Three kids is the new two, right? And so now the fourth-born is the "extra" one, who lacks love and attention and tags along as the prime three enjoy the limelight. In fact, I think my fourth-born has a pretty sweet life. He's doted on by his three older siblings of course. But also, he has a mom who is better able to enjoy the toddler years because they pass, and who doesn't measure herself based on the whims of a toddler. Baking with a two-year-old used to be a mandatory part of baby … [Read more...]

Our family had a lot of reasons to celebrate this past weekend... Proving to me life doesn't get any better than Christ and His Church, the beautiful Sacraments, and good friends and family.  Joy and love all around!  Thank you, Lord! … [Read more...]

A picnic... An adventure... And an extra load of laundry!   … [Read more...]

"When you reach the end of your rope, you will find the hem of His garment." -author unknown I have the above quote posted on a sticky note stuck to the outside of our sippy cup cabinet.  There it hangs, day after day, as I reach past it to fill the billionth cup of juice or milk.  There it hangs, reminding me that I am not superhuman, was never meant to be, and that His Power is a lot more sufficient than mine will ever be. So why do I repeatedly try to take it all on my shoulders? … [Read more...]

Are any of our readers having trouble leaving a comment on the blog this week?  PLEASE contact me at rightsaidred.builder@gmail.com if you are unable to comment on this blog.  We need to let our smart tech people at Patheos know if our readers cannot comment. Last week, Patheos updated their system for site comments.  We switched to Disqus, and some of the Builders have been having trouble leaving comments and getting into their accounts.  I apologize if this was also problematic for our … [Read more...]

What am I cooking? Last night the baby puked 20+ times until we were rescued by late-night doc call-in of Zofran...  Whatever it is I make for dinner tonight, I hope we can all keep it down!  It will probably be leftovers of Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana  that I made last night--it was so delicious, but none of us got to truly relish it thanks to the sick baby.  Encore night tonight, for sure!!  If you're looking for a recipe that cooks a bunch and leaves happy tummies, this is it. … [Read more...]

By the time you read this, my family will have been on the road for many hours, yearning to arrive at our southerly destination.  The kids will have been awoken from their slumber in the wee hours of the night, nestled into their seats, and lolled back to sleep by the humdrum of highway driving.  This is the way my husband and I like to roll.  Get an early start and get a few hours in before the kids become awake and needy! They will have rested for a bit and then become bright-eyed awake, … [Read more...]