Happy Halloween!!!

If you are kidless then you may be wondering what the heck my hubby carved into our pumpkin, but if you have small kids you most likely know that it is the logo for the Incredibles. Hayden was Mr. Incredible for Halloween, so Clayton thought that it would be appropriate. He even strapped it down into the wagon while we went door to door. Our night began by walking over to The Reserve to meet some friends there for a party. We all went walking around the 'hood to gather up some yummy goodies. Hayden did so well! Last year he freaked out and was too scared to walk up to the houses, but not this year. In fact, he went so fast that Emerson and me couldn't keep up. Clayton taught him to say that he had an agenda, LOL. Afterwards, we went back to Shelly's house and had some good eats with a bunch of friends. Overall, I would say that we had a great night. The bad part was walking back home in the chilly night air. Emerson didn't seem to mind though because he fell dead asleep in the stroller.

This is my latest project with The Scrapbook Stand's November kit. It is a canvas that I scrapped to go into the boys' bathroom. The photos are attached to coaster-sized chipboard squares. They were sanded around the edges and then everything got mod podged. It's hard to see the words in between the photos that say "Good Clean Fun".

A sweet photo to share

This photo was somehow retrieved from my corrupted memory card. I took it last week while we were at my Aunt Judy's house. This is my Aunt and Hayden feeding the goldfish and koi in her pond. They did not know I was behind them ;) 

Some updates

I forgot to mention that Big E began standing on the 21st. I found him standing next to the toilet and you can only guess what he was doing. He was having a grand ole time splish splashing in the water, ewwww. I ran to get my camera, but something is wrong with my memory card. It is corrupted or something, so I don't have a photo. That was a bummer!

In surrogacy news, I had an ultrasound done on Monday and the RE said that everything looked super. I had 12 follicles in one ovary and 10 in the other. We aren't using them, but the doctor checked them out because they are good indicator as to how well my reproductive system is working. I started taking estrogen that evening and I will have an U/S in Atlanta on 11/4. That U/S will reveal how well my body does with the drugs and I have my fingers crossed. This cycle is called a mock cycle. We aren't actually going to do the IVF, but we will go through the motions just to make sure that everything is working optimally.

I have been thinking about working part-time at our new Michael's teaching some scrapbook classes. They called yesterday and I am going to show them some work this evening. Hopefully, all will go well and I will be able to make a little bit of spending money ;)

I used to work for a store in Atlanta (actually Marietta) called The Scrapbook Store. I just got an email the other day saying that they had changed management. I was mortified! I loved Kathy and she was such a great owner. It was upsetting to know that she had sold out. BUT, then I found out that one of my co-workers from there bought it! Chanelle is the absolute coolest gal ever and she will do a great job. I have complete faith in her. I must admit that I am highly jealous of her new endeavor because the store totally rocks! Now I know that I am going to have to make a side-trip the next time I am in GA. Good luck girlfriend :)

Hayden slept in today rather than going to school. I don't know what his deal is, but he wouldn't get up. He slept til 10am! I am guessing that he didn't feel like going since he threw his banana up this morning. Poor guy. Regardless, he seems to feel okay is running around. I hope he isn't coming down with anything.

Check out Unwrapped on the Food Network!

On October 24th at 9pm, they will be featuring the lady who has the Grocery Game website that I have been raving about. Her name is Teri and I am sure it will be interesting. Some of you guys probably doubt my saving $101 2 weeks ago, so please check it out if you are at all skeptical or curious about the program. If you do sign up for the $1 trial, I would be thrilled to be credited as your referral. I earn free weeks of the list for every 3 referrals I get ;)

I may not be a bee, but I sure do have the hives...

Holy hives batman! I don't know where I got them from, but I can't wait for them to go away. I came home from our vacation like this. Actually, it has gotten worse since I have been home. Ugh! I am suspecting laundry detergent or my facial cleanser. I hope it clears up by next week. I have an ultrasound appointment with the fertility clinic next week. I don't want them wondering what kind of mysterious disease I have, LOL. My Aunt seems to think that it may have come from the foam pillow I slept with at her house. It's pretty old and she says that it has irritated other people before. Regardless, I won't be using it the next time I go home.

Our trip home went very well. The kids had a fabulous time while I relaxed. Mom and Aunt Judy take over the show whenever they are around, so I LOVE visiting with them. Big E ate everything in sight. I am pretty sure that everyone was wondering where in the world it is all going, but let me tell you, I know ;) He had a large bowl of grits, a piece of toast, and an egg one morning. Heck, I don't even eat that much. I think that he is going through a growth spurt (at least I hope that is the case!).

Blah, blah, blah...

I am in a blah kinda mood today. I just want to sit around and watch re-runs of Dawson's Creek all day. Getting dressed is completely out of the question. Why should I put on clothes to go no where? PJs are so much more comfy. We were supposed to meet the MOMS Club for coffee at Starbucks today, but I canceled. I really don't feel like being stuck in a small area with a bunch of kids today. The good news is that the blahs should be gone tomorrow. The kids and I are going home to visit my parents and family. We always have a good time there. My Mom and Aunt are the best 2 people in the world! They help with the kiddos and spoil us rotten with good food. I have only been home once since having Big E, so they are due for a visit from us. Clayton is going to Atlanta on Sunday and will be gone for a few days (which is why I am heading home-I can't stand to be at home alone at night). Joanna, will ya watch our fort for us while we are gone? If you say no, I will bribe you with the promise of treats when I return home ;)

Have you seen the movie National Treasure? Hubby and I watched it last night due to some recommendations for it on 2 Peas. Let me just say, it STUNK! The story line is pretty cool, but the whole movie was bogus. For crying out loud, do you really think that these people could get as much access as they did? Yeah, righttttt. They were able to just walk into many areas that I am sure would be unaccessible for just anyone to walk into. The love story that happened in it was so stinkin' cheesy. I can't believe that Nicholas Cage ever did such a bad movie. In my opinion, it was an adult Goonies. It was so similar that it was ridiculous! Hubby mentioned that the fact that they used the word "treasure" made it all seem so hokey. I have to agree.

Here's a photo of Emerson that I took a few weeks ago. He pulled off his sock and then crawled around with it in his mouth like he was a puppy. It was hilarious! I tried to get it from him and he resisted to give it up. He was so proud of himself, LOL.

Check it out-You could be saving a bundle at the grocery store.

Here is the latest view of my pantry. Isn't it lovely? I will let you all in on a little secret. I have been subscribing to a website called the Grocery Game since the end of August. It has saved me oodles of money since I started. Every week, I collect the coupons from the Sunday paper and then I match them up with the sale list that the GG has for me. You would think that you could just match your coupons up with the sales ads every week, but you would be mistaken if you think that will save you loads of $. This gal has figured out sales trends since 2000 and she knows when a sale is rock bottom and when it is a "phantom" sale designed to trick you into using your coupon before the item hits its lowest price. The first week, I save $40 and I thought that was great. Little did I know that it was going to get better each week. I saved more and more each week until I hit over the $100 mark this past Sunday. My receipt shows that I save $101.69 on my order and I can post a photo if you need me to prove it, LOL. I should frame it! They actually had to call a manager over to approve the transaction because the savings amount was over the expected amount. I was thrilled. I ended up buying $250 worth of groceries for $150. That is simply amazing. I pay the GG $10 every 8 weeks for her list of sales and recommended coupons. It is an amazing deal. She offers a $1 trial for 4 weeks and I highly recommend giving it a go. Now mind you, it is hard starting out because she will rely on coupons from a few months earlier and you won't have them. You have to gather up your coupons each week and after around 12 weeks, you will have all the same coupons she uses. Check it out and see if any of your local grocery stores are offered. I use Harris Teeter. Food Lion is also an option for me, but their coupon policy sucks. They do not double them. HT doubles up to 20 coupons that are $.99 and below. They rock! Oh, I forgot to mention that the GG helps you learn to stockpile so that you won't need to go out and grab something unexpectedly because you ran out. Instead, you end up only buying necessities when they are on rock bottom sale. I heard on 2 peas that it takes a couple of months to build your supply. One gal said that you spend the same amount on groceries as usual your first couple of months, but you bring home almost twice the groceries. She claimed that somewhere between month 3 and 4, you will start spending less and your stockpile begins to stabilize. If you are interested in the GG, check the website at http://www.thegrocerygame.com . Feel free to use me as a referral. I sure wouldn't mind :)

I LOVE Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the changing of the leaves, the smell of Autumn (which is hard to put into words), trick-or-treating, costumes, candy, and my Count Snoopula flag. Last year, we moved into our house on October 1st, so I never got around to hanging my cool flag. You can't see them in the photo above, but I have orange lights around my railings and my front door. I love to decorate and I wish I had lots of money this year to do it. I want scarecrows and bales of hay with tons of pumpkins everywhere. Oh well, maybe I can do that next year. Hayden is going to be Mr. Incredible and Emerson is going to be a froggy. They look so adorable in their costumes. I will be sure to post a photo of them later. I am thinking about taking them to the Picture People for a Halloween photo shoot. We'll see.

Emerson needs a haircut, don't ya think? We are waiting until just before his 1st birthday to chop it. That's the same thing that I did with Hayden. The amazing thing about chopping their hair for the first time is that it makes them immediately look like little boys instead of babies. That's why I wait until they are one. I want to preserve that baby-ishness as long as possible ;)

I am sick of our kids and me being sick!!!

Ugh. Will the cooties ever quit spreading? Tuesday night, Emerson was running a high fever and he just could not sleep. I moved him into our room so that I could comfort him. It was horrible. No one slept that night except Hayden (since he had his bedroom all to himself upstairs). I couldn't believe how hot Big E felt. He felt like he had a sunburn all over his little body. The Tylenol wasn't working and I didn't know what to do for him except take him to the doctor. Conveniently, I was able to get him in while Hayden was at preschool. The doctor said that he thought some antibiotics would help him and so that is what he got. He seems to be better today and he is beginning to eat again. He slept last night, so that was a good thing.

I have had 6 or 7 sore throats since Hayden brought that preschool disease home with him back on the 12th (yes, it has really been that long!). It isn't a normal sore throat. Instead, I actually develop lots of sores back there. It feels so bad. My throat feels like it caves in and it becomes really hard to swallow. My tonsils double in size. I swear, it isn't a pretty sight to behold when I get it.

I have a LOT to say...

About my new avatar-
I just had to update my message board avatar. I needed a recent photo of me and only me. Usually, my kids are in the photos too. Now you all know what I look like. For you guys who knew me way back when, no that isn't a perm. I know my hair used to be straight, but it isn't now. After I had Emerson, my hair grew in curly. It is the strangest thing, but I am happy with it. Who ever knew you could just one day become naturally curly?

About The Scrapbook Stand-
You guys need to check out TSS. We are having a contest to win a free kit right now. Get on over to the message boards and register to win. The details can be found here: http://www.thescrapbookstand.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=718&highlight=

About my recent scrapping achievement-
I got an email last week inviting me to join the design team for Good to the Last Crop. I am so excited! The website and kits R-O-C-K!!! There were a lot of girls up for it and I am so glad that they chose me. If you want to check out the site, go to http://www.goodtothelastcrop.com . One of the other gals that made it, Alexis, is also on The Scrapbook Stand's design team with me. She is an awesomely talented gal and I am so happy to work with her :)

About the surrogacy and Atlanta-
Ok, everyone keeps asking, so I will just post all the details here, LOL. This past weekend went fabulously, for the most part. We went to Atlanta to get some medical things done for the surrogacy. I loved the clinic and the appointment went very smoothly. Clayton and I both had bloodwork done to make sure that we aren't diseased and then I had an ultrasound. The doctor checked out my ovaries and was able to see 19 in my right one and 11 in the left one. She was concerned about the size of my eggs. She asked if I had any assistance getting pregnant with my 2 sons and I told her no. After that, she said wow and that she couldn't believe that I conceived naturally. Apparently, it is rare for eggs to be as small as mine are. Oh well, we aren't going to be using my eggs, so it doesn't really matter anyway. Oh, I forgot to tell you all how squimish Clayton got when he saw all of the photos of babies conceived through their offices. Most were of twins and triplets!

Later on, our intended parents took us to a fantastic restaurant called Oceanaire. They had the best fish and mashed potatoes I have EVER eaten! We had a great time. I can't wait to help them bring a new baby into their happy home :)

About Bon Jovi-
Tickets for the Charlotte show went on sale Saturday morning and I forgot to get on Ticketmaster at 10am. In fact, I remembered it when we were away from the hotel. By the time I would get them after that, the seats would be really bad. Ugh! I was so upset. The good news is that their Atlanta show hasn't gone on sale yet, so I am hoping to get good seats for it.

About my fabulous hubby-
After leaving Atlanta, I was very upset. The Bon Jovi thing made me sad. Clayton surprised me by stopping at the Mayfield Dairy on our way home. They have a really cute gift shop and lots of good ice cream there. Heck, it was really cheap too. We were able to get a single scoop in a cone for $1. I got birthday cake and Clayton had the Reese's cup. Let me tell you, they were both really good! Clayton knew exactly how to cheer me up.