The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Have you ever truly taken the time to think about what Memorial Day is all about? What makes it different than Veteran's Day?

The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice. I know for me in years past I have thought about it as a great beach weekend or 3 day holiday. For some it may be about picnics, parades or even Memorial Day sales. This Memorial Day I pray we all take time out to remember the true meaning of this holiday.

The true meaning of Memorial Day is to honor our nation's war dead, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the very freedoms that are so easily taken for granted and are under attack today.

Here are a few ways we can actively remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice:

*by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.

*by visiting memorials.

*by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.

*by flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).

*by participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance": at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.

*by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

God bless the families of those who died to protect our freedoms and May America Bless God!!

Prayer and Praise for Preston Loyd! (Day 29)

Yesterday was an exciting day for the Loyd family when Preston's Dad had this experience:

"The second experience was the one I had been waiting on for 30 DAYS. I was praying and talking to Preston right over his face. When I finished, I said, “I love you, Preston: I love you, Preston”…He then mouthed the words, “I LOVE YOU”!!! You can’t even imagine the joy that flooded my body when I heard those words. I LOVE YOU!!!"

~ from Preston's Dad Ashton

What a huge praise and prayer fulfilled. Please continue to lift up these most recent specific prayers :

*Pray that all the infection and bacteria would be gone. Right now, infection is our biggest enemy. We know that is subject to change.

*Pray that the left lung and diaphragm would heal quickly. The faster they heal the less chance for infection in that lung.

*Pray that his wounds continue their healing.

*Continue to pray for return of cognition. We have received some very promising signs, but again, do not need to be complacent.

*Pray for the Loyd family and they get set for the long haul in this convalescence.

Update on Preston Loyd (Day 24)

The prayers have been overwhelming for Preston and his family, thank you. This week his parents are asking for specific prayers in the following areas:

· The awakening will be an easy process for Preston.
· Preston will regain his cognition quickly. Preston will be Preston again.
· Total cleansing of his body of the fungal infections. Claim it is gone.
· Fever will naturally go away.
· Pray for the Loyd family. Cinamon and Ashton, Taylor, Dad, Mom and Gary and
Peggy. They covet your prayers and are strengthened by each one.

There have also been prayers coming in from all kinds of people and places. Just two days ago Preston received a special prayer during a Casting Crowns concert and you can view it at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jM3DMZC_ho&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new.facebook.com%2Fhome.php%3Fref%3Dlogo&feature=player_embedded

Then during the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge crew member Jeff Kerr asked for prayer over Preston during a tv interview.

It is so sweet to see how many people can love one little boy and his family in their time of need.

Frugal Friday : Vacations

Ways to Save on Vacation

We just got back from our family beach vacation and enjoyed every minute! I love to save money in everyday life and while on vacation too. So, I thought since summer is just around the corner and many of you will be traveling I would share how to enjoy your vacation without spending a ton of money.

Plan Ahead: Try to plan your vacation well in advance. Figure out how much you can afford and how much you are willing to spend. Once you know this you can decided where you want to go.

Research Your Destination Online or Take Advantage of Free Travel Guides: Research is an important aspect of travel planning, but it doesn't need to cost any money. Online research is so easy and free. You can also take advantage of free travel guides by signing up on your destination's website or programs like AAA give away free travel guides if you are a member.

Avoid Traveling During Peak Seasons: You can save alot of money if you choose to travel during a time that is less popular. If you have preschool aged children or homeschoolers this works a little easier. But, I must say that with the travel industry suffering you can still find some great deals at anytime of the year right now.

Get Creative on Where you Lodge: I personally have not tried all of these, but have heard great things from people who have. 1) Home Exchange - if you live in an attractive area you can contact a home exchange program like homeexchange.com and see if anyone might be interested in an exchange. 2) Campus Accommodations - if you are traveling where there is a local university you can call ahead and ask if they rent out rooms during your vacation time. 3) Hostels - I have tried this way of lodging while in Europe and it was fun. It's an inexpensive way to travel and meet some really interesting people along the way. Hostels are located all over the world and you can check them out at Hostels.com. 4) Camping and RVs - Now I know some of you don't think camping and vacation go together, but for those that are adventurous this can save some major money. The best site I have found for finding out more information is ReserveAmerica.com.

Bring You Own Food: On our vacation this week we stayed in a condo with a full kitchen and because I planned ahead our meals and brought all the groceries needed, we saved a ton of money! Since we have a little one it is much easier to have the ability to fix our meals and eat where we are staying. As most of you know, by the time you get off the beach, get showered, get dressed and get to the restaurant either a meltdown can occur or we end up way past bedtime. So, depending on you family's stage of life this may be a good option. Hotels and Resorts make a pretty penny on their customers who buy most of their food needs from them on their visit.

Eating Out: When you want to eat out try to make it to the early bird specials. Sometimes you can save up to 50% off and the best part is there is usually no wait.

Road Trip Snacks: Pack a small cooler with drinks and snacks so you don't have to stop at gas stations and pay almost double for the same drink or snack.

Bring Entertainment: For our trip I packed plenty of games and movies to watch once we reached our destination. It's a good thing because our first day was filled with rain. To make it more special I saved a few toys from my yard sale finds over the past few months and put them away until we were on our vacation. This way our son had a great time playing with something new and wasn't bored while we were in the condo.

Don't Buy Souvenirs: Have you ever ended up with a bunch of souvenirs that you wondered 'Why did I ever buy that?' once you got it home? Ask yourself if you (or whoever you are gifting it to) would ever use the item. You could bring back hand picked shells from the beach (this is what we brought back this year) or something else that represents the destination that you could enjoy long after the trip is over.

Cut Costs on Getting There and Getting Around: If you need to fly to your destination you can use the internet to search for the best flight rate available. I love to use the site SideStep.com because it lists all the airlines, hotels, cars, etc. and you can compare them all on one screen. This way you can really tell if you are getting the best deal. And, if you like to take a chance and don't have a specific flight or hotel in mind you can use a site like Priceline.com and bid for your flight or accommodation.

Use Your Credit Card For Future Vacations: If you have a credit card that rewards you airline points or something similar (we can trade ours in for cash) put everything on it and rack up your points. This way you will have a head start for your next vacation! This is a great way to go if you make sure to pay off the bill once it comes due and not carry a balance that would require you to pay any interest.

I hope you have a fun, money saving time on your next vacation!

On this Mother's Day ...

(Make sure to pause the blog music all the way at the bottom of the right hand column under Music Playlist to help you hear the video)

I wanted to share this video because when I first watched it I was so touched by the lyrics and the video itself. But, most of all I wanted to encourage so many of you who have allowed me to pray for you as you walk down some of the paths represented in the video. I consider it a privilege to share in your joys and sorrows, thank you.

As I watched the video I found myself relating in several different areas and even thinking deeper about areas I haven't experienced.

Like so many of you, our struggle with infertility has been a long 2 1/2 year road for us filled with many ups and downs.Watching the lives of everyone around us as their families grow can sometimes be hard to bare. The days when everywhere you turn there stands yet another beautiful pregnant mother who will soon hold her miracle but you are only left with a yearning to become pregnant to share in that same miracle. It's only a natural part of life and it is so hard when it doesn't come naturally for you.

I can also relate to the loss of a child as we walked through this painful experience almost a year ago. On the days when you find yourself wondering what life would have been like if our baby had lived or the overwhelming longing to simply hold our baby .The pain never truly goes away and sometimes creeps up when you least expect it. The only true source of strength during these times is the truth of God's Word and His promise to never leave us.

Adoption is the journey God has for us now and I am truly grateful to the birthmom who chooses life for our baby. This is one area of the video I thought about more deeply and I can only imagine the difficulty a mother has when choosing to give her baby to another family. My heart aches for those who have to make this decision.

So, on this Mother's Day I praise God for the precious and 'perfect for us' son he has given me to love while here on Earth. I also am thankful for the blessing of becoming pregnant and carrying our second baby. I look forward to meeting our child in Heaven one day! And, on this Mother's Day I am so thankful for the child that will one day be placed in my arms through adoption. What a glorious day that will be!

Whatever your circumstance this Mother's Day may you find peace in knowing that God loves you and has a perfect plan for your life. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Update on Preston Loyd

Thank you to so many of you who have sent prayers of encouragement to the Loyd family. I have forwarded on these sweet comments to his parents and his grandfather.

Preston's recovery could be a long process and I want to keep you updated on his progress. As of this morning these are the prayer needs and praises his family is asking for at this time.

Items for Prayer & Praise:

~The surgeons have decided that they want to address any possible infection by ‘washing out’ Preston’s lower body cavity. Since there is still the ‘fake’ skin on Preston’s side, this will not be a difficult procedure. Of course, we would have been happy with no more surgeries, but since the initial number of possible surgeries was 8-10, just to fix GI system and we are on 3, that’s not so bad. They plan on doing the procedure at 3pm. Please pray this goes smoothly and this procedure fixes the temperature situation.

~I have not spoken with doctors, but assume since Preston will have surgery today, they will actually increase his sedation. This will cause his awakening to moved out a couple days. Pray for Cinamon and me to have continued patience and the perseverance.

~Pray that this additional time of sedation is allowing his precious brain to continue healing.

~Pray for Cinamon. I was a mess the first couple days and she was strong. Now, her days seem to be more challenging. Pray God’s peace on her and guidance in handling a horrible situation.

Praise: One of the volunteers brought a Sheltie (yes, live dog) in Preston’s room yesterday and Preston opened his eyes on command to look at it.

Praise: Preston had 3 bowel movements yesterday.

Praise: Aside from the fever, Preston continues to improve physically. He looks great.

Big Boy Room Makeover (Part 2-Accessories)

I know it's been awhile since the first post on my son's Big Boy Room Makeover, but I wanted to update you on the fun I had designing and painting his furniture. Some of you have asked about the tee pee over his bed, and unfortunately my original design didn't work as planned. So, next week I have a friend who specializes in movie set design coming over to help attach it to the wall securely just in case our son decides the swing from it like a little monkey!

Here are a few of the accessories that I have completed so far.

I made a little reading nook in the corner of his room and used this chair I found at a yard sale for only $3 as the seating. I couldn't find any fabric to match the paint color I wanted so what better to do than paint it! Then I propped this wagon wheel (found it on clearance) to bring in another element of the wild west.

I wanted to do something special for his table and chair set, so I painted a horse silhouette and distressed the wood to give it a rustic feel.

To give it an even more rustic feel I attached rope to the chair backs and legs. This is where glue is your best friend.

My favorite part of the chairs are these wrought iron stars I found at an antique store when I was pregnant with Rhett. I knew even back then that I wanted to design a cowboys and indians room for him one day!

I was able to incorporate the wrought iron stars into these bookends as well.

Look at this vintage cub scout book on cowboys and indians I was able to find to match the decor.

I can hardly wait to get the tee pee up to see what fun he has pretending as he plays cowboys and indians. Oh to be a little boy with a big imagination!

Why Babies Need Mommies!

I had a friend post this to her blog and I thought it was so funny I just had to share it too!

Frugal Friday

Doubling,Tripling, Stacking and

Buy 1 Get 1 Coupons

I know many of you have asked how I get so many groceries for cheap or even free, so I thought this Friday we would explore some of the most exciting reasons for using coupons.

Doubling and Tripling Coupons

Coupon doubling basically means that the store will DOUBLE the coupon that you have (usually up to .99). So, if you have a .50 off coupon and your store states that they will double it, then you will be getting $1.00 off the item that you are purchasing. Times and days when double coupons are offered vary from store to store, so check with your local store for days that they offer them.

Make sure that the coupon you want to use does not say “Do Not Double” on it although rare, they are out there and would not be doubled or tripled by your store. Also, some stores require you to join their store member program and you’ll have to present the program card before the coupons will doubled or tripled.

I have gotten SO many items for free by using double or triple coupon days in conjunction with sale items. Here is a list of some grocery stores around the country that have double coupon programs. (Thanks, Grocery Coupon Guide!) for this amazing list!

~Thanks to my friend Miranda at Cheap Cheap for sharing these tips

Stacking Coupons

Did you know you can stack coupons? This is where you can save some serious money, so here's how it works: If you have a store coupon (ex. Target, Food Lion, CVS) and a Manufacturers coupon you can use both! You cannot use two manufacturers coupons or two store coupons for the same product though.

An example of this would Tide detergent on sale for $3.99 at Target. The Target store coupon (most store coupons are found on the store's website or in the weekly sales paper) is for $1 off and the manufacturers coupon is for $1 off.

$3.99 - $1 (Target coupon) - $1 (Manufacturers coupon)= $1.99 final cost!

**Tip** Use your coupons on trial size products. Some coupons don't specify what size product must be purchased so you can snag some products for free with your new stacking skills!

Buy One Get One Free Coupons

I get really excited when I can get hold of a B1G1 free coupon. Why, you ask? Well, these coupons are one of the highest-savings deals you will find. If the store advertises the product B1G1 free and then you have a B1G1 free coupon it makes both items free. You can't get better than free!!