My first real attempt.

Like everyone else who watches it...I want to be like the extreem couponers of the new tlc show.... I have couponed in the past...but here is my first real planned attempt.

It took me over 3 hours to plan.
I gathered the majority of my info from www.thegrocerygame.com
I cut out all the coupons
Made a game plan on how to use registar rewards in their best capacity....
I went to the store only to find the majority of my list was already picked up..and I can safely assume it was other xtrm couponers....
So I improvised.
And I feel like I failed. But I can see how others would have been impressed.

I spent $18.67
Saved exactly $30

But my orignal plan was to buy $10.35 and save $78....

Can you see how I felt defeated?

So anyways...my loot consisted of the following:

2 schick shaving gel
2 nivia mens body wash
2 reach toothbrushes
2 reach floss
1 always 44ct maxi pad
12 mars regular sized candy bars.
1 small dawn dish soap
1 russel stovers chocolate covered egg.

Maybe next week I will have better luck

30 in 30 April Update

1. Lose "30" pounds. (10/30) 2. Get my diabetes under control (0/12) 3. Visit my grandmother at least twice a month (8/24) 4. Read three books for leisure (1/3) 5. Complete three bible studies (0/3) 6. Complete 30 sewing projects (2/30) 7. Learn 3 new crafts (1/3) -we are refinishing my grandmothers old dresser, I have never sanded and stained anything in my life.... 8. Complete 30 new scrapbook pages (0/30) 9. Do 30 random acts of kindness (30/30) - helped a family out for the whole month of September, and it looks as if it will continue on for months, also is continually helping a single teenage mom, plus other small random acts... 10. Go on a cruise 11. Complete 12 monthly flylady challenges (0/12) 12. Make a control journal 13. Send out Christmas cards 14. Plan a Christmas gift exchange for Jason's side of the family 15. Have a "sister night" with Veida and Shayda three times (1/3) 16. Learn to make homemade pie crust 17. Learn to make yeast rolls 18. Blog twice a week (19/104) 19. Make caramel apples 19. Get a pair of glasses 20. Go to a pumpkin patch (never had the money or had the money and not a kid to go with) 21. Shop on Black Friday it was just for hats and gloves for the parade of lights, but it was still shopping. 22. Start a new tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas (2/2) Thanksgiving - we went around the room and told everyone what we were thankful for, cheesy and ordinary maybe, new to us, yes. Christmas - we adopted a child from the angel tree at walmart and bough Christmas for them. This is something I NEED to do each and every year. 23. Have two date nights a month (5/12) 24. Activate and use Etsy Account 25. Raise $10,000 for church in fundraisers ($2,135/$10,000) 26. Seriously track fertility each month so I can have a child (8/12) 27. Plan a birthday party for Jason, Aaron and Alyssa (1/3) did not plan alyssas, tracy did 28. Make/eat breakfast at least 5 times a week (52/260) 29. Pray for 15 mins a day (10/365) 30. Make a weekly budget with Jason and stick to it (0/52) bolded is being worked on red is not going to happen strike out is finished

One More Roll

This is called "one more roll"
This is my latest food obsession.
Once I like something I crave it till I am sick of it.
So far since this picture was taken, I have ordered it 3 more times to-go.
It is a Tempura shrimp, cream cheese and crab roll.
Be jealous.
It is delicious.
This is actually the only sushi I have tried and liked.
Because of lapband, seaweed paper is hard to digest, I get it with rice paper instead.
Rice paper costs an additional dollar, but it is soooo worth it.
I get this at Simply Asia here in Grand Prairie.
If you are in town, you should try it.

My Sad Story of the Night

So I know I say it each and every time, but I am trying to "think" of blogging more often...maybe that will lead to more blogs (I guess it is the only way my poor friend Stephanie can keep up with me, since I have slacked on the facebook front as well.)
But tonight my heart is sad.
A blog-able moment....hopefully a "look back and laugh" moment.....but it all depends on how it ends.
(Side note, thank Jesus for 1 pint blue bell cookies and cream.....it is helping soothe me....guess I am an emotional eater.)

***WARNING**** The following has lots of talk about Overies and Periods and Uterus and stuff like that, if it grosses you out, skip this entire post.


So I have an Android phone..one of those neat phones that have "apps" that help you out with everyday things as well as has fun games and stuff. Well, I had an app called My Days. It is an ovulation calculator.
I put in the calander when my last period was, it will tell me when I should be fertile, as well as predicts my actual ovulaion date, and my next period date.
Cool Huh.
I thought so.

Back in September, I had a sonohystogram done of my uterus and overies. My doctor wanted to do this because of my family history of ovary issues, and my cancer...I have been trying to get pregnant with no luck...the doctor wanted to be 100% certain none of that was an issue.
Well it sort of was.
I am in beginning stages of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) The doc said, ovaries look like a "chocolate chip cookie" with all the foliciles in there...but mine looked like it had extra chips in it, which indicates the development of cysts. None of them were big enough to cause concern, it was the amount that raised eyebrows.
My doctor told me to document EVERYTHING very well, and also lose 30 pounds. Then come back in March or April for a followup and then we will start talking about aggressive measures such as Clomid and other infertility drugs.
EEK!
I got right on it...I downloaded the App to get to documenting. And I had lapband to get the weight off quick.
Fast Forward from September to March 16th....5 months later, I have lost only 10 pounds (Blue Bell isn't helping) BUT I had well documented EVERYTHING.
Well today (as in March 16th) my husband asked me to give him my phone. He wanted to update it for me.
He did it.
Then laughed... "I earased all your stuff" I told him whatever I didn't believe him...he said it was just all the apps, so I didn't worry about it.
At church I noticed I started my period...or was spotting...or something weird. so after church, I went to redownload the app that was lost. Only to find out that it was set to "default" user, and didnt require an email, or any other way to save your information.
I. L.O.S.T. E.V.E.R.T.H.I.N.G
Now there is an option to email the data in list form, but when Jason took the phone today, I didn't think of the app, and what was at stake if it was gone....

But here is the saddest part.

I want a baby.

People all around me are having babies.
I even went to a fertility specialist....but thought as he was telling me my options, that with my documentation and what my regular doctor wants to do, I should be ok......
I cried the other night because I want babies.
I am getting tired of watching everyone elses babies and not having one of my own (but don't get me wrong I love all the babies I am watching)
I am about to be 31 in a few months.....Jason is about to 38.....

Now I have no data and right now at midnight, it feels like no hope.

anyways...thats my sad story of the day. take it for what it's worth.

30/30 March update

1. Lose "30" pounds. (10/30)
2. Get my diabetes under control (0/12)
3. Visit my grandmother at least twice a month (7/24)
4. Read three books for leisure (0/3)
5. Complete three bible studies (0/3)
6. Complete 30 sewing projects (2/30)
7. Learn 3 new crafts (1/3) -we are refinishing my grandmothers old dresser, I have never sanded and stained anything in my life....
8. Complete 30 new scrapbook pages (0/30)
9. Do 30 random acts of kindness (30/30) - helped a family out for the whole month of September, and it looks as if it will continue on for months, also is continually helping a single teenage mom, plus other small random acts...
10. Go on a cruise
11. Complete 12 monthly flylady challenges (0/12)
12. Make a control journal
13. Send out Christmas cards
14. Plan a Christmas gift exchange for Jason's side of the family
15. Have a "sister night" with Veida and Shayda three times (1/3)
16. Learn to make homemade pie crust
17. Learn to make yeast rolls
18. Blog twice a week (19/104)
19. Make caramel apples
19. Get a pair of glasses
20. Go to a pumpkin patch (never had the money or had the money and not a kid to go with)
21. Shop on Black Friday it was just for hats and gloves for the parade of lights, but it was still shopping.
22. Start a new tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas (2/2) Thanksgiving - we went around the room and told everyone what we were thankful for, cheesy and ordinary maybe, new to us, yes. Christmas - we adopted a child from the angel tree at walmart and bough Christmas for them. This is something I NEED to do each and every year.
23. Have two date nights a month (3/12)
24. Activate and use Etsy Account
25. Raise $10,000 for church in fundraisers ($1,000/$10,000)
26. Seriously track fertility each month so I can have a child (7/12)
27. Plan a birthday party for Jason, Aaron and Alyssa (1/3) did not plan alyssas, tracy did
28. Make/eat breakfast at least 5 times a week (52/260)
29. Pray for 15 mins a day (10/365)
30. Make a weekly budget with Jason and stick to it (0/52)


bolded is being worked on
red is not going to happen
strike out is finished

30 in 30 February update

1. Lose "30" pounds. (10/30)
2. Get my diabetes under control (0/12)
3. Visit my grandmother at least twice a month (7/24)
4. Read three books for leisure (0/3)
5. Complete three bible studies (0/3)
6. Complete 30 sewing projects (2/30)
7. Learn 3 new crafts (1/3) -we are refinishing my grandmothers old dresser, I have never sanded and stained anything in my life....
8. Complete 30 new scrapbook pages (0/30)
9. Do 30 random acts of kindness (30/30) - helped a family out for the whole month of September, and it looks as if it will continue on for months, also is continually helping a single teenage mom, plus other small random acts...
10. Go on a cruise
11. Complete 12 monthly flylady challenges (0/12)
12. Make a control journal
13. Send out Christmas cards
14. Plan a Christmas gift exchange for Jason's side of the family
15. Have a "sister night" with Veida and Shayda three times (1/3)
16. Learn to make homemade pie crust
17. Learn to make yeast rolls
18. Blog twice a week (18/104)
19. Make caramel apples
19. Get a pair of glasses
20. Go to a pumpkin patch (never had the money or had the money and not a kid to go with)
21. Shop on Black Friday it was just for hats and gloves for the parade of lights, but it was still shopping.
22. Start a new tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas (2/2) Thanksgiving - we went around the room and told everyone what we were thankful for, cheesy and ordinary maybe, new to us, yes. Christmas - we adopted a child from the angel tree at walmart and bough Christmas for them. This is something I NEED to do each and every year.
23. Have two date nights a month (3/12)
24. Activate and use Etsy Account
25. Raise $10,000 for church in fundraisers ($600/$10,000)
26. Seriously track fertility each month so I can have a child (6/12)
27. Plan a birthday party for Jason, Aaron and Alyssa (1/3) did not plan alyssas, tracy did
28. Make/eat breakfast at least 5 times a week (40/260)
29. Pray for 15 mins a day (10/365)
30. Make a weekly budget with Jason and stick to it (0/52)


bolded is being worked on
red is not going to happen
strike out is finished

30 in 30 January Update

1. Lose "30" pounds. (10/30)
2. Get my diabetes under control (0/12)
3. Visit my grandmother at least twice a month (7/24)
4. Read three books for leisure (0/3)
5. Complete three bible studies (0/3)
6. Complete 30 sewing projects (2/30)
7. Learn 3 new crafts (0/3)
8. Complete 30 new scrapbook pages (0/30)
9. Do 30 random acts of kindness (30/30) - helped a family out for the whole month of September, and it looks as if it will continue on for months, also is continually helping a single teenage mom, plus other small random acts...
10. Go on a cruise
11. Complete 12 monthly flylady challenges (0/12)
12. Make a control journal
13. Send out Christmas cards
14. Plan a Christmas gift exchange for Jason's side of the family
15. Have a "sister night" with Veida and Shayda three times (0/3)
16. Learn to make homemade pie crust
17. Learn to make yeast rolls
18. Blog twice a week (17/104)
19. Make caramel apples
19. Get a pair of glasses
20. Go to a pumpkin patch (never had the money or had the money and not a kid to go with)
21. Shop on Black Friday it was just for hats and gloves for the parade of lights, but it was still shopping.
22. Start a new tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas (2/2) Thanksgiving - we went around the room and told everyone what we were thankful for, cheesy and ordinary maybe, new to us, yes. Christmas - we adopted a child from the angel tree at walmart and bough Christmas for them. This is something I NEED to do each and every year.
23. Have two date nights a month (3/12)
24. Activate and use Etsy Account
25. Raise $10,000 for church in fundraisers ($430/$10,000)
26. Seriously track fertility each month so I can have a child (5/12)
27. Plan a birthday party for Jason, Aaron and Alyssa (1/3)
28. Make/eat breakfast at least 5 times a week (30/260)
29. Pray for 15 mins a day (8/365)
30. Make a weekly budget with Jason and stick to it (0/52)


bolded is being worked on
red is not going to happen
strike out is finished

2010 in review

January
Alyssa turned 9, she had her birthday party at a local skating rink. (Skating is a big thing this year; Pawpaw took the kids skating a lot)

February
I made cool sugar cookies for valentines. We went to Jason’s coworkers for the super bowl….I made more sugar cookies!!

March
We had TONS of Snow!!! Oh how wonderful it was! It was funny that the snow happened at the end of the month.
I sold my Mazda 626, it was a sad day!
I went to Ladies conference

April
My mother moved in with us. She was having a hiccup in life and needed support.

May
Jason went to Mens Conference and came back with a renewed spirit.

June
We had our first official family vacation. It was completely orchestrated by the Lord. He arranged for Jason’s co-worker to GIVE us his timeshare, and it was big enough to take Jason, me, Aaron, Alyssa, Tracy, Hershal, Dray, Julie, Shayla, Jasmine, and Ainsley. On top of the timeshare in Celebration Florida, my cousin Farid worked at Disney, and was able to get three people into Disney for free (each day we wanted to go) Farid also got us free parking at the parks, and he was a great tour guide. We bought two tickets off of craigslist, for super cheap, but then we found out it was military passes. You have to have a military id to use them. As soon as we walked into the park, I found someone from the military who was willing to help us redeem the tickets. The Lord is amazing and awesome.
We drove safely to and from Disney, and my husband who has never traveled, got to see the South.
We got to visit my cousin Reza, his wife Sandra and their two precious girls

July
My mom moved out, and life started returning to normal.

August
I turned 30! Eek.
4 days after my birthday, my little sister had her baby. My little nephew Nikolas Marine Dima was born. He is too precious.

September
Aaron turned 14 and we had a skating party for him as well.
A friend of Aaron’s stays with us a lot, as well as his little brother. We make sure they get to school on time. Their family lost their apartment, and needed help.

October
Our family started helping out a girl from church, she is a teenage mom who is trying to go to school. I watch her son in exchange she is to go to church anytime the doors are open, as well as make good grades and not get into trouble.

November
Jason and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary. And the day after the anniversary, we had the lapband surgery.
Thanksgiving was fun.
On Thanksgiving day, we went to our friends house. Corrine and Scott were getting married two days after Thanksgiving, and had some family in town and needed help with Thanksgiving Dinner. Our family dinner we hosted at our apartment on Friday, we had 20 plus people in our small two bedroom apt.
Friday after thanksgiving we took my Grandmother to downtown Fort Worth for the Christmas Lights parade.

December
We had a fabulous time this month. Lots of Christmas fun and we tried to develop new traditions.
We had a smaller Christmas dinner…and had my Grandma stay with us for a few days. I had a bad stomach bug a few days before Christmas….yuck.
We ushered in the New Year at church. Exactly at midnight I was praising and worshipping and thanking the Lord for another year.

Happy New Year!

This picture is absolutely hands down my favorite. My grandma is the best!

I will do a 2010 recap for you tomorrow. Yay for 2011!

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30 in 30 December update

1. Lose "30" pounds. (10/30)
2. Get my diabetes under control (0/12)
3. Visit my grandmother at least twice a month (2/24)
4. Read three books for leisure (0/3)
5. Complete three bible studies (0/3)
6. Complete 30 sewing projects (2/30)
7. Learn 3 new crafts (0/3)
8. Complete 30 new scrapbook pages (0/30)
9. Do 30 random acts of kindness (30/30) - helped a family out for the whole month of September, and it looks as if it will continue on for months, also is continually helping a single teenage mom, plus other small random acts...
10. Go on a cruise
11. Complete 12 monthly flylady challenges (0/12)
12. Make a control journal
13. Send out Christmas cards
14. Plan a Christmas gift exchange for Jason's side of the family
15. Have a "sister night" with Veida and Shayda three times (0/3)
16. Learn to make homemade pie crust
17. Learn to make yeast rolls
18. Blog twice a week (7/104)
19. Make caramel apples
19. Get a pair of glasses
20. Go to a pumpkin patch (never had the money or had the money and not a kid to go with)
21. Shop on Black Friday it was just for hats and gloves for the parade of lights, but it was still shopping.
22. Start a new tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas (2/2) Thanksgiving - we went around the room and told everyone what we were thankful for, cheesy and ordinary maybe, new to us, yes. Christmas - we adopted a child from the angel tree at walmart and bough Christmas for them. This is something I NEED to do each and every year.
23. Have two date nights a month (3/12)
24. Activate and use Etsy Account
25. Raise $10,000 for church in fundraisers ($330/$10,000)
26. Seriously track fertility each month so I can have a child (4/12)
27. Plan a birthday party for Jason, Aaron and Alyssa (1/3)
28. Make/eat breakfast at least 5 times a week (25/260)
29. Pray for 15 mins a day (8/365)
30. Make a weekly budget with Jason and stick to it (0/52)


bolded is being worked on
red is not going to happen
strike out is finished

(side note: did anyone notice that I was missing 10-13 on my last few posts, I only did today because I KNEW I put the christmas card goal, and couldn't find it when I went to make it bold. Silly me.)

The LB Story Part Six

We woke up about 6, Veida was coming with us and she was going to be at my house about 8am....
There were videos we had to watch, so we spent the morning watching them, showering, and being sort of nervous....oh and thirsty, we were unable to drink anything since midnight.

Veida and Nikloas came and picked us up, and we got to the Surgery Center. Checked in, and I went back first.
My nerves were through the roof!!

I stripped down, took a pregnancy test (they wouldn't do the surgery if i was pregnant) and went to get weighed.

I weighed 301. So that means, I lost 5 pounds since the day we set the surgery date. I felt defeated, what is 5 pounds to the 120 I need to lose?

I got put in the bed, the nurses were chit chatting with me, they had all had the surgery already and were giving me encouragement. The Surgeon and Anestisologist came by and said hello, and asked me if I had any questions. I didn't.

While I waited they brought Jason back, he did his thing, then went about getting weighed. He lost 15 pounds. Jerk. lol.

Then we said our goodbyes and they took me back.

Now the last thing I remember is them wheeling me into the room and me looking around thinking, this is a small room.....that was it.

(Jason says he waited for my surgery to be over, the doctor came in and told him how I was and then they took him back, he actually remembers having to get up and move beds and they laid his hands out and then he was asleep)

When I woke up, the nurses kept telling me that I had to get up. Some time passed, I was in and out of it, then they made me move from the bed to a chair. I remember falling asleep again.
Eventually they woke me up telling me that Jason was out of surgery and that I could sleep a little while longer because I had to wait for him to come to.
The last time they woke me up, they said i had to get up to get an xray. I walked int here, my legs super shaky, and had to drink barium. At this point I was very thirsty and when I thought the drink they were going to give me was going to be refreshing, it was gross, I almost puked. lol.
The nurses brought me back to my chair, gave me my contacts, and then I was awake. I saw Jason in the bed across from mine, and he was kicking and waving his arms. The nurses kept telling him to calm down and stop trying to roll over. He wasn't listening, so this itty bitty nurse put the palm of her hand on his forehead, and he calms down. Her words were "It is funny how a 400 man feels like he is being pinned down when I do that"
About an hour later the nurses told me it was time to go, I get up, and hear Jason saying "An 8 an 8 my pain is an 8". I wasn't experiencing any pain...just a little discomfort and pressure.
I climb in the backseat of the car and wait for Jason and Veida. I fall asleep waiting. Apparently he was an hour behind me.
We get home, Veida stays with us for the afternoon. I sleep alot.

Lots of people called to check on us, and Jenna came by to drop off some soups and Popsicles.

We had some gas pressure, and Veida had picked up GasX for us. We had also pulled the mattress off Aaron's top bunk and put it on the floor. Thats where I was staying. And Jason was on the couch.

The next two days we were feeling a bit of the pain, but it wasn't too bad. My issue was I was sore all over. I couldn't figure out why, but then it dawned on me. I was sleeping on the floor, and to get up and down, I used every muscle I had in my body to hold my stomach from having to do all the work, and that made me sore.

Day two we were up and about. They said the more walking we do the better off our gas pain would be.... We went to Costco to walk around and pick up more soup. That was a chore. Man, I have never farted and burped sooooo much in my life. it was crazy, lol.

Day three post op we went to church

Day four post op we went back to costco and picked up a scale.

Day five.....we were still sore, but up and about doing our normal every day things.

Did I mention that I was watching kids this whole time? lol, yeah.....well I got Nikolas back on day 5 but I had Ainsley.....

by the next week we were pretty much good to go.

Here are a few pictures.......

At the surgery center.

Sexy sexy manVeida being mean and eating and drinking in front of me.Nikolas waiting with us in the waiting room.Right before I was taken back to the pre op room.After........that night.

2010 Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper!! Gotta have it cute with ribbon and such.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial and pre-lit. Thats how we roll.

3. When do you put up the tree? typically the day after thanksgiving, but this year we were two days late.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends on my mood, last year it was the day after Christmas because I was sad about not having a happy holiday season with my sister, but normally New Years day I do a major cleaning after taking down the tree and decorations.

5. Do you like eggnog? not one bit, my grandmother loves it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? that I can remember, a bike and a baton. Then I was told that when I was two I got a mini piano that I wouldn't leave alone.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Grandma, she is sentimental, however she has everything she needs most the time, and the things she asks for haven't been made since 1979. lol. (does anyone know where to get silky moomoo style actual nightgowns???)

8. Easiest person to buy for? Pretty much the kids.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Thats a touchy subject...I had one from Avon that my grandmother was going to give me, but it was sold on accident from her storage, a few small ones have been given to me, and I either don't like it, or gave it away.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? This is my first year to send out cards, I am doing it by snail mail, who doesn't like getting fun mail??

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I was given a maternity skirt when I was 16. The excuse was, Target doesn't have much transition between the plus size and their maternity sections. It did clearly say "due date" on the tag.....sigh.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As soon as the December bills are paid for and we have extra cash.....that hasn't happened yet this year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? sure, i am that person.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? chocolate covered cherries

16. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)? C.L.E.A.R. ABSOLUTELY!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home, and visit local family after we have done our little family Christmas traditions.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes

20. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? We have a star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One gift on Christmas Eve, and it is always pajamas. Then everything under the tree is wrapped, Santa's gifts have a different paper.

22. Favorite children's Christmas song? I want a hippoopatumus for Christmas

23. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Tacky lawn decorations or colored lights on a tree along with a complet huge hodge podge of crapy ornaments....i.e. my grandmothers tree growing up..

24. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and Gold

25. Turkey or ham on Christmas day? I think typically, ham.

27. Does anyone in your family dress up as Santa? Ha Ha No.

28. Age you discovered who Santa was? I was roughly 9 or 10, but I had my suspecisons before then.

29. Eggnog, hot chocolate, or apple cider? Hot Chocoate or Cider, depends on my mood.

30. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors? I am all for matchy matchy colors, red and gree or gold and red or blue and silver, things like that.

31. Do you have any Christmas decorations on your roof? No. I don't have an offical roof, we live in apartments.

32. How does Santa get into your house? Chimney or magic key? Depends on if we have a fireplace or not, either way.

33. Do you prefer gifts or gift cards? Depends on who is shopping for me and how well they really know me.

34. Favorite children's Christmas Cartoon? The traditional Frost the Snowman, Rudolph.....you know the claymation ones.

YOUR TURN!!