Whitty Conversation

Introducing . . . .

2009-05-22T14:13:00.002-06:00

David Isaiah Rivera

Born April 16, 2009

7lbs 8oz

20 1/4 in

Life has never been more crazy or beautiful since having two boys!!!

Mount Rushmore

2009-04-13T09:31:00.008-06:00

About a month ago, I was surprised by Elliot with a very impromptu trip to Rapid City, South Dakota for the weekend! He pulled it off very well, because he had previously made plans to have coffee with a friend that afternoon. So, when he met me at Walmart after he got off work and was in a serious rush to leave, I thought nothing of it :) Sneaky man.

James checking out our digs in Rapid.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall . . . who's the cutest one of all?"

Elliot and James seeing Mt. Rushmore for the first time

"Wow, there are huge faces carved in that mountain . . ."

The Fifth Face of Rushmore

Playing at the mall in Rapid City

Enjoying some potato soup for the first time back at the hotel

Mount Rushmore at night . . . very majestic

The mother tumbleweed that attached itself to our car on the way back

Pit stop at Grandma's house for some food and lovin'!

We had such a good time on our trip! It was nice to be able to have a pseudo "baby moon" before David gets here!

The Best Sugar Cookie You Will Ever Have

2009-04-10T10:55:00.011-06:00

So the recipe I am about to share has been in my family for a long time. I thought that it might be my great-great-grandmother's recipe, but after talking to my mom, we're not sure exactly where it came from. All we know is that it's pretty stinkin' old. So here goes -

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

3 C. flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 C. butter

1 C. sugar

2 beaten eggs

4 T. milk

2 T. vanilla (use the good kind, not the fake stuff)

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter with a couple of knives until they look like cornmeal (it works best if butter is at room temperature). Then add the sugar, incorporating well into cornmeal-like mixure. Then mixing the eggs, milk, and vanilla together, pour a little bit into dry mix at a time, until wet ingredients are gone and mixed thoroughly, forming a big clump of dough. (Be sure to check if there's any hidden pockets of dry mix in the dough). Preheat the oven at 375 degrees, and chill dough in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. Scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of dough on cookie sheet for each cookie, and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

For glaze: mix powdered sugar and water together until it is opaque, and dip slightly warm cookies face down into glaze. Let harden and enjoy!!!

So there you have it, the best sugar cookies ever. The key to them is making sure that you stick within the 8-10 minute perameter, because you don't want to overbake them. I love these cookies because they do have an old fashioned taste to them, and unlike hard sugar cookies, these are very light and 'cakey'. I like to have mine with a cup of tea, especially Burrough's Brew from Serendipitea. Very delicious!

And the Lamest Blogger of the Year Award Goes to . . .

2009-04-09T09:31:00.003-06:00

Me! Sorry guys . . . . it's been a little crazy as we're in the final countdown before David comes. I'm 39 weeks pregnant now and I'm ready to have my body back, though I'm not going to complain about any extra sleep I get before he arrives.

Here is a list of things to come:

My surprise trip to Mount Rushmore

Maternity photo shoot with my awesome new photographer friend Jenny

The best sugar cookie recipe you will ever find

Thoughts on Momhood and life

On a final note: how cute is this kid? He sure is becoming more of a little boy and less of a baby with every day.

More to come later!

My Boy is One!

2009-02-26T10:30:00.002-07:00

My son James has officially turned one as of the 21st of February! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed.
I remember when he was first born, how Elliot and I both thought we would never be able to sleep through the night again. I remember how when he was a couple months old, he would randomly smile in his sleep, and I thought it was the absolute cutest thing. Thinking back to when he was four months old, we got him to laugh for the first time, and we acted like idiots the rest of the evening just to get one more laugh out of him. I love recalling the times that I would carry him with me in a sling everywhere I went with his little body cradled against mine, sometimes sleeping, sometimes awake and watching the world around him. We were extatic the first time he started to crawl, only to realize that a Pandora's box of busy-ness had just been opened that would never close! I remember that I grieved just a little bit in my heart when he got his first tooth; a sign that he was quickly growing into a big boy. How fun it was to watch him laugh at his favorite parts during a movie, and rewind it over and over just to hear him giggle about it again and again. And then of course, we will never forget how he cried when we sang 'Happy Birthday' to him in Spanish, because of how overwhelming a crowd of people staring at him was.
All these things I cherish in my heart, and I look forward to many more years of sweet memories and moments that show me a glimpse of what eternity with God must be like. So Happy Birthday my Love! You have brought us true Joy, and have taught us so much in this past year. Daddy and Mommy love you more than anything, and only until you have your own little ones will you understand the depth of what we are talking about!

Tampa Airport Security is a Four Letter Word

2009-01-31T00:57:00.005-07:00

It's around 1 in the morning, and I'm up because I have wicked heartburn. I'm cursing Tampa International Airport Security right now because they took my Tums, and I haven't really needed them until now, when I can't go out and get some more. Why would they take them? No clue. Maybe some guy was about ready to ralph from the Grease McMuffin and coffee he had earlier, or maybe some Barney Fife just knew I was transporting Columbian nose candy that was neatly and carefully fashioned to look just like Tums whilst being carefully tucked within piles of maternity shirts and pants. Well I hope you're happy, Tampa! I hope you're happy . . . .

16 Mysteries Revealed

2009-01-20T12:13:00.005-07:00

I was tagged by my new blogging buddy Kate to do this "meme". So here goes!

16 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I shamelessly made fun of my husband upon discovering a state quarter map that he had been working on in the past, accusing him of severe nerdiness. That is until one night when he was having a long conversation on the phone with his father, and I got bored and started sifting through our laundry quarters to see which states we had so I could put them in the map. Needless to say, I am now also a fellow member of the state quarter nerd brigade. (We only need Florida and Michigan, so if you have them, let me know!)

2. I love journals, and I have four of them. The problem is, I want to write the perfect entries, and for each journal to have a specific theme or purpose, so I have four journals that are practically empty. Every time I go to Barnes and Noble, Elliot gets annoyed when I look at the journals, because he's afraid I'm going to want one more. And maybe I do.

3. I'm a big textures person when it comes to food, so my ability to eat eggs is very limited. It's especially hard if they get cold. Conversely though, I think a potato salad is not a potato salad without huge chunks of eggs dispersed throughout.

4. My favorite book from childhood is Corduroy. I bought it the other day for James, and couldn't make it through without crying when I read it to Elliot for the first time. It's such a sweet story.

5. I love the art of Mehndi, which is henna paste that is applied on the skin in fancy designs commonly throughout Middle Eastern and Indian culture. Elliot bought me a kit for Christmas, and I'm going to do some sweet designs on my belly and have some nice photography taken of it.

6. It's very hard for me to listen to mainstream pop radio, because I'm angry at the Music Industry for promoting the sound that makes the most money, as opposed to the sound that really shows creative and artistic talent. Everything sounds the same. I'm also upset at them for allowing a lot of people who don't have good voices and limited or no training to record albums and make money off of their mediocrity. It's amazing what a little bit of technology can do to make a voice sound like it has the ability to sing on key all the time.

7. If I had to pick my least favorite household chore, it would be doing dishes. This, unfortunately, is also the one us moms tend to be doing the most. (That and laundry).

8. I have a suppressed desire to work as a coffee, tea, and wine connoisseur. I mean, how fun would it be to get paid to travel all over the world and distinguish the complexities of these awesome beverages?

9. I love to cook. Especially ethnic foods like Moroccan, Thai, Indian, etc. Sometimes I'll even sneak in ingredients my husband doesn't like, just to see if he'll like it in those dishes. He usually thinks the flavors are good, but he still won't eat the actual culprits.

10. Speaking of which, Elliot's mom just bought me an awesome cookbook called Puerto Rican Cookery (he's Puerto Rican, in case you couldn't tell), and I'm way excited to start making the dishes he grew up with.

11. I hate Brie. This is surprising for someone who tends to appreciate the finer things of life, but it's difficult for me to appreciate things that smell like butt. (sorry to all you Brie fans out there).

12. I got to dance on stage with D.C. Talk when I was 7. It was at a concert at my church in San Diego, and security guards were asking kids if they wanted to come up. It took a little convincing (yah right). Apparently Kevin gave me bunny ears.

13. Elliot and I would like to have 4 kids, and he said he was willing to try for a 5th if the first four are all boys. I'll weasel an extra one out of him somehow ;)

14. Elliot is a helicopter/airplane pilot, and one of the coolest things I had the opportunity to do so far was to fly around the skyscrapers in Denver at night with him in a helicopter. We were so close you could see people's papers on their office desks.

15. Before Elliot bought me a heated mattress pad, I used to take a blow dryer and blow hot air under my portion of the down comforter in order to be perfectly cozy and warm. If you've never done it before and you're always freezing, try it. Just don't stick the whole thing under the covers, because then it could spark . . . not that I would know : ).

16. I prefer my hard ice cream to be really hard, and I like to eat it with a fork in a mug. My go-to flavor is Breyers all-natural Vanilla Bean.

Ok! Now I'm going to tag Shelly, Sandra, Jen, Kelsey, and Mom. Fill out 16 things we might not know about you, and then tag 3-5 people. You better post!

Back to Civilization

2009-01-18T18:52:00.002-07:00

So we just got back from a spur-of-the-moment trip to Florida to visit Elliot's parents! It was so last minute, and so fun to see them, and to watch them love on a grandson they have only seen one other time. James was an absolute doll on the trip, and we were so impressed with what a good baby he was even on the plane. Not one crying fit! Amazing. God blessed us immensely. I want to write more and post pictures, but we have been up since about 2 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, so I'm a little out of it right now. I accidentally left my phone in our car when we parked it, and Elliot's parents' internet was down, so I am just truly getting back to the "real" world. So sorry if I haven't replied yet to comments! I am getting to you soon!

Baby Wearing

2009-01-10T00:33:00.007-07:00

Does This Look Right To You?

I was looking online tonight at some different baby carriers, because I am so darn excited to wear little David once he comes, and I happened to stumble upon these two unfortunate fellows. I'm all about dads wearing their little ones too, but the ways these men are wearing theirs uncomfortably cross boundaries I think we all have deep inside us. Yikes!

On the topic though, I think that baby wearing is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give yourself and your child if you are a mom. I certainly wouldn't judge any mom who didn't do it, but it is so beautiful to have your little one close as you go through the day, especially in the first three months when they are growing accustomed to being outside of you. It is also wonderful because wearing your baby frees you to do other things you need to get done in your day such as cleaning your house (a life saver!)

If you're looking for a carrier, there are tons of options out there, and the best one for you will depend on how carrying your baby is most comfortable for you and what positions would be the most beneficial for the type of activity you are doing. I have the Moby-D wrap, and I love it because it allows me to carry my babies in a ton of different ways (which most will only allow for a couple) and it distributes the weight evenly between my shoulders and my hips (another must for me because I am so small). If you've never done it before, I challenge you to try it!! Moms have been doing it for hundreds if not thousands of years, and it is awesome!

*I just had one more thing to add too. Another neat thing about some baby carriers is that they allow you to discreetly breast feed while in public places. As your baby gets older (as James is 5 months in this picture) it obviously becomes a little more difficult, but wraps such as mine are perfect for that kind of a thing.

And He Shall Be Called David (???) . . . Read On to Find Out!

2008-12-14T20:49:00.005-07:00

Many of you already know (or I guess the two of you who read my blog) that Elliot and I are expecting a new addition to our family. We found out a couple days before Thanksgiving that we were going to have another boy. Though we had hoped to write the results on a card and wait until Christmas day to open it, we caved about 5 minutes before our appointment and decided to find out.
Because we were originally leaning towards wanting a girl, we hadn't really thought of a name for a boy. After finding out, the thought occurred to me that the Lord already knows what this child's name is, and if I seek and wait, He will reveal to us what that name should be. Initially after thinking and praying through some first names, we discovered that we really felt the Lord was leading us to the name David. This was exciting in and of itself, but I wasn't sensing any direction for that pesky middle name, so on the search went. After talking and praying and researching some more, we kind of narrowed it down to three names: Asher, Isaiah, and Isaac. I was leaning more towards Asher, but I liked the sound and feel of the others, and ultimately still sought other names and some sense of leading and direction from the Lord. Well I am elated to share that He did that for us tonight!!!
It all started this morning at church, when our pastor did a message on how the magi sought out our Lord by paying attention to the prophesy and signs foretold in Scriptures. They did this specifically however, through the clues given about signs in the heavens. Without launching into a whole dissertation, today through research by using technology and some fundamental astronomical concepts, a researcher has been able to reveal the exact position and behavior of the stars during the time of Christ's conception and birth; all indicating His coming into the world, and even pinpointing dates of these events!. The website can be found here.
This kind of stuff is just fascinating to me, because I feel closer to God when tangible connections in science prove aspects of Scripture. So, tonight I went to the website and read through the whole thing. This same researcher also found significant astronomical occurences that coincided and gave further validation to the crucifixion of Christ, and again, without launching into a thesis, was able to pinpoint with confidence based upon Biblical information that Christ was crucified on April 3, 33 A. D. I understand the skepticism that this may be viewed with, and the website does a pretty thorough and convincing job in my opinion of corroborating their findings what Scripture says, but regardless of what some may say, finding this out really gripped my heart, and I do believe this information to be true.
So what the heck does all of this astronomy mumbo jumbo have anything to do with the birth of our son? Here's how. After finding this out, and being convinced of its truth, I immediately was reminded that our son is due to arrive on April 15, 2009. I felt very touched and honored really, that my son is set to come in the same month, and potentially the same day that Christ died and provided a way for us to be separated from Him no more. So, I felt God moving me that our son's middle name should have something to do with the sacrifice or salvation of the Lord. This excited me, because at last I finally felt that He had given me clear direction as to how we should find His name for our son. So, without further hesitation, I googled 'name meaning salvation of the Lord'. I was led to a website with a list of biblical baby names and their meanings. I began to scroll down the list and read. Some names had meanings that were kind of close, but not really encapsulating of the spirit of 'salvation of the Lord'. And then it happened. A chill shot through me as I read under the meanings column and saw 'salvation of the Lord'. As I look over at the name, would you guess what it was? Isaiah. Isaiah!! I typically tend to be somewhat skeptical of experiences that seem mystic or more coincidental than God-breathed, but I felt (and feel) that God had used this to directly reveal to Elliot and me that He desired for our son's middle name to be Isaiah.
Had you asked, I never thought that I would even consider Isaiah as a name for my son. I liked the sound of it, but it was very different from the direction I originally had in my mind. It just goes to show that seeking what God wants (even in this fun, little way) is always rewarding and life-giving. And you know what? I even feel a peace about it too.

New Favorite Discovery

2008-11-25T11:21:00.003-07:00

The other day I was browsing the internet and blog surfing and I found a site called Scrapblog. It is one of my new favorite places to go. The site allows you to create your own online scrapbooks, and gives you hundreds of tools and options to be as creative as you please. After you are done with your pages you have the option of saving them and inviting friends and family to view your work. Here is a page that I created yesterday, just to try it out:

What a great way to keep up on life's little moments! It's really addictive, so if there's a little bit of time to kill and you're looking for something to do, you should check this site out!

Teething Madness

2008-11-06T17:35:00.002-07:00

So James is starting to get his first tooth! It's his front bottom tooth on his right side. However, he has been the most miserable soul I have seen in a long time. He is such a phenomenal baby . . . easy to please, easy to take along on errands, good napper, good eater, an overall happy baby . . . . but all of that has gone down the drain in the past few days. He wont take naps for any longer than 45 minutes to an hour, and he usually takes about an hour and a half to two hour naps. He is eating fairly well, but most times he will whine consistently while he's eating, and sometimes towards the end he will even start flat out crying. Within the past day or so, he's started to develop cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose and a 101 degree fever, which has done nothing to help the situation. And the worst part is that when I'm not feeding him or he's sleeping, he's crying and screaming uncontrollably. Help!!! Chuckie's baby has taken over my son's body!!!
I'm doing what I can for him like giving him Tylenol, putting baby Anbesol on his gums, giving him cold or frozen fruits in his little Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder (which is a gift from God), giving him extra love and kissess, but he's a crying machine. Any moms out there have any suggestions? Something else I'm forgetting or not doing? You could also pray for me, because I do ok most of the time, but usually around the evening I want to jab a fork in my eye with how frustrated and worn out I get. I need extra extra patience. Not only for James' sake but Elliot's as well, since lately I have been having a tendency to vent all of my frustration out on him. Pray for my mom too, because Elliot and I are going to a marriage conference this weekend and she has so graciously offered to watch James for us. I am scared to death that he's going to be very difficult for her. We're probably going to have to buy her a huge thank you present when we get back. Most of all, just pray for James that he will feel better and that when he is not, that he will feel loved and safe as he struggles through this big time in his life!

Halloween

2008-11-02T12:12:00.010-07:00

We were really excited this year for Halloween, because this was James' first one! While I was pregnant with James I was surfing the internet for infant Halloween costumes because I was bored, and found the most precious one. So the costume he wore this year for Halloween is the same one that Elliot and I picked out a year ago.

James playing with his Jack-O-Lantern before trick or treating

Getting ready to meet the massess (what could he be?!?) . . . .

And then finally, TA DA!

Our little froggie was ready to shine!

We had a really good time trick-or-treating

So we decided to finish the evening with a special trip to . . . . .

Cold Stone Creamery!!!

Of course, we didn't want James to feel left out . . . .

And at first he didn't seem too sure . . .

But after giving it a try . . . .

Decided that he really loved Raspberry Sorbet!

Shortly after we decided to head home to put our little froggy down to sleep, and the next morning when he awoke, he had turned back into a prince! We had a wonderful time taking our little one out to experience his first ever Halloween.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T16:30:00.005-06:00

Look what my little man can do!

Finding our Niche

2008-10-28T21:50:00.004-06:00

One of the reasons why moving to Cheyenne was such a hard thought for me was because of the loss of my Laramie community. Once you finally get settled in to a new place (like I did in Laramie all those years ago) the community that you develop becomes your little microcosm. Sometimes it's really hard to think or reach beyond that little bubble, which probably isn't the healthiest thing to begin with. But that's where I was . . . happy, safe, and comfortable.

One of the things I'm learning to love God for is the fact that He's the God of All Comfort, but not of all things comfortable. I knew that when the time came to make the final decision to move to Cheyenne, God had put His hands into that sticky little mess and said, "Go". In a lot of ways, I think I felt very sad and upset, but strangely enough, there was also peace involved.

Then the reality of actually looking for a church hit. In some ways, it's not fun, it's not comfortable, and at times you feel more like a critic trying to pick apart the elements of the church than someone who's trying to focus on God. After two months of this, I think we've finally found the church where we'll stay: Cheyenne Hills Community Church. This shouldn't be a surprise to those of you who know us, since our old church Emmaus is a daughter church of Cheyenne Hills (or should I just say 'The Hills'? . . . maybe not). Yet for some reason, there was staunch determination in my heart to go to any church but Cheyenne Hills. Why? I really don't know. Other than it just seemed so different from Emmaus, so of course we could never be fed in that kind of an atmosphere. But we went about 3 weeks ago for the first time, and we liked it! And now I'm bummed that my pride kept us from going there sooner.

We really enjoy the people. Immediately when we got there, we were scooped up, welcomed, and told about the many opportunities to serve and get plugged in so that we would find a healthy picture of community. They have a good kids ministry, which will be great for James, and they have small groups similar to what we had at Emmaus.

Last Thursday Elliot and I went to a couples Bible study that is being held by the pastor, and once we got past the awkwardness of not knowing anybody, really enjoyed. You can really tell when two people are really craving community when they're the last ones to leave!

So overall, we feel excited and hopeful that the Lord has led us to our home church in Cheyenne. We are anxious to be used by God there and blessed by the way that He is working through Cheyenne Hills.

Three Months in a Nutshell

2008-10-22T10:08:00.010-06:00

So, you heard it here: the rumors of my death were premature. I am finally back after what seems like an eternity. The last 3 months have proved to be a time of many changes and much craziness, but I feel like it is all finally coming together.

To begin, we moved to Cheyenne in late August. Elliot and I really felt the Lord telling us to make the move, in order for Elliot to really begin pursuing flight the way he ought to. It was really hard leaving my comfort zone (Laramie's been my home for 5 years) and my wonderful community, but we knew that if the Lord was in it, then it would be good.

A little before we moved, we found out that we were expecting Rivera number two! As I write this, I have just entered my 15th week of pregnancy. It was a little scary to find out as the reality of impending sleeplessness began to hit home, but ultimately we are excited and trusting that in those times of exhaustion, the Lord will somehow carry us through. We will be extremely happy whether we have a boy or a girl, though I think that we are both leaning towards wanting a girl this time. This pregnacy certainly has been different than the one with James. For one, despite feeling nauseous in the 1st trimester, this time around I didn't throw up once! That's dramatically different from James, where I was throwing up at least once a day for 3 months. Another thing is that I have been so tired this time around. I don't remember being as tired the first time around, though I also didn't have a child to take care of either! I think I'm going to post a poll to see people's opinions on whether or not we're going to have a boy or girl. Leave it to the public to decide! (like that has any influence . . . but what the heck, it's fun)

One of the most wonderful benefits of this move for me has been the fact that I now have the ability to stay home and focus on just being a wife and mom. I can't tell you how incredibly freeing this is to me. For those who didn't know my situation previously, until a couple months ago I was working, going to school, taking care of our house, AND doing my best to give everything I could as a wife and mom. I thought I was going to go insane. I can remember many evenings when I would come home from work and just cry because I felt like I couldn't do anything well. This is a gift that God has given me, and for the time I have it, I am going to cherish it every day. Being a mom and a wife is one of the most important things on this Earth!

My 22nd birthday came up recently. It's funny because even though I continue to mature and live a very "grown-up" life, I still feel on the inside like I will always be perpetually 12 to those who know me. Elliot and I were just talking recently about how common it is for us to feel like kids playing a grown up game. Time just seems to accelerate as I get older, and I'm only 22! Elliot, being the great gift-giver that he is, decided to give me a piano as a present! It's 103 years old, and has amazing tone quality. We just had it tuned yesterday, so it sounds even better than it did before. We only paid $150 for it, though it felt like we were robbing the lady who sold it to us. If she really wanted to price it accurately she should have charged about $500-$900! So needless to say we got a steal.

On a final note, James just turned 8 months old. 8 months! Could this be real? He has now learned to roll in whichever direction he pleases, push himself up into a sitting position, make crawling motions (it's going to happen soon!), and pull himself up. I can barely keep up with him. Changing his diaper is like wrestling a calf. There should be awards given and record time scores. He's also eating solids and loving it. At this point, his favorite foods are applesauce and sweet potatoes. He's started teething, though no actual teeth have been cut as of yet. He has such a sweet disposition that the days he is fussy are the days you know his teeth are hurting. He also loves to giggle, listen to Mom play on the piano, read, and play lots of games. He is such a joy!

So that's the last three months in a nutshell. With my easier schedule I am looking forward to being able to write more regular posts. See you all 'til then!

Tired

2008-07-27T22:09:00.002-06:00

I think that 'tired' is the best adjective available to describe the way that I have been feeling lately about so much stuff going on.
I'm so tired of our culture. I'm tired of the commercial-driven religion of 'self' and the doctrine of 'more'. I felt ashamed after watching and enjoying the Coney Island hot dog-eating contest (where contestants eat as many hot dogs as they can in ten minutes), when people who live in Ethiopia, for example, would be disgusted and blown away by such an ironic display and glorification of gluttony. I'm tired of teen pregnancy being glorified through the media and television, without acknowledgement of the consequences of sin and the realities of parenthood. I'm tired of parents trying to live like they're single people, hitting up the bar scene every night, while their little ones are left again and again in the care of another.
I'm tired of people getting killed, but especially over the stupidest things, like drug-driven robberies gone wrong. I'm tired of commercials insinuating through their "clever" use of sexuality that all men desire skinny, skimpy dressed women with ample decolatage, and will continue to regardless of whether they are committed or not, and that women should be ok with that because 'boys will be boys'.
I'm tired of the advent of Tween idols, and the pressure of being cloyingly perfect and thin now being extended to eight and nine year old innocents. I'm also tired of former Tween stars and role model celebrities getting arrested for DUI's, drug addictions, and various other infractions of the law, just to go to a posh rehab for a couple of months and run right back to the environment they came from (knowing it is unhealthy) and get sucked back into the same habits they were involved in before.
I'm tired of the way that I allow the pressure I am under to cause me to treat Elliot unfairly in sin, and of the way that it seems to drain the energy I should be able to give to my sweet boy. I'm tired of the way I sometimes shut Elliot out in the midst of a conflict. I'm tired of the way I hurt him, especially when his heart and intentions are rooted in love.
Most of all, I'm tired of how all of this crap, this sin, hurts Jesus. Scripture talks of how He experienced sorrow to the point of death, and I think that we don't fully comprehend the seriousness and depth of that sorrow. Maybe I am feeling this because the Lord has placed me here for a time, but I know that even then, it is just a glimpse into that place of the Lord's heart. I'm sick of sin, and I know He is too. It is only in this light that His mercy and love gain significance for every single person He willed into existence. So tonight, Father, I pray that You would forgive us, for we truly do not know what we do.

Movie Review

2008-06-18T09:58:00.003-06:00

I just watched the movie "Bucket List" a couple of days ago, so I thought that I would write a little review. I certainly enjoyed the chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, and I found the plot to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It definitely pushed the theme that life is short, so we should enjoy every minute, and make sure that we do not leave this world with any regrets. Yet, as I often see in secular settings, there seemed to be an underlying fear of the inevitable (as they both are going to die relatively soon . . . hope I didn't give too much away!). While death is sometimes a scary thought (more so because I fear for my family more than anything else) I know that ultimately I am going to a place of beauty far beyond anything I could ever grasp. Morgan Freeman's character mentioned having faith as a part of his way to deal with his death, but I still got the overall sense of that fear that seems to grip non-believers when death is present. It makes me sad to know that no one ever has to feel that way, but that fear is still present.

Watching "Bucket List" also convicted me in that it made me confront the brevity and meaninglessness (is that even a word?) of my own life. I think I'm coming to a place (at the ripe ol' age of 21) where I'm beginning to realize that my life is just a glimpse in the span of eternity, and I can either live it according to my own selfish ways, or I can be intentional about implementing Kingdom principles not just on Sunday, but every day. You feel pity for Jack Nicholson's character as you discover the monument that he built to himself during his life. Yet, in the end, when love was the one thing he needed most, he didn't really have it. I'm beginning to understand that everyone leaves a legacy, but it's how you live your life that determines what kind of legacy that you leave. I want the kind of legacy that points to Christ and says, "My whole life was wrapped around my Jesus". I can't say that I have lived a life so far that has been completely reflective of that. It has caused me to look at my priorities, and seek which dreams and desires of mine are selfish versus which ones are eternal. For sure, "Bucket List" has certainly given me lots of food for thought, and I may continue divulging on these topics in further blogs to come.

My Husband the Visionary

2008-06-16T11:36:00.003-06:00

"A great leader never lets the size of his vision shrink to match the size of his reality." Ok, so I actually stole that quote from a friend of mine (the-welcome-matt.blogspot.com) who also found meaning in that quote, but I feel that it completely relates to my husband in every way.

We are at a complete crossroads in our lives right now. In the process of trying to figure out just what to do in order to provide for our family and advance Elliot in his flying career, we sometimes feel so lost and clueless. I think, however, one of the things that I have come to appreciate about Elliot in this process is the fact that he is such a visionary. I thought I had goals, but this man dreams big. He's not this way because he wants to be famous or feel the power of having big things accomplished, he just simply was made this way by the Lord.

There's times when he's talked about doing certain things when I thought that his dreams were maybe a little too out of touch with attainability and reality, but then, shortly after receiving a little prick from the Holy Spirit, I began to realize that maybe my parameters weren't big enough. Think of all the achievements that have been made in the course of history that previous to their occurence, seemed impossible to attain. Surely the great men and women behind these achievements were visionaries, and had found ridicule to be a routine part of their endeavor.

As we were reviewing finances last night to see if a move to Denver would be feasible, I felt myself understanding the reality that Elliot's dream of flight is going to be a long and possibly weary road. I have never doubted that he will attain it, but I think in my idealist perspective I thought that it would always just "work out". The reality of the pressures of money and family and bills and job fulfillment seemed to crash down on me, and maybe for the first time, I felt myself become a little discouraged about the whole situation. But as we might be fighting these feelings, the quote from above calls to me, and reminds me that despite the seeming impossibility of things, they can be achieved. I am reminded to let Elliot be who he was created to be by the Almighty, and to never stifle or doubt the dreams that I believe have been planted in his heart to be carried out. If it weren't for the Visionaries on this Earth, we would not have cars or electricity or the ability to put a man on the moon. And if it weren't for visionaries, than a major conduit of the Lord's plan coming to fruition would be absent.

Elliot, you are an amazing man who loves his family like a man should. The Lord has given you vision to not only fulfill His purposes for your life on Earth, but to carry out His will. Don't cater your dreams to what things are, but what you feel they should be. Despite the fact that this process will probably look completely different from what we want it to be, the Lord will be faithful to us and be faithful to finish the good work that He has started in you and me. I love you so much, and I will always be by your side. Dream big, my love.

The New "Wedding Cake"

2008-06-12T09:07:00.004-06:00

I love coffee. And if you think about it, our culture loves it too. Not only is it just darn amazing, but it is often a feature by which social events or gatherings are centered around, and thereby become more appealing. Especially these days, when you want to hang out with someone, you ask if they want to go "out to coffee" sometime. And you know what? If there's something going on, and I don't really want to go, but I know that will be coffee there . . . . then I'll probably come just for the coffee. It's the redeeming quality of many seemingly unending or boring events. Like wedding cake. It's funny that even if a wedding reception drags on and on, you still have the majority of the faithful mass hanging on 'til they just cut that stupid cake. And then they're gone. So why not coffee? In honor of the obsession of myself and many others, I have compiled a few interesting facts and observations on this sweet ambrosia of the gods.

Once upon a time, bridegrooms from Turkey were mandated to make a promise to their beloveds that they would always supply their wives with coffee. Failure to do so was grounds for divorce! (no pun intended)

Though the exact origin of coffee is unknown, most have agreed that the first coffee plants came from Ethiopia. Legend has it that a shepherd noticed hyper behavior from his flock after they ate a strange plant with cherry-like fruits. After trying these fruits and feeling energized himself, he decided to bring them to an Abbot at a nearby monastery. The Abbot decided to cook the leaves and branches to drink, but found the taste to be so bitter that he threw the mixture in a fire. Soon after though, he discovered that the beans in the fruits gave out such a pleasant aroma, that the Abbot decided to concoct a drink made from the roasted beans.

Interestingly enough, Ethiopians enjoy their coffee with salt.

Beethoven, who loved coffee, was so particular about his drink that he counted exactly 60 beans every time he brewed fresh coffee.

The word "tip" dates back to the old London coffeehouses. Conspicuously placed brass boxes etched with the inscription, "To Insure Promptness," encouraged customers to pay for efficient service. The resulting acronym, TIP, has become a byword.

Coffee was condemned by many religious leaders as the "drink of Satan". Coffee houses were known as “hotbeds of sedition”. In the 1700’s, many coffee houses were ordered to close. For failing to comply, the punishment for first time offenders was public beating and humiliation. Second (and last) time offenders were sewn into a leather bag and thrown into the river. Yikes!

And finally, the best way to make coffee is by the French press method. This is because it not only allows you to control the correct temperature and time for brewing the best cup (which affects the bitterness), but it preserves and maintains all of the oils brought out by the roasting process, thereby allowing the true flavor of the coffee to be expressed. If you've never had it, try it the next time you grab coffee from a local shop.

Updates and Ramblings

2008-06-05T11:05:00.004-06:00

Well, it's definitely been a while since I last blogged, and so far I haven't done a good job of keeping up with my posts and finding new and interesting things to write. So in an effort to remedy my past mistakes, here are a few random thoughts to update and entertain.

James laughed for the first time time a couple days ago, and it was fantastic! There are few occurrences in my life that have given me the true joy like hearing him laugh did. Ironically enough, I cried.

Elliot and I might be very close to moving down to Denver. We have applied to participate in a ministry that would allow housing for us to be pretty inexpensive, which has been one of the biggest roadblocks to moving down there. Now the hard part is seeing what the outcome will be, and if it is indeed in the Lord's timing.

In a discussion at my journey group (pseudo-Bible study), we discussed what our picture of God looked like. If you believe in the Trinity, then what is the first image that enters your head when you think of "God"? For me, I think mostly of Jesus, and just like my friend, I think of Him as a loving, accepting, gentle man. I also think of God as the "Enforcer" or the "Punisher" since a lot of His character is described this way in the Old Testament. I also rarely think of the Holy Spirit. Yet, these three are One, and there are opposite aspects of their character that I have not really focused on or thought about, which means I'm probably cutting God short, and I need to see Him for who He is, and not just what I want Him to be. I need to work on that.

What is it about fast food service in Laramie? It seems like it has really gone downhill. Sonic seems to be the worst. Elliot and I now go there with the expectation that our order will be wrong, and that we will have to wait 'til Jesus comes back to get a couple of shakes when absolutely no one else is pulled into the parking slots and there's only one person behind us. In addition, we can expect high school kids who have barely any work experience or people skills to either not be able to read our order correctly (even though it's wrong) and not give us everything we need, or just take our money and hand us our food without so much as a "hello" or "here you go" or "have a nice day". Is it the fact that Sonic just doesn't really look for decent people to work there or that they are the most decent people that have applied?

It seems like I spend more time trying to find new templates and skins for my blog then actually writing for it. This can be attributed to my so-called "artsy fartsy" personality, and my desire to write a "perfect" posting everytime. I am starting to realize how futile that thinking is.

The God of Post-its

2008-05-16T09:36:00.005-06:00

In the midst of struggling to feel like God is real at times, and to then surrender your life to Him (even when you don't always know what that looks like) I have discovered that God loves us. Sounds so elementary, right? But I believe that it is true.

Lately I feel like I have been having kind of a love-hate relationship with God. When things go really well, He is awesome, the best, "I'm so glad I'm saved! . . .", yada yada. But when things do not go the way I expect, then I find my feelings toward Him change significantly. This has become particularly true after having a child. I am not proud to admit that in my weakest hour (usually due to things going an unexpected way combined with lack of sleep) I have cursed God, thought such scandalous things as hate, and really questioned the positive nature of His presence in my life. And yet, I have lately been struck with how God leaves little "post-it" notes all over the earth and in everyone's life to remind us of how much He loves us, regardless of our sentiments toward Him. And sometimes, He will show us bucket loads of love when it is completely unmerited.

The mountains, the ocean, any part of nature is a "post-it" note saying, "I made this so you could enjoy me and know that I love you".

The other day I got a forward from my mom, which usually makes me roll my eyes, because they're usually the forwards that say, "You're not a Christian" or "You're a horrible friend" or "You'll have bad luck for 10 years if you don't send this to 20 people in the next 30 seconds". But before scrapping this particular forward, I decided to read it. It talked about a protein found in all humans and animals called laminin, which basically acts as a binding agent to all the other surrounding cells in their bodies, so it's basically like a glue. And then the email then went on to show a picture of the cell structure of laminin, which could be found in any medical book. Here is what it looked like:

And then it quoted this verse: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Colossians 1:15-17.

A cross! Some may view it as coincidence (which I don't, because I feel like the odds are so improbable to suggest that it could be), but to see what the structure of laminin looks like was God slapping a post-it note on my forehead saying, "You know Whit, when everything seems to fall apart, I am the glue that holds it all together".

Another post-it: Yesterday my husband and I went to Cheyenne to get out of town for a day and relax. He is a helicopter and airplane pilot, and we went to his airplane flight school to visit the owner, who is a believer, since we haven't had a chance to show him our little one yet. Now, if anyone knows Elliot, they would know that he loves big helicopters, especially the ones that are in use by the military. That also means that if you are not a pilot in the military, chances are slim to none that you will get the chance to fly any of these fantastic machines. Elliot is not in the military, so at this point, it looks like he will never be able to fly or see much of these helicopters in his life. Enter God. During our visit with the owner of the school, five Apache helicopters pulled up in front of the school to be refueled and tied down for a little bit. Fortunately we had our camera with us, so Elliot was taking pictures left and right. But then the owner suggested that he go up close and see one of the helicopters for himself. I don't think I could have seen a wider grin on Elliot's face, like a kid in a candy store. As I watched Elliot peering inside the helicopter and talking to the pilot, the Lord softly placed a post-it in my hand that said, "I knew you guys would be here, so I wanted to love on Elliot for a little bit by giving him the opportunity to experience these helicopters." It was a beautiful moment of clarity for me.

So I believe now that God is the God of the post-it, ever Present, always reminding us in small ways of how much He loves us, knows us, and thinks about how He can show us His love, in ways that are only meant for each individual to realize. Today I love and praise this Beautiful God of post-its.

Succumbing to the Pressure!

2008-04-29T16:53:00.003-06:00

Well, I've finally succumbed to the pressure of creating my own blog so that all can share in the profundity of my thoughts. Ok, maybe not profundity, but it will definitely give me another outlet to express and decompress as life continues to happen to me. I don't have much time now (or inspiration), but I will come back later and write a good, decent blog when I have the chance! Until then...