Coupon Mama!!

So this week I was looking at the local grocery ads and then was skipping through the coupons (which I am always looking for good deals using coupons) and seen a deal with Libby's canned vegetables. Macey's/Associated foods had Libby's vegetables on sale for 3/1.00 and with the coupon out of the redplum circular from the mail this week you can get them FREE!! So I had a few circular's from friends so I cashed them in and found a few more and ended up with 54 cans of beans and corn...which was a savings of $39.42 (their regularly 73 cents a can).

Also on Facebook you could go to Ball Park Franks and click on "like" and you could receive a coupon for $2.00 and you can print 2 of them. So I went through my circulars I had remembered someone had them on sale...Albertson's had the Beef Ball Park Franks on bonus buy and you saved $3.50 on each package and they were on sale for $1.99 so I got 2 packages FREE for a savings of $10.98. Also on the shelf by the hot dogs had an ad that read "buy 2 pkg of Ball Park hot dogs, get a bag of Doritos Free in circular" I went to the front of the store and sure enough there was a coupon for Free Doritos for a savings of $2.50 YEAH!!!

Also cashed in coupons for can cat food Buy 1/Get 1 Free and 2 packages of sample dry cat food Free coupons for a savings of 3.98/2...and 83 cents/can for a savings $4.81.

I bought a few other items on sale with coupons so at the end of the day I got $82.33 worth of groceries and spent $10.28 for a savings of:::::

"""""$72.05"!!!

I usually get 10 to 20 dollars savings when shopping so I was really proud of myself this time. I think I earned my keep for this week anyways:)

Landon

In my last post I mentioned how Landon went boating when he was 5 weeks old. So I went back and found some photo's that we had taken.

Looking at these pictures he was so tiny. I can't believe how he has changed in a year.

Landon 5 weeks old

Landon with his life vest on.

The vest is as big as he was



Ahhhhh....he was sleeping like a bug in a rug

He was a month old here

He has been such a blessing in our family. Being a grandma and grandpa has been one of the most cherished moments in our lives.

Landon in Island Park

Spending time in Island Park has been a way we spend time as a family during summer and winter vacations. Scott has been going up to Idaho with his mom and dad since he was a little boy.

Scott and my first summer vacation was going to Lava Hot Springs, then going up through Yellowstone Park and fishing on Yellowstone Lake, that is where I caught my first fish.

Since 1980 Island Park has been our second home. We have had numerous family and friends go up and stay with us. We have shown them many of our favorite places like Island Park reservoir where you can waterski or go tubing on, John Sacks cabin where you can see trophy fish and a moose or two, 4-wheeling trails that we can ride a 100 miles a day and never see the same trail, Sawtelle mtn (on top of a mtn) where the pine trees smell crisp and green and you can look down on the whole valley and be in ahh, Mesa Falls, Earthquake Lake, Henry's lake where you can get trophy fish, or just float down the snake river all day (slow current) and get out by our place. .

Every year we go up as much as we can to relax and get away from the busy life we live everyday here ...but we always have a few projects that we try to do while we're there.

Kimberly and Shauna was born knowning Island Park like the back of their hand. We took Kimberly snowmobiling when she was a year old up to West Yellowstone where we traveled to Old Faithful seeing buffalo, elk, swan's along the way.

Shauna was a month old when we took our parents motorhome into Yellowstone Park for a week.

So we have just raised our children enjoying the outdoors. Last year we took Landon up when he was 5 weeks old and went boating on Island Park resevoir. This year he was walking around picking up pine cones and learned how to throw rocks into the lake. So we have a new generation enjoying what we love so much and hope they pass on this legacy to their children.

Landon exploring nature

Jon and Landon

Landon chasing the dog around


Kimberly giving Landon a ride in his wagon

Landon getting rocks to throw into the lake

Landon at Cliff lake

New Blog

I am so excited to be getting my blog designed
the way I want. Thanks to Kimberly helping me
through it yesterday while she was here visiting.
I still need to work on a few other spots but its
taking shape. But its starting out to be something
exciting that I can share with my family and
friends. Hope everyone that reads it will enjoy it.

Busy, Busy....

I am sure we all feel at times that we are passing ourselves as were coming and going. We're all usually busy most of the time and then there are the

other times that we're more busy than we know how to keep up. We have had a few projects going this summer that we're trying to get done before the snow

flies. We took off the addition on to our garage, the cement had cracked and was

buckling and was moving the walls away from the garage so we decided to tear it down and build alot better floor with a opening so we can drive through the

garage and into our backyard (since the side of the house is limited to 8 ft opening which accomidates the trucks and 4-wheeler trailer but we'd like to able to take our boat in and out which won't fit through the side of the house).

Then in Idaho we just changed the electrical wiring which we have been working

for a few weeks on also. We finally got that done a couple weeks ago but now were going to put down some pavers to make a cooking patio outdoors and have been making flower beds around the trees to make more a pathway around the trailer and shed. Scott also dug out a hole around the water faucet (comes out of the ground from the well) and put some gravel and then cobble stone on top so when the faucet is on the water goes through the stones and doesn't make a

water puddle to stand in anymore. I took some pictures of it because it turned out so nice that I wanted to post them to show everyone how it turned out.....but I left the camera on the end table in the trailer and forgot it to pick it up on our way out of the trailer to come home, so next week I'll get it when we go back up and then post the pictures.

Then there are the everyday stuff that comes up that you have to deal with, like getting the truck inspected and registered for July. Of course we had to go buy a battery which is typical, it seems we buy a battery every year for a vehicle, 4-wheeler, or boat. Last year it was a battery for our Chysler 300 which was a $150.00 expense.

I have been busy this summer that I finally just fertizled our lawn last week, which I usually do in May.

Been doing washing for a week straight and feel like the neighbors are dropping theirs off because their is no end in sight STILL!!! (Done washing from the trip to Idaho, blanklets, changed the beds, typical towels and everyday wear) 16 washes and more to go.

Anyone bored can come to my house I have a few flower beds that need to be weeded out or finish painting the ceiling in the front room, steam clean the carpet in the front room, hallway and stairs.

Well I guess I better get off and go get something done. It is just more fun and enjoyable to do this than work:)

Island Park

Kylie looking for squirrels








Island Park





We weren't planning on going to Island Park this year, we were going to stay home and try to do some projects around the house instead...but as time went
by we seen everyone else heading out to enjoy the summer, we got alittle upset that all we were doing was work and not some enjoying some of our summer before it's all gone. So we decided after all to take the trailer up to our place in Island Park and relax in the solitude that we get when were there. The place was

pack with
tourists and summer residents that you couldn't even get around down by Mack's Inn (where there is a gas station, reservation office for the RV park and hotel, river where you can fish or play in, canoe and souvenoir shop) but up at our place you hardly heard anyone or any cars....


We sat at our place under the tree's in our lounge chairs, sipping on a cold pepsi, listening to the birds and a breeze every once in awhile go through the
trees. The temperature was around 68-70 degrees during the day which was perfect. The nights got down alittle chilly 40 degrees and the night it rain a bit,
it snowed in the mountains and the Tetons. It's usually alot warmer up there than this summer so far but everything is so green still and the resevoir is full of
water. The Teton's is SO Covered with SNOW that it will never melt off before fall when it starts snowing again.



Not planning on going up to Island Park this summer just made me realize how much I do love our place and how it makes me feel while were up there. In the past when I've been up there, all I've thought about is wanting to go to California and enjoy the beach and ocean that I love but this year I had the yearning to go to Idaho to enjoy the green tree's and see God's country that we are blessed to be able to have in our lives.



While we were there a cow moose and her new calf which was really young came through our place. Even on the 4th of July with all the people around you still get to see the wild life that lives around there. Supposedly there are wolves and of course the grizzly bears that share the surrounding mountains but everyone takes precautions and is aware of the danger that comes with living in the wilderness or close to it.

You can barely see the mom and her calf

Everyday we get busy with our lives and the hussle that surrounds our daily activities and trying to get everything done. Trying to make sure your yard is watered and mowed, that you get your kitchen painted and the carpets cleaned...etc. etc.. then when you stop and breathe in alittle fresh air from the green pine trees to the ocean mist coming off the ocean that you realize how much those daily chores and trying to keep up with the neighbors yards doesn't matter. We all can use alittle moments of god's heaven he has given us to truly enjoy our lives and the people we love and to reboost our souls to truly find out the real meaning of us living each day to the fullest.

I hope all who read this can enjoy a moment of God's heaven and feel truly blessed as I do.

Kylie relaxing on the couch after a full
day of looking for squirrels and taking
walks through the tree's.

It's been awhile since I've been on here
but I wanted to share one of my latest
finds that took me by surprise.













While back I purchased a shadow box
with different kind of knots that ships/
boats use, that I really liked and hoped
some day that I would find a place in
our home to hang it.
One day while decorating our new
kitchen I realized I just had just the
spot to hang it.
I scrummaged through the clutter and
found it. It was going to look great.
I went to hang it and it opened up to
my surprise. I was speechless to discover
it was a box to hide keys in.


Wow did I catch my mouth wide open to
realize I had one of my problems that I had
been dealing with solved unexpectedly.





In our old kitchen we had an anchor with
hooks on it to hang our keys. I didn't want
to hang that eye sore back up, so I was

going to hang it up in our coat closet in the hallway. Problem solved!! Yeah....

I really like it and I got it on a budget at that!
I found the lucky find at Ross's. I found it
for the bargain price of $10.99. I really like
Ross, you can find some good deals if you look
hard enough. I bought a couple of Paula Dean
skillets for $13.99, half price of what Walmart
wanted for them. I scored big time there.
Every Ross that I have ever been into has been
different, its kinda like a box of chocolates.....
you'll never know what you'll find.
I'll have to tell you about some of my other
good deals another day.....

Anyways......back to original story. I have a way
to keep our keys out of sight but decorate at the
same time. I just think its perfect in our perfect
kitchen.