Here is an excerpt from Pastor Chuck Baldwin's commentary on the South Carolina primary election. Read the whole thing here for his take on the various candidates. Really, do! (Most of the emphasis added below is mine)
"Whether a candidate for public office is a Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, or Pentecostal is absolutely immaterial to whether or not I vote for him or her. The primary responsibility of a President (or any other civil magistrate) is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and to secure the rights and liberties of the American citizenry. That’s it! It is no skin off my nose where he or she goes to church, or even if he or she goes to church. It doesn’t matter to a tinker’s dam whether they quote scripture or claim to be a Christian. What matters is that he or she honors their oath of office to defend the Constitution and the people’s liberties.
And as everyone should know by now, Mitt Romney’s track record in Massachusetts, from a constitutional point of reference, is absolutely abysmal. In fact, Romney’s Massachusetts’s health care monstrosity was the model for ObamaCare. In almost every discernable constitutional criterion, Mitt Romney falls short. And that’s why I won’t vote for Mitt Romney! In fact, I won’t vote for Mitt Romney for the exact same reason I won’t vote for Newt Gingrich. (To his credit, however, at least Mitt Romney doesn’t have a passel of bimbos hiding under his bed.)
I have said it all over America, and I’ll say it again: I would rather vote for an unbeliever who will preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States than vote for a believer who will not preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Next, let’s talk about Ron Paul. Many Christians all over America have foolishly rejected the candidacy of Ron Paul. They have done this for reasons which I will outline here.
“Ron Paul is not pro-life,” many Christians purport.
Of course, this statement is laughable. As a long-term US House member from Texas, Ron Paul has repeatedly introduced the Sanctity of Life Act. The so-called pro-life GOP in Washington, D.C., had several opportunities to pass this Act when it held power in both houses of Congress and the White House from 2000-2006.
Had it passed, Paul’s Sanctity of Life Act would have done two things: 1) it would have declared unborn babies to be human beings under the law, 2) it would have removed abortion from the jurisdiction of the Court under Article. 3. Section. 2. of the US Constitution. This would have effectively overturned the infamous Roe. v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
As an OB/GYN physician, Dr. Paul has never performed an abortion; but he has delivered more than 4000 babies; he has repeatedly introduced the Sanctity of Life Act in the US Congress–but he’s not “pro-life”?
Newt Gingrich, as speaker of the House, did absolutely nothing to defund Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers domestically and internationally from receiving US taxpayer dollars. In fact, while Gingrich was Speaker of the House, taxpayer funding for abortion providers increased dramatically! Neither has he ever supported or promoted the Sanctity of Life Act, but since he “says” he’s pro-life, many Christians vote for Gingrich and not Paul?
Is something wrong with this picture or what?
“I cannot support Ron Paul because he says he doesn’t know whether homosexuality is a sin or not,” say many Christians.
Most readers know that I have been a minister of the Gospel for over 35 years. My convictions regarding the sinfulness of homosexuality are well known. I say that so you understand where I’m coming from when I say that whether or not Ron Paul has a personal question as to whether homosexuality is a religious or biological issue has absolutely nothing to do with his fitness to be President of the United States. Absolutely nothing! We are electing a commander-in-chief, not a theologian-in-chief.
Dr. Paul’s personal religious belief is not the issue. The issue is his fidelity to constitutional government. What Christians seemingly do not understand is that constitutional government does more to protect their God-given Natural rights than all of the religious rhetoric of all the politicians of the entire country put together!
Dr. Paul understands the nature of government and the nature of liberty. And he is committed to returning government to its rightful jurisdictional authority Dr. Paul knows that the states and local communities are the best protectors of the liberties and the values of the people–including the values relating to aberrant sexual behavior within those communities and states–NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. (Listening to many so-called “conservatives,” one may get the idea that they would be fine with doing away with independent statehood altogether and letting the central government in Washington, D.C., run everything. Thankfully, our Founding Fathers were a wiser lot and emphatically left the bulk of governing authority to the states.) For example, if the State of Nevada wants to legalize prostitution, that’s Nevada’s business. And if Montana wants to make prostitution illegal, that is Montana’s business. If Florida wants to make medical marijuana illegal, that’s Florida’s business. If, however, Montana wants to legalize medical marijuana, that’s Montana’s business. Frankly, it is none of Washington, D.C.’s business either way! Ron Paul understands that.
Look at all the federal mandates that states and communities are implementing contrary to the values and belief systems of the citizens of the respective states and communities. That would not happen if Washington, D.C., would butt out of our affairs and let us govern ourselves. And if Massachusetts and California want to deprive their citizens of their God-given liberties, the people of those states can either remove those governments from power or move to a State where liberty is protected. But at least there would be some states standing in liberty to which one could go. As it is today, the entire country is under the heavy hand of usurpation and oppression due to the fact that, outside of Ron Paul and a few others in Washington, D.C., hardly anyone inside the Beltway believes in constitutional government.
Plus, look at the inconsistency of trying to elect civil magistrates by some sort of religious litmus test: Dr. Paul has been married to his wife, Carol, for over 50 years without the first scandal involving immoral activity, but because of a personal question regarding a religious issue, many Christians cannot vote for him? But Newt Gingrich can have so many extramarital affairs that he probably cannot even count them all, and yet his personal view of religion and morality are found acceptable to many Christians?
Is something wrong with this picture or what?
“I can’t vote for Ron Paul, because he is ‘anti-Israel,’” many Christians say.
Here are the facts: Dr. Paul has a Jeffersonian philosophy regarding foreign entanglements. He believes that we should trade freely with all nations, have diplomatic relations with all nations, and live at peace with all nations as much as is possible. He believes that Israel is a sovereign state and, therefore, has the right to determine its own affairs without Washington, D.C., dictating how, when, and what Tel Aviv can and cannot do for its own peace and security. He believes we need to butt out of everybody’s business and let sovereign states conduct their own internal affairs. He believes the US military should be used to protect the territory and people of the United States of America and should not be the world’s policeman or the puppet of the Security Council at the United Nations. But somehow, that is an unspiritual philosophy and many Christians can’t support him?
Newt Gingrich wants to continue the Wilsonian foreign entanglement philosophy by continuing to send troops to fight undeclared, unconstitutional wars; by continuing to entrap and enrage foreign capitols into conflicts that only serve the interests of international bankers and the military-industrial complex; by continuing to use Israel as a puppet to provoke conflict in the Middle East that only serves the purpose of advancing an international New World Order, and somehow this is seen as “spiritual” by many Christians who will support and vote for him?
Is something wrong with this picture or what?
If the Republican Party has a death wish, they will nominate Newt Gingrich as their Presidential candidate. Gingrich is a snake-oil salesman; his words are absolutely meaningless; he has the morals of an alley cat; and he will sell America’s sovereignty to an international New World Order and turn our country into a police state. Christians, of all people, should know better.
Newt Gingrich? Really?"
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
I can put away Rory's baby book!
This past weekend included Rory's first haircut- no more 80's rock star! I was finally able to fill out the last blank in her baby book and can store it away. More pictures can be found here if you're so inclined (Mom).
| Pre-haircut |
| Fairly good sports |
| Nose! |
| She selected her own hairbow(s) |
| Future Mr. President |
| Big smile! |
| All ready to go! |
| The monster cape didn't last long |
| Tootsie roll pop and youtube video for distractions |
| Inspecting the finished product |
| Bash wanted a haircut too. That's his "wanting" face. |
| He just loves his sister! |
| Such big kiddos! |
Sunday, January 22, 2012
"Carolina", or, "Mrs. Bowen Gets Political"
Dear Republicans of South Carolina,
Good day to you. Or rather, to y'all. I hear that your state is lovely, and I imagine it is filled with lovely people as well. I was just in your sister state to the north and found it very pleasant; surely yours is also. Congratulations on turning out in record numbers to vote in your primary election yesterday. It must take quite a bit of resolve to vote on a Saturday, and I commend you for your efforts. But I must inquire as to why you sacrificed precious moments of your weekend voting for the wrong person? Indeed I'm afraid your election couldn't have gone any worse. Newt Gingrich, whom many of you indicated you'd like to be my next president, is incredibly undeserving of your vote, much less your Saturday afternoon. And why did Mitt Romney come in second, leaving the two most exciting candidates to bring up the rear? Tsk tsk, South Carolina republicans. Here is how you should have voted:
1st Place: Dr. Ron Paul, the only candidate in decades who represents real change, and a return to the Constitution. The doctor is a pro-life Christian (notable particularly on this anniversary of Roe v. Wade) who used to deliver babies for a living, before becoming a congressman. He is not a proponent of keynesian economics (one of our country's biggest downfalls) and is a staunch supporter of states' rights and the tenth amendment. He holds George Washington's view tht the UaS should mind our own business and butt out of affairs that are not our own. Ron Paul supports gun owners, homeschoolers, and citizens who would like lower taxes. The fact that the media hates him should be enough to get you interested: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/
2nd Place: Rick Santorum, an extremely pro-life, extremely pro-family, pro-Jesus former senator from Pennsylvania. Rick Santorum is entirely unashamed of his conservative views, and shrugs off criticism from pro-choice and LGBT activists. Santorum is a proponent of spending cuts and economic reform, and is intent on the country depending less on imports. While I wish he were more focused on shifting power back from the central government to the states, there is little else not to like about him, and as a future homeschooling mom, I'd be thrilled to have him calling the shots in Washington: http://www.ricksantorum.com/issues
3rd Place: Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, a title which in itself should cause conservative voters to beware. Massachusetts is our most liberal state; do you really think they would elect a true conservative as governor? "Romney has also been criticized for having once held moderate positions on abortion, gun control and gay rights. He describes himself as pro-life, though he said during his 1994 Senate run that "abortion should be safe and legal in this country." (Alaska Dispatch). He also was in favor of the stimulus and is the creator of the RomneyCare (yet claims to be opposed to Obama's national version of the same). However, I'd still prefer Romney to the next candidate; as a Mormon, I'd like to think that Mitt Romney would adhere to a higher moral code than Newt Gingrich has displayed.
LAST: Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the house, who won in South Carolina despite serious accusations regarding his character as a husband, and his personal aspirations for the presidency. He's been through two scandalous divorces, and numerous purported affairs (including one with his current wife while he was leading the impeachment charge against President Clinton). Because it would take a long, long time to write all of the serious reasons why this man should not be our next president, I'll just say that he's a petulant, whiny, self-absorbed, self-inflated, immoral human being. Oh, and the democrats want him to get the nomination so that Obama will win again. That should tell you something.
Don't feel bad, people of South Carolina. You didn't know. It's so easy to forget a person's history when in the midst of a glitzy presidential campaign. And Newt is so round and fiery and he shouts importantly a lot. I forgive you. I'm confidant the other states can compensate for your misjudgment. Just don't let it happen again, or we may have to ask you to leave the Union. Oh wait, never mind. I know that you want what's best for our country, just like I do.
God bless America.
Respectfully,
Brittany
Good day to you. Or rather, to y'all. I hear that your state is lovely, and I imagine it is filled with lovely people as well. I was just in your sister state to the north and found it very pleasant; surely yours is also. Congratulations on turning out in record numbers to vote in your primary election yesterday. It must take quite a bit of resolve to vote on a Saturday, and I commend you for your efforts. But I must inquire as to why you sacrificed precious moments of your weekend voting for the wrong person? Indeed I'm afraid your election couldn't have gone any worse. Newt Gingrich, whom many of you indicated you'd like to be my next president, is incredibly undeserving of your vote, much less your Saturday afternoon. And why did Mitt Romney come in second, leaving the two most exciting candidates to bring up the rear? Tsk tsk, South Carolina republicans. Here is how you should have voted:
1st Place: Dr. Ron Paul, the only candidate in decades who represents real change, and a return to the Constitution. The doctor is a pro-life Christian (notable particularly on this anniversary of Roe v. Wade) who used to deliver babies for a living, before becoming a congressman. He is not a proponent of keynesian economics (one of our country's biggest downfalls) and is a staunch supporter of states' rights and the tenth amendment. He holds George Washington's view tht the UaS should mind our own business and butt out of affairs that are not our own. Ron Paul supports gun owners, homeschoolers, and citizens who would like lower taxes. The fact that the media hates him should be enough to get you interested: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/
2nd Place: Rick Santorum, an extremely pro-life, extremely pro-family, pro-Jesus former senator from Pennsylvania. Rick Santorum is entirely unashamed of his conservative views, and shrugs off criticism from pro-choice and LGBT activists. Santorum is a proponent of spending cuts and economic reform, and is intent on the country depending less on imports. While I wish he were more focused on shifting power back from the central government to the states, there is little else not to like about him, and as a future homeschooling mom, I'd be thrilled to have him calling the shots in Washington: http://www.ricksantorum.com/issues
3rd Place: Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, a title which in itself should cause conservative voters to beware. Massachusetts is our most liberal state; do you really think they would elect a true conservative as governor? "Romney has also been criticized for having once held moderate positions on abortion, gun control and gay rights. He describes himself as pro-life, though he said during his 1994 Senate run that "abortion should be safe and legal in this country." (Alaska Dispatch). He also was in favor of the stimulus and is the creator of the RomneyCare (yet claims to be opposed to Obama's national version of the same). However, I'd still prefer Romney to the next candidate; as a Mormon, I'd like to think that Mitt Romney would adhere to a higher moral code than Newt Gingrich has displayed.
LAST: Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the house, who won in South Carolina despite serious accusations regarding his character as a husband, and his personal aspirations for the presidency. He's been through two scandalous divorces, and numerous purported affairs (including one with his current wife while he was leading the impeachment charge against President Clinton). Because it would take a long, long time to write all of the serious reasons why this man should not be our next president, I'll just say that he's a petulant, whiny, self-absorbed, self-inflated, immoral human being. Oh, and the democrats want him to get the nomination so that Obama will win again. That should tell you something.
Don't feel bad, people of South Carolina. You didn't know. It's so easy to forget a person's history when in the midst of a glitzy presidential campaign. And Newt is so round and fiery and he shouts importantly a lot. I forgive you. I'm confidant the other states can compensate for your misjudgment. Just don't let it happen again, or we may have to ask you to leave the Union. Oh wait, never mind. I know that you want what's best for our country, just like I do.
God bless America.
Respectfully,
Brittany
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Walking!
Our little Rorykins is FINALLY an exclusive walker! She stood on her own and took her first solo steps on New Year's Eve, and about a week ago she left crawling behind for good! To celebrate, we had a walking party on Sunday. Some of her little buddies (and some of ours too!) came over to play, and we had walking related snacks ("foot" long subs, pretzel "walking" sticks, "walky" road brownies, cake "walk" cupcakes, etc.) and enjoyed each other. Much walking was done by all, except for 4-month Trinity and 3-month Sebastian, of course.
In food news, I've made three delicious soups the past week: cauliflower, two-bean (I finally got a ham bone, after being denied all holiday season!), and chicken barley. I also made 100 percent whole wheat bread yesterday, which turned out great.
Some mom friends came over yesterday afternoon, which is a welcomed way to spend a long afternoon before spousy wousy gets home from work. I don't know what I would do without friends who have either been there or are in the trenches with me! Bud-o is 12 weeks old now and is no longer a newborn! He's playful and sweet and serious, and I could just squeeze him all day!
Last night Blake and I braved the cold to visit a local thrift store with my father in law- half off everything due to the holiday! Although it is NOT one of my favorites in town (it's super pricy for secondhand!), we got some great deals for the kiddos, and I found a good rain jacket to take to Alaska next month! That's right, we're heading to Juneau to visit my brother and his lovely wife! We're super excited, although filled with trepidation since traveling with the babies can be a tiny bit horrific.
In food news, I've made three delicious soups the past week: cauliflower, two-bean (I finally got a ham bone, after being denied all holiday season!), and chicken barley. I also made 100 percent whole wheat bread yesterday, which turned out great.
Some mom friends came over yesterday afternoon, which is a welcomed way to spend a long afternoon before spousy wousy gets home from work. I don't know what I would do without friends who have either been there or are in the trenches with me! Bud-o is 12 weeks old now and is no longer a newborn! He's playful and sweet and serious, and I could just squeeze him all day!
Last night Blake and I braved the cold to visit a local thrift store with my father in law- half off everything due to the holiday! Although it is NOT one of my favorites in town (it's super pricy for secondhand!), we got some great deals for the kiddos, and I found a good rain jacket to take to Alaska next month! That's right, we're heading to Juneau to visit my brother and his lovely wife! We're super excited, although filled with trepidation since traveling with the babies can be a tiny bit horrific.
| Giddy in her pretty church dress |
| Kale'a was very concerned about the puppy. |
| Kale's and Hannah and Rorykins playing on the swing set, with the dads presumably attentively near by |
| Displeased about something... |
| Kale'a is an adventurer... |
| Bring on the sugar crash... |
| Moms and daughters (and possibly a couple sons??) |
| They all got the pink memo |
| Crash time |
| Kale'a came back to play the next day! |
| Yep, that's my daughter walking! |
| Cuties |
Saturday, January 14, 2012
A girl Thing
We were over at my inlaws' house the other day, and I was preparing to partake of a satisfying cup of hot chocolate. I selected a mug from the cupboard, briefly studied it, and returned it to its place. This I did two more times. My husband was cautiously intrigued (which means he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what I was doing). Curiosity got the better of him, and he inquired as to my purpose. I was, at this point, mildly dismayed, since the mug I seeked was two shelves out of my reach! I informed my husband of this unfortunate situation. Though he is accustomed to my unpredictable whims and fancies, he could not fathom why any of the rejected mugs would not suit my hot chocolate, especially since I had been known to use them in the past. I patiently explained that none of them matched my sweater, and I could not possibly carry around in front of me for the next twenty minutes a mug quite that shade of pink when my shirt was quite the shade of pink that it was. Also, the bright red one would not do, and festive dancing snowmen were of an entirely different feel than my demure attire. Though I suspect that he was not convinced of my sincerity, my ever helpful husband demonstrated his worth by choosing off a shelf a sturdy specimen of forest green. It was a fine selection. My mother in law had been looking on sympathetically, and at Blake's questioning look, she confirmed that yes, she did indeed match her mugs to her outfit. Apparently this is not a common action among men.
What womanly indulgences to you allow yourself?
What womanly indulgences to you allow yourself?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
An Unusual Normalcy
I just love these stretches of homeness, the comfort of knowing that we'll be in town for a little while, and that it's safe to throw ourselves back into our semblance of a routine. What does that look like? Blake working, the babies and me manning the fort, eating home cooked meals, playtime, walks, hot drinks, encouraging Rory to walk...
Speaking (writing?) of Aurora, an unfortunate development in her life is her frequent and vigorous use of a new word, "no." Whereas I used to learn she was awake from a nap by hearing sweet murmuring from her crib, I now am serenaded with a cross-sounding, "Noooooo! Noooooo!" That's how I feel when I wake up too, Baby girl. She makes up for it in other ways, however, especially her (finally!) walking, which she is growing more bold with everyday. Also, she counts to three, in a particularly cute manner: "deeuu, Doooooo, DAAAAAAAA!!!" Other new words are "down" (which means both down and up), and "hiyou," which we are assuming means "hi, you."
As far as Bash goes... at eleven weeks old, he's giving us a consistent 7-8 hour stretch at night, which is the cause of much rejoicing. In fact, in sixteen years, were Sebastian to mention his great sleeping skills, it's likely we'd be inclined to give him money and the car keys, out of overwhelming gratitude. He's our stoic and serious little watcher, but his smiles and snuggles are so sweet.
Speaking (writing?) of Aurora, an unfortunate development in her life is her frequent and vigorous use of a new word, "no." Whereas I used to learn she was awake from a nap by hearing sweet murmuring from her crib, I now am serenaded with a cross-sounding, "Noooooo! Noooooo!" That's how I feel when I wake up too, Baby girl. She makes up for it in other ways, however, especially her (finally!) walking, which she is growing more bold with everyday. Also, she counts to three, in a particularly cute manner: "deeuu, Doooooo, DAAAAAAAA!!!" Other new words are "down" (which means both down and up), and "hiyou," which we are assuming means "hi, you."
As far as Bash goes... at eleven weeks old, he's giving us a consistent 7-8 hour stretch at night, which is the cause of much rejoicing. In fact, in sixteen years, were Sebastian to mention his great sleeping skills, it's likely we'd be inclined to give him money and the car keys, out of overwhelming gratitude. He's our stoic and serious little watcher, but his smiles and snuggles are so sweet.
| The family after Bash's dedication |
| I think she's checking out some new teeth. But she could just be being weird. |
| Humoring me. But doesn't she look lovely in navy? |
| Sebastian was extremely annoyed that his friend wore the same outfit to church. |
| Bud-o's first time in the stroller. Clearly we document all the important moments. |
| My sweet girl reading to her little brother. |
| Having fun at the gymnastics open baby gym! |
| Bash wasn't too excited. I guess he won't be winning me a gold medal in gymnastics. |
| I think he looks very presidential here |
| Bash and Grandpa in their moose shirts |
| Believe me, you can't help but smile back. |
| "Where are those muffins you promised me?!" |
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Vote!
For those of you living in Coconino County, the deadline to register to vote in the coming election is January 30th. If you're a registered independent and want to vote in the GOP primary, you need to change your party affiliation to "republican" by this date as well, since it is by mail in ballot only. Follow this link to complete your registration:
https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/selectLanguage
https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/selectLanguage
Friday, January 6, 2012
Our Homemade Christmas
I am such a gift person. I love getting them, and I really love giving them. We always put a lot of thought into our presents, and knowing that we wouldn't have a lot of money for Christmas this year, we began scheming homemade gift ideas months ago. Ideas are not hard to come by (thanks to Pinterest!), but considering how NOT crafty I am, we could only seriously consider those that take minimal skill. Here are a few we successfully implemented:
For my mom, an avid reader and grandkid-adorer: a set of genre-specific bookmarks. I came up with this idea all on my own, and my fairly proud of it. I used pictures of the kids that we already had and paired them up with a book genre that sort of coincided. I used free editing software to add the genre to the picture, printed them out at home, and used clear contact paper to laminate them. If I were a more competent photo editor, perhaps I would have made them more slender, like a typical bookmark, but for simplicity's sake...
| I ended up with ten bookmarks: sleeping Bash for nonfiction (supposedly boring, after all), Rory in an old fashioned hat and bonnet for historical fiction, carving pumpkins for DIY books, Rory screaming bloody murder with crazy bedhead for mystery/suspense, etc. My mom LOVED them! |
| I made these fire starters for my husband, who makes lovely fires in our wood stove to keep his family warm. I used pine cones from the yard, pariffin wax, toilet paper tubes (to set the pine cones in), and kitchen twine (for a wick). It was a pretty easy process; pouring the melted wax over the pine cones (I placed them in a greased muffin tin) that were resting on the paper tube segments, after wrapping some twine around them. When they had cooled, I popped them out and stored them in a cardboard box (maybe not the best idea for something that's purpose is to make fire). They work fabulously! |
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Some other gifts we made that I didn't take pictures of include beef jerky, cookbooks for my siblings using recipes clipped by our grandma before she died, and a tiered planter made out of a pallet. I think we succeed in making gifts that were frugal, meaningful, but not kitschy over impractical. I'm already a bit concerned about next year...
Monday, January 2, 2012
2,391 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Fly With Babies...
The nicest thing about my husband's job with US Air is being able to fly standby for free. Without that little perk we'd never go anywhere, since the not-so-nice thing about his job is that it pays a little over nothing. Last week we took advantage of our flying privileges to head back east for the wedding of one of my good friends from college. Flying standby. With two babies. Over the holidays. Yep, we're crazy. Let me add here that my daughter, who is just the sweetest 19 month old you could meet, turns into a psychotic nightmare on airplanes. Nonetheless, we approached the trip with cautious optimism. Oooh boy.
We left on Tuesday. One of the problems with flying standby is that since you don't have to pay for a ticket, you are less inclined to consider things like departure times with the gravity that they deserve. We got to the Flagstaff airport ten minutes too late to feasibly make our first flight. No good excuse for that. We got on the next plane, extending our travel day by two hours. Oops. Rory will not/cannot sleep on planes. She became overtired and horrifically cranky. Our flight from Phoenix to Charlotte was a disaster. As was the one to Cleveland. On that plane, a sweet flight attendant had mercy on us and took Rory to the back with her, where she gave her a can of pringles that Rory happily crushed all over the floor. We were not very popular, but we survived. We also survived a screw up with our rental car, and finally made it to my friend Emily's house. Emmy and her husband have a baby boy exactly one week younger than Sebastian. Philip and Bash are going to be penpals one day. Side note: One thing I really love about the East is the really cool architecture. Things are so OLD there! I love how much character the houses have (Emily and her family live in a beautiful brick home that you'd never find in Flagstaff). It was SO great seeing my Grove City friends and catching up on their (much more glamorous than my) lives.
Megan married Tyler in a beautiful old church in a park near her childhood home, wearing the wedding dress that both her grandma and mom wore. And, I had forgotten about one fabulous tradition that this part of the country practices: a cookie table at the reception! You get to eat delicious cookies all evening, then fill up a little bag to take home. Those cookies were life savers flying home (we stuffed Rory full of them to keep her in a state of semi-contentment).
We were supposed to fly home on Thursday (the wedding was Wednesday). We planned our travels so that Rory would nap in the morning before the flight. After a terrible trip back to Charlotte (TSA in Cleveland was awful!), we decided it was best to split our travel day in half and spend the night there. We crashed at a hotel near the airport and spent the evening considering our options for the next day. Unfortunately, we had forgotten that the Fiesta Bowl was going on in Phoenix, making flights unusually full. On top of that, a glitch by the airline overbooked all of the flights out of Charlotte, meaning that flying nonstop from there to Phoenix was impossible. So, late in the afternoon we flew from Charlotte to Indianapolis. We rushed off the plane in Indy and boarded our next flight right as the doors were about to close. Our seats were split up on that flight, with me and Rory occupying two seats in the front and Blake in the emergency exit row a few back. We figured that someone would be kind and switch so we could all be together (we did have two babies, after all!), but the sweet old lady had paid extra for her window seat and didn't want to give it up, and the man across the aisle explained that his wife was sitting a row back on the other side. He then proceeded to listen to his headphones the whole flight and never even looked at her. Blake couldn't even help hold Bash since he was in the exit row. I didn't feel too bad when Rory fussed. However, we made an adjustment that brought about a huge improvement in Rory's flying experience- we brought on her car seat. I highly recommend doing this for your wiggly toddler if you can. She even slept some! After flying from Indy to Phoenix we got on our plane to Flagstaff and arrived home completely exhausted, but relatively happy. It was worth the trip to see my friends, and we overcame great trials and emerged stronger! Go Team Bowen!
Random notes from the trip:
- I used to drink a mixture of Sprite and cranberry juice on planes (do you something that you always drink on airplanes?). This time, I tried something new: orange juice and ginger ale. It's not as sweet tasting as the first, and is kind of like punch! I recommend it. Plus, when you mix things, the flight attendants sometimes give you both half-left cans!
- Flights do go by quicker when you're working on keeping babies entertained and reasonably happy. I didn't even have the chance to get a picture of Bash on his first (or second, or third, or...) plane ride.
- People are really friendly in North Carolina.
- People aren't so friendly in Cleveland (except Emmy and James and Philip, of course).
- People live in townships and boroughs back east, not counties.
- The best thing we brought for Rory on the airplane (other than her car seat and a big bag of craisins ((which she scattered a la Hansel and Gretel in the Cleveland airport)) was a little compact mirror and makeup brush. Do yourself a favor and pack one for your baby girl on your next trip. Just don't leave it in the seat back pocket when you get off the plane.
We left on Tuesday. One of the problems with flying standby is that since you don't have to pay for a ticket, you are less inclined to consider things like departure times with the gravity that they deserve. We got to the Flagstaff airport ten minutes too late to feasibly make our first flight. No good excuse for that. We got on the next plane, extending our travel day by two hours. Oops. Rory will not/cannot sleep on planes. She became overtired and horrifically cranky. Our flight from Phoenix to Charlotte was a disaster. As was the one to Cleveland. On that plane, a sweet flight attendant had mercy on us and took Rory to the back with her, where she gave her a can of pringles that Rory happily crushed all over the floor. We were not very popular, but we survived. We also survived a screw up with our rental car, and finally made it to my friend Emily's house. Emmy and her husband have a baby boy exactly one week younger than Sebastian. Philip and Bash are going to be penpals one day. Side note: One thing I really love about the East is the really cool architecture. Things are so OLD there! I love how much character the houses have (Emily and her family live in a beautiful brick home that you'd never find in Flagstaff). It was SO great seeing my Grove City friends and catching up on their (much more glamorous than my) lives.
Megan married Tyler in a beautiful old church in a park near her childhood home, wearing the wedding dress that both her grandma and mom wore. And, I had forgotten about one fabulous tradition that this part of the country practices: a cookie table at the reception! You get to eat delicious cookies all evening, then fill up a little bag to take home. Those cookies were life savers flying home (we stuffed Rory full of them to keep her in a state of semi-contentment).
| A fuzzy picture of the bride and groom |
| Emily and Philip and Rorykins and Blake at the reception |
| Karen and Alex! |
| Philip and his affectionate parents |
| Natalie, making the world wonder why she's not going into pediatric medicine |
| Bash was very content with his Auntie Natty |
| Blake and Rory being all good looking and stuff |
| The kiddos were troopers the whole day! |
| Sebastian and Philip and the mamas |
| My baby girl has stellar rhythm, and boy, does she love to dance. |
| Father/son- what handsome guys! |
| Natalie took Rory for a walk (a little harder to train than a puppy though) |
| Someone got a little sugar-loopy... |
| Freshman roomies- Viva room 167! |
| Auntie Alex and Bash |
| Some of the FUN and a miniFUN too. |
| Rory was astounded that someone else had a baby too. |
| He's stingy with his smiles, but they're heart melting! |
| Bash loves his sister! |
| A picture of the boys to show them when they're BFFs one day. |
We were supposed to fly home on Thursday (the wedding was Wednesday). We planned our travels so that Rory would nap in the morning before the flight. After a terrible trip back to Charlotte (TSA in Cleveland was awful!), we decided it was best to split our travel day in half and spend the night there. We crashed at a hotel near the airport and spent the evening considering our options for the next day. Unfortunately, we had forgotten that the Fiesta Bowl was going on in Phoenix, making flights unusually full. On top of that, a glitch by the airline overbooked all of the flights out of Charlotte, meaning that flying nonstop from there to Phoenix was impossible. So, late in the afternoon we flew from Charlotte to Indianapolis. We rushed off the plane in Indy and boarded our next flight right as the doors were about to close. Our seats were split up on that flight, with me and Rory occupying two seats in the front and Blake in the emergency exit row a few back. We figured that someone would be kind and switch so we could all be together (we did have two babies, after all!), but the sweet old lady had paid extra for her window seat and didn't want to give it up, and the man across the aisle explained that his wife was sitting a row back on the other side. He then proceeded to listen to his headphones the whole flight and never even looked at her. Blake couldn't even help hold Bash since he was in the exit row. I didn't feel too bad when Rory fussed. However, we made an adjustment that brought about a huge improvement in Rory's flying experience- we brought on her car seat. I highly recommend doing this for your wiggly toddler if you can. She even slept some! After flying from Indy to Phoenix we got on our plane to Flagstaff and arrived home completely exhausted, but relatively happy. It was worth the trip to see my friends, and we overcame great trials and emerged stronger! Go Team Bowen!
Random notes from the trip:
- I used to drink a mixture of Sprite and cranberry juice on planes (do you something that you always drink on airplanes?). This time, I tried something new: orange juice and ginger ale. It's not as sweet tasting as the first, and is kind of like punch! I recommend it. Plus, when you mix things, the flight attendants sometimes give you both half-left cans!
- Flights do go by quicker when you're working on keeping babies entertained and reasonably happy. I didn't even have the chance to get a picture of Bash on his first (or second, or third, or...) plane ride.
- People are really friendly in North Carolina.
- People aren't so friendly in Cleveland (except Emmy and James and Philip, of course).
- People live in townships and boroughs back east, not counties.
- The best thing we brought for Rory on the airplane (other than her car seat and a big bag of craisins ((which she scattered a la Hansel and Gretel in the Cleveland airport)) was a little compact mirror and makeup brush. Do yourself a favor and pack one for your baby girl on your next trip. Just don't leave it in the seat back pocket when you get off the plane.
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