Still pregnant...

so I forget to blog. Sorry :(

But I do have good news! My Mama is coming tomorrow!!!

Health Care, everyone's talk'n 'bout it!

I don't want to get too political in my blog, unless I deemed a certain topic really necessary for me to voice my opinions. But I did just send an email to my Congressman, Jeff Flake, asking him to vote against the Health Care Reform Bill, and I thought that some of you might find his response interesting. So, here it is:

Dear Crystal,

Thank you for contacting me about universal healthcare.

The rising cost of healthcare is truly a major problem. As you know, over 45 million Americans are either unable to acquire health insurance on their own or simply choose not to have coverage.

I believe that all Americans should have access to affordable healthcare, and the federal government can achieve this by making the market as open as possible and encouraging health insurance companies to offer a wide variety of plans that cover a wide variety of health conditions. The key to meaningful reform is not more government intervention, but rather to allow the free market to control costs and improve quality through choice and competition.

For those truly unable to acquire health insurance, government programs like Medicaid and welfare are available to qualifying individuals. Medicaid is ahealth insurance program jointly funded by both the states and the federal government. The United States welfare program provides assistance to qualified low-income individuals and families.

Waste, fraud, and abuse are prevalent in government programs, and we owe it to all taxpayers to ensure that only those who truly need assistance are the ones receiving it. Expanding the government's role in healthcare will not create access to affordable healthcare but, as we have seen in other countries that have nationalized their healthcare systems, will only create delays, rationing, and increased overall costs. Instead, a free market system will lower costs, encourage innovation, and empower individuals.

I believe that Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a successful example of the free market system encouraging individuals to obtain health insurance and control where their health care dollars are spent. Millions of Americans are now taking advantage of HSAs, which allow pre-tax dollars to be used for health care expenditures. I support the expansion of HSAs, so that more Americans will have the freedom to determine the direction of their health care dollars.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to do so again in the future. I also encourage you to visit my website, which may be found athttp://flake.house.gov/.

Sincerely, JEFF FLAKE Member of Congress

WYRW - thought provoking

So sorry about missing last weeks WYRW!

This and last week have been crazier than usual, since I've been training my replacement at work, which can be more tiring than just working...or that's just the pregnancy. She's great though and I know she'll do a great job! But with keeping my mind busy like that, it's hard to think of anything outside work. So, there was no "Would You Rather Wednesday" last week.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised by the votes in the last poll. I did think there would be more even votes, but I guess it's more appealing to chew on a dried piece of someone else's saliva than risk a "potty" mouth disease ;)

Well, I thought I'd throw in a quick WYR for today. Considering how much our world revolves around the computer these days (for work, keeping up with friends, email, blogging, facebook, etc.) I came up with the following poll:

Would You Rather:

a) Never be able to use the computer again.

...OR...

b) Be paralyzed

Details::: This is set in your current circumstances; no fantasy world here. So, what will it be???

Oh, and don't you love the pic? I know we all have those days...Happy Polling (top right)!

A Sunbeam's Love

I read this story in the New Era today, and just had to share it with all of you. And yes, I still get the New Era, I guess I'm just still so young at heart :)

It's truly precious, please read on.

The Visitor

Ken Merrell, “The Visitor,” New Era, May 2000, 9

When Mike visited my class, he was faced with a startling question.

When I was 18, as I was preparing to serve a mission, my bishop called me to teach the Sunbeams. I had never before learned to love others more than myself until I had served those children in such a simple assignment. With time and patience I learned how to keep those seven children in their seats and listening to a simple lesson.

One day I invited Mike* to come to church and sit in my class. Mike was my age but had stopped attending church completely by the time he was 12. We had remained friends over the years as I had served as the deacons quorum president, the teachers quorum president, and first assistant to the bishop in the priests quorum. He had been the topic of many fellowshipping discussions and was often part of my prayers as the years had passed. Once in a while Mike would accept my invitations to come to an activity. It always surprised me when he did, so I kept inviting him.

At that time, Mike had long, black hair and a beard. His complexion was dark and pleasant. I don’t remember when I invited him to my Primary class, but one day he showed up.

“Class, I would like to introduce you to my friend Mike,” is how I began my lesson. “He is visiting us today.”

Mike sat next to me in front. The children sat in a semicircle with their eyes fixed on him. They were much quieter than usual. I was about five or six minutes into the lesson when one little boy got up from his chair and walked across the room and stood directly in front of my friend. The boy paused for a moment and then climbed onto his lap. I continued with the lesson as I watched the two of them from the corner of my eye.

The boy sat looking into Mike’s face. Mike was quite uncomfortable but did not interrupt the lesson or turn the boy away. The other children watched the two of them for a few minutes.

Then one of the girls climbed off her seat and approached Mike. I was intently interested in seeing how Mike would react and did not want to instruct the two children to return to their seats. The girl stood with her hand on Mike’s knee looking into his face.

Then it happened. The boy on Mike’s lap reached up with both hands and turned Mike’s face directly to his. I stopped my lesson to see what was about to unfold.

With the innocence of a child, he said to Mike, “Are you Jesus?”

The look on Mike’s face was total surprise. It seemed, as I glanced at the children’s faces, they all had the same question on their minds.

Mike looked at me as if to say, Help, what do I say?

I stepped in. “No, this is not Jesus. This is His brother.”

Mike looked at me as if in shock.

Then without hesitation the boy in Mike’s lap reached up and wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck. “I can tell,” the boy said as he hugged Mike.

The rest of the children smiled and nodded in agreement as their simple question was answered. Mike blinked back the tears in response to the love he felt from this small Sunbeam. The lesson went on, but that day the teacher who taught the most was a three-year-old child.

Mike spent more than a year getting ready to serve a mission. It thrilled me to learn that he left for the mission field a few months before I returned. I still think of the scripture in Matthew 18:5 [Matt. 18:5]: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”

We can learn so much from children, through their example of love and innocence.

Here is the link to the story online at www.newera.lds.org. Click here to go directly to the story.

New Challenge

Today we had Stake Conference. And just about every Stake Conference our Stake President gives the Stake a challenge. The new challenge he presented today, is one I'm very excited about!

New Challenge to all the Stake:

Be out of consumer debt in 24 months.

Wow! That's amazing! Can you imagine how many lives this will change?? Imagine if this challenge was presented to ALL American's and they DID it! What a different world we would live in, that's for sure. Of course he doesn't assume that they will all do it by themselves, but there are so many resources within the church, or out of the church that can help. So, he did present those resources so that if anyone needed it, they could get help. How awesome. I'm just really excited about this, and I think it will do a world of good :D

It's that time again!

Wow, so by one vote the outcome of Would You Rather Wednesday, from last week, was that the majority would rather LIVE FOREVER! I can see the appeal. I myself voted for die tomorrow, things are just getting too crazy around here. But then again I see Angie's (I mean Sept's) point, that you could go and see the whole world and have unlimitless time to do anything you ever wanted. Then I wonder if I really would do all of that though. If I don't do it now (supposedly), would I do it with more time on my hands, or just do the same thing I'm doing now for FOREVER? I don't know? A good debate I think.

SO, for this week I thought I'd make it a little more crazy. Yeah, it's kinda gross I guess, but I really wonder which would you choose. And I know what you're thinking, but YES you have to choose, haha.

Would you rather:

a) Lick a toilet seat

b) Chew on a piece of used gum

Details: The toilet seat could be any random toilet seat (no, it's not yours right after you cleaned it). And the gum is any random piece of gum, like one off of this wall here (below) that my brother Robert seemed to enjoy ;)

And if you would, please add a comment as to why you choose which option, I'm DYING of curiosity!

Poll to the right. Thank you and happy voting!

Would you Rather...

***UPDATE: 1) I realized that religiously speaking, living forever could be like living happily in heaven or anything similar to that, so the "living forever" means: living like you are now, here on this earth as it is right now, FOR-EV-ER (name the movie). 2) If you would like to share your opinion as to why you choose what you choose, please do so under the comments of this post. Happy polling!***



I've always been into the Would You Rather Game. I like thinking of things to compare would/or wouldn't I rather do, or which would be worse. So, I've decided to have a little Would You Rather Poll spot on my blog! How exciting, I know~


This weeks Would You Rather (WYR), came to me while Ben and I were watching the movie Tuck Everlasting. Good family Disney movie, if you're looking for one. There's a lot of discussion about what's worse or better, to live forever or choose death? So, here we are with this weeks WYR:


a) Live Forever
b) Die Tomorrow


Please see the poll to the right and click on your answer. I'm excited to see the results!


P.S. - I will always vote on my own polls, in case you were wondering. :)