We're off!

Today is the big day we head off to Pennsylvania. The bags are packed, the kids are excited, the mom is nervous, and we're watching the minutes tick by until we can head down to the airport to let the fun begin.

I would be happy if we could just skip the whole flying part. I just hate not being in control and I hate all the silly regulations we have now when it comes to flying. "I'm sorry, you want to take clothes with you on your trip? That'll be $20 per bag!" Or "You can't pack liquids with you because they might be explosives." Try having my three year old without apple juice and then you'll see a real bomb go off! Air travel is convenient, but it is getting more and more annoying. I ask myself why am I paying for this abuse? But then I have to remind myself it will be much nicer to make it to Pennsylvania in 5 hours rather than in 4 days. Just the thought of such a road trip makes me want to curl up in a ball.

Aside from the travel jitters, I am very excited to be heading out. I can't wait to see my family and my lovely green PA. I am also very very excited to have my busy husband at my side for 8 whole days! What a treat! We are in desperate need of a vacation and a break from life.

I know you'll all miss my intellectually stimulating blogs. It'll be hard to fill the time in my absence. Whatever shall you do? Have no fear, I will return and with me I will bring all sorts of new fodder, sarcasm, and pictures to treat you to. Have fun while I am gone! (And maybe pray that we'll all survive the airplane ride without too much drama. It couldn't hurt, right?)

It's all about the food

In just two days we head off to lush green Pennsylvania to see my family. I cannot wait! I didn't realize how much I miss the East until we watched a movie that took place on a farm last week and I found myself looking up real estate in Pennsylvania. I must admit that aside from seeing the fam, there are a few things I am really looking forward to:

1. Taking in some green. I love St. George, but I do miss the farm fields and many trees of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I think no matter where I live, Lancaster will always have my heart. I just love it!

2. Rita's Water Ice. It's hard to explain to anyone who has never had water ice what exactly it is. To say it is like a sno cone, but better is just an insult to water ice. One day I should open up a Rita's here because it would be a hit. They are soooo good.

3. I love Oregon Dairy. A little fact is that it was built the same year I was born. It's a local grocery store, but they have the best ice cream and macaroni salad. I know that sounds just odd. I am not a big fan of macaroni salad, but I would commit all sorts of crimes to get my hands on Oregon Dairy's salad when I am pregnant. It's just that good. They must put some addictive ingredient in it.

4. Some good Italian food. If you want good Mexican, come out West. But we lack good Italian. I miss "hole in the wall" pizza and pasta joints. Only back East do they know how to make a cannoli. I can't wait to put back some of that divine goodness.


Hmmm, should I be concerned that most of my excitement revolves around food? Nah! I only get it every coupple of years. Pennsylvania here I come!

George Washington, where are you?

I would love it if the Founding Fathers of our country, like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, etc., came back and kicked some major bootie in the White House and Congress. I don't think they'd be too pleased to see what has happened with our current government. What we need is an old school smack down!

I must have not been paying attention, but I didn't realize the office of President had changed to that of a monarchy. It seems to me that President Obama is going full steam ahead with all of his horrible plans, regardless of the outcry from people. I guess our opinion doesn't matter much anymore. What about government for the people and by the people? Most people I talk to feel like their opinions and voices are being trampled under and tossed aside by the current administration.

Since when did health care become a right? I agree that there are problems in the system and some things just cost way too much, but where does it say that everyone is entitled to health care coverage? Usually one has to pay money to get it and that is just how life works. Just like you have to pay to eat food, own a home, or drive a car. And the way we pay for those things is by working.

Now I know there are those unfortunate group of people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but don't make enough money to afford insurance. The cost of insurance is insane. I don't like to think about how much of our money goes to it. But giving health care to everyone is not the answer. That money is going to have to come from somewhere to pay for every one's insurance and, unless President Obama has a money tree he hasn't been telling us about, the funds are going to come from us taxpayers. So then I'll be paying for my insurance and someone else's? Not to mention that the quality of care will go down drastically if health care is socialized. Have you ever talked to anyone who has lived in Canada or some other country that practices socialized medicine? It's not a pretty picture.

Here is a radical idea. Why don't we fix the problems we have and not create any more? Let's take a good look at Medicaid and Social Security, programs that are dying out and sorely abused, and make them actually work for the benefit of the American people. What if we made better requirements, like having to work, for Medicaid? What if it could help those families who don't qualify now, but are too poor to afford insurance on their own? Isn't that the real purpose behind the idea? Wouldn't that just be plain crazy to dig down and re-evaluate these programs instead of piling more problems on top of the mess? Wow! Novel idea!

Of course, this is all just a bunch of rambling by a mad woman. I really would have no clue what is best for the country. I'm just one of the lowly masses, here to fund the crazy ideas of our beloved monarch. My opinion really isn't worth much. George Washington, where are you?

The Blessing of Rolls

Sometimes I forget that the Lord is looking out for me and aware of my needs.

Today we invited Rachel's old Sunbeam teacher over for dinner. She is a sweet sister that Rachel still loves and adores. We love her so much! Well, I knew that I had to get home, get the kids changed and snacked, and then mix up some bread dough to rise so we could have bread with dinner. I didn't sleep well last night and so am tired and feel off. Plus after church it seems like everyone needs everything right now! I knew Marshall would be gone until late afternoon so I'd be on my own for dinner prep and kid herding. I just wasn't looking forward to doing it on my own. Plus I always stress about dinner being "perfect" or near to it.

As I was helping Jimmy change from church, there was a knock at the door. I wondered who it could be since anyone wanting to see Marshall would know he would be at the church right now. It was sweet Sister Loo, who periodically brings us baked goods and treats. There she was on my door step with fresh baked rolls and jam. She wanted to thank us for all we do for the ward. Little did she know that she was an answer to prayers and taking a burden off my shoulders. Not only did she bring us something, but it was exactly what I was stressing over finding the time to make for dinner. I couldn't help but tear up as I closed the door when she left.

The Lord is aware of me. Sometimes I forget, but then He reminds me.

I wasted my afternoon for this?

This week I finally had the chance to see the ever popular "Twilight" movie. Wow. I've heard so many things about it and was hoping it would be at least semi-entertaining. Boy, I obviously set my expectations way too high on this one.

The books had a good pace and were fun to read, though I do admit I never did read the last one and refuse to waste any time doing so. However, that tempo did not transfer over to the movie. Talk about b-o-r-i-n-g. It was incredibly slow moving. With all the sighing and forced lines I think the actors were attempting to be dramatic, that or they were severely constipated. The dialogue was blander than boiled celery and the make-up was horrid. I could look like a vampire too if I fell into a flour barrel. However, according to the movie around the neckline, for some reason, a vampire's skin tends to have a bit more of a healthy glow. Hmmm. Not to mention Edward's crazy hair. James Dean he ain't.

I never understood the attraction between Bella and Edward and the movie did not convince me at all that the two were madly in love. Bella is a moron. After having been alive for almost 100 years is she really the best Edward could find? Wow. She's just not the sharpest tool in the shed. I'd be really annoyed if some guy, who was periodically crabby to me, kept following me around. Bug off, man! Then when she does realize he is a vampire and he tells her he has killed before, she replies with "It doesn't matter." Um, if a guy I was dating told me that I'd be hittin' the pavement in the other direction. It would not be okay if he had killed other people before. Call me old fashioned, but I still believe that killing is wrong.

Not to mention the wonderful moral lesson Bella teaches. Edward confides to her that he is intoxicated with the smell of her blood and he doesn't know if he can control himself around her. Her reply is that she trusts him. Hello, idiot. That means he is telling you to get away from him. If Edward was a normal teenage boy, Bella would be dead within seconds. But girls and women look at that relationship and say "Oh, he loves her so much that he stays strong and doesn't drink her blood."(insert swoon) Great. He's a vampire. He's not real. Remember vampires don't really walk the earth. Okay, so if we say that girls should find a guy like Edward then we're setting them up for heartache and lost innocence. Because even if a guy really "loves" you, if he has a raging attraction to you then it'll be only a short time before you find yourself falling into sexual sin. Unlike Edward, that drive, especially in teenage boys, is not one that is masterfully controlled when constantly tempted. Bella and Edward's relationship is not romantic or beautiful, it's creepy and repulsive.

Needless to say, I was not impressed with the movie. If I could have, I would have begged Edward to put me out of my misery and drink my blood instead so I didn't have to suffer watching this nightmarish attempt at love unfold. I was cheated. I want my afternoon back.

Budding Photographers

The kids inherited the use of our digital camera thanks to us getting a "new" one from Marshall's sister. (Thanks Di. We LOVE hand-me-downs.) They have been having fun taking pictures. It's cute to see their creativity come out in new ways. I must say that I am really impressed with some of the good pictures Anna took of Jacob. Rachel, on the other hand, is more of an abstract artist. What is the deep meaning behind the solitary Green Lantern action figure? Man left to his own devices is nothing but alone and a failure? Or the action shot of Jimmy's leg? I am sure they are filled with soul changing messages. I'll leave those up to you to discover for yourself.

Hello?

I feel like the Pink Floyd song "Is anybody out there?" lately. (Yes, I do know Pink Floyd from a previous life. Cool music to listen to while watching a planetary program at the Franklin Planetarium in Philly. they had some fun stuff there.)I know it is summer and people are busy, but everyone must be having a much more exciting life than mine because it seems like no one is commenting as of late. Have you all just gotten tired of my preaching? Is anybody out there? Let me know!

A Refreshingly Good Time

I love it when I come across a good book and am even more pleased when it is in a series. Last week I grabbed "A Royal Pain" off of the new book shelf at the library because it looked fun. And my was it ever! I have become a big fan of author Rhys Bowen. Her writing is fun, whitty, and full of humor. Quite like a comedy of errors. The book takes place in 1930's Great Britain, with our leading lady Georgiana who comes from quite the royal lineage that leaves her 33rd in line for the thrown. However, like most aristocrats, her family is flat broke. She has a title, but not much else. In order to put food in her stomach, Georgie moonlights as a maid for other aristocrats, hoping that they won't recognize her true identity. During all this the Queen asks Georgie to entertain a foreign princess her majesty is determined to marry to her son. As the witty heroine tries to pull off housing a princess on no income and distance herself from and solve the mystery behind the rising body count that seems to plague her, the entertainment unfolds.

I highly recommend this book. However, this is the second book in the series so I would suggest reading the first, which is "Her Royal Spyness". I am excited to check out Bowen's other series with Constable Evans and Molly Murphy.

Agree to Disagree

Last night as I laid in bed and watched my very tired husband drift off to sleep, I was filled with such love for him. He is one amazing man.

You see, yesterday was a long day. He was busy with work and church and I had what seemed a never-ending day with the kids, which was only made worse by my not feeling well. When the appointed time came for my husband to arrive home and he didn't show, I started to get a little annoyed. Especially since we had planned for me to run and get my hair cut in between work and his meetings at church. I was so very looking forward to a trim. Minutes kept passing by and still no husband. I went from annoyed to angry. Even though I knew he was probably detained in a meeting, I still was upset because he had promised to be home. So when my sweetie did finally get home I made sure to tear into him like a kid with presents on Christmas morning. It was not a pretty sight. Later, when I was more calm, we were able to talk things over. I knew what had delayed him was something that wasn't in his control, but I had still let myself get upset. It got me thinking about how much I love our marriage and how glad I am that we both can have those moments of anger or disagreements, and then move on. (It also got me wondering if I will ever not get so worked up over dumb things.)

I remember my mother-in-law once describing her marriage to me in these terms, "Divorce, never. Murder, yes." I loved it! You cannot find two people more hopelessly in love and goo-goo over each other than my in-laws. It is adorable to see them in their golden years still madly in love with each other. And I think part of it is they understand that disagreements are part of a healthy marriage. You have two people who are different that are trying to live through life together. Sometimes feelings get hurt, mistakes are made, and stupidity abounds. We're all imperfect and so we all end up doing dumb things. That's just life.

The important part of having a good marriage is understanding that mistakes and disagreements will happen. Yeah, I could and should have handled yesterday differently with my husband, but I didn't. However, he knows me and my temper and he knew it had just been a bad day. Our marriage wasn't in jeopardy, it just so happened that his being late was the last straw in a long day. He knows, oh my does he know, that I am imperfect. So he didn't hold any long lasting grudges over me for my out burst. Just like I don't hold it against him when he does something insensitive. (See, he rarely gets upset. But he still does make other mistakes because he's almost perfect.)

In this day and age people are ready to divorce over the first sign of trouble. If we all followed that ideal then we'd all be divorced. I had someone once give me a wise and very true piece of marriage advice. "If you're always agreeing and never have a fight, then someone is lying." Pretty much. Now I'm not talking about a knock down shouting match, but throw in two personalities and two people of the opposite gender and you are going to have flare-ups. It's just a fact of life. The key is to let them disappear once they are over and move on.

I love my husband. I love how I can feel safe expressing my feelings and opinions to him. It makes for some fun intellectual debates and it helps him know what I am feeling. Likewise, I am so glad he is open with me and lets me know when I've hurt him or done something stupid. It's all a part of growing together and becoming more united. Oh my, do I have a lot of bumps to smooth out for myself for that to happen, but it is happening because I have such a wonderful husband who believes in open communication and still loves me for it!

So True!

Muffin Top

I love words and especially when one perfectly describes a feeling, situation, or person. For instance, there are just some people in the world that can only be described as skanky. It sounds like what it describes. Yuck!

One of my most favorite terms is "muffin top". No, we're not talking about the crunchy tops of muffins, though having a good blueberry muffin wtih a crumb topping sounds divine right now. Muffin top refers to the skin that is exposed/ hangs between one's pants and one's shirt. I love the expression because it looks exactly like a muffin top. Perfect description!

Too bad I'm not so fond of seeing actual muffin tops than I am of the word. I always wonder about people. Do they not feel the air blowing on their mid section as it droops over their pants? Do they not realize their clothing is five sizes too small and thus creating the muffin top effect? I mean, I am all about being confident and loving your body for whatever it may be, but that doesn't mean you should dress like a size 0 model if you actually are a size 12 woman. It just won't look good. You can be bigger and still look good. It's all about the clothes. And muffin topping is not the answer.

But what do I know? Maybe some guys really like to grab a handful of flesh to hold on to. I'd just rather not see it spilling out everywhere. Still, you have to admit "muffin top" is a great term.

Something Simple to Keep Our Family Safe

In this day and age you'd be pretty stupid to not have a filter for your Internet. There are so many scary things that are easily accessible on-line. Why take the risk of having someone stumble across something inappropriate or addictive? Shoot, if I can do one more thing to protect my family from the adversary, then I will!

That is why I love the K-9 Web Protection program that we have. It's free and it's good. So good in fact that sometimes I get blocked when shopping on-line, looking for clip-art, or reading articles from the web. No, I'm not trying to do anything nasty or sneaky, but the filter will block anything that could possibly be threatening. Sweet. When that happens, unless I am trying to shop for a new bra or something, I just turn around and go to a different unblocked site. (Yeah, it even blocks underwear and bathing suit sites sometimes. Which I don't get why they have women posing all sexy in things because I'm thinkin' it's usually women buying that stuff. So a woman trying to look seductive in a bathing suit isn't really doing much for me aside from annoying the heck out of me. I'd rather just see it on a mannequin.) Anyhow, it blocks everything.

And I am glad it does. Sometimes I will go to use the computer after my kids have been playing games on it and I find a blocked web page on an open browser. Now my kids are too young and innocent to know what they are doing. They know how to get to Disney and Nick Jr. to play their games, but sometimes they may hit a wrong key and end up somewhere they didn't want to. I'm glad anything slightly questionable is blocked from them. Since we are protected they avoid accidentally stumbling across something scary or immoral that may leave an imprint on their little minds.

We also take things one step further in our home. I am the all powerful holder of our password to bypass blocked websites. We got this idea from my genius sister-in-law. Men are typically more susceptible to pornography. Not to say that women can't be either, but I have the password to protect myself and my husband. If he wants to go to a blocked site, such as Facebook once was when we first installed the filter, he has to come ask me for permission to un-block it. That means I go to the computer and see what site he is trying to access and then un-block it if it is safe. (And it always has been, nothing scandalous for Marshall.) I love having the peace of knowing we are protected. It's one less thing to worry about.

If you're don't have a filter, get one. I love ours. You can download it at http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ Your family is worth it.

Happy 4th!

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, one of my favorite holidays. It doesn't have all the cool decorations and candy of Halloween or the Spirit of Christmas, but it has fireworks and celebration of our freedom.

I love America. I do. I may not always agree with what goes on in the nation's capitol, but I feel very blessed to live in the land that I do. We have so many freedoms and luxuries that we take for granted. We can express our opinions on issues without fear of a violent reaction. Just look at the protests in Iran. Death to all the protesters is being demanded by many. Meanwhile we can have our little "Tea Partys" to show our dissatisfaction with President Obama and no one starts issuing death sentences to us.

We enjoy religious freedom, for which I am truly grateful. I can practice my religion freely, go to the temple as often as I want, and attend church openly.

I am a woman and enjoy the right to an education, a good education, the right to work, and the right to speak my mind.

I can get good medical care for my children. I live in a country that continues to study and research the best medical treatments for illness and disease.

I can have a house and two cars and live a comfortable life. I can make my way in this world if I work hard.

I have so many stores to choose from, like Wal-Mart, Target, and multiple grocery markets. I can just drive down the road two minutes and run into a bunch of retailers to meet my needs. I have access to so many goods and food products.

I live in a nation full of rich history, heroes who sacrificed everything to bring this country about. I can take pride in those wonderful men and women and the example they set.

The list could go on and on. I am proud to be an American. I am grateful to be a part of this great nation. We're not perfect, but we are blessed. It truly is the land of the free.

Stress? What Stress?

Instead of going to the temple this morning during "Grandma Day", I decided to spend my time in InstaCare. Okay, I didn't really decide to, but I figured I better see what is going on with my body and my doctor wasn't in office today. I have been feeling nauseated, chilled, and having severe back pain. Totally not cool, especially for a mom of little kids. Well I got all sorts of tests done. I even got to get a body scan for kidney and gall stones. Awesome. But no results. Apparently everything is in good form, which is what I want to hear. So the doctor gave me some pain killers and muscle relaxers and sent me on the way. Since then I've talked to a few people and they say it sounds like it's a result of stress. Stress? How can that be?

How could being worried about my sister's silly actions and leaving the Gospel during her divorce cause me stress? Or the upcoming trip we are planning to Pennsylvania this month where certain parties want us to spend more time with them cause worry? Or the shaky economy that is causing friends to have to lose their homes and causing financial uncertainty for all? Or getting enough sleep at night due to a teething baby? Not to mention the normal stresses brought about by being a bishop's wife? Ah, the list could go on. Yeah, how could it be that stress is taking it's toll on my body? What stress?

It's time like these that I am forced to take a step back and re-evaluate. Time to take a deep breath and count my many blessings. Put my trust in the Lord and try my best to push forward. Remember that He doesn't give me trials I cannot handle, though sometimes it may feel like it. That doesn't mean there won't be stress along the way, but it does mean I can control what I worry about. I hate to see people around me suffer. It's just part of my nature. But I have to remember that I can't fix it for them. (Can I get that tattooed on my forehead or something so I will remember it?)

I am a blessed woman. I am. I have four beautiful healthy children and a husband who loves me as fiercely as I do him. I have a roof over my head and food to eat. And I have the greatest gift of happiness, the restored Gospel. So despite life's challenges, I can have peace. (And comfort, since I am popping those muscle relaxers as soon as the kids go to bed. Party!)