Up the coast ...

We now have a new definition of what constitutions a decent hotel room. Let me give you a piece of friendly advice – NEVER STAY AT THE ECONO LODGE IN CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA.

Although we usually have good luck, you just never know with those online “deals.”

This place was a total dump. We were tempted to take a loss and find a hotel elsewhere but I convinced Kevin that, in the end, it would still be better than camping.

Kevin’s first words once we decided to go ahead and stay at the hotel in Crescent City: “Let’s hurry and go to sleep so we can wake up and go somewhere else!”

The funny thing is, tonight we’re staying at an awesome place across from the beach in Lincoln City, OR – and it’s cheaper than last night’s lodging. (I just don’t get it, do you?) When we first walked into our room, Kevin kept exclaiming how great everything is! “Look at this Amy, it looks like the carpet is CLEAN!”

Anyway, we are really enjoying ourselves. We had a great time hiking in the Redwoods, discovering the Oregon sand dunes, taking a long walk on the beach in Lincoln City, and exploring the tide pools here. We even spotted a few star fish.

Here are some pictures of our journey thus far. We are very glad that we’ve been able to take this fabulous vacation. It is a much-needed break for us!


“That’s OK, Dad, you sit in the back now … I’ll take the wheel for a while.”


Can you find Kevin and Meredith in this picture?


This is when I was reenacting a fall I had – I slipped in the mud when trying to climb inside a hollow tree and fell square on my backside.

Living High in Redding

All of our earthly possessions are now on a moving van headed to Indiana, or with us at a motel in Redding, California. While Redding is not exactly a world class city, our “vacation” is starting off on a very good foot. I just had a luxuriously long bath, cookies and milk (compliments of our hotel), and free internet in our room. Could it get any better?

At the moment, I don’t think it could.

There were 22 volunteers to help us move, plus three babies and one toddler. We got everything packed and into the van in just under three hours.

Now we’re off on our grand adventure. If we have free internet at other locations along the way, I just might be stopping in again.

I’m sure you’re all very eager for me to describe the beauty and wonders of North Dakota.

Easter Baby

Spring Has Sprung

Today I bought strawberries, asparagus, and tulips. The sun is shining brightly and red breasted robins have been scurrying about our backyard all morning. It must truly be spring now.

While in the checkout line at the grocery store, Meredith threw her doll into the path of an elderly gentleman. He kindly picked it up and handed it back to her. We soon struck up a friendly conversation.

“My wife and I always wanted girls,” he said. “But we had boys.”

“Do you have grandchildren?” I asked.

“Oh yes, four grandsons and a granddaughter.”

“Well then,” I replied. “You finally got your girl!”

“I think it’s harder to raise girls than boys in this day and age,” he continued. “If I had a sixteen year old daughter, I think I would keep her locked in her room!”

With that happy comment, he smiled and walked away.

In the back of my mind, I probably realized that it’s likely become more difficult to raise daughters now than in previous generations (probably, I guess, because modern culture is so image-driven, teens are constantly inundated with sexual images and messages, and because of the overall breakdown of the family unit).

Until today, however, I had never really ruminated on that concept. Although Meredith will be raised in a Christian home and we plan to guide her as best we can, I know it will be impossible to completely insulate her from detrimental worldly influences.

But I suppose that’s where our strength ends and God’s grace begins.

Anyway, happy Easter and happy spring!

How could this have happened?

How sad would this be that no one would notice you're missing for three years!

"A woman's skeleton was discovered in her flat three years after she is believed to have died, it emerged today. Joyce Vincent was surrounded by Christmas presents and the television and heating in her bedsit were still on."

Click here to read more.

"Dog"

Meredith's new word, since saying "nigh-nigh" when she's tired, is "dog." She's suddenly become very verbal and is trying harder to communicate with us. Kevin has a Butler University t-shirt he got from his sister Shannon, who is a student at Butler. On the t-shirt is their mascot, a mean looking bulldog. Every time Kevin wears this shirt, Meredith points to it and says "DOG." We love it!

The Next Three Weeks

Unfortunately my blogging activity is gonna have to be scarce in the next few weeks. [Now that I’ve told you that, I’ll probably write four posts tomorrow.]

I’ve got company coming for Easter, my lovely family. It’ll be my first time to host a holiday at my house. Yay! I just wish there was more time to embellish all the details and make it as special as possible.

And then there’s the dreaded packing. I have an entire house to pack up in the next – oh my gosh, can it be that soon? – nine days. I’ve been consoling myself that at least there are about ten boxes already packed and sitting in our garage. That’s a start, right?

And then, last night, Kevin and I figured out that every single evening until we move is accounted for. No more restful evenings at the Koons’ house until our departure.

And then there’s the two week trip back east. We’re going to go back to Indiana, taking the most indirect route possible – up the coast to Seattle and then across the top of the country. Kevin has only three states left to visit in the continental United States – Washington, Montana, and North Dakota. And, by George, we’re going to hit them all! I’ve already told him that, no matter what time of day it is, we’re going to stop at the “Welcome to North Dakota” sign – which I’m sure is in the middle of nowhere – and take his picture. Maybe we’ll even pull out some goblets and sparkling cider too. I think it’s quite a feat to be only 28 and have gone to all those states. We’re also going to hit up a couple of the national parks, which will be fun.

Some of you have asked if we’ve sold our house yet. I regret to inform you that, no, we have not sold our house yet. Are we crazy to leave without selling our house? Yes, but we have been known to do other crazy things in the past, living life on the edge, so this is no different. In our optimistic minds, we’re telling ourselves that the market will pick up as summer approaches. We would appreciate your prayers that our house sells … and soon would be nice! Thank you!

Lastly, I would like to wish you all a very happy Easter! He is Risen. Christ has conquered death. This is truly something to celebrate.

Dr. Jekyll, Miss Hyde

Today my little baby girl turned into the devil incarnate before my very eyes. And it happened at a public place – one of my favorite restaurants!

Normally when we eat out, Meredith sits in her high chair and happily snacks on Cheerios, or whatever else we feed her. Today she simply wouldn’t sit still. She threw all her food on the floor – Cheerios, mashed carrots, and fried rice. When I handed her a toy, it promptly went to the floor as well. Then she started this screaming fit – a shrill, piercing scream that caused all heads in the restaurant to turn in our direction.

Out of desperation, I gave her what I thought was a thick-papered packet of sugar to shut her up. After one bite, the packet broke in two and Meredith quickly ate all the sugar and half the paper.

By the time we left the restaurant, our table, the surrounding floor area, Meredith’s shirt, and my [previously white] pants, looked like a tornado had swept through.

I’m fairly convinced that the restaurant owner took our picture and has posted it in their kitchen to warn employees about is if we attempt a future visit: “If these people are spotted within a mile of our restaurant or parking lot, please promptly bolt all doors.”

Now, as I type, my little devil is smiling like an angel, cooing, and quietly playing with her toys on the floor.

You know … since becoming a parent, I’ve learned to be a lot less judgmental.

Before, when seeing a kid act up in public, I would think, “What a bratty kid. Those parents should do something to stop that kid.”

Now that, today, I was the one with the bratty kid, I understand that it’s a lot easier said than done.

Okay, I’ve gotta go. I’m bracing myself for when the contents of that sugar packet get to her bloodstream. I’m really going to be in for it then.

Kevin would rather DIE

I think Kevin would rather die than go to a neighbor’s house and ask if he could take a picture of their flowers.

Kevin is civil. He’s polite. He’s a gentleman. And, although I strive to be a lady deserving of a man like him, I tend to be a little more edgy with the things I say and do in public.

So, I went to our neighbor’s house (someone who lives on the cul-de-sac around the corner whom I had never met before) and asked if I could take a picture of their calla lilies, my favorite flower (although I alternate between these, blue hydrangeas, and roses).

Turns out that our neighbor is an older, deaf man. My grandmother is deaf and so I know some basic, rudimentary sign language.

So, I was able to communicate to him: “Flowers … picture … me take.” He got my point. Then I told him: “They are beautiful” (sans the dead ones, but I didn't tell him that). He smiled at me. I think he was happy that someone made the effort to sign to him.



The reason I wanted to take this picture is so I could use it to tell you all the things I will miss about California. And, I will also mention the things I’m looking forward to about Indiana. Note: These are THINGS I’m talking about, not people.

Things I will miss about California:

- The early spring – the fact that calla lilies begin to bloom in January and roses begin to bloom in April.
- The dry, cool evening breezes in the summertime.
- The snow-capped mountains in the horizon.
- The open-space near our house where we ride bikes and take walks.
- The peaceful parkways in our community (Roseville really does have nice infrastructure).

Things I’m looking forward to in Indiana:

- The four seasons – I’m a romantic vs. a utilitarian, what can I say?
- Summer thunderstorms. So excited about this!
- Fire flies.
- Living where the color “green” takes on a new meaning.
- Vibrant fall colors.
- Sledding in the winter (even though you may have to drive to find a hill in Indiana).
- The prospect of having a backyard that’s bigger than a matchbox.
- The family-friendly cost of living!

I’m sure there are more in each category, but these are just some of the things I can think of.

Friendship is Learned

As we prepare to head east, we are saying our sad goodbyes. On Saturday our bible study friends gave us a sweet farewell dinner – and a scrapbook of the fun times we’ve had.

Although I still have a lot to learn about being a good friend, I know my experiences here in Sacramento have taught me how to be a better friend. And this is primarily due to our bible study friends.

Never before have I observed a more tight-knit group of people who, at the same time, are so welcoming of new people. It blows me away! How is this possible? How is it possible for a group of friends to be so loyal to each other, so caring and generous to each other, yet, at the same time, to be so open to giving the same love and devotion to whomever walks through the door?

Kevin and I are very different from many of the couples in our bible study. We don’t go to the same church as the rest of them. We were homeschooled and most of them are public school teachers. We have very different backgrounds and, for the most part, different ideas of how we want to raise our children (e.g., daycare, education, etc.). And we differ on some theological concepts too.

For many Christians, one or two of these differences alone would prohibit a loving and dedicated friendship. Judgments would take place – or at least thoughts of “we can never be close because we are too different.”

Our bible study friends never focused on the differences. They simply focused on loving us and welcoming us to a strange new city.

They called us when they hadn’t heard from us. They invited us into their homes. They offered to share their worldly possessions, even when we knew they didn’t have much to give. They helped us commemorate and celebrate momentous occasions in life. They rejoiced with us and they empathized with us. They loved us unconditionally, as Christ would love.

I learned a lot from them. I learned to be more understanding and loving myself. I learned how rewarding and fulfilling true, unselfish friendship can be.

If there was only one reason God brought us to Sacramento for the past three years – for us to learn how to be better friends to the people in our lives, regardless of how different we are from them – it was one of the most valuable lessons I could have ever learned.
________________________________

One last thing I want to say …

For some of you it might be easy to say, “Oh, I wish I had I group of friends like that.” If I were reading this post, and didn’t have friends like that, I would say that too.

One thing I’ve learned is that when you don’t have good friends, you can be the person to cultivate friendships like this. Rather than sitting back and thinking “I wish I had friends,” I learned to look for new friends in “unlikely places.” Maybe they’ll be older than you, or younger than you. Maybe they’ll go to a different church. Maybe they’ll travel in different circles than you’re used to traveling in. I’ve learned that it’s worth it to go out of your comfort zone. Looking for friends in unlikely places can result in deep, rewarding friendships that you never expected.

Okay, I’ve promised Meredith I would take her for a walk! Gotta go!

I've come to terms with mushrooms. Almost.

Uh oh, I must be growing up because I’m learning to appreciate, or at least tolerate, more vegetables. I came to terms with broccoli and squash several years ago. Lately I’ve been working on mushrooms.

I’ve never been able to figure out why people like mushrooms. They’re too reminiscent of toad stools that grow in the backyard.

Last week, as I planned the family menu and made my grocery list, I decided I was going to make chicken tetrazzini. Problem is, chicken tetrazzini has mushrooms in it.

Before I gave in, I looked online to see if I could find something good to substitute for mushrooms. I learned that there really aren’t any good alternatives.

So, last night, as my chicken tetrazzini baked in the oven, I wondered if I could really do it.

I’m happy to report that I did! I’m SO grown up.

Sick Baby 101

Well, this past week I’ve taken a hands-on course in Sick Baby 101. It’s amazing how many things I never realized about sick babies. For instance, I didn’t really even know how high of a temperature is too high (i.e., when should I freak-out and call the doctor). Now I know.

I also didn’t know that three days of fever is common before a baby shows symptoms of being sick. Now I know.

Lastly, I didn’t know that it’s “normal” for a baby to break out in a scary looking rash after her fever goes away. Now I know that too.

All these things I’m learning.

And, because of dealing with all of this, have I even started packing? No. Are we moving in two weeks? Yes. Am I a nervous wreck? I probably should be.

S.F. Chronicle gets it right for once.

Thanks to Tuckster for this "tip." I was amazed when I read Leno's quote last week. I'm glad he's retracted, although I think that a person's initial reaction to a thing typically shows their true feelings (vs. "oops I was caught and now I have to save face").

I'm glad to see that the Chronicle had the courage to point out what is obvious - "tolerance" is supposed to be a TWO WAY street.

San Francisco Chronicle Editorial

Intolerant City

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

THE IRONY was obviously lost on the clueless San Francisco supervisors when they passed a resolution warning that a Christian youth gathering could "negatively influence the politics of America's most tolerant and progressive city."

Spare us the doomsday hyperbole, supervisors.

We can safely report that the politics of San Francisco suffered no discernible shift in ideological alignment from the convergence of 25,000 Christian teenagers listening to rock 'n' roll music and words of inspiration. There was no evidence of any surge in support for the Iraq war, affection for President Bush or oil drilling off the California coast. The medical-marijuana clubs were still doing business as usual, public dancing was still legal, the petition gatherers were still working Market Street for the latest save-the-planet cause.

The supervisors' reaction to the evangelical Christians was so boorishly over the top that only one word could describe it:

Intolerant.

Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, was quoted telling counterprotesters Friday that the gathering Christians were "loud, they're obnoxious, they're disgusting and they should get out of San Francisco." On Monday, however, Leno struck a more reasoned tone, acknowledging that his rally cry was "not one of my prouder moments." He said the youth group was "welcome in San Francisco," even though he does worry that its religious rhetoric could "under a cloak of love" feed a "fearful world's appetite for hate."

In fact, concern about heterosexual sex by unmarried youth gets equal treatment from the Battle Cry campaign. Its goal is to spread Christianity and to help young people recognize and resist the cultural influences of a "stealthy enemy" that includes "corporations, media conglomerates and purveyors of popular culture." Its Web site (www.battlecry.com) speaks of "casualties of war" that include drinking, drug use, teen sex, pornography, abortion, suicide and violence.

We may disagree with certain aspects of the Battle Cry agenda -- on issues such as abortion rights, religion in schools or acceptance of an individual's sexual orientation -- but the attempt by counterprotesters and some of the city's elected officials to call them "fascist" and "hateful" was totally at odds with the tone of the ballpark event and the approach of the Web site.

The gathering was not an "act of provocation," as the supervisors claimed. It was a get-together of young evangelicals whose lifestyles and religious views just happen to be in the minority here -- apparently making them open season for politicians to chastise.

The young people who came to San Francisco to affirm their faith and enjoy a day of rock music deserved better. They deserved to be welcomed by a city that was as tolerant and progressive as its sanctimonious supervisors like to profess.

But men aren't mice ...

Last night we watched Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. I realize it’s a classic but I’d never read the book and wasn’t familiar with the story line.

It left me feeling deeply disturbed. Kevin had warned me of where the story was going but I didn’t believe him. He hadn’t seen (or read) it either so I figured he was guessing the ending incorrectly. But, alas, he was right.

I didn’t like the analogy between killing Candy’s dog and killing Lennie – i.e., when something is no good to society it should be exterminated.

There is a big difference between animals (e.g., mice and dogs) and human beings. Humans are made in the image of God and have a soul. Humans are given dominion over animals and have a higher purpose.

I realize that Lennie had become a threat to other human life, so the taking of his life could ultimately be justified. (And George did it out of “compassion” to avoid a more brutal killing.) But that wasn’t the point of the story. That’s not where the author was taking us.

Although I was disturbed by the ending, and the implied worldview, I did appreciate the food for thought. And the acting was magnificent. I would recommend you see it for that alone.

Pray!

Hey guys - I meant to post this earlier but time got away from me!

Most of the people on my blog-roll know the Fear family. Their newborn baby Caleb, born two days ago, is having breathing difficulty and I wanted to ask you all to pray for little Caleb to have a speedy recovery. Also pray for the whole family to be comforted. Thanks.

Why citizens are frustrated ...

Here is another example of why, I think, many citizens are frustrated with politicians catering to illegal aliens. There's no commonsense involved.

Higher Ed Cmte Denies Asm Mark Wyland’s Request to Put
Guardians of Our Freedom Before Illegals

Sacramento—The Assembly Higher Education Committee today rejected a bill (AB 2472) authored by Assemblyman Mark Wyland (R-74) that would have rescinded the law allowing illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition and eliminated the one-year residency rule for reservists and veterans and their dependents needed to qualify for in-state tuition.

“The events of the past few days have, unfortunately, exposed a deep rift in our state between those who believe that citizenship matters and those who don’t. The Assembly Higher Education Committee has made that rift deeper by summarily rejecting a bill that would have helped men and women in uniform whose commitment to this country goes far beyond the mere act of taking to the streets to demand ‘rights,’” said Wyland. “We cannot long survive as a country if we insist on turning equity on its head by putting last those whom we should be putting first.”

In 2001, then-Governor Gray Davis signed AB 540 (Firebaugh), which allows nonresident students, regardless of citizenship status, to pay in-state college tuition rates. In 2002, the Assembly Appropriations Committee rejected a bill (AB 1841, Hollingsworth) that would have extended in-state tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges to reservists and veterans who resided in the state but did not meet residency requirements. The reason that Democrats gave for rejecting the bill was that the state could not afford to extend in-state tuition to both illegals and military personnel.

The bill offered by Asm Wyland today was meant to make the funds dedicated to subsidizing tuition rates for illegals available to active duty military, reservists, veterans, and their dependents.

I love blogs.

Blogs are so wonderful. With blogs, it’s possible to post about your weekend in Tahoe and end up with comments debating illegal immigration (see below). How cool is that?

This morning Kevin reminded me of another cool thing about blogs – they “chronicle your life.” (Actually, I'm still trying to decide if this is a good thing.)

He sent me a link to one of my earliest posts about how I would never agree to living in a newer house because older houses are better.

We both laughed because of how much my opinion has changed. When we started looking to buy a house just five months after I wrote that post, I quickly realized how nice newer houses are.

For one, you don’t have to deal with popcorn ceilings. For two, the floor plans tend to be more open and spacious. The list goes on and on …

Now I won’t even let Kevin look at a house that was built prior to 1990!

It’s funny how the tables turn.

Oh, and I’d like to mention that the BEST thing about blogs is that they allow you to keep in touch with your friends … and make new ones too.

M's Morning Routine

Kevin took these this morning and told me that my “assignment” today was to put them on the blog. It’s very typical-Meredith these days.

Okay, got that checked off my to-do list!

Snow Day

The weekend started with me and Meredith splitting a French Onion Soup at Panera Bread. I was surprised that she actually liked it. We "had" to eat there so I could use the WIFI and get some work done since we were kicked out of our house by a realtor who wanted to come see it.

Then we drove up to the mountains with friends to stay at their cabin near Tahoe. On the way there, Kevin found out that Lisa teaches California History to fourth-graders. "I never took California history [being from Indiana]," he said. Then he proceeded to ask her all sorts of questions. After explaining about the Spanish Missions, the gold rush, the railroad, etc., Kevin asked her to tell him about the Treaty of Hidalgo.

What?? You can't say you don't know anything about California history if you know about the Treaty of Hidalgo.

The entire weekend was full of fun and laughter. We ate WAY too much food. It snowed all day on Saturday, which was cozy and fun. And it was gorgeous on Sunday. Meredith had her first sledding experience, which she seemed to like quite well.


Getting ready.


"That was fun dad! Let's do it again."

Look at me!

"Why should I play with those other toys now that I know where mom hides the 'special' toys?"

AAAAARRGGHHHH!!

Meredith has now discovered our CD rack!! What am I going to DO?

I suppose there are two answers to that. 1) Put my CDs somewhere else. 2) Train her to leave it alone.

I don't want to move my CDs but I also feel too lazy (maybe too busy?) right now to consistently discipline her for terrorizing my CD rack.

"Training" an eight month old to leave something alone sounds very overwhelming to me right now. It's much easier said than done, let me just say that.

And it's not just this. She now thinks that everything that can "open" is fair game. Every day she discovers new things to explore.

Yesterday she learned how to open the TOP drawer in our bathroom!!

My life has suddenly become much more difficult. Yes, I know that people say when they get mobile, they get much more difficult. Did I believe them? No. My mental response was more like, "Yeah, whatever. How hard can it possibly be?"

[Groan.]

Okay, I've gotta go. I think I hear her playing with the fireplace utensils.

Ack!

Big Dad, Smallest Piece

We were discussing last night how we both grew up with very giving, loving fathers. And how that really impacted us and made us want to be better people.

This was prompted by the fact that Kevin’s dad had generously offered to drive our moving truck cross-country to save us a sizeable amount of money.

We both had stories about how our dads, growing up, always took the smallest piece of dessert so we kids could have the larger ones.

You know how eager kids are to have the largest piece of brownie, or slice of cake, or scoop of ice cream possible? Kids always notice and compare whose piece is bigger, too.

[That’s why our moms always made one kid split something and let the other kid choose which half they wanted. It was the only way to accomplish the matter peacefully.]

Looking back, we realize how fortunate we were to have dads who put their families first – and one example of this was consistently taking the smallest pieces of the “good stuff” for themselves.

Controversial Exit Exam

In 1999 the majority of the California legislature had the gall to pass a very controversial law requiring public school students to take and successfully complete an exit exam before receiving a high school diploma.

The exit exam tests students on sophomore-level math and English language arts. Students are given six opportunities to take and pass this exam.

You’d be surprised to know how many legislators think it’s unreasonable that students be required to know basic 10th grade math and English before graduating from the 12th grade.

Not to get partisan all of the sudden, but it’s the far-left democrats who are having a really hard time imposing these requirements. To them, it’s not about academic excellence, it’s about self-esteem.

“We must go to whatever lengths possible to make sure all kids feel good about themselves,” is their creed. “Not giving them a diploma will make them feel bad. This is the worst evil imaginable, you know.”

The latest attempt to “get around” the exit exam made me laugh. Senator Gloria Romero thinks she has a great solution to the exit exam controversy. Under her plan, every student would get a diploma but, if you pass the exit exam, your diploma would have a special insignia on it. That way you can still say you finished high school, if you didn’t pass the exam, and you wouldn’t feel so bad about yourself. But if you can pass a 10th grade test, you get a special insignia, and you can feel even better. Ha!

How many late-night boardroom meetings did it take to come up with that one?

The truth of the matter is, if there is no standard for high school graduation, a diploma has no meaning or significance. Why should a student try to do better if they’re going to get a diploma no matter what?

One last thing, ensuring that every kid gets a diploma, every kid gets a trophy, etc., etc. is only doing a disservice to the next generation. It prepares kids for some utopia dream-world ... certainly not for real life.

St. Patty Tradition

Anyone eating corned beef tonight? Anyone even like corned beef?

I happen to love corned beef and I only eat it once a year, on St. Patrick's Day. Kevin doesn't really like it but obliges me, as usual.

Mmmmmmm, mmmmm, MMMMM. I can't wait!

Bird Flu

I haven’t really been following the whole bird flu hullabaloo because it didn’t seem to be relevant to me. After all, I don’t own a chicken farm. I don’t even own a parakeet.

But after listening to a radio interview on this issue yesterday, I did some more research and found a website with some interesting articles.

It sounds like it could be a much bigger deal than I realized … and it could eventually affect humans who don’t own birds, like me.

“March 13, 2006 - In a remarkable speech over the weekend, Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt recommended that Americans start storing canned tuna and powdered milk under their beds as the prospect of a deadly bird flu outbreak approaches the United States.”

“WHO said bird flu could potentially cause more deaths than those from the global flu pandemics. Because the H5N1 virus is airborne, it is easier to transmit and much more contagious than HIV/AIDS, WHO officials said.”

“No one can say if or when it would happen, but if H5N1 acquired the ability to pass easily from human to human, it could spark a pandemic that would kill millions or even tens of million within a few short months.”

To read more, go here.

Our Puppy

Meredith is crawling everywhere now. My daily activities have suddenly become much more challenging to accomplish.

This morning Kevin put Meredith on our bedroom floor to play with her toys and went to take a shower. A few minutes later he saw her tugging at the shower curtain. She had followed him to see what he was doing.

“It’s like having a little puppy,” he said.

Meredith’s Favorites

Song: “The Eensy Weensy Spider” has finally been replaced with a new favorite – “Barbara Ann” by the Beach Boys. She likes for us to hold her hands and let her dance while we sing “Ba ba ba, ba Babara Ann.”

Food: Cheerios (bar none). Cheerios is the only food that she will eat even though she’s full. She can down a Cheerio averaging seven seconds. (We think her saliva must be made out of acid.) If we let her feed herself, she goes faster ‘cuz she stuffs her mouth full and works on more than one at a time.

Toys: The remote control (she tends to like things she can't have), her Pooh bear, and a musical wind-up doll with really frizzy hair. She goes hysterics whenever she sees it.

Book: Clifford, the big red dog. She has practically destroyed these books from handling them so much.

Words: She can now say four words. “Dada,” “mama” (finally), “hi,” and “baby.” (She often points to her frizzy-haired doll and says “Ba-by.”)

Outing: To the park, of course. When I swing her on the swing, she smiles from ear to ear. Because she has only one tooth on the bottom, she looks like a little Jack ‘O Lantern.

Pastime: Turning off the light switch. Kevin taught her how to do this as a bedtime routine. Now I can’t walk past a single light switch, with her in my arms, without her lunging for it. I never realized we had so many light switches in our house!! She also loves to dance with daddy, spot herself in the mirror, and interact with other babies and toddlers.

Memories

Kev just sent these pictures to me. I don’t know where he found the old ones. The new ones were taken from our MLS listing. It brought back memories of how awful our house (especially the backyard) was when we moved in 1 ½ years ago. Kev put the grass seed in himself. But I did my share by helping to remove all of those rocks!


Before

After

Before

After

If you can believe it, even with a backyard that looked like that, we bought our house for the full asking price after it had only been on the market two days. Two days was considered a LOOOOONG time for a house to sit on the market back then. Now our house has been on the market for five days and we've only had one showing that we know of. Things have definitely changed!

Last night I told Kevin: "I feel like I've worked really hard for the past two months on a Broadway show and then, on opening night, no one bothered to come!"

A New Feeling

Over the weekend we were in Oakland and then in Fresno to see the Fear family. It was a very different feeling to leave my house on Thursday night knowing that strangers would likely come inside while I was gone to open my cupboards and inspect the insides of my closets and other personal spaces.

Oh how I hate selling a house. Buying a house is fun. Selling a house is a royal pain.

When we got back on Saturday evening I spotted our closet door open just a tad and I knew I hadn’t left it like that.

I immediately started complaining about this. That’s when Kevin told me that he was the one who’d done it.

I’m a very illogical person at times. I want strange people to come inside my house and look in my closets so they will make me an offer. But it bothers me at the same time.

It’s one of those scenarios in life where I just can’t have my cake and eat it too.

Question

Have any of you ever used your spouse's (or someone else's) toothbrush by mistake, only to realize during the act what you'd done?

Did it really gross you out?

It seems unreasonable to me that using your spouse's toothbrush would be a big deal. But last night it was, to a certain member of our household.

Jello on a Tree

I saw a license plate frame yesterday that read, “It’s easier nailing Jello to a tree than finding a good man.”

While I think this expression smacks of man-bashing (which I really loathe), I also believe there’s a grain of truth to it.

Some days I think Kevin is tired of hearing me talk about all the beautiful, smart, quality, late-twenties, Christian, single girls I know and the seeming lack of good Christian guys who are inclined to marry.

[Honestly, this is my biggest fear in having a daughter – I hope that she will either be happy and fulfilled being single, if God calls her to that, or that she’ll be able to find a good guy to love her and share life with her. If I had a son, I don’t think I would be concerned about this as much. I would have other things to worry about.]

Yesterday Kevin made me list my girlfriends who fall in the above category and I could only think of five (but I know there are more) and he told me that wasn’t that many. Then he went on to list at least five good single guys he knows of. The problem is, the guys he listed don’t seem (to me) to be interested in marriage or dating.

I’m not the type of person who thinks you have to be married to be happy but I happen to know that some of my girlfriends would really like to be married and I feel bad for them that they are having to wait so long.

Ultimately, I guess, we all have to learn to be content in whatever state we are, knowing that God is in control and knows what is best for us. We all have our own issues to deal with.

Now I need to go make some Jello and get some nails. How hard can it be?

Almost There

Well, we’ve now narrowed our “to-do-before-we-sell” list down to a handful of items. One of the last items on the list was mulching the front landscaping.

Can you believe that, at 7 o’clock this morning, Kevin talked me into going outside with him and getting it done before he left for work?

Right now I’m looking down at my scarred, stained hands. I’ve scrubbed them three times to no avail. I don’t think they will ever be the same again.

Why?

Why is it that we had to wait until putting our house on the market before making it 100% perfect?

Kevin and I have vowed that after living in our next house for two years we’re going to act like we’re planning to sell it and make it flawless so WE can benefit from it (instead of doing it solely for the next occupiers to enjoy).

It’s just not fair.

This morning a handyman came to replace some cracked tiles in our entryway. I can’t believe how much nicer it looks. And I can’t believe that we lived with it like that for nearly two years! I’m amazed at how little it cost to have it repaired – I think that’s why we waited so long to fix it, we thought it would be more expensive than it was.

When I first met this particular handyman, he gave me the creeps. I totally judged him by his outward appearance. He’s kinda scruffy looking.

But, after seeing his happy-go-lucky demeanor and hearing him whistle the entire morning and talk on his cell phone to a friend about how much he loves helping out with his kids’ baseball team, I’ve decided that he’s a decent human being.

Funny how we can be so quick to judge people by their outward appearances.

And, lastly, please pray for me because I’m extremely overwhelmed. In fact, I can’t even believe I’m blogging right now. I have so much to do to get our house *spotless* (you know, cleaning places you never realized existed in your house until you read a checklist on what to clean before you sell a house). I feel like I need everything to be absolutely flawless in order to get a good offer.

It’s also an incredibly busy time at work for me, with legislation pouring in. I have about 100 bills I need to read before the end of the week. I am so busy I want to pull my hair out and scream!

Excuse me while I go do that …

Money Matters

One of the questions to be decided upon entering marriage is who will pay the bills. I lucked out because I don’t think I’ve had to pay a single bill since getting married.

Sometimes I feel guilty when Kevin works hard at the office all day and then has to come home and sit in front of Microsoft Money all evening.

Last night was such an evening.

“Hey, listen. I’ll start paying the bills from now on,” I said.

He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Your life will be so stress-free if I could do that for you. You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing!”

Then we burst into laughter ‘cuz we both know that the LAST thing that would make Kevin stress-free is having ME in charge of our finances.

When we started dating he was horrified to learn how I “balanced” my checkbook. I would simply write down all of my financial transactions and, periodically, round-up the numbers to ensure that I always had some buffer room. You know, a little extra in my account, so I would always be okay.

I felt confident with this system. I always paid my bills on time and I never once bounced a check.

Kevin, however, was mortified that I didn’t ever know exactly, to the penny, how much money I had in my account.

Last night, when he was reminded of my old-system, he asked, “Weren’t you ever worried that you would get cheated by the bank?”

I told him that I never worried because I knew there were people out there like him who would keep the banks accountable – and mail me something if I needed to join a class action lawsuit.

So, it’s pretty safe for me to offer to pay the bills. He would never let me.

My Medicine Man

One of the many reasons I’m glad I married Kevin is because he knows a lot about medicine and what types of medicines do what types of things to your body. This is probably because his mom is an RN and he paid attention to what she said growing up.

I’m pretty much clueless when it comes to medicine. I have no idea what the difference is between aspirin, Tylenol, and ibuprofen. The differences have been explained to me before but I always forget what they are.

Here is a fairly typical conversation we had over the weekend.

A: I have a sore throat.
K: I’ll get you medicine. What do you need?
A: Benadryl.
K: What? Why do you need that?
A: Because I want to sleep tonight.
K: Are you going to have trouble sleeping tonight?
A: No. I probably don’t need Benadryl then, huh?
K: No. Do you feel like you have drainage?
A: Yes.
K: I think you need Chlor-Trimeton. [Goes to cupboard to look for it.]
A: Kevin, you’re my medicine man.
K: Do we have any Chlor-Trimeton?
A: Uh. I think we ran out a while ago.
K: Why didn’t we buy more?
A: ‘Cuz I forgot.
K: [Pauses for a second.] You know, I think I have some in my car.
A: WHAT?? You have some in your car?! Who the heck carries Chlor-Trimeton in their car but you?
K: [Goes to car and comes back with CT, hands it to Amy.]
A: You’re probably the only person in the world who carries spare Chlor-Trimeton in their car. I think you’re wonderful.
K: You think I’m a nerd.
A: Yes, but you’re a wonderful nerd.

Rejected

Here is yet another post on one of my favorite topics, my child.

Lately Meredith has been expressing her dislikes by pushing things away from her when she doesn’t want them. This was cute until she started pushing ME away.

Do you know how demoralizing it is to have your child push you away? She contorts her face and then puts her hands on both my shoulders and pushes with all her little might.

If she could talk she would probably say, “Get out of my way mom. You’re cramping my style.”

It’s like total rejection.

The person whose life depends on you thinks you’re unnecessary.

This is a part of parenting I wasn't expecting.

Can someone remind me … when exactly are those "rebellious years" supposed to start? I thought I had at least two years, if not 13.

Don’t ask me how I did this. But I did.

Now all I need to do is buy her a pair of flip-flops and she’ll be stylin’.

Thus ends my addiction ...

Well, I feel compelled to follow-up on my post awhile ago about Grey’s Anatomy.

It seems that each episode gets a little sluttier. It’s like who’s going to sleep with who next? There’s not many people left to sleep with.

There’s an age-old debate in Christian circles about what is appropriate to watch on TV and what is not.

The line is sometimes fine. On one side of the line, there’s something redeeming in a movie or TV show, despite the filth, that enables me to continue watching it. On the other side of the line, it’s just dirty and anything positive about it is scarce.

I guess everyone has to determine where the “line” is for themselves, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

But in this scenario, when you determine something has crossed the line, you leave a story unfinished. Sigh …

Maybe that's why I should never start watching TV shows.

Hello and Goodbye

Meredith is waving now. There was a little boy, probably a year old, at the store last night. When their eyes met, both he and Meredith burst into smiles and giggles. It was TOTAL chemistry. Very cute. Then Meredith started waving at him and he waved back. We both left the store at the same time and they were waving at each other from across the parking lot. The little boy was saying “bye-bye” and Meredith was smiling back at him with her little hand raised.

Either our daughter is an extravert or a little flirt. Definitely an extravert. Probably both.

Unlikely Road Trip Reading

On our road trip this past weekend I decided to bring along reading material that I wouldn’t ordinarily pick as my first choice. I grabbed a stack of Kevin’s Invention and Technology magazines to browse in the car.

You know, invention and technology can be a very interesting subject.

I learned all about the history and evolution of the modern toaster. I also read an article on how Pop Tarts were invented. I never realized that it took a whole new type of technology to go from dry-goods to the Pop Tart.

It was a good thing for me to stretch myself this way. Maybe I’ll continue reading more of these magazines in the future. You never know what kinds of remarkable things you can learn.

Poem, Compliments, Wigs, etc.

Monday was my birthday. My mom didn’t have time to take my little sister Melissa (age 9) shopping so, instead, my sister wrote a poem to give me as a gift.

I thought it was a “serious” poem, so when I opened it and started reading it, I tried very hard to keep a straight face. Later on I learned that Melissa intended it to be funny. That’s good ‘cuz we all got a nice chuckle.

“FERN”

Fern is lovely,
Fern is funny,
Fern is nice,
Fern has lice.

Then, I opened a gift from my mom. It was a shirt. David (age 11) saw the size on the tag and exclaimed: “You’re a medium?! I didn’t know that. I would have thought you were thinner than that.”

I quickly hugged him and told him that was the nicest thing he could have said to me on my birthday.

Oh, and here is a family photo from the weekend:



Here is baby, drooling and hairy:



Here is the whole gang:

Meredith Tries a New Cuisine

Here is Meredith this morning, trying to eat the camera.


Here is Meredith, thinking about eating a dirt clod instead.


I don’t think she liked the dirt clod.


Here is Meredith shoving the dirt clod to my face: “Mom, I can’t believe you let me eat that nasty thing! What are moms for but to protect their innocent children?!”


Here is Meredith, reexamining the dirt clod. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

Chinatown Fun

Dinner in the City

Last night, we had dinner in S.F. Kevin had a business meeting there earlier in the day and he told his boss he would go only if he could take me. After all, it was Valentines Day.

What a guy, eh?

We went to a little bistro near Union Square. The food was great. Later on the waiter told us it was their opening night. No wonder we got in without reservations!

We also walked around the City for a while. It amazed me how many people treat Valentines Day just like any other day. Throughout the evening, there were people walking by themselves, and in groups, looking like they were doing the ordinary things they always do.

If ever you want to see really “wild” people, S.F. is a great place to go!

There was one guy who stood on a street corner with a t.v. strapped around his waist and a big sign that said, “They put [bleep] in meat!”

And that’s how he chose to spend his Valentines Day. Standing on a cold street corner in S.F., declaring to the world the evils of meat; waging his own personal crusade.

After I get some work done here at the hotel, I get to paint the town with Meredith for a while before we have to head home. Yahoo!

Enough

Okay, the fact that this is STILL a news story is amazing to me. I've had enough. The media is upset that they weren't contacted immediately about this and they aren't letting it go. And now Democrats are using this as an opportunity to jump on the administration.

What happened wasn't exactly a matter of national importance. I don't think the media was entitled to know right away. Their ego was hurt and now they're decrying the administrations as "secretive."

The media should get off its high horse and find something significant to report.

Accidents happen. Cheney wasn't doing anything illegal and he didn't do anything intentionally wrong. If he was a little careless, the facts will come out in due time. But we all (except for Tuckster) are careless at times. Cheney didn't do anything "evil." And I'm tired of the media and the democrats crucifying the poor guy.

Sheesh. Get a life people!

Neighborhood Excitement

On the way home from church yesterday we noticed a group of people walking down the main parkway near where we live. We looked down a side street and saw a huge line of cars and emergency lights.

We turned on the television when we got home and learned that a small plane had been performing aerobatics and crashed into a home just down the street from us!

Fortunately the occupants of the home were out of town. The entire neighborhood is in shock over this incident. Apparently many neighbors saw the plane doing stunts before it crashed.

Belly Laughter

There were 18 adults and four babies at bible study last night. What started out as a couples’ study has evolved into couples-plus-babies’ study. It works out okay except for the occasional interruption when a baby is either fussy or does cute things, like last night, and distracts everyone.

Last night I had Meredith on my lap. Across the room was Ty Edmondson, 9-months old. Ty suddenly took a toy and, as many babies do, began furiously shaking it up and down. When Meredith caught sight of this she let out a huge belly laugh. Ty paused and then resumed his shaking action. This resulted in even louder belly laughs from Meredith. She was practically hysterical at this point.

The discussion came to an abrupt halt and for the next five minutes we watched Meredith repeatedly laugh every time Ty shook his toy. When Ty paused, Meredith stopped laughing. When he started shaking it again, she would laugh even harder than the time before. Everyone in the entire room was laughing along with her. My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. It was so funny to see the two babies interacting like that and to watch Meredith be so humored.

Silly little girl. How I love her.

The Unknown

Last night we met with a realtor to discuss putting our house on the market. We’re a little bit shell-shocked at how much of our equity is going to be eaten-up by realtor fees.

Plus, there are all the emotions of having to give up our first home. It’s small but it’s nice. We love our home and we love our community. We have a lot of memories tied up in our house. We put a lot of work into making it “ours.” We brought our first child home to it. We planted an orange tree in its backyard and ate the first-fruits. Our home has been the social-center for OBCL gatherings. :-) There are too many memories to name.

Part of me wonders “What are we doing?” We are leaving a nice home to go to an unknown housing arrangement. We are leaving a decent job to go to … what?

We are leaving something concrete for something vague.

And it’s not like we’re two carefree lovebirds anymore. We are two lovebirds with a child to support.

I am the type of person who can appreciate deferred gratification, where you put up with something hard because you know it will pay off in the end.

I’m also the type of person who is willing to give up a degree of security for a degree of adventure.

But it’s easy to be excited about a future prospect until the sacrifices become real. Then it becomes a much harder pill to swallow.

And that’s exactly where I’m at.

We know the destination is good but the journey will be trying, difficult, and scary.

I tried but, alas, I couldn't.

For quite a few years now I've prided myself on the fact that I've been able to resist TV show addictions. Maybe it's because I never started watching them to begin with and so it was easy.

Then my friend Meredith Turney came to visit and told me I should watch a show called Grey's Anatomy because the lead character is a girl named Meredith. And so, to be a nice friend, I agreed to watch one episode.

Of course, there was a cliff-hanger at the end. And this made me want to tune-in again last Sunday night. And of course, there was a cliff-hanger at the end of THAT episode. So, now I want to tune-in next week.

Argh! It's such a vicious cycle and I cannot believe I have succumbed.

Learning not to be a perfectionist hostess …

Have you ever been to someone’s house where the woman, usually an older woman, is able to put the finishing touches on great meal, have a significant conversation, keep the kids in check, and look beautiful all at the same time?

Well, I’m still working on that.

Friday night we had company for dinner. I had hoped to have the home peacefully awaiting them and dinner all prepared. You know, maybe a few candles lit for aroma and ambiance. Maybe strains of Mozart playing in the background.

Instead, when they walked in, I was on the phone, dinner was literally starting to burn, Meredith was screaming hysterics in the background (I finally just put her in her crib to cry because she was overtired, wouldn’t settle down, and I had things to do), and I looked a mess with my hair flying in all directions and sweat dripping down my back.

Ugh. Everything turned out okay in the end but there were definitely a few frantic moments there in the beginning.

I’m learning that it’s okay if things aren’t perfect every time I entertain. The important thing is to take a deep breath, roll with the punches, and enjoy hospitality … come what may!

New Life

There were about twelve of us crowded into the tiny hospital room last night to meet baby Anthony Rodriguez. On the way out, I noticed a sign that said “Only Two Guests Per Patient.” So much for that!

Anthony looks just like his dad, a miniature Walt. We are especially glad that he is here safely because his mom had been put on bed rest four months ago. It’s amazing that he stayed in the womb for so long. He’s healthy and beautiful.

Last night was a very joyous occasion for all of us.

A Hopeful Nation

Whoever wrote the close to the State of the Union speech did a terrific job, I thought:

"Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and continued slavery. Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma, and achieved only half a victory over segregation. The United States could have accepted the permanent division of Europe, and been complicit in the oppression of others.

"Today, having come far in our own historical journey, we must decide: Will we turn back, or finish well?

"Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will show that courage and we will finish well."

Big Girl

We think that Meredith has said her first word. At first we weren’t sure it was intentional but now we’re pretty sure. She has been saying dada for a while now – of course, it would be “dad” first – but it wasn’t until two days ago that we realized she says it most often when Kevin either walks into the room or leaves the room. Apparently she knows exactly who she’s talking about. In fact, it often sounds like she says, “Hey, dada!”

We’ve also started feeding her Cheerios (which is great since it buys me time if we’re running errands and she gets hungry!). It’s adorable. She grunts loudly to indicate she wants another one. Then, as soon as we pop it in her mouth, she says “mmmmmm.” And then she makes these funny chomping facial expressions.

I think it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Ever.

Parenting has been fun all along … but it’s starting to get a lot more fun.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Just as soon as I wrote the post, below, declaring myself to be an incompetent baker, I decided to go to a whole new level in my baking exploits. I decided I was going to attempt to make fortune cookies to help ring in the Chinese New Year.

I’m all about celebrating every holiday possible. Fun food is a good way to do that. The cookies turned out great!


Me and my good friend Meredith Turney, who is here visiting for a whole week. Yay!! (Beware of the zombie eyes. It's my lot in life.)


Kevin got a big one. (Actually, I was tired of making them so I just took the rest of the batter, at the end, and made a gigantic one.)


We wrote our own fortunes. Kevin had all the good ones ‘cuz he cheated and looked them up on the internet.


Two Merediths.

Amy comes to realization she will likely never win best of bakeoff …

More and more, I’m realizing that I’m a loser baker. Cooking is an art I enjoy. Baking is mostly a science. Baking requires too much exactness to suit me. I don’t have the patience required to excel at it. I don’t like to “cut-in cold butter” when I can nuke it for five seconds. I don’t like to measure “level” cups and teaspoons. I don’t like to sift things. It takes too long. And I’ve found that chocolate tastes pretty much the same if you melt it in the microwave vs. melting it in a double boiler.

Last night after bible study I started making a couple of tarts. I almost forgot that I’d volunteered to make desserts for a group of local pastors meeting at our church this weekend. The tarts had to be dropped off late this morning.

With the first crust, I took too many shortcuts and it didn’t turn out (it was too soggy to press into the pan). With the second crust, I accidentally turned it upside down into the hot oven after it had finished baking. That was at 11 o’clock at night. I spent the next thirty minutes cleaning out the oven and, in the process, burned my wrist fairly badly.

At that point, I felt like the pastors were going to be lucky to get store-bought cookies.

But I decided, in the end, to start making a third crust, which thankfully turned out okay. (And fortunately I happened to have the ingredients on hand to do this.)

Baking tries me. It really does. But since I like sugar so much, it’s a necessity for me to bake. So I guess I’ll just have to keep on keeping on.

Speaking of making things in the kitchen …

Oh yeah, I am very happy to report that I’ve learned how to make homemade baby food. As Meredith has started to eat more and more solids, I was mortified to see what that was doing to my grocery budget. Never did I dream I would make homemade baby food. But desperate times call for desperate measures. With a little bit of encouragement from my mother in law, I tried it. And it was a lot easier than I expected. After about 45 minutes of blending, there is approximately a month’s worth of baby food in the freezer. This is going to pay off big time.

Seeing the positive ...

Last night I was bemoaning the fact that my back hurt from running errands and standing on my feet all day.

A: "I think I'm going to have major back problems when I'm old."

K: "Me too."

A: "Well, the good thing about that is that neither of us will hold the other back. We'll both be cripples."

Are you serious?!

You may have seen this already since it was the top story on Drudge but I had to post this simply because it was one of those incredulous moments. I don't know why I am surprised that a profit-driven company would do this. But I am.

Communist Google: Search Engine Agrees to Censor Results in China

Meredith's Trip Downtown

From Meredith:

Today I went downtown with my mom. Normally I wake up at 6:30, grab a bite to eat, and then play with my toys in my jammies. Today was different. After breakfast, my dad put me in a pretty church dress and I got to wear my shiny black shoes. Then he put me in my car seat. Soon my mom came out – she was all dressed up too. Then we went for a long car ride. We went to a prayer breakfast to celebrate life and remember how horrible abortion is. Apparently, if I were only seven months younger than I am now, my life could be taken away from me and the law wouldn’t protect me. Isn’t that just awful?

My mom told me that she had dreams all last night that I was going to be a bad girl at this meeting and cry a lot and make things hard for her. But I really showed her! I was a perfect angel. I sat on Miss Sarah’s lap while my mom ate her breakfast and then I fell asleep in my carrier.

On the way back, we stopped by daddy’s office to surprise him with an iced coffee. I love to see my dad during the day. I miss him when he’s at work. My mom is okay but my dad is more fun. He makes cool animal noises and knows all the words to all the songs.

So grateful ...

... for a president who values innocent life.

"You believe, as I do, that every human life has value, that the strong have a duty to protect the weak, and that the self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence apply to everyone, not just to those considered healthy or wanted or convenient," Bush told the abortion foes.

"These principles call us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, all who are weak and vulnerable, especially unborn children," the president said.

Animal Attacks

Yesterday I was assaulted by two animals. As I was getting out of the car for church, this large ugly dog lunged toward me and I shrieked loudly. Kevin was amused by this.

After church, we took a picnic lunch to the park. Kevin took Meredith to the pond to feed the ducks some of our leftover chips. At that point, a particularly ugly goose decided to make a run for me. I again screamed loudly and started running away. Kevin, again, was amused.

Why do animals hate me so much? They must sense that I don’t like them either.

For the record, I also scream at ugly bugs.

Organization Frenzy Leads to Calm

Two weeks ago we set out on a mission to de-junk our lives and organize every closet, cupboard, and miscellaneous storage space in our house. We must have been motivated by the realization that we are going to have to put our house on the market and move some time in the not-too-distant future.

I’m not an organized person by nature. In fact, I’ve always enjoyed having just a little smidge of chaos in my life. It makes things more exciting that way.

But I have to admit, so far I love the novelty of having my entire home in order – even the spaces that aren’t readily visible. It’s a good feeling to walk into my garage or open my freezer and sense calmness, peace, and tranquility.

Point to Pain?

"There are tenderhearted people who virtually object to the whole scheme of creation. They would neither have force used nor pain suffered; they talk as if kindness could do everything, even where it is not felt. Millions of human beings but for suffering would never develop an atom of affection. The man who would spare due suffering is not wise. Because a thing is unpleasant, it is folly to conclude it ought not to be. There are powers to be born, creations to be perfected, sinners to be redeemed, through the ministry of pain, to be born, perfected, redeemed, in no other way." - George McDonald

Golden Globes and Self-Denial

First a disclaimer: I didn’t watch the Golden Globes. I was busy doing some early spring cleaning.

But I did read the newspapers this morning. And I read Felicity Huffman’s quote:

“I know as actors our job is usually to shed our skins, but I think as people our job is to become who we really are and so I would like to salute the men and women [transgender individuals, et. al.] who brave ostracism, alienation and a life lived on the margins to become who they really are.”

After reading this, it struck me that this quote epitomizes the humanist world-view. Under the religion of humanism, man is God and the ultimate goal is to fulfill ourselves and pursue pleasure.

This is polar-opposite of what Christ calls us to do. He tells us (Matt. 16:24) to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

All of us struggle with sin on a daily basis, regardless of what those particular sins might be. All of us are daily presented with opportunities to either "be who we are" or be like Christ and deny ourselves.

Pursuing our own pleasures may feel good for a time, and lead to instant gratification, but it’s only when we deny ourselves and pursue God that we experience “fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11).

What Kevin will do in his golden years ...

On Saturday night we stopped by Starbucks, hoping for a relaxing evening of coffee and conversation. We arrived to find that a local group, The Harmonicoots, had a gig there that night. The place was abuzz with lively, silver-haired individuals, harmonicas, clapping, and foot-tapping. We (scratch that, I) even got a chance to sing along with some of the songs.

Even though it wasn’t what we had originally planned, we had a good time.

Since Kevin got a harmonica for Christmas, I told him that he should join a group like The Harmonicoots when he gets old and that I would attend every single show.

[He was noncommittal on this one. But I think it would be fun.]

Grabbing, Football, and Oranges

I think Meredith is the grabbiest baby I’ve ever seen. She’s never content with what we give her, she always wants the next thing (the one that’s just beyond her reach). It’s getting impossible to sit with her in church because she constantly grabs for the hymnals or the people in front of her. Yesterday this lady in front of us saw that Meredith was grabbing things and handed her a little pamphlet. We took it away a few minutes later only to discover that there was a little “bite” out of the corner of the pamphlet. We searched for the missing part of the pamphlet but could find no trace. Meredith then looked up at us with a sly grin. Kevin looked at me and shrugged his shoulders while I fought off the urge to laugh out loud. Ahh … Meredith.




Here is Meredith and Daddy after church. They came home, kicked off their shoes, and plopped on the couch to watch the Colts’ valiant attempt to beat the Steelers. Kevin thinks Meredith likes football.





Oh yeah, and this entry wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that we ate the “first fruits” of the orange tree we planted in our yard earlier this year. Yes, this orange [pictured below] grew in our very own backyard. I think Kevin now feels like he’s lived the California dream.

When asked how it tasted, Kevin replied: “Not bad at all.”

A: “It’s the first fruit this tree has ever produced, Kevin!”

K: “Yes, I feel like I should tithe it.”

A: “Well, there’s four of them; we can take the rest and put them in the offering next Sunday.”

K: “Um, yeah …”

Ha, ha!

Okay, you HAVE to read this blonde joke.

What?

When Judge Alito was nominated to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals back in 1990, here’s what Senator Kennedy said to him during his confirmation hearings:

“You have obviously had a very distinguished record. And I certainly commend you for your long service in the public interest. I think it is a very commendable career and I am sure you will have a successful one as a judge.”

Then, last Monday, he lambasted Judge Alito’s record and him personally.

Is it because now he’s up for the High Court and there’s more at stake?

Sheesh.

Online ASL Dictionary

Because my grandma is deaf, Kevin thinks I should be fluent in sign language. Yes, I do know the alphabet but, unfortunately, I don't know all my other signs very well. So, when he asks me what a certain sign is, I'm usually not much help. He recently found this cool online ASL dictionary, however, and he's had fun with it:

Online ASL Dictionary

Oh, yeah ...

I almost forgot to tell you ... FORGET ABOUT WAR MOVIES! This past weekend we watched March of the Penguins and that about killed me!! I would never recommend that movie for children. It's so SAD. Unless you're up to watching innocent, helpless, cute little baby penguins lying dead, lifeless, frozen on the ice ... Or you're in the mood to see a large bird of prey snoop down and peck at these little helpless creatures, hoping to make one of them its next meal ... I would highly recommend that you avoid March of the Penguins at all costs!!! It was awful, awful, awful. I could hardly stand it!

While the Man Is Out

Tonight Kevin is gone for the evening. I’m not used to being home alone at night. I pretty much hate being home alone at night.

At first I had grand plans for being really productive. Then I found Lemmings on the Internet.

Then I made a chocolate espresso cake. I don’t even like cake so don’t ask me why I did this. I do like batter, however. So maybe that’s why I did it.

And, since no one (i.e., Kevin) was home to tell me how bad it was to do it, I ate chocolate espresso batter and cake for dinner. Hee, hee.

Then I sat and watched a trail of ants go from an opening in our bathroom sink, across the countertop, and to a crack behind our bathroom mirror.

We’ve had an ant problem in our house lately and both Kev and I have been very put-off by it. One evening I tightly wrapped some leftover cornbread in foil and placed it in the pantry. The next morning there were thousands of ants crawling all over the foil.

That’s how bad it is. Every time we think we’ve wiped out every last ant that exists inside our house and at least a ten-foot perimeter around our house, they always come back the next day.

You know what I’ve learned during all of this? I’ve learned that although ants are very industrious, determined, and hard-working, they are also very dumb.

What other kind of species could witness thousands of their brothers and sisters be completely annihilated by poison and then spread the word to the rest of their friends and neighbors that they should all come back the next day because there’s a piece of cornbread lying out???

As I watched the trail of ants in our bathroom, I spotted the Queen Ant marching alongside the rest of them. And I’m happy to report that I quickly grabbed a wad of toilet paper and victoriously killed her.

Sigh … I can’t wait for my husband to come home. In the meantime, I’m going to make sure I seal-up that chocolate espresso cake very, very tightly.

A Recovering Pack-Rat

Kevin learned this weekend that I’m a recovering pack-rat. We cleaned and organized our garage this past Saturday and, during the process, went through a bunch of old files and papers I’d saved from my teenage years. Much of it was very enlightening. For instance, we found a paper I’d written on why I thought human clones would have a soul. I didn't write this as a school assignment. I wrote it purely for fun. I had completely forgotten how the topic of cloning had been a fetish of mine.

I’ll have to read it again sometime soon. Maybe I’ll even publish it on my blog. Only if it’s good. Or funny. One of the two.

We also found a bunch of e-mails I’d written, a list of home decorating ideas (which, now, I would gag to have my home look like that), and a bunch of old jokes I’d typed out and saved.

It was fun to re-live those years. But, after getting a few laughs from it all, everything lies at the bottom of our trash can. After all, I said I was a “recovering” pack-rat.

One thing I did save, however, was a large (I mean very large) sketch of myself that a street artist drew when I visited New York City for the first time. I told Kevin that I would never hang it in my home – that would be too pretentious – but maybe I would have a grandchild, or perhaps a great-grandchild, someday who will think I’m the greatest thing ever and will want to proudly display it above their fireplace mantle.

Now that’s wishful thinking.

War Toys

This year for Christmas we bought my little brother a large army set, with helicopters, miniature guns, soldiers, etc. As I stood in the aisle looking at this toy for the first time, I realized that my brother would like it. Then I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach. The truth was: I didn’t want to buy him a war toy.

Honestly, I’m not a liberal (shocker). I realize that war is often necessary to keep our freedoms and our ultimate peace. But that doesn’t mean I have to like war or war toys, right?

That’s when Kevin walked up and said, “What’s wrong with war toys? That’s what boys like to play with and if we have boys someday, they’ll play with war toys too.”

Yet another reason why boys need dads … so their moms don’t completely sissify them.

And then there’s my recent aversion to bloody movies. What’s happened to me? It was only eight years ago that I dragged my dad into the theaters to watch Saving Private Ryan. Now I can barely stand to watch most war movies – even the mildly gory ones.

As I pondered my newly-acquired distastes, I tried to think of what had happened in my life recently to make me this way. The only thing I could think of was that last July I became a mom.

I know that not all moms are against war toys and bloody movies but that’s the only connection I can make. The absolutely, only, single one.

Before and After

It was time for a change in my life. I like my new haircut. It’s pretty much what I had in mind but I wish it were a little bit shorter. I’m seriously thinking about having Kevin take another inch off over the weekend. (He agreed to do this last night when I asked him.) We’ll see …


Before


After

Church Dating

Over the holidays I read a book that changed my outlook. I must confess, I bought it as a gift for someone, started reading it, and couldn’t put it down. It’s called Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris.

"Are you dating the church? We are a generation of consumers, independent and critical. We attend church, but we don't want to settle down and truly invest ourselves. We're not into commitment - we only want to date the church. Is this what God wants for us? Stop Dating the Church reminds us that faith was never meant to be a solo pursuit. The church is the place God grows us, encourages us, and uses us best. Loving Jesus Christ involves a passionate commitment to His church - around the world and down the street. We can't be apathetic. It's time to fall in love with the family of God."

Here's an excerpt:

"Can you spot what I'm calling a church-dater? Here's a quick profile. Do you see one or more characteristics in yourself?

"First, our attitude towards church tends to be me-centered. We go for what we can get - social interaction, programs, or activities. The driving question is 'What can church do for me?'

"A second sign of a church dater is being independent. We go to church because that's what Christians are supposed to do - but we're careful to avoid getting involved too much, especially with people. We don't pay much attention to God's larger purpose for us as a vital part in a specific church family. So we go through the motions without really investing ourselves.

"Most essentially, a church-dater tends to be critical. We are short on allegiance and quick to find fault in our church. We treat church with a consumer mentality - looking for the best product for the price of our Sunday morning. As a result, we're fickle and not invested for the long-term, like a lover with a wandering eye, always on the hunt for something better."

This book was very convicting for me. I don’t think I was a church dater until we moved to Sacramento. We found a good church and then became frustrated by a few things. We stayed, however, because we felt it was still the best option. Looking back, I wish I’d been less critical and had spent more time and energy serving and being involved wholeheartedly. I think that would have been the God-honoring thing to do. And I think it would have reaped other rewards too … such as blessing others more and benefiting myself.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book. Every page was packed with insights and messages to challenge me.

Happy New Year!

Aunt Megan sent me this dress from China. I really liked the wrapping paper. Unfortunately, this wrapping paper from China got my mouth all red when I tasted it. My dad tried to clean my mouth off but couldn't get it all.

Random stuff … ‘Cuz that’s what blogs are for.

Today Kevin told me: “I had a dream this morning that we took a cruise to Iraq. I thought it would be boring and then realized we’d get to see the Mediterranean and travel through the Suez Canal.”

I’m glad his dream turned out okay.

Because my sister Christy got her own apartment recently, she got a bunch of household items (sheets, pots and pans, etc.) for Christmas. “This is awesome!” she said. “It’s like getting married … but without the man.”

I love my sister.

It’s official now (i.e., enough people know, including our employers). We’re planning to move to Indiana, probably in the spring. We are excited and know it’s what God has for us but – as with all big changes in life – we are also somewhat anxious and overwhelmed.

A lot has to happen between now and then.

My mom hadn’t really said anything specific about us moving until this past weekend. My parents have always been supportive, knowing it will be a good thing for our family, even though I know it’s hard for them to see us move so far away.

Well, apparently, a woman at my mom’s church asked her what she thought about us moving. Her reply was: “I would rather have my daughter be married to a godly man and happy than living close to me without that.”

That is an unselfish love. What more can I say?

A Temperate Holiday

Here I am in Long Beach, sitting in front of my parents’ computer. I had forgotten how warm it can be in So. Cal. in the wintertime. Even Sacramento is considered “extreme weather” compared to here. My first clue in discovering that I’d brought too many sweaters was when we pulled into my folks' driveway and my mom came bounding out of the house in shorts and a tank top.

On Friday we went to the Getty art museum in L.A. We had a great time and enjoyed both the art and the beautiful vistas surrounding the museum. We took an architecture tour and I learned more than I was planning to learn that day about the subject. But it was interesting, I will admit.

Other than the fact that my aunt Lori broke her arm on Christmas Eve, things have been pretty low-key. I can’t believe Christmas is already over. So much hoopla and then … it’s all over. So suddenly. Sigh.

Kevin's already home. Meredith and I are staying a few extra days to visit friends and family. I love my family here in L.B. but Kevin IS my family now. And I already miss him tons. For that reason, Thursday won't be here soon enough.

Merry Christmas from Meredith

This is me on my first date. It was last night with an older man. He is Ty Edmonson and he is seven months old! He gave me a kiss. (It was my first kiss from a boy.) And then I cried.


This is me last night with my parents. They said my first date had to be with adult supervision since I am still so young.


I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Kevin in the Paper

Yesterday Kevin was in the Sacramento Bee.

Ahh, Life ...

Yes! I’ve borrowed a laptop so I can get meet some work deadlines before Christmas arrives. I’m glad to be able to get my hands on technology again!

Everything has been going well except for my computer woes and the fact that I left some sugar on the counter overnight and an army of ants overtook my kitchen. Kevin is normally the one who would deal with insect infiltration but, since he was at work, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I couldn’t locate the Raid in the garage but did manage to find another kind of chemical. The bottle advertised that it would kill aphids and prevent diseases on rose bushes. I rationalized that if it could kill aphids, it could certainly kill ants too. Right?

After completely hosing down my kitchen with this aphid-killer, I sat and victoriously watched all the ants drown and die.

Oh, and another thing … thanks to all of you, I recently learned that I was taught incorrect versions of various nursery songs as a child! Not only was I erroneously told that the middle-piggy ate “corn and bread,” I was also taught an incorrect version of Patty-Cake. Maybe I shall need to go into counseling because of this. Does anyone know a good shrink?

[Note: Mom and dad, if you are reading this, I’m sincerely not bitter. At least you loved me and sang to me. Seriously, I think I have the best parents ever. Even if they made up their own words to certain songs.]

Other than these things, mentioned above, we have been greatly enjoying this Christmas Season. I went to a very fun ladies’ Christmas Tea; I’ve been doing a lot of baking (what else do you do when your computer is broken?); we went and saw the glitzy Christmas lights at the Fab Forties; and tonight we’re going to a Christmas party and gift-exchange with friends.

Oh, and last night Kevin introduced me to Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. He’s been saying how much he wanted this CD and so I bought him one for Christmas. Then, low and behold, last night he plans to buy one while we’re at Barnes and Nobles. (Can you believe it?! You’re not supposed to buy things for yourself in December!!) So, I had to reveal my hand and tell him I’d already gotten it for him! Sheesh.

Anyway, last night we listened to the whole thing together. It was fun.

Finally … In case I don’t get a chance to say it before December 25, I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!

Now I’ve gotta get to work! Deadlines are looming!

The Value of Being Connected

Right now I would say the value of being connected is priceless. Kevin would tell you otherwise. That’s because he’s currently looking at exactly how much it’s going to cost to get us a new computer since ours died on Wednesday night.

We are presently at Kevin’s office using his work computer. He is being industrious with his research and I’m goofing off.

For the past few days I’ve hardly known what to do with myself. I rely on my computer to work, stay in touch with people, read the daily news, and get pretty much all my information, including driving directions, grocery ads, and recipes for dinner! I’m so utterly dependent on the internet it’s not even funny!

Just so you know – if you sent me an e-mail in the past week, I have not received it and will likely never receive it.

Okay, I’d better go. I hope our new computer gets here like yesterday.

VERY Important Question for You

Can you guys please help me and Kevin settle an ongoing debate? Thank you.

Since Meredith has started to notice that she has feet on the end of her legs, we’ve been helping to cultivate her fascination by reciting “This Little Piggy” to her.

Kevin says that the middle toe piggy had “roast beef.” I say this is WRONG. The middle toe piggy actually had “corn and bread.” That’s how I learned it as a child and that’s how it must be.

World War III is likely to break out if we cannot solve this crisis.

It is so very difficult raising a child when the parents each have different views on important things like religion, politics, or how to accurately recite "This Little Piggy."

Herr President

Apparently, in protest of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s refusal to commute the death sentence of Crips gang founder Tookie Williams, “[l]eaders of Austria’s opposition Green Party even called for Schwarzenegger to be stripped of his Austrian citizenship.” (Here's the full article.)

I don’t often post on our blog, but in light of recent talk about amending our Constitution to allow Schwarzenegger to become the next U.S. president, I find this threat somewhat disturbing. While we can assume the best of Schwarzenegger personally to maintain his loyalties here, the Constitution and its safeguards are meant to assume the worst. I don’t think we should permit foreign nations even the possibility of wielding citizenship as a means of influencing the decisions of our elected officials. They shouldn’t have that kind of influence over any of our elected officers, let alone the president.

--Kevin

In the Toy Shop

Last night was one of those “first experiences.” It was the first time we had the opportunity to go toy shopping for our own child. And it was so much fun! We walked up and down the aisles looking at all the playthings. From time to time, Kevin would pull something down from the shelf and show it to Meredith. We would watch her to gauge her reaction. When she smiled and kicked her legs wildly we figured she liked it. (Aren’t we smart?)

There was one toy in particular, a little plastic cooking utensil set, where she consistently went hysterics every time we showed it to her. [Yes! A girl after my own heart!]

There are several toys from my childhood that I remember in particular: 1) that little cone shaped toy with rainbow-colored stackable rings; 2) that little plastic bench toy with the little “nails” that you can hammer down; and 3) that toy that looks like a vacuum – you walk around with it and the little balls pop up and down.

One thing that was interesting to me is how hi-tech everything is now. The modern versions of all the above toys involve both shinning lights and music. What happened to the beautiful simplicity of toys?

Last night I learned that toys are not timeless. They evolve.

‘Twas 13 Days Before Christmas …

… When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my couch to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash …

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a large fire engine (so who needs reindeer?),

With a truck pulling an old man, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

Yeah, so, I was talking on the phone to Kevin, who had called me on his way home from work, when I noticed that Santa was cruising our neighborhood to give Christmas greetings to the children in Roseville.

After spotting the hullabaloo through the window, I ran outside to join the throng.

Pretty much all the children in our neighborhood were standing outside their homes with huge smiles on their faces.

Santa spotted me and said, “Ho, ho, ho, who’s that on the phone? Tell them that Santa says Meeeeeerrrry Christmas!” And then he let out a big chuckle.

Ummm … Where can I fill out an application to have his job for next year? It’s like getting to be the biggest celebrity ever for a whole night. Everyone loves you and you get to make people happy. What a great job.

Turns out that Kevin, who was almost home when he called, got stuck in “Santa traffic.” But some little elves came by and handed him candy canes to make up for it.