A City Life For Me

Some recent events: I heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time at my last prenatal appointment.  That was cool! Kenny & Wesley came to visit.  We played at the beach and the mall.  Scroll down to see some pics. I got 12 packages of Kraft shredded cheese for $4.  Now we’re stocked up for a while.  (You probably didn’t want to know that). Some upcoming events: I have another prenatal appointment and the 20 week ultrasound in June. The semi-annual sale starts at Bath & Body Works on June 1st.  Hurry in to get your bargains before they’re gone!  (This also means that I am working about 25 hours next week instead of my usual 8-10 hours). I am working as an election official for the Democratic Primary in Virginia’s gubernatorial race.  It will be a long boring day because it is such a little election!  It’s called a Democratic Primary, but since state officials don’t run based on party in Virginia, none of the candidates are declared Democrats.  They’re just candi

I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend.  Our church has an annual church picnic at Munden Point Park in Virginia Beach.  Ben was psyched up for a baseball game, but a lot of the guys didn’t make it this year.  He ended up with a couple adults and several kids.  He managed to get dirty, though, so I guess he had a good time!  I was mostly hot the whole time.    Kenny & Wesley drove in to Virginia Beach yesterday afternoon.  They are returning our second car which we lent to Wesley for the school year.  Today we’re planning to hit the beach and maybe the battleship USS Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk.  They are heading out early in the morning to take Wesley to the Bill Rice Ranch in Murfreesboro, TN.  Wesley will be a teen counselor for the summer.   When Kenny gets back to NC he is transitioning into a position at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newland.  Newland is in Western NC in the mountains.  Kenny will be working with the music ministry, building a choir, and helping with t

We were supposed to move this weekend.  When we went for our walk-through on Monday night, we discovered that the apartment which had been set aside for us was not the correct floor plan.  Apparently there was an error in the computer.  There is not another apartment with our floor plan available until July 10th.  As a concession, the complex is giving us the current sale price for rent, and a first floor apartment with a private entrance and patio.    So…it will be nice.  However, everything was lined up for moving this weekend – the new couch delivered, Ben got the day off, friends to help us, a lease to expire in May 2010 when we are ready to move again (hopefully to an assistant pastor position).   We still had to pick up the couch today because it was already scheduled.  We were ready to get rid of the old one anyway.  We just didn’t want to put the new couch in the old apartment if we’re moving soon.     Here are some pics: The new couch – bigger than the old one, bonded

I got all of this for $10.18!!!  Between Kroger and Target there were some great deals this week.  Here’s what there is: -- 2 boxes Ritz crackers – 99 cents each -- 1-100 calorie pack – 79 cents -- 4 Kraft light mayo squeeze bottles – 50 cents each -- 6 Kraft BBQ sauces, 55% extra bottles – 25 cents total -- 6 Kraft Salad dressings – 62 cents total -- 5 boxes Kashi Go Lean frozen waffles – 29 cents each -- 2 Target brand sponges – 64 cents each -- 1 bag Hershey’s Bliss chocolates - $1.49   When I purchased the six BBQ sauces I got a coupon for $3 off, which allowed me to get the salad dressing for free also.  Actually, I think the girl scanned my coupons too many times at Kroger but she did it so fast I’m not sure.   Total Savings: $45.83 Percentage Saved: 75% It’s a deal!

My dad got orders to England with the Air Force just when they knew I was on the way.  When he arrived in England ahead of Mom, he purchased two things – a Sheltie puppy, and a baby pram.  When we announced that we are expecting, he pulled the pram out of the attic and began restoring it.  When we met in NC for the graduation, he gave it to us.    He had it re-upholstered, added the cover over the baby’s legs in case of rain, and ordered new rubber wheels from the Netherlands.  The rubbers are still on their way.  Here is a picture of the pram.  We are planning to use it as our “bassinette” when baby first comes home.     Ben started work on the crib while we were in NC.  He has all of the pieces cut out, but the spindles need routed and sanded, and then everything has to be put together and finished.  Here is the stack of wood in our living room.  It is maple and handmade, so it will be sturdy and strong.  Someone in our church gave us their crib mattress when their daughter mo

I received several cards for my “first” mother’s day.  It was special!  We had a Mother’s Day lunch with my parents and grandparents at Fatz Cafe in Shelby, NC.  Here are a few pictures….   Dad, Kenny, Wesley, Mom, Andrea (& Baby), Ben     Mom & Her Kids

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!!!!   Ben & I traveled to Shelby, NC for Kenny & Wesley’s Graduation from Ambassador Baptist College. Kenny, Andrea, and Wesley Kenny received his Bachelor of Second Man Music, and Wesley received his Certificate in Bible.  Kenny is taking a church in Western NC to work with the music and youth.  Wesley is spending the summer at the Bill Rice Ranch as a counselor.       The whole fam, and the boys & parents.   Grandma & Grandpa Paul with Kenny & Wes   Uncle Scott traveled down with Grandma & Grandpa.   An old friend, Glenn Wilson Stevenson III.  I think he was excited to graduate!  He is taking an ABC quartet down south this summer, and then going into full time evangelism with Richard Harper.   “Graduations do this to me.”  ~Dad   Kenny with Doc Scovill and his wife Evelyn.

Here is my grocery deal of the week:  11 boxes of name brand cereal for less than $9.00!!!   The Special Cereal was a Target deal: buy five boxes at $2.39 each and get a $5 gift card.  I used 4 $1 off coupons from coupons.com and my total after coupons and gift card was $3.12!  That’s about 62 cents a box.    The Fruit Loops, Pops, Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks, and Frosted Flakes were at our Food Lion grocery store for $1.99 a box, and I used 6 $1 off coupons from coupons.com, making them 99 cents a box.  Not bad!   We now have enough cereal to last us an eternity.   My grocery savings in coupons and sales for the month of April was $152.79, with my best shopping trip being a savings of 78%.  I have a lot of snack foods, cereal, pasta, and side dishes.  I get my meat on the clearance sale (when it is about to expire), and my bread at Big Lots for more than 50% off.  It works out pretty good for us!   My goal for May is to spend $40 a week or less in groceries, and $40 total for