Since church is early for us these days, the kids like to take advantage of the afternoon playing in the backyard. Today it is chilly and rainy. Not the most optimal weather for playing outside. This does not stop the kids though. Yesterday, we put together a new clubhouse for the kids and Olivia wanted to play boardgames inside the clubhouse today. She came in and asked for the games and when I told her it was raining she replied "But mom, it's only TINKLING outside. The games will stay dry if we keep them in the clubhouse". It's funny that kids hear words so differently than what we are really saying!
I just returned home from church and wanted to relate an experience I had today. Our primary chorister, Sunee, focused on Presidents of the Church because of President's Day tomorrow. For the closing song she had the children stand and sing the National Anthem. At first I wondered how this would go over-how many children (ages 8-11) really know the words the the National Anthem? I was blown away! These sweet kids left their silliness behind and sang the National Anthem beautifully. It was hard for me to sing through my tears. It left such a profound message in my heart. There is still hope in this world and our children are that hope.
(OUR VALENTINE TREE) 
Olivia being the socialite that she is cannot sleep without her stuffies. She gets so lonely every night that she makes at least one trip a night to visit mom and dad. I'm sure I will miss this one day!
Simon is our pillow guy. On this night he was using his pillow as a blanket. He has always been so irresistible when he sleeps. I can never pass up kissing him as he slumbers. 
Here is Andrew in his make shift bed. He built a fort under his bunk bed months ago and now he refuses to sleep anywhere else. He finally asked for a camping pad so he didn't have to sleep on the floor. He is like a bear-storing all of his favorite things in his den. He could stay in there for a long time and keep entertained!Good afternoon. Let me begin by saying that although this has been billed as an anti-war rally, I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances.
The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union, and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil. I don’t oppose all wars.
My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He saw the dead and dying across the fields of Europe; he heard the stories of fellow troops who first entered Auschwitz and Treblinka. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil, and he did not fight in vain.
I don’t oppose all wars.
After September 11th, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this Administration’s pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
I don’t oppose all wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.
What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income – to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression.
That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.
Now let me be clear – I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity.
He’s a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.
But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.
I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.
I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.
So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil.
Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.
The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not – we will not – travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.
| The National Debt: |
Ryan and I had the opportunity to go to Vegas last weekend to see KA. What an amazing show. I am amazed at the capabilities of the performers. I was so nervous at one point I think I hurt Ryan by squeezing his arm so hard! We also got to stay in a brand new hotel, The Palazzo. It just opened last week-the best part of the hotel was that it didn't smell like a casino yet. I don't love Las Vegas but I do love getting to spend a whole weekend with my sweet husband! We have so much fun together and even find ourselves finishing each others thoughts and sentences. I'm glad that I get to live with my best friend-it keeps things interesting all the time. Anyway, back to Vegas...We have also seen Love (the Beetles Circue Du Soleil) and it was fabulous, too! They were both my favorites and I'm sure when I see the other ones they will be my favorites, too. I don't know how you could pick one favorite because they are all so different. If you get the chance to see either of these shows you should. Ryan and I would be willing to do an overnight babysitting trade (if anyone is interested)! Thanks Linda and Steve for coming down to stay with the kids. They had a fabulous time with their gandparents!
