Good/Bad

Good- enjoying the autumnal aspens at Hart Prairie with my family.
Bad- a container of red enchilada sauce falling out of fridge and going everywhere, staining my clothes.
Good- God providing just the right amount at just the right time
Bad- being bedridden with a plugged milk duct...who would have thought such an innocuous sounding problem would be so debilitating?!
Good- a loving, concerned husband who came home from work early to take care of me and my duct,
Bad- a baby who found her mama's feverish shivers hilarious and entertaining.
Good- 24lbs of pomegranates that are forcing me into kitchen-creativity.
Bad- Vladimir's foster family renamed him Boomer! Boomer, of all awful names!
Good- Inlaws who answer my cry for ice cream late into the evening.

What can I say...I'm striving to enjoy the journey towards sanctification! 

A little something I wrote for the prolife newsletter at FCF

I remember the first time democracy disappointed me. I was in third grade, and my class was voting on which student-submitted design should become the cover of our class book. To my critical eye, only a couple choices could be taken seriously; the rest clearly would not do at all. I passionately campaigned for the picture I thought best fit the bill (a cartoonish face peeking out from behind a book). To my great disgust, the winning selection belonged to the most popular girl in the class, a hideous and unoriginal flower (all the girls were drawing variations of it) that had no correlation at all with our compilation of short stories.

                My eight year old self pondered the unsatisfactory outcome; it had been a fair vote as far as I could tell, and the only conclusion I came to was that the value of the results depended directly on the values of the voters. This is not meant to berate my classmates, most of whom probably did not consider the ramifications of their vote. They likely based their decision on one of several factors: name recognition, popular trends, and subtle pressure from classmates (or bad taste, but we won’t go there). Fifteen years later, the results of that vote could hardly matter less, but I’ve reconsidered my conclusion and think it has never been more relevant.

                Americans today are susceptible to the same influences that plagued my third grade class when it comes to election time. Maybe you’ve been skimming over your ballot and found your eyes drawn repeatedly to a comfortably familiar name. I know I am guilty of voting this way (“Oh, that guy…I really like the font he used on his signs, so I think I’ll vote for him”). Or you might let the trends determine your selections (it said on the news that so and so is a friend of the environment, and a friend of the environment is a friend of me!). You may receive pressure (obvious or not) to vote a particular way (from your union, the media, coworkers, and family, just to name a few). Ultimately though, each voter is responsible for every little bubble they fill in (or don’t fill in, for that matter).  Any election may have ramifications of death or life for countless unborn babies, and a vote squandered or flippantly cast can make a devastating difference: the value of the results depends directly on the values of the voters.

                Few of us are called to do radical things on behalf of the unborn, like organizing marches and starting crisis pregnancy centers. But every single American over the age of eighteen has the chance to make an enormous impact through the very small act of voting. Whether you care at all about bonds or the border does not matter in the least, you have been given a voice and God is not honored by your silence. If you choose not to vote, either out of laziness or principle, I beseech you to reconsider for the sake of the little ones who have no voice at all. You are not called to singlehandedly defeat the practice of abortion, but you can take ownership of your own little vote, which is just as valuable as the next guy’s.

Maybe his name is less than melodic and he cannot afford flashy signs. Maybe she is dismissed as old-fashioned and her beliefs are far from popular. Maybe they are mocked in the lunch room at your work and ripped into by the local newspaper. Prolife candidates need your vote.

I imagine my third grade class book is buried in a box in my parents’ basement right now, stupid flower and all, and the silly cover has ceased to offend (except perhaps in the opinion of a few particularly aesthetic dust mites). However, the results of our elections can influence for decades. And to think, the value of those results depends directly on the values of the voters. Please, if you value life, get out the vote.

It's a beautiful day, so....

I truly love the rain. I do, I do. I suppose I am a true Seattleite, because these days of gloom fill me with such joy and contentment that I walk around singing Les Miserables, usually with a hot beverage in hand.

Last weekend was the Women of Faith conference in Phoenix, which I enjoyed more than I was anticipating (most of my reticence was due to Rory- I wasn't sure how she'd do there, but she was a star!). She actually literally was a star- she made it on the jumbotron twice, and was even referenced from stage by one of the speakers! We couldn't go anywhere without her being adored by countless women. Rory's developing just the best little personality ever; she's so laid back and happy, and she's discovered her tongue recently, which is hilarious! A couple of the speakers touched on things I really needed to hear, which I'm still processing.

It's fall. Which means baking season has begun! This is the new favorite in the Thompson-Bowen household. You should make them, because they're awesome; snickerdoodles that don't get crunchy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies
this version of the recipe was found at Dozen Flours- I got it from My Own Sweet Thyme

2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
5. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon.
6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan.
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack. While still warm, cut into squares with a sharp knife...
8. Share with friends and family. Enjoy! 

What a happy girl!

Unsure about her first car

Cowboy booties!

Family

Waiting for the light rail.

My snuggler

Zonked out at WOF.

After pooping through all her spare outfits, Aurora left WOF clad in diaper, cowboy booties, and hair bow.