A WARD Winning Chili

This Saturday Kev and I took the kids to our wards Fall Festival for some burgers, chili cook off, games and trunk or treating. It was an amazing fall (summer, if you ask me) evening! It is so nice to finally be able to take advantage of the weather down here!

The prep for the night didn't seem to daunting. Throw some meat, onions, some spices and cans of stuff in a pot and let it cook, get Spencer a costume, and get Olivia ready as Belle. The first two went with out a hitch. Spence wanted to be a Storm Trooper, but when he saw the swords that came with the Ninja costume he was sold...again. I think that is why he wanted to be a Ninja two years ago. At least it was a different costume.

Olivia had big plans. She got her dress on hours to early and I had to convince her to take it off so it wouldn't get dirty. I thought I could get her hair done early to save me some time, and that is where the problem started. What made me think that a three year old could keep an updo intact for four hours before the party started. Well, I did it anyway. As I prepped her I had in my mind how I would do it. Belle has it parted in the middle, swooping down the sides with a bun on the top and curls in the back. As I began, Olivia interrupted me and told me that "Belle's hair has to have it come down on each side and then into a "Minnie ear" (that is what we call a pony that hasn't been pulled through all the way and is messy, get it?) on top. There are curls in the back and some curls by her ears." What the? She is three people. I felt some pressure. Exactly why I hate up does. I mean, what was going to be something that I thought would easily thrill her became me working for my toughest client! There were tears, and screams from her, and I breathed out my share of threats. The threats worked, she calmed, and I added multiple layers of aerosol hairspray. After playing and laying down to watch TV (which was strictly prohibited ) I had to only fix her hair twice before we left.

After arriving to the church, meeting Bree and E and Miss Tay as Dorothy, we sat down for some food. The kids were off running. I swear most of the night I was looking for them. I have to say that my most favorite thing was looking at all the boys in their unitard costumes, with wedgies, and all the time them not noticing and feeling more macho than ever because they were sure they were actually the character they were wearing. I also considered dressing Olivia up as Belle everyday because she actually acted like a little lady...when I could actually see her.

After the kids played games the big moment of the night, for the parents anyway, was the announcement of the winner of the chili cook off. We all held our breath in anticipation. OK, not really, but we actually were anxious to see if we had won since my mom had won with the same recipe at their Vegas ward, and our dad just won in their Utah ward. We couldn't fail the famous recipe! As they announced the 3rd place winner, the Elder's Quorum President yelled, "No, it's not! It's the Bailey's!" Then the rest of the judging committee yelled back that they were announcing the THIRD place winner. Eric, Bree, Kevin and I couldn't stop laughing. They went on to the second, and our name's weren't called. Then first place...."The Bailey's!" I took a bow and received our certificate. There it is. A chili recipe that has won in three states. You want to know what makes it so amazing? I will tell you. It's Weight Watchers. Two points for one cup! Here is the recipe for those who don't already have it:

1 medium onion, diced and sauted'

1 t. minced garlic

1 lb ground beef 97% fat free

salt and pepper

1 pkg powder Ranch dressing

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 can green chilies (I use the bigger size)

1 can fat free refried beans

1 can chili beans

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn OR I use 1 bag of frozen corn

If you wish to thin it down for taco soup and up to 1 cup water or fat free broth.

Oh yeah, then there was the trunk or treat, but who cares. I won.

Hibernation Is Over

I rub my eyes, take a good long stretch, and slowly stumble my way out of the cave. I am finding my self blinded by the sun...the scorching Arizona sun. That's right people we moved to Arizona. I know it has been a long time since I've posted and for good reason. Well, maybe I have had plenty of time, but you know how it goes when you haven't blogged forever. The idea of catch up is daunting, especially when you are like me and don't know how to tell a short story. A blessing and a curse as far as I am concerned. See, I am already getting distracted. So I will attempt a quick rundown so I can avoid a bazillion questions.

About six months ago...wait has it really been that long? Crazy. Anyway, Kevin and I were presented with an opportunity to work with my uncle doing some work on foreclosures with his auction company. It seemed crazy to disrupt our comfortable life, but with the economy doing what it has it made us pause. Heck, we were in the residential construction business! It was a really tough decision especially since Kevin worked with his brother and loved working with him at that. We decided to give up some of our comforts in a way to be proactive instead of reactive. Honestly, it was an answer to my prayers. Of course, those answers never come how you think they will. I prayed to find a way to get our proverbial house in order. I had made great strides with food storage, but part of that over all security is getting out of debt. This option we had on the table would help us considerably with that. Now, we didn't have crazy debt, you know, a car and a house, but still if the economy tanked that would be enough to be completely overwhelming. We wanted to be in a place that if Kevin ever lost his job Home Depot would be enough to cover the bills. You know?

Well, we decided to do it. We sold our house crazy fast, which was another confirmation to me that we were doing what was right, and moved into my parents basement for a few months. That was a blessing as well. What a great opportunity to have company from my parents while my husband was off in another state working. Spencer adjusted well since he had buddies on my parents street, and Olivia and I had a great time hanging out with my mom and Lydia.

Time came to move. Oh, don't worry. I had no idea what our house looked like. I just told Kevin to get what he thought was best. He did a really great job picking it out and did some hard work getting it all cleaned up for us before we got here. The move was kind of a frenzy since we had to head to Vegas the day after we got here for my cousin Chad's wedding. Needless to say we did a pretty decent job unpacking.

Now, we are pretty settled. We have a pool, which is a necessity here, and the kids LOVE it. Spencer taught himself to swim in a week. Just goes to show you what having a pool will do. All those wasted swim lessons where he was scared to death; makes me laugh just thinking about it. Our ward here is pretty spread out. That threw me a little because Vegas didn't even seem that way to me. I guess I was expecting it to be more like Mesa, which is more like Utah. Oh well.

Our biggest struggle has been with Spencer. Poor little guy. The kid had to move twice, get taken away from two sets of friends, and move to a neighborhood with no kids or boys his age in his church class. School was rough at first too. He has a teacher who is teaching for her first year, and she still is pretty rigid. That doesn't work so well with six year olds. He was in "Phase 1" (time out) three times the first week! Since then she has learned a little more about his personality and things seem to be going a little more smoothly. OH, and he had swine flu and currently had another seizure and a bout of strep throat, but in the last month or so he seems like a happier kid despite all his trials. Hopefully it just keeps getting better. He has been a real champ, and I love his guts even more for it. Olivia, on the other hand, isn't phased. Her only complaint is the heat...mine too, but I can't wait to rub it in Utah's face this winter.

Well, I think that covers it. The move anyway. Hopefully you forgive me for our absence. I had a nice blogging nap, but I am recommitted and ready to fill you in with all the latest drama. The real question is, are YOU ready?

It's That Time Of Year!

It's that time of year. You know, when you lose all reason and sensibility. For some reason you can't escape it. They are on street corners, store fronts, heck they are even banging down your door! Oh, and they don't stop there. They have to weaken you further by adding it into ice cream. Yes, you know what I am talking about. Girl Scout Cookies.

Well, lucky me, I just had to walk across the street and raid my neighbors garage. Cases stacked ten high and not only in one garage but two. I felt I restrained myself by only buying 6 boxes (for now), but sadly, I was sure she would notice if I tried to shove a case under my shirt. I could have made a run for it, but when you live two houses down it wouldn't have done much good.

This all comes at a high stress time for us, so don't judge me if you find me squatting in a dark closet with untamed hair facing a corner with chocolate smeared all over my cheeks and teeth. I have even found my children sneaking them. Do they know who they're messing with?!! Don't touch my Preciousss! OK, I'm not really that out of control *shifts eyes nervously*; we just had to decide that a "normal" serving size is 6 cookies.

Now I'm just wracking my brain for my neighbors garage code. I know she gave it to me once.

Three Years Ago Today

Three years ago today I answered a phone call. It was a phone call from a nurse telling me that the induction schedule was full for the next day, and that if I wanted to schedule a time to have my baby it would have to be for the day after that or in eight hours from now. It took me about 10 seconds to decide that I couldn't wait any longer to see our baby that had been inside me for 9 months. The baby girl that already had a closet full of pink and purple clothes and a perfectly decorated room.
It didn't take me long to get packed and arrangements made for her soon to be big brother. I let my mom know, who was still living in Vegas at the time, and she started packing for the trip up. My dad, of course, was already in Utah working on their new house. Kevin and I dropped Spencer off at his parents and we anxiously headed to the hospital a few miles away.
I remember loving that his dad was at the hospital with his mother, our Grandma Bailey, and he kept popping in to check on me. My dad showed up before I knew it so he could visit and help kill time. The hospital was quiet, and although my contractions weren't too bad I wanted reassurance that the Anesthesiologist was near by. "Unless there is an emergency, he can be in in a moments notice." That's what they told me. Right about the time I was deciding it wasn't fun anymore, the nurses let me know there was an emergency delivery. I had to wait about 35 more minutes, but it just showed me how tough I was...kind of. Thankfully, I lasted and I received the magic potion just in time to make it all wonderful again.
Before I knew it, nurses were in and out and calmly rotating me from side to side to make sure the baby was OK. Her heart rate was dropping. They turned me away from Kevin, and I started to get really nervous. Just then, my doctor walked in the door and took over. I remember appreciating his calm demeanor and professionalism. Before I knew it, I had a beautiful little girl laying on my chest. She didn't cry at all. I also remember cherishing the time I had with her in the hospital. She was so sweet and mellow. Little did I know...
She would be a little maniac that we absolutely adore. Words that I think of that describe her are: tornado, lover, helper, drama, hugs and kisses, stomping feet and slamming doors, lip gloss, dress ups, pony tails, "Founding Father hair", daddy's girl, mommy's best friend, silly, busy, cuddle bug, compliment giver, sassy pants, hilarious, beautiful, blessing.
Miss Olivia, we love you so much and you have been such a joy and a blessing to have in our home. We are better because of you and love your spirit. You have taught me more than I could ever teach you and you have only been in our lives for three short years. I can't wait to see what an amazing woman you turn out to be. Thank you for being you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLI. We love you!

Movin' On Down...To The East Side?

Let me just begin by confirming that I am alive. My blogging skills have slipped through the cracks, but I have a good excuse. We're moving!

Kevin and I decided to put the house up for sale in mid January. My thoughts were, "OK, we won't get anyone looking until April. If we get a buyer we will hold off on moving out until school is out." Not how it worked out. Our house sold in three weeks without a sign in our yard. We had it on the MLS, but I thought with this market it would still take a while. I think the timing just confirms to us what we knew was right.

So, now where are we going you ask? Well, let me explain the way I know best by making a long story longer. Our plan was to rent for a little bit and build again since it is a great time to build. However, Kevin is now building model homes in Idaho for the few months and is gone several days a week. In an effort to prevent our children from having a psychotic mother and a wife who wants to bail for some personal time as soon as Kevin comes home, I chose to move to my parents basement. Some may say such things in defeat, but I, however, am looking forward to it all. I am am not disillusioned to the reality of the situation, but I will have a full kitchen, a walk out basement, and Spencer has a really good buddy right next door. Oh yeah, and a little help upstairs if needs be. Plus, isn't the real party always down in Utah County? After Kevin is done with this project we will just reevaluate and go from there.

Speaking of Spencer, we will be pulling him out of his current school and moving him to the school by my parents. He is sad but is handling it really well. I think he takes courage in the fact that he has a friend right next door. Thank heavens. Olivia is oblivious. She has some idea we are staying with Nana and Papa, but I am more worried for them than for her.

At this moment, I am a single parent and living in a house with naked walls and shelves. I have done just about all the packing that needs to be done and just waiting for the furniture to get hauled out. I am blessed with happy children, and I believe that has made all the difference with my sanity. I recognize the Lord's hand in that as well as Noggin and the Disney channel. I should be dusting off shelves and wiping down baseboards but I just bought a bag of freshly baked cookies from Albertsons that I should probably just polish off. If I am doing that, there really can't be that much left to do, right?

Ignored Promtings?

Have you ever had a time when you feel something over and over, but you choose to ignore it because it seems so little and silly? You know that when you get that gut feeling to take action on something that could be a big deal like, "Go check the baby" or, "Get out of here now?" You do it. Well, last night I had that experience with the small thing. Bree, Taylor, and Lauren were here for a slumber party while our hubbies were out of town, and I put the kids to bed, and we went down stairs to talk until the wee hours of the morning.

I came back upstairs around 2:00am. I put both the kids in my room so I could keep tabs on them in the morning so they wouldn't wake anyone up. As I was retucking them in, I had a feeling TWICE to take Olivia potty. I ignored it...until 6:00... when she woke up crying because she had peed her pants. Awesome. We cleaned it up the best we could, and she had to sleep with out panties for a little while so we didn't wake Bree up in Olivia's room, but it really was no biggie.

Why is it that we ignore those promptings or what ever you define them as. What is the big deal? Why do we skip the simplest things? Because they seem inconsequential? Well, I tell you next time I will act. If all it does is save me some time and laundry, it's worth it!

Oh, and it was on Kevin's side. Hahaha! Shhh!

This Christmas Kevin surprised me with a new camera for helping him win the Nelson Biggest Loser competiton. I was so excited!!! He had heard me talking about how badly I wanted a nice camera because I was sick of the crappy pics my last camera took. There is nothing that can capture our memories better, and I need to take more photos. He decided to be sneeky and get me one and I couldn't be more thrilled.
Well, now I am totally overwhelmed with this thing. It couldn't possibly be that I haven't looked at the instruction manual, right? I really want to learn how to use it the right way and not just point and shoot everything. Alli was kind enough to offer her services to me, and I can't wait to take her up on it. With all my friends that are professional photographers out there...HELP! Just give me a few pointers to get me started!

A Tag

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:45
2. Have you brushed your hair yet today? I guess
3. What is the name of the last song you listened to? Crush
4. Do you like to text? Heck yes
5. Facebook or My Space? Facebook, please.
6. Where is your favorite place to go? Disneyland with fam and tropical/MX/Caribbean with hubby
7. Do you have a passport? YES
8. Are you in love? You bet I am
9. Have you ever had a broken heart? Not too bad
10. When was the last time you "laughed your head off"? Last night. We call him BIRDman.
11. When was the last time you cried? Two nights ago
12. What is the best gift you have ever gotten? My husband
13. What was the best day of your life? When our children were born
14. What was the worst day of your life? It was only moments, but when there were complications during delivery with Olivia.
15. Pepsi or Coke? Coke baby.
16. Are you wearing socks? MmmHmm
17. Did you like high school? Yes
18. Where is the last place you went out to eat? Takashi
19. What is your biggest accomplishment in the past year? Still working on it. Food storage/getting my proverbial house in order.
20. What is one random fact about you? I secretly want twins (not so secret anymore), but I don't know if I could really handle it, or if the Lord would trust me! Hahaha!

K, now I tag Lydia, Bree, and Lauren!

Bargin Shopper Extraordinaire

I am probably boasting a bit in this post, but I will also be humble enough to admit that I didn't come up with this on my own. A great friend of mine, who is an amazing penny pincher, showed me this little trick. We had a little "penny pinching seminar" at her house a couple of months ago to learn how to save money while grocery shopping. She told us that "her husband works for the money, and she makes the money work for their family." I love that quote! Anyway, she talked about a website (pinchingyourpennies.com, but it is also like grocerysmarts) that shows the best deals for particular stores. THEN she showed that she buys coupons on ebay. Yes, that's right people. She is buying coupons on ebay. She only buys items on sale and also uses her coupons. She also uses %80 of her grocery budget on food storage (or basically stocking her pantry) and the other %20 on perishables (meat, veggies, etc.). Needless to say it was a very educational night.

Well, I put it into practice this week, and it had amazing results. Albertson's was having a fantastic sale on several things that I loved, so I decided to stock up. My parents gave us food storage for Christmas, and it made a huge dent in our overall progress in that category. However, for this sale I decided to by only non food items. Here is what I got:

10- 105 load Simple Pleasures Downy
13- 100 oz Tide with Color safe bleach alternative
8- 8 roll packs of Bounty Papertowels
20- Cascade Action Packs (20 per bag)
20- 6.2 oz Crest with Scope
20- Gillette Fusion razors (non disposable)
13- Betty Crocker Fruit snacks
4-24 pack of Dasani water

I spent $244.67

AND

I SAVED $701.95

Can you believe it??? I got a year supply of Downy, Tide, Bounty, Cascade, Crest, and razors (I have all the razors I need for life, I just need to buy refills if I want)! I also went to the store earlier this month for other groceries, and I still have money left in our grocery budget if I need to go back.
It works people, and I am addicted. It was so easy too! Just let me know if you have any questions if you want to give it a try. Happy saving!