Kids and Culture

Today was a great day and I hope the events of it will lead to a great post. Mario and I get really busy with our everyday lives and the kids and his job (what's new, we all do) and we have realized we don't spend enough time with our Youth Leadership. So, today we marked on the calendar as a day we were going to spend hanging out. We all met at one of our staff leader's houses which is AMAZING and happens to have a pool. It was so much fun eating, laughing, swimming and just getting to know each other in a very relaxed environment. As stated before in previous blogs, I was raised by great parents who loved God, worked hard and gave us every beneficial opportunity they could. I really appreciate that. As I reached high school (and it honestly wasn't until then) I realized not every family was like mine. There were a million different ways of life, many different colors of people and so many cultures and religions that I didn't even know about. Growing up I never traveled outside of the US (until my senior trip) or was never really introduced to any other cultures or countries. I really wish that would have been different. I met friends in college who were taken literally around the world (by their parents) as a way to open their eyes to the world. I have always wished that were different in my life and I have always said I really want to encourage my children not to make friends with others who are just like us. I had four FABULOUS friends in my life while in high school and with the exception of one we are all still very close. We were all alike in the sense that we were all middle class, we were all white and our dad's were all pastors in the same denomination. While I absolutely love those girls still to this day I can't help but to wish I would have had close friends that were different from us in addtion. I sat around a table today with individuals who were African American, Hispanic, Italian, Bi-racial, and yes, if you can believe it one Lebanese and Armenian female! I remember just sitting watching, looking at them interact with my children and occaisonally begin to speak in their language and think this is exactly how I want my kids raised, surrounded by one big fat melting pot of Heaven on Earth. I want my kids to know that every pastor who wears a robe isn't Catholic, that every person who drinks wine isn't a raging lush and that just because you are black doesn't mean you came from Africa. I want my kids to be challenged by the faith of others because if they aren't strengthened by the doctrine of others they will be weak and unstable when they are adults. And yes, I want them to know that while we do things in a very particular way in our home there are millions of other families who do things differently but with as much love for God and each other as we do. I can't go back into my teens and change the way I was raised. I can't go back and expose myself other cultures and races but I can do that for my kids and today I did that. I exposed them to people who are so different in color, culture, relationship, gender, backgrounds and yet we all came together and loved each other confidently in who were are. That's a beautiful thing! I'm glad that my kids will see people pray quietly and loudly and not think either way is weird or wrong. I'm super proud that my kids will see men and women alike doing God's work because they are equally capable. It excites me that I will never limit a friendship, relationship or possibility because of someone's race, origin or culture. Today I'm not regretful, I'm proud. And on to the pics... We had to keep a VERY close eye on Cola because she sat in this float and nearly fell asleep!

Mom and daughter.

One of my favorite things about my son are his eyelashes. You can see why in this pic! Aren't they so pretty and long?? He gets them from his dad.

A few of our leaders.

I am convinced this will be the year he learns to swim. He jumped off and got around fine with the help of the floaties.

And here he is Mr. Karate Kid himself! Ever since Dalen watched Karate Kid he has wanted braids. One of the women there quickly did his hair poolside, after washing it in the kitchen sink! We love it and Dalen is so proud!