Christ, Coffee, and Cornfields

   It's been a hot minute since I've written anything....becoming a parent warps your sense of time, I tell ya what! These past few months have been nothing short of magical, though. Being a mom is something I've wanted and prayed for for basically my entire life, and so far it has exceeded my expectations. It helps that our daughter is basically a perfect baby and Jordan is the best husband and dad ever, but still. I know that many women have a difficult time being new moms, and I do not take my experience for granted in the slightest. This is basically going to be a quick rundown of what I've gone through since I last wrote, so snuggle in and enjoy!   First of all, the last month or so of my pregnancy was very uncomfortable. My nausea/vomiting resurrected itself (I don't want Chinese food for a veeeerrrryyyy long time now) and I felt like an elephant. I also had constant Braxton Hicks, which was fine except I was basically psyching myself out every few days, think...

  I don't really know how to even open up a post like this. Frankly, it isn't something that should need to be written but here we are. I would say to blame all of the past couple days of crazy on severe cabin fever from Corona, but we have seen scenes like this before. A person with dark skin is killed by cops or a non dark skinned person and everyone loses their minds.   That is not to make light of the situation. George Floyd was killed in a violent manner by a cop. He should still be alive. I hope his soul rests in peace and that his family finds healing. But the fact that it immediately  became a political stunt to further the "cops are racist, and America is racist" dialogue is incredibly sickening, because it just so happens that he was black and the cop was white. I would even argue that it is disrespectful to Mr. Floyd and his family. It cheapens his death to a statistic, his life to the color of his skin. It's another headline that will go away soon,...

  That's something I never thought I'd be able to say. That I was pregnant during a worldwide pandemic. I'm 34 weeks along as I write this, and am ready to meet our daughter whenever she decides to make her appearance on the outside. Currently, she seems quite comfortable continuing to explore my uterus. Her favorite things to do are headbutt my cervix and kick box everywhere else. That's okay; it reminds me that I have a healthy and active baby. It's the safest place for her to be right now. My pregnancy overall has been pretty smooth, but COVID has created many emotional challenges that I was not expecting to deal with. Obviously, at the end of the day the only thing that matters is that Jordan and I have a healthy little girl. We know that. But the awe and wonder of the first pregnancy, preparing for a child that we are blessed to have even been able to conceive, definitely has been overshadowed by all of the social distancing and fear of the virus.   I was about...

  Lots of people are metaphorically running around like chickens with their heads cut off now that the whole social distancing thing is becoming so widespread and unavoidable. Frankly, I'm not too bothered by it because I didn't really go out much to begin with. But I know many of you have kids at home who normally aren't or your work has been called off or you may have been exposed so you're under quarantine. There is also the reality of American life being dominated by screens, and it will be quite easy to stay glued to them while we're all stuck at home. I'm writing this post to help break up the monotony, and hopefully assist you in making memories during this unique time. Make movies a treat. I know how easy it is to use a movie to quiet the kids or distract ourselves. But for now, movies will be a good bargaining tool for getting your kids to finish their school, and give them something to look forward to. Designate one or two nights per week as movie ni...

  Jordan and I ventured out with our little miracle into the snow this morning to see the movie "I Still Believe." There were all of 10 people in the theater so I'm not concerned about getting sick. For those who don't know, "I Still Believe" is a movie about Jeremy Camp and his first wife's love story, how he became so well known, and how God worked through it all. Jordan and I have always loved Jeremy Camp, so when I heard the movie was coming out we made plans to see it. We both enjoyed it, and of course I cried. I would have even if I wasn't pregnant. I would say that it may not be nearly as enjoyable to a person who doesn't care for Jeremy Camp, though. Then again, it may be more powerful; I don't know. Either way, I would recommend seeing it. The most striking undertone, in my opinion, was how well they portrayed them living out their marital vows. Jeremy truly laid his life down for his wife, Melissa. It was beautiful. Marriage in it...

 **This article is purely opinion, NOT medical advice. Please see the CDC website or contact your health care provider for any questions or concerns.**   With cases of the coronavirus, (COVID-19 for short) now in South Dakota, I figured I would write up a little something to help everyone survive the outbreak. While the COVID-19 situation is certainly serious, it isn't nearly what the media is making it out to be.    Social distancing may seem like overkill, but it is a very good idea. The whole goal is to slow the spread of the infection in order to keep our hospitals from hitting capacity.  "If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: Fever over 100? Cough? Shortness of breath? [Sore throat?] Have you been to South Korea, Japan, China, Italy, or Iran, or been exposed to someone with COVID-19? Call your facility before entering. Do not visit family in a health care facility while sick."        - "Message for the General...

   So Kobe Bryant passed away yesterday, along with his daughter and the rest of the passengers on the helicopter that crashed. Understandably, everyone who hears about it is shaken up. He was only 41 years old and his daughter just 13. Very young to be dead. Please pray for them and their families. It definitely made me start thinking about my own mortality and that of my family.   I won't lie; I was never much of a fan of Kobe. Until yesterday, all I knew about him was that he was a really good baller and he cheated on his wife once. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I judged the heck out of him for that. After his death hit the news, there were some articles that detailed his reversion to the Catholic faith and how he used his wealth and fame to help others. I was totally floored by that, and quite ashamed of myself. He clearly found the mercy of God and embraced it to the fullest. I went to Confession before Mass yesterday, so His mercy was very fresh in my life, a...

  Today is a very important day in US history. It is the anniversary of the US Supreme Court's biggest mistake. Today marks 47 years that our country has allowed abortion to be legal. Today, we remember the over 50 million babies that have lost their lives.   Today is a day that lives in infamy.   Why does that matter? Why be so passionate about something that restricts "a woman's right to choose?" Why mourn the lives of beings whom nobody ever even met? Why stand outside of a Planned Parenthood or the US Capitol building in the freezing cold to pray or silently hold a sign?   Because every life matters. That's why.   Abortion is the greatest evil of our time. To claim that amongst all of the other bad things we are surrounded by may seem like quite a jump, but it isn't. There is no other evil that so systemically destroys the most innocent of all God's creation the way abortion does. There is no other evil that lies and exploits the vulnerable the...

  One thing I actually want to change in 2020 is writing more frequently. I'm not really one for New Year's resolutions because if we're being technical, every day starts a new year depending on how you look at it. That's not really the point of this, though. To begin, I want to let you in on a little secret...I really struggle to keep my mind in check. Not super surprising given my mental health challenges and now my pregnancy hormones, but yeah my mind is a major challenge. Unfortunately, I think that's something many of you can relate to. You know something, but your mind makes you doubt yourself and it becomes a never ending battle. This is especially obvious when it comes to self image and betterment.   The goal of everyone, whether they know it or not, is to be the best version of themselves. This translates into becoming a saint and getting to Heaven with Jesus. When we get to the Big House, we are the most perfect version of ourselves. And the only humans ...