Is hoarding a bad thing?

This morning I bought 20 packages of pasta, as shown here in the above photo, for a grand total of $2.39. You heard me right. For about 11 cents a package. I am dabbling a bit in couponing and am quickly learning that it can be time consuming but very beneficial if you play the game right. I am still not ready to dive completely in, most real couponers get 5 Sunday papers every week and drive around to 12 different stores to get the great values. I just print off good internet coupons and review Smith's and Fred Meyer's ad's online. I am picky about what I buy, because even if it's a screaming good deal, we don't need 10 boxes of pop-tarts.

Remember that problem I had in November of buying a lot of Tillamook? They are having that same sale at Fred Meyer's where I can get the cheese for 3.99. I am stocking up. I guess we can have homemade mac and cheese for years to come! I will head back over to Freddie's tomorrow so I can get more cheese (I only have 4 blocks!) and use some coupons to get me some 25 cent cereal.

Anybody else out there starting to coupon? What websites do you use?

My New Ride...

I picked up this sweet little number at DI last week. I am really loving it. Isn't she a beaut? (That sounded too much like Junie B Jones, arg.)

Don't mind the weird post-it picture on the wall. Focus on the shiny redness, the chrome, the simplicity of the design. My neighbor who saw us haul it up the stairs and into our apartment commented on the oddness of it only having one wheel. Really? Should that be odd? I just like to brag that there is hardly any wear on the tire at all. It's got a lot of good years ahead! Giddy-up.

And not to be overlooked is Mike and his new ride...

It's not red. And it has 2 wheels. But it will do.

I can't believe she's 4!

I love this little girl! She is happy to be four but still impatient to turn 5 so she can go to school with her brother. She had a fun day playing with her new toys. Do you like the cake? This is the first non-rectangular shaped cake I have made. I think it is time for me to branch out, this was really easy and fun to do. 

I also wanted to add a picture of Ian diving next to the NO DIVING sign. He is doing great at swim lessons. 

Spring Break 2011

We took a little drive up to Oregon and Washington for our Spring Break. We haven't been back there in 7 years. I was excited to show my kids where I grew up.

A Gladstone Landmark

Oregon City Elevator. I can't believe that they
still employ somebody to push the up and down buttons
in the elevator!

Climbing the steps after riding the elevator down

The Geese at the Willamete River were
 huge and demanding

Clackamas River in Gladstone

I had my senior pictures taken around here

OMSI

On the way to Beacon Rock, a beautiful hike

At the top of Beacon Rock! The kids hiked the whole mile
 up and back. It was steep!

The kids loved the trip mostly because
they got to play with some awesome cousins

Round Lake Park

On the hike around Round Lake in Vancouver

We stopped at Multnomah Falls on the way home.
The kids are either cold or sad to leave Oregon.

Other things we saw and did that are not posted include Powell's bookstore, the Arboretum, the Portland Art Museum (incredibly psycho security guards that followed us room to room and yelled at our children), Fort Vancouver, My favorite brother's house, and probably more that I can't remember right now. 

Ian also lost his first tooth in Washington! Followed promptly by his second tooth on our arrival back home. Somebody make him stop growing up.

Best of all we were able to escape the stink of this town for a solid week!