Happy and Shocked

So for you of those on Facebook you already know this, sorry.

I love a challenge. After hearing that the first three to sing the songs correctly in the Mayceys songs of savings contest would win, I figured it was a long shot but why not give it a try. There were a few songs I didn't know so thats where my sisters helped out. They, like me, love to figure out song titles.

I emailed Mayceys to ask who won a few weeks after I posted it on my Facebook account. I never received a response so I took it off my Facebook page because lets be honest...it was embarrassing ha ha. If you have no idea what it is that I'm talking about you can still see some of the entries on You Tube if you type in Songs of Savings. I would post it again but I deleted it from the computer (like I said, it was embarrassing). I kinda wish I wouldn't have. Last week I got an email, this is almost two months after it was done. The email said I had won and to look for the gift card in the mail.

I think it's funny that my previous post was about food. Mayceys case-lot sale is coming up and I know right where that 100 dollars will be going.

Sometimes it pays to make a fool of yourself!

Food Food Food

I just wanted to share something I learned this last Saturday. Our stake had a Emergency preparedness open house. Now I had felt like we were pretty prepared. I didn't know exactly what I had in food storage but in my mind I felt like it was a years supply. We added up everything we had just in cans and buckets. I found (according to church suggestion) we only had enough grain to feed 1.6 people for a year. Man that's it? 483 lbs is what we have and the church suggests 300 per person. We have enough sugar for a little over two people. Don't even ask me about the fats and salt category ha ha.

I think I'm going to try a method I heard about and then I'll feel more comfortable about being prepared. I'll continue to increase those other supplies but at least I'll know I have meals for a year to feed my family. Plus it's stuff I know I'll use.

Maybe you guys have heard of this, it's called the 19x19 method of food storage. If you multiply 19x19 what do you get? 361. Enough meals to last you a year. Find 19 recipes that your family can stand to eat 19 times in a year and you have a plan for your food storage. I can already tell you I have stuff to make spaghetti 19 times :) Woo hoo thats one meal down, 18 to go. So maybe this isn't exciting to you but it's a simpler way to me of getting a year supply of meals. Let me know what you think. Oh and no that is not a picture of my food storage above...although that would be nice.

Updating

I don't feel like our house is old by any means, but there are a many things I would love to change. Since Kevin got his calling we know we will be here longer so it's time to update. Well first things first...we ordered new windows and they will be done in about a month. You can put your hand next to any window in the wintertime and feel the breeze of cold air. This should really save on our heating costs.
This next weekend the front steps will be resurfaced with cement (the rain has created lots of divots). Poor Kevin started doing it today but it was setting up so fast. Luckily our neighbor across the street is a cement guru and so we are paying him to do it.
While at Home Depot today there was a front loading washer and dryer on discount since it was the floor models. Oohh they looked so nice, I would have loved to get them. The ones we have now we have had for 11 years. Kevin got them from a professor of his at CEU. He heard we were getting married and offered them to him since he was getting new ones. Those babies have got to be over 25-30 years old. I'm the type that thinks "wear it in, wear it out, make it do, or do without." So until they die I'm happy to use them.
After those improvements we will have to start saving up again for more projects. It seems like a never ending list. Tis life eh? We have to continue to improve or "update" ourselves. Now I'm not meaning botox ha ha. Our investments for these improvements are increased by prayer, temple attendance, scripture study etc. Just a little though from me to you he he.
This is off the subject but I took these pictures of Danika the other day. She picked up a big dragon fly and it wouldn't let go of her.

Going Crazy

We have been having issues with our internet for weeks but I haven't been able to get on for days. There is a tech coming today so hopefully things will get better. It's sad how we get dependent on these things.
This last weekend was really fun. I went to Time Out For Women with my two older sisters, Mom and sister in law. I felt bad that my other two sisters were not with us. The theme was about Hope. I wrote a huge list of things that I hope for. I won't bore you with the whole list but I knocked it down to a couple important ones.
I HOPE that my testimony in my Father in Heaven and the Savior continues to grow.
I HOPE that my children will gain strong testimonies.
My list ranged from spiritual things to temporal things like (I HOPE to always have ice cream in my freezer.). I think that with everything I wrote down if I have a strong testimony, many of the things like "HOPE to be a better wife and mother" will fall into place.

Yaa and Yuck

This is my twin sister Susan.....yeah she is usually this silly ha ha.

This last weekend we went to Duchesne for labor day. It has become tradition for all of my siblings to get together. You can be ousted from the family if you don't attend ha ha.
Kevin's cousin asked him if he would perform their wedding ceremony on Saturday, so my sisters took the kids Friday. (He was really nervous but he did a great job). It was a quiet night without the kids. We sat down to watch a movie and the phone rang six or seven times. It seems like it's constantly ringing and it's always for Bishop Westwood. Poor guy has so much to deal with. We are going to need to start turning off our phone for family night to get some peace.
Anyway...I was worried about heading to Duchesne in the first place because there was a stomach bug going around my sisters family. Well we ended up getting it. Poor BriLynn was the worst. It's so sad to see a baby dry heave. She just cries and looks to you as if she is thinking "Mom why can't you do something!". My two older brothers got it also. I'm amazed at how contagious things can be. Yep the cold and flu season is upon us.
On a happier note, the kids got spoiled with candy and toys. There were lots of games planned. My sisters had the theme of a Luau. Here are some pictures of the tiki pinata.
Next year I'm in charge and I think I'm going to do a Carnival theme.



The hoarding of candy. Four of those hoarders are our kids. I think it's funny that I'm the baby of the family and have more kids than any of my siblings.