I wanna own this baby!

I want to take the step and own my blog. I feel like my boss, saying "own your responsibilities". But not like that, "own" like "purchase", or "own" like "pay for" or "own" like "be the queen of". I think you get the idea.

I already know that I want Ruby & Roja to give me a blog makeover, but where do I start? Where do I go to buy a page? How do all of my old blog friends get to my new blog without having to click this link?

And what in the world should I call it?!

Photo Challenge Wednesday, Week One

Week One

Beth is hosting a photo challenge every Wednesday over at her blog. This week's challenge was to take a photo without using flash. I was able to capture this picture of Andrew without a flash because the lighting in the room was so fantastic.

This picture is from the luncheon following his baptism on Sunday. The only editing I did was the "sharpen" function on Picasa3. Another great reason I'm excited for this challenge is to learn more about editing and the free or close-to-free programs everyone uses.





He is so adorable, I think my heart is melting.

Feel free to join in, and stop by Beth's page to visit other bloggers who have accepted the challenge!

If you're happy and you know it...

Aaron and I are taking a class called "Financial Peace University" through our work. So far, it has been educational regarding spending and saving, one of which we are very good at, the other of which needs some work. Ahem.

Being a Christian based program developed by Dave Ramsey, there are always little subtle lines about our money belonging to God, and doing things with our money that will be pleasing to God, all while not being so "religious" that only "religious people" will learn from or enjoy the class.

The video we watched tonight was my favorite so far, where Dave talked about how money does not buy happiness. It can buy fun, but it can't buy happy. And then it got to me.

4 years old, yearning for Kindergarden, when I'd finally be able to play with my friends all day, and be happy.
8 years old, yearning for 6th grade, when I'd be in the top class at school, and happy.
13 years old, yearning for 10th grade, when I would be 16, able to drive, and happy.
17 years old, yearning for college, where I would be on my own, an adult, and happy.
21 years old, yearning for marriage, children, and a career, where I would make lots of money, buy nice things, and be happy.
25 years old, yearning again for college, where there weren't bills, or jobs, or real responsibilities. I was so happy.
26 years old, yearning again for children, and a career, where I would make lots of money, buy nice things, and be happy.

27 years old, and maybe, just maybe, learning what it means to actually be happy. To watch your husband succeed at his job. To see your friends have children who are healthy. To watch your brother step off a plane from Iraq, healthy and alive. To spend hours with your mother recovering from surgery, knowing that the pain will eventually pass and her life bettered by a few short weeks of discomfort. To meet your father's girlfriend, who loves and cares for him. To watch your "baby" sister drive, date, and wear one of your dresses for Prom. To know that this could be it. This day could be the end. And all this time, all these 27 years, I spent waiting for happiness when it was really right in front of me the whole time.

It's there, in the little things, in the kind word of your coffee barista, and the woman who lets you in front of her in line at Target because you have one item and she has many. It's the laugh of a baby and the chatter of a 6 year old, the time with your husband when you don't have to say anything. It's family. And friends. And sometimes, a stranger.

Today, and every day forward, I choose joy. I choose hope. I choose love.

I. Choose. Happy.

For Aiden

If you haven't been following Cynthiaa over here at her site, then you don't know about baby Aiden. He was born into Heaven on February 2, 2009, and balloons were released in honor of "Aiden Bug" on February 11, 2009.

Cynthiaa, for you, and Aiden.

Texas

My dear husband, Aaron

Aiden. Tortillas. 2 forks in the River during lunch.

Aaron and I went to this great little Deli in Fredericksburg. It was delicious and adorable!

Future Pool Boy?

Yeah, my name was all over the state...

The only picture I have of us. Funny.

We went to Texas and my computer crashed. I just reformatted it last night, so this is the first chance I've had to post pictures. I am a terrible blogger.

Community

When I started blogging (not here, but here), I really had no idea how the internet could connect people miles and worlds apart. It was a way for me to communicate with family members who lived in different towns, and college friends who graduated and moved on. However, a funny thing happened along the way, and it was the development of community. The feeling that I could jump on a computer, write my thoughts, fears, and joys, and people would console, pray, or celebrate. People I don't know "in real life". People I might not recognize in Wal-Mart.

Three women, none of whom I know "in real life" have had life changing weeks. I cried with them, because even though I don't know their last names, or where they live, I know hurt. And while I don't know the hurt they know, I know that crying is universal for hurt. You hurt. I hurt. That's what community is about.

Please, if you have time, stop by and visit Cynthiaa, who lost her baby boy at 38 weeks due to cord strangulation.

Or Beth over at Folding Laundry, who lost a pregnancy, just 12 short months after losing twin boys.

Or CrookedEyebrow, who has been struggling to get pregnant for years, and then miscarried.

None of these women deserving of this hurt, but all of them hurting. Not fair. Not fair at all.

And they need us to come together and love on them.

Are you blogging? What about now?

My cell phone is something like a life-line to the outside world. When I am not in range of my lovely laptop, I Twitter, check Facebook, and reply to emails in the car, at the grocery store, and while watching the Super Bowl. My brother-in-law finds this quite fascinating, and asked Aaron one day about this black thing always in my hands.

Jon: What is she doing?
Aaron: Blogging or Twittering, probably.
Jon:
Aaron: Yeah, she blogs. It's like a journal online, but you let everyone read it. She wants to be famous one day and not have to work and make lots of money.

And so instead of looking up from my phone, I just laughed and probably made it my "Twitter" for the moment.

Now everytime I pick up my phone, Jon asks if I am blogging.

Are you blogging? What about now?