Preschool Graduation

Our little lady is growing up! Yesterday Maryn officially graduated from Preschool! She was feeling the love and had a very special day! Not only were Mom, Dad, and Brynnie there to support her, but Grammy, Uncle Kevin, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Megan came up to watch her little program as well. It was fun seeing all the kids show off to their families some of the things they have learned this year, like sign language and Spanish. Uncle Aaron who served his mission in Peru was happy Maryn was representing with her Espanol skills! We know Uncle Jesse would be happy too!
Maryn's teacher made little yearbooks for every child with mementos from the year. It was fun to look through and see how much our little Peanut has learned and grown. Maryn really did have amazing teachers this year. The kind that make you feel blessed as a parent. Because you know that when your child is away from you, they are being loved and nurtured and taught. The only thing making it easier that Maryn is leaving her old school is that Brynna will be starting there next year.

After the Graduation Program we all headed over to Williamson Bros. Barbeque for some lunch! Nothing says celebration like a little fried okra and Brunswick stew! Mmmmm, so good! Grammy and I decided we should all do lunch everyday! It's been so nice having family back in town and we will miss all of them so much when they all have leave. We are blessed to have such a great, supportive family!
Even Aunt Megan's sweet mom Tracy sent a special Graduation surprise for Maryn! She really is one of the most thoughtful people I know! Not only has our family been blessed with Megan, whom the girls just love, as do I, but we have been blessed by her awesome family too. We're so appreciative of all their love and support!
Maryn has been begging for a Webkinz for months and I kept telling her to wait and maybe she could get one for her birthday. So when she opened Tracy's gift and there was TWO adorable, little Webkinz inside she was ecstatic!! We even made a little notebook for her to keep track of their adoption paperwork and everything. Those Webkinz and the notebook have not left her side! She is in LOVE! I think she officially has a new obsession!

It's so strange to think how fast she has grown up and that she'll really be off to Kindergarten in the Fall. But Justin and I truly feel blessed to see what a good girl Maryn is growing up to be. She is a firecracker and natural leader, smart and funny. We know that no matter how many new phases of life are before her to conquer she will be a success at anything that comes her way. Here's to this new chapter in her life!

Sister Love!

It was so much fun having Kristen, Adam B., and little Rocklin in town from Arizona for the wedding. Kristen and Rocklin were able to stay a little bit longer and play, which I was very happy about! It was the first time I've seen Kristen since she had Rocklin. It was so much fun seeing her as a Mom! Rocklin and Kristen are dually blessed because Kristen is an awesome Momma and Rocklin is quite possibly the best baby I have ever been around! (Seriously folks, what an awesome baby!) I loved getting to hold him and hear his little baby coos. It made me start to get really excited for the birth of Lauryn, because my time with Rocklin was the reminder I was needing that babies are not all hard work, they really are such a blessing too.

Being around Kristen was also so much fun as always. We had fun going out to lunch, talking about recipes, purse shopping, and just hanging out. Kristen is good for me because she is a fun, girly-girl and sometimes I need to be reminded how much fun getting your toenails painted and purse shopping is! I remember one of the first things Justin told me back in the day when we started dating was how much I would love his sister. He was right. We both grew up in the midst of a pack full of boys and somehow lived to tell. Not having a sister growing up, I always felt like I missed out on something. So I have loved being able to gain one through marriage that I love the way I would any real sister. Kristen is one of the most thoughtful, fun, genuine and real people you will ever meet. I feel so blessed that along with all those rough and tumble Young boys who I just love so much, I also got that sister I always wanted!

The Thrill of the Hunt!

Grocery Bags, check. Coupons, check. Grocery Ad, check. Obsessively Organized Grocery List, check.
Let's go baby, it's time to shop!

Let me know if I'm alone in this, but I get such a rush from finding a really stellar deal! Anyone can go pay full price for something, there's no fun in that. But there is something seriously fun about hunting down a bargain and snagging it! I am like a lioness with coupons going in for the kill! Justin and my friend Laura know this about me and know it's their job to act really interested and excited when I find a particularly good steal!

I totally believe in the saying 'A penny saved is a penny earned!'. When I quit my job last September to be at home full time with the girls, it was really the first time in my adult life where I wasn't making some sort of monetary contribution to the family budget. So I have rationalized in my brain that all the pennies I save being a Bargain Huntress is really my monetary contribution to the family. (I'm a big fair freak, everyone must do their part!)

Take my weekly shopping trips to the grocery store for instance. It has become a game for me to see how much I can save. I get a rush seeing the total fall at the register after getting all my hard sought discounts! I know, I'm weird, but it's the best! In the past I have done meal planning a week in advance so I don't fear the "What's for dinner?" question every night. But this month I did it for an entire month and it has helped me save even more! Because you plan meals using ingredients you already have so nothing goes to waste. For instance, if I'm making Grilled Teriyaki Chicken on a bed of Spring Greens tonight, I know I'll have cashews (which I got half price! Hooray!) on hand from that for the Cashew Chicken Stir Fry I have planned for next week. Also the extra strawberries not used in my Strawberry Spinach Salad that goes with our BBQ Bacon Grilled Chicken we'll be having in a few days, will also go great as a fresh fruit salad with kiwis and oranges thrown with them, to go with that already planned Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry. Get it?!

So after I menu plan, then I devour my Sunday grocery store ads looking for awesome deals. A lot of my food storage is from just grabbing a few extra of the weekly deals at the grocery store. For instance, rather than running out of ketchup and having to pay $1.76 for a bottle, I buy it when it goes on sale for half that and stock up! Instant savings on things you already use! Anyhoot, so before I hit the grocery store, I make sure all my coupons and ad savings are written on my grocery list and I am ready for the hunt!

Today I think I hit my all time best savings! On a $212.90 grocery bill I only paid $66.72 out of my pocket!!! That includes all the food for all our meals for about a week and a half, plus I bought extras to rotate the comfort foods in our 72 hour kits and stocked up on more food storage deals. Isn't that so flippin' awesome?! I saved $146.18 in one shopping trip! Are you feelin' the rush?! And it's not like we're eating Ramen noodles and water. I got boneless skinless chicken breasts, stew meat, pot roast, milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, cold cereal (mmm, Honey Bunches of Oats, only $1.50 a box after discount when you buy 4!) Cliff Bars, Vitamin Water, a ton of produce, laundry detergent. You name it, every aisle was hit up! I love coming home from grocery shopping and stuffing my fridge, freezers and shelves full of my finds! It gives me this little warm spot of security knowing I'm doing my part. Is there anyone else that can relate to the Bargain Huntress in me? If so share the cheapskate love baby! What do you do to score awesome deals?

Lucky Me!

Being Mom to these two faces is one of the best things in the world!

My mom had said at one point, that Mother's Day to her was right up there with Christmas on her list of favorite holidays. It seemed like such a small, quietly celebrated holiday to me. How could it be her favorite? I didn't get it in years past, but now I do.

I've said it a million times, being a parent is tough work. The most humbling thing I've ever done. Oftentimes the insane workload, worry, and sacrifice that go into being a Mom go seemingly unnoticed... until Mother's Day. Sunday was so wonderful for me. Not because it was picture perfect from start to finish, but because the people I love the most and have dedicated my life to, took the time to stop and let me know how much I'm appreciated.

Justin had to be at a tournament in Atlanta that day. Bummer. But rather than staying downtown again like he had the night before, he made the trek home for me. He wanted to make sure that even though he couldn't spend the whole day with me, that I would get some of my favorite things on my special day before he had to leave. So at 7:00 am before he scooted out of the house, he woke me with a tray of warm Eggs Benedict and my favorite orange juice. He also had worked with the girls to make me cards and gotten me my favorite roses. I love that man. Then after I finished, he took the tray and told me to go back to sleep and left me with a kiss. Right after he left Maryn and Brynna came scooting down the stairs, so no more sleep for me. But I was so in love with my husband and children at that point that it was okay. Who needs extra sleep anyways?!

I love, love, love multi-colored rose bouquets! Justin did good, these ones are gorgeous!

At church I got a happy tear in my eye as I watched Maryn scoot up front to sing with the rest of the Primary children to their mothers. There really is nothing sweeter. Then after church the girls ran to me after their classes with hands full of little gifts of love for their Momma. I keep a box in my closet of gifts made on Mother's Day by their tiny hands. They are those sweet reminders of why I do what I do as a parent. I see all the commercials for extravagant Mother's Day gifts on t.v., but honestly nothing is better than those little handmade gifts! Although, Justin did do pretty good. He was going to surprise me with a new computer, but couldn't find the right one before Sunday. So tonight Aaron and Megan came over to watch the girls for us so Justin and I could get some much needed time together. We went to one of our favorite places, Bahama Breeze and then went and bought a new computer for me! Hooray, no more blogging hiatus! What can I say folks, I am one very blessed, very lucky lady! I hope all of you other Mommas out there felt the same way!

All my fun I love you's!

Maryn made this for me at school. It's one of those keep forever items! I loved the way she filled in the blanks to the questions! She said things like I'm 60 years old and 30 ft. tall. She also said she's a happy kid because I have soft skin. Ahh, happiness is all in proper moisturizing!

Feelin' the Love!

Ahh, my prego sympathizers! The girls stuffed their shirts with pillows so I wouldn't feel like the only belly-heavy one there!

I think I have the best calling ever at church! I get to serve in the Young Women's organization and my ward has by far the best women and girls I've ever served with in all my many years in the Young Women's program. Tonight they were so wonderful and really showed me and little Lauryn the love by throwing me a fun baby shower! We played games, scarfed down some very yummy snacks, hung out, and they even made Lauryn the cutest blanket! While I've loved being able to spend more time with my kids, I really missed getting to see all my awesome Young Women on Mutual nights! So tonight really was a lot of fun! Thank you so much Cinda, LuAnn, Kathleen, Jackie, and all you awesome girls! I just love you!

We played the game where you guess which candy bar is melted in the diaper! It was hilarious! Some of the girls tasted the candy, ewww gross! I'm sorry, I've changed way too many diapers in my day to ever lick one, chocolate or not!

I did sniff it though!

Mary Cate won the pack the diaper bag challenge. I loved her attention to detail! Girl you can pack my diaper bag any day!

Kathleen had found out that Lauryn 's nursery was flowers and bumblebees, so she made this adorable cake! I just loved it!

There were so many yummy snacks! Even though I had just eaten dinner, I couldn't resist, I had to try all of it! Hey there has to be some perks to pregnancy, right?!

On top of all the fun, they sent me home with some wonderful gifts! I really do feel totally blessed by how good they all were to me! I love you guys, thanks for making me feel so special!

How Cute Are These?!

Kristine sent me these ADORABLE bibs! Don't you just love them?! Nice find Kristine! Lauryn will be the most stylin' baby around!

I have finally started getting to the point in this pregnancy where I am starting to feel excited! Before now I was feeling either sick or overwhelmed wondering how the heck I am going to function with another kidlet! But today I had an ultrasound and was able to see my little woman! It just made it that much more real for me. Lauryn is really in there and before I know it, I really am going to be able to hold her in my arms! I can't wait! To add to the fun is the cute gifts my sister-in-laws have showered me with in the past few days! If having a sweet, healthy baby girl to snuggle and love wasn't enough, I get to have stinkin' cute bibs and burp cloths for her too! What's not to love?! Thank you SO much Kristine and Kristen!

Kristen made these cute burp cloths! I just love them! If I must be constantly spit-up on at least I will be doing it in style!

The Big Day!!!

Well it's official! Yet another Young sibling has tied the knot! Aaron and Megan's wedding was on Friday and it was really just a wonderful day from start to finish. For the first time in several years the whole family was together again and it has been so much fun! Megan and Aaron looked so happy and we were so glad we could be there to celebrate the starting of their new life together. I have learned that there is nothing that brings joy and happiness quite like having the love of your family. We are so happy that Megan is now a part of ours!

I left the camera in the car while we were at the temple on accident, so I missed out on those pics. Bummer! Megan was GORGEOUS though and I've never seen Aaron happier! The two of them were just smiles from ear to ear! Here are a few pictures from the reception though. Honestly, it was by far the funnest reception I have ever been too, so I didn't spend too much time behind the camera! We did catch a few good pics though! Enjoy!

Here we all are together again at the Rehearsal Barbecue at the Ensign's the night before the wedding! As you can tell, there's never a dull moment when we all get together!

Who is that devastatingly handsome man? Oh wait, he's mine. That's what I'm talking about!

Can you tell Maryn is really into this picture? Believe it or not, she was really hamming up the posing while we were at the temple! This is in the library at the historic house where the reception was held. It was a really cool setting, it reminded Justin and I a bit of where we had our reception when we were married.

Our pretty little flower girl Brynnie!

Maryn was in her fairy tale princess imagination that day! She loved that she was able to wear a pretty dress and carry flowers! I think every little girl should get to be a flower girl at least once!

I discovered Maryn is growing up way too fast for her poor Momma. She was dancing with one of her uncles when another 'older man' cut in to dance with her! Aye-yi-yi, it begins already! When Megan was dancing with her Dad to that song 'Butterfly Kisses', I was squirting tears knowing that one day it'll be my girls all married off dancing with their Daddy!
Can't I just keep them little forever?

Brynna was a little more shy than Maryn on the dance floor. She got that from me, poor kid. But she did let Megan's brother Connor sneak in a dance. So sweet!

I was out on the porch when I hear "GO JUSTIN, GO JUSTIN, GO JUSTIN!" I ran in and caught my guy breaking it down on the dance floor in the middle of a big circle of people. He tries to be all serious but I know the real him, when the rhythm comes calling, he just has to go with it! Maryn was the same! We could not peel that child off the dance floor! She was in the middle of a big group of teenage girls getting her groove on!

Justin's brothers doing their thing! Like I said, never a dull moment with these guys around!

Aaron and Megan were right there in the middle of the fun! No sitting out for those two! Thanks to Rachel for letting me steal some of her pics! Like I said, I was having too much fun to take pictures like I should have!

Congrats again Aaron and Megan! And thanks so much for one seriously fun night! We love you both!