Thursday a box arrived at our front door…huh…what was it? John was home for lunch, so he went out and picked it up. It was from my publisher, Crossway. Well, I didn’t order any new books from them? What could it be?!?

I ripped the box open and discovered a new edition of Emotional Purity. (The book I wrote about 10 years ago, first I self published and then Crossway picked it up!)

We said, “Why did they change the cover? And the back looked totally different than before…huh?”

Then I opened the letter and discovered that a publishing company that publishes books for the Philippines bought the rights to publish an english edition of Emotional Purity. WOW! AMAZING!

So now there are FOUR different editions of my book: the book I self-published with Winepress, Crossway’s edition, the Croatian edition and now the Philippines edition!

I don’t think i can fully explain what it feels like to have four different editions of the book that was never supposed to be! I didn’t start out writing a book, I started out as a journal to my future children (thinking I’d have all girls). I watched God open door after door. He made it very clear that I needed to work towards publishing.

The first edition was released in 2001. Within 6 months it sold over 2,500 copies! I sold over 15,000 copies of that first edition. I had three different printings of this edition!

Then God opened even more amazing door and I landed an agent who, within a week, got me a contract with Crossway Publishers. That edition has sold over 7,000 copies and is still selling. BarlowGirl wrote the forward for the second printing of the Crossway Edition! My publisher recently told me that in the next few months it will go into a third printing! (Hoping to add Clark’s name, along side Miles and Luke’s names…to who the book is dedicated to!)

Then a young lady contacted me and she had translated my book into Croatian! She spent her OWN money, bought the rights from Crossway to print it in Croatian and they are on their second printing! (She due with her second baby in a month or so!) She not only spent her own money, but her and her husband started a publishing company to translate more Christian books. I just recently talked to her husband on skype and the book is selling a lot in the Catholic book store in Croatia! AMAZING!

Finally, this new edition. It will be sold in the Philippines. Isn’t it just amazing!

Where do I begin the thanks!

I’ll start with my parents and sisters! First, my mom, dad and sisters worked tiredlessly with me on the first edition. I have so many wonderful memories write different chapters with mom and dad. My mom and sisters did a lot of editing! My dad paid for the Winepress editions! He paid for the second printing! He paid for the third printing! Thankfully, I was able to pay him back with the book sales, but they didn’t buy new funiture for their new house, instead they bought books….10,000 books! Not only that my parents still pray for my book, it’s readers, and it’s impact in people’s life every day! I am so thankful for my parents.

I’m thankful for my publishers…Winepress and Crossway…both excellent companies to work with! They see the vision of emotional purity and believe in it’s message!

I am so grateful for my readers who still contact me and share their lives with me. I love notes they send and the way God uses this book in their lives. I’ve been able to hear of some get married and now start families of their own! It’s just awesome!

I am thankful for a husband who saved himself emotionally for me. Our testimony is, Lord willing, an encouragement to those still waiting. It’s worth the wait!!!

Finally, I am thankful for a God who owns everything, who is all powerful, and so gracious to me. I am so unworthy to have been given this, yet He trusted me. How I am humbled!

I don’t talk too much about this part of my life. It’s not who I am I…my idenity is not in being an author. When it comes to my book I feel like someone who just is watching it all unfold to someone else. It’s hard to explain, but it’s just something I did in obedience to what God laid out before me.

Thanks for reading!

Over three years ago we met a Navy family: The O’Neils. When we met them they had one baby and we had two. We’ve enjoyed hanging out with them over the years. John and Ryan always enjoyed playing games together. Well, we had to say goodbye to them last Tuesday.

All six of the kids:

All ten of us:

John and Bri…she’s always been sweet for him

The CD’s: Cameron Duncan and Clark Daniel

Here are some pictures from the past couple of years.

Visit to the Kohl’s Children Museum…this was the day we found out about Cameron:

The kids playing one night

Getting together with the O’Neils and the Dorito’s in December 2009

Pregnant Phoebe:

Regan with Clark:

Bri’s first birthday:

New Years eve and typical John and Ryan

We’re going to miss you guys!

Everyone has a different system for their coupons. Here’s how I go about saving money each week for my family!

Step One:

Check the Sunday fliers to see if there’s anything I need and write it down in my notebook

Step two: Check the website for each store to see what they say is the best deal

www.iheartcvs.com CVS

www.iheartwags.com Walgreens

www.totallytarget.com Target

www.mashupmom.com Jewel

www.jillcataldo.com Jewel, Meijer, Target

(a couple other good websites: www.couponmom.com www.coupontom.com)

On these sites I’ll find where the coupon match ups are for the things that I need that are on sale. Sometimes the sites will point me to something else I need, but either didn’t see in the flier or isn’t listed in the flier.

Step three:

Go to my main coupon stash and find the coupons I need. Each of these sites will tell you exactly which Sunday coupon pack from which date to find it in.

I keep them in packs of the month I received them.

For example, if I need a coupon for $1.00 off Charmin it will say: $1/1  RP 02/07. So I’d go to my Red Plum coupon pack from Feb 7th. Cut and boom…it’s that easy!

I will say that if you get more of a local paper you may not find the coupon because they don’t put as many coupons in their packs.

Step four:

Put the coupons in my “to go” coupon pouch

Then I just take that to the store with me and my list…I’ll have my coupons. As I put things in my cart I move the coupon to the front slot that has nothing. So when I check out I have it all easy to find!

I have cut some of the coupons of items I use all the time just in case I see it at the store and it’s on sale. This way I have a handful of coupons to use.

What’s your best system?

Today Clark is 6 months old! Time, of course, is flying by! He’s just a sweet baby. Very laid back, go with the flow type of kid…which is great for number three.

He’s very much a mix of his two brothers. When I was pregnant with Miles he was a very calm baby. He hardly moved. Luke, on the other hand, never stopped moving. Pretty much how they are now! When I was pregnant with Clark he’d have “Miles days” and “Luke days”. Some days he’d be calm and other days move nonstop.

I see so much of both of the boys in his little personality. He’s up early like Miles. He loves to be flipped and physical like Luke. He’s a non stop talker and jabber like Miles. He’s a non stop kicker, mover like Luke. Miles was 17 pounds at 6 months, Luke was 19 pounds and Clark is 18 pounds! He’s just a perfect blend of the two of them!

He’s a social baby, loves people and love to interact. He loves playing with his brothers and loves when they pay attention to him.

We’re so blessed to have him in our family!

We love you Clark!

In November we hung up three crosses in our sitting room. These three crosses weren’t picked out with the boys in mind, I just liked them. But one day John said, “Don’t these three crosses show the boys personalities?”

The first one is Miles…more sensitive, sweet, tender.

The second one is Luke…soild, unmovable, bold.

The third one is Clark…a mixture of the two of them.

The picture in the center has been our verse we’ve used with the boys for their church dedications: I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth. 3 John 4

So, my goal is not to make this blog about how I save money, but I’ve had some conversations with friends and they want detailed explanations about how I’ve saved money.

Today I spent $3.73 on all of this:

Here’s how it worked…

First I had $15 in Extra Care Bucks (ECB) from previous purchases at CVS. These ECB can be used on any item at CVS. This would be a good week to start collecting ECB!!

So today I bought:

2 boxes of 200 count CVS kleenex, it was on sale for 99 cents a box and I had a $1 off 2 boxes of CVS Kleenex (I got this coupon from scanning my card at the front of the store. I do this every time I go and the machine spits out coupons. I got this one a few weeks back and just hung on to it until kleenex went on sale.)

Total cost for kleenex 50 cents a box.

I bought 2 Cover Girl items. The sale this week is buy two Cover Girl items and get $5 in ECB. So I got a $7 mascara and a $6 foundation. In last weeks coupons there was a buy one, get one free and a $2.50 off two. So total after coupon was $4.50 and I received $5 for my next shopping trip in ECB. Not bad!

The Cottonelle was on sale for $5.49. I had $1 off coupon from a jewel coupon booklet they have at the stores now. This took the total to 37 cents per roll! Anytime you can get TP for under 40 cents per roll, it’s a good deal.

The Aussie was on sale for $2.99 with $2 ECB. I had a $1 off coupon from todays paper, which made the total $1.99 with $2.00 in ECB.

The Crest was on sale for $3.50 with $3.50 in ECB…free! But I had a 75 cent coupon!

The Colgate was on sale for $2.99 with a $1 off coupon, total cost: $1.99 and $2.00 in ECB.

Total before coupon was: $29.95

Minus manufactures coupons: $16.70

Minus my previous ECB: $1.70

Plus tax of $2.03 and I spent a total: $3.73 cash out of my pocket

AND I received $12.50 in ECB for my next visit!

Also I am saving all the receipts from any Proctor and Gamble item because if you spend $50 on P&G you can send in for $100 in coupons! Click HERE for info. Today the Cover Girl, Crest and Aussie are all P&G items and it’s pre-coupon price!

Also this week at Jewel I spent about 60 cents on: loaf of bread, two packs of shredded cheese, one dozen eggs and 6 jars of baby food. This included $7 in catalinas (which are just like ECB, but are called Catalinas at Jewel) and a $1 off coupon. Again, not too shabby.

Website I find all this info:

www.mashupmom.com

www.couponmom.com

www.coupontom.com

www.supercouponing.com

If you have more questions let me know. I chatted with a friend on fb and then on the phone as I showed her some of the websites and ways to read all the coupon language!

If I have time to do this, so do you! Yippee for saving money!

I’ve had way too much fun lately saving money! I’ve made some rookie mistakes and have learned from them…but today I spent just about $19 on everything in this picture:

Seven boxes of fiber one, two razors, two tide single use (the other one fell out in the car and it was way too cold to go back out there to get it for the picture…they actually paid me 6 cents to take these home!), three boxes of kleenex and three cans of soup.

I got this all at Target and have really started “stacking” coupons. Again this is when you use a store coupon with a manufactures coupon. Then you buy the products when they are on sale!

The kleenex for example was on sale for $4.24, I had a $1 off Target coupon and a 50 cent off manufactures coupon, which took three boxes down to: $2.75 or 91 cents a box for the large boxes!

The razors were on sale for $6.99 a piece, then buy two get a $5 gift card to Target. I also had two $4 off coupons, which took my total for the two razors to $6 with $5 back! Crazy!

I bought so many fiber one bars because they were on sale for $2.33 a box and I had different coupons ranging from 75 cents off 1 to 50 cents off 2.

Every month Proctor and Gamble put out a coupon pack and they almost always have $1 off tide…any size. So I get the single use packs for 97 cents at Target and use sometimes instead of my homemade laundry soap.

Maybe you can learn from my mistake:

1) leaving a coupon at home…I’ve alleviated this mistake by getting a carry case for my coupons. It’s a small filing case.

2) not getting the right number listed on the coupon..always read the fine print

3) not getting the right size that the coupon is good for

4) not buying the correct poundage of meat to receive the discount

5) not sticking with my gut…I’ll read about a deal and the blogger will say, “There are no signs in the store, but it works.” I’ll try to work the deal and it won’t work. I’ve learned to just say no!

6) buying what I don’t really need. when I first started “supercouponing” I was so excited I bought whatever was on the best sale with the best coupon. Well, I ened up buy stuff I didn’t really need.

7) not doing my homework good enough and missing a coupon I could have used

8) going to the store..them being out of the product and not getting a raincheck

Those are some of my freshman mistakes! We’ll all make them!

Here’s the websites I visit often:

www.mashupmom.com

www.supercouponing.com

www.couponmom.com

www.coupontom.com 

www.iheartcvs.com

www.iheartwags.com

have fun saving money!!

The boys have their own calendar in the kitchen. On the 17th I wrote “whales”. We’re planning to go to the free days at Shedd’s.

I was busy cleaning the kitchen, feeding Clark dinner, and talking to the boys, when Miles said, “Why did you write ‘wwwwhhhaallleess” on the calendar?”

I said, “Did you just read that word?”

Miles, pointed to it and sounded it out: ”Whales”

So I showed him the peanut butter jar and asked, “What does this say?”

“J-J-J-I-I-I-F-F, Jif.” (Because I am a picky mom!)

“Yes!” was my reply.

We called John and told him! I was so excited…I am so excited!

Then I asked him to read the word: Mix. Which he did!

So we called Nanna and I told my mom I was going to show Miles a can of “P-A-M” spray. I told her that he hasn’t seen the word and has no idea what it is. I showed it to him and he sounded out the word: Pam!

She said, “I’m going to skype you.”

We spent 20 minutes writing out words and letting him sound them out. Then he stared writing out words:

Here’s Mile and pacifier:

Not bad for the word pacifier!

Then of course:

Fart and Toad

Just amazing!

It’s just awesome watching your kids learn and grow, motherhood is simply amazing!

Yesterday I was such a crab! I am not going to blame everything on my hormones…but trying to adjust to them after having a baby is interesting.

What I notice is when my attitude is in the toilet, my boys follow suit.

Yuck!

John said, “You seem so annoyed in your own skin.”

So true!

When I have days like yesterday (which come once a month..if ya know what I mean) I just feel like an awful wife, mommy, child of God, and person. I get over critical, over annoyed, over frustrated, and just plain ol’ not fun to be with.

Thankfully we had no where to go, no one to see.

How do you deal with your crabby, once a month days?

Maybe someone in Washington will read my ideas for reform Maybe not, but I think these are three good ideas:

1) Open up the free market with insurance companies. Right now we have about three choices in Illinois. So they can keep the rates up. If they opened up insurance companies state to state I’ve a lot more choices and it would drive down price! This is just plain ol’ common sense!

2) There should be more dialog between Doctors and patients. Patience should pay upfront for the cost of their visit and they, the patient, should collect from the insurance companies. This would also drive down prices and we’d do a little more investigating. We’d ask more questions and we may just avoid some unnecessary procedures. (I think this should be limited to visit that cost under a fixed amount $300?? Just a thought.)

3) Some how penalize people for ridiculous lawsuits!

How would you fix health care system or insurance companies?

What a great mini vacation we just got home from! We went to the Dells in Wisconsin! We’ve never been there and we stayed at The Wilderness lodge. I HIGHLY recommend this resort. It’s HUGE! Everything is indoors and there are about 5 to 7 miles of indoor halls to walk through!.

Here’s our room:

The rates are $99 for this room, but if you call before March you can get a free upgrade if you mention upgrade!

There is a glow in the dark mini putt putt with a LIVE shark. Of course that’s right where Luke wanted to go first. So we went, the boys were free, I was $7. I paid for us to just walk through. It was black lights and scary music/sounds. So the boys just wanted out of there, but we did see the two nurse sharks!

Luke wanted me to carry him through the mini putt putt:

After that we found the candy shop..check out how many types of candies they have:

John took the boys to the first of three indoor water parks. This had a great kid area, lazy river and water slides!

Clark was such a trooper! He only went in the water once, but he loved his toys. He’s also rolling all over the place these days!

He mostly hung out in his stroller:

On Wedneday we took the hotel shuttle to their other hotel property and went to that water park:

It was door to door service!

They had a great kid area:

Luke loved all the water, esp. with his alligator

Miles mastered this water slide after a few trips down with daddy:

We spent a lot of time at the three story indoor play land! WOW! It wore the boys out..well everything wore them out:

On Wednesday night Miles and I checked out the third indoor pool with a wave pool and a kid area.

You can get a suntan in here round year! Nice!

It was so empty at the hotel…check out the parking lot (I should say one of a few)

We didn’t even notice the cold! They keep it about 73 and so you could walk around in your shorts and t-shirts!

Thurs. morning I painted a piece of pottery. What a neat thing to do on vacation. I took a picture with my phone before they “cooked” it. I had to have it mailed to me because we were going to be home before it was ready.

The actually colors will be bright red, blue and green. What a fun craft to do while on vacation and really reasonably priced!

Thurs we also visited both water parks and I actually went down a water slide for the first time! It was a blast! We played in the play area for about 2 hours. We ate dinner at one of the restaurants…the rest of our meals we ate in our room and John wore the boys out by taking them to the pool for 2 hours after dinner.

We packed up this morning and took the boys right to music lessons. I didn’t want to come home…I was having too much fun! Back to reality!