Just typed a huge update, and somehow it disappeared. To tired to redo. Will update later. Here are some pictures.

Great Things About My Baby

This is a small snippet of the full list. (The full list is in my mind, and I'm not going there!)

1. We haven't used a bottle since Monday.
2. She feeds herself, including oatmeal!
3. Today when she pulled down a package of tea, and all the packets fell out, she put them all back in the box, and put the box back on the shelf.
4. She has figured out how to put the different shapes in their respective holes about 75% of the time.
5. She can sign eat, change diaper, all done, and sleep.
6. She says "Shh" when I put her shoes on her, and "Sha" when she takes off, or I put on her socks.
7. She thinks its her chore to put the silverware away. By that, I mean she comes up as soon as the dishwasher opens, takes out each piece of silverware, one at a time, and gives them to us.
8. She's extra snuggly.
9. She dances by doing trunk rotations with her hands in the air.

And my new favorite reason that she's great...

10. Last night, Apple was between George and I on the couch. She kept going between the two of us. Once, when she was sitting on my lap, she leaned up to give me a kiss. I said "Mamma loves you!" She said "Mamma lahs"

Thoughts on Havah

I read a lot. I love reading. I love how books entertain, teach, and open your mind about new ideas. Sometimes, books just occupy my mind when I have to stay still for awhile. Occasionally, I'll come across a book that just makes me start to view something differently. I'm usually grateful.

I recently read Havah by Tosca Lee. It is the fictional story of Eve. Like most Christians, I've heard this story from the bible many times. I have recently gained more insight to Eve, so the idea of this book intrigued me. The book itself wasn't exactly overly fantastic. I thought the speech to be to flowery with big words thrown in to prove the author knows big words. I could see how this would fit in the book's topic, but I thought it was a little much for me. For a Christian book, it was also a little sensual. Again, I think it fit, just not what I'm used to reading. The majority of the book was also quite depressing. Those things aside, it was fascinating to think of how it could have been for her. To put real, human emotions with the story. Hopes, dreams, expectations, fears, misunderstandings, failings, longings.

The thing that changed my mindset most, wasn't the characters or description of Eden or how they forged their way in an unknown world with only each other, but the realization of just how much it means to be reconciled to God. In this book, Adam and Havah take the words of God when he is kicking them out of the garden to mean that they will have a son who will lead them back to the garden, and make everything right again by destroying the serpent. The majority of the book is her longing to be made right again and everything in the world to be made right again as well.

I've been a Christian for awhile, and I tend to forget how monumental this is. I've been made right with the One Who Is. It's a BIG deal!!!! But the world hasn't been reconciled yet. And still, I cling to this world. I pray every night, thanking God for my life, my husband, and my daughter, and I ask for the three of us to have another day together. Because you never know when it will be the last. But I think when the world is reconciled, I'll be amazed that I ever prayed that, clinging to this faulty life, when we were meant for so much MORE.

Also, and I know I harp on this a lot. Let me pause for a side note. I harp on this because before my husband accepted Christ, he saw no need for a savior. He hadn't done anything terrible. Why would he need to be forgiven? I wonder if Adam and Eve, when thinking about people with this belief say, "Oh yeah? You think your ok? All we did was eat an apple??!!!" I'm just saying.

The Bleak Part of My Day

Today I ran into a screen door. Hard. I bled from the nose. I didn't have a bloody nose. It bled between the eyes. And white stuff came out. I bet it leaves a bruise. Boo. George laughed. Okay, I laughed too. Then I winced. Because it hurt.

Halloween!!!

Our baby girl was a flower for Halloween. We went ot our church's fall festival and helped her play some games. She had a lot of fun looking at herself in the mirror! She also had a lot of fun handing out candy to the other kids who came to our house. Everytime the doorbell rang, she would get excited. After the kids left and the door was closed, she would, without fail, say "Bye-bye!" All our tricker treaters were very polite! I was suprised!

Here she actually has chocolate in between her two bottom teeth! I think she is very fond of Halloween! Check out the video, where you can even hear what a dog and lion say!

Fun Stories

On Saturday, I went to Trader Joe's and while I was checking out, I kept hearing "Cheese! Cheese!" I looked over and saw two young kids getting their picture taken from multiple people with a VERY large pumpkin. I asked the cashier what was going on, and she said they just won the huge pumpkin. People guessed the weight, and whoever was closest, would get the pumpkin. It was one hundred and seventy something pounds! The people had two vehicles! One for humans and one for another human and a human-sized pumpkin! The cashier finishes ringing me up, says the total, and then says "Oh wait, is this tote yours as well?" To which I answer yes, and she says my new total and then...

"And that makes you a winner!" She starts ringing a bell VERY LOUDLY!!!! "Go pick out a gourd!!!!!!"

I'm just staring at her confused, and to be honest, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, please don't send me home with a huge pumpkin! My car isn't very big! She points to a small sign that says "If your total is between (I can't remember the exact numbers) you win a prize!" and so I picked a gourd that had a prize written on it, and it was a tote.

The second story I have to share happened right before the Celebration tea. I have been wanting a church cookbook for literally, a year. Ever since last years tea. But I could never remember to bring the money to buy one. I decided that I WAS going to buy one this year. I had to practice my song for the tea early, so I took my money then. I saw our church secretary setting up her table, so I asked if she knew anything about the cookbooks. Our pastors wife happened to be walking by, and she said she was sorry, but she had just given the last one away. If she had known I had wanted one... Then she looks at the church secretay, and says they've done two printings of the cookbook, and it's been about 10 years since it was done. I think she's going to suggest another printing, but I wasn't expecting the next words to come out of her mouth! "It's probably time to do another cookbook. We just need someone to head up the project. Elizabeth, would you do that?" Huh? I just wanted a cookbook! However, I actually feel more equipped to do that then set up a tea table, so I eventually agreed. I just think it's humorous that I went from wanting to purchase a cookbook, to putting one together!

My story of Celebration Tea

Last Saturday was my crazy event number two for October. Last year, I had Apple at the beginning of October and my life changed COMPLETELY!!! For several days (or weeks!) I only put on normal clothes when I knew people were coming over or I had to take her to the doctors, stuff like that. I never fixed my hair or put on make-up. Then, at the end of October, it was time for my church's Celebration Tea. I had never gone before because it always happens the exact time of a high school choir event that I was required to be in attendance. But, last year, I was on maternity leave, so I took my chance to attend. I put my hair in rollers, put on real clothes, put on some makeup, and left my daughter for the first time. (Don't worry, I did take the rollers out of my hair, too!) It was amazing. The tables were incredibly beautiful! The food was fantastic! I had actual conversation! The speaker reminded me (indirectly) that there is more to life than breastfeeding and changing dirty diapers! Everthing about this event was elegant and made to transport women to a different mind-set than the everyday. I was also intimidated. I knew that while I loved this event, I would never really be able to help out with one, because I have no talent for decorating. Fast forward to early this fall. I have promised myself that while I KNEW I would be attending the tea, if I was asked to host a table I would say no. It was beyond my ability. They asked. Somehow the word yes came out of my mouth. Shoot. What do I do now? I'm convinced that I will have the "hobo" table. Everyone will walk around admiring the beauty of the tables, until they come to mine. Their eyebrows will scrunch together, their lips will show confusion, and their head will tilt. "I wonder who came up with this table?" They will silently ask. And then I had an idea. I will taken the handmade table cloth from my husband's country and the vases that I have bought there and design a table around that. It was stressful. For me and my husband. But it came together. And the truth is, it looked quite nice. I don't think one person thought it was a "hobo" table. Here are some pictures of the finished product.

I was also afraid that I had built the tea up in my mind, way better than it really is. But I had not. All the tables were again, SO beautiful. The food was great (especially the Oreo with chocolate mousse, coated in chocolate!!!!!) The music was beyond amazing! (Just kidding, I sang) and the speaker was great. She talked about God's faithfulness. People sat at my table and I think we had good conversation. It was an amazing event, and I'm so glad that God allowed me to help serve, and especially helped me to make the table nice. God is faithful indeed!