Chicken in a pot

Wow! I think this qualifies us as "country folk"! Yes, we've raised our own beef before but let's face it, you have a butcher come out and do all the work so it's just plain feeding a steer. Well, we got chickens a few months back and apparently one too many roosters. This guy was quite the problem child and we believe he was the direct cause behind two canibal deaths of his fellow coopmates. So, Brett decided to solve the problem and it looks like chicken is on the menu! I have to admit, I did absolutely nothing, unless you count filling the pot with water as participating. As much as I enjoy cooking, I still have Brett prepare the turkey at Thanksgiving and always buy boneless skinless chicken breasts, so this was a big much for me. Sorry, Brett, but if you want me to get into this country thing, it's gonna be baby steps. I love living without neighbors so I think that should qualify!

Infertility








I learned today that a very dear friend of mine, whose been going through IVF, may have had a successful implant. So far, so good! I am so excited and scared for her at the same time.

Dealing with infertility is something that we have in common even though our situations are vastly different. While I cannot understand the emotions she is feeling now and has been ,as she has struggled with IVF, which was not an option for us, I can understand the girly emotions of wanting a baby and not being able to take the easy, natural route.

Reflecting on it now, I find it interesting how totally opposite the two of us have dealt with the situation. For Brett & I, we were very private about our quest for children and the steps we took. In fact, we shared very little with even the closest family and friends. Other than each other, she is the only person that Brett & I have have openly discussed the whole gamut of infertility with. On the other hand, she has been very open with their struggles and emotions. I don't think either option is better than another, just interesting how we are so different.

The one thing that we definitely agree upon, is that while we know in our hearts that everyone means well, it is amazing how many people say the wrong things. I know that anyone reading this that has also gone through infertility, is currently shaking their head with an emphatic "Yes". Of course, I don't put any blame on those people for a couple of reasons. One, you can't know what to say unless you've been in our shoes and two, everyone processes things differently and what may move one person to tears may be laughed at by another. Let's just face it - if you have kids and you're discussing babies with someone dealing with infertility, you're in a no win situation.

We are so thankful that God has granted us peace with the realization that children are not in our future. We know that He has a reason for it and that's enough for us. He has also given us 19 nieces & nephews and 8 great nephews! While some of these nieces and nephews are not much younger than we are, we still have plenty of little ones in our lives. Pictured above are just a few of them, including our newest great nephew who just entered this crazy world on July 6th.

Ambergris Caye, Belize


We just returned from a vacation in Ambergris Caye, Belize and it was absolutely wonderful!

This is the view from our porch and the hammock where I spent a lot of time reading. Waking up early each morning while Brett slept, I would gather my pillow and book and read while the sun came up. That's my kind of vacation.

In addition to lots of relaxing, we also made good friends and enjoyed many adventures on this trip. Click here to see a slideshow.
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/js9cN6Yh.