Prop 8 and Hate

Let me make a statement: I am sick and tired of being called "hateful" by people who don't know me at all. Not even a little bit.

In fact, if the same people who call me "hateful" knew me, they would know that I don't even ever use the word "hate" in relationship to people because I know the Biblical definition of "hate" and since I do not wish anyone to die, I don't say it.

Today, over on Malott's Blog, I was called "hateful" for my comments about the homosexual lifestyle and the pushy agenda of the homosexual activists. So, let me state for the record how I feel and why I feel that way.

I, in no way, shape or form, hate any homosexuals. I have never been physically or verbally violent to a homosexual. I have never spewed threats or misinformation about homosexuals. I have, in fact, never treated them any differently than another other heterosexual person. Nor will I.

So how can I be called "hateful"?

Let me tell you.

I am considered to be "hateful" by homosexual activists who are angry that I will not condone, endorse or accept their chosen lifestyle. I am considered to be "hateful" because I call the homosexual lifestyle a sin. (Which, by the way, would also make Jesus Christ "hateful" by this standard.)

The Bible says, in I Corinthians 6:9-10, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually imoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

No matter how you interpret this, the homosexual lifestyle is wrong in the eyes of God. It is a sin. It is not a sin any worse than any other, but it is still a sin and as such, it will, by God's own definition, separate us from Him.

The good news is that the passage above goes on to say, in verse 11, "And that is what some of you were. [sinners] But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." We've all sinned, in some way or another, but with salvation through Christ, we can be reconciled to God once again, despite our sins.

However, the passage does not say that we should condone sinful behavior. Instead it warns Christians against being "deceived" into believing that we can be tolerant of sinful behavior and still belong to God.

How then, can I be a good Christian, one who believes the Bible as the inspired word of God, and tolerate and accept a behavior that I know would separate a person from God? Is it loving or hateful to want a person to spend an eternity in heaven with God? Is it loving or hateful to go along with the crowd and allow thousands of men and women to fall into sinful lifestyles without saying a word against it? Is it loving or hateful to stand up against sinful behavior in order to prevent more people from being deceived and lulled into a false sense of security?

I truly, from the core of my being, believe that homosexuality is wrong and that it is a dangerous and risky lifestyle that puts many lives at risk. I firmly believe that it is not in the best interest of children to be raised by two dads or two moms. It is well documented that the homosexual lifestyle is risky to one's health. So why would I stand back and allow others to go down this destructive path without sounding a warning? Isn't it more compassionate, and therefore loving, to try to prevent others from being hurt?

And so this is why I am called "hateful" when I (and many, many others) take a stand against homosexuality, and especially legislation that attempts to force this lifestyle choice in my face again and again. Over and over again, homosexual activists try to enact legislation that will force the rest of us to accept their choices, even when those choices are harmful and destructive. Time and again, these activists call us hateful for taking a stand for what we believe in. Just like when the majority speaks, as in the case of Calif. Prop. 8, and we vote against homosexual legislation, we are called "hateful".

I, for one, am sick of it and I'm not going to sit back and just be silent anymore. Sometimes the truth offends. Sometimes the truth is not what we want to hear. But just because a minority is offended, this does not make me "hateful".

So I have this to say...if the homosexual activists want to call me names and pretend that I am a bigot or hateful, fine. It doesn't make it true. And if they keep pushing their sinful lifestyle in my face and down my throat, fine go ahead, but don't expect me to sit back and take it without a fight. I'm ready to fight and so are a lot of others. So give it your best shot but be ready for the rest of us "hateful" people. We love you so much, we'll fight to keep you from destroying yourselves and society.

Brrrrr....

And the snow season has officially begun!

We woke up to about 10-12 inches of snow this morning. It was barely snowing last night before bed, and then...this.

Above: The back deck. The snow is just piled up that high. No wind to make drifts.

Above and Below: View from the front door. The snow is up to Bella's tummy, so it has to be about a foot high. She enjoyed her morning romp (umm, I mean constitution) in the snow.

Fun stuff...except if you have to go anywhere!

Mama-Bear Syndrome

Today Emily and I went to the mall, partly to get out of the house, partly because I have B-day money to spend, and mostly because I need to start doing some Christmas shopping.

So anyhow, as is typical of our mall outings, we always end up in the play area. Usually there are 3-4 other kids there at any given time, often in the toddler range, sometimes older. Today, there were probably 20+ kids, mostly Em's age and younger. It was quite crowded and most of the kids belonged to a group of 3 moms who decided to park their large strollers in the entrance/exit and then sit in front of the strollers, completely blocking access in or out. There are comfy couch-like seats all around the play area where most (normal) parents sit, but as quickly became apparent, these moms weren't really concerned with proper etiquette.

Before I go on, allow me to characterize these women for you. All were dressed in the most fashionable Gap (or similar) clothing, had the most expensive purses and diaper bags, the most trendy strollers and jewelry and all of their (many) children were little mini-fashionistas.

Now lest you get the idea that I am jealous, think again. I could shop at the Gap (and do from time to time). I could have exactly what they have, but I don't really care about the latest trends, so I don't. I care more about Emily and more about how she acts than how she looks.

And this is where the Mama-bear instinct comes in....the worst offender in the above mom description had at least 4 boys, one of whom was brandishing a long sword the entire time. This wouldn't have bothered me that much if there were 3-4 kids playing there, or even if mom had been paying attention, but since neither scenario was the case, it was just a major menace as he ran around the area hitting people and generally being too wild. Then, the same child, who was playing with his little group of friends apparently couldn't be bothered to include anyone else. Emily, our little "friend to all" wanted to play and asked if she could, only to be told that she was in the way and bothering them. Then, to top it all off, the sword-brandishing boy came over to where I was sitting (a few feet from the 3 moms) and loudly told me, while pointing his finger at Emily, that "she was bothering them and they didn't like her and didn't want to play with her and that she had to leave them alone". He told this to me...her MOM. What nerve! I pretty much ignored his little tyrade and then quietly told Emily that he wasn't being very nice and that she should just go play with some of the other kids.

Then later, I was helping Em climb out of something in the play area and I quietly told her that I didn't want her climbing in it anymore (since you're not really supposed to be inside it anyway). Well, the same little brat (I mean boy) loudly told me that "I can do whatever I want to do!". Again, what nerve to mouth off to someone else's mom. I wasn't talking to him, and I told him that and then we walked away.

What is wrong with kids today? Oh wait...maybe it's parents who are so self-absorbed that they care more about appearances than character. Maybe it's a problem with parents who care more about fitting in with their friends than paying attention to their kids and taking the time to correct bad behavior. Maybe the problem lies in a culture that tells parents and educators that kids should be able to decide things for themselves, the consequences be darned. Perhaps it's the ridiculous propping up of self-esteem and praise for absolutely nothing that makes kids believe that they "can do whatever they want" and don't have to answer to anyone or be in submission to any authority.

Perhaps what's wrong with kids lies in the parents.

I'm not a happy Mama bear today. I couldn't protect her tender feelings, but I could teach her that we don't act like that because it's not nice, it hurts other people and it's rude. Somehow, I'm pretty sure little sword-boy hasn't ever heard that lesson, nor is he likely to anytime soon.

29: Going once, Going Twice....GONE!

Officially, I am still 29...at least until 7:49 pm. Then, another decade is behind me, with a new one staring me right in the face.

I was awakened this morning, as usual, to Emily yelling "Daddy...Mommy!!" (Repeat at will) Then I was instructed to stay in bed for a while. So I did...and I was treated to breakfast in bed. This breakfast consisted of a paper plate that read, "So many candles, so little breathe!" and on it was a granola bar (the breakfast of champions). I was also given the royal treatment: a plastic tiara, plastic clip-on earrings and 6 mardi-gras style beaded necklaces.

And this was all before I got out of bed.

I am told that I will going out to eat later, at the restaurant of choice. Em suggested Subway at Walmart, to which Daddy replied, "You are going to make some young man very happy someday." I believe she said, "I know." I am toying with the idea of either Red Lobster or Famous Dave's. Just not sure which fits my mood better yet. Then we will be shopping for a special controller for our recently purchased Wii game so that A and I can play the oldie but goodie, Donkey Kong game.

More to come later....until then, Life is Good!

And He Gave Them What They Wanted...

Sometimes, we get exactly what we ask for.

I am reminded today of the story of the first king of Israel. Since someone reading this might not know the story, I am going to include the passage of this event from I Samuel 8:1-22 (NIV version)

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges forIsrael. The name of the firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."


When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king

This story has been on my mind a lot the last couple of days. It strikes me
as eerily similar to what we, the people of this country, are going through.

Some, like Samuel, hear the cries of the crowds for "change" and a new leader and recognize it for what it is...a rejection of the traditional principles that have successfully governed our country and the whole-hearted acceptance, despite the dire warnings, of something new...desiring to be just like the rest of the world.

Those of us who recognize the danger of choosing someone like Obama have been trying so hard to warn others that this modern-day king will not be what they hoped for. Instead, he will ultimately make things much harder for them. And because of all the hardship that he imposes, eventually the people will cry out to be rescued, but it may very well be too late. This is what the people wanted, and sometimes, God gives us EXACTLY what we ask for, even when He knows it will not be good, simply because He knows we have rejected Him and will no longer listen.

I believe that day came yesterday.

The majority of people got precisely what they have clamored for. The majority wanted Obama to be our leader. They put all their faith and trust in this man and they now expect him to fix all their problems, simply because he said the things they wanted to hear. Never mind that absolutely no earthly leader could fix those problems, the majority chose to trust in a man, so God gave them a man....and they will get that which they asked for.

However, it would be wise for the majority to remember that the words of God, to the people of Israel, when they begged Him for an earthly, physical leader. When a nation rejects it's Godly foundation and principles, the human leaders will be free to reign as they see fit and it won't be pretty. There will be taxes and war and pain and suffering and servitude. We will be BEGGING to be rescued, and God will no longer listen (for a time) because He tried to warn us. But we didn't listen.

The bright side of this story is that, just as with Israel, God is patient and loving and kind. He will probably choose to let us wallow in our own self-inflicted misery for a while, but He will not leave us alone, and if we humble ourselves and repent and change our ways, turning back to Him, then He will heal our land and deliver us from our bondage.

But as I always think when I read about the Israelites and their habit of turning away from God time and again, only to find themselves in deep doo-doo, wouldn't it have just been easier if they'd listened to God the first time?

And finally, to those who might be reading this and thinking...I DIDN't vote for Obama, but now I'm going to suffer along with those who did. Remeber that God is still in control and that He does not forget His children or abandon them. The words of the following hymn are a comfort to me, when I get discouraged, so I'll leave them for you:

Be still my soul; the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or shame.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still my soul, thy best, they heavenly friend,

Through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul; thy God doth undertake

to guide the future, as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

all now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still my soul, the waves and winds still know,

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Number 387

Well, I did my civic duty and voted this morning. I was vote number 387 in our polling place, and since I often vote around the same time of day for each election, I would say that the number is quite a bit higher than usual. I think I am typically only the 160th or so vote, but I might be remembering incorrectly.

I didn't really have to wait more than about 5 minutes and most of that was just the deaf poll workers trying to communicate with each other and find my name on the roster.

Sadly, I am virtually positive that my county will vote Democrat (as usual). Then they will continue to gripe and complain about unemployment and high taxes and gas prices and SOARING crime rates. You know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. But will it stop them? Not a chance.

Oh well, I did my part, I have prayed and cast my vote and now I will wait...and avoid the MSM for as long as humanly possible as they will lie and skew every poll and result that drifts in. I have a feeling it could be a long night.

For the record, the cashier at Walgreens predicts an Obama landslide. I (politely) told her I didn't think so. We'll see who is right.

T-Rex...the Restaurant

On Monday evening, we ventured out to the Downtown Disney area (mostly shopping and restaurants) to try a brand new restaurant called T-Rex. We didn't have reservations and weren't sure if we would have trouble getting in, but as it turned out, we were seated immediately. If you've ever been to the Rainforest Cafe, this is run by the same people and is quite similar in the experience and quality of food. We all liked the restaurant, but I can only imagine what a dino-crazy little boy would have thought.

Above is a picture of the outside of the building. There is a HUGE dino skeleton (I was too close to get the whole thing) on the outside.

Inside, there are different theme rooms. We were seated beside the bar in the "coral reef" room. (Personally, I like this one the best as it is the most colorful.) Above the bar is a HUGE octopus and a very large salt-water fish tank. Our table was just to the right of this.

Right behind me was a rather large wooly mammoth that would periodically come to "life".

The room behind the coral reef was the "ice age" room. Everything appeared frozen and would change from blue to purple to orange/red. It was pretty cool...pun intended!

The picture above is from our table looking out to the entrance and (of course) the gift shop. Note the HUGE dino that greets you as you enter.

There were two other rooms, but the place was very busy and I didn't want to get in the servers' way more than I already was, so my pictures are not very good from there.

All in all, it was a do-again and I predict we will have to wait a lot longer next time!

Random Disney Moments

Mom and Emily, riding the teacups. (Mom was the only one brave enough to ride this with Em.)

Emily pulling on the "Sword in the Stone" in front of the "Horsey Merry-go-Round", a favorite for Emily.

Emily being "eaten" by Bruce the shark (of Finding Nemo fame)


Em, posing outside of the Finding Nemo ride/exhibit. The seagulls to the left of the sign periodically say "Mine, Mine, Mine". (You'd have to see the movie to get it)

And finally, Emily running around in the "Journey Into Imagination" exhibit. The squares on the floor would light up when the instrument on them was playing in the song. If a kid stepped on it while it was lit up, the instrument would sound. Emily LOVED this.

A Day Late...But Still Scary

Well Isn't This Rich?

Apparently all the "Hope" Obama is spreading around thick enough to need wading boots might just be a tad bit too optimistic.

According to Tim Reid, of the Times of London (as found on Fox News), Mr. Obama's plans for America sound too good to be true...even to Obama. As a result, senior advisors to Mr. Obama are drawing up plans to scale back expectations for the (already-won) Obama presidency so that all of his frenzied supporters who were counting on "change they can believe in" won't be too disappointed when it doesn't happen right away (or at all).

Says Mr. Obama, " 'The first hundred days is going to be important, but it's probably going to be the first thousand days that makes the difference,' he said. He has also been reminding crowds in recent days how 'hard' it will be to achieve his goals, and that it will take time."

So to all those Obama supporters out there, don't get your "hope"s up for too much "change" any time soon. You can keep "believing in" it, but you won't being seeing it in the near future. Even Obama is saying it will take at least 3 years to see any results...and that's only if his plans work. Guess you'd better "hope" his "change" is worth believing in!

Pre-school Costume Party

And now we break from Disney photos for a quick peek into the exciting times of a pre-school costume party.

Emily's school allowed the kids to wear their halloween costumes today (since this is the last day they go before halloween) and the classes had a little party with crafts and treats.

The first picture is of Emily with her best buddy Amelia on the left and Riley (who just wanted to be in the picture!). Note that while Em is likely the youngest among them, she is still the tallest.

Next we have and action shot. You might notice that Amelia is still close to Em. I have a feeling the whole time is like that most days.

And here we have Miss Emily and two of the boys in her class, playing with grape-scented playdoh.

Next I included the shot of the little boy on the far right because he really likes Emily. Apparently while we were on vacation, he was very concerned about her whereabouts every day and when she didn't come on Monday, he was REALLY worried. Apparently Mr. Ben likes Miss Em!

And finally, not related to the class party at all, Emily and I made and decorated sugar cookies with a fall theme. Pumpkins and leaves...and they taste good too!

A Meal Fit for a Princess (or Five!)

Our little Princess Emily loves anything and everything involving the Disney princesses. Every night for about a year and a half, she has slept in her "pincess besses" (aka princess nightgowns), she loves any and all princess movies and quite possibly one of the highlights of her trip was our breakfast with almost all of the Disney princesses.

We decided to try a new (to us) restaurant in Epcot, in the country of Norway, called Akershus that had a princess character breakfast. As with the dinner at Cinderella's castle (which apparently Cinderella never leaves) the meal included a photo package with Belle of Beauty and the Beast fame. The food was excellent, with a large fruit and pastry buffet and a nice family-style, all-you-care-to-eat hot food platter with sausage, bacon, eggs and cheesy potato casserole. As we dined, we were visited by four other princesses.

Above: Emily posing with Belle

Above: Emily and Snow White


Above: Em and her current favorite, Sleeping Beauty (forever known to us as "Seeping Booty")

Above: Miss Em with Princess Jasmine

Above: Last but not least, Emily with Mulan

Overall, the whole family enjoyed the meal and we decided that it was a definite do-again. I would recommend this to any family with little girls, as it was one of the more laid-back meet-and-greets.

Dinner at the Castle

On Monday evening, we dined royally. We took Emily to Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle to dine. The meal included a photo packagae with Cinderella herself, so Emily's night was made. The picture above (the lighted area with the huge windows) was the dining room, which over-looked Fantasy Land.

Above: Emily poses for her official photo with Cindy herself. We got a nice photo, but my camera was on a weird setting that wouldn't allow flash, so my pictures here weren't great.

Above: The Royal Menu

Above: Emily gets into the performance, waving her magic wand along with the music.

And finally, no Cinderella story would be complete without a visit from the Fairy Godmother and Cinderella's friendly mice. (Again, the picture quality was less-than-stellar.)

Fall Family Vacation

This past week, we took a much-needed family vacation to, (where else?) Walt Disney World. We started driving on Friday morning and arrived at our hotel in Orlando sometime on Saturday evening. (I don't remember the time...we had all just been in the van too long!) We got a good night's sleep and then began the vacation in the Magic Kingdom, as is tradition.

Above is a picture of Cinderella's castle as viewed from main street.

This picture is of the same castle from a side view. The flowers and gardens in Disney world are beautiful year-round and the day was pretty spectacular too.


The picture above was taken as we walked through the ticket booths. Up above the main walkway is the railroad station and apparently the characters ride in on the train first thing in the morning to greet the early birds who are there at the park's opening. (I've been quite a few times now, but I've never seen the characters ride in before. There were more, but I won't bore you with all of them!)

After having our bags inspected, our tickets and finger prints scanned and fighting the masses of humanity, we headed straight for every child's favorite ride...DUMBO! Here is one of the many rides Emily took with various members of our family, this time with Daddy.

And finally, the picture above is of Emily donning her 3-D glasses just before Mickey's Philharmagic show. She really didn't know what to think of it, but it was more fun for us to watch Em react to what she was seeing.

Fall Photo Shoot

Today was such a perfectly beautiful fall day that I decided to try out my still-new camera and take some pictures of my favorite subject....Emily!

The first photo is Em standing at one of the railings along the trail by the local river. I thought the bright yellow tree would make a nice backdrop. Em picked the pose.

Below is Miss Em throwing tiny red maple leaves. She had no problem doing this over and over to "get" the shot!

Now we are a little closer to the river and playing hide-and-seek with the tree.

Our little "tree-hugger". (No, not that kind!) She's much sweeter.

And finally, gazing out over the river. I had planned on taking lots more pictures, but unfortunately, the battery in my camera gave out at just the wrong time. Oh well...there will be other days....

Pumpkin Patch Time!

Saturday was a beautiful day, more like Indian summer than Indiana fall, so we headed out for some family fall fun.

We started the day with a treat...breakfast at McDonalds. After briefly thinking I might have won the $100,000 grand Monopoly prize, I recovered from my disappointment and we headed to a local pumpkin patch. Em was supposed to go with her class next week, but as it turns out, that will conflict with our much-anticipated trip to Disney World with Pa and "Bammaw". So being the fantastic parents that we are, we took Emily ourselves.

Below is a picture of Em inside the barn where there were animals to look see.

Next we have Miss Emily pointing us in the correct direction in the corn maze.

And below, Emily is marking her card after finding one of the farm animal markers in the maze.

Next up is Emily, hiding in the corn. She's a cutie, I know!

And finally, after much deliberation, we have a pumpkin!

Thoughts on the Election and Some Suggestions for McCain

I am fed up. I am frustrated. I am mad as heck and I don't want to take it anymore. I almost want to run for president myself.

I haven't commented much about the election this year, not because it doesn't interest me, but rather because it infuriates me and I'm certain it poses a health risk in the form of too much stress and high blood pressure. That being said, I've held my tongue long enough and I need to vent.

For the record, I will vote Republican. I will cast a vote for Palin/McCain (order intended). But I am almost ready to say I'm as done with the Republicans as the Democrats. Both parties are so messed up and wrong on so many issues that the majority of Republicans no longer represent me. I think it's bad enough that I am done calling myself a Republican and ready to just label myself as Conservative, because apparently the current Senate and House Repubs (with a very few excluded) do not believe in being both.

Now, before I go on, let me publically state that I could not be prouder of Indiana Republican Congressman Mike Pence. I wish I lived in his district so he could represent me. I wish I could cast my vote for him. He GETS IT. He understands what we are up against. He stands, solidly, for conservative values and principles, he votes for them and he is not afraid to rock the boat. Talk about a true maverick! In fact, I inted to write him a letter, thanking him for his service to our country and for the people of Indiana and maybe even begging (I mean, asking) him to consider a run for the presidency.

That being said, if I had to write a letter to Dick Lugar, Indiana's "esteemed" Republican senior Senator, I would beg him to step down ASAP. I would also like to send that kind of letter to most of the current Congress. That, of course, includes John McCain.

And herein lies my biggest frustration. I will happily admit that I was never a fan of McCain. I never wanted him to be the Republican candidate for President. But I also knew that this election was far too important to risk voting for a better candidate who had no chance of beating the Democrat nominee.

Now I'm not certain there's a great deal of difference on a good many issues between the two parties. It's that bad. On the other hand, I do recognize that McCain is right on a few absolutely essential, must-win issues such as the right to life, the war on terror and judicial nominations. It is these three issues that make McCain worth my vote. And yours. Even if we have to grit our teeth, hold our tongue and bit our lip while we pull the level or fill in the ballot. It's that important.

So now that all of that "stuff" is out of the way, I need to vent. I am absolutely furious at John McCain. I hate that he voted for the bailout bill the first time. I am livid that he voted for it, now loaded with PORK, the second time. I am beyond livid that he ignored the will of the people and did whatever the heck he wanted, the consequences be....well, you know. I am so utterly sick of hearing that McCain is a "maverick". Since when is going along with the crowd, riding the fence and "reaching across party aisles" being a maverick? Since when is refusing to be partisan being a maverick? Anyone?? McCain is nothing more than a moderate on MOST issues and that irritates me to no end. He's nothing new in Washington. He isn't an outsider...he's an insider just like virtually all of the current Congressional leaders.

I could not attend one his rallies or town hall meetings without being disgusted. No, it wouldn't be disgust at what he said, but rather, what he stubbornly refuses to say. McCain has had so many perfect opportunities to to knock out Obama and Biden, but he is determined to, in his mind, "play nice" to the extent that it may very well lose him the election. Can somebody explain to me what is wrong with being "partisan"? How about what is evil or nasty about telling the truth about an opponent, particularly when the opponent's own words can be used to hammer home the point?

And so now, I addrees you,Sen. McCain. Your base (who you obviously either don't recognize or studiously ignore) WANT you to be partisan. We are literally BEGGING you to take off the gloves, and start an all out war against Obama. Telling the truth about Barack Obama is not wrong or partisan or nasty...it is your job and duty to the American people. The truth needs to be heard and repeated and shouted at every opportunity from you and your campaign every minute of every hour until every vote has been counted. Talk about Obama's association with Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, ACORN and so on until every American who has a television or radio or newspaper knows who the real Barack Obama is. And if you won't do it, then let Sarah Palin attack. Something tells me she won't hesitate. Don't just sit there and assume that being nice and having an honorable war record will win you this election. I'm only one person. I'm only one vote. I will tell anyone who cares why I will cast my vote for your party, but now it's your turn to get out there and fight for this election, fight for your base, fight for your principles and fight for the future of this country. The other side is fighting tooth and nail...and so must you.

First Field Trip - The Apple Orchard

About a week ago, Emily and I went on her first-ever official school field trip. It was rather disorganized, but I think Em enjoyed herself, even though she had had 3 vaccinations and the flu mist the day before, had a huge welt on her thigh from the DTap vax, and would throw up at school the next day. (Our life is rarely boring!)

Below is Emily picking her very first apple. She didn't really want to pick the green ones, but she just couldn't wait until we walked all the way back to the red section.

Below, we have Em playing a bit of hide-and-seek for the camera.

Em, proudly displaying one of her red apples while wearing her apple shirt and matching apple jeans that her Aunt Kathy bought for her. (It just seemed appropriate...)

A self-portrait of Emily and Mom. Not great, but still, a memory. (Ignore the "boohind" of some other person that appears to be sticking out of my head!)

And finally, what to do with a grocery bag full of somewhat ripe apples that you purchased for a whole dollar? Make home-made apple pie, of course! (Is there really any other answer?) Emily helped me make the pie, but then never wanted to eat any of it, so Andrew and I had a delightful late-night treat of apple pie a la mode for quite a few days! (It was even better than it looks.)

School Days

This was the first day of school (speech therapy) last year. Emily was almost 3 years old.

Below is the first day of school (actual pre-school) for 2008. Emily was a week away from being 4. Although she is standing on her toes a bit, notice the huge amount of growth from one year to the next. (The wreath on the door is the same.)

Here is Emily in her classroom on her birthday. She got to wear a special birthday crown and, being the wonderful mom that I am, she handed out homemade cupcakes with sprinkles to her 9 other classmates.


I stayed around to help on her birthday, so I took a couple pictures of the birthday girl in action with her classmates.

And below we have a picture of Emily's gym class. This particular day the class was playing with a parachute, making bean-bag frogs bounce up and down on the parachute. (Am I the only one who totally does not "get" the whole parachute thing?) Clearly however, Em enjoyed the activity.

So there you have it....the beginning of the 2008 school year in pictures!