Where To Begin..... The Last 2 Months

ok. It's been awhile but life has been crazy the past few months. I'll do a quick catch-up. Well, we bought and moved into a great house. Built in 1909, remodeled in 2006, with a basement and finished attic, a porch, pickett fence and the best part a huge yard! We really like it. It has old charm but with 21st century amenities like new appliances, cabinets and carpet and paint. Next Crew is turning 6 months old this month. I can't even believe 6 months has flown by and my little man isn't a tiny baby anymore. Roger got a promotion at work. Meaning a higher rank and more money. So that was really cool. Roger has also been offered a job for the city of Umatilla (one of the 3 cities we live next to) for a full time police officer position. He has decided to take the position and should start in May. The only down side to this awesome opportunity (he's been trying to get on a police department for about 2 years), is that he has to go to the police academy in Salem, M-F for 16 weeks, and Salem is 4 hours away from us. That means he has to live there and we will only see him on the weekends for 4 months starting June-October. This is going to suck but its a sacrifice we have to make I guess. Another exciting (well not quite for me) but challenge we are facing right now is potty training Clover. It is going good mostly but proves to be trying my patience to the breaking point. Some days we have no accidents, others 5 times a day she is peeing her pants. I am at a loss.... And last but not least Roger brought home 2 dogs. Yes, 2 dogs and two different times. Oliver, is our little rat dog. He is half yorkie terrier half shitzu. And then there is our beast Xena (Zena), she is a full blooded St. Bernard. So we have a David and Goliath situation on our hands. Wow, as if I didn't have enough on my plate with a new house and 2 kids.....

Coupon Crazy

Spent $36 ............................Saved $58

I have officially decided that I am no longer going to stand for spending $400-500+ a month at the grocery store. I am going to take charge of my spending and I am starting a new way of shopping. Some like to call it crazy coupon shopping. I like to call it cha-ching saving! I have just barely started this process, only going 2 times so far. But, I am liking what I am seeing and have been doing really well. The basics of my scheme.... Buy on sale items, then use coupons and a few other little tricks to get rock bottom prices. Then stock up on your deals to create a stock pile of items to use for now and later. The 2 times that I have gone, shopping at Albertsons and Yokes (a Washington grocery chain) I have spent little and saved lots. Refer to my pictures to see all my items and my out of pocket $$ and then savings. You too can do this! It is hard at first, but oh so worth it when you see the $$$ your saving at the end



Spent $31........................Saved $67

Playing Dress-Up

Clover is really into dress up now. She is starting to play make believe and get an imagination. She has to wear her dress up clothes every day and even gets me to let her wear them out of the house sometimes. She is a character. She even got Daddy to join in on the fun once. Thank goodness I got a picture of this for blackmail purposes.

Let It Snow

It has snowed here a few times, stayed for a week or two, and then warmed up and melted. Even without the snow it has been really cold in Hermiston. We are finding out that this area gets on top of snow, freezing rain, sleet, and lots of ice. I didn't realize this when I moved her. But, I guess its nice to have seasons and weather from boring old Vegas where its sunny 300 days a year. So bring on the snow!

Santa Claus Freak Outs

(This Year 2009)



(Last Year 2008)



Santa Claus is a scary man for kids. Seriously people. We expect our kids to just go sit on some strange guys lap. What is wrong with parents, this is boarder line torture. Last year Clover did not do the Santa thing very well at all. This year, she was very nervous and wouldn't sit on his lap until I told her that Santa was giving out candy canes after you took your picture with him, which got her to stand next to him with a very nervous look on her face. Plus, the Santa this year was not very nice. First off he was late showing up. Then he wouldn't talk to, smile at, look at, or make the kids feel comfortable at all. I think maybe Santa hates his life and had a hang over.....

Family Pics 2009

Sisterly Love?

Well, usually she is nice and sweet and kisses and hugs her little brother. This photo proves it.

Crew's 1st Halloween

Crew (5 weeks) was a pumpkin, same as Clover was on her first Halloween.

Halloween Time Fun

Crew's Baby Pics

These are Crewzer's (that's his nickname) 5 week baby pics. I think they turned out adorable, but I might be a little impartial.... and he did amazing. He slept for the first half, then he woke up and hung out without crying. He was born for the spotlight. (he kinda looks like an old man)

Baby Crew Has Arrived

Crew O'neal Campbell came into the world on Friday, Sept. 25 (which also happens to be my birthday) at 6:30 am at Kennewick General Hospital in Kennewick Washington weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 1/2 inches. He was born at 38 weeks and 1 day. It was a pretty exciting and unexpected birth considering I had just had a doctors appointment the day before and the doctor said I was only 1 cent. dilated and nothing had changed and everything was looking fine. I went to bed that night (Thursday) feeling fine and Roger went to work. (he works graveyard shift). I woke up at 3:30 am with some cramping not thinking much of it because I had been having false contractions for a few weeks. An hour went by and the contractions were not going away so at 4:30 I called Roger at work and told him I thought this was the real thing. He came home immediately and we started packing our things. Another half hour/hour went by and the contractions were getting closer and harder and Roger said I think we better go now. (the hospital is 30 miles and 40 minutes away). We woke up Clover and said we had to go to the doctor, jumped in the car and sped away (this was at 5:00 am). Then the contractions started full blown, hard fast and unbearable. I was sweating like I had just run a marathon and the pain was really bad. I thought I wanted to die. I told him he better drive faster, so he stepped on it and at 100 miles an hour we made it to the hospital in 20 minutes. I jumped into a wheelchair as Roger parked the car and grabbed Clover. They rushed me to my room, screaming in pain and asking to be doped up but by then it was too late, no drugs. (That was my plan all along, but in the moment you just want the unbearable pain to stop.) My water burst all over the room, Roger and Clover got there, he held her in one arm, my leg in another and in 20 minutes time Crew was born. The doctor didn't even make it in time, the nurses delivered and the doc. came in 5 minutes late and said ok I'm here. So, long story I had a 3 hour total labor, almost had the baby in the car and didn't even have a doctor there. It was pretty crazy. But, Crew is here and is healthy and is an awesome new addition to our family.

Clover's 2 year pictures

I got her 2 year old pictures taken about a week ago. I think they turned out really cute. (She picked out her own shoes)

Dance Recital video

Finally got the dance video up thanks to my amazing husband! (he wrote that)

Clovers First "Dance Recital"

Clover has been taking a little "dance class" once a week for the past month and they have been learning a little routine to show off at an old folks home at the end of their lessons. I say dance class loosely because it is mostly doing a few moves, playing some games, singing songs, and a lot of running around and not paying attention. The class is for I think 18 months to 4 years olds. Her and her friend Sofia were the youngest ones in the class and they were of coarse the two trouble makers who would run around and not do the moves the teacher was trying to teach. But, in the end they got to do their dance by themselves in front of an audience and I think Clover did good for her first time. They even got little certificate and roses after the performance from their teacher. It was cute. If nothing else it's entertaining to say the least.

(I tried to download the performance but i guess the file was too big and blogger wouldn't upload it).