A Thanksgiving Scrapbook

Well, Thanksgiving Break is over. There isn't much to tell, I spent my time trying to relax and get my head back on straight. Life has been crazy and it has been a crazy semester. I had some fun. I went to the Forgotten Carols with my parents and it was awesome. I'd never been in person until this year, I've always made due with CDs and the DVD (which Amber got last year) But have to say it was so much better live! It was nice to share it with my parents, I love them and I don't get to share experiences like that with them that often.

Black Friday was a success again this year. I actually had a panic attack in Walmart this year, it was WORSE than ever. I have to say, I was scared about Target, we had to go there for a few things, but I have to say that experience was so much better than what we experienced at Walmart. At Target the employees were helpful and wanted to be there (or atleast it seemed like it) while at Walmart...well...you catch my drift. Thanks again Amber for my newer better camera, she sacrificed her body for me and I can't thank her enough. Let's just say I am excited to scrapbook with better picture quality. The pics in the following scrapbook pages came off my old camera and when I look at the images and compare it is night and day! SO MUCH BETTER!

Enjoy the scrapbook pages...I have more to put together, not many, but some! ENJOY!

The Diva and the Neon Drama Llama Sign...

Gather 'round children. Let me tell you a story, the story of one hard working girl and her inability to get rid of the invisible neon drama llama sign that flashes above her head...

This last week has been INSANE, and the weeks preceeding that have been even more CRAZY! Do you ever feel like even though you prefer peace and quiet that drama tends to hunt you down, tackle you, and then hold your face down in the mud? That has been me for the last three weeks, and I have to say that I have decided that I am sick of it.

I won't bore you with the details, although some of them are quite juicy. Let's just say, my best friend's boyfriend (also a friend of mine), whom she loved dearly, decided to be an idiot and I got caught in the middle, my office mate had drama with the Dean of the Department and I had to make an official statement about something that never should have involved me, and one of my best friends decided to betray me...throw on top of that an opera performance, and ear infection, a staph infection on my face, and recital preparation and what do you get? A recipe for disaster, that is what you get!

So this blog may sound kind of ranty...but I have to blow off some steam in order to do what I am about to do!

I now officially announce that the drama llama sign has short circuited! I refuse to be involved...I plan to hide away in my room watching episodes of Coupling and other movies on Netflix and contemplate the meaning of the word solitude. Really, what is the point in worrying? A friend betrayed me...I can't go back in time and change her actions or the actions of the other people involved....my office mate was in trouble with the Dean for no good reason...I made my statement and now I'm done with it...my best friend's ex-boyfriend is an idiot...aren't most men who give up the best thing that ever happened to them? I don't have the energy to deal with the drama anymore so...guess what? I refuse to. The drama llama sign is closed for business folks! There...I said it! Now...here's hoping that it sticks! Hugs and loves until next time folks...same bat time, same bat channel!

Ahhhh the power of hair extensions...

So...I chopped off my hair, and I had to find a way to get it back for the Opera Scenes program. Fortunately, I purchased some hair extensions from Amber earlier in the summer before my hair had a growth spurt and I think I managed to cope really well. It was really funny walking into rehearsal yesterday and having everyone do a double take. It was almost a collective question...
"Didn't you just cut your hair???"

To which my response was..."Hair Extensions..." as I pointed at my obviously longer hair. One of the faculty commented tonight what an awesome wig I had because it looked like real hair... I laughed and said... It is real hair, but it isn't a wig...

Teehee...all I have to say is...AHHHHH the power of hair extensions!

BEFORE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AFTER^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (granted the curls settled by performance time and it looked longer! Hooray for webcams huh?)

Extreme Makeover...Brittany Edition

Okay...so I don't have any pictures to show you. Amber's camera had all the video footage of the eight inches of hair that was lopped off of my head and it went to heaven, and unfortunately, I can't find the cable to connect my camera to my computer and my SD card that is in my camera is a mini so it won't fit into my computer without an adapter piece...so you'll all just have to believe me when I say...

MY HAIR IS FREAKING ADORABLE!

I was a very freeing experience to chop eight inches off...the stylist was more than a little nervous and made sure to give extra special attention to every angle and line of the haircut. If I can manage to find a way to post a picture, I will!

So, I guess I had to share a little bit about my experience at home for my birthday two weeks ago. You see, the extreme makeover that I had was far more than just eight inches of hair, it was kind of a new attitude.

It all started with Amber a few days before my birthday. We were on the phone talking about our woes (hers were far worse than mine, but it was so nice to be able to talk to someone who truly wanted to sympathize and empathize.) I was telling Amber that I needed a change, but I wasn't sure what to do. Amber got really quiet and said... "You need a makeover...if you come home for your birthday, I'll make sure you get one."

Those words are so funny...You need a makeover, Amber didn't realize how right she was. In spite of her ill state, Amber called around and did everything she could to make sure that if I was going to do something crazy (like say, cut off eight inches of hair) that I would have the best. Her stylist couldn't do it...my aunt couldn't do it...we were quickly running out of options, but Amber made a few more calls.

As she called, I prepared myself for the long drive home. Now, I don't want to get sad and pathetic y'all, but I have to say that since my engagement ended, that drive has been harder and harder to make. Every mile stretch between Idaho Falls and Missoula has memories for me...good memories, but it hurts still to think about them at times. I know I shouldn't waste my time thinking of what might have been...but that ride always makes it very difficult not to wonder, Marvin and I took that drive a lot together and had a lot of fun doing crazy things I never pictured myself doing EVER!

I drove in silence for most of the journey to I.F. I looked out the window and I let myself think. There has been a lot stressing me out and I felt like I was drowning and there was no one there to help pull me from the water. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to have a make over...besides being really REALLY picky about the way that I look, I found myself consumed with shoulda coulda wouldas...it was funny, because in the silence, as I was surrounded by these shoulda coulda wouldas, I remembered a story that my grandma Winberg told us....I will relate it now:

My whole young life, my grandmother and grandfather had this old grandfather clock. It was beautiful and I remember sitting up at night when we had sleepovers at their house waiting to hear the clock strike midnight and play its pretty song. Shortly after my dad died, the clock stopped working. My grandpa kept promising my grandma that he would fix it, and grandma would always give him a hard time about it. He finally had called to order the parts to fix it and was waiting for them to come in when he too was called home to his maker. Grandma siad it like this: "That clock is like life: Your grandpa should have fixed the clock, he could have fixed the clock, he would have fixed the clock, but he ran out of time...and there is no use going back and dwelling on it. Life is going to be full of shoulda coulda wouldas, you just have to choose to move forward and try to not let yourself get worked up about them." The clock became known in our family as the Shouldacouldawoulda clock. When you're thirteen, its just a pleasing little anecdote to hear, but now at 25, it make a lot more sense.

It was as I thought about this, that I realized that this makeover was more than just a lot of hair falling off of my head, it was symbolic... the hair on my head was my Shouldacouldawoulda hair. I had been growing it out so that it would be nice and long when Marvin and I got married. I had the hair planned, the dress planned, the shoes...I was holding on to it, I wasn't prepared to let go. Finally, I was ready. I was ready to let go and take a leap of faith. No more shoulda coulda wouldas, I just would move forward and do all that the Lord wanted to me do. You can't dwell on the past, that is exactly what it is...the past...it has gone by, it has passed. You can focus on the future and try to find ways to move forward, trusting that the path the Lord has placed you on is the right one.

I got home. I have to say, I drove into Idaho Falls and it seemed like all my fears and troubles melted away. I was HOME, I was going to be with my family. It was like I could finally breathe again. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I drove up the road to my parent's apartment and parked my car. I walked in and let myself melt on the couch. No one was there, and normally that would kind of make me sad, they knew I was coming, but it didn't seem to matter...I was home, I was safe, I didn't have to worry about my troubles and cares, and if I did, I knew that there would be someone to listen and help.

Mom and Parker and Shieka walked through the door. Shieka ran up and jumped into my arms. There is nothing better in this world than Shih tzu kisses. Mom hugged me and Parker did too. We took the pies out of the oven and talked for a while. Kiersten called and asked for mom and dad to bring something over, I agreed to take it. It was so nice to walk up those stairs to Kiersten's apartment and still feel like I was home. Raylee seemed a little wary of me, she hadn't seen me in a while, but as soon as she realized who I was, she was all to eager to snuggle with me and show me all of her beautiful toys. Kiersten and I then went to go pick Amber up for the big snip snip.

I have to say how much I love, adore and admire my sisters. Amber was so sick, but she perservered because she wanted to give me something to look forward to. As the three of us made our way through the mall, slowly, very slowly because Amber could barely walk, I was overcome with joy. I am so lucky to have people that love me enough that they want to be with me when I do something as minute as a haircut. We spent the day as sisters, which is something we hadn't done since we were all very young. It was one of the best days of my life I was driving around with Amber and Kiersten and laughing and joking and it was like we'd never been apart, like nothing had really changed. It was so comforting for me, because sometimes I look at my family and I feel a little left behind.

We dropped Amber off and went out to the clubhouse. My family had arranged a little impromptu birthday party for me. I talked with mom and Parker and helped arrange what I could. I went back to the apartment to make some juice for Raylee and when I was back, the joint was jumping! Amber and Kelly and their kids had arrived. Macee, Austin and Addie all ran into my arms like little football players waiting to tackle! The food wasn't quite ready yet, so I decided to go into the billiard room and play some Nine Ball. I had three munchkins follow in behind me.

As I played, I tried to explain the rules of the game to them. I have to admit, I wasn't playing very well, and finally I hit the white ball in. Macee said, "Hooray, you got one in Aunt B." I explained that it was a scratch and that it meant I had to start over. She and Austin helped me rack the balls again and I continued to play. The kids would point out the next number for me and Austin ran around the pool table chasing the white ball and blowing on it as hard as he could if it ever got close to any of the pockets. In spite of his best efforts, I scratched again. I was shocked as Macee cried out "Hooray, Hooray! Its a scratch Aunt B., Its a scratch!" Addie began to join in on her chant, I turned to them and I said, "You guys, a scratch isn't a good thing, Remember?" Macee looked up me with her big blue eyes and very matter-of-factly she stated. "Yes it is Aunt B. It means that you get a fresh start." For some reason, her words stuck with me all through the rest of the weekend and into the week.

Starting over, its a funny thing. I started the motion by getting a haircut. It dawned on me while sitting in sacrament a week later why her words had stuck with me. I needed to hit the white ball in and scratch my life. I needed to start fresh and stop letting the shoulda coulda wouldas get me down.

So that is exactly what I did. I cut my hair and all the memories that it stood for, and now I am making a major effort to focus on forgetting the past. I can't change it, I can't go back and relive it, I can learn my lessons from it. I learned that I could love someone so much that it hurts. I learned that I could give selflessly and not be tired, I learned that sometimes no matter how much you pray about something and feel right about it, that everyone is given free agency and sometimes things don't work out the way you had hoped. I also learned that God always makes sure to give us back what we give out, he will return to us what we have lost. He promises us this in the Book of Mormon. Its hard to imagine a life or a world that is more exciting and more full than the world and life I experienced while being engaged to one of the best men I have ever met, but I know that this is what God has promised me. I will have something better. I just needed to wipe the slate clean, I needed to scratch in the game of life, and forget about what might have been, and while feelings and emotions may linger, God will help you through the hard times and he will give you glimpses of the amazing things in store.

I'm now trying to focus on what the future will bring. It is going to be amazing, God has promised me that, and he never breaks his word. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. He loves all of us, even when we are begging him to end the world so that we don't have to be in pain anymore, he is laying the bricks on the next path that we are supposed to take, a path to something greater and better than we could ever imagine.


I'm not giving a guarantee that I am 100% better. I still have days where I miss my ex so much that I just want to crawl under a rock and die, but hope springs eternal, and there are days when I know that something greater is out there just around the corner. I just have to take the Lord's hand and let him lead me down the path. My problems still exist, I still have no clue what I'm doing after graduation, but I have faith that the Lord will show me where I need to be. Whether that means moving home to I.F., staying here in Missoula, or going on a mission, I'm still not sure, but I will do my best to enjoy the ride and try to take it all one day and one step at a time. God has given me many talents and abilities, he needs me to use them to serve him where ever I may be. Right now, I am working my hardest as the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society presidency and preparing an awesome Christmas program as a ward choir director. I will serve the members of my ward and the sisters especially.

One things I can say for certain, in the last year, I have learned first hand just how much I mean to my father in Heaven. At the times when I feel like he isn't there or isn't listening, I know that he is right beside me, wishing he could reach out and give me a hug, but he can't. Like the Savior in Gethsemane, sometimes we have to face parts of our trials alone. God needs to know that we are not going to forget him, he needs to know that we are not going to lose faith in him. He needs to know that we can stand on our own. Someday, we will be Gods and Goddesses, if we live faithfully to recieve that blessing, and he needs to know that we can handle such a great task on our own. Its like having the training wheels taken off of your big girl bike for a few moments, just to see if you're ready yet, but like any dad, he is always there to catch you when you fall.

God loves all of us. He is here. Our Brother, Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ stands with us as well. They wait for us to call on them for help, they wait for us to remember them. It is my humble hope that I never forget that they are there, that I never forget all that God blesses me with, that I never forget that I had an older brother who loved me enough to go through the pains of hell so that I could experience the pleasures of heaven.

So...if you're struggling. Give yourself a scratch. Hit that white ball into the corner pocket and find a way to make a fresh start. Trust that God will be there, and while the path may not be completely clear, the end goal is always in sight!

Republicrats Unite!

So...election time is soon to be upon us. I've had a lot of people asking me who I plan on voting for...the honest to goodness truth is that I am still undecided because I'm not exactly loving either candidate. With the state that the country is in right now, I kind of view it as picking the lesser of two evils.

I don't claim to be a Republican or a Democrat...being Mormon, I take the church's standpoint- I don't endorse anything political unless it is something that goes extremely against my beliefs...I guess you could call me a Republicrat....there are certain issues I agree wholeheartedly with each party about and certain issues that make me want to take one party and throw it out the window...I make it a point with every election to do my research and vote for the candidate that I feel has the best plan to lead our country- I don't allow myself to be swayed just because so and so is a Republican or a Democrat.

I also HATE smear campaigns. If I get any emails that closely resemble what could be an attempt to belittle an opponent I delete them without even reading them. I think that people should focus on the issues and the plans...not statements taken out of context or stories that have been hyperbolized so much that they have become a "tall tale."

So, in the spirit of fair and unbiased voting, I have been doing my research and I thought that I would share with you all the knowledge that I have gleaned from looking into the platforms of both presidential candidates. It is my hope that as you read this information, you won't blindly walk into a voting booth prepared to make a decision based on propaganda...it is my hope that you will be making an informed decision based on who you think has the best plan for what our country needs right now. For more information on either candidate or their platforms, I strongly suggest you take 20 minutes and peruse their websites: barackobama.com and johnmccain.com. In many cases, I just cut and pasted directly from them.(notes: once at the Obama website click on the link in the bottom right hand corner that says "continue to website" I clicked above for like 5 minutes not getting anywhere until I figured this out, once inside the website, it is very easy to navigate. I found McCain's website difficult to navigate and a bit tedious at times...good luck my little Republicrats! I'm proud of you for getting informed!)

SO....here we go- here are the big ticket issues and how each candidate says they plan to tackle them:

On the Economy:

Both candidates agree that the economy has some major fixing to do...obama's website notes that McCain says he doesn't understand the economy, but in the interest of fairness I would like to point out that he has hired people that do understand it, just like Obama did...so children lets stop fighting and see how you each plan to fix what is wrong! Both candidates want to encourage trade and making American workers more marketable to foreign employers who may want to build a factory or a company here in the states. Both candidates also want to encourage more flexibility in the workplace, allowing for parents to be more involved in the lives of their children. Obama's plan is described in more detail than McCain's but both have the same end product.

McCain: Starts immediately with the idea of helping with the soaring cost of gasoline and food. His gas plan makes me a little nervous, I'm not going to lie...he says that we are going to "tell" the overseas oil companies that our reliance on them is going to end...actions speak louder than words in my opinion. However, he does have a few actions listed to back this up- actions such as finding our own sources of oil (this would add jobs to the economy and lower prices once refineries can be built to process the oil) He also plans to increase the value of the dollar (he doesn't say how though...I thought you had to have something to back up an increase in the value of your money but I could be wrong.) He also plans to give a summer gas tax holiday, suspending the federal tax on gas from memorial to labor day, to decrease the tax on imported sugar based ethanol (ethanol is a substance mixed with gasoline to make it go further...like adding water to soup so to speak) this would lower the gas prices by making a bigger supply. He also plans to roll back the mandates on corn based ethanol, which are causing higher food prices (don't ask me how, he doesn't say...however, I'm sure his team of experts knows what they are talking about.) As far as the housing crisis is concerned, McCain doesn't believe that tax payer dollars should go to bailing out the banks who either a)took advantage of people overselling the idea of a subprime loan or b) didn't do enough credit checking to verify that people could pay the cost of such mortgages over time if the rates increased. He believes the help should go to the homeowners themselves. In the case of his help plan, people who bought a home on a subprime loan from 2005 and after and still live in the house as a primary residence will be eligible to refinance with a government HOME loan. He plans also to lower the corporate tax rate in hopes that businesses will be more willing to work here in the states, and give a tax credit of 10% to companies who work within the states.

Obama: Obama also tackles oil, food, and taxes. Under his plan, the government will enact a windfall profits tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families pay rising bills. This relief would be a down payment on the Obama-Biden long-term plan to provide middle-class families with at least $1,000 per year in permanent tax relief. Instead of looking for more oil sources, Obama plans to invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, invest in low emissions coal plants, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid. This plan also creates jobs for millions of American workers. He has several other plans that would create jobs for people in many different sectors, you can look at his website for those, but I felt that this was the biggest.
Obama also plans to create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans. Corporations get tax breaks if they send their business and factories to overseas locations, Obama plans to end those tax breaks and implement a rewards system for companies who stay in the states and who create better working conditions for their employees (i.e. retirement plans, health insurance, etc.) Obama also plans to eliminate all capital gains taxes on start-up and small businesses to encourage innovation and job creation. He also plans to increase minimum wage to help people living at or below the poverty line. With the price of food and gas being so high, many people are barely able to make ends meat. His plan will raise minimum wage to $9.45 an hour.

Healthcare:

Both: Unfortunately, McCain took this opportunity not to play nice and instead of stating all the facts about his health care plan he took it as an opportunity to smear Obama's ideas and deny Obama's accusations, which means somewhere in this wide world Obama decided to do a little smearing of his own....It really cheeses me off...can't we all just get along? Seriously, what do you have planned to fix the fact that currently more than half of Americans CAN'T AFFORD health insurance? Oh well....c'est la vie. I'll tell you what I could glean... Both candidates hope to reform Medicare by cracking down on fraud and making prescriptions more affordable.

McCain: plans to give a refundable tax credit to people who elect to have insurance through their employer of up to $2500. The families will not only decide where the tax credit should be directed for their coverage needs, (i.e. you can pick your own insurer) but any additional money left over after purchasing coverage will be controlled by the family in a portable health savings account(translation: leftover money goes to pay premiums for the next year) He is promoting Medicaid reform that encourages ending Medicaid/Medicare fraud. He also plans to promote research for chronic care conditions and reward prevention wellness (I have no clue what that means...I'm sure someone does...) McCain also plans to reduce drug costs by encouraging use of generics. McCain also plans to develop a model to help some people get over the pre-existing condition hump, meaning some pre-existing conditions will no longer stop you from being able to get health care. His olan will also make it beneficial to stay under employer coverage because you will be left with more money in your portable account.

Obama: Unlike the propoganda states, Obama is NOT going to require healthcare, but he does want to make it more affordable (atleast that is what I'm reading...) Like McCain, he plans to tackle the preexisting condition problem, but he plans to require insurance companies to cover ALL of them, opening up the idea of health coverage to millions of people. Obama also plans to Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees. He, like McCain also plans to give a need based tax credit for those who choose to buy health insurance. Obama also plans to Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees, lower costs for businesses by covering a portion of the catastrophic health costs they pay in return for lower premiums for employees, prevent insurers from overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance and invest in proven strategies to reduce preventable medical errors, he also wants to make it more difficult to sue for malpractice if, through hospital records, it can be proven that the doctors exhausted all the resources available to them to solve the problem. Obama also wants to make employer contributions more fair by requiring large employers that do not offer coverage, or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees, to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of their employees health care.(in other words, they need to give a "medical stipend" as part of a paycheck to offset the costs that the employee must deal with because they don't have access to insurance.) He would also like to establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options, as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.
He also will help seniors by lowering the costs of prescription drugs by making alternative available, such as imports from safe countries where the drugs people need are cheaper.

(Okay...so I'm not trying to sound biased, I'm still not sure who I will vote for...I am trying to give fair play to each candidate, but Obama's website has a lot more information...there isn't just the "what" he plans to do...its "how" he plans to do it and he gives background to explain his decisions...I'm just saying, I feel like I'm being a little more informed about his policies than McCain's...however, both of them still have good ideas, its just in the implementation of the ideas that I feel like I am lacking information from McCain.)

Education:

Both: Feel that everyone has equal rights to good education. Both candidates feel that the parents shoud be a big part of the decisions surrounding their child's growth and development.
Both candidates want to simplify the Higher Education tax benefits and the current method for application for financial aid. Obama wishes to make the financial aid application a check box on your tax forms that automatically will apply you for the many different forms of federal aid, and McCain wants to consolidate the programs so that you only have to apply one place for all forms of financial aid.

McCain: Wants to make choice of school, just that- a choice. No more worries about district lines, if the school won't change to meet the needs of the student then that student has the right to change schools. As far as early childhood education, McCain feels that the programs already in place are working. He wishes to make sure that their resources are devoted to the most needy children. McCain also wishes to keep working under the current ideas of No Child Left Behind. It is his hope that as the program builds, teachers will be able to use the grouped scores to show students that their individual efforts are appreciated or need to be raised. He wants to ensure that there are quality teachers available. McCain wishes to enact alternative methods of certification for people who are qualified in their field and are highly motivated to teach, current certification requirements bar many people who could be good teachers from teaching. He also wishes to give teachers that move to help underperforming schools bonuses. McCain also plans to expand online education opportunities. He also plans to reform how student loans are dispersed, making private lenders more responsible for letting the students understand the terms of the loans.

Obama: Obama wishes to create a public Early Childhood Education school, he will start first by increasing funding to programs that already exist to help parents enroll their children in preschool so that a larger section of the population would be eligible for aid. He hopes that these increases will encourage states to open public pre-schools so that EVERY student gets a head start advantage. He also plans to reform No Child Left Behind. Under the current plan, teachers are forced to teach "to the test" meaning, the creativity has left the classroom in some ways because teachers are under pressure to have their students fill in the answer bubbles correctly (I'm not going to lie, I like this idea. No Child Left Behind has irked me ever since it was enstated. It was a good idea, but I think they missed the mark when it came to delivering a finished product. Its a proven fact that some children just don't test well... I have a research paper that I did in high school to prove it, filled with resources....) Obama's reforms will make it more about the individual than the group and testing the children in ways other than a standardized test format. He also plans to give funding to underperforming schools to help them improve their programs rather than take it away and force them to slip further behind the pack because they can't afford to keep teachers. He also wants to give help to Charter schools that are performing well and find ways to close charter schools in which the children are not recieving an education equal to that of their peers (in other words he isn't going to CLOSE charter schools, he wants to help them, but if they won't change even with help he wants the children to have access to education at a better place.) In addition to his ideas for Federal Aid, he has some new ways to get funding for school. For example, students that have been serving their community in various ways for atleast a year before college (i.e. candystriper at the hospital, big brothers big sisters, etc.) will be eligible for up to $4000 in free financial aid via a tax credit. He also plans to give education benefits to those who are studying to be teachers, making sure that the people that want to become teachers remain motivated to do so and study hard.

Iraq:

Both: Both candidates agree that we can't just "cut and run."

McCain: McCain's strategy calls for much of the same tactics we are dealing with now; however, it seems like he is putting more emphasis on training Iraqi security forces to bring our boys home, and increased efforts to get rid of the Al Qaeda presence in Iraq. He also wants to encourage Iraqis to use their own money to create jobs for the vast number of unemployed people in the country in the private sector.

Obama: Obama has a plan that will have our occupation of Iraq over by 2010. He first plans to address the humanitarian crisis that we caused in entering Iraq by devoting $2 Billion to humanitarian sources for displaced Iraqi refugees and to increase stability for those who have become lost in the crowd and have been unable to find employment and take since the war began. After this, he plans on asking the Iraqis to devote their own money and resources to creating jobs in the private sector and to to building refineries of their own so that they may be able to create more jobs, stimulating their economy. Through this, they will be able to support themselves, thus drawing money back into our economy because we are no longer sending it overseas to pay for their economy. Obama also wants to increase diplomatic efforts so that Iraqis can build a government that everyone in the country can be proud of and so that the situation can be more stable. He hopes that as the pressure becomes greater on the Iraqi leaders to take responsibility for themselves and their people that as we withdraw troops, they will be able to remain strong and maintain order.

Okay....so I know that there are a ton more issues that I could cover, but this blog has already become a lot longer than I originally intended it to be. What it all boils down to is this, in many cases, the candidates agree on where something needs to be changed; however, the way they are choosing to change it is different. Voters need to make an informed decision. I call on all my fellow Republicrats to do your homework and make that informed decision when you vote. Don't listen to all the stupid propoganda (when they bash eachother, its usually something taken out of context and has been twisted so much there is maybe only 1 drop of truth left, if that...ie Palin is a CRAZY Conservative, Obama won't salute the flag, John McCain is a flipflopper, Joe Biden is...well you get the picture...) I hope this was helpful. I tried not be be biased or leave anything out (like I said, I still am sitting on the fence with this one...) However, I feel like I can make a decision when I go out on Nov. 4th to vote and that I won't feel guilty about it. Don't just choose to like a candidate because they are a republican or a democrat...choose to like them because their ideas for where our country needs to be match more closely with your own. Its okay to "break the political mold" that has been set up by your family...you may end up glad that you did... Fence sitters and people who like to stand in the middle of the political spectrum unite! Stand up for what you believe in personally and let your voice be heard!

New Movie Pick

Okay, I promise a real blog, with real issues is coming, but my life is unfortunately not as glamorous as some of you would like to believe it is...My birthday is tomorrow. I have to admit that I am not excited...its time for the big 2-5! At midnight tonight...POOF! I will officially be an old maid. Life goes on, and I plan on going home to celebrate in style with my family and some Razzleberry pie! I'll post a blog and pictures all about it. Along with the blog, I will post an episode of Extreme Makeover: Brittany Edition...let's just say I'm turning 25 and I want to look completely different...stay tuned folks!

In the meantime, here is my movie pick of the week. (Amber this one is just for you!)

This is a four part (or is it six part) BBC miniseries based off of the Elizabeth Gaskell novel. I have to say that if you enjoy the GOOD version of Pride and Prejudice (we're talking the six hour Colin Firth A&E extravaganza) then you will love love LOVE this movie! Especially because the build up to the end and the climax is so satisfying. In this movie our heroine Margaret's father mysteriously decides to uproot his family and take them away from their comfortable life in the south of England to the industrialized northern part of England. Margaret ends up meeting the brooding and handsome factory owner John Thornton and, with good reason, decides that she cannot bring herself to like him. As she adjusts, she makes friends amongst the factory workers as they struggle to unionize and get better wages for the work that they do. You will be so swept up in the drama that you won't want to stop watching it. It has all the characteristics of a classic Jane Austen story with a little more grit! As this is made for T.V., there is no rating available. It is definitely in the PG category, I don't think kids would get it anyway. If you like Jane Austen movies, you will LOVE North and South. This movie is available to watch on Netflix.com if you're a member, if not I strongly recommend you rent it. It is fantastical!

Well, go make some popcorn...and you might want to take a shower, you could be sitting there for a while to watch this one...LOL

Movie Pick of the Week

Okay...it hasn't been quite a week since my last movie pick; however, I have a temple trip to Spokane and get to leave very VERY VERY very very very early in the morning (did I mention we're leaving early...?) so I have to write the pick earlier than intended...but you all benefit from my necessity for early blogging....

And the movie pick for this week is (Drum roll please....)

Okay, so there is nothing better than a classic! This little gem is from 1937 and stars the incomparable Fred Astaire and his onscreen lover for many a show Ginger Rogers! I will warn all of you that aren't big fans of old movies that this particular flick is in black and white- but as a die hard fan of black and white movies since I was very young, I'd have to say that the story makes everything colorful!

Astaire is a ballet dancer named Pete Peters, known by the public as Petrovsky. He is unhappy ballet dancing and secretly practices tap dancing. He also has a secret crush on another dancing celebrity Linda Keene. He manages to meet her on a cruise ship but through a series of unfortunate (or fortunate) events (it depends on how you look at it...) the entire boat becomes convinced that they are married. Craziness ensues and everyone gets their happy ending in this musical romp. The music is spectacular- who doesn't love a Gershwin diddy?!

I strongly recommend it, its fun for the whole family!

Happy Movie Night!