8/30: Passionate Life

Enthusiastically Enthused!
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

My five passions could be added onto my 'what make me happy post'.  I'm just easy to please I guess!

1.  Faith.  Talking about it, learning, my personal journey to Christ.  It's all amazing!

2.  Crafting.  Cardmaking or making things to decorate the house with.

3.  Organization.  Making my life easier one day at a time.  Otherwise, I'd go crazy!

4.  Reading.  Broadening my mind, expanding my imagination, and learning new things.  Reading can do so many things for you!

5.  Writing.  Mostly short stories but also posting on my blog to get out feelings or sharing something I found interesting!  

7/30: Dream Big

Music to My Ears
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

I have a passion for singing.  I think we covered how happy it made me in day five, but I just want to say it again:  I love music!  Mostly musicals.  I've loved them since before I can remember.  My mom used to sing "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" from Seven Brides and Seven Brothers while Sam and I were eating breakfast (much to our dismay), and every time I was sick we'd rent Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (staring Julie Andrews).  I also grew up on Disney so that probably played into my love of musicals too.  They make me happy.  Incredibly so.  

So, if you can't guess my dream job after all of that I guess I'll just have to tell you....

I want to be on Broadway!  

And not just any role, I want to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  My favorite Disney Princess and movie.  I also wouldn't mind being Elphaba in Wicked or Christine from Phantom of the Opera.  I'm not picky!  haha!  

So, if any agent is reading this, hook me up!  You'd be making this girls dreams come true!  :-)

I think the resemblance is undeniable.  Don't you?

6/30: Nothing Compares to This

The Worst Day of My Life
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

On a random day in September, in the year 2006, I was out with a friend at a park in Warrenton, VA.  My parents had taken away my cell phone (for reasons I do not remember) so there was no way to get a hold of me.  It was a nice cool autumn day, and the sun was shining brightly that afternoon.  My friend and I had been walking the trails, sitting by the water, and were just having fun talking.  Then, he got a random phone call from my mom asking him to bring me home.  I was confused.  I had felt like something was wrong all day but had been pushing that feeling aside because I thought I was being silly.  Now, that feeling came back with a vengeance and I was starting to feel uneasy.

As we made our way back to his car I still couldn't shake that feeling that something bad had happened.  I knew that if something was wrong that my dad would've called, so it was weird that Mom was the one who had.  Then, it hit me:  Dad died.  I told my friend and he looked at me with concern.  Why would I say something like that?  That is a horrible thought!  But I knew.  My heart had been dreading something all day and I knew that was what it was.  Before I had left the house that day I had a feeling like I should've stayed.  I knew that I should've listened to that feeling.

The drive home was a blur.  I had a feeling of what I was going home to but nothing could've prepared me for what I actually saw as we drove up.  There was an ambulance in the driveway and a lot of cars as well.  There were people moving around in the backyard but I couldn't see what they were doing.  I think I was in a daze at that point.  As I walked up to the front door, my Aunt Barbs met me at the walkway and told me that Dad had died.  And when I got to the door Mom and Sam fell into me, crying hysterically onto my shoulders.  At that point, I knew I had to be strong for them.

There were a lot of people that came by the next few days to pay their respects.  I don't remember a lot of it.  I knew that people were concerned I was in shock, because I was laughing and carrying on like nothing had changed.  I still thought Dad was going to walk through the front door.  Denial was my way of "coping" and I just laughed it off when people tried to talk to me about it.

I will never forget how I felt on September 29, 2006.  It was the worst and hardest day of my life.  I am a different person because of it, forever changed.  I anxiously await the day I will be reunited with him in the Kingdom of Heaven.  

Love you Dad.

5/30: Don't Burst My Bubble

Happiness Is Not Overrated
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

There are so many things that make me happy every single day.  It's kind of hard to narrow it down to just five, but here I go!

1.  My faith.  God is always working on me and helping me grow with my faith.  Without HIM I wouldn't be who I am today.  God is always good!  

2.  My husband.  How could I not be happy with him?!  He's funny, hardworking, determined, and kind.  He also teaches me something new every day.  

3.  Craftiness.  I'm thankful my mother-in-law has pulled out the crafty part of me I never knew I had!  I'm still learning, but she is patient when I'm with her (thank you, Kelly!) and I'm starting to learn to trust myself and venture off on my own.  It's a great feeling knowing you've made something that other people admire and love just as much as you do!

4.  Alone Time:  I love spending time with Chris but I also love "me" time.  I can read, clean, or just relax and watch a little tv.  Plus, it gives Chris a little time to play him game without being interrupted.  Ha!  Yea right, I still interrupt him even if it is during my "me" time.   

5.  Music:  I love music.  It's part of my soul.  I'm always singing or dancing somewhere in the house.  You can find me belting out musicals in my kitchen (hairbrush in hand.  ha!), dancing in the living room to pop, or cleaning and listening to country.  It all depends on how I'm feeling in the moment.   

4/30: Don't Be Stubborn

Listen to This Letter From Me!
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

Sixteen is a big year because you can finally drive without all the "advice" from the passenger and rear seat drivers.  You can turn up the radio as loud as you want, drive with the windows down, and go anywhere (as long as your parents know where you are and you are back by curfew.  ha!).  It's freedom...sort of, and you're loving every minute of it.  It only sucks when you have to chauffeur your siblings to wherever they need to go because hey! you can drive now and your mom doesn't want to do it anymore. 

Writing this post reminds me of Braid Paisley's song, "Letter to Me".  Haven't heard it?  Well, if you don't like country music then I'm not surprised...but it's actually a really cute song.  You can find the video on youtube if you're curious...but no worries if you aren't!  I'll be posting some of the lyrics as we go through the 10 things I'd like to tell the 16 year old me!  :-)

1.  I know it's hard being bullied and you hate going to school at Culpeper.  But Madison will be the best thing for you your junior and senior years.  Don't dread the change, you're going to love it and you will make some wonderful friends!

2.  Hide your diary in your car.  Mom will look for it when you're not home and you will get in trouble for the things you've put in there.  It'll save you a lot of trouble if you just take it with you wherever you go.  

"And oh you got so much going for you going right
But I know at 17 it's hard to see past Friday night..."

3.  The Harry Potter series will get you through a lot.  Don't listen to Mom when she tells you that you read them too much and you need to stop.  It's your way of coping with the bullying and you need to tell Mom that.  She won't take the books away from you if you do. 
3.5.   Also, don't listen to Sam when she tells you watching Disney at your age is lame.  It's awesome and she's just weird!

4.  Slow down in your car because you will get a ticket for going 87 in a 55!  And don't even try to tell people you weren't going that fast.  No one will believe you and Mom will tell the story of you getting a ticket for years to come (she still is actually).  Don't worry, you'll have plenty of stories of her bad driving to retaliate with!

5.  Spend as much time with Dad as you can!  You'll be happy you did later on.

"Each and every time you have a fight

Just assume you're wrong and daddy is right..."

6.  Try to be nicer to Sam, she's not that bad.  In fact, she's kinda kewl.  (<---hehehe Sam!)

7.  Don't worry about not knowing what you want to do in life.  You have plenty of time to figure it out!

8.  Stay away from all guys named Richard.  They're bad news.  Seriously.  
8.5.  And on the same note, listen to people when they tell you to do eHarmony.  You'll be so glad you did!  

"You've got so much up ahead

You'll make new friends..."

9.  Your parents are going to drop a huge bomb on you the summer you're 19.  Don't freak out, it actually turns out to be pretty amazing.

10.  Put more effort into learning a foreign language.  You'll thank yourself later.

"I wish you wouldn't worry, let it be

I'd say have a little faith and you'll see

If I could write a letter

To me"

3/30: Growing Up is Hard

I Love You, Mom and Dad.  But You Drive Me Crazy
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

Oh gosh, this is a hard one.  I guess that's the point of these questions though, isn't it?  The point is to make me think and be honest with myself and everyone who reads this.  So please, be patient with me as I put all my thoughts together.

Mom and Sam at Julie's Wedding Reception: 7/2011

Getting ready for the wedding: 4/20/12

Oh my mom.  I've heard before that I've gotten my stubbornness and hardheadedness from her, and that we clash all the time because we are so much alike.  Growing up, I always denied it because I couldn't see it.  Now, I guess I get where people are coming from.  :-)

I love my mom because she is a very strong woman.  Her strength was tested when our dad died, but she tried to hold the family together and I think we all grew stronger as a unit because of that.  We may fight and disagree, and I may think she is wrong and vice versa, but she is still my mom and therefore I love her.  

My mom and I are definitely the fighters in the family.  Sam got her calm personality from Dad, but I got my stubbornness from my mom.  It's caused many arguments that can get a little heated and ridiculous.  Even though my mom and I argue, I know she means well.  She is strong willed, stubborn, loving, funny (sometimes...hehehe), and a little bit dramatic.  Life would definitely be boring without her and Sam and I are very blessed to have her as our mom.    

Me, Dad, and Sam one Sunday morning before church.  This was in 2004, a few days after I graduated high school

Me, Dad, and Sam again.  I think this was in our old house in Culpeper.  I may have been 4 going on 5 in this picture.  Not sure though.  :-)

I love my dad.   He was my favorite person growing up.  We always did things together and I always loved being around him.  His laughter was infectious, and you couldn't help but smile when you were around him.  He was kind, funny, intelligent, witty, and loving.  When he died, there were so many people who came up to us at the funeral and told us how much they loved him and how Dad had touched their lives in one way or another.  

My dad and I had a lot of things we liked to do together.  When he had to go into work on the weekends, I would always ask to go with him (mostly because I liked the high speed internet...haha!) because I could spend two hours in the car (coming and going) talking with him.  Even though I gave him a hard time, I always valued his opinion.  We liked the same movies (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc) so that was something we could always do together when Mom and Sam would go out shopping (yes, I was definitely Daddy's little girl!).  We had a blast, and I have so many great memories of him.  

I'm not saying we never fought, because we did.  There would be times where he would annoy me (like any parent does) and I didn't want to be around him.  But...at night I would always go in and give him a kiss before bed and tell him I loved him.  We were all very blessed to have him be a part of our lives.  

****

My parents always set a great example for Sam and I.  They had a wonderful, loving relationship and that is the kind that I strive to have with Chris.  They were always laughing together, holding hands, and being very affectionate in front of us.  Growing up, Sam and I thought it was gross but now I realize how sweet it was.  I wouldn't trade my childhood for anything.    

2/30: Fears, What Fears?

Being Brave is Overrated

{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it  here}

I really had to think about this question.  Everyone has fears but I think you really have to soul search to figure out which ones are legitimate and which ones are superficial.  I think that is the most difficult part because I think every fear is one hundred percent legit, but there are some that are way more important than others.  

1.  Spiders.  Ugh...I hate spiders!  Tarantulas and wolf spiders are the worst too.  I'm so afraid of getting bit by one.  I remember this one tv show, In A Heartbeat, where EMT's got a call to go to a house where someone's cactus had burst open and tarantulas had been living inside of it.  The person who was home at the time had been bit over a hundred times and they had to rush them to the hospital.  When the front door was closed, you saw all of the spiders on the back of it.  I can't even think of it without getting chills up and down my spine.  

On a side note, I don't know if something like that can really happen but I am not about to look it up to find out.  Also, does anyone else remember that show?

2.  Being in a car accident or a plane crash.  I think I just have a fear of being hurt honestly.  Right after high school I had a friend who died in a car accident.  She was driving home really late one night and got into a fatal accident on a back road with another car.  I remember a few of us going to look at her car after it happened, and it was a mess.  I also had another friend who got in an accident with a tractor trailer and her mom was thrown from the car and died instantly.  My friend survived.  

There are just so many crazy people who don't pay attention when they're driving and I don't want to be near them when they lose control.  

When it comes to planes, I just think there are freak accidents every day.  At that point it's not in your hands and I (personally) have no control over what happens.         

3.   Loss of a loved one.  I think everyone has this fear because it is very real.  When I was younger I went to a psychiatrist because I had a horrible fear that my dad would be away on business and die.  I don't really remember this fear because I was so young, but my mom has told me numerous times about it so that is how I know I had this fear.  

When my dad died in 2006, it was hard to wrap my mind around never being able to see him again (on this earth).  When you go through a big loss like that, it makes you realize how fast life can change on you.  Your whole life becomes different and you are not the same person you were before it happened.  After a loss like that, you realize that this could happen to another loved one just like before.  It makes you a little more guarded and cautious about every relationship in your life because you don't want to hurt like that ever again. 

My biggest fear is to lose Chris and go through what my mom went through when we lost my dad.  I saw the pain she was in and I never want to experience that.  I pray every day that God will bless us with a long and happy marriage and that I will die first (when I'm like....90).  ha!  :-)

If I were to be completely honest, I'd say that I really have two more fears: (4) I'd go into anaphylactic shock due to my nut allergy and (5) having Chris lose his job.  I have to realize that all of these are out of my control and I just have to have faith.

1/30: Here Comes the Randomness

20 Random Facts About Yours Truly...
{If you missed the beginning of the 30 Day Challenge you can find it here}

1.  I found out that I have an older half sister at the age of 19.  She is nine years older than me and is my mom's daughter.

2.  I am the only child in my immediate family that has yet to graduate from college (don't worry, I'm working on it!).

3.  I have known my best friend Laura for 21 years and we always lived 5 minutes away from each other until two years ago.

4.  Chris and I lived in Seattle, Washington for six months when he worked for Boeing.

5.    In the past three years, I have driven to 28 states with Chris.  My favorites have been Hawaii (we flew there!), Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, California, and Florida.  :-)

6.  However, I have personally been to 33 states total.

7.  My goal is to visit all 50 states in my lifetime (driving of course!).

8.   I'm a little bit OCD.  All my dvd's are filed first by categories, then alphabetically.  It drives Chris crazy but makes me so happy!

9.   My first car was a brand new Kia Sophia but it got taken away from me because I was putting too many miles on it.  My parents then bought me a used Chevy Cavalier that I drove up until two years ago.

10.   I became a full time student again in 2010.

11.  The Sunday before my dad passed away we had a huge argument but before I went to bed that night I laid my head on his chest and told him I loved him.  Fighting with him before he died has haunted me since he passed.

12.  I am fascinated by Pearl Harbor and the Holocaust.  Chris says it's because I'm morbid but I just love history! 

13.  Chris and I flew in a helicopter over Hawaii and were able to see the lava flowing into the water.  It was amazing! 

14.  My all-time favorite tv show is Friends.  I love Chandler and Monica.  :-)

15.  I have always wanted to go England for two reasons:  (1) Harry Potter was filmed there...I really want to tour the sets!  (2) J.M. Barie wrote Peter Pan on a park bench in London.  

16.  One of my favorite foods is red beans and rice.  I could eat it every day and never get tired of it.

17.  My hair has been dyed every color.  Seriously!

18.  I've been to Disneyworld eight times and Disneyland two times.  (some rides are definitely better at Disneyland!)

19.  I am a night owl.  I love staying up late and cleaning the house.  I do my best work in the middle of the night.  

20.   I can't smell.  Nope, this is not a lie.  I broke my nose as a kid and damaged the tissue, completely killing my sense.

30 Day Challenge: Get to Know Me!

I stumbled across this list on Pinterest and thought that it would be really interesting to take a month and share this with you.  I may not do it every day (especially since we're going on our honeymoon next Friday!!) but I will try my best to keep up with it.  I found it on the blog Hopes+Dreams  (fun blog, you should check it out!) and am really excited to get started.

THE LIST:

1.     List 20 random facts about yourself.

2.     Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

3.     Describe your relationship with your parents.

4.     List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

5.     What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now.

6.     What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

7.     What is your dream job, and why?

8.     What are five passions you have?

9.     List 5 people who have had an impact on your life and describe how.

10.  Describeyour most embarrassing moment.

11.  Describe10 pet peeves that you have.

12.  Describea typical day in your current life.

13.  Describe5 weaknesses you have.

14.  Describe 5 strengths you have.

15.  If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

16.  What are your five greatest accomplishments?

17.  What is the thing you most wish you were great at?

18.  What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?

19.  If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

20.  Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

21.  If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?

22.  Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

23.  List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.

24.  Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.

25.  If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?

26.  What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?

27.  What is your favorite part of your body and why?

28.  What is your love language?

29.  What do you think people misunderstand most about you?

30.  List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for?

Stay tuned for some fun answers!  :-)

After Wedding Surprises

When Chris and I decided to get married at DisneyWorld they sent us a list of all the people (marriage license, officiants, hair and make-up stylists, etc) that they work with.  We thought that if Disney recommended them, then all those people must be great.  And we were right for the most part.  Chris and I absolutely loved our Pastor (Kirk Bane) as well as everyone who attended the ceremony.  He's done (I think) around 500 weddings there and said he will keep doing more as long as people will have him.  I had two amazing ladies who did my hair and make-up (they worked for the Disney salon) who were so funny and such a calming presence the day of the wedding.  We honestly couldn't have had better people to work with for our wedding.  Except....

Disney provided us with two choices on how to obtain our marriage license.  We could either go to the courthouse (which we did not have time to do before the wedding), or use an online service (Say I Do Weddings, inc.) that cost us a little more, but we didn't have to change our flights to get to Florida early so we could actually go to the courthouse.

Let me start out by saying that I would never recommend these people to anyone who wants to have a destination wedding at Disney.  They were fine before the wedding because they got all the paperwork to us on time and that was one less thing to worry about.  But Chris and I got married about a month ago and I still don't have the license in my possession.  Every time I call to try to figure out what is going on no one answers the phone.  Once I leave a message, I usually get a call back anywhere between two hours later or the next day (most of the time it's next day).  When I finally get my call back the person on the phone has absolutely no idea what is going on, and I've even been promised things that aren't passed on to the manager so when I talk to her she has no idea what I'm even talking about!

When I called two weeks ago to ask where my marriage license was, I was told that it should already be here and that this wasn't the "norm" for them.  The girl said she would go to the courthouse the next day to get our license and then either UPS or FedEx it to us and would then send me the tracking number.  Last week, Chris called to see what was going on and the "manager" said she had no idea what he was talking about.  We needed the license so Chris could add me to his insurance at work so the girl promised to fax him a copy and then send the other copies to us via mail.  I asked for the tracking number on Wednesday night and it is now Friday and I have only gotten a very short and curt voicemail back from the assistant saying she's going to call her manager to figure out what is going on.  Why even call me if you can't even answer my questions?  

Needless to say we have no idea where it is and I'm having to practice being patient (I'm not so good at it...).  Chris says it's not a big deal because at least we had it for the wedding, but I just can't believe this has been going on for so long.  I just want a straight answer from someone and to know why they're having so many issues getting our license out to us.  I mean, it's been a month already!  Has anyone else had problems like this after the wedding?  Ugh...

A Book Review

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy

A few weeks ago I was browsing Pinterest and saw that a lot of my friends were pinning the Fifty Shades of Grey series onto 'Books Worth Reading'.  I had no idea what the books were about or why they were so popular, but because it was getting rave reviews I decided to check it out.  

I've been informed that these books started off as Twilight fan fiction.  Okay.  But if you were going to end up turning it into a novel why wouldn't you develop the characters a little more?  Or maybe have an actual plot?  You could tell the author has very little experience in writing a book and I must suggest she go to a few writing classes to help her out.  I don't believe she knows the meaning of the words plot and progression and both would have helped out this series tremendously.  

Fifty Shades of Grey (Book 1):  When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

 
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

My problem with the first book was that it was dull and repetitive.  The first few chapters started out interestingly enough, but once the author dug into Christian's past it got a little weird for me.  The book never developed past Christian's weird "tastes" and Ana's reactions to it and I was left wondering why someone even published this book to begin with.  There is, of course, a sort of cliff hanger at the end which is supposed to make you want to read more to find out what happens.  I had already paid $30 for the entire series and wasn't going to pay then not read them.  

Fifty Shades Darker (Book 2):  Daunted by the singular tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. 

 
But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.
 
While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

I was very disappointed to find that the so-called cliff hanger didn't leave us in suspense for very long (5 days to be exact!) which left no time to develop what the characters were feeling about the situation.  The "plot" for this book felt very rushed and forced.  These aren't characters that you want to root for (at least I don't) and there isn't anything about them that makes them overly attractive to the reader.  The book left me feeling frustrated because nothing was really happening except for the endless amount of "romance" that went on about every three pages.  I mean, come on, how many ways can you describe what goes on in a couples bedroom?

Fifty Shades Freed (Book 3):  When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees.
 
Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.
 
Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn to reality.

I have to admit that I actually liked the third book.  There were problems of course, with a rushed plot and not a lot of time for character development, but it was definitely the best of the series.  I even rooted for Ana.  Her character was strong and courageous (at a certain point) and I felt somewhat satisfied when the major story line was wrapped up.  However, there was no climax and no ending that left you feeling complete.  It almost seemed like the author didn't quite know how to finish, so she just abruptly stopped.  But then, the oddest part of it all was the few additional chapters after the book was over.  There was an epilogue that wrapped up a few things, but felt oddly disjointed from the rest of the book.  And then there were two chapters written from Christian's point of view.  The first one gave a little insight into his life with his parents as a child which was nice, but it felt out of place.  And then there was a chapter that actually came from the first book, but she wrote it through his view instead of Ana's.  Was I the only one wondering why she put it at the end of the third book?  Both of those chapters felt out of place as well.  It's like the author wanted to share those views, but didn't know where to put them in the book so she wrote separate chapters and threw them into the back of book three.  They didn't belong and added absolutely nothing to the story.

My advice is to read at your own risk.  If you don't mind reading books with very little plot development, then you may like the series.  But if you like something that'll keep you interested until the very end you might as well look elsewhere.

What War on Women?

The Catholic Church and It's View on Contraception

Pope John Paul II

This is kind of a random post, but I'm a random kind of person.  I like to write what I feel and that doesn't always sit well with people.  I'm okay with that.  I'm not here to please everyone, or conform to others beliefs.  I have my own and they work well for me, but they don't have to work well for others.  That's why they're mine.  I also like to have conversations with friends.  Friends who can challenge me, make me think about why I feel a certain way, and who make me want to know more.  Those are the best kinds of friends.  The ones who don't agree with you just because, but the ones who challenge you to be better.

I have a good friend that I talk to at least once or twice a week, and we always end up having these intensely thought provoking conversations that I couldn't have with anyone else.  Mostly because some of my other friends are in different stages of their lives than her and they probably don't even care about the issues we talk about.  We both like to stay up to date on politics and whatever is going on in our world and then talk about it.  We don't always agree, but that is what makes our conversations interesting.  One issue I've been following closely is the supposed "War on Women."  More specifically, the Catholic's war on Obama's healthcare mandate that says all Catholic employers and Universities must provide birth control to women, even if it is used for contraception.

There was a Fox News article (I love Fox News, don't judge me!) that came out today about a Catholic University in Ohio that has decided to stop providing health insurance for it's students.  Ever since Sandra Fluke spoke to Congress about contraceptives, the Liberal media has launched an attack against Catholics about their moral and religious beliefs.  My friend and I were talking about the article I posted on my facebook wall which prompted me to do a little google research after we hung up.  I found a really interesting article that said many people judge the Catholic Church and it's community by what they think we believe, not by what we actually believe.

Let me clear something up straight away.  Many believe the Catholic Church wants to hold women back, not give them equal rights, but that is just not true.  No, we do not let women become ordained but there is a reason.  The answer can very easily be found in the New Testament as well as the writing of the Church Fathers.  

While women could publicly pray and prophesy in church (1 Cor. 11:1–16), they could not teach or have authority over a man (1 Tim. 2:11–14), since these were two essential functions of the clergy. Nor could women publicly question or challenge the teaching of the clergy (1 Cor. 14:34–38).  (source)

"...the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for his Church." (source)

**This article is a great read if you really want to find out the problems with women wanting "equal rights" in the church.**

Interestingly enough, Pope John Paul II was the only Pope in modern history who took a close look at women and their role in the church.

Nevertheless, during Pope John Paul's pontificate, women took over pastoral and administrative duties in priestless parishes, they were appointed chancellors of dioceses around the world, and they began swelling the ranks of "experts" at Vatican synods and symposiums. In 2004, for the first time, the pope appointed two women theologians to the prestigious International Theological Commission and named a Harvard University law professor, Mary Ann Glendon, to be president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. source

However, none of this means that the Catholic Church will change it's position on contraceptives, abortion, or sterilization.  Up until 1930 all Protestant denominations agreed contraception was sinful.  However, due to growing social pressure, the Anglican church announced some contraception was allowed in certain circumstances at the Lambeth Conference.  Soon after, they completely caved in and allowed contraception across the board.  Today, the Catholic Church is the only one left that proclaims the historic Christian position on contraceptives.  

There are a few major reasons why Catholic's are against any form of birth control.  You can read the full article here, but I am going to list two of the major points below:

1. Nature:  Contraception is a deliberate violation of God's "natural law."  The natural purpose of sex is to procreate and strengthen the bond of intimacy, respect, and love between husband and wife.
2. Scripture:  Contraception is not a modern invention.  In fact, it's even mentioned in the Bible.  Onan avoided fulfilling his duty (according to ancient Jewish law) to father children for one's dead brother.             

"Judah said to Onan, 'Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.'  But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.  And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he slew him also."  (Gen. 38:8-10) 

The punishment for Onan's actions was death.  His crime was more than simply not fulfilling the duty of a brother-in-law, he violated natural law (as Jewish and Christian commentators have always understood).  

I hope this post adds a little more insight into the Catholic Church and it's feelings on contraception.  You can find more information here and also read some of Pope John Paul II's work below!

Ordinatio Sacerdotalis:  Apostolic Letter of John Paul II to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone.
To Women:  Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women
Mulieris Dignitatem:  Apostolic Letter of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II on the Dignity and Vocation of Women on the Occasion of the Marian Year

Cute Wall Art

I got bit by the project bug again this morning and decided to start something I had planned to do back in January.  I got the idea from Pinterest and couldn't wait to do it for our home, but I was in the midst of wedding planning so a few things had to go on the back burner.  Now that I'm done with all the craziness, I can finally relax and do some fun home updating!

One of my favorite things to do is make wall art or frame my photographs to put on the walls.  Nothing makes a house feel more like a home than personal photographs and I always hang my best ones.  I love when people come over and ask where a photo was taken, or who made that particular piece of art.  So...I decided to make another conversation starter.

For this project you'll need:

1. A cricut to cut out shapes.  Or have a fabulous ability to cut out perfect hearts every single time.
2. A tape measure.  I found that easier to use because the frame was so long.
3. Cardboard (colored or not, your choice), card stock (any color you want), and a cutting board.
4. A printer and glossy printer paper.  Oh yea, and plenty of ink!  :-)
5. A cute picture frame.
6. Scissors and regular tape (two sided is best).
7. And last but not least; good, legible handwriting!  A printer may come in handy here too.  

Step 1:  I used my cricut (Tie the Knot Cartridge) to cut out a heart.  You may have to resize it (the heart) a few different times until you get exactly what size you need.  I probably could've gone a little smaller but this size (6, I believe) worked just fine!

Step 2:  I gathered the supplies I needed:  A white poster board from Michaels, cardboard, and my tools, which included my tape measure).

Step 3:  I got the frame I wanted to use and measured it horizontally (26 inches) and vertically (10 inches).  

The frame is from Target!

Step 4:  I measured out the center of the page, as well as where the hearts should go.  Then I used my orange heart from Step 1 and traced it on the paper!

I used such a bright color because it was easy to trace!

Step 5:  I cut out the three hearts to get ready for the maps!  (I feel like this one is self explanatory for humor me please!)  

Please forgive the non-rotated photo.  I have no idea how to fix this and I've tried multiple times!

Step 6:  I printed maps off the internet (google maps) onto glossy photo paper and cut off the excess paper.  Then I used my cricut to cut out smaller red hearts.

Step 7:  I put the little red hearts on the exact spot (where we met, got married, and where we live) to draw attention to it.

Step 8:  I cut out small rectangles in blue and white and wrote the description to put under each heart shaped map!  Then, I taped the maps to the back of the cardboard paper, put everything in the frame, and flipped it over.  Hello finished product!

Once again, please forgive the photo!  

This turned out really well and I absolutely love it!  Now, I just need to find a place to hang it.....

Family Binder Update

Two posts in one day?  This is absolutely unheard of!  Especially from me.  But, I promised I'd come back and post a few pictures of my ever evolving family binder.  So, here I am!

I actually enjoyed this project.  And my most favorite part of all was putting all 124 DVD titles into my Microsoft Access spreadsheet (and those were only the DVD's we have out at the moment.  We have a lot more packed away).  Doing this made me notice that my collection of "girlie movies" (as Chris and many other men call them) are slowly being consumed by the more "manly" action/adventure movies.  I think I may need to up my monthly movie budget by a little bit and start collecting some of my favorites!  Don't get me wrong, I am definitely an action movie kind of gal, but I love my romance movies.  Especially on a cold rainy day!

Wow, that was a little off topic.  :-)

I guess you could say I'm a list maker.  Yep, I love my lists.  Whenever we go on a trip I make a list a few days in advance of all the things we're going to need and then double and triple check I've crossed everything off before we finally walk out of the door.  That's why, I  was very happy (ridiculously so) when my oldest sister gave me a travel checklist for Christmas.

If you don't have one...I suggest getting it.  It's awesome!

Lucky for me, this little dodad saved me some time today since I didn't have to make my own custom pack list for my binder!  However, I could easily customize one so that I know exactly what I need to take with me on trips!  Instead, I sat in front of my computer and typed up a few different lists.

I am super proud of my DVD list.  Notice that they're categorized by Blu-Ray, Standard, and Standard/Blu-Ray TV Shows.  Hmm...that probably sounds a bit geeky...

To the left is the list of the doctor's we go to,  hours of operation, phone numbers, etc.  On the right is a list of our allergies.  There's plenty of space so it can be updated along the way if I need to!

This little paper is going to come in handy so we can remember the special events in our families lives!  I'm hoping to never forget another anniversary or birthday with these babies!

I already had an address book that I made on Microsoft Access (it was a school project that has definitely come in handy!) so that was able to be crossed off my list (yay!).  I highly suggest using Microsoft Word or Access to do most of this stuff.  I still need to do an automobile maintenance checklist but I figure I'm in no rush.  I also didn't decorate my papers because (1) I didn't want to waste ink and (2) I don't really see the need!  I'll get a cute decorative binder from Target to make it look more snazzy!