Thursday, February 28, 2008

Traffic Jams

"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,  but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. ".  Romans 8: 19-21

"Parent's are often so busy with the physical rearing of children that they miss the glory of parenthood, just as the grandeur of the trees is lost when raking leaves."  Marcelene Cox

    So life is frustrating sometimes.  You may have a great job doing what you love..and the fact is that there are going to be days that you wake up late, it is snowing outside,  you can't find your car keys, and you have to sit in rush hour traffic for an hour and a half to get to work, oh yeah, and then you have to get back.  You may be independently wealthy.  There are still frustrations.  THe lines outside Manolo Blahnik when there is a sale going on, those annoying unwealthy people who still think they have rights, the fear that someone is going to steal your money,  the concern that people are only around you because of your money. (they are)  I digress.  My comment is how come parents, moms especially seem to be obsessed with incessantly focussing on, and talking about the 'traffic jams' (or Manolo Blahnik sale days) of their lives?  
   I mean our job incentives happy, well rounded intelligent  kids who love the Lord and interact well with others.  Our job perks are giggles and kisses and snuggles. Oh and the dress code? Definitely casual.   If you have ever worked corporate America when was the last time a co-worker gave you eskimo kisses?  When was the last time a subordinate climbed up into your lap because the world just seemed better and/or safer from there?  When was the last time your boss decided that due to the weather all work would be cancelled and the day would be spent at the park/beach?  But instead of embracing the opportunity we have been given we look down at our sweats and t-shirts and complain that we have turned 'frumpy' (you'd rather be in a suit?).  We bemoan the loss of business lunches while having been given the option of a peanut butter and jelly picnic.  We complain about the monotony, then in the same breath we complain because of the lack of predictability.  
  I DO understand the frustrations of parenting.  The pay rate is NOT competitive.  The hours are long and the lack of sick/personal days are killer.  There are definitely days I want to pull my hair out because of my children, most days my former job looks like a vacation.  But I vent because lately I feel like I am involved in a big game of "whose life as a mom is hardest" and I'm not going to take it anymore.!!! Ok i am TOTALLY going to take it anymore because all my frustrations are not really going to go any farther than here and I will smile and nod tomorrow the same as I did today.  BUT consider for a moment the next time you find yourself going to complain to someone about how hard your life as a mom is.....what would you rather be doing instead?  Consider..what else are you doing? or COULD be doing that counts for ANYTHING let alone eternity?  I mean anything that is worth doing SHOULD be hard.  It's not the elite competitive athletes that you hear complaining about the amount of miles they have to run?  That usually comes from the rest of us schleps forced to run in gym class.  It's not the person pushing for their doctorate that complains about the amount of homework that is given? Nor is it the doctor staying long hours in a lab looking for a cure for cancer that complains --that is usually reserved for the secretary forced to work through her lunch hour.  Being a parent I think is truly harder than pretty much anything else that you could be doing..BUT it is WORTH IT.  

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

What would our founding father's think of election 2008?

"The men who have guided the destiny of the United States have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees.  This private unity of public men and their God is an enduring source of reassurance for the people of America. "
-Lyndon Johnson 

"The Separation of church and state is a source of strength, but the conscience of our nation does not call for separation between men of state and faith in the Supreme Being."
 -Lyndon Johnson  
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridles by morality and religion.  Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.  Our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
  -John Adams
"God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Scared Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.  I firmly believe this.  I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel".
-Benjamin Franklin
"It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  FOr this very reason, people of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here. 
-Patrick Henry
"God who gave us life gave us liberty.  And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God?  That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and this His justice cannot sleep forever." 
-Thomas Jefferson
"We've staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart."
 -James Madison 
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.
-George Washington 



Monday, February 25, 2008


Doesn't this look like it should be on one of those motivational posters?  Like "resilience: holding one when everything looks bleak and everyone else has let go".  It was just surprising in such a winter landscape to see one tiny little leaf holding on to the tree.  Of course it could be another poster "knowing when to let go".  

Friday, February 22, 2008

A birthday



Today was Rodney's first birthday.  I can't believe it was a year ago today that Tim and I woke up at 4:30am to go to Valley Hospital for my scheduled c-section.  What a year.  I truly  had no idea that parenting would be so much fun.  Rodney is reaching that age where every day he just gets more and more fun.  He interacts more..he loves more..he learns more.  He took his first step on Wednesday. Hasn't taken any more since.  He has learned how to stack things (ANYTHING) and BOY is he proud of himself when he does.  Kaity is also just getting to be more and more fun every day.  After she had sort of mastered the art of talking and communicating I thought that it would be the end of me starting every other sentence with "did you hear what she said".  BUt the truth is that the more she grows and learns I think I say it more often than I ever did.  Some examples of  what my dear friend Keri would call "quotable boo".  
   "That would be great, actually"-her response when Nonni asked her if she wanted to go swimming when she was in Nashville! 
   "Mom I thought I touched fire, but then I discovered that I had just shocked myself".  
Today we took them sledding.  she went down the hill once..laughed soo hard.  So then at the top of the hill daddy asks her if she wants to go again.  She says "hmmm..lets wait a litttle while, because it's fun, but it's a little not fun."  Then when it was time to stop sledding she looks at her daddy and says "daddy I am glad we have popsicles (?) but I am sad that it's time to stop sledding."  
It was an awesome day.  My son turned one, we woke up to 6 inches of soft fluffy snow on the ground which meant daddy didn't have to work.  Breakfast with the grandparents,  a couple of hours of sledding, a nap while the kids nap then dinner at 'Tieras Columbianas'  and we still haven't finished the evening off with the season finale of 'Monk'.  I mean seriously if someone has a better way of spending a day I would LOVE to hear it! but for me...I'm not asking for more. 

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Airports

 A couple of weeks after my sister moved to Nashville she flew back in to surprise us.  Saturday morning my  husband and I put my daughter Kaity and my son Rodney in the car..but we didn't tell them where we were going.  Kaity asked a couple of times.."Where are we going" and we just responded..."you'll see when we get there."  So about half an hour later we arrive at Newark airport.  I walk Kaity inside and she sees  her Nonni.  Well she starts to giggle and says 'hahaha we came to Nashville" (she knew that's where Nonni had gone).  She says it a couple of times..we don't think much of it and climb back into the car to meet the rest of the family for breakfast.  Well this past Friday we were back at Newark airport with the kids to pick up a friend who was visiting for the weekend.  Kaitlyn had to go to the bathroom so I walked her into the airport.  We walk into the airport and she looks around and asks "Mommy are we in Nashville?" and I said "No honey this is just the airport"...she looks around one more time giving the whole place a good looking over , looks back up at me a little puzzled and says "really? Cause it looks like Nashville.".  
  I do know that she was paying SOME attention to me though because later that day as were breakfasting (hey it's the most important meal of the day...so I do it alot)  my dad asked her where our friend B.J. was from (Oklahoma City btw)  she looks at him and with utter confidence says "he's from the airport".    More later about my daughter's Nonni obsession. 

Thursday, February 7, 2008


Deserted! who hath dreamt that when the cross in darkness rested,
Upon the victim's hidden face, no love was manifested?
What frantic hands outstretched have e'er the atoning drops averted,
What tears have washed them from the soul, that one should be deserted?

Deserted! God could separate from His own essence rather:
And Adam's sins have swept between the righteous Son and Father;
Yea, once Immanuel's orphaned cry, his universe hath shaken_
It went up single, echoless. "My God I am forsaken!"

It went up from the Holy's lips amid his lost creation,
That of the lost, no son should use those words of desolation;
That earth's worst phrenzies, marring hope should mar not hopes fruition,
And I on Cowper's grave, should see his rapture in a vision. 
                                               -From "Cowper's Grave" by Elizabeth Barret Browning.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Beginnings....



So I have decided to start a blog.  I have been inspired to do so recently by reading some of my friends blogs.  I think we all have a need to put our thoughts into words but more so than that I want a journal that some day I can pass on to my kids.  I have sworn ever since Kaity was born that I would create a scrap book...keep all the mementos of her life in..write down all the cute memorable things she says...put all the significant pictures of her life in.  Three years later I have finished (and with great success I might add) the first three DAYS of her life.  It might be time to consider other options.  I figured this way I could document our life together..Daddy, Mommy, Kaity and baby Rodney.  And having an outlet for my random thoughts couldn't hurt either. :-)