Disneyland and the Desert

Last week was very eventful for us! We kicked off our fun-filled week with an amazing trip to Disneyland to celebrate my Dad's birthday. What an absolute treat it was! I personally haven't been to Disneyland since Austin was 5, so 7 years. It was a splendid day. My Dad bought the boys all Mickey ears of various styles and colors, then we hit the rides. We were able to go on everything, since my Dad can get us through the handicapped entrance (although I don't consider him handicapped)! We ate lunch at the Golden Horseshoe while watching a silly show, which was actually quite amusing. It was so fun to spend the day as a family. My Dad really enjoyed being with his daughters and all his grandkids, and we all enjoyed being with him. When we left, we headed out to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Yum. I love that place. The mizithra cheese with browned butter is sublime. Mmm.....And of course, spumoni for dessert, complete with a candle and a song for my Dad!

The next day when Dave arrived home from work, we got in the truck and headed out to Cal City for the Memorial Day weekend. The Tubbs and Harasicks joined us the next day. The weather was warm and beautiful, with a lovely breeze running through. The boys rode, and rode, and rode some more. Luke now has the ability to be able to take long rides with the big kids and he keeps up just fine. And he really loves riding with them. Almost as much as he loves riding with his best buddies Hunter and Cody. The boys also enjoyed "sleepovers" with the Tubbs boys in their trailer. We did a few kid swaps each night.

The boys found several Horned Lizards (or Horny Toads as some may call them). We decided to take a couple home, since we already have the large glass enclosure from Austin's frog, who sadly passed away last year. We set them all up in there with lots of dirt and a water bowl, and they are doing fine. However, we did find out when we did some research that their primary diet should be Harvester Ants, of which we cannot obtain but by mail order, and they are quiet costly. They will eat other insects, and one guy on the web said his survived for 2-3 years on crickets and mealworms. So we'll see. They are cute little guys (or girls, who knows)? They are docile and friendly, love being held, and are too much fun to observe. They are really interactive, if that could be true of a lizard. We aptly named them Thor and Foxy, after two dirt bike brands.

We arrived back home Monday evening, and are enjoying a 3 day workweek! AWANA Awards are tonight, and Austin will receive the exclusive "Timothy Award" for finishing all 4 books in T&T. Vance will also be receiving a plaque for finishing all 3 books in Sparks. And we will be happy that it's all over for the summer!

14 Years of Marriage Today!

I can't even fathom that 14 years has passed since I said the words that would officially make me Dave's wife. So much has occured, so much has been learned, so much still to grow and learn. But there has never been a day that has gone by where I don't love Dave more than I did the day before. And there will never be a day when I don't acknowledge God for giving me this gracious gift. A husband who loves the Lord, loves and adores me, loves our children, and works so hard and so diligently at everything he does. What I love about Dave is the fact that everything he does, he does for me and for our kids, without a care and concern for his own interests.



While the world is filled with people who don't place a high value (or any value at all, for that matter) on marriage or committment, I am convinced that when Christ is at the center of a marriage, when the focus is on loving Christ, loving and obeying His words in Scripture, and living out the two greatest commandments- then there is no possibility of failure. It's foolproof. I strive to love, serve, and honor Dave as the leader in our home. Dave strives to love, protect, care for, and put my needs before his own. I am so thankful for Dave every day. He is the symbol of Christ's love for me in my life. I have enjoyed every minute with him since we had our first date way back on October 2, 1992. I sometimes still feel like a giddy young girl dating him for the first time. I still get lost in a sea of blue when I look into his ice blue eyes. I still get goose bumps when he puts on a black button up shirt and jeans for a date night. And I still laugh practically every day at the humorous things he says (some of you may not know that Dave is a really funny and highly sarcastic guy). I am keenly aware that all I have is a generous and gracious gift from God, never to be taken for granted. I never deserved any of it, yet I am so profoundly grateful.

Happy Anniversary, Dave! I pray for another 14, and another, and another........

Happy Birthday to My Dad!

Today is my Dad's Birthday!!
Happy Birthday Daddy!!

My Dad decided that on his birthday, he wanted to treat all of us to a day at Disneyland, since he can get in free for his birthday! How amazing and fun is that! What a treat!

Thank you, Dad for loving on us and treating us to this special day! We are brimming with excitement! I can think of no better way for you to spend your birthday than surrounded by your two daughters and all your grandchildren. It is a joy for all of us to spend the day with you, too! Enjoy your special day. And you have to wear the "Happy Birthday" pin all day so everyone at Disneyland can wish you a happy birthday!!!!! I love you!

Thrifty Tip Tuesday!

Thrifty Tip Tuesday Tip of the Week:

$25 Restaurant Gift Certificates for $10!!!!!

This weeks tip was found on another money saving blog I frequent (which is a tip in itself), called "To Save a Penny". Apparently, there is a restaurant website that sells deeply discounted gift certificates to restaurants in your local area. There are some restrictions as to the days you can use them, and also some minimum purchase requirements on some, but either way, it adds up to big savings, so check out this site! It would be great to use as a gift for someone you know, or just for yourself if you want to try a new restaurant and save some dough!

So check out restaurant.com today!

AWANA Grand Prix

This past weekend was a highlight for my boys! The AWANA Grand Prix! They give you a block of wood, 4 axles, and 4 wheels, and you turn it into whatever creation your heart desires. Austin always goes for the creativity award, and Luke usually just goes for speed! This is such a fun time for Dave and the boys to work together in the garage. This year, Dave did very minimal assisting, and the boys did most of the work themselves. It was so cute to see them in the garage using all of Dave's equipment and wearing their cute little safety glasses.

Austin's design this year was a "road". He painted his "street" black, sanded it a little to make it look like asphalt, painted yellow stripes down the middle, and glued little cars from our Rush Hour game onto the street.

Dave helping Austin hot glue on the cars.

Austin getting super excited!

He ended up changing out one of those little cars for a tractor trailer that was taller and could hide more weights under it.

Too cute, Austin!

Luke created a "toolbox" car. Dave helped him cut it into the shape of an old fashioned tool box. Luke sanded it and painted it red. Dave found a bracket or something to use as a handle on top, I found a package with a Craftsman logo on it, and we used one of the round weights glued to the front to look like a lock. The judges loved it, and he took the 3rd place trophy for design!!!!

Luke looking at all the cars.

Here are Austin and Luke's creations! I'm so proud of my creative boys!

Austin and Luke's cars (left two) on the track ready to race! They didn't do too well with speed, but they had a great time anyways! That's what it's all about!

Luke's car going down the track.

Look at all those adorable cars.

Dave and Austin at the races.

Luke receiving his trophy for design. They award for design and speed.

My boys and their creations. All in all it was another successful Grand Prix. This was Austin's last race, and he in finishing his last year in AWANA. Next year, Vance moves in to T&T and will participate for the first time. He's already dreaming up his car for the race next year.

Thrifty Tip Tuesday!

Thrifty Tip Tuesday Tip of the Week!



Haagen Dazs is having free ice cream scoop day today between 4 and 8pm!

Today, go in to your local Haagen Dazs store and receive a delicious scoop of premium ice cream for free! Click on the above link to find a store near you. I happen to know firsthand that Haagen Dazs makes some incredible ice cream. My first job was scooping ice cream at their lovely Glendale Galleria location when I was 16. I really enjoyed working there getting all that ice cream for free!

So have a great day, and try to get yourself a scoop today!

The Importance of Donating Blood

Shortly after my nephew, Brady was diagnosed with brain cancer back in 1999, I began donating blood every 8 weeks at the City of Hope where Brady was being treated. My blood would be directed towards him while he was undergoing chemotherapy, since I matched his blood type. My Mom, my sister, and I would make a "date" out of it, and we would all go have dinner together and then go donate blood. When my Mom passed away, my sister and I continued to go on a regular basis. We always aim to go every 8 weeks, although that doesn't always work out. On the wall in the donation room, they have a chart which states their needed amount of blood donations for the month, and then the amount they have actually received. Let me tell you, they are CONSISTENTLY short of what they need. Apparently, there must be a lack of donors, which then affects the patients there at City of Hope. I try to imagine myself in the recipient's shoes. If I desperately needed a life saving transfusion and there was no blood to receive, how would I feel? As my sister said to someone yesterday, it is such a blessing to be on this side, the healthy one who has the ability to be able to donate. Even if I experience mild side effects and am wiped out for the next 24 hours, that is nothing compared to the people who are receiving my blood. So this is my plug for all of you to consider being a regular blood donor. You will undoubtedly be blessed by the experience every time, and so will the person who will receive your life-giving gift. Man cannot make blood. It is up to people to give it away! And we all have blood, so we are all able. For me, it is such a privilege! I get to go out with my sister, spend lots of time talking, enjoying a great meal together (this time we went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles-amazing), doing a little shopping...oh, and donating blood! It doesn't seem like a chore, and I never dread doing it. I am immeasurably blessed by it every time! And we love going to City of Hope and being able to give back to the people who did so much for my nephew years ago when he was the patient.

Thrifty Tip Tuesday

As I was trying to decide what to post this week, Vance was looking over my shoulder. I decided to see if he had any ideas for my next Thrifty Tip Tuesday.

Me: "So, Vance, do you have any ideas about how to save money?"

Vance: "Yes, don't spend it. And put it in the bank. It adds up."


There you have it folks....wisdom from my 8 year old. Apparently it really is that simple!
But seriously, folks, I do have a tip for this week:


Thrifty Tip Tuesday Tip of the Week:

Gourmet iced tea at home for a fraction of the cost of Starbucks.

Do any of you order the green tea at Starbucks? Over the last year or so, I have really taken a liking to iced green tea. Or hot green tea for that matter. And when I would have Starbucks gift cards, sometimes in the summer I would order an iced green tea. I really LOVE their green tea. It is infused with lemongrass and mint, and it's just so delicious. I inquired one day as to the brand of tea they use, and found out it was TAZO. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the TAZO brand of teas. The green tea Starbucks uses is Tazo's Zen. Well, I think they charge about $4 for a grande iced green tea.


Here comes the tip. Are you ready for it? Can you handle the truth? Walmart carries the TAZO line of teas in a box of 20 teabags for, get this, $3.57. That's right, 20 grande iced teas in the comfort of your own home for the price of 1 at Fourbucks Starbucks. You got it, baby. Major deal. Hmm......$3.57 vs. $80.00!!!! I prefer the former. I have tried several varieties of TAZO teas, and just love them all. Especially the Chai tea. Yum. Tastes like a designer cup of iced tea, so fancy shmancy. I usually just make one serving of iced tea at a time, and I like to pour the tea over lots of crushed ice in my favorite reusable Starbucks cup with a built in straw, for the full "Just got it from Starbucks" effect. Except, the money's in my pocket, not theirs! Have a great Tuesday!

Weekend in Gorman

We decided last Thursday to take a day trip to Gorman, which turned into an overnight, which turned into a weekend! We had so much fun together, just our family. I really enjoyed just spending time with my man and my boys.

Luke improved his jumping skills on Emma's bike (that we borrowed after the last camping trip)! He got some major air on this jump. I feel like a Valley girl...like totally got major air.

This is what it looked like Friday before the gazillions of day people came and invaded our space.

Austin was a motorcycle-riding enthusiast this weekend.

That's Austin scaling that large hill!

Luke, like totally getting more air, dude.

Austin and Luke taking a break.

My three boys enjoying the good life!

Austin on the beautiful trail.

Vance landing a jump.

Austin in full garb.

Man, that kid can get some sweet air.

Vance must have scaled this hill a thousand times!

This is where Vance spent most of the weekend.....Until next time, friends!

Olvera St.

Last week we took a field trip to Olvera St. with our homeschool group. We took a guided tour, and also roamed freely through some of the historical buildings in the area. Of course, no trip to Olvera St. could be complete without an authentic Mexican lunch, and some churros for dessert....hot and fresh right out of the oil! We browsed the many shops, looked through the fire station and the Chinese-American Museum, also.

The boys were pretending to be statues. Browsing the shops.