Visiting Pics and Gramps

We had a quick but enjoyable trip to NC for thanksgiving this year. We got there at about 8:30am and got home around 9:30pm. It would have been nice and relaxing except Lulu was sick and whiney all day. I ended up taking her to the dr Monday and she had an ear infection, poor thing. Anyway, mom made the entire dinner and wouldn't even let me bring dessert or drinks. I assume I'll be doing all the cooking for Christmas dinner this year!

Here's Gramps and Brannon setting the table

Here's Lilah messing up said table and Picky trying to fix it back!

Here's Mac hiding from all of the work and finding a target to shoot.

Enjoying a nice after dinner snack!

Gramps, Brannon and Timmy.

Daddy, Lula and Pics.

Gramps, McG and the picster.

Brannon and his Grammy.

I hate that I didn't get any more pictures than this. It was such a great dinner!

A few years ago, McGwire started the tradition of going around the dinner table telling what we are thankful for. A few things that were mentioned were:

famliy

health

hockey

the Gospel

a living prophet

indoor plumbing

our jobs

home

and my personal favorite...

having our parents still on earth with us.

I am also thankful that my mom is an awesome cook!

Sunday pics

McGwire gave a talk this past Sunday. It was about keeping the Sabbath day Holy. He did an great job and prepared it all by himself.

It was way past time for him to get a haircut, so Tim took him Sat afternoon to get a little trim. He actually got real haircut which I was not expecting. We also got him a new shirt and dress pants as well, which he was overdue for.

Here he is looking sharp as a tack.

Lilah is beginning to say "cheese" which makes for a funny picture.


"Cheese"!

Proud Papa.

We didn't tell Lilah to say "cheese" in this picture. We learned our lesson!

More getaway pictures

One of the features we went to was the butterfly center. It was a beautiful conservatory with plants and flowers and about a gazillion butterflies fluttering around. Me and the kids went that first morning but then Tim wanted to go as well so we went back later that day and got lots of pictures.

They had a koi fish pond also and so of course we had to pay 25c to feed them. Unfortunately, they apparantly already eaten for the day.

Not one nibble!!

Did you know butterflies eat fruit? I had no idea. My Alabama education is showing!

mini vaca at C*allaway Gardens

Tim had a work meeting at C*allaway Gardens earlier this week and since we missed his meeting at the beach last month, we decided to go with him this time. We stayed in a really nice lodge on the site for free which made it even more nice! haha

Tim was in meetings in the mornings so we just layed around watching cable tv (a true luxury for us) and visited a few features around the gardens while we waited for him to join us.

Lilah was obviously excited about going swimming in the heated pool.

"Here Daddy, kiss my horse."



The hot tub was nice and warm.

We had the pool all to ourselves all 3 times we swam.

I wanted to get a pic of Mac in full flight but snapped the camera too soon, although technically both of his feet are off of the ground.

Lilah wanted to jump too.

She just hates the camera.

Tim got her to say "cheese" in this picture but she still wouldn't look my way!

McG wanted me to get a good splash picture!

I'll post more pictures of our trip tomorrow.

Coupon King

Tim started couponing again a few months ago. I haven't posted anything about it because I am trying to block out all of the stacks and stacks of coupons out of my mind. I am grateful, though because it really is helping us stock up on some food storage.

Yesterday, he spent $24 but got over $200 worth of groceries.

Crazy!

Here's the VERY long reciept!





Mac is monitoring the 50 cans of frosting that Tim paid nothing for and I have yet to find a home for.





No, this is NOT the grocery store. This is our A1 marinade isle.
They were free, too. In fact, they actually gave tim $22 back on this transaction.






I think these were 20c per box.





65 bags of vegetables at 19c a piece.




Got milk???
Yep!!! 55 cans of free evaporated milk.

Too many boxes of pancake mix to count. This is all I could store in the pantry. The rest are in our hall closet. I gave some away and Tim was not a bit happy about it!

They were 15c a box.

About 30 or more boxes of 10c cookie mix of which I gave away NONE! haha

Free noodles!

About 50 or more boxes of rice that were 8 or 9c.

Free tuna!

Btw, he didn't get all of this in one day. These are things we've aquired over the past several weeks. I didn't get a picture of the tons of yogurt and boxes and boxes of pop tarts that everyone got sick of eating! haha Oh yeah, hopefully I won't have to buy anymore babywipes before Lilah is pottytrained. Those were free as well. And lastly, Tim reminded me to mention the free toothpaste and 5c toothbrushes too.

Here's to free (and really , really cheap) food!

Sunday pictures

Of course I have to show off Lilahs new dress. It was a consignment sale find. It was very cheap. In fact, the monogram cost more than the dress. Bev, you REALLY need to get a monogramming machine so your son doesn't have to file bankruptcy!!! haha

This picture looks like a mug shot (sorry about that dang paci) but she refuses to stay still and smile nicely. The only way I can get her to even look at the camera is to tell her to look at the spider or snake or whatever scarey thing I can think of at the time. That catches her attention long enough for me to be able to snap a picture and then she's off again!

McGwire still won't smile nice for the camera either. He either scrunches his face, closes his eyes or makes some other silly pose. This is the best picture of him I was able to capture but he's trying to mess it up by irritating Lilah!



He's our self portrait. McGwire took it. Daddy's not in it because he was busy finishing his lesson.