One Reason I LOVE Arizona

I just love the monsoons, and it happens to be one of the reasons I love Arizona. I really enjoying waking looking outside and seeing one half of the sky clear and bright and the other dark and overcast. I find much excitement in the quickness of the storms. Really, they just jump up on us! I think we have the most amazing thunder and lightning storms. When I was working, during every storm I would get so unmotivated to work and I remember thinking, I would just love to be at home during the storms to watch them out the window and enjoy them. I haven't been home much during the storms so far, but when I am, I open the window as I work around in the house. It is great. My camera didn't really capture the contrast in the sky when yesterday's storm moved in, but I sure tried! Plus, I was out driving when it started rolling in, so it was mostly "in" when I got my hands on my camera. Oh, and if anyone is going to make fun of us for living in our house for 3 1/2 years and not having landscape in the backyard, don't unless you want to help put it in! :)

Opposition

I don't watch the news much, but every now and then I get emotionally attached to a story and like to watch all of the subsequent updates (the helicopter crash). As I was watching the news last night, I started pondering on opposition after I heard the families of the men that died in that crash have said they will give all money that is donated to them to the family of the Phoenix police officer that was killed that same day. That was really touching to me and a realization that in general, people in the world have good hearts. That is when I started thinking about the reality of opposition. I think that the good in the world are getting better and the bad in the world are getting more wicked. This is something that helps me not worry about the "world" knowing that there is more good and the good that is out there is stronger than the bad. It's the same reason in our own lives we can only experience joy to the degree that we experience sorrow. Those that bring the most happiness into our lives can also bring the most sadness. I am glad that the happiness outweighs the other... just look at this sweet face! :) And then a little crazy face... those are the eyes that stare down Angela and watches her every move as if she were an alien.

Scrunching my nose is fun to do, fun to do...

I'm sure that is what Clara has been singing lately. Just yesterday, as she was eating, she decided to grab the bottom of her bib, "bite" on it with all her might and scrunch her nose and shut her eyes super tight while doing it. I often wonder where these sudden habits come from. I was alone, as usual, but couldn't keep from laughing out loud. It makes it even funnier when the entertainment seems to think they are doing something perfectly normal and can't figure out what is funny. She did this a little bit today too, but she'd do it when I would smile at her. It's like she has just discovered she's in control of that little face.And while we're on the topic of eating... Clara is really starting to eat her rice cereal. She will open her mouth so I no longer have to wait for her to open her mouth to try to chew on something and shove it in. This morning, I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and as I was carrying my bowl to the sink, Clara was opening her mouth and leaning towards my spoon. It's amazing how entertaining the simplest things are.

Settlers

Tonight my good friend Karen and her boyfriend, Mike, came over. We made zebras and played Settlers. I think that is one of the longest, yet most fun, games I have ever played. I like it because it requires much thought and strategy. If anyone is trying to think of a gift to buy me because they love me, that game would hit the spot. I also have to say that I love Karen. We worked together for about 1 1/2 years and I miss seeing her and working with her. She lives in North Phoenix, so we don't get together much, but when we do, she sure makes me laugh! I traveled a lot with her too, so I feel like I've known her longer than I have. She is one of those people that anything you do with them somehow turns into a laughing matter. Every time she comes out here (it really takes about an hour from her place), I try to convince her she needs to live in Mesa, but it's not working out so well. Maybe someday she'll realize she needs to move here. Until then, I'll just enjoy our infrequent get togethers. :)

Clara's Eating Habits

Since Clara is all grown up and has been eating rice cereal for almost a month, I feel comfortable giving her pretty much anything to chew on. It's all psychological (that I let NO food into her mouth prior to starting rice cereal, except a celery stick ONCE), but at least I can acknowledge that. I absolutely refused to give her anything other than from nursing or water. Anyway, she LOVES to suck/chew/gnaw on raw veggies (celery, carrots, green beans, cucumbers, etc.).She also happens to love Golden Spoon (although she didn't get much... and yes, I went there two nights in a row (Clint forced Angela and I to go) and got the EXACT same thing) and the wrappers from Airheads. Don't let this expression fool you, she does enjoy it. In fact, she will keep one wrapper to chew on for ever.Those are the best because they crinkle yet they don't dissolve in saliva. This evening, as we were eating dinner, I gave Clara a carrot to suck on and after I went into the kitchen to do something, she decided to crawl in there after me. Obviously, when you army crawl, you need all your hands have to offer. So my intelligent little child put the carrot in her mouth and crawled with it sticking out. Oh, but it gets better; she'd pause occassionally and slide it in and out her mouth, hands free, by sucking it, then continue crawling. No worries, I got this on video, but on the blog, we'll just have to enjoy the still shot. It was pretty funny.

Mmmmm, that was good

Tonight I went to Golden Spoon with Angela and Clint and enjoyed the most marvelous cup of frozen yogurt. This was by far the best combination I have had there or anywhere else. Boysenberry and NY Cheesecake yogurt topped with mini gummy bears. YUM! Afterwards Angela and I chatted in my car and I decided it would have been a good idea for us to sleep in the same bed on her last night as my neighbor, kind of like we did the night before I got married. Oh how funny that would be. Plus, I'm sure Jason and Clint wouldn't mind sharing a bed for a night.

I spent all day playing with Beka and her two beebies Braden and Landon. They sure are chunky little kiddos and well behaved. Plus, I just love Beka. We love to laugh (ah ha ha ha, long loud and clear...) and sit around and be moms, well, I do anyway. Beka had to run dinner to her dinner swappers, so I stayed with the kids. I told Landon there was no screaming, no whining and absolutley no flirting with Clara. He obeyed the first two quite well, however, he couldn't keep away from Clara. They just sat there and played footsies and then Clara touched his seat and he put his hand on her's. Too bad I was manning three babies, otherwise we might have a picture of it. As I was leaving, I cleverly walked through a bunch of wet bushes (in case you didn't know, it POURED here today) to avoid having to wade through a good three or four inches of water. My pants got a little wet, but it beat walking in deep water. A lot of good my cleverness did, because my car happened to be in a good three or four inches of water. If it was just me getting in the car, no problem, but access to the back doors meant wading through the pond (it was much more than a puddle). I told Clara there was no other way, and walked right in. Gross, that's pretty much how I felt about that. Waiting at red lights is much more fun when I have a camera.

4 miles

For the last eight months, Angela and Clint have lived RIGHT next door to us. They moved in when they got married and now, they are gone, this is their first night to be gone. Once their house is done in a month or so, they will live a WHOPPING four miles away from us, but I am SO sad they are moving I want to cry. I am sitting here, needing to go to bed, but I can't figure out why I am so sad they are moving. You'd think they are moving out of the state, but no, FOUR miles away. Bear with me as I try to figure out why this is so emotional for me... I will miss having dinner guests all the time. I tried to have them over for dinner as often as possible because I enjoy their company and I like to cook and it's much easier to cook for four than two. I will miss going over to her house practically every night when Clara wants a change or when I just need to have someone to talk to after sitting in my house all day. I will miss riding to the gym with them. I will miss them calling to borrow things. Remember, it takes a few years or so to acquire the things you need after getting married. I will miss laughing and talking with them and sharing funny stories from the day. I will miss having someone to sit at my house while Clara sleeps at night so we can go do things. I will miss having someone on hand that LOVES to hold and play with Clara (beside Jason and I) with no kids of their own. I will miss having a second wardrobe (but much more fashionable than mine) on hand. I will miss borrowing cute shoes since I can't seem to own any. I will miss hearing the drums and/or guitar through our bedroom wall and pretending to be annoyed even though you could BARELY hear them. I will miss having a back up when I need another guy around to feed the missionaries. I will miss having them in our ward and having someone to sit by in Sacrament (and pick my split ends with... :)). I will miss having someone to make treats for. I will miss having a quick place to go when I need to get away from "people". I will miss having someone to put our trash cans out because Jason has a hard time remembering. I will miss having someone to ask for and give advice... and good advice at that. There is nothing quite like having a sibling next door. Ryan and Kathryn used to live about a mile away, and now that they live about ten miles away, we see them just as much. When they are next door, it's easy access. On a happier note, I am excited for Clint and Angela to have the opportunity to have their own home. Maybe I will just drive there every night and wait for Angela to get home from work. HA HA! Just kidding. But, I don't know that I will ever live walking distance from her again, so I am sad, but I have really enjoyed this while it's lasted. Clara and I will miss Angela and Clint and hopefully will still see them more than just on Sundays at my mom's!

A Day Late & A Dollar Short

Yesterday was my good friend, and fellow blogging addict, Jen's 25th birthday. I thought about her all day long and then at 10pm at the grocery store, I was looking at the expiration date for some meat, noticing some expired the 24th and I realized, that was the next day, meaning it was still the 23rd and I FORGOT to call Jen! I text messaged her and got a response so I called her. I do that ALL the time. I remember the day before someone's birthday, think of them all day on their birthday and wait for the 'perfect' time to call and then I forget. I wanted to make this post last night, but I was up until 130am working, so we are, a day late... but nonetheless, here are 25 reasons I LOVE the one and only JEN BARRETT NOBLE: 1. her laugh, it is ONE of a kind and just the thought of it ALWAYS puts a little smile on my face 2. her love of the Gosple 3. her willingness to share her testimony 4. her thoughtfulness 5. her ability to give the perfect gifts (this is a talent i severely lack) 6. her hugs 7. her jokes (g-puppers is for sure the best) 8. how she relies on the Gospel to bouy her up during trials 9. her honesty 10. her individual style 11. her blog :) 12. how she makes you feel like you are a great person 13. her friendship 14. how she is so appreciative and shows it 15. her curly hair 16. her loyalty 17. her little smile when she refuses to show her teeth 18. her notes she writes 19. her sincerity 20. how she is so genuine 21. her strong testimony 22. her happiness, which is how she spends most of her life 23. the phrases she uses 24. her concern for everyone around her 25. her sense of adventure

Here's a picture of us in October 2003 in our house as it was being built.
Jen's bridal shower August 2004
Jen visited once during her birthday, so we had a little celebration at our house (2005)
Jen was MIA in 2006 because she was heavy with child...

Jen's most recent visit, with her kiddo Cache (June 2007). Yesterday, I went to pick something up from KS and went to get in my car and NOTHING happened when I attempted to start it. That is a very strange feeling... your car has no problems, runs perfectly fine and then it doesn't start. It didn't even turn over! I went back inside and Clint and Ryan offered to save the day. They jump started my car and Ryan said he was sure it was my battery. Ryan said it would take forever to test the battery because that's what happened to him, but I reminded him he wasn't a girl... :) So off I drove to AutoZone. A few times while I was driving, all the stuff that relies on the battery (radio, air, clock, etc.) just popped off. That was weird because normally I thought your engine charges the battery. Then, when I went to lock my car, the horn sounded like it was pretty much dead. Sure enough, my battery was dead as a doornail. It is strange it was all of a sudden, but I am just glad it was JUST the battery. So, I got a new battery and the nice man that tested it for me put it in. This all took no more than 30 minutes (test battery, replace battery, find some filters I've been needing and purchase them). See Ryan, it helps to be a girl in an auto parts store. Clara was a peach, so that was good because this all happened during her nap time. Now we all know why I am a day late and a dollar (or a hundred) short.

Anna's Rule of Four...

...not to be confused with the practice that permits four of the nine Supreme Court justices to grant a writ of certiorari, but rather a response to being 'tagged' by Jen. I think this concept is silly, but I think it's always good to document things like this.

4 Jobs I've Held
1: Hunt's Hideaway Restaurant 2: KS Appraisal 3: Sell & Associates 4: CBIZ/MHM

4 Movies I can Watch Over & Over
1: Miss Congeniality 2: Dumb & Dumber (especially with Jason laughing at the SAME parts EVERY time like it's the FIRST time he's seen it) 3: The Count of Monte Cristo 4: Pirates of the Carribean

4 Places I Have Lived
1: Mesa, AZ 2: Rancho Bernardo, CA 3: Poway, CA 4: Snowflake, AZ

4 T.V. Shows I Enjoy
1: Jeopardy 2: House 3: The Office (although I rarely remember when it's on) 4: the news

4 Places I Have Been on Vacation
1: San Francisco, CA 2: Silverton, CO 3: Riviera Maya, Mexico (THE BEST) 4: Lake Powell

4 Favorite Foods
1: Cookies 2: Nachos 3: Sweet potato fries 4: Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grill 5: Steak from Durrant's (not the Porterhouse!) 6: French Onion Soup (Mimi's has the best I've found) 7: Chicken Tortilla Soup (La Padilla Suiza... only had it once but it was fantastic) 8: BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (Cheesecake Factory's is FABULOUS and I'm sure nice and HEALTHY)... oh, was I only supposed to pick FOUR? Impossible. :)

4 Websites I Visit Daily
1: My blog 2: hotmail.gom 3: gmail.google.com 4: Chase

4 Places I Want to Visit
1: Europe, EVERYWHERE in Europe 2: Washington D.C. 3: Hawaii 4: New York

Good News...

I'm alive. That's right, my depressing Friday didn't kill me. ;) We spent the weekend in Snowflake. They had their annual 24th of July celebration (aka Pioneer Day) which is a pretty big even there. I don't think Jason and I have gone since we've been married, but it also happened to be his TEN year high school reunion (that's right, my husband is old) and his grandmother's 90th birthday party. So Friday night after Jason's class, we packed up and left. It typically takes us about an hour and five minutes to get to Payson. Roughly 25 miles or so outside of Payson on the Beeline, traffic came to a STOP. Nope, not slow, a STOP. We called the traffic information hotline and they kindly informed us to "Expect longer-than-normal delays due to an accident." I would've liked to walk up and down the line of cars visiting with people, but Jason wanted to sit in the car. Thank goodness for lap tops! Jason thought we better bring mine just in case and I had left a DVD in it, so we just watched a movie. We were stopped for an hour and twenty minutes and then traffic was strange all the way into Payson, so, we arrived in Payson three hours after we left Mesa. A similar situation happened to Jason and I when we were dating, but at that time, it was on a hill and Jason had a manual truck. He didn't mind this stop as much. I fed Clara and after that, she was pretty good, mostly just sitting and playing with her toys. She didn't go to sleep until we put her back in her seat to drive, but she was good. Oh, and I put my shoes on and was walking around and couldn't figure out why they felt to thin and my feet felt like they were hanging off the edges... and then I realized they were on the wrong feet. It's amazing how much we depend on light.
We didn't see an accident, just a tow truck, a pick up and a trailer with some four wheelers that was a ways away from the pick up. Who knows, but, we were about eight miles from the accident and who knows how many miles of traffic was behind us. So it was a long back up!

We stayed with my cousin Michelle in Snowflake. It's perfect because they have a basement with a room and a bathroom, so Clara slept great both at night and for her naps. It stays dark down there, especially the family room, so we put the pack-n-play there the second night and Clara slept until 740am. So, when we get back home, I need to make some super dark curtains for her room. It is so nice having a free place to stay that gives us our own space and some good company.

Here's what we did on Saturday:
::: In the m orning we went to "Grandpa Mills'" house (he's not really my grandpa, but when we lived in Snowflake, we called him that since we lived by all of Michelle's family and her cousins who were his grandchildren) for breakfast. My Aunt Jana just invited us like we were her own kids, which we appreciated. She made her sourdough pancakes and they are SO good.

::: Watched the parade, which was VERY long and it was hot.

::: Went to my Aunt Jana's for lunch (by this time, we were feeling like a family of mooches, so we brought some dessert to feel like we contributed :)).

::: Got a tour of Brian, Michelle's husband's warehouse. (Michelle's little girl Hailey... she has a HILARIOUS personality). He is one of the suppliers in the state for a certain type of siding. If you need some building material, check out http://www.kaysupply.com/. They sell lots of stuff besides siding. They have a really neat showroom too.
::: Went to the "family" part of Jason's reunion... just a little gathering at a park. Jason didn't really talk to anyone until I went to the car to feed Clara. Clara experienced her first popsicle and LOVED it. I would have let her have more if it wasn't red and her shirt wasn't white because one of my secrets is that I am afraid of bleach. I'm pretty sure Angela can do what she's been dying to do for quite some time: share otter pops with Clara.
::: Went to Michelle's and we all took naps. Clara took her BEST afternoon nap ever. Again, I think this is thanks to the darkness.

::: Went to Jason's reunion. We left Clara with Jason's mom who was at the party. The reunion was not bad. They just had dinner and then a "drawing" that if your name was drawn, they asked you a question about high school. What made that funny was sitting with Ryan and two of his friends and their wives that made funny comments. After a few questions, Jason got a phone call that Clara was crying and they couldn't get her to stop. So, we rushed to Taylor (not a long drive but the speed limit is an obnoxious 35 mph). We walked into the church and Clara was just sucking on her pacifier perfectly calm. I was told she just barely started getting fussy so they gave her the pacifier and she was fine. So why we were called and rushed over there with the impression that she was screaming, I am not sure. Perhaps it was a miscommunication. It was a bummer not to get to spend more time at the reunion, but I guess we can get the highlights from Ryan.

::: Stayed and visited with Jason's family and his Grandma's party. She is 90 and in pretty good health. Someone had given her a crown to wear around and one of Jason's cousins made her a really cool quilt with pictures of all the grandkids' families. It was neat. This is Maricell and me by the quilt, she's married to one of Jason's younger brothers and looks like she hates me for taking a picture with her, but I hope she doesn't. :)
::: Went to Michelle's and watched a movie and watched some of the fireworks from their back porch. We realized we were really spoiled watching the fireworks in Colorado, the noise especially, will be hard to beat.

Sunday was just typical church and visiting and then home. We went to Michelle's ward and I saw several of my friends from when I lived in Snowflake, so that is always fun to see where people are and what they are up to.

Our weekend was fun, but it seems like we have been gone on the weekends for the last month, so I'm looking forward to NOT going on vacation for a long time to get caught up with my life. I just feel like we are gone on the weekends and then I spend the week recovering and unpacking and then packing and preparing for the next getaway. But it's worth the memories, that's for sure.

Breaking Point...

Well, today I just decided I couldn't handle it anymore, and when I say "it" I'm referring to life. I had SO much to do today and on top of the stress of that, lots of problems surfaced. If you are in a good mood, I'd advise you not to read further, because I'm pretty much just going to complain, and, I'm going to enjoy it. This is everything that contributed to my breaking point: (hint: reaching breaking point = tears).

• A woman in my neighborhood was apparently approached by some man stating I was spreading rumors about her. I know very little about this woman and I certainly didn't say anything about her, except maybe she was my other neighbor's mom. I HATE lies and I feel so bad for this woman and the crud she has to deal with (apparently this isn't the beginning). She called me today to listen to my story and I told her I have heard nothing, said nothing and promised if anything came across my way I'd stop it. I just don't get how I got involved in this!?
• Our interest on our home in UT didn't get paid like it should have... and the bank said banks have a 3pm wire deadline... so I sped to my bank here and they said, oh, it's 230pm. GRRRRR, so not only do I have to pay the stupid $2400, I now have a late fee of $127 that could have been totally avoided. But hey, what's another $127? We can just go out back and pick it off our money tree, I am so glad we have one of those.
• My house is a mess and I haven't been getting much help to clean it and get things done... other family members are apparently always tired. I'm glad I'm never tired and don't need more than 5 hours of sleep so I can do everything I want.
• I have SO much work to do for one of my jobs, but I can't get caught up. The client is frustrated and I'm frustrated because I don't know what's really going on. I'm about ready to call it quits... especially since my last check was like $47. For the first time in 7 months, I do not LOVE life like I want to. If things don't get better once we get caught up, I am going to talk to my boss. The last couple of days, I have had to be available to talk to the client, but I don't get paid for waiting for a phone call. So, I feel like I have worked all day, but really it's a few hours.
• The old accountant with my other job is not giving me the information I need to clear up some things and file quarterly taxes. Now, here's a really LOUD GRRRRRRRRRR because I get so irritated when I try so hard to avoid firedrills, but they happen anyway.

My saving grace? Oh my sweet Clara. When I put her in the car to go to the bank and when I went into the bank, she just gave me the biggest and sweetest smiles ever. She is my happiness! By the way, how, you ask, do I have time to blog when my house is a disaster? I typed most of this while I was feeding Clara, which is my normal routine. Thank heavens for Boppys!

Looks can be deceiving

Yesterday, I think Clara ate more rice cereal than all the other days combined. Wahoo! I think she gets it, which might be hard to believe based on this picture with rice cereal from head to toe (believe me, it was on her toes and in her hair, so I couldn't be more literal). Just in case you don't believe me, I took a picture with her and her mostly empty bowl. That's right, it's her reward for eating it all up (all 2 Tablespoons or so!).

Also, last night was Enrichment. I took Clara with me, but on Jason's way home from school, he stopped at the church to pick her up. Well, she usually eats around 8pm and I try to feed her no later than 830pm. I tried to get home around 815pm because sometimes Jason has a hard time calming her down if she gets too tired and hungry. I got home at 820pm and walked into Clara's room where I heard Jason humming to Clara. He had let her go to sleep, right before he knew I had to feed her. I hate it when she falls asleep so close to bedtime. Anyway, it was better than her screaming. Jason swears he was just reading a book to her and she fell right asleep. But isn't it ironic that there are few things sweeter than rocking a baby to sleep?

More Pictures

The more I look at these, the more I think, "I can't believe I paid for these..." I know I could have got much better ones just doing it myself with a nice camera. Next time. Anyway, this one just makes me laugh because Clara's face looks so round and chubby and she looks SO mad. Clara kept trying to get out of whatever we put her in or off whatever she was on. The reason I like this is because her ankles are crossed, which she does a lot, especially when she's in her carseat.
After they take the pictures, they arrange some of them like this and then try to charge you like $29.99 for the sheet... what a joke! Anyway, Jason is mad I took one of her nakey and look at the one on the bottom, she's totally trying to escape. She does not like to hold still.

Even though she's not smiling, this may be the best one, either that or the one of her laying down in this outfit. She just looks so concern, which is actually her expression of choice. She's pretty funny, that's for sure!

My Sweet Baby

Here are a few pictures from when I took Clara to get her pics last week. The first one is probably my favorite. Remember, she didn't smile once, so I didn't have smiley ones as competition. Anyway, if you look at her left arm, you see the skin is all wrinkled up. Well, that's just because she kept trying to crawl off the box she was on and that is how she moves best, by digging into the surface she is on with her arm. Man I LOVE my baby. She just gets sweeter every day. I often think about something my wise older sister told me. She said having children is kind of like obeying the Law of Tithing: you don't realize how great the blessings are unless you do it. I heard it all the time, but until I had a child of my own, I never even came close to realizing the JOY and HAPPINESS that sweet babies bring into your lives. Really, the love is indescribable. I love my sweet goose! Apparently the website with the pictures isn't working, so I will have to wait to post some of the others. This was one of the only ones I downloaded, so it is on my computer.

Political Mumbo Jumbo

A few minutes shy of two hours ago, I started reading a FREAKING long article that Marci posted on her blog. I didn't have any interruptions, it's just long and I'm a slow reader but I figured I need a good political read. The link: http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=148 Because I anticipate my response to and thoughts about this topic will be even more lengthy than the article, I opted to create a post on my blog. We all know I LOVE to tout my opinion and have discussions regarding most things in life. I would first like to present a few of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I read the article, many of which have nothing to do with politics, but more religion, and then I will respond to some of the questions Marci asked on her blog.

• I thought it was interesting that they stated twice the Church almost went down: the introduction of polygamy and the dissolution of polygamy, but of course it didn't.
• I feel that Mormons had every right to not trust the government due to the lack of help and support (or should I say non-existence of help?) during the times they were persecuted.
• I enjoyed the point Bushman made about the need for Romney to use 'American' and not 'Mormon' language, although the messages could be very similar.
• I really don't understand why people are caught up with Mormons being obligated to the prophet (the exmple used was Smoot being obligated to President Joseph F. Smith). Situations such as this frustrate me because I realize people don't understand Mormons and if they did, they would not make silly claims like this.
• Somewhat related to my last thought, if people are really concerned about Romney "taking orders" from Salt Lake City, they don't understand our Church. Our Doctrine is for us to follow, but never have I felt 'forced' into obeying. I was raised by parents who taught me right from wrong, from the teachings provided from the Church, and then I was able to exercise agency and make my own decisions. I believe this is how the Gospel is supposed to be implemented into our lives and I am sure Romney's decisions are made based on his personal opinions influenced by what he feels is best.
• Some people get into our deep doctrine and get caught up in it... I still don't see how these types of things would negatively influence, or influence at all, a president of our country.
• There was talk of Romney lacking capacity to serve as president and then women lacking capacity. Well, as a Mormon woman, I will tell you, in my VERY humble opinion, that Mormons DO NOT lack capacity, but MOST woman do. :) I'm sure I will develop many enemies with that comment, but women have such different emotional programming than men that leadership does not find conducive. I just don't think it's a good idea for the future of our country.
• I liked Bushman's point when he compared our miracles to other faith's because that is something I have never understood, why so many view our beliefs as far-fetched, but other churches are accepted without question.
• In regards to the whole convenience factor as a blame for changes that have come about from revelation (i.e. polygamy)... I feel that this can be misunderstood as a convenience when in reality God knew what was going on. He knew the appropriate time to provide us with these revelations and they happen when it is right. Through this, we have learned and will learn, patience and had to and will have to endure through trials.
• I get so frustrated when people read about or hear of ONE person's story regarding Mormons and they base their entire opinion of our Church on that. In general, Mormons are good, nice, friendly, accepting, hardworking, religious, thoughtful and honest people.
• People act as if our Church is so 'binding', I believe was the word used, in contrast to let's say the Catholics only offering "suggestions". I think that within our Church, somethings are required (living the Law of Chastity, living the Word of Wisdom, living the Law of Tithing, etc.) to be in good standing. If these are followed, our lives will be blessed. These things are mostly black and white and are not really up for interpretation. However, things such as appropriate Sabbath activities, movies we watch, and things like that require our judgment. We are given suggestions and guidelines for these types of things and then we are required to use pray to determine what we feel is the best way to act in each of these situations. One problem I have seen with other churches is their tolerance when their followers use personal judgment to change the "requirements". For example, premarital sex. The Catholic church teaches this to be a sin; however, a Catholic I know told me when I asked her about it, "Yeah, you aren't supposed to, but since everyone pretty much does it, they don't do anything about it." Perhaps this is why the world sees Mormonism as binding: there is discipline if you go against these types of commandments.
• I am always shocked to see so many various perceptions of the LDS Church. Part of the problem is we tell people things and they don't believe us. Like that we are Christians, some people just refuse to believe it, even though Christ truly is the center of our religion.
• Extremists make us look crazy. An extremist in any group can result in a crazy reputation. Look at the extremists in the Middle East (suicide bombers). People that live their religion over there in a moderate way are not considered a threat, just as those who live Mormonism moderatly are not considered crazy (for the most part). I do not mean living the commandments moderately, just Mormonism moderately.
• I do not think Romney's campaign will destroy Mormonism, not even close. I believe it will continue to help the world understand our religion and while I understand not everyone will believe, once they understand, they will accept us as "normal". Sure, we may see more public criticsm of our beliefs through comments and/or questions to Romney, but from history we learn that this strengthens us.

Okay, now onto the questions and more of the political meat:

Is America ready for a Mormon president? No, absolutely not. Until people are willing to take the time to understand us, they won't be. People think our religion is such a mystery and sometimes they refuse to listen to answers and responses we have to their questions. I have seen that as more and more people have interactions with more and more LDS people, they are realizing we aren't quite the freaks they might have thought of us as before. However, as Bushman stated, if Romney is able to sell his character (much of which has ironically been shaped, I'm sure, by his Gospel upbringing), I think he has a chance. I really think that if he was the same exact person without the label of Mormon, he'd have an excellent chance at the Presidency... and that is sad, but true.

Does Mitt have what it takes? I think Romney has what it takes to be the President. I think having a belief in God and being able to rely on His strength and help is very helpful and sometimes essential to hold such a position. I also think having a President that knows strong families are vital to strong communities and in turn a strong nation would really help this Country. I think he has the emotional strength required to stand up for what he thinks is best for the Country, despite public opinion. And finally, his sister was in our Ward in California and she's an amazing person... so he couldn't have fallen too far off the tree. HA! :)

Is the Mormon heritage too much of a mystery for people to trust? I do think Mormon heritage is too much of a mystery for people to trust. However, I think if Romney paints a picture of him being an ideal Presidential candidate that is a Mormon vs. a Mormon running for President, the people might be able to look past this. There are just a lot of very untrue things said about our Church and although we try to set people straight, some enjoy believing the untrue things. After all, they are usually more entertaining. Plus, it seems like regardless of what we tell people, they like to believe the things non-Mormons say. Which is interesting, if a Math teacher was answering your Math question and the English teacher gave you a different answer, I'm sure we'd all believe the Math teacher.

What do you think about Mitt's platform? I think he has very eloquently responded to very controversial issues. From the first time I saw him respond to questions in an interview, I have been impressed with the way he words his answers. He really always seems to have the perfect answer. I am not super wrapped up in the candidates' platforms, but just looking on his website and what I've heard about him, he has some fantastic ideas and goals... we just need to know how he plans to fulfill these ideas. For example, healthcare, he claims we need to revamp the market. Theoretically, great idea, realistically, VERY difficult task. But I guess the details come later. I also think he has the ability to appeal to all those hanging out in the middle. I don't know that he will capture the far rights or lefts, but there are lots in the middle that I can see agreeing with his ideas and focus... if only they can look past that "terrible" affiliation with Mormons. :)

One last thought: I don't think America is ready for a Mormon president, but I think they are less ready for a woman president (or maybe that is wishful thinking because I am honestly terrified of having a female as our president... I'm so glad I'm a girl so I can say that). Anyway, if it's Clinton vs. Romney, I'm pretty sure he'll win. But I think it will be Guiliani vs. Clinton and Guiliani will take it, but my opinion may change as the campaigning continues.

You think this was long? Try reading the full article!! And if anyone seriously read all that, you must not have a life. J/K Hopefully it at least gets one award: Most Boring Blog EVER! I love it.

Random Thoughts

Last night I decided I wanted to do the night in reverse and go get our FHE treat first, put Clara to sleep, eat dinner and then have FHE. I'm the mom, I can make those decisions. I love it. Anyway, we were going to look at some lots first, but the gate was closed. Grrr... I drove around in the subdivision earlier in the day and wanted to see what Jason thought about them. I would love to buy a lot and build on it in about five years. We'll see about that. After that, I decided I am completely lazy and so we got dinner at Del Taco. I had never eaten there until I met Jason. Anyway, we got our ice cream at Cold Stone and then came home and fed Clara and put her to bed. On the way home, Clara was getting really fussy. It was past her bedtime and feeding time, so she had every right to be. I was kind of singing and Jason said, what's that one... meaning 'A Child's Prayer' and he sang it with me. Although we both started cracking up multiple times on the duet part since we were getting off, I thought how grateful I am to have a husband that would suggest and sing with me to our fussy baby. Jason is not into music AT ALL, so this was much out of his realm, but he didn't gawk at it and think I was a dork like a lot of people I know would have done. Also on our way home, we saw the first Haboob of the year rolling in... Clara's first too. I would have enjoyed more rain, but all in due time. I LOVE RAIN. Especially when it's accompanied with the entertainment of a lightening and thunder storm. Jason and I decided we are very grateful for a garage to go into so we didn't have to be exposed to the wall of dust. All day and every day, it seems, I have a slew of random thoughts constantly going through my wee little mind. Then, when Clara is napping and I have some time to think, I feel like they all try to come out of my mind but since there are so many, they all get lost in the commotion in there.

Today Clara and I went and got Jason and his friend from work and went to lunch at Rigatony's. As we were eating, Jason's friend asks, "Does that cop have his gun pointed at someone?" Jason and I turned around and sure enough, there was a half dozen or so cops with one guy handcuffed and another guy held up with a gun in front of the Bashas'... the Bashas' where a guy went crazy and shot and killed the produce manager a year or so ago. When I see stuff like that, I always wish I knew the story behind it. Ahhh, West Mesa at its finest. After lunch, Clara and I went to my mom's. Her living room is a step below the rest of the house. I went and sat in the hall to see if Clara would crawl up the step and she did without hesitation. When she got to it she just pushed up from her knees to her feet and then pulled herself forward. It's amazing how mobile they can be just when they are scooting. Plus, when we are at our house, it seems like she is even quicker because our house is small so getting from one end of the room to the other takes very little time.

And by the way... I'm still waiting for someone to buy our house in Utah. Come on, we all know someone in Utah... it's now stuccoed. Here's a picture of it before it got stuccoed.

Passey Reunion Attempt

A few months ago, Kathryn, Amy, Suzanne, Shawna and I decided we needed to have a Passey reunion (my mom's family). So we picked a date and a place and have the most non-reunion reunion I have ever been to. Amy and Suzanne weren't even able to come. (Jason just brought me a little plate with 12 little pieces of watermelon and a toothpick to eat them, how cute). Anyway, not a lot of people could make it, but hopefully next year it will be more organized and more people will be able to come. We went to Canyon Creek (down the Young Road turnoff at the top of the Rim). I rode up with Kathryn Friday morning. It was a hectic morning. I woke up at 6:30am and had to feed and bathe Clara, pack all of the stuff, get myself ready and I had about 2 hours of work I needed to get done... all before 10am when Kathryn was coming. Well, I didn't exactly get the work done I wanted, but I did enough to make the client happy and figured I would worry about it when I got back. I have a habit of bending over backwards to get things done for people as soon as possible even if they were slow in getting me information. Sometimes it is good just to say, I'll do what I can, but I don't need to stress and over do it.

I hadn't been down into this campground for years, which means I haven't seen the devestation from the fire. It was so sad. The camground itself is fine, but so much of the forest as you drive to got fried. As we pulled in, it started to rain. I love sitting under a tarp out in the woods and visiting while it is raining. When it cleared up, we went on a walk. There is a really neat spot in the Creek called Flat Rock. I remember going there as a kid and getting pictures with my cousins. When we got there, I looked down and Clara had a fistful of leaves that she was chewing on. I took them away and a few minutes later, she had more. I couldn't figure out what was going on at first and then I realized she would reach out and grab at the bushes (the path is really overgrown so it was somewhat jungle-like) as I walked past to get leaves. She is so funny. After that I held her hands most of the time.

Jason came up Friday night, but I didn't know when he left because he had class and a bunch of stuff to do before he could leave. My mom went with me to try to find a place to get cell phone coverage, but no luck. Luckily, he showed up about a half hour after we got back so I wasn't worrying too long. Angela and Clint came Friday night too and slept in our "guest room" in our tent. HA! We have this ridiculously large tent (purchased even before we had a kid) that Jason loves because he can stand up in and our heads don't touch the ceiling. It has a divider down the middle so we've had a few people share with us.

Saturday morning I brought stuff for breakfast for everyone, but Dave and my Uncle Danny did all the cooking. Clara woke up super early and was scratching the netting on the pack-n-play (she loves the sound) and later I asked Clint and Angela if it woke them up. Clint said, "Oh, is that what that noise was? We heard it last night and thought it was a creature under our tent so we got out and looked everywhere with the flashlight trying to figure out what it was." That was funny, but then Angela put that story to shame with one of her own... She comes over recovering from a bloody nose... There was a mosquito by her face, she tried to hit it away and accidentally smacked herself and got a bloody nose. I LOVE you Angela, but I can't resist that story. :) After breakfast, I gave Angela my camera and said, take a picture of the two of us (Jason and me). She did and right after, Clint said, "Kay, now take a picture of the three of us." Guys don't say things like that often... but only special guys say what Clint said next, "Kay, now take a picture of just the two of us, Jason and me." HA! Clint makes me laugh often.

That day we went back to the Flat Rock and tried to find the swing (no luck), walked around, went to play in the creek where it goes over the road and went to the fish hatchery. After we couldn't find the swing, we decided to go back to Flat Rock. Lily, Angela and I walked on the side of the creek while Clint, Jason and Clara walked in the FREEZING creek.Jason caught a little water snake while we were down at the creek, so the little kids really liked that. It's a good thing he's around because I would never even think about grabbing a snake, even if it was a little one like this. Yick. Also, Kathryn met a woman that was there from Gilbert and she has girls named Lucy and Elsa... and that's what Kathryn's twins' names are. So that was a crazy coincidence. They took pictures of all four of them together. I really do love camping when it's just for a few days. It is so relaxing. As we were going to bed, I was looking up at the stars thinking how awesome that would be to have grown up a few hundred years ago and been able to look up and see that every night, not just when you are a hundred miles away from a big city. I LOVE a night sky in the woods, it's beautiful.

Jason and I got up and packed up early Sunday morning to make it home from church at 11am. My Aunt Jana convinced us to wait for her sourdough pancakes to get finished. They were very good and I will for sure get the recipe. On our way out we saw a HUGE cow elk and a wile turkey. I really enjoy seeing animals out in the wild like that. For some reason it is much more exciting than the zoo. When we were about half-way home, Jason goes, it feels like there is a bug on my foot and looked down and sure enough, there was a huge June Bug on his foot. He hates bugs and slowed way down to kill the rascal. Who knows how it stowed away in our car. Quick side note: when my mom got back from Silverton, her freezer had been left open and her compressor went out on her fridge. Well, when we got home this morning, I heard an unusual noise in the kitchen and realized it was our fridge and that our freezer door was slightly open. The coincidence... geez. Luckily, only the stuff on the top shelf and the top of the door was unthawed and Jason realized it was because the light melted it. Everything else was still frozen. Some ice cream got ruined and two bags of breast milk was half thawed so I had to toss that (grrr, that stuff is priceless). Other than that and the motor being on overdrive for several hours after we got home (and several more before), I think life will go on.

Thursday the 12th

For the last few weeks, I have been thinking I need to take Clara somewhere to get professional pictures. I decided to take her to JC Penney's to try it out since they are so cheap. Well, I'm pretty sure I can get Clara to smile for the camera at home just about whenever I want to so I fed her and took her to the mall. Imagine that, she did not smile at all for the 45 minutes they tried to take her pictures... NOT ONCE! She was deathly afraid of everything and was not about to crack a smile. Plus, it didn't help that the room was about 87 degrees from the lights. I don't sweat much (mostly just when I've been working out for a while at the gym) and when I left that studio room, the bottom half of my hair was DRENCHED. It was gross, I couldn't work there. I still got suckered into buying some of the pictures because let's face it, she's cute even when she's not smiling. Plus, with a coupon, it's not that much more than having pictures printed at Costco and these pictures were already taken. Next time, I think I'll have Ryan set up a "studio" at his house and I would bet the chances of getting her to smile there are MUCH greater. While I was waiting for them to upload the pictures, I did a little shopping. The girl that helped me out at The Children's Place was named Elsa (my one year old niece). I have never heard of anyone with that name, so it was interesting. When we got home from the mall, I put Clara on the floor and took a picture and this is the first picture I got... my sweet smile. Too bad it was like three hours late! And yes, the bigger the better... ;)That night we went bowling with Beka and Danny and a friend of theirs for Danny's birthday. We brought Danny some pound cake with colored toothpicks for candles (2 in one piece and 5 in another = 25 years old). It was quite fun. Angela babysat Clara for us, which was fantastic. We haven't been bowling in 3 1/2 years. Apparently I look like a fool when I bowl because Jason took FOUR videos of me bowling and every time I'd throw my ball down and turn around, the whole group was laughing at me. Even looking at the videos I still haven't figured out what is so funny. What I thought was funny was the g-monies that were on the lane next to us. I didn't realize they were bowling next to us and thought they were done and putting there balls on our thing (what is that called that holds the balls??) so I said, "Um, we don't want all your balls." I got some dirty looks and my group was laughing at me and told me what was going on. I apologized, gave them a sweet smile and went on bowling. We took some pictures of them , but I just decided I didn't want to post them on here because what if someone they know sees it, they get mad and come find me? On Friday I was more sore from bowling than I have been from going to the gym in the last few months. HA! It seems like everytime we hang out with Beka and Danny we laugh a lot. In our third game (yes, Jason decided we needed to play three games), Danny was bowling very well. Every time he got a spare, he'd come over and go around the circle and give us all a high-five. Every time he got a strike, he'd do the same thing but with both hands. It was hilarious and got funnier each time.

3rd Time's a Charm... or is it?

Yesterday was Clara's 3rd go at rice cereal. I have been mixing it with breast milk from the get go, but she still didn't love it. I think I got it a little too thick and the look of disgust on her face when it stuck to the roof of her mouth was grand. Once I thinned it out a bit, she seemed to really enjoy it. And then there was today. I don't think she ate ANY of it this morning. Oh well, at least it's entertaining to watch her try. She does love to suck on her bib and the spoon and sit in her booster chair. Also at this time in her life, Clara dreams of riding a motorcycle. Everything that her right hand gets ahold of is "revved" up. It's like she is saying "yes" in ASL. Lately, she will also put the object in her mouth and still move her closed fist back and forth. I think she likes the feel of things rubbing on her gums.

Saturday night we had two receptions to go to and at the second, we gave Clara a carrot stick to play with. She enjoyed it for a little bit and then she decided to throw a fit, so she held out her hands demanding I take her from Jason... and left the carrot sticking straight out of her mouth. She is really developing her personality and although she is great at throwing fits (pressing her head to the back of whatever she's laying on or sitting on, arching her back, kicking her legs...), I still can't get enough of her. She is just too cute for me to handle sometimes. I never knew the joy of a baby. I just get worried that I don't have this much love for my other kids to come.