He must think I'm cheap...

Overheard Brady telling Abbey in the car after school today:

"I wish we had to pay $1 each day to go to school.  Cause then Mom wouldn't want to pay that much money and not send me to school."

Eleven in '11

Dear Abbey,

August 23, 2000 at 8:40pm you arrived in this world.  That was eleven years ago and you have not stopped blessing our lives.  You are a light in this world that shines so brightly.  You are outgoing and friendly and almost always smiling.  Your smile and personality are contagious.  If you're afraid of something you don't really show it.  You accept challenges and tackle them head on.  You have grown and changed so much in this last year.  You are no longer my little girl, but a young lady.  Your desire to follow Him is so uplifting and I hope that feeling continues to grow and influence others around you.  May this new adventure in middle school be full of exciting and happy memories.  We love you very much Abbey Rose!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Stock piles...

Have you seen the Extreme Couponing show?  You know the one where they stockpile all sorts of unnecessary grocery items (for instance, diapers when you have NO CHILDREN) in order to get their grocery bill to a measly $1.31!  I can't seem to figure out the whole stock piling idea.  Whenever things are buy-one-get-one at Publix we "stock-pile" items that we actually use.  Taco kits are one of our favorites.  We eat tacos in our house A LOT...like a couple times a month!  So this is why the thought never crossed my mind that perhaps my taco shells were a bit rancid!  Rancid, you say?  Oh sure, I opened the package and thought "hmmm, that smells a bit strong."  Then I popped them in the oven and as they were cooking away, I thought "man, what spilled in my oven that stinks sooooo bad?" Nor, did the thought cross my mind when I mentioned it to sweet Hubs that they smelled weird.  And when I bit into my first bite and nearly gagged in my mouth and said there is no way I can eat these taco shells did I think that they could possibly be bad.  Finally, Matthew said "I guess they taste a little bit weird, but not that bad."  That's when I thought I'd better check the box and lo and behold the expiration date had not only come and gone, but was older than my sweet Itty Bitty!  Dad-gum, how long had those been sitting in my pantry.  And as my wonderful older sister will tell you, it is not the first time we have had expired food in our house (and usually it gets served to Kimberly before we find out it's expired).  So, I state my question again!  How in the world do these extreme couponers maintain their stock piles without it going bad?  My so called stock pile consists of maybe 5 or so of an item at one time and yet I am constantly throwing out unopened expired food!  So much for saving a couple bucks on the BOGO items!

Book Preview

I can't call it a "review" since I haven't finished it yet, but I wanted to share it with you because so far I am really enjoying it.  Abbey starts middle school in just 17 short days.  And yes, come Monday August 22nd if you are suddenly overwhelmed by the sounds of hysterical sobbing, that will probably be me!  So with middle school comes all these awkward discussions a parent must have with their child...and with Abbey being a girl, guess who gets that job!  So far the talks have gone smooth and groovy until the most recent brick wall we've seemed to have hit.  BOYFRIENDS!  Oh yes, my not quite 11 year old is only slightly boy crazy (read: the hormones have kicked into high gear).  I was really struggling with how to approach the topic of boy/girl relationships and heard about this book from none other than the Duggar Clan.

Here is the synopsis from the publisher: This guide to radiant purity combines the thoughts and events in the life of a young princess with solid, clear teaching of Biblical convictions that young ladies today need to grasp. Through a captivating fairy tale, modern day examples, practical instruction and abundant humor, Sarah Mally challenges young ladies to turn to the Lord for fulfillment, to guard their hearts and minds, to identify and avoid the world’s thinking and to shine brightly in this generation.

It is a "fairy tale" type story that is interspersed with the author's (a single young woman) views on how to remain pure.  It is specifically written for girls who have not started dating, in that it is not graphic as to what a physical relationship is, yet it is also written for a woman of any age on how to conduct herself in a relationship.  What has really impressed me the most is that all the scripture quoted is from the KJV.  Abbey and I are reading it together.  Abbey is enjoying the fairy tale portion as much as the commentary.  It opens up the door of communication to what kind of things she should look for in a boy as well as other biblical principles, such as respect of elders.  Now don't get me wrong, I am certainly not trying to marry off my tweenager.  But I think it is so important for her to be confident enough in her convictions from an early age, that as she gets older and is faced with the temptations of this world, that she will have the foundation necessary to resist and thus avoid some life altering repercussions. 

So far, I think the book is great.  We're about 1/4 the way through it.  I will give my final review when we finish it.  This book gives Abbey something to look forward to with just us together.  I strongly recommend this for anyone with young daughters on the verge of middle school.