6th File 6th picture

I usually ignore tags because I just don't want to sit down and take the time but this one intrigued me so here it is. What is in my sixth picture folder and then what is the sixth picture? Well here it is ... we were trying to build a gingerbread house last year

when it all started falling apart. Steve made a great face for the camera never thinking anyone would ever see it. Whats in your sixth folder sixth picture spot? I can't wait to see so I tag you all :)

I know can you believe it 3 posts in as many days. Amanda started preschool again today and she loved it. Of course when asked what her favorite part was it was eating..... and playing. I guess that is an improvement from last year where her only favorite thing was eating. She too is growing up way to fast and is still my little mother. She tries to dress Lizzy and if she sees me laying down assumes that I am not feeling well and brings me a blanket and strokes my face. Yesterday I laid down to watch a cartoon with her and she paused the T.V. so that I could go to sleep without the noise. After about 15 seconds she leaned right into my face to ask me if I was asleep yet... of course I pretended to be so she could turn her show back on. I thought it was pretty perceptive for a 3 year old. I didn't get a picture of her this morning so here is a sweet one from Sunday.

In other news as I watch the country go through the this financial turmoil, I am thankful for a living Prophet who leads and guides us. We have been warned for years to get prepared! Although I am not as fully prepared as I would like (none of us ever are) I feel grateful for what we do have. This has been a time for cutting back and for learning again to live within our means while still putting a little aside for a rainy day. I am thankful that I have a husband who balances me! I am the one to put everything we have towards paying off debt and he gently reminds me that we need to save as well (even if we are paying more in interest then we are earning :)). Although times are tough we are blessed to have income that is stable and that in and of itself is something to be thankful for.

I don't know what will happen if marriage is no longer defined as a man and a woman but I do know that again a living prophet is telling us to take a stand and make our voices heard and to do everything we can to ensure that marriage as we know it does not change. For me that is enough! I think of all the warnings that came from the prophets in Book of Mormon and Bible times and what happened when the people were too proud to listen, and I know that regardless of the outcome I want to be able to stand before God and to be able to say that I followed the council that he gave the Prophet. Everything else will come and go but I want to be obedient even if I don't see the end from the beginning I know God lives and that we have a living Prophet Thomas S Monson and I WILL follow his council whatever it may be!

My baby is growing up. Yesterday after I had everyone ready for church I put in a movie to entertain the kids while I got ready. When I came out Lizzy was sitting on top of the table in a puddle of milk and breakfast cereal. As you can see she was pleased as punch at what she had accomplished. She now knows that the when the camera comes out she should smile and let me have some beautiful smiles that I couldn't help sharing! She is communicating with us so much more and is on the verge of potty training. She hates to have a messy diaper and will take it off or get us a diaper as soon as it is slightly wet.
She tries and has accomplished going poo in the potty because she hates those diapers most of all.
Isn't she the cutest thing ever! :) I hate that she is growing up so fast and I try to treasure every moment as it will probably be the last.

We have a new Dishwasher...

Her name is Katrina. This week as part of Katrinas homework she was assigned the job of washing the dishes. (Don't you just love homework ;)) Any way she decided that today was the day to complete that task and she loved it. When she got done she even asked if she could do it every night. Duh... of course she can. I can't believe my baby is big enough to handle the dishes. I guess it is time to give her more complex chores so she can feel this sense of accomplishment everyday. I took several pictures as she did the dishes before and after dinner. I also had to add this grumpy picture so you can see that she is not always all smiles. She sometimes reminds me of a hormonal teenager rather then my 5 year old daughter, the way she bounces from tears to laughter and from happy to angry at the touch of a button.

Purging my thoughts on Marriage

For those of you living outside of California we are still fighting to get Proposition 8 passed. We want marriage to be defined as between a man and a woman. I am terrified of what our world is coming to. What is happening to my freedom to believe as I choose and to be able to teach my children those values without fear. As I listen to a living Prophet and his Apostle's tell us that we need to do everything we can to preserve the sanctity of marriage. I am overcome by the power and force of what I feel. I feel that if we do not win here the rest of the nation will follow and my children will grow up in a different world then I know now. Did you know that if same sex marriage is legalized it will be taught to our children in school under the guise of "Diversity" just as it is in Massachusetts? Did you know that Church's could be penalized for teaching that only marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God (where does my right to teach and believe as I choose go then)? Or that we could lose our tax exempt status because we will not allow same sex marriages to be preformed in our buildings. I hope and pray that we will have enough voter support to stop this once and for all in California (also Florida and Arizona currently have it on their ballots as well). Pray for us and pray that peoples hearts will be softened and that they will realize what is going on here.
On a personal note, just because I do not believe in same sex marriage does not mean I do not love and cherish those within my own family who live this lifestyle. On the contrary I love them dearly and although I do not condone their lifestyle they are indeed children of God who are loved by him despite the lifestyle they choose to live. Let them live as they choose, and let me live as I choose. A Vote against traditional marriage only gives them the title of Marriage as opposed to Legal Union. The rights that will be lost our mine and that I simply cannot stand for. Let God be your guide and get out and vote next month and lets make our voices heard.