Hello?!?!

I know it has been a long time since I've last updated our blog. Truth is, life just got busy for a while!! I have been thinking about getting back into the swing of it, so I thought I'd start with a little update--things that we've done..and some things that have happened. So here we go!!

We were able to take our first family vacation last April. Well, other than camping. I'm not sure you can really count camping as a vacation! We drove to Destin, Florida. We had so much fun spending time as a family together! We didn't have much planned other than beaching and pooling it every day. We did a little shopping, a little fishing but most of all just enjoyed not having to be on a schedule!! Can't wait to go back this year!!

Miss Emma worked hard at Nana & Papa's house for about 9 months and saved up enough money to buy herself an American Girl Doll!! Se we had to take the trip to Chicago to buy the doll..after all, it's huge that she was able to buy it herself! After picking out her doll, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the 'American Girl Cafe'. I have to say..the American Girl store is cRaZY!! The boys came with and enjoyed the Lego Store right next to the American Girl store. :-) They had both worked at Nana & Papa's too and were able to pick out some Legos.

Logan. Logan has become quite the sportsman. He played flag football this fall and absolutely loved it. He did basketball camp a few weeks ago-I just don't have any pictures of it. But in all seriousness, that boy loves his sports and he's pretty good at them too!

And then there is school. Emma is in 1st grade and Logan is in kindergarten. I can't believe how busy it is with 2 kids in school full time..I don't even want to think of what it will be like when Hayden joins in! We did make the move to Hamilton Schools. I'm just not sure yet..public is so different that Christian schools. We are praying to see where the Lord leads us with the school thing. (and please know, I have nothing against hamilton..I would have the same issues with any other public school we chose). The kids are doing ok. They've made some friends which is a huge help. But they do miss Holland Christian..and that breaks a momma's heart to hear!

I'm saving probably, the best thing, that has happened in the past year or so for last. The above picture is a picture of all our family and friends that came to Emma's water Baptism. That's right. At 7 years old Emma made the decision to publicly declare she is going to follow Christ. Wow. Still brings tears to me! I thank God for her desire to follow Him. Teaching/showing our children to follow Christ is the absolute most important thing we can teach them. 

I am going to end with this verse from Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." I really like the last part-how God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It's so, so true!

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Halloween

The kids were so excited to go trick or treating this year. You see, I HATE halloween. Hate it. And in years past we hadn't gone. One year I even hid candy and the kids went through the house looking for it. :) But a church by us had Trunk or Treat-so we opted for that.
Here we have 2 batmans & Fancy Nancy

By the end of the night it was dark and we needed to head home. Well, being myself with the kids we started walking. It was really dark, I wasn't really scared-because I knew our angels were with us. And then, totally out of the blue-and me saying nothing, Emma started singing as loud as she could 'It is good to give thanks to the Lord'. I've had a lot of tear-jerker moments lately-and that was one of them. Then we were getting ready to cross a busy street-and there was a lack of street lights. So the kids and I prayed-and we charged our angels to stop traffic so we could cross. No sooner than getting done with that and there are no cars coming from either direction-so we cross. And immediately Emma & Logan start yelling as loud as they can 'thank you Lord'. Moments like these are so wonderful. Satan and his demon angels didn't have a chance with us-because my kids were singing the praises of the Lord-in the midst of the dark night. Thank you Lord for blessing me with these children!!

Keys for Keeping Kids in the Kingdom

A while back I was listening to a sermon for parents. The title was keeping kids in the Kingdom. And the lady who was preaching had come up with a need that kids have for each letter of the alphabet. So clever, right?! So I thought I'd share them.

Affection, Boundries, Chores, Discipline, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Grace, Humor,

Instruction, Jesus, Kindness, Love, Motivation, Nourishment, Obedience, Protection, Quiet-rest,

Responsibility, Security, Touch, Understanding, Victories, Will-power, Xample, You,

Zeal (never quitting attitude).

Another Good Report...

Here is another 'End of the Day' report...thought this was worth sharing. The American people need to know what is going on!! If you want to suscribe to his reports (they are free) you can go to www.humanevents.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Democrat Disconnect

President Obama is stumping in key states pushing his American Jobs Act. At every stop, he lashes out at Republicans for refusing to pass his latest tax-hiking, big spending stimulus bill.

In Ohio earlier this week, Obama asked, "What on Earth are we waiting for?" In North Carolina yesterday, Obama suggested the poor economy was equivalent to a "national emergency" and urged his audience, "If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill," and "The time for action is now."

Don't let the scenes on the evening news of Obama's supporters chanting "Pass This Bill!" fool you. Obama's attempts to pin blame on congressional Republicans are deeply disingenuous.

To begin with, no Democrat in the House of Representatives has so far stepped up to sponsor Obama's bill. And because no House Democrat is willing to carry Obama's water, Texas Republican Louie Gohmert introduced his own American Jobs Act to repeal the corporate income tax.

What Obama is giving the American people is demagoguery, not leadership. And he has played this same game with free trade agreements for months now. During a June press conference Obama said:

"Right now, Congress can advance a set of trade agreements that would allow American businesses to sell more of their goods and services to countries in Asia and South America, agreements that would support tens of thousands of American jobs, while helping those adversely affected by trade. That's pending before Congress right now."
In reality, the trade deals are not "pending before Congress right now" because Obama hasn't sent them to Congress. They have been stuck on his desk because of opposition from Big Labor!

When it comes to his latest $500 billion stimulus bill, Obama has other problems to worry about. He blames Republicans for holding it up, but Democrats are also lining up against it. Consider some of these statements:

• "I have serious questions about the level of spending that President Obama proposed." -- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)
  
  
• "I am not supporting a repeal of tax cuts for the oil industry unless there are other industries that contribute. …that offset is not going to fly, and he should know that. Maybe it's just for his election…" -- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
  
  
• "When you start singling out certain industries [oil and gas], there's an unfairness to it. On the pay-fors, I have a problem." -- Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK)
  
  
• "Terrible. We shouldn't increase taxes on ordinary income." -- Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)
  
  
• "I think the best jobs bill that can be passed is a comprehensive long-term deficit-reduction plan. That's better than everything else the president is talking about — combined." -- Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)
  
  
• "Every dollar that is spent on the jobs bill … is not going to be available to Congress to deal with the debt. And to me, the top priority of ours should be long-term major debt reduction." -- Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT)

I could go on, but the point is obvious. Clearly, Obama doesn't even have his own party on board yet. To further underscore the point, while Obama is demanding immediate passage of his bill, the New York Times reports that Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid may not even schedule a vote "until after his chamber's recess at the end of the month."

Most importantly, American voters are far from sold. A Rasmussen poll found that just 38% of likely voters support Obama's $500 billion stimulus bill.

Mr. President: the American people are not called to love you. Some may have swooned in 2008, but since then we've lost hope and desperately want a change. Truly great presidents loved the American people. And if you love us, sir, repeal ObamaCare and stop trying to raise our taxes!


Obama Wants To Tax Soup Kitchens

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) made a great point on his blog this week: Obama's proposal to make charitable donations taxable is essentially the same as raising taxes on soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

Of course with the poverty rate in "Obamerica" now affecting nearly one out of every six of us and jobless claims still going up, soup kitchens and homeless shelters are in great demand. Yet Obama wants to make it harder for them to raise the money they need to stay open -- all so he can get more revenue to spend on his failed economic ideas.

By the way, it's not just conservatives like Cantor who object to Obama's tax hikes. Wealthy liberals and non-profit groups are furious too.


Carville: Time To Panic

Democrat super-strategist James Carville has some advice for President Obama and his party: "People often ask me what advice I would give the White House about various things. …What should the White House do now? One word came to mind: Panic."

In the wake of crushing defeats in Nevada and New York, the New York Times reports today that the White House is in full damage-control mode, desperately trying to mend fences with the Jewish community. But this could be a difficult balancing act.

Ever since FDR, most Jews have voted for Democrats. In recent years, Orthodox and other religious Jews have started voting for more conservative candidates who mirror their values and strongly support Israel. Obama's hostility toward Israel has accelerated this trend and Tuesday's stunning upset in New York's 9th District suggests it could be reaching a critical mass.

It's not likely that all of New York has suddenly become competitive. But the growing disaffection among Jewish voters could cause big problems for Obama in states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Ohio. It could also negatively impact fundraising for Obama and Democrat candidates down the ballot.

Here's another complicating issue for Obama: According to a recent Gallup poll, Obama's approval rating among Muslims is 80%, a level of support exceeded only by blacks. How has Obama managed to alienate Jews while galvanizing Muslims? I would suggest it is his anti-Israel policies. But anything Obama does to win back Jewish voters risks alienating Muslims.

Perhaps more Jewish voters will begin to rethink their allegiance to a party that is so conflicted on the safety and security of the Jewish state.


The Green Jobs Scam

I have written extensively in past reports about how the "green jobs" agenda is a scam on almost every level. In one case, it really was a scam.

This week Cameron Potter pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges for stealing $400,000 in grants from the Department of Energy. But in this case, I am less concerned about the theft of taxpayer dollars and more concerned about what this case says about Obama's radical agenda.

Potter was the chief financial officer of a Tennessee-based environmental group that spends much of its time lobbying against "high-risk energy" like coal and nuclear plants. Given that coal and nuclear power provide about 65% of the electricity in this country, and wind and solar supply less than 2%, why is the Department of Energy giving out grants to left-wing groups trying to shut down coal and nuclear plants?

It's just one more example of how your hard-earned tax dollars are being misused by Obama to promote a counterproductive left-wing agenda that would shut down America's economy and cost us even more jobs. But wait… There's more.

Today's Washington Post has a devastating report on the failure of Obama's green jobs agenda. Consider this quote: "A $38.6 billion loan guarantee program that the Obama administration promised would create or save 65,000 jobs has … directly created 3,545 new, permanent jobs after giving out almost half the allocated amount, according to Energy Department tallies."

According the Department of Energy, the program has allocated $17.2 billion. Let's do the math: $17.2 billion divided by 3,545 jobs = $4,851,904 per job.

And Obama has the audacity to demand we give him another $500 billion!

Pre-schooler

Today was Logan's turn to start school. He is going to Preschool at South Side. He had a modified schedule today-and I got to go with him. Friday he'll have to go without me-and for the full morning. Today started out a bit rough. With Logan and Emma being only 19 months apart-they've really become good friends. Logan doesn't really due much without her and that is why I think he was a bit nervous today. In fact, he didn't want to go at all. Even with me going with him. This is so totally different than how Emma is. She was more than excited to go to school. I tried to get a picture of Logan before we left...and this is what I got!! So as we left the driveway I was a little teary eyed...simply because I want my child to want to go to school!! And I'm going to have a harder time if he doesn't like it-or puts up a fight. But we said a little prayer...


And we get to school. His first thing to do was to color a picture. He took his time :)

Then we had to find his teacher for a picture with her, he's starting to warm up a bit...

...by the time we were leaving I asked if I could get a picture of him by his locker...and he said that would be OK...

...now I'm thinking I'm really pushing my luck with one last picture by the school sign..but he agrees to it!! As we got in the car I asked if he had fun and he said he did. He also said he would be able to go back on friday all by himself!! I know each child is different-and I praise the Lord for that! Logan is just shy when it comes to new things-and this is definitely a new thing. So I'm sure as time goes on-he's going to love school just as much as his sister!!

End of the Day Report...

I get this End of the Day Report by Gary Bauer and thought I should start sharing some..

Friday, August 26, 2011

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


2012 Update

• For the second time this week a poll finds Obama struggling in the critical swing state of Florida. According to the latest Mason-Dixon poll, just 41% of likely Sunshine State voters approve of Obama's job performance, while 56% disapprove. And if the election were held today, Obama would lose the state 43% to 51% to Mitt Romney and 45% to 46% to Rick Perry. Obama narrowly edges out Michele Bachmann 46% to 44%.
  
  
• The left-wing group Democracy Corps, founded by Clinton strategist James Carville, warned this week that Obama is losing support among key liberal voting blocs. Among unmarried women, support for Obama is down 12 points compared to 2008. When he won the White House, Obama enjoyed a 30-point advantage among young voters. Today, his advantage has been cut in half. In addition, voter enthusiasm among these groups is down, suggesting that turnout among liberal voters may not match the levels we saw in 2008.
  
  The Obama campaign knows this. That's why it launched a massive voter registration and turnout effort this week. In addition, USA Today recently reported that Obama is "significantly outpacing the fundraising activity of the previous five presidents during their first terms." What is he going to do with all that money? Trust me, it won't be a positive campaign about hope and change. Obama's only hope is to smear his GOP opponent and turn out liberal voters based on their fears.
  
  
• But conservatives could also help Obama win. Why would any conservative want to help Obama get reelected? I ask myself that very question every time I get an email from someone threatening to vote for a third party candidate. And new polling released yesterday by a Democrat polling firm only confirms the obvious -- divided we fall.
  
  Public Policy Polling looked at seven hypothetical 2012 three-way races. Here is their conclusion:
  
  "…we took a look at seven possible independent candidates against Obama and his strongest GOP challenger, Mitt Romney, and found … Democrats remain pretty united behind Obama, and six of the seven possible independent candidates would hurt Romney more than the president."

A Tale Of Two Recessions

In today's Wall Street Journal, Stephen Moore pits "Obamanomics vs. Reaganomics." It is a very telling tale of how two men with very different ideas about government tackled two recessions with very different results. Here are some excerpts:

"The two presidents have a lot in common. Both inherited an American economy in collapse. And both applied daring, expensive remedies. Mr. Reagan passed the biggest tax cut ever, combined with an agenda of deregulation, monetary restraint and spending controls. Mr. Obama, of course, has given us a $1 trillion spending stimulus.

"By the end of the summer of Reagan's third year in office, the economy was soaring. The GDP growth rate was 5% and racing toward 7%, even 8% growth. In 1983 and '84 output was growing so fast the biggest worry was that the economy would 'overheat.' …By the end of Reagan's first term, it was Morning in America. Today there is gloomy talk of America in its twilight. …

"The Godfather of the neo-Keynesians, Paul Samuelson, was the lead critic of the supposed follies of Reaganomics. He wrote in a 1980 Newsweek column that to slay the inflation monster would take 'five to ten years of austerity,' with unemployment of 8% or 9% and real output of 'barely 1 or 2 percent.' Reaganomics was routinely ridiculed in the media, especially in the 1982 recession. That was the year MIT economist Lester Thurow famously said, 'The engines of economic growth have shut down here and across the globe, and they are likely to stay that way for years to come.' The economy would soon take flight for more than 80 consecutive months."
Ronald Reagan believed government is the problem. Barack Obama believes government is the solution. We've tried it his way for the past two and a half years, and the results are painfully obvious. What the left-wing naysayers said would happen under Reagan is taking place right now under Obama! Unemployment is above 9%. "The engines of economic growth have shut down." Today, GDP was again revised downward, to just 1%. Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

It doesn't have to be this way. The tale of this recession can have a happy ending too. To paraphrase Reagan, "A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. Recovery begins when Obama loses his job!"

This "tale of two recessions" is a great story, particularly for younger Americans who may have fallen for the hype about hope and change. Share it with them. It's a story that cannot be told often enough throughout the course of the next 14 months.


Ahmadinejad Again Vows To "Eradicate" Israel

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed again this week to wipe Israel off the map. In an interview with a Lebanese network, Ahmadinejad said: "Iran believes that whoever is for humanity should also be for eradicating the Zionist regime (Israel) as [a] symbol of suppression and discrimination. Iran follows this issue (the eradication of Israel) with determination and decisiveness and will never ever withdraw from this standpoint and policy."

Nearly 80 years ago, elites on the left dismissed and isolationists on the right ignored another anti-Semitic madman's calls for genocide. Thanks to their ignorance, Hitler's Holocaust almost succeeded in eradicating European Jews. And that ignorance cost us dearly as the world was plunged into a second devastating world war.

Today, Obama continues to dither while Iran inches closer to becoming a nuclear power. Even libertarian Ron Paul openly advocates abandoning our strategic interests in the Middle East. Both Obama and Paul are wrong.

Foreign policy is one of the most difficult issues for individuals to influence, but we are not powerless. Given this news, I want to encourage everyone to participate in the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem on Sunday, October 2nd. For more information, please visit daytopray.com.

School Girl

Emma has officially started Kindergarten!! Woo-hoo!! She was SO excited to go on her first day. She woke up as soon as I walked in her room..there was no need to beg her to wake up hehe!! We'll see how long that lasts!! We have been blessed to be able to send our kids to Holland Christian this year. During the summer I really struggled with where our kids would go to school. But I kept coming back to my bottom line--I know, that I know, that I know Holland Christian is where our kids are suppose to be. But I had no idea how we were going to pay for it!! The Lord answered my prayers...but not overnight (it took me about a month and a half before I had my answer). It took me standing on the Word of God. Every time I had doubt I had to get back into the Word. Re-read what the promises of God are. Speak those promises, pray those promises. I was so close to throwing in the towel. It wasn't easy, when in the natural it looked so impossible. God is a God who wants to give us the desires of our hearts. My desire was for our kids to have a Christ centered education. And the Lord is providing!! Praise the Lord!! I know my fight isn't over..but for right now, I'm resting in His peace!


She could hardly stand still for me to take a picture by her locker--couldn't wait to go outside and meet up with her friends!

While Emma was busy at school for the whole day!! The boys and I packed a lunch and headed to the park. Truly treasured my time with my boys. They played so nice together!!