Merry Christmas

Here are just a few of our Christmas pictures. A couple from Christmas eve and some from Christmas morning.

Durango

Here are some pictures from our Durango trip. We rode the Polar Express and we had a lot of fun.

A few pictures

Here are a few pictures I wanted to share.
These first two go to show that Ruby's teacher has a good sense of humor because she has the kids make these headbands for every holiday and also that I am extremely amused by them. They make me laugh every time.


These next two are of the snowman Ruby and Dave made tonight. We have had a wonderful snow storm today. There isn't a lot of snow, but we are loving it anyway. The leaves on the snowman's head are eyelashes. Ruby thought there needed to be eyelashes, which I think is extremely cute.

2 Binks

This kid cracks me up!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! We miss all of you and wish we were with you wherever you are.

The Forever War

Just finished a good book. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins. A great narrative from the front lines in the war against Islamic fundamentalism. Sort of gruesome in some parts, but go read it. After I read it, I realized what a miracle it is he even lived to write it.

It makes me angry when....Jeffrey wakes up at 4:55 am

It's therapeutic. Try it. Start by saying, "It makes me angry when...." and then fill in the blank with what makes you the angriest right this moment. Jeffrey's need to wake before the crack of dawn when roosters are still snoozing makes me ANGRY. Ideally an early morning for me would start at 7am. On an average day he wakes at 6:00 am, which is way too early and that makes me angry too, but 4:55am is so early it makes me want to scream. At that time of the morning I am not patient or loving, I am just angry. So the point is......ANGRY. Yep, I feel just a little bit better.

Sunday Afternoon

I was just trying to give those of you who actually check my blog something else to look at..This is what we are doing this Sunday afternoon in our very glamorous life that we lead. Ruby has fallen asleep mid day for the first time in as long as I can remember. This is only because she has a stomach bug, not that you could tell from watching her play or eat (she insists she is very hungry). Normally during this time on Sunday Dave, Jeffrey, and I are napping while Ruby plays. Lucky us, we have the most energetic children on the face of the earth! Jeffrey napped all of about an hour today. Anyone who knows him would agree with me, that isn't nearly a long enough break from his very loud high pitched screaming. This other picture is of David and Jeff having some nachos. After nachos Dave headed off to choir and I am left with sleeping Ruby and Jeffrey while feeling, oh, just a tad queasy myself. I just hope we get to enjoy Thanksgiving. There ya go, a little slice of Sunday afternoon Godsey life.

Happy Late Halloween

I know these are kind of late, but here they are anyway. We just went trick or treating in the neighborhood. Jeffrey was not nearly as shy as Ruby was at his age, once he realized they were handing out candy he made sure he got his bucket up there. He is obsessed with candy. A little while before we went trick or treating he got his sucker stuck in his hair, it was hilarious so I included those pictures too.

Dear Friend

My dear friend Emily came to visit me for the weekend. It was so much fun for me to have her here. I have missed her since moving. We worked together every day before Ruby was born. It was nice to have so much time to sit and talk like old times. She brought her 2 kids and Ruby loved it. We took all of the kids to the zoo and aquarium and the adults even got an hour away to go out to dinner. Thanks Em! I loved every minute.

Washington

I had a wonderful visit to Washington over the weekend. It was too short. There is too much to say so I will keep this post short as well. It was so good to see Marcilyn, she is a beautiful, smart woman. It was great spending time with Camila, she is a loving and patient mother. Evan blessed his baby on Sunday. He is a devoted husband and father. Camila and Evan are married to extraordinary people that bring balance to our family. Aunt Tam looks as young and beautiful as ever. Mom and Dad are the best parents and Grandparents anyone could ever ask for. There were so many little boys running around I thought that at times I thought I was in Neverland. We did lots of fun things. I love and miss you all.

Politics take 2

So I'm a bit confused and I'm hoping someone can help me out here. I must be misunderstanding something big as far as politics/economics go, because I don't understand why George Bush is getting such a bad rap as far as the economy goes. Now I can understand someone being upset about the war or possibly some other issues, but why is all the economic blame falling on him? (Historically, a country going to war creates jobs) I thought we were a capitalist society, not socialist? Have things changed?

Another note. The economic report generated by the economists in Bush's administration shows an increase in wealth up to 2007, and in 2007 the energy price went through the roof, so the expected economic increase in families was less because of the energy costs ... then of course got worse in 2008. But unemployment was at or below 5% (in 2007). So I'm confused about the last 8 years being a complete economic failure. Someone please explain it. I'm serious when I say I must be missing something because literally everyone I know has expressed the same thing about Bush's economic policies causing these problems. Oh, and the U.S. is still #1 in exports. #1 in services and #2 in goods (behind Germany). We just import more than we export, which isn't a government problem, that is a consumer problem.

If this is a capitalist society (government pretty much stays out of business), the only way a government could effect businesses is in taxes, promoting or discouraging certain business based on whether they get tax breaks or not. Now one policy I know of that did have an effect on our current economic situation goes back to Bill Clinton. He pushed through some legislation that required banks/lenders to provide lending to folks who in the past have not been able to get them. Now I believe it was targeted specifically to minority groups that were not able to get loans, but is seems to have opened the doors for loans being made to a large population that in the past would have been denied based on economic potential.

I also take issue with the idea of heavily taxing the really rich and tax cuts for those who are not. Now that may sound weird since I and not one of the really rich, but I am a realist, not an idealist. Rich folks only stay rich if they know how to hold onto and grow their money. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of high paid accountants ready to figure out how to keep their employers money from going to taxes. Also, heavily taxing companies like oil companies sounds nice as well, but wait a second, what will they do .... pass it on to us. In my opinion, the only way we will ever see any of the money from the wealthy going to programs for those who are not, is if they do so on their own terms. I thought Bush's idea to give tax breaks on charitable giving was a fabulous way to accomplish that (though that is in concept, I'm not sure how well it actually worked).

Now I'm not a great Bush defender, but I do think things should be looked at in the right light. So somebody please enlighten me. If you don't want to post to the blog, you can just email me, because I am genuinely interested to know where I am wrong, and my basic assumption is that I am wrong, but I can't see it yet. I would like to know how things really work. I'm an engineer, and inherently skeptical, so please use reason and facts, cause there are a lot of things that both Obama and McCain have said that are nice in concept, but realistically I don't think it will play out like they have said.

Politics, by Dave

It's time again to comment on politics. I hate them all. I do have to mention though some things I have noticed during some of the past speeches. Now when I look at a candidate, I first look at moral issues, and their stances on those issues first ... then I'll look at their views on war, health care, education, foreign policy, etc. I haven't heard as much from McCain, but Palin has been unequivocal on her stance on abortion, same-sex marriage, and stem-cell research. They do not support abortion, same-sex marriage, or stem-cell research when it is the start of life through fertilization, and then terminated for the purpose of using those stem cells, they do not support.

Obama, I'll be honest, he scares me on these issues. At the democratic convention he made a few statements that indicated to me they he would likely lay the ground work to make same-sex marriage, and abortion socially acceptable, and supported in our society. When he said "You may not agree with me on same-sex marriage, but surely you can agree that a gay partner should be able to visit their partner in the hospital", and "You may not agree with me on abortion, but surely you can agree that there are too many unwanted pregnancies in the United States". Not this suggests to me that he would support same-sex marriage, and abortion. On the topic of same-sex marriage, Biden assures us that neither he, nor Obama support it, but Obama's statements at the democratic convention do not reflect that assurance.

Now, on all the other issures ... well, I think on energy, we need do cast aside the extreme environmentalism that seems to be supported by Obama, and address our energy crisis. Now that is not to say, "to hell with the environment, we need oil". Technology has developed to a point that this can be done responsibly, without destroying habitat. Obama is whole heartedly for clean energy, which I support, but I say .... don't be stupid. We need to drill now, and develop clean energy which takes time. Now I think Obama would likely be a better diplomat, and like Reagan, he would be able to work with foreign leaders and make good international progress, as far as our relationships with other countries are concerned. McCain, I'm not sure he's going to make a very good diplomat.

Well, there a a ton of things that I could talk about, and it can be summed up with this. I will support the candidate that I think will uphold good moral values, because once a society allows, and accepts things that destroys families, I don't care how diplomatic you are, I don't care how brilliant of an economist you are, the country will fail faster and harder when society embraces wicked practices as social norms, and as being fair and good to it's members. On the other hand, if we place people in office that will fight against these things that destroy the moral fabric of out society, we will be blessed. So my vote is for McCain. Not saying he is a saint, not saying he isn't going to make dumb decisions. I'm saying, he appears to be the candidate that will make a stand against abortion, and same-sex marriage, which are two major moral issues that have been debated.

Thoughts?

Hey Evan, is this controversial enough for you? If not, I'm sure you'll help me out.

Maoos

Ruby has started sounding words out and writing words all by herself. It is adorable. I just had to show you all how cute it is. I am such a Mom. This is how Ruby sounded out the word MOUSE.

Saterday is a Special Day

We have lived here for 3 1/2 years and finally went and did some of the local things we have never done. Our friends invited us to take a drive with them around the mountain to Tinkertown, which is this quirky little museum with lots of junk. Then we drove up to Sandia Crest and saw the view of Albuquerque from the top of the Sandia mountains. On the way home we stopped and ate at Burger Boy. They had a great burger. It was a fun trip with fun friends.

Butterfly Princess

We went to the zoo tonight for Dave's work party. It was for his center, which has somewhere near 1,000 employees. So we didn't know anybody, but it was fun and they had face painting. Ruby wanted a butterfly. We thought it was so cute and Ruby loves it. She has gone to bed with it still on her face.

Benazir Bhutto

I have been meaning to write this for a couple of weeks.
I have to be honest. When Benazir Bhutto was assassinated last year I didn't really know who she was and why she was so important to Pakistan. I just plain didn't even know much about Pakistan period. I picked up this book at the library a few weeks ago and just couldn't put it down. It is such coincidence that I read it at a time when Musharraf was being forced from power. She is a woman who dedicated herself and gave her life for freedom and democracy in Pakistan. I just want to share one quote. "Democracy in Pakistan is not just important for Pakistanis, it is important for the entire world. In this age of the exploitation and radical interpretation of my beloved religion, we must always remember that democratic governments do not empower, protect and harbour terrorists. A democratic Pakistan, free from the yolk of military dictatirship, would cease to be the petri dish of the pandemic of international terrorism." I finally have the answers I have been looking for. For too many years the United States has looked out for it's own interests by supporting the dictatorships of Zia and Musharraf. We are the most succesful democracy in the world, and yet we supported oppression and military rule. I think its sad. We paid dearly for this mistake on 9/11. This is what I care about in the upcoming election. I haven't yet heard enough from either candidate to decide, but I am watching and waiting to know who will make this change. Now is our chance, Bhutto's widow Zardari was elected president last week in a democratic election. After so many years under a controling military dictatorship the desire for democracy still exists. We need to have a President that understands the gravity of the situation and realizes the importance of supporting Pakistan in its efforts to achieve a democratic government.

Markers

Evan complained that I haven't done a post in a long time, so this is for him. Jeffrey loves using the markers. Whenever Ruby gets up to the table to color, Jeffrey wants to be up there too, coloring the table, so I tape four sheets of paper in front of him and let him go to town. Here are some pictures of his creations.

Concert in the park

Last night we went to a fun concert in the park. We got eaten by mosquitoes, but it was a beautiful warm night with a gorgeous sunset. We really had fun. We have been meaning to do it for the last couple of years and I am glad we finally did it. We will definitely do it again next year, with bug spray.