We had a major snow storm in December, which resulted in snow on our back deck until January.  The snow finally melted, just in time for the next major storm to hit last weekend.  We got 11.5″ of snow.  So now, while we are still digging out from that storm, an ice storm has hit us.

The sounds we hear inside the house are disturbing.  Popping. Crackling. Crunching.  But stepping out onto the porch is downright terrifying.  Our yard looks like a war zone, and it sounds like one, too.  Every time a big branch or tree goes down, it snaps and sounds like gunfire.  The dogs are so frightened they won’t come out of the basement.  I don’t blame them.  I just saw a small branch, a stick, really, fall to the ground. After bouncing back and forth off of a few branches, it broke free from the tree and hurled itself to the ground with dizzying speed.  Had there been any living creature where it landed, it would have impaled them.

Our driveway is an obstacle course, but still navigable.  I have some doubts about it staying that way all night.  We have friends who are prepared to bring a chain saw over and dig us out, but not just yet.  It’s too dangerous for any real clean-up to begin.

Across the street, a smallish branch fell onto one of the power lines, causing some pretty serious sparks and smoke for almost an hour.  It seems to have gone out now.  We still have power, and internet, which amazes me.  I am grateful for that.  Especially since USA Network is starting an NCIS marathon at 6:00 tonight.  Hate to miss out on that!!

Anyway, am posting some pictures.  Since Gaylon got me that wonderful new Canon EOS Rebel Xsi camera for Christmas, I absolutely must document everything that happens around here!  And, while I’m thinking about it:  special thanks to Kyle P. for changing the settings on my site so that I could upload larger files!  The pictures from my new camera are really clear and the files are much larger than my old camera.  My site was set to only allow uploads of 2 mg or less.  Kyle set it so I can upload pretty much any size file now. Yay!

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not nearly so entertaining as Dave Barry, but I still do my best to do some sort of  “Year In Review”, although usually it is in the form of a newsletter that I send out at Christmas.  Well, this year I didn’t send out a newsletter.  I have a lot of reasons for that, such as the obvious money-saving excuse, but on a deeper level, I think it is because I have come to the conclusion that, those who are truly interested in what is going on in my life and that of my husband and children, either call me regularly, or read this blog.

I love blogging.  I intentionally have not put up any ads on it, to make it cleaner and friendlier for my readers.  However, my best

Kendall the Journalist

friends never read this blog. And, if they did, it wouldn’t give them any new information.  I talk to them regularly on the phone or in person.  My extended family, to my knowledge, never reads this blog.  In particular:  my brother and sister and most of the rest of my family do not read this blog.  Nor do they talk to me.  I should mention, however, that my sister does call me on random occasions, and she always seems to know where I live and what my phone number is.  I can only assume that means she still loves me!   On the rare occasions that I call them, the conversation usually starts with them saying something warm and caring, letting me know that I matter to them and they keep a close eye on me.  Something like “Oh, hi!  Where are you?  Do you still live in North Carolina?”  Or “I don’t have your phone number.”  (Please note that I have had the same cell phone number for the last decade, and that for the past two and a half decades I have sent out the obligatory annual newsletter apprising everyone of my address and phone numbers.)

Now, my immediate family does read this blog.  My mom, Gaylon, Kendall, his fiance Lishi and Faith usually read it voluntarily.  Alex reads it if I threaten him.  He has Facebook friends to talk to, after all.  Some of Kendall’s friends read my blog, and I am pretty sure several of my homeschool mom friends read this blog.

I do have a huge, accidental readership, though.  Back in September, when we were preparing for Alex’s “Victorian Themed Birthday Party” I decided to blog about the research I had done on Victorian clothing, and how it differed from Edwardian clothing.  I titled that post “Victoria vs. Edward”.  Well, apparently if you are a Twilight fan, you will spend a lot of time Googling those names and coming to my blog.  I have gotten literally hundreds of “hits” from all over the world from people Googling those names!!  Sorry, guys!  Just a conservative, Catholic homeschool mom here.

But, I digress.  I was discussing why I didn’t send out my customary Christmas newsletter with some sort of year-in-review.  Well, the other reason was that I didn’t have much to say.  One year ago, we really thought we knew exactly where God was leading us, and what we would be doing.  Now, that year has passed, and we only know one thing for sure:  we don’t have a

Alex at the Piano in His Victorian Tux

clue!!  Gaylon is still working in Texas, the rest of us are still living in North Carolina.  Our house has not sold. (Duh)  In fact, we only had ONE couple come to look at it, throughout the entirety of 2009, and that was back in January.  Yes, of course we will try again in 2010.  We have to.  And yes, my mother still lives with us.  We love her, and hope she will stay with us forever.  So, those are the questions we usually get asked.  For the stuff you didn’t know to ask:

Gaylon. . . loves working for Network Plumbing in Merkel, Texas, but of course he misses his family and wishes we could all be
together.  He comes home about every 3 weeks.  (Note:  I think he does a lot more ranching than plumbing, but that’s just my
personal observation!)

Kendall. . . is now a Senior at  University of North Carolina, Asheville.  He is majoring in Journalism.  Last February he became engaged to the beautiful and delightful Alicia Skojec, and they plan to marry next summer (2010).  We are thrilled for them!

Alex. . . is a Senior in High School, and is still homeschooled.  He has not done much acting this year, but has really focused on his piano and guitar, and is excelling at both.  He is very active in his church youth group and is looking forward to going with them to the March For Life in Washington, D.C., next month.

Faith. . .is a domestic goddess in the making!  She won three ribbons at the Western North Carolina State Fair in September.  Two 2nd place ribbons for a denim, appliqued jumper that she sewed, and for a crocheted scarf, and a 3rd place ribbon for a quilt.  We took a couple of quilting classes this Fall, and she is really, really good at quilting. (Me, not so much! LOL) She also got her own sewing machine and has been sewing amazing things.  She is a fantastic cook, as well.  She also taught herself to

Faith Shows Off Her Herbal Preparations

knit and has turned out some really pretty knitted scarves and pillows. We have been studying herbal remedies this year, and Faith has done a lot of work wildcrafting and preparing her own herbal remedies.  She is in 7th grade this year, and is still homeschooled.  She loves to read, especially Fantasy and Sci-Fi.  Her brothers have been happy to loan her all of their books.

Valarie. . . still loves “documenting the dead” (Genealogy) and homeschooling. I am also still working on some writing projects, that I might actually carve time out for this new year.  I am forever trying to lose weight, and nope, it’s not working.  But alas, I shall start anew in a couple of days with (hopefully) renewed vigor and commitment!

So, there is our year in review.  It has blessedly passed by quickly, and we are praying very hard that this year, our house will sell, and we will get to all be together again.  Because, even though we could have sent out a newsletter bragging on our kids in depth, the truth is that this has been a very difficult year, and we really are glad it’s over.  In fact, it’s been, overall, a pretty rotten decade.  We are praying a LOT that the next year/decade will be infinitely better. We appreciate any prayers on our behalf, and please know that we pray for our friends and family regularly, whether we hear from you, or not.

Happy 2010!!

For a couple of years, in what seems like such a long time ago, we went to see the Asheville Ballet perform The Nutcracker every year at Christmas.  Alex danced with them for two years as Fritz, and one year he doubled up as one of the Chinese, as well.  Faith danced with them one year, too, as one of the lovely party guests in the first scene.  What I actually remember most about that particular year is that I almost never got the hairpiece attached to Faith’s hair, because it was too short to pull into a bun that year, and that I ran into Andi McDowell in the hallway outside of the dressing rooms, and she asked me where she might find a water fountain.  Those were fun, whirlwind times, full of stress and chaos, but great memories, nonetheless.

Well, Alex has tendinitis and can’t do much dancing these days, but we all thought it would be wonderful to see the Nutcracker again, this time as mere spectators.  So, tonight we will go to see the Moscow Ballet’s performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker up in Asheville.  I don’t know for sure about the rest of my family, but I am looking forward to it soooo much!  I love the ballet.  This has been an unbelievable stressful year, and I love the thought of being able to “escape” from the reality of our crazy world, for just a couple of hours, to enjoy a delightful fantasy.

Soon, it will be a new year, that I pray will be significantly more promising that this past one has been.  But tonight, I will step inside a time machine, and travel back to a time when things were so much more lovely and magical!

We have five cats who graciously allow us to live here with them.  There are a few rules by which we must live, to keep peace in their world.  These rules serve, for the most part, to keep us entertained.  For example, when we go to the refrigerator to get ice, we are required to share.  Bonnie, our Pekingese, comes running, along with Stella, Faith’s kitten, and Pippin, my cat.  They want ice, too.  Bonnie eats it.  Bonnie eats anything that won’t eat her first, actually.  Stella and Pippin like to chase the ice.

More often than not, I have cats trying to get into the shower with me, as well.  Piewacket, Anastasia, and Pippin have all gotten into the shower with me, and love to stand on the edge of my bathtub and stare at me in the shower.  Yeah, it’s a bit unnerving.

Pippin and Anastasia love to jump up on my desk and plant themselves firmly and directly between me and my computer keyboard.  So, I have to stop whatever I am doing, and pet them.  Then I have to further delay my scheduled activities to wipe all of the fur off of my computer screen and my desk.

Pippin (the cat who has claimed me exclusively as his own) has to tuck me into bed every night.  He stands on my chest, nuzzles my ear with his wet little nose, and purrs loudly.  Then, he suddenly jumps down to the floor and heads off into the night.  If I have the poor manners to go to bed and shut him out of my room, he literally beats on my bedroom door until I get up and let him in, so that he can tuck me in.  This little ritual gets short-circuited when Gaylon is home.  He thinks it is absolutely ludicrous to get out of a soft, comfy, warm bed to let a cat in.  Or out.  Which, in all honesty, is not completely fair to Pippin, since Pippin does try to tuck Gaylon in, too, when he’s here.  Gaylon just doesn’t seem to appreciate the gesture as much as I do.

Faith’s kitten, however, has presented us with a challenge we’ve never had to deal with before.  Let me give some background information, first.  Stella Luna is only about 5 months old.  She is very small, and we think she will probably always be quite tiny.  She is faster than any creature that we have ever encountered.  I’m not entirely convinced that she can’t fly!  Well, yesterday, she seemed bent on showing us her climbing skills.  I cannot begin to tell you how shocking it is to look up and see a ten-foot Christmas tree shaking!  We couldn’t even see the cat, because she was deep inside the tree, climbing straight up the middle of it, about halfway to the top! (Please refer to diagram for further clarification!)   That’s a first for our family.  We’ve never had a cat climb any of our Christmas trees.

So, we set the water bottle on “stun”, and sprayed her.  Our packages are all water-stained, and I’m just praying we don’t end up causing damage to the lights, or worse. . .

And, she seems to be  very slow learner.  She climbed up that tree three times in one day!! Thankfully, only one ornament has been broken thus far.  We definitely cannot leave her out if we’re not here.  No telling what we might find when we got home, but I’m thinking it would be something horrific, and of Biblical proportions!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much horror in our world, I am grateful to have at least one day out of the year to just focus on blessings. I am grateful, most of all, for my Husband, my Children, and my Mother. Running a very close 2nd are all of my wonderful and amazing friends who have supported, comforted, and lifted me up in prayer over this past year. I would surely be in a padded cell by now, if it weren’t for them!

We are headed out in a couple of hours to our friend, Tiffany Galozzi’s home, where we are going to enjoy her wonderful cooking and hospitality. Woo Hoo! Then, tomorrow, we start decorating the house for Christmas, and finish the day up at the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert down in Greenville.

So, today I am going to start baking homemade rolls for Thanksgiving.  We are going to be at a friend’s home this year (Thanks, Tiffany!) so I don’t have to actually prepare the entire meal, which is so nice!  And, there will be about twelve people, so that will be really nice, too.  I really prefer Thanksgiving when there are a lot of folks to enjoy it with.

We are also going to be cleaning house today and tomorrow, because this weekend, we will be putting up all of our Christmas decorations!  So, I am thinking about the Holidays, and how fast they seem to be racing toward us.  It will all be here (and then gone!) before I know it.

Faith’s friend, Anamarie, said something the other day that really made me think. I have not looked forward to celebrating Christmas for a very long time, because it seems like we are always so short on money when it rolls around, no matter how much I’ve saved for it during the year.  (This year, for example, I have had to dump almost $1000 into my car in the past WEEK!  That was Christmas money.  Now, it’s just a painful memory. )

But, back to Anamarie.  I was driving the girls somewhere, and she pipes up in her adorable little twelve-year-old voice and says “I can’t wait for Christmas!”  And I said “Really?  Why?  What is it that you enjoy most about Christmas?”  I wasn’t being sarcastic in any way.  I really wanted to know.  Sometimes it is just so nice to get a glimpse of the world through the eyes of a child.  It’s almost always a nicer place than I tend to think it is. Well, she explained that she loves putting up the tree, and opening presents, and getting to go to both of her grandmother’s homes for more presents and for yummy food.  Hmm.  I remember feeling excited about those things.  It was a long, long time ago.  Somehow that excitement has gotten away from me over the years.

Okay, I don’t mean to be on a total downer here.  I am merely taking an honest assessment.  And, yes, I am very well aware of the fact that Christmas is not supposed to be about all that stuff, but that all of that stuff is supposed to be about Christmas.  The birth of the Savior of the world, the Christ Child.  And we do things every year to remind ourselves of that fact, to celebrate and focus on that meaning.  We light the Advent Candles every evening, and pray together as a family.  We go to Daily Mass more often, and we attend special church services.  We celebrate Wigilia, and go to Midnight Mass.  And don’t get me wrong:  I *LOVE* those things!  But I still find it very difficult to get in the mood when the time comes.

But this year, I am really going to try, really hard, to focus on the *spirit* of the season, and not worry about all the rest of it.  Yes, I would really love a big family Thanksgiving or Christmas, where all my family joined us and we had this wonderful time together, then all went to church together.  I would love to feel a sense of hopefulness about the future of our country.  I would love to think that our house is about to sell!   But none of those things are real.  What is real, though, is God, and the blessings that He has given us.  So, I am focusing on the blessings, and on being Thankful for them, as we Head for the Holidays.

I hate being sick!  I have dodged the flu for years now, but have not been so lucky this year.  I have the flu, and I hate it.  No, I don’t think it’s the “swine flu”, and even if it was, I wouldn’t care.  I am not really into all the propaganda.  The flu is the flu is the flu.  Who really cares what strain it is?  Just so long as it goes away, right?

Faith and Alex had it about ten days ago, now Mom and I have it.  Kendall hasn’t gotten it, which is amazing, because he definitely burns both ends of the candle and never gets enough rest.  He has been taking awesome care of all of us, though, tucking Faith in for me, bringing Sprite and stuff from the store on his way home, and even kept his phone on all night so I could call him if I needed anything last night.  I’m just down the hall, but with a 103 degree fever, a phone call is definitely easier!  Thankfully I didn’t need to call.

So, yeah.  I’m sick, and I’m sick of being sick.  Faith and I are supposed to go to Homeschool Day at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute over in Rosman on Thursday.  Gaylon is flying in on Friday.  Yeah. . . I have GOT to start feeling better!!

This absolutely cracked me up!!!  If you homeschool, then you’ll love it.  If you have issues with homeschooling, please watch closely. . . twice.

Like most moms, I think my kids are pretty amazing.  But I have to say that Alex and Faith are outdoing themselves, as I type.  I am upstairs, Photoshopping old family photographs and working on my new Genealogy Website.  Alex is downstairs, playing piano. I love listening to him play as I work on my computer, cook dinner, or whatever.  His songs are beautiful and haunting, and somehow, his music turns the mundane chores of my daily life into something holy and perfect.

But this afternoon is different.  It is better than I ever thought it could be.  Alex is giving Faith notes to play on her violin, while he plays piano, and she is sitting on the floor, beside the piano, eagerly gliding her bow across her strings, as he writes down the notes for her on a piece of paper he found.  I can hear them discussing their composition, talking about which notes are best, and how long to hold them. He is teaching her music theory as they work.  It is more precious than I can express.

Yes, there is a God, and He is amazing beyond my ability to describe.  Perhaps His perfection is best experienced in the song of my children.  Not only are my children playing a beautiful song together, they are putting my world in perfect harmony with each note they play.

I have been so busy lately, that I haven’t even had time to check my email, much less blog.  Faith and I have been trying to figure out why we are so much busier this school year than we have been in the past, and we really aren’t sure.  Maybe it’s the quilting, or the violin.  Who knows?  At any rate, we have been moving at the supersonic speed of life, and I am taking a few moments (that I really shouldn’t spare!) to do a little ‘catch-up’ on here!

Faith entered three items in the Western North Carolina State Fair this year: a appliqued denim jumper, a crib quilt, and a crocheted scarf.  She got 2nd Place Ribbons for the jumper and the scarf, and third place for the quilt!  I am so proud of her.  When I was her age, I didn’t know anybody who could sew or crochet or quilt who was under the age of, say, 110!  And I certainly didn’t have any friends who entered crafts in the County Fair!

We have also started “Quilting 102″, and it already seems like it is going to be a lot of fun.  In the midst of all the sewing and quilting, we picked up a bushel of apples, and have put up a run of apple butter, applesauce and pie apples.  Mom has baked and frozen several apple pies, and we have been enjoying fresh baked apple crisps, pies, and cakes almost every night.  (Yeah, I really need to get back on that treadmill!)

L-R: Kendall, Lishi, Faith, Alex, Valarie & April

Alex started classes at Blue Ridge, and that is keeping him really busy.  He is also still taking French from a private tutor, and that  seems to be going really well.  She assures me he’s doing great, anyway!  I have always thought French sounded like someone trying to speak with a mouthful of oatmeal, but that is, indeed, what Alex sounds like, so I’m guessing that’s a good thing?   In his spare time, he is working at the Outback and has just joined “Company” at the Flat Rock Playhouse. We had a really cool birthday party for him this year, too.  He decided he wanted a “Victorian Era Theme Party”, so we all dressed up like we were from that time, and had a blast!  We got a couple of cool family pictures, while we were at it. (I just wish Gaylon had been here.)

Kendall has been staying busy with his Journalism studies, and finally got interested in doing something with the blog he set up almost a year ago.  He hasn’t done a LOT with it yet, but it’s coming.  He is finally talking about it, and making plans, which is a huge step!  Check him out and leave some encouragement: Kendall Brooks, Unedited.

I am trying to find time to work on a genealogy website that I have been playing with for about a year, myself.  Hopefully, I will get some time this year.  I really have some great ideas, just no time to implement them.  But, hopefully I’ll get it up and running soon!

Anyway, that’s the update.  I have to get moving now, because Faith and I are headed to Mary Jo’s Fabric Store in Gastonia today, on our way to pick Gaylon up at the aiport!  Yay!

This made me cry, and I don’t even like Rap or Hip Hop.  But wow. . .it is really powerful. I am so glad blacks are sending out messages like this, because most abortion victims are black.  Tell me it’s not a racist movement . . .

Faith and I have been taking a quilting class, as part of our homeschool studies this semester, and we are almost done. It has been a lot of fun, and we have both learned so much! Well, the other night, as Faith was finishing up her quilting homework for the week, her new kitten, StellaLuna decided to help out a bit. It was way too cute, so I took a picture.

Stella, The Quilting Kitten

I have learned a little something about clothing style recently.  At least, about Victorian clothing style, what it is, and, by definition, what it is not.  Let me explain.  Alex has decided to have a Victorian Era Theme Party for his 17th birthday party next month.  We will have Victorian Era food and Parlour Games, and everyone is encouraged to dress the part.

Victorian Clothing ca 1874

Well, this may come as a surprise, but I simply don’t have any Victorian-style clothing in my closet!  I do, however, have one very nice British Overcoat, a la ‘Captain Hook’, and one Gypsy dress.  But not a thing that would pass muster with Queen Victoria.  I had an idea, I thought, of what Victorian clothing looked like, but upon consulting Wikipedia, I discovered that what I was actually thinking of was Edwardian.  I was picturing things from movies like Mary Poppins, or Titanic.  Nope.  I was wrong.

The Victorian Era is generally agreed to have lasted during the reign of Queen Victoria, from June 1837 until January 1901.  So, basically, in our country, at least in terms of fashion, think: Civil War and Wild West!  As an interesting side note: I saw on the History Channel some time ago that there were more patents taken out for sexual devices during the Victorian Era than at any other time in history.  Don’t get excited.  They were for devices that would prevent sexual activity, not enhance or encourage!

Incidentally, the Edwardian Era barely lasted a decade, spanning the time from Victoria’s death in 1901 to the death of King Edward VII in 1910.

I am looking forward to Alex’s party.  I do hope that everyone is able to dress up for it.  Most of his friends are into Drama and acting, so I think they will be very much into playing ‘dress up’ and participating in the Parlour Games.

We are beginning our 15th year of Homeschooling this year!  Wow.  It seems like it was just a few days ago that I first started teaching phonics to Kendall and Ryan.  Time has flown.  Kendall started his 3rd year of college yesterday, and Alex will start his first year of college classes on Thursday, thanks to the Dual Enrollment option here in North Carolina.

So this is going to be a very different year, with both boys in college.  Alex and I will be studying some stuff at home, namely 20th Century History, and he will be taking French again with Mrs.  U.  At the college, he will be taking College Algebra, Expository Writing, and JAVA Programming.  To top it all off, he will be working several nights a week at the Outback, where he just got hired on as a bus boy.

Kendall will be working on “The Blue Banner” this year, as part of his Journalism degree requirement.  “The Blue Banner” is the school newspaper for UNC-Asheville.  He is really excited about it, and I am anxious to see some of his stuff in print.  He will also be starting new job in a couple of weeks, and is looking forward to having a steady income this winter.

Faith and I actually started schooling a couple of weeks ago, on a very laid back schedule.  Next week will be a “full” week.  This year, in addition to the regular school subjects (History, Math, Science, Latin, Language Arts, Religion) she is also taking violin lessons and we are taking a quilting class together.  So, it promises to be a very exciting and fulfilling year.

This is from Catholic Online.  I think it’s excellent.

Dear Mr. Obama: An American Mom Writes President Obama
By Jennifer Hartline
8/14/2009

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) – I have in front of me a letter I received from you in response to a letter I wrote to you regarding abortion in the U.S. You thanked me politely for taking the time to share my views on abortion and said, “This is a heart-wrenching issue.”
I just haven’t been able to get one little question out of my mind since reading your letter. Why?

Why is it heart-wrenching? Why would my heart be rent by making a perfectly legal and morally acceptable choice to have an abortion? Why should anyone’s heart be torn by this choice? The highest law of our land says that there is nothing wrong with choosing abortion. If no law is being broken, why should my heart or anyone’s heart be troubled?

In the short time you’ve been President, you have strategically worked to expand abortion access around the country. In fact, you promised in your campaign that your first task upon taking office would be to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would eliminate virtually every existing restriction on abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and even lift the ban on partial-birth abortion. (You said you considered that one a legitimate medical procedure.)

I’m trying to understand, Mr. Obama, but it just doesn’t make any sense. Why would you work so methodically to increase the occurrence of something so heart-wrenching?
As a woman, I can testify to the fact that when I make decisions to protect my privacy or the autonomy of my body, there’s nothing heart-wrenching about it. I am not the least bit torn or conflicted about defending myself in those ways. Indeed, it is my body – the one God gave me and the one He expects me to care for wisely and honorably. My body – like yours – was made to be holy.

If the choice to “terminate a pregnancy” through abortion is merely about a woman’s right to privacy and autonomy, there should be nothing difficult about it at all. If there are no grounds to declare it illegal, inhumane, or morally wrong, then indeed there should be no conflict of the heart whatsoever.

But you and I both know that is not the case, because you and I both know quite well that there is something very, very morally wrong with abortion.

No one can pretend the other person in this equation doesn’t exist. No one – not even you – can deny that abortion ends a human life. Whether the medical profession classifies that person as an embryo, a fetus, or a newborn, the indisputable fact is we’re talking about a new human being. Not an eggplant or a seahorse. This person is not an extension of her mother’s body, but a distinct, separate individual with her own body and soul.

Abortion does not tear the mother’s body limb from limb, or burn her body with chemicals, or suction her body into a vacuum, or stab a hole in her skull and suction out her brains. Abortion does all these hideous things to another human being. That is the reality of this wretched “choice.”

No thinking, civilized person can deny it. We all know in our hearts, in the depths of our souls that abortion kills a human person. There is a very strange and powerful sort of delusion going on, then, for that is the only way to explain how so many people can stubbornly, arrogantly and blindly cling to the notion that abortion is legitimate “reproductive health care” and a “right” of all women.

I ask you again: what is so heart-wrenching about availing myself of legitimate reproductive health care?

Those who demand abortion rights must constantly prop up the illusion in their minds that they’re not hurting anyone or doing anything wrong. It helps their cause to use more palatable language, like “terminating a pregnancy” rather than killing a baby. (Mr. President, I’ve been pregnant four times and I can assure you that every single time, I was pregnant with a baby. The only way to terminate a pregnancy is to terminate the baby.)

Ah, the baby… could that be the source of all the heart-wrenching? But we’ve already decided we’re not going to even acknowledge the humanity of the baby, so what’s the problem? Just get rid of the unwanted tissue already and be done with it.

“Pro-Choice” advocates must continually shout the mantra of “women’s rights” in order to keep from thinking about the mangled little body lying on the instrument table after the “procedure.” If they stop for even a moment to consider the actual results of abortion, all arguments for its legality would necessarily collapse in a heap around them. No one with an ounce of humanity could stomach this gruesome brand of “medicine” without the protection of narcissistic and evil delusions of choice and rights.

The enemy of every human soul has deceived and deluded us into rationalizing the unjustifiable murder of our own children. You are being deceived, Mr. President, by the father of lies. The prince of darkness has persuaded many of us to reject our natural instinct to protect our young. He has convinced too many women that they can simply destroy their own child and walk away unscathed. It is not so. Abortion leaves only a trail of death and despair. It is not freedom for women; it is bondage to brokenness.

You now stand in a position to set in motion changes to our nation that may last for decades or longer. You can either use the power in your hands for life or for death. I grieve to think that you will persist in your path of death for our country; that my children will inherit the destructive fruits of all that you seem intent on pursuing. I beg you to hear the truth, to hear the cry of the voiceless little ones. I beg you to choose life.

Do not include abortion funding in your health care reform. The purposeful death of a human being can never be considered health care. Do not continue to demand that our nation’s collective tax dollars be spent on the mass-killing of the unborn. The truth is laid out before you in the purest light; without shadows, without doubt. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

There is nothing heart-wrenching about choosing life, Mr. President. No shame, no regrets, nothing lost. Only blessings gained. I continue to pray for you, that you will have the courage to protect all human life, especially the weakest and most defenseless. I pray that you will use your position of power to bring life – not death – to our nation. I pray that the Lord of Life and Prince of Peace will bless you and guide you and that you will welcome His revealing light. Choose life, Mr. President. It is the only way we will survive.

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Jennifer Hartline is a Catholic Army wife and stay-at-home mother of three precious kids who writes frequently on topics of Catholic faith and daily living. She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online