7 months

Yesterday was Poppy's 7 month mark, so the countdown officially begins! According to my electronic counter, only 83 days till birth! Crazy how fast its gone when I look back and how far away it still seems when I look ahead. This baby feels like it is training for a MMA fight or something. I can see my whole stomach shake at some kicks and punches. Of course I notice it the most at night, while I am TRYING to sleep. Ha ha. Yesterday our midwife came over for a check up and we were able to feel the baby's little head and feet! So adorable and tiny! I don't know how I can feel like a professional line backer when the baby is so small. One of life's little mysteries I guess. I am gaining more and more weight. Its weird, and it doesn't seem to matter what I do, I just keep gaining more. I already asked santa for a treadmill for Christmas, since I won't be able to go to the gym with a little one to take care of, but hopefully I can sneak in a mile or two while baby is sleeping (after my nap of course!) This has certainly been an experience in life I will never forget, and I am grateful I have a chance to be a mom!

Golden Birthday

This year is my golden birthday, which means I will be turning 29 on the 29th. I'd never heard of a golden birthday before I met David, but apparently its a thing. Golden birthdays are supposed to be extra special, thats why they are "golden." Unfortunately this does not mean that I will be getting gold for my big day, but Dave is determined to make it special so he is celebrating my birthday all month long! Starting today, every morning I get to reach into a little brown box and draw a "thing" for the day. I'm not exactly sure what that means just yet, but Dave told me some of them are really awesome and some are just fun or cute little things. I don't care what they are! He is doing/giving/making something for me every day for a month!!! YAHOO! Today my little drawing was for him to make dinner tonight. (I know I have mentioned before how much I love it when he cooks.) He made buffalo chicken wraps, and they were delish! More goldenpallooza to come...

I got the fever!

I totally have the house buying fever!!!  So since we have been in Vegas, we have discovered that so many houses have gone up for foreclosure in the last few years. Bummer for those people who lost their houses, yeah for us poor college students who can now afford to buy one!!! A few weeks ago we went to visit my cousin and her family and I could not believe how freakin awesome her house was, so I did a little prying into their personal finances. She is a nurse and is the only one who works, her husband is in school right now. They bought their house as a foreclosure. The original owner bought the house for $350,000 (its cute, but not worth that, but I'm sure that was when the housing prices were outrageous) They bought it over a year ago for $125,000!!!! Their mortgage is WAY less then our rent!  Its got 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, nice kitchen with all the upgrades (which is the most important part of the house if you ask me) dining room (not a necessity for me, I'm too casual) just an all around great starter home! So, I totally had house envy when we left her place. Thats what got me looking around, and i think it is totally doable for us! So once Dave gets accepted to Touro for the actual DO program, the search is on!


These are a few that I have already got my eye on.  Its only the kitchen, again most important.  Whether or not they will be available in a few months, who knows! But its fun to look and get an idea of what I really like. I would really like to keep the loan around $100,000 since Dave is in school, and we will probably only be there for 4 years before we move out of state for his residency.Plus that keeps our payments around 500-600 a month! Woot Woot! No point in going all out just yet...there will be plenty of time for that in the future.  





110,000 I like this one but I would be adding a colored, textured back splash. It just seems a little too neutral. 






  
 110,000 This is my least favorite kitchen. I really prefer an island, however this house has 5 bedrooms and a huge back yard (with grass ha ha). No, we don't need 5 bedrooms and we certainly don't need to pay to run the air conditioner to cool 5 bedrooms, I just can't get over the fact that a 5 bedroom house is only 110,000!


  
105,000 Way cute!



102,000 I love love love the dark wood with the stainless steel appliances! But, no granite counter tops? Come on! Ha Ha Ha I guess I could live without. This one for sure needs an island (if you are up for it Dad?). 





109, 000 ISLAND





99, 000 This is my favorite! Even though it is the smallest of all the kitchens, it just seems so welcoming plus the rest of the house is way cute as well. Maybe its because the counters are completely cleared off, just like I like my kitchen to be, NO CLUTTER! So I can easily imagine its mine. Love it!


While I am dreaming, I might as well keep going. These are my DREAM kitchens! Some day...right Babe?










I LOVE the refrigerator disguised as cupboards! And the double oven. I had one of those in my last house and it was awesome!

minus the funky vineyard pictures!

Dear Weight Watchers,

Dear Weight Watchers,

I think I need you!  Last night I had a wake up call to how big I am getting, and I did NOT like it! I turn to you because I recently came across some before and after pictures of Jennifer Hudson. Can you do that for me too?  I would be eternally grateful and forever in your debt!

Let me explain why I am in such a panic. Last night, I was in my favorite comfy pants. They are cute, light weight and have an elastic waist band! I pretty much live in them these days. I went in the bedroom to talk to Dave, and as my bottom approached the floor, I heard the awful, dreaded rrrrrrrrrrrrip. I instantly assessed the damage, hoping for only a small and repairable hole. To my horror, I found a hole about the size of David's head! AHH! In his most sympathetic voice he could muster, while holding back his laughter,  David said " Oh sweetie, did you rip your pants?"  I was already on the floor laughing. I laughed so hard I cried, or maybe those were real tears? Hard to tell.

I hope you can help me. The things I have heard about you are great! You have quite the reputation for helping girls like me. I hope we can be friends even though I have gotten so big. Please don't judge me.   I look forward to meeting you in the near future, and hope we can have a long, meaningful friendship!



Sincerely,



"Bare"ly covered

Sunday School

Dave got a new calling today. He is the new...Sunday School President! It's perfect for him. It will allow him to still focus on school cause its more of a "Sunday" calling, but he will still be able to give the calling the time it needs.  Good job babe! I'm so glad I have a husband who is always worthy to hold a calling in the church!

Pumpkins and Eggnog

Last night fall was in the air. We carved pumpkins, cooked the seeds and made our own home made egg nog! I didn't actually carve, I drilled, but same idea.

                                            Our little family! 

                       Poppy's pumpkin! Its my favorite one. Dave did it.

EGGNOG! 

This was so good! I just put all the ingredients in the magic bullet. Of course I never measure anything so I have no idea how much of each. Just till it tastes good. 

Whipping cream

Evaporated milk or Almond milk, frozen in ice cube tray (good idea mom!)

Rum extract

Vanilla extract

Nutmeg and pumpkin spice

Few drops of stevia

and a raw egg in Daves 

coupons

So I jumped on the couponing band wagon, and I think its time to jump off. I had a friend in Utah who did it and taught me the ins and outs of how to use coupons and get great deals. What really inspired me was her food storage room! It was incredible! Plus, she had gotten really sick and they had been living off their storage for the past year, because she never felt like going to the grocery store. She said she spent pennies on the dollar for everything in there and often times got things completely free. I was all excited about it after talking to her. She made it look so easy.

So we started getting the Sunday paper and I started saving the coupons. Every Sunday I would flip through them and MAYBE pick out one or two coupons that we would actually use. It was a little depressing at first, but I kept with it thinking that this must just be a "bad week" for coupons. The following week was always the same thing. My problem is that most of the things that go on really good sales are things that we don't eat, like Fruit Roll-ups, or Lucky Charms, or Hamburger Helper or Dorito's. (don't get me wrong, Dave still loves his Dorito's and occasionally we'll get them, but not often enough that I am looking for coupons to save us money cause he habit is getting expensive ha ha). Its all the processed things that only actually cost 10 cents a bag that go on such great sales, cause they can afford it.

So what about the good food? Do we ever get a break on that? As far as I have seen, No. Does anyone out there coupon? Am I doing it all wrong? Or am I missing an important step? Do the coupons I am looking for only come around every blue moon? If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears! Now that Dave is in school, I'm definitely willing to do the work if it will really save us food money every month!