Thinking Back, Moving Forward

John David was home from school today because he ran a fever over the weekend. I pulled up the blog to show him pictures of things we had done together and realized what a great job I had done of documenting his first few years. And now I'm sad that I haven't included more of moments with Olivia in the blog. So now it's catch up time. It's late tonight so I'll start with a few pictures. I can't believe that tiny baby in the pictures above is the vibrant little girl that jabbers all the time and just showed me her "camera" which is acutally an old mp3 players she found and has been "taking pictures" all day. Can't wait to tell you all about her!

Olivia Kate

I can't believe I haven't posted here about our newest addition. Olivia Kate Lindsey was born on June 3, 2009. She has been an awesome addition to our family and is just the cutest thing I've seen since John David was a baby. I'll post more about her and even add a picture, but just thought I'd go ahead and give her a mention here.

John David Goes Fishing!

I'm trying to find a healthy balance of doing things I should and things I want to do. So in an effort to both get the things on my "to do" list done and still blog a bit, I offer you this short post.

John David got a fishing rod for Christmas and on Saturday John took him fishing for the first time. Nothing was caught but a good time was had!

The Don't Song

Okay, I'm really going to get on the Christmas wrapping and laundry that I have awaiting my attention, but I just saw this on another person's blog and thought it was really cute! So I decided to do 2 posts in one week and share this with you. Enjoy!

The Don't Song

8 Things

I have been in serious need of updating this blog. I wasn't even sure about publishing the last post and now it's been on there WAYYYY too long. Just out there. Hanging. But I have been super busy lately and even though I should be doing things like wrapping Christmas presents and laundry, I'm going to take a few minutes and publish a new post. There is a lot to catch you up on, but that will have to wait. Well, actually, I'll use the following to give you one big update on our lives, in case you haven't heard.

8 Things
I was tagged by Ami, a former co-worker at MTW, several weeks ago...and I'm just now getting around to posting my answers...here goes!

8 TV shows I love to watch
1. The Office
2. Biggest Loser
3. Law and Order
4. Design on a Dime
5. Ready to Sell
6. The Today Show
7. Deserving Design
8. Extreme Makeover Home Edition

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Salt Water Grill (Panama City Beach, FL)
2. Athens Pizza Kouzzina
3. Cafe Istanbul
4. El Malecon (Dominican Restaurant in New York City)
5. The Flying Biscuit
6. Another Broken Egg (Tallahassee and Panama City, FL)
7. Phuket (not sure if it's still open)
8. Journey's End

8 Things that Happened Today (I'll do yesterday since my neighbor stopped by this a.m. and even though it is 1:30 p.m., nothing much has happened)
1. Had the opportunity to go grocery shopping without John David
2. Had the oppportunity to go Christmas shopping at Discover Mills sans John David
3. Attended the annual homeowner's meeting for the condo we own in Buckhead
4. Was "color-matched" at Bare Essentials, only to find out I don't really like the way the make-up does on my skin...scratch that off my Christmas/birthay list
5. Went to Toys r' Us in Buckhead
6. Filled my car up with gas (in Buckhead and it was .30 more/gallon than in Grayson)
7. Talked to my friend, Karen, on the phone
8. Put John David to bed

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. The expected arrival of our little one around the end of May/first of June...here it is, the "big" update for you. I'm 15 weeks and feeling great.
2. Getting our defunct tenant out of our rental house
3. Getting our rental house rented again (know anyone who wants to rent a house in Grayson?)
4. John David's first Christmas performance Tuesday night
5. Getting bookshelves for our bonus room
6. Getting our bonus room organized after getting said shelves
7. Decorating the nursury after we find out the sex of the baby in January
8. Learning how to knit...one day.

8 Things On My Wish List
1. Bookshelves for the bonus room
2. Traveling back to Europe...one day
3. Being out of debt
4. A dining room table
5. A community of friends
6. A maid
7. A personal organizer (a real, live person not a notebook)
8. A lawn service for John (just to free up some of his time)

8 People I Have Tagged, please feel no obligation.
1. Denise
2. Heather
3. Heather
4. Candice
5. Melissa
6. Bobbi Jo
7. Diane
8. ?????

Finding Gratitude in the Midst of Defeat

We had a really fun day yesterday. John David went with me to vote and was a champ standing in line for the 1.5 hours that it took me to vote. I've had fun trying to explain to him in terms a 3 year old would understand what this election bit is all about. Then we met my mom and my nephews at the Yellow River Game Ranch for a fun time seeing all of the animals. It was especially nice for me because John David went in with my mom and nephews and I sat at a picnic table and had a leisurely lunch. It wasn't really planned that way, but it was nice to have a little break to just sit and ponder everything in the woods, with all of the beautiful colors surrounding me. John David is particularly aware of the change of season and I love to hear his enthusiasim when he sees trees that are bursting with color. Anyway, after the game ranch we headed to an indoor water park that was fabulous! I can highly recommend going there if you've never been.

On the way home last night I was listening to some talk radio and thinking about the election. Then I realized that it felt a little like I was listening for updates on a sporting event, wondering if my "team" was going to pull through for a victory. And then it hit me that this is so much more than that. (Just a note, I did realize before that moment that the election is a big deal. It's just in that moment it really hit me.)The outcome of this election is going to change our lives. For better or worse, our lives are going to be changed. I went to bed last night before the election had been called and therefore woke up this morning to the news.

My "team" didn't win and there is a heaviness about me this morning that I don't like. First and foremost let me say that my hope is in Jesus Christ and not in any election outcome. But what worries me is the way our nation is changing. Maybe I've been living in denial; it's a place I frequent. Sunday night on my way home from a friend's house I was listening to the Alan Hunt show. His question was something to the effect of "What role does your faith play in choosing a candidate for President?" There was a caller that called in to say that his faith and his choice of candidates is irrelevant. He claimed to be a man of Christian faith and said that his support was for Barack Obama because he is just like every American - a little bit of everything. Alan Hunt respectfully disagreed with him in that your faith has everything to do with your choice for President. When you are truly a man or woman of faith and your faith is real, that faith changes your perspective on everything. It's not an accessory that you carry around with you, it's a totally integrated part of you. I agree with Alan Hunt. But the point that got to me is the realization that maybe Barack Obama is a representation of what Americans are today.

I didn't vote for Barack Obama because I don't trust him. I don't think he's a man of his word. I don't trust his judgement of people and events. I think he does things out of an effort to please people and not out of conviction. I think his ideas of "spreading the wealth" sound socialistic to me. I don't think it's the public school teachers' responsibility or right to teach Kindergarten children any form of sex education, whether it's meant to "protect them from predators" or not. I find it hard to respect a man who has no respect for life.

Is that what Americans are today? People who can't be trusted, whose word means nothing, people who are without conviction? Do we want to be as rich as the next person (or as poor?) all in the name of equality? Do we want to put the awesome responsibility of the moral education of our children in the hands of total strangers? Do we want to teach that there aren't consequences to our actions and that any "consequences" that might emerge from our actions can be taken care of by being put to death? Well, America has voted and it looks like that's exactly what we are today and what we favor. Makes me all the more glad that this place is not my home.

If you are still reading this post, you may be fuming in disagreement with me. I may read this post in a day or two and decide to delete it. But I couldn't stand these thoughts swirling around in my head and I have to say that writing it all out has made me feel better. And I'm grateful that we live in a country which allows me to write such things with the only fear being the judgement I may encounter from friends and family. I'm grateful that we live in a country which allows us to vote. I'm grateful for technology that allows us to know the "winner" within hours of the polls closing. And I'm grateful that my hope is not in things of this world, but in a living Savior, whose shed blood covers the debt for my sins and gives me the promise of an eternity in heaven.

I won't attach any pictures to this post although I wish I could've captured John David's expression this morning when I shared with him the news that McCain didn't win but Obama did and he replied "Nobama?!?" with a whine and a wince.