tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187089322024-03-07T10:56:24.334-05:00Tobie's Tall Tales & Tiny TruthsThis page is designed to keep you updated on the ins and outs of being a mother of two precious boys! Who am I kidding? I'm here to remind you that I'm even more crazy than I was before kids!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.comBlogger265125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-22849074736248393232015-03-04T14:45:00.002-05:002015-03-04T14:45:13.210-05:00Taking a StandYesterday, the Mississippi State Senate voted to kill House Bill 745. This bill would provide an exemption for public schools students with special needs to be promoted to fourth grade if they are meeting the requirements of their IEPs but do not meet the cut score on the high stakes standardized reading test. It would also make the current school year the baseline assessment year for all third grade students, delaying for one year retentions based solely on the state reading test.<br />
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Today, I took a stand for my child with special needs!!<br />
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The following is my strongly worded letter I sent to my senators. <br />
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Senator Parker,
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I am writing to express my disappointment in the senate for killing HB
745. As a parent of a third grader with special needs, I find this
decision appalling and a slap in the face to your constituents.
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My son is 8 years old. He was born with a cleft lip and hearing
impairment. After several surgeries, he is able to function and hear
like a normal child. However, he struggles in school. With an original
ruling of developmentally delayed, we have also learned that he has a
reading disability. I call it this because our "wonderful" state does
not recognize dyslexia as a disability. For the past three years, we
have paid for a private tutor to help our son read on grade level. He
receives remediation through his school, and lots of time at home
working on improving his reading scores. And while I hope this will be
enough, as a mother I am in constant worry that he will not pass this
high stakes standardized reading test.
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Yesterday, I met with his general education and special education
teachers. My main question was how can I assure that he will pass this
test. Do you know what I was told? They don't know! We are a part of
one of the top districts in the state and the teachers have no idea what
will be on this important test. They have had no practice. They aren't
even sure when it will be given. Well, I say shame on you! Shame on a
group of people who apparently have never stepped foot in a classroom
for making decisions that affect children. Shame on the state senate for
not giving schools adequate time to develop ways to help these kids.
Shame on the state senators for causing students with special needs more
worry. Did you know that my child, as well as many others, find
themselves in tears over the PARCC testing? Just last night it took him
an hour and a half to complete 17 questions on a PARCC practice test.
Do you know why? Because he struggles in reading.
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<div>
Stop making poor decisions! You and the rest of the senate owe it to
the good people of the state to better prepare teachers and students for
the ridiculous decisions you all have made. It's time to be heard and
to take a stand! I hope that you will also choose this route!
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Thank you,
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<br />Tobie Pillstrom
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tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-83318995299924589152011-09-10T14:18:00.003-04:002011-09-10T14:30:39.070-04:00Are You Ready for Some Football?In a break from blogging about Lynleigh...I thought you'd love to see how amazingly cute my little defensive lineman is! Today was the first football game for the Hernando Tigers (black team) and it was a short one thanks to the Jamboree!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODlSB961yco5tePmyn2h8LSoWT11yfThPzKdHarVT4z4DwUukmkd4o12tMxZmyADlKgOcke2vthGldcgWJsGrqrSRZjbjAgW7jz058Uf60wCuXZH331VN-mWTPUuSHT26Vf_rFA/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODlSB961yco5tePmyn2h8LSoWT11yfThPzKdHarVT4z4DwUukmkd4o12tMxZmyADlKgOcke2vthGldcgWJsGrqrSRZjbjAgW7jz058Uf60wCuXZH331VN-mWTPUuSHT26Vf_rFA/s320/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650797513315881202" /></a><br />They were all introduced at the beginning and I cheered as I took pictures like a good football mom!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXvna5G3jaAmBQjBAGS5jvo4SUJFMMfiU6QBsbGIx_9vETRuX6gwFXvUHea2Yvi1sgK6E5mW008nyxODcU8XAWjKBOgK2ScRwuS4mkGtC_T2QlrtWprq-xK-VoR8qUg7veFqlXg/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXvna5G3jaAmBQjBAGS5jvo4SUJFMMfiU6QBsbGIx_9vETRuX6gwFXvUHea2Yvi1sgK6E5mW008nyxODcU8XAWjKBOgK2ScRwuS4mkGtC_T2QlrtWprq-xK-VoR8qUg7veFqlXg/s320/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650797508602517026" /></a><br />Then he came and asked for something to drink so I made him stop for a photo op! I love that face!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlNWc3bz3rgHVJIQI5g8bjmoMGDabqh2rMgAJ2YfvTWobnCV9WqLirAb3mAmxESJ1MgCjQqW7NJtQbRUv4cz7bH84cCynZRrlWivx7cAn0gZX95kWxDQA6AVS86uAmvHmx6if-w/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlNWc3bz3rgHVJIQI5g8bjmoMGDabqh2rMgAJ2YfvTWobnCV9WqLirAb3mAmxESJ1MgCjQqW7NJtQbRUv4cz7bH84cCynZRrlWivx7cAn0gZX95kWxDQA6AVS86uAmvHmx6if-w/s320/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650797510408719282" /></a><br />We were offense first so Kaden got a little break before having to hit the grid iron! (like that sports cliche'?)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN2duFmsYnwbo03PjJ0eMROJhMGiPA2juld6IwkDGxBU-2cM8i4zm0KFZubQmgdNg4GPBqPcN6tTsN-Es0dt6ZQ4So-MjePGxrT8SFjDx6LTzRnsOJbZEZoYlZ7Egao4lh7m1ew/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwN2duFmsYnwbo03PjJ0eMROJhMGiPA2juld6IwkDGxBU-2cM8i4zm0KFZubQmgdNg4GPBqPcN6tTsN-Es0dt6ZQ4So-MjePGxrT8SFjDx6LTzRnsOJbZEZoYlZ7Egao4lh7m1ew/s320/025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650797506192869074" /></a><br />Then it was his turn to chase the pigskin! he didn't get the flag but I think he tried really hard! And he looked so stinking cute doing it!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJImyGr1Q__slwjuoa7zoGDAUW7awczArshed5_XI-XADLJuHPD3vg0HRNuzIHZlNRlF9y-GE5uUo8Q9uECNTJEa_Vorv2JYmPCSWDX6KQeMHM9oDSvaqMJler3x0a28O3PsdxiQ/s1600/030.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJImyGr1Q__slwjuoa7zoGDAUW7awczArshed5_XI-XADLJuHPD3vg0HRNuzIHZlNRlF9y-GE5uUo8Q9uECNTJEa_Vorv2JYmPCSWDX6KQeMHM9oDSvaqMJler3x0a28O3PsdxiQ/s320/030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650797500550321442" /></a><br />The tigers won both games! What a great way to start the season! It was a bit hot today but I know that when we get home with our little cheerleader that it will be a lot cooler and good football weather! Maybe one day you will be buying his jersey and wearing it to a "pigs hogs" game in Fayetteville!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-78888027628670550952011-04-09T19:46:00.002-04:002011-04-09T19:54:31.557-04:00Take Me Out To The Ball Game....Our first games of the season kicked off today! I can't believe it's already time for baseball but man am I excited. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8Y0YL2csxr9jpZCQ1YgV6VjMTUfM87ty6Je-X0pbyL-1b646USpc9dlWPH9KU_CqLpZrmRam_BeOa4j8DQKAF3ynjh2UvcvnwroArFI6UMPykKgv8_VHDBN9ANfbODdQWIlNBw/s1600/IMG_2306_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8Y0YL2csxr9jpZCQ1YgV6VjMTUfM87ty6Je-X0pbyL-1b646USpc9dlWPH9KU_CqLpZrmRam_BeOa4j8DQKAF3ynjh2UvcvnwroArFI6UMPykKgv8_VHDBN9ANfbODdQWIlNBw/s320/IMG_2306_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593734994281025794" /></a><br />This year, Kaden plays for the Horn Lake Cubs and Brady plays for the Horn Lake D-backs. Can you believe these two big boys are my babies? I'm looking at their faces and thinking...who are those kids?<br />Both boys played their games at the same time so Tony and I had a major juggling act today. However, the good news is that they played at fields next to each other. That made it a lot easier.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje6syGNzMuN-pT6YL810kBj2UKf6KTONYVinsmqYWotRnhI-X5ouZIQ5OEtawzY7XENYQY92m8-CnF8BYDH8-Ps7y2DOwgMQChm-ZLDN0uljjmmq8eaCFM4jTniEmbA2FTinNaw/s1600/IMG_2320_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje6syGNzMuN-pT6YL810kBj2UKf6KTONYVinsmqYWotRnhI-X5ouZIQ5OEtawzY7XENYQY92m8-CnF8BYDH8-Ps7y2DOwgMQChm-ZLDN0uljjmmq8eaCFM4jTniEmbA2FTinNaw/s320/IMG_2320_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593734995506736770" /></a><br />This has to be one of the cutest pictures I've ever taken. Kaden started the day off as catcher and OMG...I love that kid in this gear!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxLBo4_2QJRTioVZ0JqNGfIcxnPQlddhaI3FkqEMK_0hb-BpnZyAGAQeXJ3Y3CqtMXUyTYBQ51r8nv6p6jmloKrXEBijpacrEHiWxC5IbmITtbElNiT2c6QGToYtQoTq3rke6Tw/s1600/IMG_2305_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxLBo4_2QJRTioVZ0JqNGfIcxnPQlddhaI3FkqEMK_0hb-BpnZyAGAQeXJ3Y3CqtMXUyTYBQ51r8nv6p6jmloKrXEBijpacrEHiWxC5IbmITtbElNiT2c6QGToYtQoTq3rke6Tw/s320/IMG_2305_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593734991439228578" /></a><br />Of course I'm the mom who brings a dirty faced kid to an event!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVmvS8fiCH6c6s0weEoDoryvvKlL77rmU8TbNg6i93Ts2zzAfe_cn4zb-Q6eDy_0kB18DNb0Tu-BSB8YosZYQ6k1QeSDmMtOWnMhfxPwI0NseKyzEFLKNzgGYWmLtJ5coX2BJ1w/s1600/IMG_2334_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVmvS8fiCH6c6s0weEoDoryvvKlL77rmU8TbNg6i93Ts2zzAfe_cn4zb-Q6eDy_0kB18DNb0Tu-BSB8YosZYQ6k1QeSDmMtOWnMhfxPwI0NseKyzEFLKNzgGYWmLtJ5coX2BJ1w/s320/IMG_2334_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593734988322244530" /></a><br />Who is that guy with the long hair? Oh...it's Brady. He's the only one with this hair on his team. He doesn't like the idea of "baseball" hair...maybe I can get him to at least get it trimmed!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbBAeszwaZpCRYWtEQ-QSpXkx1JpVxod8ovw3CdArQnCHYESl6sGnQ3A4mDn0AE_tSTo3MqkvBw8Upsy__12272kGFw7PeRsn3OjgLjdFsY7e2sHgZZ9WjqHwlmGrIKYFoiycPA/s1600/IMG_2329_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbBAeszwaZpCRYWtEQ-QSpXkx1JpVxod8ovw3CdArQnCHYESl6sGnQ3A4mDn0AE_tSTo3MqkvBw8Upsy__12272kGFw7PeRsn3OjgLjdFsY7e2sHgZZ9WjqHwlmGrIKYFoiycPA/s320/IMG_2329_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593734984659297858" /></a><br />It was a great day! Kaden's team won both of his games. Kaden made the winning play when he tagged out a kid running to third. Brady's team lost one and won one. He plays for the team who won second last year and they are determined to take home the big title this year!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-2139424506401452102011-04-02T12:33:00.003-04:002011-04-02T12:37:05.432-04:00Disney!I'm so sad today! My little buddy took his first trip to Disney World without his mommy! <br />My mom decided she wanted to go to Disney with a friend of hers and invited Kaden to go with her. Well, of course we didn't tell him until this week and it has been the most anticipated thing since getting Lynleigh's picture! <br />Mom called him on FaceTime Wednesday night to tell him they were going and his response was priceless! I know you've seen the commercials where the kids find out and they are screaming and acting crazy! Well, our moment was nothing like that! As soon as she said, "Kaden, do you want to go to Disney World for your birthday?" His response was, "Nah...I want to wait until my little sister gets here!" Do you love him our what? Anyway, as the week finished up, his excitement grew! Today, I walked him to the gate at the airport to meet my mom and almost lost it about 20 times! I can't believe I put my baby on a plane to meet Mickey Mouse and I'm not even going! <br />As soon as I get some pics of this awesome trip...I will post!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-59676819454228167212011-04-01T13:54:00.003-04:002011-04-01T14:11:45.670-04:00Lynleigh RenNow that the newness is wearing off...I thought I should blog about our referral! I'm not ready to post her pic online yet, but I can tell you all about our little girl!<br /><br />Last Tuesday, we finally got the call that we had been matched with our sweet baby girl! She was born in September 2009 so she is a year and a half. She has a cleft lip and palate. Her lip has been repaired but not her palate. I was beside myself when I got the call.<br /><br />I had waited by the phone all day hoping they would call us. Finally, when I had given up hope of being called and plugged my phone into the speakers to play music for my class...the phone rang! Marsha from Holt sounded so excited to tell me that they had matched us with a sweet little girl. She is described as a little girl who loves music and everyone loves her! Of course, I wanted more info so I immediately called Tony and we both waited by the computer for the email. When the email finally came, I called Tony on speaker phone so that we could open it together. My students were sitting by impatiently waiting to see her too! As soo as I opened the email, I started crying! My students were so excited they insisted I put her picture on the smart board! I was freaking out and had to call all of my teacher friends to come to my room. She is beautiful! <br /><br />So, of course we accepted her! (like we wouldn't!) And sent in our letter of intent. Today we are waiting on our Letter of Acceptance to come back from China. It's only been a week and a half but it seems like forever! <br />We have requested more information on her palate and whether or not she has any ear infections related to it! <br /><br />Until then, I'm starting the transition of moving the boys into the same room and will soon be preparing our baby girl's bedroom! <br /><br />Please pray for us! We still need funds for plane tickets and travel. We also need prayer for our sweet baby while she prepares for our arrival.tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-6238978516312433552011-01-30T18:24:00.002-05:002011-01-30T18:27:57.654-05:001/30/11Ok...I can't contain my excitement about our paperwork is officially its way to China! I still can't believe how close we are getting! I'm really hoping that we get matched in the March matching but I know I need to think more in God's terms when it comes to timing and stop being so worried about it! <br /><br />The boys are so excited about getting to see their little sister! Kaden is so obsessed with wanting to buy things for her and saving his towys for her. I'm sure it will all change when he's no longer the baby! We've been talking about that a lot and I'm trying to prepare him for what's to come. But I don't think he will really understand until she gets here!<br /><br />So, for now...not much else is going on and I can't wait to let you know about the next steps!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-86901068799356254562011-01-26T20:35:00.002-05:002011-01-26T20:38:00.127-05:001/26/2011Oh..I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!!!!!!! I found out this afternoon that our dossier will for sure be sent to China on Friday!!!!! This is awesome news! They said it usually takes about two weeks to get a log in date (LID) but because of Chinese New Year it will take aobut 4. That's fine! Because as soon as we get out LID, we can be matched! This means we will be eligible for matching in March!!! They usually match kids on the third Monday so I'm impaitently waiting for the Middle of March to roll around!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-26316831070434272082011-01-23T18:25:00.003-05:002011-01-23T18:36:02.655-05:001/23/11I'm sitting here on a Sunday afternoon waiting on small group to start. Not much has been going on around here except that we had yet another snow day last week! I didn't take any pictures because: 1. the novelty has worn off and 2. I didn't bother going out side! Brady lasted about 20 minutes and Kaden played for about 45. Now the poor little guy has a runny nose and cough. I'm anticipating that the nose will turn into an ear infection by the end of the week. I'm pretty good at knowing these kinds of things with Kaden as my kid.<br /><br />We have lots of big plans in the works around here. Nothing new on Baby China though. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if our dossier was sent to China. They send them on Fridays so I'm hoping that it's in the mail! Meanwhile, Kaden is dying to go to Disney. We started a Disney fund last week. So, on top of paying for an adoption, we are also saving for Disney. Don't get all excited though...we are saving change not big bills! The big bucks are still going towards bringing Lynleigh home! <br /><br />We are also trying to figure out what we will do with five people in our house. We are thinking about starting to work on the house and get it ready to put on the market. That is a long way off but for some reason my children keep growing (out of their clothes) and we are going to need some more space when a third human moves in! We will stay in Hernando because we love it here but just need more square footage! That's the long term/two year goal. We'll see how it goes!<br /><br />Oh, I am also making blankets to take to China when we go. They will be our gift to the orphanage. So far this weekend I've made half of a granny square blanket! It's been so relazing to crochet and not read! And laugh if you must...I learned how to make granny squares on you tube! I'll post a pic when I get it done!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-77520086947027914592011-01-16T16:17:00.002-05:002011-01-16T16:27:21.046-05:00Science ProjectBecause we are such procrastinators, we are working on Brady's science project that is due on Tuesday. He's chosen math probability so obviously, this was a project for his daddy and not me! I am the creative one that will help put it all together on the board. Tony had to help with the math part, which included making graphs and all that! <br /><br />Brady choose "Tricky Dice" as his topic. It was pretty interesting to watch. Basically, he rolled the dice 100 times and his hypothesis was that he thought a sum of 8 would appear the most time. In our case, the sum of 7 appeared the most. I also learned that 10, 11, and 12 appeared the least! Interesting! It was kind of like Bunco but with out the laughs and prizes!!!! Here are a few of the pictures we will be putting on the project board.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1YAAztatpskKIFk03mRmhEnbTQZQvLtPTHyD7Vekdp22GfpCxJQC_JXwpUXWVm9RoU95KLynSleCWPgpE1FKqdO7ZQSXmoZhPqcUcGkEvOpx9y9MPVE-Lf2LUGFDcPh8WNL8yA/s1600/IMG_2221.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1YAAztatpskKIFk03mRmhEnbTQZQvLtPTHyD7Vekdp22GfpCxJQC_JXwpUXWVm9RoU95KLynSleCWPgpE1FKqdO7ZQSXmoZhPqcUcGkEvOpx9y9MPVE-Lf2LUGFDcPh8WNL8yA/s320/IMG_2221.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562896335843603826" /></a><br />I just love this picture! I told you...I'm the creative one. I think it's so cool how his reflection is on the table. Ok...I know I'm lame but I'm still impressed with this one!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7XhLcBrkiY4FJDGabx36S3BEi5ouzxLK5iAwZNey-da43TSL-OxP7wwxFEJBKSFU6mxVC1rvUFg5fiLK3y390qwWmpOIuyFzpDijJ_HGGbTNaqW1mhlB1fU2TS_J3AnLSW2Tog/s1600/IMG_2217.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7XhLcBrkiY4FJDGabx36S3BEi5ouzxLK5iAwZNey-da43TSL-OxP7wwxFEJBKSFU6mxVC1rvUFg5fiLK3y390qwWmpOIuyFzpDijJ_HGGbTNaqW1mhlB1fU2TS_J3AnLSW2Tog/s320/IMG_2217.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562896206755266434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIZGgE0riNZGynlpXc7n2oThyVAgiEEjvpGhBD-1WkhQKXVck877c3HYsTUKl4fIqe68T7FyX2wTQid8e5rytjVv2VVaARP1WDaoYTSTOQhxx1jq18nMMNHW_WCVrhBbtEFkmfg/s1600/IMG_2216.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIZGgE0riNZGynlpXc7n2oThyVAgiEEjvpGhBD-1WkhQKXVck877c3HYsTUKl4fIqe68T7FyX2wTQid8e5rytjVv2VVaARP1WDaoYTSTOQhxx1jq18nMMNHW_WCVrhBbtEFkmfg/s320/IMG_2216.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562896207197254578" /></a><br /><br />Despite being sick this weekend, I'm glad to have had a project to keep us busy. I've been reading so many books that I haven't had any kind of craft project since before Christmas. I'm thinking about working on some blankets that I started a while back. My mom and I decided that we would make blankets for me to take to Lynleigh's orhpanage when we go. I'm not really good at it but I'm thinking about taking a crocheting class or something! Please continue to pray for Baby China and of course I will keep you posted on when we get that LID!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-70140794397873621022011-01-15T16:38:00.001-05:002011-01-15T16:51:38.922-05:00Snow Pics!We were so excited last week that on Sunday afternoon, it started to snow! We knew we would have a snow day because it was crazy out there! When we woke up Monday morning...this<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReNAHkO-C2Wdev82Rz7Wpb5FjShEjGpB_KMSWPVieHnBs_dQh2UDURq7JOvx3cQ-dkSYZnNf47tvBLav7aJhe3mcs6yzP_t12VJX4Eap3D3AXOyyOZR3ZJDjHfBVGFge8Me4duA/s1600/IMG_2153.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReNAHkO-C2Wdev82Rz7Wpb5FjShEjGpB_KMSWPVieHnBs_dQh2UDURq7JOvx3cQ-dkSYZnNf47tvBLav7aJhe3mcs6yzP_t12VJX4Eap3D3AXOyyOZR3ZJDjHfBVGFge8Me4duA/s320/IMG_2153.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531347013387762" /></a>is what we found! We had a good 4-5 inches of snow this time! And it wasn't yucky ice...it was fluffy, pretty snow!<br />Of course the kids couldn't wait to get out in it! Mr. "I think I'm so funny" pulled this<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzKw4FRR4GUmbi8S2bd61luKqt7l0-ml5nVN80bP_rkFSqItZ4mYyIP3uzOaDUD4EX8uiCsOF9d8cYJUQM5LEhJC21Ou1PJy6eLWepIKMNg4p-M5_i1wKnT1LiBVCKMJTsXGnpQ/s1600/IMG_2154.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzKw4FRR4GUmbi8S2bd61luKqt7l0-ml5nVN80bP_rkFSqItZ4mYyIP3uzOaDUD4EX8uiCsOF9d8cYJUQM5LEhJC21Ou1PJy6eLWepIKMNg4p-M5_i1wKnT1LiBVCKMJTsXGnpQ/s320/IMG_2154.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531493733655442" /></a> right off the bat!<br />Kaden had been waiting since last year to make a snow angle!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1KTKkTgxSFEL3ukTc6dtxThQwP5ZFv-dC3HE8OZXC5V0QxohY4tTs_jQGhoaWLnuE15FmUKKJjoskkiQ11mm2_pv8hnw7gsErwr3Akhdeiw7wXwe0E8e6MHptVBZUCWPL-p13Q/s1600/IMG_2155.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1KTKkTgxSFEL3ukTc6dtxThQwP5ZFv-dC3HE8OZXC5V0QxohY4tTs_jQGhoaWLnuE15FmUKKJjoskkiQ11mm2_pv8hnw7gsErwr3Akhdeiw7wXwe0E8e6MHptVBZUCWPL-p13Q/s320/IMG_2155.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531194809000594" /></a> He was so happy and this was the first thing he did when he walked out. Of course, Brady couldn't be left out!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBX3eUnMU-1faofGcMV5k3tBcbGIx4nMOpBq83vK0GYze2l48vvm_mlak9shUZlzxkNkqDm4ITBL2ujrju4LG2XmITAVH5Ry_d_BsHxYiozRvY77bNlVAZYp1mUYH0Xz5TMELI2g/s1600/IMG_2156.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBX3eUnMU-1faofGcMV5k3tBcbGIx4nMOpBq83vK0GYze2l48vvm_mlak9shUZlzxkNkqDm4ITBL2ujrju4LG2XmITAVH5Ry_d_BsHxYiozRvY77bNlVAZYp1mUYH0Xz5TMELI2g/s320/IMG_2156.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531190364989474" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0VCVxbDCicMPIqnNu49STSsgshV8DmEVORsW1iQO6vHatlNb_Uh9de5oUrAvRK8Ag2PqGGCNW3nmb3WjEeORjENQEK983LtjpsyLiyeFbjXv4NoH6l1gWUP3DIyka8RyNQlxdQ/s1600/IMG_2158.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0VCVxbDCicMPIqnNu49STSsgshV8DmEVORsW1iQO6vHatlNb_Uh9de5oUrAvRK8Ag2PqGGCNW3nmb3WjEeORjENQEK983LtjpsyLiyeFbjXv4NoH6l1gWUP3DIyka8RyNQlxdQ/s320/IMG_2158.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531177010103058" /></a><br />After playing in the yard and down the street with Kaden's best friend, some of the big kids in the cove decided they wanted to go sledding. Of course, Brady and Kaden wanted in on that action too! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGiYUpV1T-z0QHf26rLg-H9wrUzwzBWqUm4BTQqnWPzds1nvGr7F7A7-06GUZpSNeh5PeKU3buFPvs0wiGGwxaUuAwQlsPIBzJu3xJxXjQ5pkArBlSSSymc-e7KXA1XB1FE-BqA/s1600/IMG_2183.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGiYUpV1T-z0QHf26rLg-H9wrUzwzBWqUm4BTQqnWPzds1nvGr7F7A7-06GUZpSNeh5PeKU3buFPvs0wiGGwxaUuAwQlsPIBzJu3xJxXjQ5pkArBlSSSymc-e7KXA1XB1FE-BqA/s320/IMG_2183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531175130873346" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPEuPNpnJrTvv2gxXcmJvQDmXLGNnjEwCyIgGIwhVR4qcv1rMOU5XUu94YAzsK9XC3ueigAoDbyO_vE1eLpMRYSFAzmnuY4SI9cEnPUj-zF6aaTCmkGBHks5hXfjfb4rXgXUu-g/s1600/IMG_2190.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPEuPNpnJrTvv2gxXcmJvQDmXLGNnjEwCyIgGIwhVR4qcv1rMOU5XUu94YAzsK9XC3ueigAoDbyO_vE1eLpMRYSFAzmnuY4SI9cEnPUj-zF6aaTCmkGBHks5hXfjfb4rXgXUu-g/s320/IMG_2190.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562531169086613794" /></a><br />This only lasted about 30 minuted before we were all too cold to move! The boys came in and took a hot bath to warm up and then a few hours later went back out for round two! I stayed inside under a blanket! One time in the cold was enough for me! <br />We ended up staying home from school two days. It was a blast and the kids LOVED it! Now, I'm hoping we don't get anymore snow days because we will have to make up the school days at the end of the year!<br /><br />Oh, I also checked the status of our paperwork and it said it will be delivered on Monday. However, Monday is a holiday so it looks like they will get it at HOLT on Tuesday! Pray for quick processing! I'm ready to see what Lynleigh looks like!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-42974008477940640522011-01-14T19:16:00.002-05:002011-01-14T19:26:23.719-05:00Baby China UpdateSo, we're waiting! That seems to be the common thing about adoption! We finally received out dossier back from the Embassy last week and got it in the mail before the snow started. It should have arrived at our organization today. Tony has the tracking info and he's still at work. I'm going to have him look it up as soon as he gets home! Once our info gets there, they will check it to make sure it is accurate and then it ships to China! I seriously feel like this process has taken forever even though it's not yet been a year! Once it gets to China, they will give us a Log In Date (LID)and when we get that, we can be matched. There is no guarntee on time when it comes to matching. We have asked for special needs that include cleft lip/palate, hearing impaired, and allergies/asthma. I feel in my heart that because we have asked for those things, it won't take long. <br /><br />Now comes the time to step up our prayer! We will have a big chunk of money come up when we get a match and I know God is going to provide it HE just hasn't revealed how yet! We are praying for many things for Baby China...her family that had to give her up, her care that she is getting right now, the broken heart she will probably have when she is torn away from everything she's ever known and given to complete strangers (us), and quick bonding once we get her!<br /><br />We are also praying for our friends the Pinnow's. They are currently in China getting their little girl Sophie right now. You can read about their journey right <a href="www.sophiesjourneyhome.blogspot.com">HERE</a>! I will keep you posted on the process and when we get our LID!!!!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-78046071025793607472011-01-01T16:26:00.002-05:002011-01-01T16:37:48.215-05:00Happy New Year!Ok, really? I haven't blogged since November 10th! I've been so crazy busy and I haven't even taken the time to keep you all up to date on what amazing things have been going on around here! First, a couple of pictures. I've recently posted a bunch on my facebook so I will just put my two most favorites from the past few days.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mV216cudWKb2iS5j-rUzoGIzP7dd6I48yqcCl4gKHZOz0gvtLgbTD3uVP7cd05PHk5WkNx_PxflRho2tXbmYsys8N1bKnYkvT55wWcNL8NsTeEhls9-yebtUe-EQFz32TKXibQ/s1600/IMG_2084_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mV216cudWKb2iS5j-rUzoGIzP7dd6I48yqcCl4gKHZOz0gvtLgbTD3uVP7cd05PHk5WkNx_PxflRho2tXbmYsys8N1bKnYkvT55wWcNL8NsTeEhls9-yebtUe-EQFz32TKXibQ/s320/IMG_2084_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557332324448521522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zFXQKSNW0A_fIq1vVPlEkadyFwkPOYUbrFlc_SSIAY2hyphenhyphen09QMN9IbwrQHhP0LyiWFFCbRd98kNHQhRZODPteGgB6mYBbWCJaE_pcDfdEt8IBgVYIWIcrtSBd0JXoMNtMK29Vug/s1600/IMG_2091_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zFXQKSNW0A_fIq1vVPlEkadyFwkPOYUbrFlc_SSIAY2hyphenhyphen09QMN9IbwrQHhP0LyiWFFCbRd98kNHQhRZODPteGgB6mYBbWCJaE_pcDfdEt8IBgVYIWIcrtSBd0JXoMNtMK29Vug/s320/IMG_2091_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557332323694000722" /></a><br /><br />I mean seriously...look at those faces! Can you believe how fast they are growing up? The other day, Brady and I were talking about which college he wanted to go to. He, of course, said the University of Arkansas because that's where his daddy went. And as long as he gets a scholarship...he can go anywhere he wants. I've often thought of teaching him how to take the ACT and seeing what he would score in third grade. Could you imagine? If he did well, we would be in the money for sure! <br />Kaden on the other hand, woke up yesterday morning looking like he'd been in a fight. He swears he got the black eye when he scraped his face on the driveway playing basketball but I know that's not the truth! 1. It had been raining so he hadn't played basketball and 2. it's more like a fingernail scrape rather that concrete! That boy can tell some tall tales! I need to start logging them and publish a book! <br />Speaking of that...I've recently thought I'd love to be a ghost writer for books. I wonder how you get that job!<br /><br />As for Baby China, well we are still waiting. We sent our dossier to the Chinese Embassy (in D.C) three weeks ago. Apparently there was something wrong with our Arkansas paper work and we had to have it over nighted to be corrected. Now with the stinking holiday, we are just waiting for that paper work to get back to us! Once we get it, we can send it to HOLT and they will send it to China. Then we wait for a Log In Date (LID) and once we get that, we can be matched. Oh, then there's the Chinese New Year at the beginning of February so I'm sure that will delay us some too! I just keep telling myself that God is timing this out just perfectly. Telling myself that and being patient while HE does that is two seperate things all together.<br /><br />I don't usually make New Year's resolutions but this year I am vowing not to be this weight when we go to China. I'm on day three with no Coke Zero. That in its self is amazing! We will see how it pans out!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-18671141864326845482010-11-10T15:22:00.002-05:002010-11-10T15:30:22.819-05:00TiredI know that I'm extremely behind on blogging. Add this to the long list of things that I have't had time to do latily. I have been so overwhelmingly busy latily that I'm almost to breaking point. <br />Instead of boring you with that...I thought I'd give you something to laugh at! Kaden's school always trick or treats the classes. They usually bring home about 5 lbs of candy. Yes, I meant to say that! 5 pounds! So, here are some pics from that day. The first is with his favorite grown up, Jennifer Fox. He calls her Nennifer Box<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMWh_ir68Dt06D41pZfOtEsTBITRtLw-yJXU2GGwYjtE3ntD2n2AhfRXH1Y6c4mdk5nsmPZ3uw8zI6SLIyT_sVukS3CNw8Mg54BqFcxVzsj2saWaq88XbEJBoWecoLgXv17MjSQ/s1600/IMG_1615.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMWh_ir68Dt06D41pZfOtEsTBITRtLw-yJXU2GGwYjtE3ntD2n2AhfRXH1Y6c4mdk5nsmPZ3uw8zI6SLIyT_sVukS3CNw8Mg54BqFcxVzsj2saWaq88XbEJBoWecoLgXv17MjSQ/s320/IMG_1615.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538019740729225458" /></a><br />This was at the beginning of the hour when they all were good and stood in line. Our school measures a mile if you walk all of the halls. You can imagine what it was like for them bythe end!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUUj7azvEVyKZ8fD4ovC3-51PxM4XisQeTMfi-iW9Bswvews6hRvHnNTM7qf1jkx6omY-vlo3dhcWYmc4gazcAr2vAxItKVi35RDu1x_AO9JS69JponrAS_Vr0tf9sRAe6TvWTQ/s1600/IMG_1601.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUUj7azvEVyKZ8fD4ovC3-51PxM4XisQeTMfi-iW9Bswvews6hRvHnNTM7qf1jkx6omY-vlo3dhcWYmc4gazcAr2vAxItKVi35RDu1x_AO9JS69JponrAS_Vr0tf9sRAe6TvWTQ/s320/IMG_1601.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538019728091404338" /></a><br />Check out the cutie in the red scrubs. This is Kaden's new girlfriend! He talks about her ALL the time!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOwqQTCHq7360dvs9jzl269Ddr_98KXRyzeAwPRqyTwabQDAaYjhLqweun0yuehV-_vB4dXBmCU9Xpd1tHETD_K9BNtDnHgU2_3kTYVSLDziwf1yjUB-O-kKsohf45nw3bX1ljg/s1600/IMG_1609_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOwqQTCHq7360dvs9jzl269Ddr_98KXRyzeAwPRqyTwabQDAaYjhLqweun0yuehV-_vB4dXBmCU9Xpd1tHETD_K9BNtDnHgU2_3kTYVSLDziwf1yjUB-O-kKsohf45nw3bX1ljg/s320/IMG_1609_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538019720863447650" /></a><br />And now to make you laugh!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnV1tO1jaYXwmN5W932_8UOLrmSnp1LByLXLccjgC4j7zpZa5B2cP1zHXTKVuNvJti9xBEpjL7c7cpIRwG_fnaTmDKReZKQ6zgOpLxKEYVcDC05293fmCMWIY-uMfe4X3sUd0MQ/s1600/IMG_1612.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnV1tO1jaYXwmN5W932_8UOLrmSnp1LByLXLccjgC4j7zpZa5B2cP1zHXTKVuNvJti9xBEpjL7c7cpIRwG_fnaTmDKReZKQ6zgOpLxKEYVcDC05293fmCMWIY-uMfe4X3sUd0MQ/s320/IMG_1612.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538019719123273698" /></a><br /><br />Sometimes, he's just too "special" for his own good!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-47456591435376894642010-09-20T10:55:00.003-04:002010-09-20T11:06:48.836-04:00Soccer Time!!!This weekend the boys had their first soccer games. Kaden had been counting the days until he got to wear his uniform and play some soccer. Brady had the early game and Kaden's was in the heat of the day. I uploaded the pics in the wrong order so sorry. But they are well worth viewing because I just love watching them play sports!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3t6hGZaJdHKNc9cyDmQq7XNwAdUt8azusBOErnBsj2N3EaTymMAh7QljFLhWUxsswJg0wPLzzXH4fc_2dSwhoUbUZtJ_bfT0d2a0UtrNr2sNMT99flbsMkx9uWNr6AD9qHpw2w/s1600/IMG_1882.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3t6hGZaJdHKNc9cyDmQq7XNwAdUt8azusBOErnBsj2N3EaTymMAh7QljFLhWUxsswJg0wPLzzXH4fc_2dSwhoUbUZtJ_bfT0d2a0UtrNr2sNMT99flbsMkx9uWNr6AD9qHpw2w/s320/IMG_1882.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519010449447588290" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMXJ_LzOyyjcl6euSirmw1WdCGvNfAIp5PI0CBwNvEl1VbOUTZyN8ttnkRE3EBzQkH32OUlDLZNCMm6FurrqsZzPEZFt_sgsqNf0zVAJ7rWsGjlta4WWoIQR0CdlLEV2lAAtnbA/s1600/IMG_1867.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMXJ_LzOyyjcl6euSirmw1WdCGvNfAIp5PI0CBwNvEl1VbOUTZyN8ttnkRE3EBzQkH32OUlDLZNCMm6FurrqsZzPEZFt_sgsqNf0zVAJ7rWsGjlta4WWoIQR0CdlLEV2lAAtnbA/s320/IMG_1867.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519010440916859890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11hwhbzHuvfoSClMUcaLhzNktFIdzRe3hOoxv6NrsL0YUWAMGh1j0Falzn_9NQfQEE9oTQZEE2k2LecnMDafSGJ07cm7lNJkecIdpNsn2ce4UKymgHX0C1ECAmV5XMoRyB5BegQ/s1600/IMG_1861.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11hwhbzHuvfoSClMUcaLhzNktFIdzRe3hOoxv6NrsL0YUWAMGh1j0Falzn_9NQfQEE9oTQZEE2k2LecnMDafSGJ07cm7lNJkecIdpNsn2ce4UKymgHX0C1ECAmV5XMoRyB5BegQ/s320/IMG_1861.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519010437867229842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHpYtGgLrQa1dWFKXRZlN2XOJMmzH5eH28jbwT51hgqJUA79RANaHGfuBAIorgzGgokOvwEgehLNyG4DH9GmBAgQCWdH4zTvlZXE48xlbBiUnJnOIOBlzjTE2ZqMv7wwBxA0eFw/s1600/IMG_1862_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHpYtGgLrQa1dWFKXRZlN2XOJMmzH5eH28jbwT51hgqJUA79RANaHGfuBAIorgzGgokOvwEgehLNyG4DH9GmBAgQCWdH4zTvlZXE48xlbBiUnJnOIOBlzjTE2ZqMv7wwBxA0eFw/s320/IMG_1862_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519010428525838914" /></a><br />This one is by far my favorite of Kaden! It was right before the game started and he was so proud to be sitting on the bench! He actually played the whole game. The only time he stopped was when he noticed Brady eating nachos and had to run off the field a couple of times and get himself a snack! He also kept running the wrong way so I had Brady stand behind the goal and yell for him to kick the ball that way! It seemed to work and we might have to try it everytime! Kaden's team tied...even though they don't keep score!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4Byiq2bYfdIgKCFqLLI7FkE91mYbVhOyVfDwa4z9JZEVlHlMWQx0pPGVgZV-ycOn2KS_5gr994rWOWIbBUC_GcLZ9SCZKC8xWG7CvKPo41VtjsrG9euryc7PlC-TNY5hLfZMHQ/s1600/IMG_1859.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4Byiq2bYfdIgKCFqLLI7FkE91mYbVhOyVfDwa4z9JZEVlHlMWQx0pPGVgZV-ycOn2KS_5gr994rWOWIbBUC_GcLZ9SCZKC8xWG7CvKPo41VtjsrG9euryc7PlC-TNY5hLfZMHQ/s320/IMG_1859.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519009897342020018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aLFI1CB4Lx87BP76tU3YzzN506hbOgy_wwtcOAEugVzglYXz5gLtJIz5Bf_AeDPAufgmQYpOgcJydmPSA98asc7WcsUoDrtGKDm3MBaiaabeS3c0vQl9CjCO7sGZ1zxn1qbRNQ/s1600/IMG_1858_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aLFI1CB4Lx87BP76tU3YzzN506hbOgy_wwtcOAEugVzglYXz5gLtJIz5Bf_AeDPAufgmQYpOgcJydmPSA98asc7WcsUoDrtGKDm3MBaiaabeS3c0vQl9CjCO7sGZ1zxn1qbRNQ/s320/IMG_1858_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519009888322324450" /></a> I have to say this is the most awesome picture of Brady! He has gotten so big and I'm just so proud of him. Last night, Tony said, "I can't believe he'll be in middle school in 3 years!" Um...Hello? We're not talking about that right now! He's still my baby!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV2Lzecp3lwp4KNA_Vasu9tPUt1VGZ8LNye91n2xiFCpTIcag4H6dM4imWY2meBM9-LYjQd1tWgGOQmCvBwAOuA6kK4i3VYobhxHBPY_JqTdsXWaalIRQaZFjo20_jxUjG_y_MA/s1600/IMG_1853_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV2Lzecp3lwp4KNA_Vasu9tPUt1VGZ8LNye91n2xiFCpTIcag4H6dM4imWY2meBM9-LYjQd1tWgGOQmCvBwAOuA6kK4i3VYobhxHBPY_JqTdsXWaalIRQaZFjo20_jxUjG_y_MA/s320/IMG_1853_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519009879165894626" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQa479DwR6cX8PoeZfLL9mLSZCspSxtU751qeO2eXTztwKRrCgIpqlNCUuYPRhsVGTa2O2FoD6Gqk6C4Yqi7pRN1lXgJFvD_zEaY3a-sBu2arfpYUK_y3puiCCdKSbEsgyOZyOuA/s1600/IMG_1852.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQa479DwR6cX8PoeZfLL9mLSZCspSxtU751qeO2eXTztwKRrCgIpqlNCUuYPRhsVGTa2O2FoD6Gqk6C4Yqi7pRN1lXgJFvD_zEaY3a-sBu2arfpYUK_y3puiCCdKSbEsgyOZyOuA/s320/IMG_1852.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519009876875150322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfODN4yfreMzj9fb1MnO9etQqvDA8NydI46qU3dwOOVTrH2SbxVZqwMXhyi3c4v2srof5X6jtRcGcxyjikAYw51JcLxWD-odOGTXQHE102B_Xn1wvc9MQz0dM5cN_fp4xYQTqXA/s1600/IMG_1847.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfODN4yfreMzj9fb1MnO9etQqvDA8NydI46qU3dwOOVTrH2SbxVZqwMXhyi3c4v2srof5X6jtRcGcxyjikAYw51JcLxWD-odOGTXQHE102B_Xn1wvc9MQz0dM5cN_fp4xYQTqXA/s320/IMG_1847.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519009866963954514" /></a><br />And of course, I had to move this one to the bottom. After playing the whole game, Kaden was just worn out! BTW...this was in the middle of the game! He just laid down and the kids were running over him! It was pretty cute! And he took an awesome 3 hour nap when he got home!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-FVjjIlt2zZDWPmVWwSs-k2FdFRStFTsSW_AYjGf155H2gJoA-2dcVIMOvut82j8aAWPj4xi08ewCKkZnLeRYFlu1oPk8AKkgmsCPE4SKNQCqUnqZLGOeETh2h12H1fLK39rWQ/s1600/IMG_1896.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-FVjjIlt2zZDWPmVWwSs-k2FdFRStFTsSW_AYjGf155H2gJoA-2dcVIMOvut82j8aAWPj4xi08ewCKkZnLeRYFlu1oPk8AKkgmsCPE4SKNQCqUnqZLGOeETh2h12H1fLK39rWQ/s320/IMG_1896.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519010457623148674" /></a>tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-3923087859880264182010-08-29T19:53:00.002-04:002010-08-29T20:11:35.029-04:00What's Left For Dinner?This is officially week two of my two weeks worth of dinners I cooked last weekend and can I just say, I'm so happy I cooked for two weeks! What's left on the menu for this week you ask? Tonight, we had Russian Chicken (I will post the recipe below)...tomorrow will be chicken tacos, then we have enchiladas, spaghetti, chicken and rice, chili maple chicken, and another Russian chicken left. I'm about to start my menu for the next two weeks and will shop and cook those next weekend. Did I mention that I only spent $166 at the store last weekend? That's crazy! Here are a few recipes to tie you over until next weekend. I will take some pics of my cooking process to make it a little more interesting next weekend.<br /><br />Russian (Dump) Chicken<br />4-5 pieces of frozen chicken breast<br />1 bottle of Russian dressing<br />2 packages of onion soup mix<br />1 tablespoon of apricot preserves<br /><br />In a gallon ziploc baggy, pour the bottle of dressing, 2 packages of onion soup mix and preserves. Then add the frozen chicken breast (do not thaw). Zip the baggy and mix up the ingredients. Place in the freezer. When ready to cook, put in the refrigerator over night. Then cook on 350 for about 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is ready. Serve over rice. EASY!!!!!!!!<br /><br />Enchiladas<br />1 pound of ground beef or turkey (I buy the big 5 pounder and use it for lots of things)<br />1/2 yellow onion chopped<br />2 cans red or green enchilada sauce (I use the green)<br />1/2 bag of shredded cheddar cheese<br />1 bag flour tortillas<br /><br />Cook the burger meat with the onions until the onions are clear. Drain meat. Add 1 can to meat mixture. I also add a hand full of cheese. Spoon mixture into individual tortillas and roll up. Put into Glad Oven ware (or your choice of freezer safe dish). I usually put ten in a dish and that's enough for my family of four. After you roll up all the enchiladas, pour the other can of sauce on top of the enchiladas. Then sprinkle cheese on top. You can put as much or as little as possible. Then wrap up and freeze. Thaw in the fridge over night and then cook on 350 until cheese is melted. ***Family Favorite****<br /><br />Chicken Tacos<br /><br />4-5 frozen chicken breast thawed and cooked on the grill<br />2 cans of rotel tomatoes<br />(I cook the chicken on the grill so that Tony can help me and it takes a little time off of my cooking. He can do this while I'm cooking my beef dishes)<br /><br />Cut the chicken into small pieces. Put in the skillet with the rotel and cook until the liquid is almost gone. Then let cool. Place into individual ziploc baggies. You'll want to divide it up to the best size for your family. Then Freeze. Thaw over night in the fridge and warm up in a skillet. I use flour tortillas warmed in the microwave with cheese on top. You can add your favorite taco dressings. <br /><br />The chicken one is great because you can use it for lots of things besides tacos! Happy cooking and let me know how it goes!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-31773822547803061682010-08-22T20:09:00.003-04:002010-08-22T20:20:16.671-04:00Mmmm! Mmmmm! Good!Ok...seriously, I had to share with you the most amazing surprise that arrived at school on Friday! Well, it wasn't really a surprise because I kinda knew it was coming but non the less, I was still excited! My dear friend Hannah Jackson has started her own business called....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__5_U32ctty9ig7HD3CQtKn2tV0ebZNyaGexKbPy5yIzcEQ6Ki_xc_GPiCHYrWdMKRA0zaQNF5dnpT30Qyxs4hH0Mlmh5nJnRsTMu4Fxk1KA5wGuD-Oe8PVtZWz1NDNuhCgoU2w/s1600/bettysues9g_EDIT2_copy_CROP.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__5_U32ctty9ig7HD3CQtKn2tV0ebZNyaGexKbPy5yIzcEQ6Ki_xc_GPiCHYrWdMKRA0zaQNF5dnpT30Qyxs4hH0Mlmh5nJnRsTMu4Fxk1KA5wGuD-Oe8PVtZWz1NDNuhCgoU2w/s320/bettysues9g_EDIT2_copy_CROP.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508391080595161282" /></a><br /><br />It's named after her grandmothers and she makes the most amazing cupcakes! So, I somehow convinced her to bring some to school on Friday for the ladies in my lunch to share! And she did!!!!! It was such a delight to have someone send us a treat that it took about 5 seconds for them to be gobbled up! So, I asked Hannah to send me some pics because I couldn't wait to share them with you!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOKH3ZNUVS0rvp-ttUQcYgALr8V7AXEBgFz01N6u8Ry5F3nl4fFXl_ITgmeAQ-5NU_kwExa7L0yJYvwfqW-LLchvG_OUlBEFaYeg6tkdreL1rrZapVmqFQw-1x119wc2ZAChgYQ/s1600/mint_choc_chip.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOKH3ZNUVS0rvp-ttUQcYgALr8V7AXEBgFz01N6u8Ry5F3nl4fFXl_ITgmeAQ-5NU_kwExa7L0yJYvwfqW-LLchvG_OUlBEFaYeg6tkdreL1rrZapVmqFQw-1x119wc2ZAChgYQ/s320/mint_choc_chip.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508391074883361362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLtwIVvOGwDYmVlTsEIoR7pTL1hDNFnGFfqbEa8pgo6MT-lJDprTr3d60fJuErnBj1CtDKwbB6cE7WM6uEMKcqCttO5Ufus5AUj1dL6DS3lcOv8YN_Zl4pJuSKnBnX6D3KMTkiQ/s1600/peanut_butter.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLtwIVvOGwDYmVlTsEIoR7pTL1hDNFnGFfqbEa8pgo6MT-lJDprTr3d60fJuErnBj1CtDKwbB6cE7WM6uEMKcqCttO5Ufus5AUj1dL6DS3lcOv8YN_Zl4pJuSKnBnX6D3KMTkiQ/s320/peanut_butter.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508391068800513442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYKqGkfFM-WmTAQvRKNhpT1gueahfy4bs0bgBBXR7iw8gcqiU4wQyYxKRRhj-YQsppxE2cvZ474F_pmRCqL2jjXyC9or6Fqsc1pHwdVXuu1kyAExpzkwN2I3qTNioowRydG4dug/s1600/staw_marg_low.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYKqGkfFM-WmTAQvRKNhpT1gueahfy4bs0bgBBXR7iw8gcqiU4wQyYxKRRhj-YQsppxE2cvZ474F_pmRCqL2jjXyC9or6Fqsc1pHwdVXuu1kyAExpzkwN2I3qTNioowRydG4dug/s320/staw_marg_low.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508391066742174770" /></a><br /><br />I know! They are just as good as they looked!!!!! Now, you all know I love me some "Cake Boss" and have been known to watch "DC Cupcakes" a time or two...and I have to tell you, BettySues is right up there with the big dogs! I'm so proud of Hannah for deciding to share her talents! You will love her sweet heart as much as her sweet treats! Head over to hannah's <a href="www.bettysuesbakeshop.com">website</a> and become her friend on Facebook! Let's help Hannah get her business into full gear!!!!!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-87917869568141738902010-08-11T21:53:00.002-04:002010-08-11T21:56:27.199-04:00More Dinner!<a href="http://theshoesinmycloset.blogspot.com/">This</a> is where I find a lot of my favorite recipes! Not any that I have tried to freeze yet, however, some seriously good cooking! This is my neighbor's mom's blog and while she hasn't blogged in a while, I continue to go here for many a recipe from time to time. Just scroll through and look for "Sunday Dinners" and other fabulous things to eat! I hope you enjoy and I will be looking for more yummies this weekend!<br /><br />BTW...swing by my other blog ---> just look over to the right for "The Search for our Baby Sister" and see what's new in our adoption!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-62978328932395679452010-08-08T13:37:00.003-04:002010-08-08T13:59:34.779-04:00It's dinner time!So, for the past two weeks, I have been cooking dinner for the upcoming week and freezing it. Let me just say, this is the best decision I've made in a long time! This past week, as you know, school started. I knew with going back to work and all the other stuff we normally do, I wouldn't feel like cooking. Not to mention, it's like 110 here and who wants to stand over a hot oven when it's like an oven outside. So, what I decided to do was buy some of those aluminum pans with the lids and put my meals in them. Then this week, I found this...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHoJ_zZgsCr2SBFnzRiPQ3OzwbyaTImWw6cJE2iiRGqEnISZzBXWviW2K-LL_VLcpoI1EfcYp8JI8p9FN_sP42Z4llC_8LA02TKuhHW5nvA1q4dVAB4mlzDbjs2zMUOPYduuU6w/s1600/glad.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHoJ_zZgsCr2SBFnzRiPQ3OzwbyaTImWw6cJE2iiRGqEnISZzBXWviW2K-LL_VLcpoI1EfcYp8JI8p9FN_sP42Z4llC_8LA02TKuhHW5nvA1q4dVAB4mlzDbjs2zMUOPYduuU6w/s320/glad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503095642366623730" /></a><br />I found them at Kroger. $4.99 for two. I'll let you know how I like them. <br /><br />Here are some of the things I made this week. <br /><br /><strong>Cheeseburger Casserole </strong>(not my favorite but the kids loved it!)<br />2 cans cheddar cheese soup<br />2 cans cream of mushroom soup<br />1 pound burger meat<br />1 bag frozen french fries<br /><br />Cook the burger meat and add the soups. Pour into your baking dish and top with the french fries. Cover and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then cook on 400 until the fries are golden. <br /><br />****I doubled this and made two extras because I had some ladies I needed to take dinner too. You could double and make two or if you are a smaller family, you could make one and put it in smaller dishes.<br /><br /><strong>Bacon Chicken</strong> <br />6 chicken breasts thawed and cut in half long ways<br />1 pkg cream cheese<br />12 strips of bacon<br />seasoning of your choice (I used a garlic/wine powder)<br /><br />Cut the chicken long ways to make it thin or you can pound it out flat. You will mix your cream cheese with your seasoning (the recipe called for onions and chives but I knew the kids wouldn't like that)Spoon a small amount of the cheese onto the chicken and roll up. Wrap with bacon and place in dish seam side down. Wrap up and freeze. You will want to thaw over night in the fridge. Cook on 350 for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is done. Then put the oven on broil for about 6 minutes to let the bacon get crispy. <br /><br />**I cooked with fresh veggies from the farmer's market and the kids (including tony) loved this one!<br /><br /><strong>Mexican Taco Pasta</strong><br />1 bag of egg noodles<br />1 pound burger meat<br />1 pkg taco seasoning<br />1/2 cup taco sauce<br />1/2 cup chunky salsa<br />1 can of corn (drained) (I used frozen)<br />1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)<br /><br />Cook the egg noodles and mix together all of the other ingredients. Put in dish, cover and place in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge over night. Cook on 350 or until the middle is not cold. You can add cheese if you'd like either before or after you freeze.<br /><br />This week, I made lasagna, spaghetti sauce, "dump" chicken. I'll post those recipes in another blog.<br /><br />Cooking all of this on a Saturday night took me about 3 hours because I bought 5 lbs of burger meat and just divided it out for each meal. I think it's a great trade off not to have to cook anything this next week!<br /><br />Happy cooking and freezing. Let me know how this turns out for you. And if you have any recipes you want to share, please feel free to post them on my comments and I will blog them sometime too!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-67260283112220734362010-08-04T18:02:00.002-04:002010-08-04T18:16:39.248-04:00E6As I begin my 4th year of teaching at Horn Lake, I realized that I have never shared with you my amazing classroom! Today, as I was leaving, I snapped a few shots of the place better known as "E6". That's my room number but I refer to my room as E6 all the time! I might be known to say something like, "E6 is MY house!" or "This is a dictatorship not a democracy when you're in E6!" I know that sounds a little harsh...and well...it probably is. But as you all know, I teach 9th graders and, well, most times "boot camp" is required.<br /><br />I do, however, try to make my room a fun place to be. And apparently it is, because I will have many strays hanging around like they were invited!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKqcmqJIdNBsDAU6BUf0oetwfGgfNxxhD_8qfq6XG6d1P0sUZT9_-YLT3lBCmU6ibKpSxrEINC1WcqtjypvGz91rjEetfcaIlHd_YD_Q8Cz5kWcKNXJWXtV3uBq6zSGu2yuP7Vg/s1600/P8040008_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKqcmqJIdNBsDAU6BUf0oetwfGgfNxxhD_8qfq6XG6d1P0sUZT9_-YLT3lBCmU6ibKpSxrEINC1WcqtjypvGz91rjEetfcaIlHd_YD_Q8Cz5kWcKNXJWXtV3uBq6zSGu2yuP7Vg/s320/P8040008_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501679168337224818" /></a><br />This is what makes my room different then the rest. I have a painted ceiling. I let the students paint paper and we wrapped the tiles. Everyone just loves it and some teachers have copied my idea.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpG-4jl87dEzIcHtzV-LR-lp5D78IDyzSXQIYPgaAlvge4O3ImKMyBRpeEm7FrrhNZOnDk3X-s9dRGM8OF4z92LVuRWfKTyeK-P-5kYp1XcREftsozjfrVhm6tLIUb5I0IbKFYoA/s1600/P8040007.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpG-4jl87dEzIcHtzV-LR-lp5D78IDyzSXQIYPgaAlvge4O3ImKMyBRpeEm7FrrhNZOnDk3X-s9dRGM8OF4z92LVuRWfKTyeK-P-5kYp1XcREftsozjfrVhm6tLIUb5I0IbKFYoA/s320/P8040007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501679163772319522" /></a><br />Next you will find my desk. This is a rarity because my desk is usually not that clean or organized! I like to make the kids think I'm all together the first day. It doesn't take long for them to figure out I'm a little cooky!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYf69UkbRqw3kq1_v8Kkb_3sSYydd3-K3J0-1Lu-hVoAIwjDbU6kYzZqBrivFevpmvMVasjJ66pYtXSGMNKkBJktdh61HLKUKNY85PiTZ10m9EkJilrQg8S0kRB97poCvOLgCrw/s1600/P8040006.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYf69UkbRqw3kq1_v8Kkb_3sSYydd3-K3J0-1Lu-hVoAIwjDbU6kYzZqBrivFevpmvMVasjJ66pYtXSGMNKkBJktdh61HLKUKNY85PiTZ10m9EkJilrQg8S0kRB97poCvOLgCrw/s320/P8040006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501679152511537522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwyPh5gz8B1budm_e8FkPSYJXPxXnib3wM6r8-2z0MHp3NxFVWettHzkv75NcO114CNf_e23aoIslDQMgjBRUICwwHRLNVjqF50H8Zw3yofVaV4LMfMO2gNPXoWXgkAOKlJbHCw/s1600/P8040005_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwyPh5gz8B1budm_e8FkPSYJXPxXnib3wM6r8-2z0MHp3NxFVWettHzkv75NcO114CNf_e23aoIslDQMgjBRUICwwHRLNVjqF50H8Zw3yofVaV4LMfMO2gNPXoWXgkAOKlJbHCw/s320/P8040005_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501678908972149330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RscKoqtX6o49SQ_ozS37_-4DH8INIFNu2zMk_69v9Gkq85stEMqZ3JhBL3l9_7rEL0ABoh7o36Cv2Jn6IqDF3KHjRK-B1k6nOforpfDQBchR2SJHI8vK17WCwaGE1nFYj5TGqw/s1600/P8040004.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RscKoqtX6o49SQ_ozS37_-4DH8INIFNu2zMk_69v9Gkq85stEMqZ3JhBL3l9_7rEL0ABoh7o36Cv2Jn6IqDF3KHjRK-B1k6nOforpfDQBchR2SJHI8vK17WCwaGE1nFYj5TGqw/s320/P8040004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501678904338298354" /></a><br />Another thing that makes my room special is the technology! I have a smart board, two lap tops, a MAC, a video camera and a digital camera. I try to use these things every day. If you're not a teacher you may not realize that we are competing with Tv and video games. We have to be up on techonology if we want to keep their attention!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyItju1K9XUabOtjnarZOa1BRSCmQ4LQzGDua_HrWF7Yl5q_LwLStwFUM5vmgSCF_BYpDKSZ0rKaiYXq275PDjXjWGkFIle2Yq0EFRfqRjfcWR9NJYbIJiXeHbiKgVdU43aTJIg/s1600/P8040003.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyItju1K9XUabOtjnarZOa1BRSCmQ4LQzGDua_HrWF7Yl5q_LwLStwFUM5vmgSCF_BYpDKSZ0rKaiYXq275PDjXjWGkFIle2Yq0EFRfqRjfcWR9NJYbIJiXeHbiKgVdU43aTJIg/s320/P8040003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501678894694095346" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEzieRbVpG28_ZKrqyCkxyBVt8zCoH6b-TcX3RcrkBN6o-1DpgK1Qy8iR_HdCLSk59LnfRMf_j4aeY7hoCE_9dug5c_urBgRD9814T9MxLvHr-Ul4sNi5cuIco_AeAXCjCgJDtA/s1600/P8040002.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEzieRbVpG28_ZKrqyCkxyBVt8zCoH6b-TcX3RcrkBN6o-1DpgK1Qy8iR_HdCLSk59LnfRMf_j4aeY7hoCE_9dug5c_urBgRD9814T9MxLvHr-Ul4sNi5cuIco_AeAXCjCgJDtA/s320/P8040002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501678888134827938" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKk1O4u_6yRicgxx_8HnpPVRb0Kb2D-1FADiDrCz3mbWh-QoOTjNF8xUOuejq-SDP1EgY5dmLpdcILoH22kq2OshfLwpBAPVfxpcxxmGpEWRvVW1ZRXrpoZwvm22XRMwezPC76Q/s1600/P8040001.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKk1O4u_6yRicgxx_8HnpPVRb0Kb2D-1FADiDrCz3mbWh-QoOTjNF8xUOuejq-SDP1EgY5dmLpdcILoH22kq2OshfLwpBAPVfxpcxxmGpEWRvVW1ZRXrpoZwvm22XRMwezPC76Q/s320/P8040001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501678881978123218" /></a><br />I arranged my desks a little different this year. So far, I like it. I'm hoping it works with the "Zen" in my room. I know if you believe in Jesus you don't believe in "Zen" but sometimes room arrangement makes a big difference in the behaviors of the kids.<br />Well, we start the grind tomorrow! Brady met his teacher tonight...well, I say "met" but she is a long time friend. Mrs. Campbell will do a great job with Brady this year and I'm excited that she will be our teacher!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-59248958529962904192010-08-03T17:30:00.003-04:002010-08-03T17:44:24.995-04:00Back to SchoolBefore we had to head back to school, our summer travels lead us to Cool, CA. This year it was unseasonably "cool" in Cool. The weather was amazing! Seriously! It was in the 80's most of the days and 60's in the evening. It was amazing not being in the Memphis heat for a few days. <br />We did so many things while we were in California. I've put up just a few of the millions of pictures!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo8onNom2Xs_ZAqfTJQEDC3u5ZvvqDMGMD6t9K3Ex2E1zhgDmlQCyMmPnXmhRGG172756ryC1mqEr-3_RltV2UXSDiO-cXJ_Py_jRWPV6pcwF7rCPesB79bAN4aDHo-UZThzjGw/s1600/P7280071.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo8onNom2Xs_ZAqfTJQEDC3u5ZvvqDMGMD6t9K3Ex2E1zhgDmlQCyMmPnXmhRGG172756ryC1mqEr-3_RltV2UXSDiO-cXJ_Py_jRWPV6pcwF7rCPesB79bAN4aDHo-UZThzjGw/s320/P7280071.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501299968700995154" /></a><br />Tony, Nolan (my step brother), Brady and Kaden laying on the bank of the American River. The water was super cold so we had to lay out and get hot just to tolarate the water! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCX83tKhmCGUk54DEonh2bKRp8w-R_cHqbY1t_A2pTvbSs-II_RJhhSliB4poihe-Suuy-jtQEqImIW7dmdWndynR3tIYjCxGHb7J1tiWnEhxkhXWMDpaYpyPwltYmVOPbZdgcg/s1600/P7270045.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCX83tKhmCGUk54DEonh2bKRp8w-R_cHqbY1t_A2pTvbSs-II_RJhhSliB4poihe-Suuy-jtQEqImIW7dmdWndynR3tIYjCxGHb7J1tiWnEhxkhXWMDpaYpyPwltYmVOPbZdgcg/s320/P7270045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501299961380689538" /></a><br />This is University Falls. The boys and my step mom hiked six miles for a fun day sliding down the rocks! I couldn't go because of my foot and so, Kaden, dad and I played mini golf!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20ePpcFpEdNW9ZZJfyRzWm3Shz-LM-kff5ge2aDuMjopP0rfbraP0RhQKFOG3mj9mElII8nDZjnNSAH9iB03V8DQcjvnJ8Ac53WztvxGWuGBFJRCtIHS3o9gxfbXyBaC97lwaeA/s1600/P7290082.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20ePpcFpEdNW9ZZJfyRzWm3Shz-LM-kff5ge2aDuMjopP0rfbraP0RhQKFOG3mj9mElII8nDZjnNSAH9iB03V8DQcjvnJ8Ac53WztvxGWuGBFJRCtIHS3o9gxfbXyBaC97lwaeA/s320/P7290082.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501299955675060370" /></a><br />Tony and I had a date day. We took my dad's corvette to Tahoe City and had lunch by Lake Tahoe! This place was amazing and I would love to live there some day!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFUn3cFexEvrjOZu0KLU46UwGtbxF9z7-Cgy6Vj4DJpZ9t7Ecap5XmBhSHhuX56rb8fyq5QYGYiVlGh52Woqb7poQLVPVQ9ZqJ6ogTo-Xcs2xMMnp4HwiW6UiH4QGLlOi-4HVDQ/s1600/IMG_1715.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFUn3cFexEvrjOZu0KLU46UwGtbxF9z7-Cgy6Vj4DJpZ9t7Ecap5XmBhSHhuX56rb8fyq5QYGYiVlGh52Woqb7poQLVPVQ9ZqJ6ogTo-Xcs2xMMnp4HwiW6UiH4QGLlOi-4HVDQ/s320/IMG_1715.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501299942882156098" /></a><br />This is me, obviously, walking on the beach of Lake Tahoe! I love it!<br /><br />So, today was day two of being back at school. The kids come on Thursday so say a prayer and wish me some luck! I'm excited to be teaching English 1 and Journalism. Last year I had a comp reading class which ment I had the same kids all year and it was exhausting! I will only have them for one semester now so I'm super excited! I'll try to remember to take some pics of my class room before the kids come.tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-28505548465849412882010-06-15T17:44:00.004-04:002010-06-15T18:02:42.131-04:00"You can drive in Texas?"One of the things I love about being a teacher is having the summer off! I know, I know...it's really the only thing I love right? No...I like my students too! (sheepish grin) Last summer, the boys and I spent everyday at school while I was sponsoring the dance team. They hated every minute of it! So, I promised them that this summer would be all about them. The first week and a half were spent at the YMCA...I guess I need to take my camera sometime so you can see how much fun they have. And this week, we are in Texas...well, two weeks (and yes, Tony is hating every minute of us being gone this long!) <br /><br />So far, we have eaten at PJ's new restaurant. Find his blog <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A-sx_-hBLlb0Y_B1R7nByoaqOgSWjphnGhyphenhyphen4pC7FQhRsYVmkvVV-NmAtmob2GJ9jfLnSieoDbBuk0u4Bp8RoJk_fAv9Fgm7Zxvaw2Q4Vdz3l1OwJepRaqpd4ERfRvZHEAXtd2g/s1600/IMAG0017_edited-1.jpg">HERE<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7A-sx_-hBLlb0Y_B1R7nByoaqOgSWjphnGhyphenhyphen4pC7FQhRsYVmkvVV-NmAtmob2GJ9jfLnSieoDbBuk0u4Bp8RoJk_fAv9Fgm7Zxvaw2Q4Vdz3l1OwJepRaqpd4ERfRvZHEAXtd2g/s320/IMAG0017_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483121305181219618" /></a> And yes, those are s'mores! My brother is the chef at this amazing restaurant called Bin 555 and it's really nice (not a place to take my little monsters) and we have amazing food and then he brought out s'mores! Funny thing is that it made sense with the restaurant!<br /><br />We took the boys to one of my favorite places in San Antonio which is the Sunken Gardens. It's so beautiful there and I just love taking pics of the boys. I've already posted many of the pics on my face book but I had to put these two on here!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutE0q4hEH0F4TOaTS-SBQL6ZjuvEBGe5eAl3utA0ABQZ_94UTnNbYt9Cb6May5ESGe5DHpUykWzr5z3lrrilb8uqT_UJI3X1mzZD_fCU7Q_fjWmWDAkXQy0p_ztxxsQ7nc5beTw/s1600/kp2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutE0q4hEH0F4TOaTS-SBQL6ZjuvEBGe5eAl3utA0ABQZ_94UTnNbYt9Cb6May5ESGe5DHpUykWzr5z3lrrilb8uqT_UJI3X1mzZD_fCU7Q_fjWmWDAkXQy0p_ztxxsQ7nc5beTw/s320/kp2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483120071626727154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx0TkPmTUrmRffj1DnEA_HTVVkk9g5S_B3ZL3XM3Fl9iQl7DgLlZfvDOUjWommVQpnDC2DSJH0GJ5CB80-gyc65FDunDWhJlQaF-LVJf2zSzbHdk5pFdEKma0QL33Iu_i1qa9dg/s1600/bp2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx0TkPmTUrmRffj1DnEA_HTVVkk9g5S_B3ZL3XM3Fl9iQl7DgLlZfvDOUjWommVQpnDC2DSJH0GJ5CB80-gyc65FDunDWhJlQaF-LVJf2zSzbHdk5pFdEKma0QL33Iu_i1qa9dg/s320/bp2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483120063291712642" /></a><br />I may be a little biased but they could seriously be supermodels! Look at those faces! Now, if I could just get them to act as good as they look in the pic!<br /><br />This weekend we are headed to the coast (and no..there are no oil issues in Texas). I've used a lot of () today haven't I? Sorry, something shiny! <br /><br />Lastly, I needed to write down a few of the funny things they kids have said on this trip:<br /><br />*While driving up to my mom's work, Kaden said, "Where are we doe-ding?" Me- "To Gamma's work" K- "Gamma works at Texas?" Me-"yes she works IN Texas." K- "Wow! I didn't know you could drive at Texas!" Apparently, he thinks my mom's work is called Texas.<br /><br />*Mom has SYNC in her car and it hooks the phone up and talks to you and stuff. Mom to the car "Services" Car-"You said services, please say your service need." Mom "..." Brady interrupts "Go to the bathroom!" Car "I didn't understand your request" Me "bhahahahahah!" Guess you had to be there!<br /><br />Kaden's conversation with Papa Jim last night. K "What is that?" J "nuts...you want some?" K "No, I only like M&M's nuts"<br /><br />GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY!<a href="http://ilpionero.blogspot.com/"></a>tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-38305579071918695012010-05-26T17:40:00.003-04:002010-05-26T17:59:55.463-04:00Today's Shopping TripI know you've been wondering how the couponing has been going! I have been organizing and clipping and purging for the past few weeks and I'm finally organized! Today, I went to Walgreens loaded with coupons and a list that was ready to save!<br />My first purchase, Dixie plates. They were $3.99 buy one get one free. I used two $.50 off coupons so the final cost for two was $2.99.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dc5nGJg0evRzsV5oRI5wMecoqZDoMEauHyirR_XRXNJUiTEHUSjBVvWRp-IYTJ9CvaWWdDa27_K5M2CYi2NggxV58JbLoYvbFOpdirz1MUQEgqvMjRykwM8GWzW03EXxoJkBXg/s1600/plates.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dc5nGJg0evRzsV5oRI5wMecoqZDoMEauHyirR_XRXNJUiTEHUSjBVvWRp-IYTJ9CvaWWdDa27_K5M2CYi2NggxV58JbLoYvbFOpdirz1MUQEgqvMjRykwM8GWzW03EXxoJkBXg/s320/plates.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475697070625966850" /></a><br />Next on the list, Off clip-on starter<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0v-vYtoMhq0hBrK3j_zVofQe36qXPiJ_ZBzNxq-teST8VJx1LPKIOIt1uKQn74DVBrZEg4b5okbj6Z29PWSmWoRXzUftbFYzhovq-Y771c1Ynbrg93A1U5Vv1Ug8KpslJrDvDw/s1600/off.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0v-vYtoMhq0hBrK3j_zVofQe36qXPiJ_ZBzNxq-teST8VJx1LPKIOIt1uKQn74DVBrZEg4b5okbj6Z29PWSmWoRXzUftbFYzhovq-Y771c1Ynbrg93A1U5Vv1Ug8KpslJrDvDw/s320/off.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475697064418637410" /></a><br />This was a great buy! Normally $9.99 but on sale for $8.99. In the Walgreens coupon book, I used a $2 off plus a $2 off manufacturer coupon...total cost $4.99.<br /><br />Noxzema had a great deal this week. Razors on sale from $2.99- $5.99. Then on top of that, they were buy one get one free. I used a $2 off coupon on the $2.99 kind.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SHN12YFXMM8/S_2VdFy6RXI/AAAAAAAABV0/lvIkaLqPL<br />KM/s1600/noxema.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ABtJO82Ob7p68vdhYBSFKCYUCF0AaDiDSJl9QkUlxfS4GHp77S-x8ffuSdqoto4Aera6YW9rXF64ZNfmU5sF2_VR1rpQr1iHPWxFwxPZVbgeUwpsgjpBTBHNDWw2frcE7fbB3g/s320/noxema.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475697048956847474" /></a><br />Had I had two coupons, I could have gotten them for free...but I could only find one so I ended up paying $.99 for two!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikTipmKy7uohangF9QS0gAKvRvpyOe6ajY7t9E9aCyaUzCcIQl9XKkPSLq6ryg8CRu1o42Yi6yh5dO8uyqm27S_YtTePV-zjP1tV1OgzZ7HQyIg43hMBpomGBsxHKwFoKyEBrsw/s1600/lifesavers.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikTipmKy7uohangF9QS0gAKvRvpyOe6ajY7t9E9aCyaUzCcIQl9XKkPSLq6ryg8CRu1o42Yi6yh5dO8uyqm27S_YtTePV-zjP1tV1OgzZ7HQyIg43hMBpomGBsxHKwFoKyEBrsw/s320/lifesavers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475697038036970242" /></a><br />Lifesavers...not something I would spend money on normally but you know...if there's a deal...well. I used a buy one get one free coupon so that made them two for $2.29. Then in the Walgreens coupon book, I used a $1 off. Total cost for two...$1.29.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBGCXs0_UtZelPDhqTGOP2AhYWd5r4tLE6PJYoAwkb4CYHagvD85FjhOLS6ZH6cIa0HG8tSbK7K-pXlaJ2J4t_-q6a7vNgZW2Wvzq8dArdgn5BVMce2-auux3XSJEJHTSzRULFg/s1600/bubbles.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBGCXs0_UtZelPDhqTGOP2AhYWd5r4tLE6PJYoAwkb4CYHagvD85FjhOLS6ZH6cIa0HG8tSbK7K-pXlaJ2J4t_-q6a7vNgZW2Wvzq8dArdgn5BVMce2-auux3XSJEJHTSzRULFg/s320/bubbles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475697022989150642" /></a><br />Last but not least...Scrubbing Bubbles. This was a great deal, too! The starter kit was on sale for $7.99 + $2 in register rewards = $5.99. I used a coupon for $5 off and ended up paying $2.99....but it's like paying $.99! I love that!<br /><br />I got a few other things and used a register reward from the past and walked out paying only $8.24! I love it!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-87369751142139790272010-05-02T17:12:00.003-04:002010-05-02T17:33:14.162-04:00The Shopping TripAs promised, I am sharing my recent trip to Kroger with my savings! I shop for 4 people for two weeks at a time. My goal (and I'll keep you posted) is to feed all four of us for $100 for two weeks at a time. I plan to meet this goal by the end of the summer!<br /><br />Here are some recent stats. Last trip (two weeks ago) I bought 135 items for roughly $290. After coupons and kroger savings, I saved $95 on that receipt. That was down from the trip before.<br /><br />This week, I made my list and stuck to it. I find myself finding things not on the list which add up! Here are the stats from this week's trip. I bought 165 items for $260. That's 30 more items and $30 less. Yay! I also saved a whopping $125 with coupons and kroger savings! I about fell out in shock! <br />The key to saving money is to stock pile in the beginning. Once you stock up on things it makes the trip to the store less and less each time. So, and hopefully this doesn't look like I'm bragging or being weird...but I took pics of my cabinets, freezer and fridge after my trip this week.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUffOk_T_j6ZP_pezTIedoY_S-N99BM3JwmuDzQz-eL0Agm7dTlguK0YeontA5H-Z9i2f6vLHMroUBCAj9KwIheTYqKatf7HB6alazwEQR5XkrZ2U3qDIOcdTs3Xo08V7g9yuz9w/s1600/P5010120_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUffOk_T_j6ZP_pezTIedoY_S-N99BM3JwmuDzQz-eL0Agm7dTlguK0YeontA5H-Z9i2f6vLHMroUBCAj9KwIheTYqKatf7HB6alazwEQR5XkrZ2U3qDIOcdTs3Xo08V7g9yuz9w/s320/P5010120_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466784089218445042" /></a><br />I bought 4 hot/lean pockets because I had coupons (cats from the register) that saved like $2 when you buy two. I usually use a paper toaster strudle that gets doubled and cell fire and that gives me about $1.25 in savings on two.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2RteZqoJpNEqJsdQdQlsEDn3CkR6VdnMrdcdPcKpQCQtyx7IU3-TI3uwxA3DUSFxHfPPIiRWPS55kORcSOMlhEeamILHG9qeh5g6LXzKkw2cPJWt-5j33k5XXR-dOBj032I74A/s1600/P5010118_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2RteZqoJpNEqJsdQdQlsEDn3CkR6VdnMrdcdPcKpQCQtyx7IU3-TI3uwxA3DUSFxHfPPIiRWPS55kORcSOMlhEeamILHG9qeh5g6LXzKkw2cPJWt-5j33k5XXR-dOBj032I74A/s320/P5010118_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466784080613443122" /></a><br />I had two save $1 on Yoplait delights (in the back of the fridge) and they were like $2 each. I also had a coupon that gave me $1.50 off bread when I bought 6 yogurts. I love that i was able to stack that with a buy 6 save 40 cents (then it was doubled)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-roOzl2oP_TVzFtZFpMwP2-hYl4OmGu1jhZf-5hp3IkqqDWgOMjNMJhCzidykRcnGESfI1jL_x9LMgieDbbME7ZWgnQZZP2ls7cJnB9eB7eJFYI8W7RVwjU4V5iKqESlyGmz7w/s1600/P5010117_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-roOzl2oP_TVzFtZFpMwP2-hYl4OmGu1jhZf-5hp3IkqqDWgOMjNMJhCzidykRcnGESfI1jL_x9LMgieDbbME7ZWgnQZZP2ls7cJnB9eB7eJFYI8W7RVwjU4V5iKqESlyGmz7w/s320/P5010117_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466784077699394050" /></a><br />I bought 4 cereals from general Mills like this....save $1.00 on two (I had two of these) then if you bought 4 General Mills you got $4 to spend on your next trip. So, technically I saved $6 on $12 worth of cereal. And yes, in two weeks it will be gone. You will notice a fifth box, Tony eats Post Rasin Bran and no, I didn't have a coupon!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qqpIv_NZ0i3tRvI9__ApImHfWxxhWzL32LpW4AD55BKK4_N9D6n1EEf156hEZ2qzyh6b3pa_Eww1ZnakFILtnFNFTFzMHMhL1WFdBI54yqPKgP9qBfOcH0l6slsgKzlCyOYcfg/s1600/P5010116_edited-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qqpIv_NZ0i3tRvI9__ApImHfWxxhWzL32LpW4AD55BKK4_N9D6n1EEf156hEZ2qzyh6b3pa_Eww1ZnakFILtnFNFTFzMHMhL1WFdBI54yqPKgP9qBfOcH0l6slsgKzlCyOYcfg/s320/P5010116_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466784070163636114" /></a><br />I love this pic because there are so many times that I have bare cabinets because I didn't get enough for two weeks. I'm pretty stocked up on things like Hamburger helper and soups that I can cook with. The meat marinades were a great deal. I had a cat that if I bought 2 I saved $1 on next trip, 3 I save $2 and 4 I saved $3. I got three.<br />I almost forgot...Pillsbury had two deals. Cinnamon rolls and biscuits were 10 for $10. I had several coupons that were buy two save 40 cents. These double. So, I bought 6 for 60 cents each. You can use up to 8 of the same coupon but you have to buy the exact amount. Then They had a thing if you bought 4 you got $3 on your next trip! So, I got a really great deal on those!<br /><br />I tried to take some pics of my receipts but they didn't turn out! I hope you enjoyed this week's trip!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-41723079242551257082010-04-29T22:14:00.005-04:002010-04-29T22:33:37.924-04:00$2.25Tonight, I went to Walgreens to spend my register rewards before they expired. I ended up getting several things and just paying $2.25. <a href="http://www.iheartwags.com/">This</a>is a great place to start if you're wanting to learn how to shop for free. <br />Basically, this is how it works...A couple of weeks ago, I bought several things at Walgreens totaling roughly $40. I received $17 in register rewards. So, technically, I only spent $33. Register rewards are tickets that print at the register that are worth different dollar amounts. You can then use those tickets (or cats) at Walgreens on items in the store. The trick is to buy things that will give you another register reward. (Tip...you can't use it on the same thing you got it for in the beginning....ie. zyrtec gave me $7 last week and I can't get more zyrtec with that cat and expect to get another one. Does that make sense?)<br />So, tonight this is what I bought: Stayfree maxi pads $2.99 with $2.99 reg rewards= free. Skintimate shaving cream <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAIThLVmDixzyUO73PopT3T-wYQ0ZFMT2UM-gF0tRJx_rSUexvaTC_qF0vUkdhUpJw29k97ntzws6GZtRAcTlEJpYTzj2PSoGmcvSzw0Mdtr6rWNsUyI-LaVjIjJWcVtEAvW1_Q/s1600/skintimate.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAIThLVmDixzyUO73PopT3T-wYQ0ZFMT2UM-gF0tRJx_rSUexvaTC_qF0vUkdhUpJw29k97ntzws6GZtRAcTlEJpYTzj2PSoGmcvSzw0Mdtr6rWNsUyI-LaVjIjJWcVtEAvW1_Q/s320/skintimate.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465752694167256450" /></a>$2.99 with $2.99 reg reward = free. Sudefed buy two and get $5 in reg rewards. Each was $4.99. I used a buy 2 get $5 off coupon. = Free. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cR3hcl544bSHm1ZcZcbaj1xj0CTtlfZNESKGV9o76r3Ov08CB5RMGVnIvn_M44g9R2Qv7rb3RT1CYInuzokG6ndhLUwI9XzbxMylaYMf6StKV_m2tpnom7rRS0FO3JV1-mD0uw/s1600/sudafed.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cR3hcl544bSHm1ZcZcbaj1xj0CTtlfZNESKGV9o76r3Ov08CB5RMGVnIvn_M44g9R2Qv7rb3RT1CYInuzokG6ndhLUwI9XzbxMylaYMf6StKV_m2tpnom7rRS0FO3JV1-mD0uw/s320/sudafed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465751950956105298" /></a><br /> Then I had a coupon for buy one get one free on tampax <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqakCZpiNDArqvrhb7wr_YvDI796WQf_xkM1dziheWgFjuv67BNK30-4dG9FK2C35UUetpBCPTBMSN4xTCpZELmenK-h-T6qkAZvjgf5TTt-WWPjhltwOTG4fnJ9JUyWYFmm6tg/s1600/tampax-pearl.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqakCZpiNDArqvrhb7wr_YvDI796WQf_xkM1dziheWgFjuv67BNK30-4dG9FK2C35UUetpBCPTBMSN4xTCpZELmenK-h-T6qkAZvjgf5TTt-WWPjhltwOTG4fnJ9JUyWYFmm6tg/s320/tampax-pearl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465752248930604738" /></a>so that was 2 for $2.50...oh and I bought a coke. I used my $17 reg rewards from the last trip and left there with $11 in rewards that expire 5/13.<br />There are so many different places you can find this information that it's a little overwhelming. But I'm having a blast buying things for free! I've been working on sorting all of my coupons and putting them in a binder. I just bought a three ringed binder and baseball card pages. Then I have been alphabetizing them and it's taking me forever. My goal is to shop for two weeks worth of groceries for less tham $100 by the end of the summer. We'll see how that works out!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18708932.post-75233516610954663782010-04-16T22:33:00.002-04:002010-04-16T22:45:14.173-04:00My New ObsessionI have a new obsession! It's fun, challenging, and exhilarating! And the best part of my new obsession....It's saving me a lot of money! What is it you ask? Click <a href="http://www.hip2save.com">HERE</a> or <a href="http://www.passionforsavings.com">HERE</a> to see what I'm talking about! I've been learning the ins and outs of couponins! I mean...it's big business. I've started getting organized...which by the way is the hardest part. But It's been so much fun! The two links are blogs that I've been reading with all the secerts on one page! I love it! I'll try to post my savings from this weekend so that you all can see how amazing it is! The past two trips to the grocery I have saved more than $100 each trip! And I'm told the savings add up even more the longer you do it!tpillstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519189646194654984noreply@blogger.com4