Post Election Funk...

I'm exhausted.

I haven't slept for the past few nights due to major anxiety surrounding the Presidential Election.

Last night, after watching the results, I tossed and turned all night.  I am in serious need of a nap right now.  I'm so very, very tired.

AND I'm in such a funk.

I attribute the funk to the fact that I was completely invested in this election.

I have been reading everything I could set my eyes on for the past 6 months.

I have talked to everyone I know about the issues I felt the strongest about.

I "tweeted" and "facebooked" oodles and oodles of information I found.

There wasn't any more I could have done.

But I still feel completely let down, and quite frankly, a bit in shock.

As Kevin and I were talking this morning, we both agreed that it's not necessarily the fact that Obama won a second term that upsets us most, (although it does upset us!) but the steep decline in moral and ethical attitudes of the American people.

Washington, Maryland, and Maine legalized same-sex marriage.  As of November 2012, six states— Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont—as well as the District of Columbia and two Native American tribes, have legalized same-sex marriage. In the November 2012 general election, voters approved ballot measures in Maine, Maryland and Washington to permit same-sex marriage in those states, but same-sex marriage will not be official until state election officials have certified the results.

Maryland and Rhode Island recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.

Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana.  Really?  Recreational use of marijuana??  I am curious if Obamacare (i.e. ME being taxed within an inch of my life) will pay for drug rehab for all the pot heads this will create?

 

Massachusetts actually voted on whether doctor assisted suicide should be legal.  Did you know it's already legal in Montana, Oregon, and Washington? 

 

Even though the Catholic church claims it is against abortion, over 50% of Catholics voted for Obama, and by voting for Obama they basically voted for Obamacare which includes funding abortions. 

 

On another note, New York has banned the sale of SODA over 16 oz. in their restaurants, street carts, and MOVIE THEATERS.  Excuse me? 

 

Did you know that in 2008, President Obama assigned a "Technology Czar" whose main function was to make sure that regulations were put in place to LIMIT THE VOLUME OF YOUR PERSONAL STEREOS, CAR SPEAKERS, IPODS, ETC????

Excuse me again??

(for a complete list you can find it here)

 

Did you know that President Obama has used his "Executive Order" 130 times during his first 4 years in office?  President George W. Bush used his 140 times in 8 years.

Factcheck.org says this:

Obama has been sidestepping Congress through his “We Can’t Wait” initiative, a series of executive actions that he claims benefit the middle class through infrastructure projects and economic policy changes.

He also skirted Senate approval in January when he appointed nominees to the National Labor Relations Board and to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The appointments were unprecedented because he made them when the Senate was technically not in recess, prompting legal challenges from conservative groups.

In June, the president halted deportations of illegal immigrants who entered the United States when they were children and met certain requirements, such as the lack of a criminal record. The change mirrored provisions of the DREAM Act — failed legislation that Obama supported and Senate Republicans blocked in 2010.

And in July, Obama changed welfare policy to allow states to modify work requirements if they test new approaches to increasing employment. Obama did not submit the policy change to Congress for review, which the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office concluded he should have done.

 

I have many friends (who happen to be teachers) who voted for Obama because they claimed that Romney didn't care about class sizes and would cut education budgets down to the quick. 

From factcheck.org:

Obama also claimed that Romney “cut education spending when you came into office.” That’s true, though it’s worth pointing out that the state faced a budget gap and the Democratic Legislature proposed cuts, too. Our colleagues at Politifact documented a similar Obama claim on this point.

 Romney actually proposed a modest increase in state (Massachusetts) K-12 spending categories and larger cuts elsewhere. The $248.7 million in education-specific cuts reflected primarily the work of the Democratic Legislature in a time of serious financial crisis that predated the governor.

He did not want to cut education spending...just wasteful education spending.

 

It concerns me, beyond measure, that the unemployment in our country is hovering around 9%...although depending on where you look, some numbers are as high as 19%.  Any way you look at it, however, it is too high.

 

I can't understand why people can't grasp the fact that if we don't MAKE anything in this country, we can't CREATE jobs.  Everything in our country revolves around the ECONOMY.  If the economy is healthy, then everything else follows. 

 

President Obama claims that manufacturing jobs have doubled since he took office.  That is not true.

Obama correctly states that manufacturing jobs have increased by more than half a million since hitting bottom, but he fails to mention that the number regained is less than half the total lost since he took office.  (factcheck.org)

The auto industry and failed bail out is also a travesty.  There are substantiated rumors that Chrysler/Jeep and looking to move their production to China.  C.H.I.N.A. 

 

Obama claimed that he was "going to war" on coal energy and oil.  He is more interested in developing "clean energy" than to use the resources we have HERE IN OUR COUNTRY.   Pennsylvania's main job provider is coal mining...

explain to me, then, why they would vote, overwhelmingly, for Obama?

 

 

  Here's what I have finally come to:

I did what I could.  I exercised my right to vote.  I love to be able to cast my ballot.  What an amazing freedom.

And through these past few days my testimony of my loving Heavenly Father has been strengthened.  My resolve to "prepare every needful thing" has been strengthened.  I know that when I live as I should, when I obey the commandments, and when I put all of my trust and faith in God I will be okay.  My family will be okay.  And God knows exactly what He's doing.
I love this quote:
"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. … If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Homemade Chinese Food

I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food...but, my family loves it so I thought I'd dust off the wok and give it a try!

Recipe:

1 bag of Chinese rice noodles

4 or 5 boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

3 or 4 carrots, cut on the diagonal

1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

4 eggs

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Sauce:

Mix together

1/8 tsp Chinese Five Spice

1/4 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup Yoshida sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce (light or low sodium is ok)

1 cup water

Directions:

Put rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm water.  Let sit 30-40 minutes. 

Add 1 tbsp oil to very hot wok, then stir fry the garlic and chicken until chicken is almost done.  Remove from wok and set aside. Add a but more oil and scramble the eggs in the hot wok.  Remove when done.

Adding a bit more oil if needed, let wok get hot and add the carrots, broccoli, peas, and mushrooms, and stir fry until slightly tender. 

Drain noodles--they should be softened. 

Add the noodles to the wok, along with the chicken and egg, and add sauce, stiring until everything is coated in the sauce.  Cook until veggies are done to your liking, and the chicken is completely cooked through.

Enjoy!

Almost Epic Fail

I love Pinterest...it's not a secret.  When I finally sit down at night, I just want to look at Pinterest and find all kinds of wonderful and new projects to try.  

 I had seen some silhouettes on canvas that I decided to try, and, well, it wasn't as easy as it looked.

I have always wanted to be the kind of blogger that goes through each step of a project with descriptive photos and witty commentary, but I have to face the music and realize that THAT is just not me, and my boring photos and boring description will have to do. 

I started with 4 (four) 16"x20" white canvases and profile photos of my boys.
 

(I don't know why this photo is on its side...???)

With black craft paint, I painted the sides of each of the canvas boards.  I don't know why I did this...I guess I just thought it would have a more "finished" look. 

I'm cracking myself up as I type that.

In the meantime, I sent the photos to Costco photo shop to have them blown up to 14"x16" prints. 

When I got them home, I carefully cut the profiles out and turned them over to paint the back side with black craft paint.

Once they had dried, I used spray adhesive (as the Pinterest site told me to do) and glued them to the canvas.

And here is where the Almost Epic Fail occurred.

They didn't stick.

At all.

Not even a little bit.

And I've got a crazy internal conflict going on because I don't want to use any more spray adhesive and I can't use Mod Podge now because it will react with the adhesive and not work as it should.  I'm thinking I will just take them out to the trash and stuff them in.

And then I thought twice about that...

So, I put them in my extra room and shut the door because things that don't work like they should just completely tick me off.

A couple of days later, (today) I had an epiphany...

I grabbed one of my favorite things in the whole world--

SPRAY PAINT!!!

I taped the silhouettes to the canvas and then started spraying. 

And for the record...I'm thrilled about how they turned out!

As it turns out, it wasn't a fail at all, but a fun new addition to my upstairs hallway.

Score!

Fantastic Week

It was a fantastic week at the Lewis house! 

On Tuesday, both sets of parents rolled into town for the festivities.  My parents drove a van down and brought my grandma's piano!!  Woo hoo!!!

I love, love, love it and am so happy it's mine!!!

Treyson qualified for Academic Night, but didn't want to participate in the ceremony.  It was Tuesday night.  I'm so proud of him for working so hard!

On Wednesday, my main man graduated from ASU with his Masters in Post Secondary and Higher Education.  It was a super day!

After graduation we went to have lunch at Firehouse Subs. 

The next couple of days were spent getting ready for Tate's big day. 

On Saturday we started the day out super early with Treyson's baseball game at 7:30 a.m.  He had another game at 1:30 p.m.  It was a big day for him.  Luckily, they won both games even though Treyson and Kevin had to leave the second game early for the baptism.

The baptism was wonderful!  I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and the blessings of the priesthood. 

 After the baptism we had a birthday party for Tate. It was so fun to have some good friends here to celebrate with us...the Richins, the Stecks, the Herreras, and our wonderful parents, and also Tate's friend, William Fife. It really was a great day!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mom and dad came down for a week, and the first project on dad's list was to build me a garden box.

I have wanted one for years, but just haven't had the time or talent to put one together.  I am lucky to have a "handy" dad, and he whipped out a garden box in no time at all.

Mom helped me decide what to plant, and then we got to work!  (I say "we" but it was mostly dad...my allergies and PNEUMONIA were making me a very miserable girl...)

I love it!!  Now let's just pray it grows!!

Thank you mom and dad!!

Money Money Money

Tater Bug has been saving his money for about 6 months now...

He was bound and determined that he was going to buy his OWN Lego set.

So, today he and I went to Toys-R-Us and Tate picked out the set he wanted.

I have to admit...it was painful for me to watch him give the cashier ALL of his money, one $20 at a time, until he reached $80. 

But, we both learned something today. 

I learned that I have to let my kids make some decisions for themselves, and let them save up their own money to get something they've wanted.

Tate learned that patience and savings will help you be able to get something you really, really want.

Love you, Bug!

Three Little Words...

The three little words...

...that have struck terror in my heart...

CAN I DRIVE??

I'm not ready for this!

Handcart Trek

Today, Tanner set out on a fabulous adventure:

Mesa Arizona Desert Ridge Stake

Youth Handcart Trek

He was so excited, and I am so excited because I know he will have a fantastic experience!

I can't wait to hear all about it when he gets home on Saturday!!

Haboob

This went through my neck of the woods last night.

Strangely Facinating

and

Spectacular

and 

Scary

at the same time. 

{pictures taken by Mark J. Rebilas / US Presswire }
Haboob: 

 strong wind associated with large sandstorms and duststorms and may be accompanied by thunderstorms. It usually lasts about three hours, is most common during the summer, and may blow from any direction. A haboob may transport huge quantities of sand or dust, which move as a dense wall that can reach a height of 900 metres (about 3,000 feet). The term haboob is taken from the Arabic word habb meaning wind.

Yummy Pasta

The other day we didn't have much in our fridge or pantry, but I did have enough ingredients to whip up this yummy pasta.  Most of my family loved it, so I thought I'd share...

1 lb raw shrimp,  peeled and de-veined

1 lg zucchini, sliced

1 lg yellow squash, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 box bow tie pasta (or any pasta of your choice) cooked al-dente

1 small white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh basil, torn or cut

Olive Oil- enough to just cover the bottom of pan

3/4 stick butter (I use margarine because of Tanner's dairy allergy)

1/2  to 1 cup white wine (you can use chicken stock if you'd rather)

In a large fry pan, coat the bottom with olive oil and melt butter.  When melted, add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.  Add garlic.  Allow to cook a minute or two in the onion/oil/butter mixture.  Watch carefully...garlic burns and when it does it tastes NASTY!!

Add in the zucchini and yellow squash and cook for 2-3 minutes--just until softened but not mushy.  Add tomatoes, shrimp, and white wine and let cook just until shrimp turn pink.  Add fresh basil and pasta, mix well, and serve.

We like to sprinkle ours with Parmesan cheese.

YUM!

Because I Never Want To Forget...

...how you pleaded with your dad to help you with your swing.

...how you tried and tried and got a little frustrated.

...how, even after all the frustration, you worked through it and started crushing the ball.
...how you want, so much, for Tanner and Ty to see that you can do it, too.

...how you smiled when it finally 'clicked'.

...how much I adore you, my sweet Treyson!
(thank you, brian, for the video!!)

Goodwill Hunting

Last Friday my beloved 22" computer monitor decided to go belly-up.  When I got over the trauma of the loss, we (my parents and I) headed out to find another one.  We checked Wal Mart and Target, but I decided I didn't want to spend $175 on a new one.  This is when my brilliant, and frugal, dad suggested looking at Goodwill.

I have to admit, until last Friday, I had never, ever, stepped foot into Goodwill. 

Don't get me wrong...I have nothing against it...and I've dropped off oodles and oodles of stuff at their donations area...I had just never been inside one.

As I stepped through the door, and caught my breath (what's with the smell, anyway?)  I headed straight for the sign that read "electronics".  And, much to my surprise, there was a monitor!  Now, it wasn't a 22" monitor, but it was a monitor--and the only one there.

I snatched it up and then actually looked at my surroundings.  I immediately eyed another treasure and snatched it up, but for the sake of Christmas surprises, I cannot reveal the treasure I found.  I will say this however...I have since priced this item and have found that I purchased it (fully functional) at a fraction of it's value.  I paid a mere $40.00 and it retails for about $350.00!!!  SCORE!!

I was on a Goodwill high...which I now attribute to the putrid smell, and couldn't wait to get home to hook up my "new" monitor.

Long story short, I took it upstairs, connected it to the computer and then went to hook up the power when the problem arose.

It didn't take a "normal" power cord.

Of course not.

It couldn't possibly have been that easy. 

Not when I'm involved.

Anyway, it looks like a great monitor, and I'm betting it works great.

And, hopefully someone will snatch it up at my garage sale in two weeks--without a power cord.

In the mean time, I checked my warranty on my dead monitor and found that it is still covered...for 2 more weeks. 

I put it in a box and sent it on its way. 

I can't wait until it comes back, revived and alive!!

And, I'm not sure I'll be heading back to Goodwill anytime soon.

Look Up

In February, my parents were here watching my kids while Kev and I went to San Diego for our anniversary. During one phone conversation with my mom she had mentioned that they wanted to take the kids to the Superstition Springs mall for dinner. She asked me to remind her of the best way to get there from my house. I told her, and then added that the boys would be able to direct them, in case they were having trouble finding it. I've taken the boys to the mall a million times. Surely they knew how to get there. When we got home from our trip, my mom and I were discussing what they had done in our absence when she said something to the effect of, "Your kids have no idea where things are down here." Come to find out, the boys were no help at all in finding the mall, or anything else for that matter.

This morning, as I was driving Tanner to school in my half-asleep stupor, I asked Tanner a question. He didn't pay any attention. He was texting. I asked it again, to which I got the same silent reply. At that moment I started to look around and notice all of the kids walking to school, and I started noticing kids sitting in the passenger seats of their parents cars. Not one kid was looking up.

Not one.

Every kid I observed had their eyes buried in their cell phones. My heart sank a little bit. I finally said to Tanner, "Your missing it."

To which he answered, "Missing what?".

"Everything", I said.

Everything.

(photo courtesy of Google Images)

On most days, I count the cell phone as a blessing. I love that I can get ahold of Tanner, or anyone else, at any time. I love that Tanner texts me during the day, just to say "hi". I love that he and his Grandma L texted back and forth yesterday for nearly 2 hours. I love that I don't have to worry when I drop him off at baseball practice, because I know that he can call me if something happens--good or bad.

But, I also can't help but worry a little bit that it's just another way that Satan uses to remove my child from the present. Another little cunning way to disconnect my child from our family. When Tanner has his phone in hand, he's definitely not "with" us. He's somewhere else, in someone else's conversation.

Ezra Taft Benson said, "In his cunning [Satan] knows where and how to strike. It is in youth when his victims are most vulnerable. … The devil uses many, many tools"

(Ezra Taft Benson, God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974], p. 247).

Satan knows exactly what he is doing. It's frightening that he uses something as innocent as a simple cell phone, computer, iPod, etc, to lead people, especially the youth, away. He uses these tools to distract them, to keep their eyes "down"and averted from the things that are most important.

In an April 1970 Conference Address, Sterling Sill said , "Satan has no power over us except as we give it to him. … God never forces us to do right, and Satan has no power to force us to do wrong."

(Sterling W. Sill, in Conference Report, Apr. 1970, pp. 29–30; or Improvement Era, June 1970, p. 45).

As a parent, it is my responsibility to help my children resist the power of Satan. It is my responsibility to do everything in my power to teach my kids to not allow Satan to use every day things to get to them. It is also my responsibility to teach them that they ultimately choose whether to let Satan have that power over them or not.

Who knows when they will be called upon to lead someone in the right direction. Without occasionally "looking up" they will have no idea which direction to point them in. Today I am going to re-commit to continually encourage my kids to "look up", because I certainly don't want them to miss anything.

I've been wanting to do it for over a year and FINALLY got around to it...

Presenting:

My 1st Blog Book

I will probably do things a little bit differently the next time, but all in all I am thrilled at how it turned out!

If you want to publish your blog into a book you can check out this site:

www.blurb.com

Math Logic

I could never understand the need for algebra. Who cares what "x" equals, or how to graph it. I liked algebra, but never thought I'd use it--at least not in the way it was intended, and let it be noted that I wasn't particularly good at it, either. I could usually come up with the right answer, but not in the "correct" method, which I got docked TONS of points for. I didn't like Mr. Dodge for that very reason.

Today I realized why we have to learn algebra...

Because eventually we'll have a 7th grader who needs help with their

ALGEBRA!!!

New Recipe

We had the most delicious pasta tonight! It's a fun variation using roasted red peppers instead of the traditional tomato sauce. You can find the recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website...Yum!!

Just a side note: I didn't roast my own peppers. I bought them all roasted, cleaned, and bottled at the grocery store. I drained the liquid off of them, then pureed them in the blender. Also, I didn't add pine nuts because I can't stand them--at all. And, I added a handful of grated Parmesan directly to the sauce as it warmed. De-lish! For Tanner I used soy creamer in place of the heavy cream the recipe called for, and omitted the cheese. He loved it!

Bedroom #2

My next project was Tanner's room. It was painted a dark green color, had an ugly ceiling fan and an ugly hole in the wall, and was in desperate need of an update. Brian came over and taught us all how to repair dry wall holes, and then I re-painted the room in a lovely color called "wicker". After adding a "sedona red" accent wall and a new ceiling fan it was done. Now I just have to decide what to do next...

Changing It Up

When I get an idea in my head I pretty much have to do it. Have to. So when I decided to redo the "playroom" I had to. Ya know? So, anyway, I got some bead board, some base board, a chair rail, and some paint. Then I borrowed some equipment necessary to cut and nail all of the said boards. Then I recruited the hubby to help me cut the bead board.And, two weeks later, this is what I came up with. Now, the gigantic "playroom" serves as a bedroom and a play room. I absolutely love to do home improvement projects, and I have to say that I'm pretty darn proud myself.

Now on to the next bedroom...

Discovered Treasure

Sara, her sister, Amy, and her sister in law, Rachel, introduced me to a delicious treasure in Mesa yesterday. It's called Pastis and it's located on Val Vista and Baseline. It's a EuroGrille and Delicatessen, and let me tell you...IT WAS YUMMY--and I'm not just talking about the co-owner, Luka. (hee hee) The food was splendid. I started my meal with a bowl of french onion soup, followed by a veggie stuffed chicken breast (with the most divine sauce on it). We finished up our meal with crepes stuffed with chocolate, nutella, fresh strawberries and bananas. If you're ready for an experience, definitely go to this restaurant. But, don't go there if you're in a hurry. We were there for probably 2 hours. Not because the service was slow...but because, like I said, it's an experience to eat there. We found out a lot about Luka--who is super cool, by the way. It turns out that he's from Serbia, but raised in France. He played football (soccer) in Europe, but then came to Arizona to play for Grand Canyon University. While doing this he earned his Masters Degree in management. He is married and has plans to open more restaurants here in Arizona. His brother, Marko, plays football (soccer) for Switzerland, and his father, Slavoljub, coaches professional football (soccer) in Russia. The restaurant has received some pretty great reviews. Check them out! And, if you want to go, call me! I'd love to go again!!!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pastis-mesa
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/609349

Copy Cat

I'm not creative. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who knows me. But, I am an o.k. copy cat. So, when a friend of mine had her birthday I decided to use my copy cat skills and try something new. As you may recall, a few weeks ago I learned to decorate cookies using Royal Icing. It's something that I really enjoyed learning, and when I do it I feel a little bit creative. So I got the idea in my head that I was going to make her a Cookie Bouquet. So, I bought a pot, some skewers, a foam ball, and some cute cookie cutters. Then I made some cookie dough and cut out the cute flower shaped cookies. Everything seemed to be going well UNTIL I tried to make the icing. What a joke. Let me just say that Royal Icing is a royal pain in the butt! I tried 3 or 4 or 20 times to get it "just right", because if it's not it just does not work. Finally I got it to a consistency that kind of worked and just went with it. When it was all said and done I think they looked pretty good...not great, but good. And, when it was all put together and tied up with a cute bow it actually looked somewhere between good and great. I think it's something that I'll keep working at.