Eyes of My Heart

Creeping back in...

It's been nearly a MONTH since I've blogged anything! How you must have suffered in my absence. :)

Well, the long and short of it is I've been busy - very busy and very, very tired to boot. Our little joy is crawling like crazy and pulling herself up on everything that will hold her weight and some things that won't. Speaking of weight, she's a whopping 22 pounds and 29 inches now. She loves to talk talk talk and has the best smile and laugh I've ever witnessed. She is going through a phase right now of resisting any nap at all. She just plays in her crib, pulling herself up and scooting around and reading her books.

I've been busy as ever at church, leading worship, producing and choreographing. Elsewhere, I am gearing up to direct a touring show called Journey to Topaz next week and have been giving voice lessons. Our band made a rough recording for our demo and we got the tracks back last week and we'll go back soon to finish. I'm singing for a benefit this Sunday with our guitarist as well. The film company is up and running - we're incorporated and working on acquiring a hot new documentary for distribution.

All seems well with the pregnancy. Funny, I'm just not as excited about all the symptoms this year. Last year I found it all so fascinating. Now, I think, insomnia again!? whoopdedoo. Still, while I'm nonplussed about being pregnant, I can't wait to have another child. I have my first appt. on Friday. I'll be 12 weeks then.

So, there it is - a quick and simple update. Hopefully, I'll be in a bloggy mood again sometime soon.

Oh! I almost forgot! I won SHOES!! Jules at Everyday Mommy had a giveaway and I won!

Thanks, Everyday Mommy!!

P.S. Any of you Christian women have any thoughts about women speaking in church? It has been on my heart since I led worship about the context of 1 Corinth. 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2: 11-15.

New Pledge of Allegiance

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word "God" is mentioned, a child in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer :

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

Turkeys!

I used to work in marketing for a major grocery store. Every Thanksgiving, I talked alot of turkey. Well, recently, some friends of ours took us on tour of the local turkey farm where they live and work. I wish you could hear them gobble and smell the...smells. But you'll have to be content with the photos instead.

These are the hens.

These are the chicks, er...poults, I think they're called.

And a close-up - they are so sweet that I almost don't want to eat them...Almost.

All in all, I prefer foot.

She refuses to eat much of anything but my milk but oh, how she loves her feet!

P.S. I am up to my ears preparing for the Bible story time at Vacation Bible School along with the persistent, nagging question of wether or not my sudden onset of fatigue, short attention span, and did I mention, fatigue? are symptoms that I am yet again, pregnant.  So, I haven't had the time or mental capacity to post much of anything besides pictures and links. If you're hungry for prose, check out the folks on the right for good readin'.

It's not my favorite, Mommy

Irresistable Michelin Baby arms

I love 'em. Her legs are just as squishy. Those plump appendages are guaranteed stress relievers. The trouble is, I can't bring her anywhere without total strangers greedily helping themsleves  to her ample flesh. Wether she is attached to me in a sling or strolling in front of me, they grab and poke and pull at her arms and legs. It always startles me. I would never have the gumption to approach someone I didn't know and start fondling their child! She rarely minds and while I don't see the harm in it now,  I wonder, when does it stop? At what point do I halt the unsolicited squeeze fest? And how do I  do it with diplomacy? Anyone?

Away, cleaning and cleaning away

I've stepped away from the blogosphere for a bit to do some spring cleaning. I am loving the changes around the house and my husband has noticed the difference in his mood. I've moved some furniture, reorganized the closets, and taken extra care to cleanse, not just remove clutter. I'm not finished yet but it's such an improvement and I'm actually having fun! I've made myself a list everyday of what I'd like to accomplish and it feels great to check most of the items off every day.

Here's one of my projects for today. The picture isn't very clear but do note the size and girth of the basket. It is filled with unmatched socks! How does this happen?!

Because I'm a nerd

I'm going to an American Idol party tonight, with a hypocritcal chip on my shoulder about Melinda getting voted off. The chip because, hello, America? She's an amazing singer! Hypocritical because like millions of Mindy fans, I didn't vote.  And I am ashaaaaaamed.

But it's a party so I'm goin'! And I'm bringing this chocolate cherry cake:

What I need.

So I heard about this from Heart of the Prairie who heard about it from a  blogger who heard about it from a blogger, etc. etc. You google your name needs and see what comes up - here's mine, in the order in which I read them.

1. Meet Julie Who Needs An Early Start.  (earlier than 6 a.m.?!)

2. Funny-- My name is Julie and I just put "julie needs" into a google search to see what I need. And I found my list already done by you! . (wow! and I hadn't even done it yet!)

3.Julie Needs Your Help! Julie Needs Your Help! ... Welcome To the World Headquarters for Save Julie (that is so sweet!)

4. Julie needs to work on her parenting. (and you need to work on your tact)

5. Julie needs a new pair of Shoes. (yes, I DO!)

6. Julie needs a(nother) new home Julie needs a good home and; she needs it ASAP.   I really hope someone is able to take in Julie. She's super cute. (okay, but I'm not going without my family. Will there be a pool?)

7.Julie- needs Gods strength, wisdom and physical healing ...(it's like they know me..)

8. Julie needs to get out in the fresh Eire ( and she needs to drink more weitre, too)

9. Julie needs 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. (uh, yep)

10. All Julie needs is 15 attendees in an area to schedule a workshop. Get a group together that will guarantee a minimum and Julie will come! ... (that's all I need, folks!)

ANd now you know, my name isn''t really Joo....

But just for fun, I typed in Joo needs and found:

dey fink dey clever byt dey be really really stoopid. do joo kwon any peeps like dis? ... jus how smart joo needs ta be ta kwon dat joo be stoopid ? ...

Hooked on phonics works for me!!

Something

I can barely keep my eyes open, so tired am I. But I feel the need to write something. Not a specific something. I mean it's not like I have something to say. Just some thing. One might say any thing. So here's my anything which really is nothing...But at least it's something.

I spent the morning at the church garage sale, a fundraiser for an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador. Then, I headed into "town". I still get a kick out of saying that. It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie when Charles would leave Walnut Creek for the big town of Sleepeye. Well, I went to Sleepeye today to shop for my hubbie who is spending the next few days at a business convention. We wanted to update his look a little bit. And I realized I have hardly ever purchased clothes for him. I think I bought one shirt and two pairs of pants in the two years we have been married. See, we have three closets in our bedroom and one in the hall. His clothes fill up all but one and I figured he didn't need any.  We've discovered (and I say discovered because neither of us ever really cared to scrutinize for this sort of thing), we've discovered that though he dresses fairly nice for work, he dresses a little older than his age and perhaps it might be time to hip him up a little. Well, this. was. fun.

I really had to restrain myself because we had to spend conservatively but he now has three beautiful dress shirts, two nice short sleeved shirts, a sports coat, two pairs of pants, two very fun ties,  two pairs of shorts, a gorgeous pair of dress shoes,a pair of hip casual shoes, three pairs of dress socks and six handkerchiefs.

As for the baby....she is just 1 and a half pounds away from needing a new car seat so I thought I'd get one while in "town" since the only place to buy a car seat here is Walmart.   I also bought her an adorable little bathing suit and a kiddie pool, plus sunscreen. I can't wait to play in the pool! I mean, you know, for her, 'cause she will have so much fun.

And for me... did I get anything? I went through the Wendy's drivethrough for a quarter pounder meal. I know it's not much, but it's not nothing. And the baked potato was quite something.