On a Roll!

I have had so much to blog about lately that I am trying to break it up into parts. We have had quite a bit of trouble with all of our remodeling that we were planning on doing this summer. So here is the 411.
Problem #1- After installing the brand new oven, only 1 element was working. So I called Maytag and they scheduled an appointment for 4 days later. ok, I can handle that. Well we go out of town for Mallorys wedding and when we return there is a message on our machine that we have to reschedule, so I call the number and they say it will be another week and a half before they can get there because they double booked....(I dont think so!) So I called Maytag back and they said they would call another company and we should get a call the next day, well of course I didnt...so I called them back yet again, and finally they got another company (Kuntz) to come out and look at it the next morning. The Kuntz guy said whoever put the oven together must have been in training because several wires were on wrong and one was not connected...He fixed it, end of problem. For all of our trouble she gave me a 1 year extended warranty on the oven (4 calls to get problem 1 solved)

Problem #2- The stove top we purchased came in and after installing it, we noticed that the metal part on top (just cosmetic) was bent so that the edges came up on each side. It unit worked, but I think that when you buy something new it should look new. So I called Maytag again and asked if they could replace the top piece (this conversation took forever!) She finally said yes, and they shipped us one that would arrive in 7-10 days. We got it a week later and it looked as if they had pulled it down the street. It had paint chips knocked off and was dented in several spots. So I call back to Maytag and explain the problem. She sends another one express 4-5 day. It arrives and it is worse than the first one they sent us. So I call back AGAIN. She said she would send us another one but would ship it by freight which takes anywhere from 1-2 weeks. I said ok, whatever it takes, it wasnt a big deal because the stove actually worked. However, another week and half later we get our 3rd stove top and it has several scratches and seems to be bent like the original one that came on the stove. So now at my house I have 4 big stove tops that are usless, and my stove top is still bent, but Im tired of collecting stove tops so I gave up. She did sent us a 75.00 refund for all of these troubles. (4 calls to get fed up and quit trying on this problem.)

Problem #3- We thought we would have better luck at Home Depot this time, so we went there instead of Lowes. My shower has not worked in the bathroom since we moved in, and since it is tiled we haven't ever messed with it. We just used the bathtub and if we wanted a shower we would use the other bathroom. Well we decided since the tile would be ripped off to fix the pipes, that we would go ahead and replace our little bathtub with a whirlpool tub. So of course the tub we wanted wasn't in stock but the guy said he already had one ordered and it would be here in 7-10 days. So we went to San Antonio and when we got home there was a message that said "We just wanted to check to make sure that everything went well when loading our purchase"...HUH? So I call back and find out that they sold our tub to someone else, but she couldn't let us know until she talked to an IMA on Monday (It is Saturday). So I at 3 on Monday no one has called so I call back and talk to the same lady, and she said she forgot and that the IMA had already left for the day. ARG! So this morning Home Depot calls and says that our tub has arrived....hmmm...thats strange. So I explained to this new lady about the previous calls and she says that our tub was never given away and that it had just arrived (that's bull, because he said 7 days and it has already been 2 weeks). So after speaking to a manager, she said that she couldnt do anything about it (as far as a gift card, discount, etc. ) Well after about 5 more minutes of talking with her, she offers me a 50.00 refund. (Funny how 5 minutes ago she wasnt allowed to do that!). So we go to pick up the tub tomorrow. (3 calls to fix Problem 3)

So 11 calls later (several hours wasted off my life, I have 125.00 refunded to me, and extra warranty on the oven)

So needless to say our remodeling has not been going as smoothly (or as quickly) as originally planned.

Tomorrow we are taking my car to get the windows tinted, then to Concho Collision to get an estimate on the repairs for the fender bender I had in December. Next week some company is coming to my house to replace the front glass in my car that has been cracked down the middle for a year or two now.) Hopefully this process will go much more smoothly.

The good news is that we got an unexpected refund check from our Morgage Company because we overpayed in our escrow account, so that should cover all the repairs to my car!!!

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This is the same post but completely off subject. A friend of mine that I used to go to school with in Wink died on Sunday from a boating accident in Austin (Lake LBJ). They were riding at night and hit some rocks and all 4 people were ejected from the boat and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Austin and they were all in critical condition. Karah (my friend) died shortly after. Karah was 24 years old and had a 2 year old son. She was very close to her brother and parents and I cant imagine the pain they are going through right now. Please pray for her son Madden and her family.
http://www.kwes.com/global/story.asp?s=12835606

http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=20711

San Antonio Trip

We left for San Antonio on Wednesday after Maddie and I got back from swimming lessons. We checked into our hotel and then went to the Riverwalk mall and ate at the Rainforest Cafe on the Riverwalk. (after many laps around the block trying to figure out how to get to the river level with a stroller, come to find out, there is an elevator!) Thursday we woke up and went to the Children's Museum which was Awesome! Maddie had a blast, and was a mad women with her shopping cart. She would do really well on Supermarket Sweep. That day for lunch we walked back to the riverwalk and ate at Joes Crab Shack (not my favorite food, but Josh and Maddie love seafood). The funny thing about my daughter is that as well as she speaks, she still replaces the w sound for the letter r and l. Well on the way back to the museum she was telling me that her and Daddy ate cwap (she was saying crab, but it sounded like crap) She would say "I like crap, Daddy likes crap, we ate alot of crap". It was hilarious! It made me glad for once that I did not like crab. While we were there we of course bought shirts, and Maddie picked out the one that had a crab on it and it says "Im crabby like my Daddy"! hahahaha

Anyway, we went back to the museum for a few more hours and then went back to the hotel and called it a day...we were a little wore out so we took a little nap, went swimming in the pool, and then ordered pizza to our room. The next morning we opted to sleep in a little bit, got packed up, and went to Target and then headed to the zoo. We didnt get to the zoo until 11 or so, (ahhhh, thats what I was trying to avoid) We rode the train and then went to the zoo, I think we left around 3 or 4. It was super Hot of course, but well worth it, we all love looking at the animals. We got home a little after 8 Friday night, and I slept good that night, lol.

Here are a few pictures from our trip!

Maddie and I in the aquarium, this was our last stop before heading home. Notice the sweat on Maddies head, lol...it was HOT!

Daddy and his girls...we bought this little Snugli at Target before we went to the zoo because there are alot of times you are not allowed to take your stroller. Josh LOVED it, and so did Kenzie.

I have a picture just like this one of Maddie from last year, shes growing up so fast.

Maddie and Daddy with their "Lets Get Crackin" bibs from Joes Crab Shack

Can you tell she is running? She wouldnt let me push the basket at all, because she said I was too big.

I was excited to see all the good stuff she put in her basket. Notice the bucket of ice cream, lol.

This was one of her favorite areas in the museum. Maddie loves to organize and rearrange things. If you notice the blocks behind her are stacked with only thier matching blocks. Thats my Maddie!

Maddie milking the cow.

Maddie standing in the huge bubble ring...I couldnt get it much higher because as soon as she got a chance she would pop it.

Maddie and I enjoying our meal at the Rainforest Cafe

We had a great time and cant wait to go back next year!

Kenzie is 5 months!

Kenzie's life as a 5 month old:

1. Can sit tripod for a short time

2. Can get anywhere she wants by scooting or army crawling....she uses her knees, but still insists on using her elbows instead of her hands to push up.

3. Puts everything she can get her hands on into her mouth.

4. Wears 3-6 month clothes

5. Prefers to ride in her new Snugli (the baby pouch thing) as opposed to her carseat.

6. Loves the outdoors and swimming (she will wait longer in between feedings if she is outside)

7. Still eats every 2 hours and sleeps all night long.

8. Eats rice cereal on occasion, and we will try baby food today for the first time...Im thinking green beans :)

9. She weighs 14.6 lbs and 25.5 in. long- both at home meaurements so probobly not exact

10. No teeth, but she drools and chews on everything.

4th of July!

Here are a few pictures of 4th of July.

Amy and Katelyn waiting for the fireworks

Josh and Kenzie hanging out, and Maddie and Jordyn playing in the back of the truck.

Me and the girls :)

Josh and I

Maddie and Jordyn having a good time. (Jordyn is only 5 1/2 months older than Maddie, lol)

These are the pictures we took at Amy and Dales before we went out to the lake.

This was Kenzie's first 4th of July (4 1/2 months old) and Maddies third 4th of July (2 yrs. 11 months).

It was a great day and Maddie actually watched the fireworks this year.

Say goodbye to the crib :(

Maddie will be 3 in August and until just recently, she has never attempted to climb out of her crib. I have not been in a hurry to take her out of her crib, because I like the fact that she cannot go off exploring on her own if she wakes up before I do. However, due to her recent climbing expeditions, we finally went today and bought her a bed. I LOVE IT! We also bought the drawers with wheels so we can have more storage under her bed. The bed itself can be moved up and down so you can choose the height, and in the future if we decide to convert her bed into a bunk bed, they have all the matching stuff to do so!

This bed is currently an order only item, so it will be 2-3 weeks before we get it in. But thats ok, it's worth the wait.

As for Maddie's recent onset of Terrible Twos, here is what she did yesterday morning (of course while Josh was at work).

First- caught her with one leg over the rail of her crib trying to reach something off a shelf.

Second- She asked me for a banana, but I was feeding Kenzie, so I told her yes I would get her one as soon as Kenzie finished eating. Well, as I was on my way to change Kenzies diaper, Maddie walks into my room holding a steak knife ! AH! I asked her what she was doing with it, and she said she wanted a banana. So I followed her into the kitchen and she showed me a banana, that she had also got off the counter, that had a 1/3 of the peel cut off of it long ways. I wish I would have taken a picture, because I still cant believe she did all that cutting and avoided cutting herself in the process.

Thirdly- actually this happened before the banana incedent, but oh well. I was feeding Kenzie and Maddie had to potty, so she did the whole process by herself...Pottied, dumped the bowl, wiped her hiney, and flushed. Apparently, when you do it all by yourself you can get the reward all by yourself. So she helped herself to 2 skittles, lol.

Ok, so besides being armed with a steak knife, these are not major catastrophies, but still she is becoming VERY independent!

While Maddie is becoming a big girl and getting into a real bed, Kenzie is growing up and moving from our room (sleeping in her pack-n-play) into her room with Maddie. Last night she slept in her crib for the first night.

We are also doing quiet a bit of remodeling so when we make some progress I will show you the before and afters.

Kezies 4 month update...

Kenzie has been 4 months old for almost a week now, but our appointment wasn't until Monday the 21st (and we actually almost missed it...luckily they let us come in late).

Weight- 13 lbs. 7 ounces 45%
Height- 24.75" 67%
Head Size- 16" ?%

The pediatrician said we could go ahead and start rice and #1 foods, but I think we will just do rice for awhile. I wasn't able to make enough milk, so I used formula in the rice cereal for her first try. So it was her first taste of formula and food, she wasn't really impressed. She is still eating every 2 hours, but sleeps all night long.
She rolls over both ways without any trouble, and has started the scooting process. I have to lay out a big blanket now instead of putting her on her play mat, because she moves to much to stay on it. She drools quite a bit, and chews on anything she can get her hands on. I believe this is another way that Maddie and Kenzie are different because Maddie never put stuff in her mouth.
She is for the most part a very happy and smiley baby. I love the gummy smiles and her short little attempts at a laugh.

We went to Mallorys wedding this past weekend and it was a lot of fun. Everything went smoothly and we had a great time! Maddie was a flower girl and cried the first run through at rehearsal, but then did awesome the second go round. The day of the wedding, we were great and excited and right as I was fixing to walk out, one of the ring bearers started crying thus causing Maddie to start crying....it was over for her. She walked out the door and into Daddys lap (3rd row from the back) She told my dad she didn't want to do it because the music scared her. Oh well, at least she looked super cute for her pictures!


This is Maddie and Ady (2 of the 3 flower girls) the 3rd one is one the left throwing a fit in the chair.

Here is Maddie, Kenzie, and their wonderful, irreplaceable, sweet Daddy on Fathers Day 2010.

We got him a #1 Dad t-shirt, a 8x10 collage photo of the girls from Kodak, and a golf style Scentsy Warmer. I thought that the warmer wasnt much of a manly gift, but since he uses mine more than I do, he might like it. (and he did)

Big Hasel=Big Savings!

This was my first big money saver as a coupon user.
I purchased all the above items for $7.21 !!!!!!!!!! Can you believe that!?!

I will break it down for you-
Glade Air Freshner/Odor Eliminator-............ 3.49-1.00-2.00= 0.49
Scrubbing Bubbles Extend a Clean Sprayer- 6.99-3.00 = 3.99
Dove Deoderant 2 pack ....................................6.59-2.00-1.00= 3.59
Dove Body Spray ...............................................3.49-3.49 =FREE
2 boxes of Vanish Drops @ 2.14 each............. 4.28-2.14 =2.14
Scrubbing Bubbles toilet Gel............................3.94-3.94-FREE
Scrubbing Bubbles Starter Kit.........................6.29-6.29=FREE
Scrubbing Bubbles 12 pk refill..........................3.94-3.94=FREE

This totals out to 12.21 and I had a $5.00 gift card from buying somthing last week. So 12.21-5.00= 7.21

However, this isnt what will happen unless you get lucky like I did. (If thats what you want to call it) After I checked out the first time I was looking at my receipt and didnt think I saved as much as I thought I would. After checking it over I realized they didnt apply 2 of my coupons (big ones of course), so I went back to the cashier and tried to explain it to her and she tried to get it to work, but was unsuccessful so she called the mananger over to help. After trying to explain it to her she finally just had me pull the items back out of my basket so she could go back over it item by item. Once we were said and done she actually rescanned a coupon that went through in the first transaction, so I got that item free too.

The confusion was with the Scrubbing Bubbles...let me explain.
I had a target coupon that was buy one Scrubbing Bubbles toilet gel get a Free 12 pk refill
I had a manufacturers coupon that was buy one Scrubbing Bubbles toilet gel get a free Starter Kit or 12 pk refill.

So I bought a toilet gel for 3.94 and used the target coupong to get a free refill (3.94) and used the other coupon to get a free starter kit (6.29).

That was the plan....but the 6.29 coupon didnt go through.

So when the manager was doing it she reran both coupons again, even though the 3.94 coupon had worked the first time. So I got all 3 items for FREE!

It was a big hassel, but it was a big money saver!