Lions And Tigers And Bears..........

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My! We went to the Columbia Zoo last weekend. It was rainy and freezing but we managed to have a really good time! All the animals were out and so lively!We had some that were even really interacting with us, maybe a little too much!

I had a lioness chasing me from one side of the pen to the other, because I had a zebra print scarf wrapped around my head (because of the rain). Karlton said she thought I was a Zebra. She was doing anything she could to try to jump the gully to get to me. Oh!!! The look in her eyes was scary!!! You know that I want to eat you look!!! Eeek!

Doesn't he look so cuddly! The bear not the tiger! Lol!

This fellow got a little agitated when there was a lot of people at the window starring at him. He stood up and started beating on the window w/ both fists. Lets just say it scared everyone!! But he liked the kids. He would just look at them and watch their every move. He was really fascinated in Lilee's Yellow flower on her hat.

Siah took this picture of mom and dad. Notice the bird over our heads....

Even the elephants were really friendly that day! We had one walk right to us, like he wanted us to feed him. Wish I would have had some peanuts!

Siah keeping one of the monkeys from escaping. Lol.....

We got to see 2 baby giraffe's. They were so cute! I just LOVE giraffe's!

All the kids had to have their pictures taken with this cut out!

Even though our day could have been ruined very easily, we had a great time! So did all the animals!

A Couple of Couponing Trips.....

I went to Harris Teeter on Thursday and had a really good time! I bought over $100 worth of groceries for a little over $32.00. Sorry don't have the exact #'s with me.... Some of my favorite buys were:

- 5 boxes of Special K cereal - on sale for $2.50 ea.
If you bought 5 you got $5 off your bill so that brought it down to $7.50 for 5 boxes of cereal with out any coupons. Which is a very good deal! But I had 2 $1.00 off coupons for Special K. So I ended up paying - $5.50 for 5 boxes of Special K. The Chocolate is my Favorite , I do like the Strawberry too! And I am known to mix the 2 together too! Mmmmmm!

- I bought 6 boxes of cake mix for .34 cents ea. Here's how..... They were $1.79 ea. org. but on sale for B1G1 Free. Then I had coupons for .55 cents off of 2. Harris Teeter doubles their Q's so that made them .34 cents ea.

- the e-vic special was a bag of miniature Mars candy bars for $.99 cent a bag.

I bought lots of other things too! I actually had a whole buggy full for under $33. :0D

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I also went to CVS and bought a Large Glade Candle and a loaf of bread for $1.04.

The candle was $10, on sale for $6.99, plus you get your ECB $6.99 + Free. Plus I had ECB's that I used from previous purchases.

I saved over $12.00.

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Today I went to Target and got a few really good buys!

- Neosporin Lip therapy $3.34
I used a $3.00 Q
Paid .34 cents

- 2 Dove lotions that were $5.04 ea.
if you bought 2 you got a $5 gift card for your next purchase. So that is like it brought it down to $5.08 for 2.
Then I used 2 $1.50 manufacture Q's
and 2 Target peelie coupons that were on them for $1.00
I ended up paying .08 cents for both of them

- 2 Skippy Peanut Butters $2.04 ea.
I used 2 $1.00 Target Q's
and 2 .40 cents manufacture Q's
I ended up paying .64 cents for ea. of them

Not bad huh!!!!

How about you all???? Have you been Couponing???? Have I inspired anyone to start using coupons!! Let me know here if you have gotten any good deals lately!!!

Infant Hats, Beauties, And Followers!

I have posted 3 new post today on Cutie Patutuz. Check it out here http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/

Have You Stopped By.....

Cutie Patutuz lately to see what all I have???? http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/
Christmas is coming soon!!! My tutu's and hats will make great gifts! Please keep me in mind!:0)

GUESS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

We accepted an offer on the land yesterday. Actually it was the 3rd offer from the same people. It was very low and we still lost some money on it but it is better then the bank taking it right! We are suppose to close on it the end of this month ( Oct.) if the buyer can get all the permits, which I don't know why they couldn't, we did. But you know how things go!! Keep praying because it is not finished yet!

We are praising the Lord and having faith this will go through! The buyers should be praising the Lord to because they got a $25,000 discount. Now we can breath!!!!!!!!!!

Lilee's Big News!!!

And now a message from Lilee....................

" I am a big girl now and not a baby anymore, because I wear panties! They are Sleeping Booty Panties."

Lilee tells everyone this now!!!! She finally made a break through and finished potty training herself. Thank goodness! She has been poopy potty trained now since Christmas, but the pee part we just could not get! For the last 3 weeks she has done so well! She has only had 2 accidents but luckily she had a pull up on at the time, and it was in the car. She only wears a pull up now for bed time and in the car if we have to go somewhere with a long drive. But when these pull ups are gone, they are gone!!! That will save us some money!!! Excited about that part!

I know this picture is blurry but I thought it was still cute!

Wednesdays Prayer List

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR OUR FAMILY!!!

Things were just starting to looking up, but that all went away very quickly.... Karlton was working night and day and weekends , w/ the help of the boys on the large job he had gotten, and had passed all his first inspections. Things were rolling! Then people started getting greedy.... contractors, business owners... until things turned really bad and the contractor Karlton works for got thrown off the job and lost the job. (The little man always gets hurt!!! )Karlton thought he was not going to get a penny but the contractor he works for gave him 1/2 the money that is owed to him, out of his own pocket. The poor contractor has 57K of his own money on this job and has not been paid. So now there are attorneys involved. The owners of the business has already hired another contractor and has people working which is not really legal. They came in and tore down all the work that has been done already. The city will have to get involved now because they have passed all the inspections and they tore down that work as to say your inspection is not good enough. So let me just say these people deserve what ever happens to them. I know that is bad of me, but very true!!! What does the bible say about a slap in the face?

So now the few weeks of steady work is all gone out the window! I have turned in a few resumes for Karlton for contract work with some large companies..... please pray something turns out!

The Bankruptcy has taken longer to start, because we did not have the money to do it. Nice huh!!!! We are to poor to go bankrupt! =0( But in a few short weeks we are filing and it could not come fast enough. The phone calls and the letters keep getting uglier and nastier! Seriously people!!

On a good note the Lord has blessed me with all the work I can handle with tutu's, flower bows, and hats! Oh..... the hats!!! I am so grateful the Lord has given me something that I can handle to help our family out. I actually love it!!!! I don't feel so useless.....(Proverbs 31:24 )"She makes linen and garments and sells them and supplies the merchants w/ sashes." Yes....I am a Proverbs 31 woman or at least strive to be!

So here are the things you can be praying for our family:

1. Health - Joel was really sick over the weekend but is doing better. PTL!!! Now we have 3 that are coughing a lot ( 2 asthma related)! Pray the Lord will keep our family healthy!
2. Work for Karlton! Work that pays!!!! Work that will keep him busy for a while and keep money coming in!
3. Me!!! That the Lord will continue to let my little business take in money. Lord only knows how much we need it right now. The bills need to be paid and children need winter clothes. ( well actually Sara Ava is the only one in need right now)
4. The Bankruptcy!!! That the Lord will help Karlton to get everything worked out and back on his feet again!
5. I have a cousin ( Summer) who lives in FL that is very sick and in the Hospital. She is 27 and has 2 young kids. Pray for her healing and her salvation!!
6. Pray that justice will be done for the contractor Karlton works for that he will get what is rightfully owed to him and that some how Karlton will get the other 1/2 of the money that is owed to him!

I know that is a lot to dump on you but it sure makes me breath easier and not have my stupid panic attacks when I can get it off my chest!

We do have a lot to be Thankful for!!! I do know that! We are not starving thanks to Coupons!!!! Yes, I am still couponing away!!! We would not survive if it were not for the coupons!!! Lol!! Hopefully sometime soon I will post about my savings. I just have not had the time lately......

Thank You all for your prayers we know and can definitely tell that we are being prayed for! Also.... thanks to those of you who have helped my little business flourish! =0)

I'm Soooo Excited!!!

I finally ordered my business cards! I even personalized them with my own picture. They have been shipped already, and I can't wait to get them!! I love getting shipments in the mail!!!!




Soooo.... what do you think?

I Made My First Dress....

I sew by hand all the time to make things, but this is the first piece of clothing I have made by using a sewing machine. It is a tiny little sewing machine that I got free for placing an order with a company, but it works! I have 1 more to make for Sara Ava. I am going to put a brown t-shirt or turtle neck for the fall/winter and a pr. of leggings. I also am going to put it with one of my brown hats w/ an aqua flower bow.

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Holiday Hats.........

My Halloween set and a Christmas set.

to see more go to http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/

My New Hats..... Need Your Input!

How do you like my new ribbon hats? Do you think these will sell? I would like your input!

You can go to http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/ to see more.....

New Hat Pictures......

and sets available at http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/

Happy Gotcha Day And A Happy Birthday!

Josiah and I brought Lilee home 2 yrs ago today from Guatemala, which was on my mom's b/d! Happy Birthday Mom and Happy Gotcha Day Lilee!!!

We love you sweet girl! You are our baby girl and daddy says you act just like mommy!!!! ;0) You are our sassy, prissy, bossy, no -non- since girly girl!!! We Love You so much and are so blessed to have had you home now for 2 yrs. , after a 17 1/2 mo. battle to get you here! Lilee is finally just about finished potty training and loves wearing her big girl princess panties, and is learning to write her name! She is growing up to fast for me!!!!!!!!

Happy 12th Birthday Josiah!!!

12 yrs. ago today this fellow made me a mama for the 2nd time. Josiah is my running buddy, except he rides his bike while I run. He keeps me company and is my protector. To him he just loves to ride his bike! He LOVES to cook, esp. sweets of course! We are so proud of you and Love you very much! Hope you have a fun and wonderful Birthday Siah!!!! One more year I will be a mama to 2 teens..... ahhhhhh!!!!

Tonight he is having a sleep over. So he should have a fun day and night! He picked out a NC State football shaped cake , they will watch movies and wrestle. Yes, wrestle..... this is what he wants to do !?!?! For his present I took him shopping for clothes. I love this age, when all they want is money and clothes!!! Love the taking them shopping part!


I took these pictures of him a few weeks ago, when I did a photo shoot of all the kids together.

Get Your Beanie Hats Today.......

As of today I am selling my Beanie Hats and Sets, they are ready to be shipped. Go to http://cutiepatutu.blogspot.com/

to see more information.

These make great Baby Shower, Birthday, and Christmas presents!!!