Currently...

We're in Seattle. Well, technically, Redmond. And there's snow.

We flew up on Christmas Day.

Yes, I survived a 3+ hour flight with a 13 month old. I would say "No applause, please," but I actually think applause is pretty appropriate.

So far, we've had a great time. Lots of relaxing, movies, playing with Maddy (entertainment in and of itself), and just spending time with our family who we don't get to see very often.

And then, last night, it snowed.

So far, we have yet to actually go outside into the snow. But we are going into downtown Seattle today so we'll have to brave it!

It looks so cold. I don't know how you snow people do it.

Hopefully I'll actually pull my camera out for the next few days while we are here so I can show you what we're up to. Don't stake all your happiness on it or anything...just...hopefully.

I hope you all are enjoying your Christmas/New Year's week!

Christmas, brought to you live from...

MY NEW MACBOOK AIR.

I told Dallin to NOT get me this amazingly slim, beautiful, light, fast, shiny piece of technology.

Sometimes, I'm really glad he doesn't listen to me.

I hope you all are having an amazing Christmas! I know I am.

Laugh, eat, party, rest, remember, love.

Thank you all for being my friends!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Frustrated

Most of the time, I use this blog to comment on random things I notice or think about. It's fun. I like it.

Today, I'm going to use this blog to complain. You have been warned.

I'm very frustrated. Maybe if I express this frustration, it will make me feel better.

You think? Let's try it.

I guess mostly I'm frustrated at school. I'm frustrated that it's been so hard (time-wise) and so expensive. I'm frustrated because I don't even know if it was a good idea to begin with. I don't know if I'm ever going to use my degree, and if I'll just have put the burden of student loans on my family for the sake of "getting a master's degree." That makes me feel awful. And the more I get into it, the more I think that I would never make a good teacher anyway. I have no clue what I'm doing in a classroom. And my classes, honestly, don't make me feel prepared for it at all. Not to mention I just lost a 4.0 that I've worked hard to keep up, because one of my teachers decided that a 95% should be an A minus; and because the teacher I did my internship with hasn't finished my evaluation (despite several reminders to do so) which has left me with a (hopefully temporary) D in that class, which is infuriating because I worked insanely hard at that internship.

I'm also frustrated with being sick. Yes, I'm sick again. I feel like I've been sick more often this past year and a half than in the previous 10 years combined. I used to never get sick. And now I get sick and it lasts for weeks at a time and I'm miserable through it all. I try not to let it get to me, and I think I've actually done a pretty good job of that in the past, but I guess this time is just the straw breaking the camel's back. And I'm the camel. The sick camel. Without the energy to keep my house clean or make dinner. It's...well, frustrating.

I'm frustrated because I'm in this yucky mood, and it's Christmastime and I just want to be enjoying it and looking forward to everything without all the worry hanging over my head. Christmas just brings with it so much that needs to get done, which can be both good and bad, I guess. Good because it keeps me busy, and bad because I feel like I could never get it all done just right. Anyway, I firmly believe that happiness is a choice, but sometimes it's really hard to just "choose" to be happy and make it so. But I guess I should keep trying, so...

I'll be done complaining for now. I am well aware that there is so much good in my life and that I am extremely blessed to only have the "problems" that I have. Hopefully my frustration will blow over soon. In fact, I feel better already.

So, thanks.

3 {Other} Christmas songs

I love Christmas music.

Golly, who doesn't?

Also, who says "golly" anymore? I think we should bring it back.

Anyway, Christmas music is splendid. I love traditional Christmas songs that there are a zillion different versions of.

BUT I also have a few songs that aren't quite as well known. Like, there are only a couple versions of it, or maybe even just one. Or it just doesn't get the play time that all the other songs do.

I thought I'd share three of those with you today. Just the ones that came to mind first...

1) "Ding Dong Merrily on High" by Celtic Woman

Dude, this song is awesome. It is an older carol that you've probably heard before, but if you haven't heard this version, check it out. It just feels Christmasy. It makes me want to ice skate while it's snowing and angels are singing and bells are ringing...or something.

2) "A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill

A very pretty, very meaningful song. Sung by Faith Hill. Gorgeous.

3) "Christmas Makes Me Cry" by Mandisa and Matthew West

Kind of pop-y, but moving nonetheless. Good vocals, too!

Have you heard these? What other Christmas songs do you like that don't get played a a gazillion times every year?

Happy Thanksgriving

I haven't told you about our Thanksgiving. Silly me.

I loved Thanksgiving this year.

So much good food! So much good company!

We went to my grandma's house in Thatcher. We ate, had our traditional rocket launch, played games, took naps, etc. It was yummy, relaxing, and perfectly enjoyable. Everything Thanksgiving should be.

But I don't have any pictures, which...well, let's be honest, is typical.

And I SO wish I had a picture of what was easily one of my favorite parts of the day, but I don't. So I'll just tell you about it.

We drove up to my grandma's house, made our way to the back porch, and saw a nice little scarecrow adding a little fall flavor to the back porch. The scarecrow was holding a little sign to welcome us all there.

And what did it say?

"Happy Thanksgriving."

It made me laugh. Every time I saw it. And now, just thinking back on it, I still laugh.

My grandma is the best.

So there, a Thanksgiving post. Glad I got that off my chest.

The bark and the bite(s)

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Mint.

One day, Mint met a girl named Chocolate.

He was a boy, she was a girl...can I make it any more obvious? (Thanks, Avril).

They fell in love and got married.

The world has been a better place ever since.

The end.

Do you understand the moral of this half-baked fairy tale? Let me make it as clear as possible to you:

mint + chocolate = perfection

And one of the reasons Christmas time is the best is because it is during this festive season that mint and chocolate come together to create one of their finest accomplishments: peppermint bark.

Hi, my name's Katie and I'm a peppermint barkaholic.

It started with Williams Sonoma peppermint bark several years back. Mm mm good.

However, this goodness comes with a price...a price that is right around $20 per tin.

Bummer, dude.

I've tried making peppermint bark. Believe me, I've tried. It's all right, edible and all, but just not as good. Not as good.

BUT this year...I have discovered two - yes, TWO - acceptable alternatives that do not - do NOT - cost $20.

Presenting:




No, neither one is the Williams Sonoma stuff...but they are both chocolaty, minty, and downright yummy.

If you're like me, and peppermint and chocolate rocks your world, try these. I predict that you will like them.

And if you don't like them, e-mail me and I'll send you my address so you can send me the leftovers.

And the world will be a better place

Is it just me, or does the world actually seem like a better place after the Devils' WIN over the Tucson team last night?

Block 1:





Block 2:




It pretty much makes you forget about how crappy the rest of the season has been.

Until next year.

Sweaters

So...I feel like lots of people swoon over fall.

Am I right? I think I'm right.

Well, I am not really among the swooners.

Sure, I like fall. I may even like fall a lot. I like Thanksgiving. And I like pumpkin things. And I like the end of 142 degree weather every.day. And fall means almost Christmas, which is super cool.

Yes, fall has its benefits, but in the end, I'm more of a spring/summer kind of gal.

Except for one thing - sweaters.

Dude. I love sweaters.

Maybe it's because I love layered looks. Maybe it's because I don't love my arms. Maybe it's because sweaters keep you (mostly) warm, and I'm a huge fan of warmth. But whatever the reason, I think sweaters are the bomb. I even have short-sleeved cardigans that I like to wear in the summertime.

And I know - I KNOW, OK?! - that most people don't really consider Arizona's fall to be "sweater weather," but guess what? I do. 70s or below = sweater.

So here's some sweaters that I'm currently loving/coveting. Yes, they're all from American Eagle. If you don't know by now that I love me some AE, well, now you do.



Oh, the cuteness!

For Dallin: I guess I'll have to wait until Christmas...since I would never just up and buy a $40 sweater! Sheesh!




For everyone else: I guess now I just have to decide which one/two to splurge on.

Bye Bye Boppy

Have you seen "Bye Bye Birdie?"

I never had. I knew a lot of the songs since one of my high school choirs did a review of them, but I'd never actually seen the movie.

And then I found out about Biltmore Fashion Center's movies in the park (free movies outside - fun!) and the only weekend that worked for us was the weekend they were showing "Bye Bye Birdie." So now I've seen it. Er, most of it. We were a little late. But that's beside the point.

In fact, that whole thing is kind of beside the point, because what I really wanted to tell you was this: I'm done breastfeeding.

Hoorah!

No one told me that BF-ing took over your life. For me, it was very time consuming, and at times, pretty darn painful.

Not saying I won't do it with the next one, because I totally will. It's just...I'm going to enjoy the break. And I'm going to take Excedrin for my headaches because I can and it's da bomb.

And when I moved the boppy pillow from it's home of 11 1/2 months (our bedroom) to its new home (our spare/junk/tornado-just-hit-it room) I couldn't help but sing "Bye bye Boppy" in my head. Or maybe out loud.

Maybe.

One.

Oh, you clicked over to my blog hoping to find out what we've been up to for the past few weeks? Maybe get a picture or two of Madelyn in her adorable Halloween costume? Perhaps hear about how school has been going for me (hint: blegh)? Or my feelings about Fall? Or an amazing pumpkin recipe or two?

Well stop dreaming my friends, because I'm not updating you on any of those things right now.

Today we're talking about today.

Today is Madelyn's very first birthday.



Now, I don't want to get too sappy about this. I'm honestly not freaking about too much about having a one-year-old. It is crazy...but come on, I knew it was going to happen someday. In fact, I knew the exact day that it was going to happen, so I could prepare. So don't expect me to be all "AAH MY BABY IS ONE!!!" kind of thing.

But there are a few thoughts I have.


Mostly, I just want to let the cyber-world know that I love love love my baby girl.

I'm so proud of everything she's already accomplished and become in one short year.

I'm grateful to her for making me a mother. It's the most rewarding job I've ever had.


I'm so very excited to find out what the coming years bring for both of us. I hope she grows up to be happy, healthy, loving, brave, smart, confident, and well aware of how much so many people love her.

I'm starting to wonder if the day will ever come when my heart doesn't just expand every time I look at my girl. I don't think it will.

Happy birthday, Madelyn!
Thank you for being my sunshine.

Dam Jenna

If any of you have ever made the drive from Arizona to Utah, you'll know that you have to pass over the Glen Canyon Dam.

And if you've ever driven over a dam, you've probably made a dam joke.

You know what I'm talking about....the dam Visitor's Center, the dam tourists, the dam tour guide, dam pictures, etc.

Wellllll...

on our trip to Utah earlier this month, we were driving over the dam and snickering at the dam wordplay.

"Watch out for all these dam tourists on the road!"

"Anyone need to use the bathroom? We could stop at the dam visitor's center!"

And so on. So hilarious.

Just as we were crossing the dam, my sister Sarah's phone rang. It was our other sister, Jenna. While I was obviously not a participating member of the conversation, I still got the idea, and have reconstructed said conversation here:

S: Hi Jenna.
J: Hi Sarah. How's the drive?
S: Good.
J: Where you guys at?
S: Just driving over the dam.
J: Oh really? Cool. Well I'm calling to see if I can borrow your dam car. (She was no doubt chuckling at her cleverness.)
S: .....
J: .....
S: Jenna, you can't say -
J: But I need to borrow your car! Are you still at the dam? Where are your dam keys?
S: Jenna! Just because we're at the dam doesn't mean you can put "dam" in front of everything!
J: Oh. Well, can I borrow your car?

Bahahahaha. I sort of thought this was hilarious.

But perhaps you have to know my lovely sister Jenna to really appreciate it. You know, the girl who was sure that the phrase "might as well" was actually "mineaswell" (one word), who was convinced that she was stuck in an elevator before realizing (after 15 minutes) that she hadn't pushed the button, and who asked if a football game would still be considered an "upset" if everyone was happy about it.

Those are just some of my favorite Jenna-isms. I just love her to pieces.

xoxo

Leaves

Since we last met, Dallin and I have taken a trip to Utah.

That's right - Dallin and I.

No baby. No. Baby.

It seems odd even saying it now.

Dallin had a mission reunion the first weekend in October, and since we have not been to a single one of his mission reunions yet, we decided to go to this one.

(Maddy stayed with Grandma. Was it hard? Yes. Was it nice? Yes. Was it hard? Yes. Did I really ask "Was it hard?" twice? Yes.)

And since the reunion was the same weekend as General Conference, we decided to go to that as well.

And since we like my sister and her boyfriend, we decided to invite them along.

We drove up all day Friday. Dallin's mission reunion was Friday night and I'm so glad we went! It was great to finally meet some of the people that have had such an impact on his life.

We were actually able to get in the Conference Center for both sessions on Saturday, which was awesome, considering we didn't find tickets until we got there. Dallin and my sister's beau were able to get into the Priesthood session as well, while my sis and I hit up Gateway Mall with the rest of the women in Utah...including our lovely cousin Cathy!

No, I did not take any pictures of this. You will just have to take my word for it. Especially the part about Cathy being lovely, because that's just crazy true.

Anyway, on Sunday, we watched the morning session at Dallin's aunt and uncle's house (where we were staying) and then we got packed up and headed home. Which brings me to the real purpose of this post.

We decided to take an extra 45 minutes or so and take the scenic route via the Nebo Loop. We could just tell that the fall leaves would be incredible, and we weren't disappointed!

(Please note: pretty much every one of the following pictures was taken out of a car window. Awesome.)

(Just ignore the pizza, if you can. Unless you work for Little Caesar's, in which case - this is an advertisement and I expect compensation.)





The next one is my favorite...

Ah. Yellow.

Well, some of you might not find these pictures that impressive, but for those of us who do not really get to see fall colors in our natural habitat, it was awesome.

Sometimes, it's worth taking the long way home.

Some things just don't get done right away

I'm not getting everything entirely done tonight. Observe:


What I did do today:

*woke up early
*accepted the fact that it was going to be a bad hair day
*internshipped
*went to lunch with my lil sis
*grocery shopped
*put Madelyn down for nap
*started homework
*washed & dried 5 loads of laundry (nope, not folded. see above)
*made dee-licious dinner for missionaries
*quick-cleaned the house so it wasn't a total disaster for the missionaries
*ate dinner with the missionaries
*listened to spiritual thought from missionaries
*woke Maddy up from her (FOUR AND A HALF HOUR) nap
*went for a walk with Dallin and Maddy
*visited my recovering-from-knee-surgery grandma in the hospital
*had a 23-year-old crisis
*finished a substantial amount of super stressful/annoying homework
*felt extremely grateful to Dallin for putting the baby down
*peeked in at Maddy because she's so gosh darn pretty when she's asleeping
*decided to put off finishing the dishes and folding the laundry until tomorrow
*decided to blog about putting off dishes and laundry...instead of doing them
*realized that my life is pretty good
*said goodnight to my blog buddies
*signed off

Phone-less

Last week, while I was out running a few errands, I left my phone at home. GASP.

After realizing that I was in fact phone-less for the next hour or two, I had a few thoughts.

My first thought: "I should post on Facebook how helpless I feel without my phone. Hm...I'd need my phone to do that." (palm smacks forehead)

My second thought: "Haha silly me...I should text Dallin and share my funny story about wanting to use my phone to post on Facebook about leaving my phone at home. He'll laugh! Oh....wait." (palm smacks forehead)

My third thought: "Dang. I should write a blog post about how I try to use my phone even immediately after just realizing I don't have it. The world must know my pathetic-ness! I should put this idea on my "To Blog" list before I forget about it. (Reaches for phone, since that where my "To Blog" list is kept)

Oh my freaking heck.

(palm smacks forehead)
(palm smacks forehead again)
(because let's face it, I deserve it.)

Healthy (the readable version)

Most people would not use the word "healthy" to describe the fact that these were all found in a certain person's car:



However, those people are obviously forgetting that there are actually several definitions of the word "healthy." Ahem:

health·y

[hel-thee]
er of

1. possessing or enjoying good health or a sound and vigorous mentality: a healthy body; a healthy mind.

2. pertaining to or characteristic of good health, or a sound and vigorous mind: a healthy appearance; healthy attitudes.

3. conducive to good health; healthful: healthy recreations.

4. prosperous or sound: a healthy business.

5. fairly large: I bought a healthy number of books.

ctive, health·i·er

–adjective, health·i·er, health·i·est.lthy numbe

Considering the last two definitions...

I'
I'dI would say that my Dr. Pepper addiction is absolutely healthy.

Make Someone Happy

Have you ever heard the song "Make Someone Happy?" You'd probably recognize it. ("Sleepless in Seattle," anyone?)

I heard this song the other day and it struck me how totally true it is. While it can be applied to pretty much everyone, I'm pretty sure it's a theme song for marriage. What if every married person totally focused on his/her spouse? What if every wife put her husband's needs and wants before her own, and every husband made his wife's happiness his top priority?

I'll tell you what. Everyone would be a lot happier. Everyone would be making someone happy, and everyone would have someone making them happy. Happy happy happy. I love this idea.

I don't know about your someone, but mine deserves to be happy. I'm not always very good at making that happen, but I think now is a great time to start being downright awesome at it. Here's to happiness!

Make someone happy
Make just one someone happy
Make just one heart the heart you sing to
One smile that cheers you
One face that lights when it nears you
One guy you're everything to

Fame, if you win it
Comes and goes in a minute
Where's the real stuff in life to cling to?
Love is the answer
Someone to love is the answer
Once you've found him, build your world around him

Make someone happy
Make just one someone happy
And you will be happy too.

On the fence

Remember our awesome backyard makeover a few months ago?

Awesome, right?

Totally.

Remember how I mentioned that all that was needed was a pool fence?

Well, in the name of ending suspense...I present to you...

OUR POOL FENCE!

Are you excited? Amazed? Stunned? It's okay, I'll give you a minute to collect yourself.

I'd say it sort of detracts from the overall beauty of the backyard, since you no longer have an unobstructed view of the pretty blue water and rock fountain. Maybe like a 20% detraction.

BUT it's a 100% improvement in safety! Safety first!

So really it's like an 80% overall improvement. Unless you're taking into account that safety is more important than beauty, in which case you'd have to do something highly math related to factor that in. Will someone do that and let me know? Math is so...numbery.

Also, there is still time to swim! The pool is still warm! Come one, come all! Seriously, we'd love to have you.

Extreme Makeover: Bed Edition

Oh HEY! It's me!

Sometimes, I do content writing work for Dallin's websites. I've written for all kind of people...dentists, raised access floor companies, elderly transport services, etc. It's pretty awesome, especially because I get to tell people I'm sleeping with my boss.

(**Side note: You guys are the first people I've ever told that to. Side note over**)

Then Dallin feels like he has to pay me for my services (the writing ones, not the sleeping ones), and then I feel like I have money to have fun with. It's fairly to moderately spectacular. After receiving one such paycheck, I finally got us some new bedding! This was much needed. We only had our old set for 2 years (we got it when we got married), but it totally faded when we washed it, and I may or may not have accidentally cut a small slit in it. So I've been tempted to do this for pretty much forever and I finally bit the bullet. It was metallic. And awesome. Here are the results of my bullet chomp-fest:



It's nothing fancy, but hey, neither are we. I loves it. Especially the pillows. Also especially the fact that it incorporates the quilt Dallin's mama gifted to us when we were first wed.



Something must be done with the space above our bed. I can't decide if there's enough room for a full-blown photo collage, or if just several pictures in a row would be better. To be continued...

Currenly, I am...

• sick
• unshowered
• yuck
• on prescribed medication for the first time in a loooong time
• not pregnant (I had to make sure before taking said prescribed medication)
• feeling my head expand as the mucus threatens to take over
• coughing
• not coughing anymore
• wanting to forget that I have a face
• just remembering that I need to sleep with the humidifier on tonight
• yuck again

Sleepy time. cross your fingers that (a) my sinus infection goes away and (b) that it does not go away into my baby. Dallin already had it, so your time to cross your fingers for his health has passed. But go ahead, if you really want to. It won't hurt anyone.

I didn't know you cared!

Remember how it was my birthday last Sunday?

Well, it was.

Thank you for all the happy birthday wishes! I felt very loved.

In fact, I felt the love from some places that I really didn't expect. Observe:

A local radio station. Honestly, I'm not sure how they knew it was my birthday...

The dental office that I went to to get my wisdom teeth out two years ago. I haven't been back since. Also, I don't think I got anything from them last year...

And, my personal favorite, DefensiveDriving.com. I had to take an online Defensive Driving course a few years ago after some Texas cops decided to be jerks. It wasn't anything to do with my driving. Anyway, didn't hear from them last year either. Make sure you read the message. It's very thoughtful.

Isn't that sweet of them to care about my safety? I wonder why they want me to be safe as a 23 year old, but didn't really care what happened to me as a 22 year old...

Anyway, it was a great birthday weekend! Dallin took me to dinner (Liberty Market. Have you been? GO.) then to ride the gondolas at the Hyatt. Then the next day, I made THE amazing cookie bars (yummmm), and had a nice relaxing day, and then that night we had dinner at Red Robin with my family, and then did a little shopping. Then on my actual birthday I was surprised with more presents and had a yummy family dinner of my choosing. It was, in a word, spectacular.

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes on here and on Facebook. I am so lucky to have so many people that care! Including Texas defensive driving course companies!

Also, a few of you asked for the amazing cookie bar recipe. There was a link to it in the last post, but here it is again: click here for the amazing cookie bar recipe that will change your life.

Have a good one, y'all.

Also, P.S. and Furthermore

It's my birthday on Sunday. Woot!

I've already decided that I would like to celebrate the birth of myself by making myself these cookie bar things:


Yes, these are the cookie bar things I blogged about like, a year ago.

No, I haven't made them yet.

Yes, I have been dreaming about them ever since.

No, that's not exactly true.

Yes, it is.

No, I haven't had the time, motivation, or perfect occasion for which to make them.

Yes, I am determined to make them this weekend.

No, I'm not sharing.

Yes, I really do think you're actually asking me all of these questions.

No, I don't mind.

Have a lovely day! Make yourself a treat you've been wanting to make for a while. Just deciding to do so will fill you with joy. And then actually doing so will fill you with more joy. And a yummy treat.

1st Amendment: I will absolutely share. These things are freaking delicious...but only 2 or 3 bites will do you in. Seriously.

Because it wouldn't feel like summer without it

A trip to California, that is.

We decided sort of last-minute-ly to meet my mom and siblings in California for a little overnight stay.

They were going to Disneyland Thursday and Friday and then the beach on Saturday. Since Disneyland isn't exactly in the financial cards for us right now, we drove up Friday evening, spent Friday night walking around Downtown Disney, and then went to the beach with them on Saturday before driving home.

Or, to clarify, Dallin and I spent Friday night walking around Downtown Disney. Madelyn, being the little person that she is, gets into Disneyland free, so my mom met us outside Disneyland and took Maddy on some of the rides while we ate and explored. So yes, my baby did just go to Disneyland without me. And yes, I am jealous.

Anyway, I was positively determined to get some pictures of our trip, so now you get to see them!

Maddy loves shoulder rides from Daddy...and just loves Daddy in general.

She also liked trying on hats at the World of Disney store.

Arriving at Newport Beach! I know it's crazy popular, and it was really crowded (and hard to park), but man is it pretty!

Hanging out with Aunt Sarah on the beach. Yeah, Maddy is in a onesie, not a swimsuit. I was planning on more of a "walk around the boardwalk" day at the beach rather than a "play in the sand and water" day at the beach, but whatev.

She loved the sand, but wasn't sure about the (very cold) water.

Maddy loves G!

Aaaand, a family picture.

So there you have it. One fun-filled Harris family vacation! We have finally experienced summer...just in time for school to start next week.

Thanks for reminding me.

Guilty Pleasure - Part 1

(Side note...uh...beginning note: The original title of this post was just "Guilty Pleasure." Then I realized I will probably be writing about more guilty pleasures in the future...because I have more than one. End of side note...uh...beginning note.)

I don't watch tv.

Ok, that's a total lie.

Unless you define "watching tv" as "sitting on your couch in front of your television for an indefinite amount of time as you watch whatever is on." In that case, I don't watch tv.

BUT if "watching tv" is defined as "watching (on your computer) 1/2 hour or hour long shows that originally aired on tv" then yeah, I watch tv.

Hulu is where it's at, people.

So yeah, I have my "shows" that I watch. Not religiously (like, the day after they air) anymore, now that LOST and 24 are over (tear). But I'll get on Hulu while I'm folding laundry, eating lunch, or bored/tired during naptime.

Confession time: One of the shows that I watch pretty regularly is "The Bachelorette."

It's true. I wish it wasn't, but it is. And it's totally embarrassing. I mean, this show is ridiculous. Have you seen it? Then you know it's ridiculous. Have you never seen it? Then you probably assume it's ridiculous, which is why you've never watched it. Good for you.

But really, giving a girl 25 random strangers and assuming that one of them is her soul mate? No wonder the show has only had two marriages in their 20 or so seasons. Plus, you know ABC creates the drama. They pretty much admit to creating the drama - choosing contestants that will be controversial, editing out whatever they want, etc. I'm sure it's much worse than we even realize...probably on the verge of taking the "reality" out of "reality tv." (But then again, what reality tv show isn't?)

Anyway, I still watch it. It's kind of fun to witness all the drama, staged or not. And it's incredibly fun to laugh at all the ridiculous one-liners constantly thrown out there.

This season just ended. Did anyone else watch it? Was it not completely obvious who she was going to pick? I thought it was.

So...that's all. Just thought I'd publicly admit to watching a completely ridiculous time-waster of a show.

Do you have any guilty pleasure tv shows?

Don't Tell Me Who I Hate

Hey all.

Over the past few days, I have read some Facebook notes that, I feel, have attacked my church and my belief system. These notes are just a small drop in a large bucket of accusations that we have faced over the past several years.

I'm not trying to convince anyone of my political views. I just want people to understand that just because I think a certain way or believe a certain thing does not mean that I am a hateful person. So I wrote my own Facebook note addressing accusations against me and my church.

Here's what I wrote:

Don't Tell Me Who I Hate

Is anyone else sick of having other people tell you who you hate?

I am.

People who think like I do and believe what I do have always struggled with other people not understanding us. We have been given many different labels. The one that I'm seeing most often nowadays is "hater."

Do you think I hate people?

Let me just make this clear right now. I have never - ever - been taught by my parents, my church, my scriptures, my God, or my own conscience, to hate anyone. ANY one. Because my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is so often the brunt of the accusations, I will tell you that in almost 15 years of being a baptized member of this church, I have never been taught or told to hate, persecute, revile, undermine, or mistreat anyone. I have been taught, however, to love everyone, with a Christlike love, regardless of their religion, political stance, sexual orientation, race, or appearance.

Now, I may not be as good at this as I could be. I may not do enough service, donate enough to charity, or volunteer at shelters or hospitals. But I can tell you this: I do not hate.

Do you really think I hate people that are just trying to find happiness by being able to marry someone they love? Do you really think I hate people that do whatever they can to leave their own country and find jobs in ours, just to try to make a better life for their families?

Yes, I am against gay marriage and illegal immigration. But I do not hate gays or illegal immigrants. I do not. And for anyone to tell me that I do is wrong. It is putting words in my mouth and feelings in my heart. It makes me think that I do not have a right to my own opinion, that I am not allowed to say what I want to say because I might get called a hater.

Why is it fair for people like me to be silenced in this way? Why is every point we make faced with accusations of hatred and ignorance? Why can't I say what I think without it being hateful?

Is it because you think I couldn't possibly understand you? Because I am a Christian, middle-class woman with a husband and a baby and a house in suburbs with a Toyota in the garage? Is that why I'm not allowed to think the way I think? Because I've obviously never felt hurt, betrayed, angry, alone, lost, confused, or sad? Because I've never been called names? Well, guess what - I have felt these things. All of them. And you call me names all the time. Selfish. Arrogant. Ignorant. Bigot. Hateful.

Obviously, you don't understand me.

You tell me I'm trying to keep you from your right to the pursuit of happiness. Let me tell you what is really the case: we have different definitions of happiness. My happiness does not include a world where homosexuals are allowed to marry and raise children. Yours does. And you know what? One of the great things about our country is that we are both able to pursue this happiness without name-calling, accusations, or hatred.

All I'm doing is standing up for what I believe. You are more than welcome to do the same, on one condition: don't tell me who I hate. I don't hate you. I can't make you believe that, or anything else, but it's true. I want you to be happy. Why wouldn't I?

If there are some issues that we have to agree to disagree about, then so be it. But don't tell me that I'm a hateful, ignorant person because of what I believe. You know how that makes me feel? It makes me feel like you hate me.

Do you?

Go see Inception

You should go see Inception.

Why?


Because it's:


Intelligent

Intense

Intriguing

Inpeccably (temporary replacement for "impeccably," so as to fit with the "in-" theme) cast

Incredible

!!!

Extreme Makeover: Master Bathroom Edition

When we moved into our lovely home (almost a year ago!), the ONLY room that did not get touched AT ALL was the master bathroom. The laundry room was painted, closets were painted, even the pantry was shown some love, but we decided that the master bathroom was something that we could hold off on. AKA we were sick of house projects.

Well, the last couple months have found me itching to do something to our master bathroom. Why? Observe:


While these pictures were taken after our shower curtain and towels and such had already been removed, this was the general idea of our bathroom. Ho-hum.

So, about 5 hours of work later and....

Ta da!

Let me point out some of the features of this, our new bath space:

• painted a nice, neutral gray
• new shower curtain and towels
• new light fixtures
• framed mirror
• decorative touches, including the wall sconces, flowers, and apples

All done pretty cheaply, I might add.

I LOVE IT.