

9. $5 off $25 at Staples with this coupon.  Expires 7/30/11.

Owen's Alphabet Book - H

You've already seen this one, but here it is with the words. :)

Owen's Alphabet Book - G

Dear Blogger,
Why do my upright pictures rarely load correctly?  I've tried everything!

Owen's Alphabet Book - F

As our families grow, it's so hard to get everyone together for one shot!  This was the best I had. :)

Renewed

I suppose you're all probably wondering where I went?  I spent almost all of last week in Louisville, KY at the NPM Convention.  It was a wonderfully enriching experience.  Great speakers, great music, great camaraderie between Pastoral leaders worldwide.  I learned a lot and found a lot of healing as well.  Nothing like a renewed spirit!  While you wait for my own pictures and recaps, here's a little taste of what we experienced:



PS - My voice is in that large crowd singing somewhere! :)

Thursday Deals - 7/14/2011

1. FREE sample of Nivea Touch of Cashmere Cream Oil body wash here.

2.  $10 a $25 purchase at Yankee Candle with this coupon.  Expires Aug. 7, 2011.

3. FREE sample of Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff shampoo here.

4. Print this coupon for $1 off Kashi Pita Crisps.  Yum!

5. FREE sample of Garnier Moisture Rescue here.

Owen's Alphabet Book - E

Mark this down as one of my favorite photos in this book!

Owen's Alphabet Book - D

:)

We love...

Julbo.

We have a 2.5 year old who wants to do everything himself, but is easily frustrated when he can't get it just right.  Case in point:  sunglasses.  He wants to put them on himself, but often can't loop them over his ears - and that's on the odd chance that he actually puts them on the right way.

Enter Julbo sunglasses.  They have created peace in our household when it comes to sunglasses.  I'll recommend them to anyone.  They're hardy {they bend}, they can go on ANY direction, and there are no ear loops, just a slight tension so that they hold themselves on his head.  He's worn them for a loooong time and never complained of them squeezing his head too much, so I know they aren't too tight.  They also come with an attachable cord for looping around his neck.  We like to use that only when he's on the tractor or someplace where they could potentially fall off and get lost or run over.  It's hard to find "cool" kid sunglasses, and I think we have a winner here!

Julbo, we love you.

Explorers

In an effort to get away from life and just focus on our boys and our family, we're trying something new.  Every week, we're going to pack a picnic lunch, find a local park in some town, and just discover what we can find on foot - shops, trails, churches, rivers, critters, you name it!  It's fun and educational for the boys, it's only 2-3 hours at a time {not counting driving - read: napping - time}, and it's SO worth it. 

Here are some cute pictures from our second exploration this morning/afternoon.

Thursday Deals - 7/7/2011

1. Get a FREE $10 Gift Certificate for Dakota Beef, just answer a short survey.  To find a store near you that carries it, check here.  Among the stores, H-E-B, Shaw's, and Whole Foods carries them!

2. Get a FREE sample of Tub-O-Towels here.

3. COOL FREEBIE FOR KIDS!   You can get a FREE autographed poster of your child's favorite Disney character.  Here's how it works:  The kids write a letter to their favorite character telling them why they love them so much. Mail the letter to the address below and they should receive an autographed photo in a few weeks!  Teach your children how to write a good, old-fashioned letter!

Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, Ca 91521

4. Get a BOGO Smoothie at Jamba Juice with this coupon!

5.  Tomorrow is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A.  Show up in a cow costume, and you could be eating FREE!

6. Two FREE samples of Quest Protein bars here.

7. Are you a teacher?  Sign up here at New York and Company, and you'll get 15% EVERY DAY.  Bonus, you'll get 20% off  the first time. Amazing!

8. Extra 15% off shopping pass at Kohl's through July 10.  Print off this coupon to use in-store, or use code EXTRA15FB online.

9. Bath and Body Works is offering a FREE travel size Signature item with any purchase.  Use this coupon, valid through July 13.

Fun little game

Ready?

Try to find the six animals:

camelephantelopelicanary

10 months

Owen is 10 months old already.  Can you believe it?  He spent his 10 month old birthday by "helping" Grandpa bale hay.  His first experience!  It was 90 with a breeze, and it was great. :)

While he still enjoys having some sort of structure to his day {naps around 9:30 and 1:30, bedtime between 7:30 and 8}, he is, for the most part, SO adaptable to whatever we're doing, and I really appreciate that he never gets overly fussy, until we get home. :)   He crawls like a maniac {speed crawls whenever he sees mommy},  pulls up on things like crazy, recently started cruising the couches, and just yesterday started letting go and balancing for a couple of seconds at a time.  He'll be walking soon. :(  He says, "bbbbbb" for the motor sounds of tractors and four--wheelers, often babbles "dada, mama," and accurately says "moo" whenever he sees a cow.  He enjoys "singing" {a prolonged aaaaahhhh} when we play the piano or sing with him.  He has four teeth.  The front-top right tooth JUST broke through a couple of days ago.  His weight has dropped off a bit {20 lbs, 2 oz, 35% a couple of weeks ago, so he's not REALLY a chub-a-lubs, but we still affectionately refer to him as such!}, but that is expected at this age.  He has really started to fight his brother.  Whenever Isaac tries to do anything he doesn't want to do, or takes one of his toys.  He'll push at him, or just scream.  Today, Owen even slapped Isaac....boy oh boy, I can already tell it's going to get MUCH more fun.  Ha!

Owen, you are the BEST.  We love you to the moon and back.

PS - That bruise on his forehead?  That's because Daddy took him into the bathroom, and Owen clocked his head on the toilet!

Thursday Deals - 6/30/2011

1. Get your FREE $10 Game Play to Dave and Busters here.

2. 30% off at Coach Factory Outlet with this coupon.  Expires July 10, 2011.

3. If you're headed to IKEA  July 1 - July 4, kids under the age of 12 eat FREE.  Limit one combo meal per child, and NO adult purchase is necessary, but the child must be present for the offer to be valid.

4. $10 off $30 or more purchase at Bath and Body Works with this coupon.

5. This Saturday only, get $5 off a $25 or more purchase at Dollar General with this coupon.

6. Get 15% off any one item at Staples with this coupon.

7.  Ten Gifts to Grow points with code WELLCABABYEMAIL.

8. FREE sample of Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner here.

9. FREE sample of Honey Nut Cheerios here.

10.Buy one get one FREE smoothie at McDonald's with this coupon.

Musician :)

I think Isaac will be into music, but Owen is already turning out to be such a musician.  And I'm SO proud.  This video is from before he was crawling -- I've got a lot of old photos/videos I meant to blog about but never actually did, so I'm playing catch up. :)

Owen's Alphabet Book - C

C is for Cuddle {I love this one, because this really captures Owen}.

Thursday Deals - 6/23/2011

1.  Add 10 more Gifts to Grow points to your account with code FXFHMWY4WKHU47JD and 5 more points with code TWITTERCNGCLOTH


2. FREE sample of Jif To Go Peanut Butter from Target!  You'll have to enter a short survey to snag this one. 

3. FREE Summer Crafts for Kids download-able book here.


4. Head on over to Old Navy Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25 to stock up on tank tops.  They hit 2 million facebook fans, so they are having a $2 Tankathon.  In Store Only!


5. Now through Friday, get 30% off your order at Gap.com when you use coupon code GPSURPRISE.


6. FREE 12 oz Tropicana OJ at Kum and Go gas/convenience stores with this coupon.  Hurry, expires Sunday, June 26!


7. Download many, many, many FREE kindergarten worksheets here.  I'm all over this for Isaac! :)


8. Request a FREE copy of the book No Longer a Slumdog by K.P. Yohannon, here.


9. Dress up like a cow on Cow Appreciation Day, July 8th, and head over to Chik-Fil-A to score a free entree {partial costume} or a free meal {head to toe costume}.  They're even making it easy by providing a printable cow costume kit here.

10.  Stop into any The Limited stores, and you'll get $10 in Fashion Cash.  Not valid on Sale items, but you could probably still land a pretty good deal!


11.  Get 50 4x6 prints from Snapfish for just $5 shipped with code DADDYPICS.  Code good through 7/27/11.

Owen's Alphabet Book - B

You did such a wonderful job with letter A {It was so close!}, that I'm going to enlist your help with B as well. :)  Vote over there ---->

#1

#2

I actually had three versions, initially, but I have successfully ruled this photo out. 

Mom-ism

I've posted before on funny things my mom says.  It has been awhile, but here's a new one.

We often call Owen, chub-chub, because he's chubby, and oh SO cute.

My mom picked him up today, and said, "Hi chump chump."

:)

Birthdays

Isaac LOVES birthdays {for the obvious reasons - cake, ice cream, candles...wow!}.  June is a busy month in our family for birthdays.  In true Isaac fashion, he's already helping each birthday person celebrate by taking over. 

Birthday person one: Grandpa!

Really?

Buy yourself a half gallon of soda at KFC, and they will donate $1 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation!

Yep, you read that right!

My favorite part is the "Help Us Find A Cure!" line on the bottom.  Um...duh.  For starters, let's not encourage our patrons to purchase Mega Jugs of soda!

Zoo videos

Just in case you want proof of the roaring lion or pacing tiger, right here.  We only caught the ends of both of them, but still. :) :)  So cool!





And, just for fun.  The kids on the carousel. :)

Henry Vilas Zoo

Last Thursday, we took a nice family trip to the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI.  It was a cool, cloudy day, with the occasional spitty rain.  BUT,  it turned out to be a wonderful day to go.  The animals were SO active.  The monkeys were climbing, the lion walked right in front of us, then hopped up on a rock and started roaring, the tiger also paced RIGHT in front of us, giraffes were moving around galore, the seals were swimming and making funny blowing sounds out of the water, one of the rhinos was pushing a log around, the peacocks were calling, the bears were smiling.  It was just awesome.  And the cherry on top of all of that?  This zoo is FREE!  So, we spent $25 + gas for the whole day.  We packed a picnic lunch, paid for a carousel ride for the boys, and bought each of them a little souvenir.  GREAT day, and melt my heart, Isaac was singing Kindermusik songs the whole time {his current class curricula is Zoo Train!}. Many highlights below. :)

 

PS:  I'm not sure why blogger won't adjust my upright pictures.  I swear I've tried everything!

Big Bud

Isaac has a pretty large obsession with tractors, so we took a trip to see the biggest tractor in the world, Big Bud.  Grandma and Grandpa came along {because when we asked Isaac if he wanted to go see Big Bud, he responded with, "I want ah-gung (Grandpa in Taiwanese) to take me to see Big Bud in his van," and Grandpa's arm is easily twisted}, and it was well worth the trip.  We toured the agricultural museum first.  It was neat to see the old machinery, and to hear my dad point out each item they used to have on the farm.  He's used so many of them, it was crazy!  Isaac was obsessed with "milking" the cow.  It definitely didn't require the right technique, because he would just squeeze, and out would come the "milk." 

Owen's Alphabet book - A

I need help choosing between the two shots.  I love them both, for different reasons.  Vote over there -->

A is for Airplane

#1

 #2

Thursday Deals - 6/9/2011

I've been so spacey lately.  I only realized TODAY that I didn't do deals last week! Bah! :)

1. Dave and Buster's has an instant win spin game right now.  Every spin is a winner - you could win BOGO entree, FREE $10 play card, or 20% off your entire purchase.  You can play with different e-mail addresses.  I spun, and won a 20% off your purchase, but I'm not going to use it.  So, if you want my coupon, I'll e-mail it to you.  First come, first served.  Leave a comment. :)

2. FREE Building Blocks for a Healthy Future Kit.  Toolkit Includes fun, colorful, interactive materials for parents and caregivers to use with their children. Helps children make decisions, gain confidence, and improve self-esteem. FREE standard shipping.

3. Just in time for Father's Day, print this coupon to get $2 off of 2 American Greetings Cards.  Expires 6/19/11.

4. Don't forget about the FREE Tiny prints Father's Day card with code FDFD, and have it shipped to you to save on the cost of a stamp!

5. Print this coupon to get $10 off a $25 purchase at JCP.  Offer good June 10-11 ONLY.

6. FREE sample of Tub O' Towels here.

7. Use this Bath and Body Works Coupon to get a FREE Signature Collection Travel Sized item with any purchase.

8. 30% off at Coach Factory with this coupon.

Fresh off the alphatbet book post

It has been a crazy week!  I was clicking through some pictures tonight, trying to find the pictures to match some of the letter ideas, and I came across this one.  H is for hat.  And this picture is too freaking adorable.  Owen grew up waaaaaayyy to fast!  I'm going to get organized, get these photos edited, and take you guys through the Owen's Alphabet Book with me!

Alphabet Book Ideas

Just throwing these out there for Owen's alphabet book.  The ones with ** are pretty much set, but I'm including all of the ideas I have for every letter.  Others, I'm really struggling with!  I wanted to be different than what I used last time, but some of the ideas from Isaac's book, I just loved so much that I'm re-using them anyway.  I try to keep the book representative of Owen's personality, while also including as many major people/milestones, etc. as possible.  Any of them that you particularly like for a particular letter? Help! :)

A - Airplane**, adjustment, angry
B - Brothers**, bath
C - cow or calf, cuddle
D - Daddy**
E - Eat, eyes**, ear, elephant
F - Family**, feet, four-wheeler
G - Grandparents**
H - Hat**
I - ice cream?
J - jumper?
K - Kindermusik, kiss
L - Love
M - Mommy**
N - Newborn**
O - Owen**
P - Piano**
Q - Quiet, quesadilla
R - Read
S - Snow**
T - Teeth**, Tractor
U - Umbrella, ultrasound, upset
V - Vegetables?
X - Xylophone
Y - Yawn**
Z - Zoo, Zebra, Zipper

**UPDATE: Thank you, Jen, for noticing that I didn't have a W in this alphabet! LOL!

W - Wheelbarrow

Mover and shaker

Owen has been unofficially crawling since last Saturday, May 28, taking a few paces forward, sitting, and adding a few more until he got to where he was going.  Today, he decided to wake up earlier than normal {5 a.m.!}, and officially start crawling.  He's been on the move all day!  It's a happy moment, but also a sad one.....my baby is growing up too fast!

You can see the difference between his starting crawl, and his crawl after only 3 days. Here's one of his first crawls, May 28:


And here's his improved crawl, June 1