Anna is now 2!

Here are a few pictures of the day! My husband made the cake. It turned out great. Anna tore into her presents and cake. It was a very good day, I think. :D

Anna's 2nd Year Video

Anna will now be 2 in 6 days.
I made this video to celebrate that fact.
The song is Beyond Measure by Jeremy Camp. I thought it was an appropriate song considering that we have truly been given more than earthly treasure, more than beyond measure by God.

Twisted Beauty

This is for the young women.

How often do you tell yourself that you are beautiful? How often do you tell yourself that you are enough? How often do you believe it? I wish that I could hear more often young women telling themselves positive things. I am beautiful. I am smart. I am friendly, kind, sweet, talented. Especially when it comes to physical appearance, I am saddened when I hear negative comments of young women and girls about themselves. To bring this to a personal level, when I look at myself nude, I think that I am beautiful. I am curvy, I have stretch marks, cellulite. The whole nine yards. I am far from taut and airbrushed. Is it safe to say that I am human? Imperfections are what make us human. Who wants to look like Barbie? I could hardly call her perfect. If I looked like her, I'd be more ashamed than if I looked like myself. I am proud of my body. It draws air into my lungs, digests my food, feeds my child, birthed her into this world. It worships God. It reflects His Image. How amazing is that? We LOOK LIKE GOD. I don't know how much more beautiful that can be. To look like Him. To reflect His Image. To be Made In His Image. Think about it. Can you truly look at yourself in the mirror every day and say that you are ugly when you are made in God's Image. You are His creation. Now, go back and say those things again. Is it possible any more? I admit I have bad days where I feel bloated, ugly, what-have-you. But more often than not, when I go and take a shower, I stand in front of the mirror nude and I think, "I'm beautiful." Not to be vain. Vanity and loving yourself are two very different things. And I am far from vain. Vanity is believing you are perfect. In all honesty, it is the IMPERFECTIONS that I find myself admiring most. My humanity is beautiful. The half-a-dozen teeny stretchmarks that speckle the left side of my belly, just below the navel. My womanly figure, changed by motherhood. I find myself becoming and not in the traditional sense. I've learned to love myself.
And that sense, that need to love myself is all the more amplified by the fact that I am the mother to a daughter. A girl who will someday look up to me and mirror her own self image against my own. I will be her mentor, her heroine, her mother for years to come and I know that by telling her that I think I am beautiful and I think she is beautiful, that that will add to a positive self image. I remember being six years old and believing I looked fat in a bathing suit. I heard those comments, I suppose, way too often from my own mother or women I looked up to in my life. I know how that effects young girls and I am determined not to be a part of that cycle. That cycle stops here. When my daughter and I go shopping when she's fifteen, I will try on a dress and I will tell her that I look beautiful in it. And if it's the wrong size, I will tell her so. It's the wrong size, then go get the next size up. No big deal. Being a larger size has nothing to do with beauty. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we can end the cycle in our daughters' lives.

I am Beautiful. I am 5 foot 1 3/4 inches. Last I checked I weighed 125, but I think I'm closer to 128 now. I don't work out much, if ever. Shame on me. I should take better care of my body. I wear size 5 to size 7 jeans. I wear a 34A bra. I have stretchmarks on my hips, thighs, breasts, tummy. I have cellulite on my butt. I can't remember the last time I shaved my legs. I am imperfect. I am human. I am a beautiful woman and I welcome the imperfections that make me ME.

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As it turns out, I've been talking to Dove about their Campaign for Real Beauty. I love this program. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colors.
You can go to www.campaignforrealbeauty.com to download free self-esteem building materials for girls, moms, and mentors including:
• True You and Mirror, Mirror booklets
• Interactive exercises
• Workshop Facilitator Guide DVD

Words of the Day

I love learning language and new words. I think I'll do a new word day every so often....

Here are a few, some new to me, some not:

tête-à-tête : I love this word. It sounds just like the definition. PRN: Tet-a-tet. –noun

1.	a private conversation or interview, usually between two people.

sotto voce : I kept coming across this one while reading scripts. Had to look it up. PRN: sawt-taw vaw-che.
–noun in a low, soft voice so as not to be overheard.

sou marqué : This one is new to me. PRN: soo-mar-key

1.	a billon coin of France, issued in the 18th century for circulation in the colonies.

2.	something that has little or no value.

resplendent \rih-SPLEN-duhnt\, adjective:
1. very bright or shining; splendid

mot juste : This one's new to me, too. \moh-ZHOOST\, noun:
1. a word or phrase that exactly fits the case

10 Days Until Anna's Birthday

In honor of my little Anna Daisy, here is the song that Anna was named after. Daisy Bell by Gerald Adams and the Variety Singers.

The Treatment of Our National Leader

From "Wall Street Journal"
By Jeffrey Shapiro

Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.


According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.


This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust.
"

Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.


The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.


It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.


Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.


Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America.
"
In Opinion Journal Today

To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.


Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.


The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.


Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.


Mr. Shapiro is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John F. Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004.


http://online. wsj. com/article/SB122584386627599251. html

Anna's 2nd Year

12 days until my baby girl's birthday...

Countdown to Anna's Birthday!

13 Days Until Anna's Birthday....

Today, a slideshow of Anna's 1st Year:

Musica!

"Now That You're Near"
Hillsong

Halloween Pics

Anna is now 16 days from turning 2! I can't believe it! Right now I'm so tired, though, that I think I'm going to pass out, so I'm really aiming for the short post here. ;)

Anna as Elmo!!!!!!!! (Next year we're choosing a costume with wings and a wand. Poor girl kept being called "Mr. Elmo" and "He" all night... *sigh* It's the hair... people just can't fathom a two year old girl with barely any hair lol.)

College

I've been considering returning to college lately. I think I need to do something more active with my life. My mind always has to be focused on something and I've been going crazy without college this past year and a half.

Life has been busy, though. We've been working to get our school debt paid off, which it will be in the next month, so we can return. I can't wait. I'm looking into a Radiology & Ultrasound Technology major, which is something I've been interested in for quite a while. I think in the meantime, though, I'll sneak in a few psychology and writing classes--maybe a history class or two. I love all of those fields/focuses. We'll see.

Our computer is fixed. I can't remember what the problem was, but it's running in Safe Mode now, so it isn't having that issue, but we will have to purchase some new hardware to remedy the problem.

Halloween is coming up. Anna will be Elmo!

Anna will be two soon! We're having a Spongebob party! Goodness knows she loves that yellow sponge!

TTYL!

23 Months & Comp Virus

Anna is 23 months old today! Only one more month until she turns two!

Right now our computer has a virus on it, so I'm not too sure how often I'll be able to be online, so bear with me.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Pumpkin Farm Photos

We had a great time at the farm yesterday. They had a lot of goodies. A little place where you can pet animals, a fun house thingy, a tour, etc.

Update on Baby Sara

I was just reminded that I haven't updated on Baby Sara in a while. Well, Sara is doing well. Crawling, babbling, etc. and acting like she should--healthy!

However, Sara's mom, Jessica, was arrested. They raised the fifty thousand dollars bond so she could go home to her children. She has a court date set for Monday (if I remember right). Please keep them in prayer!!!

Goin' Pumpkin Huntin'

We were going to go to the pumpkin farm today, but it turns out they're only open for business from Thursday til Sunday. We're actually going to the Roloff Farm, it's actually not too far from where Paul works. I don't know if you know what that is? It's the farm owned by the Roloffs from the show Little People Big World. I'm excited about that. They have a huge old west town, pumpkins, other goodies that Anna will love (and me!). So I will be sure to upload those ASAP and put them up after we go. It'll be so much fun. Last year was a blast. Anna was so little! She was wearing 12 month clothes then! Now she wears some 2T. It's really amazing how fast babies grow. Next year will she be wearing 4T? I guess we'll see.

Anyhow, here's a cute little graphic:

glitter-graphics.com

hehehe so cute!!!