Couponer in the making

It's no secret that Mommy is a couponer, hey it's a hobby with great financial benefits!  While working on my grocery lists tonight Emily sat down with me and took my expired coupons and put them in her "coupon book".  She was so cute about sorting them into categories.  I asked her if she was going to use coupons when she grows up for her family and her answer was "of course, Mommy!  Just like you do!"  That's my girl!  Financial training in progress can happen even at the young age of 8!

Bengals in the playoffs

The Bengals went to the playoffs AGAIN this year!  We were so excited.  We got all dressed up for the game and even had game time food because let's be real, this playoff game is like the Superbowl for us Bengals fans!  It was a fun and exciting game which sadly ended in a loss.  Guess it's time to pack up the jerseys until the fall...

Starry Night

Emily channeled her own Vincent van Gogh and came up with her own creation of Starry Night.  It seems we have the quite the little budding artist on our hands!

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

A few days before Christmas one of the most horrific school shootings took place at Sandy Hook elementary in CT.  20 innocent children and several adults were killed in a senseless act by one man.  The news coverage was everywhere - tv, radio, newspapers.  It was hard not to see it and get lost in the raw emotions of what the people in that town must be feeling.  I could not image losing my child of just 6 or 7 years old or losing my spouse, especially right before the holidays.  When the kids got home from school that day we hugged them a little tighter and counted our blessings even more. 

The principal sent out an email about school security and it included information on "Snowflakes for Sandy Hook" where the PTA of that school was asking for children to make snowflakes and then send them to the school so that they could turn the school into a winter wonderland for the children when it was time for them to go back after the holidays.  The picture below is Emily's snowflake that she proudly made and I mailed in.  We pray that our children and those across this nation remain safe while they are away from us at school.

Happy New Year

We had our own New Years Eve party at home this year.  We let the kids stay up late, not quite to midnight, donned party hats and played games.  We are so thankful for this last year that we have been blessed with and look forward to what 2013 has in store!

That's how you make an entrance!

At Jacob's last basketball game he had a plan on how to  make his grand entrance onto the court - imitate LeBron James with the crossed arms.  He was so excited and it was so cute.  We were surprised that he actually did it.  A superstar in the making?  We think so.

We're leaving on a jetplane...

Today Scott and I got airplane tickets for our trip to Florida this year.  We sat the kids down for a "family meeting" and then broke into the good news.  They certainly were not expecting it.  We are all excited for our first family plane trip!