Homeless and Happy!

Today is the Big Closing Day!! We go to sign the papers to close on the sale of our house. Technically after 11:30, we will be homeless. Technically. We get to stay here as long as we need to til we find our next "Casa de Weaver". The hunt for a house is going slow. We were so set on building, but now we are looking at pre-existing homes again. Our builder was a BIG disappointment, so we fired him. Only he doesnt know it yet. Were trying to get a set of the floorplans from him for almost 3 weeks! He kept forgetting, then he wouldnt call, then he wouldnt show up when he was supposed to, etc. Last Wed was the final straw for me. He was supposed to bring the plans by our house betweeen 7 & 8pm after 2 1/2 weeks of phone tag and forgetting. Not only did he NOT SHOW UP, he hasn't called us since! I told Chris, if he has the nerve to call back, to tell him HE's OUT!! If just getting the plans is this difficult, I would hate to see how he is during the building process!! The only downfall is, his price he quoted us was AWESOME!! I am just praying that the Lord will send us who HE wants to build our home, or just show us a great house at a great price! We arent in a hurry, but now that we are signing the papers, I am just anxious and excited to move!! I really need to practice my patience here, I don't want to make the wrong decision and regret it later! Please pray for us as we seek God's guidance in where we need to be! Thanks for reading!

Oh, the decisions!!

We are faced with a big decision to make pretty soon: where to build. When we first put the house up for sale, we had our hearts set on Eagleville, in a little subdivision called Eagle Crest. Long story short, I had a very unpleasant experience with the listing agent for those lots. Not long after that, the lots just disappeared off the realtracs website.I assumed they all sold, or the developer went under. So, we began searching again. We found a neighborhood called Forest Ridge that is only about 5-8 minutes from where we live now. It is very secluded, large lots, and super nice houses! We decided that was where we wanted to go if possible. The only problem is the lot prices. The cheapest lot they have listed is $17,000 more than the price our builder included in our quote. Now I am sure these prices are negotiable, but I don't know about 17K!! However, if that's where God wants us, He will work it out.

So, this past Sunday, while cruising through Realtracs website, what did I stumble on? The lots from Eagle Crest are back up for sale, AND with a different listing agent!! AND, the price of the lots there are right on target with our builder's quote! Mind you we just signed the contract for the sale of our house this Wednesday, so the timing on this is awfully weird. I called the agent listed who was SO very nice and much more honest and helpful then the last one. Apparently the disappearance of the lots on the web were due to the developer finding himself a new listing agent. I guess I was not the only one with a not so nice experience! Now I am torn. I really love the small community of Eagleville. It is such a beautiful area, although it is further away. And that is where the rub comes in. My family is not thrilled with the thought of us moving so far out. Don't get me wrong. They support whatever decision we make, and have told us that we have to do what we think is best for our family. It's just that it is hard enough now to get together, and moving 15-20 minutes further away will not help this situation. Chris and I really need guidance to know what God wants us to do. Please pray for us as we strive to make the right decision in this. My friend Nicole and I went on a little road trip with the our babies yesterday to Eagleville. We drove through our potential neighborhood, and then ate at the local Mexican restaurant there, which by the way, is FABULOUS!! Here are some pics of the lots we like in Eaglecrest:




This lot is nice, but not my favorite. The land seems kinda low, so I am wondering about water issues. It is 0.81 acres.


These next few pics will be of my favorite lot. It is on a slight hill, with a creek in the back. And LOOK at the views behind it!! Beautiful! This lot is 0.93 acres.

Giving God the Glory!!

I am so blessed and most times I compain about the littlest things! God is really working on me with this. Sometimes all you need is a different perspective. Not that it will be easy to do, because complaining comes SO naturally to me, so I have a long battle ahead! I was talking to Kelly this week, and we got on the subject of complaining, and how things could be so much worse than what they are! But that was not even my AH-Ha moment! These words came out of my mouth, "Think of it this way, why in the world would God want to bless us with anything else, when all we do is complain about the blessings He already gave us?" Whoa! I have heard this so many times, and totally agreed, but something about this particular time just got me. Not at first, but after our conversation I kept thinking about what I had said. God has recently answered a HUGE prayer in our lives, and yet I was finding little things to complain about. What I mean is, we recently sold our house after 6 months of hardly anyone calling. I really tried hard not to complain about the slow process, and I may have failed a time or two, but I really tried!! In an answer to our prayers, God sent us a buyer, and the best possible scenario we could have asked for! 1)Our buyer is giving us the price we had set as our "have to have" price. 2) Our buyer is allowing us to stay in the house as long as we need to (within reason) until our new house is built! 3) The rent they are charging us is cheaper than our current house payment!!! Is that an answered prayer or what!?!?! So what do I do with it? After trying so hard not to complain about NOT selling, now I am finding little details to question, and allowing satan to creep in and give me doubts. God showed me after my conversation with Kelly, to stop trying to take the wheel, and just let Him drive! Stop griping when He just handed us what we were asking for! So here I sit, praising His Holy Name, because he loves me this much! We will be technically homeless in 2 weeks(when we close), and I am smiling about it. God is in control, even when we don't see it. Just because the pieces don't fall in place the way like, or even as fast, God see's the whole puzzle, and He knows what is best, NOT ME!! Like I said, I have a hard road or giving up my so called "control" and complaining, but right now, God has my full attention, and I hope it stays that way!! Thanks for reading, now we just wait in anticipation of what God is gonna do next!!

My Super Savings Today.....

I had an awesome week at my 3 Sunday stores today (CVS, Walgreens, and Publix). Total OOP (out of pocket): $30.30 Total Saved: $335.77. Pretty awesome if I do say so myself!! Ok, so here is the run-down: (the prices in parentheses are the normal price when not on sale)



Walgreens:

1 Almay Pure Blends Foundation (9.99)
4 Almay One Coat Mascara (31.96)
1 Almay Pure Blends Lipgloss (7.99)
1 Vick's Dayquil Capsules (6.00)
1 Bic Soleil Razor System (6.99)
1 Vick's Nyquil Liquid (6.00)
1 Bayer Contour Glucose Meter (79.99)
1 Bayer Breeze 2 Glucose Meter (79.99)
2 Hallmark 20pk tissue paper (3.98)
1 Kleenex Cottonelle 12ct Toilet Paper (6.99)
1 Breathe Right Nasal Strips (5.99)

Total Value: $245.87
Total OOP after sales/coupons/tax: $22.42
TOTAL SAVINGS: $223.45 or 90%
Got back $17 of RR.....

CVS:

1 Children's Zyrtec (12.99)

2 Children's Benadryl Liquid (14.38)

1 Scott 8pk paper Towels (10.99)

Total Value: $38.36
Total OOP after sales/coupons/tax: $1.92 (used 9.57 left on giftcard)
TOTAL SAVINGS: $36.44 or 95%
Got back $10 ECB...............

PUBLIX:

8 Ragu Pasta Sauce (17.52)
2 Hunts Ketchup (4.58)
2 Chatham Village Croutons (2.98)
1 Publix Old Fashioned Oats (1.59)
1 Pledge Grab-It Cloths (3.99)
2 Publix Brand baby wipes (4.98)
4 Cover Girl Lip Slicks (13.16)
5 Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Dough (14.45)
5 Nestle Tollhouse Morsels (12.50)
1 Scotch Packaging Tape (3.19)


Total Value: $78.94
Total OOP after sales/coupons/tax: $5.96
TOTAL SAVINGS: $75.88 or 96%

Grocery Bargains this week......

It was another fan-tab-ulous shopping week!! Not alot of time to write, but the overview looks something like this:

Between Walgreens, Publix, CVS, Kroger, and Food Lion, I got $314.37 worth of stuff (after taxes) for only $57.79 OOP (out of pocket)!! YIPPEE! And I still have $9.57 left on a CVS giftcard (from transferring an RX), $10 in CVS ECB (extra care bucks), and $10 in Walgreens RR (register rewards). Awesome week!! See below:





Walgreens
Total OOP: $28.70 Total Savings: $87.04
Total Left: $10 Register Rewards



CVS
Total OOP: NONE!(I got a $25 giftcard from RX transfer, used $15.43 of giftcard)
Total Savings: $52.12 (Not including the giftcard)
Total Left: $9.57 on Giftcard, and $10 ECB



Food Lion
Total OOP: $8.23 Total Savings: $15.62



Publix
Total OOP: $4.84 Total Savings: $60.52



Kroger
Total OOP: 16.02 Total Savings: $23.85
(The chicken was not on sale and no coupon, so that was full price, about $7.00 for both, which means everything else cost me $9.02-- not bad)


Pretty good week! Well, we are off to Mom and Dad's for Sunday Dinner, then to church!

Another great $$ saving week!!

Well, it's been another great money saving weekend!! I got $145 worth of groceries for $35 bucks!! Pretty awesome!! First, here's the loot!!







I went to 3 different stores. Walgreens, Publix, and Kroger. What is not pictured above is my frozen stuff from Kroger. Here is the Rundown:

Walgreens:

4 Skippy Peanut Butters
4 Ragu Pasta Sauces
1 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion
2 Hydrogen Peroxides
2 Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers
1 Snicker Bar (filler item)

Total after Sales/Coupons: $21.85(2 transactions with $4 Register Reward Coupon left over)

Publix:

4 Lipton Family Size Tea Bags (24 ct)
4 Knorr Sides
3 Betty Crocker Potatoes
4 Hunts Diced Tomatoes
2 Swanson Chicken Broth Cartons
1 Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
1 Publix Brand Disinfecting Wipes (free)
1 Publix Brand Coffee (Penny Item)
2 Eat Smart Vegetable Bags
1 Ball Park Hot Dogs

Total after Sales/Coupons: $4.79 (used $4 Walgreens coupon)

Kroger:

2 Bumble Bee Tuna Pouches
4 Sister Schubert Rolls
4 Healthy Choice Complete Meals
1 Pepperidge Farms Garlic Bread
1 Totinos Pizza Rolls (40 ct)

Total after Sales/Coupons: $8.07

Overall Out of Pocket Total: $34.71
Savings listed on all receipts: $110.27

The trick with my new way of shopping is to stock up when it is on sale. I have converted my hall closet into a pantry, and my freezer in the garage is just about full. Last week I got 10 Mayfield 1/2 gallon ice creams, and 20 Green Giant frozen veggies for $19.30($90 value). Pretty Awesome!

Sorry to keep it so short, but I am keeping Livvy today. Kristi and Travis are at the hospital, and little Ally Claire should be here soon!! YAY! I am not used to havin 2 kiddos running around, so I gotta run! Ta-ta for now.......

How much? $185??? No, try FREE!!!

Ok I know I haven't blogged in a while, as usual. But today, I gotta tell the world, or atleast the few who read this page, all about my BARGAIN shopping this morning!! Praise God!! See photos.......












Hence the title..... $185.00 worth of merchandise, and that is not including taxes either.........ALL FOR FREE!!!! You should see the smile on my face at this moment. Man oh man. Wanna know how? Well, even if you don't, I'm telling anyways! Here goes:

(The prices listed next to each product are the regular price at each store before the item was on sale.)

Rite Aid

First of all, I transferred a prescription to Rite Aid, and got a $25 gift card. Then, I got:

3 Jumbo Pack Huggies Diapers ($35.97)
2 Huggies Wipes ($6.98)
4 GE White Light Bulbs- 4 pack ($15.96)
1 Proantinox Liquid ($6.99)
1 Wet Ones Anti-Bac Wipes Can ($3.29)
2 Tresemme Shampoo-large bottle ($10.98)
2 Tresemme Styling Products ($10.98)
1 Tresemme Conditioner-large bottle (5.49)
2 J&J Bedtime Creamwash ($11.38)
2 J&J Bedtime Lotion ($11.38)
1 J&J Head to Toe Wash (with free bubbles-$5.69)
(I bought the J&J stuff last week when it was on sale)


Walgreens

1 Q-Tips 600 ct ($4.99)
1 Thermacare Neck wrap ($2.49)
1 Bic Soleil Disp. Razors 4 Pk ($4.99)
2 Crest Cavity Protection Toothpaste ($4.00)
1 Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup ($1.50)
1 Campbells Cream of Chicken ($1.50)
1 Mott's Applejuice ($3.79)
1 Walgreens 2pk AA batteries ($0.99)

Publix

4 Glade Fragrance Collection 10oz Soy based Candles ($8.99ea= $35.96)


Total Value: $185.30

Total Due after Sale, Store,& Manufacturer Coupons(and tax): $62.74

Minus $25 Rite Aid Gift Card : $37.74 out of pocket

Rebate check from Rite Aid (Single Check Rebate): $39.99


SEE? All for FREE! Actually, I MADE a $2.25 PROFIT! Can you believe it? And the rebate check from Rite Aid is an actual check that you take to the bank, not to mention they have another offer going as well. If I spend another $12 at Rite Aide before Oct 17th, I will get a $20 gift card to their store. WOW. Did I say that I LOVE saving money!?!?! I LOVE SAVING $$$$!!! It is like a drug to me. That sounds bad, but it is true. I guess since I am a SAHM, this is my way of helping with the finances. It is alot of work, and planning, but I love it!! Kind of like my "job". I thought I saved alot before with coupons, but this is madness! All thanks to my friend Sarah who told me about the BEST website EVER!! (www.southernsavers.com) This is where I found out how to do all this stuff! Awesome!!

Thank You Lord!!

I just want to say that God is SOOOO good!! I attended the Beth Moore Simulcast this past weekend with my mom. It was such a blessing, and was definately what I needed to hear! Beth Moore has discovered and is thriving in her spiritual gift! If you have never done one of her Bible studies or heard her speak, you should! God is using her as a vessel to get through to women all over the world, and I am one of them! I just had to share this, it was such an immense blessing to me! Thank You Lord!!

Too long, too short

Well, as the title says, it has been too long since I wrote, and this blog will be way too short to catch you up on the Weaver's. But, I will attempt to throw it all in here. So, the house has still not sold yet, boo hoo. We have tried craigslist and we have also put fliers with the sign in the yard. I am really upset, because the investor realtor who showed so much interest NEVER called me back!! I already have a hard time trusting certain business people, and then I go and let my guard down just to be kicked again. UGH! Oh well, the Lord knows what he is doing, and we will move if and when he is ready for us to.

Will continues to change on a daily basis, and he is learning so many new words. He says "shoes", and "see?", he tries to sing E-I-E-I-O with old McDonald! So cute! He has many more little words and funny things, but I can't list them all.

We went to the aquarium in Chattanooga at the beginning of August. It was fun, but I have to say I wasn't that impressed. I actually think I enjoyed the one in Gatlinburg better. We did have a great time though, Renee and Lance went with us, and of course Will loved seeing the fish and all the other animals. We went to Ruby Falls on the 2nd day, it was a BAD idea with a 17 month old!!! Especially one that is need of a nap! He was a big whiny tail the whole time, and there were NO STROLLERS allowed, so guess who had to carry him the whole way? I carried him all the way to the Falls, which they told us was 1/2 mile. WOW. Chris carried him most of the way back, thank goodness! The falls were pretty, but not worth the headache and carrying my kid to get there. So, word to the wise..... save Ruby Falls for the older Kiddies!!

I am starting a Beth Moore "Believing God" Bible study tomorrow night. I am so excited!!! I have done her Beloved Disciple study and it was awesome, so I am really looking forward to this one, and I know it will be just what I need!! Chris has also joined the men's Wed night group at church, which is great! I am so happy we are both getting involved in small groups at church. We love New Vision, but have felt a bit disconnected lately. Satan was really workin on us, and we were close to changing churches, and laid out completely for some time. But now, it is clear to us that NV is where we need to be, we just need to get connected!!

Please keep us in your prayers as we start these groups, and hopefully form some bonds and accountability partners. I guess that is all for now. I am sure that I am leaving something out, but I will be back! Thanks for reading!

Our ZOO trip and the 4th of July....

Well, it's been quite a while. I have been both busy and lazy all at the same time. Keeping busy alot, but then when I do have a moment, I am too lazy to blog! Our house is still for sale, I am working on making brochures and putting it on Craigslist to try and attract more attention. On June 26, we took Will on his first trip to the Zoo. It was super hot, but we had a GREAT day! He was such a trooper, never too fussy, even when we stopped to eat lunch on the way home. He love seeing the animals, but he loved the fish and reptiles the best! We have decided that since we had to cancel our trip to the beach, we are going to take a small trip to Chattanooga and take Will to the Aquarium. I think he will really enjoy it! And at least it will be indoors!! :) Here are some pics from our day at the Zoo:

We also had a pretty great 4th of July. Not only do we celebrate Independence Day, but we also celebrate my Mom's birthday as well. We had grilled chicken and shrimp kabobs, with salad and rice and grilled corn on the cob (great cooking Ryan!!) The boys went to buy fireworks, but we got rained out, as I am sure everyone in our area did. Will enjoyed watching the Macy's firework show on TV, then we finished the night off with Julia's cake and homemade ice cream. SO great!!! I totally forgot to get my camera out until the end of the evening, but I did get some cute shots of me, Will and "Auntie Ka-Ka". It was a good family day!

The picture doesn't do justice for that cake. It was so bright and pretty! They did a wonderful job. Julia's is the best, my favorite bakery!! But as much as I love it, I hate it too! Sweets are my weakness, and I cannot seem to say no to anything from Julia's!!

Well sorry to keep it so short, its just about nap time for the Will-man and I think I just might join him!! :)

Tara

On the up side

Well, the real estate guy did come out on Thursday to look at the house. He really liked it and told us it is the cleanest/nicest one he has seen in this area, which of course made our heads swell just a bit. He is waiting on a deal to go through on July 2nd, and then we can talk price. He is auctioning off some other rentals he has and needs to transfer that money straight into another investment property, and it keeps him from paying taxes on it. So, what that means is as long as he gets what he wants at his auction, he will be making us an offer. I just hope we can agree on a price. I know if it is an investment, he doesn't want to pay full price, but we aren't gonna let him steal it either!! We are just praying that if this is God's will, both sides will be happy with the deal. SO..... this week I will be talking to our builder, and the developer for our new neighborhood, along with a mortgage person to get a good faith estimate on our next house. I want to be prepared and ready to say GO when this deal is done. Well, sorry to bore you on all the specifics!
Will's Dr visit went well. He weighed 24lb and 2.5oz, 32.5 in long! He is 48% for weight and 90% for height, which means he is slowing down a bit, as he was in the 97% for quite some time. I am actually glad about this! It will save us from moving him into all 24 month clothes just yet! he is already in all 18 month and some 24 month! And he is only 15 months!! Lord help us, we are gonna have a BIG BOY!! He did have to get 2 shots, and I was not expecting that! I have to work myself up when he is getting shots. It breaks my heart! He did better than I expected though, didn't cry very long, and no fever afterwards, so that is good! We made a 6 week follow up to recheck his ears, since he has had 2 infections in the last 3 months, and he is keeping fluid on his ears. If it continues to stay there, even with giving him benadryl daily, we will have to visit an ENT to consider tubes. I don't really like that, but I don't want him to have hearing problems, or be on antibiotics all the time!
Well, time for me to go get ready for work! I am helping assist at a wedding with Kelly today. Hopefully everything will go smoothly, and I will get home early!! Wink, wink, Kell!!

Here's a thought, let's build a gas station!

Once again, it has been some time since I blogged. We are still working on small things around the house as well as trying to stop the GAS STATION they have decided to erect 2 houses down from me! I have been on the phone with attorneys, the city planning director, the people who developed this neighborhood, and many more! They all tell me this was approved in 2001 (before all these houses were even built mind you) and that there is nothing we can do to get it stopped. I am thoroughly angry about this. I feel as though our rights have been infringed upon, since we were under the impression that field was going to be a park. We never would have purchased this house had we known about this construction. And how can the city approve something like this 8 years before it is built? I mean, this is a RESIDENTIAL neighborhood, with children walking, school zones, etc... Not to mention the skinny, curvy streets!! I have been so discouraged because we have not been getting calls on the house, and I feel it is due to their big sign announcing the gas station that is coming soon!! We finally got a call on Monday, from a real estate agent who is looking for an investment property in this area. He was supposed to call by Wed, and set a time to come look at it today. So Chris and I were hoping this was the answer to our prayers, and he would just make an offer right away. Well, today is the day, and he hasn't called back yet. Would it be rude of me to call him? Rude or not, I am desperate, and will be calling if I haven't heard from him later today!!!
Today is Will's 15 month appointment. It shouldn't be too bad, he isn't getting any shots! I intend to speak to the Dr about this odd tick that he has. Well, it's more of a grimace/shaking type thing and it is only his face. It kinda reminds me of when you get a cold chill, you know? It may be some toddler thing, who knows, they do funny stuff, and Lord only knows why. I discovered yesterday that if I do it, he will mimic me, so he can do it on command, and that made me think it is just some quirky thing he likes to do. But then again, sometimes he does it at the oddest moments, and it seems totally involuntary. I am trying not to worry about it, and I'll just hope for the best.
Wow this has been quite the depressing blog!! I will leave you with a funny note... Yesterday while I was feeding Will his supper, Dora and Diego were on the TV in the living room. Now, I am not the biggest fan of these cartoons, but apparently he is! They started singing the little song: "Go Diego, Go!" and Will decides he wants to sing too. It was the funniest thing! Only his version sounded more like "DoDidoDO!" all run together. Chris and I were cracking up! He decided to sing that the rest of the night. Well, that and his other favorite which is saying "BAD DOG!!" (Sounds like "daddog" in a lovely growling voice) Oh, this boy is TOO funny! Til next time...

Wow, I haven't written in a few days, our household has been SOOOO busy! We worked so hard this weekend to try and get this house ready to sell! I officially put the sign in the yard yesterday! YAY!! We still have a few things to get done around here before it is ready to show, but it never hurts to advertise in advance! Chris and I drove out to Eagleville to scope out a neighborhood that has large lots in our price range. We have been to this neighborhood before, like 3 years ago, but we were just driving around, not really looking for houses, not to mention they were all too expensive! Well now they are developing a new section, and man oh man, we FELL IN LOVE!!e The new section is in the back of the neighborhood, and it is surrounded by trees, just gorgeous! We are SOLD! Chris talked to our builder yesterday to make sure he was willing to build out there. He said absolutely, we just have to find out what their restrictions are for construction. I am really trying not to get my hopes up too much, but it is hard not to. We really just need a buyer for this house, and we are ready to roll! Well, I would love to write more, but I have a long TO DO list today!! .........................

The Big Two-Seven

Well, another year gone! Dang. I used to look forward to June 4th every year, but after 25, not so much. I mean, I just got used to the idea of saying I was 26, and here we are again, tacking on another number! Oh well. It's life. Don't get me wrong, I am so very thankful for the life God has blessed me with! Each birthday means I am still here and breathing, and anyone has to be grateful for that. I guess the perception that the world has about aging has embedded itself in my brain. Logically, I know 27 is not OLD, but the days are flying by so fast, it is sad to know that in no time at all, I will be 57, God willing. UGH. Yeah, yeah, happy birthday to me.....Moving ON!

I think I have decided to try opening an EBay store. Maybe. My friend Nicole is starting one, and I am jealous! JK! No really, she makes the cutest things! Personalized key chains, burp cloths, onsies, towels, bags, and so on! She just got a new machine and will be making all sorts of adorable things now. Personalized water bottles, sippy cups, cake carriers, display plates, and so much more! I wish I was crafty like that! She will do awesome I know it! If anyone needs any personalized gifts, etc, let me know! She has great prices too! Here is a picture of a cake carrier she made. Super cute!!




Because of her idea for an EBay store, I started thinking about it too. Extra moolah never hurt anyone! I have thought about it before, but couldn't think of what to sell. I did some research yesterday, and found quite a few things I would love to sell, and have for myself too! I will be praying about this, since it would be a bit of an investment up front. Chris seems to be okay with it. He thinks I should just start small, offering a few things, and then slowly building my business from there. Of course I want to order 10 of everything, just because it is all so cute! But I think Chris is right, put my feelers out there first and see how is goes. We shall see. I will be posting about this more I am sure.

I went to Lifeway Christian Bookstore last night. I love a bookstore. Really, I could spend hours upon hours in one! I actually went because I am starting a Bible study with a small group of friends at the end of this month, and was looking for the book. I was on Beth Moore's Blog (livingproofministries.blogspot.com), and saw that she is doing a summer study through her blog page. It is called Me, myself, and Lies: A Thought Closet Makeover. It is a study for women to encourage them to clean out the junk in their thoughts and replace these hidden negative thoughts and failures with positive truths from God's word. I think this will be a great study! We will be meeting every other Tuesday, so it is not too taxing on everyone's schedule. I am excited!



I think that is about all for now. Gotta go clean up a bit. Ryan, Kelly, and Mom, Dad, and Dianne are all coming over for my birthday. Ryan is cooking dinner for us, yay! It is always a treat when Ryan cooks, in the words of Will, "MUM, MUM!", which we assume means yum, yum, since he only says it when he is eating something he likes! I can't wait for my baked spaghetti!! Woohoo!

A Sad Day

Today we will be attending my Great Uncle Jimmy's funeral. Funerals are never a fun occasion, and even more so when you have a 15 month old running around like a wild banshee! This is my Dad's uncle. He was diagnosed with liver cancer just a little over a month ago, and declined steadily after that. It really is a blessing that it happened so fast. Cancer is just mean, and when you see what it does to people by way of extreme pain, confusion, etc.., it is good when the suffering is cut short. My poor Daddy will not know what to do with himself now. He has been the primary caretaker of family members ever since his cousin passed away in 2001. First it was Bobby, then his Aunt Jean, then Mimi and Gran (his parents), and finally Uncle Jimmy. It is not only the health end of things, but helping to get affairs in order, and being the executor of their wills after they pass. That is no small task, let me assure you! My Dad is a stickler, he has to make sure everything is done just right! And it was no different with the final wishes of his loved ones. Mind you, I don't think I have ever heard Dad complain about these jobs he has been given, he just keeps going and doing, and working full time on top of it! He has aged alot in the past few years, I think it will be good for him to only have himself and my Mom to worry about for a while.
On the bright side, my Aunt Dianne is flying in from Texas today, and will get to meet our Little Man for the first time! The last time she was in I was preggers. It will be fun to introduce the Wall to his Great Aunt, he will love her! Other than Uncle Jimmy, I think this is the first extended family he will meet from my side, that is kinda sad!
Well, I have alot to do today to get ready for tonight and tomorrow's burial. Sorry for the sad blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Fun

Chris and I bought Will his first kiddie pool yesterday. Needless to say, he loves it!! We didn't get much time outside with him yesterday, because it was late in the day and kinda cool. We are hoping to get him out there this afternoon if we feel better that is. We didn't go to church this morning since we have both been a little under the weather. Chris seems to have some cold/allergy symptoms, sore throat, congestion, etc.. and I have been have serious stomach issues!! Enough said! Hopefully we will recover soon! Ta-ta for now............

Look what I found Mommy!!

Is this not the cutest picture? I snapped it fast because Will was trying to get away, and I cannot believe how it turned out! I think it is the best "posing" picture we have gotten of him, too bad he is holding a TAMPON in his hand. This is why he was trying to get away, he knew Mommy was going to confiscate his new toy! OMG, we got such a laugh outta this! Renee' and Lance (a.k.a Lane) were over for our usual Friday night dinner gathering and were waiting for our spaghetti to finish brewing. All of the sudden, here comes the boy running from our bedroom waving this tampon around! He was so proud, bless him! In the midst of our hysterical laughter, Renee yells, "Get the camera, you have to get a picture of this!!" So here I go scrambling for my camera. Mind you Renee' was coloring my hair, so I had a black cape on and silver foils throughout my head, looking like a madwoman I am sure! I got him to be still for 2 whole seconds and this is the result. Perfect shot! This will be great to show to his girlfriends down the road... HA!!

Well, that's all I have for this morning...........................................

Maybe, just maybe!

Well, it's official, we are going to the beach!! YAY! Now I have to start preparations. For those of you who know me well, you know I have slight OCD when it comes to certain things. Especially vacations. I am one of those "pack a little of everything, you never know what you'll need!" type of people. It aggravates me really, but I am such a tight-wad, I can't imagine having to pay for something that you didn't pack, when you already have it at home. Arggh! So, it is very hard for me to be a "light packer". Nearly impossible. We just confirmed the trip with Matt yesterday and I already have 3 lists made. List #1: Things we need to do before we go. (Car maintenance, get a tan, lose weight, find Duke sitter, etc...) List #2: Things I need to purchase before we go. (Bathing suit, ugh!, shorts, new tops, shade tent for Will, etc...) List #3: Things to pack. This list is too long to even start on here. Seriously, this is a sad quirk of mine. I cannot help myself, one of my biggest fears is is not being prepared. And this is not just about vacation. I have a different to-do list every day. It never usually gets completely done, the left overs just get moved to the next days' list. My memory sucks after having Will, so now, when I remember something I need to do, I quickly jot it down on my lists, lest I forget it later. And I would forget it. It has happened too many times! Hi, my name is Tara, and I am a listoholic....... (sigh).

On to happier topics! We met with Builder #2 last night and I think this may really work out! I was correct, the price we had in our head was too good to be true! We had left out the cost for the garage. Even with that, we added up with the builder last night, and the figure was at our budget limit on the nose! Not to mention this house has way more room than we had expected to get, AND it is all brick, so it really is a good deal. Even Chris is excited! Now we need to sell this house! Any takers? :)

I guess that is all for today. I am thinking maybe I should change the name of this blog to something more along the lines of my list fetish. Hmm, I will have to ponder this.......

A trip to the beach? Count me in!!

Chris and I were able to go hang out with his friends Matt and Jen last night. We haven't seen them in a few months, and it was nice to visit and watch Will run around and play with their son Koen (3, SO adorable!). While we were there, they invited us to join them on vacation in July in Panama City. Matt showed us pics of this little community they like to stay at, it seemed really nice with kiddy pools and playgrounds and such. Of course I am dying to go to the beach, although I loathe the thought of being in a bathing suit. I will get over that though, maybe lose 20lb before we go? Mmmm, we'll see about that. No, the problem is the money. And it's not really a problem, we have the funds, its just whether or not we are willing to part with them. After estimating our cost, and letting Chris know where that would leave our account, I have bowed out of the decision-making. Of course I would love to go, but I also like to hang on to money, cause you never know what might happen. I think he really wants to go, since we don't spend much time with his friends now-a-days. So, we shall see where this leads.

And now, I must gripe a little. Chris took the boy to get his hair cut yesterday, as he was rapidly growing a mullet...ew! So, he takes him to Nathan, his own barber. Now, Nathan cut Will's hair the first time 3 months ago, and he didn't charge us since it was his first hair cut. I thought that was really sweet, so back they went yesterday to chop the mullet off. Upon return, I asked how much it cost, expecting to hear something like five or six bucks. What did I hear instead? FIFTEEN DOLLARS. For my 14 month old to have his hair cut. Seriously? That is ridiculous. Then Chris says, "well the cut was only twelve, and I tipped him three". That's fine, I am all about tipping, but the twelve dollar charge was was too high for a little baby! And he is really good, as long as he can play with something, like keys, etc, he doesn't squirm or anything. Ugh!! I was ill! I told Chris the next time he goes to get a trim he can tell Nathan that his wife is just too cheap to pay that much for a kid's cut. We will be visiting Supercuts or something. Heck, he may get a homegrown haircut for that matter!

And finally, Chris and I are meeting with a second home builder this afternoon. After looking around at houses for quite some time, we have decided to look into building since we can't seem to find an existing home that we can both agree on. Of course, we are on a strict budget and we have our current home we need to sell as well, so these are possible problems with building. The first builder we met with was a super nice guy, and we know he does good work, since we met him through friends who currently live in one of his homes. However, he was about 15K above our maximum budget amount, so we are shopping around. We aren't writing him off yet, hopefully if all else fails, we could work something out. I am just praying that God will lead us to the right one, if this is His will for us that is! I am excited about today's meeting. We went to look at one of his houses this weekend and I LOVED it! I was big enough for us now, and even had expandable space for our growing needs in the future! The prices he gave Chris over the phone seemed too good to be true, so I am thinking that we are seriously adding our numbers wrong! I guess we will find out today... I'm getting antsy!

Well, I guess that is all for today, I'm off to play with blocks and books! Until next time......

My Life Stages

Here goes.....

Okay, so I was cruising the Internet at 5am this morning, wide awake after a night up with my fussy baby. I visited Kelly's (my sister) photography blog (http://www.sinclairphoto.blogspot.com/), along with a few other friends' blogs I follow. In my deliriously tired state, I decided that I too should have a blog, and alas, Tara's 2 Cents was born. Nice name, eh? Honestly, I tried to think of something catchy yet meaningful, however, in the wee morning hours, my astounding wit eluded me. Oh well. It's truthful if nothing else. This will be my two cents on life, love and the ever-rewarding Mommyhood. Now, whether these cents are of any use to the readers, I make no guarantees, I can only hope you will have a few laughs along the way! At this point in my life, I am a 26 year old (almost 27... eek!!) wife to Chris, and mommy to Will. These have both been fun and always entertaining roles that God has allowed me to play, and for this I am forever grateful (among many other things I have to be grateful for!!)
March 25,2006 was a wonderful day in the life of Tara, it is the day I married my best friend. Really. In the beginning, it was just attraction, soon blossoming into Love .(awww...) And then life happened. The honeymoon was over, and what followed was a pretty difficult first year as man and wife. You know what they say, "a good marriage takes work", and "the first year is the hardest", and so on. Well it was all true for us! But we kept at it, each tweaking and tuning what we could, and discovered that we really are the best of friends! Imagine that! Laughter is a permanent fixture in the Weaver household, thank goodness! Chris and I have such fun, (most of the time), and the arrival of our first child has only added to our comedy routine. And with that, on to the next chapter...
March 5, 2008 was another remarkable day in the Tara saga, it is the day I became a Mommy. James William, (a.k.a. Will, Wall, Wallace, Bubby, and more!) came into the world at 2:56am weighing 7lb, 6oz and 21 wiggling inches! There are no words for that moment. The moment you meet your child. WOW. Your whole world changes in an instant. I have a son! WOW. The instant love and protective nature that takes over is a true work of the most High God! When I say instant, I truly mean, in a split second. I know this, because thats about as long as I was aware of my newborn son being laid upon my stomach before he was gone again, off to be weighed and measured. Chris is now dutifully playing the "Daddy" role, and is hovering over the baby warmer along with "Auntie Kell" (the Paparazzi). Meanwhile, back in the severe reality of the moment, new Mommy is shaking uncontrollably and vomitting repeatedly; the lovely aftermath of an epidural. While being sewn up in places that should honestly never have that term used in the same sentence, and drifting off to unconciousness due to sheer exhaustion, who was by my side? MY MOMMY. Of course, at the moment, I couldn't see this, but upon remembering later, it hit me. While I was sick and exhausted from the act of giving birth, my own mother is there, holding my hand (and my puke pail... blec!!) doing what she can to make it better. Isnt't that the epitome of a mother? And thus we come full circle. Whew!!
So this little boy has stolen our hearts, and all our time as well, but man oh man, is it ever worth it! He will soon be 15 months and it is just unbelievable how fast the time has gone. There will be plenty more from the Will chronicles in Tara's 2 cents!!
So, now it's time for me to go to bed, after this Tori and Dean Season Premiere is finished that is! I hope my first blog has not bored you to death, I know I am somewhat of a chatterbox. If, by chance, you have found this first entry to be at all interesting or entertaining, well LA TEE DA! Stay tuned........