chalk drawings II

the whole gang with their artist, Nicholas!

Chalk Drawings

By Nicholas

Shadow, Espio, Tails

Chalk bucket, Shadow & Espio

Nicholas with Silver & half of Sonic

Sonic & Silver

more to come ...

cold day

Our weather out here has been wierd. It's been unseasonably cold, and dry. We're on a record for the amount of rain we haven't had. One morning Nicholas got up and he was so cold he needed TWO blankets! I took a picture of him trying to stay warm.
He has the shawl my friend Sue made for me under the blanket I made for Jeff. :)
It is still cool here. The boys were complaining that they were cold today! I am not cold, I am actually a bit warm. :)

wierd tie-in

Was catching up on some reading today and read this blog post at Searching for Bright Light. I found what she had to say about Mahmoud Ahmadinejab very interesting. Jeff and I have been watching all that is happening in Iran. I am worried, because I think we need a strong president at this time, and I don't see President Obama being that. The world tends to take its cues from America, to some extent. Right now, it seems they are receiving a shaky, wavering cue.

That aside, I found the comment made to be similar to something Jeff & I have been talking about. In Christian circles, one only has to claim the Scriptures as reference and say, "this is what God says ..." and no one can argue with them. People tend to nod and follow instead of seeking the truth on their own (which in this case would be through prayer and reading the Word). The Bright Light blogger notes this is the case for Ahmadinejab, too. (emphasis mine)
"From Ahmadinejab's blog, I learn one thing. He claims, if not believes, that this is all about what Allah wants. And religious conviction can be the most dangerous of motivators. I only hope that world response allows the Iranian people to prevail, and that Pres. Obama gets over his fear of "meddling" and shows some courage to take a stand."

I think, just like in my life, people need to seek the truth and find out which way is right for Iran. America needs to stand up for those who are being beaten down and not allowed to voice their argument.

Creative Mom Blogger Award!

I got a nice surprise today. Desiree' over at Raising 5 Hearts nominated me for this award. Dez has a wonderful family & she shows me how you can live a simple life, even with lots of kids! She's got great insight on raising a family God's way. Pop over and check out her blog!

Here are the simple rules:
♥ Take your award and put the logo on your post.
♥Link the person who awarded you.Remember each recipient of the award should acknowledge the person who honored them and go to Mom's Special Diary to copy and paste the award.
♥Put your own blog title and link.
♥Nominate at least five deserving moms.



1. Mary @ Daily Grace
2. Michelle @ ~Psalm 104:24~
3. Nique @ Nique's Life
4. Theresa @ House of Hooligans
5. C.C. @ LorelaiCC aka C.C. Almon
6. ** This 6th award goes to someone I don't know personally (well, four out of the five other awards are for women I've never met in person, only online ... but anyways, I digress), but I love reading her blog & seeing her interpretation of things. She is a mom, but doesn't usually write about "mom" things. :) ** Diane @ Searching for Bright Light

Thanks ladies! You all inspire me and make me think! I love reading your blogs!!

Simon & Simon

As you might know, I'm a fan of eighties shows like "Magnum, P.I." (I *love* Tom Selleck!!), "Scarecrow & Mrs. King", "Knight Rider" and others. I just recently started watching "Simon & Simon". I don't remember being allowed to watch these shows (I don't think we had a TV when they were new), I do remember watching "Knight Rider" and "Scarecrow" in reruns when I was a teenager.
** I just looked at www.IMDB.com and saw that "Knight Rider" ran through '86, so there is a slim possibility I would've caught a season of it. "Scarecrow" ran through '87, so there is an even bigger possibility that I could have seen at least the last season when it came out. But I remember watching quite a few episodes. Maybe shows had more episodes per season back then.
Anyways ... I never did get to watch "Simon & Simon" new. But I remember seeing the guys and loving AJ. He was so cute!!! Although, because I didn't watch the show, I had Rick's and AJ's names mixed up and always thought he was Rick. :p
So I started watching "Simon & Simon" on Netflix while doing dishes (of course). This morning, I thought I would see how old Jameson Parker is.

He's 62!!!


But he looks really good for 62. ;)

ttfn!

President Reagan's Speech @ Normandy

Today is D-Day, the day many Americans, Britons (?), Canadians, and members of the French Resistance risked life and limb to keep Europe free from the grasp of Nazi Germany. Their sacrifice is one we should always remember. WWII took many lives, yet we are free today because so many went readily into battle to preserve our freedom.
I was listening today to a David Bose Show podcast. Mr. Boze was talking about President Obama's "reset tour" as he calls it - the tour President Obama is taking to middle eastern nations where he feels the need to apologize for America being America. It seems he hopes he can press the reset button and put our relationships back to right just by saying we were wrong. President Obama does not seem to understand a fundamental difference in what we are doing in Iraq & Afghanistan versus what the terrorists did to us on 9/11, or what dictators like Sadaam Hussein do in their countries on a regular basis. President Reagan stated this difference very clearly when asking why the soldiers did what they did on D-Day 40+ years ago -
" It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.
You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you."
Today, however, our soldiers cannot be sure that their country is behind them. Maybe we should change that. Maybe we should remember the tyranny that caused us to invade on D-Day. Maybe we should remember the relentlessness of the enemy that caused us to continue to fight, even after victory had been secured in Europe.
Our soldiers, and those of our allies, fought valiantly. I pray we will always remember them & the sacrifices they made so we may be free. I pray we do not give up our freedoms readily, but continue to fight for our rights as Americans.
If you want to listen to the speech, here's the link - www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEIqdcHbc8I. If you want to read the speech, click on the title of this post. :)
Thank a vet today.

You Are Imaginative

You are a creative, innovative person. You're not afraid of great risks. Right now, you are seeking peace and tranquility in your life. You are drawn to people who are passionate and deep. You feel like there are a few minor things in your life that need to be changed. You are quick to react. You are courageous and bold.

The Jungle Test

"Jayne" speaks out ...

Adam Baldwin, who plays "Jayne" in the Firefly series, wrote an article on education in America.  It's good.  http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abaldwin/2009/06/03/global-citizenship-an-unsustainable-social-injustice/

I find it interesting talking to the kids at church versus talking to the teachers.  The kids often tell me they feel intimidated and unable to express their own views if they differ from the teacher's views.  They fear repercussions - both from their peers and from the teacher.  However, when talking to the teachers, they tell this is not the case, that the students are just being silly.  They say that teachers welcome discussion.  I think both are right - teachers do welcome discussion, although, some only welcome that discussion that agrees with their point of view.  The students are also right, opposing viewpoints aren't always welcomed & often looked down on by peers because it causes distress in class or causes things to take longer.  You remember high school - most of us would do anything to breeze through classes.  

anyways ... it's a good article, surprising from someone in Hollywierd.  

Why do you worship?

Heard this song on the Zune this morning & it reminded me of why I worship like I do.

All For You Lyrics
Performed by- Big Daddy Weave
(Mike Weaver / Andy Cloninger)

I wanna sing
Like I'm driving in the car all by myself
I wanna dance like I just won the lottery
I wanna lift my hands and spin around
I wanna throw my head back and shout
Like a prisoner who's just found out he's free

I will give my everything
I'll be a fool for You
Because I am in love with You

I wanna sing and shout
I wanna dance around
I wanna forget who I used to be
And embrace Your truth
So when I sing and shout
When I dance around
When I lay my pride down
It's all for You

I wanna live learning how to make my life a sacrifice
I wanna die to find my true identity
I wanna answer at Your beckon call
Wanna do my best and give my all
I wanna hold on to You and let go of me

So let me give my everything
I'll be a fool for You
Because I am in love with You

With sweet success already gained
Self righteousness is not my aim
I'm raised from death into Your life so free
Not on my own but by Your grace
I'm gazing long into Your face
And I can't keep this passion bottled up inside of me

Song Description:
Worship is great. There is nothing like getting in a room with a bunch of believers and just letting loose. But Worship has to be more than getting excited, jumping around and acting crazy. It is about knowing who it is you are being a fool for. Worship means learning to live as a sacrifice, and being willing to die in order to truly live. As much as we respond to God in corporate worship, it mustn't stop when we walk out of the church doors on Sunday morning. (Mike Weaver)