I Just Don't Understand

I got this from Words from Warriors. This is obviously supposed to be funny, but it also makes me very sad. How do these people not understand what our service men and women are doing? How does Code Pink not understand that without our military, who will defend our freedom to prance around in pink feather boas, saying whatever we want to, whether it's true or not? I don't hold it against any one for being anti-war. No decent human being would want war. But life isn't always about what we want, is it? Sometimes things get in the way, pesky little things like human rights.

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is far worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so my the exertions of better men than himself.

~John Stuart Mill

I'm not about to debate on whether or not we should have gone to war. I have had far more military training than the average American, and that decision, and the intelligence behind it, is way above my pay grade and knowledge level. I will say, on the chance that I might actually share a personal opinion, that it is foolish for anyone to think that immediately withdrawing our troops is a good idea. Whether or not going to war was not the right thing to do, we still have to finish what was started and do it right. I want this war over just as much as anyone. I can't count how many friends and relatives that have been in harm's way. My brother is currently deployed and it looks like my husband might be headed that way in the next year. But you know what, like the clip said, it is a volunteer military and these honorable men and women VOLUNTEERED to put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that all Americans hold dear. All I can do is pray harder that the Code Pinks of the world figure this out some day.

God bless our troops!

God bless America!

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Soundtrack Saturday

So it is still technically Saturday, especially since I'm in another time zone right now. My girls and I traveled home with my parents. I'm doing a little house hunting and hopefully, a little relaxing, before I go back (without the girls) to hit the house hard. And then my parents will bring the girls back a week later in time for Alexis' birthday. We (I should say my dad, with a little help from the rest of us) got a lot accomplished when we were all in Boston. I'll post pictures, but that will have to wait until I get home. Same with pictures of the girls from Easter. I must say, in my most unbiased, objective opinion, that the girls were pretty darn adorable! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and that the joy of the season is overflowing in your hearts and homes.

As for today's song, my iPod has died and I don't have the list of songs on the cd with me to know which one is next, so I'm just going to pick one I know I haven't shared yet, "Blessed" by Martina McBride. I love her! This song just reminds me of the gifts I have in life and that I don't need to look any further than the members of my family to know how blessed I truly am.

I have been blessed

And I feel like I’ve found my way

I thank God for all I’ve been given

At the end of every day

I have been blessed

With so much more than I deserve

To be here with the ones

That love me

To love them so much it hurts

I have been blessed

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Alleluia!

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Soooo funny!

You must go check out Faithful Web and the March Madness Grid for Churchgoers. It is hilarious!!!

I found it at the Catholic Carnival. Check that out, too!


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Busy, Busy, Busy

Last week, Jane asked what was going on in these pictures. For those of you don't know, we're moving this summer. That means we have to sell our house. So now we are in a mad dash to make it look buyable. (See Cris' post.) The pictures were of our dining room. We ripped down the wallpaper that we didn't do such a good job of putting up 4 years ago. My parents are flying in tomorrow to help with some other major jobs. Hopefully, this will all work out. I'll try to get some pictures to post, but I don't know how much blogging I'll be doing. If you have a free moment, a prayer or two that all projects go well (and that we sell our house fast) wouldn't hurt.

Oh, if you have any tips, on selling a house, or moving with small children, they would be greatly appreciated.

God bless!


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Soundtrack Saturday

I thought I would speed things up a little and share the next 2 songs off the girls' cd. Besides, I may not get to post next week.

The next song is "Daughters" by John Mayer. It's not the song with the most meaning on the cd, but it's more of a cultural song as it was fairly popular when I first thought of making a cd like this. It reminds us of the circle of life and how important our example as parents is.

"Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too"

The second song today is "Let There Be Peace on Earth." I chose this version because 1) I had it already and 2) I thought it was appropriate because Vince Gill sings with his daughter. The first time this song really moved me was at my grandfather's funeral. It's been a favorite ever since. I pray that my husband and I can teach the message to our daughters through the example of how we live our life.

"Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth,
the peace that was meant to be.


With God as our Father,
brothers all are we,
Let me walk with my brother,
in perfect harmony.


Let peace begin with me,
let this be the moment now.
With every step I take,
let this be my solemn vow,


To take each moment and live each moment
in peace, eternally.
Let there be Peace on Earth,
and let it begin with me."

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Love Me When I'm Gone

I love to listen to this song while I'm running. Back when I was still serving, it used to motivate me to run harder, because if the only thing I could do at that moment to help those who were deployed while I was not was to run harder and become better, then that was what I was going to do.

For those of you who think you are struggling with what you have chosen to give up for Lent, please take a moment to pray for those who are giving up much more right now, time with their loved ones, in order to serve their country.

God bless our troops!

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Kids and Smoke Alarms

We've had our smoke detectors go off for various reasons and our kids did not wake up. Now I see that it is not just our kids. Thanks to Christine for sharing this.

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So Strange...

It's just after 10 and I'm in bed. And it's quiet.

How does that work, you ask? Well, the baby is sleeping and Tom and Isabel aren't here.

They're gone.

They flew to Texas this afternoon. Tom has a class over the weekend and he took Isabel with him, partly to give me a little break, and partly so that his family could see her. His family only lives about 2 hours away, so various members will be driving to see them throughout the weekend. Tom's mom and grandma will be with Isabel the whole time while Tom is in class. So it works out for everybody.

After Alexis and I dropped them off at the airport, we ran to the grocery store. Then we came home, ate lunch and napped. (I took a teeny, tiny one.) This all seemed pretty normal. But then Alexis woke up. It all started feeling a little strange. Having only one child. And I think Alexis missed Isabel. She played differently. She wasn't as content without me. Maybe she was just having an off day. When the magic hour rolled around that I normally am so anxious for Tom to get home, I knew he wouldn't be coming home. Dinner was kind of flat. Alexis is cute and all, but not much of a conversationalist. I put her to bed early because she didn't get all of her normal naps in today and she has been sleeping in with the time change. Then I took the trash out for pick up tomorrow (a small "adventure" since I don't usually do it) and then I packed a care package for my brother.

I've been looking forward to the quiet all week, but it was strange. Tom has taken Isabel on a trip like this before, but I was pregnant at the time and very sick. I used the time to rest, relax and regain some energy from all of the throwing up I had been doing. So today was very different. Although I am grateful to have a break from a two year-old's constant questioning, there is a definite buzz of family life that I am already missing. Who would have thought that it would happen so fast?

I have lots of things I need to accomplish while they are gone and hopefully, Alexis will cooperate.

Oh, and husbands...when you go away and take our firstborns with you, it would be appreciated if you would call as soon as you landed and not make us hunt you down to make sure everything is okay. Just a thought.

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One Million Rosaries for Unborn Babies

"The ONE MILLION ROSARIES FOR UNBORN BABIES prayer event is scheduled to happen on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008. The intention for this Rosary will be: For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. On the day of the prayer event, it is hoped at least one million people in the U.S.A. will be praying the Rosary within the same sixty minute time span."

Click here for more info and to register.

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Thanks to Jean at Catholic Fire.

The World According to my Husband

"And to think, I was excited that you'd be talking."

Tom after being home for a half hour with our "talkative" daughter.



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Wordless Wednesday

Soundtrack Saturday

Song #3 on my girls' playlist is "When You Wish Upon a Star." There really isn't much of a backstory here. Both my husband's family and mine have had Disney play a major part in our lives, for various reasons, and I thought it would be nice to include that in the list. I hope that my girls grow up knowing that they can dream as big as they want.

"If your heart is in your dream

No request is too extreme

When you wish upon a star

As dreamers do"

They are Sisters, Not Clones

So I have 2 daughters. Isabel. Alexis. Born almost 22 months apart. They are not twins. They were not some scientific cloning experiment. So why has it taken me 10 months to figure out that they. are. DIFFERENT?!?!?!?!

Pregnancy: Isabel - surprise; Alexis - not really
Nausea: I - hardly threw up; A - threw up the whole pregnancy, including in the delivery room
Nursing: I - initial challenge in hospital, at home, no problems; A - latched on immediately, got home, Pain, lots of Pain
Size: I - could nickname her Twiggy; A - did nickname her Buddha
Hair: I- blonde and straight; A - brunette and curly
Personality: I - non-stop energy; A - thoughtful observer
Crawling: I - practically skipped it; A - very happy with ability to crawl anywhere, through anything
Walking: I - 9 1/2 months; A - not yet
Weaning: I - cooperated with Mommy's very strategic plan at 1 year;
A - had her own plan at 10 months

*Note: I started writing this 2 weeks ago and am just getting around to posting it now.

Now Hear This

• Concerning...
  


• Amazing! (Some of you may want to grab some tissue.)

Put on your best Snorkelface...

...and head over to Simcha's for her great post on "Growing."

Wordless Wednesday

"What do you think, Mommy? Are the shoes too much?"

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Baby Steps

I got dressed to go to the gym.


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On My Mind

"Don't daydream about the milk and honey, just enjoy His manna."

~From Jennifer Rothschild's bible study Walking By Faith

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