Andrea's World

Who has the best pizza?

2010-06-15T13:26:00.001-07:00

hmm... that's a toughie. I like Papa John's pizza, but I will NEVER order from them again after they let my dog out on their last delivery and then told me it was my fault they let my dog out. That is poor customer service.

Ask me anything

you do realize where your daughter is when you can't find her right? It isn't a grand mystery which door you'd have to knock on

2010-06-08T20:17:00.001-07:00

Who the hell do you think you are to ask me ANONYMOUSLY about my daughter?!?

Ask me anything

What's your favorite Kool and the Gang song? Everybody has one!

2010-06-06T11:46:00.001-07:00

hmm.... I'm only aware of one of their songs.. Celebration! So, I guess that would have to be my favorite. :)

Ask me anything

What inspired you to get a forsmspring, momma?

2010-06-03T12:07:00.001-07:00

Dunno. I know a few people who have them, and I thought it might be fun. So far, you are the first to ask me any questions.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-05-26T10:48:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MommaHightower

formspring.me

2010-05-26T10:47:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MommaHightower

formspring.me

2010-05-26T10:13:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MommaHightower

formspring.me

2010-05-26T10:07:00.003-07:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MommaHightower

formspring.me

2010-05-26T10:07:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/MommaHightower

Luca Era Gay - Why The Outcry?

2009-10-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

This morning, my sister posted a music video on FaceBook. It was "Luca Era Gay" (Luca once was gay) performed by Giuseppe Povia. This is a beautiful song about a man who at a time thought he was gay, but then met a woman and decided to transform his life to be with her.

The song was scheduled to be performed at Italy's "Festival di San Remo"; however, gay activists fought hard to block it's performace. When their actions failed, they did succeed in 'counterbalancing' the song with a reading of Oscar Wilde's "De Profundis" by Roberto Benigni and a personal message from former president of ARCIgay, Franco Gillini.

The crowd at the concert was not swayed by these measures and has been quoted as 'hissing' (Italy's version of booing) at Gillini.

My question is this: Does the gay community believe that once a person decides to be gay, there is no going back?

"Luca Era Gay" is a song about one man's journey. It is not anti-gay or judgemental. The song does not advocate in any way what people should do. It is simply the story of this man's life and a choice he made.

Why is there such an outcry against this song?

Click here to watch a video of the song with English subtitles.

Click here to read the article, "The Ex-Gay Story in the Pop Music World."

2009-08-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dave's grandma passed this morning. We knew it was coming, but it's a new experience helping the kids through it. Probably just going to be a quiet day with lots of hugs. I'm glad we went to the zoo yesterday.

Intrepretation

2009-08-14T15:50:00.001-07:00

There has been much discussion in our household over the word hippy. I use it liberally when talking about my upbringing, or my favorite music genre, or my artistic abilities.

Dave does not like the word at all; in fact, he is offended by it. Dave grew up as a military brat with a strong desire to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Unites States Air Force.

For Dave, the word hippy conjures images of loud protesters and folks who will never appreciate the sacrifices made by our military personnel. To him, all hippies are self-involved, dirty, overbearing creatures who could care less about the lives they trample in pursuit of their earth-loving goals.

In the beginning times of our discussions, I would feel slighted by his interpretation. In keeping with my creative nature, I am a very passionate person who probably takes everything much to personally. He has assured me that he does not count me in his vision of reckless hippies.

On a side note, I am still amazed that God thought it best to put us together - me being wildly creative and emotional, Dave being calculated and measured. It's almost like a real-world "Dharma & Greg", but I at least know my limitations and am not constantly pushing his boundaries.

Back to the matter at hand.

We have agreed to disagree on our definition of the word hippy. In light of Dave's reaction to the word, I have agreed to instead use the word bohemian in it's place. Honestly, I like that word better. It has character.

At one point, I had decided to do a word study on the word hippy. I found in my research, that it's use far preceded the 1960's. It is actually derived from the word hip or hipster, to mean someone or something that was "in the now". I guess that fits - in the 1960's you were "in the now" if you were protesting the war and questioning the government.

Dave loves who I am. His own father was raised on a farm, so a lot of the earthiness of who I am, he has already learned from his father. The same father who served countless years in the United States Air Force.

I still delight in grossing Dave out with my recounting of pulling steaming guts out of freshly slaughtered chickens and turkeys. I revel in the memory of passing a history exam by crafting a beautiful tribal mask instead of taking the written test.

If that makes me bohemian -- I'll take it.

The Tragedy at Safeway

2009-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

The work-day began uneventfully enough. I was working in the booth that day. I got to work at 2:30 and stepped in just in time so Cindy could go home. After counting the safe I had a few customers to attend to so I came out of my booth and worked the customer service counter. Lots of people wanted money orders that day.

During a transaction a woman ran into the store yelling at me to call 911 because her husband was bleeding from the head. As soon as I lifted the receiver, she ran back out of the store. I called 911 and relayed what just happened to the operator. I calmly gave them the store’s address and phone number while another customer came to me and suggested I call emergency services. I let him know with a nod that I was on the phone with 911. The operator assured me fire rescue was on the way and then disconnected the line.

I moved on to the next customer in line. During his transaction another customer came in the store and requested I call 911. I told him fire rescue had already been dispatched. Now I’m getting the gist of how serious this is. Three requests for 911 in less than 10 minutes.

(I found out later that cell-phone calls to 911 weren’t getting through because the lines were busy—my call from the land line was the only call to successfully summon help.)

As the seriousness of the situation set in, I decided to let a manager know what was going on. Jerica was the senior manager on duty, but I skipped over her because she is pregnant and I didn’t want her around the blood. Instead, I called Tami, the assistant manager, and told her what was happening and what I had done so far. She had a clerk take over her checkstand and she went outside to evaluate the situation.

Another customer came in to tell me the fire rescue trucks had passed by the store. I called 911 again to say they missed us at the same time as the trucks made a u-turn at the light and pulled into our lot. I forgot they can’t navigate into our lot directly—they have to pass and make a u-turn. I apologized to the 911 operator who assured me it was okay that I called her again.

I kept working with customers at the service counter, but glanced out the window every few minutes to keep an eye on what was going on. There was quite a crowd of folks gathered around just staring at this poor man lying on the ground outside the store. (Why are people so attracted to blood and all things tragic?) The wife was literally clinging to Tami as the paramedics worked on her husband.

I was summoned to bring Tami her car keys. I desperately searched the manager’s office for her purse and then brought it out to her. I had to walk around the man and the paramedics to get to Tami. The wife was still clinging to her. Tami told me she was going to drive the wife to the hospital. (We never found out why she didn’t ride in the ambulance with her husband.)

After the paramedics left, Jerica told me that hazmat should be coming to clean the mess. Tami had already asked me to gather our blood cleanup kits-just in case. We had one complete kit. Ugh. It wasn’t too much longer before Jerica got the call that hazmat wouldn’t be coming and we were left with the cleanup duties.

According to union rules, blood cleanup has to be done by management level employees. Because Jerica is pregnant, I told her that I would not allow her to help. The paramedics had echoed that sentiment before they left. Mike, a second-level assistant manager, showed up about this time. Jerica suggested he could either help clean, or cover the customer service counter for me. He opted for the counter. What a jerk! I have lost all respect for him as a manager.

So, Jerica insisted on helping me clean up. We used the SpillMagic product we normally use for cleaning oil spills. It is super absorbent and actually did a great job with all the blood. Then we mopped the concrete with hot water and lots of bleach. When I left work at 11:30 PM, the caution tape was still up. I think the blood stains will be there for some time to come.

We swept all the mess into a hazmat bag, dropped in the broom head, the dustpan, mophead, our masks and gloves. The bag was then locked in my booth until hazmat decided to show up to retrieve it. That didn’t happen until after 10:00 PM, so I spent the rest of the day tripping over a bag of blood every time I needed to get in the safe.

Tami returned to work a few hours later. She was completely messed up after her ordeal. The wife’s family hadn’t shown up for quite some time and the hospital chaplain didn’t stay with the wife, so Tami stayed with her so she wouldn’t be alone. The man passed away at the hospital and the wife asked Tami to come with her to view his body. Tami told me she was horrified at the amount of blood in the room and the sight of his lifeless body. She didn’t even know these people, but everything she saw had been so overwhelming. She broke down in tears right there in my booth with me. I told her to go home and spend some time with her family.

I guess Mike didn’t realize Tami had left. A little while later someone paged Tami to the bakery. I paged back that she had left for the day. Then I heard Mike say it sure would be nice if we all could just leave whenever we wanted to. Seriously? What a jerk.

I am grateful at least for my friends and family who responded to my status updates on FaceBook during the afternoon and evening. It was all the well wishes and uplifting comments that kept me going through the rest of my shift.

I don’t know anything about the man and his wife except what the wife told Tami. Apparently, the husband had recently been diagnosed with cancer and had just undergone his first treatment. This trip to the store was his first outing away from the house.

My hope is that they know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. My prayers are that he is now in heaven enjoying a perfect body with no more pain or sadness. My heart cries out for the wife that she is comforted by the eternal hope given by our Lord Jesus Christ—that she has peace in the knowledge of where her husband is now. Of course, I don’t know… I can only pray and hope.

Mother's Day

2009-05-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

Mother's day is just around the corner and I wanted to do something different. So, I recorded a song my mother used to sing to me when I was a child. I have sung it to all four of my children and countless other children I have been blessed to care for in my home and the church nurseries I have worked in.

The recording is pretty rough as I'm not as technologically advanced as I would like to be at present, but I did throw in some pictures of myself as a child and my children to make it interesting.

I hope you enjoy this.

Happy Mother's Day.

Of course, many of my friends know that even when I am being sentimental, I have to get a joke in somewhere. In keeping with my personality, I would also like to share the following clip. My oldest daughter sent this to me several mother's day's ago and I still die laughing every time I watch it.

Undone

2009-04-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

This is reposted from my sister's FaceBook page. It just struck me so strongly that I had to share. How many times does God allow us to be undone, allow our hearts to stop, so that we may see His glory all around us. That we may be reminded that we are loved and can ourselves give love.

April 2009
Cape Canaveral National Seashore, early April and I am standing in the Eldora Statehouse. I am with my best friend Tracey and her daughter, Roxanne.
We are staring at a tombstone.

One word, DOLLY, is engraved in its worn surface.

“Who’s that for?” says Roxanne.

“A donkey,” I say, reading the note that is mounted beside the tombstone.

“Good grief,” says Roxanne.

The tombstone stood in the spot where the donkey’s heart stopped, exactly where she dropped dead, still wearing her harness.

“They put it where she fell,” I say to Roxanne. “It says they loved her. She was a beloved member of the community.”

“Uh huh,” says Roxanne.

She turns away, bored.

She is fourteen years old and she cannot imagine, yet, falling, failing. She cannot imagine anything stopping, ever.

Later, Tracey and I are on the beach, at the water’s edge. The sky is the color of pewter. I think about the donkey and her gravestone and I remember my mother in the hospital before she died, the nurses doing something to her that hurt.

“Would it help if you held on to me?” I asked. When I gave her my hand she held onto me so tight; and I think, now, you could put a marker there, in that hospital room, because surely I fell there, my heart undone by that small thing, the way my mother held onto me.

“Look,” says Tracey. She grabs my arm and points. “Dolphins.”

The dolphins leap out of the water, turn away from us, come back, leave again. They are so beautiful, that I have to bend over.

Here, I think.

You could put a marker here, too. I was undone here. My heart stopped here.

How many places have I fallen?

How many times have I been undone?

All I have to use as markers are these words.

I will put them here.

I will make them say:

I loved.

I was loved.

Kate DiCamillo (Journal entry from author of A Tale of Despereaux.)

2009-04-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

I am trying something new - sending and posting a blog from my cel phone. How amazing is this?

Life's Challenges and Trials

2009-04-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today was a difficult day because I made a disturbing discovery about my youngest daughter this morning. Adora will be turning 6 on the 22nd of April; however, I am sure her puberty process has begun. I helped her shower this morning and noticed some of the signs of growth on her little body. What makes this so amazing is that my middle daughter, Lexi, also started puberty at age 5. She was diagnosed with a condition called Precocious Puberty and has spent the last five years of her life enduring monthly hormone suppressant injections. About two years ago I suggested to Adora's pediatrician that I thought she had symptoms similar to her sister's and was worried she might share her sister's condition. The doctor assured me that her 'symptoms' were normal and the odds of having two children with Precocious Puberty were astronomical. I stupidly accepted her answer. This morning I received confirmation that my fears were correct.

How many times have I read advice to mothers to never let a doctor tell them there is nothing wrong when their instinct is telling them otherwise? Yet, at the same time, aren't we conditioned to accept a doctor's expertise?

Tomorrow I will be making the call to schedule her first appointment with the pediatric endocrinologist. Today I was overcome with the reality that Adora will have to endure doctors peeking at her private parts, MRI's, blood tests, and hormone suppressant injections. Singing praise songs during worship service proved to be too much for me. I was forced to sing with my heart instead of my voice as tears rolled down my face and my quivering chin attempted to release my inner secret.

I am no stranger to dealing with pediatric medical issues. My oldest daughter, Ana, had her first grandmal seizure at the age of 8. After her diagnosis of Adolescent Absence Epilepsy, we were told that she had probably been suffering from petitmal seizures for years before they built up to the grandmal status that alerted us to her condition. She spent six years on anti-seizure medication before her doctor declared she had outgrown her diagnosis.

My son, David, was born with several congenitive eye defects. Nystagmus, ocular albinism, strabismus, astigmatism.... To date, he has had two surgeries on his eyes to correct his strabismus condition. He will wear thick glasses for the rest of his life and may never be allowed to drive a car.

And now my other two daughters both suffer from Precocious Puberty. This condition causes their tiny bodies to enter puberty much sooner than they are ready for, which in turn can cause them to stop growing to soon simply because puberty marks the end of the normal growth cycle. If not for the hormone suppressant injections, they would both end up with abnormally small bodies and have to deal with adult issues at a ridiculously young age.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not complaining. It feels good to blog about this and get my feelings out. Somehow I feel better by describing what is happening to my children. I know that God has a plan for each of them. I know that what happens to them now will make them stronger later in life. However, knowing doesn't make going through it any easier.

Thank you for reading.

Broken!

2009-03-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the day Lexi got her cast for her broken foot (March 13, 2009).

2009-02-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores.

On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington , D.C. 20500

On the back, write the following message:

"This envelope represents one child who died because of an abortion. It is empty because the life that was taken is now unable to be a part of our world."

We will mail the envelopes out March 31st, 2009.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this event to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died [in the U.S.] before having a chance to live. It may seem that those who believe abortion is wrong are in a minority. It may seem like we have no voice and it's shameful to even bring it up. Let us show our President and the world that the voices of those of us who do not believe abortion is acceptable are not silent and must be heard. Together we can change the heart of The President and save the lives of millions of children.

Thank you.

Barack Obama spoke at a Planned Parenthood Action Fund event, uttering the now infamous line, "Well, the first thing I'd do as president is, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. [Applause.] That's the first thing that I'd do."

An empty red envelope will send a message to President Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue [The Freedom of Choice Act, which will essentially “undo” every law currently in place to limit abortion in the U.S. (i.e., parental consent laws, parental notification, waiting periods, prohibition of transporting a minor girl across state lines to obtain an abortion, etc.)]. It will be quiet, but clear.

Please read more about The Freedom of Choice Act here:

http://www.lifenews.com/nat4359.html

http://www.barackobama.com/2008/01/22/obama_statement_on_35th_annive.php

http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/07/one_year_annive.html

Abortion Apology

2009-02-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

I have been feeling very strongly as of late about the issue of abortion. My stance is strongly rooted in the issue of shelving babies. However, I know when I have pushed too hard, and I think I may have done just that yesterday. My niece shared an article with me about North Dakota banning all abortions. At first I was excited and I posted a link on my FaceBook page.

Since posting the link, I have received two responses. My brother-in-law (a legislative analyst) simply stated, "I don't know if extremes like this are a"step in the right direction." An extreme black or white scenario on either side of the fence can be problematic and likely to be be litigated in court." A dear friend said, "did you see that the law could also outlaw invitro fertilization?" No, I did not see that part of the law.

There are two sides to the abortion issue; and, both sides are taking heavy casualties. Abortion is the murder of innocent children both in the womb and on a shelf. Abortion is psychologically damaging to the women who undergo the procedure. Not allowing abortion is physically dangerous for the women who are insistent to receive the procedure. I am very aware of the existence of back alley abortions--whether they are done by licensed professionals or a 'friend' with a coat-hanger.

Where is the middle ground? What is right? I honestly don't know. I do know how I feel and most of my friends are comfortable enough to share how they feel with me. This is a difficult issue with no clear resolution. My husband has urged me to stop posting abortion related links on my FaceBook for fear of damaging relationships. At this point, I am inclined to agree. I love my friends dearly and am always open to 'agree to disagree'.

So, this is me saying to anyone who needs to hear it, "I am sorry if I have offended you in my exuberance."

Death, Abortion and Madness

2009-02-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Not all of this may be coherent. At this moment I am frustrated and angry after having a nonsensical conversation with a pro-choicer.

Currently in the United States, abortion is legal. I don't have to agree with that decision, or even like it for that matter, but I do have to live with it. I am also forced to deal with the numerous stories in the media regarding the horrifying tragedies occurring in our country because of abortion doctors and clinics.

Let's begin with this article about an 18 year old woman who sought an abortion at 23 weeks gestation. The clinic doctor was nowhere to be found when the medication he had given her cause her body to go into labor and eject her child from her body. An owner of the clinic 'helped' the situation by cutting the infants unclamped cord, thereby allowing the child to bleed out. The infant was then placed, along with the placenta and other 'waste', into a biohazard bag and thrown out.

How does that make you feel? Are you outraged?

This scenario actually plays out every day in our great nation. I don't understand why this particular story has received extra press time. The partial birth abortion often yields a live and viable child, which is considered an unsatisfactory circumstance. When it happens, a procedure called 'shelving' is then employed. This procedure allows the infant to be wrapped in a blanket before being placed in a secluded area to die alone.

Don't believe me? Read Jill Stanek's first hand account here. She is the ONLY person to be interviewed by Bill O'Reilly and leave him speechless.

So where does my nonsensical conversation with a pro-choicer enter into things? It began earlier this evening when my brother-in-law shared the article about the 18 year old's abortion with me on FaceBook. He was not aware of the practice of shelving, so I left a comment agreeing that the subject of the article was horrible, but that the practice was fairly common. Another friend of his commented after me and the conversation ensued. Here is a transcript of that brief conversation (names have been changed):

Brother: I don't care what your political views are. This is inhuman. Period. Disgusting. Please read the ENTIRE article not just the headline.

Andrea Hightower: I agree with you; however, this is NOT new. The term for it is "shelving" the baby, which is a common practice in partial birth abortions when the baby arrives alive. Hospitals and clinics have been documented as placing babies in places such as janitorial closets until they have 'expired'.

Brother: *grumble*

Friend 1: This made me sick at my stomach! Awful

Friend 2: Sad. I am pro-choice however I think that all living creatures should be respected. Even if the child would not have made it, his/her life ending in a bio-hazard bag is horrific. A 23week abortion is morally disgusting.

Andrea Hightower: [friend 2], if you believe ALL living creatures should be respected, then how on Earth can you be be pro-choice?!? An EMBRYO is a living creature! Where is the 'respect' in ripping it from it's mother's uterine wall?

Friend 2: respect is subjective. Luckily there are laws that decide what our society accepts.

Andrea Hightower: apparently the [your] definition of LIFE is also subjective. I feel sorry for you.

Friend 2: okay.

Friend 3: This is definitely a hot topic. I know everyone feels very passionate about pro-life or pro-choice, but I'm not here to make comments about that debate. I just want to talk about specifically about the article. I do feel horrified to hear stories like this, and hope they create laws to help prevent "shelving". I don't know how often it happens, but this is one of the subjects that gets hard for me to bare thinking about.

Friend 4: so so sad....

This is what I do not understand: How does a person say that ALL LIFE IS TO BE RESPECTED, and then justify their hypocrisy by saying RESPECT IS SUBJECTIVE? Why don't we just call a spade a spade? If you don't respect life -- own up to it! Don't try to make people believe you are more compassionate than you really are (if you are at all, that is).

If you truly believe that all life is to be respected, then wouldn't you fight tooth and nail to ensure all life is protected--not just the life you deem worthy of protection?

Getting to Know Me - An E-Mail Survey

2009-01-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new 2009 edition of getting to know your family and friends. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you (or the person whose blog you took it from)... Some of you may get this several times; that means you have lots of fr iends. Have fun and be truthful!

1. What is your occupation right now? mommy / grocery store employee

2. What color are your socks right now? white and pink

3. What are you listening to right now? "Superstars of Dance" playing from my TiVo

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Lindor truffles from a heartshaped box (thanks Dave!)

5. Can you drive a stick shift? yep

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? A telemarketer (grrrrrr!)

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? you bet. MacKenzie is wonderful.

8. How old are you today? 35

9 . What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? dancing

10. What is your favorite drink? Iced Tea

11. Dyed your hair? Yes--many times

12. Favorite food? pasta

13. What is the last movie you watched? Bride Wars (with my Lexi)

14. Favorite day of the year? Any lazy day with my family

15. How do you vent anger? scream and/or hide in my computer

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? my second back yard (yes, I had two!)

17. What is your favorite season? any season that comes with rain

18. Cherries or Blueberries? cherries

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? sure, why wouldn't I?

20. Who is the most likely to respond to this? not a clue

21. Who is least likely to respond? again, no clue

22. Living arrangements? full time with the husband and three of the four children

23. When was the last time you cried? yesterday after a disagreement

24. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes, memory boxes for all of my children, odd clothes that have fallen off hangers.....

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? not sure

26. What did you do last night? went to a meeting at Lexi's school about her Sutter's Fort trip next week, came home and tucked the other two chillens in for the night, watched TV with the husband, went to bed

Evil Incarnate

2008-11-14T23:53:00.000-08:00

Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. (Psalm 5:9)

I have been sitting at my computer for more than an hour trying to convice myself to NOT write about this topic. My arguments within myself are futile. This story has burdened my heart so much that I can't simply let it go and move on. Therefore, dear reader, I am compelled to share this story and my thoughts with you.

I am speaking of the recent news story about Josef Fritzl, a 73 year old retiree, who was recently found to have been keeping his daughter captive in a windowless cellar for the past 24 years. As if the imprisonment was not enough for her to bear in itself, she was also forced to bear EIGHT children from her father's seed. One child was miscarried at 10 weeks gestation and another (a twin boy) died 3 days after birth when Josef Fritzl refused to allow medical treatment.

The tragedy continues... Elisabeth's captivity began when she was 18; however, her personal hell of sexual abuse began when she was only 11. At the beginning of her internment, the cell was simply 18 meters square with no heat, no warm water, no way to cook food and no new clothing. Her keeper was benevolent enough to offer her sheets, a needle and thread to make clothing for herself and the children. More than ten years later, he also saw fit to expand the prison to 40 meters square--adding a tiny bathroom and hotplates for cooking food. She was always left alone when giving birth, but was allowed scissors to cut the cord, a small blanket to wrap the baby and one package of disposable nappies.

Elisabeth's captor (her FATHER--the one charged by God to protect her) forced her DAILY to watch pornographic movies with him before reenacting them with him. Refusal was met with the withholding of food and electricity, often subjecting the cellar prison to complete darkness for days.

This went on for 24 YEARS. How? I'm almost speechless, yet angry and tormented. Is this what human nature drives us to do? This man stole his child's life from her--she never had a chance. According to many news articles, Elisabeth, the children and Josef's wife (who knew nothing about her husband's activities--he told her Elisabeth had run away to join a cult) were all immediately put into counseling.

How much counseling will it take to ease Elisabeth of 31 years of abuse?

How much counseling will it take to comfort her mother who was so close, yet so far from knowing what her daughter was going through?

How much counseling will it take for these six children (three of whom NEVER saw sunlight until the year 2008) to reconcile that their father is also their grandfather and the life they had known in the cellar prison was NOT normal?

I know God can turn any tragedy to His glory. Right now, I just don't see it. Maybe these children will go on to do great things in His name and use this experience to reach others. Maybe. Right now all I can do is pray for God's love to surround them and protect them.

The Week In Teeth

2008-11-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Goofy Faces!

What a week!

One lost her first two teeth.

One lost her fourth molar.

One more is still waiting for large gaps to fill in.

My children are all working with "chainsaw" mouths!

We had our first visit from the tooth fairy for Adora earlier this week. For whatever reason, she ended up sleeping with Dave and I at some point that night, so we had to encourage her to return to her room and check under her pillow. She came back to our room completely deflated because, "she didn't come..." Addie had seen the edge of the plastic bag Dave had put the money into and thought it was the same plastic bag her tooth was in the night before. We encouraged her to go check again and bring the bag back for us to see. She came RUNNING down the hall, "I have pennies!!!" Quarters, to be exact - four of them. She held onto that bag all morning until Dave and I pried it out of her fingers to put into her treasure jar for safekeeping so she could get dressed for school.

I will be at work until 10:00 PM tonight, so I won't be around to help tuck the tooth under her pillow. However, I am hoping Dave gives me the priviledge of playing the part of the 'fairy' just as soon as I get home.

Graduation

2008-11-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

I suppose that as long as I am back to blogging, I should make mention of one of better moments in our recent family history:

DAVE FINALLY GRADUATED!!!

I am now officially married to a bachelor. Or, I could say that my husband has been certified to dish all the BS he wants. Oh, I could go all day with the puns, but I won't.

Here's another picture from that day. Apparently Davey is scared of heights and sitting in the stands at Arco Arena was almost too much for him. He did eventually settle down, but this picture is priceless.

Puppies!!!

2008-11-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend I am watching my in-laws puppy, Biscuit. (She is the darker brown Beagle.) My puppy, Sawyer (the lemony-brown Beagle) is Biscuit's brother. We adopted our puppies from the same litter. That makes things a little easier when the two are together, because they get along so well. That also makes it more difficult when they get together, because they get along so well. It's like having two freight trains perpetually traversing through my house--with horns blaring! Right now I am locked away in my office trying to get some work done on my current project; however, the galloping paws up and down the hallway keeps grabbing my attention. I have a special treat they both like called "Dingos." It's a small rawhide bone with dried meat wrapped inside. It's AMAZING!!! As soon as I even say the word dingo, both puppies will start jumping on my legs trying to figure out where the treat is. Then, when they have their treats, all is quiet for at least an hour while they find a quiet spot to munch and gnaw. In the picture of Biscuit above, she has a dingo clutched in her paws. I think I'm going to go and give them treats now.

Being a Mom and Working at Safeway

2008-11-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

Currently, I work for Safeway in the evenings. (Yeah, I know my bio says I am a crafter -- I also run a small crafting business, which is more like a hobby than a source of income.) For now, it is necessary for me to continue working in the evenings to supplement my family's budget; however, I find the struggle between work and motherhood extrememly difficult. Next year I should be able to work during the day because all the children will be in school full time. For now, I can feel the pull of my hearstrings when the children ask me not to leave for work while they are eating dinner, when I come home to a dark house at Midnight and know I have missed yet another bedtime story, when I mindlessly prepare the children for school because I've only had three hours sleep.......

I refuse to put my children in daycare so I can work during the day. First of all, the cost would negate my income. Secondly, it should never be necessary for someone else to raise my children. God gave these gifts to my husband and I to raise.

Sometimes I wonder just how much more I can take. That is when I either melt into a mess of sheer exhaustion or melt into the wonder of God's grace. Trust me, the second option is so much better!

Even more than giving me the strength to make it through this life, God has increased me to the point that I have been able to go back to school on top of my schedule. I am currently attending American River College and studying Retail Management. When I have completed the rquired courses, I will have a certificate recognized by Safeway and it's union for management candidates.

Is life difficult? YOU BET! Does God require sacrifices so that He may bless us abundantly? YES INDEED! Do I sometimes wish my life was easier to navigate? ABSOLUTELY! Of course, I do believe that the easier life would not come bundled with as many blessings, and I don't want to miss out on those.

God has blessed me with four beautiful children and a wonderful loving husband. It is for these blessings that I work my evening away and labor at schoolwork for the betterment of my family.

I'm not very good at blogging....

2005-07-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so anyone who reads this already knows that I'm not so great at blogging. I don't write frequently enough to really make this worthwhile, nor do I go into indepth detail of my life.

I will say that last night I had dinner with my sister, whom I have not seen in three years. She and her family live in Georgia and is visiting us California-ites for a few weeks. I had an amazing time. She finally met my youngest daughter (Addie just turned two). It is amazing to see the similarities between my sister and my oldest daughter. They have the same hair!! Obviously, that must be a trait carried through our parents jeans.

I feel as if I could ramble nonstop about nothing, so I'm going to cut this short. I am very exhausted, not only from staying out late, but also from getting up early (4:30 AM) to walk around the neighborhood with my mother-in-law. And as I would rather not ramble incorherrently on... I must go.

Love to all,
Andrea

It was a happy Easter!

2005-03-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

These are my two oldest girls. They were posing very patiently for the camera. Ana is just finishing her tween years and *boldly* entering her teens. Thus, she doesn't like to smile unless she absolutely has to. We took our family pictures on Saturday because I knew Sunday was going to be busy and crazy. The children had just finished an Easter egg hunt where each of them raked in enough candy and toys to last them at least two more years! Can you remember what it was like to be a child? There are moments that I never want to remember and others that I hope will remain forever. I wish I could fill my children's lives with only the memories they would cherish forever.

Easter Performance Update

2005-03-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

Today is Monday, March 28^th. The Easter production is behind me. Wow! It was a tremendous success!! My husband told me later that he could hear me praying while we were backstage. (I didn’t know I was doing it out loud.) But I’ll be if God wasn’t faithful to bring me AND my voice through it all. I was nervous—but sailed through both songs with flying colors. Now I am bummed that we only did one performance. By the time we got home, my adrenaline was still pumping!

I guess I should mention that the actors also did a bang up job (my husband included)! The performances were so powerful that no one clapped during the show. But the floodgates were loosed as I hit the final note of “Arise My Love” and the actors walked down the stage and out through the audience into the lobby. It’s been a while since I’ve heard an audience’s response resound with such force. I can hardly wait to begin our next project!

Love always,

Andrea

Maybe it's time to post some more chatter...

2005-03-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hmmmmm.... I'm noticing that I'm not very good at posting. So, here are my current events:

On Saturday, March 26th, my church is presenting an Easter drama titled "I Saw Him." The Easter story is given through the perspective of inanimate objects. I think there are about 12 different 'characters' including the tomb, the streets, Caiphus' palace, the cross.... etc.. My husband is playing two roles; the cross and Caiphus's palace. I am excited because I will be singing two solo's; "Mary Did You Know?" and "Arise, My Love." We have our first dress rehearsal tonight and I am already beginning to feel nervous. (Nothing makes me more nervous than singing alone on a microphone.) But, I am faithful that God will provide the strength for me to succeed in helping this to be a positive presentation of Christ's story.

I guess I should post again after Saturday to let anyone who reads this know how I did.... :)

Love always,
Andrea

2005-02-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

Andrea

Welcome!

2005-02-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Andrea's world!

If I get enough free time, I intend to post pictures for family and friends to view.

Have a great day!

Love,
Andrea