What's a Happenin'

Well, I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I would quickly recap what we've been up to.














Justin has been selling popcorn for scouts. He is really excited and asks everyday to count up the money. I am ready to be done with the popcorn. I am sick of the giant mountain of popcorn boxes in the house. I had a lapse in judgement and volunteered to head up the popcorn sells for our pack this year.











Emma had a field trip for school. We walked over to the local grocery store and the kids were given a tour. It was interesting and gross too.














I went out to lunch with some friends yesterday for my friend's birthday (happy b-day Tiff.) I was supposed to drop Mia off to be babysat during our lunch, so I took her to Taco Bell after preschool so she wouldn't be hungry. I sat there and watched her eat and couldn't help breaking out the camera and taking pictures of her eating. She is just so cute. I think the TB staff must have thought I was a little weird, but oh well. I am.

Happy, Happy, Happy, Happpy, Happy Anniversary!

The big 1-0. Wow! It has been ten years, well actually ten years and one day. Yesterday was our anniversary. It is hard to believe. In some ways it has flown by and in other ways it is hard to remember being single. Charlie and I met about 13 years ago outside of Taco Bell. My BFF, Kelly, and I were driving around trying to find people to see because we were dressed up really weird. It was just a few days after Halloween and we still wanted to dress up. We knew a girl in our ward worked at Taco Bell so we went to say "hi." While we were walking to the entrance Charlie and his friends who we had grown up with were coming out. We turned around and headed back to the car, but they had already seen us and came over to talk. Kelly told them we were dressed like that because we were going to a club. They invited us back to Charlie's house to hang out and I said no at the same time Kelly said yes. I gave her the evil eye, which you may have noticed it is a skill Emma has inherited. I said we had to go to my house and change first. Back at Charlie's house I met his dad. I like how they joked around with each other. I still remember Dave was wearing an orange shirt because Charlie called him a pumpkin. I also remember what Charlie wore because I thought, "Wow, who wears hiking boots with their jeans scrunched up on top?" Anyway, we hung out for a while then Kelly and I left. Charlie and his friends voted on who they thought was prettier. It was 2-3 in Kelly's favor. She is beautiful so that is okay. By the way, Charlie did vote for me. A couple days later I got a call from Charlie and the rest is history.

A few things I love about Charlie are that he is funny, usually unintentionally, which is much better. He is smart and likes to study issues and then discuss them with me. He teases me. I grew up this way and I need it sometimes. It helps me laugh and not take myself too seriously. He is my sounding board. He always gives me his honest opinion. He loves my cooking and gives me input. He has strengths in areas where I am weak. He tries to help me be a better person and doesn't let me get away with being less than who I am. He has a big heart and will do anything to help a person in need. I love you, honey.

Pumpkin Patch

I took the kids to the pumpkin patch yesterday with two of my sisters, sister-in-law, and mom. We had a lot of fun seeing the animals, playing with cousins, and picking out our pumpkins. I picked out a couple of decorative gourds, much to Justin's dismay. He thought it was a waste and that they looked weird. All I have to say is that he is weird and I still keep him around.

Emma laid down on some large pumpkins and then sat up. A kid came up behind her and climbed on the one that she had been resting her head on. She turned around and said "that is my pumpkin." The mom quickly ushered the child to another pumpkin. I tried to apologize and tell Emma to stop it. She has so much attitude some times. I don't know where she could possibly get it from.

Proposition 8

Elections are coming up here pretty quickly and I wanted to voice my opinions. I feel that voting is one of our greatest rights and obligations in this country. I generally shy away from voicing my political views outside of my close family and perhaps a few friends. Then I heard about prop 8. At first I was impartial. I thought "let people do what they want. I don't care." But I do care when some one's rights are taken away. Proposition 8 keeps intact the domestic partnership laws in the state of CA. In fact, in CA domestic partners have the same rights as married couples. Prop 8 gives the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. I feel that homosexual couples should have the same rights as married couples, i.e. property, inheritance, hospital visitation, etc. I don't really care what the union is called, but then I started paying attention to what has been happening in Massachusetts, where marriage includes same gender unions. Based on what is happening there I strongly support prop 8. I don't like that the rights of many Californians will be lost if prop 8 doesn't pass. Parents will lose the right to choose how their children are taught. Starting in kindergarten children will be taught that same gender marriage is just as normal and correct as hetero marriage. Isn't that my decision to teach my children the values that I feel are correct?! A parent sued the school district to be notified when these things will be taught and the courts ruled that he didn't have a right to oppose. Then when churches preach marriage between a man and a woman as taught in the Bible they can be sued for hate speech. How is that possible? Does freedom of speech only apply to a section of the population? If a church teaches that homosexuals are bad and should be hurt, then of course, sue them. What about the voice of the people in 2000 when 61% of voters decided that marriage should be between a man and a woman? How can judges overrule what the people voted for? Don't our votes count? Churches can also be sued if they refuse to preform marriages or allow marriages on their property for same gender couples. First, I don't understand why homosexual couples would want to get married at a church that opposes same gender unions, unless they want to sue to cause the church problems. Second, I think that churches shouldn't be forced to participate in something that they feel is wrong. I love America and value our freedoms above just about everything else. I don't want any one's rights to be taken away or infringed upon. Yes on prop 8 does not take away or add any new rights, but a no takes away rights of most of us.

Oh, Justin

I am not sure if this is going to make any sense. Well, it actually doesn't make sense, but that is what I love about it. Justin was talking to me and said "Mom, you know how cars have horns that you honk on the steering wheel? Well, they used to have horns on old cars that were those round things you use to suck boogers out of babies' noses. Those were attached to the car with umbilical cords and you could just squeeze that and you could honk the horn. That is what they did in the old days." Oh, Justin, you have no idea how much I needed to hear this today. You are so awesome!

FHE

Tonight for Family Home Evening Charlie was teaching the kids about death and the resurrection. He talked about G.G.(Grandma) He showed them his hand and said it was like her spirit and when she was born she received a body. He put his hand in a glove. He said that she died and he took his hand out of the glove and let it drop on the ground. He asked why the "body" didn't move anymore. Emma said "because it is not real." Duh.

I Love My Grannie Annie

Yesterday my grandma passed away. She has had dementia for the last several years. I really miss her. She was the best grandma you could imagine. She provided me with one of my favorite sayings: "You have to suffer to be beautiful." I tell my girls this a least a couple times a week. She also made each of us feel like we were the only person in the world when we were around her. We would go over to her house a few times a week and she was always so happy to see us. I don't remember ever feeling like she didn't want me there or that she had something else to do. I love that she would pretend to race teenagers in her acura, then slam on the brakes, pull into the bank parking lot and wink at me. She collected quarters. Grandpa would trade me a dollar bill for my two quarters to give to her. She was always elegant and beautiful and would pucker her lips really big to put on lipstick. When I would do something wrong and one of my siblings would tattle to her she would act completely shocked and say "I don't believe my Kelly would act that way." I always felt ashamed and would want to be a better person because she believed I already was. About a year or two ago she couldn't remember who I was anymore. She told me that she didn't remember who I was, but she knew she loved me. I am so sad that she is gone, but really happy that she is free from this life and reunited with Grandpa and her little Judy.