The next day I woke up and felt a little better about the previous day. I mean, we did stretch, and stretching is what you do in the name of God. It's very hard to just jump into telling people about your faith if you haven't done that before, but you gotta start somewhere, right?
We went a different direction today to go to the church. I wish we had gone that day every single time, because it was straight highway and no people/bikes/potholes/etc. It was uphill, and downhill alike. When we went up this one hill, just over the crest was a massive neighborhood project that looked like it housed millions of people. They were apartments that the factory owners built especially for the workers. They take the rent right out of the pay. Kind of keeps them there for the rest of their lives.... This was an awe inspiring sight, to see two of these massive neighborhoods, one on each side of the highway. The one side was where most of the children we spoke to yesterday lived.
Got to the church, did our thing, and then went back to camp for hanging out time. The consensus of the group was to go swimming, but the little kids weren't allowed to go. That kind of bummed the little people, but there was nothing we could do, so we brought out the dvd player. They passed the 2 hour time frame with Disney's Cars movie.
We then needed to get ready for the Wednesday night service at the church. It was going to be a late night, with dinner after church. Church service there was kind of different. Everyone got up and either sang a song, or told a testimony, or just gave verses that they liked. That lasted quite awhile, and then our leader did the sermon. Our leader and his wife lost a child in a fire last year, and they talked about that for quite some time. He had went on the mission trip last year, and it was hard for everyone to notice that he wasn't there this year.
Then we got to eat food that was prepared from the ladies of the church. Yummy chicken and vegetables in aluminum foil baked in the oven. That was filling, and greasy, but good!!!! Got back to camp way late, and hit the hay.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Day 3 of mexico
Okay, so. Sorry about that. I guess I should continue my tales from Acuna Mexico. Day 3 brought more heat and dirt. We went to the church again for VBS and the kids were waiting for us. We did little skits and devotions again. They sang lots of songs. I sweated. Is that a word? We all had to bring water bottles everywhere. I think we would have died if we didn't bring the water. Anyway...i digress. After vbs was over, it was decided that today we would go evangalize the streets. This was going to be hard for me, because well....i didnt want to be left alone at the camp again, entertaining myself with nothing, but it was soooo darn hot. I decided that we would all go with daddy and the group. So, we lathered everyone up with sunblock and hats, and water, and proceeded to go together. This is when Mr. Happy decided that we would be splitting up. I don't split up. I go where my husband goes. And my children go where I go. So, hmmm. A dilema to Mr. Happy. He likes splitting people up, and I could tell that he didn't want our huge family to take any other people with us, so he thought it best that we all (our family) go with him. This irked me some, because he made such a deal over how HUGE we were, and it didn't seem fair....but anyway.
We walked across the street...that was as far as we got. There was a group of children playing soccer, and Mr. Happy aka Ben started talking to them. In spanish. We stood there somewhat uncomfortable, for several minutes. He then just out of the blue wanted my 10 year old to tell them when he was saved, and how he did it. This kind of freaked my son out, and he clammed up. I helped him with prompting, and Ben started talking again. He told us that this group of boys were all faithful catholics, and that this was going to be hard. He then wanted my husband to show the boys the evangacube, which is a cube that has different sides, that shows how to become a christian. My husband had to tell the entire story, which he did quite well, I will say. Then he asked the boys what they thought. They said some things, and then he had them listen to the salvation message via cd. We stood around for some more time, and then they were all done. He asked them if they accepted Jesus, and they all said yes. He then told me to tell them what new believers should do, and I told them what I thought. He handed them some bibles, and we were off to the next group of children.
Now, here is where I should interject what I am thinking about. I really wonder if this is the best way to evangalize. I mean, children are so easily swayed that we could be satanists for goodness sake, and prompt them to enjoy the thought of worshipping satan. I mean, I understand planting a seed and all that, but to talk fast and force them almost to accept Jesus just doesn't seem like a good idea. Give them the bible, tell them about our Lord, invite them to church...but don't just talk fast and hard, and make them listen to a cd? Am I making sense here? These are kids. Where were their parents? Would they enjoy what we were doing?
I was a victim of several "drive by savings" when I was a new parent. They would come scour the neighborhood, because it was a low income one, and knock on all the doors. WHERE WILL YOU GO IF YOU DIED RIGHT NOW???? They always wanted to know. Well, I dont know....THEN YOU NEED TO BE SAVED BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN IS THROUGH JESUS!!!! Well, sign me up pastor. And then.......nothing. They would leave, I would be happy they were gone, and I never heard from them again......until the next round of door knockers. I never felt saved. I only did it so they would leave. This probably happened 3 or 4 times over the course of time that I lived there. That wasn't helpful, was it? So, maybe one of these boys really knew what he was doing, and felt it in his heart that Jesus was his Lord and Savior now....and I suppose it would all be worth it then, but what about all the rest??? Would there be follow-up? We got addresses, so maybe, hopefully. But if not, what good did we do?
We talked to tons of kids....or rather, Ben talked and we just kind of kicked the rocks, and stood there. He was big on talking, Ben was....He felt the holy spirit prompting him constantly, which is another topic all together. We actually got a group of older boys toward the end that you could tell just wanted us to go away. But, Ben wouldn't let that happen. They got the whole talk, the cube, and the cd. One guy seemed to understand fully what he was doing. That could have been the whole reason we were there too? Ben told them that if they listened to us, when we were done, they could show us some tricks. They were bikers and skaters. They were pretty good, and enjoyed showing off for us. So, picture this. A huge basketball court, with one group of boys playing b-ball on one hoop with our 6'3" son showing how he could dunk (with no language barrier I might add), another group on the other hoop, bikers and skaters riding on the side of the court, and tons of kids playing soccer in the grass. At one point, I had to take my boys to go water a tree in the field. THAT was fun, let me tell ya. But there were no bathrooms anywhere, but a ton of people probably saw. Oh well. Finally, after 2 hours of this, we were done.
We went back to camp, and had share time. The other group talked to several adults, and probably didn't have the luck that we did....kids are pretty curious. Plus Ben is pretty engaging, but they did plant a few seeds.
Went to bed at a decent hour this night....I was tired. Oh, and hot! Did I mention that?
We walked across the street...that was as far as we got. There was a group of children playing soccer, and Mr. Happy aka Ben started talking to them. In spanish. We stood there somewhat uncomfortable, for several minutes. He then just out of the blue wanted my 10 year old to tell them when he was saved, and how he did it. This kind of freaked my son out, and he clammed up. I helped him with prompting, and Ben started talking again. He told us that this group of boys were all faithful catholics, and that this was going to be hard. He then wanted my husband to show the boys the evangacube, which is a cube that has different sides, that shows how to become a christian. My husband had to tell the entire story, which he did quite well, I will say. Then he asked the boys what they thought. They said some things, and then he had them listen to the salvation message via cd. We stood around for some more time, and then they were all done. He asked them if they accepted Jesus, and they all said yes. He then told me to tell them what new believers should do, and I told them what I thought. He handed them some bibles, and we were off to the next group of children.
Now, here is where I should interject what I am thinking about. I really wonder if this is the best way to evangalize. I mean, children are so easily swayed that we could be satanists for goodness sake, and prompt them to enjoy the thought of worshipping satan. I mean, I understand planting a seed and all that, but to talk fast and force them almost to accept Jesus just doesn't seem like a good idea. Give them the bible, tell them about our Lord, invite them to church...but don't just talk fast and hard, and make them listen to a cd? Am I making sense here? These are kids. Where were their parents? Would they enjoy what we were doing?
I was a victim of several "drive by savings" when I was a new parent. They would come scour the neighborhood, because it was a low income one, and knock on all the doors. WHERE WILL YOU GO IF YOU DIED RIGHT NOW???? They always wanted to know. Well, I dont know....THEN YOU NEED TO BE SAVED BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN IS THROUGH JESUS!!!! Well, sign me up pastor. And then.......nothing. They would leave, I would be happy they were gone, and I never heard from them again......until the next round of door knockers. I never felt saved. I only did it so they would leave. This probably happened 3 or 4 times over the course of time that I lived there. That wasn't helpful, was it? So, maybe one of these boys really knew what he was doing, and felt it in his heart that Jesus was his Lord and Savior now....and I suppose it would all be worth it then, but what about all the rest??? Would there be follow-up? We got addresses, so maybe, hopefully. But if not, what good did we do?
We talked to tons of kids....or rather, Ben talked and we just kind of kicked the rocks, and stood there. He was big on talking, Ben was....He felt the holy spirit prompting him constantly, which is another topic all together. We actually got a group of older boys toward the end that you could tell just wanted us to go away. But, Ben wouldn't let that happen. They got the whole talk, the cube, and the cd. One guy seemed to understand fully what he was doing. That could have been the whole reason we were there too? Ben told them that if they listened to us, when we were done, they could show us some tricks. They were bikers and skaters. They were pretty good, and enjoyed showing off for us. So, picture this. A huge basketball court, with one group of boys playing b-ball on one hoop with our 6'3" son showing how he could dunk (with no language barrier I might add), another group on the other hoop, bikers and skaters riding on the side of the court, and tons of kids playing soccer in the grass. At one point, I had to take my boys to go water a tree in the field. THAT was fun, let me tell ya. But there were no bathrooms anywhere, but a ton of people probably saw. Oh well. Finally, after 2 hours of this, we were done.
We went back to camp, and had share time. The other group talked to several adults, and probably didn't have the luck that we did....kids are pretty curious. Plus Ben is pretty engaging, but they did plant a few seeds.
Went to bed at a decent hour this night....I was tired. Oh, and hot! Did I mention that?
Sunday, June 22, 2008
we interrrupt these fascinating mexico tales
forgive my lack of updating the mission trip log.....I just recieved notification from the specialist in chicago about his diagnosis on Rachel. He thinks she is a classic Pontocerebellar hypoplasia patient, and it doesn't look too good. In reading about it off of case studies and the like, it seems to be fatal half of the time.....so all my computer time is going to be spent searching the internet and emailing the doctor, not on my blog. Please forgive me, and pray for Rachel if you think about it.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Why we were in acuna in the first place....per request
The reason for the trip was pretty simple. We have a thing at our church where families are invited to go to either honduras which is VERY expensive and not for little kids, or go to Acuna which is VERY cheap and for anyone. We did the honduras route once and the mexico once before also. We go down and run a vacation bible school for the kids at the orphan home that is next to the church. We also evangalize in the street helping out the pastor of the church we hold vbs at.
part 2 of Mexico day two
Okay, so after the guys have their prayerwalk, they get back to the camp and I made the request to be allowed to sleep in the mens dorm. It is the same set up as the womens...two sides both having doors, and access to the bathroom. It would be totally private, but with my husband who could help with the two babies, and not be loud. They agreed and I was happy again. :)
Dinner was uneventful, and we just kind of hung out together getting to really know each other. We had all gone to church together for awhile, but really never sat and talked. It was nice. Then we went to wal mart. Oh, but wait....Holly didn't bring her passport, her drivers license or her birth certificate. Oops....we were going through the border and they don't take too kindly about that sort of thing. Luckily, I wasn't arrested, or detained at the border once we promised that we were coming back to Mexico after wal mart. Whew!! That was a little scary.
Had a blast at wal mart, got back to camp, and went to bed.
Interesting to note that no one cares about what you are bringing INTO mexico, but boy howdy do they check you when you are leaving mexico. Why is that??? I could be bringing tons of drugs and ammo into their country, and they dont care. I mean, the checkpoint is a random light...if you get red, they check you, but no one ever gets red... weird.
Dinner was uneventful, and we just kind of hung out together getting to really know each other. We had all gone to church together for awhile, but really never sat and talked. It was nice. Then we went to wal mart. Oh, but wait....Holly didn't bring her passport, her drivers license or her birth certificate. Oops....we were going through the border and they don't take too kindly about that sort of thing. Luckily, I wasn't arrested, or detained at the border once we promised that we were coming back to Mexico after wal mart. Whew!! That was a little scary.
Had a blast at wal mart, got back to camp, and went to bed.
Interesting to note that no one cares about what you are bringing INTO mexico, but boy howdy do they check you when you are leaving mexico. Why is that??? I could be bringing tons of drugs and ammo into their country, and they dont care. I mean, the checkpoint is a random light...if you get red, they check you, but no one ever gets red... weird.
Mexico day two
Okay, so I left you at the wake up time on Monday morning. I apologized to Tony, and all was well. We ate our torillas and beans for breakfast, and got ready to leave for the orphanage and church. 10:00 comes quickly in the morning it seems. We drove there behind the main van and proceeded to hit several potholes, and almost hit people/cars. They drive like crazy there. Bicycles are a good mode of transport, and many use it, but they act like cars, bobbing and weaving out of traffic. I about had a heart attack before we finally got to our destination.
When we get there, there is no children to be seen. It seems that no one mentioned to the children that there would be a VBS that week or something. We never got that translation anyway. So, they scrambled and lo and behold here comes some kiddos. It was MUCHO hot in the church and they were working on the airconditioners when we got there. I say air conditioner, but they were more like swamp coolers or whatever you call them. Not really cool, but better than a stagnant hot air. All the kids were excited to be there and my children recognized a few from their trip 2 years ago. I don't know if they recognized my children though.
The whole service was in spanish, and that was hard, because while they translated what we said, they didnt translate back....I stayed outside the church on the balcony because the bass guitar, the regular guitar, and the drums very VERY LOUD. I felt like I was in a rock concert. Apparently, this is how they like it in Mexico. LOL.
Then when VBS was over, we went downstairs to do a craft with the kids and then leave. We get back to the camp sight, and the men were deciding that they were going to go back and prayer walk around the neighborhoods. They were so interesting, the neighborhoods. The houses were made of concrete bricks and galvanized steel roofs. None were finished, because if a house isn't fully constructed, they don't have to pay taxes on them. Kinda fraudulent, don't you think??? But anyway. There were dogs running on top of roofs, and clothes lines on the roof, and trash everywhere. They really do not care about their living enviroment there. Every now and again we would see a wealthy mexican, and that house would blow you away, but that was obviously not the norm. People were everywhere, walking, running, biking, strolling babies, etc. Bars on every fence, and window. Definitely not what you see in Oklahoma.
More later......
When we get there, there is no children to be seen. It seems that no one mentioned to the children that there would be a VBS that week or something. We never got that translation anyway. So, they scrambled and lo and behold here comes some kiddos. It was MUCHO hot in the church and they were working on the airconditioners when we got there. I say air conditioner, but they were more like swamp coolers or whatever you call them. Not really cool, but better than a stagnant hot air. All the kids were excited to be there and my children recognized a few from their trip 2 years ago. I don't know if they recognized my children though.
The whole service was in spanish, and that was hard, because while they translated what we said, they didnt translate back....I stayed outside the church on the balcony because the bass guitar, the regular guitar, and the drums very VERY LOUD. I felt like I was in a rock concert. Apparently, this is how they like it in Mexico. LOL.
Then when VBS was over, we went downstairs to do a craft with the kids and then leave. We get back to the camp sight, and the men were deciding that they were going to go back and prayer walk around the neighborhoods. They were so interesting, the neighborhoods. The houses were made of concrete bricks and galvanized steel roofs. None were finished, because if a house isn't fully constructed, they don't have to pay taxes on them. Kinda fraudulent, don't you think??? But anyway. There were dogs running on top of roofs, and clothes lines on the roof, and trash everywhere. They really do not care about their living enviroment there. Every now and again we would see a wealthy mexican, and that house would blow you away, but that was obviously not the norm. People were everywhere, walking, running, biking, strolling babies, etc. Bars on every fence, and window. Definitely not what you see in Oklahoma.
More later......
Monday, June 16, 2008
Mexico day one........
Driving up there was great...Yeah, it took 14 hours and it was a bit long for me, but it worked out okay. We were loaned a DVD player and that worked when Nathan got to be too much. My room was a welcome sight. Except.....Once we got into bed and was about to snore blissfully, the 2 cooks and their kids decided to join my side and make noise. I specifically took the whole quiet side with no roommates because I had the two babies, and no one else had little people. Needless to say, this little disruption was not favorable by me. They turned on the light, and to be fair, I don't think they knew I was there. HOWEVER, when they discovered that little tidbit, you would think they would have been quiet. NOT!!!
The proceeded to wake up both children several times with doors opening, throwing suitcases around, talking, turning on the light to the bathroom and not shutting it, etc. I was not a happy camper, and I couldn't do a thing about it, because they didn't speak english. And the stupid airconditioner was WAY TOO LOUD, and kept going on and off and on and off. No sleep was to be had that very painful night.
The next morning, I was very grumpy and Tony was unsympathetic. I got upset at him and so we weren't talking. The very happy happy missionary we were working with came into the camp ground and proceeded to make a sermon about how someone in the group was not being very nice, and that if they didn't confess their sins and make things right, they weren't going to go see the kids at the church. Duh....he must have been talking about me...right?? So, I was humiliated because this little sermon lasted about 20 minutes, and so when he was finally done, I started to cry and told Tony I was sorry. Tony thought he was talking to him, so he was just as sorry. This started it all off on the wrong foot that morning. I don't believe in shaming people to make them confess......
More to come.....
The proceeded to wake up both children several times with doors opening, throwing suitcases around, talking, turning on the light to the bathroom and not shutting it, etc. I was not a happy camper, and I couldn't do a thing about it, because they didn't speak english. And the stupid airconditioner was WAY TOO LOUD, and kept going on and off and on and off. No sleep was to be had that very painful night.
The next morning, I was very grumpy and Tony was unsympathetic. I got upset at him and so we weren't talking. The very happy happy missionary we were working with came into the camp ground and proceeded to make a sermon about how someone in the group was not being very nice, and that if they didn't confess their sins and make things right, they weren't going to go see the kids at the church. Duh....he must have been talking about me...right?? So, I was humiliated because this little sermon lasted about 20 minutes, and so when he was finally done, I started to cry and told Tony I was sorry. Tony thought he was talking to him, so he was just as sorry. This started it all off on the wrong foot that morning. I don't believe in shaming people to make them confess......
More to come.....
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The mission trip
The church in Acuna, Mexico
The orphanage next door
Our translators:Erick, Brenda, and Jesica
This was the cooks son, Brayan (pronounced Brian)
Everyone crowded outside the church after services on Wednesday night....they like to crowd.
Some of the kids during VBS
This was a gangster, who was trying to get out of that lifestyle. He was listening to the salvation message on a cd player. When he was finished listening, he started to cry. He accepted Christ right then and there. This was why we were there.
It was hot, and a long drive to get there, and my van suffered many injuries, but that is another post. I just wanted everyone to know that we are back, and we survived. It was good.
The orphanage next door
Our translators:Erick, Brenda, and Jesica
This was the cooks son, Brayan (pronounced Brian)
Everyone crowded outside the church after services on Wednesday night....they like to crowd.
Some of the kids during VBS
This was a gangster, who was trying to get out of that lifestyle. He was listening to the salvation message on a cd player. When he was finished listening, he started to cry. He accepted Christ right then and there. This was why we were there.
It was hot, and a long drive to get there, and my van suffered many injuries, but that is another post. I just wanted everyone to know that we are back, and we survived. It was good.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
update
we are alive. barely. trying to get house in order before mexico mission trip from june 8th to the 14th. printing and cutting out notes for sponsers to help us raise funds for the trip. getting clothing all situated for 10 people. still no car in site for hubby, and have to give back loaner in 2 days. no period for 45 days. not sure if i am pregnant. that would make sense, huh? best friend had a baby and i am her meal coordinator, plus baby shower thrower.
life.....just stop for a bit....please.
life.....just stop for a bit....please.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Bits of miscellany
We have been flying planes in the house, and having a blast! Who knew that paper airplanes would keep everyone so happy?? Here are a couple of shots of weird landing places for those planes. The middle picture is the nail that the plane landed on. You will truly have to ignore the dirty refridgerater handle and Ashley's room in the background. I have an excuse for the fridge...They were all playing in the dirt and left prints everywhere. Plus there have been a million stickers applied to the front, and then the sticky junk was left. No excuse for Ashley. Sorry.
Monday, May 19, 2008
No new news....
So, it seems that the illness stopped with Conner. We waited precariously for the rest of the crew to start, but nothing....so maybe it is over. Hopefully. There is nothing like a child with 104 fever and being able to do nothing but stroke their bright red faces. Conner does have a sore throat though, which is weird. Unless Nathan and Rachel just couldn't tell us about it.
Speaking of Rachel. Boy has she been grumpy....No one wants to be around her. This is so unlike her, and I really hope its due to feeling badly, and not a personality change. Woo Boy!
Tonight daddy gets to play softball. This is the 7th year he has played. Its our church league. The kids love going because they get to see friends, and if they get an out of the park foul ball, they get a free candy card.
Speaking of Rachel. Boy has she been grumpy....No one wants to be around her. This is so unlike her, and I really hope its due to feeling badly, and not a personality change. Woo Boy!
Tonight daddy gets to play softball. This is the 7th year he has played. Its our church league. The kids love going because they get to see friends, and if they get an out of the park foul ball, they get a free candy card.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Daddy's day off Friday....
We all walked around our huge lake today. Its 4 miles long. I guess I should say Tony and I walked, Rachel rode in a backpack carrier, Nathan strolled, and everyone else rode their bikes. It was hot but fun. Only took us an hour and a half. Then we went to Taco Bell, where I ate one beef rice burrito and had a few sips of pepsi. Ahh....heaven. But, when I got home, the taco didnt agree with me, and I promptly got sick. That was a waste, but at least it didn't affect my weight gain... Har!. Maybe I am getting sick. There has been a bug running rampent this week. First Nathan was 104 temp, then Rachel 104 temp with vomiting, then Conner 104 temp plus vomiting at 2:30 am this morning. So far that seems to be it. I think mine was the taco. Their seasoning is too rich for me....or it could have been the pepsi. Smirk...
Got the 2nd free swingset yesterday, and bought two swings to hang on it today. Now we have a huge playyard outside. Lots of swings, and slides, and hanging sticks. Both free but we had to buy the swings. Still a blessing.
Rachel fell out of her carseat today. She was at ground level and tipped out the side. She tore her little hanging piece of skin in the middle of her upper lip. Blood everywhere!!!! Her front tooth is loose though. I hope it tightens back up quickly. She was a trooper, but it was sad to see her get hurt.
Got the 2nd free swingset yesterday, and bought two swings to hang on it today. Now we have a huge playyard outside. Lots of swings, and slides, and hanging sticks. Both free but we had to buy the swings. Still a blessing.
Rachel fell out of her carseat today. She was at ground level and tipped out the side. She tore her little hanging piece of skin in the middle of her upper lip. Blood everywhere!!!! Her front tooth is loose though. I hope it tightens back up quickly. She was a trooper, but it was sad to see her get hurt.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
progress and misc....
Nearly 2 weeks with no pop! This, my friends, is a record. Every single day I want one so bad I can taste it, but nothing is worth it. I feel better, my hair feels better, my nails are growing. Surely, it REALLY isn't related, but for me to THINK it is, is enough to keep me going. I am trying to ban high fructose corn syrup. It is in everything! We eat so unhealthy. But, tonight, we had grilled chicken salad for dinner. A little parmesan cheese, a little bacon bits, romaine lettuce, grilled chicken and a tiny bit of dressing for the picky kids, and no dressing for me. I prefer it plain.
Still no weight loss!! I am getting sick of that nonsense, but maybe it will be a cumulative thing. One day I will wake up and have lost 5 pounds overnight. That would be cool. My husband on the other hand weighs 203 down from 210. Men make me ill!!!!
The check engine light came on Austin's truck tonight. That worries me a bit. I am not a mechanic, so I have no idea what that means. We will take it to Auto Zone tomorrow and have them tell us the error code, and hopefully it will be nothing. He filled up the tank, and it cost him 72.00!! I hope this will curb his constant want to go go go everywhere. He can't afford that much more.
I am thinking about having a Lettkeman birthday bash...I got the idea from the Jeub family, and it sounds awesome. You have one giant party for everyone, and invite all your friends, then your set for the rest of the year. We could cook hotdogs, and have chips, etc. Fun stuff!
Well, that is all my wrists will let me type. i am out of shape in the typing dept.
Love ya!
Still no weight loss!! I am getting sick of that nonsense, but maybe it will be a cumulative thing. One day I will wake up and have lost 5 pounds overnight. That would be cool. My husband on the other hand weighs 203 down from 210. Men make me ill!!!!
The check engine light came on Austin's truck tonight. That worries me a bit. I am not a mechanic, so I have no idea what that means. We will take it to Auto Zone tomorrow and have them tell us the error code, and hopefully it will be nothing. He filled up the tank, and it cost him 72.00!! I hope this will curb his constant want to go go go everywhere. He can't afford that much more.
I am thinking about having a Lettkeman birthday bash...I got the idea from the Jeub family, and it sounds awesome. You have one giant party for everyone, and invite all your friends, then your set for the rest of the year. We could cook hotdogs, and have chips, etc. Fun stuff!
Well, that is all my wrists will let me type. i am out of shape in the typing dept.
Love ya!
Rachel and her vision
Rachel has been diagnosed with CVI, which is cortical visual impairment. This means her neurological condition prevents her from processing visual responses like she should. She gets excited when she sees us, and all, but when she is presented with a toy, it takes her a few seconds to process it and realize she wants it. She also has poor depth perception, because when we hold something out for her to grab, she swipes at it, and more often than not, misses it. So, in light of this, we now have a vision specialist. She suggested the vision board as a way to entice Rachel to play with shiny things etc. She loves it....We can put it in her crib, or in front of her in the bumbo chair. Speaking of Bumbo....We really need to figure out what to do now. They actually make a special needs bumbo, that is taller in the back and with bigger leg openings, but its 200.00!!!! A bumbo is only 35.00. We gave it to her therapist to have him figure out if we can order one through her insurance. Hopefully, we can avoid that steep price tag. She is outgrowing this one quickly.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Frugal Sunday
Frugal living is essential when you have a large family. If you don't have a large family, then frugal living is essential to saving money. Things that we do that qualify as frugal are these.
1.) Shop at thrift stores. We have found so many neat things there, and name brand clothing for 1 to 2 dollars? Bargain
2.)Go to garage sales. Yesterday my oldest found a phone holder that is the perfect fit for his phone. Price? 25 CENTS!
3.)Buy in bulk. In most instances, it is cheaper. You will have to compare, but it's worth checking out.
4.)Use coupons. I used to hate the thought of coupons, and didn't think you could really save money, but we got ahold of 80 coupons for baby wipes that we used anyway, and save 100.00 on them. Yes, the crunch could be hard at first, spending so much money, but in the long run is when the savings is felt
5.)Buying generic food. They are mostly just as good as name brand, without the name brand price tag.
6.)Filling the toilet a couple of times with tinkles, and then flushing. Don't laugh...its not bad at all, and when you consider the price of water, we save a considerable amount of money. Poop goes down, but pee can sit a little while.
7.) Asking for things. Get over your pride, people! The most someone can say is no. I have gotten hand me downs, and a car recently by just asking. What do you do with your leftover clothing, Sally??? Well, I usually give them away. Why? Do you want them? Why yes, I would love to take them from you. Thank you. Or, does anyone have a car we can borrow for a few weeks until we figure out what to do with our old one? Yes, we do.... Nuff said there
8.) Cooking in bulk. Freeze some, or just cook a lot of meat at once, and stick half back in the fridge. Save it for tacos, or something. Then you have half the battle the next day as the main part is already cooked. Just heat it up.
I will probably think of more things later, but seriously. In today's economy...why would you NOT want to save money? Its little things that add up to bigger amounts. Try some of them. Tell me what you think.
1.) Shop at thrift stores. We have found so many neat things there, and name brand clothing for 1 to 2 dollars? Bargain
2.)Go to garage sales. Yesterday my oldest found a phone holder that is the perfect fit for his phone. Price? 25 CENTS!
3.)Buy in bulk. In most instances, it is cheaper. You will have to compare, but it's worth checking out.
4.)Use coupons. I used to hate the thought of coupons, and didn't think you could really save money, but we got ahold of 80 coupons for baby wipes that we used anyway, and save 100.00 on them. Yes, the crunch could be hard at first, spending so much money, but in the long run is when the savings is felt
5.)Buying generic food. They are mostly just as good as name brand, without the name brand price tag.
6.)Filling the toilet a couple of times with tinkles, and then flushing. Don't laugh...its not bad at all, and when you consider the price of water, we save a considerable amount of money. Poop goes down, but pee can sit a little while.
7.) Asking for things. Get over your pride, people! The most someone can say is no. I have gotten hand me downs, and a car recently by just asking. What do you do with your leftover clothing, Sally??? Well, I usually give them away. Why? Do you want them? Why yes, I would love to take them from you. Thank you. Or, does anyone have a car we can borrow for a few weeks until we figure out what to do with our old one? Yes, we do.... Nuff said there
8.) Cooking in bulk. Freeze some, or just cook a lot of meat at once, and stick half back in the fridge. Save it for tacos, or something. Then you have half the battle the next day as the main part is already cooked. Just heat it up.
I will probably think of more things later, but seriously. In today's economy...why would you NOT want to save money? Its little things that add up to bigger amounts. Try some of them. Tell me what you think.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Progress report
Day #8 of no pop
Day #1 of no cursing. I slipped while driving yesterday. OOPS
Day #8 of no fast food. Subway does not count. Had a chicken sub yesterday. It is healthy.
Weight 249??????
What is up with that?
Best friend had her baby yesterday. Baby #6. Boy named Luke. Cute cute cute!
Day #1 of no cursing. I slipped while driving yesterday. OOPS
Day #8 of no fast food. Subway does not count. Had a chicken sub yesterday. It is healthy.
Weight 249??????
What is up with that?
Best friend had her baby yesterday. Baby #6. Boy named Luke. Cute cute cute!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
A boy and his truck
Okay...this is such an answer to prayer. Austin has been saving his money forever, and we told him once he completed 6 full months of accident/ticket free driving, he could start looking for a truck. That was up in March. He has been scouring the want ads, and internet ads like crazy since. Everything was either too expensive, too far away or sold. He was getting a little frustrated, but held his attitude in check, and was finally rewarded today. This is his new baby. Its a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie. He haggled with the guy and got it for 2750.00. Absolutely nothing wrong with it except the paint is messed up in some spots due to the clear coat coming off. This is a blessing.....
Also, we are now borrowing a car from a church friend. Took back the rental and are good for 3 weeks to find something else, or fix Tony's car. This car we are borrowing isnt great, but it will do the job of getting him back and forth.
Thank you Lord for your blessings today.
Oh, and Happy 8th birthday Aaron!!! He got star wars legos, batman glasses, money, and chocolate cookies. He also gets to stay up late today. WooHoo! Where has the time gone?
Also, we are now borrowing a car from a church friend. Took back the rental and are good for 3 weeks to find something else, or fix Tony's car. This car we are borrowing isnt great, but it will do the job of getting him back and forth.
Thank you Lord for your blessings today.
Oh, and Happy 8th birthday Aaron!!! He got star wars legos, batman glasses, money, and chocolate cookies. He also gets to stay up late today. WooHoo! Where has the time gone?
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
progress report
Day # 5 of no pop!!
Day #3 of no curse words uttered from my mouth
Day #5 of no fast food
Why is the headache still there? Weight 248
I can do this, darn it. See....I would have said another word 3 days ago...Yeah me!!
Maybe if we dont drink soda or eat fast food ever again, we can afford another car. Ya think?
Anybody out there??????
Day #3 of no curse words uttered from my mouth
Day #5 of no fast food
Why is the headache still there? Weight 248
I can do this, darn it. See....I would have said another word 3 days ago...Yeah me!!
Maybe if we dont drink soda or eat fast food ever again, we can afford another car. Ya think?
Anybody out there??????
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
