California...at it again!

Please read this email I got a few days ago:

"On yesterday’s Focus on the Family radio broadcast, Dr. James Dobson shared his insights on the recent decision by California’s Supreme Court to legalize homosexual marriage.


Please go here to listen to Dr. Dobson’s special broadcast which includes a report on the citizen initiative under way right now to overturn California’s homosexual marriage ruling.


Dr. Dobson called the decision “one of the worst examples of judicial tyranny” that we have seen in our country in many years. Focus Action’s Judicial Analyst Bruce Hausknecht has prepared an article that details the devastating ramifications of this ruling. The ruling is also the subject of our latest Stoplight video.

Marriage under attack
Despite the efforts of the liberal media to downplay the importance of family issues, this California ruling has placed marriage at the center of the political debate for this election year. Several key states will have marriage initiatives on the ballot in November. And every political candidate must be confronted with real questions as to where they stand on marriage.

I will be sharing more with you on this in the coming days. For now, please take advantage of these resources from our team, and thank you so much for standing with us. "

Tom Minnery Sr. Vice President, Government and Public PolicyFocus on the Family Action

Today, I got an email asking for support:

"On May 15, a cultural earthquake rocked our nation that threatens to permanently alter marriage and families in America.

Of course, I’m talking about the California Supreme Court ruling that legalized homosexual marriage in that state. As a result, California will soon begin issuing marriage licenses without any reference to “bride” or “groom.”


But that is just the beginning of this cultural tectonic shift. Since California has no residency requirement for marriage, this quake will be felt in every state that does not already have a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Homosexual activists across the nation will be emboldened to push their anti-family agenda (it’s happening this very moment in Colorado). The only recourse is for Californians to pass a state marriage-protection amendment on the ballot this November.


Job #1 at Focus Action
For years now, Focus on the Family Action has been working coast-to-coast on the battle to save marriage. The California decision is forcing us to further expand these and other efforts that we simply could not have budgeted for. That’s where you come in.


Will you make a special gift today to Focus Action to help us defend marriage and continue our many other vital election year efforts? Please click here to donate online.


The California homosexual marriage “earthquake” could forever change the cultural landscape of our nation -- unless pro-family citizens like you and me take a stand. Focus Action is uniquely positioned to fight to save marriage this year, but we depend on the generous support of friends like you.And let’s face it -- the liberal media are doing everything in their power to downplay pro-family issues in this election cycle. They do not want the presidential and congressional candidates facing tough questions on marriage and the family. But these are crucial issues that must be addressed. I am committing our team here at Focus Action to this great task. Will you make a gift to help Focus Action right now?On behalf of our entire team, thank you in advance for joining with Focus Action to defend marriage at this crucial time. "

Tom MinnerySr. Vice President, Government and Public PolicyFocus on the Family Action

Baby Chickies!!!

Memorial Day!

Well, it was an interesting memorial day! Bob woke up feeling awful. He has a terrible cold, so he laid in bed all day. (which is a good thing--I encouraged him to do that so that he wouldn't get Tayva or myself sick, and hopefully, he will recover sooner). Tayva and I did things around the house all morning.

I was starting to get cabin fever after naptime, and needed to get out of the house, so I called my parents to see if I we could order supper, and go to their house to eat. So, we went over there, and stayed a while. About 20 mins after we got home, my dad called and said he was taking my mom to the ER. She fell, and they thought she broke her R shoulder!! She was in SO MUCH pain!! Turns out she dislocated her shoulder, so they had to put it back in place. She was feeling much better then. (they even stopped at the Diary Queen on the way home to get some ice cream--no wonder where I get it from! :) Anyway, she has to wear a sling now for about 5 days, and has to really limit her movement.


Over the weekend, we wanted to take her to the zoo, but it rained a ton, so that didn't pan out. We took her to the local hardware store where they had little chicks and ducklings for sale. I took a lot of pictures--Tayva LOVED to see the chicks and ducklings. I will post pics of that soon!

Tomorrow, Tayva has her first gymnastics class-that should be interesting!!!

Tacos

Tonight, I had my parent's over for tacos. They are remodeling their kitchen, so they are without a kitchen for a while. When I can, I try to have them over for supper, so they can eat some real food. So, tonight I made tacos. Everything was going well, and supper was almost ready, so I put the taco shells in the oven to heat them. I got side-tracked and forgot them in the oven and TOTALLY burned them. Not just-a-little-bit-burned, but totally charred!! My husband and father were gracious enough to be quick to say, "it's no big deal, we'll just run to the store and get some more." It was so nice of them, because a trip to the store for us takes 20 mins (round trip)--it's not just down the street. Having said that, the tacos were really, really good. I also picked up some cherries and peaches from the store--YUM, I love that summer fruit!!!

The Lady

About 3 years ago, I was shopping at the grocery store, and a lady who was obviously frazzled with 2 young children stopped me in my tracks, and just unloaded on me. She turned to me and said, "you know, men are so lazy. They just sit around and don't do anything. They are good for nothing!! Here I am doing all the work, and he just sits at home!!" She was saying this as one of her children was trying to reach something off the shelf and whining for it, and she was wrestling the other child into the cart trying to get him to sit down and behave. I was SO caught off guard I did not know what to do. I said, "I am so sorry". (This actually was the second occasion I had run into that lady. I saw her once before at the grocery store and she said something else to me as well, but I can't remember how the conversation went. I remember it being a similar situation, though not as drastic as this time. She said something out of desperation about being overwhelmed.)



A couple days ago, Bob and I took Tayva to the playground. About 15 minutes after we were there, 2 young boys ran up on the equipment and started playing. Shortly after, their mom walked around the corner--and it was the lady from the grocery store! She was on her cell phone. Literally, they had been there for no more than 3 minutes, and the oldest boy peed his pants. She handled it very well, and told the younger boy they needed to leave to get the older boy some new pants etc. However, she then spent the next 10-15 minutes trying to get the older boy to come down from the playground equipment (he was up high were she couldn't physically reach him.) She threatened to leave him, and even walked to the car several times. Finally, he went to a different area where she could reach him, and she climbed onto the equipment and grabbed him, and took him to the car. She was so frustrated by the time she left--I can only imagine what that car ride home was like.



After she left, I told Bob about my experiences with her in the store. He noted that he thought she looked really "weathered". I don't know why I have crossed paths with this lady on 3 different occasions now, but I have to say, I have such deep sympathy for her. I told Bob that I am sure she is going home to a miserable environment. Who knows if her husband abuses her or what kind of life she lives. It seems as though she feels like she is going through life alone, and having to take care of 2 children all by herself.



The whole time we were at the park, 5 different sets of children came to the park with their moms--no dads were present. In that moment, I realized how blessed I am to have such an active husband. One who participates in our marriage, and the life of our daughter. He WANTS to be an active part of our lives. In that moment, I also felt deep, deep sorrow, for this lady in particular, but also for all the other women who feel like they are alone. I didn't feel judgemental one bit--just deep, deep sadness. I am sure that everyday is a struggle for these women. Everyday is a new battle--a battle that seems to never end. I think about that lady a lot. Like I said, I don't know why I have crossed paths with her 3 times, but maybe it is just to pray for her and her family. I have earnestly prayed for her several times. I don't know who she is, but I know her life is rough, and I pray for some form of relief for her.



Thank you Lord for my husband. Help me know how to reach out to these women--if even only to pray for them.

Gestational Diabetes...AGAIN

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and I failed the blood glucose test. You know, the one where they make you drink that awful orange drink than draw your blood an hour later. After talking to my doctor and based on my history, that was enough to determine that I have gestational diabetes...again. I have a meeting with the nutritionist next week. I will have to test my blood sugar 4 times a day (yuck--your fingers get sore after a while and all those needle pricks) and REALLY REALLY watch what I eat.

I was disappointed, but knew this was a definite possibility. I know things could be much worse, so I am thankful that this is something controllable and doable. (still, it is a bummer though) If you think of me, please say a prayer that I won't get discouraged (because after a month of blood testing and no ice cream sundaes, it can be discouraging :) and that I will be able to control my diabetes by diet and exercise (I don't want to take any medication if possible).

Porn in the Marriott-petition

If you have not yet had a chance to co-sign the letter to Marriott officials urging them to stop selling in-room porn in their hotels, it's not too late! Focus on the Family is presenting a petition to Marriott Hotels next week to encourage them to stop selling in-room porn. Please be a part of this by signing the petition. Here is the link:

http://www.focuspetitions.com/145/petition.asp?CID=145&RID=12975989

Devotion Update

Here is a followup to the post I wrote about struggling with devotions. They have been going really well. Like I said in an earlier post, after Tayva is in bed, I try not to turn on the TV or the computer until I have my quiet time/devotions done. (I actually enjoy TV and computer more then because I don't feel the pressure of "I really should do my devotions" ) Anyway, tonight I read something that I really liked, and thought I would share it with you. It is from the book "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George (GREAT book, by the way) She is talking about how we need to nurture our private relationship with God, and then people will start to see the difference on the outside. Here it is:

"the greater the proportion of your day -of your life- spent hidden in quiet, in reflection, in prayer, in study, in scheduling, in preparation, the greater will be the effectiveness, the impact, the power, of the part of your life that shows." As I heard one Christian leader say, you cannot be with people all of the time and have a ministry to people The impact of your ministry to people will be in direct proportion to the time you spend away from people and with God"

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs

I saw the first mosquito today, and also the first bumble bee of the season. The ONLY thing I hate about where we live is all the bugs! We would live in the perfect place with the perfect climate (in my opinion) if it weren't for the bugs. Ticks, spiders, moths, mosquitoes. bees--you name it, we've got it. (OK, so we don't have the poisonous spiders, scorpions, or cockroaches--thank goodness!!) Now it is even harder because I have to act brave around my daughter around all the bugs. (ticks and bees especially get to me--the rest I can live with)

Alrighty then, now that I got that off my chest I feel much better. We had some landscapers come today to remove some of the old, stained rock in our yard. They were using a Bobcat all day long. Tayva's favorite activity of the day was standing at the windows following the Bobcat around yelling, "Hi Bobcat!"

Here is a pregnancy story--we went out to eat tonight, and I could not decide what to order. (The waitress even had to come back to get my order because I just could not decide.) I decided on soup and a sandwich. The soup came first, and I ate that. The sandwich came second, and it didn't seem appetizing to me at all. I ate a bun off my dad's plate, and some of my husband's hashbrowns. Too weird, pregnancy does weird things to your appetite. Usually that type of thing doesn't happen to me though--I'm usually just hungry all the time!!!

Funny Things

Tayva is getting so animated. She says the funniest things--seems like she is always making us laugh. We are trying to teach her "No, Thank you". This morning I asked her a question and she said, "NO". I then said, "Tayva, how do you say 'no' nicely?" She responded, "No, please." (instead of "no, thank you") That put a smile on my face.

Recently, she needs to have a kiss for every owy (sp?). If she bumps her finger, she wants a kiss on her finger. (not just one kiss, sometimes 2 or 3 kisses are needed to make it all better :) We were walking into the house the other day, and she fell on the ground. She whimpered a bit and said, "Mommy kiss Tayva's bottom." Of course, her bottom needed a kiss to make it all better. I was carrying some things in my other hand, so I just kissed my hand and "delivered" the kiss to her bottom with that hand, and that seemed to do the trick. :)

She loves to have Bob and I pretend we are asleep, then yells "Wake up daddy!! Wake up Mommy!!"

She is pretending to feed her animals. She likes to have them "drink" from her sippy cups. She sings her ABC's, Old MacDonald, BINGO, 5 Little Monkeys, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. One of my favorite sounds is hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me". When she wakes up in the morning, whether I or Bob go get her, she says "Good Morning Mommy/Daddy" with a big smile on her face.

Going Well

Things are going well. I have not made a blog post for a few days because I have made a "rule" for myself that I have to have my quiet time before I turn on the computer or the TV. Plus, I have been really tired lately (pregnancy does that to ya:) so I have been going to bed early. I figure, I have to get as much sleep as possible while I can. In a few months, sleep will be hard to come by!