Cheap or thrifty?

So today we were at Mc Donalds, and the boys wanted to eat inside so we went in. I always get them just one happy meal and they share it, even the toy. So today the lady at the register looked at the boys and asked me "do you want 2 juices?" I told her no, they just share. So she just gave us our food and we went to find a table. She could see us from where she was, and she probably noticed I wasn't eaten (I wouldn't eat at McDonals if my life depended on it!) , I don't know but she must have thought we were so poor that after a few minutes she came to our table with free ice cream cones!!!

So the truth is that we've never gotten 2 happy meals, they just share one.
We never buy kids meals at restaurants, they just eat off of us. It's good for the diet too.
When we go to Andy's we just get them the little sample cones. FREE
Jake's birthday is in November so if he gets too many presents, we take a couple presents and give them to him for Christmas!! He never notices.
We buy our kids 3 presents for Christmas. (That includes the recycled ones)
Ethan wears mostly recycled clothes.
Mmmm, I know there's more, but I can't think of more right now.

Well, at least they've learned to share!!

Happy Birthday mi amor!!

I'm so thankful for such a great husband, and another year we get to spend together, Te amo.

Sexy
Tender and loving
spEcial
Precious
Honorable
Encouraging
fuN Okay, I'm not good at this.

Why have more babies!

Why have another baby when we can play with all these cute babies!

My fun little boys

I wish they would stay this age forever. I wish I could put them in a bubble and protect them from everything that could hurt them. But all I can do is teach them and help them make the right choices. And what a blessing it is to see them make the right choices even when we're not there. And I'm also glad that they're faced with those choices. Little things, like watching the right shows, Jake will immediatly change the channel when a cartoon he's not supposed to watch is on, even though he really wants to see the shows his friends are talking about. I have to say that when Mr. Rider talked to him about being careful about what he sees because it goes to his brain, I didn't think he would understand. But he does, he understands that it is important to protect his heart. Different times we live in, I didn't expect my little 5 year old to ask "what are drugs?" but unfortunately that is something we have to talk about now, because he'll face that choice someday too.

I could only...

If I could only eat anything I wanted, this is what my day would look like
Breakfast at Hemingways (everything on the buffet, except for the catfish, and sausage)
Morning snack (I would probably be too full from breakfast though) asiago cheese bagel
Lunch Springcreek tea room (soup, salad and sandwich)
Dessert cake at the tearoom
Snack Cheese dip from Mexican villa and chips
Dinner Mama's Mac and cheese from Brew Co. and a diet coke :)
And for the grand finale a delicious concrete from Andy's. Mmmmm, I'm salivating.

Unfortunately, I have to exercise my self control, which I have lost a lot lately, so today I had to recommit to eating healthier and better. But if you see my self control wondering around Andys or Panera, please send him back my way, he has the tendency of getting lost.

Winter again!

Yeap, it's getting cold outside, and when I told Ethan that winter is coming he said "What! winter again!" I share that feeling, winter depresses me. I can't think of anything good about winter, except wearing sweaters and I love wearing sweaters, okay maybe hot chocolate sitting by a fire, and not having to mow, but other than that...nothing. This year I probably won't even get to escape for a few weeks of nice warm weather.
Not much new around our household, just a couple of birthdays coming up. I don't know what it is about our kids but when they find a toy they like, that is it, they get obsessed with it. Jake likes MAgic tree house books, and that is all he wants Jack and Annie books. Ethan has quite a collection of trains, and he keeps asking for more. And Mr. Rider, well, all he wants is books!
I'm almost done with "A mom after God's own heart", I really liked it, it has taken me a while to read it but I also have my homework for my BSF Bible study, which I'm really enjoying. Speaking of bible studies, we're starting one at our house, once a month. Stephen hasn't told me what he'll be teaching about but I'm sure it will be awesome.
Well, that's all I can think about, actually I was also thinking that Mr. Rider should vote, it bothers me that he won't exercise his right to vote. I can't vote since I'm not a citizen but I would if I could. So maybe I should email McCain and ask him to give me $600 so I can become a citizen and vote for him! Every vote counts right! Mmmm, that would be a good strategy, there are thousands of LEGAL residents that haven't become citizens because of the expensive fee. So he should give us an incentive to vote for him, just a thought...

Fun times

For my parents last weekend in town, we went to a couple of places I had never been too, it was a bit of a drive but it was fun, first we went to Elephant Rock, which the boys obviously loved, Jake could have spent all day there. Then we went to Saint Louis where we had Cheesecake factory and spent the night. The next day we went to St. Charles, I really liked it, we all had a good time walking around the neat shops. After that, we came back thru the "Wine country", the drive was beautiful, we stopped at a couple of winery's, they are pretty cool. We had the best weather. There are so many little bed & breakfast all over, it would be an awesome get away, specially in the fall.
Changing the subject, my breadmaker broke, I'm not very happy about it. Specially since today is the perfect soup and bread day. And since I feel like baking I have a little surprise for Mr. Rider...