Chris' Grandpa passed away today. He was a good man who I was so lucky to get to meet and spend time with. He was an electrician and after Hiroshima he went in with a number of other good men to re-wire the whole city.  He was 90 years old on October 12, the same day as Chris' 36th birthday and luckily Chris was able to have a good conversation with him that day.

We will miss you Grandpa Thompson.

I added a couple of blogs to my blog roll. Before I did this I wondered if I should because they are more on the "controversial" side of things. I realized that if I knew about these blogs, I've been following them from brother-in-law Will's blog, then I needed to make these known to those who I care about.  I would encourage you my esteemed reader to have a look-see especially at Constance Cumbey's blog. She has been a researcher of the New Age movement since around 1981. Constance is a lawyer from Detroit and has a knack for digging up interesting information about well.... you'll see. 

I think that now is a good time to see what is happening in the world and how that will possibly affect Christians. I had a thought recently, it was in regards to Prop 8 but it applies to much of the anti-Christian sentiments lately. I realized that "the noose is tightening" around Christians necks.  Saying that there is only one way to God through Jesus is becoming quite upsetting to the world. It always has been an uncomfortable reality but as of late strength is building against that belief and anyone who believes that there is only one way to God and it's Jesus, is seen as narrow minded, judgmental, etc.... I'll post the link to the you tube video of Oprah one more time as an example of New Age thinking and it's impact on Christians. (Warning: Super cheesy tone to this video)

 In John 14:16 Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through me." 

Scripture warns us that this Gospel would be offensive to many.

 So, in the words of a popular roller coaster ride announcer "Hang on to your hats and glasses folks! This here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!"

Anders was loaned a tricycle from Grammy and PaPa (my Grandparents). He has found a way to ride it without sitting on the seat or pedaling. Pretty inventive and cute looking!

So, we have a boy that likes things to be just so. If we say we are going to do one thing and then the circumstances happen to change, watch out! If I am driving and need to do a U-Turn I can expect a royal freak out from the back seat. Every once in a while I pull into a parking place and then see one open up closer, or I will need to adjust my parking job so I have to back up for a second. Instant drama. 

I looked up the term "unwavering" and some of the other descriptions were, "steadfast, resolute, determined, persistent".  

Every once in a while I'm going to post about something Chris and I like to call "Things we've lost because of litigation."

Today the item I would like to highlight is the home pool diving board. These are a rare thing indeed because, well, it's possible to get hurt on them. People would try something stupid and low and behold, a broken nose. Then the insurance claim and maybe a lawsuit would follow the possibilities are endless! Of course these accidents were fairly rare but where does that leave us? With less summer fun and more diving off the side of the pool which has the ability to be even more dangerous! 

Ahhh, the things we have lost because of litigation.

I appreciate the explanation of this little video describing prop 8 and what it's affects would be.  

I know that most people who read this blog will most likely vote Yes on Prop 8 but if you are on the fence and are hearing that this is an equal rights issue then research a little more to find out what it's all about. This video is helpful but I recommend finding out more on your own.

I know that everyone in my family and extended family has strong opinions about politics (and religion) and that is a really good thing. I appreciate this so much and feel lucky to be in family and to have friends with strong view points and opinions. It keeps me thinking about what I believe and why I believe it. 

As a Christian I feel obligated to act on a few things politically. The main ones are

- Freedom of religion (this is huge)

- Protection of the innocent (this is why I feel so strongly about abortion)

- Capitalism (this is a weird one because CAPITALISM is almost a dirty word lately, but I believe that having a society that encourages competition financially and has the ability to grow can also do more good for the poor and helpless than a society where everyone is kept 'equal' by Socialism. It never works out like the idealistic formula.)

Lately I have felt like these fundamentals have been challenged. People don't see them as important and kind of scoff at the "idealism" that they perceive in believing in these things. I believe that much of this has to do with postmodernism and seeing things as all relative. There is a hopelessness in this and it kills me to see it.

What we believe matters. It affects how we see the world and how we see God. It also affects how we relate to the world around us and God.

America has made it's mistakes but it has mostly been a force for good in the world. And the reason for this? Freedom, defense of the innocent and yes, capitalism. 

I mean, without America would we have computers, cameras, cars, space ships, light bulbs, airplanes, and any thing else that was invented or discovered in the last 150 years in America? This country has encouraged and championed entrepreneurship, humanitarian work, missionary service, big and small business. It has given the freedom for more cults to be formed, more churches to meet, fashion fads, entertainment galore. America's citizens (and non-citizens) have been able to prosper and thrive enough so that we can share our wealth, good ideas and bad with the world. 

I guess in writing this I want to challenge the Anti-American words that I keep hearing whispered and shouted lately. It's on t.v. it's on bumper stickers and t-shirts. And, I hear it in the cynicism of my peers. I want this to be out there whether it's read or not. I feel that these things need to be said if not shouted.

We had some fun with our friends John and Annie tonight. They came over and brought our favorite thin crust barbecue chicken pizza from Sharky's with them. Yum! And they indulged Anders who just thinks that Annie is the best thing since macaroni and cheese. Since the last time we saw them which was about a month ago Anders will randomly say "Annie?" and look around expectantly. When we went to a restaurant that we had been to with them he freaked out with excitement about seeing ANNIE! And of course was disappointed by not seeing her upon entering. So, needless to say he was thrilled to have Annie in person tonight and he also realized that John was pretty fun as well.  He practiced saying "John, John, John etc...." quite a bit.

After Anders was put to bed we watched Transformers which I was happily surprised by. I never would have chosen to see a movie about machines but I had heard it was good and it was. There was enough relationship and action to keep me interested. 

I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from our evening. 

Today we took some family photos and we had the privilege of having them taken by Dana Fineman. She is an amazing photographer who has done many covers for various magazines and has photographed many celebrities and she was doing this as a fund raiser for my MOPs group. (lucky us!)  She captured some really nice pictures of our family (unfortunately we didn't look like some of the celebrity clientele that she has shot) and some really sweet ones of Anders.  The best part about this is that we get to keep the disk and do with the pictures what we want! So of course I had to put a sample on the blog.

Here is a link to my Aunt Mary's blog. She is a new blogger and I've enjoyed keeping up with her blog since she started.  Her current post has a couple of funny video's of Anders from when she was out here to visit on Wednesday.  

Ever since we have moved I feel like we have had way more visitor's and I love it! It has been so enjoyable to have people stop by and just hang out. We need a couple of comfy chairs in the living room to lounge on but other than that I feel like we have the space to have people over.

So, remember to let us know if you are passing by on the 101 so that you can stop in to our little "hobbit hole".

Chris brought home a large box of Icelandic Glacial Water from the concert on Sunday. On the box it says that it is a "Carbon Neutral" product.  This statement, we decided is one of the funniest and most pretentious things we've heard. First of all is it environmentally friendly to bottle glacier water? I mean it's the glaciers that are melting from global warming and we're bottling it in plastic and shipping it across the world and then trucking it to various stores all the while using many forms of energy, gas, coal etc... so that someone can feel good about themselves! I mean isn't it more carbon neutral to just drink tap water? Or even Arrowhead water? 

So, I know that eating local is the big thing right now and for good reason but shouldn't we be pushing the concept of drinking locally too?

In the mean time I'll sip this lovely looking water and wonder if this is what Iceland tastes like?

So, I got to go to the K.D. Lang concert on Sunday night. That was really amazing and I really enjoyed the music. It's been quite a while since I have seen a concert and this one was one of the best that I've seen. It was put on by KCRW the NPR station for L.A., and the auditorium seats about 500. I was on the far left in the front so my view of the stage was pretty decent. It was really informal and the band did some "old timey" music with the 40's style mic and a hand accordion as well as some banjo, stand up base, and dulcimer. It was very eclectic.

Of course Chris was helping to man the sound booth so I didn't get to sit with him which was a bummer but we were able to enjoy it together anyways.

There has been  a fire burning in Porter Ranch (maybe 10 miles from us) since yesterday and last night there was some concern that the wind might pick it up and bring it our way. Luckily things stayed fairly calm and we didn't have to evacuate at 3 in the morning. I had bags packed just in case. Now we're just hoping things stay calm and contained because if the wind picks up the fire will spread even faster. It's already burned well over 1000 acres.

I'm sure I'll post something if things change.

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                     HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!

It was 5 years ago this weekend that Chris and I met. What a special weekend that was! So, Happy Birthday to a loving and thoughtful husband and a wonderful dad!

We love you!

I am sitting here waiting for Chris and Anders to hop off to their Saturday morning sports class so I can curl up on the couch and read my book! I am really enjoying these Saturday mornings and the much needed respite that comes along with them. 

Chris and I are going to finally have a date tonight and we now have a list of three potential babysitters that we can call if need be. Big answer to prayer! Tomorrow is Chris birthday but he will be working all day at a K.D. Lang concert. I guess that he will be supervising the sound equipment and such. It will be a very easy day since there is already a sound guy that comes with K.D. Lang.  Chris just gets to be the point guy for the building. 

It's a bummer that he has to work on his birthday but he is happy to make a little extra and couldn't turn down the opportunity.

While Chris is working I'll be doing hair at the house. There is a couple in our church that are getting married next week and needed cuts and color. So, I'll be turning our guest bathroom into a salon for a couple of hours. 

So here I'll say HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS a day early!

If you are going to vote this year please Vote YES on Prop. 8.  This will affect families for years to come.

Watch this video and read about Prop. 8! 

Sorry to post a political blog but these things really do matter and they change the course of history. 

Today we braved the 98 degree weather and  headed out to Underwood Farms in Moorpark. Our Wednesday play group was meeting there for a hay ride and some good Fall fun.  It was so dreadfully hot that we left by 11:30 just to get out of the heat. It felt good to get home to our cool house and get a big glass of water! Anders loved the tractor ride and he thought that the "pumps" were very interesting. We even got to pick out to small "pumps" and bring them home! He wanted to help me carry one of the bags inside and made a big deal about how "HEAVY" it was.

When we got home we had mac n' cheese, asparagus and grapes. I realized that Anders wasn't getting enough greens when I came out to the patio the other day and saw him bite into one of the palm leaves. When he saw me he said "lunch!". Hmmmm I know that we call broccoli "trees" but I didn't think he would think that he could eat all trees! That night we had broccoli and he cleaned his plate.

I've been trying to update my blog the last couple of days with a video I took of Anders playing one of his favorite games. He lines up a few cups and then bowls with a little ball. He has been enjoying "games" and asks me to play with him. It's a pretty fun stage. 

Last week I started MOPS put on by Malibu Presbyterian church. They really know how to put on an event and we had a lovely brunch overlooking the ocean. Each place had a little gift bag with Kiel's product samples some Bed Head hairspray and a folder containing advertisements for a local upscale spa. It was a funny experience coming from a very down to earth regular sort of existence and stepping into this tanned, wealthy, scarf wearing community.  Of course the women are all in the same boat as me as far as being a mom and dealing with all of the joys and challenges that that entails and most of them are believers so it felt fairly comfortable in that way.

Anders and I also go to a "mommy and me" play day on Wednesdays with some of the same moms and that has been really enjoyable. Anders gets a kick out of circle time and even says his name (very quietly) when we go around the circle to introduce ourselves. 

When we first moved here I started out by looking up every fun thing to do in the area and have tried to do as much of them as possible. We have found some fantastic parks and indoor play areas as well as the library and the beach. We do something almost everyday but sometimes it is nice just to stay home and play.

Chris and I are DYING for a date night but as of yet haven't found any babysitters. That is our next priority! I realize that it's been kind of difficult to always be parents and not have much time together alone. We do go out as a family but many times there is the stress of having a active and slightly moody two year old and we have had a couple of tense meals out where we had to leave early just so that we didn't lose our cool. So, hopefully in the next couple of weeks we'll find some nice high school or college girl to rescue us!

Other than that all is going well. Chris is thankful for his job and is just on his way home from work as I write this. This week has been really busy and he has been pretty tuckered out. We really look forward to the weekends lately.  Tomorrow Chris takes Anders to his "little sportster class" while I get to enjoy some time alone. Nice!

I have felt compelled lately to watch what is going on in the world and to rely on Jesus as a strong tower through difficult seasons. 

Here is a link to a post that brother-in-law Will wrote back on February 18 of this year. I just thought it might be a comfort to know that God knows the future and provides a place of safety and rest for His children.

God is good. He is good all the time.

Here are a few more pictures of our fun day today.

So today was Anders and Chris' first day of "my little sportster" class. I went along to take some pictures and of course hollered a little from the side lines. They are learning how to kick a soccer ball and hit a t-ball. I'm sure there will be some other skills to learn as well. The class was pretty chaotic and the poor girl who was running it had a pretty quiet voice and didn't seem to feel comfortable telling people what to do.  Hopefully next week will be a little more organized. 

After class we went to grab some breakfast and then headed over to the Paramount ranch. The Paramount ranch is basically a set built to look like an old fashioned looking town and it was used in a ton of old western movies. 

There used to be a train track and a train on location but was moved quite a while back. There is still a very realistic train station and platform. The whole time Anders kept talking about a train and he thought we were going to get on a train! Since it was close to 100 degrees outside we sat down at some picnic tables under a nice covered area. We told Anders that the train wasn't here anymore and that we weren't going to see a train today.  He climbed up on the picnic tables and walked back and forth all the while having a conversation with himself. It went something like this. "old train...new train...on?? noooo! hmmmm, train old? Yeah. no train. New?? hmmmm...."

We were trying not to laugh but it was sweet and funny to hear him try and work out the dilemma of not being able to see a train today.

So, Chris and I were chatting last night and I was telling him something about the day regarding Anders and a bottle. He gets this smug smile on his face so of course I stop and ask him what is so funny! He then points out that he has never heard me use the correct past tense form of "drink". It turns out that whenever I refer to something that has been drunk I say......"drank'n" like "after he had drank'n it all up he didn't want any more"......I'm blushing just writing this!

 

Now, I grew up reading a lot, going to private school, having parents that were educated and who loved to read and are both articulate writers and yet here it is, "drank'n".

So, if any of you who see me catch me using this term, please stop me and correct this horrible mangling of the English language!

Well, all a ya'll folks out thars, i'd betta go and git me somma that there moonshine yonder and drinks it all up! A'n after I've drank'n it all up Im's gonna go and skin me some possum!