Lately the issue of Gay Rights has come up a lot in conversations I have had and on Facebook. I saw a post today that was particularly disturbing in which Kirk Cameron told CNN that gay marriage would destroy civilization! I commented a very abrreviated version of my view point on that and decided to let it rest. However, as a have been walking around the house doing laundry and dishes and coloring with my daughter, I have been stewing on it and wondering how my life would be if I had been told by our culture that I couldn't have all of this. I haven't "blogged it out" in a while and have been waiting for the perfect semi-controversial (that's my favorite to write about) issue to come along. Well, here it is. Gay marriage. The perfect thing bring my blog back to life! Disclaimer: I have a lot to say and will try to keep this as cohesive as possible. Bear with me if i start to rant!
First of all, most people will say they don't support gay marriage because God doesn't support gay marriage. For this I will refer you to back to my blog post about the Bible. While I believe it was divinely inspired, the Bible was ultimately written (and more importantly edited) by man. I'm sure man's biases had to make their way in there somewhere. To err is human after all. Now I don't mean we don't have to follow the Word and we can just do whatever we want, but at some point we have to use the common sense God gave us and take things with a grain of salt to bring it up to date with today's culture. If you will read Leviticus, there are A LOT of laws written there that we today would find proposterous. Since I am not a theologian and have not studied the Bible as much as I should I will let you draw your own inferences there.
For me though, gay marriage is an issue of basic civil rights. I think people should be allowed to marry whomever they choose. It is not my place to tell you who I think it is "ok" for you to marry. I don't think we should be so arrogant as to assume we could tell anyone who they should or should not marry or who is or isn't "right" for them. That is a very personl decision for everyone and they should have the RIGHT to make it for themselves. Furthermore, who someone decides to marry has absolutly no affect on my life whatsoever, so who am I to make that decision for them?
I was blessed enough to meet, fall in love with, and marry my wonderful husband Chuck. We have two beautiful children and a mortgage. The American Dream! I still remember the day and time I fell in love with him. It wasn't a conscious choice I made. It just happened and I knew nothing would ever change how I felt about him. I was thrilled when he asked me to marry him and eager to start our lives together. I can't imagine someone coming between us (especially the government) and telling me that we couldn't get married because the majority of the society that I lived in said they were uncomfortable with it. I don't expect you would appreciate that much either...I'm afraid my feelings would be hurt and I would feel like a complete outcast. I hope I never make someone feel that way. I couldn't sleep at night.
More than just a marriage license, a legal marriage provides the couple with more rights under the law. We can get life insurance on each other to protect our lively hood. We can make medical decisions for each other in the event of an emergency. We can file our taxes jointly and help our income. As well as many other "perks" of being legally wed. A gay couple can spend thier entire lives together and not have these things. They may not know about things like power of attorney laws and living wills that are offered automatically to straight, married couples.
A short piece on gay adoption and then I'm almost done....Wouldn't you rather a child be in the loving arms of a family who loves and supports them thier whole lives than to have a child grow up in state custody and foster homes then age out at 18 years old and be on their own with no one. Which child do you think has the better chance to become a productive member of society rather than a drain on it?
So, if I haven't convinced you to change your vote in support of gay rights, fine. Just do me a favor. When you crawl into bed at night beside your husband or wife, hug them tighter and thank God that society agreed that it was ok for you to get married.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Friday, May 13, 2011
We Are All Princesses
On April 29th, 2011 the world watched as a normal, middle class girl made all of our dreams come true as she married her Prince Charming...a real live Prince! When Kate Middleton married Prince William, the fantasy of all little girls sprang to life and someday she will get to be the Queen of England. How many of us have watched our Disney Princesses kiss their fairytale Princes and dreamed that someday it could be us? I know I did. There was time when I was young that I saw Prince William in pictures and just knew someday he would come to America, whisk me away and I would be snogging him on that balcony. Obviously that didn't happen, but I was blessed to get marry very own prince charming, the Mr. Charles McGee in February of 2007 and have the two most wonderful children God ever made. I got my happily ever after after all.
When little girls are born, they are all the prettiest, smartest, sweetest things their mothers have ever seen. Every little girl born into this world is, in my opinion, a princess. We all start out that way. We dream big, imagine big, and love big. One of the greatest tragedies in this world is when a girl stops feeling like a princess and starts believing she is worth less and deserves less than what she should have in life.
I have always taken pride in my appearance and capabilities. I would even admit to a touch of vanity every now and then, but always (I hope) with the humility I was raised to have. Do I believe myself to be the prettiest, smartest girl ever conceived? NO! Not by a long shot, but I fully advocate for every girl and woman to have a very positive sense of self worth and self esteem. A little humble self assurance and/or confidence can make every aspect of your life happier and less stressful.
I have met several girls, especially since entering my career that have lost themselves somewhere along the way. Either they have never seen themselves as smart or beautiful or they have let some loser man make them believe they aren't. Weight issues also take a huge toll on the self esteem of so many girls. For some, they start out heavy, lose weight, and still don't see the hot new figure in the mirror or they may gain weight over the years or get the dreaded post baby body that is near impossible to live with. Trust me, I know my spectacular full C boobs turned into saggy B's and will never be the same after breastfeeding two babies!
I think the key is to make a conscious decision that you will start to focus on the positive traits you have and force yourself to make an effort on your appearance and mind power. I am not saying you have to dress to the nine's, put on full makeup and read three newspapers everyday, but little pick-me-ups every now and then really do make a difference. Buy a new shirt for no reason, put on some mascara, go by yourself to Waffle House on a Sunday morning for a cup of coffee and read the paper. There is something really empowering about going alone to restaurant. You cannot rely on other people to make you feel good about yourself just like you should never allow anyone to make you feel worthless!
Seven years ago I had a traumatic event take place in my life effecting several people very close to me. I was depressed and suffering from anxiety attacks. I didn't care about much of anything. I didn't worry about what I was wearing and rarely put on makeup like I always had. One day I went to see my mom and I was still in my downward spiral. She said something like, "why don't you just try to put on some makeup or get dressed and go somewhere? I know you would feel better." She knew this new drab, melancholy girl before her was not the daughter she raised. That really made me realize how far I had fallen. I went to counseling and started taking medication for depression and anxiety. Eventually, I discovered that the meds were making me completely devoid of any emotions happy or sad and the counseling didn't really help that much so I quit it all. Over time I was able to pull myself out and decided I had to go on with life. Another time my youngest sister was going through a funk of her own and my middle sister finally told her, "you can either choose to be happy or choose to be sad. It is up to you." I don't know if truer words were ever spoken. As a medical professional I know that true mental illness and clinical depression does exist and there are times when physician assisted intervention is necessary. I don't want to discredit that or discourage anyone from seeking out help that they actually need, but I feel like in most cases the decision on how we want to live our lives is totally up to us!
Women are powerful, beautiful creatures who deserve to be loved, respected, and appreciated from the second we are conceived (of course our male counterparts deserve the same in return). We all start out as little princesses and deserve to end our lives as queens. My wish is that every little girl, teenager, and fully grown hottie is able to look at themselves in the mirror and see herself for the smart beauty that she is and NEVER sell herself short or let anyone make her feel like she is less than stunning.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission!"
When little girls are born, they are all the prettiest, smartest, sweetest things their mothers have ever seen. Every little girl born into this world is, in my opinion, a princess. We all start out that way. We dream big, imagine big, and love big. One of the greatest tragedies in this world is when a girl stops feeling like a princess and starts believing she is worth less and deserves less than what she should have in life.
I have always taken pride in my appearance and capabilities. I would even admit to a touch of vanity every now and then, but always (I hope) with the humility I was raised to have. Do I believe myself to be the prettiest, smartest girl ever conceived? NO! Not by a long shot, but I fully advocate for every girl and woman to have a very positive sense of self worth and self esteem. A little humble self assurance and/or confidence can make every aspect of your life happier and less stressful.
I have met several girls, especially since entering my career that have lost themselves somewhere along the way. Either they have never seen themselves as smart or beautiful or they have let some loser man make them believe they aren't. Weight issues also take a huge toll on the self esteem of so many girls. For some, they start out heavy, lose weight, and still don't see the hot new figure in the mirror or they may gain weight over the years or get the dreaded post baby body that is near impossible to live with. Trust me, I know my spectacular full C boobs turned into saggy B's and will never be the same after breastfeeding two babies!
I think the key is to make a conscious decision that you will start to focus on the positive traits you have and force yourself to make an effort on your appearance and mind power. I am not saying you have to dress to the nine's, put on full makeup and read three newspapers everyday, but little pick-me-ups every now and then really do make a difference. Buy a new shirt for no reason, put on some mascara, go by yourself to Waffle House on a Sunday morning for a cup of coffee and read the paper. There is something really empowering about going alone to restaurant. You cannot rely on other people to make you feel good about yourself just like you should never allow anyone to make you feel worthless!
Seven years ago I had a traumatic event take place in my life effecting several people very close to me. I was depressed and suffering from anxiety attacks. I didn't care about much of anything. I didn't worry about what I was wearing and rarely put on makeup like I always had. One day I went to see my mom and I was still in my downward spiral. She said something like, "why don't you just try to put on some makeup or get dressed and go somewhere? I know you would feel better." She knew this new drab, melancholy girl before her was not the daughter she raised. That really made me realize how far I had fallen. I went to counseling and started taking medication for depression and anxiety. Eventually, I discovered that the meds were making me completely devoid of any emotions happy or sad and the counseling didn't really help that much so I quit it all. Over time I was able to pull myself out and decided I had to go on with life. Another time my youngest sister was going through a funk of her own and my middle sister finally told her, "you can either choose to be happy or choose to be sad. It is up to you." I don't know if truer words were ever spoken. As a medical professional I know that true mental illness and clinical depression does exist and there are times when physician assisted intervention is necessary. I don't want to discredit that or discourage anyone from seeking out help that they actually need, but I feel like in most cases the decision on how we want to live our lives is totally up to us!
Women are powerful, beautiful creatures who deserve to be loved, respected, and appreciated from the second we are conceived (of course our male counterparts deserve the same in return). We all start out as little princesses and deserve to end our lives as queens. My wish is that every little girl, teenager, and fully grown hottie is able to look at themselves in the mirror and see herself for the smart beauty that she is and NEVER sell herself short or let anyone make her feel like she is less than stunning.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission!"
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
...The Not So Calm After The Storm..
I have been wanting to do this blog for a couple of days, but I have had a hard time putting my emotions into coherent words and not the ramblings of an emotionally distraught girl. I can't guarantee a completely ramble-free post, but I will do my best. Please bear with me.
Trees are beautiful, life giving structures. Their leaves provide us clean air, shade in the summertime, a beautiful display of colors in the fall, as well as provide us with innumerable products we use everyday. However, when they are laying in the middle of your living room or have fallen down all over your property ruining fences and killing livestock, they somehow lose their luster. The tornado and storm that went through my hometown of Vilonia Monday night seems to have left more trees on their sides and on houses than standing. This is just a portion of the destruction the people of Vilonia woke up to face early Tuesday morning.
As most of you may know a tornado hit my hometown of Vilonia, Arkansas the night of April 25, 2011. Several members of my family live in Vilonia; my parents, sister, paternal grandparents and great-grandmother, my mom's sister and her two children, and my dad's brother and wife. I live about 10 miles out of Vilonia now. The night the storm hit I was terrified for my family. I knew it was headed their way and I knew it may be bad. I never in my wildest dreams expected to see the level devastation this storm caused. After I found out that night that all my family was safe from harm but there was some pretty bad damage I went to bed with my heart heavy. I wasn't until the following morning that I heard more of an account of what really happened.
The first person I was able to talk to was my dad. My "always has a plan, calm and collected" dad. He told me he was busy cutting some of the cows out from under trees. I could hear the urgency in his voice and it scared me. Then I talked to other members of family and followed Facebook like I would die if I didn't look at least every 15 minutes. I spent an incredible stressful 7 hours at work. The pain of not being there with my family was almost unbearable.
It wasn't until I actually drove into town that I truly realized the magnitude of what had happened there. My grandparent's house was the first place of note that I saw and there was the big beautiful tree in their front, side yard blown over onto their front porch (along with many other trees stripped or uprooted). Then going down my parent's street I could see the nice subdivision Quail Hollow on the left side with tarps on all the roofs, windows blown out, fences gone or laying scattered in pieces with people everywhere, exhausted. The light poles were leaning over the road with some sheared in half and standing in the road. Then my parent's/grandparent's pasture on the right with countless trees blown over, their roots sticking up in the air several feet high. My mom and dad's house is surrounded by trees, many of which were laying on their sides. It was but for the grace of God that none of them hit their house. Huge trees were just uprooted with debris everywhere. When I parked my car and got out, I made a bee-line for my momma, hugged her, and cried tears of grief for our town and relief for their safety. My Aunt and Uncle's house back across the road at the end of the subdivision was missing a large section of roof over the kitchen and living room. They were also minus a nice shop on the side of their house.
Eventually after some work moving limbs into large piles in my parent's yard, mom and I went for a drive down main street. It was indescribable. There were more trees down everywhere, roofs missing, whole houses missing. The landscape is traumatic to look at. My heart aches for the town and its' people. There was also a subdivision with several mobile homes that was flattened by the storm/tornado. Vilonia will never be the same.
The good news is this... The outpouring of love and support from the community is wonderful. There have been many, many people coming out to help clear trees and debris. My great-grandmother's house sits right off of main street. It is surrounded by fallen trees to the point you could barely see it. She also had a tipped over semi truck in her yard. At the bequest of its' driver people were busy gathering the dry food goods that were packaged well and had spilled out. There were several strangers that just stopped to help and worked hard to start cleaning up her yard. As I had mentioned to some of family, if the storm had to happen somewhere, at least it happened to an area filled with people who love and support their town; people who will pitch in and help each other get this cleaned up and fixed.
We have a very long way to go rebuilding, but there is always hope. I have faith that God will see us through. I am praying for the strength of the people of Vilonia and for them to be provided with the donations needed to survive the coming weeks and months. Power is still out to a majority of the city and there is no telling when it will be restored. If you would like to volunteer to clean up or help rebuild my hometown or have anything at all you would like to donate please let me know and I will get you some information!
Click here for YouTube Video of some of the damage. My great grandmother's house is just after the truck, before the cereal.
Trees are beautiful, life giving structures. Their leaves provide us clean air, shade in the summertime, a beautiful display of colors in the fall, as well as provide us with innumerable products we use everyday. However, when they are laying in the middle of your living room or have fallen down all over your property ruining fences and killing livestock, they somehow lose their luster. The tornado and storm that went through my hometown of Vilonia Monday night seems to have left more trees on their sides and on houses than standing. This is just a portion of the destruction the people of Vilonia woke up to face early Tuesday morning.
As most of you may know a tornado hit my hometown of Vilonia, Arkansas the night of April 25, 2011. Several members of my family live in Vilonia; my parents, sister, paternal grandparents and great-grandmother, my mom's sister and her two children, and my dad's brother and wife. I live about 10 miles out of Vilonia now. The night the storm hit I was terrified for my family. I knew it was headed their way and I knew it may be bad. I never in my wildest dreams expected to see the level devastation this storm caused. After I found out that night that all my family was safe from harm but there was some pretty bad damage I went to bed with my heart heavy. I wasn't until the following morning that I heard more of an account of what really happened.
The first person I was able to talk to was my dad. My "always has a plan, calm and collected" dad. He told me he was busy cutting some of the cows out from under trees. I could hear the urgency in his voice and it scared me. Then I talked to other members of family and followed Facebook like I would die if I didn't look at least every 15 minutes. I spent an incredible stressful 7 hours at work. The pain of not being there with my family was almost unbearable.
It wasn't until I actually drove into town that I truly realized the magnitude of what had happened there. My grandparent's house was the first place of note that I saw and there was the big beautiful tree in their front, side yard blown over onto their front porch (along with many other trees stripped or uprooted). Then going down my parent's street I could see the nice subdivision Quail Hollow on the left side with tarps on all the roofs, windows blown out, fences gone or laying scattered in pieces with people everywhere, exhausted. The light poles were leaning over the road with some sheared in half and standing in the road. Then my parent's/grandparent's pasture on the right with countless trees blown over, their roots sticking up in the air several feet high. My mom and dad's house is surrounded by trees, many of which were laying on their sides. It was but for the grace of God that none of them hit their house. Huge trees were just uprooted with debris everywhere. When I parked my car and got out, I made a bee-line for my momma, hugged her, and cried tears of grief for our town and relief for their safety. My Aunt and Uncle's house back across the road at the end of the subdivision was missing a large section of roof over the kitchen and living room. They were also minus a nice shop on the side of their house.
Eventually after some work moving limbs into large piles in my parent's yard, mom and I went for a drive down main street. It was indescribable. There were more trees down everywhere, roofs missing, whole houses missing. The landscape is traumatic to look at. My heart aches for the town and its' people. There was also a subdivision with several mobile homes that was flattened by the storm/tornado. Vilonia will never be the same.
The good news is this... The outpouring of love and support from the community is wonderful. There have been many, many people coming out to help clear trees and debris. My great-grandmother's house sits right off of main street. It is surrounded by fallen trees to the point you could barely see it. She also had a tipped over semi truck in her yard. At the bequest of its' driver people were busy gathering the dry food goods that were packaged well and had spilled out. There were several strangers that just stopped to help and worked hard to start cleaning up her yard. As I had mentioned to some of family, if the storm had to happen somewhere, at least it happened to an area filled with people who love and support their town; people who will pitch in and help each other get this cleaned up and fixed.
We have a very long way to go rebuilding, but there is always hope. I have faith that God will see us through. I am praying for the strength of the people of Vilonia and for them to be provided with the donations needed to survive the coming weeks and months. Power is still out to a majority of the city and there is no telling when it will be restored. If you would like to volunteer to clean up or help rebuild my hometown or have anything at all you would like to donate please let me know and I will get you some information!
Click here for YouTube Video of some of the damage. My great grandmother's house is just after the truck, before the cereal.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Life: The Grand Finale
We have all heard about or been close to tragic death. When someone goes "before their time" like accidents, car wrecks, or homicide/suicide for example. Unfortunately this seems to be happening more and more these days as war and apathy grip the planet. What you don't see or hear about on the news are the times when death is embraced as a natural part of life. You may be expecting the death of a friend or relative due to illness or old age. Then you get the dreaded phone call or news from the doctor that they have passed. Some are fortunate enough to be there to hold a loved one's hand as they take their final breaths passing from this life to the next. Today I became one of those people.
Death is often seen as sad, unfortunate, and depressing. That is because it is....to a point. For those people who have lived a full life and grow into old age, or become terminally ill there comes a point where death turns from tragedy to blessing. For the last few days I have had the gift of being able to sit with a gentleman at the end of his life. He was a great friend to many and lived a different, but full and happy life. I sat by his bed and rubbed his hands. I sang to him. I turned him every hour. I medicated him. I bathed him. I visited with his friends. I hope I did everything I could do in order to make his time as pleasant and comfortable as I possibly could. Was it hard? Hell yes it was. I tell you what though, there is nowhere on this earth that I would rather have been. Then, this afternoon I got the great honor of being by his side as he departed this earth and went on to better things.
I only knew him for a matter of months, but in caring for him I built bond of friendship that I hope he could feel. As a human being, of course I was sad when he passed. I was sad for me and his friends that had known him for years. I was sad for his family in their time of great loss. And yes, I was sad for him. I know I shouldn't be though. I know without a doubt that he is rejoicing in Heaven even as sit here and type this. It's funny how you can know that, but at the same time when people are telling you that after someone you care about passes, it is almost no comfort at all to hear. I think it is our own selfishness that gets in the way. We want them be with us and be the way they were 10 years ago when they were "themselves" and not the sick version. What I also know for an immediate fact is that he is no more pain ever again. He is not thirsty for air or water. That is a great comfort to me.
As a nurse, I was living in a surreal time where I felt my career had just been taken to new a level. I haven't felt like a rookie nurse in a long time until today. I know that in those moments I have to keep a certain decorum and sense of professionalism. All I really I really wanted to do was cry and freak out. Even though those last moments were peaceful, I was experiencing a range of emotions from scared and sad to relived and honored. It was like nothing I have ever witnessed and impossible to describe in way that would do it justice. It is true that in times of emergency your adrenaline kicks in and you act and then later you have to cry and compose yourself.
When it was all over and the very stressful time of physician evaluation and proclamation of time of death was given I did shed some tears for my friend. There was still a little bit of work to be done to finish out my shift. I am so very blessed to work with amazing bunch a ladies who came to my rescue, saw my grief, and pitched in to help me get it done while I took a break. At the end of my work day, about an hour after his passing, it was finally time for me to go. I packed up my belongings, went over to his bed and kissed him on the forehead. I said my goodbyes and turned to leave knowing I would never see him again. My heart is heavy with grief, though all the while reaching for the peace that comes with knowing that he was one of the lucky ones. One of the fortunate people who got to live a great life, then go on to Heaven with peace and dignity when it was his turn to be given his wings.
Death is often seen as sad, unfortunate, and depressing. That is because it is....to a point. For those people who have lived a full life and grow into old age, or become terminally ill there comes a point where death turns from tragedy to blessing. For the last few days I have had the gift of being able to sit with a gentleman at the end of his life. He was a great friend to many and lived a different, but full and happy life. I sat by his bed and rubbed his hands. I sang to him. I turned him every hour. I medicated him. I bathed him. I visited with his friends. I hope I did everything I could do in order to make his time as pleasant and comfortable as I possibly could. Was it hard? Hell yes it was. I tell you what though, there is nowhere on this earth that I would rather have been. Then, this afternoon I got the great honor of being by his side as he departed this earth and went on to better things.
I only knew him for a matter of months, but in caring for him I built bond of friendship that I hope he could feel. As a human being, of course I was sad when he passed. I was sad for me and his friends that had known him for years. I was sad for his family in their time of great loss. And yes, I was sad for him. I know I shouldn't be though. I know without a doubt that he is rejoicing in Heaven even as sit here and type this. It's funny how you can know that, but at the same time when people are telling you that after someone you care about passes, it is almost no comfort at all to hear. I think it is our own selfishness that gets in the way. We want them be with us and be the way they were 10 years ago when they were "themselves" and not the sick version. What I also know for an immediate fact is that he is no more pain ever again. He is not thirsty for air or water. That is a great comfort to me.
As a nurse, I was living in a surreal time where I felt my career had just been taken to new a level. I haven't felt like a rookie nurse in a long time until today. I know that in those moments I have to keep a certain decorum and sense of professionalism. All I really I really wanted to do was cry and freak out. Even though those last moments were peaceful, I was experiencing a range of emotions from scared and sad to relived and honored. It was like nothing I have ever witnessed and impossible to describe in way that would do it justice. It is true that in times of emergency your adrenaline kicks in and you act and then later you have to cry and compose yourself.
When it was all over and the very stressful time of physician evaluation and proclamation of time of death was given I did shed some tears for my friend. There was still a little bit of work to be done to finish out my shift. I am so very blessed to work with amazing bunch a ladies who came to my rescue, saw my grief, and pitched in to help me get it done while I took a break. At the end of my work day, about an hour after his passing, it was finally time for me to go. I packed up my belongings, went over to his bed and kissed him on the forehead. I said my goodbyes and turned to leave knowing I would never see him again. My heart is heavy with grief, though all the while reaching for the peace that comes with knowing that he was one of the lucky ones. One of the fortunate people who got to live a great life, then go on to Heaven with peace and dignity when it was his turn to be given his wings.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Shout Out To Those Who Made Me, But I Never Got To Meet
My ancestry is something that has always interested me, but not profoundly untill a couple of days ago. I read a comment my aunt Kathy Marsden posted to my first blog entry that really struck a chord. She wrote, "...you have a little of your grandpa Barnes in you! He loved to write about anything and everything." For some reason, at that moment, I was struck with joyful adoration for someone have I never met. Unfortunatly, he passed before I was born. I don't even have a picture of him in my head, but I felt a connection to him that was very real.
Then I thought, "Why have I never had this feeling before?" I am 27 years old and have studied my family history, particularly on my father's side, through pictures, stories, and family tree. However, I have never really thought about them actually being part of me or that I am a part of them. Not really. To think that I could have some of the same personality traits and idiosyncrasies. We all say things like, "You have your mother's eyes," but to have something personal in common with a stranger from your past is kind of surreal. It is a neat thing to thing about how you are the incredible sum of so many "parts." For the good or the bad, you have someone to thank for giving you life.
For me, writing is an escape, a stress reliever, and fun. I have loved to write about my thoughts and feelings on random subjects for as long as can remember. I feel like putting my thoughts and emotions into print is a very personal experience and certainly something that is all mine. I can share what I want to share and keep private what I want to keep private. I have never known anyone in family, or even any friends, that like to write the way I do and more importantly, share what they write. To find out I have that one little thing in common with my great-grandfather is a special thing to me.
I wonder how many things I have in common with other members of family that have gone on before me. I wish I would have had the opportunity to meet so many of them. I hope that my grandparents are around long enough provide healthy memories of them to my children. Family is the most important thing in my life. Family will be around long after every other relationship fades. I hope I can impress upon my babies the importance of their family and family history. As the old saying saying goes, "You have to know where you've been to know where you are going."
Then I thought, "Why have I never had this feeling before?" I am 27 years old and have studied my family history, particularly on my father's side, through pictures, stories, and family tree. However, I have never really thought about them actually being part of me or that I am a part of them. Not really. To think that I could have some of the same personality traits and idiosyncrasies. We all say things like, "You have your mother's eyes," but to have something personal in common with a stranger from your past is kind of surreal. It is a neat thing to thing about how you are the incredible sum of so many "parts." For the good or the bad, you have someone to thank for giving you life.
For me, writing is an escape, a stress reliever, and fun. I have loved to write about my thoughts and feelings on random subjects for as long as can remember. I feel like putting my thoughts and emotions into print is a very personal experience and certainly something that is all mine. I can share what I want to share and keep private what I want to keep private. I have never known anyone in family, or even any friends, that like to write the way I do and more importantly, share what they write. To find out I have that one little thing in common with my great-grandfather is a special thing to me.
I wonder how many things I have in common with other members of family that have gone on before me. I wish I would have had the opportunity to meet so many of them. I hope that my grandparents are around long enough provide healthy memories of them to my children. Family is the most important thing in my life. Family will be around long after every other relationship fades. I hope I can impress upon my babies the importance of their family and family history. As the old saying saying goes, "You have to know where you've been to know where you are going."
Monday, April 4, 2011
Grocery List + Kids' Menu Ideas
The grocery store can either be a very stressful or a moderately stress relieving place. When I can go to the store by myself and take my time, it almost seems like a little mini vacation. I know, that probably seems really sad. Most of the time though, I have to go with my kids and I run through the store like it's the Daytona 500 all the while protecting the shelves from tiny hands and breaking up fights. So, it really does help if I can go in with a plan. My grocery store routine if you will.
Obviously, I have to know what I need and how much I can spend. Like most everyone, I have to buy on a budget. I generally spend anywhere from $80-$150 per week to keep my family happily well fed, watered, and snacked. We all have some things we are not willing to skimp on. For me that is diapers and wipes. They MUST BE Huggies. However, there are a lot of ways to cut corners and save money. I shop at Kroger for my groceries. I find it to be small enough to keep me focused as well as help keep me from going for the impulse buy like I would at Wal-Mart. Also, I am familiar with Kroger now so I know what specials they usually run and can more easily predict my final total. Shout out to the 10 for 10!
I work full time as well as being a full time mom to two preschoolers so having a well stocked pantry from which to create quick and easy meals is a must. Things like pasta, pasta sauce, canned fruits and veggies, granola bars, raisins, and other snacks need to be there. When my kids decide they want to eat, it needs to be ready now! That doesn't mean I have to cut out the nutritional value.
Unfortunately, processed and nutritionally void food is cheaper and more plentiful than fresh produce and organic foods. How I would love to have a famers' market open in Conway when I am off work to be able to shop at! My solution tends to be the semi-homemade meal consisting of a mix of ready-made and fresh foods. For example, I watch the produce section for what things are on sale and plan meals around that. My kids love fruit and always have some at breakfast and for snacks. So, I see which fruits they have at a good price and get those. Usually, we get bananas, grapes, and either apples, oranges, or strawberries. I love when they put the precut fruit or berry bowls on sale. Those are awesome! Most kids like fruit, so it is any easy way to get those vitamins in there.
Another of my favorite produce section finds is the boxes of the prewashed, ready to eat salad. For some reason my kids love salad with ranch, so it is easy to make something for dinner and throw some mixed greens, shredded cheddar, and ranch on the side and helps me feel like they are eating well. The little bag of baby carrots is also great for a easy quick partner to a sandwich or a healthy snack. You can put them in a zip top bag the first time you open them and they will keep for a long time. Celery is cheap and comes in a big bunch. When you get it home you can go ahead and wash it, cut it up and put it in a zip top bag. Then it is ready for you when you need it for some tasty "ants on a log" snacks. It also has great shelf life. It is actually cheaper in the long run than buying the little individual bags of chips or cookies and much healthier.
Snacks are the most fun to make and they are really important to keeping the munchkins at bay. Snacks can be quick, easy, and healthy. My favorites usually consist of all or a combination of a carbohydrate, a dairy, and a fruit. Some of my stand bys are: fruit yogurt, granola bars, cheese cubes with grapes or raisins, peaches or pineapple and cottage cheese, celery sticks and peanut butter, bowl of berries, peanut butter on crackers or vanilla wafers, and goldfish crackers or cheeze-its with raisins all with a glass of milk. At our house, by milk, of course I mean whole milk with a little bit of Hershey's calcium enriched chocolate syrup added in; shaken, not stirred.
Lunch and dinner can be a little more complicated. Remember, I am cooking for a 2 and almost 4 year old. My decisions have to be based on what is easy to eat and digest, and on most days days, what they won't have spread from one end of the dinning room to the other. Some things I know they won't do well with are most soups, rice (have you tried to sweep cooked rice of a wood floor...yikes!), and most spicy things. During the week, I also need these meals to be easy and fairly quick to make.
I work during the day and my husband, Chuck, works in the evening so we can save on daycare costs. Needless to say, since he is making lunch it needs to be simple. Love you honey! Some things I get for him to make include: fish sticks and chicken nuggets with mac and cheese, frozen pizza, sandwiches with either deli meat and cheese or pb&j, spaghetti-o's, and hotdogs, all paired with fruit and/or a veggie.
Dinner is my arena and is quite variable. Like most families we seem to kind of go in phases as to what we are eating. Lately, I have not been doing as intense cooking as I used to. Some things I like make are as follows: chicken of all kinds, different kinds of pasta dishes like, spaghetti, alfredo, and goulash, some casseroles, homemade pizza (it is easy to get the kids involved on that one), stuffed pablano peppers, burgers, "breakfast for dinner," tacos, taco casserole, and many others. My main rules of thumb are I want the plates to look very colorful and diverse, and I want to see all food groups represented. Some items that definitely make life easier for me are the bags of veggies you can steam in the microwave, Prego and the like, and canned cream soups.
I cook things for my kids that I want to eat. I also like to expose them to a lot of different kinds of foods with different textures and appearances to expand their palates. I think it is an in-born mom thing that we feel good when we feed our kids well. I love it when I try a new recipe and they say, "mmmmm mommy this is yummy!" Cookbooks are wonderful inspiration along with the Food Network channel. My favorites are Barefoot Contessa, Rachel Ray (because she cooks just like me, "chop and drop"), and Sandra Lee. While shopping for the groceries may not always be an enjoyable experience the cooking and the love that comes out of kitchen sure can be. Cooking with my kids can be a lot of fun too, when we are in the mood. Chloe and Jackson love to mix things, sprinkle on shredded cheese, and pour things in. Cooking teaches them about measurements and about the ingrediants. Just remember to remind them and yourself of safety around heat and sharp objects like knives and graters. If you have any good time or money saving ideas put them in the comments or comment under this post on my FB. I love hearing new ideas. We all get in a rut sometimes. So, until next time, keep the plates happy and the tummies full!
Obviously, I have to know what I need and how much I can spend. Like most everyone, I have to buy on a budget. I generally spend anywhere from $80-$150 per week to keep my family happily well fed, watered, and snacked. We all have some things we are not willing to skimp on. For me that is diapers and wipes. They MUST BE Huggies. However, there are a lot of ways to cut corners and save money. I shop at Kroger for my groceries. I find it to be small enough to keep me focused as well as help keep me from going for the impulse buy like I would at Wal-Mart. Also, I am familiar with Kroger now so I know what specials they usually run and can more easily predict my final total. Shout out to the 10 for 10!
I work full time as well as being a full time mom to two preschoolers so having a well stocked pantry from which to create quick and easy meals is a must. Things like pasta, pasta sauce, canned fruits and veggies, granola bars, raisins, and other snacks need to be there. When my kids decide they want to eat, it needs to be ready now! That doesn't mean I have to cut out the nutritional value.
Unfortunately, processed and nutritionally void food is cheaper and more plentiful than fresh produce and organic foods. How I would love to have a famers' market open in Conway when I am off work to be able to shop at! My solution tends to be the semi-homemade meal consisting of a mix of ready-made and fresh foods. For example, I watch the produce section for what things are on sale and plan meals around that. My kids love fruit and always have some at breakfast and for snacks. So, I see which fruits they have at a good price and get those. Usually, we get bananas, grapes, and either apples, oranges, or strawberries. I love when they put the precut fruit or berry bowls on sale. Those are awesome! Most kids like fruit, so it is any easy way to get those vitamins in there.
Another of my favorite produce section finds is the boxes of the prewashed, ready to eat salad. For some reason my kids love salad with ranch, so it is easy to make something for dinner and throw some mixed greens, shredded cheddar, and ranch on the side and helps me feel like they are eating well. The little bag of baby carrots is also great for a easy quick partner to a sandwich or a healthy snack. You can put them in a zip top bag the first time you open them and they will keep for a long time. Celery is cheap and comes in a big bunch. When you get it home you can go ahead and wash it, cut it up and put it in a zip top bag. Then it is ready for you when you need it for some tasty "ants on a log" snacks. It also has great shelf life. It is actually cheaper in the long run than buying the little individual bags of chips or cookies and much healthier.
Snacks are the most fun to make and they are really important to keeping the munchkins at bay. Snacks can be quick, easy, and healthy. My favorites usually consist of all or a combination of a carbohydrate, a dairy, and a fruit. Some of my stand bys are: fruit yogurt, granola bars, cheese cubes with grapes or raisins, peaches or pineapple and cottage cheese, celery sticks and peanut butter, bowl of berries, peanut butter on crackers or vanilla wafers, and goldfish crackers or cheeze-its with raisins all with a glass of milk. At our house, by milk, of course I mean whole milk with a little bit of Hershey's calcium enriched chocolate syrup added in; shaken, not stirred.
Lunch and dinner can be a little more complicated. Remember, I am cooking for a 2 and almost 4 year old. My decisions have to be based on what is easy to eat and digest, and on most days days, what they won't have spread from one end of the dinning room to the other. Some things I know they won't do well with are most soups, rice (have you tried to sweep cooked rice of a wood floor...yikes!), and most spicy things. During the week, I also need these meals to be easy and fairly quick to make.
I work during the day and my husband, Chuck, works in the evening so we can save on daycare costs. Needless to say, since he is making lunch it needs to be simple. Love you honey! Some things I get for him to make include: fish sticks and chicken nuggets with mac and cheese, frozen pizza, sandwiches with either deli meat and cheese or pb&j, spaghetti-o's, and hotdogs, all paired with fruit and/or a veggie.
Dinner is my arena and is quite variable. Like most families we seem to kind of go in phases as to what we are eating. Lately, I have not been doing as intense cooking as I used to. Some things I like make are as follows: chicken of all kinds, different kinds of pasta dishes like, spaghetti, alfredo, and goulash, some casseroles, homemade pizza (it is easy to get the kids involved on that one), stuffed pablano peppers, burgers, "breakfast for dinner," tacos, taco casserole, and many others. My main rules of thumb are I want the plates to look very colorful and diverse, and I want to see all food groups represented. Some items that definitely make life easier for me are the bags of veggies you can steam in the microwave, Prego and the like, and canned cream soups.
I cook things for my kids that I want to eat. I also like to expose them to a lot of different kinds of foods with different textures and appearances to expand their palates. I think it is an in-born mom thing that we feel good when we feed our kids well. I love it when I try a new recipe and they say, "mmmmm mommy this is yummy!" Cookbooks are wonderful inspiration along with the Food Network channel. My favorites are Barefoot Contessa, Rachel Ray (because she cooks just like me, "chop and drop"), and Sandra Lee. While shopping for the groceries may not always be an enjoyable experience the cooking and the love that comes out of kitchen sure can be. Cooking with my kids can be a lot of fun too, when we are in the mood. Chloe and Jackson love to mix things, sprinkle on shredded cheese, and pour things in. Cooking teaches them about measurements and about the ingrediants. Just remember to remind them and yourself of safety around heat and sharp objects like knives and graters. If you have any good time or money saving ideas put them in the comments or comment under this post on my FB. I love hearing new ideas. We all get in a rut sometimes. So, until next time, keep the plates happy and the tummies full!
Monday, March 28, 2011
I'm Just Sayin'....
Warning: This is a God related post, read on only if you have interest in hearing my opinion about hypocrisy and judgementalism as relates to SOME of my fellow Christians...
I have been noticing an influx of the "pro-Christian" chain-style status updates on Facebook lately. The irony is that so many of them have negative, judgemental undertones that are anything but Christian. They seem to attack groups as a whole or try to make us feel bad for not backing one cause or another. Unfortunately, Christianity lends itself very well to hypocrisy. It is easy to talk the talk, but very hard to walk the walk (the important part). The arrogant, all knowing attitude I have observed in a lot of Christians can be really off-putting. I'm certainly not saying all Christians act this way. Although, some Christians seem to think that by blasting their faith all over the place by telling us all how awful we are for not believing in prayer in school, or not to buy products that have taken "In God We Trust" out of the Pledge of Allegiance, or believe that the world is more than 6,000 years old, that they are honoring God in some way. I wonder, have they forgotten Jesus teaching us that by saying long prayers and making a religious spectacle of ourselves, that we are making it more about us than God?
I know that He also said we needed to go out into the world and make disciples, but I don't think that requires me to go around with an "I LOVE GOD" t-shirt and a megaphone. We prove what is in our hearts by our actions and how we treat people. Now, I will be more than happy to share my beliefs and faith with anybody who is interested and who wants to hear it (like those of you who are still reading this) and I tell people I will pray for them, then I do pray for them. I love to talk about religion, as you who follow my blog will notice by all the religiously based posts you will see. However, I have noticed that the easiest way to make someone uncomfortable and tune you out is talk about God when they have no interest in hearing about it. Bottom line on this point is that "You don't need to walk anywhere to preach if your walking is your preaching." The author of that quote unknown to me. If you know who said that, please let me know!
Christianity is supposed to about love and acceptance. We have to make judgments all day every day about people and situations. The very last thing we should be doing is judging people for their beliefs. Matthew 7:1 says "Judge not lest ye be judged." The spirit of this verse is often lost in translation when not accompanied by the rest of the paragraph. It comes down to this. Judgement is inescapable, the key is realizing that you will be judged to the same standard you use to judge others. If you want to put someone else's faith under a microscope, be prepared to have your own placed there also. The only one who knows His ways is God. No man has God figured out. I know I certainly am not even close. This is how I see it though, love it, like it, or hate it. I just don't believe in making anyone feel bad about themselves for any reason, including their faith. Well, maybe with the exception of serial killers and child abusers. That sin I will probably have to die with.
I have been noticing an influx of the "pro-Christian" chain-style status updates on Facebook lately. The irony is that so many of them have negative, judgemental undertones that are anything but Christian. They seem to attack groups as a whole or try to make us feel bad for not backing one cause or another. Unfortunately, Christianity lends itself very well to hypocrisy. It is easy to talk the talk, but very hard to walk the walk (the important part). The arrogant, all knowing attitude I have observed in a lot of Christians can be really off-putting. I'm certainly not saying all Christians act this way. Although, some Christians seem to think that by blasting their faith all over the place by telling us all how awful we are for not believing in prayer in school, or not to buy products that have taken "In God We Trust" out of the Pledge of Allegiance, or believe that the world is more than 6,000 years old, that they are honoring God in some way. I wonder, have they forgotten Jesus teaching us that by saying long prayers and making a religious spectacle of ourselves, that we are making it more about us than God?
I know that He also said we needed to go out into the world and make disciples, but I don't think that requires me to go around with an "I LOVE GOD" t-shirt and a megaphone. We prove what is in our hearts by our actions and how we treat people. Now, I will be more than happy to share my beliefs and faith with anybody who is interested and who wants to hear it (like those of you who are still reading this) and I tell people I will pray for them, then I do pray for them. I love to talk about religion, as you who follow my blog will notice by all the religiously based posts you will see. However, I have noticed that the easiest way to make someone uncomfortable and tune you out is talk about God when they have no interest in hearing about it. Bottom line on this point is that "You don't need to walk anywhere to preach if your walking is your preaching." The author of that quote unknown to me. If you know who said that, please let me know!
Christianity is supposed to about love and acceptance. We have to make judgments all day every day about people and situations. The very last thing we should be doing is judging people for their beliefs. Matthew 7:1 says "Judge not lest ye be judged." The spirit of this verse is often lost in translation when not accompanied by the rest of the paragraph. It comes down to this. Judgement is inescapable, the key is realizing that you will be judged to the same standard you use to judge others. If you want to put someone else's faith under a microscope, be prepared to have your own placed there also. The only one who knows His ways is God. No man has God figured out. I know I certainly am not even close. This is how I see it though, love it, like it, or hate it. I just don't believe in making anyone feel bad about themselves for any reason, including their faith. Well, maybe with the exception of serial killers and child abusers. That sin I will probably have to die with.
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