Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

Week in My Life 2017: Sunday

November 19, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window, Uncategorized

Our 7-year-old climbs into bed next to me, and I know I should get up. But he wants to make conversation, and I can never get enough of that.

Week in My Life 2017: Saturday

November 18, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Saturday starts as all Saturdays do, with children who bound out of bed before their parents do—a good sign since we were at the pediatrician’s office yesterday.

Week in My Life 2017: Friday

November 17, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Our children are off today, so the morning starts with a sense of calm. There are no lunches to pack, no last-minute homework assignments to do, no field trip forms to forget.

Birthday celebrating, toy shopping, and doing more holy things today (7 Quick Takes)

November 17, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

I’m chronicling our daily lives on the blog this week in the Week in My Life challenge, so I could probably have given myself a break from 7 quick takes.

Week in My Life 2017: Thursday

November 16, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Morning comes quickly. As I get things ready for the day, I keep in mind that I will be at a work event late into the evening.

Week in My Life 2017: Wednesday

November 15, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

I’m up before the sons, which makes me think I have a jump on the day.

Week in My Life 2017: Tuesday

November 14, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

A stuffed cow and his owner crawl into my bed to wake me up, and I realize the morning is already getting away from us.

Week in My Life 2017: Monday

November 14, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

I’m chronicling our ordinary, but extraordinary, life every day this week. Here’s Monday.

A Golden Birthday, a gratitude garland, how mothers are dictionaries, and more (7 Quick Takes)

November 9, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Our older son is 10 today—double digits! It’s his golden birthday (10 on the 10th), and he has been counting down the days, of course.

A Q&A with a seminarian on his vocation to the priesthood

November 8, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Feature, Open Window, Vocations

During National Vocations Awareness Week, seminarian Tommy O’Donnell reflects on his vocation to the priesthood.

Ooh la la! Let’s have French onion soup for dinner

November 6, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window, Recipes

We don’t always have the time and money to slip away to a lovely French restaurant. So I decided to make French onion soup for dinner.

Farewell to soccer practice and Halloween, hello to stuffed peppers and November (7 Quick Takes)

November 2, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

It’s November! How did that happen? I am hearing people mention Thanksgiving as if it’s just around the corner.