Taking Off the Mask

There was a news conference yesterday, held by the LDS church. You can read about it and watch it here. The church announced their support of laws in Utah that would allow for LGBT individuals to seek housing and employment without fear of discrimination.

Yes, it is great that a church is standing up and saying that LGBT individuals should not be discriminated against when applying for housing and employment. The church reps went on to say that, as a church, they have the right to not hire LGBT individuals in their institutions and to force them to do so is an attack on their religious freedom.

I think we can all agree, no one should be discriminated against. No one should be denied housing because of their sexual orientation and no one should have to resign as CEO because they don't support gay rights. But can we please stop lauding 'the church' for this amazing wonderful stance they are taking? Because the church basically said that they don't believe in LGBT discrimination in hiring practices except if they're the ones doing the hiring. Because church. And religious freedom.

During the press conference, Dallin H Oaks said, "the precious constitutional right of free speech does not exclude any individual or group, and a society is only truly free when it respects freedom of religious exercise, conscience and expression for everyone, including unpopular minorities. "

Then, after the press conference, Elders Oaks and Christofferson held individual interviews with journalists to answer questions. Peggy Fletcher Stack, of the Salt Lake Tribune, asked the apostles what the LDS Church thinks of members who back same-sex marriage. This was the response from Elder Christofferson:

"There hasn't been any litmus test or standard imposed that you couldn't support that if you want to support it," Christofferson said, "if that's your belief and you think it's right."Any Latter-day Saint can have a belief "on either side of this issue," he said. "That's not uncommon."Problems arise only when a member makes "a public, sustained opposition to the church itself or the church leaders and tries to draw others after them," he said, and that support swells into "advocacy."

So, the precious constitutional right of free speech does not exclude anyone but if your convictions aren't totally in line with church teachings, don't voice them in public, and definitely don't be an advocate.

Don't discriminate against gays unless you're a church. Don't speak freely unless your opinion is the same as the church's. Husband and wife are equal but men preside. We are given agency but we have to choose this path to gain exaltation. The holy ghost confirms truth to you unless that truth isn't church-endorsed - then it's satan deceiving you. 

I'm just........tired. Also, I support gay marriage. 

The Family Room is Done!

So this is what our family room looked like 2 1/2 years ago, right after we put in tile and carpet:

But then if you turned too far to the left, this is what you saw:

Well, this area has stayed like this for the past.......2 years.....?? Yeah. 2 years. We are awesome. BUT NOW, thanks to a really awesome friend of mine, this corner looks like this:

Sigh. Much better.

*Cricket cricket*

Well hello.

You've been quiet for quite some time. Oh wait, that was me being quiet. Quietness is not really something I'm known for. Like, at all. I guess le blog totally fell off le priority list. For a long time.

I'm back, I guess. I kind of like having a place to write ridiculous things because I AM known for being ridiculous.

So here we are. Let's chat. Let's paint each other's nails and play truth or dare. I'll go first. I choooooooooose TRUTH!

Today is my seventh wedding anniversary. SEVEN YEARS. Feels like 2. Feels like my husband and I are growing into each other; growing with each other, intertwined in each other's branches. Feels like we are truly working for the same things and on the same team and speaking the same language for the first time, maybe ever. Feels like our roots are sinking into the soil even further, and he would happily give up some nutrients to make my leaves greener and my branches longer. We are building something here; something ugly and gorgeous and knotted and breathtaking.

Also? I may or may not have thrown out my back. Talk about knotted........

And another thing...

My pinky toe got broken on a baby swing. Just when it was feeling better, Henry left his swing sitting out again annnnnnnnd it got rebroken. 

On the most annoying wounds list, it's pretty far up there. It's just above 'cuticle cracking at the corner of your nail' and right below 'cancher sore'.

This is real

I will break my snoop bloggy blog silence tonight by talking about something that enrages/scares the daylights out of me. Regardez:

And

I cannot believe what is being marketed to young girls these days. Can. Not. 

The first picture I took in a toy aisle whilst looking for a very specific gift for my daughter. They are called Bratz dolls. The huge blue eyes, the teeny nose, the huuuuge unnatural collagen lips, and the stripper makeup is Just. Too. Much. I know these dolls have been around for a while but I don't remember them looking so lady-of-the-night when they first came out. Hooooooow does anyone think that marketing this doll to young girls reinforces anything but negative ideas? I was in disbelief when I saw the ad. 

Picture number two I took in Target. In the girls' section. Ava is one size away from shopping in that section and I was so sad to see one of her favorite cartoon characters (Rainbow Dash) referencing the song Blurred Lines. (If you don't know the song you have probably been living under a rock.)

I'm sad that money comes before morality in marketing to preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary aged children (I expect it with older age groups). I'm sad that there are 6 year olds that know the song Blurred Lines. I'm sad that there are little girls growing up thinking that they need to have tons of makeup and tiny noses and huge lips to be beautiful. I'm sad that there are parents who buy that crap for their kids. I'm sad that innocence can get lost so young, so easily now. 

And I'm mad. Mama Bear has been awoken. I'm ready for a fight. A big long one where Ava is the winner. 

She is so very beautiful, from the inside out. But it will become so easy for her to forget that. 

Ava's Room

I realized that I have never posted pictures of Ava's awesome room and the awesome bed her daddy made her. Or did I? Whatever. I'm posting them anyway. 

Walking into her room - pink chalkboard wall on the left covered in plus signs inside circles....little concerned about that. 

Her sweeeeet bed (and the "nest" where she sleeps....also concerning):

Books within reach. They ALL end up in her bed at some point. 

And her "stage" (she's making my married dress):

 

With Henry taking 3-4 naps a day in his room and me having moved all my LPM/office stuff into my room upstairs, she will definitely be playing in her room more often (because heaven forbid she be somewhere in the house where I am not). I can't wait to see all the plays she puts on!

Just normal stuffs

Oh, hey blog. How are ya? I'm busy these days.

After I had Ava I overheard a lady in an old ward say something like, "you're not a real mother until you have 2 kids." As you can imagine, I was incensed. I was pretty sure I was a mom....yup I had the physical and emotional scars to prove it (hahaha! I make it sound so traumatic)! I couldn't believe anyone would say such a thing.

And then I had my second kid. Although poorly worded, her comment makes sense to me now. I'm not sure how one tiny little human makes us all suddenly create 5x the laundry......but he has. There's more to be done and to stay on top of it all I have to employ the "leave a room better than you found it" technique and I am becoming a morning person (DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!). Both of these things, I thought, were against my natural woman. Turns out I just needed the right set of circumstances for these particular changes to happen. These are strange times, my friends. But, I can honestly say that I have never been happier in my life.


Well played, life.