Monday, February 28, 2011

Think

Here I  blow again!
buckle up


If you care about any of the following:
ethics
family
healthcare
politics
babies
Jesus
human rights
dignity
please click on this link and watch the video:

This, my friends, is why the 2012 election is so very important--we have to get Obama OUT of the White House before we too have socialized healthcare!

As both a mother and a registered nurse, I am absolutely outraged at this news story.  The Canadian government-run healthcare system is essentially forcing parents to kill their child and to do so in a excrutiatingly painful way.  For my readers not in healthcare, let me try to summarize what the government is denying Joe's parents.  This family is fully aware that their baby son is dying.  They would like him to go home with "comfort care only" orders and pass away peacefully and naturally.  They are simply asking for a tube to be placed into their son's trachia (windpipe) that will allow them to remove secretions from his lungs (not to prolong his life).  As the newscaster mentions, this will prevent the child from "drowning in his own secretions."  If the child does not get this, his little lungs will fill with fluid and he will literally drown as if in a swimming pool of water.

Imagine having a horrendous cold or sinus infection -- now, imagine your mucus is so thick that it is suffocating you -- now, imagine knowing that you cannot breathe -- now, nothing.
You're dead.

That's what I thought too.

If Obama's healthcare plan is put into action, THIS IS WHERE THE USA WILL STAND.  "Big Brother" will tell us when, where, and what kind of medical care we are allowed to receive.  How I am ominously reminded of a dark time in the history of another country ... of choosing who is "worthy" to live or to die ... of a political leader playing God.

How far, really, are we from that fate?

Think about Joseph.
Think about your own family (or yourself).
Think about how you can change history.
Think.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Millionaire's Salad

This post really has absolutely nothing to do with the "millionaire's salad" besides that our dinner salads last night had hearts of palm in them.  Truthfully, I just thought it made for an intriguing hook.  Did it work?

Last night Justin took me out to celebrate my 25th Birthday!

He kept me 100% in the dark about where he was taking me, and he didn't even ask what to get me.  Shocker!  All I knew was to get dressed up and be ready to leave by 6:15pm. 

Turns out...we had reservations at a gourmet restaurant in Front Royal, Virginia called "Apartment 2g."

I had never been to a place like this before...open only on Saturdays, only by reservation, where you watch your dinner being prepared on TV, with only about 7 tables.  The food was an amazing 5 course fixed menu, and ours were personalized for my birthday!

At dinner, we enjoyed delicious food and wine, and Justin gave me my suprise birthday gift:


That's right, ladies, he did goooood!
A gift certificate to the spa!
Maybe that's a sign that he thinks I need a little relaxation after moving with a busy infant?

After dinner, we stopped by Food Lion for another bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers.  We just weren't ready for the night to end!


Thank you for an incredible evening, Justin!
From now on, I'm going to be more than willing to let you plan our date nights!

Friday, February 25, 2011

On The Move


Lock up your daughters, Big Jax is on the move!

A Little Off The Top

As you can tell from this picture, it was about time for our Taco to get his first haircut;
. . . and today seemed as good a day as any.

So everybody loaded up into the car, and away we went to the Split Ends Hair Salon to see
Mrs. Gayle.

"A little off the top!" we said.  "And the ears, and the neck!"
And Mrs. Gayle got to work . . .

(I wasn't crying--just rubbing my eyes beacuse of my cold)




Once my haircut was finished, I got to admire myself in the mirror with Daddy.

I looked sharp!

So the hamming began . . .

Whoa! Let's see that again!
Before and After
I'm one good lookin' fella!

Monday, February 21, 2011

An Aquarium--A Thief--A Police Chase--Happy Monday

Today was fantastic--and fantastically entertaining!

As we were driving through Baltimore, Maryland this morning, we made an impromtu trip to the Baltimore National Aquarium with Jackson.  It was such a wonderful and spontaneous visit, and Jax loved every second.  He was absolutely fascinated by the bubbles, sting rays, and swimming fish.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my DSLR camera or my point-and-shoot, so photos from my cellphone will have to suffice.  They might not be great quality, but they captured the "in the moment," which really is the most important.


This turtle cracked me up--well, actually not the turtle--the little boy in front of me looking at the turtle.  He looks up and said to his mom, "Look Mommy, that turtle's eating salad!"









How wonderful it is to live so close to exciting places like the Baltimore Aquarium!

*****

However, it wasn't until we were about the leave, that this fantastic day grew fantastically entertaining.

Sit Back.  Relax.  And Enjoy The Story.

After we had explored the aquarium, Mom and I were looking through the gift shop, and Justin had taken Jackson to sit just outside on a bench.  Sitting there outside the gift shop, Justin saw a group of teenage kids walk out of the store with tons of merchandise.  One of the young men was telling a girl how to rip off the tags and hide the stolen goods in her coat. 

As the teen began to do this, Justin decided to "badge" her and to say "how about you just put those things back?"  He had no intentions of the altercation going any further.  At first, the girl protested by saying "I don't know where they go."  So, Justin offered to walk her inside the store to return the stolen merchandise.  He did not plan on telling security or anything.  The girl obliged. 

However, once inside the gift shop, some guys from the young lady's group approached her and told her not to listen.  Justin said "just think about it" to her.  She chose to follow her peers and ran out of the store with the stolen merchandise.
(yeah, all of this happened while mom and I were looking at coffee mugs with sea creatures on them)

Before we knew it, Justin came over to us, handed Jackson to mom, and said "take him."  He quickly walked away with no explanation.  Next, we saw Justin standing with Aquarium security.  He was then asked to help security identify the kids.  At this point, we had absolutely no idea what was going on.  Justin left, we made our purchases (naturally), and then just waited.

A few minutes later, Justin returned.  The kids were deep into the Aquarium, and security had taken over for him since we were there as patrons (ahem).  We left.

*** It get's better ***

Walking to our car, Justin suddenly says "just keep walking" and turns away from us to walk in another direction.  Dazed and confused, Mom, Jax, and I do just that.  Then, we spot the huge group of teenagers coming across the street.  (Justin didn't want them to identify us in association with him).  We are 100% these are the right teenagers as they are "high-fiving" and bragging about "we got some good stuff," "good job man!  that was awesome!"

I--who everyone knows, can't leave well-enough alone--watch to see where they go (into Best Buy to 'steal more stuff'), and call 911.  I give the dispatcher a description of the teenagers, the details of the ordeal at the Aquarium, and Justin's description.  She is very concerned about Justin's safety (although we really weren't) ... and she says she is "sending back up." 

About 3 minutes later, we are reunited with Justin.  As I begin to tell Justin about my 911 call, we hear sirens...LOTS of sirens.  Yep, a police van and four patrol cars are rolling toward the Best Buy--Bad Boys style.  My cellphone rings--it's the dispatcher--I hand the phone to Justin, who first tells her he is safe, then offers more information about the teenagers.  There are PLENTY of police on the scene, so we are freed to go.

Yeah.
Fantastically Entertaining.
Happy Monday.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Today's Big Accomplishment


This morning at breakfast, Jax made the decision that he was ready to self feed.  Just randomly...he was ready.  Check out his lunch--turkey, cheddar, and oranges (with a side of formula of course)!

For Serena and Emma

Yesterday was such a momentous occasion for so many people.  It was my very best friend in the whole world's baby shower for her daughter-to-be, Emma Michele.

For Serena, yesterday meant a soon approaching delivery day; for her mom it marked the beginning of a new life and generation; for others in attendance, it was a new great grandchild, a niece, or a cousin.  For me, yesterday meant another level of kinship in one of my life's finest relationships--Serena is about to join me as "mother."

I'm not sure what it was exactly, but there must have been a great deal of hormones floating through the room yesterday too.  It was so emotional for me too see Serena's pregnant belly for the first time--to remember when I first met her in MeLeod Hall registering for her first-year classes at UVa.  I saw before me a woman with whom I have laughed, cried, argued, celebrated, and been utterly overjoyed.  Most of all, I saw a woman who I profoundly and deeply love.  I am so thankful for the day Serena was born, and I anxiously await the arrival of her baby girl.


























For now . . . practice makes perfect!