Monday, October 26, 2009

Monday Quote

Don’t pray for the other person’s fur to change directions – stop rubbing!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

September Pictures Part III


Desitin is my favorite toy!
Flowers from the flower bed:


Peek-a-boo!

Gramma's dog is upside down...

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009

Monday Quote

Life is fickle, but God is unfailingly good.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Some Difficult Thoughts...

Already I have a deep love for Cadence, and I’m not sure I would be able to handle it if something were to happen to her. I can’t imagine the pain a parent must feel when they lose a child, and I can’t help but think I would have to ask God why. I remember Bro. Driskell sharing with us about losing his little girl when she was about six. He said he cried out to God, and said, Why? She was the sweetest, most obedient of their children, why did this precious child have to die? Why would an innocent soul need to suffer?
He feels like God answered him this way: We have no way of knowing what she would have faced in the future, the choices she would have made, the hardships life might have given her – after she reached the age of accountability. This way, she was spared of those hardships, and Bro. Driskell said it helped to know he would never have to see her suffer through pain or sin later in life. He could enjoy the memory of his sweet precious girl and rest in knowing he would see her in heaven.
His answer didn’t take away the pain, it didn’t alleviate all the questions and agonies, but it is reassuring to remember God knows more than we do, and His way is always for the best. He has our best interests in mind, He loves us more than we could ever fathom, and He has the strength and authority to act in our behalf. So when trials, hard things, devastating things, happen in our lives, we can still trust in God’s wisdom and love for us and know He is working all things for our good.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Another controversial post inspired by the book "Ideas That Changed the World"...

I hope no one is offended by this post. Its purpose is not to offend or cast down. I do not look down on women who work outside the home, or take advantage of their rights in other ways. In fact, I admire their strength and courage. So remember – this post is not in criticism of liberty – it is in the defense of freedom to choose.

The early women’s rights movement was valid and much needed. It ensured women received rights equal to men in voting, free speech, and pursuit of happiness. However, after those basic rights were established, the suffrage movement went too far in their efforts to prove women’s capabilities. The modern Women’s Liberation Movement has created less liberty and more work for women of America.

The ‘Women’s Lib’ movement has created more work for women. Women have fought hard to earn the right to work outside the home. They have worked hard to be recognized as equal in many fields of work. But working outside the home hasn’t given them more liberty – it has only added to their work. Most women who work for someone else have to come home and still do housework and taking care of children. Usually there is no one else to step up and fill this role. And so, since most women don’t like living in a messy house, they clean, even though they have worked all day. They take care of their children, because they love them and want to see them well cared for, even if they are tired from working all day. The cycle continues, women wanting to be equal, and instead creating more and more work for themselves.

Women and men are equally responsible for this more work, less liberties phenomena. Many say everything is the man’s fault. At one time women were to blindly obey and have no say in home or nation. We look back and say, men of those times were too controlling. Now, women must compete in the work world and still keep up with housekeeping and childcare. Therefore, men must be lazy and demanding. In reality, women have just as much responsibility for this recent situation as men do. Women who want less work have several options available, but they are frequently too prideful to avail themselves of these opportunities. Those who would be willing to consider these options often don’t think of them, because the Women’s Liberation Movement has totally removed them from a woman’s mindset. An overworked woman could quit work, stay home and take care of her house and children, using the time this would free up to pursue things that make them happy. Women whose jobs are what make them happy could ask their husbands for help around the house, or consider hiring someone to do the mundane chores required to keep a household running smoothly. If this is not an affordable option, yet the woman in question feels tired and rundown all the time, then working outside the home, no matter how enjoyable, is probably not her best option for pursuing happiness.

A final unforeseen side effect of Women’s Liberation is women are now looked down upon if they act in a feminine manner. We, as a society, have trained ourselves to picture ‘strong’ women in a certain way. The strong woman is something like this: She is serious, hardworking, dresses in suits and masculine clothing, is too mature to be seen nurturing her children in a relaxed, carefree manner, and certainly does not spend her time slaving over a hot stove. In reality, it is every bit as rewarding and shows every bit as much strength of character for a woman to behave femininely. A skirt or dress, a flattering top, long or prettily fixed hair does not make a woman any less intelligent and strong – but when we see these things, we automatically think less of the lady. A woman who nurtures her children in a natural way, by staying home with them during the day, by playing with them outside, by nursing them, by simply enjoying taking time to rock them or sing to them – without it being educational, or designated quality time – is seen as frivolous. In reality, this woman is working hard to be a sweet friend and influence her child can look up to and rely on for guidance throughout life. Before women’s lib, a woman who worked outside the home was viewed with respect for taking care of life’s necessities, and a woman who did not work outside the home was viewed with just as much respect, because it was recognized that this was needed also. Now, society is so used to women working, they are surprised, and sometimes a little displeased, when they hear of a woman not working outside the home. Many stay-at-home moms are viewed as just a little backwards. In this way, the women’s liberation has taken away a woman’s liberty to choose how they live and not be looked down upon.

Women are fully capable of doing what is generally considered ‘men’s work’ – but to what end? Before, women cooked, cleaned, took care of the babies, and used their leisure time pursuing what made them happy. Now, women get up, cook, clean, take care of the babies, take the babies to daycare, and spend all day working for someone else. Then they must come home and do all the cooking and cleaning and taking care of babies they didn’t have time to do during the ‘work’ day. What have they gained? More work – less freedom, less liberty.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Tiger Pictures - Twenty Weeks through Seven Months

Twenty Weeks:



Twenty-Four Weeks:


Six Months:


Seven Months:

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Lovin' the Deals

I love coupons! I love rebates!

I’ve really been enjoying shopping with coupons and saving money. It makes shopping so much more fun when you know you are getting things free – or even being paid to buy them! Here are some of my recent good deals.

Kraft foods has a coupon / rebate booklet on their website they will send you. Its all for junk food, so if you don’t eat junk food, don’t bother J We do eat, so I got it. Using the coupons and the rebate (which is get $20 back when you buy 20 items) we got ten boxes of crackers and cookies, five Easy Macs, and five boxes of Capri Suns – FREE!!!!

Rosalie told me about an SC Johnson rebate for $5 if you buy three items. There are several things on the list I buy anyways, so I decided to do it. On my shopping list today, I needed Shout (babies create so many stains!) and gallon freezer baggies. I had coupons from the newspaper for both items, and buy one get one free for Ziploc baggies, and a $0.55 off for the Shout. They happened to be on sale at Wal-Mart for $2.12 and $2.00, respectively. Normally I would just buy the Wal-Mart brand baggies, but with my coupon, Ziploc was much cheaper (even without the rebate!). So – I bought the baggies and the Shout for $3.57. A pretty good deal right? BUT – I had my rebate too. So for having bought these items I’M BEING PAID $1.43!!!!

At the beginning of the school year all the school supplies started showing up in the ads, and I started getting really jealous. I love school supplies – I love school supply shopping! But, alas, I had no one to shop for. So Tony told me I could buy supplies to give to Apple Creek and Belle Isle. So – I got two backpacks and filled them with all the supplies on the list for Kindergarten and first grade at Apple Creek and also bought all the supplies for sixth grade at Belle Isle. I was pretty impressed with some of my finds – I got school supplies for three (plus some extras to keep at home) for less than $60 – and about $20 of that was because some of the binders had to be specific colors – sigh, oh well, it was so much fun!!!!


There have been some other good deals off and on – and I’m lovin’ lovin’ loving it!

Monday, September 7, 2009

A vague opinionated thought... (about God and science)

I was reading a book the other day called Ideas that Changed the World. I don't remember who wrote it but oh well. Anyways, I didn't agree with everything it said, but what history are you going to find that you do? It was very interesting to read, and had a lot of thought provoking stuff in it. Part of those thoughts prompted a little rant... so just remember I was just kind of ranting ;)

I have had recent conversations with people who say you have to choose between God and science. Either you believe in a God who created the universe and all life, or you believe science is capable of explaining the way things work, but not both. I believe both. God created the universe and all life, but He did so in an orderly, beautiful way. He created earth to continue, refresh itself and regenerate in a wondrously scientific way. God created life with such attention to detail that He could leave if and not interfere and it continue on. To do this, it had to be orderly, exact, and extremely scientific. Of course man can find scientific explanations for the way things work. Just because God created life doesn’t mean He didn’t do it in an orderly manner. Scientists can discover wonderful things about the way the universe works, and marvel over God’s establishments of time, the human body, even atoms and mathematical perfection, but only God could get it all started. Science is the evidence and observations of the way God established the universe. For this reason, I love science. When I read about physics, I think, wow, God did a marvelous job to make motion so consistent and measurable, using the same formulas over and over without fail. Which of us could have done that, and then applied it to every thing in the world that has motion? When I read about biology, I think, wow, God did a marvelous job creating a cycle of life for each living object that coexists in harmony and promotes the continuance of life in general! Which of us could have thought of every contingency life would face, and create is in such a way that it could continue on indefinitely?

Along these same lines, I believe in miracles and natural or “man-made” changes. God has given us access to many plants and substances which have healing properties, and allows us the knowledge to use these objects to help our bodies heal or feel better when we are sick or hurt. In this case, science was useful for discovering the properties of these things God created. A natural healing would be the way God created our bodies with white blood cells and other healing mechanisms that fight infections and bacteria. In this case, science observes and marvels at the way God considered these physical needs. It is still His doing that we are eventually healed; after all, he created our bodies in this wondrous self-healing way. I believe though, that miracles exist outside both these realms of healing. A miracle is when God interrupts this natural order He has put in place in order to intercede on behalf of one of His children.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Tony's Brag Book

These are the new pictures going in Tony's brag book for the school year. Since I had them all on the flash drive together I thought I would post them :) Some of them might be repeats, but you can see her cuteness twice, it won't kill you ;)