Target Easter Clearance!

It's time now for the post-holiday Easter Clearance at Target! I love it when it's after a holiday (any holiday, really) and they have their clearances. Every Easter (holiday) product is on sale after Easter (or any other holiday.) I'm always looking for clothing for Anna and this is a great time to find tee shirts for a dollar or less! If you don't know how the clearance schedule at Target works, it works like this: 50% off Monday, Tuesday, Wed, 75% off on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 90% off on Sunday. All holiday clearance schedules work like this: 3, 3, 2. Remember that: 3, 3, 2. The first markdown is on the third day after a holiday, the second markdown is 3 days later, and the final markdown is 2 days after that. The great thing about post-Easter sales on clothing is that the clothing that is marked down is more "Springy" in nature than overly "Eastery." I found this cute shirt at Target.com called "Easter Princess." It's just a cute tee that says "princess" with a flower on it. That doesn't scream "I got this at markdown from Target post-Easter and am now wearing it totally out of season." Does it? Nah!
Here's another that has a bunny on it. Sure bunnies might scream Easter, but it could also scream, "Cute tee shirt with a bunny who has no connection to Easter!"

Another great tip is to NOT wait until the 90% off day because then you'll probably get scraps. I'd go early on the morning on the first 75% off day.That's when you can get the best deal and the best selection. If you go shopping on a 75% off day, you can get a shirt for $1.00 and if you go on a 90% off day, you can get a tee shirt for just 40 cents!

Happy Easter!

Easter celebrates the death and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Happy Easter!

Matthew 28

The Resurrection

1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

*Post Edited to Remove Photos of My Pumpkin*

World Down Syndrome Day

Yesterday was World Down Syndrome Day. Please take the time to read Gabi's World Blog written by Shannon whose daughter has DS.

Hubby's New Blog

Apparently I sparked interest from my hubby in my new blogging exploits. He came in here and signed me up for something called Add Sense then I talked him into making his own blog. Something that he can put his myspace blogs in and people might actually read. The poor guy. I really do feel sorry for him. He tries to tell me his computer stuff or science stuff and... well... it really does go through one ear and out the other. Most of the time I nod and I'm really good at reacting at the right time, too. On one hand, I'm thinking, Turkey Casserole would be delicious for dinner. Let's see, we have turkey, two cans of soup, broccoli, corn... what other veggies could I sneak in there...? MEANWHILE my hubby is rambling about computer components, the morons at such and such a company, they finally came up with a way to put this many kili-whatevers into a micro-something-or-other, and I read this thing on how to create a computer thingyblobber homemade... I'm great at saying, "Oh really? That's cool, honey! I can't believe they know how to do that!" Yup and they also discovered this thingy... MEANWHILE I wonder if we have enough time to go to the park. Anna hasn't gotten out of the house in days. She must be bored.
Long story short. He is, as we speak, making his own blog. I helped him come up with a name for his geekfest awesomeness computer rockin' blogger. Mom's Basement was taken unfortunately. I thought that would've been funny. So was North Bridge (he said that had something to do with computers and "They'd get it.") and so was The Man Cave by some 16 year old who hasn't used the website in three years if ever. Grr! That made me mad!
Even LONGER story short, we came up with Frenchfries and Harddrives. I must admit it's pretty darn creative. And he has me to thank for that. ;)
I'll post a link when it comes up. Now he has a place to vent and to commune with the others of his kind.
Hubby's blog is http://www.frenchfriesandharddrives.blogspot.com

Good Friday 2008

Today, March 21, 2008 is Good Friday. It is also called Holy Day and Great Friday. Good Friday commemorates the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ at the Cross at Calvary. Because of Jesus Christ dying at the Cross, we have been given the gift and the choice to live for Him. If we choose to believe in His death and His gift of his life, then we can live forever with Him. As I write this I remember a few years ago when the Passion of the Christ came out. There was this big buzz about how it was antisemitic, but the truth is there is absolutely no antisemitism in the Bible. Nobody was responsible for the death of Christ at Calvary. Not Jews, not Gentiles, not Pontius Pilate himself. Nobody "killed" Jesus. Jesus chose to die at the cross for us. He had a choice. He is God! He could have asked God the Father to take him out of that situation, but he didn't. He didn't because he loves you and he loves me. He knew that his death at the cross would set us all free from our sins and we would all be with Him if we chose to believe in Him. Praise God for His gift to us on Calvary. Without it I couldn't call myself a Disciple of Christ.

Tagged Again!

By way of reading Sarah's post (Sassyfrazz) I was tagged again. It'll be fun!!!

What I was doing 10 years ago: Ten years ago I was a wee one of just 13 1/2 years old. Yes, I'm young. What can I say? I was living with my parents. I was in the seventh or eighth grade. I was a nieve kid living in Hicksville. Good times! :)

5 Things on my To Do List today:
1. Well it's 1:08 so Sleep is number one.
2. Nurse Anna... that's always up there.
3. Make sure Anna got enough to eat and good food, too.
4. We're going to the park. I'm putting Anna in playclothes and going to have some fun!
5. Laundry and cleaning the bedroom. That's on my list, too... I might try to put this one off! :D
5 Snacks I Enjoy
1. Ice Cream (I have to agree there!)
2. Chocolate....ANYTHING. CHOCOLATE ANYTHING!
3. Iced tea. Yumo!
4. I like rice cakes. Those are good. If they're sweet.
5. Bananas. We go through a lot of bananas.
5 Things I would do if I were a Billionaire
1. Pay off school debts!!!
2. Make sure that my children and nieces and nephews go to college.
3. Build a house and live in it.
4. Make sure my MIL, FIL, mom, and dad can retire comfortably!
5. Go on a big family vacation... to the Mediterranean!
3 of my Bad Habits
1. Worrying about money.
2. Complaining.
3. Procrastinating. I'm the queen. Not you, Sara! :D Seriously. I'm awful at it!
5 places I have lived
1. John Day, Oregon where I grew up.
2. Near Seattle, WA where I went to college. In the dorms.
3. Near Portland, OR where I lived our first year of marriage.
4. Near Seattle in our own apartment with my hubby and Anna our second and third years of marriage.
5. Here. Let's just leave it at that. ;)
5 Jobs I have had
1. (how funny!) I worked at McDonalds for about a year and a half my Jr. and Sr. year of high school.
2. I worked at the college I attended.
3. I worked at a call center for Boost Mobile which was actually pretty interesting.
4. Dollar Tree. That job sucked.
5. Now I'm a mom, wife, and a wet nurse. hehehehehe! :D
If you are reading this, then I am tagging YOU! Leave a link to your blog in my comments, so I can check out your post.

2 Years Ago

Two years ago we found out we were pregnant with our beautiful daughter Anna! I was 6 days late on my period. I already knew in my heart I was pregnant! Halfway through the summer of 2005 God started to tell me that my daughter would be expected soon. I felt that I would have a daughter and she would be conceived in the Spring of 2006. Of course then I wasn't too good at listening to God and I still am not so learned in the subject, but I soon learned that it really was God who I heard once again. Here is what I blogged that day (I felt so poetic LOL... try to ignore that about it!)

This foreign, strange thing is pregnancy...what is it? I feel the same, except for that evil period thing...at least that has been put off for a while. What will life be like post-baby? I don't even know... To tell you the truth, I knew that I would be pregnant this spring, God told me in his whisper-quiet voice, the same way he told me about my future husband. I knew it, but denied it all the same. I was frightened, and who's to say I wasn't going insane? But, God 's cello-deep, harp-sweet voice is telling me "You're a mother; as we speak, you're a mother!" And, frankly, I must listen to God, and I must believe the Clear Blue Easy test (over 99% accurate, so it says) that read "Pregnant"...not after the recommended 3-minute-wait, but after 30 seconds or less!

Oh, God, bless our special angel. I've never had an angel like this before, so sweet, so innocent, so precious and so...so 100% ours!

I'm frightened, but in your hands, my trembling ceases, and I'm calm...I'm calm, and my fear is gone.

Natural Egg Dying Tips

To prevent your eggs from sticking to the shells when you peel them, use eggs that are a week to 10 days old! Older eggs have a different pH than newer eggs! Cool eggs immediately after cooking in an Ice-Bath! This will
make them easier to Peel! Green centers-Green is made from the Iron in the egg yoke combining with the sulfur in the egg whites! Heat will cause a chemical reaction and make the center of your eggs Green!
The longer you cook your eggs the more green the center will be!

But the best way to cook your eggs so they will be easy to peel and have pure yellow centers is to:
Place eggs in a pot of cold water, add 1 teaspoon of salt (this will help keep your eggs from cracking). Bring to a boil and COVER with a lid and REMOVE from heat! Let sit COVERED for 13 minutes, Drain eggs and immediately
place in ice-bath till cooled.

For a Natural Egg Dye try this:
2 Tablespoons Vinegar and a quart of Water:
Orange- 4 to 5 Tablespoons of Paprika
Blue-Red Cabbage -4 cups shredded
Red- Pomegranate Juice in place of water or 4 cups red onion skins
Pink- cranberry Juice in place of water- or 4 cups shredded beats
Green- Spinach Fresh or frozen
Ocher (what ever that is???)- Onion skins- Dry outer skins
Mocha- 1 quart strongly brewed coffee in place of water
Mix ingredients for the color you want in a pot with vinegar and water if needed and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and cool. After color is cooled, Dye eggs. Some colors may take 5 minutes and some may take up to and hour. That will depend on how dark you want your color to be. Remember to turn your egg for even coloring.
This also makes a great Science project!

Hey be sure to check out Favorite Ingredients Friday at Overwhelmed with Joy. There you can find directions on how to make a flowery food basket such as this and links to other bloggers' Favorite Ingredients Friday posts!!!

Sexiest Nursing Bra: Giveaway!

On my travels this morning to find a prize (ehehehehe) I came across the sexiest nursing bra ever! These bras are made by PassionSpice.com ... Gone are the days of the frumpy, droopy, ugly, unsupportive nursing bras! My first nursing bras were like that. I now go for the bras that can be crisscrossed in the back or straight over the shoulders so my bras don't have to be that ugly. Plus I was sick of my boobs hanging down to my knees (not that they could... but it sure felt like it!) It works. But it can be inconvenient searching for the straps after Anna is done nursing. I'm glad I came across this contest. If I don't win, then you bet that once I have the mulah, then I'll be buying a bra from Passion Spice!
If you really want to win the sexy nursing bra of your choice, head over to The Opinionated Parent and sign up!

16 Months Old Today!

My beautiful daughter, Anna, is 16 months old today!!! I can't believe it! It is only two months until I can say she is "a year and a half" old and only eight months until she is 2!!! Wow! I can't believe it!

Wordless Wednesday (59 minutes early)

"Teddy Kisses"

My First "Meme"

Alrighty... apparently these things are called Memes, but I'm not sure what that means. Maybe "Me! Me!" I don't know... but I've been tagged! Here are the rules!

Rules are:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


Here are my 7 wonderful facts:

1. I've always wanted to be a mother! I knew I would be a mother from very young and I am so blessed to be a mom! The Lord told me in my heart I would be pregnant in the Spring of '06 about the middle of 2005. This is also how I knew about meeting my husband.

2. I met my hubby at church when I was sixteen. His family pastored a church about thirteen miles from our church. I grew up in the largest town in our county, which had a whopping one stop light and about 2, 000 people! His town was thirteen miles away. They once had a stoplight, but by the time they moved in they had been downgraded to a flashing yellow light. We met on Easter Sunday. My pastor invited his family and my family for Easter dinner. That was nine--Woah!!! 9!!!!-- years ago next month. Amazing how time flies!!!

3. I have two older sisters, Jennifer and Melissa. Jennifer is a pastor and is praying for that special someone. Melissa is married and lives in CA and has four little brats....erm, kids. The oldest of her children has Autism and cannot speak and is not pottytrained. He's 11 now. My little brother, Sean, is, was, married with a little one on the way this summer. He died in December. I miss him every day.

4. I really really REALLY want another baby!!! But I just know it's not the right time... I'll share why in number 5.

5. My hubby has been out of work for going on 8 months. He was laid off and nobody has offered him a job since. It's really hard. I miss having our own place. We're living with my MIL and FIL and their two sons as well. It's pretty crowded. I miss our house!!! I try not think about it. I know that things will turn around soon... or that's what I keep telling myself. I've got to remain hopeful or I just go insane!

6. I grew up very poor. We lived in a trailer house that was falling apart practically (literally). My dad didn't take very good care of us. I've forgiven him for that. I know he's sorry. My mom worked very hard for very little reward.

7. I really want a bicycle with a bicycle trailer with our tax return. I love being active, but I don't feel that safe just walking around alone with Anna in this town. It's just a much bigger city than I grew up in and I don't feel that safe.... sure I'm paranoid... but well, oh well! I have a wild one year old climbing on me. I should go.

I've tagged (Some of these ladies I haven't met yet):
1. Shannon @ Gabi's World
2. Candi @ All Day Night
3. Tonya @ Safe in His Arms
4. God Gave Me You
5. Tara @ Family Traditions, One Story at a Time
6. The Hudson Crew @ Air Force Family
7. Amy @ Remembering Natalie

Fun & Free Photo Editor

Last night I found a great and free (!!!) photo editor online. I was glad for two good reasons... One, my hubby has not yet (grrrr!) put Photoshop on my computer, and two I was able to play on it until almost two a.m. (not sure if that's a good thing, though *yawn*).... but it was all good. It's called Picnik.com and it's a ton of fun!!! Since my digital camera on my video camera was not made to be a great digital camera, this was a miracle!!! Plus, I really don't know how to work Photoshop. I'm always asking hubby to help me! So, they here are...

**edited to remove photos**

Beach Baby

A couple of weeks ago I won the cutest Land's End package from Mum's the Wurd's First Anniversary Bash! Included in the prize package was a bikini which is UV protectant, a long sleeve top with a mermaid on it which is also UV protectant, a sunblock set, a pair of cute pink shoes, a towel with the mermaid on it, a mesh bag, and speedo swim goggles! I felt like the luckiest thing since sliced bread! Today I woke up to the box in the living room and I squealed, "It's here! It's here!" No.... I did not pee my pants... thank goodness. That's gross.
But I did immediately dress my little princess in her new garb. Boy, she's cute!!! She's so cute that I'm going to get Anna's suit and matching shoes at Land's End from now on... I just don't think I can resist that amount of adorableness! I just wish I had a better digital camera to capture the magic with, but I'm thankful for the photo feature on my JVC Averio camcorder. Otherwise I wouldn't have these stinking cute pics to share with all of you!
Thank you Mum's The Wurd!!! You made my day! Now Anna will be the cutest little thing on the Oregon Beach this summer!!!
*edited to remove photos*

Happy to Par-Tay!

Well... I'm happy that I've partied this past week or so with the 5 Minutes for Mom crew. I'm tired... well... I think that's probably more my own fault! But I've found some of the best sites and blogs this week! Here's some of my blogging love to share:

1. The Pioneer Woman Cooks! is full of so many yummy delicious dangerous ridiculous recipes that I shorted out my laptop from drooling all over it! Just kidding. That was a lame joke! But I really do plan on making these delicious yum-yums for our Easter celebration next week! They're called Apple Dumplings. They're made with Granny Smith apples, Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, and a can of Mountain Dew. That's it. And they look heavenly. I've also read that the ice cream is required. Well... I think I read that on the delicious cobbler that was made on this site. Anyhow, you can choose to click on the photos on the left and right side of the screen, or you can search by meal or dessert, etc. Ok. I'm getting really hungry. Next!
Edit: Here's her blog, here.

2. SassyFrazz (Sarah) is one of the ladies I've met... although I met her right before the blog party. I love reading about her children and her love for the Lord. She's a fresh breath of air! Linky love! Linky love! Go check her out!

3. The Chocolistas --Anyone who knows me... and knows me WELL knows that I have a lifelong love of chocolate... Oh... yummmmmmmmmmmm yummmmmmmmm *drool*
Check out this blog. If you don't, then you obviously don't love chocolate! You don't want to be a hypocrite, do you? Do you? I didn't think so.

4. All Day Night is a nice one I found. Candi is a stay at home mom to two boys. What do I love about this blog? She blogs about real life. I'm always struggling to find recipes for my family of THREE and she always has Menu Plan Monday. Now I remember that this is is the site where I found out about The Pioneer Woman Cooks website. She has real recipes that I would REALLY use. That's a site to bookmark!

5. God Gave Me You --a blog about a mom who has a little boy who was born at 28 weeks gestation. My nephew was born this early, too. What a miracle baby! both of them!

6. The Beverly Bunch is one of my favorite blogs that I've come across so far! I absolutely love the idea of adoption and I have always wanted to adopt. Right now that's not possible financially but I hope and pray we can adopt some day in the future. This blog is written by BECKYJOMAMA (Becky, I assume lol) who has adopted her two beautiful daughters! I love this blog! Please check this one out!

7. Safe in His Arms --Why is this one an important blog and one of my faves? Tonya writes about her life after the tragic loss of her son to cancer. Anyone who has had this disease affect their family in any way should take a peek at this blog. My own mother has fought cancer and is currently fighting Melanoma on her face. She had surgery to remove the cancer, but they were only able to remove up to 88% of the cancer. She's still fighting this disease. She also fought colon cancer when she was 28 and in her mid thirties. She has to have colonoscopies every year because she is so prone to it. This is a great blog because of the title... what is it? Safe in His Arms. We're all safe in the Lord's arms no matter what our circumstances.

8. And Then There Were Two! is a blog by another Northwesterner who hails from Seattle, WA. She's a SAHM to two beautiful children under two!

9. Being the Barlows is a blog written by Amanda who is a mom and an Army Wife! She played tag with me this week... I haven't played yet... lazy me! Lazy, lazy me!!! :D (I'll do that this week! I swear!)

10. Five Lil Monkeys is written by Jessie and she's got... well... five little monkeys. I've got just one and she's throwing a tantrum at my feet. I better go. LOL!

11. Gabi's World --Shannon is a mommy to three and step mommy to two and her beautiful daughter has Trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome). This blog is about her life and about her beautiful little girl, Gabi who makes the world that much rounder and that much more colorful! Check this site out. It's worth the read and worth the click!