Trying to be content...

I was over at my neighbor's house this afternoon and we were talking about how hard it is to be content. She was saying that three years ago they lived in a crappy apartment, then they moved to a three bedroom condo, then they recently bought the house next store to us... She was saying that they are already talking about how small it is and how they need a bigger place with a bigger backyard. It hit her that they were really lucky to be living in the home they have and that we are programmed to want more and never be satisfied.

Jesse and I have been dealing with similar issues since the dawn of our marriage and we have stumbled on something that helps us feel more satisfied with life. I still want the newest coolest thing that I see in a magazine but I don't feel as entitled to it as I once did. This little tidbit isn't the most brilliant thing that you have ever heard - of this I am sure! (But I am pretty sure that you don't read my blog because of my brilliance!) I am sure that it isn't Oprah worthy either... So here it is - we started selling our stuff. We started doing it so that we could just clear out a corner in our storage shed. We didn't have any grand plans for it beyond maybe making a little extra cash. But we noticed that something was happening inside of us. We were feeling happier about our place in life. We were appreciating the people and the things that came into our lives. We were thinking about other people. We were realizing how wealthy and fortunate we were. This was an all new feeling for both of us. I will not lie and say that we never want something or feel discontent with life. We do. But life is simpler, it is easier to breathe, and we now have a wonderful path through our crap in the shed!

Writing this makes me want to get rid of more of the stuff that we have accumulated! Maybe I can pay for Liam's preschool next year with it!!

Products Helping People

I have just finished reading two magazines (it took 1 1/2 weeks and is a luxury at this point in my life) and both magazines had a huge portion of it dedicated to Going Green. They had a lot of great ideas, cool products and plenty of good reasons to join the cause. I was inspired to make some changes in our lives like finally composting and trying to do a better job at reducing our carbon footprint by reducing our energy consumption.

There were a lot of pages dedicated to all of the "green" products that I could buy that would make a difference in the fight to restore the earth and protect our family's health. There were some really cool items that I thought that I might need to buy. But something about it all made me think...

As great as the suggestions in the articles were, I would much rather know about products that I could buy that would help other people. What I mean is this- are there companies out there that are giving back? There is Product Red (thank you to Saint Bono), there are Toms Shoes (for every shoe you buy, they give a pair to a child in need), Saints Coffee (when you buy a pound of coffee you feed an orphan for a month) and I wish that I could go on...

I would love to read an article about what companies are doing to help combat extreme poverty and where I can buy their products. I would love for it to be trendy to only buy products that give back. I would love to support companies with crazy business plans that give away an insane amount of their profits to the poor of the world. I know that this isn't a unique or brilliant name for it - but I will call it "Products Helping People." I would love for us to turn our mega-consumer mindset into something good and meaningful. I want my kids to be aware of the suffering that goes on in other parts of the world and to know that there are easy ways to start helping. (There is a lot of love going on here but you get my point).

So please help me to gather a list of products, websites, stores and any other suggestions you might have. What are companies doing to help our brothers and sisters that are suffering? Please comment if you have any suggestions and I will start to compile a list! Let's just start there and see what happens!

Just humor me...

I Spoke Too Soon!

Finn has started to LOVE World Baby Foods! He has specifically devoured Baby Borscht (beets, apples, carrots, spinach, potatoes, dill) and now really seems to like Tokyo Tum Tum (apples, edamame, bok choy, brown rice, wasabi). He ate all of his Baby Borsch in one sitting and that is a lot of food for his little peanut sized body. I would highly recommend giving this food a try! (Check out my entries below for more info on the baby food or check out their website at www.worldbabyfoods.com).

So Long Old Girl

Our loving, licking dog Bridget has just been adopted from us. It all happened so fast but I can't help but feel relieved for her and for us... She is going to a wonderful, animal loving family that has fallen in love with her sweet spirit, oddly short tail, smallish size head and most importantly - her need to lick all God's creatures. She apparently sleeps in her new parents room on a brand new bed (we stopped letting her do that a while ago), goes on three walks a day, tags along on every errand and outing, eats a new organic, specially made dog food, had a spa day, a new collar, and has a general run of the house. She is living better than we are - seriously. Our new neighbors let their best friends know that we were looking to give her to a loving family, they took her for a trial run and haven't wanted to let her go. We are so happy for her new found family and all that they have to offer her. So long Bridget Butterworth - Lund (she is not going to Danny and Rachel)! We will miss you!

In Loving Memory...

Today I discovered that my lovely pink iPod was stolen from my minivan. I wanted to load it up with some new music and it was missing from its charger. Was my car broken into? I am ashamed to say that it wasn't technically... My car was very unlocked and all the thief had to do was open the door. But what bravery the they had! We have been home sick for days. They must have heard us because they left the charger (I don't think that they are cheap - it was a gift) and our little dvd player for the boys in the van. All I know is that I am deeply saddened by the loss and I will be making sure that my awesome minivan is locked up from now on...

Sick Days

I don't mean to sound whiny... but it totally sucks to be sick when you are a mom. It is worse when you are a nursing mom. I just needed to get that out of my system... among other things... Well, off to ride the porcelain pony...

And you thought you had issues!

I have had a number of different responses to viewing this gem of a shot.

"Oh no...no, no, no... oh Marisa."

"Wha!?!? Is that you? Oh crap!"

"Who would do that to their child?"

Mainly people just laugh. I thought that you, my three readers, might get a good chuckle out of this one...

Please keep in mind that as the perm on top grew out, my mom had my demented hair dresser cut it down to a 1 1/2 inch spike.

Enjoy!

Disneyland 1998

Read my blog below to see why this old picture is funny (besides the giant yellow poncho and the fact that I am posing with Minnie Mouse)... Yes, you can feel free to laugh at me. And no, by butt wasn't that large at that point in my life. I had my backpack on!

We Tried World Baby Food...

I went out and purchased every flavor (there are six of them) of baby food and because I was on the phone while grocery shopping, I didn't think through the fact that I am supposed to give each food a few days to see if the old boy has any allergies. Fortunately for me, Finn seems to seriously dislike the food he has tried so far (only two flavors). I tasted it and realized that it was probably a big jump for him to go from a basic one veggie or fruit puree to something with a bunch of flavors and spices. So... we will be trying it again after I have broadened Finn's taste bud horizons a little bit more. (I thought the flavors I tried were delicious - by the way :))

Our Saints Coffee Arrived!

When we arrived home last night, we saw a little box that we knew held 2 lbs. of our Decaf Joan of Arc Blend Saints Coffee! We opened up the box and some paper work fell out. One sheet of paper affirmed our purchase by reminding us that we fed an orphan for two months by buying two bags and the other sheet of paper told us that they guaranteed that this is the best cup of coffee that we have ever tried. (This claim seemed like a little much because we have experienced a darn good cup of coffee a number of times). Next we pulled out the red shiny bags of coffee and I noticed that my beans were stamped with a roast date of February 8th, 2008. I can't help but think that is cool!

Well we tried the coffee this morning and we both loved it! I don't know that it was that revolutionary a taste but it was smooth, nutty and delish. Plus, we know that we are taking something that we would normally purchase and making our dollar go further. If you are a coffee lover and want to take a step towards being a more aware consumer, go to www.saints.com and try a bag! (I totally want to write - "And tell them WE sent you." - but that is SO cheesy...)

So there is my honest ad for Saints Coffee....

A Charmed Life...

There have been many times in my life when I have felt like I cannot pull out of a run of bad luck. There have even been a couple of moments when I have felt like things couldn't get much worse (although I am sure that it could have). While I wouldn't consider myself to be a hopeless optimist, and I resist playing Pollyanna's "Glad Game", I have been trying to make the decision to notice the wonderful things that happen to me. I so easily get wrapped up in what has gone wrong, how much money I don't have, or all of the things that I want to do but will probably never be able to. I often forget to live my life and instead obsess about what may or may not happen in the future. But our first ever Butterworth family trip to Disneyland made me feel so blessed and I dare say it - even a little charmed...

Here are the details of our little spur of the moment trip.

1. I had a free flight that I could finally use.
2. We received our $50 companion pass so that Liam could fly cheap.
   
3. We used priceline.com (thanks to the Johnson's nudge) and actually got a great deal on our hotel and a rental car.
4. We were able to visit our loved and very missed family for a day and have a beautiful meal that evening prepared by my mom in law, Kathi.
5. We were able to hang out with our favorite professor from college.
6. While visiting APU for the first time since we graduated eight years ago we realized that we aren't cool and that we don't really care.
   
7. Liam got really sick on Tuesday night - he didn't eat at all that day, had a fever, was violently shaking from horrible fever chills, he woke up in a cold sweat saying that he had to throw up and have diarrhea, ended up falling to sleep on the bathroom floor and my leg for about 30 minutes, then he didn't throw up, went back to bed, woke up in the middle of the night whispering, "Mama. Jesus healed me.", his fever broke and he woke up the next morning feeling great and ready to go to Disneyland. This is seriously a miracle.
8. Everyone at our hotel was really nice (our waiter encouraged us to stock up on snacks for the day at the breakfast buffet, they let us borrow a couple of umbrellas, our shuttle driver pretended she was talking to Mickey the whole way over to the park).
   
9. We spent two days at Disneyland FOR FREE!
10. Buzz Lightyear came right up to Liam, pointed at him and shook his hand making my son feel SO cool.
11. I found out about a nursing area at Disneyland that I could quietly feed Finn in.
    
12. We had SO much fun with our boys!
13. Liam obviously loves Disneyland but old straight faced Finn seemed to really enjoy himself too.
    
14. Disneyland wasn't crowded.
15. It didn't rain and it was supposed to.
16. Finn went the whole trip without a real nap and did great.
17. Liam went the whole trip without a real nap and only had a few little meltdowns.
    
18. There wasn't traffic on the way to the airport.
19. Our flight back home was 40 minutes early and went so smoothly...

Here are a few random negatives so that I don't sound too ridiculously happy:

1. Finn screamed for about 2 hours straight our first night in and I couldn't go out with the family for a special Valentines Dinner.
2. When we layed down in our hotel room the first night, all we could smell was vomit. (They cleaned the carpets the next morning).
3. Eating at Disneyland is freaking expensive!
4. It was really cold while we were at Disneyland.
5. We all had to sleep in the same room which leads me to #6...
6. We all had to go to bed at the same time (7:30pm-ish) which leads me to #7...
7. Jesse and I totally fell asleep in minutes! We really are getting old!
   

So that about sums things up. We had a great time and our Valentines Day was redeemed. It wasn't romantic at all but I was with the ones that I am crazy about. I love my family and I know that they love me. There isn't much better than that!

Redeeming Disneyland on Valentines Day

Valentines Day has long been one of the lesser celebrated holidays in the home of the Butterworth's of Kirkland. We celebrated our first Valentines together in 1998 - Jesse (20) and Marisa (19) - at Disneyland and let's just say that the day went poorly and we almost didn't make it.

That year, my mom was kind enough to send us money to go to Disneyland for Valentines. We heard that there was a chance of rain but we thought that it wouldn't be a big deal. Afterall, it was Disneyland. It was supposed to be a happy place.

As we made the 20 minute drive from our college town of Azusa to Anaheim, it started sprinkling. But hey - we were young and in love. We thought that we would buy a couple of ponchos and hit the rides. How bad could it be? I am from Oregon and felt like I was used to the rain. Almost as soon as we entered the park, it started pouring and Disneyland's mainstreet started flooding. I could feel the water sloshing in my tennis shoes. I tried to have a good attitude. The lines were really short. We decided to walk over to The Matterhorn for our first ride. We immediately climbed into the ride and sat down. That is when I knew that I couldn't go on... I sat down in an inch or two of water and there wasn't anything that my Mickey Mouse poncho could do to help me. My butt and spirits were soaked.

My attitude quickly spiraled downhill as my jeans were now wet up to my knees from walking around the flooding park. I started whining to my new boyfriend that I didn't think that I could stay much longer. He was completely shocked and obviously irritated by my unwillingness to make our soggy day work. We started to argue... I started to cry in Frontierland... We decided to go home.

We barely spoke on our drive home and I felt myself getting angry that my boyfriend wasn't a little bit more understanding. I was completely soaked. I dropped him off at his apartment and went back to my dorm to shower and warm up. We decided to get back together later on in the afternoon and go to dinner.

After trying to get a reservation on Valentines Day didn't work out, Jesse decided to try to make me dinner with the only things in his fridge - eggs and bread. This was obviously a stressful thing for him but I thought that it was a sweet gesture for him to make us dinner at his place and we were both very broke. He made scrambled eggs and toast and it looked great. Unfortunately on the way from the kitchen to the dining room (2 steps) the eggs soaked through the plate and fell through to the floor. This led Jesse to an outburst like I had never seen before. He picked up the metal dining room chair and threw it across his apartment. I responded in typical motherly fashion by saying, "No. Uh uh. No." and wagging my finger back and forth in his face as if talking to a puppy I was trying to housebreak. I was totally disgusted and wondered what else Jesse had been hiding from me during our short time together. We salvaged what we could and ate in silence.

After calming down, we decided that we would scrape together whatever money we could find to go see a funny movie and try to redeem our day together. We watched "The Wedding Singer" starring Adam Sandler, laughed together and all was well between us.

This brings us back to present day... Jesse (30), Marisa (29), Liam (3 1/2) and Finn (7 months). We are coming up on Valentines Day 2008 (10 years later) and we will all be spending the day at Disneyland. The weather looks great and rain doesn't seem to be in the forcast. We are going to do our best to take back Valentines Day and make it what we always hoped that it could be.

What We've Learned from Liam (3 1/2)

By Marisa and Jesse

M - I have learned that my kisses have healing properties.
J - I have learned that my son doesn't care how much money I make or what kind of car I drive or what kind of phone I talk on.
M - I have learned that it takes great skill to get your pee into the toilet.
M - Liam has taught me that I need to try to poop everytime I go to the bathroom.
M - Liam has reminded me that Scooby Doo is a really great show (by force).
J - Liam has reminded me that sometimes it's just good to dance.
J - Liam has taught me that a 3 year old's gas is just as nasty as a grown man's.
M - Liam has shown me how to be silly again.
M - Liam thinks my "vinivan" is cool and it makes me feel a little bit better about driving one.
J - Liam has taught me that a couple of couch cushions, a pillow, a blanket and a little imagination make a sweet fort.
M - Liam has reminded me how cool bugs look up close.
M - I have learned that I am really pretty.
J - Liam showed me that one of the greatest gifts in life is when your 3 year old tells you he loves you without any prompting.
M - It is always exciting when I get home.
J - Liam has taught me that wanting to marry your cousin is a very normal and logical idea.
M - Liam has taught me that sometimes all you need is a bowl of goldfish and a glass of milk to feel better.
J - Liam has taught me that it is good to have a bedtime ritual.
M - Liam has shown me that it makes people feel really good when you scream their name and make a mad dash to them for a hug.

Lessons from Finn (our 7 month old)

By Marisa and Jesse

J - Although only seven months old, he will have it how he wants it and when he wants it. End of story.
M - It's ok to cry for no good reason.
M - Teething sucks...the end.
M - Finn has reminded me that he needs my boobs to live. Oh wait - that's Jesse.
J - Finn has taught me that even though he can only reach around my head, a hug still feels really good.
M - Finn has shown me that yelling is often very effective.
J - Finn has shown me that sometimes staring at your hands can bring hours of endless pleasure.
M - Finn has shown me that for a 7 month old that has just found his peeny dong, those things are sure pliable.
J - Finn has shown me that you can build an entire language around the syllable "ba."
M - Finn has shown me that you are born loving music.
J - Finn has shown me that having and loving a big brother is a really good thing.
M - Finn has taught me that everything is better when you put it in your mouth.
M - Finn has taught me that it can be fun to talk and laugh with yourself in the middle of the night.
M - Finn has shown me that you should always kiss with an open mouth, a lot of tongue and your eyes wide open.
M - Finn has shown me that it's ok not to smile at everyone.

Awake Women's Event *Update*

I am so excited to announce that we will have a special guest speaker at the Awake Women's Event! Rani from the Tronie Foundation will be speaking on Saturday afternoon (April 12th)! Check out www.troniefoundation.org for more information on her and her husband's organization. I saw her on Oprah a while ago and she has an incredible story to tell. Our Women of Purpose group will also be working to help their organization at some point down the road so it will be really great for us to hear what she is doing. Make sure to put the event down on your calendar. (April 11th and 12th) We will be able to register soon!

Saints Coffee

Here is a great way to feel good about buying coffee! If you read my Starbucks blog from a few days ago, you know that I am having a bit of a problem with Starbucks and their business ethics. That prompted me to do a little bit of research on Fair Trade and how the coffee industry gives back. In some cases they do give back to the farmers and families that produce their beans and it seems that in most cases, they don't do much.

My friend Neely blogged about a coffee company that she found online called Saints Coffee. For every bag of coffee you buy, it feeds an orphan for a month! Their beans are certified organic as well as Fair Trade certified and are advertised as being of the highest quality. The coffee runs about $11 for 16 oz. of coffee (not the typical 12oz. usually sold) plus shipping. That seemed a little steep since I have been buying big bags of Starbucks at Costco and I don't even know if it's any good so I have been hesitant to buy a bag.

Well, today I bought two pounds of Joan of Arc Blend (Decaf)! I bought two bags to save on shipping since it wasn't anything extra for the second bag. I will admit to my three readers that I have a full bag of Starbucks here at home and I intend of using the rest of it. It just seems like such a waste if I don't! But I cannot rant and rave about Starbucks and keep spending a lot of money there!

Go to the Saints Coffee website to read about what they do. It is pretty cool and it might inspire you to try a bag. I will let you know if it is any good...

Baby Food

As a mom, I am trying to help my kids experience the wonderful world of yummy, good for you foods. I have also been known to get my oldest son fast food and he did have a cupcake before lunch today - but I am doing the best that I can. But I love the idea of doing something new and fun with my baby's food.

I decided to start making my second son Finn's baby food myself and have been more than happy with the results. It is WAY cheaper than I imagined and REALLY easy. I can also make it organic and know exactly what I am putting in there. He also has more of a variety than he would if I only bought what they stock on the grocery store shelves. I did worry that I would never get around to doing it but the savings are a huge motivation. (Two sweet potatoes = 48 cubes of baby food = 24 servings).

I just found out about a Seattle based company that is doing something really cool in the baby food world. They are called "Dr. Susanna's World Baby Food" and they have the greatest ideas for all organic baby food combos.

Here are a couple of flavor combos that sounded good to me:

• Baby Borscht - Quintessential eastern European cuisine - the best way to enjoy beets, carrots, potatoes, spinach, and a touch of dill.
• Lullaby Thai - A ginger and cardamom delight - with bananas, pears and jasmine rice - and a dash of tumeric.
• Tokyo Tum Tum - Hey - We love edemame! Wouldn't any baby? Here's a mix of Japanese flavors including bok choy, brown rice, edemame, apple and a hint of wasabe!
  

The price is a little bit steep at about $23 for 12 jars (online) plus shipping but it seems like a great addition to little Finn's day. You can also buy it at many stores so if you are interested, look online to check out locations near you.

Visit their website at World Baby Foods. I will let my three readers know when we have tried it and if little Finn likes it!

On a lighter note

For the last two days my oldest son Liam (3 1/2) has been telling me how proud of me he is. I fix his transformer - "I am so proud of you." I make him lunch - "Mama, I am so proud of you." I go to the bathroom - "Good job Mama! I am so proud of you!" It's funny that it really does make me feel special. (Writing this makes me think that I might be a touch needy). I am hoping that he is saying this to me because he hears it a lot. I hope that he feels as good about himself when I say it as I feel when he says it to me.

What is Fair Trade?

I had no idea what Fair Trade means... Here is what Starbucks has to say on Fair Trade and how they do business.

Click on the Starbucks link.

Make sure to click on the Fair Trade link on the right side of their page and download a pdf file with more information.

To Starbucks or Not to Starbucks

I just heard something that piqued my curiosity on another friends blog. The woman on the video briefly spoke about Starbucks and their strained relationship with the country of Ethiopia (the true birthplace of coffee). She mentioned the extremely low amount Starbucks pays the Ethiopian farmers per pound and then how much they charge us for the coffee (one specific Ethiopian brew sells for $26 per pound in the US). It is no wonder the country of Ethiopia can't catch a break.

My husband and I are huge coffee drinkers and have spent way too much at our local Starbucks. I have always thought Starbucks to be a globally responsible company that takes their billions made on gourmet coffee sales and gives back. It turns out that I may have been wrong. While Starbucks seems to be taking action to care for the environment (obviously important for their coffee bean business) they do not seem to put the same energy into the care of the people that supply them with their beans (Google Starbucks Ethiopia for a ton of articles and visit Starbucks.com for more info). A cnnmoney.com article says this:

"Last season, that pound of coffee fetched farmers an average price of $1.45. Figuring in the cost of generator fuel, bank interest, labor and transport across Ethiopia's dusty roads, it netted them less than $1. In the U.S., however, that same pound of coffee commands a much higher price: $26 for a bag of Starbucks' roasted Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo."

I have a decent understanding of business and I have no doubt that what Starbucks is doing is completely legal. The question is this... is it ethical? Is this the problem with the world today? Just because it isn't illegal to pay these farmers WAY less than you are making, it isn't necessarily right. Is this the problem with big business? Is it impossible for us to see the people that work in the dry, dusty Ethiopian fields as legitimate people with real flesh and blood families. Do we notice or care that they have children that are starving? Do we care that the people of Ethiopia are no where near getting by? Do we just overlook it because it makes us uncomfortable....... I have felt convicted because I am just as guilty of this as Starbucks.

So what do we do? We can approach this with anger and write nasty letters and stage a boycott that doesn't really make any impact. (This is where I was at yesterday). OR!! We can approach this with a gentle hand and give Starbucks (and other companies like it) a chance to do something revolutionary and start really taking care of the suffering, invisible people of the world. Let's give them the opportunity to change how we do business in the US.

The bottom line is this... I am just as guilty as Starbucks. I rarely think about where my food comes from or where my clothing was made or who made it... This is a call to begin thinking about it. This is a call for us all to take action.

TOMS Shoes

I just bought my first pair of Toms Shoes and a pair for my 3 1/2 year old. For every pair of shoes that you buy, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in a 3rd world country. I just provided two kids with new shoes. Check out their website at www.tomsshoes.com and read about their mission. I have been thinking about buying a pair for myself for a while now and I love the whole point behind buying from them but who needs another pair of shoes. Lord knows that I have plenty and I don't need to spend any money... But, I have a serious shoe fettish that I haven't been able to indulge in a really long time and this seemed like a great reason to give in to my new shoe cravings. I bought the silver ones for me and a pair of camo ones for my son. I almost bought him shoes at The Gap last week that were on sale for $20. These were $28 (I think) and another child gets a pair too. Seriously, this is so cool. Go buy a pair!

Awake Women's Event

I am really excited about the Awake Women's Event on April 11th and 12th at Overlake Christian Church. I am not a women's retreat type of person and haven't felt like the stereotypical women's retreat ever really met me where I am. I am excited about this event because I think that it is going to have a real and true impact on the women of my church. We are going to have great speakers, be able to hang out, chat and eat a beautiful meal (no box lunches) in a beautiful room, worship, and feel empowered and emboldened in our lives! So often it is about what men can and are accomplishing - it is nice to be reminded of what women have done and what we can do no matter our circumstances or how much time we have at the end of the day... I am excited to be able to take the time to do something for myself!! Stay tuned for more details!

8 Things...

OK... Here is where the peer pressure comes in. My friend finally convinced my to start a blog and start it out with this list of 8 things. Here I go!

8 things I'm passionate about:
1. Jesus
2. Jesse
3. My boys
4. Being a mom
5. My family
6. My friends
7. Re-examining my life
8. Justice for Women and Children

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. See my kids grow up (and for them to like me someday)
2. Be a grandma
3. Travel the world with my husband
4. Raise kids who love Jesus and the world
5. Be considered a modern day abolitionist
6. Dance again
7. Be happy with who I am no matter how I look
8. Live abroad for a while

8 things I say often:
1. Liam Butterworth
2. Hon
3. Totally
4. I love you, Bubbas
5. I'm gonna count to three
6. 1....2....3... Ok - head in for a time out
7. Please stop touching my boobs (directed towards my husband - not the kids)
8. Will you rub my feet or my back or anything?

8 TV shows you recently watched
1. LOST
2. Heroes (Seasons 1 & 2)
3. 30 Rock (over and over and over again) - "Gimme your fingernails!"
4. Scooby Doo (lots of Scooby Doo)
5. 24 (every season of it over a couple of months)
6. The Office (going through the BBC version again)
7. Extras
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm

8 Artists I never tire of listening to:
1. Fleetwood Mac
2. Stevie Nicks
3. Sara Groves
4. Damien Rice
5. Bonnie Raitt
6. Annie Lennox
7. Sarah McLachlan
8. The Once Soundtrack

8 things that attract me to my friends:
1. A mildly dirty sense of humor
2. Someone who laughs at my jokes
3. Ability to laugh at their own weaknesses
4. Someone who likes my kids
5. Someone kind - but not a people pleaser
6. Supportive yet challenging
7. Common Interests
8. Socially aware

8 Things I learned in 2007:
1. I could have a baby naturally (and after my 1st was a c-section)
2. I am stronger than I thought
3. I love my husband more every year
4. I can operate on very little sleep
5. I love my two little boys more deeply than I ever imagined possible
6. Having two children can make a girl feel a wee bit crazy
7. My husband thinks that I am amazing
8. I don't need so much stuff

Peer Pressure

Well, as silly as I feel right now, I have started a blog. I must admit that it feels extremely high tech. I am even feeling a little bit deep right now... What might come of this? We will see...