Where do you keep your songs?

A few weeks ago when Ryan was interviewing in Seattle, Kallie climbed in bed with me one morning. Because I didn't have to get up and go anywhere, I convinced her to lay in bed with me for a while. That way, I could faux-sleep because I knew where she was and what she was doing. Once the ruse of sleeping in was over, I started singing with her. I'd had a song in my head since the night before, so I kept singing the one line that I actually knew over and over again. When Kallie asked me to sing the rest, I explained that I didn't know the rest, it was just a song in my head. At this point, Kallie looked thoughtful, then asked, "Mom, what song is in your eye?" I laughed so hard I definitely couldn't even consider sleeping anymore!

Check it out! (And a GIVEAWAY!)

You may have noticed that I moved things around a little on my sidebar. I have several friends who have great blogs and/or businesses that deserve some attention. Especially with the holidays approaching, these sites are well worth checking out! Click on the pic to go to the site.

Also, my friend, Jess, who hosts the "Tips and Tricks" blog is currently having a giveaway! This is a newer blog, and I already love it. She has great ideas on there--you'll want to add her to your blogroll. AND--there are a LOT of great prizes with this giveaway, so head on over and check out what she's got to offer! (P.S. Also, when you leave your comment for the giveaway, let Jess know you found her blog through me!)

Red Herrings

Along with almost everyone else in the U.S., (actually, probably everyone in developed countries around the world), I am sick of the political frenzy we've been hearing, seeing, eating, and sleeping for the past several months. It really seems that the closer the election gets, the more frantic anything surrounding the elections becomes. And the more I turn off the T.V., toss the newspaper without even a glance, and put my fingers in my ears and sing when I hear anything political coming. If you are like me in this respect, then I suggest skipping this post...scroll down a few and enjoy something else. However, if you want to hear what I have to say, then keep reading.

This election year, more than any other, I feel that we've seen countless "red herrings" tossed into the political arena. For those who may not remember 9th grade English, according to Wikipedia, "a red herring is a narrative element intended to distract the reader from a more important event in the plot." Meaning that there are many media-focused issues which, in my opinion, are completely non-issues. Red herrings include topics such as how much a candidates clothing cost and where the clothes came from, previous voting records, lack of experience, and too much experience. Race, gender, and even various environmental, fiscal, and tax policies are also red herrings in my opinion. I realize many people won't agree with me on this idea, but that's the beauty of being able to state your own opinion on your own blog.

The election comes down to only two issues for me this year. First of all, I know that one particular candidate supports partial-birth abortion. This stance is in direct conflict with the doctrine of the LDS Church, which doctrine I fully support and know to be true. I cannot support a candidate whose views about the sanctity of life are so opposite what my core beliefs are. Along these same lines, this same candidate is also in favor of same-sex marriage. Never in the history of the LDS Church have the leaders come out so strongly opposed to any issue on the ballot. The LDS Church throughout my life has consistently stated their political neutrality and encourages members of their church to both be informed and participate in the political process. Because of their historical neutrality, taking a firm stand on the issue of same-sex marriage is a major deal. This is the second reason I cannot vote for this particular candidate--once again, it is completely against my core beliefs.

These two issues often seem to be buried under all the red herrings being tossed around--and to me, these are the most important issues because they are directly doctrinally based. Granted, the other issues can, in some cases, be linked to the religious doctrines I espouse. However, no other issues are so black and white when you connect the stated doctrine with the professed policies.

Goin' on a Trip

Well, I have a ton of things to blog about after the weekend. (Our Primary Program being one of them...) But--it's going to have to wait. For some reason, my house suddenly looks caked in dirt. Hmm...maybe it's time to scrub the toilet and mop the floor? That, too, has had to wait today.

I have spent the past few precious, quiet, naptime hours on the phone arranging babysitting, discussing flights, and inquiring about housing. First of all, I found a home that I LOVE in the pics. After speaking with the landlord, it appears the home will still be available when we're able to make our house-hunting trip. I am within inches of snatching it up, sight-unseen, but really feel I need to see it to seal (or unseal, for that matter), the deal. Secondly--you read that right! We're going on a house hunting trip--just Ryan and me--in a little less than 3 weeks! My wonderful mom and dad have agreed to watch the kids for a weekend while Ryan and I head up to Seattle. I don't know what I'm more excited about--finding a house or having a weekend without the kids...

Meanwhile, the kids are starting to stir and my house is still covered in dirt. At least cleaning the stove was crossed of the list this morning! I'd better go try to see what I can do with the rest of this place!

It's a Done Deal!

This morning, Ryan let me know that he had officially accepted the job offer we've been mulling over all week. For those of you who are wondering, we will be moving to Seattle, WA in mid- December (just after finals) and Ryan will start working for Microsoft in January. This all still seems so surreal. This is the point we've been working toward for the past few years and it's hard to imagine that it really is almost over and we really ARE moving on to the post-college phase of life.

I mentioned in my last update that we planned to wait for Ryan to interview with another company in a couple of weeks. Of course, that's not going to happen now. This week, as we have discussed this offer, it has really felt like waiting to interview with someone else was just going to prolong the inevitable. Now, we're looking forward to what the future holds!

Central Park Program - FREE!!

I'm going post-crazy lately! If you haven't checked out the newest ones, scroll down a little and see what you're missing. :)

I wanted to get the word out about the "Central Park" program, which is kind of like preschool for young kids (age 2 or so) on the computer. My brother-in-law has participated in the development of this project and is trying to get the word out for people to try it out starting in January. As I mentioned in the title, this on-line program is completely free and the Waterford Institute will give you six months free for participating in this testing phase.

Just as a personal note on this...Kallie has been using a similar product from the Waterford Institute for the past year and a half, (starting at age 2). She has learned to use a computer mouse, navigate from screen to screen, and has been learning skills like counting, sorting, writing, etc. Kallie BEGS to use this program all the time! It's definitely worth trying out this new product!

Check out the flier below and then head to http://www.waterford.org/ to sign up!

A New Addition

Well, I suppose it's time I made the announcement, since we've known for a while now...we're getting a sister-in-law! My brother, Jesse, recently got engaged to his girlfriend, Kendra! They've only been engaged for about a week, but we've all suspected it was coming for some time longer than that. Jesse and Kendra dated long-distance (Utah-Arizona) after his mission and before hers. Jesse moved down to AZ soon after Kendra left and they kept in contact over the course of the last year and a half. Kendra came home a month ago, and by that point, we all pretty much figured it was going to happen. When they picked right up where they'd left off, it was inevitable! Congrats to the happy couple! :)

Aren't they cute?

10/20/30

Many of you know that I celebrated my 30th birthday this week. I love that I turned 30 on 10/20! I have always loved the even number aspect of my birthday, but tacking the 30 on this year completed the equation.

Many people have asked me how I feel about being 30. To be quite honest, I feel that my current age is a badge of honor. (26 was difficult because I was closer to 30 than to 20...after that, everything else has been cake!) I look back over the past 30 years and see that I have accomplished everything I set out to do, plus some. And, I can't help but think that these 30 years of ups and downs, ins and outs, have brought me to this place. I hope you'll forgive me for indulging (dare I say bragging) for a moment about the things I've accomplished thus far in my life. Hey--it's my birthday AND my blog...I can say what I want, right?

I graduated from high school. This wasn't a major accomplishment--really more of a given--but it was a springboard for other opportunities.

I graduated from BYU. This, to me, was a major accomplishment. With all that goes into a college experience, (much more than book learning), I DID IT!! I graduated with a degree in Family Science and a minor in Management.

I served a mission to the Baltic States. This was the one unplanned goal that I was blessed to accomplish in my life. Looking back now, and even while I was going through all the experiences a mission encompasses, I felt that my mission was more of a blessing than a trial. Sure there were tough times, but those were definitely my bonus years. The amazing thing is that the Lord is still blessing me, I feel, because I chose to accept the blessing of a mission call. I'm still trying to figure out how that works...

I got married in the temple to the most amazing man I have ever known. Really the only accomplishment here was convincing Ryan that I was good enough for him to choose me! I honestly don't know how I got so lucky! (Maybe it was hours of tracting in the snow?) While it happened later than I expected, I am certainly incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful person choose to marry me. This one just keeps getting better and better!

I have had two darling daughters. This accomplishment has probably been the most challenging, yet most fulfilling opportunity of the past 30 years. Some days, I still can't believe I'm a mother--and I can't believe these two darling girls are mine.

There are so many more things I could type here--but the things I have listed are what I feel are the most important accomplishments. I'm happy to be 30 and I'm happy to have the amazing life experiences to prove it!

The Secret Life of Bees

This is one of my favorite books--so, of course, I HAD to see the movie. I'd been telling my friends about it for a couple of weeks now and was actually planning to see if I could get some people to go see it with me this weekend. Turns out I didn't have to wait that long! My visiting teacher, Cary, organized a Girls' Night Out tonight in honor of my 30th birthday, (which was Monday). It was going to be a surprise party, but she had to change the time at the last minute, so she filled me in earlier today. I was still really surprised and SO excited! We met for cake and then went to see the movie.

Some book-inspired movies are a total let-down--this movie was NOT one of those. Granted, it's been a while since I read the book, but everything I remembered from the book was in the movie. And, while a few details were left out, I don't think they changed the general feel of the movie from what the book originally intended. I really loved the movie! Even knowing what was going to happen, I still managed to get choked up at points. (I wasn't the only one--there were sniffles all around the theater.) It is such a poignant story and I feel it was FABULOUSLY portrayed! If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, I highly recommend doing both.

The Offer

Well, Ryan received an offer on Monday. At first, we were a little surprised because it came in a bit lower than we thought. It's always so hard to know what is a good offer because salary is generally a topic people tend to avoid. We have a couple of weeks to let them know--which is good because Ryan has another on-site interview approaching in two weeks. We're planning to see how that one goes, and then evaluate our options at that point. If we do end up accepting this offer, it's possible that we will be moving as soon as the middle of December! The company has an amazing relocation package, so we wouldn't have the stress of doing everything ourselves during the holidays. But--it could possibly be a lot sooner than I originally anticipated!

The Precursor

The two (full) days of interviews are now over. Ryan said that he never wants to do another interview again. I can't say I blame him! When I talked to him after he interviewed with our first choice employer on Thursday, (five in one day--all with the same company), he felt the interviews had gone as well as they possibly could have. Ryan said if something didn't come of those interviews, then he didn't know how he would ever be hired there. At the end of the day, they told him the recruiter would contact him on Monday.

We chatted only for a few minutes last night about his Friday interviews and then, because there was utter chaos at my house, said goodbye. A couple hours later, he called back. When I saw him on the caller ID, I thought maybe he was calling back to chat a bit when he thought things would be less chaotic. They weren't and he wasn't. In fact, he called to let me know one of the managers he'd interviewed with the day before had sent him a "Congratulations on your offer" e-mail. (The e-mail was very complimentary of my wonderful husband!) Now, have you realized I haven't mentioned the offer yet? That's because Ryan hasn't received one.

I, for one, am glad for the precursory e-mail. Although I'm still in suspense, I feel a sense of relief knowing that they liked Ryan enough that they're going to make an offer. We've really been looking forward to this point--and it's hard to believe this is really happening!

Breaking the Record

Ryan flew out for Seattle this morning. I started missing him the moment he left. It wasn't that he was gone--because he's usually gone all day. It was just that I knew I wouldn't see him tonight...or tomorrow...or until Sunday morning. In the past, when Ryan has been gone, (whether for fun or business), I have not been able to get to sleep before midnight and usually much later. Tonight, I think I will be breaking that record, though. It's not even 10 p.m. and I'm heading off to bed. I know I'll miss chatting with Ry like we do every night before we go to bed...but I am so ready for a few more hours of sleep. I hope Ryan gets a good night's sleep tonight, too. He's got a full day of interviews tomorrow--as well as most of the day on Friday. And, hopefully, this trip will mean an end to the job hunt, so we can all sleep a little easier within the next couple of weeks!

Proposition 8

Many of you know about Proposition 8 on the ballot in California this year. It has been on my mind a lot lately as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has really been tracking and working against it. I will not sit on the fence on this issue. I stand with the LDS Church 100%. I was reading a blog this morning and found a good synopsis of this proposition:

"Proposition 8 is simple and straightforward. It contains the same 14 words that were previously approved in 2000 by over 61% of California voters: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

Because four activist judges in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people’s vote, we need to pass this measure as a constitutional amendment to restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

Voting YES on Proposition 8 does 3 simple things:

1. It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and what Californians agree should be supported, not undermined.
2. It overturns the outrageous decision of four activist Supreme Court judges who ignored the will of the people.
3. It protects our children from being taught in public schools that “same-sex marriage” is the same as traditional marriage, and prevents other consequences to Californians who will be forced to not just be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs."

Ryan and I were discussing this last night. The Family: A Proclamation to the World, the Church's official stance on marriage and family, plainly states, "We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children." Could it be any more plain?

Marriage is NOT state-created. The institution of marriage was given by God in the first place--not the President of the United States, the Governor of California, or any random judges, nor was it man-made. How does it, then, make it OK for any of these people to redefine marriage and turn it into something it never was meant to be? This measure has nothing to do with same-sex couples being allowed the same legal privileges as married couples. They have already been granted access to those legal privileges. Instead, same-sex couples want society's stamp of approval on their choices.

I feel that many people who are backing the failure of this measure don't truly understand the future ramifications of their choice. They don't see that not passing this measure means that marriage will become a free-for-all. Polygamy will be just fine...and what's to say that in a few years, the age of consent will be lowered and suddenly, you will have 40 year old men marrying 12 year olds, or for that matter 5 or 6 of them at a time. Really--what is to stop that from happening? It's easy to say, "Well, it won't go THAT far," but 15-20 years ago, no one would have imagined we'd be here, either.

Near the end of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," we read, "We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets." The failure of this measure is just that: the disintegration of the family. We have seen repeatedly in scripture that God keeps His word. He is constant and unchanging. I, for one, am not willing to sit on the sidelines and allow these calamities to happen without doing what I can to avoid them. I hope you'll join in this cause, too.

Let's Make a Deal

With winter weather quickly approaching Utah Valley, I decided it was time for the annual unearthing of the winter clothes. Somehow, I forgot that between last winter and this winter, I've lost about 35 lbs. Unfortunately, capris are a little on the air-conditioned side and don't work so well with clunky winter shoes, so I was off to do some shopping this morning. I headed up to the brand new Kohl's in Provo and started scouting around. Now, you have to understand--for some reason, I am an unlucky shopper. I can find cute clothes that fit or I can find cheap clothes, but very rarely do I find cute, cheap clothes that fit.

Today, I pulled a total of 20 pairs of pants of probably 20 different brands and/or styles off the racks. Most of them were cute on the hanger, but not on me. (Yet another story of my life.) However, the stars must have been aligned today because the cute clothes that fit just happened to be the cheapest! I got 2 pairs of pants for 60% off the original price! You just can't beat a deal like that!

One more plug...

So, remember how I posted about Blueberry Moon a few days ago? Well, the bags came in the mail today--and I am SO impressed with them! As someone who knows how to sew, I am HUGE on quality and these bags completely live up to my expectations. Not only are they completely well-crafted, but they are even cuter than their pics! (Which is saying a lot because I thought the pics were amazingly cute!) I hope I can wait until Christmas to give them to my girls! :)

Free Handbag!

Handbag Planet is giving away one free handbag once an hour for 24 hours leading up to their Oct. 15 Grand Opening. You enter your name and e-mail address and they give you a choice of handbag. Head on over and check it out!

Early Riser

Yesterday, Kallie got up much earlier than I did. Ryan was gone doing laundry and running, and I was enjoying my blissfully oblivious slumber. I woke up about the same time he came home. We discovered Kallie painting--at her easel, thank goodness--but with my acryllic craft paint. Since the office door wasn't gated when she woke up, Kallie took that as permission to enter and explore her surroundings unsupervised. She has been curious about mom's paints for a while, so I really can't say I was shocked that ended up as the focus of her exploration. We took the paint away, cleaned the paintbrush, and warned Kallie she was not to go into the office without mom or dad. A few minutes later, she was sitting on the kitchen floor playing with Whitney, while I fixed breakfast a few feet away. She suddenly called out, "Mom, look!" When I responded, she said, "Look, Mom, I'm not in trouble anymore!" I'm not sure what happened for her to decide that, but Ryan and I had a hard time not laughing as we reassured her that she needed to stay out of the office.

Blueberry Moon

When I originally posted about the Halloween bags from Blueberry Moon, someone asked me if I knew the seller. I'll admit, I do know her! And, I just think her products are DARLING! In fact, I ordered a Dolly n' Me bag for each of my girls for Christmas. I'm planning to use their bags as "Church purses"--and will fill them with several different items to help them stay quiet during church. That way each of my girls will have their own stuff, (fewer squabbles), and I won't have to take a huge diaper bag. Here is how Kallie's turned out:

Is that not one of the cutest things you've ever seen? I love it! Also, if you have little boys, she has a great selection fabrics to choose from. And, I think the prices at Blueberry Moon are VERY reasonable. You can personalize everything without any extra fee! Go check them out (click on their name or the picture in this post) and when you go through checkout, be sure to leave a comment in their comment box telling them Amanda S. sent you. Happy shopping!

Ever Have a Craving?

Last week, I would have given almost ANYTHING for a BYU brownie. It made me wonder what I would do when we didn't live in Provo anymore. No more worries! They've made the recipe available! Whip some up and DIG IN!!