- - - the terrible three - - -

i received three terrible phone calls within the past month.

first, from matt larsen. i was at work, behind my desk in the early afternoon. he told me lauren and davi were at baylor hospital down town.... trying to keep the lil girl in.

second, from lauren woods. i was at home at home, about to leave for larsen's on a friday morning. she told me her father had taken his life.

third & today, from terese, my sister. i was with linds visiting larsen in rockwall. she told me she was bleeding through her pants at Ikea in frisco & was rushing to the hospital. she is 33 1/2 weeks prego.

the second doesn't compare with the other two, but no phone call of their nature are calming. . . and i deal with high-stress, emergency calls every day regarding children & possible "abuse" - - - and i am physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of handling those phone calls. those phone calls are the one's i am thankfully "soul-fully disconnected" to. i can handle (respond logically) to those.

but these i cannot.
so please. . . .no more bad phone calls.
just good ones.




may HIS peace be with us,

Galaxy Drive-In Movie

Noteworthy items from the Drive-In movie theatre :

• It is in Ennis, Texas. 30 Miles South
• Multiple people (men and women alike) adorn their heads with USA bandanas.
• Not only do cars attend the show, but also motor homes. many, many motor homes.
• Neon glow-in-the-dark palm trees are used as decoration.
• "I hunt and I vote" license plate holders are present.

Good times had by all at the drive in movies. I highly recommend it.



...and I (abby) want to add to this lovely blog, that we spent $6 for 2 movies...and on top of that, we purchased dip n dots that completely satisfied our dairy cravings... in beautiful weather.

about me, these days:

fighting through complacency.

learning about God's soverignty and love through life and death.

birth control.

recognizing and living in the goodness of christ inside of me, daily.

missing ccbc and the fort worth fellowship.

becoming ready for life change.

my role in my community.

a thankful heart.

learning how to cook vegetables.

http://aroyalallegiance.blogspot.com/

loving my iPhone (until the bill comes).

wondering where i will be in 3 years.

loving and missing Jack Bear, all day long.

acrylic nails.

excited to register.

tired of business, physically and emotionally.

love scott.

Jack/Lin Time

Jack Bear and Aunt Linnie Bear....going to bed...
He is so perfect, all swaddled up.
Jack Bear is my home boy :)

Jack Barrett Hanson

quoted from an email i just wrote to momma larsen:

"oh...good news---i was changing jacks diaper earlier today,on the floor. it was REALLY poopy. poopy so much that it got on his socks. (thats how new-at-diaper changing i am) ...but dont stop there, abby. jack started wizzing all over my hand, and i proceeded to scream and demanded laurel "i give up. youre turn" ---oooo, did he wiz even more.

ten minutes later, we realize that there is poo all over my dress. nothin like shout wipes....you wouldve loved it"

... i'd wear his poo any day!

it's about time...

lindsay and i are heading to norman tomorrow morning to see the hansons. laurel's been my best friend since we were neighbors at age 3. we used to run around the streets behind brentfield elementary (go bobcats!), play in my pool, play dress-up, and coordinate dance routines. i remember standing up for her when other little kids would make fun of her (okay, i didn't have to, but i would have). she wore a "patch" that covered her 3/4" thick glasses. the patch normally had a little drawing on it, like balloons or a care bear. she was a cutie. what's a patch you ask? well....basically it's placed on the right or left side of the glasses-covering one eye, and it forces the uncovered eye, to work harder, and eventually be just as strong as the covered.

these days, laurel lives with her man, jeff, and they recently brought their male-cub into the world, jack barrett. so this is a special trip. he was born 04/10/08 and we can't wait to finally embrace him.

there's been engagement after engagement, wedding after wedding but i must say, these new babies will break you in the sweetest way. watching her carry jack, hear of the labor & delivery (by both laurel + jeff, bc i dont think she could've made it without him) of jack, and now hear his sweet lil voice in the background (the 3-5 times a day we talk) squirk and girgle ... is the best part.

i can't wait to bring my own into the world, through adoption or birth. and i can't wait for my sweet niece, dottie paige hutson &... the second niece/nephew(sex + name still unknown). thankfully, everything thing feels a bit safe(r) now that larsen has davi in a cozy place, right by her hip, faithfully growing ...one day at a time. i think this will be a great next few days : hold baby jack, fellowship with two of my best friends, and rest (on a monday).


















(my sis with unborn child (dottie paige) taken 05/09/08, she's a cutie!)

24 years and counting...

I'd like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my co-blogger, roommatte, long-time friend, and "life" partner because we do almost everything together. You are beautiful inside & out!

I hope it is the best birthday yet!

International Justice Mission

in college i read a book called Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen. i find it deeply inspiring for my career & hope i can find myself "apart" of international casework, through Haugen's mission of the International Justice Mission. i thought i'd share about this mission:

all from the ijm website

About IJM

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems.

IJM's justice professionals work in their communities in 12 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems.

IJM Collaborative Casework

IJM investigators, lawyers and social workers intervene in individual cases of abuse in partnership with state and local authorities to ensure proper support for the victim and appropriate action against the perpetrator. Such collaboration is essential to obtain convictions against individual perpetrators and to bring meaning to local laws that are meaningless if not enforced.

History

Founded in 1997, IJM began operations in response to a massive need. Historically, humanitarian and missions organizations worked faithfully and courageously to bring healthcare, education, food and other vital services to those who needed them. But little had been done to actually restrain the oppressors who are a source of great harm to the vulnerable.

Concerned by this need, a group of lawyers, human rights professionals and public officials launched an extensive study of the injustices witnessed by overseas missionaries and relief and development workers. This study, surveying more than 65 organizations and representing 40,000 overseas workers, uncovered a nearly unanimous awareness of abuses of power by police and other authorities in the communities where they served. Without the resources or expertise to confront the abuse and to bring rescue to the victims, these overseas workers required the assistance of trained public justice professionals.

Gary Haugen, working as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the United Nations’ Investigator in Charge in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, founded International Justice Mission as a response to this massive need. Today, IJM has grown to nearly 300 professionals working in their own communities to fight injustice.

IJM's Response Today

Through individual casework, IJM confronts aggressive human violence: violence that strips widows and orphans of their property and livelihoods, violence that steals dignity and health from children trafficked into forced prostitution, violence that denies freedom and security to families trapped in slavery.

Violence against the poor is not driven by the overwhelming power of the perpetrators – it is driven by the vulnerability of the victims. This violence can be stopped when the power of the law is brought to bear on behalf of those who need it, and when people of good will contribute their financial and professional resources to insisting it stop.

IJM’s casework model combats victimization and violence on the level of the individual, and supports functioning public justice systems where the poor urgently need an advocate.

Core Commitments

In the tradition of abolitionist William Wilberforce and transformational leaders like Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr., IJM’s work is founded on the Christian call to justice articulated in the Bible (Isaiah 1:17): Seek justice, protect the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

IJM seeks to restore to victims of oppression the things that God intends for them: their lives, their liberty, their dignity, the fruits of their labor. By defending and protecting individual human rights, IJM seeks to engender hope and transformation for those it serves and restore a witness of courage in places of oppressive violence. IJM helps victims of oppression regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or gender.

Moving Forward

IJM has seen significant progress in its fight against oppression and injustice in the past 10 years, and remains committed to expanding its work in the next decade. Priorities for 2008 include strengthening efforts to free victims of sex trafficking and slavery, and continuing efforts to secure relief for widows whose property and sole means of livelihood has been seized illegally.

Photo Booth

this photo was taken on 09/27/2007. we love catherine & natalie jagers.

the tree house (lake texhoma)

tom & debbie, my parents, have been conjuring up design plans & sorting monies to make their lake house, that i find to be more of a "tree house" a done deal. well it's done, except for some of the extracurricular things & odds/ends, i.e. speed boat, outside furniture, landscaping, etc etc. it's pretty un-ordinary. it's simple. it's clean. it's modern. it's located up on a hill, so the house is built on stilts, and there's a little walk to the shore and dock. dad and i spent the afternoon today at the tree house & are sure that we could host some pretty smokin' parties. id love for you peoples to make the 1 hr trip to lake texhoma. and remember, you have to have eyes to see the art that it is ... so i hope you can. it's pretty peaceful....




















































the outside is going to rust to a deep red (intentionally)
behind the front "door" is the breezeway, where the tables/lounge chairs will be...