Anastasia has not only taken to sitting in big people seats, she is also getting pretty good at feeding herself. Of course, I make the oatmeal a little more sticky to help her out some.

Check Your Crust

Oreo Cheesecake is not Oreo Cheesecake unless the crust is crushed Oreo wafers.

I had a slice of “Oreo Cheesecake” at a respected Jackson establishment (that will go unnamed). I took my first bite and it didn’t taste as I had expected – not enough Oreo flavor. It wasn’t until the second bite that I realized that it had a graham cracker crust!

Don’t get me wrong – a graham cracker crust on almost any other type of cheesecake is not only preferable but expected. Not so with Oreo Cheesecake.

So, before you cheesecake-up, check your crust.

Chipping away at Chocolate Chunk

I've long since thought Chocolate Chunk granola bars aren't anything to write home about. Tonight I made some break-and-bake Chocolate Chunk cookies and realized this reality is not unique to granola bars. Chocolate Chip cookies, granola bars, etc. are far superior to the Chocolate Chunk variety. And let me tell you why.

While the actual pieces of chocolate may be bigger in Chocolate Chunk goodies, there are fewer total pieces. Yet in Chocolate Chip treats the pieces may be smaller but there are a larger number of them to be dispersed throughout the item. When I eat a Chocolate Chip cookie, I get what I want - chocolate in every bite. You're not as likely to be afforded that luxury with Chocolate Chunk.

So, to spare you the chocolate-less bites: chunk the Chocolate Chunk.

The Radio Shopping Show

The Radio Shopping Show is a great way to find deals in the Jackson area! It can be found on 1400 AM WJQS in the Jackson metro area four (non consecutive) hours a day - 9-11, 12-1, and 3-5.

These are the deals I've found: a $25 gift certificate to Fleet Feet for $12.50, a $20 gift certificate to the Sunglasses Shop for $6, a round of golf in Brandon for $3.50, a $60 massage for $8, Cold Stone, Maggie Moo's, Planet Smoothie, and (this may be my favorite), a membership to the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce for $30!

The Radio Shopping Show works on the barter system. Advertisers offer gift certificates, products and services at no cost to the show in exchange for the advertising. So, The Radio Shopping Show profits what they sell the goods and services for and the advertisers have the on-air exposure. There are several "rules" in place that prevent callers from taking advantage of advertisers. For example, you can only purchase one certificate per 30 days per merchant. Ie, you can't call up The Radio Shopping Show and buy all the Chik-fil-A certificates they have available.

It's worth checking out the Shopper's Guide online. This lists all the merchants and the product or services they offer. But you do have to actually call the show during show hours to purchase. Click on The Radio Shopping Show image above to go to the website. Happy listening!

Double the Scrubbing Bubbles

As I was cleaning the toilet this morning I realized I could stretch my Johnson and Johnson dollar even further. First of all, their toilet bowl cleaner set comes with a wand and an attachment that fits right over the tank to store it. Given our highly limited amount of space, this is a genius invention.

Johnson & Johnson also makes a disposable cleaner to attach to this wand and then flush down the toilet. The cleaning agent is embedded in the little pieces of paper-towel like paper. My epiphany came when I realized I could rip one of those match-box sized suckers in half!

It's best to take a single sheet of toilet paper and fold it several times to put in the wand with the cleaning sheets.

Now I get twice the Scrubbing Bubbles cleaning experience from the same package. Score one for toilet bowl cleaners.

Vieira ain't no Stephanopoulos

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Meredith Vieira’s interview with Terry Jones earlier this week displayed immature behavior and an unprofessional attitude. A reporter's task is to expose and inform the public. Vieira’s attitude, body language, and logic communicated a lack of self control. Although she is entitled to her own views and beliefs, her career demands that she maintain an attitude of neutrality to faithfully conduct her job.

Vieira’s attitude failed to empathize with Terry Jones' position. Jones' position is that radical Islam is dangerous. He believes this is a truth the American media has not taken seriously, especially in the case of the building of the mosque near Ground Zero in NYC. Vieira repeatedly confessed her confusion at Jones’ line of reasoning and responses. However, Jones was quite clear and I did not feel that confusion. Vieira’s language further demonstrated her attitude and point of view. She used words like “bigoted, intolerant, and crazy”. Vieira also said, “You incited this,” to Jones, making her presuppositions obvious.

Vieira’s body language and tone of voice displayed her posture towards Jones. Vieira’s raised eyebrows revealed her shock with regard to Jones. Her hand gestures demonstrated her antagonism towards him. Clearly, Jones’ methods are shocking and his actions belligerent. It’s easy to understand how Vieira felt shock and antagonism. However, her responsibility as a news anchor is to maintain composure and professionalism during the interview process. Vieira’s goal is a public, not personal, conversation with Jones. Vieira allowed her personal stance to overshadow her public role.

Vieira’s logic, which was exposed in her line of questioning, revealed her agenda. Her original problem was confusion and her original question was if the burning of the Quran was happening. Jones response was complex. Jones said the burning would certainly be cancelled if his demand was met – that demand being the moving of the intended mosque. Jones claimed that if a meeting with the Imam happened the burning of the Qurans would be at least postponed if not cancelled. Vieira claimed she was still confused, which communicated her inability to hear Jones. Vieira failed at this point by asking a closed question rather than an open question. A closed question is fishing for confirmation, whereas an open question is asking for information. When Vieira asked Jones whether or not she was going to go through with the burning, she was expecting a yes or no answer. When Vieira did not receive a yes or no answer, the nature of her questioning was exposed, which was to look for confirmation of her agenda rather than clarity of Jones position and actions.

Overall, Vieira failed to maintain an attitude conducive to her task. If Vieira had maintained an attitude of neutrality, Jones’ position and actions would have spoken for themselves. This would have placed the public in the position to make the judgment. Instead, Vieira took on the role of judge and thereby drew the attention away from Jones to herself. As a viewer, I was robbed of the right to make my own judgment. The result of Vieira’s interjecting herself into the interview was that I was now required to agree or disagree with her. The conversation was then between the viewer and Vieira rather than between the viewer and Jones. The end result is that now I disagree with Jones actions but also with Vieira’s behavior. Although I disagree with Jones actions, I feel more negativity toward Vieira. Even though I enjoy watching the Today Show, I now feel the lack of connection is absent because Vieira conducted herself in an untrustworthy manner.

The bottom line: Vieira ain't no Stephanopoulos.

Everybody believes in God

The chairman of a trucking company, with over 300 terminals nationwide, requires his new employees to take a lie detector test. One of the questions they are asked is, "Do you believe in God?" This chairman reports that 100% of the time, those who respond, "No", are lying! When an employee answers that question negatively, the little needle goes wild and indicates that they are lying.

What does this tell me? Although people may suppress or ignore this truth, physiologically, all men confess that God exits!

Disclaimer: I don't have exhaustive knowledge as to the reason for this requirement, nor do I know any of the other questions asked. In fact, I believe that the name of the trucking company was intentionally not shared for confidentiality purposes.

Mississippi Braves game

Philip and I got a couple of tickets (and $10 in Braves bucks!) for the Mississippi Braves game on Friday night. It was the first time I had been to the new Trustmark Park or to a Mississippi Braves game! It was a blast! And the Braves beat the Carolina Mudcats 3 to 2!

They really do a lot of contests and give-aways between at-bats. My personal favorite was the eye-ball race sponsored by the Jackson Eye Associates. (There were kids that wore these giant balls over their heads that had an eye painted on them.)

Mama and Daddy had Anastasia for the weekend, so she missed out...well, she would probably disagree.

I dropped it.

Anastasia spoke her first sentence today! Philip and I both heard it - doesn't the Bible say something about two witnesses...Anyway, her first complete sentence with a subject, verb and direct object was, "I dropped it."

We had some (amazing) fried catfish from Lumpkin's, a unique BBQ place here in Jackson. (If you're local, you should check it out!) I peeled off the fried skin and handed the fish to Anastasia. She dropped it on her shirt and Philip said just that. As I went to get pick it off, Anastasia looked down and said, "I dropped it."

Anastasia is very verbose. It's not all intelligable, though. Philip and I joke that she has been practicing so much, she is just going to wake up one day and start speaking complete and understandable sentences. I'll keep you posted.

Pilates

I have the privilege of being a Pilates instructor! Pilates is a popular class at the local gyms. It was designed during WWI by Joseph Pilates. Pilates was a German who became disenchanted with the political direction his country was taking and immigrated to the United States. Though his methods were first used for military purposes, Pilates was quickly embraced by the dance and entertainment community. Pilates not only conditions the entire body but helps rehabilitate after injury.

Pilates focused on strengthenging, stretching, and stabalizing a few key muscles. Incorporating proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement is how this total body conditioning is achieved. The result is long, lean muscles (like those of a dancer!).

If you're new to Pilates, thinking about all of those principles at one time can be overwhelming. However, consistency will gain mastery. Joseph Pilates had a 10-20-30 concept: after 10 sessions, you will be comfortable with the moves and notice a difference. After 20 sessions, you and others will notice a difference. And after 30 sessions, you will have a whole new body! All of this assuming you make good choices outside of the Pilates sessions.

In the late 1960's, Joseph Pilates claimed that he was 50 years ahead of his time. As Pilates has gained incredible momentum in the past 10 years, I would say he was right on target! Pilates continues to gain popularity. But this isn't a fad. Pilates will be an industry standard for years to come.

a little comic relief

WRONG E-MAIL ADDRESS

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter.. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.

Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston , a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack.

The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she gasped and fainted...

The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife

Subject: I've Arrived

Date: October 16, 2005

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in.

I've seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!!!! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P. S. Sure is freaking hot down here!!!!

Independence

Lately, I've been telling our Reliv story a lot. And I am still impressed by Philip's results. In Feburary of 2010, Philip found that he was able to climb onto our bed by himself. Prior to Feb 2010, that was something that I was doing for him every time he needed to get to his chair or the bed.

Philip had found relief from his migraines, seasonal allergies and anxiety not too long after starting to drink Reliv. We would have been highly satisfied if those results were all we ever saw. But, to God's glory, Philip has seen increased mobility!

In fact, his mobility continues to increase. He's now able to get onto one of our living room chairs unassisted and swim without needing a flotation aid. And all that Philip has changed has been adding Reliv.

Philip's independence positively impacts my life, too. I have more freedom. Freedom not only from the physical activities but also from the concern about how long Philip has been home by himself and if he's stranded on the floor. We are grateful to God for creating such a product as Reliv.

Mississippi State football

There are plenty of articles to read about Mississippi State football. However, I don't read them. I know that some would elate me, some would infuriate me and some would make me want to attend every football game this season.

I get all the Miss. State information that I want from my Daddy, my brother, John, and my friend, Alison. Between the 3 of them, I can be as well informed as I choose to be. Apparently, Dan Mullen is rather confidently optimistic about the Bulldog's upcoming football season. He's gone from praising our team's effort to praising their execution.

Now, most maroon-bleeding Miss. State fans are, at the most, cautiously optimistic. If we do have a winning season this year, Dan's attitude just may catch on. Of course, I bet that he wants his attitude to catch on before the season starts. I can't blame him - a positive attitude and belief go a long way. Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."

If Mullen's change in vocabulary (from effort to execution) is any indication of whether or not the entire team thinks they can, I want season tickets!

the early service

Philip and I are members at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church in Ridgeland, MS. Pear Orchard has an early morning (8:00 AM) and late morning service (10:30 AM) on Sunday mornings. We started going to the early service a few months ago when it fit Anastasia's nap schedule the best.

I'm now a huge fan of the early service. We get to worship, go to Sunday school, go home, have brunch or an early lunch and by noon have the remainder of the day to rest. By the end of Sunday, I feel like I am ready for the week.

Last weekend, I got to visit my former church in St. Louis, MO, Memorial Presbyterian. They now have a Saturday evening service. That would probably gain my allegiance if I still lived in St. Louis. But for now, we're early-morningers and loving it.

Whipped Cream Biscuits

I made biscuits for the first time tonight! I got the urge to try making biscuits a couple of hours ago. The first recipes I looked at called for shortening. I don't keep shortening on hand and don't care to either. Then I ran across a recipe called Whipped Cream Bisciuts, which only called for 4 ingredients!

I don't own a biscuit cutter, so I started texting around. Not only did none of my neighbors have one, but one didn't even know what a biscuit cutter was. I suppose we have Pillsbury to thank for that. So, I drove to our local Family Dollar hoping they would keep them in stock. No luck. Not wanting to forge the Wal-Mart battle, I had the grand idea to use a white wine glass...it worked perfectly!

The Whipped Cream Biscuits were super easy to make and delicious. The texture was just right, too - they were so light and airy. There wasn't that hint of preservative that the canned biscuits have, either. I went to the Farmer's Market this morning as well...talk about feeling connected with my Southern-ness right now. The Whipped Cream Biscuits are now a staple for the Southern Soens!

Asleep in the high chair

Tonight while I was making dinner - which was a Tuna Casserole. Judge as you like. This was the first time I've ever made - or even eaten - a Tuna Casserole, and it wasn't half bad.

But back to the story: I feed Anastasia dinner while I'm making dinner for Philip and me. Tonight I had given Anastasia some string cheese and green peas. I guess I hadn't noticed she had been kinda quiet not asked for more. It wasn't until I heard a deep sleep-like breath, ie, snore, from behind me that I remembered Anastasia was still in the room.

She had fallen asleep in her high chair. It was at the same time very precious and left me feeling terrible that she was so exhausted. I don't know if this footage was worth her missing her afternoon nap, though. Debatable.

*That is indeed Anastasia that you hear lightly snoring.*

Resourceful

Philip, Anastasia, and I went to Inverness over the 4th of July weekend. I must have been extremely focued on something else when we were leaving Sunday, because we forgot Anastasia's high chair, diaper bag, and stroller. I already turned around once at Sid Windham's on Hwy 49 to get my purse. We probably would have gone back to get them when we realized the other forgotten items, but I knew Anastasia was going to be going back to Inverness today - 3 days later.

So we've been roughing here at the Soen homestead. Anastasia hasn't minded roaming around free outside rather than being in her stroller. A Bumpo and belt was my resourceful answer to the absence of a high chair. I was kinda proud of that concoction. Needless to say, I will be very grateful to get those back next week when Anastasia comes home!

Some would say I'm a glutton for pain...

Others would say I'm a good Mississippi State fan.

I love the 4th of July weekend. But because of an English tradition, not an American holiday. The Championships at Wimbledon happen every year over our Independence Day. I had the opportunity to attend Wimbledon in 2007. It was a wonderful experience! I didn't have a Centre Court ticket, but that didn't matter. It was raining, but that "dampen" the experience either...it was Wimbledon!

This past weekend, I was pulling for the Chech, Tomas Berdych, to beat Rafael Nadal, and the Russian, Vera Zvonareva to upset Serena Williams. I don't know if I could get more unpatriotic, but this whole incident will prove I am a Miss. State Bulldog even before an American. Don't get me wrong, I am very, very thankful for the liberties we experience in this nation. But I bleed maroon.

I think the reason that I always pull for underdog is because Mississippi State is usually the underdog. Choosing the underdog is a bigger risk but a bigger victory, too. (See also, the 2009 Egg Bowl.) Accordingly, I cheered for Zvonareva on Saturday and Berdych on Sunday. They both lost. Nadal and Williams are on their way to setting tennis records, but that didn't affect my choice.

So, some would say I'm a glutton for pain, but I maintain that I am just a conditioned Mississippi State fan.

New record...and new pictures

According to our pediatrician, Anastasia set a new 'world record' for the least amount of sick visits in the first year of life : none.

These are some of Anastasia's 1 year old pictures. Ragan Oswalt, a friend from my time at Mississippi State, took the pictures. We had fun taking them at Mynelle Gardens here in Jackson.

Natchez, Mississippi

On Sunday, Philip preached in Natchez, Mississippi - he did an excellent job, I might add. I learned a lot from his sermon. On the drive there, we took the Natchez Trace. I was eye-ing places we might stop to eat lunch on the way home; the Trace is such a beautiful drive.

However, just before arriving at the church, we hit a(n already dead) armadillo. I heard a thud under our car as we drove over the armadillo and not too soon after I saw what looked like dust flying behind our car. Now, we didn't have very good directions and my attention was on getting us down the correct rural Mississippi road. After one wrong turn, and some piecemeal directions from a local, we finally found the church. With a wheelchair and stroller, I think we challenged the accessibility of that church to boot.

After the service, we were the last ones to get out of the parking lot. I had cranked the car to start cooling it off while Carolyn, one of the church members, took a picture of me and Anastasia. We weren't even to the road before the over-heat indicator light reminded me of that armadillo. Some how, I was very calm. I reversed us back underneath a tree and cut the engine off. We opened the doors and thankfully there was a nice breeze. Anastasia was even wonderfully content in her car seat. Without going into the details, which the Lord was very gracious to arrange like he did, we ended up at Carolyn's house.

James and Carolyn Schuchs were unbelievably kind. James had already come back up to the church to help us, and Philip and I were eating lunch while James looked at our car. Our mini-van is wheelchair accessible and very, very low to the ground. James and his son got our car lifted as much as possible; enough so to know that it wasn't a quick fix.

My sweet Daddy drove all the way from Inverness to Natchez to pick us up. I think the fact that he was going to get to see Anastasia didn't hurt! In the meantime, we hung out at James and Carolyn's. They both have deep roots in Natchez and we enjoyed hearing more about them.

So, our nice picnic lunch on the Trace never happened, but Philip and I experienced Southern hospitality at its finest...and I won't every again take an armadillo in the middle of the road so lightly.

McDonald's or Burger King?

Recent survey reveals that one out of one McDonald's employees prefers Burger King's double cheeseburger to McDonald's.

On Monday, I wanted a quick meal and went through the McDonald's drive thru to get a double cheeseburger. (Yes, after 10 years as a vegetarian, I'm now loving hamburgers again!!) I asked through the speaker if the double cheeseburgers were still a dollar. The friendly girl on the other side of the speaker said, no, but the McDouble was.

As way of education on the McDonald's menu - a McDouble is two pieces of meat and only one piece of cheese. The double cheeseburger has two pieces of meat and two pieces of cheese. And as way of personal experience, the second piece of cheese makes a big difference.

I ordered the McDouble and when I pulled around to the first window to pay, the same friendly girl informed me that Burger King's double cheeseburger was better! Whoa, a McDonald's employee recommending Burger King...while in uniform. And they are still $1, she added.

So, upon intentional and comprehensive deliberation, Philip and I have decided to go to Burger King today for their cheaper, better double cheeseburger.

11 Months!

Anastasia turns 11 months old today. I find that a little hard to believe but thrilling all the same!

Anastasia has a few words: thank you, uh-oh, Mama, Papa, and a variation on Daddy that I think is Granddaddy.

Monday night she blew me a kiss - unsolicited. And this evening she said "thank you" when I gave her her Cheerios! Of course, earlier, when she was upset that I wouldn't let her feed herself, she very purposefuly threw the spoon down on the ground.

So, she's a pretty normal kid - cute and infuriating.

When did BusinessWeek Gobama?

The past 2 issues of BusinessWeek have struck me as different. First, there was the April 5 issue that featured an article on the cost effectiveness of Obama's health care reform. That caught my attention, so I put it aside to read when I had time. Then, the cover of the April 19 issue suggested that Obama is scoring big with his current economic strategy. Again, I set it aside with the April 5 issue to read. Finally, today I the cover of the April 25 BusinessWeek piqued my interest enough to open the front cover and read the letter to its readers.

It was a very well written letter - informing the readers that Bloomberg LP had purchased BusinessWeek and now it would be Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine. I do indeed like some of the changes that have been made. The publication seems more streamlined, accessible, and well organized. However, I started to wonder if there was a connection between the addition of Bloomberg and the shift in bias.

After reading those articles in the prior issues, it became apparent that someone at BusinessWeek has a pretty big crush on President Obama. Both articles gave him the benefit of the doubt and barely pointed out what naysayers are accusing his legislation of.

There was an editorial in this week's (April 25) issue that I resonated with. It was from Mike Buck in Carrollton, Texas. Buck, who holds a masters in business, says that to credit "the market's temporary uptick to Obama's policies is asinine." I agree. Mike Doring, the author of the pro-Obama article in the April 19 issues, points to the markets to testify to Obama's success. However, as Buck points out, the markets are about temporary gain, not lasting change.

I would love to see President Obama succeed. That would mean a success for the American people, right? However, I don't want that success to be at Anastasia's expense. (And, if Buck is correct and this Administration is on par to double the debt of all previous Administrations, that expense will be large.)

So, when did BusinessWeek gObama? Well, I don't know much about this Bloomberg fellow, but my hunch tells me it's him that has the man-crush on our 44th president.

Ann Louise

Anastasia has obviously enjoyed spending time with "Miss" Ann Louise. Ann Louise has been babysitting Anastasia recently - and is doing an extraordinary job! She is a very trustworthy young woman.

Ann Louise is earning money by babysitting for a summer course at Ballet Magnificat! I bet Anastasia will want to be a ballerina like Ann Louise...especially if they continue spending time together.

Thanks, Ann Louise!

The Masters

Phil Mickelson, my pro-golfer of choice, won the Masters this weekend. Winning his third Masters was exciting - especially given his wife's recent battle with cancer. Watching a golf major, especially the Masters, is restful and exciting - there's so much history and legacy on that revered course in Augusta.

Tiger's re-emergence made this Masters even more interesting. I didn't much care for Tiger before all of this was exposed. He was too much machine and not enough (hu)man. His actions are not commendable nor even excusable. But to know that Tiger is human and susceptible to error and emotion softens my hardness toward him.

I hate that it was an extremely low and hard time in his life. But it was wonderful to see positive emotion from Tiger for something other than winning the whole weekend. How many of us have people cheering and literally applauding us when we walk from our car to the office?? For Tiger to smile from the cheering and applause he received reveals that he has gained some perspective from this negative exposure.

Nike might have taken it a bit too far, though.

Tiger will continue to receive mixed responses from people. And his image will be tainted by his poor choices. But he will still go down in golf history. My loyalties remain with Phil Mickelson, who will also go down in golf history, but it's refreshing to see Tiger's coldness thawing.

Health Fair

Today I had a booth at a Health Fair. Philip helped me come up with this (what we thought) was a catchy sign. I don't think most people got it, though. :/

Oh, well. Live and learn.

Story

Everyone has a story. Last weekend, Philip and I were in Montgomery, Alabama, for some training. While we were there, this story happened and was put into perspective:

Josiah, a 1-year-old, was sitting at lunch beside one of his Mama's friends, Marla. Josiah kept tugging at Marla's sleeve to get her attention. He finally succeeded but wasn't satisfied until Marla took his extended hand. Josiah then seemed content to finish his bottle with one hand and hold Marla's with the other hand.

Marla brought to our attention that this was the attitude and perception of someone who hadn't yet been hurt and disappointed by life. Josiah hasn't yet been disappointed by someone he loves when they make a promise they can't keep or had his heart broken when the kids on the playground don't want to play with him. Josiah hasn't had to handle the loneliness after the loss of someone dear to him nor felt duped when an un-trustworthy person has taken advantage of him.

I can't imagine anyone reading this blog not intimately understanding what I'm talking about. Which means that almost everyone you come in contact with on a daily basis has been hurt and disappointed. Some have even reached their wits end and have trouble trusting anyone at all.

Marla's illustration reminded me that everyone has a story. Most people's story involve beauty and hardship, thrilling triumph and deep agony. And yet, all of our stories began like Josiah's - void of the knocks, the disappointment, the heartache, and the pain that makes us suspicious when we want to trust and tear down when we should lift up.

Mama

Anastasia has started forming words! "Bye-bye" and "Mama" are the two most frequent and obvious. She will also say "Papa", but you have to have a parent's ears to hear it. :)

Not only is it incredibly special to hear my daughter saying "Mama", but it's also very special to get to have my Mama be a part of our lives right now. She has been nothing less than a blessing to help us whenever she can. Thank you, Mama.

Reacquisition

Our normal mode of operation for getting Philip on his wheelchair is as follows: I assist him onto our bed and then he scoots onto his chair. He hasn't had the ability to get onto a bed, couch, etc to transfer to his wheelchair in 4 years - nor consistently transfer from the floor to his chair in 5 years.

On Wednesday, Philip climbed from the floor to the bed. Then on Thursday he did it again, this time with greater ease. I have not had to help him onto the bed since Wednesday night. Philip is now able to get into his chair without my assistance! This adds an immense level of personal independence that he hasn't had in years.

Why is this the case? Has anything changed for us or for Philip? Yes - Philip has been taking some superior, patented nutrition. The only thing that has changed in the past 4 years is that for the past 9 months Philip has been drinking Reliv. We would have been happy and satisfied with his migraine headaches gone, his allergies and anxiety each about 90% improved, and his fatigue (and coffee addiction) lifted. But this was a wonderful and unexpected development. God is good.

Day 3 with no water

I suppose Jackson, MS, was not prepared for 14 nights of sub-freezing weather. Why do I make such a claim? Because many, many of us residents are about to spend our 3rd day without running water. This is more than a nuisance. Jackson has actually been declared in a state of emergency.

Have you ever considered all the ways and places you use water? Here are some of the major ones that I'm missing it : We can't take a shower; I can't fill up Anastasia's bathtub; I can't fill up Anastasia's humidifier tank; I can't wash my hands after handling raw pork; I can't wash dishes, much less run the dishwasher; I can't brush my teeth like normal; The toilet doesn't flush; I can't wash my face at the end of the day.

Thankfully, because I teach some fitness classes at the Baptist Healthplex, and Philip has become a member, we are able to shower there. I also fill up Anastasia's humidifier tank there and several milk jugs. It's a hassle to have to arrange our shower times either around childcare hours at the Healthplex or entertain Anastasia while we try to get clean.

After this crisis, I do hope that I will appreciate running water whenever I turn on the faucet...unfortunately, that gratefulness will probably only last about 15 minutes.

New Year's bang-bang

Our New Year's bang-bang was not so fun. I had put Anastasia down around 7:30. Philip and I watched 3 episodes of Numb3rs - the last two of Season 3 and the first of Season 4. And if you're a Numb3rs fan, you will understand why we had to immediately watch the next episode. I literally sprang up out of my seat at the end of Season 3 finale!

Anyway, getting back to New Year's itself. Philip and I had gotten to bed just before midnight. Then I woke up to lots of quickly successive loud bangs. Now, folks had been shooting fireworks for the 2-3 hours before midnight and we knew what those were sounding like. These midnight bangs were gunshots. We've heard gunshots here before - that was no surprise.

What made last night's different is that it went on for so long, it woke my sweet baby girl up. I got Anastasia out of bed, but it was still about 10/15 mins before the shots ceased. And when the shots did finally subside, it took me a while to get Anastasia back to bed. :(

So, our New Year wasn't the best. But thankfully, I have wonderful and tremendously helpful parents. Daddy happened to be on his way here when I talked to Mama at 8:30. She offered that they take Anastasia for the weekend to give us a break.

And here's Anastasia's ringing...this was on Christmas Day. But I'll take these bang-bangs over the ones we had last night any day.