Our Lines Legacy

I found this post here at thepolkadotchair.blogspot.com for a super cute Valentines banner. Isn't it absolutely adorable?!? I'm super excited to put my Cricut and Storybook cartridge from Christmas to use! Now to find the time to actually do it.....

I love January and August. Why you might ask? Because this is when the best end of the season sales are! I always have to remind Mike at the beginning of the month that this is what I do: I buy in bulk for the next year when I get stuff for 75% off-just to give him a heads up! So, first off, here is my Old Navy trip. This last weekend they had their clearance an extra 50% off. I didn't realize this until the end of the day, so by the time I finally went it was pretty picked over. BUT I did find some awesome deals for CHEAP! Plus I had an extra 20% off coupon on top of the extra 50% off clearance. Here's what I got:
1 t-shirt for Mike for work $0.80
1 long sleeve shirt for me $1.22
5 puff sleeve t-shirts for me $1.22
2 pairs denim jeans for Connor for next winter $9.00 each (this was my splurge but this was the last of what he needed for next year's clothes)
2 pairs of Christmas PJ's for next year $1.62 each
1 pair shoes for Jake $0.80
1 long sleeve shirt for Jake $1.22
2 pairs sweats for the boys for stay in days $1.41 each
5 pairs triple roll socks for Connor (not pictured because they're already used!) $0.80 each
I also wanted to let you guys know that not only do I stock up on clothes at the end of the season but also toys! Last week Target had a lot of their toys marked down to 75% off (you have to get their right when they open to get the best selection). So, I'm set on toys for the boys' birthdays, some of Christmas, and presents for family and friends' birthdays. I don't have a picture of all the things I got because I had to hide them before Connor saw anything. I saved a total of $422!

So I just wanted to give you guys a heads up to keep your eyes out for great end of the season sales! I know Children's Place will be having their huge sale (I might have already missed it) and keep an eye on clearance! Good luck saving and shopping! :-)

I'm finally done with my advent calendar craft that I started the day after Christmas. Sad, I know. But it took a long time to gather all supplies, cut out all the paper pieces, glue it all together, and then I modge podged everything to make sure it will last for years of wear and tear (hopefully after all the hours I put into it!) This picture doesn't do it justice. I got the idea from a friend and am so excited how it turned out! Now I just have to wait a whole year before I can use it, so off into storage you go!

Christmas Eve we spent at Jonathon's house for a delicious dinner. At the end of the evening Santa showed up to give all the kids candy canes and Elyssa a new puppy for Christmas. Connor was so excited to see Santa! This was perfect to get him excited for Christmas morning!

I am here to report another successful Christmas for 2009! Mike and I stayed up till after 1am putting Connor's train table together. I think because of all the Christmas excitement (not really for me, mainly to see the boys' reactions in the a.m.) I didn't sleep till after 2am. But thanks to adrenaline and sugar, I was wide awake, happy, and excited for most of Christmas! We spent most of the day at my parent's house (mostly because we live in the basement!) and opened presents, played with presents, and had a big delicious breakfast. While the boys took their naps, we went and saw Sherlock Holmes-what an AWESOME movie! We then came home and my mom and I made Christmas dinner. Ate another big delicious meal and then headed over to Lines' to visit. We couldn't stay long because Ryan was calling from the Phillippines at 8pm, so rushed home to talk to my little brother! Here's some pictures to capture some of my favorite moments.

Jakie riding his new rocket with his blankie
This gun was Mike's present to me. I think Connor enjoyed it the most!

Jake was scared of this toy at first because of all the sounds and lights it made. It took almost the entire day till he warmed up to it!

Connor now has a new obsession. We had to pull him away crying from his train table to eat and for potty breaks. If only I gave this to him sooner.....

Rees trying out our plamsa car (thanks for putting it together for me Rees!). It's not as fast as we thought, but its still fun entertainment for the boys and the adults!

Mike got The Office season 5! YAY! I think I was more excited about this one.

Jakie boy playing with his favorite person

Still playing......

Momma opening presents with Jake

Jake was too cute opening presents. After watching everyone do a couple rounds he figured out that after you open it there's a lot of Ooh's and Aah's and began making his own sound effects. I died laughing watching him.

The boys enjoying the plasma car

I got all the boys and my dad some Air Hogs helicopters at 75% off at the end of summer. They were a big hit. After playing games Saturday night, the boys decided to go for some more flying time at 11pm. Boys.....

What a wonderful Christmas this year filled with fun, family, traditions, and reminders of our Savior!