Los Porchs

I'll admit it.  While I love, love, love the feelings surrounding Thanksgiving and the food, I am waaaay more into the decorations for Christmas.  I'm not sure why that it; are there just no cute Thanksgiving decor options?!  That cannot be true... I went on a hunt and here's what I found!  But who are we kidding -- I'm still jonesin' to set up that tree!  The only thing holdin' me back is that we're hosting Thanksgiving here! Thanksgiving Decor by mrsniermann featuring handmade home decor Coir mat williams-sonoma.com Fall Colors Mug Stack with Metal Stand kirklands.com Tag pumpkin soup tureen allmodern.com Sur La Table turkey salt and pepper shaker surlatable.com Shea s Wildflower rustic home decor nordstrom.com Tag home decor allmodern.com Simon Pearce fall home decor bloomingdales.com Handmade home decor horchow.com

Porch has a great new(ish) hobby.  He's been brewing beer!  The latest batch was a robust porter and I am still giggling at the name:  I'm So Confused.  The label is even funnier.  I just had to share it because every now and then, we just need a good laugh.  :)

We made beef fajitas in the Crock Pot tonight and as I sit in the cozy recliner I inherited from my grandpa, I feel so warm. So cozy. So blessed. Call it a food coma. I love these moments of reflection. We are so fortunate to have each other and to be on this crazy adventure together. I really try to keep these moments tucked away for the rainy days. What are you feeling cozy and blessed with today?

For reals... my newest addiction is watching videotaped reactions as people tell their families they are expecting.  It's like this moment of happiness, even though I have no clue who some any of these people are, I get to be excited and overwhelmed by their happiness and joy for a quick moment.  It's a high, I won't lie. Here are a few that I've enjoyed on YouTube. This video went viral and I think we've ALL heard her ridiculousness. Honestly, if  my mom doesn't respond this way to the news (when it comes, slow down people, don't go jumping to conclusions just yet) I'm going to feel a little let down.  I mean, this woman flopped around on her couch like a fish.  That's love something! I sincerely hope my father doesn't ask me "How did you do that?" if/when we announce a pregnancy (seriously, don't be starting a rumor mill).  I'm hopeful that people get the gist of where babies come from, at least the a

I think things just taste better when you make them from scratch.  That's not (by any means) to suggest that items like Dutch apple pie from Jewel-Osco isn't amazeballs after a long day.  It's simply to say that a homemade pie brings a sense of satisfaction.  I suspect that's how people feel about their children.  "I made that."  Except when said child is naughty, in which case I'm guessing it's more of a, "My husband made that." I digress. We made black bean & corn chicken in the Crock Pot today and wanted to add something special as this was a freezer meal that took minimal (I cannot tell you enough how much I love freezer meals) effort.  Porch had to buy corn flour the other day for a recipe and I suggested we make tortillas with it.  And so, we did. And it was good. And easy.  And delicious.  And will be repeated.  For as easy as it was, it added a special touch to our meal. What did you make for dinner tonight? xoxo

So sitting down and eating half a bag of popcorn was a.... good decision? I only partially regret it. @PopcornPalace #cookiesanddream — Danielle Lynn (@MsDanL83) November 13, 2013 So I did my good deed and bought popcorn when our center did a fundraiser with Popcorn Palace this fall. Super proud of our families who raised an amazing profit!  I brought home a few bags of interesting flavors and here's the best part -- sat my butt on the couch with the bag of Cookies & Dream (seriously?) and proceeded to eat half the bag without batting an eye.  SERIOUSLY.  Putting whole Oreo's in there?  I should invest in a treadmill to deal with the calories I just inhaled. Because there's no way I'll be able to stop eating this isht. And I seriously hope Porch didn't want any of this; I've offered exactly none and there's now none left to offer so....... xoxo

Even when things are shitty as hell, it's really important for me to pause and reflect and to truly give thanks for the good things in our life.  It's not always easy and sometimes it's as simple as giving thanks for the cup of coffee at the end of the work day.  Every year, I attempt to give thanks on a daily basis on the blog (see last year's here and this year's here ). Found this on Etsy and am brainstorming a cute way to use it :) You can find it here . I hope that you too will feel inspired to reflect and give thanks for the good things in your life. Peace!

I apologize.  For some of my blogger friends, I have a confession:  I stalk your life.  I mean it.  Not in a creepy kind of way, but in the "please update your blog more frequently so I can learn more about your story progression" kind of way.  Is that wrong?  I have vested interest in your story and eagerly await updates on the daily.  So.... get on that.  Because I'm living vicariously through some of ya'll. xoxo Mrs. Porch

Okay so when I think about the fact that it's now November and we finally caved in and saw an RE for the first time in July, it's easy to feel disappointed.  And then I remember that Dr. TK didn't come into our lives until September (after a long dance, not the first (nor the last) with the insurance company).  We're making progress and are forming a concrete plan for the future of Los Porchs and the addition of an embryo.  Yes.  An embryo.  This is science my darlings, not simply something one prays for and waits around for... [so kindly keep the "God has a greater plan for you" comments to a minimum, I am totally overwhelmed by them and tend to take them with a spirit of hostility rather than the graciousness you intend; I hope to get over that someday].

An approval code never looked so damn good!  Vernita called today to share the good news!  We're going to Green Bay this weekend for the Packers vs. Bears game and I will need to call the office on Monday for our next steps, appointment dates, and prescription information! Oh my goodness!  It's happening!  It's so easy to look back to when we finally admitted to ourselves that weened an RE and had our first appointment in Glenview.  I remember already being anxious about the time and gas that it would require.  That was July.  Today marks the beginning of November and we have only been with Dr. TK since September so really, things have moved relatively quickly since we found Dr. TK.  We are having conversations about freezing embryos.  We have pretty much agreed not to tell anyone when we are in the midst of our first (and hopefully only) IVF cycle.  The pressure to report and share seems too much, especially if we are unsuccessful.  We have agreed, however, to share news o

As I sat in the toddler classroom at work today, rocking an almost-two-year-old nugget to sleep while listening to the rain falling on the roof and looking at the gorgeous fall colors in our centers backyard, I couldn't help but think about the changing of the seasons, and how things fall apart to come back together.  The leaves predictably change color and float down every fall and start anew in the spring.  This mirrors our lives and how I am working to let the sorrow fall... in hopes that something new will find me in the coming season.  I lean on hope and optimism and have to remind myself that it's okay to have hope.  It's okay to be excited.  We are moving forward, even if we are taking the smallest of baby steps known to mankind (seriously). I take comfort in knowing this is our life.  We're in this together.  And there's every possibility that by the time we're watching the leaves fall and getting excited about the holidays next year, we may have a tin