If you're a $ saver.....

....it would be worth checking out this site!

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu17989517

I am just getting signed up myself, but this is a friends testimony who loves Groupon....

"Basically, they offer one or two coupons per day for local businesses that are usually about 50% off. Occasionally, they also offer national Groupons. Redbox did a Groupon in December- as if $1 for a movie rental isn’t cheap enough- 3 movies for $1. And a few weeks after signing up they sent an email with $5 off the next Groupon purchase."- M.O.

If you want to sign up for Groupon, click the link I have provided please.

BABIES!

http://www.focusfeatures.com/video/babies_the_trailer

This movie is very interesting, being able to see how differently cultures can raise their babies from each other! I would recommend it to anyone who is a mother or going to be one! It does have some what I would call "mom nudity" because well, you will see from the trailer.

A Tribute to My Grandpa

My Grandpa passed away this last Thursday, January 6th, surrounded by his loving family. I am glad we were just back there to visit and Titus and I and my dad went to visit him at the Senior Care facility where he was residing. He really enjoyed Titus and thought he was a "solid little guy" and enjoyed holding him. I have a lot of memories of my Grandpa working hard on his farm and always going to church, he was a faithful Catholic. In some of his last hours my mom was alone with him and she had text me that he was struggling with breathing. His kidneys were shutting down and he had a blood infection and I was wondering if he was feeling fearful in those moments of unknown. The Lord led me to tell my mom to ask the hospital staff for a Bible to read to him and He gave me some chapters in Psalms to tell her to read to him, Psalm 23 and 46. She got to read them to him and she told me that he liked Psalm 23. They said that when the time came he did go nice and peacefully. The following is an excerpt from his obituary that I think shows that dedication he had to his work and his family.

Harry A. Berning

Harry was born on the Henry Berning family farm in rural Galena, on Dec. 5, 1923, the son of Henry and Helena (Kaiser) Berning. He married Joan Peacock on Sept. 4, 1950 at St. Mary's Church and the couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
He attended Vinegar Hill School, St. Mary's Catholic School and graduated from Galena High School in 1941. As a lifetime member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, he was an altar server until the age of 26, a member of the St. Mary's Choir for 50 years, the Holy Name Society and parish council. Proving himself to be an innovative farmer, Harry implemented a computerized feeding system for his dairy herd, the first such system in the area in 1972. Always a good steward of farmland, Harry practiced conservation techniques ahead of his time. Harry shared his passion for farming with others through his involvement as president of Jo Daviess Service Company and passed on his love of farming to his children, six sons and one daughter. Harry Berning was a "Ford" tractor man! Having tended to outdoor farm animals all those years on the farm, he more recently enjoyed his special housecat "Sweetie". Harry enjoyed many years of Thursday night bowling league. He and Joan were members of a couple's euchre club for 50 years. In retirement years they spent winters in Zephyr Hills, Fla., where they made new friendships in a variety of activities. Harry loved his family, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As a balance of work and family, he spent many Sunday outings together with his loved ones.
Harry's farewell to his visitors was always "keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face".

Please be praying for my Grandma, I can't imagine how it would feel to loose Tom after just almost 18 months of marriage, let alone 60+ years. Your life companion is gone and you expected to spend the rest of YOUR LIFE with them, hoping you would go before them. It makes me sad for her to think about that.

As for me, I am doing pretty good with it, he lived a very long good life of 87 years. I trust God as a loving and just God. I am just sad for my dad and my aunt Mary in particular out of all the kids. They are whom I'm closest too and I know that I never want my parents to die myself but "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die....A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"- Ecclesiastes 3:1,2 & 4

Happy New Years!

We have adopted a New Years Day tradition from one of our friends, the Wiggins. This is our fourth year going sledding, they introduced it to us before we started dating, what were they thinking?! XOXOXO! Anyway generally we go somewhere in the woods along Hwy 12 to go sledding and then build a campfire to cook hot dogs on and smores and bring hot cocoa! And then play games later that evening. Well the first year they invited us separately, not as a couple, we did just that with them and their two girls and it was very fun. The next year they didn't go I think because they had a 2 month old son, so we went, this time engaged, and took Mia and Sior with us and my old roommate and her fiance but we couldn't get a fire going that year. Last year we went, married and pregnant with the Wiggins, it was the first day I felt Titus move! And Tom's brother also came with Zowee, his daughter. And we took Mia and Sior too. But we went all the way up to Lolo Pass thinking the warming hut would be open up there in case the kids got cold but it wasn't because the holiday was on a Friday. This year the Wiggins were out of town for the holidays, so we went with another family, the Tuinstras' and took Mia and Sior and it was so cold and not supposed to get any warmer than like 4 degrees I think! So we found a place in town to go, on Spurgin Rd. & Tower St., and it was a pretty good hill for the kids and Titus got to go down the hill with dad once! Mia talked me into rolling down the hill with her without me even thinking about it and I got so dizzy and wondered as I am rolling out of control if I am going to hit my head and get a concussion and make a trip to the hospital! But we both felt nauseous afterwards and I won't be doing that again! And Titus stayed very warm in his long underwear, smartwool socks, fleece jacket, hat and mittens, jogging pants and this big layette that makes him look like a teddy bear, thanks Christy!

It was a blast and I think Titus will really enjoy it as he gets older! What does your family like to do on New Years?

And one more just for laughs!**

Auntie Becky got this Piggy Bank* for Titus. When you drop money in or push a button in it's foot it squeals and flaps it's ears. Very funny and cute and Titus wasn't even scared of it the first time we did it cuz it is probably as loud in person as if you turn your sound all the way up! He loves it but is quit distracted by mommy videoing him and the pig.

**This is my first video post so I hope it plays for everyone. You will have to pause the music to hear it.

*Donations accepted! Lol!