Adventures in Being

More Wordless Wednesday

I have been tagged by Mary!

The rules:

a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

About Me!

1. I like to drink pickle juice, tuna juice, and green olive juice! :D

2. I grew up on the Amazon. My sisters and I had a pet Monkey, Tucan, Parrots, Turtles, and several other species which escape me at the moment.

3. I am a cancer survivor as well as the survivor of a car accident (it rolled 4’x)

4. Saturdays for our family is “girl’s” day! Ashley and I enjoy the day as we choose. For example: An hour relaxing in the pool may be followed by a nice long nap, and an afternoon of shopping topped of with an appetizer at one of any number of cute little places. And when we get home, the dishes are washed, the floors vacuumed, the babies feed, bathed, and most content. A pretty wonderful day!

5. My husband bought me my very own Bambi! –(See next Wordless Wednesday’s post for explanation)

6. I would love to Tandem jump someday.

I am tagging the following fellow bloggers!

JenCantrell's Chatterbox
Sue Stay At Home Mom
Erin Bringing Up Burns
Beth If you Stumble...

In the News: “Little Einsteins Milk”
April 18th, 2008 · posted by Sonya Smith


Disney launches
Walt Disney Co. announced today a new milk beverage line called “Disney Little Einsteins Milk.”

The milk is produced by Stremicks Heritage Foods, a company headquartered in Santa Ana.

The new Disney-branded milk is rBST hormone-free and enriched with 32mg of omega-3 DHA per serving to support brain and eye development. It is the first Disney-branded refrigerated dairy beverage to launch since Disney announced its food guidelines in 2006.

“The Disney brand and characters are in a unique position to market beverages that kids want and parents feel good about,” said Lance Gatewood, vice president of food, health & beauty for Disney Consumer Products North America.

This Week: Is Little Einsteins Animal Adventures Week

Monday, April 28, “He Speaks Music!” In this episode they help a baby Chimp find his parents by listening to the sounds of the Ivory Coast’s Comoe National Park. The featured tune is by Bedrich Smetana.

Tuesday, April 29, “Mr Penguin’s Ice Cream Adventure.” In this episode they help Mr. Penguin get his ice cream truck over the Andes Mountains. The featured tune is by Schubert.

Wednesday, April 30, “Jump for Joey.” This episode features them going with a baby kangaroo to an animal talent show in Australia, which involves them meeting other Australian animals such as koalas. The featured tune is by Georges Bizet.

Thursday, May 1, “The Mouse and the Moon.” This episode is about the Little Einsteins helping a mouse make a special delivery to the moon. The featured tune is by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Friday, May 2, “Animal Snack Time.” This episode is Brand New and is about them bringing snacks to baby animals in Africa and Big Jet stealing them before they can do so.

Our focus this week: animals and music!

Needless to say we have a very exciting week ahead of us! So be sure to check back for information, links and pictures.

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 c. warm water
1 c. salt
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tbs. cream of tarter

Directions:
-cook on low until dough
clumps together
-add food coloring and
scented oils.



*We made a batch of play dough on 2.11 of this year and it is still soft and "playable". I keep it in a Plastic container. We just played with it this week and the colors have bled some, but otherwise it is just "like new".

Here are several play dough recipe sites that I like.
Several of the recipes are edible. I've not tried these because this would be confusing to my little ones at this point, but when they are older I will definately try some of these...
Play Dough Recipes
Homemade Play Dough
The Prepared Pantry
Mister Roger's Easy Play Dough

Andrea, today is your special day and I hope it is one filled with excitement and deep joy.
This is my prayer for you (and your family) as you walk into a new year of life:
"You will be surrounded by and fully experience your Abba Daddy's perfect love for you.
You will have His awareness in every aspect of your life.
Your goals will become realities.
You will know His peace and the deep contentment that comes not from the approval and or understanding of others, but from the realization that you are your Abba Daddy's daughter. You are on a personal LOVE journey with Him and from Him alone you are choosing to learn to be all He intended for you to be before time began."
Andrea, I love you.

Amy and family

Host : Parents With Style
URL : New Baby Einstein out on shelves Giveaway
Prize : A Baby Einstein DVD
End Date : 28 April 2008

How To Enter:
Click on the Contest URL above and follow the instructions to gain yourself some entries.

we made Sea anemones, watched Nemo (in our Nemo PJs), played in the water, AND we "made" our own ocean!

Did You Know?

Jellyfish are not fish. They are invertebrates, which are relatives of coral and sea anemones. They have no eyes, hearts, bones, or brains. They have a simple nervous system to sense food and danger.

Octopuses are very smart creatures. Some scientists think they may be as intelligent as dogs! Frieda, an octopus living at Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, has learned how to open jars under water. She places her whole body over the jar and then grips onto the lid with the suckers on her arms. A quick twist of her body opens the jar. She won't open just any jar, however. Only jars filled with her favorite treats of clams, crab, and shrimp get her attention.

Sea anemones are predatory animals. They are carnivores that feed on fish and other live animals. Clownfish are immune to the stinging tentacles of the sea anemone. In fact, they use the anemone as their home.

*Our Sea anemones project and the above "Did You Know" information came from Crayola.com

For the Jelly Fish, I had a nice size of lamination that was technically "trash", instead we recycled it and made it into a jelly fish! With recycled tissue paper from Aydon's baby shower we "colored" our jelly fish. The only non recycled items in this project were glue and googlee eyes!

For the Octopus, we used one of the balloons from our Seuss Party, a white garbage bag, paper towels (that I will use to make next months Baby Wipes), packing tape left over from our move 2 years ago, and purple finger paint!

Our fish came from two sources. A finger painted paper grocery bag and the left over pieces of the file folders used in the sea anemones project.

We also purchased window ocean clings at a Teachers Supply store for $2.99. These we put in an upstairs and downstairs window. I anticipate using these as a great teaching resources for many years to come for every academic subject. :D

For more pictures go to Wordless Wednesday!

John McConnell is the founder of Earth Day; here are some of his thoughts on Earth Day:

The first Earth Day was inaugurated in San Francisco - The City of St. Francis. I had long been familiar with the Prayer of St. Francis: "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love..."
My own study and prayer life led to the conviction that we needed a common purpose that would appeal to people of all creeds and cultures - and a way to get attention for it. We needed something that would end history's terrible record of war and injustice. These thoughts planted the seeds that led to Earth Day.
Pray that every year St. Francis Day and Earth Day will bring a new sense of identity with the whole human family and a commitment to see peace through understanding and love -- the love that Jesus revealed. And may we put feet to our prayers with action to help make it happen.

John McConnell


SAINT FRANCIS PRAYER FOR PEACE

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury...pardon,
Where there is doubt... faith,
Where there is despair... hope,
Where there is darkness... light,
And where there is sadness... joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis and the Birth of Earth Day

Our Earth Day Activities:


We took a brief "tour" around our property and found a few natural treasures which we used to make our Spring Front Door Centerpiece. :D

"Cheruiyot ran away from the pack to finish in a blistering 2 hours, 7 minutes, 46 seconds. He ... became the fourth man to win the world's oldest annual marathon four times."

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running.

Ten years after it was established, the B.A.A. held the 24.5-mile B.A.A. Road Race to conclude the B.A.A. Games, a springtime athletic competition. The Boston Marathon, as the race would later become known, was held on April 19, 1897 with a starting field of 15 runners. Ten participants finished the inaugural run, which began in Ashland, Mass., and the race to Boston has been held in every subsequent year. In addition to its indisputable position as the world's oldest annual marathon, "Boston" is widely regarded as one of the world's most prestigious road races. The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots' Day (third Monday in April), beginning at Noon. The centennial Boston Marathon was on April 15, 1996 and drew the world's largest field of finishers (35,868). The 112th Boston Marathon was held today.

Heart Disease is the number one killer in the US and physical inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease and stroke. Start walking to reduce your risk!

Join in on the American Heart Association’s National Start Walking Day, Wednesday, April 16th. On this special day… you can show your support by wearing your tennis shoes to work.

Then take a 30 minute walk during the day, and make your pledge to live a longer, healthier life.

So, spread the word, and start walking! By joining others across the county… we’ll be part of the solution in the fight against heart disease.

For more information on National START! Walking Day, visit the American Heart Association.

Why Walking?

Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity, and is the simplest positive change individuals can make to effectively improve their heart health. Research has shown that the benefits of walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes total on most or every day of the week can help you:

* Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
* Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
* Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
* Enhance mental well-being
* Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
* Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
* Reduce the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes

Did you know that for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise we do -- like brisk walking -- we can live two hours longer?

Click here for explanation of this picture.

Can you read these right the first time?

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce .

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse .

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

21) The archer shot an arrow from his bow to the bow of the ship.
*Thanks for the FWD Aunt Deb.

We all have our Sodom & Gomorrah's. Our places of pain. Of fear. Of occasional temporary pleasure.

Some choose to leave, but most seem to turn back. I'm not sure why. I think it could be uncertainty. For some, that's all they've ever known...and to leave would be so strange and uncertain. "At least here we know what will happen."

In that way it's comforting. And they get stuck there - in that backwards movement. Always looking back.

Papai and I went to the video store the other night. I voted for comedy, he chose 'Gone Baby Gone'. I expected the typical shoot-em-up/cheap ending combination so prevalent in a lot of movies. It was so different from expectations.

I should really stop expecting.

Partway into the movie, I thought I had it all figured out. The characters. I knew who was good and who was just pretending to be. Then I found out I didn't know. I realized something was wrong in my perceptions and proceeded to mentally sort through and begin again. I'm finding evidence to change these people. People who were good, now must be bad. Sort. Find. Pin that gesture on the evidence board. That phrase. That expression.

I thought so and so was good.

But look! He's really a lie.

But what if he isn't? I mean, I found evidence once to prove my perceptions wrong. Why can't I do it again? I could go round and round in this-- Casting my own ideas onto people until they're no longer themselves. They are whatever I think them to be.

I'm realising, "This is what we're doing. We aren't really seeing people for who they are. We're seeing what we want to see. And not only seeing. We marry them, work for them, become best friends with them. And when something goes wrong. It's their problem. We blame them.

But we did this to ourselves."

And then there's something else: Rules

As if following rules created certainty. And just what is certainty, anyway? It it still keeps coming back to rules.

Sometimes you just have to throw them out and live. I'm not condoning behaving in a negative manner or robbing banks or anything.

Live. Not destroy. Not getting so freaking attached to words with distorted meanings. Let them go. Just be a person. Be human.

Jesus was.

Some of you are saying that to be human would be a degradation. It's not! That's what we're supposed to be! We're not called to be angels or superheros.

Why is being human considered so worthless and sinful?

To be human, in it's very essence, is to be holy.

What have we turned ourselves into then?

It's like we tell ourselves we're worthless and start to become those thoughts. What if we told ourselves that we are beautiful, that we have so much potential, so much good to give, so much love?

What if we became those thoughts? Would life not begin to be heaven on earth rather than the hell we have chosen to put ourselves through?

We seem to always be waiting for Heaven. Hoping. Wishing.

Why are we waiting? The Kingdom is now.

signed Ashley.

Warning: This is not a film to be taken lightly. If you indeed watch it with open eyes and heart it will change your life.
It is not your standard "family" movie, it is rated R for violence, drug content and language.

Quotes to live by from GONE BABY GONE:

10929 Everyone wants to know the truth...until they find it.

dcs0812 I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are....

Last evening when I posted the article "McDonald's CEO:" I hesitated before doing so and here is why: I did not want someone who has or is currently choosing the “gay” lifestyle to do a Google search, find my post, and feel as though '...here is another gay basher'.
So after praying -again- about all this, I have decided to sit down and write for myself and family, everyone in any way associated with the gay lifestyle, and... you the reader.
Personally I find that people are most often on opposite spectrums of most any controversial topic...
1: "If I say anything that might or will expose so and so’s skeletons, then I might hurt their feelings, so I just won’t say anything."
Question: What about the people, the future generations, even the person directly involved who are ultimately hurt more BECAUSE you choose to not say anything.
2: "That is a sin,'bless God', and you are a sinner so I am going to 'make my stand' therefore you are now shunned." ... Regrettably, Shunning is most often done in the name of so called Christianity EVEN THOUGH Jesus, the 'founder' of Christianity, lived in opposition to such things: He ate with the thieving Tax Collector, allowed a prostitute to anoint and dry his feet with her hair, befriended the adulterous women at the well, and also defended a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.

Do I agree with the gay lifestyle? No, I don't. When I read the scriptures I feel that it is very plain that the gay lifestyle is sinfull to God.

Having said that, it is the sin, not the person who is choosing to commit the sin/live the gay lifestyle, that God condemns. My home is a safe place; it is a place of healing and growth and of Love. As far as my husband and I are concerned, our first and foremost responsibility is to Love and protect and nurture the children that God has put in our care. People who have, or are currently choosing the gay lifestyle are welcome in our home even though the sexual acts between them are not allowed in our home. We teach our children the principles and scriptures of the Bible, not merely the 'preferred meaning' of the scriptures. We teach our children to spiritually and physically reach out with Love -as Jesus did- to those who are choosing to live contrary to the scriptures, to have compassion for those who are choosing to live in Fear rather than Love and freedom, to not tolerate sin but to Love everyone with the Love of their Abba Daddy.

So why did I post the article in the first place? Because I feel strongly that it is a disservice to everyone for any group or company -especially one that has a large spiritual influence on families- to publicly single out and support a lifestyle which according to the Bible is a sin, and at best is socially divisive. Everyone should be welcome to eat from their local Micky D's franchises because we are all people and we choose to do so, not because of a particular label(or lack thereof).

Ponder this: It is not a compromise of myself or my values when I offer the Love and warmth of Jesus to people with whom I or He is in disagreement. Rather, I offer them an opportunity to see, know, and desire HIM for themselves.

McDonald's CEO: Company will put full resources behind gay agenda
Send an e-mail to McDonald's.

McDonald's has signed on to a nationwide effort to promote "gay" and "lesbian" business ventures.

According to McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner, McDonald's will aggressively promote the homosexual agenda. In remarks on McDonald's Web site concerning the company becoming a member of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Skinner wrote: "Being a socially responsible organization is a fundamental part of who we are. We have an obligation to use our size and resources to make a difference in the world...and we do."

The company gave an undisclosed amount of money to the NGLCC in return for being recognized as a major promoter of the homosexual agenda. In return, NGLCC placed Richard Ellis, vice president of communications of McDonalds USA, on the NGLCC Board of Directors.

Ellis was quoted as saying: "I'm thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce team and ready to get to work. I share the NGLCC's passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community, and I look forward to playing a role in moving these important initiatives forward."

McDonald's refused to comment to World Net Daily on the placement of its executive on the board of the "gay" advocacy organization but did send an e-mail confirming the corporation's support for the agenda of the homosexual business lobby.

"McDonald's is indeed a Corporate Partner and Organizational Ally of NGLCC. Our vice president of U.S. communications, Richard Ellis, was recently elected to its board of directors," said Heidi M. Barker, senior director of media relations for McDonald’s. NGLCC describes itself as promoting the LGBT community first and always, including same sex marriage.

NGLCC gives credit to sponsors such as McDonald's for its financial and other support that helps in its work. "Through the commitment of our corporate partners, the NGLCC has been able to advance the ideas and causes of the LGBT business community," the Chamber said.

Take Action

* Very important! Call your local McDonald's and ask why McDonald's is using its size and resources to single out and promote the homosexual agenda.

* Send an e-mail to McDonald's.
[end]

I recently purchased a book for Ashley that we have been enjoying together. In short, the book has over 250 brain-stretching exercises that are brief, fun and meant to evoke creative, thought provoking responses.

For example, today we did page 27.
"If we took one class in drivers education, we're aware of what each of the common road signs mean. If it's yellow with a curved arrow pointing right, we know there's a curve coming up to the right. But what if we didn't know what they meant? Some of those signs might be communicating more than the designers bargained for. Your task today is to come up with alternate meanings for the following five common roadsigns:"









Here are the answers we came up with:
1. There is a hole in the road you could fall into or
Something negative
2. Farm area or
Cow processing plant
3. Sliding cars or electrical current in the road or
Swerve back and forth (dodge nails?)
4. Come here only if ready to be crucified for what you believe ie. no hypocrites
or Medic
5. Only lepers or those without hands allowed or
Entering a bad section of town

Once you have added your own answers, click here for the actual meaning of each sign.

Angela, today is your special day and I hope it is one filled with celebration and deep happiness.
This is my prayer for you as you embark on the next chapter (year) of your life:
"You will be surrounded by and fully experience your Abba Daddy's perfect love for you.
You will have His awarness in every aspect of your life.
Your goals will become realities.
You will know His peace and the deep contentment that comes not from the approval and or understanding of others, but from the realization that you are your Abba Daddy's baby girl. You are on a personal LOVE journey with Him and from Him alone you are choosing to learn to be all He intended for you to be before time began."
Angela, I love you.

Amy and family

Spring is definitely in the air!
We girls took these pictures while at the park just this past week-Enjoy!