Clarity

I want to make myself explicitly clear. Please let me know if I am not. By writing what I wrote, I wanted to settle some misleading claims about Obama. When asked if he supports abortions, he always responds by saying that he supports abortion rights. This is politician for disagreeing with the act, but not refuting a constitutional case regarding such tender subjects. That was the point. No one on this blog, apparently, has seen that...it must be my fault because it must not be clear. Caleb and Cameron, I agree that this right to privacy is a copout and a complete mockery of the judicial system. Not once was I defending this stance; my sole intention was to clear misconceptions about a candidate's ideologies. Consider it a pet peeve of mine...I am a factcheck.org fanatic now because of this blasted election (if you go there now you will see that the first 4 topics show that GOP/McCain-Palin/Anti-Obama group ads are misleading).

This is what I am targeting in my posts.

On the fight against abortion. I agree completely with the fact that we need to do everything we can to fight it. Starting with two things simultaneously: education and the definition of life. We need to educate young low income women about abstinence, contraceptives, and the opportunities available to them if they do have an unexpected pregnancy. Many young women, in addition to being poor, are alone, misguided, and terrified when they find themselves pregnant. I know that it is due mostly to irresponsibility, but we need to have some compassion at some point and just start reaching out. Also, we need to address the legislature and demand that they act against abortion. We need to define life as our belief tells us: it begins at conception. I believe that if a fetus has a chance at life, then it should be considered life. A problem brought up in Roe v. Wade was the fetuses were never counted during any census. Well, maybe that is something we need to have changed too. We need to go after the legislature because they are the ones who created the laws that the justices interpret. The President really doesn't have much to do with these laws. This is where I got into defining the President's views and thus where we hit a roadblock.

I am not voting for McCain because I think his judgement in choosing Palin over all of his other options is a red flag. It was clearly done for political purposes because in no way is she more qualified than Mitt Romney to be VP (for that matter, Mayor Meeker is more qualified to be VP, at lease he has a law degree). I find McCain's decision and explanation laughable, insulting, and embarrassing to this country.

Although I am unsettled by the fact that I am voting for a democrat this year, I truly feel it is far more beneficial across the board than supporting republicans. I also feel that this country is more than the issue of abortion. There are many things that need to be looked at, including capital punishment (which is no less murder than abortion), and thus a reason that I do not support McCain. Obama has pushed for reform and mandates on capital punishment while McCain has not, and I find it unjustifiable to condemn abortion but not the death penalty if we are being true to Christ.

McCain has not shown that he is qualified, competent, or genuine enough to lead this country. I can say with 100% certainty, though, that the game would be very different if he had chosen Romney to serve with him. By not doing so he showed that his motives are not pure. I don't agree with all of Obama's views, including abortion, but he has proved to be more Presidential, more professional, more accepted by foreign countries, more competent financially, and more detailed in his choice of VP than his opponent.

If you want to fight abortion, I will fight it with you. We do not need a President to be do so.

Sidenote: It is predicted that only one justice will be replaced on the supreme court this term, giving Obama or McCain the chance to fill only one spot. In essence, this means that the court can only get more conservative or will remain relatively the same in regards to ideologies.

Thats all. I hope this makes sense as it is quite late.

Sick and Tired

 I can't wait until this election is over.  I can't wait until I stop receiving unwanted opinions.  I'm sick of defending myself and I'm tired of being told I'm not a good Christian because of who I'm voting for.  Both candidates suck.  They are sinning, immoral, and crooked politicians.  So I'm voting for the one who will bring this country out of the hell it's in.  I'm done, don't ask me about it anymore and don't email me anymore little forwards that are trying to sway my vote.  If we can't have an open forum without yelling at each other, it's not worth it.  Screw it, I'm voting for Jimmy Carroll. (erin)

My Hubby, the hott one...on politics

ON POLITICS…by Jeremy Morin

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obama_and_infanticide.html

I am attempting to respond to what I hope will be the last political related email I receive this year. First, though, let me say that in no way do I support abortion…on any level, at any time during a pregnancy. (I suggest reading that again to be sure that you understand my view of abortion.)

Now, short of berating anyone who takes political videos posted on YouTube or any other website as completely objective and unbiased, I would like to encourage everyone to conduct their own nonpartisan research on every issue, especially those that strike our emotional chords hardest.

Currently, abortion is legal (I can’t believe I am having this conversation again). The President alone cannot change the laws of this country; in fact, the President has surprisingly little power when you look at what he can actually do without the consent of Congress. Consider this a good thing because not only does it eliminate the possibility of a dictatorship, rest assured that the President also cannot suddenly make abortion, never mind infanticide, legal. All of this assumes that Obama does support infanticide, when there is conflicting evidence, specifically in his voting record, on the issue. As a democrat, he supports abortion rights. That is, he supports a woman’s right to choose for herself, as he (and other democrats) feels it is her right to privacy that allows her this ability. This is the biggest problem with, dare I say, conservatives and abortion. It is often construed that when someone votes for abortion rights, that they agree with the act of abortion. This is not always so. Many, it can be expected, base their opinions on their interpretation of the Constitution. That is, they accept that there is a right to privacy, and under this stated Constitutional right, the opportunity to choose to abort a baby shall not be impeded upon.

(At this point, you may want to read the second sentence of this letter again.)

Moving on…
I have said from the very beginning of this, ever since John McCain was nominated to be the Republican candidate, that there are more important issues that will affect our economy and our stance/reputation on a global scale. I can’t believe that more people aren’t talking about how John McCain said that since he is not as well versed in economics as he should be, he would like to appoint someone (as VP) who is. Enter Sarah Palin. Wait, what? Didn’t he say he wanted someone who is versed in economics? Consequentially, our republican ticket consists of a 72 year old veteran, who admittedly doesn’t know all he should about economics and a 44 year old former sports reporter, who somehow became Governor, and this the best choice for our nation’s economy? Really? So we are trusting in someone whose better judgement, and that of his advisors I imagine, chose a hockey mom over a former excessively successful businessman, Mitt Romney. I’m not sure I want that judgement leading this country.

http://www.mccainfactcheck.com/facts/11/john_mccain_333426.shtml
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/bogus_claims_in_boca.html

I could go on for days about economics, qualifications, and the global consequences of being misguided, but that would bore you and it is an issue that will always have two sides.

After watching Pastor Jimmy’s video blog, the fallacies of elections hit me. We, Christians, Christ Followers, are electing a sinner on moral and economic issues to lead an immoral country in an immoral world. I don’t really need to say any more than that.

Lists

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to make lists.  To-Do Lists, Top Five Lists, etc... So, here is another, yet informative, list.  

Things I'm Proud of:

1. I am proud that I was a virgin when I was married.  I got to experience the most intimate gift from God with a man who was also a virgin.  

2.  I am proud to be a Christ follower.  

3.  I am proud that being a Christ follower dictates my actions and decisions.  This is not a burden but a freedom.

4.  I am proud that I know every word of the movie (including songs) Little Mermaid.

5.  I am proud that I have a job that I love but that I would leave it in a heart beat to be a mother.

6.  I am proud that I have friends who aren't afraid to tell me the truth.  

7.  I am proud that my parents taught me to think for myself and that even though I'm a Christian I will not vote for the Republican presidential candidate just because he's Republican.

8.  I am proud that I cry when I think about how much I love my family. 

9.  I am proud of all the useless trivia in my head, because I'll kick your ass at Trivial Pursuit.

10.  I am proud of my taste in music (thanks Dad and Mom)

11.  I am proud to be a Daddy's Girl and proud that I'm told I'm just like my mom.

12.  I am proud to be born and raised in Raleigh and would be delighted to live here the rest of my life.

13.  I am proud that at one point in my life I owned enough scrunchies to wear a different one each day without repeating (as if) for at least a month.  

14.  I am proud that I cry during a couple of songs, including but not limited to:  Butterfly Kisses, Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares, In Christ Alone, Old Rugged Cross (Gran's fav), I could go on...

15.  I am proud that I do believe in a loving God and I have blind faith in Him no matter how naive or elementary some people might think that I am.  Screw society's senical view of my childlike faith and desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

These are some silly and some serious things that I'm proud of.  I know that I'm wrong a lot, but these are things I know I'm right about and things that I will never apologize for.  

Snooze time....

Back in the Saddle Again...

Well, me and the hubs got a fancy new tricked out computer.  That's right, and it's a Mac.  Praise Jesus!  I have always been a Mac (due to the Art school education I received) but Jeremy has long had PC's.  So when Jer's loving father bought us a computer (PC) who's to say "No thanks Pop, we want a Mac."  Not this chippie I'll tell ya that.  No, instead we've enjoyed our PC and loved as our own; which in fact it was.  But, the Lord smiled upon us and lo and behold, CRASH.  Two days before Jeremy's first Grad school class, our PC broke (again, might I add).  So, happily we called the student loan suits and asked them to give us some mo' money, and they did.  We went (I skipped) to the Mac store and bought a brand new iMac with all the fixins'.  I adore it.  That's all that needs to be said.  I adore it.  But not as much as the God who blessed us with it.  Thanks Heavenly Pops for the iMac; and thank you Earthly pops for giving us our first wonderful computer.  You're both Aces in my book.  

Gonna be late...

Annoying

Well Friends, our computer pooped out on us. So until we can figure something out (ie:get a new one) I can't blog because all we have is my 6 year old MacBook. I love it, but it has no updated anything and is as slow as molasses. So, until then.....

P.S. I hate PC's. I am not a PC. I am a Mac.
P.S.S. I am happily working on Christmas cards and hope to get them printed soon!! Tune in for pictures!!

Crazy.Long Week

So this week was wacko. First ah all, there was something to "do" everynight. I have not had snuggle time with the hubs or even just sit-down-and-be time. As a result, I'm sick today. I went into work and the wave of "oh man I'm gonna puke" hit me like a mack truck. So, homeward bound and here I am after sleeping and being sick. As I was on my way home from work, my bestest college friend called me with news that her mother has passed. Her mother had a life long battle with alchohol and it won. This news made my heart break. Brooke is drained and I am sad. I wish I could sit with her and eat and chat like we did in college. I will pray for her and her family.

Good news: I got a new job, at the Y. I am now the S.W.A.Team Admininstrative Assistant. I will be a link between Sports, Wellness, and Aquatics. Assisting them in anyway I can. This includes creating fun posters, t-shirt designs, postcards, etc. I'm so excited about this new opportunity, but sad to leave Track Out.

That is all. Just a crazy week.

Just because, here is a favorite picture of mine. We were at Alex and Beth's wedding (beautiful and intimate; I felt lucky to have been invited).

Weekend Reflections & Autumn Thoughts

First and Foremost: GO PACK!!
Well, other than watching the awesome NC State vs. ECU game (I know, I went to ECU. But you can't erase a lifetime of loyalty just because I went to another school) our weekend was pretty chill. Jeremy and I had the windows open ALL weekend: Thank you Lord for the beautiful fall weather. We woke up Saturday snuggled under the covers because we were actually cold!! Halleluiah!! So we spent the morning watching Across the Universe (beautiful movie) and eating Taco Bell for lunch. It was bliss.

Upon seeing Across the Universe a thought was confirmed that I've had for about 15 years now. I grew up in the wrong decade. Now, I will NEVER speak ill of the 80's. I mean how could you? Pretty in Pink, T-Shirt Rings, neon splatter paint (everywhere), Duran Duran, the crimper, and on and on. However, I have felt for a long time that I would have fit in perfectly into the 60's/70's. I believe it was when I was a hippie for Halloween in 2nd grade. I loved the clothes that my mom resurected from her past. I was in awe of the music my dad listened to, and, once I learned all about the Vietnam War, I was a fervent protestor of our being over there. I just see myself as Lucy (Across) in a Greenwich Village apartment with 8 other free spirits and enjoying life and music and protesting the war. I must say, there are some aspects I choose not to participate in, like the over-use of drugs, but all in all I'd love it. This is just something I've always thought about and Saturday's screening just confirmed it even more...

Now, today is the first day of Autumn. My favorite season. I love Halloween, pumpkin spice candles, orange and brown, leaves falling, and college football. Tonight's supper is my tribute to fall rolling in. I'm making spaghetti squash. It's a great low carb alternative to pasta and sooo good! All you do is slice the squash lengthwise and then again in half to make quarters. Now, Jer and I are saving half of it for another night but two people could easily eat a whole squash. Scrape out the seeds and soft pulp on the inside (it smells like a pumpkin, yum). Then, rub olive oil all over the squash then sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper. Place the two quarters rind side up on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees. Once the pulp is done, scrape the pulp out with a fork (it should look like spaghetti as you're scraping it out). Add any toppings you like. Tonight we're adding sauteed red onion, tomatoes, and lemon juice. As Jeremy says, "Yum yum gimme some."

Happy Autumn Everyone....

Late Thoughts

So it's late. Well it is for me. I mean 11:00pm! That's late for me. There's a lot of things that happened this week that I wanted to share. Nothing to big or crazy. Just things. Also, I love lists, I do. So this will be in a list format.

1. I got an interview for another Admin job at the same Y I work at now, just a different atmosphere and new responsibilities.
2. There is a great "debate" going on between some people at church (including Jeremy and I) about politics (and aren't we never to speak of religion and politics in public, ah well). It's on facebook and it's brilliant! I love it!
3. I've watched a couple of things on youtube over and over and over again: bon qui qui and all her glory, all the flight of the conchords' songs, and the tina fey and amy pohler skit (palin/clinton). I literally have watched each of these like 20 times this week. It's a problem that I don't want to fix.
4. I miss my puppy more and more each day that I have to go to work.
5. I've been praying for Stephanie (NieNie) and Christian like crazy this week because of her surgeries. But he was finally able to go see her for the first time since the plane crash on Thursday. Click on the "cjane" button to the right and you can read the update by her sister Courtney. Truly beautiful.
6. I have fallen in love. This man that comes into my home everyday and cooks for me and then cleans, too. He takes my dog out and even cuts my hair. He is goregous and sometimes he kisses me, real good ones. It's weird ya know, it's like he's in love with me too. I should marry him. Oh wait, I did. Lucky gal.

Tomorrow is snuggle saturday with the man of my dreams, and the Bud.

Bedtime.

Nizzle

This is Nizzle (with Christie and Anna making faces in the background that make me laugh). She is my friend. I love her dearly. She and I love the same things like hot tea, Whole Foods, Obama, Ten Thousand Villages, hippie bags, and flea markets. Actually, this list applies to my other friends too, but more of these are me and Nizzle. She is pretty and now, she is on my blog. Dom, you're amazing.

Ode To The Bud

Dearest Foster,

Thank you for being so kind. When I was sick last week you stayed by my side and licked me occasionally to show love. You are always ready to play fetch well, unless you're watching your "stories" in which case you look at me like I've suggested a run or something. And even though you chewed up my blue suede peep toe pumps, I still love you. I love when we have snuggle time on the bed with daddy (Jeremy to me) and when you're done with us and you hop down and lay on the cool bathroom tile. You are my son because we have the same hair color and eye color. I love you Bud.

Love,

Mom

A Chronological look at Foster:

The photo that was online where I found my little Bud. He was rescued from the woods in South Carolina. This was him weeks old. Needless to say, I fell in love. And as soon as I sent these photos to Jeremy at work, his reaction was "Crap. Well I guess we're getting a dog." He was in love too.

Another one from South Carolina. So dern cute!

This is the day we brought him home. We named him Foster right here in Stacy's apartment.

This is how he used to sleep. On the shelf under the coffee table with his head hangin' off. I mean how can you not love this kid?

My Boys.

More Family...

More people I love...

Boys making quite akward faces...seriously, those are terrifying. Front to back: My love, Andrew, Taylor, Caleb, and Dan.

Girls are much prettier. Front to back: Christie, Anna (sister), Laura, Meredith. My dears.

Morgan (known this chick since birth) and Nathan (her handsome boyfriend who has a bro-mance going with my husband) with us at the Durham Bulls Game this spring for Jer's 25th birthday.

There are just so many people in our lives that we love dearly. You'll see them all on this blog once I can get a digital camera that works!! Film is expensive, although the photos are goregous.

The person I love the most however, is Jeremy Francis Morin. That's right, Francis. I love his middle name, it's so Italian, like him. Here are just a fraction of the reasons I love my husband:

1. He is goregous.

2. He waited to have sex until his wedding night. He saved that moment just for me, and I saved it just for him.

3. He always covers his eyes during boobie shots in movies, he knows I'd cover them anyway.

4. He always makes me feel beautiful, celluite and all.

5. He loves me like God loves the Church, just like he's supposed to.

6. He lets me pay him with kisses for cutting my hairs (that's right he cuts all of 'dem).

7. He likes all the same movies, music, YouTube vidoes and tv as I do. And he'll watch Bon Qui Qui over and over with me because he knows that if he didn't I WOULD CUT HIM!

8. He can make me laugh anytime of the day no matter how bad of a mood I'm in.

9. The other night before falling asleep he steam rolled me. This is not some weird sex position, it is simply that he rolled over and over me almost crushing my ribs. This annoyed The Bud so he jumped up on the bed and began licking us until we stopped.

10. He is my personal Noah Calhoun (The Notebook, as if I should even have to write that) and any other perfect romantic movie hero you can think of.

11. God sent him to me to protect and care for me, which he does non-stop everyday.

12. He makes faces like this in pictures when I think he's smiling. Jerk. Hot Jerk.

13. He laughs when I fart.

14. He talks about our children (not ready just yet) and dreams about what they'll be like with me.

15. He got this excited when we were finally married!

My two favorite photos from our blessed day.

Well folks. That's it for today. I just worked out with my trainer for the first time and I know it's going to take me at least 20 minutes to shower because my dern arms are still shaky. Thanks a lot Billie.