Growing Our Domestic Church {phfr}

Linking-up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}

Pretty

Little brown eggs

We are elated to have a couple of eggs here and there. Once we totally finish this pretty chicken tractor there will be no escaping for the egg-layers! We are collecting one-a-day.  I think one hen is holding-out on us, in rebellion to captivity.

My amazing husband built a pallet-based chicken tractor with me!
He totally rocks!

Happy

We are overjoyed to announce the coming of a new baby in April!

Praise be to God!

Which, as new life does, has made quite a shift in our plans. And that is good.  

Funny

Ree and Jo are just about the cutest ever playing together. They are especially funny outside in the water. Constantly dumping water on one another and squirting each other smack in the face and then erupting into peels of laughter. 

Real

"Morning" sickness has become more intense with each pregnancy, and kicked in a bit sooner each pregnancy. This time around I'm craving pineapple and orange juice but also lots of greasy unhealthy pizza. I'm continuing my running which is so nice and brushing my tongue is a no-no. We thought our third would be a girl (we are so silly and enjoy guessing what will be next) but my cravings are closer to Jo's pregnancy (including cheap queso and corn tortilla chips), but Rita is strong in her guess that this will be a baby girl; time will tell.  For now, the wedding we were hoping to attend has been shifted to a back burner while I struggle through morning (but really afternoon) sickness and car sickness (first time for everything!).  The car sickness is what really has made us discern against attending the wedding.  There is no way to afford flying and I just cannot even tolerate the thought of constant motion for 14+ hours...(shudder)
Would you please pray that I can continue to exercise this pregnancy? That's so very important to me.

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Other thoughts...
I tried watching an episode of Breaking Bad, after reading this post and this post, and I was devastated and leapt up in tears, disturbed and heartbroken despite it all "being acting" and "not real," as my consoling husband pointed-out to me (he is such a great best friend to have, and clicked the episode off instantly).  I tried to figure it all out, but I kept finding solid articles praising the show...

Frying our eggs!
And cracked a double yolk the morning we had a positive pregnancy test!!!!

But I can't see Breaking Bad for merely a theater.  I know these situations happen.  I know young ones struggling with parents with hardcore addictions.  It's death.  It's this world, but yet I feel like this is a time to enjoy what is left of Eden and embrace the love and happiness.  My intent is not to escape (trust me, I dwell on the negative far too long), but just to pursue all that is "good, true and beautiful" as a priest friend encouraged me to do.

This all being said, when Kendra wrote THIS POST I was suddenly consoled in a real catholic way.  In that there are other sisters out there thinking like me, and man, that really really warms my heart.  God has so blessed me through the wonderful blogs He has led me to.  It has been great for our marriage (I think, love, do you agree?) that T can see that others feel the way I do, that I'm not some strange alien beamed-down from the planet of Naive.

Speaking of marriage, I'm intent on studying Casti Connubii Leila Marie Lawler style, via the LMLD 2013 Lenten series.  Please check it out!

I sent out this tweet earlier this week, because it was my virtue of pursuit last year, but there is always room (and room and room and room) to grow:

Being the dear that she is, Auntie Leila replied lickety-split and was abounding in good counsel, despite a 140 character limit:

"Respect and admire him."  I just really love that part.

So friends, I am off to study, ok well, first print-out the reading material, and then study the Casti Connubii LMLD posts, *BEFORE* Advent.  Before.  I must.

My studying attempts might turn into funny photo shoots, but that's awesome too,
and Tyler will keep me on track (please dear!).

Have a wonderful weekend!! Happy First Saturday!

Postpartum NFP: Cooking Ribs

Attention: This is a modestly specific post about postpartum NFP, which could be very helpful or TMI.  You choose!

Signs of the (postpartum) time in our home include lots of delicious baking and cooking! 

Although my cervix consistently says "infertile," the rest of my body cries out of pending ovulation.  Crampy legs, stretchy fertile mucus every three or four weeks, and so abstinence is a big part of our marriage right now (innocent abstinent engaged couples, know you are having good practice for spacing children).  :)

And so, abstinence makes the heart cranky, annoyed, impatient, barking down your spouses throat, ok, eventually, when you have passed through those fires, it makes your heart fonder!  Really!  It does!

Abstinence also has me wanting to show my love in creative ways: enter new recipes to woo my husband, and warm his heart and belly!

THE SAUCE

This week I bring to you country style cut pork ribs with a homemade marinade/basting sauce inspired by this great recipe found via Pinterest (on my Recipe board)!  My sauce lacked a few ingredients, I changed proportions and made substitutions.

OVEN READY

BAKED

BASTED POST-BAKING

This meal was so so very delicious and inexpensive (especially compared to dining-out)!  The pork was only $1.67 per pound (5.18 lbs for $8.65), potatoes (local) $1.00 per pound (one pound cooked), frozen sweet peas* at $1.83 per bag (two bags for $3.66) and the cornbread came from the freezer, made by friends!

We ate supper (two adults, one toddler), packed Tyler's lunch (two ribs, remaining potatoes, sweet peas) with some to share with co-workers (he really loved the ribs = hooray!), set aside a rib for my lunch, sweet peas for me and Rita, and cornbread for me and Rita.  So that's two meals for a total of $13.29!  Each meal cost $6.65!  This means each serving was $2.66 (let's say five servings total between both meals, since Rita eats half of an adult serving, on average, although many days she out-eats me)!
Seriously, our FAVORITE pizza costs us right under $22 and only makes one meal! 

Cooking at home is a great way to eat healthy, delicious (and even local) food!  And I should mention it keeps the man of the house very happy!

PLATED (with roasted sea salt rosemary potatoes, sweet peas, and cornbread)

*I usually purchase our frozen vegetables when they are 99 cents per bag, but as we had eaten through our sweet peas bought at rock bottom, I had to purchase at full price.  Eesh, not a good price!  Our meal total could have been $11.63!

Looking forward to sharing this recipe with you!  In the meantime, you can find it on my Pinterest "Recipes" board.  Happy oven baking to you!

How do you like to cook ribs?

An Amazing Article for Anyone

Happy Wednesday!  I've never understood why Wednesday is the popular name of TV characters (Prince Wednesday in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood - now Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Wednesday in the Addams Family), but this post isn't about the names of TV characters.

kowalli.com

This article popped up in my Twitter feed yesterday...and you should read it.  Even if you aren't a new mom...even if you are a man!  It articulates the newness of motherhood (and where all of us sleep-seeking, baby toting, emotional women are coming from) so well.  It might be right where you are at.  Or you might say, "Oh!  That's why so-and-so acts such-and-such a way!"

I think the author, Simcha Fisher jumped into my head.  Cause this is exactly where I am.  So I'm not worrying about the  over-flowing laundry hampers, I'm just thinking of getting to sleep.  And I'm definitely not worrying about how I'm going to fit into a bridesmaid dress in three short months!  And I'm definitely not freaking out about another baby anymore.  Thanks Simcha.  You rock.

Just please take five minutes and read it.

And I hope you are well!

Please comment here about what you think of the article!  Or share it with someone who needs it!

And here's the address if for some reason the link above doesn't work.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/i-always-thought-i-wanted-a-big-family-but-.-/

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