I was at the computer when this entourage came through the kitchen door tonight.

 Christopher created this little cabin tonight.

All the kids love Sometimes I wonder if there he has a teeny little bit of pleasure in watching mama take a deep breath when he has a spit up...

I am soooo blessed! 

So Strong!

Newest additions (even newer than Peter) to the family:  From top to bottom:  Orangey, Whitey Ploppanoma, and Dotty.

Cousin Linda came to visit (along with Cousin Jimmy, Grant, and Meghan, too).

We started school again on October 12, after taking a break for Peter's birth.

Reading Curriculum: Sing Spell Read Write.  Christopher is on Step 12 (of 36) on his way to reading fluently.  He just finished reading the short "o" vowel sound book a few minutes ago in his free time! He is learning the new words and decoding unfamiliar words much more easily, and he is intuitively reading words for which he doesn't know the rules. 

Natalie is formally learning her uppercase letters, although she knows most of them.  She can now correctly write "A".

Math:  Christopher is on Lesson 57 of Right Start Math.  He is comfortable adding and subtracting simple math, and can do some double digit problems in his head. RSM He understands 10s and 100s and 1000.    We also do Math Reasoning from the Critical Thinking Company, and he has many favorite KUMON books which support and enhance math concepts.

Natalie loves to play with math manipulatives while Christopher is doing math, and she is working through Beginning Math Reasoning from the Critical Thinking Company.   She is counting objects, and can do simple addition, finish patterns, making inferences from pictures, and matching She also is learning to write her numbers (KUMON), and has some cutting, pasting, folding, and maze books she enjoys (more KUMON).

Literature:  Peak With Books.  The book we have been enjoying for two weeks in depth is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  Christopher read it after hearing it a few times and Natalie will "read" it, also complete with panting dramatically after "Here comes g all out of bwef (breath)".  So cute.  I love the questions and extra games included in this program.  My favorite is a poster of a coconut tree for each child, and I post messages at the top of each tree for the children (I tell them the letters arranged themselves into words).  This has motivated Christopher to begin writing notes to the whole family, which I greatly enjoy.

Science:  We are still working through Fizzy Foamy Science, which is great fun, but I am beginning to wonder how many ways you can mix baking soda and citric acid...  I feel that I must finish it, though.

Art:  Our co-op teacher has followed our theme of "God made me special."  "God put me in a family."  "God put me in a local church community."  "God put me in a global church community."  Christopher has done a self-portrait, and a city scape of our house, with windows opening up to portraits of our family.  Natalie has done rainbow people around the world, hand print art, and other fun projects.  At home, we have made playdough, and sculpted and painted mama and baby bears and turtles.

Music;  Christopher takes piano lessons and is working through Leila Fletcher book 1.  We sing a lot, and listen to music a lot.  In co-op we are learning about duration, and reading rhythms including quarter notes and half notes.  The older children are pre-composing with re-arranging flash card rhythms, and playing them with different instruments.  Both children, Christopher in particular listen to music incessantly, and memorizes all the tunes to their CD number.   

We also attended Sound All Around  sponsored by the Philadelphia Orchestra, hosted by Charlotte Blake Allston, an award-winning story-teller, and by a member of the orchestra, who gets his or her instrument up close to the kids.  Excellent presentation on the trumpet this time.

Wood shop!  Today we had fun going to Lowes and assembling a Frankenstring magic trick.  I was impressed at the project's appropriateness for little kids, while still allowing them to work with a hammer and nails.  Very cool.  Both children completed their projects successfully without too much adult intervention. 

Physical Education:  Both children take Gymnastics weekly, and are learning (in the very beginning stages) tumbling, trampoline, balance beam, parallel bars, and the other bar thingy. (:  They have only done rings once or twice.

Peter's main accomplishment has been to learn how to nurse without torturing Mommy, and he continues to nurse, pee, poop, and grow.  We are still hoping he will learn how to sleep longer naps and in his own crib, but he is getting better each week.

Mommy is learning how to manage all three children.  I have discovered that when I am homeschooling, my other to do list must stay very short.  I can only get one other thing done per day, so my data entry project is not finished, which means that Peter's birth announcements are languishing as I refuse to handwrite another mailing when I am so "close" to completing merging John's and my address lists.  Sigh.

All for now!

Coming Home

Loving Daddy

Happy Mama

Awesome Big Sister

Happy Brithday to my favorite father-in-law.  Of course you are the only one, but if all of the fathers-in-law were put into a group and I could have my pick, I would snatch you up again.  Today we celebrate the gift of your life, for which I am grateful to be a part.

Almost nine years ago you generously welcomed me into your family with an open mind and heart, and a good dose of teasing.  I enjoy your company, for you are easygoing and friendly, interesting and astute, unassuming and human, kind and generous, and honest and humorous.  I treasure your positive relationship with our children, and thank-you for the many trips you have made to the east coast to spend time with us.

I love to watch you grow all kinds of things--Meme's roses and cherry tomatoes, our Princeton elm, cherry tree, arbor vitae, and red-bud, not to mention all our foliaged friends in Baltimore.  John is continuing your tradition by making our garden more beautiful each year.

By far, your greatest contribution in growing things has been to raise two amazing human beings, John Harold and Laurie Charlotte.  Laurie is one incredibly talented and warm-hearted human being, whose grace and class have been and are a great blessing to me.  John is simply one of the finest men I have ever met, and I am so deeply thankful and blessed to be his wife.  He scores in the 99th percentile in the National Standardized Husbanding Test, which you may have not heard about, but you will soon, as Obama is encouraging Congress to introduce legislation requiring all husbands to take this test in a measure proposing to increase marital happiness across the board, which is expected to stimulate the sluggish economy.

In the past you have dismissed your part in raising your children, but I must reject your dismissal.  The apple does not rall far from the tree, and I see in John the substantive qualities you have exemplified, of which I am the daily beneficiary.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the person you are.

I raise my glass (don't worry--it's full of seltzer) to wish you a very happy birthday and a wonderful coming  year!

Love,
Lori

Just wrote a friend, and thought I'd share the narrative about our kids

...The kdis seem so extreme.  One minute, Christopher and Natalie are getting the washcloths out of the closet and carrying them around in bins or making crazy animal noises with their tongues hanging out  (don't ask, because I don't know), and the next minute, Christopher is cleaning up a trail of a mess made while carrying in the car mat that is holding the strawberry smoothie that didn't stay in the cup while we were catching dinner on the run while driving home late from taking Daddy to the Esperanza board meeting so we could see him before he flies to Seattle tomorrow...  Truly, Chrisotpher cleaned the whole thing up--and did a good job, too.   The other day I got a parking ticket, and he put a bunch of coins by my bed to make me feel better (I think to help pay for it).

Natalie played so patiently with Christopher today--there were 100 mathlink cubes he had chosen to play with, and he gave her about 25 to play with.  She asked for the pink ones nicely, twice, and got "No thank-you".  Then she tried to trade with him... Again, "No thank-you".  Then she continued playing happily, and finally observed, without any trace of discontent, "He has a lot, and I only have a little."  I sat down with her, and played with her, and praised her for being content and not demanding that he share more and more.  She said, "I'm holding in my scweeches!"  

I also discussed with her how it feels when someone is not sharing equitably...and what she might do when she is in charge of a toy.  Suddenly, Christopher began dumping more cubes in her space.  She was so happy she gave him some more.  It was a beautiful moment...

Love,
Lori

I hate to admit it, but things went so smoothly after our initial LoveDown that I got a bit lax again.  By Sunday, I think there was a little more sassiness in responses to parents, more sluggish listening to parents, more complaining, more greed, more dissatisfaction.  Last night my wake up call was when I was on the phone with my sister, and heard the children respectively hollering commandingly about what must be done, and responsive explosive shrieking about perceived victimization and oppression.  I have also noticed the creeping disrespect and distancing from Christopher that is surely more dangerous and distressing than shrieking and hollering.  Sigh.

When will I learn?  At least the children are consistent in their response to my inconsistency.  I wish I could be that consistent (let's reward Mommy with her inconsistency by bossing, shrieking and not considering each other.  Every time. Let's add really sluggish obedience and pretend like we can't hear her voice when it's not about icecream, too, and so on).   Maybe they will train me to be a more faithful mom!

Last week, I also got up about 15 minutes earlier to work on paperwork--my Life Nemesis.  Amazingly, I finished an annual project in about 7 days of teeny bits of time before the kids get up.  Normally this project is something that I procrastinate for months, hating it all the while, and usually tempts--I said tempts--me to swear while I am at it.  It's done--packaged, and ready to go.  I have to consider seriously whether or not this 15 minute earlier rule should be implemented as a regular way of life to manage this despised abominable dismal portion of my life called "information management".  

This little habit also pushed my daily devotions later and shorter, by default.  It also helped me to be more consistent with my devotions, but they were less meaningful.

This morning, after my wake-up call last night, I did my devotions first, and what a blessing it was to sit at Jesus' feet and pour out my troubles to Him, repent of my sins, and receive His grace.   I then did my paperwork, and still got the kids up in time to spend about 15 minutes with Christopher just talking and snuggling, and finding out what is in his heart these days.  What a blessing to fbe restored and joyful.

After Christopher left for the historic farm camp he is attending this week, I had some time to restore Natalie to her pleasant self by having do chores until she could obey cheerfully and happily.  We are in harmony again.

Thank-you, Jesus.  Help us to walk in You--the Light--while we still have breath.  Help me to be faithful, and not become lazy so quickly.  Thank-You for using our children to face me up to my responsibilities and to my weakness of character, so that I might grow stronger and more graceful.

Yesterday I took the children to the airport.  It was a Christopher-designed celebration for his learning his Bible memory verses in his long-term memory.  We took the R1 train down to the airport, and visited each terminal, especially the B terminal, where we like to look at the different floors in the Marriott.  They have a great view of the airfields from the higher floors.   We ate at the Eurocafe in the international terminal, and the kids really liked the circular benches they have there.   We visited every terminal, bumming rides off the economy parking shuttles to get from place to place (for Mommy's sake).  A very important part of the trip was to take the R2 back to 30th Street Station.  Christopher was somewhat disappointed to find that the R2 train is really the R1 train, it's just that the return trip goes to Warminster, so it's called the R2.  He took it in stride, and we all had a lovely day.  Now Natalie wants some trips to celebrate her memory work, too.  Hmmmm.....

The kids and I dropped off two saxophone ligatures at John's colleague's office for our friend, Dr. Oathokwa in Botswana, whose son plays sax and cannot acquire one easily there.  Thank-you to Judy and Heather for being so kind to manage this for me.

We've had a productive and quiet day today.  By the time we finished gymnastics class, I was really exhausted and having harder contractions.  I just laid on the couch for almost two hours while the kids had snack, a piano lesson, and played nicely together for all that time.  This is when I feel like all that hard work in improving patience and consistency is worthwhile.  I do hope I will not have to go on bedrest--so far the doc says we're good.  My mom is after me to go for a second check up tomorrow because the contractions are getting harder.   I really don't want to, because we have the party to prepare for on Saturday, and I still have to pull some things together for Father's Day---(: (: (:  I think I'll take it easy and see how I do tomorrow.

Our LoveDown is not as dramatic as I had supposed it might be, but the increased consistency is paying off.  We have fewer tantrums and bickering.  I am less frustrated.  The children are handling themselves better, especially in public, and I am so very thankful.  We still have a long way to go--me as a mom and a person, and they also have a long journey ahead.  I am so thankful that God is patient with me, and I am trying to be patient with them also.

Today was a slow day.  I was exhausted from staying up writing a difficult letter to a friend.  Everything seemed to go smoothly, outwardly, but I just sensed something under the surface as we went through our school day. At noon, it erupted in a bickering match while the children were cleaning up the play room.  I had them put away the train tracks several times, individually, and then together, until they were doing it without fighting.  It seemed to calm down after that, and they were very nicely behaved at the doctor's office, which is a great improvement.  They got silly during candy snack, but settled down to help me with making supper.  Natalie cut peppers, celery and herbs with a dinner knife while Christopher peeled and sliced the cucumbers (dinner knife) and collected and cut the herbs into little pieces (with kid scissors).  There was some difficulty setting the table and following instructions, but I followed through with both children.  Near supper time, I began to get a little frustrated and let it show in my voice and demeanor, although I remained pretty calm, I thought.

I would call it a weak win.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Well, today seems anticlimactic.  Yesterday, we had three long battles with Natalie over small things, which we kept up until she had given up and was her sweet self again.  

Yesterday, when we got back from BJs, Christopher offered to take all the groceries in--a very big job--because he is concerned that I am having contractions again, and he is interested in keeping the baby in Mommy's tummy for as long as possible.  At first I insisted that I help, but after one trip up the steps to the porch, I was having a rather hard contraction, so I let him do the work.  He was amazing.  Normally, he hates carrying groceries in, but he worked incessantly and enthusiastically without ceasing, until his work was done.  Natalie, who is normally my grocery-carrying trooper, slacked off a lot, and took some detours to our little playground.   Boy, did I feel cared for and loved!  I let him wear our medal of honor, and bragged up the cahoozies to Daddy when he came home.

Today seems anti-climactic.  I have had almost no opportunities for conflict, and have had a nice quiet day so far.  This (when things are going well) is when I tend to lose my vigilance and let things slide because I am so enjoying our awesome kids--and "how can I nitpick over this stupid little misdemeanor?!" mentality sets in, but it fools me every time.

I am enjoying our quiet summer.

Natalie (while eating a fruit popsicle):  Popsicles are the juiciest fing!

Christopher:  No, juice is the juiciest thing, because.... juice is juice, and....
      Juice is.....JUICE!

We have a glorious thunderstorm right outside our breakfast windows.  Instead of following our normal Bible routine, we turned all the lights off, and snuggled on the couch to watch the storm.  I printed out Bible verses about lightning and thunder, and we imagined the people of Israel at the bottom of the mountain watching the thunder and lightning.  We had a wonderful conversation about Ben Franklin. Here is a fun video we watched about lightning (video is the one at the bottom of the page).  Enjoy!

Okay, today is the first day of our "LoveDown"

What is a "LoveDown?"  Well, I have noticed that our children respond to consistency, but consistency is extremely hard to come by!  Here's how our family looks like sometimes:  We are consistent in our expectations for our children, and they respond beautifully by generally listening to us and getting along with each other.  I get comfortable (and lazy), and then little bad habits creep in.  I'm so impressed with how nice they are, I let them go, and pretty soon, we are dealing with monstrous habits that I have played direct accomplice to developing.   Then, forced by the misery the monstrous habits have wreaked in our home, we enforce a "CrackDown".  The problem is that repeated crackdowns seem really lame, not to mention horrendously unfair (by giving children a double standard), but the alternative is permissive parenting, and allowing them to be slaves to bad habits that will bring them pain with high stakes consequences in the future.   Sigh... 

So, I am working on a "LoveDown".  Which is basically the same thing as a crackdown, just with a  lot of love, fun, and smiles.

What do we do?

1.  Keep Natalie close to me 100 per cent of the time.   Keep Christopher in eye or ear shot 100 per cent of the time.

2.  Gently and cheerfully catch misdemeanors/attitudes before they grow into big ones.

3.  Expect them to listen to exactly what I say, every time, cheerfully and quickly.  When they don't, we press "Replay" and repeat the directive over until they are cheerfully and quickly listening exactly as I want them to.  Then we might add a few more directives to see if they are really willing to listen.  I am remaining calm, happy, loving, and affectionate, as well as having the resliency of an iron wall in the middle of it.  (: (: (:

4.  We are playing games, dancing, hugging, doing work or school, and having a pleasant time most of the time. 

Some specific things we are working on:

Natalie: 
Listening right away, all the way, without screeching.
Sitting quietly and cheerfully on my lap without being entertained or banging against me or crawling over my shoulder, or manipulating my hands forcefully.
Not screaming whenever Christopher displeases her--not rewarding in any way for screeching.
Saying "Please" and "Thank-you"

Christopher:
Following instructions without changing them
Not assuming the role of  Natalie's police

Mommy:
Putting the children as my first priority--they do NOT interrupt me!  They are more important than housework, food, laundry, phone calls, computer, etc.  I still do these other things, but my first job is to raise godly children wtih an internal moral compass and a spirit of grace--these other things are simply vehicles to teach them how to manage life along with me--they are not the main thing.

Remaining a loving, happy, calm, iron wall that is not phased by continuous testing of boundaries, but sees this testing as a wonderful opportunity to bring grace and truth to our children, and to provide them with the opportunity to choose wisely when tempted to give in to their foolishness and passions.

Expect her to listen every time, leaving other things go

Christopher spontaneously made up a recipe for "Chocolate Chip Dough Cookies"

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup flour

2 cups brown flour

1 cup baking soda

2 cups honey

1 cup sweet clover honey

1 cup red clover honey

1 cup white clover honey

2 cups buckwheat honey

1 cup tupelo honey

2 cups apple juice

2 cups chocolate chips

5 cups butterscotch chocolate chips

2 cups white chocolate chips

Cook for 40-60 minutes

Spread icing and eat!

Sounds yummy, huh!

Natalie made up a recipe for "Ginger Cookies"

Brown sugar

White sugar

Blue Sugar

Italian dressing

Eggs

Mix and cook first

Put it in dough

Then cook again, and

PUt it in the dough again.

EAT!

Wait until it cools off, and then put it in the oven!

Hmmmmm..... (:

My husband, John, and Christopher took a trip to Florida together.  Natalie is staying with me.

She appears to love having the full run of the house with no challenging elder-brother agendas to deal with.

We made ginger cookies yesterday, and added chocolate chips, just because she thought it would be a good idea (they taste GREAT!).

We played Hi Ho Cherrio-but she capped the basket of cherries with another basket, and made a maracca instead.

She gets to pick all the books and repeats as much as she likes.

I put her to bed with my scarf, which is so soft....

Tomorrow, Grandma is coming over.

Tuesday, we are going to BounceU!  AND Daddy and Christopher are coming back Tuesday evening! (:

I miss you both, and am looking forward to seeing you soon.  Natalie mentions you several times a day.

Around K-- halls, why do we always hear "Why?"
Because our son, Christopher, is a curious guy!
"Why do venus fly traps only trigger shut at the second step of a bug?"
"Why do solar storms give the north and south poles the scariest tug?"
"Why is the sky blue, and why does rain fall?"
"Why must I always come when I'm called?"

Around K-- halls, why are there always surprises?
Because our son Christopher is full of differences and disguises?
Yesteryear's froggie is today's jaguar or cat,
Or he disappears into nothing or nowhere, if you can imagine that!
Hiding things, changing spaces, doing the unexpected takes our guy happy places!

Around K-- halls, why do we always hear of a new present?
Because our generous guy finds giving so pleasant!
"Here Mommy, a penny, a maze just for you!"
"A dot-to-dot picture, and a milk shake to boot!"
"And these presents for Daddy, we'll save on the shelf,"
"And I'd like to let Natalie lick my birthday batter bowl all by herself!"

Curious, generous, loves to surprise,
Lord, how we are thankful for our special guy!
You've given a great world to explore his life through--
Guid his curious mind toward Goodness and Truth!

Your thoughts are not our thoughts--You're the Ultimate Surprise!
Who would have thought that Pure Life would choose to die?
And by dying, killed death so that Pure Love could rise?
And rising--surprising!--our redemption He'd buy!

What generous Love!  The Glorious Unexpected!
Lord, love our dear Christopher--by your power keep him protected!
Surprise him with Love; amaze him with joy!
Astound him with wonder; visit your salvation on our precious boy!

(by Mommy, January 12, 2009)

Our precious girl is growing up so fast.
She can do more each day than she did the last--
Birdie perches, tumbles, forwards and back,
Building the train station, laying the track,
Talking a blue streak, making jokes, too,
Our girl is fun up to Kalamazoo!

Using that potty, dressing herself,
And she can put her toys on the shelf!
Sorting silverware, wiping the table,
Rinsing the dishes, our big girl is able!

Don't big girls need a big God? we ask."
How thankful we are, our Lord is more than up to that task!
Watching, protecting, guiding our pearl,
Oh Lord, we trust You with our darling girl!

We praise Your power, Your Truth and Love,
Oh Lord, please guide her with grace from above!
Show our big girl what "big" really is:
You are Infinity!  Can we grasp how big that is???

Fill her big eyes with the immense power of your glory.
Fill her big heart with vast love from the Gospel story.
Fill her big mind with Your boundless wisdom and truth.
Fill her life with a big purpose from You!

(by Mommy, Dec.14, 2008)

While I was in DC this weekend, we were confronted with a huge sign that read, "3500 Abortions Daily".  In front of the sign were long red strips of plastic, upon which were placed 3500 tiny pairs of baby booties, baby shoes, and baby socks.  Attached to the little socks were letters written to aborted babies, by their grieving, healing mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and other relatives.  They read, "I'm so sorry!  Please forgive me.  I can't wait to hold you in heaven."  "Please forgive your mother.  We miss you."  A lady came up to me, and talked to me about the display.  "We are all women who have had abortions, and have experienced depression and pain, and we are here to share the healing we have received after our abortions, and also to tell the truth about the pain that abortion causes."  I am amazed and humbled by the stories of these incredible women.  I highly recommend their website to anyone who has ever regretted an abortion, or who is concerned about the welfare of women in the matter of abortion.

Three Cheers for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt and Bush who appointed him!!!  The American College of Obstretrics and Gynecology has been including threatening language in its licensing procedures, which would censor physicians who will not perform abortions.  Mike Leavitt advised them against this language, but they would not listen, and insisted they meant no harm to anyone (muwaaahahahaaaaaaaa).  So Mike asked for regulations to be drafted which enforce the three separate federal laws protecting a physician's right to follow his/her conscience!  Woo hoo!  You can read about it here!  A copy got leaked to the press before it was finalized, which caused a big brouhaha (in his previous post), but his clarity is refreshing.  Please write him an encouraging line, as many pro-abortionists are weighing in on the conversation.

I did weigh in myself, with the following letter in response to some of the negative posts:

This is not about preferences.  It is about morals.  Murder, to be exact.  Abortion to a pro-life conscience is the same as if the government forced physicians to terminate the life of any child three-years-old or less upon demand of his or her mother.  It would be an unconscionable, abominable, egregious breach of justice against the physician's conscience.  Not to mention that it would be an unconscionable, abominable, egregious breach of justice, period. 

We pro-lifers value life in all its stages, shapes, and sizes.  We believe human life is intrinsically valuable, not based on extrinsic traits accomplishments and the whims of the powerful. 

It is a fallacy to assume that abortion, per se, will actually bring the mother the happiness she pursues (beyond the initial sex act).  Countless women and men have suffered depression and grief over the loss of their babies through abortion, not to mention future infertility and other medical complications. 

There should be no debate about when life begins.  It clearly begins, sex/complete DNA at conception.  Is there anybody who really believes that a zygote is dead--that the little life has not inexorably begun, and will continue unless snuffed out by natural or unnatural means?  The question that people really  want to ask, is "When does personhood begin?"  Is it when we have consciousness?  When we can speak?  When we can respond? When we are wanted?  As you can see if we define personhood by traits or accomplishments or more dangerously by the desires of those in power, this is a very slippery slope, which brings many of our most inspiring and humanizing citizens in danger of extermination.

Pro-abortionists must come to the conclusion that either the human embryo is not a human being, which is debatable (because s/he is human and s/he "is").  If an embryo is a human life, then they have the uncomfortable position of saying that  mothers may kill their children wtih impunity, before a certain developmental stage.  Already, the idea that mothers should be allowed to kill their babies up to 40 days after birth is being discussed and disseminated in academic halls, which would have been unthinkable 40 years ago.  What unthinkables today will be reality 40 years from now, thanks to our current legal system and cultural environment?

History has shown us that any time a more powerful group decides that another less powerful group is not human or less than human, a travesty of justice on a massive scale occurs.  Look at Nazi Germany, which decided that Jews were not equal to other humans.  Look at our own country, when we decided that people of African descent were only worth 3/5ths of a human.  The biggest problem for unborn people is that they cannot speak up for themselves.  They are not seen.  Their dismembered and saline-burned bodies are buried in trash cans, and scurried away from public view.  At least a newborn can cry and look cute in a pruny sort of way.  The law has abandoned unborn people, and the medical field is power-reaching to demand that even every single physicians may not abstain from the blood bath! Who will speak up for the helpless?

If mothers, being more powerful than their unborn children, are legally able to exterminate their children from their wombs, and doctors are required by law and professional pressure to silence their consciences on the behalf of the powerful agenda of the pro-abortionists because of the weight of rearing children is too heavy for mothers to bear if they don't want to, it is only a matter of time before other care-givers will be given legal impunity for exterminating their dependents whose needs exceed their desires to care for them, starting with the elderly and infirm (such as Terri Schiavo, but I suspect it won't stop there). 

I understand that we people who love human lives in all its sizes and stages, have lost the legal battle to protect these little tiny people, and that people who love and inexorably pursue and applaud abortion have won the right to exterminate lives in the womb.  I am pleased, however, that Mike Leavitt has seen fit to promote the legal freedom of conscience for physicians who love life and do not wish to do any harm to our innocent members.

As a woman, who has delivered two children and is raising them (with my husband), I have had many OB/Gyn doctors, due to legislatively irresponsible liability insurance costs, and moving.  I have always looked for pro-life docs.  When I'm not able to find them, am sick and tired of being pressured to take invasive, risky tests to determine genetic diseases, for which there is no in-utero cure (except for a so-called "cure" of abortion).  It is offensive and rude to have a baby be 'welcomed" into this world by a physician who thinks that any child with a possible (not even real) defect would be better of dead.  Kudos to Secretary Mike Leavitt!