El Momma

Rebekah Maddux El-Hakam: What Happens Next??

2012-02-22T05:26:00.000-08:00

Rebekah Maddux El-Hakam: What Happens Next??: So, my kickstarter album funding and pre-order campaign ended last week. And, I’m officially making an album with some amazing folks in Na...

My newest blogpost on Kickstarter, a momma's love

2012-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

Update #3 from my kickstarter page: Thank you to each of you! Please share my page with your friends!

Posted about 1 hour ago

Dear Friends and Beloved Backers,

We are half way to our kickstarter goal with just 11 days left. We would not be this far without you, the album backers. So, THANK YOU! Thank you to my family, my friends (old and new), friends of friends and lovers of great music. Your generosity and support early on, is what makes this process, a bit daunting at times, possible. My hope is in the Lord. He has opened the door and I'm faithful He will provide.

Please take a moment to share my page with your Facebook friends, put the link on your walls and email your friends. If each one of you had one additional friend pre-order my album at any of the levels, we would meet our goal. So, please share with others and ask them to pre-order the album. Oh- and comment on my main kickstarter page, please! You are amazing. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

All things are possible with God!

At the suggestion of someone who I love dearly, I am sharing a little bit about my family of origin and particularly my mother.

My love of music:
I grew up in a family surrounded by music. This was, for the most part because of my Momma. My mom started playing the piano when she was a young girl. She quickly learned how to play by ear. As an adult, she taught herself how to play the guitar. She wrote many songs in the sixties and seventies. Her songs are folk songs; beautifully written stories of family, struggles, life experiences and the hope we find in the Lord. My brother and sister's lives were both very inspirational to my mother’s songwriting, as well as her family, heartache of a dear friend, her nephew going to war, and her relationship with her father. My sister has down syndrome. She was born eight years before me, when our brother was five years old. My Momma wrote a powerful song called "Please Bring Her to Me" expressing her desire to hold her new baby girl and just love her completely after the hospital hesitated to bring her to her. This song still touches on something so powerful that so many parents can connect with, that desire to have your children close, to protect them and make everything okay just by loving them unconditionally.

By the time I came along, there was less songwriting, but still plenty of music being made around the house. She was busy raising us, my dad was working two jobs and our family did a lot of activities and therapy to help my sister. Momma often sat on the fireplace as we gathered around and we would sing. I'm sure this is how harmonies became second nature to me. It was just what we did. We sang together, often the original songs my momma had written.

One day when I was in college I had a song stuck in my head. I called her to ask if it was hers because I was sure I had heard it on the radio. It was, in fact, one of her songs.

Growing up, when I asked to take violin lessons, she made it happen. She put me in piano lessons too. So many of the skills that I rely on now, I learned as a young girl.

I'm thankful to my Momma. I'm thankful that she had a gift that she shared with her family. That when money was sparse, music was everywhere. It lived through us, in us, carrying us through some of the most challenging times.

Thanks for the music, Momma. It lives on and on. I love you. -Bekah

WHAT I WAS MADE TO DO....

2012-01-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard that said and wondered "how do you know?" "How do you really know what you were made to do?"

Here is how my calling (God's calling on my life) came to be known by me:

The first gift. I began singing just after learning to whistle and before I could talk. I've witnessed this with a couple of my own children, an ability to sing the tune of "Ode to Joy" before ever uttering an understandable word. So, I believe this to be true.

A relationship that will never end. As I sat on the edge of my bed, at the age of 8. I heard Him call my name. And, I answered. I asked Him to come into my life. I asked Him to be Lord of my life and to live through me. On that day, in 1985, I asked Jesus into my heart. It was the start of something that would change me forever.

Opportunity. When asked to sing, I said yes. Even if my peers made fun of me. Or, I knew it was the 20th time I'd sung the National Anthem that year, I still said "yes." And, I was happy to sing any chance I was given. This opportunity also started young. I was blessed to be able to sing at a young age and have adults in my life who recognized this gift and wanted to help me.

Falling in love. I always loved singing. It was a passion. It was a gift. But, it wasn't until I fell in love with worship, true uninhibited worship, free before our God, that I learned to sing from my whole self, my whole heart, my entire me. While living in Los Angeles, in one of the most difficult times of my life, I found a little church in Eagle Rock. In that church, and by church, I mean in that group of Christ-loving people, I experienced true worship. The worship pastor, Tommy Walker, taught the congregation how to worship through his example. The music was some of the best I had ever heard. The message was tender and true and we experienced it fully. We used to sing a song "I Will Never Be." Some of the lyrics that I will never forget,"I will never be the same again. I can never return. I've closed the door. I will walk the path. I will run the race. And, I will never be the same again." Those lyrics were true to me then and they are still true now. Once I experienced worship in a true way and experienced God like never before, I will never return from that. I can't go back and "unknow" what I know now. I know Him and I connect with Him in a very real way through worship in song.

More opportunity. When my husband and I moved to Houston we pretty quickly found a church home. We were busy with being a newly-married couple and soon we were expecting our first son. After his birth, our church began searching for a new worship leader for the contemporary service. I had no experience with this, so I just kept enjoying the guest worship leaders and prayed that God would bring the right person to lead worship. After a nine month search, the new worship leader was announced. He was coming from California with his brand new wife. Before he arrived, an announcement was made asking for volunteers for the worship band. I listened to the announcement and heard the call. "Do you have a musical gift?" "Please contact us." "We would love to have you participate in worship leadership if you feel led." That was me. I knew that I needed to call, email, respond. And, so I did. Soon after, the new worship leader arrived in Houston and he was arranging the band for his very first Sunday. He emailed me and we set a time for me to come to his office. He played guitar, sang the melody and I harmonized. He quickly asked me if I could join the team this Sunday. And, so began a two year journey of learning and leading and worshipping, and learning and leading. I sang every Sunday until the worship leader was called back to California. During the next search for a worship leader, my church gave me the opportunity to lead with our band. It was during this time that God gave me my first original worship song, "Hallelujah, I love you." This, to date, is the only song I have recorded. And, that was just out of the kindness of our bassist's heart. He had the equipment and offered to record the song.

One door closes and the gate opens to a new and clear path. When our friends were called back to California and our church brought in another worship leader, a door closed. It was clear. It was hard. It was hurtful. God kept bringing to mind the life of Joseph. In particular Genesis 50:19-21 (from The Message) "Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart. " I knew that God had a plan for me, a plan for good and not for harm. And, I knew that God was calling me to do more with worship, with music, with worship leading, with writing, with praising, with glorifying Him. When I no longer had a place to do that at my home church, my husband and I knew we were being called elsewhere. But, where? God made the path clear. We began visiting churches in the Summer of 2008. Most were churches we had heard about, driven by or found online. Our church home now, is a little over a mile from our home and at this time they had a VBS sign hanging on the iron fence along the main street. I saw this and thought it would be perfect to send our oldest son. And, we could visit this church around the same time we were bringing him to VBS, so he would be comfortable in a new environment. We enjoyed our visit. The people were kind, friendly and welcoming. But, it was change and change is hard. We didn't know anybody and we were leaving a place where we had made many lasting friendships. Soon after our visit, I received an email from the pastor. He asked us of our thoughts on VBS and our experience as visitors and he mentioned that he heard about my singing and leading worship and he wanted to visit with me about possible opportunities there. I remember receiving that email and trying not to get too excited. Could this be the answer? Could God be providing the place for me to use the gifts He has given me?

Saying yes now. Well the answer was "yes!" Soon after, I began leading worship at St. Andrew's and now I have been there for 3 years and 4 months. My job has been an amazing gift to me and to my family. I work half-time and I really believe that has offered me the space and time to write music. The band has been a huge help. As God has given me a new song, I am able to present it to the band with a scratched out chord chart, sing along and viola! we have a beautiful new worship song. And, to be affirmed in the gifts God has given me, over and over again. I know God has given me the gift of worship, the gift of worship-writing and now is the time. I have this gift right now. So, I am not going to take it for granted. I am going to use it. I am going to lift my praises high and encourage you to do so. I'm going to work so very hard to make an album that is true, genuine, heartfelt, beautiful and a reflection of God in me. I am thankful for you, my first album backers. I ask that you continue to pray for me, for my family and to pray with us for God to continue to direct more backers to kickstarter to make this album for Him a reality.

How do I know this is God's calling? I have been affirmed in the gifts God has given me, over and over again. I know God has given me the gift of worship, the gift of worship-writing and now is the time. I have this gift right now. So, I am not going to take it for granted. I am going to use it. I am going to lift my praises high and encourage you to do so. I'm going to work so very hard to make an album that is true, genuine, heartfelt, beautiful and a reflection of God in me. I am thankful for you, my first album backers. I ask that you continue to pray for me, for my family and to pray with us for God to continue to direct more backers to kickstarter to make this album for Him a reality. Please share my page with your friends. And, thank you for being a part of God's calling in my life. I am grateful for you.Much love,

Rebekah

2 Corinthians 4:6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rebekahme/help-rebekah-maddux-el-hakam-make-her-debut-10-son

Funding Campaign Update for my FIRST EVER Album!

2012-01-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rebekahme/help-rebekah-maddux-el-hakam-make-her-debut-10-son

47
BACKERS

$4,280
PLEDGED OF $25,000 GOAL

28
DAYS TO GO

That's my current total. 17% of the total needed to fund the album. Yes, I have 28 days to raise an additional $20,000. Whoa! Let's do this.

So, what do we need?
1. Prayer. Ok. We are praying. We're asking you to pray and you are praying with us. Thank you.

2. God's direction. We have that. He has directed us every step of the way, now bringing folks to mind that we need to tell about the project. Prayers that He will continue to clearly direct us.

3. Support. We need you. Every single person that we know, to share my kickstarter page with every single person you know. This is going to be amazing. It is going to be inspiring. It is going to be touching, beautiful, heartfelt music, but it WILL NOT HAPPEN without YOU!

So, please. Log on today.
4. Pledge TODAY. Please! And, share. Share with everyone. Share often. They will thank you for it when the music arrives. :-)

God bless you.

-Rebekah

Rebekah launches Kickstarter page to raise funds for debut 10 song album!

2012-01-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

My Kickstarter page is up! Please watch the video and visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rebekahme/help-rebekah-maddux-el-hakam-make-her-debut-10-son There you can pre-order the album and all sorts of goodies, and you can partner with me to make this album a reality! God bless you!

I need Your help to make this record! Thanks for checking it out and sharing with your friends...
love,
Rebekah

Cinnamon rolls and holiday love for neighbors

2011-12-29T09:15:00.001-08:00

For the past few years, the kids and I have made dessert for some of our neighbors and delivered the packages at Christmastime. We do this for several reasons. One, I'm the Momma and I like to bake. Two, as a family, we want to reach out to our neighbors and let them know they are important to us. And finally, because we want to show the love God has given us to others, especially at Christmas.

One year we bought boxes to put the treats in, tying them up with a pretty Christmas ribbon.

Some of our neighbors leave for the holidays or had parties before Christmas. Our early Christmas deliveries were homemade cupcakes this year. We bought cupcake carriers made of cardboard and tied them with a Christmas bow. The friends we delivered to earlier in the season really missed out. Sorry, guys!

Then, the week of Christmas, I saw the pioneer Woman Christmas special on the food network. She demonstrated how to make homemade cinnamon rolls. They looked delicious and like the perfect gift to make. I was hooked. These would be our second group of Christmas treats for neighbors.

So, I set off to buy the necessities.

I followed the directions here, with a few exceptions:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/12/decorating-cinnamon-rolls-as-gifts/

I used rectangle pans. I bought 30 for 6 dollars at Sam's. Much cheaper than the round ones at the grocery store.

Because I didn't use the round pans, I removed the finished rolls and placed them in saran wrap

"Noel" material from Hobby Lobby, tied up with a Christmas bow!

Somebody loves cinnamon rolls!

A tag on the ribbon to complete the gift!

The finished product. Ready for delivery!

The kids enjoyed helping me deliver the goodies. Because of the ribbon we used, they easily attached to the front doors of our neighbors houses, making it easy for us to leave them there and not have them sitting on the porch. The reviews are in and apparently most people loved them. We're glad about that! Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful holiday.

Christmas Day, dinner and presents

2011-12-27T13:34:00.001-08:00

Christmas day turned out to be a very wonderful day. I'm being honest here, it was not perfect. The children had their usual struggles with sharing, we had difficulty, at times, keeping on schedule when there wasn't one to follow, and listening, as always, was an issue.

But, in between all of the craziness, there were moments of perfection. Moments when we felt the presence of Jesus with us. And, moments when we were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

In our memories, this Christmas will be perfect. Because, it was. It truly was.

We spent Christmas evening with my husband's side of the family. The els loved being with their cousins. We had dinner, the kids played and watched a Christmas movie and then we opened presents. We draw names. So, we each gave a gift and received a gift. Between 8 adults and 9 children, this was surprisingly calm. Then, my husband's parents spoiled us all with more presents.

By the end of the night, we were exhausted and delighted from Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Eve with the Grands

2011-12-26T19:46:00.001-08:00

Every family has their traditions. Even if they don't have "traditional" traditions, I believe that they still have them. In our family, we want to spend time during the holidays with both sets of grandparents, all of our nieces and nephews, brothers, sisters and in-laws. It's important to us. We both grew up spending holidays with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Those are some of our dearest memories. Yes, we want to create special memories with our immediate family, but we also want to make time for our extended families. We believe our children will value this greatly when they are older. They already love it. We are on a Christmas rotation with all of our in-laws. Meaning that one year we spend Christmas eve with my parents and family. And, that year, we spend Christmas day with my husband's family. All of his sisters and their families also are on the same schedule with their in-laws, so we are all with the grandparents at the same time. This year, after our Christmas Eve church service, we celebrated Christmas eve with my mom and dad and my side of the family. Here are a few pics from that very special evening...Group shot to come later...

Annual Ornament from Aunt Bubba~!

Happy Birthday Jesus Cake!

Present time, sweet husband and dear Trinity

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

Loving their Grandmother

Leeland, loving Christmastime

Look, Momma! I found a present...

Maddux, helping.

El Momma and Baby L

Beautiful Patricia, opening a present, nearly identical to the one she picked out for me! Great minds, I guess. :-)

Birthday party time

Sweet cousins

with Momma's cabbage patch dolls, Evelyn and Roderick

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas, 2011. Just writing that, I get misty-eyed. 2011. It's hard to believe, really. My husband and I were dating, for the second time, in 2001. Just 10 years ago. Now, in the blink of an eye, we've celebrated 11 Christmas holidays together, our wedding day, countless holidays, the births of our four children, the birthdays and celebrations of so many family members, and soon will ring in a new year together for the 11th time. Every celebration has been filled with joy, hope and promise of the future. But, I can honestly say that this Christmas with a 17 month old baby boy who adores his family and is so full of joy, a 3 year old girl who lit up with the Christmas lights and loved every moment, a five year old who never forgets anything and was so overjoyed that he received more than one present, and a six year old who also only asked for one gift and gets so excited when he hears a favorite Christmas Carol...it has been the best Christmas ever, so far! Christmas through the eyes of young children is really Christmas. They remind me to be happy and not worry about the little stuff. To slow down and enjoy these precious, fleeting moments. They remind me to think about the Christ child. Our Lord as a baby over 2000 years ago. It's hard for me to imagine what that must have been like. Amazing, really. Truly amazing. My children remind me of what Christmas is. Merry Christmas, friends! Enjoy a glimpse of our Christmas morning at home....

Santa has arrived

Transformer for Maddux

Cars 2 wii game for Bakri

Princess for Trinity

5 -way play block for Leeland

Good Morning, Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

It's a Christmas miracle. It's nearly 9:30am and everyone in the house is still asleep, except for me and Girl Trinity. She only awoke half an hour ago and she is now playing quietly at my feet with 2 new dolls she received last night when we celebrated Christmas Eve with my side of the family. I've turned the twinkling lights on the trees and now I am about to start the first pot of coffee of the day, perhaps the only pot.
What I am enjoying most right now is the quiet. The time to reflect on the day, to think about the baby, long ago, who came to save the world. That little baby, child so small, changes everything. Jesus. He came so meek and mild. He came to live and die and rise again so that we may have life and have it abundantly. My prayer is that we will all experience a taste of that abundant life today. Enjoy your family, your loved ones, your peaceful moments, your joyful chaotic ones, all of it. Enjoy the abundant life God has given you today and have a very Merry Christmas!
Love,

Rebekah

A Fifth birthday celebration with Christmas cheer

2011-12-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

It's often said that if your birthday falls near the holidays it's unfortunate, because your special day gets lost. Do you think that is true?

Our second son, Maddux was born five years ago on December 1st, right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I realize that as he gets older the way we celebrate him will depend mostly on him. He'll probably have a place or theme in mind. But, for now, it's up to us, his parents to decide. Last year we hosted a "Thankful for Maddux" party on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Maddux loved it. It was basically just a birthday party, but we all got into the Thankful theme, especially Maddux.

We also attended a house party last year at a friend's home where Santa stopped by. For the following 11 months I've thought about Santa coming to a party at our house. How fun would that be? Especially given the ages of our children. And, we really couldn't have a Christmas party and a separate party for Maddux. So, why not have a Birthday party with a Christmas theme?

And, so we did. And, Maddux was happily on board again. He loved every minute of it. I cooked adult food- roasted mozzarella tomatoes, chicken curry, a very colorful vegetable tray and for the kids an assortment of finger sandwiches, fruit, cookies and cake for everybody. My in-laws brought really great hummus. We had cupcakes and hot chocolate (which was delicious!) And, my mom made sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees for the kids to decorate. Just before Santa's surprise arrival, my mom sat down at the piano and we sang Christmas carols. Everyone came inside for Santa's entrance as we sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." At that moment our house was more full of love, singing, joy and laughter and people...so many people...than ever before. It was amazing. It was magical. And, Maddux was thrilled. Santa, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Claus, made his way through the crowd and into the brown leather chair next to the Christmas tree in the den. The children gathered at his feet and he read "The Polar Express." Maddux ended up in Santa's lap half way through the book and Trinity would periodically stop Santa's story, so she could tell him her own. Children took turns sitting with Santa, taking pictures and talking with him. It was more than a delightful experience. It was beautiful. It was childlike. It was exciting.

We gathered in the living room for the birthday song. And, Maddux told his guests "thank you for coming to my party!" We sang to him and he successfully blew out the five lit candles on the cake.

I believe that Maddux knew that this wasn't a party just thrown together between holidays. It was a really special way of honoring him and showing him that we love him dearly. I think he'll look back on it and be pleased. :-)

About Maddux: Maddux is five years old. He is our second child of four. He is smart and intuitive. He loves people. He loves his siblings and his entire family with his whole heart. He plans for the future, thinking about what he wants to accomplish in life, where he wants to live "when I'm a man," where he'll go to school and how he'll always want to be close to his parents. He loves sharing a room with his brothers and takes good care of his sister. He thinks about others. His bright blue eyes and smile light up our life. He is cherished by so many. And, we are grateful that Maddux is our son. We thank God for our little Maddux.

A beautiful wedding, a family affair to remember

2011-11-20T22:25:00.000-08:00

Moustapha's youngest sister got married this year. Link to wedding announcement. It was a beautiful and really special experience for our family to be a part of. All of us were in the wedding together. Moustapha did a special reading and was a groomsman, I was a bridesmaid, Trinity was the flowergirl and the boys were ushers. The kids were thrilled to be a part of this incredible day. They have watched our wedding video numerous times and were very in tune with the wedding and the order of things. Our oldest son, especially, was honored to be asked to share in this day that was so meaningful to his Aunt and now his Uncle. We wish the beautiful couple a wonderful life together. May your life together be even more beautiful than your wedding day!

The Els

Flower girl power!

Trinity with her Grandma and Jiddy

A few of the family members before the wedding

Standing up for Melinda

2011-10-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Sisters

The first time I remember doing it, I was just a kid. We were in a Summer track program. And, somebody was making fun of her. Laughing at her and calling her "retarded." And, I was spitting mad. I mean, furious. I remember wanting to physically fight for her. Instead, I yelled at them and told them she was my sister and to "shut up!" And, if you know me now or if you knew me as a child, rather, you would know, I was as mild-mannered as they come. But, those were fighting words and for her I would fight. Her name is Melinda.

She is my big sister. I didn't know she was different. I didn't know that expectations would be different for her than me. That she would always live with our parents. That she would grow up and be more childlike than not. That she would always be my biggest fan. All I knew was that she was my older sister, my best friend, my entertainment and my family. I don't remember ever being told that Melinda had Down syndrome. It was just a part of her and totally normal for our family. She was eight years old when I was born. In some ways, she thinks of me as hers. And, I think of her as mine.

Her response to hearing the r-word, either said around her or, on the rare occasion, about her, is always the same,"I'm not retarded. I'm a brain-injured woman!" She would say this when she was twelve. She's forty-two years old now and this is still her response. It definitely gets a laugh, but I also think it teaches a lesson. If someone like Melinda hears the word and is offended, why do we use it?

I've always felt passionate about the issue. When I was in college I started hearing it more and more in pop culture. It was used in movies and by young stars. At that time, if I was around someone who used the r-word, I would say something. It's not like I expected them to feel the same way I did. But, I thought that I could educate people one-by-one and make a difference. I think it worked. I never wanted to make people feel guilty, so I would try to be happy and casual in my response. For example, I might say "oh, I'm totally not a fan of that word. My sister has Down's." Or, "that is one of my least favorite words. It's one of the few words still being said that should be on the 'not politically correct' list." Or, "you know, that is the one word that I hope people will stop saying." Usually, it would lead to a nice discussion. And, most of the time, I would never hear that person use the word again. Or, if I did they would tell me they were trying to get out of the habit.

When I lived in Los Angeles, it was the same experience. My friends were mostly professionals, college-educated, and many were in the music business or movie business. It was easy to share my story with them and to talk about Melinda. Most people when they think about it, really think about it, understand why the word shouldn't be used to describe something that doesn't work or in a self-deprecating way to call yourself stupid. It's hurtful to a group of our population that can't easily defend themselves. But, it is also hurtful to those who love them. And, it is unnecessary. There are so many other words that we can use instead.

Melinda has always made friends with my friends. She's hilarious. She's witty. She's loving and she's never met a stranger in her life. My high school friends were her friends. My college friends adore her and her them. My Los Angeles friends and co-workers are the same way. One time Melinda came by herself to visit me in LA. We all did karaoke together, went to Disneyland and the beach and had the best time. My boss, a well-know Public Relations Exec in Beverly Hills, even hired her to "clean the office" for a couple of hours. She loved it! She's awesome. She deserves better than the people of the world using the r-word incessantly with no thought whatsoever of who they are hurting.

I got the shock of my life after interviewing for public relations jobs in Houston, accepting a position and starting my new job. As soon as the interview process was done and I was officially an employee, it started...the endless and continuous use of the r-word by nearly everyone in the office. They used it to describe themselves when they were unhappy with their performances. And, they used it to describe their laptop when it didn't work as it should. They used it to describe their driving when driving like a bat-out-of-hell. And, they used the word regularly in front of clients. All of these were work settings. And, to me, at least, all of these circumstances were extremely inappropriate times to use this word. I had heard it said before. But, never in professional settings. And, never by anyone in the PR industry in Los Angeles/ Beverly Hills. I was appalled and completely shocked. But, it is the next part of the story that shocked me more than anything. I believed that once I met with my boss(es) and told them about Melinda and told them how I found the word to be extremely offensive, they would realize the error of their ways and institute a new "no r-word policy" at work. Yes, I was nervous to meet with them and I tried my very best to present it in a way so they wouldn't feel judgment from me. I just wanted to further educate them and I thought, especially in the public relations industry, they would be sensitive to words that are not politically correct and not socially acceptable. Even if society is still catching up, I believed people in the PR business would want to present themselves and their clients in the best light. Excessive use of the r-word, in my opinion, is not the best light. It's nowhere near the best light.

I met with my female boss first, and then the male boss. I had heard them both use the word too many times to count. But, they weren't my friends, they were my bosses, my "new" bosses. And, I was extremely thoughtful in my approach, knowing I should talk with them privately and not in front of any of my co-workers. That is what I did. It was awful. I originally thought that I would talk to her first and that I would never need to talk to anyone else at the company about it. But, since she didn't offer a resolution that involved banning the use of the r-word in the work place or even toning the use of the word down, I couldn't let it lie. The next morning I met with the boss of the company. He was already aware of my concern, as she had filled him in the evening before. He had time to think it over and prepare a response before we met. His response was unbelievable to me at the time and it still is. He was defiant and defensive of the right of all of the employees and our superiors to use the r-word freely and as often as they would like. What!?!? Seriously? This was a company that specialized in public relations and who proudly wanted to alienate a large part of our public by using a word that is offensive to them and their loved ones. We continued to discuss the matter. But, in the end, I was left with a choice, stay and work in this environment which I believed was now hostile toward me or stand up for Melinda and no longer work there.

I chose Melinda and every other mentally-challenged person I knew and everyone who loves them. I chose to stand up and to move on. This choice meant that I wouldn't have a conventional job for the next seven years and counting. It changed the entire course of my life, freeing me up to do what I'm meant to do, as I prepare now to record my first full-length Christian worship album. Who knows what would have happened had I stayed there? But, I know I did the right thing. And, I have no regrets.

For more information and to pledge not to use the R-Word visit: R-Word, Spread the Word to End the Word http://r-word.org/

Rebekah and Melinda

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY, BABY!

2011-09-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Trinity!

I know I've said it many times before, but time really does fly.

Today, our baby girl, our one girl in the midst of 3 boys turns three! She is amazing. I know, I'm her momma and I am supposed to think that. But, it's true. She is.

From the moment she entered this world, she has been lighting it up, bright! Oh so, bright. She shines. She really does.

I'm thankful for her. I'm thankful for the way she wakes when hearing just the slightest little sound. For the fact that I can convince her to do almost anything if I'll promise to paint her nails, pink and purple, of course. For her smile. For her love of life and the way she connects with people her age and mine. For the conversations she starts and finishes. For the questions she asks. For her amazing mind. Her understanding of relationships and caring about how we are all connected. I am thankful for my daughter, my sweet little girl. My Trinity. Happy birthday, Baby Girl!

The birth of Trinity was one of the most profound and amazing experiences of my entire life. To read about my birth experience with Trinity, click here:

The Birth story of Trinity

Little Fingerprints on the Door

2011-09-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

fingerprints on the door....prior to cleaning :-)

As I made my way up the stairs and into the hallway, I noticed them. They were on the door at three distinct levels. One set representing the oldest el, a first grader. Most likely, his are from the dirt outside, last night's dinner or a special dessert. Then, there are the middle set, belonging to our second oldest el. His are probably from tooth paste, which he wastes as he tries to apply some to everybody's brush. And, from peanut butter on his favorite lunch sandwich. And, then there are the ones belonging to tiny t. Hers are probably a mixture of food, markers, paint and anything she can get her little hands on. As I look at them, I contemplate whether or not to wipe them away.

As I head back downstairs to grab my magic eraser, wet it, and head back upstairs, I'm still trying to decide if it's okay to leave them there. They definitely make the door look dirty. It is the door to the boys' room that they share along with Baby L. But, I don't want to forget what those little fingerprints represent. I know there will come a day when I will wipe the last little fingerprint off of the door and they will be too big to return. I want to appreciate the fingerprints, the children that leave their mark everywhere in our house and the season of life we are in. I know I'm going to miss this.

I decided to clean the door. It only took a few seconds to wipe away the fingerprints. I know they will be back soon, this time.

The baby Els go to school!

2011-08-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy week at the El house! On Friday, Miss T. and Little L went to visit their school and El Momma went to orientation. The Big Els were both in Elementary School at the time. So, I was able to give the event and my little ones, all the attention they needed. It was good. T loved her class. She is pictured (top, below) with the pink star balloon they gave her, which happened to match her outfit. She was super happy. On Monday morning, Trinity was still excited about school. The other picture below is just after she's happily entered her room, and just as she's decided that she would rather go with me. :-)

L. was totally chilling at his orientation. He acted like he had been there a million times before. He had been there several times before. So, I'm glad he is comfortable.

And, here he is (below) at drop off. He was just chillin...again. He pretty much chills most of the time. They said he was a star student the first day. He ate, he played, he napped, he pooped. Success!

I am excited for L and T to be in school. I pray they will be blessed this year and that the time I have, I can use it wisely. I don't know how I've gotten anything done for the past 7 years. Perhaps, I will hit a new found stride with my kids at this age and I will get my house organized! I am hopeful!

Pimiento Cheese Recipe- Southern Style

2011-07-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

When I moved back to Texas and got married and started a family and started cooking...a lot more, I started on a quest to learn how to cook new things. This wasn't hard. I didn't have much experience. So, nearly everything was new to me. But, I know how to follow a recipe and with the internet, I can figure out how to do (almost) anything!
Pimiento Cheese is a staple at southern showers, parties, teas, etc. When a local sandwich shop stopped making them for cater orders, I started thinking about learning how to make it myself. Then, Zoe's Kitchen moved in down the street with a fabulous, but a bit pricey pimiento cheese. I did a quick search and found a great recipe on npr.org. It's at the bottom if you follow the link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6877304

It's basically like this: You'll need a food processor and 6 ingredients: cheese ( I use a cheddar and monterey jack mix) , 2 medium size kosher dill pickles, 3 garlic cloves mashed, kosher salt, (I put a little salt with the garlic and mash them together) 1 jar of pimientos, duke's mayonnaise. This recipe calls for Duke's and I highly recommend it. It really is a better mayonnaise and it makes all the difference!

Put all of the ingredients, except for the duke's mayo, in the food processor and briefly process it.

When it is easy to work with, move it to a bowl and add in 3 tablespoons of Mayo. That's it! This is the easiest time to make sandwiches, because the pimiento cheese will be really easy to spread. But, if you can't do that, place the bowl in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, remove from the fridge at least 1 hour prior to bring to room temperature. It is easier to work with and tastier to eat at room temp.

Enjoy!

Our afternoon experiment with HUMMUS!

2011-07-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Whipped Hummus- a delicious and nutritious snack! Made with garbanzo beans (low in fat) and fat free greek yogurt. So tasty!

So, I pretty much make Hummus all the time. My husband would say I don't make it enough. He would like fresh hummus in the house daily. However, I think he appreciates the fact that I make it about once a week. Considering, all of my other responsibilities, that's a lot. Well, I've been making hummus basically the same way for the last couple of years. I found a blog that I like http://www.dedemed.com/ and I pretty much follow her recipe to the t, except I don't really measure anything. But, recently, I decided to try making hummus using a bag of garbanzo beans instead of a can. It required overnight soaking, changing of the water and boiling the beans. I really didn't like the flavor. I later read that it is a good idea to change the water when you are boiling them as well and if you don't you get a weird after taste. Considering it was more of a pain to make hummus this way, I probably won't try that again. I really like the drained canned garbanzo beans just fine. However, we have been to a couple of local restaurants that serve a very smooth almost whipped hummus. I've tried putting the hummus in the mixer to see if that would "whip" it, but that didn't seem to do anything. Then, my husband, because of his love of hummus, read online that some people boil the canned beans and peel the skin. And, that makes really smooth "whipped" hummus. So, me and Miss Trinity tried that this afternoon.

Garbanzo beans after being boiled, drained, washed, and peeled

First, I drained the beans- 2 cans. And, rinsed them a few times. Then, I placed them in a pot with water and brought them to a boil for a few minutes, stirring occassionally. Some of the skins came right off and floated to the top. Others, were not so easy. So, I drained them again and washed them removing as much of the extra skin as possible. I basically did this until I got tired of doing it, feeling that I had removed a substantial amount, so it had to make a difference.

Then, I placed the beans in the food processor and added the remaining ingredients- yogurt, garlic, salt, citric acid, lemon juice, tahini

I just throw all of the ingredients in together before processing

To say it was worth the extra work is a little bit of an understatement. It did take an extra 20 minutes, but it was well worth it.

the result- whipped hummus!

Happy First Birthday to our son, Leeland Thaddeus! We hit a grand slam with you, kid!

2011-07-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last week our youngest El turned 1. It was a really exciting time for all of us. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had baseball themed parties for our other boys when they turned one. But, this was the first time we had a birthday during baseball season. We decided that we would celebrate with immediate family-only, that's 28 people, with 24 that live in town and 4 that live out of town. So, we had a small party for 24 people! WHEW! It was tons of fun. Here are pictures from our afternoon/evening. We served hotdogs, chili dogs (I found a really great chili recipe online for chili dogs, which I normally don't eat. But, I ate 2 cause they were delicious!) chips, fruit and fresh homemade lemonade. After dinner, we sang to the birthday boy. Notice how he covered his ears when we sang to him! It was hilarious. I think it was just too loud, but he never stopped smiling. Then, we had cake and headed over to the Ballpark to watch the Astros play. After the game, they have a fireworks show on Friday nights. So, we stayed and watched that. It was a Queen inspired show and it was probably the best fireworks show we have seen there. It was really impressive and ended with Bohemian Rhapsody. Awesomeness.
So, everything was great. We had a wonderful time. And, Leeland managed to stay awake and didn't go to bed until 1130 that evening. Waking at nearly noon the next day. He's pretty cool.
So, we want to say happy birthday to our little Leeland, lovebug, little boy. You are amazing. We are so proud of you. We love you, we love being your parents and we love watching you grow. You rock, kid!

Me with my 1 year old son, Leeland. LOVE!

Grandmother giving him cereal before the party

LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cutie on his new ride

New present from Grandmother and Grandfather

Birthday boy with El Momma

The food was delicious if I do say so myself.

Happy boy with his Jiddy

with my Jiddy

Playing cars with my cousin

Look at my two teeth!

the crowd gathers for the birthday song

almost ready to sing

the song begins

covering his ears

covering his ears for the birthday song

the crowd waits

ready to blow out the candles

Big boy!

Cake!

Grandma love

You're one!

bitter cake?

Princess T and the birthday boy ready for the game!

daddy's little boy

the party at Minute Maid Park

our view

can you say "cotton candy?"

pretty

Fireworks with Momma

Ready for Birthday Fireworks!

Rockin out with Christian to Queen during the fireworks show!

Leeland's Birthday Painting, the Third Painting in the series

2011-07-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

When I began painting the first of what would eventually be three paintings, I had no idea that I would be painting variations of the same painting more than once. The first painting was for our first son, Bakri, when he turned one. We planned a baseball themed birthday party. I made him a cake shaped like a baseball and decorated like a baseball and I painted a baseball jersey on canvas for his wall in his room. I used the painting as part of the decoration for the party and I made a cake that matched the jersey. That was all for the first birthday of the first child. Little did I know, God would bless us with 2 more little boys with first birthdays! So, this week, I began the fun job of painting Leeland's first birthday painting to go with the paintings for Bakri and Maddux. Here's how it went:

And, here they are all together....Leeland's is nearly complete. My blue paint was old and didn't offer much coverage. It was the day of his party when I made this discovery. So, we just went with it. I'll finish it soon. I promise. As for the significance of these paintings, well they are very important to my babies. I realized that this week when working on Leeland's. It was so cute to watch the other children light up as his painting became more and more finished. In fact, Bakri (our 6 year old) now wants me to find a way to make real jerseys...hmmm...I'll have to think about that one for a bit. Maybe when they stick with one size for a while.

Leeland's painting with a cake ordered from H.E.B. They do a good job with the jersey, don't they?!

The famous baseball cake by El Momma. I really do enjoy making this cake!

The Happy Birthday side of Leeland's baseball cake.

Pictures from Leeland's first birthday party and day to come soon! We had a great time celebrating our little Leeland!

Baked Salmon recipe from Cooks.com

2011-07-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

BAKED SALMON FILLETS OR STEAKS
I adapted this recipe from www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,183,150184-232207,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

EASY BAKED SALMON- delicious
Salmon fillets, any portion size, boned and skinned
crushed Garlic, to taste
Pepper
Kosher Salt
Duke's Mayonnaise
Paprika

Preheat oven to 375°F
Wash and dry fillets. Spread thin coat of mayonnaise over salmon. Place salmon in foil lined pyrex dish.
Sprinkle seasonings over fish ending with paprika.

Bake in 375°F. oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

There is a first time for everything

2011-07-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Even in my thirties, well actually, especially in my thirties, it is thrilling to get to do something for the first time. This was one of those experiences for me. On Sunday, I was asked to sing the "anthem" song for the traditional service. I chose the song "Forever Reign" written by Jason Ingram and Reuben Morgan. I felt like this was an opportunity for me to play a very simple accompaniment at the piano and sing from my heart. So, I did. I feel really blessed to have had this opportunity to play and sing. It was a real humbling and wonderful experience for me. I have been amazingly blessed throughout my entire life to be able to sing with some of the most talented and gifted pianists around. So, honestly, it is hardly ever necessary for me to play for myself. But, I enjoyed it and hope you will too. Moustapha (my husband) recorded it from the balcony.

http://youtu.be/znemJYGHPic

El Momma- the political/ civic duty side

2011-07-12T13:30:00.001-07:00

If you know me very well, you probably are familiar with most of my sides.

There is the mother of four side. A little bit quirky, allowing a drum set to be played regularly in my living room. A little bit of a rule follower, believing a nap is the key to a happy life. And, a little bit of a mess, believing that if I spend too much time cleaning, we'll never have as much fun as we are meant to!

Then, there is the wife side. That one goes hand in hand with my mother side. She is loving, patient, and sometimes driven crazy by her husband. The wife side of me is very happy and in love and grateful to my very loving and supportive husband.

Next, there is the art/music/creative side. She bakes, she decorates, she paints, she sings, she writes music, she leads worship, she plays the piano and sometimes does nearly all of these at once.

The side you may not know, is the civic duty/ political side. I'm not talking about Republican, Democrat, Independent or whether my daughter's tea party was a political statement. No, I'm talking about local politics in Houston. I'm interested in it. I love to work with my neighborhood and have been active in my civic association since we moved here at the end of 2004. This year, after thinking I would take a break, I am serving as President of the Civic Association. I have really enjoyed it. Last week, in particular was a big week for me and for our neighborhood. I spent a lot of time with my stomach in knots, but in the end, it was worth it.

Here's what happened in a brief synopsis:

The City of Houston offers neighborhoods inside the loop the option to protect their blocks with the Minimum Lot Size Protection. City of Houston Planning Our neighborhood is fairly small. We are approximately 8 residential blocks. We are now nearly all protected by the minimum lot size. It sets a lot size minimum for the next 20 years and restricts development to single family residential on the lots that are currently undeveloped or were being used as single family at the time the application was put forward. Being that our neighborhood includes some non-deed restricted properties, this protection is huge for the residents. It protects them and gives them certainty for the next 20 years.

In September, we had an application denied by the Planning Commission. It was heartbreaking. My husband and I had spent countless hours on the application for this one block and in just a few minutes, we were denied. It was hard. Thus, began the process to get a new application in and approved. So, I continued having conversations with the neighbors on the block who helped with the first application. I met with our district councilmember. She met with the director of planning. I wrote letters and received a direct response from the mayor of Houston. After the dust settled, it was clear, our only option was to complete and submit a brand new application.

What does that mean? It means that we had to contact every supporter on the block to get an updated signature of support and we would need to increase our support by adding more support signatures. It seemed a bit daunting. There are 45 properties on the block. But, we believed we could do it and we did. One of the active supporters on the block started us off with a signature from a recently sold property. This was a new signature. So we started off strong. And, we went after every signature. We got them. and we did it fast. We gained more support and ended up with 62% of the entire block supporting the application. But, this was not enough. I continued to have conversations with our District Councilmember, the planning department and I reached out to the Mayor, asking neighbors to join in. I even attended a fundraiser for the Mayor knowing I would have her attention for 2 minutes and used this time to talk to her about this application. The Mayor was a part of the drafting of this original ordinance when she was a Councilmember. I believed strongly that she would support our application. I then met with the neighbors and we organized a presentation to use our time wisely before the Planning Commission. We presented very well. And, the Planning Department did a great job explaining our application to the Commission. We had 6 speakers in total speak in support of the application. We presented pictures, evidence of complete compliance with the standards of the ordinance and testimony by neighbors. You can click here:
http://houstontx.city.swagit.com/Council_Commissions/ Select July 7. Item IV. to view.

In the end, the hard work paid off. We were rewarded with the minimum lot size protection which is in addition to the setback already on the block. I am thankful to all of the support we received from the city of Houston, from the neighbors on the block and in the neighborhood. We are going to benefit greatly from the protection for the next 20 years. Congratulations, everyone!

And, so, there it is. A little taste of my political/ civic duty side.

There are many more sides to this El Momma. But, for now, I will give in to my calm side, take a break and rest before doing my daily routine of Yoga. Namaste.

Bakri and Maddux are "DYNAMITE!"

2011-06-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

After taking the older boys- the six and four year old, to see the Newsboys a few weeks ago, their interest in being a "rock band" has intensified. The Newsboys opened the concert with a song by Taio Cruz called "Dynamite." The boys loved it and immediately got hooked on the song. We found it when we got home and I started teaching them the piano part. Then, I was asked to contribute a song for a concert at our church where the music would be from Musicals or popular music. I asked the boys if they wanted to perform "Dynamite" and they of course wanted to. And, so it began. Here is the video of the boys performing last night. Maddux (four and a half) starts the song off with the piano part. He very cutely shakes his head to tell me he's not going to sing that part. And, when the song gets going, it is amazing. And, yes, that is their dad excitedly recording and singing along. Way to go "Capital Els!" El momma is so proud of you. We had a great time.

Trinity - AKA Princess Cupcake, Hosts her very first TEA Party to RAVE REVIEWS

2011-06-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Our older boys have been at VBS and gymnastics camp all week. So, I promised Trinity some girl time. And, we've delivered on that promise! Today, Miss Trinity hosted her very first tea party. She had 2 guests; one dear friend and one babydoll named Babsy. They dined on fine china given to Trinity by her Great Aunt Bubba. They drank tea (apple juice) and ate scones, crackers, cheese and delicious cupcakes from Sugarbaby's. There were many wardrobe changes throughout the morning. The girls loved dressing up. They gave each other princess names, and Trinity's was "Princess Cupcake!" During and after tea, there were numerous impromptu dance sessions. They had a wonderful time and Trinity can't wait to have another tea party!

Trinity's Tea Party

Taking care of Babsy

Babsy enjoying tea

Fun girl time

hugging

Happy Trinity- Princess Cupcake!

Let's dance!

What a wonderful morning!