Kelly is the mother of 5 adorable kids--4 boys and a girl. The girl came in a package with a boy (twins).
Kelly is married to a charming young man who lives and breathes computers. They are also guardians for three nieces and a nephew.
She is active in the community having served as PTA President of a local elementary school,
on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins, as a district round-table trainer with the Cub Scouts, as a volunteer for Sidelines (a support network for Women on bed rest during pregnancy) and she and her husband are active in the LDS Church.
Salt Lake LDS Temple Centennial with a full 3D model of the building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
This Single Image Stereogram was done at the 100 year anniversary of the building's completion.
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer,
who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea,
his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to
drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation,
a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Not too long ago LDS President Gordon B. Hinkley published a book called, "Standing for Something." I didn't really think about the importance of such a book until this week.
I want to go back a year ago. I was listening to a song I had heard MANY times before. It was one of those songs that gave the composer credit for having a lot of foresight and selflessness. The song had the same affect on me as someone wanting only for world peace as their gift at Christmas time. Beyond that I had not given the song much thought.
For some reason, on that day over a year ago, the first line of the song caught my attention.
“Imagine there's no Heaven”
My next thought was that he wanted to eliminate religion. I knew a little about the composer—John Lennon. Other than being a former member of the Beatles, he was an activist. I began to hear the song in the mindset of this man.
I continued listening as the rest of the first verse was sung.
“It's easy if you try
No hell below us
above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today”
“Living for today”…that is all there is to it when there is nothing to look forward to. When there is no Heaven or Hell, live and let live, there is only today.
The song continued…
“Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace”
“Nothing to kill or die for”—to me this meant having nothing to stand up for or having a cause for which one felt was just. At this point I just tuned the song out. The lyrics gave me a very bad feeling. From that time to today I would promptly change the radio station as it came on.
This week I saw a video of a speech by Evan Sayet. In his speech he mentions this very song. He talked about what was wrong with it. All through his speech I kept saying, “right ON!
If you have the time, and I would highly recommend that you take the time, watch or just listen to his speech. Then, come back and read all of the lyrics to “Imagine”.
“Imagine there's no Heaven It's easy if you try
No hell below us
above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today”
“Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace”
“You may say that
I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one”
“Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world“
“You may say that
I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one”
I am glad I have something to stand for. I am grateful for my faith in a heaven. I am grateful for people I hold dear enough to die for. I, too, dream of a world where there is peace. But Lennon's dream is not mine.
I found this fun little personality quiz on the blog of a friend.
Looks like my results were about the same as his. I still need to figure out what Black and Red people are like so I can avoid them or learn to block them.
This evening I sat down with my family to watch "A More Perfect Union". This 2-hour motion picture is the first comprehensive recreation of those stirring, heated debates during the sweltering summer of 1787. Filmed on location at Independence Hall, Williamsburg, Virginia, and other historical sites, it dramatically chronicles how America became a nation and those underlying principles that guard our freedoms today.
Toward the end of that movie they read parts of the newly created Constitution of the United States. I heard the words, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." I quickly wanted to know where that was found within this Constitution.
Article VI Claus 3 reads,
"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. " (Italics added)
I thought of Mitt Romney, current candidate for US President. Though there has been no official requirement of this nature, much of this country holds his religious affiliation as a test against him. In the minds of many he has been given the test. He doesn't pass their test of belonging to an accepted religion.
This clause was included in the Constitution even before the Bill of Rights. This was included in our Constitution for a reason. Many people had come to this land for religious freedom...so that they could worship God the way their conscience dictated and not be required to belong to a particular religion as was the case in England.
Mitt Romney has that right just as any other candidate for any public office. I think we as a nation should focus on where he stands on the issues rather than on his religion. We need to be careful not to make religion a litmus test for any candidate for any office.
I will admit that I adhere to the same faith as Mr. Romney. But I know quite well that there are other prominent members of my faith who I would not extend my vote. I have not yet made up my mind if he is the man for the job. But, I will be looking at the issues not the litmus test of religion...because I know that if his religous affiliation was all that mattered I would vote for him.
Lets look at all the candidates and their position on the issues.
I came across this blog entry of mine that had never been posted. It was written back in March of 2006. I regulary pay a cross country visit to another blog. This was the results from one of those silly online tests. I had posted the results in the comments of that blog. The following is the discussion following that comment. I find the discussion very interesting in light of resent events in my life.
"The Lover (or Poet) is a rare type. (S)He has a rather contradictory nature. He is completely unselfish and generally regards others above himself, yet somehow in his effort to please, often ends up doing things that appear completely self-centered. The Lover loves people and strives for acceptance, but at the same time withdraws from the world. Lovers are authors, artists, philosophers, and musicians. They live unorthodox, unconventional, or even chaotic lives. Lovers experience the highest highs and lowest lows."
... Awesome. So, what do you think? Would you say that describes you?
Kelly said... There are a number of things that strike as 'sooo true'.
unconventional: ya...I wear paperclips for earrings and um...pink tennis shoes.
Many of the things I do often look like they are self serving...perhaps they are...but I do them because I want to help someone. Then we get into the whole idea of helping others for no other reason than to make them happy...but then...that makes me happy...so it benefits me...so where's my motivation? Would I help them if they were my enemy? still the idea...if I help my enemy wouldn't that have the possiblity of turning them into a friend or at least not as much of an enemy.
Today's (well, actually yesterday's since it is past midnight) Deseret Morning News has a little blurb about me and my family. For the most part the reporter got it right...but not completely. I have mentioined in an earlier blog entry that my husband and I started another blog about taking care of someone else's children and the challenges that go with it. Well, this News article's purpose was to bring some attention to the blog and what we are doing there in trying to help others in the same boat we are in.
What an interesting day! I just hope that people will understand that the reporter did her best to tell our story...given the short amount of time I had to tell this story. Things can sometimes be misunderstood. I still thank her for her time in putting it together.
In a walk-in closet in my craft/sewing room I have fabric--a lot of fabric. Some of it had been given to me a year or so ago. I have it hanging from hangers so I can see what I have. This helps with the creative juices.
The other day I got into a mood to make something. I haven't made dresses for the girls in ages. The last time I made dresses there was only one girl to sew for. Now I have 4 girls. If I made something for one I would have to make for all.
In all this I had to unpick all the zippers to get them to come out right. I once put the wrong lower band on the wrong skirt. Had to unpick and resew that one on the right skirt. But over all it has been a success.
Two weeks later I have four dresses nearly complete. I didn't tell them I was making them until I needed to see if they fit. When I pulled them out last night the girls got all excited. The draw back is they have to wait until Easter to wear them. The youngest one was sure I would change my mind and let her wear it sooner.
Now I need to make ties for the boys...don't worry they won't be made with the flower print.
I have been following this story of Gen. Peter Paces remarks about gays in the military...
"General Pace gave his personal opinion on Gays in the military in a Chicago Tribune interview, saying he thought homosexuality was "immoral" and while the Gay community and many politicians believe the General should appologize, Pace is sticking by his comments saying he refused to appologize for his own personal beliefs..."Freddie Mooche Access News
From the Washington Post: "Will Gen. Peter Pace's mild repudiation of his remarks on homosexuality save the day, or will the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff be forced into retirement for saying that he personally felt homosexuality was immoral?"
I want to give that man a big high five. He was not speaking on behalf of the military. He was saying that he personally felt this way. I personally feel the same way this man does. But that is not the point. Even if I didn't feel this same way, he has a right to speak his opinion. "Freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment." Wikipedia
What is this country coming to when someone speaks their opinion and are threatened with retaliation for doing so?
Note: Pace clarified his comments rather than apologize saying, "I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views."Freddie Mooche Access News