Like Rolling off a Blog

You know how birthdays are called "golden" when you have the same numeral on the calendar as your age? Well, how about when the year I was born is the same as the age I am? Is that platinum? ADDENDUM: I just went (Sunday morning) for coffee at the local Starbucks where the barista gave me a piece of banana chocolate coffee cake in honor of my birthday. But that's not the point... Her birthday is tomorrow - she was born the same year as I was and therefore is the same age. We agreed that this should be our platinum year! Bad news for my kids, who were born in '77, '80, and '82. Yep, you've got a ways to go...

Philosophical, that is. I suppose on birthdays you are allowed to get all sappy and wax philosophical. I dont' feel like it. Birthdays are a good thing because it means you've lived another year. But frankly, I don't really care if I have cake or a celebration. I'd rather just have people smile and remember. Yes, memories and photos are what I like. Could you tell? A good conversation starter is "tell me about the first birthday you remember." I'm not sure I remember my own birthdays. I remember friends' birthdays. It could be due to the fact that in Montana school started the last week of August, and on more than one occasion, that start date was my birthday. So I associate my birthday with school starting. Could that be why I like school? That's about as philosophical as I'm going to get. Ciao for now, as I sip my green tea and wait for Amberleigh to awaken.

Jokes did abound when I was in high school about "hemp." I mean, it's the source of all evil, right? Well, in the last six months or so I have discovered Hemp Milk at my local coffee shop. They make a great latte, I must say. Nutty flavor, no milk product (ironic, huh?), and 46% of your daily calcium requirement. May be a bit pricey, but if you are milk intolerant, like a lot of us, and you don't drink the stuff by the gallon, it might be worth a look and taste. Check out this article I found on it. I wonder if it would work as a baby formula? Hmmmmm...

At the risk of sounding really elementary and/or pedantic... did you know that you can set an alert to come to your email on any word or topic you choose? I've done our name (Elfstrand) as well as our company (Moody Publishers), and now I've added "mitochondrial." Don't know why I didn't think of that before, but I really want to stay up with current research, so now anything that hits the news or websites will come to my inbox. Cool, huh? It's Google that does this, and you have to drill down a bit to find the alerts section, but worth it. Off to read the latest...

Instead of blogging the trip, I wrote captions under the 324 pictures I took! Just click on the Flickr badge in the right hand column on this page, and then click on the California Trip set when you get to Flickr. Happy perusing!

(watch for the Flickr account when we get back. Until I get a phone that can text better than triple tapping, I can't post pictures to the blog like Lara does !) The sounds of the hospital are becoming more familiar, but nothing can compare to what Lara has gotten used to every night sleeping there! It is so great to be here...complete with tears and smiles and meeting the friends and medical staff who have been taking care of the family (especially Timmy) for so long. I was one of many who set up for Timmy's birthday in a large "media room" in the Children's Hospital. The Children's Hospital is attached to the main hospital where Timmy happens to have his room. He's on a floor with other kids having non-contagious medical problems. It is so sad to see them, and know that some have been there almost as long as Timmy. Anyway, Elmo did a major invasion and like Lara posted, when we all sang Happy Birthday, Timmy was all smiles. The Pastor spoke on Psalm 139,...

Last night, Ashley and Amberleigh came over while their mommy and daddy went on a date to see Wall-E. Mommy and Daddy came in separate vehicles: Daddy on his motorcycle and Mommy bringing the girls. (Amberleigh will be one year old on August 21. She is motoring around via her hands and knees quite a bit now, so we have to watch her like a hawk.) When her Daddy walked into the kitchen after parking his cycle, Amberleigh's eyes lit up, she kicked her feet (she was sitting in her high chair at the time), and she started playing peek a boo and babbling. She was recognizing her Daddy and so excited to see him! A few days ago an email was traveling around with 52 questions on it, getting to know family and friends by some seemingly innocuous queries. I love getting those things, although it takes some time to actually fill them out. When I got Lara's responses, some made me smile and some made me sad. Sadness because I recognize their pain, and also some very Nana-focused sadness. To...

Here's a preview (or a review if you don't catch it on air)of a conversation to take place on WMBI-FM, Chicago , this morning between 7:40 AM and 8 AM. Thanks to Bryan Litfin, professor at Moody Bible Institute . These are just notes, but please do comment, or send him or WMBI your comments. Do Babies Go to Heaven? Importance of the question Many people have suffered tragic loss through miscarriage, abortion, stillborn children, or early infant death. It’s an issue of great importance. Who among us doesn’t know someone who has suffered such loss? Sentimental answer vs. Biblical answer Let’s let the Word of God speak to us, not human emotions. Babies are not little angels sitting on the lap of Jesus. God doesn’t take them to heaven just because they are cute. Jesus did welcome children to come to him, but he wasn’t teaching us about their salvation in those passages. If we are honest, we must say the Bible gives us guidance on the issue,...

Yes, folks, I really was working. But this cute robot decided to dedicate a dance to Ashley, Amberleigh (but he calls her Amber), Oliver, and Timmy. So, have fun!