Fortune Cookie's taste soo good

"Why we are here is important, but to know where we are going is imperative. It's not what you've got, it's what you use, that makes a difference in how your life turns out. "- Zig Ziglar

Small things do make a difference

We are all entitled to live our own lives, and how we live it is up to us as individuals making choices for ourselves. We have been given a free will to make our own decisions for the direction of our life. So many have a hard time taking responsibility for themselves, and some people want to take responsibility for others... Our culture gives us these unhealthy views of boundaries telling us all lies about where our responsibilities lie. According to the Law of Boundaries we are only responsible for ourselves (and to others). We are responsible for our actions, our thoughts, our own choices, and attitudes and no one Else's. Every choice you make has a consequence, whether it is a good one or bad one, it is yours to make.

Knowing this it blows my mind that people ask, "If there is a God why is there evil and why do bad things happen, why is our world filled with hurt?" and here is my simple answer - you can take it or leave it: "Because we, as a human race, have made bad choices. Our 'free-will' has corrupted the world. And people have chosen evil over good. Gods will is perfect and whole, and if he forced it on us then things would be 'Perfect', and there really would be world peace, this world would no longer know hurt like we know it now! But if we were to give up our free will to God then we would be like robots. I don't know about you, but personally I would rather be an individual who has a soul, and can make choices for myself, and be challenged as I face my life and the hardships that I face, and grow when I make mistakes. The choices that people have made and continue to make affect our world. God has been so gracious to give us the freedom and blessing of having a free will, so here it is, said by me, "God is not responsible for all of the hurt, all of the poverty, all of the bad that has happened here on earth. We, the people of this world - The Human Race, are the ones responsible for the messes that we have created as individuals. Don't blame God for the bad choices that people have made or even the choices that you yourself have made, because he isn't responsible for those choices."

So, I challenge you to think about this: How can you make good decisions for the world, how can you make a difference and help, what can you do to help end poverty, what can you do to help end hurt?

Mother Teresa said: "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." So I challenge you to do just that. The world is not on your shoulders, but you do have a life to live and small choices to make that can make an impact on this world. Reflecting back on Mother Teresa's life we can see that she made an amazing difference in so many lives - even in the world - she didn't change the world, but she did make a difference. Mother Teresa actively gave of herself, day in and day out, she was hands on with people that needed her, and needed help. She is an example of Gods will for this world - and she was fully human, and imperfect, not a saint - she made some really great choices for her life, and lived out Gods will for her - imagine what our lives would be like if we did the same! How can you be an example of God to this world in need, this world hurting??

My church has started this group called 'The Theology Pub'. We are instructed to read a book, one that is assigned to us. For next month we need to read a book titled The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. As I packed up my apartment I began listening to this book on audio, and found myself pondering about all that God wants to do with my life, and about what I can do to make a difference, to help start a revolution in this hurting world. I haven't finished the book, but so far - 6 chapters in - it is amazing. I am challenged and now I have a new perspective on how I should live this life. Ask yourself this, Who are you living for? For Yourself... For others... For God... who?

We all talk about how we wish for world peace, and how This should really be like That. So lets do it, start making small decisions to start a revolution for change, because if we all stepped in to make a difference a huge difference would be made. I am challenged to start walking my talk, and living this life making small choices with great love to make positive changes
"Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived." — Shane Claiborne {Author of the book The Irresistible Revolution}.

It is Officially Mine!!

Who You REALLY are?

Character is who you are when people Aren't around...

As if My "Mom-Mind" was read

running across this fabulous site called blogher.com, a community for Women who blog... There is a group that is so me that it screams my name!

It is called: This is my "Mom Body" not my real one.

Here is the synopsis:

"This is my "mom body" not my real one. My real one is hidden under large, stretchy, itchy clothes that are meant to camoflauge my "muffin top". My real one is screaming to get out, but I am busy eating my kids' left over lunch so I can't hear it. My real one is skinny, hot, and dying to be discovered under this imposter body. I still look for clothes for my real body, but my "mom body" won't fit in to them. My "mom body" is the one I catch in the mirror and am startled as if I just saw a stranger in my bathroom! I still feel like the old me, but I certainly don't look like her! Be gone "mom body". I need my real body to come out!"

~tommiealexander

new perspective on Love

I am sickly in love, like I never imagined... Since becoming a Mother my perspectives have changed. The simplest of things are so much more important than they ever used to be.

Life has new color, and a more beautiful view. I live with a smile on my face daily, and a pride in my heart for my amazing daughter.


Yesterday as Madi, Meredith and I spent the evening together, I found myself laughing and smiling, and telling Madi how utterly cute she is inside and out. She makes my heart flutter, how can I love one person so much??


I find myself wondering if she will have the same love for me as I do for her... It is probably impossible, and she will probably never fully understand how much she means to me. She has changed my life, in so many great ways.


She is MY child, and God couldn't have created her more magnificently! As I watch her grow I am discovering more about who I am, and I am discovering more and more about God's love for me, as his child. Life is beautiful, I cannot even begin to conceptualize how truly blessed I am...


I am amazed at how powerful love is, i do believe that it can move mountains, My love for Madi has moved mountains in my life...


"I love you, not only for what you are, But for what I am when I am with you."
-Roy Croft

My baby is growing up

Although I have a few baby books going, I can't help but feel like I am going to miss documenting some precious and priceless moments with my ever growing beautiful daughter.

Madi is doing fabulous! she is as cute as ever and loving her life.

A few fun facts about Madi at 14 Months old...
-she is: Climbing CLIMBING Climbing, all over Everyyything!
-Saying "whats-that" while pointing at anything and everything is a hobby of hers.
-Getting into everything possible, and snickering at me if my reply is "No."
-She hates laying still for me to change her diaper!

-She has so many curls, her hair is hard to tame... often it is scruffy in the back from her laying on it, so I will call her Scruffers!

-I think that she thinks she is a celebrity because I take so many pictures of her!

-Leanna, her cousin who she goes to daycare with, is her arch enemy. They beat eachother up and fight often. It is a love-hate relationship, I think that she is really Madi's best friend - she is a girl already, drama and all.
-Her knees are all scuffed up and bruised, from falling... she just gets right back up though without tears in her eyes now, she has learned to tough it out, and just keep going...
-She loves her bouncy horse and her princess mobile.

-Anything that makes noise is her favorite!

-If I say "Kisses" she puckers and puts her lips to mine, talk about melting my heart...

-She loves to climb stairs, but DOES NOT know how to come down them properly, I about have a heart attack everytime she goes for the stairs to go down... fearing she is going to crash pretty hard someday.

-She laughs a lot - by throwing her head back - and it is contagious.

-She throws some pretty good fits. She typically throws her body backward and falls to the floor hurting herself in the process. I find myself wondering what age 2 will be like.
-Her big thing is handing me something and yelling "Thank-you" at the top of her lungs, as if she is trying to let me know that I NEED to take it from her. Probably because I say thank you and reach my hand out to her to hand me something that she is not supposed to be touching!

-She is a screamer and she always has been, it is becoming more like a very loud, shrill, screech... I laugh, because little does she know it doesn't phase me much!

-I call her my Little Spunky, My Boogie, Babes, My Love, Mads, Babe-sters, and Madders!
-She will actually wear flip flops, the thong in between her toes doesn't bother her, amazingly, because everything else seems to bother her.
-She loves to share her food, even if it is soggy from already putting it in her mouth.
-She is extremely clingy to her Melody bear lately.
-She is off of the bottle for good, and she has no issues with it, she loves her sippy cup, and loves drinking out of a big girl cup.

-She would rather be naked than have me put clothes on her.

-She freaks out now when I pour water over her head in the bath, she used to be fine with it, I don't know where or when the switch occured.

-Mac and Cheese is by far her favorite food, I can tell because none of it ends up on the floor and when she eats it she says nummmm, numm, num, the whole time! - as well as all other noodles... -She likes to try and put my shoes on her feet.

-I am finally able to somewhat successfully brush her teeth.

-She loves Music, and is a natural dancer, I must say I am very proud of her dancing skills!
-Snacks are something that she must have all the time, but they end up all over the floor at home or in the car by the end of the day.
-She is quite opinionated... like she has been since the day she was born.
-She is taking her pacifier less and less, which is great.

-She is becoming a little more attatched to me and less receptive to being with strangers.
-Madi is very uninterested in TV, which is good I guess, although it is a bummer for me sometimes when I want her to be occupied so I can get stuff done:)
-I cannot get her to stay still, she is way too interested in running all over the place.
-She grows cuter and more adorable everyday, I cannot believe that I gave birth to such a beautiful child!
-She is a fun filled, entertainment for me, all I have to do is watch her and I will be amused!
-Yesterday she attempted to put my bra on, it was hilarious!

-Everything that looks like it can be put on goes over her head: My sunglasses, my purse, a shirt, socks... you name it she tries to put it on over her head.
-She says "Uh-Oh" a lot, which is fitting because she either drops or breaks everything...

-She is so smart, she loves taking my phone putting it up to her ear and babbling, I must be on my phone a lot...

-She loves to look at Pictures.
-I didn't baby-proof the house, and it is going pretty well so far, I just have to work with her a little bit.

-I am pretty sure that she loves both Dan and I ALOT, we are by far her favorite - which brings a smile to my face.

-She definetly undertsands the concept of Bye-Bye, and likes it :)
-The biggest thing that I have noticed is that she is a big girl now, it seems like there is no baby left in her...

Two days ago I was laying on the couch watching TV while she played with her toys, she picked up her bear, came up to me, and put her hand in my direction wiggling her fingers and grunting - signaling that she wanted me to pick her up - so I did, she actually layed still with me and we fell asleep snuggling on the couch together... It is the priceless moments like that when I feel so blessed and in love with my baby girl!

through sickness and health

I have blogged through it all... but this Viral Respiratory Infection has got the best of me, so I haven't blogged or done much of anything else other than sleep over these past few days!

I got back from Vegas on Weds PM, and went to FPU, it was great.

So much has happened over the past week: Naomi and I took a trip to Vegas for her 21st Birthday, April and Sean have officially moved into a homeless transitional shelter called Mary's Palce (click to read more about the facility), I got really sick with a respiratory infection, I move to my new place in T-11 days!, Albert got his senior pics done by CT Ryan studios - some teasers are posted here, click to enlarge.

I would go into more detail about averything but I am dizzy, sick to my stomach, my head is pounding, and I cannot stop coughing, not to mention achy all over... so I will blog when I am feeling better.

Thanks for all of the prayer and support everyone, and for all of the help and assistance with April and Sean. Please continue to pray for their family!

Proud Auntie

As Tamrah came to my home to photograph the newly born neice and nephew of mine, I had pretty high hopes for good shots... and boy did CT Ryan exceed my expectations, yet again.

The photos that were captured blew me away, I am very impressed, take a little sneak peek - you will deffinetly enjoy these shots!

Abby and Avery were great little models. They sure are happy and content babies as you can tell in the pictures, April was blessed! Two more babies to add to their beautiful family! They are now truly just like the 'Brady' bunch - funny thing is is that Brady is mine and Aprils maiden name :)

To check out the fabulous photographers click HERE

To get a better view link to CT Ryan Studios' blog Here
Click on the photos to enlarge them

What-a-Wonder-FULL-Wednesday

So, it has been Days - litterally - since I last posted, and I don't want time to run away from me! I consider blogging awesome in so many ways: keeping people updated on me and my life, processing my thoughts, therapy, as a way to document my life as it happens... I know that one day I will look back and be happy that I did this, hopefully I will be able to print it and create a hardcopy book one day, for Madi to keep :)


Anyway, I have been trying to stay positive and in doing so I want the think of some wonderful things today.

1. I leave for Las Vegas on Sunday the 7th -throught the 10th -with Naomi, a near and dear friend of mine who will be celebrating her 21st birthday that same day, it will be a ton of fun! We will be lounging by the water soaking up the sun, and eating a lot of yummy food! Too bad she won't have her guitar in hand it is always fun to sing along together while she plays!

2. The weekend following Vegas, Madi and I will be heading up to Walker, MN to see Dan and Shirleys cabin. They have accomplished so much since we were last up there! I am thrilled to see how far it has come along in the building process. Dan designed it, it is amazingly elegant, and oh so functional, probably more so than any other place you have seen! He is so talented...

3. I will be moving into my new HOME! Yes, my own Home! I am thrilled, and blessed and soooo excited. I feel like I have been given so much, and I am so thankful, God has been so good to me! My new address as of June 24th 2009 will be: 7075 Blaine Avenue Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076. I cannot wait, it is beautiful and perfect!

4. I will be having a sleep study done in June sometime as well, and I am hoping that they can figure out why I am so exhausted all of the time, that is something I am looking forward to taking care of.

5. Madi is growing like a weed! Her molars are coming in, there are 4 poking though. poor little thing! She loves to chat, and hold the phone to her ear while doing so. She loves to run around, and to play peek-a-boo. Her little grins that expose her gap-filled teeth make me smile. Her fits are becoming intense, especially when in public, and I am discovering that the pacifier is going to be a LOT harder than I thought to take away from her! When she is tired she lets me - and EVERYONE else - know, by her loud screeches and crabby attitude. Overall she is a blast, always going full speed. I no longer will take for granted the age of a newborn, although they wake up a lot and eat a lot, they are Much easier at that age than Madilynns 14 months of age, I wouldn't trade it for the world though, it is sooo fun!

June is one busy Month for me, I was going to attempt to go to the Family Reunion in California for my Moms family but that fell through, but it is okay, we have another one next year. I was hoping to be able to go as well to see my Dad's family, but hopefully that will happen later on this year!

Overall things in life are going great, life is a bit stressful, but it isn't anything that I can't handle although it does feel overwhelming at times...

I think I learned to appreciate and treasure each day,

because you don't know how many you're going to be given.

~Sandra Day O'Connor