I Cannot be Quiet Anymore

Because I live in Utah, where opinions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are quite contrast, I normally keep quiet when any type of controversial topic about this church comes up.  However, as I opened my Facebook this morning, I realized I can't be quiet anymore.  Today the church released a statement that it does not allow children of same-sex parents to be baptized and become members of its church. This has always been the policy of the church. It isn't new.  Because this topic is getting so much attention in the media lately, it has been brought to the surface. I find it disheartening that so many are ready to attack the LDS church each time a policy is brought out like this without attempting to understand the "why".

What would happen in a home that has embraced homosexuality, and is practicing it, where children reside if those children were allowed to be baptized?  This church teaches love. It teaches family. It teaches unity.  The Church's stance on same sex marriages would be a complete 180 from what these children have grown up with their entire lives.  It would cause dissension in that home.  That is not what the LDS church is about.  The church actually doesn't allow any minor under the age of 18 to be baptized without the permission of the parents, or a husband or wife to be baptized without the permission of their spouse, for the exact same reason.  Family is the central key to this organization.   I do uphold the teachings of the mormon church in which I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman.  I believe that an environment with both a mother and a father is best for a child.

Having said all of that, I know a few same sex families who have children, and those children are loved.  They have parents who love them.  They have a family who loves them.  They can thrive, and develop their talents and skills, and progress in a positive way in those homes.  I've seen it.  To those of my friends, you are doing a great job.  I see that you want the best for your children just as I do.  I've seen you struggle just as I do.  I've seen your little moments of victory that we all have as parents.  But the most important thing to know is that your children are still loved by their Heavenly Father.  They are loved by God.  We are each his children.

We are all children of a God who loves us, and though we don't always understand His plan, He is there for us individually.  Individually He knows our hearts.  That I know as truth.  It doesn't matter what religion you are or what you practice. So many religions have so much truth in them.  They teach good things.  And there are so many others who have no religion or may not believe in a God at all but they can still be good people.  They can still have good morals.  God is with each of us.  We all make mistakes.  We all have changes we go through.  The point of this life, in my opinion, is to progress and come out of it better than we started.  Growth is vital.  And God understands.  That is why he has sent us here.  We are not all the same.  That was not his intention.  It's important for us to still love and accept each other. It is important for us to lift and help each other through this life.

The mormon church is my home and my heart because it has brought me to where I am today.  It has seen me through difficult times in my life with its teachings and love. It has also lead me many peaceful and happy times.  Although there are many things I do not understand still about this religion, I will always stand by it.  I cannot ignore the burning in my heart that it is true and good.

To all of my family and friends who are homosexual, I love you.  And God loves you.  I hope that is what I have conveyed with all sincerity in this message.

"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." Article 11 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Link to the news story:
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=37248288&nid=148&title=lds-church-children-of-same-sex-couples-not-eligible-for-membership&fm=home_page&s_cid=topstory

BlueBay Grand Esmeralda resort Playa Del Carmen Mexico detailed review

I want a good deal. I want the most for my money! If you're anything like me, you want to know exactly what you are paying for when you get a "good deal" on a hotel or anything really. I search and search for the best price and then I pour over the reviews and decide it sounds awful because, let's face it, there are ALWAYS going to be at least some bad reviews. 100% of consumers are never going to be 100% satisfied... So I roll the dice finally because I can't look at the computer screen for one more minute. After spending hours scouring through Groupon, TripAdvisor, Expedia, etc...  My husband and I settled on BlueBay's Grand Esmeralda Resort which we found on Sam's Club Travel. (We used my sister in law's membership.)   I thought I would write this detailed review for those of you, like me, who want as much information as possible.  This is an all inclusive resort and we spent $524.79 for 4 days and 3 nights in an "ocean view" standard room. We chose Playa Del Carmen because we heard it was more private.  We didn't want a "party" hotel in Cancun. Just a relaxing vacation.

The room was nice. It's an old hotel and so there was some wear and tear I noticed.  The walls were a little beaten up, but other than that it was nice. It was very clean. The shower was luxurious.  The air conditioner worked fabulously, which was awesome because it was so hot! Our view was disappointing though. We purchased an "ocean view" room.  Our view of the ocean was blocked by a huge tree.  It was still beautiful though.

The grounds were lovely. I had never been to Mexico and din't realize just how dense the forest is. It's beautiful.  I felt safe there too because it's a gated resort with security.

 The pool was gorgeous as well. It was spacious and had plenty of seating. 

 There was a board of activities they would hold at the pool each day. They also had a different type of show each night. We went to the Circus show one night and it was pretty neat.  Nothing too spectacular but entertaining.

The beach was nice.  Unfortunately for us we arrived just after a big storm and so the water wasn't clear at all. I was pretty murky.  Also, there was quite a bit of seaweed on the beach. It's not the big, beautiful, sandy beach they advertise in their pictures.

 There were 2 different types of raccoon running around.

There were iguanas EVERYWHERE.

There are a few different restaurants on site. I thought the food was very good at all of them.  The buffet was great!  The desserts were wonderful. They had a new variety of foods each day.  My favorite was the flan. I can almost taste it now!  Fresh fruit every day.  I had "street tacos" at lunch once that were amazing. It was all very fresh. Their drinks were great. I don't drink liquor, but they had a virgin option for everything.  Great Mojitoes! My husband wasn't as impressed with the buffet. He thought is was just okay, but he's pretty critical on a daily basis.

You have to make reservations for anything other than  the buffet. We ate at the Steakhouse one night. It was delicious. The presentation could have used some work. The French Restaurant was excellent. I forgot to take pictures of our meals there. They are strict on their dress codes.  I don't think people were prepared for that. I saw a few people get upset when they were turned away due to their attire.  I thought it was a good thing. They want to maintain a certain atmosphere. 

My biggest complaint is the concierge.  You have to make the reservations with them one day prior.  Each time I would go to their desk they would actively ignore me until I actually asked them if I could make a reservation.  They seemed annoyed to have to do their job. 

Other fees included the transportation to and from the hotel and anywhere else we wanted to go.  Also any gratuities we felt were warranted.  They say tips are included but we still would leave a little something at the dine in places and to our drivers.  We paid $6 per person to be taken to the shopping area on 5th ave.  They offered us two $50 gift cards to use on activities outside of the hotel if we would participate in a 90 minute presentation to get us to join their travel club. They weren't pushy about it at all.  We did the presentation. It sounded good but we couldn't afford it and we told them that.  They didn't try to keep talking us into it.  They were extremely polite and we received $100 in gift cards that we used on an excursion. We chose one that included a visit to the Mayan Ruins at Tulum, snorkeling in the cenotes, and snorkeling in the ocean.  It also included lunch and transportation.  The original price was $149 per person. With our gift cards it was $99. It was absolutely worth it.  The Mayan ruins were amazing.  Our guide was actually raised in a Mayan village and was knowledgeable on the the history of it all.  The cenotes were indescribable.  I mean just... wow!  I did wish we could have stayed there longer. We then went to the beach where we saw all kinds of sea life just there in the bay from huge sea turtles to sting rays and eagle rays... It was very neat. I took my phone to take pictures in a underwater case, but it didn't work as well as I'd hoped.  My hands were too cold to get the touch screen working.  I had to start a video above water and then go back under as it was filming and it ended up all very blurry.  

Overall, in conclusion, I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone planning a trip to Mexico. The staff were all extremely friendly.  It was a great atmosphere. We had a lot of fun there!  I wish we had stayed longer! 

P.S. Don't even try to straighten your hair during a trip to Mexico!!! 

Hogwarts house cup inspired Behavioral chart for Potter-kids!

For those of you who, as far as my nerdiness is concerned, thought I had any sliver of shame left... Prepare to be amazed! ...because this nerd knows no bounds! I'm sure there is a Potter-vention in the works, but for now I've come up with something that, if I do say so myself, is pretty brilliant! Actually I have to admit, it wasn't completely my idea...
I started reading the Harry Potter books to my son when he was in the first grade. We read them slowly and it was the highlight of each night! After we had finished the book, we would watch the movie. After he and I watched the last movie... there was a low point in my life...

OK! Just kidding! It wasn't like I was actually depressed or anything but it was rough! The books are amazing though and I can honestly say they've been a blessing I the lives of my kids. They love to read and it's a joy to see their imaginations at work. I have now started the adventure with my daughter who is just about finished with kindergarten and she is loving it! Her brother got her very excited to start and he can't wait to watch the movies with us each time we finish a book. It really is something special to see the already strong bond my kids have grow even more with this common interest. They have "Dark Lord Funk" on repeat and they dance around to it. We just love everything Harry Potter!

Amber dressed as the Golden Snitch for Halloween.

After Amber and I finished the first book, she was so excited to watch the movie! She put on Cameron's old costume and kept it on the whole movie- glasses and all!

Anyway, the other night, in an attempt to get my daughter to get back in bed for the um-teeth time, I told her I was taking ten points from Gryffindor. And from there it just spiraled.  Any time she would complete a task I would ask her to do, she would ask, "Do I get points for Gryffindor now?"  or if she was being naughty, she would slump her shoulders and gloomily say, "Did I lose Gryffindor points?"

AND SO, I built on this idea of having a house cup coinside with a behavior/chore chart.  The result is as follows...
The first thing I did was type up a list of house rules and a schedule to be followed. Each time they complete a chore or a routine, etc... they earn points for their house!  When they don't complete tasks, or they have poor behavior, they lose points. It's basic.

Next, I typed 8 pages of possible prizes associated with a different house. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. (2 pages per house.) I looked up the different attributes associated with each Hogwarts house, and incorporated those values in each award. For example it would say, "Congratulations Gryffindor! For your bravery you have earned a late night movie party with your friends!" I cut the different awards into strips, folded them up, and put them in a bowl. The kids then draw out a different prize option each week they will be playing for. On the prize option it shows their house for that week. If they both draw the same house, we do a redraw.

I then found some perfect vases at the dollar store and painted the shield with the colors from each house on them using acrylic paint. I also found an old goblet and a wood base at the thrift store. I painted them and use them as the "House Cup." I couldn't find any "jewels" that were reasonably priced. So, I cut apart mardi gras beads and used them to represent "house points." 
So far, my kids have responded very well! They are excited about choosing a house each week and finding out what they prize they could win is. They're even more excited each time they earn points for their house. It's been a lot of fun, which is why I thought I'd share the idea with anyone else who might be looking for a motivational tool for their kids. Hopefully you'll find this post useful!

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows