Quick Takes: Extra Crispy Edition

1.  Yowzer! A heat wave has hit most of the Midwest and beyond.  Thankfully, KB and I have been going to our local Y almost every afternoon to swim in the blissfully cool water.  My mom wisely suggested equipping my little fish with a floatie, as she delights in scurrying in and out of the pool.  I'm getting a workout chasing after her!  However, KB is becoming more comfortable in the water, which has been my goal all along.

2.  We had a delightful two-week visit with my parents.  It was so difficult to see them go, as I had gotten used to the normalcy of their presence and extra hands to help with KB!  However, the one thing that extreme distance from family does is force us to work hard at staying in touch instead of becoming complacent. 

3.  During my parents' visit, we went to an indoor garden/conservatory that hosted an annual butterfly show.  One area of the conservatory is completely sealed off so the butterflies can fly freely.  I particularly enjoyed getting a closer look at the enchanting Monar.ch Butt.erfly.

4.  The Cathedral in my diocese recently opened its newly built perpetual adoration chapel.  The architecture and decor are simply stunning and add so much to the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  Talk about a peaceful and gorgeous prayer atmosphere.  Blood Test Buddy's brother designed it too. :)  

5.  To better aid in keeping in touch with family and taking more photos, I bought the new iPod Touch thanks to a Mothers' Day gift.  It has a camera and camcorder to capture more of KB's moments.  To help me keep track of the iPod and protect it from a certain toddler's hands, I bought a hot pink Otter.box cover now dubbed "the Pin.k Pan.ther."  Not only can the device send photos instantly, I can also Fa.ce Ti.me or iCh.at with my parents and siblings as long as I'm on a wireless network. 

6.  In the always "enthralling" cycle department, we have just finished our 4th cycle of HCG.  No luck yet. :( We have about one or two months left of HCG, and then another visit to the NaPro doctor will be in order. 

7.  Trad.er Jo.es has finally opened in my city!  Yea!  Yes, that makes Quick Takes news in my world.  With the recent arrival of Jam.ba Ju.ice, having more of my favorite West Coast chains have brought a taste of home to my area.  I'm sure many ex-Californians came to the grand opening today.  I often meet them at the mall's Se.e's Can.dies display at Christmas.  

Stay cool out there and eat lots of ice cream! 

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Blogging Break and Family Time

Sorry for the long break, all. Every June my folks come out for their annual visit. This household has enjoyed almost 2 blissful weeks of visiting, playing with/chasing KB, date nights, swim lessons, wagon rides, and my getting to do errands by myself. Once things calm down, posts will resume as normal. 

When your family lives thousands of miles away, visits are precious and sacred. :) 

Happy Friday!

Quick Takes Friday

1.  Before I get into the promised "lighter" posts, I wanted to share 2 recent articles on the blogosphere.  What makes them unique is that the authors are both guys and the topic covers infertility.  My brother wrote this post reflecting on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary relating to IF.  A doctor of theology at Notre Dame penned this post about his experiences with IF.

2.  A family of cardinals has moved to our yard.  They are my favorite birds; I never saw them until moving to the Midwest.  The male cardinal's red plumed feathers are particularly attractive.  I've named the dad Carlos the Cardinal (yeah, I love alliteration).  He often feeds food to his chicks. I try to leave bread for them, but often the chipmunks or blackbirds get it.

3.  Some friends and I made a spiritual bouquet for a friend going through a rough time.  Some blogger friends offered prayers too; thank you!  Here's how the bouquet turned out:

4.  I've become a Pinterest addict!  Yikes!  One of the many benefits has been the discovery of new recipes.  Of all the ones tried in my kitchen so far, this recipe for crock pot chicken tacos is my favorite.  Three ingredients plus a slow cooker equals my kind of recipe!! If you try this recipe, be sure to use frozen chicken  (not thawed! it will dry out!) and LOW SODIUM taco seasoning. 

5.  This past weekend we went to Nebraska for the baptism of our godson.  I have 3 college friends (hi, Marisa) and 2 former youth group teens who live there.  We had such fun catching up with friends and seeing the NE countryside.  The weather was hot and humid, as my bushy hair can attest.  I even discovered a delectable new drink: the Carmelicious Latte by Scoo.ters Coffee.   

6.  KB did great on the plane ride to NE.  She's becoming quite the traveler.  As the only child in a family with half of its relatives on the West Coast, she has to learn to tolerate airplanes by necessity.  We even discovered that Chicago O'Hare has an indoor children's play area.  That sure made the layover better, if not relaxing.  Maybe I won't loathe that airport as much as in the past.

7.  Since February, I have lost 16.5 lbs.  It's made quite a difference in my health and wardrobe.  :)

Have a great weekend!