A Very Merry Christmas

We had a very wonderful Christmas holiday. Eventhough, my Dad and his wife were in Oregon and not able to make it down for the holiday we all sent each ther gifts via UPS. We spent Christmas Eve at Andrew's parents with some of his family ate a lovely dinner and played Rock Band 2 the rest of the night. It was a pretty long day since I worked a half day on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day arrived at my sister's house at around 9am and began starting breakfast, which is now all our favorite, Eggs Benedict. Me and my sister did most of the work but Andrew did help with making the hash browns. Hezekiah enjoyed his hash browns and fruit for breakfast. Then it was present time, we all got some wonderful gifts this year. My sister got the iPod Touch and her husand got a GPS. Andrew got a nice heart rate monitor and I got a waffle maker and... drum roll please.... an iPhone. I have been needing a new phone desperately so this was a very nice gift. It has been quite an adjustment to get used to it but very nice.

This morning I decided to pull out my new wafflemaker and make some waffles for all 3 of us. Then at 11am, I am doing a photo shoot with my Pastor's family since they are all in town for the holiday it looks like perfect timing. Should be pretty fun, gonna try some new poses and shots so we will see how these turn out. Those posts will be coming later!

Our little Christmas

This year, we decided to not get a regular size tree because we are afraid that our curious toddler will either pull it down or pull everything off of the tree. We decided to do a small table top tree and put all our presents on a separate table. Christmas doesn't quite seem the same but next year when he is not so defiant we should be able to get a regular size tree. I lit up my pine smelling candle instead to try and get the smell.... ahhh just another joy of having a toddler!

For those organic people

Somewhat like me, I do the best I can (within my means) to be more organic. I am not a modern hippie or anything that uses cloth diapers or anything (although I know it better for the environment, I refuse to wash diapers in the same thing I wash my clothes in)... Anyway, I am all about non toxic toys and so I found a really cool website for those that are looking for more "Organic toys" at: Greensproutsbaby.com

This is currently the toys I am looking at purchasing for Hezekiah, mainly because most toys don't reach back far enough to get to this molars that are trying to come through... the design of this toy looks pretty good for what I am looking for specifically.



Also, there is a great organization that is doing a lot of work in getting toxic toys out of the stores, and also trying to push manufacturers to stop making toxic toys. You can go to this website, register, and do a search or toys to see if any of the toys you currently have are toxic: Healthytoys.org

The Plague

This is a picture of the child we have now nicknamed "The Plague"

Seems like everyone this child comes into contact with get the stomach flu... he's like a carrier eventhough is totally healthy now! I totally don't get it... but oh well. We have done lysol on everything in this house, so I know it can't be from contact so I assume it is airborne. Beware, if you have seen or been around this child you may be susceptible to the stomach flu-lol! Such a cute kid  though:)

PricePinx

Andrew's boss gave me this cool little link, basically, you register for the site (which is free, my favorite), you tell them what products you want to buy online, they monitor the prices of those items and will notify you once the price drops... as it happens! Pretty cool huh?

Just go to: www.pricepinx.com

Dr's appt

I took Hezekiah to a Dr's appt today because he still was having issues with diarrhea, so the Dr put him on a Soy formula 1/2 strength for now to get nutrients. He said that he lost about 5% in weight and that is really bad. He wouldn't think anything of the diarrhea normally because he's at the teething age and that is pretty normal for his age, but since he has lost the weight it was a concern. He said that we can give imodium ad liquid to him if it continues... and asked me a huge round of questions about blood in the stool and being out of the country anytime lately. Of course, both answers were no. So, stick to the BRAT diet he says for a few days and to bring him back in towards the end of the week to be weighed to make sure he is gaining weight. I have to say, I love this Pediatrician, and I could not ask for a better Dr for Hezekiah! He is amazing, and he always covers every base which I appreciate so much. In addition, he is just too darn funny...Love the guy, if you need a great Pediatrician-  I highly recommend Dr Lawrence Sharpe!

Also, we have decided to pull Hezekiah out of daycare. Andrew's mom agreed to come out to our place everyday to watch Hezekiah for us... of course we are paying her because it would cost way too much in gas and everything to ask her to do this without the money. It could not be better... and seriously- No One, no matter how well you know them will ever take better care of your children than family! It was costing us $600/ month to have him in daycare, so we will now be saving a nice chuck off the $600/ month to be able to save for a house. She told us that if we ever needed back up we could still use her which was nice. My main concern was her being mad at us because we pulled him out, which was sad because I didn't want her to feel bad but Family is better! 

Start of a better week?

If you have been reading my blogs, you know our whole house got a little sick with Rotavirus (aka: the stomach flu) so we are all on the slow road to recovery. It seems as though Hezekiah, as expected) seems to be taking a lot longer to recover. We hear some many back and forth about what to feed a child when they have diarrhea, some say stick to their normal diet without the milk, and then other say stick to the "BRAT" diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast). What to do, what to do. We are going to stick to a more bland diet since the normal diet thing doesn't seem to be helping at all. We decided after  6 days of this going on and a few trips to Urgent Care and the ER it is time for an appt on Monday with his Pediatrician to settle in our minds what we should be doing with him since his diarrhea has not subsided.  More blogging tomorrow, I have much more to say!

More

So my last post, Hezekiah was pretty sick. 1am yesterday, I woke up
violently puking myself until about 7am. Drinking gatorade,water, and
chicken broth. Hezekiah is still having a low grade fever and has slept
almost the whole day except for drinking some Pedialtye and some rice
cereal a couple of times today.. Andrew is now starting to feel some
symptoms as well so I am sure tonight he will be puking as well. Ay yay!!!
No more.

Rotovirus

I get home from work yesterday and Hezekiah is in a perfect mood. He is being all loving and dancing to Polar Express and having a good time. Around 5pm he starts to yawn so we attempt to give him a late nap. Well no more than about 30 minutes later we hear him crying but we decide to wait it out and see if he goes back to sleep. We wait about 20 minutes and he still doesnt stop crying so I go into his room and check on him and I come in and he has thrown up everywhere. He has rolled in it and it has managed to get every inch of his crib. And of course, we both feel like the worst parents in the world for not going in sooner, but we didn't think anything was wrong by his cry. So, I strip him down while Andrew gets a bath running for him. I should have known better, Monday I bring Hezekiah to the sitter's house and she tells me she was up all night with her own son and he was throwing up all night... why did I leave him there knowing that? I should have known better but I had assumed it may have just been food poisening. Well, we were wrong.

We get Hezekiah cleaned up and he continues to throw up for several hours. We try and give him water and every ounce of it gets thrown up about 5 minutes after. So we decide at 6pm to take him to Urgent Care while he is still throwing up in the car. We get to Urgent Care and we start to see him throwing up yellow fluid (bile) ane we are just waiting to see a Dr any minute now. She looks at him, takes his vitals and says that it is Rotovirus, that she has been seeing a lot of this recently. She gave him a Phenergan suppository which was supposed to stop him vomitting and gave us one more dose in case it doesn't work.  They told us Pedialtye is the best for him right now and to only give him this for the next 24 hours. We stop by Target and load up with Pedialyte. After 2 hours, we are attempting every 20 minutes to give him something to hydrate him... and still nothing seems to work. We wait until 10pm to see if this medication kicks in and still nothing. By 10:30 we take him to Riverside Community Hospital Emergency Room because he is extremely lethargic having major diarrhea and still throwing up everything we give him and we majorly scared he would get dehydrated. They checked him out and said he does not need an IV, they were going to give him a shot of medication that will work better for his vomiting. They were going to give him the shot and wanted us to wait around and give him fluids to make sure something stayed down before we left. We only gave him like 2 tablespoons, and by this time Hezekiah is probably starving since he has not eaten since 3pm... and seriously wanted so much more than we were giving him. We waited 20 minutes and everything seemed to stay down, so we headed home at 12:30pm from the ER. As soon as we got in the car, Hezekiah passed out from being so tired. We got home put him in his crib and he slept until 4am, which I gave him only 1 ounce of drink to make sure it stayed down  once again. They told us to slowing start adding more fluids and to not over do it with 8 ounces until you know it will stay down. So, needless to say Andrew and I were both crying last night having to hold our baby who was throwing up, mad because we allowed him to stay at Daycare with that sick child, and exhausted from lack of sleep. So far so good, he has kept all fluids down, is still having diarrhea but seems to be much more energetic so we will see how today goes!

A concert and an ouwie!

Yesterday, we attended a concert from the Packinghouse in Redlands, this church is the church Andrew's parents both attend. His mom decided to get involved with the choir and somehow his Dad got pulled into Directing the choir because he has some music background. He looked a little nervous, and for him being nervous is almost not even in his vocabulary. The both did awesome, way to step out of your comfort zone :)


Also, Hezekiah got his first big ouwie today, he fell on a toy and got a nice fat lip. We have been letting him suck on some un-opened Pedialyte pops to hopefully get the swelling down. Here is a quick picture of his lip, it actually looks a little worse at a different angle but that is all I could get.

What to say about today!

I have a really good husband, he comes home from work with some lovely tulips! I absolutely love them. I think he knows I have had a really exhausting week at work...What a sweetie pie :)


Took some funny pictures of Hezekiah, because he seriously just cracks me up sometimes. And too, I can't believe how much he can eat, crazy! I am amazed at how flexible kids are too, he just decides he want to reach for his feet and BAM! there they are in his face. So silly :) The other day, I went to drop him off at the babysitter's house and as I am getting ready to leave he says "Nooo mom-mmy, mmmmaaammmy." Broke my heart, to have to leave him there for those couple of hours, but when I came back to get him he ran to me with a smile on face screaming... mommy! So stinkin cute, I love this kid sooo much.

Portable background

This item would on my must have's for photography simply because I don't actually have a photo studio and it would come in handy dandy. It is by Botero and it is a collapsable Muslin background screen for photos, it is $129.95- So awesome!

The Poser

Since I pretty much run around the house with a camera in my hands I think that Hezekiah is getting the idea of the camera. Hezekiah being the ham that he is, this is the face that he makes when he sees me with the camera now:


And this is the picture, I just happened to get of him with his Lighting McQueen car that just looks like he is posing for the camera. Gotta love this little boy!

Mint.com- How minty are you?

Thought I would share with you this awesome financial website. Someone I know posted on their blog about this really cool website. It is an online site that allows you to manage your money, it basically pulls your information from your accounts and gives you awesome charts of where your money is being spent and shows your your largest merchant, also gives you tips on helping you save money. I have found it pretty stinkin Awesome and best of all (drumroll please) It's free! So I thought I would share... Go to: http://www.mint.com

Saturday

I spent Saturday during the day doing my laundry and playing with Hezekiah. Did my grocery shopping at 8am while no one was there and found some good deals on food, like green beans for 0.99/lb and yams for 2/$1.00.... not bad since Thanksgiving is around the corner. Then Andrew's parents came over to watch the baby while a big group of us including Josh's parents went to see Quantum of the Solace in celebration of what would have been Josh's birthday. Had a pretty late night for me since I went to bed at like 11:30pm and then woke up early with Hezekiah. Today, I took a nice hour nap to make up for some lost sleep.

News

Recently just found out my brother is being sent to Afghanistan, starting training in Kuwait and then onto Afghanistan after that. He is leaving on Monday, may God be with you big bro!!

Yep...

We had an appetizer for dinner today. We had pigs in a blanket, it's easy
had some hot dogs and some crescent rolls- presto chango pigs in a blanket.
I can say with total confidence I was a lazy cook today. At least Hezekiah
ate a healthy dinner lol.

Hezekiahism's

Here are some goofy videos of Hezekiah:

Hezekiah motorboat:



Hezekiah screamo:


Hezekiah Uh-Oh


Hezekiah Snort:


Hezekiah stealing Daddy's food:


Hezekiah Dancing:

Hezekiah talking

Here is the videos I complied of Hezekiah saying Mom and Daddy:

Hezekiah

Is such a cool kid! I had some cheese in my hand last night and asked him
if he wanted some cheese and he actually responded with a very clear "Yes"
so I responded back everytime with Yes Please. He also has learned what
kisses are and gives them to mommy and daddy all the time... Can't get him
to keep his lips closed so it is a pretty slobbery kiss but nonetheless
cute. He is also very clearly saying Daddy and Mommy and Dog or Doggy. Onto
more words like potty, milk, cat, book, and I Love you... Gotta love
learning toddlers :) I will post the video of him saying Daddy today!

Carmelized Garlic Chicken

My newest favorite and extremely tasty recipe, I tried this out on a few friends tonight. The ingredients might not catch you right away but this has amazing taste! Added some fresh cooked green beans and carrots steamed with ham, salt, pepper, and garlic and crescent rolls. Made a very tasty dinner. This recipe is easy and tasty:

INGREDIENTS:

---

2	teaspoons olive oil
4	garlic cloves, minced
4	teaspoons brown sugar
4	boneless skinless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS:

---

1.	Heat oven to 500°F. Line shallow roasting pan with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2.	Heat oil in small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Add garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar until well mixed.
3.	Place chicken breast halves in sprayed foil-lined pan. Spread garlic mixture evenly over chicken.
4.	Bake at 500°F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

---

1/4 of Recipe: Calories 170 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 1g); Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 65mg; Total Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 5g); Protein 27g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 2%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 4 Very Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Training pants or cloth diapers

Okay, I have been doing a lot of reading as great as these disposable diapers are they almost work too good for any toddler to get the feeling of being wet. Since my mom says we were all potty trained around 14 months I figured it would be good to at least introduce the potty to Hezekiah... which we did (see below). I have been doing a lot of reading and everyone keeps saying that children that young don't get potty training but I beg to differ. I am in the process of doing research for either "training pants":
An economical and environmentally friendly alternative to disposables. Kushies lightweight taffeta training pants help promote toilet training as the 100% cotton flannel inner layer allows the child to feel the sensation of wetness while reducing the risk of rashing. The interior soaker layer provides extra absorbency against accidents.

Or actual cloth diapers:


So does anyone have any suggestions that have worked for 1 year olds??

Veteran's Day!

How do we express our gratitude to the people who have protected our freedoms and our country. Every year I try and I think of the many ways I could and if I had the money say thank you, but I frankly don't have enough money to do so to every soldier serving. But anyway here is my measly attempt, first, I would like to thank my own Dad, Winslow for serving this country. He loves this country so much- for all it's good and it's bad and he is so brave to me. No matter how old I get I will still look up to him in this manner.

My Dad was a Marine in the Vietnam war, but if it weren't for God's hand of protection he and I would not be here today. My Dad had a mortar explode only an arms length away from him and only had some shrapnel that cut into his arm. Even that injury was enough to get him into the hospital. My grandma at home received a telegram which she only assumed the worst- that he has been killed but my Dad was still alive. He was injured but alive... and my Grandma always mentioned that she nearly passed out as she saw the soldier walking up to her house. My Dad did not leave Vietnam with just the physical scar but the emotional scars that he still carries with him today.

For him and every soldier out there that has to deal with the trauma that you never forget and you deal with every day, I am truly sorry and I want to extend the deepest gratitude for the service you have brought this country and the many freedoms so many people take for granted. I know our freedoms aren't free, and I know those who are risking their life have the most noble cause of all... and that is protecting our nation. Today, I give you a salute and say Thank you!

Plans

So I have to say I am extremely excited tomorrow is Friday, it has been a very long week and I am just glad for the weekends. Saturday, we have plans to get some family pictures done for the holidays. Friends of ours Eric and Becca Fitzpatrick are also fellow photographers like me and are going to be shooting our pictures at a local park so it should be really nice. Doing breakfast in the morning and off to shoot some pictures. Should be so much fun!

Sunday, Church as always... and then later we have a wedding that Andrew is going to be a groomsmen in. Old friend of ours Chris Turner is getting married to Nicole Hand, we are very excited and they are such a perfect match for each other. Should be a busy weekend but nonetheless very exciting.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Speaks to today's society like crazy and I love Isla Fisher she's hilarious:

Bride Wars

Can't wait to see this one:

What else could you say?

Last night I watched the man I voted for, John McCain, give the most eloquent speech I have heard in my generation. One of many quotes that moved me and also made me respect him EVEN more for his dedication and true love for this country:

"I would not be an American worthy of the name, should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone and I thank the people of Arizona for it."

He conceded this election with grace, dignity, and respect that I deeply admire. One that did not speak of poor sportsmanship but one that spoke of true disappointment that he could not serve this country as our President as it would have been the highest honor he could have ever received. Last night, I rooted for my choice for President and today I tip my hat to our war hero John McCain. You'll never know how much gratitude I have for you for your love and dedication to this county. Thank you John and every other man and woman who has served and is serving this country... for your courage and never failing passion to protect us all.


Que Sera Sera!

Well...

I think we're in for 1 wild ride... I guess we'll see if he can hack it.

Lightning

Coming home from Menifee today and saw a huge strike of lightning... it's beginning to look a lot like winter every where you turn! Anyway, had a pretty crazy couple of days, yesterday the fam went out to a Harvest festival and by the time we got there we were hungry so decided to hit up Red Robin. Hezekiah was thoroughly entertained with a balloon the whole dinner... he never even made it into his Bumble bee costume but oh well I guess I will get some more pictures of him later in it. Also, we celebrated my mom's birthday- yes her birthday is actually on Halloween.

Today, woke up a little later took a shower and got ready for an actual party for my mom's birthday. Went out got a birthday card and gave her a gift card for Marie Callendar's because really everyone should have a night out to eat dinner somewhere. Saw a lot of my family which I haven't seen in some time and had a nice visit while Hezekiah roamed aimlessly around my mom's landscaped backyard and in the house. He's so funny, I don't think he really gets what he's doing but he just walked in the house and then outside on the patio. Walk in the house and then outside again, I guess he was just doing it because he knew he could. Kids are so funny! Anyway, gonna watch some TV and relax a little while Hezzy catches his Zzzzz's.

Lamington's

Today we had an appetizer party for work to also help move along our staff meeting. I made a new recipe called Lamington's, an Australian dessert. Basically, it is a white cake cut up into squares dipped with a chocolate frosting and rolled in usually coconut but I decided to use white chocolate bits. These were a delicious treat at work, I think next time I will try rolling them in some kind of nut that might offset the highly rich chocolate frosting. Below are a picture of my delicious dessert.

Awesome nephew!

Just found out my nephew James has officially started the potty training process! What a big boy :)

Today

Went to work, got the baby, got my hair cut... now waiting for Din Din!

What is up with everyone and the Acai Berry?

So funny to see all these ads about the Acai Berry junk? Seriously, it's kind of annoying. I am all for being healthy and all, but one certain berry is not going to be a cure all. You can drink all the Acai berry juice you want but if everything else you eat in your diet is crap then that juice ain't going to help ya. People nowadays want a quick fix, but there is no quick fix to preventing cancer... Cancer is complex and no 1single product will help prevent all cancer. Most people know that antioxidants are good for the body and help fend off cancer but have no idea why or how the body does it... so make sure you do your research and with any good fad time is always the true test of whether it actually works. Many scientists still do not understand to the full extent the pro's and con's of the Acai berry so for now I stick to blueberries and pomegranate's!

Protect against Alzheimer's and Age-related Cognitive Decline

Protect against Alzheimer's and Age-related Cognitive Decline

Research published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicates regular consumption of niacin-rich foods like chicken provides protection against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline.

Researchers from the Chicago Health and Aging Project interviewed 3,718 Chicago residents aged 65 or older about their diet, then tested their cognitive abilities over the following six years. Those getting the most niacin from foods (22 mg per day) were 70% less likely to have developed Alzheimer's disease than those consuming the least (about 13 mg daily), and their rate of age-related cognitive decline was significantly less. (August 23, 2004)

Taken from: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=116

You decide

Does this Fisher Price doll say "Islam is the light"

Relaxing day

Today started out very nice, woke up at 8am got the baby his milk and breakfast. The Fitzpatrick's came over for a brunch... I made awesome french toast, they brought the banana syrup and sausage. We drank some orange and some cranberry pomegranate juice and had a good visit.

Later this afternoon we drove down to Men's Warehouse so Andrew could get fitted for a tuxedo for a wedding he is in a few weeks. Stopped by Bed, Bath, and Beyond to pick up some new pillows (which are so awesome) and also picked up a Yankee Candle, Red Apple Wreath... smells so awesome! Other than that doing some laundry, cleaned the house, changed the sheets on the bed, changed the towels in the bathroom, and getting ready to probably start a movie or 2. Andrew is going to the first ever hockey game in Ontario today with Eric so I will have the night to myself with the baby so I think I might pick out a romantic comedy.

Any suggestions?

This Beautiful Republic

"Learning to Fall"

I've heard it said a million times
That I should hold on tight to Jesus
But I took this road so far from home
And distance came between us

When I walked away, I knew one day
I'd need Your grace

So now You'll find me on my knees
Surrendering
‘Cause I know that I'm really not so strong
And now, I'm done fighting for control
Oh, You can have this life
That I've been holding for so long
I'm learning to fall
Let my world crumble

You ran so fast to rescue me
While I was barely breathing
You picked me up, You touched my face
And I began to see more clearly

Though I'm such a disgrace, You still forgave
Your love remains

Take me as an offering
I surrender everything
No more living without You

Advice?

For anyone reading that has children, Hezzy has had a runny nose for like a week now. I use Saline drops in his nose and keep the humidifier on at night. Does anyone have any suggestions that have actually worked for clearing up a 1 year old's runny nose?

Also, Hezekiah is actually going to be able to dress up this Halloween, last night we have our Pumpkin party with the youth group so I dressed Hezzy up and here are some pictures of him from last night in his costume. Cute right?

$

I will not let money decide the quality of my life, and I certainly won't let anyone make me feel inferior because I make less money than them or they have nicer clothes, house, or whatever. When it really comes down to it, all that stuff doesn't go with us when we die anyway.

In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

In the words of Ronald Reagan

"Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before. The economy bloomed like a plant that had been cut back and could now grow quicker and stronger."

Child care

Okay child care is cool and all but what really irritates me is that our sitter told us last minute she couldn't watch him this last friday. So I have use my own paid time off to watch him (which I loved being with him anyway) but then we still owe the sitter the same amount of money even though it wasn't our fault and it was totally unplanned on her part. So I use my own time off of work and she still gets paid. Uhhhh, too bad I don't have any other option :(

Keeping the big picture the big picture

It seems these days that it is extremely hard not to focus on the little
things in life. I, myself am guilty of letting the little things like
cleaning the dishes and doing the laundry get me stressed out. When really,
looking at it- it's not that big of a deal if the dishes sit there for one
more day. My husband sometimes tells me I have Obessive Compulsive
Disorder, as I often disagree that I just like things clean and put away so
I have some sense of order in my life. With the economic climate, and many
fearing the future it's hard not to let go of these fears. Instead many
cling to these fears, as if clinging to them will make the situation any
better. We are running this race, and the more we cling to other than God
the harder it is to run since we have this extra weight we now run with. It
can make us exhausted, faint, and we lose stamina. God tells us in Jeremiah
29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you..." Let us not fear for the
future, fear for our economy, because we know where we are going in the end
anyway- right?

I am reminded of Hebrews
"(12:1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so
easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. (12:2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I love the idea of God being the author and perfector of my faith. I am so
imperfect, and I am such a perfectionist. Whether it be at work, or at
home, or with my baby... I always want to do everything perfect. When it
comes to my faith I constantly feel like I can never do anything just
right- thank goodness God is the author of my faith. As I read the verses
again, I imagine us as Christians running this race naked... Not in an
impure thought but metophorically naked. Holding onto nothing, wearing
nothing to weigh us down, not having anything that burdens us. We can run
free, with the wind blowing in our hair (ha ha) and all that good stuff.

So let us not lose hope in Christ as no matter what the outcome of the
economic crisis or presidential voting, Christ is on control and he is
placing foot stones that make a path for our future. We can't always see
the path or where it will lead us, but it His plan and we will trust in
that alone right now.

Hezekiah

Saw the Dr today, Hezekiah got 4 shots... the poor baby. He has got a nasty running nose and cough but no fever so I guess that is good. The Dr said it was okay to use a humidifer, the only thing to beware of is the mold to make sure and clean it out often and mold could trigger allergies as he gets older. No medication for the nose, just have to wait it out. I am thinking this runny nose thing might be because he is getting more teeth, he is drooling like crazy again and is putting everything in his mouth. I don't see anything new but maybe they are in the back of his mouth.

I had a pretty length conversation with Hezzy's Dr Sharpe in reference to these immunizations and their link to autism. He affirmed with me that the only person who believes that is Jenny McCarthy... that there have been so many studies that have proven there is no link between the 2. That Jenny's son had some pre-existing condition that was not ever caught because he seemed like a normal child and the immunizations may have triggered something but they are not to blame. As he told me, immunizations only work is everyone uses them you put everyone at risk if you don't administer them to all children. He referenced a recent incident in San Diego of Measles and told me that he has seen children die of Measles so he believes very strongly in the immunizations.  I have to say for the most part, I am really concerned about the cure for autism, not for my own child really but because I think we need to find out why so many children have it. Is it genetics, environment, food... we really to solve this epidemic.

The Dr. noticed some kind of protrusion on Hezzy's left rib, it looked as though he may have gotten bruised. He just said to watch it and if it doesn't go down we can do an x-ray. He had a horrible rash on his little tushy so I have been thoroughly putting hydro cortisone on his little tushy. Hopefully this starts to go away, it looks so painful for him and he definitely doesn't like me touching it. Right now he is taking a nice long nap, no doubt because of the exhaustion from his shots. He always takes SUPER long naps after he gets shots... it's nice to have some peace and quiet but I can't wait for him to wake up.

I heard some more sad news

Doug Didominicus passed away a few days ago, we was former classmate of mine from Ramona High School Class of 2001. He went missing for over a week and they found what they believe to be his body and they have custody of 3 suspects right now with a 1million dollar bail out. So, we say good bye to Doug today with services coming up soon. Seems like we are just too young for this to be happening, but the police reports that Doug may have fallen out of graces with these suspects for reasons unknown yet. Keep his family and friends in prayer through this tragedy.

L

Been a long time

It has been quite a while since I blogged. Last you probably heard, we have decided to give up on buying a house right now. We owe quite a bit of money because of Andrew's car stuff and we are busy paying around $800/ month to get it paid off so we don't have that hanging over our heads. It is a nice thought to be able to imagine someday waking up in our own house, but it may be a far away dream that never comes to fruition.  We'll wait on the Lord and pray that He gives us an answer.

Work has been crazy, I have been doing well at my job. The President of the my company has complimented me several times and said that she he has been very impressed with my work. My VP is always telling me how much she appreciates me and what a great job I always do. So, I know that I am doing the right thing and being a good employee. My manager, however, seems to think that not doing her job is fine and when issues come up I try not to be a taddle tail, but issues need to be brought up to my VP. I don't want to have to bring these things up but when they start to effect my job I have to say something. It's been a difficult and frustrating road to see someone making 2 times as much as you and not doing even half of a job. Anyway, I am just doing the best job I can to be a good employee.

Hezekiah is growing like a weed, he is so funny and very mischievous... He's climbing boxes to get to our computer desks. Laughing out of nowhere, and throwing beach balls all over the house. It has been so fun to watch him grow up, I watched this episode on 'the doctors' that had an 18 month old being potty trained. Potty trained! Wow, I guess I should buy a potty for Hezekiah so he could get used to it... We'll see! I went to pick up Hezekiah and Sarah who watched him was watching her new nephew who was 3 weeks old. I just looked at this little baby and went wow, it seems so long ago since I have seen a baby this small again. Ohhh, how I miss those days of a little baby. 1 more year to go before I even THINK about having another baby, but I do miss those days where they sleep anywhere and you know why they're crying... Ahhh someday again, we will have another little one crying around this house again. But 1 more year!

Other than that just trying to read my devotionals, we plan on taking Hezekiah to a pumpkin patch to take some pictures of him and hopefully some family photos.  Probably the next week or so we'll do that. And we just keep on truckin!

Divorce

A word we too commonly hear today, even in the arena of Christianity we hear this word too often. Since when did marriage become a thing of convenience for people? When did it become okay to walk away from your spouse because you're bored or the grass looks greener on the other side? Is this what our world has come to... if you don't give me what I want when I say I want it then I am outta here! Love is not the butterflies in your stomach when you first meet, that my friends is infatuation. Love is a commitment to never say I'm giving up, even when things look grim I am gonna hold on through this storm because that is what I promised in front of my God, my Family, and my Friends.

It saddened me today to learn that a friend of Andrew and I got served divorce papers today. Some strange things had been happening in the marriage, but how do you find yourself so happy one day and turn around and be ready to walk away? Crazy, Crazy... that's about all I can say right now.

What would this be like?

As we get closer to the rapture of the church, what if God was slowly
lifting his hand of protection? What kind of chaos would we see in our
world? Economic disaster, natural disaster, political disaster, moral
disaster.... Aren't we headed that way already? Just something to think
about!

Please get out and vote!

Go knock 'em out Johnny!

I thought this was powerful

I thought the closing statements from the VP candidates last night went very well, I especially thought Palin had a very strong closing statement quoting Ronald Reagan as I have had in past blogs and thought that was a very smart move on her part to quote Reagan. I think in many ways they are trying to differentiate themselves from the Bush administration and trying to really show us that they are following more closely to Reagan and not Bush. I think that is wise, Many people would call Ronald Reagan the greatest President in American history and I would have to agree, so McCain-Palin keep going with Reagan!

All Together Separate

Back when I was in high school we had this amazing local band, that our church was particularly close with. And if anyone has heard the song "Paradigm" yep... that's them! Here' what Dex, the lead singer, has been up to:


New Creation from FC Post on Vimeo.

Freedom

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not
ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each
generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known
freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again

"We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." --Ronald Reagan

Webster defines this word as many different things but the first on their
list is this "1: the quality or state of being free."

I grew up as a kid of divorced parents. My Dad a marine who served in Vietnam and spent a lot of his time, before us kids were born, working for the Vietnam Veterans Association taking weapons away from Vietnam Veterans throughout LA. A scary and dangerous job he stopped when we were born... But my Dad didn't walk away from that war unscarred and untouched. Although for the most part a very normal guy, there were others that weren't so lucky. He has a big heart for military to say any less would be wrong. I am so very proud of my Dad, in fact if it weren't for the Hand of God protecting
him from that mortar... None of us kids would be here today. He witnessed the un-American behavior of spitting in his face, or when he returned he tried to get his hair to grow as fast as possible so that people wouldn't mis-treat him.

I so often think about the cost of our Freedom. The freedom's we enjoy to choose our Presidential candidate, and the freedom to say how we feel in blogs like these. I hear  often from people against the war that we shouldn't be there. But at this point I don't care about people talking about the past anymore, what's done is done. I want to move forward and get to the end of this war just like everyone else. We will never get to the end of this war by sticking our tails between our legs and walking away and hope that it fixes itself. Should we have not done anything about the Berlin Wall? Should we have let the Japanese get away with bombing Pearl Harbor? I don't take for granted any life that has been taken during this war I believe their cause is noble because they say it is... but who are you or who am I to say that their cause wasn't or isn't noble? That isn't decided by you or I, but decided by that man or woman who is the one fighting for those freedoms we so easily enjoy. So before you decide to be the first one to cast that stone, think about the cost of Freedom. Don't just proclaim you support our troops, and then go protest in Washington... because our troops see those news reports and they don't need us to be protesting, they need to be supported and even if we don't agree with the reason why they are there- they are there so support them!

I love this quote... another one by Ronald Reagan "You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. If nothing is worth dying for, when did this begin...? ...Should Moses have told the children of Israel to live in slavery under the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots of Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard 'round the world?"

I know this may have come off strong to some, but if God was able to create passion inside someone for something they believe it, it should be shared. Everyone is going to have their own beliefs on who should be the next President... that's why we live in America we are able to enjoy Freedom!

Date Night

Tonight was date night for Andrew and I. We left the baby with friends Dave
and Nancy and took off to the Riverside Plaza to watch the movie
"Fireproof" with Kirk Cameron. We just happened to run into 3 other
couples from our church there as well and enjoyed some good conversation.
It is an amazing movie, I really think every married couple needs to see
this movie! Whether you're having trouble or not, you should see this
movie. It was powerful and inpiring, Kirk Cameron did an awesome job. I
hope you all get a chance to see be inspired by the movie.

"Love is not a Fight"

By Warren Barfield. This is one of my new favorite songs, it was used as the main song for the movie "Fireproof"

Love is not a place
to come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in
then commit to never leave

So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
Work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees

Love is a shelter
in a raging storm
Love is peace
in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave;
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
but its something worth fighting for

To some love is a word
that they can fall into.
But when they're falling out
keeping that word is hard to do

Love is a shelter
in a raging storm
Love is peace
in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave;
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
but its something worth fighting for

Love will come to save us
If we'll only call
He will ask nothing from us
but demand we give our all

Love is a shelter
in a raging storm
Love is peace
in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave;
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
but its something worth fighting for.

Cause I Will Fight For You
Would You Fight For Me
It's Worth Fighting For.

Thomas Jefferson

"We should never judge a President by his age, only by his work"

Cuban- born author blasts Obama campaign

Cuban-born author blasts Obama campaign volunteers for displaying Che Guevara flags

Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 2/18/2008 6:00:00 AM

A Cuban historian and author says it's absolutely "unreal" that two of Barack Obama's campaign offices in Houston would prominently display a Cuban flag with an image of one of the Castro regime's most notorious thugs.

Humberto Fontova escaped Castro's Cuba in 1961, and in 2006 published Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him. Fontova says apparently some admirers of the Cuban revolutionary are volunteers for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois). And in several recent reports on Houston's Fox television affiliate, a Cuban flag with Guevara's image can clearly be seen on an office wall.
 
The Cuban-born author says during the Cuban missile crisis Guevara advocated a nuclear attack on the United States. "He said, 'If the nuclear missiles had remained in Cuba, we would have fired them against the heart of the United States. The Americans are nothing but hyenas fit only for extermination.' The Obama campaign considers this [man's image] an appropriate decoration in their campaign offices?" wonders a disgusted Fontova.
 
The author was not impressed with an Obama campaign spokesman's response to the controversy, who simply said the Guevara displays were "inappropriate." He says one could only imagine the media reaction if a Mike Huckabee volunteer displayed on a campaign office wall a poster of white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke.

"Can you imagine the media hullabaloo over that? And do you think for even a millisecond that Huckabee could get away with just saying, 'Oh well, that's inappropriate?'" argues Fontova.
 
Fontova says it is outrageous that Obama reportedly refuses to wear an American flag lapel pin, but some of his supporters can prominently display a Cuban flag with an image of a communist mass murderer.

Would Obama’s Robin Hood Tax Plan Redistribute Wealth?

Would Obama’s Robin Hood Tax Plan Redistribute Wealth?

Posted using ShareThis

Presidential debate

I was pretty disappointed on the debate tonight, It's a good thing that there are 2 more debates coming up.

One thing Obama just can't seem to get right is connecting with the voters. He's a great speaker, and he's pretty charismatic but is that enough? For me, it's not enough. He can't seem to pull in the emotional side at all, it always seems he's just about business and not about me as an American. I think he made a lot of valid points, however, he does what he does best and that's being a politician- not a leader. I have some really huge concerns with Obama- Why does he have a flag of Che Guevera in his campaign office? Why won't he wear an American flag, or put his hand over his heart during the national anthem? This worries me, because I don't feel like his loyalty lies with the USA. He even slipped up and said his "muslim faith". I don't identify with Obama on any level at this point.

McCain really disappointed me because he hit a lot of the emotional side. I can identify in more ways with McCain, and not just because he's white or whatever people would like to think but because of my own family. My own Dad was a Vietnam Veteran who fought for this country, so can I connect with McCain as a voter. Yes, but why couldn't he manage to at least give Obama one look? One acknowledgment that he was present? Was it because he wanted to portray an image that he is the only commander in chief, I think on some level it made him look a little arrogant and I wish that wasn't how he had come off. I wished he would have stayed on point to the questions asked, and stop saying "He just doesn't understand" These kinds of comments are going to kill him with the undecided voters. The final word for me is McCain, and that is no matter what I disagree with on both sides of the parties- At the very least I know that McCain will be loyal to the USA... his POW history proves this again and again.

No more housy house

So for now, we say Bye Bye to the idea of buying a house! It is a pretty sad decision but we have decided that because of the economy we can't depend on Andrew always being paid by the church which really hampers our hopes of buying a house. So we are actively taking steps to ensure that we are able to withstand the changes of the economy and not strap ourself to something we may or may not be able to commit too. We have decided to take Andrew's pay from the church and just put it in savings and act as though we are extremely poor so that if anything happens we will be able to make it without that income. And we can, we live very below our means but it is a naive thought to think that this economy won't effect us and right now we are just trying to take the right steps. Owning a home is a luxury- not a right and not a necessity so... We are taking this dream of owning a home and putting it to the back of our minds unless God decides somewhere along the road to tell us he has other plans for us.

So awesome!

Interesting little quiz!

Gotta love America's Next top model!!!

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Fireproof- Go see this movie!

It will be in select theaters starting Friday September 26th- Riverside Plaza and think the next closest is in Ontario!




Interview with Kirk Cameron on Good Morning America:

Your marriage masterpiece

I have been reading a pretty cool book written by Al Janssen, it has an interesting outlook on Adam and Eve and goes into great depth about how playful Adam and Eve were with each other and what kinds of conversations they may have had with God before the fall. The first couple of chapters I have read have been pretty enlightening. I think it's pretty easy to get stuck in a rut in your marriage and get in a routine and forget all the little things that you need to do in your marriage. Romance is not dead, and even as silly as it seems we still need to make that extra effort to be loving and romantic even when sometimes it hurts our wallet, or when sometimes you just don't want to do it because it would be too much work. So anyway, if you get a chance, you can go to: www.Christianbook.com and read an excerpt.

Choose cruciferous vegetables

We have all been told by our mothers, doctors, teachers, and other sages of healthy living always to remember to eat our vegetables, particularly those that are green and leafy. The evidence is overwhelming that these delicious and beneficial greens contribute to a well-balanced and nutritious diet, especially those that belong to the cruciferous or cabbage family of vegetables. These are the vegetables, also called brassica vegetables, whose four-petal flowers form the shape of a cross - cruciferous means "cross-bearing." While the terminology may be new, these vegetables may already be a staple in your diet.

Cruciferous vegetables include Swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, watercress, radish, rapini, arugula, spinach, turnip, kale, and bok choy. Packed with vitamins and minerals (some crucifers have more than others), these vegetables boast impressive nutritional qualities and potent anticancer properties.

Nutrition experts often refer to brassica vegetables as "functional foods." Functional foods are foods that have benefits beyond basic nutrition - for instance, health benefits such as preventing certain diseases. Like all vegetables, crucifers possess high levels of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron, folate, soluble fibre, and lignans. All these compounds may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, since studies show that crucifers reduce plasma homocysteine levels, and higher homocysteine levels increase the risk for heart disease. Additionally, because of the high amount of calcium found in crucifers (especially kale, Chinese cabbage, and broccoli), they protect bone density and may help prevent the onset of osteoporosis, particularly in women.

Most findings on crucifers support their cancer-fighting abilities. Researchers have isolated sulfur-containing phytochemicals called glucosinolates that are abundant in cruciferous vegetables and that have the potential to inhibit cancer. These glucosinolates, when chopped, chewed, and digested, are converted into compounds called isothiocyanates, which act to prevent normal cells from becoming cancerous cells by stimulating the body to clear potential cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). Researchers from Ohio State University have shown that isothiocyanates are able to stop cancer cells from spreading. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that the isothiocyanate sulforaphane fights the spread of breast cancer cells, even in the later stages.

Isothiocyanates can also help prevent cancer. Some glucosinolates that cruciferous vegetables have in abundance have been linked to reducing the risk of breast, prostate, cervical, colon, and other cancers.

• A Harvard and Ohio State study that showed that men who ate 2 or more half-cup servings of broccoli per week were 44% less likely to develop bladder cancer than men who ate less than one serving a week.
• A study by the UCLA Medical Center found that people who ate more broccoli (about 4 half-cup servings per week) were 50% less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who never ate broccoli.
• Sulforaphane has been found to increase the liver's ability to help prevent cell mutations that may develop into cancer.
• Researchers have found that one glucosinolate, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), deactivates an estrogen metabolite that promotes tumour growth, particularly in breast cells.
• Other research found that men aged between 40 and 64 who ate 3 or more half-cup servings of cruciferous vegetables a week were 41% less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who did not.

Before you gorge yourself on crucifers, however, there are some cautions to heed. While they are loaded with beneficial nutrients, it should be noted that cruciferous vegetables also contain goitrogens and nitriles. In large quantities, goitrogens can reduce thyroid activity. Very high quantities of nitriles, which are found especially in Brussels sprouts, can have negative effects on the liver and kidneys. One way to lower the levels of goitrogens and nitriles in cruciferous vegetables is to cook them for 30 minutes or more. This will reduce the amount of goitrogens to one tenth and will also reduce a large amount of the nitriles. While cooking reduces the amount of nutrients in vegetables, it actually increases the amount of antioxidants absorbed by the body in crucifers.

In any case, the many benefits of crucifers far outweigh the small negatives. Not only are they cancer fighters, they also help control the appetite due to their high soluble fibre content, and they are thought to decrease the absorption of fats from other foods eaten during the same meal.

The next time you're planning a meal, reach for cruciferous vegetables, whether they be tried-and-true favourites or new and exciting options. Your body will thank you! And when choosing them, keep these things in mind:

• adults should have 2 to 3 cups of cruciferous veggies a day; children should aim for 1 to 2 cups
• look for firm, dark green leaves or heads; try to avoid leaves or heads that are yellow
• keep fresh cruciferous vegetables in the refrigerator in large, airy plastic bags

Brennan Robertson, Hon. B.Sc. (Nutrition)

Why do people wave?

When they cut you off either on a street or on the freeway... Are they
saying "Hi, I am an inconsiderate selfish jerk who is too stupid to get in
the lane I need to turn in and arrogrant enough to think I drive a big
stupid raised suv that gets 5 mpg and I don't need to wait behind all these
cars going way too slow... So I am just going to cut in here because I am
big and stupid!"

I am sorry... I know that sounds harsh but seriously I get so tired of
people not thinking ahead and getting impatient because they can't drive 60
down a 45mph street. I wish people would learn that this world doesn't
revolve around them... And care about other people. They are the reason car
insurance is so high, people get lazy and stop caring that anyone else is
on the road but them.

Ugh! My frustrating for the day :)

As with other blog entries

I was still annoyed yet again by another vehicle who had a Christian sticker on it and driving like an inconsiderate, dangerous, jerk... and still proclaiming to be a Christian. Yeah!!! You show the world the love of God by cutting them off on the off ramp on the freeway and not obeying the speed limits.... yeah!!! That will show the world how kind, caring, and selfless Christ was.... that is all I am going to blog about this subject right now.

Today is another reminder

Today marks the 4th anniversary of Josh Gladura's passing, this year never comes without some sort of reminder of how thankful we should be for the lives we have. Today was a day of reflection and memory, a day sometimes I dread because I am always too emotional. I can't ever say that Josh and I were ever best friends, and in fact for a long time he HATED my guts for trying to "take away" Andrew from him. Somewhere between hating me and being friends with me, he must have realized that I wasn't going away from Andrew's or his life as long as he had Andrew as a friend. I can call Josh a friend, because those last few months of his life something changed in him and in me and he actually became nice to me and we even laughed about his and my goofiness. He was one of Andrew's best buddies, so to see Andrew missing him is enough for me to feel empathy right now. Josh was goofy and friendly with a lot of people, and he was able to reach quite a few of them in his life... with that said he only had a handful of people who were truly close with him and really knew him- not just spent a few days hanging out with him but truly knew him. I don't pretend to know everything about Josh or even pretend I am one of those handful of people because it would be a lie. I barely started getting to know  Josh when he passed, and I say that because even though we hung out for 3 years we never gave each other a chance to get to know each other because we were too busy hating each other... lol. So where do I go from here? I am going to be real, I am not going to pretend I had some great relationship with Josh, when I barely started to get  to know him. I truly wished that I was able to spend more time with him after we started getting along because I truly miss all his goofiness... I am going to be upfront and real because that is what is right.

I miss a lot of things about Josh, his countless times hanging his head out of the car with his tongue hanging out and wearing his swim goggles and towel on his head, I miss him sharing his video of "Gay Spiderman" and the "Mystery of Britny Spears boobs", I miss the nights in Lytle Creek, I miss that he ALWAYS wanted the windows down even when it was cold outside (just like Becca does too), I miss his laugh, and I will never forget the night Andrew has his windshield wiper sprayers pointed sideways and Josh decides to spray someone in the car next to us and had their window down and those girls happened to be crazy and chase us in downtown Fontana. I mean for goodness sake the first time I met him and Clint we were going off- roading and when we pulled up in Andrew's car Josh was hanging his head out of the side of the truck and screaming "Hiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!" And I can hear him saying Hi in his usual Josh manner like it was yesterday! The only thing I truly wished I could change, would be if Josh could have been there for our wedding, because he would have been standing up there in our wedding party.

Those memories are the ones I will cherish the most :)

Taken from Andrew's sermon today

Really cool, and you can guess he wrote this himself:

"Imagine you are in a darkly lit room you don’t know how you got there or where you are at in fact you are not even sure if it is real it has the feeling of a dream where things or more vivid and colors are little off. Still a little confused you begin to become aware of a scratching sound light but constant. You turn to see a man at an old oak desk writing under a green glass reading lamp which happens to be the only light in the room. You cant quite make out his face but you can see the corner of his eyes are wrinkled not from stress or a hard life but from experience and understanding. As you start to walk towards him he makes what seems to be a final punctuation, closes a book and stands up he takes a few steps and fades into the darkness before you have time to say anything.

It is entirely too quiet now and you begin to notice that every step you take comes with a deafening creak not because it is loud but because it is that quiet. The room smells old and musty, older then any room you have ever been in before. You reach the old desk and can tell it has been well taken care of.  The book the man was writing in was very thick and the cover was a rich and heavy leather the inscription read Jeremiah 29:11 and under that “the greatest story ever written”. You open the book and to your amazement the words “your life” stare back at you the pages written in the most beautiful calligraphy you have ever seen. As you read on you start to realize that this is a story about your life. You keep reading and notice that markings scribble’s words in the margin start to appear and in a different hand then the author much like a teacher grading an essay but some how familiar. How long you stayed there can not be certain but one thing was for sure you finished the book on the very last page was Proverbs 19:21. A loud noise pierces the room and as fast as you can blink you are in bed with your alarm clock going off. You sit up swing your feet around and sit at the side of the bed with your hands on your face. The scribbles underlining and writing in the margin was your hand and they were the changes you felt were needed in your life that you now know were mistakes. What will your next page look like?"

Reminding me of my own love story!

So every time I hear or watch that video (Taylor Swift- Love Story) I can't help but think about my own life and what a cool love story God has written for us. I can say that our love story began when we both fell in love with the Lord first and was serving Him. And somehow, he blessed us enough for Andrew and I to start our own love story. We hung out, laughed a lot, fell in love, and ended up getting married on April 30th, 2005. And this love story just continued on in our lives when Hezekiah was born. A regular, everyday love story that began in our hearts with love for Jesus. We've had our bumps, sure, and having Hezekiah was NO fairy tale... but now that he's here is such a joy. Sometimes, I think it's good to look at our life in some ethereal way, because when thinking about how EVERYTHING works out... it has absolutely nothing to do with us. But, it has more to do with how Christ has allowed our lives to work together in such a beautiful way. Besides, what fairy tale doesn't have some bumps along the road with a happy ending? We are not yet at the happy ending but working towards the best ending of all... Heaven!


This picture was taken on our unofficial "first date" Man, Look how skinny I was!!!!

One of my new favorites:

Okay so here is the music video for Taylor Swift "Love Story". I think I have played this song maybe 20 times today already:

Heitmann-Voight wedding

I photographed a friends wedding several weeks ago and have finally gotten them processed so here are some pictures from that wedding. They had a very casual hawaiian themed wedding, very intimate and fun wedding:
 







 





 

The Audacity

High Fructose Corn Syrup

I am not much of a big TV watcher but... I recently saw these commercials about High Fructose Corn Syrup. Don't be fooled that this is a natural ingredient. They genetically alter the fructose from corn to make this substance. I think it's hilarious that the commercials mention "just like sugar it's fine in moderation". The problem is they put this is almost everything we eat now... Bread, Juice, Crackers, Cereal! I mean come on, how can we have it in moderation when they put it in everything we eat, it's an absolutely ridiculous commercial to try and promote this substance when really it comes down to the bottom dollar. High fructose corn syrup is cheaper to produce and that is the only reason for the switch from regular table sugar. One thing I hate about the commercial, is that it makes health nuts look like we are idiots and we don't know why it's bad. It's a stereotype and I am sure there are plenty of people who act like that lady, it's just interesting that's all!

Here's the commercials, if you haven't seen them:





Also, here's an interesting video from a Registered Dietician on the subject:

This weekend

Andrew decided him and his brother Matt were going to hike Mineral King
near Sequoia, it's like a 1/2 day hike in and out and there is pretty much
no way they can contact anyone by cell phone but they do have a nearby
ranger station. Pray for their safety, they should be returning tomorrow.

Also, pray for my Dad. He always goes to Spain every year for 4 weeks for
missions trip and he caught a parasite while he was over there that has
gotten him severely dehydrated. He is barely able to eat anything and had
to go to the hospital yesterday so just pray for his recovery and health.

So this weekend for me will be pretty slow and I like that. It's nice to be
able to sit around in my pj's all day until I have to go to Target for some
small items. Ahhhh for relaxing weekends.

On the house hunt, we are still looking at houses even though we know that
we won't be ready for a few more months. It's very very exciting, Andrew is
scared silly about being tied to a mortgage when we are used to our 985/
month rent... But I don't think we'll ever feel at ease when we buy a
house, it will be scary but still exciting.

Loan stuff

We met with Tom Tinker, who is the Loan Officer which by the way, we both really liked. Straight forward kind of guy, really nice and gave us lots of information and is going to do our loan approval. It actually seems pretty good what we are looking at for our loan, he did say that a lot of the grant programs have been taken down off the market for borrowers to use so he said the best thing to do is to buckle down and save the money we need for the down. Which we are doing anyway, so it seems like everything is going well we should after the 1st of the year and taxes... of course be set to go on really buying a house now that the grant programs are pretty much out the window now. So.... on to the next step in our search for a house, here we go!

More medical fun!

Found out this morning when I arrived at urgent care because of facial
swelling and small blisters on my face that I now have cold sores... Don't
ask me how or from who I got them from but I now have to takes medications.
Ugh... So this stinks :( They did tell me I could have had them for several
years before and just never had an outbreak of them before today. Wierd!

House # 1 and House #2

Alrighty, so we looked at 2 houses so far... we are not making offers on any of these houses though. We thought #1 would be perfect and inside it has serious potential but when we found out it was a short sale and it had 2 offers already on the table we were already skeptical. House #1 4836 Granada Ave was going for $185,000 3 bedroom, 2 bath, and a den and a HUGE garage. Also, we had our realtor look it and found out that the owner's owed something like 400k so we knew that the bank was not going to approve that. Here is the pic of house #1:


House #2 looked adorable from the outside and it had a nice open kitchen/ eat in dining room, but when it came to the living room and bedrooms. It was supposedly a 3 bedroom 2 bath, but it had a circular fireplace that made the living areas and bedrooms completely awkward. And what was supposed to be the master bedroom was like a huge den of some type and was the only place that had hook ups for cable.The agent stated there were 2 offers on this house and it was going for $194,900 but it was in the right neighborhood. The floorplan of the house wasn't anything we could change unless we totally gutted the house. Here's a pic of house #2 4741 El Molino Ave: