Spiderweb

Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall

The "traveling wall" stopped here in Richmond over the weekend and I stopped by to see it. I am impressed with the size of the memorial and I am inspired to see the original (full size) in Washington DC. I didn't know any specific names to look for but it was awe-inspiring to see them all in one place together.
(click to see it larger)

Panorama shot (I accidentally had the aperture set incorrectly, so it's too light, but you get the idea)

Flags all over the parking lot and the road coming in

View down one side

 I took the family over a couple of days later.  Rachael didn't really understand it, but one day she will be glad we stopped to remember.

Smile

This picture is from when we took her Easter pictures.  It's too windy, and she (as usual) is looking anywhere but the vicinity of the camera, but the smile is genuine.

10 things

This month is suppose to be 10 living people I am grateful for, but I can't imagine narrowing the list down to 10, so I thought of a different idea instead...


10 ways we have saved money or earned extra money

1) I took part-time jobs when I could.  They were jobs that still let me pretend to mostly be a stay at home mom.  I have worked as an administrative assistant, a field trip teacher, and a receptionist.  Bonus: I found out I loved teaching field trip classes.

2) Cut every budget we could.  The first year we didn't buy any new clothes for Ryan or I.  We had to buy them for Rachael... kids still grow, even when you are pinching your pennies. But I rarely pay full price for clothes.

3) Took vacations with miles and hotel points.  Ryan and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary with a four day trip to the Bahamas for under $600 thanks to airline and hotel points.

4) Redbox and Little Caesars.  Family pizza and a movie night for six dollars. 

5) Craiglist.  I sold everything I could think of that we didn't need. (This is my old mixer.  I bought a new factory refurbished one that I love, and I don't really need two mixers.)

6) Eating at home.  We eat out (or buy pizza) less than once a week now and it has saved lots of money.  I expect that we will still eat at home even when we decide there is more money for eating out.

7) Ryan takes his lunch at least four days a week.  Sometimes five.  He has some spending money to get out of the office once in awhile, but most days he east leftovers or ham sandwiches.

8) Cancelled subscriptions.  At one point we had subscriptions to four different magazines.  Although it's not a lot, it probably saves over $100 a year.  (We still subscribe to the Ensign and Friend).


9) Stopped adding to food storage, and better learned to use the storage we have.  I learned a lot about what I want to build back up in my food storage.  Dehydrated refried beans are not it.  (Black beans, however, are a go!)

10) Grocery shop with the calculator.  No nasty surprises at the end.  Usually.

Fog on the River

I had to drive 20 minutes over to the river for these pictures at 7:30 in the morning. Totally worth it.

Spring

Pear tree

Redbud in front of a pear

Serviceberry tree

Cherry tree

It's a bit early this year, but I love when the trees bloom!

Snow Day!

10 things

10 material possessions I am grateful for...

1. My iPhone.  I love it.  I use it as an address book, for email, to keep up with social media, to play games and listen to music, and even occasionally as a phone.

2. My Crocs slippers.  I got these a couple of years ago and the little Mickey Mouse holes make me smile.  And they are warm and comfortable - more than once I have left the house wearing them thinking I was wearing shoes.

3. Family photo books.  Then are so much work to do but I love them when they are finished.

4. Kitchen Aid mixer.  I'm still getting used to the fact that the head doesn't tilt on this one, but I love the extra capacity.

5. Silicone spatulas.  (And the pastry brush.) They are heat resistance, stain proof, and sturdy.  It's pretty much all I cook with anymore.

6. My car.  I love my little Equinox.When it was time to trade in my Sunfire I wanted a car that would sit up a little higher but still look cool.  I thought I nailed it, but the first time we drove it to Utah, my grandma called it a station wagon.  Oh well.  I still love it.

 7. My DSLR.  It makes me feel like a photographer, not just someone who takes  pictures.

 8. Blu Ray and DVD players.  We love to watch movies.

9. Laptop.  Online banking, photo editing, storm tracking, all while watching trashy reality TV. Or movies.

10. Bare Minerals makeup.  I blame my mother, who got me addicted.  Who blames my sister, Julie.  It's good stuff.

Birthday Cake

This is Rachael's birthday cake this year.  This is true love - I have make two of these Barbie cakes in the past and I was ready to be done with them, but she fell in love with one she saw and really wanted it for her birthday. She was totally thrilled with it so I think it was worth the effort. Good thing she only turns seven once! (And thanks to Ryan for the close up picture!)

Sunrise and Frost