Wow, it's been a while

Hi Folks!

I actually haven't forgot about the blog.  We said we were going to take a break, put the electronics away and focus on having a family.  Which.. we have been doing for the last two years.  This last November we experienced a devastating loss, we lost twins.

We gave it a few more months, but slowly my health is declining, so we have decided to take some time off, how long?  We haven't actually decided.  We felt like we had contacted close friends and family.. so it was okay to put this out there in a public forum.

However, I've been taking pictures of food.  I have some amazing recipes to share and Cory is having gastric bypass done in the next few months, so I will have the joy of sharing our transition through that time. 

I look forward to sharing some of our culinary joy.. and... I know we "said" we were going to work on remodeling last year, but!  We actually bought the supplies this year.  With a little help from Pinterest I feel that I have a style and flow I would like the house to have, and I can't wait to start and share my ideas with you.  So the next few months should be busy.  Right now, we are under a ton of snow, so... I can say nothing exciting is going to happen outside, so.. we will get some fun things underway in the kitchen to start :) I can't wait honestly.

So, I'm going to wrap up this post, so I can look at preparing the next month.. I'm thinking orange chicken and fried rice... Philly beef crescent roll ups.. and dutch oven roast- the ultimate comfort food w/green bean casserole :) and I'm going to tackle my first home improvement project- I'm going to paint a laminate book shelf to see if it's the color we want for the kitchen cabinets.  Suspense I know!

Thanks for hanging in there with us!

I'm back...

I bet you've all been wondering what happened to our happy little blog and tips on cooking!

We haven't been doing much of that lately.  We have a joke in our household, I eat a can of hominy if Cory is gone.  Sometimes, I have been known to eat toast, left overs, even mac & cheese, but I usually don't cook.  Which is why our month of meals go so far.

A while ago I mentioned that we were in the effort of trying to conceive.  The last year has been very trying on our marriage, and we decided we needed to take a step back and some time off.  I used to laugh when I heard couples express this, even the whole "you are trying too hard".  What a joke, right?  Wrong, this has been the hardest thing we have tried to accomplish, individually and together, but we learned a lot together, shed some tears together.. and grown.

So the "baby" word was not allowed in our house, for a month.   Our month is drawing to a close in a couple of days... we've spent the weekends.. on the Harley, out with friends (which was a treat, because I didn't drink for.. 10 months- it effects your fertility), and with family.. in the pool and on the beach.  We've take a lot of time for just us.  At the same time, I had surgery, had some follow up doctor appointments and found out my brain is swollen.  I've had a lot of follow up on that, some new meds and a lot of abnormal headaches.  Cory has been doing a lot of cooking, even if it's just bacon & eggs for dinner.  He's been amazing.

I started seeing a behaviorist to help cope with the pain, the stress of all the listed above, and she suggested to get a family animal, that will give me something to focus on other than my pain, give Cory and I something more in common, and help be a bond.

So I haven't posted, but I'm back in the kitchen.. I've been doing some baking, some cooking, experimenting with new recipes, and I've taken a lot of pictures and notes, oh!  Meet.. Bella, the newest member of the Radel Family:

She's the little one, she's playing with our existing dog Spud, who goes on the road with Daddy.  Bella will stay home and keep me company!

So what do you have to look forward to:

Coming up next... Grilled pineapple, chicken and potato packets with broccoli.
(we grill so much in the summer, we have already gone through 2 tanks of propane.)
Later: How we use the grill as an oven.
Even later: Homemade hamburger helper
More homemade recipes to come: Homemade rice-a-roni
Taco Seasoning
Quick Biscuits

This month should be interesting.. :) hop along for the ride!

Aching hearts...

I remember when I first got into blogging, a few years ago, I started following Mom's with kids, cuz.. as many of you know, I was becoming a foster parent in the hopes of adopting.

I had just started reading this blog, about this hilarious little bundle of joy commenting, here and there... and then.. the bloggers best friend posted a post, 3 years ago, I remember crying at my desk devastated at the pain they must be going through. Her daughter passed away... Heather's blog.. it still breaks my heart to this day.

During Heather's time of loss, a mutual friend of her's lost her son.. on Easter.. Shana's blog is here.

I think of the grown people I've lost, that I cannot get over.. and I just can't imagine the pain of losing a child, a baby.

As many of you know, we are struggling with fertility. Not only does this scare me, but it makes me want to gather every infant up with in the states that hasn't been loved, hugged, kissed, cuddled unconditionally within the last few hours... and take them home. I want to be a mom so bad, and my heart just breaks.. because these two very real mom's lost their very real, precious children that were very, very loved.

I don't get God, I never have, I know he's out there, and sometimes, we aren't supposed to get it. I can't... stop wrestling with my anger that it's okay for innocent, sweet people to be wiped from this earth while rapists, serial murders, and child abusers live to 90. Really??

I can't always hide behind a cookbook.

Please donate to a good cause, if you have a few extra pennies, this goes directly to helping babies survive. Friends of Maddie

Over this weekend, while many enjoy time with their families, these Mommy's will be missing their babies, and a personal friend of mine, will be missing her sweet baby that never made it here, she went from womb to God's arms.

Pray, think, hope for those who ache today, and love those around you. We don't get to choose what happens, when it's our time, but you do get to choose how you love those around you. Make a bright spot in someone's life and consider those that have been quiet, angry, etc in your life, they might just need a hug.

Love,
Kel