catching up

It has been so busy around here I haven't been keeping up on the blog the way that I meant to. In the past month we've had so many big events, I will try to do a quick overview to catch everyone up.

We had a fun halloween with our little super girl and spiderman, we are so lucky to live in a neighborhood with so many little kids and parents who go all out for the holidays; we are definitly making great memories here.


the kids even convinced mommy to dress up



My "little" sister Bethany left for a mission for her church on Novemeber 5th. Over the past few weeks we have heard from her a few times and are excited with how happy she seems to be. Beth will be in the Utah MTC until January 2009 and then will leave for Santiago Chile. Beth we love you and know it will be a wonderful experience for you to share your faith and love with the world.

Here is a picture Dad sent of Beth entering the MTC.



Marcelo and Mami Bachi also took a trip at the beginning of the month with his to Ecuador, they had lots of fun visiting family and I know Marcelo enjoyed seeing the places of his childhood. We can't wait until the whole family can go soon! We will find some trip pictures to put up soon.

I got to have a fun new experience this month as well. I sold my hair accessories for the first time at my sons school's Bazaar (a big thanks to Rachel and Penny who got me started on this addicting craft!!). Every November Witch Hazel has a holiday Bazaar to raise money for the 6th grade Outdoor school, it was lots of fun and I definitly learned some things that will make it even better next year.

Here is Amy and Nicolas patiently helping me pick ribbon at Joanns.



and of course I forgot to take a picture of how cute my table set up was but here is a picture of all of my hard work.


We also had a wonderful Thanksgiving hosted by Mami Bachi this year, it was very relaxing for me (and a little strange) for me not to be more involved with the cooking this year but the kids and I had so much fun being lazy in the morning watching the Macys Parade while I prepared the few dishes I was bringing. This is the first year that they have really been excited to watch the parade and it was so much fun!

Marcelo and Alex worked hard that morning putting up the christmas lights as a surprise for the kids and they look great!

In Response

No, you were not out of line in assuming that my blog post were sparked by the controversy over proposion 8. However, I intentially left out names and specifics because for me it is a much bigger and broader issue. My personal belief is that issues such as abortion, homosexuality, ect have no business in politics. It is a personal choice between them and God -right or wrong- Definitly each Religion has the right to teach its beliefs and ideals but not to expect there beliefs to be imposed on others of different beliefs and faith, I feel this just as strongly as I feel it is abhorrent for those on the other side to so disgustingly impose there beliefs on you through rioting and picketing.


Politics and Religion are never a healthy mix as far as I am concerned.

my soapbox

God did not preach love "some of your neighbors" and as far as I can remember I was taught that we were sent here with the "free agency" to make our own choices, mistakes, successes, ect. No where did I read anything about exceptions to the rule, ect. If you don't agree or don't want to participate then don't but when were you given the right or authority to pass judgement or make choices for another. You are not your brothers keeper. We will all meet our maker someday and he will judge us on a personal level. Perhaps that is what we should all be spending more time on -our personal relationship with the father of our spirit and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.

Madagascar 2

Now I just need to post up a video of how hilarious it is watching the kids dance to this!

YES WE CAN

Last night, 8pm, our family gathered all together on our bed.... tears streaming down marcelo and my's face....children bouncing up and down singing 'yes we can' yes we can' 'obama' 'obama'.
A night that we will remember for the rest of our lives, one our children will tell their children and grandchildren about.

I am not blind or crazy enough to think that President elect obama (I love saying that) is going to be able to sweep into washington and solve all of our problems for us. It was a long hard road to this point but I truly believe that now is when the hard work really begins. What brings the tears is the hope and possibilies that this choice brings. My heart overflows with joy and my eyes fill with tears even at this moment looking at my children. The idea that a woman or persons of any color could not acheive or rise to the highest of possibilities will not even be a concept in the world they grow up in.

On an even more personal level for me I look at the contrast between my husbands fingers intertwined with mine and words cannot describe my emotion. Dark skin on light....our love refelcted in the very different looks of our offspring. My mind remembers the concern and skepticism from others at our interacial marriage.....my own confusion about how color or race could even be a factor to them..... I am proud of our country right now, proud at the ability of americans from every walk of life, finally able to rise above the pettiness and silliness of race color creed sex to finally see a man (or woman) for his spirit, his convictions, his ideals and not by his face.

Great hope fills America now....just imagine how far we have come today from yesterday....I believe in the greatness of the country and what we can achieve when we rise up and stand together.

Viva America

It is now afternoon and I've been out and about all day and had time to get some reactions to this post. It is wonderful the aura of hope and smiles I have seen today but after talking to some I feel the need to clarify my statements. I would NEVER vote for someone based on the color of his skin, that would be just as racist as not voting for someone for the same reason. From the first time I saw Barack Obama speak I felt his message of change and saw his love of country, his desire to help our great country rise back up to its potential. Then as his campaign progressed I saw him putting his words into action...in the very way that he chose to run his campaign there was change. Marcelo and I are proud to say that we were able to contribute what little we could to the campaign.

I voted for Obama not for the color of his skin but because I strongly believe and herald the ideals that he stands for.

Now, with that said, it is impossible to recognize that on top of that this is a great historical moment for this country and for the world. Racism, sexism...none of these 'ism's' have ever made sense to me but that doesn't mean that they haven't or don't still exist. Until you see your father in law's eyes fill with tears of rage at having his family sat in the hidden back of an empty restaurant or the embarrisment at being openly followed in a predominantly white store; having those you have admired advize you against marrying interratially because "its just to hard"; to have strangers ask "where did you adopt your daughter from" just because she looks different then me and so couldn't possibly be my own (i must have rescued some poor third world country baby) and countless other moments that I have experienced since I finally became more aware -it is to open your eyes and see the world for what it is (the good and the bad) that is what it takes to fully understand the weightyness of this moment.

It is my prayer and hope that this election marks a turning point for the world...that my children who are both white and colored will never experience a moment like that.

(I apologize for all of the run on sentances and bad grammer I was writing just as I thought today, which isn't always grammatically correct)