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Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Naked Natalie

So Natalie is going through this phase (hopefully) of taking her clothes off...ALL THE TIME!!! You don't even know how many times I have gone into her room after a nap or in the morning and found her stark naked! In fact yesterday, I took a bunch of pictures of her, but Scott wouldn't let me post them on the internet. (Don't want them getting into the wrong hands!)

Then Last night, I layed her down for bedtime and 20 minutes or so later I heard her up and jumping around in her bed. So I went in to lay her back down like Super Nanny taught me to, and I found her nude...all the way. We've been working on using the potty (her idea--not mine!) and she is starting to get the hang of things. She knows that when she has to go potty we take her diaper off and sit on the toilet. Well, things got a little turned around for her last night. When she had to go, she stripped down, took off the diaper and sat on her crib mirror as a toilet. She peed all over it as well as all over her bed. I was ready to duct tape the stinkin' diapers onto her little bum!!!!

So anyway, this afternoon I go into get her up from her nap and she is shirtless, which I find astonishing because she is wearing a onesie. Here she had it pulled down around her waist. Of course I grabbed the camera right away...


I asked her to pull her shirt up a little.

I told her to let it go.

I told her to cover her boo-boos.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Isn't She Lovely...

Isn't she wonderful!

Isn't she precious!

Isn't she pretty!


I am so happy. We have been heaven blessed. I can't believe what God has done. Through us He's given life to us.

Well, isn't she lovely made from love!


[Thanks Stevie!]

Look What I Found Yesterday...

After lunch yesterday Scott and I threw away some chips that we didn't finish. The trash needed to be taken out so it was kinda full. About an hour later I noticed that Natalie was eating chips. I couldn't figure out where she was getting them from until I noticed that she would run into the kitchen every couple minutes. This is what I found...


...Yeah, that's right. My daughter is eating out of the trash. Ha ha ha! She is so funny!!!

Monday, November 28, 2005

Heat Wave!

So I was watching teh 11-o-clock news tonight and the weather people said that today there were record highs across the area. It was 71 degrees in Philadelphia! The weather lady said that so far 2005 has tied 2003(?) in the most 65 degrees+ days (12 days) in the month of November. Tomorrow it is a forecasted high of 65 degrees so we'll see what happens. I am a Wisconsinite at heart so I am sad to be heading into the holiday season with 65 degree weather. I would like to see some snow and I wouldn't mind a little cold snap.

Our Thanksgiving...

Well, our Thanksgiving was extra special this year because Scott ran in his first race ever! He ran in the 10th Annual YMCA 5k Turkey Trot in Bel Air, MD. Scott joined six others from our church in the run. Some ran, some walked. All week long prior to the run he kept trying to convince me that I should just stay home. He said things like, "it's going to be cold, icy, icky..." Yeah, I'm from Wisconsin, so like that's going to work on me! Natalie and I just bundled up and cheered him on!!

Here is Daddy getting Natalie ready for the day. It was about 630am Thanksgiving morning.














Scott just after registration.


















Here's the whole gang. (Front - Robert Butler, Sean Forrest, Amy Stevenson (our fabulous church secretary), Donna Bosmeny (our senior pastor's wife), Back - Scott Ball, Tom Butler, Pastor Alan Bosmeny (our senior pastor).)














Our little family - The Ballroom













The Elkton First Pastoral Team - Scott (worship/technologies/creative arts), Sean (youth), P. Alan (everything else!)


Natalie was so sleepy!



The runners get going...



As they ran we went back to the car and ate a snack. On our way back we came across this giant turkey. Natalie loved it!!!














I tried to catch everyone as they crossed the finish line, but I missed Sean, so I took this picture of him waiting across the way for the others in our little group. He gave me the heads-up as they approached the finish line.















Here comes Scott!!!!! (Sean was great about cheering everyone on!)

















Pastor Alan and Scott ran almost the whole way. They stayed together and only stopped once or twice. Here they are crossing the finish line together.














Ooooo....It was a tough run for Scott!!!















Here's Robert...















And Tom...















This guy!!! You would not have believed this guy!!! Do you remember the soup nazi from Seinfield? Well, this guy was the race nazi. He was yelling at people as they approached the finish line...."Women to the left! Men to the right!" He would actually try to physically stop people from crossing the finish line if they did not have a registered number! It was crazy!!!




Here come Donna and Amy... They walked the 5k, but decided to run the last little bit! Go Girls!















Here is the post run picture. Everyone looks a little less energetic!














On our way home, Natalie fell asleep.


Meanwhile we got stuck in Thanksgiving traffic on I-95. So we listened to Arlo Guthrie's infamous hit, Alice's Restaurant.


This is a bona-fide Hawaiian license plate.


We're bored in traffic. The people in the car next to us were laughing at us. I tried to take their picture, but traffic finally started moving and they zoomed off.


One of the bridges we cross frequently and an all too common toll booth.




Another unique license plate that is rarely seen across the country. Notice the tag line at the bottom of the plate: "Taxation without representation."


Natlalie woke up and took off her socks and boots.



So that was our Thanksgiving morning! In the afternoon we went to Amy's daughter's house and joined their family for dinner. We had a wonderful time and ate lots of yummy food! Mmmm.....turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and macaronis? Yes, we ate macaroni prior to our grub-fest. (Amy's son-in-law is 100% Italian.) Overall it was a wonderful day!!!

Monday, November 14, 2005

A lesson on Blessing and Cursing...

Saturday afternoon I went grocery shopping by myself (a miracle) and was loading the groceries into the car when I knocked my purse over. I picked it up, put it back into the car, and finished loading my trunk. I returned the cart and headed home. As I was pulling into our neighborhood I reached for my phone to call Scott to come help me carry groceries in. My phone was gone! I ran inside and told Scott. I was fraking out. That phone is my life. It has all my numbers and stuff in it. It's the only phone I have. I mean we don't have a home phone! So anyway, we hopped in the car and headed back to the store. I realized that it must have falled out of my purse when I knocked it over. I ran back into the store, but no one had seen it or turned it in. I looked all over the parking lot and found nothing. I was so mad by this point! I just knew that someone took off with it and I began praying down curses on them. Yes, you heard right. I did say curses.

I was so mad! That is my phone! MY phone! My cute little PINK phone!! That phone belongs to ME. I belong to God, thus my phone belongs to God which means that no one can just walk off with it! I spent all afternoon cursing the person, praying that their life would fall apart until they returned my phone. I was so mad--like a holy indignation because that is MY phone--GOD'S phone. Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Scott had called he sprint people and suspended the service on thephone so that no one could use it--my way of cursing them even more. He started looking for a new phone FOR HIMSELF. He actually told me that I could have his and he would get a new one! Ha! That boy! I gave him a really hard time about that one. How is it that I loose my phone, but he's the one that ends up getting a new one? He even bid on one on ebay! The phone hadn't even been missing for an hour yet!!!! My tech-savvy man...how much I love him!!!! I was convinced that my phone would be returned to me because it belongs to the Lord. I just knew that the person who took it would be so miserable with it that they would return it just to get rid of all the misery.

Back to the story...so we all pile in the car and head to our friends' house for dinner. On the way I start to wonder out loud if it's right that I am cursing. I told scott that I have never done that and I kept asking him if it was right. It somehow didn't feel right. I asked him if I have the authority to bring down curses. He laughed and said, in his wisdom, "why don't you bless them?" My wise response: WHAT! Are you kidding me?! How in the world can I bless them! THEY TOOK MY
PHONE!!!!! But he was right, and God majorly started to convict me. So I repented right there in the car and began to bless them. It was not heartfelt AT ALL, but you speak things as though they were, right? So, I spoke blessings as though I meant it. I started to feel better right away.

We had a wonderful time at our friends' and when we got in the car to head home, Scott told me to call the grocery store to see if anyone had turned in my phone. So I did and lo' and behold THEY HAD MY PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We drove right there and all the while I am screaming and shouting praises to Jesus' name! Natalie joined in and even Scott did a little. They did! They had my phone. They had God's phone!!! Scott believes that the phone was there all along, but that God kept it hidden while I cursed and the minute I began to bless them he released my phone. He's on to something, I think!


HA!!! What a day!!!

Wheeeeeeeewwwwww!!!! I still can't believe how easy that was!!!!! What a hard way to learn such an easy lesson!!! Of course I got my phone back!!!! God is so good!!!!!



THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful with the words you use. Words are powerful and have the ability to bless AND curse.

A man who loves to curse will receive curses in return... "He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing—may it be far from him." Psalm 109:17

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." Proverbs 10:11

"Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." Proverbs 10:6

Cursing one another will only cause you more pain in the end. Cursing brings violence and wickedness. The heart ceases up and looses it's ability to love. You need to keep your heart soft and set on the things of the Lord. The Bible is very clear what will happen if you do otherwise.
"'If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,' says the LORD Almighty, 'I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me.'" Malachi 2:2

Here it is--as plain as day...

"DO NOT REPAY EVIL WITH EVIL OR INSULT WITH INSULT, BUT WITH BLESSING, BECAUSE TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED SO THAT YOU MAY INHERIT A BLESSING." 1 Peter 3:9

Thursday, November 10, 2005

The Mommy's New Boots...

Yeah, so, I got these new boots the other day. They're Ugg-wanna-be's, Ugg-abees, if you will. And well, I have been wearing them pretty much non-stop since I brought them home! They are by far my most favorite shoes I think I have ever owned. You see, I hate wearing socks and with these puppies I won't have to open my sock drawer all winter! I have even traded in my old ratty leopard-print slippers that I have had for 7 years for my beautiful Ugg-abees. Every once in a while though my feet get a little overheated. (It has been rather warm lately. Like yesterday it was something like 67 degrees! Yeah I don't really miss Wisconsin weather too much!) So I'll slip them off and lo' and behold who do I find wandering through the house with my little Ugg-abees?! Yep. It's Natalie! She just cannot stay out of my shoe closet!! I do believe that she already has surpassed my own shoe fetish, and she's only 18 months old! So, guess what she's getting for Christmas. You guessed it! Her own pretty pair of Ugg-abees. She's still going to want mine, isn't she?!




Saturday, November 05, 2005

"Baby... Baby... Baby... Baby..."

So this morning we had a lovely breakfast at church for all the beautiful ladies. We had a wonderful time. The food was delicious. The company was pleasent, and the Word from the Lord was timely. What a treasure we have to be able to gather together and fellowship in His Name! God spoke so much to my heart. So much. I want to shout from the rooftops what He has done and is doing in my life. Although I feel that at this time, the story is still unfolding. When I feel that the Author is finished with this portion I will shout from the rooftops what He has done in and through me. Soon, maybe...

You know it's can be a scary thing, this stuff of trusting COMPLETELY! Not scary like I'm fearful, but scary--"Oh my gosh! I can't believe this is happening!" We can have the heart of Christ and know the nature of God, but we will never know the inner workings of the mind of Him. Deuteronomy 29:29 says that "the secret things belong to the LORD our God..." There will be things in our lives that we will wonder about. We may never know the answer because they are to remain secret. That's just the way it is. Deut. 29:29 goes on to say that "...the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." There are things that are for us to know and be accountable to. As God reveals things to your heart, pay attention, remain teachable, and above all, follow His promptings! Don't let yourself get to the point where you are saying I shoulda, woulda, coulda. Take His Word and hide it in you heart. Take the Word of the LORD given through the prophetic and chew on those. Weigh them against the Word of God. Does the Word confirm something God has already been working through with you? Go to God Himself and ask Him to speak directly to you concerning the Word, and then be open to hear HIS voice, not just what you'd like Him to say. You're life counts and YOU MATTER! God isn't trying to make your life harder on you. He is actually trying to make it easier. Faith comes when everything tangible fails. Miracles happen when we take our hands off and invite God to move as He pleases.

So, Lord, I take my hands off and invite You to move in me as You see fit. Take my life and let it be consecrated to You. Everything that I am is Yours for the taking. Mold me. Shape me. Move me. Teach me. Have Your way in my life and in the life of my family.

Hashoo.
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