Catching Up

A lot has gone on since I last blogged. We made a trip to the Gulf and had a really nice time. Billy and Mary went with us for 1/2 of the week (Mary actually stayed the entire week) and Marty and Susan came down for the second half of the week. We stayed on water that emptied into the bay and it was really a nice place. We ate some great seafood, shopped, slept a little late and stayed up late. We ate too much and I hate to report that the camp pounds that I had just lost returned! I still have about 2 pounds to get rid of from vacation and then a few more that had crept back on. Hopefully in a few weeks I will be back at my low. It can come back so quick, for certain. In other news, school is right around the corner if you need reminding. I had fun shopping for Addi some school clothes while on vacation. I found some pretty good deals on some things for all the kids. I wish I had as much luck for myself. I have picked up a thing or two, but just not finding anything much that really rocks my boat.
It is hard to believe but Miss Jaiden will be making her entrance before long. We are looking forward to another beautiful grandbaby. If all goes as planned, when she arrives we will have 5 grandchildren ages 6 and younger! I think we are going to get the "bulk" of our grandchildren in a short time span. I am thankful that they will have the opportunity to be close in age and enjoy growing up together. Perhaps the next 5 will all come in a 6 year span, as well!
We are looking forward to being back at Sylvan Springs in the morning. We have been gone a couple of weeks and we have missed everyone.
I am looking forward to bed- I have clean sheets! Is that not the greatest feeling to climb into your bed and the sheets are so clean and fresh. If it were not so much trouble, I would change them everyday.
I am going to post a few vacation pics to share- enjoy!

Publix Mini Trip

I just made a Publix mini-trip. I spent 26.80 and saved 72.88. Did I buy things that I did not need- no, just perhaps bought them before I might have. What did you get, you might ask (the photo makes it hard to see)-

3 Bic Lighters

4 Cool Whips

6 Publix Soft Drinks

1 Publix Gallon Ice Tea

4- 75 ft. Reynold's Aluminum Foil

2 Large Packs Lays Chips

1 Bag Tortillia Chips (penny item)

4 cartons of sour cream

1 bag of M & M's

6 cans of baked beans

1 Bottle of A-1 sauce

1 Bottle of Kraft Salad dressing

1 Jar of Kraft Mayo

1 Box of Kellogg's Blueberry Cereal

1 Box of Bagel-fuls

2 very small Hagan Daz Ice Creams

Pretty good, I think!

Thrifty Granna

Yesterday we had to go get our eyes checked (glad I did- I had an eye lid infection) so once we were through I told David I wanted to go to Burkes. For those who are Burkes shoppers, you know that the "Dots" change on the 1st day of the month. Wow- I got some great deals. I had 29 items and spent $17.00. I got Paul 4 pair of khaki pants, Josh 2 pair of pants and about 8 shirts (not certain on the number), and also bought some other shirts for friends. I had a pair of black dress pants and got Kim a pair of brown dress pants. We also bought books, I-Pod speakers, a 4th of July plaque and several other items. Everything I bought was 95% off. Great day at Burkes. Oh yes, one of the 65 cent jackets had a coupon for a free years subscription to Field and Stream ($10.00 value) so I sent it in Casey, because Josh and David both get the magazine already.

I also had a great Publix week. I saved $99.45! I spent about $44.00. I am working on my trip for next week, although it is going to be a "mini- trip".

Happy Anniversary to Daniel and Mandi. It is hard to believe that it has been 4 years- but it has. They are enjoying a brief trip to Gatlinburg but will be with us on the 4th.

Have a great 4th!

Facebook Campisms

As I have been mindlessly spending too much time on Facebook today (in reality- I am tired and don't want to do anything- our air is still not working correctly and I am tired from camp) I started reading all the camp comments. What a great week we have just returned from. Unless you have ICYC in your blood, these comments are hard to understand. I also want to thank my great kitchen helpers- Sally, Donna, Mia, Phyllis, Kent and Mary. What would I do without all of you. What fun we have- even though we don't get out of the kitchen much, we truly get to enjoy the kids and all the fun from our side of the serving line.
Enjoy some of the Facebook comments I have copied and pasted below-

Alex Courington What a wonderful week of camp i just returned from! Definitely one of the top 5 weeks ever! Sadly we had to come home :( I can't wait to go back next year! Camp this year definitely assured me of what i wanted to do with my life!

Kim Kelsey I'm not ready for camp to end!! But I'm pretty tired!


Paul Kelsey Enjoying camp!

Phyllis Garrison
I am back from camp and had a great time. Did not want to come home from ICYC. Well I have started washing clothes now and boy do I have a lot to wash. Alissa and Allison had a great time the sang all the way home and talk about camp.

Tyler Sanford at 5:36pm June 26
it was greeeeeeeat,


Sydney Maddox
had the time of my life at camp :] and finally found my happiness :]]]


Jasmine Courington is depressed...I can't believe I'm not waking up at camp this morning...growing up is so hard...=(

Daniel Courington at 8:20am June 22
I could not agree more.

Josh Courington Just got home from cutting grass, and a week full of camp fun. I really enjoyed my time this week at camp , but missed my family. I want to give a big thanks to all the young men in my cabin for acting so well. I look forward to next year!

David Courington
We had a great week of camp at ICYC. There was tons of fun, great fellowship, and best of all several came back to Christ and 5 were baptized. Only time and eternity will tell how much good may have been done. More than 30 years ago a group of teens(including me) went on a mission trip. Today, 2 young boys who were bapt. by us have brought many to Christ and are faithful. We give God thanks and all the glory.2 hours ago

Jared Sanders
Yea I am tired from camp really sore and may have suffered a brain injury but it was worth it. As you all know I have plenty of brain to spare. Thanks to all whom I shared the week with for making it great one.14 hours ago

Okay...maybe this is a bargain blog!

I had a nice day today. David had work to do and other fish to fry, so I headed to the thrift store. I did not have much luck there so I headed to Burkes. I needed a few pair of capri pants and luckily found 2 pairs- one at the regular price (9.99) and the other pair- woo hoo- 65 cents! Last week we bought David 2 new pair of dress slacks at Burkes- 75 cents a pair!!! Then I headed to Ross where I bought a new shirt for 49 cents. It is a bit small, but I was not going to leave it hanging for 49 cents! It will be incentive for me to continue on the diet path. See pictures above.

Now let me tell you about Publix. I will post the picture from I madethis week. I made a "mini" trip this weeek, just to use the coupons that I had for the good deals. Since we are going to be at camp this next week and since I had already made a run on Monday, I just picked up a few things. I bought 3 drinks that were not on sale (79 cents each) and the rest of the order was coupon deals. I spent $11.26, including the drinks, and saved $42.52. The bigger order from the first of the week was $37.56 with a savings of $57.61. What fun!!!!!

It is HOT!

Just in case you haven't noticed...it is hot! According to the long-range forecast, the weather should be somewhat milder next week, which for those of us headed to ICYC is good news.
We had a great youth devotional at the house last night. Good fun, good food, and good fellowship. I think we had about 30 in attendance. The kids also had a good time in the pool, which considering how hot it was in the house, I am certain that they enjoyed it. I had the oven on for some time and despite the efforts of our air unit, it could not overcome the oven and the crowd. I told everyone that I was prepping them for camp!
David is now the proud owner of a golf cart- one of his long-time desires. He will use it at camp and around the Couringtonosa. I have dubbed it the "Grampsmobile."
I hope all my friends and family are staying cool.

Blog Challenge

As I looked at my Blog Roll, I decided to issue a challenge. Some of you have not updated in weeks or months. I know that I have not done the best myself, and part of that is because I have spent part of my computer time on Facebook. Come on guys- at least post a picture, or something!
I am enjoying summer. I have had a few days to simply stay at home, and I have found plenty to do. I wish I could say that my house was clean and all of my chores accomplished, but I have at least made some headway on the laundry. I am teaching some this summer, but my classes are much smaller than they have been for the past summers so I am not having to spend a lot of time grading papers. While the check will be much smaller, I am getting a break.
It appears that I am not going to be making a school move come August. For those who may not know, my principal had been offered a new position but she told the board that she would not go without taking some of her "people"- and that included me. We all struggled with the decision and we were content with the current situation, but scared of who might take the reigns if she transferred. Apparently she had a larger list of demands than the board wanted to meet because they hired someone else. They had reposted the job twice in an effort to get her to apply, which she finally did. After the interview she basically told them that they probably did not want her to take the position because she was going to demand accountability from the faculty and staff at the school (this is a large high school, lots of problems) and if they wanted her to "straighten" the situation out, they were going to have to support her and allow her to take the people with her that she would need. She must have been correct because they gave the job to an outsider. I am actually relieved. I know that she needed the high school position if she was ever going to have the opportunity to advance to a superintendent's position. The difference in pay at a high school for a principal is marginal, and the responsibilities are doubled, but it is a necessity if you want to move up within our insane system. The thought of packing up almost 20 years of personal belongings had about made me cringe. I had decided to go if she got the position, but fortunately the decision was made for us so I am glad to stay where my heart and my stuff is already neatly organized!
We are planning a small trip tomorrow. We are going to the Diana Singing tomorrow night and plan to spend the night in Athens. We are going to do a little shopping on Saturday, so that will be fun. The Penney's Outlet in Decatur and some great bent and dent stops- how could life be better.
Have a great day, and remember my challenge- UPDATE YOUR BLOG!

Another Great Day at Publix

Okay, this is not going to become a coupon blog, but since I have had some summer time/down time, I have jumped on the coupon wagon again. Today I spent $23.97 and saved $77.24! What did I get for all that-

4 Maxwell House Coffees

1 Box Ritz Crackers

1 Box Specialty Crackers

2 Bottles of Ketchup

2 Cans of Pineapple

4 Cans of Carnation milk

2 Large Bottles of Worchestershire Sauce

1 Small Jar of Mayonnaise

2 Boxes of South Beach Granola/Fiber Bars

2 Toll House Cookies (Refrigerated type- Don't need these, but a great buy)

1 Bag of Hostess Donuts (Yes, I know- I DON"T need these!)

2 Boxes of Kashi Waffles

2 Cartons of Smart Balance Lite Spread

2 Big Boxes of Raisin Bran Cereal

1 Bag of Croutons

1 Package of Cheese Singles

2 Large Tubes of Aquafresh Toothpaste

2 Bags of Kraft Shredded Cheese

4 Boxes of Luxianne Tea Bags

1 Loaf of Refrigerated Coles Garlic Bread

Hey, did I do good, or what????

Touching Moments and Publix

This past week there were three particularly touching moments in my life. Of course first would have to be going to the ultrasound to see new baby girl Courington posing for the camera. All appears to be well and she waved hello to us. We are thrilled to have a new granddaughter. You know whether a boy or a girl, to see that perfect little spine, hands, fingers and toes, that is the important thing.
This past week, of course, was the end of the school year. As with most schools, we have honors and awards day. Our 8th grade class, which is our "senior" class, has a particularly grand ceremony. We had about 4 8th graders who took most of the academic honors, 3 girls and 1 boy. As the young man continually made his way across the stage to receive plaques and trophies, I could not help but to think of the day that his mother came to enroll him. She came in the gym door where we were letting the children in one morning, and she had her 2 sons and little daughter with her. She had tears in her eyes. I was standing with the principal and she came up with her family. She looked at my principal and said- "Would you take my children in your school? We are homeless and living in our car. They are smart children and will not cause you any problems." Of course we took the 2 oldest, who were 6th and 7th graders. The mother might not have known, but a school has to accept homeless children without address checks or proof of residence. The mother stated that she just wanted her children to have a chance at a good school. The family has since secured housing and the mother, who is obviously not a deadbeat but someone who fell on hard times, has a job. The boys have done well- both are in the gifted program and the 8th grader truly made his mom proud this week. He motivated me to do better by his example of overcoming hardship to excel.
The third moment came on Friday, which was my last day of school. Several of the teachers were in the library, which at my school is the place to be. The teacher's lounge is seldom used as most of my teachers spend their breaks in the media center working on plans, visiting, etc. One of my co-workers, a guy that I have worked with for about 15 years, had his 2 children with him. He has a son who is going into 6th grade and a daughter going into 2nd grade. This year has been tough on him as his wife left him. They gave the appearance of being a perfect family. They spent a lot of time together, they traveled, spent time with the kids at sports, etc. He was blindsided when she told him she was leaving, but that is a long story. She has primary custody of the kids, and he has them for his designated times and some of her time as she is apparently out partying. He would take them full-time, but the courts, well that is a story for another time, although I think they tend to side with mothers, even if they are sorry! Anyway, the little girl was sitting in one of my desk chairs and we were loading the laminating machine. We were laughing and having a good time when we heard this pitiful little voice say-
"Daddy, do you miss me?" Then the tears started to flow. My co-worker grabbed her up and hugged her and told her that he missed her every day, but that today they were going to have a lot of fun together. She had her little arms wrapped so tight around his neck, the message being don't let me go!" I was so touched and at the same time so mad at her mother for being so selfish- for wanting to "find myself" (that is her quote, not mine). Of course "finding myself" has included the partying and new boyfriends. Her little sweet voice and those tears have tugged at my heartstrings all weekend. We are living in a nation of little girls and boys who have selfish parents. We need to pray that this generation can overcome their upbringing!

On another note, I hit the Publix today and I DONE GOOD! I spent 31.45 for all that you see above- saved $98.44!!! Even the cashier was impressed. It is really hard on a picture to see what all I got, but I had 4 bags of dog food (I made money on these), 2 cartons of Blue Bell, Crystal Light, Electrasol, Spray-n-Wash, etc. I had to buy hotdog buns for VBS tonight, and they were out of their brand so I bought the next cheapest which to me was not cheap- $4.00 for 2 packs. If you took that from my 31.45 I would have only spent less than 28.00! The only thing I did not have coupons for were my steam fresh veggies- which were on for 1/2 price. I had some coupons on them, but they expired yesterday. We really love those- they are quick, simple to fix and taste great. I left Publix on a high- if that makes sense.

Coupon Savings

All this for $33.00! I saved almost $80.00. I had one gallon of tea not shown and the only thing I paid full price for was the hamburger buns (99 cents). Thanks Katie and Chicks With Cents http://www.chickswithcents.com/)(for reminding me of how much fun this can be.

Feeling Blessed

Today is one of those days when I am enjoying life. It is one of those days that I feel very blessed. Do you ever have days like that- days that seem to make you realize how fortunate you are? I went to fix myself a sandwich for lunch- and my cabinets are not just full- they are overflowing. I started the laundry and the laundry pile is not just a mound, but a mountain- meaning we have more than plenty of things to wear. I looked outside and it was sprinkling rain, but I was dry. I am still employed- with 2 jobs-how blessed is that???? I know there are others around me who have lost their jobs, and I am going to designate this week as a week of prayer for those people. Will you join me? I am going to make an effort to pray daily that these wonderful people will find employment and that the country's economy will start to improve. Life is good and I am thankful.

Goat Extravaganza

Well, if you follow David or me on Facebook, then you know that we are now the proud owners of 2 cute little baby goats, Leslie and Sally. Leslie is solid white and she is part milk goat. Sally is brown and white and a little bigger than Leslie. David has long wanted some goats. It seems like for as long as we have been married (over 32 years) he has talked about getting some goats. We have 9 acres of land, and most of it is covered by brush and weeds, so they will have plenty to keep them busy. David basically fences in about 1/2 of an acre to let them eat it and then he will move the fence. It has been a big operation, more than expected. David had to build them a shelter, as well. Then when we got them in the fence on yesterday, out they came! The fence was supposed to have a good charge but we discovered that the charger had gone bad. We chased the goats around the neighborhood and finally our neighbor James came out and helped us. We cornered them and got them back in the fence and then David just sat down on a bucket and watched them to keep them in the fence. Then James and Josh came and helped, as well. That is when they discovered the charger (brand new) was bad. James keeps his dogs in an electric fence and by chance he had a new extra charger. They put it on the fence and I am happy to report that the goats have remained intact! They were standing looking at me this morning when I left for work. They are really cute. We were afraid that Bandit would bark all night, but he didn't. Oh the joys of goat ownership! I am certain David will have to Blog about this, so stay tuned!

Mt. Levi

Fun

Found this neat site- try it out.

http://www.photofunia.com/

I am on my new laptop and do not have any photos saved, so I used some from prior entries.

Mother's Day Thoughts

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I feel so fortunate to be a mother to three great kids. They have made me so proud and as I have said many times, I can't imagine my life without them. It has been an honor to be their mother.
I am also thinking of my mother-in-law today. What a special person. She has been through so much in her life and yet her strength continues to be evident. She has loved me as her own and in over 32 years, we have never had one harsh word between us. She is indeed worthy of honor, every day. I have to also commend my dear husband. The past several years he has had to devote a lot of time and energy to the care of his aging and sick parents. He has truly been an excellent caretaker to the matters that they are no longer able to handle. His love for his parents is just testimony to their love for him.
This is also the day I think of my own mother. I miss her every day. I think of her in some way, every day. I long to hear her voice, every day. I have things I want to share with her, every day. I am thankful for her, every day. Her love to her children and family was so evident. She, herself, knew the feeling of loss at losing her own mother and she knew that we would feel that same pain and she so wanted to spare us those emotions. Yet most people, given normal circumstances, live to the point where they lose their parents. I understand her feelings now. I so miss her and I understand that she missed her own mother in the same way. God blessed us with a wonderful mother, and today when I think of her I am going to say a special prayer of thankfulness to God for her life and her love. I love you, Mother.

Levism

Levi stayed with me today while Kim carried Lila to the doctor. He had a good time at my school. Of course everyone doted on him, which made him feel pretty special. He was so good, in fact, that my co-workers declared that he could not get into all the mischief that we tell about. Of course he was only there about 3 hours! On the way home this is the conversation:
Levi: "Granna, where did you get Gramps?"
Granna: "What do you mean, Levi?"
Levi: " I mean did he come from the Gramps store?"
Granna: (Laughing) "Well, I guess so, Levi!"
Levi: "Well, then you came from the Granna store!"

What a boy!

Side Bar Breakdown!

When I set up my side bar where it would display the time that one of the blogs updated, it worked pretty well. I have noted lately that it is no longer accurate. It might show that someone updated one day ago and it has been 3 months! Does anyone else have this feature, and if so, how does yours work?

Yes, Paul...I agree about the lack of blogging

Paul posted that he thought many of his bloggers were no longer blogging with regularity. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I am among that number. I guess I have not had too much to blog about, but I will post a brief blog.
This Saturday is the Bargain Carousel at the old Belk's in Century Plaza. Kim, Katie, Mandi and myself plan to go. Last year we had a ball. After we shopped until my huge garbage can was full, we went to IHOP. I guess we will do the same this year. We found super buys on kid's clothes and many still had tags.
This Friday night is the annual Walkfest for Indian Creek Youth Camp. I am working with registration. We hope to raise a lot of money. The camp suffered a good bit of damage during the recent "gravity wave", with the Hilltop Cabin having a huge tree come through the roof causing some major damage.
Kim had to have a spot removed from her face today. The doctor said she could not say anything until she had the biopsy (2 weeks from now). While it is hard to believe that it is anything other than a mole, please remember to say an extra prayer that it is just a mole. The spot has been there for years but has developed a black spot in it recently. It does not have any of the typical characteristics of skin cancer that you read about, other than that little tiny dark spot, so hopefully it will not be anything serious. It is hard to have to wait 2 weeks on knowing something, but that is as soon as they will have the results. As a mother, regardless of how old your kids are, you don't want them to have any health issues.
Addi has been fighting bronchitis. She has had a shot and medicine, but is still sick. She has an appointment with her regular doctor tomorrow, so we pray she is soon feeling better. The doctor she saw the other day said she almost had pneumonia, so she has really been feeling pretty rotten. She went to school on Monday but checked out and has not been back.
I love you all-

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

We had the great fun of sitting in the cold to watch Addi play her first ballgame of the season. Hard to believe, but at 6 she is an old pro. This is her third year to play. She has moved, for the most part, to the pitcher’s circle- the coveted place in Sweetie’s play (see photo-thanks, Paul!). She came to bat 3 times last night, with 3 hits. I am not certain of all of the logistics on that, but I think they were doubles. At this level they play coach pitch- and her coach is still learning how to pitch- so to go 3 for 3 is pretty good. She has sped up to the point that if a 4 year old had not been in front of her, she might have had a triple or two. Truth be told- she looked so determined to make a homerun that she just was not going to stop until they told her too!
It is just great fun to be at the ballpark. I never dreaded going to the park with my own kids- that was always just a great time as a family. I hear some people complain about having to go the ballpark and I think about how much I miss it. When all our kids played we would have a minimum of 6 practices a week and anywhere from 6 to 9 games once the season began. I can remember standing between the girl’s field and the boy’s field to watch when Kim and Josh or Daniel would be pitching. As far as I know, I never missed more than just a few games of park ball- and that was if I was out of town. We used to joke about putting up a mailbox at the ballpark. David coached several years, and that would add to the complexity of ballpark life. I was also the team mom several years, often because no one else would do it- how sad. I hope my kids remember these fun times. I think they will.

Weighty Update

I haven’t blogged much about weight loss lately, in part because I have been on a seesaw. I am happy to report that I am once again seeing the scales move down a little. My resolve is strong, so that helps. I edged up a few pounds since the first of the year, actually I have gained and lost the same 5 pounds for a number of weeks, pretty much just leaving me at a standstill. I have not had a point where I completely abandoned ship, but a few days I let my feet get wet! It is funny, but I had a few meals where I overate, but never 2 meals in a row. This past weekend I ate too much junk, but I have managed to get my head straight. I am still in my smallest clothes, and if nothing happens, this time next week I should be at a new all time low for this round of “The Days of Susan’s Weight Loss Adventures.” This will never be easy, but I have made some changes that seem to have taken hold. I have not had a real candy bar in 16 months! I have had one Big Mac in the past 16 months, and I counted that in my daily points. While I am not still counting points, I know when I have gone over. I have had one glass of sweet tea- and that was by mistake (the waitress gave me sweet instead of unsweet and once I took a sip I thought- Hey it is just one glass!), I have not had a regular soda, etc. So, hopefully, some life-changes have taken hold. I have dropped to a jeans size that is almost easy to find- but I have much more to shed before I could be considered “normal”! As a matter of fact, I am still “obese”, just not “morbidly Obese”!!! I appreciate all the kind remarks that I have received- it does help! On another note- David is still in the battle with me, and is doing great!