December

December zipped by us, and we were so busy I can't even begin to remember what all we did, but here are some cute moments from the month...

Juicing: one of Ethan's new hobbies!

Michael singing in his kindergarten Christmas Show
Making Christmas cookies (one of the 3 cookie sessions, lol)

Our friend Daisy, cookie session 2

Christmas Morning Our House

Baby Shower

Thank you to everyone who came out and helped celebrate the upcoming arrival of our baby girl, It was a lot of fun!

You can see a slide show of baby shower pics here!

Well we have been super busy!
Ethan has finally starting pooping in the potty! It apparently just took the right motivation-a Thomas the Train Suspension Bridge-and a lot of time! We were at Target, he saw the bridge, asked if he could get it if he pooped in the potty, and I couldn't believe after all this time, and countless failed bribery tactics he did! And he hasn't looked back at pull-ups since! My dream to not have 2 kids in diapers after Keira arrives has come true Wooohoooo!!!

Ethan has also moved from his private lessons in Karate back to the big class. He earned a behavior stripe and a technique stripe yesterday in class!
Here he is as a naked Indian fro some pre-Thanksgiving fun...
Michael is on vacation this week, and has been doing so well in school. He has been able to bring home the Fuzzy Bear behavior reward several time this year, here is a pic from Fuzzy's most recent visit, playing Star Wars...

Thursday Michael had his first parent teacher conference and report card. He is doing great, and his teacher comments on his report crack me up because it reads just the same as mine always did in school, "Michael is doing really well in class, he just needs to work on his handwriting and being less social during class time", lol. Good luck in seeing a change there teacher!

Today Grandma Gina, Grandpa Rodney, Spencer and Lydia came over for a visit. The boys were thoroughly played out and tired afterward, which would generally be great. However we had to then go shopping with Grandma Pat for the baby shower which is next Saturday. So that was an adventure! Two overtired crazy boys running through Target, tired grandma, and very very tired and sore preggo lady with cramps who could barely walk. I have never let my kids run as rampant around a store as I did today. I didn't even have the energy to care; sorry Target, lol.

Amen

Yesterday, Today...

The boys are having a blast in Karate...



And I finally got a haircut, it's been 4 months, uhg!

Belly

Well I wouldn't wear a bikini, but all in all not feeling too bad for 8 months preggo!

And here's what's on the inside...

My 2 Cents, or 3 or 4 on Prop 8

Why Every Californian and US Citizen Should be Against Proposition 8

and the Exclusion of Same Sex Couples From Marital Rights

Whether you are gay, straight, or somewhere in between, Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist or another faith, regardless of whether you believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman only, your answer should be NO on California’s Proposition 8 regarding restoring “Traditional Marriage”. Despite the propaganda targeting uninformed and fearful would-be voters, marking YES on your ballot for prop 8 is what could actually take a step toward endangering your religious freedoms and rights.

If you live in America and you appreciate the freedoms that have been afforded to you by the men and women who have died for your rights, this year and in the last 200 plus, you should vote NO on Prop 8. If you value the choice you have in where you attend religious services, how you raise your children, what morals you instill in your family, and what education your children will receive, you should vote NO on Prop 8.

The only argument I have heard for why we need to keep marriage between a man and a woman, and why a person should vote yes on this proposition is because the Bible states that relationships, and thus marriage between people of the same sex is deemed a sin by God. This is a resounding reason why this proposition should not be a consideration. Do you remember a small guideline in our US Constitution, namely the first amendment, which declares a separation of church and state? While our founding fathers were overwhelmingly Christian, having just fled and then revolting a nation that sought to maintain a national church and dictate religious rights, they sought to protect both religion and government. By separating the two, we avoid the corruption of either by each other. One of our well known founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, assured by his experience in the structures of government wrote:

All persons shall have full and free liberty of religious opinion; nor shall any be compelled to frequent or maintain any religious institution.[1]

The intent of his proposal for Virginian statutes and later the nation was to be not just freedom for religion, but also freedom from religion. Same-sex marriage does not affect your personal freedoms, your personal and religious rights, or how you practice them. It will admittedly affect manners in which your religious views intersect with state life. Meaning, things may be discussed in the educational system that you do not agree with. But just as with the theory of evolution, if you do not want your children exposed to a belief you do not share, you have the choice where your children receive education. You also have the choice of where you live. If you do not agree with, value, understand and appreciate the constitutional rights and freedoms that have been afforded to ALL citizens of our country, you do have the choice to relocate to a country with more restrictive laws regarding personal freedoms and religious beliefs. The US Constitution is not an apply as you will, as it fits your argument document. There are many laws that through our young nation’s relatively short history have conflicted with varying church’s belief systems. There have also been practices and policies of different churches that have conflicted with constitutional law.

Please remember that our Constitution is in place to protect all citizens, and all citizens equally. We are a nation under God based on the fact that the majority of our inhabitants appeal to a higher power. However the law of the land was and continues to be written free from religious ideal wherein any belief may restrict those rights laid out and protected by our law. So unless you desire the government to maintain the right to dictate what you believe in and how you may believe it, then please understand the cost of that freedom is to not have your religion, church, doctrine, or spiritual beliefs mandate who will be treated equal under our constitution and in what manner they will be held equal. Please take a moment to read some unadulterated excerpts from our nation’s constitution, and truly think about what allowing religion to dictate law in our country means, now, and for the future. What will it mean for you, when your religion is no longer the majority?

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Amendment 14 - Citizenship Rights. Ratified 7/9/1868.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.[2]

Signed,

A Heterosexual, Married Mother of 4, Passionate about our country and what makes it great

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[1] (1743-1826; author, Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom; 3rd U.S. President, 1801-1809). (Edwin S. Gaustad, Faith of Our Fathers: Religion and the New Nation, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987, p. 38. Jefferson proposed his language in 1776.)

[2] http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

November 1st

Halloween was fun, even with our minimalist attempt at the holiday this year. Just seemed to be too much going on to decorate or do much. But I did manage a rather cute homemade costume for Ethan. Michael got his dream costume (store bought obviously) of Vader with the talking/voice changer helmet (thank you grandma). We got rained on, but stuck through it for awhile. Ethan could have gone all night, but Michael was done after a couple streets. Those 2 streets took along time though, as we socialized with the neighborhood while treating, so that was different and fun.


Our October...

The boys got to take a tour of a fire station and engine from some very friendly fire fighters in downtown Sacramento.

Becky's cheer team placed 1st and 2nd in a 2 day regional competition.


Our September...

The boys had a joint birthday party of Star Wars and Wall-E. We had a house full of about 50 people! It was blast!


Michael and Becky got their Fall photos!