The blahs....

Yes, I have them.....the blahs.

No energy, no motivation. I need a vacation. I am feel as though I need to be "recharged".

My battery is close to empty. I haven't had a vacation since March 2010 when we were in California for the ASA banquet and the Commondities Classic. We spent an extra day there to visit Disneyland since we were only a couple blocks from it and was able to walk there. It looks like our vacation this year will be spent in Missouri, as we are talking about going to Branson during the week of our 12th anniversary.

I love being a stay at home Mom, don't get me wrong, but I NEED time away. I need time to recharge so I can be the best mother and wife I can be. Right now, I have no patience and find myself very unhappy with the way I have been towards my kids. They need me to be calm and collected and relaxed. All of which I am not at the moment. The last couple of weeks have been stressful, with the tearing down of Grandma & Grandpa Klein's home, to the death of Grandma Fred. Add all that in with timelines for work, trying to keep the house clean, etc, I am just spent. I really am looking forward to a vacation! :)

Remembering Grandma Fred

September 2008 - Taking Reagan to meet Grandma Fred, at Katy Manor Nursing Home

This past Saturday, June 11, 2011, my grandma, Irene Vollrath, passed away. Grandma Fred, as we affectionately called her, was a wonderful & spunky lady. Our usual days to visit her, when we were kids, was on Sunday afternoons. Sunday afternoons in the summer time, you could always find her in the garden with her baseball cap on, picking tomatoes. I believe, and still do to this day, that she grew the BEST tomatoes in Cooper County. After going and picking tomatoes, or playing in the barn and Choteau creek, we could always go in the house and find a freshly baked cake! Usually, yellow with hard chocolate icing. We, all my cousins and sisters, would sit around eating cake and drinking iced tea. During the winter months, Grandma always had her quilting and sewing stuff out. She loved making quilts and made one for each of her grandchildren and gave it to us when we got married. Grandma gave Kevin and I a very sweet and cute, scottie dog and heart quilt. It reminds me of Valentine's Day, which is symbolic, because it was made with love.

Yesterday, we said our final earthly goodbyes to Grandma, but we all know we will be reunited with her in our Heavenly home.

Rest In Peace, Grandma Fred, enjoy your reunion with Grandpa and send him my love. I love you!

Couponing

I have taken an interest in couponing. It all started about 2 months ago when I was watching, TLC's show, "Extreme Couponing." After seeing the obsene amount of money these people were saving by using coupons, I was very intrigued. So, I have been driving into town 10.1 miles every Sunday morning to get several copies of the KC Star and Columbia Tribune....just for the coupons.

My friend, Shannon, is a representative for Becentsable. She got together with me and a couple of friends last Saturday to show us different ways to save using coupons and she brought along a lot of FREE stuff that she got, just using coupons.

My first trip to Walmart using coupons, I saved $20.50.
I saved $13.00 at Dollar General.

This past Friday I went to Gerbes in Columbia. I ended up saving $45!!

I am starting to get the hang of it and am enjoying learning how to save more money!!

Our lives have been pretty busy lately. We whethered the Blizzard of 2011, over came viruses and ear infections, and moved to a new home. All in the matter of a month.

Mason continues to make progress at school. He really enjoys going to preschool. It is hard to believe that he will be in Kindergarten in the fall. He has his Kindergarten screening tomorrow at school. I can't help but worry about him when it comes to actually sitting down to concentrate at school. He is so active and it is hard for him to pay attention for long periods of time. He still has a lot of maturing to do & it is very difficult to work on with him here at home. He is a smart child, but wants to do things on his on terms & in his own time. Getting him to understand that he can't always get what he wants when he wants is very challenging. He enjoys watching "The Backyardigans" and any other cartoons on Nick Jr. He continues to talk about riding the tractor with Grandpa all the time. So, I know once planting season comes along, I will see nor hide, nor hair of him or his father!

Reagan is 2.5 going on 21. The terrible twos are definately true for this little one. I swear a girl is worse than a boy when it comes to the terrible twos. Her behavior cracks me up, but makes me mad at the same time. If you tell her something she does not like, she will cross her arms, pout and say, "I'm fine! I'm FINE!" :) She is also, in the past week, fighting bedtime and only wants to fall asleep in our bed, or have me rock her to sleep. I have to admit, I LOVE rocking her. She is growing up so fast and it makes time stand still for me when she is quiet, and immobile. I cherish those times. I also cherish when she comes up to me and puts her arms around my legs and says, "I love you, Mom." :) She will be going to preschool this fall. She will be in the 3 year class room on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am happy, yet sad at the same time, to see my little girl growing up. She enjoys "princess" things, such as puzzles, dressing up, & changing clothes 10 times a day.

Kevin is getting ready for planting season, by wrapping up sales for the sales year, and getting all his customer's ready for planting. He is also going to be busy on the weekends planting our 120 acres of crops along with his other rented ground.

I have continued to be the gopher when it comes to taking Mason to school. I also continue to work out of the home one day a week and in the home one day a week. It is challenging making the time to do it all, but with the new house, I think that it should be easier. I finally have my OWN office/sewing room. All I need to do is unpack it. And organize it. And use it...when I have time. Hopefully this summer will allow me the time to do some of it!

There's No Place Like Home

IT IS FINALLY OVER.......The MOVE that is!!

We were able to close on the new house and 120 acres February 4th. We moved on February 5, with the help of our wonderful family and friends. Thank you Mom, Dad, Christy, Jim, Shelley, Glenn, Donna, Clint, & Brennan for taking time out of your weekend to help us get moved to our new home.

Our new address is:

Kevin, Melissa, Mason & Reagan Frieling

7802 B Hwy.

Bunceton, MO 65237

Our new phone number is:

660-427-5500

Be watching for an annoucement about a Housewarming Party coming soon!!