Wednesday already?!

Where did Monday and Tuesday go?!  Oh... Monday was my big shopping day.  Tuesday was a day at home with Mike and the kiddos.  I have already blogged about Monday's excitement.  Yesterday we just hung out around here.  Nothing too exciting happened above the normal things Luke does to keep things interesting. 
Laura and I did work on our coupon notebook last night... yes NOTEBOOK!  Big white binder!  It is a monster of a thing.  I will post pics once I get the cover decorated.  Was it a lot of work?  Yep, it sure was, but I'm thinking it will be worth it.  Lissa, stop rolling your eyes!  Did you look at the pics of the stuff I bought for cheap?!  Now I know I won't have such success every time I go shopping, but if I can shave off $50 or more from our grocery list each month, that is an extra $600 a year that I could put somewhere else.  May not sound like much to you guys but for our family of 9 on ONE income, we could do a lot with that.  And if I can lift some of the burden off Mike's worries knowing that our grocery/necessity budget is stretching even farther, I will do whatever it takes.  I like see Mike relaxed when he knows things are working smoothly.
There will be a little more excitement around the Hill household.  My hubby has decided to add a 7 month old puppy to the mix.  One of his friends is getting us a lab puppy.  Mike says it is a golden/yellow lab.  Now I can't say that I was turning cartwheels when he broke the news to me, but I know the kids will be when they see him.  Laura has been about to drive me nuts about getting a puppy for the little ones, but I kept shooting the idea down.  Well no such luck this time!!!  Just wait 'til Skip calls here again!!!  :o) 
Emi has given Jonathan another nicname.... Nibbles!  I'm not sure how many of you remember the little mouse that would visit Jerry on the Tom & Jerry cartoons.  We have several dvds of the older T & J cartoons, and the kids LOVE 'em.  Andrew has been calling him Tater for months.
Luke has found the candy cabinet.  While I was on the phone with G-ma Jean this afternoon, Luke pushed a bar stool up to the counter and tried to open the top cabinets.  Those bar stools have to go!!!!  Luke doesn't need any addition help getting to things.  He has tried several times to figure out how to get over the baby gate by pushing the bar stool up to it.  He would be over in a heartbeat if something was on the other side for him to climb on to get down.  Oh goodness! 
I am checking into driver's ed classes for Andrew.  He will be 16 in a few short months and has to meet certain requirements for Joshua's Law.  I found some classes in the 'Boro that will cost us $299.. qualifying us for a $150 tax credit and an insurance reduction.  Another bonus is we wouldn't have to fill out all that junk in the driver's log.  The course will be 30 hours instruction time and 6 hours behind the wheel.  Now most of you know that Andrew has been driving FOREVER thanks to my daddy and the fact that we live on a farm.  He can take the class online for much cheaper, but he wouldn't qualify for tax/ins. credits and we have to keep up with the log.  Decisions, decisions!!!
Off to be a little more productive.  Love ya bunches!