As the Christmas greetings come rolling in I've been thinking about the letter I sent accompanying mine and the ones I've been receiving. The majority of Americans refer to them as brag letters and many a "Dear Abby" column is filled with rants about peoples' utter dislike of this tradition.
Personally I feel a bit disappointed when I don't get one, but if a recent picture is included I'm more forgiving. Below I share a particular mock letter was featured yesterday in the Bellingham Herald's "Adam @ Home" cartoon. I hope it brings you a chuckle and please forgive me if any of my past letters ever remotely resembled this one. Happy Holidays!

"Merry Christmas from Brad and Brenda Braggart.
We are so thankful for so many things: our financial situation, our ideal marriage, our perfect children and our health. We wish you the merriest of Christmases and hope your lives might one day be a fraction as fulfilling as ours."

The other day a friend of mine mentioned that I hadn't blogged since Halloween. I told her that I really haven't had anything on my mind lately. At least nothing that I wanted to blog about. Me a loss for words? Not a single subject I want to get on my soapbox about? Must be a post-40/pre-holiday/season affective disorder funk. Don't give up on me though. I'll be back.

So 40 DD culminated last night in a way I never expected but absolutely loved! Lacey and Laurie pulled it off and we had a great time at Rydell High last night. They dressed me as Sandy and they were the Pink Ladies. Several good friends were at Sheri's and we overdosed on "Grease". The biggest surprise was when my " Danny "showed up to boogie with me to "You're the One that I want". It was an unforgettable night!

Day 36 (10/18): I was awakened at 7:20 by a knock on my bedroom door and a greeting by my sister. It was so surreal. She jumped on my bed and told me today was her day. She brought Krispy Kremes, Starbucks and hot chocolate for the kids. Ian was home sick that day but we did get to scoot out for a couple hours of shopping and lunch. It is so rare with the distance and our busy lives to ever get to do something like that. I loved every minute of it.
Day 37 (10/19): My father-in-law, Jim, had two dozen long stemmed red roses delivered in a box. They were wrapped with several pieces of tissue paper. When I took the tissue paper out and laid it on the floor, it spelled out "I LOVE NY 40!" with forty $10 bills. I called him and he told me that "New York is expensive. I don't want you to have to beg on the street corner while you're there." He is so creative and giving. I have to say that this was probably the most creative gift so far.
Day 38 (10/20): My dad and Ann sent me a sweet card and $40.
Day 39 (10/21): I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and went down to the living room to check on Ian. (He had been sick all day and was still sleeping on the couch when I went to bed). He wasn't there and I noticed the basement lights were on and I heard noise down there. I went down and opened the guest room to find my mother-in-law standing there eating a bowl of cereal. I kept thinking I was seeing things or dreaming. She said "Today's my day and I wanted to deliver your present in person." I completely foiled her plan to be sitting in my living room when I came downstairs for breakfast. She was not expecting me at 5 am! I went back upstairs and told Trey "your mother's here!!" As if he wasn't in on all this. Before the kids got up she gave me an incredible scrapbook that she made for me. The theme was "40 reasons why I love Dana." She dedicated 40 pages of pictures describing why she loved me. It is the first scrapbook anyone has ever made me and it is positively priceless!!!! I can't stop looking at it.
Day 40 (10/22): Shelley Davis (who has known me since I was her 15 year old babysitter) sent me a bright beautiful bouquet of flowers with lots of pink and purple. It was waiting on my doorstep this morning along with a very sentimental message. I miss that woman so much!

Boy have I been remiss. I can't believe it's been a week since I posted anything. Sorry.
Day 28 (10/10): Received a wonderful card and incredibly thoughtful letter from Pat Sobo. Pat is a dear friend of Trey's late Aunt Jane who passed away in 1997. I got to know her during Jane's illness when we visited Jacksonville often. She has been excellent at keeping in touch with me/us.
Day 29 (10/11):Kim Philips brought over a delectable chocolate hazelnut cake made from scratch. YUM! I'm still wondering how she had time to make this work of art with three kids under foot and expecting baby #4 in two months. She amazes me.
Day 30 (10/12): Leslie Burzynski sent a beautiful card with a heartwarming message. (She and her husband did our premarital counseling and a lifelong friendship resulted from that time.)
Included in the card was a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble. I can't wait to get over there and use that.
Day 31 (10/13): Janet Drew was going to leave something on my porch this morning via an email message I got the previous day. I told her we'd be out of town so we're postponing it to the 21st.
Day 32 (10/14): We were away for the weekend with three other couples and one of the guys, Dan Dahlberg, had this day. This morning when I came in the kitchen, he had set out a few significant items like flowers, a burning candle, a tiara and a handmirror. He explained the meaning of them and read a few passages from the Book of Ruth to me. It was so incredibly thoughtful.
Day 33 (10/15): Tricia Phelan (dear friend from our days of experiencing toddlerhood in Charlotte) sent a funny card with sweet sentiments inside along with a Target gift card!! She knows me well. I spent it (and then some) the very next day.
Day 34 (10/16): Katherine Davis (she already had a day but wanted to really spoil me) sent a package with a great book on prayer, a locket keychain with a "C" engraved on it, a plaque about friendship and notecards. This was a great excuse to talk to her twice in one month. That never happens so that alone was gift enough.
Day 35 (10/17): Lisa Pomilla sent a funny card how the act of telling secrets at our age leaves nothing to worry about because we can't remember them anyhow! Inside the card was a gift certificate to Escape Day Spa. I am ready to escape right now as I've had a sick kid home every day this week.

Day 24 (10/6): As if these two women have not done enough.........Lacey informed me earlier in the week that this was her day. She arrived at 4:00 with an angel food cake and 12 candles. It took me three times to blow them out. Good thing there wasn't 40! We went to Starbucks and she gave me two gifts with two cards that I had to open in order. The first one was symbolic of where our friendship began: at a Beth Moore Bible study. It was Beth's book "The Life of David"--a very cool devotional done only the way Beth Moore can do it. The second was a Travis Cottrell CD--he's the worship leader at Beth's conference, one of which we attended together two years ago. The second card said how she loved to laugh with me and had three tickets to the Improv at the Upfront Theater. The third person to be joining us was Laurie. We went and picked her up and had dinner together at D'anna's Italian restaurant and then to the 7:30 show followed by coffee at The Woods at Boulevard Park. It was a perfect evening.
Day 25 (10/7): Quinn, Ian & Ben's day. Let's just say that they have a different idea of what blessing me looks like. They gave me a very sweet card and let me win at a family game of Uno.
Day 26 (10/8): Mark Zollitsch brought me a "Hope" bouquet of fresh flowers. Along with them was a card offering me 6 hours of "kidcare". He knows the way to my heart!
Day 27 (10/9): Kristen Schoon (my dearest friend from college) now lives in Indiana. She sent me a package that Lacey delivered that afternoon. In the box was the cutest homemade three ring CD case. She is the most creative person I know. Also included was a little "HOPE" plaque. As if that wasn't enough.....her mom (who lives in Lynden) brought me lasagna, garlic bread, salad and brownies for dinner--on behalf of Kristen. She said that she knew my love language was "acts of service" and tried to think of something that would speak to me in that way. It was delicious.

Day 20 (10/2): Carolyn Rhoads (my second mom) sent me a card reminiscing over the last 35 years in which she's known me. It was both laugh out loud funny and tender at the same time. It was fun to be reminded of events I had forgotten about--she has so much dirt on me!!! I have always felt loved by her like I was her own daughter. What a gift.
Day 21 (10/3): Molly Daniels dropped off a gift bag with a cool journal, a book on Hope, a fun Halloween themed coffee mug and Starbucks card. She is too generous. And she has 4 kids! When did she have time to do that??
Day 22 (10/4): Roger Chamberlin was the first guy (besides Trey) to bless me. He and his wife are dear, dear friends of ours. He brought me a stunning fall floral arrangement. It is just the coolest thing you've ever seen. There's even an artichoke in the pot. As if that wasn't enough, he also had with him a pumpkin creme cheese muffin (that's how Starbucks spells "cream") a fresh coffee and a Starbucks card. He sent me a very sweet email and a fun interactive e-card that entertained Ben for most of the afternoon.
Day 23 (10/5): I came back from dropping off my car for servicing this morning to find a bag on the garage steps. Jennifer Rinauro gave me a gorgeous pink candle with a pink ribbon lapel pin. I will wear it proudly for breast cancer awareness month.

Day 17 (9/29): This was my husband's day. I was greeted in the morning with a fresh, hot Starbucks just the way I like it: tall coffee of the day with an inch of steamed breve (cream). He also brought back a bouquet of flowers, a Starbucks gift card and a sweet card. That evening we went out to dinner and he gave me another card describing my "Ultimate Gift". For the coming week I am relieved of all my daily household responsibilities. This means no cooking, cleaning. laundry. errands or taking care of the kids for 7 straight days. I don't quite know what to do with myself. It's amazing how natural it is to constantly pick up, straighten up and clean without evening thinking about it. I think I could get used to this.
Day 18 (9/30): Aunt Nancy (Trey's dad's sister) sent a package with some darling Halloween decorations and a cookbook called "Cooking with Wine". Someone decorated the front porch with yellow and black caution tape that said "40 year old party scene". I think she must have sent that too. No one is confessing.
Day 19 (10/1): My friend and faithful walking buddy, Rene had planned to do something for me this morning during our 6 a.m. walk but I bailed on her and ruined it. After the kids went to school, she brought me all the makings for a "perfect cup of coffee" along with a fresh cup of joe. In the gift bag was a half pound of Starbucks Cafe Verona, an individual french press, chocolate covered carmels and a coffee scoop. And in case I mess it up, she included a Starbucks gift card. Oh, and a funny book about Southern Belle's. I just might have to put my feet up, read my book, enjoy some good brewed bean and watch my house husband work his tail off.

Day 15 (9/27): ?
Day 16 (9/28): When I got home this afternoon, there was a vase of beautiful fall flowers and a card from Tracey Ho (my Moms In Touch group)

Janelle McQuarrie, aka Misty, aka JLo, aka BFF, sent me a gift card to Athleta catalog--another one of my favorites.

OK, maybe that was my bra size from my nursing days but it currently stands for something different: "Forty Days of Dana." Before you wonder what an egocentric person I really am, it wasn't my idea but the brainchild of my two dear friends, Lacey & Laurie.
On the morning of September 12th they kidnapped me and we arrived at a beautiful botanical garden. It was only the three of us there and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in this breathtaking setting. I kept asking questions only to be told I couldn't do that. I couldn't figure out what the occasion was but I knew they were up to something big. After our meal, they presented me with a card explaining that the following day was the beginning of 40 days until my 40th birthday. It went on to say how they had arranged for 40 people who loved me to be assigned a day to bless me. I was truly blown away.
So the next day the blessings began. Many have asked me what people have been doing for me. So I thought I'd post it daily for all to see. However, I'm a little late in the game because I think today is Day 14. This is what I've experienced thus far..................
Day 1 (9/13): Amber gave me a "Hope" pewter ornament
Day 2 (9/14) : Rochelle Dahlberg stopped by at 8 a.m. to bring me my favorite Starbucks coffee drink and a Diet Pepsi for the afternoon.
Day 3 (9/15): My mom gave me two cookbooks she had saved from my childhood. One being "Buffy's cookbook". She also wrote me a really sweet note sharing how she felt about me. It was priceless.
Day 4 (9/16): I came in the house that evening only to find my neighbor Joanne had "broken in" and left me Gerber daisies, truffles and a sweet card.
Day 5 (9/17): Linda Hegeberg stopped by with chocolates, a Cruisin Coffee card and a sweet note about friendship.
Day 6 (9/18): Sheri Joy and I spent the morning together in downtown Bellingham having coffee and browsing through some new shops. She also gave me a really cute beanie and matching scarf from my favorite store Lucy.
Day 7 (9/19): Maria DeVries stopped by with a balloon, my favorite Luna bar and a pumpkin spice Frappucino. YUM!
Day 8 (9/20): Nan Mullen sent me the cutest card with a sweet, sweet note about our friendship.
Day 9 (9/21): Kathy Settem wanted to take me to lunch but got sick. She dropped off a Starbucks card and a homemade card filled with sweet sentiments.
Day 10: (9/22): My sister, Brian & Parker sent me gorgeous earrings from Anthropologie (another one of my favorite stores) packaged in her signature wrap.
Day 11: (9/23): Rachael Jewel Meidal left a gift bag on my doorstep. (Ben found it) She had filled it with 3 gifts to open. One for morning, noon and night. The morning one was apricot preserves; afternon was a box of cute notecards and evening was a dish filled with Lindt truffles. Each box had a note attached with a Scripture verse with the respective words of morning , day and evening in them.
Day 12: (9/24): Katherine Davis sent me a precious ecard. Her words always make me cry.
Day 13: (9/25): Kim Powell sent me a card earlier telling me she'd pick me up this day and we'd go get manicures. We stopped at Starbucks and got matching colors at the nail salon. (so girly) We left and she told me we had one more stop. She was looking for a travel agency that was open and instead we ended up at a stationery store. She told me to look around and she went the other way. A minute later she held something behind her back and told me how she wasn't going to be here for my actual birthday but wanted to celebrate. She pulled out a New Yorker calendar and told me she was giving me a ticket to New York and we were going to see "Grease" on Broadway. OMG!!! Apparently there are more details to come but I will find them out on an "as needed basis." Right now I feel like I'm in my "happy place" and no wine or liquor is involved. :)

It's official. Our elementary school will never be the same. All three of my boys are now roaming the halls together for only this year. My baby started Kindergarten last Friday and it was truly bittersweet.
On the one hand I am thrilled to have four hours a day at my disposal. For the first time in nine years I don't have to drive anyone to preschool or pay tuition. This newfound freedom is an exciting prospect. But then I also get nostalgic and wander down the path of " If I knew it was going to pass so quickly, I wouldn't have wished those days away." Six years ago, when my oldest child entered school, I was told by a dad, "Watch. You blink and 12 years will go by." I also remember saying "When all my children are in school, I'll be 40" That seemed so far away and yet here we are. YIKES!

Below is a description from an Ebay auction written by a mom of 6 kids. After the description of her auction item she goes on to describe a shopping experience with her 6 kids in tow. She is hilarious. It is a bit long but a worthy read and you will LOL. Her blog address is: www.mom2my6pack.blogspot.com. Her blog's title is "Because I Said So". Enjoy.

"I'm selling a bunch of Pokemon cards. Why? Because my kids sneaked them into my shopping cart while at the grocery store and I ended up buying them because I didn't notice they were there until we got home. How could I have possibly not noticed they were in my cart, you ask? Let me explain.
You haven’t lived until you’ve gone grocery shopping with six kids in tow. I would rather swim, covered in bait, through the English Channel, be a contestant on Fear Factor when they’re having pig brains for lunch, or do fourth grade math than to take my six kids to the grocery store. Because I absolutely detest grocery shopping, I tend to put it off as long as possible. There comes a time, however, when you’re peering into your fridge and thinking, ‘Hmmm, what can I make with ketchup, Italian dressing, and half an onion,’ that you decide you cannot avoid going to the grocery store any longer. Before beginning this most treacherous mission, I gather all the kids together and give them “The Lecture“.
“The Lecture“ goes like this…
MOM: “We have to go to the grocery store.”
KIDS: “Whine whine whine whine whine.“
MOM: “Hey, I don’t want to go either, but it’s either that or we’re eating cream of onion-ketchup soup and drinking Italian dressing for dinner tonight.”
KIDS: “Whine whine whine whine whine.“
MOM: “Now here are the rules: do not ask me for anything, do not poke the packages of meat in the butcher section, do not test the laws of physics and try to take out the bottom can in the pyramid shaped display, do not play baseball with oranges in the produce section, and most importantly, do not try to leave your brother at the store. Again.”
OK, the kids have been briefed. Time to go.
Once at the store, we grab not one, but two shopping carts. I wear the baby in a sling and the two little children sit in the carts while I push one cart and my oldest son pushes the other one. My oldest daughter is not allowed to push a cart. Ever. Why? Because the last time I let her push the cart, she smashed into my ankles so many times, my feet had to be amputated by the end of our shopping trip. This is not a good thing. You try running after a toddler with no feet sometime.
At this point, a woman looks at our two carts and asks me, “Are they all yours?” I answer good naturedly, “Yep!
“Oh my, you have your hands full.”
“Yes, I do, but it‘s fun!” I say smiling. I’ve heard all this before. In fact, I hear it every time I go anywhere with my brood.
We begin in the produce section where all these wonderfully, artistically arranged pyramids of fruit stand. There is something so irresistibly appealing about the apple on the bottom of the pile, that a child cannot help but try to touch it. Much like a bug to a zapper, the child is drawn to this piece of fruit. I turn around to the sounds of apples cascading down the display and onto the floor. Like Indiana Jones, there stands my son holding the all-consuming treasure that he just HAD to get and gazing at me with this dumbfounded look as if to say, “Did you see that??? Wow! I never thought that would happen!”
I give the offending child an exasperated sigh and say, “Didn’t I tell you, before we left, that I didn’t want you taking stuff from the bottom of the pile???”
“No. You said that you didn’t want us to take a can from the bottom of the pile. You didn’t say anything about apples.”
With superhuman effort, I resist the urge to send my child to the moon and instead focus on the positive - my child actually listened to me and remembered what I said!!! I make a mental note to be a little more specific the next time I give the kids The Grocery Store Lecture.
A little old man looks at all of us and says, “Are all of those your kids?”
Thinking about the apple incident, I reply, “Nope. They just started following me. I’ve never seen them before in my life.”
OK, now onto the bakery section where everything smells so good, I’m tempted to fill my cart with cookies and call it a day. Being on a perpetual diet, I try to hurry past the assortment of pies, cakes, breads, and pastries that have my children drooling. At this point the chorus of “Can we gets” begins.
“Can we get donuts?”
“No.”
“Can we get cupcakes?”
“No.”
“Can we get muffins?”
“No.”
“Can we get pie?”
“No.”
You’d think they’d catch on by this point, but no, they’re just getting started.
In the bakery, they’re giving away free samples of coffee cake and of course, my kids all take one. The toddler decides he doesn’t like it and proceeds to spit it out in my hand. (That’s what moms do. We put our hands in front of our children’s mouths so they can spit stuff into them. We’d rather carry around a handful of chewed up coffee cake, than to have the child spit it out onto the floor. I’m not sure why this is, but ask any mom and she’ll tell you the same.) Of course, there’s no garbage can around, so I continue shopping one-handed while searching for someplace to dispose of the regurgitated mess in my hand.
In the meat department, a mother with one small baby asks me, “Wow! Are all six yours?”
I answer her, “Yes, but I’m thinking of selling a couple of them.”
(Still searching for a garbage can at this point.)
Ok, after the meat department, my kids’ attention spans are spent. They’re done shopping at this point, but we aren’t even halfway through the store. This is about the time they like to start having shopping cart races. And who may I thank for teaching them this fun pastime? My seventh “child”, also known as my husband. While I’m picking out loaves of bread, the kids are running down the aisle behind the carts in an effort to get us kicked out of the store. I put to stop to that just as my son is about to crash head on into a giant cardboard cut-out of a Keebler elf stacked with packages of cookies.
Ah! Yes! I find a small trash can by the coffee machine in the cereal aisle and finally dump out the squishy contents of my hand. After standing in the cereal aisle for an hour and a half while the kids perused the various cereals, comparing the marshmallow and cheap, plastic toy content of each box, I broke down and let them each pick out a box. At any given time, we have twenty open boxes of cereal in my house.
As this is going on, my toddler is playing Houdini and maneuvering his little body out of the seat belt in an attempt to stand up in the cart. I’m amazed the kid made it to his second birthday without suffering a brain damaging head injury. In between trying to flip himself out of the cart, he sucks on the metal bars of the shopping cart. Mmmm, can you say “influenza”?
The shopping trip continues much like this. I break up fights between the kids now and then and stoop down to pick up items that the toddler has flung out of the cart. I desperately try to get everything on my list without adding too many other goodies to the carts.
Somehow I manage to complete my shopping in under four hours and head for the check-outs where my kids start in on a chorus of, “Can we have candy?” What evil minded person decided it would be a good idea to put a display of candy in the check-out lanes, right at a child’s eye level? Obviously someone who has never been shopping with children.
As I unload the carts, I notice many extra items that my kids have sneaked in the carts unbeknownst to me. I remove a box of Twinkies, a package of cupcakes, a bag of candy, and a can of cat food (we don’t even have a cat!). I somehow missed the box of Pokemon cards however and ended up purchasing them unbeknownst to me. As I pay for my purchases, the clerk looks at me, indicates my kids, and asks, “Are they all yours?”
Frustrated, exhausted from my trip, sick to my stomach from writing out a check for $289.53, dreading unloading all the groceries and putting them away and tired of hearing that question, I look at the clerk and answer her in my most sarcastic voice, “No. They’re not mine. I just go around the neighborhood gathering up kids to take to the grocery store because it’s so much more fun that way.”
So, up for auction is an opened (they ripped open the box on the way home from the store) package of Pokemon cards. There are 44 cards total. They're in perfect condition, as I took them away from the kiddos as soon as we got home from the store. Many of them say "Energy". I tried carrying them around with me, but they didn't work. I definitely didn't have any more energy than usual. One of them is shiny. There are a few creature-like things on many of them. One is called Pupitar. Hee hee hee Pupitar! (Oh no! My kids' sense of humor is rubbing off on me!) Anyway, I don't there's anything special about any of these cards, but I'm very much not an authority on Pokemon cards. I just know that I'm not letting my kids keep these as a reward for their sneakiness.
Shipping is FREE on this item. Insurance is optional, but once I drop the package at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility. For example, if my son decides to pour a bottle of glue into the envelope, or my daughter spills a glass of juice on the package, that’s my responsibility and I will fully refund your money. If, however, I take the envelope to the post office and a disgruntled mail carrier sets fire to it, a pack of wild dogs rip into it, or a mail sorting machine shreds it, it’s out of my hands, so you may want to add insurance. I will leave feedback for you as soon as I’ve received your payment. I will be happy to combine shipping on multiple items won within three days. This comes from a smoke-free, pet-free, child-filled home. Please ask me any questions before placing your bid. Happy bidding! :)"

But who's counting? It's just that time of the summer that no matter what, the bickering is becoming more frequent, the days seem longer, our house feels smaller and everyone seems to be craving structure. That's why we call it a "season". It's not supposed to last forever. Although there are some aspects of this time I would love to bottle up for eternity. Kindergarten, third and fifth grade is a "golden time". They're more and more self sufficient, still want to be with you and yet possess that innocence and naivete which proves they're still so young. I know this time is passing so quickly and I don't wish it away any longer like I did those toddler and preschool years. 13 days back then felt like a year. Now it feels like 24 hours.

Just walked in the door from 8 days in beautiful Boulder, Colorad0. (pictures to follow) Lots of down time--enough to have read 5 books. One book in particular captivated my attention and I found myself scribbling quotes from it every 10 pages or so. It is "The God I Love" by Joni Eareckson Tada. For those not familiar, she was the woman rendered quadriplegic in 1967 at the tender age of 18 as a result of a diving accident. A movie was made about her life and she has written several books over the years. This book is her memoir.
Throughout the book she's very candid about the intense struggles she went through to keep her faith in a "good God who would allow this kind of suffering". She's a wonderful storyteller with a contagious desire to know God deeper and understand the ultimate purpose of the pain in her life.
In one of the last few chapters she gives an account of a trip to the poverty ravaged parts of Africa. While there to bring donated wheelchairs on behalf of her organization, she is blown away by the unwavering faith of those who have so little. She says, "It's so different in America, I thought. In the West, we think God exists to make our lives happy, more meaningful and trouble free. 'Suffering' is a hateful word, and we do anything to eradicate it, medicate it, circumvent it or divorce it." p. 298 OUCH!!
I could not get those words out of my mind. As I pondered on this I had a convicting thought: "If I really think about it, the truth is that I spend most of my time either seeking pleasure or avoiding suffering." How about you?

Been thinking about how I have perceived loving my kids and how my kids really want or need to be loved. Last week my oldest left a sad message from camp inquring about a possible care package that may have been lost in the mail. The truth was that I had not planned on sending him one. He was only gone for 5 days and had money to spend at the camp store. Trey and I discussed the ramifications of doing nothing versus our only other option of driving the 90 minutes to the camp and leaving some goodies for him. (He was coming home the very next day). We went back and forth about how we might knowingly "wound" him if he was the only one who didn't get anything. Would this be an event he'd take into adulthood or were we making more out of it than was necessary? We opted to go out there and sneak a box in to his cabin. I still wasn't sure this was the right thing. He expressed his appreciation when he came home the following weekend but I didn't sense that the absence or presence of this "care package" was pivotal to his overall happiness and well-being.
Last night we were watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This particular family had 8 children, an absent father and an uncle suffering from cancer. As is typical of most families on this show, their current living conditions were deplorable. A situation most of us can't even fathom. But what was amazing to me (and to the show's staff) was the incredible amount of love and respect that existed in their home. The kids were kind and respectful to one another. Their cohesiveness as a family was evident in the first five minutes of the show. They knew they had to stick together because "each other" is all they had. Even though ABC had built them a dream home, replete with a true to life football field in the backyard, one could tell that this "life changing" event wasn't going to change the core of who these people were or what they valued.
So why do I think a care package has the power to do that for my son?

The other day a friend described me as an "INFP". What? I immediately assumed this was an acrostic for something not so nice. As he further explained, this was my personality type based mostly on the Myers-Briggs test offered by many employers. I just had to know if his perception of me was good or bad. Being a people pleaser and all.
After a Google search, I found www.personalitypage.com. Of the 16 personality types listed, this is mine. Fascinating. Somehow the act of reading a three page description of myself was validating. Some things about me are simply hard wired. Such as? I'm an Idealist. I'm driven to help people and make the world a better place. (sigh) I process through my feelings and make conclusions based on that rather than fact or logic. Surprised? I loved this part: "INFP's are usually talented writers. They may be awkward and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they're feeling on paper."
Now for the flipside. The "personal growth" link points out the "potential problem areas". That's a creative description of one's flaws. To be fair, I'll share some of my personality's weaknesses.

• May be extremely sensitive to criticism
• May perceive criticism where none was intended
• Under stress, may obsessively brood over a problem repeatedly
• May be unable to see or understand anyone else's point of view.

OUCH! Do any of those sound accurate to you? Wait, don't answer that. That was not fun to read but very enlightening. I know where work (and a lot of prayer) is needed. Check out the website, take the test and tell me what your type is.

We're a "basic cable" kind of family. Therefore my kids get tv viewing is limited to the Discovery Channel and the major networks. On a good day, ESPN comes in with lots of fuzziness. So when we visit grandma's house, or stay in a hotel, the premium package is theirs to O.D. on--with parameters. One show they enjoy is: "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody". I've glanced at it here and there but this past weekend I decided to join in on the viewing.
Zack and Cody are twin teenage boys who are somewhat parented by a single mom. No dad in view and no mention of dad in the two episodes I watched. Mom has a few lines in the half hour but is often dismissed or ignored. Her role seems like more of an afterthought. This particular episode I watched has two teenage girls anticipating their role in a fashion show. The fashion show's director is a snooty young lady from France who not so subtly points out that one of them "has a big butt" and the other has "chicken legs". The mere mention of this sends the two girls into an emotional tailspin. The remainder of the show focuses on the larger girl exercising non stop and starving herself and the thin girl gorging on all food in sight. The fashion show begins and the "fat" girl walks on stage and promptly faints; the skinny girl hits the end of the stage and lets out a huge belch while holding back her vomit. As the two girls return down the runway, they accidentally pull back the curtain to find "Francesca" the French model and critic stuffing her bra with toilet paper.
They attempt to make light of the whole fiasco but the message has already been sent to my young viewers. While I understand the audience the Disney Channel is aiming for is tweens and teens. And I know these are issues teenage girls have battled for generations. But I thought the current mode of thought was to "empower young women and show them that what's on the inside is more important." "Encourage them to play sports and build their confidence." Wow, we've come so far.

So here it is: The official announcement of my blog. I've been obsessing over making this perfect and finally came to the conclusion that I just needed to start writing and the rest will follow.
Why "Hope has a voice"? (I'll try to be somewhat brief but it's a long story) Three years ago I attended a retreat in the Colorado mountains. While there, they spoke about the many times in history where God's people were given a new name. On every occasion the meaning of the new name was the complete antithesis of how they had been living. Leading up to this time, I had been living a life of quiet resignation and despair. I believed the lie that life was always going to be hard for me. My family was never going to have financial stability, roots or security. Sure they'd be some good times but they'd never last.
We were asked to go spend some time in silence and ask God the question "Do you have a new name for me?" I had never asked God anything so personal. What if I didn't "hear" from him? As I walked around the corner I saw a sign that said "Hope". I knew in the depths of my soul that this was my new name. I was not "Hopeless". I was "Hope". It was confirmed several more times throughout the weekend.
The reason behind the "voice" part is that for most of my life I have been told to "shut up" in one way or another. As a grade schooler, the report card comments always included :"talks too much in class." I once was demoted at my after school job because a customer complained that I talked too much. At the risk of sounding too "Oprah-ish" I have come to a place of "finding my voice". I've always been a writer. The written word is where I'm the most comfortable and what comes naturally to me. Prior to leaving the workforce, I was working in a dreamy situation doing public relations for a non-profit. Writing articles, newsletters, press releases and periodicals. I was in my element. Three kids and 10 years later I have been strongly craving a place to write (other than my journal and the occasional letter to the editor) and share my ideas and thoughts with the hope of feedback and ensuing dialogue.
Ultimately I would love to finally receive some remuneration for my efforts. Being a "professional volunteer" has lost its lustre.
Three months ago I met a published author from Zondervan. I inquired about how she arrived at her current post. I briefly shared my background and she said "Do you have a blog? You need to start one. Write your thoughts and opinions to "the world".
So here it is. I look forward to sharing my heart and hearing from yours as well.