Completely Random Post

We just returned home from half of a week in Florida for spring break. It was a great time and many pictures will be coming, but until then I will have a completely random post on a few things that have been happening and a few other random thoughts.
1. Darrell (and I) recently bought a new (to us) car. If you have never saved up and paid cash for a newish car then I would highly recommend it. It drives much better:) My favorite part of this new car was when we went to fill it up for the first time. Neither of us could figure out how to open the gas tank. Finally I convinced D to let me read the owners manual. Here he is after we finally figured it out.
And here he is when he realized the paparazzi was going to put his picture on the blog.
2. I love my girlfriends and our recent weekend together. I also love this one and her fashion shows. My vote was for the silver number, but I was outvoted-tell me you all like the silver better too and I will be your best friend.

3. I love any time I get to hang out with girls sans kids! Mandi I had a picture of you showing us how to stand when taking a picture, but I decided you might not like that one published. You're welcome


4. I love the bounce dryer bar-they should pay me to advertise for this thing. If you don't have one then go get it. I even emailed them and told them how much I love it and they sent me a coupon. Bonus points for them.
5. Happy Easter ! I hope you all enjoyed my favorite holiday

6. Last and DEFINITELY least ( I kinda hope you have stopped reading by now), but don't we look really OLD! The crazy hair, the lazy eye, the wrinkles Oh MY!

Why I Am SOOOO Tickled

So the other night I laughed sooo hard that my husband wanted me to be committed and my brother in law came out of hiding to check and see if I was crying or laughing.

I was laughing and I am still laughing and now you must hear why.

Darrell and I very frugally planned a trip to San Francisco this summer to go to a friends wedding.
On this trip we will have NO kids (this is very important to remember).

We got our air fare for next to nothing thanks to some travel vouchers that we have been holding onto and I also found an excellent coupon code for a rental car. So we get to and around San Fran for less than $200. All that is left to book is the hotel and this my friends was Darrell's job:)

He did a great job picking out the location and swankiness of the hotel.
Major props to Darrell, you see it is just too bad that I can't thank him properly;) because we will be staying in a room suitable for these two:


Yes my friends my loving and adoring husband booked a hotel room with TWO TWIN BEDS:0
And here is where I will steal something from one of my favorite tv show bloggers and insert the Jim Halpert face here:Love ya honey! Can't wait to cuddle up to my pillow on our 3 day trip to California without any kids!

Grocery Project: What I Learned

I think I was hoping that Darrell would hate the meal planning (which he did), hate grocery shopping (which he did not), go over budget (which he did) and that at the end of it all he would come home full of praise and admiration for his wife with all that she does.

So here is what we learned so far:
1. I am a wimp when it comes to sticking to the rules. I was supposed to hand over the $$ and go away and let him figure it out. I didn't. Every time he moaned for a little help or got a little pouty, I would sigh, groan and go help.

2. Darrell had no idea that planning a menu actually meant you would have to think about ALL parts of the menu including the main dish AND the side dishes.

3. He also didn't take into consideration that breakfast, lunch and paper products had to be bought.

4. Looking in the pantry to see if we had any items, consisted of asking ME what we already had.

5. Coupons and Darrell work better if I am in charge:)

6. He gets bonus points for taking the grumpier of our two children with him to the grocery store only minutes before bedtime. No seriously he deserves much praise for this one!

7. He went WAY over budget and even brought home items in brands that I have never seen just to try and save a few dollars. This is funny b/c he bought some random orange marmalade(it looked like it came from the international food aisle), but then individual things of Pringles for Jackson's lunch-hello?

8. I still don't think he is a great appreciation for the time spent meal planning, couponing, and shopping, but I think he hated it just enough to not complain for a few weeks so:
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

The Grocery Project

Just a little note for everyone to get ready for next week.
Darrell will be starting on a little journey I like to call payback
The Grocery Project.
I have done the shopping, planning and couponing ever since Darrell and I have been married. Darrell loves that I save a lot of money, but just this week I thought it might be a fun little experiment to put him to work and maybe gain a little appreciation for the skills that it takes. (I just hope he doesn't put me to the yard project:)

For one or maybe two weeks I will hand over my weekly grocery budget and the big fat coupon book and let him have at it:0

It makes me smile just thinking about it.

So here are the rules:
1. He gets $75 to get all of our groceries and consummable items for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
2. He has to make out a menu plan for the entire week and I will still do the cooking seeing as I don't plan on torturing EVERYONE in the household.
That doesn't seem to hard does it? At least I am not making him actually cook the food.

We will see how it goes. So, sweetie, enjoy that long weekend with the guys, because you have a lot of work to do on Sunday!

Any other wives willing to join me?

How He Earns Room and Board

3 reasons I love these pictures of Uncle Paul playing with the kids:

1. The neighbors never take off their helmets at our house and Paul's first slide down and he still has a smile on his face. (so that is 2 but I couldn't decide which comment I liked best so I just made one run-on sentence)


2. The look on his face!

3. This is another 2 fold response: a) the kid shoving Uncle Paul down the slide
b) the little girl that asked me, 'where is the other daddy?' when Uncle Paul went inside.

Just for Mom

A 6 year old Body and a 20 year old question

As I snuggled on the tiny twin bed last night with Jackson I was greeted with a question that I am sure I didn't ask until I was in my 20's. I am also sure that I didn't ask them to my mom, but only to myself and God (not b/c I couldn't, but just because I was not at home).

So we snuggled as I prayed constantly for spirit filled answers to my son's question: "Why does God never give me what I ask for? Sometimes it is hard to believe he is real, when I don't ever get what I ask for?"

(Deep breath Dianne, you have not failed as a wife and mother, just figure out what he isn't getting from God.)

Well, babe what have you asked for that you haven't gotten?

Jackson with tears streaming down his face and body shaking from the sobs: "He never takes my bad dreams away even though I ask Him to make them stop, and meemaw and Samuel."

Friends if you have young children, I am just preparing you b/c this was not in any book I have read.

After talking we didn't slow the sobs, but after we prayed aloud, my tears falling softly onto his hair, discussing and telling God our frustrations and disbelief, asking for help and assurance, Jackson finally found peace, rest and sleep. Oddly enough I did too:)