Allen Genetics

"She looks just like you, Stacy," says every other person who sees sweet Sydney.

"Oh, my... She is a little Greg," says my best friend Amanda.

"Brett has your smile."

"Brett looks just like his daddy, doesn't he?"

Truth is, we're their parents so I hope our kids look like us! From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I wondered what my kids would look like. Whether Sydney and Brett look just like me, just like Greg, just like each other, or a perfect combination of us all, I still can't figure out how these genetic traits work.

Exhibit A: Greg's Eyes

• Hazel


• Medium Sized


• Long Thick Black Lashes
  

Exhibit B: Stacy's Eyes

• Green
• Sparse Brown Lashes (must wear mascarra)
• Evenly Set

Exhibit C: Brett's Eyes

• Blue
• Thick Blond Lashes
• Bright and Shiny!

Exhibit D: Sydney's Eyes

• Blue
• Not many lashes
• Round

So, two parents with Hazel and Green eyes produce two kids with blue eyes. I think Brett and Sydney look like each other. And, the longer I'm married to Greg, I think we even look alike.

Beauty for Ashes

I love Isaiah 61... it's one of my favorite passages of scripture. God promises that to all who mourn, he will give "beauty for ashes." What a promise! I serve a God who knows everything I mourn and all my dirty ashes.



I've got powdery ashes in my fireplace. I can't stand them. As a matter of fact, I keep thinking they need to be cleaned out and still they sit. Do you have any ashes piling up that need to be cleaned out? Maybe it's worry or stress for your finances or a relationship? Sometimes my worry piles up, layer by layer, packed in like charcoal soot. I often can't even remember what it is I'm worried about... I just have this nagging feeling in my gut that won't go away. Just like my fireplace, I go on about my day ignoring it and thinking I'll get to it later. In my fireplace, these ashes are piled up from several fires; layers of burnt wood... what once was a beautiful blazing fire has now become a cold dark chasm. Each fire brought comfort, memories, warmth, and beauty. Once the fire went out, the leftovers remain. The longer they sit, the more distant their predecessor becomes.



My ashes that pile up from unaddressed issues do the same. Sometimes, I can't see the beauty in my life for all the soot that has piled up. I forget all the things God has done in my life for centering my thoughts on what He hasn't. God's desire is to give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. He has planted me like a strong and graceful oak for his glory. I'm cleaning out ashes today...

Go Tigers

Apparently, CPYL baseball is serious. I mean really serious. We signed Brett up for Spring baseball hoping he will gain some skills and have a great time. Little did we know the world we have entered is full of mystery and suspicion.

I find myself one week into this thing thinking about the movie The Firm and wondering if like Mitch's law firm, the CPYL is really a front for a complex and sinister web of organized crime. Will we come out of this alive? My first clue came when I found out all but three players on the Tiger team were "protected."

Brett had tryouts exactly one week ago and the draft was the following day. We received a phone call from Tony Franco (aka, The Boss) late that night to welcome us to the Tigers. He has been coaching for approximately 8 years; he only had three spots available. The Don wanted to congratulate Brett for making his team. When you're in the mob, you have certain privileges. Practice on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in order to get ready for the scrimmage on Sunday. Initiation week began.

Greg took Brett to the first practice only to find a dugout lined with matching bags (names embroidered on each one), and a camaraderie among the players and parents that quietly warned us not to double-cross this family.

We are on the outside looking in and I'm scared! As Franco gathered the team and talked about hitting, I couldn't help but wonder just what type of "hits" he was encouraging. I just hope Brett doesn't get caught "stealing" or he may find himself in a "pickle."

If you are interested in keeping up with Tiger baseball this Spring (or watching out for us), please visit http://www.tiger-baseball.com/ . I'll be watching baseball and my back.

Bloggers Block Released

I have had "bloggers block" for a few years now. Friends started blogging; I saw blogging books; famous people's blogs were popping up in magazines and I had that 'ole familiar feeling of peer pressure that often accompanies any new trend I see taking over pop culture. You see, by nature, I am not into the latest technological advancements. My computer is over four years old; I only have a Blackberry b/c my work issued me one. I hate kitchen gadgets like electric can openers and bread makers. If something with a battery or a plug breaks in my house, it most likely gets thrown in the trash. The only reason we fixed our garage door opener last week is that our car was stuck inside.

I considered blogging an advancement only for the techies who wear bluetooths and use laptops on airplanes. Then came my use of online bill pay. Debit cards over cash. Texting. A Blackberry. My Space. Facebook. Oh, the pressure to blog-

A web cam now accompanies all of our conversations overseas with my Australian in laws. I have Facebook on my handheld mobile device and this week I learned how to use Twitter. You've heard of the law of diminishing returns? What's happening to me is the opposite - the more I understand and use these tools, the more productive I seem to become.

I can network with hundreds of friends by sending one text message. I now live out a sanguine's dream by spending my days with all kinds of acquaintances. I am never alone! We are bonded by cyberspace and the day-to-day commonalities shared by the human race!

I can honestly say my motive for starting this blog is one of selfish ambition... I am now 32 yrs old and I refuse to be outdated and "left behind." If I want to communicate with my own children in a few years, I think it will have to be in codes and cyperspeak. I want to be their friend!

Let the blogging begin...