Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights

I'm sure everyone has heard of No Child Left Behind... but, have you ever heard the phrase No Child Left Inside? Well, there are organizations out there working together to get children to reconnect with nature. With computers, video games, TV, iPods, busy schedules, fear of predators, etc. there are less children experiencing the outdoors like past generations have.

I came across this other website, whose mission is: To encourage California’s children to participate in outdoor recreational activities and discover their heritage. They even have a Children Outdoor Bill of Rights, which is a list of outdoor activities that each child should have the opportunity to experience by the time they turn 14.

Every child should have the opportunity to:

1. Discover California's Past
2. Splash in the water
3. Play in a safe place
4. Camp under the stars
5. Explore nature
6. Learn to swim
7. Play on a team
8. Follow a trail
9. Catch a fish
10. Celebrate their heritage

As I went down the list, so many fond childhood memories came to mind. I remember long summer days when we'd play outside all day, until the street lights started to come on, and even then we'd have to be coerced back inside. I remember playing baseball games in the middle of the street and playing "capture the flag" late into the night. I remember making mud pies with the petals from the "snowball" flowers in the backyard. I remember helping my Dad plant the garden, and kneeling next to my Mom weeding the flower bed. Kite-flying and making sand candles at the beach are among my favorite memories. There were some things I was "forced" to do for some school project, like rock identification and bird watching... but, now even those things are meaningful.

I know the world is a lot different than it was when I grew up, but I've decided to make a conscious choice to make sure our children have these same experiences in their childhood. I want to be outside with them exploring the world - following the trail of ants to their hive or watching a bee pollinate a flower, or sucking the "honey" out of the honeysuckles, or laying under the stars in mid-August searching for falling stars, or jumping in piles of leaves, or catching snow flakes on our tongues. Such wonder and beauty.

I've been thinking I'd like to add more to the list of Outdoor Bill of Rights. What other things would you add?

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

A little scare last night...

So, this is where we spent part of our night last night - walking through a dark cemetery. Only, the moon wasn't full. It was just a little sliver of light. The evening was dark and cold. At one point I lost sight of Marc and called him on his cell phone, and said, "Under any other circumstances I would be totally freaked out right now, walking through a cemetery by myself like this..."

You see, it all started when we were out running a couple of errands. I convinced Marc to come with me, with the promise, "I swear, we'll be back within 15 minutes." Well, as soon as we got in the car there was an announcement on the radio that a boy with autism from our local high school was lost in the mountains adjacent to the school. So, we made our first stop and then had a little debate - should we go see if we could help? Should we just keep going about our errand-running?

In the end we decided we had to at least see if there was some way we could help. We arrived just as it was getting dark and the guy heading up the search effort assigned us to search the cemetery, which is nearby. We noticed that one volunteer was standing around with a box of flashlights, but for some reason he was unwilling to hand any over. We thought we might have one or two somewhere in the car, so we drove over to the cemetery without thinking more about it. When we arrived, we looked around the car, and nope, no flashlights. Not only that... but we didn't have anything we would need in an emergency. Except a first-aid kit. And ketchup packets in the glove box - an emergency essential. I guess you just don't think about the importance of a lot of little things until you find yourself in an emergency. We now have a new list of things to put in our truck to be better prepared for next time.

So, we met up with a couple of other searchers who were already at the cemetery. We were sweeping the entire area (the two of us being the only ones without flashlights), walking about 20 yards apart from each other. By this time it was getting dark fast. I was assigned a side that had a lot of bushes and trees and was looking closely in every dark cove where someone might be found. That was about the point when I lost where Marc was. I panicked a little. Until that point I hadn't even thought about how frightening this situation would have been had we been there for any other reason.

After we finished searching the cemetery we went back to the search headquarters - a parking lot next to the school. They were setting up large tents and getting ready for an all-nighter. There were lots of people there. It was really an amazing sight. We stayed and helped as long as we could. Even after we left, we couldn't think about anything else for the rest of the night.

Fortunately, we got a phone call very early this morning letting us know that they did find the lost boy at about 1 a.m., walking past the cemetery back towards the high school. Thankfully there was a very happy ending to this story. Such relief!

On the way home, Marc insisted that we stop and pick up a couple of these:

(Hand crank LED flashlight that doesn't require batteries)

And, one of these:

"This 6-in-1 PSD (Personal Safety Device?) incorporates six of the most important tools you will need in an emergency or disaster with the functionality of a radio, cell phone charger, flashlight, emergency flashers, siren and compass that can also be used without batteries."

Little by little we'll be more and more prepared.

First Aid

About a year ago when Marc and I first started our adoption paperwork, one of the things we had to do was go through a First Aid certification class. So, one weekend in February we took the class together. It was great - we learned so much! One of the biggest things I learned was that First Aid, is exactly what it says it is... First Aid, not Final Aid or Only Aid or Professional Aid or Medical Aid. It's the first aid that's given before trained professionals can take over and actually doing the life-saving.

The most important thing we learned was how to most effectively respond in the first few minutes during an emergency, since those first minutes are so crucial. I won't get into the details, but there were some basic steps we were taught that can apply in just about any emergency. They are the 3 A's - Assess the scene and the victim(s), Alert Emergency Medical Services, and Attend to the victim(s).

Probably the most important step in there is the "Alert" part. The best thing for a victim is to receive professional help ASAP. Of course, assessing the situation and attending to the victim while waiting for help to arrive is important, but those are just meant to be ways of assisting the professionally trained medical people. Being first aid certified really means that it qualifies us with the knowledge that we may not know what we're doing and we need to get someone who does and FAST.

The last couple of days I've been thinking about what sort of protocols I follow when I need first aid for wounds that aren't physical. For those wounds you can't really call 911. That would be nice though. Please send emergency help to heal a broken heart. But, I've found that a lot of the steps are the same as what we learned in our First Aid class. Assess, Alert, and Attend... with the most important step being to get the best help from the best "doctor" as fast as possible.

But, while waiting for that help, there are ways we can "attend" to those wounds. Different things will work for different people, but things like running 10 miles, eating ice cream, or doing a Tarzan-like yell usually work pretty well for me. Well, at least initially... then, when I have to seriously attend to those non-physical wounds, I turn to things like calming music, writing, reading, prayer, or just simply sitting on my bed and looking out the window.

I would consider these things the "ambulance" that transports us to "The Doctor." As much as we try to bind our own wounds or dry our own tears by doing these simple things, the true healing comes only from He who has felt the depths of our wounds and knows how to take away the sting.

As the psalm goes: "[The Lord] healeth the broken heart, and bindeth up their wounds." And, Isaiah said, "the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces."

With all these thoughts on my mind, I taught a lesson in seminary this morning that goes along so well. We were reading in Numbers about the fiery serpents that were biting and killing the Israelites. To provide a way for the people to be healed from the serpents, Moses was instructed to make a serpent out of brass and put it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten by the serpents would be healed if they just looked up at the brass serpent on the pole. But, we learn that "because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."

(I find it interesting that The American Medical Association has actually used this serpeant on a pole as their symbol. Kind of cool.)

Anyway, the reason why some of them wouldn't look was because "they did not believe that it would heal them." It was such an easy thing to do, though, that I would think it wouldn't hurt for them to just try it and see. But, at the same time I've had moments when I haven't immediately "looked." My excuses always seemed valid at the time. I need to go through this hard thing on my own, so I can learn what I need to learn. Or, I'll just wait and ask for help when I'm more deserving of it. Or, my pain is much too deep for anyone to reach. Or, I'm strong enough to handle this on my own - I don't need anyone's help.

When a person is physically ill, how ridiculous would it sound if they said, "Well, I don't want to burden the doctor with my sickness, so I'll just wait until I get better and then I'll make an appointment." Waiting to ask God for help until we're "healthy" is missing the whole point. "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick."

I've come to a realization that perhaps the most important thing I'm meant to learn from non-physical wounds is that not only am I unable to completely help myself, I'm not meant to do it all on my own. I am grateful for He who "rises with healing in his wings" and offers to carry my burdens and give rest to my soul. I'm grateful to know that I'm not ever alone, there is always One who knows how to run to me in my time of need.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings of eagles."

Juno

Over the weekend Marc and I were wanting to go see a movie, so we were looking at movie reviews at our favorite movie review site. We happened to notice a movie, Juno, on their list that got a 92% (which is a really good score) but didn't recognize the movie title. So, we watched the trailer and it turns out to be a movie about a young teenage girl who gets pregnant and decides to have her baby and give it to an infertile couple. We wanted to go see it over the weekend, but it hasn't come to our theater yet... and I have since learned that it's a "limited-release movie."

Maybe somebody out there has already seen it and can let us know if it's a good flick. The trailer is good, so we're hoping that the rest of the movie is just as good. I wonder what we would have to do to get our theater to bring it here for a week.... I'll have to look into that. In the meantime, check out the trailer:

Amazing Young Talent

This little eight-year old is so talented!



He was on the Today Show this morning, too. He is so cute!

Writer's Block

Okay, so I've had writer's block the last couple of days. It happens every once in a while, but never before have I felt the pressure so intense. And, for our faithful blog readers, who also happen to be very observant, you probably already know why.

I know, I know... it's such a silly thing to take so seriously. It isn't like it's that big of a deal. But, no matter how much my head tells my fingers that, it just doesn't work. My poor fingers just can't handle the pressure of writing...
.
.
.
.
.
.

our 100th blog post!

Yes, my friend, THIS post that you are reading is number ONE HUNDRED! And, I still don't know what to write about!

So, I asked our blog what it would like for its "100th post party"... and it has decided that it would like to receive comments from as many people as possible.

(We never realized we had such a needy blog. I guess we won't ask it that again.)

You can write whatever you'd like to write in the comment box; we encourage creativity and random thoughts. Haikus are good, too.

If you don't know what to write in the comment box, we'll give you a few options:

What is your preference between the following items?

Jif or Skippy?

Breyers or Dreyers?

Hidden Valley or Kraft?

If you don't happen to have a preference for any of the above, maybe you ought to have some serious blind-folded taste-testing this weekend. That's our favorite back-up Friday night date activity. Although, I think Marc's getting tired of being the blind-folded one.

.

.

Here are some quick instructions of how to leave comments:
1. Click the "comment" link at the bottom of this post.
2. Write your comment in the comment box.
3. Fill in the "word verification" code.
4. Choose your identity, which can be "anonymous" if you prefer that.
5. Publish your comment.

"Fix the roof while the sun shines"

So, we've been having non-stop rain and very strong winds for what seems like weeks... but, really it's just been two days. I've been bracing for the rain to come ever since August when Marc had already started to pray for rain. Yeah, I was so surprised by his plea for rain that I'm pretty sure I giggled slightly. My "Seattle-boy" doesn't do well with too many consecutive days of hot weather.

One interesting bit of information - Marc's childhood hometown (near Seattle) gets an annual rainfall average of 38 inches, while my childhood hometown (in California) gets an annual average rainfall of 36 inches. You can file that away in your "Random-who-cares?-facts" file in your brain.

Yesterday it was raining so hard, and I was sitting at my desk working on a paper for one of my classes. I paused for a while, turned off the computer, leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, pulled my blanket up around my neck, and just listened to the sound of the rain on the skylight. It was so soothing and relaxing.

I was thinking through different common "rain" phrases. You know, like "when it rains, it pours," and "fix the roof while the sun shines," and "rain, rain go away..." Are there any I'm missing?

But, the one that has been on my mind the last few days is the "fix the roof while the sun shines" quote. I was thinking of a specific winter when the rains really came down and there was a weak area on our roof that was affected by the buckets of rain that year, causing a headache of a mess. It was just this one little spot, but it was quickly escalating to a bigger mess. (Just ask my Dad, I'm sure he'll confirm that since he was the one fixing it.)

In the midst of a terrible storm, it's very difficult to fix a roof problem. You can try to manage it by catching the leaky water dripping through, but other than that you will probably have to wait until the rain has stopped and you can climb up on the house and fix the leaky area. I don't really know from personal experience, but I can imagine that it wouldn't be very fun to fix a roof leak while rain is pouring down. Just a guess.

But, I couldn't help but think about how life is like that. You know, when life's storms come, it's harder to fix the problems within yourself when everything else is falling apart all around you. But, if while "the sun is shining" we are building up and preparing ourselves to get through the storms, then when those rains come down we'll make it through without as much difficulty.

Now, that's not to say that there won't be any damage or that storms are fun. Sometimes we may prepare and do everything we can to face life's storms, and they're just plain hard. And, I think that's okay. Storms are just sometimes rotten, but they are an important part of life. Isn't the sun so much more beautiful after a good, long rain? And, what about rainbows? We wouldn't be able to enjoy their beauty if we didn't have a little rain to mix with the sun.

As unenjoyable as they might be, storms do help us see things more clearly... calling our attention to problem areas that we've neglected to notice. We may not even know we have a leaky roof until a good, hard rain has fallen. And, while it's no fun to realize you have one more thing to add to the "to do" list, there is great peace of mind that comes from working towards repairing a problem area in your life and knowing you've done your part to be prepared for whatever comes next.

Whatever storms you may be experiencing or whatever storms may come your way, know this one thing - there is always an end. And, with that end will come a great calm. We will not be abandoned in those most crucial moments of life, when we need peace more than anything. We will be strengthened through those storms we just can't face on our own.

"...a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.... let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

And just to share my more favorite "rain" quote:

"May the sun bring you new energies by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away any worries you may have. May gentle breezes refresh your soul and all the days of your life, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty." —Unknown

Mandi's little Audrey

I posted the other day about my little sister being in the hospital to have her baby, and in case there was anyone wondering how that went, everyone is back home - happy and healthy. Mandi and Adam are the proud parents of a baby girl, born at 11:57pm on Thursday, the 29th. She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and measured 18 and a half inches long. They have decided to name her: Audrey.


For those of you who know my sister, you know that she has always been a big fan of Audrey Hepburn, so it feels very natural for her to have a daughter by that name. With the fantastic parents that this little Audrey has been blessed with, she will no doubt possess great beauty, grace and poise. We're thrilled for them and can't wait to meet the newest addition to our family!