Heat....

It is so hot. I don't know why it gets to me, but it does. And I NEVER wanted to be pregnant in Texas in the summer....but here I am! Starting my 7th month and it's nearly August. UGH.

Daniel doesn't seem to be bothered by the heat. I guess that's because the only time he's outside is when he is playing in one of his kiddie pools. He has so much fun! Although, he's started trying to put his face under the water, and he comes up spluttering. So, he gets to play and splash in cool water in the dead of this heat (late afternoons and in the shade). I'm guaranteeing you I'll be getting in with him next time!

Well, it's official.....

WE'RE HOMEOWNERS!!!


We closed today and that means it's all over.....YAY!! Well, almost all over.

Actually, it's just begun.....now we have to PACK. YUCK!!

Taking volunteers for the move -- we have to be out of here August 15 and won't move into our home until August 30.

Kidding about the volunteers....but we are excited! Thanks for the good thoughts!

At some point in time tomorrow.....

We will become homeowners!!

Exciting? You bet

Scary? Absolutely

Thrilling? Most definitely

Are we ready? Nope

Now the reality has set in that I have to clean, pack, and throw away a lot of junk we've accumulated in the past two years....anyone wanna help? ;)

But, on the plus side I get to start decorating Zoe's room!!! AND I get to start making a HOME instead of a HOUSE.

I cannot wait.....and I can't wait to go baby shopping!! She already has some clothes *sheepish look* because I couldn't wait.....and her bedding set is already here, too. Now we just need a crib, a glider for her room *Daniel still loves to be rocked at night* and a few infant basics, I guess.

But I have to hold off on major all out spending....we ARE raising our monthly house payment significantly :)

I cannot wait!! Expect photos of the closing....

We chose a name....

Our little girl, who is due October 31, will be



ZOE ELIZABETH



Zoe = Greek; "Life"
Elizabeth = English, Hebrew; "Consecrated to God"

We are so excited to meet her!!!

Daniel....

He knows almost 20 animal sounds!

cow
horse
duck
chicken
piggy
dog
cat
lion
elephant
whale

to name a few :)

AND he knows the color "yellow" and can recognize it!

When he wants something he says "mamamamamamamama" and points (or bangs on the closed door) to what he wants.

He cracks me up!

Here's a cute photo of him

The LORD reigns...He is a Mighty God....

That song has been in my head all night. Not sure why.

I've been conversing on christianforums.com with a 15 year old girl who selected ME out of the hundreds of thousands of people on that website. She picked me out and has been asking me questions. She is a disgruntled Catholic. She lives in a home with two very staunch Catholic parents...and she has been on a search for Religion. She has issues with the Catholic Church. Issues I can't even begin to understand....but I'm trying my best to be open, honest, and show her there IS another "side" to Christianity.

Which brings me to : Christianity is NOT a one-size-fits-all Religion. At least, not for me. God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and supreme. That much is true. But I do not believe He is inflexible. I do not believe He is some being that sits upon a crystal throne and never involves Himself with His creations. I believe He is a LIVING GOD, a PRESENT GOD, a God who loves us, despite our shortcomings. I believe He is a God who wants us to recognize Him in the "little things." Sunsets. Thunderstorms. Babies. Puppies.

I do not believe in the theory of Original Sin, as I understand it. I do not believe that someone must be sprinkled with water at birth to prevent them going to Hell if they should die as an infant. To me, the idea is absurd. To a large portion of Christians, this idea is one of the foundations of their beliefs. It confuses me.

I will continue to be in prayer for my little friend. I pray that God will guide my heart, my hands, and my mind when I "speak" with her. Please pray for me, that I will help Jesus foster this little lost sheep back into His fold.

Chef Michael

Michael has a newfound hobby....cooking. I bought him a grill, the necessary accoutrements, a Bobby Flay grilling book, and this silly apron for his birthday.

Here he is making a tasty cheesy casserole. Photos to come later of him grilling.

Can you say "BAM?"

An evaporation of innocence??

A disturbing article was written in the Fort Worth Star Telegram today. It actually made me afraid for the future of our children. It also made me want to cry, home school my children, and sequester my son away until he is 40. What was this article? It was on the subject of "Are girls the new sexual aggressors?" They interviewed girls from the age of 14 to the age of 16 and they were talking about how sexually intense girls have become.

12 year olds are "coming on" to other 12 year olds. Girls are making guys their conquests. Girls are treating sex as a bargaining tool, they treat it as a way to become popular. They whisper promises of sexual favors into the ears of pre-pubescent boys. They wear ridiculously short skirts with little or no underwear under them, and they do this at SCHOOL!

I told Michael tonight that all kids should be required to wear uniforms to school, the skirts must be ankle length, and they can't show any skin at all. Expect arms and face. And it scares me to think that we're having a little girl. I just pray that the trend reverses itself. Plus, it doesn't really seem to matter how involved the girl's parents are, these girls do what they want, wear what they want, and behave however they want. It makes me sick. Parents are trying to be their teens' "friends" rather than their mentors and parents. They allow their children to wear clothes with suggestive sayings on them, they BUY their children $200 pairs of jeans with holes placed strategically near private areas, and exposing their bottoms.

I am afraid. I am afraid for the future of my children. No matter what we teach them at home, what will they learn at School? What will they see at their friends' houses? What will they hear from their friends? What will they see on TV, even if we don't let them watch the "bad" shows?

And while we're on the subject, I learned that the "cause bracelets" (that's what I call the "Livestrong" bracelets and all the others like them) have taken on a separate meaning altogether for some High School kids....the different colors have taken on different "sexual favors" that the person will perform willingly. This is, perhaps, as disturbing as the suggestive dress that the girls wear.

When I was in High School, I didn't even know what half of what today's 6th graders know (about the "world"). I didn't learn much about "adult" topics until I was one....actually, until I was well into College. And I wasn't sheltered. Or so I thought. I went to a Private school, but I had friends who went to Public School. I graduated 9 years ago. Have things really changed that much in so little time?

Why do girls have so little self value today? Why is their worth wrapped up in what other people can do to them? Why is sex treated as a commodity among our young people? Why isn't sex sacred anymore? Why do Middle and High School students think so little of themselves that they are willing to possibly contract God only knows what kinds of diseases?

Where did it all come from? How can we stop the madness? Is there any hope for the baby inside of me? Is there any hope that my precious son will never come home saying "Mom, some girl said she wanted to ...." I pray continually that this will never happen. But if it does happen, I pray that we will have such an awesome, open, honest relationship with our children that they will tell us. That they will know we will not judge them, but give them true and good advice.

Now, more than ever, it is important that parents take an active role in their childrens' lives. Christian parents, as well as non-Christian parents must stand together and realize that only we have the power to reverse this trend.

Dancing Machine....

He loves to dance....who would have thought? And he has natural rhythm. But do you notice how he has his fingers crossed? That is his new "thing."

But he IS talking a LOT and can repeat words! He knows a lot of animal sounds, too. Next we're going to start working on the alphabet!

Oh sweet begonias.....I pity myself today

There has long been a child rearing "device" that I have seen and thought "oh dear...that poor kid" and I've felt pity for the parent with that child.

But today....at the Zoo.....I realized that I just might become one of those parents I pity. Because I actually thought : I NEED ONE OF THOSE!! Do you know what it is?


A baby leash. A "tot along." A harness for your toddler. Daniel wanted to get out of his stroller and play in the misters at the Gorilla exhibit. So, being the loving, doting mother that I am : I let him. He's fast! He wouldn't hold my hand, and I didn't want to hurt him by yanking on his arm, so I let him go and followed him closely all the while pulling that stupid, heavy stroller along with me....all 6 months pregnant, sweaty in the 90+ degree heat....and, God help me, I thought "Wow, I could really use one of those leashes for kids." Of course, I immediately retracted the thought. But alas, it lingers on still.

So, ask yourself : will I be toting a tot along at the next zoo outing? Most likely, no....but if I happen to be at Babies R Us and they're on sale....it may be something I purchase. Along with a shirt that reads "My child is ONLY wearing this harness because he refuses to hold my hand...and he's only 17 months old, so please don't think he's a discipline problem and please don't pity me." Or something to that effect.

Expect photos if that ever does happen :)

Totally G Rated Bathtub Photo.....what a CUTIE!!

Daniel loves his bath....here is proof (in B & W, nonetheless....mom's experimenting with the photo programs!)

I'm so glad he loves the water!!

Looks like it's ours....

Well, we signed the contract on the house this weekend....we have 14 days to get it inspected, and (as if we would) change our minds for any reason....I am a little stunned. After all the time we've spent looking, now that we've found "the" house it seems so, I dunno, sudden? But what a great house it is! Wood and ceramic tile floors (NO CARPET YAY!!) which is great for Daniel's allergies. Granite countertops in the kitchen (woo hoo gourmet kitchen!). FOUR bedrooms (small rooms, but who cares he he!). And a GINORMOUS BATH TUB in the master bath!! I can't WAIT to bathe in there....you might never get me out of there...nightly baths here I come!!

And the best part : we'll have Michael's students to help move us and paint the rooms we're going to paint! Whoopee! And it means I can FINALLY start on baby girl's room....

We're thinking baseball room (denim, red, ranger blue, ranger accents, decopauged bookshelves...) for Daniel. I'm so excited! And the 4th bedroom will be the guest/play room....yippee!

Well, going to bed for now.

Here's what I'm thinking....

Yum. A cherry cola one. The biggest one I can find. Right now. Now.

What is your favorite Book of the Bible?

Mine is most likely Matthew. I prefer his presentation of Christ to the other three. Matthew is followed closely by John....I like John, because he seems down to earth, and he presents a slightly different view of Jesus than the other three do. I know I'm in the minority of Christians, but I do not care for the letters from Paul. I know it's where much of the Church doctrine comes from, but I just prefer reading the Gospels to reading laws. Not that reading laws doesn't have its place....Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Paul hater by any stretch of the imagination....I love the message of his letters, but I can get easily confused when I read the different letters....the places run together in my mind. Although my favorite verse in the world comes from Ephesians....hmmm.

What about you, what's your favorite Book of the Bible?

"The Cause of Freedom is the Cause of God...."

Or so says a Church billboard down here in Crowley. I don't know what to think about it....I disagree with the statement. I think. And here is why : it all depends on whose definition of "Freedom" we are talking about. After all, some would (could?) argue that the Muslim extremists who are behind many of the terrorist attacks are fighting their own "Cause of Freedom." So, is their cause the cause of God? We Americans would argue "No." Then you have the people who feel our war in Iraq is a "Cause of Freedom" that is a "Cause of God." There are those who don't. I think we have to have a definition of "Freedom" and it must be Universal.

IS Freedom what God desires for His people (even those who are "lost")? Undoubtedly. But whose definition of Freedom? America's? George Bush's? Saddam Hussein's? China's? Who is to say what is best for other people? For China, Socialism and Communism have been "working" forever. But do the people lack Freedom? Or is their Freedom just different from that which we are used to? Most Americans would argue the first....there is no such thing as Freedom in China. Are they wrong? Maybe, maybe not.

Freedom is a relative term, but should it be?

Is the statement "The Cause of Freedom is the Cause of God" an excuse to invade countries, pillage villages, and "set people free" on our own terms? Remember, the Crusades were also said to be a "Cause of God." So was the Spanish Inquisition. Were they?

What a pair of cuties!

Daniel loves eating bananas. Witness the following picture, where he is getting ready to help fold and put away laundry!



Isn't he a doll??

Miss Texas....

Do they make up new Regions of Texas just so they have more contestants? I've never heard of half these places!!!! I'll update more later....this is our favorite pageant of the year. Oh my I know Miss Garland....eek.

Our House.....we hope.

We might have found the perfect house. I just hope it's ours.....it's all about God. You see, we found this house randomly on line....turns out it's represented by Gary Cooper, an elder at our Church....and we see the house....the seller is ALSO a member of our Church. What an amazing, small world we live in. We put in an offer today. Now we sit back and pray....

Here is a picture of the front. Isn't it adorable????

If man has dominion over all things....

Which it states in Genesis that he does.....so, if that is true I have a question.

Why must creatures get into our house, outsmart us by evading our "humane" traps (which we buy first), not eating our special poisons (which we buy second), and totally skipping over the in-expensive "tried and true" spring traps (which we buy at the same time as we buy the poison)? Why must we then *last resort* buy the super sticky glue traps which inevitably work...it just seems so sad and strange to me.

All this to say : we had a mouse problem. I stress had, because after a few months we have finally rid our home of the pestilence. Albeit a cute pestilence, but a pestilence nontheless.

This has led me to thinking : why don't they go into the "humane" traps (catch and release) so they don't die in "inhumane" ways? Why am I concerned about "humane" vs "inhumane" when it comes to a filthy, nasty, disgusting rodent? Just because he's grey, tiny, and somewhat resembles Jerry doesn't mean that I should feel sorry for him, does it? I don't really know what to think.

This track *naturally* led me to begin thinking about the Plagues on Egypt. Why didn't God send a plague of mice? Did mice not exist? Why did rats carry the Bubonic Plague (aka "Black Death") during the Dark Agest? How long have rats and mice existed? They look fairly evolved, so what did they evolve from? Don't most things get bigger as they evolve? I would think that whatever mice evolved from were really tiny. Or did they just appear one day, looking all mousey and whatnot?

If this line of thinking seems a little *off* to you, then you don't know me very well! Just as Michael, I'm always wandering off on little sidetrips, wherever my mind wants to take me....it's a scary place, but I already told you that!

Patriotic bebe

Have I ever looked this pleased with myself?  I seriously doubt it. 

My child is so smart!

I know every parent thinks that, and every parent is right!! But I really have to say, Daniel is extra special smart! Here is just a small example : he can see a photograph of a cow and he'll say "mooooo." He can pick up his piggy bank (or point at it across the room) and start snorting. We were at the Mortgage guy's office yesterday....there was a plastic cow. Daniel says "MOOOOO." The cows on the California Cow commercial, Chick fil A commercials.....he sees them and says "mooooo!"

But it doesn't stop there, oh no! He tries to put his shoes on his feet, saying "shoe." He says "no" when he really means "no!" He can tell you what a cow, a doggy, a kitty, a monkey, a piggy, and an elephant say (although the elephant sound we're still working on....he usually just laughs when I ask him what an elephant says). He knows where his nose, his ears, his eyes, his belly button, his toes, and his chin are located.

He can say "nana" for banana, "bye bye," "night night," "kitty," he thinks all dogs are "Ti" (since that is our big dog's name). He knows what "bath" means, he knows what "eat" means.

He loves to have his teeth brushed, and he even tries to help!

And the biggest of all : he knows what an "ICEE" is!! He can't say it yet, but he sure does get excited when we mention them! Or sno cones, he LOVES sno cones!! He can eat a whole kid sized one!!

Updates Galore

Well, we are definitely having a GIRL!! I saw her privates ;) tee hee! I am beside myself with Joy.....now if only we could think of a name for her!!

Jesse died Saturday. Kay is really sad, and I know it's going to be hard on her for awhile. But that poor dog, she had so many health problems! I'm just thankful she isn't suffering anymore.

We sent the kitties to live with Grammy.....should be interesting.

Daniel experienced his first fireworks on the 4th....HE LOVED THEM!! As soon as I get pics developed I'll post them. Didn't take the digital, but we took a disposable. I can't wait to see them.

We're still trying to find a house. It's more pressing than ever before because our landlord is a major pain. I can't wait to get away from here and him!

We still have a mouse. We've put down traps, poison, and tonight we're putting down glue traps. I just don't know if I'll be able to handle seeing the mouse stuck to it, but I think I shall try....I just want it GONE.

Sno cones....still my favorite, though they're doing heavy battle with Olive Garden salad....or better yet : have Olive Garden then head to get a sno cone. YEAH BABY!

The whole Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes thing weirds me out. Anyone else? I find them to be an odd match, and his "Religious" beliefs bother me. Not because of what his Religion is, per se, but because of the way he goes about "promoting" it. Seems weird to me. My friend Erin was a Christian Scientist, and I've never understood it. Never. I even read the book, but it all sounds like poppycock to me.

I have bronchitis. It stinks, because I cough and sound like a seal trying to hack up last week's lunch. Annoying, yes. Harmful, no.

I am going to have some corn chips and go to bed.