tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62272642961905850122024-02-19T22:59:38.254-08:00creciendo en nuestro corazonthe journey for our childem and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-41488918286721754202011-10-08T17:28:00.001-07:002011-10-08T17:32:03.875-07:00Can't DecideSo...I obviously haven't been active here lately. Between support raising for our move into missions in Mexico, 3 kids, and maintaining a multitude of other social media, including our <a href="http://pejohnson.wordpress.com/">other blog</a>...I just can't decide whether to maintain this blog. And I think my indecision has led to a decision...I'll keep the site I suppose for a while, but for now, all of our blogging is occurring on our "Missions" <a href="http://pejohnson.wordpress.com/">blog</a>. Pete and I both post there, so it's a different type. Anyway...just wanted to let the maybe 2 of you out here still that we're over <a href="http://pejohnson.wordpress.com/">here</a>. :)em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-18269993000308248422011-05-26T17:49:00.000-07:002011-05-26T17:56:52.117-07:00So...this is the family picture we ended up with:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fY7x0iNPN64NITcTYzXxC38KGSHvVzTNDlgxAni4jQosl_EvezxPgtDfk_4G65ySDEHkOMnqGakkql0XMh7OzbRr7BUgMJhHtyjItFaz52Qtvl2Rl8AZq2pb-xskv-iFhhgXjz0kupXE/s1600/Lake+Tahoe+D5+2011+125.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fY7x0iNPN64NITcTYzXxC38KGSHvVzTNDlgxAni4jQosl_EvezxPgtDfk_4G65ySDEHkOMnqGakkql0XMh7OzbRr7BUgMJhHtyjItFaz52Qtvl2Rl8AZq2pb-xskv-iFhhgXjz0kupXE/s320/Lake+Tahoe+D5+2011+125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611192738969933554" /></a><br /><br />After...a million of these types of family pictures...and threats of time-out, and finally a bribe of a cookie).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0_nRPoQd5ecCvgUbeJ8w3EOOMif0SIOJyg1nwH5xkxo4qexwX9Rgd9SBMTohyphenhyphenUAZzB4pggLfRj496_Oxz_3BRKUrFzolLJTwpOu-K5eXDp98tPLd0_dK_OcXjyR5bK7wduiXi8S28qCb/s1600/Lake+Tahoe+D5+2011+121.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0_nRPoQd5ecCvgUbeJ8w3EOOMif0SIOJyg1nwH5xkxo4qexwX9Rgd9SBMTohyphenhyphenUAZzB4pggLfRj496_Oxz_3BRKUrFzolLJTwpOu-K5eXDp98tPLd0_dK_OcXjyR5bK7wduiXi8S28qCb/s320/Lake+Tahoe+D5+2011+121.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611192553898904690" /></a><br /><br />Aahhh...the joys of vacation and family photos. But, for real...it was an AMAZING vacation. My parents took us to Lake Tahoe, and we went hiking every day. Beautiful.em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-72026210470460914892011-04-26T18:30:00.000-07:002011-04-26T19:08:26.524-07:00Positive Adoption LanguageOk...so I know that pretty much every adoptive parent who blogs has probably posted about this, but, I don't know, maybe it just helps us process and articulate positive adoption language so we know what to say when people use negative words in front of our kids, you know? Anyway...just wanted to post about a few comments...<br /><br />To start with, this post wasn't sparked by any one conversation with any one person...just sort of a collective sum of a lot of conversations over the past almost 2 years...and second, if you have said these things to me, you're in good company, a lot of people have, and please know that I know you probably mean well and don't mean them to be negative. But also know that I really want Ava to know that I value her so much that I won't shy away from hard conversations with people I love so that she can begin to understand how to respond to hard situations with grace, but also with truth. Words are important. After all, with any child (biological or adopted) we don't talk about certain things in certain ways because we don't want them to learn to talk about whatever the topic is in crude language or in a way that might hurt them; the same with adoption.<br /><br />So, one of the most common comments I get that is annoying to me (and many other adoptive parent, btw) is "Oooh...she's so cute, I want one," sometimes it's said even more bluntly: "Oooh...she's so cute, I want a black baby." As if I adopted her because of her skin color. I didn't. I didn't adopt her in spite of her skin color either. I adopted Ava....Ava is cute, Ava is beautiful. She's not an object to be collected. I mean, I am her mom, and of course she's pretty much the cutest two year old ever...but, all babies/toddlers/children are beautiful people...and a big thing that moms of black boys especially talk about is the age when people stop saying they're cute and when people start thinking of them as black men...who experience so much racism and prejudice. Cute babies grow up. We have to be prepared to parent them and give them what they need to have strong and positive racial identities in a society that will categorize them based on their skin color. I have never had someone comment about Kylah's cuteness or Ali's cuteness and then follow that with an "I want one" comment. I don't know, maybe other people do get that type of comment with their biological children? Anyway...I'd much prefer comments to the effect of: "Ava is adorable; what a blessing; She's cute..." You don't need to follow up with some sort of "I want" comment. You can mention you'd like to grow your family by adoption if you are really interested in it! If you adopt in the future or seriously enter into the pre-adoption process, awesome...we can talk then. <br /><br />Second...please don't ever say we "bought a baby" or you want to "buy a baby." We did not buy Ava anymore than we bought our biological children. We paid for services (and by we...I mean that to include more than just Pete and me because it was so many of us together who made it possible for Ava to become a Johnson)...we paid a lawyer, we paid an adoption agency to file our paperwork, translate it, mail it to Colombia, we paid USCIS for visas, we paid the workers at the orphanage who held Ava and fed her for the first months of her life, we paid money to the government in Colombia who ensures that all adoptions are legal, we paid a charitable fee to the orphanage so they can run cool programs like the maternity home which teaches moms job skills and offers counseling so they can choose to parent if they want to and the orphanage also feeds and schools and counsels a TON of kids who don't get adopted...so, yeah, I mean we got way "more for our money" (if you want to think of it that way) than we did for our biological children. I paid a doctor to deliver them. I paid the hospital, I paid for pre-birth care, etc. And actually, insurance paid a lot, too, right...I mean, we paid our co-pays (and side note...we so clocked in for Kylah's birth to make sure we were in the hospital less than 24 hours so we didn't get another co-pay for a second day, lol.)<br /><br />Ok...enough said I think. And I just want to say again...if you're reading this and happen to have said something similar...please know that I love you, and I'm not mad; I just needed to work out what to say...Ava is beginning to understand what is said. In her best interest, I have to respond to comments like the above.em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-31993081264506165612011-03-19T18:14:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:31:43.045-07:00Bikes, Braids, and BabysittingBIKES: Our eldest 2 children now own tricycles (thanks to Mimi and Grandpa!)...and it's so fun to watch them ride them. About the cutest thing ever actually! And for you locals, yes, we know we broke rules at Botanical Gardens...but I don't think our kids were breaking any speed rules on their trikes...and I think tricycles should be excluded from the "NO BIKE" policy. Just saying.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzwBGY3mcMhg5MbEQvTnOt8Ix_VbMP559CxCGxQTag8g6yUha7_6rs_ncxiXB56D8S-HnlT4n_cOPrKQ2I5FRlDqEFWI4r8nbM7e9UDyiCcQDpz4mFhup-MlrK9KsNjV8QIHldqqfRHip/s1600/Winter+2010+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzwBGY3mcMhg5MbEQvTnOt8Ix_VbMP559CxCGxQTag8g6yUha7_6rs_ncxiXB56D8S-HnlT4n_cOPrKQ2I5FRlDqEFWI4r8nbM7e9UDyiCcQDpz4mFhup-MlrK9KsNjV8QIHldqqfRHip/s320/Winter+2010+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585964905507941906" /></a><br /><br />BRAIDS: Ok, ya'll...give me some comment love because I did cornrows in Ava's hair. For those who have never met her...the amazing thing is not the fact that I have learned to cornrow...it's that she actually sat still long enough for 2. We'll see when she'll sit still for more...but I'm practicing. And if I do say so, I think her hair is looking awesome these days!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqck9R9u1oG5kzhntusncn6kq8WHlR4NWKhR40oGuIOrjK-bltUEZA-ZeDb6h_Y41TjzoCDs3FNm4dEvVg74nAg5mZDkpUuF6aK8WHxciTNn7E4VJo58wUB8LNToUFLR_j8zhz-2ZJkd75/s1600/Winter+2010+092.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqck9R9u1oG5kzhntusncn6kq8WHlR4NWKhR40oGuIOrjK-bltUEZA-ZeDb6h_Y41TjzoCDs3FNm4dEvVg74nAg5mZDkpUuF6aK8WHxciTNn7E4VJo58wUB8LNToUFLR_j8zhz-2ZJkd75/s320/Winter+2010+092.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585965533539383138" /></a><br />Ali took this picture of me doing Ava's hair. Ali LOVES to take pictures...and she actually has managed to get some good ones. Thank goodness for digital film, though, right?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrPU7dx1-8YsOg5gzJBRY9dAty7K_WaXxX9H00kF57BWgqJD2oAQv52Ebngiz6b_FqY0zXUAFY3Ry0MmWTM300pVLsKQnVTsUBSsgUKTgYezNhcnhjWxr32y-xu1k1in9E-Y1WuGYwJkH/s1600/Winter+2010+093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrPU7dx1-8YsOg5gzJBRY9dAty7K_WaXxX9H00kF57BWgqJD2oAQv52Ebngiz6b_FqY0zXUAFY3Ry0MmWTM300pVLsKQnVTsUBSsgUKTgYezNhcnhjWxr32y-xu1k1in9E-Y1WuGYwJkH/s320/Winter+2010+093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585965057361845314" /></a><br />This is just here because Kylah is quite possibly the cutest baby ever. And you just had to see her! She is still so zen. God knew I needed an easy baby!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_BJ_x0emwQO5AWdikqnC-CRLhNSj935ZQumVxox2sC-pRnB47ExzQecjlVKpztgv2cHKxUmhxG9LqGnnhcNkUC5BSmtuXH541NfmWD9oCFCco8hP2P5zIrWe0_4yTAysUN_6ZN8jYwei/s1600/Winter+2010+078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_BJ_x0emwQO5AWdikqnC-CRLhNSj935ZQumVxox2sC-pRnB47ExzQecjlVKpztgv2cHKxUmhxG9LqGnnhcNkUC5BSmtuXH541NfmWD9oCFCco8hP2P5zIrWe0_4yTAysUN_6ZN8jYwei/s320/Winter+2010+078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585965827210092850" /></a><br /><br />And for the BABYSITTING part...well...everywhere I go lately I've been asked...wow, you have your hands full...are you babysitting? Ummm...nope. They're all mine. And I am so BLESSED!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-36403428821114950542011-02-08T18:49:00.000-08:002011-02-08T19:08:32.153-08:00VIP PassesSo Pete and I got free tickets to a pre-screening of the movie <a href="http://www.soulsurferthemovie.com/">Soul Surfer</a> tonight...and I have a confession to make...I didn't want to go. Because my general impression of "Christian" movies is, well, let's just say not good. To be fair, I am kind of a movie-a-holic...so, to stack up as a good movie against all the ones I've seen is tough. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the messages, it's just when the delivery is sub-par and we're supposed to get all excited about it...I just can't do it!<br /><br />(I know, I know, my closest friends are saying right now as they read this...ummm, Emily, your favorite movie used to be Love and Basketball. That's my deep dark secret...not so deep and dark anymore...plus I've moved up in my sophistication...favorite current movie...The Chorus...boom...foreign film, I'm cool right?)<br /><br />The one thing going for this film is that I am a sucker for underdog sport movies. Meaning, I cry at all sports movies...yes, all of them. I don't cry at any other type of movie, seriously. I don't even really like chick-flicks. But I devour any type of sports movie. Sometimes I cry in sport related commercials. (Disclaimer...I did used to be an athlete, so maybe it's the nostalgia, memories, whatever...)<br /><br />Anyway, we went. We were waiting in the lobby of the theater with a bunch of other people and the head guy came in and was like, "All you waiting for the special pre-screening come this way" and this lady walks up to me and Pete and asks how you get free passes to pre-screenings of films. We felt cool, oh yeah! :) Totally worth it right there.<br /><br />And then, wham...bonus...the movie was actually GREAT! Highly recommended. I cried. (But it was a sports movie.) And you know what, I now identify with the parents in movies. What in the world? You'd have thought I'd have realized I'm a parent by now, right, so that would mean I might identify with other parents.<br /><br />Oh, and last random thought...the girl who plays Bethany Hamilton...AnnaSophia Robb...we almost named Ali that...but went with Aliana Sophia instead. Anyway...yes, our daughter has an almost movie star name (and we didn't know that when we named her, btw).<br /><br />The fine print/post script/whatever you want to call it: <span style="font-size:85%;">The movie is about surfers in Hawaii, so there are bathing suits (ok, bikinis) in it. Just thought I'd save you a visit to screenit.com. If I hear one Christian judge, I mean complain, I mean "be concerned" about that and miss the whole point of the movie...man, will you hear my rant on this blog. I mean...just kidding, cuz I'd hate to judge back. Haha! No one's perfect, right? </span>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-58755147542341423182011-01-31T16:16:00.000-08:002011-01-31T16:20:46.934-08:00Initial thoughts......on returning home from our trip to Mexico:<br /><br />We currently live in a very clean mansion and I love good water pressure in the shower.<br /><br />But in all seriousness...our trip was great! Pete and I have started a blog about our missions journey. And it's sure to be up-to-date because Pete has figured out he enjoys blogging and set up a lot of the pages on the new blog! Do us a favor and check it out here: <a href="http://pejohnson.wordpress.com/">Manna in the Desert</a>, and then give us feedback...let us know if there are any ways you think it could improve! :) Also, we've been putting a lot of our story on the blog in various pages and more about what we'll be doing in Mexico! Enjoy!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-1569611102475407992011-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:002011-01-11T17:10:55.188-08:00Wow...a needed reminder...I have no idea how many people actually read this blog...I don't blog too much, but it's kind of a new goal to blog more often (like once a week or so)...but more about that in a minute.<br /><br />For those reading who don't talk to us IRL on a regular basis, we've made some life-altering decisions...as in, we're now missionary candidates with TEAM to Mexico! I'm sooooo excited and can't wait to share more of our journey because God has been doing some amazing things and answering prayer in some big ways, but for tonight, Oswald Chambers has been reminding me of the responsibility I have to obey God no matter what.<br /><br /><a href="http://utmost.org/what-my-obedience-to-god-costs-other-people/">If, however, we obey God, He will care for those who have suffered the consequences of our obedience. We must simply obey and leave all the consequences with Him. Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.</a> (Click the link to read the whole entry.)<br /><br />All that because we had some meetings with TEAM last week, and I came away encouraged and excited from all of them except the missionary kid education one...in fact, I came away from that one thinking, "Oh, crap, we're going to screw up our kids!" But I guess we're all destined to do that in one way or another, right? Fallen people raising fallen kids...praise God for His redemption!!! <br /><br />So...back to my goal to post more...we're going to Mexico next week (Friday)....NEXT WEEK. Yay...we'll take tons of pictures and I will return excited to share about what's going on in the ministry site we're hoping to become a part of...so, I think we're going to start a new blog just for our missions stuff...on which, I will post once a week...keep me honest, ok, everyone! :) That's the plan anyway!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-23084584253973983482010-12-26T16:25:00.000-08:002010-12-26T16:27:50.637-08:00New Blog LoveIn case you need a new funny and honest and real blog to read...her latest post is a repost with the title <a href="http://www.theveryworstmissionary.com/2010/12/repost-of-missionaries-probably.html">"Missionaries probably shouldn't be jealous of strippers: <br />But sometimes they are."</a>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-90827371432638579042010-12-21T17:02:00.000-08:002010-12-21T17:18:40.493-08:00Sing with me......(to the tune of the Mickey Mouse song):<br /><br />J-U-D<br /><br />G-E-M<br /><br />E-N-T-A-L!<br /><br />Here's the story...<br /><br />So, about 2 weeks ago, we took a family outing to have Kylah's ears pierced. (She looks precious, by the way...but I'm lame and lazy about actually uploading pics, so you'll just have to picture the cutest baby ever, now with earrings, ok?)<br /><br />In the store, because I'm a wimp about holding my kids down while others inflict pain, Pete was drafted to hold Kylah while the Claire's technician marked where the earrings would go. I started to browse the store with Ali and Ava...Ali, by the way, was in little girl heaven! Oh my, what have I done?<br /><br />So, you know those loud-cell-phone-talkers that annoy you in public places? There was one in Claire's 2 weeks ago, and she decided to start telling whoever it was she was talking to all about her horror that someone would pierce his baby's ears and how could he do that and she would NEVER do something like that, it's just horrible...Pete couldn't hear her, but I could, cuz, remember, I'm "browsing" the store with Ali and Ava! I looked over at her and she caught my eye. I looked over at Kylah with Pete, turned back to loud-cell-phone-lady and said, "You think we're nuts, don't you?" I so wish I could have snapped a picture of her face at that moment...it was priceless...it was morphing from the horror she had previously been explaining in her cell phone conversation to looking at me and beginning to lump me into the "irresponsible parent" category she had lumped Pete into and then morphed into an embarrassed I just got caught judging someone while they were listening face!!! She looked back at me and shrugged and (with a still priceless, you're horrible face) said, "To each their own." I just looked at her and said, "Yep!" <br /><br />Ah, I want to laugh just thinking of her face...did I mention it was priceless???<br /><br />And then, there's another quick story of an adult who complained about kids reading their Bibles on their phones in church...ahhh...just smile with me, folks. I mean, the kids are reading. Their BIBLES! In church. <br /><br />Two stories to remind us that we have freedom as we follow Christ...we have His word to guide us and then we need to offer grace to each other as we seek to honor Him within the boundaries of His revelation to us, but there is so much variation within those boundaries. Praise God for His creativity in making us all and for His grace in our lives!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-38341599753056816892010-12-16T15:53:00.000-08:002010-12-16T16:02:49.754-08:00Tomorrow, Tomorrow....Hopefully, the pink cast will come off tomorrow...a "post-cast" picture will be up shortly...although I've been told that sometimes doctors can take the cast off, re-x-ray, then put one right back on. Really hoping that doesn't happen. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPfjF04rkUlJnIeYN7n8rleYqq7ZUPIg6fzsRKzJzdHZuNN5zuaGPcIfQ2fpCqlPGNfJ3ikDcOVqU4aOzkxW-vsUT1sr2aFziRJES7TFeoZZA2x8xfYgPzM-7WCqHUlW9552vyrq3FM3S/s1600/CIMG8205.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPfjF04rkUlJnIeYN7n8rleYqq7ZUPIg6fzsRKzJzdHZuNN5zuaGPcIfQ2fpCqlPGNfJ3ikDcOVqU4aOzkxW-vsUT1sr2aFziRJES7TFeoZZA2x8xfYgPzM-7WCqHUlW9552vyrq3FM3S/s320/CIMG8205.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551434317611050114" /></a><br />This is Ali the first day with her cast! Such a trooper.<br /><br />For those who don't know...Ali broke her leg 6 weeks ago...running and falling, over nothing. She didn't cry, got right back up and fell again. We went through the day and she kept telling me her leg hurt, but wasn't crying. Finally, we took her to the ER, and there it was, a broken leg. It's been an interesting 6 weeks.em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-31416223986236682542010-12-03T05:26:00.000-08:002010-12-03T05:27:22.700-08:00QuoteMarriage is more than your love for each other. It has a higher dignity and power, for it is God’s holy ordinance, through which he wills to perpetuate the human race till the end of time. In your love you see only your two selves in the world, but in marriage you are a link in the chain of the generations, which God causes to come and to pass away to his glory, and calls into his kingdom. In your love you see only the heaven of your own happiness, but in marriage you are placed at a post of responsibility towards the world and mankind. Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal—it is a status, an office. Just as it is the crown, and not merely the will to rule, that makes the king, so it is marriage, and not merely your love for each other, that joins you together in the sight of God and man. As you first gave the ring to one another and have now received it a second time from the hand of the pastor, so love comes from you, but marriage from above, from God. As high as God is above man, so high are the sanctity, the rights, and the promise of marriage above the sanctity, the rights, and the promise of love. <span style="font-weight:bold;">It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.</span><br /><br />Dietrich Bonhoeffer<br />Letters and Papers from Prisonem and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-25126131100021569572010-11-26T17:54:00.001-08:002010-11-26T17:59:43.272-08:00Thanksgiving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jM4zKK4umtVmriCQtnnQGJLaWs_E35rYrTydnPH8KYgR72kctFfOTafqMbgEd73WWKDAZ9FPWxA7RJmwSbKqoYDbU5rn3Klk07A07GzhcTwWPsN4HlNV8vQHzObbyyTh8SdVIW9bREW7/s1600/Thanksgiving+2010+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jM4zKK4umtVmriCQtnnQGJLaWs_E35rYrTydnPH8KYgR72kctFfOTafqMbgEd73WWKDAZ9FPWxA7RJmwSbKqoYDbU5rn3Klk07A07GzhcTwWPsN4HlNV8vQHzObbyyTh8SdVIW9bREW7/s320/Thanksgiving+2010+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544043282914860210" /></a>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-44424561288328442042010-11-17T17:32:00.001-08:002010-11-17T17:45:55.806-08:00RestToday I almost (okay, I did) lose it several times (okay, really more like at least 100 times)...<br /><br />I changed the poopy diapers of THREE kids still wearing those darn things.<br />I cleaned off the disgusting high chair at least 5 times. (I really want to take it outside and power wash it. Like, multiple times, people. Seriously, of all things baby, I hate the high chair the most. The crusted on food, the cracks full of crumbs, the constant stickiness...)<br />I listened to and forced myself to deal with multiple temper tantrums.<br />I walked away for a second, a second! and turned around to find out that Ava has figured out how to climb onto our kitchen counter...she pulls up with an above average grip, uses her feet as traction on the cabinets and then gets a knee up onto the counter...what in the world? I need to get her in rock climbing already!!! (Now, how to baby proof kitchen counters????)<br />I fed, clothed, played with, read to, hugged, kissed, timed-out (is that a word), fed some more, cuddled more, attempted a clean up of what I affectionately call toy-vomit in my house, played with more, cleaned up more...you get the idea, then called my husband to pick up frozen pizzas on the way home b/c there was no way I was going to cook and we had small group at our house tonight and more guests tomorrow night and Saturday night, I could go on, but I won't....<br /><br />Aahhh...that's what I feel like right now. There's a lot going on and you know what I forgot to do today? I forgot to rely on God. I tried it myself and I FAILED. epic.mom.fail. If I could have a fail blog, today would be on it. I don't feel guilty, just stupid.<br /><br />So, tomorrow (and the rest of tonight because I know there will be a wake up from deep sleep moment or two...or three):<br /> <br />Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-41088973777062547752010-11-02T10:23:00.000-07:002010-11-02T10:29:23.303-07:00EmotionsNovember is National Adoption Month...and I could write my own thoughts down, but some really smart, cool people who I want to be when I grow up have already written very eloquently about so many issues. Here is just one link to a post about <a href="http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/11/national-adoption-month-honoring-first.html">Honoring First Families</a>. Please read it if you're interested at all in adoption related issues. I think she does a great job with some tough realities.<br /><br />Honestly, these past four months holding and cuddling Kylah have made me so emotional in ways I wasn't with Ali, because I have the beyond-words-privilege of being Ava's mommy. I missed her first 5 months, but her first mom is missing her life...for a myriad of reasons of which I know only a very, very few. I think and pray for her everyday, and I pray that Ava will know how much I love her as my daughter and how much I honor and respect her birth-mom. I trust in God's plan for all of our lives and I know He is powerful to redeem. What I pray is that Ava will find her identity first and foremost in Jesus Christ, that she will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is loved in this family, and that if she someday desires, she will also have an opportunity to meet her birth-family, if that's important to her. But if she doesn't meet them on this earth, I pray daily that God is redeeming their hearts and souls and that we will all meet in heaven with a celebration of recognition and joy at what God has done.em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-60101635493124246392010-09-30T15:20:00.001-07:002010-09-30T15:33:09.963-07:00OutsourcedBirthday cake making ranks right there with changing poopy diapers for me...unfortunately I can rarely outsource the poop, but the cake...that can be delegated to Oma (aka Grandma) who actually enjoys the process of making an elaborate creation that is destined for destruction. But don't worry, Oma, this is the place that I can immortalize the amazing Dora cake...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbzGoBhjdOYqTKAax8qwkAyGKpkKXATOrhmkf4o10Uoz8cIEGALuzqOLJE2aBT5QBnnPrY8PareTjH_XrBEVl-Ep0FWuMCJpBTzT-cvXN9oa6Be9UQ39TLVeLzdzEsfYJ6BdwS9eM5uLa/s1600/CIMG8028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbzGoBhjdOYqTKAax8qwkAyGKpkKXATOrhmkf4o10Uoz8cIEGALuzqOLJE2aBT5QBnnPrY8PareTjH_XrBEVl-Ep0FWuMCJpBTzT-cvXN9oa6Be9UQ39TLVeLzdzEsfYJ6BdwS9eM5uLa/s320/CIMG8028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522835496193495074" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkXkFETkvPTO9aVbbu2tnAUI0k5RvnUbp8x0PPDeo7a_ra7ZJX4l70xJxr6JiM3_QDjEcgOa_aAgfz7viSfFD1woKT1tABWuslQdwkuk4C9br2eb4grjYXQgrrxIVvqtTG8cpLyLCSHtU/s1600/CIMG8002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkXkFETkvPTO9aVbbu2tnAUI0k5RvnUbp8x0PPDeo7a_ra7ZJX4l70xJxr6JiM3_QDjEcgOa_aAgfz7viSfFD1woKT1tABWuslQdwkuk4C9br2eb4grjYXQgrrxIVvqtTG8cpLyLCSHtU/s320/CIMG8002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522835274300549938" /></a><br /><br />Happy 3rd Birthday, Sweet Aliana!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-36754408574100131072010-09-10T17:30:00.000-07:002010-09-10T17:54:29.223-07:00Hmmm...So, I'm thinking about doing this experiment, maybe officially, maybe on my own, but definitely would like to try...<a href="http://sixitemsorless.com/the-project/">six items or less for a month</a>...<br /><br />Considering the fact I'm not much of a fashionista (that's an understatement; I mean, I wear the same flip-flops all summer, and only have 2 pairs of "winter" shoes. But I do love jeans. And t-shirts.), I figure it'd kinda be cheating for me to do it, but still, it's interesting. I'm guessing I wouldn't find it much different than what I already do. I must admit I often find myself only reaching for the same items of clothing anyway.<br /><br />A much more radical experiment here: <a href="http://www.thegreatamericanappareldiet.com/">The Great American Apparel Diet</a>. I tried this (I mean, not this specific experiment, but just my own "New Year's Resolution" to not buy clothes for a year) a few years back...I made it about 8 months and then broke down and bought some clothing article. Can't even remember what it was...<br /><br />I find these experiments interesting for a number of reasons...lately I've been feeling like my house is vomiting STUFF and I'm so tired of it. But then I still want to buy stuff. What is that? I feel that God's reminder that He is all we need and the mandate to use our money for kingdom purposes is often drowned out by the materialism pushed on us by society. <br /><br />I also find it really annoying that I had to push a toddler screaming through Target...for what, you ask? She wanted a piggy bank and by the time I bought trash bags and toilet paper (the whole purpose of the trip), the whole store knew what Ali wanted. A piggy bank. Didn't even know she knew what one was. So, the knowledge my daughter is also being programmed to want more frightens me. Because I have the same urge. And it's really strong when it comes to my kids. I love buying them stuff. And then I hate that my house is cluttered with that same stuff. An interesting conundrum.<br /><br />Then Pete and I watch this on PBS last night: <a href="http://www.wkno.org/babyland_home.html">Beyond Babyland</a>. Mega-convicting and a good reminder that there is a huge gap in our own country. I mean seriously, I have WAY.MORE than I could ever need while people are living in poverty right around the corner from me. And then I read this on the blog <a href="http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-in-case-you-were-getting-too.html">on earth as it is in heaven</a> The disparity is huge. And I have to figure out a way to live with it. My way is to live with less. And I need huge reminders of that many, many times. I let greediness creep back into my life and forget the blessed and eternal ways to spend money.<br /><br />And then there's this: Matthew 6:24 <span style="font-style:italic;">No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (or the stuff money can buy).</span>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-23172721954345030232010-09-05T18:22:00.000-07:002010-09-05T18:44:37.087-07:00ConfessionsI am sometimes self-conscious about the way I look. There, I said it. But I think most girls probably are, right? And having just had a baby, my self-consciousness is at an abnormal high. And being in a bathing suit that didn't exactly fit all week on vacation didn't help. And the fact that only a very few clothes of mine fit doesn't help either. Thankfully my love affair with jeans for my entire life has guaranteed me some faithful standby pairs due to owning way too many jeans in a variety of sizes.<br /><br />I was thinking this week, though, that I want to be careful about how I think about myself b/c I am a model to my girls. And whether or not I feel good about my weight or what I currently look like affects my girls! My identity rests in Jesus Christ, not in what I weigh, what size I wear, my hairstyle, my clothes, my face, etc...passing on the peace and self-confidence that can only come from a solid understanding of who I am as a daughter of God is so very important to me...and how can I teach that to my girls without deeply and truly believing it myself? So...I will NOT listen to the lies that tell me I have to be skinnier, own more stylish clothes, have perfect skin, etc. Even right now, when I'm obsessing (yes, it's true) about losing baby weight. Stop obsessing, Emily, stop! (That's a little self-talk for you...haha!)<br /><br />And, after all...even if I don't lose all the baby weight...just look at them. Aren't they worth it? I am beyond blessed and so grateful for my 3 beautiful daughters!!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpit8H9ukzTKkZrspvrwdocW6cSLWtp2P9Mpgk0JgK65BZhmyu05pKYVrO4PWfo3w5qlGxFY6ZD_nlvnZ6cX4lOPXJlFTwBUph1yHo-r0mO7WBs8SN6XCc-Rxc0WzCeoL16XYs5K7uqZFi/s1600/WB+2010+193.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpit8H9ukzTKkZrspvrwdocW6cSLWtp2P9Mpgk0JgK65BZhmyu05pKYVrO4PWfo3w5qlGxFY6ZD_nlvnZ6cX4lOPXJlFTwBUph1yHo-r0mO7WBs8SN6XCc-Rxc0WzCeoL16XYs5K7uqZFi/s320/WB+2010+193.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513607769944977026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQpIrP-fyv35rw6vw63TgaxI219eXIteEgAc3LeoCFODeF6ecWIca4jRjDi6bniDg68h5FVvdyUCENVUgqLebCZD6p0jZMd10ncskn5W1AKJbCwVZy3H3edwFJ0W3BK-LclOk-BvIMUc4/s1600/WB+2010+119.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQpIrP-fyv35rw6vw63TgaxI219eXIteEgAc3LeoCFODeF6ecWIca4jRjDi6bniDg68h5FVvdyUCENVUgqLebCZD6p0jZMd10ncskn5W1AKJbCwVZy3H3edwFJ0W3BK-LclOk-BvIMUc4/s320/WB+2010+119.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513609521259705666" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbTm7ZBKA8rC6FTLT6wJPkNAUGwM1Wotsl28S8o5ew7DxjUjAAGB4OIoOcOQhPerw9v4qc2KgKNf1DtDsaclcQNnYHZOKoW2-PFu7a12csGEot5Waze86YgW8INWaZ2eskoXbPwZj3yRN/s1600/WB+2010+093.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbTm7ZBKA8rC6FTLT6wJPkNAUGwM1Wotsl28S8o5ew7DxjUjAAGB4OIoOcOQhPerw9v4qc2KgKNf1DtDsaclcQNnYHZOKoW2-PFu7a12csGEot5Waze86YgW8INWaZ2eskoXbPwZj3yRN/s320/WB+2010+093.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513609846334723506" /></a>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-5130751799894404512010-08-18T16:48:00.000-07:002010-08-18T17:11:07.041-07:00I like small butts and I cannot lie......come on, you know you're singing now! <br /><br />When I was teaching middle school, one of the things I enjoyed the most was the running commentary I got on my appearance from "tween girls" who didn't really edit themselves too much.<br /><br />"Ms. Johnson, you shoulda worn your black shoes today with that outfit." (I only had 2 pairs of shoes I wore...a brown pair and a black pair.)<br /><br />"Ms. Johnson, did you get your eyebrows done?" (Why, do they need it or something?)<br /><br />"Oooo...Ms. Johnson, you got your ears pierced again." <br /><br />"Ms. Johnson, why don't you ever wear your hair down?" (Ummm, cuz school starts at 7:15 in the morning, which in case you haven't noticed is WAY.TOO.EARLY to wake up with enough time to blow dry my hair!!)<br /><br />"Ms. Johnson, are you one of those white girls who's really skinny but thinks she's fat. Cuz you're really skinny." (No joke...this made me laugh out loud in class.)<br /><br />And the best ever: "Ms. Johnson, you know they make padded jeans so your butt could look bigger. I have a catalog if you want." (I laughed here, too. This came out of nowhere, people.)<br /><br />But the above quote leads me to the title of this post...<br /><br />Luckily, Kylah takes after me and has (an apparently) small booty...because that's how she came out, butt first. Yes, she was breech and no, we didn't know until I was pushing. Pushing, people. The midwife checked me at that moment and said, "Oh sh*t. She's breech." If I were the curse-out-loud type I think I would have said something like, "No sh*t!!!" As it was, at that moment, I didn't even curse in my head. The room filled, I was put on a gurney and rolled to the O.R. Let's just say I was not the poster girl for a natural birth at the moment. I cringe to think that anyone might have seen me being rolled naked, screaming, and in general freaking out on the short ride to the O.R. I didn't even have time to think about much, other than the question of how in the world they could c-section me at this late moment...they quickly informed me I would be pushing the baby out...and push I did. 5 minutes after my arrival in the O.R., Kylah was born...small butt first, head last!<br /><br />Pete likes to say the whole thing reminded him of a movie. My labor started at 3 a.m. Saturday. I let Pete sleep because he had just returned from a week long camping trip with students at 10 p.m. Friday. Around 6 a.m. I texted Lauren (best friend ever) to see if she would go for a walk with me. I didn't want to believe I was in labor yet...contractions would go from 10-12 minutes apart to 7 minutes apart and back to 10 minutes apart until Paul & Lauren took Ali and Ava to their house around 9 a.m. Then immediately my contractions were 5 minutes apart and closing. An hour later I told Pete I felt like I was pushing. (So much for the directions of 5 minute apart contractions for 2 hours before you even call the midwives to let them know you're in labor!) <br /><br />Enter panic mode for Pete...he rushed to pack the car. I barely made the walk to our driveway to get in the car, and I SCREAMED all the way to the hospital with back to back contractions. Then I sat in a wheel chair in front of the hospital SCREAMING while Pete parked the car. A stranger came up to walk into the hospital and held my hand. Turned out he was the chaplain. God bless him. Pete came, pushed me to the elevator. Some poor dude just had to get on with us. Me, yep, still SCREAMING. Pete rolled me into the birthing center while I yelled...get me drugs, I give up, give me a c-section NOW! The midwife told them to stop filling the tub; I think they could take one look at me and know I was about to deliver. So...yeah, not the poster girl for a natural birth. From what I hear, some women are actually peaceful when they are in labor...not sure how that's possible.<br /><br />They quickly checked me and I was 8 cm...they must not have checked for too long, because the whole "she's breech" thing wasn't caught then...not until 20 minutes later when I was pushing. We were at the hospital maybe 30 minutes before Kylah was born. When I said I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible, I didn't quite mean to cut it that close...but, well, everything was ok. The actual birth wasn't what we expected, but Kylah is healthy and I'm doing well. <br /><br />So, there you go...I like small butts and I cannot lie...em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-82464495793994448622010-07-17T07:51:00.000-07:002010-07-17T08:01:43.784-07:00Full Heart, Full HandsWhen Pete and I started trying to grow our family four and a half years ago, I never dreamed I would be blessed in the way I have been by EACH of my precious children. My heart is overflowing with love for these beautiful daughters of mine and I cannot begin to put into words everything that has happened in our hearts during the years we have been praying for these girls. For now, enjoy the pics!!! This surprise third blessing especially taught me a lot about trusting in God's timing and His plan...enjoy the pics. Ali and Ava love (most of the time, haha), their little sister, Kylah Zoe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1IE8TF8u7UvROKfq1KBhjj8xjr-S1dwZArbIZBN7vksixs727fBwzqqLG26pJrBRe9JHS0j96BehgBLGl1P2Ugtylf6uELC9F3mcqEs-rjDEsov0d0m0hkYVAVjRyylGMgiml6IaSo4z/s1600/CIMG7333.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1IE8TF8u7UvROKfq1KBhjj8xjr-S1dwZArbIZBN7vksixs727fBwzqqLG26pJrBRe9JHS0j96BehgBLGl1P2Ugtylf6uELC9F3mcqEs-rjDEsov0d0m0hkYVAVjRyylGMgiml6IaSo4z/s320/CIMG7333.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494888519564883106" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj646VHHrMjzgzrVHCw_6iSqrsYgy40IANOWipOdA_DWJ4czGjp2SX_M_KmFo93gDmZXVGEqfODsd0t-0sixHiE0I25XsQfkDFnknJGBHsP0mKfQ2nS8Z-Zhgf8fVtXjgGl2y8G4Mh74zY8/s1600/CIMG7323.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj646VHHrMjzgzrVHCw_6iSqrsYgy40IANOWipOdA_DWJ4czGjp2SX_M_KmFo93gDmZXVGEqfODsd0t-0sixHiE0I25XsQfkDFnknJGBHsP0mKfQ2nS8Z-Zhgf8fVtXjgGl2y8G4Mh74zY8/s320/CIMG7323.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494888884184564786" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXvbdTsgkVdfCgbjAfJkxZEs7yOpteK-N3RDZrqJa3hOan6hOdAwpgkLCfM-mJ6I0zX7J6Hq8ksNaMBwREft8MKkzA1YTXhgIB5yj0OEeI3hZEpzIT6ZFTNUryQzZilXaj6Epv6N00W69/s1600/Kylah+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXvbdTsgkVdfCgbjAfJkxZEs7yOpteK-N3RDZrqJa3hOan6hOdAwpgkLCfM-mJ6I0zX7J6Hq8ksNaMBwREft8MKkzA1YTXhgIB5yj0OEeI3hZEpzIT6ZFTNUryQzZilXaj6Epv6N00W69/s320/Kylah+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494888684728899346" /></a>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-34715827092545254222010-06-23T16:30:00.000-07:002010-06-23T17:26:19.286-07:00Oh Girls......we can be crazy cool and insane!!! Bear with me for a tangent for a moment...one of the oh so many reasons I LOVE my husband is that he is totally cool with having all daughters. He tells people he loves raising girls because the world needs more strong women like me (not so sure about that myself, but I feel loved by the comment)! When we were dating in college, I vividly remember a conversation he stumbled into with my roomie (love you, Lauren) and another (ahem, feminist) friend of mine...we were talking about choices and women and careers...and Pete totally just went with it. I like to think he'd call himself a feminist (although he'd probably define it for you...as in, he's not one of the radical, political types...and neither am I, for the record). But, my wonderful husband is an egalitarian (for those who know what I mean)...and that is COOL, considering he married one. Haha!<br /><br />So, some crazy and cool links...I have to credit my husband (hence the ode to him above)...he found these links (for those who don't know...he works with teens and actually does research teen culture...and sends me interesting links...which we subsequently discuss over dinner with our still very young girls...who will someday, I know, roll their eyes at us).<br /><br /><a href="http://contexts.org/socimages/2008/09/10/high-heels-for-babies/">High Heels for Babies</a>...oh.my.goodness. Seriously? I mean, I know it's probably meant to be a gag gift, but wow. We want to indoctrinate our little baby girls ALREADY into thinking that beauty trumps all? Who cares if it's uncomfortable? Who cares if it's completely, ridiculously impracticable? Who cares if it sends the message that we better be "in style" or else, whatever that means? Side note about heels coming up...<br /><br />(So in Colombia, I read that sometimes at a teen's 15th birthday party, the birthday girl starts the party in flats and then her dad gives her her first pair of heels to mark her becoming a woman, so to speak. Well, we thought that was a cool idea, until we both laughed at the fact that I NEVER wear heels (WAY too uncomfortable and fashion has NEVER been worth that to me)...so I think the gesture might be somewhat amusing to our girls.) <br /><br />Anyway...<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/hollywood/hundreds-of-twi-hards-camp-out/">Twilight Addictions</a> (and before you say you're not a "Twi-hard"...I have the same beef with being overly addicted to "chick flicks" or any similar genre which pushes unrealistic relationships)...look at what people are doing for Eclipse! Insane!<br /><br />And then a last <a href="http://www.theseventeenmagazineproject.com/">REALLY COOL girl</a>...who's just graduated high school. I love, love, love it that she's picking on a magazine that I abhor for many of the same reasons she picks on it...when girls on our trip buy such magazines, Pete and I usually have fun writing little comments to them in the magazines when they're not looking, such as "She's airbrushed...She's pushing a false standard of beauty...This article is trying to tell you you'll be happy if you just have the right clothes...FALSE...Be a person, not just an outfit...etc. Her blog is fun, read it!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-48617972127974232412010-06-18T15:58:00.000-07:002010-06-18T16:00:37.478-07:00Read This...Seriously....Ok, I know I've linked to her blog several times, but she's doing the work for me, so why repeat what she's already said, right? :)<br /><br />So, I absolutely love what <a href="http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2010/06/what-i-wanted-to-say.html#idc-container">Kristen says about adoption here</a> (and for some background, she's talking about what she wanted to say on the View about adoption, but unfortunately she just had a few minutes...but with that, she did great...I watched it today)!em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-5677449306835037062010-06-14T16:22:00.001-07:002010-06-14T16:37:29.903-07:00My Girls...So Ali is such a little girl...she will ONLY wear dresses, and I am not kidding. Every morning I try to get her in a cute non-dress outfit with absolutely no luck. The frillier, pinker, fancier the dress, the happier she is. Luckily, we have a wonderful thrift store so my little princess can prance around in Easter dresses to her heart's content without me worrying about how dirty/messed up the dress will get. (People like to laugh while Ali plays on a playground or in the dirt with a fancy dress on...but, hey, she's happy)!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSMeoDM6ZIg4u2AJdmRQwgRuAXMDsJ8CNpuqjVLKZk8p-qR6yOd8myXZ89MMrQl9HAviAvFX3vgX5Afx7m2ELRRHZHk6LgNM8b3X-34-mt30DG8LMrFp55RMpjCuWlD8Oc1D2HcrZi0r7/s1600/CIMG7209.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSMeoDM6ZIg4u2AJdmRQwgRuAXMDsJ8CNpuqjVLKZk8p-qR6yOd8myXZ89MMrQl9HAviAvFX3vgX5Afx7m2ELRRHZHk6LgNM8b3X-34-mt30DG8LMrFp55RMpjCuWlD8Oc1D2HcrZi0r7/s320/CIMG7209.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482774719419263906" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and whatever Ava has done to her hair, Ali wants it, too, hence the headband in this picture, which of course she had to put on herself. So, when we start beads, I'm sure both my little girls will be sporting the colorful beads. Haha! So fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9wgZgpgoV3prtUt6vhYRLTbvJZME_o633PKeIrmbe7hKFcPk_OBZqk0QwmsW-H7MrEtkKLrGCNyTdENwxq-tzUBG-66aFz-KLnmv-Alw7SWv23DesucBgmIBHH0xFxhJKil651SaFJnP/s1600/CIMG7049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9wgZgpgoV3prtUt6vhYRLTbvJZME_o633PKeIrmbe7hKFcPk_OBZqk0QwmsW-H7MrEtkKLrGCNyTdENwxq-tzUBG-66aFz-KLnmv-Alw7SWv23DesucBgmIBHH0xFxhJKil651SaFJnP/s320/CIMG7049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482774464839347762" /></a><br /><br />Ava is a RISK-TAKER...my mom likes to say that watching Ava means you literally have to watch her every second to keep her alive. She is only 16 months, but will stand at the top of the stairs and just step off...no matter how many "controlled" falls we have done with her...she just wants to go again. And she throws herself off the couch, headfirst, feet first, whatever she wants. She climbs EVERYTHING, and she's always moving. Can't wait to see how else she puts that energy into action as she continues to grow!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpCY88zQlhLU9UOSMAxFLoIOaHvm40hOa97GgaZWQ-PCEPd4dDeZ4AGcc796lulE0MdSvn88WKhlGNFbJiUowQmn890M-Qx2caCTQ8bJNklR-481qbVUsWSLjcy0ekANzESE9prN_VMpl/s1600/CIMG7150.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpCY88zQlhLU9UOSMAxFLoIOaHvm40hOa97GgaZWQ-PCEPd4dDeZ4AGcc796lulE0MdSvn88WKhlGNFbJiUowQmn890M-Qx2caCTQ8bJNklR-481qbVUsWSLjcy0ekANzESE9prN_VMpl/s320/CIMG7150.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482774921872528994" /></a><br /><br />Despite her activity, we've come to an understanding about "hair time." She actually sits and lets me do it now (within reason...I did try some rows the other day and ended up in tears b/c they were so bad and I felt inadequate and Ava was OVER getting her hair yanked on...I guess I'll have to practice those more when she's older and can appreciate lollypops and movies). But I absolutely LOVE doing her hair. She's beautiful!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rYb-7N938dkmkf7bocPK181O2ji7IcEX828mn-y_8JjayjdglWSyRGAHuaxApGgDd_fmxd3BNngoxuO-QcziVnV6hvQnIyl3na4c8FX4zTu9gHgjDezf6xb_Wnbsb2XgVd1s1u_jJpsG/s1600/CIMG7144.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rYb-7N938dkmkf7bocPK181O2ji7IcEX828mn-y_8JjayjdglWSyRGAHuaxApGgDd_fmxd3BNngoxuO-QcziVnV6hvQnIyl3na4c8FX4zTu9gHgjDezf6xb_Wnbsb2XgVd1s1u_jJpsG/s320/CIMG7144.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482774294203942658" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnKRfQWqHRunOLFUcOdJttxObg39dwa5fHWjAeWHKylWos-nymKT4JtTKnET-1e66CJuSOo9Ex4QIxUnIM1A5GS4f4vDzN5x_9Dg-Pi0kZY3rrPHUIM08A4CWm8x0OndfMeTUQRzIrWnw/s1600/CIMG7089.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnKRfQWqHRunOLFUcOdJttxObg39dwa5fHWjAeWHKylWos-nymKT4JtTKnET-1e66CJuSOo9Ex4QIxUnIM1A5GS4f4vDzN5x_9Dg-Pi0kZY3rrPHUIM08A4CWm8x0OndfMeTUQRzIrWnw/s320/CIMG7089.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482774046320827266" /></a>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-23609254552940565082010-05-20T09:38:00.000-07:002010-05-20T09:48:38.051-07:00One Year AgoOne year ago today we got Ava's referral call...I can't even begin to relive that day without being pretty emotional. I told another adoptive parent friend the other day as I was working on Ava's lifebook that I feel like adoptive parenting is all the same emotions of biological motherhood (although developing differently, for those of you in process who also have biological children...it's a different experience, a different way of adding to your family, but no less miraculous) plus the added layer of emotions from adoptive motherhood. Maybe I'll explain in another post if I can.<br /><br />We'll also be celebrating Afro-Colombian heritage day along with the nation of Colombia...that is tomorrow! I'm going to make empanadas, while not a traditional Afro-Colombian dish necessarily, and fried plantains. Yummy! I'll have to remember to take pictures and post how I do. Haha. It'll be fun!<br /><br />I still can't believe it's been a year!!! Ava is our sunshine...I'll have to upload newer pictures from the camera...but here's some spring pictures of our happy, ENERGETIC, little girl!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3978LNmMxdgsOAFV4dTVCsm3rAS9OlxeKKENM4T-LR0Rry7d5Ltn2hn_aHp-zoe2T9ggZ64ehBSlOSwVveQu4fBf8oem10vOj7YallUe_JSfTOqam8Z2dptEQ2lUhLBc5qb8gp1HS3fAa/s1600/CIMG6878.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3978LNmMxdgsOAFV4dTVCsm3rAS9OlxeKKENM4T-LR0Rry7d5Ltn2hn_aHp-zoe2T9ggZ64ehBSlOSwVveQu4fBf8oem10vOj7YallUe_JSfTOqam8Z2dptEQ2lUhLBc5qb8gp1HS3fAa/s320/CIMG6878.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473394881972517714" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh0nrdIDkdtVOxfXi0K3u-h1uv1UH9B_GtmcY8ssH46zJIgdPufF3gqATFeZbtimOCykpqvyD476XhJgJI5YY8Eb5Qyf4tXMzSyQ06H9tch-E_3GIgCoaKOiLN-P2DSP4v8sMLFcLyXko/s1600/Easter+2010+041.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh0nrdIDkdtVOxfXi0K3u-h1uv1UH9B_GtmcY8ssH46zJIgdPufF3gqATFeZbtimOCykpqvyD476XhJgJI5YY8Eb5Qyf4tXMzSyQ06H9tch-E_3GIgCoaKOiLN-P2DSP4v8sMLFcLyXko/s320/Easter+2010+041.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473394021176918066" /></a>em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-9498031724766028062010-04-26T16:07:00.000-07:002010-04-27T10:12:51.060-07:00Left SpeechlessOk, not really, but oh my goodness...Arizona...as if Virginia wasn't bad enough with <a href="http://www.governor.virginia.gov/OurCommonwealth/Proclamations/2010/ConfederateHistoryMonth.cfm">this</a>, you have to go and pass an even crazier law...not just a declaration filled with "whereas," but an honest to goodness law! <br /><br />For those of you who don't enjoy news programming...Arizona's govenor, Jan Brewer, signed <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf">SB1070</a> (click this link for a thrilling read of the actual bill) into law in Arizona last Friday. This law makes it a crime to be out and about without immigration papers, and gives police power to detain anyone suspected of being here illegally. But don't worry, Jan Brewer said the police will be properly trained and racial profiling will not be tolerated. Really? How exactly do you enact this law without racially profiling an individual? And what does it mean to "look" like an American, by the way? <br /><br />For an overview of the law, read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html">here</a>.<br /><br />And I'll leave you with a quote related to our xenophobia that I used in a paper in grad school that analyzed another of Arizona's laws (this one relating to educational policy for immigrant students...I know you'll all be requesting a copy!)...I love this author and this particular essay is stellar...for those who live near, feel free to request to borrow the book of essays; don't worry, it's in English.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“The separation of one food from another is analogous to the reserve that characterizes the relations between sexes, races, and classes. In our countries food is communion, not only between those together at table but between ingredients; Yankee food, impregnated with Puritanism, is based on exclusions. The maniacal preoccupation with the purity and origin of food products has its counterpart in racism and exclusivism. The American <span style="font-weight:bold;">contradiction</span>—a democratic universalism based on ethnic, cultural, religious, and sexual exclusions—is reflected in its cuisine.”</span><br />Octavio Paz in essay entitled,<br />“Hygiene and Repression”<br /><br />P.S. Adding <a href="http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/arizonas_act_of_vengeance_20100426/?ln">what he said</a>...Please note he does understand the magnitude of the immigration issue...he just doesn't agree Arizona has the right solution...em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6227264296190585012.post-1186036375473767572010-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:002010-04-15T09:10:13.190-07:00Another Interesting LinkWell...you can probably tell what I'm interested in, sociologically speaking, but here's an interesting conversation that I'll at least be reading for the next couple days (free mommy time is limited in this house since I have a 2 year old who DOESN'T NAP!). By the way, I read this and many other perspectives because I have to teach my daughter how to react to this ridiculous, maddening racism...the question is HOW? At least I have one definitive thing to worry about as a mom, ha!...all the rest of those mommy "fears" are still unknowns to a large extent. (Written tongue in cheek, of course, because I'd really like to learn how to trust God and not worry, considering that's something He's asked us to do.)<br /><br /><a href="http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/2010/03/see-potential-criminal-in-every-black.html">See a potential criminal in every black person</a> (at the blog Stuff White People Do)em and petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15977043551643594465noreply@blogger.com1