Her first ponytail

So cute!

 

Fundraiser coupon book

As a spring fundraiser for Andrew's school, he is selling a local coupon book (Columbus & Phenix City area only) for a cost of $25 (insert gulp here). When he came home with it, I was taken back at the selling price....but then I began flipping through it and realized it truly is a great deal!

If you'd like to purchase a copy, you can contact myself or Andrew. Click on the image below for a larger view. Some of the savings are listed below.

1. Firestone:
One free oil change, $10 off oil change, $20 off tire rotation, $20 off brake service

2. McDonald's:
BOGO sandwich, BOGO b'fast biscuits, free cookie, free snack wrap (6 coupons)

3. Sonic: WITH PURCHASE - free burgers and coneys (12 coupons)

4. Texas Roadhouse: free appetizer of your choice with purchase of an entree (12 coupons)

5. Fuddruckers: free appetizer / free milkshake with purchase of an entree (6 coupons)

6. Steak & Shake: free milkshake with purchase (6 coupons)

7. Marco's Pizza: free medium cheese pizza with purchase of a large (6 coupons)

8. Little Ceasars: Free drink/crazy bread with purchase (6 coupons)

9. Hungry Howie's: free large pizza with purhase (6 coupons)

10. Johnny Carino's: Free entree with purchase of one entree, free kid's meal with purchase, & free appetizer with purchase. (4 coupons)

11. Subway: Free sub with purchase of a sub. (4 coupons)

12. Willy T's: WITH PURCHASE - free snack, free plate, free drink, $2 off wings, 10% off total purchase (6 coupons)

13. Stevi B's: free child's buffet with purchase of adult entree (4 coupons)

14. Outback Steakhouse: free bloomin onion with purchase of two entrees (2 coupons)

15. Huddle House: free breakfast with purchase of equal breakfast (4 coupons)

16. Johnny's New York Style Pizza: free appetizer with purchse of two dinners OR large pizza. (4 coupons)

17. sbarro: free slice of pizza with purchase of one slice and drink. (2 coupons)

18. Mike & Ed's BBQ: free sandwich with purchase of a sandwich (4 coupons)

19. Auntie Anne's: free order of pretzel stix with equal order. (4 coupons)

20. Tropical Smoothie Cafe: 50% off purchase, free wrap with equal purchase, free drink with purchase, BOGO any menu item. (4 coupons)

21. Marble Slab Creamery: free waffle cone with equal purchase (4 coupons)

22. Smoothie King: BOGO smoothie (4 coupons)

23. Bruster's Ice Cream: Free single waffle cone with equal purchase (4 coupons)

24. TCBY: BOGO waffle cone, $2 off cakes/pies (4 coupons)

25. Continental Cleaners: $10 off drycleaning (4 coupons)

26. AMF Lanes: Buy three bowling games and get three free (12 coupons)

27. Bull Creek Golf Course: BOGO greens fee (12 coupons)

28. Columbus Cottonmouths hockey: BOGO adult admission, $20 off b'day package, $5 off merchandise order (12 coupons)

29. Oxbow Creek Golf Course: BOGO greens free

30. Movie Gallery: BOGO video/game rental

31. Dick's: $10 off $50 purchase (6 coupons)

32. Monkey Joe's: BOGO admission (2 coupons)

33. Six Flags Over Georgia: $10 off admission price (6 coupons)

34. Six Flags White Water: $7 off admission (2 coupons)

35. Atlanta Braves baseball: BOGO game ticket, valid for seats $12-$32 (4 coupons)

36. There are several coupons included for other local establishments such as Zoo City, Alamo, Enterprise, vacations direct, Grand National, Jumpin' Jax, Columbus Lions, Great Clips, Ann's Porch, Fountain City Coffee, The Coffee Beanery, Jumpin' Java, Los Amigos, BUffet City, The Cantina, Blimpie, Deli Central, Picasso's Pizza, and The Sports Page.

Hey, Dawn!

This commercial made me pee my pants.

Publix BOGO deals this week

Thanks Fiddledeedee for this information.

Here are this week's BOGO deals at Publix! Click on a link to see that item in more detail.

• Banquet Brown 'N Serve Sausage Links
• Contessa Frozen Cooked Shrimp
• Crisco 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Crystal Light Drink or On The Go Mix
• Earth's Best Organic Baby Food
• Glass Plus Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner
• Green Giant Canned Vegetables
• Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars
• Hostess Sweet Sixteen Mini Donuts
• Huggies Baby Bath Products
• Hungry-Man Dinner
• Juicy Juice 100% Premium Juice
• Kashi Instant Oatmeal
• Kellogg's Special K Cereal
• Lawry's Garlic Salt
• Lay's Potato Chips
• Lender's Bagels
• Luigi's Real Italian Ice
• New York Style Bagel Chips
• Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn
• PROGRESSO 100% NATURAL BROTH
• Progresso Bread Crumbs
• Ragú Pasta Sauce
• Ronzoni Pasta
• Rubbermaid Produce Saver Food Container
• Totino's Pizza Rolls
• Wish-Bone Dressing
• Zatarain's New Orleans Style Mix

Valentines Day snapshots

Just a few shots from our Valentines Day celebrations at Andrew's school, Luke's class party, and at MeMe and Pop's house where the kids received cards and candy galore!

Engaged

My 33 year old brother is engaged.
We love his fiance`.
They are set to get married this summer.
I love a short engagement.
It doesn't take long to plan a wedding.
She wants a small shin-dig.
That makes me like her even more.
She just found her dress this week.
My brother is head-over-heels in love.
It will be weird to see him as a husband.
I'll get used to it....and I'm glad for it.

BOGO TGI Friday's

Here is a buy one get one free entree coupon at TGI Friday's that expires March 1. Go on that date with your spouse...and hurry!

Ant farm

MeMe gave Andrew an ant farm for Christmas. We wrote a check and sent it off in the mail back in December to request our live ants. The ants arrived last week and the ant farm has been a huge hit. Already, the ants have dug a complete tunnel. They have three more starter holes but don't seem to be in as big a hurry to dig as we are to watch them.

Always together

Once again, I bring you ANOTHER picture of Luke and his future wife, AC. Of course, these two don't know that their parents are already schemin' and dreamin'.

Vocabulary word of the day

I have a friend who is quite intelligent when it comes to the English language. She introduces new vocabulary to me in almost every conversation we have - whether it be verbal or through email or IM. For example, just today she used a word in our IM conversation that I didn't know, so I had to go to dictionary.com to get the definition. Yes, most of the time I can figure out what the word means depending on the context....but she stumps me quite often!

So, the vocabulary word of the day, thanks to Coralie (and dictionary.com), is:

DIATRIBE

noun

a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: A bitter, abusive denunciation.

---

Word History: Listening to a lengthy diatribe may seem like a waste of time, an attitude for which there is some etymological justification. The Greek word diatribē, the ultimate source of our word, is derived from the verb diatrībein, made up of the prefix dia-, "completely," and trībein, "to rub," "to wear away, spend, or waste time," "to be busy." The verb diatrībein meant "to rub hard," "to spend or waste time," and the noun diatribē meant "wearing away of time, amusement, serious occupation, study," as well as "discourse, short ethical treatise or lecture, debate, argument." It is the serious occupation of time in discourse, lecture, and debate that gave us the first use of diatribe recorded in English (1581), in the now archaic sense "discourse, critical dissertation." The critical element of this kind of diatribe must often have been uppermost, explaining the origin of the current sense of diatribe, "a bitter criticism."


Let me clear things up to say that she wasn't using this word in any way other than in titling her own words to me through her IM.

RedBox Code today only

Here's today's RedBox code, good til midnight tonight. Make sure you return your movie to any RedBox location before 9pm tomorrow night. If you need more information about how RedBox works, you can read my previous detailed description.

M7DM23

Ducky

My college roommate, Heather, gave this cute plush duck to my children many years ago. My boys never really got attached to it but my sweet little girl certainly has. She doesn't normally carry it around everywhere with her as these pictures might portray, but we were out of town this weekend so we made sure to take Ducky everywhere since most days away from home were unfamiliar to her. She usually only likes to sleep with Ducky.

Anyhow, I caught her lovin' on her favorite lovey and taking a snooze with him in her car seat. I think Ducky loves Abigail about as much as she loves him.

Visiting

We've been in the Birmingham area for two days now and we're having a blast. I love this city. So many fun and wonderful memories were made in this town. It's where Mitch and I met, fell in love, and went to our first church together. It's also where Mitch took his first job out of seminary.

So, we are here for three full days to enjoy the relationships God blessed us with while living here. We spent most of our first day visiting friends from college and OMPC. Today, the second day, was spent watching Mitch team up with past and present CPC staff for a basketball tournament, eating lunch with friends, dinner with the Body, and then a talent show afterwards. Tomorrow will be corporate worship, lunch with the congregation, and then a long-overdue nap for us all.

All this to say, as much fun as we are having here, we certainly miss our church family back home and can't wait to get back and see them!

Peanut Product Recall List

If you've been worried about what's in your cabinet or in your grocery cart, here's the Peanut Product Recall List. The best way to find a specific item on this lengthy detailed list is to hit "Control F" and type in the brand name, etc.

33 Marriage facts

I'm going to copy Becky and list my answers to 33 questions regarding my marriage to Mitch.

1. What are your middle names? Anthony & Sons (makes for a good business)

2. How long have you been together? 10 years

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? We met in March, got engaged in June, and married in October...all taking place in 1999.

4. Who asked who out? He asked me out (see #24).

5. How old were each of you? I was 24 and he was 28.

6. Whose siblings do/ did you see the most? His

7. Do you have any children together? 3

8. What about pets? one Beta fish, two hermit crabs, and an ant farm. We had a cat when we were childless but he's no longer around.

9. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Finances

10. Did you go to the same school? No

11. Are you from the same home town? No....but we are from the same state (Georgia).

12. Who is smarter? He is.

13. Who is more sensitive? Me

14. Where do you eat out most as a couple? sub shops

15. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Cozumel, Mexico (no, that was not for our honeymoon.)

16. Who has the craziest exes? we both have had some pretty normal ex-girlfriends/boyfriends

17. Who has the worse temper? Him (don't be made at me, Honey!)

18. Who does the cooking? Me

19. Who is more social? MEEEEEEE

20. Who is the neat-freak? Neither one of us.

21. Who is the more stubborn? Me

22. Who hogs the bed? Him

23. Who wakes up earlier? Me

24. Where was your first date? Gosh, what a controversy. I would say it was at Burt's On the Bluff in Birmingham, AL, but he would beg to differ. It's a long story.....

25. Who has the bigger family? Me

26. Do you get flowers often? my kids pick the ones in the yard and bring them to me.

27. How do you spend the holidays? Usually at home or at my mother's house.

28. Who is more jealous? (seriously???????)

29. How long did it take to get serious? One month.

30. Who eats more? Me, but Mitch can chow down and finish a family size bag of Lay's Original Chips in a heartbeat, while never looking up.

31. Who does the laundry? Me

32. Who’s better with the computer? Him

33. Who drives when you are together? Mitch always drives unless I'm picking him up or dropping him off somewhere.

A sure thing

Abigail is a sure thing. She's ALWAYS wanted to be a lioness.

"Oh, where is that shade tree? It's time for my nap."

He's got his mind made up

One brother may not have made up his mind, but Andrew's answer to, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" has always been, "A policeman!".

I don't think Luke is too happy about that. Seems that all he's missing is his white wife beater shirt. Going shirtless really makes no difference, huh? That facial expression is priceless! Looks like Andrew has met his quota...he's all smiles.

Can't make up his mind

What do you want to be when you grow up, Luke?

Hmmmm....maybe a doctor?
Arg, do I look good as a pirate?
Better yet, how 'bout a firefighter?
No, a wild monkey!

Free downloads

You can find a lot of free girl-y downloads at Living Locurto.

Everything from:
valentines
thank you cards
recipe cards
birthday invites
email cards
enclosures
vintage paper
candy wrappers
TO DO lists
graphic wallpaper
inventory pages
scrapbook paper
blog backgrounds
note cards
scavenger hunt lists
paper crafts
...and anything else for any holiday.

They are so cute!

Filler' Up!

Mommy Snacks has just the thing for you if you're running a little empty today. Lots of good stuff!

TV time & "Water Dude"

The kids don't get a lot of "TV time" during the day....but when they do, they take full advantage of it.

Is that sliver of hair and splash of freckles not the cutest?

"Lasting Relationships"

We had our annual Valentines banquet with our church family last night. The theme was "Lasting Relationships" and a few people stood and shared about the meaningful friendships in their lives. God has blessed our church with amazing people and I'm thankful for each and every one of them!

(Click on the collage for a larger view)

Daddy Daughter date?

The dads took their daughters to a hockey game this past week. Go Snakes!

RedBox Code today only

This RedBox code is good today only until midnight.
Make sure you return the movie tomorrow before 9 p.m.!

25CH63

This is how he rolls

These are a few of the activities that make Andrew tick (click on the collage for a larger view).

1. Coloring with my nice scrapbooking markers.
2. Talking to the neighbor's cat through the window.
3. Playing "war" with his army soldiers.
4. Drawing on Sketch Swap.
5. Watching the ants begin to dig their tunnels in his new ant farm (thanks, MeMe & Pop!).

24 Things about to disappear in America

Rod Dreher has written an article discussing in detail the top 24 things that are about to disappear in America.

1. The Family Farm
2. Analog TV
3. News Magazines and TV News
4. Honey Bees
5. Mumps & Measles
6. Drive-in Theaters
7. Personal Checks
8. Wild Horses
9. Hand-Written Letters
10. The Milkman
11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys (so, what's the new idea?)
12. Incandescent Bulbs
13. Cameras That Use Film (they still make film?)
14. Answering Machines
15. The Swimming Hole (uh, I was born in '74 and I've never been swimming in a hole)
16. Ham Radio
17. Ash Trees (something about a beetle)
18. VCRs
19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs
20. Phone Landlines
21. Dial-up Internet Access
22. Movie Rental Stores (thanks, RedBox!)
23. Classified Ads
24. Yellow Pages (you can thank Al Gore for this...har-har)


HT: Justin Taylor

Favorite song (of the moment)

Glory to God! (Lyrics below)



Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Stayin' Alive

I simply don't know how to preface this video. It's all good but the you should begin laughing shortly after time 2:15.

Luke's words

My middle child, Luke, has a habit of doing some pretty gross boy things - one of which is wiping his nose on anything nearby, including me.

Upon getting him out of the bathtub this morning, he leaned over and pulled my shirt to his face while I was drying him off.

Me: "Luke, please stop wiping your snot on me. Get some tissue."

Luke: "But I didn't wipe my snot on you. It was my eye gook."

That's better.

Practice makes perfect

Andrew can write his name and often puts the letters in order. Still, we try to practice writing it everyday in some form. Yesterday, I gave him sticky letters to see if he could place them in order on his chipboard initial. He got the order right but turned some of the letters in the wrong direction. Next, he wrote his name in glue and then put stale Cheerios on top. This time, he again knew the correct letters but didn't place them in order.....and definitely not all in the right direction. He was so happy with his work and I just had to take a picture of his proud smile.

Practice, practice, practice....it will eventually bring perfection....well, kind of.

Ye old sub shoppe

I went on a lunch date with my husband (and Abigail) today where we ventured to a new sub shoppe here in town (two locations to serve you). After finishing my meal, I told my husband I had an idea for my next blog post....so, here it is.

Ye old sub shoppe, ranked from best to worst, in my opinion.


1. Firehouse Subs - ...nothing beats the #1 combo (no onions, please). Their mayo-dijon mustard sauce is amazing and the bread is soft. This is always my first pick for a sandwich. Great service! They yell, "Welcome to Firehouse" when you walk in the door. Of course, they never glance up to greet you 'cause they are working hard to make those awesome sandwiches! Sign up for their birthday club and get a free sub of your choice on your birthday.

2. Subway - ...the old shoppe that's been around forever and can be found on any town corner (or in strip mall). Love the variety they offer but the bread can be a little hard at times (so much for eating fresh). They are also very stingy with their napkins. My favorite is the roasted chicken breast on wheat bread.

3. Quizno's - Great menu but outrageously high in price. I do, however, like their condiment bar. The store always appears to be clean...as it should be with those high prices. They share their napkins.

4. Blimpie - I don't get to frequent a Blimpie all that often. I used to visit it often when I was in college since my apartment was almost directly across the street from a Blimpie. Now, one store is in Hamilton (about 25 minutes north) and the other in the Super Walmart across the river in Alabama. I do remember that the sandwiches were delightful and the soup was even better.

INFINITY (AKA #5) Jimmy John's - Ok, where do I start? This was where we ate today and I must say that I was extremely disappointed. I am no food critic but I certainly sounded like one after finishing my meal. No lengthy details will I bore you with but know that the bread is on the verge of hard and the sandwich is dry. They don't tell you this but you can get "freebies" on your sandwich (it's in the fine print on the menu). Mitch thought the tea was good but I didn't get a chance to try it since I was trying to hunt down napkins. Apparently, they are stingy with their paper goods, too.

BOGO at McDonalds

Did you know that McDonalds has a Buy One Get One free drink offer every Monday through Friday from 2-5 p.m.? Click HERE for the details.

Head Stands & Tattoos

The boys entertained themselves for quite a while tonight by performing head stands in the hallway. This all happened just before bedtime so it took a while for them to calm down. Abigail also got in on the fun.

The dark spots on their stomachs is a Disney tattoo. Andrew wants a real tattoo like my brother, his Uncle Stuart, has. I've told him that he can have a tattoo when he's 18 and legal. Andrew is fascinated that a real tattoo will never wash off and will be on his skin forever. Even after seeing the video below, he still says he wants one.

What can you get free today?

Denise is....well, she's just good at what she does. She compiles a list of freebies each week, posts local grocery store savings, links to various coupon sites, and informs the blogosphere of business place offers. So, I'm gonna shoot you over to her blog, The Centsible Sawyer, so you can see what you can get free today. Make sure you scroll all the way down....there are lots of free magazine subscriptions!

Publix BOGO list, Feb 4-11

Here are the "Buy One Get One free" items this week at Publix, Feb 4-11:

• Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
• Campbell's Select Harvest Soup
• Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers
• Entenmann's Donuts
• Farm Rich French Toast Sticks
• General Mills Cereal
• Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
• Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Cereal
• Knorr Sides
• Kozy Shack Pudding
• Land O Lakes Spread
• Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams
• Pillsbury Moist Supreme Cake Mix
• Pop-Secret Premium Popcorn
• Snickers Minis
• Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix
• Toufayan Pita Bread
• Uncle Ben's Country Inn Rice
• Wise Cheez Doodles

Thanks to Fiddledeedee for putting this list together.

Valentine's wreath

I think (which also means, might...which also means, if I have the time and money) I'll attempt to do this craft this week. If I don't make it for Valentines Day, then I'll have to do another shape for another holiday. My door needs some decor, that's for sure. Thank you, Little Birdie Secrets.

Paint pen craft

Luke received a HUGE set of paint pens for his third birthday back in December and we have just now broken them out of their casing to put to use. Thanks, Coralie. The boys really enjoyed them!

Free MATTHEW SMITH download (5)

Are you a fan of the new arrangements to hymn that have come out of RUF (Kevin Twit/Indelible Grace Music: igrace)? Or maybe you're a fan of various other churches/artists (such as Red Mtn. PCA out of B'ham, AL) that have also written new music to older music (think Gadsby Hymnal, etc). If you are, then you have most likely heard of (and love!) Matthew Smith.

Matthew is offering a free download of five of his songs from his newest album AFTER you tell five friends about it (easy-peesy-method). You must do this now for the music is far too awesome to go unheard!

You can go here OR here to download the songs.

For all my military friends

To all my friends who are serving our country, I thought you'd appreciate these pictures.

3D glasses? Check!

We were prepared for the 3D commercials during the SuperBowl. A lot of us from church gathered to watch the game together even though it's not the best venue to "watch" the game if you really care to hear all the details. This is why I'm a huge fan of closed captioning!

My favorite Superbowl commercial

Free pill tote

Click here to get your free pill tote from Bayer.

Our Saturday happenings

First, we played a few games, had a pretend picnic on the floor, chased each other around the house, and finally got out of our PJs.


Since I wouldn't let her play with Luke's paint pens, Abigail decided she wanted to draw a few scribbles on the non-messy Doodle Pad (I love the inventor of this toy!).


Andrew gave it a shot, too. He displayed his artwork and titled it, "Mommy's fingernails". It's funny, but I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. I have short nails.


After dinner, Luke's own creative juices got flowin' and he announced he had designed a waterslide on the side of the fridge. He was so proud of it and asked me to take his picture.