Redhawks game

Through work, I receive four tickets to a local semi-pro baseball game, so Chelsea, Jamie, Josh, Raleigh and I went last night.

Here are some pictures.

Andy's Visit

Last weekend, Josh, Jamie and their cousin Andy went camping. They told of fish tales but had no pictures to prove it even though I sent a camera with Josh.

Below are some pictures of Andy holding Raleigh. This is the first time Andy had seen him.

Babies All Around!

My heart is filled with excitement for two of my friends as they bring new babies into this world today!

My friend Robin was scheduled to be induced this morning at 7 am. This will be her first child. I've been told she's having a boy.

And..

My friend and coworker, Leslie, went into labor with her third child last night. I've been told she's having a boy too!

What a fabulous day this will be :)

Mom and Son Time at the Park

Raleigh and I visited a local park on Saturday. We strolled down to the park, which is about a block away from our house, in the late afternoon. The sun is lower in the sky at that time. It makes for good pictures. Although, setting up the tripod, and then trying to focus it on a object that's not there, and then hitting the shutter with the timer on and then rushing to get into place makes for very guesswork picture taking.

Doesn't this pose make Raleigh look older? I just imagine senior photos taken with poses like this one. ....Must....not....think....of....my....baby....getting.....older (sob).

Even stuffed animals look great in the late afternoon sun :)

Glowing necklaces

I tried to get a picture of Raleigh holding this glowing necklace one night and he was moving so much, this was the best shot I got. You can almost make out his face behind all the neon colors.

The rest of the pictures are from the other day. I was trying get some natural light pictures. I haven't yet mastered the manual settings on my camera, which is why the pictures are so grainy.






Josh is camping, and I'm alone with Raleigh this weekend. So far, we've been having a lot of play time on the floor. Raleigh plays with his toys and I make sure he doesn't start opening the entertainment unit's doors.

Last night Erika, Chelsea and Robin came over to watch a girly movie, which is a must when the men are away. Erika picked up some Papa Murphy's pizza, pop and cookie dough to fill our bellies...and it was delicious.

Today, Raleigh and I are going to the park. I'll be taking video and pictures.

Where have all the blogs gone?

No, seriously...I've been busy. BUT - that is no excuse for me to withhold stories about my weird fascination with observing an adult (40 something) woman wearing too tight overalls, complete with a belt, and a disney-themed print button-up, long-sleeved, collared shirt holding on to her Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book while leaving a fireworks show last night.

I don't like picking on people for their fashion choices, because I am not a fasionista by any means, but this woman was so....very....interesting. Had I had a camera, I would have tried to sneek up behind her and take her picture without her consent just to prove what I saw. Dang...I wish I would have looked at her shoes...I didn't even notice her shoes. I'm choosing to believe that she was wearing birkenstocks with socks on....wait..no, she was wearing red cowboy boots.

Ok, know that I'm not making fun of her as much as I'm trying to understand her through her clothes and accessories.

I should have sparked up a convo with her about "The Boy Who Lived". I'm sure I would have been talking there for hours though.

Oh well. I'll post pictures this weekend. Josh and Jamie are going camping with Cousin Andy and I'm having a girls night tonight with some friends. I'll update later.

Ta Ta!

And a Cheer-ee-oh to you too!

NOTE: I changed my blog to only display one post at a time. Please look at the list of Archived blogs on the right side of this page to see past posts that you may have missed.

Raleigh can pick up and eat cheerios all by himself now! See evidence below.




Also, Josh and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary today! Jenna will be babysitting Raleigh while Josh and I go out to eat and go to see the movie Bourne Ultimatum at the theater.

Here are some more Raleigh pictures.






This picture was taken by a coworker of mine.

Barbeque Time

Oh what fun that can be had at barbeques!

Some friends of ours, Luke and Karla, drove into town from Kansas to attend a wedding this weekend, so we were lucky to have them stay with us last night. It was the perfect reason to barbeque.

And for some other good news, I found out that one of my friends, Sweet Mary Sunshine, is expecting her third child. So we invited her, her husband and her two adorable little tots over as well. Congrats to both of you! Here are some adorable pics of all the kids in the sandbox followed by cute pics of Sweet Mary Sunshine's girls, Breanna and Lillian.







The men had their own bunch of fun last night. At some point, the whiffle ball and bat were brought out from storage, and out on our boulevard, the guys proceeded to take turns hitting the whiffle ball. The ball ended up landing in one of our pine trees. The following video showcases the events that followed the whiffle ball landing in the tree.



The only couple that I wish did not attend last night's festivities were Robin and Ryan. But before you start thinking what horrible person I am to say that...I only say it because I was hoping that Robin would have gone into labor before the barbeque because I know she's ready. And I know how I felt when I was at the stage that she's at. Her official due date is Aug. 6th. So, Robin and Ryan, I hope you're not reading this blog because you are on your way to the hospital :) Good luck! and I can't wait to see your little guy.

Here's my vote....even if it's early

I've never been one to really get excited about politics, but the possibility of having Barack Obama as a president has made me hopeful that there can be positive change in our Government.

This memo by Samantha Power, advisor to Barack Obama, emphasizes the types of change that he stands for. The type of change that I stand for.



August 3, 2007
To: Interested Parties
From: Samantha Power -- Founding Executive Director, Harvard University Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
Re: Conventional Washington versus the Change We Need

It was Washington’s conventional wisdom that led us into the worst strategic blunder in the history of US foreign policy. The rush to invade Iraq was a position advocated by not only the Bush Administration, but also by editorial pages, the foreign policy establishment of both parties, and majorities in both houses of Congress. Those who opposed the war were often labeled weak, inexperienced, and even naïve.

Barack Obama defied conventional wisdom and opposed invading Iraq. He did so at a time when some told him that doing so would doom his political future. He took that risk because he thought it essential that the United States “finish the fight with bin Laden and al Qaeda.” He warned that a “dumb war, a rash war” in Iraq would result in an “occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.”

Barack Obama was right; the conventional wisdom was wrong. And today, we see the consequences. Iraq is in chaos. According to the National Intelligence Estimate, the threat to our homeland from terrorist groups is “persistent and evolving.” Al-Qaeda has a safe-haven in Pakistan. Iran has only grown stronger and bolder. The American people are less safe because of a rash war.

Over the last few weeks, Barack Obama has once again taken positions that challenge Washington’s conventional wisdom on foreign policy. And once again, pundits and politicians have leveled charges that are now bankrupt of credibility and devoid of the new ideas that the American people desperately want.

On each point in the last few weeks, Barack Obama has called for a break from a broken way of doing things. On each point, he has brought fresh strategic thinking and common sense that break with the very conventional wisdom that has led us into Iraq.

Diplomacy: For years, conventional wisdom in Washington has said that the United States cannot talk to its adversaries because it would reward them. Here is the result:

--The United States has not talked directly to Iran at a high level, and they have continued to build their nuclear weapons program, wreak havoc in Iraq, and support terror.
--The United States has not talked directly to Syria at a high level, and they have continued to meddle in Lebanon and support terror.
-- The United States did not talk to North Korea for years, and they were able to produce enough material for 6 to 8 more nuclear bombs.

By any measure, not talking has not worked. Conventional wisdom would have us continue this policy; Barack Obama would turn the page. He knows that not talking has made us look weak and stubborn in the world; that skillful diplomacy can drive wedges between your adversaries; that the only way to know your enemy is to take his measure; and that tough talk is of little use if you’re not willing to do it directly to your adversary. Barack Obama is not afraid of losing a PR battle to a dictator – he’s ready to tell them what they don’t want to hear because that’s how tough, smart diplomacy works, and that’s how American leaders have scored some of the greatest strategic successes in US history.

Barack Obama’s judgment is right; the conventional wisdom is wrong. We need a new era of tough, principled and engaged American diplomacy to deal with 21st century challenges.

Terrorist Sanctuaries: For years, we have given President Musharraf hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid, while deferring to his cautious judgment on how to take out high-level al Qaeda targets – including, most likely, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Here is the result:

-- Bin Laden and Zawahiri – two men with direct responsibility for 9/11– remain at large.
-- Al Qaeda has trained and deployed hundreds of fighters worldwide from its sanctuary in northwest Pakistan.
-- Afghanistan is far less secure because the Taliban can strike across the border, and then return to safety in Pakistan.

By any measure, this strategy has not worked. Conventional wisdom would have us defer to Musharraf in perpetuity. Barack Obama wants to turn the page. If Musharraf is willing to go after the terrorists and stop the Taliban from using Pakistan as a base of operations, Obama would give him all of the support he needs. But Obama made clear that as President, if he had actionable intelligence about the whereabouts of al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan – and the Pakistanis continued to refuse to act against terrorists known to be behind attacks on American civilians – then he will use highly targeted force to do so.

Barack Obama’s judgment is right; the conventional wisdom is wrong. We need a new era that moves beyond the conventional wisdom that has brought us over-reliance on an unreliable dictator in Pakistan and an occupation of Iraq.

Nuclear Attacks on Terrorist Targets: For years, Washington’s conventional wisdom has held that candidates for President are judged not by their wisdom, but rather by their adherence to hackneyed rhetoric that make little sense beyond the Beltway. When asked whether he would use nuclear weapons to take out terrorist targets in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Barack Obama gave the sensible answer that nuclear force was not necessary, and would kill too many civilians. Conventional wisdom held this up as a sign of inexperience. But if experience leads you to make gratuitous threats about nuclear use – inflaming fears at home and abroad, and signaling nuclear powers and nuclear aspirants that using nuclear weapons is acceptable behavior, it is experience that should not be relied upon.

Barack Obama’s judgment is right. Conventional wisdom is wrong. It is wrong to propose that we would drop nuclear bombs on terrorist training camps in Pakistan, potentially killing tens of thousands of people and sending America’s prestige in the world to a level that not even George Bush could take it. We should judge presidential candidates on their judgment and their plans, not on their ability to recite platitudes.

Vision: American foreign policy is broken. It has been broken by people who supported the Iraq War, opposed talking to our adversaries, failed to finish the job with al Qaeda, and alienated the world with our belligerence. Yet conventional wisdom holds that people whose experience includes taking these positions are held up as examples of what America needs in times of trouble.

Barack Obama says we have to turn the page. We cannot afford any more of this kind of bankrupt conventional wisdom. He has laid out a foreign policy that is bold, clear, principled, and tailored for the 21st century. End a war we should never have fought, concentrate our resources against terrorists who threaten America. End the counter-productive policy of lumping together our adversaries and avoiding talking to our foes. End the era of politics that is all sound-bites and no substance, and offer the American people the change that they need.

Barack Obama’s judgment is right. It is conventional wisdom that has to change.

Chaos and Tragedy

My heart goes out to all of the victims of the I 35-W bridge collapse. I stayed home from work yesterday because of a sinus cold and because of lack of sleep.

I woke up last night at 9 pm, and Josh told me that the bridge had collapsed. He had heard it from his mother who had just arrived home from her visit here.

We don't ever have the TV on, so we don't get news as quickly as others do. Also, Josh was in the process of setting up our computer to work with our TV, so not only did I not have TV, I also didn't have the internet to start researching this bridge collapse.