Taking it Easy...

Last weekend was full and fun-filled...and completely exhausting! Barrett was in Emerald Isle with the boys. I know they had lots of fun...pictures are worth a thousand words! I was in Myrtle Beach for Lora's Bachelorette Weekend. We were able to go out and see the Craig Woolard Band, who will be playing at her wedding. They were so fun and will be so awesome to see again in August! Other than the weather not cooperating so well, it was a nice weekend for us both. This weekend...we're taking it easy! We decided to back out of the wedding we were supposed to go to in Benson, NC. Our budget and brains are reaching exhaustion for this month, so we decided it would probably be best to lay low...Well, except for the fact that Barrett decided to go to a Bachelor Party in Myrtle Beach, so I guess Buddy and I will be laying low! We need to rest, regroup, and get ready for next weekend. We're throwing a Fiesta for Matt & Lora at our house! Should be lots of fun! Margaritas and pinatas always make for a good time! :-)

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

So, I've been trying to figure out this whole coupon using thing for a while now. It blows my mind how some people can go to the grocery store, buy $400 worth of items, and walk out having only spent $3.14. I just couldn't figure it out! I had clipped coupons from the Sunday paper, brought them with me to the store, and saved $20 or so, but still paid $150! I couldn't wrap my head around it! But then...at work a few days ago, one of the nurses gave a mini-lesson on the tricks of the trade. It really is like a game! There are secret codes and special days of the week...it's very involved! So, last night Barrett and I went to Harris Teeter to see if we could use my new skills to our advantage...I didn't have very high expectations, but my goal was to save at least as much as I spent. So, how did we do?? We met the goal! We spent $81 and saved $84! So, half price! I was pretty happy for our first time out! We probably could have done better...we bought some things that we didn't have coupons for (like buy 1 get 1 free london broil, which also isn't half bad) so that was extra money we spent. We'll do better next time...Practice makes perfect! :-)

One weekend down...15 or so to go!

We made it through our first big adventure of the summer! A quick little trip to the Greenville area, and we had a great time!

I spent the weekend out on the Pamlico River (not the Tar like I thought before) and had a wonderful time with the girls from work. We spent the whole day Saturday out on the boat. It was finally sunny...I've been waiting for a sunshine filled day for weeks now! So we soaked up a little sun and good company, and enjoyed some much needed relaxation.

Barrett got to spend some time with Matt, Jenna, and Landon. They went to the ECU baseball regionals and watched us lose miserably on Saturday to South Carolina. But, ECU rallied and ended up winning two games yesterday which puts us into an elimination game today against SC again...keep your fingers crossed! Go Pirates! :-)

Buddy had a blast, too. He got to spend some time with his cousin Beau. He also swam in a pool that wasn't his...see insert. :-) Barrett took Buddy and Beau to Jenna's mom's house to spend some time in the back yard while they headed to the baseball game. Barrett said as soon as he opened the fence, Buddy headed straight for the pool. It looks like Beau's saying, "Gosh, Buddy. I really want to get in there, but I'm not so sure we're supposed to!" Eventually, Beau joined the party. Hey...it was hot...they're labs...it's what they do! He then proceeded to sleep the entire day away on Sunday.

Next weekend we're heading in opposite directions. Barrett's headed for a boys' weekend at Emerald Isle with his brother and cousins. Sounds like nothing but trouble to me! :-) I'll be at my best friend Lora's bachelorette party in Myrtle Beach. I can't wait to get my toes in the sand for the first time this summer! We're all keeping our fingers crossed for more sunshine!