Happy Birthday Grace!

Ruby hearts her BFF Grace!

Note: that in this picture Grace is moving Brielle aside as if she is missing out on the other conversations with Aleai and Ruby, how cute is that!

You gotta love this! We were at Grace Redmans' house last Friday to celebrate Grace being one!! Can you believe that Ruby, Grace, Brielle and Aleia (the twins) were all at Hannah's Hope all at the same time and they all came home to Washington! I love it! It was so nice to see the girls. I am so envious at Grace's super duper awesome thighs. Ethiopian girls ROCK!

Uptown Organics

Okay I must say life has been a little hectic right now Momma got a job! Yes me, I work two days a week at my friends really cute Organic Cafe'. I am so proud of her for following her dream and opening two stores Uptown Organics. I work with a sweet lady I love and respect Darla. Its been fun but really strange to find myself in the work field, wosh hard work! If I didn't mention before, things are really right, with the economy cutting back on things we find our selves pinching it and so I wanted to take some pressure of hubby. Frank has three days off and so I work on two of his days off. The kids really love me to be gone, they feel like they have dad all to themselves I think they really enjoy this time. It really make me apprecaite his hard work when I walk in his shoes and work for two full days. Plus my small confession is that I am a little green so I really love working for people that appreciate the truth about good organic foods!

Tonight I became Mathambo....

Tonight I walked in the steps of a African girl named Mathambo. Mathabo is 11 years old and had been living without her mother for the last 5 years. Her mother went to work in South Africa and left Mathabo with an older brother who abused her and with her little brother that she has to take care of.

Tonight Frank waked in the shoes of Emmanuel. Emmanuel and his older brother buried there mother and father that died of AIDS.

Frank and I went to Step into Africa. It was a huge impact on us. We got the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a child affected by the AIDS crisis in Africa. Step into Africa is an interactive walk through. First they give you head phones with an IPOD shuffle and you listen the the guide direct you where to go. We started in a little hut with small stools, our guide prepared us by allowing us to take a moment to think about what it would be like to be a child in Africa, then he asked us to stand up and walk to the door with our names marked on it...I was told to go to Mathabo and waved bye to Frank as he entered Emmanuel's life. I entered her house and her story began, I don't want to ruin for you and give her story away. But at one point of the story Frank and I ended up at the HIV clinic together to wait for our test results. As we both waited we both sat silenced as we just walked through the lives of these children. We were both negative and it was stamped on our hands. We then walked into a room where there with black and white beautiful pictures of Africa's children, all had a stamp just like ours on their faces only theirs was red and a big positive and they had all meet their fate of death. It hit me there in that small room, Gods heart is broken, for theses. I wanted to fall to my knees to weep, all the babies lost. This is on HIS AGENDA !!!! Sure it made us cry, sure it was uncomfortable to listen to, but it was 30 minutes compared to the reality of what these kids have to go through.

We were not allowed to take pictures but there was something on the wall that I could not help so I sneaked a photo ..shhh. It says "Your church is helping to overcome the stigma felt by those with AIDS." I knew they had been talking about Life Center in Tacoma, but it made me question what can I do to make sure that MY church is helping to overcome the stigma felt by those with AIDS. How can I make them more aware of this? Pray for me in this venture :)

PLEASE GO, They will be at Puyuallup next week and Bellvue the other week. YOU MUST!! IT was amazing, I cant stress that enough!

Today is my 29 birthday :)

This is me for my kindergarten graduation, yes full cap and gown!

This is my family parting at best!

Make shift Cruzian Bar :)!

Yes I am still in my 20s!! This is the last year I can this. I miss bithdays as a girl....I am a born and raised CRUZAN (from St. Croix US Virgin Islands) and Cruzians can party like no other. For Birthday celebrations my dad would build a little bar (for the adults:) made from palm leaves and wood the handsone devil you see as our bartender is my dad. Cruzians like there Cruzian Rum after all! Then we would roast a pork outside, and have tons of food. Arroz con Gandules (because we are also Puerto Rican) BBQ chicken, stuffing, you name it we got it! EVERYONE was always invited and there was not a go home time on the invites such as 2-4. You came when you want left when you wanted Cruzian time is Island time. Why own a watch?

So now that I am twenty nine and no one will build a bar for me :) I have to party a little different.

I also would never make a huge deal of my kids party, only because I am on a budget! But my cruzian blood in me wants to throw a huge pork roast in the back yard party. I am sure it will scare the neighbors.

Today I celebrate 29 years of being me.....Thanks mom and Pop for celbrating me is such a great way always I will remeber the parties.