Survey Says: I'm Rude.

Well, according to Oprah I am pretty rude. I think I already knew this but thanks to Oprah and her little test, it's now official.

- I am chronically late
- I have gone thru the express lane at the grocery store with more than 10 items
- YES, I've texted during a movie!
- Yes, I've cut in front of people in line
- I don't remember ever stealing a parking spot but I wouldn't put it past myself even tho I absolutely hate these people.
- Gossiped? Of course.
- I have EVEN taken a coworkers refrigerator inventory! This is really rude...so I feel compelled to explain that it was drink from a 2 liter bottle of Coke. I have no idea who it belonged to.

Then the conversation turned interesting. How people are so insanely rude while dining at restaurants. Apparently it is still news to people that (1) servers make less than $4/hr [I only made $2.13] (2) 20% is a customary tip (3) servers will spit in your food if you piss them off.

I worked in the restaurant business for 12 years. It sucks. The pay is terrible. People are stupid. It's physically grueling. And the hours are miserable. But I'm not going to lie and tell you I hated it. I actually loved it - most of the time.

I like to laugh. And I happen to know that the funniest people in the world are in the restaurant business. You have to be funny...or the job will destroy. I have never laughed (or partied) harder than the years I waited tables.

But it's an abusive job. A job for masochists. And, if you do it long enough you just might snap and do pretty nasty things too! Of course, I never did any of these things. So, take note and remember that you never want to piss off your waiter. Or maybe you just might wanna stop going to restaurants at all anymore?

* I saw Dave drop a loogie in someone's drink and I know that he served it.
* I witnessed Ben expedite hours worth of food completely nude except for his apron. I'm positive this was against health code.
* I saw many people climb in and out of the ice making machine (shoes and all)...ice which was then put into the drink station for distribution to guests.
* I've seen many a food hit the ground and be re-plated according to the 5 second rule.
* I've seen food sent back to the kitchen only to be put back on the grill/re-battered and re-fried/re heated and re-served to the guest. Oh yes.
* I've seen food eaten off of guests plates before it was served to the guest and afterward
* I've seen cooks/servers handle your food with their bare hands
* I've seen servers scratch themselves in gross places and then touch your plate, your drinks and your food
* And just don't use condiment bottles that have a broken seal. The contents are probably questionable.

Now.

~I'm not suggesting that you put up with nasty attitudes from waiters. Just that you might save your comments till after you're done eating.

~You should never eat meat that doesn't look or taste right. Just order a different dish or better yet - ask that your food be cooked longer. This is off-putting and will probably persuade the store to prepare a new dish.

~If you feel like you and your server are 'off' I suggest you get your drink refills from the bar IF the bar is not busy.

~Don't ask for a table change on a busy night. Just deal with the tiny table right next to the service door for one night. If it's a ghost town - ask to sit anywhere you like. Just understand that server sections are determined earlier in the evening and that there is a system in place. You might be unintentionally "slamming" a server and thereby really asking for poor service.

~Don't be afraid to remind a server that you'd like a glass of water (or whatever you asked for 10 minutes ago). Understand that they are dealing with 4-5 other tables at the same time and they forget things just as easily as you do.

~"Please" and "Thank you" go a long way. And eye contact, people. Make eye contact.

~It is perfectly acceptable to ask for your check. Personally, I think a server should be able to anticipate when the guest is done but if it seems like you've been waiting a long time - ask for it. In fact, we've started asking 10 minutes early to allow for the usual delays. Just keeps everyone on the same page.

~By the way, don't calculate your tip by doubling the tax. In some places, alcohol isn't taxed and is often the most expensive items on the ticket. Just go ahead and give 20% (for decent+ service, 15% for sub par service) of the total ticket amount.

I could go on and on but even I know when I've gone on too long. Man, I loved waiting tables. I have such great memories. Oh, the stories I could tell.

Final point. I think everyone should be required to work in a restaurant at some point in their life. They are the best training for understanding how to relate to truly horrible people. And also how to teach multitasking, crisis management, quick math practice, balance and coordination, people skills, interpersonal relations such as reading people, discernment, anticipating desires, etc. Honestly, once you've survived waiting tables, every other job will be a cake-walk. [Note: If you never waited tables, I've found motherhood to be a very similar work experience.]

I hope I haven't ruined your appetites for eating out. The truth is, a little spit can't really hurt you. But to be on the safe side, play nice in restaurants. The kids running the place might be funny but they're really just in it for the money. ;)

Chicken Fried Goodness

So, I'm not the worlds best cook but, as Kevin says, I've gotten a lot better! :) This would hurt my feelings except that it's totally true.

I remember when my mom tried to teach me to cook. She actually instated a you-cook-one-meal-a-week rule which I think only lasted 2-3 times. Not because I wasn't good at it but b/c I think it ended up being more work for her than for me. Or I just stopped doing it? You'd really have to ask her.

When I lived on my own I didn't practice much cooking either. Mostly microwave meals or noodles (with butter and garlic salt..yum yum!) or frozen pizzas (hello Totino's!). I can't imagine a scenario where I'd serve Totino's to my family now. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

I've just realized how very much I enjoy the process of creating a meal. From creating the grocery list to putting the last dirty dish on the rack. I do hate putting away clean dishes but that's another subject.

I am still no Master Chef. You wont find tearing the pages from Gourmet magazine - unless it's a simple one. And I won't spend $30 on mushrooms only to be used for a sauce. But I do enjoy a complicated recipe. I get a great sense of accomplishment when I can put something on the table that even remotely resembles the picture. And even greater when people say, "Wow. This is good."

How can you make meals every night? Well, as I've bragged before, I have the luxury of being married to the greatest man on earth. One who is usually done with work and ready to take on Bubba duties by 5pm every day. This hour of kitchen time is like therapy for me. And then he does the bath and usually the bed time routine so I have another 1/2 hour of alone time for clean up. This is when I might listen to a podcast or some fun music. I honestly look forward to this time.

This week, I made chicken fried steak (a la Rachael Ray) with gravy. I've never made either in my life. The gravy was soooo good. Does anyone remember that Momma Hulsey used to serve gravy with every single meal? How awesome is that?! The asparagus is a regular side dish 'round here. Made to taste like french fried yumminess thanks to lots of EVOO and salt. Brody loves them! I wont say that my CFS came anywhere close to that of Cracker Barrel but it was decent. I'll try again in three months when we've worked off the gravy. I also made pot roast for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I didn't care for it as a kid and found that I'm still not a big fan. But I made it and it actually tasted exactly as I expected it to so I consider it a success. Plus, Kevin liked it!

I get a fun FREE magazine by Kraft called Food & Family. It's full of easy simple recipes! And they send weekly emails. When you're in a pinch, Rachael Ray magazine online is a wonderful tool. Check out the No Joke Artichoke burgers (thanks, Lita for introducing us to these!). And don't forget that shelf of recipe books you have laying around. Just last week I made a recipe out of my Fruit of the Spirit cookbook (thank you, LABC Tuesday Night Bible Study Group 2001!) which was a heart attack in a casserole dish but quite tasty indeed.

I'm always interested in new family favs or good resources. Anyone have an easy recipe to share?!

P.S. I don't know Beverly Hepler is but I have to thank her from the bottom of my sweet tooth for sharing her Pineapple Cheese Bake recipe in aforementioned FOS Cookbook.

P.S.S The other night I became completely obsessed with these two blogs: Lunch in a Box and Wendolonia. They have both devoted the majority of their blog to detailing the lunches they pack for their preschoolers using Bento boxes. I probably spent an hour looking at their creations wishing that they were my kid's mom instead of me. My poor baby took hotdog lunchables to school every day this week! Anyway, it got me thinking...

How fun would it be to do a weeks worth of posts on what we make our families for dinner? Including photo, recipe (or link) and reviews? If you're in, respond in the comments. You'll have to have a Flckr acct or a blog to be able to share. It'll be like we're all gathering for dinner at each others house!

Mia Letter: Six Months

Oh, Sister. What a great month! You are getting so big so fast. I feel like we just brought you home from the hospital last week and here you are SIX MONTHS OLD! How can that be?

I have to admit that you, My Sweet, have made me a fan of babies. I love your Bubba sooooo much. I loved him at six months every bit as much as I love you. The difference is that I was so overwhelmed and exhausted with him that I didn't have the presence of mind (body and soul) to realize what fun it was to have a baby around! I was eager for every developmental milestone for the simple fact that it would relieve me of a duty. I couldn't wait for him to sit up on his own. To say words. To crawl. To walk! I have beautiful memories of holding, play, rocking him but I also remember the dark moodiness that surrounded me in that first year. I regret that I was altered and wish I had known somehow that it didn't have to be so hard!

All that to say that I just simply adore your babiness. Your little rolly polliness! I love cuddling you in the early morning. I love carrying you around (for short periods...you're heavy, girl!). I love playing peek-a-boo with you. I love watching you watch your brother and Daddy wrestle with bated excitement. I love your new 'pat pat' game where you smack your hand down on anything in front of you. I love your throat-ripping skreetches and wide mouthed smiles. I love your drooly face and the fact that you can almost fit your whole fist in your mouth. I even love changing your diapers and cleaning your room! You are just a total joy and I want to really, really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here and for letting me love you.

Now, the big question we get all the time: WHERE DID SHE GET THOSE BLUE EYES? At 6 months you still have bright blue eyes and they are constantly the subject of conversation. Here is the easy answer:

B will stand for Brown eyes which are a Dominant gene. Then b will stand for non-brown eyes which is a recessive gene.

Daddy's Mom [Mor Mor] has the bluest of blue eyes. Her genotype is bb.

Mommy's Dad [Papa Joe] has gorgeous green/hazel eyes. His genotype is also bb.

Since Daddy and Mommy both have brown eyes our genotypes have to be Bb. This is because we both have brown eyes which means we have the dominant brown gene (B). But since we both have one non-brown eyed parent, we also are both carries of the recessive gene (b). Our Punnett squares would look like this:

This means that we had a 25% chance of having a child with double recessive alleles which could only ever be a non-brown eyed gene. It also means that your eyes will probably never be brown. They may not stay as blue as they are (I meet people every week who tell me that their child had blue eyes till they were X many months old). But they will probably never be brown. Maybe you'll keep your sparkly blue eyes? Maybe they'll turn a beautiful hazel color? Whatever color they are - they will be beautiful.

High School Biology lesson for the day - complete.

Milestones. Gosh. You started eating cereal this month. That's been fun. I tried a bottle just a couple of weeks ago (of water) and you suck some but you mostly chew the nipple. After you ate peas a couple of times, you got a bit stopped up. My friend suggested I add EVOO to the mix and that actually worked! Poor baby. Yes, I do make your baby food thanks to my wonderful Magic Bullet blender. Love it. You've done really well with your G Diapers. No major accidents although I will admit that sometimes a poop diaper is a thrity minute ordeal. That's kind of a pain but I sleep better at night knowing that your poop diaper has been flushed down the toilet where it belongs rather than sitting in a landfill waiting to never decompose.

One of my most favorite things is watching you interact with your Bubba. You watch him like he's magical. You burst out into spontaneous laughter when he just enters the room. I've always loved that he's so gentle with you and that he's never once appeared jealous or bitter about a new little person in our home. He smiles with us when you do new tricks. And you should see him at pre-school. When one of us has to bring you to the school for Brody's drop-off or pick-up, he literally stands guard. He will stand between you and anyone that tries come within a foot of you. Then he'll say, "I'll be your hero, Sissy." I love your relationship already! I am so excited to watch it develop. And it's developing so quickly already. And not always for the better. Just today you tried to launch out of my arms to grab a toy he was playing with. He shouted, "NO SISSY! Not in your mouth!". You are so fortunate to have a big brother, Sis. I hope you're each others best friends.

Oh! We put your feet in the water (at the beach) for the first time this month. Just like your brother - you hated it. It was really sweet.

Love you,
Mom

Bargain Hunter

I love a bargain. I love a sale. I am a sucker for a garage sale. Basically...I'm cheap and proud of it!

I just recently found two cow humidifiers at our local Goodwill for only $8.00 each! Brand new!! This is such a score. I've wanted one of these cute cool-air humidifiers for a couple of years now but have never been willing to fork over the $40 when I could get an ugly one for $20. See? Cheap.

Last year I found a Kirkland pre-light Christmas tree (regular $200) for only $40 at our down-the-street Salvation Army. It could not have been more than a couple of years old. Still in the box. Excellent condition. I was thrilled! The middle section is problematic but we dealt with it. That same trip I got Brody a full drum set for only $50 - regular $150-$200. I could go on and on. Very little makes me

I am an every-dayer on Craig's List. Sometimes twice a day. Both of our computers came from Craig and plenty of kid stuff. In a small town, Craig and his list are the best!



My girlfriend Julie A. (who still doesn't have a blog of her own for me to point you to) just sent me a link for www.babysteals.com. Rest assured, no one is stealing babies. It's a 'deal of the day' site and even tho I just signed up 10 minutes ago - I'm literally giddy in anticipation of my first deal opportunity! If you like a deal, check 'em out.

Mia Taggie!

Look at this adorable gift from Summer! She made one for Brody when he was a little Bubba too. Summer's sewing skills are enviable! She's super creative and a perfectionist so you can always expect greatness. Now that she has two kids in school I'm hoping to see more fabulous creations from her! Oh, and she sent the chicest little paci holder. Mia SweetPea-ya has all the fashionable accessories now. Go Mia...Go Mia...

Thanks, Zoomie. I love you!

Pinocchio Lies!

Ok. WHAT is up with these classic Disney movies? They are so freaky and scary! I remember Kevin and I were very nervous about showing Brody Bambi earlier this year because we both remembered how sad it was. After watching it, we both thought it was rather tame. I mean, after watching Simba's Daddy get trampled by wild wildebeest (p.s. funny word) in The Lion King, Bambi was, well, almost boring. And definitely strange....is that King deer his Daddy...why doesn't Bambi's mom tell him...does this mean that Bambi's little girlfriend was also fathered by the King? I don't know. It weirds me out.

But NOTHING prepared me for Pinocchio. We checked it out at the library (yea library!!) and I thought, "Oh, this'll be fun. A lesson on not telling lies." I'll tell you what...the Howdee-Do-Dee Yippy Skippy Happy Wooden-Boy-Turns-Real Boy flick is the true liar here, my friends. THANKFULLY, I decided to watch it with him just in case. Could this movie be more inappropriate for kids? Maybe only if they added a sex scene.

First there is the issue of all the smoking and drinking by & around children. Then the kidnapping. Then the issue of the bad man who is stealing "stupid" (the forbidden word) little boys. Then the issue of said 'stupid little boys' turning in JACKASSES. Which they insist on saying not once (maybe it'll slip past him) but twice ('Mommy? What's a jackass?" "They said donkey, silly."). Thank you very much, Mr. Disney.

Needless to say, I got more lesson opportunities than I bargained for out of the little Jiminy Cricket flick. I felt like I was talking throughout the entire film!

"Don't drink"
"Smoking kills"
"Never go with strangers"
"Don' lie"
"That boy is naughty. His mommy should spank him for acting that way"
"Stay away from whales!"
"Don't ever wear over-all shorts. They're sissy"

How did I not remember these details? This simple fact is what puts my mind to rest. It can't be too damaging if I didn't remember the horrors it contained. Can it?

Brody called me an idiot the other day - which is Disney's most favorite word. Especially in the oldies. Cruella can't finish a sentence w/o peppering it with an 'idiot' or two. Jeez! I'm not sure what word is more appropriate but idiot seems harsh. Am I over the top here? Does the rest of America not care if their kids run around calling people (teachers, friends, friends mothers, stray dogs and cats) idiots?

When he called me 'idiot' I asked him what he said? He said idiot again. Understand, he said it as tho he was saying 'you with the hair on your head'. It wasn't hateful. There was no malice. He was just...trying it on for size. So I asked him to look me in the eyes. "You will never call Mommy that name again. You will never call anyone that name again. It's ugly and mean and not ok to say. Do you understand me?". "Uh-huh" he stammered. Obviously taken aback by my seriousness. "Yes, ma'am?" I hammered. "Yes, ma'am." Kiss and hugs and life goes on.

So, our little boy is getting bigger. More than ever we have to protect his little ears & little eyes. Pinocchio, the little freak, is going straight back to the library with a big thumbs-down from me!

My Favorite Season

I do love Fall.

I especially love Fall in Santa Barbara.

But this is not the season I'm referring to.

It's TV Season, people. And I'm so excited!!!!!

I'm astounded that some people don't know what TV Season is? These are the same people that don't really understand syndication. You will only see new episodes of Desperate Housewives on ABC. Period. Sometimes you'll see DH on a station like Lifetime but rest assured - they are reruns. And when you find The Office on back to back at 11PM - these are always w/o exception reruns. Ok? Same page? Ok. TV Season is when all our favorite shows come back to us with brand new episodes. Ooooh, I love it!


Prison Break has already started and I'm embarrassed to say that both new episodes are still sitting in my DVR unwatched. I don't know? There is something about a second baby, for me, that has made me need 'down time' so much less. Or maybe it's that my 'down time' is different than it used to be? Used to, for every single nap and after Brody was down for the night - I'd head directly to the couch, grab my computer (because I can't just sit there - have to multi-task) and turn on the TV to catch up on all my recorded shows. I have many. I do. Now, when Mia and Brody are both down...I don't know what I'm doing but it's not watching recorded TV. Sometimes I'll play The View (which I do have a commitment to) but it's usually background noise and I end up fast forwarding thru most. Where was I? What is my point?


There are several shows I'm especially looking forward to this year:

Heroes

LOST of course

Eli Stone

Amazing Race (love it!)

Ghost Whisperer

Medium

Prison Break

The Office

CHUCK!



The following will make the DVR list but are not as heavily anticipated:

Desperate Housewives

Brothers & Sisters

Boston Legal

Pushing Daisies

Cold Case

CSI...


Shows (new and returning) I'll check out and decide to keep/toss:

90210 (hello? I just have to...)

The Fringe (can't pass up a J.J. Abrams creation)

Kath and Kim

Lipstick Jungle

and Cashmere Mafia

Life

My Own Worst Enemy (it's Christian Slater, come on)

Now I'll ask for a time of silence for the show I am most sad to see is not returning in this 2008 line up:

Carpoolers

It was good. And really, really funny and I'm very bummed. We laughed out loud at least once every single episode. Even Cara! And she knows funny. If you didn't catch it and don't believe me that it was that funny and have too much time on your hands...you can check it out here. Oh, Marmaduke. You will be missed. Farewell.

Therefore, at the top of my New Shows to Watch list is Do Not Disturb which is not only directed by Jason Batement but the stars of the show are Niecy Nash and Jerry O'Connell. As you know, I'm a big Niecy fan and I consider Jason and Jerry two of the funniest on TV.

What shows are you excited about?

A Green Baby Is Not A Goblin

Ok. I made the leap. Several months ago I posted that my girlfriend Julie was going to use cloth diapers with her newborn baby girl who is a week younger than Mia. That prompted me to research the options and found the G Diapers website. I was fascinated but too hesitant to commit. Now that Mia is a little older we decided to give the G Diapers a try.

I'd read mixed reviews on the G Diapers and noticed that the complainers were all the people going from the classic cloth diapers to the G Diapers (which describe themselves as a "hybrid") but those going from disposables to G Diapers seemed to be very pleased. Also, according to their website 50 million disposable diapers enter the landfill every day, where they sit for up to 500 years. That is just more than I can handle. Especially considering that we were in the practice of wrapping poop diapers in plastic grocery bags!!! There is also a freaky great video that shows the decomposition of a leading chlorine-free diaper, a disposable diaper and a G Diaper insert. You've got to see it to believe it. It's an investment, I know. But I feel like if I can cut down my impact on the ever growing poop filled landfills (you flush poop G Diapers down the toilet and can flush, toss or compost the pee-pee ones!!) then I can rest a bit easier. Besides, I also read that some people use cloth diapers as inserts in the pants. I could always try that. Plus, I've got a sleeve of disposables left. I'll let you know how it goes!

BONUS: I bot our G Diapers on http://www.diapers.com/. For 10% off your first order use the coupon code: CHRY3121

I also bought a bottle of California Baby®Non-Burning & Calming™Diaper Area Wash (only $7.95 from www.diapers.com versus $11.50 from California Baby's website). We're going to try using this instead of baby wipes. The point is to avoid alcohol and fragrance. I just read this article on www.thedailygreen.com which recommended holding baby under a running faucet at every baby change. Uh...I'm not really about all that. I can't really figure out the mechanics, am not down for the poop-in-the-sink scenario, plus then there's the whole wasting water issue. My girl Julie uses Booty Cubes which she loves.

At Mia's 4 month check-up, the doctor noticed that she has a vaginal adhesion. "Nothing to be concerned about", she said. "Just glob on the Vaseline and it should take care of itself." Vaseline is 100% petroleum jelly which is thought to be a carinogen because of the way it is manufactured. It coats the skin like plastic so it cannot breath. I don't want that on Mia's arm skin much less up her...area! That lead me to Alba's Un-Petroleum Multipurpose Jelly. I had to go to 4 local stores before finally finding it at Lazy Acres Market (our local Whole Foods-like store). While there I also found a ton of other great non-toxic baby products like this Rainbow Kids hand sanitizer.

Presently, I'm not as concerned with what I put on my skin but I'm highly concerned about what I put on their skin.

And as Christians, if we're not concerned about protecting 'our' planet - which we all know is not and never will be ours - then we are nothing short of hypocritical. In his book Serve God, Save the Planet, Dr. J Matthew Sleeth says,

As all those who consider themselves people of faith grow in their understanding that God holds us accountable for care of his creation, we will begin to see positive changes on an unprecedented scale.”

Good Reads

[1] My girlfriend Heather Richter has started a blog and since I'm a HUGE fan of Miss Heather, I thought I'd do a little advertising. I was blessed to meet Heather a few years ago thru our home group. She and I 'clicked' immediately which I think is more about her than me. I'm pretty sure she's good at 'clicking' if you know what I mean. Well, I realized very quickly that pretty much everything she says is like this golden nugget of wisdom. Mother of 4. Living the life of a missionary. Wonderful loving wife. Full-out lover of Jesus. I contemplated purchasing a small voice recording device and covertly taping all our convos but then she up and left me. Sort of. God answered their prayers to move to Ohio (from Santa Barbara to Ohio...I know. But they were literally over joyed!) to actively work & serve through Athletes in Action.

Point. Heather has finally started her own blog! Before they left I was begging her to blog or create a women's newsletter or something. She's the kind of person you want to be best friends with and the sort of quite leader who speaks loudest thru her actions. I encourage everyone to bookmark her blog Moments of Clarity for some good reads.


[2] Guess what? There is at least one other Mia Sturm in this world! Not only that but she lives in California. Not only that but her Mommy and Daddy are believers! Their faith has been such a beautiful example of how we, as Christians, should be every day. Unlike most of us, the Bakersfield Sturms have a big reason to lean on the person of God and rest in His peace. Little Mia was born with pretty serious conditions that they were completely unaware of and totally unprepared for. I spent one night reading every post from the past 10 months and am truly encouraged by them. "God is so good!". What might make weaker people (faithless people) break has made this family so strong. They're beautiful and I hope we can meet one day and introduce our little Mia's to each other! Check them out at Snooky Great for regular prayer request and updates.

[3] So after reading about Kristy's obsession with Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, I decided to check them out. I bought it the night before we left for our Phx/Denver/Phx trip and ended up reading the first three on that trip! Then, was excited to find the fourth book on the 7-Day read shelf at our local library {btw, I adore the library. We go at least once a week. One of my favorite "by myself activity treats" is to spend time in the library w/the kids. If you haven't been in a while I suggest you do!}! Gobbled it up in 8 days (goodbye $.50). I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who needs a break from reality. Note: it involves vampires. If that trips you out, I understand but really...it's a fun read. Youth fiction. Warning: Since all 4 books are already published you can read them in rapid-fire. The problem with this is that after doing so, I became totally invested. I find myself actually missing the characters.

Anyway, thanks again, Kristy! Whatcha readen now?

[4] I recently subscribed to Christian Stay at Home Moms {CHSAHM} changing the world one diaper at a time. It's a really fun site with a topics from Activities for Kids to Product Reviews. I especially like the Mom Blog directory. There are a lot of directories out there but this one is specifically for Christian moms.

[5] Important. If you use iGoogle (or have a Gmail account) I want to recommend Google's Reader application. Kristy posted about it last year some time and I jumped on board that band wagon immediately! Reader lets you 'watch' all your fav blogs. When someone posts, they show up in Reader where you can read the post or click to the actual blog (if you want to comment). I used to spend several minutes checking each of my regular blogs in excited anticipation...only to see they still hadn't posted anything. Such a let down! Now, I click my Reader tab and can see in an instant who has new posts! Such a good thing. Google: Google Reader

[6] Just completed Gorgeously Green (thank you, public library). I've wanted to read this for a while but never wanted to fork over $17 to own it! Plus...how "green" is checking out books at the library?! Anyway, the trouble with reading this book is that now I'm equipped with all this knowledge and thereby compelled to act...and, unfortunately for those who don't care, also compelled to share. Ugh! Stay tuned for my life updates.

[7] Last point on the reading tip. I'm starting Jane Eyre tonight. Tired of my favorite books being from the Teen Fiction section. Thought I'd try out a classic. If you wanna blog-book club with me, leave a comment!

Happy Readings, my homies.

Mia Letter: 5 Months

Missy.

You are so precious.

When your Bubba was your age, I found myself constantly wishing for more. Always having to remind myself , "He's going to get bigger soon so you better enjoy THIS moment in time." My love, you are growing too fast. You just came home and now you're like this big 5 month old girl. Like...really big. 17lbs big. Ok, you're huge.

I love every single fold, Baby Girl. Every dimple. Every last bit of chub on your little Dough-Girl body.
This month has been such a blast. You have developed so much! You learned to roll over front-to-back on August 15th and then from back-to-front on the 17th! We were at Mor Mor and Papa's house is Phoenix so you got to really show off for the masses. We were very proud. We traveled with Daddy's family to Denver again in August for GG's memorial service. It was a Johnson Family Reunion! You were a perfect angel on the plane to Denver - your Mor Mor held you the entire way so let's just say, this was Mommy's favorite flight so far! What a treat.

After Denver we spent the week at Mor Mor & Papa's house and got to play with your cousins Malena & Briella and Nicole & Gregory! We had so much fun swimming, rolling-around, playing and watching the Olympics on Papa's big, huge TV. It was a great week. We're all looking forward to the holidays when we'll all be together again.

You were terrific on the 7 hour drive home. It was amazing. Unfortunately, we came home to a house full of fleas. Bowen Road (our cat) became flea-infested and so did our beautiful little home. We spent two nights back home but not IN our home. True to form, you were a champ. Much more so than your Mommy and Daddy who were VERY unhappy. Terminex came, fleas gone, life is good.

You get a little 'off' when we travel but usually w/in a couple of days you're back to your brilliant sleep schedule. You're pretty consistently sleeping from 7-7:30PM to 6AM and then till about 7:30-8AM. Nap comes about two hours later. It's so funny that Bubba's naps were always a source of frustration for me when he was your age. I do get stressed sometimes when you don't sleep well but most of the time I just pick you up and go about our day till you get to the point that you might sleep again.

Oh my goodness, you love to laugh. Even in the midst of unhappy (or fake unhappy) cries you will stop abruptly to smile at someone. You flirt with just about anyone who makes eye contact with you. It's absolutely precious and I want to eat the flesh of your cheeks right of your chubby face! And blow bubbles with it. It's that good. People are always remarking on how happy you are. "What a happy baby!". You are, Sweetie. Such a happy baby. Thank you for your wide, up & down smiles and throaty chuckles. We even love your 20-second-at-a-time-ear-piercing-throat-shredding bird squawks. So great!

Other milestones this month include: finding your toes...once. For the most part, you're not super flexible. I think it's cuz there's too much belly. You make a cute breathless grunt every time we bend your toes toward your face. Don't think it's comfortable for you. Um, you fake cough, which is hysterical (to us). You have really mastered the art of reaching & grabbing which we all know is a very important cognotive skill. We couldn't be more proud.

Finally, you had your 4 month check up last week (9/4/08). So, almost 5 months, actually. You were amazing. You didn't make a peep (besides cute cooing) the whole time until the shots. 6 shots, to be clear. The tears dried up immediately. You're amazing. Anyway, here are your stats:
Height: 25" {50%}
Weight: 17.4lb {90%}

Head Circumference: 16.5" {55%}

Love you, Piggy!

Next month: cereal!

Mr. Funny

Can you see Brody? Always the comedian :))

Cousins

Left to Right: Malena M., Nicole J. holding Briella M., Gregory J. holding Mianna Sturm, and Brody Sturm. Does Brody look like the adopted cousin? The gorgeous, brown, adopted cousin? :)

Mia Letter: 4 Month

More photos to follow...
Oh, Mia. You are such a Sweet Pea. Mia Sweet Pee-ya. This month has been so very busy. We visit friends and family in Texas for two weeks in June, we celebrated the 4th of July with friends in Santa Barbara, went to a Fiesta event, enjoyed a visit from the Wolds and traveled to San Diego, Phoenix and Denver again for GG's funeral. Your 3rd month is a bit of a blur, if I'm being honest. [You actually turned 4 months just before the trip to Denver]

The top photo was taken at one of the Concert in the Park events in Santa Barbara. It looks over-cast outside but it's not really. You are such an easy baby - still. When we drag you to outdoor events like this you just go with the flow. You don't mind be passed around but you are very vocal when you're done being passed around!

When people see you they immediately comment on how pretty you are. Usually mentioning your beautiful blue eyes. Then they ask how old you are and immediately comment on how BIG you are for your age! I think you're perfect, my princess. Your chubby legs make me want to clap my hands together and jump up and down. Your double chin is the tastiest treat I've ever tasted. Your belly rolls are sweeter than sugar. You are a little doll baby.

You are an excellent traveler.

You are 4 months old and have flown on 10 planes already. Three trips - some w/multiple planes. Every time, you are amazing. You sleep mostly and that is the best I can hope for. On our Texas trip you and I flew separately from Daddy and Bubba. You had a full blow-out both going and returning. The kind of poop that runs up your back. You should have seen me changing your diaper in the tiny airplane bathrooms. It wasn't pretty. But we got thru it together! On the flight to Denver last week, your Mor Mor held you the entire flight which was a huge blessing for both of us!

On the looooong drive to San Diego and then to Phoenix, you were a champ. We stopped every 3 hours(ish) for a break but you hardly complained the entire drive.

Your G.G. went to be with Jesus on July 27th, 2008. Mommy and Daddy's 6th anniversary. We are so thankful that you were able to meet her before she left us. She absolutely adored you, Sweet Mia. Daddy says that GG was the first person you really smiled at other than him or me. She was a darling woman who leaves behind a great legacy. We can't wait to tell you more about her and your Grandpa Bob.

The only other highlight of the past month is your 3 month photo (which was actually almost 4 months). They are brilliant! I can't wait to get them and share them with the rest of the family. You pretty baby girl.

This month you got to meet your Papa Joe, your Gus & Gal, your Uncle Ro, Sue Sue, Aunt Banana and almost all our best Texas friends. You also met Doc Roc, the Wold family and several other of Daddy's 'Dude' friends while in San Diego. You are a popular little girl! I'm so excited to see what the next month has in store for us all.

Love you,
Mommy

Hats.

When Brody saw this picture he said, "Awwe. Look at my tiny little hat."

THIS, my friends, is a funny kid.

The Shack

I finally finished reading The Shack last night. At 1AM.

I started reading it a couple of weeks ago while in Texas at Dana's and at Tessa's but had to leave before I finished the book. Kevin bought it and completed it on the trip home and then left it on the plane! I refused to buy another copy anywhere else other than Costco b/c they have it for only $9. So, we bought it this past weekend and I read the second half of the book last night.

There is a lot of hype about this book and I get it. Really incredible and tragic story that had me completely engrossed. It was full of thought provoking and insightful material. And I was completely satisfied with the ending. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Kevin and I are actually going to read it again together and try to digest some of the heavy stuff that is easy to skim over the first time around. I had to stop reading a couple of times and really dwell on what I was reading. I'm not going to reveal the book but the part about forgiveness really rocked me.

I found it odd that Satan, demons and spiritual warfare were never discussed. Especially when angels appear. Biblically they are always at battle yet the book never brings it up. Also not so sure I want to see the movie that the author seems to really want to make. I feel like it might clash with the images in my head. And I can't imagine it being as powerful as reading the book? But I'm sure there will be a movie and hopefully it will answer a lot of questions for those who do not have anything to believe in.

Definitely recommend the book. Look forward to reading it again!

Evidence of Age

7:30PM - Nurse Mia
7:45 PM - End nursing session
7:55PM - Notice the cute ear imprint on my arm from aforementioned nursing session
8:00 - 8:30PM - Grocery shop
8:45PM - Notice that the ear imprint is STILL neatly embossed on my arm - an hour after nursing!

8:46PM - Google 'loss of skin elasticity'....only to find that my initial diagonsis is accurate:

I'M GETTING OLD!

Long Time, No Blog!

If you've been missing us it's because we've been in Tejas! We spent two weeks in the Land of 200 Degrees and had an absolute blast - in spite of the sweat circles. We flew into Austin where we were able to borrow my very awesome Aunt & Uncle's car for our entire trip. This saved us hundred's of dollars. Such a huge blessing! After landing, waiting for K&B's plane (yes, we weren't able to fly together), collecting all 24 of our bags, shuttling to the auto park and watching Kevin have a near hysterical breakdown trying to install our two car seats into Gus & Gal's car in the sweltering Texas heat - we were off!

The Sellars family graciously gave us their home for the first part of our trip while they were at Family Camp. This was such a HUGE gift to our family. We had plenty of room for everyone (even Mom was able to stay with us) and Brody was able to enjoy a literal toy wonderland!

They returned on Saturday and we spent the next two days and nights just playing our faces off! Check out this photo of the entire crew. Left to right: Brody, Eli, Ezra, Mia, Ean, and Ella Bella. Dana and Scott have an amazing team of babies. We so enjoyed spending time with all of them and especially enjoyed visiting their church on Sunday.

On Monday, we moved into Arlington to spend the night with the McCook Fambily. Oh, my gosh. I love this family. Tessa, as always, was an incredible hostess. I have to mention the incredible mini-burgers she served. Um. Delicious. Sophie and Landry were precious with Brody. I think he caught himself a little crush in miss Sophia! And why the heck wouldn't he? Look at this baby girl!!During our first week in Texas we had so much fun seeing so many friends. We enjoyed a full & super fun day with the Mangrem's, a really fun morning with Julie and Landon, and a wonderful visit with our sweet Sue Sue. We also had enjoyed an awesome lunch date with Uncle Roland! Dinner dates with Whitney & Chad and Nooch & Stephanie. Listen, we were VERY busy and it was great!

After a week in the Metroplex, we packed up and returned to Austin for a few days with Papa Joe. This was the first time Papa Joe had met with Mimi so it was a sweet time. We also got to celebrate Dad's birthday! We absolutely love Gus & Gal's property in Liberty Hill. It is the most rustic yet chic place imaginable. We felt like we were at a resort and on a farm at the same time! Their property line ends in the middle of the river in their back yard and this year there was water. We had so much fun. Gus & Gal [Great Aunt Al & Great Uncle Steve] returned on Thursday and we had the pleasure of hanging out with them and Dad that evening.

On Friday, Summer and Kids came all the way from San Antonio for a playdate in Austin! It was so much fun to connect with Zoomie again and see her gorgeous babies. I can't believe we're all growed up with kids and stuff. So nuts!

This trip was so much fun. We all really enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I love my friends so much. Being able to play with them was such a blast. I love that Kevin gets along with my friends so well. I love that my family is so gracious and wonderful. I love that so many of us has little ones who will be able to grow up together. Even tho we don't live down the street from each other our kids will always know each other and celebrate each other's successes in life.

Thank you to all of you for making time for us, room for us, and giving us so much love! I miss you all already!

Mia Letter: 3 Months

Yes, you are really this cute! I know. It's hard to imagine but, Mia-girl, you're a real cutie pie. This month has been super fun. First, and most exciting, you finally started smiling for us! It was a long time coming and you're still sort of particular about who you'll grant smiles too but when you do...oh, man...they stop our hearts. Thank you for your smiles.

You also started cooing big time! You chatter and coo and squeek all the time. A lot of times, to the bears on your swing. I think they're your best friends. But you give us good converstation too. It's absolutely music to our ears. Thank you for your coos.

AND you laughed this month. Shortly after you started loosening up with your smiles. You gave me a couple of really awesome chuckles a couple of weeks ago when I was helping you do stand up exercises. I called the boys in and sure enough, you laughed for them too. Daddy and Bubba were smiling from ear to ear. You make us so proud. You laugh when we tickle under your chin too. Every time. Maybe having an extra chin makes you more ticklish? I don't know but thank you for that laughter.

You've had some congestion this month, poor baby. Your nose doesn't actually run but there is a lot of rattling in your breathing. But you still sleep like a champ so I don't think it's bothering you too much. We are traveling again this week so I hope it doesn't get worse.This month you got to meet your Aunt Sharron, Uncle Don and Great Grandma (GiGi) in Colorado. You were terrific on the plane both ways. Daddy upgraded me to FC on both flights so I got to enjoy lunch and bottomless Coke's while you slept like a little princess. No fair that you've flown FC as an infant when I had to wait till my 30's! The flying didn't seem to bother you at all (especially the noisey jumper flights - you sacked out!). In Colorado we got to spend lots of good time with your cousins Briella and Malena, Uncle Jon & Aunt Tammy and Mor Mor & PaPa. It was a really terrific time - we miss you all aready!

This month you also had your 2month check up. You are officially a chunky baby. 97% for weight, thankyouverymuch. Your height and head size were normal. I think you're perfect. I wish you were chubbier, in fact. We'll work on that, ok? You were so good during your shots. There were SIX! You didn't react until the end of the 2nd shot and by the time you finished your first wail the shots were done. We nursed (and I subsequently leaked everywhere) and you were fine. A bit fussy for a couple of days but nothing too tramatic.

This month, Daddy had his first week-long business trip since you were born. I am not going to lie, I was terrified. I scheduled our entire week so that we had company almost every afternoon and on the two mornings that Bubba isn't in school. The week practically flew by and I only got a little crazy in the evenings. Let's just say, I was ready for bed at the end of the day. YOU were terrific. Sleeping your face off as usual. Waking once in the middle of the nights (you've been waking around 4am recently and then ready for the day by 7:30 or 8AM). I just really have no complaints, Sis. Thank you for being so easy!

My Purpose

Tonight I watched this video podcast of Rick Warren at the TED Conference in 2006. He is the author of the book, The Purpose Driven Life. At the conference, he was reflecting on his own crisis of purpose in the wake of his book's wild success. He explains his belief that God's intention is for each of us to use our talents and influence to do good.

I really enjoyed listening to Rick's talk. I am a big fan of the book and recommend it often. I've even given a couple as gifts (although Kevin still hasn't read it). Tonight, I was encouraged by Rick's talk. Just like the book always does, this talk sparked something in me that I'm determined to pursue.

At one point he brought up the story of God turning Moses' staff into a snake. [Exodus 4:2]

1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"

2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?". "A staff," he replied.

3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers...has appeared to you."

God asked Moses, "What is in your hand?". A simple, wooden staff. Part of Moses' everyday life. Right?

With that staff Moses defeated the magicians of Egypt, stripped Pharaoh of his power, humiliated Egypt's gods and brought Israel out from slavery to freedom*.

Rick went on to ask the audience: What is in your hand?

At that moment, I was holding Mia. She was in my hands.

Q: What do I have that God has given me?
A: My children

And what am I going to do with what God has given me? I don't have the perfect answer for this. But I know that I will work every day to influence my babies by example, by education, by discipline, by unfaltering love...I will influence my babies to make this world a better place. To love the Lord with their whole body so that they might be used by him to be a light in this world.

My children aren't mine just like this world is not mine. But I've been given the great pleasure of helping guide them thru life. They. Are. In. My. hands.

What has God given you? What are you going to do about it?

I'm going to re-read The Purpose Driven Life with this new perspective. I've always read the book with an 'all about me' slant. And that is exactly how I needed to read it at those times in my life. I'm excited about what God will reveal this time? My babies are my passion and part of my purpose in life.

What can do with what has been given to me. I'll keep you posted.

* sentence copied from here

I May Never March In The Infantry...

Brody has been singing this classic church song for the past couple of weeks. Last week, at Aunt Sharron and Uncle Don's house, he & Cousin Malena danced around and sang it at the top of their tiny little lungs while Aunt Sharron hammered it out on her gorgeous baby grand. "Sing with me!"

I may never march in the infantry

Ride in the cavalry

Shoot the artillery

I may never zoom o'er the enemy

But I'm in the Lord's army. YES, SIR!

I'm in the Lord's army, YES SIR! I'm in the Lord's army. YES, SIR!

I may never march in the infantry,

Ride in the cavalry

Shoot the artillery

I may never zoom o'er the enemy, But I'm in the Lord's army. YES, SIR!

I love that he's learning these songs so early. The best part is that he learns a lot of them from his preschool where they have weekly chapel. He learned Deep & Wide there - hand motions and everything. And I Gotta River of Life. How precious is that? He even learned the "Johnny Appleseed song" (as the Johnson/Sturm family calls it) from school and now it's our nightly prayer before dinner.

On our way home from church this morning, I pointed out a wake boarder to Brody (yes, our drive to church is along the Pacific coast!) and he of course asked, "Why?". Not knowing how to answer that question I proceeded to explain the process of being pulled by a boat and being able to stand up on the water and ski, surf or even walk. He said, "Like Jesus?". I mean, seriously. The kid is paying attention!

Kevin an Brody read Bible stories every night from Brody's children's Bible. It is so rewarding when he says things like this. He's listening. He is understanding. Even though he doesn't realize it completely, he's learning. I'm thrilled that Bubba has the influence of Sunday School, preschool chapel and home (Veggie Tales counts, right?) at such an early age. We pray for him every day. Most nights, I try to stand outside his room as he sleeps and thank God for the little man he is and the Godly man he is to become...and that I'll have more patience with him tomorrow than I did today.

Keep singing, son. You are a precious gift. YES, SIR!