School's Out!

Hey treasured readers---

Michael's last final was last night! Woo hoo!!! School is officially over for the next 3 months for the hubster. And because, the Joe boy isn't out of school for another few weeks, that meeans some "you & me" time for us together during the day. Yes, I have a honey-do list for the man, but I also have some fun date afternoons planned as well. All work and no play does not work in our house!

We still aren't sure what the summer holds. The hubster is still looking and applying for that elusive internship. The economic slump doesn't help. He would consider going to summer school, but the university isn't offering anything in his field that would be beneficial.

The Joe-boy does have morning summer school for 6 weeks. And it actually starts earlier than the regular school year--what's up with that??? I am so not into getting up early in the summer! But we will make up for that the last 6 weeks of summer by sleeping in as long as we want.

I would like to do some traveling this summer, but that is doubtful at this point. Maybe next summer .... We will definitely be spending a bit of time at the pool and lake and river, for sure. And I'm sure the library will see our faces every week.

So what's on your summer agenda? Any travel plans, or are you doing a stay-cation?

Til next time ...

Going Back to School Part 2

hello treasured readers,
thank you all that gave me such great encouragement to go for it! when I shared my interest in going back to school. It encouraged me to hear of your stories, your families stories and others that you knew that succeeded in going back to school.

Today I was able to tour the school and talk with the financial aide person, a wonderful woman named Lori. We hit it off right away, partly due to finding out that we are both Seattle transplants to Idaho. The school is called Oliver Findley and the 5 month program I'm looking into is ....

drumroll please ....

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not yet ....

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yes, i'm irritating this way! ....

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A NAIL TECH!!!!!

If you want a manicure, a pedicure, or a set of acrylic nails I would be the one you would want to come to. I am really, REALLY excited about doing this! In fact if you could see and hear me, you'd see me squealing in my mind right about now.

What I found out today seems promising. The Pell grant would cover about 80% of the cost. So I would need to find another scholarship or get a student loan for about $700. There are 2 upcoming sessions, one in August and one in October. I'm trying to figure out what our summer will look like so I can make a decision whether the August start date is doable. Josiah doesn't go back to school til the last week of August, so that will impact my decision. Mike and I will be discussing this over the next few days and weeks. So I would appreciate your prayers as we make decisions. I hate making mistakes and will agonize over things for a long time, adding unnecessary anxiety to my life.

I'll keep you updated as time goes on. Until next time ....

Going Back to School?

If you are a regular reader here at Challenges and Adventures, you know that the hubster has been attending BSU. He will be graduating next spring with a degree in Supply Chain Management. (It's in the business dept) When we first moved up to Boise the idea of me going back to school came up. But going to the university full time didn't seem like the right fit for me or our family. But over the months, I have been mulling over another idea. Going to a trade school in order to learn a skill. Some positives are the shorter length of time in school, graduating with a skill that is marketable, and having a skill that allows me to work part time around my families schedule and needs.

I have been doing some research online and narrowed down the ideas to one skill I would really enjoy learning and working at. I called a school here in Boise and have a tour set up for next week to meet the financial aid woman and see the campus. I'm pretty sure that I would be able to get some financial aid of some sort, but I won't commit until I know that for sure. In the meantime, I've been thinking about how going back to school will impact our lives. I would be gone 8 hours 5 days a week. I would have 2 days to get my household chores caught up with, do any crafts, sewing and knitting, think up new blogs and catch up on the ones I like to read .... At times it seems overwhelming to have that much time committed to school. And yet, its only for 5 months. I can do almost anything for 5 months. Its worth it to improve our lives. And Michael is very supportive of this idea.

So how bout you? Would you go back to school mid-life? Do you know people who have done so and succeeded? Any tips on keeping up with all my other responsibilities while going to school?

Til next time ....

Debt Reduction

We are watching videos of Dave Ramsey at church. Yesterday he talked about gazelle like intensity in getting out of debt and recommended selling everything you could lay your hands on. So that got hubby and I thinking about what to sell. Before our move, we sold alot of furniture and downsized considerably. But it has crossed our mind more than once to sell our car. Our only car. Our only means of transportation. The only reason we could even consider this is that we live downtown Boise, close to most everything. Neither of us work outside the home, and Boise has a decent transit and is a bicycle friendly town.

The main drawbacks would be not being able to continue to go to our church and if I needed to go to Joe's school, that would be difficult, if not outright impossible. So tho, we talk about it I don't think we will follow through.

So how bout you? Would you sell your car to get out of debt? What have you sold to downsize your debt?

Cute Giveaway

Have you heard of Frugal Girls? Its a great frugal website that I have been visiting for a little while now. They have great giveaways, but this latest one is really exceptional. Thus my reason for posting about it. I'm not being altruistic, Cause I really don't want anyone else to win. I am getting my name entered one more time by blogging about it to you, my dear readers. Of course, if you insist, go ahead and check it out for yourself, but I'm warning you, I am going to win!

Frugal Girls is giving away what's called a Card Cubby where you can store biz cards, gift cards, even a small cell phone will fit. And the person who sells them has the cutest colors. Once you go over to Frugal Girls she has a link where you can see the Card Cubbies in all their glorious colors.

But remember, this one is mine to win!

So, what have you won lately?

Summer???

Today and yesterday we have been in the mid 80's. Spring lasted 2 days I think. Actually, tomorrow will be in the mid 50's so I think spring is coming back. I hear of other places in the country having snow, and California breaking record temps. I'm not sure about global warming/cooling or whatnot, but something strange seems to be happening.

But the longer I live, the more convinced I am that the Lord God Almighty is in control. I wanted to post another WFW, but my computer is still not quite right and I haven't reloaded my pictures onto the machine. And I kinda need pics in order to do WFW, ya know?

My cardio workouts have been going well. I walked 5x last week and am shooting for 5x again this week. Hubby has promised me a professional pedicure if I complete 4 weeks of cardio 5x each week, so I am extra motivated to make it happen.

I have also been making cards. Lots of Mothers Day cards that I'm sending to my sister for her to sell at her school. A few thank you cards and some b-day cards as well. The last few times I've worked on the cards, they have really fallen together. Love that!

Last night, we went to a nearby park. It was so pleasant, and crowded! Who knew all these people would have the same idea. Thankfully, it is a large park. Lots of places for the kiddos to play, lots of picnic tables with people having bar-b-q's and b-day parties. A "beach" volleyball game was in play when we got there, teens playing frisbee on the grass, the nearby tennis courts in full use. Bikers, walkers, and skateboarders were all around. Mike and I had time to chat and relax on the grass and Joe had fun going down the slides. I defintely recommend going to parks in the spring and summer. Esp when one lives in a crackerjack box of an apt.

Til next time ....

Have You Missed Me?

Remember me? Ya, I'm the one who took a bloggy break, and then promptly fell out of the blogging habit after coming back. Only 3 posts this month and its already the middle of the month. The 15th--smack dab middle!

But I have an excuse! And its a good one. I know you want to hear it too. Even if only to poo-poo it. I've been swallowed up by the sparkspeople site! Yes, its true. I have left my first love of blogging and found a new best friend! It's not you, oh no, never, it's me. Yes, its me you see. I'm now a sparks junkie. I spend many minutes a day checking in with the different teams I'm on, I record my fitness accomplishments (45 minutes on the treadmill today!! woo hoo!!!), track the amount of water I ingest, share with others how I'm feeling emotionally and whether I've avoided the M & M's that have been calling my name. They even give you points for things you do throughout the day. And you can take those points and redeem them for "goodies" for own page or give to someone else for their page. Oh those sparks people. They are tricky. They lure you in and pounce. And they know my weakness. They have set up their site so that I even have a blog on "my page". For the last two days, I have been writing all my good stuff on that blog! Oh the shame of leaving you, my treasured readers. So I had to come and confess.

I am ashamed, but I know I will be drawn back. Even now my email box is filling up with notices of new topics being discussed in my teams and people responding to my blog. Tho I know I cannot give up sparks, I will come back here often. I will continue to write on challenges and adventures. I will not be unfaithful forever ... Forgive my absence. And if you're brave enough, come visit me at sparkpeople.com you can find me under Gails Adventures.

Til next time ....

This n That

Wasn't Easter wonderful? As we were driving to church yesterday, I was thinking that we don't have to wait for one day a year to celebrate. We can celebrate Christ's resurrection every day! Aren't we a blessed people? I know I am.

Easter sunday at our house was great. Had a great service with awesome, inspiring, humbling worship, had a great meal afterwards that I didn't have to cook (thank you honey for taking us out), had a great, tho short nap, and had an awesome evening with the family, doing nothing much at all.

Last week I stumbled across a great site. I had seen it awhile back but this time i really looked it over. its called sparkpeople.com and is a fitness/diet/tracking/community site. I have jumped in with both feet. If you're already on, or signing up my nickname is gailsadventures. You can add me as a friend, join many, many groups/communities, give people gifts, track your progress and so much more. It is the inspiration and encouragement and accountability that I've needed.

This afternoon I'm going to a 30 minute walk and doing some weight training. What are you doing today?

Blessings on you, my treasured readers,
til next time ....

A New Normal

What is normal? for you, for your family? I've been thinking about "normal" alot lately. Our family is not normal. We are not your average run of the mill American family. But maybe I'm missing the point. Maybe there aren't as many "normal" families out there as I think there are. But I've been thinking alot about it, because I tend to look at other families and compare myself, our family, to theirs. I know, bad, bad, bad! I guess I compare myself because I want to be like them. What I see from the outside, the way it looks normal to me, looking at them.

But when I step back a moment, I remember that its ok to be who we are. Didn't God create us this way? Didn't He allow for a reason, for us to have the challenges and adventures that we have had? I am working on embracing who we are, whether it looks normal or not to others. And I'm working on accepting this way of life, this "normal to us" life we live.

I'm letting go of my expectations to be able to do certain things in life that maybe others do. If it doesn't work for our family, then I can let it go. And if something works for us, even tho it might seem strange to others I can accept that too. And go ahead and use it. My life doesn't have to look like yours or hers or theirs. I'm learning to be ok with that. Being a sheep, I would rather be like everyone else. But that isn't what God has called me to be. Not now, maybe not ever.

And just because I'm not like other wives, other mothers, other people, doesn't mean I'm less than, worse off; it just means I'm different. Different can be good.

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Ps 121

April

DO YOU HAVE A LEAST FAVORITE MONTH?
I do. Its April.

I don't particularly like April Fools Day, and I really don't like tax day. Then there's the fact that most often April can be a rainy month. Especially when we lived in the Seattle area, rain was on the menu every day. Or so it seemed. This year in Boise we are having storm after storm flow through our beautiful valley and I'm not liking it, at all. I moved away from Seattle for a reason!

But if your word for the year is contentment than you'd better find something to enjoy about your least favorite month. And really, there is alot to enjoy about April.

Easter is coming. A wonderful time of year to be thankful for God's perfect gift for us. A reminder that we are loved and cherished by the King of the Universe. And that Christ died for our sins, so that we can stand clean before our Heavenly Father someday, hearing His welcoming words. Come my son/daughter, enter the Kingdom!

There are signs of spring as the forsythia is in bloom, daffodils, crocus' and tulips are sprouting and showing their glorious colors. The days are getting longer and are warming up the earth.

Life is resuming its rhythem. I enjoy rhythem. As much as I like to go on vacation or have something exciting to look forward to, the older I get the more I like the normal rhythem of life.

So how bout you? What are you enjoying about April?

Spring Break is Over

The #1 son went back to school this morning. After a week of sleeping in and lounging on the bed watching cartoons, it was a rude awakening for both him and me. I woke up with a start 20 minutes before the bus comes. Hubster and I jumped out of bed and quickly got the Joe-boy ready for his day. I went back to bed ....

We had a good week off. Hubster's professors didn't think much of the break as 3 of them assigned homework! But we still did a few things. The SUB has a bowling alley so we bowled a game. Hubby and I were grateful for the kiddie bumper they put up for Joe. I took Joe to see Monsters vs Aliens, which was cute. And Joe went swimming with his dad. We even ate out a couple nights.

Our trip was postponed as we are having some electical issues with the car and didnt' want to chance getting stranded. But we made up for it.

As far as spring is concerned tho, I'm still waiting for this famous "global warming" to kick in. Sat night we had hail and snow! We had rain off and on, and our temps are 10 degrees lower than normal. Ugh! Global cooling is more like it! I feel really sorry for those poor people in North Dakota fighting the flooding.

I'll be catching up on blog reading this week. And maybe I'll find a few new ones to pass on to you, my treasured reader.

My verse for the week is: "Then Jesus said to them "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15 Good reminder as I continue to declutter my house. And as I look through our spring and summer clothing to see what we need for this year.

My Bloggy Break

Hello treasured readers,
I must say, my bloggy break was refreshing for me. The first couple days, I had a hard time, and sneaked a quick peak or two at some blogs. But even with that I stayed off the computer for lengths of time. I was able to transfer the bulk of my pics onto webshots. Then when I got tired of that, I decluttered some. I read a book! A real, live 300+ page book. I spent more time with my family. I knitted. And I crafted. It was a good break for me.

Of course, I didn't get everything done. Story of my life. I still have more to download off my computer. And it still sounds like a dying zebra. Thankfully, hubster has allowed me to use his computer as long as I don't hog it for hours on end.

And this is spring break week. Rain here. But later today we are heading out for a short road trip. Just to get away. Just to see some different scenery. We'll stay somewhere with a pool and #1 son will be in heaven. We'll eat out and sleep late. I'll be in heaven. We'll find a local coffee shop with wifi, and I might even check in.

Well, enough about me. How are you? Really! Let me know. I've missed you. Is it raining where you are? Are you on spring break or is that coming up? How are the kiddos? the pets? the hubbies?

Ta Ta for now!

Update on Joe's Bike

Hello treasured friends,
We received our letter from the group who gives out the family support money yesterday. Unfortunately, they denied our request. They gave some vague reason, but I think what is really going on, is that they don't have any money. If this is indeed the case, I wish they would just come out and say that.

So at this point, we are going to shelve this idea. Maybe in the future we will revisit it and brainstorm other ideas on how we might find funding for this bike. Or maybe we'll just wait til Michael graduates in a year and gets a job and start saving money for the bike.

Thanks for your comments and well wishes as we tried this avenue. Walking alongside our family makes the journey so much more enjoyable.

I'll have another post soon about my bloggy break. It was a good thing.

Taking a Blogging Break

Hello treasured readers,
Its time for me to take a little break. From blogging here and over yonder, from facebook, from twitter. I have been neglecting things that I should have been doing. Hence, the need for a break, so I can catch up quickly, rather than slowly. I'll be gone a week or so. I'm going to try not even to read other blogs, so pray for me! I will miss my bloggy friends. But when I come back, I'm thinking I will have much more pep and energy and focus. Which will be good for me, and good for you. Cuz I'll be a better blogger!

I'm not a task oriented person, but I'm actually looking forward to a little spring cleaning and organizing. We'll see how long that lasts -- ha! I also have to troubleshoot my poor ol'computer, which sounds like a dying zebra. Not that I've ever heard a dying zebra, but if I did hear one, it would probably sound like my computer. I'm hoping it doesn't die on me altogether, the computer, not the zebra.

I would appreciate your prayers for me over this coming week if you think of it. I have a huge capacity to waste time, and I want to be productive. Especially since I'm giving up some of my favorite things in life. I will still be available on email--can't give up everything! So email me if you get lonely for my company. It'll break up the organizing and cleaning for me.

Til next week, my faithful friends,
Au revoir

Are You a Foodie?

First off, I'm not even sure I know what a foodie is! Essentially I think of it as someone who likes food, loves food, enjoys food. Is that close enough?

So, hubby and I have been chatting about pizza. Our #1 son's all time fav food. Me, I like it too, and don't mind having it once a week. Hubby, not so much. He says he gets tired of pizza. A few years ago, I felt like I could eat mexican food every day of the week. Now, not so much.

So this begs the question that everyone wants answered: What food could you eat everyweek, or do eat? How bout everyday? Chocolate, for sure, everyday for me! And I hear all those amens, treasured female readers. How bout your husbands? Kiddos?

So, am I foodie? Are you?

I Got Nuthin'

Really, I don't. I have nuthin' at all. All that I have and ever hope to be .... do you remember that song? I forget the words now, but it goes along something like, I owe it all to thee (God). This week I've been listening to a 3rd Day cd and one of their songs talks about how I have nothing original to give to Him. All I have is from Him in the first place! I like that.

It reminds me of my place in life and helps me not to get big-headed. It puts the Lord in His proper place too, above all else! Almighty! All Powerful!! All Knowing!!

On the blogging front, I have nothin' either. I'm feeling brain dead. No funny stories, no catchy quaotes, no cute pics. We did have fun going swimming at the Y yesterday tho. And we all slept really good last night, coincidence?? I think not.

It's rainy and cloudy here. Spring is holding back on us. Maybe by friday.

I need to get meds for the #1 son and myself today--priority!

Spring break is next week and we're still talking about what we might do. I'm so ready for a little break.

So what's up in your neck of the woods, my treasured readers?

10 Ways We Save Part Two

So what did you think of Part One? Do you do these things along with me? Here's 5 more ways we save for your consideration:


6) Downsizing our van to a economic sedan

We had an accident last sumnmer that totalled our van, so we were in the market for a new vehicle. I know not everyone can go trade in a car or two right now, but if you are looking, go for it! It really made a difference for us when gas prices were creeping up to $4/gallon last August. With our newer, smaller car we got better gas milieage with very little downsize.

7) Blockbuster-Netflix-Library-Hulu
When my husband and I were first dating, we loved going to see movies. We remember paying $3 or less per person to go see the newest blockbuster. And soon into our frugal married life, we found a $1 cheap theatre. Then, our #1 son arrived in our lives, and over the years we have realized that he has inherited 100 fold our movie loving gene. And he loves to watch the same movie over and over again. Yes, when he was younger, I bought videos and dvd's for the #1 son. It was during one of the wimpy frugal phases in our life. But we soon woke up to the reality that this was a waste of money.

We made the switch to renting from blockbuster and the library. That worked well enough, until we started racking up the late fees from blockbuster--yikes! We heard about netflix and quickly signed up. #1 son was able to watch his favorite movies without any late fees, Michael and I were able to watch movies at home with our homemade popcorn on our time schedule. But once we became a starving student family, we cancelled our netflix account as just one more way to trim the budget. Michael had heard about Hulu, an internet site where you could watch free movies and tv shows. And I loved having the Boise Library close by with a much greater abundance of dvd's, videos and even Wii games. And this time around, I'm very concious of when their due date is.


8) Coffee Time with hubby and friends

One of the differences between being frugal and being cheap is the knowledge that its not all about money. Being frugal is also about what your values are. What are your priorities. Yes, we are trying to pay down our consumer debt, but we are also trying to live an enjoyable, satisfying life while we do it. So for us, we have decided not to eliminate all of our discretionary spending. For me especially, I need times when I feel like I've had a little treat. But since we are being frugal, it plays inself out like this. Instead of going out for a weekly date night, Michael and I go out for lunch while our son is in school (no babysitting fees) or out for coffee at one of the hip coffee shops in this university town. Instead of going out for pizza, we often make pizza at home and have a movie and pizza night. I don't go out for lunch or coffee with friends as often as I used to, or as often as I would like, but I do go. I budget it into our monthly budget so that it can be a reality. It's important for my emotional well being, and it makes me happy.

9) At Home Haircuts

I have picked up my haircutting scissors again and once again I'm cutting Michael's hair. And I've added Josiah to my client list. I don't have a degree in cosmetology, but I've read books, I've watched professionals, and I do a pretty good job. I've had worse haircuts from professionals than what I've given my two boys. Joe is a trial to cut his hair anyway, since he wiggles and moves and generally doesn't do well. Both wear their hair in very simple cuts. With Michael's eyesight he isn't able to return the favor, but he has helped me color my hair at home which has saved us a bunch of money.

10) Doing Without

And last, and maybe the most important of all the ways we save money, is doing without. Knowing that this drastic method of frugality is but for a season, we are willing to put extra money towards the bills instead of new clothes, new furniture, manicures and pedicures, jewelry, eating out as much as I would like to (see #8 above), taking a wonderful spring vacation or renting a beach house on the ocean this summer. We don't go home to visit as much as we and our families would like us to. We don't have a brand new luxury car (see #6 above). But doing without is not all bad. Learning to do without can make one more resourceful. It can make one appreciate the simpler things in life, including family. With more stuff in ones life, there is more maintenance, more organization needed, more insurance to keep it safe, and on and on.

So there is our top 10 ways we have been saving money this year. This isn't the end tho. As I read what others say about saving money and being frugal, I know I will be adding to our drastic frugal phase ideas. Maybe riding a bike instead of using the car, maybe clipping coupons and doing rebates, maybe finding a mystery shopper job ,,, So how 'bout you? What are you doing to save money?

Ten Ways We Save Money Part One

I would much rather read about what someone has done--a personal story, than just a general list of things to do. So I'm assuming you are like me, and I am going to share what we have done to save money. Not all of my ways to save may apply to you, but hopefully you can find a couple to use to lighten your burden as we ride out this recession.


1) Trading in our monthly cell phones for one prepaid phone

This has been one of our all-time best decisions we have ever made. We have had a cell phone or two for years! First as a business expense and need for my husband and then for both of us. We used them instead of a landline for many years and used them to make long distance calls to family and friends. It was wonderful, but expensive. Over just the last 5 years we have paid anywhere from $50-$100 a month, including fees, taxes and misc charges. Even when we tried to get it as low as possible, the lowest we could seem to get it was $50. And then there were the contracts. We had been faithful to one company for over a decade and they treated us like dirt. Or worse.

So last summer I finally found out when our contracts would be up on our family plan. August and October respectively. And we slowly extracated ourselves from the cell phone monster. In January we bought a prepaid cellphone with 300 minutes for around $25. And the minutes were good for 3 months. So for the last 2 and a half months we have averaged $10/mo for our phone.

Now this has only worked for us because we have a landline with our apt. It is included in our rent. But even if we didn't have a landline or had to pay for it ourselves, I would still switch to a prepaid cell phone in a heart beat.

2) Making more foods from scratch

I have gone through bouts of using alot of prepackaged meals, but what I have found is that my grocery money doesn't go as far as when I make old fashioned meals from scratch. But then I decided to take it up a notch and look at those items that I generally pick up without thinking and make them from scratch. I don't have any price comparisons, but I know I have saved money. Consider. I have made salad dressings from scratch, bar-b-q sauce, teriyakisauce and other condiments, cream of whatever soup--very easy to do, bread---not as cost saving but definitely healthier, and pizza. There are others out there who make their own laundry soap, cleaners, beef jerky, yogurt, butter, and ice cream. It does take some work and forethought, but besides the savings you get, you also know whats going into your food.

3) Hanging clothes to dry on a line

If you have the space, this is a great money saver. I heard once that the cost of cleaning clothes comes 90% from the dryer. All that energy being used to heat the air that dries the clothes. I have hung all of my clothes to dry in the past, but am now just hanging my shirts. I gave up my huge drying rack and only have my little one. In this apt that's all that it can handle. But if you have the space, go get yourself a rack or clothesline and start drying on the line.

4) Using Craigslist & Freecycle

Just by being on the freecycle list, I have come across and recieved, good looking, good fit jeans, pants and shirts, several pair of shoes,purses for me, toys for my son, clothes too, sheets, fabric for my crafts, dishes and knick knacks. Off of craigslist we found a wonderful sofa for $30 to replace the too big worn out couch we left behind in the move. So if you need something, check out your local craigslist and freecycle.

5) Getting the Wal-Mart price for medications
If you pay for prescriptions with cash, like I do, then getting the Wal-Mart $4 price is a lifesaver. You may have to work with your doctor and the pharmesist to make sure the amount and the millegrams cooridinate. Not every medicine in every amount is $4, but you can get around most obstacles with some creative thinking. Also, some other pharmecies will match the Wal-Mart $4 price. Ask!

This article was getting too long, so I decided to divide it up into 2 parts. So tune in Friday or Saturday for the next installment. I'd love to hear how you have saved with these 5 categories: phone, making from scratch, cleaning clothes, craigslist/freecycle and medications. Do tell!

Do You Ever ...

wonder where the week has gone? #1 son was sick most of this week, and that has just shot my week to "you know where". I have so wanted to post. I missed WFW yesterday, and I have 2 new frugal posts half done. I spent 2 wasted hours trying to burn some discs--my computer refused to cooperate ... sigh. So its been one of those weeks.

But I have been able to visit bloggyland and catch up with the rest of you. For which I am thankful.

See ya soon!

Which Frugal Chick Are You?

I have started reading the happy homemaker, and besides just loving her title, I also love her posts. In this one she talks about 3 types of frugalnesss in her life:

Drastic frugality- I am not sure what this all would entail but some ideas discussed were dh biking to work, making even more items from scratch to cut grocery costs, cloth diapers, vehicle changes, growing our own food, switch to a pay as you go cell phone, cut out paper plates, napkins, paper towels, disposable wipes in addition to the things we already do.

Moderate Frugality- Basically continue on the current path with slight modifications. We are planning a Square Foot GardenLiving on Less ~ Financial Goals
this year and I hope to increase our from scratch cooking since it is something I enjoy doing already.

Frugal living for Wimps- This is how I feel about how we are living now. We made some pretty significant changes a few years back, but have stalled a bit in our progress. Even if we continued on the exact same course we could still save money, but not enough to purchase a house for cash in the next few years.

Isn't this great? I love how she divides them up. For each of us, the drastic, moderate, and wimpy might look somewhat different depending on where we are on our journey, but I can so totally relate.

20 years or so, when we first started on our frugal path, we dove right into the drastic frugal phase out of necessesity. I hung my clothes on a line to dry. We practically eliminated eating out, we rented the smallest, cheapest house we could find, we heated our house with wood--a wood burning stove. It was an intense time in our lives, getting out of debt and building our business. Then as the business grew profitable, we switched to the moderate phase, and somehow got sucked into the wimpy phase. I've always tried to do some frugal things just to make our money stretch further, but it wasn't until my husband had his accident and our life radically changed 6 years ago that I dove back into the moderate frugal phase and am now looking at the drastic phase. I'm digging out my old Tightwad newsletters I saved, I'm visiting frugal blogs, and in general, I'm just resetting my mindset to be drastically frugal.

So which frugal chick are you? Do you see yourself in one or more of the categories? I have a couple more posts in the works about what we have done to be more frugal and what we are working towards. So stay tuned!

Sick Day

I have a sick little boy at home today. He was coughing, feverish, and sneezing over the weekend, so we laid low. Didn't even make it to church. This morning we didn't wake him up for school, and he slept and slept and slept! This is highly unusual. Especially since with his dx his body produces less melatonin than the rest of us, and he normally needs meds to help him get to sleep and stay asleep! It is now 11:50am and he finally woke up.

I have some blog posts in the works, so as I get time to work on them, in between caring for my sick one, you'll be seeing them. Soon, I hope.

Til then ....

PS: for those of you who have inquired, we should be hearing later this month whether Joe will be recieving his special bike. Stay tuned.

There Is Still Time ...

It's Wednesday and you know what that means, my treasured readers. I missed last Wednesday, so I am doubly excited to share a WFW post with you.

Isaiah 55:6 says "Seek the Lord while you can find Him; Call on Him now while He is near."

Isn't that wonderful? The Lord is still available to anyone who will seek Him. He is near, He can be found. And on the flip side, it is a caution to all that there will come a day when He won't be near, He won't be found. This IS a limited time offer. So don't delay ... Seek Him today!

And head over to AmyDeanne's place at 160 Acre Woods and enjoy more Word Filled Wednesday.

One Frugal Gem to Trim Our Budget

Like most others I have been looking for frugal ideas to trim our budget. I have a few of my own tricks that I have used over the years, but I'm always up for a new idea. So when I got my Biblical Womanhood newsletter this past week, I was excited to see her "Frugal Friday: Eight Tips for Saving $100 This Year", a guest post by Hope Ware. As I looked through her 8 tips, I nodded, yes, yes, yes, those are all good. Each one seemed to be things I was already doing, or was aware of, and then I happened upon the gem (at least for me).

Institute a weekly baking day. Isn't that a great idea? I thought so too. I bake sporadically. I bake bread, I make homemade pizza, I bake muffins once in awhile. But I had never really thought about having a baking day.

Hope explains how she does it:
Each week, I use one day as a day to bulk bake. I bake 3 loaves of bread, 2 tins of muffins, 2 tins of cornbread, and any other bread that I might need during the week.

One reason I like to make a weekly menu plan is that I can consult it ahead of time and see what bread products I'll need that week. I always bake a little more than I think I will need. Muffins freeze great and can be thawed in small amounts for lunches for the children or for your husband to take to work.

How many times have I planned on having pasta and didn't have any french bread, foccacia or bread sticks? Which would have been a perfect addition to the meal. And I end up going to the store, rather than going without. Or how often do I buy a take n bake pizza or even order delivery--yikes! because I don't have a pizza crust already made up, ready to go in the freezer. I can see having a baking day will help trim my grocery budget, and save me time and energy too. I'm liking this idea!

So how 'bout you, my treasured reader? What gems of frugalness do you live by? What have you discovered recently that you are adding to your repetroire? It seems like everyone is trying to tighten their belts just a bit nowdays. I know we are. Let's share ideas with each other here at Challenges and Adventures. I'm all ears.

New Graphics

I just had to change up my blog a bit. Still not sure if I like it, but I think I'll leave it for a bit. What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Don't Care?

New Bike for Josiah???

Since last fall, I have had a picture of an adaptive bicycle that we would like to buy for Josiah on the sidebar of this blog. Its the one up at the top of this post if you haven't seen it before. Because its for special needs kiddos and adults there isn't as much demand for it as for regular bikes, so the price is quite a bit higher than a bike off the rack of the local "shopmart". And out of the price range for our cash strapped, starving student family. But ever since I found this bike on the internet, I have been dreaming of family bike rides on the Boise greenbelt this spring and summer.

I have been brainstorming for months on how I can get my hands on this bike for Josiah. Not being much into fundraising, or begging on the street corner, Josiah's service coordinator and I came up with the idea of applying for it thru a special group here in Idaho called the Family Support Fund. This fund is for families who have special needs kiddos to help them with things that will help their kiddos in life, whether it be respite, adapted equipment, or whatever.

So tomorrow I am taking my paperwork over to the agency and handing it in. Hoping and praying that they give the "ok" and the funds, to purchase this bike for #1 son. And why, do you ask, am I sharing all this with you, my treasured reader? Because I have a request. Yes, I'm not above begging for favors from my readers. If, and only if, you believe in praying to the God Almighty and Jesus Christ, His son, would you send up a prayer that the people who approve or deny these requests, would decide to approve this application for a bike for Josiah? See, that wasn't too much to ask, was it? If it was, just go along your way, I don't want to hear about it. I can only handle so much rejection in one day. And I think I've reached my quota for today.

But if you do pray, leave me a comment. And Josiah and I thank you from the bottom of our little, thumping hearts. I'll let you all know whether he's getting the bike or not, when I find out.

Taken: The Movie

Hubby and I had some alone time on Presidents Day, so we went out for coffee and then saw the movie "Taken". Wow! We knew it was going to be fast paced action flick from the previews. And I had read another bloggers take on it, so I knew that it deals with the sex slave trafficking business. But I wasn't prepared for the singular, no holds barred devotion and love of a father, his raging wrath for those who have taken his daughter.

After a career in gov't service, being a "preventer of bad things", and being away from home more often than not,the father, Bryan is trying to reestablish his relationship with his 17 yr old daughter Kimmie. Kimmie, on the other hand, is all about fun and travel with her friend Amanda. They have cooked up a plan to visit Paris, but Bryan knows the dark side of Europe and isn't too excited about the idea. Since she's a minor, his daughter needs his permission to go. He finally agrees with conditions. A phone call every night, and he gets to drive her to the airport.

The trouble starts when Kimmie's friend, Amanda, decides a guy they meet is cute, they share a ride in a taxi (letting him know where they live), telling him they are there all alone in the apt, and generally being too free with information.

That afternoon, the thugs arrive, break in and the girls are "taken". Coincidentally, Kimmie is on her international cell phone with dad when the thugs break in. He gets important info through the cell phone, that helps him start tracking the girls in efforts to bring his daughter back home.

The rest of the movie is how Bryan uses his set of skills he learned in his gov't job in tracking down and defeating the bad guys. There is lots of fighting and lots of bad guys get killed. It shows women drugged and enslaved in the sex trafficking arena. Very heartbreaking to know that this really does go on in our world. But I appreciate this movie for being willing to shed some light on an injustice that needs to be addressed, and dealt with.

Towards the end of the movie, when Bryan is zeroing in where Kimmie is at, Bryan breaks into a lavish mansion where a prominent Parissean business man auctions off women. He finds the auction, but before he can find Kimmie, he gets caught. After an ingenious escape, Bryan comes face to face with the business man. During the fight, which Bryan is obviously winning, the man pleads with Bryan telling him, "Man, it was just business, it wasn't personal!" to which Bryan replies, "to me, it was all personal!"

That phrase, resonnated with me throughout the rest of the movie. In the end, Bryan saves Kimmie and they go home together. It has a happy ending, to a horrifying experience. But for me, I kept thinking about Bryan's love for his daughter. His ruthless drive to find his daughter and protect her from the thugs of the world who would do her harm. Tho I doubt the movie makers intended to draw this conclusion, I came away from the movie thinking about our Father's love for us, His children, His creation. I thought of how He must have felt when the serpent, Satan, enticed Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I thought of how our Lord loved us so much, that He pursued us with a righteous love to save us from ultimate destruction. And how He is pursuing the enemy with righteous wrath until the day when Satan is thrown into the lake of fire.

I've always enjoyed good guys vs bad guys movies, and good vs evil. Seeing a father portrayed like Bryan, gives me a broader picture of what love looks like. Our Father God isn't just a lovey-dovey, mushy God. No, there is a side to Him that is righteous anger, wrath and venegence. Not against me, not against His children, but against the enemy who would rob Him of relationship with us. And that, in a weird way, comforts me. Knowing that God is willing to fight for my soul, willing to sacrifice His son for a restored relationship with me brings me to my knees.

If you would like to know more about what Christians are doing to combat the slave trafficking and sex slave business, my blogger friend tracey has info and links on her blog. Whether or not, you choose to get involved, please pray for the victims, and pray that the perpetrators of this awful, inhumane act will be stopped and brought to justice.

Thanks for Praying

Thanks for praying for me this weekend. I started feeling better yesterday, and today feel like I'm back to my ol' self. Except for the fact that we didn't get much sleep. Everyone went to bed on time, but the hubster woke up at 2:30am and got up. Then #1 son woke up shortly before 4am. He kept stirring, so I got him up, changed him and tried to snuggle him back to sleep. Didn't work. So we watched 'toons for awhile. I think I finally decided I was up for good around 5:30am.

We went to church which was good. And I didn't even fall asleep during the message. Once we got home tho, the hubster and I hit the napzone. We turned on some cartoons for #1 son, sandwiched him in between us in our king size bed, and while he watched spongebob squarepants and other mindnumbing visual treats, the hubster and I napped.

So I'm ready for a new week. As promised I have a post almost ready to go. And several others swirling in my head, just waiting for my fingers to have some time to flit over the keys.

Til then, have a wonderful day, peeps!

I'm Sick of Being Sick

I'm so sick of being sick. It started out with a tickle in my throat and a cough and has now grown into alternating chills and fever, aches, and headache along with the afore mentioned symptoms. On top of that, my #1 son started throwing up last night. After a couple hours of that, and several changes of clothes and linens he was able to sleep.

The bummer is that I have a great post that I want to finish and share with you, but it is going to have to wait til I feel better. There are no creative thoughts in my brain at the moment. I'm headed back to bed.

Any prayers would be appreciated. See ya on the other side, peeps!

Psalms 5 for Word Filled Wednesday

If you're a frequent reader of Challenges and Adventures, you know I have a love affair going with WFW. So today here is another of my creations. This little kitty showed up at our house last year. We saw her off and on for a few days and then nothing. It was kind of fun to have her around, even for a short time.



I love this verse. It is an encouragement to me to be more intentional in my prayer life. And I love how it says that the psalmist waits expectantly for an answer. I want to be like that too.

Amy Deanne hosts WFW each Wednesday. If you like what I do here, go visit Amy Deanne to find more bloggers who participate in WFW.

Did you know ....

... that February is National Low-Vision Awareness Month? I didn't know either until I stumbled upon that little tidbit on a disability site I visit. When I saw that, my antenae immedietely perked up. You see, Michael has low-vision, partial blindness, legally blind, whatever you want to call it. Since he hasn't always been this way, there has been a huge learning curve for me, and for him these past 6 years.

Just this past week, I again, left open a cupboard door in the kitchen and he smacked his face right into it--ouch! I still say "here!" and poor guy, he has no idea what I'm talking about. I use gestures he can't see, I glare at him--which is probably a good thing he can't see, most of the time. It has taken me a long time to really realize how much he doesn't see.

Michael has done remarkedly well, considering. He has learned to take his time and slowly scan an area when he needs to. He has learned to be content being driven around by his wife and others. His backseat driving has even lessened over the last 6 years. When we walk into a darkened movie theatre, he holds onto my shoulder as his eyes adjust to the darkness. Dark rooms of any type are a real bane to his life.

We tend to avoid crowds now. State fairs, malls, even the church lobby can cause havoc with people rushing hither and thither. We, sighted ones, can be so assuming that others see just like us. Expecting everyone to have peripheral vision and see what's coming up on the side of them, or the toddler who is right underneath our feet. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I have tried to convince Michael to wear a patch over his bad eye or to use his white cane in those instances, but to no avail. Don't ya think he'd be ruggedly handsome with a black eye patch? aka one those pirates from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? ya, I thought so too.

We are thankful that he still has some sight left and is able to read, watch tv, see Josiah grow up and see my smiles. I am proud of his determination in school, even tho he reads so much slower than before.

That's just a little glimpse into our lives, living with a member who has low-vision.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy

Valentine's

Day

to you and your loved ones.

Night or Nite? Thru or Through?

Well, it has come to my attention that if I want to be a serious blogger, I need to clean up my spelling and grammar. I do know how to spell. I was an English major after all. But all these years, I have written using no capitals unless I was referencing the Lord God. It was a unique identifier that I enjoyed, along with mispelling a few chosen words. But now, I must act like the professional writer I hope to become. Sigh ....

Now, maybe my husband, mother and brother will be able to read my blog without cringing. My husband recently told me he was boycotting my blog as it just hurt too much to read it. The trials, we creative types, have to put up with!

If I slip back into my old habits, don't hate me for it. Just know I'm a recovering individualist who likes to be unusual. Guess I'll have to find some other unique identifier now. Maybe I could create a brand new language??? No, too taxing and time consuming. If you think of anything creative, let me know. Maybe we'll start a brand new trend together.

Word Filled Wednesday

today is wednesday and you know what that means! its time for another word filled wed pic and verse. i just love wed, don't you?




todays verse is from colossians--one of my fav books of the bible. "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart" Col 4:2. isn't that great? i think it sums it up nicely. have a thankful heart as you pray, that'll keep the grumbling and complaining at bay, and also have an alert mind--be mindful of what you pray for, be conscious of what's going on around in the world and in your life and others so we can pray for them as well.

i know i want to be more purposeful in my prayerlife. starting today.

if you like photos and scripture, head on over to amy deanne's place, the 160 acre woods and check out all the other bloggers who are sharing a photo and a scripture today. you'll be blessed.

does that early bird really catch any worms? or is he just faking it?

today is the first day of the new scheduled wake up time. i need to preface this post by saying: I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON!!! did you get that? if i could i'd sleep in late and stay up late, but unfortunately, the world is run by those crazy types like my husband who don't need an alarm clock and bound out of bed anywhere between 4-6 am!!! crazy, i tell ya!

but i digress. on the plane ride over to seattle i had an hour and a half to myself. to read, to think, to doodle .... it was wonderful. so i set about planning what priorities i need to adjust. after writing down all that i want to accomplish as my roles of wife, mother, and Christ follower, it was clear to me that my days of sleeping in and lounging in bed were numbered. so i told hubs when i got home, that i was going to start setting the alarm clock for 6:30am! its not even light out then, but a girls gotta make some sacrifices in life, ya know?

so last nite as i was getting ready for bed, i headed over to the alarm clock. but i just couldn't do it. 6:30 just seemed too ... too ... EARLY! so i cheated and set it for 6:42am. i figure i'll get used to that for a few days and then set it for that unseemly hour of 6:30. sigh ....

well, the alarm went off and after hubby reminding me to get up 5 minutes later, i struggled to put my feet on the ground. i stumbled out to the cold kitchen floor to start my espresso machine (yes, i'm from seattle! i must have my espresso!) thankfully, it takes awahile to make my coffee so i had a chance to rest my eyes and slowly wake up. slow is good at 6:53am.

so all this to say: i am making it a priority and a goal to wake up early each week day. weekends will be a whole 'nuther matter. but i need help. will you keep me accountable? will you check in and ask me how i'm doing? will you pray for me to fight the urge to crawl back in bed once the boys are gone? i know i'm not strong enough to do this on my own. but with God's help, and your prayers i can conquer this lifelong habit of sleep!

home again

i'm back home! and how lovely that is. i spent 6 hours traveling to the airport, waiting at the airport, in the airplane, and traveling away from the airport. but it was better than driving 9 hours by myself. and, that time could have been cut down by an hour or more as the flight was delayed 30 minutes as we sat on the tarmack, and traffic wasn't bad from my mom's to the airport so the extra time we alloted wasn't really necessary.

my son got home an hour after i got home so when i went out to greet him he was overjoyed to see mom was already home! he must have gave me 10 hugs in the first 5 minutes alone. he squealed and squeaked with delight. i could tell he was happy to see me, and i was happy to see him too.

since hubby and son were not home when i arrived home, i was able to unpack my bags, throw in a load of laundry in the washing machine, and clean up all the papers, markers, toys and other misc items strewn around the house. my hubby is a good dad, but good housekeeper he is not! he gets a pass tho, cuz he probably didn't even see it anyway. one of the benefits of limited vision. he's not expected to do much around the house.

i'll share more later about my time with my mom, but for now i just wanted to check in and let my readers know that i am back. and i am happy to be home again. its a good thing!

WFW Ps93

The Lord reigns!

isn't that a wonderful, reassuring statement? the verse goes on to say that the Lord is clothed with majesty and strength. what a beautiful image. i can't wait to see the Lord in all His glory. i know i will be hitting the deck face first, bowing down to worship Him. the verse ends with telling us that His throne has been established from of old, and He is from everlasting! what a solid foundation, what a secure empire, what an established kingdom He has invited us to share in.

i hope you are blessed this wed. amy deanne hosts our wfw over at 160 acre woods
and i'm having a lovely time with my mum this week.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane ....

i'm flying to Seattle to visit my mum for a few days. i am SO EXCITED!!! you see, not only do i get to go. but i'm going without my boys. i am leaving my "troubles" behind for a few days! (tho i would never say my boys are trouble!) and i get to have some girl-y time with my mum and maybe see my sisters to boot.

when i approached hubby about doing this he was easy going and said sure! now i'm feeling a bit guilty cuz i know what a handful our #1 son can be for michael. yes, joe will be in school and also has his afternoon therapy program, but its still alot to ask of michael. hence, feeling guilty. but on the other hand, i know this is what i need. some alone time with my mum. some time to be around another adult talking about adult things and not having the responsibilities of being wife and mom.

my mum and i are going to work on blogging and website kind of stuff, maybe do some photoshooting, reading, chatting and enjoy our time together. i'm going to help her with a few computer glitches she has, not that i have all the answers, but i think i can help.

i'll be taking some good books along to read, some knitting to work on, and maybe a craft project or two. we'll have to see ... i always think i'm going to have more down time than i really end up having.

i don't know how much blogging i'll do while i'm away. i do have my WFW pic ready to go, so hopefully i'll remember to post that. so if you don't see any new posts in the next week, just think of me cavorting around in drizzly Seattle with my mum. when i get back i'm sure i'll have lots to share and pics to show off. and i appreciate any prayer--i really don't like take offs and landings, but everything in between is usually fine.

so here i go, humming that tune "leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when i'll be back again!"