New Blog Design and Site

I have out grown the capabilities of Blogger. I wanted a custom blog so I had a friend, Greg Sykes, design a new layout for me, which has now been programmed by my husband, David of Lloydhome.com

Check out the new site at www.donnalloyd.net

All data from this site has been transfered to the new site.

Savings this week

My weekly grocery shopping trip helped to restock the pantry. We were running low on several items so I was glad to see sales on cereal and pasta. My total grocery bill came in at $232.52 however after coupons and buy on get one deals I only paid $56.75. Not too shabby. We needed a few items that I did not have coupons for so those pushed my total up a little bit.

The buys of the week included:

• Smuckers Jelly for .89 per jar after coupons
• 6 Boxes of cereal for less than $1.00 per box after coupons and BOGO
• Muller's Pasta .25 per box after coupons and BOGO

I love saving money when I shop for the family food items. Every dollar I save is a dollar we can use toward other items.

First Fruits

Tonight with our dinner we had a salad that included some of the first fruits from our garden-- radishes. Caleb and Madilyn did not like the taste of them. I thought they tasted fine, I am not sure what David thought.

In a week or so we should have lettuce ready to eat along with tomatoes maybe those will go over better with the kids.

We just about have the grass that took over under control, it has been a long hard process. For the most part the plants in the garden are looking healthy.

Longest episode ever....

I feel like I am in the longest episode ever of the television show "House." The doctors can not determine what is wrong with me. Test come back negative and symptoms do not indicate any known illness. Medications and surgical procedures seem to help, but then within a few weeks all of the symptoms reappear. I have been repeating the same cycle since November and quite frankly I am tired and worn out.

This weekend my body ached with pain. As I vomited, convulsed and experienced other pain I thought I would die. At one point I was crying out in pain hoping that my children would not hear me. I have no idea how to explain to them what is wrong. The pain I have had during the past few days is the worst I have ever experienced.

I think all of this would be easier if the doctors could say you have "xyz disease" or you have "xyz cancer." If I could get a diagnosis I would know what I am up against and treatment could begin. Right now it is just more inconclusive test and unexplained symptoms.

Later today I am going to a new doctor to have all new test run and hope that the results will help the doctors determine a course of treatment that will allow my body to heal.

It happens to ....

I hate it when people say, "It happens to a lot of people." Well those words do not make it better, they do not comfort and those words do not help those mourning the loss of a child. I have found that the people who say this when discussing miscarriage or infertility have ZERO experience with either. This phrase is usually used to end the conversation and to dismiss the feelings that I and other couples are experiencing.

Notice I said couples, miscarriage and infertility is not a women's issue, it is a couples issue. In many cases women can find someone to talk to that understands the gravity of their feelings. However, men have a harder time finding someone to talk to about these kinds of issues. I am thankful but sad that David has a friend to talk to about these issues. Thankful because he needs someone to talk with, but sad because this other couple is riding the same emotional roller coaster that we are riding.

Just when I think I am doing better something triggers my emotions. Last night I was watching Army Wives, and you guessed it one of the main characters had a miscarriage. The episode portrayed the feelings of both the man and women in a wonderful way. They acknowledged that a miscarriage was a loss of life that is not only physically painful but emotionally painful for both of the grieving parents.

In one scene the husband said "it happens" the wife Roxy said "its never happened to me before." This type of tragedy is one that we are not prepared for, it is one that in the past has been hush hush and not talked about or acknowledged. It is a shame that so many people have had to face this type of loss alone. It is a further shame that the loss is not recognized by family and friends and that it is something that people think should just be forgotten. Well that is easier said than done. I can not forget the baby that should have been born just a few weeks from now.

Being like Joshua and Caleb

Recently I have been studying Numbers 13 and 14. These two chapters deal with the spies that were sent out in advance of the people of Israel to scout out the land God had promised. When the spies returned to the people to report on the land they reported that indeed the land was good but they would not be able to overtake those who currently laid claim to the land. However, 2 of the men Joshua and Caleb insisted that God was with them and the land could be theirs. Most sermons that I have heard preached on this text focus on "being faithful to God" or "calming God's promises." However this time while reading these passages something else seemed to overpower the previous mentioned themes of the chapters.

In verses 6-9 Joshua and Caleb continue to encourage the people and tell them that God was with them and that the land would be theirs. In verse 10 we learn that the people wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb because they were so insistence that God would deliver the land to the people.

While reading this text I could not help but think-- when was the last time I stood up for God and his promises to the point that people wanted to hurt me? When was the last time I have seen or heard of anyone standing up for God in this way? Lately it seems like the "Church" is too busy being politically correct to take a stand for God. We are becoming so meek that we are not claiming the promises that God has given us as his people. We sit quietly and do not speak the truth when it should be spoken. God did not call us to be a timid people. Many Christians will not speak up or take a stand on any of the hot topics such as abortion, homosexuality and adultery. We clam up and don't say anything for fear of offending others. How about we not worry about offending and worry about souls going to hell.

For some of us when we do speak, we let someone say one or two words and then we back down and won't continue to speak the truth that is found in God's word. Can you imagine being Caleb and Joshua they had courage to stand and proclaim the promises and word of God among people who wanted to stone them for speaking the truth. Here in America what is the worst thing that will happen to you if you stand up and proclaim God? I am sure you won't get stoned.

My prayer today is that I will become more like Caleb and Joshua and that I will be bold in my faith, speech and testimony.

Getting back in the Groove

For about 9 months I was in the groove- I was a coupon shopping saving freak. Then something happened, I guess you can call it life and I relasped back into my old ways of grocery shopping. Which meant shopping with no list, no coupons and just buying whatever I wanted to buy. Of course with the old habits the old dread of grocery shopping, and the shock of the bill at the end of the trip returned.

Now that I am feeling better I decided that I needed to get back into the groove and start saving money again on my weekly shopping trips. Today my bill totaled $167.45, after coupons and store specials I paid $56.25. Not a bad start to my getting back in the groove.

My best deals today were:

Dial soap at .33 per bar.

Nivea Body Wash FREE

Betty Crocker Potatoes for .29 per box

Halls Cough Drops for .52 per bag