And So It Begins...

We are finally back home, and I couldn't be more happy.

Our eldest and his All-Star team ended up getting 2nd place in the state tournament, which is AMAZING for our small little town.

After the 4.5 hour drive home, I spent the remainder of the night working on a 15 page book report.

This morning, I woke up at 2am to finish my book report.

At about 4am, I began to study for a huge exam that I needed to take at 7:30am. (Which I got a 91% on!! Woohoo!)

Once I got home, I made lunch and then brought my daughter to the doctor's office for some shots (she didn't even cry! Tough like her mama...)

Now I am making supper.

I haven't stopped moving. Ugh....but tonight I'm shooting for bed at 8pm, lol.

Anyways, we had a great time in the quaint city of Dodgeville, WI.

The Cave of the Mounds was amazing.

Anyways, I'm deciding to get off my mopey (mopie? mope-y? lol) butt and start being my old self again. I'm trying to find low/no cost projects for the house.

I already have one in mind, so stick around for that!

Now to just find the time....lol

Sunshine in the Storm

Things have been a little rough, lately, for my family.

You guys already know a bit of our troubles, and your support and encouraging words mean the world to me!

I just want everyone to peek at what we've been doing the past few days.

We've been down state for my eldest's All-Star State Tournament.

So far, our shining city hasn't lost!

Everyone's morale is high, and we are having a great time!

We also got to tour a plane for FREE.

And soon (depending on the tournament schedule and such), we will be touring a cave!

You see, times are rough for us, REALLY rough....but when the kids were very young, my husband and I said that our kids will never be deprived of experiences because of finances.

I want my kids to have every opportunity that every other kid has.

So, no, we can't take an awesome vacation this summer, but with very careful budgeting, I believe we have given our eldest a summer vacation worth remembering.

And I couldn't be more pleased ;)

A Hard Knock Life

I'm so glad that most my readers are sticking with me even with my lack of posting new and exciting projects.

It really warms my heart, everyone!

It may be a while before I can post anything. I have a feeling that the next few weeks/months may end up being personal postings.

You see, we have lost our primary source of income.

While this is devastating to our family, we have been in far worse situations than this, so I remain optimistic that everything will turn around for us soon.

We have just been taking it day by day, taking advantage of every opportunity available.

Actually, this has been quite a learning experience for me. I am learning a whole new meaning of the term "thrifty."

I hope to "see" everyone again soon!

A Lemon?

I love browsing the "As Is" section of stores. Most flaws are either not noticeable or easily fixable.

For instance:

At Bed Bath & Beyond, I found these two matching stools:

Both were in the "As Is" section.

One was marked $12.98 because the pieces didn't align up properly, as in "Manufacturer's Defect," but in fact it was just the store personnel's fault. They put it together wrong. I fixed it.

The matching stool was marked $2.98 (Not a typo!) because it was missing the wooden plugs to go over the screws.

That's a 98 cent fix from Menards.

These stools are going for $29.99 a piece on BB&B's website right now.

They were originally $39.99

So...instead of paying $60 for the pair, I paid $17.

Moral of the Story:

Someone else's opinion of "broken" (whether it be objects or people) may be "perfect" in your opinion.

Work hard, Play harder

I like to think that I'm a hard-working individual.

With juggling so many things at once, I become a little ball of stress.

Sometimes it's okay to blow off some steam with some good pals.

Sometimes it's okay to put a bottle rocket in your good pals back pocket.

;)

Don't worry, we had his permission!

With our love of fireworks and our lack of regard for personal safety, I'm really REALLY glad my aunt gave us a fire extinguisher.

Now what to do with the 96 shot  roman candle...