timing & provision

Sad news: my faithful little laptop is starting to spaz out. A few weeks ago, it fell off the coffee table and crashed the hard drive. Nothing major was lost... just some pictures (the best of which are already on facebook), random journaling, and my internet bookmarks. All non-earth-shattering. This weekend, the screen started blacking out. This problem is QUITE earth-shattering, at least to me. Sad as it may be to some, the computer and internet are my lifeline to my family and friends - most of which are scattered far across the country. The weekend was ok, because Husby was home and I could use his work laptop. However, the coming week loomed ominously ahead... it looked bleak as I tried to imagine a several days without a computer. I could do it. It would just be a HUGE adjustment.

But guess what? God has impeccable timing, often when we least expect it. There was no budget for a computer repair, and definitely not for a new one. And just when I thought I was going to have a horribly long and lonely week, a friend offered me a monitor to hook up to my spazzy computer. How cool is that!? All I have to do is go pick it up! And then yesterday, after going all day long thinking my comp was unuseable, I decided to try turning it on. AND IT WORKED. Mind you, the screen was all kinds of flickering, making me think it'd black out any second, but it WORKED. I still have the monitor as a backup plan, but for now, I'm back in business.

Yes, I'm being somewhat dramatic about it, but I honestly felt that way. But.... The whole ordeal (small to some, but huge to me), along with some other recent happenings in our life got me thinking about God's provision. It's always perfectly timed and never lacking. When it's God providing, you can FEEL it. Several times over the weekend, I saw God provide in small ways, but though "small", they renewed my hope and my energy to hope. The computer monitor, when my world looked hopelessly confined. Unexpected baby and household items from a new friend. And something in the works that may help our debt-payment-adventure go from slow to high speed! It's exciting!!!! I feel like I've been given a big hug from God and can't wait to see what else He is going to do...

and we have a winner!

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And the winner of the fabulous prize package is....


Anna G.


I know she will LOVE it!


Thanks to all who entered. :) I hope to do another fun giveaway in the near future!
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To pick the winner, I used this random number generator.

First Ever Blog Giveaway!!!!

Inspired by the generosity of others, I'm doing my very first ever blog giveaway!

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The prize package will include:

1 Febreeze Flameless Luminary Starter Kit (pomegranate mango)
3 Luminary Refills (pomegranate mango)
1 Febreeze Scented Reed Diffuser (pomegranate mango)
1 Febreeze Set & Refresh Air Freshener (Hawaiian Aloha)
Fresh Summer Entertaining Tip & recipe card
(5) $1.50/1 Febreeze Set & Refresh coupons
2 coupon booklets for Febreeze Home Collections products ($12 in savings each)
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Let me tell you... the pomegranate mango scent is AMAZING. I am in love with it.

All of these products are compliments of www.houseparty.com. If you haven't heard of it, I encourage you to go check it out. As a member, you are able to apply to host "house parties" for new products. If selected to host, you will receive a package of goodies to share with friends, along with great coupons. I'm definitely a fan!


I bet you are drooling over this package just as much as I would, so here's how to enter:

1) Leave me a comment telling me about your favorite summertime activity on a budget.
2) Share this giveaway on your own blog and/or facebook, and then come back and leave me a comment telling me where.
3) Leave a comment or send me a message with a low-calorie, easy summertime dessert.

You can enter by #1 one time, and by #2 and #3 once PER DAY. Giveaway will end Friday, June 26. Winner will be posted Saturday, June 27.
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Good luck!

hope deferred

Yesterday, the sky opened and a sunbeam illuminated a glimmer of hope, just beyond the horizon. Joy built as we envisioned and planned for the relief it would bring. Today, we reached the destination only to discover that it had all been an illusion. And now we are once again left asking why. Trying not to doubt. Feeling tricked. Begging for rest.

I was putting Baby Girl down for a nap this morning, and the simple words of the song I was singing hit me like a load of bricks. "Jesus loves me, this I know..." Jesus loves me. He loves me. That is somewhat of a comfort as I struggle to come to terms (again!) with the fact that this road is still an uphill battle.

Jesus loves me. I will be held when things go wrong. Not forsaken. He is and always will be there, along for the journey and waiting for me at the end.

consistency

Today was a good day. I feel like I accomplished much, and I'm not exhausted. Did lots of laundry, organized myself, sent off a form that required lots of copies to be made, ran some errands, puttered around the house...

Baby Girl took some good naps, and I feel like she got some quality rest. Poor little thing has been drug all over the place the past couple of weeks! I never realized how important consistent consistency is for a baby until having my own child. We're currently working on a nap/bedtime routine... We go in the bedroom, where I rock her in my arms and sing a couple songs, and then lay her in bed. She's usually drowsy-eyed and sicking on her thumb. Halfway through the songs, she takes her thumb out of her mouth, looks up at me, and gives me a sleepy little grin. It's so adorable...

After an epic fail yesterday in my caloric intake, I did very well today. Well enough to reward myself with an ice cream bar after dinner. I <3 ice cream in the summer! Now to stay consistent with that, and add in exercise. Currently stalking craigslist for a jogging stroller. The baby weight is gone, but I desperately need to get back in shape. Maybe by the end of the summer?

Deal finding this week is off to a good start. So far we've hit CVS and Target. Tomorrow is Harps double coupon event... I SO can't wait! Sometimes I wonder how lame is it that finding deals is so exciting and fun for me. But on the other hand, how can a person NOT be happy about getting more for less?

And a bit of news that's making me smile... Husby is coming home tomorrow night rather than Friday. He'll leave again Thursday, but seeing him in the middle of the week makes everything a little brighter. *sigh* I'm so hopelessly in love.

falling rain

It's a Monday, and the skies are gray with falling rain. Sadly, my mood has morphed to fit the gloominess that looms. I've been trying to re-morph my mood into a content one, where the gentle patter of rain is soothing, but so far no luck. Two cups of coffee this morning, slowly sipped, while catching up with the online world. Baby Girl is teething, I think. Or something... Her naps are anything but predictable lately. Thirty minutes. Maybe an hour. And she has gone from sleeping eight hours straight at night to three - four hour stretches. I know they say that once your get used to something with a baby, everything changes... but I feel like I have very few nerves left. Husby left again this morning for another week away. I do not like to see him go, and I will quickly admit that this is extremely hard on me. But... I keep reminding myself that it's only a few days at a time and that it should be over in August. Maybe then life will return to some semblance of normality. It has helped incredibly much to hae CC here. I don't know what I will do when she leaves next week. Somehow I need to get my emotional tank full again...

Yesterday's sermon challenged me a bit... to have an unstoppable faith. I know I keep asking "Why, God? Why is life so freakin' hard right now? When will it be over? How much longer do I have to prove myself?" Deep down in my heart, I know that God's timing is perfect and that He will never cease to be faithful, but as I've voiced before, it's been quite difficult to get my head wrapped around that fact. Yesterday I listened as the pastor spoke about Moses, and how after he was the pride and glory of Egypt, he spent 40 years in the desert. FORTY YEARS. Forty years of silence and feeling forgotten. That certainly makes my issues seem small. And in those forty years, God did not forget, but He was waiting for the perfect time to act, molding Moses in the meantime.

*sigh*

Now the hard part... remembering these things when I'm in the midst of a difficult moment... or day. Remembering that my life is not really bad or hard, when compared to what others face. Remembering that God is watching and waiting and that He IS moving, even though I can't see it. Remembering that He loves me and is there to wrap His arms around me at anytime. Raise your coffee mugs with me - here's to an unstoppable faith!

little sister

My youngest sister is visiting me for three weeks. THREE whole weeks!!! It's SO very wonderful to have a part of my family here with me. I really love Oklahoma and my life here, but a girl does get homesick now and again. Anyway, we've been hanging out lots, having GREAT times. Sixteen is a fun age. :) Time at the pool, playing with Baby Girl, shopping, baking, movies... it's been a lovely three days so far. :) AND.... I'm giving her a crash course in couponing and finding deals. So far we've hit up Walgreens (sweet deals!), Target (more sweet deals), Krispy Kreme (do I hear a shout out for free donuts??), introduced her to Chikfila (free spicy chicken sandwiches!), and checked out the brand new QT (three cheers for .49cent drinks). We also stumbled on coupons for free drinks at Taco Bell and more free donuts from Krispy Kreme, so you can guess where we'll be eating... Now we need to work some exercise into our plans. (bah humbug!)

Baby Girl has discovered the fine art of rolling over, from her tummy to her back. It's incredibly adorable to find her in her bed in the morning, not on her tummy, but on her back, rolling around and talking to herself. Even at 4:30 in the morning...

Sweet deals this week:
Walgreens: we spent $10.92, saved $56.38, and have $4.50 in RR! We got: 4 boxes Kotex U products, 4 bags of Hersheys pieces, 3 bars Neutrogena face soap, 7 packs of Orbit gum, 3 cans Arizona tea, 2 bags of Lifesavers, 1 Butterfinger, and 3 bottles asprin. Not bad for $10, eh?

Target: (we totally rocked here!)
I think I threw my receipts away when I cleaned out my purse, but I can tell you about the 40 bottles of Sobe Lifewater for only $5 oop!!!! Target had a deal this week that for every 10 bottles you bought, you'd get a $5 gift card. We used a .50/1 Target coupon for each bottle, and did four separate transactions. We spent $5 the first time, and then the second transactions we used the $5 GC. The third transaction we had three B1/G1 coupons to add to the .50/1 Qs, so we only used $2 off the GC. Last transaction we had two b1/g1 Qs, so we used the remaining $3 on the GC and came out with an extra $5 GC. I think we did pretty good, eh?

This week will bring more sisterly, deal-finding adventures.... we'll be sure to keep you posted!