"Making Do With The Not So New"

I have a HORRIBLE habit of searching for fun websites & blogs. When I find one, I'm in trouble. I'll sit there in front of the computer for a good 2 hours reading every article, looking at every project. My bookmark page is full of the fun places I have found. So the last couple of hours I have been reading articles from this page.... Making Do With The Not So New  very interesting stuff. There is a list on the right hand side of thrifty things to do.  Some stuff I have heard of, others were brand new to me. 

Going off one of those links, I found this. I go back & forth about doing clothe diapers. Should I do it? I think Yes, I could do it. Then I don't want the leaks & plastic liners on my kids bums. Sorry Environment. But this blog goes even farther with "family clothe." I think I could do it for myself. Maybe not for the dirty bums that come around here. 

What do you think?

Craft it forward pay out & garden 2009

Our garden for the year. We've got tomatoes, strawberries, green beans, pumpkins & garlic. Much better than last year. Although we've yet to eat any fresh strawberries. First the birds were getting them. So we put up a net. Then a raccoon (we think) came & ate some of everything. There were 3 gorgeous almost ripe strawberries, then they were gone. Not by birds since they cut clean off & the net hadn't moved. Then a chunk of a pumpkin gone. I found half a tomato & strawberry hidden by the fence. The darn thing was storing our food! He didn't come last night, so hopefully he's gone. I've been so mad that someone else is eating my food I've worked so hard on. There is a good feeling that I grew something myself. Similar to having a baby but not nearly as important. I'm excited for our "crop" to keep going. Hint, don't eat fresh non-ripe garlic. It burns your mouth.

Below is my quilt I've finally finished. I took a start quilting class a couple months ago at Quilter's Corner. It was so much fun & I learned A LOT. There were so many things I was doing incorrectly. I wish I had the time & patience to go & redo all my other quilts I've done. Did you know you can quilt your own top? All you need is a walking foot. Unfortunately, my sewing machine is so old & crappy, I can't get one. Meissner's tried 6 different walking foots on mine, then ordered a couple. But nope, I'll just need a decent sewing machine, someday. 

I have also finished my craft it forward gifts for Shell & Ceanne. I'll get them to you soon. Shell, I'll probably just give yours to your mom, & I'm not going to the family reunion, only coming up to visit the week after. So I'll bring yours with me Ceanne. 

At Joann's a few weeks ago, I saw this lemon fabric & thought of my SIL Pili. She has given us so many GREAT hand me downs, this was her gift as a thank you! 

Any one else wanting an apron?? A few have suggested selling these. Any ideas of how much you think I could get for them?

Door Step Angels

THANK YOU   THANK YOU   THANK YOU 

To whomever you are, 

we love you & are grateful for 

your thoughtfulness & gifts.

I guess I smelled that bad on Sunday huh?

My hair sends special regards. 

Update

Update to post below. 

Plus a $75 visit to the ER for Grant. 

He's fine. 

ARGHHH

Please excuse me. I need a little "wo is me" venting.

Since Jared lost his job a couple months ago, we've been watching our budget. But the last couple of weeks we've been on money lock down. Seriously. We buy nothing. I've been using body lotion on my face, old make up samples for eye shadow, spray leave in conditioner for my hair, windex to clean my kitchen counter, baby detergent for all our laundry needs, & mooch flour & butter off our parents. Who can live w/o butter? Good thing for WIC. We'd be living off our food storage & large collection of Pasta Roni.

So why is it when we do so good, other things happen?

Like our brakes needing full replacing=$230.

We need 4 new tires & alignment=$105 a tire & $60 alignment.

And no we can't wait on this. Our mechanic (in whom we trust) says not to wait more than a month. Eeek! That's scary.

A Periodontist bill for $250 which our insurance won't cover. Just for the Doc to tell me I can't have surgery. You PUNK!

You know how many groceries I can buy with this money??

Don't get me wrong. I am so grateful for the things I have. A beautiful healthy family, a roof over our heads, 2 working cars, food storage, reduced COBRA payments, friends with fruit trees, a husband who makes great bread, no debt, things lying around the house we can use. I had no idea how many samples & trial sizes of soaps & lotions I had under the sink. I've made it a point to use them all. Some really stink. If you think you smelled something funny at church on Sunday, it was most likely me. Rasberry mint shampoo. Cool cucumber conditioner. Cranberry body wash. Some fruity lotion which stank so bad that after putting it on my arms I threw it away & continued to put mango melon on my legs. Yup, that smell was me.

Sometimes I feel like we shouldn't try at all. Just rack up our credit cards & get what we want. On the other hand, I'm a little interested to see how far we can go using what we have. Don't worry, we have plenty of toilet paper & diapers.

More Vacation

UGH. I am so tired of posting vacation pictures. 

So I'm skipping most of the reunion, Zion's National, 

church historic sites, crazy Hasleton people, 

& just getting on with it.

Below is Jared & PJ at Zion's on the Weeping Rock hike. 

It was gorgeous. I really wish we could have done more, 

but with a late start, my kids & I were done a little after 1 pm.

An awesome water park where the St. George

 library used to be. Right next to the Tabernacle. 

We walked out from taking a tour at the TAB & 

let the boys play in their undies. There was 

another one behind it that was designed 

to look like the canyon. 

Why can't Sac have cool things like this?

Our water parks are only ok.

All of us at the VC!! I have so many pics 

from my mission standing in front of this Christus statue. 

Now it's my family :)

Elder & Sister Reid serving in Cove Fort. 

They loved me so much as a Sister missionary 

that they keep in touch. My nickname they gave me is Sis Imp. 

(I was a little playful in the VC when 

things got slow. Can you imagine?) We stopped by 

to see them on our way down to St. George from Provo.

 If you've never been to this site before, I totally suggest it. 

Lots of great stuff there. Pres. Hinckley's  Grandparents 

were in charge of it. & the only shot ever fired 

went into his dad's leg.

 Awesome stuff. 

Awesome people.

Brothers & sister saying goodbye. 

I don't know how many tears were shed 

that week saying good bye to our family 

who was off to some far away state.

We miss you all already.

Now to my favorite family in St. George. The Timothy family. 

There's a bit of a story here. Hope you have the time, 

I'll try to keep it short. My companion at the time, 

Sister Villarete, her & I had a dinner appointment 

at the Timothy's house. Trena (mom/wife) was a member, 

Shaun (husband/dad) was not. Her parents were there, it was fun. 

They already had 2 kids & another on the way. 

We were told not to even try talking to Shaun about the church. 

It was a sensitive subject. Shaun seemed a little rough 

around the edges, we heeded the advice. 

So a few weeks later, S. Villarete & I were walking 

home at the end of a day. We were almost home when 

we both stopped, looked at each other, 

& said, "Did you feel that?" The spirit had told us 

to go to the Timothy's house. Wondering why, & anxious 

about the time, we turned around & went. 

Knocked on their door where an angry Shaun 

answered and yelled at us "Why are you knocking on my door?" 

We said we felt that we should stop by to see how they were doing. 

He told us to come back tomorrow night then slammed the door. 

We were a little confused, but went back the next evening. 

Sis. Villarete & I taught what most people 

would know as the 2nd discussion. Shaun just sat 

there with his arms folded, staring at us as if we weren't welcome. 

So we get to the end. 

"Shaun, do you believe in the Holy Ghost?"

"Yes"

"Do you feel it's important to be baptized?"

"Yes"

"Will you be baptized?"

"Yes"

Trena was sitting there crying, Shaun with no look on his face, 

& 2 bewildered missionaries. We asked what had changed. 

He proceeded to tell us that the previous night he & Trena 

had been fighting about him not being a member. 

He said, "I need something from God to tell me to join." 

That's when our knock came on the door. 

And that was it. He took his "sign" & got baptized 

quickly after that discussion. Then Jared & I got to 

drive out to SLC a year later to watch them & 

their family be sealed for all time & Eternity. 

They now have 5 kids, Shaun is the Elder's Q pres., 

& we love to see them! It was a lot of fun as 

Trena cooked a yummy dinner, the kids played, we joked. 

Such good times. 

I'm grateful for experiences like this. 

I had several baptisms on my mission, all were wonderful. 

But Shaun's story sticks out as my favorite. 

The night Sis Villarete & I heard a voice whisper to us. 

Then we drove 12 or so hours home. 

It was a great vacation. Much was learned. 

I wish I could record everything. Especially Grandpa's 

stories about wearing potato sack underwear. 

Back to real life it is.

Sleepy heads & the Oxen

As I watched the Martin van drive around the corner

 for the first time, I thought," what happened to their car?" 

As it came closer, I got a better look at Penny & Diesel. 

David & Lisa had painted their entire van to be a 

covered wagon. Ox included. I think it's great and totally justified 

since they did have something like a 22 hour drive.

I think Enoch was a bit tired & couldn't care less about 

anything going on around him. He did wake up long enough 

to get a cookie, steal & eat his brother's cookie, 

but then went back to sleep on the gym floor. 

Can you tell who these people are?

And Charlotte asleep at the Hunt's with her favorite toy of the day.

Picture Time!

Need I say anything more but thank goodness for a LARGE bag of candy for bribery.

Fat Cats

Bowling 

Good food from Costa Vida (although David won't say so)

Video games. Thanks for the quarters Laurie!

Charlotte did good bowling. But the boys LOVED bowling. 

I've never seen one of these 

contraptions to help kids bowl, 

it was awesome. Is it a Utah thing?

Nate couldn't get to the next step on the play structure, 

so Grant had the idea to help him up. They really are great boys, 

kind to each other when they want to be.

I think Kirsti is having fun watching them. 

We missed having JB there. But he was there in spirit & through a game.