Bye Bye deep-fried buckeyes!

I did not think it was possible, but I have had ENOUGH fair food! After recent trips to The Ohio State Fair and The Hartford Fair, not to mention my daughter's 3rd birthday which carried a fair food theme, I have had my fill of greasy deep-fried yummy food! So this week I am cutting myself off. Yes, I still have corn dogs and big pretzels in my freezer right now, but I cannot have them. In fact, they don't even sound good anymore. What they say is true; you can have too much of a good thing. (although fair food probably doesnt really qualify as a "good" thing)
So, it is back to trying to eat responsibly. Fruits and veggies (not deep fried) and some fish or lean meat will have to be on my plate this week. I wonder if putting steamed broccolli on a stick will make me want to eat it?

No need for video!

Isn't it awesome how we have many capabilities for recording life these days? With not only video cameras, but hand held devices and cell phones that can record...we can pretty much capture any moment on a dime. Last night my husband Jeff and I took our daughter Olivia for a walk around our new neighborhood. Jeff and I left our cell-phones in the house, and gave Livvie our undivided attention. It was so much fun! There is a little park with a slide and swings, and we played with abandon. Olivia got a kick out of watching her parents swinging or sliding right along with her, even if it was at a much slower pace! After we had enough of the park, we began to walk home. Olivia at almost 3 loves to skip, and began skipping along and invited Mommy and Daddy to skip along with her. At first I felt a little funny, but soon her laughter and squeals of delight made me forget myself, and we were all skipping along at full speed! I started to sing we're off to see the wizard....and my usually quiet hubby, who was skipping like a pro, joined in. There we were, just the three of us...holding hands, skipping along and singing for all our new neighbors to see. It was the most fun we have had in a long time, only because it was with such joy. A friend remarked after hearing the story that maybe a neighbor taped us and posted it on youtube. I hadn't thought about that....but I almost wish that would have happened, so I could watch it. Thing is, I really don't need to see a video of this....I can replay it in my mind right now and see the smiles...a priceless memory I will keep with me for a lifetime! Isn't it nice to know the memories we make with our families each day don't have to be recorded for us to remember them? Family vacations, little walks, even a car ride can create a really cool memory! Hope you make one today!

In case you don't believe that I have had a little trouble adjusting as a working mom, note how often I update my blog!!! I have decided to make a true effort this week to update my blog each day. We will see how that goes. Today's issue for me is the fact that my daughter turns 3 this Sunday. I could sit here and write several reasons why I have waited until the last minute to put her party together, but I won't because the fact remains that for her first 2 birthdays I sent invitations out a month in advance (with her picture on it) and had a little theme, and basically put quite a bit of thought and planning into them. But this year, I got no invitations out ahead of time, in fact I was on the cell phone yesterday asking my family members one by one if they could be at our house in one week to celebrate. Instead of the designer cakes or cupcakes of the first celebrations, we will be having a lovely Dora Cake from Sam's club (much to Olivia's delight) and our theme will be "State fair time"...mainly because while at Sam's I noticed they sell state fair corn dogs, big pretzels, and the like! I don't know if a corn dog is a meal, but it will be this Sunday. Once again, I realize I am not the perfect mom. I will not be doing a Martha Stuart and making all the placemats and take home favors for my guests. But what we will have is all of our family together, and a whole lot of love, and I am hoping that will count for something to make her 3rd birthday one she will remember!

Jon and Kate Plus 8...over?

I guess it was no big suprise that Jon and Kate (plus 8) are splitting up, but it still makes me very sad. I have mentioned that I don't really watch the show, but you don't have to these days. You can know what is going on without having to see a single episode. They announced on the show last night they are splitting, and at the time said the show would continue. I would really hate to see these children have to go through the divorce of their parents on television! I heard this morning that the show will go on a short hiatus...so I am hoping this is for the children's sake. Despite the intense media attention this family is getting, we really do not know the whole story here. Even though papers have apparently been filed, there still could be a chance for this couple. Perhaps we can all say a little prayer for the healing of a marriage. And if that isn't the case, that the children can be spared as much pain as possible. I can't help myself..the mom in me worries about their kids. Not only the impact that this situation will have on them, but for children that have only known a life of cameras following them around, what will life be like someday when the camera's are gone?

Ever have one of those days?

My Friday started out okay..got in a couple of cups of coffee before I hit the road, and had a fairly uneventful half-hour drive into work. I was thinking about everything we would be discussing on the show today when I started to sit down at my desk...only my chair was NOT where I thought it was! I fell backwards, grabbed my garbage can as if it could save me, and fell hard! Just as I was falling...my co host Todd came walking by...and with perfect timing, saw the whole thing. SO EMBARRASSING! He asked if I was ok, and when he heard my laughter, started laughing too! Then of course he could not wait to get on the air and talk about it. At this point I would love to say that this sort of thing is a rare occurance for me, but that wouldn't be true. I am by nature kind of clumsey. And it seems to go in cycles. So I took my lumps through the morning like a big girl. It was pretty funny! Then during a break my mouth made some funky noise that went over the air...and of course Todd heard it....and so did everyone else! At this point in my life I have learned to take this all in stride. Afterall...we are not perfect...I am REALLY not perfect...so I just learn to roll with the punches. Isn't it good to know that God loves us, no matter our imperfections? I wonder if he gets amused when we do something silly? I am just glad I can entertain, and that I didn't hurt anything other than my pride! How bout you? Ever have one of those days? I would love to hear about it! And look at it this way...at least it won't be on the radio for everyone to hear about! I promise.

Allergy Medicine means business!

If you are suffering through allergies right now, you are not alone! Seems like everyone is sniffling and sneezing some these days. Mine are horrible! Last night I was so miserable I decided that in order to breathe and or sleep, I would need to take some nightime allergy medicine. Unfortunately I waited until just before I went to bed to take it..which meant I only had about 5 and a half hours before my alarm needed to go off after I swallowed it! The warning said you should have about 8 hours of sleep time because it causes drowsiness. I am here to tell you that you need to listen to that little warning! I slept through my first alarm, and most of my second! But I did get up in time, and yawned all the way to work...and I am still tired! On the upside I can breathe!!!! Which is a plus! Its kind of a bummer when you have to choose between staying awake and breathing, but some days are just like that! Despite all that, it has been a great morning so far! We had fun on the air, and I enjoyed talking with listeners. I also had the chance to talk with Donna VanLiere, who is a NY Times best selling author. She wrote the book "Christmas Shoes" among others. She has a new memoir out called "Finding Grace" that talks about some really tough issues she has dealt with in her life; an incident that no child should have to endure as a kid, infertility, and more. She talks about how God brought her through, and opened her heart to adoption to help her build her family. We gave some copies of the book away, but if you would like to find out more about the book "Finding Grace" you can check out her website http://www.donnavanliere.com/. Suddenly my allergies seem very insignificant!!!

Reality tv gets harsh

Reality TV is getting a little too real for me. Everyone is talking about Jon and Kate plus 8...and not really in a good way. I have to admit that I do not watch that show...I just don't have time to put it into my schedule, But I have friends that have loved watching it. Unfortunately the pressures of living your life in front of everyone may be getting to them. Their family appears to be in real trouble. The marriage has hit a rough patch to say the least. I am worried about what all the attention will do to the kids. All of the chaos appears to be good for ratings, because nearly double the amount of people watched the season-opener this week as did last seasons finale several weeks ago. Does this mean we like to watch people fail, or go through difficult times? Do we feel better about our own lives when we watch others having a tougher time than us?

I think they might need to take some time off AWAY from the cameras and try to work out their marriage, or REALITY might get too harsh for all of them. Some things don't need the blinding glare of the media.

Would a happy, well adjusted family with God at the center be too boring for us to watch?

After 2 days of really nice weather, it is easy to be in a great mood. Even though I am feeling a little under the weather, the sunshine has helped keep my mind off of it! There is just something about that first really nice day after a long dreary winter, don't you find? The warmth of the sun feels wonderful, you see all your neighbors, that like you have been "hibernating" and it puts a smile on your face. It is even more special to share that experience with my daughter. She notices everything around her, and finds wonder in the smallest things. Birds, trees, grass...the stuff I tend to take for granted totally blows her away! We spent a good half hour trying to catch birds...and even though I knew it was futile, I consider it time well spent! I look forward to more of those days with Olivia. Today, I also have to admit that I am feeling sad about the death of actress Natasha Richardson. It is so tragic when a mother is taken from her kids too soon. Her sons are 12 and 13, and I cannot imagine the pain they are feeling today. I know some of you must. My thoughts and prayers go out to that family. I think sometimes when a person is a celebrity people forget about their families, and the true loss they are feeling. I hope you will join me in saying a prayer for them today. Thanks for checking in today. I hope you make this a great day! Talk with you in the morning!

I hope you had a great weekend. I enjoyed mine quite a bit. I was thinking about it as I drove into work this morning, trying to figure out what about it was so wonderful. Of course the first thing that struck me was extra time with my husband and daughter. It's a shame that we spend most of our time at work or away from our loved ones, and that we just get to steal a few hours with them on weekends. Seems like it should be the other way around, right? The other thing that made this such a great weekend was I slept really well every night. I cannot remember the last time that happened. Then I wondered when I made the transition from thinking a great weekend was getting alot of sleep as opposed to all the good times I had. Pretty funny...but sleep seems a little more important to me these days as I try to transition back into the workforce from staying at home with Olivia. So I did do a couple of things besides sleep...I worked craft patrol for our Preschool Praise and Worship. Now that was a fun time! Lots of glitter glue, markers and stickers. I came home a colorful mess...and am confident a few parents got some sparkling suprises when they got home. It's all washable. And the kids had a great time learning how God created the Sun, moon and stars. Besides...what harm is a little glitter glue going to do? A wise person once said when you are lying on your death bed you will never be upset that your children colored on your walls...So...let them color!!!! Join us tomorrow....we have some fun conversations in store....about the comments people make when you change your hairstyle. Plus later this week my interview with Natalie Grant. See you in the morning!

Have you ever looked in a mirror, or at picture of yourself and wondered, "What has happened to me? THAT is NOT what I look like!!!" I am having one of those WEEKS! This little bout was triggered by some pictures posted on my Morning Show web page from the afternoon I spent at the Central Ohio Home and Garden show. I just look so frumpy. My hair is a mess, I look heavier than I want, and I am getting older. I know, I know, God made us and we are a beautiful creation, but honestly...even knowing that and believing it, there are still days I just feel plain old frumpy! I guess I realized this week that my daughter is going to be 3 in august, so I cannot go around using her as an excuse. When I first had her, it was my excuse for holding on to the baby weight. Now she is the reason I can't seem to exercise like I should. Well...enough is enough! I want to make sure that I take a little extra time to get ME ready after I tend to my daughter. I have already started eating healthy, which was a really big step for me. Now I need to add the exercise, and just a little extra effort getting myself ready each day. I just think it will make me feel better as a wife and mother. I am so thankful that God doesn't look at me with the same critical eyes I use on myself! He loves me for who I am, and sees my inner beauty. As I give myself just a bit of an overhaul in the coming weeks, I will also take time to remember that what is inside is far more important than the outside package...and that needs time and attention too! Next week I will be playing some excerpts from my interview with Singer Natalie Grant...she shares some of the same misgivings about herself as a mother of twins....and she is one of the most beautiful and talented women around. She also has the inner spirit to match. I hope you will join us next week to hear her words. Have a great weekend! Be Beautiful!!!!

Just say no to The Bachelor!!!

It was all the buzz today. Everyone around me was talking about the finale of The Bachelor. Once again...the guy proposes to a woman, but there is no marriage in the end. In fact, in the follow-up show he dumps the gal he proposed to in favor of the runner-up....and she agrees to have coffee with him and see what might happen! Am I the only woman out there that takes offense to "The Bachelor?" I know, it's just entertainment, but I just don't find one guy having his pick of "the litter" that entertaining. In fact, as a woman, I find it completely unappealing. I cannot understand why these seemingly beautiful, talented and sucessful women would subject themselves to this situation. Basically one guy walks into a huge group of ladies and starts sending them home, one by one. At first it has to be just based on looks or first impressions. Later, he gets to spend as much time as he would like with each of them, tells them all the same things, is affectionate with many of them, and then publicly dumps them. Does anyone else see the negative message this sends? Why is this so entertaining? I honestly don't get this one. I have tried to watch, if only because of my job, and just cannot stay with it. Come on...this isn't reality tv at all. This isn't the way to find someone. If you watch this show, what do you find most appealing about it? Is it a guilty pleasure? Help me understand. I would love to see a show about how to really meet someone that you could spend your life with. Is that concept too boring? Would anyone want to watch a show about finding a moral, Christian spouse, someone that would commit to you for life? I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

February 23, 2009

The start of another work week! I feel hopeful knowing that Ash Wednesday is coming and so is the season of Lent, and then Easter! It is just such a wonderful, hopeful time of the year! I not only look forward to the warmer weather and Spring, but also to celebrating our Risen Savior!

But, first things first. At our church, one of our Pastors has asked that we take part in Lent. Having grown up in the Church of The Nazarene, I have never really done this before. We are all asked to give up something that would be a sacrifice for us, with the idea that it would signify just a TASTE of the suffering of Christ. We will also be reading a chapter of scripture together each day. I really am wanting to do this, but finding the right thing to give up seems to be a challenge for me. I know that at this time in my life...giving up sweets, or fattening foods would be really tough for me, but that seems like the item everyone gives up. I also think about giving up the internet, or my cell phone. Those would be extremely tough too...I think that I would need the internet for work...but I am still thinking about this. My cell phone would be another really difficult item for me to try and give up! Could you give up the techno items that have such a hold on our daily lives? Could you give one of these items up for the entire Lent season? We will discuss this tomorrow morning. Also tomorrow...a caller today was discussing what a digital mom she was....and casually uttered the phrase..."not bad for a stay at home mom with not much to offer"...or something to that effect. I didn't even catch that until we played the recording back...but as a stay at home mom....did you ever feel that way? I know I dealt with it...tomorrow we will share our good thoughts with those moms who sometimes feel disconnected and that they don't have much else to offer! They do! Talk with you tomorrow!

Is anyone else feeling a little uneasy with all these bail-outs and stimulus dollars? There are so many people out there dealing with big financial difficulities...I just hope this can help. But I cannot help but be a little nervous about it. I read a stat earlier today that we are going to mention on the show tomorrow...68% of women asked in a recent survey said that the economy was effecting their marriage. Wow. That's a big number. But HOW is it effecting your marriage? I guess we are feeling a little more stressed, and able to go out and do less (or at least nervous about spending extra money) so in that regard it could be effecting us, but I am not noticing any severe changes. How about you? Is the economy effecting your relationship? How? Love to hear your comments. We will squeeze in a little fun tomorrow too...Disney on Ice tickets, etc...I hope you can join us.

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day weekend. Ours was pretty good...except that I got food poisoning or something like that in the middle of the night! We had a fun night out with Olivia and I even commented on how good my honey mustard chicken dish was....
I woke up around 1:30 very sick. I felt nauseous and needed some water. So I walked down to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I took a drink, and the next thing I know my husband was standing over me with a panicked look on his face asking if I was o.k. I fainted....which is something I have never done before. Just blacked-out. I was very fortunate I wasn't hurt...I hit my neck on our counter somehow, since I have the mark to prove it, but other than being sore today, I am fine. How was your Valentine's Day? Hopefully you were well, and enjoyed it no matter what you were doing! Today was a little quiet on the phones for the show...lots of schools out and people with the day off because of President's Day. Did you get a really good, clever, inspirational gift for V-day this year? Would love to hear about it.

Tomorrow we will have more tickets for Disney on Ice...and I will leave you with this topic to ponder for tomorrow's show: Should a woman be able to bring her baby to work with her? Talk with you in the morning!

Yet again, wind turns things upside down around Central Ohio. Are you all o.k? For us, it was just a completely sleepless night with no power. All in all, that isn't so bad. It could have been a lot worse. I am thankful that we made it out with no reports of any serious injuries. We had no power for about 12 hours. Really, just a minor inconvenience. It was fun trying to maneuver my away around the house with just a candle, trying to get ready for work. But again, other than having to wake my husband up to get the garage door up (no power) we came out virtually unscathed.
The phone lines were really busy all morning with calls from those of you that didn't have any power, and were wondering about schools and such. It is amazing how isolated you feel when the power goes out, isn't it? We have access to so much information (when the electricity is working) that when we lose that access we feel alone. Fortunately, we are never really alone! But I am glad that we could help pass along information to those that really needed it. Some just needed to hear someone's voice, and I am happy we could be there. We also got lots of calls from those of you that just shared information...traffic updates, power outtages, etc. Thanks so much for taking the time to help others. I love these kinds of shows...no we didn't get to all the "stuff" we may have planned...but it's okay, because we just spent the morning together, helping one another get through...and I love that! Now...tomorrow...we will try to get to some of that stuff and more...last minute Valentine's help..3 winners for our Valentine's contest...and more. I hope you will join us...you never know what might happen!

This warmer weather got here just in time...just when we needed a break from winter! Its nice to walk around and not feel like I am wearing heelies....of course now it's wet and muddy everywhere, but I will take it! Did you see the story over the weekend about the ice fishermen on Lake Erie that were stranded when an 8-mile stretch of ice broke off and started floating off? Pretty scary! One person lost his life after suffering an apparent heart attack after falling into the frigid waters. I was thinking about the situation of floating on that chunk of ice aimlessly, not having any idea of what was going to happen...and couldn't help but look at it as a metaphor for so many lives. Can you imagine the feeling of just floating along aimlessly without any idea of where you were going, or who would rescue you? I am so glad to know that I have God in my life, giving me purpose and direction!

This morning we had fun...I asked if men get left out of Valentine's Day...and do they care? We found that most men appreciate a special home-cooked meal...one guy called and said it could be any meal...a nice breakfast might be nice this saturday morning. Then your guy can take you out for dinner ladies...:-) We also talked about those valentines boxes that kids still make for school...turns out that most mom's enjoy making them just as much as the kids! Do you have memories of those valentines boxes? Making your own valentines? Or maybe you have ideas for the guys...we would love for you to share them. Tomorrow...we will talk about the most annoying sounds a parent hears....and will have some tips for Singles on Valentine's Day. I hope you will wake up with us!

Slowly but surely you are finding this blog...and I appreciate it so much. This has been a rough week for me...not sure why really. I think the fact that I am back to work after 18 months home with my daughter is starting to sink in. Don't get me wrong...I love being on the morning show at The River..and I only have to be away from my daughter for a couple of hours...but I still feel a little bad. When I stayed home, I loved every second with my daughter, but it was such a change for me! I had days when I felt guilty that I wasnt contributing financially at home, even though I knew that being with our daughter was worth any amount of money I could make. Now that I am working again, I feel guilty for leaving. I have learned one thing....you will feel guilt no matter what you do. Guilt because you even have a choice, when some families do not have that choice...guilty that you may not be doing the right thing...being a mom can be complicated. I do have the peace that I am doing what God wants me to do...even though my human nature kicks in every one in a while. I pray for you that no matter what your choice...even if you do not have a choice, that you feel the peace that you are doing the very best you can. That's all you can ask of yourself! Hey join me tomorrow as we may discuss this in some form...plus we will have a visit from Sheila Walsh...and John Tesh...who does evenings on The River, will check-in after 8:30. I hope you can join us!!!

Apparently a lot of you have had to deal with upsetting your Mom, inlaws or siblings over who gets to babysit your child or children, and when I mentioned this morning that my Mom was a little upset that I had asked my sister-in-law to babysit, even though this was the first time my sister-in-law watched my daughter, and my mom has watched her several times, a whole lot of you called to say you had gone through similar trials. The problem really is that my Husband Jeff and I never go out. We still really enjoy being with our daughter. I know that we need alone time...but we feel like we are in a good place, and just love doing things as a family. But, that means there are very few "opportunities" to sit with Livvie. So...I am trying to make it up to my Mom now...she lives an hour away, but I am going to make an effort to get up to my parent's home more frequently so she doesn't feel left out of Olivia's life. Wow..this can get complicated. While we were discussing this on the air, a single mom called and said how nice it would be to have that many people willing and able to watch my daughter...because she just doesn't have that luxury. So true! Single Mom's are my heroes! They somehow juggle everything in their lives with no help sometimes. If you are a single mom and can share some tips..join the blog. I am sure it will help others. If you are in my situation, maybe share some tips on keeping everyone happy! And are there any other couples like my husband and I ? Still just don't like being away from the little one? I am sure it is because of our situation...I was told quite some time ago that kids were not possible...Jeff and I had decided we were happy with where we were in life, and then boom...God blessed us out of the blue with Olivia...so maybe that's why we still find it tough to be away from her...also..we just have one...I know that friends of ours that have 2, 3, 5 kids feel a little more anxious to have a break! Thoughts? Comments? Always welcome. Tomorrow on the show...we will discuss how hubby is working out again...so that means I have to work out...and Author of the "Chicken soup for the soul" books Jack Canfield will join us after 8am. Talk with you then!

I am so tired right now. I know, not the Positive image I like to portray, but after a weekend that included WinterJam and The Superbowl, I cannot help it. I really enjoyed what I got to see of WinterJam!! I have always loved Newsong, and Barlow Girl rocked the house. Those girls can really play those instruments! The one gal beat those drums so hard I thought she was going to break them. They were awesome to watch, and their testimony was just as great! It was also really cool to see all the "I Love The River" posters outside. Thanks so much to everyone that made a sign and brought it. I know that many of you had your signs confiscated once you got inside...The Schott wanted to be sure that everyone would be able to see once the got inside. A few of you were able to sneak your signs inside I noticed, so thanks for holding them up when I got onstage. I appreciate it!!! I also got to meet many of you! I really love getting to shake your hand or even getting a hug from some of you. Thanks for the kind words and warm welcome. I did not get to stay for the whole thing, but heard TobyMac was AMAZING!!! Did you go? Would love to hear from you. And then we turn to the Superbowl, which I really planned on NOT watching. I was hoping to be in bed early, but you know how that goes. I got all caught up in the game and the commercials....just could not help myself. I know that I probably should have been rooting for the Steelers, and I was for the most part, but I could not help but cheer for Kurt Warner. From everything I have ever read about he and his wife, he is a great man. He is a Christian, he is the father of 7, and he and his wife try really hard to give back when they can, because they both remember a time when they had very little money, and were trying to make ends meet. I cannot help it, I love rooting for the underdog! Especially when he is a man of faith!! But in the end, it just wasn't to be. I am happy for the Steeler fans, and I am happy for Kurt Warner, because even though he didn't win the game, it was extremely close, and nobody was giving his team much of a chance before last night. I just thank God for people that show integrity when they are in the spotlight. And speaking of integrity....I have to give a shout out to OSU Head Football Coach Jim Tressel...while he likely would not take any credit for it himself...I imagine he had some hand in helping Santonio Holmes become the success he is today! Santonio had a great game for the Steelers, which included catching the winning touchdown pass, and being named MVP of The Superbowl! He is the first OSU alum to be MVP in the big game. Congrats to Santonio!!! So, as sad as I was for Kurt Warner, I could not be happier for for Santonio Holmes! Everything happens for a reason. Now I am just hoping that I can catch up on all the sleep I lost this weekend watching all this unfold!

So the forcasters were NOT kidding about bad weather coming!! As someone who has spent a big part of her career getting up very early and making my way into a radio station to cover school closings, road conditions and everything that goes with it, I have to say that this morning was about the worst I have seen in several years. Mainly for the amount of counties it effected. Driving was treacherous in many spots, and that was once you could get into your iced-over car, if you left it outside overnight. I was fortunate on my way home today because even though the roads were in much worse shape then when I was heading in..I had a little help. One of those amazing truck drivers that I was able to follow pretty much the whole way home. I found him just as I was getting on the outerbelt, and was able to stay with him for the whole hour it took me to drive the 34 miles home! I consider that person my guardian angel...and will talk about that tomorrow morning on the show. Has God ever placed a guardian angel in a situation for you? I would love to hear from you either here, or tomorrow morning during our show. Share your story! Now, I must run because I have an excited 2 year old on my lap waiting for mommy to finish her blog so we can play!! I cannot turn that down! Have a wonderful day...stay safe and warm, and we will chat tomorrow morning!

So today we finished up 28 hours of Mercy, for Mission of Mercy. Even in these very tough economic times we were able to help get at least 117 children sponsored. I have a feeling that number will go up too. It is such a tough time for so many families financially, with lay-offs, cutbacks and such, so I am really proud of the audience for stepping up the way they did! I also decided to sponsor a little girl from Swaziland. She is just 6 months older than my daughter, so I look forward to helping her and getting progress reports.

This is the start of my 4th week at The River, and I am starting to feel at home. I am also really starting to feel the effects of getting up early and getting back into a routine. I have always set 2 alarms each morning just in case I sleep through one of them....which has never happened until today. I have no idea how I slept through an alarm blaring...but I did! At least the second one woke me up.

I hope that your commute this morning was not has bad as mine! The roads were a little slick, but the problem was trying to manuever around the drivers going 20 and the drivers going 80!!! It was a little scary! I was suprised to see so many cars on the road so early...but I guess everyone wanted to get an early start. Were you late for work this morning?

It looks like we are already getting some of that snow we were promised, so driving home this evening may be tricky, as will the morning commute. Please be really careful out there.

A heads-up for those of you that can join us in the morning on Wednesday...we will have WinterJam tickets...and we will have the story of a woman who tried to get a meet and greet with TobyMac...it may not turn out the way you might think....so join us for that out of 7am!
Talk with you in the Morning on The River!

I don't know about you, but I feel like the weekend went by much too quickly! It seems like I was just loving the warmer temperatures and sunshine, and then it was fast-forward to Monday morning with more snow on the ground! What happened to the time?

And what about that dusting of snow we were supposed to get yesterday? I looked out the window as we were about to leave church yesterday and couldn't believe how much snow was coming down! Ah well...the break was nice while it lasted!

This morning we kicked-off "28 hours of Mercy" with Mission of Mercy. It is amazing what can be done for a child with only 30 dollars per month! I sponsored a little girl from Swaziland who turns 3 on February 13th. She is just 6 Months older than my daughter. Her family was praying for "the blessing of food." WOW..even when times are tough here in the U.S we are so blessed!! I know that the economy is difficult right now, but if you are a person that has been given a little to spare, I hope that you can take time to share it. For those that simply do not have any to spare, we understand completely, and pray that God will meet your needs.

I am looking forward to WinterJam this Saturday night at the Schott...just 10 bucks to get in...maybe I will see you there......

Enjoy the warm-up!

1/23/09 Is anyone else completely ready for a warm day? I cannot tell you how glad I am to see a little sunshine and feel the warmer temperatures. Everyone just seems to be in good spirits today. A little sunshine goes a long way! On today's show, we talked about the fact that President Obama is now going to be able to keep his Blackberry, which of course holds a lot of personal stuff like phone numbers, appointments, pictures and the like. Todd and I chatted about how difficult it will be to try and keep that thing secure...and what about the people stored in it? Will their phones, etc, be secure? I am very curious to see how that goes. That got me to thinking about how much "stuff" I deal with on the internet. I have e-mail both personally and for work, plus a website, a work web page, a blog, accounts on my space , Facebook and Linkedin, and whatever else I might be forgetting. Isn't all this technology supposed to save us time and effort so we have more time for family and friends? We are all simply texting and e-mailing each other....do we talk anymore? Thoughts?

We also talked about the Sasha and Malia Obama getting their own dolls made by TY...."Sweet Sasha" and I believe "Magnificent Malia" are the names. I joked that if my daughter got her own doll it would be called "Ornery Olivia." because she is such a little firecracker right now.
BTW...if you haven't done so...please check out the pics of Livvie on our new Morning Show Page!!!

I also admitted today that Hubby and I haven't had a real "date night" in a couple of years...I know...hard to believe! It really isn't so much that we don't trust anyone to watch her, it is more that we just love spending the time with her and being together as a family. But I do know it is important for us to have our own time, so we are going to WinterJam on January 31st. But the topic of who to leave your kids with morphed into a cool program the American Red cross of Columbus has.....classes for 11-15 year olds on Babysitting! One of the courses even certifies them for CPR! Awesome. Check out my morning show page for the link to the Red Cross! Look under "Heard on The Show."

As always...love to hear from you...this is our place to chat after the show in detail about things we talked about on the show.

Have a great weekend, and then just us at 5am Monday morning, with "28 hours of mercy" beginning at 6am. Be safe and God Bless!!!

What a fun show today! I got to talk to a gal (Ali) who is trying to find her sister a great christian guy in the Columbus area through her blog! (DateMySis) Both big and little sis are following this blog, so be sure to follow their story too! I was amazed at the number of women that later e-mailed me wondering about how this worked, and asking about our follow-up topic....where and how DO you meet a person that shares your moral values these days? Most people figure you won't find such a person at a nightclub or places like that, so what are your ideas? Some callers mentioned Church singles groups, and the internet, which are good as long as you are careful on the internet of course! If you have any other ideas, please pass them along in a comment here...I will be happy to pass those along. And of course Don't miss Ali and her DateMySis Blog...it will be fun to keep up with what happens! I think it will be awesome when she finds a great guy!!

Now, I do not know about you, but wow am I worn out! Seems like we jumped from the hectic holidays straight into nasty weather days, and then the inauguration.....it was nice to finally see some sunshine and feel the warmer temperatures. I know it is only January, but wow...I am ready for spring!

I am loving the morning gig at The River...and invite you to not only jump in and join here on my blog...but also call in and join the conversation in the mornings when you get the chance. I would love to share thoughts, stories or a laugh with you! Have a great evening!

Welcome to my blog!

Thanks so much for checking out my blog! I want this to be a place where we can discuss items from the show in more depth, share stories, make comments and generally just spend some time together. I will stop in and add comments as warranted following the morning show, so visit back when you can. I also plan to discuss issues that may never make it on the air...but are just on my mind.

I will start by saying how happy I am to be at the River waking up with you! Many of you have written or called to say welcome back to morning radio, and I appreciate it very much. I do have to admit that as much as I am loving it, and feeling right at home...I am really tired! It may take a while to get back into the routine of getting up so early! The good news is...my daughter Olivia still takes a nice nap in the afternoons...so if I get lucky I can get one in too! The other alternative is to go to bed at 7pm each night...but that certainly isn't realistic...or fun.

Anyway...I look forward to our times together each morning...and right here in my blog. Stop in anytime!!!