This Life I've Found

hello, strangers...

I haven't updated the blog in a little while because there just doesn't seem to be much to say. 

My college roommates (all 13 of us) and I email from time to time, you know in "mass email" form, and this past week we had an email chain going.  The plan was to give a general update on our lives, and I couldn't think of one thing to say.  Hmmm...the Moore family, we wake up, unload the dishwasher, eat breakfast, play outside, watch cartoons...I mean, what can I say?  But then I felt very thankful that there wasn't much to say.  Last year, every time I turned around there was some sort of something to update on, and it was always a negative update, so I have decided that no news is definitely good news around here.  So, here's to thanking God for an uneventful season of life. 

We have been doing some things, but are they really blog worthy?  I don't know.  Is anything really blog worthy ;) 

We are digging in our heals with our budget/Dave Ramsey plan.  And I am the new person in charge of the budget.  Scott did our budget for years, and then we both woke up one day, realized that in the case of our budget, my anxiety-ridden personality might actually work for us, where as Scott's laid back, everything will work itself out personality was most likely working against us--trust me, it's usually the other way around in our marriage--his personality usually wins ;), and just like that, I took over the budget.  I sort of love doing it.  It's like a game, and finally, we are winning the game.  I do tend to get a bit obsessive, though.  In fact, as we are saving for a family beach trip in August--woo-hoo--I am becoming a bit obsessive about things like turning the lights off, not turning the AC down too low, etc. etc., and I have Ada on my side.  I gave her the "job" of making sure lights are turned off when we aren't using them, and she is on top of it.  Throughout the day, I hear her little voice saying, or accusing, "who left this light on?!!!"  My biggest money temptation is eating out, because, of course, eating out means that someone else does the cooking and cleaning, so to fight my temptation, I figure out how much the meal out would cost, and I immediately transfer that into savings, and we eat at home instead.  And today I used my crock pot for Sunday lunch instead of eating out.  I am telling myself that the little things add up.  Do any of you have little savings tricks you want to pass along?

What else is there to add to this super exciting blog post?

Hmmm...John's verbal skills are improving daily.  Though I am sure that the rest of the world still can't understand most of what he says, he really can communicate anything at all to me.  We have entire conversations, and I am loving seeing his little personality come out so much.  Plus, I can see that his frustration with life has decreased just a bit with his increased ability to communicate.  However, now that he is two and such a big boy ;) he wants to do everything that Ada does, and he gets quite frustrated with me when he can't do everything that Ada does.  So, I don't know...maybe the two things cancel each other out and we are both the same amount of frustrated :)

Now, I am just going to post some pictures, and add a caption or two of an update.

I took these pictures of Ada a few weekends ago because she is so my daughter.  She loves jewelry, and she doesn't like to go anywhere without her necklace and "chunky" bracelet.  (I love "chunky" jewelry).  Plus, she is in that stage where she insists on picking out her own outfits, and she always asks if she can put on my make up before we go somewhere.  Though I say no every time, she continues to ask...

 here Ada is stretching to go on her first ever "run with mom."  She didn't even run for ten seconds, by the way, which was even less time than I thought she would make it.  John on the other hand will run forever.  Really.  Those chubby, short legs just go, and he doesn't stop.

And above, Ada was having her nails done at Ellie's birthday sleepover.  Ada, John, and I made a quick trip to Alabama to celebrate Ellie's 7th birthday.  John stayed at mom's during the sleepover, and I was the other "chaperone" at the party.  Ada insisted on trying to sleep in the room with the other girls--on the floor of the bonus room--and I was in Ellie's bed, just a room away.  Finally at 11, Ada came to get in the bed with me.  I knew she would never ever fall asleep on the floor, but I just waited her out.  I was relieved when we were both in the bed, but still, she was tired the next day.  She is already asking if she can have a sleepover for her birthday.  The sleepover was super cute, but I will wait and let Ann post those pictures.

 It was a hot weekend, which called for, what else?  a sprinkler and a popsicle.  The best way to beat the heat when you're four, right?  John does not like the sprinkler, by the way.

 the orange "strip" on the ground is a sprinkler we found, which sprays water in lots of crazy directions.  Ada wanted a slip n' slide, but I thought a sprinkler would be simpler and easier to store, plus I thought John would like it better than a slip n' slide.  Of course, he hates the sprinkler, but, oh well, Ada loves it.

So there you go.  I may blog soon about all the things on my current reading list, but we'll see if I get to it.  Now, I am off to bed to rest up for the start of another week...

happy Monday, everyone!