My Announcement - edited

Man, it seems my posts are becoming less frequent. We have been up to our usual busyness. For those of you who don’t know, I am pregnant. I am 14 weeks along. I am due Jan 25th, I was wanting to have a spring baby, so much for that, it is not going to be the best time of year seeing how Ray has his most busy month with work during February, but we will just deal with that. I am excited. I think it will be another boy, because if it is a girl that would be too perfect. I am just glad that it didn’t take me as long as it did with Kara, we tried for 9 months and I was on AFLAC and felt like I was throwing money into a bottomless pit. Anyway, I have been nauseous since week 5, but I think it is getting better, even though I still really don’t feel like doing much.

With school out, high gas prices, our busy summer and my nauseousness, I really haven’t been couponing like I LOVE to. My favorite thing (has been for some time now) is doing beer rebates. I’m sure you’re thinking what in the world, Teri is drinking beer now, NEGITIVE. In Hawaii and Utah a beer purchase is not required to do the beer rebates (on some of the rebates for other states they require beer purchase, but some of them do not) Anyway, I get them at Smith’s and Albertson’s in the beer isle. I just slowly go down the isle scanning the shelves and everything for tearpads. If I can’t find the ones that are currently going on I trade for them.

I had a giant paragraph about Checkmyrebate, it has Coors rebates and you can just print them off the internet. WELL, in the past you could just print them off and mail them in. Then just within the last couple of weeks they started putting on the form that it was NOT A REBATE FORM, I kind of thought that is what it has always said, but I just looked at one that I did in July (and that I received the check for) but it didn't say that, so I am afraid that printing them off the internet will not work anymore. I don't know but I am ERASING my links just in case. I am going to just trade for the original forms and not press my luck with the printed ones. By the lovely comments that you all left - sounds like you think I am crazy for doing them and won't be following in my path.

I still look at beer rebates as free money. If you live in a small town where you actually know the bank teller and you might be embarrassed to cash the check, you will get over it soon when you realize how much money you are making, or see the food storage that it is building. Sometimes you also might have your sister-in-law ask you why you have a coorslight check on your refrigerator waiting to be cashed, I just explained it and now she does them. It’s great fun! Here is an example, spend $10 on meat , salty snacks, soda, ice, or bottled water get $10.00 – How easy is that! You just fill out the form, send your receipt(s) and wait for your check. I keep track and I have received $220.00 since Jan of this year. (I am waiting on $80 more) Sometimes it is as easy as spend $100.00 on grocery items get $25.00, or spend $30.00 on fuel get $10.00. I usually just go back through my receipts (because I keep them) and find what I need and send them off. They do have time frames that they are good for, so you need to make sure your receipts are in the time frame.I also make a copy(scan it) of the form and receipts just incase I need to call on it. I haven't had to call on any beer ones yet.

Anyway, I have told a few people about these recently, and one of them I can’t email because I get blocked so I am posting this info for her and I thought maybe some of my other loyal blog fans would be interested as well. If not, oh well you’re missing out!

We have been going up the canyon a lot lately. My parents were here over the 24th so we had a family picnic up by Bridal Veil Falls. It was a lot of fun. Ray has been taking the boys hiking a lot as well. Here are a few pictures.

Kara is getting older and talking a lot. She is at such a fun age. Pretty much everything she does is so cute. She tells me when she has a stinky diaper then runs to her room and hides between the wall and the changing table, and says "HIDEin" She can put her sandals on herself and I ask her where she is going and she says "church". She also is quite the little mother, she yells at Trent and Tyler when they aren’t listening, (gee wonder where she learned that from). She also says NO to them a lot when they are bugging her. If anyone, other than Jack, is trying to jump on the trampoline with her she lets them know that she does not want them jumping. Another cute thing she will say is "mom, are you?" = mom, where are you? She still doesn’t like to eat and I am super frustrated. I don’t know if something is wrong with her or if she is just super picky. She currently likes pancakes and has them for pretty much every meal.

San Francisco and Flash back Friday

We had a fun week. We left the kids at my parent’s house on Sunday and Ray and I flew from Vegas to San Francisco. Ray had an IIA conference so I went with him. Part of the reason was so we could celebrate our 10-year anniversary. I can’t believe we have been married ten years! I couldn’t have picked anyone else more perfect for me. I LOVE YOU RAY! Here’s a flashback Friday photo for you of us on our wedding day.

We got into San Fran around 9:30 p.m. and took a cab to the downtown Marriott. On Monday, Ray went to his conference around 7:30 a.m. I went across the street and got breakfast at the Jack in the Box, then got ready for the day. I walked around, went to the mall, and some other outside stores. There was a gigantic Gap and Old Navy. I also spent time reading my book, Eclipse. Ray got done around 5 p.m. so we got on the F-line street car and went over to the fisherman’s wharf (pier 39) We walked around and then ate dinner at the Bubba Gump shrimp restaurant. It was a interesting place, everything had to do with the Forrest Gump movie. The food was really good. It was pretty windy down there on the coast, I was underdressed (shorts and short sleeve shirt) and I was freezing. I left my jacket at the hotel, dang it! We went to get back on the streetcar and the line was really long, then when it came only a couple of people were able to get on because it was packed full of people. So we decided to just walk back. We walked through some neighborhoods, and some other "touristy"places, we also walked through China town, but it was late enough that everything was closed.

Tuesday I pretty much did the same thing - shopped and read my book. That night we went to a steak place for dinner, John’s grill. It was established in 1908, crazy. The food, once again was really good.

Wednesday, Ray just had a half-day of his conference, and we were supposed to check out by noon. He ended up not going to the last speaker and we just checked our luggage in the "luggage storage" because we didn’t fly out until 8:30 p.m. We got on a bus and headed over to Ghirardelli Square. We ate lunch there, then walked down to the beach. It was a nice day. Then we headed back to the hotel. We hung out in the lobby, I finished my book and Ray surfed the internet. We caught a shuttle to the airport and flew out around 8:30 p.m. When we got to Vegas we drove to our hotel and hit the hay.

Thursday we got up and headed out. I planned on going to lunch with my friends in Cedar at noon. Just after we passed Mesquite we had a tire blow out. Ray took off the shredded tire in the 100 + degrees (man it was hot) and put on the spare then we drove back to Mesquite to get a new tire. The first place we went said it would be a hour and a ½ wait, so then we went to Wal-Mart and they got it changed in about 40 minutes, then we were on our way again. I postponed my lunch by an hour and fifteen minutes, but I got there. Julie, Kami, Sundee and Laura were all able to come. Most of these girls I have known since I was 3. Kami and Julie were my age and in my ward, Sundee is a year younger than us, but one of the gang. Laura and I became friends in high school. Here is another flash back photo. This was taken our freshman year of college. Suzette is the only one in the picture that couldn’t come to lunch because she lives in Texas (we missed you!) Sundee, I don’t know why you weren’t in the picture – sorry! We had fun catching up with everyone and LAUGHING a ton. After we ate and gabbed for hours Laura gave me a ride to my parents and we got ready to head for home.

It was nice to be able to spend time with just Ray for a few days, Thanks mom and dad for tending the kids – again!

4th of JULY

We had a great 4th! We came down to Enoch on Thursday night. We all went to the parade in Cedar in the morning. Trent and Tyler had fun getting lots of candy and other free things. This is them with their loot.

Then we road up to my grandma's cabin (up Parowan Canyon). It is almost done and it is really nice. It will be fun to have family gatherings up there. It has a beautiful view.

This picture is us standing on the balcony.

Around 4 pm we went up to the Enoch parade. It was interesting, and short, which is always good. We went home and ate dinner then headed up to the Old Enoch Park. The kids ran races and did the "dig", where there was hidden candy and prizes in the sand and they got to dig through the dirt to find the treasure. DUSTY! The boys had fun.

When it got dark we let off some simple fireworks, and did sparklers. Then everyone but me and Kara (who was sleeping) went to watch the fireworks. I watched about 5 minutes out on the porch, then I came in and read my book.

We had a great day and it was nice to reflect on the FREEDOM that we enjoy in this country and the brave men and women who fight to protect that freedom.

Tagged by Leanne

I haven't done any tags lately and I have nothing else to write about so here we go. . .


TWOS


Two Names I Go By: mom, Teri

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now: watch and ring – I’m naked, just kidding, just trying to jazz it up a bit!

Two Of Your Favorite Things To Do: coupon, make free cards at pebbles

Two Things You Want Very Badly At This Moment: to quit my jobs, someone to run for Pres. that is NOT a socialist.

Two Favorite Pets: I don’t like pets

Two People Who Will Fill This Out: no one, and no body

Two Things You Did Last Night: had FHE, read some of the July Ensign that I got in the mail

Two Things You Ate Today: oreos, lasagna

Two Last People You Talked To: Ray, Tennille

Two Longest Car Rides: San Diego, Jackson Hole?

Two Favorite Vacations: New Orleans, Mississippi

Two Favorite Drinks: ice cold water, really cold water

For added fun here is a picture of me when I was 2 years old.


And a picture of me and my friends on my 22nd birthday. My friends threw me a bridal shower on my b-day, it was April of 1998. Oh to be 22 again!

People to Tag: anyone who wants to do this.