Hello!

It's been a while since I've posted anything! Not only have we been so busy with this and that, but our computer has finally died. It is still useable, in the loosest sense of the word. You can't really have two programs running at once, and everything stops responding after about 10 minutes of use. I am trying to post some photos, and it is taking FOREVER. I've already restarted the computer once this morning, and for whatever reason the mouse keeps stopping.

This weekend we decided that, in our family of heavy computer users, a smoothly running computer counts as a need and we bought a new one from Dell online on Sunday. I found a coupon for $150 off yesterday only so we went for it. My main reason for wanting a new one was photos. Right now we have a very complicated system of storing the photos on a server in our basement, then accessing them through a network, and trying to put them online with our old, slow laptop. With the new computer everything will be in one place and so much faster. Plus - $150 off! Woo!

I am a coupon freak. With the exception of necessities like gas and groceries, I really wait to buy things until I have a coupon, especially online shopping. I never buy anything online until I've done a Google search for coupon codes. You should never pay for shipping when shopping online, unless you absolutely have to buy your item on the spot. If you can wait a few days or weeks, eventually a "free shipping" code will surface. For major online retailers like Lands' End, Target, Old Navy, Best Buy, etc. you will always be able to find some sort of coupon code or free shipping code within a couple of weeks. I have saved literally hundreds, probably thousands of dollars this way. I get a lot of (loving) flack about this but it is so worth it. I have been wanting to replace some of our worn out bath towels and I've been playing this coupon game. JC Penney had some primo towels on closeout (I think they are just changing towel colors after Christmas), they were $17.99 apiece, on closeout for $8.99 apiece. Well lo and behold, in my email inbox yesterday I got a coupon for $15 off any purchase at JC Penney. I got two really nice bath towels for $3. Yes! Kevin says that I enjoy getting the great deal more than the actual product. He may be right. :) Next I am on the hunt for Origins coupons. Now that Sylvie has me hooked on the Origins brand I need to find a bargain there. Let me know if you find anything!

Since I've missed a whole week of posting I'll give you a little update. Kevin is working very hard getting the Fox Speed Channel up and running. He and Ryan were back in North Carolina last week and will probably have to go once more before Christmas. They do get some nice meals there, and a very nice hotel with nice beds so that helps. I hate thinking of Kevin working hard 12 hours a day, then eating some crap and sleeping at a dumpy motel somewhere. But they are being taken care of, at least in that little way. John had his "culminating event" as they call it at UPS, for the recycling project his class has been working on. John's small group assembled an earthworm compost and wrote up a pamphlet about their work. It was really cool. My dad surprised John and came to the culminating event. Lucy knew about his visit and she kept the secret!! I thought that was a very big girl thing for her to do. Isaac is still talking up a storm and rolling all over the place. I think now that he is steadily eating solid foods, he is gaining weight very quickly. All of the sudden he looks a lot bigger to me. He feels more solid and he is wearing 6-9 months now. My mom generously bought him some new sleepers and I am waiting to see him in those big boy jammies, hee hee!
On Wednesday, our long time friends the Andersons left Urbana and moved to New Mexico. It was very difficult for me to see them go. Jen and I were very close and I have so many wonderful memories of all the fun things we have done together over the past 5 years. It was very hard watching Lucy and Linnea say goodbye to each other, those sweet best friends. Although they are only 4 years old, I got the sense that both girls knew exactly what was happening. Lucy would not let go of Linnea, as if she could get her to stay by simply not letting go of her. Sob. I am staying positive about it by looking forward to a family vacation out to New Mexico to visit them. We are going to try and go sometime in 2009, once the Andersons are settled in a new home.

At this point I am going to try posting some photos. We'll see if it works! If not...wait just a few more days until our new Dell Inspirion 530S shows up. :)