Zoo Fun

This weekend was great. Went to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans at it was as good as I remembered it. I grew up there, so it was a regular thing for us to head out to the zoo. I'm so glad that I finally got to bring Andre' and he had a blast.

One month

Only one measly month until my awesome baby boy turns TWO years old. I just know that this month is going to fly by, but I want it to go on forever. Two is a big step for me, he's really not my little baby anymore. He is growing into a Fabulously smart, independent little person, and he is my whole world.

Pirates and Air Show

Sad Day

Saturday October 25th, a beloved man lost his battle with cancer.

John Sonnier was my father in law. He was very kind soul, and I only wish I would have known him better.

Funeral services were Wednesday October 29th, the day after his 64th birthday. It was a beautiful service and I am honored to have been a part of it.

Too fast

He's getting so big. I can't believe he'll be 2 years old in a little over a month. He's blossoming into a beatiful, sweet, and kind little piece of a person, and I'm so glad he's mine.

What a week

Thank goodness the weekend is almost here. Man, what a week it has been.

Monday started with a bang. I go to drop off Andre' at the sitters like every other day. I get there and she tells me that her husband has been having pains in his side all weekend, and that he may need to go to the hospital because they think it's either his gall bladder or appendix. GREAT. Just what a full time working mom wants to hear, that her sitter can't sit. So I leave him there and hope that she doesn't call me. Low and behold less than an hour later I get the dreaded call. They admitted him to the hospital to run tests, and she's going to meet him. So here I am, at work, scrambling to find a place for my son to go for the day, and maybe a few more, depending on the situation. First person I call, no luck, no answer, andI don't have time to wait for her to call me back. Second person came through. She has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion, and it's always so last minute, but if she can help she doesn't seem to mind at all. Thanks Crystal.

So that afternoon I get a call from the sitter who is back at home. Seems that all tests came back negative and the doctor said it must just be a pulled muscle. At least it wasn't anything serious, but all this trouble for a pulled muscule.

So Tuesday everything seems back to normal, or so I thought. About 4:45 in the afternoon the sitter calls me to say that Andre has a fever of 103.7. Now that's no little fever that you can attribute to teething, something must be really wrong. I didn't freak out, because I was going to pick him up in 30 minutes any way and he was playing just fine, just HOT. After we got home, and the Motrin started to take affect, the fever was going down, but not breaking. Like I said though, there were no other symptoms, so I wasn't too concerned. Woke up on Wednesday, temp was 100.7, so I gave him a dose of Mortin and we headed to the sitter's. I called her mid day and he was doing fine, but then she called after he woke up from his nap and it was back up to 102.8. I called the doctor and what do you know he was out of the office for the afternoon. Just peachy. The nurse suggests bringing him to the ER, so that's what we did. Can't hurt to get it checked out right?

Thankfully it was the middle of the day, and there was no one there, so we were in and out in an hour. With a diagnosis of "viral syndrome", sounds kind of scary. Fever jumped back up to 103.1 last night, but after a good night sleep, everything seemed normal this morning, and I haven't gotten a call yet.

Not to mention the fact that Acadiana Moms is "under construction" and I'm having withdrawls.

Let's pray that Friday is pretty uneventful.

No new pics today, but the weekend is right around the corner.

Till next time~

First of many

So this was the first busy weekend of the month. After working Saturday, I hurried home to clean up and head right back out the door. The party started at 3:00 and I didn't get there 'till 4:00. I hate being late. I didn't really know anybody, but the couple who it was for and her Mom, so I kind of hung back and observed, and watched Andre' of course. The first picture is of he and Emma, my friend Melissa's little girl. They hit it off right away. We left there at about 8:00, and I figured since I was on that end of the city I would take the back way home. UM, never again. It was pitch black almost the whole way, on unfamiliar roads, not to mention you had to go 45mph the first half of the way, on a 3 hour drive. Andre's slept almost the whole time, and I thought I was gonna run out of gas (remember, we're in the middle of the swamps AT NIGHT), but I didn't and it was a pretty uneventful trip.

Then Sunday was busy as well. We were meeting some new friends at the local park at 10:00. Had a good time. I couldn't believe that I was the first one there, so I rode around a little waiting on the others to show up. We fed the ducks and played on the slides. At home Daddy helps him climc UP the slide, so he figured he could do it at the park to, until another kid came down and almost knocked him over, that was the end of that. He did really good climbing up the equipment by himself. He's getting so big. We only stayed at the park for about an hour, 'casue it was getting hot, and we had to go to Sugar's house for lunch.

So we get to her house, and everyone's already there. Duke and Duchess, Genie, Leah, Hana, and Coty Jo (the dog). We had a blast. Andre' and Coty were running around the house having such a great time. We had a BIG lunch and it was fabulous. It was such a beautiful day, and we spent most of it outside, but I can't wait for cooler weather. Will (Parrain) was squirrel hunting, but showed up for a couple of hours. We really don't see him enough.

All in all a great busy weekend, and I'm already ready for the next one.

Yep, I'm here

So, yeah. Here it is , a beautiful Saturday and I'm at WORK. No, I don't usally work on Saturday's, but seems that the oilfield is pretty busy these days. Who'd have thunk it?

I work at an oilfield supply company n south Louisiana. We provide oil companies with pretty much anything they need. From Pipe, to valves, to cases of diet coke if they so desire. I do my job by myself all week long, and the measly answering service can't keep it going on Saturday. REALLY? Aren't there like 10 people that work there? Doesn't make sense to me, but it's extra hours, so I'm here. Only till lunch though.

This is the first weekend of the wedding festivities. I have to be across the state by 3:00p for the "couples shower". Granted it only takes 2 1/2 hours to get there, but remember, I'm at work.
SO, I'll be leaving here no later than 12:00, have to head home to get ready, and pick up Andre', THEN go to Mom's house on the other side of town before getting on the road. Should be fun, YEA, NO.

Tomorrow is another fun filled day. We are meeting some new friends at the park, so the kids can play a bit and the Moms can visit. I've only really met one of them, but we talk everyday, so I feel like I know them already. After the park we are going to Mom's house for the once monthly "1st Sunday family lunch". D & D, Genie and Leah, and hopefully Will are gonna be there. Good food and great family, who could ask for more.

Will have pics on Monday. Have a great one.

I'm diggin'

Here's to weekends.....

Being able to stay home for once, no alarm clocks, rush hour, or work.

Saturday was one of those days. Me & Andre' just hung out at home, well besides the Saturday morning grocery shopping. Spent the day at home while Daddy was fishing. we played inside, cleaned, played outside, watched movies, and just enjoyed being able to relax.

Sunday Daddy was headed to Baton Rouge for a job, for a few days. So we headed over to Sugar's house to play in the yard. Can I tell you this boy was in heaven. He had his own shovel (which I have to admit, I was a little nervous about). There was dirt and sand, pots and pails for him to do as he pleased with. He had a blast. We found another frog, and were chasing it around the yard. It was so much fun to watch him have so much fun. He's turning into his own little person, and he amazes me everyday.

The next few weekends are going to be fun, but busy. One of my best friends is getting married on the 18th. This weekend is a couples shower, and my couple will be Andre' and I. Daddy has work to do at home, so he probably won't come. No worries. Then the next weekend is the bachelorette party which I would LOVE to go to, but I'm still tossing it around my head. Then the next weekend is the big wedding. I can't wait.

Till next time~

Recap

This week has been crazy busy.

Started last Thursday with coupon class part 1, then Friday was MNO, which was great. I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but had a great time, and made some new friends. Saturday, we went to Mom's and I went grocery shopping, which is always more fun when you save money. Sunday morning I went to Blackham to get our disaster relief. I hate to say "food stamps", but that's what they are and we got them, it will help out so much. Then Sunday afternoon we drove to Metairie for a baby shower, for a friend of mine that I went to elementary school with. Was very nice, and great to see her after all these years. The picture is of her daughter and Andre', playing the piano together. The house we were at was FULL of camels. Andre' was fascinated by them, kind of kept him occupied which was great.

Work has been really busy this week, and I'm trying to keep up. I was out sick with a stomach virus Tuesday, and playing catch up.

Last night was Coupon class part 2, and a bit overwhelming. I know I can do it, it will just take time, patience, and perserverance.

That's all for now. Gotta get back to work.

Till next time

Free Toothpaste

Free toothpaste. GO ME!

at Wags

on sale $2.99

$2. Wags store coupon

$1. Mfr coupon

=

Free

Starting to get the hang of this coupon thing

Adventures in Couponing - Part 1

So tonight is the first of two installments of the ever popular "Faulk's Adventures in Couponing". Ok, so I made up the name, but it's gonna be awesome. A BUNCH of ladies from all around the area are meeting up to learn how to save money. And what better time then now. I have been doing pretty good on my own, but it'll be great to get tips from the pros.

Here's a peak at my binder.

Playing on the floor, last night. Cars zooming and reading books. I Love this boy!

So much fun

Who knew that couponing could be SO MUCH FUN!!

I have been at it for a couple of months now, and really starting to build up a nice stockpile.
Got my first few free samples in the mail yesterday, and I can't tell you how excited I was.
My coupon binder is in serious need of going through, so I can get some envelopes sent out on my coupon train. Will update with pics when I get a minute.

Beds, haircuts, and diapers O MY!

Weekend recap.

Andre' has turned into a big boy overnight, and he's not even 2 years old yet.

For the last couple of weeks he had been sleeping on the floor on his matress, because he was just done with the crib. Wouldn't go to sleep, stay asleep, or go back to sleep in the crib. And when he doesn't sleep, I don't sleep. So something had to be done, so he slept on the floor no problem. The next step was a toddler bed, I had found one online with free shipping, but for some reason didn't order it. Checked WalMart, same bed, half the price. So off to Wal Mart we go.

Now this was 3 days after the hurricane, and the only store that had it in stock was on the other side of town. I get off of work at 5:15 after everyone is already on the road AND I had to pick up Andre' from the sitters. So at 5:30 we head to WalMart, and get there about 5 minutes before 6:00. As we are walking through the parking lot, I see the door being blocked by shopping carts, and people walking out of the store saying that they are closing. NOOOOO! I had to get that bed. It was imperative.

So I grabbed a basket in the parking lot, put Andre' in it and went in the other doors on the opposite side of the store. There were about 100 people waiting to check out, so I knew they wouldn't close the store on us. Went straight to the back, got the bed, and headed to the registers. Of course, while there, I had to pick up a copy of the new All You magazine and a Diet Pepsi. I found a register with only one person in line, so I thought I was in luck. Keep in mind I have a big box, that doesn't even really fit in the cart, Andre' who now wants out of the cart, a magazine, and a drink in hand. Only to be stuck behing a lady and her family who were paying with food stamps, but didn't have enough on the card to complete their purchase, and she couldn't believe it. She asked the cashier to keep running the card over and over, because she had just used it at another store, and couldn't comprehend that she may have to actually pay for the things she was trying to buy. All the while, I am standing patiently behind her holding Andre', the big box that wants to keep falling over, and I finally had put the magazine and drink on the conveyor belt, when Out of the corner of my eye I see an empty customer service desk, and a cashier practically waiting for me to check out. So once I get there, I realize that I left my stuff at the first register, where the lady is still trying to pay with the food stamps she doesn't have. I RUN to get my stuff before the box falls out of the cart, and Finally done deal.

Out the store we go, big boy bed in tow.

We set it up Friday night and he loves it. Here he is sleeping in it the first night(see 1st picture)

I also did my first "dumpster diving" this weekend. Not really, it was at the road, but a great find none the less. 2 sets of drawers in primary colors, perfect for a new big boy room. (see 2nd picture)

We also had our first Barber shop haircut. He was fine until they put that piece of tissue around his neck, then he started freaking out. He sat on my lap, and got it cut. I hope it wasn't too traumatizing. He got a sucker on the way home for "taking it like a man". (see 3rd picture)

Then on Sunday we went to my Grandparents to have lunch and celebrate my little brother's birthday. Can't believe he's already 22, and a great Parrain at that. We all had a great time. I baked him cookies and he ate almost all of them before dinner. (See 4th picture).

To end the weekend, Daddy hurt himself riding his dirtbike. He said that if he wouldn't have had his helmet on, he'd either be dead or in the hospital, but he still had fun. GREAT! Good to know. Didn't get a pictire of that one.

Oh, last thing. I saved $30. on my weekly shopping trip using my coupons. I went into Target, big binder in hand, and did pretty well. To top it off today I went to Wags for diapers, and I thought I was getting a good deal to begin with @ B1G1 50% off, then they rang up $2.50 each. ARE YOU SERIOUS. I'll gladly pay $5.40 for $16.00 worth of diapers anyday.

Froggin'

In all this crazy weather, all Andre' wanted to do was go outside.

When the wind and rains died down, here' what we found...
















The simple pleasures

We survived

Gustav that is.


Since it was Labor Day weekend we had already had plans to head to family's house for a get together. In spite of the sistuation in the Gulf only a few days away. We had a great time there. Ate some good food, swam all day, and enjoyed being together. It was beautiful weather, and you would've never known what was to come in the next couple of days.

We came home Saturday night to get everything picked up and ready. We all stayed at my Mom's house and were stir crazy by the first night. Andre' loves the outside, and that was all he wanted to do, in the 75 mph wind and rain. But we faired well. Where we were the power never went out. We had TONS of canned goods, and snacks, and water, and charcoal. That I was kind of hoping we would get to use some of it, but really glad we didn't. We lost power at my house for 2 days, but had no damage. Thank God, time to look into renters insurance.

Prayers go out to all our neighbors who did sustain damage, and hope everyonr, and thing gets back up and running soon.

Now there is another storm brewing, and it looks like it's coming our way. I LOVE hurricane season. NOT!


On another note, today is my baby brother's birthday. I can't believe he's 22 years old. He bought himself a truck last week, all by himself. I'm so proud of him.
Happy Birthday Will!!

New endevors

So we all need to save money right? We all know about coupons, but really, how many of us think to use them. I have been grocery shopping for years, and never used a coupon.

After seeing some of the savings that others are getting, I have to admit, I am actually jealous.
So I will be going to a class to prepare myself for my Adventures in Couponing. Duston says "Why do you need a class to tell you how to use coupons?" Well my dear, If I knew how to use them don't you think I would be saving us our hard earned money? MEN!

Then on another note. I have started Menu Planning. I hear it goes hand in hand with couponing, but how much menu can you plan when he doesn't eat seafood, doesn't want chicken more than a couple of times a week, and could eat steak w/ rice and gravy everyday.

I'll let you know how it goes.

In the beginning

So, this is it. A start to the blogging world. A place to share life happenings with everyone.

I am first of all a mother to a wonderful little boy, Andre', who'll be 2 in December. I think sometimes that crossing the 2 year old mark will be harder than 1 was. He'll no longer be a "baby". Growing by the minute, he never ceases to amaze me.
I am also a wife to Duston. we have been together more than 6 years now, and learn more everyday. Most importanly, he loves our little boy like I never knew he could. It melts my heart when I see them together. My two boys.

I am hoping to venture out on a new outlook on life. I have always been the one to take care of others. While I will still take care of the people that dapend on me everyday, I also need to take care of myself. So I'm saying to you, this is it. A starting point for a new me.

More to come. See you soon