April 25, 2010: Casino

Justin, Mom, and I went to the casiono today, MGM Grand. This is Mom's and my third time to go. Justin didn't spend any money. Mom lost about $300 over the three visits, and I made about $300.

April 24, 2010: Addicted to Computer

I am addicted to my computer and can't even wait to put my clothes on before checking my e-mail. My mom snuck this picture after I got out of the shower.

April 23, 2010: Coach Purse Lady

Today we went to a neighborhood garage sale. Mom bought all the Coach purses in sight (in addition to the ones she already bought this week at Value World).

April 22, 2010: Too Much to Ship!

Here is Mom packing one of FIVE huge boxes she is going to Fed Ex to herself. Each box is full of things she is going to sell on eBay--all of which she purchased at Value World.

April 21, 2010: Casino Time

Mom loves playing slots at the casino. We went on Sunday after I picked her up from the airport, and both of us walked away with $150 more than we came in with. Today we went back, and we both lost. While Mom played slots (for part of the time), I read my book on saving money. Here I am with my book putting a $10 bill into the machine--talk about irony!

April 20, 2010: Overdue Pictures of Justin

A couple of months ago, I took Justin on a surprise Saturday afternoon "date" to the local senior center where FLY meets. FLY is a local, non-profit organization that offers low-cost art activities for children. Justin helped kids make houses and cities out of cardboard boxes. One child, though, chose to make some sort of racetrack/obstacle course that Justin helped him with. Here are pictures of Justin working with this artistically-gifted student!

April 19, 2010: Mom at Value World

My mom is visiting for nine days. She is especially excited about shopping at Value World each day. These are her bags from day one at Value World.

April 18, 2010: Blooming Flowers

Our flowers are blooming out front!

April 17, 2010: Clogged Arteries

Justin and I were out most of today and didn't feel like cooking dinner. Or, I should more accurately say, JUSTIN didn't feel like cooking dinner (he's the cook). He suggested we eat at Sonic. How could I resist? Pictured here is Sonic's newest creation, which we both tried. It's a two-patty burger with all the fixins' AND stuffed jalepenos inside. It tasted pretty good for a $5.00 burger, but it's already the next day (when I'm posting this) and I still feel full and gross.

April 16, 2010: Wishing for Maui

Today it got cold again! Yesterday it was in the 80s, and now it is back down to the 40s and windy! I am wishing for Maui weather right about now.

Here is a picture of the trees and sky at Napili beach, one of my favorite beaches (and where I can always wave at you in front of the webcam attached to one of the trees).

April 15, 2010: On His Side of the Bed

Justin does not like it when the dog gets on the bed, but he has compromised a bit with me. I have ALWAYS snuggled with my dog(s) in the mornings while lying in bed--they are indoor dogs and very clean.

As soon as Justin leaves for work in the morning, Tessa jumps in bed with me. This morning, though, she made herself at home on HIS side. She loves to be in the middle of all the pillows!

April 14, 2010: New Home?

Looks like our offer on the white house has been accepted! Hopefully things will go well and I will be swimming in this pool come June 1!

April 13, 2010: New Coach Purse

Today at Value World, I found a brand new Coach purse, perfect for spring and summer! I bought it for $50 and then took it to the Coach store in the mall to make sure it is real. It is! It was part of the 2005 line and the original retail price was $398. Although I could sell this easily on ebay for at least $200, I think I will keep it!

April 12, 2010: Hat Heaven

Value World is a chain of stores within three states, Michigan being one of them, that sells Purple Heart donations for CHEAP. I no longer even need to go to garage sales to make thousands of $ on ebay--I just go to Value World! Today I got about 175 brand-new Hummer hats for .25 each, and I am going to sell them on ebay for $5.00 each. That's about $4 profit for every 30 seconds of work, as long as they sell, which I think they will.

April 11, 2010: House Hunting Woes

Our first-choice home (the brown brick one pictured below) is no longer an option! The last day they would accept bids was Friday, and we tried to bid on Monday morning. We have an offer in on the white house pictured below, but there are three other bids as well, so we'll see. We offered the asking price of $144,900, but the way things are going, houses are selling for much more than the asking price. In the mean time, though, we are going to keep looking. Justin found a nice-looking home in Canton that we will hopefully see soon. Here's a photo I took from the Century 21 website of the living area.

April 10, 2010: More House Hunting

The house in Plymouth, MI, that we made an offer on, went to someone else. Darn! But today we looked in West Bloomfield and found three houses we liked, two of which we really like, and one that is practically gutted and, if we got it cheap enough, we wouldn't mind remodeling. Here are pictures of our top two choices. We made offers on all three and hopefully at least one will be accepted!

April 9, 2010: New Water Shoes

While in Maui, Justin and I hiked over lava rocks and boulders. I wore some flimsy water socks that I've had for at least ten years, and my feet just couldn't take it--I had actual bruises on the arches of my feet.

Today my new water shoes came in that have hard soles. I am very excited about them and plan to start wearing them when the weather warms up and I take Lacy to the creek!

April 8, 2010: Joint Tax Return

This is the first time I have filed a joint/married tax return! I am particularly excited because I have now paid off my student loans with part of our refund, so I am credit card and student loan debt free!

April 7, 2010: Growing Guinea Pigs

While we were in Maui, Sarah watched our guinea pigs, and I picked them up today. They have grown quite a bit in 2.5 weeks!

April 6, 2010: More Waterfalls

Today we actually spent on the plane and in airports. We left at 9:00 p.m. Hawaii time last night and got home around 6:00 p.m. today. I didn't take any airport photos, and we are too exhausted to do anything interesting that is photo-worthy. So here are two additional waterfall photos from yesterday! Also, here is a video of a waterfall from its top that Justin recorded. (Click the arrow.)

April 5, 2010: Waterfalls

Justin and I spent today on the road to Hana, the greenest street on the island where all the waterfalls are! Here are a couple shots. I've been practicing with my camera trying to get the cascading waterfall look. I think I am improving. Of course, Justin took the photo with me in it.

April 4, 2010: Variations of Rainbow

Maui is full of rainbows. Justin and I saw this one today while driving. I took lots of photos of it, and I can't decide which one to post, so here are four--all unique. It was Justin's idea to get the shot from the sideview mirror.

April 3, 2010: Flower at Lindbergh's Grave

This flower came from a tree above a graveyard at a small church where Charles Lindbergh was buried. I've enjoyed reading about Lindbergh. He made the first trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris in the late 1920s and became an immediate celebrity. Over 4 million Americans were waiting for him upon his return to New York! Interestingly (and sadly) a bad guy kidnapped his 1 1/2-year-old baby later on for ransom money. However, the guy dropped the baby while coming down the ladder at Lindbergh's house, and the baby died immediately and was left just a few miles away. Also, Lindbergh had numerous extra-marital affairs and had about seven more kids--all of whom were kept secret.

April 2, 2010: Hamoa Beach, Hana, Maui

We spent the day at the beach. I was going for a more creative photo here.

April 1, 2010: Haleakala Volcano

For this photo, we stood at the rim of Haleakala crater. Yes, it really does look like this. The different colors are due to the age of the lava.

March 31, 2010: Black Sand Beach with Video!

We spent quite a bit of time exploring and sunbathing at a black sand beach/state park today. This beach always provides some great pictures with the contrast of the lava rock and the blue ocean. Justin also took a short video of the crashing waves. Also, you can click on the video below the picture to see actual crashing waves at this beach--video taken by Justin!!!

March 30, 2010: Waterfalls Everywhere

The past few days, Justin and I have been hunting waterfalls. I have been playing with my camera settings trying to get the "cascading" waterfall look. For this shot, I think I figured out the settings and set the timer (since we are always the ONLY ones around--deserted beaches and waterfalls!). I had to boulder hop and run across the water to make it before the camera snapped the photo, and it took many tries to actually make it.

March 29, 2010: Hiking the Redwood Forest

You would never guess that Maui has a redwood forest on the side of the volcano! That's what I like about Maui--it has such a variety of landscapes: tropical rainforest, red sand beaches, black sand beaches, white sand beaches, rolling hills, dormant volcano, quaint town, lava rock, and more. Justin and I hiked in the redwoods today. Should you ever do this, remember the farther you go down the mountain, the more you have to come back up.