August 20, 2009 - Posted by Val - 2 Comments
Did you know that apple baby food and unsweetened applesauce have the same ingredient list, but that the baby version is usually at least twice the price per ounce? Most applesauce brands make a 6-pack sold in 3.5 ounce servings, perfect baby proportions.
If that news wasn’t good enough already, and you live near a Publix, or another store that accepts competitor coupons, you’re in luck! Use this manufacturer’s coupon to get $1 off Mott’s and this Food Lion coupon to get another $1 off. Since Mott’s 6-packs are on sale for $1.66 at Publix this week, your applesauce will be free! Some stores even give an overage. Mine doesn’t, but I’m going to print several of the Mott’s coupons (they don’t have a print limit, the FL ones do) and stock up on some extra applesauce for $0.11 a cup!
August 17, 2009 - Posted by Val - 0 Comments
Eight hours of sleep helped me survive (and enjoy) the first day of my new job, watching my friend’s son, Kennon. He is a couple months older than Carver and the differences are enormous (seven pounds, to be exact). Also, Kennon is cruising around and has shown me exactly how to baby-proof the apartment for when Carver is his age. They get along really well, if you can attribute such behavior to a seven and ten month old. They seem to be entertained by each other and are both very forgiving when the other crawls on them. Having two children under of one year old was somewhat demanding and yet in an odd way, I kind of wish it had been more demanding. Demanding in different capacities, I should say. By the time Ethan came home, I was definitely drained of diaper-changing energy, but yearning for some adult interaction and creative release.
You regular readers may have sensed some hinting toward the fact that our little family of three is in a transition time. Well, we’ve got things narrowed down to two very different paths. Path A would mean definitely moving before Christmas, potentially a lower, but sooner salary, the fulfillment of some life long dreams and a hopeful, but scary move for a stay-at-home mom who relies heavily on a community of friends. Path B would entail the probability of staying in sunny Gainesville, a more delayed, but higher eventual salary, shifting of afore-mentioned dreams and a ridiculously hard semester for both Ethan and I. It would be hard for Ethan because he would spend 4 days a week from 6:30 AM to 9:45 PM either in class or at work. It would be hard for me because Ethan would spend 4 days a week from 6:30 AM to 9:45 PM either in class or at work.
This is all to say I want to get a gym membership. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very important decision and if you have any insight, let us know. I’m just saying, if I’m in for a semester of hanging out with two (delightful) babies all day long and I’m not going to see my husband until fifteen minutes before bedtime, I gotta get out a little. Plus, it would help me fulfill one, possibly two of the goals I set for this year, to lose the baby weight and compete in a triathlon. I already crossed “plant a garden” off the list (although I don’t have much to show for that one anymore). We’ll leave refinishing the dining room table for later.
August 16, 2009 - Posted by Val - 1 Comment
This is a great video of Carver laughing!
August 15, 2009 - Posted by Val - 0 Comments
August 13, 2009 - Posted by Val - 2 Comments
I don’t know these people, but this is probably the coolest wedding seating I’ve ever seen. More of the wedding is highlighted on Anna Maria Horner’s blog.
August 11, 2009 - Posted by Val - 0 Comments
My husband, Ethan is going to guest-star for today’s Teachable Tuesday. While I normally “teach” with random cooking/craft tips, he has some words of wisdom to impart:
The following verse gave me a great bit of joy this morning (Psalm 40:2),
“He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
Lately I’ve been pretty prone to frustration, even at the littlest things, and this has become very…err…frustrating. In the past couple days, though, I’ve been able to take a deep breath and put things in perspective. If I trust that God is a solid rock on which I can stand, I can get past the furstration and see the incredible life I have. I have an incredible, wonderful son, and a wife that is youthful, joyous, and endlessly supporting, and a job that, although is very tedious at times, provides for my family and is actually rewarding at times.
It is so easy to be mired down by things that happen or circumstances or just general oppression, but I believe with my whole self that we can trust God. He is the most solid rock on which we can stand, and He allows us to do so! Instead of laying down to it all, I say screw whatever’s oppressing us! There is an alternative to the tumult!
Thanks, Ethan. Also, I have to say, you’re looking pretty good with that new haircut.
August 11, 2009 - Posted by Val - 0 Comments
Alright, alright, I’ve been a lazy blogger. And since Carver’s morning nap has already lasted through a shower, breakfast, quiet time and taking off my nail polish, I really have no excuse. So here’s a late Minute Monday:
Friday: Ethan’s parents came to town for the night. It was so great to visit with them. I broke the rule that says don’t use a new recipe on guests, especially your in-laws and made salmon burgers. I should have followed the rule; they turned out really salty. We let them go to bed early (they left very early the next morning to get on the road) and had our own sleep-over on an air mattress in Carver’s room.
Saturday: My sister, Natalie and her husband, Dan traded us free reign of their washer and dryer for dog-sitting while they were away for the weekend. I think it was a pretty great deal on our end because it is such a luxury to do laundry as you go about your Saturday instead of taking a chunk out the day to devote to it. I took Tug and Carver on a long walk and Ethan worked on his thesis. When he got home, we went out to lunch and then had a generally nice and lazy afternoon. That night we went to a graduation party for our friends Aaron and Mike. Congrats, guys!
Sunday: After letting Tug out, we went to church. One thing I love about our church is that after communion, if you want to be prayed for, you can sit in the front row and one of the leaders in the church will come and quietly pray for you. What a blessing! There is a powerfully sweet lady at our church that prayed for Ethan and I with such clarity and encouragement, it left me crying tears of joy.
After church, Ethan let me nap while he took care of Carver and cleaned up (what a guy). After watching The Bourne Identity, we kept up our new tradition of Sunday breakfast-for-dinner and I made French toast. It reminded me so much of my Tampa Grandma and how she used to serve hers with grits and put brown sugar and straight corn syrup on the table for toppings. She was also a powerfully sweet lady who kept roses from her own garden on the table and said “Nabsolutley not” when she got flustered.
With some out-of-town weekends coming up and football season fast-approaching, I feel like tropical storm GainesvilleInTheFall is brewing.
August 8, 2009 - Posted by Val - 3 Comments
I think I’ll end a sick-week of no blogging with a few random thoughts.
I’m starting to feel a faint itch, a day-dreamy type of curiosity about what life has to offer a stay at home mom and her almost 7 month old. Not that I don’t love spending my days with Carver, I’ve just been in the mood for a challenge. Being a mom has always been my dream job. It would just be nice to break my days up a little more, use this brain of mine and feel valuable in a working-sense. I’m not willing to give up being so close to my son, so this itch will need a creative kind of scratching. Or maybe it will pass…who knows. I feel like Carver in this pre-crawling stage he’s in; I know there’s something exciting just out of my reach, I just don’t know how to get to it.
Maybe I should be careful when seeking a challenge, because Carver and I’s days will be changing pretty soon. I’m going to start watching a friend’s 10 month old a week from Monday. He’s a really sweet boy from our play group and I’m looking forward to the temporary adventure (he’ll go to daycare in October). I’m sure adding Kennon to the mix will give me some more blogging material, but less time to write.
As hard as it will be, I can’t wait for Carver to start school just so I can vicariously re-experience the Fall back to school feeling. I loved everything about it. I loved picking out school supplies, going shopping for fall clothes, opening the precious envelope that held my class information and setting out that first day outfit the night before. Ok, so maybe I’m a huge nerd that carried a book around with her in the grocery store, but Fall just feels like a fresh start. Hmm… maybe this is how Ethan feels about football season…
August 5, 2009 - Posted by Val - 1 Comment
I feel like I just swam to the bottom of the deep end of a pool. Clogged ears/runny nose = no new posts. Sorry 
Take this opportunity to read some of the blogs I enjoy (down and to the right, under blogroll).
August 3, 2009 - Posted by Val - 0 Comments
Friday: After a 7:00 bedtime fake-out (turns out, Carver was just taking an evening nap) our picnic date turned into a family affair. All the more fun was had, though, as the three of us braved the threats of lightning and then eventually escaped inside. We finished our meal on a blanket spread out in Carver’s room. The sounds of the play-n-crawl ball just added to the romance. Seriously. It was my favorite part of the whole weekend.
Saturday: We had breakfast with our out of town visitors, Mary and Steve and then did some much-needed relaxing. Carver is still hanging on to his sniffles and I’m wondering if he hasn’t passed them to me in the form of an ear infection. For lunch, we decided to go with the picnic theme and pack some sandwiches to take to the stadium. Loyal Gator fans that we are, we had to check out the new jumbo-tron.
That night, we celebrated new life with the Allens and had a wonderful dinner at the James’ where Carver scored some stylish hand-me-downs.
Sunday: Patrick Kee gave an awesome sermon at church. That night, after a delicious breakfast for dinner (brinner?) with the Dourtes, we went back for Financial Peace University. I have to brag, after 2 weeks on the envelope system we’re doing pretty well.
Now, I have to go brave some more stormy weather and rescue my husband who’s facing a rather wet bike ride home from work!
