Katie is officially ONE!
We celebrated with a small family party at CiCi's Pizza. Katie has done alot of growing during the week of her first birthday. She has two new teeth on the top and has began walking all over the place.
She really likes baby dolls and knows how to feed them with her pretend baby bottles. She also likes play phones and dishes. She has really grown. I will be adding pictures soon of her birthday party for everyone to see how much she really did enjoy her presents and cupcake!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Test Results for Katie
We just got the phone call from the doctor about the ultrasound Katie had done yesterday on her kidneys. It came back fine! PRAISE GOD!
The doctor will continue to monitor her at the upcoming appointments for added measure but he thinks she is fine. We are just so thankful that our God is a God who listens to our prayers and answers them! Thank you everyone who stood united with us in prayer!
Have a Wonderful New Year's Holiday!
The doctor will continue to monitor her at the upcoming appointments for added measure but he thinks she is fine. We are just so thankful that our God is a God who listens to our prayers and answers them! Thank you everyone who stood united with us in prayer!
Have a Wonderful New Year's Holiday!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
December and Christmas Update
December for the Salinas Family was very eventful!
We took a trip to Gatlinburg (Smoky Mountains)at the beginning of the month. We stayed at the Westgate Resort and had a wonderful time. We did some shopping, went to the Wonderworks Museum, and did some major relaxing.
Logan was in his first ever Christmas play at our church. He was a wise man. He was so cute and did a great job. He did not have any lines but did have to sing with the entire cast two songs! He did wonderful!
We celebrated Christmas with lots of traditions. Unfortunately, we were not able to do some of our traditions as three of the four kids were sick on Christmas Eve. Katie started running a high fever the week before Christmas and we took her to the doctor where tests were performed. The results showed a kidney infection. To make a long story very short...after four trips to the doctor and four different medicines she is feeling better and doing great. We will be going Monday the 29th to Vanderbilt for a kidney ultrasound/mri for Katie. They want to determine the cause of the kidney infection since she is so young. Please stand united in prayer with our family for Katie's healing. Luke and Tanner took turns being sick on Christmas Eve. We spent the morning at a Walk in Clinic only to find out that they both had a stomach bug. Even though our Christmas started out rocky, it turned out to be a really GREAT Christmas. We spent time with our family and enjoy as many traditions as we could fit in with the kids being sick. We did a lot of simplifying this year (which has been a message that the Lord has been giving to me all throughout the year) especially with Christmas and to be completely honest, this Christmas was one of the best. I emphasized with the kids this year about what Christmas means and why we celebrate Christmas. I tried to have a religious/Christian meaning for each of our traditions and because of that I think this Christmas was the best since we were more focused on the true meaning and in the true spirit of Christmas! The best gift I received was on Christmas morning when Katie said "momma" for the first time!
As of today, Katie, Luke, and Tanner are feeling much better and enjoying their new toys! However, Logan started getting sick today. I think he has caught the bug that Luke and Tanner had so the next round has began!
During the busyness of the season, Luke became potty trained! YEAH!!!!!
Tanner has had a couple of successes but dont really care one way or the other when it comes to pottying.
Katie can now say momma, dadda, bubba, that, and nana. She also has started taking steps with out any assistance and received her first baby doll for Christmas. She also likes music and will dance when she hears music playing. Her new tricks are blowing kisses and playing peek-a-boo!
Mace and I both had several days off for the holidays and it was very nice. This is one time that I can honestly say that I feel like I have had a couple of days off. It has been great to have some down time.
I guess that sums up our December.
Make sure that you pay close attention to the pictures in the slide shows at the top and the very bottom as they are all NEW and UPDATED pictures. I have been working hard on getting the website updated.
Take care and I will post again soon.
We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we pray for blessings for your family in the NEW YEAR.
We took a trip to Gatlinburg (Smoky Mountains)at the beginning of the month. We stayed at the Westgate Resort and had a wonderful time. We did some shopping, went to the Wonderworks Museum, and did some major relaxing.
Logan was in his first ever Christmas play at our church. He was a wise man. He was so cute and did a great job. He did not have any lines but did have to sing with the entire cast two songs! He did wonderful!
We celebrated Christmas with lots of traditions. Unfortunately, we were not able to do some of our traditions as three of the four kids were sick on Christmas Eve. Katie started running a high fever the week before Christmas and we took her to the doctor where tests were performed. The results showed a kidney infection. To make a long story very short...after four trips to the doctor and four different medicines she is feeling better and doing great. We will be going Monday the 29th to Vanderbilt for a kidney ultrasound/mri for Katie. They want to determine the cause of the kidney infection since she is so young. Please stand united in prayer with our family for Katie's healing. Luke and Tanner took turns being sick on Christmas Eve. We spent the morning at a Walk in Clinic only to find out that they both had a stomach bug. Even though our Christmas started out rocky, it turned out to be a really GREAT Christmas. We spent time with our family and enjoy as many traditions as we could fit in with the kids being sick. We did a lot of simplifying this year (which has been a message that the Lord has been giving to me all throughout the year) especially with Christmas and to be completely honest, this Christmas was one of the best. I emphasized with the kids this year about what Christmas means and why we celebrate Christmas. I tried to have a religious/Christian meaning for each of our traditions and because of that I think this Christmas was the best since we were more focused on the true meaning and in the true spirit of Christmas! The best gift I received was on Christmas morning when Katie said "momma" for the first time!
As of today, Katie, Luke, and Tanner are feeling much better and enjoying their new toys! However, Logan started getting sick today. I think he has caught the bug that Luke and Tanner had so the next round has began!
During the busyness of the season, Luke became potty trained! YEAH!!!!!
Tanner has had a couple of successes but dont really care one way or the other when it comes to pottying.
Katie can now say momma, dadda, bubba, that, and nana. She also has started taking steps with out any assistance and received her first baby doll for Christmas. She also likes music and will dance when she hears music playing. Her new tricks are blowing kisses and playing peek-a-boo!
Mace and I both had several days off for the holidays and it was very nice. This is one time that I can honestly say that I feel like I have had a couple of days off. It has been great to have some down time.
I guess that sums up our December.
Make sure that you pay close attention to the pictures in the slide shows at the top and the very bottom as they are all NEW and UPDATED pictures. I have been working hard on getting the website updated.
Take care and I will post again soon.
We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we pray for blessings for your family in the NEW YEAR.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My Frugal Tips
Because several people have asked me to share my money saving tips on grocery shopping, I thought I would post what I do in hopes that it helps someone else save money. My logic is if I save money at the grocery store then it frees up money that can be spent on other things so this serves as my motivation every week.
Frugal living does not mean complicated. If fact it is quite the opposite. Frugal living is getting back to the basics of household management.
The following are my tips and schedule that I have implemented in my home in regards to saving money at the grocery store:
Sundays – I collect my newspaper and take out the coupon inserts. I also make meal plans on this day since I can look at the sale papers and make out my meals based on sale items
Tuesdays – I go to couponmom.com and print off the weekly list of deals for Kroger. I choose to only shop at Kroger. There are many sites that will teach you how to save at other stores all you have to do is research it. The couponmom.com site does have other stores other than Kroger but I choose the Kroger deals. The reason I choose Kroger is because I get an added benefit by shopping there since they give a 10 cents off gas for every time you spend $100 in groceries. I review the list published on couponmom.com list and circle the items I need.
Wednesdays – I make me a grocery list based on my weekly menu and the list from the site. I go through my coupon stash and collect any and all coupons that might apply to my list and make a note of the coupons on my list so that I can accurately comparison shop.
Thursdays – Shopping Day
Some detailed tips that I do that is very helpful is:
-I made a master Kroger grocery list on my computer in Excel. This list is a layout of the Kroger store by aisle. (I know I am a little OCD on this). This provides me with an organized grocery list which helps me to stay focused which helps to be save time which saves money. The longer you stay in the store the more money you will spend because you will get distracted.
-I also keep a price guideline so that I can estimate the prices of ALL items and be able to stay within my budget even before I go to the store.
-On the master list, I have set up my page to calculate my totals based on department and grand total. This allows me to see where I am spending the most money at so that I can make appropriate changes if need be.
-I plan my meals one month in advance. This allows me flexibility in case I see a certain type of meat on sale, I might opt to change it up a bit or not depending on my stockpile in the freezer and pantry. I also know when I am eating certain types of meats so this helps me when certain meats are on sale as well.
-I keep an inventory of my freezer and pantry. I was hesitate to do this at first but have found that I save time and money because I am buying things I truly need and buying things that I already had and did not know because the item got shoved to the back of the cabinet. While doing my inventory the first time, I organized everything. This did take some time but I don’t have to do it again because I maintain it weekly.
-I organize my coupons by aisle
-I use my Kroger plus card
-I starting making things from scratch like French toast. It is cheaper, healthier, and only take a few extra minutes.
-I stock pile my freezer and pantry.
-I also cook ahead my meat and preseason it so that all I have to do is pull a labeled bag out of the freezer, thaw it in the microwave, and put in my casserole or meal starter.
I have been researching frugal living for several months now and these are things that I have found to work for me. These tips are practical well they have to be in order for me to be able to implement and make them work considering that being a mom of four time is a luxury. I hope that I have helped someone with these ideas, tips, and suggestions.
Frugal living does not mean complicated. If fact it is quite the opposite. Frugal living is getting back to the basics of household management.
The following are my tips and schedule that I have implemented in my home in regards to saving money at the grocery store:
Sundays – I collect my newspaper and take out the coupon inserts. I also make meal plans on this day since I can look at the sale papers and make out my meals based on sale items
Tuesdays – I go to couponmom.com and print off the weekly list of deals for Kroger. I choose to only shop at Kroger. There are many sites that will teach you how to save at other stores all you have to do is research it. The couponmom.com site does have other stores other than Kroger but I choose the Kroger deals. The reason I choose Kroger is because I get an added benefit by shopping there since they give a 10 cents off gas for every time you spend $100 in groceries. I review the list published on couponmom.com list and circle the items I need.
Wednesdays – I make me a grocery list based on my weekly menu and the list from the site. I go through my coupon stash and collect any and all coupons that might apply to my list and make a note of the coupons on my list so that I can accurately comparison shop.
Thursdays – Shopping Day
Some detailed tips that I do that is very helpful is:
-I made a master Kroger grocery list on my computer in Excel. This list is a layout of the Kroger store by aisle. (I know I am a little OCD on this). This provides me with an organized grocery list which helps me to stay focused which helps to be save time which saves money. The longer you stay in the store the more money you will spend because you will get distracted.
-I also keep a price guideline so that I can estimate the prices of ALL items and be able to stay within my budget even before I go to the store.
-On the master list, I have set up my page to calculate my totals based on department and grand total. This allows me to see where I am spending the most money at so that I can make appropriate changes if need be.
-I plan my meals one month in advance. This allows me flexibility in case I see a certain type of meat on sale, I might opt to change it up a bit or not depending on my stockpile in the freezer and pantry. I also know when I am eating certain types of meats so this helps me when certain meats are on sale as well.
-I keep an inventory of my freezer and pantry. I was hesitate to do this at first but have found that I save time and money because I am buying things I truly need and buying things that I already had and did not know because the item got shoved to the back of the cabinet. While doing my inventory the first time, I organized everything. This did take some time but I don’t have to do it again because I maintain it weekly.
-I organize my coupons by aisle
-I use my Kroger plus card
-I starting making things from scratch like French toast. It is cheaper, healthier, and only take a few extra minutes.
-I stock pile my freezer and pantry.
-I also cook ahead my meat and preseason it so that all I have to do is pull a labeled bag out of the freezer, thaw it in the microwave, and put in my casserole or meal starter.
I have been researching frugal living for several months now and these are things that I have found to work for me. These tips are practical well they have to be in order for me to be able to implement and make them work considering that being a mom of four time is a luxury. I hope that I have helped someone with these ideas, tips, and suggestions.
Friday, November 21, 2008
November Events
I just can not believe it is time for the holidays. Boy this year has flown by. We have been keeping busy. We have not done a whole lot of anything really but life has a funny way of keeping us busy. I know I need to add some more pictures and I will do that soon. I have been trying to work on a couple of things for the site and hope to introduce those later on. Several of my friends want me to write and post my frugal tips and I have been trying to get all of those wrote down and posted to the site. this is coming soon as well.
I have managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done! YEAH for me! I have cut back alot this year. It is all apart of my "new" frugal living passion. This will be the best Christmas every because I am not stressing over the money I have spent or will be spending. I am very proud of myself and what I have learned in regards to frugal living. I promise I will be sharing these ideas with you on my site in the upcoming week.
I start tomorrow baking for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I have 15 desserts on my list. I am so excited for tomorrow to be here so that I can get in that Holiday spirit! There is just something about baking that gets you in the best mood and relieves stress (at least for me it does, I am quirky that way).
Well I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and remembers to get Thanks to the Lord for all of the blessings in your life!
I will post again soon!
I have managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done! YEAH for me! I have cut back alot this year. It is all apart of my "new" frugal living passion. This will be the best Christmas every because I am not stressing over the money I have spent or will be spending. I am very proud of myself and what I have learned in regards to frugal living. I promise I will be sharing these ideas with you on my site in the upcoming week.
I start tomorrow baking for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I have 15 desserts on my list. I am so excited for tomorrow to be here so that I can get in that Holiday spirit! There is just something about baking that gets you in the best mood and relieves stress (at least for me it does, I am quirky that way).
Well I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and remembers to get Thanks to the Lord for all of the blessings in your life!
I will post again soon!
Katie is Standing Pretty!
Katie stood alone today for the first time. She did not take any steps but I know it will not be long until she does. I can tell that she definitely wants to be in the action..just like a girl! (haha)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Day of Prayer
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
I am asking every believer in Jesus Christ to set aside Monday,
November 3 as a day of fasting and prayer . I would urge you to review the prayer of Daniel on behalf of his people in Dan . 9:3-19, and to pray that way
for our nation. And finally, I would ask you to distribute this call to prayer as widely as possible so that the greatest number of people would lay hold of the throne of grace all at once. It may be that God will show mercy to America , that He will shed His grace on her once again. Thank you for joining with me in this effort.
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
I am asking every believer in Jesus Christ to set aside Monday,
November 3 as a day of fasting and prayer . I would urge you to review the prayer of Daniel on behalf of his people in Dan . 9:3-19, and to pray that way
for our nation. And finally, I would ask you to distribute this call to prayer as widely as possible so that the greatest number of people would lay hold of the throne of grace all at once. It may be that God will show mercy to America , that He will shed His grace on her once again. Thank you for joining with me in this effort.
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