Thoroughly Modern Momma

You Can Fast Forward Childhood, but You Can't Rewind It

2009-09-30T22:14:00.003-05:00

This post is from a blog called STUFF CHRISTIANS LIKE that I really like :) I could really relate to this particular post. Right now I want to lock Liam in the basement right around the time he starts caring what other kids think of him. Don't call Family and Children's Services just yet. Jon is trying to loosen me up.

Enjoy...

#629. Raising Dorks
I don't have any hard data on this, but I think that of all the major world religions, Christianity has the highest dork per capita ratio. Did I say that right? Is there a different metric we're using to measure number of dorks that I should have referenced instead? Are we still rolling with the per capita ratio? It's so hard to find good research on this topic.

But think about it, no one ever says, "You know who is cheesy? Muslims." Rarely will you hear someone proclaim, "The Hindus are all uptight." And when Buddhists are stereotyped they're labeled as being "relaxed and peaceful." Christianity though has a lockdown on dork status and you know what?

I love it.

I used to hate it. From the time I was in the seventh grade right up until I became 33 I railed against it. I did everything I could to prove to the world that I was not some cheesy Christian. I distanced myself from Christian culture as fast as I possibly could because it all felt so overwhelmingly dorky. But then something weird happened, something unexpected ... my five year old tried to get into pop culture.

I've got nothing against the particular pop star my daughter suddenly became fascinated with but the transition from “I love the Wiggles” to “the Wiggles are for babies” was ridiculously fast. (In her defense, that Captain Feathersword who the Wiggles run with, scares me to death.) Up until that point I really hoped my daughter would grow up to be a cool kid. I wanted her to be part of the popular crowd at school and be considered hip. But when she started sweating pop stars and other little girls in our area started getting into teenage television shows, I had to pause.

Those things weren't created for a 5 year old. The entertainment she wanted to watch was not written for a girl two years out of diapers. It's got boyfriends and girlfriends and topics that are way out of her understanding as a little kid. And she might love it. She might sing all the songs and have a blast doing it and fit right in with all her friends. But if I encourage her to do that, if I push her toward that, I fast forward her through childhood. I speed her up from a 5 year to a 10 year old. And although I make about 47 dad mistakes a day, I have learned one secret about childhood:

You can fast forward childhood, but you can’t rewind it.

I wish I could but I can't. Childhood only goes one direction and I want her to stay a little kid for as long as she can. There will be plenty of time later for her to think boys are cute and interesting. (Right now I’m pushing for “smelly and cootie laden.”)

Until then though, she's not going to be hip. I'm going to raise a dork. Which is different from naïve, don't misunderstand, she's going to be like Matthew 10:16, shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove. And if you're making different decisions with your kids, please don't hear this as an attack. I'm new to being a dad, am by no means a pro, don't have all the answers and am really only writing about the two kids with my last name. Who will be dorks.

I hope I don't help create one of these sheltered Christian girls that just goes insane when they get to college, but I promise you that I'm going to do everything I can to keep my kids young, out of the loop as far as the world goes and maybe even dorky. And when my oldest daughter yells at me when she's 13 because she can't go to a party with a bunch of boys, who I know are going to try to kiss her, I'll show her this post. And she's going to yell some more, but at least I'll kind of look like I predicted the future, which is fun.

Hilar

2009-09-21T20:59:00.003-05:00

Things I'm WANTING Lately...

2009-09-18T13:49:00.004-05:00

This episode of "Things I'm Loving Lately" has been slightly altered as I can't keep my mind of this beautiful contraption I saw sitting on my Aunt Cindy's countertop:

THE KEURIG PLATINUM!

I know what your thinking - "Haven't you ever heard of a one cup coffee maker?" Yes, fancy pants, I have. But, I am not a super crazy coffee drinker. I like to have a cup or two every once in a while, but I'm not the kind of person that goes postal if I don't get my fix by 8am every morning. And, on top of that, when I do usually drink it I prefer decaf. Too much caffeine is no good for me. Trust me. My legs end up looking like a blurry whirlwind in a cloud of dust. Kind of like the roadrunner. Anywho, my hubby doesn't drink coffee at all. Well, low and behold, this little wonder had fair trade, organic, decaf K-Cups (what the individual filters of coffee are called), pumpkin spice K-Cups, tea K-Cups (including chai - yum), and even hot chocolate K-Cups! Mark my words. I'm gonna get me one of these if it's the last thing I do... Now how to convince the hubz...

Labor Day Sale!!!!

2009-09-07T14:52:00.006-05:00

I know I've been an absolutely atrocious blogger. Don't even start. Just admire my use of alliteration instead :)

I have many, many crafty and creative friends and one of them is holding a sale today at her etsy store! Her name is Jenny and her shop is called Liberty and Lace. She makes the cutest hair pieces for girls of all ages. My fave is this one:

(Lois and Clark)

I have it. She even named it after my husband's favorite superhero :)

I also really love these too.

(Marianne and Colonel Brandon)

(Margaret and Mr. Thornton)

And if I had a daughter, you better believe she'd be sportin' one of these!

(Kate and Jack)

And for all you hairband and bow head fanatics out there (yes, I'm talking to you), there is something for you too :)

I am not an accessory kind of person. I'm lucky to remember my wedding ring. But these little pieces are so lovely and sweet, you just have to get one. Oh, and by the way, the sale is BUY ONE GET ONE FREE so you can get two!!!

Click here for more details. Happy Labor Day!

Things I'm Loving Lately

2009-08-05T21:33:00.007-05:00

Sooooooo, I stole this idea from some friends. (Because I'm dreadfully unoriginal.) Every once in a while I will let you guys know what I am loving at that particular point in time. Hey, you never know. Maybe you'll love it too!

Theo Chocolate

One word....

yum! These people make chocolate the way a good vintner makes wine. It's serious.

And on top of that, they are doing something good!

At Theo Chocolate, we are changing the definition of “quality” by uniting creative excellence that results in deliciously award-winning chocolate with our unwavering commitment to changing the way the cocoa industry conducts business. At Theo, we believe there is no luxury in products that benefit us today, while jeopardizing future generations ability to meet their needs. When you taste our chocolate you will experience our passion and integrity in every luscious bite. We promise, there is something for everyone from the adventurous “foodie”, to those seeking the simple comfort of a delectably creamy milk chocolate bar.

We follow our passion for excellence to bring you chocolate that will delight your palate, ignite your imagination and inspire you to think and act sustainably! Be a part of our movement to save our planet and its capacity to nurture and sustain all living things. We can’t do it without you!

THEO CHOCOLATE
BECAUSE CHOCOLATE GROWS ON TREES

No additives, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, higher percentage of cacao, sustainable farming, fair trade beans, local US factory! Ummmmm.......guilt free chocolate on all accounts??? Yes please! Oh, did I mention how pretty it all is?

Jon and I took their factory tour in Seattle and you can learn more about them at www.theochocolate.com. Not only did I find the job of my dreams (a tour guide for an all organic and fair trade chocolate factory....holla!) I also tasted the chocolate....and I think I'm in love :)

I miss this...

2009-07-29T22:37:00.006-05:00

and this...

but not as much as I missed THIS!

Andy Walks with Me...

2009-07-14T23:24:00.004-05:00

We are on vacation with my family right now in sunny Santa Rosa Beach, FL (aka. heaven). As is typical with most family vacations, some slightly unusual and hilarious games, contests, etc... take place in our free time. When you are traveling with a small child who has to nap for 3 hrs a day and goes to bed fairly early, the free time is more abundant than usual so, therefore, things seem to get even more bizzaro than usual. Tonight we all engaged in a hand whistle contest inspired by Sara Evans' performance of God Bless America at the All Star Baseball Game. This contest lead to a YouTube search where we found these beauties....enjoy!

If this guy would have participated in our contest I would have a) asked him to pull his pants up a little more and b) had my butt kicked in hand whistling....fo sho.

See This Movie!

2009-06-17T16:24:00.001-05:00

I can't wait until this comes out. Whether or not you will agree or disagree, you should watch it. It's worth it to know both sides of the issues that plague this country.

The Learning Curve

2009-05-22T20:06:00.003-05:00

I have written this post a number of times and then scrapped it. It was either too long or too short or too pathetic or too vulnerable or too...you get the picture... So, here goes the version that I chose:

I have set a lot of personal goals this year. As I have said many times before, Liam has changed my life. He makes me want to be a better person. End of story. I think this season of life - motherhood, new found "adulthood", being out of the professional rate race, etc... - has mandated several changes as well. I have been craving and striving for simplicity, but I also have the type of personality that beckons me to make LONG lists, volunteer for everything and strive for unattainable standards. Herein lies the struggle that has marked a large portion of my life. For my teen and young adult years I joined every club, engaged in every hobby, had friends in every clique, took every class, and went on every trip. I kept my phyisical life (clothes, hair, makeup, etc...) simple so that I could shoot for the moon everywhere else. What I didn't realize is that I was also keeping my relationships and commitments simple....a little too simple....like "do you have any real friends or just a lot of surface friends?" kind of simple. Like "are you really a Young Life leader or do you just show up for Club and Campaigners twice a week?" kind of simple. This just left me lonely and empty. So much going on with nothing REALLY going on. In response (or rebellion...I haven't firmly decided), I tried the "do nothing" theory for the next few years. I just did the basics, work/school, clean, cook, errands, blah... I had one friend: Jon. I mean, I had "friends," but I really only had ONE friend, capiche? I didn't commit myself to any hobbies or any groups or any studies. Nothing. Boring. Lonely. Empty. Same boat. So, what did I learn? Nothing. So, what did I do? Started over. Slowly I added things...Bible studies, leadership roles, friendships, a baby, hobbies, jobs.... Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! And so the cycle continues.

These first several month of 2009 the Lord has slowly been revealing to me His Spirit, His purpose, His desire for the way I will live my life. It has everything to do with Him and not so much to do with me. I guess that's what has been wrong all this time (uh...hello...). God does not have a spirit of chaos. He does not have a spirit of calamity. He has one of peace. Peace does not mean boredom or apathy or laziness. This peace actually leads to fulfillment.

This week I feel I have finally found a way to verbalized what He has been trying to teach me. I cry MARANATHA! May the Lord cometh! May he come and save me. May HE come and save me from MYSELF! I don't need to put so much effort into it that it is ME who is doing everything, leaving little to no room for HIM!

Lord, wage war on our pride and need for control. Humble us so that you can do your mighty work in us and through us!

In the words of the Shaker Elder Joseph Brakcett:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

I am becoming Amish....

Just kidding :)

Quaker.

No really....Menanite....

Free Stuff!!!

2009-05-17T22:38:00.002-05:00

Well, sort of. In case y'all missed the comment on my last post, Woodsman toys has offered to give free tax and shipping on any order from their site if you say you found out about them on TMM! Read below:

Wow, what kind words. I would like to thank you so much for noticing what it means to be hand made with loving care. We take great pride in our creations and have been green and lead-free for 23 years. I would like to offer everyone who visits this wonderful site Thoroughly Modern Momma a special offer so their precious little ones can experience the pleasure of a handmade wooden toy. Simply say you found us on TMM in the message box on our order-form and we will pay the shipping and the sales tax. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery and be ready to pack up all of your child's other toys! They won't be needed. And if anyone would like to place us on their gift registry I will be happy to extend the same offer.

With Warmest Regards,
Doug Gold
The Woodsman
www.thewoodsmantoys.com

Yippee Skippee! I just love stuff like this :)

We have been super busy around here, so I haven't done much blogging lately. I have a couple of things I've been mulling over that I need to type out, so I'll be back soon!

The Woodsmen Toys

2009-04-30T13:44:00.003-05:00

Love these! I hope to be getting some soon. Check them out

http://www.thewoodsmantoys.com/

They are a little pricey, but too darling to resist. They have stuff for girls too! I can just see Liam having a blast with these and I wouldn't have to cringe every time he put one in his mouth worrying about lead paint and other toxins. Hooray!

Mediterranean Rice

2009-04-16T10:43:00.004-05:00

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago I asked for some recipes. Thanks to all of you who commented or emailed! I have tons of stuff to try and it all sounds so yummy! I tried a couple of recipes and forgot to take pictures (oops!) so this is my first documented dinner. I will try to re-do the others with pictures soon!

This recipe is from my Aunt Beth and I am seriously obsessed with it right now. I am actually snacking on the leftovers as I type...hehehehe. I am not big on pork or red meat and Jon despises all shellfish, so we eat a lot of poultry around these parts. A lot of time it's just plain old grilled chicken off the George Foreman....boooooring. This side dish is the perfect thing to add exciting flavor to a meal like that. Here goes:

Mediterranean Rice:

1 box long grain and wild rice (with seasoning mix)
1 12 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
12 green olives with pimentos, slice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 green pepper
4-5 green onions (to taste)

Cook the rice according to box directions minus the butter and/or oil. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving the liquid, and chop to desired size. Add artichokes and olives to rice. Chop peppers and onions to desired consistency and also add to rice. Whisk together mayo and reserved liquid from artichokes. Add to rice mixture and chill. Serves 4-6.

***TMM version - Jon will not bite into a chunk of pepper or onion. Period. Neither one of us hate onion, but we don't LOVE it either. I only used 1/4 green pepper and 1 green onion. I grated the pepper and the white part of the onion on a microplane. That way we still got the flavor. Then I thinly sliced the green part of the onion because it was easier and prettier :) I may add a little more green pepper next time. I decided to try and serve the dish warm because I didn't have time to chill it before dinner. It was just as delicious! The dressing sets up more when it is chilled, so you may want to add less of the artichoke juice if you are going to serve it warm.***

My aunt said that the lady she got the recipe from is middle eastern and adds curry powder to taste. If you are a fan of this kind of cuisine it may be a good thing to add. I served this rice with baked lemon chicken (chicken breast, salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice) and a bag of publix caesar salad. I think it would also bee god with fish, too. If you don't like olives or marinated artichokes or anything with a "vinegary" flavor, then you will not like this dish. I happen to LOVE these things, so it was perfect! My husband is super picky and even he liked it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

What's for dinner?

2009-03-29T19:47:00.005-05:00

I don't know. That's the problem. I am so tired of my old cycle of chili, spaghetti, chicken casserole, tacos, etc... I need some fresh new ideas. So, I thought I'd ask you guys, my friends! Do you have any scrumptious recipes that you think I should add to my repertoire? If so, either post them in the comments or email them to me and I will repost my faves so that everyone can try!

Here's my first recipe. It's not technically a "meal", although I could make one out of it. Here is my friend Melissa's recipe for Easy No-Knead Bread. It is sooooo delicious. Per her recommendation, we ate it with dinner. Then put butter and sugar and cinnamon on slices the next morning and popped them in the toaster oven for some ridiculous cinnamon toast! Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!

Combine and set aside:
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. salt
2 pkgs. dry yeast (1/4 oz. each)

Heat until warm:
1 c. water
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Have on hand:
1 egg
2 to 2 1/2 c. flour
butter

Mix egg with liquids, then stir all into flour mixture. Blend at lowest speed on mixer, then blend on medium for 3 minutes. By hand stir in another 2 to 2 1/2 c. flour. Cover, let rise 50 minutes until light and doubled in size. Stir down. Spoon into greased 6" x 9" loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Brush top with butter.

I will tell you that this recipe requires a loaf pan larger than the one I got as a wedding gift in the pyrex set of glass dishes. If this is all you have, just fill the pan about 2/3-3/4 full of dough and discard the rest or try to make rolls out of it or something. Also, when my friend Melissa made it, it was raining outside so at the part where it says to mix in another 2 - 2 1/2 cups of flour, she had to had more to get it to the right consistency. The dough should just be pulling away from the sides of the pan.

This bread is G.O.O.D. Bon Apetite!

A Tree

2009-03-22T20:03:00.002-05:00

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me.”

God spoke to me through a tree this week. I'll tell you how:

This is my patio peach tree. Jon and I bought it last summer because our "backyard" - the size of a postage stamp - was looking dull and dreary. Our dogs had killed all the grass in it, so we replaced it with pinestraw and outlined the patio with brick. It looked nice, it was just really....brown. Well, this poor tree was not very well taken care of. We were in and out of town a lot and it started losing its leaves a little early. I tried to revive it, but fall was in full swing. So, I wasn't sure if it had been revived and was just losing its leaves because it was fall, or if they were falling off because the tree was dying.

Assuming it was too far gone, I neglected it most of the fall and all winter....not watering it once. I figured people that came to our house would just think this was its "winter look" and in the spring I would purchase a new one with leaves and try again. Well, low and behold, this past week we noticed some red buds on the darn thing. And by this weekend, voila! I'm usually not a huge fan of pink, but seriously....how could you not love this tree! It is beautiful! The color! The bunches of blooms! I can't even believe my eyes!

This tree is a perfect example of how God and I work together. I take control of things until I can't figure it out or life wrecks it and then I leave them for dead. After I've released my white knuckle grip, God works undercover to create beautiful things that inspire glory and wonder. He reveals them to me only at the right time - when their color and fragrance are at their peak. Then FINALLY I step back and worship. Finally I see what He was doing all along, despite my attempts to control and eventually kill it. Finally I give Him the glory He deserves.

I sing this song to Liam every night. I started doing it because I wanted to pray these sweet words over him every night, but I have found that it is mostly myself who is blessed by their message:

Great is thy faithfulness
Oh, God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not
Thy compassions, they fail not
How thou hast been, thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

The days are long... But, Hallelujah! In the morning, the mercies are new!

For Jon and Hannah

2009-03-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

Boy Don't Try to Front

2009-03-03T11:07:00.002-06:00

I know JUST what you are...

I wash my hands of you!

In a Nutshell...

2009-02-24T18:37:00.002-06:00

This is what I've been trying to say all along. I feel like this guy lives in my brain and has gathered so many of my thoughts and expressed them concisely and rather humorously, at that.

Amen, brother....amen.

Sorry :(

2009-02-16T21:12:00.004-06:00

I'm in a blogging slump. I feel like I have a bajillion thoughts...things I could write about. Things I would LIKE to write about, even. But, when I start typing my brain does this thing where it splits off in so many different directions that I can't keep track of any of my thoughts. And then I start reading what I typed and it sounds scattered and silly and just...not good. See. I can't even get out a decent thought. I have no idea why. Well...I kind of know why. I think it might be because I have so much swirling around in my head. And I can't separate the thoughts into concise entries. So either I write a post that will take you 5 hours to read or I don't feel like I do any of my thoughts justice.

Life is not bad. But it is challenging. And I am learning and growing and being stretched and I can't put words on it. I try to, but they don't stick. They just fall off into a pile. And when I try to scoop them back up and arrange them, all I end up with is a jumbled mess. It's kind of like those magnetic word thingys that people have on their refrigerator. I want to say what I want to say and all I end up with is "BRIDGE...I LOVE MUSIC...DISCOVER...GROWL..."

Just now I read this post. And it stunk...like dung. Sorry about that. Once I can pull myself together (man) I'll let you know. Until then, I apologize for the silence. Or maybe I don't, seeing as what you would have to endure if I continued typing. (Scene fades with "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel)

Picture by ~[Northeast Photography]~

The Bakers

2009-02-12T22:31:00.003-06:00

The Bakers are old college friends that I lost touch with after we graduated. Sadly they lost their precious baby girl just days ago. While we are not close, I grieve with them nonetheless - as a mother, as a friend, as a sister in Christ. Please keep this sweet family in your prayers. Their blog is www.thebenjamites.blogspot.com

Kids on Drugs

2009-02-03T20:04:00.001-06:00

This kid David just had a tooth pulled at the dentist. He got a little gas for the procedure...

A Novel Approach to Character - part deux

2009-01-24T19:53:00.001-06:00

First of all, I love saying "part deux." Second of all....

Compassion

Definition: Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes; feeling what God feels towards their plight

QUOTE: How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. George Washington Carver

When our oldest daughter, Bethany, was little, we lived overseas. Daily, she mingled with refugees from Eastern Europe and heard their heart-breaking stories. Periodically, she would travel with us in Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and East Germany, and would see, firsthand, the poverty of the people there.

As a result, we had a hard time keeping any of the toys sent by grandma back in states, because she wanted Daddy to give them away on his trips. She baked cookies to give to “the children who don’t have any.” She carefully clutched bananas to carry on a train trip to Budapest, to hand to missionary children there, where bananas were not to be had.

To this day, her heart is turned towards the poor and suffering. She’s traveled several times into remote regions of Mexico on mercy trips. Her college degree is geared towards one day helping such people again.

When we stay in our enclaves of comfortable environments with people of similar economic, intellectual and/or physical means, we do our children a disservice. Like all of us, our children’s hearts will be moved to compassion more when the nameless faceless people on the nightly news become real people known to them.

Compassion, of course, applies to more than the needy. It starts by understanding the feelings and hurts of a brother, the struggle to conquer math skills in a sister (when such things come more easily to you) or thinking about the hurt and loneliness of an out-of-town grandma who just had an operation. It grows to imagining ourselves in the place of the family who just lost a Dad to cancer and encompasses the lost and deceived people around us who do not have the sure hope we have as Christians.

PICTURE BOOKS: (FAR from an all encompassing list!)

Andy and the Lion by James Daughtery Andy takes a thorn out of a lion’s paw and his compassion is later rewarded.

Crow Boy by Taro Yashima Set in a small, rural Japanese community, Chibi is an outcast at school because he is different from the other children. Eventually, his uniqueness is discovered and appreciated. Caldecott Award

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss Horton the elephant discovers a whole new world on a speck of dust and ,despite ridicule from other animals, saves his microscopic friends and works to gain them respect, because , in the familiar refrain of the tale. “A persons a person, no matter how small.”

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister A beautiful fish won't give away any of his sparkling scales because they make him more beautiful than any other fish. He's too arrogant to play with the ordinary fish and when he refuses to share they decide they want nothing to do with him. All alone, he is faced with a choice about riches and friendship.

Ruff by Jane Hissey. 1994 Random House . Ruff, a stuffed dog, is abandoned but his new friends welcome him into their circle, and give him a birthday party and his name.

CHAPTER BOOKS

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White– A spider, Charlotte, devotedly works to saves her pig friend, Wilbur, from certain death.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Though the story takes place during wartime, and money is tight, Marmee exhibits an unselfish compassion towards the poor around her, and her daughters learn this trait from her example. One chapter tells the touching story of the girls packing up their special Christmas breakfast, contenting themselves with bread and milk, and bringing it to a poor immigrant family living in great need. The satisfaction this act of compassion brings to the girls is clear.
Note: Other character qualities: The girls recognize their weaknesses and work to improve, which is inspiring in itself. Each has her own particular struggles against, for example, vanity, contentment, and pride. Family love helps each through troubles and tragedy. Duty to their family and to society must sometimes take precedence over personal desires.

Too Much

2009-01-12T09:25:00.005-06:00

Jon and I went to one of the most amazing marriage retreats last week. It was sponsored by Porter's Call here in the Nashville area (Franklin to be exact) and they brought in Dan Allender who brought a staggering perspective on gender, marriage, family and humanity in general. If you ever have a chance to go to his Intimate Marriage conference (I think it's coming to Birmingham in early February) or read his book by the same name, definitely do it. (I think he also has a curriculum for small group study which would be really interesting to do as well.)

There were many life changing things that I took from Dan's conference, but there is one thing he said that really struck me. He was talking about the original fall in Genesis and how God's punishment for women was/is pain in childbirth and our husbands' rule over us. He went past the surface explanation for these things and dug to a deeper meaning based on literal translation. I can't remember the exact points he gave due to my poor note taking skills, but essentially these two curses have to do with relationship. Women at their core have been plagued with loneliness. We will be plagued by the nurturing and maintenance of relationship and will be deeply pained by the sin that will eventually corrupt every relationship we have, to some degree. One of the problems we have, especially in relation to our husbands, is the insecurity of being too much. We are too emotional, too insecure, too passionate, too talkative, too analytical, too worrisome, too fat, too skinny, too needy, too lonely... I can totally relate to this - not just in relationship to Jon, but to everyone. Sure, not everyone is going to like me, but the idea that I - one whom God knit together beautifully and wonderfully - am too much for the world to handle is a lie from satan that is designed to keep me from being all that I was intended to be, limiting the impact that I can have for the Kingdom of Heaven. I am bothered by this very thing as I am typing. Is this post too much? Are people going to be put off by me because I am too insecure or too open or too...fill in the blank...

I know that this is something that will never go away because I am not perfect and neither are you and we are living day in and day out in this world together, in relationship with one another. Even in the inevitability of that last sentence, I can't tell you the freedom that Dan's insight has given me. I have shared what I've learned with just a couple of friends and the response has been astounding. These women REALLY do struggle with this. It isn't just me. It isn't just the women Dan Allender has counseled. We are all worried that we are not fit for true, unbridled, vulnerable, rich and meaningful relationships with people on this Earth. This oftentimes translates to our relationship with God. We hold back. We don't ask people over or to lunch or coffee because we're scared of what they think or how they would respond or whether or not they would come. We worry about whether or not someone likes us or why they didn't invite us to their party. If they do invite us or come over, we wonder if they really did it because they wanted to spend time with us or if they just did it because they felt obligated or had an ulterior motive. When don't fully confess our sins to the Father and we do not dare to reveal to Him the desires of our heart. We think we are too much.

Part of my goals for 2009 include allowing God to free me of this - allowing Him to break free the bondage of insecurity and paranoia - allowing Him to open me up to true fellowship and, in turn, be a real friend who really loves. The Bible not only speaks of the agony of relationship, but the inexplicable joy that we can have in relationship with others and, most notably, with Him. I am fully aware there are going to be awkward moments, painful conversations, tears and heartache. In reality, this is true regardless of whether I change or say the same. Why don't I take the path that results in deeper more meaningful communion? The catty, gossipy, critical aroma of the evil one himself that has lingered in most of our lives since middle school has lingered much too long.

A Novel Approach to Character - part 1

2009-01-08T19:10:00.006-06:00

In this post I talked about a great lady named Derri Smith who bestows her vast knowledge and wisdom on child rearing upon our intimidated and exhausted group of "new moms" at church. Every so often she sends us an email with a list of books which have been "pre-approved" by her as quality and effective tools for teaching our children how to be people of good character. She has even been so gracious (and wise!) as to suggest books even for us adults! As I promised, I will be sharing what I learn with you. Here is her first installment:

Gratitude

Have you known (or been) a person who sees the negative in every situation, and who complains about all that is not as it should be? Or the type who take the kindnesses and service of others as their due, with little notice or expression of gratefulness? Does such a person spread joy, encourage or bring out the best in others? Do they reflect God? You are likely nodding your head, “no.”

A grateful heart habitually focuses on blessings rather than the problems, irritations and things that don’t suit it – the things that are a part of everyone’s life.

A grateful family is thankful for much in the midst of hard times. Grateful people have a habit of noticing the little things done for them by friends and family and expressing their genuine appreciation. They notice the many gifts God has placed in their homes and lives and in the world around them, and they launch mental bouquets to Him in thanks. Such people know a contentment and joy that an ungrateful person never can, no matter the circumstances, and they spread that joy to those around them.

At its core, contentment – and the joy that springs from it – is a matter of trusting God. When we trust that God is at work and that, despite our failures and the obstacles in the road, He is accomplishing His purpose in our lives and those around us, we can be content. Discontent raises its ugly head when things are not going as WE think they should or would prefer or when we feel life is out of control … OUR control.

As parents, we need to nurture in our children an “attitude of gratitude”. They need to see that someone took time to purchase and wrap a gift for them. Children should develop the habit of speaking and writing their thanks. They need to understand that meals do not magically appear on the table and that money doesn’t just refill automatically in the ATM; someone works hard to provide for their family. Resources for school, trips to the zoo, the vet or music lessons all require parental sacrifice. Therefore, a “thank-you” is in order when a child benefits from these blessings. By working this awareness into the warp and woof of our lives, we raise children who see the service of others not as their due but as a privilege.

Everyone has problems; they are a part of life. The fork in the road comes when we decide to focus on our many blessings, rather on our problems.

Verses:
“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” Thessalonians 5:18

Picture Books:
Note: All picture books are unpaginated unless otherwise noted.

Happy Father’s Day by Steve Kroll, illustrated by Marylyn Hapner, 1988, Holiday House, ISBN 0-8234-0671-7. Six children and Mom plan a Father’s Day filled with loving surprises for Dad; they do his chores, make homemade gifts and plan a special treat. Throughout the day, Dad expresses his gratitude for the gifts. Other character qualities include love, resourcefulness.

Petunia Beware by Roger Duvoisin, 1958, Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN 0-394-90867-8. Petunia the Goose is never satisfied. She eats from her friend’s food because it looks better than her own. She always thinks the grass on the other side of the fence looks wonderful, so, despite warnings about wild animals, she walks out into the meadow beyond the farmyard. The grass is the same old grass, and eventually even drier than that in her farmyard, but Petunia keeps going further, sure that she will find grass better than what she is used to. She narrowly escapes a weasel, bobcat, raccoon and fox, is rescued by the farm dog, and upon her return declares that the grass at home is the best she has ever tasted.

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza, 1987, G.P, Putnam’s Sons, ISBN 0-399-21400-3. Even a hungry wolf, set upon fattening a chicken and eating her in a stew, is softened and won over by the gratefulness that is expressed by the hen’s 100 baby chicks for the food he left.

Chapter Book:
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder 352 pps. Reading level: ages 9-12 Harper Collins Seventh in the award winning classic series based on the author’s life, this book tells the story of Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely facing the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Christmas is lean that year, though Laura manages to make a small gift for everyone in the family. A great read-aloud that is sure to generate thankfulness for your family’s many blessings, including food, heat… and Christmas presents.

For Teens and Adults

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom In the midst of the horrors of a concentration camp, Corrie struggles to "thankful in all things." With effort, she even thanked God for the irritating fleas in her sleeping quarters. Later she discovered that the guards stayed away because of the fleas, enabling her, and others, to have Bible studies.

I can't wait to get started! I'm not sure if little boys ever like Laura Ingalls Wilder books, but I know I always did. I could definitely learn a thing or two about gratefulness. Our family has been so blessed. We may not have the biggest house in the neighborhood...we may not live in the best part of town...we may have just returned our cable box and tivo (lord help me) so we can cut down on expenses...but we have food and shelter and heat and each other and a God who loves us and has sacrificed for us beyond comprehension. Awe and gratitude. Awe and gratitude.

2009 is crazy

2009-01-07T20:55:00.003-06:00

I have had the craziest couple of weeks, but it has been amazing. At the risk of sounding dramatic, outlandish, and possibly certifiable, these past several days have been supernatural, shaking me to the core, and nothing short of life changing. One of those experiences where nothing can remain as it was. 2008 was a blur....lost in a fog if you will. I have been praying for clarity and clarity is coming, my friends. It is refreshing and outright staggering at the same time. I am scared and I am hopeful. I shudder at the thought of the overhaul that the Holy Spirit is doing in my life, but at the same time I refuse to remain the same. I don't want to leave you hanging, but If I even began to tell you the story right here, right now, I would be typing for days. It is sure to reveal itself in the story of my every day life because that's how God works. As the lessons I am learning are applied, I will be sure to tell you about them. Right now I'm just going to sit in awe and be grateful. That's a lesson in and of itself. Another post for another day....

The New Year

2008-12-29T11:27:00.002-06:00

The Schneck family has been traveling and visiting like crazy banshees over the past week or so. Not much time for blogging. Liam and I are headed out to Gatlinburg where we are meeting Jon and the boys until after the first of the year. So, I thought I'd do my new year's blog between napping and packing and laundry and such.

2008 has been a year of extremes. It's been about as much sorrow and as much joy as my weakling heart could take. My beloved Paw Paw passing away in March amongst deaths of several other friends and family members, surgeries, illnesses, family issues and the economic rollercoaster are just a few of the things I could complain about. But in the face of all the blessings we have received it seems juvenile to even mention them. God has provided. God has protected. God has shown us a deeper level of His infinite mercy and love. How could we have ever known the vast amounts of joy and love that would come our way with the birth of our first born, our baby boy, Liam. If you have never had a child, I literally cannot tell you what it's like. My physical body can barely contain the wealth of emotion. Sometimes I think I'm going to squeeze him so tight that his eyeballs are going to pop out. All the sleepless nights, super stinky diapers (just wait until table food....oh dear...), medical bills, breastfeeding woes, etc... have all been well worth it. I would rather be in the situation I'm in with Liam than have the money, freedoms, alone time, etc... I had before. It's no contest.

I try not to make resolutions because after the first month or so goes by and no one is talking about "resolutions" anymore, I forget what it was I resolved to do in the first place. I'm easily influenced. So, I've decided to call my resolutions "goals" instead. Here are my goals:

1 - Lose the weight that I gained back after I stopped nursing (thank you egg nog lattes, christmas cookies, etc...)
2 - Make a concentrated effort to finally make Nashville my home instead of having one foot in Atlanta.
3 - Love more, taking the time to build real and lasting relationships and improve the ones that I have already made.
4 - Convince my husband to eat healthy and actually exercise!
5 - Watch TV less and read, craft, exercise, etc... more.
6 - Start singing again. Watch out TVC choir! Here I come!
7 - Practice contentment instead of materialism.
8 - Travel to see family and friends who are far away!
9 - Cook more.
10 - Pursue God.

Baby steps, people, baby steps...

As always, I am really looking forward to the coming year and all the blessings and challenges God has planned for us. By nature of Jon's profession, we can always count on the excitement and anxiety of an ever changing music industry. Our sweet son Liam is sure to bring a whole new load of experiences, perspective, and lessons in his second year of life. I wish you and yours a very joyful and blessed 2009. I pray that through Christ you are tested and challenged to be better than you were in 2008 while still making it joyfully and peacefully to 2010. (Are we really about to hit the '10's???) Happy New Year!

Labor of Love

2008-12-24T19:05:00.000-06:00

2008-12-23T21:12:00.002-06:00

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart. Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

Excellent Gifts

2008-12-20T16:39:00.002-06:00

I have always loved giving gifts. It has honestly been one of my great joys in life. When I was little and I would go on a field trip, my mom would give me "spending money" for the souvenir shop or snack bar or what have you. I always came back with presents for everyone - mom, dad, brother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins... I would spend as long as I could, perusing each item up for sale and deciding which one would be most appreciated by each person. I would try to be as frugal as I could while not skimping or being stingy. I did want to walk away with something for myself, after all! On the ride home I would get so excited about sharing my gifts with my family. This carried on into my adult life. I actually bought gifts for family members on my honeymoon. I knew that my mom would love a coffee cup from overseas, that my grandparents would love coffee and spices from abroad. I don't say this to tout my ever generous character...barf... But, the very timely subject of gifting is something that I am passionate about and I think is very important, especially when it comes to our children. I think it is important to teach our children the time honored lesson of "it is better to give than receive." This has proven true in my life, and I am hoping it will be in Liam's too. One way that we as parents can teach our children these character building qualities is through giving gifts ourselves - and more specifically, the gift of reading. We have some amazing women at our church, The Village Chapel. I am lucky enough to be able to be mentored by some of these seasoned mothers while I myself am in the process of mothering. Derri Smith wrote this email to our mother's group today, and I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with all of you.

I’m a big fan of reading to children, as I’m sure many of you are. I grew up in a totally dysfunctional home, but I was an avid reader. A children’s librarian gave me weekly guidance, suggesting excellent books to read. When I’d read everything in the children’s section, she took me upstairs and started me on excellent adult books. Unknowingly, she shaped my character. From the books she recommended, I learned to admire what is admirable, to dream of noble pursuits and to picture the consequences of choices, both good and bad.

Just as we take great care to give our children the healthiest foods, we give them a great gift when we offer them fine reading fare.

In the weeks ahead she is going to be giving us different ideas on how to use books to help develop our childrens' character. I can't wait to see what she has in store!

Relient K on Jay Leno tonight!!

2008-12-16T15:03:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that Jon & the boys will be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight! This is their 4th time on late night TV and, ironically, there always seems to be something outrageous said or done on the particular night they are on. Por ejemplo, the last time they were on Conan there was clip from a movie shown with a ridiculously long kiss between 2 girls. I'm really glad my grandmaw was watching that one....sheesh... Well, tonight Jim Carrey and Rosario Dawson are on the show and as far as I can tell their current projects rank low on the "racey" factor. I hope you guys stay up to watch or at least set your TiVo!!! I know I will :)

Below is a picture of Tom Wilson aka. "Biff" from Back to the Future . There's also two videos of his comedy. Really, really funny. You'll see what this has to do with anything if you watch tonight :)

Let it snow!

2008-12-11T22:11:00.003-06:00

Nashville got its first snow of the year tonight. It started out as a slush shower around 430 and ended up as real snow by around 6 or so. We got a little over an inch tonight, which is the real deal here in the mid-south. We never measure snow here in feet. Fractions are too confusing. Inches are where it's at. I had a friend who actually got stranded on the side of the road. In only an inch of snow. That's right. And he's from Ohio too. I guess he's gotten soft from all his time in Middle Tennessee.

Now Nashville is moody about its winters. It's hard to believe that this will be my 8th winter here. Some winters we've only had one day of snow the whole time and some winters it has been much more. I remember my junior year at MTSU it rained and then sleeted and then froze over and then snowed and then froze over again. We were literally stranded in our house for days. The university cancelled classes for the first time since the early '70's. It was crazy and fun all at the same time. Below is my attempt at photographing snow at night with a sick child on my hip. I don't call it bad, I call it artistic. Obviously, you just don't GET it.

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-07T22:31:00.002-06:00

Let me start off by making a confession...

...I am a post stealer. If you post something on your blog and I like it, I'm going to steal it. Sometimes I even plagiarize. Hate it for ya. I will try to remember to give you credit if that's any consolation :)

I stole this from my friend Melissa's blog because it is A-MA-ZING. Although I have already purchased most of my Christmas presents, I am talking to Jon and praying about doing something with this organization, regardless. Whether you decide to participate or not, this is definitely a good lesson for this season and all year 'round, for that matter!

So powerful, right?! Melissa, the aforementioned victim of my thievery, is doing an advent reflection on her blog this year that will knock your socks off. Check it out! I love this season!

Long Time, No Tag

2008-12-05T22:31:00.002-06:00

So, Rhondi tagged me AGES ago to do a Christmas question thingy. Due to my fierce loyalty to Thanksgiving, I put of my response to a more appropriate time, thank you very much! Let me start off by saying that I am perfectly aware that there is a fairy tale land that only exists in my head where every holiday is perfect and I am Martha Stewart. I will have you know that while I repeatedly try to make this place a reality every year, I am in no way shocked when it doesn't quite turn out as planned. I also have no delusions about actually being Martha...only in my dreams... I know you have all been waiting in knots for my Christmas tradition autobiography. Well, writhe in agony no longer my anxious ones. It has arrived!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? One of my great joys in life is seeing a sparkling Christmas tree under which sits droves of gifts wrapped perfectly in coordinating papers. One year I used all paper from Crate and Barrel. Be still my heart. While this is obviously the ideal, I am very likely to use all gift bags this year due to a) lack of time, b) lack of cash, and c) Liam Jude.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I love the idea of a real tree. Jon and I had real trees for our first 3 Christmases. We wore scarves and got Starbucks and went to the tree lot and convinced our friends who worked their to give us free stuff. After 3 years the prices were jacked up too high and our friends got real jobs and we gave into the reality of a little one coming along and ingesting pine needles and getting water all over the place. So, now we have a lovely artificial pre-lit tree and I light one of those Christmas Wreath candles from Yankee Candle Co. It will have to do :)

3. When do you put up the tree? Growing up we always put our tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Now, we normally don't get back to Nashville until that Sunday night, so my goal is to get the tree up sometime that following week. No earlier I tell you!!!

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day. No later. Come on people.

5. Do you like eggnog? LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I know some people think it's nasty. I totally get that. I like fruitcake too, so sue me.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Dear Diary. I don't remember much about it other than it was an electronic diary. It was really my favorite present because I knew my Paw Paw looked all over to find one for me because I wanted it SOOOOO bad :)

7. Hardest person to buy for? my father-in-law....any hints???

8. Easiest person to buy for? little kids. toys and more toys.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I REALLY want to start the Willow Tree nativity.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I prefer mail. I like buying festive postage and using my cute return address stamp as often as possible. However, our Christmas card list is RIDICULOUSLY too long. So, we are going to do a combo this year. Mail to our family and those friends who share my love of stationery (Court and Katy) and email to everyone else.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Um, one year Jon got me a Rocky action figure that he really wanted because he saw that I had one more box under the tree for him than he had gotten me. True story.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown's Christmas

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? You're lying if you say you haven't.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My Nanny's southern breakfast spread! Biscuits and gravy....mmmmm...

16. Lights on the tree? Yes, white. What is the alternative to lights? Candles? I'm confused by this question.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Come O Come Emmanuel (traditional hymn) & Labor of Love (new song)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We always travel to the ATL. I don't know how much longer we'll be able to do that with little ones, but we'll keep trying!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen....Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen...but do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all?? Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!!! If you want me to remember something, put it in a song.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have this retro spire looking thing, but I would have to pick a star over an angel. Welcome to the 90's.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning!! How can you open presents if Santa hasn't even brought them yet??

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? When people say "holiday tree" or "holiday lights." I mean really. You aren't fooling anyone.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? For aesthetic purposes, I love a green tree with all silver, white and red! Our tree is a mix match of ornaments with lots of memories and sentimental value, so I love that too.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Growing up my grandmaw always had a honey baked ham and stouffers mac'n'cheese. I know it sounds strange, but this will always be my favorite Christmas combo!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? What don't I want!

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Hmmmm...not sure...

27. Does Santa wrap your gift or leave them unwrapped? Traditionally my parents never wrapped our presents, but I like the idea of a mixture. Some unwrapped for instant wow factor and some unwrapped to extend the surprises.

I tag Michelle and Hannah.

Grow old along with me...

2008-12-04T22:32:00.004-06:00

...the best is yet to be.
~Browning

Who knows where the road will lead us,
Only a fool would say,
But if you let me love you,
I'm sure to love you all the way.
~Sinatra

Happy Anniversary! Four years and going strong... I love you :)

It's beginning to SOUND a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-02T21:54:00.003-06:00

I have posted my Christmas music playlist! Hooray! I know some people are annoyed by blog playlists, but I love them, so I'm keeping mine up. If you don't like listening, there is a pause button on the player at the bottom of the page. Feel free to stop the music while reading if you'd like :) I'm not going to lie, this is an odd playlist. It's balanced equally by Sufjan Stevens and Bing Crosby with a little Kenny Rogers to fill in the gaps. (Watch out for Kenny, ladies.) I LOVE this playlist. Sufjan is my obvious current Christmas fave, but there are lots of sentimental songs in the mix. Bing, of course. The Chipmunks, a given. But very few share my memories of decorating the tree and baking cookies with the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton Christmas album serving as the soundtrack. Oh yes. Think "Islands in the Stream" on egg nog. So nice.

I'm also doing a little shameless promotion by sportin' my own tunes. Well, not technically MY tunes, but Jon's. Relient K's Christmas album "Let it Snow Baby...Let it Reindeer" is really good. You really should check it out! I am a little annoyed at playlist.com because I couldn't find all the songs I wanted. "Labor of Love" sung by Jill Phillips on the Andrew Peterson Christmas album is such an amazing song. It talks about the conditions surrounding the birth of Christ. Last year I was super preggo during Christmas and I bawled and bawled every time I heard it. I think it was part hormones and part sheer terror at the thought of giving birth, but mostly it was because it is a killer song.

Well I hope everyone is having a great time getting in the spirit! I hope everyone is remembering the true REASON for the SEASON. Many thanks to my friend Courtney who chastised me for texting "xmas" instead of spelling out "CHRISTmas." Now to make up for it, I have vowed to text "CHRISTmas" - actually capitalizing the "CHRIST" part - every time I text that word. So, if you get a text from me like that, I don't think I'm better than you, I'm just serving my sentence.

Ok NOW it's time!

2008-11-30T09:17:00.003-06:00

Now that I have amply given thanks and have spent 12 hrs at the mall on Black Friday, the Christmas season has officially begun! Hooray! As much as I love shopping and food - mmmm...fooood...- obviously the season is about our Savior. While I am putting the final touches on my Christmas playlist (oh yes!) I thought I would start the season off with this wonderful reminder of what this time of year is all about. Don't cry too much. Tears are not good for the mac book.

Save Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T21:40:00.004-06:00

I am starting a campaign to save thanksgiving. Too many people I know and love have already put up their tree and other decorations, started playing Christmas music, etc... Not to mention the stores and restaurants. Santa is already at the mall, for crying out loud! It's just not right. What about the turkey? What about the dressing and sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie?? The Mayflower...hello?!?!?! Don't get me wrong. I totally get that sweet baby Jesus trumps food. But, I don't think He'd be angry in the slightest if we celebrated our holidays in order. It's not like we are forgetting about Him. We are THANKING Him on THANKSGIVING for all the blessings we received from Him throughout the year. Plus....IT'S A HOLIDAY ABOUT FOOD, PEOPLE! And you're trying to skip that... Are you SERIOUS?? Well, until Friday, you will not here one Christmasy word out of my mouth. Not a Christmasy thought will even cross my mind. I am going to celebrate and enjoy my holidays in chronological order. Yay for pilgrims!

Naturally Nora Contest

2008-11-20T11:11:00.003-06:00

Naturally Nora is a brand of baking products that is all natural and allergy free! I found a link for a contest where you can win a year's supply of cake mixes and such. Who doesn't want free dessert! Click here to enter to win a year's supply of allergen free baking products!

TOMS shoes

2008-11-17T14:57:00.008-06:00

I just read my friend's blog about shoes and was inspired to write about my new shoe obsession. Now, let's be clear. I am no fashionista and I am not claiming to be one. Most of my clothes are for practicality and comfort. Sure, I like to look cute just like any girl, but lately the budget and the little tyke trump the cute card a million times over. These shoes are both comfortable and practical and happen to be pretty hip looking, if you ask me. If that isn't enough for you, they are a company with a cause as well! For every pair of shoes that you buy, they give away a pair of TOMS to a child that cannot afford shoes. That's reason enough to buy a pair! To learn more about the company and view all of their styles go to www.tomsshoes.com. Liam has a pair of Tiny TOMS and they are sooooo cute! Below is a picture of my beloved hunter green canvas TOMS that somebody - who will remain nameless but I may or may not be married to, ahem - left at a hotel in Pennsylvania.

May they rest in peace. So, go buy yourself a pair or buy them as gifts for friends and family this holiday season! Happy shopping!

The End of an Era

2008-11-14T19:18:00.003-06:00

At 9 1/2 months of age, my son is officially done breastfeeding. I have been battling this for a long time because the nursing experience was not one without its complications for us. Liam and I battled thrush from approximately 6 days old until about 3 months old. Then the dreaded diagnosis of "milk and soy allergy" where I had to basically eat grilled chicken, rice and steamed vegetables for 3 months. Right about the time I could return to a normal diet was the time when Liam decided that he could look around the room and possibly roll over while eating...not so much... Then the teeth came...oh dear...

All the while, I never wanted to stop doing it. The determination was two fold - my desire to give Liam the best I could possibly give him and the bond that we had built through the rather difficult process. I figured, why stop now when the finish line was in sight? I was forced to start weaning at about 7 months due to illness and a decreased milk production, but had maintained at least 2 feedings a day since then. A couple of weeks ago I knew the end was drawing nigh. Now six teeth deep in the process, he had become increasingly restless and painful during feedings and I could tell that my milk production was waning. Then one night this past week I looked down at his sweet little face and realized how much he had grown from that tiny premature infant that I held in my arms not too long ago. It became clear to me that my sweet baby boy that had been transitioning from infant to toddler was composed of much more toddler than infant and that it was time to give it up. I wasn't sad, I was ready and I could tell he was ready too. Then, almost like a sign from God, he reached into the opposite side of my bra, squeezed my boob and cracked a smile. That was it. No more boobie for you kiddo. Sorry La Leche League, but if you're old enough to feel me up, you're old enough to get a bottle! And that was that.

Happy Veterans Day!

2008-11-11T16:20:00.003-06:00

Thank you to everyone who has served and is currently serving our country through the armed forces. Your sacrifice is one that is greatly appreciated. And a special thanks to my favorite veterans, my Paw Paw who's in heaven and my Grandaddy who I'm lucky enough to still have here with me. I love you!

Hope and Change

2008-11-05T22:13:00.003-06:00

Eloquently spoken, I am not. Lucky for you guys, our pastor's wife and women's minister most definitely is. This is what she writes on this day after election day:

"On this important day for our country, I hope that you find yourself neither fearful, nor angry, but held in the promise of our redeeming God. May I remind you that the voice that began the world is still speaking and holding all of creation in its place today, no matter who's name is pasted on the oval office tomorrow. We are children of a covenant God, who has chosen us and sealed us in his love, and while we participate in building his Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, we are ultimately made for something greater than this earth. His purposes will be established, we just haven't seen the calendar of his appointed days.

As you contemplate the political future, may I bring your mind back to your spiritual calling? Dear ones, in as much as you feel uncertainty about our economy, or political surety, there are still those around you hurting to know the gospel of Christ's redeeming love. You, like a small boy's lunch, have been chosen, broken, blessed, and have the opportunity to give the love of Christ to those around you. If you feel at the end of yourself, or despairing, or uncertain, be given. Listen and look for the needs around you, and offer the love of Christ to the hurting and hollow eyes you come in contact with today, tomorrow, and all week. It is a beautiful opportunity to be the beloved of Christ for the glory of God to an anxious people.

William Wilberforce, after a lifetime of fighting slavery, won the battle at the end of his 28 year fight. The slave trade was abolished in England. He said with great conviction, that what he learned was that change is not to be brought about in the halls of government, or legislation, but in the hearts of people surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit. Words of deep spiritual truth for us today.

Be God's people, wherever, whatever, he allows you to encounter. It is an honor, an act of obedience, and the truest source of courage and hope for our own tired souls."

~Kim Thomas

A Real Reason to Vote

2008-11-02T15:41:00.008-06:00

For those of you who aren't motivated by duty, patriotism, gratefulness to the trailblazers before us...you know the usuals...here is a voting privilege that is sure to have you running to the polls this tuesday...FREE FOOD!!!! If you are like me, you are arguably poorer than you were in college. I went from one person on 3 incomes - scholarships, campus job, ma and pa - to 3 people on one income. So the "Free Pizza at the BSU" sign still makes me want to act like I'm 19 and join in on the Bible study so I don't have to buy dinner. Likewise, the participating restaurants have me running for the polls. If you are fretting because you don't know who to vote for, give me a call and I'll make your decision for you. Then you can fill your belly without emptying your wallet. Happy Election Eve!

Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake

2008-10-30T21:07:00.003-05:00

1 box Spice Cake mix
1 can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Preheat oven to 350. Put pumpkin and cake mix in a mixing bowl and beat on high for 2 minutes. The batter should be lighter and fluffier. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake for 30 - 45 minutes or until a knife or cake tester comes clean when inserted into the cake.

You can serve this cake warm with ice cream or whipped cream and/or cooled with cream cheese icing or sprinkled with powdered sugar. It is also good chilled overnight in the refrigerator with whipped cream to accompany it or just straight out of the pan with your fingers :) I read somewhere that this cake needs to be kept in the fridge. I'm not sure why, but I did anyway. I also found this super cute idea for a pumpkin bundt cake. They have special "3D pumpkin cake pans," but I think you could just double the recipe and use 2 regular bundt cake pans. You would just need to let the cake cool completely and then level the bottoms before assembling.

This is SUCH a cheap and easy recipe and it really is very good. The consistency is more like a muffin than a cake, but is very moist and perfect for this Halloween weekend! I think this recipe would be great as a sheet cake or cupcakes too. I would just check it after 15 minutes and then again every five minutes just to make sure you don't overcook it. I think this recipe would probably dry out if overcooked. Have fun and let me know how it goes!

Such a slacker...

2008-10-29T22:52:00.002-05:00

I'm in Atlanta visiting family and participating in wedding festivities for my cousin. I have neglected my blog. Oh dear. Stay tuned for that pumpkin spice cake recipe I promised. So good and so easy. I swear! As Blayne would say, holla at yer boy. I miss project runway :(

Election '08

2008-10-21T19:54:00.004-05:00

I promised myself I wouldn't do a political post. Apparently I lied to myself. I just can't take it anymore. I have to let it all out.

There are signs of fatigue among Christians on this issue. Some argue that the sanctity of life issue is simply one among many important issues. Without doubt, we are faced with many urgent and important issues. Nevertheless, every voter must come to terms with what issues matter most in the electoral decision. At some point, every voter is a potential "single issue" voter. Some issues simply eclipse others.
This is the case with the sanctity of human life. I can understand the fatigue. So little progress seems to have been made. So much ground has been lost. So many unborn babies have been aborted. The culture has turned increasingly hostile to this commitment, especially among the young. There is a sense that many want to get on with other issues.

There is fatigue and frustration with the Republican Party and with limited progress. There is frustration with mixed signals and missed opportunities. There is the acknowledgment that we have too often been told what we want to hear and then ignored.

There is the sense that the battle has grown old -- along with those who are fighting it. There are signs that the culture is closing its ears. We all have other concerns as well. Can we make any progress on those if we remain tenaciously committed to opposing abortion?

Yet, there is the reality that we face a choice. This is a limited choice. And we cannot evade responsibility for the question of abortion. Our vote will determine whether millions of unborn babies live or die. The Freedom of Choice Act, if passed, would lead directly to a radical increase in the numbers of abortions. The abortion industry has told us that themselves.

The question comes down to this: How many lives are we willing to forfeit -- to write off as expendable -- in order to "move on" to other issues of concern? There is no way to avoid that question and remain morally serious. The voting booth is no place to hide.
~Al Mohler

I'm not going to act like I have any idea who I'm voting for, because I don't. I do, however, know who I'm not voting for. I am not voting for Senator Barack Obama. Geez. Don't gasp so loud. You might suck all of the oxygen out of the atmosphere. I have been inexplicably ashamed to say this out loud to anyone but my husband lately. I don't know why. I usually just say "undecided" and move on. But thanks to my friend Melissa and her amazing blog I feel like I can come out of hiding and reveal my true self to the world. Thanks Melissa!

As far as reasoning goes, there is really only one reason. Abortion. That's not to say I don't disagree with other policies of his, but this one is a deal breaker for me. It really is. I can't get past it. I have heard so many arguments on the issue - about how all life is sacred and abortion and war both take lives so voting for one against the other doesn't pan out - about how the real way to save these babies is education over legislation - about how the president doesn't really decide these issues anyway, so voting won't make a difference. I respectfully disagree. I'm not that eloquent, but my friend Thomas is. He went to law school people. He passed the bar. Watch out. So, in light of his amazingness, I'm using his words:

Abortion policy in this country is set by the Supreme Court. The American people have no way to affect abortion policy other than voting for a president and sentators who we hope will appoint and confirm justices that will, someday, make pronouncements from the bench that we agree with. There are a lot of "ifs" in there.

Roe v. Wade, and the more important case that came after it, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, take abortion policy away from the people and vest it in the courts. Defending Roe is not defending abortion, it is defending a system in which it is impossible to even have a debate about abortion. For all the talk about "choice," defenders of Roe and Casey do not want the American people to get to cast a vote that reflects their choice.

Overturning Roe would not outlaw abortions. It would merely allow states to pass laws and regulations governing abortions, including laws that could prohibit the practice.

So I have a hard time with calling Roe's defenders "pro-choice." The overall thrust of the abortion lobby's agenda has been to insulate abortion policy from democracy.

Moreover, let me echo Melissa. I am a single issue voter, not because I ignore all other issues, but because I have weighed the issues and found that none of them even compare in importance. If you believe, as I do, that a newly-conceived embryo is a person, then abortion is murder, and murder on a truly horrifying scale perpetrated on the weakest and most defenseless among us. Every other issue is fluff compared with a million murders every year.

And I will assert with some confidence that if a candidate supported slavery or preemptive nuclear war, most of you would be single issue voters, too. I believe it is our mere familiarity with abortion as a policital issue that keeps us from seeing how horrible it is. We are, I am, calloused to its horrors.

I will end by showing that Senator Obama's view on this matter is absurd. In his conversaion with Rick Warren, Obama said that the question of when life begins is "above my pay grade." That sounds nice and humble, but remember that Obama supports abortions at least in the first trimester (he actually voted to support outright infanticide, but we'll set that aside). If he is unsure about when life begins, shouldn't he be concerned that it might begin at conception or at least sometime in the first trimester? If you are unsure if your fly is down, you double check. If you are unsure if your chicken is fully cooked, you leave it on the grill for a few more minutes. If you are unsure if there is a car in your blind spot, you look over your shoulder again. If you are unsure whether there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, you wait before invading. But it's fine to abort your fetus, even if you're unsure.

The glibness reflected in this answer appalls me. If you are willing to abort something, you had better be sure that you are not killing a person. I fear that the ease with which he punted that question reflects the fact that abortions do not primarily harm the mother, but rather cause the baby. If a doctor is unsure whether you have cancer of the right or left lung, would you prefer he know before operating? Or, if it were impossible to know whether a certain kind of drug could ever be administered without creating a large risk of sudden death, should the FDA approve that drug?

To those that support Sen. Obama: I encourage you to answer the question of when life begins. If you are unsure, consider whether you should err on the side of caution.

If you are like me, you have pureed green beans in your eyelashes and crusty snot on your jeans and you can barely find the time to pee let alone research presidential candidates. At the very least, you haven't found the time to do your research. Here is some reading for you - and all in one neat little package :) These links speak on Obama's record on the topic of abortion as well as discussion on the topic from some highly respected people. Please take the time to look into it. It is so important to educate yourself.

Info on Freedom of Choice Act

Obama on the Born-Alive Legislation (an article by Dr. Robert George)

A Blog By Randy Alcorn
An Interview with Donald Miller
Albert Mohler article

ProChoice America Stats on Obama

With that said, I just can't do it. I just cannot support a person that would rather risk murder than infringe on a woman's "right to choose." As a woman myself, I honestly don't believe that I have the right to choose life over death in any situation, regardless of legislation.

I hope you aren't offended by this post, but if you are I can only hope that the initial offense subsides and deeper thought is provoked on the topic. Many thanks to the Richies for letting me plagiarize :) Happy voting peeps.

Tastes as good as it smells!!

2008-10-18T21:09:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the post hiatus. I know, I know. You've been crying yourself to sleep at night. It's okay, baby. I'm here now. I'm here... Liam and I were out of town visiting "Daddy" and I was just too busy to do much of anything but take care of business. Now it's back to the ole routine and, luckily, a little time for blogging :)

A friend of mine asked about possibly drinking the fall brew recipe that I posted last time. While it will not kill you, the fall brew is not meant for drinking and would probably taste nasty. This next recipe for Russian Tea is something that smells AND tastes like fall. As far as I know this is a southern staple. I'm not too sure about other parts of the U.S. I asked my friend Michelle in Ohio if she had ever heard of it and she had not. You should try it, regardless. It is a warm cup of autumn goodness, for sure.

Russian Tea

2 cups Tang
3/4 cup instant tea (unsweetened)
1/3 cup lemonade mix (not unsweetened)
3/4 tsp ground clove
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix 2 Tbs of powder per cup of boiling water. Add cinnamon stick stirrer if desired. Store left over powdered mix in an airtight container or bag.

First off, yes this recipe calls for Tang. Tang is awesome. Don't hate. Secondly, I have seen recipes that call for up to 3 1/2 cups of sugar in addition to the above ingredients. I personally don't think it needs any sugar, but if you make it and don't think it is sweet enough, know that you can add sugar. It's up to you. Let me know what you think!!

Do you smell that? I think it's autumn!

2008-10-09T12:27:00.005-05:00

As you all know spices are one of my favorite parts of the fall season. Sure, we all have candles and that do their best to make our home smell like we are baking a homemade pumpkin spice cake (more on that later), but nothing beats the scent of real cinnamon, cloves, and other yummy ingredients permeating the air. My good friend Rhondi gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and I make it every year. We shall call it "Harvest Brew."

Harvest Brew

1 lemon
1 orange
3 short cinnamon sticks
6 bay leaves
1/2 cup whole cloves

Cut lemon and orange into quarters. Combine fruit, spices & 2 quarts of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, & simmer as long as desired. Add more water as needed. Any leftover mixture can be covered & refrigerated for several days to be re-used.

I personally have cut the cloves down to 1/4 cup. Since we don't have a large house I found the clove overpowering at 1/2 cup. Also, cloves are not cheap so I wanted to use as few as possible. Make sure you store the brew in the refrigerator when you are not using it. Since it uses fresh ingredients it can go bad. Believe me, you do NOT want the smell of rotten oranges making its way into the pores of every soft surface in your house. I don't know if there's enough Febreeze in the world for something like that.

2008-10-02T21:52:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking we should just direct deposit our paychecks right into Publix's bank account. When selling things at a garage sale I should just say "Oh, you can make that out to Kroger please." Can you believe how expensive food is lately?? My word. My jaw literally drops every time I check out. I'm naturally averse to the concept of money as it is, but now I'm just getting downright irritable about it. I like to buy organic, especially for Liam, but my ability to do that is dwindling. So, in an effort to balance frugality with wellness I did a little searching and researching. I found that Earthbound Farm Organics has a guide on their website that directs you to the produce that most commonly contains pesticide and herbicide residues in order from the highest levels to the lowest.

Go to http://www.foodnews.org/ to see the full list.

For a quick reference, here are a few of the common types of produce with the highest levels of chemical residue -

Peaches
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported Grapes
Lettuces
Nectarines
Pears
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries

These lists are really helpful to me as I am debating whether to knowingly poison my child or drop my life savings on a piece of fruit. Okay, that's a little dramatic. But you know what I mean... Now I will know that if I'm buying peaches, I should opt for organic. Frozen corn, not so much. Thanks Earthbound!

Happy shopping!

When describing myself, I prefer the term "quirky"...

2008-09-30T14:18:00.007-05:00

So I've been tagged by Rhondi and Melissa to list 6 quirky things about myself. (I know. I'm pretty popular...)

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking to them
5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger to let them know they've been tagged.

1. I already know what I'm going to order before I get to most any restaurant that I've been to before. The chances of me ordering the dish exactly how it is listed on the menu is very slight. When you think of me ordering, think of Sally in "When Harry Met Sally." If I have never been to the restaurant before then I will probably go through the menu 87 times, make everyone else order before me, choose something, and then complain the rest of the time that I REALLY should have ordered the other thing I was thinking of ordering. Too much... I know...

2. I have a specific order in which I get ready in the morning including a very precise routine of what gets washed/shaved when in the shower. If the order is disrupted I don't feel fully clean the rest of the day. (I have become more flexible since having Liam because cleaning time is limited, but it still bothers me.)

3. I will swim in any lake, river, ocean, or stream, but I will not go barefoot in a hotel room, including the shower. To me, people germs are much more disgusting than nature germs. Now, this rule is up to interpretation at my whim. There are some inside places that are clean enough and some outside places that are not. I was watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 last night, and Kate mentioned word for word that she also has this "quirk." Lucky for me, Jon was watching with me and can no longer say that I'm the only person in the world that acts this way :)

4. When using ketchup packets, I put the ketchup on one fry at a time. If it is a regular fry, it goes on in a straight line down the fry. If it is a waffle fry (from chick-fil-a, of course) it goes on in straight lines down each crevice. If the ketchup is pumped into one of those little platic cups, I stir black pepper into it. Sue me.

5. Anytime I'm in the car I feel like I have to have a drink with me. Lately it's been Arnold Palmers from Chick-fil-A. I don't know why. Automobiles make me thirsty.

6. I cannot watch scary movies AT ALL. I can't even see trailers for scary movies. I once had a nightmare because I saw the cover of the movie "Hellraiser" at blockbuster. True Story.

I tag
1. Allison Portas
2. Hannah McBrayer
3. Ryan Hester
4. Megan White
5. Jen McGowan
6. Michelle Rigsby

"Goodbye Golden Age" - Jon Black

2008-09-27T21:25:00.004-05:00

I heart folk music or "Americana" as the kids are calling it these days. Not only is this one of my favorite albums of the year in this genre, but one of my favorites, period. While more on the Ryan Adams end of the genre than, say, Gillian Welch, "Goodbye Golden Age" is still the perfect fall album - one you imagine relaxing to by a camp fire, or on an afternoon drive through the country with the windows down, or on the front porch in the cool of the day sipping a PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE!

Now, I'm not going to lie....Jon Black is my friend. He is from Cobb County (Big Chicken! Holla!), he and my husband ichat like tweenage girls about music and gear and comic books, and he was at my house a-pickin' and a-grinnin' a couple of days ago. Regardless, I would buy this record. If you played me this record and I had no idea who the guy was, I would still listen to it from start to finish at least once a day. I can't even narrow down my favorite tracks to list for you. It's that kind of record. Go here and listen to it and then go and buy it on itunes. It's only $9.99. I swear you won't regret it.

Jon will be in the Nville and other places near you very soon wearing a beard as black as his name and sharing his musical love for all to enjoy. Go see him! He'll rock your socks off.

www.whoisjonblack.com

Two Words...

2008-09-24T22:40:00.001-05:00

Hellz. Yes.

Yay Fall!

2008-09-22T10:51:00.018-05:00

It's fall! Hooray! I think that most people in the south anxiously await the arrival of the autumn season. Summer in the south can bring a lot of great things like night swimming that you just can't enjoy anywhere else, but right around mid-August the heat and the humidity can be down right suffocating. This past week or so has been a wonderful and refreshing change. These area few of my favorite things about the fall:

Cute fall clothes!

Large Tennessee Oaks with Fiery colored leaves

Pumpkin Spice and Chai Lattes on cool mornings. (non-fat of course!)

Holidays and all the event planning that comes with them!

Holidays and all the delicious food that comes with them :)

Crisp breezes at dusk as the smell of bonfires fill the air.

Candy Corn

Mums

Pumpkin farms, hayrides, and corn mazes

Basically anything with the words pumpkin and/or spice in the description.

Football (in small doses of course.)

Soups and Stews and other warm and filling comfort foods.

Gourds and other fall decor.

Babies in pumpkin costumes.

Miniature Take-5's

Popcorn Balls

Shopping in the middle of a weekday without having to battle loitering teenagers EVERYWHERE!

Lunching at Chick-fil-A midweek without elementary school kids running rampant through the restaurant.

Cuddling under the covers with my honey on a crisp night while we're trying to save money by waiting as long as we can before we turn on the heat :)

Happy Autumn Everyone!

Making Baby Food - part 3 - Actual Food!

2008-09-20T16:12:00.002-05:00

And now, the piece de resistance -- the edible food part of this whole process :) My go to guide for making food has been www.wholesomebabyfood.com. There really are some great ideas and information on this site. There are also a ton of books on the topic with recipes and suggestions and such. I personally have one called "Mommy Made." It was given to me by a friend and has recipes from first foods all the way to toddler friendly meals that the whole family can enjoy. Regardless of your resource, you will need to check with your pediatrician for a food schedule. I know different resources suggest different schedules for introducing new foods. Liam is on an even slower schedule because of his history of GI problems and food allergies. Just double check to make sure that you aren't introducing something that will give your little one a belly ache or cause further digestive issues such as food allergies.

Here is the cooking gear I use/have used:

Steamer

It has been said that steaming food is the best way to cook food while maintaining the highest nutritional value. Steamers are definitely great to use, but not absolutely necessary. If you don't have a steamer or know you probably won't use one for anything but baby food, I wouldn't buy one of those big steamer/rice cooker combos. Maybe opt for a bamboo or metal steamer or choose a different method. One of the benefits of baby food making is the money you save. If you buy every gadget or piece of equipment you come across, you will end up spending more than you save. There are many more ways to prepare baby food using kitchen tools you already have.

Pot for boiling

I have definitely used these, especially when preparing frozen fruits and vegetables. Definitely a perfectly fine option for cooking all of your food.

Pan for baking

I use glass pans for baking fruit. You already have them anyway, so why not use them!

Strainer

A must have to get the fine texture necessary for more fibrous foods.

I ran across this super cool set with a stand and a pestle which would be awesome if I had the $100 to drop on it. If you already have one of these or are a trust fund baby, use away, my friend, use away...

Fit

It is very important to make sure your fruit and veggies are nice and clean and free of pesticides, herbicides, waxes, and other contaminants that may be on the outside of your produce. Fit is 100% natural and gets the job done. I already had this because I use it on the produce my husband and I eat anyway.

Now that that's over, I'll share with you some of what I've been up to. I always buy organic produce for Liam. Always, always, always. I just want him to have the simplest food possible, so I choose the ones with the least pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified ingredients, nitrates, etc... It's just a personal preference, not a prerequisite. I just figure if I'm going to go through the trouble of making his food to ensure it's purity, I don't want to negate that effort with other contaminants. Here are the foods that I did with Liam:

Peas
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans
Winter Squash
Summer Squash/Yellow Zuchini
Green Zuchini
Spinach
Pears
Peaches
Plums
Apples
Bananas
Apricots
Mango
Avocado
Prunes (never made these because of the rehydration involved - always bought the prepared variety)

Bananas and Avocados are the easiest of all to prepare. You just peel and mash or puree. You can add water if you need them to be smoother, but chances are you shouldn't.

The rest need to be cooked in some way to be soft enough to further prepare. We'll start with the fruit. You need to do your best to buy the ripest fruit you can find. Unripened fruit is typically more tart and less palatable for a baby, especially more acidic fruits like peaches and plums. It is often hard to get really ripe fruit because of the modern grocery store set-up, so I choose to bake my fruit to enhance the flavor and sweetness. I also read somewhere that baking preserves more of the nutrients than boiling because they don't leech into the water as much. I'm not a scientist, so I have no idea if that's true, but I figured I'd go with it. I start by preheating the oven to whatever I feel like, usually around 350ish. Then I get a glass baking pan (either 9x13 rectangular or 8x8 square depending on how much fruit I'm making) and fill it with an inch or two of water. I use glass pans because I feel like it is cleaner and with non-stick pans I wonder if the non-stick is leeching into the food. (I'm certain I saw a dateline or 20/20 about that somewhere...) I then clean the outside of each piece of fruit with my trusty bottle of Fit and cut them all in half. I then core/pit/seed each piece of fruit and slice an X in the skin of each half. (This makes it easier to peel once the fruit has been cooked.) Each half is placed flesh side down in the water and baked until tender. Then I remove the fruit and place it on a plate to cool before peeling and pureeing. I do not peel the fruit before I bake it for a couple of reasons. You want the fruit really tender so it will be easy to puree. If you bake "skinless" fruit in a pan of water it has the tendency to begin to disintegrate into the water while baking. Also when the flesh is exposed to the dry heat of the oven it gets tough on the outside. Then instead of being able to use all the flesh, you have to remove the tough part. That could be a whole serving of fruit you are getting rid of! As you are pureeing, you may notice that you need a smoother consistency. I just use the same water that I cooked the fruit in to thin it out. This water contains any of the nutrients that have escaped the food, so it's a great way to add it back in while receiving the texture result you are looking for.

Now we have veggies. Veggies are very good for baby, but a little harder to prepare because they are usually much more fibrous than the fruits. When preparing veggies, you often need a strainer. It is essential to have one for peas and green beans. Both of these have hulls and or strings that babies can choke on. Other foods that I have found may need one are winter squash and sweet potatoes. They sometimes have a stringy quality that is not acceptable for baby food. With the exception of sweet potatoes, green beans and peas, I peel, seed, dice and either steam or boil my veggies. My mother-in-law was sweet enough to give me a steamer, but I know that not everyone has one. Boiling is perfectly acceptable. I also steam or boil the peas and green beans, but obviously they don't need peeling, seeding or dicing. I mean, you can peel your peas if you want to, but I'm not :) When it comes to the sweet potatoes, I scrub the skins really well and then bake them. It is so much easier to turn the oven on 400 and throw a potato in the oven then going through the trouble of peeling and dicing and such. A sweet potato will take about an hour or so to get really soft in the oven, depending on size. Then all you have to do is scoop out the pulp, add water if desired, and strain if it needs it. You don't even need a pureeing device for this one! After pureeing and adding the appropriate amount of reserve water to any of the other vegetables, make the judgement call and see if you need to strain. With the exception of peas and green beans, this all depends on the produce itself and your babies development. Please, please, please don't pass up the strainer because it is more work. It is not worth making the food yourself if your baby chokes on it :)

Time Savers!

So, all this is fine and dandy if you have the time. If you are a mom, chances are you are strapped for time. I know I am. So, I often use short cuts.

Frozen Produce

This is probably my most used short cut. You can buy pretty much any organic produce peeled, deseeded/decored, cut up and frozen. My fave is spinach. I honestly do not prepare spinach unless it is frozen. It's too much work. The downside is that often times the selection is more limited.

Canned Produce

This is a little bit trickier considering all the stuff they usually add to canned foods, most notably MSG, sodium, and sugar. These are no-no's for little tykes. The only canned products I have used have been organic canned fruit in organic pear juice. Other than the fruit and juice, I think there is only ascorbic acid (aka Vitamin C) added for something...I don't know what. As long as you read the labels and are okay with what's in there, go for it. I promise I won't come and get you :)

Jarred Foods

Let's have a little heart to heart here. Lately, this is what I use most. Oh goodness...the cat is out of the bag! I started Liam on cereal at 4 1/2 months because of his reflux, so he was ready for more options right after he turned 5 months old. I always started each food with the jarred variety just to make sure he could tolerate before I made a load of homemade. Once it was a go I whipped up batch after batch after batch... This was until I was at home alone with Liam for three weeks straight. Up until then I had been staying with my parents, so time was a little easier to find. Once I got home...not so much... I spent the first few days making a ton of food to stock up and hold me over until Jon got home. Boy was I a frazzled mess! I used the homemade until each type started running out. I hadn't made enough to last me the entire 3 weeks, so slowly more and more jars entered our cabinet. I personally decided that spending quality time with my son was more important. At that point it had become a "one or the other" situation. I needed to simplify. So I did my research and settled on Earth's Best organic. It was the best option quality and cost wise for us. There are many brands of frozen fresh baby foods that may be a good option for you if you aren't pinching pennies like we are. Basically these companies make the food like you would at home and just package and freeze it for you to buy. If you can get these, do. You can usually find them at specialty or health food stores like Whole Foods. Unfortunately this was not an option for us, so Earth's Best was the way to go. Whole Foods and Babies R Us have the best variety, but Target is definitely cheaper. I try to buy as much as I can at Target and then get the other flavors from Babies R Us since they are often running sales making their prices better than Whole Foods. There are a couple of compromises I had to make here in terms of ingredients. Any jarred food with bananas has citric acid and ascorbic acid to keep it from oxidizing. Some of their mixed vegetable varieties have potatoes and/or corn in them which tend to have less nutritional than caloric value. Some of their fruit varieties have berries in them which can be allergens. So, I just waited a little longer on these options until I felt comfortable feeding them to my son. Liam is almost 8 months old and I literally started the berry varieties a week ago just to be careful. I have also bought "adult versions" of organic applesauce, pear sauce, etc... as it is cheaper per unit than buying the individual baby food jars which pretty much contain the exact same thing. With that being said, I love jarred food!

Finger Foods

I only exclusively used jarred food for a couple of weeks. Then he started finger foods, so I have been slowly working into that. Liam is now well on his way to being solely a finger food baby. I have stopped making the purees altogether because he is growing out of them and am replacing those with homemade finger foods. These are prepared the same way minus the pureeing. I'm just going to hold off on the peas and green beans until he has more teeth and can chew up those skins really well. I like making finger food a lot more because you get to cut out the mess and hassle that comes with pureeing, which I think is really the hardest part about making baby food. Aside from bananas and avocados, I'm still cooking the fruits and veggies, so check with your pediatrician on when you can start raw foods. I also am waiting until after Liam's 9 month appointment to introduce meats. Again, check with your pediatrician.

Well, that's the long and sh...long of making baby food! I really suggest you at least try it out. It is much cheaper than purchasing prepared foods and can be a lot less wasteful. As long as you think through everything, take suggestions from friends who have done it, and make sure you have everything you need, I think it is very doable. Good luck and happy pureeing!

Making Baby Food - part 2 - Storage, Prep, and Feeding

2008-09-16T12:39:00.002-05:00

Storage

So, once you have pureed to your heart's delight you now have to store all that your baby cannot consume in one sitting. According my research, you can store pureed fruits and vegetables for 3-4 days in the refrigerator as long as you haven't "double dipped." You're supposed to throw away the leftovers if you have double dipped, but I would be lying if I told you that I always did that. You can use a ziploc or any container with a lid to store your purees in the refrigerator. Storing in the freezer is a little trickier because you don't want to keep thawing and refreezing your batches. You need to be able to portion the food so that you can use part of it while the other remains frozen.

I personally do not have time to make baby food every day, so bigger batches and freezer storing are the way to go for me. After the puree freezes in the tray, I pop out each individual cube and put them in a gallon freezer bag labled by type. This allows me to make and store a ton of food without having to purchase 700 ice cube trays. In my insanity to protect Liam I also wrap each cube in plastic wrap before I put it in the bag. Unless you have temperature control problems in your freezer and are concerned about the cubes melting in the bag, this is not necessary. I just think it puts an extra barrier between the food and the freezer. Whatever.

In terms of storage gear, here are some of your options:

Freezer Storage Tray

This is what I use. I got them as a shower gift, so I didn't have to incur this cost. They are $10 a piece which isn't the cheapest. I like them because they are perfect one ounce portions and they come with a lid that seals very well. The lids are also grooved so that you can stack them on top of each other in the freezer and it keeps them in a neat stack. I vote for these if you can put down the cash or get someone nice to get some for you :) I would recommend buying at least 2 trays at first and then seeing how many more you might want after your first try. It really all depends on how much food you make. And you may decide you don't want to make all the food, so buying several could be a waste of money for you. I personally make a lot of food at a time, so 4-6 is good for me.

Pros: 1 oz portions, well sealing lids, stackable, sturdy
Cons: a little pricey

Ice Cube Tray

This is definitely a more practical option. There are dozens of different kinds of ice cube trays. Some have up to 60 cube capacity which would be amazing for large batches. I would recommend getting trays with lids to keep the other smells of the freezer from infiltrating the food. Salmon flavored pea puree? I don't think so... Lids also make them easier to stack for a neater freezer. If you don't have lids, plastic wrap works fine.

Pros: cheap, wide availability, size variety
Cons: may or may not have lids, variable quality

Prep Bowls

This is a great way to store fresh purees in the refrigerator. I personally have the glass prep bowls from pampered chef and love them! They are very durable and are the perfect size. You can store and feed out of them and they are portable. I also love that they have lids! They are not the least expensive thing you can buy, but because of their durability they will last you forever. They are also less wasteful than disposable options. Another similar and more cost effective option is empty baby food jars. I always thoroughly cleaned and sterilized the jars before I reused them. You could also use small tupperware bowls or ziploc bags. Just be sure to seal the food airtight to keep the freshness and freeze the leftovers within 3-4 days for safety purposes.

(Since I didn't do a real comparison all these I chose to leave out the pros and cons.)

Defrosting and Reheating

I personally do not like to use the microwave for anything concerning Liam's feeding. Don't be fooled, this fear is not founded. I know several people who heat all kinds of things up in the microwave for their children. This is just another example of my neurosis. I think its the radiation factor or something...who knows. So, by all means, use the microwave if you wish. Just make sure you stir the food thoroughly and test the temperature before you feed. This will avoid burns due to overheating and hot spots.

For those of you looking for an alternative to the microwave, here's what I do:

Boil water

Pour boiling water into bowl pan or other dish. Put cold or frozen food in prep bowl or baby food jar and let sit in the water until defrosted or heated to the proper temperature. You could basically use whatever container you are choosing to feed your child out of. I also use this method for bottles too. For some reason I don't think it is bad to microwave the water if you are short on time. I just put some water in the bowl and zap it for 2 minutes. Don't ask why...I will not have a suitable answer for you. If you are planning on traveling with your food, I would recommend leaving it in its frozen state to preserve the freshness. (This is unless you are going to use the food within a half hour or so.) Most restaurants will bring you a bowl of hot water for you.

Feeding

Obviously I am a fan of the prep bowls, but using a sectioned plate or bowl is good too. These are also usually easy to defrost in using the method above. One thing I would stress is the necessity of a lid that seals each section. I don't know about you guys, but I don't always feed Liam at home. The prep bowls are great for this because they seal each food individually. I made the mistake of getting a sectioned plate that didn't seal each section. I tried to take this places but ended up with pea/carrot/apple mess all over the plate and sometimes leaking out into the diaper bag. Gross. The frozen food will sometimes separate and the water will be sloshing around, so it is crucial to have a good seal. I found this plate recently and wish I had purchased it earlier. I haven't tried it yet, so I'll leave it to you to try. It's made by KidCo (they same who made the electric and manual mills I posted about last time) and is available at Babies R Us.

They also make an entire feeding system with many of the products I mentioned above. This is a great option if you can afford to save a little money by paying a larger lump sum up front.

Sorry, I know that was really long. I'm not fantastic at organizing my thoughts. The next post will be on Food and Recipes. (For you Melissa :))

Making Baby Food - part 1 - Pureeing Gear

2008-09-14T17:00:00.008-05:00

I started this post and realized it was going to be a bloody text book if I didn't split it up. So, I'm going to do this in at least 3 parts...maybe more...hopefully not. It just depends on how glib I am :)

I know this isn't for everyone. Heck, some days it's not for me either. But on the days that I actually get my rear into gear (did ya like that? rhyming, yeah?) I really enjoy doing this. It's kind of the same feeling I get from breastfeeding - just knowing that you are making and providing the best nourishment you can for your little one is such a joy. I also like knowing EXACTLY what is in Liam's food. It just helps me to sleep better at night. Anyway, for those of you interested in doing this, I thought I'd share some of what I've learned.

To get us started, here's some of the gear I've used to puree fruits and veggies for Lilo:

Electric Food Mill

This is probably my all around favorite way to process the food. Because it is electric, it does the job pretty quick. It is easy to use and easy to clean and does a good job of getting the food broken down. It's also fairly easy to store because it isn't very bulky. There are a couple of cons. I personally like to make a lot of food at once and freeze it, so I wish it was a little bit bigger so I wouldn't have to do so many batches. Because it has plastic blades instead of metal ones, I found that the food was a little too coarse for Liam at the very beginning. As soon as he got used to the whole "solid food" business, this was perfect.

Pros: electric, easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store, economical
Cons: doesn't hold a lot, doesn't get food extremely fine

Manual Food Mill

This one is really not as hard as it looks. Pureeing steamed carrots doesn't take that much elbow grease. It is great if you want to do one or two servings at a time or if you are just wanting to use the same veggies you are making for the rest of your family (before seasoning of course!) for your baby as well. The downfall is that it makes less food than even the electric one, so it is not super practical for large batches. It is also a little tricky to clean in that there are a lot of parts and a lot of crevices in those parts which equal a lot of trapped food. I can't stand crusty anything. Yick. The puree on this thing is even more coarse than the electric, so I wouldn't recommend it for some of the harder to break down foods (peas, green beans, etc...) or at least not at first, anyway.

Pros: easy to use, portable (comes with its own carrying case! maybe you could bedazzle it or write your child's name on it in puffy paint! ooooh, ahhhh...), easy to store, economical
Cons: doesn't do high volumes, hard to control consistency, doesn't get that fine, a little difficult to clean

Food Processor or Mini-Chopper

This is a good option if you already have one. If you don't, I wouldn't necessarily go spend a lot of money on a food processor just for this purpose when there are more economical options. You may consider the mini-chopper as a compromise if you are dead set on getting one. Buying a cheap food processor or chopper is never worth it. It will refuse to work properly and/or break...trust me... You mights as well toss your cash in the nearest trash can. If you have a food processor already, puree away! Just be ready to spend as much time cleaning as you did pureeing. Since I have both, I used the processor at first to make a finer puree, but I HATED cleaning that stinkin' thing every day. So, as soon as Liam was more advanced in the solid foods arena, I switched to the food mill.

Pros: a lot of control over consistency, large volume capacity (food processor), can use it for other culinary adventures!
Cons: expensive, large & harder to store (food processor), a pain in the you-know-what to clean

Wand/Hand/Immersion Blender

Sorry, this has many names. I will tell you that I freaking love this kitchen gadget. I love it. LOVE. IT. I do not personally have one because it is too expensive, but my mom does and uses it for everything - making baby food, making milkshakes and smoothies, "declumping" sauces and gravies, and so much more. This thing does a great job of making a super fine puree. I liked it so much because it is the easiest of all to clean. You just unplug it, wipe it down with some soap and a damp sponge, and rinse it off under the kitchen faucet. Bada bing, bada boom. You also don't have to worry about dirtying as many dishes as you can use this gadget in the same pot or dish that you used to cook the food you are pureeing. If you're out there and you are wanting to buy me a present, as I'm sure most of you do, this is what you should get me. But don't tell Jon. He feels the same way about my kitchen gadgets as I do about his musical equipment/instrument collection. We both need entire rooms to store them all. Oh wait, there is a room created for my collection...it's called the KITCHEN! Hello! What else would we store there?? Who has a music room? Anyone? Beuhler? I digress...

Pros - it's freakin' sweet, versatile, allows for consistency control, no volume limit, easy to clean, easy to store
Cons - way too expensive to purchase for this sole purpose

Another suggestion I have read is a blender, but I have not tried it. I stinkin' hate using a blender. Talk about crusty! It is so dang hard to get those suckers clean that it isn't even worth it to me. There's nothing like taking a big sip of a homemade chocolate milkshake only to find an old crusty pea skin or green bean string in your mouth. Sick!

So there's part 1. Next - Part 2 - Storage Gear....

Sweet + Salty + Melty = Yummy :)

2008-09-12T20:50:00.006-05:00

I have to start out by saying how much I love food. More than that, I love "party food" or what some people call "shower food." These are the types of eats you have when you go to a...wait for it...party or shower! I like that they are usually small so I can eat a lot of them and feel like I haven't really eaten that much. I like that they are usually filled with sugar or cream cheese or something equally as sinful. And, most of all, I love that they are associated with socializing! (And we all know how much I like to run that mouth! Just ask my Sprint bill...)

I went to a sip and see last weekend (for those of you that don't know, a sip and see is kind of like an open house for people that just had a baby. It usually happens if the couple lives out of town and wants friends and family from their hometown to be able to see the kid but can't schedule 57 lunches and playdates during a weekend trip home. That's the "see" part. I guess there is usually coffee or tea or other beverages...hence the "sip" accompanying the "see.") At said "sip and see" I had the best little snack. I haven't been able to get a consensus on what they're actually called, but I like "Rolo Pretzel Turtles," so that's what I'm going with...Rolo Pretzel Turtles... This hardly calls for a recipe because it is as simple as it is delicious, but here goes for those of you that need direction (note that I stole these pictures from the internet because I felt this is more of a "here, let me show you how to make these" kind of recipe. Internet police, come and get me):

Ingredients:

pretzels, rolos & pecan halves

The square pretzels shown above are the easiest and least messy to use because of their increased surface area, but the traditional pretzel shape looks a little prettier. (see other pictures below) Whichever you prefer is fine. Just make sure they are not of the unsalted variety. I'm sure you could use other combinations of candies and nuts, but I have not tried it. Be sure to let me know if you do!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Evenly space the pretzels on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and place one rolo in the center of each pretzel

Bake at 350 for approximately 3-5 minutes or until the rolos are soft but not melted all over the place.

Remove baking sheet from oven and immediately press a single pecan half on each of the rolos. You can do this one of two ways - either to make a tidy bite or to accentuate the melted caramel. Both are showed below.

Tada! So simple and so good! The great thing about this recipe is that you can essentially preheat your oven anywhere from 200 or 400 degrees and tinker with the time frame and get very similar results. Like I said before, you also can play with the ingredients a little to tailor the treat to your personal tastes. Let me know how it goes and enjoy!

Seriously...

2008-09-12T14:30:00.001-05:00

Seriously??

I mean really??

9/11

2008-09-11T17:07:00.003-05:00

World Trade Center

Gordon M. Aamoth, Jr.
Edelmiro Abad
Maria Rose Abad
Andrew Anthony Abate
Vincent Abate
Laurence Christopher Abel
William F. Abrahamson
Richard Anthony Aceto
Jesus Acevedo Rescand
Heinrich Bernhard Ackermann
Paul Acquaviva
Donald LaRoy Adams
Patrick Adams
Shannon Lewis Adams
Stephen George Adams
Ignatius Udo Adanga
Christy A. Addamo
Terence E. Adderley, Jr.
Sophia Buruwad Addo
Lee Allan Adler
Daniel Thomas Afflitto
Emmanuel Akwasi Afuakwah
Alok Agarwal
Mukul Kumar Agarwala
Joseph Agnello
David Scott Agnes
Brian G. Ahearn
Jeremiah Joseph Ahern
Joanne Marie Ahladiotis
Shabbir Ahmed
Terrance Andre Aiken
Godwin Ajala
Gertrude M. Alagero
Andrew Alameno
Margaret Ann Alario
Gary M. Albero
Jon Leslie Albert
Peter Alderman
Jacquelyn Delaine Aldridge
David D. Alger
Sarah Ali-Escarcega
Ernest Alikakos
Edward L. Allegretto
Eric Allen
Joseph Ryan Allen
Richard Dennis Allen
Richard Lanard Allen
Christopher E. Allingham
Janet M. Alonso
Arturo Alva-Moreno
Anthony Alvarado
Antonio Javier Alvarez
Victoria Alvarez-Brito
Telmo E. Alvear
Cesar Amoranto Alviar
Tariq Amanullah
Angelo Amaranto
James M. Amato Joseph Amatuccio
Christopher Charles Amoroso
Kazuhiro Anai
Calixto Anaya, Jr.
Joseph Anchundia
Kermit Charles Anderson
Yvette Constance Anderson
John Andreacchio
Michael Rourke Andrews
Jean Ann Andrucki
Siew-Nya Ang
Joseph Angelini, Jr.
Joseph Angelini, Sr.
Laura Angilletta
Doreen J. Angrisani
Lorraine Antigua
Peter Paul Apollo
Faustino Apostol, Jr.
Frank Thomas Aquilino
Patrick Michael Aranyos
David Arce
Michael George Arczynski
Louis Arena
Adam P. Arias
Michael Armstrong
Jack Charles Aron
Joshua Aron
Richard Avery Aronow
Japhet Jesse Aryee
Patrick Asante
Carl Asaro
Michael Asciak
Michael Edward Asher
Janice Marie Ashley
Thomas J. Ashton
Manuel O. Asitimbay
Gregg Arthur Atlas
Gerald T. Atwood
James Audiffred
Louis Frank Aversano, Jr.
Ezra Aviles
Sandy Ayala
Arlene T. Babakitis
Eustace P. Bacchus
John J. Badagliacca
Jane Ellen Baeszler
Robert J. Baierwalter
Andrew J. Bailey
Brett T. Bailey
Tatyana Bakalinskaya
Michael S. Baksh
Sharon M. Balkcom
Michael Andrew Bane
Katherine Bantis
Gerard Baptiste
Walter Baran
Gerard A. Barbara
Paul Vincent Barbaro
James William Barbella
Ivan Kyrillos F. Barbosa
Victor Daniel Barbosa
Colleen Ann Barkow
David Michael Barkway
Matthew Barnes
Sheila Patricia Barnes
Evan J. Baron
Renee Barrett-Arjune
Nathaly Barrios La Cruz
Arthur Thaddeus Barry
Diane G. Barry
Maurice Vincent Barry
Scott D. Bart
Carlton W. Bartels
Guy Barzvi
Inna B. Basina
Alysia Basmajian
Kenneth William Basnicki
Steven Bates
Paul James Battaglia
Walter David Bauer, Jr.
Marlyn Capito Bautista
Jasper Baxter
Michele Beale
Paul Frederick Beatini
Jane S. Beatty
Lawrence Ira Beck
Manette Marie Beckles
Carl John Bedigian
Michael Earnest Beekman
Maria A. Behr
Yelena Belilovsky
Nina Patrice Bell
Debbie Bellows
Stephen Elliot Belson
Paul M. Benedetti
Denise Lenore Benedetto
Maria Bengochea
Bryan Craig Bennett
Eric L. Bennett
Oliver Duncan Bennett
Margaret L. Benson
Dominick J. Berardi
James Patrick Berger
Steven Howard Berger
John P. Bergin
Alvin Bergsohn
Daniel Bergstein
Michael J. Berkeley
Donna M. Bernaerts
David W. Bernard
William Bernstein
David M. Berray
David S. Berry
Joseph J. Berry
William Reed Bethke
Timothy Betterly
Edward Frank Beyea
Paul Beyer
Anil Tahilram Bharvaney
Bella J. Bhukhan
Shimmy D. Biegeleisen
Peter Alexander Bielfeld
William G. Biggart
Brian Bilcher
Carl Vincent Bini
Gary Eugene Bird
Joshua David Birnbaum
George John Bishop
Jeffrey Donald Bittner
Albert Balewa Blackman, Jr.
Christopher Joseph Blackwell
Susan Leigh Blair
Harry Blanding, Jr.
Janice Lee Blaney
Craig Michael Blass
Rita Blau
Richard Middleton Blood, Jr.
Michael Andrew Boccardi
John P. Bocchi
Michael Leopoldo Bocchino
Susan M. Bochino
Bruce D. Boehm
Mary Catherine Boffa
Nicholas Andrew Bogdan
Darren Christopher Bohan
Lawrence Francis Boisseau
Vincent M. Boland, Jr.
Alan Bondarenko
Andre Bonheur, Jr.
Colin Arthur Bonnett
Frank Bonomo
Yvonne Lucia Bonomo
Genieve Bonsignore, 3
Seaon Booker
Sherry Ann Bordeaux
Krystine Bordenabe
Martin Boryczewski
Richard Edward Bosco
John H. Boulton
Francisco Eligio Bourdier
Thomas Harold Bowden, Jr.
Kimberly S. Bowers
Veronique Nicole Bowers
Larry Bowman
Shawn Edward Bowman, Jr.
Kevin L. Bowser
Gary R. Box
Gennady Boyarsky
Pamela Boyce
Michael Boyle
Alfred Braca
Kevin Bracken
David Brian Brady
Alexander Braginsky
Nicholas W. Brandemarti
Michelle Renee Bratton
Patrice Braut
Lydia E. Bravo
Ronald Michael Breitweiser
Edward A. Brennan III
Francis Henry Brennan
Michael E. Brennan
Peter Brennan
Thomas M. Brennan
Daniel J. Brethel
Gary Lee Bright
Jonathan Briley
Mark A. Brisman
Paul Gary Bristow
Mark Francis Broderick
Herman Charles Broghammer
Keith A. Broomfield
Ethel Brown Janice
Juloise Brown
Lloyd Stanford Brown
Patrick J. Brown
Bettina Browne
Mark Bruce
Richard George Bruehert
Andrew Brunn
Vincent Brunton
Ronald Paul Bucca
Brandon J. Buchanan
Gregory Joseph Buck
Dennis Buckley
Nancy Clare Bueche
Patrick Joseph Buhse
John Edwards Bulaga, Jr.
Stephen Bunin
Matthew J. Burke
Thomas Daniel Burke
William Francis Burke, Jr.
Donald J. Burns
Kathleen Anne Burns
Keith James Burns
John Patrick Burnside
Irina Buslo
Milton G. Bustillo
Thomas M. Butler
Patrick Byrne
Timothy G. Byrne
Jesus Neptali Cabezas
Lillian Caceres
Brian Joseph Cachia
Steven Dennis Cafiero, Jr.
Richard M. Caggiano
Cecile Marella Caguicla
Michael John Cahill
Scott Walter Cahill
Thomas Joseph Cahill
George Cain
Salvatore B. Calabro
Joseph Calandrillo
Philip V. Calcagno
Edward Calderon
Kenneth Marcus Caldwell
Dominick Enrico Calia
Felix Calixte
Frank Callahan
Liam Callahan
Luigi Calvi
Roko Camaj
Michael F. Cammarata
David Otey Campbell
Geoffrey Thomas Campbell
Jill Marie Campbell
Robert Arthur Campbell
Sandra Patricia Campbell
Sean Thomas Canavan
John A. Candela
Vincent Cangelosi
Stephen J. Cangialosi
Lisa Bella Cannava
Brian Cannizzaro
Michael Canty
Louis Anthony Caporicci
Jonathan Neff Cappello
James Christopher Cappers
Richard Michael Caproni
Jose Manuel Cardona
Dennis M. Carey
Steve Carey
Edward Carlino
Michael Scott Carlo
David G. Carlone
Rosemarie C. Carlson
Mark Stephen Carney
Joyce Ann Carpeneto
Ivhan Luis Carpio Bautista
Jeremy M. Carrington
Michael Carroll
Peter Carroll
James Joseph Carson, Jr.
Marcia Cecil Carter
James Marcel Cartier
Vivian Casalduc
John Francis Casazza
Paul R. Cascio
Margarito Casillas
Thomas Anthony Casoria
William Otto Caspar
Alejandro Castano
Arcelia Castillo
Germaan Castillo Garcia
Leonard M. Castrianno
Jose Ramon Castro
Richard G. Catarelli
Christopher Sean Caton
Robert John Caufield
Mary Teresa Caulfield
Judson Cavalier
Michael Joseph Cawley
Jason David Cayne
Juan Armando Ceballos
Jason Michael Cefalu
Thomas Joseph Celic
Ana Mercedes Centeno
Joni Cesta
Jeffrey Marc Chairnoff
Swarna Chalasani
William Chalcoff
Eli Chalouh
Charles Lawrence Chan
Mandy Chang
Mark Lawrence Charette
Gregorio Manuel Chavez
Delrose E. Cheatham
Pedro Francisco Checo
Douglas MacMillan Cherry
Stephen Patrick Cherry
Vernon Paul Cherry
Nester Julio Chevalier
Swede Chevalier
Alexander H. Chiang
Dorothy J. Chiarchiaro
Luis Alfonso Chimbo
Robert Chin
Wing Wai Ching
Nicholas Paul Chiofalo
John Chipura
Peter A. Chirchirillo
Catherine Chirls
Kyung Hee Cho
Abul K. Chowdhury
Mohammad Salahuddin Chowdhury
Kirsten L. Christophe
Pamela Chu
Steven Chucknick
Wai Chung
Christopher Ciafardini
Alex F. Ciccone
Frances Ann Cilente
Elaine Cillo
Edna Cintron
Nestor Andre Cintron III
Robert Dominick Cirri
Juan Pablo Cisneros-Alvarez
Benjamin Keefe Clark
Eugene Clark
Gregory Alan Clark
Mannie Leroy Clark
Thomas R. Clark
Christopher Robert Clarke
Donna Marie Clarke
Michael J. Clarke
Suria Rachel Emma Clarke
Kevin Francis Cleary
James D. Cleere
Geoffrey W. Cloud
Susan Marie Clyne
Steven Coakley
Jeffrey Alan Coale
Patricia A. Cody
Daniel Michael Coffey
Jason M. Coffey
Florence G. Cohen
Kevin Sanford Cohen
Anthony Joseph Coladonato
Mark Joseph Colaio
Stephen Colaio
Christopher M. Colasanti
Kevin Nathaniel Colbert
Michel P. Colbert
Keith E. Coleman
Scott Thomas Coleman
Tarel Coleman
Liam Joseph Colhoun
Robert D. Colin
Robert J. Coll
Jean Collin
John Michael Collins
Michael L. Collins
Thomas J. Collins
Joseph Collison
Patricia Malia Colodner
Linda M. Colon
Sol E. Colon
Ronald Edward Comer
Sandra Jolane Conaty Brace
Jaime Concepcion
Albert Conde
Denease Conley
Susan P. Conlon
Margaret Mary Conner
Cynthia Marie Lise Connolly
John E. Connolly, Jr.
James Lee Connor
Jonathan M. Connors
Kevin Patrick Connors
Kevin F. Conroy
Jose Manuel Contreras-Fernandez
Brenda E. Conway
Dennis Michael Cook
Helen D. Cook
John A. Cooper
Joseph John Coppo, Jr.
Gerard J. Coppola
Joseph Albert Corbett
Alejandro Cordero
Robert Cordice
Ruben D. Correa
Danny A. Correa-Gutierrez
James J. Corrigan
Carlos Cortes
Kevin Cosgrove
Dolores Marie Costa
Digna Alexandra Costanza
Charles Gregory Costello, Jr.
Michael S. Costello
Conrod K. Cottoy
Martin John Coughlan
John Gerard Coughlin
Timothy J. Coughlin
James E. Cove
Andre Cox
Frederick John Cox
James Raymond Coyle
Michele Coyle-Eulau
Anne Marie Cramer
Christopher S. Cramer
Denise Elizabeth Crant
James Leslie Crawford, Jr.
Robert James Crawford
Joanne Mary Cregan
Lucy Crifasi
John A. Crisci
Daniel Hal Crisman
Dennis Cross
Kevin Raymond Crotty
Thomas G. Crotty
John Crowe
Welles Remy Crowther
Robert L. Cruikshank
John Robert Cruz
Grace Yu Cua
Kenneth John Cubas
Francisco Cruz Cubero
Richard J. Cudina
Neil James Cudmore
Thomas Patrick Cullen lll
Joyce Cummings
Brian Thomas Cummins
Michael Cunningham
Robert Curatolo
Laurence Damian Curia
Paul Dario Curioli
Beverly Curry
Michael S. Curtin
Gavin Cushny
John D’Allara
Vincent Gerard D’Amadeo
Jack D’Ambrosi
Mary D’Antonio
Edward A. D’Atri
Michael D. D’Auria
Michael Jude D’Esposito
Manuel John Da Mota
Caleb Arron Dack
Carlos S. DaCosta
Joao Alberto DaFonseca Aguiar, Jr.
Thomas A. Damaskinos
Jeannine Marie Damiani-Jones
Patrick W. Danahy
Nana Danso
Vincent Danz
Dwight Donald Darcy
Elizabeth Ann Darling
Annette Andrea Dataram
Lawrence Davidson
Michael Allen Davidson
Scott Matthew Davidson
Titus Davidson
Niurka Davila
Clinton Davis
Wayne Terrial Davis
Anthony Richard Dawson
Calvin Dawson
Edward James Day
Jayceryll de Chavez
Jennifer De Jesus
Monique E. De Jesus
Nereida De Jesus
Emerita De La Pena
Azucena Maria de la Torre
David Paul De Rubbio
Jemal Legesse De Santis
Christian Louis De Simone
Melanie Louise De Vere
William Thomas Dean
Robert J. DeAngelis, Jr.
Thomas Patrick DeAngelis
Tara E. Debek
Anna Marjia DeBin
James V. Deblase
Paul DeCola
Simon Marash Dedvukaj
Jason Defazio
David A. DeFeo
Manuel Del Valle, Jr.
Donald Arthur Delapenha
Vito Joseph DeLeo
Danielle Anne Delie
Joseph A. Della Pietra
Andrea DellaBella
Palmina DelliGatti
Colleen Ann Deloughery
Francis Albert DeMartini
Anthony Demas
Martin N. DeMeo
Francis Deming
Carol K. Demitz
Kevin Dennis
Thomas F. Dennis
Jean DePalma
Jose Depena
Robert John Deraney
Michael DeRienzo
Edward DeSimone III
Andrew Desperito
Cindy Ann Deuel
Jerry DeVito
Robert P. Devitt, Jr.
Dennis Lawrence Devlin
Gerard Dewan
Sulemanali Kassamali Dhanani
Patricia Florence Di Chiaro
Debra Ann Di Martino
Michael Louis Diagostino
Matthew Diaz
Nancy Diaz
Rafael Arturo Diaz
Michael A. Diaz-Piedra III
Judith Berquis Diaz-Sierra
Joseph Dermot Dickey, Jr.
Lawrence Patrick Dickinson
Michael D. Diehl
John Difato
Vincent Difazio
Carl Anthony DiFranco
Donald Difranco
Stephen Patrick Dimino
William John Dimmling
Marisa DiNardo Schorpp
Christopher M. Dincuff
Jeffrey Mark Dingle
Anthony Dionisio
George DiPasquale
Joseph Dipilato
Douglas Frank DiStefano
Ramzi A. Doany
John Joseph Doherty
Melissa C. Doi
Brendan Dolan
Neil Matthew Dollard
James Joseph Domanico
Benilda Pascua Domingo
Carlos Dominguez
Jerome Mark Patrick Dominguez
Kevin W. Donnelly
Jacqueline Donovan
Stephen Scott Dorf
Thomas Dowd
Kevin Dowdell
Mary Yolanda Dowling
Raymond Mathew Downey
Frank Joseph Doyle
Joseph Michael Doyle
Stephen Patrick Driscoll
Mirna A. Duarte
Michelle Beale Duberry
Luke A. Dudek
Christopher Michael Duffy
Gerard Duffy
Michael Joseph Duffy
Thomas W. Duffy
Antoinette Duger
Sareve Dukat
Christopher Joseph Dunne
Richard Anthony Dunstan
Patrick Thomas Dwyer
Joseph Anthony Eacobacci
John Bruce Eagleson
Robert Douglas Eaton
Dean Phillip Eberling
Margaret Ruth Echtermann
Paul Robert Eckna
Constantine Economos
Dennis Michael Edwards
Michael Hardy Edwards
Christine Egan
Lisa Egan
Martin J. Egan, Jr.
Michael Egan
Samantha Martin Egan
Carole Eggert
Lisa Caren Ehrlich
John Ernst Eichler
Eric Adam Eisenberg
Daphne Ferlinda Elder
Michael J. Elferis
Mark Joseph Ellis
Valerie Silver Ellis
Albert Alfy William Elmarry
Edgar Hendricks Emery, Jr.
Doris Suk-Yuen Eng
Christopher Epps
Ulf Ramm Ericson
Erwin L. Erker
William John Erwin
Jose Espinal
Fanny Espinoza
Bridget Ann Esposito
Francis Esposito
Michael Esposito
William Esposito
Ruben Esquilin, Jr.
Sadie Ette
Barbara G. Etzold
Eric Brian Evans
Robert Evans
Meredith Emily June Ewart
Catherine K. Fagan
Patricia Mary Fagan
Keith George Fairben
Sandra Fajardo-Smith
William F. Fallon
William Lawrence Fallon, Jr.
Anthony J. Fallone, Jr.
Dolores Brigitte Fanelli
John Joseph Fanning
Kathleen Anne Faragher
Thomas Farino
Nancy Carole Farley
Elizabeth Ann Farmer
Douglas Jon Farnum
John G. Farrell
John W. Farrell
Terrence Patrick Farrell
Joseph D. Farrelly
Thomas Patrick Farrelly
Syed Abdul Fatha
Christopher Edward Faughnan
Wendy R. Faulkner
Shannon Marie Fava
Bernard D. Favuzza
Robert Fazio, Jr.
Ronald Carl Fazio
William Feehan
Francis Jude Feely
Garth Erin Feeney
Sean B. Fegan
Lee S. Fehling
Peter Adam Feidelberg
Alan D. Feinberg
Rosa Maria Feliciano
Edward Thomas Fergus, Jr.
George Ferguson
Henry Fernandez
Judy Hazel Fernandez
Julio Fernandez
Elisa Giselle Ferraina
Anne Marie Sallerin Ferreira
Robert John Ferris
David Francis Ferrugio
Louis V. Fersini
Michael David Ferugio
Bradley James Fetchet
Jennifer Louise Fialko
Kristen Nicole Fiedel
Samuel Fields
Michael Bradley Finnegan
Timothy J. Finnerty
Michael Curtis Fiore
Stephen S R Fiorelli, Sr.
Paul M. Fiori
John B. Fiorito
John R. Fischer
Andrew Fisher
Bennett Lawson Fisher
John Roger Fisher
Thomas J. Fisher
Lucy A. Fishman
Ryan D. Fitzgerald
Thomas James Fitzpatrick
Richard P. Fitzsimons
Salvatore Fiumefreddo
Christina Donovan Flannery
Eileen Flecha
Andre G. Fletcher
Carl M. Flickinger
John Joseph Florio
Joseph Walken Flounders
David Fodor
Michael N. Fodor
Stephen Mark Fogel
Thomas Foley
David J. Fontana
Chih Min Foo
Godwin Forde
Donald A. Foreman
Christopher Hugh Forsythe
Claudia Alicia Foster
Noel John Foster
Ana Fosteris
Robert Joseph Foti
Jeffrey Fox
Virginia Fox
Pauline Francis
Virgin Francis
Gary Jay Frank
Morton H. Frank
Peter Christopher Frank
Richard K. Fraser
Kevin J. Frawley
Clyde Frazier, Jr.
Lillian Inez Frederick
Andrew Fredricks
Tamitha Freeman
Brett Owen Freiman
Peter L. Freund
Arlene Eva Fried
Alan Wayne Friedlander
Andrew Keith Friedman
Gregg J. Froehner
Peter Christian Fry
Clement A. Fumando
Steven Elliot Furman
Paul Furmato
Fredric Neal Gabler
Richard Samuel Federick Gabrielle
James Andrew Gadiel
Pamela Lee Gaff
Ervin Vincent Gailliard
Deanna Lynn Galante
Grace Catherine Galante
Anthony Edward Gallagher
Daniel James Gallagher
John Patrick Gallagher
Lourdes Galletti
Cono E. Gallo
Vincenzo Gallucci
Thomas E. Galvin
Giovanna Galletta Gambale
Thomas Gambino, Jr.
Giann Franco Gamboa
Peter Ganci
Ladkat K. Ganesh
Claude Michael Gann
Osseni Garba
Charles William Garbarini
Ceasar Garcia
David Garcia
Juan Garcia
Marlyn Del Carmen Garcia
Christopher S. Gardner
Douglas Benjamin Gardner
Harvey J. Gardner III
Jeffrey Brian Gardner
Thomas Gardner
William Arthur Gardner
Francesco Garfi
Rocco Nino Gargano
James M. Gartenberg
Matthew David Garvey
Bruce Gary
Boyd Alan Gatton
Donald Richard Gavagan, Jr.
Terence D. Gazzani
Gary Geidel
Paul Hamilton Geier
Julie M. Geis
Peter G. Gelinas
Steven Paul Geller
Howard G. Gelling
Peter Victor Genco, Jr.
Steven Gregory Genovese
Alayne Gentul
Edward F. Geraghty
Suzanne Geraty
Ralph Gerhardt
Robert Gerlich
Denis P. Germain
Marina Romanovna Gertsberg
Susan M. Getzendanner
James G. Geyer
Joseph M. Giaccone
Vincent Francis Giammona
Debra Lynn Gibbon
James Andrew Giberson
Craig Neil Gibson
Ronnie E. Gies
Laura A. Giglio
Andrew Clive Gilbert
Timothy Paul Gilbert
Paul Stuart Gilbey
Paul John Gill
Mark Y. Gilles
Evan Gillette
Ronald Lawrence Gilligan
Rodney C. Gillis
Laura Gilly
John F. Ginley
Donna Marie Giordano
Jeffrey John Giordano
John Giordano
Steven A. Giorgetti
Martin Giovinazzo
Kum-Kum Girolamo
Salvatore Gitto
Cynthia Giugliano
Mon Gjonbalaj
Dianne Gladstone
Keith Glascoe
Thomas Irwin Glasser
Harry Glenn
Barry H. Glick
Steven Glick
John T. Gnazzo
William Robert Godshalk
Michael Gogliormella
Brian Fredric Goldberg
Jeffrey Grant Goldflam
Michelle Goldstein
Monica Goldstein
Steven Goldstein
Andrew H. Golkin
Dennis James Gomes
Enrique Antonio Gomez
Jose Bienvenido Gomez
Manuel Gomez, Jr.
Wilder Alfredo Gomez
Jenine Nicole Gonzalez
Mauricio Gonzalez
Rosa Gonzalez
Calvin J. Gooding
Harry Goody
Kiran Reddy Gopu
Catherine C. Gorayeb
Kerene Gordon
Sebastian Gorki
Kieran Joseph Gorman
Thomas Edward Gorman
Michael Edward Gould
Yuji Goya
Jon Richard Grabowski
Christopher Michael Grady
Edwin J. Graf III
David Martin Graifman
Gilbert Franco Granados
Elvira Granitto
Winston Arthur Grant
Christopher S. Gray
James Michael Gray
Tara McCloud Gray
Linda Catherine Grayling
John M. Grazioso
Timothy George Grazioso
Derrick Auther Green
Wade B. Green
Elaine Myra Greenberg
Gayle R. Greene
James Arthur Greenleaf, Jr.
Eileen Marsha Greenstein
Elizabeth Martin Gregg
Denise Gregory
Donald H. Gregory
Florence Moran Gregory
Pedro Grehan
John Michael Griffin
Tawanna Sherry Griffin
Joan Donna Griffith
Warren Grifka
Ramon Grijalvo
Joseph F. Grillo
David Joseph Grimner
Kenneth George Grouzalis
Joseph Grzelak
Matthew James Grzymalski
Robert Joseph Gschaar
Liming Gu
Jose Guadalupe
Cindy Yan Zhu Guan
Joel Guevara Gonzalez
Geoffrey E. Guja
Joseph Gullickson
Babita Girjamatie Guman
Douglas Brian Gurian
Janet Ruth Gustafson
Philip T. Guza
Barbara Guzzardo
Peter M. Gyulavary
Gary Robert Haag
Andrea Lyn Haberman
Barbara Mary Habib
Philip Haentzler
Nezam A. Hafiz
Karen Elizabeth Hagerty
Steven Michael Hagis
Mary Lou Hague
David Halderman
Maile Rachel Hale
Richard B. Hall
Vaswald George Hall
Robert J. Halligan
Vincent Gerard Halloran
James Douglas Halvorson
Mohammad Salman Hamdani
Felicia Hamilton
Robert Hamilton
Frederic K. Han
Christopher J. Hanley
Sean S. Hanley
Valerie Joan Hanna
Thomas Hannafin
Kevin James Hannaford
Michael Lawrence Hannan
Dana R Hannon
Vassilios G. Haramis
James A. Haran
Jeffrey Pike Hardy
Timothy John Hargrave
Daniel Edward Harlin
Frances Haros
Harvey Harrell
Stephen G. Harrell
Melissa Marie Harrington
Aisha Anne Harris
Stewart Dennis Harris
John Patrick Hart
John Clinton Hartz
Emeric Harvey
Thomas Theodore Haskell, Jr.
Timothy Haskell
Joseph John Hasson III
Leonard W. Hatton
Terence S. Hatton
Michael Haub
Timothy Aaron Haviland
Donald G. Havlish, Jr.
Anthony Hawkins
Nobuhiro Hayatsu
Philip Hayes
William Ward Haynes
Scott Jordan Hazelcorn
Michael K. Healey
Roberta B. Heber
Charles Francis Xavier Heeran
John F. Heffernan
H. Joseph Heller, Jr.
Joann L. Heltibridle
Mark F. Hemschoot
Ronnie Lee Henderson
Brian Hennessey
Michelle Marie Henrique
Joseph Henry
William Henry
John Christopher Henwood
Robert Allan Hepburn
Mary Herencia
Lindsay C. Herkness III
Harvey Robert Hermer
Claribel Hernandez
Eduardo Hernandez
Nuberto Hernandez
Raul Hernandez
Gary Herold
Jeffrey A. Hersch
Thomas Hetzel
Brian Hickey
Ysidro Hidalgo
Timothy Higgins
Robert D. W. Higley II
Todd Russell Hill
Clara Victorine Hinds
Neal O. Hinds
Mark D. Hindy
Katsuyuki Hirai
Heather Malia Ho
Tara Yvette Hobbs
Thomas Anderson Hobbs
James J. Hobin
Robert Wayne Hobson
DaJuan Hodges
Ronald George Hoerner
Patrick A. Hoey
Marcia Hoffman
Stephen G. Hoffman
Frederick Joseph Hoffmann
Michele L. Hoffmann
Judith Florence Hofmiller
Thomas Warren Hohlweck, Jr.
Jonathan R. Hohmann
John Holland
Joseph F. Holland
Elizabeth Holmes
Thomas Holohan
Bradley Hoorn
James P. Hopper
Montgomery McCullough Hord
Michael Horn
Matthew Douglas Horning
Robert L. Horohoe, Jr.
Aaron Horwitz
Charles Houston
Uhuru G. Houston
George Howard
Michael C. Howell
Steven Leon Howell
Jennifer L. Howley
Milagros Hromada
Marian R. Hrycak
Stephen Huczko, Jr.
Kris Robert Hughes
Paul Rexford Hughes
Robert Thomas Hughes
Thomas Hughes
Timothy Robert Hughes
Susan Huie
Lamar Hulse
William Christopher Hunt
Kathleen Anne Hunt-Casey
Joseph Hunter
Robert R. Hussa
Abid Hussain
Thomas Edward Hynes
Walter G. Hynes
Joseph Anthony Ianelli
Zuhtu Ibis
Jonathan Lee Ielpi
Michael Iken
Daniel Ilkanayev
Frederick Ill, Jr.
Abraham Nethanel Ilowitz
Anthony P. Infante, Jr.
Louis S. Inghilterra, Jr.
Christopher Noble Ingrassia
Paul Innella
Stephanie Veronica Irby
Douglas Irgang
Kristin A. Irvine Ryan
Todd Antione Isaac
Erik Isbrandtsen
Taizo Ishikawa
Aram Iskenderian, Jr.
John F. Iskyan
Kazushige Ito
Aleksandr Valeryevich Ivantsov
Virginia May Jablonski
Brooke Alexandra Jackman
Aaron Jeremy Jacobs
Ariel Louis Jacobs
Jason Kyle Jacobs
Michael Grady Jacobs
Steven A. Jacobson
Ricknauth Jaggernauth
Jake Denis Jagoda
Yudh Vir Singh Jain
Maria Jakubiak
Ernest James
Gricelda E. James
Priscilla James
Mark Steven Jardim
Muhammadou Jawara
Francois Jean-Pierre
Maxima Jean-Pierre
Paul Edward Jeffers
Alva Cynthia Jeffries Sanchez
Joseph Jenkins, Jr.
Alan Keith Jensen
Prem N. Jerath
Farah Jeudy
Hweidar Jian
Eliezer Jimenez, Jr.
Luis Jimenez, Jr.
Fernando Jimenez-Molina
Charles Gregory John
Nicholas John
LaShawna Johnson
Scott Michael Johnson
William R. Johnston
Allison Horstmann Jones
Arthur Joseph Jones
Brian Leander Jones
Christopher D. Jones
Donald T. Jones
Donald W. Jones
Linda Jones
Mary S. Jones
Andrew Jordan
Robert Thomas Jordan
Albert Gunnia Joseph
Guylene Joseph
Ingeborg Joseph
Karl Henry Joseph
Stephen Joseph
Jane Eileen Josiah
Anthony Jovic
Angel L. Juarbe, Jr.
Karen Sue Juday
Mychal F. Judge
Paul William Jurgens
Thomas Edward Jurgens
Kacinga Kabeya
Shashikiran Lakshmikantha Kadaba
Gavkharoy Kamardinova
Shari Kandell
Howard Lee Kane
Jennifer Lynn Kane
Vincent D. Kane
Joon Koo Kang
Sheldon Robert Kanter
Deborah H. Kaplan
Alvin Peter Kappelmann, Jr.
Charles Karczewski
William A. Karnes
Douglas Gene Karpiloff
Charles L. Kasper
Andrew K. Kates
John Katsimatides
Robert Michael Kaulfers
Don Jerome Kauth, Jr.
Hideya Kawauchi
Edward T. Keane
Richard M. Keane
Lisa Yvonne Kearney-Griffin
Karol Ann Keasler
Paul Hanlon Keating
Leo Russell Keene III
Joseph John Keller
Peter R. Kellerman
Joseph P. Kellett
Frederick H. Kelley, Jr.
James Joseph Kelly
Joseph A. Kelly
Maurice P. Kelly
Richard John Kelly, Jr.
Thomas Michael Kelly
Thomas Richard Kelly
Thomas W. Kelly
Timothy Colin Kelly
William Hill Kelly, Jr.
Robert Clinton Kennedy
Thomas J. Kennedy
John R. Keohane
Ronald T. Kerwin
Howard L. Kestenbaum
Douglas D. Ketcham
Ruth Ellen Ketler
Boris Khalif
Sarah Khan
Taimour Firaz Khan
Rajesh Khandelwal
Oliva Khemrat
SeiLai Khoo
Michael Kiefer
Satoshi Kikuchihara
Andrew Jay-Hoon Kim
Lawrence D. Kim
Mary Jo Kimelman
Andrew M. King
Lucille Teresa King
Robert King, Jr.
Lisa King-Johnson
Takashi Kinoshita
Chris Michael Kirby
Howard Barry Kirschbaum
Glenn Davis Kirwin
Helen Crossin Kittle
Richard Joseph Klares
Peter Anton Klein
Alan David Kleinberg
Karen Joyce Klitzman
Ronald Philip Kloepfer
Evgueni Kniazev
Andrew Knox
Thomas Patrick Knox
Rebecca Lee Koborie
Deborah A. Kobus
Gary Edward Koecheler
Frank J. Koestner
Ryan Kohart
Vanessa Kolpak
Irina Kolpakova
Suzanne Kondratenko
Abdoulaye Kone
Bon-Seok Koo
Dorota Kopiczko
Scott Kopytko
Bojan Kostic
Danielle Kousoulis
John J. Kren
William E. Krukowski
Lyudmila Ksido
Shekhar Kumar
Kenneth Kumpel
Frederick Kuo, Jr.
Patricia Kuras
Nauka Kushitani
Thomas Kuveikis
Victor Kwarkye
Kui Fai Kwok
Angela Reed Kyte
Andrew La Corte
Amarnauth Lachhman
James Patrick Ladley
Joseph A. LaFalce
Jeanette Louise Lafond-Menichino
David Laforge
Michael Laforte
Alan Charles LaFrance
Juan Lafuente
Neil Kwong-Wah Lai
Vincent Anthony Laieta
William David Lake
Franco Lalama
Chow Kwan Lam
Stephen LaMantia
Amy Hope Lamonsoff
Nickola Lampley
Robert Lane
Brendan Mark Lang
Rosanne P. Lang
Vanessa Langer
Mary Louise Langley
Peter J. Langone
Thomas Michael Langone
Michele Bernadette Lanza
Ruth Sheila Lapin
Carol Ann LaPlante
Ingeborg Lariby
Robin Blair Larkey
Christopher Randall Larrabee
Hamidou S. Larry
Scott Larsen
John Adam Larson
Gary Edward Lasko
Nicholas Craig Lassman
Paul Laszczynski
Jeffrey G. LaTouche
Charles Laurencin
Stephen James Lauria
Maria LaVache
Denis Francis Lavelle
Jeannine Mary LaVerde
Anna A. Laverty
Steven Lawn
Robert Lawrence
Nathaniel Lawson
Eugen Gabriel Lazar
James Patrick Leahy
Joseph Gerard Leavey
Neil Joseph Leavy
Leon Lebor
Kenneth Charles Ledee
Alan J. Lederman
Elena F. Ledesma
Alexis Leduc
David S. Lee
Gary H. Lee
Hyun Joon Lee
Juanita Lee
Kathryn Blair Lee
Linda C. Lee
Lorraine Mary Lee
Myoung Woo Lee
Richard Y. Lee
Stuart Soo-Jin Lee
Yang Der Lee
Stephen Paul Lefkowitz
Adriana Legro
Edward Joseph Lehman
Eric Andrew Lehrfeld
David Leistman
David Prudencio Lemagne
Joseph Anthony Lenihan
John Joseph Lennon, Jr.
John Robinson Lenoir
Jorge Luis Leon
Matthew Gerard Leonard
Michael Lepore
Charles A. Lesperance
Jeff Leveen
John Dennis Levi
Alisha Caren Levin
Neil David Levin
Robert Levine
Robert Michael Levine
Shai Levinhar
Adam Jay Lewis
Margaret Susan Lewis
Ye Wei Liang
Orasri Liangthanasarn
Daniel F. Libretti
Ralph Licciardi
Edward Lichtschein
Steven Barry Lillianthal
Carlos R. Lillo
Craig Damian Lilore
Arnold A. Lim
Darya Lin
Wei Rong Lin
Nickie L. Lindo
Thomas V. Linehan, Jr.
Robert Thomas Linnane
Alan P. Linton, Jr.
Diane Theresa Lipari
Kenneth Lira
Francisco Alberto Liriano
Lorraine Lisi
Paul Lisson
Vincent M. Litto
Ming-Hao Liu
Nancy Liz
Harold Lizcano
Martin Lizzul
George A. Llanes
Elizabeth C. Logler
Catherine Lisa Loguidice
Jerome Robert Lohez
Michael William Lomax
Laura Maria Longing
Salvatore Lopes
Daniel Lopez
George Lopez
Luis Manuel Lopez
Manuel L. Lopez
Joseph Lostrangio
Chet Dek Louie
Stuart Seid Louis
Joseph Lovero
Jenny Seu Kueng Low Wong
Michael W. Lowe
Garry W. Lozier
John Peter Lozowsky
Charles Peter Lucania
Edward Hobbs Luckett
Mark Gavin Ludvigsen
Lee Charles Ludwig
Sean Thomas Lugano
Daniel Lugo
Marie Lukas
William Lum, Jr.
Michael P. Lunden
Christopher Lunder
Anthony Luparello
Gary Frederick Lutnick
William Lutz
Linda Anne Luzzicone
Alexander Lygin
Farrell Peter Lynch
James Francis Lynch
Louise A. Lynch
Michael Cameron Lynch
Michael F. Lynch
Michael Francis Lynch
Richard D. Lynch, Jr.
Robert Henry Lynch, Jr.
Sean P. Lynch
Sean Patrick Lynch
Michael J. Lyons
Monica Anne Lyons
Patrick Lyons
Robert Francis Mace
Jan Maciejewski
Catherine Fairfax Macrae
Richard Blaine Madden
Simon Maddison Noell Maerz
Jennieann Maffeo
Joseph Maffeo
Jay Robert Magazine
Brian Magee
Charles Wilson Magee
Joseph V. Maggitti
Ronald Magnuson
Daniel L. Maher
Thomas Anthony Mahon
William J. Mahoney
Joseph Daniel Maio
Takashi Makimoto
Abdu Ali Malahi
Debora I. Maldonado
Myrna T. Maldonado-Agosto
Alfred Russell Maler
Gregory James Malone
Edward Francis Maloney III
Joseph Maloney
Gene Edward Maloy

Christian Maltby
Francisco Miguel Mancini
Joseph Mangano
Sara Elizabeth Manley
Debra Mannetta
Marion Victoria Manning
Terence John Manning
James Maounis
Joseph Ross Marchbanks, Jr.
Peter Edward Mardikian
Edward Joseph Mardovich
Charles Joseph Margiotta
Kenneth Joseph Marino
Lester V. Marino
Vita Marino
Kevin Marlo
Jose Marrero
John Marshall
James Martello
Michael A. Marti
Peter C. Martin
William J. Martin, Jr.
Brian E. Martineau
Betsy Martinez
Edward Martinez
Jose Angel Martinez, Jr.
Robert Gabriel Martinez
Victor Martinez Pastrana
Lizie D. Martinez-Calderon
Paul Richard Martini
Joseph A. Mascali
Bernard Mascarenhas
Stephen Frank Masi
Nicholas George Massa
Patricia Ann Massari
Michael Massaroli
Philip William Mastrandrea, Jr.
Rudolph Mastrocinque
Joseph Mathai
Charles Mathers
William A. Mathesen
Marcello Matricciano
Margaret Elaine Mattic
Robert D. Mattson
Walter Matuza
Charles A. Mauro, Jr.
Charles J. Mauro
Dorothy Mauro
Nancy T. Mauro
Tyrone May
Keithroy Marcellus Maynard
Robert J. Mayo
Kathy Nancy Mazza
Edward Mazzella, Jr.
Jennifer Lynn Mazzotta
Kaaria Mbaya
James Joseph McAlary
Brian McAleese
Patricia Ann McAneney
Colin Robert McArthur
John Kevin McAvoy
Kenneth M. McBrayer
Brendan McCabe
Micheal McCabe
Thomas McCann
Justin McCarthy
Kevin M. McCarthy
Michael McCarthy
Robert McCarthy
Stanley McCaskill
Katie Marie McCloskey
Joan McConnell-Cullinan
Charles Austin McCrann
Tonyell F. McDay
Matthew T. McDermott
Joseph P. McDonald
Brian Grady McDonnell
Michael P. McDonnell
John McDowell, Jr.
Eamon J. McEneaney
John Thomas McErlean, Jr.
Daniel Francis McGinley
Mark Ryan McGinly
William E. McGinn
Thomas Henry MCGinnis
Michael Gregory McGinty
Ann McGovern
Scott Martin McGovern
William McGovern
Stacey Sennas McGowan
Francis Noel McGuinn
Patrick McGuire
Thomas M. McHale
Keith McHeffey
Ann M. McHugh
Denis J. McHugh III
Dennis McHugh
Michael E. McHugh
Robert G. McIlvaine
Donald James McIntyre
Stephanie Marie McKenna
Barry J. McKeon
Evelyn C. McKinnedy
Darryl Leron McKinney
George Patrick McLaughlin, Jr.
Robert C. McLaughlin, Jr.
Gavin McMahon
Robert D. McMahon
Edmund McNally
Daniel W. McNeal
Walter Arthur McNeil
Jisley McNish
Christine Sheila McNulty
Sean Peter McNulty
Robert McPadden
Terence A. McShane
Timothy Patrick McSweeney
Martin E. McWilliams
Rocco A. Medaglia
Abigail Cales Medina
Ana Iris Medina
Deborah Louise Medwig
Damian Meehan
William J. Meehan
Alok Mehta
Raymond Meisenheimer
Manuel Emilio Mejia
Eskedar Melaku
Antonio Melendez
Mary Melendez
Yelena Melnichenko
Stuart Todd Meltzer
Diarelia Jovanah Mena
Charles Mendez
Lizette Mendoza
Shevonne Olicia Mentis
Steven Mercado
Westly Mercer
Ralph Joseph Mercurio
Alan Harvey Merdinger
George L. Merino
Yamel Merino
George Merkouris
Deborah Merrick
Raymond Joseph Metz III
Jill Ann Metzler
David Robert Meyer
Nurul H. Miah
William Edward Micciulli
Martin Paul Michelstein
Peter Teague Milano
Gregory Milanowycz
Lukasz Tomasz Milewski
Sharon Christina Millan
Corey Peter Miller
Craig James Miller
Douglas Charles Miller
Henry Alfred Miller, Jr.
Joel Miller
Michael Matthew Miller
Philip D. Miller
Robert Alan Miller
Robert Cromwell Miller, Jr.
Benjamin Millman
Charles Morris Mills
Ronald Keith Milstein
Robert Minara
William George Minardi
Diakite Minata
Louis Joseph Minervino
Thomas Mingione
Wilbert Miraille
Dominick N. Mircovich
Rajesh Arjan Mirpuri
Joseph Mistrulli
Susan J. Miszkowicz
Paul Thomas Mitchell
Richard P. Miuccio
Frank V. Moccia, Sr.
Louis Joseph Modafferi
Boyie Mohammed
Dennis Mojica
Manuel Mojica
Kleber Molina
Manuel De Jesus Molina
Carl Molinaro
Justin Molisani
Brian Monaghan
Franklin Monahan
John Monahan
Kristen Montanaro
Craig Montano
Michael Montesi
Jeffrey Montgomery
Peter Montoulieu
Cheryl Ann Monyak
Thomas Moody
Sharon Moore
Krishna Moorthy
Abner Morales
Carlos Manuel Morales
Luis Morales
Paula E. Morales John Moran
John Chrisopher Moran
Kathleen Moran
Lindsay Stapleton Morehouse
George Morell
Steven P. Morello
Vincent S. Morello
Yvette Nicole Moreno
Dorothy Morgan
Richard Morgan
Nancy Morgenstern
Sanae Mori
Blanca Robertina Morocho
Leonel Geronimo Morocho
Dennis Gerard Moroney
Lynne Irene Morris
Seth Allan Morris
Stephen Philip Morris
Christopher Martel Morrison
Jorge Luis Morron Garcia
Ferdinand V. Morrone
William David Moskal
Marco Motroni
Cynthia Motus-Wilson
Iouri A. Mouchinski
Jude Joseph Moussa
Peter Moutos
Damion O’Neil Mowatt
Christopher Mozzillo
Stephen Vincent Mulderry
Richard Muldowney Jr
Michael D. Mullan
Dennis Michael Mulligan
Peter James Mulligan
Michael Joseph Mullin
James Donald Munhall
Nancy Muniz
Carlos Munoz
Frank Munoz
Theresa Munson
Robert M. Murach
Cesar Augusto Murillo
Marc A. Murolo
Brian Joseph Murphy
Charles Anthony Murphy
Christopher W. Murphy
Edward Charles Murphy
James F. Murphy Iv
James Thomas Murphy
Kevin James Murphy
Patrick Sean Murphy
Raymond E. Murphy
Robert Eddie Murphy, Jr.
John Joseph Murray
John Joseph Murray, Jr.
Susan D. Murray
Valerie Victoria Murray
Richard Todd Myhre
Robert B. Nagel
Takuya Nakamura
Alexander Napier
Frank Joseph Naples III
John Napolitano
Catherine Ann Nardella
Mario Nardone, Jr.
Manika K. Narula
Mehmood Naseem
Narender Nath
Karen Susan Navarro
Joseph Micheal Navas
Francis Joseph Nazario
Glenroy I. Neblett
Rayman Marcus Neblett
Jerome O. Nedd
Laurence Nedell
Luke G. Nee
Pete Negron
Ann N. Nelson
David William Nelson
James Nelson
Michele Ann Nelson
Peter Allen Nelson
Oscar Francis Nesbitt
Gerard Terence Nevins
Christopher Newton-Carter
Kapinga Ngalula
Nancy Yuen Ngo
Jody Nichilo
Martin S. Niederer
Alfonse Joseph Niedermeyer
Frank John Niestadt, Jr.
Gloria Nieves
Juan Nieves, Jr.
Troy Edward Nilsen
Paul Nimbley
John B. Niven
Katherine Marie Noack
Curtis Terrance Noel
Daniel R. Nolan
Robert Noonan
Daniela R. Notaro
Brian Christopher Novotny
Soichi Numata
Brian Felix Nunez
Jose Nunez
Jeffrey Roger Nussbaum
Dennis O’Berg
James P. O’Brien, Jr.
Michael P. O’Brien
Scott J. O’Brien
Timothy Michael O’Brien
Daniel O’Callaghan
Dennis James O’Connor, Jr.
Diana J. O’Connor
Keith Kevin O’Connor
Richard J. O’Connor
Amy O’Doherty
Marni Pont O’Doherty
James Andrew O’Grady
Thomas O’Hagan
Patrick J. O’Keefe
William O’Keefe
Gerald O’leary
Matthew Timothy O’Mahony
Peter J. O’Neill, Jr.
Sean Gordon O’Neill
Kevin O’Rourke
Patrick J. O’Shea
Robert William O’Shea
Timothy F. O’Sullivan
James A. Oakley
Douglas E. Oelschlager
Takashi Ogawa
Albert Ogletree
Philip Paul Ognibene
Joseph J. Ogren
Samuel Oitice
Gerald Michael Olcott
Christine Anne Olender
Linda Mary Oliva
Edward Kraft Oliver
Leah E. Oliver
Eric T. Olsen
Jeffrey James Olsen
Maureen Lyons Olson
Steven John Olson
Toshihiro Onda
Seamus L. O’Neal
John P. Oneill
Frank Oni
Michael C. Opperman
Christopher Orgielewicz
Margaret Orloske
Virginia Anne Ormiston
Ronald Orsini
Peter Ortale
Juan Ortega-Campos
Alexander Ortiz
David Ortiz
Emilio Ortiz, Jr.
Pablo Ortiz
Paul Ortiz, Jr.
Sonia Ortiz
Masaru Ose
Elsy C. Osorio
James R. Ostrowski
Jason Douglas Oswald
Michael Otten
Isidro D. Ottenwalder
Michael Chung Ou
Todd Joseph Ouida
Jesus Ovalles
Peter J. Owens, Jr.
Adianes Oyola
Angel M. Pabon
Israel Pabon, Jr.
Roland Pacheco
Michael Benjamin Packer
Rene Padilla-Chavarria
Deepa Pakkala
Jeffrey Matthew Palazzo
Thomas Palazzo
Richard Palazzolo
Orio J. Palmer
Frank Anthony Palombo
Alan N. Palumbo
Christopher Matthew Panatier
Dominique Lisa Pandolfo
Paul J. Pansini
John M. Paolillo
Edward Joseph Papa
Salvatore T. Papasso
James Nicholas Pappageorge
Vinod Kumar Parakat
Vijayashanker Paramsothy
Nitin Parandkar
Hardai Parbhu
James Wendell Parham
Debra Marie Paris
George Paris
Gye Hyong Park
Philip Lacey Parker
Michael Alaine Parkes
Robert E. Parks, Jr.
Hashmukhrai C. Parmar
Robert Parro
Diane Marie Parsons
Leobardo Lopez Pascual
Michael Pascuma
Jerrold Paskins
Horace Robert Passananti
Suzanne H. Passaro
Avnish Ramanbhai Patel
Dipti Patel
Manish Patel
Steven Bennett Paterson
James Matthew Patrick
Manuel D. Patrocino
Bernard E. Patterson
Cira Marie Patti
Robert E. Pattison
James Robert Paul
Patrice Paz
Victor Paz-Gutierrez
Stacey Lynn Peak
Richard Allen Pearlman
Durrell V. Pearsall
Thomas Pedicini
Todd Douglas Pelino
Michel Adrian Pelletier
Anthony G. Peluso
Angel Ramon Pena
Richard Al Penny
Salvatore F. Pepe
Carl Peralta
Robert David Peraza
Jon A. Perconti
Alejo Perez
Angel Perez, Jr.
Angela Susan Perez
Anthony Perez
Ivan Perez
Nancy E. Perez
Joseph John Perroncino
Edward J. Perrotta
Emelda H. Perry
Glenn C. Perry
John William Perry
Franklin Allan Pershep
Danny Pesce
Michael John Pescherine
Davin Peterson
William Russell Peterson
Mark Petrocelli
Philip Scott Petti
Glen Kerrin Pettit
Dominick Pezzulo
Kaleen Elizabeth Pezzuti
Kevin Pfeifer
Tu-Anh Pham
Kenneth Phelan
Dr. Sneha Anne Philip
Gerard Phillips
Suzette Eugenia Piantieri
Ludwig John Picarro
Matthew M. Picerno
Joseph Oswald Pick
Christopher Pickford
Dennis J. Pierce
Bernard Pietronico
Nicholas P. Pietrunti
Theodoros Pigis
Susan Elizabeth Pinto
Joseph Piskadlo
Christopher Todd Pitman
Joshua Piver
Joseph Plumitallo
John Pocher
William Howard Pohlmann
Laurence Polatsch
Thomas H. Polhemus
Steve Pollicino
Susan M. Pollio
Joshua Iousa Poptean
Giovanna Porras
Anthony Portillo
James Edward Potorti
Daphne Pouletsos
Richard N. Poulos
Stephen Emanual Poulos
Brandon Jerome Powell
Shawn Edward Powell
Antonio Pratt
Gregory M. Preziose
Wanda Ivelisse Prince
Vincent Princiotta
Kevin Prior
Everett Martin Proctor III
Carrie Beth Progen
Sarah Prothero-Redheffer
David Lee Pruim
Richard Prunty
John Foster Puckett
Robert David Pugliese
Edward F. Pullis
Patricia Ann Puma
Hemanth Kumar Puttur
Edward R. Pykon
Christopher Quackenbush
Lars Peter Qualben
Lincoln Quappe
Beth Ann Quigley
Michael Quilty
James Francis Quinn
Ricardo J. Quinn
Carlos Quishpe-Cuaman
Carol Millicent Rabalais
Christopher Peter A. Racaniello
Leonard J. Ragaglia
Eugene Raggio
Laura Marie Ragonese-Snik
Michael Ragusa
Peter Frank Raimondi
Harry A. Raines
Ehtesham Raja
Valsa Raju
Edward Rall
Lukas Rambousek
Maria Ramirez
Harry Ramos
Vishnoo Ramsaroop
Lorenzo E. Ramzey
Alfred Todd Rancke
Adam David Rand
Jonathan C. Randall
Srinivasa Shreyas Ranganath
Anne T. Ransom
Faina Aronovna Rapoport
Robert A. Rasmussen
Amenia Rasool
Roger Mark Rasweiler
David Alan Rathkey
William Ralph Raub
Gerard P. Rauzi
Alexey Razuvaev
Gregory Reda
Michele Reed
Judith Ann Reese
Donald J. Regan
Robert M. Regan
Thomas Michael Regan
Christian Michael Otto Regenhard
Howard Reich
Gregg Reidy
James Brian Reilly
Kevin O. Reilly
Timothy E. Reilly
Joseph Reina, Jr.
Thomas Barnes Reinig
Frank Bennett Reisman
Joshua Scott Reiss
Karen Renda
John Armand Reo
Richard Cyril Rescorla
John Thomas Resta
Luis Clodoaldo Revilla
Eduvigis Reyes, Jr.
Bruce Albert Reynolds
John Frederick Rhodes
Francis Saverio Riccardelli
Rudolph N. Riccio
Ann Marie Riccoboni
David H. Rice
Eileen Mary Rice
Kenneth Frederick Rice III
Vernon Allan Richard
Claude Daniel Richards
Gregory David Richards
Michael Richards
Venesha Orintia Richards
James C. Riches
Alan Jay Richman
John M. Rigo
Theresa Risco
Rose Mary Riso
Moises N. Rivas
Joseph Rivelli
Carmen Alicia Rivera
Isaias Rivera
Juan William Rivera
Linda Ivelisse Rivera
David E. Rivers
Joseph R. Riverso
Paul V. Rizza
John Frank Rizzo
Stephen Louis Roach
Joseph Roberto
Leo Arthur Roberts
Michael Roberts
Michael Edward Roberts
Donald Walter Robertson, Jr.
Catherina Robinson
Jeffery Robinson
Michell Lee Jean Robotham
Donald A. Robson
Antonio A. Rocha
Raymond James Rocha
Laura Rockefeller
John Rodak
Antonio J. Rodrigues
Anthony Rodriguez
Carmen Milagros Rodriguez
Gregory Ernesto Rodriguez
Marsha A. Rodriguez
Mayra Valdes Rodriguez
Richard Rodriguez
David Bartolo Rodriguez-Vargas
Matthew Rogan
Karlie Barbara Rogers
Scott Williams Rohner
Keith Roma
Joseph M. Romagnolo
Efrain Romero, Sr.
Elvin Romero
Juan Romero
Orozco James A. Romito
Sean Paul Rooney
Eric Thomas Ropiteau
Aida Rosario
Angela Rosario
Wendy Alice Rosario Wakeford
Mark Rosen
Brooke David Rosenbaum
Linda Rosenbaum
Sheryl Lynn Rosenbaum
Lloyd Daniel Rosenberg
Mark Louis Rosenberg
Andrew Ira Rosenblum
Joshua M. Rosenblum
Joshua Alan Rosenthal
Richard David Rosenthal
Daniel Rosetti
Norman S. Rossinow
Nicholas P. Rossomando
Michael Craig Rothberg
Donna Marie Rothenberg
Nicholas Rowe
Timothy Alan Roy, Sr.
Paul G. Ruback
Ronald J. Ruben
Joanne Rubino
David M. Ruddle
Bart Joseph Ruggiere
Susan A. Ruggiero
Adam Keith Ruhalter
Gilbert Ruiz
Obdulio Ruiz Diaz
Stephen P. Russell
Steven Harris Russin
Michael Thomas Russo, Sr.
Wayne Alan Russo
Edward Ryan
John Joseph Ryan, Jr.
Jonathan Stephan Ryan
Matthew Lancelot Ryan
Tatiana Ryjova
Christina Sunga Ryook
Thierry Saada
Jason Elazar Sabbag
Thomas E. Sabella
Scott Saber
Joseph Francis Sacerdote
Neeraha Sadaranghgani
Mohammad Ali Sadeque
Francis John Sadocha
Jude Safi
Brock Joel Safronoff
Edward Saiya
John Patrick Salamone
Hernando Salas
Juan G. Salas
Esmerlin Antonio Salcedo
John Salvatore Salerno, Jr.
Richard L. Salinardi, Jr.
Wayne John Saloman
Nolbert Salomon
Catherine Patricia Salter
Frank Salvaterra
Paul Richard Salvio
Samuel Robert Salvo, Jr.
Rena Sam-Dinnoo
Carlos Alberto Samaniego
James Kenneth Samuel, Jr.
Michael San Phillip
Sylvia San Pio
Hugo M. Sanay
Erick Sanchez
Jacquelyn Patrice Sanchez
Eric M. Sand
Stacey Leigh Sanders
Herman S. Sandler
James Sands, Jr.
Ayleen J. Santiago
Kirsten Santiago
Maria Theresa Santillan
Susan Gayle Santo
Christopher Santora
John A. Santore
Mario L. Santoro
Rafael Humberto Santos
Rufino Conrado Flores Santos Iii
Jorge Octavio Santos Anaya
Kalyan Sarkar
Chapelle R. Sarker
Paul F. Sarle
Deepika Kumar Sattaluri
Gregory Thomas Saucedo
Susan M. Sauer
Anthony Savas
Vladimir Savinkin
Jackie Sayegh
John Michael Sbarbaro
Robert L. Scandole, Jr.
Michelle Scarpitta
Dennis Scauso
John Albert Schardt
John G. Scharf
Frederick Claude Scheffold, Jr.
Angela Susan Scheinberg
Scott Mitchell Schertzer
Sean Schielke
Steven Francis Schlag
Jon Schlissel
Karen Helene Schmidt
Ian Schneider
Thomas G. Schoales
Frank G. Schott, Jr.
Gerard Patrick Schrang
Jeffrey H. Schreier
John T. Schroeder
Susan Lee Schuler
Edward William Schunk
Mark E. Schurmeier
Clarin Shellie Schwartz
John Burkhart Schwartz
Mark Schwartz
Adriane Victoria Scibetta
Raphael Scorca
Randolph Scott
Sheila Scott
Christopher Jay Scudder
Arthur Warren Scullin
Michael Herman Seaman
Margaret M. Seeliger
Anthony Segarra
Carlos Segarra
Jason Sekzer
Matthew Carmen Sellitto
Howard Selwyn
Larry John Senko
Arturo Angelo Sereno
Frankie Serrano
Alena Sesinova
Adele Christine Sessa
Sita Nermalla Sewnarine
Karen Lynn Seymour
Davis Sezna
Thomas Joseph Sgroi
Jayesh S. Shah
Khalid M. Shahid
Mohammed Shajahan
Gary Shamay
Earl Richard Shanahan
Neil Shastri
Kathryn Anne Shatzoff
Barbara A. Shaw
Jeffrey James Shaw
Robert John Shay, Jr.
Daniel James Shea
Joseph Patrick Shea
Linda Sheehan
Hagay Shefi
John Anthony Sherry
Atsushi Shiratori
Thomas Joseph Shubert
Mark Shulman
See Wong Shum
Allan Abraham Shwartzstein
Johanna Sigmund
Dianne T. Signer
Gregory Sikorsky
Stephen Gerard Siller
David Silver
Craig A. Silverstein
Nasima Hameed Simjee
Bruce Edward Simmons
Arthur Simon
Kenneth Alan Simon
Michael J. Simon
Paul Joseph Simon
Marianne Teresa Simone
Barry Simowitz
Jeff Lyal Simpson
Khamladai Singh
Kulwant Singh
Roshan Ramesh Singh
Thomas E. Sinton III
Peter A. Siracuse
Muriel Fay Siskopoulos
Joseph Michael Sisolak
John P. Skala
Francis Joseph Skidmore, Jr.
Toyena Skinner
Paul A. Skrzypek
Christopher Paul Slattery
Vincent Robert Slavin
Robert F. Sliwak
Paul K. Sloan
Stanley S. Smagala, Jr.
Wendy L. Small
Catherine Smith
Daniel Laurence Smith
George Eric Smith
James Gregory Smith
Jeffrey R. Smith
Joyce Patricia Smith
Karl T. Smith
Keisha Smith
Kevin Joseph Smith
Leon Smith, Jr.
Moira Ann Smith
Rosemary A. Smith
Bonnie Jeanne Smithwick
Rochelle Monique Snell
Leonard J. Snyder, Jr.
Astrid Elizabeth Sohan
Sushil S. Solanki
Ruben Solares
Naomi Leah Solomon
Daniel W. Song
Michael Charles Sorresse
Fabian Soto
Timothy Patrick Soulas
Gregory Spagnoletti
Donald F. Spampinato, Jr.
Thomas Sparacio
John Anthony Spataro
Robert W. Spear, Jr.
Maynard S. Spence, Jr.
George Edward Spencer III
Robert Andrew Spencer
Mary Rubina Sperando
Tina Spicer
Frank Spinelli
William E. Spitz
Joseph Spor, Jr.
Klaus Johannes Sprockamp
Saranya Srinuan
Fitzroy St. Rose
Michael F. Stabile
Lawrence T. Stack
Timothy M. Stackpole
Richard James Stadelberger
Eric Stahlman
Gregory Stajk
Alexandru Liviu Stan
Corina Stan
Mary Domenica Stanley
Anthony Starita
Jeffrey Stark

Derek James Statkevicus
Craig William Staub
William V. Steckman
Eric Thomas Steen
William R. Steiner
Alexander Steinman
Andrew Stergiopoulos
Andrew Stern
Martha Stevens
Michael James Stewart
Richard H. Stewart, Jr.
Sanford M. Stoller
Lonny Jay Stone
Jimmy Nevill Storey
Timothy Stout
Thomas Strada
James J. Straine, Jr.
Edward W. Straub
George J. Strauch, Jr.
Edward T. Strauss
Steven R. Strauss
Steven F. Strobert
Walwyn W. Stuart, Jr.
Benjamin Suarez
David Scott Suarez
Ramon Suarez
Yoichi Sugiyama
William Christopher Sugra
Daniel Suhr
David Marc Sullins
Christopher P. Sullivan
Patrick Sullivan
Thomas Sullivan
Hilario Soriano Sumaya, Jr.
James Joseph Suozzo
Colleen Supinski
Robert Sutcliffe
Seline Sutter
Claudia Suzette Sutton
John Francis Swaine
Kristine M. Swearson
Brian Edward Sweeney
Kenneth J. Swenson
Thomas Swift
Derek Ogilvie Sword
Kevin Thomas Szocik
Gina Sztejnberg
Norbert P. Szurkowski
Harry Taback
Joann Tabeek
Norma C. Taddei
Michael Taddonio
Keiichiro Takahashi
Keiji Takahashi
Phyllis Gail Talbot
Robert Talhami
Sean Patrick Tallon
Paul Talty
Maurita Tam
Rachel Tamares
Hector Tamayo
Michael Andrew Tamuccio
Kenichiro Tanaka
Rhondelle Cheri Tankard
Michael Anthony Tanner
Dennis Gerard Taormina, Jr.
Kenneth Joseph Tarantino
Allan Tarasiewicz
Ronald Tartaro
Darryl Anthony Taylor
Donnie Brooks Taylor
Lorisa Ceylon Taylor
Michael Morgan Taylor
Paul A. Tegtmeier
Yeshauant Tembe
Anthony Tempesta
Dorothy Pearl Temple
Stanley Temple
David Tengelin
Brian John Terrenzi
Lisa M. Terry
Shell Tester
Goumatie T. Thackurdeen
Sumati Thakur
Harshad Sham Thatte
Thomas F. Theurkauf, Jr.
Lesley Anne Thomas
Brian Thomas Thompson
Clive Thompson
Glenn Thompson
Nigel Bruce Thompson
Perry A. Thompson
Vanavah Alexei Thompson
William H. Thompson
Eric Raymond Thorpe
Nichola Angela Thorpe
Sal Edward Tieri, Jr.
John p Tierney
Mary Ellen Tiesi
William R. Tieste
Kenneth Francis Tietjen
Stephen Edward Tighe
Scott Charles Timmes
Michael E. Tinley
Jennifer M. Tino
Robert Frank Tipaldi
John James Tipping II
David Tirado
Hector Luis Tirado, Jr.
Michelle Lee Titolo
John J. Tobin
Richard Todisco
Vladimir Tomasevic
Stephen Kevin Tompsett
Thomas Tong
Doris Torres
Luis Eduardo Torres
Amy Elizabeth Toyen
Christopher Michael Traina
Daniel Patrick Trant
Abdoul Karim Traore
Glenn J. Travers
Walter Philip Travers
Felicia Y. Traylor-Bass
Lisa L. Trerotola
Karamo Trerra
Michael Angel Trinidad
Francis Joseph Trombino
Gregory James Trost
William P. Tselepis
Zhanetta Valentinovna Tsoy
Michael Tucker
Lance Richard Tumulty
Ching Ping Tung
Simon James Turner
Donald Joseph Tuzio
Robert T. Twomey
Jennifer Tzemis
John G. Ueltzhoeffer
Tyler V. Ugolyn
Michael A. Uliano
Jonathan J. Uman
Anil Shivhari Umarkar
Allen V. Upton
Diane Marie Urban
John Damien Vaccacio
Bradley Hodges Vadas
Renuta Vaidea
William Valcarcel
Felix Antonio Vale
Ivan Vale
Benito Valentin
Santos Valentin, Jr.
Carlton Francis Valvo II
Erica H. Van Acker
Kenneth W. Van Auken
Richard B. Van Hine
Daniel M. Van Laere
Edward Raymond Vanacore
Jon C. Vandevander
Barrett Vanvelzer, 4
Edward Vanvelzer
Paul Herman Vanvelzer
Frederick Thomas Varacchi
Gopalakrishnan Varadhan
David Vargas
Scott C. Vasel
Azael Ismael Vasquez
Arcangel Vazquez
Santos Vazquez
Peter Anthony Vega
Sankara S. Velamuri
Jorge Velazquez
Lawrence G. Veling
Anthony Mark Ventura
David Vera
Loretta Ann Vero
Christopher James Vialonga
Matthew Gilbert Vianna
Robert Anthony Vicario
Celeste Torres Victoria
Joanna Vidal
John T. Vigiano II
Joseph Vincent Vigiano
Frank J. Vignola, Jr.
Joseph Barry Vilardo
Sergio Villanueva
Chantal Vincelli
Melissa Vincent
Francine Ann Virgilio
Lawrence Virgilio
Joseph Gerard Visciano
Joshua S. Vitale
Maria Percoco Vola
Lynette D. Vosges
Garo H. Voskerijian
Alfred Vukosa
Gregory Kamal Bruno Wachtler
Gabriela Waisman
Courtney Wainsworth Walcott
Victor Wald
Benjamin James Walker
Glen Wall
Mitchel Scott Wallace
Peter Guyder Wallace
Robert Francis Wallace
Roy Michael Wallace
Jeanmarie Wallendorf
Matthew Blake Wallens
John Wallice, Jr.
Barbara P. Walsh
James Henry Walsh
Jeffrey P. Walz
Ching Wang
Weibin Wang
Michael Warchola
Stephen Gordon Ward
James Arthur Waring
Brian G. Warner
Derrick Washington
Charles Waters
James Thomas Waters, Jr.
Patrick J. Waters
Kenneth Thomas Watson
Michael Henry Waye
Todd Christopher Weaver
Walter Edward Weaver
Nathaniel Webb
Dinah Webster
Joanne Flora Weil
Michael T. Weinberg
Steven Weinberg
Scott Jeffrey Weingard
Steven George Weinstein
Simon Weiser
David M. Weiss
David Thomas Weiss
Vincent Michael Wells
Timothy Matthew Welty
Christian Hans Rudolf Wemmers
Ssu-Hui Wen
Oleh D. Wengerchuk
Peter M. West
Whitfield West, Jr.
Meredith Lynn Whalen
Eugene Whelan
Adam S. White
Edward James White III
James Patrick White
John Sylvester White
Kenneth Wilburn White, Jr.
Leonard Anthony White
Malissa Y. White
Wayne White
Leanne Marie Whiteside
Mark P. Whitford
Michael T. Wholey
Mary Catherine Wieman
Jeffrey David Wiener
Wilham J. Wik
Alison Marie Wildman
Glenn E. Wilkenson
John C. Willett
Brian Patrick Williams
Crossley Richard Williams, Jr.
David J. Williams
Deborah Lynn Williams
Kevin Michael Williams
Louie Anthony Williams
Louis Calvin Williams III
John P. Williamson
Donna Ann Wilson
William Wilson
David Harold Winton
Glenn J. Winuk
Thomas Francis Wise
Alan L. Wisniewski
Frank Thomas Wisniewski
David Wiswall
Sigrid Wiswe
Michael Wittenstein
Christopher W. Wodenshek
Martin P. Wohlforth
Katherine Susan Wolf
Jennifer Yen Wong
Siu Cheung Wong
Yin Ping Wong
Yuk Ping Wong
Brent James Woodall
James John Woods
Patrick J. Woods
Richard Herron Woodwell
David Terence Wooley
John Bentley Works
Martin Michael Wortley
Rodney James Wotton
William Wren
John Wayne Wright
Neil Robin Wright
Sandra Lee Wright
Jupiter Yambem
Suresh Yanamadala
Matthew David Yarnell
Myrna Yaskulka
Shakila Yasmin
Olabisi Shadie Layeni Yee
William Yemele
Edward P. York
Kevin Patrick York
Raymond R. York
Suzanne Youmans
Barrington Young
Jacqueline Young
Elkin Yuen
Joseph C. Zaccoli
Adel Agayby Zakhary
Arkady Zaltsman
Edwin J. Zambrana, Jr.
Robert Alan Zampieri
Mark Zangrilli
Ira Zaslow
Kenneth Albert Zelman
Abraham J. Zelmanowitz
Martin Morales Zempoaltecatl
Zhe Zeng
Marc Scott Zeplin
Jie Yao Justin Zhao
Ivelin Ziminski
Michael Joseph Zinzi
Charles A. Zion
Julie Lynne Zipper
Salvatore Zisa
Prokopios Paul Zois
Joseph J. Zuccala
Andrew S. Zucker
Igor Zukelman

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11

American Airlines Flight 11, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, was crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center with 92 people on board.

CREW

Barbara Arestegui, 38, Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Jeffrey Collman, 41, Novato, Calif.
Sara Low, 28, Batesville, Arkansas
Karen A. Martin, 40, Danvers, Mass.
First Officer Thomas McGuinness, 42, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Kathleen Nicosia, 54, Winthrop, Mass.
John Ogonowski, 52, Dracut, Massachusetts
Betty Ong, 45, Andover, Massachusetts
Jean Roger, 24, Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Dianne Snyder, 42, Westport, Massachusetts
Madeline Sweeney, 35, Acton, Massachusetts

PASSENGERS

Anna Williams Allison, 48, Stoneham, Massachusetts
David Angell, 54, Pasadena, California
Lynn Angell, 45, Pasadena, California
Seima Aoyama, 48, Culver City, Calif.
Myra Aronson, 52, Charlestown, Massachusetts
Christine Barbuto, 32, Brookline, Massachusetts
Carolyn Beug, 48, Los Angeles, California
Kelly Ann Booms, 24, Brookline, Mass.
Carol Bouchard, 43, Warwick, Rhode Island
Neilie Anne Heffernan Casey, 32, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Jeffrey Coombs, 42, Abington, Massachusetts
Tara Creamer, 30, Worcester, Massachusetts
Thelma Cuccinello, 71, Wilmot, New Hampshire
Patrick Currivan, 52, Winchester, Mass.
Brian Dale, 43, Warren, New Jersey
David DiMeglio, 22, Wakefield, Mass.
Donald Americo DiTullio, 49, Peabody, Mass.
Albert Dominguez, 66, Sydney, Australia
Paige Farley-Hackel, 46, Newton, Mass.
Alex Filipov, 70, Concord, Massachusetts
Carol Flyzik, 40, Plaistow, N.H.
Paul Friedman, 45, Belmont, Massachusetts
Karleton D.B. Fyfe, 31, Brookline, Massachusetts
Peter Gay, 54, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Linda George, 27, Westboro, Massachusetts
Edmund Glazer, 41, Los Angeles, California
Lisa Fenn Gordenstein, 41, Needham, Massachusetts
Andrew Peter Charles Curry Green, 34, Santa Monica, Calif.
Peter Hashem, 40, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Robert Hayes, 37, from Amesbury, Massachusetts
Edward (Ted) R. Hennessy, 35, Belmont, Mass.
John A. Hofer, 45, Los Angeles, Calif.
Cora Hidalgo Holland, 52, of Sudbury, Massachusetts
Nicholas Humber, 60, of Newton, Massachusetts,
Waleed Iskandar, 34, London, England
John Charles Jenkins, 45, Cambridge, Mass.
Charles Edward Jones, 48, Bedford, Mass.
Robin Kaplan, 33, Westboro, Massachusetts
Barbara Keating, 72, Palm Springs, Calif.
David P. Kovalcin, 42, Hudson, New Hampshire
Judy Larocque, 50, Framingham, Mass.
Natalie Janis Lasden, 46, Peabody, Mass.
Daniel John Lee, 34, Van Nuys, Calif.
Daniel C. Lewin, 31, Charlestown, Mass.
Susan A. MacKay, 44, Westford, Massachusetts
Christopher D. Mello, 25, Boston, Mass.
Jeff Mladenik, 43, Hinsdale, Illinois
Antonio Jesus Montoya Valdes, 46, East Boston, Mass.
Carlos Alberto Montoya, 36, Bellmont, Mass.
Laura Lee Morabito, 34, Framingham, Massachusetts
Mildred Rose Naiman, 81, Andover, Mass.
Laurie Ann Neira, 48, Los Angeles, Calif.
Renee Newell, 37, of Cranston, Rhode Island
Jacqueline J. Norton, 61, Lubec, Maine
Robert Grant Norton, 85, Lubec, Maine
Jane M. Orth, 49, Haverhill, Mass.
Thomas Pecorelli, 31, of Los Angeles, California
Berinthia Berenson Perkins, 53, Los Angeles, Calif.
Sonia Morales Puopolo, 58, of Dover, Massachusetts
David E. Retik, 33, Needham, Mass.
Philip M. Rosenzweig, 47, Acton, Mass.
Richard Ross, 58, Newton, Massachusetts
Jessica Sachs, 22, Billerica, Massachusetts
Rahma Salie, 28, Boston, Mass.
Heather Lee Smith, 30, Boston, Mass.
Douglas J. Stone, 54, Dover, N.H
Xavier Suarez, 41, Chino Hills, Calif.
Michael Theodoridis, 32, Boston, Mass.
James Trentini, 65, Everett, Massachusetts
Mary Trentini, 67, Everett, Massachusetts
Pendyala Vamsikrishna, 30, Los Angeles, Calif.
Mary Wahlstrom, 78, Kaysville, Utah
Kenneth Waldie, 46, Methuen, Massachusetts
John Wenckus, 46, Torrance, Calif.
Candace Lee Williams, 20, Danbury, Conn.
Christopher Zarba, 47, Hopkinton, Massachusetts

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77

American Airlines Flight 77, from Washington to Los Angeles, was crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people aboard.

CREW

Charles Burlingame, 51, Herndon, Va.
David M. Charlebois, 39, Washington, D.C
Michele Heidenberger, 57, Chevy Chase, Md.
Jennifer Lewis, 38, Culpeper, Virginia
Kenneth Lewis, 49, Culpeper, Virginia
Renee A. May, 39, Baltimore, Md

PASSENGERS

Paul Ambrose, 32, Washington, D.C.
Yeneneh Betru, 35, Burbank, Calif
Mary Jane (MJ) Booth, 64, Falls Church, Va.
Bernard Curtis Brown, 11, Washington, D.C.
Suzanne Calley, 42, San Martin, Calif.
William Caswell, 54, Silver Spring, Md.
Sarah Clark, 65, Columbia, Md.
Zandra Cooper, Annandale, Va.
Asia Cottom, 11, Washington, D.C.
James Debeuneure, 58, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Rodney Dickens, 11, Washington, D.C.
Eddie Dillard, Alexandria, Va.
Charles Droz, 52, Springfield, Va.
Barbara G. Edwards, 58, Las Vegas, Nev.
Charles S. Falkenberg, 45, University Park, Md.
Zoe Falkenberg, 8, University Park, Md.
Dana Falkenberg, 3, of University Park, Md.
James Joe Ferguson, 39, Washington, D.C.
Wilson “Bud” Flagg, 63, Millwood, Va.
Darlene Flagg, 63, Millwood, Va.
Richard Gabriel, 54, Great Falls, Va.
Ian J. Gray, 55, Columbia, Md.
Stanley Hall, 68, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
Bryan Jack, 48, Alexandria, Va.
Steven D. Jacoby, 43, Alexandria, Va.
Ann Judge, 49, Great Falls, Va.
Chandler Keller, 29, El Segundo, Calif.
Yvonne Kennedy, 62, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Norma Khan, 45, Reston, Va.
Karen A. Kincaid, 40, Washington, D.C.
Dong Lee, 48, Leesburg, Va.
Dora Menchaca, 45, of Santa Monica, Calif.
Christopher Newton, 38, Anaheim, Calif.
Barbara Olson, 45, Great Falls, Va
Ruben Ornedo, 39, Los Angeles, Calif.
Robert Penniger, 63, of Poway, Calif.
Robert R. Ploger, 59, Annandale, Va.
Lisa J. Raines, 42, Great Falls, Va.
Todd Reuben, 40, Potomac, Maryland
John Sammartino, 37, Annandale, Va.
Diane Simmons, Great Falls, Va.
George Simmons, Great Falls, Va.
Mari-Rae Sopper, 35, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Robert Speisman, 47, Irvington, N.Y
Norma Lang Steuerle, 54, Alexandria, Va.
Hilda E. Taylor, 62, Forestville, Md
Leonard Taylor, 44, Reston, Va.
Sandra Teague, 31, Fairfax, Va.
Leslie A. Whittington, 45, University Park, Maryland.
John D. Yamnicky, 71, Waldorf, Md.
Vicki Yancey, 43, Springfield, Va.
Shuyin Yang, 61, Beijing, China
Yuguag Zheng, 65, Beijing, China

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 175

United Airlines Flight 175, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, was the second hijacked plane to strike the World Trade Center, and was crashed into the South Tower. Two pilots, seven flight attendants and 56 passengers were on board.

CREW

Robert Fangman, 33, Claymont, Del.
Michael R. Horrocks, 38, Glen Mills, Pa.
Amy N. Jarret, 28, North Smithfield, R.I.
Amy R. King, 29, Stafford Springs, Conn.
Kathryn L. LaBorie, 44, Providence, R.I.
Alfred Gilles Padre Joseph Marchand, 44, Alamogordo, N.M.
Capt. Victor Saracini, 51, Lower Makefield Township, Pa.
Michael C. Tarrou, 38, Stafford Springs, Conn.
Alicia Nicole Titus, 28, San Francisco, Calif.

PASSENGERS

Alona Avraham, 30, Asdod, Israel.
Garnet Edward (Ace) Bailey, 54, Lynnfield, Mass.
Mark Bavis, 31, West Newton, Mass.
Graham Andrew Berkeley, 37, Boston, Mass.
Touri Bolourchi, 69, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Klaus Bothe, 31, Linkenheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Daniel R. Brandhorst, 41, Los Angeles, Calif
David Reed Gamboa Brandhorst, 3, Los Angeles, Calif.
John Brett Cahill, 56, Wellesley, Mass.
Christoffer Carstanjen, 33, Turner Falls, Mass.
John (Jay) J. Corcoran, 43, Norwell, Mass
Dorothy Alma DeAraujo, 80, Long Beach, Calif.
Ana Gloria Pocasangre de Barrera, 49, San Salvador, El Salvador
Lisa Frost, 22, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
Ronald Gamboa, 33, Los Angeles, Calif.
Lynn Catherine Goodchild, 25, Attleboro, Mass.
Peter Morgan Goodrich, 33, Sudbury, Mass.
Douglas A. Gowell, 52, Methuen, Mass.
The Rev. Francis E. Grogan, 76, of Easton, Mass.
Carl Max Hammond, 37, Derry, N.H.
Peter Hanson, 32, Groton, Mass.
Sue Kim Hanson, 35, Groton, Mass.
Christine Lee Hanson, 2, Groton, Mass.
Gerald F. Hardacre, 61, Carlsbad, Calif.
Eric Samadikan Hartono, 20, Boston, Mass.
James E. Hayden, 47, Westford, Mass.
Herbert W. Homer, 48, Milford, Mass.
Robert Adrien Jalbert, 61, Swampscott, Mass.
Ralph Francis Kershaw, 52, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.
Heinrich Kimmig, 43, Willstaett, Germany
Brian Kinney, 29, Lowell, Mass.
Robert George LeBlanc, 70, Lee, N.H.
Maclovio Lopez, Jr., 41, Norwalk, Calif.
Marianne MacFarlane, MacFarlane, 34, Revere, Mass.
Louis Neil Mariani, 59, Derry, N.H.
Juliana Valentine McCourt, 4, New London, Conn.
Ruth Magdaline McCourt, 45, New London, Conn.
Wolfgang Peter Menzel, 59, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Shawn M. Nassaney, 25, Pawtucket, R.I.
Marie Pappalardo, 53, Paramount, Calif.
Patrick Quigley, 40, of Wellesley, Mass.
Frederick Charles Rimmele, 32, Marblehead, Mass.
James M. Roux, 43, Portland, Maine
Jesus Sanchez, 45, Hudson, Mass.
Mary Kathleen Shearer, 61, Dover, N.H.
Robert Michael Shearer, 63, Dover, N.H.
Jane Louise Simpkin, 36, Wayland, Mass.
Brian D. Sweeney, 38, Barnstable, Mass.
Timothy Ward, 38, San Diego, Calif.
William M. Weems, 46, Marblehead, Mass.

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93

United Airlines Flight 93, from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, was crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania, with 45 people on board.

CREW

Lorraine G. Bay, 58, East Windsor, N.J.
Sandra W. Bradshaw, 38, Greensboro, N.C.
Jason Dahl, 43, Denver, Colo.
Wanda Anita Green, 49, Linden, N.J.
Leroy Homer, 36, Marlton, N.J.
CeeCee Lyles, 33, Fort Myers, Fla.
Deborah Welsh, 49, New York, N.Y.

PASSENGERS

Christian Adams, 37, Biebelsheim, Germany
Todd Beamer, 32, Cranbury, N.J.
Alan Beaven, 48, Oakland, CA
Mark K. Bingham, 31, San Francisco, Calif.
Deora Frances Bodley, 20, San Diego, Calif.
Marion Britton, 53, New York, N.Y.
Thomas E. Burnett Jr., 38, San Ramon, Calif.
William Cashman, 57, North Bergen, N.J.
Georgine Rose Corrigan, 56, Honolulu, Hawaii
Patricia Cushing, 69, Bayonne, N.J.
Joseph Deluca, 52, Ledgewood, N.J.
Patrick Joseph Driscoll, 70, Manalapan, N.J.
Edward P. Felt, 41, Matawan, N.J.
Jane C. Folger, 73, Bayonne, N.J.
Colleen Laura Fraser, 51, Elizabeth, N.J.
Andrew Garcia, 62, Portola Valley, Calif.
Jeremy Glick, 31, Hewlett, N.J.
Lauren Grandcolas, 38, San Rafael, Calif.
Donald F. Greene, 52, Greenwich, Conn.
Linda Gronlund, 46, Warwick, N.Y.
Richard Guadagno, 38, of Eureka, Calif.
Toshiya Kuge, 20, Nishimidoriguoska, Japan
Hilda Marcin, 79, Budd Lake, N.J.
Nicole Miller, 21, San Jose, Calif.
Louis J. Nacke, 42, New Hope, Pa.
Donald Arthur Peterson, 66, Spring Lake, N.J.
Jean Hoadley Peterson, 55, Spring Lake, N.J.
Waleska Martinez Rivera, 37, Jersey City, N.J.
Mark Rothenberg, 52, Scotch Plains, N.J.
Christine Snyder, 32, Kailua, Hawaii
John Talignani, 72, New York, N.Y.
Honor Elizabeth Wainio, 27, Watchung, N.J.
Olga Kristin Gould White, 65, New York, N.Y.

Pentagon attack

The Department of Defense reports a total of 125 service members, employees and contract workers died in the September 11 attack on the Pentagon building. An additional 64 people died aboard the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, which was crashed into the west side of the building.

Spc. Craig Amundson, 28, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Melissa Rose Barnes, 27, Redlands, Calif.
(Retired) Master Sgt. Max Beilke, 69, Laurel, Md.
Kris Romeo Bishundat, 23, Waldorf, Md.
Carrie Blagburn, 48, Temple Hills, Md.
Lt. Col. Canfield D. Boone, 54, Clifton, Va.
Donna Bowen, 42, Waldorf, Md.
Allen Boyle, 30, Fredericksburg, Va.
Christopher Lee Burford, 23, Hubert, N.C.
Daniel Martin Caballero, 21, Houston, Texas
Sgt. 1st Class Jose Orlando Calderon-Olmedo, 44, Annandale, Va.
Angelene C. Carter, 51, Forrestville, Md.
Sharon Carver, 38, Waldorf, Md.
John J. Chada, 55, Manassas, Va.
Rosa Maria (Rosemary) Chapa, 64, Springfield, Va.
Julian Cooper, 39, Springdale, Md.
Lt. Cmdr. Eric Allen Cranford, 32, Drexel, N.C.
Ada M. Davis, 57, Camp Springs, Md.
Capt. Gerald Francis Deconto, 44, Sandwich, Mass.
Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson, 41, Durant, Miss.
Johnnie Doctor, 32, Jacksonville, Fla.
Capt. Robert Edward Dolan, 43, Alexandria, Va.
Cmdr. William Howard Donovan, 37, Nunda, N.Y.
Cmdr. Patrick S. Dunn, 39, Springfield, Va.
Edward Thomas Earhart, 26, Salt Lick, Ky.
Lt. Cmdr. Robert Randolph Elseth, 37, Vestal, N.Y.
Jamie Lynn Fallon, 23, Woodbridge, Va.
Amelia V. Fields, 36, Dumfries, Va.
Gerald P. Fisher, 57, Potomac, Md.
Matthew Michael Flocco, 21, Newark, Del.
Sandra N. Foster, 41, Clinton, Md.
Capt. Lawrence Daniel Getzfred, 57, Elgin, Neb.
Cortz Ghee, 54, Reisterstown, Md.
Brenda C. Gibson, 59, Falls Church, Va.
Ron Golinski, 60, Columbia, Md.
Diane M. Hale-McKinzy, 38, Alexandria, Va.
Carolyn B. Halmon, 49, Washington, D.C.
Sheila Hein, 51, University Park, Md.
Ronald John Hemenway, 37, Shawnee, Kan.
Maj. Wallace Cole Hogan, 40, Fla.
Jimmie Ira Holley, 54, Lanham, Md.
Angela Houtz, 27, La Plata, Md.
Brady K. Howell, 26, Arlington, Va.
Peggie Hurt, 36, Crewe, Va.
Lt. Col. Stephen Neil Hyland, 45, Burke, Va.
Robert J. Hymel, 55, Woodbridge, Va.
Sgt. Maj. Lacey B. Ivory, 43, Woodbridge, Va.
Lt. Col. Dennis M. Johnson, 48, Port Edwards, Wis.
Judith Jones, 53, Woodbridge, Va.
Brenda Kegler, 49, Washington, D.C.
Lt. Michael Scott Lamana, 31, Baton Rouge, La.
David W. Laychak, 40, Manassas, Va.
Samantha Lightbourn-Allen, 36, Hillside, Md.
Maj. Steve Long, 39, Ga.
James Lynch, 55, Manassas, Va.
Terence M. Lynch, 49, Alexandria, Va.
Nehamon Lyons, 30, Mobile, Ala.
Shelley A. Marshall, 37, Marbury, Md.
Teresa Martin, 45, Stafford, Va.
Ada L. Mason, 50, Springfield, Va.
Lt. Col. Dean E. Mattson, 57, Calif.
Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude, 53, Fort Myer, Va.
Robert J. Maxwell, 53, Manassas, Va.
Molly McKenzie, 38, Dale City, Va.
Patricia E. (Patti) Mickley, 41, Springfield, Va.
Maj. Ronald D. Milam, 33, Washington, D.C.
Gerard (Jerry) P. Moran, 39, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Odessa V. Morris, 54, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Brian Anthony Moss, 34, Sperry, Okla.
Ted Moy, 48, Silver Spring, Md.
Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Jude Murphy, 38, Flossmoor, Ill.
Khang Nguyen, 41, Fairfax, Va.
Michael Allen Noeth, 30, New York, N.Y.
Diana Borrero de Padro, 55, Woodbridge, Va.
Spc. Chin Sun Pak, 25, Lawton, Okla.
Lt. Jonas Martin Panik, 26, Mingoville, Pa.
Maj. Clifford L. Patterson, 33, Alexandria, Va.
Lt. J.G. Darin Howard Pontell, 26, Columbia, Md.
Scott Powell, 35, Silver Spring, Md.
(Retired) Capt. Jack Punches, 51, Clifton, Va.
Joseph John Pycior, 39, Carlstadt, N.J.
Deborah Ramsaur, 45, Annandale, Va.
Rhonda Rasmussen, 44, Woodbridge, Va.
Marsha Dianah Ratchford, 34, Prichard, Ala.
Martha Reszke, 36, Stafford, Va.
Cecelia E. Richard, 41, Fort Washington, Md.
Edward V. Rowenhorst, 32, Lake Ridge, Va.
Judy Rowlett, 44, Woodbridge, Va.
Robert E. Russell, 52, Oxon Hill, Md.
William R. Ruth, 57, Mount Airy, Md.
Charles E. Sabin, 54, Burke, Va.
Marjorie C. Salamone, 53, Springfield, Va.
Lt. Col. David M. Scales, 44, Cleveland, Ohio
Cmdr. Robert Allan Schlegel, 38, Alexandria, Va.
Janice Scott, 46, Springfield, Va.
Michael L. Selves, 53, Fairfax, Va.
Marian Serva, 47, Stafford, Va.
Cmdr. Dan Frederic Shanower, 40, Naperville, Ill.
Antoinette Sherman, 35, Forest Heights, Md.
Don Simmons, 58, Dumfries, Va.
Cheryle D. Sincock, 53, Dale City, Va.
Gregg Harold Smallwood, 44, Overland Park, Kan.
(Retired) Lt. Col. Gary F. Smith, 55, Alexandria, Va.
Patricia J. Statz, 41, Takoma Park, Md.
Edna L. Stephens, 53, Washington, D.C.
Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland, 52, Woodbridge, Va.
Maj. Kip P. Taylor, 38, McLean, Va.
Sandra C. Taylor, 50, Alexandria, Va.
Karl W. Teepe, 57, Centreville, Va.
Sgt. Tamara Thurman, 25, Brewton, Ala.
Lt. Cmdr. Otis Vincent Tolbert, 38, Lemoore, Calif.
Willie Q. Troy, 51, Aberdeen, Md.
Lt. Cmdr. Ronald James Vauk, 37, Nampa, Idaho
Lt. Col. Karen Wagner, 40, Houston, Texas
Meta L. Waller, 60, Alexandria, Va.
Staff Sgt. Maudlyn A. White, 38, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Sandra L. White, 44, Dumfries, Va.
Ernest M. Willcher, 62, North Potomac, Md.
Lt. Cmdr. David Lucian Williams, 32, Newport, Ore.
Maj. Dwayne Williams, 40, Jacksonville, Ala.
Marvin R. Woods, 57, Great Mills, Md.
Kevin Wayne Yokum, 27, Lake Charles, La.
Donald McArthur Young, 41, Roanoke, Va.
Lisa L. Young, 36, Germantown, Md.
Edmond Young, 22, Owings, Md.

My heart stops at the sight of this list. Thank you Lord for protecting myself and my loved ones on this day 7 years ago. I pray for the hearts of everyone involved- victims, relatives, friends, our whole country.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

2008-09-09T22:01:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite things! Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is an organization created to promote literacy in children. Here's the low down:

~In 1996, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new effort to benefit the children of her home county in east Tennessee. Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families. She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.

So she decided to mail a brand new, age appropriate book each month to every child under 5 in Sevier County. With the arrival of every child’s first book, the classic The Little Engine That Could ™, every child could now experience the joy of finding their very own book in their mail box. These moments continue each month until the child turns 5—and in their very last month in the program they receive Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come.

Needless to say the experience has been a smashing success. So much so that many other communities clamored to provide the Imagination Library to their children. Dolly thought long and hard about it and decided her Foundation should develop a way for other communities to participate. The Foundation asked a blue ribbon panel of experts to select just the right books and secured Penguin Group USA to be the exclusive publisher for the Imagination Library. Moreover a database was built to keep track of the information.

Consequently, in March of 2000 she stood at the podium of The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and revealed the plan for other communities to provide the Imagination Library to their children. And as only Dolly can say it, she wanted to “put her money where her mouth is – and with such a big mouth that’s a pretty large sum of money” and provide the books herself to the children of Branson, Missouri and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – communities where her businesses now operate. If other leaders in their communities were willing to do the same, well something big might just happen.

You know what? It did!!

David Dotson, Executive Director of The Dollywood Foundation, Dolly Parton, Lady Jackson, President of the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, and Phil Bredesen, Governor, State of Tennessee.

Here’s how it works:

A community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area. The community pays for the books and mailing, promotes the program, registers the children, and enters the information into the database.

From there The Dollywood Foundation takes over and manages the system to deliver the books to the home. You can find out more of the operational details on other pages in this website – so what are waiting for! Hundreds of communities are providing books to hundreds of thousands of children.~

If you enroll your child, they will send you a book every month until your child is 5 years old. How fun is that?!?! Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is community funded, so please research the site and find out how you can start this great program in your community if it has not already been established. Some of my best memories in childhood were reading with loved ones and eventually on my own. Roald Dahl, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, The Babysitters Club...the list goes on and on. Hopefully Liam will love to read just as much as I did. Happy reading everyone!

Dear Avent,

2008-09-09T17:25:00.003-05:00

I just want to say "thanks" for making a bottle that my son will actually take. The flat nipple with multiple holes made the catastrophy that was weaning a possibility in our home. I also want to praise you for making a BPA free version of this bottle. Eventhough the FDA claims regular bottles are safe, I am constantly consumed with paranoia and am glad that there is an option for me and those like me.

I do have a bone to pick with you, though. What's up with the 2 pack? You include 2 bottles and only one ring and lid? What the crap is up with that? Then you sell a multi-pack of rings and a multi-pack of lids for like $6 each? Who needs multiple rings and multiple lids without an equal amount of bottles? And vice-versa?

In order to outsmart you and your money making schemes, I will stick to buying the single pack that comes with all the appropriate accessories. I only save 99 cents per 2 bottles by buying the dual pack. What a crock. I am forced to buy your bottles because my son refuses to take any other bottle. BUT, do NOT, for one second think that I am happy about it.

Reluctantly Yours,
Thoroughly Modern Momma

PS....these really are great bottles. I'm just feeling a little sassy today.

This is just one reason why I don't like football...

2008-09-07T21:38:00.004-05:00

For Now, Bengals' Johnson Cannot Wear Ocho Cinco

I don't hate football, it's just that starting today I know that every weekend that Jon is home is a weekend where I will be forced to watch more football games than any one girl should ever be subjected to. Articles like this just widen the chasm between myself and the love of the game. One redeeming factor of football is that it is a fall sport and we all know that fall is the best season of all!

The UnShower

2008-09-05T21:18:00.003-05:00

I don't know how many of you bathe on a regular basis, but I can tell you that that concept is one I fantasize about daily. Aside from a brief 4 year stint in college (you know what I'm talking about), I have been a regular bather. I have really thin, fine, dark hair and in order to avoid looking like a serious greaseball, I have to wash my hair daily. Even if I wash it at night, by the time 4 pm rolls around the next day, I look like I haven't seen the likes of a shampoo bottle in weeks. It's so annoying. Especially now that bathing anytime Liam has his eyes open has become nearly impossible. Liam has become quite adept at rolling and what I like to call "the army crawl." I used to be able to lie him on a blanket on the floor with a plethora of toys to keep him company. He would laugh and play and only really get grumpy if I was in there too long, which I have been known to do. The other day I arranged his play spot, laid him down, and left the bathroom door open while I brushed my teeth and prepared to hop in the old shower. (By the way, we have 2 bedrooms and one full bath. Both our room and Liam's room open to the bathroom. Just a visual to help make this antidote come alive. I know, it's so riveting...) I was brushing my teeth, minding my own business, when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Liam had made his way into the bathroom and was proceeding to make out with/devour the base of the toilet. E. Coli here we come! I tried again and I looked down to find he had turned over the dogs' water bowl and was lapping the water up off the floor. Can humans get kennel cough? Anyway, one might suggest that I try the exersaucer, jump-a-roo, or other such exciting contraption to contain my son while I bathe. Unfortunately Liam's current opinion on these items is more along the lines of "torture chamber" than "fun playtime toy." That is, unless I am sitting right next to him playing with him. Then he's laughing it up!

So, in my dilemma I refer to my depth of problem solving skills (and my experience from the good ole days at MTSU). I have developed a system for quickly bathing/making myself look like I bathed even when bathing is not an option. I like to refer to the following process as "The UnShower":

Step 1: Teeth - Albeit a struggle, I must brush my teeth every day. I can't take a dirty mouth. And neither can anyone you
come in contact with. If steps 2-5 cannot be accomplished, please, for the love of everything that is sacred,
complete step 1. You can do it. I know you can.

Step 2: Face - I go to Liam's room, open up the wipes, and remove a couple sheets. I proceed to wash my face with wipes.
Those babies will even take off water proof mascara from under your eyes and you will end up smelling like
baby powder in the process! This can be done in front of a mirror or on the go. 100% portable and effective.

Step 3: Body - Take one of the wipes that you didn't use to wash your face and clean the important areas (like underarms for
instance.) If you're not going to use soap and water, you might as well give them a good wiping down.
Afterwards, apply deodorant and/or body spray.

Step 4: Hair - If you have oily hair like mine or if you are planning on going several days without showering, you may want to
invest in a bottle of hair powder. Bumble & Bumble makes an awesome line that comes in different colors to
match your hair. If you are budgeting like myself and cannot afford a tiny bottle of hair powder for $40, then go
for the baby powder that you got gobs of from old people because they don't know that doctors now scare the
pants off you by telling you if you use baby powder your kid is going to breathe it in and die of a variety of lung
infections and diseases. The baby powder, when used in excess, will turn your roots a little "ashy" if you have
dark hair. If you have lighter hair, you're good to go. Either way, it definitely soaks up the oil and leaves you
with that same pleasant "I just changed my baby's diaper" smell that you get with the wipes. If all else fails, grab
a hair tie and a few bobby pins. Lucky for us, the messy/I don't bathe/I just got out of bed look is in these days.

Step 5: Make-up (if you dare!) - All you need is tinted powder and mascara. I'm not going to lie, if I did full make up the day
before (and chances are I never washed my face) I will avoid removing my eye make up while
"wipe washing." I'll get the old face make-up off and make sure to clean up the old mascara
and eye liner from the under eye area. Then I will just reapply the powder and mascara. Half
the eyeshadow from yesterday is usually better than no shadow at all.

So, those are my tricks. I have made a pact with myself to at least shower every other day, even if it means that my son cries himself hoarse. I don't even think about shaving...are you kidding? When Jon's home, he can watch Liam while I shower so he doesn't have to sleep in the same bed with "the beast" as I like to call myself these days. But when it's just me and Liam, I don't care if it is summer in Tennessee, it's jeans and sleeves for me all the way baby. I'm literally saving up for Laser Hair Removal so that I never have to shave again. If you would like to donate to the cause, let me know.

So, if you see me in Target (where you are most likely to see me) and I am wearing jeans and sleeves and more eyeshadow on my left eye than my right, look like I might be going gray, and smell like a baby's bottom, then you can bet Jon is on the road and today was not shower day. If this is the case, give me a pat on the back and buy me a non-fat chai from Starbucks. Venti. Extra Hot. Believe me, I need it.

Fave Things from Last Nights' Palin Speech

2008-09-04T20:56:00.005-05:00

I'm not going to get too political here. This is mostly because I am undecided due to my procrastination in thoroughly researching all of the candidates. Ultimately there is great peace in knowing that God is in control and the decision has already been made regarding who will lead us. We are simply to fulfill our end of the deal by registering to vote and educating ourselves on and praying for ALL the candidates before we cast our ballots (there are Independent, Libertarian, Constitution and Green Party candidates too you know!) I will be doing that and encourage you to do so as well. Contrary to what many believe, I do NOT believe that any vote that is cast is a wasted vote. So, vote for who YOU think should be the president. Do not compromise and simply vote for who you think will win simply because you have been bullied into thinking it is a lost cause to do otherwise. That is not good for your conscience or our country.

(Stumbles off her makeshift soapbox)

With that being said, here are my fave things about Palin's speech:

1) Sarah Palin's outfit

If I were running for office this year, this is probably the exact outfit I would select. The perfect blend of fashionable and professional. Way to go SP!

2) Piper Palin grooming her baby brother

Seriously?!?!? Is this not the cutest clip ever?!?!? I can't take it. She is so precious.

I think Jon put it best when he said, "way to focus on the issues, Linds."

Piper Palin '08!

Interesting Article

2008-09-03T22:57:00.003-05:00

I know vaccines are a hot issue right now in parenting. It is one that I have been aware of only in the past year or so and don't feel like I know enough about to remain on one side or the other of the debate. I did have a lady in Whole Foods come up to me after seeing the product of Liam's reflux all over his clothes, the car seat and the buggy (gross...)

Lady: Poor little guy! My son has reflux too.
Me: I know, it's awful. We have tried everything to resolve it. We've been on medicine, limited our diets, been to the Gi....
Lady: Do you feed him organic foods?
Me: Yep, I either make them or use Earth's Best or Gerber Organic.
Lady: Do you feed him yellow vegetables? It's probably the yellow vegetables.
Me: Yeah, we do, but it was happening before that, so I don't think that's it.
Lady: Did you vaccinate him? We didn't vaccinate our son because vaccines can cause an infection in the intestine which can
cause GI problems like reflux and eventually autism. Did you know that?
Me: No, that's interesting. Thanks for telling me :) (Walking away wondering how we got from sweet potatoes to neurological
disorders...)
Lady: (Chasing me down the aisle) Do you want my email address? Maybe we can start a reflux support group?
Me: I don't have anything to write with. Thanks though! (Now ducking behind displays of can goods to avoid seeing her again
before we leave)

Just so it is out in the open, Jon and I elected to vaccinate Liam because we personally thought the pros outweighed the cons. Despite this woman's totally inappropriate attempt to convert me to the other side, I am definitely still remaining open minded and have continued in learning more about the topic. I thought you guys might like to know when I find new information. Here is an interesting CNN article on the topic that I thought I should share. I encourage everyone to do their own research and make their own decision regarding what is best for their children. Hope this helps!

Nuby Grip N Sip

2008-09-03T15:09:00.004-05:00

This is one of my new favorite products! We just recently got Liam on a bottle. That was a freaking nightmare. He started giving up his pacifier around 4 months and had completely gotten rid of it by 5 1/2 months. Close to 7 months nursing was getting to be very challenging and then I got deathly ill one weekend and my mom came up to help, so we thought we'd try a bottle so I could get some rest. I knew that introducing the bottle was going to be challenging, but I had no idea what I was getting into. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, so in an attempt to get him to drink out of anything my mom picked this up at the store. This thing is sheer genius. The straw has some sort of valve in it that allows the baby to get liquid out just by simply clamping down with his or her gums (or teeth in our case) on the straw. Once Liam tasted the scrumptious watered down apple juice that freely flowed from this magnificent contraption, he quickly figured out how to suck on the straw to make it come out faster.

There are two large handles on the sides that are simple for hands of any size to grasp. The handles are also covered with "bumps" made of a sort of "no slip" material that is easy to grip. The flip top functions smoothly and is so handy because it makes it easy to take the cup with you already filled and also makes for easy storage in the fridge without the drink tasting like last night's leftovers. That always grosses me out. The cup claims to be "no spill" and that has been true for the most part. Liam is definitely rough on it too, banging it around and throwing it on the floor from his high chair. Sometimes he doesn't get all of the liquid out of the straw, so if I don't squeeze it out before I close it, that sometimes leaks out. Also, occasionally the straw has squirted when opening or closing because of the valve mechanism. These occurrences have been rare and it is very likely that this is operator error and not a defect on behalf of the product :) I'm not always known to be the brightest bulb in the room.

The bright colors and interesting design of the cup instantly grabbed Liam's attention, so there was very little time between when we showed him the cup and when he was drinking out of it. He was dying to get his hands on it and, once he did, couldn't wait to get it in his mouth (like most everything these days.) When he's done drinking, I just flip the lid and he bangs it around and plays with it like any other of his toys. Because of the valve feature , soft silicone material and the ingenious oblong shape of the straw, this really is the easiest and most logical transition from bottle to cup. I just put the straw in his mouth and he started chewing and BAM! Juice!

The cup and all of its parts are dishwasher safe. The top screws off easily, the soft silicone straw on the top and the hard straw in the cup come out, and the cup and handles separate into two pieces. That way you can wash by hand if desired and are sure to get it thoroughly cleaned. So far we have had no problem in the dishwasher, but I have read online about a few people having problems with the parts warping on the hottest setting.

The cup comes in many color combinations shown below:

We finally did get him to take a bottle for formula, but still use this for water and juice daily. Love it, love it, love it!

Welcome to TMM!

2008-09-02T15:55:00.002-05:00

Welcome all to Thoroughly Modern Momma! I hope you enjoy your time here! Why create this blog you ask? Sure, I’ll tell you. Mostly it’s because I’m self-indulgent and like to hear myself talk. But, hopefully while I’m getting free therapy sessions you all can be encouraged, challenged or helped in some way on your own journey as I blab about mine. I also hope we can share with each other resources, tips, gadgets, businesses, products and many other things that we have discovered that make our lives and the lives of our loved ones richer, easier and more fun. Leave some of your recommendations in the comments. I’m definitely always looking for a new book to read, a new gadget to buy, or a new reason to panic because I’m not doing/saying what I’m supposed to and therefore my child is going to grow up to hate me and need years and years of expensive therapy ☺ More on that later…

While my life largely consists of my son, I am also just your average girl :) I love books, music, celebrity gossip (I know, I know...), photography, stationery, events, food, and all kinds of other things that have been in my life even before the little munchkin. Let's talk about those too, shall we? I, for one, need an escape from diapers and toys on occasion and would love for this to be a place where we can share about those things too!

I’m still getting some kinks worked out, so it may be slow going at first, but once we get up and running I’m hoping to be able to post daily, if possible. This is just a goal, not a covenant, so we’ll see how that goes. Anywho, I’m really excited to get this ball rolling! Please link me on your blogs and invite all your friends if you want to! At the very least, we’re going to have fun! See you in a few…

L