Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! from the Maternity Ward

Hopefully you've taken the chance to check out MckMama and all of her Not Me! friends before. If not, head on over to see what the fuss is all about. It's definitely worth your time and may make you laugh a time or two.

I have NOT just endured two sleepless nights of contractions.

I have NOT suffered through sharp pains throughout my body for the past 36 hours .

I am NOT totally exhausted beyond belief.

I am NOT currently at the hospital waiting for my sister (yes, I'm just a whiner) to give birth to my niece.

My sister is NOT being a nazi at this very moment about what all of us can and cannot eat while we are here, regardless of how near we are to her or her room when stuff is being eaten. :)

I am NOT super thrilled to see this baby's sweet tiny face in just a few short hours!!!!

My Funny (and Sweet!) Valentine

The Death of Generations (and generations...)

I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about what what it will mean for us if President Obama is able to fulfill one of his major campaign promises with FOCA, or a similarly named bill. And to be honest, it literally makes me sick to my stomach.

What that new legislation will mean is that there will be zero accountability when it comes to abortions. It will remove any restrictions in place today. Babies will be killed at all points of pregnancy, minors will not need parental consent, the ban on partial-birth abortions will be lifted, doctors and facilities of faith will face fines and/or loss of licenses if they refuse to perform an abortion, OUR tax money will be spent on providing abortions to foreigners overseas...the list goes on.

Did anybody pay attention to this during the campaign? Do people not care about little babies getting a shot at life? Is receiving a paycheck from Uncle Sam more important than protecting little ones? I seriously do not understand this. To me, it's unfathomable. However, we are about to face (and truly, are in the midst of) the most horrendous slaughter humanity has EVER known. There are plenty of stats to back that up, too.

There is an article at Boundless that is worth a read.

Also, if you would like to better inform yourself on the issue, check out www.fightfoca.com

Below is an unreferenced prayer pulled from Boundless article. Its date of origin is unknown for now, but its timelessness perfectly fits our current situation.


Father of Lights, the time is dark and our eyes are dim. Our kings, ordained for the protection of the weak, expose them to death, yet cry 'hope.' Our people have lost their way and are deceived.

Light in the Darkness, we call upon you that we may be undeceived and follow you once more. We humbly and earnestly implore you, not only that the evils in the land be turned back, but that we have the courage to stand against them.

Holy Spirit, hear our intercession for the repentance and conversion of those highly placed who do wrong. Renew a right spirit within them. We beg the same mercy for ourselves, who have stood by and called evil good. Assist our prayers, and enable us in all times and places to give you thanks.

In the Name of the Trinity, Amen.



P.S. The sonogram is my niece, whom I will get to meet in a few days!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It's been a long time since I've participated in this, but I figured I could probably come up with a couple things that have happened recently.

If you are unfamiliar with Not Me! Mondays, click on the button or links to see what it's all about. It's a lot of fun to read--you won't be disappointed. And hey, you may end up feeling a little better about yourself along the way!

I was at the store with my mom and sister last weekend getting the last few random items on our list. It had been a long day of running a bazillion errands (after catching a movie, of course.) We were in the bath and beauty section and I realized that I really, really needed razor blades. For the past six weeks I had been using a crummy disposable razor I stole from my sister. It's safe to say that my skin looked like it had gone through a wood chopper after my showers. So, like a good daughter, I held onto my item until we finished shopping and waited in line to pay. It would be so UNLIKE me to just drop my expensive pack of razors into my mom's already-full cart. That would be silly and quite ridiculous since I am most definitely too old to ask (ahem, expect, sometimes) for my mom to purchase things for me. So I didn't. Or did I? All I know is that my legs have thanked me.

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For the last year or so I have really made an effort to try to change at least a few easy things in my diet to make it more "organic." The easiest thing I've found is to buy organic milk instead of regular milk. After I read a hundred different articles on just how junky normal grocery store milk is, I had a hard time buying it. Plus, it tastes a whole heck of a lot better. (But let's be honest...sometimes a person just can't find the courage to hand over $3.50-$4 per half gallon every single time the milk is gone. I have definitely switched it out on occasion.)


So when I arrived at my family's home and find out that my expecting sister has switched to organic for the sake of her and baby, I thought that it would be nice to not have to worry about fitting "my" milk into the fridge. Or paying for it very often. However, I soon learned that since it was so expensive, my sister preferred that I didn't use her milk unless it was a milk emergency. I get that. I can be quite reasonable at times. So I most definitely do NOT sneak the "good" milk when it can go unnoticed or no one is looking and regular milk just won't do. I am NOT that calculating. I am ALWAYS a much more considerate person than that.

Oh, and I do NOT think theft is becoming a theme here.

I am sure there are plenty of other occasions where I have totally handled things awesomely but just can't think of them right now. Throughout the week, I always do/say/see something that
I think should go in a Not Me! post--if I were to ever get around to making one--but I never remember them or write them down. Or remember to write them down.

Well, here's to a week of NOT working on forgetfulness or the act of general thievery...

I'll Fly Away

Someday. And I'm pretty psyched about it. Well, when I think about it.

I recently heard one of my favorite all-time hymns on the radio. It was a bit more jazzed up than what may be found in your traditional Sunday service. It's a song that had always resonated with my as a kid, probably because it first reminded me of my grandma. As I grew, I noticed it always stirred some excitement me. Now, I'm not one who is usually into hymns, at least traditional old-people hymns. But of the few that I really enjoy, this has to be one of my favorites.

It is also one that challenges me. I feel like I spend a whole heck of a lot of time concerned about the ephemeral. Don't get me wrong--there is a lot to be said for striving to live a life worthy of being considered a Christ follower. Christ says as much throughout the New Testament. But why do we (ahem, that's a resounding I) strive so hard for the things of this life when our hearts and souls really belong to another place, our true home, a place of eternal awesomeness? (Yes, I know what I just said and, well, I meant it.) I am a firm believer in working on being content with our current life circumstances while simultaneously longing for home. I don't think anyone would say that it's an easy balance to achieve, but I am positive that it possible.

For me, I hope to let my mind linger on thoughts of heaven far more than I have in the past. And, if I've been neglectful, hopefully God will give me a little nudge by playing a song or two to remind me.

There are a million variations and lyrics to this song, but here is one of the more traditional versions:

I'll Fly Away

Some bright morning when this life is over I'll fly away To that home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away When the shadows of this life have gone I'll fly away Like a bird from these prison walls I'll fly I'll fly away Oh how glad and happy when we meet I'll fly away No more cold iron shackles on my feet I'll fly away Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away To a land where joys will never end I'll fly away Indeed, we will!

Busy Busy Busy

4000 miles over five days within a two-week period. 8 states crossed--three were crossed three times, two were crossed twice. A lot of back-tracking, it seems.

I need a vacation from my vacation. But will someone please do the packing for me? And while you are at it, you may sit in a camped vehicle for me. For 17 hours. Three different times. Each one way. Not that I'm complaining. Well, not too loudly, anyway. At least my next venture has me flying home. That will hopefully be a much more comfortable experience. And that's not saying much.

My travels have been anything but tame and I don't expect to be able to relax a little until next week. Here are just a few pics depicting what's been going on.

This was a nice beginning to my travels. I was JUST on my way out of town:



So that is still a headache I get to deal with. And a neck ache.

Then, I had a chance to have a little fun in the snow. Gotta love the ensemble. But hey, it was a balmy 20 degrees, so I had to take advantage of the "heat wave":



After Christmas, I attended an out-of-state wedding. Here's an image of the table centerpieces. I love mirrors!


And, last but certainly not least, the diaper cake I made for my sister's baby shower:


Next up: hopefully a nap!