Worms

This was taken soon after we moved into our current home. It rained a lot and thousands of worms came out of the ground.

We were coming home from somewhere and I didn't want the boys to step on the worms. I told K to be careful not to step on them and that was the first time he became aware that they were everywhere. I wasn't expecting what happened next and I got the tail end of it all with the video. You can barely see it but there is a worm that's a foot long next to him. I believe he had turned 3 a few months before this day. I guess I don't need girls to have drama around here.

What's New?

The old banner is down and I've changed the face of my blog. Something that usually is easy to do ended up being a hassle because of a word document I posted up on the blog that was messing things up.

We're really excited about Halloween. Last Saturday we all dressed up and went to Chris' work party. Wish we had pics. Sorry.

K's backpack was taken/stolen from him yesterday after school. What's up with that? Hopefully it was a simple mistake and it's returned today. I'll be volunteering a couple Wednesday's a month to help out with the math station and I'm really excited about this.

L is active as usual but very helpful. He is constantly doing things to help me something he's done since he was teeny, tiny. He's also quick to do what's asked of him, such a good boy. During the Primary Sacrament program he was doing spit yoyos. Completely disgusting and if I had known I would have put an end to it. Urgh. He was sitting/standing on the front row.

A is talking tons. He still loves his thumb and bottle of milk. Am I not putting an end to both when I should? It's just so babyish and I'm not sure I'm ready to let go.

Chris is excited about possibly picking up a new client that is just 5-10 minutes away. It would be an engagement that would last through April. That would be really nice.

I'm still going back and forth about doing a triathlon on Nov. 8th. I really do want to do it. It shouldn't be too bad except that the swim is the last event and I am very uncomfortable about this. It would be a different challenge but I don't know if I can swim after running and biking. I guess I'll have to find out this week before making the decision.

Nate and Collete came over of dinner on Sunday and we discussed our trip to Mexico. We are going to try and snorkel from Cozumel which is about 30 minutes from the main island. While there we are thinking about renting a couple of scooters to travel the island and visit ruins. I'm totally looking forward to this. I find it humorous that Nate is afraid Collete will crack her head open. I don't think I've ever heard manly Nate voice any worried concerns about anything. It must be true love ;0).

Chris and I received new callings. We are nursery workers. I am excited about this. For one, I get to hang out with Chris and two I get to play with little munchkins and there are a couple I can't wait to get my hands on.

My thoughts on Polygamy

aren't that sophisticated. I thought it was weird when I first heard about it and glad that my church doesn't practice polygamy anymore. However, it can be a real crutch to people who are trying to find reasons why our church isn't good. This may be a reason why they might not join it or claim it to be the reason why they fell away.

It never was an issue for me. I took more of a rational approach to it that many societies have in fact practiced some type of plural marriage and many are still practicing plural marriages. It has been part of life for a loooooong time people and the church had its reasons for it way back when.

I found this article on CNN about (click)Polyandry (one wife, two husbands) I found rather interesting and actually pretty cool. In this subculture in India they practice polyandry for traditional and economic reasons. Some women may have more than a couple husbands depending on how many brothers there are. Plural marriage is illegal in India however the government has not enforced it.

I really found this village to be quite unpolluted of the world's influence on this topic. To them it's not about sex. It's about tradition, economics, and that's it. I think often times us Americans focus on the sex part. When we think about Warren Jeff's and others of his group we think about the immorality of it all and the victimization of young girls. We immediately suspect that sex is the underlying reason for this lifestyle. I don't know. But with this village in India, plural marriage is part of life, it's not looked at as something nasty and they've made it work.

I prefer to only see this lifestyle as part of indigenous groups and much prefer polyandry than polygamy.

If I lived in India, this would be it for me!! Wow....EEW....Disturbing....

The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff

I just finished this book. It was a lot of things including suspenseful, exciting, informative, romantic, historical and sad. Sad books are not my favorite but it was still a good read. I guess what I am saying is that I prefer happy endings and that's all I will say about that. In short it is about a Jewish girl living a double life during the invasion of the Germans in her Poland country.

Although a fiction, the author says this about the book "Finally, I have come to realize through the writing of this book that the term "historical fiction" is somewhat of an oxymoron. While creating imaginary characters and events, I have endeavored to remain true to the spirit of those who lived and died during World War II and the Holocaust, and to realistically depict the full range of human strengths, frailties and emotions brought out by this tragic and remarkable era."

So although the characters are fictional, Jenoff incorporates things that occurred during the war in her book: things such as the Jewish resistance that was going on underground, the use of double identities to help out the movement, and some of the terrible occurrences of the Holocaust.

The characters seems very real and their experiences realistic as well. I once again found myself sympathetic to the "bad guy." And was intrigued by the dilemma the Kommandant's girl found herself in and having this internal battle of loving two men, her husband and the Kommandant, both very likable. A highlight for me was when she was able to see her father for the last time who was imprisoned in a camp. They spoke through a small opening, a lucky but risky, last farewell. They exchanged sad and happy news, their love for each other, and a few things that tied her to her real identity. My heart broke to read the description of her father, her thoughts of what he must be going through. I can't imagine what these people went through during the war. And I cried and thought about how much I take for granted.

This book got me interested in finding out more about what happened in Poland when the Germans invaded and imprisoned the Polish Jewish Community.

I found a thesis compiled by the efforts of many universities, scholars, and groups that contains in it many of the experiences of these women who had double identities to help in the resistance movement. They were Jewish women who passed as gentile Polish people due to their Aryan looks and fluency in Polish and other languages.

The thesis includes the following about the women: http://www.theverylongview.com/WATH/essays/courier.htm


The couriers were a group of remarkable women who accepted a unique responsibility to their people and to history. Variously referred to as liaisons, runners, girls, and messengers, the couriers worked selflessly for the Jewish resistance in Poland through the duration of the Holocaust. Their pragmatic benefit was to smuggle guns, documents, money and encouragement. On another level, they represented the identity, existence and future of the Jewish people. They left a legacy of defiance to, and heroism within, one of the most oppressive system of terror ever developed.

Polish resistance leader Jan Karski cited other reasons why women became couriers. To Karski, women were better suited than men for espionage: "They were quicker to perceive danger, more optimistic of the outcome, and could make themselves less conspicuous; they were more cautious and discreet, had more common sense and were less inclined to risky bluffing."<sup>45

If you are interested in reading more about the history of Krakow go to the following link a history</sup>

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

I finally watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and Katharine Ross. I actually really liked it having never been big on Western films. Of course I had to get online to find out what really happened to the famous outlaws afterward. The movie ended differently than what the information out there is saying.

It helped that the actors are all gorgeous including Mrs. Katharine Ross (Etta). Wow!! There was a bicycle scene with Etta and Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) that was really cute and hot. She was the Sundance Kid's (Robert Redford) girl but this scene said otherwise. She asked him at the end of the bike ride if they would have been together had she not met the Sundance Kid first. The conversation that went on after that was really witty and cute on Butch Cassidy's part.

I REALLY liked the music they played throughout the movie. I found a review that said the following about the music (you can find the rest of the review with the link below): "Perhaps the oddest aspect of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is Burt Bacharach's score. In all, Bacharach composed only about 12 minutes of music, and it is used during three sequences: when Butch takes Etta for a ride on his bicycle, when the three companions stop in New York on their way to Bolivia, and during a montage that introduces their return to an illegal occupation in South America. Thrown into the mix (during the first sequence) is the hit pop single "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head". As performed by B.J. Thomas, it became a radio staple during late 1969 and early 1970, but its placement in the film is atypical, to say the least - as is Hill's decision not to use music to highlight moments of tension and suspense."

I really enjoyed the relationship that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had. They had a fun chemistry together that worked well. I enjoyed the humorous depiction of the outlaws. I was actually rooting for them because they were so likeable! And of course sad when they died.

Here's the review I read http://www.reelviews.net/movies/b/butch_cassidy.html

Running shoes I'm stuck with

This is the Mizuno wave rider II running shoe that I purchased recently. I went to Wasatch Running thinking they would find me a good shoe to help me with the issues I was having with my feet. Chris and I went there a long time ago to find a shoe for him. They watched him run down a path they have in their store to see how he runs and then fit a shoe to accommodate his running style. Then they let him try on a handful of pairs that were all ridiculously priced. Anyways, we left and he bought a decent pair he likes for less than half the price.

I went back just before my marathon to see if this company could help me with my feet issues. I left having paid way to much for this pair. I can't say they help me with my feet issues. I still had feet pain when I ran and even when I walk in them now. Not to mention that there is not much padding on the heal and I felt like my heals were being ripped apart before I put padding underneath the soles.

BTW, Chris is a better shopper than I am. He's patient, does his research, shops around and compares.

River Secrets by Shannon Hale......

was so good. Razo, the main character, is one of those people I would die to be friends with. Well I wouldn't die but you know what I mean. He makes you laugh by what he says and does and just by looking at him. Who couldn't use a friend like that? He really struggled with who he is and never seemed to measure up to anything. But, as he matured and served his country, he found himself not necessarily fall into the mold of the other greats, but found that he was unique and as important a member of his community as the others.

Reading a book from a male perspective was fun. I haven't read any from a male point of view in a long time. Although a fantasy, the book has a good mix of mystery and adventure as well as a little romance.

And as I mentioned before, it was nice to pick up the book and the characters from where I last left them and to be able to read what they've been up to lately.

I'd recommend the Bayern series to anyone.

Enna Burning by Hale and my perspective on relationships, marriage, the bad rap some marriages made at BYU get (you know the 3 month courtships)

I just finished this book by Shannon Hale. It was so nice to pick up this book after reading the Goose Girl. After reading a good book, I miss the characters and long to know what else. So I was glad to pick up where I last left them.

I liked it but enjoyed the Goose Girl more. I loved how an ordinary girl who was bored with her ordinary life found herself to become extraordinary and fell into some amazing situations. The imagery for me wasn't as good as with Goose Girl and neither was the love story. Sorry I keep comparing it with the first book. Nevertheless, it was good and a fast read.

****Spoiler

I'm torn between Sileph and Finn. She made the right choice of course but the chemistry between Sileph and Enna was exciting, not based on true love but had potential. I was intrigued by how overprotective he was of her. I do think that Sileph loved Enna but for all the wrong reasons. He was a powerful man motivated by position, status, wealth, materialism and greed. I don't think he was a bad person just difficult and unusual. I still think it could have worked. Enna was definitely attracted to Sileph and has a special place in her heart for him but was able to see clearly finally and I am glad for her. It would be a hard thing to leave a man with the gift of people speaking, a man with power, good looks, that cared for you and made the possibility of an extraordinary future so possible.

Introspective

I wonder if I favor that relationship because for Chris and I it was that love at first sight sort of thing. Actually I don't remember the first time we met unfortunately but what I'm saying is that we weren't long time friends before we started dating and having feelings for one another. Back in the day, I much preferred having an attraction first and then becoming friends. But, I do love hearing of people getting together after having been friends for a long time. I think it's easier to have a lasting, healthy relationship that way. And don't get me wrong, I don't believe Chris and my relationship was shallow. I believe it was more inspiration than anything. I truly feel that. Especially when I look at pics of myself when we were dating.....ughhh and knowing my track record for being a friend and now knowing Chris' inability to have empathy. It was for the best we didn't know each other that well. Perhaps we are a Sileph/Enna couple and am just rooting for the underdog. I'm not saying we are materialistic and in love for all the wrong reasons but more that we are unusual and difficult people, a couple of Silephs.

Some people at BYU get a bad rap because they met, courted, and married all in under 3 months and for even doing it in a year. It's easy to tease people about it for one reason or another. But, I have a different perspective on it. I honestly feel that people get inspiration in this matter and there is no need to drag it out and better not to in certain situations. I commend people who are that in tune and make good choices. (of course not all short courtships happened for the right reasons)

One major reason why we "dragged" it out as long as we did (11 months) is that I was afraid to deal with the fact that I wanted a temple marriage and I am a convert to the church creating the dilemma of not being able to have my family with me. Talk about a rough internal battle! You have no idea how hard that was for me. I felt like I needed more time but in actuality I was afraid to face what I was going to have to do and in some ways it felt like a betrayal. I had already done the unthinkable--joined some "cult," moved far away, served a mission and continued to "grow farther apart." (It wasn't that bad because we wrote back and forth on my mission, kept in contact, and I always came home during the spring/summer semesters.) But now I was going to do this. If I would have followed Chris' idea we would have been married about 4 months earlier, making it a 7 month courtship. It turned out fine and we did the best we could and it was wonderful.

I feel it a shame when people are hesitant to get married for whatever reasons but mostly because they're trying to find the perfect person, not necessarily the perfect person for them, but literally a perfect person. There won't ever be a perfect person. Get married, struggle, grow closer together through trials, get over the imperfections, and grow up. Marriage isn't easy for many and then you have life on top of that. It can be hard. But, it's a good choice.

My parents*Us after getting married in the Salt Lake Temple*Ring Ceremony at the JSB

Movies

We rented this one. My taste in movies is.......not picky. I'm easily pleased. I really liked it but then again I'm a sucker for a romance especially for one with a twist. I loved My Best Friends Wedding, so this one was a fun treat. It wasn't great or anything just entertaining and it had a couple funny parts. Definitely not a movie for kids and I'm going to add, teenagers, because of adult content, or husbands who hate chick flicks.

We went and saw Space Chimps with the boys at the Dollar theaters. It was actually good. We all enjoyed it. The boys did great which is a good indication.

Favorite Famous People

With his recent death there has been lots of talk about Paul Newman. Seeing his picture on the cover of magazines, I decided to get acquainted with this person. Things to do this week include watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Wow look at those eyes and lips, a second close to my hot husbands. I'm a sucker for pretty eyes and lips.

Now that I mention pretty eyes and lips, Elvis Presley was a favorite person of mine when I was a kid. I probably was too young to watch his movies, but I did and often hunted for them. Grrrr, what a hottie!

I also fell in love with the Beatles way back when after watching a documentary about them. Another set of hot babes.

Some of my other favorite, famous people growing up included females as well, such as Nadia Comaneci, the gymnast, and Lynda Carter known for her famous, sexy roll, Wonder Woman.