February 24, Joint Session of Congress

[Andrew]

It was Tuesday evening and I was excited to hear another engaging speech from our president. I turned on the TV and saw Obama’s 45 minute red carpet entrance, vaguely reminding me of a certain Hollywood awards show that took place not too many nights ago. But then something terrible happened! I don’t know how or why the networks decided to do this, but they cut from the live speech and starting showing reruns! I am sure you all had the same problem.

Just like that, they began showing reruns of the 2008 presidential debates and from Obama’s 15 other prime time speeches. No one mentioned that this next installment in Obama’s monthly all-network prime time gig was going to be a rerun of all his other speeches. I was under the impression that he had something important and novel to say. After all that pomp and circumstance all they broadcast was a rerun…disappointing.

Valentines Day

I have never really liked Valentines Day. It all started in elementary school. I was so shy and being forced to give boys valentines was pure torture for me. I was always afraid that they would think that I liked them. Oddly enough, the more I liked them, the more I dreaded giving them a valentine. I didn't want them to know. As I got older, it just seemed like an awkward day when two people were forced to behave more romantically then they actually felt, all because flowers and chocolates and heart-shaped cards were expected. It's a weird situation to be in when you are in a new relationship or a relationship that hasn't really been defined as anything celebratory. Even more of a bummer when you aren't dating anyone.

But as I've matured, I've met people who have a completely different take on the day. Friends would give me cards or bake heart-shaped cookies, just to say that they care. I came to realize that Valentines Day isn't just for couples, but for anyone to express how much they love and appreciate the people in their lives. That made me respect it a little more. Then, I got this boyfriend named Andrew my freshman year of college. I told him I didn't want to celebrate valentines day. He retaliated to my "bah, humbug" attitude by putting a nicely wrapped package outside my door. I woke up, opened the door, unwrapped the package (secretly happy that he ignored my request) and found a pickled bottle of pigs feet. I guess it served me right. But he ended the day by giving me flowers and cooking me dinner.

We've had some interesting valentines days since then (even when we weren't dating). This year, he truly outdid himself and made ravioli from scratch. It took him all day long. In the end it was sausage and vegetable stuffed ravioli in a butter sage sauce. mmmmmmmm. Thanks love muffin! (Andrew read this and begged me to delete the "love muffin" remark. Sorry sugar lips, although your objection has been noted).

We do our best without a tripod or 3rd person to take pictures...sometimes we cut off foreheads...oops!

The Best 6th Man Ever

[Andrew]
My beloved Cavaliers finally lost a home game. After 23 straight wins at the "Q" they let a game slip away to the evil, evil Lakers. In the wake of the defeat I have been left wondering....'what can I do to help Cleveland finally win a championship?'

Tonight, I found my answer.

Is He My Baby or My Boy?

I realize that, technically, Luke is both my baby and my boy, but lately he has been growing so much that he seems more like a little boy than a baby. I also realize that in a month or so I will look back at this post and Luke will seem so little. After all, he can't crawl or sit up without help. But he has mastered the following skills:

• He can take his pacifier out of his mouth and put it back in again
• Jump in his jumperoo
• Roll (or fall, whatever you want to call it)
  
• Stand with help (this, he may prefer over all other positions)
  
• Scream and avert his head when I come after his nose with the aspirator
• Put everything within his reach inside of his mouth
• Play in the exersaucer until he realizes that Mom isn't playing with him.
• Sleep without being swaddled.
• Grow so fast (and so tall) that Mom has no idea which clothes will still fit him.

These may seem like small things, but to me they are signs that my baby is growing up. However, he will only be 5 months on Thursday, so I still have some time before he's asking for the car keys. I'll enjoy every minute!

Luke likes to stay on top of current events.

He can't quite get his foot in his mouth. He must get his flexibility (or lack thereof) from Andrew.

Sorry about the PDA

When I thought of updating the look of our blog, I really didn't intend to put a kissing shot (despite the really cool backdrop of Lake Erie). However, Andrew brought up the point that our blog really can't be called The Stacey Sizzle without a "sizzling hot" picture on the front. I had to concede. In the meantime, I might try to think of a different name for our blog. One that might go really well with a boring family picture. The Stacey Sampler is already taken. I don't know...maybe Sounds of Stacey, Crazy Staceys, Stacey is not my first name... what do you think? It doesn't even need to have the name "Stacey" in it. I'm open to suggestions.

By the way, the 6 month wait is almost over and I couldn't be more excited. Just like American Idol got me through the first trimester of pregnancy, Lost got me through the third (the second was a breeze). I would come home from work with huge swollen ankles and could hardly move. I basically couldn't walk after 6pm. That's when we discovered that you could watch old episodes of Lost online and we finished all 4 seasons in a couple months. When I realized (back in the beginning of August) that I would have to wait until January to find out what happens, I thought I might stop being a fan. But because they promised to end in two seasons, I think I'll stick it out (even though television is kind of waste of time... I guess Lost is a guilty pleasure).

There are a few things that could happen that might cause me to quit watching. First of all, if Sawyer and Kate hook up again, I think I'm out. How can anyone be attracted to Sawyer? Second, if they bring Charlie back and I have to hear that "You all everybody" song that he sings, one more time....I'm turning off the TV.

So we'll be watching tonight. I'm making cookies and green smoothies (the green smoothies help us feel better about eating the cookies). Feel free to come watch with us.

Christmas Traditions

We finally found our camera cord. It was actually right next to the computer where I thought it was. I guess that tells you how unorganized my computer desk is right now.

Christmas was great. I have wanted to post some pictures for a while. This Christmas I thought a lot about traditions; both the ones we already have and the ones I'd like to start.


Here are Luke and Andrew watching A Muppet Christmas Carol. Holiday movies are a great tradition (although I fell asleep during this one...falling asleep during Christmas movies might be a new tradition). Luke is also wearing his Christmas pajamas because it is Christmas Eve...another cool tradition.



My family likes to read through Luke 2 (the story of Christ's birth) on Christmas Eve. This year, Luke got the part of baby Jesus (the competition was slim). This is probably Alek and Dallyn's 11 or 12th time being Joseph and Mary. They are good sports. Luke really enjoyed his manger bed.



Luke also really enjoyed eating all of his presents.




It is important for us to be with family around Christmas (even though last year we went to Puerto Rico...sometimes tropical destinations in the winter trump the competition). Here is Luke with his two great-grandpas (he is named after them "William" + "Lynn" = "Wynn").


Here are more cousin pictures. Luke has been so lonely the last few weeks without his cousins' nonstop attention. I keep telling Alek that the ladies like a guy who is good with babies...he should post this picture on facebook.

When we go to Utah, we love to see the lights in Salem. This is the view from Andrew's grandparent's window. They light up the trees and put them on the pond. It's pretty cool. We also went to see the lights at Temple Square but forgot our camera.


A relatively new family tradition is to go tubing at Soldier's Hollow. This is my sister Erin, who is cute and available.

We always have a lot of fun at Soldier's Hollow and it is the only time I will get involved in snowball fights.

Luke didn't tube with us, much to the disappointment of his cousins...maybe next year.


Andrew really knows how to relate to 16 year olds. It just comes natural to him :). I guess that is why he was called to work with the Young Men in our ward (church).

Here is the whole family... minus Eric who stayed in Florida this year and Greg who had to work.

Here are some of my cute nieces and nephews.



Finally, Andrew and I really like to cook. It has started to become a tradition, the last few years, to make pizzas from scratch for the holidays. I can't take much credit, Andrew has a knack for Italian food.

So there are a few of our family traditions ...at least the ones we got pictures of (and not including the Stacey family traditions). I'm always looking for fun new traditions so let me know if you have any good ideas.

Waiting for Pictures

I'd like to post some pictures, but we currently cannot locate the cord that connects our camera with the computer. Hopefully we'll find it soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to welcome some of my family members to the blogging world. Over Christmas break, I set up blogs for Erin, Jerry and Melanie, and Michele and Randy. So far Erin is blogging like a pro, Melanie downloads cool songs (but that's about it), and Michele has yet to post anything. If you know any of my family members, you should check out their blogs and maybe it will motivate them to post (see blog list to left).



The other thing that I wanted to mention is the Freedom of Choice Act that President-elect Obama has said he will sign as soon as he becomes President. I know that I have some pro-choice readers out there, but take some time to look over the submitted proposal. A few points I agree with but a lot of points I do not agree with. I think it's important to be informed about what's going on and the future results of this kind of legislation.

http://change.gov/open_government/entry/advancing_reproductive_rights_and_health_in_a_new_administration

If you want to sign the petition against the act, go to

http://www.fightfoca.com/

I started writing a long blog about why I feel so strongly about this issue, but it became too overwhelming for me to tackle. So I decided to just sum up my reason for being pro-life with two simple (perhaps, over-simplified) statements.

1) Roe v. Wade was a decision made by Supreme Court judges. I believe that when we make laws, the people should decide. If we all voted and decided to make abortion legal, I wouldn't be happy, but I would respect the opinion of the majority. I don't believe a few people should make such a critical choice that affects everyone. Decisions about abortion "should be left with the people and to the political processes the people have devised to govern their affairs."

2) I don't know for sure when life begins. I have my opinions, but I'm not positive. However, if I'm going to err, I would rather err on the side of preserving life rather than err on the side of destroying it. I believe our nation will be blessed as our respect for life deepens.

I have more reasons other than those stated, but I just couldn't articulate them quite like I want to.

Interestingly, and something I just recently learned, "Roe" whose real name is Norma McCorvey, only brought up the issue because she was a rape victim (which she later said she lied about). She later became a pro-life activist and stated, "It was my pseudonym, Jane Roe, which had been used to create the 'right' to abortion out of legal thin air. But Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee never told me that what I was signing would allow women to come up to me 15, 20 years later and say, 'Thank you for allowing me to have my five or six abortions. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible.' Sarah never mentioned women using abortions as a form of birth control. We talked about truly desperate and needy women, not women already wearing maternity clothes".

Hopefully I'll have pictures from Christmas soon.