Blessings Abound!

Well, I would be lying if I didn't admit that last week was a bit frustrating financially. Our oven went south and had to be replaced, and we found out that new tires for my van would cost upwards of $500--ugh! No fun!

But today was a good day, in spite of some of those things. Our new oven arrived, and it is spiffy! Ben is working diligently and patiently on converting it from natural gas to propane, and is nearly finished, so we'll even be able to use it! I will again be able to bake bread--I am nowhere near the bread aficionado that my husband is, and when the old oven inevitably burned my hard-fought loaves, I took it rough. Baking bread will no longer be an occasion for sin-hee hee.

We also sold our VW Golf (the car of our courtship and early marriage) just 25 hours after posting it on craigslist! This was very necessary to help cut some of those aforementioned costs! It was easy, which was fabulous, and I think the man who bought it for his high school aged daughter will be a hero. It is a blast to drive!

In very exciting news (that I have been waiting on delivering until all the family has been called), my first nephew was born last Friday! My brother and my college roommate/sister-in-law, Melissa welcomed their first little one into the world. After months of my history loving brother joking that he wanted to name their son, Stonewall Tecumseh, he and Mel settled on the name Austin. A little historical, not too bizarre...perfect! Isn't he cute?! Mom and Dad aren't too shabby either! And I was excited to see that the retro fabulous burp cloth I made with my own hands (with this pattern) made it to the hospital. That takes forethought! It made me feel loved and useful, which is really sweet, because I feel otherwise useless this far away. I can't wait to meet them as a family in November!