Last night Kevin and I watched a movie that was so good I had to tell you about it. "Emmanuel's Gift" is a documentary about a man born physically disabled (essentially born with only one leg) in Ghana. Hoping to break through the stigma of being disabled in Ghana (it is believed that if you're born with any sort of disability, you are cursed, and most likely will live out your days as a beggar), he plans to ride a bicycle 500 km across the country. The movie is AMAZING, offers a look into life in Ghana, and is truly inspiring. It's rated G, so definitely family friendly.
Isn't it great that our life's worth is not based upon what we can do, how we look, or how we measure up compared to other people? I was reminded watching the film that we are all born with different strengths, struggles, and obstacles. Some are more pronounced or visible than others. Some are more socially acceptable than others. But no matter what our own personal "disability" is, we can make a difference and live a beautiful life.
I was also reminded of the great need to go against the grain of society and advocate on behalf of the disabled, or the outcasts, here and abroad. While people in America don't come right out and say that having a particular disease or missing a limb is a curse, we certainly act that way much of the time.
Honestly, please go rent this movie. We found it at Albertson's in the new release section. We both were so touched by this young man's story, and by the many lives he touched in both Ghana and the United States as the result of his perseverance and courage.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Target on a Monday night
So tonight I went over to Target to buy Anna a swim diaper (planning to head to the pool with Grandma and Grandpa Perruzzi tomorrow). WELL, as I was paying for my stuff two policemen came into the store, one of them wearing a thick looking vest of some sort. Apparently two women were in a brawl!!! That's right, a chick fight in Target on a Monday night.
This is actually the second time something strange has happened while I was in there. Once several months ago, Kevin, Anna and I were shopping and there were employees with walkie talkies trying to bust some guy for shoplifting. They were sneakily trailing him through the store, hiding behind clothing racks, etc. It was hilarious!
Sadly, I have no pictures of the fight to post being that I didn't actually see it--though that would sure be awesome (a perfect opportunity to have used my new camera phone. Bummer.) Ah, a day in the life of Santa Maria. Jeannett and Andy, this post's for you.
This is actually the second time something strange has happened while I was in there. Once several months ago, Kevin, Anna and I were shopping and there were employees with walkie talkies trying to bust some guy for shoplifting. They were sneakily trailing him through the store, hiding behind clothing racks, etc. It was hilarious!
Sadly, I have no pictures of the fight to post being that I didn't actually see it--though that would sure be awesome (a perfect opportunity to have used my new camera phone. Bummer.) Ah, a day in the life of Santa Maria. Jeannett and Andy, this post's for you.
What's in a name?
First of all, I know I haven't posted in FOREVER, but Blogger for some reason isn't uploading my pictures! And posts without pictures aren't any fun! I don't know when I'll be able to upload them again though, so I figured I better just do a post without.
Okay, on to the topic of my post. One of the many interesting things about international adoption is the whole naming issue. When you receive a referral for a child or children, they already have a name. Maybe their name was given to them by birth parents, or by a caregiver, or by the person who found them if they had been abandoned. Regardless, they come with a name.
There is a lot of debate within the adoption community over whether adoptive parents should keep the child's given name, change it, keep it as a middle name, etc. Many things play into a parent's decision--the age of the child, who named them, what their given name is.
When Kevin and I received our referral for twin boys back in December, we waffled back and forth on what to do. Our sons were relinquished by their birth mother as unnamed, and were named Yosef and Biniam by a volunteer at Layla House, AAI's facility in Ethiopia. From the getgo we liked their Ethiopian names, but also wanted to give them names ourselves. We loved the names Ezra and Isaiah and made the decision to keep their Ethiopian names as middle names, and so they would be named Ezra Yosef and Isaiah Biniam. We felt once the boys were old enough they could choose which name to go by.
While we were in Ethiopia though we called them Yosef and Biniam. Some nicknames also emerged: Yos, Yosie, Bin, Binny. We planned to switch over to their new names once we got home.
Interestingly though, the name Ezra Yosef "stuck" more than Isaiah Biniam for most people. As for myelf, I could never seem to make the switch for either of them. I have rarely called them Ezra or Isaiah. To me they were Yosef and Biniam. A lot of people couldn't keep the names Ezra and Isaiah straight--I think perhaps the names are too similar. I've had different people ask me in a surprised voice why we switched the names. AND, perhaps the biggest issue we have come across, has been the few times where I have gotten the impression that people are against anything more ethnic-sounding than the name Bob. That made me sad because while we had good reasons for our initial choice, Kevin and I NEVER wanted, nor want, to gloss over or erase any part of our sons' heritage or past. I want my kids to have a healthy sense of self and identity. Part of that means being comfortable with where you came from, with who you are, and with where you're headed.
After a LOT of discussion, we have made the decision to keep Yosef and Biniam as the boys' first names. We aren't sure what we'll do for middle names, but we have a couple of ideas and a couple of months to decide. We have such fond memories of the caregivers at Layla House kissing our boys and holding them, going "Yosie! Binny!" We even got to meet and spend some time talking with the volunteer who named our sons while we were there. Sometimes I look at Yos and Bin and think, how crazy that they spent over a year of their lives in a place so far from here! How strange that they had a life before us Heldts, filled with other faces, other experiences, a completely different culture. What a gift that they spent their first year of life in a place that loved them, cared for them, and sought a family for them. What a gift now, for us, to get to have these boys as our sons.
SO, that is our journey with the names. (I would love to hear other adoptive parents' thought processes on this with their own children. From what I've observed, it would seem most parents have changed their child's name.) In case any of you are wondering, the boys respond to either name and know them both, so there won't be any confusion in dropping Ezra and Isaiah. Once our sons are older, if they are uncomfortable having "different" names, we can certainly figure something out. But for now, Yosef and Biniam they shall remain.
Okay, on to the topic of my post. One of the many interesting things about international adoption is the whole naming issue. When you receive a referral for a child or children, they already have a name. Maybe their name was given to them by birth parents, or by a caregiver, or by the person who found them if they had been abandoned. Regardless, they come with a name.
There is a lot of debate within the adoption community over whether adoptive parents should keep the child's given name, change it, keep it as a middle name, etc. Many things play into a parent's decision--the age of the child, who named them, what their given name is.
When Kevin and I received our referral for twin boys back in December, we waffled back and forth on what to do. Our sons were relinquished by their birth mother as unnamed, and were named Yosef and Biniam by a volunteer at Layla House, AAI's facility in Ethiopia. From the getgo we liked their Ethiopian names, but also wanted to give them names ourselves. We loved the names Ezra and Isaiah and made the decision to keep their Ethiopian names as middle names, and so they would be named Ezra Yosef and Isaiah Biniam. We felt once the boys were old enough they could choose which name to go by.
While we were in Ethiopia though we called them Yosef and Biniam. Some nicknames also emerged: Yos, Yosie, Bin, Binny. We planned to switch over to their new names once we got home.
Interestingly though, the name Ezra Yosef "stuck" more than Isaiah Biniam for most people. As for myelf, I could never seem to make the switch for either of them. I have rarely called them Ezra or Isaiah. To me they were Yosef and Biniam. A lot of people couldn't keep the names Ezra and Isaiah straight--I think perhaps the names are too similar. I've had different people ask me in a surprised voice why we switched the names. AND, perhaps the biggest issue we have come across, has been the few times where I have gotten the impression that people are against anything more ethnic-sounding than the name Bob. That made me sad because while we had good reasons for our initial choice, Kevin and I NEVER wanted, nor want, to gloss over or erase any part of our sons' heritage or past. I want my kids to have a healthy sense of self and identity. Part of that means being comfortable with where you came from, with who you are, and with where you're headed.
After a LOT of discussion, we have made the decision to keep Yosef and Biniam as the boys' first names. We aren't sure what we'll do for middle names, but we have a couple of ideas and a couple of months to decide. We have such fond memories of the caregivers at Layla House kissing our boys and holding them, going "Yosie! Binny!" We even got to meet and spend some time talking with the volunteer who named our sons while we were there. Sometimes I look at Yos and Bin and think, how crazy that they spent over a year of their lives in a place so far from here! How strange that they had a life before us Heldts, filled with other faces, other experiences, a completely different culture. What a gift that they spent their first year of life in a place that loved them, cared for them, and sought a family for them. What a gift now, for us, to get to have these boys as our sons.
SO, that is our journey with the names. (I would love to hear other adoptive parents' thought processes on this with their own children. From what I've observed, it would seem most parents have changed their child's name.) In case any of you are wondering, the boys respond to either name and know them both, so there won't be any confusion in dropping Ezra and Isaiah. Once our sons are older, if they are uncomfortable having "different" names, we can certainly figure something out. But for now, Yosef and Biniam they shall remain.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Happy Father's Day!
Kevin officially became a father for the first time on February 10th, 2004. After only 6 and 1/2 hours of labor Anna Elisabeth came into the world.It has been such a neat experience getting to know my husband as a father. We found out we were expecting our first baby on our one-year wedding anniversary back in 2003. We had just moved up here from Santa Barbara and bought a new home and I had just gone back to school to finish getting my degree when the two little pink lines came into focus. We were both elated and those nine months seemed to draggggg by. They were filled with lots of anticipation. Kevin got to paint the nursery, assemble the nursery furniture, and get kicked by the baby in my growing stomach every night. (The picture below is me 9 months pregnant, just one week before Anna's birth!
)It has been so awesome to see the relationship between Kevin and Anna. He is the sweetest, most empathetic, fun daddy that he could possibly be! When Anna was a baby Kevin was great at cuddling her, but especially at making her laugh and doing fun, silly things with her. Now that she's 28 months old, he loves to fly her around like Superman, tickle her, and talk to her about all sorts of things. Each night before bed he gives her a blessing, and she loves it. He brings such a fresh, different perspective to parenting than I do.
And last spring I burst out with a seemingly from-out-of-nowhere idea: "There are so many children without homes all over the world, and it shouldn't be that way. We need to adopt someday." I had no clue how Kevin would react to this--the minute Anna was born, we both knew we wanted a large family (kids are AWESOME!) but this was something we had never, ever considered/discussed. And here I was suggesting we pursue international adoption. Kevin was amazingly receptive, wanted to hear more about my thoughts on it, and it only took maybe a ten minute discussion for him to be as passionate about it as I was. It was settled and July 1 we mailed off our adoption application to adopt siblings from Ethiopia.
It was so neat to see Kevin's heart grow throughout the 7 month process to get our sons. When we got the call in December saying that twin baby boys needed a family, he was in love--before we saw their pictures, or their medicals, before he knew anything more than two children in Ethiopia had no family to take care of them.
On February 15, 2005 Yosef and Biniam were placed in our arms, our very first sons. Adoption is very, very different from giving birth. I have been blessed to see the depth of my husband's patience, love, and strength in loving his sons, especially when they were grieving, sick, or afraid. Without a doubt this has contributed to the fact that our boys trust us and feel secure in our family. And Yosef is the ultimate "daddy's boy"--that kid LOVES his dad!
One of the greatest things about Kevin as a dad is, in my mind, the fact that he truly delights in each of his kids. You won't find him complaining about how much work, stress, or trouble kids are--although he does have a great sense of humor about things. And I get to see this delight play out every single day, in the way he "rough-houses" with his giggling sons, the way he'll sit and read story after story to his daughter, the way just last night, after Yosef woke up from a sound sleep screaming and crying, Kevin held him tight, carried him around, and reassured him.
All of that to say, I am so, so happy that my kids have such an awesome dad that loves them so incredibly much. Having a baby changed both of us in ways unimaginable, and being blessed with two more children through adoption has changed us in even greater ways. Today I thank God for my husband, for who he is, who he has become and for the love he has for and receives from his three children. Happy Father's Day!
(Unfortunately blogger isn't letting me upload any more photos so I wasn't able to get any of Kevin with our boys! I'll try to add them later.)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Seen any good movies lately?
So I am at a loss of what to post about lately. But I don't want to be one of those people who has a blog but doesn't update it. SO, here are some movies I've seen over the last few months. What are some movies you've seen???
-"The Breakup"--I liked the movie but the ending was frustrating!
-"Memoirs of a Geisha"--Loved it.
-"The Color Purple"--Totally an old movie but so good! We both really enjoyed it.
-"Hide and Seek"--Really scary and suspenseful.
-"Meet the Fockers"--Pretty funny.
-"Fahrenheit 9/11"--Ah, Michael Moore. Never thought I'd ever watch one of his movies, but the truth is I find him amusing. There are things in this film that I think people should see. Footage of Iraq, the war, interviews with Iraqis, etc. When all was said and done Kevin and I both were glad to have seen it (even though we didn't agree with all of Michael Moore's opinions.)
-"Beloved"--Really weird movie. Looked like some inspirational story/drama from the cover, but it is really scary and icky and just bizarre. I don't recommend it--pretty much a waste of time. :)
-"My Date with Drew"--So fun! Definitely a fun documentary to watch. Kevin and I both got a kick out of it.
-"Crash"--Excellent movie, really thought-provoking (though not the feel-good movie of the year)
-"The Breakup"--I liked the movie but the ending was frustrating!
-"Memoirs of a Geisha"--Loved it.
-"The Color Purple"--Totally an old movie but so good! We both really enjoyed it.
-"Hide and Seek"--Really scary and suspenseful.
-"Meet the Fockers"--Pretty funny.
-"Fahrenheit 9/11"--Ah, Michael Moore. Never thought I'd ever watch one of his movies, but the truth is I find him amusing. There are things in this film that I think people should see. Footage of Iraq, the war, interviews with Iraqis, etc. When all was said and done Kevin and I both were glad to have seen it (even though we didn't agree with all of Michael Moore's opinions.)
-"Beloved"--Really weird movie. Looked like some inspirational story/drama from the cover, but it is really scary and icky and just bizarre. I don't recommend it--pretty much a waste of time. :)
-"My Date with Drew"--So fun! Definitely a fun documentary to watch. Kevin and I both got a kick out of it.
-"Crash"--Excellent movie, really thought-provoking (though not the feel-good movie of the year)
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Cool day!
So today I was asked to come give a presentation/talk about Ethiopia, our trip, etc. to the 6th grade class at Creston Elementary School (my dad's the teacher.) The background is that this year my dad started Project Kenya, a pen-pal/sponsorship program with a school in Kisumu, Kenya. In addition to corresponding with these kids from across the world, my dad's class brings in money to sponsor an orphan over in Kenya, they bring in money to buy kids bicycles over there so they can get to school, and they also bring in money to pay for some of the orphans' lunches. Not bad for a bunch of 11 year olds in a not-particularly-high-income area! (As a result my dad was asked to design/build the website for the national Kenyan Drama Festivals. Go Dad!)
ANYWAY, these kids have developed some seriously awesome compassion, care and concern for their Kenyan friends. The class has also kind of followed our adoption (the day I called my dad in his classroom to tell him we got the call to go to Ethiopia, the whole class clapped and cheered.) Tomorrow's the last day of school before summer, so today I headed in with some video we took while in Ethiopia and some Ethiopian souvenirs. (I found out yesterday that the school principal and another teacher were going to come and watch as well--scary!)
Well, God totally blessed the whole thing. The kids ROCKED--they'd written down questions ahead of time for me to answer. Many of them very deep questions, many of them fun questions. They had such a genuine interest and concern for the people I was describing. I've talked to a lot of people about our time in Ethiopia, about the people there, etc. but these kids were something else. Their genuine enthusiasm and raw compassion was something beautiful to behold. (And these kids are SMART! I was blown away!)
While I was talking about the widespread poverty there, one boy raised his hand and asked "Do the other people in Ethiopia look down on the poor people there, like they do here?" These kids are thinkers! Another student asked why AIDS is so prevalent in Africa, as compared to the United States. They wanted to know the life expectancy of a child born with HIV, if we saw any homeless children, if we want to return someday with the boys (ABSOLUTELY I said), if they wear seatbelts, how long it takes to adopt, and the list goes on. I felt totally humbled to be "representing" Ethiopia to these kids.
So, an awesome day. My prayer is that God will continue to open doors for me to advocate on behalf of the beautiful people of Ethiopia.
ANYWAY, these kids have developed some seriously awesome compassion, care and concern for their Kenyan friends. The class has also kind of followed our adoption (the day I called my dad in his classroom to tell him we got the call to go to Ethiopia, the whole class clapped and cheered.) Tomorrow's the last day of school before summer, so today I headed in with some video we took while in Ethiopia and some Ethiopian souvenirs. (I found out yesterday that the school principal and another teacher were going to come and watch as well--scary!)
Well, God totally blessed the whole thing. The kids ROCKED--they'd written down questions ahead of time for me to answer. Many of them very deep questions, many of them fun questions. They had such a genuine interest and concern for the people I was describing. I've talked to a lot of people about our time in Ethiopia, about the people there, etc. but these kids were something else. Their genuine enthusiasm and raw compassion was something beautiful to behold. (And these kids are SMART! I was blown away!)
While I was talking about the widespread poverty there, one boy raised his hand and asked "Do the other people in Ethiopia look down on the poor people there, like they do here?" These kids are thinkers! Another student asked why AIDS is so prevalent in Africa, as compared to the United States. They wanted to know the life expectancy of a child born with HIV, if we saw any homeless children, if we want to return someday with the boys (ABSOLUTELY I said), if they wear seatbelts, how long it takes to adopt, and the list goes on. I felt totally humbled to be "representing" Ethiopia to these kids.
So, an awesome day. My prayer is that God will continue to open doors for me to advocate on behalf of the beautiful people of Ethiopia.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Caught red-handed!
So tonight my mom called and wanted to say hi to Anna. For the life of me I couldn't find her...until I entered the office. There sat Anna, at the computer, covered in chocolate from the chocolate chip cookies she was sneakily scarfing down!
I had made cookies Wednesday night, and had the bag of them in the office earlier when I was on the computer. Oops.
Anyway, this must be some toddler rite of passage, so I thought it deserved a post on the blog!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Doctor's visit and prayer request
Today I took the boys (and Anna tagged along) to the doctor for their "15 month checkup" (even though technically they are probably more like 19 months old...confusing, I know.) Yosef seems to have gotten over his fear of the doctor, which is good. AND we found out both boys are giardia free--yay!
If you think of it, please be praying for Biniam. He is just not able to put on weight, or at least as much as he should. The doctor is giving him one more month. If he hasn't made significant gains, he will officially be diagnosed as having "failure to thrive" and will have to see a specialist to try to find out what is wrong. I looked it up on the internet and there are all sorts of possible reasons, some not so serious, some very serious.
Biniam's medical history from Ethiopia includes the comment that he had struggled with "inconsistent weight gain", which is in line with what is going on now. We had thought it was possibly due to the giardia/life in an institution, but now it's clear that isn't the case. He remains very skinny and in spite of the fact that he eats a normal amount of food, he doesn't gain like a child normally would. I had been thinking about that today, and planned to ask the doctor--I really felt like something must be wrong. So I was really relieved when he was the one who brought it up.
I know God is in control, and right now it is abundantly clear that I am not. It is so hard not to worry, imagine all sorts of worst-case scenarios, etc. But God knows, and He'll give us whatever strength/grace we need when we need it. He is faithful!
If you think of it, please be praying for Biniam. He is just not able to put on weight, or at least as much as he should. The doctor is giving him one more month. If he hasn't made significant gains, he will officially be diagnosed as having "failure to thrive" and will have to see a specialist to try to find out what is wrong. I looked it up on the internet and there are all sorts of possible reasons, some not so serious, some very serious.
Biniam's medical history from Ethiopia includes the comment that he had struggled with "inconsistent weight gain", which is in line with what is going on now. We had thought it was possibly due to the giardia/life in an institution, but now it's clear that isn't the case. He remains very skinny and in spite of the fact that he eats a normal amount of food, he doesn't gain like a child normally would. I had been thinking about that today, and planned to ask the doctor--I really felt like something must be wrong. So I was really relieved when he was the one who brought it up.
I know God is in control, and right now it is abundantly clear that I am not. It is so hard not to worry, imagine all sorts of worst-case scenarios, etc. But God knows, and He'll give us whatever strength/grace we need when we need it. He is faithful!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Day at the beach
Last Saturday the weather was beautiful so we met my mom and dad at the beach--the boys' very first time!!! All the kids loved it--Anna is finally over her fear of the water and waves and now loves wading into the ocean, and with each wave saying "Here comes the wave!"
Yosef loved both the water and digging in the sand, while Biniam was afraid of the water but really enjoyed the digging. The kids had a great time, and it sure felt good to be back in the sun at the beach again! Here are some pictures of our afternoon:
Monday, May 22, 2006
Da Vinci drama
Okay has anybody read the novel (or seen the movie) "The Da Vinci Code?" I'm reading the book right now and it's pretty entertaining. I'm enjoying the story. I do however highly disagree with the claims the book makes about Jesus.
On our pastor's blog there's a discussion going in which I've discovered that some Christians would say I'm in the wrong for reading a book that includes false statements about Jesus. I decided to read the novel in the first place because I wanted to see what all the buzz was about, so that I could understand what some of our culture is thinking about Jesus, and because a few (Christian, incidentally) friends of mine had read it and said it was good. (In fact, just about our entire growth group Biblestudy has read it.) And I really am enjoying the book, in spite of chapter 55. Interestingly, the scandalous claims about Christ are nothing new, as they derive from the Gnostic gospels which have been around for I think over a thousand years, and I already learned about them in my "Christian Origins" class in college.
Anyway the book has gotten a TON of attention from just about everyone...some people believe the stuff in the book, some people don't, some people don't think Christians should read the book, etc. What do you think about the whole thing? Have you read the book?
The great thing is, if nothing else, the story is getting people talking about Jesus, who He was, and what He did.
On our pastor's blog there's a discussion going in which I've discovered that some Christians would say I'm in the wrong for reading a book that includes false statements about Jesus. I decided to read the novel in the first place because I wanted to see what all the buzz was about, so that I could understand what some of our culture is thinking about Jesus, and because a few (Christian, incidentally) friends of mine had read it and said it was good. (In fact, just about our entire growth group Biblestudy has read it.) And I really am enjoying the book, in spite of chapter 55. Interestingly, the scandalous claims about Christ are nothing new, as they derive from the Gnostic gospels which have been around for I think over a thousand years, and I already learned about them in my "Christian Origins" class in college.
Anyway the book has gotten a TON of attention from just about everyone...some people believe the stuff in the book, some people don't, some people don't think Christians should read the book, etc. What do you think about the whole thing? Have you read the book?
The great thing is, if nothing else, the story is getting people talking about Jesus, who He was, and what He did.
Friday, May 19, 2006
100 things
Well this is my 100th post, and they say you're supposed to post 100 things about yourself on your 100th post. SO, here they are, for those who have the time or interest to read them, in no particular order:
1. I'm an only child.
2. I hate when people assume things about me based on that.
3. My hometown where I grew up has a population of 200.
4. Most the people in my hometown are ranchers/cowboys.
5. My family was not either of those things.
6. My best friend and I have been friends for 17 years.
7. I was our 4-H club President.
8. I was our FFA Vice President.
9. We saw a dead beached whale at Pismo Beach in high school.
10. The only organized team sport I ever played was T-Ball.
11. I'm not athletic at all.
12. I hate watching sports of any kind.
13. I always wanted to be a marriage/family therapist when I grew up.
14. I am an at-home mom.
15. I love being a mom.
16. I have three kids.
17. Two are from Ethiopia.
18. I got married when I was only 20.
19. I found out I was pregnant on our one-year wedding anniversary.
20. That's why I didn't finish college.
21. My labor with Anna was only 6 hours.
22. It really hurt.
23. I gained a whopping 36 pounds when I was pregnant.
24. I love being married young.
25. I don't like pets.
26. We don't have any.
27. I love the East Coast.
28. I love all four seasons.
29. Someday I want to be involved in relief work/missions of some kind in Ethiopia.
30. I would love to have a non-profit organization someday to help Africa.
31. I love eating out.
32. I love to read.
33. I own almost the entire Babsitters Club series from when I was little.
34. I never get bored.
35. I've never been drunk.
36. I've never taken drugs.
37. I love midori sours.
38. I love the Gap.
39. I love Target.
40. I hate grocery shopping.
41. But I love having lots of food in the house.
42. I've never broken a bone.
43. I'm not a morning person.
44. I have a myspace profile.
45. That is really, really embarrassing.
46. I drive a car from 1988.
47. That is also really, really embarrassing.
48. I waste a lot of time online.
49. We don't really watch TV.
50. I don't like the town we live in.
51. We will probably move sometime in the next few years.
52. I don't know where we'll move.
53. It probably will not be in California.
54. I like hanging out with my parents.
55. I love quiet evenings at home with Kevin.
56. I like going to concerts.
57. The last one I went to was Tom Petty.
58. He is awesome.
59. I love Seinfeld.
60. My favorite Seinfeld quote is "People...they're the worst!"
61. I've never eaten spam.
62. I never will.
63. I never really liked babysitting.
64. But I want a lot of kids.
65. I love a good old fashioned BBQ.
66. I love fancy gourmet food.
67. I love winter clothes like coats, sweaters, scarves, and gloves.
68. It rarely gets cold enough here to wear them.
69. I hate wearing a bathing suit.
70. I love having a tan.
71. I like the beach but not the way the sand gets everywhere.
72. We live about 15 minutes from the beach.
73. We rarely go.
74. I am a nervous flyer.
75. I once had to have someone arrested for making terrorist threats when I worked for a California assemblyman.
76. There was a big standoff and it took a SWAT team to bring him in.
77. He now lives in Nevada, thank goodness.
78. I have worked (briefly) as a telemarketer.
79. I have worked (also briefly) at Taco Bell.
80. I have worked at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
81. I think I have changed a lot in the last year and a half.
82. Hopefully it's for the better.
83. I shook George W. Bush's hand once.
84. I am a total klutz.
85. I love to laugh.
86. I've been to Ethiopia.
87. I can't wait to go back.
88. I met my husband in our church's college group.
89. The first time we spent any time together was when we ran into each other at a (free) Weird Al concert.
90. I love that Weird Al movie UHF.
91. My husband proposed on the beach in Cambria.
92. Someday I'd like to go to Jamaica.
93. I love "fair food" like corndogs, fresh lemonade, and funnelcake.
94. I was outside the courthouse with my daughter Anna when the Michael Jackson verdict was read.
95. I know I am such a dork but we were already out and heard on the radio they were about to announce it, so we cruised by.
96. On my way to the courthouse, as I drove down Main Street, I noticed people with signs lining the street, running up and down the sidewalk shouting, and helicopters circling.
97. I looked in my rearview mirror to discover that the whole way down the street I was right in front of the Michael Jackson motorcade!
98. Someone I know saw my car on the news!
99. I am very, very easily amused (as you can see.)
100. I love Jesus and I'm a sinner and through His grace and mercy I am saved!
1. I'm an only child.
2. I hate when people assume things about me based on that.
3. My hometown where I grew up has a population of 200.
4. Most the people in my hometown are ranchers/cowboys.
5. My family was not either of those things.
6. My best friend and I have been friends for 17 years.
7. I was our 4-H club President.
8. I was our FFA Vice President.
9. We saw a dead beached whale at Pismo Beach in high school.
10. The only organized team sport I ever played was T-Ball.
11. I'm not athletic at all.
12. I hate watching sports of any kind.
13. I always wanted to be a marriage/family therapist when I grew up.
14. I am an at-home mom.
15. I love being a mom.
16. I have three kids.
17. Two are from Ethiopia.
18. I got married when I was only 20.
19. I found out I was pregnant on our one-year wedding anniversary.
20. That's why I didn't finish college.
21. My labor with Anna was only 6 hours.
22. It really hurt.
23. I gained a whopping 36 pounds when I was pregnant.
24. I love being married young.
25. I don't like pets.
26. We don't have any.
27. I love the East Coast.
28. I love all four seasons.
29. Someday I want to be involved in relief work/missions of some kind in Ethiopia.
30. I would love to have a non-profit organization someday to help Africa.
31. I love eating out.
32. I love to read.
33. I own almost the entire Babsitters Club series from when I was little.
34. I never get bored.
35. I've never been drunk.
36. I've never taken drugs.
37. I love midori sours.
38. I love the Gap.
39. I love Target.
40. I hate grocery shopping.
41. But I love having lots of food in the house.
42. I've never broken a bone.
43. I'm not a morning person.
44. I have a myspace profile.
45. That is really, really embarrassing.
46. I drive a car from 1988.
47. That is also really, really embarrassing.
48. I waste a lot of time online.
49. We don't really watch TV.
50. I don't like the town we live in.
51. We will probably move sometime in the next few years.
52. I don't know where we'll move.
53. It probably will not be in California.
54. I like hanging out with my parents.
55. I love quiet evenings at home with Kevin.
56. I like going to concerts.
57. The last one I went to was Tom Petty.
58. He is awesome.
59. I love Seinfeld.
60. My favorite Seinfeld quote is "People...they're the worst!"
61. I've never eaten spam.
62. I never will.
63. I never really liked babysitting.
64. But I want a lot of kids.
65. I love a good old fashioned BBQ.
66. I love fancy gourmet food.
67. I love winter clothes like coats, sweaters, scarves, and gloves.
68. It rarely gets cold enough here to wear them.
69. I hate wearing a bathing suit.
70. I love having a tan.
71. I like the beach but not the way the sand gets everywhere.
72. We live about 15 minutes from the beach.
73. We rarely go.
74. I am a nervous flyer.
75. I once had to have someone arrested for making terrorist threats when I worked for a California assemblyman.
76. There was a big standoff and it took a SWAT team to bring him in.
77. He now lives in Nevada, thank goodness.
78. I have worked (briefly) as a telemarketer.
79. I have worked (also briefly) at Taco Bell.
80. I have worked at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
81. I think I have changed a lot in the last year and a half.
82. Hopefully it's for the better.
83. I shook George W. Bush's hand once.
84. I am a total klutz.
85. I love to laugh.
86. I've been to Ethiopia.
87. I can't wait to go back.
88. I met my husband in our church's college group.
89. The first time we spent any time together was when we ran into each other at a (free) Weird Al concert.
90. I love that Weird Al movie UHF.
91. My husband proposed on the beach in Cambria.
92. Someday I'd like to go to Jamaica.
93. I love "fair food" like corndogs, fresh lemonade, and funnelcake.
94. I was outside the courthouse with my daughter Anna when the Michael Jackson verdict was read.
95. I know I am such a dork but we were already out and heard on the radio they were about to announce it, so we cruised by.
96. On my way to the courthouse, as I drove down Main Street, I noticed people with signs lining the street, running up and down the sidewalk shouting, and helicopters circling.
97. I looked in my rearview mirror to discover that the whole way down the street I was right in front of the Michael Jackson motorcade!
98. Someone I know saw my car on the news!
99. I am very, very easily amused (as you can see.)
100. I love Jesus and I'm a sinner and through His grace and mercy I am saved!
What a girl wants
So two days ago the kids and I were out in the backyard. Anna was wearing a skirt, a shirt and her slippers (she refers to them as "fluffers"), which she wanted to wear more than her shoes. We hadn't been out there more than a few minutes, when she turned around and said to me in an assertive voice, "I need my purse."
Well duh mom, what were you thinking? Here is a picture of Anna and her purse.
Well duh mom, what were you thinking? Here is a picture of Anna and her purse.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
The value of children
Last week's message at church was on children. Tonight we had our growth group biblestudy (a group of seven of us meets at our home each week to discuss the sermon, share in each other's lives, etc.--I totally look forward to it each week!) and much of the discussion revolved around childrens' value in society, as well as their value within church.
I think we all agreed that children are not particularly valued in our society at large (or at least as much as they should be.) We also talked about the fact that being within the confines of a church does not gaurantee that your kid is going to be valued either.
I remember one day last summer, I had to take the car to get it smogged (and it FAILED--are we surprised?) and so I walked Anna over to Carl's Jr. for lunch while I waited for it to be done. We sat down and she was chattering loudly but happily. An older couple was sitting a few tables over. The woman called over to me, "Can you get her to be quiet?" I'm thinking, I must have misheard this woman, she couldn't possibly mean what I think she means. So I asked, "What?" And the woman said, "She's being too loud, tell her to be quiet." UM, HELLO? Carl's Jr., lunchtime, it's a cheap fast-food restaurant, kids and babies everywhere...what were they expecting? Somehow (and this is big for me, because I am quite possibly the world's least confrontational person) I managed to say, "No. She's a child, I can't control the sounds she makes, and she's happy, she's just talking." GO ME! I was shaking inside but somehow managed to sound calm yet firm on the outside. Well needless to say the couple bitterly got up and moved to the other side of the restaurant.
Now, as fate would have it, I noticed as we were leaving Carl's Jr. that the place where the couple had moved to sit was full of this wonderful, happy, loud, huge group of developmentally disabled adults. I had to chuckle--it would appear that the sterile, silent lunch this couple was hoping for was not to be found in the Santa Maria Carl's Jr. that afternoon. Oh to have seen the expression on the couple's face when that group came and sat down!
I think there is much beauty, innocence and joy to be found in children. Sadly, all too often they are seen as a nuisance, distraction, or just "too much work." I have seen these attitudes in all sorts of places, including church. I am inclined to think it's a by-product of a wealthy, materialistic society.
As a follower of Jesus, I so want to love the way He loved. That means loving children--not just my own three kids, but children in general. I don't ever want to isolate myself from the laughter, fun, and sweet simplicity that kids bring to the table. What about you?
I think we all agreed that children are not particularly valued in our society at large (or at least as much as they should be.) We also talked about the fact that being within the confines of a church does not gaurantee that your kid is going to be valued either.
I remember one day last summer, I had to take the car to get it smogged (and it FAILED--are we surprised?) and so I walked Anna over to Carl's Jr. for lunch while I waited for it to be done. We sat down and she was chattering loudly but happily. An older couple was sitting a few tables over. The woman called over to me, "Can you get her to be quiet?" I'm thinking, I must have misheard this woman, she couldn't possibly mean what I think she means. So I asked, "What?" And the woman said, "She's being too loud, tell her to be quiet." UM, HELLO? Carl's Jr., lunchtime, it's a cheap fast-food restaurant, kids and babies everywhere...what were they expecting? Somehow (and this is big for me, because I am quite possibly the world's least confrontational person) I managed to say, "No. She's a child, I can't control the sounds she makes, and she's happy, she's just talking." GO ME! I was shaking inside but somehow managed to sound calm yet firm on the outside. Well needless to say the couple bitterly got up and moved to the other side of the restaurant.
Now, as fate would have it, I noticed as we were leaving Carl's Jr. that the place where the couple had moved to sit was full of this wonderful, happy, loud, huge group of developmentally disabled adults. I had to chuckle--it would appear that the sterile, silent lunch this couple was hoping for was not to be found in the Santa Maria Carl's Jr. that afternoon. Oh to have seen the expression on the couple's face when that group came and sat down!
I think there is much beauty, innocence and joy to be found in children. Sadly, all too often they are seen as a nuisance, distraction, or just "too much work." I have seen these attitudes in all sorts of places, including church. I am inclined to think it's a by-product of a wealthy, materialistic society.
As a follower of Jesus, I so want to love the way He loved. That means loving children--not just my own three kids, but children in general. I don't ever want to isolate myself from the laughter, fun, and sweet simplicity that kids bring to the table. What about you?
Quote of the day
"Practically anything you do will be insignificant, but it is important that you do it." Ghandi was quoted as having said that, and I found it on Erin's blog (go read her post, it is awesome.) Personally I think those are some sweet words! How often do we do stuff and yet feel discouraged because we know that in the grand scheme of things it doesn't amount to be a huge difference?
I remember feeling that way sometimes about being an at-home mom. Obviously I realized
that was important and I wouldn't have it any other way, but every once in awhile I'd wish I could do more, contribute more, etc. The primary time though that I felt this way was when
we were in Ethiopia. I stood there at AHOPE surrounded by orphans with HIV and felt overwhelmed, discouraged, and hopeless. It struck me that for every child I adopt, there are about a million more needing homes...many of them will never have one.
But isn't it so true that even if in the grand scheme of things, even though you can't change the entire world yourself, that doesn't mean you don't try, or don't do SOMETHING. Because imagine the difference you're making for that one person. And that's how change happens anyway, right?
Anyway I thought I'd share that quote with you. I'd love to know what you think about it, if there are things you feel that way about.
I remember feeling that way sometimes about being an at-home mom. Obviously I realized
that was important and I wouldn't have it any other way, but every once in awhile I'd wish I could do more, contribute more, etc. The primary time though that I felt this way was when
we were in Ethiopia. I stood there at AHOPE surrounded by orphans with HIV and felt overwhelmed, discouraged, and hopeless. It struck me that for every child I adopt, there are about a million more needing homes...many of them will never have one.
But isn't it so true that even if in the grand scheme of things, even though you can't change the entire world yourself, that doesn't mean you don't try, or don't do SOMETHING. Because imagine the difference you're making for that one person. And that's how change happens anyway, right?
Anyway I thought I'd share that quote with you. I'd love to know what you think about it, if there are things you feel that way about.
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