Forever Family!!!!

Baby C is ours forever!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

To all those still waiting...

For those of you who are still experiencing your season of waiting...

As I sat at Mass this past weekend and at Christmas Eve and Christmas Day masses, I couldn't help but think of the years I spent continuing to wait for my prayers to be answered. Prayers for a husband, and then for a child. I have not forgotten that pain, nor at times the confusion of wondering what I wasn't doing in order for those prayers to be answered. But I also thought of the ways that God made me a better person for the waiting.... more patient, more compassionate, more grateful for the blessings I do have. It wasn't easy. There were times I was tempted to give up. But God is faithful. He does answer prayers, according to his timing and in that process, he works to make us more like Him.

Blessings to you all still waiting.

Merry Christmas!

Please pray for my Grandma

Prayer buddy - and everyone else! - please pray especially for my Grandma. She is 86... came down with pneumonia and is in the hospital as of this afternoon. She's pretty dehydrated, and her doctors are giving her antibiotics by IV - they won't discharge her until she's had a few days of them, so at the earliest, she'll come home Christmas day. We have always celebrated Christmas Day evening at her house with my mom's side of the family. Needless to say, we'll be moving that celebration... if she's up to it, to maybe next weekend. I don't know that anyone is super concerned - but she is 86 and pneumonia is not fun (I had it twice as a kid and I can remember being completely miserable).

Thank you!!!

Welcome Home Wednesdays: Coupon Organization

I stole this idea from the Honey We're Home blog. I don't use a ton of coupons... and sometimes, although I have them, I forget to take them with me or I forget to use them at the register. I'm hoping this new method will help! (At least it helped when I was doing some Christmas shopping over the past week!)

My old way of storing coupons. I had them grouped in 2 envelopes that I lined with pretty paper and labeled. I have a large purse, but they're big to carry around. 

Close up of the inside - as you can see - a jumbled mess!

New coupon organizer! A smaller size - love that part already! It's about the same size as my wallet.

I organized each tab by the stores I visit most often - BBB (Bed, Bath & Beyond), BBBaby (Buy, Buy, Baby), Target, BJ's... and so on. Some of the coupons I have a ton of - like Bed Bath & Beyond. Since they take expired coupons, I put a few in this one and put the extras in my old envelopes.

Do you use coupons? Do you remember to use them when you're actually in the store? :)

Help! Natural teething remedies??

C has been really fussy the last few days right before his naps and I think it's because his gums are driving him crazy. No teeth yet. He chews on anything he can get in his mouth although he seems to like the frozen gel teethers the best. Any of you moms know of some natural remedies? I really don't want to give him painkillers. He eventually falls asleep, but it's been with lots of crying which is unlike him.

Thanks!!

HWFD? Daube Provençale (French Beef Stew with Red Wine)

Marinate meat in a bottle of red wine overnight? Uh... ok...

Garlic mashed potatoes? Yeah, twist my arm. 

Pinterest is becoming my new favorite place to find recipes!! This one I made this afternoon.... it simmered away while I taught a few evening lessons and was ready to serve once I was done. 

source

I marinated the meat (just the meat, although the recipe says to include almost everything) overnight in a bottle of wine - I used Cote du Rhone as recommended. I also used an orange, not a grapefruit. I sliced it and cut away the white rind on the inside as much as possible. One of the orange sections may have ended up in my tummy... not the pot....

I did not use the olives... just cause I'm not really a fan of them.

Enjoy!!