Passion, Passover and the Big Two-Seven

Ah, it's Passion Week. How I love Passion Week.

I remember my second semester in Bible college when Dr. O (still one of my favorite teachers of all time), opened my world with the book "Jesus Christ: The Greatest Life." I had never before even imagined a blending of the four gospels, much less such a complete narrative of Jesus' life. It blew me away. I still keep that book on the shelf and refer to it some ten years later. That book introduced me to the real power and purpose of Passion Week.

And because I am completely vain, I love that my birthday is always somewhere near this most holy week. This year, it's smack dab in the middle.

But wait. It gets better! PASSOVER (my favorite holiday of the year--yes, more beloved than even Christmas) actually began on none other than March 30 (my birthday). So at sundown Monday night we enlisted all the family that could make it to join us for a Rory-led seder. And it was so personal, so meaningful hearing Rory read and lead us through the traditions that hold my heart still. We found a new Haggadah that we hadn't used before and this one really emphasized family which was special for us. And we sat Dia in her travel high chair right next to Daddy and everyone couldn't help but laugh and giggle as she spoke up every time Rory did. It was adorable. Gift of gab, she has!

Plus, can I tell you how much fun I had pretending to be Jewish! I had to stop by Whole Foods for some matza and charoseth ingredients and a mom and her daughter ran up searching for something especially kosher for Passover and we ended up chatting and then at the end I said, "Happy Passover!" Just like a real Jewish mom! :)

And Tuesday morning we went out for breakfast (my most favorite meal to eat out) and simply had a beautiful day. It felt like a day out of a vacation--you know, those days where everyone is relaxed and the day just kind of takes care of itself? It was just perfect. My first birthday as a mommy went beautifully. We even stopped by Chapparal Park (where Rory and I used to hang out for Park Days as kids!) to show Dia the duckies and try out a jungle gym (including the toddler swing) for the first time. Let me just say that, true to form, the swing, slide and ducks had nothing on all the people she saw! She is literally energized by people--seeing them, smiling at them, talking to them. She draws people to her--even teenage boys and other surprising humans who don't usually do baby-talk! If anybody out there is single and needs to borrow a people-magnet, just let me know. DD is your ticket to making friends!


Yeah, yeah. Swing, schming. There are PEOPLE over THERE, Mom!


Slide. Up, down. I get it, but there are PEOPLE just over THERE!!! (She is in love with people--big, small, young, old, short, tall, doesn't matter! And there just happened to be a little boy and his dad right next to the slide--way cooler than any slide, let me tell you.)

So another year older, hopefully wiser and bountifully more passionate and grateful to be here. Happy Passion Week! And a big thank-ya'll to all those beloveds who made it out to dance with us at Harrolds. Yeehaw!

Super Mom

So, what does it feel like to be Super Mom? You know, the svelt and trim (baby? what baby? my flawless body has never nurtured a human, or so it's supposed to look like), house-orderly, cook in the kitchen and free woman in the bedroom with all kids neatly dressed (scratch that--adorably dressed in designer wear that you bought on sale) kind of mom? Well, clearly, I have no idea!

Can I be honest? I loved my post-baby body. Don't get me wrong--it did NOT look like the Victoria's Secret models' bodies. It didn't even look like a plus-size model's! A post-baby body is a unique creation. It's a transition figure...it had held the most precious gift once and now it nurtures it through milk. It's ownership is still somewhere between mama's and baby's. And there is nothing else like it in the world.

We don't see much of naked anymore. Don't get me wrong--we see plenty of smut. We see risque. We see inappropriate. And we see airbrushed. But we don't see much, if any, true naked bodies of real women. I remember the first time I used the "community" dressing room at Last Chance. I was shocked. I had never seen so many different bodies! I had honestly, and ignorantly, swallowed the lies that underneath everyone's body is much more perfect than mine. To be honest, that's all I had ever seen--the bare bodies of models or actresses. Not WOMEN.

I had a heart-to-heart with my/Dia's doctor today (have I mentioned the phenomenal Dr. Swan before?!). I asked her how to lose the baby weight. Her response brought tears to my eyes. I can't possibly convey it all in black and white, but her words brought peace over my physical being--literally.

I had loved my post-baby body....but kept waiting for it to return to the pre-baby body. It's as if I, and most/all of society, wanted to erase the miracle that took place in my physical being. It's as if I wanted to trade in the nurturing figure of a new mother for that of a 12-year-old boy. Gross. And yet, everyone else would call it successful weight loss.

Don't get me wrong--you know I am 100% for healthy. But a post-baby body is not an obese body. It is not a problem body. It is not a small boy's figure with implants.

It is a woman's body. And I love it. And I love the small, little, trusting baby it single-handedly brought forth. It is a body of victory and like all battlefields, it's a little rough right now. :) But every fading stretch mark and pouch of skin are part of what made my miracle possible.

And whether or not you have birthed a child, your body as a woman IS beautiful. It is a unique temple whose esteem lies within. You may hate it (which I doubt--the hate is usually transposed either by another feeling or by accepting worth based on someone else's view, not truly your own--maybe a mother, sister, friend, television, etc.), but you would be wasting your God-given time. And besides, there are other little people looking up to you, like my daughter, to see how she should value her body. Do me a favor and at least act like you like yourself. Do it for me. Do it for her.

Butterflies!

There are so many wonderful new things going on with us these days (a certain lovebug is 6 months old now! And eating pureed carrots!!!! And waving!!!!!), but I just have to jump on here and encourage everyone to run to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the butterflies before they go. I believe they are here until May 9th.

We went today and Dia was literally shrieking with glee (it's a funny sound she makes by breathing in really fast; Rory is semi-concerned she is choking but so far, it seems to be just for fun)! She first fell in love with the little people there (aka kids) and then all the nice friendly snowbirds, but once she caught on that there were beautifully colored wings flying everywhere, she was in heaven. It was a delight. And you are somewhat forced to take your time and take it easy, so it's a very calming experience--even with a mover and shaker like D.



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And remember those flowers that I stick in her hair every chance I get? Well today was no exception, and we all know what butterflies are drawn to...


Her eager hands and fearless heart were ready to touch everything in sight (a personality trait I consider a true gift)! And thankfully those who witnessed her tearing leaves off of the trees (only 2 I promise!), promised not to tattle. ;)


She was enthralled!


I just had to add this one...notice anything different? I went back to blonde.... :) AND Ror had just bought DD The Hungry Little Caterpillar for her 6 month birthday (don't even start with us...we know we spoil....we're dealing with it ;), so Dia also had reading material to re-inforce the butterfly "concept." Can you say, "KONOS co-op"?

Whadd'ya Think?

So for a while now I've been impressed with several home-school families and their children. After having Dia, I am now desperate to pick their brains! So Rory and I have been tossing around the idea of holding a Parenting Forum where we invite said impressive home-school parents to let us pepper them with questions. It'd be open to anyone who wanted to come and the parents we'd invite (I already have a list!), would be there not based on perfection or unattainable success but based on a few criteria: they home-schooled their children, their children have all completed/are in the process of completing college, their family has remained close and tight-knit. And it's actually the reputation of their children that has impressed me the most--which as you know is saying a lot!

I am not on Facebook any more so I don't have access to everyone's thoughts like I used to, so I'm putting it out here. What do you think? Are you a parent--would you attend? There may be only a minimal fee due to renting a location if necessary.

If there's not enough interest, I'm just going to have call up each couple and take them out to dinner myself! :)

My Signature Color

I can't even tell you what a treat it was to find this at the nail salon today. It's not just any pink nail polish. No sir. I picked up the bottom of the bottle to read its fancy schmancy title and found this on the sticker:

"I'm Indi-a Mood for Love"

Are you kidding me?!?!?! And it couldn't be more pink or more fitting.

What an absolute treat!

You can thank me later

For any AZ ladies (and even gentlemen) looking for a good deal, I recently found Luminous Skin Studios in Old Town Scottsdale. Suzy is the owner and she is offering amazing deals!!! Let's just say I am getting a series of microderm abrasion treatments for...wait for it.....$37 a piece (normally $140 in a doctor's office)! I can't even get a normal old facial for that price! She is offering special pricing during the economic downturn and the prices are unbelievable. She is also one of the nicest women I've ever met in my life, and I can't tell you how great my skin looks after just 3 treatments (I have a few more to go....blasted acne scarring!!).

So if you're looking for a good deal on skin care, skin products, photofacials, make-up (she carries Jane Iredale, among others, for 25% off!), microderm, laser hair removal, etc., check out Luminous!!! I don't think you can even come close to these prices any where else.

Please please please tell her I sent you. Not only do I get a free treatment for every three referrals, but I'd just love to send a bunch of friends her way!

You can thank me later. :)

It's a Wedding!

There are so many glorious things to write about my sister-in-law's wedding. Rachel Starks became Mrs. Parker last Saturday and it had the mama in me planning outfits and timing schedules weeks in advance. I searched high and low for a yellow dress (Rachel's colors were yellow and gray and since Daddy was an usher we wanted to color-coordinate) for a nearly 6-month old and ended up being saved by Etsy. Have you Etsy-ed? If not, you are so missing out. If so, well, you know! :)

At any rate, in all the planning and thinking ahead, I was stunned when I saw the bride coming down the staircase. How did this funky girl become so glamorous? She was absolutely stunning. It was such an honor to witness her take vows and begin her married life.

It was also a thrill to introduce Dia to a lot of Rory's family who live in California and had yet to meet our Bugs. The big shocker for Rory and I was that Dia ended up introducing herself....How did a mere baby do this, you ask? I still don't know! All I know is that we got to the wedding a second before late (too late to meet and greet before the ceremony) and then were rushed through pictures and dinner so that we ended up doing a lot of our greeting on the dance floor. But before we could take DD around, Ror and I decided to cut a rug and left DD with my sister for just a second. Before I knew it, I looked over and there was D--in the arms of an uncle she had never met! Cool as a cucumber, she stayed and cooed with this strange man for quite a while before being passed on to another new family member....and another...and another....and another. And I am watching, stunned, from the dance floor, waiting for her to cry out to me and Daddy to save her. Yeah, well that never happened!

It never happened! She went around and around without hesitation or fear. At one point, she even reached out for one of Rory's California aunts, grabbed her face with her hands and planted a kiss right on her face! I am telling you, this child of mine is the charmer of the ages! She had the entire wedding in the palm of her hand in a matter of seconds. I met Rachel's mother-in-law, the wedding planner, the Wright House staff and others simply because they wanted to say hi to Dia. And what did Dia do? Well, first of all, she was the one who smiled at them from afar and lured them in. Once there, she held their eyes in hers and smiled and cooed until they were grinning from ear to ear. Public relations specialist. I am telling you, she has a future in dealing with people!

I am still processing this blossoming moment of hers. It is a real answer to prayer as I have been beseeching the Lord to show me more of who she is and who He designed her to be. Let me tell ya right now, it's a social butterfly and charmer. I am so proud of this little Bugs. We thought we'd stay maybe an hour or two to dance. This girl closed the party down!! The dance floor was indoors, dark with a strobe light and blasting music. D never flinched! She was in her element! At one point, Rory even took her in the middle of the dance floor while everyone circled around. He held her standing on the floor while crowds of people clapped and cheered this 2-foot dancer on and she just smiled and smiled!

Par-tay girl! It also gave her Daddy and I a chance to dance. We danced a lot, actually! Something else I hadn't planned on with a 6-month old. What can I say?

Here are some pics of our yellow dream girl and the wedding:


It's hard to see, but this is Dia first entering the dance floor. This child is thrilled with the dark, loud, crazy room!


Aunt Alli, always a favorite!


More proof of the girly-girl I mentioned before!


Big brother and stunning bride


Is it possible she takes after Daddy?!


Daddy's first dance with Dia--Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody" AW!!!