Thursday, October 30, 2008

Cupcake


Cupcake
Originally uploaded by paulbettner
It's official, she looks exactly like her dad... sans cupcake hat of course. She LOVES this carrier. I, on the other hand, dislike the fact that my boob looks as big as her head, oh wait, my boob is as big as her head!!!
She is SOOO cute though, am I right?
Onward, so the election is days away and I am so nervous. Palin terrifies me. Seriously, more than Bush. REALLY. I am amazed by the short sightedness of my fellow mormons.
A List of Reasons Mormon Women Should Not Vote for McCain/Palin:
1. McCain abandoned his wife and children after she sustained an injury that effected her looks.
2. He applied for a marriage lic for Cindy, 25 ears his junior, BEFORE his divorce was final.
3. Sarah Palin thinks we are a cult and would never let her children play with our children.
4. Sarah Palin is a selfish woman and not 'a mother who knows'. example:
-she knowingly subjected her pregnant teenage daughter to a media sandstorm for her own gain.
-she is leaving her 5 month old special needs child in the hands of who knows whom to run for an office that will keep her away from her family
5. Sarah Palin made rape victims pay for their own rape kits.
6. John McCain will not live out his term and thus Sarah Palin will be president. (see #s 3,4,5 and the following)
7. The woman hadn't been out of the country until last year.
8. She thinks aspiring to be Joe sixpack is a good idea.
9. She is devisive, coniving, misleading and annoying.
10. Our image in the world couldn't do anything worse than be seen as a place that elected the female george bush.
Onto this whole Prop 8 debacle:
I would like to quote my sisters sister in law:
If we want to protect marriage we need to start in our own homes looking inwardly rather than outwardly. I feel that more people would live more fulfilling and happy lives if we spent more time evaluating how we are doing in our lives, how we are treating our partner and how our marriages are doing as a whole. Thats how I want to protect my marriage, by staying best friends with my husband and not letting the world defile our love and devotion to each other. Does anyone need to vote on that? No.

Right now a hot topic in regards to marriage is California's Proposition 8. I am not one to get into great debates with people. I don't voice my political opinions much. This being said I have been very saddened by the recent publicity amongst the youth at BYU and in the church over Proposition 8. It saddens me to see families put at arms because certain members support Proposition 8 and others do not. I believe we all have a choice in this battle. I feel that those of us who do not live or vote in California have even less of a say on what is happening with Proposition 8.

I have felt somewhat awkward since hearing the churches stance on Proposition 8, I simply believed that they would not make a political stance on this issue. I understand the churches stance and I feel for the issue both ways, although I feel that we should not sit on the fence because its easy. I have heard a lot of things that seem less than true about why the church supports Proposition 8 so I did some research and now feel more confident in understanding why the Church supports it and knowing that some of the rumors I had heard were wrong. As citizens we have every right to make ourselves as knowledgeable about the issues as possible.

The church made its stance at the end of June. "The Church's teachings and position on this moral issue are unequivocal. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and the formation of families is central to the Creator's plan for His children. Children are entitled to be born within this bond of marriage."

However it was nice to read that "Latter-day Saints are free to disagree with their church on the issue (Prop 8) without facing any sanction, said L. Whitney Clayton of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy. 'We love them and bear them no ill will.'"

Literature written by Proposition 8 proponents are freely distributed in Mormon wards, giving the impression the church approves of these pamplets, but much of it is "misinformation," said Morris Thurston, an LDS attorney in Orange County. Thurston has circulated a point-by-point response to an anonymously authored document that has been widely disseminated by Mormons, "Six Consequences . . . If Proposition 8 Fails." Thurston argues that most of its arguments are either untrue or misleading. "The general church authorities I have spoken to have been understanding and compassionate," he said. "They counsel respect, civility and open mindedness toward those who disagree with the church's position." Brittany Calkins
Time for another list
10 things that are are a bigger threat to marriage than a couple of dudes getting married.
1. porn
2. no fault divorce states
3. hollywood
4. adultery
5. media portayals of women
6. selfishness
7. bad communication
8. pride
9. our society of immediate gratification
10. being toooooo busy

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Eloise blessing



Originally uploaded by paulbettner
Paul blessed our little girl at church last month. Seriously, she looked like an angel. She was wearing the same dress and hat that I was baptized in. She couldn't wear the shoes because she inherited the Charney chub-foot. Paul likes to tell her that they are the normal ones and "Mommy is missing a part of her foot...poor mommy"