Resolved: That I am a Better Me in 2010

That encapsulates all my resolutions for the new year. I want to be a better version of me as a person, mother, wife, friend, in ministry and as a blogger. Now of course I have some steps and goals to help make all of that happen both just for life and for blogging(at least a little).

So let us look at the life goals first:

- Spend more time with God: both in Bible study and just in prayer.

- Spend more time teaching my kids Bible and about God.

- Organize my house, which means get rid of a lot of clutter!

- Keep track of Birthdays and send cards! (virtual or paper)

- Do more crafts and projects with my kids.

- Do more freezer cooking

- Pray more for others!

- Plant a garden and herbs

- Prioritize my life and stop getting caught up on things that don't matter.

Blogging Steps (Some are personal but make me a better blogger)

-Take time to read books again!!!

- Catch up and stay caught up on politics!

- Post to each blog at least 5 times a week

- Utilize Social Media

- Double Twitter followers and Subscribers

- Do more political and homeschool blogging (like I used to)

Lesson from a Tree

This year was a crazy Christmas. I am once again recovering from surgery. As far as the surgical sight (versus any problems from having the tube down my throat) this is my worst recovery so far. Which has had a large effect on our Christmas because I couldn't do many things that I normally do for Christmas. I couldn't do all the baking, decorating, and going (Christmas Eve service, Christmas Tree Lane, etc) that I usually do. Of course I had big guilt and stress about the idea of ruining the family's Christmas.

Well, this year's Christmas tree is going to serve as part of a reminder to just let go! Do you notice that there are only decorations about 2/3 the way up? Because that is as far as the tallest kid could reach. That is right, my kids decorated the tree all by themselves. And they loved it! NerdDad and I sat watching as they put them all up. No the decorations aren't even but who cares!

Make sure you pop over to my food blog and see the results of my similar gingerbread lesson;). The gingerbread solution is going to be repeated every year!

Conscious Sees Shadows, Goes Back in Hole for 60 More Years

Apparently deep, deep down Harry Reid does know the Health Care Bill is wrong. He initially voted against it! Yes, you read correctly. When the Senate clerk called on him he voted no. Almost immediately Reid did change his vote to "Aye" but still. I think part of him may want to do the right thing but then he appeared to kill it;).

Reid is attributing the no vote on being tired after fighting to get the bill through. What I don't get is why his tired default is the no vote? I tend to be a little loopy but more honest when I am drop dead tired. So is this what his heart really thinks?

Very entertaining.

For Today (12/28) From NerdMom's Daybook

Outside my window it is kind of droopy. Rain today or tomorrow.
I am thinking how cute my 2 year old is dancing around in her tutu.
I am thankful for God's Miracle yesterday!
From the learning rooms I am hoping that my kids can do a little self directed work while I rest!
From the kitchen I have pinto beans in the crockpot and I am going to try my new rice cooker tonight!
I am wearing sweats and a lime green shirt.
I am going to hopefully be up to doing a little shopping tomorrow. I need clearance table cloths!
I am hoping that my older 3 will keep playing nicely together and not start fighting.
I am hearing WordGilr that I turned on for my 2 year old since she couldn't go play K'nex with the older 3.
Around the house I need to figure out how to organize my 6 year old's toys.
One of my favorite things is my new big knife I got from NerdDad!
A few plans for the rest of the week: to wrap more gifts for my exchanges this week, will myself into feeling better and go to the big family get together this weekend!

(For more Daybooks go check out The Simple Woman's Daybook)

God's Grace and His Miracle

My baby girl could have died today or been seriously injured. I am blogging about it because God completely spared her from any harm and I need to share to give Him glory. (This may read a little rambly, I am on pain meds)

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook you already know that we took the crib out of NerdPud's room on Christmas so we could move the kitchen set into her room. Now she sleeps in her big girl toddler bed. Which also means that she can get up during naptime to play. Since it is all so new we haven't really stepped in to stop her yet.

Now in her room she also has a large dresser. It is more than 6 feet long and, at most, 4 feet tall. Out of 4 kids, we have had 1 ever start to climb on his dresser so given its shortness (and wideness) we didn't worry about tethering her dresser to the wall. That could have been a fatal mistake.

So NerdDad put down all the kids for naps/rest time today and came downstairs. We heard them all playing, mostly quietly. Then all of a sudden I hear a large bang. I started sprinting up the stairs and she started to cry. NerdPud had managed to pull the dresser down on her self. I ran in her room to find her body covered with the dresser and her head and shoulders free. It seemed a bit propped up on the end she was at and I just slid her right out without resistance or anything.

The dresser just didn't fall in that area all the way down. At first we thought it had landed on her bed, but it hadn't. It may have been supported by the drawer but the dresser wasn't designed that way. The drawer didn't actually come out of the dresser so there is no logical way it should have been propped up. It was as if she truly had the hedge of protection around her just like I always pray for.

My baby girl came out of the whole thing without even a scratch!!!! No bruises, no bumps, nothing. As I was carrying her downstairs I asked a couple times if she had an owwie. She kept saying yes and when I asked where she kept saying on her drawers. There is no reason for this but God. I praise Him and thank Him for keeping my baby safe.

Super Cool!

This is a Meteor that exploded of South Africa! NerdDad shared it with me and it is even cooler than I thought it would be!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you out in Bloggy land! I pray peace and joy on your families! Now chill out and enjoy life!

No Pepsi Commercials?

It appears there will not be any Pepsi commercials on the upcoming Super Bowl after a 23 year run. Now other Frito-Lay will still have some but not Pepsi the soda. This is compared to the $15 million they spent in Super Bowl commercials last year. It appears that Pepsi realizes their money is better spent on Internet advertising.

I find this very interesting. How many other advertisers are going to be moving in this direction? What effect will it have on the Super Bowl? Very interesting....

A New Twist on an Old Classic

2 Great Nerd Things That Go Good Together!

Who wouldn't love Mythbusters and Star Trek together?!?!

Unknowningly Calling Them To Return Home

This poster was put out to 7,000 churches by the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) so that more Hispanics will participate in the census. I find it hilarious that the only problem that Washington Post seems to pick up on is the use of Christ for a secular purpose. It isn't until you land at the Corner (or actually were I started) that anyone points out the real crux of the matter.

Mary and Joseph were returning to the ancestral home ie leaving where they immigrated from. So really this poster is saying that all immigrants should return home. I find it hilarious that the Reverend who is heading up the boycott (because of the using Christ and God for vain, non-worshiping purposes) doesn't seem to remember the actual Christmas story and what Mary and Joseph are actually doing.

But at least they printed most of them in Spanish;).

Aloha Friday

For a little holiday Friday fun here is my Aloha Friday question....

So what is your favorite family Christmas tradition?

Tweeting in the Face of Tragedy

Imagine the unthinkable happened, your child was found at the bottom of the pool. Would it be unthinkable for you to tweet for prayer a half hour after calling the paramedics? That happened to 1 mother and she got slammed by many people for tweeting. Her tweet simply said "Please pray like never before, my 2 yr old fell in the pool."

I for 1 would totally have done the same thing for a few reasons. First off I believe in the power of prayer. She had 5000 followers and in theory that could mean a lot of prayer. I also have my Twitter tied in with my Facebook account. So the best most efficient to alert my real life friends who would serve as my support in this situation (including my pastor) would be for me to Tweet.

I think this struck a cord with me because I have blogged through a miscarriage. I have also tweeted through numerous surgical procedures that I have had this year. It has made me feel more connected to my friends for instant needs of prayer and who knows whom my life will touch.

I feel bad for this mom not only losing her child but also have to endure the judgment of many who don't know her. I also don't know her but can assure that she and her family are in my prayers. So what do you think? Did she take tweeting to far? Or is this the perfect way to let the world support you?

For Today (11/14) From NerdMom's Daybook

I am thankful for good friends.
From the learning rooms we are not really doing anything this week except reading!
From the kitchen I have no plans but I hope that we will have the basics of a gingerbread house before the week is up.
I am wearing comfy but cute jeans!
I am creating a mailing list for my Christmas Cards. It is always more work than one thinks. Especially since I haven't sent out to my whole list in a few years.
I am going to Stanford for a few days for a procedure.
I am reading all my magazines while we travel
I am hoping that things will go smoothly this week.
I am hearing Christmas music.
Around the house I just hope to stay caught up on laundry.
One of my favorite things is spending time with NerdDad during the trip to Stanford.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Stanford for a few days and just recuperating.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing

Give Christmas Away

I love Matthew West, Amy Grant, VeggieTales and Operation Christmas Child. This is an interview with Matthew West and Amy Grant about the song they did for the new VeggieTales Christmas DVD. The song starts 4 minutes in but it is a good piece with Huckabee too!

10 Ways Dick Cheney Can Kill!

I saw this over on American Digest and loved it! It is paired with a piece on Cheney's interview with Politico.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Box Them Up

People wonder what to do with their toddlers when they homeschool. Well, boxing them up is always an option;). In all seriousness, NerdPud decided that this box was better for holding her than the ark and animals we usually keep in there;).