Slacker

OK, so I know, I'm slacking on keeping my blog updated lately (Sorry Janice!) It's just the past few weeks have been kinda crazy...remember that last post about all the cans I bought at the various case lot sales? Well, until yesterday they were ALL still stacked on my counters! My sister M and her husband came into town a week and a half ago and we scheduled nonstop parties in their honor.

They are expecting my parents tenth grandson this winter, and we had to celebrate. I planned to spend the weekend at my parents so I wouldn't miss a minute of the fun. But for me the weekend started out rocky, Walnut woke up Friday morning with the stomach flu, and by Sunday morning both twins had started throwing up within an hour of each other, by Sunday night I was hugging the porcelain throne myself and begging TOWW to just take us all home. He did and over the next week Peanut, my mom, sister and sister in law all were blessed with their very own case of the stomach flu. I then spent a couple of days sanitizing everything, carpets, walls, bedding, pillows, windows, and everything that stood still was Lysoled within an inch of it's life! Needless to say I got well enough to participate in the annual Fall consignment sale that I love so much last Thursday, and I'm happy to say that I again made out like a bandit....it's so much fun shopping for a girl! Anyway it's been a crazy couple of weeks but yesterday I finally managed to clean out my pantry and put away all those cases and cases of cans I bought. I even managed to find some room for my big food storage cans and finally cataloged what I have so I can better rotate it. It was a big job but with the little space I had available I'm very happy with the results.

The Story Behind 148 Cans

I am not a big fan of looking at adds, whether it be clothes, shoes or groceries, if I need it I just go and buy it. Well with the economy such as it is, I decided to take a gander at the latest grocery adds to see what I've been missing. Come to find out there's some really good deals out there. Must have been fate or maybe just good luck, but apparently this week is the Case Lot Sale at nearly every store I looked at, and I found about a dozen things I just could not pass up. So here's my dilemma, I have four kids, and although two are capable of walking through the store following in my general direction, the twins are not. My usual solution is to push a double stroller and "hold" whatever few items I MUST have, but since this was a case lot sale I knew I needed another option. I was a machine, I had it all mapped out, exactly what I needed at each store and a purse full of chicken nuggets, we were ready! We hit three grocery stores in 45 minutes and managed to pack every spare square inch in the minivan with cans. Actually it was kinda fun, we'd pull into the store and I'd search desperately for the largest cart they had available, I'd unload the kids, Little Red strapped into the seat, Sweetie in the basket, Peanut and Walnut each holding onto one side of the cart. We'd move as fast as we could to exactly what I needed and then I'd load up the basket with cases and bags until little Sweetie would scream as her space became more and more cramped. Then we'd run to get checked out while I dolled out chicken nuggets from my purse to keep everybody quiet. Three times we did this, in and out of each store, I think it was at Albertsons on their bulk isle we had our "perfect" moment for the day. A fun song was playing on the store loud speaker when my boys decided to dance, they were grooving right there in the middle of the isle, Sweetie stood up and inspired by her dancing brothers started dancing too, Little Red strapped down as he was, just clapped instead. I had to laugh, I'm sure people thought we were crazy....hey, but what's new for us? One hour later I pulled back into our driveway and proceeded to "unload" sleeping kids, and cans, lots and lots of cans!

Hal Family Pictures

Saturday morning, bright and early we had our family pictures taken. I thought we all looked pretty cute, mostly matching....turns out that was the only thing going for us. The photographer had her work cut out for her, my kids were naughty. First, Peanut insisted on posing his own way, you know with his tongue out, hands over his head....not exactly the look I was going for. Next just as we're getting started Walnut trips and falls and despite not getting dirty (whew!) or hurt, manages to plant a permanent scowl on his face...again, not the look I'm going for. The twins then take turns pulling on my newly purchased bracelets of wooden beads, one by one they break sending dozens of turquoise beads bouncing all over the street, by the time we finished the photo shoot all three of my bracelets had broken and scattered everywhere. For the past three days I have held my breath, praying that one, just ONE of the over seven hundred pictures she took that day turned out...and today I find out they did. Despite all the screaming, wiggling, scowls and scattered beads this photographer managed to capture our family beautifully. I was elated when I saw a few samples of our pictures today. Let me just say, I HIGHLY recommend this photographer, she was amazing and very inexpensive. Trust me with what she had to work with, she pulled off a miracle......you be the judge!

2193 Days and Counting.....

So today, day 2193 of my marriage, I reflect back on the experience of the last six years and am exhausted! To say it's been a whorl wind would be an understatement. Exactly six years ago today I married the love of my life and best friend. I remember walking into the temple and seeing TOWW's face as he saw me, he looked so happy, and not a bit nervous! I was so relieved, I wasn't nervous either just excited that I was finally for once in my life going to be the best dressed girl in the room. I'm not sure if it was really true or not but I sure felt beautiful. I've never smiled so much in my life, but looking back on that day makes me want to smile all over again. So here's to the next 2193 days! I wouldn't change a moment, I love you honey!