Some comments on the New Yorker Cover

I've been in the dark for a couple of days but my attention was recently drawn toward this controversial cover. I will just say my piece and be on my way. This was an email I sent to my husband about the article and feel compelled to also share it here:

Is this where freedom of speech gets us? If given over to our own ends, this is the unpatriotic crap that the big whigs come up with? Satire or not, there are some things that people just ought to know better than to do. At some point, some things are just universally wrong and this is one of them. It is divisive at best and slanderous to a lot of people (not just Obama) at worst. Even if you disagree with the war, this kind of propaganda does no one any good. Stir the pot some more, we think we are in bad times now? We ainʼt seen nothinʼ yet. This kind of stuff is going to come back to bite us. It is arrogant and hidden behind the first amendment. It is everything bad about postmodernity wrapped up in one illustration. No topic is too sacred to ridicule (racism, war, marriage, religion). There are no rules of engagement anymore. This is the American kind of guerilla warfare.

Have whatever opinion you like about the cover but I'm a little fired up about it if you can't tell.

I love those rare moments when my girls are really getting along and learning to play together. Robyn is so proud of Kiley that she is trying to do everything just like her. They really get along well. Here are a few recent moments in the house:




I was in the kitchen and began to get a little worried because I didn't hear Robyn. I started looking for her and found her in the dark, in the bathroom, on her stool, brushing her teeth. She is very independent and VERY capable. She had pulled her stool up to the sink and grabbed her toothbrush. So naturally, I seized the moment and turned on the water for her. I'm still trying to get Kiley to understand the need to brush teeth. So cute!



And she's always thinking of others..."Want to share, Mommy"?

LSAT Results

We got LSAT results today. We actually got them a few days early, they weren't due out until Monday but we heard from a friend that sometimes when its around a holiday they will post them early. Brad did great!!! His score is right where it needs to be to apply to some of our top choice schools. We will start the application process and the future is officially now wide open. It will be great to see what God has in store for us. I am excited about how things will play out. It is an adventurous time. We also listed the house today with a realtor. She advised me to become emotionally unattached to the place and I told her I was there. She advised me of some cosmetic changes we could make and I am ready, willing, and able to make them. Let's get this baby sold!!! I can't explain what has gotten me to this point, but I think we have some exciting times ahead. As I sat outside yesterday trying to enjoy the evening whilst being eaten alive by mosquitos (or as Kiley referred to them as baby wasps) I realized just how ready I am to be moving forward. Even if we end up staying right here in Jonesboro I think we have a lot of adventures in our near future! We'll keep you posted on the journey.

We can breathe again

It was a crazy Spring to say the least. Normally, I am not thrilled about the start of another Summer in Jonesboro as I had been about the start of Summer in Chattanooga in my youth. But this Summer, I welcome with open arms. I am so glad to have some semblance of my family back intact. Mostly, Brad has come up for air...a little. We made it through the LSAT and are awaiting his test score. Meanwhile, I am focussed on Paces work and thoroughly enjoying my life. We are spending time at the pool and my girls are great. Their Grandpa took some pictures this weekend. One, in particular, epitomizes Robyn...



I see that she is definitely my child. So poised in self assurance and sassiness. She is confident about every move she makes and is very head strong. I love it!!! I'm sure we will butt heads a lot in her life. Anyway, not much else is going on. We made it through my first Father's Day without my dad. I was okay until my father-in-law ordered Loaded Potatoe Soup at Outback on that Sunday. One of the last times my dad was in town, just after his Throat Cancer surgery, we went to Outback and he had the soup. This was the first semi-solid food he had had in months and I remember the look in his eyes as he enjoyed every last bite!! But all in all, we had a great day. Brad had to study some, but we got to rest also. We are glad to be moving forward with a lot of new things.

Our friends, the Cebulskis, are getting ready for the Olympic Trials at the end of the month. We are praying Joe makes it to the Olympics!! How cool will that be to know someone in the Olympics!?!! Ta Ta For Now...

The Big Day

If you don't know by now, Brad is taking the LSAT on Monday. He is understandably nervous but feels that he is in a good place. Right where he needs to be with his studying and practice scores. Please pray for him throughout the weekend. Pray that he will have peace and relaxation for the next few days, that we can have some fun as a family to ease and prepare his mind, and that he will do exactly what he needs to do on test day. The test is at 1:00p on Monday in Memphis. I am so proud of him and what he has accomplished over the last year. What a testament to perseverance! Thanks for all your support. I am praying that God be with him and give him strength beyond what Brad can fathom. We are very excited about what the future holds and can't wait to start planning the rest of the journey to law school. It will be three weeks before we know his score, so also be praying that he can relax during that time. We will be glad to turn this corner and start looking ahead. This has been a long time coming even though many of you are just finding out about Brad's ambitions. So, please just send up some strength and encouragement Brad's way over the weekend. Thanks,

Ballet Recital

Just wanted to publish a few pics of Kiley's ballet recital. She did a great job!

Maiden Voyage

So Mom got a boat. Mom has never done a lot of boating. We don't let Mom go out in a boat alone. Mom has a hard time keeping gas in her own car, much less a boat. Do you see where I am going with this? For most of our Memorial Day Saturday, we spent it on the lake, out of gas. Forty-five minutes into our maiden voyage on Mom's boat, she let's me know that she has never actually been to the restaurant for lunch that we are trying to find by water, only by land. Another forty-five minutes later, we are out of gas. Thanks to technology, however, the emergency response team was able to find us via GPS within a few minutes and tow us to gas. See photo below:



Besides that, Kiley had a great time seeing her cousin. They look a lot alike, I think. Don't you?



Robyn was in Heaven on the lake, she is definitely my child!