LIVE.
LAUGH.
LAUGH. 
LOVE.
PRAY.
FAITH.
HOPE.
BLESSED.
OH!!! The JOY.... She Brings!!!!
Disney with the Dance team!
1 year ago
Monday, July 26, 2010
Let's Focus?...Small Town USA
Though I have never thought of myself as some one with strong-willed politics I have come to the realization that just because you ignore politics does not mean they will go away. Please excuse the vent session if you want, no one is forcing you to read on. Just my opinion...every one is entitled to one:)
Recently, in the small Arkansas town I grew up in the City Board voted to change the name of main corridor (street) in a very back-handed way. They claim the primary reason for the name change is to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. The cost associated with this name change will be unprecedented; this street stretches for one end of the town to the other, includes more businesses than any other street in the city and numerous homes. The economy of this town is stagnate and has been for probably close to 30 years, I would predict when the new census data is available the population has declined. The voices in the town say "change" but the actions of the City Board say the opposite. Where is the common sense in raising expenses of the businesses in your community during this ugly recession? I have read many opinions about this issue and for what ever reason the ugly "race card" is being played? However, from my small corner of the world I don't care if you wanted to rename it ABC Street or Hometown USA Blvd; it makes absolutely no sense to try and fix something that is not broken! There are so many issues in this town that NEED attention; the school system, the lack of businesses coming to the area, the unemployment ratio, the viability of a beautiful downtown. There are so many pluses about this little town that could be monopolized on; lakes, colleges, rivers, interstate, Amtrak, the possibilities are endless!!! The people stand in the way of progress...sad but true. The truth is not always pretty. This town has so much potential and there is no reason what so ever that it should not be functioning like many others towns with similar characteristics that are booming during this recession. I think the people with the power to change this place, say they want change, but will not make the move to make the change. If this small town does not try to move forward it will only fall behind. The rest of the world is changing, like it or not; I just hope this little town decides to jump on the bandwagon and reap the benefits. A new generation of leaders needs to be born, a new generation with new ideas and an open mind. Maybe they are there?? Maybe they are already yelling in the ears of the people that continue to hold the "power" but is it going in one ear and out the other? I am really not sure. I would love to see this little town "that is a great place to call home" prosper but the train of thought needs to be reformed if the powers at be think renaming a street is where the local businesses need to spend their money? (If the majority of the businesses want to spend there money that way and they vote to change the name then more power to them... welcome, MLK Blvd.) The focus needs to change....the heart of a community is only as good as the education it provides its future leadership!!! Without education, it will be hard for leaders to be born, without leaders it is going to be hard to climb the ladder of economic prosperity and this little town will just wither away! Once again, ignoring change will not make it go away...sad but true!
If you are still reading, thanks for listening, sorry if I stepped on any one's toes, not my intention, just my opinion:)
Recently, in the small Arkansas town I grew up in the City Board voted to change the name of main corridor (street) in a very back-handed way. They claim the primary reason for the name change is to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. The cost associated with this name change will be unprecedented; this street stretches for one end of the town to the other, includes more businesses than any other street in the city and numerous homes. The economy of this town is stagnate and has been for probably close to 30 years, I would predict when the new census data is available the population has declined. The voices in the town say "change" but the actions of the City Board say the opposite. Where is the common sense in raising expenses of the businesses in your community during this ugly recession? I have read many opinions about this issue and for what ever reason the ugly "race card" is being played? However, from my small corner of the world I don't care if you wanted to rename it ABC Street or Hometown USA Blvd; it makes absolutely no sense to try and fix something that is not broken! There are so many issues in this town that NEED attention; the school system, the lack of businesses coming to the area, the unemployment ratio, the viability of a beautiful downtown. There are so many pluses about this little town that could be monopolized on; lakes, colleges, rivers, interstate, Amtrak, the possibilities are endless!!! The people stand in the way of progress...sad but true. The truth is not always pretty. This town has so much potential and there is no reason what so ever that it should not be functioning like many others towns with similar characteristics that are booming during this recession. I think the people with the power to change this place, say they want change, but will not make the move to make the change. If this small town does not try to move forward it will only fall behind. The rest of the world is changing, like it or not; I just hope this little town decides to jump on the bandwagon and reap the benefits. A new generation of leaders needs to be born, a new generation with new ideas and an open mind. Maybe they are there?? Maybe they are already yelling in the ears of the people that continue to hold the "power" but is it going in one ear and out the other? I am really not sure. I would love to see this little town "that is a great place to call home" prosper but the train of thought needs to be reformed if the powers at be think renaming a street is where the local businesses need to spend their money? (If the majority of the businesses want to spend there money that way and they vote to change the name then more power to them... welcome, MLK Blvd.) The focus needs to change....the heart of a community is only as good as the education it provides its future leadership!!! Without education, it will be hard for leaders to be born, without leaders it is going to be hard to climb the ladder of economic prosperity and this little town will just wither away! Once again, ignoring change will not make it go away...sad but true!
If you are still reading, thanks for listening, sorry if I stepped on any one's toes, not my intention, just my opinion:)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Momma & Me Morning
Claire and I had a "Just Momma & Me morning". We headed out to the local donut shop, ate donut holes and then headed over to the library!!! Our first trip to library! Where else would a bookworm be in heaven??
Claire loved all the books, books, books!!! Read Momma, Read Momma!
Dora and Tractor Books...Double Favorite!!
I would own a children's book store if there was anyway to make a living doing it! I LOVE children's books and have so many wonderful memories of my hometown library and school library....it was so fun seeing my old friends this morning; Ramona, Ameila Bedelia, Dick and Jane, The Babysitters Club.... it makes my heart warm to see this little similarity between me and my daughter! It did make me a little sad when we went to check out our books. I asked if we could get a library card for Claire. They said she was too young and she had to be 5 before she could have her own library card. Oh, well I guess it's a day we will look forward too!...and yes, I still have my first library card, you can call my nerd, it's ok:)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Where are you Time?
I have had this post on my mind for awhile now but knowing it is a touchy subject with some I have steered clear of it, with that said I am not here to offend anyone.
Honestly, I write about issues and different things because I want my daughter to know who I am and my prospective on life. I think it is important for children to know their parents and not just as "Mom and Dad" but really know them. Given that we don't live in a world of certainty and the good Lord can call me home at any second, I want my daughter to know me even if heaven forbid I am not here with her every day. I never want her to wonder who her mother was? What I would say or how I would feel? I have thought many times about writing a book to her on every topic I could think of and just run with it...I might just do it, when I get the time.
I recently read the book "The Help" and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good read. It made me think even more about a topic I have pondered on many times. Time,Women, and the our role today. Quiet time. Me time. Quality Time. Girl Time. I know I am not alone in the sea of water I thread. As most of you know I am a working mother and I often struggle with balancing my time.
Back in the day a mother, a wife had a different role than she does today. The Bible talks about the woman's role of being a wife and a mother and up until World War II this was pretty much how women functioned in the world. They were married, and known as Mrs...... or ...so and so's mother. The men provided for the household, the men worked outside of the home during the day and the women tended to house and the children. Most white women even had "help" keeping house and raising the children. Here is the touchy part: Up until about 50+ years ago most white women had a husband that worked all day, help that came to the house everyday to cook, clean and nanny to the children. What did they do what there time?!!! Organize fundraisers, go to league meetings, volunteer for this, that and the other. Then came along the War and the Civil Rights movement...women went to work in the factories and the "help" eventually found better opportunities. The men came home from war but the women continued to work. The children now went to childcare centers or stayed home alone. The Dad works all day, the Mom works all day but the house and the children are still considered to be the Mom's responsibility even to this day. The Bible has not changed and the Lord is pretty clear on what a mother's responsibility is. Are there enough hours in the day for a working mother to truly fulfill her obligations to her husband, her children, her church, her job, her house, her community, her friends, herself, her Lord!!!??? I think we all know the answer, No. There is not enough time, so what gives?
I would love to have an hour of quiet time every day to think and talk to God, I would love to have an hour every day to hang out with my husband, cook a wonderful dinner, play with my daughter without thinking of the 100+ other things that need to be done. I am just not sure how women got to this place but then again the Lord doesn't give us more than we can't handle so just maybe those of us in the category of the working mother can handle it but at who's expense? Our husband's, our children, our Lord?? Everyone fights their own battles maybe this is just one of mine.
Please let me stress here I know that stay at home moms work, raising babies all day and all night is one of the hardest jobs out there. I realize there were plenty of women who had no help. I also realize that "back in the day" women did not have a voice, they were told who they were and what to think...which is probably why I was not born back then, God knew I would end up in jail.:)
The phrase "Life is Short" is becoming more and more real. The older you get the shorter life seems.....because you don't have as much time as you once thought you did. There are so many things to do in life but when are we suppose to find the time??
Get an education, get married, balance the career, clean the house, make babies, have babies, nurse babies, drinks with friends, more drinks with friends, swimming lessons, paint the house, read a book, pray, cook, pay the bills, go to the store, travel the world, volunteer, follow your dreams, read to your children, homework, go to Disneyworld, work on the flowerbeds, get your teeth cleaned, show and tell day, bake a cake, just smile, just breathe,....this is life, this is world we live in....I am just grateful to have a family to share it with, it may be a few minutes here and a few minutes there but I try and stay focused even when the clock is going "tick tock, tick tock." The balance will eventually find me...and all in perfect time!
Honestly, I write about issues and different things because I want my daughter to know who I am and my prospective on life. I think it is important for children to know their parents and not just as "Mom and Dad" but really know them. Given that we don't live in a world of certainty and the good Lord can call me home at any second, I want my daughter to know me even if heaven forbid I am not here with her every day. I never want her to wonder who her mother was? What I would say or how I would feel? I have thought many times about writing a book to her on every topic I could think of and just run with it...I might just do it, when I get the time.
I recently read the book "The Help" and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good read. It made me think even more about a topic I have pondered on many times. Time,Women, and the our role today. Quiet time. Me time. Quality Time. Girl Time. I know I am not alone in the sea of water I thread. As most of you know I am a working mother and I often struggle with balancing my time.
Back in the day a mother, a wife had a different role than she does today. The Bible talks about the woman's role of being a wife and a mother and up until World War II this was pretty much how women functioned in the world. They were married, and known as Mrs...... or ...so and so's mother. The men provided for the household, the men worked outside of the home during the day and the women tended to house and the children. Most white women even had "help" keeping house and raising the children. Here is the touchy part: Up until about 50+ years ago most white women had a husband that worked all day, help that came to the house everyday to cook, clean and nanny to the children. What did they do what there time?!!! Organize fundraisers, go to league meetings, volunteer for this, that and the other. Then came along the War and the Civil Rights movement...women went to work in the factories and the "help" eventually found better opportunities. The men came home from war but the women continued to work. The children now went to childcare centers or stayed home alone. The Dad works all day, the Mom works all day but the house and the children are still considered to be the Mom's responsibility even to this day. The Bible has not changed and the Lord is pretty clear on what a mother's responsibility is. Are there enough hours in the day for a working mother to truly fulfill her obligations to her husband, her children, her church, her job, her house, her community, her friends, herself, her Lord!!!??? I think we all know the answer, No. There is not enough time, so what gives?
I would love to have an hour of quiet time every day to think and talk to God, I would love to have an hour every day to hang out with my husband, cook a wonderful dinner, play with my daughter without thinking of the 100+ other things that need to be done. I am just not sure how women got to this place but then again the Lord doesn't give us more than we can't handle so just maybe those of us in the category of the working mother can handle it but at who's expense? Our husband's, our children, our Lord?? Everyone fights their own battles maybe this is just one of mine.
Please let me stress here I know that stay at home moms work, raising babies all day and all night is one of the hardest jobs out there. I realize there were plenty of women who had no help. I also realize that "back in the day" women did not have a voice, they were told who they were and what to think...which is probably why I was not born back then, God knew I would end up in jail.:)
The phrase "Life is Short" is becoming more and more real. The older you get the shorter life seems.....because you don't have as much time as you once thought you did. There are so many things to do in life but when are we suppose to find the time??
Get an education, get married, balance the career, clean the house, make babies, have babies, nurse babies, drinks with friends, more drinks with friends, swimming lessons, paint the house, read a book, pray, cook, pay the bills, go to the store, travel the world, volunteer, follow your dreams, read to your children, homework, go to Disneyworld, work on the flowerbeds, get your teeth cleaned, show and tell day, bake a cake, just smile, just breathe,....this is life, this is world we live in....I am just grateful to have a family to share it with, it may be a few minutes here and a few minutes there but I try and stay focused even when the clock is going "tick tock, tick tock." The balance will eventually find me...and all in perfect time!
"Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making"
Proverbs 16:11
Storytime Live
We made a whirlwind trip to Little Rock this week to watch Storytime Live and boy was it a success! Nick was tied up with work so Nene went with us (not traveling at 10pm with me and my baby alone) and we met up with Mimi, Pop Pop and Aunt Elizabeth...we made it a family affair! Claire loved every second and poor thing cried...and I mean balled...at the end when all the characters left the stage. She is still talking about it and gets so excited..."Dora, Dora, Moose, Pets, Pets" all while smiling and jumping....and that's exactly why we went, just for her!
Potty Progress
We are making potty progress!!! Claire understands the concept, sits and uses the bathroom in the potty, tells us when she has gone...now if we can just conquer her telling us she needs to go before she actually goes, maybe we work on that this weekend!
Our morning ritual, sitting on the potty picking out her stickers...look at that wild hair!
We have not documented every time but we try...i would need to invest in a sticker company if Miss Claire got one every time she sat on the potty. Plus, she wants to keep most of her stickers and not put them on her potty chart.
Oh! We love stickers...they must go on our hands, legs, and arms.
Our morning ritual, sitting on the potty picking out her stickers...look at that wild hair!
We have not documented every time but we try...i would need to invest in a sticker company if Miss Claire got one every time she sat on the potty. Plus, she wants to keep most of her stickers and not put them on her potty chart.
Oh! We love stickers...they must go on our hands, legs, and arms.Monday, July 12, 2010
Just July
First thing first, Baby Finlee is home from the hospital and is doing wonderful!! Thank you for your prayers. She is already such a sweet blessing!
We are just having a typical July...hot, hot, hot!! We celebrated the 4th by swimming and eating lots of food and swimming some more; of course, all in the good company of family and friends.
The most amazing little girl
Meet our daughter...Miss Independent and she so super sweet!!
Freeze...Time I demand you to Stop for just a little while...she is growing too fast!
Swimming by herself...on the steps of course
Such the water bug...swim, swim, swim
With Daddy out at the farm; he was cutting a tree and when Claire saw it fall she started crying...Own a Pine Tree Farm + Cutting Trees = Crying Little Girl...not a good equation:) Maybe when she realizes that is where we get our furniture and how we get to buy her toys she might not cry anymore. All we heard (and are still hearing) is "tree fall, tree fall" and she sounds so upset.
Mimi and Aunt Elizabeth took Claire to the zoo while I visited Megan and Baby Finlee, she loved it!
Claire and the Lion....eye to eye. Mimi said they just watched each other and it was so neat!
My big girl doing her favorite chore...watering her flowers....she looks so big here:(
We are just having a typical July...hot, hot, hot!! We celebrated the 4th by swimming and eating lots of food and swimming some more; of course, all in the good company of family and friends.
The most amazing little girl
Meet our daughter...Miss Independent and she so super sweet!!
Freeze...Time I demand you to Stop for just a little while...she is growing too fast!
Swimming by herself...on the steps of course
Such the water bug...swim, swim, swim
With Daddy out at the farm; he was cutting a tree and when Claire saw it fall she started crying...Own a Pine Tree Farm + Cutting Trees = Crying Little Girl...not a good equation:) Maybe when she realizes that is where we get our furniture and how we get to buy her toys she might not cry anymore. All we heard (and are still hearing) is "tree fall, tree fall" and she sounds so upset.
Mimi and Aunt Elizabeth took Claire to the zoo while I visited Megan and Baby Finlee, she loved it!
Claire and the Lion....eye to eye. Mimi said they just watched each other and it was so neat!
My big girl doing her favorite chore...watering her flowers....she looks so big here:( I love hearing all the new things she says, she is so much fun!
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