Me Trying to Be Bloggy

So like I never wanted my blog to be just about my life. Idk, it's kind of like a protest sort of. I'm not on Facebook. It bothers me to find out important events in my friends' lives in such an impersonal way when the entire rest of the world finds out. It just seems like I should be talking to my friends on a more regular basis than that. Idk. Like I was all excited because I got a text that one of my friends had her baby and I told my mom, "hey did you hear?" and she was like, ya I saw that on Facebook a minute after birth! I was like dang. And the same happened with a friend's engagement. But I must admit, I found out about the engagement from peeking at my mom's Facebook while she had it up at her house the other day. In fact I probably still wouldn't know about it unless I had succumbed to the temptation to look at her "wall" and see what the whole world is doing while I sit in my loser cave at home. Not on Facebook.

So every now and then I like to treat all the 3 people (including my mom I hope) that read my blog with something other than Ron Paul. So here's my attempt to be bloggy.

When I read blogs there are a few recurring themes.

The first: Home Improvements. My home is what they call a "fixer-upper." And few things have been fixed up. When we bought our little home (almost 3 years ago), it had been for sale so long that all the landscaping was pretty much dead (ok, we sealed the deal by not watering much). So we had this semi-retired couple move in next door and totally re-design their home and yard into something found on the cover of Better Homes and Garden. So while relaxing on their back porch the other day, enjoying the bounteous flower beds and luscious green grass, their back wall was encumbered with the sight of our two long-dead trees. Now bored because their masterpiece of a household was complete, my sweet neighbor has been nudging us along with subtle hints that we need to clean up our dump. I completely understand that we need to keep our yard orderly, so when I get the time, I definitely don't mind a day in the sun pulling weeds. It's tricky with a little guy, but I like yardwork, so I'll do it. I just have a hard time with power tools. For instance, I couldn't start the dang weed whacker or the chainsaw. So I brought out the inner cave-woman in me, which is actually the outer cave woman if you know my style (or lack thereof), and got to digging. Side note: my husband works outside at least 60 hours a week so bless his heart the last thing he wants to do is work for hours in our yard. But I found that if I attempt something the hard way, which is the way I like to do things, right as he's coming home, he will step in just out of embarrassment I think. So I started digging out the trees in my yard, so I could eventually pull them over. I was shoveling and using an axe to chop the roots so I could get the dang thing out of our rock hard dirt (that should be grass) while Henry was secured in a lawn chair nearby laughing at me and our dog that he loves.

John gets home and says what the heck are you doing, this is going to take you forever. And to myself I was thinking, "no it's not just watch." And he came over and pulled both of the trees right out of the ground, just like that.

And that's how we get things done around here. :)

Theme 2: Cooking

I just cooked my first pot roast because I love beef. And it's my favorite Sunday dinner. I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman, so at least there's potential for it to be delicious. This is a picture of the goodness that just emerged from my oven. PW had a nicely arranged presentation in her photo, but if you know me, I don't really put a high priority on presentation. Looks can be deceiving, the important thing is quality. Anyway, I'm very proud of myself.

The only advice I have is if you're as cheap as me and don't want to turn on the A/C yet even though it's like almost 100 degrees already, don't cook a pot roast in your oven all day because my house is so hot right now. It's probably cooler outside. But oh well, I'm learning, and I really wanted pot roast. This would go really good with homemade rolls. But let's not get crazy.

Finally, Theme 3: Cute Kid Updates

Henry is allllmost crawling. He does a mean pushup instead. I think he's the cutest kid ever. So here's a picture of him almost crawling. I love this kid a lot a lot. 

Thanks for suffering through me trying to be bloggy. :)

Easter

Although the excitement of the Presidential Race has waned, and Romney has a decent lead, the nominee has not been chosen yet, and possibly will be undecided until August. So there's still a chance for Ron Paul who continues to pick up delegates left and right! I was pretty saddened by the low vote tally Ron Paul received in AZ though, so I have retreated from the frustrating world of politics for a little while. I'll probably get motivated again before the general election in November and focus on local politics unless by some miracle there is hope left for this country and Ron Paul wins the nomination. :) Anyway, with Easter this past week, I've decided to write about something much more significant than elections and much more powerful than politics.

I wondered this last week as Easter sprang upon us why we don't treat it more like Christmas. I don't mean the commercialization of something sacred, but why don't we celebrate it more? Why don't we sing Easter hymns in church the few weeks preceding this special day? Why don't we look for ways to forgive and serve and spread the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and the "Spirit of Easter?" I don't know much about Lent, but maybe Mormons should celebrate it-at least it would get us thinking about the Atonement a little in advance. Maybe it's just me that's slacking, but Easter came and went very quickly this year; I didn't even have a chance to go to the Easter Pageant! If it weren't for a subtle family experience I had, I probably would have lived through the day once again taking for granted the fact that I have a REAL personal Savior who loves me, forgives me, lived the perfect life for me, suffered, and died that I might have the chance to be closer to God and have eternal happiness. And He didn't just do that for me, He did that for every person who ever lived or will live on this earth! 

Don't tell my husband because he would sarcastically laugh if he knew, but I am working on an experience in the Personal Progress program in Young Women's (I'm a Mia Maids Advisor) in which I am to show extra kindness toward and refrain from criticizing a person in my family for 3 weeks, and I picked him (it's too easy to do that for Henry :) ). To try my very hardest, but fail to even go two days without criticizing or getting after my amazing husband humbles me so much when I think how the Savior went His whole life genuinely caring for and serving and showing kindness to people who spit upon Him and mocked Him and were terrible to Him. Without one sarcastic joke, without one bit of guile, without one ounce of disdain. How imperfect am I to not be able to show unreserved kindness to the person I love most on this Earth for like two whole days let alone 3 weeks, let alone 34 years plus eternity to every single human being!

But His sacrifice and His life give me hope that I may be forgiven and someday become more like Him. "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent (D&C 19:16);" He has paid for our sins. As imperfect I am, He bestows endless mercy if I but have faith, and repent with a sincere heart and a desire to do good and sin no more. So things that drive me crazy like dirty laundry in the middle of a clean floor, or way too many video games should not be the end of the world! That's nothing! I should forgive and love and not let it bother me, because heaven knows how many times I holler or complain or criticize for something no matter how big or how small that I keep needing to be forgiven for, and the Lord does forgive with infinite patience as long as I am sincere. 

I know He lives. I take it for granted that I have a testimony of Him, and I need to share it more often. Everytime my testimony is really renewed, I feel like telling everyone (but still struggle doing so) because we have a free gift! "Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price (2 Ne 9:50)." We can be free from guilt, anxiety, sorrow, despair, sin, worry, and confusion if we trust in the Lord and look to Him. He died for our sins, yes, but not just our sins. He suffered for our sicknesses, our sorrow, our infirmities. He knows how we feel and we can lean on Him; we are never alone!

This is not make-believe. It's not just some fairy tale, or some wish or dream. I know without a doubt that He is Risen! He accomplished the work His Father had for Him to do. He did it! He went His whole life in perfection, He suffered through the agony willingly, with love until the end. We are saved! I pray that I can stop being so petty and prideful and just love as He loved so that I may be worthy of this wondrous sacrifice. The tomb is empty. "Where oh death, is now thy sting?" The way is there. He is the Way. I can't wait to teach my boy, this precious boy who will undoubtedly face extreme adversity in these desperate times, that there is one way, and Christ is it. Have faith, come unto Him, and let Him heal you, whatever you may be experiencing. Make Him the center of your life, because we owe everything to Him. Happy Easter!

Is that not the cutest kid you ever saw in your life? I'm just sayin. Look at that smile and those big ol' ears. Just had to add that. :)

Election Day Tomorrow

The Presidential Preference Election is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 28^th. You must be a registered Republican to vote tomorrow. If you are not registered to vote, you may do so for future elections by going to www.servicearizona.com. Your polling place may be found calling 602-506-3535 or by entering your address at recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace/. If you received an early ballot, but have not yet mailed it in, you can drop it off at any polling place. The polls are open from 6AM to 7PM on Election Day. If you have any questions about elections, voting, or registration, you may call the Election Office at 602-506-3535, or contact me at 480-232-5305.

My second purpose for writing this letter is to tell you why I am supporting Texas Congressman Ron Paul as our next President, and to ask you to consider voting for him on Tuesday. Our country is in a desperate economic situation, as many of you have experienced. I believe this is the most important issue facing us today. I believe that Ron Paul is the best man to get us on the right course economically because he understands how the economy works, has a consistent 30-year record of fiscal conservatism, and he bases his decisions on Constitutional principles.

Many people don’t know this, but Ron Paul predicted the housing collapse back in 2001. He gave a speech on the House floor warning members of Congress and advising them to withdraw the endless line of credit the Federal Reserve gave to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that promoted the bad loans given, causing a false “bubble” that eventually collapsed. Obviously, they did not listen. It’s time we listened. He advocates a free market, not the corporatism we have today in which certain businesses get special treatment from the government like we saw with the bailout of the big banks, auto industry, and housing industry. As we can tell, these bailouts have not worked and have mostly profited the people who caused the collapse in the first place. Ron Paul is currently serving on the House Financial Services Committee and advocates an audit of the Federal Reserve System which controls the printing and lending of the dollar with no Congressional oversight. The recent printing of billions of dollars out of thin air by the Federal Reserve, (Quantitative Easing or Q.E.), has caused the dollar to become less valuable and therefore we have seen an increase in prices of food, gas, and other necessary goods. No other candidate has fought to restrict the Fed from devaluing the dollar like Ron Paul has, and both Romney and Gingrich supported and/or benefited from the banker bailouts (interestingly, Romney’s top three campaign contributors are employees from Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, all three of which received billions from the banker bailouts).

Ron Paul has never had to apologize for his record as a 12-term Congressman. He has never voted to raise the debt ceiling. Unfortunately, Rick Santorum has voted to raise it 5 times, perpetuating the endless spending. We wouldn’t need a balanced budget amendment if members of Congress were as principled as Paul because he has never voted for an unbalanced budget. He also has never voted to raise taxes. He is quite different from the other typical politicians in Congress which currently has a dismal 9% approval rating. He does not take part in the lucrative Congressional pension plan because he believes it is an immoral use of taxpayer dollars. He has never voted to raise his own income, and has pledged that if elected, he will accept a salary of $39,336 per year, equal to the average US worker’s earnings, instead of Obama’s $400,000 salary. What other politician would do that?? Even people who strongly disagree with him policy-wise admit that he is consistent, principled, and honest. While the other three candidates spend their time in the debates making excuses for their records and bickering about previous positions, Paul is able to discuss the real issues facing our country without wading through a mucky past. We need someone who tells the truth and does what they say they will do to lead our country, not someone who says whatever they think will get them elected. Congressman Paul has a 30-year pristine record to prove that he will get our fiscal house in order.

America is an exceptional nation with an exceptional legacy. Our Founding Fathers were brilliant men who studied history, lived through tyranny, and helped craft a divinely inspired document to ensure freedom for their posterity. In these perilous times, the Constitution is our greatest protection. The only candidate who has consistently stood up for the Constitution and our American traditions even before it was “cool” (with the rise of the Tea Party), is Ron Paul. He believes in protecting life, liberty, and your pursuit of happiness, not controlling these things. He stands up against legislation that “sounds good” like the USA PATRIOT Act, but has hidden abuses of power, like the ability of the federal government to search your bank account records without a warrant. He believes in defending our country against enemies, and that we should only go to war when the Congress declares war, as the Constitution prescribes. The troops support this position; Ron Paul’s top contributors are the US Navy, the US Army, and the US Air Force, and he receives five times more donations from active duty military than all other candidates combined. He also is the only veteran running for president. Paul believes that we can greatly improve the state of our nation by cutting those things which are unconstitutional, and putting that money towards things the federal government is supposed to do, like protect the border and defend our country.

I urge you to learn more about Ron Paul, because I have not listed everything about him that I could have (by the way, he is a doctor, and practiced OB/GYN for many years, and yes, he is pro-life). Many resources are available online via Youtube or Google that you can use to find out more about him and his message. I also have literature available you are welcome to have. Even if you have already voted for someone else with an early ballot, please listen to the things he says about the role of government. If you have not yet voted, please consider doing so on Tuesday. Ron Paul is currently in second place in the delegate count; the candidate with the majority of delegates becomes the Republican nominee, so he has a real shot at winning the nomination, and he is the only one who could garner enough support from Independents and Democrats to beat Obama. America would be in a lot better shape if more principled men and women were elected; please don’t cast your vote for the lesser of two evils. If you are registered, but don’t plan on voting, I would ask you to consider voting for Ron Paul. He cured my apathy towards politics because unlike other politicians, he’s been saying and doing the things I have believed in and have been taught my whole life. Thank you for your time.

Pretty Cool Song & Debate Tomorrow!

There have been a lot of pretty interesting songs come out about the Ron Paul/Liberty Movement. Such as this and this. But I found a new song today that I think is really genuinely good. Check it out.



Also, don't forget! The CNN Republican Presidential Debate is tomorrow (2/22) at the Mesa Arts Center! How cool is that!? I will be down there probably for a good majority of the day, but the debate starts at 6PM. Come down to the Arts Center to be in the action and watch on the big screen (tickets are $200 bucks a pop and probably sold out). I'm contemplating setting up a LDS for Ron Paul booth outside, but not for sure. You can be sure to be able to learn lots about Paul there; many of his supporters will be there with brochures, ready to answer any of your questions. To get involved, visit www.meetup.com/ronpaulphoenix. Exciting, huh!

Good Times

It's been a little while since I've posted, and that's because instead of sitting on my butt in my house writing about things I really believe in to an audience of maybe 2 or 3 people, I've decided to get out and do something about it. A while back I joined a Ron Paul Meetup Group so I could get walk the walk instead of just talk the talk but just haven't gone out for one reason or another. Well a couple weeks ago I went to my first Meetup - to voice my concerns about the NDAA 2012.

Last week I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performance at the US Airways Center to hand out brochures about Ron Paul in hopes that the attendees would learn a little bit about him (from something other than Fox News sound bites) before defaulting to Romney. I saw a few friends who I think were surprised to see me handing out the literature, but I think their eyes were opened. :) It was fun! I hope they went home and looked him up on youtube and fell in love with his message of freedom because it's what they have believed in all their lives but just never had a candidate that represented that viewpoint. Last night, a bunch of us went to the Mitt Romney rally at the Mesa Amphitheater to show our support for Ron Paul peacefully and positively. We got a lot of love from people driving by, and again I ran into a bunch of people I knew who hopefully say, "Woah wait, Savanna supports him enough to come and wave signs? She's not a pot-smoking, radical liberal! Maybe there is something that the media isn't telling us about him. I think I'll look him up at ronpaul2012.com or on youtube!" Maybe they would have seen that other Latter-day Saints, conservatives, and people that aren't just young, naive followers also support Ron Paul. Even if they didn't, we had a blast trying to convince them.

I don't really expect for Ron Paul to win the AZ Primary come February 28th. We didn't get the word out soon enough and wide enough. We're probably not ready for a Ron Paul, though it would do us some good. But please, look into his message. The more we strive for freedom, liberty, and respect, the better off we will be. If you like what you learn, please spread the message. Show your support by voting for him so other people will take notice and look him up. He's not the only candidate that talks about following the Constitution anymore, but he is the only candidate that really does and has a record to prove it. 

Did you Know?

Ron Paul is pro-life! In fact, he spent much of his life as an OB/GYN and delivered over 4,000 babies! When working with a pregnant woman, he realized he had two patients, and feels that we should fight to protect all human life! The following is a story from someone he helped as a doctor back in the 70s.

Last Day!

Don't forget - today is the last day to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in the next election! Make sure you're registered Republican (see why here) and that if you moved, got married (changed your name), or had any other of those such changes, that you have updated your registration so that you can confirm your ID with your driver's license at your polling place when you go to vote on February 28th! You can make all of these changes at servicearizona.com. It is pretty easy. I like to sign up for the early ballot so I can have a couple weeks or so to peruse my choices - I usually just drop my early ballot off at a polling place anyway because it's more exciting that way and I get a "I Voted Today" sticker. :)

Don't forget! You have until midnight to make sure you're all squared away to vote for the best candidate we've had since like Thomas Jefferson!