Now We Are Nine

Vicki recently celebrated her 9th birthday! My, the years go quickly. As you can see by the photo to the left, (taken by Ken) she was quite excited and animated during her birthday party. Her friend Maria sits next to her.

We had a Family Party (my style of party) with both sets of Grandparents and Uncle Ken and Aunt Lisa and her family. Vicki chose the menu - Blasted Chicken, Corn Bread, Salad, Fruit Salad, and Root beer Floats for dessert (she doesn't like cake!). We lit her 9 candles on top of a pile of ice cream in a cup. With Vicki, nothing is "usual"!

Vicki was thrilled to get a Baby Alive (opening present above) that drinks a special orange liquid and pees it out. Diapers are "only" $12.99 for a set of 8. Wow! Nothing like marketing! She's saving her money for diapers. I suppose it's a good lesson for the costs of having a baby!

After The Election

Vicki woke up Nov. 5 and was cheering and dancing because Obama won. After a bit she said "my friends who voted for McCain are going to be really disappointed." She was truly sad for them. At the bus stop, her friend Maria wore a t-shirt she wrote on with marker that said "McCain/Palin - We tryed" with hearts all over it. Vicki asked her "are you disappointed"? And sadly, Maria said "yes". Vicki then tried to cheer her up with funny faces and giggles. It finally worked after a few minutes!

I want to share a Letter to the Editor a woman in Tucson wrote to the paper:
"As the mother of two Ethiopian born sons, I have a heart full of joy as America celebrates the election of Barack Obama. This morning, I told my adopted 5-year-old son that the new president of the United States looks like him. His eyes grew wide and a smile spread across his face. Even at his young age, somehow he understands. I cannot begin to imagine how his view of what he can attain in life will change. Maybe his path in life will not change, but he can walk it holding his head a little higher and his back a little straighter. To quote the words of an African-American interviewed on NPR: "Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama ran so our children could fly." May all our children fly." Kristen Penny

I couldn't have said it better. Vicki, and the boys, don't fully understand what it means to be the President, but they know that he is the same color as they are and that makes them happy. I hope Vicki will no longer wish to have skin and hair like me, because now the President (elect) looks like her, (and his daughters will be in the White House!) and she can feel proud of the beauty she is.

President Obama will have a lot on his plate. This country is in a moral and financial mess. He certainly won't be "walking on water" in January! I want to share with you a letter from Jim Wallis of the Sojourner's website (a Christian website with an emphasis on social justice):


Yesterday’s election represents a watershed moment in the life and history of our country. Regardless of how you voted, our entire nation can celebrate the milestone of our first African-American president. We can all embrace this profound opportunity for deeper racial reconciliation and social justice.

But this is also a moment that demands prophetic leadership and the power of a faith-inspired movement. From the abolition of slavery, to women's suffrage, to civil rights, history shows us that political change happens when social movements push on open doors of political leadership. And the best movements have spiritual foundations.Please join me in telling President-elect Obama that we will pray for his presidency while also holding him accountable to the promises of a new kind of politics.

This election represents a new and open door for change. However, we know that President Obama will face tremendous pressure and obstacles in pursuing an agenda that addresses the moral imperatives to overcome poverty, develop renewable energy, responsibly withdraw from Iraq, and dramatically reduce the number of abortions.

That is why your commitment is needed now more than ever. We must ensure that the campaign slogan of “change” becomes a new movement for change.Send a personal pledge to the new president, telling him that you will be part of that movement.

We will deliver your pledge to President-elect Obama and his team, with the message that the faith community will be mobilizing both in support of him and to hold him accountable. Sojourners will start with President Obama’s own pledge to mobilize our nation to cut poverty in half in America over ten years and provide the leadership necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015.Join us in ensuring that these campaign promises become a reality.

In recent times, religion has been both too narrow and too divisive. The faith community can now play a new role—bringing people together on the biggest moral issues of our time—even across old political divisions.

This election has shown that the era of single-issue voting is over and a broader moral agenda that seeks common ground on moral issues has begun. Members of Black churches, Catholics, evangelicals, Latinos, and mainline Protestants are acting on a broad set of biblical values. I look forward to the day when both poverty reduction and abortion reduction become nonpartisan issues and bipartisan causes.

Please join me in offering President-elect Obama our prayers and our actions as he assumes the responsibility of leading our nation in a very challenging time.

Sincerely,
Jim Wallis
President, Sojourners

The letter of Prayer and Action that you can sign and send on to President-elect Obama can be found here: http://go.sojo.net/campaign/prayerandpledge/8x683durr7kbtk36?qp_source=act%5f0811%5fpledge

I encourage you to look at it, and sign and send it on if you agree!
Blessings!
Deborah

Getting Political

This has been an emotional day for Vicki. Actually, an emotional election season! She's been rooting for Barack Obama since the beginning, and trying to convince her schoolmates that they should vote for him as well. Today, the school had an election and McCain won. She was devastated. She was full of emotion and tears at this great loss. I have to say, it's been quite an interesting election season. The kids have come home from school telling me what their classmates have been saying about Obama - his two friends flew into the World Trade Center, Obama will ruin the country, Obama is a terrorist.... I've heard from fellow soccer moms and grandmas that Osama and Obama are the same - that Obama is going to take all our guns away, he'll refuse to swear on the Bible (only the Koran) when he's sworn in as President, that we'll become a socialist country, etc. etc. ad nauseaum. For me, I've been so amazed at how ADULTS perpetuate rumors and don't look into statements to see if there is any validity to them! Fear has definitely been used throughout this campaign!

Whether you are for Obama or not, this is an historical election. The fact that a black man (yes, even though he's "half" white, he's still viewed as black...just look at our history) may become president of our country is incredible. Even if you don't agree with his politics, he is a great role model for us.

Personally, I've been pretty quiet about my beliefs. I'm sure you've guessed by now that if Vicki is for Obama (and Carlos and Kervens) so are their parents. Do we agree with everything? Of course not. Our biggest concern, as always, is abortion. Without a doubt, it is murder. We don't agree with Obama's position. However, when it comes to the majority of his beliefs and concerns, we share them. Our country has been horrible in dealing with the poor, the uninsured, your average "Joe", troubles in other countries, and of course the unjust war in Iraq. (WHY did we invade Iraq - supposedly because of Saddam's ethnic cleansing - WHAT about SUDAN? SOMALIA? etc. etc.) ...Oil, and personal vendettas, but that's not for tonight.

I told Vicki she won't know before she goes to bed if Obama will win. I don't know if there will be tears or cheers when she wakes up, but we need to remember that however this election turns out, God is in control! Nothing we do or don't do (or who we vote for or not) will change that. We're not THAT powerful!! Whew, thank you, Lord!!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Vicki and Carlos gave Karl handmade Father's Day gifts; I think Karl liked them more than his MP3 player! The twins 2nd grade teachers were absolutely wonderful this past school year, and they made lots of wonderful memories. The teachers made sure that the dad's weren't left out just because school was out, so they had the kids make gifts before the end of the year.
These gifts are little "effigies" with traced hands and feet and drawn heads. Notice Vicki's painted nails, and Carlos' little curl on his forehead!
They also wrote poems. Vicki wrote Kittens Artistic Reading Laughing (acrostic for Karl) and "My dad has a cat it is Sunny". Carlos wrote "Dad, nice, funny, works, runs, welder, makes me nice things" Runs? Carlos said "well, once!" He also wrote "I love you so much. You make me things that are nice. You are the best, Dad." Awww!
By the way, Vicki's little acrostic was prophetic.....more on that next time!!