The Room

Here are some hints of what the room is like.  Hopefully I will get to putting up real pictures, once I finish setting it up.  I'm still waiting for a table from some friends and all my pictures from Chicago.  Soon it will be done, though, and I hope I can show it to you then!!

Thank You

First of all, thank you for the comments!  As the little line says down there, comments rock my world.  :)  Jeff, that is a first and it was very much appreciated!  True sacrifice...  And Bethany!  I love you to pieces!

Second, I actually kind of wanted to apologize.  I feel like yesterday me writing about the comment situation was really more about feeling entitled...entitled to having people read my blog and like it... and it actually ended up feeling yucky to my heart.  So, I apologize for getting demanding... :)  I am SO thankful that people read what I write...and there are definitely people.  Sometimes (like last night) I'll be talking to someone about something and they respond with "Oh ya!  I think I read that on your blog..." and inside I'm like: "You read my blog?!  Cool!"  Amy, Suzy, Dad, Bethany, Hannah, Jeff, Noemi, Rachel, and anyone else who I don't know about... I am so thankful for you!  It truly makes me feel special and loved to know that you type that little address in the bar and visit this space.  =)

So, thank you thank you thank you for reading.  I love writing it.  And I love knowing that people read it.

Three More Things. Maye Four. Or Six. Actually Seven.

1. This video:

 

If you're not related to them, this might not be this interesting.  But for those parents, aunts and grandparents who may or may not read this blog, it will be nice.

2. I forget what the second one was.  Oops.

3. Oh wait, now I remember.  My Blog Roll on the right side...yep...right there.  Has about tripled in size.  I decided that I should just add my blog list onto it, so, there you go.  Check 'em out.  Read them, stalk them, whatever.

4. Oh. my. goodness.  Now I forgot what my third thing was that ended up being fourth.

5.  OH!  Song of the Week.  "Oh Taste and See" by Brian and Jenn Johnson.

6. Aren't you glad I remembered this time?  I actually forgot, then remembered, then decided to come write it down before I finished that last number about Song of the Week.  My blog readers vs. commentors.  If you happen to be a blog stalker or random visitor that has not de-veiled yourself, you might wonder why I continue to write when post after post has no comments.  I happen to know that there are people who read my blog that never comment. (Hi, Jeff!)  Truth is, sometimes I wonder why I keep going myself.  Like, why should I keep writing if nobody reads?  But then I remind myself that people do read and just don't let me know.  Or, at least two people do regularly...not totally sure about anybody else.  I'm being blog honest here, people.  Leave a little comment if you read, just for me?  I'm totally scared to get one of those little blog counter things because I'm worried that I only get twelve hits a month.  If for nothing else, I enjoy going back and reading my archives...they're like a journal for myself to remind me what happened in my life!  

7.  Today or tomorrow...sometime soon, I need to write a post about how seriously GOOD Jesus has been to me the last few days.  SERIOUSLY GOOD.  I just don't quite understand it.  Listen to the song again. (#5)

Pictures, pictures

When I found my camera there were just two pictures on it from whenever I last had it.  Let me share one:

Cute. ness.  This afternoon I was playing outside with these two in some neighbor's yard (we use their front yard sometimes, I hope they don't mind) and the kids were jumping on and off this metal thing that I don't really know how to describe.  Somebody from IHOP was walking down the street and I said "Hello!"  and he said "Well, there's a happy family!"  We were.  :)

So, pictures of the room will be coming up soon, I promise.  I think tonight is the night I start sleeping in there, so hopefully I will be doing some serious decorating before bedtime!  Did I mention I got the bedding yesterday?  Well, I did.  (Except for a few accent pillows I'm still looking for...)

In lieu of photos of the room, how about photos of me?!  You might not be quite as interested in them, but hopefully you'll look anyways.  Click.............HERE.  My friend Jessica is super talented and we had a blast with the shoot.  I'm excited to do a little more.  I'll admit a large part of it is that I bought a scarf since our last little photo shoot and think it would be so fun to take pictures in.  

Signing off.  The house is a mess.  There's an office upstairs that is only a little bit painted.  Mom arrives tomorrow.  Must go.

Or "Nice to meetcha!" as Judah would say (really he'll say to anyone and/or no one...he'll just say it to be funny)

It's Come Home to Me!

See... I told you it would be back!

Liz found it in an umbrella stroller that has been sitting in the garage for weeks and weeks. Apparently, I took it, as usual, with us somewhere to capture fun mementos of the kids, and instead left it all alone in the garage to mope. Well, now it is back. A little bit tired and out of battery, but other than that, Alfred's doing well! (Just kidding...I have a name for my computer but not for my camera...yet)

And, do I have dimples in that picture? Or just a chipmunk smile? I think I have dimples!

Moving on.

What have I been doing the last two days, you ask? "Why yes, Annie," you say, "I have been wondering that. What has been so important that you have been doing IT instead of writing blogs for my constant entertainment?"

Well, friends, I have been doing something of the utmost importance. My room in Suz and OJ's house is now Green and Chocolate Brown!! We found a wonderful green that looks different at different times of the day at Restoration Hardware. This leads me to mention 1) I like Restoration Hardware. A lot. 2) Their paint is really nice and you don't have to worry because whatever color of theirs you pick, you can't go wrong and 3) their store is painted the same color through the entire thing. Silver sage, their signature color is everywhere. If you walk in, however, you will be convinced that it is blue in one room (with the blue bedding and towels) and green in another (with green such and such)...changes courtesy of different lighting and surrounding colors. It's fascinating!

Anyhoo...I got my green there and a little can of chocolate brown at Lowe's. Man, it was HARD to pick a brown. When I asked, Lizzie, however, she was decisive, and it got done.

THEN I had to deal with the walls themselves. Some are normal, but two (one brown, one green) are concrete. Concrete walls are filled with small little holes that are the worst idea for walls (at least those that will be painted) since...umm....the French Revolution. It takes FOREVER to try to fill those little pocks in.

The room is now all painted and clean, and I had my fantastically fun shopping trip to buy all the bedding. (Which is a graduation present from Suz and OJ! I am SO thankful and blessedI am still looking for green and brown decorative pillows, and a table (either high or low...) to put my Chinese tea set and some candles on. I will post a picture as soon as I can (and as soon as I feel I have it decorated enough to present to the world).

Happy Sunday!

It sticks to the sides of the bowl...

I'm here to tell you that my mother was right.

Always, ALWAYS, fill your cereal bowl with water when you're done eating.  It saves the life of the dish-doer.  Her LIFE, I tell you. 

Last night was Ariel's Birthday party!  I hung out with her during the day, painting her toenails, and taking her to Barnes and Noble.  She ended up picking out The Grouchy Ladybug as her birthday book of choice.

It has all those coolie-doolie pages that are different sizes.  Me likey.

I still haven't picked my brown and green for the new room...  I should really put up a picture of me with all the crazy paint chips.  Eek.  I'm excited about it all, though.  I need craigslist to be helpful!!

I don't feel super inspired for blogging, as I've been making phone calls for a very long time and am now tired and hungry. Hungry.  I said, HUNGRY!

Ta-ta for now.

Everyone, meet the Pre-Fast Day...

The 40 Day Fast starts tomorrow.  It is looking towards the elections (I believe the last day is Nov. 4...election day) and TheCall San Diego, and praying for the Lord to cause a spirit of righteousness to take over California and the nation.

What I want to point out, though, is the day-before-the-beginning.  Today is the day when everyone fits in that extra frozen yogurt, and the milkshake just-because, and a trip to Sonic ONE LAST TIME.  

Because, blog-readers, meet the Pre-Fast splurge.  Pre-Fast splurge, meet the ice-cream-less McDonald's at Holmes and Minor.  Why no milkshakes???  WHY?!?!

Anyways, I just want to point out that it's a reality.  Get ready, get set...GO!

In other news, I'm actually beginning to not have time for things.  Like, I'm sorry, I really want McCain and Palin to win, but I just don't have time to make calls for their phone bank.  And, today I actually hit the point where I hear the the little "You have a new e-mail" ding and that knot of dread begins to show up in my stomach, but then I check it and am THANKFUL that it's not really anything directed towards me that I have to respond to.  Me being excited to get e-mails that don't require attention is weird.  W-E-I-R-D.

I live in Kansas City

I know I haven't written in a few days, and I know how annoying that can be if you, as a reader, are anything like I am as a reader.  I can't stand it when people don't update their blogs FIVE TIMES A DAY (nobody actually does that except me on rare occasions).  My absence the last week is unexplainable.  My only demand is: don't blame me!  Blame...ummm...not me.

Today I realized that I have lived in three cities.  Chicago, Tacoma, and Kansas City.  Three whole cities in three totally different places in the country.  If I had just moved from Chicago to Gurnee to Crystal Lakes, now that would be a fake three cities...  But I have really lived in three separate places!  How exciting.

One interesting thing about living in Kansas City is that you spend much of your time in two different states.  Everyone always seems to ask me how it is living in Kansas, and I tell them "I don't know.  I live in Missouri."  The city is divided by a street called...guess...State Line Road!  Badoink.

I live in Missouri, but babysit in Kansas.  Usually this is just a fun thought to think about, but sometimes, such as when it comes down to businesses (aka TAXES) and such, it actually makes a difference which side of State Line Road you're on.  I just realized that HyVee and Blockbuster are probably in Kansas, while Target and Chipotle, just a ways down on the road, are in Missouri.  This morning I wondered if the sales tax rates are different.  Maybe if I had shopped at the Gap in Kansas it would have cheaper.  

This seems to really become an issue in adoption.  I just read a blog of an IHOP couple who have just adopted a baby, but are waiting for the papers to be totally completed.  The baby was born in Kansas, though, and so they are camping out at someone else's house because their house is in Missouri!  If they took the baby over the state line, it could be considered kidnapping.  Now that is weird.  They just have to shimmy across one by one for the various things they have to do at home or at IHOP, but they can't bring the baby across that road.  So interesting.

Meanwhile, my friends the Bohlenders are enjoying their new baby girls.  (one of them is named Anna!  Jump for joy! :)  Check out Randy's blog  for pictures and video.  The girls are SO adorable and I have been un-ashamedly plugging myself in as a possible babysitter.  

Let's see...to update you on the week of blogs I missed...

I did a photo shoot!  My friend Jessica is a photographer, and is in process of doing various practice sessions to build a portfolio!  We went to Loose Park, which is this gorgeous massive area of green grass and flowers and fountains and then we tried to go to the Plaza but ended up just driving around and around looking for a parking space (you would have thought you were in downtown Chicago only...worse) and ended up having to give up.  We had unknowingly scheduled our shoot for the opening day of the Annual Art Festival.  I never knew KC was SO enthralled by such things.

I bought some new pajamas.  This means a lot.  I have been wearing the same pajamas since my first summer in Tacoma before Ariel turned one.  And she's turning four on Thursday.  That is a long time to be wearing the same pajamas.   I think there should be a song about that.  

Anyways, I went to Gap and splurged a little bit on some of the comfiest pants in the whole wide world.  I. love. them.

AND I got a scarf.  I have been really wanting a scarf for a few weeks now, and I finally got on at Gap!!  Yay for Gap.

Saturday was Ariel's birthday party!  We all went to Chick-fil-A (I love Chick-fil-A, I really do) and the kiddos played in the play place and had chicken nuggets, and I made the cake, and met some new people, and we all had a blast!  

Here is the cake I made!  It was Strawberry and Chocolate inside, just like the birthday girl asked:

Reason #267 why it's good that I'm skinny...I usually end up accompanying those little ones that don't want to go by themselves up into the jungle gym. Let me tell you it is HARD to wrangle all my length of legs and arms in those small spaces:

Cuties:

Blowing out the candles:

Judah, when left by himself, just started digging into the cake...and kept going:

In other news, I still don't know where my camera is.  Pray hard. :(

LIFE

I want to link to the song "You're Beautiful"  by Phil Wickham.  I'd heard it sung here in Kansas City, but had no idea it was his song.  It's on the cd that he's giving away free HERE.  

The third verse says:

When we arrive at eternity's shore

Where death is just a memory and tears are no more

We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring 

Your bride will come together and we'll sing

You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

This verse moved me today because of some news we received yesterday.  A family from IHOP has been in Myanmar doing disaster relief for a while (they are from there) and they have had CRAZY doors of favor with the government opened for them.  The Lord has provided and been using them powerfully.  We heard yesterday morning that their baby daughter, Emma, died of pneumonia.  Thankfully, they were with her...when she got sick she was staying with grandparents in a different part of the country, but I know that here we are SO thankful that her parents were with her before she passed.  

"Where death is but a memory..." What will that be like?  When this gut-wrenching pain is gone forever, banished by the LIFE of Christ.   Things like this turn your gaze toward heaven in a way that nothing else can.  Our comfort is that she is with Jesus, and there is no better place to be.  My sister had to write the e-mail letting everyone know, and I think she put it so well: "Emma now sees Him as He is."

Someday we will all see Him how He is, and that will be a glorious day.  Please pray for the Lims.  Even now, just stop and take a second and ask the Lord to cover their family.

If you would, please also pray for the Bohlenders who are in Florida right now to adopt two-day old twin girls!  

Here is the info:

Hey Friends,

I'm sending this on behalf of Kelsey and Randy Bohlender who are on their way to Florida right now to adopt twin girls who are two days old!  They have been given the verbal green light from the mother but she is unstable and could change her mind. They will know for sure by noon tomorrow/Friday. 

I am recruiting PRAYER for them. They feel this is the Lord. They asked for twins and this opportunity came up TODAY. It's been incredible. 

This is what they need right NOW.

1) Please pray that the birth mother will not change her mind and send these girls into Florida's Foster Care. (Once that happens it's nearly impossible to get them out). These girl's future lives lie in the balance. We feel that it would the Lord's will for them to be raised in the house of prayer. Randy and Kelsey need FAVOR with the mother when they meet her. 

2) Please pray for FINANCES.  Randy and Kelsey will need lots of money to adopt the girls and for supplies. You can donate through their Pay Pal Account on their website. 

 http://www.randyandkelsey.com/Partnering.html

3) Please check Randy's blog for updates. http://rbohlender.blogspot.com/

So!  If you would pray for them...  I am so excited and blessed by their passion for adoption.  A large part of praying for the ending of abortion encapsulates a prayer for a spirit of adoption to be raised up to love those that were otherwise "unwanted".  I was thinking the other day about what a huge dent it would make if every Christian family, even just the ones in America, each adopted one child.  I LOVE this passion for the spirit of adoption and pray that it would become even more stirred in my OWN heart.  

Neonatal Tetanus

Tonight I am babysitting for the McD's, and since the kids went to bed three hours ago and the parents won't be home for another hour probably, I have been fwamming around reading new blogs. I saw this video and some info about it on a site that looks like it's written by a pretty fun lady! Anyways, I want to quote one of the things she wrote:

Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) is one of those diseases that’s just lurking everywhere. It’s transmitted through dirt and in the air and passed through open wounds. Open wounds like UMBILICAL CORDS. Many infants in third-world countries are delivered in mud huts with no clean water available. Umbilical cords are cut with whatever sharp instrument is around instead of a clean knife. Then packed with mud to stop the bleeding. And within 5-7 days, they die from tetanus.

It’s not a silent slow killer either. It’s marked with muscle rigidity,
muscle spasms, inability to eat and seizures triggered by light and touch.

LIGHT and TOUCH.

Imagine your newborn baby, having muscle spasms and whenever you tried to comfort him he had a seizure. It’s horrifying.

First of all, I'm thankful for our tetanus vaccinations we have here. But I had never heard of this before! Isn't it terrible?? It's a reality for millions of people in the world, but we don't have to worry about it -- my sister won't have to worry about it in two weeks, and I won't have to worry about it in the years to come. Do you ever wonder "Why us?" I'm not looking to write a whole treatise right now on the idea of how blessed America and the Western world is, but come on. What did I ever do to be free of this and so many other concerns that are implicitly taken care of by various pricks in our arms when we're three months old and the pipes running underneath our houses?

Here's the video:



*Disclaimer: I'm not trying to promote the organizations in the video, it's just the only one I've seen*

Those statistics at the end: 30,000 moms a year. That's 82 a day. And the babies? A bit under FOUR HUNDRED PER DAY. FOUR HUNDRED.

Unbelievable.

She's Growing

You know, this morning I've been watching Glorie play and realizing that she has taken leaps and bounds in just the last few weeks.  She now plays with a lot more logic.  Just now she sat for a whole two or three minutes playing with one toy and putting all the animals in it where they needed to be.  Earlier she wasn't satisfied until she had all three of the play horses inside a toy that they don't even belong in, where she had to fanagle them through the narrow openings to get them inside.  Actually, just the fact that she will be entertained with one toy, by herself, for a little bit of time is amazing.  Actually, she is amazing. :)

AND...her speech is getting so much more advanced and clearer.  She can say "I want that." (This phrase is beginning to get especially clear).  She started singing on her own the other day (I'm sure it's partly an influence of Ariel, who sings and makes up her own songs constantly).  She'll try the words you tell her to, and she knows and can name the color pink ( as in, you can ask her what color something pink is and she'll answer: "pick!"  She loves to wear her "B" as a dress, and she likes to tell me where to sit.  She's begun picking up C.S. Lewis (it's always C.S. Lewis) off the bookshelf, walking into the living room, sitting on a couch, then opening up the book and try to read it.  The next step is to point to the seat next to her and say "Nannie BOOK!"

Liz just bought her Sound of Music the other day, and she ADORES it.  Her favorite scenes are the Do-Re-Mi singin, and the "Pup-pets!" which she will ask for over and over again.  

Yesterday was the first day I started tickling her by counting her ribs and she would curl up and laugh and then say "Mo-mo!" and we'd do it all over again.  

She's WAY into having you do things with her.  If she's going around the house on her truck, I have to go along too.

Amy, this post is especially for you. :)  We have your picture on the fridge right at her level, and sometimes she'll see it and say "Mamy!"  I asked her this morning while she was playing with my phone if she wanted to call Amy and she said "K" (which means yes) but it was too early to call you, Miss Five-Hours-Behind.  Maybe we'll try later.  =)  We miss you, Aunt Mamy!!!  

Pictures of Late

I just HAD to show you how cute Glorie is today.  This dress was getting a little bit small, so yesterday Liz found these Osh-Kosh pants for $3.99 to act as leggings and stretch the dress out as a dress-shirt for a season more.  My sister is S-M-A-R-T.  One fell swoop made one of the cutest outfits.  Ever.

And, please just let me point out that she is pulling off that hairstyle where you pull the front bangs back.  That one that we all think we can pull off but really just pretend to (by "we" I mean "I"...somehow when I wear my hair like that, it always look somewhat like a fish flopped down on the top of my head)

And here is me soaked after Les Mis.  (And notice I only have one earring in, because I was taking them out when realized that I didn't have any pictures of me from the night!)

And here is the clan reading after church yesterday.  I love these guys.