Marriage Equality

In 1995, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”  I remember studying the doctrine shared, and feeling strongly how much my Heavenly Father loved me, and how important families were to that happiness.   At the end there is a call to do what we can to support the family.  In 1996 I was a missionary in Austria, asking people to read this proclamation.  That was one way that I could help support families.  My opportunity to get married took a lot longer than I ever anticipated.  I often wondered what I could do to strengthen families.  As I prayed about it, I would often be directed to find ways to be a better Aunt, reach out to mothers raising their children alone, be a friend, listen to those struggling, or do what I could to magnify my callings.  I am now married to a wonderful man with five children.  It's sometimes tough with the multi-faceted affects from the divorce, but even more critical that I continue to pray about what Heavenly Father would have me do to strengthen our family ties.  I still firmly believe that "marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan".  And I'm so grateful to have an eternal marriage and the blessings that come with it.

Bowling with friends

National Harbor and Mount Vernon

It's been a cold March.  But not too cold to get out and explore.  I've been to National Harbor before, but it's been a while.  It was good to get out, and just go across the river.  Of course we didn't mind just sitting out by the water.

 

James and I have a year pass to Mount Vernon, and we got one for the kids as well, knowing that there will be plenty to see and do.  We are not so sure we enjoyed the smell of the sheep, but we definitely had fun with the exploration maps, the mansion, and blacksmiths shop.  

Visiting a Lighthouse

 
 

Unfortunately Jenna was been sick this week, but we were happy to be able to take the rest of the kids to our local lighthouse.  Our big bean bag was also a favorite.

 

Fun things For February

Ward Dance
Valentine's Day
New glasses
New mini-van
New buds
New custody agreement

 

National Building Museum

For President's Day we took a tour of the National Building Museum downtown.  It's an impressive building, with large columns and a fountain in the middle.  It's always interesting to hear the history.  Did you know the building is in large measure a monument to the civil war?  We learned a lot about the architecture as well.  The outside gives the effect of how wide the building is, whereas when you go in, the columns and open space emphasize the height.  I wouldn't have picked up how each the banisters are carved differently, or ever noticed how they used black paint to compensate for how uneven the building is.  Apparently terra cotta is a very durable building material.  The two sets of railings are simply to meet current building codes.  It was a fun diversion!

Clothing Exchange

 

 Several years ago when I was in the Relief Society we had a lot of interest in clothing exchanges.  It's always fun to have an excuse to purge your closets and help others at the same time.  I organized one for the wards in our building, and it went over very well.  We were even able to help the Spanish ward in our stake with the extras.

    Plus side is that I did get a few things that would help our family.

My Birthday

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes.  I appreciate all the Facebook messages, even if I'm bad at reciprocating.  It's been nice now that James is no longer working a second job and he has more time in the evening.  I got flowers the day before my birthday.  On my birthday we went out to dinner.  On Wednesday we went swimming.  On Thursday we went to the temple.  On Friday we watched a show, and on Saturday we had a party.  So it was a whole week of things I love to do.  Thank you honey!

 
 

4 Years Old

 
What a Joy.  We decided to go with a butterfly theme, and were happy that she had so much fun with the tissue paper butterflies her siblings helped make for her.

We also had a lot of fun reading the White House response to a petition to build the death star.

This Is Not the Petition Response You're Looking For By Paul Shawcross, Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons: The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it. The Administration does not support blowing up planets. Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship? However, look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations. The Space Station has six astronauts -- American, Russian, and Canadian -- living in it right now, conducting research, learning how to live and work in space over long periods of time, routinely welcoming visiting spacecraft and repairing onboard garbage mashers, etc. We've also got two robot science labs -- one wielding a laser -- roving around Mars, looking at whether life ever existed on the Red Planet. Keep in mind, space is no longer just government-only. Private American companies, through NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO), are ferrying cargo -- and soon crew -- to space for NASA, and are pursuing human missions to the Moon this decade. Even though the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, we've got two spacecraft leaving the Solar System and we're building a probe that will fly to the exterior layers of the Sun. We are discovering hundreds of new planets in other star systems and building a much more powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that will see back to the early days of the universe. We don't have a Death Star, but we do have floating robot assistants on the Space Station, a President who knows his way around a light saber and advanced (marshmallow) cannon, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is supporting research on building Luke's arm, floating droids, and quadruped walkers. We are living in the future! Enjoy it. Or better yet, help build it by pursuing a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field. The President has held the first-ever White House science fairs and Astronomy Night on the South Lawn because he knows these domains are critical to our country's future, and to ensuring the United States continues leading the world in doing big things. If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

 

 
 
 

The day every young boy looks forward to...

Being almost as tall.  No, even TALLER than his father.