Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Scaring the Baby

This memorial day weekend was certainly exciting to say the least, and a lot of fun to say it perfectly. Primarily, Prince Charming and I traveled back to his hometown to fraternize with his best friend, his best friend's wife and their new, barely 2 month old baby. Of course, there were some great side adventures, such as the 4 amigos reuniting to unearth new ways to have fun with fire (pictures and story in forthcoming post), and trips to the Sheriff's office to make a statement about threats on my life (story also forthcoming, but no pictures for this one).

Sunday afternoon, the new parents, Jack and Elaine, had a BBQ for all those in the small town who knew Jack growing up and wanted to see if his offspring was going to be as troublesome as he. The baby's grandparents hosted at their house and most of the home church showed up to enjoy the reunion, and the food.

I spent nearly the entire time snapping pictures with my new(ish) camera, enjoying the many range of emotions, smiles and events happening around me. Enjoying, too, capturing as many as I could with my camera.

Perhaps my favorite moment and range of emotions came when my beloved Prince Charming accepted into his arms for the first time little Landyn. The son of his best friend (and best man at our wedding), with whom he had gone through the pains of growing up, the joys of living in a small mountain town, and the excitement of setting everything possible on fire. Jack and my prince are very close, and each family accepts the other friend as a surrogate son. Thus, it was understood that Prince Charming and I were surrogate Uncle and Aunt to this young life and Prince Charming has already been planning on buying the young tyke his first BB gun as soon as he is strong enough to grip it.

At the all-important introduction of Uncle and nephew, Jack carefully passed his young charge to Uncle Zach.

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"Offspring, meet crazy Uncle Zach. And vice versa."

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My heart started to melt as my handsome and beloved husband cradled this young life. I started to dream of the day (far from now) when he would be holding our own child. Suddenly, I wanted that day to come much sooner.

But then.....this happened

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Uh-oh

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Someone's not happy

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"What do you want, kid?"

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Prince charming is conviced that he scares all little babies. But, I've seen him around children before where they haven't immediately cringed and cried. This poor little guy was just having a long day, with lost of strange people around him. And he missed his nap.

He didn't cry for me though. Thank goodness.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Leviticus

Starting yesterday, and for the next couple days, several churches are partnering together to read through the entire Bible at a local park. Straight through. Day and night. Without stopping. Genesis to Revelation.

With the help of volunteers, they recruit even more volunteers to read for 15 minute increments. I became one of the latter volunteers when a friend of mine (remember Kelly, from the branding post below?) became one of the recruiting volunteers. Each recruiter is given a 3 hour period to fill with people to read, and if they can't fill all the slots, or someone is a no-show, the recruiter fills in.

Kelly had been given the noon to three chunk yesterday afternoon and filled it primarily with the college students and other friends that weekly visit his family's ranch. I took the 12:45 to 1pm slot, a convienent time for me to take my lunch. And Sunday, when I signed up for it, I knew that I would be reading Leviticus. Something in my gut just knew.

My gut, though sometimes completely off base, was right on the money this time. When I arrived, I was just in time to start reading from the end of Leviticus 13, all about infectious diseases, proclaiming things clean or unclean, sacrifices to become clean again, mildew in fabrics and houses, and a woman's monthly period. It was quite educational. Did you know, for example, that in order to be declared clean after a disease (and after the requisite minimum 7 day waiting period, and ceremonial bathing), you have to bring 2 doves or pigeons (whichever you can afford) to the priest along with hyssop, a scarlet thread and an epaph of a certain substance? The priest will then kill one of the birds over fresh water, tie the other bird up, then dip the living bird into the dead bird's blood and the fresh water and sprinkle it before the Lord 7 times, ending with a few douses on you? Makes you kind of greatful that we have freedom in and under Christ, doesn't it?

At least I didn't read any faster. After me, my friend Jacque read all about sexual regulations. Good stuff.