Wow, that was more than a disconnection!

I have to apologize...really I do. You see, when I posted that I was going to take a week off to go camping, disconnect and reflect...clearly I meant A MONTH. I had great plans to come back and blog about our wonderful trip (which it was wonderful!) and our adventures getting the crew ready for another school year, but life got in the way.

We have had death in the family, along with a couple of other things that have really just kept me away from anything normal in our lives.

So.......that said, I'm glad to be back!

I'm getting back in the swing of things, and I'm still planning my "launch party giveaway fiesta celebration blowout brewhaha" so stay tuned!

A week of reflection, disconnection, and study.

I will be MIA for the next week, but please stick around, because I am planning my big, huge, fabulous "launch party giveaway" when I return.

Tomorrow we depart for a 7 day camping trip near the Oregon coast. There will be no T.V., no internet (gasp!) and no phones. Neither DH or myself will have to work for a whole week, something we haven't done at the same time in....probably since we had children (which would be 13 years ago!)

So as I pack for this trip, and include everything but the kitchen sink (I'm a little paranoid of being caught camping without some major necessity)...I decided that I am going to pack something that will bless not only myself, but my whole family.

Extra toilet paper you ask? An extra can of baked beans maybe?

No....

My bible.

Dh and I have been on a little quest for the past 6 months, one that keeps getting shoved to the back burner because we are too busy, or whatever other excuse we can find. We have been trying to find a "home church". Some place that fits into what we want for our family. Some place where we just know that it's "home" for us. We have been to a few, and haven't felt the connection yet, but I'm sure it's out there.

In this recent quest, I have also realized that while I have "went through the motions", I don't really KNOW my faith. I don't KNOW God the way I really want to. I don't KNOW much at all really, so it's time to learn.

I am going to take some time out of each day there, go off into the trees, or in the tent, or wherever there is a quiet place, and read. Read, pray, meditate, whatever God wants me to do.

Hopefully, when the week is over, I will have a little better idea of what I WANT and NEED to KNOW about things.

This post may not make a whole lot of sense, since I am a little confused myself...but I guess the reason I am posting it is to ask for prayer that the Lord will guide me through the next week, and that we as a family will find what we are so desperately looking for.

We have a winner!

Congrats to Lacey! She won my fabulous coupon giveaway!!! Be on the lookout for my "giveaway launch party" happening in a couple of weeks. Lots of great prizes from great friends to great friends!

Lacey - I have emailed you to get your address. Once I have it, I'll get these coupons right in the mail, as they expire August 31st!

What to do with all this Kool-Aid?

What in the world am I going to do with all this Kool-Aid? Thanks to Amy over at Mom Advice, I found something that we'll try out next week when we get back from our camping trip.

Check out this great recipe for Fruity play dough!

Any other ideas you would like to share for the 290857 packets of Kool-Aid I have at my house?

Wooohooo...gotta love free groceries!

I used the last of my stash of Kraft freebie coupons (like the ones I'm giving away below) yesterday, and came away with the following items:

(4) Oscar Meyer all beef hot dogs
(5) Wheat Thins
(5) Kraft salad dressings
(42) packets of Kool-Aid (the necesary evil in making this transaction work out right :-)

For a grand total of: $6.40!!!!!!

The kids are going to have a beverage stand within the next couple weeks, so I'm sure they will make the $6.40 back (not that I will see a penny of that, but they love having their own "spending money").

I got several different flavors of dressing to try as marinades for the 395720 lbs of chicken I have in the freezer from past chicken sales :-)

I hope someone gets a lot of use out of the coupons I'm giving away below. Hurry and enter, the contest ends tonight!!!

My first giveaway! Coupons valued at over $60!!!

I was going to wait until I had my "launch party" in a couple of weeks, because I'm having a huge giveaway party with some great prizes from my friends sites on my sidebar (check them out by the way!), but I was inspired by everyone over at Moneysavingmom, that I decided to join in the fun!

I have Free item coupons valued at over $60! These are the coupons that were recently featured in the All You Magazine! You do have to make a small purchase to make the item free, but as many of you know, or have already done it....all you have to buy are Kool-Aid packages, and you get great free items in return!

I have to give away as a package deal:

(5) Free (up to $4.50) Nabisco Wheat Thins Crackers - when you buy three Kraft, Nabisco or Oscar Mayer products (excluding single serve)

(10) Free (Up to $4.50) Crystal Light - when you buy three Kraft, Nabisco or Oscar Mayer products (excluding single serve)

Again, Kool-Aid packets are not single serve, and do count as your three Kraft products - so for as low as .30, you can have crackers and Crystal Light for FREE!

These coupons expire 08-31-08 - I will mail them out Thursday morning, and you should have them by Monday. It gives you over a week to use them, but for free stuff - that shouldn't be a problem!!

How to enter:

*Simply leave a comment below for an entry (1 entry)

*Link to this post in your own blog (5 entries) *Leave in your comment that you linked so I can get your extra entries!

Hurry, this contest ends tomorrow night (Wednesday night) at 9pm PST. Winner will be posted Thursday morning!

Good luck!

I survived!

What a crazy weekend! My Mother-in-law was here for the weekend, quite unexpected I might ad. That sent me into a cleaning frenzy that seriously only happens when she comes down. It is really kind of nice, because I get the chance to Spring clean more than once a year! :-)

We had a nice time on Saturday, took Turbo out to ride his quad. He sure is getting good (and fast) on that little thing. I took some video that I hope to post later in the week. We then went to DH's cousin's house for dinner, and saw some family that we haven't seen in ages (another thing that only seems to happen when Mother in law is here). Sunday we took Taterbug out to see/feed her horse. Then the kids went school clothes shopping with Grandma (something she has never done before, but I was ohhhhh so thankful!).

All in all, a great unexpected weekend...and the white gloves my MIL owns never came out...not even once! Maybe I'm getting better at this cleaning thing afterall!