Red Rock Studios

Just in case you're wondering, I am related to the amazing Mindy Miller - owner of Red Rock Studios. And the reason why I am saying this on my blog, is that is the closest I will ever get to having a smidgen of the talent and eye for photography that she has. I would love to say it's in my blood, but alas, it's in my hubby's . She is his sister. But maybe, just maybe one of my kids might inherit it...Yes, there's hope!

This is one of my favorite shots:

(For a better image that isn't downsized click here: http://www.redrockstudioslv.com/LasVegasPhotographyBlog/las-vegas-photography/extreme-bridal/ )

She is based in Las Vegas, but does travel shoots quite a bit. Her work is amazing and has been published in wedding magazines, and featured on CNN as well. I could go on and on...but I will let her work speak for itself.

Go ahead. Take a peak - you know you want to. :)

http://www.redrockstudioslv.com/LasVegasPhotographyBlog/

ps - For you photographer enthusiasts - she runs a feature all about tricks and tips for better photo shoot results. And for those of you who like the chance to win something for free - she does "Friday Frills Giveaway" - where she features other artists and their awesome talents...yep, you guessed it - every Friday :)

Crazy Lady is here to stay

So I decided to try this whole coupon craze thing. You know, the one where you actually save money - not just 30 cents here and there. I have been following a few blogs for about a month now and watching some youtube trying to figure out what works best as far as coupon clipping, sorting, filing, and then which order to use them.

I learned:

1. Order 4 copies of the Sunday paper. I called the paper and asked what it cost to just get 1 copy of the Sunday paper, and they told me $2.12 (including tax) - which is exactly what it said on their website. So I asked if they gave military discounts. Nope. Then I explained that I will need more than one copy because I wanted more coupon inserts. She then told me about an offer called "Coupon Sense" (which isn't listed anywhere on their website). I have to order at least 4 Sunday papers (which is what I wanted anyway) and it would only cost me $0.43 for each copy...or $2.12 total for the 4 of them. Now how does that make sense? Whatever. 4 copies for the price of 1 - no complaining here.

2. The items that go on sale usually follow a 6-8 week pattern. Stock up on sale items enough to make it until the next cycle.

3. Being organized is worth it. Made things a lot smoother today while I shopped. Well that, and Trace was home to watch the kids today.

4. Walgreens isn't that bad. The store coupons, combined with the manufacturer coupons makes it a sweet deal. This is where the 4 copies of the same coupons come in handy - Say there is a buy one get one free offer with register rewards. Right off the bat, you save 50%. Then you can use 2 manufacturer coupons (one for each item). More savings. When the purchase is complete - you get rapid rewards (works like cash for Walgreens) to use on your next purchase. You then roll over that rapid rewards coupon into your next purchase and save even more (if you use the rapid rewards for another one of the same bogofree - you might not get another rapid rewards coupon at the end of purchase - so you need to alternate your purchases with another sweet deal from a different manufacturer).

4b. Walgreens manager can be a bit snippy when he is called to do a price adjustment. When that happens, just smile - especially if he gets called to the register more than once. :)

5. Walmart price matches and honors other store coupons. Nice. There were a few things I wanted to get at Walgreens today, but they were sold out - so I got a rain check (another good deal for later). Then I went to Walmart, with my Walgreens flyer, and they not only honored the price, but also manufacturer coupons PLUS my left over rapid rewards from Walgreens. Sweet. Honestly, I'd rather go to Walgreens because it's a shorter trip, the store is smaller, the line wait is less, and the overall time spent is less - but Walmart worked just fine.

6. Stores in Boise do not have double coupons. Bummer.

7. I love the feeling that I get when I know I got a good deal. But then, I feel guilty knowing how much money I have wasted in the past. Sigh. It's a learning process - but saving the amount of money I did today - and being able to get things that I really like - makes it worth it in my coupon book. :)

So how did I fare at my first attempt at being a crazy coupon lady?

Items purchased:

4 Purex Laundry Detergents (my favorite btw) - 32 load size each

4 Purex 3in1 (Laundry Detergent, softener, and anti-static all in one) - 38 load size each

24 cans of tuna, 5oz (can you say food storage?)

1 Aussie Shampoo with pump (awesome for portion control with the kids) - 33oz

1 Aussie Conditioner with pump - 33oz

1 Box of Kleenex, 110ct

1 margarine, 15oz

1 Dawn dish soap, 10oz

2 boxes of Tampons, 40ct each

5 boxes of Jello

10 packages of seeds (for our garden)

3 Oil of Olay luxury body washes, 12oz each (they smell soooo good!)

1 Oil of Olay moisturizer

1 Secret deodorant

2 Walgreen Candy, 16oz each (cheap treat for school lunches)

1 Colgate toothpaste, 6oz

2 composition notebooks (school supplies)

2 reams of printer paper

2 packages of sharpe black permanent markers, 5 ct each

2 full-size good quality scissors

2 pkgs of binder clips, 40ct each

2 10" envelopes, 25ct each

2 Goody Ouchless hair bands, 27ct each

2 pkgs Pentel pens, 5ct each

4 cadbury creme eggs (I would say for Easter - but I doubt they'll last that long with 4 kids)

2 Hershey's drops candy, 8oz each (bribery for the kids)

1 King size Hershey's bar (makes a great addition to a bday card for visiting teaching)

1 King size Reese's Mini's

Total without coupons: $212.43

Amount I paid: $82.43

So much did I save this time? A whopping $130.04!

Not too shabby. I like this saving money thing. :)

Pristine and Perfect

Miracles.

It appears that Luke doesn't have hydrocephalus. Say what?!? Yep, we got the MRI results and could not be happier. The ventricles in his brain are still enlarged, but have shrunk since his last MRI. Did you hear that? SHRUNK!!! Why not the diagnosis of hydrocephalus, if there is still more fluid than normal? As the Dr put it, "Luke's brain is pristine" - meaning no malformations, tumors, blockages, webbing or any other concerning factors were found. The dangerous kind of hydrocephalus is pathological - which means there they have found reason why the brain is accumulating too much fluid, and the extra fluid is causing adverse effects. Luke's brain is perfect. His ventricles are large - but for no reason - that's just the way he is. It's unusual, but okay considering everything else looked great. So now his condition is classified as "benign ventriculomegaly" if there has to be a term put to it. Well that and he has a really, really big head. Dr said he is about 99.9% sure that nothing will come of this and Luke will be normal. (Although, it may take him about 5 years to grow into his noggin). We shook hands with Dr. Cherny, thanked him and said we hope we never have to see him again. He smiled.

We left the Dr's office with grins a mile wide. Trace and I loaded up Hannah and Luke in the car - still amazed at what just happened. I cried as we said a little prayer.

How is it that his ventricles could go down is size? Dr. Cherny didn't have an answer. Luke's case was unique - and they just don't know.

But I know. My family knows. My friends know. It is humbling for me to know that the faith and love of others helped bring this about. Prayer is a powerful thing. Miracles never cease.

We are grateful.

Results

Been in a thoughtful mood today.

Luke had his contrast MRI yesterday (the general anesthesia went much better than I anticipated). I hadn't heard from the Dr. yet, so I called this morning and spoke to the nurse. She told me that we needed to come in this Thursday (in two days) to see Dr. Cherny - which means she wouldn't give me the results over the phone. Sigh. I tend to over-think things, but here is my take on all of this is:

If there was was a critical problem, they would have called me right away, and discussed it over the phone - or at least made me come in today. If there was nothing wrong, then the nurse would have told me when I called - and would not make it necessary to see the neurosurgeon so soon (we weren't scheduled to see Dr. Cherny until the end of the month after all the development assessment stuff was done, which still isn't done yet). So what could this mean? Well, it means it's the in-between stuff. Something isn't right and the Dr. needs to sit us down and talk to us. Now I keep going over all the "possibilities" in my head. I keep telling my brain to shut-up, but it's so busy worrying, that is won't listen to my inner-yelling. I am having a hard time getting anything done. I hate when things paralyze me like this.

Trying to get my mind off things - I decided to exercise. I always feel better when I do - and the additional oxygen to my head might help me focus on something else. Anyway, I was getting changed and decided to weigh myself. The results? I have officially lost 50 lbs. FIFTY POUNDS! (Imagine 50 tubs of butter). That is a huge milestone for me. It's been 2 months and 7 days since my surgery.

I now have conflicting emotions. Half of me is thrilled, while the other half feels helpless. The part of my soul - full of motherly love - is heavy, but a part of my heart is lightened (both figurative and literally). How is it that I can feel both? I suppose this is how it's meant to be. Feeling the warmth and light is what keeps us sane. And is what keeps us from gloom and darkness.

Then a friend of mine posted a quote that touched my heavy, er light, sometimes heavy heart:

" A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." ~ Roald Dahl

I think the same sunbeams work to lighten the inner-face of our souls.

What, a Whole Year?!? {sniff, sniff}

My head is spinning. It just can't be. My baby IS NOT a year. Okay, I know, I KNOW - I can't deny it any longer. What a sweet boy he is. Such a calm and patient kid. Not too sure where he gets that from. :) He has this look - it's kind of hard to describe - but when he does it - I have to remind myself 1. don't cry 2. he's just a baby 3. I am blessed. It's a look that seems to go to my very soul. And it's not just me - it gets Trace every time too. Alas another super power. Dimples and "the look". We're in trouble.

His party was low key. It's not like he'll remember it, but the other kids will - and they had fun helping. And so did Trace. He likes to surprise the kids and decorates the house while they are sleeping. Since Hannah and Luke have bdays so close, he decided to do it this way:

And what is a 1st birthday post without the all important cake play-by-play?...

1.) Ooooo - it's cake.

2.) Ummm - it's a cake on fire? Gettin' a little worried guys...

3.) I really want to...Should I? Yes. No. Okay, I'm going to...maybe...

4.) There, I touched it. Am I in trouble?

5.) Oh ya - this is sooooooo cool!!!

And sticky....

5.) Can I? Can I, Mom? Please, please.

6.) Humm, numm, mmmm - Now that's what I'm talkin' about.

7.) Here it comes...Sugar High! :)

8.) Okay, I'm done. Think I'll just set the rest over...there.

9.) Caught feeding Quigley...busted

10.) Mom! Bath! Now! Please! Look, I'll even smile for you :)

3 years and full of sunshine

Hannah celebrated her 3rd birthday. What a fun age. She is so animated and full of spunk. We can't help but smile when she's around. What a great kid. Thanks Hannah!

We decided to have a little Tinkerbell theme. I made banana chocolate chip bundt cake. It was a hit! I put little Tinkerbell figurines on the cake - I found them on clearance at the disneystore.com. Also got her Tinkerbell doll there. They normally are too pricey for me, but they have some great sales.

She's sooo excited. She's wearing the outfit that Buggy and Papa sent her. Cute as a button. I tried to convince her to let me do her hair - but she's a little headstrong. She hates ponytails 90% of the time. At least her hair was out of her eyes.

A Lalaloopsy doll from Grandma and Grandpa Giles - she didn't like Crumbs Sugar Cookie (doll's name) so she just calls her Rachel. Such a random name - but it seemed to stick. Rachel it is.

Tinkerbell. And that see that smile? It makes me wanna smile. Are you smiling yet?

Botanical Gardens and Proof there is a Santa

Last Christmas we went to the Botanical Gardens and loved it so much - that we decided to make it a family tradition. So this Christmas, we went again. Of course, true to our fashion - we got a late start getting out the door. I was worried we wouldn't make it before they close. But we did, by 15 minutes. They say they close at 8pm - but really that's just when they stop letting people in. The lights go out at 9pm. I think we will show up right before 8pm from now on. Less crowds, way better parking, and the line to Santa is manageable (and by manageable-instead of the line wrapping around the building, we had to wait for the person in front of us to finish up with their pictures). We had a nice relaxing time, except for Aleana. She thought we were walking too slow and taking too many pictures. Why is it, as the kids grow older - that the whining just grows louder? :)

Meeting Prancer...again.

It was a bit chilly, as Luke's nose can tell you - but I love his smirk. It's just like his daddy's.

Classic. And yes, I am getting this framed. It makes me smile with the knowledge that we are indeed normal. :)

And on to Christmas, and a great Christmas it was....

Santa brought Aleana an interactive globe. What gets me is how excited she is about it. If Santa gave me a globe when I was 10 yrs old - smiling would not be the first thing that came to mind :)

Stinky the Garbage Truck and a magic kit. Both well worth the investment!

Ariel - Hannah loves the long red hair. She already lost the shoes, only for Luke to find them. Why do they even bother putting them on these dolls?!?

Hannah in disbelief - she has MORE presents?

His favorite toy courtesy of Buggy and Papa

Gift from Grandma Buggy and Papa - ladybug kit and butterfly kit.

Slingshot Monkeys - from Grandma and Grandpa Giles. Did I mention that they screech upon impact? The dogs hate them.

Mind Maze - from the cousin gift exchange - Thanks Trevin!

Puzzle Erasers - from Buggy and Papa

I LOVE Melissa and Doug play sets, toys, books, and puzzles. This three little pig set is awesome! Thanks Buggy and Papa

If she could find a way to sleep in this fairy dress-up outfit - she would - from Grandma and Grandpa Giles

Sisterly love - even after the sugar high via Christmas stockings :)

Walkie-talkie watch set - gotta love the spy stuff.

Luke's Surfin' Spin. The kids quickly figured out that it will spin many other toys. Glad Luke gets to enjoy it now - because they were kind of hogging it. Sheesh. You'd think they didn't get anything.

A Kindle. Need I say more?

Payin' it forward...

So I got this super cute set of magnets from Kristal. It was one of those fb status updates that said "the first 5 people who reply to this will get something cute, crafty and homemade from me. But once you sign up you have to pay it forward..." (not those exact words...but you get the drift)

Ladies, the time has come - I am paying it forward. First 5 who leave a comment here gets something somewhat cute in the next month or so. Message me (fb or email) your mailing address too. :)

Man O' Man

So this is my hubby (on the left), hard at work. And at work he goes by Trace, not Tracy.

Here's an example as to why he is kind of partial to Trace:

The St Lukes Rehab place called me to set up some appointments for our sweet Luke. He has to see an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a speech therapist, and a peds neuropsychiatrist (didn't even know one of those existed) - all to gage where he is at developmentally speaking (a contrast MRI will follow to check ventricle size in a couple of weeks). So the lady on the phone, Patty, was listing off dates that we can get these different appointments scheduled. I grab my calendar and start writing times down. As I finish, she starts verifying insurance info with me, and I confirm that Tracy is the card holder, give her the social security number and assure her it's our only insurance. Didn't put much thought into it. Honestly, I was just excited to get the ball rolling, so we can get some more answers for Luke.

Anyway, I hang up and start looking at the calendar, making sure there are no conflicts - when the phone rings. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello?

Patty: Sheri?

Me: Yes...

Patty: This is Patty. Um...Okay. (Her uneasiness was growing). I don't know how to...Um...Okay...I am not sure how to say this, but I need to ask so I can input it in the system correctly. Is Tracy the FATHER of Luke or his other...M-M-MOTHER? (She's almost whispering at this point).

Me: (Laughing hysterically, trying to concentrate enough to get the answer out). HHEEEE'S the F-A-THER. Bwuahahahahaha.

Patty: I am so sorry. But I couldn't tell - I always thought "Tracy" was a girl's name - and well, you never know...

Me: (Tears are rolling down my face now...) Ya, I used to think so too.

Patty: Ohhh yaaaa, there's that singer that is named Tracy, and that's a guy. I am soooo sorry.

Me: Don't worry about it. It happens more often than you think.

And the conversation ends.

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Lesson 1. Pay more attention when giving out insurance information, ensuring that they know the correct gender BEFORE hanging up the phone.

Lesson 2. Try not to laugh too hard in order to limit the embarrassment of the medical receptionist.

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Hahahahaha - okay, who am I kidding? That was hilarious, and I am laughing with tears as I type this.

Poor Trace. Poor poor Tracy. Good thing he's my hot manly MAN:)