NO CAVITIES!!!!!

Dentist

We are headed to the dentist in the morning with Alina....everyone say a little prayer that she doesn't need much done. She went through enough last summer! I'll update after our appointment.

A great day a the zoo!

We got up early this morning so we could take the kids to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. It was a HIT! My boys had been there before but we had never taken Alina. It was HOT...but this zoo is perfect for hot days. There are many indoor exhibits in the a/c. It was great to see all the animals and I finally got the see the Koalas AWAKE! :) Feeding the birds was a favorite of Davis and Alina's. I didn't think we were going to get them out of there. We took a lot of pictures, but here are a few from our day at the zoo!

feeling complete

What an awesome day! I'm so blessed to have Alina back in my house! Thank you to all of you that offered support in any way. I couldn't have done it without all of you. :)

We waited for what seemed like FOREVER at the airport. They landed early...but you never know how long it will take them to come through customs. It was after 5pm before we saw her face coming down the ramp from "incoming international flights". I barely recognized her with her long hair down and not in braids. She HAS grown. She saw Steve first and went straight to him and gave him a HUGE hug. I was so close to crying....but I held it together. She was very quiet at the airport and for the ride to dinner. But it didn't take long (before we got our food at Fudruckers) for her to open up! :) It felt like we didn't miss a beat from where we left off last year!

She brought back her same suitcase that we sent her home with last year. It was SO heavy! We got home to realize 90% of it was GIFTS!!! Just like last year...she brought little for herself (a few pair of underwear, pjs, one shirt and 3 dresses). Not even a toothbrush. She even brought a gift for our dog! It melted my heart and made me sad all at the same time as she kept handing me stuff out of her suitcase. She brought a game (kinda like Bingo) for the boys and we played a short game before we took baths and went to bed. She was asleep by 10pm and I'm curious to see how long she sleeps in the morning.

My family feels complete again! :D

The journey has begun!

Alina is officially on her way to America! It started today with a 9 hr bus ride from Mogilev to Moscow. Their flight left Moscow at 9:50pm our time. They will fly from Moscow to Germany...then Germany to here. She lands at 3:30pm tomorrow in Charlotte!

Once she gets here she will have spent 13 hrs in the air.

It will be 10:30pm Belarus time when she gets here.

PLEASE pray for safe travels for her and all the other children that are traveling with ABRO this week.

We can't wait to see her!

tick tick tick

Time is ticking away....Monday will be here before we know it. Alina's flight comes in at 3:30pm. I can't wait to see her smiling face as she walks down the ramp for incoming international flights. I know her time here is going to fly by...it seems like we just started fundraising to get her here..yesterday! Friday my priority is to get her room set up. I don't have much to do in there...but I feel like I need to have a goal. The boys are VERY excited about her coming back. I think we will make signs for her bedroom, balloons and I bought her an "American Girl" type doll that will be wrapped and on her bed when she gets here on Monday night.

Please think of all the children all day on Monday as they take their LONG journey to the US. SAFE TRAVELS!

Here is the visa picture we received...she has definatly grown. I'll do my best to update this blog while she is here. The boys have both made All Star baseball so we will be very busy. I promise to do my best!

We met our goal!!!

I want to say a BIG thank you to each and every one of you that have helped us reach our goal of $2100 to get Alina here this summer. If you bought a Yankee Candles, Poinsettias, AutoBell Carwash Tickets, Tupperware or simply gave us a donation you have helped us reach out to this precious 9 year old girl once again this year! We couldn't have done it without ALL of you! Last year we ended up paying $500 out of our own pockets in order to get Alina here. This year we were able to raise ALL the money! :) This money goes toward her travel expenses and visa. All our money has been turned in and we are just waiting to get her visa picture. The kids will be arriving on June 20th and I have a lot to do to get things ready before then. I still need to purchase bedding and go through her clothes from last year. I'm sure time will fly between now and then! I can't wait to see her smiling face!

25th Anniversary

Today is the 25th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident....the meltdown of Chernobyl. On April 26, 1986 one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded when a testing experiment went wrong. The Soviet Union didn't report anything to the public for 72 hours after it happened. It sent radiation clouds drifting all across Europe. A total of 31 people died that day...but many have lasting effects such as cancer from the exposure to the radiation in what is now Belarus.

THIS is WHY we bring Alina here each summer. We give her 6 weeks of breathing CLEAN air and eating CLEAN food to help boost her immune system. Just being away from the radiation (that is STILL there) helps her so much in the long run. The American Belarussian Relief Organization is a WONDERFUL thing! If I could help ALL the people effected by the meltdown I would. That is why we need more people to get involved. If you are interested in helping in anyway...finacial support, hosting a family, volunteering your time, anything...please let me know or visit www.monroeabro.org

We can't wait for Alina to get here on June 20th!

Today my heart is heavy thinking of everyone that the ABRO organization can't reach out to and to all of those dealing with health issues from this nuclear accident.

I love being a part of great things!

I LOVE being a part of Union County Mommies. It's a WONDERFUL support group. I don't know what I would do without the friends I've met since becoming a member of this site. They support me in more ways than they can imagine! I'm just glad I was able to be a part of a GRAND thing to help a fellow mommy and friend in need. Just follow this link, read, and you will understand what I mean.

http://themommiesnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-moms-response-to-helping-friend-in.html#comments

I'm so behind!

Well, so much for keeping this updated more often. I just don't seem to have time to update as much as I would like. I'm going to try to do better.

Last week I FINISHED my quilt! I still haven't taken pictures of it, but I do LOVE it! Momma, Sumer, Courtney and I all went to the laundromat to wash them and ate potato soup at my house to celebrate. :) I love that it's finished and the boys love to snuggle under it. Now I just wish I had another project to work on. We think our next project is going to be aprons. I'm so proud of myself for actually learning to use a sewing machine and taking the time to FINISH a quilt. Yes, it was an easy quilt pattern but I completed it on my own! I'm sure I'll treasure it forever.

Pictures to come....

Small update from Belarus!!!

Every year at Christmas there is a small group of people from the ABRO group that travel to Belarus. They leave a few days after Christmas and return after New Years. Before they go they give host families the opportunity to send Christmas Cards and Candy to the children that we host. This year my mother and sisters decide to send the card and candy to Alina. We just got this message (sent to my mother) and a few pictures from Belarus! :)

Dear Gayle,
We have attached two pictures of Alina receiving your card and candy that you sent.
In one picture she is with her Mother. They were very excited to receive them and appreciated your remembering them!
Thank you,

Quilting...Day 1

Our first quilting day was yesterday! I was so excited to meet up with my mother and my sisters to get started on our quilts. We spent several hours cutting fabric! LOL I learned how to use a rotary cutter and mat. I'm so glad we had it since it sped up the cutting process. We all left with "homework" to finish cutting our fat quarters before next sunday. We also have to cut our batting before then. I finished up cutting all my fabric last night and I'm excited to get started on the batting! This is the easy part! I haven't been put in front of a sewing machine yet...that's when it will get scary! ;)

My first project of 2011

I'm sure there will be some that will laugh at this post. I really hope I can give you a little entertainment. ;) I do NOT sew. I never have. The last time I had a button that needed to be replaced, I took it to the nice little lady at the dry cleaners for her to sew back on. Now, to take up for myself..it was a pair of denim shorts. But you all get the idea...I don't sew. I've never learned to use a sewing machine and the only kind of sewing I've ever done is simple cross stich.

With that being said...I'm not sure who had the idea, but...my mother, sisters and I have decided to learn to make quilts. Of course, this WASN'T MY idea. But I'm not going to be left out and let them have all the fun (and talk about me while I'm not there). So....we are making quilts. We have decided to meet on Sunday afternoons at one of our houses and work on them for a couple hours at a time. It may take us all year to complete just one, but we will have fun and it will eventually get done.

Momma started the hunt for simple quilt patterns. She came across one called a scrappy rag quilt that looks like it will be pretty easy for us beginners(or most beginners). Here is a link to what it will look like
http://www.e-patternscentral.com/detail.html?prod_id=6357

I went to Hobby Lobby last week while they had fabric on sale 30% off to see if I could find some that I liked. I had in my head that I wanted my quilt to be burgandy to match most of the things in my house. By quickly glancing at the fabrics at Hobby Lobby I really didn't see anything in the colors that I wanted. I had the boys with me so I really couldn't look like I wanted to. I decided to leave and go back at a later time when the boys weren't with me.

I went back to Hobby Lobby today. YAY, the fabric was still on sale! I took my time and looked at all the fabrics. I found a few that I liked (not burgandy)that actually matched each other. I finally found 4 fabrics that looked really well together. They are mostly greens and browns, which will also match most of my house. Now I just had to find another fabric that matched all 4 to use for the binding around the edge of my quilt. The solids weren't the right shade, but I did find a gingham that matched PERFECTLY! So, $67 later...I'm ready to start my quilt on Sunday! The more I look at my fabric the more excited I get about my quilt. Hopefully you won't be able to tell when I'm finished that I know NOTHING about sewing. :)

It's time to start FUNDRAISING!!!

As many of you know Steve and I hosted a child from Belarus last summer for 6 weeks. We want to get our "daughter" back again this summer. Please help us do just that! Our deposit of $1000 is due on March 1st. We have already raise some funds through poinsettia and yankee candle sales, but we have a LONG way to go! We would give just about anything to see Alina's smiling face again this summer!

On April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear accident in history occurred at Chernobyl in the Soviet Ukraine. The radiation released from the resulting explosion and fire—more than 40 times than at Hiroshima — spread widely and rapidly. No area received more fallout than the small, Eastern European country of Belarus. While Chernobyl has long since disappeared from headlines and newscasts, it is more than a historical footnote. Its effects continue to be recorded in the lives and bodies of the children of Belarus.
The Monroe ABRO Group was formed as a community group to work with the American Belarussian Relief Organization to see that children living in areas contaminated with radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident are assisted in finding a quality of life and hope in the future. It seeks to do so in the following ways:
-By providing clean food, rest and sanctuary in a radiation-free environments
-By offering medical evaluations and treatments as needed
-By recognizing and nurturing the spirit of those it seeks to assist

This summer, our family is teaming up with other families from our community to bring children to the Monroe area for a six-week recovery period. While here, the children will have their medical, dental, and other health needs met as well as receiving love and care from our family.
The cost of bringing a child here for the summer is expected to be about $2,000. It is amazing how these children will arrive here in the states with only the clothes on their backs, but will return home with stronger bodies and a stronger spirit. Would you consider supporting our efforts to improve the lives of these children?

I would welcome your support and assistance financially. You can make a contribution to the financial obligations we have for the program simply by going to www.monroeabro.org and clicking on the Donate button. All contributions are tax deductible and you will receive a receipt from ABRO for your tax records. ABRO is a 501(C)3 Non-Profit Charitable Organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service.

Thank you for the opportunity to share Monroe ABRO and I hope I can count on your support!
Sincerely,
The Efird Family

PLEASE be sure to put our name in the notes when you donate so the Treasurer will know that the money is to go toward Alina and not someone else's child. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

And I did it again!!!

I made yet another trip to Harris Teeter today! I can't believe how well I did today! I've been grinning from ear to ear ever since I left! I got...6 cans of Chunky Campbells Soup, 1 Simply Lemonade, 2 2000 flushes, 2 electrasol tabs (20count), 3 Biltmore Salad Dressings, 7th Generation Dish Soap, 2 colgate toothpastes and 3 packages of egg noodles...all for...$2.15! WOOHOO!!! It looks like I have a new hobby! heehee

They were out of a few things that I was looking for, and I will try for them again tomorrow!

Super Doubles...take 2!

So I just made my second trip to Harris Teeter. They were out of a lot of the things I wanted and I'm hoping they will restock soon. But...I ended up with...1 box of 20 electrasol tabs, 1 box of weight watchers carrot cake snacks, 1 box of planters nut bars, 2 wheat baggettes, 1 diet pepsi 2 liter (for Steve) and 3 2lb packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts. I didn't take a picture this time...but it was a good haul and I only spent $14.69! :) WOOHOOO!

My total VIC savings this trip : $29.56
Coupons tendered: $37.30

I can't wait to go back tomorrow! :)

First try at this coupon thing...

So today is the first day of Super Doubles at Harris Teeter. I've been working on my "coupon plan" for about a week and I wasn't going to miss it for anything. ;) So, I got the kids up early this morning and we pulled up at Harris Teeter at 7:05am! I had my list and coupons in hand. I told the boys we were on a mission and were only buying what was on the list. They got excited when we went to the juice aisle and I told them we needed 10 juices. I love how they think it's all a game. We were finished and walking to the car by 7:20.

I ended up buying 10 Old Orchard Juices, 2 family size bags of Tyson Chicken nuggets, 2 4packs of YoCrunch Parfaits, one coffeemate, 2 Peter Pan Peanut Butters, 4 cans of Chunky Campbells Soup, 1 Simply Orange juice, 1 100calorie pack of Lorna Doone cookies and a gallon of milk. I only spent $22.83. Not too bad for my first trip and it's all stuff that we will USE! I've told myself that I will not be one of those people that will buy stuff just because it's a deal and then let it go bad in my pantry. That's not going to happen.

Then this afternoon after going to the allergist for Davis' allergy shot, we rode to Target. I bought 4 boxes of Special K cereal for $3.16!

I think I could REALLY get used to this coupon business! ;)

Krazy Coupon Lady

Yes, I admit it...I'm becoming a crazy coupon lady! I have been saving my coupon inserts for over a month and Harris Teeter is getting ready to have their first "Super Doubles" event since I started saving coupons. I've been spending a lot of my time the past few days organizing my coupon notebook and searching to find out what kind of deals will be out there so I'll be ready on Wednesday. My notebook is about halfway complete. I just need to do some cutting and sorting of coupons. My head is SPINNING with all the deals that are out there if you just put your mind to it! I'm even planning on dropping the boys off at school a little early on Wednesday morning so I can get to Harris Teeter BEFORE work and before all the deals are GONE! I just hope I don't get there too late. WISH ME LUCK!!! Off to find more deals!

Family Day

It's the last day of winter break before the kids go back to school and I go back to work...so we decided to have a Family Day! We all slept late and Steve made country ham biscuits for breakfast. YUMM! Then we hung around the house getting laundry done and playing the wii until lunch. After lunch, we headed to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We have never been. Blake LOVES NASCAR and we've wanted to go since they opened last year. I just recently found out about "Museums on Us" through Bank of America. If you have an account with them you can get into participating Museums for free! So Steve and I just flashed our Bank of America cards and our IDs when we got there! We only had to pay admission for the kids which saved us $40! We spent all afternoon looking at all the cars, videos and memorabilia there. It was a great way to spend the last day of our long break. The kids had a great time and it was nice to get out of the house for awhile!

New Years Day....

It's 2:30pm on New Years day...and YES I'm still in my pjs. That's ok. All the Christmas decorations are GONE inside my house. Everything is put away and my house looks normal again. I have a picnic ham cooking in the crockpot and black eyed peas quick soaking on the stove. The laundry is running and the boys are playing nicely together. Maybe it's time to find a quiet place with my book for awhile! :)

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2011! Happy New Year everyone!
I can tell that things are going to be different for us this year.
Steve has started a new job, I'm working, both kids are in school....what will 2011 bring?

I have made a few resolutions to make this year even better than last....

FIRST is to update this blog MORE OFTEN! I love having it, but never seem to update. I'm making it a priority now! (remind me that I said that when I start to fall behind)

I'm giving up facebook games that can become very addicting and focusing that time on becoming a KRAZY coupon lady! I started yesterday and got some GREAT deals at CVS and Harris Teeter. My coupon binder is almost organized and I'm gearing up for Super Doubles next week! :) I'm hoping I can save us LOTS of money!

I also need to do my best to start working out again. I have no gym membership right now and it doesn't look like I'll be getting one anytime soon, so I need to figure out another way to keep myself on track. Even if it's just working out on wii fit 3 days a week...that's better than nothing.

Reading is also going to become a priority again. I LOVE to read but haven't been making time for it lately...I already have a list of books "to read" and am trying to make it a habit to go to the library once a week. :)

Here's hoping 2011 is the best year yet! I'm off to put my ham in the crock pot...we are having the traditional pork, black eyed peas and collard greens for dinner! :)