my kid's a genius...

Both our girls love the computer (they should with as much as mom and dad are on it)...they enjoy youtube just as much as the next kid, but I'm pretty sure they're going to become computer whizzes before too long. Today, Avery said to me "I gonna check my emul" and proceeded over to the desk, climbed in the chair and began typing away. I let her go to town and didn't want to interrupt. I figured she wouldn't cause too much damage.

When I sat back down at the computer this evening, I realized a google search was up that I certainly hadn't started. I rarely use Internet Explorer anymore, but it seems that Avery had opened up IE to google and had searched "bb v vb u." Now, at first glance that might seem like a 2 year old pounding away at the keys....but wait till you read what results popped up from her search:

SkyscraperCity - BB Code List

C ALGORITHM 632 COLLECTED ALGORITHMS FROM ACM. C ALGORITHM ...

JSTOR: Pseudo Lattice Properties of the Star-Orthogonal Partial ...

The ultimate Greek mp3 Forums - vB Code List

My kid is a stinking genius!!!

she's back in LA!

I just got a call from Sarah letting me know she's back safely in Los Angeles where she'll be spending the night with our friends Kevin and Annie! It's a relief to have her back in the States and we all certainly look forward to having her back here late tomorrow night! We're planning on taking the next few days to dig down deep in thought, prayer, and discussion to make a decision on what we feel God leading us to do about moving to Davao City. We'd appreciate your prayers through this time and we'll let you know what we decide!

having girls is never dull...

This is how Kyla came down from her nap today...leotard, fleece jacket, and rain boots. All perfectly matched...in our house, as long as it has pink in it somewhere it matches!

earthquake...

It seems as though our friends out in Los Angeles got a little shakeup today. We never really felt a big one while we were living in LA for four years, though we felt a few quick jolts...enough to get the heart racing. From what I read, there weren't any big injuries or major damage. Hope you're all doing ok out there!

big box mart...

In case you didn't pick up on it, I'm a big disliker of Wal-Mart. I could go on and on about all of the reasons, but I think this video does the job quite nicely. After all, nothing speaks louder than a good message set to a song with funny animation. If you haven't seen Jib Jab's Big Box Mart video, check it out:

civil forum...

I just read that Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church is going to host a conversation-style forum with both McCain and Obama on Aug. 16. From what I gather, it looks like it'll be broadcast on some TV networks and online. The format should be interesting as it won't be a debate, but Warren will be asking questions to the candidates individually for an hour each. You can view the official press release here. It should certainly be worth watching because they won't be able to waste time bantering and arguing like we'll see in the upcoming debates! Maybe we'll get to see a new side to the candidates.

funny picture...

It's no surprise that I am extremely unhappy with the direction our president is taking our country. I'm one of the 2 out of 3 Americans that disapproves. However, I'm usually not one to poke fun at the president. I don't really find it all that productive. However, after his comments over the past few weeks (i.e. "Wall Street got drunk" and "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter"), I just can't help myself. I found this picture on a website called punditkitchen.com which puts funny captions on political photos. Anyway, this will be the last time you see me do this, so sorry if I offend anyone.

back to politics...

I finally got setup to check all my blogs at once using Google Reader. I'm excited to have this because I can just login and read a bunch of posts in one fail swoop. I know that seems quite obvious to some, but I'm finally catching up. In catching up, I was also able to find and subscribe to a bunch of new blogs. One of the blogs I subscribed to on a whim was Brian McLaren. I was drawn to his blog because I've enjoyed his books and articles over the years. I was also drawn because he was in the middle of writing a series of posts on faith, politics, and voting.

At any rate, check out this post that appeared on the Sojourner's website a few weeks ago. He's a much better writer than I am and I feel like he expressed what I've been feeling much better than I have done. I'll write more a little later...I feel like getting on the topic of war.

Have a great weekend!

pics for Sarah...

Sorry world, these pictures aren't for you...but you can look if you like. Sarah requested that I post up some pictures of the girls (and I assume at least one of me, right?) because she misses us while she's in the Philippines. So below are a few shots from our weekly run to a shopping area here in Charlotte called the Promenade where they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The girls and I enjoyed some smoothies and a cool, unhumidified summer evening.

Oh, and I should have taken some shots of the firetruck! A poor mom who I had talked to earlier had put her one-year-old girl in the car seat and shut the door to go around and get in with the grandmother. The only problem? The kid had the car keys and the doors were locked! Thankfully it wasn't hot, but this lady didn't speak much English (her mom spoke none) and she ran over to me for help! I called 911 and a few minutes later, a firetruck came roaring in loaded up with the whole crew and totally drowned out the band! It was rather funny, especially since the kid kept hitting the panic button on the key chain that was setting the car alarm off! They got the kid out, no harm done.

what the kids are saying...

I'm trying my best to keep track of the funny things the kids are saying because they are cracking me up constantly. Here are a few quotes from different parts of the past week:

While I was getting Avery dressed one morning, I offered a skirt to her and she replied, "No, achuawy, dis one doesn’t fits me."

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Kyla to me while using my hand to put shaving cream on my face: “Silly Daddy, you supposed to use your Mr. Shave (read: razor) on your face, not your hand.”

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One evening while I was getting Avery ready for bed I told her she was cute. She shoved her hands into her diaper and got a sheepish grin on her face and said, “I so preshush.”

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While the girls were coloring, Kyla said, “Avery, when I get older I can pick up a house.”

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Me: “Avery do you need a new diaper?”

Avery: “No. I fine.”

And here's a picture of the girls talking to their mommy on Google Talk:

guns 'n nail guns...

If I didn't hate guns so much, I'd think this was pretty cool...it's creative at least! From likecool.com: "David Wiggins created this DeWalt M-16 Nail gun, It can drive a 6-D nail thru a 2 X 4 at 200 yards, it means you can sit in your lawn chair and build a fence! And it also with the hundred-round magazine. The DeWalt rapid-fire nail M16 nail gun is a high-powered, cordless tool, just make sure you wearing safety goggles and Kevlar!"

summer days...

The past few days have been incredibly hot here...way too hot to be outside. So the girls and I have been enjoying ourselves and finding fun things to do inside. We've hit the library, made tents in the playroom and their most recent invention is playing "Sleepover" in Avery's room by themselves for hours at a time (which is a nice, quiet break for Dad!). Their friend Ella came over yesterday after naps and I setup a movie day for them, cranked up the AC, popped some popcorn and turned on The Jungle Book. They had a good time watching the movie and so did I (I love that Balou).

Later in the evening, I made some chocolate chip cookies (no, not from scratch...I'm not THAT domesticated yet). Kyla could barely contain herself with excitement and she dragged her rocking chair over to the oven to watch them bake!

single-fatherhoodliness

So I thought, for sure, I'd have more time on my hands in the evenings and such to blog some more and get some more lively discussion going since Sarah's in the Philippines. But for some strange reason, by the time the night comes I feel rather drained. I've been staying up late still and having time to myself, but I just don't have the mental capacity to write anything meaningful. I've never been one to think that a stay-at-home mom has it easy. In fact, I'd say that I probably do a lot more around the house than the typical dad (not bragging, but it makes sense b/c I am home for two months in the summer). But I will say a huge Hat's Off to all you single parents out there. It's a tough gig. I ran a bunch of errands this morning with the girls and had to cut it short because they were getting tired of going in and out of stores. At any rate, the girls and I are doing fine. I took a few funny pictures today I'll have to post in the morning and tomorrow I'm taking Kyla to check out a preschool she might possibly attend in the fall. I'll let you know how that goes.

And if you haven't been following Sarah's blog, do it! She's got some wild stories and I've enjoyed talking and chatting online with her everyday!

quote of the day...

I just finished watching an episode of The Office online and have a great quote to share. Michael Scott on the other jobs available at a job fair:

"All of these jobs suck. I would rather live jobless on a beach somewhere off the money from a large inheritance than have to work in any one of these jobs.”

nice.

chatting with sarah...

I just got finished chatting online with Sarah for the first time since she landed in Davao City yesterday. She seems to be doing well and got 13 hours of sleep after being awake for nearly 36 hours of travel! I can't wait to see her pictures...the things she described sound quite interesting! The biggest surprise for her, I think, is that there is no Air Conditioner in the dorm or the clinic where she's staying! It sounds like she's in good hands at the clinic there and she even got to see her first birth yesterday...a 9-pounder! But I won't steal her stories, I'll let her post on her blog when she gets a chance!

lovin' Guitar Hero...

I'm tutoring a rising 9th grade student this summer and we've been chatting about music and such as we go along. He was generous enough to loan me his Playstation and guitar so that I could play Guitar Hero! Man, it is awesome! What a great idea for a game.

I've been wanting to buy another guitar since mine got stolen while we were in LA for Thanksgiving (yeah, in case you didn't hear, someone broke in our house and all they took was my guitar!). However, maybe instead I'll buy a setup to play Guitar Hero. I can rock it out a lot better on a video game, plus my finger tips don't hurt after playing for 3 hours!!!

(I thought this picture kind of looked like me playing!)

she made it...

I woke up to an email from Sarah this morning saying she made it safely (yet very exhausted) to Davao City in the Philippines. I got a 2 minute phone call early yesterday evening saying she was in Manila. For whatever reason, her global phone we rented wasn't working, but she borrowed the phone of a Baptist missionary heading to Davao as well!

I'm not sure when she'll be able to write on her blog, but please keep checking it and please continue to keep her in your prayers!

On a different note, the girls and I have had a good 2 days. Kyla keeps telling people that her mommy is in the Philippines because we're moving there. She tells them that she's excited to move! Whenever Avery asks for Mommy, Kyla cocks her head and says, "Don't you want to move to the Philippines, Avery?"

combining my two favorite shows...

I've written before about my favorite TV show on right now, the Colbert Report. Of course I don't have cable, so I catch the highlights the next day online. I was pleased today when I was catching up on some old clips to see my two favorite shows combined...the Colbert Report and Sesame Street! Below is Stephen's interview with Cookie Monster.

Can I...?

So I just glanced at my blog (I don't actually look at it often) and realized that it's getting pretty heavy! If you know me well, you know I'm always the guy that has to provide comic relief in tense situations. Maybe nobody else feels the tension, but I do! We need something fun.

So here goes the first thing that pops into my head after being up since 5am! The latest funny thing that Avery (our just-turned-2 year old) has been doing is asking "Can I [insert action here]?" She has such a mature voice when she asks and it cracks us up all the time. Today, I told her that I was taking Kyla and Avery to Target and Trader Joe's. She was sitting on my lap and very matter-of-factly looked up at me and said as clear as possible, "Can I drive?" Yikes! She's been 2 for a week and she's already asking to drive. Kids these days!

a balance...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I agree that the best way to fight addiction, abortion, poverty, and the like is through the church. I once heard someone say that the church should serve as an emergency room, not as an art gallery as it has become in some places. I also find it kind of ironic that I've been in these conversations as of late where it seems like I'm defending abortion against pro-life supporters. I especially find that ironic when I'm getting ready to substitute teach a childbirth class for my wife who can't teach this week because she's in the Philippines serving in a charity-based maternity clinic for women who seriously cannot afford health care! I want to make it clear that I am not defending abortion!!! I despise the practice and am horrified at how common it is. I said before that I believe in a consistent life ethic all across the board. Does that mean I group a convicted murderer in the same class as an innocent, unborn child? Heck no! There are huge differences there, but I don't think anyone has the right to take another human being's life.

I guess what I am getting at is that, in my mind, as a Christian, I cannot boil all of my beliefs down to one issue that determines my candidate. However, I do understand that some topics such as abortion can be so close to someone's heart that it would indeed influence his or her entire opinion.

Anyway, back to my point. One common theme I've been discussing with a few people recently is that the care of the poor and sick should fall on the church and the private sector, not the government...Government programs are too large...we're moving towards a socialist government if we enact all of the government run programs that are being discussed.

I guess I could be completely wrong here, but can't the private sector and faith-based organizations work hand in hand with the government to make things happen? I would think that crisis pregnancy clinics and the like would be welcoming the 95-10 Initiative by the Democrats for Life when they say that "We believe that we must do more to reduce the abortion rate by helping and supporting pregnant women." Why can't churches get excited about the government coming in and throwing money and manpower towards its causes? I'm no fool, and I understand there is abuse in the system, but even flawed help is help in the end, right?

Sure, there are more controversial topics laced in with this initiative like providing contraception with a focus on the poor. I think we do need to provide contraception in some form or another. I know abstinence is the only real way to prevent unwanted pregnancies (out of wedlock), but that isn't happening as much as we might hope. Yes, in our churches and our sphere of influences we should be working with youth to show them God's plan for sex in marriage, but we also have to realize that not everyone hears that message and a good number of those that hear are not listening! We need to provide maternity group homes for at-risk women. We need to figure out this health care mess so financial worries are not a part of the decision whether or not to keep a baby. Adoption needs to be more affordable whether it's through more tax credits or however. Should abortion be illegal? Of course. But in a realistic, legal world, that's not going to happen for a long time regardless of who is elected.

We need to fight on two fronts here. One front has to be the spiritual side where we are in the trenches working one on one with those affected. The other side has to be support through which we as individuals and private groups don't have the power, resources, or reach to provide. For example, the 95-10 Initiative would require doctors to give accurate information to pregnant parents. Now, I realize many people would have a problem with their taxes going to contraception, but is it worth some financial sacrifice to save some unwanted pregnancies (be sure to understand I'm using contraception as an example and not the end-all to abortions!).

Obviously, what we need is balance between the extremes. Obama is not perfect. But in my mind, he's still the best choice with who we have to choose between. Maybe I'll start getting to some other thoughts on other issues pretty soon. Sarah's gone for 2.5 weeks, so I've got plenty of time on my hands in the evenings after the kids are in bed!

Anyway, like I've said before, I'm just getting my thoughts out and hammering down my convictions. I could be crazy and even dead wrong, but I feel pretty good about this right now. My point is not to change minds, but to engage other people in some good conversation which has certainly happened so far!

Sarah's leaving in the morning...

I'm taking Sarah to the airport in the morning for her big trip to Davao City in the Philippines! She'll be there for 2.5 weeks (she returns on the 31st)! Please pray for her safe travel and safety while she's in the city. Please also pray that God would give us a sense of His calling for us while she's there. She'll be staying at the dorm of the midwife school where she's been accepted to attend next year and she'll be working in the maternity clinic seeing first hand what she'll be doing if we go! She's really excited about her trip, and I'm honestly getting a little jealous. Thanks so much to our friends who provided the money for her to take this trip. This will hopefully make our decision process a lot easier as we decide whether or not to move there!

You can read her blog while she's there. She'll have our laptop and wireless access and hopes to post some pictures and stories while she's there!

Oh, and if you think of it, please pray for me too because I'll be a stay-at-home dad for the 2.5 weeks while she's gone! I'm sure we'll be fine, but it'll be something new for all of us.

update on my abortion post...

After reading my original post on abortion this morning, Sarah voiced a few concerns. Then this evening I received an email from a friend that lovingly shared Sarah's concerns. I guess working this out online is going to be a difficult task, but I'm still committed to it! It's so hard to get my thoughts out in such short little blog bursts. I feel like I really need to write a book, but I don't have time for that! Anyway, I think I committed a few key points from my previous post that I'd like to add on here. And by the way, I'm sure I'll leave a few things out here...we'll see how it goes. This is fun!

Let me first say that (and somehow I left this out) I am indeed pro-life.

My basic issue is that we need a consistent ethic of life. I do absolutely feel that caring for the sick, the poor, the addicted, and the down and out should be done primarily through the Church. The Church can certainly do more to fight these global issues. I think that these issues like abortion, crime, and addiction can only truly be solved through the church and by working with people one on one, not through politics. But when it comes to choosing a political candidate (which we must do), I have to open my scope up and look at a big picture.

Unfortunately, there is no candidate or party out there that offers a consistent ethic of life. My idea of that consistency is someone who (and forgive my foggy memory of statistics) opposes abortion that kills about 3,000 unborn babies each day, someone who is committed to ending the spread of HIV/AIDs that kills something like 9,000 people each day, someone committed to ending wars that claim about 500,000 civilian lives each year, someone who is committed to ending extreme poverty that kills tens of thousands of kids each day, and someone who is committed to ending capital punishment in our country that kills hundreds of people each year and has received international criticism for years. And like I said, there really isn't someone who follows that line.

For whatever political reasons, the political parties have picked through and chosen whatever ethics of life work for their agendas, but have failed to make the choice all the way across the board. So for me, I need to look at who is going to do the most good there. As I said in my previous post, I certainly don't believe Obama is perfect and I do wish he would change his view on abortion. Maybe I'll write him a good old fashioned letter. I certainly don't think he can fix everything. I don't think any politician can do that!

Let me know what you think! You can either email me or comment on this post.

see, she can cry!

For Avery's entire two years on this planet, no one has truly believed that our daughter can cry. When we have babysitters or when we leave her in the nursery, she is calm and quiet...the perfect child. And don't get me wrong, she is a great kid. She is very sweet and has a charming disposition...most of the time. However, when we get her home, she can sometimes turn into a real stubborn (and loud) child! Since no one ever believes me, I recorded her cry the other night at around midnight when she was throwing a temper tantrum because she was ready to wake up. There's no picture because it was dark, but turn up the volume, kick back and enjoy!

what about abortion?

Yesterday, I began what I hope will be a journey of thought as I hammer out some political convictions I've been mulling for several months. Be sure to read my post from yesterday before going further into this one...I figured I'd hit the biggest nail on the head right away today.

One of the most common reactions I get when I mention supporting Obama is "what about abortion?" Let me first start out by saying that this is certainly still a thought in formation and I welcome any and all thoughts and comments. Let me also start by assuring you that I firmly hate abortion and wish it were not even an option. However, having said that, I don't think it is the cut and dry issue that many people make it out to be.

Sure, Republicans are typically pro-life and use this strongly moral issue against their opponents to drum up support from the Christian community. But let me ask a question. Has the number of abortions decreased in the past 8 years of a Republican's presidency? What about the 12 years of Republican leadership in the 80s and 90s? My understanding is that the number of abortions is on the rise. What was done to address abortion recently when the Republicans had control of the White House, the Congress, and had a conservative Supreme Court for two years? So Republicans are pro-life. It seems to me that many Republicans use the abortion issue to get elected, but do little about it once they get in office. It's sort of like a trophy issue that collects dust on the shelf after its won.

To seriously address this issue, I think we really have to look at all the factors that affect abortion and not just protest for the overturn of Roe v. Wade (which in my mind will probably never happen). An article by Tony Campolo I read recently cited a study that said 200,000 abortions could be avoided every year if the government would provide contraception to low-income Medicaid families. Health care and minimum wage issues arise here as well. What does an 18 year old girl do when she finds out she is pregnant? She's working for a whopping $7.50/hr with no health care and no way of taking time off for prenatal appointments, and she can forget asking for 3 months of paid leave for after the baby is born. And then, what about child care? These are all things that I think we middle class Americans take for granted, and yet these are the factors that are pushing many women towards abortion.

I think that in order to truly fix the abortion issue, we have to provide support for people in this situation, not just make it illegal. I feel like the Republicans have by and large left the care of the poor and sick to "Bleeding Heart Liberals." Now do I think that we should use tax dollars to pay for these types of programs? I'm still divided on that issue, but I do believe that a lot of the problems we face in our world today (violence, crime, terrorism, abortion, etc) could be helped, if not fixed, by eradicating the horrific poverty that exists in our world.

If this topic interests you, check out the 95-10 Initiative. I haven't read that much about it, but the basic idea is to reduce 95% of the abortions in 10 years. I plan on reading more about it in the near future, but in the mean time, let me know what you think!

why obama...part 1

When we visited our families in Richmond last week, I received a lot of comments about my Obama '08 bumper sticker on the back of our car. I even received several offers to have it removed! Let me frame this for those of you who are not familiar with our family background. Both Sarah and I come from very conservative backgrounds. My side of the family is very involved in the Republican party in the local and state levels. My mom worked for a Republican representative in the Virginia legislature and even ran for a seat in the VA House of Delegates.

I spent endless hours as a kid stuffing Republican mailers, putting up Republican signs, passing out Republican flyers, and attending Republican events. I enjoyed most of the excitement when I was a kid, but quickly lost interest when I hit high school. I purposefully avoided all things political for many years through college and on into early adulthood.

Over the past few years, however, my appetite for politics has increased almost to the point of obsession here recently. I have found, however, that many of my views have changed from my early upbringing. I definitely wouldn't say that I re-entered the political world embittered by my early experience. In fact, I'd say quite the opposite! I re-entered with an open mind, especially in the previous presidential election where Sarah and I spent hours discussing how we should vote. I've spent endless hours reading about this presidential race as that has been the main focus of my interest. As I've been studying the candidates and following the headlines, I've continually struggled through the thought of how do I let my faith as a Christian influence my political views? I have tried my hardest to avoid political commentary and just let my views come from my own heart and mind.

The main struggle I've come against is the subconscious thought running through many American Christian minds (including mine until recently) that Christians must vote for Republicans. I know that most people would say that is false, but I think there is a very strong tendency to think that in many Christian circles. The problem I am facing now is that I don't really have anyone to talk through with this besides Sarah, who I fear I might drive mad talking about it all the time! So, I turn to my blog to work my thoughts out. I welcome your feedback. I would love to be challenged so that I can work out all the thoughts bouncing in my head.

As I've found myself moving to support Obama in this election, I've hit many questions that I am still working on answering. How can I support a candidate that voted to keep partial-birth abortions legal? How should I as a Christian feel about war? Does being anti-war mean doing nothing about terrorism? Is socialized health care the best way to provide health care to millions of Americans who cannot afford health care? Should homosexual marriage be legal?

So, over the next few weeks, I hope to post more of my thought process here for you to check out, read over, comment, and ask questions. I do want to point out that just because I am supporting Obama, do not think I find him flawless! I think one problem with the way we handle politics is that we often assume that because someone supports a candidate, they think he/she is perfect and the debate gets too heated. My purpose is not to evangelize a candidate. My purpose is to get my thoughts straight and hopefully engage some people in some interesting conversation!

my website is back...

After several months of not having a photography website, I finally got one back online. I think I wrote a while back that the last site I had was great, but it cost too much. Then my friend Peter Guy wrote and said he'd host a site for me! He pointed me in the right direction and I put it together over the past week or so. Thanks Peter! I still want to play around with it some more, but it works for now! Check it out:

www.peterdavisphotography.com

Happy 4th!

The past 2 July 4ths have been pretty big for our family. Two years ago, we sat in the front yard of our apartment with Kyla and watched the Culver City fireworks while Sarah was in labor with Avery...she was born the next evening! Last year, we had just moved into our new house in Charlotte and were properly welcomed into the neighborhood North Carolina style with a firework display in every neighbor's backyard! This year, I thought, "What's July 4th without some crowds, sweat, and a parade?"

So we headed to downtown Indian Trail about 2 miles away for the annual celebration and parade. I hadn't been to a Southern, small town parade in quite some time, so we were treated to some local flavor!!! Sarah had flashbacks of the Powhatan parade, but the important part was that the girls had a good time. Kyla quickly decided she loves parades despite the loud engines and fire truck horns...mostly because nearly every float/car/tractor/truck was filled with candy-throwing paraders! It was fun to get out and enjoy the festivities! Below are some pictures from the day!

Kyla and her friend Ella quickly figured out that the best way to get candy was to jump up and down and waive their hands in the air!
Still holding onto the past...

Hangin' wth the Creehans!

Future NASCAR champ

No comment...

Avery tried her best to beat the heat...

Music from the flatbed..."I'm a member of a country club. Country music is what I love. I drive an old Ford pickup truck. I do my drinkin' from a Dixie cup."

Kyla loves dancing to whatever music there is to hear!

Dad was proud to have her wear a VT hat!

words not war...

I came a cross an article on cnn.com yesterday that refers to a report that the US is "preparing a battlefield in Iran." Those are some pretty scary words for me. Now, of course, there is no telling how accurate the article is because some journalists like to stretch the truth and our government isn't always the best at telling the truth. But at any rate, I really hope it is not accurate! I've become a news/politics junkie as of late, and from what I read, it seems that an attack on Iran would be the absolute worst thing we could do right now.

Yes, we need to tow a pretty hard line in keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons. But it seems to me that an attack would only strengthen their resolve to continue their development, not stop it. It would also incite more hatred towards the US and would encourage more terrorism. There doesn't really seem to be any way that we could conduct any military operations in Iran that would not require a long-term commitment to staying in Iran like we have done in Iraq.

I've been reading a book called God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get it written by Jim Wallis, the founder of a Progressive Christian movement called Sojourners. In his book, he talks about the need for more than just protesting against certain actions of the government. Instead, he calls for support of better ideas that will change the things you might not like. For example, in the lead-up to the Iraq war, his organization along with several other Christian leaders had drafted a six-step plan for a nonviolent solution in Iraq including a multi-nation criminal investigation against Saddam Hussein. His plan was seriously considered by many lawmakers in both the US and in Great Britain. He spoke in front of several panels and even met with Tony Blair. In the end, however, according to Wallis, the Bush administration refused any more talks about the plan and the rest is history.

Again, we're not privileged to all that happened there, but what I do know is that I want to be active in doing all I can to be sure we don't go through with military actions against Iran at this time. So I went to the words not war petition and signed to make my voice heard. Obviously, signing an online petition will not stop a war, but I feel it is a small start. If you're not very familiar with the issue, you can find a lot of resources here.

i finished kyla's bed...

I put the finishing touches on Kyla's bed and I moved it to her room from the garage this morning. Here are pictures of the finished product.

green thumbing it...

When we moved into our townhouse last year, I really wanted to get into growing flowers, bushes, veggies, etc. I've always enjoyed gardening, but I've never had much chance to do it. Last summer was incredibly dry, though, and I didn't think it was best to start anything in the middle of a drought. So this spring, I started planting some things here and there and I've had a blast! Everything is doing pretty well...I haven't killed anything yet! If I had a little more money in the budget for gardening, I'd certainly put a lot more in, but we're sprucing our place up little by little! Here are a few pictures.

This is the only picture I could find out what our backyard looked like when we moved in...pretty boring.

The sunflowers have been the most fun because the girls and I planted the seeds just a few months ago and they've shot up and given us a ton of beautiful blooms!

The tomatoes are finally starting to come in!