I cannot believe the holidays are right around the corner.  I have already starting a bit of my Christmas shopping and getting lists together of what I want to buy people.  With the amount of people (and especially children) in mine and Russ’ family, we need to start early.  For my neices and nephews, I try to be the cool aunt and buy them fun, cool childrens toys.  But at the same time, I try to get them things that will make them use their imaginations.  I am really looking forward to buying for my neice and nephews that live in Texas since they are the youngest of the bunch and buying little kids toys is so much fun.  I love cruising the stores looking at all of the toddler toys for her youngest two.  Since Megan was only 9 months old last year for Christmas, she slept through much of the gift opening.  But this year, I am sure she will be right in the middle of everything.  I was looking at some construction toys sets for the 2 boys.  That way, I can get a few things for each of them and they can play together.  Now, I just need to figure out what I am getting my children!  They have so much crap already, I don’t even know!!!

Man – I suck at keeping up on here.  Things have been so hectic between work, home, the kids school and sports, I seem to be running every which way.  Not that my life is super exciting, but I will make more of an effort to keep you all up to date.

The kids started back to school last week and both are pretty happy with their teachers.  Brenden is riding the bus home on days Siarra doesn’t have cheerleading practice, which is 3 days a week right now, and LOVES it.  He was a little apprehensive at first, but after the first day, he wanted to be a bus rider every day.  Thank goodness with the start of school also meant less football practice.  Before school started, they were practicing 5 nights a week.  Now, we are down to 3 nights per week, plus games every Sat. morning. 

Siarra has been busy adjusting to freshman life and avoiding all the upper classmen on freshman Friday.  She was happy to come home safe and sound.  She loves the high school life – so far- and cannot wait until their first football game next week, where she will get to show off her cheerleading moves.  They also have their first dance next week too.

Thank goodness this weekend is Labor Day, which means we have an extra day off from work and no football.  We are thinking of going to Daytona Beach for the day, but we gotta see where money is first.  We, or I should say I, got into some financial trouble recently, so now we are paying close attention to where the money goes.  Russ is also becoming more involved in the finances too, which is a huge stress relief for me.  He can now see where all the money goes and not just complain when we do not have any. 

Well, like I said, I will try to keep you more updated then every 2-4 weeks.  Hope everyone has a great week.

I have always been interested in starting my own business.  There are a few avenues I am interested in, but I think I would love to open my own home daycare.  When we lived in Colorado, right after Brenden was born, I started the process of opening a daycare.  I had everything set and was ready to send off the application when I was diagnosed with cancer.  That kind of put a halt to things.  Nothing like trying to care for little kids when you are barfing all day from chemo.  When I was looking into it then, I had almost everything I needed as Brenden was a baby and had all the baby things.  Well, since he is 6 now, we have gotten rid of most of his baby things and would need to start from scratch in buying everything.  This is when one of those Unsecured Business Credit Lines would come in handy.  That way, I could go out and buy the crib, play pin, high chair and all the baby toys to get things started. 

Just to see, I started looking online at different companies that offer lines of credit for businesses and found a great company, called SuperEasyCredit.com, that offers a variety of cards, depending on your needs.  I would so use this Advanta Plantinum Business cards, with the benefits they offer, like 7.99% apr, 5% cash back on office supples and gas and so much more.  How great would that be.

If your interested in starting your own business, you should check into a Business Line of Credit.

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately - things have been so busy between work and Brenden’s football, it seems like I have nothing else lately.  Thank goodness school starts back next week, things will hopefully slow down and we will get into more of a routine.  Right now, we have football practice five nights a week from 6:30 to 8:30, then games at 7:30AM on Sat. morning.  So, Mon - Fri., I leave for work around 6:45-7, got to work, get Brenden from Place, come home for about 30 min to eat, go to football, come home, shower, fix lunches, and get to bed around 10:30.  They are some long days.  Luckily when school starts next week, football will go down to 3 nights per week, from 6:30-8 only, so I am hoping that 30 min will help get the kids to bed earlier.  Right now, Brenden isn’t getting to bed until around 10 and is getting up at 6:00 for Place. 

Other than that, not much is going on.  I am ready for some quiet weekends coming up.  And labor day weekend is just around the corner and there is no football that weekend, which means I get to sleep in 3 days straight

Russ and I love watching those Cook off shows on the Food Network.  They have so many cool, different receipes and the way they prepare the food, it’s just fun to watch.  I have to admit, for those who don’t “personally” know me, I don’t cook.  Sure, I know HOW to cook, but I do not like to cook.  You can even say I HATE to cook.  And, since I am a very picky eater, it’s not a big deal to me.  I can eat a box of mac n cheese for days and be happy.  Russ, on the otherhand, has so muc mac n cheese, hot dogs, and tuna cassarole growing up that you can’t get him to touch the stuff.  Luckily for our household though, Russ loves to cook.  He loves looking up new receipes online and trying them.  And he is usually good about picking out something he knows I will like.  Although, I know he is dieing to look up some seafood recipes, because another secret of mine, I don’t eat seafood.  And neither do the kids, so if Russ cooks seafood, it is all for him and lets face it, even if you like seafood, you can only have so much seafood.  Although, the kids have been really good lately about trying new foods, I wonder if they tried something now if they would like it.  For the time being, whenever Russ does have a craving for seafood, he will usually resort to the Margaritaville Lime Shrimp and put it with some rice.  So, I am asking if any of you out there have any simple seafood recipes for the singlr seafood eater in our house.  I would love to give him suggestions on different things to try.

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Wow - I can’t believe it’s been 10 days since I’ve been here last.  I have been so swamped between work, Brenden’s football, and with Siarra gone at cheerleading camp this week, my helper is gone.  Things for us have been good though.  Brenden gets his official SILVER helmet tonight at practice.  All the newbies, aka rookies got to sport the ugly black ones for the first month of practice to make sure they would stick it out.  Brenden has done great!!!  He is still a little reluctant around some of the people, but he is performing really well.  Daddy and I are very pleased and impressed.  So, tonight, they get their silver helmets and tomorrow is their game jerseys.  Their first exhibition game is next week.  Siarra has been in Orlando at UCF cheerleading camp and is loving the college life, as she calls it. They usually go nightly to the Volcano, a coffee shop on campus and the other night, they went to a dance club on campus, until the coach made them leave since some of the girls (from the other schools) were dancing how they weren’t suppose to.  That is one of the things I love about her coach is she does not want the girls growing up too fast, showing too much skin or make up and not letting them do all the booty shaking dances some of the other schools do.  Other than that, we have work, sleep and eat and that is about it.  This Sat we do have a football party for Brenden’s team so the boys can get to know each other off the field.  That should be fun, a bbq and bouncy water slide.  Sunday we have nothing planned and I am trying my hardest to keep it that way.  With school starting in 3 weeks and football games every Sat starting next week, I can use all the down days that come my way.

When we were in Colorado, one of Russ’ dad’s friends owned her own Massage Therapy business.  With the back problems Russ was having and the stress I was going through with the cancer, we went to see her a few times and OMG - It felt like heaven.  Russ’ back still bothers him and I would love to get one of those massage chairs, you know, the ones like they have at the malls and such.  There is a new wholesale company in Melbourne, Takemi Select Wholesale Outlet, that carries just about everything you need for massages and relaxing.  They have the massage chairs, foot massages, air purifiers, etc.  How great would it be to come home from work and relax in front of the TV with your toesies being massaged.  I think I may need to add something like that to my Christmas list this year.

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I swear, I blinked once and it was over.  It was a good weekend, but it just flew by.  Friday night, Brenden had football practice and we ordered pizza when we got home.  Saturday morning, Russ went to play golf with a friend and the kids and I picked up the house a bit and I got to read some more (I am rereading ALL of the Harry Potter Books and am on book 7 again).  Then that afternoon we had friends over for a belated bbq for Russ’ b-day.  It was a relaxing evening and the kids all played great.  Sunday flew by.  We lounged around in the morning and then went and worked in the yard a bit.  Next thing I knew, it was 10:00 p.m.  The weekends really need to start lasting a little longer.

Russ and I both have a pretty traditional decorating style when it comes to the house.  We have a nice set of leather couches in the family room with black tables and tv stand.  In the front room we have white couches (which we need to get recovered) and our old oak tables we have had since we got married (which need to be replaced).  One thing we would really love to add to our collection is a grandfather clock.  I just think they are so classical and tranditional.  I love the sounds of the chimes and just the warm homey feeling they provide.

Now that we own our own house and have a permamanent place to keep one, I have been occasionally searching the net to see what is out there.  I found a great site called 1-800-4-Clocks.com, that has so many different types of clocks to choose from.  Everything from the granfather clock to mantle and cuckoo clocks.  I really love this Howard Miller Limited edition clock.  It is so classic looking and I love that is is trimmed in silver instead of gold, since Russ and I aren’t too into the gold/brass scene.  And in all honesty, the price really isn’t that bad.  I expected more.  It is a little more than I can spend right now, but it doesn’t dash my hopes of ever having one.

I also came across this really cool blog about different clocks.  I really liked the blog about how Clocks Can Transform the Look of  Home.  The writer talks about the home reflecting the owners personality and how clocks can play into that. 

If you want to add a classic piece of furniture to your home, a grandfather clock would be a great addition.

That is about all I can say right now.  My head is killing me.  I have already taken 2 of my prescription pills for headaches and it is not even touching it.  I usually get really severe headaches when auntie flo is here (hence the reason for the prescription), but this week seems worse than usualy.  Auntie flo seems a little worse too, which might explain things, but I am done with the headache!!!!  Just go away already.  I am sure all of the rain we are getting and the constant running between work and Brenden’s football are not helping matters.  Uhg -

Do you know your Bills IQ?  I didn’t.  I didn’t even know there was such a thing.  I took the quiz and did ok.  Better than I thought we ould, but I see much room for improvement.  I am not going to share my score with you, but it was very interesting to see where my strengths and weaknesses are.  The site even tells you if you need to consolidate debt in order to get to where you need to be.  I am thankful we were not put in that catagory.  I seriously do plan on working out the weaknesses in our finances and get more of a cushion put aside.  Siarra’s cheerleading pretty much wiped out the cushion we had, but I guess that is what it’s there for, right?  Are you interested in seeing your IQ?  Check out BillsIQ and see what your strenghts and weaknesses are.  You may be surprised!  You may be way better than you thought, like I was, or come face to face with realilty and fix it now, before it gets out of hand.

So, someone contacted my mom’s sister a few weeks ago, doing a genealogy thing for their dad’s side of the family.  She sent my aunt some old papers and stuff about their family, including one of my great aunts or someone being married to Brigham Young.  So, my aunt was suppose to send copies of this stuff to my mom to see, but was taking forever, so I told her I try to find a phone number for her online and did.  Then I started searching genealogy sites for her, but couldn’t find any.  I then remember I started looking at genealogy sites for my dad’s family when he died, but couldn’t find anything, but decided to look again on Sunday.  I found one link looking for photos of old Hutto’s, so I emailed the lady and gave her my dad’s information and his parents info that was on his birth certificate.  Turns out she is somehow a cousin of mine.  We have been emailing back and forth all week.  She was able to tell me where my grandparents are buried, an aunt that died before my dad was born when she was 3 days old and I even found where my great grandfather was buried.  The wierd thing is though that growing up my dad never talked much about his past or growing up, but always said his parents died when he was 12 and 13.  Well, the cemetery records show they actually died in 1982 and 1992.  I am going to order a copy of their death certificates to see what it says.   The cousin of mine, she is 53, lives in AL and has a 25 yr old son and 32 yr old daughter.  I emailed her today to ask how she was related to Cornelias Huttto, which would be my great grandfather.  I told Russ next time we go to SC (either to meet my mom if the kids go up there next summer or just take a trip there), I want to go to the cemeteries and see them.  Pretty interesting – huh?????   

Man are times hard right now.  With the price of gas, and groceries and everything else and the number of people losing work, I know a lot of people are struggling and on the verge of filing bankruptcy.  I am so thankful that both Russ and I are in pretty secure jobs, but I know others aren’t quiet as lucky.  I have heard the number of people filing for bankruptcy has increased tremendiously!  I wonder if people know there is help out there.  With companies like Abacus Debt Management, they will do everything they can to help people avoid the downfall of bankruptcy.  Because, well, let’s face it, a bankruptcy will stay on your record for 7 years and in some instances prevent you from getting certain jobs, and literally, just make your life that much more difficult.  With companies like Abacus, they work with you and your creditors and negotiate a settlement of your debt, thereby allowing you to escape bankruptcy.  I am not saying that Russ and my credit is perfect or that we are so great at handling money, but with coming near bankrupt in the past due to medical bills, we are very cautious with our money and pay everything on time.  If you are having trouble with your debt though, check out a debt management company.  They really can be a lifesaver.

Today would have been my dad’s 66th birthday!  But unfortunatley, we lost him in April 2004 to a heart attack.  I still miss him dearly, but it is getting a little easier with time.  I haven’t cried yet today - so that’s a plus.  Anyway - Happy Birthday Dad - I know you are in heaven watching down on us.

With the economy as tight as it is, every extra little penny that comes into our house helps.  Between the new house payment, Siarra’s cheerleading, Brenden’s football and everything else, some months get a little tight.  Thank goodness I have Izea to help supplement our income.  What is Izea, you ask?  Well, next to sliced bread, it has got to be one of the greatest things ever.  Seriously, it is social media marketing.  Basically, I choose different oppertunities listed on their website and write a little blog about it.  In return, I get paid for that blog.  The payments we receive varies, anywhere from $5.00 per post and up.  There are some oppertunities that pay big money too.  What I like best is that I get to choose the topic to write about, so I am not blogging about something I don’t believe in or wouldn’t try myself.  It really is an engenious idea.  I know people who in the past two years have made over $20,000 with it.  I haven’t made quiet that much, but like I said, every penney helps.  Also, it is not just for bloggers.  It helps companies out there too, get their name out, and have people discuss their products.  I know a lot of people think your opinions may be biased since you are being paid to talk about a certain product, but like I said, you get to choose the products you want to talk about.  So, if it is one you are not comfortable with, you just skip that oppertunity.  To me, it’s a win win situation.

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Wow - things have been so crazy busy this week, I don’t know if I am coming or going.  Between work, Brenden’s football and everything else, I am ready for the weekend.  I can just imagine how much more busy it is going to be once school starts, which is in a little over a month, if you can believe that!!!!!  The summer is flying by.  Brenden has his first exhibition game on the 9th of August, so that should be fun to watch.  He is so cute at practice and is trying so hard.  He is exhausted when he gets home.  Luckily dad is home tomorrow, so he gets to sleep in. 

I remember when I was elementary school, a close friend of mine had glasses and she hated them.  There were a few times that she threw them away in the garbage can at school.  I remember her mom would get so mad at her.  Back then, there was no internet (yes kids, there was life before internet), so she couldn’t just go online to sites like zennioptical.com and get really cute glasses for only $8.00.  Nope - everytime my friend threw hers away, her mom would have to take her to the eye doctor and order a new pair, so she was having to pay for the glasses and the dr. appointment each time.  I know that would get old pretty quick for me.  If you wear glasses or have a child that loves to throw them away, you should check out Zenni Optical.  I mean, really, look how cute these pink ones are.

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I am happy to report that this 4th of July did not include any major injuries!!!!  After Brenden burning his fingers last year, we were hoping to not spend the evening in the hospital or dr. office.  We did have a few minor mishaps, but nothing to spoil the fun.  We headed down to our friend’s parents house for an afternoon of swimming, bbqing and lots of laughs. 

There is such a controversy out right now about the use of stem cells.  I came across the following article and thought it was pretty interesting:

OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind — especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body — in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

I was checking out their website and the number of Celle Client Testimonial links were amazing.  There was nothing but praise and relief for a lot of people who have harvested their cells.  This is definitley something I want to look into.  Not only for my future health, but the health of my kids. 

Yay - Brenden started football on Monday and he had such a great time.  We had to hang out a bit before practice due to the rain, but it finally slowed down.  He was a little apprehensive about practicing in the rain, but once he got out there, he was loving it.  There are 2 boys from school who are on his team, so I am sure that helped.  Yesterdays practice was cancelled because the rain was horrible, so hopefully they will have practice tonight.  It is so fun watching him out there.