Merry Happy Holiday of your choosing. Or not

I grew up in a religious tradition that didn't believe in Christmas. Oh don't get me wrong, my family and I exchanged gifts every year, we even put up a tree when I was a small child (at my mother's insistence, but even that didn't last too long), but it was made quite clear from early on that we were in no way celebrating Jesus' birth. You see that would be wrong.

Wrong, you ask? Why would celebrating the birth of Christ be wrong?

Well, the religious group I was reared in believed since Christ never explicitly asked us celebrate his birth as a religious holiday, if you chose to do so you would be participating in "unauthorized worship" of God; And we all remember what happened to Nadab and Abihu when they offered unauthorized fire (worship) to God, right?
What Christ DID ask us to remember, they argued, was his death and resurrection, and the way to do that was through Communion, not some trite holiday that Christ never even instituted. Combine all of that with the pagan origins of Christmas* and the Jeremiah 10:2-4 passage that obviously condemned Christmas trees, and what you had was an airtight case against Christmas.

So instead of saying "Merry Christmas", I was taught to say "Happy Holidays", not to give credence to any other religious celebration mind you, but to declare that we were not celebrating Christmas.

When searching for wrapping paper, we had to be sure to not pick anything that was overtly religious, and you didn't dare buy anything with a Santa Claus on it. Oh, and by the way, we weren't buying Christmas presents, we were buy presents for the holidays.

But there was a problem.

I LOVED CHRISTMAS. I still do.

Christmas trees whether big or small, ornate or simple, I adore them.
Nothing thrills me more than to hear a beautiful choir or soloist sing Silent Night, Joy to the World, or Oh Holy Night.
Christmas Lights: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THEM. I used to beg my parents to take the long way home so that I could ooh and ahh at all of the elaborate decorations.
And even though my church never had a Candlelight Christmas Eve service, when I had the chance to watch them on TV, I thought they were absolutely beautiful.
Of course as a child I enjoyed waking up to presents, but honestly that was just the icing on an already delicious cake.

Over the years I began to notice a shift during the Christmas season. To be fair, I can't say that there was a definite change of mindset, it may be that I simply became more aware of what was going on, but people seemed to focus a little less on the birth of Christ (for those that celebrated it religiously), and more on presents. Instead of candlelight services being shown on television, there seemed to be more and more commercials advertising some super sale of the week.

And then the biggie:

People began to say "Happy Holidays", in an attempt to acknowledge other religious holidays *GASP*

It was official. The war had begun.

Nowadays it's commonplace to hear that we Christians should be on a mission to "take back Christmas". That instead of saying "Happy Holidays" to the sales clerk, you should look him or her square in the eye and say "Merry Christmas. Jesus loves you". And I have read many a blog post, email, leaflet, you name it, reminding me that "Jesus is the reason for the season."


Can I tell you a something? It's just between us right?


I really don't think Jesus gives a rat's you-know-what about whether we choose to celebrate his birth on December 25th.


There, I said it.


As much as I love Christmas and decided as an adult to take time to reflect on Jesus' birth, life, and death, I don't think he cares one way or another.
And while I may have issues with many aspects of my religious upbringing, it's true: Jesus never told us that we needed to celebrate his birth, so if you choose not to do so, I think that's perfectly acceptable.

What I DO believe matters each day of the year, not just during the holiday season, is that we all strive to be joyful, compassionate, and loving people.

So it is with that spirit that I say to anyone reading this

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

*note: If you have never heard of the pagan origins of Christmas and are interested, feel free to google that phrase for details. To be frank, I'm just not interested in linking to it.

Because sometimes I just need to shut up

If you are reading this, it probably means you subscribe to this blog in a reader -and if you haven't, you really should. I mean really, why torture yourself? Can't you see that I'm a bit of a flake that posts sporadically :)

Anyway, I just wanted to drop a line to say "Hey, I'm still here."

No need to worry, I haven't been attending any of my infamous parties, but sometimes life gets busy, and the unexpected happens, so while I've had tons of things running through my head, sometimes the best thing for me to do is to simply shut up. So that's what I've done. But don't fret, I imagine I'll be back soon to overthink and overanalyze this thing that we call life.

Bits and Pieces

1. A few people have asked where Ian's Halloween pics are this year, but we don't have any. My Grandmother's funeral actually fell on Halloween, and after travel, the funeral, lunch, and spending time with immediate and extended family, we were too tired to do the trick or treating thing. We went back to my parent's house to hand out candy to the kids in their neighborhood. Initially I was feeling pretty guilty about not getting Ian dressed up, but that guilt pretty much disappeared when I realized how much fun he was having handing out candy and playing with the kids that came to my parent's door. The blogger Momma in me almost whipped out the camera to take pictures, but I made a conscious decision not to. I think sometimes in an effort to document what's going on, I actually miss the opportunity to experience what is going on, so I decided not to take any pictures and just be. Hopefully, that makes sense.

2. In an effort to become an even bigger narcissist I joined facebook, and now my worlds are colliding. You do remember that Seinfeld episode, right? If not, let George Costanza refresh your memory.
I have friends from high school, college, the church I grew up in as a kid, and the church I attend now all "gathered" in the same "location". It's enough to give me a headache.
Oh, and what's the deal with people I don't know sending me a friend request just because we have mutual friends? Dude! I don't know you. Why do we need to be virtual friends? I don't get it. And even more importantly, what happens if someone remembers you and sends you a friend request, but you don't really remember them. What do you do then? Ugh, it's too much pressure. This can't be good for my health.


3. Last week (or the week before, I can't quite remember) I was in the kitchen and Ian was in the living room. The TV was playing a recording of a NBA basketball game. After a minute or two of watching the game, Ian picked up the remote, brought it to me so I could change the channel, and when I inquired about what he wanted to watch, he said "Football". I could hear Dan's smile all the way in the other room.

Remembering my Grandma

Some people have their wedding rehearsal dinners at big fancy restaurants. Dan and I had ours at my Grandma's house.

Lots of people have their child's first birthday celebration in their own home. Ian had (one of) his at my Grandma's house.

Christmas, Easter, New Years, Fish Frys, Barbecues, do you know where the family gathered? Yep, at Grandma's house.

And now, so suddenly, so unexpectedly, my Grandma is no longer at Grandma's house.

Instead, she is in a house far more grand, far more precious, and far more permanent than her earthly home.

Instead of being at Grandma's house, she is now in the Father's house, and that simple thought can make me smile even when I find myself misty-eyed.

She was one of a kind, was deeply loved, and will be greatly missed

Let the 15 minutes begin

Yesterday was the annual NICU Reunion at the hospital where Ian was born. While we were enjoying the festivities, we were interviewed by the local news. You can check it out here:

Video Link


P.S. Sorry for the external link. I didn't see the code on their site to embed the video on the page and I didn't feel like trying to figure it out.

Road Trip Pics

The week before last we took a week off from work, loaded up the kid and went out on the road for a vacation. We didn't venture outside of Texas, but we had a good time. Here are a few of my favorite pics (click to enlarge).


Dan and Ian on the beach in Galveston



Ian hiding from us outside The Aquarium restaurant in Kemah.
I can't look at this picture without laughing



Eating ice cream at the Blue Bell plant in Brenham


Funny story: We were visiting some friends in Houston when a very tired Ian decided he needed a nap. After a few minutes of effort, he pulled a cushion off of their couch, placed it on the floor, and passed out.



You see that face? That is Ian's irritated face.
He was having quite the time chasing his new found friends around the park in Georgetown. So when his pesky Momma finally caught up with him and asked him to pose for a picture, he was not happy :)

Why didn't I try this sooner?

I had a definite "Duh!" moment today.

I was preparing dinner (meatloaf was on the menu tonight) with my assistant chef, when I realized I hadn't grabbed the breadcrumbs from the pantry. As I turned to walk into the pantry, I glanced at the counter and saw an almost empty bread bag on the counter. There were two end pieces left in the bag.

I'll admit it. I'm a discriminating bread eater. As a general rule I don't eat the ends of bread. On occasion I'll eat an open faced sandwich using the end, but it's very rare. There you have it. Sometimes the truth is ugly.

Anyway, probably inspired by some show on the food network in my subconscious, I decided to use the leftover ends to make breadcrumbs.
I grabbed my cheap Hamilton Beach food chopper, tore the bread into pieces, put the lid on, and turned it on high for, oh I don't know, 30 seconds or so. And then an amazing thing happened.

Right before my very eyes I had breadcrumbs.

Whole wheat breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs that probably cost all of .25 cents

So can anyone tell me why I've been spending 3 bucks a pop on store bought breadcrumbs? Anyone? No I didn't think so.

Oh, and you know what else I did? I added some Italian seasoning, a pinch of sea salt, and voilà, seasoned breadcrumbs.

It's the little things in life I tell ya. The little things

Things that make you say "Aww"

Yesterday morning after washing Ian's face, I began the not too terrible task of brushing his teeth. Oddly enough he loves to brush and have his teeth brushed, he's weird that way. About halfway through I noticed that he was trying to say something I couldn't quite make out. "What are you trying to say Pooh?", I inquired as I removed the toothbrush from his mouth. He looked at me, and with a very serious expression, yelled out "HUG!", and then quickly threw his arms around my neck and gave me a tight squeeze. As I returned the embrace of my little one I was overcome with the warm mushy feeling, as I call it.

"Thank you Ian. That was so sweet." I said, as I gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled his cheesy little smile, and as I went to finish brushing his teeth, he decided to bless me with 3 additional hugs, each time yelling out "HUG!" right before.

So there you have it folks. Another story that may not mean a whole lot to you, but means the world to me.



photo from hien_it

When Mom is away...

The boys will play

Hey Mom, did you know I could climb a 6ft ladder all by myself?

Hey Mom, you know how you won't let me stand in the swing? Dad will, and it's fun.

I mean REALLY REALLY fun!

Time for cookies

(excuse the grainy pic to the left, it was taken on a cell cam)

A couple of weeks ago the control panel on our stove went out and as a result we could no longer use the oven. Since it was an older stove that was already there when we moved into the house, we opted to get a new one instead of replacing it. When the new stove was finally delivered you know what we had to do don't you? Christen the new stove by baking chocolate chip cookies, of course. Dark chocolate chip cookies to be exact. How else are we supposed to get our antioxidants?

Anyway, since Ian loves to help with, well, anything, I enlisted his help and we got to work.

Are those cookies done yet?

Yummy, I like cookies. Oh, are you taking a picture of me?

Ok, I'm ready to take my picture now

M.I.A.

I haven't been posting that much here lately.

If I said things had been hectic at work and just calmed down in the past few weeks, so I now, finally, have the time to post, I'd be telling the truth.
If I said I had been busy with a nice visit from my Father-in-Law, followed by us packing up and heading out on the road ourselves, that would be true too.
If I said I needed to prioritize family time, paying bills, and laundry before surfing the web and blogging, again, that would be the truth.

But if I'm being HONEST, I mean completely honest, none of those are the real reasons I haven't been posting. The real reason you haven't seen me around these parts is because I've been spending time with some friends I have made.

For a little while now, not exactly sure how long, I've been receiving invitations to a very private, very exclusive party. When I first started receiving invitations to these uber-exclusive gatherings, I would think about going, but would always decline. "Nah," I would say, "I have too much going on to really make time for this", and I wouldn't really give it much thought. But one day my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to attend.

On my first visit I met a woman that had given birth to a very premature baby -- it was also her first child. We had so much to talk about. We talked about the lingering twinge of guilt for not being able to carry our kids to term, the different types of therapy our kids had been through, the current delays they were experiencing. We talked about our concerns for their future development, and thoughts about family planning. That's when she told me that she had always sworn she would never have an only child, but now that she has lived the reality of having a premature baby, she was rethinking that theory. "Is it fair to even think about having another child if there is even the slightest possibility this could happen again?" she asked. I could only sigh and shrug my shoulders. I didn't have an answer for her and it broke my heart.

At the next get-together I was all set to talk Mrs. Preemie Mommy, only she wasn't there. Instead, I struck up a conversation with a working (outside the home) mother. We commiserated about trying to manage all of our responsibilities. We tried to figure out how to balance spending 9-10 hours away from home Monday through Friday with having quality time with our families, doing laundry, paying bills, cleaning the house, cooking, maintaining friendships, exercising, and much, much more. At the end of the conversation we walked away feeling even more overwhelmed than when we started.

After looking around and not seeing Mrs. Preemie Mommy or Mrs. Overwhelmed at the next gathering, I didn't know what to do or who to talk to. I didn't have to wait long before Mrs. Questioning Christian showed up. "I believe in God", she said "so much that sometimes it seems like I can feel His presence right beside me. I love moments like that. But then there are other times, times when I don't feel His presence at all. I pray for clear guidance, for direction, and months later I'm still clueless."

Yep Mrs. Questioning Christian, I feel your pain.

And those were just a few of the ladies I met. I also conversed with Mrs. Failed perfectionist, Mrs. I-am-the-only-one-that-feels-like-this, Mrs. Indecisive, Mrs. Fear of failure, Mrs. I-don't-have-any-friends, and I tended to chat quite frequently with Mrs. The-grass-on-their-lawn-is-so-much-greener.

Is it becoming clear yet? Yeah, I imagined it would.

As I'm sure you've surmised, I haven't been around these parts because I have been way too busy attending my very own pity party. I never intended to stay long, but a funny thing happens when you begin to dwell on your shortcomings and problems -- perceived or real-- you tend to elicit a more-the-merrier attitude and will find yourself making room for more negative thoughts to join in on the festivities.

Like attracts like and all that jazz.

So instead of hanging out with those friends, I've been spending some time with Mrs. Gratitude. She's been reminding me of all the things, the countless things, the oh so many things, I am grateful for. She's been keeping me in line when I feel the urge to strike up a conversation with my pessimistic pals, and when I'm tempted to feel like I've failed to live up to an unreasonable expectation I set for myself, she has reminded me that there are people out there (people in my own home even) that think I'm just swell, and it's OK for me to think the same.

Gone, but not forgotten

1958-2009

Say what you will about Michael Jackson, but let's face it: He was an amazing song writer, a superb performer, an impeccable producer, and in my opinion, the best all around entertainer of my generation. I'm sure he will be missed by his family, friends, and fans, but his music will live on forever. You better believe that.

Yesterday to celebrate the life and musical genius of Michael Jackson, I danced to Beat it and Billy Jean, rocked out to Dirty Diana and Scream, became introspective listening to Man in the Mirror and Heal the World, and reminisced with Hubby as we told our stories about watching the Thriller video for the first time.
And then around 7:45 pm, when the You Rock My World video started playing and my silly 2 year old jumped up and began dancing and giggling, all I could do was look at him, smile, and say "You have no idea kid. You really have no idea."

RIP MJ

Photo from earnest70six

I was robbed!

Stolen Item: A delicious panko breaded tilapia fish sandwich, served on a slightly toasted wheat bun, with homemade tarter sauce, a dab of ketchup, and a sliver of swiss cheese.

The prime suspect:


It all started off innocent enough, or so I thought. The person in the photo above joined me on the couch after waking from his afternoon nap. He looked at my beloved sandwich with a certain sparkle in his eye. In hindsight, that should have tipped me off immediately.
Anyway, after a few seconds of sitting quietly, he leaned in and as fast as lightning took a small bite out of my sandwich as I was still holding it.

But wait, there's more.

While I sat in shock, this little person seized the moment, and in one fell swoop took the entire sandwich out of my hands and began to chomp on it.

It was blatant thievery I tell ya...In my own household...On a Sunday!

Good Luck Charm

As I alluded to in my previous post, my Mother's Day afternoon was spent with my two favorite guys at the Houston Rockets vs. LA Lakers playoff game.

Game 4 was awesome! The Rockets took charge from the very beginning and never let up. There were 3-pointers galore, great defense, and at one point a 29 point lead by the Rockets. It was everything a girl could dream of.

Now I know many were concerned when they heard that Yao would be out for the rest of the season, and I, admittedly, was a little worried about the outcome of game 4, but then I remembered something:

Ian is the Rockets good luck charm.

You want proof? How about this. Every time Ian makes an appearance at a Rockets game they have dominated. Every single time. The fact that he has only been to one other Rockets game prior to this one is immaterial. The point is, if the Rockets want to win, they need my kid (and his parents of course) at the game. Period. And that my friends, is the exact logic I'm going to use when I write the Rockets organization to persuade them to give us season tickets.

Anyway, enough babbling, here are a couple of blurry cell cam pics of Ian and his b-ball skills in the play area at the Toyota Center.


Look at that face. He's all business. Just itching to get out on the court



Do you see the grip he has on that ball?



He's lightning fast. So fast that I wasn't ready and only caught the picture after the ball was already out of view.
And look at all his adoring fans in the background.

Take a guess

Guess where I'll be spending my Mother's day afternoon?
Here's a hint :)

Happy Mother's day to all the Mom's out there!

Kids say the darndest things

You know those parents that tell silly little stories about their kid on their blog? Oh come on, you know the type. They tell a story that they think is so cute and funny, but in reality it's probably not cute or funny, it's just that they are so head over heels in love with their kid that they believe everything that he or she does is "so adorable."

Well guess what? I am that parent. Get used to it.

***Story 1***

A few weeks back we went to my hometown for the weekend. We also went to church with my parents. Now it's no secret that my parents' church service is *ahem* a tad bit longer than the church we attend at home, but I figured with enough crayons, books, snacks, and juice, Ian would be able to make it through the entire service.

I was wrong.

I guess when you turn 2 years old you get a better grasp on the concept of time, because at the time we would be getting out of church at home, Ian looked up and realized that this service was only a little more than halfway done.
Always a man of action, Ian decided he would take the initiative to bring the service to a close by yelling (and I do mean yelling) "DONE! ALL DONE!"

As the eyes of those nearby began to look my way, I quickly covered Ian's mouth, whispered in his ear long enough so the people close to us would think I was the type of parent that knew how to keep her kid in check (ha!), and then slowly uncovered his mouth. I guess whatever I said worked, although he did feel the need to belt out one final "DONE!" before he finally quieted down.

***Story 2***

DISCLAIMER: This story will make use of the word "poo poo"

That same weekend while at my parents house, I briefly saw an Ian shaped blur run past me and into the living room. The smell that followed said blur however, was uh -how shall I say this- not so fresh.

Me: (shouting from the guest room) Ian, did you poo poo?
Ian: (shouting back) No
Me: (getting up and walking into the living room giving my very best stern Momma face) Ian, did you poo poo?
Ian: (wide eyed) Nooooo
Me: (checking the foul smelling diaper) Ian you did poo poo. You didn't tell me the truth. If I ask you "Did you poo poo?" and you did, you need to answer yes. Do you understand?
Ian: Yes
Me: (giving myself an imaginary pat on the back for successfully explaining truthfulness to my obviously brilliant kid) So, Ian, did you poo poo?
Ian: No

***Story 3***

It's Monday morning and I hear Ian babbling to himself in bed. I head into his room to get him up and going.
"Good morning Pooh. Are you ready to get up?" Ian, stands up in his crib obviously mulling over the question, then he grabs his favorite blanket, squats back down in the bed, and replies "No".
Fair enough, I think to myself. I like to stay in the bed late on Monday mornings too. I turn my back to the kiddo to begin looking through his dresser for clothes for the day, when I realize the shirt I'm looking for is in the closet. When I turn back around I see that Ian has changed his mind and is ready to get out of bed. In fact, he's thrown his leg over the top bar of the crib and is attempting to climb out. Caught off guard, the only reaction I can muster is a sigh combined with an "Oh Lord". While I was content to let him hit the floor and learn his lesson, Ian looked down, and then realized, apparently, this wasn't the brightest idea. He then looked back up at me and replied "Oh Lord".

Finding God in the Small Stuff

This morning the song Heaven, by Mary Mary, was stuck in my head and I wanted to find my copy of the self-entitled CD so I could listen to it in the car. The only problem was I knew it was buried in the huge stash of CDs next to our player.
Determined to find it as quickly as possible, I grabbed a stack of about 30 or so CDs and began to flip through looking for it.

Nope, not there.

I hurriedly grabbed a second set containing quite a few more discs and began to look through them. I didn't get very far before several began slipping out of my hand. I quickly readjusted them, but then another section began to slip. Once I got handle on the second section of rogue discs, yet another section began to fall. This happened one more time before my clumsiness finally got the best of me and I dropped all of the CDs.

*SIGH*

I bent down to pick everything up, and there in the middle of the mess was the Mary Mary CD! As I set it aside and continued to gather everything together, I was surprised at how quickly I picked the CDs up. It took less time than I thought it would, and it was certainly faster than it would have taken me to flip through the stack, find the CD I wanted, and then put them away.

It was right then, that I realized that this little scenario was a typical example of my relationship with God.

I will set a goal, begin to take logical steps to meet that goal, and if things look like they are about to turn into a huge mess, or more accurately, are not going how I think they should be, I do everything within my power to control it, or to "fix" it. Today's sequence of events reminded me that what appears outwardly as chaos could actually be God's provision of my heart's desire.

And the winner is

Remember when I decided that I would start eating red meat again?
Well in an attempt to have me put my money where my mouth was, Dan suggested that we treat ourselves to a burger tasting around town.

The plan: From the many burger joints in town, Dan would narrow down two places for our burger consumption. We would visit each place individually, rank the burger, and at the end of the day declare a winner among the two contestants.

The Contestants:

VS.

First stop: Culver's

Now I had eaten at Culver's before. In fact, I used to love their tuna melt, but I had never had the ButterBurgers that always gets such rave reviews.
We decided to order one ButterBurger to split between the both of us. When it arrived at the table, I immediately approved of its appearance. The patty wasn't too thick or too thin, and even though we were in a fast food restaraunt, the burger didn't have that fast food look to it.
The first bite was quite good. Good flavor, great bread, not too greasy, and the burger proved to be downright tasty all the way through. Ian agreed as he happily chowed down on my our half of the burger. Yum, yum!

To cleanse our palate, we ordered some peach custard. (What. You didn't know you could use peach custard to cleanse your palate? Well you can. Ask any food critic. The fact that the custard was smooth, creamy, rich, and delicious had nothing to do with it. We were all about business, I promise)

Second stop: Mighty Fine
When we first arrived at Mighty Fine something quite bizarre happened. As I was getting Ian out of the car, I heard a man make a noise like he was trying to cough up a hairball. "WRAGH, WRAGH", he grunted. When he noticed we were looking in his direction, he yelled out towards us "That's a crazy burger man, a crazy burger." That's when I realized, he wasn't clearing his throat, he was expressing his pleasure over his food. I was intrigued.

Once we ordered and received our hamburger, I have to say, it didn't look like my kind of burger. The patty was entirely too thick, and it looked a tad bit greasy. But never one to judge a book by it's cover, I took a bite. I immediately though to myself, Ok, this is pretty good, but then it happened...
All of a sudden, taste buds that I didn't even know I had were awakened. This first bite was heavenly I tell you. I mean bright light shining down, angels singing, heavenly. So heavenly, that the when I finally composed myself to speak, the first words out of my mouth were "Good Lord". The diners sitting to our left laughed.
Oh, and Ian, he gobbled up that burger like nobody's business. You've never heard a 2 year old say yum so many times during a meal. It was absolutely fantastic.

While the Culver's burger was really good, I declared Mighty Fine the winner two bites into the burger. I mean really, there was no sense in delaying the inevitable.

By the way, I was mistaken. What I misjudged as grease on the Mighty Fine burger was actually flavor, baby. Pure, unadulterated, flavor.

We're marching to give all babies a healthy start

Dan and I, for our third year in a row, are participating in the March of Dimes - March for Babies walk. The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. We are walking in honor of our son Ian who, as most of you know, was born 16 weeks prematurely, and we need your help. How? We are asking you to please join us in our fund raising efforts today by donating to our family team.

You can make a secure financial contribution with a credit/debit card or PayPal by visiting our personal March for Babies webpage. If you prefer, we also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on our webpage, and follow the listed instructions.

Now if you happened to stumble across this blog, and have the desire to contribute, but are a little uncomfortable giving your name to a complete stranger, no need to fret. With an online contribution, you also have the opportunity to DONATE ANONYMOUSLY.

The March of Dimes mission is one that is, obviously, very personal to us. Our son was born at a mere 1lb 2oz, and we do not take for granted the significant role this life-saving research has played in his life.

Please consider joining us and millions of compassionate people across the country who support March for Babies each year.

https://www.marchforbabies.org/msims80

Obviously I'm biased...

But this kid is so freaking cute!


Before Church on Easter




In Front of Church Building





Back At Home



We had a good Easter weekend. We stayed in town since we had recently traveled to my hometown on Ian's birthday weekend (Did I mention that our little guy was sick on his birthday? He was so sad, although he perked up just a little once he saw the cheese pizza we ordered for him :) He seemed to recover by that weekend though, so we decided to continue with his birthday plans out of town. Anyway...)
Church was great, and on the way home, we decided to stop off and pick up some doughnuts. I think that may have to become an Easter tradition for us :) . I roasted a couple of cornish hens, and after coming off our sugar high, we gobbled that up as well. The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying the nice weather.
I found it quite fascinating that this past Sunday started out dark and stormy, but ended up turning into a gorgeous day.
Quite fitting for the event that we Christians were celebrating, no?

He's getting away

Not everyone loves the Easter bunny

2 years ago today...

When he was born, he immediately opened his eyes and began to look around. The doctors and nurses in the operating room were so surprised. Apparently, it is very rare for a baby born at 24 weeks gestation, a micro-preemie, to open their eyes; But that's my kiddo, he's very curious.

In the NICU, he quickly developed a reputation for being feisty. He pulled out his ventilator tube when he didn't feel like being intubated and put up a heck of a fight when it was time to have his diaper changed; But that's my kiddo, he is strong-willed.

Four weeks after his birth, when the docs discovered that our 2 pound son would need surgery, they were not very optimistic. They gently warned us that it was going to be tricky to operate on baby that was born so early, and that had been so sick. Surprisingly, (to the docs, not us, we knew we had tons of friends and family praying for us) the surgery was a breeze; But that's my kiddo, he's a fighter.

A few days ago, while walking him to his room for bed, he turned around so he could go give his Daddy another kiss on the cheek; That's my kiddo, he loves his Dad.

And last night, after several minutes of whining, I figured out that all he wanted to do was sit in my lap, read a book, and snuggle with me before bedtime; That's my kiddo, he sure knows how to put a smile on his Mom's face.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!!

Today is not just any old day

In the beginning, he was just the cool dude who worked on the dock at Montgomery Wards

A year or two later, he was the cute guy with the nice eyes and great smile

We started to date; I told my friends "He's different than the boyfriends I've had before"

One gorgeous spring afternoon, he became my husband

When our son was born prematurely, he was my protector and my comforter.

The same day our son was born, he had a birth as well, as a Daddy.

You see I've seen this man through several stages: Cool dude, nice guy, boyfriend, husband, protector, Daddy, and at each phase he has never ceased to amaze me.

Happy Birthday My Love

That's right ladies, you take a good look, but just remember he's MINE, MINE, MINE!!

Black History Month: Recognizing Patricia Bath

Patricia E. Bath, an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, is an innovative research scientist and advocate for blindness prevention, treatment, and cure. Her accomplishments include the invention of a new device and technique for cataract surgery known as laserphaco, the creation of a new discipline known as "community ophthalmology," and appointment as the first woman chair of ophthalmology in the United States, at Drew-UCLA in 1983.



Interested? Read more about Patricia Bath here
And remember folks, it's not just Black History, it's American History


Photo and article snippet from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov

Black History Month: Recognizing Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr

In 1987, Carson made medical history with an operation to separate a pair of Siamese twins. The Binder twins were born joined at the back of the head. Operations to separate twins joined in this way had always failed, resulting in the death of one or both of the infants. Carson agreed to undertake the operation. A 70-member surgical team, led by Dr. Carson, worked for 22 hours. At the end, the twins were successfully separated and can now survive independently.
Carson's other surgical innovations have included the first intra-uterine procedure to relieve pressure on the brain of a hydrocephalic fetal twin, and a hemispherectomy, in which an infant suffering from uncontrollable seizures has half of its brain removed.




Interested? Read more about Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr. here
And remember folks, it's not just Black History, it's American History




Photo from http://afam.nts.jhu.edu
Article Snippet from http://www.achievement.org

Black History Month: Recognizing Mae Jemison

When Jemison was chosen on June 4, 1987, she became the first African American woman ever admitted into the astronaut training program. After more than a year of training, she became an astronaut with the title of science-mission specialist, a job which would make her responsible for conducting crew-related scientific experiments on the space shuttle. On September 12, 1992, Jemison finally flew into space with six other astronauts aboard the Endeavour on mission STS-47. During her eight days in space, she conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the crew and herself. Altogether, she spent slightly over 190 hours in space before returning to Earth on September 20. Following her historic flight, Jemison noted that society should recognize how much both women and members of other minority groups can contribute if given the opportunity.


Interested? Read more about Mae Jemison here
And remember folks, it's not just Black History, it's American History


Photo from http://www.blackpast.org
Article snippet from
BOOKRAGS STAFF. "Mae C. Jemison". 2005. February 23 2009. http://www.bookrags.com/biography/mae-c-jemison

Black History Month: Remembering Otis F. Boykin

African-American inventor Otis F. Boykin's work on improved electrical resistors made possible the steady workings of a variety of now-ubiquitous electronic devices. Variations of his resistor models are used around the world today in televisions, computers and radios. Most notably, however, his work enabled control functions for the first successful, implantable pacemaker.
Boykin was born in Dallas, Texas, on August 29, 1920 to parents of modest means. His mother was a homemaker and his father was a carpenter. He graduated from Fisk University in 1941 and got a job as a laboratory assistant, testing automatic aircraft controls.


Interested? Read more about Otis F. Boykin here
And remember folks, it's not just Black History, it's American History




Photo from http://www.blackinventor.com
Article snippet from http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/boykin.html

Black History Month: Remembering Mary McLeod Bethune

Born the 15th of 17 children of former slaves in Maysville, South Carolina, Mary Jane McLeod Bethune eventually became a prominent educator, presidential advisor and political activist. As a child, Bethune quickly discovered education’s relationship to political and economic freedom through reading and writing. She was once ordered by a white child to put down a book after insisting that she could not read. Unlike her parents and siblings, Bethune was born free and was fortunate to be formally educated at the Maysville School, a missionary school for African Americans. Shortly after graduating from the Maysville School, Bethune continued her education on a scholarship at the Scotia Seminary for Girls in Concord, North Carolina. After graduating from Scotia, Bethune initially wanted to be a Christian missionary in Africa. After teaching and working among blacks she realized that “Africans in America needed Christ and school just as much as Negroes in Africa…My life work lay not in Africa but in my own country.”

Interested? Read more about Mary McLeod Bethune here
And remember folks, it's not just Black History, it's American History



Article snippet and photo from http://www.blackpast.org

Black History Month: Remembering Vivien Thomas

In Nashville, TN, this high school honors graduate dreamed of becoming a physician. Thomas, a skilled carpenter, saved for seven years to pay for his education. However, he lost his savings during the Great Depression. In 1930, he was hired as a janitor in the laboratory at Vanderbilt University. There he met Dr. Alfred Blalock, a white physician who became a pioneer in cardiac surgery. Blalock mentored Thomas and taught him to conduct experiments.
In 1941, Blalock transferred to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and asked Thomas to transfer as well. While at Hopkins, they developed a procedure to save “blue babies” afflicted with congenital heart defects.

Interested? Read more about Vivien Thomas here
And remember folks, it's not just Black History, it's American History



Article snippet and photo from http://www.blackpast.org

Just Because

What do you get when you ask an almost 2 year old to put on his PJ's?

How can you tell when your toddler might be hungry?

Who loves to lie in the floor with his favorite blanket after a bath?

Who is in the driver's seat?

There is this sentiment among people of faith that we are committed to "following God." That we are no longer focused on seeking our own will, but instead we have decided to "put God first." This putting God first, it governs our thoughts, our decisions, our very way of life.

If you would have asked me 6 months ago if any of the aforementioned phrases were true for me, I would not have hesitated to answer yes. But if there is one thing this study of the life of Moses is teaching me, it is that God is not the leader in our relationship, particularly when it comes to my decision making process.

See, in order for God to be the leader, I would have to be the follower, and while that statement sounds fairly straight forward, it is something I have to remind myself of on a daily basis. I've realized that my decision making process does not allow God to be the pilot of the aircraft that I call my life. Instead, he is more like a co-pilot with clearance to take over only in the case of emergencies. Don't believe me? Let me show you how I generally make decisions.

We interrupt this post to bring you a very important PSA: I emphasize that this is the way I generally make decisions because there are more steps involved in the decision making process since I got married. Dan and I discuss pretty much everything, however since I'm the one that is putting all of my business out in the street on a blog, I've decided to focus on my part solely.
You may now continue with your reading about my decision making process

Step 1: Think of all possible options for the situation
Step 2: Weigh the pros and cons of each
Step 3: Based on the pros and cons, make a decision that sits well with me
Step 4: Verify the choice I've made doesn't require me to sin, or do something that goes against my conscience
Step 5: Pray that God blesses the decision that I have made, and throw in a caveat that if this isn't the path I should go down, for God to work his magic to make sure it doesn't happen.
Step 6: Take the steps to make my decision a reality


Now for years I've thought that this has been a pretty good way to make decisions.
It seemed to be very logical, it involved prayer, and I even did a check to make sure I wasn't doing anything that went against God's will, as I understood it. After taking a second glance, however, I'm beginning to realize that if I actually placed God first, my decision making process would look like this:

Step 1: Pray for God's direction and guidance in the situation
Step 2: Upon receiving God's instruction, take steps to make God's decision a reality

Can I tell you a little secret? That second approach to decision making, you know the one where God comes first, it makes me nervous. What would my life look like if I truly submitted to God's will on things like: what local church/denomination to be apart of, how many children to have, or not have, whether to work outside of the home, or be a stay at home parent, what church ministry I would be best suited for, if any; The possibilities are endless and the entire process can be quite intimidating.

Sometimes the things God guided Moses to do intimidated him. They weren't logical, and they didn't sit well with him, but he still did it. Moses just went about God's mission with faith that the choices made would be for his good and God's glory. I guess I need to find the courage to do the same.

Inauguration Day- 2009

To say I'm excited is an understatement

To say I'm in awe doesn't do this day justice

To believe Obama will solve all of this country's problems is naivete,

But to not acknowledge the significance of this day is foolishness

How logical are you?

During my blog hopping today, I ran across this quiz: Test your logic

As the name implies, it's a fun little quiz to determine how logical you are. The questions look something like this:

A. Mel is a woman
B. Mel scored 93% on the logic quiz
C. None of the men in Mel's office scored above 93% on the logic quiz

Conclusion:
Women are more logical than men, and as a result men should always comply with our wishes.

VALID or INVALID?

You be the judge ;)

Mel's Musings (and Rants)

It's that time again...

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Dear generic pack and play manufacturer,

I thank you for your nifty creation. It has served my family quite well, as we use it as a bed for my son while traveling. You have saved my husband and me countless beatings by my son's flailing limbs in the middle of the night.
I do, however, have a suggestion for improvement. The mattress for this delightful contraption makes a rustling noise whenever my kid changes positions. For the normal child this isn't a problem, but when you have a child that flops around like a bat out of you-know-where, this does not create an ideal sleeping experience. In fact, it causes said child to wake up earlier than normal since the sound of *crinkle, crinkle, crinkle* wakes him from his peaceful slumber. Not good. A tired toddler, equals a cranky toddler who gives you the evil eye because he was awakened before he was ready .
Please consider making future mattresses out of a less noisy material. The life you save may be your own.

Signed,

Sleeping with one eye open

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Why is it now popular to make H's silent in the words that begin with the letter? Instead of Huge, it's Yooge; Instead of Houston, TX, it's Yooston, TX; And the one that makes me want to pull my hair out strand by strand, instead of Human, it's Yooman. Hey you, silent H guy! Not pronouncing the letter H doesn't make you sound smart, it makes you sound silly. Oh, and you can save sending me a link to an online dictionary giving alternate pronunciations to prove these are valid. These are the same people that added the word bling to the dictionary. BLING! Ugh, idiocracy has begun.

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While we are talking about language, has anyone else noticed that, beginning at the height of election season and continuing through now, everyone has started using the word fundamentally more often? During the debates both Obama and McCain (although I noticed it with Obama more often) would pinpoint a particular issue and then describe how they were "fundamentally different" from their opponent. Now you hear the word fundamentally everywhere:
"This is how the Zone diet is fundamentally different from Atkins", "This is how satellite is fundamentally different from cable", "This is how salmon is fundamentally different from tuna ."

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I know it's a little early, but say it with me: Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day, Valentine's day, NOT Valentime's day. There's no M in the word people. Every year, in early February, I hear good, law abiding, tax paying citizens slash the second N and replace it with a M. I'm sure the N doesn't appreciate it. What did the N ever do to you to warrant this behavior?
Don't worry, now that I've pointed out this bold misuse of the letter M, you'll notice it too. You'll notice it just like you notice nails on a chalkboard.

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While we're on the subject, why is Valentine's day even a holiday? I know I'm a woman and I'm supposed to love Valentine's day, but, not so much. It's too forced.
Every year people try to find some new, unique, and outlandish way to show their love on that particular day, and they do it simply because the media told them to.
I'm all for romance, and I won't turn down a date with my hubby, even if it is on February 14th, but really, it's just another day. Dan and I have spent several Valentine's days doing absolutely nothing. I don't understand why some people get upset when their significant other doesn't do anything "special" on February 14th. You'll win more points with me by doing something romantic, just because you feel like it, one of the other 364 days of the year. This is why my husband is perfect for me. Most men would think Valentines day would be the perfect day to propose, but not my Dan.
Oh, what's that? You're asking me the date Dan proposed? February 15th. *Blissful Sigh* He sooo gets me.

In need of repair

I think my filter on the things a good Christian is supposed to say (or better yet, not say), is totally broken. A prime example is an incident that occurred in the international bible study that I am apart of.

This year we are studying the life of Moses, and we came to the passage where Moses tells the Levites that, according to God, they should kill 3000 Israelites because they were worshipping an idol (I'm paraphrasing, but you can read the exact text in Ex.32:25-29). Well to make a long story short, I had a brief, yet spirited outburst on how it was ridiculous that we were expected to gloss over this story and it's outcome as perfectly normal. I then posed the question: "If someone killed your family member today, but then explained that it was only because God told them to, how would you feel about it? You would probably say they were insane, right?" I got a few people that agreed with me, and it was immediately followed by an awkward silence (I'm sure the group discussion leader was horrified..sorry).

Just today I was talking with my father about a friend of the family that flew to Amsterdam because he says God told him to go there to pray for a particular man. My dad said he believes this friend is mentally ill, but if this same story were in the Bible our family friend would be praised as a man of faith. What gives?

In my mind, it seems the spiritual insights of the Bible are very much intertwined with the customs, traditions, and legends of the time period in which it was written. Combine that with the fact that we are reading this book through the lens of the particular time period we are living in, and we get to the point of why I'm not fond of using the Bible as an all inclusive "rulebook," for lack of a better term. In today's world we write off God ordained murders and hearing a literal voice of God as mental illness, yet when we read the same stories in the Bible it is perfectly OK.

If you are ever in a room with several Christians and a discussion about -oh I don't know- women holding leadership roles in church, or even actively participating in a worship service surfaces, many Christians (the denomination I grew up in included) condemn it saying that God forbids it, and will then use the same Bible to prove their point. It just seems to be a bit inconsistent.

Why aren't we as Christians allowed to say, "You know, some of the things in the Bible don't make sense to me and may not gel with my experiences and understanding of who God is, but that's OK. And it's OK because my faith is not confined to a book (no matter how inspired it is). My faith is in a Spirit; My faith is in a God that is inspiring me, shaping me, and molding me into a person of Truth, and a person that gives and reflects Love."

What's so wrong with that?

Happy New Year

Photo courtesy of Dekuwa

I hope your 2009 is filled with Love, Peace, Joy, and plain ole' fun!