Becoming Self Reliant

Okay so maybe this is not what our Prophet was talking about when he teaches about this topic, Anyone who KNOWS me knows I tend to read stuff into what people say. 

Well so I was thinking... We need to be able to rely on our government LESS and on Oil LESS and on Stores LESS. Yeah umm... I gotta go to the store... I am not yet at the point of making butter and gathering eggs ( even though I would love to be at that point some day! ). 

There are lots of ways to use less oil so that will be the one we focus on first. We haven't had a car for a while now, but we have been blessed to have the chance to use my mother's van whenever we need!

While Davone and I have talked we have decided our goal is to become self reliant. We want to get to the point where we are able to do for our selves and not be concerned when there is no one to catch us when we fall!!

So with all the running around usually done by one to two people we figured this year we would invest in a scooter. NO not one of the little ones you see around town that goes 25 to 30 Mph this one goes 60 or 65 Mph. 80 miles per gallon. So when gas gets back up to $4 a gallon it will cost us $16 a month for gas as opposed to $240 and up. So we figured after about 5 months... the scooter will pay for itself. The extra money we save will be used to help pay off debt and invest in camping supplies  ( you know just in case we all have to live in the woods )! Camping supplies are another chapter in the "Valentin Family guide to being self sufficient" but that will be a story for later! :)

This is not the color but this is the style of the scooter Davone got!

History is made!

January 20, 2009 is indeed a historic day! 

Where was I the day the first African American was sworn in a President of the United States of America??

I was sitting in my living room with Kiannah and my Visiting Teacher... Linda Connor.

No matter who you voted for you have to have love and respect for this day and all of the people who have sacrificed and fought so that our government can continue the traditions of Democracy! 

I am thankful for the opportunity for the innocent children to finally see and understand that no matter where you came from and no matter who you are that they too can amount to greatness. 

I will never fully understand the joys that my husband's Great-Grandmother feels this day but I am thankful that my children and their children will never have to know the sorrows that she has had to face in her lifetime! 

I did not vote for this President and I will not defend my political views but I will say that I will pray for this President and the other leaders of our nation. 

I am grateful for the chance to experience a historical and beautiful occasion and optimistically look forward to the next four years!!

Kiannah is 3!!

I wanted to do a cake.. Not just a plain cake!

I have NEVER attempted to make a cake that looked like something else and I have no equipment to do so, but I think it turned out decent!!

The best part of Kiannah's day was that her best friend in the whole world ( Aubrey ) was able to come up from Little Rock with her parents and brother!

We hadn't seen Trevor and MaryAnn and Aubrey and Coleman since Thanksgiving....Which is not long but Aubrey used to live across the hall from us and they got to see each other every day and when ever they wanted! 

They enjoyed laughing with each other and playing together! Kiannah got a lot of nice gifts ... Thanks to all who came to the party! Her grandmother Wanda sent a gift from New York since she couldn't make it.

Wanda sent Kiannah a cross necklace. It is so pretty! We don't let her wear it often in fear of her breaking the chain!  

I still can not believe my baby is 3!!!

* 2009 *

Happy New Year!!!

I can not believe it is already 2009!

I remember when I was a kid thinking about what it would be like in 2020. With flying cars and robots that do everything for you. I thought that time period was so far away! 

2008 in review....

January: Kiannah turned 2

February: Valentines day.... #11 for Davone and I!! 

March: Participated in the IDA program 

April: Spent a lot of time outside and making memories with the neighbors ( since they were planning on moving to either Helena or Little Rock! )

May:  Wanda ( my mother-in-law ) came to visit. Trevor finally graduated from college and took his family to the Philippines to visit Johnathan turned 9

June: The Government Finally did something nice and gave us free money!! I love Rebate checks!!

July: I turned 20 something and Davone and I celebrated 4 years of marriage!

August: Davone was able to return to New York for 10 days to visit his family and friends! Kiannah's best friend moved away! :(

September: We were able to spend a lot of time with my brother while he was home on leave and we even went to a renaissance festival with him.

October: Kiannah and I were able to travel to Ohio with Angel and Aubrey to welcome Travis home from his mission and to party!!

November: Participated in a history making election!!

December: Imanni turned 11 and we had a wonderful Christmas!

I hope that 2009 will be filled with even more love and lots more adventures!! 

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is always anticipated in our home! The past couple of years we were able to spend Christmas with the McGarrah family ... This year however all of the McGarrah's were going to celebrate Christmas in Ohio. So for Christmas it was small this year! 

Davone woke everyone up at 6:30 in the morning!! Once everyone stumbled into the living room we knelt in prayer and thanked Heavenly Father for the gifts that we had received and thanked

 him most importantly for the the gift of his son!! It is a tradition that we pray BEFORE any presents get opened so that everyone can remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas!!!

The kids enjoyed the presents and we saved the ones they wanted the most for last!!!

Kiannah wanted more than anything a guitar and drum set... Yeah a 3 year old with drums

 I THINK NOT!!! So she settled for the guitar!!!

Johnathan wanted more than anything to get Eye clops. Night vision goggles that really work! They work up to 50ft. They are awesome!!

Imanni wanted more than anything... A Barbie house!! YES she is 11 and still plays with Barbies! I don't care... At least she isn't chasing the little boys!!! ;)

The kids were greatly blessed! Trevor and MaryAnn McGarrah sent gifts to the kids as well! 

After present time it was time to start cooking! We had my mom and dad come over as well as a friend of the family, Maida. We had Ham and Turkey and all the trimmings. It turned out to be a very happy Christmas!!

"Imanni's growling at me!!"

So the funniest thing happened a couple of nights ago....
Imanni and Kiannah share a room and Imanni had fallen asleep before Kiannah.
I had told Kiannah to go to bed and shortly after she came back into the living room and said:
K: "I can't go to sleep"
M: "Why can't you go to sleep?"
K: "Imanni is growling at me!"
So I get up and go to yell at Imanni for "growling" and found out that Imanni was really


SNORING!!!

11 years old???

Imanni turned 11 years old!! It is so hard to watch my little girl turn in to young woman! She wanted to invite a couple of friends to hang out for the occasion. She chose to invite Lyric and Gigi. Gigi, Lyric and Imanni were all best friends last year in school and were in the same class! Imanni was traumatized when Gigi's family moved to Springdale ( the next town over )!
So Lyric and Gigi came over and hung out playing video games for a while. Once we ate pizza we did the cake a presents. Imanni received a Jonas Brothers CD that came with a DVD also. Of course we had to watch that OVER and OVER again! I gave the girls two options.... to go to a movie or to go to the store and they could each buy a poster and a teen magazine. It was unanimous for the shopping. We went to Target and then to walmart. Imanni bought a Jonas Brothers book and all the girls got a Jonas Brothers poster as well as a magazine. Even though the plans that I had made originally fell through.... the girls all had a great time!!!
Happy Birthday Imanni!!