Noah

My sister Katie had her baby early early Monday morning. I freaked out when I woke up and heard the news because he was 3 weeks early so no one was expecting it. He was still 7 pounds though and is just the cutest thing. I will be so impressed if my kids come out with as much hair as he did.

Welcome Noah! We love you!

Kindred Spirits

I love Anne of Green Gables. I remember saturday mornings growing up I would watch it with my sisters. I love the way Anne would describe those she loved as "kindred spirits."

I feel this way about my sisters. One of my older sisters called me today in desperation to find my dad and ask him for advice. She confessed to me that she has a painful breast infection (the most painful she has experienced) and that she went to a doctor today who would do nothing for her. She began weeping and I could hear her baby crying in the background too. I started to cry too. I wanted so badly to reach through the phone and hug her and tell her it would all be okay. But I couldn't. My heart aches knowing someone I love so much is in pain.

I can only imagine what it will be like when my own child is the one crying in pain. But for now, I am so grateful for kindred spirits in my life. I am so grateful to know that I love some people enough to be in pain when they are in pain.

Take a step back

I am attempting to master a new skill. I am trying to discover how to take a step back and pull myself out of context in certain situations to really understand what is going on.

In the wake of this political drama I find myself sometimes upset with others, sometimes dumbfounded out how someone could think so illogically, and sometimes surprised by my own opinions. Taking a step back really helps me to understand who people are and why they are that way. Taking a step back helps me see how beautiful people truly are.

Love

I love my friends.

I love to see how we all have grown up and do wonderful things.

(In December alone, Chloe and Kelsey both had babies; Tia got engaged; Adrienne finished her first semester of law school with a baby; Stacey graduated; Ali got a boyfriend; Liz got home from her mission; Danika went to Europe; you get the picture--sorry if I left you out of the December accomplishments list)

It breaks my hear to think how we are all physcially moving away from eachother as we grow up but I am so glad to know that we will always be so close.

Women's Rights

I've always felt empowered studying the women's rights movements throughout history. In high school my knowledge-bowl team was made up of girls and we called our tean the feminists. (Although I don't believe any of us truly understood the full meaning of being a feminist). Then I was applaed to learn that I had to argue against Title IX in my governemnt and politics class in high school as well (which my friend and I ended up winning!).

Mitch and I had an inspiring conversatin about women's rights driving home to Alpine yesterday. We agreed that perhaps the greatest downfall to the women's rights movement is the idea that a woman's sucess is now measured in the same way that a man's is measured.

Don't get me wrong--I think it is fabulous that a woman has the opportunity to be agressive and make a successful career in the workforce. I just think that sometimes a woman can't be defined as an aggressive worker as well as a kind and gentle nurturer anymore. Women who choose to stay home are shown as somehow weaker. It takes a lot of courage for a woman who knows she has great potential in the work force to decide to stay at home with her kids despite the rebukes she may recieve.

Anyway, I'm not trying to say what a woman should or should not do. We are all so unique with different vaules and challenges; we make the best decisions we can and no one else can tell us what to do. I just wish a woman could be measured based on her courage to do what she really loves or values most--and that something could very often differ from what a man would pick. We should be equal to men, but not the same as men. And I think there is confusion there sometimes. Does that make any sense?

On a different note---December was absolutely lovely and I'll post more about that soon. Happy New Year! I think it will be a good one!

Childhood Favorites

Allison and Ali both posted about their favorite books during childhood. Reading about their favorites made me so reminiscent of what books I used to read over and over. I wish I had taken the time to go home and sit infront of our children's bookcase so I could refresh my memory on everything I loved. But I'll attempt without, and if I forget some of the most important, well--c'est la vie!

(Not in any order)

1. Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder books--I can hardly recall what they are about but oh I remember late nights (for an 8 year old) reading these books and not wanting to put them down.

2. Go Dog Go by Dr. Suess. Probably one of the first books I learned to read and I loved those dogs.

3. The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain. I loved all of the books and always wanted my parents to read them to me.

4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I hate the movie. Boo. A child's book so short isn't meant to be drawn out into a 2 hour movie.

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. I love all the books, and the first isn't my favortie--but this is the one that started it all for me. I still remember the first day I heard of Harry Potter in the 5th grade. Matt Lind was talking about it and I thought it was some sort of baseball book that only boys would like. Oh was I wrong.


I know I have so many others, but this was fun just so skim the top. What were your favorites? Did I leave out some of the most important ones?

A turn for the worst

I'm afraid that if during the holiday season when I have plenty to talk about and I still haven't blogged in over a month, my blog has unfortunately taken a turn for the worst--slipping into nonexistence. I blame the fact that I prefer blog posts to have pictures, but by the time I get home each night I am too tired to upload pictures, let alone make a blog post. I apologize. I will do my best to revamp my motivation to blog.

In the meantime--I do have something to say about the BYU-Idaho skinny jeans ban:

Regardless of whether I think its lame or not, the fact is that BYU-Idaho has a right, as a private institution, to make up any dress code it desires. Those who applied and attend BYU-Idaho gave their consent to follow whatever that dress code may be. The fact that BYU-Idaho already doesn't allow flip-flops or shorts should suggest to those students that the institution makes very conservative choices about the dress code, and that a ban on skinny-jeans could be a real possibility. If you go to BYU-Idaho and you can't stand the thought of not being able to wear skinny jeans, then go to another school.

I think its great that everyone has an opinion on skinny jeans--but I think the bigger issue is whether BYU-Idaho has a right to ban them or not, and my answer is YES, they do have right. (Yes, I do own skinny jeans. Although I have avoided them this holiday season because with a little extra weight gain they are the hardest to put on.)