HANOVER COLLEGE

Well I wanted to let all know that things happened very quickly regarding Hanover College. My daughter is half way through her senior year and has been looking into colleges for over a year. She has visited numerous schools, College of Wooster, Midway College, University of Cumberlands, Belleramine, Northern Kentucky University, College of Saint Rose, Lindsey Wilson and Hanover College. Most of these schools were in the discussion around the house for a while.

But back in December something prompted Stacey to apply at Hanover. I am not sure why it was never mentioned. She applied and received early acceptance along with college scholarship money. This was no different than some of the schools above. But you could tell something was different in the way she was looking at Hanover. We had never been to the campus and she never even spoke to the soccer coach. During Christmas break she emailed the coach and we met with him just after New Years. Stacey really like him and so did I. Then a week ago she attended the competitive scholarship weekend. Stacey, her dad and I all fell in love with the campus. Her dad and I both felt this was the right school. They have so much to offer and we knew this was the school that would challenge her and she would excel.

So on Sunday night during the first half of the Superbowl Stacey decided she was going to Hanover College in the fall. We are all so excited. You know at some point you start to loose hope that she would even make it to college it all because so stressful. She is excited about the decision and so are we. She will be going away to college but only an hour and half. Close enough for her dad to go have lunch with her if he wants.

It is one of the proudest moments a parents can have. As my mom said on her blog "You go Girl , the world awaits you"

Weekly Menu February 1

Superbowl Sunday: Appetizers

Monday: Mexican Chicken Soup

Tuesday: Banana French Toast, Bacon

Wednesday: White Bean and Ham Soup

Thursday: Chicken Noodle Casserole

Friday: Spag and Meatballs, Garlic Bread

Daughers, Mothers, Grandmothers

I was adding music to my blog and I thought I would add a song by Taylor Swift The Best Day that was talking about her day with her mom. The other day Stacey (my daughter) and I were driving in her car and this song came on and she told me how much it reminded her of me. It touched my heart when I finally listened to the words. My daughter is 18 and looking back over the years I could not have asked for better memories of us together. Oh don't get me wrong we have had our moments but the good memories far out weigh the others. Just us in the car singing at the top of lungs, us getting up in the middle of the night and driving 1/2 hour to watch the comets. Or us just hanging out together.



So when I was looking to put songs on this blog I thought I would pick songs that had to do with mothers or grandmothers.



Where would I be without my mother? I would hate to think of how I would have turned out if I didn't have my mother to guide me a long the way. I am the oldest of two and I always think that mom made her mistakes with me but at the same time I was hard to raise. My brother was very laid back and a momma boy. I definitely wasn't, I was very independent from the day I was born and I am still very independent. I needed a lot of steering in the right away but not always willing to go. Mom was always patient and persistence over the years. I believe I am the mother that I am because of the way she was a mother to me.



My Angel by Kellie Pickler The first time I heard this song it instantly brought tears to my eyes. I was fortunate to have two wonderful grandmothers that I spent a lot of time with while growing up. So I can say I actually had 3 mothers. My Grandmother Jett was an amazing person. I remember going on trips with her, playing with her dolls, the feather bed that she would pull down the steps for me to sleep on with my friends. I believe she had a big part of my upbringing. Through her own voice and actions and through my mothers. My Grandmother Filer was a little different. She was my sweet tooth grandmother so we always had candy and sweets around. I spent a lot of summers with her when I was younger. She was the one we would walk to town with and she was always sneaking me things behind my parents. I was very blessed to have such wonderful grandmothers in my life.



The last song you will hear is Somebody's Hero by Jamie O'Neal this is a song about how I wish to be viewed. I want my kids to considered me as their Hero.

TAXES, FAFSA MY MIND IS SWIMMING

Okay so today I received my tax information from my employer. So I thought i would sit down and work on our taxes so I can begin filling out the FAFSA forms. I have been sitting here since 4:30 working on these and I am still not finished. I am only half way down with the FAFSA. This is the first year that I am having to feel this form out and everyone keeps asking me have you down have you gotten it in yet. I am trying people it gives me a headache every time I look at it. It ask for so much information and then more information and then again more. I feel like I have entered the information over and over again. Then to think everything rides on this one form. My daughter Stacey is choosing to go to liberal arts college which we are finding are very expensive. We want her to receive everything possible during her college years and we believe the liberal arts schools have so much more to offer. Unfortunately we as a family have been unable to save for college for her. We have stressed good grades gotta make the grades. She has worked very hard to do this. She has volunteered, she plays sports, she holds leadership positions in the community, she works during the summer and now everything comes down to the FAFSA form. How much need do we need? She has received scholarship for everything she has accomplished in high school however there is still need to make up the rest. She really doesn't want to end her 4 year college career with a huge amount of debt hanging over her head. So now we wait on FAFSA form and how much need they say we need.

So to all out there with small children start saving now. If it is only 5.00 to 10.00 a week put it away. Save it. That way you won't need to rely on the FAFSA.

Menu for week of January 24

Sunday: Ham and Scalloped Pototoes

Monday: Salmon, Rice, Brocolli

Tuesday: Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Enchiladas, Salsa, Chips

Thursday: BBQ Sandwiches and Garlic Oven Fries

Friday: CrockPot Chicken n Dumplies

Kroger Stop - Jan 22

All week I have been reading about everyones great shopping trips at Krogers this week. I am into couponing but I don't have it down as well as others. I am still in the learning phase. This week at Kroger they are having their mega sale. Buy 10 participating items and receive $5 off your total. So last night I sat and scanned everyones blogs trying to plan a quick trip after work. I made my husband go with me because I had more than the limit of 3 per transaction. So here is what I got.

My Cart

8 cans of Hormel Chili
10 cans of diced tomatoes
11 bags of Quaker Mini Rice Cakes
2 boxes of Orville Popcorn

Total Before Plus Card and Coupons: 50.41

Total after: .68 cents Saved 98%

Actually after she entered all my coupons they owed me .32 cents but that was allowed so she gave me 1 coupons back so I paid the .68 cents. I was so excited about this. I know I didn't get a lot but it is stuff that we love to use but is so expensive normally.

Roger's Cart

Bought:
5 Boxes Of Simple Harvest Oatmeal
5 Jars of Picanta Salsa
7 Bags of GG Steamers
5 Bags of Meatballs
3 Boxes of Taquitos
5 Bags of Chex Mix
5 1/2 Gallons of Milk

Total Before Kroger Plus and Coupons: $115.75

Total after: 33.25 saved 71%

Against Medical Advice

I finished my third book today. It was written by one of my favorite authors James Patterson. This was a little different from his other books. It was a true story about a a teenager that overcame some unbelievable odds. The teenager boy Corey was diagnosed with OCD and Tourettes Sydrome. Both of these I have heard about but never fully saw or understood the affect it could have on someones life. Corey show such determination to lead a normal live and succeed as being a normal person. I admire his determination but his parents impressed more than anything. No matter what they were there fighting for his rights and standing by him always. Some of the things he described doing I am sure some parents would have packed him up and sent him on his way. His parents stayed by his side and fought with him for everything along the way. They showed an unbelievable amount of unconditional love.

I would recommend this book to anyone that was looking for a book that touches your heart.

New Years Goals

I always hate setting New Years Resolutions. Honestly they last a few weeks but then you revert back to old habits. I have change the weight loss year after year and I go good for a few months and then I give up don't get results quick enough. This year I have decided I wanted to focus more on my relationship with my husband. I joke all the time that we each have our own sets of friends and we get along great but it is like just two people sharing a house. I am not happy with that any longer. I think I am thinking ahead when my daughter graduates and then my son graduates and it is just me and him left. Then what. I joke that it will be me and my dog growing old together. So first off I am trying not to be such a princess as others call me. My husband is great and takes care of me a lot. I always joke that I don't cook, I don't do bathrooms, I don't do floors, nor do I do dishes. Yes I know I am spoiled. So with that being said I am trying to be a better wife and more of partner to my husband in 2009.

What do you have plan for a change in your life in 2009?

Menu for Week of January 19

Monday: Chicken N Dumplings

Tuesday: Grilled Turkey Bacon Ranch Rollup, Salsa, Chip

Wednesday: Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Thursday: Salman, Rice, Veggies

Friday: Lasagna

Saturday: Cheeseburgers

Sunday: Chicken Gorditas

Meal Planning

Since the new year started we have started planning a weekly menu. We are hoping this keeps us from eating out so much. If we can keep from eating out possibly we can save some extra money each week. Last week we did good following our menu except for one night we splurged and went to my favorite place to eat Moes. However we did use our gift certificates so no out of pocket cost. So starting this week I am going to begin posting our weekly menus. Hopefully it will help keep us on track.

Thank the Lord for the weekend...

Have you ever had one of those weeks that you just couldn't wait until Friday at 5:00. That has been this week for me. I started the week off sick. I missed two days of work with Strep throat and once I got back to work I could barely keep things going each day. I just wanted to come back home and sleep. I feel much better today but I am still tired and a little on the grumpy side.

Not only is it the weekend but it is a three day weekend. No work on Monday Yippee!

Hands

Today a friend and I were talking about our hands. She stated how she had old peoples hands. I believe she is just 25 years old like she is old or something. I think your hands say a lot about who you are and what your life has been like. I sit here and look at my hands while I am typing this and I think my hands look more like my moms everyday. Then when I look at my moms hands I think they look like my grandmothers which had such grace and smoothness to them. I definitely don't have pretty hands but I have hands that I believe show that I am not scared to work hard to get what I want or need. They are rough around the edges which show I don't take the time to get manicure and surely I don't want to waste my hard earned money it. There usually is a cut or two from a paper at work, a few indentations here and there from either from a pen, scissors or something else that I have used for a long time periods.

Look at your hands and see what they tell about who you are.

The Shack by William P Young

I just finished reading my first book of the year. One of my goals for this year is to read 75 books. I have always been told that reading keeps the mind sharp and some telling me I am starting to get old so I need a little help along the way.

This was an outstanding book. I wasn't sure it was a book I wanted to read but it seemed like every time I was looking at books or in the book store there was this book waiting for me to buy it. I ended up buying it for my Sony Reader and I could not put it down during the last few days.

I wish I could experience half the relationship that Mack experiences with the Lord. The emotions that I felt while reading this book went from a little smile, laughing, to crying with sadness and then with joy.

I highly, Recommend to all

January 8, 2009

Wow the first week of 2009 already over. It just seems like I can not get into the swing of the new year. I want to get back to all the things that I enjoy and it seems like I can't get myself moving. I spent the first 4 days of the new year babysitting for a friend. What fun is was to have littles ones in the house especially since my ds and dd are 16 and 18. They don't have much time for the us oldies anymore.

Overall it has been a great first week of the year!