Learning to be Thankful

Last night, we had Jill and Landon over to watch the LOST finale. I must begin by saying that it was a great show! But the names, oh the names! Sawyer is James, Kate is Monica, Freckles, and about half a dozen other names, Henry is Ben, and now John is JEREMY! Whoa. To read the significance of this latest name, go to Micheal's blog.

Any time we have company over, I become very thankful for our wedding gifts. Thanks for the china, dishes, silverware, glasses, crockpot, and linens! How could we have people over if you guys had not been so kind to us?! I'm also thankful for the dishwasher that can so easily clean all of those dishes!

I also have been reminded recently on how blessed we are to have Audrey. Just this week, God has shown me people that have gone through the following:

• Unable to conceive.
• Miscarrying early (over and over again).
• Miscarrying late.
• Delivering early.
• NICU
• Losing the child shortly after giving life to the child.
• Raising a child with severe problems.

I don't know why these things happen. I don't know why I was spared from these things. I know God loves each of us tremendously. We'll understand it all by and by. What I do know is that the child I saw yesterday that is living with severe problems is a unique child of God and a precious angel. I prayed for the young boy when he was born and it was a blessing for me to see him interact with Audrey. Two precious children.

Sometimes I get a little down when dealing with Audrey, my collicky (which has passed - whew!), allergic, and dificult tempered child. I know how easy-going some babies are and long for Audrey to be that way. I long to eat things that have milk and soy in them, like ice cream - yum! But I must remember that Audrey is perfect the way she is and I wouldn't have her any other way. I'm thankful that my dairy and soy free diet has kept most sweets away and makes it easier to lose the baby weight. And those smiles from Audrey mean even more!

Visiting Nana, Sasa, and Mimi

Last Friday, Audrey and I visited my grandmother, aunt, and mom. It was the perfect way to start the long weekend.

This is a four generations picture of Nana, Mimi, me and Audrey. Nana is just a hoot to be with.


This is a picture with my mom's sister, Sandra. We call her Sasa. She is basically another mom to me. She has given me much time and love.Here's Audrey having fun on Nana's floor. She just loved rolling around while we visited. Her fingers are almost always in her mouth these days.
So, we have been in search of this teether. It took me a loooong time to find someone that was actually carrying the teether. I finally found one at RightStart. Audrey LOVES it! It's her favorite item for the moment.

LOST

You may wonder what Michael and I do when Audrey goes to bed around 7:30 or so. How in the world do we occupy our time? We watch LOST. A lot of it. A couple of months ago, our friends, Jill and Landon, had us watch the pilot episode. We got hooked. Since then, we have flown through seasons 1, 2, 3, and almost 4. Can you believe it? We will watch the last show tonight and watch Season 4's finale with the rest of the world.

If you are a LOST watcher, do you have any theories? I would love to hear what you think is happening. Also, who is your favorite character? Have they always been your favorite?

Hurley is my favorite. I love the comic relief he brings. I would like to think that he would be my friend in real life - aside from the fact that he's in and out of the looney bin all of the time.

The Stanley Cup

I am so very proud to be a Dallas Stars fan right now. The team played their hearts out. Detroit was just the better team and deserve to be in the Finals. They have my respect.

Every hockey fan desperately wants to see their team lift the Cup. I've seen my team do it once. 1997: Stars lost Game 7 in round one. 1998: Dallas lost the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in Game 6. 1999: Stars won the Cup.------->2007: Stars lost Game 7 in round one. 2008: Dallas lost the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in Game 6. 2009????? :)

If you like hockey at all, you will love this commercial. Enjoy!

Why I Dislike Timer Warner Cable This Week

I've always had bad feelings towards TWC.

The two redeeming qualities it has are these: 1) stays on during storms...cable totally beats satellite when it comes to this 2) We're able to afford a sports package that includes the VS channel. It proved invaluable during the playoffs. We couldn't afford to have VS when we had satellite.

Now, some pretty aggravating things have been occurring since Monday this week. Most channels have a pause or a mini-blackout every 30 seconds or so. You completely miss a portion of a news story, an interview, or a play in a win or go home hockey game. Also, they have completely blacked-out several channels at a time while trying to repair them.

Last night, we went to a going away party for one of Michael's coworkers. As usual, the DVR was set to record American Idol. This morning, I turn on the tv to see how this FINALE went last night. I get 62 minutes of an infomercial on chronic pain followed by QVC. Thanks, TWC.

I'll have to watch all of the singing on youtube.

5 Months, Already!

Audrey turns 5 months old today! I can finally say, where has the time gone? There's no way my little baby will be crawling soon! Right now, she's just a rolly-polly. She also is beginning to think that Mom and Dad are pretty funny. Other milestones - eating rice cereal and sitting, if just for a second. Audrey got to spend her 5 month birthday morning with her cousins while I went to a doctor's appt. Boy, I'm sure glad I can leave her for awhile now and that she LOVES her cousins!

Here's a pic of my two favorite people from a couple of Sundays ago. These guys crack me up!

This is Your Chance!

Are you one of the many people living in the Metroplex that doesn't get hockey? No hard feelings. I understand we live in Dallas, where football is king and you hear Spanglish while you eat your Tex-Mex. I wouldn't be surprised if futball overtook football here soon.

Thursday, at 11:00 AM, on FSN Southwest, the rebroadcasting of the magnificant Game 6 will occur. This won't be hours upon hours of hockey, but the Reader's Digest version of the most hard-faught periods of the greatest game on earth. Why not take a look on why the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in sports. It's worth just to see the save Nabokov makes on Richards. UN-B-LEEV-ABLE!

May Already?

Can you believe that May has arrived? May means NHL playoffs! The Stars had the chance to close out another series last night, but we'll have to wait a little bit longer. Sure looks like we'll be playing the Red Wings in the conference finals. Tuesday night's game may have been one of the best games I've ever watched. Both teams were playing their hearts out. There were hits (checks) being thrown everywhere, a short-handed goal, a penalty shot, and sudden death overtime. We came out on top. :)

I started thinking last night about that game and how it made me feel. I've heard so many times people wonder why people will cheer at a sporting event but not for God. I get this, but then I don't. The elements of the game that makes one cheer aren't usually present for me when I praise God.

I grew up going to church and reading the Bible. Although the Bible is the Living Word, I don't anticipate that I will read something that will make me jump off the couch with arms in the air. Maybe it would if I were reading the material for the first time. Growing up with it means that I gradually understood the Good News, and I definitely don't fully understand it. I am very thrilled, don't get me wrong, but John 3:16 is more of a mental thing than an emotional thing for me at this time.

I have decided that perhaps one way I will jump for joy will be if/when our children profess to be followers of Christ. If we discover this at home, you better believe I will shout out with joy. If it is at church and my child walks down to the front to be baptized, I'll be more subdued.

What are your thoughts on this? I know that sports truly don't mean anything and God is everything. But do you think I should be ridiculed for jumping up for joy when a goal is scored and not when a sermon is finished?

*** I felt I needed to add that singing may be my most emotional act of worship. I've cried, raised my hands, and done a small little jig while singing before. I'm referring more to the sudden and immense joy that can come from sports. I hope I am making sense and don't offend anyone in any way.