And that's my limit.

I just saw on my internet weather thingy that the high for tomorrow is supposed to be 8 degrees. That's the high, not the low. The low is a nice -1. And this darn snow won't stop!

So I think I'll buy a plane ticket to somewhere warm. I only have enough money for a one way ticket, and won't have any money when I get there, or a place to stay or anything like that, but I'll be warm and toasty. And that's really all I want right now.

Anyone wanna come?

Snow

I really don't like snow. If I never saw snow again, I wouldn't feel bad about it. But, in an effort to make the kids not hate snow like I do, I took them out to play in it. If we're going to continue living in the land of snow and ice, it's probably better that we try to figure out how to like it. Unless God decides to answer my prayers and makes it summer here all the time.

We think this video is hilarious. It could be that we're extremely easily entertained, or it could be that Ethan made us watch it 20 times, and after that many times you start to notice funny things. Like Kaitlyn's face when she says, "it's tiny". And Ethan with his snowball. He's about to throw it when Kaitlyn throws her snowball at him. It takes him a couple seconds to realize it, and then he gets distracted from throwing his snowball when he goes to smash the rest of hers. And then I'm counting, so he'll throw his snowball, and it's not until I watched the video a couple times that I realized he wasn't listening to me at all. Not even a little bit. And then Kevin in the background, going on about his "tower up to Heaven". Are you laughing already, just picturing it? No? Well, I guess it is just that we're easily entertained.

Kaitlyn . . . always so happy

Kaitlyn was having a hard time making snowballs in the powdery snow, and it made her feel delightful. She was turned away from me, so I was calling her name over and over, so I could take a picture when she finally looked. This is what I got:

And then I said, next time you need to turn with a cuter expression on your face, and then you won't look so ornery. So I got this:

And then she was still trying to be grumpy, but it wasn't fooling anyone, and she couldn't keep it up. And finally she started to laugh . . .

And then I got hungry.

Ethan's Snowball

We went outside to play in the snow today. We were going to make a snowman, but the snow was too powdery, so we had to settle for a snowball fight. Making snowballs wasn't easy either, but once I gave Ethan a big one, he kept it for the whole time we were outside.

Here he is with his snowball in one hand. I gave him another snowball to hold, and he dropped it. The gloves he was wearing were too big, so he had a hard time.

This was how he looked when he was about to throw his snowball.

And here he is with the snowball.

And here's a video. I sure wish I looked this cute all the time. Maybe if I had chubbier, rosier cheeks . . .

Christmas Concert & Other Stuff

We went to the SMCC Christmas concert earlier today. It was fabulous, but that's not surprising since we have so many talented musicians. The kids loved it, and we loved having Scott and Robin come with us. They kept Ethan happy giving him lots of Hershey's Kisses. He liked the music anyway, so we didn't have any problems.

After that we went to eat at Noodles & Company, and it was delicious. We'd never been there before, and it's always fun to try new places. They had chopsticks and chopstick helpers there, which the kids brought home with them, and played with for the rest of the afternoon. How easy it is to entertain them.

Scott helped Troy put the rest of the doors up in the basement while Robin and I visited and the kids ran amuck. It's so nice to have such helpful family members, who are always willing to help.

Then this evening we went to a birthday party for Jessica, our niece, and had some good ice cream cake. Trudy's house is all decked out for Christmas, and it made us realize how scroogey we are, since we never put lights up outside or anything. It looked so pretty, but it wasn't enough to make us want to do all the work on our house. We'll just enjoy the beauty of other people's houses. :)

I also wanted to add that if you haven't checked out the link for Josh Rosenthal that I put in a couple posts down, take a minute to do so. If you go to his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/joshrosenthal you can hear one of his Christmas songs and it's so, so beautiful. I just love Christmas music that focuses so much on Jesus and why He came.

Night Out

Last night we went out with a few from our small group, and met with another small group. We went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe, which was delicious. And then we went to see Messiah: A Community Celebration. It was really neat! And one of the conductors was pretty awesome. He was a show by himself, basically.

We were up in the nosebleed section, and although we could see just fine, there was very little legroom. It was a great concert for what we paid, though, so I really can't complain.

MOPS

We had our last MOPS party for the year. I wish I could say that I'm done, and can relax until Christmas, but I still have next week when the other MOPS group meets. So I've gotta get the curriculum for the kids ready, and as always, help set up and clean up. At our meeting today we had Josh Rosenthal sing to us while we had brunch. I love his voice, and he has a new Christmas CD just out. I wish I would have had money to buy one while we were there.

Then we had a white elephant gift exchange. I ended up with a . . . um, thing that I don't know how to describe. It has one of those cheeseball cutter things hooked to it, which is nice because I need one. And then it's a wine bottle looking thing that you could hang for decoration.

After that I came home, and when Ethan fell asleep for his nap I layed down to read by the fireplace. I'm always cold, that's why. Then I fell asleep, and I think the phone rang, but I can't be sure. So if you called me, could you please call back again? Unless you're selling something, and if that's the case don't worry about it.

Busy

We've been pretty busy lately. On Saturday we went with Troy's family to the festival of trees. It was okay for the first couple of rows of trees. But after that they all look the same, and I don't think we even looked at half of them. It was nice to get out though, I guess.

On Sunday Troy's family had a Christmas party, and we had a yummy dinner. And then we got home just in time to see the last 15 minutes of Amazing Race, and I was disappointed it wasn't a two hour finale like it's always been.

Troy called in sick to work today because his back has been hurting, so it was nice to have him around, but it would be nicer if he could be around more and feeling well.

Besides that it seems like there are Christmas parties left and right that we (or I) am supposed to go to, concerts, and all other kinds of fun stuff. I think I'm not doing a good enough job being mean to people so they won't want me around. I am setting a goal to work harder on that--maybe that would make a good New Years resolution.

Tired Now

I thought once our basement was finished, we'd just move a few pieces of furniture in, and we'd be all set. I didn't realize how much work was still ahead of us. A lot of it is probably work that we don't necessarily have to do, but we might as well. Kaitlyn's room is really coming along, and is looking so cute.

Here is the dresser that I painted today. It used to be a light brown, but that just didn't go in her room. So we painted it black, and got some new silver knobs. We also bought the pink lamp at Ross, and found an old lampshade that we weren't using. Kaitlyn made the little hanging thing that's in the middle when she was visiting my mom one time. It goes perfect in her room.

I was going to buy Kaitlyn a nightstand, and we went to IKEA to look for one. We couldn't find anything that was just right, so we got this way cute bookcase instead (we'll figure something else out for the nightstand).


And, as a bonus today, I'm linking to a beautiful post that I just read: Finding Christmas. If you get a chance, go read it. It's a good thing to think about at the start of the Christmas season.

Spray Painting

Spray painting seems like fun when you first start. But after doing two dressers, it gets to be not as fun anymore. And I have black boogers. Now I'm tired, but I still have lots of things I need to do tonight. Who's coming over to help me?

Day 1 of Advent

We were supposed to start Advent yesterday, but just didn't get around to it, so we started today instead. The kids made an advent wreath out of construction paper. This was easier for us than going around trying to find a real advent wreath. We "lit" the first candle today, which again, was supposed to be yesterday. At least now we're all caught up. The kids also made paper chains with an activity, Christmas song, or scripture on that we'll do each day.

Our scripture for the day is:

Isaiah 7:14 (King James Version)

14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The boys got into the hats and gloves and stuff the other day, and Ethan just looked so cute that I had to take a picture. He looks like a little elf.

Life is good.

Do you ever have those days where you just feel really happy? When you just know that life is good? God is in control, and everything is exactly as it should be. Too often I focus on the negative things. Troy works too much, the kids are rowdy, I can never get the house clean . . .

One of my favorite blogs is Holy Experience I just love how she is focused on gratitude. I want to focus more on that. I have so much to be thankful for. Troy does work a lot, but in this time where so many are out of work, what a blessing it is for him to have a steady job. What a blessing it is for us to have a beautiful house, and three children who are healthy and happy.

And I am so thankful for church friends. I go to a small group every Thursday night, and I just love it. It's one of the highlights of my week. They are such wonderful people, and I thank God that I am able to be part of it. There's nothing better than meeting with other believers and talking and praying together.

I'm so happy to have wonderful parents and siblings. I got to visit Mindy for a couple of days, and we had so much fun together. I love having a sister who is one of my best friends, and I feel very blessed by it. It's nice that we only live 3 hours apart from each other, instead of the 13 it used to be.

Here's the one and only picture I took while we were there. I think it's such a cute picture, that this one is enough. ;)

Basement Finishing

We are getting close to having our basement finished. I think it'll only be a couple more years, and we'll be all set.

Actually, we're getting carpet in on the 2nd of December, so I think we pretty much are planning to have everything else done by then. I'm so excited. This has been such a huge project, and I really want to be done with it. I think it's looking great, though, so it's been worth the extra time.

We got our bar countertop in today. I think it looks so pretty. Troy was nice enough to repaint the center thing brown for me, since I am wishy washy, and like to change my mind. He's a good husband.

In this picture you can see our countertop, and one of the columns. On the other side of this is a bench (the bench is in between the columns).

This is Kaitlyn's room. I think it's all finished except for carpet. It turned out really cute, and I just wish we had enough extra money to buy her some cute new furniture to put in it. I painted the stripes on the walls myself. If you know me, and know how uncrafty, and ungood at stuff I am, you would know that's a pretty major feat for me.

When it's all done, we expect people to come visit us to enjoy our fun basement with us. So keep that in mind! :)

Pictures guaranteed not to interest you

The other day my friend Christy came over with her daughter Sunny. She brought stuff to make and decorate cookies. Ethan wasn't really interested in the cookies.

This was more his thing:

I always like sleeping pictures. That's when my kids are at their cutest.

Here's the obligatory Halloween picture that I haven't gotten around to putting up. These are not all my children. Thank goodness. Not because I don't like them, but because three is plenty. And, as Troy likes to tell me when I bring up adoption, I can't even handle the ones I have. Thank you, Troy. Your confidence is inspiring.

Can I Bottle This?

I wish I knew the magic secret that would bring this about whenever I want.

Putting in a movie is one of the key ingredients, but it doesn't work every time. Usually they watch the movie for about 10 minutes, and then are off wrestling, throwing toys around, and being loud again. There must be something else to it.

If I could just figure out the other ingredients, I'd be all set. I could bottle it, sell it to moms everywhere, and I'd be a billionaire.

Typing

I took some time out of all the very important things that I have to do (in other words, sit around, sit around some more, and then sit around further) and took a typing test to see how fast I could type, the first time with both hands, as you do, and then the next time with just one hand. Here were my results:

Both hands: 106 WPM
Right Hand: 30 WPM
Left Hand: 26 WPM

I wasn't surprised that I could type a little faster with my right hand than with my left, since when I usually have to type one handed, it's with my right.

How about you? http://www.typingtest.com/

Thank you, Dr. Ron Paul

A message from Ron Paul:

Dear Friends,
Our journey together has been truly historic. As the final votes are tabulated and the curtain closes on this election, we must take time to reflect on our successes even as we turn our attention to the task before us.
Our campaign has stirred the sleeping giant by showing millions that freedom, peace, and prosperity are achievable. We know that these things can come about only through sound money, limited government and a respect for the inherent rights of every individual. We have awakened the political class to the popularity and viability of Liberty. And, most of all, we have awoken within ourselves a spirit of freedom and independence that cannot be suppressed by any ruler, army, or philosophy of subservience and fear.
Yet we must not reflect long. We must press our efforts and lay the groundwork for the future of our movement and our country. The 2010 election cycle is just around the corner. We must redouble our efforts to educate our fellow citizens, recruit and support liberty candidates, and marshal our resources for the battle ahead.
Ours is the most solemn charge of all: to defend Liberty in this bleak hour lest the very notion that man might best govern himself be scoured from this land and from the conscience of mankind.
In our campaign for liberty, we’re just getting started. Let the Revolution begin.

Campaign for Liberty

Voted!

I went and voted. I only had to wait a few minutes in line, which was nice. I was expecting longer. I cast my vote for Ralph Nader, which I know doesn't make any difference in the outcome of things. It just makes a difference to me. I only wish there would have been a true Libertarian candidate on the ballot, because there wasn't. I also wish a write-in for Ron Paul would not have been literally thrown away, because I would have done that.

Oh well, I feel good about my vote, and I don't have to feel like I voted for the lesser of two evils, either.

5for50--Will you join me?

Last night, as I finished Red Letters by Tom Davis, with a lump in my throat and tears filling my eyes, I made a commitment. I can no longer look the other way, and pretend that there are not millions of people around the world crying out for help. I can no longer sit in my comfortable house, with everything I need, and say there is nothing I can do to help.

Am I really a Christ-follower? Am I doing what He did? Click here to read Matthew 25:31-46 (go ahead, I'll wait). Jesus really says it all in those verses, doesn't he? I want to make sure I'm a sheep, and not a goat!

To dig deeper into this issue, I really encourage you, my blog readers, to pick up Red Letters. This book really set my heart on fire. I have always wanted to help others, from the time I was a young teen and wanted to be a social worker, to my high school years when I sponsored a child. But most of the time, I suffer from apathy. I try not to think about the ridiculous gap between those who have, and those who have not. It's easier that way. But easy is not what God asks of me. He never said, "make sure you relax, and just do what's best for you".

So we come to 5for50. The plan is simple, but it can change lives (yours included). Here's what you do:

1. Give 5 minutes a day to pray for those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
2. Give 5 hours a week to fast for those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
3. Give 5 dollars a month to the Five for 50 Fund and support worthy causes.
4. Give 5 days a year to travel overseas and help alleviate poverty and suffering.
5. Give 5 people an opportunity to join you on your journey.

All you have to do is start with number 1. That's not hard at all, and once you've got that down, move on. My family and I are already doing number 3. We sponsor a beautiful little girl through World Vision. She lives in an area in Kenya, where HIV/AIDS is prevalent. We have been so blessed to be able to help her, but I know we can do more.

Will you join me with this 5for50? I often wonder why God allows suffering. Why does he let precious, innocent children that He loves be born into lives of hunger, pain, and sadness? I believe it's so that those of us who belong to Him can love. So that we can learn compassion. So that we can be Jesus to them, and they can be Jesus to us. All you have to do is start with 5 minutes of prayer a day. Imagine if it was your child, or someone you love who was orphaned, widowed, or suffering from HIV/AIDS. And then remember Jesus told us to love everyone, and realize it IS someone you love.

8 . . .

I was tagged by Mindy, and although I usually don't do tags, I figured I'd do this one, because I'm holding a sleeping baby, and don't want to get up.

8 things I am passionate about:

1. Jesus

2. Troy and my kids

3. Truth

4. Extending Grace to others

5. The Holy Bible

6. World Vision

7. Voice of the Martyrs

8. Reading

8 words/phrases I use often:

1. No.

2. The answer hasn't changed. It's still no.

3. Is that how Jesus would want you to act?

4. Didn't I feed you yesterday?

5. Put that/those down/back.

6. I'm gonna beat you. (This is always an empty threat, which renders it ineffective)

7. You've got to be kidding me.

8. I love you.

8 things I want to do before I die:

1. Go on lots of missions trips.

2. See every cathedral in the world

3. Get completely caught up with laundry.

4. Find a bra that is comfortable.

5. Read all the books I own.

6. Be a tool God uses to bring others to a saving relationship with Him.

7. Spend a lot of time with Troy--just the two of us.

8. Make a difference, somehow.

8 things I've learned in the past:

1. Sometimes God makes us feel alone so that we'll turn to Him.

2. God loves me more than I can imagine.

3. Divorce is not an option--it really is for better or worse. And every marriage will have some worse.

4. Without God, everything falls apart.

5. I can't help everyone in the world, but I can help ONE person.

6. Sometimes love is a decision, not a feeling.

7. Be content where I am with what I have.

8. I'm a sinner, saved by grace.

8 things I currently want or need:

1. My basement finished.

2. A pool table for the basement.

3. A big screen TV for the basement.

4. A new couch for the basement.

5. Some of those pub tables for the basement.

6. Some bar stools for the basement.

7. Some movie posters to go on the walls in the basement.

8. Money to buy all that stuff. For the basement.

8 places I want to see or visit:

1. Jerusalem

2. Rome

3. Paris

4. Bath (England, not my bathtub)

5. Edinburgh, Scotland

6. Durham, England

7. Moscow, Russia

8. Egypt

8 favorite restaurants:

1. Any

2. Where

3. I

4. Don't

5. Have

6. To

7. Cook

8. !

8 tv shows I like to watch:

1. Friends

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

3. Angel

4. Stargate Atlantis

5. Amazing Race

6. Survivor

7. How I Met Your Mother

8. Heroes (sometimes)

Being Pro-Life

I was just thinking today, about what it means to me to be pro-life. I think sometimes people who call themselves pro-life care about protecting unborn children, but then the caring stops when those children are born. For me, it means so much more. I care about all of the innocent people in Iraq who are dying for a war that should never have started in the first place. I also care about the soldiers who are dying.

And those same soldiers who, when they come home, are not being given the care and help they need after their service to our country. Did you know that 1/4th of the homeless people in America are veterans? Does anybody care? I care, and it breaks my heart.

Jesus said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, NIV). This has been heavy on my heart lately, and I've wondered what I've been doing for the "least of these". What have I done when I've passed a homeless person on the street? What have I been doing for anybody?

If someone were to ask me if I'm pro-life, I would answer yes, right away. But am I? Have I been showing that I care for the lives of everyone, and not just the unborn? And in lieu of the upcoming Presidential election, as I look at the candidates, I must look at which of them are truly pro-life. Which of them really cares about the lives of all people? All of the people--not just Americans, unborn babies, the rich, the hard workers. Wouldn't it be awesome if, instead of negative campaign ads, traveling all over the place to give speeches, etc., a candidate made a small website that had this simple message:

"Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a campaign that will only be a benefit to myself, I am using all of my campaign money to help out AIDS afflicted Africa (or insert other charitable act here). That's the kind of person I am, and that's the kind of President I would be."

I would vote for that candidate in a heartbeat. And even with a small website, you can bet they'd still get the word out. Don't you think that would make the news? Wouldn't that definitely be in the spotlight? Are we wanting a President who is hungry for power, or one who is caring and compassionate, even to a fault?

The election is right on top of us. Is the candidate you plan to vote for pro-life at all levels? I don't know if any of the choices are, but we as American citizens need to make our voices heard that we care about the sanctity of life, not just of the unborn, but every single life.

Jesus didn't minister to the upper class, those who were hard workers, or those who helped themselves. He ministered to the sick, the poor, the needy, the sinners.

But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
"But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12-13, NASB)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)

Reconstructing Natalie

This morning I finished Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker. It was a wonderful book. I laughed and cried throughout the whole thing. The book is about Natalie, a twenty-seven year old who finds that she has breast cancer. Even though I found the ending quite predictable, I enjoyed getting there.

This is the second book I've read by Laura Jensen Walker, and I've loved both. I think I'll be reading everything I can find by this author.

So this is another book I can cross off my Fall Into Reading list. I need to get reading faster if I'm going to finish the list, though.

A New Nephew

Jason and Dallas had their baby today. His name is Donovan, and he's absolutely adorable! I can't wait until I can go visit when I don't have my two little monsters boys. He is so precious, and I'm so excited for Jason and Dallas. Congratulations, guys!

Fireproof

I wanted to talk about a movie I've recently seen that I thought was very meaningful. It's called Fireproof. I would encourage every married couple to see this movie. The acting was a little cheesy (a lot of the actors aren't really actors), but the message was awesome. Here's the trailer:



I don't know how many theaters it's playing in anymore, but if you get a chance, please go see it. We need to support these kind of movies so that more will be made! If you are sick of the junk that is constantly in theaters, support something that's good and meaningful. Let the theaters in Utah (and wherever else you live) know that this is the kind of movie people want to see.

Utah didn't even have this movie in their theaters at all the first week of it's release. It wasn't until it did so well in other places that they got it here. Were they right in not putting it in the theaters here right away? When we went to see it, there were maybe 10 people tops in the theater. So once again, if you can, go see it, and tell your friends!

Why I vote third party

There are so many people who think a vote for a third party candidate is a wasted vote. I think nothing could be further from the truth. My vote is not based on "well, golly, I don't really like this candidate, but at least he's better than the other guy". I vote for the candidate that I believe would do the best job. And that is neither the Democratic or the Republican candidate.

I don't want to vote for the lesser of two evils, because then I'm still voting for evil. So many people are unhappy with the way the system is currently run, but very few people are willing to do anything about it. Most people count a third party vote as a throwaway vote, and just go with one of the two main candidates because they think that's the only kind of vote that makes a difference. But what if everyone who was sick of the system voted third party?

Two thousand years ago, a Roman senator suggested that all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them.
"No," said a wiser senator, "If they see how many of them there are, they may revolt."
slaveuprising.com

Our country is not doing well right now. That much is obvious. I think Obama is right in that we do need change. But he's wrong about him being the one to bring change about. Watch Ron Paul's message to Obama.
How about these kinds of changes:
"The United States is properly a free and sovereign republic which should strive to live in peace with all nations, without interfering in their internal affairs, and without permitting their interference in ours. If I were President, I would begin the process of safely extracting our troops from Iraq. In the first place, our troops are no longer fighting a war, they are an occupation force, which occupies a sovereign country. And this is being done without a Declaration of War. The Iraqi people resent our occupation as much as we would resent another nation stronger than ours invading and occupying America." (Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party)

"We want the power to determine our destiny. We want an electoral system that allows true representation and that ensures that all votes are counted. We want an economic system that provides opportunity, security, and dignity for all. We want an end to all spying on U.S. citizens. We want respect for human rights as the bedrock consideration in all the political deliberations of this country.
We believe that we will not be free until we are able to determine our destiny. We believe that free and fair elections are not possible in the current climate in which electronic voting machines, special interest money, corporate control of the two-party system predominate." (Green Party Draft Manifesto)

"Parents have a duty to raise and educate their children, but without choice for alternatives to government schooling, the ability of parents to fulfill that role is severely limited. Education involves not just practical learning, but the transmission of moral values, making it even more important to return authority to parents for deciding their children’s schooling without interference from government." (Bob Barr, Libertarian Candidate)

To keep this post from getting too long (I know I always lose interest when blog posts get too long), I'm going to leave you with links to a couple of youtube videos that you might find interesting:
Adam Kokesh breaks it down (yes, the music is a bit annoying)
Ron Paul smear campaign (this makes me angry--and yes, I know that Ron Paul was not a third party candidate, but he is a Libertarian (as am I)).

And a couple quotes that I hope you'll think about:

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -- John Quincy Adams

" . . . whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." Declaration of Independence

So again, am I throwing my vote away? I think not. I'm making the only vote I can make with good conscience. Imagine how different things would be if the rest of the country did the same.

Mozart's Sister

I picked this up to read a few days ago, and I'm trying and trying to read it, but I just don't like it. It's on my Fall into Reading book list, and that makes me not want to give up on it. And look at that beautiful cover--that means it should be good. :) The gist of the story, so far, is that both of the children play the piano very well. They travel all over and play for people. And then they travel some more. And travel a bit more. And a bit more. Some of the time one of them gets sick, and we hear about that for a bit, then they get better. But Wolfie (who is the famous Mozart), since he is younger, gets all the attention. The girl wants attention too, because she is just as good. And she especially wants her father to be proud of her. After over a hundred pages, that's pretty much it. You might think that there is plenty of plot there, but seriously, what I've just said is pretty much it, with a few more details thrown in.

I want to like this book, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to just move on to something that I'll enjoy more. There are too many books out there to keep reading one I'm not liking. I imagine there are plenty of people that will really like this one, so I'll go ahead and pass it on to someone else.

Mere Christianity

In case anyone was wondering, the book I mentioned in my video blog was Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I finished it a couple of days ago. I think every Christian should read this book. The first half does a really great job as a Christian apologetic book, and the second half does a great job on talking about how a Christian should live, and the work that Jesus Christ does in us.

It's a fairly short book, so even if you don't like to read, pick it up and read it. I would even suggest this book for those who aren't Christian. So, that pretty much covers everyone. People who like to read and those who don't. Christians and those who aren't. Read this book!

I See What You're Saying

Lidna at Second Cup of Coffee is doing a video meme. When she first wrote about it, for some strange reason, I commented on her blog and said I would do it. Even though I look really silly on video, and my voice sounds funny. I decided I better stick by what I said I'd do, but my video is only 1 minute long (which felt like forever). But you'll thank me for it, believe me (and I do mean the 1 minute long, not the fact that I did a video)!

Obviously I hate how it looks, but I could re-do it a hundred times, and still feel the same. So we're just going to stick with this first take. My face could not look any stupider here in this opening picture, so please click play as fast as you can. Thank you.

Fall Into Reading

I would really like to focus more on my reading this fall, so when I saw this Fall Into Reading challenge at Callapidder Days I decided to go ahead and do it. I'd really like to get some of my non-fiction books read, as well as a bunch of other books I've got on my shelf. Maybe if I have some inspiration, I'll start reading more again. I used to read about 10-15 books a month, and now I'm reading only about 5.

So here's my list of books I'd like to read this Fall:

NONFICTION:

1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
2. What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey
3. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
4. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
5. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
6. Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You Are Going by Joyce Meyer
7. Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado
8. Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Chancey & McDonald
9. Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore
10. Red Letters by Tom Davis

FICTION:

1. Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker
2. The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
3. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
4. Dragonfire by Donita K. Paul
5. Dragonlight by Donita K. Paul
6. Daughter of Prophecy by Miles Owens
7. Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser
8. Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead
9. Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
10. The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann
11. Ryann Watters and the King's Sword by Eric Reinhold

I may add more to the list later, depending on what books I have coming to me from paperbackswap.

Two new words

Ethan has been sick for a couple of weeks, and besides a cold and ear infection, he's had really bad sores on his mouth. They are just now healing. During that time, he learned to ask for two things: chapstick and medicine. He says them so funny that I wanted to get it on video. We had a bit of a rough time (with him saying his favorite word quite a bit), and then I finally got it.

On another note, chocolate is goooooooooood!

Silly!

The kids were eating lunch, and Ethan wanted more lunchmeat. So I told him there was no more ham, but he could have chicken. Kevin said, "I like chicken!" And then when I brought the package over to give some to Ethan, he pointed at Kevin and said, "No chick, beebee". (beebee is how he says baby)

Woo hoo

After one week of my getting in shape journey, I lost 2.5 pounds. :D I've worked out every day since last Tuesday, and I'm eating a lot better. I've realized a few things in the past week, though. Getting in shape is not about how thin you are or how little you eat. It's about exercising and getting your body strong. It's also about eating balanced meals, and eating enough food, so your body is healthy.

One of my favorite websites I've found is sparkpeople. They have a meal planner there that I love. We have been eating so good this week, and it doesn't feel like I'm on a diet. That's because I'm really not. It's yummy, fresh, healthy food (and an occasional dessert, even). I also can track my workouts. It's a fun site!

Another website I found just a few days ago is http://exercise.lbl.gov/. If you like to run, walk, or bike you can keep track of your distance in a virtual cross country trip. I do my stationary bike almost every day, and in the two days I've been doing it, I've traveled 22.4 miles. So, virtually, I am in Chickahominy River, VA:

What a beautiful place! I can feel the wind blowing through my hair as I bike past all these lovely trees. I think I started off in Yorktown, VA or something like that. I'm definitely having fun with it!

I may have already gone crazy

Which of these things can make you go crazy? Pick one.

• Not having even 30 seconds of time to yourself in a day.
• Having to hold someone on your lap while you go to the bathroom.
• Having someone cry in your ear constantly because they don't feel good.
• Getting a migraine from the crying.
• Having your husband not get home from work until 11 or so every night.
• All of the above.

Not tomorrow, today!

I can't even tell you how many times I've told myself that I'll start eating better tomorrow. Or that I'll start an exercise program tomorrow. But then tomorrow never comes, because it's always gonna be tomorrow. No more of that! Tomorrow is today! I'm going to start making the changes today. I've got about 20 pounds that I'd like to lose, and I think I can do it, if I quit saying I'll start tomorrow.

Here's my little weight tracker ticker thingy:

Of all the times to forget my camera

We had our 10th anniversary celebration for South Mountain Community Church tonight. Just after we left, I realized I forgot my camera, but we were already running a little bit late, so we didn't go back to get it. I so wish I would have. How many chances do you get to sit six rows back at a Lincoln Brewster concert? Well, not very many for me, anyway. We had a few other things, but the main event there was Lincoln Brewster. And how awesome that they were able to get him to come? So, let's pretend I took these pictures, and am not a total nincompoop who forgets her camera all the time.

And this is what we heard:

Calming. . . Down

Looky here. I am very calm and collected. Not stressed or frazzled one bit. That's because I've decided not to let things worry me. So, I downloaded a couple thousand songs off the internet. Who hasn't? WHO HASN'T? (Sorry, we've watched Transformers a few too many times recently) I don't think I'm getting enough sleep lately. My brain isn't focusing like it should. Like when I went to help set up for MOPS this morning. I walked right on by the cart, and went to the closet to get that same cart out. I also put away a toy tote that was sitting outside a classroom, then went back to that classroom and asked where their tote was.

But like I said, I am calm and not stressed out. I might be losing brain cells by the minute, but I probably had too many to begin with anyway.

This is not exciting

I changed three poopy diapers within five minutes time. That was not one of my goals for the day. I'm glad I'm not the mother of triplets.

When is break time?

It's been awhile since I've written a blog post. I've taken on quite a few things, so I'm not sitting around all day, thinking of things to post in my blog. I kind of liked the sitting around all day thing.

I said yes to being the MOPPETS leader for the MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) group I'm in. The job is basically being in charge of the whole children's program. I've had to decide which kids go in which classrooms, and come up with curriculum. It doesn't sound like much, but after the first day of MOPS I just wanted to hide in a corner somewhere and maybe cry a little bit. It was crazy!

I'm babysitting a cute little boy named Lincoln for three weeks. It's only my second day, but he it hasn't been difficult at all. He's a good kid, and he sleeps a lot. Sleeping a lot is always good. I like to sleep a lot. It's something we have in common, so we get along pretty well.

I'm also watching Allston (my nephew) for Geoff and Felicia for a few afternoons and nights while they do their booth at the fair. Allston and I also have something in common. He gets overwhelmed when there's lots of kids around. I really do too.

Last Sunday at church the music during worship was awesome. I got a little choked up, even. We sang "Surrender", and during one part of the song, you could hear the junior high kids (who come in the service just for the worship portion) really singing out. I just thought it was great that they were so into it. At the end of the service we sang "God of this City", which I really love. Some of the words are great:

Greater things have yet to come

Greater things are still to be done

In this city

Greater things are still to come

And greater things are still to be done here

It just reminded me how much God has done, not only in my life, but everywhere I look. My heart felt so overwhelmed, and I couldn't even sing. I love Sundays like that, where I feel the presence of God so much.

My prayer for today

Ethan eating ice cream

Here's a cute little video of Ethan eating ice cream, and you can actually hear him say "cheese". I'm sure it's a lot cuter to me than anyone else, since he's mine, but I thought I'd share anyway.

Get us in the boat now!!!

The kids and I went to Flaming Gorge this weekend with my fun family. Troy wasn't able to go since he was on a business trip. We really missed him. It was so much fun, and thanks to Mindy for organizing everything. You did wonderful, and I appreciate all your work in making such a good time for all of us!

My favorite parts of the trip were:

• Sitting around the campfire.
• Crying until we laughed. (Mindy's version of laughing till we cried)
• Jason's willingness to sacrifice himself so that I could get in the raft. "Tell Dallas I love her . . ." Ha ha ha!
• Brandon's amazing unplanned backflip from the raft into the water.
• Getting to talk with Dad on the drive home about his favorite childhood memories.

And now for some pictures:

We had a little birthday party for Ethan, since it was his birthday. And since I am always planning ahead, we had gourmet ding dongs and cupcakes.

Here's the happy birthday boy.
Adam serenaded us around the campfire with his guitar. Kevin is sitting on Shannon's lap (you can't see her here, obviously), who we met for the first time. She was very nice, and we were glad she was able to come so we could get to know her. Brandon also played his guitar for a little bit, but I didn't get a picture of that.

Ethan loved playing with the door of Mindy and Brandon's camper. I think that may have been his favorite part of the experience. Although he did like the raft, too.
I didn't get very many pictures, because Jason had his camera, and I figured I could be lazy and just get pictures from him. So if he sends me some really good pictures, I'll post more. Even though I'm sure he'll post some, and most of the people who read my blog read his, too.

Price Family Reunion

We drove out to Middleofnowhere, Utah for a Price family reunion. It was nice to see . . . lots of people I've never seen before in my life, along with Troy's parents and siblings.

They had a bouncing thing there, and Ethan tried going in there, but there were so many crazy bigger kids that it was nearly impossible for the little kids to bounce in it. If I were in charge, things would have run differently there.Escape! Someone signed Troy up to sing karaoke, and I went up there for moral support (otherwise he wouldn't have gone). Unfortunately, it was a song he had never heard, which makes it very hard to sing---I don't care if the words are on the screen, if you don't know the tune, you still can't sing. Here's Trudy and Kaitlyn singing Before He Cheats, which Kaitlyn has a lot of life experience with, therefore she was really able to sing the words and mean it.

I want one!

I just read on George R.R. Martin's blog, here, about a calendar based on his Song of Ice and Fire series. The artwork is amazing! I would put the pictures here, but I'm thinking that might violate some type of copyright thingy. Or not, I'm no expert on the blog universe. Anyway, go to the link, and look at some of the pictures (click on them to make them bigger).

If you're thinking, what can I get Brenda for a Christmas present? Or just, I don't know, a November 13th present, or whenever you felt like giving it to me (and when it's actually on sale, of course), that would be fine too.

Some Pictures

Troy's cousin, Chantel, sent me some pictures today. I have no idea when these were taken, because I can't remember. I have a very bad short and long term memory. I do remember it was cold outside, so that might indicate winter. Or fall. Possibly spring sometime. Maybe Chantel will read this and have pity on me.

*Editing to add: It's not winter, you fool! Look at the t-shirts and shorts and the lack of snow! They're going to cart me away to a place for the mentally ill soon. Help me!

Here's Ethan and Grandpa Price in matching hats. Me and my Kaitlyn.
Kisses for Grandma. Juicy, juicy kisses.
Here's Kevin and Drake playing in a car.