Bargains!

Sat. 9/6:

What did I pay?

     Total retail? $493.17 (priced pears out at $2.99/lb and peaches at $1.99/lb)

     Total out of pocket that I paid? $45.35 – LOVE IT! That’s 9% of retail (or 91% savings)

             I had gift cards or reward certificates of $75 at Pottery Barn, and $10 each at Build-a-Bear and Eddie Bauer.

             The plates were $2.97 each and bowls were $1.99, while the boxes of peaches and pears were $15 and $13 respectively; Eddie Bauer shirt was on sale for $9.99.

What do you think I paid?

Motivated by my friend Rene’, I am sharing my recent purchases and taking guesses on what you think I spent. (I’ll post the total in a few days.)

Here’s what I bought and the original prices:

10 Salad plates – Pottery Barn – $12 ea

10 Dinner plates – Pottery Barn – $14 ea

10 metal party bowls – Pottery Barn – $6.50 ea

Eddie Bauer t-shirt – $16.50

Build-a-Bear outfit – $12.50

I also got a 20+lb box of Elberta peaches and 25+lbs of Bartlett pears.

I hit both sales and had savings certificates, so my total out of pocket was really minimal, but the % of savings is pretty sweet even before the certificates. So, what do you think I spent?

Blueberry pickin’

Our/my crop - 11 lbs

I have heard for years of women heading out into the NW blueberry fields and coming home with loads of berries. My kids were finally at the ages that would allow for us to do the same – except for the complication of strep. Throw into the mix our very strange weather – snow in mid-April – and trying to find a time to hit the fields became much more difficult than I’d anticipated! Last Saturday, though, the sun shone and I found one field that, despite being ’sparse’, was open. Ashley, Bekah, our neighbor Kristina, and I headed north to Snohomish and Blueberry Blossom Farm for a couple hours of fun and then some.

Yes, it was sparse, and many of the berries were down low but staying low also protected us from the hot sun. Proved to be too much work, too many bugs, too close to the ground or something for Ashley so she gave it up and ended up going on a hunt for her ‘lost in the field’ sunglasses. I found some fuller bushes and picked away. Bekah and Kristina picked for a while before moving to other rows and striking up conversations with fellow pickers.  (I was later very disheartened to learn that our additional kiddo had been taking berries from other people! UGH!)

Bekah in the bushes

 

Ashley works down low

Once they were bored with blueberries, the girls headed over to the blackberries bushes. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE blackberries (great memories picking them with my mom in Bellingham), but why would you leave stickerless bushes for thorny ones?!

The girls

Our total for 9 pounds of berries was $11.00! Love it! This entry wouldn’t be complete without some mention of Kristina’s trip to the ‘outdoor bathroom’ – a.k.a. woods. She headed off and came back with the whole left side of her pants soaked. The simple question: “What happened?” Kristina’s simple answer: “I missed.”

Have a great day!

Midwest trip: June 30, day 12

Kids kickin

What a special treat! We attended the Showboat Branson Belle  with Gammy and Pa today. They celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary! Congratulations!

The Belle on a very high Tablerock Lake

We went down and got our tickets for the 4:00 boat and then headed into town for lunch and some mini-golf. Lunch was much friendlier this time compared to the Little House Buffet! The waitress reminded us of my Aunt Kathy D’Amico. We golfed at Prof. Hacker’s Dinosaur Canyon Golf in Branson with 86 degree weather, but I just love the creative and fun golf places of warm climates!

Mini-golfing at the Dinosaur place

Onboard the Belle we had a yummy dinner of Cordon Bleu, veggies, beef tips, and mashed potatoes before the evening’s entertainment started. On tap for the evening? Showstoppers dancing, music, acrobats, and Todd Oliver and Friends. The evening was fantastic and we were doubly blessed in that they didn’t charge at all for Jordan to attend since he wouldn’t be eating! (You know never what is possible unless you ask…) PTL!

Reflecting on our favorites:

Bekah: “I loved all of it.”

Jordan: “The best part I loved was the talking dogs.”

Ashley: “The entire show. I thought the dogs were funny and I like the singing.”

Broadway show tunes that were performed by the band, and sung and danced by the Showstoppers included: Grease, Footloose, Fiddler on the Roof, CATS, Little Mermaid, Mama Mia, Hairspray, Risky Business and so many others. Prior to the show starting, we had some time to wander the boat during which we went up into the pilot house. Fun stuff! The wheel was gigantic!

Family golfing

Dinosaur Canyon

Father & son golf

Bekah & a dino

Just right…

Taking in the sights

Heading in

What do they see?

Sisters & Tea

Jordan and his Momma

The Belle’s main floor

Strolling on the deck

Gammy & Pa – 63 years

Bekah on the Belle

Jordan overlooks the paddles

The Wheel house

The Showstoppers

All performers

The show ended with a bang

The Bodger Family

The Belle on a very high Tablerock Lake

Mini-golfing at the Dinosaur place

Kids kickin’ it at the Showboat Landing

I want to be a…

I am Bekah

I want to be:

1) A movie star

2) A horse-rider

3) A diver

4) A gymnastic person

5) A marine biologist

- Bekah, age 6.5

Strep again?!

Amoxicillin this time...

After finishing his last dose of Clindamycin antibiotics on Thursday, Jordan enjoyed a couple of good days before his voice started sounding funny and the spots returned to the back of his throat. A trip to the evening-weekend clinic at Children’s and a rapid strep test brought back the diagnosis of strep throat. Ten more days of antibiotics – but at least there is no 4 AM dose!

Feeling better!

Having fun

Nice follow-through!

Made it out for basketball today!

Strep Infection

Not feeling good

Jordan came home from Camp Casey (Kiwanis) apparently well, but following a good day viewing the Blue Angels on Sunday, Monday warranted a trip to the doctor for a rash around his g-tube site. He was tired, but able to walk in to the doc’s office with me. They cultured the site, considered it suspicious for MRSA, gave us a prescription for 7 days of round the clock (every 6 hours) Clindamycin, and told us to head to the ER if he got a fever.

By Tuesday morning he was miserable and had a decent fever so I started making arrangements so we could head down to Children’s. Jordan fell asleep in the car (he never does that), fell asleep in the ER waiting room, and almost in the triage room. They did a complete work-up on him: shunt series (x-rays), CT, strep throat culture, blood cultures, CBC, and physical exam. After 5 hours, we went home with a diagnosis of strep throat.

Wednesday morning the g-tube site cultures came back: strep. So, not MRSA – good thing – but he basically had strep throughout his system. Throat, g-tube, and a rash and oozing ‘down below’ (groin).

He is finally starting to perk up, even went out and did some swinging yesterday, but isn’t rolling out of bed until after 10:30 because “I’m just ti-red” (he whines it).

Our crazy week last week: Monday: pediatrician; Tues: ER; Wed: previously scheduled appts at Children’s; Thurs: no visit – just phone with docs; Friday: pediatrician.

We went back in to the ped. yesterday since his g-tube site started bleeding last Thursday and his energy is still so low after being on antibiotics for 10 days. We’re continuing with the course we started: silver nitrate of granulation tissue as needed and mupirocin ointment and a 2×2 three times/day.

Can’t wait til he’s up and playing basketball again!

Losing teeth

January 1 - First lost tooth!

Bekah has lost 2 teeth in the last few days. The first one stuck out and resembled a “Snaggle tooth” for far too long before we finally got her to let us pull it. She wanted Mom to pull it since she has “soft hands”. When I finally popped it out, her response? “Oh!”

Then, last night she was brushing her teeth and suddenly started hollering for me to come into the bathroom. She was a mess of blood and tears. Guess she stabbed it with her toothbrush and it popped out. We had seen Pastor Fred earlier in the day when leaving the dentist and he gave it a wiggle, saying he had the ability to tell how much a tooth would be worth. His estimation? 5 bucks! So, Fred, guess you get to pay up because around here teeth go for a tenth of that! (And then the tooth fairy was so tired at 4 AM when up to give meds that only $.30 ended up in the pillow!)

2nd tooth

That tooth is just hanging there!

3rd Tooth out!

#4 – Knocked while brushing

All cleaned up – #4

Jan.1 – 1st lost tooth!

Midwest trip: June 29, Day 11

Today we attended church with Gammy and Pa at Central Assembly. Bekah and Jordan attended children’s church where Jordan had the thrill of playing ski-ball in their game room! Bekah got linked up with another visitor and they had a great time. A bouncy house was available as well.

Ashley attended the adult service with us and were we ever wowed! We hadn’t thought about how close to the 4th it was, and when the Colors were presented it really got our attention! Willie wondered if that was the way they opened all their services. But, being the Sunday before Independence Day – and being that we were in the midwest where patriotism is honored, the service was called “Celebrate America” and had a full orchestra which led worship, patriotic songs, and Gershwin’s amazing “Rhapsody in Blue” with guest Greg Morris.

Aside from the orchestra being fantastic, my favorite part of the service was when they did a “Salute to the Armed Forces” where each branch’s hymn was played and those who had served in that branch went to the front to be recognized. Two of my great-uncles as well as my dear Pa went forward. Oh, I am so proud of them. Once all had come forward, few men remained in the audience, and a standing ovation continued for quite some time. So powerful!

Following the service, and removing Jordan from the Game Room , we went to lunch at the Center with my great-uncle Ken and Mary, great-uncle Wes and Miriam, Dort and daughter Gerri, as well as Gammy & Pa.

Bekah cracked us up with “Your shoes are pretty, Gammy, but I thought they were for younger people.” Stinker!!

Following lunch we went for a hot walk to the library in search of a puzzle for Jordan. He kicked the ball and managed a pretty long and hilly walk. After our walk we went to Fantastic Caverns - America’s only ride thru caves, which, aside from being far to expensive, was neat since the use of a tram allowed all of us to see the caverns. It was neat that the formations definitely could have been formed in thousands and not millions of years based on the growth that had been seen since they’d been discovered. (To Sonic for dinner afterward.)

Ready for the tram

About to enter the cave

You’re going to get WET!

Limestone

First discoverers

Cool!

Awesome

Midwest trip: June 28, Day 10

Today we made the hour long trip to Mansfield, MO and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum. We picked up a beautiful postcard of the home which seemed ironic because the photo shows clear blue sky and our weather was so utterly opposite. We drove through thunderstorms, pouring down rain, and flash flood warnings. But despite the ickiness outside, the inside was beautiful and full of history. All nine of the Little House books were penned from this location. We visited the museum (everyone but Jordan really enjoyed this) filled with artifacts of all kinds from both the Ingalls and Wilder families, and then toured the Rocky Ridge Home.

Entrance to the Rocky Ridge Wilder Home

A little further down the road, we toured the Stone House which their daughter, Rose, purchased for Laura & Almanzo. The home was gorgeous – very rich – with indoor plumbing as well as electricity but it never seemed like home and Laura & Almanzo moved back to the old farm at Rocky Ridge.

We had a very interesting lunch at a place that seemed promising, “Little House Buffet”, but they didn’t have a lunch buffet and were out of 3 of the 4 things I first asked for (Chili, Baked potato & Cherry Coke – they only had Coke and Dr. Pepper).We had a major laugh when Gammy’s burger was delivered with 2 “bottoms”; then Willie’s arrived with 2 tops as well as a fresh slice of tomato in the middle of a tomato recall due to a salmonella outbreak. The bathroom brought more laughter, and as the rain got harder the ceiling started leaking (several places showed water damage already with water spots or just plain holes). We were seriously concerned that the ceiling might fall! We also laughed about the Christmas decorations that were still up at the end of June, and the couple waiting to order who got up and left after they heard us attempting to order. (Even funnier was the waitress’s response, “I wonder what their problem is?! Ha!) We figure the place will probably be condemned within a year – at least it should be!

Bekah started assigning Little House name to all of us. Memorable… and wet day!