Let's go for a walk.

That's what I can say now, in my house. And it happens.

Because, I have a walker! Not one of those plastic and metal things to push in front of me, but a walker! Not a crawler, or a cruiser. But a full blown, take a walk from the living room through the dining room, past the kitchen and into the laundry room walker!

Thankfully, Ansley hasn't been like most toddlers I've heard about. You know, the ones that skip walking and seemingly go straight to running.  She is still a little uneasy and wobbly, but she loves walking. She gets such a huge grin on that chubby little round face.

Last night, I just watched her as she toddled around the house.  No particular goal in mind, just enjoying a little more independence.

And she is enjoying it to the brim.  Today, Ansley was in the bathroom while I got ready for work. I heard a few things being shuffled around in an ::gasp:: un-baby-proofed drawer, then she walked out as quickly as she came in (Yikes. So weird to say Ansley walked).  I heard a splash and knew something ended up in the dog's water bowl.

Paul walks in and hands me a compact of eyeshadow. Dripping wet (the eyeshadow, not the hubs, just in case you were confused). And I laughed. Because we've entered a new stage. And I love it.

However, in an effort to keep her within arm's reach, and to keep her blocks of ice (better known as feet) warm, I bought her some of "you know, those shoes for the house with the soft bottoms" (Paul, dear, they're called house shoes. Much easier than calling them "soft bottomed shoes for the house").

Ansley now sports these big, red, fuzzy ELMO slippers! Complete with googly eyes!  She isn't a big fan, but they are too stinkin' cute to just pass up, even if I'm not a regular on Sesame Street.

And, this new adventure we're on?  Love it.  It seems that I'm always saying "this is my favorite stage."  Even though she's moving from one to the next without looking back, it's still my favorite each time we get there.  And the best part? I'm being led by a little hand connected to a very curious little girl.

A lesson on faith, and the church. At least, my thoughts on the subjects

My faith is very important to me. At times, it seems that it got pushed to the back burner because I knew where I stood, and I was surrounded by people that knew that as well.

I made some dumb mistakes. SO DUMB. But, I am thankful for what they helped me to learn regarding my faith.

Every day, I'm touched by the miraculous work of the Lord. When I get to see a little baby's heartbeat on the screen, and get to rejoice with those who choose life, I am reminded of the huge God I serve.

But every once in awhile, I get so frustrated. I used to think I was getting frustrated with God, but, recently, I think I realized what the true root of it is. It's the church, and, subsequently, followers of Christ.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A POST TO GOSSIP, SPREAD LIES, AND TEAR APART THE CHURCH. IT ALSO ISN'T REALLY A POST ABOUT MOMMYHOOD, THOUGH, HONESTLY, I THINK MANY OF THESE REALIZATIONS WERE BROUGHT ABOUT BY BECOMING A MOTHER, AND FINALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT REALLY MEANT FOR GOD TO SACRIFICE HIS ONLY SON ON MY BEHALF. IT'S A BIT OF A SOAP BOX, SO CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I grew up in a small, Southern Baptist church. Being the granddaughter of a preacher, and a daughter of parents who taught that faith was important even if it wasn't lived out all the time, it only made sense for me to accept what I was given.

And, I grew at that church. From Sunday School, to Children's Church, to even meeting my first crush, I loved that church. I can remember "walking to the alter," and being led through the Roman's Road by a lady that had really bad breath. Isn't that such a great conversion experience?

So, I accepted it. And I was dunked the next Sunday. And I sat and shivered with my wet hair and a smile through the rest of the service. Cause my Grandpa was proud.

Looking back on it now, I think I developed a very legalistic view of religion, and more importantly, faith. Don't get me wrong, I still believe there is only one way to enjoy eternal fellowship with the Lord, but I feel as though I was instructed to believe that the only way was to follow the rules set forth by the Southern Baptist Convention.

I'm not hating on baptists. Trust me, I'm not. They have their flaws just like every donomination. And there are some things from my time in that church that I treasure. Like singing old hymns. And understanding my brokenness. But, every church has it's problems. And that, more importantly, is what this is about. It's about man getting in the way of God's work. It's about the church being seen as something that sparkles and is just surface level.

I can remember seeing the piano player from church out in town, and seeing him smoking. Not because he was on fire, but because he had a cigarette that was. And, even today, so many years later, I can remember the judgments that flooded my mind.

That was 4th grade. We stopped attending that church about a year later. Fast forward to high school, when I started attending a youth group with a bunch of my friends. CHANGED.MY.LIFE.

I think I'll stop here for the time being, and turn this into a bit of a series. I have a feeling it can go on for a while, and in order for me to articulate my thoughts, it's best if I break it up.

So, to be continued...

Brand New Day

Despite sleeping in the recliner last night with a stuffy baby (and, subsequently her sliding off in the middle of the night...oops), today has been a much brighter day than yesterday.

After a rough night, I put Ansley in the bed with Paul while I got ready for work. When I came in to tell him bye, this is what I caught:

Can it get much better than that?

Happy Friday!

Bella Swan is an idiot.

Paul and Ansley have been out of town the past week, leaving me well rested but missing them extremely.

So, I made me some plans, but I wasn't looking forward to any as much as I was looking forward to seeing "Eclipse." I feel I should explain.

I do NOT consider myself a "twihard." I've never once claimed a team, and my child is not named Bella. Or Esme. Or Renesme. Nope.

When the first movie opened, my youngest sister asked me if I wanted to have a girls' night and see a movie. Always up for a good flick, I agreed and quickly tried to back out once I discovered she had picked "Twilight."

I've never been into the whole vampire scene. I watched "Buffy" growing up, but, mainly because I enjoyed David Boreanez. He was pretty.

Back to Twilight. My sister insisted that I tag along, and promised that the movie was not a typical "vampire" story.

So, we wait in line for nearly an hour just to get into the theater. We find some seats, and the movie begins.

Now, having not read the books, I had no idea what was going on. I didn't know the Cullens were "vegetarians." I didn't know they sparkled. I didn't know each person has a distinct scent that can drive a vampire crazy. So, when Bella stepped in front of the fan, sending Edward starts wriggling in his seat, I lean over and ask my sis "Hey, what's the deal here? He isn't acting like that around the other humans."

She told me he could smell her blood. Hmm. For some reason, I assumed she must have been bleeding for him to smell her blood. I leaned in and asked my sister, "Is she on her period?"

After she managed to stop laughing, she explained it to me.

The movie was enjoyable, though cheesy, so I decided that I would read the books.

Four books. One month. Pretty impressive.

So, with Paul and Ansley out of town this week, I planned a trip to the theater to catch the latest installment with my sisters, mom, a bestie and one of my sister's friends. And, here's what I learned, not just from "Eclipse," but the whole series.

1. Bella Swan is a complete idiot.
Some examples: Typically, I like to think that age isn't an issue. Sometimes, however, it does come into play. Dating someone 8 years older than you while in middle school? Big Deal. Dating someone 8 years older than you in college, or after college? Not so much. Girl being older by 2 years? No biggie. Guy being older by 90 years? HUGE DEAL. Come on Bella. That's beyond cool. We call that "illegal" where I come from.
Why would you get on a motorcycle after dark with some scuzzy guy you don't know? Even if it made you feel like you departed love was with you. Couldn't you just relive the memories? Stupid move, Swan. Stupid move.
Picking an ice cold, sparkly dead guy over a tanned, beautiful smile, warm, toned previous Shark Boy? Did that really happen?

There are a number of other events that leave me scratching my head throughout the books and movies. I often refer to the series as "girl porn" with my girls in class. Not only is it entirely driven by hormones (there were more hormones in that theater than a Tyson chicken plant), but it leaves girls with a complete misconception of what a guy should be like.

Should a guy be a gentleman and protect his girl? Yes. But does that mean he should climb into her room at night and watch her sleep? H-to-the-No.

The Twilight Saga captures teen angst perfectly. Every girl longs for an Edward, just like in years past they've longed for Romeo. The thing to remember is Edward is not real. And neither is Jacob. And to expect real men (or, teen guys) to act like such is a false reality.

There's nothing wrong with getting swept up in a good story, and nothing captures female's attention more than a story of a star-crossed romance succeeding. But, we have to remember, that in reality, guys don't sparkle. In reality, guys that sneak into our rooms to watch us sleep are creepy. In reality, 17 year olds don't date guys over the age of 100. In reality, guys don't look like Jacob Black.

Except Taylor Lautner. He kinda looks like him.