First Post

So the new blog has a post! So go on over and take a look. I'll explain it all when you get there. I'd love to hear from you. I've hidden this blog on my blogspot account. You can keep following it, but it will probably mostly be pictures for grandparents, etc. My writing will be on the new blog.

Angela's Musings - Revamped

Just wanted to let you know that this blog is moving. I've been trying to "consolidate" myself and build a place I can write about anything on my heart - but protect my family's privacy a bit mtected place to share family photos with grandparents.
ore than I do here. So....in not to very long, this blog may disappear...or go to being a password pro
You can now find me (and my empty blog) at angelacgifford.blogspot.com

You can follow me on Google there, and I'll be adding subscription options, etc. soon....and then get back to writing. My heart is pretty full from such a long break. :)

Summer's End

I'm a little sad today. The fall sun has replaced the summer sun. It is cooling off. There is one week left before school. I love the fall. It *is* my favorite season. But August is just too soon for fall.

Speaking of fall.....I took a nasty fall on my bike today. If it had been one of my kids, I would have taken them in for stitches. But Bill assures me I don't need stitches. I hope he's right. At the moment, I'm practicing the art of not bending my knee.

Ian and Riley had a great time at camp this week. You can read a little more about that here. Hayden and I also enjoyed a lot of great time one-on-one this week. He's never gotten much of that as the baby of the family. I know it meant a lot to both of us.

We had a little excitement around here last night. We had an old friend and a new friend over to help us roast marshmallows. They were here until well after midnight. After they left, we worked on settling down our boys and two extras that were having a sleepover. At about 1 a.m., the phone rang. It was my brother. Of course, I'm wondering who's in the hospital and what happened. He said calmly, "I want you to lock your doors." Turns out, he was calling on official police business. They were tracking a drunk man who had abandoned his truck on our street and told them he was walking up the hill looking for a place to hide - which was essentially our driveway. A little lights and sirens are just the thing to liven up a dying sleepover.

So the question is, what is scarier to have in your yard?

OR

Random Drunk Guy?

Today, we had a nice cookout in the beautiful weather with the worship team and are excited to start our kids on their school, bedtime routine tonight! Yay!

Updates, updates

I'm really going to try to be better here....just because I know that family depends on news that isn't shouted to the world.

My dad got here tonight! He will be here for two days working on our new business together. It is always good to see him!

This week is generally busy. Tomorrow, Ian and Riley leave for a week of children's camp. We have a dinner tomorrow to discuss details of home group happenings this year....right before I had off to Bible study. Just two weeks left of my summer, ladies' group. It's been so fun!

Tuesday is Middle School Registration. I am speaking for our local Maggie's Place home and have a My Shopping Genie seminar to show up late too and get some more training.

Today, Clayton and I used My Shopping Genie to find the netbook he's been saving for. We found it for $50 cheaper than we've seen it anywhere else - with free shipping. That means he can buy it this week - instead of in another several weeks of working. Woo hoo!

We've been doing lots of school shopping and are getting pretty close to being ready. Still have a few supplies to look for and some shirts to get monogrammed.

...and now at 1 a.m., it is time for bed!

What's Going On?

Where have I been? and why am I finally blogging at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning?

Well, that is about all the time I have around here.

So much is going on! Some good. Some not so great....and a lot of just busy.

I'm still working full time at Mom 4 Life. I'm working from my house, which is nice in the fact that I don't have to pay childcare expenses. But the downside is that I have four boys in my office all week - which leads to things like fist fights and baking soda bomb construction in my office - and and occasional snake being thrown on my keyboard.

I'm also sort of blogging on Let's Talk About Boys - which if you haven't take a look at lately, you will have missed most of what has been happening around here with the boys.

After a year online, I've done some re-evaluating and reorganizing of Those With Young. There is now a download available each Sunday with a whole week of journable devotion sheets to use. The verses are still posted daily, so whichever is the best format for a mom, it is there for her to use.

Ian and Riley leave for camp on Monday and are very excited. Ian asked Riley tonight if he could sit by him on the bus, so that he knew what to do. So cute!

Clayton is busy working for anyone he can get jobs for, so he can buy his own net book. He is almost there!

Bill is still currently working three jobs: 1. Full time customer service for Capital One 2. Part time course maintenance for the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course. 3. His own business (which is in the busy season (Coeur d'Alene Golf Club Repair)

Bill has been singing on our church worship team for the past couple of months. He loves it!....and it is really fun to worship with him in that way again. Being on the worship team at Real Life means singing in all five services every other weekend, so it is quite a commitment.

Bill and I are also going to lead a home group in an area apartment complex starting this fall. It has been really fun to watch how God laid this on both of our hearts and the things he has done to bring it all together. We are really having fun watching how God is already working, and what He has up His sleeve!

One of the things I'm really excited about right now, is a new business I've started. Ya, I know, like I have time for anything else. I know.

BUT, there is a reason this works for me. It totally ties in with everything else I do online, so it isn't something hugely stretching for me.

When I was a stay at home mom, everyone had a great business they wanted me to get in on. I never could get excited about any of them because I just wasn't passionate about it, and couldn't see myself spending even the "10 hours a week" necessary on them. I also struggled asking anyone to help me out by spending money they didn't have on something they didn't need.

Well, I've found something better. Something I can give away for free! Yep! You got it! It is called My Shopping Genie. My Shopping Genie is a downloadable tool that helps you save money with all of your purchases. It simply helps you find the absolute best deal on anything you are looking for. It works with Google and other search engines to bring you your searches by the best price.

How do I get paid? Well, Google pays other sites that drive traffic for them, so commission comes by advertisers paying per click for traffic to come to them. The cost is on the companies who pay Google. I've been lucky enough to find a low investment business that gives the average joe an opportunity to have a bite of the Google pie, so to speak.

So! If you are interested in saving money....consider downloading the Genie. It doesn't cost a penny to you EVER!...and it is very safe.....and it will help get the Gifford's out of debt. LOL! If you take a look today, go here so you can really learn how to use it.

If you want a bite out of the Google pie too, ask me how you can get a license to distribute My Shopping Genie yourself. I can help you with that too.

Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to my fellow birthday friends!

Happy Birthday, Lisa Rakes!

Lisa and I think we're related because my brother's wife is best friends with her husband's sister. Did you get that? We've spent many hours visiting while my son picked up her dog's poo and while our kindergarten classmates played on the playground after school!

Happy Birthday, Taylor Maliblah-blah!

(otherwise known as The Lumberjack's Wife)

I've know Taylor since she was in elementary school.....but I wasn't exactly in elementary school She is much younger than me. It has been fun to reconnect with Taylor as mommies and bloggers!

Happy Birthday to Amber Ronningen!

Amber and Taylor (I believe) were both in the same junior high Sunday School class that I once taught.

Happy Birthday, Nancy Riberdy!

Nancy is a friend from Arizona. I miss her.

Happy Birthday to Roxanne and Brian

(from my home group) who also have birthdays this week!

Happy Birthday to my cousin Megan and my niece Leigh Anna,

who share a birthday this week....

consequently they also share the day that my Grandpa Lefty was born into heaven 17 years ago!

My dad has a tradition of taking us out to breakfast on our birthdays. He's been doing it probably longer than I remember. I still have memories of going to breakfast in my strawberry shortcake dress and getting strawberry syrup all over it.

This year, daddy is here! So guess who took me to breakfast today (a day early!) Guess who is in town for my birthday? Mom, Dad, and Casey!

....and Dawnell!!

Can it get any better?

Casey's Graduation

My baby brother graduated from high school today!

Casey Brandel was an honor student, and he majored in theatre at

The Academy of Arts and Academics (A3).

Graduating Class of 2010

Springfield, Oregon