Lots of Random stuff

Our trip to Gamma and Papa's was so much fun!  The girls played and played.

Here they are working from their sand pit

This is their very own playhouse built by Papa.
It houses all their toys and goodies.  Kitchen, riding toys, there are even shelves in there.  And plants!
This is their gigantic playset, once again built by Papa.  Do you see how little they look in comparison to the playset?
Swinging is their favorite thing to do. It wears Gamma and Papa out!
See how high they can swing.  It scares me to death.

Then there's the awesome slide

Thank you Gamma and Papa for such a fun getaway.  We are blessed!

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When we were leaving Angier, I put juice in the girls sippy cups.

Gracie: "Mom, did you know that in Angier they put cheese in their orange juice?"

Me:  "No Gracie, they don't put cheese in their OJ"

Gracie: "Yes they do Mom, I can taste it"

Me:  I sat there for a minute and finally figured it out... "Oh honey, that's not cheese, it's pulp! Some people get OJ with pulp in it.  That's real pieces of the orange."

Gracie: "Oh!"

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Wow! 16 weeks pregnant....

I must say, this is a really bad picture and I think I look a lot bigger than that.  But you'll see plenty more of my big belly:)

Definitely feeling much better.  I couldn't imagine the "all day sickness" just going away once I hit 12 weeks, but it actually did!  God's grace!  That was rough!  The migraines are still coming but the one I had on Friday only lasted for about 10 hours!!  Hooray!!  I am totally convinced it's because of all of your prayers.  So thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I have been really fatigued this second trimester, which is not normal for me.  Usually it's the first one.  So they tested my thyroid and it's pretty low.  So I've started taking meds for that and I'm hoping it will get better soon.  But no complaints out of me!  I'll gladly take the fatigue over the other stuff.

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I found another "must have" for my stain fighting collection.

  A certain little girl left a whole pack of gum in her pocket.  It ended up all in the washing machine and all over the clothes.  I thought I had gotten it all, but opened the dryer to find more!  So after scraping the sides of the dryer to get all the gum off, I had to figure out what to do with all the clothes.  Goo-Gone!!  Took it all out.  

  I am still having trouble with the pants that I didn't catch before they were dried, but I think it will come out.

  You must add this to your stash!  Super helpful for any sticky gummy mess.  Not just for clothes.

How's that for random posting! 

40 DAYS for Life is back!!!

The spring 40 days for life campaign starts today!!  So get ready to do some serious praying for the unborn, their moms and dads, and the abortion mills.  God saved 1, 128 babies!!!! during the fall campaign.  Incredible!

Here is the post I got today from the leader:  Pay special attention to the verses that were shared.  How encouraging!!  I am so often wondering why God would allow abortion.  And here is a good explanation, right from His Word.

If enthusiasm means anything, then the spring 40 Days
for Life campaign getting under way today is going to
be HUGE!!

Here is some of the early feedback I've received...

"I will be at the vigil site every Tuesday from 8:30
to 12:30 as a team leader. I need your prayers. I
hardly know any one and I am not a good public
speaker. But I am saying YES! I am so on fire I can
hardly stand it!"

--Sarah, South Carolina

"We are truly gaining momentum on sign-ups for the
vigil at one of the most notorious abortion centers
in the Midwest. This is our first time doing this and
the effort, both local and nationally, has gripped
our hearts."

--Mike, Illinois

I've heard from people discerning what to do in light
of the 2008 elections. One of the key reasons for
optimism is found in 40 Days for Life: HOPE!

Hope is such an important part of our message! Who is
it that has abortions? People who have lost all hope.
Who has God called to bring real hope? In truth, God
has called YOU!

"After the November election, many of us involved in
pro-life were so discouraged and found the outcome
difficult to understand. I wanted to share a
scripture that has helped me..."

--Audra, Colorado

The passage Audra cited is 2 Corinthians 1:9-11:

"Why, we felt that we had received the sentence of
death; but that was to make us rely not on ourselves
but on God who raises the dead; he delivered us from
so deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on him we
have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You
also must help us by prayer, so that many will give
thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in
answer to many prayers."

Jennifer in Cherry Hill, New Jersey has seen that
hope firsthand. She told me the 40 Days for Life team
in Cherry Hill, New Jersey was well into preparations
for this campaign on January 22, the date of the
annual March for Life in Washington. As they were
unable to attend the event, they decided instead to
pray at the local abortion facility during the time
the marchers were gathering in Washington.

While they were praying, a couple stopped and talked
to them, but continued into the clinic. A half hour
later, the man came out to talk some more. He went
back in -- and then the couple left together.

"They decided to keep their baby," said Jennifer. "We
were so excited and felt it was a sign of hope and a
confirmation that we can stop abortion through
40 Days for Life."

As soon as I get a prayer list for each specific day, I will share it with you.

Let's get on our knees!

15 weeks

My OB appt went well today.  I got in trouble for not calling them after my fender bender.  Oops.  But there's nothing they could have done.  I'm too early.  And I had an appt today anyway.  Nurses are the worst patients:)

Baby's heartbeat was good and strong:)  Sweetest sound.

Thanks for checking on me sweet friends.

It happened

Well,

  It happened today.  My first car accident.  It was just a little fender bender but still, I was bummed.  I was at a stop light and the light turned green, I went but the lady in front of me didn't:)  I wasn't paying attention obviously.  And the poor lady, I felt so bad for her.  She was crying:(  I just went up to her car and tried to console her.  She was so shaken.  She was okay after a little bit and we talked for a while.

  The girls were with me but they were totally fine.  Just didn't understand why we had to sit there for so long.  Had to explain to them that their mommy just hit that poor lady.

  As for the cars, the good old jeep has one scratch!  That a girl.  As for the other lady's brand new Rav4, not so much.  She has a big scratch across that tire thing on the back, the door is dented, and the bumper has been dislocated.  Hmmm, sure that will cost me a pretty penny.

  Could have been much worse and I am grateful to the Lord that we are all okay and that He protected us this morning.

What are we doing?

Jessica at Making Home,

 a blog I love to read, posted this article this morning.  Have you heard about this yet?  You see, the sad thing is, this happens all the time.  You just don't hear about it.  Even the pro choicers are upset about this and rightfully so.  But guess what??  Every other baby they kill is the exact same, it's just a little younger.....

Monday, February 16, 2009

Botched Abortions: Why They Matter & What They Tell Us

Just last week, Americans were horrified to learn that a baby born alive in an abortion clinic was promptly put into a trash bag and left to die in a dumpster. And rightly so. It's a horrible tragedy... but really, it's no more horrific than what is done to the other 3,500+ babies aborted every single day in our nation, or tens of thousands every day around the world. This baby just happened to breathebefore being murdered for money.

Please don't mistake my bluntness for being glib about it. It absolutely sickens me... it's numbing and I find myself almost unable to process when I really stop to think about how many children have died at the hands of abortionists.

After reading the horrible details (and they were ghastly), I did a simple google search for "botched abortions"... and pulled up a dozen or so stories, with varying results, for you to consider:

• Apr. 1985: Botched abortion leads to amputation
• Feb. 2000: During abortion procedure, woman goes into cardiac arrest and is permanently brain damaged.
• Apr. 2004: After "abortion" performed, baby still grows and is born months later.
• Jan. 2005: Abortion kills both mother and baby.
  
• May 2005: Abortion meds cause woman to go into labor, baby is born alive and clinic refuses to call 911. The baby subsequently died.
  
• Feb. 2006: After botched abortion, she was awake and screaming as they loaded her into the ambulance.
• Jun. 2006: Aborted baby was born with heart injuries as a result of an "unsuccessful"(depends on your definition of "success") abortion.
• Sept. 2006: After botched abortion, baby born with physical and mental disabilities.
• Jun. 2008: Mother delighted that her baby survived abortion.
  
• Cemetery of Choice: a record of dozens of women who died from abortions.
  
• Still alive today: A botched abortion survivor speaks out.
  

These stories stretch across these last three decades, when abortions are supposed to be "safe, legal, and rare". In truth, they are none of those three things. They are obviously unsafe for the baby... but they also pose serious risks to the mother. And in addition to all of these examples, there is the possibility of permanent infertility, along with other very serious complications. And after having an abortion, there is often lifelong guilt, questions to face, and depression.

Every day in our nation, children are being put to death at similar ages to the baby who was murdered in Florida last week. So why would journalists and newspapers be eager to report about this one? What makes it different? And why would it bother someone who is pro-choice? Really. It's a question worth asking. The only difference between the poor baby that died then and any other aborted baby that day was location. He made it outside the womb before being killed at the hands of an adult in an abortion clinic.

But it's the same action.

Both actions end the life of a human being. Botched abortions show us the potential for life, and they show us the truth.They hold up a mirror to the action of abortion itself and reveal the horror therein. From the stories above, several things are clear:

• It really is a baby-- a real, unique human being.
  
• It really is murder-- intention to kill a living thing.
• It really is horrific-- it's easier to see when we actually have a visible, breathing baby involved rather than something nebulous that we can write off as "tissue" or "inviable". (As others have noted.)
• Mothers really do have an instinct to protect their babies. Bird mothers will run down animals 50 times their size for trying to loot their nest... and abortion-minded human mothers (sadly) often only realize how much they want to protect their baby once the abortion has been botched or completed-- many times, even years later.

If you are contemplating abortion or know someone who is, you may find it helpful to browse the following links:

• Pregnant? Alone? Need someone to talk to?
• Alternatives to abortion
• Scriptures that are relevant to the issue of abortion
• What's it like to have an abortion?

Father, help us to do what is right. To act. To pray. To celebrate life. To give life. God, help us.

Valentine's Party #3

On Friday we were able to go to our friends, the Watsons, for the last Valentine's hoorah of the week.

Laurie went all out on this one!!

The "Guess how many kisses there are" game and the gift basket
There were lots of yummy snacks
Here are several of the kids.  We know most of them from co-op.
So I must have been into the snacks since I posted the picture twice:)
The punch even had heart shaped ice cubes
Laurie played several games with the kids.  Most of the kids were older, so this worked really well and the kids loved it.  This is pictionary.
Then they played pin the heart on the human
Here goes Gracie
And Piper
Obviously I am having a hard time remembering what pictures I just uploaded!  I have been uploading pics for an hour for just these two posts!


This was super cute.  They had to see how many hearts they could pick up with chop sticks in a certain amount of time.

I didn't get a picture of all the Valentine boxes and bags lined up and all the kids filling them.  But they were all creative and cute:)

Laurie, thank you friend for having us over!  Thank you for being so creative and fun with the kids!  You are a blessing.

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For Valentines Day itself, we just hung out at home.  Jeremy was in and out working and the girls and I just played around and relaxed.

 

Then Jeremy cooked the girls and I a candlelight dinner.  Steak, homemade mac-n-cheese, and hotdogs.  Perfect Jeremy menu. 

We talked to the girls about love and asked them what they loved.  We got everything from chocolate to the new baby:)  

The girls got chocolate, a dress, and a bathing suit.

Jeremy got a radio/speaker thingy that you can put your iPod or iPhone into and play your music. I told him this was true love cause I really don't like his music:)  And this allows him to blast it throughout the house.  Did you know he likes rap music? (And some other stuff that makes me think I am in Jamaica.)  Yes my sweet little Jeremy.  At least it's Christian rap.  But still.  It's painful. 

Jeremy got me some of my favorite chocolate and a morning at the spa!!  I've never been before.  Ooohhh I am so excited!

Concrete!!!!

Amidst our Valentine's Partying, we got a huge treat at the Gibson house....Concrete!!!

Now you are probably thinking, is she crazy for blogging about concrete?!  I may be:) but we have been waiting for this day for 2 and a half years!  Living in mud is no fun.

The beginning stages...
Our "garage."  Hopefully one day soon, it will actually be a real garage.  You know, with a roof and all.
The kids were pretty excited about the action
First pour

Hmmm, should have loaded this at the end.  But, the girls get their first chance ever to ride their bikes at their own house!!
Go Gracie!
The final product!
We are totally loving it.  We have a little more to do, the back part, behind the house has a sidewalk that will lead to a patio.  The electricians have to bury our power lines though before we can finish it.

Thank you to all our buds who have had to drudge through the mud just to hang out with us!  We hope you enjoy coming over mud free:)  Well, at least in the driveway.  We still have much work to do in the yard.  But that starts tomorrow!

Red Envelopes

This is really good!  Please do it!  Just think of the impact.

My friend Kelly sent this to me...

Red Envelopes

  Dear Friends and Intercessors:   This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander.  I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency.  Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem  cell research, and federal funding for contraception.   I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart  to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood.  This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent  me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.   As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea.  Out  in the garage I have a box of red envelopes.  Like the powerful image of  the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama  that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue.  It will be  quiet, but clear.   Here is what I would like you to do:   Get a red envelope.  You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores.  On the front, address it to  President Barack Obama  The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C.  On the back, write the following message.  This envelope represents one child who died in abortion.  It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world.  Responsibility begins with conception.  Put it in the mail, and send it.  Then forward  this email to every one of your friends who you think would send one  too.  I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child  who has already died by abortion or other intentional pre-birth destruction, before having a chance to live.  Maybe it will change the heart of the president.   Warmly in Christ,  John Otto

Valentine's Party

We had a little Valentine's Party at our house.  Actually it was the first of three parties this week!  Crazy, but I love it:)  The other two are at co-op and then another friend's house tomorrow.

First we made placemats....

Alyssa hard at work
Rhiannon too.  She's pretty crafty, like her momma
Cheese....Tristen, Ellie, Gracie, Faith, and Pipes
Then we made cupcakes....
Don't you wanna sink your teeth in to that one:)? Yummmm
Sippy girl
Still lovin Piper's chubby hands:)
Gracie's creation for Daddy
Sweet little T-Bird's face

Then we ordered pizza and headed outside to play in the gorgeous weather!!!

Triple Coupons

Harris Teeter is triple couponing today through Sunday.  Actually it started yesterday.

Happy couponing!  I'd love to hear your success.  I just spent lots of time cleaning out all the coupons that expired while I was feeling yucky.  So I am going to try to start again fresh.

Circus

The Circus was in town this past weekend and the girls eagerly anticipated going.

Ladies and Gentleman...Your Ringmaster!
Sorry the pics aren't very good.  It was hard taking pictures in the coliseum and figuring out how to constantly adjust my camera.

These were Piper's favorite.  They were adorable little ponies
These guys were so neat.  Had to post it even thought it's not very clear.
Pipes eating her icee.  10 bucks!  Can you believe that?!
The tigers
And the elephants
It was grand

Gracie was sitting with La La and Tristen so that's why I don't have pictures of her.  The girls had a great time and Jeremy and I had so much fun seeing their delight.  I haven't been to the circus in a long time.  I remembered seeing a lot more with animals and less with people.  This one was pretty heavy on human tricks.  There were lots of aerialists, dare devil motorcycle riders, clowns of course!, and people who could contort their body in crazy ways.

The girls already asked to go back again next year:)