2013 so far

2013 has not been good to us! To wrap it up as fast and as nice as I can....I turned 36 *yuck*! My ex filed paperwork to take me to court for joint custody of my oldest daughter. She wanted to go "try" living with him, so after MANY tears and prayer I decided to let her. She's been gone 2 weeks and I miss her like crazy. I've done pretty good and stayed strong. I've had only one MAJOR melt down. I have to be strong for my other kids so I can't completely shut down. I know she's not being harmed and I know she's ok (we text every day). I just miss her like crazy!

I was doing a 90 day challenge (which actually started in December 2012). I did he challenge and went off the challenge and back on etc. I ended up losing 10 pounds and 8 1/2 inches off my body with only working out 1 day the whole 90 days. I was disappointed with the weight loss, but very happy with the inches lost. My clothes were getting really loose. Then I had an shoulder injury and was put on 3 different meds. One of which makes you gain weight. Thankfully I only gained 5 pounds, it could have been much worse. I restarted the 90 day challenge this week and so far have lost 3 pounds.

I've got a plan for this round of the challenge and it can be found at http://mommyof6gettingfit.blogspot.com

I'm trying to turn 2013 around.

Jess

Almost 2013

I'm so happy that 2013 is almost year. I've decided that it WILL be a better year! 2012 was a really rough year, but I just know that 2013 is going to be better.

My husband's shift is changing and even though it's going to actually cost us more money in the next two years than normal (due to him using more gas) he will get to spend more time at home with us. We thought it would really hurt him on his part time job as well, but January is not showing that. Granted we will now only get to see him at dinner time until bedtime time for the next 2 years, but at least he has not only 1 job but 2. I'm very thankful for this!

Things are turning around for me as well. I started a 90 day challenge December 1st and lost 6 pounds and 7 inches in just 2 weeks. I stopped the challenge due to getting sick and the holidays. I'm getting ready to start back up tomorrow!

My daycare is going well. I have a total of 5 families that I'm baby sitting for. While it has it's ups and downs (just like any job) it's going well. I had to put my foot down two weeks ago and change my policy some. The new policies start this week so I'm praying things go a little better. As long as I keep watching these families children and the schedule doesn't change then I should be able to make enough money to put money in savings and be able to shop weekly sales to stock our bare pantry! Time for some more amazing grocery shopping trip pictures!

So here's to 2012 ending and better things going on in 2013!

Jess

90 day challenge

December 1st I signed up for a 90 day challenge. I'm going to get this fat off my body. I'm sick on looking like I'm expecting baby #7 and I'm NOT! I'm doing this challenge with my friend Doug and about 20 other people. We are doing a meal replacement shake, that is totally AWESOME! It taste great and has melted off 10 million pounds in the past 2 years! It's heart smart, glueten free, and lactose free. At first I was thinking "This shake is going to be nasty and I can't do this". The shakes are great! There are over 300 recipes! I'm on day 4 and so far haven't had a shake I don't like. Best part they have a ton of vitamins and protein so you aren't hungry! I have to remind myself to eat a healthy snack every day.

If you would like more info email me at jessicastrack@yahoo.com or leave me a message on here.

Jess

Do you every feel...

Do you ever feel like you just don't belong? You wonder "What is wrong with me"? "What did I do"? (or not do). I'm very much having one of those moments (or day/days/weeks).

I've lived in Virginia now for 12 years (I believe). I have made some friends, but I just don't feel like I belong. When I lived in Kentucky I had friends. We got together, we went out together, met for coffee, went to movies, or just hung out with each other at each other's place. Granted I only had one child then, but still I did things.

I have made friends since moving here. I'm not saying that I have no friends. I have friends, I just don't ever do anything with them.

When I moved to my current city I had no friends, I knew no one other than people at work. I had no friends at all. I hated living in Virginia, but I'd met a man who I loved from the moment I meet him (my hubby). Now I'm not working outside the home and my work friends are still working. I love staying home with my kids and keeping other people's kids (don't get me wrong), but there are some days I still wish I got out of the house and got to go to work and tell with all the work crap! Lord knows I dealt with a lot of crap at work.

I joined MOM's Club when I was pregnant with my fourth child. I made some great friends through MOM's Club, but it's no longer going. A lot of mom's have moved, or we've lost touch. Then I joined MOPS. The women there are great, but I still feel like I don't belong or that I don't fit in. I've been in the club for 2 years now and still feel that way.

I feel like I'm not included in a lot of things because of the size of my family. Like my kids will destory their house or what not. I've been invited to playdates (usually last minute, sort of a pity invite). We have gone to picnic's and what not. The last picnic I went to my family sat alone (just me and the kids), and two mom's (at the same time) got onto one of my kids for throwing pebbles (not at anyone just throwing them) while I was fustrated and dealing with a child who was actually having an issue. That just rubbed me the wrong way. Really what is the harm of a child that wasn't even 2 yet throwing pebbles at the ground?

The events I have been invited to are events in which they want you to buy something. I'm a family of 8 our money is tight pretty much all the time! I would much rather get together for coffee or just to sit around and chit chat.

I remember when I was a teenager telling my mom she needed to make some friends. Now I completely understand. As during the summers we were also a family of 8 and during the rest of the year a family of 6. I'm guessing she was in the same place I am not except she worked full time outside of the house.

I don't want to go out every night, but shoot once a week would be nice. To even be asked to something (that doesn't want me to buy something) would be awesome. I just want friends that I can text, call, hang out with sometimes. I can honestly say that I have 1 true friend that texts me, and wants to hang out.

I'm totally jealous of those mom's when I see that they went to the movies with a friend, went to someone's house with a friend, or even just hung out with a friend. I totally miss that. I'm so lonely. I don't think it helps that my hubby works nights were as most of my friends husbands work during the day.

Ok pitty party over, and I'll get back to my knitting or reading. Thanks for reading my complaining!

*sigh*
Jess

Ramblings

I really don't have just one subject to talk about. I hope everyone had a great holiday yesterday! It has really thrown me off. That and the fact that I had to get up at 6am today to have my oldest to school for a field trip. Now I'm sitting here drinking coffee and trying my best to keep my eyes open.

Over the weekend we had my Mom, Aunt, and Grandparents here for one day. It was great! I loved seeing them and so did the kids. We hung out and ate lunch and dinner together. It was great seeing them and I'm so happy they stopped by on their way to PA.

Over the weekend I also decided to join a co-op. My kids (the 4 at home) are super excited about it. They are looking forward to next school year already! I'm going to teach Arts & Crafts to the 2 & 3 year olds. That should be fun!

Chicken salad sandwiches....oh man! My Mom made the best chicken salad sandwiches for lunch when she was here. She used 2 large cans of chicken (drained), 1 small can crushed pineapple (drained), mayo, sweet relish and cranraisens. It was awesome! I made more last night, but I'm thinking next time I might even add some pecans. It was really good!

Well the kids are into something they should be, so I must run!

Jess

May

I know May isn't over yet, but I thought I would just write a little post anyway. It's just been crazy around my house. No way, not with 6 kids and a daycare you say!

The kids are completely and totally excited about summer time. They say this is going to be the best summer EVER! We found out at the beginning of the month that Grandpa & Grandma (hubby's Dad & Stepmom) were going to visit. They have never been to our house. Then we find out they aren't going to visit. So the kids were pretty sad about this. However, I planned a trip to Georgia to visit my family. My mom, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They are totally excited! Not only are we visiting family, but my cousin is getting married so that means they are going to see all sorts of family, and my mom's church does a big 4th of July party. So we will be there for the 4th. Great Grandma & Grandpa live out in the country and have a pond for fishing, and their neighbors have horses. Oh the excitement coming from my kids. The only bad part is Daddy can't go with us because he can't get off work:(

Oh but the week that my inlaws were coming hubby is already off work so we've got exciting things planned then. We are going to the lake one day for swimming, and cooking out fun! Then hubby is building my raised garden beds and I'm planting veggies. My tomatoes are already growing. So excited! I'm planning a huge garden this year. Please God give us some food off of it this year. I had no luck at all the last garden I planted.

Oh and I broke down and put the kids a trampoline in layaway awhile back and we will be getting that out in June. Totally excited about that! Of course we are going to set up the pool Grandpa got them last year also.

I'm hoping to plan a family weekend trip also. Not sure where we will be heading though.

Right now I'm fighting a really bad sinus infection. It's been awful. I'm on day 2 of meds though. I was hoping to fix it on my own at home so my not wanting to go to the DR has causes me a lot of pain. Thankfully, I feel a lot better than I did.

May I also got back into my couponing again. I had gotten so far behind and we were living off our stockpile. Now it's time to stock it back up. Hit Harris Teeter's triple coupons last week though and got $351 worth of groceries for $82. Rocked that sale! I've got to figure my budget out a little better for next month. With all the kids being out of school I'll have them all home for 3 meals and 2 snacks. Plus 2 extra kids for a little while. Gotta get stocked up on some things. I've got a nice stockpile on drinks for the summer. I'm good there. I've just found myself completely wiped out of somethings and we are hurting these past 2 weeks.

I'm thinking until I'm back at being pretty much fully stocked up that I need to do a big once a month shopping trip and then weekly "sales" shopping. Since hubby gets paid monthly and I get paid weekly (daily).

My "baby" girl is going to be done with middle school next week and then will officially be in high school. I'm freaking out! How is she old enough to be in high school? Wasn't I just bringing her home from the hospital? I've also got another "baby" going to be in Kindergarten. Not sure how that happen either. My kids need to slow down on growing up just a little.

I'm hoping that June is a better month than May was. It wasn't a horrible month just a rough month. I'm hoping June is more fun!!

Jess

Shopping trip

I haven't posted a coupon shopping trip in a long time. I went to 3 different stores last night and got $411.07 worth of groceries for $188.03. I saved $223.04 or 54%.  Now keep in mind that these trips are not my weekly "shopping" trips. We are not going to be eating or using this stuff just this week! Yes, we will be using some of these things right away and other's I'm stocking up on. That being said here is what I got!

3 packs of Skinny Cow candy
2 Pepperidge Farm cookies
8 cans of Pringles chips
8 bottles of Dawn
3 boxes of tissues
2 things of toothpaste (FREE)
1 box of 84 diapers
8 count paper towel pack (FREE)
2 heads of lettuce
1 pack of paper towels
5 boxes tampons
11 packs of pads
1 pack of Perdue short cuts chicken
1 pack tortillas (FREE)
1 bag shredded cheese (FREE)
1 thing of sour cream (FREE)
6 packs of bacon (normally $5.89 each. pd $1.70 each)
6 packs of Jello Temptations
2 travel coffee mugs
5 boxes hot tea
5 Country time lemonade
4 Maruchan Yakisoba
5 McCormick Recipe Inspirations
4 BBQ sauces
5 boxes of Snuggle
4 packs of baby wipes
15 cans of Grands biscuits

I think that's about it. I know you are thinking "that's a lot of pads"....well there are 6 females in this house:) I've started stocking up on those summer drinks also. I'm looking forward to cutting, sorting, and shopping again next week with my coupons!

Jess