Everywhere you look there is bad economic news. Left and right companies are closing, people are being laid off, and money is getting tight. I, for one, was not going to let that happen. I felt it was my patriotic duty to not let the country fail and to not let the bad guys (terrorists, communists, bankers, CEO’s – whoever the bad guys are this week) win. So Matt and I went out and stimulated the economy.
Now, you may be tempted to say that it isn’t really patriotism that led me into buying a new plasma TV, new TV furniture, and other electronics – but you would be wrong! What other reason could I have for the purchase? I wouldn’t do it just so I could watch the NCAA tournament in HD. That would be silly.
I will admit I was disappointed when the stock market went down on Monday. I was expecting that all my spending would have caused the economy to right itself. Oh well. I guess I have to go spend more money.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Happy Birthday Bev!
Monday was Matt's mom's birthday. We were able to surprise her on Tuesday with a part! Matt's sister Becky and her kids went early and decorated the house. Unfortunately we were too slow in getting to Sandy to witness the surprise, but there was still a lot of fun party left when we got there.
We had a great time playing with the kids and talking with Becky and Bev. We had sandwiches and cake and ice cream. We played tag, and hide-and-seek, and learned how to stick balloons to the wall with our hair! Lots of fun.
Happy Birthday Bev, we love you.
We had a great time playing with the kids and talking with Becky and Bev. We had sandwiches and cake and ice cream. We played tag, and hide-and-seek, and learned how to stick balloons to the wall with our hair! Lots of fun.
Happy Birthday Bev, we love you.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Family vacation
Spring break for Matt. I really needed a spring break too, so we decided to go on a little vacation. Our go-to plan is usually to go to Disneyland. We didn't plan ahead enough to get cheap airfare. So we decided to drive. I was so excited and took Friday off of work. We drove to Mesquite on Thursday night. We were so happy to be able to spend the night with Matt's dad. He took us out to buffet breakfast (I love that!) We left from Mesquite Friday afternoon and headed out to Palm Springs.
We had been told that there was a shorter way to go to Palm Springs. We would cut across the desert instead of taking the freeway (or motorway as the GPS calls it). Unfortunately we didn't have the correct directions, and our shortcut was probably an hour or so longer than the long way. It was an interesting ride, we went places we have never been before. I think we even saw the town that the movie CARS was modeled after.
We finally made it into Palm Springs and we went out to dinner with Ray and Joan (Matt's Grandparent's). We had some pretty good Mexican food and i was just loving the weather.
The plan had been to go to Disneyland on Saturday. I was so tired of driving and I was ready to just play by the pool, so that is what we did on Saturday. We slept in and played around in Palm Springs. It was so much fun to go swimming! The weather was great. We had to be careful and not stay out to long because we were going to get sunburned. We played outside just the right amount of time - no sunburn.
Then, before I realized what was happening, it was Sunday and time to drive home. OH, I wish I was still on vacation.
We had been told that there was a shorter way to go to Palm Springs. We would cut across the desert instead of taking the freeway (or motorway as the GPS calls it). Unfortunately we didn't have the correct directions, and our shortcut was probably an hour or so longer than the long way. It was an interesting ride, we went places we have never been before. I think we even saw the town that the movie CARS was modeled after.
We finally made it into Palm Springs and we went out to dinner with Ray and Joan (Matt's Grandparent's). We had some pretty good Mexican food and i was just loving the weather.
The plan had been to go to Disneyland on Saturday. I was so tired of driving and I was ready to just play by the pool, so that is what we did on Saturday. We slept in and played around in Palm Springs. It was so much fun to go swimming! The weather was great. We had to be careful and not stay out to long because we were going to get sunburned. We played outside just the right amount of time - no sunburn.
Then, before I realized what was happening, it was Sunday and time to drive home. OH, I wish I was still on vacation.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Newest Clark Additions
This last week we officially welcomed the newest members of the Clark family. Here are some pictures.
These little guys were from the house of a "hoarder" - or a Crazy Cat Lady. They had been taken from there to the shelter. They were both scared to death at the pet store, but they were still so cute and soft! We had to get them.
Yep, Matt worked really hard to get that stove in. It seems the stove that came with our house was a 27 inch drop in. You can't get a new 27 inch drop in stove for less than $1,000! So we bought a nice 30inch freestanding stove and a saw (actually an angle grinder, but I don't know this stuff). Matt did most of the demolition while I was at work. He was able to cut the granite tile on our counter top before I got home. I helped out the rest of the night with the cutting and the measuring and especially the cleaning. But the stove fit, it works great, and I am so happy!
Also on Saturday we decided to adopt some cats. I grew up with cats and have always loved having them around. Now that we have a house we decided we could get a couple and see how it goes. (it may go badly because I can't keep house plants alive). So we went to the pet store where they sponsor shelter adoptions and found ourselves a set of brothers. I still can't tell them apart except they have different color collars.
These little guys were from the house of a "hoarder" - or a Crazy Cat Lady. They had been taken from there to the shelter. They were both scared to death at the pet store, but they were still so cute and soft! We had to get them.
We brought them home and they immediately hid. They spent most of Saturday under the entertainment center. On Sunday we could only find one of them. After church we could still only find one of them. We went to my mom's birthday party, and then we couldn't find either of them! We looked and looked. Then, when we didn't think there was another place to look I was struck to look under the track of the treadmill. And there they were.
One of our little guys has been brave and will come sit on our laps. The other guy is still scared to death of everything. Hopefully he will feel better soon.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Our New (Used) Stuff
On Monday we finally began officially upgrading our appliances. This was a very necessary thing to do since the appliances that came with the house are most likely older than I am (and I am pretty old). Just to give you a feel for what we have been living with, here are some pictures of our old stuff.
Fridge:
Not that bad looking from the outside, but the door doesn't close tight and the freezer doesn't hang straight.
Yep, that is duct tape making the shelves in the freezer.
Now the Stove:
I don't know if you can tell, but it only has dials - nothing digital. And the lights are all burned out, so you don't know when a burner or the oven is on. Not too safe.
We have been trying to find lightly used appliances for cheap. We finally were in luck on Monday. We found a fridge and a stove that were both awesomely priced! And even better, they were available and in the general area. Matt called and set up appointments and we were off to look at them as soon as I got home from work. First we saw the stove, and it was great! Then we went to the house with the fridge and were pleasantly surprised.
Since the biggest car we have is the Toyota Corolla, we had to get my dad with his Jeep and trailer to pick them up. It worked out great and we had the new fridge plugged in that night!
The stove is going to be more of an adventure, because we found out that our range is 27 inches wide. The standard range is 30 inches. It is possible to buy a 27 in range, but they cost over $1,000 for the cheap model. So, we are going to have an adventure and try to cut back our cabinets and counter top. Sounds scary I know! But Matt thinks it will be fun, and I am pretty sure we can do a lot of damage and still come out ahead of buying a really expensive cheap stove.
So - we now have a new (used) fridge and stove. I will update you on the stove project and it's successful ending!
Fridge:
Not that bad looking from the outside, but the door doesn't close tight and the freezer doesn't hang straight.
Yep, that is duct tape making the shelves in the freezer.Now the Stove:
I don't know if you can tell, but it only has dials - nothing digital. And the lights are all burned out, so you don't know when a burner or the oven is on. Not too safe.We have been trying to find lightly used appliances for cheap. We finally were in luck on Monday. We found a fridge and a stove that were both awesomely priced! And even better, they were available and in the general area. Matt called and set up appointments and we were off to look at them as soon as I got home from work. First we saw the stove, and it was great! Then we went to the house with the fridge and were pleasantly surprised.
Since the biggest car we have is the Toyota Corolla, we had to get my dad with his Jeep and trailer to pick them up. It worked out great and we had the new fridge plugged in that night!
The stove is going to be more of an adventure, because we found out that our range is 27 inches wide. The standard range is 30 inches. It is possible to buy a 27 in range, but they cost over $1,000 for the cheap model. So, we are going to have an adventure and try to cut back our cabinets and counter top. Sounds scary I know! But Matt thinks it will be fun, and I am pretty sure we can do a lot of damage and still come out ahead of buying a really expensive cheap stove.
So - we now have a new (used) fridge and stove. I will update you on the stove project and it's successful ending!
Who's the Biggest Kid
I am finally getting some pictures off my camera. I don't have a lot to say about these other than it is great to see Matt having so much fun with our niece and nephews.
The short video is from Matt's birthday party (back in February) at his Mom's house. I was really sick that day, so I didn't get to go, but it made me smile to see this movie.
Last weekend we went out to Matt's sister's house to play with her kids again. The weather was great so we went across the street to the park to play. We played soccer and played on the swings. We even went down the slide! Here is a picture of my cute husband and my cute niece going down the slide.
The short video is from Matt's birthday party (back in February) at his Mom's house. I was really sick that day, so I didn't get to go, but it made me smile to see this movie.
Last weekend we went out to Matt's sister's house to play with her kids again. The weather was great so we went across the street to the park to play. We played soccer and played on the swings. We even went down the slide! Here is a picture of my cute husband and my cute niece going down the slide.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
New Stuff, Good Junk, Good Deal?
When we moved into our new house we realized that we did not have enough furniture. We also noticed that the appliances in the kitchen are older than I am. After some discussion and some budgeting we realized we were going to fill our house up “on the cheap”. So we logged into KSL.com and started searching for items.
The first thing we were looking for was a couch. We put our TV in the basement, but we didn’t have anywhere to sit. So day after day, week after week I would log on to KSL and check the couches – only to be met with disappointment. The couches that looked nice and clean cost almost as much as a new couch. The cheap stuff was – well – cheap. They would be dirty or ugly or just totally busted up. If a nice couch came up at a good price it was sold before I could even call on it. There must be people that just spend all day on the internet buying stuff. I gave up on waiting for a couch and found one on sale at a furniture store. I have been very happy with it.
Now we are looking to fix some of the stuff in our kitchen. Our fridge does not close all the way (well, you can kick it closed, but it will open again). Our freezer shelves are held together with duct tape. Our stove works, but none of the indicator lights do, so we have to be very sure that the burners and the oven get turned off. I will admit I have been pleasantly surprised by our dishwasher. It works better than the one in our old duplex. Anyway, I have been trying to find appliances online for the last little while. I haven’t been too consistent at looking for them, but I am quickly becoming frustrated again. I hate to give in so early and buy new – because they are SO MUCH more expensive new – but I just don’t seem to have any luck with the KSL game.
I may turn the reigns over to Matt. He decided he wanted a lawn mower (OK, maybe not wanted – maybe needed). So he started looking online and found one for $25! I haven’t seen it, so I can’t vouch for its quality or beauty, but you have to admit that was a good value.
So where does that leave me? I guess it leaves me with a broken down kitchen – but at least my dishes are clean.
The first thing we were looking for was a couch. We put our TV in the basement, but we didn’t have anywhere to sit. So day after day, week after week I would log on to KSL and check the couches – only to be met with disappointment. The couches that looked nice and clean cost almost as much as a new couch. The cheap stuff was – well – cheap. They would be dirty or ugly or just totally busted up. If a nice couch came up at a good price it was sold before I could even call on it. There must be people that just spend all day on the internet buying stuff. I gave up on waiting for a couch and found one on sale at a furniture store. I have been very happy with it.
Now we are looking to fix some of the stuff in our kitchen. Our fridge does not close all the way (well, you can kick it closed, but it will open again). Our freezer shelves are held together with duct tape. Our stove works, but none of the indicator lights do, so we have to be very sure that the burners and the oven get turned off. I will admit I have been pleasantly surprised by our dishwasher. It works better than the one in our old duplex. Anyway, I have been trying to find appliances online for the last little while. I haven’t been too consistent at looking for them, but I am quickly becoming frustrated again. I hate to give in so early and buy new – because they are SO MUCH more expensive new – but I just don’t seem to have any luck with the KSL game.
I may turn the reigns over to Matt. He decided he wanted a lawn mower (OK, maybe not wanted – maybe needed). So he started looking online and found one for $25! I haven’t seen it, so I can’t vouch for its quality or beauty, but you have to admit that was a good value.
So where does that leave me? I guess it leaves me with a broken down kitchen – but at least my dishes are clean.
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