New Most Embarrassing Moment

I start this with a big sigh. I'm rolling my eyes at myself for all the alternative titles I could've named this blog. I'll put them at the end and you can vote on them.

I'll start this the same way I started the story about Mocha getting hit by a car.

We're all ok.

And now, I will give you permission to laugh. I know I have and still am.

Five words sum up my late night and early morning.

Sat on knife in car.

That is what my dear husband wrote in the block on the form explaining why I was in the emergency room at Andrews Air Force Base at 1:30 a.m., getting stitches on my derriere.

How does one sit on a knife in a car? That is a very good question, and though I can answer it somewhat, it really is just a set up for a lifetime of jokes.

Here's what happened. My friend Mary dropped me off at my car after our cooking class last night. I was in a rush to get home because it was around 11:30 and I still needed to blog. I threw my purse and my bag containing my apron, the food we made, and oh yeah, my knives, in through the driver's seat and followed them in.

I immediately felt a little poke in my backside and realized the bag hadn't made it into the passenger seat, but was in fact still in the driver's seat. A quick check with my hand and I realized it wasn't a pen that had poked me, but something that was a bit sharper and able to draw some blood. Fortunately, Mary was waiting to make sure I got off ok, so I limped over to her car and with great embarrassment, asked her to check to see what was causing the bleeding. I'm very glad it was a deserted parking lot at that point and am hoping security footage doesn't show up on youtube any time soon!

She quickly insisted that an emergency room visit was in order, even though I was sure we could just use the first-aid kit in my glove box (we have another one in the trunk, thanks to my ever-ready-for-emergencies-husband, but the glove box was closer) to patch me up until I got home and could put a proper dressing on it. Fortunately (again) we were right across the street from the base and decided the ER there would be the best place to go.

Before we took off, I asked her to go grab my bag so I could see what the offending weapon was. There, protruding from the oh-so-protective cloth was about an inch of my recently sharpened and sanitized chef's knife. It had been in it's hardened case when I put it in the bag, but somehow-- in what I'm sure will be a delightful conversation with the manufacturer-- had popped the case open and become, well, armed.

Mary went into the ER to explain what happened, which the nurse and techs later told me could not be done with a straight face, and a crew of Airmen trying to look serious and concerned came out to the car with a wheelchair to get me. They all took very good care of me, even while every person who came in had to ask, "How did you sit on a knife?" At least I gave everyone something to laugh about amid their other, more serious cases.

I got to hear Blueberry's beautiful heartbeat for the second time in as many days (Monday was our 23-week check up) and within a few hours was cleaned up, stitched up, patched up and on my way home. Through it all, my wonderful, supportive husband just kept looking at me and shaking his head. Mary had said it could happen to anyone, but he and I both knew that this kind of thing pretty much just happens to me!

So, there's my story and I'm sticking to it. Oh! Ouch! I do have a point, though. Oh, ha ha! Butt seriously (I'm sorry, I can't stop!), I learned for myself that laughter is truly the best medicine and one that can (and should) be taken while pregnant!

Ok- here are the alternative titles I came up with. Any (PG-13 please) others?

Sat on Knife in Car
You know what's a real pain in the butt?
At least it's something to blog about, Pt 2
Friends don't let friends lacerate and drive
The end of my bikini modeling dreams

Loving Solo

I told you guys that September is a time for me to remember and celebrate. Today, I'm remembering three years ago and celebrating my hero's birthday.

The details are foggy, but I remember getting a call from someone (my sister, Martha?) to let me know that our newest nephew, Solomon Jordan, had arrived. Along with the other details conveyed when telling about a newborn, there was some very unexpected news. Solomon has Trisomy 21, otherwise known as Down Syndrome.

Every child that enters the world changes it in some way. September 13, 2007 changed our family in a very special way. Solomon led us into the world of Down Syndrome, and every day he leads people to a love and awareness of this world.

Never one to put too much stock in statistics, there is one I use liberally, and a Google search shows that others in medical journals and news articles use it as well.

90% of parents who receive a pre-natal diagnosis of Down Syndrome choose to abort their unborn babies.

Parents and families of those who choose to give birth to and raise these amazing people are faced with the battle to educate the medical community and society about the needs and contributions of those in the DS spectrum. Many have voiced an urgent concern that the more pre-natal testing becomes prevalent, this trend of abortion will continue and grow, resulting in a smaller population with which to justify medical testing and developments of new treatments to improve the quality of life for those who are born.

Abortion breaks my heart, but this particular genetic genocide, comes so close to home. For me, I find it more fruitful to help in the education and awareness process, to try to address the demand (society's fear, ignorance) for these abortions, rather than to merely fight supply (laws, practitioners, clinics). The main way I do this is in supporting the organizations who take such good care of my nephew; namely the American Heart Association, the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa and the Little Light House.

I've written about and linked to the Little Light House before, so you might remember that it is a non-profit school in Tulsa, OK for special-needs kids. They operate solely on donations, receive no federal funding, and is really a one-of-a-kind place for hundreds of families in Oklahoma. Solomon went on the waiting list to enter almost as soon as he was born and started classes there last fall.

It is nearly impossible to put into words the difference this school has made for Solo and our family. The families are not charged a dime for the education that is worth around $25-30,000 a year, but we are encouraged and motivated to help raise money to keep the school going.

So here is a birthday request on Solo's behalf. Would you consider donating $3, $13, $33 or more to his fundraiser? On Sept 25, he'll be participating in the Little Light House's Mini-Laps. Each child at this amazing school will make one lap around a mini-track with a huge crowd of supporters looking on, cheering every step. I didn't get to go last year and won't make it this year either, (which I'm super bummed about) but I've been told there are not many dry eyes in the crowd as each child, their teachers and families come around the track.

This year, I'm going to cheer with my bank account. Will you join me? As of this posting, he's reached 45% of his goal of $5,000. If enough people can make small (or large) donations, we can get him there on his birthday!

And just in case you didn't get a chance to watch this video yet, please watch it and share it, then go to the link and show Solo some love!



PS- for those of my creative-type friends, if you feel like donating one of your creations so I can do a give-away for Anna's Joy blog readers who donate to the Mini-Laps, let me know via e-mail! Thanks!

Cowboys Luv

Happy Sunday, y'all!

Yesterday's wedding was wonderful. Bride beautiful. Cake delicious. Good times, good times.

Melody danced with her daddy to the most beautiful song I'd never heard, so if anyone is planning a wedding or just wants to cry thinking about their future daughter's wedding, go listen to Kendall Payne's, Daddy.

So on to today! We are getting ready to go to our first NFL game, which we are calling the Cowboys game. Most people here are calling it the Redskins game, but we know what's up!

That we are going is really an answer to prayer. Now, I know God has way bigger things to do and care about than professional football, but the way we got tickets just shows us how much He cares about His kids.

John had asked for tickets to this game for our anniversary, but they were just ridiculously over-priced, and we decided our money was better spent elsewhere. However, after we "gave it up," I secretly asked God to bless John with tickets to this game somehow.  It wasn't a big, need-lots-of-faith kindof prayer, just a small request to His daddy's heart.

About two weeks ago, I got a text from a friend saying since she was a season ticket holder, she could get a really great price and who was interested. Me me me!! (That's exactly what I texted back.) So we got two tickets for way under what just one was going for online, but that's not even the cool part.

After I told her that this was an answer to prayer, she said she had actually prayed who she should send the text to, and God told her us. We had never talked about football or even sports, so she wouldn't  have known this was one of our desires. So God used this to bless both of us, showing that He listens and cares and I'm pretty sure this is as close to proof that you can get that God is a Cowboys fan. :-)

Remembering and Celebrating

Today, we remember.

I've been fortunate enough to visit each of the sites.

New York, 2003. This building is gone now, but the sentiment remains.

New York, 2006 (We were there also in 2009, but didn't get good pictures)

New York, 2006

Arlington, VA, 2009

Shanksville, PA 2009

Today, we also celebrate. We're going to the wedding of two of our friends, who both serve in the Armed Forces Reserves. What a great way to honor the service of the fallen and those who continue to serve.

We will never forget.

I'm sorry, Love

Dear Love,
I've been using you this month. I thought it would be cute if all my blog titles had something to do with love. But I owe you a big apology.

I know that you are so much bigger and more powerful than something I can ascribe to food or a month. You are such a necessary ingredient for life, at least for making life beautiful, and though you are definitely worth talking about, you deserve more than being a catch phrase to make my blogs match.

So here's what I'm gonna do. If the blogs I'm writing from here on out don't really speak of what I believe you are, I'm gonna use your cute cousin, Luv. Keepin' it in the family, but not so formal, you know? I hope that's ok.

Gratefully yours,
Anna

Not Feeling the Love

I'm only 9 days in and I'm already hitting a speed bump with my blogging. I can not think of a joyful, loving topic to write about today. I started one with a list of things (celebrities, fads, products) that I don't love. I've been stewing this one for a while, and now that I've written it, I'm not sure I'm going to publish it.

Part of me feels it's only fair to show you that side of me. But then I also know there's already so much negativity out there and I don't know that I need to add to it. Plus, some of the things I don't love are things that people I love really love or at least like a lot, and me not loving those things could come across like me not loving those people, and that's not true at all. So, I'll let that one stew a little bit longer.

I think it's just one of those days. A number of petty occurrences that in tomorrow's light won't matter much, but today just had me crashing after the sugar high of yesterday's birthday love (and cake).

I just have to decide. Decide to be thankful. I have so much to be thankful for. For example:
- A car that works great and is currently full of loaned baby stuff and remnants of a great weekend with great friends.
- Friends who pray for me and listen to the voice of God.
- Blueberry- Seriously, after all the years of praying and waiting, that there is this little person in me who is able to hear me and kick me should be enough to blow away any grey clouds that loom.

That's all for tonight. What helps you kick the blues to the curb?

Birthday Love

Last year on this day, I told you about how I tried to stop celebrating my birthday several years ago. It was an unsuccessful attempt, because apparently birthdays are an unstoppable force that only Jehovah's Witnesses can escape (but I'm not willing to go quite that far!).

I don't have anything against birthdays in general, I just didn't want mine to be a big deal anymore. Facebook telling everyone that it's my birthday doesn't really help with that, but I've come to accept it.

This is my 33rd birthday, which means I'm starting my 34th year. That seems like a lot, between a half to a third of my life already, depending on how the journey goes. Of course I still feel like I have so much to learn and grow in, but there are some things I have come to appreciate about aging.

1) Credibility. I think, as a general rule, people take you more seriously when you're in your 30s than when you're in your 20s.

2) Comfort. I'm far more comfortable in my own skin than I've ever been in my life. That is, with the exception of the discomfort of a stretching mid-section, but I'll take the cause for that (right now) any day! Sure, I still fight off insecurities, but I know more about what is important in life - what actually lasts - to worry about trying to be someone I'm not.

3) Compassion. For some people this is a gift that comes naturally. For me, it's something that I've grown more in as I've seen and experienced more of the world. I think it comes hand in hand with what I said above; as we grow more secure in our place in life, we can allow ourselves to think more about others.

I can think of many more things that start with C and other letters, too, but the main one on my mind is Cake, as in the one my amazing, wonderful husband baked for me (first time ever for him!) and is waiting upstairs.

What do you think are some gifts that come along with aging?