And to all a good night!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are enjoying the holiday spirit and cheer as much as I am. I don't know why, but Christmas feels different this year, much happier. Maybe just because I'm married, or I don't know what, but it seems more joyful; for me at least.

Just wanted to wish you all a great holiday for you and your loved ones. I hope whoever you are that you can be near those you love at this time. I will however miss my family this year since it is my very first Christmas away from home. I'm still Christmas-ing with you in my heart though.
I will miss seeing Dad document each moment with the camera and camcorder, and Mom handing us each of our stockings. I will miss seeing the kids (my nieces and nephews) as they open up their presents and help Dad hand them out. And mostly I will miss their company and smiling faces. But this is only one Christmas out of many, and I'm still very excited to share it with Ben's family!!!
I'm excited to see how the event is done outside of our family. :)

So to whoever you are, and where ever you are, remember the reason for the season. The birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. And spread some holiday cheer with whomever you encounter, even if it's that mean old lady at the store that's trying to steal the last can of yams or whatever...jk. Merry Christmas!

~Crystal

Pigs Pigs

I found this pig keychain in my pencil cup at work.
Totally made my day. :)

~Click for Cans~

My radio station, KNIX Country is on a crusade to get 1 Million cans of food to donate to the shelter here in Arizona before Thanksgiving. They only have two days left, but here's what YOU can do to help. Just enter in the following webpage. Easy huh? For each new visitor to their website someone is matching the hit with a extra can of food to donate. I think this morning they said that they were 3/4 of a million. To help out all you have to do is just go to their webpage. Thanks for helping out!

http://knixcountry.com/main.html

~Crystal

Remembrance

Of course Ben with the wedding ring that I love. I don't know how we were so lucky to find the exact one we were looking for, without knowing we were looking for it.
Then Michelle with the Native American thumb ring. You can't tell, but it has symbols on it. I got them just south of Page, AZ. So, she has one and I have one. She used to wear thumb rings growing up and I guess that kinda got me into it too.
Then Mom. Mom has a thing for Turquoise. When she was younger she had a really nice turquoise ring that her parents gave her, but lost it at some point. So, I had gotten the turquoise ring that she wears and she liked it so much that I have that one to her and got a matching one for me. Hers is more of an index finger size, while I wear the pinky ring.

And that's the remembrance for the day. Love you guys!

~Crystal

Where is your energy?

For my visiting teaching message this month I choose to use President Uchdorf's message on HOPE. I love that he choose to use that as his topic, since it seems that it is one of those that seems to get put on the back burner for a lot of us. Especially with the stress and worry that everyone seems to live with each day...What will I make for dinner? When will I have time to do my homework? I don't think I'm going to pass that class. Will I ever get married? To who? When will I have time to prepare a lesson for church? Rush, rush, frown, frown...Life can be stressful. Well, one of the girls I visit teach told me about a quote she heard that came from a blog of a woman who's family started to write her blog for her after she and her husband were severly burned in a plane crash and had to be put into a self-induced coma. Here is what it said, (I think her sister wrote it):


Hope is the anticipation that the outcome will be good.

Worry is the anticipation that the outcome will be bad.

Faith is the anticipation that whatever the outcome, it will be for our good.


Isn't that awesome! I've decided that I'm going to hang that on the wall in my home. So many times we forget that God has a hand in everything, and like Elder Wirthlin's Mother used to say "Come what may, and love it." I want to put that on the wall too. It's like there's an order to the process of the quote above. First it's worry. Something bad has, or might happen, and we worry about it instantly. Then, if we're on the right path, we stop worrying and put faith in God that no matter what, it's for our good and it's something to learn from. Then we hope for the best outcome. I just love that. What a happier way to live life.
Not to mention, if you're worrying and having negative thoughts about the bad outcomes, then you're just putting negative energy into it, but if you're hopeful then it's all good thoughts that you hope for and think about (sounds like "the secret").

So, fresh courage take, and have HOPE!

~Crystal

"Swiftly" check this out...

K, I know that was a bad joke. At least you'll think so after you read the post.
I've never been a Taylor Swift fan, I kind of like a couple of her songs, but for the most part she just seems like another stuck up, badly written lyricist, pretty little pop star. At least that's what I thought.
**In case you don't know who she is, she's a young (like 16) country star that is up and rising**
This morning there was an interview with Taylor Swift at the CMA's I didn't know who it was they were interviewing until the end of it, but this is what I heard (I've summarized some of it):

Interviewer: "So, I have an 11 year old daughter and she is such a big fan of yours. Her and all of her friends. What would you say to those young girls of say...10, 11, and 12? What is the one thing you would say, or one bit of advice you'd give them?"

Taylor: "I'd just tell them to have a quiet confidence about themselves. They don't need to go bragging to their girl friends that they're going to do this or that, or try to show off any of their talents. That you just need to have confidence in yourself and know it for yourself without telling everyone. That will take you so much farther than anything else."

Quiet Confidence. I just love that.
Our YW's lesson on Sunday was about "Loving Yourself and Others" and we all kept emphasising the fact that you should love yourself, but I didn't want them to start thinking that it was okay to get prideful or cocky, but I wasn't sure how to put it in the right terms. I think Taylor Swift (of all people) got it right. Have a quiet confidence. Now I like her so much more. Before I was trying to figure out what kind of person she was and thinking that she was just another Hannah Montana and getting way too much attention, but now I think she's all right. :)

Beliefs

The other day one of my close friends from high school sent a mass text which ended up reaching me. The text mentioned that there was going to be a rally at Temple Square and that he was going to be going, and welcomed anyone to join the cause for equality. It made me so sad to read that. He used to be LDS, and fell away from the church and now has totally different beliefs than I do. I simply replied with "I miss you." I do miss him, I miss the way things used to be. I miss that fact that life used to be so much simpler, and I regret taking it for granted. BUT I also have the most blessed life anyone could ask for, and I get to share in some of the deepest love there ever was. I have the most AMAZING husband who loves me more than I deserve, we don't just love each other but are constantly having fun together, even if we're just sitting at home. I live in a free county. I have an incredible fun, loving, and supportive family. I have great friends. I could go on and on, but that's not what this post is about. I want to write about beliefs.
As I chatted by text with my friend I realized how much we both believe in what we were each fighting for. For a moment it felt like we were on two opposite sides of a war. He's still my heavenly brother and I still love him, but I don't have to love his decisions and beliefs, and I choose not to. The whole experience made me have some sympathy for the war in Iraq. Those two groups (I have no idea how to spell their names, so I won't try and write them), they both have such firm beliefs that they have a right to that land and they are willing to fight to the death for it. Here I am on the side of another type of war and I know that I also have to fight for my beliefs.

My co-worker brought up a good point the other day. We were talking about Obama's policies and she mentioned to another co-worker that he was pro-abortion. That other co-worker said that she thought the government shouldn't get involved in those kinds of things...because you how it is when the government gets involved. At first I kind of agreed...not on the abortion issue, because I am all pro-life, but for the idea of the over-involved government. Then my other co-worker (that brought up the topic in the first place), brought up the question "Why is it so bad for the government to be involved? Isn't that why we have the government set up the way it is so that it serves the people and what we want?" So, if we all vote on it, then why shouldn't it be whichever way the majority chooses? Isn't that America?

Now, think about the Prop 8 issue. The same idea applies. If the majority voting chose Yes, then the people have spoken. People have been bringing up the issue saying that Same Sex Marriage and Traditional Marriage is not something that the government should stick their hands into. Well, guess what? It's for the people by the people, and the people have spoken.

As for the other side of the battle and their beliefs I was in tears as I read the following article about the illegal protest at the Los Angeles LDS Temple.

http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081110hate.html


This is a free country. We are free to choose our own beliefs WITHOUT persecution. Even still in the eighteen hundreds we were prosecuted for our misunderstood religion, but trying to be Christlike my ancestors turned the other cheek and kept moving west hoping to escape torture and persecution in a FREE land. I know some of you who were opposed to Prop 8 might say something like "Yes, it's a free land and we should be free to marry whoever we want." Well, this is why it went to the ballot to see what the people had to say, and the majority didn't want it. We have voted and now it's over, deal with it. There is no reason to become a hating people and destroy and persecute other's beliefs just because they are not your own. Please, let us all be Christlike and learn to live in the same world together in a peaceful situation. We don't have to become like those in the war in Iraq. I hope we all know better than that.

Can ya take it?

After our Halloween Carnival Ben and I and two of our friends in the ward all watched "Signs". It's a scary movie that I've already seen, and it ends well so that I can still sleep at night, so I thought I'd be just fine. Well, I was better than with any other scary movie, but I did make a big discovery. I'm afraid of the music. I was taking the movie just fine, and even when it got intense I knew exactly what was going to come on the screen, but with my eyes covered I knew that when I heard the music intensify that the picture in my mind of what was happening on the screen was coming true. Then I remembered something I learned at EFY (@ SUU). In one of our classes our teacher talked about how music effects (perhaps affects) us. He showed a clip from Jurassic Park, where the kids are hiding from the raptors in the kitchen. Of course the music got scary and intensified at the scary parts, and we could all feel the mood in the room had changed somewhat. Then he played the same scene but with a funny old, cheesy song. I think it was My Little Buttercup, and it was hilarious!!! Everyone was cracking up watching these raptors trying to be scary while something like, be my darling, was playing in the background. Music makes a mood, it can also help make certain thoughts. That's why we have to be careful to what we're listening to, some stuff can really get into your head.

What's funny is that after the movie was over everyone was kinda like "Yeah, I don't really like scary movies." It's just not my thing to be creeped out. Then I have that image of the alien hunched over, everytime I turn the light off. I know it's just a movie, but as I heard once, which I also believe, is that artist's have intensified (sorry I keep using that word) imagination and emotion. When it comes to sympathy or empathy it can be really very helpful, but it's also a curse. I can imagine things so clearly sometimes that I can get my mind to really think it's real and get my blood pumping. So, from now on I'm not going ot waste my time with scary movies. I like when I feel safe in the dark. ; )

~Crystal

All Hallows Eve

Ben and I decided to go Colonial this Halloween. Early American life is something he really enjoys, and I already kind of had a dress for it. Actually it's a dress that I made for a costume design class I took some years back. It's really supposed to be for French Revolution time period, but that style kind of hung around for a while, so it kinda goes.



When we got to our ward Halloween Carnival we realized that we accidentally came, not as colonial people, but as Beauty and the Beast (beast after transformation). :)

This is a pic of me, Laura, and Susan (from the office).
Laura was totally 70's (she's wearing a wig) (on the left), and Susan was totally 80's with all her own origional 80's stuff (scented swatch, double socks, tennis shoes, spin art t-shirt, etc). All three of us went out to lunch to Sweet Tomatoes (in downtown Phoenix), and we were the only ones dressed up! Plus, everyone there was like a serious business person, so we kinda got looks, but it was fun to be their entertainment. I love dressing up!!!



Hope you all had a great Halloween!

~Crystal

An American President

So, of course I'm disappointed. I would much rather have a Republican in office, but to tell you the truth I didn't really want McCain either. But still I'd rather McCain over Obama. Well, that's that. We now have new President, and since he is our President (soon), I still have respect for him. Here are things that I think are things to admire him for. He is very charismatic and that could be great for foreign affairs, he is sincere in his beliefs (maybe they're not my beliefs) but he's sincere about it. He is for helping Darfur, and has been for years before the election. And I'm sure there are many other great qualities that will help him lead the country. Congrats Obama, and good luck!

~Crystal

Twilight Madness

Oh, did I mention I'm kind of a fan of Twilight? Okay, who isn't anymore? Anyway, I'm excited for the movie, although I have to say I don't really know if I want them to make more than one. Here's the thing, if they make a second then they have to make the third 'cause the second is kinda depressing, not in a bad way it's just that they wouldn't be able to stop there. And if that continues then they will have to make all the rest of them, and I just don't think it's possible for them to make the last book, and make it good. Plus, you know the whole a-movie-is-never-as-good-as-the-book thing, well it's true. There is a certain mood and feeling I have with reading the Twilight books, and I just know that the movies can never recreate it the same as the author can. So, basically I don't want the movies to ruin my mood ;) Now, I know that Stephenie Meyers worked very closely with the director of the movie, which will make it ten times better, but still....not the same. Anyway, I'm still excited for the movie, just to see how it turns out. Who wants to come see it with me?

~Crystal

Leftovers

LOOK OUT, Dwight impersonation: "Question."

Okay, a question for the day. Ben and I are really bad at eating our leftovers lately. My work gets catering a lot for our meetings and then I usually bring home the leftovers. I'm particularlly picky about these things and I don't really like to eat it after a day or two of having it at home. Ben will usually eat it for the next few days. But the problem is that we end up with loads of gross, moldy leftovers in the fridge...yuck, then we have to take a garbage bag full to the dumpster for the cats to enjoy. Aren't we nice?
Anyway, back to my question. How long do you keep your leftovers before you become grossed out and won't eat them. Please take the poll to the left.

~Crystal

Welcome, Vilkomen, Bienvenidos, Bienvenue...

Hi everyone! I am officially transferring blogs. I have been with wordpress for some time now, but it seems that all my family are starting up their blogs here at blogspot, so I thought I'd better transfer myself! I'm excited to be linked to several people like Michelle (Sunshine) and Anika, and I'm pretty sure there's gotta be a few more cousins out there on blogspot. So here goes...
Make sure you check back for more updates from Ben and I. In the meantime please take the poll on the left side of the page, if only to satisfy my curiosity. Ben and I don't really have a "song" of our own, unless you count the infamous Saigon Kick song "Love is on the way" that we used in our video (which I happen to have posted at the bottom of this page for you amusement). So I got curious as to how many couples really have "a song", ya know? So, please add to the poll and we'll just wait and see the results!

Much love!

~Crystal Alvarez Schultz

P.S. If you want to check out the old blog at any time it will still be there, just go to http://benandcrystal.wordpress.com