DIVE MEET

Today was Katie Beth's first dive meet. She was very excited this morning, but grew nervous as the time to compete got closer! This was also our first dive meet. Mike and I are learning all of this right along side Katie Beth, as all we know is that Greg Luganis hit his head very hard during the Olympics!! Katie Beth loves dive team and we are very excited to have found something that she loves! I will tell you that watching a dive meet is VERY, VERY HOT! It is very warm on the pool deck! Mike wore shorts, even though it was only 17 degress when we left home this morning!

The dive meet was great and Katie Beth took 1st place in her age division! She was thrilled and we were super excited for her! She informed me that she loves dive team even more now! These are some pictures of Katie Beth diving and on the award stand this morning!

There is no news on the adoption front, except that we keep being contacted by scammers. It is so sad that there are individuals that will do this to people. The sad thing is that I am not even excited when I see that we have an email about adoption. I now just immeadiately think everyone is trying to scam us about adoption. I do know that this isn't true, but sometimes you think it is!

COUPONS!!!!!

This post is not about adoption or about my two children. Some of you may know and some may not know, but over the last 9 months I have become a serious couponer. I started out small, but now I take my coupons very seriously. I was hooked the first time I got free toothpaste!!! So, over the last nine months I have learned how to get great deals with internet coupons, clipping coupons, and by reading blogs about couponing. I have been able to cut our grocery bills at least in half!

My latest goal was to eat from our pantry for the month of January. I wasn't sure how we would do, but worst case scenario was that I would have to go grocery shopping. I had several meals frozen in the frezzer and our pantry was pretty well stocked. I decided that I would only buy fruit, dairy, bread and mine and Mike's pop. Well, there are only 11 days left in January and we have done great! The snack foods and boxes of cereal are running low, but I think we are going to make it!!!

I did go to the grocery store and buy grated cheese. Hy-vee was having a sale on kra.ft grated cheese this weekend. After the coupon that printed out I was able to get 5 bags of cheese for $1!!!!!! It was a limit of 5 per customer, so I took the whole family to the store with me on Saturday and Sunday. In total we were able to get 40 bags of grated cheese to put in the freezer. I am hoping that this will last us most of the year. So far this month I have only spent $78.48 on food and that includes my year's supply of cheese.

Mike and I are going to San Antonio for the weekend with just the two of us. It is near 70 degrees there and I CAN'T Wait!!!