I never wanted to be cinderella...

 

 

When i was a little girl i didn't like Cinderella, snow white, or sleeping beauty. It seemed to me they were just pretty faces that were just dreaming about the man they would marry. That's it... nothing else. No ambition in life but to find their prince charming. Oh Disney...

I had my first movie theater experience when i was 7 years old. My mom brought me and a friend to see Beauty and the Beast. To this day it is hands down my favorite movie. I loved how the main character wanted "adventure in the great wide somewhere". She was Intelligent, strong-willed, outspoken and brave, everything i thought a woman should be. Not like the stupid air headed princess types of before. I loved how belle lost herself in books and dreamed of far off places. I also loved how she went in search of her father when he went missing and when she found him locked up, she sacrificed herself. TRUE BEAUTY.

 

 

 

 

 

When I was a freshman in high school the movie Mulan came out. Mulan plays a close second to Belle in my opinion. She refuses to be labeled and she wants to do something great... was the something great, find a price charming? NOPE. it was to take her fathers place in a fierce war and to defend her families honor and her country. TRUE BEAUTY.

 

 

 

 

In the process of these girls/women finding themselves there happened to be a man, and the man fell in love with her not because of her beauty, not because of her fabulous singing voice or the way that she danced. NO.. they fell in love because of the strength, courage and character that the woman possessed.

 

Maybe that's why i never liked or wanted to be Cinderella or any of those other frilly princesses. Because even from a young age i could see that i had worth, that i had courage, determination and i wanted to make a difference.

 

My mom never expected me to be the adventurous type that would go to college far away from where i grew up, marry a man and intend on living overseas. We did not move overseas, but i do live half a country away from my family. It's funny.. she thought i would be the one who would stay home and be a momma's girl forever. Nope.. this girl had a dream in her heart and a longing to see the world. Adventure, excitement, things I've never seen or experienced before. Of course i am cautious and do these things within reason. :) My mom things driving to Seattle to visit a friend and then driving back in the middle of the night is adventurous ( Seattle is about 2 hours from where we live). I just consider that a nice break! HA

 

I always thought i would teach my daughters not to be the Cinderella type. Well turns out we didn't end up with daughters so now i have a new task. Teach my sons how to find and love a woman NOT like Cinderella... more like belle or mulan. A woman with strong conviction, a woman with adventure in her heart and a dream.Not just a pretty face.

 

What do you think about the disney princesses? Do you feel like they have done an injustice to reality?

 

Pumpkin Picking time

Every year we head to Portland's famous, Sauvie Island to go on a hay ride and pick our own pumpkins (as well as indulge in their fabulous produce). Here are some pictures from this year.

 

 

This is a REAL LIFE family picture... :)

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel loves the hayride!

 

This one will do mom!

 

 

We went with some friends.. so here is the gang of kids!

 

 

 

:)

my life as a song...

If i could squish a bunch of songs together right now to make a life song.. the lyrics to that song would go something like this...

I know what makes me comfortable
I know what makes me tick
And when I need to get my way I know how to pour it on thick
Cream and sugar in my coffee
Right away when I awake
I face the day and pray to God I won't make the same mistakes
Oh the rest is out of my hands

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forgive what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, I will change
Whatever I, whenever I can





My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she call "love"
When I look into my nephew's eyes...
Man, you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from...
Some terrible lies...





All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You






When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep
Dreamed of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Every time she closed her eyes





Home, Let me come Home
Home is Whenever I'm with you
Home, yes I am Home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Moats and boats and Waterfalls, Alleyways and payphone calls
I been everywhere with you (that's true)

Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night
never could be sweeter than with you

And in the streets you run afree,
Like it's only you and me,
Geeze, you're something to see.

Don't you worry there my honey
We might not have any money
But we've got our love to pay the bills

Maybe I think you're cute and funny
Maybe I wanna do want bunnies do with you if you know what I mean

Oh lets get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France
Lets get rich and give everybody nice sweaters and teach them how to dance
Lets get rich and build a house on a mountain making everybody look like ants
From way up there, you and I, you and I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that you could be wrong
And swear you’re right
Some people been known to do it
All their lives
Now I’m right here, and I’m right now
And I’m hoping, knowing somehow
That my shadow days are over
My shadow days are over now

 

 

 

 

 

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who You are
You're beautiful

I see You there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful

I see Your face, I see Your face
I see Your face, You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're beautiful

I made my mistakes
I seen my heart cave in
I got my scars
I been to hell and back again

Born for the blue skies
We’ll survive the rain
Born for the sunrise
We’ll survive the pain

We’re singing…
Hey, you can’t count us out
We’ve been running up against the crowd
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We’re singing…
Wait! It’s not over now
We’ve been down but we’ve never been out
Yeah, we are the dark horses

We found the way out
The city takes everything it can
But outside the crowds
I can feel my lungs again

Born for the blue skies
We’ll survive the rain
Born for the sunrise
We’ll survive the pain

I can't believe what she said
I can't believe what he did
Oh, don't they know it's wrong, yeah?
Don't they know it's wrong, yeah?
Maybe there's something I missed
But how could they treat me like this?
It's wearing out my heart
The way they disregard

This is love, this is hate...
We all have a choice to make

Oh, Father won't You forgive them?
They don't know what they've been doin' (oh no)
Oh, Father, give me grace to forgive them
'Cause I feel like the one losin'

Well it's only the dead that can live
But still I wrestle with this
To lose the pain that's mine
Seventy times seven times
'Cause Lord it doesn't feel right
For me to turn a blind eye
Though I guess it's not that much
When I think of what You've done.

This is love, this is hate...
We've got a choice to make

Oh, Father won't You forgive them?
They don't know what they've been doin' (oh no)
Oh, Father, give me grace to forgive them
'Cause I feel like the one losin'

Oh, no!

Why do we think that hate's gonna change their heart?
We're up in arms over wars that don't need to be fought
But pride won't let us lay our weapons on the ground
We build our bridges up but just to burn them down
We think pain is owed apologies and then it'll stop
But truth be told it doesn't matter if they're sorry or not
Freedom comes when we surrender to the sound
Of mercy and Your grace, Father, send Your angels down

*leanne rimes- What i cannot change, * Fun -Some nights, *Gungor- beautiful things, * coldplay- paradise, *Edward Sharpe,  Home *Ingrid Michelson- You and I, *John Mayer- Shadow Days, *Phil Wickham, You're Beautiful, *switchfoot- dark horses, *Losing, tenth avenue north

Ben

If you are interested in following Ben's story you can keep up to date yourself here...

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/benjaminisaac

You will have to put in your e-mail address and make a password so you can access the page. Jana is very good about updating how Ben is doing and how things are going and they have many pictures posted. They will be making a map for Ben and pinpointing all of the people around the world that are praying for him and thinking of him. They would love some encouragement or a quick note if you have time!

Thank you friends!

another update

Here is the latest from Ben's mom...
Our brave boy Benjamin's glucose is high and he has a post-op fever. Please pray for wisdom for the nurses and doctors as they get this under control.
Ben is having some pain now and is becoming more restless....please pray.

Update on Ben

Surgery is complete ...Dr. Nathaniel explained that the mass was the size of a football.!!!!!!!!!! 3 lbs. !!!!!!!!!!! All out and lost a kidney. Benjamin is stable with a tube in his nose. He is resting now and his family is able to visit him and decorate his hospital room.
Thank you friends for caring enough for a fmaily that i care for to say at least a quick prayer... a quick sharing of the burden, a quick tear shed and thanking God that tonight it's not your child.

Breaking hearts and prayers needed

When i was in high school i babysat for a wonderful family. They were the very picture of parenthood and marriage i knew i wanted in my life when i someday had my own family. I just found out last night that their precious baby... their only son, who is 5 years old, was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He will be undergoing surgery today to get one of his kidney's removed and a internal line put in for chemotherapy. If you would please keep this precious little boy and his family in your prayers!
Benjamin is his name, and his mom (jana) and dad (dave) have 3 other daughters as well.

Thank you friends!