skip to main |
skip to sidebar
casey and i live in a corner of the country where all things are considered, everything is scrutinized and thoroughly debated. and, although there are times i wish i didn't have to think about the produce i bought and where it came from, or the tshirt i "splurged" on that was possibly manufactured who knows where by whom, i am thankful for the way it challenges me to think about things. to think about things and the way my life, even in its small way, affects large scale situations. one of the things we have recently considered is the stimulus plan and the rebate we will all be receiving within the next month, and possibly monday at the soonest. although there are about 101 ways we could use the money, and wisely i think, casey and i have decided to give that money away. it has been a process of conversations and getting informed.we would encourage you to check out this website called RISE. a person from our church has been very involved in getting it running, and, i so appreciate their mission of informing people and encouraging thought. of the many statements they make, this is one:"By all means, those who need the rebate should spend the money to help meet their family’s needs. However, not everyone who will receive a rebate needs the money. Those who are blessed with education, health and financial means have an almost unprecedented opportunity to use the rebate windfall to assist those who have none of those things."
so, today we challenge you. should you not need the money, perhaps consider donating it to someone who does.
sidenote: RISE does not take donations or contributions. it simply exists to help people think through the stimulus packages and ideas of how they could be used.
if you never move? this is a question i asked myself this morning while peering into my freezer, seeing an unknown "something" frozen to the bottom of the freezer door. perhaps it was that package of spinach that thawed and then refroze on accident??? for the first time in the history of our marriage, casey and i are celebrating the one year anniversary of being in the same place, and, plan on staying for a while. it is the first time we will have an address for more than one year, allowing other people the chance to write our address in their book in pen and not pencil. and, it is the first year that the cleaning of the fridge (if it gets to number one on the priority list) is an elective choice and not something mandated by the property management company.we are so thankful for our home. we are thankful for a place to be and grow and welcome others into. if you find yourself in the northwest, please come stay. we would love to have you.
as of yesterday, we arrived in the land of teeth. that's right, asher's first tooth appeared ever so slightly yesterday, as did his grumpy pants, but we won't talk about that. soon, gone will be the days of the adorable toothless grin.
the picture is a bit blurry, but, gosh, what a beautiful day it was!!
ah, old friends. there is something so comforting about being surrounded by friendships that have stood the test of time. all i can say is thank you, phyllis, amy, and ben for making the trip to come see us. thank you for making the week you were here feel like home. (and, selfishly, thank you for providing a break from our sabbatical of not eating out. oh eating out, how i miss thee.)
ben is twelve days older than asher, and, should asher have decided to appear into the world on his due date, they would share a birthday. i am always astounded how different each baby is. ben, you absolutely crack me up. thanks for hanging with us, buddy.
nanny burcaw and asher time.
