bittersweet symphony

Ten on Tuesday 2013

1. Today is Riley's 9th birthday.  He is so very excited about turning 9. I have been teasing him for months that I wasn't going to let him turn 9. He has a good sense of humor about it. I just want to freeze these moments with him. I am excited to see what year 9 brings him. 

2. Need to dedicate a post to Riley's birthday with some baby pictures.

3. I miss blogging.  thank you Missy for inspiring me to log back on.

4. I still have a pending post about Brady at 4.  He is now 6. What the what!?

5. today, there was a bit of fall in the air. Love it. Looking forward to hikes, apple picking, pumpkins, apple spice candles, fall leaves, crisp cool air, football games to hear the band, opening the windows, sweaters, boots, baking,  crock pot  dinners and fall tv.

6.For my coupon friends, don't forget the first of the month, time to print those new coupons: www.coupons.com, www.bettycrocker.com, www.smartsource.com to name a few. And check out new e-offers at www.gianteagle.com

7.  Happy Birthday to Sue Morgan, who shares a birthday with our Riley.

8. Thankful for the time spent with the scrappy girls on Saturday.  So much fun. And I acutally scrapbooked. Time to dust off the craft table and print some pictures.  And jump on the Project Life train.

9.Man it's been a while since I have done this 10 on tuesday, can  i make it to 10?

10. Okay time for a poll: Maroon 5 or Mumford & Sons?

Ten on Tuesday 2012

1.  So blogging. What is good for? Besides a $7.95 debit to my bank account every month.  Figure I better start using this tool to keep track of life.

2. To record little moments, like Brady last week. He wanted to be rocked before bed. While Daddy and Riley played on the floor trying to construct all Star Wars Lego ships that we have directions for. As I tried to gather him up on my lap, tears began to sting my eyes. How did this kid get so big? Where is my sweet chubby baby with unruly hair? I started to hum the lullaby that we spent many nights trying to lull him back to sleep when he was that sweet chubby baby.  Remember he didn't sleep through the night for the first year of his life?  I kept rocking, aware of all the blessings in my life where right here in the play room. I must have stopped humming, as Brady said: Keep singing mama, I like that song. And then my heart exploded.

3. Legos. They are everywhere. In an effort to try to organize them, we are going to try to build all the ships that we have directions for. And not destroy them. Leave them intact until all the ships are built. Then we can store the extras pieces. We can store each ship with their directions in a separate bag. It might be an insane dream of mine to actually organize legos. Because I can't stand when the little guys are missing heads and hands!  At least we are enjoying the process and spending time building ships and guys! Riley says: Mama, I love legos as much as you love coupons.  You can't argue with that logic.  Riley is going to be a builder when he grows up.

4. August is almost as bad as May is in the Marquette household. This August besides marching band we have added 3-4 nights a week of soccer. Back to school for all boys. Eddie- band director to 500+  kids, not to mention the largest marching band in the history of Highland Local Schools. Riley - 2nd grade, Brady - kindergarten - full day (wahhhhh)  Soccer games on Saturdays. Football games on Friday nights. And soon we will add WNA to the mix. Piano lessons are on hold until October. And trying to squeeze out every last drop of summer in the free moments we have.

5. My to do lists are crazy.  I need to actually write them all down so I can get them out of my head. I think I am giving myself ADD.

6. Time to break out the crockpot - see number 4. We can't live on peanut butter, grapes  and go gurts for much longer.  Any crockpot recipes you want to share?

7.  Public Service Announcement: Never purchase an appliance from Best Buy. We are on our 3rd replacement order for a new refrigerator.  They brought a new replacement yesterday? Damaged in the same place. So now I have to calmly make a call to customer service and order yet another one or put in a service call.  Eddie says: Be nice, Miller. Oh I will be nice. After they give me a discount for keeping their defective product.

8. Fall is right around the corner.  Another season. A new beginning. I don't know what I am more excited for - crisp air, cinnamon candles,  apple crisp, a new yarn wreath, pretty leaves, new school supplies, hikes, pumpkin muffins, Parenthood, Grey's, Private Practice, sweaters, new boots, cleaning and organizing the busyness of summer...what is your favorite thing about fall?

9. So You Think You Can Dance. Catching up on episodes on DVR.  Did you see the one with all of Mia Michaels choregraphed numbers in one show? favorite.show.ever.

10. Savings at Giant Eagle today: Spent $3.98 saved $53.24. Got 12 free Crest Toothpaste, hot dogs, granola bars, reynolds wrap and cheese sticks. Riley is right, I do love coupons.  And I love sharing good deals and tips. Just ask my sister &  sister in laws ! They are good students :) And Cassie and Mandy, you too will be good students - it just takes time and deep breathing! Thinking about rolling out a series of "How to use coupon" classes...

10 on tuesday

1. Today is National Pancake Day...pancakes and bacon for dinner.

2. Don't really have a meal plan for this week. Wednesday is dinner at church, Thursday: meatballs and spag, Friday: homemade pizza; Saturday: roasted chicken. And we will be doing some baking on Saturday- looking forward to a Saturday at home.

3. Cleaning and trying to organize the house ! this is a never ending process, but it seems winter we turned into hoarders.  First to go - stockpile items. Donating tonight to our church pantry: 55 toothbrushes, 25 toothpaste, 2 shampoos, 2 giant bottles of hair gel, 2 mens body wash, 4 dish soap, 2 shaving creams and 2 deodorants. This doesn't include the random bags of groceries I have been giving away. Just this morning my mother in law got bacon, cinnamon bread and toilet paper.

4. Parenthood season finale tonight...I can't take it. The story lines are breaking my heart...don't even get me started on the Glee winter finale.

5. Thank goodness for Jersey Shore, it balances out the heartbreak from #4. Yes I watch Jersey Shore. I love those crazy kids.

6.

My boys: Brady and Riley on 11-27-11 at the cabin in Hocking Hills. How is it I don't have any current pictures from 2012 on my computer? means ANY pictures I have taken in 2012 are still on my memory card in my camera, in my bag. Must start taking more pictures!  They really are the best buddies. They love playing legos, star wars, transformers together.  Don't get me wrong, they do fight, tattle and try to tackle each other. But for the most part they are happy and get along so well. I hope they will always be close.

7. Miranda Lambert - got to see her a couple weeks ago in Youngstown with my sister. No, Blake didn't show up, but it was a rocking good concert. Reminds me that yes I do have country roots. My dad was born in the hollers of Tennessee in a small town of Elizabethen. I grew up listening to Slim Whitman, Merle Haggar, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Lynn to name a few.  I still hear the southern drawl in my dad's voice.  Note to self: Call your Daddy.

8. We spent the past weekend in Pittsburgh with 3 other couples. It was so much to hang out with just the adults. I kinda forgot who I am without kids around. I LOVE BEING MAMA. But do you ever have those moments of panic, like, wait who I am? Okay this isn't coming out right, but I hope you understand what I am trying to say. No I do not have amnesia. But as mamas and wives, we tend to put ourselves last. And when you have a minute to just focus and just be you or part of a couple it is an adjustment, you can order from the adult menu.  It was 27 hours full of laughs, cab hailing,  drinks, room cocktails, food, dessert, food, gambling, walking, driving, shopping, dancing, hockey watching, and facebook status updates.   And it was fun to bond with these couples who we are going on vacation with in June. Good people = good times.

9. There is a reason I don't watch the news. My heart aches for the community of Chardon.

10. Okay barely made it to 10, but off to flip my bacon and get ready for a prayer meeting at 7:00.

Happy Tuesday y'all!

meal plan monday

Monday: turkey burger sliders, strawberries & salad Tuesday: tacos Wednesday: dinner at church Thursday: pasta of some sort & salad Friday: pioneer woman's homemade pizza and salad Saturday: pampered chefs chicken soup bowls Sunday: breakfast for dinner

tuesday rant

(title inspired by cassie)

Dear Pinterest,

Thank you for showing me everything I never knew I wanted to make, paint, bake, scrapbook, eat, drink, dress like and read .  And maybe I should pin some ideas on how to clone myself so I can have time to create all of these lovely things.  However I have found the time to bake 2 desserts from my board, so maybe I just need to prioritize?

Thank you for making me believe I AM CRAFTY and can buy CUTE CLOTHES.

And thanking for making me annoyed when I arrive home and see all the little things in the house that need a PINTEREST make over. Yes I am talking to you half done picture wall, stack of unpainted frames in the corner, unshaded windows, gallons of paint in the basement that has yet to make it on my walls, unpainted, undistressed china cabinet, unorganized kid art, out of control necklaces and earrings, and to all the scrap wood in the basement that has yet to be made into fabulous storage solutions.

But I guess in the meantime, I will be making some yummy new superbowls snacks this weekend. So really, thanks for that.

Signed,

a pinning fool

****No meal plan yet this week, kinda going on the fly because mama has yet to make it to the grocery store this week...I think tonight will be the grocery store run.

****Will there be a new parenthood tonight? Please say yes.

 

 

2012

Uh, hello blog, it's been a while.

I am making some changes around this place and hope to blog more than every 6 months. Heck, I might even do that photo 12 on 12 in 2012 challenge people are talking about.

Thanks to my new droid phone, I have been spending a lot time on facebook.  But of course, my droid is not as cool as the iphone and all of it's show off apps.  *sigh*

I want to get back to documentating life for my little family of 4 and this blog was part of that. So when I start scrapbooking again I can recall some of the details that go with the pictures. :)

Welcome 2012. It's going to be a good year.

 

Christmas Card 2011

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYsmLFizaMWbsQ&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET

Hey - check out the link over there to the left. If you post your christmas card and send a link to shutterfly, you will get a $10 credit to use on your next purchase by Jan 31, 2012. Thank you Shutterfly - this will help get Christmas pictures printed!!

may 2011

May in the Marquette household ( and I think I can speak for the other Marquette households) is known as: crazy insane busy are you kidding me another concert will it ever end birthdays oh and 3 parades month. And the other marquette households might add more words such as: tests, state regulations, anniversary, retreats, homework, report cards, dress rehearsal, recital, costumes...

This May will be a little different.  It gets to be a month of recovery for me. My surgery is over and it went well and my sweet doctor called me with the test results today.  Everything is normal, average, fine. The cancer is gone and didn't spread.  So this May I find myself at rest.  (Let me say it's kinda of hard staying busy at doing nothing). But thanks to my amazing husband and amazing in laws I get to rest and heal and take my time.

I have a few lists and beautification household projects (thank you missy). But right now I am enjoying the quiet. Sitting with the windows open tonight at the dinner table.  Eating leftovers of wonderful meals brought by wonderful people.   Brady is already asleep (he fell asleep at 6:00 after one too many time outs). Eddie and Riley are outside enjoying the weather. Eddie was teaching Riley the fine art of catch. Eddie is such a patient father.  And then off to ride bikes. Oh and yesterday? Riley thought it was time to take off the training wheels and learn to ride a 2 wheeler. After about 30 minutes- eddie called me from the parking lot where they were riding (I am thinking okay how many band aids do I need?) instead I heard: Do you want to see your son riding a bike with no training wheels? So at 6.5 years old Riley is riding a 2 wheeler. And he rides FAST.

FAST that is where the time is going. This month Brady will also be 4. And he just knows Santa will come on his birthday and bring him a monster truck. He is still figuring out how the holidays work.  Other cousins will be 10, 5 and 7. How did this happen? I am hoping to take this may to catch up on some little details so I don't forget.

I want to breathe in the fresh spring air and breathe out the worry, the stress, the aniexty.  I need to talk to Sue again about that breath prayer. If you were in my sunday school class - right now your are remembering craig's funny response - well I have cold...

So hopefully I will be here more with pictures and memories and the goings on (and of course coupon deals! ) I have thought about taking this blog down - the pressure to post sometimes is too much. But then I figured - it's my journal of our lives right now. So I am going to leave it. But what I am stepping back from: Rachel Marquette Photography. I am hanging up the camera for a year or maybe more. I just want to focus on my family. I am just not feeling in my heart right now. And there are so many talented photogs out there - if you need one check out missy or marie - coming soon to a zip code near you...:)

I hope you got to enjoy the sunshine today!

 

short notice: anyone want to come over on wednesday night? TLC's Extreme Couponing is back with a new episode. Viewing of the 1st episode from December around 8:15 then we can watch the new one. If that doesn't interest you - maybe the moscato (my new favorite wine- thanks missy! and skinny spinach dip will) dress: casual attire - read- sweats. text me if you want to come!

obsessed?well mabye...

happy mail day....

 

What you are seeing - other benefits of couponing! Free samples, coupons, free coupons, rebate checks, cheap newspaper subscriptions. What you aren't seeing: the 3 little bags of cheez-its received as free samples  - the boys and I had a taste testing of our own - 3 new flavors- all yummy.   Yes, I have turned into that krazy coupon lady...I bought coupons on Ebay. I know, I know.  The coupons will enable me to get FREE vitamin water, free tuna, walmart or marcs' will pay me to take GAIN detergent out of their stores.  In my defense, we hardly ever see Vitamin water coupons in this region.  And I have learned a new trick  - when you see a great "stock up" price - ask the store for a rain check if you don't have enough coupons to get a good supply.  Example: Mrs. T's Pierogies on sale @ Giant Eagle 3/$5.00 last week. Making them 1.67 each, not a bad price anyways. But use a clipping service or ebay to buy 10 - $1.00 off 1 Mrs. T's (average price with shipping $1.49). Go back to Giant Eagle with rain check and coupons in hand - get 10 boxes for .67 each.  Other things in my mail pile - free coupon for land of lakes olive oil butter (had to buy one and send in the proof of purchase and they sent me a coupon for a free one). Rebate check for $6.00 for Pediasure. Bought it when it was on sale at Giant Eagle and had a coupon - paid $2.99 for it. Brady & Riley thought it was chocolate milk.  Sent in my rebate - got $6.99 back - turned out to be a $4.00 money maker.  Funny story: This week at Giant Eagle, when I handed the cashier all my coupons, she said - "oh you are one ofthose obsessed people". I said obsessed with saving money! So by the end of my transaction - spent $22 - saved $55.00 she was asking me how I saved so much! what is the secret? where do I get my coupons? I told her about a couple websites. And she was like - I need to start doing this! Well of course - who doesn't like to save money!

okay so I might be a little obsessed lately. Just feeling the need to stock up the household for my surgery in may. I don't know how I am going to feel or how long my recovery will be. So by stocking up on stuff now, I won't feel the need to go to the store, eddie won't have to go and we can still have a  stocked pantry & freezer to make simple meals to last 4-6 weeks.

Here are some quick snapshots of the boys tonight - they crack me up. So silly! They saw me taking the above picture of the mail and wanted their pictures taken.

 this is the tight sqeeze... Riley knows mama wants good smiles - so while wearing his best cheese face, he makes sure little brother has a good smile too.

 these are the fake "nice" smiles

and this is them just being them. sweet, funny boys who truly enjoy playing together (when they are not trying to sit on each other or rolling around on the ground).

other obsessions of late:

riley - everything star wars. Playing and building star wars legos whenever he gets the chance. Drawing elaborate star wars battle scenes. playing captian rex and clone trooper with brady, or having a jedi battles with air light-sabers.

brady - trying to eat the most chicken tenders at lunchtime - just ask grammie.

eddie- counting his calories. He put a calorie counter on his droid phone and enters in all his meals counting up to 1600 calories a day.  He has last 9 pounds since sunday. How is that possible? Guys just think about losing weight or watching what they eat and bam - the weight is gone. I am so proud of him. maybe if I had a droid phone...I could count calories and lose 9 pounds in a week...hint...hint...wait I don't think eddie reads this. Oh well - flip phone it is until the next upgrade.

what i really need to be obsessed about- finishing our taxes! spring cleaning! and decluttering! selling weights sets, weight bench and conferdate train set on craigslist!  

but for now? I think I will go obsess over some thursday night tv...