Ready for Spring!

 

Has it really been more than THREE months since I posted??!!  Goodness, time just really needs to slow down!  OK, here's to catching up. . .

 

Obviously Christmas and New Years came and went and now April is upon us.  Wow!  Christmas was quiet, but good.  We stayed home and Mark had a bit of time off prior to the Christmas holiday, so it was nice to have him home.  The day after Christmas, Mark was back at work, my mom went back to the coast and the Motts were off to Hawaii.  It was a bit surreal, but life goes on! Regardless, it was a good holiday and as usual, the kids were spoiled rotten!

 

 

Once the holidays were behind us, I was kind of eager to start a new year.  There have been so many changes in our home and lives over the past two years, its been stressful and exciting.  I am just really enjoying each new experience and our little family unit and life.  I really wanted to use this year to just continue enjoying the time I have at home, keeping us all healthy and entertained and really, just living life simply.  Obviously on one income, our outings have decreased a lot. We are stretching every dollar and I am honestly kind of loving the challenge.  I continue the never ending task of weeding through the kids stuff, selling whatever I can to turn around and buy more clothes or a week at camp or Mel's new bifocals!!!  Haha!  I am making and selling what I can to help bridge the gap.  I have had an awesome run lately with my tutus and aprons and am getting more and more exposure.  I enjoy being able to split my earnings between fun things for our family and buying what we need.  I am not an idle person, so it really feels good to be able to contribute in my own way financially too.

 

Surprisingly, each time I start getting stressed, we seem to get a leg up.  It has been very refreshing and encouraging.  Our goal of keeping me home until John is in the 1st grade actually seems like a possibility!  I sometimes don't think so, but I am really proud of Mark and I coming together to make this happen and our life to continue running as seamlessly as it has been.  It's crazy to think we are still happier with our life NOW more than when our income was double!  We don't have lavish vacations, I don't go to the salon to get prettied up (as often as I would like) and I don't have the most fashionable wardrobe, but I am really enjoying where we are.  You should try it sometime!  Take the extra cash and stick it in savings.  Pay down your home, pay down your car.  Paying off debt is exhilarating! Saving money here and there with coupons and living on a budget, seems to be less stressful (sometimes) than how we lived before! Volunteer your time too and you would be amazed at how much happier you are.  Yes, we still do things as a family and for ourselves, but its all planned (for the most part) and it's a great feeling!  Anyway, its been a good start to a New Year.  Mark has already been on vacation one week and has another week off in April.  I feel SO lucky for him and his job as well.  He is really enjoying his job and it has so many benefits for us.  We truly feel lucky.

 

 

Our biggest family entertainment savings is buying Groupons, etc.  We really pick and choose and make sure that once we are there, we won't be tempted to spend all kinds of additional money.  Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't! :-)  We recently went to an art studio and that was actually a lot of fun.  My kids love crafts and art and it was a great afternoon.  We have been bowling and Mark and I even got a date night to the movies.  Last weekend we took a friend and went to Bullwinkles.  We all played for almost FOUR hours, had lunch and snacks and got prizes - for $10!!! That was the original cost of the Groupon.  See, you CAN have fun on a budget and we were able to bring friends to join us too!

 

Robbie and Bear

 

Our new passion has been trying to give back.  Since I am home, I feel I have more time to give my time.  I may not be able to give financially, but I can give my time.  Mark has found a way for him and Mel to give back too.  Mark has just completed his training at a local family shelter house.  He will be taking Melanie once a month to a home in Hillsboro where a family gets to live for a short period of time.  They can cook and hang out and have a warm place to be.  Mark and Mel will basically be "house sitting" once a month or so, but it will also be a great experience for Melanie to see how fortunate she is and to spend time at the house.  Maybe spending time with the kids, maybe cooking a meal - plus, it will be a great time for Mark and Melanie to spend time together as well. 

 

I have become part of the PTA/Booster Club at Melanie's school.  I have taken over the Box Tops program and am doing all I can to raise money for her school.  I have been making bulletin boards and collection sheets and I have become a master popcorn maker!  I also get to help in the library.  It's been a lot of work, but fun!

 

Our family effort has been to foster pugs!!!  After we got Ruby we fell in love with the breed.  We got Ruby through a rescue and decided to contact Pacific Pug Rescue and volunteer to become fosters.  We have been doing it for a few months and we are on our second dog.  First was Bear.  We had him one day and I thought we weren't going to make it.  He had some major anxiety issues, but within 3 weeks he was transformed and adopted and we were SO happy to see him going to a forever home.  We now have Robbie and he is just a fun, happy typical pug.  He already has an adopter lined up!  He is going to be VERY loved!  Again, it's a lot of work and there is a lot of uncertainty, but for now, we are happy to be able to help.  Another benefit of me being home, being able to help in this way.

 

 

Ruby is still just our little sweetheart.  Everyone who sees her wants to dog nap her!  But, she's staying with us!  I just had to share a picture of her because she is just too adorable :-)

 Another example to saving while playing. . .we got a Groupon to Great Wolf Lodge with our Christmas money and shared a room with our friend James and his son, Issac.  Issac and Melanie get along great and have known each other for years, so it was a perfect match.  Mark was off in January and we headed off for a night.  The place was pretty empty, so we had the run of the place.  Mel and Issac are old enough now to go off and do their thing and I hung with John a lot.  James and Mark got to act like kids and go on all the water slides, over and over :-)  We had a big, beautiful room and we all had a great time.  Can't wait to go back!!!

 

 

 

Which brings us to now.  Mid March and the kids have already been outside as often as possible.  John has developed major cabin fever over the winter and I think he is getting a bit bored with dear old mom!  Since he has another year until Kindergarten, I got him signed up for preschool.  It won't start until Sept., but John seems willing to go.  I won't be backing down this time!  He still has major separation anxiety, but is slowly getting better.  I think he is realizing it is fun to be with friends and that I can only do so much.  Even since we have been around kids more in the last month, I see him opening up more around them.  Preschool will be a great time for him and I am happy with the one we joined.  It will prepare him tremendously for kindergarten and with his socialization skills.  In the meantime, John has grown used to and loves our daily dog walks and has recently started riding a two wheeler (with training wheels).  A family friend was gracious to give us the bike and John has become obsessed with bike riding.  We have made it to the park several times already and have been in the yard too.  I am getting anxious to plant some flowers and be outside more as well.  I have a feeling we won't be inside much in the coming months!

 

 

 

Melanie has been doing good.  She definitely is no longer a "girl" and is growing up way too fast!  As is John. . .Melanie has been challenged a lot more at her new school, but I think it is good.  She doesn't feel the same way, I am sure, but it will be good for her later.  She has made some great friends at Farmington View, and I think that is holding her together at this point.  She may not like academics, but when she applies herself, she really does great.  Thankfully that encourages her.  She continues to be involved in horse back riding, Girl Scouts, science clubs and most recently, she joined a local choir group.  She is one BUSY girl, which means WE are busy! :-)  We just wrapped up girl scout cookie sales and in April I will be going to camp with Melanie and her troop for the first time.  Ekkk!  I am a bit nervous, but I think the experience will be a lot of fun. 

 

Mel has been losing teeth at a rapid rate and I got this photo awhile back with the tooth fairy :-) 

 

Overall, things are pretty much the same.  We are all in a good place.  We are busy as heck, but in a good way.  We are doing what we can to be in a good spot, but obviously are managing to live our life and have some fun too.  2013 has been pretty great to us so far!!!

Its Beginning to Look Like Chirstmas

 

It's the holiday season and time for family pictures!  Thankfully, we had pictures taken late last December and we got a few good ones throughout this year, but I am who I am, and I always like to try some more :-)  We couldn't do the professional route this year, and honestly, I think I can do just as good sometimes...so, when my mom visited last, we tried to pull together a few ideas.  These are the result.  Not everyone was totally cooperating, but I think we did okay.  I love the ideas and lighting at least, so it works!  After a weekend of photographs, it was Thanksgiving - and then we started to get into the full swing of Christmas.  I love being home now and not rushing with work.  I feel we can take things a lot more slowly and just enjoy the month.  Mark is also off for almost two weeks later this week - and I cannn'tttt waaaaiiittt! :-)

 



 

One of our traditions as a family is decorating gingerbread houses, trees, trains, etc.  John is finally able to participate, so I just basically stand back and let them do their thing now.  We found a train this year, and of course John wanted to do that.  Once we had it, John wouldn't leave it in the closet for later, so we broke it out early.  The kids also have a gingerbread class at the rec center later this month and that is a lot of fun too.

Thanksgiving weekend we went on the Polar Express in Hood River. John is in love with trains more than ever, so I wanted to do something involving a train for him for the holidays.  It's not the best experience out there, but for the time you get to spend on the train, I think it is worth it.  I was a little worried Mel wouldn't enjoy it, but by the time Santa came around, she was all smiles.  I thought this year was going to be iffy with her and Santa, but she seems to still believe in some of the magic :-) 

Mel of course, knew JUST what she wanted to tell Santa she wanted for Christmas.  John on the other hand, is still pretty unsure.  He wanted to hide under the seats, but Mark said he would hide him under his coat.  He wouldn't even peek out!  But, we all finally coaxed him a bit.  This was as close as he would let Santa get!  Maybe next year...

We had a great time over all and it was a great kickoff to the Christmas season.

To end our VERY FULL Thanksgiving weekend - we headed out to get our tree at our favorite tree farm, Holly Hill.  We TRIED to not get one too big, I think we met in the middle :-)  We don't have really, any room in our house for a tree, but we put it in our office in front of the window in between all the furniture.  It ended up being more full than I would have liked, but its beautiful.  Holly Hill has the best prices in town and this year we drove away with THREE trees!  Haa haa!  For $21 though, we couldn't pass them up!  Mark and I were just cracking up all the way home.  We got our 8" Noble and the kids talked us into getting tiny ones for their room as well.  They turned out so cute!  Mark put a string of lights on each one and nailed a wood stand to the bottom.  We split all our ornaments between the three trees and they turned out adorable!

Again, the kids have taken over decorating the tree.  I love that it is a family affair and have kind of just let them have at it.  The following weekend, Mark got a few lights up on the house and we are all set!  I have a couple more things to get, but the frugal person I am, I am waiting for some sales to come through. :-)  I have started wrapping and have a few sewing projects yet to finish.  I wanted to be a bit further along at this point.  But, oh well.  Mark is off later this week for the next two weeks, so I am just looking forward to him being home and catching up on some projects and just being able to spend the time together. 

Other than holiday stuff, we still are just going and going every day.  Mark and I TRY and sit, we just aren't those type of people! :-)  Mark has been going to Salem a lot to help out there, so he's pretty exhausted with that.  But, it has helped us tremendously with Christmas since he gets mileage reimbursed.  I think he is ready to be done with that though. 

 

Mel is doing really well at her new school. She is challenged a lot more, but its been good for her for sure.  Since school started she has been involved in the Lego Robotics team.  They meet 2-3 times a week for two hours at a time.  We had heard a lot of this "Lego" thing, but didn't really know what to expect.  Well, on Sunday, they joined 18 other teams for an all day competition to showcase their robot.  We weren't expecting much - until mid day - when we realized her team was actually in 3rd place!  They not only had to build a computerized lego robot, they also had to give presentations in front of judges, answer very technical questions, and had to create a device that showcased how it could help an elderly person.  They developed a chair that was shaped like a banana that basically gently leaned forward to help a person get out of their wheelchair if they did not have the strength to get up on their own.  Impressed?!  Their overall score earned them 4th place.  The top 4 teams are going to STATE!  It was pretty amazing and fun, I have to admit.  I am a PROUD mama!  The team got a trophy and they presented to their principal today at school.  We were wondering what all the work was going to produce, but now we are glad we stuck with it and I think Mel is happy she did too.  Soooo, in January, we will be joining Mel and her team at the state competition!

 

John is home with ME all day!  We drive each other a bit batty at times, but this is why I am home (to spend time with him) - so, I try and remember that :-)  I am always trying to cram so much in my days, but I am really also trying to have that good quality time with him.  He will be in school before I know it, so we definitely just spend days just playing and hanging out.  He is just a wild child half the time and so cute and cuddly the other part.  He loves to have friends come over and we meet up with them at places to play as well.  I have become a lot more involved in Mel's school too, so we are spending a lot of time there.  He is a handful there at times, but it is probably good that I take him with me.  He is getting more used to the atmosphere and how to behave and getting to know the school and people.  Hopefully when he goes there, he will be just that much more comfortable.

 

I am still home and I hope to be here for awhile.  Not even looking for a job at this point.  I am still wishing and hoping to further my "business" crafting and selling, but it is sporadic.  I just finished an apron that I really am loving, but I think I will delve further into that after the New Year.  We will see what next year brings with all that.  I am now volunteering at the library at Mel's school once a week.  I help when classes come in for their checkout/library time.  I LOVE it in there.  If I went back to work, I would love to be able to get into the library.  Of course, I have always loved to read and books have always been a comfort to me, so I am just loving helping and doing whatever I can in there.  I also am starting to take over the school's Box Top program.  It's a bit overwhelming right now, but the lady who was doing it before is very helpful and very eager for me to take it over so she can work on grant writing.  We just had our first "run" and raised over $500 for the school.  Pretty exciting!  I hope to beat last year's earnings.  It's exciting to me to bring in some money for the school and be a part of that.  It's also not asking anyone to bring in any cash, its something that is available on the products we buy, so people seem very eager to help.  I am loving Mel's school and the small, community based feeling it has.  I am SO glad we transferred her. 

 

Well, dinner is calling - looking forward to posting Christmas pictures and talking of our goals for the New Year!

October. . .So Far

October is usually one of our busiest months.  And this October is no different!  We had John's Birthday on October 1st.  Melanie is in full swing with Girl Scouts and her new school.  She is very active in her Lego Robotics Club two nights a week and homework seems like a part time job - for ALL of us!  I am volunteering more and offering up help so I can be a part of the school.  We are all getting used to all the changes, but it still seems like we made the right choice in transferring her.  This school is tougher and wants everyone to be more accountable, but its a good thing. 

 

Mel is also fully immersed in Girl Scouts and in her horseback riding lessons.  We recently switched teachers, as her other one was well, a flake.  We liked her in some ways, but I am glad we finally switched.  Mel is lucky to have grandparents who are willing to support her new hobby and she has already learned a ton with her new teacher.  She is learning to ride Western style and last week was shown how to lasso with a rope.  Her teacher seems to have a lot of opportunities and knowledge for Mel to be involved in if she wants to continue this, so its been pretty exciting. 

 

John is no longer in Gymboree, but I am trying to find us things to do here and there.  We still go to the library, go swimming, go to the park and indoor playground as often as we can.  And he loves having friends over to play.  We have a few art classes here and there and I am finding lots of free and fun things in our community, so I taking advantage of as much as I can.  He is a BUSY boy!

 

I have had a recent spike in sales with my tutus.  I had given up a bit, as I had a dry spell.  But, decided to give it one more push and take advantage of football season and Halloween to use up some of my stock.  I was shocked when the sales started pouring in!  I posted on some Facebook groups I am in and created a new Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/MJDesignsStaceyMott) .  I even got a few more sales on my Etsy page (http://www.etsy.com/shop/smott12) .  Of course, I'm not making millions, but its nice to have a bit of Christmas money to set aside :-)  It's been encouraging AND very busy! 

 

Mark is still keeping very busy with work, but always rushes home to be with us!  He's also been working on the outside of the house and getting the yard prepped for winter.  It all looks wonderful and was much needed and its a great feeling to get those projects out of the way.  I don't know what I would do without him!  We also celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary this year.  It was quiet, but that is fine.  We have done SO much over this past year, we didn't really feel the need to take an additional day.  That we still have the privilege of being together after all this time and are happy, is enough for me!  We are all doing good.  Enjoying each day and just taking it all in.  Exhausted often, but still just doing very well. 

 

 And as if we didn't have enough to do - our new addition - is RUBY!  Mark and I both pledged NO MORE DOGS after Babe passed away.  I had just donated everything in our home that was dog related and was feeling a sense of freedom with no dog in our house, financially and time wise.  Then...we went to Seaside.  We saw a little pug there and she was just this little thing curled in front of a shop owners store.  We even went back and saw her a second time before we left!  Before we got Babe, Mark and I had talked about wanting a small dog, like a Pug or Boston Terrier. But, we saw Babe and at the time, she was right for us.  We saw that little pug at the beach and we both ended up going to our phones looking at pugs on Pet Finder.  When we realized what we were each doing, we were like - Oh Noooo!  No more dogs!  Well, ONE WEEK later - we were driving home with Ms. Ruby.  Sigh...We actually got her right after John's birthday party.  We drove out to Vancouver, like with Babe, and 30 minutes later we were driving home with her.  Just like Babe!  I would be a little annoyed that a dog got us AGAIN!!!, but let me tell you, she is about the easiest dog!  She is 20 lbs., about 3 years old and just plain easy!  She doesn't beg for food, doesn't bark a lot, is house trained, loves the car and follows me EVERY WHERE.  She is this little piglet of a dog and such a cuddle bug!  She has good manners and sits and, and, there isn't much I can complain about.  She HAS taken over our bed, which we aren't used to, but its also kind of nice to have her there snoring in my ear througout the night :-) 

 Another big event in October was going to the Justin Bieber concert.  My dad and Linda and Mark and I chipped in for tickets for Mel's birthday.  She waited patiently for the date to arrive and we waited even more patiently to find out if any of her friends would be able to join us.  Well, literally two days before the concert we found out that we WOULD be going with friends!  Mel was super excited she wouldn't be hanging with just dear old mom!  We all met up and drove downtown together.  We had dinner and headed over to the Rose Garden.  Let me tell you, it was a pretty awesome show!  Mel was very tired by the end, but she loved it!  I loved it!  Haa haa!  Great memories for sure, I was so excited to be there to share it all with her!

 Pumpkin Patch Time!  We went to get our pumpkins this year with Mel's girl scout troop.  We get to go on a hay ride and play and pick pumpkins, so it works out well.  The weather was just beautiful too, which helps! 

 With October already half over, its amazing how much we can cram into just a few weeks, I am content to just get through the rest of the month quietly.  Haha - if thats even possible! 

 

Mark and Melanie also volunteered with the City of Hillsboro in early October to plant trees and bulbs and lay dirt and mulch near our neighborhood.  We hope to do things like this more often.  We can't wait to see their handiwork blooming and growing next Spring.  And of course, Halloween is upon us!  I think it will be a pretty quiet one for us.  With our new Mott tradition, we will all dress up, even Ruby!  Mel has a Halloween party with Girl Scouts, but we will just do trick or treating as a family this year, I think.  John finally decided on a costume, but we have a feeling he will be a bit scared once it gets dark!  With that being said - Have a Happy Halloween!