I promised myself I would put something on the blog TODAY and here it is 11:30 at night and I give you this picture.

People keep asking us a variety of questions that essentially all mean: are you unpacked yet? The answer quite simply is no.

But, it’s ok, because as you can see, we are still having fun and enjoying life. In fact we like our new house so much we left it for a week and were very excited to go home again because we like our new house so very much!

Sometimes we drive by our old house (it’s on the way to church) and Fuller will call out, “There’s our old house!” but he never seems to really miss it. And of course Tebow is too young to remember.

Life is settling down now, and I think the “normal” I was looking for at the beginning of the year is finally going to pop its head into our lives soon.

much.

The boys and I are still in Alabama. The news of yesterday’s magnificent winter weather was a bit hard for me to hear. I really was sad to be in gray, damp Alabama instead of the winter wonderland of Chattanooga. I watched facebook and twitter statuses stream by describing the sledding, shredding, slipping, and sipping (hot cocoa!). All I could think of was Fuller’s snow boots, snow suit, and gloves tucked away in the mud room missing out on the fun.

It didn’t help that I married into a family that isn’t afraid to be vocal of their dislike of winter. They actually tried to convince me it was a good thing I was just watching it rain instead of improvising sleds for Fuller out of cardboard and cookie sheets. And I’m quite aware that my husband, who prefers warm to cold, wishes he was here instead of there.

But, no, I’m not pouting. Instead, yesterday Fuller spent some time on the make-shift links next to the lake.

Fuller’s love of Wii golf has made him interested in real golf and the little plastic clubs here at the lake were insufficient for Grandpa Albert. So a trip into town ended up as a shopping trip for kids’ clubs. These will live here at the lake, for all grandkids to enjoy. And yes, Fuller has enjoyed them.

And I promise, as Fuller has fun outside without his snow boots and snow suit, I’m not pouting.

Much.

Yesterday Fuller and I were reading on the couch. After he finished his book, he asked about his reading for the next day (we are almost done with the third BOB book box). I explained to him the reading would be up to Daddy since Mommy and Tebow would be going to North Carolina.

Fuller got quite and thoughtful. Then he started crying.

See, we had been building up for Fuller the fact he would be going to the Auburn game on Saturday. We built it up so much, he had never stopped to think about what Mommy and Tebow would be doing while he and Daddy were off cheering on the Tigers.

I explained I was going to a conference with other mommies, but he would get to have fun at the football game. He said he should go to North Carolina with me. I said then he couldn’t go to the football game. He said I should go to the football game.

Eventually logic won out (this time) and he understood he would be having fun with Daddy and probably getting some popcorn when he got to the game.

I was kind of surprised with Fuller’s reaction to my leaving. He usually jumps at the chance to hang out with just Damon and has been looking forward to going to the game ever since we got our tickets (he knew he was going to game number four).

While I was surprised, I have to admit, it felt kind of good. And when we all reunite on Sunday, the hugs will be even sweeter.

This is a sponsored post. The sample was free to me. All the opinions are mine.

Last week Tebow successfully transitioned to using a bottle.

When he was first born, we traveled frequently and he took bottles when we were in the car. And then after Austina’s wedding, we kind of quit traveling long distances, so he hadn’t used a bottle for a while.

Damon and I managed to go on a date a few weeks ago and I was freaking out because Tebow would be with a babysitter and would have to use a bottle while I was gone. I tried the bottle again, but he was acting like he really didn’t get the concept. He survived the time with the babysitter, but I realized we would have to step up our bottle practice.

And then I made the decision to quit nursing exclusively and start supplementing. (In brief, it had to do with my mental status.) So, more bottles were purchased and I headed to the store for baby formula.

I mentioned last week how we used Parent’s Choice formula when Fuller was using a bottle. And it seemed like a no brainer to get the same thing for Tebow. I picked up a can of Parent’s Choice Sensitive (I suspected milk issues with Tebow when I drank milk, so I thought it would be safer) and he was a happy (and full) baby.

Then I was approached to try a sample of Parent’s Choice, which I found funny because I was already using that brand. I said sure, so they sent me two free envelopes of Parent’s Choice Milk Based. The envelope held a full day’s supply.

I decided to see how Tebow would do with one bottle of milk based formula. His stomach seemed to be fine. No gurgling or gassiness afterwards. So, I kept using the sample formula from one envelope until it was gone. And except for one extreme spit up session on Sunday afternoon (while he was sitting in a swing), he was ok.

When considering using formula for your baby, knowing your child’s stomach sensitivities is at the top of the list. And Parent’s Choice has several formula versions to help you meet baby’s nutritional needs and possible sensitivities.

So, you can see Parent’s Choice has the feeding your baby part under control. And what’s even better is they also have your wallet in mind, because Parent’s Choice costs about 50% less than name brands. I’m not just pulling that number from the air (or my own math skills). It comes from Consumer Reports:

“We found that the store brand of formula at a local Wal-Mart (Parent’s Choice) cost 50 percent less per ounce than a leading national brand (Enfamil). According to the FDA, all formula marketed in the United States must meet the same nutrient specifications, which are set at levels to fulfill the needs of infants.”

If you are thinking about switching to formula and are wondering about the cost, then check out the baby formula savings calculator. It shows the comparison and the amount you would save over the entire time you would be formula feeding your baby.

I’m very happy with this decision and what we are using for Tebow right now. And he keeps growing and growing, so we must be doing something right.

Technorati Tags: infant formula, Parent’s Choice, infant feeding, cost savings

This post was sponsored by Kmart. All the opinions are mine.

In case you were not aware, Chattanooga is practically in Georgia. Why is this relevant? Well, because starting yesterday, Georgia began their tax free holiday weekend. (It seems to me the “weekend” gets longer every year.) And this is awesome because people can save money on things like clothes, school supplies, and computers.

Will I be shopping tomorrow? That is yet to be determined. While technically none of us are going naked, returning to school, or in need of a new computer, if something is a good enough deal, we might be tempted to swipe the check card.

Which is why, when you add to the tax free holiday great deals already found in stores, and you get Awesome Deals. And in this case, the deals are going to be found at Kmart. Yes, Kmart. This is because tomorrow, August 1, Kmart is bringing back the Bluelight Special.

What are Kmart Bluelight Specials? Through out the day, the store will offer things like jewlery, grills, patio furniture, clothes at specially reduced prices. If I recall correctly, when an announcement was made in the store (“Attention Kmart shoppers, we have a Bluelight special on aisle 4″) an actual blue light would flash on the aisle of the item, so you knew where to go to get the goods.

If you follow @kmartdealsnnews on twitter, you can see previews of the deals to be had.

To be clear, the Bluelight Specials are not just in stores in Georgia. But the tax free holiday makes it even more tempting to drive over to Fort Oglethorpe to see what I could get*. Bluelight Specials are available at all Kmarts. In fact, there should be 40 or more total. And if you can’t get to a Kmart, check online, because the deals will be there too!

*Make sure you check out the Georgia Tax Free Holiday website to see what qualifies. Jewelry, grills, and patio furniture don’t qualify. But if they are at a great price, and you are looking for those anyway, then I would check out Kmart.

This week at VBS has been really fun. Every morning Fuller wants to go (unlike last year) and has really enjoyed himself so far. He is even able to tell Damon what he did at VBS that morning, in great detail. His dinner often gets cold before he is able to finish telling Damon about all the fun stuff he did.

Today it rained, making the day a bit more challenging than usual. Our church is under construction, reducing the amount of indoor space to just the Sunday School rooms and sanctuary. Just those conditions made it a doable challenge. Add in the rain, and suddenly the sanctuary became the game room and one of the empty Sunday School rooms was Snack HQ. Traffic jams between sessions were lively and loud, but we made it through the morning with smiles on our faces and readiness to go home.

As promised, I’ve been taking pictures. Organizing them has been a bit of a challenge. I have been editing pictures with name tags to blur them out, and taking the time between dealing with Tebow and other things has been challenging. Add to that the sleep deprivation and total disdain for sitting down lest I fall asleep, well… I haven’t been as on the ball as I would like. But the pictures are there. Enjoy! And feel free to ask any questions about what the kids are doing. It’s a Fine Arts focus with art, drama, and music.