The moment my heart stopped....

....was when I saw this picture.

That is Kyle, my one and only child, my Bubba, my baby boy, my heart outside my body.... He is the person on the left with the air tank on his back entering this burning house.
****key HUGE ball of vomit in my throat, while my heart falls into my big toe*****

His Daddy said Kyle made 4 good "runs" through the house and did and excellent job. Even better than some of the grown men that have been on the FD for years.

Kyle has dreamed of this day since he was 4 years old, when his Daddy joined our local Volunteer Fire Dept. Since Kyle was 4 he has sat and sulked every Wednesday night as Chris would leave to attend the weekly fire meeting. Kyle could not wait til the day he turned 14 and could take his test to become a Jr. Fireman (note****he aced his test***)

Kyle loves fire, I think I have shared that with all of you before. He lives, eats & breaths the Fire Dept. Kyle has ADD & ADHD but Chris said when he enters a burning house it's like the hyperactivity melts away. He said Kyle is so calm and relaxed and has never even paniced.(they have guys that are paid Fireman in real life that have freaked out before during training and Kyle just goes on in with the hose and puts the fire out)

This is the group picture. Kyle is in the top row far left. Chris is top row far right.

Kyle getting ready to mask up and go in.

Kyle & another Jr. Fireman getting some time with the hose

Kyle is the blue shirt.

Another group pic. Kyle is in the front row with the blue shirt.

I am so proud of how Kyle has choosen to serve his community but it will still make my heart stop everytime I know he goes in a house fire.....and if anything happens to him I'm gonna kill his Daddy!!!! :O)

Shopping Palooza....

shew...ya'll tired? I am!!!!

I survived the masses and shopped for 24 straight hours on Black Friday(and no that is not a type-o.) I SHOPPED ON BLACK FRIDAY FOR STRAIGHT 24 HOURS!!!!!! We left my house at 11:45 pm on Thanksgiving night and pulled back in my driveway at 11:20 Friday night...and let me tell you......

....IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!..........

I got so many great deals and only have a few more things to pick up for Chris & Kyle and I am done....I even spent all day Saturday wrapping!!!!

The crowds were not that bad( I have seen them worse) the longest we waited in line was at Hollister. And I had to wait in line for over an hour at Walmart to get one thing on Kyle's list...but I was the 3rd person in the line to get it when the clock struck 5am!

I also got some great deals at Kirkland's, Old Navy & Gap.

Now, I have to spend this week putting up all my Christmas decorations cause I am heading back to New York this weekend for some time with the girls! We even have tickets to see the Rockette's Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall......SO excited to see that!!!!!

Hope you all got some great BF deals...let me know what you got!!!!

It's almost time.....

I am So excited for Thanksgiving this year....well anything tops last years Thanksgiving celebrated at Golden Coral (no offense to my readers who eat their Thanksgiving dinner there) but for me it was a very sad day! I cringed as I forked out $47.00 for the 3 of us to eat a Thanksgiving meal with no leftovers????
I will be blessed this year to sit around the table with Mr. Fisherman(he is off on Thanksgiving for the first time in years!!!!) my Bubba and my in laws. We normally eat around 3 or 4 but have pushed it up this year so Chris & Kyle can head back out to the deer stand for the evening hunt. As my boys head out to the field to try and bring home a buck with the rack the size of China, this little lady will be heading to sleepy land with a little help from Tylenol PM by 7pm...I must get plenty of rest before my Black Friday shopping marathon!
Then at 3am I will hop out of bed, grab my sales ads, my shopping spreadsheet and my travel mug full of peppermint mocha and head out with the masses to shop til I drop!!!

Old Navy opens at midnight
Khols opens at 3am
Belk's & Target open at 4am
Walmart starts at 5am

So have I convinced any of you to head out on Black Friday for the first time? Have any of my shopping tips helped you?
I hope so!!!
I hope you all have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Another of my "mom fail" moments....

Kyle's High School played there last football game this past Friday night.

...ya wanna know what I wore to go pick him up from the game????

My multi-colored fuzzy pj bottoms!!!

Thank God he didn't disown my right there in the parking lot, plus it was dark and no one could really see me...right?

But man how I have changed! Back in the day when I was in HS, I was never seen out in public with out make up and and a cute outfit...not to mention I would have killed my mom(okay, maybe not killed, but I wouldn't have spoke to her for a least a week if she picked me up wear her pj's!)

...this was one of the those HUGE mom fail moments where my warmth and comfort were placed before my child's social standing at school!

...I have SO lost my cool factor as a Mom!

BF Tip #4

Are you getting tired of my Black Friday tips yet?

I have had a few comments that they are "cracking people up"....

I always try and shop smart and shop for sales...except for the designer skinny jean purchase I made a few weeks back, so sue me! I never bought trendy designer clothes for Kyle when he was young, trust me when I say you are wasting your money. They are gonna puke or crap on it and only wear it twice before they grow out of it!

........NOW that I have that out of my system.....let me try and save you ladies a bunch of money(and we all love to save money....well, most of us anyway!)

We have bought our newspaper.....

We have made a budget....

We have scanned & planned.......

Now for tip #4

Who are you going to shop with? (a.k.a.....your shopping buddy)

I know what some of you are thinking...Trish has really flipped now!!!!

eh? What the heck kinda difference does that make?

ALOT!!!!

Shop with someone on BF that has the same shopping "Style" as you. And by shopping style I don't mean spending the same amount of money. I am talking about speed! Black Friday shopping is not about taking a leisurely stroll through Target's dollar section just to see what you can find! Most people that are out on Black Friday are serious shoppers and on a mission...***you can, might & will get run over*****

My BF shopping buddy and I have been doing this together for years now. We have the same shopping style and make a great team. We look out for each other and we know what the other one is shopping for and will grab it and put in in our carts until we meet back up together at the registers.

YOU DON"T HAVE TIME TO LOOK DOWN EVERY ISLE ON BLACK FRIDAY!!!!

did you hear me?????

If you think you are gonna have time to go down every isle in every store then you just need to stay home in bed. The good sales only last til around 9am and if you want items at several different stores you gotta move fast! Two years ago I was in and out of Walmart in 15 minutes....pretty sure I broke a store record that year and my picture is hanging in the BF hall of fame somewhere. I grabbed the 3 Playstation games I wanted for Kyle and the movies for $3 bucks each and was out the door and on to Sears!

That brings me to point #2. If you do go with someone else on BF, don't be afraid to split up. My BF buddy Marsha and I always split up so we get everything we need on our list. I will head to electronics to get the item I want for Kyle plus grab the two Nintendo DS she is looking for. While she is in the toy isle grabbing the toy cash register...mean while I have sent my mother-in- law to grab the stand-up mixer and shop vac for me (see gals, that puts us back to the ole' scan & plan) you have to know what item you are going in each store for.

And ladies, this rule even applies to husbands. If they don't shop like you....leave em' at home in bed!!!! (personally, I leave Chris at home....he hates crowds!)....and kids!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave your kids home in bed. DON'T torture them and everyone else by dragging the poor things out that early in the morning still in their cute footed pj's!!!!

stay tuned for Tip #5!

I think I got the shaft!

Any of you mom's feel that way???

I do!

Looking back to when Kyle was small I feel like I got a bum deal! There are so many things out on the market now that would have come in mighty handy around our house.

I would have LOVED to have had one of these....

Have any of you gal's seen this Elf on a Shelf? You set him out around the house and he watches the kids and reports back to Santa, then he moves to a different place each day...pretty cool idea. My friend has one she sets into action for her two boys and she said works pretty good. He is always disappearing and then re-appearing again in a new "watch" area. The boys always wake up each morning and run off to find him.

I bet this would have worked great on Kyle back in his younger days....I guess it wouldn't have the same effect on a teenager huh????........

probably not!

BF Tip #3

...so are you gals enjoying my Black Friday tips and taking notes????

Now that you made your spreadsheet and have budget..... and have bought your Thanksgiving Day Black Friday newspaper.....

Here is tip #3.....

Scan & Plan!!!!

Yep, grab a cup of coffe and settle in to scan your local ads and plan your day. Planning is very important on BF.

I know, I know...those cute jeans in the Khol's ad for $11.99 are just to die for but lets look at the entire picture here....okay?


The jeans in Khol's will be on sales til at least noon...right?....right! And most likely they are not going to sell out. You really need to plan your day with what type of items are on your list.


First off, if you have any type of electronics, video games, games systems, movies, TV's or hot toys on your list, head to that store first! The clothes, shoes and houseware items will be on sale longer and are not as "in demand" and you can still find them later on in the day.


***hint*** 24 hour Walmart stores will let you in before the 5am sale starts and will have a map of the store showing you where each major sale item can be found in the store....most of the time you can find the movies on sale for $3-$5 bucks in the middle of an isle and not all the way in the back of the store in electronics. Hot toy items are the same way, they will be spread throughout the store and not necessarily in the Toy section of the store*****

...stay tuned for tip #4.

My Christmas List

It's that time of year again, time for me to make my Christmas wish list....sounds like fun huh? Last year I made a list too...actually I make one every year but most the time I don't get what is one it. Most years Chris and I don't but gifts for each other and if we do, it's something small to open...BUT....we go all out with stuffing each others stocking. We love stockings at our house! We always save them for last.

You may look at this first item and wonder what the heck it is and why would I want something like that? Well, let me explain. My MIL bought me a Pandora bracelet for my birthday and Chris and Kyle got me a mother of pearl heart bead for it and this is the next charm I want to add to my collection. I know you may think it looks pretty ugly and weird but to Kyle...it looks like a mud tire! That is why I want to add it to my bracelet....this will be "Kyle's bead" and every time I look at it I will think of him and his love of mud!

This is an awesome wine refrigerator. I have new found love of wine and would love to have a separate place to store them since they should be kept cooler than the normal 42-44 degree refrigerator temp. Most wine taste better between 7-12 degrees.

And just how cute is this Pea coat from Khols??? Love the color too!

And last but not least, these two pair of CUTE, CUTE, CUTE boots from JC Penny
Chris swears I have black boots just like these but I will stand my ground that I don't. I use to never be a big "shoe person" but I guess I am becoming my mother!!!

So what's are your Christmas list this year????

Black Friday Tip #2

Make a budget...and stick too it!!!!

I know it is hard for some of you to stick to a budget, but on BF it is very important....cause all those good sales with getcha!!!!

The best way I find to do this is make a spreadsheet so you can KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU SPEND!

A few weeks before BF I make a spreadsheet on Excel. I make a list of every person I am buying for and the amount I am spending on them....THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! I even set a budge for Mr. Kyle...I know...major shocker eh? In the next column, I put down their wish list item or the item I have in mind to buy them. Then, in the next column I list the store where I am buying the item(this really helps when you are rushing in and out of each store)

My list looks something like this.

Rylee $20.00 Clothes Sears girls jeans $4.99/ Old Navy fleece zip up $7.50

Tyler $20.00 Toy Nerf Gun $19.99 Target

This spread sheet will be a life saver on a hectic BF and will help you stay on track and stay on budget. Please don't head out on BF with no plans in mind or with the idea that "I will just see what I can find and what every I come across I will get" ...you will be overwhelmed and frustrated....not to mention spend more money than you expect or want to.

Stay tuned for more tips to come....

Black Friday Tip #1

Several of you have asked me to share my BF shopping tips & strategies with you. So, I have decided to give you a tip a day.

I have been Black Friday shopping for years and have gotten some great deals. You have to get up early and do a little research before hand but the money you save is well worth the effort in my book.

Today's tip....

TIP #1

Buy a newspaper!!!!

Sounds simple enough...right?

....right!

and it is! Get up on Thanksgiving and go buy your local newspaper. If you don't already subscribe for home delivery, get out early and head to the nearest newspaper stand and buy one. (don't wait til after you get your fill of turkey cause they will sell out fast!)

Now, in the computer age, browsing local ads on the world wide web is nice but come Black Friday you will want the old print ads close at hand...trust me!

Stay tuned for my next BF tip tomorrow.......

Christmas Shopping questions?

Okay gals you already know already how much I adore, crave and live for Black Friday shopping. I love getting up early and racking up on the all the great deals. I have always been a morning person so rising at the butt crack of morning doesn't bother me(especially if I am gonna save money doing it!)

So that leaves me to ask you all a few person shopping questions.

How many of you will be hitting the store on Black Friday(and I not mean strolling out to Big Lots after eating leftover turkey sandwiches for lunch!) I mean.... who is gonna set their alarm for 3:30am, spring out of bed, grab up your sales flyer's, have your route all plotted out the night before and hit the road!

ME....ME.....ME {waves hands high in the air while jumping up and down}

My next question is do you set price limits on who you are buying for or do you just buy the item the person has asked for and never even glimpse at the hefty price tag?

My next questions...do you set your self a shopping budget? I never leave home without my Christmas list spread sheet. It has everyone names that I am buying for and the budget for that person.

And my last question....how much do you normally spend on Christmas gifts for friends & family? I try and stick to a very strict CASH budget when shopping for Christmas. We have a Christmas Club at work where I have money taken out of each pay check and then the last week in October they give us a check for the amount we have put in PLUS interest...WOO HOO!!!!

So fill me in...do you have any money saving tips or tricks that you can teach me????

Do share......

The difference a year makes....

His patrol car was loaded up with clothes, food, towels, shave kit, black shoes so shiny you could see your reflection and freshly dry cleaned uniforms, complete with heavy starch(just the way he likes them) and newly added Sergent stripes.

With a hug and a few tears he was gone.....

A year ago today Chris was heading West 2 1/2 hours away from home to his new duty station. We were so unsure about anything at the time....

How long would he have to live out of bags from a hotel room?
How long would it be before he could transfer back home?
Would he be home for the upcoming holidays?
How long would it be just Kyle and I eating dinner with Chris's empty chair in between us?
And how long would it be before I went crazy missing him?

So much has changed in the past year! We survived Chris being gone for 9 months. We (barely)survived eating our Thanksgiving dinner at the Golden Corral. We survived the holidays spent apart. And Chris survived living off of fast food for 9 months!!!

With faith and trust in God, he lead us through and we survived!!!

What a difference a year makes!!!!

The day I caved!

Yes ladies, I have to bare all my shopping secrets to you guys...(cause you gals won't tell The Fisherman" on me)....right?....right!

I went to a friends CAbi party last week....a.k.a(expensive boutique type clothes that come with a hefty price tag!) You get to try on all the clothes at the party to see if you like them before buying them....pretty neat idea huh?

.....and I caved.....

yep, I ended up buying a pair of designer skinny jeans that cost...let's just say WAY too much money!!!!!

I never thought these huge thighs of mine would ever see a pair of skinny jeans but I have to admit that I am so excited I can hardly wait until they come in. They were a tad long but with a pair of Uggs I think they will be fine.

Now I must leave you ladies to go admit my self into the nearest "Idiot Impulse Shoppers Support Group"