Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A Little Bit Of Our Freedom Has Been Lost

Although I am passionate about politics, I try really hard to separate my politics from my blog. Today is different. I have to write about what has happened this week. The Obama administration basically threw out the Constitution of the United States, told the American people to sit down and shut up and passed Obamacare. Government got bigger and the American people much smaller. The American people voted this man into office (with the help of Acorn and Voter Fraud), and I want to know if people were actually using their brains when they voted for him!
If you are an American and you are not upset, you should be! Your freedom has been stripped.
 If your employer currently holds your health insurance...be prepared because rates will go up, they will decide they can no longer afford that benefit, terminate it and take the fine. Although there is currently no public option in this bill, one will be created because if your employer can't provide the benefit, and you can't afford private insurance on your own, you have to have something or YOU be fined. This will "force" the government into creating a public option (which was their intent all along) and consequently the insurance companies will be put out of business because they will not be able to compete with the government....which will equal the loss of jobs. If you are one of the Americans who chooses not to have coverage, beware, you are now forced to obtain it, and if it doesn't meet the standards the government has set out, you will be fined by Uncle Sam. Those of you who think that government health care is free, think again. #1 you are paying for it in your taxes, #2 there will still be a premium you will have to pay. It will be less expensive than private insurance, but remember, you get what you pay for and good luck to getting the care you need in a timely manner! Oh, and our wonderful democratic officials who voted this into law, have made provision for themselves to keep their upgraded health insurance...always taking care of themselves! YOU NO LONGER HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. I am so disgusted about the fact that regardless of what the majority of Americans want, the government was able to ram this bill through behind closed doors with backroom deals, circumventing the Senate vote via reconciliation and thus robbing Scott Brown of his opportunity to vote against the health care takeover, which is the very thing he campaigned on, thus robbing the American people of their voice. Complete disregard for those who they work for to begin with. THEY WORK FOR US! We need to remind them...
Approx 15,000 IRS agents are being hired to audit every American every month. Guess what, if you do not carry what they feel to be appropriate insurance, you get a fine. We are now mandated to carry health insurance. When did this become a public and not private choice?

This is supposed to be AMERICA...and yes, we should be proud of our country, but our President has turned our "pride" into "arrogance" and has apologized all over the world for it. Shame on Barack Obama!


Taking from those who work hard to give to those who hardly work is socialist and wrong. People should be empowered to give to others because it is a choice they make. This administration basically feels that we are not capable of making personal, private decisions on our own. Apparently not even the decision to refrain from supporting abortions. The government cannot force me to contribute to such acts. I do not want my tax dollars spent on terminating pregnancies! It impedes on my religious practice and beliefs. If this issue is forced through, can we call it anything other than communism? I think not. I read a comment by somebody on facebook that said, "im sure americans will get by... perhaps a latte less a week from starbucks so a child can go to the hospital." Really? First of all, I am a registered nurse and I worked in a county hospital. If you show up, you are seen, whether you can pay or not. So, to the person that made that very ignorant comment, children who need medical care can get it. I am not denying that reform is needed, but I am adamantly denying that government takeover is the answer. Secondly, if I want to sacrifice a cup of coffee to give to somebody, it should be my choice, not the government's mandate. I am a big believer in giving to those in need, but I am not a fan of the government deciding what I can do with my hard earned money! My family makes many sacrifices so that we can afford certain things that are important to us like food and health insurance. We do without Starbucks, expensive haircuts and clothing, and frivolous spending of the like. We don't expect you (the American people) to provide those things for us. Even when our household income was less than $20,000 a year, we didn't feel "entitled" to the same things that those who made more money were able to buy. We were very blessed during that time and God provided for all of our needs through various vessels including an extra night job for my husband. Yes, that's right, sometimes a second job is necessary! I am so sick of people feeling entitled...no work ethic. The government is making it more attractive to be a bum than to follow the American dream. They are redefining the American dream as we have known it!
 
I am proud of the states that are bringing lawsuits against the federal government.
Barack Obama said it himself, "...that is what elections are for." Guess what, Mr. President and members of Congress who openly went against the voice of America, you were warned and shouldn't be surprised when you are the ones unemployed in November and the 2012 Presidential Elections.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Playdate They Would Like To Forget

Everyday is unpredictable. Some days, I feel like we made major strides in our training and other days, I feel like I have fallen deep into a pit and need help out! I never know what to expect with Luca when I get out of bed each day. Well people, today was peachy! It actually started off pretty good. Luca was mostly obedient and pleasant until he woke up...

...from his nap, that is! We had planned a play date at the neighbor's house. The kids have played well together at the park before, so we moms decided to take the next step! The kids and I walk across the street and are greeted at the door with smiles and excitement. Great start, right? Then, the normal issues started when you put two toddlers in a room together with more toys than ever imaginable...they both want to play with the same toys! Interesting, isn't it, that selfishness is not something we are taught...it is naturally in us from a very young age...even birth! Still, the boys were mostly having a good time. Tami decided he wanted to take Luca upstairs, so off they went, unbeknownst to Luca that there would be a male stranger upstairs (aka Tami's dad). Here comes Luca, wide-eyed and crying back down the stairs, clearly terrified by the unexpected encounter. There I am, trying to console him and let him know that everything is just fine, trying to explain that the person he ran into was Tami's daddy. All without success. Finally, he calms down and begins to play once again with the many toys around the room, and that is when the inevitable happened...
Tami's daddy walks joyfully down the stairs with a smile on his face and the second that Luca noticed him, the screaming began. He was absolutely terrified. We tried everything. Shara and I were trying to explain to Luca who this man was, trying to console him with our voices and Cory was trying very hard to say hello and put Luca at ease, all failed attempts. Luca ran Cory off back upstairs and he finally calmed down. It was clearly time to clean up the toys and make our way back home.
I was absolutely mortified that Luca would make a grown man uncomfortable in his own home! Poor guy couldn't even step into his own kitchen for a drink of water without blood curdling screams coming from a two-year old! Very apologetically, we left and decided to try again another time. I do wonder if truly we will ever be invited back!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

I Love Spending Time With My Kids

I love spending time with my kids. They never cease to make me laugh. Whether Luca is bolting out a new word or phrase, like "I don't know", as he looks at me with his big eyes while shrugging his shoulders, or Nora is trying to suck on my ear or chin, or when Hailey says something witty, as she often does, I am amused by them on a daily basis. I am fascinated by their growth and development and am brought to the realization of how great my God is that He would create such beauty.
 Luca is already learning how to charm the ladies, starting with his one and only mother! Today, he was playing outside with some other kids and he comes running in with a small flower in his hand that he had picked from our yard. A huge smile on his face and his chest out, proud as punch, he hands it over to me and says  "Mommy, I love you so much and you are so beautiful to me!"...well, not exactly. He was mumbling something that I couldn't understand, but I am sure that is what he was trying to communicate.


Nora is just so incredibly sweet. She is all smiles and cuddles and a very content little girl. She is everywhere and gets into everything! She is doing the army crawl. She remains toothless at 10 months old!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Rosaleen Ayoub

I just got back from Texas a couple of days ago. My Sitee passed away. For those of you who don't know, Sitee is Lebanese for grandma.
Anyhow, it was a very sad time. She was old and lived a good, long life, but the last five years or so, since my Gidi (Lebanese for grandpa) passed away, were very difficult for her. She was very unhappy and lonely. Imagine, living with the same man for over 50 years (I am not sure how long they were married), doing everything together and having constant companionship to suddenly being unable to avoid solitude. Heartbreaking.
Sitee was strong, hardworking, tenacious, dramatic, very domestic and beautiful. She was very talented as well. I have several sweaters that she knitted herself. She used to cook all day long. Best Lebanese food ever! Everybody that knew her would agree when I say that she could be difficult, but hindsight, it was an endearing quality.
She taught me to love even when it is difficult and to perservere. She taught me to invest time even when it is inconvenient. She taught me to laugh...out of everything, I remember that she used to laugh often. She and Gidi loved to joke around.
She is resting in a better place. She accepted Jesus into her life several years ago and I believe she is rejoicing in heaven with the Lord Jesus!