55 Million

My heart is breaking today, as it does many other days, when I think of the huge number of lives affected by the decision in Roe v. Wade that was made by the Supreme Court of the United States 40 years ago today.  Let's take a look at the numbers for a minute:  

• 52-55 Million: Most abortion statistics have the number of aborted babies sitting between 52 and 55 million.  That's the population of the state of Michigan 5.5 times over.  That's the population of New York City almost 7 times over.  That's the population of the state of California almost 1.5 times over.   That's almost 20% of the current population of the United States of America.  55 million sweet, innocent, wee little babies who were not given the opportunity to taste life outside the womb and are now in Heaven.
• 40-45 Million:  Most abortion statistics, including those from the Guttmacher Institute which studies reproductive health, indicate that approximately 40% of American women have had 1 or more abortions.  That's roughly between 40 and 45 million women who have been affected directly by abortion.
• 40-45 Million:  Assuming that every father of the baby was informed that his significant other was going to have an abortion (which isn't likely) that's a large amount of men who are also affected by abortion
• 200 Million: This is the approximate number of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings who never got to meet their little relative, or potentially never even knew that the abortion occurred.

It's so easy for people to claim that abortion affects only the woman who had the abortion (and only in a minor way for the women at that), but when you look at the numbers it's plain to see that is not the case.  

I don't care to start an argument or condemn, I just want people to think on that number, 55 million.  That's huge and so very very sad, especially considering that Jane Roe has since come to the realization that her worth is found in God, not man, and that abortion is not the answer.  I pray that as a society we would return to our understanding of the value of children.  

I believe, ironically enough, that President Obama said it best recently, following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary:

"This is our first task — caring for our children. It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right. That's how, as a society, we will be judged.

And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we are meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we're doing enough to keep our children — all of them — safe from harm? Can we claim, as a nation, that we're all together there, letting them know that they are loved, and teaching them to love in return? Can we say that we're truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?

I've been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no. We're not doing enough. And we will have to change...

...We can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law — no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.

But that can't be an excuse for inaction. Surely, we can do better than this. If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and Newtown, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that — then surely we have an obligation to try...

...That's what we can be sure of. And that's what you, the people of Newtown, have reminded us. That's how you've inspired us. You remind us what matters. And that's what should drive us forward in everything we do, for as long as God sees fit to keep us on this Earth.

"Let the little children come to me," Jesus said, "and do not hinder them — for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." "

If you're interested in learning more about this topic from a Christians perspective I would encourage you to check out Abby Johnson's book, "unPLANNED".  Abby is the former director of a Planned Parenthood Clinic and this book details her amazing transition from being pro-choice, to pro-life.

Homemade (ish) Drawer Fresheners

I wasn't really sure what to call these things.  They aren't really DIY because you don't really have to "do" anything, but they aren't really homemade either, because you don't have make anything, so I settled on "Homemade (ish)"  :-)

I wish I could link up to where I found this idea because it's a great one, but it was about 6 years ago in a magazine and my magazine keeping limit is 5 years.  You think I'm kidding, ha.  Well ok it used to be 5 years, but now that I have a lot more stuff in my house I just don't seem to have the space to keep a magazine for one small idea.  PLUS the world now has Pinterest and I can usually find an idea online that is equivalent to the one from the magazine and store it on Pinterest.  If Pinterest ever dies I will be missing loads of great ideas, not to mention my validation of self worth, aka my Conquered Pins! board ;-)

Alright, back to my drawer fresheners!  Ok guys, this one is so easy you're probably going to want to smack your forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"!  No?  That was just me?  Alright, if you say so...

To make these drawer fresheners you only need one thing and I can almost guarantee that you already have it in your house (unless you really need to go to the store and/or you haven't bathed in a while) and that one thing is: a soap box!  I don't mean that kind that you stand on and get all huffy about a cause you believe in.  I mean an honest to goodness box that came with a bar of soap:

Around these parts we use Irish Spring. Well Will does, I'm more of a body wash type of girl, but more about that later.  When I buy soap I typically buy several packages because I like to stock up when it's on sale.  I remove all the bars of soap and undo each end of the box and flatten it.  Then I stick the flattened boxes in various clothing drawers.  I don't know about you but I love the smell of certain kinds of soap and putting these in the drawers so that my guys clothes carry just a hint of the soap makes me happy!  Since I typically use body spray I don't do this in my drawers, but it would be just as easy to get a "girly" smelling soap box and do the same for your little ladies (or yourself)!

I know what you're thinking, you're wondering, "What in the world does she do with all the soap once she takes it out of the boxes"?  Well I picked up a nice Anchor Hocking jar and did this:

It adds a little pop of color in our bathroom and makes it smell nice too!  The repressed OCD person inside me wishes the soaps were of a similar neutral color theme as the bathroom, but I just keep her quiet with chocolate :-)

Bathroom Break City

**Please note that I have removed the names of the children involved for their protection from embarrassment**

At our church Will and I teach the Children's Church class during the morning service.  We're on a 3 month rotation with another couple and we enjoy it.  Sometimes the kids are noisy and raucous and sometimes they listen closely and you feel like you're actually helping them understand things about God and the Bible.   And sometimes, well sometimes they are blunt.

Many of you saw my post on Facebook last week where the kids in Children's Church issued me a challenge to not wear a certain blue dress at church until March.  They said I wear it EVERY WEEK (not true, by the way, though I do love that dress!) and that I shouldn't wear it again for a long time.  I took their challenge and so far I'm doing good. 

Today it seemed like every single one of the kids had to go use the bathroom at some point during our time in Children's Church.  Typically we only let one kid go out at a time so as to prevent mischievousness in the bathroom or down the hall or with the drinking fountain, you get the idea.  Today there was a line of kids who had already requested to go when another kid approached me saying they needed to go.  I always ask if they can wait to gauge the seriousness of the request (I don't want any accidents on our cloth covered chairs) and this one, who is generally not given to exaggerating, said they needed to go really bad.  I decided, against my better judgement, to let this one go with another who was waiting for the return of yet another little kiddo.  Seriously, it seemed like the kids must have been sucking water down like camels!

We were right in the middle of taking prayer requests when the devious looking duo left.  Will noticed that they had been taking a long time so he went out to intercept them to make sure they didn't come in noisily while I was praying.  He also wanted to make sure that they weren't "up to no good".  Sure enough as they exited the bathroom they were laughing and giggling and generally being loud, though they hadn't caused any mischief (that we know of).  He told them that I was already praying so they needed to be quiet when they returned, to which one of them excitedly exclaimed , "We both had to go number 2!".  Apparently they were in awe of the odds that they both had to do that at the same time...

Ahhh yes, one of the many delights we experience in Children's Church includes learning about the bowel habits of our various children.  Sometimes my joy cannot be contained.

My Little Man

I would just like to point out that so far I have kept my New Years resolution! It's been less than a week since I last posted so I think I deserve some sort of prize for that.  Maybe some chocolate, hmmm...  Anyway, on to more thoughtful matters!

One year ago today my husband and I were shocked, delighted, and amazed to welcome our little Liam into the world.  He surprised us all by getting to the party about 2 1/2 weeks early but we wouldn't have had it any other way!  Yesterday I took a few minutes to read my blog post about Liam's birth, as well as some other thoughts I had written down but didn't post.  I was amazed at how many details I had already forgotten about that day, and the events leading up to Liam's birth. 

There were little things like almost throwing up on the security guard when we pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance at the hospital and big things like having contractions at church while accompanying Will's cello solo on the piano (but not knowing what they were).  And then there was the time when Will locked his keys in the car at McDonalds when he ran out to get some breakfast for himself a few hours after Liam was born.  After a year's worth of retrospection they all make me smile. 

I also remember calling my mom, who was already at work, with the news.  She didn't believe me!  I can't say that I really blame her, since a) I had faked her out once before saying I was having contractions, and b) my due date was still a little ways away.  I remember the excitement I felt as I sent out a text message and picture to surprised family, friends, and co-workers.  Especially co-workers since my last day had only been 48 hours before (talk about cutting it close)!

I also remember the fear in the realization that I was losing a lot of blood rather quickly.  And I remember that I absolutely ached to hold my precious little man in my arms when it wasn't possible because my body was so exhausted from the delivery and loss of so much blood.

Easily blotting out the pain and fear though, was remembering the glorious moment when I first laid eyes on Liam and then when I was finally able to hold him for the first time.  Such love I have never before felt and it seemed like I better understood the love of God for me and for His son.

This past year has positively flown by, and I seem to have little idea where it's gone and why it went so fast but I do know that I have cherished each moment that I've been able to spend with my darling little man.  So much has changed since that day we brought him home, but I know that it has changed for the better! And here are some of my favorites from the past year:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obligatory New Years Resolution Post

So this year I have made a New Years Resolution.  Despite the popularity of creating resolutions (that typically only last a few weeks, am I right?!) I don't think I have actually ever made one.  I think they are often made because the New Year is just that!  It's new, a fresh start, a clean slate and people would like to believe that they can be different in a new year.  I think I've even avoided New Years resolutions in the past because they seemed fad-ish to me.  

In fact, now that I think of it, most of the changes I have made to my life have been in the middle of or late in the year.  For example two summers ago I realized that our basement was a cluttered, disorganized mess.  I bought a bunch of 18 gallon totes and set about getting things organized.  Unfortunately after Liam was born and we accumulated a lot more stuff it got disorganized again, but such is life.  I also decided last year after Liam was born and I was home that I needed more of a schedule in and I wanted to be more frugal with my cleaning supplies.  I created a cleaning schedule, did lots of research, and started making my own cleaning supplies.  Last summer I decided that I need to get our financial lives in order so I created a bill paying system that I love!

Most New Years resolutions have to do with losing weight and getting healthy but I started that right before Thanksgiving 2012, which, by the way, isn't the easiest time to start such an endeavor :-)  But I'm 20lbs lighter, my energy level is up, and I love eating fruits and vegetables now more than ever!  

So you're probably wondering what my resolution is.  Or maybe you're not, maybe you're bored and you're only reading this out of pity...ha!  Well, in case you're curious my resolution is to blog at least once a week.  One of the things I miss about being in college is writing.  Yes I am aware that this makes me seem somewhat like a nerd.  The best part for me about the social work program at Grand Valley was all the writing we had to do.  I loved choosing a topic, doing research, and writing a paper that's well informed and interesting to read.  

You're probably thinking that I'm not very interesting right now :-)  I'll blame that on my job that I had before Liam was born.  While I dearly loved my job, co-workers, and clients I had to write quarterly reports for the court that had to be fact based.  So most of my writing went like this, "The client states that....", "The client did....", "The foster parents report that....".  You get the idea, super boring!  I really think that having to write 75+ reports like that each year for almost 3 years squelched my ability to be interesting.  So that's what I'm hoping to re-cultivate for 2013 and you get to be my audience, YAY YOU!   Hopefully you're excited as this little guy was for his birthday cake Saturday:

Don't worry, I'll have more on that later, but for now, thanks for reading!