The Appraiser's Wife

Cy Greyson Houck

2012-01-14T14:53:00.001-06:00

We had our little one last Friday on Jan 6th --which happened to be my late grandma Huhn's birthday!

Here is a little about the name...

Cy-- Contrary to what most people thing Cy did not come from our love for the Cyclones. Cy's name came from the great pitcher Cy Young. Ryan had always liked the name & suggested it to me awhile back & we both fell in love with it.

Greyson-- This name came from a CD we saw from a youtube sensation. We saw it and immediately knew we wanted to use it.

If Cy would of been a GIRL the name would of been Piper Jo Houck. We don't like reusing names so we'll retire the name Piper. :-)

Cy is doing great, he is a laid back baby & Tucker is slowly adjusting to life with a little brother. Wednesday morning he asked when the baby was going home... but other than that he loves his little brother! We're still adjusting to life with two little munchkins & getting sleep in when we can. We've been blessed with so many great family/friends who have dropped off meals or thoughts of love. THANK YOU!

etsy love

2012-01-04T15:30:00.000-06:00

Since i've had alot of time on my hands lately I thought I'd show you some fun stuff I either got for Christmas or bought myself with Christmas money. :-) It's what I got to call my current loves of the moment.

1st.
My little sister HALEY surprised me when herself & another friend MADE me my shower curtain I drooled over a few months back. They were selling on etsy for around 140.00 & she REMEMBERED that & took on this little domestic project! I LOVE IT!! I'm waiting to paint the bathroom before I put it up, I'm thrilled with how it turned out!!

Here is a picture of it mid process:

Here is the finished project in her friends Kendra's bathroom to show what it looks like. Didn't they do a good job? Thanks ladies!!

p.s. Kenra's blog is http://kendragustafson.blogspot.com/
my sister haley's blog: http://fancy--that.blogspot.com/

2nd: My OTHER sister Carly remembered how I adored this address stamp & got it for me for Christmas. LOVE IT! Can't wait to have an reason to use it soon!

P.S. the seller on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/foryoo?ref=seller_info

3rd: a new keychain holder so I can find it in my purse/diaper bag easier!

4th: This cute basket I got on clearance from an etsy store. I am hoping to go all vintage Christmas ornaments next year, like this...

I've seen 'em at garage sales for like .50Cents before so I'm hoping I'll get lucky this year & score enough to decorate our tree! So when I saw this basket, I HAD to get it :-)\

4th: I am excited to write some thank you notes on these bad boys...

{for the record, I'm really seeing how she made them to copy 'em!}

P.S. http://www.etsy.com/listing/85739263/stationery-thank-you-cards-set-with

then lastly I am excited for a daily clean list for each day of the year with Bible verses. Now, to be completely honest it is Jan 4th & I haven't done ONE day yet, but I'm excited to dive into once I get back to "normal" as a mother of two without a pregnant belly!

Motivated Mom is like the Dave Ramsey of home cleaning!!!

Click here to see what I'm talking about http://www.motivatedmoms.com/products.html
(if you are interested in trying this out don't spend your pennies I'd love to mail you a pdf for 2012!)

Quick Baby Update

2012-01-01T11:22:00.000-06:00

Went in Friday morning for a non-stress test, 24 urine analysis & ultrasound & blood pressure check. We thankfully found the bed rest is helping (as my blood pressure went WAY down--even back to normal ranges!) I am really starting to go CRAZY with bed rest, but know it's the best for the baby & me. Its hard watching our little tornado tear apart the living room & helpless against the clean up! :-) Thanks for all your prayers! I go back in Tuesday morning for another round of the same sort of tests, so time will tell. Again, they'd like to keep this little peanut in until Thursday Jan 5th, so time will tell! I'm getting a little anxious to go through birth again, but know the end result will be well worth it. I love visitors so please feel free to stop by!

A few of my favorite things {2011}

2011-12-23T14:55:00.000-06:00

With the end of 2011 coming up, I thought I'd show you the products I am loving right now...

Yep, the Hann steam mop. LOVING this still. I makes doing the floors SO STINKING easy & actually fun! (who knew!) My sister {Carly} was over the other night & now has it on her wishlist as well. Comes in mighty handy with a toddler!

Body Pillow: A pregnant girls best friend! I love it & could not sleep as well as I've been sleeping without it.

Diet Mountain Dew {caffeine free} for a girl who loves her dt. dew, this caffeine free stuff has been so nice as a good sub until I get the real stuff again.

'
Bubble Baths: take at least 2-3/week the last few months to help ease my lower back pain I've been having associated with the pregnancy. There is something about it, so stinking relaxing!

And lastly, RYAN. He has been the BIGGEST help around the house the last few months when I haven't been feeling the best from helping to put my socks on or taking an extra poppy diaper (or 5) for the team. I married one awesome guy!

the busiest month to date

2011-12-20T09:46:00.001-06:00

The busiest month to date for our little appraisal business was the month Tucker was born. I started labor with Tucker @ 10 pm & labored 2 hours @ home before we headed to the hospital. I have a vivid memory of Ryan working in between contractions & me calling him on my cell phone every time I had a contraction to be there to hold my hand. (his office was in the basement at the time) I remember putting in LOTS of hours with Tucker those first few months as he worked tirelessly (without complaining) sometimes putting in 17 hour days. {not unusual for that time of year} I am very proud of the fact ryan has NEVER gotten up with Tucker to do a feeding in the middle of the night, even when I was only getting 1-2 hours of sleep a day because little T-man was a "difficult sleeper" the first 10 weeks! :-) So, fast forward a few years with THIS pregnancy. I was super excited to have a WINTER baby (usually a slow time in the appraisal business) well, that all went out the door yesterday. While I am so stinkin' excited for Ryan ( & our business) he just got 17 appraisal orders yesterday, all due Jan 23rd. Not to mention it's already a busy time of year with Christmas, New Years & throw newborn in the mix! But, I am thankful I know I can make it through it, & hopefully be able to laugh about it again in a few years! Lord, thank you so much for ALL your blessings, no matter what the timing may be!

2 goals I need to get back on.

2011-12-15T11:55:00.000-06:00

With the arrival of a new little one in a few short weeks & our expenses only about to get bigger, I've felt really convinced to get better at two areas to help our finances.

1.) Couponing: I still coupon, but only on a small scale. When I started working back in Sept of 2010 I stopped because of the time commitment my job took. But, now that I haven't worked since March, I really need to start it up again. I want to start it up & do it to save money for our family, but not be like those super obsessed ladies on those coupon shows! :-)

2.) Menu Planning: I was SO good at this before I got pregnant this past time, I've never understood that old wives tale of "pregnant & barefoot in the kitchen" because when I'm pregnant the LAST place I want to be is in the kitchen:-) Sometimes certain smells can just turn your stomach in a way that cooking/baking just sounds horrible. I've been getting better about this the last few weeks again, but I'm hoping this will only continue!

Will let you know how I'm doing!

big brother class

2011-12-12T23:00:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday night Tucker attended a big brother class offered at our local hospital. It was so much fun seeing him "learn" how to be a big brother. :-) The highlight of his night was when he got to hold the fake baby. He had the biggest smile on his face. They learned how to hold a baby, how to change a baby & where they'll go meet the new baby. Daily we ask him if the baby is a boy or girl and he always says "baby siiisser' so we've got three votes thinking its a girl over here...time will tell!

I'm going to warn you...

2011-12-12T22:47:00.002-06:00

...you're going to cry if you watch this video.
but it is too good not to share.

Told ya.
I'm going directly upstairs & giving my little guy the biggest hug and kiss.

the big 3-0!

2011-12-12T22:35:00.000-06:00

Today I turned 30!

Ryan did such a great job of making me feel so special! He made my favorite breakfast, found childcare for T-man for the day, had a massage scheduled , Christmas shopping, Christmas light looking with T-man, out to lunch at my favorite place & dinner with some great friends! I could not have asked for a better day! I remember when I was a little kid asking my parents what they wanted for their birthdays and they would ALWAYS say, 'Obedient & healthy kids' and I remember thinking HOW LAME! I told Ryan today I feel more mature because all I wanted was 'obedient & healthy children.' Funny how that changes. I loved my twenties but can't wait to see what my 30's bring!

Best birthday to date & my last birthday as a mother of 1! (Lord willing!)

our little home

2011-12-09T20:40:00.001-06:00

I love our little home on walnut, i really do.

but with the addition of another little one shortly I'm quickly

having to get really creative on where to find places for things.

This little 2 bedroom 1 bath home is about to have 2 adult, 2 children

& a home office! We've really struggled without a garage (with all Ryan's

fix it tools) 1/2 a basement with a 1/4 of it used for our home office.

No pantry, no coat closet, & no bathroom closets! For this girl who

can't stand clutter finding places for everything without feeling like the

walls are coming in is a challenge! We plan to be here for awhile (at this

point thinking 5 years--shocker for movers like us!) This week I've come to the

conclusion that the two bedrooms have to be functional, not pretty. And that is

okay, for now. Since we've moved 7 times in our marriage I've never really felt

"settled" in a home we've lived in. This is my chance. I'm actually going to be

painting my kitchen, breakfast nook & bathroom.... and I'm NOT going to be painting

them real estate beige! I have a chance to make it feel like us! I'm super

pumped about that. Anyways, thanks for "listening" to me vent, in the grand scheme

of things this is SO little because I have everything I need: a loving husband &

a happy little 2 year old & a healthy little one on the way! Thank you Lord for

many blessings you give me every. single. day!

Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

2011-12-05T12:27:00.003-06:00

TODAY ONLY!

{I will be snagging my mom this for a stocking stuffer--C & H don't get it for mom! Good thing she doesn't read my blog! :-) }

Here’s another special magazine offer that I think many of you will really like…and this offer is good through Monday Dec. 5th at midnight, you can grab Better Homes and Gardens for only $3.99/year for up to 4 years. Just go here and add Better Homes and Gardens Magazine to your shopping cart, and then enter coupon code: SHESAVED and you will instantly see the price drop to only $3.99!

Thanks www.shesaved.com!

JOY

2011-11-27T12:31:00.000-06:00

Want some cute 'JOY' Alphabet Photography to give to a friend of print for yourself? This would be a great gift for a neighbor or teacher. Easy to put together & inexpensive= GREAT FUN! :-) Check out her blog here to get these images to print!

http://craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com/2010/12/joy-alphabet-photography-printables.html

single digits!

2011-11-21T09:53:00.000-06:00

How far along? 32 Weeks
Total weight gain: 17 lbs+
Maternity clothes? all in maternity clothes now.
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: sleeping pretty good (so far!)
Best moment this week: my nesting instincts kicking in. I am all about ordering the carseat this week!
Miss Anything? putting on my socks/shoes without grunting :-) & bending down to pick up anything without thinking "thats a really long ways down!"
Movement: all the time!
Food cravings: meat, i crave a good steak
Anything making you queasy or sick: thankfully no!
Gender: no clue!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? flat as a pancake
Wedding rings on or off? off
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! Although a sad commercial can cause the waterworks to just start! :-)
Looking forward to: heading out of town tomorrow & taking T-man to his FIRST movie this week {the new Muppets movie!}

Local Christmas Events for Families

2011-11-16T09:03:00.002-06:00

1.) Jordan Creek Towne Center Christmas Tree Lighting w/ Fireworks!

This Friday night @ Jordan Creek Towne Center: we did this last year & Had so much fun! It ended up with FIREWORKS & a tree lighting ceremony. So much fun. T-man loved seeing the sky light up last year. We won't be able to attend this year because of ISU's last football game, but if you get a chance...take your family & make a night of it!

Santa's Arrival, Tree Lighting & Fireworks!

11/18/2011 - 11/18/2011

Join us, and Presenting Sponsor Veridian Credit Union, for our annual tree lighting event in the Amphitheater. Dueling Pianos will kick off the evening at 6 pm, followed by Santa's arrival, annual tree lighting and fireworks!

LOCATION: Amphitheater

TIME: 6 pm - 7 pm
http://www.jordancreektowncenter.com/events/santas-arrival-tree-lighting-fireworks

2.) Downtown Ames Christmas tree lighting night. This Saturday 4-7 pm downtown ames. tree lightening ceremony @ 5:30, horse-drawn carriages, visit from Santa & kiddie train rides.

http://www.mainstreetculturaldistrict.com/files/announcements/851.pdf

3.) Ames E-free Live Nativity day & kid friendly activities!

Ames E-free Nativity, day-long Christmas event there will be a live nativity with a petting zoo, caroling, music performances, a village craft room for kids, cookie decorating, a full food menu, and Christmas tree displays. We went last year & had SO MUCH FUN. Here is some more information:
he Perfect Gift

Saturday, December 10
11:00am-6:00pm

First Free will present “The Perfect Gift” a Community Christmas Experience at the PLEX. As part of this old fashioned day-long Christmas event there will be a live nativity with a petting zoo, caroling, music performances, a village craft room for kids, cookie decorating, a full food menu, and Christmas tree displays.

http://www.amesefc.org/details/AnnounceDetails.aspx?AnnounceId=1880

4.) Dinner Theater @ Cornerstone Church. We go every year to these plays/musicals & we LOVE THEM. If you get a chance here is the information:

Christmas Tickets
A JB & Linda Family Christmas | December 8-18

This year, it's "A JB & Linda Family Christmas," complete with a hearty meal and all the songs you love presented by JB, Linda and their extended family.

SHOW TIMES
Thursday, December 8 | 7:00p
Friday, December 9 | 7:00p
Saturday, December 10 | 7:00p
Sunday, December 11 | 7:00p

Thursday, December 15 | 7:00p
Friday, December 16 | 7:00p
Saturday, December 17 | 7:00p
Sunday, December 18 | 7:00p

(Doors open at 6:30p each night.)

Purchase Tickets

TICKETS
All seating is reserved. Basic tickets (sections A, B & C) are $20 per person (includes meal & show). Upgrade to the "Sleigh Bell Package" (section SB) for $25 per person and enjoy front row seating and personalized party favors from JB & Linda. If you're a college student, attend the December 8 show for a discounted rate of $15 (sections A, B & C only).

Tickets will be available online, in the foyer after weekend services and at the Cornerstone office weekdays from 8:00a to 5:00p. Because this is a dinner theater event in our main foyer, seating is limited to 384 persons per show.

Length of event: 2 hours

MEAL MENU
Mixed green salad with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing
Iowa pork chop (9 ounces) smothered with white gravy and topped with grilled onions
French cut green beans
Cornbread with honey butter
Red velvet cupcakes
Ice tea & lemonade

CHILDCARE INFORMATION
Childcare is not provided at any of the performances. Recommended minimum age is 9. Young'uns under the age of 4 will not be permitted at the event.

http://www.cornerstonelife.com/christmas

Starbucks Deal!

2011-11-16T08:18:00.000-06:00

Head over to Starbucks November 17–20 from 2–5 p.m. for a great deal!

When you purchase one holiday beverage and get a second one free! Offer valid on holiday favorites: Peppermint Mocha or new Skinny Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Gingerbread Latte or Eggnog Latte

Find a Starbucks near you.

Boy or Girl??

2011-11-11T09:15:00.000-06:00

When I was pregnant with Tucker around this time we were very confident we were having a boy (even though we didn't find out) we went off of old wives tales; heartbeat, holding the child higher or lower etc. This pregnancy we have NO CLUE what we're having! Which is so much fun & is driving us completely nuts at the same time! :-) When it comes down to it though, we don't care what sex we have just as long as we have a healthy little baby.

Thankful for our Appraiser

2011-11-11T08:42:00.001-06:00

Let me give thanks that for my husband of 7 years, and best friend of 10, who continues to find me witty and charming and beautiful and hot and loves me more every day even though I question myself every day if I have done a good enough job to deserve his adoration and love. He is such an amazing father, husband, follower of Christ, leader & provider. With interest rates at {again} all time lows he has been working alot. The last couple of weeks it hasn't been unusual for him to work til 1 in the morning. He NEVER complains, always in a good mood & is always there when I need him. Ryan Houck, we are so thankful for you!

Hook, Line & Sinker!

2011-11-04T20:55:00.001-05:00

On the main floor of our home is either hardwood or ceramic tile...ALL OF IT. Did I mention it was WHITE ceramic tile? Never again will we put white in our kitchen... it shows every. little. thing! Maybe that's why we got the tile for only 0.08 cents a piece! Anyways, live & learn, right?! :-)

A few months ago I happened to run across an infomercial for the Haan Steam Mop. This thing looked amazing, I mean really! So as my floors got more & more annoying to keep clean & the swiffer pads refills were emptying our pocketbooks I decided to start doing some more research on this "miracle" mop. I read review after review, I quickly noticed I was becoming a spokeswoman for this product I had yet to try. I talked about it til Ryan knew everything there was to know, I made my sisters watch the infomercials with me & give me feedback. I think they were sick of me TALKING about it & just wanted me to BUY it! :-) So I did, except I didn't buy it from the companies website, I bought it off Amazon for a good twenty bucks off! (total $78.00 with free shipping) Well my friends, it arrived Wednesday & boy were we excited! Let me tell you what little losers we were Wednesday night was our date night & we went out to dinner then came back to clean our floors cause we were too excited not to! :-) We followed the instructions and WOW oh WOW! Did it work. Ryan & I were just so giddy in our purchase.

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT.

The best part?
Don't have to buy anymore refill swiffer pads/spray
no chemicals
drys instantly (I moped in my socks!)
can do any flooring, hardwood, pergo, ceramic til, laminate...you name it!
If you'd like to see a demonstration...JUST ASK! :-)

Grandma’s 7 Things

2011-10-11T22:12:00.002-05:00

Roughly a year ago my grandma huhn pulled me into her bedroom to tell me something's she wanted her grandchildren to know.

(told in no particular order, just how I remembered them)

1. It’s okay to eat some expired food, just smell it first before you eat it.

2. Don’t spoil your children, but make sure they have everything they need.

3. Always have frozen cookies in your freezer, you never know when you’ll have company.

4. Darn your socks & sew on buttons that fall off before you buy new.

5. Find a hobby you can make some side money on.

6. When you commit to something, always do/give your best.

7. A man would prefer a home cooked meal over going out to eat.

Goodbye Grandma Huhn

2011-10-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

On Saturday morning we lost my second grandmother in 3 months. I got the call @ 6:53 am Saturday morning -- I was in a great mood because I was 30 minutes away leaving for a girls getaway weekend. But, that was quickly changed. I lost it when my Boppa called. This death was so different than my Grandma Rhoads death where she had been "gone" for so long before she passed away. I had the experience to live with my grandparents twice. The first time I lived with them was a year before I married Ryan & most recently the last year and a half in our successful endeavor to become debt free.

There are so many things I want to write about her but I'm hoping to do that tomorrow. For right now here is her obit.

Arlene Huhn, 78, of Nevada, passed away Saturday, October 8, 2011, at Rolling Green Village in Nevada following a long battle with Parkinsons Disease.

Arlene was born January 6, 1933, in Nevada to Isaac "Ike" and Myrtle (Cook) Tudor. She graduated from Fernald High School in 1951, and married her childhood sweetheart, James Daniel Huhn, March 15, 1953. Arlene was a 40 year member of the Central Presbyterian Church, most recently attending Family of Faith Church.

Arlene loved good music and influenced many young people teaching piano lessons. She also enjoyed singing, playing the piano and organ, woodworking, sewing, knitting and gardening. In her younger years, she was active in sports being a stand-out forward and softball pitcher. In addition, she was a 4-H leader for over 20 years. Arlene was a devoted wife and mother, and loved to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchild.

Those left to cherish her memory include, her husband of 58 years, Dan of Nevada; her son, Keith (Marce) of Nevada; her daughter, Holly (Dan) Page of Lawrence, KS; her twin sister, Darlene Adkins of Elkhart, IN; her sister-in-law, Thelma Tudor of MN; seven grandchildren, Ashley (Ryan), Carly, Haley, Riley, Kyle, Kirby and Brian; one great-grandson, Tucker; along with many other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Earl Tudor; and one brother-in-law, George Adkins.

Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, October 13, 2011, at Central Presbyterian Church in Nevada. Visitation will be 5:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday evening at Bacon Funeral Home in Nevada.

Memorial contributions may be made to Family of Faith Church, Parkinson's Foundation or the Rolling Green Resident Activity Fund.

Bacon Funeral Home and Crematory in Nevada is handling arrangements.

It's A...

2011-10-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

BABY!

...and that's about all we know or can guess at this point. I had another appointment yesterday & the heartbeat was right at 150. At this point in the pregnancy with Tucker we had a good indication it was a boy because of the lower heartbeat. (he was around 135ish.) We are leaning more towards a girl (at this point anyway) Either way, boy or girl it'll be loved! I am a week away from being in the 3rd trimester! YIKES!! IT HAS GONE SO STINKING FAST this time. I am definitely starting to get to the uncomfortable, slow-moving stage but am feeling great! According to this website I follow baby H will be here in roughly 97 days!
(Lord willing) Well, that's it for this baby update! As of today, we're thinking GIRL--but this is subject to change at ANY POINT :-)

whoo are you Tuesday

2011-10-04T09:10:00.001-05:00

Here are this week's questions!
1. Do you sleep with the tv or music on?
No, I am a FIRM believer there should not be a TV in the bedroom. period. I'm old fashioned like that! :-)
2. What is your favorite technology device that you own?
my blackberry.
3. Do you shop the ads for groceries?
oh yeah. I love Wednesdays when the advertiser comes, Sundays when the Sunday paper is out & two favorite websites I check daily for deals www.hip2save.com or www.mojosavings.com
4. What are you favorite pair of shoes? no, not really. I'm a rare girl who doesn't really care about shoes. In fact, I'm sure Ryan owns more shoes than I do!
5. Have you done any fun fall activities yet?
does buying a small sack of candy corn count? I have my fall decorations out I hope to get put up today or tomorrow. Hope to hit up the pumpkin patch next weekend.

pumpkin carving

2011-09-26T11:18:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty excited about carving pumpkins next month, look what I saw at Walgreens & Hy-vee last week? I think maybe Ryan will be excited about carving pumpkins this year! :-)

Hoo are you Tuedsday!

2011-09-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

Here are this week's questions!
1. What are your favorite 3 things about fall?
2. Are you a football fan and if so who is your favorite team?
3. What is your favorite fall scent?
4. So you have seasonal allergies?
5. Have you started Christmas shopping yet?

Here are my answers!

1. What are your favorite 3 things about fall?
Colors, Sweatshirts & football & Mums! (I had to list 4)
2. Are you a football fan and if so who is your favorite team?
Iowa State Cyclones & the Bears
3. What is your favorite fall scent?
Pumpkin Spice. I actually like Wal-mart's brand of this the best. YUM!
4. So you have seasonal allergies?
No (thankfully!)
5. Have you started Christmas shopping yet?
I'm going to start in the next week or so. My sister Carly just mailed her Christmas list last night so I can get started...and, knowing my other sister Haley I know hers isn't far behind! I'm hoping to get all my shopping done earlier this year just in case the baby comes early!

Operation Pacifier

2011-09-20T08:57:00.000-05:00

Day 1 no pacifier a complete success! He cried for a couple of minutes at nap time, but he did great last night for bedtime. What we did with Tucker was when he turned 1 he only got his pacifier during nap time & bedtime. Then, when he turned 2 (just a week ago) we knew it was time. So, the past week or so we started talking about pacifiers are for babies, and that's all he needed to hear we guess! So far so good!

We are loving this stage he is in. He is starting to interact when we ask questions...which is always fun. This morning I asked him who he loved and he said, "babies, Cy (ISU's mascot) & football." I think that made his dad's day! :-)

Thats whats been happening in our little world lately! :-)

Fall Tree

2011-09-16T14:18:00.001-05:00

Can't wait to do this with T-man. Check http://www.alittletipsy.com/2009/10/finger-painting-fall.html for instructions.

First Haircut

2011-09-09T15:11:00.000-05:00

Tucker had his first haircut/trim this week, and boy does he look older! He is growing up so fast. Overall he did really good. Ryan had to sit with him otherwise he would start crying his eyes out :-) We came prepared with fruit snacks & his pacifier, which helped ALOT! Overall, a very successful trip!

weekend!

2011-09-08T20:59:00.004-05:00

...trying to do better with blog posting again!

super excited for this weekend:
...have our ultrasound tomorrow morning for "baby h" pray that everything is developing/looking normal. {this is when we fell in love with Tucker, can't wait to see this little bean movin' & a shakin'!} We also have officially decided on our girl/boy names --including middle names-- so we can share our top reject names: Top reject boy name: Trice Top reject girl name: Shelby {we were going to call her Sherbert for a nickname}
...have family pictures tomorrow afternoon by the very talented Jennifer B!
...have a small breakfast brunch for our TWO YEAR OLD Saturday morning. (Cannot believe how fast the time is going!_
...going to the ISU Vs. Iowa game & have a parking pass! (Thanks to my Aunt Vickie!)
...going to perfect games after the game to play/eat pizza with the birthday boy. His FAVORITE thing to do is "shoot" he likes to help us shoot the basketball & football in the games they have there.
...teaching Sunday School for the 2nd time!
...heading to the Clay County Fair right after church on Sunday (staying til Monday) first time camping with our little boy!

yep, that's a whole lotta fun stuff happening this weekend!
Hope you have a great weekend as well!
Go Cyclones!

RVTV

2011-09-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

This year we decided to attend RVTV in Nevada, and boy, are we glad we did. We had a great family evening! Ryan got to meet his sportscaster hero (Keith Murphy) and Tucker got to see Cy again upclose. A Win-Win. I had mentioned on facebook that Ryan was SUPER excited for this event and when we left the house for three hours we came back to find our front door WIDE open (as in all the way) I guess in all the excitement we forgot to close & lock it. whoops! Glad we live in Ames, Iowa. :-)Enjoy some pictures we took of the night.

ruffled shower cutains

2011-09-08T09:57:00.000-05:00

Right now I'm totally loving ruffled shower curtains.
via www.pinterest.com {I could devote a entire post to that website! I just pinned my first PIN today!}
Love at first site.
Our bathroom is really bland right now so I went looking for ideas how to decorate it. After seeing these ruffled shower curtains I KNEW this is what I wanted to do! Then, reality sunk in when I checked 'em out on etsy to see how much they cost. Ohh, around the ball park of $100-$200. So, for right now I'll have to admire them from online! :-)

Whoo are you??

2011-09-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

Here are this week's questions!
1. What are some of your pet peeves?
toilet seat being left up, being tapped to get my attention, pregnant women smoking, hang nails.
2. Do you have a favorite or lucky number?
nope
3. What is one of your family traditions?
On your birthday you get woken up being sung the birthday song, & we have a birthday boy this weekend in our house! :-)
4. Is there anything you are OC about?
Not usually. I like to be organized but I usually am pretty flexible. My brother-in-law would probably say I'm anal on getting holiday plans nailed down early. :-) AKA planning Thanksgiving in Feb. We don't have Christmas nailed down and its driving me nuts! Okay, that definitely sounds like I'm OC about holiday planning! :-)
5. What is your favorite kind of food?
American--any of my friends/family {especially Ryan} will tell you I'm super BORING in my food selection.

Iowa State Football Game Opener

2011-09-06T09:54:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was Iowa State's home opener, and wow, was it a GAME! The last six minutes were enough to give you a heart attack, but we WON! We took Tucker to this game and he did GREAT. Couldn't of asked for him to do any better. At first, he had a death grip on me, but by the middle of the 1st quarter he was starting to clap when everyone else did too. :-)

Ryan & his man food!

Tucker taking it all in. Not too sure what to think at this point.

Family photo at the game. Tucker is slowly realizing my lap is becoming smaller :-)

Picture with Cy.

New Uses for Old things

2011-09-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Thanks to realsimple.com I got some cute & clever uses for old things!

Coloring Book Organizer

Cassette Case as Cord Organizer

Eyeglasses Case as Manicure Kit

Coffee Filter as Plate Protector

Ice-Cube Tray as Jewelry Storage

Magnet as Tweezer Holder

Oven Mitt as Heat Guard

Sheet Pan as Stationery Caddy

Thanks realsimple.com!

tailgating on my mind

2011-09-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

This week I've had tailgating on my mind.
Last night Ryan & I picked up our football pre-game food, YUM!
Ryan's going to make bacon wrapped shrimp & I'm going to make some festive Carmel Popcorn with Red & Yellow M & M's. We even got T-man a new little T-shirt to sport for the day!

Have a great weekend.
Go Cyclones!

* Homemade French Onion Dip
* Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Skewers with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
* BBQ Chicken Wings
* Spicy Red Beer

Images: people (inmagine.com), centerpiece (theknot.com), french onion dip, shrimp skewers, and spicy red beer (foodnetwork.com), football food table and football cupcake (familyfun.com)

Movie Theater Popcorn

2011-08-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

My husband LOVES movie theater popcorn. I sometimes think he loves it more than the movie. A way to save some greet at the theater is sign up for cinemark's weekly concession stand coupon. We haven't paid full price for popcorn/pop in months, usually 1/2 priced. If you do this in addition to the dollar theater, double score!:-)

Happy Savings
http://www.cinemark.com/weekly-email.aspx?status=subscribed

Local Deals

2011-08-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

If you live around Ames & like to save a buck or two this is for you!
About two weeks ago my friend Amanda turned me onto this site through the Ames tribune that sends out weekly/2 times a week deals for local area businesses. It is new and just starting to get off the ground. Click HERE if you'd like to sign up! To give you two examples of what I recently purchased:

1. Nichole's Countryside Market
Click here to see more information.
Get $50 worth of fresh Iowa produce for $25!
Featuring Iowa artists and products.
Half price! My mom & I just went there this morning and got 8 dozen sweet corn to freeze (which we just got done doing) for $3.12 (with the coupon!) We also got some peaches, watermelon & kringla! Yum! This was a super cute shop roughly a 10-14 min. drive from Ames on highway 69.
8 dozen sweet corn $5.50 dozen = $44.00
Kringla =$4.00
Watermellon =$4.00
Peaches =$3.00
-------------------------------------------
$55.00
MINUS $25.00 coupon worth $50.00
--------------------------------------------------
$ 5.50! (out of pocket)

so, total cost for $55.00 worth of produce? $30.50!

2. Pizza Ranch - Ames
Click here to see more information.
$10 voucher for only $5
my husband loves the pizza ranch (me not so much) but he can do a lunch date there or something with a friend :-) so we took advantage of that as well!

Happy Savings!
Here is the link:
http://deals.amestrib.com/engine/Splash.aspx?contestid=32183=home

the blessings of a small home

2011-08-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

i loved every word of this article.
thought i'd share.

from passionate homemaking blog:

Written by monthly contributor, Emily Pastor.

I grew up in a large home and assumed that’s what I wanted for my family when I got married. I often felt a twinge of jealousy when I heard of friends my age purchasing their first house while I had to “settle” with a tiny apartment and loud neighbors.

Looking back I am so thankful for living in small spaces and the experience of moving five times in less than 4 years. Each move left me holding on to my “stuff” with a looser grip and realizing that owning less can be a freeing blessing.

The Lord has used these moves and small apartments to teach me contentment. The type of contentment where I’m no longer “settling” for less, but when faced with the option, I’m choosing it. While these trinkets and “necessities” that fill our homes aren’t inherently wrong, they are temporary and fleeting and can easily become burdensome.

In our society we often think that having more than we need is a blessing. I argue that it can be tiresome and a burden. If you, like me, are living in a small space and struggle with contentment, here are some reminders of the blessings of less.

1. Less to Clean
Times of cleaning truly bring out my contentment and thankfulness for a small space. I often think of how much more of my time would be spent cleaning a larger home. I can vacuum my entire apartment in less than 10 minutes. I love scrubbing only one toilet! Dusting is a 10 minute breeze. With less space I’m able to keep a deeper-cleaned home instead of spending most of my energy keeping things “looking” clean.

2. Less Chasing
When we’ve stayed at my parent’s larger home, I’m always amazed at how exhausted I become from chasing little ones. I’m sure this isn’t a huge deal when children are older, but with new walkers and wobbly toddlers, chasing can become an all day affair. Small spaces allow young ones the freedom to move around the house without gates and still be within earshot and eyesight of Mama.

3. Less to Decorate
Small spaces are not only less intimidating to decorate, but they are much more friendly to the decorator on a budget. I love decorating a small room to be cozy and functional without the pressure to find pieces simply to fill empty spaces.

4. Less to Maintain
Whether large or small, all homes require maintenance. Appliances break down. Furniture wears out. Walls need new paint. Roofs leak. Lawns need mowing. Smaller spaces can reduce the time and money spent on keeping a home maintained and comfortable.

5. Less Space for Clutter
With limited closet and storage space I’m forced to weed out useless clutter due to the lack of clutter hiding spots. I wouldn’t deal with my clutter nearly as much if it didn’t invade my space so easily. This lack of space is a blessing! My space keeps me accountable to what we do and don’t need around the house.

“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Whether you are in a large or small home, may your hearts be filled with contentment, generosity, and thankfulness to the One who provides for our needs so faithfully.

bread in a can

2011-08-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

what a sweet idea!
Bread in a can.
Click Here to check out how to copy this finished product!
http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2011/05/teacherappreciationidea/

a little pregnancy update

2011-08-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

...I am one week from being half way done with this pregnancy! {which slightly freaked out Ryan this week} :-)
...I am feeling GREAT! No more morning sickness, no more throwing up! YAHOO! That in itself is awesome. I feel overall more tired with this pregnancy but probably because I'm chasing a very active toddler :-)
...we finally agreed upon the boy & girl name, which is always fun. Tucker can even pronounce them both :-) We now need to find middle names.
...one of the sweetest thing Tucker does is comes up to my expanding belly & say "Hi babee" and kisses my stomach. priceless. We're slowly trying to get him used to the fact he'll have another brother/sister before he knows it!
...unlike with Tucker I have a lot stronger cravings. Right now, my current obsession is a Carmel apple. {I hope to fulfill that craving at the State Fair on Tuesday!}
...we still covet your prayers that this pregnancy goes smoothly & our little munchkin grows & develops normally

2011-08-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

One of Tucker's favorite things to do is watch Elmo on youtube. He often asks for "elmo" or "tuu tooo" (youtube) often. Since Ryan's office is in our home the little guy & I go and visit him a couple of times a day {whenever I get bored!} :-) and bug 'em. So, we've come to the conclusion that Tucker thinks Ryan watches youtube all day long because he has TWO monitors. What a job that would be!
so funny.

movin' right along

2011-07-27T19:39:00.001-05:00

last Sunday night we moved. we moved into our quaint 1895 duplex. we love it. it is starting to feel like home. we are roughly 70% done with unpacking which feels amazing. Tucker is slowly adjusting to his new "home." We bought this little duplex in 2007, within the first two minutes of our first showing I feel in love with it. Each side is completely different (which later we found out via the abstract this property was two different houses they made into one in 1952. Interesting, huh?) Although it is small, it has more than enough room for our family, which we are grateful for. Last summer I read this book called the simple life and spoke of how in the 1950's the average household size was 4.5 kids with 950 square feet of living space. Nowadays the average household is 2.3 kids and over 1,600 square feet. So our families are getting smaller, but the houses are getting bigger? I found that completely fascinating. You can find Ryan's home office in the basement next to the washer & dryer. :-)

As much as we've moved, we really despise it. We've moved 7 times in SEVEN years! We often joke if this item makes it to the next move we're tossing it, so I guess you can't call us pack rats! :-) The question we get asked most frequently these days is how long you plan on living here? And the answer? We honestly don't know, which is so unlike us, but we're loving that kind of freedom right now. We know we're not done buying property yet, so who knows! Thought I'd share some cool fun houck facts about our new place:
-two house put together into 1
-bought this place by someone overhearing us saying we wanted to buy a duplex. Is that God's ears or what?1
-its right across from cy-ride which makes this a hot ticket property when renting
-its ten minutes from anywhere in ames
-my hubby's office in the basement
-we have lots of wild bunnies around & Tucker loves them all
-we have lived in both sides of the property to make improvements to the separate units
-I feel in love with this place in the first two minutes

so, this is where we are now!

cheap movie tickets!

2011-07-27T10:47:00.004-05:00

SOLD OUT!

today the national groupon site is havig a HUGE sale on movie tickets through fandango. Ryan & I have used this MANY times going to the "expensive" theather on the cheap! We're able to see blockbusters for $4 bucks!

Click here to check out this offer. we have never had to pay the fandango convience fee with this offer either. it has always been waived.

pizza lovin.

2011-07-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

our happy little guy eating our first supper in our new place.

this is T-man's third home in less than two years! Last week was a little rough with him adjusting to the move, but this week has been MUCH better.

painting

2011-07-12T15:20:00.001-05:00

We're getting ready to move {like tomorrow}

and Sunday evening Ryan & I went over to paint our family room.

after we just finished I proclaimed: "I hate it. The whole time I was trying to convince myself I would like it better."

Being the amazing husband he IS, laughed & said lets go pick out a new color tomorrow. which we did and repainted the room last night.

Much better.

AMAZING MAN!

I got a good one I'm tellin' ya!

Farmer's Market Strawberry Smoothie

2011-07-09T12:26:00.000-05:00

T-man after taking a sip of his first strawberry smoothie.

He loved it.

Between being on dog lookout and smoothie sipping' he was in seventh heaven!

a old huhn tradition, now a houck tradition

2011-07-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

{mouth watering}

Christmas Morning Rolls:

growing up my mom made these rolls on special occasions.

holidays, after sleepovers, birthdays etc.

They are amazing and ohhhh, so simple to make.

So naturally, these have become a Houck tradition as well.

Ryan always requests these on his birthday, fathers day or any holiday for that matter!

Click here to view this 5 star recipe!!

Ingredients:

24 frozen dinner rolls
1 (3 3/4 ounce) package butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
1. 1 Arrange rolls in greased fluted tube pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls.
2. 2 Cook butter and remaining ingredients over a low heat until sugar dissolves and mixtures bubbles; pour over rolls.
3. 3 Cover tightly with foil and let stand on counter over night.
4. 4 Next morning, remove foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then invert carefully onto serving dish.

Goodbye Grandma Rhoads

2011-07-08T09:05:00.000-05:00

This week has been extremely tough. This week we buried my Grandma Rhoads. You go through so many emotions through the whole funeral process. We had alot of good family time, which was great. Yesterday I had a baby appointment for 'baby h' and when the nurse asked if anything in my family history had changed I started crying & told them to put my grandma Rhoads as deceased. Its really weird when it'll hit ya. We have been SO thankful for the outpouring of love, cards, food & calls. We were FLOORED when there were over 660 people at visitation alone. It was so neat to know how special that lady was to not only our family, but so many others. This week I've found myself wishing somethings.

I wished my husband could of gotten to know the real grandma Rhoads & heard her infectious laugh. I wished she could of gotten to meet my son & give me advice as a new mom. I wish we could of played another game of scrabble after a family event, even though most of my words are 'at, soon, etc.' However, as much as I've wished in the past few weeks, I've been so thankful. I am so thankful she made me eat the crust off my toast. I am so thankful for her wanting us to come visit her every summer for a couple of days. I am so thankful for the times she'd ride bikes, or take us to the pool. I am so thankful she set an amazing example of what a mom should be, that is why I think my mom was such an amazing mom. I am so thankful for all the sporting events she was able to make it to. I am so thankful for making holidays so special at their house. I am so thankful for the sixteen years I got to know her before the disease took over. Thank you Grandma & we love you, more than you'll ever know!

Below is three news articles recently printed.

Mary Rhoads (1933 - 2011)

Mary Rhoads, 78, of Ankeny passed away on July 1, 2011 at home with her family by her side following a long 13 year battle with Alzheimer's. Mary was born on February 11, 1933 in Clinton, Iowa to Robert and Leona Swanson. She was a lifelong resident of Iowa and participated in scouting, church choir, teaching, college registration and 18 years as a secretary in the House of Representatives. She was a resourceful, fun loving wife and mother, caring deeply about her family and friends.

Left to cherish her memories are her husband of 57 years Cecil; three daughters, Marce (Keith) Huhn of Nevada, Sandy (Mike) Macklin of Ankeny, Susan (Tim) Jennings of Ankeny; two sons, Tony (Jana) Rhoads of Ankeny and Paul (Vickie) Rhoads of Ames, 13 grandchildren, one great-grandchild and a sister, Gloria Izard of Vine Grove, Kentucky. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother, Robert Swanson.

The family would like to thank SouthernCare Hospice for their loving care.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. Both will be at the Ankeny First United Methodist Church, 206 SW Walnut St., Ankeny, Iowa 50023. Burial will be in Ankeny Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Alzheimer's Association , SouthernCare Hospice or Ankeny First United Methodist Church.

Iowa State football: Coach Rhoads' mother dies at age 78

Mary Rhoads, the mother of Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads, died Friday after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s.

She was 78.

Mary and her husband, Cecil, were married 57 years and had five children, 13 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Her struggle with Alzheimer’s inspired coach Rhoads to help organize "A Ride To Remember," an annual event in which participants rode motorcycles through Ames in order to raise awareness of the disease.

When Paul Rhoads took over the Cyclone program in December 2008, Cecil Rhoads talked about the bond between his wife and son.

"They were so close," Cecil Rhoads said. "When he'd go uptown or something, he'd give his mother a kiss.

"It didn't matter if he was in front of his buddies, he still gave her a kiss."

The Rhoads family lived in Ankeny.

A visitation will be held Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. at the Ankeny First United Methodist Church. A celebration of life will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association, Southern Care Hospice, or Ankeny First United Methodist Church.

Overflow crowd attends funeral for Mary Rhoads

It’s pretty clear that Mary Rhoads touched the lives of many people.

An overflow crowd packed the Ankeny First United Methodist Church on Wednesday for the funeral of Rhoads, the mother of Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads. Several hundred guests attended the visitation on Tuesday night.

Rhoads passed away on July 1 at the age of 78.

“Mary didn’t have an agenda,” said Keith Huhn, Rhoads’ son-in-law. “Her agenda was your agenda.”

Both Huhn and Tony Rhoads, one of Mary and Cecil’s five children, spoke at the funeral. Tony praised his father for being Mary’s primary caregiver during her 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s.

Tony also told the crowd that he knew how proud Mary would have been to know that Paul had become the Cyclones’ head coach. He mentioned how much it bothered Paul that his mother was unable to attend a game during his first two seasons in Ames.

“But she’ll have the best seat in the house for the 12 games this fall,” said Tony. “No, let’s make that 13 games.”

*Articles courtesy of the Des Moines Register.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

2011-07-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago my mom & I made a WHOLE bunch of strawberry jam. We went to the Berry Patch Farm outside Nevada & picked 30 pounds of strawberries!

{the strawberries cost $1.85/lb}

YUM!

The next afternoon we got to work making them into jam.

The whole process went really quick!

...and it tastes AMAZING!

We made over 60 jars & plan on giving them out around Christmas!

Later on this month...freezing sweet corn!

Grandma Rhoads

2011-07-02T18:47:00.001-05:00

Yesterday {July 1st 2011} we lost one amazing lady, my grandma. She was a fun-loving, outgoing, amazing woman who will be missed dearly.

Grandma, we love you.

4th of July Cake

2011-07-01T12:18:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest, I don't know if I'd have the patience to make this cake, but isn't it awesome!? Not hard, just lots of steps.

If you're interested in making it, click HERE!

top garage sale find this season

2011-06-29T12:34:00.000-05:00

A month or so ago, I found my TOP garage sale find of the season (so far)
I bought a tub FULL of Scentsy candles --never used.
I walked away with about 65 different fragrances for around twenty bucks!
I normally wouldn't think of buying this brand of candle (due to the high cost) but I am hooked!
THEY SMELL SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD.
THEY LAST FOR A LONG TIME (I am still on my first one, I started roughly three weeks ago)
THEY don't use fire (my candle warmer uses a light bulb)
...did I mention how they FILL YOUR whole house with these great smells?
I am now hooked.
{even my hubby has been commenting on how good they smell!}
Love fun finds like that.
Its really the little things. :-)

7 years together

2011-06-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday Ryan & I celebrated 7 years of marriage. I am so thankful for the man God gave me!

Our second date we ever we were hanging out talking at my apartment & I brought freezey pops to snack on. I think between the two of us we ate 30 of them! I remember telling him halfway through the date I couldn't believe someone else loved them as much as I did! I knew then he was a keeper right then! ;-) We don't really do big gits for anniversaries, but this year Ryan surprised me with Freezey pops! YUM! So that night as we were talking & reminiscing about the last 7 years we were also enjoy some freezey pops!

We had a BUNCH of Ryan's family in town for his cousins bridal shower so we spent the weekend getting in some good family time. While the girls were at the bridal shower the boys went off to go go-carting, golfing & showing off their skills in the batting cage. After the shower the guys & gals met up to go bowling. Ryan beat me by 1 ! I had 133 & he had 134. Then headed out to dinner. Thank you to grandma Marce & Uncle Riley for watching the T-man for us! Sunday morning we met everyone at the Machine Shed for breakfast & said our goodbyes. We ended up laying low that day ( I wasn't feeling the best) and put in a movie. We hope to get an overnight in Cedar Rapids sometime soon!
All in all, a great weekend!

2 FREE cards {think Father's Day}

2011-06-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

Walmart has American Greeting Cards priced for around $1. Use the 2/$2 American Greeting Cards Printable Coupon, and score 2 for Free after the coupon! We believe Target has these for around$1.29.
Buy (2) American Greeting Cards – $1
- 2/$2 American Greeting Cards Printable Coupon
= 2 FREE after coupon

thanks, Hip2Save!

can't hardly wait!

2011-06-16T09:38:00.000-05:00

Ryan & I were talking the other night how excited we are to move! I will say we have thoroughly enjoyed living with my grandparents and Tucker loves the socks off both of them because of it! :-) I came up with five things we're super excited about:

1.) The TV OFF. We aren't big TV watchers in our house but my grandpa on the other hand is a TV junkie! It is on morning, noon & night. I can't wait to have the pandora playing instead of the nightly news! :-)

2.) A Playground within walking distance! Looking forward to burning some of Tucker's energy this way.

3. Family Time. Just the three of us. For the last year we haven't gotten that too often so we're REALLY looking forward to that.

4. Hobby Lobby within walking distance....enough said! :-)

5. Bubble Baths &Water pressure. :-)

hospital survival kit

2011-06-13T12:26:00.001-05:00

thought this was such a cute idea.
and did I mention its a free printable?
Click here

How to make ice cream in a baggie

2011-06-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

fun kid activity.

ice cream in a baggie.

YUM.

Click HERE to find out how!

Thanks 2 little hooligans!

4th of July (my style)

2011-06-13T08:52:00.000-05:00

i love simple.

these two 4th of July ideas are right up my alley!

simple patriotic treats: click here.
Ice cream sandwiches dipped in festive sprinkles. brilliant!

colorful patriotic treat (made these last year--were a big hit)
told ya', I'm all about the simple! :-)

super short update

2011-06-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

...by the end of next month we hope to be in our own place in Ames! (more to come)
...my due date is JAN. 12th! my memory on my last cycle was horrible! :-)
...is slowly unpacking items from our storage shed into our new place. I tell you what it feels like CHRISTMAS going through that stuff again! :-)
...I am 9 weeks pregnant so if this little one is like Tucker I still have 4 weeks of morning sickness. Not fun, but i'll take it cause it means that this little bean is growing strong.
...I have the BEST husband E-V-E-R! He has been so great picking up the extra slack due to not feeling well.
...Tucker is at such a fun age! He our little busy body and loves to identify everyone in the room, loves Elmo and loves the outdoors!

okay, more later!

my morning sickness remedies

2011-05-25T14:43:00.001-05:00

I really thought I was going to by-pass morning sickness this time around, but I didn't get so lucky! Yesterday I had my first visit with the nurse concerning this pregnancy and the morning sickness I've been feeling lately. This time she suggested something I haven't heard of doing, so after the appointment we ~~sprinted~~ went to our local drug store and bought motion sickness wrist bands. I was a little skeptical at first but now I am a believer. I still have the nausea, but at ALOT lesser degree. It started working about five minutes after I put them on both wrists. The cost was around $8.00.

Sea Band Motion Sickness Wrist Bands For Adult Features:

it is a knitted elasticized wrist band, which operates by applying pressure on the Nei Kuan acupressure point on each wrist by means of a plastic stud.
it has been clinically tested against nausea and vomiting in travel, pregnancy, anaesthesia, chemotherapy and all conditions which induce nausea.
They are suitable for adults and children.
Because the bands do not use drugs, they do not cause any of the side effects associated with anti-nausea drugs and can be worn on each wrist whenever you feel nauseous.

DIRECTIONS:

Simple to use, the Sea-Band does not need specialist handling.
Care should be taken however to position the bands according to the instructions provided with the product.
They become effective within 5 minutes even if nausea has already started.
They can be worn continuously.

and my other morning sickness helper?
LEMON DROPS!

expecting baby # 2!

2011-05-17T13:35:00.001-05:00

How we found out we were expecting baby # 2, or ‘baby H” as we’ve affectingly started calling him/her.

Last Friday my mom, sister Haley, friends Deb, Donna & Jessica took off for the day to Watch Cheer Iowa for a day of flee market finds. Its about an hour and a half away so on the way home my girlfriend Jessica & I were talking about our kids & the upcoming “holiday” of Mother’s Day. We took bets on what our husbands would do etc. J (to our credit we pegged them correctly!) I had casually mentioned I was late on my cycle and Jessica had suggested I take a pregnancy test on Mothers day--how fitting. I thought that was a really cool idea, but the day came and between visiting all the moms/grandma’s I hadn’t had time to get a pregnant test from the store. I had casually mentioned to Ryan I have been late, but we weren’t thinking BABY. So Monday comes and my friend Jessica & I were texting --to see if our assumptions of Mother’s Day were correct and she asked me if I had taken a pregnancy test and I said no. So she happily offered to get a pregnancy test for a “pee party” after small group the next night. J So, after small group we went to the restroom & both peed on the pregnancy tests…and we had no longer than put them on the counter & my friend yelled…”YOUR PREGNANT!!!” I looked at the stick in complete disbelief!! It was as if my mind was saying CANNOT COMPUTE, CANNOT COMPUTE …we laughed & hugged and I all the sudden yelled “ I GOTTA GET RYAN!” So I went out pulled Ryan into the womens bathroom with a HUGE smile on my face & he was equally surprised, but excited! What a fun way to find out! Although this has been a HUGE surprise we are excited to meet this little one come December! We’re unsure on the due date, however I go into my first OB appointment the 24th so hopefully I’ll know a little more after that. In the meantime we’re calling this little baby: “baby h!” If I were to guess I am roughly 10 weeks along.

Hold it against me.

2011-04-18T18:49:00.000-05:00

I'm going share a little secret of mine...

I love Britney Spears' music.

there, i said it.

please don't judge.

but i also love a good remix.

here is my boy sam tsui who just happens to be one of my sisters and I's favorite youtube singers.

fancy that!

2011-04-05T14:31:00.001-05:00

My little sister {Haley} started a blog as of late

she is a young twenty something fresh out of college trying to become domesticated or so she says! :-)

She loves trying new recipes, is discovering her decorating style, is a garage sale junkie & loves to save a buck!

Click here to check her out...and while you're at it become a follower and make her day!

http://www.fancy--that.blogspot.com/

Looking for houses

2011-03-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

As of three weeks ago we are actively looking at buying a house!

So exciting.

Let me back up a little bit... we've actually already put an offer in on a house, but due to it being a 'short sale' we might not know for a up to a month or two if we'll get it. There is already another offer before ours but due to how long it'll take they are on the fence & may walk. So, time will tell.

2011-03-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Groupon has a great deal today!
You can get a $15 voucher to eBay for just $7! This can be used to buy anything on eBay and can even be applied towards shipping and handling.
You must have a registered eBay and Paypal account to purchase this Groupon.
Limit of one per person.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom

a little funny for your friday.

2011-03-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

need a little humor going into your weekend?

Check this out!

:-)

Simplify your life.

2011-03-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

I came across an article this week in Metro Christian Living written by Cathy Haynie. I liked her ideas and thought I'd share 'em. Just a few simple things to make life more simple.

1. Fill up the car when the tank is half full.

2. Keep a magnet pad on the side of the fridge for you and your family to add items to the list as you run out.

3. Keep house plants to a minimum.

4. Keep only one credit card in your wallet.

5. Have a place to drop keys, phone and bag close to the door.

6. Keep a travel toiletry bag packed.

7. Sort mail over the trash.

8. Double and freeze one meal a week.

9. Sort laundry as you go by having a basket for lights and a a basket for darks near where each family member dresses.

10. Pack lunches, work bag, and school bag the night before.

11. Have a place for duplicate keys and stock it for emergencies.

12. Adopt the house rule: Don't just put it down, put it away.

13. Make dinner decisions the night before.

14. Severely limit children's activities, lessons, and sports.

15. Make the bed every day as your feet hit the floor.

16. Pay bills online, setting up auto pay and auto save.

17. Maintain a well-stocked pantry.

18. Keep grocery sacks in the car for trash and quick clean-outs.

19. Have one place for mail.

20. Teach little kids to set the table, middle school aged kids to do laundry, and teenagers to do yard work.

21. Keep evenings free, or at least set a limit to nights out.

22. Use a crock-pot often.

23. Leave 10 minutes early.

24. Don't answer the phone during dinner.

25. De-clutter by clearing off kitchen and bath counters, the front of the fridge, and the console of your car.

26. Keep a supply of household items like toilet paper, light bulbs, and batteries.

27. Always keep a little cash and change in your wallet.

28. Plan 5 to 10 great menus on index cards; menu on one side and grocery list on the reverse.

29. Use baskets wherever you tend to pile clutter.

30. Buy each family member one jumbo package of their own kind of white sock and get rid of the rest.

Makes ya think. I can't TELL you the times I have looked for a pair of MATCHING socks! :-)

March Madness bet with my hubby!

2011-03-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

For the last three years my hubby & I have a bet who will get the most right on our march madness brackets. The last three years I have LOST every, single time! :-)

I am determined to win this year.

If I win I get a one hour massage.

If he wins he gets a golf outing with a cart.

Let the games begin!

last shift @ HP

2011-03-14T14:08:00.003-05:00

my last shift @ HP was last thursday.

i cannot tell you how cool it was to have the WHOLE weekend with my family.

Here is a couple of pictures of my last day.

my three favorite boys came in and visited.

the whole processes ---start to finish--- was six months. I started right after Tuckers 1st birthday & quit right at his 1/2 birthday.

(the first picture did not turn out great due to the sun!)

It was SO cute Tucker kept seeing me walk by their table & would blow me kisses & smiling real big. He couldn't figure out why I couldn't stop & sit with him. :-)

st. patricks day idea {free printable}

2011-03-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for any holiday.

I thought this was a cute idea for the special people in your life.

Click here to copy this idea!

a cluster of goodness

2011-03-10T10:48:00.000-06:00

TODAY is my last shift @ Hickory Park. As of 10:00 p.m. tonight I will be a full time house-mommy again! boo-ya!

YESTERDAY we got our taxes done. completed. finished!

TOMORROW my men & I are going to our FIRST garage sale of the season.

THIS WEEK we started our hunt for our next duplex to buy & hopefully move into. {I'll explain more there later}

LATER this month we have a marriage conference that we are REALLY looking forward to. Amana Colonies + my husband + childfree= can't hardly wait!

THIS WEEKEND: both my sisters will be in town for some R& R and celebrate their birthdays. (and I DON't work weekends anymore....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!)

MONDAY I got PAID $20 bucks for my first site review for couponchief.com and found a sweet site in the process!

Coupon Chief: site review

2011-03-07T21:26:00.001-06:00

I love a good deal.

there would be no way we'd be debt free right now if it wasn't for couponing!

so I found a cool, new to me coupon site I'd like to share with all my frugal readers:

http://www.couponchief.com/

{Here are just a few reasons why I love it}

you can use the coupon for online shopping & instores!

has a user friendly video to get you started to saving you money!

is one of the fasted growing coupon sites

has over 250k visitors a month!

We have over 50k coupons for over 15000 stores, giving us one of the largest databases of online coupons on the net.

you can share a coupon code & make some extra $$. Every time someone uses a coupon you've uploaded, Coupon Chief will give you 2% of the sales.

...and the best part is how user friendly the site is!

Let me know what YOU think.

Click HERE!

date night half priced!

2011-03-04T22:32:00.000-06:00

two good "mail" day happenings:

e-mail find:

so my last post I talked about getting two movie ticets for $9.00?

Well Ryan & I used it immedately for a good ole movie with some friends.

yeah for new releases & good finds!

snail mail:

my $10 dollar applebees gift card came in the mail today (the one I scored for $5.00) thanks to hip2save.com

i love good mail days!

P.S.

look who found where we keep the flour:

deal alert!

2011-03-02T09:52:00.000-06:00

I just ordered mine!

two movie tickets for $9!

Right now, you can buy 2 Fandango movie tickets for only $9 from LivingSocial (another daily deals site like Groupon.).
click HERE!

Limit 1 per person. Make sure to read the details at the bottom of the offer on how to redeem your voucher.

Hurry and snag this offer fast before it’s gone!

two week notice

2011-02-24T23:03:00.002-06:00

tonight I put in my two week notice in.

a little bittersweet...

I have been a server overall for 10 years!

that is alot of saucy southerners served :-)

i thought i'd tell you some fun facts about HP due to my farewell post:

the owner lives next door in the brown house

we sing the happy birthday song 300+ times a week

we serve 17,000 people a week

we sell over 23,000 POUNDS of meat a week

a good server can make $25/hour

we go through 750 gallons of ice cream a WEEK!

the little indian statue at the front of the resturant freaks out alot of young kids

some customers really don't know which is bigger, the 1/4 burger or the 1/2 pound.

we have three sets of napkins: teal, pink & burgundy-- these colors mean everything & most servers have a set color they like being.

my husband loves the chicken tortilla soup and asks for it alot :-)

the resturant can hold 450 guests

during a shift it usually takes 60-70 people to run everything.

... i am really going to miss the chaos that working in a fast past restaurant give,s but I am

just so DARN excited to spend 25+ hours a week with these two studs!

Farewell HP!

$5 for a $10 Applebees Gift Card

2011-02-21T15:06:00.001-06:00

yeah! I just ordered one of these...date night! :-)

Mamapedia has a great deal for new buyers!

First time buyers can get a $10 Applebees gift card for only $5! click here.

Gift card will be mailed to you within 3 weeks. Limit one per household and billing address must be in continental US. No Gift purchases or referral credit s for htis deal.

There is no expiration date on the card!

thanks MoJoSavings!

Ryan turned 30!

2011-02-14T14:41:00.001-06:00

My husband turned 30 last Thursday!

{He is just as good of lookin' as the day I first met him! :-)}

Birthdays are big deal in the Houck household.

a tradition is you wake up to the birthday song being sung to you.

this year it was a solo but hopefully in the next few years the kiddos will be able to help :-)

Growing up my mom always made certian we felt so special on our birthdays.

{thanks mom!}

I made some Christmas Morning Rolls for breakfast ( I am not a great cook but these are so easy even I can make a mouth watering dish!)

then... we felt really old & met with an attorney & to do our will

(I didn't cry once!)

then...went out to lunch

then....headed to Des Moines for awhile

then... headed back home & had two of Ryans best friends over for dinner.

All in all it was a great day!

takethemameal.com review

2011-02-14T14:05:00.003-06:00

some dear friends of ours had a baby last Friday.

...a beautiful, healthy little boy!

I volunteered to coordinate meals for them.

A while back a friend of mine, Autumn told me about this website www.takethemameal.com

she said how it made coordinating meals SO MUCH easier..

{for example}

...it says what time the family likes to eat

....if they have any allergies

....how many people they need to feed

...the address

....AND THEN...

you sign up & write what you'll bring the family hopefully eliminating muliple meals such as tacos three nights in a row because you will see the meals others are planning on making!

to see what I mean: go to www.takethemameal.com

last name: hibbing

password: colton

pretty cool, huh?

thanks Autumn!

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T13:43:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentines day to you!

This is my 9th Valentines day with my Ryan!

Time really does go faster the older you get.

We don't too much for this "holiday" but it is nice to take time out to do special things for the people you love!

My husband took on a little plumbing job this afternoon/evening so while he's out little T-man & I will be going to my brothers basketball game!

Our Favorite Valentines Day:

my husband & I were college sweethearts.

Our second Valentines Day together my sister, Carly talked me into doing a singing Valentine to Ryan. My sister was a music major and every year the music department did singing Valentines as a fundraaiser. They travel all around the town & sing to lots of different ~~suckers~~ people. I thought this would be really funny, original & sweet. Since it was a music department fundraiser & Ryan happend to be taking a music class my sister spoke to his professor & asked if the singers could perform in the middle of the class. He agreed & halfway during the class on Valentines day called Ryan up to the front of the room & serinated him in front of 300+ people.

Thankfully he loved it! :-)

oh..and a free redbox code if you want to snuggle up on the couch with your sweetheart tonight...BEMINE

Free Redbox rental--today only!

2011-02-07T15:55:00.000-06:00

I've got a hot date tonight otherwise I'd so be doing this!

Get a FREE Redbox Rental with the code FEB7MOVIE. This code is good 2/7/11 only. Click here to find a location near you.

Thanks, The Freebie Blogger

debt free

2011-02-02T11:19:00.003-06:00

Two weeks ago we became debt free.

we have been completely blown away by following Gods prompting on our hearts & doing somethings we really didn't want to do
He blessed that.
There have been alot of hard sacrifices
BUT...
he blessed every.single. sacrifice.
We have been completely humbled.
we have been blown away.
I am not going to share the story on the blog yet

this is..
this is... the first time in our marriage we've been debt free
this is... the first time since we've KNOWN each other we've been debt free
crazy!
This is...totally rocking our marriage!

Valentines Inspiration

2011-02-01T13:21:00.003-06:00

Ryan & I both had ( and still have!) some pretty yucky colds over the weekend.

...we were in Chicago visiting Ryan's sister & brother-in-law.

we were drinking cold medicine & using cough drops like they were going out of style.

kleenex tissues were at a premium.

We even started jokingingly yelling at one another that the other person wasn't using up the kleenex as much as they should of.

yes, we were talking about using up all the real estate on that tissue before you grabbed for another one!

ohhh, the joys of being sick!

at least we could laugh at our misery, right?

Moving on...

Valentines Day Favorites I've been seeing around the web.

Sparkly Valentine Banner @ Lemon Tree Creations

or this 3D valentine. Would be totally cute, however to get my little one to sit still for 3 straight seconds is darn near impossible. but I loved this idea!

robo personal expressions:

or...i wheelie like you:

and, because I can't hold a secret from my hubby to save myself i am doing this one for him:
(the guy LOVES new socks, so this is cute & cheesy) perfect for valentines day!
We make a great pair:

stay warm & safe today!

Weekend Coupons for your shopping needs!

2011-01-21T09:11:00.000-06:00

Doing any shopping this weekend?

see if there are any coupons to meet your needs.

AMC – Free Large Coke with Large Popcorn purchase Exp 1/31
Barnes & Noble – BOGO 50% Off Kids’ or Teen Book Exp 1/24
Bath & Body Works – Free Anti-Bac with $10 Purchase Exp 2/6
Bath & Body Works - Free Signature Collection Travel Size Item with any Purchase Exp 1/26
Bed Bath & Beyond – Sign up for email newsletter and get 20% off coupon
Best Buy – $30 off various Kodak products Exp 1/31
Big Lots – 20% off purchase Valid 1/22 through 1/30
Coach – 20% off purchase Exp 1/23
Coldwater Creek – $20 off $100 Exp 1/30
The Container Store - Organized Teacher’s Program 15% off each purchase
ESPRIT - 20% off purchase
Express – Sign up for their Email Newsletter and get 15% off your next purchase.
Family Christian Store – 25% off regular price or 10% off sale price Exp 1/23
Family Christian Store – BOGO 50% off Exp 1/31
Fashion Bug – Sign up for their Email Newsletter and get 15% off your next purchase.
Gap Outlet - 15% off first purchase when you sign up for their email newsletter.
Gordman’s – 20% off purchase Exp 1/30
Hobby Lobby – 40% regular priced item Exp 1/22
Justice – 40% off purchase Exp 1/24
Kohl’s – 15% off purchase Valid 1/-21 through 1/23
Lane Bryant – 30% off purchase Exp 1/23
Michael’s – 40% off regular priced item Exp 1/23
New York & Co – $30 off $75 / $70 off $150 Exp 1/23
New York & Co - Get Offers for signing up for their Email Newsletter
Nine West – 15% off $65+ purchase Exp 1/31
Office Max – $10 off $30 Valid 1/20 through 1/22
Old Navy – Barker’s Bones Coupon Hunt on Facebook – Updated every Thursday night
Party City – 20% off $40 Exp 1/31
Payless Shoe Source – 15% off next purchase for signing up for their Email Newsletter
PEPBOYS – $10 off ProStart Battery Exp 1/31
Shoe Carnival – $10 off $49.98 Facebook Exclusive Exp 1/25
Shoe Carnival – $5 off when you sign up for their Email Newsletter
Stride Rite – $10 off $50 Exp 2/7
Sunglass Hut – Free Care Kit & Visor Clip with $15 purchase Exp 2/6
Tanger – Get Coupons for your Tanger Outlet Mall
Target – Various Coupons
Ulta – $3.50 off $10 Exp 1/22
Walgreens – Various Coupons in the January Coupon Book (found in-store).
World Market – $10 off $30 Exp 1/23

Thanks, Your Retail Helper

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

2011-01-20T13:07:00.001-06:00

today I made pumpkin muffins for a Bible study I'm attending.

I am addicted to trying new recipes.

...this one was a keeper.
put a little whip cream on top...yum!

I love allrecipes.com and the rating starts they give.

almost always if they rate an item 4 out of 5 stars its a great recipe!

this was so easy & no eggs or oil!

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

(click here to see the recipe on the website)

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

remodeling on a buget:

2011-01-17T11:29:00.001-06:00

Remodeling on a budget. There is an oxymoron if I've ever heard one! Got a remodeling project coming up? Here are a couple of tips to save you some money along the way.

Home Improvement Coupons: Buy a few 10% Lowes off coupons on ebay found here. Even if you do not have a lowes store around your area Home Depot & Menards will honor your coupon. Say you spend 4,000 you can save up to $400.00! Pretty awesome!

Ads: Every week during our remodel I would look at all the home improvement ads. From our experience the stores will gladly match competitors ads. Since there was a lowes 1 mile from our house --I would MUCH rather buy from there instead of driving 30+ mins. to a competitors store. For instance the Menards ad for that week had a new maytag dishwasher for sale for 248.00, Lowes price for the same name brand dishwasher was 305.00 ...they matched it no problem. It wasn't even the same model either, but the same brand. We did the same thing on interior doors as well. Menards had them listed for less $8.00 a door. We needed to buy 4 so this savings added up. They matched those as well. Just by taking in a local competitors ad we saved 89.00 just by checking out the ads which takes less than 5 mins!

Planning ahead: gift cards off ebay: And since you are doing a remodel and knowing you'll be spending some $$ at your local hardware store (ours happens to be lowes) you can buy a gift card off ebay again here. For instance say someone is selling a 500.00 gift card you can sometimes get them a little bit discounted. For instance I was able to get a 500.00 lowes gift card for 476.00 a savings of 24, but if you use ebates or some other cash incentive program you could save even more! I usually go through ebates which gives you 3% back on your purchases through ebay. saving another $14.00! So that 500 dollar gift card only cost me $462! Pretty cool, huh?

1+ 2 + 3= A whole lotta savings.

Hope this helped! I plan to post pictures on soon of our remodel last spring!

some things just can't be put in the baby book

2011-01-17T11:12:00.000-06:00

i've mentioned it many times before our little T-man loves music.

about once a day we'll do "youtube time"

roughly 10 minutes or so.

where we'll listen to a song or two.

he absolutely loves the muppets...

especially this one...

enjoy!

you're so vain!

2011-01-15T21:06:00.000-06:00

I am anything but a girlie girl.

My sisters are constantly trying to get me to dress "more hip"

Normally I don't give the latest beauty tricks the time of day.

Except this one.

...this one caught my eye.

Eyelash tinting.

One blog I follow ( & really trust her thoughts) is Lindsey over at THAT'S SO CUEGLY

Lindsey had her eyelashes done. Says it costs anywhere from $21-$35 and lasts about six weeks.

i highly doubt I'll get it done, but something kinda weird that I've never given any thought to! :-)

You be the judge of her before & after shots.

Gap: 40% off In Stores Today & Tomorrow

2011-01-14T16:02:00.000-06:00

Today and tomorrow, January 14-15, you can save 40% off of your ENTIRE in-store purchase at Gap! Just bring along this coupon, or just even show it to the cashier on your smart phone and you will get the discount!

How to sell a car on craigslist

2011-01-14T15:47:00.000-06:00

we sold our little pickup truck.

we did it for a number of reasons:
1.) couldn't put a carseat in the backseat
2.) poor gas milage
3.) we are ~~selling everything we can get our hands~~ on to become debt free.

we hope to get another one someday soon (and pay with good 'ole cash!) but we sold our truck within 36 hours! Is that not God blessing this decision or what!?

here are a few tips that worked for us.

1.) pray about it, even before you list the car. We prayed that this car would bless someone else, that selling this car would be honoring to God. (I can't stress this one enough)

2.) Clean it up. Get out the old shop vac & clean that little puppy up so it shines inside & out. My husband & I did this together and it took about 2 hours.

3.) Take alot of pictures. Take a bunch of pictures. Lots of angels & lots of different positions. People like pictures, the more the better.

4.) Set a fair price. We did not want to sit around with this truck for a long time. Once we felt good about selling it, we wanted it gone. Kelly Blue book suggested this truck go for 3,500 - 4,500. We went for the lowest number & put 'er on good old Craigslist.

5.) List the good and the bad. This one is key. You do not want to waste your time & potential buyers if you do not list the cars weaknesses. For our specific truck we had two weaknesses. (rust & the air conditioner did not work) we weeded out alot of non-serious people right there!

6. Contact info & Payment: Make sure to give them your cell & what type of payment method you'd accept. In this era of bad check writing etc we opted for a fool proof method: CASH, it speaks! Make sure you know your bottom dollar you'd accept and keep to it. For example we listed our truck for 3,500 and knew of bottom dollar was 3,200. We ended up selling it for $3,300 dollars, $100 dollars MORE than we bought it for two years ago!

Here was our ad.

1997 Dodge Dakota Sport 4X4

We are selling our 1997 Dodge Dakota Sport. (4 X 4) Little under 126,000 miles. We absolutely LOVE this truck, however we are trying to become debt free so this little beauty has to go! We have owned this truck a little over two years and have never had trouble with it. Mechanically sound & very reliable. We love having the 4 X 4 in the winter as well. (has come in handy a lot!) Very well taken care of and maintained with regular oil changes.

Recently Had done:

New front breaks

New Water Pump

Newer Battery

(1) new wheel barring

New Plugs & Wires

Changed transmission fluid about 15,000 miles ago

Pluses:

Great Tires

Very Reliable

4 Wheel Drive works great

Never left us stranded

Great Heater

Bucket Seats

Club Cab

CD Player

V8 5.2 Liter Engine

Automatic Transmission

Bed Liner

Towing hitch

Minuses:

Air Conditioner --we are not mechanically gifted people & never looked into getting this fixed. Not sure what the problem is. Could be simple fix, don’t really know.

A few rust spots

We believe in full disclosure. We want you to be happy with your purchase.

Kelly Blue Book had this truck listed from $3,500 (fair condition) --- $4,500 (great condition)

Serious interested parties.

No low balls please.

$3,500 Cash only please

Call/Text Ryan

515-291-7926

2/3 up the mountain!

2011-01-12T16:02:00.005-06:00

For those of you who know what we are doing.

You know, the living extreme, Beans & Rice diet, dave ramsey believers, living with your grandparents couple, , menu planning, coupon cutting, craigslist sellin’, debt kickin’ fools! Here is our latest progress. Go God, ‘cause its ALL because of Him!

16 months old!

2011-01-11T15:56:00.000-06:00

in honor of Tucker being 16 months we thought we'd offer up 16 random facts about him/our family:

1. he is an Extrovert to the max. He loves being around people!

2. In light of #1, Target is his favorite place to be...he loves to people watch.

3. He is loves anything with brushes, paint brushes, tooth brushes, brooms, hair brushes ...you name it!

4. He loves to say the word "Boppa" which is what we call my grandpa. Except, he says it in this dark low voice.

5. He is in constant motion, really constant. He does not want to miss a thing. I am convinced this is why he was a horrible nurser.

6. One of the cutest things he does is "the pat" He comes over and just pats you a couple of times then smiles...as if to say I'm glad you're here. {this breaks my heart everytime, he usually does after i've been at work}

7. we are quickly reaalizing we need some good book reccomendations for discipling behavior! I'm already dreading the "terrible twos!" :-)

8. when he gets the remote he think he is top dog

9. he LOVES to pull the bookmark out of every.single. book. Boppa reads. {we get a huge kick out of this one!}

10. he still is sleeping from 7-7 each night with still TWO naps! {Again, I could go on and on about babywise, but I'll refrain!} :-) We have more pictures of him sleeping than anything else.

11. he loves to be a little helper.

12. he loves music. period. anything, anytime. he is starting to clap along to some songs as well, which is always fun.

13. my husband affectionally refers to himself as a "housedaddy" when I'm at work while he cares for Tucker.

14. tucker already has a few nicknames... T-man and Tuck-a-muck is sticking around.

15. he is his fathers child, he loves to figure out how things work.

16. we affectionally refer to his belly as the 'thunderdome' named by his uncle Riley.

its like giving birth.

2011-01-10T09:43:00.000-06:00

i have never had a cavity.

over the new years (for about six days) I had a tooth ache.

The kind that makes you fell miserable & hurts so much kinda pain.

I was going to bed @ 8:00.

Tylenol PM was becoming my best friend.

Tuesday morning I had a wisdom tooth extracted.

God bless oral surgeons.

I feel so good now!

In my mind I put it on the same level as giving birth...that little tooth is gonna hurt like heck until you get the little sucker out!

:-)

Free Biggest Loser Workout Mix!

2011-01-05T11:01:00.000-06:00

Download The Biggest Loser Workout Mix "Wake-up and Workout" for free from Subway! Click HERE

homemade christmas presents

2010-12-30T20:52:00.001-06:00

this year for Christmas we decided to make homemade gifts to exhance with Ryan's sister & her husband.

we had no idea what to expect.

we had no idea what to make.

we must of changed our minds 20 different times.

it was so much fun!

we are already a gazillion steps ahead of ourselves for next year.

we already know what we're going to make!

{which is half the battle!!}

this is what we made them. this past summer they bought their first house!

horray!

so we opted for this painted black wooden sign where they could change out the sign to whatever they please!
Click here to see how this was made.

then...
look what they made me/us!
{i am LOVING this!!}

a gift wrapping station.
how cool is that?!

click here to see how this was made.

Already can't wait for next year!

{musical family}

2010-12-30T20:33:00.001-06:00

i come from a musical family.

Like real musical.

my grandma was a piano teacher

my dad had an Christian Album back in the 80's & has sung w/ Simon Estes

my aunt is a professional pianest

my sister is a music teacher...

my other sister sings all the time-- no mater who is around.

...they all love to perform

and I get that.

I love that.

I really appreicate that.

I must of missed the family meeting about loving to sing in public.

i rarely do it.

i get sweaty hands,

want to faint,

& all over curse myself out when I agree to it.

A few weeks ago I fell under a weak moment & agreed to sing @ my grandparents church Christmas Eve.

When I agreed to this I completely forgot...

...that there are usually 550+ people that attend that service

...that i want to toss my cookies

...that my entire extended Rhoads side family would be there

...that my hands become really, really sweaty

...but after its all said and done I'm glad I did it, and don't have the desire to do it for another 5+ years.

here is the video. quality is not that good becuase the lights were out due to the spotlight on Mary.

We sang Breath of Heaven (I started it out, then Carly then Haley with some duets & trios in the mixI start)
I started out super shakey, but got more confident as the song went on :-)

Christmas 2010 Top Highlights

2010-12-22T22:32:00.006-06:00

2010 Highlights :

Tucker turned 1! He is our little ball of energy. He loves anything that moves, especially balls, paint brushes, anything that makes noises or sings! :-) He constantly keeps us entertained and on our toes.

Family trips. This year we headed to Chicago, Illinois --to help Ryan's sister move, St. louis, Missouri-- Cousins' Reunion on the Houck side & finally headed to Lafayette, Indiana for a family wedding on the Huhn/Tudor side.

Cyclone Football. For six weekends this fall we had the privilege to attend all the ISU home football games. (Thanks to Uncle Paul & Aunt Vickie!) We had a great time cheering on the Cyclones. Ryan is determined to make Tucker a Cyclone die-hard like himself!

Intramural Sports: This past year Ryan and I were involved in a few sports teams. Last winter Ryan played City League Basketball while I played volleyball with a few girlfriends. This summer we played together on a co-ed volleyball team. Ryan was a little nervous (since he had never played before), but he turned out to be a powerhouse player!

Financial Freedom Goals: If you don't know what we are doing right now, please click here. Last September we got serious about kicking our debt to the curb! We are making tons of sacrifices {hense this ~~tacky~~ inexpensive way to send out holiday cheer!} We hope to ~~shout it from the rooftops~~ be out of debt entirely by September.

Final duplex remodeled: In the spring we remodeled our last duplex, and boy, did it feel good! It took about 8 weeks. This project was my primary ~~nightmare~~ focus while Ryan made the money! :-)

Midwest Appraisals' 1st Anniversary: On May 1st our appraisal company turned one-year-old! We are constantly blown away by what God is doing & how he is blessing us!

God is so good!

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Love,
Ryan, Ashley & Tucker

hot deal on ESPN magazine

2010-12-20T10:35:00.001-06:00

every year for Christmas I get my Grandpa Rhoads {sports enthusiast!!} a subscription to ESPN magazine. he loves it.

I was able to score it for $2.99 thanks to some awesome frugal blogs out there.

need a last minute gift for a guy in your life?

Get a 1 Year ESPN Magazine subscription for just $2.99.

Just use code ESPN at checkout. This is a limited time deal, so the price may go up quickly.

latest favorites.

2010-12-15T22:47:00.000-06:00

{Loved DIY Paper Behind your Shelves}

{loved these personalized gift wrap you can print with step by step instructions!}

{ Loved candy cane bark tutorial from my friend at Homemade by Monica.}

{loved this free printable tag}

these are just a few of the ideas I'm loving these days.

My Craigslist corner

2010-12-15T21:57:00.001-06:00

My "Craigslist Corner" is a section in our house where I stash everything I am currently selling on craigslist.

This week we had a twin mattress & a chair (both sold TODAY-yeah!)

My little T-man discovered he could crawl up on the piano bench with the mattress being there.

Enter the next video.

Not gonna lie, mainly for the family.

Enjoy our little Mozart.

(Auntie C will be so proud!)

Borders Coupon, 50% off!

2010-12-15T12:52:00.001-06:00

Borders Books has a printable coupon for 50% off of one regular price item in their store

(good thru Thursday)

2 BIG wooley boogers to go!

2010-12-13T15:38:00.001-06:00

"Wooley Booger"

that was an expression used often in my childhood by my dad.

growing up on a hog farm it usually meant....

difficult, or a big challenge coming up (usually from something breaking down)

when he used that term I cringed inside.

I dreaded it.

since we are working HARD to become debt free, we named our student loans affectionately, Wooley Boogers.

When we started our "debt free" endeavor last August we started with 10 different wooley boogers.

or, 10 small loans.

we have been working from the smallest loans to the biggest loans...adding momemtum every step of the way.

we have been working HARD...

...sacrificing alot.

...and as of last thursday

we are down to 2 wooley bugers left!!!!

We are excited.

We are thrilled.

...but these are the biggest two left

... the ugliest wooley buggers we have to face.