It has been forever since we have had any measurable form of precipitation in our neck of the woods. The earth was parched and the lake was low. A cold front is heading our way, destined to ruin the humid, balmy December temperatures we have had the last few days. It was a combo perfect for a good, old fashioned, spring like rainstorm.
It started moving through sometime early this morning. I woke up, heard the pounding on my windows, smiled to myself and cuddled a little deeper into the covers. I love, love, love sleeping in the rain. The storm would come and go, and it started up again a little before 6:30. For the first time ever we hear the pitter patter of little feet coming across the living room whispering, "Mommy! Mommy! I'm scared. Can I get in bed with you?" Dustin gets out of bed to pick her up and lift her under the covers where she immediately snuggles up with both of us for the next 30 minutes. The best morning EVER. I'm loving this rainy night....or morning.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Confession Number 66: It is Pouring
I need this. I need to sit down and pound this out on my keyboard, because if I didn't have you all to whine to I might just go lay in bed in the fetal position crying, and Lord knows I don't have the time for a pity party. So, I need you to listen to me vent for a minute, okay? I need to sit down here, taking out all of my frustrations on these keys and sip on some coffee. Momma really needs a glass of wine (yes, at 9:30 in the morning), but my half caff coffee is going to have to be good enough for now. For some reason, I'm thinking that really isn't a fair trade.
You know the old adage "When it rains, it pours". Well, it is pouring at our house. Pouring broken things. Now, I'm going to start this off by saying it really has gotten to the point that it is funny. It is such a blessing that we have the capabilities to handle all of these broken things. I know that God is up there planning some big lesson for Dustin and I. You think he'd listen if I told him I was ready to learn? That he had my attention? I know that all of these things are so little, and for that, I am truly, truly grateful. That is what is making it humorous at this point.
This story begins the week before Thanksgiving. On my way to a MOPS night meeting I realized that my heater wasn't working in the truck. Great, I thought. That will be a nice, expensive fix on a vehicle we really aren't planning on having much longer. A few days later it overheated in the middle of town. We knew I had a slow leak of "something", but wasn't sure what it was. Well, it was coolant and I was just about dry, hence why the heater wasn't working. A refill on coolant and the truck was working great again until two days ago, when I started overheating after taking KJ to school. So, we put the truck on ice for a couple of days and we have been living with one car. Actually, not that bad of a deal, but, still, needs to be fixed.
The day after Thanksgiving I walked into the laundry room to notice water all over the floor. After a little investigation, I open the deep freeze to find a cool, not freezing cold, interior. Luckily, the food was all still fine. It could all fit into our fridge freezers. A call to a local appliance repair place found that it was leaking Freon. A $200 fix on a $400 freezer. Dustin and I agreed it wasn't worth it.
Tuesday we got a call from a friend at the City of Grove. "Um, Dustin, this is Stephanie. I think you have a problem. Your meter reads that you have used 35,000 gallons of water this month." Really?!?! What is up with all the leaking around here?!?! God Bless Steph and the very nice meter reader, who didn't have to bring it to our attention. We could have just gotten the water bill in the mail. Then we would be dealing with a cardiologist bill on top of everything else. This is why I am loving being back in a small town!!
This morning Dustin took my truck to work, not wanting to put his daughter and pregnant wife in a car that might break down on the side of the road. I get KJ all ready for school and off we go out to the car, which won't start. I just sat in the driver's seat and laughed.
Thankfully most of these issues have a glimmer of a silver lining. We have been pre-approved for a loan to buy me a new car. Yes, it is a couple of months before we wanted, but we can afford it, so not a HUGE deal. My mom has a freezer she isn't using, so they are bringing it up to us next week. At the very least we will be able to borrow it until we find a few extra hundred dollars to buy a new one. The ginormous water leak is in our new irrigation system. Yes, my nice, new, pretty yard will need to be torn back up, but since it is their fault, it should be good as new once they are finished. I'm pretty sure the issue with Dustin's car is that the electric battery needs to be charged. Easy fix, but, of course, we can't find the charger.
During this time of year we all get busy with this and that, and trust me, all of these "issues" are not helping that, but God has given me a peace that these are just "things". Everyone is healthy, we are happy and have an abundance of blessings to be thankful for. I need to be reminded of that every once in a while, and Lord, I promise, I have been. So, until God is convinced that I have learned me lesson, could someone please hand me an umbrella? I'm soaked over here.
You know the old adage "When it rains, it pours". Well, it is pouring at our house. Pouring broken things. Now, I'm going to start this off by saying it really has gotten to the point that it is funny. It is such a blessing that we have the capabilities to handle all of these broken things. I know that God is up there planning some big lesson for Dustin and I. You think he'd listen if I told him I was ready to learn? That he had my attention? I know that all of these things are so little, and for that, I am truly, truly grateful. That is what is making it humorous at this point.
This story begins the week before Thanksgiving. On my way to a MOPS night meeting I realized that my heater wasn't working in the truck. Great, I thought. That will be a nice, expensive fix on a vehicle we really aren't planning on having much longer. A few days later it overheated in the middle of town. We knew I had a slow leak of "something", but wasn't sure what it was. Well, it was coolant and I was just about dry, hence why the heater wasn't working. A refill on coolant and the truck was working great again until two days ago, when I started overheating after taking KJ to school. So, we put the truck on ice for a couple of days and we have been living with one car. Actually, not that bad of a deal, but, still, needs to be fixed.
The day after Thanksgiving I walked into the laundry room to notice water all over the floor. After a little investigation, I open the deep freeze to find a cool, not freezing cold, interior. Luckily, the food was all still fine. It could all fit into our fridge freezers. A call to a local appliance repair place found that it was leaking Freon. A $200 fix on a $400 freezer. Dustin and I agreed it wasn't worth it.
Tuesday we got a call from a friend at the City of Grove. "Um, Dustin, this is Stephanie. I think you have a problem. Your meter reads that you have used 35,000 gallons of water this month." Really?!?! What is up with all the leaking around here?!?! God Bless Steph and the very nice meter reader, who didn't have to bring it to our attention. We could have just gotten the water bill in the mail. Then we would be dealing with a cardiologist bill on top of everything else. This is why I am loving being back in a small town!!
This morning Dustin took my truck to work, not wanting to put his daughter and pregnant wife in a car that might break down on the side of the road. I get KJ all ready for school and off we go out to the car, which won't start. I just sat in the driver's seat and laughed.
Thankfully most of these issues have a glimmer of a silver lining. We have been pre-approved for a loan to buy me a new car. Yes, it is a couple of months before we wanted, but we can afford it, so not a HUGE deal. My mom has a freezer she isn't using, so they are bringing it up to us next week. At the very least we will be able to borrow it until we find a few extra hundred dollars to buy a new one. The ginormous water leak is in our new irrigation system. Yes, my nice, new, pretty yard will need to be torn back up, but since it is their fault, it should be good as new once they are finished. I'm pretty sure the issue with Dustin's car is that the electric battery needs to be charged. Easy fix, but, of course, we can't find the charger.
During this time of year we all get busy with this and that, and trust me, all of these "issues" are not helping that, but God has given me a peace that these are just "things". Everyone is healthy, we are happy and have an abundance of blessings to be thankful for. I need to be reminded of that every once in a while, and Lord, I promise, I have been. So, until God is convinced that I have learned me lesson, could someone please hand me an umbrella? I'm soaked over here.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Confession Number 65: It Is Funny What You Remember
Memories are a funny thing, don't you think? They make you laugh, make you smile and they have a way of sneaking up on you and biting you on the butt when you least expect it. Memories are God's little gift from the past.
I remember seeing my husband for the first time across a crowded resturant in LA.
I remember my parents taking us to "see the lights" in OKC when my brother came home for the first time in years.
I remember the fear of going to a new school.
I remember the overwhelming joy when Dustin handed our daughter to me for the first time.
I remember getting balloons at school from Daddy on Valentine's Day.
I remember watching Pee Wee Herman on Saturday mornings.
I remember the tears streaming down my face as I sat in an empty house in Piedmont the day we left.
I remember the rush of my first kiss.
I remember the peace of knowing I found the man to spend the rest of my life with.
I remember the family of little girls we helped get clean and dressed for the Christmas Program when I was a freshman in HS.
It is truly funny what you remember. You never know what moment in your life, or what action you do to impact someone else's life is going to make a difference. Some of these memories are simply that, memories. Others altered the way I live my life.
Today I enjoy remembering Daddy. His life, the gifts he shared with countless others, the impact he made as a father to four kids. It is also amazing what you DON'T remember. Thankfully I don't remember every little detail about his illness. I remember bits and pieces. Some of them are even funny. On this, his 10th Angel Wing Day, I'm not going to think about the sad times, but the happy memories that God has blessed me with.
I remember seeing my husband for the first time across a crowded resturant in LA.
I remember my parents taking us to "see the lights" in OKC when my brother came home for the first time in years.
I remember the fear of going to a new school.
I remember the overwhelming joy when Dustin handed our daughter to me for the first time.
I remember getting balloons at school from Daddy on Valentine's Day.
I remember watching Pee Wee Herman on Saturday mornings.
I remember the tears streaming down my face as I sat in an empty house in Piedmont the day we left.
I remember the rush of my first kiss.
I remember the peace of knowing I found the man to spend the rest of my life with.
I remember the family of little girls we helped get clean and dressed for the Christmas Program when I was a freshman in HS.
It is truly funny what you remember. You never know what moment in your life, or what action you do to impact someone else's life is going to make a difference. Some of these memories are simply that, memories. Others altered the way I live my life.
Today I enjoy remembering Daddy. His life, the gifts he shared with countless others, the impact he made as a father to four kids. It is also amazing what you DON'T remember. Thankfully I don't remember every little detail about his illness. I remember bits and pieces. Some of them are even funny. On this, his 10th Angel Wing Day, I'm not going to think about the sad times, but the happy memories that God has blessed me with.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Confession Number 64: It Was Worth Every Penny
So, we have been in the house for about six months now. We have slowly, but surely, made it our home, adding touches here and there. One of the things that has absolutely driven me crazy is that we had never gotten around to doing the yard. We lived in a great big pile of dirt and rocks all summer. I wish I would have taken pictures of it to remind me of what it was like. To remind me how far we have come and to remind me how much I hated those rocks when I'm complaining about mowing all this grass!
Our neighbors have been great through our "moving in" process. Sure, I had a lady stop about a month ago as I was checking the mail and ask if we had already changed our address. I mumbled back, "um, we moved in 5 months ago" and sheepishly walked up the driveway. I heard, "Oh. Well, welcome to the neighborhood" as I slithered away. Yes, I had a smarty pants neighbor text me, "Why don't you mow your rocks, they are getting unruly." He was just excited someone else's yard was worse than his. Tee heee heee. On a whole, though, they stuck with us through a long, hot, dry summer and lovingly endured our rock yard.
A few weeks ago Dustin and I broke down and hired someone to bring in good dirt, install the sprinkler system and lay new, pretty, lush sod. Yes, it was expensive, and yes, it was worth the wait. One cool, fall day our yard was transformed into a grassy haven, one six foot length of sod at a time...
My back still hurts for those guys. 17,000 sq. ft of sod later we had a beautiful, beautiful yard. It was finished last Friday. We spent Sunday doing this....
and this....
Try doing that in a rock garden.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Confession Number 63: My Most Expensive Trip
Maybe it is because it is the Holiday season. Maybe it is because the heater in my truck is blowing cool air and I'm thinking it may be an expensive fix. Maybe it is because it was the topic of our guest speaker last night at MOPS. I'm not sure of the reason, but I've felt the urge, the need, to save money lately. I was excited to see some great deals at Homeland this week since I was needing to stock the cupboards for our Thanksgiving festivities next week. I wasn't sure how the trip would turn out, but I think I fared pretty well.....
Here is what is hidden in this stash and how it broke down:
Country Crock Mac and Cheese $1.29
Best Choice Sugar $1.49
Cook's Ham (6+ lbs.) $9.54
Best Choice Flour (2 bags at .99 each) $1.98
Stove Top Stuffing (6 boxes at ZILCH) FREE!
Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup (2 cans at .19 each) .38
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (2 cans at .19 each) .38
Sister Schubert's Rolls (2 pkgs at $1.25 each) $2.50
Cool Whip (2 containers at .79 each) $1.58
Pillsbury Pie Crusts (2 pkg. at $1.50 each) $3.00
Rhoades Sticky Buns .49
Kayro Syrup $1.20
Green Giant Corn FREE
Green Giant Peas FREE
Nestle Chocolate Chips (2pkgs. at .66 each) $1.33
I also had a $5 off my total order of $30 or more coupon, so my total, with tax, came to $22.84!
Some of you are saying, "Charla makes pancakes from scratch, like she is going to use 6 boxes of Stovetop Stuffing!" Well, you are right. Honestly, I've never even tasted the stuff, but if I can get it for free, there are families out there who could really use it. I'll donate it to a local food bank to help out a family who is hurting this Holiday season.
One of my favorite things about couponing is that I can try new products for a lower price. Some of you are screaming, "You are falling into the coupon trap!" Well, possibly, but take this for example: I have always wanted to try the Country Crock sides. They look totally yummy, not to mention easy, but the price has always been a little high for me. Today, I could try a new product, for a fraction of the cost. It made a super simple and yummy lunch for KJ and I. Will I buy it again? If I find a good deal on it, probably, yes. I matched it with carrots and apples and we both went back for seconds.
Wanting to get in on your own Homeland deals? Look up your local Homeland ad at http://www.homelandstores.com/, then also check out the match ups at http://www.simplesavingsavvy.net/. Click on "Homeland" on the right side of the screen for the latest coupon/sale matchups. While this was my largest Homeland trip to date, I still think it turned out pretty well. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Confession Number 59: Favorites, Money Saving Sites
I've been promising you this post for a long time, and with Christmas knocking on the door, I decided it was time to get you all saving some money! These are my favorite online ways to shave some money off of your budget. I've used them all and they are legit. I love a good deal!
*Groupon- This is probably the site I've been using the longest. They are a daily deal site for a specific area. For example, if you are in the NE Oklahoma area, like me, you would want to sign up for the Tulsa Groupon. They would send you a new deal each day, usually for a local business. Sometimes they offer a deal on a website, so anyone can purchase, no matter where you are, and occasionally they will offer a national deal for a big chain. The deals are normally at least 50% off the regular purchase price. The one today for Tulsa is 73% off game tokens at a game/arcade place in Jenks. If you are into that sort of thing, it is a great deal! I have purchased Groupons for Gap, Shutterfly, Shiloh's (a Tulsa restaurant), a plant nursery in Pryor, and I even purchased one from Long Island for a stamped jewelry website. They have all been used for things I was going to buy anyway, something special for our family, or as gifts. I've also heard of people checking out Groupon for a city they were visiting on vacation. What a great way to shave money off of your entertainment and gift budget! Signing up for Groupon is FREE and you can visit them here.
*Living Social- Living Social is another daily deal site, like Groupon. I've been getting their email updates for Tulsa for quite awhile, but today was actually my first time to purchase a deal from them. They were offering 50% off that awesome "home cooking" restaurant Shiloh's I mentioned above with Groupon. You will see a lot of businesses using both Groupon and Living Social at different times, so double the savings for you! Again, an easy way to save money doing things you would do anyway. Today's OKC deal is for a 4 pack of tickets to the Science Museum Oklahoma. A great family outing if you have school aged kiddos. Seems like a no brainer to me! Sign up for Living Social updates here.
*Ebates- This site is the easiest way to save money for those of us who shop online. Sign up for Ebates and get money back on most of your online purchases. Once your Ebates account reaches a certain amount, you'll get money from Ebates...either via check or Paypal. It is that easy! Most stores offer an extra 2-5% off, which doesn't seem like much, but adds up, especially this time of year when my online shopping increases ten fold. Wanna know something great? Go to your Ebates account first, then search "Groupon" and get an extra 3% off of your Groupon purchase! How cool is that? Right now, Ebates is offering even higher cash back options for certain stores to encourage your online shopping for Christmas. I sense a big Ebates deposit coming my way! Sign up for Ebates here and get a gift card to one of your favorite stores....just for signing up!
*Shop At Home- This site is like Ebates. It isn't as easy to maneuver their site, but lately, they have been having higher cash back rates, so I've actually been using them more than Ebates. They also work with different stores, so if one store you are wanting to shop from isn't on Ebates, they might be on Shop At Home or vice versa. You DON'T have to download anything to use the online shopping feature of Shop At Home and once your account reaches $20, they will send you your money. Again, a great way to get a better deal on stuff you are already buying. I check both Ebates and Shop At Home before I purchase anything online. Sign up for Shop At Home here.
*Swag Bucks- This is probably the easiest to use site I'm listing here today and it is way different from the others. This is a search engine where you earn points, or Swag Bucks, just for searching the web. You then can spend your points on all sorts of prizes. I recently bought three $5 Amazon gift cards with the points I've earned since mid-September. Not too shabby. I highly recommend downloading the Swagbucks Toolbar, which will appear at the top of your screen, similar to a Google or Yahoo searching toolbar. You randomly are awarded Swagbucks based on what you search and how often you search. Consistency is the key to earning Swagbucks, so I use my toolbar instead of just typing in the web address. Instead of typing in http://www.charlasconfessions.com/, I simply type "charlas confessions" into the Swagbucks toolbar, then click on the link. That gives me a higher chance of earning Swagbucks in a given day. I've already won 10 this morning! I'm hoping this will become an easy way to reduce our gift budget. Sign up for Swagbucks here.
I'm sure there are other sites that I use to save money, but these are the ones I love and that I use most often. If you have a site, I'd love to hear about it! Share it with us in the comments section. I hope these help you keep a little more green in your pocket as you start, or for you over achievers, finish your Christmas shopping.
*Groupon- This is probably the site I've been using the longest. They are a daily deal site for a specific area. For example, if you are in the NE Oklahoma area, like me, you would want to sign up for the Tulsa Groupon. They would send you a new deal each day, usually for a local business. Sometimes they offer a deal on a website, so anyone can purchase, no matter where you are, and occasionally they will offer a national deal for a big chain. The deals are normally at least 50% off the regular purchase price. The one today for Tulsa is 73% off game tokens at a game/arcade place in Jenks. If you are into that sort of thing, it is a great deal! I have purchased Groupons for Gap, Shutterfly, Shiloh's (a Tulsa restaurant), a plant nursery in Pryor, and I even purchased one from Long Island for a stamped jewelry website. They have all been used for things I was going to buy anyway, something special for our family, or as gifts. I've also heard of people checking out Groupon for a city they were visiting on vacation. What a great way to shave money off of your entertainment and gift budget! Signing up for Groupon is FREE and you can visit them here.
*Living Social- Living Social is another daily deal site, like Groupon. I've been getting their email updates for Tulsa for quite awhile, but today was actually my first time to purchase a deal from them. They were offering 50% off that awesome "home cooking" restaurant Shiloh's I mentioned above with Groupon. You will see a lot of businesses using both Groupon and Living Social at different times, so double the savings for you! Again, an easy way to save money doing things you would do anyway. Today's OKC deal is for a 4 pack of tickets to the Science Museum Oklahoma. A great family outing if you have school aged kiddos. Seems like a no brainer to me! Sign up for Living Social updates here.
*Ebates- This site is the easiest way to save money for those of us who shop online. Sign up for Ebates and get money back on most of your online purchases. Once your Ebates account reaches a certain amount, you'll get money from Ebates...either via check or Paypal. It is that easy! Most stores offer an extra 2-5% off, which doesn't seem like much, but adds up, especially this time of year when my online shopping increases ten fold. Wanna know something great? Go to your Ebates account first, then search "Groupon" and get an extra 3% off of your Groupon purchase! How cool is that? Right now, Ebates is offering even higher cash back options for certain stores to encourage your online shopping for Christmas. I sense a big Ebates deposit coming my way! Sign up for Ebates here and get a gift card to one of your favorite stores....just for signing up!
*Shop At Home- This site is like Ebates. It isn't as easy to maneuver their site, but lately, they have been having higher cash back rates, so I've actually been using them more than Ebates. They also work with different stores, so if one store you are wanting to shop from isn't on Ebates, they might be on Shop At Home or vice versa. You DON'T have to download anything to use the online shopping feature of Shop At Home and once your account reaches $20, they will send you your money. Again, a great way to get a better deal on stuff you are already buying. I check both Ebates and Shop At Home before I purchase anything online. Sign up for Shop At Home here.
*Swag Bucks- This is probably the easiest to use site I'm listing here today and it is way different from the others. This is a search engine where you earn points, or Swag Bucks, just for searching the web. You then can spend your points on all sorts of prizes. I recently bought three $5 Amazon gift cards with the points I've earned since mid-September. Not too shabby. I highly recommend downloading the Swagbucks Toolbar, which will appear at the top of your screen, similar to a Google or Yahoo searching toolbar. You randomly are awarded Swagbucks based on what you search and how often you search. Consistency is the key to earning Swagbucks, so I use my toolbar instead of just typing in the web address. Instead of typing in http://www.charlasconfessions.com/, I simply type "charlas confessions" into the Swagbucks toolbar, then click on the link. That gives me a higher chance of earning Swagbucks in a given day. I've already won 10 this morning! I'm hoping this will become an easy way to reduce our gift budget. Sign up for Swagbucks here.
I'm sure there are other sites that I use to save money, but these are the ones I love and that I use most often. If you have a site, I'd love to hear about it! Share it with us in the comments section. I hope these help you keep a little more green in your pocket as you start, or for you over achievers, finish your Christmas shopping.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Confession Number 62: I am a Chi Omega
Maybe the true confession here is that I was a sorority girl in college. Yes, I was that girl, although hardly any of us met the stereotype given to this group. I put in my four years, then, I'm somewhat ashamed to admit, I kind of went about my life. I got married, I started my career, I got my Master's degree, I had kids. It wasn't until I became a stay at home mom that I realized that a lot of who I was today was because of my days as a collegiate Chi Omega.
My days as Community Service Chair taught me the importance of giving back to others in need, something that is a large aspect of our family today. Time spent as Sisterhood Chair helped me understand that women need other women to sharpen them and be the best they can be. The best mom, wife, worker, friend. My year spent as Personnel officer? That taught me that sometimes rigidity isn't as important as flexibility. An important aspect as an educator and a parent.
I've reconnected with a lot of my Chi O sisters, mostly through email and Facebook, and others, sadly, I've totally lost contact with over the years.
My days as Community Service Chair taught me the importance of giving back to others in need, something that is a large aspect of our family today. Time spent as Sisterhood Chair helped me understand that women need other women to sharpen them and be the best they can be. The best mom, wife, worker, friend. My year spent as Personnel officer? That taught me that sometimes rigidity isn't as important as flexibility. An important aspect as an educator and a parent.
I've reconnected with a lot of my Chi O sisters, mostly through email and Facebook, and others, sadly, I've totally lost contact with over the years.
Chi Omega was founded at the University of Arkansas, and as a girl who grew up in southwest Oklahoma, I always felt like Fayetteville was a lifetime away. Low and behold a move to northeast Oklahoma a little over a year ago brought us only about an hour away from Fayetteville and U of A. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, we took a day trip over to see what all Fayetteville had to offer. I had one goal: I wanted to see the Chi Omega Greek Theater on the U of A campus. After a little research and some careful negotiating of narrow campus streets, Dustin and Lynn found it for me.
I felt like a 30 year old giddy college girl as we looked for it, then I realized this was smack dab in the middle of campus and it was obviously time in between classes and there were a LOT of college kids around. It didn't stop me from jumping out and walking around. Some kids even stopped so Mom could grab this quick picture of me. It was neat, and got me thinking about my time in college with the girls. I love you all and thank you for helping me become the woman I am today!
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