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Suggested Reading Material

I was going to say that there are 4 books that I've read so far in my life that have deeply affected me... but I really can't put the Bible in with the following group because obviously the Bible is so much more than these other books. It is the living breathing Word of God (and its not non-fiction) So, my disclaimer is that the Bible is my truth, my standard, my love letter from my Lord, and my compass.

That being said, there are 3 books that I've read in my life time that even after I finish reading them, I can't get them out of head...books that have helped shaped some of my philosophies and opionions. I just finished reading #3 tonight:

1.) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - I've probably read this book 5 times. I love the story and the underlying theme of grace. It is a really good demonstration of love, forgiveness, and mercy. It used to be my all-time favorite. But, since I've read the other two below, its tied. :)

AYN RAND NOVELS - I DO NOT agree with Ayn Rand's basis to her philosophies wholeheartedly. She was an atheist - a person who scoffed at the notion of God. She believed in the virtue of selfishness and putting one's own life at highest reverence. I obviously do not agree with this philosophy. However, her books are accurate portrayals of what happens when higher purpose (whether God or in her opinion, one's self) is removed from man... and the depravity that follows. America is at a significant crossroads and I encourage you to read at least one of these books before voting.

2.) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - This is an accurate portrayal of what America IS SLOWLY BECOMING...socialist. A story about redistribution of wealth. The story of the immediate effects of a society who loots from its producers yet expects them to keep producing. The corruption and suffering and death; death of the body, the mind, the spirit. The story of a country who refuses to see that its collapse can be saved through personal hard work and ambition of the INDIVIDUAL not the COLLECTIVE! Key word! Notice who uses the word "collective" all the time? Read this book and a specific candidate will start to scare you.

3.) We The Living by Ayn Rand - This is a story based on Ayn Rand's life in Communist Russia before she escaped to the U.S. A very powerful and startling description of what life is like when putting the "Collective" before the "Individual". What is the "collective"? It starts out as a desire to even the playing field, to care for others. Nothing wrong with that right? Well when handing off the responsibility of caring for our brothers and sisters to the government or institution of the state, what does the collective become? It becomes about the state, the institution... not about the people, the individual! Some people lose the motivation to care for themselves when the "state" will do it for them and some people lose the capacity for compassion when they are forced to support the dead weight of others who won't support themselves. They are asked to sacrifice for the collective, for the party, for whatever word you want to call it. Enough! We need to quit feeding the expensive inefficient machine that is big government and take on some personal responsibility! I'd much rather support a private based service organization with my pocketbook that let the gov't tax me into oblivion to support the programs they deem important. Wouldn't you? I could go on but I won't.... we just need to be careful that we don't move too much further into the picture that this book depicts.


My friend Jana reminded me through her blog the other day that the most important thing I can do for this election is not neccessarily voice my opinion with anyone and everyone but to pray! To diligently pray without ceasing. Sometimes I get worried and forget that my God is awesome, just, all-powerful, all-knowing, all loving and I want to take things into my own hands. As you read this, know that although I am extremely passionate about some things and will act on them, ultimately I surrender to the perfect will of God.

Favorite Things

I have 2 new favorite things:

1. This awesome little invention from Starbucks.

I was meeting some girlfriends of mine the other day and stopped at Starbucks on the way to use the gift card that Sarah had gotten me. Thanks Sarah! I don't know about you but it seems that everytime I get coffee and take it with me I manage to slosh it all over myself. I also make sure I order my latte's extra hot because they're always cold by the time you finish it. So, I was so excited to see they had thought of something to help with both problems.

This little green stick plugs into the hole at the mouth of the lid to keep it from spilling and letting heat escape. AWESOME!!!!

2. This great new place to eat... The Dog of Nashville

It used to be that I wouldn't touch a hot dog with a 10-foot pole. But, since becoming budget conscious (some people call it broke :)), my palet has de-evolved! I look forward to the Johnsonville Cheddar Brats that are now a staple in our home. So, I was really pumped when I heard about this place... Sarah and I tried it out last week and it was great. All kinds of hot dogs: jalepeno stuffed hot dogs, vienna dogs, brats, cheddar wurst... yumm! Plus, every menu item is under $3.00!

Gowns, Suits, and Luncheon Dresses

I've reached the end of my pageant career and have almost accepted that I may never satisfactorily fit into any of the clothing...hehe. So, I'm selling it all. If any of you skinny-mini's out there that are still involved in pageants or have prom coming up would like these please let me know. I'll give you an even deaper discount if you buy all of them together. They are already heavily discounted from what I paid. On a side note: please don't judge me for what I paid for these gowns! How embarrassing. Fortunately I had sponsers that helped with the cost of them and the money I made in scholarships far outweighed the cost of these gowns. So, Travis and Shawn....I don't want to catch any flack from you!

Dorian Ho- silk gown w/ detailing. Originally a size 6 altered down to size 2 or 4. Paid $800. Price for you: $150

Vintage Designer Gown from 1960's. My wardrobe/stylist found it at a designer vintage shop in L.A. I paid $1000 for it. There are no tags indicated which designer it is since I had it altered and to be honest I forget. It is now a size 4. Retailed at $1000. Am asking $225.

Kay Unger Seafoam Green Designer suit. Gorgeous suit...would keep it if I could move in it :) It is perfect for a college entrance or pageant interview. Originally a size 2 but was altered down just a bit. Originally $600 but am asking $150. Perfect condition.

Anne Barge Wedding Gown. I wore this for a talent competition so it would work perfectly for both. The train is completely detachable (including the satin roses on back) and the dress is gorgeous by itself as well. Just needs a quick dry clean and pressing because the train drug on the floor during the 15 min competition but it isn't even noticeable and will come completely off if dry cleaned. This is a $2000 wedding gown and I'm selling it for $225.

Cache Lucheon or Casual Wear - This is a perfect little outfit for the casual wear portion of competition or for one of the luncheon's througout the week. If you purchase any of the gowns or suits above, I'll throw this one if for just an extra $25. I paid $80 at Cache for it. Size 4

Obama vs. McCain Round One

So anyone who knows me even just a teeny tiny bit knows how I feel about Obama.... I think he's the most horrifyingly terrible option for our nation's president. On Saturday there was a civic forum at Saddleback, Rick Warren's church where each candidate was brought out separately and asked a series of questions. Even if I were looking at this unbiasely I would give the victory to McCain. Obama didn't answer half the questions and waffled back and forth on everything. McCain was concise, decisive, definitive and unapologetic. Keep in mind that McCain isn't my ideal candidate but he is impressing me so far with his stance on a number of things given that he is what I would consider a more liberal Republican. I guess I'll have to choose the lesser (much less) of two evils. I don't have a lot of time to go into everything but let me point out a few things:

1.) Abortion:
- Obama said "That question is above my pay grade" what??????? There is no higher pay grade than the president of the United States except for God. (that may have been his point but it was a stupid thing to say) Plus, if you're a Christian, as you say, then you have a direct connection to the Lord. He should be able to let you know what he thinks about embryonic life. As President you need to know your beliefs and stand by them. I don't want someone who doesn't know when a baby is a baby.
- Obama said "I want to work as hard as I can to reduce the number of abortions....despite legislation from the Bush administration abortion numbers have not gone down." First of all, if it is just a pile of meaningless tissue then why do you care to reduce the number of abortions. That is stupid. If life doesn't start at conception then why should it matter. Second of all, the last part of his statement is NOT TRUE. Abortion rates are currently at their lowest since 1974. Nice try Barack
- McCain said "Life starts at conception" Nice, clear, concise, and decisive answer.

2.) Marriage:
- They both said that marriage was between 1 man and 1 woman. However, Obama said he would not support a constitutional ban while McCain said he would. I appreciated this from McCain although I do think he is still to far left on the issue. I believe in human rights and equality...blah blah blah.... but I don't think that homosexual couples should receive the same "benefits" (i.e. employer discounted family healthcare pacakages) that same sex couples do. Why? For a moral reason? Yes. But also for fiscal reasons. I do not want to pay for someone else's higher risk lifestyle. Same thing goes for obesity, smokers, etc. Higher healthcare costs = more that comes out of my pocket for premium's every month.

I'm going to stop there for now. I don't have enough time right now to think everything through and present it concisely (as you can see above :) More later....

A Good Steward

It is really important to me to be a good steward of all that we have, especially right now. Besides cleaning houses I really try and contribute by saving money on groceries. Travis and Reba are the ones who really inspired me to do this. Plus, I'm an old pro at couponing since one of my chores as a kid was to cut coupons....thanks mom!





This week was my best savings week yet. For 2-3 weeks of groceries, I spent $103 and saved $145. Erin and I have taken our grocery budget from $400+ to under $200/month. This includes toiletries and household items. Above are pictures of my loot from this week.

I have enough for 3-4 weeks worth of lunches for both Erin and I (including Lean Cuisine, Home-made Ranch Burgers, and left-overs), 2.5 weeks worth of dinner ingredients, 2 weeks worth of produce, Brita filters for 3 -6 months, and toiletries for a month.

Some of you have asked me for the details of my shopping trips. How do I find these savings?
1.) I check the following websites (and others) for coupon links and deals:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://www.thecentsiblesawyer.blogsot.com/
http://www.centsiblesavings.com/
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.kroger.com/
2.) I sign up for every online freebie I can find. These are great because you not only get samples of products but they usually send valuable coupons in the mail with these samples. Walmart.com offers tons of samples every week.
3.) Pick up the circulars at your grocery stores and match the advertised specials with the coupons you have.
4.) Plan your meals around the deals. Do not vary from your set menu...just having a plan will save you tons of money plus take lots of stress off you since you won't have to decide every day what you're going to have. After planning your meals go directly to manufacturer websites to look for printable coupons for ingredients.
5.) Sign up online for the coupons that load directly onto your grocery card. Kroger is the best for this. Plus, every couple of months I get a big packet of coupons from Kroger that represent groceries I buy regularly. Its pretty awesome.

Here is a list of the deals and things I got this week.
- 5 12-packs of Coke/Dr.Pepper and 1 8-pack of bottles
*Kroger special: buy 3 12-packs and get an 8-pack free
*2 coupons for free 12-packs
- 4 boxes Hot Pockets
* Nestle deal (spend $20 bucks get $5 off)
* Coupons for $1 off of 2 - 2 coupons
- 7 Lean Cuisines
* Nestle deal (spend $20 bucks get $5 off)
- 1 South Beach Pizza Lunch
* Coupon $2.00 off
- Toilet Paper
* Coupon for $2.00 off and another for $1.00 off
- Kroger brand Nacho Cheese Doritos
- 2.5 lbs Fresh Chicken Breast
*Coupon: spend $7 in poultry get $2 off
- 1.25 lbs Ground Beef
*Kroger sale $1.99/lb for 97% fat free
- 1 lb Butterball Turkey Bacon
*Kroger sale - $2.5
*Coupon: $1 off
- Butter
- Crest Toothpaste
*On sale $0.88
- 2 Toothbrushes - Oral B
* On Sale $0.88 each
- Fresh Yellow Corn on the Cob
*Sale: 4/$1.00
- 5 Green Bell Peppes
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Carrots
- Milk
*Sale: 1/2 gallon $1.77
- 3 lbs Fresh Ground Turkey
- 2 Old El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shells
* On sale 2 for $3.00
* Coupon: Buy 2 get $1.00 off
* Coupon: Buy 2 get Taco Seasoning packet free
- Taco Seasong
* Free: See above
- Kroger Crescent Rolls refrigerated
* On sale for $1.60
- South Beach Diet 7-pack "Tide me over" Drink Mix
* Coupon for $2.00 off
- Bread Crumbs
- 3 Lunchables
* On sale for $1.00
- Dozen eggs
- 2 packs Shredded Cheese
* on sale 1.90
- Brita Filter
* Coupon: $6.00 off
- Mac n Cheese
- 6 cans Chx Broth
- Parmesan Cheese
- Cilantro
- Mission Tortillas
* Coupon: $2.00 off
- Fresh Express Salad Mix
* Coupon $1.00 off
- 3 Packages Frozen Veggies
*Coupon: buy 2 get 3rd free
- Contessa Skillet Meal
*Coupon: $2.00 off
- Sour Cream
* On Sale $1.00
- Simply Orange juice
* On sale: $3.59
* Coupon: $1.00 off
- 2 Dial Hand Soaps
* On sale $1.00
- Hamburger buns
- Printer Paper
- 2 cans Ranch Style beans
- tomato sauce
- 3 cans diced tomatoes
- 2 cans Pillsbury biscuits
* On sale for $1.00
* Coupon for $1 off 2
- Organic Tortilla Chips
* Coupon: $1 off any Private Selection Organic
- 2 lbs Tenessee Pride Sausage
* On Sale: BOGO
* Coupons: $1 off 2 and $1 off 1
- On the Vine Tomatoes
* on sale: 1.99
- Rice a Roni
*Coupon: $.50 off
- Onions
- Cream Cheese

A Change Is A Comin'

Short post because I'm supposed to be studying...but...

Originally this blog was for family members who I don't get to see enough. It was really just meant to be insight in my day-to-day life.

But, once the beast of Organic II is over I'm going to change things up a bit. Since I now have a bigger readership and since writing is therapeutic I want to start using this as a tool to communicate my thoughts and stance on different things.

In addition to "today I did this and today I did that" I will hopefully begin blogging a bit about:
- things God is saying to me personally, my spiritual growth

- I'm pretty passionate about politics and would like to begin getting some eye-opening information out there to a very liberal, unresearched group of people about their favorite candidate

- Work-out and health ideas

- Anything else I'm heated about at the moment.

Hopefully I will actually do this... sometimes I have good intentions but no follow-through.

Wish me luck on my test tomorrow!

The Object of My Affection

"I want these. I need these." This is what is running through my head right now. I want some new clothes, especially some Seven For All Mankind 'Ginger' and 'Dojo' jeans. But I know that I don't really need them. I only want them. But, I want to be a good steward of our money more, and to go to dental school more, and to finish getting out of debt more. (I guess...sigh) Plus, if you read previous post, you'll know that now is REALLY not the time :(

I'll be thankful one day but right now I just think Dave Ramsey sucks! (or "stinks" for Mom)

:) hahahahah... just kidding Dave.

When It Rains.... God gives you an umbrella

It pours. And it has poured in our household this month.

First it was the speeding ticket we got coming home from Springfield after the 4th of July weekend. Goodbye $100.

Then my timing belt needed to be fixed. Thank goodness I have such a handy husband. He replaced it and the rest of the belts himself and saved us $500. But, still it cost some dough.

Our router for the wireless Internet fried. New one.

Our AC went out the day E was fixing the timing belt in our Toyota. Yeah...you can imagine the moods in our house that day.

What we thought was our computer's power supply went out. After purchasing and installing a new one, we found that our motherboard, and therefore our processor and video card has to be replaced.

I had a minor medical malady that required a doctor's visit and several meds. (not really expensive...just something I feel like complaining about)

This is all just before we have to write a check for tuition. But, mom had a cool reminder for me. If we could do it all on our own, then God wouldn't be glorified through our situation. And, God sure is good to us and has provided yet again.

I got 3 new cleaning clients in 3 days time. This will really help the pocketbook.

We found all sorts of stuff to put up on Craigslist and Ebay.

Our AC didn't have to be replaced and the AC guy was very nice and taught Erin how to service the unit himself next time so we didn't have to call a professional.

I found a quarter in the couch this morning - (fun size hot tamale candies are only $.25 in the school bookstore.... WOOHOO!!)

Sarah was so sweet and gave me a Starbucks gift card for keeping Charlotte (which she didn't have to do). This has enabled me to stay awake while studying while sipping on delicious lattes!

God is Good!

Obama's Nuclear "Solution"

Has anyone heard about Obama's promise to rid the world of nuclear weapons?? This guy is so full of crap I can't even stand it.



What is even more scary are the number of Christians who are believing his deceptions. The latest thing thats got me hot and bothered (not in the good way:), is Obama's new "nuclear" plan. He claims he is going to rid the world of nuclear weapons. How is he going to do this?



We all know that other countries (especially Middle Eastern) are NOT going to listen to measley little Obama's request to stop nuclear research and development. So, that just leaves the U.S. As president, Obama will only have power over the U.S. So, what happens when he stops nuclear research and weapons development in our country? Other countries will continue to have weapons and mass destruction and we are here powerless and defenseless.

Rockstar

I kept Charlotte this weekend. This picture just proves that Sarah is my coolest friend :) Who else could put their puppy in a tank top that says "Rockstar" in rhinestones. Hilariously cute. She was well behaved as always and Erin and I (and Lindsey) enjoyed having her around.

Proud to Be Republicans

Lindsey came for a quick visit to Nashville Saturday night on her way through town for business. Erin and I decided that it would be fun to take Lindsey to the gun range since she has never shot a gun before and since her husband has been interested in possibly getting a gun for home protection. Here is Erin shooting. He never misses the bullseye...seriously does he have to be good at everything!!

Lindsey was pretty nervous but she got good training from Erin and the instructor at the range and worked up the courage to shoot. She shot a .22 first and did great!! I must admit I was pretty impressed with how well she did. She even shot the .40 caliber three times before deciding it was too much gun for her at this stage :)

Needless to say we are proud Republicans and glad we still have our constitutional right to bear arms (for at least a few more months).

Welcome to the world Owen!

My good friends Kelly and Rick had their baby Owen today. I'm so excited to meet him. Congrats Kelly and Rick!

4th of July and Family

After finals on Thursday, the plan was to clean a client's house and leave town. However, I didn't get done with the house until late and Erin ended up changing the oil in the cars at 10 p.m. Needless to say we didn't leave for E's parent's house until early Friday morning!



We got there around noon and enjoyed just spending the day hanging around with E's parents and sister. We also enjoyed some homemade ice cream. Yum!



The highlight of Erin's trip was reloading about 500 bullets with his dad and then testing them out at the gun range.



We stayed until Sunday around lunch time and headed back home. Sorry no pictures but we had a really great time! We're hoping to convince Jennifer (E's sister) to come for a visit in August. I'm in the mood for some shopping, dancing, and poolside fun!

Exercise Plan

Because I have been so swamped with school this month, Erin and I have had to get creative with our time. We've had to figure out a way to exercise, have fun, and spend time together all at once. So, we have been kneeboarding! It is great excercise, only takes us about 10 minutes to get the boat out and on the water, and it is great fun. Unfortunately there are no pictures of us actually doing it because one of us has to drive the boat while the other takes a turn. But it is great fun!

Stud Muffin :)

The only downside is that I really need to buy another pair of sunglasses because mine broke and I've been wearing a pair of Erin's and they look a little goofy :)

On the boat - w/ the goofy glasses!

Erin makes fun of me for never putting bad pics up of myself so here ya go! He snapped this one of me after kneeboarding. I was exhausted!

Dad's Retirement from USAF - San Antonio

Last weekend we went to San Antonio to attend Dad's retirement ceremony from the Air Force. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was so honored to be Dad's daughter at that moment. It is clear that he is highly respected by everyone who knows him at the Air Force. Since he has been a reservist most of my life, I haven't gotten to see that aspect of his life as much. I wish that everyone (his family, his church) would see how capable, faithful, intelligent, and dependable Dad is and give him the respect and praise and following that he deserves. Sometimes pastors get the raw end of the deal and church members try to treat them like their personal puppet, but it was soo cool to see him people salute him, respect him, listen to him, praise him, say they wanted their kids to be like him, etc. We are so proud of you Dad and love you so much.

At the ceremony, Dad received the Legion of Merit medal which is the HIGHEST NON-COMBAT medal military personnel can receive. What a huge honor...and he's my Dad!! Erin and I were really proud and really impressed.

Another highlight of the trip was seeing the rest of the family, of course. It was great to be able to spend time with each other and catch up and have some fun. Zion and Calvin were definitely the stars of the show though :)

Deck Party

Kelly and Rick have also been working hard on their deck for almost a year. They originally contracted this 2000 square foot deck out to a independent contractor but he was unable to hold up his end of the deal so Rick and Kelly decided to do it themselves. They are both very capable builders and craftspeople and it is finally finished. They had a big part a few weekends ago to thank all of us that helped with the project and to enjoy the deck. There are 3 levels total and a really nice stone and granite outdoor kitchen. Hopefully they'll still get use out of it once the baby comes :)

2nd level

1st level & outdoor kitchen

Me slaving away

Baby Showers

I co-hosted a shower for my friend Kelly on June 8th. It was a beautiful shower. I'd say it was a success. Kelly and Rick had a cool idea to let other people know the sex of their baby but they didn't find out themselves. They had their friend send out announcements in a "top secret" themed stationary. It is the job of everyone to keep the gender a secret until "it" is born. So, we kept the shower to that top secret theme.

The mom to be at 9 months: (in red)

Some of the games:

The Activity Bags w/ games, goodies, etc:

Framed gifts of the invites and fingerprints of everyone present:

The Decor:

I made a "diaper cake" for Kelly that we used as a centerpiece for the gift table.

The Food: