Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Kids, wonderful kids!

Oh, how I love children!~ (Let's be honest, I'm a kid myself) But really, children are simply to die for. I will illustrate this with THE CUTEST THING that happened to me at work yesterday!

It was just after closing time and I was doing a few transactions to finish up for the night. There was a couple meeting with the banker who's little boy was getting a little antsy...I guess it's something about how children don't like to sit still while it takes the banker an hour to open an account for his/her parents. So, they let him down. I'm sure they figured it was okay because there wasn't anyone else there in the building who could pick him up and take him away. Little do they know that I have a basic obsession with little toddlers and could play with them all day long! I said "hi" with a big smile and he just BOLTED toward me. He couldn't walk, but man could he crawl-even with his hands full!

I didn't think it would be a good idea to pick him up, since I was a perfect stranger to them and some people don't really like it when you pick up their children. Instead, I played with him and his car on the ground. I would 'zoom' the car really fast and he would go after it, bring it back, and we would repeat. Anyway, I sensed his parents looking at him like they wanted him to come back, so i decided to get up and say goodbye and go back to the work I was supposed to be doing. He then proceeded to make a pouty-face, go up on his knees, and reach up to me with those longing arms and eyes that capture me so easily. I hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help it because of his adorable face, so I snatched him up! I decided I would just bring him back to his parents, but then, he wrapped his little arms around me into a HUGE bear hug and would NOT let go! :O) I grinned the biggest grin, entirely melted INTO his arms, and had a major desire to have one of those for everyday. He hugged me there for about 5 minutes--somewhat hesitant parents and all--and then I had to let him go. It pretty much made my ENTIRE year!

Friday, October 17, 2008

A Couple of Animals

A few weeks ago, Dev and I went to the zoo for our date "night." It was the first time I had ever really been to a zoo; so it was a great experience....especially because I went with Devin--who has a truly inspiring love for so called "wild" animals such as these (and those ACTUALLY in the wild).







Here Dev is admiring the spider monkey--definitely one of my favs! This guy swings from it's tail like it's a third arm.




I have ALWAYS wanted to see a giraffe! They are AMAZING creatures!


Me and the zebras


Dev and the black bear. Would you believe that Dev has followed one of these in the wild for 30 minutes! He loves to live on the edge.



And this is Dev's favorite animal of all time. One of his lifelong dreams/goals is to see a Cougar in the wild.


He was trying to touch the turkey


Elephants are AWESOME! This one was right up in our faces! We could literally feel him breathing on us! I loved it!


Devin makin his scary ape face! I don't like to look at that face...


There is a kangaroo! We took this picture for Trevor, my brother, who is on a mission. He has taken SEVERAL pictures with wild kangaroos in Australia--where he is serving a mission--and so I will send him this one. I am not nearly as close as he gets to the kangaroos there. He gets to hug them...I had to stand in front of a fence.


Super close!


Devin is happy.








It was definitely a great date for us to go on! We really loved it and love spending time together seeing all of God's creations!

On another note, our ward volleyball team got third place among roughly 15 teams! That is great; especially considering we didn't win a single season game! It was truly incredible how we were able to come together as a team and EVERY SINGLE PERSON improved dramatically! We had a blast and I really was able to grow closer to ward members and create a stronger friendship! Thanks for everyone who was on the team!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Prop 8 debate

I usually refrain from political statements on my blog because I want it to be a more uplifting rather than contentious site that my family can read free from any persecutions or malice, however, we have been asked to share something very important about our religious beliefs on any sites (or in any other way) possible; so I am going to give a little bit of information here on the blog so that those who may stumble across it will know where I stand on this subject. At the site below, it explains a little bit about what I know to be true, as well as provides links to very important--and inspired--documents that can bring a great deal of joy to anyone who will follow its guidelines.

Preserving the Divine Institution of Marriage

I want to emphasize that I love ALL people and want equality among EVERY person in the world. People of all walks of life have always been very important to me. I do feel, however, that this is not an issue of equality. This proposition would not take away equal rights from gays, it would simply and profoundly designate marriage as between a man and a woman, which is ordained of God. I know that this is an issue not only of religious belief, but also of a successful society as a whole. Children and families should have a mother and father (woman and man) as the head of the household. Women have been given special attributes of nuturing and compassion, where men have been given other attributes of leading and guiding families. BOTH are needed in the family; BOTH are needed as we raise the next generation. BOTH will provide a well established foundation from which we can build upon in our society. It is a governmental issue BECAUSE of the way it will effect the direction of our nation as a whole.

It is also necessary because as we continue to change the definition of marriage, it may possibly affect others' religious beliefs and may therefore take away from their own equal rights. Under a separation of state and religion, I think that this is entirely wrong.

I hope that those who read this will become more educated on Proposition 8 and will feel the need to vote YES on the proposition in California. Register to vote and then commit to overturning this. You can do that by voting in California if you are a resident there, or go to http://www.protectmarriage.com to see how you can help in other ways! Together, we can protect the institution of marriage given by God and can make sure that our society finds the most prosperity and joy through the STRONG FAMILY foundation we have created.


*Feel free to post this to your site or pass it on to people you know who will benefit from this knowledge in any way.