Levi has become quite the independent little man. (except when injured or at bedtime- then he needs his momma!) His “new” thing is wearing ties. He wants to wear one all the time, I have him convinced they are for Sunday Church not Wednesday church He also is now in a “booster” seat (thanks to Opa & Oma) I think Jack is more happy about Levi’s new seat, because that meant he got promoted to Levi’s old seat No more trying to lug a 20 pound-er around in a baby seat!

Jack is into EVERYTHING! Completely NOT following in the steps of his older brother. Jack likes to touch and find things that are not meant for a 9 month old! The little booger is FAST too! He can make it almost all the way up the stairs before I realize he is not by me (I know we need a gate- it’s high on the priority list!) He still only has 4 teeth. Which I took picture of his “fangs” the other day! Hilarious!

Jack stands up on everything and is even letting go. He decided just this week that he would rather have a bottle. I have tried to persuade him otherwise, but his mind is made up. I can’t complain - 9 months is long time.

Donald did indeed have “twin” gallstones, and after a home remedy hopefully his gallbladder is emptied.

There are some new pictures in the November album. Also, some have asked to see our house, so I put some pictures of it in the house album! ENJOY!

Categories: Donald Rush, Jack, Levi
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Frugal Monday- My Sunday afternoon was not spent clipping coupons & looking up sales. Most of the afternoon, I was consoling Jack & cleaning the house, but I did all my coupons on Saturday & hope to get LOTS more from my mom today from the Sunday paper. (*didn’t have much to choose from that I don’t already have!)

Just wanted to share a few internet “tips” that have helped us save money!

1. sign up for every free club out there - especially you moms with babies

-Huggies, Pampers, Enfamil, Similac, Gerber, Johnson & Johnson, Beech Nut, Natures Goodness, ETC… - great coupons, booklets, and samples (even if you don’t plan on using that brand or item- comes in handy in case of emergencies and also is great to give to a friend in need!) *grandparents can sign up for all of these also!

-Toys R US Birthday club , Publix Baby & Kids, Childrens Place Birthday Club, etc… (great coupons especially around the time of your kids birthdays!)

2. Grocery Help

-going shopping and you don’t have coupons - look for some online

-www.thegrocerygame.com- $1 for 4 week trial - enter your zip code, pick your stores, & they tell you what to stock up on (with coupons) & what is FREE (with coupons) - also tells you where to find coupons and rebates

3. Shopping

GOOGLE - always search for online codes when purchasing things online. & when going shopping search for in- store coupons to your favorite stores and print at home. Most stores with have coupons, you just have to search for them.

These are just a few things we do…

Family Update - Jack is feeling much better. He still is wheezing, but with his treatments his breathing is not as labored. His appetite is increasing, and his sleep is much more regular. Levi seems to be on the mend also, but still has a cough.  Pray for Donald as he goes in on Thursday for an ultrasound to check for gallstones.

Categories: Jack, Levi, frugal
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We dared to venture out today & take the boys to the pumpkin patch….I say dare because both boys have been sick all week, and Jack was diagnosed with an ear infection & wheezing (bronchiolitis) on Thursday.

It went well & the boys & Daddy & Mommy had a great time. The place that we go to really added a lot of new things this year. Levi loved the new “spider” looking slide. I (Judith) went down it with him- they built it out of some type of plastic “pipe”-tube - whatever the stuff was- you FLEW down the slide. I made Donald take him down the “monster” slide! They have a few animals which is always a great hit with the kids. Levi enjoyed the giant sandbox & swings. Levi & Jack had fun playing in the corn box (we had to Jack out quickly though- he likes to put things in his mouth) Levi’s favorite thing was the corn maze. He successfully led us through the maze with his “map” -(a piece of paper that we had to match the shapes with the signs & punch out the shape) Jack LOVED sitting on the hay bales (I know great for the wheezing huh???) & loved picking out a pumpkin.

We took LOADS of pictures like usual (the curse to having a digital camera- 167 pictures in a 2 hour time frame) We put some of the favorites in the October album in the gallery!

Categories: Jack, Levi
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Frugal Monday - I decided instead of frugal Friday - I would have frugal Monday…..I have more time Sunday afternoons to clip & organize coupons & scout out all the sales, because one or both of the boys go to Paw & Nanny’s house after church or they nap all afternoon until it is time to get up and get ready for church at night. so….I use Mondays as my “stock up and save” day!

Today was RiteAid. I thought it might be a disaster trying to go with both boys- little shopping carts + Levi having to walk next to me = potential disaster! BUT I had my list & coupons in hand, I gave Levi a “list” and pencil and we got what we needed & left in recorded time!

Deals of the Day-

3 packs of Huggies diapers - size 3 (for now), size 4 (Jack is getting BIG), & pull-ups - I had a $1, $1.50, & $2.00 coupon + $10 RiteAid rebate if 3 packs were bought! YAY!

2 Jumbo packs M&Ms - sale 2 for 3 plus $1.00 coupon

The rest of my buys were FREE- yes FREE after rebate (besides tax!)

2 chapsticks - stocking up for winter

Triaminic Flu - stocking up for the months ahead

Soft Lips chapstick - never have too many!

Little Cold - for the months ahead

Children’s Advil - bought for Haiti

Excederin - bought for Haiti

I purchased all of this for a total of $25.46 after sales, coupons & rebates!! That is less than what I normally would spend on just 3 packs of diapers!!!! so great day for me today!

plus when I went to pick our mail (from Saturday) at the post office- there were LOTS of coupons sitting right on top of the trash - I didn’t dig in the trash, just moved some around to make sure I got all the good stuff and my mom had all the Sunday paper coupons, so I got those too! Can’t wait to make my next grocery list!

Ebay- plan on selling some more on Ebay this week….I have really thinned out the boys clothes. Most summer stuff went with my mom to help out a village in Haiti. I plan on using this weeks profits to buy a wedding dress so that my mom can take it with her to Haiti in November during their church missions trip. I have previously purchased a few wedding dresses off of Ebay for Haiti! It’s a lot of fun, and the Haitians LOVE lots of lace & beads. I got one New with Tags for $18.00!!! I also plan on trying to look for lots of baby blankets for the children. If any of you moms out there have thin cotton baby blankets that you no longer need or want and would like to donate them to Haiti- contact me.

Family Updates - Jack is crawling all over the place. He pulls up on everything, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he walks early. He is still a very easy baby, but has quite the temper when aggravated! I think he is getting more teeth, so his sleep is interrupted occasionally. Levi is currently sick, just a low temp and the sniffles. He is really becoming so big and so smart! We are amazed at the knowledge that he soaks in daily. He loves learning new things & loves playing “pretend” - he has a HUGE imagination!

*there are new pictures in the October album

Categories: Jack, Levi, frugal
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Levi is entering a new stage in his life. He is now a three year old boy. scary, I know. I can only begin to imagine what this year holds. He is already showing signs of no fear. I am sure we will need to lower our deductible on him soon. Glad our hospital just got a new ER, because I am sure with 2 boys we will see the insides of it soon. He amazes me daily with all that he knows. His favorite thing to say when I asked where he learned something is “all by myself” I guess he figures that he is so smart, that he teaches himself things. who knows!! He keeps us busy! (*check out his birthday pictures in the gallery*)

Jack is now in the crawler stage. I really shouldn’t say crawler, I should say he is in the slithering stage. He slids on his belly wherever he wants to go. AND he is into EVERYTHING. The little stinker is quick, and thinks when you say NO to him that you are being funny. He is very extreme. Extremely happy & content or extremely mad. Usually he is happy, but watch out if he gets upset. He now has 4 teeth. I didn’t even know he got the top 2 until yesterday. He doesn’t let you know he is teething. He is starting to make all kinds of different sounds, and loves to spit out his baby food on you. He keeps us busy, too!

Hope you enjoy the new pictures.

Categories: Jack, Levi
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WOW! August flew by so quickly.

It started with Levi having pneumonia, Jack having an ear infection & wheezing, & Donald having strep throat & it ended with me (Judith) having tonsillitis, & the boys having troubles with allergies. & it’s NOT even winter yet!!!

Levi is almost 3! His big t-rex party is on Saturday! He is so excited! He really is growing up so fast. He loves to learn! We “play” school, and I am amazed at how fast he learns & to see what interests him. He has learned to recognize numbers and the letters to his name. He draws the letter L on every sheet of paper he can find!

Jack is almost 7 months old already and is beginning to crawl!!! He pulls his body along with his hands. He can get to anything he is NOT suppose to have! He just began rocking back and forth on his knees. He has 2 sweet little teeth & received his first haircut (due to much prompting on Daddy’s part) He sits and plays, and loves to BOUNCE!!! He is very energetic & keeps himself entertained for long periods of time. He truly is such an easy baby.

We are constantly reminded how blessed we are to have healthy children. Health can be so easily taken for granted. It humbles me to watch our children develop properly and on time. To God be the Glory!

*updated August album in the gallery*

Categories: Jack, Levi
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Levi is officially out of diapers for about a month now!!! YAY! He is doing AWESOME as a big boy & it is great not having 2 in diapers!

Aunt Corrie came home Tuesday. We have had fun swimming with her and just hanging out. Jack loves to sit in her lap and try to grab her glasses. Levi thinks she is quite funny when she teases him. We are going to Indiana on Monday with her and Oma to visit Aunt Rose and meet 2nd cousin Harrison Coon.

Jack’s noggin is on the mend. He had a low grade fever this week & LOTS of congestion but the ears were clear. He slept for 7 hours last night (which for him is LONG!) so we know are going to work on making that a trend!

enjoy the new pictures in the gallery under the July album!

Categories: Jack, Levi
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We just got back from a week in Aruba. Gone are the days of coming home rested and relaxed! Packing, hauling, & toting around things for 2 kids all week wears you out! We still had a blast and would do it over again in a heartbeat (after we catch up on some sleep:)

Levi LOVED the beach, ocean, & pool. He is our little fish. Stayed in the water until he was MADE to get out. He now jumps in the pool off the side and goes under water! He loved spending time with his cousins, and especially loved waking up and getting to go to Opa & Oma’s room in the morning (we all had connecting rooms)

Jack was such a good baby the whole trip. He loved the boat ride over to the beach. He just hung out and ate & slept the whole time. He did great on the plane rides, the last one he started to get cranky but we were ALL a little cranky by then!!!

Enjoy the new pictures in the gallery!

Categories: Jack, Levi
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We are ALMOST done with the house. We have until Saturday in the apartment, so we have A LOT to do in the next few days. We are ready to have our “normal” routine back and to be together more often! The house looks beautiful and we are excited to be moving in it. We went to Donald’s grandparents over Memorial Day weekend. His Aunt Teresa had flown in from S.C to meet Jack. The boys did excellent traveling, and loved getting all kinds of attention. Levi especially liked sleeping downstairs in the basement on the floor by his daddy and mommy - he kept saying we were camping! There are some new pictures in the May album. ENJOY!

Categories: Jack, Levi
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We have been BUSY! The house is ALMOST done, and it looks fantastic. Donald (along with his parents) have put in many, many hours doing the finishing touches, and I am sure he (& they) will be glad when we finally can move in. We just lack finishing the hardwood, carpet, some paint, and landscaping, and some other minor projects. We are hoping to be in at the end of this month.The boys continue to grow and change constantly. Levi is such a little man. He has really “grown up” in the last few weeks. He carries on the most comical conversations that I have ever heard. He seems to learn new facts everyday. For Mother’s Day, he kept telling me Happy Birthday! He loves playing outside, and can go about 90 mph on a ride-on buggy. (I’m not lying the kid goes faster than I can walk- and I walk FAST!) Jack is now 3 1/2 months and growing like a weed. He is still a very content baby, and loves to be played with and talked to. He is getting very close to rolling over, and loves when Levi “plays” with him. Surprising Levi is very gentle and thinks it’s fun when Jack plays on the floor near him. What sweet boys - when they want to be!!!I posted some new pictures in the April & May albums, ENJOY!

Categories: Jack, Levi
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