Finally, New Pictures!!!

I got my new digital camera today and took a couple shots. The manual is an inch thick so it will take me a while to fully appreciate what I have, but it is so nice to be able to post photos again.

The baby girl is Alexis Plasterer, daughter of my friend Heather from California. They were here for the day visiting.




Matthew was trying to get his Daddy wet and he got himself in the process - and Daddy to!

Global Warming or Was that Freezing?

Interesting stuff on this topic in the following Canadian websites:

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/environment/story.html?id=4432a41c-7c52-4b74-934e-f0dac3b2bcb8

http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=4df175c5-d861-4bb1-8145-4132fcd49870

Pictures Soon

There is hope of seeing more photos of the VanDewater family. I just ordered a new digital camera that FedEx says should be here on Friday. I can't wait!

Miss Potter

I treated myself to a movie tonight and watched "Miss Potter", the telling of the life of Beatrix Potter played by Renee Zellweger. I thought the movie was very well done. I had a particular interest in the film because of an ongoing little game Matthew and I play. We pretend that I am Mrs. Rabbit and Matthew is Peter. I use a silly English accent and we retell the Peter Rabbit story complete with the threat that Mrs. McGregor is going to put him in a pie. Matthew laughs and giggles and we play it over and over.

There are so many themes in that movie that could be pulled out and mulled on, but the one that caught me off guard was the desire to be creative. I wanted to have some means immediatly to take ideas of beauty from my head and have them show up in some tangible form.

I love the way Beatrix turns to her art as a means of expressing a variety of emotion and to either escape, or feel more fully, the reality of her life. Steve and I have lamented occasionally that since having children it is much more difficult to find time to create. For Steve, that means time to write music and for me it is working with my hands - gardening, crochet, cross stitch, quilting, sewing.

What I concluded is that for now all that creative energy is going into caring for my family. My creativity has to be expressed in imaginative play, making a meal from "nothing" in my pantry, seeing animals in the clouds, and yes, finger painting. So during this season of life my boys become the tangible form. They are the clay that gets molded and I'll always think they're beautiful!

Rewards Reap Humility

When we were still in the midst of potty training I was looking for anything I could find that would be a real incentive to get Matthew to use the toilet instead of his pants. For a time I was using mints as the reward for pooping on the toilet.

Last week I decided to go to Subway for lunch. After the sandwich was all made Matthew spied the cookies at the end of the assembly line and, of course, asked if he could have one. I told him no. But the guy ringing us up tries to be the salesman and says "they're freshly baked", as if egging on my sweet child. I looked him in the eye and told him that wasn't fair. He sheepishly agreed. So, to thwart any further conversation about cookies with my son I grabbed a mint from the basket on the counter and handed it to him. Matthew very gleefully replies "oh, a mint, for pooping". I just smiled and nodded as the man started laughing. Children certainly do keep us humble!

The Power of Praise

When meeting with someone last week for some parenting tips Steve and I were challanged to be mindful of the number of times we praise our children during the day. I thought about that and realized that I had been so focused on how "naughty" my son could be that I had neglected to focus on all the wonderful things he does and to praise him for the times when he does listen. My sweet three year old Matthew is seemingly constantly getting himself in trouble through the choices he makes. But when I focus on outrageous praise by blowing the good stuff way out of proportion those are the things that become central instead of the number of times he ends up in time out. (The other part of the equation of course is firm limits on what I will and will not tolerate in his behavior and quick consequences so there is no confusion. )

It's a good exercise for me as I am not very good at giving verbal affirmations to my husband or others. Once again, God knew what he was doing in making me a Mom becuase in order to be a "good" one I can't stay the same. I have to keep learning and growing myself so that I can give my children what they need to learn and grow as well.

Distinguishing Truth from Propaganda

I'm tired. Tired of having to be so discerning every second of every day of what I read on the Internet, hear on the radio or see on TV. I'm tired of the American press getting away with saying whatever they want under the guise of "reporting" the news. I'm tired of having to pick out and unravel the social messages in every sitcom and TV drama. Michael Crichton stated it best when he said "the greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda". Where are the people reporting the truth about what is happening in Iraq, the real agenda of the US Senate, the reality check on global warming? Why does finding the other side of the story take so much more work?

I'm thankful for the few places I can go to get a different spin, opinion or facts. One I like is
http://www.pearceyreport.com/ It is a great repository of news articles and commentaries that allow me to draw conclusions with, what feels like, a broader view of the story. Perhaps you'll like it as well.

Politics - Dare I Venture???

To be honest, I don't usually get very involved in politics. Partly because I don't like to debate, plus I often have a hard time combating a quick tongued individual to be able to get my point across or feel that I have adequately researched an issue to have a strong opinion. But I guess I've decided to come out of hiding. Plus I have read a few paragraphs in the news lately that I strongly disagree with or couldn't believe how the individual was talking out of both sides of his mouth with no awareness of the contradiction. Here are a couple examples.

The first is from a Yahoo News story:
"Edwards, wearing a purple tie to match Sojourners' signature color, promoted himself as the candidate most committed to the group's mission of fighting poverty. He said he doesn't feel his belief in evolution is inconsistent with his belief in Christ and he doesn't personally feel gays should be married, although as president he wouldn't impose his belief system on the rest of the country." Read the rest of the article.

Do you read what I read??? Why the separation between private and public? Why is this dualism so widely accepted?

The other is from The Washington Post:

"I want a president who believes in empirical fact, whose understanding of spirituality is complete enough to know that faith is "the evidence of things not seen" and who knows that for things that can be seen, the relevant evidence is fact, not belief. I want a president -- and it's amazing that I even have to put this on my wish list -- smart enough to know that Darwin was right." See the rest of the article here.

Darwin was right??? What about Intelligent Design? It is amazing to me how much Darwinism has influenced every element of life.

That's all I dare to put out there for now, but I have a feeling it won't be the last.

Happiness In Red and Black

A couple years back my mountain bike was stolen out of our garage, presumably in broad daylight. Thanks to craig's list I found a practicaly brand new bike for a great price along with a double kid carrier. It's great to go bike riding again, especially when all four of us can go together. Our little extrovert Matthew says "hi" to everyone we pass and gets quite perplexed when they don't respond. Sweet boy, he just loves to talk to people.

All Those Boys

Kym is a dear friend who's boys are close in age to my own. We attended Treyton's dedication a few weeks ago at their church. She sent me this photo.

Matthew (3) , Joan, Tyler (8 mos), Reid (2), Kym, and Treyton (5 mos)

Five Alarm Day

There are days when I wish I could go back to bed and start over for another chance. Today is one of those days! I woke up this morning to find that Matthew had gotten into the freezer and retrieved a bag of frozen blueberries. I would have been fine with that if he had just eaten them. Instead, I found them strewn across the kitchen floor. Now you may me thinking, no problem, just clean them up. But, you may not know that the previous owners installed carpet in my kitchen so I have ground in blueberries in my kitchen carpet - not so easy to clean. The rest of the morning went similiar. Tyler pulled a candle stand over on himself, Matthew decided to poop in his pull-up instead of on the toilet, and on and on.

After taking many deep breaths I ending up loosing it and yelled at Matthew to get in the car - we needed to get to the chiropractor. Of course, that meant that he was a demon child at the chiropractor because he was mad at Mommy and let me know about it through his behavior.

Matthew and I agreed that we got a bad start to the day and I asked him what we could do about it. He decided that a cookie would help him feel better. They sure learn early! He apologized for not being very nice to me.

Naptime today meant a few moments to recover and on to cleaning the kitchen floor. Here's hoping that a good nap will change some attitudes!

Global Warming???

I must admit to a very confused and skeptical state of mind related to the topic in my title. I have listened to the media hype and Oprah's Green Day guests talk about the doom of our planet if we don't change our light bulbs. But, I have to admit that it just hasn't added up in my brain. So...I started digging, trying to find out if there was evidence to back up the claims and was surprised to find numerous books, articles and rebuttals to the "evidence" of global warming. Here is one article I would recommend or just do a quick search on The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism. Check these out and decide for yourself. Don't let the media decide for you!

Pictures

Well....my digital camera bit the dust and I'm not sure when I'll get a new one. So in order to post photos I have to get film, take pictures, get them developed, and then scan them into my computer. Interpretation - you might not see photos for a while. I'll let you know.

Reflections

Life is really quite amazing - even more so when, as a Mom, I get a few minutes to just sit and reflect. Of course that only happens late at night when my Husband and two boys are fast asleep in their beds and I am left to roam the beautifully silent house all by myself. It is a delightful time for me, that is until my eyes blur and I can no longer read what I'm typing.

I am amazed by the people, circumstances, or things that are placed in my life through or by which I learn. The amazing part is that each one serves a purpose and rarely am I aware of the reason.

Today though, I was.

What was the reason?

To strengthen my resolve or certainty in what I believe and want to defend or hold on to.

Who were the people?

First there was my children's Pediatrician, then a birth story of a woman I don't know, and then a friend in Germany.

What are those things?

1. Complementary and Alternative Medicine
2. Natural Childbirth (did you know that 30.2% of all births in the US were C-sections in 2005 - by the way, that comment is in no way a reflection on the Moms who had a C-section - it is a much bigger issue with the medical community) see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/06facts/births05.htm
3. Knowledge of God - through understanding the world around me

But more than that, my resolve is to be more me. (That looks funny in print) To figure out my passion(s) and set some goals that lead to growth and a bigger impact in my world. The problem is time and energy. But when I read or hear about women who make a difference through their lives they always seem to find enough of both to make their dreams a reality. So perhaps I need to dream bigger (or go to bed earlier) so I have more energy to make it to the finish line. We'll see how this all unfolds.

What is your Worldview??

Can you answer this question? If not, or if you want to know more about worldview, I would highly reccomend a book titled "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey. Usually I read fiction or parenting books, but the connection between this book and a course I took in college about the life and work of Francis Schaeffer reeled me in and it has been worth reading every page. Nancy Pearcey gives an insightful background to the development of modern thought and philosophy in politics, religion, science and social issues. I am about halfway through the book (it's long), but my brain is swimming with the application of the ideas she writes about. Do you want to know how to defend what you believe or better understand how our culture got to where it is today? Then read this book!

http://www.gnpcb.org/sites/total.truth/
http://www.pearceyreport.com/

Bath Time

Tyler is old enough now that he and Matthew can take baths together. They were having lots of fun the other night.

Who Does He Look Like??

I dug out some of my baby photos to compare to Tyler. I think he looks like me - what do you think!?!

Easter

We were quite shocked to wake up to falling snow Easter morning. The short sleeve shirts I bought for the boys seemed a bit out of place, but I just put on some sweatshirts and coats and they were fine. We slipped and slid to church, but were glad we made it. I always love Easter Sunday. I made a lamb roast for dinner and Matthew actually ate some, along with his artichoke. Ever since the egg hunt Matthew keeps asking me to hide the eggs again. I obliged him once then he said he was going to hide them. Instead he sat down and ate all the candy when I wasn't paying attention. Oh well, what can you do?!?!

The Pain of Relationship

There is no suffering like the suffering involved in being close to another person. But neither is there any joy nor any real comfort at all outside of intimacy…
-Mike Mason, The Mystery of Marriage

I like this quote. We have been struggling to be kind and compassionate towards one another in the last few weeks. Steve has been down and out with a gastro-intestinal bug for three days and he is really not fun to be around when he is sick. The good part is that we are learning, slowly but surely, to communicate better about the real reason why we act as we do and to grow together because of it. So, while the circumstances of life are not always pleasant I am grateful that God allows us to go through them - once on the other side.

March Photos

Spring has sprung - we should have tulips soon.

My smiley boy!
The double jog stroller.

On the way to the park - Matthew always has to climb up and over two or three times.

Just Doing Life

I decided it was time to end my silence and post a new blog. The lack of posting was simply that life has been all too consuming lately and there hasn't been much of interest to report.

I did get a weekend away at a Women's Retreat in Colorado Springs. The speaker was great, I got a couple hours at Garden of the Gods all by myself, and I got to sleep two full nights without having to get up to check on a child. Each time I called home Steve sounded calm and in control so I was able to really relax - what a treat!!

Otherwise we have still been fighting sickness. I spoke too soon with my last post. Matthew got sick with the same nasty cold Tyler had and also got an ear infection. Then Matthew got the stomach flu, then I got the stomach flu, then Matthew got the stomach flu. Needless to say, we are ready for a break from viruses invading our house.

I finally got sick of my baby fat and got serious about weight loss. I've lost 8 pounds in the last two weeks and am fitting back into some of my pre-baby clothes - it feels great! My birthday present to myself was a double jog stroller. I love being able to go for walks with both boys. Matthew chooses between the school park, yellow park, or green park and off we go. I always encourage him to run on our way back - wears him out and he takes a long nap!!!

Tyler is eating three meals a day at 7 months old. He's a tank! He loves his food and doesn't sleep through the night without all three. He is now eating potato, avacado, squash, peas, cauliflower, and quinoa. Tomorrow we'll try brocolli.

Steve has been doing some side electrical work. He has another 50 hour job coming up. Hopefully we'll get to do some of the re-finishing/re-modeling projects we want to do this summer.

Well....that is the extent of our lives right now. Hopefully we'll have some fun stuff to report soon. We got a flat Stanley in the mail and we need to get him to some interesting places to report back to Vanessa in Maine.

Cheers!!!

We Survived!!

We have finally rounded the corner on sickness at our house. Poor baby Tyler got a nasty cold that developed into an ear infection. AND during the two and a half weeks that he was sick he got his first two teeth. Needless to say we have had many sleepless nights around here. It is taking a concerted effort to get Tyler back in his sleeping/eating routine.

My sweet baby turned 6 months on Feb 17 - the day before he got sick. The sickness delayed the introduction of solid foods so we just started that new adventure this past Friday. He's doing pretty good - I have to get some of those great food on the face pictures to share. He is just so cute!! I forgot how many faces they can make when trying new food.

I'm very tired, but Matthew and Tyler keep me smiling, especially when they get to laughing at each other.

Warm Blooded

Need I say more?!?!

Latest Antics

I made Matthew a protein shake for breakfast. Apparently he decided it was a better hair conditioner/skin treatment regimen. Needless to say the next place he found himself was in the bathtub.

Me and My Boys

Steve captured a sweet moment with both boys in my lap.

Musings on Literature

I was visiting some other blog sites and found a book recommendation that I am going to pass on. The book, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey, is reminiscent of How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture by Francis A. Schaeffer. Francis Schaeffer was a major part of my syllabis for a class I took my Senior year in college titled Christian World View. That class was probably the most memorable of all my college studies. Schaeffer can be very heady and it takes a bit of stick-to-it-ivness (not a word I know, but it works here) to read, but it is well worth the effort. I ordered Total Truth this evening and from the few excerpts I have read I am sure reading her book will be just as rewarding. I'll let you know!

At the suggestion of another fellow blogger, Lisa, I have started reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. My response has been mixed. On the one hand I find his style and questions freeing. For the first time, it seems I have been given permission as a Christian to not have all the answers. He is asking some of the same questions I have pondered and been afraid to ask. At the same time, his questions unhinge me and give me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Because he intimates that we never can have all the answers. I come from a pretty black and white church background. If there is a question, there is an answer and the Bible has it. But I love the fact that Rob Bell's musings point out the fluidity and aliveness of the Bible. Of course it is alive and relevant and full of hope, the author is alive and relevant and full of hope.

Those are my thoughts thus far. Again, I'll let you know.

New Bed

Matthew finally graduated to a full size bed. I would often here him in his toddler bed at night banging up against the sides so we figured it was time. Here are a few pictures of both boys enjoying the comfiness.

Cool Kidz!!

Matthew and Tyler and their sunglasses. Tyler got really mad when I tried to put his on so they became something to cut that first tooth on.

Chubby Legs

Grandma Lives in Washing Machine!

I was at work today heavily engrossed in my spreadsheet of numbers when my phone rang. I was expecting a client call so braced myself for a compaint to deal with. Instead I heard the voice of my babysitter. Of course I feared the worst, then thought.... I know I packed diapers. Instead Nancy asks me, where does Matthew's Grandma live? I mentally shook my head to readjust my thinking and said he has two, one lives in New York and the other in Washington State. Nancy started laughing and told me she asked Matthew where his Grandma lives and his response was..."My Grandma lives in washing machine." We were both lost in laughter for a few moments before hanging up. Oh the brain of a three year old!

Kilarious

Matthew thought that it was "kilarious" (his version of the word) that he was stuck in the chair.

Tyler, Jump Up!

Tyler loves his new toy. Of course I have to keep telling Matthew not to bounce his brother. :-)

Wrestling Hat

Matthew loves to wrestle with his Daddy. Steve's hat got turned into a "bad man" hat as soon as Matthew discovered it.

Is it about the coffee or the cup?

I found this on another blog site and had to share it.

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and, in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; -- the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.""God brews the coffee, not the cups.... Enjoy your coffee!" The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

""Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. You are the miracle, my friend. Your life either shines a light - or casts a shadow. Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly and Leave the Rest to God.

Ruined Budget

I've decided that office depot and all the companies who make all the new toys and gadgets sold there, are to blame for office supply budgets that have gone through the roof. I can't go into office depot without finding some new notebook, pen, or gadget that just looks too fun to be without. The fun part is that I sometimes get to buy stuff for work with someone else's money instead of my own. But since my co-worker Tammi and my boss are both fans of the store too it gets hard to control costs.

Whatever happened to simple three ring notebooks and manila folders?

I've always been a sucker for a great report cover, but now I have to keep myself out of that store or I'll be color coordinating my desk the same way I do my closet!!! :-)

Serious Concern

Colorado legislaters have joined other states in their desire to mandate the new HPV vaccine for little girls. As with many vaccines the facts seem to be left out of the discussion when proponents get talking. So, I thought I would post some of them. I listed my questions on this issue at the end.

These bullet points are taken from the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention:
http://www.path.org/files/RH_natural_history_of_cc_fs.pdf
• Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection, is the primary underlying cause of cervical cancer.
• Preventing HPV transmission is very difficult. Barrier contraceptive methods are only partially effective because the virus can exist throughout most of the anogenital area (including areas not covered by male condoms) and can remain infectious for years.
• Although HPV cannot be treated, in the majority of cases, the infection becomes undetectable. In a small percent of women, however, HPV infection persists and leads to precancerous lesions, called dysplasia. Immunocompromised women may be at particularly high risk of persistent infection.
• Detectable HPV infection is most common in younger women. Although prevalence varies among regions, it generally reaches a peak of about 20 percent among women aged 20 to 24, with a subsequent decline to approximately 8 to 10 percent among women over age 30.
• Of the small percent of women whose HPV infection develops into dysplasia, the majority likely will develop only mild dysplasia, which usually regresses or does not progress, particularly among women under age 35. Few women who develop dysplasia will progress to cervical cancer.
• Progression to detectable, precancerous lesions can take as long as 10 years. One study estimates that the risk of progression from moderate to severe precancerous lesions is 32%within 10 years.
• Women aged 35 or older with identified moderate or severe precancerous lesions are at highrisk for developing cancer.
• Cervical cancer most often develops in women after age 40 and is most frequent among women in their fifties and sixties.8,9,10
• Tobacco use, young age at first birth, use of oral contraceptives, and the hormonal and physical implications of high parity appear to independently increase a woman’s risk of cervical cancer.
• Clinical impressions of increasing cervical cancer rates among younger women may reflect apopulation’s age structure or screening patterns rather than a shift in age-specific rates.
• Infrequent screening and associated follow-up of women in their thirties or older is an acceptable, cost effective approach to preventing cervical cancer, assuming that the screening approach is effective, coverage is high, and there is a reliable link to treatment.
• Women with at least one previous negative cervical smear have low rates of invasive cancer for ten or more years.
• Modeling of data from South Africa suggests that even screening women just once in their lives, at age 35 could reduce cervical cancer mortality by 26 percent.

These next two paragraphs are taken directly from the CDC website.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine.htm#hpvvac1
All types of HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities which do not have serious consequences. Approximately 10 of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead, in rare cases, to development of cervical cancer. Research has shown that for most women (90 percent), cervical HPV infection becomes undetectable within two years. Although only a small proportion of women have persistent infection, persistent infection with "high-risk" types of HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer.
A Pap test can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells on the cervix. Regular Pap testing and careful medical follow-up, with treatment if necessary, can help ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer. The Pap test used in U.S. cervical cancer screening programs is responsible for greatly reducing deaths from cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2006, over 9,700 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,700 women will die from this cancer in the U.S. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular cervical cancer screening.

And from the Merck website (the drug company to profit from mandatory vaccination):
http://www.merck.com/newsroom/press_releases/research_and_development/2005_1006.html
"It is estimated that approximately 20 million men and women in the United States are infected with HPV. In most people, HPV goes away on its own. In some, however, certain high-risk or oncogenic types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer. The virus is also associated with abnormal Pap tests and genital warts. Each year, about one million women in the United States are told they have "an abnormal Pap" - which may trigger additional testing, anxiety, and in some cases fears of cancer. About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine, so it will be important for women to continue getting screened for cervical cancer (regular Pap tests). "

From the National Library of Medicine:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&list_uids=16950013&cmd=Retrieve&indexed=google
"Many questions remain concerning long-term efficacy, correlates of protection, age of vaccination, and delivery. As vaccination makes inroads as a cancer control strategy, screening practices must be reformulated to maximize the synergy between primary and secondary prevention. Research on how to achieve an efficient combination of these modalities is yet to begin, but mathematical models have provided a useful road map for field-testing of promising algorithms. Daunting questions loom large concerning delivery of vaccines to those populations that need it the most. The field of HPV and cervical cancer prevention has never been so multi-disciplinary. A new era has begun and the challenges are many."

So my questions:

- Shouldn't the money being spent on this vaccination be used to improve the PAP Smear and detection of the HPV viruses that are most likely to cause the cancer so there are less false positives?

-Of the 3,900 women who died of cervical cancer in 2005 how many of them were 50 or over? How many followed a faithful yearly PAP test schedule? How many were immunocompromised? How many used Oral contraceptives or tobacco,?

- The 5,000 girls/women world wide who participated in this study were only followed for 18 months to two years after receiving the vaccine. Is that long enough?

- Should citizens be injected against their will with biological agents that can injure and kill for what the state has defined as the common good? From the National Vaccine Information Center "more than $1 billion [has been] awarded to vaccine casualties under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986."

- Why do so many American citizens succumb to fear instead of looking for the facts and claiming responsibility for their own lives by making informed decisions? Physicians and drug companies bank on fear. From Merck "Each year, about one million women in the United States are told they have "an abnormal Pap" - which may trigger additional testing, anxiety, and in some cases fears of cancer."

- How many girls who recieve this vaccine will feel "safe" and "protected" from Cervical cancer and so put off getting a PAP test done annually? From the CDC "About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine, so it will be important for women to continue getting screened for cervical cancer (regular Pap tests)."

- Why a vaccination for HPV when the #1 killer of women is heart disease? Shouldn't the greater focus be on preventing heart disease? Or can't the drug companies benefit from that - yes that is sarcasm.

- Why are we vaccinating young girls when the highest rate of occurance of cervical cancer is in women over 50?

-Since when does refusal to receive HPV vaccine become cause to keep a child out of school? What are they going to legislate next; that boys with jock itch can't shower? Sorry if that sounds crass, but that is how illogical this bill sounds to me.

That's my 2 cents.

Silliness

Some of the silly moments caught on film.

After Christmas Cookies

I had packaged cookie dough left over from Christmas so decided to keep Matthew busy for a little while. I'm quite sure a whole bottle of sprinkles got eaten the in the process, but he had fun.

Too Many Thoughts

My wireless router died so my laptop use was minimial for the past week or so. Plus, I just haven't felt like blogging. I have too much on my mind and no idea how to condense it enough to make any sense to anyone but myself. So, instead I will just post pictures. We have now had 5 weekends in a row of snow. This is very unusual for Denver. I miss the sunny warm days that usually come to melt the snow between storms. Matthew and I built a cardboard castle in the basement and I managed to get myself inside with Tyler in my lap. We had fun until I started feeling claustrophobic. Matthew is wearing his Frog halloween costume.

Hearts

I love this story sent in my weekly e-mail from MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers)

Hearts by Jolita Peterson, Council Coordinator

"Feel my heartbeat, Mommy!" My five-year-old daughter grabs my hand and places it upon her chest so I can feel the rapid thump-thump beneath my fingers. She is fascinated by hearts - both kinds. She loves to get out her Human Body book and look at pictures of the human heart with its valves and chambers. She enjoys my (rather limited) explanation of how the blood gets pumped throughout the body. She also adores the I-love-you kind of hearts and practices drawing them at any opportunity. I was out of town for a few days recently and returned to find all the mirrors in the house covered with "I w U" written with dry erase marker in kindergarten scrawl.Someday she will ask me about the connection between the heart organ and the heart symbol for love. Someday I will tell her that my love for her is as much a part of me as the blood that flows through my veins. That I began to love her from the moment that my blood began to nurture her body. Someday she will know that I love her so much that I would shed my lifeblood in order to protect her. That love and life are intricately connected in a way that goes beyond vital organs and written symbols. Someday she will understand how very much I love her. Until then, I'm content to demonstrate my love in ways she can understand.I put love notes in her lunch box, cuddle her when she is sick or sad, and kiss and hug her every chance I get. I do my best to listen to her when she has a story to tell (even long and boring ones) and to be patient when she is grouchy (I don't always succeed at that one!). Someday, (all too soon!) these opportunities will be gone and I'll be looking for other ways to show her my love - from my heart to hers.

New Year, Old Friends

Steve and I had the pleasure of spending a brief visit with our old friends Brad and Debbie Ellgen last weekend. Brad was preaching at our church as he and Debbie prepare to go to Germany with Cadence Internationl Missions to run the Baumhalder Hospitality House to serve the army base there. I came away from our visit with a lot of great memories and a fresh reminder of the type of people I want in my life. Brad and Debbie had a profound impact on Steve and I when they were leading the "Change Point" singles group at our church 7-10 years ago - where Steve and I met and started dating. Brad is so down to earth, real, and approachable in his personality and his teaching. There have been very few people in my life who could reach to the core of who I am and make me laugh and want to follow God more than Brad and Debbie. Their lives are about ministry - best done over a steaming cup of coffee or hot meal in their home. I miss them dearly and relish any time that I get to spend with them. I pray God's comfort, strengh, and love for them as they move so far away. The best part of technology is that in a strange way they will still be close through, of all places, their myspace sites.

Snow and Water

Yes, the news reports are true. Denver is getting the second major snowstorm in two weeks and we all have cabin fever. Today was the pinnacle. I got out in the jeep to get us some water and movies. When I got home I placed the five gallon bottle of water on Matthew's wooden stool in the kitchen. About an hour later I heard a noise and rushed to the kitchen to see what Matthew was doing. I got there just in time to see the five gallons of water spilling out of the broken bottle all over the kitchen floor. Dinner didn't get on the table 'til 7:45 after I got most of the water vaccuumed up. Ah well...tomorrow is another day. I have to find a way out of this house!!!

Mr. Fix-it

Matthew got "power" tools for Christmas and he is helping Daddy.