It did.  What can I say, I love great music.  And the Moses story is so incredible.  When that opening song came on and the Hebrew slaves sing, "Elohim, God on high, Can you hear your people cry?" I just started sobbing.  It was so moving.

Of course I really lost it when Jochabed starts singing to Moses.  Can you imagine sending your baby down a river on the chance that he might live?  Seriously.  The faith of that woman.  I can only imagine the angst she must have felt as she sent him down the Nile and I would guess she was just pleading with the Lord to let him live.  I know I would have been begging to see him again.  And I am totally touched by the tender mercies of the Lord toward Moses mother.  She sends him down the river and then the Lord, through Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter, works it out so that she gets to be her son’s wet nurse. Not only does her baby live but she is blessed to be with him for a few more years.  What love!

Anyway.  I was crying.  I just love that song– Deliver Us.  Totally worth the dollar I spent.  

My sweet little Spider,

In my prayers last night I told Heavenly Father how thankful I am for you.  You are our little act of faith– an unexpected blessing.  You are the child that brings balance to our family.  My little snug a bug and my source of endless smiles and laughter.  You just continue to become more of a delight the older you get, and that makes me glad.

I can’t believe that you are two!  I love watching you grow and hearing you learn to talk. You are so teachable and a quick learner.  Yesterday we got to put all my eyeshadows and cheek colors away and I found joy in hearing you repeat all the color names with me.  How many other people get to hear their two year olds say "sunny spice", "sweet plum", or "ivory 1"?

I love your love of animals both real and inanimate.  If I could give you a real dog, I would, because I know you would be best friends.  As it is, watching you tote around all your pluffies makes me smile.  I love that you need them to sleep.

I love your general cuteness.  You are going to be the end of me!  It is so hard to resist when you pull me hand and say "Come wis ME!" and lead me to the fridge where you tenderly ask for a "pockle" (popsicle.)  It’s so hard to say no to you!  And even when you get mad you are cute. I could just give you kisses all day long.

And I love that on your birthday, you and me had some special time.  You sat and played with me and my sunglasses (and my earrings and necklace…) and we got to take crazy pictures together.  I love you, Spider.  I am so glad Heavenly Father gave me you and that I get to be your mommy.

Happy Birthday baby! 

Last time I checked, the way to get a law changed or have your voice heard in this country, you needed to have a lot of people agree with you.  Like, you need a lot of signatures on a petition or everyone you know should send a letter…

So why is this guy getting any air time?  Why is he getting ANY say? Because he’s a lawyer?

Forgive me if I offend any atheists with this post.

But seriously, how many millions of people are there in this country, and one man throws a tizzy fit because he doesn’t like seeing the words in "God we Trust" on our currency and could potentially get those words removed costing this country how many dollars to redo all of our currency?  How many more people with actual beliefs that like seeing those words on our currency and feel that they are part of what this country was founded on are going to be offended and file another lawsuit to get them back on there?  Sheesh.

This guy needs to stop getting so much press.

I just don’t get why as an atheist he thinks he should get any say.  Atheism is not a set of convictions or a set of beliefs.  It is a lack of them.  So why should he, with his lack of beliefs, get to say he’s offended.  He doesn’t believe anything!  And don’t give me that baloney about how it makes not a separation of church and state. Malarkey. I have never had anyone tell me how I am supposed to believe or where I needed to go to church, so I am doing just fine. 

I can kind of understand the whole pledge of allegiance thing, he filed suit against, because yes, by having everyone stand up and say it, it is sort of teaching a certain set of beliefs, but this is ridiculous.  Who even looks at their money before they spend it anyway?

It just really scares me that one man has the potential for this kind of power.  If he wins this (I hope he doesn’t even from an economic standpoint) what’s next?  "Umm, I am sort of offended by this law here that says I can’t speed.  I sort of like speeding and it offends me that you don’t so down with speed limits!"  I know that’s kind of extreme, but…

I just think this guy needs to be treated like a kid having a tantrum.  Put him in his room until he can cool off and play by the rules.  The world doesn’t revolve around you, little one.  And in this house we have the words "in God we trust" and most everybody else likes it that way.

I’m secretly hoping that God strikes him down. 

I spent most of yesterday out running errands.  Feeling green, I bought some organic tampons and chlorine-free bleach (among other things).  Since I didn’t need to use the tampons when I got home, I decided to try a wash with the bleach.  I was unconvinced that the tree-hugger bleach was capable of my toxic bleach’s germ killing power so I decided that a hot water wash would cover all my bases.  And it did indeed cover more than that.

It covered my garage floor.

I imagine in Heaven (or where ever it is that He lives) that God said to himself, "I think Stephanie needs to clean out her garage.  I  know she will never just do it on her own, so I am going to give her an excuse."

How helpful.

I walked in the garage, for reasons still unknown to me, to see water spurting from my hot water heater and flowing down my garage floor.  I called Charming immediately who told me to turn off the water supply, which I somehow managed to figure out.  I then sent out two emails for help and started to panic.  Charming had asked me if I could handle it, and I said I could, but I quickly im’d him saying I could NOT DEAL WITH THIS.

A mild anxiety attack started to set in.  I was shaking and my heart was pounding.  I just had no idea what to do.  Charming asked me to call people, but I couldn’t.  It’s hard to understand this if you’ve never suffered from a mood disorder, but I could not pick up the phone.

And then the phone rang.

"Hi, this is (gal from church that I don’t know very well) and I still have that brand new water heater in my garage that I can give you for cheap, and you ought to call so and so and let me call some other people to see what we can do."

Nice. 

An hour later I tried calling a few plumbers and had no luck. (One number I called was actually a private residence– a story for another time). And then the phone rang again.

"Hi this is (son of someone at church) I am a general contractor, let me come look at that water heater tonight so we can figure out a way to get you some hot water."

Wow.

As for the rest of the day, I had one friend come over and buy some product and offer up her shower, another came by and took a load of laundry and another friend volunteered to come over and help with the cleanup and she took a load of laundry home too as well as opening her home for showers.

Think I’m being watched out for? 

I don’t really believe in coincidences.  That water heater sat in that woman’s garage for three years before she sent out an email saying she needed to get rid of it.  I think it no coincidence that she still had it a few weeks later.  That water heater was meant for me in this moment, I am pretty sure.  Because God knows I don’t have any more cash for these kinds of things, and that I am working on getting our financial house in order while still paying our tithing on a regular basis.  And God knows that sometimes I feel like no one at church likes me and he sent those ladies to serve me so I could remember to stop eating worms.

At first I was mad about the water heater breaking, but now I know, God just wanted to show me a little love.  And I hope that when your water heater breaks, you have a community like the one I have.  I am so grateful that I have it.

I haven’t really posted anything lengthy or interesting for awhile so here goes….

I have been itching for spring lately.  Just wanting to get out of doors, do some gardening, get some sun in my face.  And my loving Heavenly Father has absolutely blessed me and many other folks here in the Northwest with some flat out gorgeous weather these past few days.  We have taken full advantage of this with going to the zoo yesterday and having a picnic lunch in our backyard today.

There is something about being outside in the sunshine that just allows me to take my life at a slower pace.

As we sat on our blanket in our backyard I just felt peaceful.  As Spider dumped upon the ground an entire bag of Craisins my first reaction was, ‘Seriously?’ and then as I watched the last bits fall, I thought, ‘that really does look kind of neat,’ and I suddenly understood why these people do some of the things that they do.

It really isn’t to make me angry, and it really isn’t always just to get my attention.  They do those things because they are fun, and interesting and they are just exploring their world.  When was the last time I dumped out a bag of quinoa to watch it waterfall down to the ground?  When was the last time I used a unique media combination to create a work of art such as marker on wall or pen on legs?  And when was the last time I used an eyeliner on my face to make angry eyes?  When was the last time my mom told me to clean up styrofoam and then in front of her eyes took a marker to the carpet to make "tracks" for them (the foam pieces)?  They call them children for a reason and I love that they are having the time of their life.

I love watching these people grow.  I love learning about them and seeing the choices that they make. I take pleasure in their funny little quirks and habits.  I love how Spider, my little Person Baby, loves to get under blankets, and today when I walked outside with our picnic, she was already all snuggled in.  I love walking in on her cozied up in my freshly made bed reading the Look (my Mary Kay catalog) and laughing.

It is the little unique day to day experiences that make life so worthwhile, don’t you think?  Rare things, like the moon not being in the sky tonight because of the eclipse or even freshly fallen snow.  Silly things like fourth of July parades.  Wonders of nature like deer showing up in our backyard or undpredictable animal things like this event that we witnessed at the zoo yesterday: (the large goat in the beginning was periodically breaking things up)

And just the wonder that children see in all of it, is so tender so precious, and so worth holding on to.  If we could just be more like them.  I think we’d be lot happier, don’t you?  Well, anyway, I think it is time for me to go take pleasure in bubbles or dumping rice on the ground or maybe even just snuggling in.

Dear Mapquest,

I want to start this letter by thanking you for your many years of service to me.  I am, to put it politely, directionally challenged, and you, you have always been there to guide me.  You’ve been my north star, my guding light, my navigational friend.  I have been spared many a paper cut and painful map folding experiences because of you.  I have saved many a cell-phone minute, by not needing to call for directions, because of you.  We have had some good times, Mapquest. I amvery grateful to you, as many a time, I know I would have been lost without you. 

Excepting of course, the times, I was lost with you… or even because of you…

Unfortunately, dear, sweet Mapquest, as much as I have loved you, I am writing you this letter to let you know that you have been replaced in my life.   Yes, you heard me, you are being let go.  

You live in my computer, Mapquest, and though she is a laptop, my computer can’t go with me everywhere I go.   My computer doesn’t plug into my car and tune into you, Mapquest.  And as much as you give good directions, Mapquest, you do not have a lady voice that gives audible directions.  You have definitely been there for me, but never in my car telling me when I have made a wrong turn.  You don’t give that many alternate routes, Mapquest.  And when was the last time you found me a great parking garage or even some teriyaki, while I was out on the road?

I love you Mapquest.  My love is strong.  But there is a new, stronger love in my life.  BEHOLD!

OH!  Feel the power of the GPS!  So sleek.  So smooth.  So portable and tells-me-where-to-turnable.

Never to be lost again! 

And the giver?  Most, wonderful Charming.  Best Christmas Gift Giver, Charming.  Owns the key to my heart, Charming.  Never to sleep alone again! 

Mapquest, adieu!

A really great birthday post is coming….I am just too busy right now to write it.

But!

My sister gave me the movie Evan Almighty for my birthday, and I really liked it.   If you have been afraid to see it because it might be too sacreligious or anything, see it anyway.  It actually has a really great message about life and God and priorities.

I just have to share my favorite part.  Evan (Steve Carrell) is talking to God (Morgan Freeman) and he is telling him that building an ark doesn’t fit in with his plans.  God starts laughing.  "I’m sorry," he says.  "Your plans…" and then hysterical laughter again.

It’s just so true!  Anytime we make "plans" there always seems to be something else that God has in store for us.  And I kept thinking throughout the whole movie when Evan is concerned about losing his job or looking stupid, that if God was asking him to build the ark, then God would take care of him in the end. 

And that is a reminder for us all.  Stop worrying.  It has always worked out in the past, so why wouldn’t it now.

Anyway.  Good movie.  Very funny and very tender. 

I am also grateful for this:

This fine lady was in my backyard this afternoon for a few hours hanging out with a friend of hers.  And I learned something very interesting about deer today– after a doe (maybe buck, too, who knows) decides to umm… relieve herself on your lawn she reaches back and licks herself.  Yes.  The place where the ermm… relief came from.

Hence the title of this post. 

So this morning the children were watching a video about the birth of Jesus.  (No, I did not pay for this video, it was free from the mall, I would never pay $1 a minute for the crummy animation!)

Anyway, at the end of this particular "episode" they show baby Jesus escaping to Egypt and then they end the movie by showing him as a young man learning carpentry from Joseph.  In the previous scene, Herod’s men were pillaging the town looking to kill the infant Jesus, and Engineer was quite upset by this.  But then he saw that Jesus was okay at the end and wasn’t worried about that anymore.

And then he started to cry.

"He’s not a baby anymore!  Why did he have to grow up?"

Because, that’s what babies do.

"Oh Spider!  Spider is going to have to grow up and not be a baby anymore!  She’ll be a girl!  A girl like, Sugar!"

Bless his little baby-loving heart. 

He has been a part of our family for a little over a week now.  He  has stolen my heart with his masculinity and his non-burning of my baked goods.  Behold!  Behold him in all his glory!  Our new oven:

Please ignore the other junk in the kitchen.

Oh!  The love I have for this new oven is immense.  The first day he was here I kept walking by and getting such a good feeling inside.  Infatuation.  Joy.  Elation.  Desire.

Charming is always asking me if he becomes all buff, if I will like him more.  I think I should tell him to become more stainless steel oven-like and see if that works.  Because I am lovin’ my new oven.  So sleek and silver and shiny.  So powerful, yet so gentle on my baked umm… goods. 

Yay!  Oven!  And another picture which is not flattering of me, because everytime I try to look "sexy" in photos I look like a total dork…  But nonetheless, you are all entitled to every bit of ove eye candy that you can get:

I just can’t keep my hands off my oven.