Yesterday morning Mack woke up fussing at 5:24.  Ugh.  Although he settled himself back to sleep, I was up. I gave myself 20 minutes to fall back into my dreams, but it was no use.  So, I decided to be productive with this extra 90 minutes in my day.  I took care of a few […]

  I can say with near certainty that March 24, 2004 was perhaps the best day of my life. Its the day when my husband came home from Iraq. After nearly a year fighting a war on the other side of the globe, Chris returned home healthy and in good spirits (and much thinner!).  Although […]

With the announcement yesterday that reality TV family the Duggars are now expecting their 20th child, it seems like the Internet is ready to erupt: how could they be so irresponsible?, so many kids is a drag on the planet!, the oldest children are raising the little ones!, how can Michelle’s body endure yet another […]

Now that I am well into my third pregnancy, in some ways I feel like an old pro when it comes to all this.  I don’t re-read every chapter of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” every week, and I can’t spend hours scouring the internet for clues about the baby’s sex.  I am so […]

We go through so many bananas in our house that its rare we have any ripe enough for homemade banana bread.  Sometimes when I’m craving this baked treat I’ll purposefully seek out older bananas at the grocery store in hopes they’ll turn brown before we get a chance to eat them! The other day I […]

In many ways, October was a wonderful month.  My sister Colleen got married, the weather was fabulous and the kids were so happy to celebrate Halloween. We really enjoyed all the special moments the month had to offer. But, as far as our budget goes, October was a real roller coaster.  Some unexpected expenses hit […]

When it comes to baking, my skills pale in comparison to my sister Meghan’s.  She makes wonderful cookies, pies and pastries, all of which call for exact measurements and temperatures.  On the other hand, I love baking tarts and sweet breads that tend to be a little more forgiving when it comes to preciseness.  I […]

At the start of the fall season my mom gave my sisters and I each a lovely pumpkin cast iron pot.  We had been admiring the one she puts on display every year, so her thoughtful gesture really means a lot. Every time I look at my new pot I think of my mom and […]

Trick-or-Treaters will be knocking on doors in just about 48 hours.  I have yet to purchase Halloween candy – time to get to the grocery store!  Maybe this year I will hand out candy alternatives as I wrote about last year. Sometimes its fun to think outside the box! If you decide to pass out […]

As I write this, Evie and Mack are dressed in their pajamas, fresh out of the bath and quieting down for the evening.  At this point in the day, the three of us are usually snuggled in my big bed to read books and sing our ritual nighttime songs.  But, tonight is special because “Its […]