Happy Saturday, everyone!  Aaron found out Friday at 5pm that he unfortunately has to work straight through the weekend.  We were looking forward to family time together and I know Aaron needs a break.  But last night we made the best of the time we had and went for a walk in the park together.  My husband is such a hard worker, I thank God for that, but I really miss him right now too.

Anyway, there are deep things going on in my heart and our hearts right now.  But instead of that, I'm choosing to talk about more superficial, yet exciting things like saving, couponing, and free stuff.  Woohoo!

Savings

An example of putting coupons to very good use...

All this for $8 at Target. 

My original total was somewhere around $23.  The cereal was free.  The water was free.  Pizza was $2.  A1 was 60 cents.  Cookies were $1.50.  I had a coupon (or 2) for everything except, of course, Hannah's new pink princess ball.  That was a splurge (so were the cookies). You can see how I put my coupons to use here.  I did pretty much the same thing.   

Free Stuff

I'm just going to consolidate for you the different ways I casually get free stuff:

#1 Swagbucks- this is the easiest way to get free stuff I know of.  Swagbucks is simply a search engine (similar to google) and the system randomly rewards you with points as you use their search engine.  No strings attached.  I've already accrued enough points to get a free Starbucks giftcard just for searching the internet.  Plus, you get extra points for referring people.  If you use my referral link here, you will also get 3 free swagbucks to start off with! 

#2 My points- I started this one a while back, but only got into after becoming a BzzAgent (I'll talk about that next).  Mypoints rewards you points for taking surveys, completing free offers and purchasing stuff online (if you want to).  Overtime you will accrue enough points to get, once again, a nice giftcard to your favorite restaurant.

#3 Bzzagent.com- this is where I get to test new products and get extra coupons for free.  They run "campaigns" where they give you a product (with coupons) to test out, they encourage you to share it with your friends and then they want you to share you honest opinion of the product.  During my very first campaign I got MaxFactor makeup (mascara, lipstick and blush) for free.  They also work with Mypoints and credit you points for filling out your surveys.  It's not something I'm really into, but I'm always happy when I get something completely free in the mail.         

Do you have ways that you save money or get free things?  Sometimes it can be time consuming so I know it's not always convenient, or even worth it.  But if you have the right tools sometimes it's amazing how much you can save.

I'm trying not to worry.

Just got back from Hannah's 18 month appointment.  34 inches long (95th for height) and on the lower side of 25 lbs for weight (50-75th).  Doctor seemed worried.  Since Hannah has continuously been on the 90th percentile for both height and weight they want her to be eating more and gain a little weight. 

It seems crazy to me.  She has always been a good eater and even know I had no idea she hasn't been gaining weight.  She has been wanting to snack more during the day and not eat all of her dinner and she has gotten more picky but that's to be expected with toddlers. 

Honestly, I don't think there is anything to worry about, but the fact the doctor brought up and thinks this is an issue makes me want to worry.  I thought it was normal for kids to slow down in growth, I certainly don't expect Hannah to be 90th percentile for weight when she is 18 years old. 

But I guess we just need to encourage Hannah to eat more at mealtime and less snacking. 

Anyway, there's that.  She took her 1 shot like a pro, for the first time ever, she didn't even cry.  I was amazed.

The difference a year makes.  Aaron wore his "dad" shirt this year too. :o)

6/18- Travel

On Thursday we left at 4am for the airport.  The 1st hour flight Hannah did fairly well.  The 2nd 2 hour one, was absolutely horrible.  Without going into too much detail, the only thing that would calm Hannah down was juice and we gave her so much she ended up peeing through her diaper peeing all over me.  I was not happy.  She screamed bloody murder as we landed and only wanted to be held by me.  Thankfully, there were some moms sitting beside us that assured us not to be embarrassed that it happens to everyone, and they even entertained her for a little bit by giving her a fold-up hairbrush.  We arrived in Baltimore around 1pm and drove to York, PA.  We checked into our hotel and finally relaxed for a few minutes, but soon decided we couldn't wait any longer and had to go visit with my sis.  She was staying at her old pastor's house since she now lives in Pittsburgh.  We went to their gorgeous home and visited with my sis, Krista and her pastor's family for a few hours until we finally went back to the hotel and crashed.

6/19- Rehearsal/getting lost in PA.

Friday at 10am was the rehearsal.  Lauxmont farms is amazing.  I can totally see how it was my sister's dream wedding location.  She has loved horses since she was a little girl and it's actually a horse ranch.  Lauxmont farms has a bunch of separate wedding locations (a courtyard, Japanese garden, pasture) and she got married in the middle of a pasture over looking the lake.  The rehearsal was also a reunion of sorts, my dad and aunt Robin who I hadn't seen in a very long time were there.  After the rehearsal, mom and I followed Devin to David's Bridal (Aaron took Hannah home for a much needed nap) where she tried on her dress once last time and taught us how to bustle her dress.  The dress needed to be bustled in five different places (talk about complicated) but it looked gorgeous.  After that, we all headed to Walmart, mostly because us out of towners realized how desperately we all needed GPS's.  We scored a great deal on Garmin's for only $99 (usually $140+).   

Later on Friday evening was the official rehearsal dinner.  It was a pool party at one of the bridesmaids houses way out in the country.  We had no directions beforehand other than some really bad verbal ones (no milage, no street names, etc.) and our brand new GPS couldn't pick up the address since it was a new subdivision.  So after calling 4-5x for directions and an hour of listening to Hannah scream in the backseat we finally got there.  Aaron actually didn't stay because he was irritated and needed to cool off so he went for a drive and I went in, but with a bad attitude.  I unashamedly told them that if they were going to have the rehearsal dinner so far out in the country they should have a) provided an address beforehand so I could have looked the directions up myself b) have someone who knows street names or approximate milage give directions or c) the easiest option would have been to just follow someone.  Hannah's screaming in the backseat and extreme fatigue didn't help much, but we got there, things did get better.  Hannah played with other people and very much enjoyed the food.  I think she ate almost the entire veggie tray (esp. the cherry tomatoes).  Aaron picked us up when it was time to go and we went to bed early I think.

6/20- Girl time/family dinner

Saturday was designated girl's day.  The plan was to have Aaron watch Hannah but after the day before I didn't want to burden Aaron anymore.  So Hannah came with us for our girl's day.  We were are scheduled for pedicures at 11am.  The bride and bridesmaids enjoyed luxurious pedicures, but after an hour and half of being in the mall (part of it was waiting) Hannah got fidgety and started throwing a tantrum when she couldn't play with the nail polish.  She had been great for the first part, even sitting my lap as I got mine done, but once again, she was just really tired and needed a nap.  Next was lunch at Panera.  Hannah fell asleep within seconds of leaving the mall and getting in the car.  Aaron and my brother Nathan had conveniently just finished eating lunch at the same Panera so Aaron went out to the car and took a nap with Hannah while all of us ladies enjoyed our lunch.  What a great man, huh?  After Panera, my mom, myself, Hannah and Krista headed to wear Devin was staying work on ideas for her makeup.  We relaxed and Hannah enjoyed climbing up and down all the flights of stairs at her pastor's house.  After her nap, she was so much happier.  We prepared dinner (salad and pizza) for our family get together that night and just spent time fellowshiping over dinner.  I didn't take many pictures this day, but here is one of the 3 of us after dinner.  See how happy Hannah is? 

6/21

Sunday.  Wedding Day!  And Father's Day.  I asked Devin where the best place to take Aaron for breakfast would be and she said Manchester Cafe.  It really was cheap and amazing!  We got 2 great big breakfast platters and coffee for 8 bucks.  I was happy Aaron loved it, he needed to be spoiled a little.  We hung out at the hotel until 2:30pm when my mom and I headed over to start getting ready.  Devin and all the bridesmaids got ready in the beautiful old house on the wedding site, only downside- no AC.  So we would be putting on makeup then run outside to get some fresh air.  Good thing it wasn't very hot and there was a nice breeze.

The wedding is my favorite thing to talk about.  It happened at 6pm.  Devin looked breathtaking, and my heart just overflowed with joy for her and Isaac.  Like any other newlyweds they're going to have things to learn and grow in, but I'm so excited for them.  We got ready early enough to take gorgeous pictures outside the house in the courtyard.  (By the way Dev's professional pics are going to be amazing- I can't wait to see them).  It felt like we were waiting for the wedding to start forever even though it was probably 30 minutes.  Dev was a little nervous, but just ready to get started.  The wedding was simple and sweet and God-centered.  The breeze was blowing fresh crisp air and the sun would peak through the clouds every now and then causing the bride and groom to truly glow and radiate.  After the ceremony we all walked over to the tent for food and fun and dancing! 

Throughout the ceremony Hannah really wanted her mommy so Aaron had to take her away for a bit.  Hannah was really clingy most of the trip.  But as soon as that music started Hannah had a blast.  She loves to clap her hands and stomp her feet and dance.  As soon as the beat starts, she's clapping!  We had a great fun and it was a perfect day for a beautiful couple. 

I really feel like I don't have much to say now (So I thought).  We're all gearing up for our 5 day trip to York, PA we're my sister Devin is getting married.  I'm so excited for her.  And I'm excited about our family having another vacation, sort of.  Seems like we are really getting around this year.  We got a great deal (via priceline) at the Yorktowne Hotel.  The only downside is I think we have to pay for valet and I'm not sure how kid-friendly it is.  But you can't complain when you get the finest hotel in the city for less than half the price.  Our flight leaves early Thursday morning.  Please pray for a smooth travel day.  Hannah will be sitting in our laps.  Pray that she would miraculously konk out on the plane- that would be marvelous.  I'm planning on picking up a few cheap entertainers like stickers soon  Any suggestions for toys/distractions for a 1.5 year old?  

I'm so excited for my sister, but we have hardly seen each other the past few years.  I really wish we could live closer together.  As her wedding nears, I can't help but think over the 2.5 years Aaron and I have been married.  Now that I type that out, 2.5 years doesn't seem like much, but I feel like we have been through a lot and learned so much about each other.  The first few months were pure romance (if you purposefully forget about the countless arguments we had about everything from who would clean what to why we can't have a baby now).  When you're first getting married you can't possibly understand how you could learn anything else about the person you feel so one with.  They've been your best friend for years. 

Well, let's just say you learn things in a different way.  He sees you with no makeup on, baggy eyes, drooling on your pillow and you see parts of him you almost wish you never had.  You realize prince charming definitely has his down sides.  Suddenly discussions you thought you had covered before marriage come back with a vengeance... and it's not just "discussing" any more, it's "why can't you understand me" and "how can you think that way" conversations.  Truly, battle of the sexes.  It's amazing how God made us.  We're so different, yet we're invincibly attracted to each other.  We were made for oneness. 

The Lord told me he would grant me the desire of my heart (to be a mom), but I didn't realize how soon it would be.  Surprisingly (at least from my perspective, Aaron may differ), pregnancy didn't pose as a stumbling block to our learning married life, but actually drew us closer.  And as Aaron watched my tiny body morph into something capable of giving birth to a 8lb baby, he loved me even more.  The flood of female hormones that God has endowed us women with feels like a curse at times.  The ups and the downs.  The mood swings.  Hormones swing with your period.  Hormones swing when you're pregnant.  Hormones in the postpartum as you adapt to new life as a parent.  And to think that we even put more hormones in our body to prevent pregnancy (that's another story).  Are we crazy?  Many a times my emotions have caused me to bicker with Aaron.  "The world is ending, can't you see?!"  How many of you women feel like that once a month?

But guys have hormones too.  They have needs.  They have wants.  And if we neglect them, they can get their feelings hurt too.  I don't know about you, but sometimes I view my husband as this ever strong, unbreakable, pillar of stone.  He can take it, he's a man.  It's ok for me to feel this way, but he's suppose to be the strong one.  Not true.  We're called to work as a team and when one of us is down, the other is their to lift them up.  It's a two-way, giving, sacrificing relationship.  There have been times Aaron has shared from the depths of his heart to me... and I almost missed it.  I almost passed it up because I was so busy hovering over my own worries.  Ladies, watch for these times.  It's in these moments that your husband is asking you to rise up and admonish him, encourage him and tell him you believe in him.

There is a lot we have learned in our two years, and we are continually growing.  We're learning more to work as a team.  And now with our children.  Everything will try to steal you away and come before your marriage, but you have to keep that unity between your husband 1st.  He is worth it.  Your marriage is worth it.  Before God called you to be a mom, he called you to be a wife.  Let's not forget that.  A happy husband and a happy wife who are happy with each other... breeds a happy family.  We lead by example.

I love my husband.  There has been a lot of change.  But I still think he is the most amazing man I have ever met.  And it's even better... because he is mine. 

That said.  Cheers to Isaac & Devin (soon to be) Hammon!