My husband and his family have spent the last few days cleaning his dad's house and trying to get all of those affairs in order. It's been quite emotional for them. Without going into too much detail, they didn't have the a good relationship with him. I believe he wasn't quite 'right' and he wanted to be a better father but just wasn't capable of it. I took the girls over yesterday to hang out with everyone for awhile. It was very bitter-sweet. Jeff took the girls on the rides on the lawn mower and they loved it! They didn't want it to end!! We later found Bella on one of his dad's Harley's! Thank goodness that wasn't a disaster! I'm hoping we can all get over this tragic loss soon.
Bella is still sleeping in her crib these days. We were going t convert it into a toddler bed before we moved but we thought it would be best to keep things as familiar as possible until we settled into a place of our own. The last few weeks she has been tossing and turning all night long. Most nights she wakes at about 2-3am and asks to sleep on the couch. I don't know what the problem is. She still isn't talking enough to be able to communicate the problem. I feel horrible. Sometimes I hear her legs hitting the rails. The thing is, the next step in converting it would be to just remove the front part of the crib so that the two sides would act as the head board and foot board. This really doesn't solve my issue if she is too long for the bed. It will look something like this.
Maybe we will try this out for awhile before attempting the full size bed. Have any of your kids had issues with the toddler size?
2012 has been a year with so many highs and lows. Many of the lows were due to the deaths of many that were near and dear to us. In March we lost our beloved dog, Titan after that it seemed like we just kept getting hit with bad news. Between late April and September my husband lost 3 uncles, I lost 1 uncle, my father passed last week and sadly, my father-in-law passed away tragically yesterday afternoon. It's unbelievable. I feel like I am numb. I haven't cried about my father in a few days and I've barely thought about him since yesterday. I haven't shed a tear for my father-in-law yet. I'm sad but I think I'm really just numb. I'm trying to stay strong for my family and for my own sanity but how much can we take? Hard to believe my girls lost both of their grandfathers in less than a week!
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Pulled Pork or beef...whatever you use... It's fabulous! This is one of my favorite Crockpot recipes. It's so simple and so delicious and it makes enough to last at least 2 days. Tonight was the first time I made it since leaving Chicago because I didn't have my Crockpot. My awesome MIL went and picked one up the other day so I had to run out and pick up what I needed. Seriously, you have to try this at least once.
Ingredients:
2 lbs pork or beef round bottom roast (pork will be a lot more tender)
1 cup of beef broth or you can use a bottle of beer (hubby doesn't like that much)
1/2 packet of beef seasoning
2 bottles of bbq sauce (I get Kansas City Style and Honey)
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp adobo
2 loaves of French bread
1/4 lb of Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese
Directions:
Sprinkle 1/2 of seasonings on bottom of Crockpot.
Add Pork or Beef
Sprinkle the half of seasonings on top
Add broth along the side of pork
Cover top of pork with bbq sauce (this is when I use Kansas Style)
Cover w/lid
Set on Low and Cook for 8 hours (10 hrs if using beef)
If you are leaving to go to work that is fine but if you are still home while this is cooking you might want to check on it every 3 hours to flip or add more bbq sauce
When meat is almost done it will fall apart easily with a fork. Just separate and prepare for sandwiches. It is now that I like to add about a cup of honey bbq sauce...yummy!
Set oven to 350 degrees and cut bread into portions and slice in half.
Spoon pulled pork (or beef) onto bread and top with cheese.
Set in oven for 2-3 minutes on baking pan or until cheese melts
Enjoy!
Please let me know if you try this and what you think. What would you change?
Ever since my father passed away on Wednesday evening I have been bombarded with text, calls, emails, FB post and messages asking me how I am doing. I will admit that the first few hours were very difficult to deal with mostly because I am in St. Louis and parents are in Phoenix. I hated that I couldn't be there to say goodbye or to support my mom. As the night went on my feelings changed. I started to feel thankful that he was no longer suffering. How ironic was it that I had just written a post earlier that day about the Circle of Life? I almost felt as if the Lord was answering my prayers. I was also grateful to have been able see him in August and spend a little time with him. I told him it was okay to be tired {of living} and that we all would understand if he is ready to give up and move on. My father was beyond full of life. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing this individual was. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have been able to call him "Dad". My father was sick for so long and deteriorating so fast. The last time I saw him he just wasn't himself at all. There was such sadness in his eyes. So whenever anyone asks me now how I'm doing I tell them great... I couldn't be better. I am ecstatic that my daddy is home with Jesus. He is home with his brother and father and mother and my grandma and aunt, etc... He is with my doggie!! ha ha ha He is no longer in pain. He is running and jumping and singing and laughing and hookin' and jabbin- my dad was a boxer. At first they stay quiet not really understanding why I'm not crying my eyes out and asking why but then they realize how much I really did love my dad and how he is in a much better place right now. I have to tell them that It's okay for me to feel okay!! Do I miss my father? Yes, but I've missed my dad for about 3 years now. He not only left the state but he checked out mentally. Will I miss hearing his voice? More than anything! But you see, he still talks to me. Last night I woke up to cover Bella with a blanket. All of a sudden I my head was flooded with all these memories of my dad. Suddenly it was like he and I were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and exchanging memories back and forth as we laughed. These were memories I couldn't believe I allowed myself to forget. It was like, "hey, how about the time you did ___?" Ha Ha Ha It was great. And then suddenly there was like this fog and I was just sitting in my bed with this huge smile on my face. I just said, "thanks for that dad!" And I went to bed. I look forward to my relationship with my new guarding angel! I will always be his princess and he will always be my hero. I feel closer to him now than I have in many years!!
My father passed away this evening. Don't know what else to say except my heart is broken. I am happy he is in a better place. I need some time to think...
I've been an emotional roller coaster for the past 48 hours! Monday was my dad's 72nd birthday. My dad suffered from a stroke about 17 years ago. Since then he has had numerous mini strokes. Over the years he has gotten progressively worse and has lost his ability to do anything on his own. In the last year he has totally lost the light that would shine from him whenever you'd see him. My dad is one of the best people I've ever known. I honestly feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have this man as MY daddy. On Monday afternoon I called my mom in Arizona to ask if I could talk to my dad to wish him a happy birthday. She informed me that he wasn't feeling too well and that he has become a bit more unresponsive these days. My heart breaks being so far away. I am thankful that I was able to spend some time with him this summer but it still hurts not being there now. Later that night my aunt who also lives in Arizona called to tell me how bad my dad has been looking. She mentioned that she really feels him letting go and that she doesn't think he will be with us much longer. This brings on mixed feeling for me. I will miss my dad more than anything when he passes but on the other hand I do not want to see my father suffer any more than he already has. He's so miserable. He's just not 'there' anymore. My heart also breaks for my mother. My poor mother has been taking care of my father for all of these years and she is so tired. She has one of the hardest jobs imaginable! She deserves to be able whatever years she has left. I dread the day I get the call but I am doing my best to prepare myself.
In other news, I am an auntie again! That's twice in 30 days! My brother, Dan, and his wife, Heather, welcomed a beautiful baby girl the day after my dad's birthday! I guess every year on their birthdays we will be reminded of how precious and short life is and to embrace and enjoy every minute of it.
Hello! My name is Kaitlyn and you'll usually find me blogging over at Wifessionals. I am so grateful to Jennifer for inviting me over to Boogies N BooBoos for the day.
After extensively looking over her blog I decided to bring you a post about Meal Planning.
Now I've heard a lot of women complain about Meal Planning. Some think it's a pain in the butt or just a huge waste of time. I'm here to tell you otherwise.
Meal Planning may seem tedious a the front end of it: Figuring what you want to eat, Making grocery lists, Finding which stores have the best prices....
This is all worth it! I had never really tried Meal Planning at it's full capacity until I moved to Arizona this past summer. At first it would take me close to an hour to plan out our meals for 2 weeks. I'd find all the recipes I wanted, write down all the ingredients I needed, and then place each meal on our calendar. It wasn't until I was midweek that I was so grateful I had planned!
You always know what you're cooking so you don't waste time trying to be creative or figure out what ingredients you have. You never have to run out to the grocery store last minute, wasting gas or time. You don't have to have pizza delivered 3 nights a week because "you have nothing in the pantry". Most of all, you never find yourself eating Mexican food 4 days in a row - because you planned ahead!
My suggestions for you would be:
- Gather all the recipes you are interested in making
- Write down all the ingredients you will need
- Pair up recipes with common, less frequently purchased items: I always pair recipes that have things that will spoil quickly and that I don't keep on hand, i.e., buttermilk, whipping cream, boxes of chicken broth, fresh veggies...If two recipes call for heavy whipping cream, place them within 3 days of each other. This prevents throwing out leftover ingredients because of spoilage.
- Make a grocery list for your current week and go shopping
- Relax and cook dinner with ease for the rest of the week!
I usually plan my meals out for a minimum of two weeks at a time. A month works even better. This gives you the opportunity to pair up recipes like I said above. When you are cooking for two, this is a tremendous help! I can buy a pack of 4 pork tenderloins if I plan to use 2 on Monday and 2 on Friday.
Not only is it a Meal Planning Tool, it also searches local groceries stores to find the best prices!
Meal Planning is a really great idea. If you are willing to put in the time and effort in the beginning, I promise you will see so many benefits and payoffs down the road!
I had to take Bella to the doctor on Friday...again! Afterwards I decided to treat her to McDonald's for some mommy-daughter time...much needed!!! She usually only eats the fries but this time she nibbled on the nuggets. We had a lot of fun. It makes me sad that I cannot spend alone time with her like I used to. It's tough when you are an only child and then a sibling comes around. I was an only child for 8 years before my brothers were born. Anyway, the point of this post is about eating habits. Before we moved in with my MIL I never bought cookies into the house. There were things like Ritz whole wheat crackers or other whole wheat crackers but never "cookies". Well, I still don't buy those things but I'll give you one guess as to who does. Yes, Grandma!!! I can't take it any longer. I'd be cool with it if she treated them to it once in awhile or as a dessert but that 's not the case. You see, my MIL doesn't cook and even if I have stuff semi-prepared to give to the kids she would much rather pull out the cookies because it's much easier and because she knows they won't say 'no' to them. Why cookies? Why not fruit or veggies? My kids LOVE fruit and veggies. In fact, even if I have those things here she will still give them cookies!! I love this woman to death and I am staying in her house so how do I firmly let her know not to give them cookies or bring them in the house? I have denied them these cookies in front of her and explained that we don't eat those kinds of things but I think this is her way of using her "Grandma Card" to do what she wants. I don't like it! Not when my it effects their teeth, health, eating habits and overall mood. I came home at 9am last week and they were eating these F'ing cookies!!! What the hell?! Now my 14 month old points to the damn cookie jar every 30 minutes and says, "Cookie". What do I do? My problem is I am a very outspoken kind of person so I am afraid of saying something to harsh. I don't want to hurt her feeling but I want her to know that she can't change my rules.
Here's a pic of Bella eating McDonald's with me on Friday and one of Riley eating veggies for breakfast on Saturday. ha !
Jeff and I were fortunate enough to get Grandma to watch the girls last night so we could go on a much needed "date night". It wasn't anything fancy shmancy but just us getting to hang out alone and have dinner and a few beers. We went to a place called The Landing. Lots of bars and restaurants. The streets are cobblestone and their were horse drawn carriages. It was so nice! Sometimes I miss "us".
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