www.sandraevertson.com
11 years ago
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
I love the New Year because it is a time to reflect, let go and start over. I cannot believe another year has come and gone. The old saying time waits for no man becomes more and more clear to me the older I get as I struggle to keep up. Looking back and thinking about what 2011 was like for us has been bittersweet, while my family had a pretty good year overall, I can think of countless others who have struggled and experienced pain and loss this past year. It has been sad for me to read the statuses on Facebook lately and see how many people are fighting illness, struggling through job loss and economic hardships, and facing the new year without a loved one. I feel very blessed that God has allowed us to be healthy and happy this past year but I also know that we are only one breath away from being where so many others are. I pray God's grace and mercy over us this year and I know He has a plan even when we don't understand.
I don't make resolutions because I don't like to set myself up for failure and disappointment, but I do like to set goals because they help me keep my focus and give me something to strive for. This year I have three goals I would like to work on.
The first one is a personal goal and that is to be a better steward of my time. God gives me the same amount of time as everyone else in the world and I need to start using mine for more productive things. I think about people in poorer countries who have to get up, take care of children ( a whole lot more than I have), wash clothes by hand, cook food from scratch, take care of cleaning, milking cows and taking care of animals, do errands, sew their own clothes, tend gardens, etc., etc., etc. I have to basically get up and take my girls to school, get some cleaning done with all my modern appliances doing most of the work and I complain that I can't get it all done. I think that has something to do with how much time I waste playing on the computer, reading, playing with the girls, talking on the phone, running useless errands, eating out- wow life sure is hard..haha. Praying that God will give me the motivation to plan my time better and stick to my plan.
My second goal is for Jason and I and it is quality time for us and our family. Before we moved Jason and I used to have date nights without children about once a month and Jason would take each of the girls on a date every other month, but now that family isn't close and work schedules are different we are lucky to have a date night once every six months and the girls haven't had a date with Daddy in a long time. I want dates! My goal is to plan better and more often. I also want to see our extended family more often. Jason and I have not been very good at traveling to visit anyone. I want the girls to see their families more. There is something I have been praying about concerning extended family and I am hoping that God will provide answers in some form to those prayers this year. I am trying to talk more openly with Jason about them and I pray God gives me the right words to say to open up the communication between us regarding this issue and that we will seek God's will together on what he would have us to do.
The third and final goal is for Emma, Lydia and I and that one is that I will be a more Godly example to them, commit to pray diligently for them now and for their futures, and that God will give Jason and I the wisdom to lead them closer to Him and salvation. I pray that God will show us the path He has for them and help us to lead them on that path of purpose for their lives. I want to show them through my words and actions what a woman of faith looks and acts like. I want them to see me pray more, read my Bible more, and as Beth Moore once said I want to fill them so full of Christ that they will miss Him and not know what to do with themselves if they don't follow Him throughout their lives.
May God bless you this year as you seek out your own goals and resolutions and I pray that He will guide you to meet and exceed whatever expectations you put on yourself. Here's to a New Beginning and a happy and prosperous 2012!
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14
I don't make resolutions because I don't like to set myself up for failure and disappointment, but I do like to set goals because they help me keep my focus and give me something to strive for. This year I have three goals I would like to work on.
The first one is a personal goal and that is to be a better steward of my time. God gives me the same amount of time as everyone else in the world and I need to start using mine for more productive things. I think about people in poorer countries who have to get up, take care of children ( a whole lot more than I have), wash clothes by hand, cook food from scratch, take care of cleaning, milking cows and taking care of animals, do errands, sew their own clothes, tend gardens, etc., etc., etc. I have to basically get up and take my girls to school, get some cleaning done with all my modern appliances doing most of the work and I complain that I can't get it all done. I think that has something to do with how much time I waste playing on the computer, reading, playing with the girls, talking on the phone, running useless errands, eating out- wow life sure is hard..haha. Praying that God will give me the motivation to plan my time better and stick to my plan.
My second goal is for Jason and I and it is quality time for us and our family. Before we moved Jason and I used to have date nights without children about once a month and Jason would take each of the girls on a date every other month, but now that family isn't close and work schedules are different we are lucky to have a date night once every six months and the girls haven't had a date with Daddy in a long time. I want dates! My goal is to plan better and more often. I also want to see our extended family more often. Jason and I have not been very good at traveling to visit anyone. I want the girls to see their families more. There is something I have been praying about concerning extended family and I am hoping that God will provide answers in some form to those prayers this year. I am trying to talk more openly with Jason about them and I pray God gives me the right words to say to open up the communication between us regarding this issue and that we will seek God's will together on what he would have us to do.
The third and final goal is for Emma, Lydia and I and that one is that I will be a more Godly example to them, commit to pray diligently for them now and for their futures, and that God will give Jason and I the wisdom to lead them closer to Him and salvation. I pray that God will show us the path He has for them and help us to lead them on that path of purpose for their lives. I want to show them through my words and actions what a woman of faith looks and acts like. I want them to see me pray more, read my Bible more, and as Beth Moore once said I want to fill them so full of Christ that they will miss Him and not know what to do with themselves if they don't follow Him throughout their lives.
May God bless you this year as you seek out your own goals and resolutions and I pray that He will guide you to meet and exceed whatever expectations you put on yourself. Here's to a New Beginning and a happy and prosperous 2012!
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
I have always loved Autumn. It is by far my favorite time of the year. I don't know why but there is just something about brisk breezes, cold mornings under the covers, and the beautiful colors of creation that make my heart smile. I never would have thought that the smells of Fall could also be part of the reason I love it so much until this last week. Jason had been outside early that morning and it was cold so he had on his jacket and when he came in the house I caught a faint whiff of smoke on him from the firewood burning in the houses around us and the smell of the fresh cold air as it rushed in the door and instantly I had a memory of standing in his driveway as a teenager wrapped up in his coat and kissing him goodbye before heading home after a date. I didn't tell him because I knew he would laugh at me and he already thinks I am crazy but it really happened just that quick. I began to think about the Fall and the smells and the memories and I think I know why I love Fall so much. My best memories are always accociated with Fall.
Jason and I fell in love in the Fall. We met in the Summer but we fell in love in the Fall. That memory I had when he walked past me that day reminded me of that love I had for him then and the love I still have for him 20 years later. Those times standing outside in his yard under the stars, wrapped up in his coat with the faint smell of smoke and wishing I could stay there forever. I still love to wrap up in his coat and be close to him when he has been outside on a crisp Fall day but he would think I was crazy if I told him it was the smell of him covered in fresh air and smoke that made me like it so much.
The smell of the Lavender lotion that I use when the weather begins to dry out in the Fall reminds me of my babies. Lydia was born in October and I would wash her in Lavender baby wash and rub Emma in Lavender lotion and baby powder. Every time I put on that lotion I think of them all wrapped up in their little blankets tucked up in my arms after a bath and rocking them to sleep.
The smell of cinnamon and spice reminds me of my Mother making cider in the crockpot for us to drink after playing outside in the cold. I still make that cider and I don't really like to drink it anymore but I love to smell it cooking in my house because it reminds me of a Mother's love.
The smell of burning leaves (and yes out in the country people still do that) reminds me of my Dad raking outside all day and burning leaves. I always loved to stand out there and jump in the leaves and make trails through them to ride my bike on while my Dad laughed and tried his best to rake them back into piles.
The smell of Cotton Candy always reminds me of the Dixie Classic Fair. We went every year when I was growing up and it was a big deal in my family. We even went on the night before my wedding ( which also took place in the Fall) and it brings back wonderful memories of laughter and fun with my family and friends. I hope my daughters have wonderful memories of the fair when they grow up as well. I still have to get cotton candy everytime we go just so I can smell it and remember tose happy childhood times.
I could go on and on about all of the smells of Fall that make me think happy thoughts but hopefully you are thinking of your own happy smell memories now.
After I had been thinking of all of this I was doing devotions and I was reading this verse
"The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out." Revelation 8:4 and the commentary was talking about how the incense in the tabernacle of God burned and filled it with the sweet smell and how that represented our prayers and how our prayers when lifted to God are like a sweet fragrant perfume to Him and it made me wonder if God remembers sweet things about us when he smells our prayers and if it makes His heart smile :)
"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. "Psalm 141:2
Jason and I fell in love in the Fall. We met in the Summer but we fell in love in the Fall. That memory I had when he walked past me that day reminded me of that love I had for him then and the love I still have for him 20 years later. Those times standing outside in his yard under the stars, wrapped up in his coat with the faint smell of smoke and wishing I could stay there forever. I still love to wrap up in his coat and be close to him when he has been outside on a crisp Fall day but he would think I was crazy if I told him it was the smell of him covered in fresh air and smoke that made me like it so much.
The smell of the Lavender lotion that I use when the weather begins to dry out in the Fall reminds me of my babies. Lydia was born in October and I would wash her in Lavender baby wash and rub Emma in Lavender lotion and baby powder. Every time I put on that lotion I think of them all wrapped up in their little blankets tucked up in my arms after a bath and rocking them to sleep.
The smell of cinnamon and spice reminds me of my Mother making cider in the crockpot for us to drink after playing outside in the cold. I still make that cider and I don't really like to drink it anymore but I love to smell it cooking in my house because it reminds me of a Mother's love.
The smell of burning leaves (and yes out in the country people still do that) reminds me of my Dad raking outside all day and burning leaves. I always loved to stand out there and jump in the leaves and make trails through them to ride my bike on while my Dad laughed and tried his best to rake them back into piles.
The smell of Cotton Candy always reminds me of the Dixie Classic Fair. We went every year when I was growing up and it was a big deal in my family. We even went on the night before my wedding ( which also took place in the Fall) and it brings back wonderful memories of laughter and fun with my family and friends. I hope my daughters have wonderful memories of the fair when they grow up as well. I still have to get cotton candy everytime we go just so I can smell it and remember tose happy childhood times.
I could go on and on about all of the smells of Fall that make me think happy thoughts but hopefully you are thinking of your own happy smell memories now.
After I had been thinking of all of this I was doing devotions and I was reading this verse
"The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out." Revelation 8:4 and the commentary was talking about how the incense in the tabernacle of God burned and filled it with the sweet smell and how that represented our prayers and how our prayers when lifted to God are like a sweet fragrant perfume to Him and it made me wonder if God remembers sweet things about us when he smells our prayers and if it makes His heart smile :)
"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. "Psalm 141:2
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
This is my "pick-me-up" song for this week. I sometimes need reminded that God always holds me close and no matter what life throws at me or what I am going through He will keep me safe and secure. I also need to let God know how much I love Him each and everyday.
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
I groaned and grumped when the alarm went off this morning. I can't believe two months have passed since I have heard that sound echoing in my head. It helped a little that the sun was up. It helped a little that my daughter was so excited to be going back to school that she jumped up quickly to get ready. It did not help that my little one is like her Mother in the morning and doesn't like to get up before she is ready. I sat at the breakfast table and thought about how quickly this Summer has passed by and how quickly my little girls are growing. I watched as Emma packed her own bookbag and tied her own shoes and realized that time is so short. The Bible says we are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes and if you really want to see that principal in action just have a child. Time seems to speed up when you have something to compare it to. I don't feel myself aging that fast and I don't look that much different from one year to the next but one look at my children and I can see the rapid effects of time. I learn to cherish this time more and more everyday. I used to say things like " I just wish she was big enough to get out of the infant carrier.." or " If she was just a little bigger she would be able to..." Now I realize that those times come and go so fast I don't even see it happen. Clothes become small in just a few months. Shoes are outgrown in a season. Baby teeth are being replaced by grown-up ones. Freckles are breaking out and faces are thinning down. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be here to see each new step and each new milestone. I am glad that even when I get frustrated and want them to do things quickly and act more grown-up God slows me down and helps me see all the great things about this stage at this time. I am thankful for my older one who is independent and who can walk into a new situation without hesitation and I am thankful for my little one who still wants to sit on my lap and suck her thumb. I love it when my girls are still too small to do something because it allows me to still be Mommy and be needed and help them, but I also love it when they are too big to do something they used to do because it reminds me that my job is to help them grow and learn and that time is precious and I need to enjoy every minute of it.
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
I can't believe it is already the 1st of August. The summer has flown by and it is now time to think about fall wardrobes, church activities that will be starting again and most importantly the dreaded Back to School rush. I am not fan of going back to school. I love having the girls home with me and all the fun activities we get to do during the summer. I enjoy spending this time with them. Every year since Emma started Kindergarten I begin to think about her going back to school and I realize that she is already another year older. I can't believe how quickly this season of life is passing. Lydia is going to pre-school and Emma is heading into 2nd grade and for the first time in 7 years I will be home alone for 3 mornings a week. I have very mixed feelings about that. I think Lydia really needs the structure and socialization that only pre-school can give her right now, but I also think about the fact that this is my last year with her before she starts "real" school and part of me really wants to keep her here with me a little longer.
Every fall when the back to school commercials and the school supply sales begin I start thinking how much I would love to homeschool them. We have several church friends who are homeschooling and they love it. Emma begs to be homeschooled, but I worry about what her social life would be like if she was at home all the time. We are not a socializing family. We don't have get togethers, we don't play sports, we don't go on outings with friends much and I think about how isolated she will feel if she doesn't get to be around her school friends, however, I also see how much she is influenced by those friends during the school year. Her personality definitely changes when she is home during the summer. There is less sassiness, less arguing and more manners, and I definitely think about what she will be exposed to the older she gets. When I watch the news and see the problems that children face everyday at school it can be scary. I do love her school though, and we could not ask for a better place for her to be. Emma really does thrive on going to school. She looks forward to it even when she doesn't admit it. She loves the activity, the friendships and her teachers. I don't think I could challenge her at home the way she is challenged at school. I really believe God led us to this place and this school because she is surrounded by love and attention and good godly teachers who influence her with their examples and we are truly blessed. So the debate rages on between me, myself and I over which is the better decision and I continue to pray about what is best for them, but for now it looks like I better begin to get organized and take advantage of the tax free weekend because it is time to head Back to School.
Every fall when the back to school commercials and the school supply sales begin I start thinking how much I would love to homeschool them. We have several church friends who are homeschooling and they love it. Emma begs to be homeschooled, but I worry about what her social life would be like if she was at home all the time. We are not a socializing family. We don't have get togethers, we don't play sports, we don't go on outings with friends much and I think about how isolated she will feel if she doesn't get to be around her school friends, however, I also see how much she is influenced by those friends during the school year. Her personality definitely changes when she is home during the summer. There is less sassiness, less arguing and more manners, and I definitely think about what she will be exposed to the older she gets. When I watch the news and see the problems that children face everyday at school it can be scary. I do love her school though, and we could not ask for a better place for her to be. Emma really does thrive on going to school. She looks forward to it even when she doesn't admit it. She loves the activity, the friendships and her teachers. I don't think I could challenge her at home the way she is challenged at school. I really believe God led us to this place and this school because she is surrounded by love and attention and good godly teachers who influence her with their examples and we are truly blessed. So the debate rages on between me, myself and I over which is the better decision and I continue to pray about what is best for them, but for now it looks like I better begin to get organized and take advantage of the tax free weekend because it is time to head Back to School.
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
Riding through the woods on the back of a four-wheeler at 30 mph is not what I consider to be a productive use of my time. My husband is of the opposite opinion, however, and in an effort to balance out the endless shopping trips and tea parties he has to endure in a house full of girls, I put a smile on my face and climb on. It isn't the riding I have a problem with, it is the crashing I worry about. I am pretty sure I have cut off his ability to breathe with the death grip I have on him as we head down the first hill. I know he is going much slower than he would normally go but it feels like we are flying. I visualize us plummeting through the air as we smack into a tree or maybe sliding sideways off the path and sinking in the pond. Who will take care of the girls if we drown? Jason finally says to me " Will you relax? don't you trust me?" My spoken answer was "yes, of course I do." but my actions were speaking so loudly I don't think he heard the words. We made it back safely to the house and he asked Emma if she wanted a turn. She looked carefully for my reaction to see if I would think it was a good idea so I plastered a smile on my face and said cheerfully "go ahead, Daddy will take care of you." She smiled and jumped on. She was completely relaxed and enjoyed the ride. She had no problem trusting although she had only ridden a couple of times before.Why could I not have that blind trust that my children seem to have endless supplies of. They never question whether to trust us or not. If I say it is o.k., then they think it is o.k. If Jason says don't be scared, they aren't scared.
The dictionary definition of trust is 1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. 2. confident expectation of something; hope.
When we are children we have no problem relying on someone or something. Children have to rely on others to survive and learn. Children have condfidence in those they love, but somewhere along the path of life we start to learn that we shouldn't rely on others so much. Our culture teaches us to rely on ourselves and have confidence only in our abilities and what we can control. People break our trust and we lose the confidence. As an adult I even find myself struggling to trust in God. I easily say the words I am going to trust God with a descision or a need, but just like with my husband my actions sometimes drown out the words. I start to take my reliance off of God and put it on myself. My confidence starts to falter when God dosen't work the way I want Him to. Has God ever given me a reason not to trust him? NO, it is just that the broken world I live in leads me to believe that nothing is to be completely trusted and I begin to forget that the world's standard does not apply to God. I need to take a lesson from my children and freely trust. I need to put my confidence on the One who has never let me down, who is full of integrity and strength. The One who has the ability to meet all my needs.
a good life lesson taught to me by a 6yr. old on the back of a four-wheeler.
" Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal" Isaiah 26:4
The dictionary definition of trust is 1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. 2. confident expectation of something; hope.
When we are children we have no problem relying on someone or something. Children have to rely on others to survive and learn. Children have condfidence in those they love, but somewhere along the path of life we start to learn that we shouldn't rely on others so much. Our culture teaches us to rely on ourselves and have confidence only in our abilities and what we can control. People break our trust and we lose the confidence. As an adult I even find myself struggling to trust in God. I easily say the words I am going to trust God with a descision or a need, but just like with my husband my actions sometimes drown out the words. I start to take my reliance off of God and put it on myself. My confidence starts to falter when God dosen't work the way I want Him to. Has God ever given me a reason not to trust him? NO, it is just that the broken world I live in leads me to believe that nothing is to be completely trusted and I begin to forget that the world's standard does not apply to God. I need to take a lesson from my children and freely trust. I need to put my confidence on the One who has never let me down, who is full of integrity and strength. The One who has the ability to meet all my needs.
a good life lesson taught to me by a 6yr. old on the back of a four-wheeler.
" Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal" Isaiah 26:4
Posted by
Victoria
comments (0)
I am not a coupon girl. I never use coupons. I never sign up for rebates. I never browse the internet looking for deals. I just tell myself that the extra money I pay is a convenience fee for not having to go through all that trouble to clip and organize slips of paper for products I don't use. I really don't get it when I watch Extreme Couponing and see all those people with huge stockpiles of food packed around their garages and closets. Why? The only way they would convince me it was worth it is if they just quit buying groceries for a year or so and lived off their stockpile. A year free of shopping would maybe intice me to get motivated or maybe they could use it to help the less fortunate. Some of those people have enough to feed a small 3rd world country and what do they really need with 50 bottles of deodorant anyway? I could see the point if it was being used to help others.
A few weeks ago I went to a MOPS meeting and the topic of the week was saving money. There was a coupon lady that was our special guest speaker and she began to tell us all of the ways she saves. I have to admit she made it sound good. she wasn't all crazy and extreme, she was just a mom trying to save some money for her family. I listened to her ideas and I found myself thinking it could work. Things always seem better when you are in a group and everyone is building each other up and telling each other how great this sounds. Peer pressure is a powerful thing. I found myself coming home and telling Jason that I was going to give it a go. I was going to buy the Sunday paper and start clipping and saving coupons. Jason wasn't quite as enthusiastic as the MOPS moms had been. He just sort of laughed it off, but I was determined. That first week I went to the gas station on my way home from church to get the paper only to find that it cost 1.75...wow! 2 dollars in quarters? I didn't have that many quarters so we went home paperless. The rest of the week I searched for places in our town that sold the Sun. paper all week, but evidently the people in my town are not so interested because no one had it. The second week I finally got my first paper and I sat on the bed and clipped for almost an hour... My goodness that was a long time, but I took my stack and put them in my folder. I was excited. Four more weeks have now passed and that first stack of coupons are still sitting in my folder. No more have been added. I never have quarters, I never remember to stop at the store, I don't have any interest. I looked at the websites and they may as well be written in Chinese.
My children still pick out all the coupons in the grocery aisles and Jason still just laughs as though to say I told you so. I still watch Extreme Couponing and can't help but think how ridiculous it is and how having a stockpile that is worth 20 grand isn't really worth anything if you don't really need or use it and you're still getting more every week.
If you are one of those coupon people that can save, clip and organize then that is great. I just don't think I am. I did the math and found that I feed our family of four, three meals a day, clean our house and do our laundry on about 100 dollars a week without any coupons. If I shop at Aldi, use my VIP card at Food Lion, and shop smartly. I can cut about 20 dollars off of that which would be 80 dollars for the week or about 12.00 a day. That works out to about 3 per person per day. that includes cleaning supplies and toiletries. I can't feed the dog for that ( there is no coupon for her special RX food) so I consider that money well spent. I think that I will just trust God to supply the need and right now He doesn't think I need 25 jars of spaghetti sauce. I am doing my part by saving trees, saving gas, growing a garden to provide. I am letting those with more time and knowledge handle the coupons and I can use the time I am saving to blog about my lack of couponing skills :)
A few weeks ago I went to a MOPS meeting and the topic of the week was saving money. There was a coupon lady that was our special guest speaker and she began to tell us all of the ways she saves. I have to admit she made it sound good. she wasn't all crazy and extreme, she was just a mom trying to save some money for her family. I listened to her ideas and I found myself thinking it could work. Things always seem better when you are in a group and everyone is building each other up and telling each other how great this sounds. Peer pressure is a powerful thing. I found myself coming home and telling Jason that I was going to give it a go. I was going to buy the Sunday paper and start clipping and saving coupons. Jason wasn't quite as enthusiastic as the MOPS moms had been. He just sort of laughed it off, but I was determined. That first week I went to the gas station on my way home from church to get the paper only to find that it cost 1.75...wow! 2 dollars in quarters? I didn't have that many quarters so we went home paperless. The rest of the week I searched for places in our town that sold the Sun. paper all week, but evidently the people in my town are not so interested because no one had it. The second week I finally got my first paper and I sat on the bed and clipped for almost an hour... My goodness that was a long time, but I took my stack and put them in my folder. I was excited. Four more weeks have now passed and that first stack of coupons are still sitting in my folder. No more have been added. I never have quarters, I never remember to stop at the store, I don't have any interest. I looked at the websites and they may as well be written in Chinese.
My children still pick out all the coupons in the grocery aisles and Jason still just laughs as though to say I told you so. I still watch Extreme Couponing and can't help but think how ridiculous it is and how having a stockpile that is worth 20 grand isn't really worth anything if you don't really need or use it and you're still getting more every week.
If you are one of those coupon people that can save, clip and organize then that is great. I just don't think I am. I did the math and found that I feed our family of four, three meals a day, clean our house and do our laundry on about 100 dollars a week without any coupons. If I shop at Aldi, use my VIP card at Food Lion, and shop smartly. I can cut about 20 dollars off of that which would be 80 dollars for the week or about 12.00 a day. That works out to about 3 per person per day. that includes cleaning supplies and toiletries. I can't feed the dog for that ( there is no coupon for her special RX food) so I consider that money well spent. I think that I will just trust God to supply the need and right now He doesn't think I need 25 jars of spaghetti sauce. I am doing my part by saving trees, saving gas, growing a garden to provide. I am letting those with more time and knowledge handle the coupons and I can use the time I am saving to blog about my lack of couponing skills :)
