Update

I haven't written an update (with pictures) for quite a while.... We've been so busy. Our niece, Jamie, got married four days before Christmas, to her True Love, Wayne. Jim did one of the readings. Both our girls were two of four flower girls in the wedding. It was a lovely ceremony, and the reception, held at Chez Hay, was tremendous!

Lindsay was radiant, getting her hair done!

Josie enjoyed her first trip to a real beauty salon, as well.

(Apparently, since my hairdresser works out of her home, it's not a "real" salon!)

Aren't they all such little darlings!

Then, of course, we had several Christmases to celebrate (with my folks, Jim's folks, our own, plus one in Columbus with my maternal grandmother). Before AND after that, we celebrated Donovan's first birthday. We did it twice because his Godparents were in town for the wedding, but they were leaving for home on Christmas Day. So, since Donovan's actual birthday is December 27th, we had an early celebration so the Godparents could attend. And just to sweeten the deal for everyone, we had it at Valentino's. (My brother-in-law has a number of places he has to visit each time he returns to Nebraska: Val's, Runza, and Taco John's.)

The Elmo cake was one of Donovan's gifts from his Godparents.

"Still not quite sure what all this frosting is for....."

"The things I go through for this family!"

Then we celebrated Donovan's actual birthday as a small family, just the five of us. Donovan didn't seem to mind eating cake twice!

Now that he's naked, he's really getting the hang of it!

"Mmm, yeah, this is fun!"

"How old is Donovan? One year old!!!"

Then, of course, there was New Year's Eve. We rang in the New Year at 10:00. Are we lame, or what? Lindsay turned 9 on January 5th, and she had a few girlfriends over for her first birthday party... three friends, a cousin, and her sister. They had a good time, and Mom was able to score her a Hannah Montana cake for the occasion! Josie lost her first tooth and was paid a visit by the Tooth Fairy.

Lindsay, Morgan, Anna, Katelyn, Sara, and Josie

"See, Mom? Can you see where my tooth was?"

Donovan got his first haircut--Jim and I took turns hacking away at him. That night, it seemed like Jim had done the most damage. However, the following morning, I decided I couldn't leave well-enough alone, and I chopped off some more above the ears. Yikes! We've got a walkin', sort of talkin' (Ned-Flanders-Speak--"deetle, deetle, deetle") little boy keeping us happy and occupied; two girls in Brownies, wrapping up cookie sales; and temps at seven degrees below zero! No snow-days lately, though. (Bummer, man!)

God in our e-mails

I am pleased that I continually receive e-mails from people saying, in various ways, that we should keep God in our pledges, on our money, even write about Him (e.g. write "in God we trust" on the back of the envelopes we send out). I love that so many people I know want to keep God in our thoughts, in the forefront of our brains, and even in our actions. The fact that I get so many of these e-mails means that people know where I stand... that God is a presence in my life that I acknowledge and am grateful for.

But isn't it interesting that we keep sending these e-mails to the same people? I mean, it's a little redundant, isn't it? Maybe I shouldn't even say this... I don't want to make you all think I differ from the common point of view--I don't! It just seems that we're not going to accomplish much more than self-congratulatory head nodding, the occasional "right on!" or "amen!" spoken (or even shouted) in the comfort of our own home. I notice we all say "Don't use those new golden dollars, because 'In God We Trust' isn't on the front of them (it's on the edge, where it'll get worn off quickly, &/or people won't even see it)", or that thing about writing on the backs of our envelopes, or sign this e-mail petition to keep God in the Pledge of Allegiance, or whatever. We're all so concerned about letting people know where we stand, but we're all in agreement.....


I don't feel like I'm getting this out quite right. Let me try again.


How many of us are sending those e-mails to the people we know (don't we all know at least one or two) who are atheists, or at least don't "practice" their religion as fervently as the rest of us (who are OBVIOUSLY in the right)? I have to admit, I don't. I forward those e-mails to all the rest of you who send the same stuff back to me. I only send those e-mails to the people I won't... um... offend. (You're right, it IS an outrage that mentioning God and His importance in our day-to-day life would offend someone, but isn't this the country where we're supposed to be free to have whatever opinion we want?)

So what's the point here? I feel like I'm waffling back and forth between two different arguments: I don't forward those e-mails to people who really "need" to see them--the people whose minds the e-mails are supposed to try and change. But I'm afraid of offending them. And I believe that one of the things that makes this country great is that they have every right to be offended by those e-mails. So while part of me thinks I should be forwarding them, not just to the active God-lovers in my life, but to the people who they're really directed to--the "lost"; the other part of me says "who says those people are 'lost', just because their values are different from mine?"

Do you see why I'm in a rather constant state of confusion?