Work Smart AND Hard

I read such a good article today- I just have to share it with you. It is called 'How many are following the worst advice in the world' by Mark Rowe. In the article he talks about how our society is constantly selling the idea of higher education, and he explains that in doing so, we have come to the belief that one size fits all. But when has that ever been the case with anything? Nothing in this world is one size fits all because every person is different, and education is no exception. His idea is that we need to stop selling higher education and start selling a strong work ethic. Too many people these days are in debt from school and when they graduate they can't even find jobs that they were trained for. I myself know several people who have graduated from a major university but are not working in their studied fields because there were no jobs available for them. Just because you get a degree doesn't necessarily guarantee you a job, but that is the mindset that we have come to know.

Also, the whole selling education idea, has come to make people without degrees feel worthless or like they are second class citizens. Because if you don't have a degree, you must be stupid right? But the thing is is that we all have different talents. That's why society works so well. We can't all be doctors and lawyers. Who would fix our cars for us or grow our food for us? There HAS to be "blue collar" workers for everything to balance out.

I guess this article hit kind of close to home. I myself had to take out student loans to pay for college but ended up never finishing school. So I am in debt without a degree. I have referred to myself as a "dropout" before which honestly sounds like a "stupid person" term, but I do not consider myself as stupid. I am smart in my own ways, college just wasn't for me. If I could just take English classes than I would be back in a heartbeat, but math and science kick my butt. I hate taking those classes and I REALLY hate paying thousands of dollars to take subjects that I loathe completely. It wasn't worth it for me. I have never excelled in the scholarly world, even back in high school. But there are times when I feel like a big fat failure because I never got my bachelors degree. Mark Rowe's article definitely made me feel better about that.

I think this is a must read. Especially for teachers and parents. I think we should stop selling education and start selling a strong honest work ethic and gaining skills that are actually marketable. We need to teach our children that if they don't go to college, that it is okay, as long as they are working hard and doing the very best that they can. College is great. It really is. But it is not meant for everyone and we need to change our mindset that it is the ONLY path to success.

You can read the full article here (and please do, it's a good one).

This is Me

Yup. Pretty much.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Wright's Christmas Pajamas

Ogden lights with the Palmers

Leland and Daddy at the lights

We love lights!

Ogden lights

First time seeing Christmas lights. He was mesmerized. 

The Paulsen Family Christmas party

Aunt Leslie gave these two the cutest hats for Christmas

Soooo Spoiled!

Grandpa and Grandma Wright bought him his first sled

He would rather eat the wrapping paper than play with his new toys

Cute Christmas Cousins

LOVE these two!

All tuckered out after a long day of fun

My cute Tenley girl

I just love this picture. I  think it's priceless. 

Our Family Christmas Card

My families Christmas card. Duck the Halls!

 Hope you all had a merry December! Our Christmas was so good. We got to see tons of family, had a lot of fun, and were super spoiled this year. Have a happy new year!

My Statement about Phil Robertson and Gay Rights

Thanks to Phil Robertson the issue of gay rights has once again spread itself all over the media and social networks. Phil’s name seems to be on everyone’s lips these days with everyone debating back and forth. In this blog post I would like to share my thoughts on the world’s reaction to Phil’s interview and to also, finally, share my belief about gay rights.

First I would like to state that Phil’s suspension is completely ridiculous. I do not believe that this is a gay rights issue whatsoever, but a freedom of speech one. It is completely unfair that someone asked what Phil’s personal beliefs are on an issue, and then attack him for his answer. If you don’t want to hear his truthful answer, don’t ask him the question in the first place. Secondly, the show Duck Dynasty is a reality TV show, which means it explores the beliefs and lifestyle of the Robertson family. They should not have to adjust their beliefs or lie to the media about them to appease the world. I for one am disappointed in the A&E network for not standing behind Phil and his right to express himself freely. And thirdly, Phil was not trying to force his beliefs on anyone. He was asked a question and he answered it honestly. He did not attack the LGBT community- he just stated his opinion. Phil Robertson said, "I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior," he said. "My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together."However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other."

Phil stated that he would never treat anyone with disrespect because they are different from him. Doesn’t he deserve the same treatment in return? Doesn’t he have a right to believe what he wants? Because I sure as heck think so.

Next I would like to tell you what I believe about gay marriage, but to do so, I need to tell you a little about my religion and what we believe. You see, I believe that before we came to this Earth we all lived together in a pre-mortal life. While we were there, there was a great debate about how this world should be run. Two plans were presented to our Heavenly Father, one by Jesus Christ and the other by Satan. Satan wanted us to come to Earth and be forced to choose the right. Sin would not exist and so all of us would be saved. Jesus Christ’s plan was completely different. We would come to Earth and we could either choose to follow good or evil. Heavenly Father didn’t choose what plan He liked best, instead, He let His children choose for themselves. 1/3 of the people decided to follow Satan, the others decided to follow Jesus Christ. Majority ruled and Jesus Christ’s plan is how we run things on this Earth today. We had the right to choose for ourselves, clear back from the time when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden when they had to choose to eat the forbidden fruit.

You may now be asking yourself what that story has to do with gay rights, am I right? Well folks, here it is. It is a little something that I like to call AGENCY. We have the God given right to choose for ourselves what we do with our lives and what we believe in. This includes choosing who we love and who we marry. Now, God may have the right to tell someone who they can love and marry, but I myself, being an insignificant human being, do not. I may believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, ordained of God, but I would NEVER force that belief on anyone else, or think less of them for believing differently than I do. I would NEVER bully, harass, or judge someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. And I for one think that there is too much of that going around these days. I do believe in the commandment to love one another and I do believe, no, I KNOW that God loves EVERY SINGLE ONE of his children. The suicide rate among LGBT teenagers is shocking. It breaks my heart. It needs to stop. It is something that I feel very strongly about. So to sum things up: I am a Mormon. I believe in the Family, a Proclamation to the World. I believe that the LGBT community should be allowed to love and marry whoever they want to. I believe that the bullying needs to stop. And I KNOW that God loves you no matter what you believe.

Fav

This is my favorite Christmas song ever. I can listen to it over and over again. Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

Crash!

Tuesday night as I was leaving work I got a text from Justin telling me to drive safe cause the roads were really bad. He wasn't kidding.  The whole way home I was driving at least ten under the speed limit- which is a big deal for me and should give you a clue as to just how bad the roads were. I was driving on 600 West and was just coming to the curve in the road by the furniture warehouse when a van coming in the opposite direction hit ice and plowed right into the drivers side of my car. It happened so fast that I didn't have time to think about swerving at all. Later the cop told me it was a good thing that I didn't swerve cause if I had I probably would have ended up wrapped around a telephone pole. So anyway, I had never been in a serious car accident before so I called up Justin and asked him to come be with me. My hands were shaking so badly I knew my body was going through shock. We called the cops but they said there had been 20 accidents already that night so they would get to us when they could. I could tell my back, neck, and shoulders were stiff and sore but other than that I felt fine. The cop came and took pictures and our statements and then we were free to go.

The next morning I woke up with a splitting headache. The whole left side of my temple felt bruised. That morning we went to the Allstate, the mechanic, and the car rental place, and my head just kept getting worse the entire time. It was time to go to the emergency room. They scanned my head and determined that I had gotten a concussion during the accident. I don't even remember hitting my head but the doctor told me that my adrenaline after the crash had probably covered my head pain and that's why I didn't feel it until the next morning.  He gave me three different prescriptions but told me that the best medicine for a concussion was time. I've had to call in sick to work every day this week and have pretty much been a walking zombie. On Wednesday I went to bed at 5 pm and did not wake up until 8 am the next morning. It had been a long, sucky week and I am more than ready for this pounding headache, dizziness, and loopyness to go away. I had no idea concussions hurt this bad and for this long. Maybe I am just a big bawl baby but....... Ouch! 

Flor-i-daaaa!

This year my parents celebrated their 30'th anniversary and to celebrate the occasion they flew the entire family to Florida over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Wednesday was a long traveling day but Leland did great on both flights there and I was one relieved momma!

Thursday morning everyone was tired and just kind of chilled out. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the restaurant in the resort which was actually pretty good and had all the usual turkey dinner fixings. After dinner Justin and I went to Ron Jon's and spent a good chunk of money. I freaking love that store! Some of our purchases included new swim trunks for Justin, flip flops for me, bathroom decor, and much much more. 

Friday morning we woke up early, went to breakfast, and headed to Animal Kingdom in Disney World. Holy Moley is that a freaking awesome place! If you have never been there you need to put it on your bucket list! You can't miss the Lion King show, the roller coaster, or the gorilla walk. But my all time favorite was the Safari ride. It was like a legit Safari ride!! NONE of the animals are in cages so you are actually riding a jeep through a wildlife preserve. We saw giraffes, zebras, lions, elephants, a wild boar, hippos, rhinos, antelope, and so much more! And the animals were less than twenty feet away from you. All of the drivers have radios communicating with one another and a jeep ahead of us got on the radio to tell us that some antelope were in the road blocking the way. We had to stop until we got the all clear and we fortunately got stopped by a mom and baby rhino. The baby started approaching the jeep and the driver told us that the baby was very curious and was coming to check us out. He got so close to the jeep that my little sister could have literally reached her hand out and touched him. It was surreal. These are wild animals and yet we got so close to them! It was by far the best part of the trip for me!  

On Saturday we woke up and hit the pool. Ron Jon Resort has a pretty cool set up complete with pool, hot tub, water slide, and lazy river. After a few hours there Justin and I decided to go to the movies cause it had started to rain. We went to Catching Fire.... Whew! It was awesome!! After the movie we picked up Zach and Cassie and headed to City Walk at Universal Studios. We ate at the famous Bubba Gumps restaurant and the walked around all the shops and watched the street performers. 

Sunday I went to the Magic Kingdom with my two sisters. They have a new Little Mermaid ride which was a lot of fun and a whole area dedicated to Beauty and the Beast. We ate lunch in Belles ballroom and it was so amazing. After you order your food they hand you a rose and you go pick your seat. The rose has a tracking device in it so that the waiters can find you to bring you your food. How cool is that?! We rode all of our favorite rides and luckily didn't have to wait in line for very long on any of them. Just as it was getting dark my mom met up with us and we watched the show before they turned on the Christmas lights on Cinderellas castle. After that they made it snow on Main Street, which was actually soap bubbles. It was all so magical and the perfect end to a great Disney day. 

On Monday we didn't have oodles of time before we had to be to the airport so we spent our last moments in Florida at the beach. My Aunt Carol and cousin Mallory met up with us and my other cousin Carlie made it to lunch with us before we had to leave. The flight home was a direct flight this time and unfortunately Leland didn't do as good as the first time. It was a long flight and by the end of the day we were happy to be home and sleeping in our own beds. 

Four Months

On November 27'th my little man turned four months old. It is amazing to me how much a baby can learn and grow in just four months. Here is a little update on what Leland has been up to lately:

• He now grabs his toes while lying on his back. 
• He usually sleeps 9+ hours every night, but of course there is a random rough night where he wants nothing to do with sleep.
• Leland loves blowing spit bubbles. 
• His favorite toy is a monkey we call Mr. Crinckles
• This month he has been on three planes, been to Disney World, and seen the Atlantic Ocean
• He laughs hardest when you play peek a boo with him
• Leland loves kisses on his very kissable cheeks
• He has the most to say in the mornings when he wakes up
• He still loves his swing but we no longer need it to get him to sleep- he is now a full time crib baby
• When he is over tired he throws a temper tantrum. He screams so hard his face turns red. The only way to settle him down is to rock him and hold him tight. Eventually he will do 'squishy face' which is when he burrows his face into your chest. At that time you can get the binky in and he'll eventually fall asleep.
• Leland's walker is shaped like a car. He can only push himself backwards so far but has recently learned to push the buttons. His dad was so proud. 
• At his four month check up Leland weighed 16.10 pounds and was 25 inches long. He is in the 87 and 88 percentile for weight and height. 

A Working Momma

When I was going to college I always felt like I was preparing for a future that I didn’t want. A career was always my back up plan to being a stay at home mom. I felt like the only reason I was getting an education was for the ‘what if?’ in life. For example, what if my husband dies, leaves me, has a terrible accident (etc. etc. etc.) and I have to be the provider for our family? It was a dreary reason to be going to school to say the least. I didn’t want to work. I wanted to be home with my babies and that was that. Of course, I was saying this while working all of my crappy retail jobs. You know, the kind of jobs that are so miserable from day to day that they almost force you into college so that you don’t end up working there forever. Those were the days when going to work was a drag… each and every single day. I hated my coworkers, my hours, the job itself, the pay. Pretty much everything about it was barely tolerable. And then, miracle of all miracles, I got a job as a librarian. My dream job. A job where I look forward to going to work every single day. A job where I actually begin to miss my coworkers over the weekend. A job where I love what I do and feel good about doing it. It may sound cheesy or cliché or whatever, but there are days where I feel like I actually put a little good out into the world by doing what I do. It’s those times when I help a teenager who doesn’t really like to read find their new favorite book. When I help kindergartners find the books that they can learn to read in. The days when I get into book discussions with a patron and we share our recommendations with one another. These are the days that I cherish. The days that make my job worthwhile. My job gives me a sense of accomplishment. It is my reason to get up in the morning and get ready for the day. But have I worried about the affects my working would have on my son? Of course! Sometimes I worry that he won’t develop as fast as he needs to because I am not there everyday to teach him the new things that he needs to learn. Sometimes I worry that he will notice my absence and it will affect him negatively.  Let’s face it, being a mother is a big fat worry fest all of the freaking time. But there is not much I can do about it anywho. We simply do not have the means for me to stay at home. I may not contribute much to the family income, but it is enough to help put food on the table and pay the bills. But what if we could afford for me to stay at home? Would I want to? Would I make a huge sacrifice and quit my dream job for my children? The answer... probably not. Does that sound selfish? It probably does to some people out there. But let me explain. My entire life I have battled serious bouts of depression. I honestly worry that if I were a full time mom I would slip back into that depression very easily. I can imagine myself staying in my pj’s all day long, not showering, not putting on make up, and not doing my hair. That’s depressing. Plus I would most likely stay at home all day long. That’s depressing too. I wouldn’t get much girl talk like I do everyday with my coworkers, and a girl’s gotta vent yo! It would just be no bueno. Bottom line, my job keeps me sane. Capeesh?

So where is this all coming from? Well I read this article that I found on Facebook today, and I loved it. It made me feel good about my choice to work. But I definitely agree whole heartedly that Americans need to have a better maternity leave for woman. Most jobs, mine included, offer six weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Six weeks for you to heal from the trauma of giving birth, six weeks to bond with your baby, and six weeks to try to get that baby on a sleeping schedule so that you are not a zombie when you have to go back to work. Um… that’s not enough time! Health wise six weeks may be long enough for your body to recover from birth if everything goes smoothly. But what if it doesn’t? What if you have to have a C-section? That’s major surgery!  And what if there are other major complications? OR, what if something is wrong with your baby and they have to be in the NICU for an extended period of time? You don’t want to be worrying about your job at a time like that, but a lot of moms have to and I’m sure a lot of women have lost their jobs because of it. It’s a messed up system and one that I hope changes very soon. Women need time to heal. They need time to bond with their kiddo and reconnect with their husbands. And most importantly they need time to SLEEP! Going to a full day of work is not exactly a picnic when you have been awake all night with a screaming baby, trust me, I know!

Well, I think that sums it up for this soapbox rant. If there is ever a politician who will fight for a better maternity leave for women you can bet they will have my vote!

THE END.

Quasimodo Syndrome

Sunday night as I was brushing my teeth I went to rinse my mouth out and could not hold the water in my mouth. You know the movie ‘Just Go With It’? Well, I kind of looked like the guy with all the botox at the party who tries to take a drink and it just spills down his chin.  So then I tried to smile and only the right side of my mouth moved. It was honestly the weirdest sensation ever. I went to tell Justin about my dilemma and he had no idea what was going on either. So I jumped on Google and everything I pulled up mentioned a stroke. I honestly didn’t think I was having a stroke but in the moment you kind of start freaking out. So we called my mother in law to come watch Leland and we headed to the emergency room.  We luckily didn’t have to wait very long for the doctor to come in, but as he was checking me out I realized that I could no longer move my eyebrow or close my eye all the way. So within less than an hour it had already gotten worse. Because it was only in my face and not the rest of my body the doctor quickly ruled out a stroke and diagnosed it as Bells Palsey. I had never heard of it before but he told me it was very common, especially in woman, and especially in woman who just gave birth. The doctor told me they have no idea what causes it but they think it is viral. He prescribed a steroid to help settle my face nerves down and told me that I need to tape my eye shut at night and put artificial tear drops in my eye during the day. It really isn’t anything serious but the super sucky part about it is that it could last anywhere from three weeks to three months.  Sometimes my eye feels scratchy because it dries out so quickly, I can’t  blink with it, but other than that there isn’t any pain. Mostly the worst thing about it is how embarrassing it is. You know, I never really considered myself a vain person, but after this week I realized that I am a lot more vain than I thought. I didn’t realize how much looks mattered to me until I lost mine. Half my face is droopy, I look like a freak when I smile, and I am only closing one eye when I blink. Basically I look like Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and no, that is NOT an exaggeration. I wish I didn’t care about my looks so much, I kind of feel disappointed in myself actually. Does that sound weird? But it made me realize that if I was ever unfortunate enough to get a third degree burn and have to get skin grafts, or get cancer and lose my hair, it would be really hard for me to go out in public. Like really hard. Why do I care so much? I have a new found respect for the people who have to go through that. They are so brave to face this critical world. I know it really isn’t that big of a deal, but as I was getting ready for work on Tuesday and I was looking at myself in the mirror, I honestly did not want to go to work and have people see me looking so terrible. I think this is a good learning experience for me. Maybe it will help out my vanity a little. Maybe it will help me stop judging others on their appearance. And maybe it will help me be a little bit more compassionate towards others. Maybe, just maybe, I can turn this negative into a positive. That’s my goal anyway. And in the meantime, here’s to hoping it goes away quickly. But if not, at least I have a good Halloween costume this year. ;)

Two Years Down, an Eternity to Go!

October 6'th marked our two year anniversary, can I get a woot woot! These last two years have been years filled with complete and utter happiness, joy beyond belief, and so many miracles I couldn't even begin to count them. But of course we have had our ups and very low downs, just like anybody else, cause that's life. For example, Leland has brought so much joy into our lives, but at the same time, having a baby can be super hard on your marriage yo! So what does that mean for us?....WEEKEND GET-A-WAY! Holla!

I took Friday off of work so that we could have the entire weekend with each other. We packed up, dropped Leland off at Grandma Wright's house (so much harder than I thought it was going to be by the way), and then headed to good old Salt Lake City for our staycation as my coworker calls it. First we went to City Creek where we shopped our little bums off. And I guess I had Leland on the brain cause most of the stuff we bought was for him. We did buy our niece her Christmas present, my father in law a birthday present, and my dad a Christmas present, so most of the shopping wasn't for us. I am such a weird girl, but I honestly HATE shopping for myself! Shopping for other people is way more fun, especially your own kid! I did manage to get some new clothes, start my Halloween book collection, and get a DVD that I wanted though. One of my favorite moments at City Creek was when we bought some chocolate and watched the fountains and people watched. It was a good time. After our City Creek exploits were through we headed to our hotel, Little America, to check in. It is a pretty old hotel and I have always wanted to stay there- I liked it a lot. The rooms were HUGE! We were on the 8'th floor so we had a pretty good view of the city. That night we were tired so decided to order pizza and stay in our hotel room and veg out and be lazy. And of course we brought cheesecake from the cheesecake factory back with us. Yum!  It was fun to just relax and watch TV. I quite enjoyed myself.

Saturday morning I did a McDonald's breakfast run where I just barely made it back in time for conference to begin. We ate our unhealthy breakfast while listening to our church leaders and it was blissful. After conference we got ready for the day and headed to The Gateway for more shopping and people watching. We went to Lunch at Rumbi Grill and then went to see the movie 'Gravity' with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It was an okay movie. It kind of reminded me of Castaway with Tom Hanks. It was pretty cool in 3D though. It's just one of those movies that I would watch once but never buy or care to watch over and over again. After the movie our plan was to go out to eat for dinner, but being the bad planners that we are we hit the after priesthood session rush hour so basically every single restaurant in Salt Lake and the surrounding areas were chuck full of men in suits and ties. We knew it was going to be a long wait everywhere and our bellies were saying "No thank you!" to that, so we went through a drive thru and took dinner back to the hotel.

Sunday was our actual anniversary so we had room service deliver breakfast and then watched conference while we packed up and got ready to go home. Check out was at noon and conference ends at noon, so of course everyone in the entire freaking hotel left at the same time. We probably waited a good twenty minutes for an elevator. Call me lazy but there was no way in hades that I was going to walk down 10 flights of stairs to the underground parking garage with luggage! We finally got out of the hotel and headed to Fruit Heights where I proceeded to smother my son in kisses and we were able to watch the last session of conference with my family and have dinner with them. I felt bad that I was away from Leland because he was super sick with the croup that weekend but I am very grateful that my mom took such good care of him. We really needed a weekend away and we had so much fun! Happy Anniversary Babe!

A Blessed Day

On Sunday September 29, 2013 we blessed Leland. It was such an amazing day filled with family and friends. We are so grateful for everyone who came and supported our little family on such a special day. Justin did an amazing job, definitely choked me up hearing him give our son the blessing. I was reminded once again how lucky I am to have two wonderful boys in my life who really are my whole world.

Two Months

I am kind of freaking out that my baby is two months old today not gonna lie. I know I sound like a broken record (believe me, I know) but holy smoking cow time is going by way too fast! He is growing and changing so much. He gets a little cuter every single day and every single day I fall a little bit more in love with him. I have gone back to work now and leaving him every day is really hard, but when I am at work I love it and I never want to quit my job.... like ever. And then when I come home he flashes me a huge grin and I don't want to leave him.... like ever. So basically I just feel blessed to be so happy in every moment and place that I am at in my life.






Leland's Two Month Facts:
- He is 24 inches long (has grown four inches in two months!)
- Weighs 13.1 pounds
-Is in the 91 percentile for height and 74 percentile for weight
- Is beginning to smile a lot more and now he is starting to make little noises when he smiles. I don't think it will be too long before he starts giggling.
- Is still sleeping in his swing and hates his crib. (Luckily doc says not to worry too much about this!)
- Is holding his head up by himself really well and is very, very strong
-Finally loves bath time and kicking his feet in the water. He never screams anymore except when we take him out.
-He hates being hungry, cold, hot, and wet. If all of these needs are taken care of he is a perfect, happy baby.
-Now has leg and arm rolls (adorable!)
-Loves listening to music and hearing me sing to him (I think he is the only one on the planet who likes listening to me sing hahaha)
-He is currently going through a growth spurt and drinks about 8 ounces each feeding and 10-12 ounces before bed time. I call him my little piglet. I feel like I am feeding him all of the time!
- My main nickname for him right now is Buggy Bear.