Show me the money

First of all, I am fully aware that a good portion of my friends and family are sick of hearing me talk about coupons. If you are one of them, perhaps you should move along now and check back at a later date for a more interesting blog. I will not however go into a detailed tutorial on how to coupon if that's what you're worried about, so if you can bear with...read on. Suffice it to say that I can't imagine I let so much money go to waste before this coupon thing. No, I'm not an extreme couponer. I don't have a bomb shelter with 72 cans of baked beans. I do, however have 14 or so bottles of laundry detergent on hand at any given time. I also have 4 children (2 of whom are babies) and 2 adults to do laundry for on a regular basis. I have 4 kids at home with me for the summer as well and I never run out of lunches for them. I never run out of bread, or frozen pizzas, or french fries, or any of those staple items you need to run an efficient kid-friendly household thanks to the fact that I treat the grocery store like the stock market. I buy low. And I buy lots. It works for me and I enjoy providing for my family in that way. We're very blessed. We have more than we need, for sure. But as a work-at-home Mom, I don't mind a bit doing the extra work to contribute to the household in a way that I didn't before. Plus we donate items, and the kids remember things like that. And not just that, but frankly I don't like having to go to Food Lion. I like Harris Teeter. I like the Starbucks, I like the atmosphere, I even like the staff. And the fact that they double my coupons gives me even more of a reason to shop there exclusively. So yes, I do stock up quite a bit. I probably don't need as much toothpaste as I have stockpiled, and occasionally I do realize that I've got 3 bottles of Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinagrette when I can't recall ever actually eating or wanting Raspberry Walnut Vinagtrette, light or otherwise, but overall we use what we buy. And what we buy is cheap. And we use ALOT in this house. I have more food in my house now than I have at any point in my life. I like that my kids will never know what it's like to be in a household where the cupboards are all but bare. It all just makes me happy, so you'll have to pardon me if I post/talk/blog about it quite a bit (not to mention the random people I stop in stores that I see paying full-price). I can't help it. I want to pass it along. Now I must go, after all it is Sunday paper day;)

Reflections and Anticipation

     I think Geo said it best on Sunday night: "What a great end to a great weekend." And that was true. It was a peaceful, relaxing, perfect excursion for us as a couple and it was much needed. Fortunately we got out of it exactly what we were hoping for.

<"Colt, DO NOT take off your diaper again.">

     Ahem...so anyway, it was pure bliss and for that I'm super-grateful. Skip to Sunday night...we're headed to see Bailey sing with the Young Musicians Choir at church. Timing of course is a little hectic, as it always is when shuttling kids around, but we got her there on time. I'll be honest, I was looking forward to hearing her sing, but really after the wonderful weekend, wasn't looking to get a lot more out of it than that. It was Joel Raney (pianist/composer) and Jane Holstein (organist/composer) performing in concert, which I was looking forward to, but probably wouldn't have made myself go had Bailey not been a part of the program.

<"No SIR! Stay out of the trash...don't touch that!">

     So anyway, as per usual, Bailey sings...I get teary. All you moms out there know what I mean, you have a kid and automatically lose your ability to keep it together whether they are singing in church or getting a kindergarten award for just showing up at school. It's just the way it is. I've learned to bite my lip and try my hardest not to make a blubbering idiot out of myself. It was beautiful though...Blessed Assurance in rounds with the adult choir and these amazing musicians. Then the kids we released to come and sit with their parents. I tried to smile and tell her how wonderful she was without cracking and freaking her out.

<"Colt, that's MOMMY'S Rolodex.">

     Now what made this concert even more interesting was that Joel as a composer has been commissioned to write and arrange songs for a variety of venues...from TV and radio to individuals looking for a specific meaning, etc. and often had a story to tell about each arrangement. He did an incredible arrangement of "Jesus Loves Me" but what was more moving was the story behind it. A woman had contacted him to compose this arrangement for her friend. Her friend and her husband had just had a baby that was born with a birth defect such that they knew the baby had only a year to live. They sang "Jesus Loves Me" to the baby every night and she thought having their own arrangement would be nice for them. Think about that. One year. Colt's just turned a year old. It flew by. I've spent the year watching him learn and grow, waiting for the next big milestone. Can you imagine wanting to stop time? That instead of rushing the walking, talking, etc. really CHERISHING each milestone, not knowing if it might be the last? I can't even fathom what this couple must have gone through, it's heartbreaking. By the time Joel got to his arrangement of "In His Hands" as in the whole world, you know, little babies and all...I was a blubbering idiot. Somehow even with the kids freaking out, it seemed to matter a little less at that point though.

So yes, "Colt, put my phone down. And then come here and let me hold you for a bit."

Now go hug your little ones.

Almost there...

So I'm at that point in my pregnancy where I'd really like to have the baby out now. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of being able to feel this tiny miracle grow and kick and play, I spend a good part of my day fantasizing about his tiny hands and feet, in fact. Still...needing a wall to lean against in order to put my pants on isn't exactly my idea of fun. I've adjusted to the waddle, still dealing with the breathlessness and dizziness, but overall, I have an incredible partner in this and he takes great care of me, and the older kids have been amazing at helping me out with everything from watching Colt to picking up that paper that I dropped on the floor and don't stand a chance of being able to pick up. So...I'm not complaining.

I thought this might be a good way to document how I'm feeling so a couple of months from now when I'm looking at that angelic face, wondering how he was ever in my belly, I can remember how I was feeling. Right now it's mostly anxious. Anxious to see him, and hold him, to know for sure that he's happy and healthy, to see what/who he looks like, how he will fit in to our uber-chaotic household, etc. I'm also a little anxious about having room for him, and everything he needs. We're planning on building an addition, but it's on the back-burner for now, but I know that we'll make due. I thnk that's mostly nesting anyway. We just did this with Colt, so how hard can it be, right? Or are those famous last words?;)

We've settled on a name, so if you truly read my blog then you are now privy to that information. Jax Edward Livingston. Jax because I love it and Geo got to name Colt;) Also because Livingston is such a substantial last name that I think the first name should be something short and sweet, and Edward for my stepfather who has done and continues to do so much for and be so much to our family (Colt's middle name, Emery honors my Dad). So that's who we're waiting on, baby Jax.

At least a couple of times a day, Geo and I marvel at the fact that God has given us another precious gift, and no matter how impossible things sometimes seem and how uncomfortable I am (and then in turn Geo is, lol)...we are truly blessed and thrilled and amazed that we are awaiting yet another little boy. I can't wait to tell him how much we've talked about him and tried to picture him, imagined holding him, and so on. We can't wait to see Jax grow up with Colt, and the dynamic of those two together is truly entertaining to us even now, pre-arrival.

I'm going to try very hard over these next 6 or 7 weeks to take it easy and to enjoy and appreciate this time period when Jax really honestly needs me and then to spend the rest of my life letting him and the rest of my family know how much I really honestly need them.

Lastly...to my friends and family online...I apologize in advance for the overabundance of baby pictures you will be required to look at, come November.

Welcome to My World

Well, this will be my first blog post. I figure everyone else has a blog, so why not? I thought "Heaven Gone a Little Haywire" was appropriate for me, because my world rests in this blender of kids, and family, and work, and friends, with a few diapers, speedbumps, ex-spouses, and random rants thrown in.  Overall it truly is Heaven on Earth for me. I've never been happier, but unfortunately I think that makes the "speedbumps" that much harder to take, because I don't want anything to threaten the place I'm finally at in my life, which then leads to the rants, and so on and so forth. Anywho...that explains my title. Things are pretty much always at least a little chaotic here, but I'm learning to embrace it, or at least trying to learn to embrace it, and overall it's pretty darn wonderful, and I definitely feel blessed to be me.

Here's the basic breakdown: Married right after college...two wonderful kids...realized being great friends does not a marriage make...split on good terms...fell in love with my boss...got us both fired because of it (hehehe, darn)...remarried, 2 stepkids in tow...started our own business...baby arrived...business is thriving...new baby on the way bringing our grand total of kids to SIX, 5 of which are BOYS. Whew. God works in mysterious ways and I'm realizing that my blessings might not come in the pretty little packages that I'd like them to, but they still come, and I'm so thankful for that. It might not be everyone's ideal situation, but when I close my eyes at night to fall asleep, everything feels pretty ideal to me.

So...who knows what I might write? I surely don't. And who knows if anyone will read it anyway? Sometimes I have a lot to say though so if nothing else, I find this therapeutic. And I'm sarcastic...and conservative...I'm loving...I'm a Mom...I'm a New Kids on the Block fan now and forever...I'm a Christian...and I get angry...and I may go off on some weird tangent from time to time, but I'm me, and I promise to share whatever interesting (to me) tidbits are occupying my mind at any given time.  In addition, I've got about a thousand humorous (let me stress in HINDSIGHT) stories from my childhood, that if no one else, my brother should appreciate, so stay tuned:)