* * In Re: Rachel L. * *

Yeah, I'm a bit behind in blogging this update, so I'm sure you all have heard by now that on March 25th the CA granted a Petition for Re-hearing.  Wooo hooo; great start!  Many thanks to all those who are working hard to right this wrong.

This article from my hometown really gives some food for thought to the question "Is marriage anything more then just a legal contract?"

* * In Re: Rachel L. * *

Assembly Concurrent Resolution ACR 115
Author: State Assembly Member Joel Anderson

WHEREAS, Some thirty years of experience with the modern homeschooling movement in California demonstrates that home school graduates take up responsible positions as parents, as students in and graduates of Colleges and Universities, in the workplace, and as citizens in society at large; and

WHEREAS, Homeschooling by California families with diverse backgrounds has historically given children a quality education through proven, independent approaches that nurture valuable family bonds and support successful student development; and

WHEREAS, Private homeschooling has a long and rich history in the State of California, currently estimated as involving 200,000 students in the State of California, and 2,000,000 students nationwide; and

WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has ruled that parents have a fundamental constitutional right to direct the education and upbringing of their children (Wisconsin v. Yoder, Pierce v. Society
of Sisters, Meyer v. Nebraska); and

WHEREAS, On February 28, 2008, the Court of Appeals for the Second Appellate District in Los Angeles issued an opinion in the case of In Re: Rachel L. holding that homeschooling without a teaching credential is not legal; and

WHEREAS, This misguided interpretation denies California parents' primary responsibility and right to determine the best place and manner of their own children's education; and 

WHEREAS, The fair opportunity of California families to educate their children should not be undermined; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, By the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, that the Legislature hereby calls upon the California Supreme Court to reverse the opinion.

RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

This is the current chapter in their life, but this is what touched my heart.

The problem with so-called "emergency orders" in cases of alledged child neglect is that social workers can say whatever they want to support their demands for permission to invade a family's privacy, and judges are basically required to believe them without anything more then the social worker's unchecked accusations.  Parents are essentially never given the opportunity to defend themselves at this stage, and by the time "due process" kicks in, the damage has been done.

You can't unring a bell.
You can't unbake a cake.

You can't take away this 11-year-old boy's memory of being forcably removed from his parents by a SWAT team because of a bump on his head.  A bump that was so awful the medical treatment required was ice and tylenol...and apparently a SWAT team.

That is the problem with emergency orders. 

"A fully armed SWAT team broke into our home, slammed my children to the floor face down with their hands behind their backs and shoved a gun in my daughter's face…"

...I love you girls. 
I will fix this, just hang in there.
It's almost over.

"It shall be a statute forever in your generations [...] for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire." 

 -Leviticus, NKJV 

Some memories are made of rocks.

. . . and I long for what's missing.

I stronlgy dislike "cute sayings"...like "Jesus is the reason for the season".

Yes, it's true.  Christmas is about remembering the birth of Jesus.  And that is a good and worthy thing to remember; it's not about gifts, presents, trees and lights.  Christmas is about Jesus.  But, Christmas should be about more then the birth of Christ because His birth was simply one thread in the cloth God was weaving. 

Remember that the purpose of Bethlehem
was to get to Calvary. 

http://www.godtube.com

video tip:  Walden's Wits

Anyone who hasn't read Spunky Homeschool's series on Mike Huckabee should take a moment to read it.  Regardless who you are planning to vote for, her thoughts and insights are sure to inspire you to make your vote count! 

"The vote you cast in the next election will help decide which way we’re going to go as homeschoolers and as a nation. Help ignite a political wildfire and demand that any candidate who gets a homeschoolers vote will adhere to the constitutional principle of limited government and not expand the federal role in education and that the tenth amendment is still in force in the United States."

-Spunky Homeschool  

. . . and a big Congrats to my brother (AKA: Daddy!)

Merry Christmas Bro!  YOU TOO,HAVE BEEN ELFED!

("Grandma", please be sure my bro. sees this)

One of my all-time favorite bloggers Spunky is beginning a short-series on Mike Huckabee and the elections.  I find her post to be incredibly reflective of my own views of Huckabee, plus insightful and thought-provoking (as always)!

Good to see ya again Spunky!  I appreciate you posting!

(Post inspired by Walden's Wits "Serendipity and Happiness")

Yesterday at work, a gentleman rushed up to the counter carrying a dozen half-dead roses he hastily pulled out of the flower case.  It was obvious he was in a hurry, and as he fumbled with his credit card he told me why:  It was his one-month wedding anniversery and he competely forgot; his wife had sent him for flowers.   

I've never been big on locking into "special days"...it puts too much pressure on the date and expectations tend to run higher then is realistic, especially when life happens (which it always does) and those expectations can't be met. 

I once forgot my anniversery.
I once rescheduled Christmas.

We had a lovely Christmas in March of the following year, complete with a tree, gifts, family, food and decorations, including outdoor lights.  It didn't matter that Christmas wasn't on "December 25"...we were a family making memories.

However, one of my all time favorite memories of my family is when my kids interrupted me from folding socks to help build snowmen!  We don't have a single picture of us actually building them, simply because we were too busy making the memory!  I love my picture of our "Snow family" even though no one else really understands why that picture (without my girls or me in it) is so special to me.

You see, it's not the picture itself that's special, it's what it represents.  The "it just happenedness" of the moment.  The memory of our family working together, laughing, planning, problem solving, and the journey of building that snowfamily that makes this picture so special.

Any person can see the picture, but only my girls and I can see the memory...

Last year, I was inspired by Lindsey at Enjoy the Journey to do New Years NOT's (instead of New Years Resolutions).  I must say, this is a LOT easier, so I'm doing it again, although this year's list is much shorter, since I'm letting my 2007 list roll-over into 2008.

(To see 2007's NOT list click here)

Court order or not, I'm determined to make memories this Christmas!  . . . and I'll be as creative as it takes! 

Girlie-girls...

WE'VE BEEN ELFED!

A former co-worker, Nelson Long, died in a car accident slightly under two weeks ago.  He was very devoted to his family (you could always tell where his priorities were) and a fun person to work with, generous and willing to help out whenver needed.

What I remember about him is how he was always willing to help out at work, but never at the cost of sacrificing his family and priorities.  And when he was at work, anything "extra" that needed done, you could count on Nelson to do it.  The only time he ever said "no" was if it would keep him too late from getting home to his family.

So it did not surprise me at all to find out that he just returned from Iraq two months ago.  Nor did it surprise me to learn he had received awards for heroically pulling soliders out of a burning vehicle when it was hit with a bomb just behind his vehicle. 

He wouldn't have called it "heroic".  He would have said he was just doing what needed done, and from who he was, I don't picture a "hero" in the sense of grandness.  He was a hero because that's how he lived every part of his life, regardless if it was burning bombed vehicles in Iraq or rearranging his work schedule to be home with his family...He did what was most important when it was most important, without hesitation.  That's just who he was.

It was an honor to know him.