I just discovered the official statement of the church regarding its involvement in the Protect Marriage coalition. I think it is very good, and very well written.
One thing I find interesting in the Prop 8 debate, is the volume of name-calling and insults I find from the No on 8 contingent. I appreciate America as a free country where we all can express ourselves, but I wish there were more intelligent and well-reasoned responses and less personal attacks.
I don't expect everyone to agree, but I do wish people expressed themselves with more respect for themselves and others.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Importance of Marriage...
This is definitely a more serious post than the last one.
I want to take my little space in the blogosphere to endorse Prop 8 in California. I wish I still had residency there and could vote in this important election.
I grew up in California. My parents, siblings, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and many cousins are still there. I care about this vote for their sake, and for the rest of us, as California is such an influential, often precedent-setting state.
Growing up, I had friends and teachers who were gay. Though I didn't agree with their choice of lifestyle, I was still friends with them. I have heterosexual friends who have lived together without being married. I am still friends with them, even though I don't agree with their lifestyle choice either. We don't all have the same values, but I still think we can exist together and be respectful of our differences...we can still learn from and benefit from each other too.
So if I am willing to allow others their agency, and even befriend them while disagreeing with their choices, why does Prop 8 matter to me?
Because it will affect my family.
If Prop 8 fails, my neices and nephews will need to be taught in school that marriage is between a man and woman, or man and man, or woman and woman. And I am not willing to accept that.
From the Protect Marriage website:
"MYTH: Allowing gay couples to legally marry does not affect anyone else.
FACT: The narrow decision of the State Supreme Court effectively renders all civil marriage meaningless and will result in tremendous confusion for children. The state Education Code (§51890) requires that teachers instruct children as young as kindergartners about marriage. If the gay marriage ruling becomes permanent, teachers will have little choice but to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage.
We should not accept a court decision that results in public school teachers teaching our kids that gay marriage is acceptable. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It should not be forced on us against our will."
That sums up the main reason why I support Yes on 8.
The California Family Code says, “domestic partners shall have all the rights, protections and benefits” of married spouses. Prop 8 would not change this. Currently, same-sex couples in California enjoy the same legal protections and rights as married couples. Prop 8 is not seeking to take this away.
Prop 8 simply wants to protect the sanctity of marriage, and allow it to be upheld as the unity of a man and a woman. I believe in marriage. I believe it is good for individuals, families, and our society. And right now, I believe that marriage needs our protection.
Please do what you can to protect the age-old institution of marriage. Be respectful and kind as you share your opinions, but please stand up and do something, even something small.
And if you live in California, please vote yes on 8 for me, since I can't do it for myself.
I want to take my little space in the blogosphere to endorse Prop 8 in California. I wish I still had residency there and could vote in this important election.
I grew up in California. My parents, siblings, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and many cousins are still there. I care about this vote for their sake, and for the rest of us, as California is such an influential, often precedent-setting state.
Growing up, I had friends and teachers who were gay. Though I didn't agree with their choice of lifestyle, I was still friends with them. I have heterosexual friends who have lived together without being married. I am still friends with them, even though I don't agree with their lifestyle choice either. We don't all have the same values, but I still think we can exist together and be respectful of our differences...we can still learn from and benefit from each other too.
So if I am willing to allow others their agency, and even befriend them while disagreeing with their choices, why does Prop 8 matter to me?
Because it will affect my family.
If Prop 8 fails, my neices and nephews will need to be taught in school that marriage is between a man and woman, or man and man, or woman and woman. And I am not willing to accept that.
From the Protect Marriage website:
"MYTH: Allowing gay couples to legally marry does not affect anyone else.
FACT: The narrow decision of the State Supreme Court effectively renders all civil marriage meaningless and will result in tremendous confusion for children. The state Education Code (§51890) requires that teachers instruct children as young as kindergartners about marriage. If the gay marriage ruling becomes permanent, teachers will have little choice but to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage.
We should not accept a court decision that results in public school teachers teaching our kids that gay marriage is acceptable. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It should not be forced on us against our will."
That sums up the main reason why I support Yes on 8.
The California Family Code says, “domestic partners shall have all the rights, protections and benefits” of married spouses. Prop 8 would not change this. Currently, same-sex couples in California enjoy the same legal protections and rights as married couples. Prop 8 is not seeking to take this away.
Prop 8 simply wants to protect the sanctity of marriage, and allow it to be upheld as the unity of a man and a woman. I believe in marriage. I believe it is good for individuals, families, and our society. And right now, I believe that marriage needs our protection.
Please do what you can to protect the age-old institution of marriage. Be respectful and kind as you share your opinions, but please stand up and do something, even something small.
And if you live in California, please vote yes on 8 for me, since I can't do it for myself.
The Unexpected Lessons of Motherhood...
Like learning through experience that disposable diapers really aren't flushable.
What would we do without our boy?!?
What would we do without our boy?!?
Monday, October 27, 2008
You know you are really tired when...
You send two thank you notes to the same person...one written right after she brought you a meal two months ago but never mailed, and one written today.
I even have a list! I was so confused, knowing I had mailed 15, yet there were only 14 I could account for with one that hadn't been sent. Turns out I just wrote two to the same person. Go me!
Rather than perceiving myself as a forgetful, sleep-deprived, unorganized, late and behind person, I am just going to chalk this one up to the fact that I am just a very grateful person, who loves to express appreciation...and even though I realized the error before mailing the second one, I decided to go ahead and send it...why not? It just might make her day.
And if you are wondering...I have not made it in bed by 10 hardly at all since I started making that a goal, but I am still trying, some days harder than others.
However...I did a four minute brisk walking warm-up today before running, and after 24 minutes total (warm-up plus 20 minutes of running), I had gone 2 miles. Go me!
If I could just give up that big bowl of ice cream every night when the kids were in bed, I might actually get skinny one of these days.
I even have a list! I was so confused, knowing I had mailed 15, yet there were only 14 I could account for with one that hadn't been sent. Turns out I just wrote two to the same person. Go me!
Rather than perceiving myself as a forgetful, sleep-deprived, unorganized, late and behind person, I am just going to chalk this one up to the fact that I am just a very grateful person, who loves to express appreciation...and even though I realized the error before mailing the second one, I decided to go ahead and send it...why not? It just might make her day.
And if you are wondering...I have not made it in bed by 10 hardly at all since I started making that a goal, but I am still trying, some days harder than others.
However...I did a four minute brisk walking warm-up today before running, and after 24 minutes total (warm-up plus 20 minutes of running), I had gone 2 miles. Go me!
If I could just give up that big bowl of ice cream every night when the kids were in bed, I might actually get skinny one of these days.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Adventures in Letterboxing: Part Two
On Sunday, we delivered Dave to the airport. He had to be in New York for the week. And while the cat's away...let's just say that although I could have (and maybe should have) used K more as a baby-sitter during the time we had her, I wanted her to have fun too, and so we played a lot more than we worked.
Determined to try letterboxing again on Monday, I took everyone to a local forest preserve where not one, but two letterboxes were hidden. We were sure we would be successful this time. This forest preserve had been recommended by a friend of mine (mother of six boys) as a great place to go day hiking as a family.
It was beautiful. The fall colors were captivating...as were the mosquitos. We were confused by the first of the two letterboxing instructions, but felt confident that we could successfully find the other one. We reached the identifying tree that would help us pinpoint the way, and discovered that this letterbox was hidden in the middle of the trees, fifty paces in. The mosquitos were thick on the trail, and blinding in the woods.
By this point, Number Three was slower and slower, insisting she was scared of the woods. We figured if we were my friend's family of boys, we might venture on, but while wearing Number Four on my back and Number Five on my front, I feared they might be completely eaten alive. Ultimately, like the silly group of girls we were, we determined our best course of action was to run for the safety of the car, and head to Sweet Tomatoes. Poor Number Three struggled to keep her pants up while running, but we all managed to troop along out of there. It was another grand adventure.
So, since we are now 0 for 3 on actually finding a letterbox, I am realizing maybe I am not so great at letterboxing. But since the real point for us was to engage in a wholesome recreational activity together as a team, I guess we have been successful after all.
If we ever do find a letterbox...sigh...I promise it will be blog-worthy. In the meantime, let me know if any of you have any letterboxing experience...including any tips on how to actually find a letterbox.
Determined to try letterboxing again on Monday, I took everyone to a local forest preserve where not one, but two letterboxes were hidden. We were sure we would be successful this time. This forest preserve had been recommended by a friend of mine (mother of six boys) as a great place to go day hiking as a family.
It was beautiful. The fall colors were captivating...as were the mosquitos. We were confused by the first of the two letterboxing instructions, but felt confident that we could successfully find the other one. We reached the identifying tree that would help us pinpoint the way, and discovered that this letterbox was hidden in the middle of the trees, fifty paces in. The mosquitos were thick on the trail, and blinding in the woods.
By this point, Number Three was slower and slower, insisting she was scared of the woods. We figured if we were my friend's family of boys, we might venture on, but while wearing Number Four on my back and Number Five on my front, I feared they might be completely eaten alive. Ultimately, like the silly group of girls we were, we determined our best course of action was to run for the safety of the car, and head to Sweet Tomatoes. Poor Number Three struggled to keep her pants up while running, but we all managed to troop along out of there. It was another grand adventure.
So, since we are now 0 for 3 on actually finding a letterbox, I am realizing maybe I am not so great at letterboxing. But since the real point for us was to engage in a wholesome recreational activity together as a team, I guess we have been successful after all.
If we ever do find a letterbox...sigh...I promise it will be blog-worthy. In the meantime, let me know if any of you have any letterboxing experience...including any tips on how to actually find a letterbox.
Adventures in Letterboxing
So, a couple of years ago I read an article that mentioned letterboxing. I think it was in Family Fun magazine.
From letterboxing.org:
"LETTERBOXING is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. Click on the desktop items above to explore this fast-growing hobby."
Basically, anyone can hide a letterbox, which would generally be a rubbermaid type container with a stamp and a notebook. They would then post directions online as to how to find the letterbox. Those who find the hidden letterbox would leave their own stamp in the notebook, and then use the stamp in the letterbox to mark their own "notebook passport" of sorts. It sounded fun at the time, but we never tried it.
Earlier this year, our Bishop challenged us to reread The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and identify specific principles we could improve on in our families.
We chose the two principles I have bolded in the following passage:
"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."
We determined that our family needed to work more together, and to find more ways to engage in wholesome recreational activities...together.
Thus, our desire to investigate letterboxing was rekindled.
And it was a blast! We did our first one last Saturday afternoon. Our baby-sitter, K, was already with us. It was a great set of instructions...taking us through a tunnel, near water, past deer, and we even had a frog leap out in front of us!
Searching for the hidden letterbox.
Smacking away a mosquito.
I love these adventurers!
And they love K! (I do too...she is such a great girl.)
Unfortuneately, we didn't find the letterbox at the end, but it was still a blast. And because we got too late of a start, our plan to picnic at the letterboxing site was thrown off, and became a basement picnic dinner instead. Fun anyway!
From letterboxing.org:
"LETTERBOXING is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. Click on the desktop items above to explore this fast-growing hobby."
Basically, anyone can hide a letterbox, which would generally be a rubbermaid type container with a stamp and a notebook. They would then post directions online as to how to find the letterbox. Those who find the hidden letterbox would leave their own stamp in the notebook, and then use the stamp in the letterbox to mark their own "notebook passport" of sorts. It sounded fun at the time, but we never tried it.
Earlier this year, our Bishop challenged us to reread The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and identify specific principles we could improve on in our families.
We chose the two principles I have bolded in the following passage:
"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."
We determined that our family needed to work more together, and to find more ways to engage in wholesome recreational activities...together.
Thus, our desire to investigate letterboxing was rekindled.
And it was a blast! We did our first one last Saturday afternoon. Our baby-sitter, K, was already with us. It was a great set of instructions...taking us through a tunnel, near water, past deer, and we even had a frog leap out in front of us!
Searching for the hidden letterbox.
Smacking away a mosquito.
I love these adventurers!
And they love K! (I do too...she is such a great girl.)
Unfortuneately, we didn't find the letterbox at the end, but it was still a blast. And because we got too late of a start, our plan to picnic at the letterboxing site was thrown off, and became a basement picnic dinner instead. Fun anyway!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Playing Hard...
We didn't have school Monday-Wednesday of this past week, but we did have an important guest during the break!
Our old baby-sitter came to stay with us, and we wore ourselves out in staycationing adventures. I am off to follow my son's example (sans the ketchup face and hair, and location), but stay tuned for more details.
Our old baby-sitter came to stay with us, and we wore ourselves out in staycationing adventures. I am off to follow my son's example (sans the ketchup face and hair, and location), but stay tuned for more details.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Twenty Miles Down, Hundreds to Go...
So...haven't been on the computer much lately.
I have been focused on getting the basics back under control, and figured I could then expand from there. Every day since a week ago Monday it has been my goal to have meaningful personal prayers, thoughtful personal study in the scriptures, time on the treadmill, and to be in bed by 10. I have a chart in my bathroom where I am tracking my progress. I am still trying to keep up with everything else the best I can, but these are my chosen priorities.
I have done well on the prayers, hit most days on the scripture study (which is different than scripture reading...more focused with a higher level concentration required, and a higher return as well), a couple of days on the bedtime (I am not so great at getting to bed early), and I am 100% on the treadmill (except for Sunday, which I took off on purpose). I am up to running 1.5 to 2 miles a day, and walking another 1-1.5 miles...over 20 miles already.
I am finally beginning to feel like my real self again, and it is great. I am enjoying my kids more, and feeling more and more grateful for what I have because wow, all that stuff everyone always says about how the mother needs to take care of herself in order to be most effective in all areas of her life are true!
I find myself busier than ever these days with the new baby, other children, and home to care for whilst Dave seems to be busier and busier at the office. He worked a super long day Saturday and STILL didn't feel like he got enough done. But I am so grateful that he has a stable position at a great firm, that I can't complain. I appreciate his many working hours on behalf of our family.
Well, wish I had more time to catch you up on other events in our family, but in the meantime, enjoy these recent pictures of my beautiful blessings (and one handsome one!), and I hope to update you all again soon.
Number One
Number Two
Number Three
Number Four
Number Five
And an extra sneak peek photo of Number Five in her blessing dress.
I have been focused on getting the basics back under control, and figured I could then expand from there. Every day since a week ago Monday it has been my goal to have meaningful personal prayers, thoughtful personal study in the scriptures, time on the treadmill, and to be in bed by 10. I have a chart in my bathroom where I am tracking my progress. I am still trying to keep up with everything else the best I can, but these are my chosen priorities.
I have done well on the prayers, hit most days on the scripture study (which is different than scripture reading...more focused with a higher level concentration required, and a higher return as well), a couple of days on the bedtime (I am not so great at getting to bed early), and I am 100% on the treadmill (except for Sunday, which I took off on purpose). I am up to running 1.5 to 2 miles a day, and walking another 1-1.5 miles...over 20 miles already.
I am finally beginning to feel like my real self again, and it is great. I am enjoying my kids more, and feeling more and more grateful for what I have because wow, all that stuff everyone always says about how the mother needs to take care of herself in order to be most effective in all areas of her life are true!
I find myself busier than ever these days with the new baby, other children, and home to care for whilst Dave seems to be busier and busier at the office. He worked a super long day Saturday and STILL didn't feel like he got enough done. But I am so grateful that he has a stable position at a great firm, that I can't complain. I appreciate his many working hours on behalf of our family.
Well, wish I had more time to catch you up on other events in our family, but in the meantime, enjoy these recent pictures of my beautiful blessings (and one handsome one!), and I hope to update you all again soon.
Number One
Number Two
Number Three
Number Four
Number Five
And an extra sneak peek photo of Number Five in her blessing dress.
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