Blogging Should Be Easy......

But it isn't. Especially when my life has been consumed by trying to find a place to live, a place that will allow three dogs and a cat. Let me tell you something, that is not easy. Not one damn bit. BUT, I did it. I found us a new home. This is currently how it looks.........

I don't know who left me in charge of getting this place together, but they must have been crazy. I am terrible at organizing. That gene completely missed me altogether. It might help if I get off the computer and actually tried to get things done. ;)

Me~

Saving Money........

Picture from Camp Wander blog where you can grab the recipes for all sorts of goodies :)

I've had it with buying things that I can make myself. I started with cleaners. I stopped buying them! I make my own with vinegar and Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds. Works wonderfully, too, I might add. Now, on to detergents. I did the math (not really) and I can save myself a ton of money by making my own. I spend at least $40 a month in detergents alone. That's dishwasher and laundry detergents. I just spent $30 at Walmart on supplies to make my own, and it should last me a year. I will keep tabs on that and let you know exactly how long it lasts. I'm hoping this works out well. I have three elderly dogs and I'm doing laundry every damn day!! I'm not even kidding. Puke towels, pee towels, cleaning rags.....it's tiring, and expensive. If I had been smart I would have had them put in the divorce papers that my ex pay for the laundry! It's mostly the two older dogs who he had before we met that are making the messes. Getting old sucks.

So here I am, sitting in the kitchen, blogging, making my own soap and I can't help but feel like I should be singing Kumbaya or something like that. Seriously! Who am I?! ;)

Me~

Another Year Gone........

I blinked, and now it's 2013. Last year was full of so much craziness! I am hoping this year is better, slower. Todd and I are thinking about moving this Summer. Kevin wants us to stay here and buy this house, but honestly, I don't want to. So much work needs to be done here and I'm not in love with this house anymore. I will miss it, but I'm not going to mourn when we leave. We want something of our own, even if we just rent for a few years and then buy. It'll be worth the wait. I've decided that I want a house with a huge yard so I can have some chickens. Yes, chickens! I've always wanted to have little chickens running around, but never had the room. :) And eggs, lots and lots of eggs!! 

So the purging has begun. Very slowly, but surely, I am packing things up, donating things and trying to get things going. I had forgotten how nice it is to have an extra pair of hands to help out around the house. Todd has really stepped up when I've needed him to, I appreciate that more than I could ever tell him. Being a single mom was not easy! I don't think I want to do that again. Ever. LOL!!

I start working overtime here real soon. Boss Lady is having a baby in March! So glad to see my friends having babies so I don't have to. Vasectomy is my favorite word. ;) I have three kids, Todd has two, we're all set. Since seeing Boss Lady's baby bump, Lo has been obsessed with babies in the belly, and am I going to have anymore, when will she have a baby, and so on and so forth. She's also been asking when Todd and I are going to get married. NEVER!!! I am not going to fix something that's not broken. We're perfectly happy the way we are. And plus, we were both married before and look what happened to those marriages! All set.

I've been thinking about this coming year and all the new things to look forward to, and I'm happy. Very, very happy. I just hope Life doesn't see that as a challenge and throw me for a loop!! o.O

Me~

Sloooooowly But Suuuuuuuurely Looooooosing My Miiiiiiind.......

I've got too much on my plate. I'm losing my mind. There. I said it. My man thinks I'm Super Mom, but I am failing, miserably. I am behind on the dishes, laundry and cleaning. Granted, I've been working a lot, but this has never been a problem before. I think I need to adjust to having him living with us. It's kind of throwing me off. I have one extra person in the house who needs/wants/loves spending time with me as much as the others. So, just to clarify, I have 3 dogs, a kitten, 3 kids and now a man and they ALL want to spend time with me or need something from me. :) I have a full house and a full heart. I just need to get a new, newer schedule going. Getting a maid would be much easier, but I don't see that happening any time soon. ;)

Me~

I. Am. Exhausted.

I'm changing my name to Ms. Exhausted Casey A. Between work, the house, the kids, the pets, hospital visits, more work, laundry and breathing, I have no time at all to myself. I am only able to update right now because Lo is sick and I'm sitting here watching her sleep peacefully and hoping she wakes up feeling better. School hasn't even started yet and we're already battling nasty bugs. Wonderful. It seems that I just can't catch a break lately. One thing goes right, five other things go wrong. Found out last week that someone stole my identity and used it to run up a $1,500 heating bill and a $600 electric bill. Luckily my ex is a nice guy and kept everything in his name until I get things figured out. What a flippin' mess. My new man and I have been talking about him moving in within the next month or so. That is wonderful and very exciting. Again, one good thing happens and then I got dumped on again. My teenager had an episode two weeks ago and Todd and I had to drive her to the ER where she checked herself into the hospital. Now that she's 16 I'm pretty much only needed to sign papers and pay the co pays. No one would tell me anything at all. Nothing! Todd and I sat in the coldest room ever just waiting for them to find her a bed in the psych ward. It was horrible. She was the one who finally told me that she stopped taking her meds. ((sigh)) If she hadn't of told me I never would have known! So, FYI, if your kid is 16 the doctors don't have to tell you shit! Anyway, I went to visit her every day she was there until she checked herself out. I think being on the adult ward freaked her out. She's been home and has been taking her meds regularly. Let's hope it stays that way.

So yeah, life is hectic. Wonderful, but hectic. My teenager is on the mend, school starts soon, I still love my job, my ex and I are getting along nicely, and my new man is becoming a huge part of our lives. Life is good.

Me~

Spring Is Finally Here

I couldn't be happier that Winter is over. Last year the Seasons were so messed up, it felt like we didn't have a Spring or Summer. It felt like we were in a perpetual crappy Spring. I'm hopeful that this year will be different. :) So far, so good. Everyday has been sunny and pleasantly warm. The kids are loving being outside. I find that I spend more time outside than inside, which I love. My garden is looking lovely!!! Last year hardly anything came up, let alone bloomed. -_- I was not happy about that. Money wasted! I buy seeds and bulbs every year just to keep adding to what is already there because I would like my gardens to be overflowing with flowers and plants. I like that. :) I also think some of my bulbs have shifted. All my daffodils seemed to have spread out. :| Our house is on a hill, so I'm assuming that when it rains the ground shifts and hence, the shifting. I'm no gardener, but that sounds pretty accurate to me.

Kevin and I have been talking about buying a bigger house. We've outgrown this one. Already! It's only been 3 years. o_O I hate moving, but he's right, we need more room. I was an Army Brat and moved every 2-4 years of my life since age 3. When I was 13 I vowed to settle down and stop moving when I grew up. And I've done just that. Sure, I've lived in apartments here and there, but for the most part I've lived in the same 2 places in the past 15 years.....here in Massachusetts or Kentucky. Now that I have a family of my own I want top give them something stabile. I'd love to stay here forever, but like I said, we've outgrown this house. It won't be anytime soon, maybe in a few years, but we definitely need to start planning. :) We've already talked about what we do and don't want. What we want.......

• 4+ bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• Large kitchen with plenty of updates
• Private yard, if the kids are older a pool would be fine, but not if they're still young, that makes me nervous. Plenty of space for gardening, I'd prefer there already be lots of stuff planted so I can move in and just start caring for them. 
• We would like a large shed or barn
• Finished basement
• Laundry room upstairs
• Big deck
• A farmer's porch
• Plenty of windows
• Lots of closets
• I'd like a walk-in pantry but I can do without
• It has to be move-in condition
• And we would like to live somewhere near a town, but kinda secluded 

That's not much to ask, is it? :) No, I'm not picky at all. You know what would sell me? If it had a cherry blossom tree on the property. ((sigh)) That would be soooooo nice. I love them. I was actually thinking of planting one here, but I'm afraid we'll move and I'd hate to leave it? That sounds silly, doesn't it? I get attached to my plants/flowers/trees. :) 

Anyway. This is all in the future, but when it comes to buying your forever home you have got to get it right. And to get it right you have got to plan, plan, plan!!! So we're planning. Until then, I'll leave you with some gorgeous outdoor playtime pictures....

p.s.~ Do you like my layout? I love it!