Monday, November 26, 2012

Christmas is Coming!

This is how our home used to look when we lived in Logan. A dinky little tree and no other decorations. But now!
This is only a little tiny sample of what I have done to our house. There is garland everywhere! Tons of lights and ribbon and decorations. I am a little bit crazy about how much I love decorating for Christmas!
My parents have always had this really neat tradition of buying one ornament a year since the year they got married. Jake and I decided that this is a tradition that we too should do! This year was Jake's pick-our very own Pongo just for our tree!
We are just about finished with our Christmas shopping! we only have three people left to buy for! And man did we get some Black Friday steals!! I am a big believer in Black Friday. Why pay ridiculous prices when I can save 50-75% on the same products? All I have to do is deal with a few crowds and I am getting a deal!

I have been lusting after this beautiful stoneware for at least five years, but I could never justify paying 100 bucks for it. Kohl's had it on Friday for 29.99 plus I had a 10 dollar off coupon and a 15% off my entire purchase. So I paid around 12 bucks for a hundred dollar set of stoneware. Yeah! So worth it. And that is only the beginning of how much I saved. I got two new down pillows for 40 bucks off, 10 dollar towels for three bucks, and the savings go on. Most of the things I bought on Black Friday were things I needed, and because of the discounts, I was able to get a better quality/quantity than I would otherwise. If I learned anything from my parents, it is that you never pay full price for anything! Wait a few weeks and it will be on sale or you will get a coupon! 
I really don't think Black Friday is crazy or ridiculous like so many people do. I have been going with my mom for the past 10 years, and am yet to see a fight or someone get hurt. Sure I have to wait in line at Kohl's for over an hour, but it really isn't that bad compared to how much I am saving. My mom and I laugh because of the adrenaline rush we get when we run into a store, grab what we want and are among the first people to check out. Every year we spend a ridiculous amount of time planning out what we are going to get and the fastest way to find it. And I am pretty sure we are among the very few people who coupon on Black Friday. But it has become a tradition that we both look forward too! I love that my mom is as frugal as I am and that we can have this tradition together. And now that I am married, I have this husband of mine who is wonderful! He drives us around and waits in the really long line at Kohl's while my momma and I do the shopping!


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Political Rant: A Clarification

After my previous blog post, I have faced a lot of heat in regards to my political affiliation. I have been accused of horrible things. I have been called horrible things. And I am left wondering how any person can think it is appropriate to publicly attack another individual because of their views, regardless of what they are. It is ironic that people may know me for years, but the moment they discover one tiny fact of who I am, their opinion of me can change in a matter of seconds.
Is it Christlike to call a child of God awful things merely because of the way they voted? How is it appropriate to belittle, demean, berate, and attack an individual because they voted for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama? How can you accuse another individual of being uneducated on their vote when you have no idea how much research they have put into their votes?
I believe in respect. I believe that no individual is better than the next. Circumstances may vary, but Christ sees us all as equal human beings. We all come from the same place. We each face different trials that others don't even see or cannot understand. I believe that we need to be informed on every issue on the ballot. I believe that difference of opinion is what makes democracy function. I believe that a one party system (regardless of which party) is a failure to each American. The point of democracy is to hear both sides of the issue and to make compromises.
I will never disrespect another individual because they have voted differently than I. I may express my difference of opinion, but I will never accuse another individual of being uneducated, foolish, or flat out stupid. Our views may vary, but I trust that you, like me, have studied out candidates and issues and that you feel comfortable with the choices that you have made. I will never attack you or bully you for being different. I will never feel a need to 'educate' you on the truth.
I am more than happy to share my views with others. I am more than happy to hear the views of others. But I refuse to stand here  quietly while being attacked because of the conclusions I have made and the vote I have cast. The things I have seen on Facebook in the past few weeks, from both parties, make me sick. Would you really say what you have written to a person's face? Do you really think everyone who has voted for Romney doesn't understand women's rights? Do you really think that everyone who does vote for Romney is racist?
I understand that I live in a state where my view is a minority. I can understand that I am going to see support for candidates that I may not agree with. I do not understand how any individual can think it is okay to verbally attack another individual for different thoughts. How is it okay that one individual expressing so many of their constitutional rights is attacked for voting for what they believe in? Isn't that exactly what you are doing? Why bash on others for doing exactly what you are doing?

Monday, November 5, 2012

Political Rant: An Explanation of my Views

I made it to the day before election day to spout off! That is a huge deal! Be proud of me world! Today, I reached boiling point and would just like to make a few points. First and foremost, both my husband and I are registered democrats. I believe that it is not the role of the government to determine what is and is not legal for people to do in their own lives. It is not the business of the government to tell a woman that she cannot have an abortion, that gay marriage is illegal, or that the death sentence should be imposed. I even support many aspects of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
I believe that every individual should be allowed to use their right to choose, rather than the government choosing for us. While I may not personally feel that certain social policies are right, it is not my place to make my beliefs law. For instance, I do not think I would ever choose to have an abortion, because it is taking the life of an unborn child. However, I have no right to tell another woman that she cannot have an abortion because I believe it is wrong. It is the choice of the woman, not mine, and she will live with whatever consequences it might bring.
I hate when people say things like "Take away congressional pay and see if things change." If you really understand where our representatives make their money, you would understand that the money that they make from the government is very minimal compared to the money they make from outside sources, or the money that they had before they were representatives. And this salary is certainly minimal when compared to the perks that many politicians receive from lobbyists.
I hate when people vote straight ballot, whether it is republican or democrat. I hate that straight ballot voting is even an option. I wish people would take voting more seriously than that. In this election, I have found that there are several shady democrats, and just as many republicans. If  more people took the time to study out the candidates, I think they would be  surprised to find that they people they are voting for are not always they people they think they are voting for because of the R or the D next to their name. It is important to study out the issues and to gain an individual opinion. It is important to read up on the issues, from both points of view. Educated voting is the best kind of voting.
I hate living in a state that is so red. I can understand that conservative economics are important in the middle of a recession. But I cannot understand how Utah can continuously vote for people like Gary Herbert or how they are about to vote John Swallow in to office. Governor Herbert has done some seriously shady things while in office. Look at the 1-15 core project, or what is going on in the West Desert. These scandals have not been publicized nearly as much it should be because we live in such a conservative state.
I am tired of people questioning my religious beliefs, my integrity, and my intelligence because I can fathom the idea of voting for a democrat. I am tired of being equated as a clueless entitled citizen who doesn't understand the way government should work. I am annoyed that I get classified as a citizen who just takes advantage of entitlement programs and is probably on food stamps and welfare. To clarify, no I am not on food stamps nor welfare. I did make it through college with the help of Federal and State Aid and I even had a job too. My minor in college was Family and Consumer Science. As part of this, a major focus was socioeconomic status (SES) and that one of the defining factors of political beliefs is education. The more education a person has, (i.e. the more college education) the more likely they are to vote democratic. Many would argue that this is because the education people are receiving in colleges and universities is liberal. I would argue that higher learning tends to teach that we can think outside of the box. Based on the education I received (which was from a public institution in a very conservative state) it is safe to say that I can only recall one professor who let his politics into the classroom (he was from Chicago of course he loves Obama).
The fact that I am a democrat has absolutely nothing to do with my religious beliefs or my integrity. My personal religious beliefs are very conservative, and relate very little if at all to the way I vote. Yes I believe in God. Yes I believe that there is an afterlife. No, I do not believe that God will punish me for being pro-choice. Nowhere in my religious doctrines does it say "VOTE REPUBLICAN OR BE SENT TO HELL YE FOLLOWER OF SATAN." Rather, my religion encourages individuals to vote as they find appropriate. My church chooses not to affiliate itself with a party. They do ask that our political views fall in line with church doctrine. Last time I checked, allowing free agency and the right to choose as you believe is not a violation of any doctrine.
In general, I tend to avoid political conversations with close friends and family,because my views are different. People tend to think less of me if my views differ from theirs. I think it is sad how the way I vote can upset people so much. I think that different views are important in any democracy. They are what makes our government work. By all means, vote the way that you feel is best! Voting is an important right, and a way to express ourselves.
I find it important to vote for so many reasons. Not only do I want my voice to be heard, but I want other voices to be heard as well. We have the capacity to decide the future of our communities based on one ballot!As a woman, I find it my duty to pay homage to those women who fought so hard for decades for Women's Suffrage! How can anyone say that voting is not important? It is our chance to make a difference!!
I know that this whole post seems to be about why democrats are better. That is not really the point I am trying to make. First and foremost, I wanted to explain my point of view and my personal beliefs. Second, I want people to understand that being a democrat does not make you and idiot, it does not mean that you have no religious beliefs, that you lack a moral compass, or that you have no integrity. I certainly do not think republicans are uneducated bigots . It is important for us to respect different views. No one party has all of the right answers. No one party can solve all of America's problems. No one president can fix the economy. To put America on track, it takes respect for others, reaching across party lines, and people working together.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Reflections

Life has been pretty crazy since my last blog entry. It has been wonderful though. August has always been a weird/kind of sad month for me. I think that is because August is the month when camp end, people move for school, etc. It is so crazy that our first camp season with Jake as the official director is coming to a close. I never realized how much preparation goes in to camp until this year. We work on camp for  six months a year, but it is only eight weeks  long. It has been an adventure, but I think that this summer has helped me grow a lot. I did not want to come back because of how miserable last summer was, but I have realized that it is all in your attitude and approach that will determine the experience you have. And I am so glad I finally figured it out! It only took me six years of summer camp :)
This summer has been an adventure. It started out as a challenge trying to figure how to entertain Pongo, do my job, and go to school. But I think that staying so busy has helped me enjoy it so much! 
Today is my last day of my undergrad. I am panicked. I have no idea what I am going to do with my life. School has been my life for so long. I have actually learned to enjoy it. And now, here I am at the end of it. I always had this picture in my mind of what my life would be like when I finished my degree. Everything was going to be perfect and dandy. I would know what I wanted to do, I would find a job right off the bat. And now here I am. Not a clue what I want to do. Hence panic. I am just lucky that I have Jake who can help me figure out what it is that I should be doing! At the same time that I am panicked, I am so proud of myself. I know that I could have been a better student, I could have worked harder, gotten done faster, and on and on. But at least I have finished. There were so many times that I  was fed up, frustrated, and down on myself. I wanted to quit so many times. But I am so glad that I didn't.
In a few weeks, Jake and I are going on our first real vacation together. It only took us three years. I am so excited. Just us! And I love San Diego! I cannot wait. And we will even have a little spending money to help us have a  blast.
Life is always changing, and it is just about to get a little more complicated. But at least I can say that I accomplished something that not everyone does :)