Alayna's Adventures

Christians and voting.  Voting Christians.  Christians who vote.  Jesus followers who vote.  Jesus lovers who love their country and vote for their elected officials.  Is it crazy?  It shouldn't be.  We have a citizenship that is not of this world (Phil 3:20), but does that mean we abdicate our current responsibilities as citizens of a country of this world?  The answer is no.  God tells us to honor our leaders as He has placed them in power over us.  In fact, God is very very specific on how we should act toward the authorities over us in Romans 13:1-7. Romans 13:1-7  Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  For rulers...

This past Monday, my friend Jamie and I ventured out to the Science Center for Munchkin Monday with our four munchkins, Josiah (4 years old), Isaiah (3 years old), Sophia (2 years old), and Annika (almost 1 year old).  If you haven't heard of Munchkin Mondays, it's a day at the Carnegie Science Center with activities geared for children ages two through six years old.  We were late (oh my, newsflash!), and missed most of the activities for the little kids.  So the long and short of our day was that it was a fun day at the CSC, because we love the activities there, but we didn't have any special added bonuses for Munchkin Monday.  I think for a more accurate assessment, we are going to have to go again, and next time, we will be early (okay, earlier than 1 pm...).    I texted Jamie late Sunday night asking if she wanted to go, and she said, if she felt up to it in the morning, we would go.  We started planning our day to the CSC at quarter to ...

So, I'm pretty new to blogging really.  My blog just turned a year old, a few months ahead of my little girl, Annika Ruth.  I had never had a blog, but had always loved writing.  Maybe I was too busy to blog or too lazy to set one up, but I finally joined the blogosphere last year.  I felt a little nudge from God to do it, so maybe that was the final straw.  I have always had a feeling that I would one day write a book , but maybe it's not a book that I'm destined to write.  Maybe it's just my blog.  Or an e-book, which I suppose is still technically a book, but the prospect of writing an e-book or blogging seems much less intimidating than a ginormous chapter book with an editor, a publisher and deadlines.  Besides, where would I even start?!  I don't know what the future holds, so only time will tell about authoring a book.  Until then, I have my blog and you, my reader! Along my writing journey, I have had some timely and wonderful o...

It's that time of year, summer is over...  Well almost.  I say almost because I'm watching the waves on the Atlantic Ocean over my laptop as I write, so I'm extending summer by just a bit with a vacation to the shore.  For most, the kids have just completed their first day or week of school, so it's official, summer is over for you.  If summer is over, that means that colder temperatures are on the way, which translates into less trips to the park, pool, and backyard to play.  But play doesn't have to end with the end of summer.  In fact, you can play all fall, winter, and spring long indoors at the Carnegie Science Center.  Yes, this is a shameless plug, but when you are bored this winter, don't complain to me! A membership package at the Carnegie Science Center costs $75 ($50 if you are 65+) for an individual membership, $100 for a dual membership (two adults or one adult plus one child), $150 for a family membership (two adults, four kids and one...

Today is my baby's THIRD birthday, and I can't hardly believe it.  Time passes so very quickly, yet so slowly too.  I have heard it said that the days are long, but the years short, and that is truly the case.  Lots of long, hard days raising my little Isaiah and yet here we are three years later.  And in those three years, he's grown so very much.  He is funny, silly, intelligent, talkative, inquisitive, and so much more.  He sleeps in a big boy bed, is potty trained, and has a best buddy.  My little man.  I love him so very much.    Happy 3rd Birthday Isaiah!   In April 2010, I wrote the following bit about Isaiah's arrival, and I'm reblogging it here for you today.  It's very funny that things don't change, we had a hard time getting Isaiah to bed tonight too... And without any further ado:  I was having a hard time getting my darling baby boy to bed tonight and I was getting to the end of my patien...

My son loves trains.  He loves to watch trains and trolleys on their tracks.  He loves to build train sets in the living room or on the porch and drive his trains.  He loves to watch Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs at nearly any chance he gets.  He has three different kinds of Thomas engines and tracks and they are *always* in the middle of my floor.  He even has a set of Thomas Pez dispensers that came in a Thomas lunch box, courtesy of Gram E.  He just loves trains.  While it may be close to an obsession, I know that there are other little boys that love trains even more, so I'll classify my son as only mildly obsessed with trains and Thomas.  And I suppose that makes me feel better as a mom, too.   So to feed, or not to feed, my son's mild trains and Thomas the Tank Engine obsession?  I let him watch the Thomas DVDs only half the time he asks, only because I really prefer most other kiddie DVDs to Thomas.  Like, I prefer almost eve...

Confession time.  I'm not going to hold back, so here it it.  I have used the f-word many times in my head lately, especially in the last week.  Many.  And I used it in a text message to my husband.  Eeek.  If you know me, you know that I do not swear with any regularity.  If you knew me a long time ago, you may wonder what the big deal is.  But that's another story for another day.         In reality, it's been more than that.  I have been angry with my son.  Like, wanted to smack him across the face, angry.  I didn't, because I don't think it's right to do, but there were a few times that I really, really wanted to, and had to stop and breathe to avoid doing something stupid.  I have screamed at my children.  Like, I wonder if the neighbors have concerns about what is going on, screamed.    I almost always apologize, but that's hardly the best way to conduct myself when they dr...