I think there were about 9 stakes oragnized to hold Prop 8 sign along the PCH from Long Beach to San Clemente. Here's a video of it...my ward is on video from about 1:50 to the end of the video. Unfortunately, my ward had two different posts and I was at the habor (not videod), but it was still fun to see it on you tube!
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08102306.html
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/effects_of_ssm.html
An article on how SSM has affected one state...
Since we have almost always lived pretty far from family, we have created a sense of "family" in the friendships we have formed. Life can be so monotonous and there are inevitably things we have to do that we don't want to. One of the things I currently hate having to do is wake up poor Emma from her peaceful slumber to drag her around to pick up the older kids and run errands...I nurse her in the car all the time since we're on the go. A good friend of mine came over today to grab some things I had and she offered to stay with my little ones while I ate lunch with Noall and then picked up Zach and Camilla from school. It was SOOO wonderful! I got to spend 30 minutes with my hubby who is going out of town for a few days...we ate lunch on the beach and walked around before he had to go back to work. Then I got to go pick up the kids and visit with them...the whole time Emma has sleeping in her crib. Does life get any better...everyone got just what they needed/wanted. Days like this give me just what I need to go and conquer all the crazy days! Thanks to all of you, my dear friends, for making life so wonderful!!!
OK, Jennis, I am FINALLY getting around to the pics I owe you...starting w/my closet. It's scary. Too much stuff and not enough room. It houses clothes, shoes, all my sewing stuff and scrapbooking stuff, and our family files, and whatever else doen's fit anywhere else. I need more closet space!!!
Of course my kiddos are asleep right now!!!!
I LOVE having a vanity area in my bedroom. Was I supposed to actually clean up before I took pics??? How does anyone have the energy to pick up after the kids are in bed? I have to find a way to re-energize for the next day (and cleaning definitely doesn't qualify!). 
Here I am...what can I say more?
Kitchen sink...no, I haven't cleaned up from dinner yet. I should actually be doing the dishes right now.
Favorite Room...I love sitting in this rocker and nursing Emma while the kids run around and play. It's also where Noall and I hang out and chat after the kids go to bed.
Fridge...nothing too exciting. A few leftovers...it need to be cleaned and organized. I'll put that on my to-do list next to a million other things...
Laundry room, pantry, craft storage room, cleaning supplies room, etc. Enough said!
My shoes...Noall bought them for me for Mother's Day and I wear them almost every day!
I would love to go to Alaska w/Noall and hike around one day.
Now I'm taggin my sisters and sisters-in-law...Natalie, Rachel and Malissa. Fess up, girls!! :)
I you have a minute, watch this video...it plainly explains what Prop 8 is about and the implications of SSM.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zbpDe_QhS0&NR=1
Noall and I (I assume like most other couples) go up and down as far as consistently taking time to go out with each other. We'll do well for a while and then life gets crazy...or it's summertime and he works late. So, we've decided to have morning dates. That way I only have to find a sitter for two kids (since Zach and Camilla are in school). So today Noall and I dropped the two younger kids off at a friend's house at 8:30 and we went for a run along the beach...and then just chatted for a while before we came back home. It's great to be married to your best friend...and to find time to hang out with each other!! So, that's my plug for the week: make time to go hang out with your hubby!!!
I'm not whether or not to apologize for "interrupting" my family blog with all these political posts. But, Noall and I have been talking alot about this lately. No matter what happens in November, this issue is not going away. We've never been called as a church to rally together as much as we are being asked to now...that should tell us something. Arizona, California, and Florida are all voting this election on same-sex marriage, but we've already been told that Californians will be involved with call centers for other states next year when it comes up there. I love the following article written by a Democrat who opposes SSM.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-blankenhorn19-2008sep19,0,6057126.story
I just signed a petition opposing California utility
giant PG&E's efforts to defeat the state marriage amendment
on the Nov. 4 ballot. They donated a quarter of a million dollars to the "NO" campaign. Please sign this petition if you live in California!
Go here to sign:
http://www.focuspetitions.com/165/petition.asp?PID=18358576&NID=1
We had FHE at the beach with some friends on Monday. It was fun to see the daddies teaching their kids how to surf. Zach was nervous after falling off the board once, but he was a good sport to try again (even though you can see on his face that he didn't want to).
I love how 2 year olds talk!!! Alex is getting out of that stage, but there's still a glimpse left! My favorite is how he says "november". He used to say, "bem-bember", but it's getting more clear now!
Just getting the word out about the importance of passing Prop 8:
http://www.protectmarriage.com/
The church's website is:
preservingmarriage.org
I love the interview w/Elder Oaks.
We've all been asked in California to give at least 4 hours every week until the elections to work in call centers or hold signs on street corners to try and educate the public. Our friends/family in Utah and Idaho have also been asked to help make calls to California in call centers set up out-of-state. If you haven't taken the time to understand the issue, please do and please help! My sister sent me the following link to a blog that also has some great info:
booksandbeaches.blogspot.com
Let's work togetehr to pass this!!!
Today in preschool I was telling the story about the lion and the mouse...for those of you not familiar with the story, the mouse promises to do something for the lion one day if he agrees no to eat him. So, the lion agrees, although he doesn't think the little mouse will ever be able to do something to help the lion. Turns out the lion is caught in a hunter's trap and tied to a tree. At this point, I asked the kids, "What do you think the lion did? Is there anyone who could help him?" Immediately Alex answered, "YES! Jesus Christ!" I agreed with him that we can always ask Jesus for help, and then he continued, "Jesus Christ will save him!" To which I responded, yes, Jesus Christ can save him...does the lion have a friend who could help gnaw through the rope?" Again, the answer was Jesus, so I decided to agree that we can always ask Jesus to help us and move on to the next lesson!
Quick funny story...last night Noall was modeling an appropriate response for Alex to a question I had asked. He said (as if he were Alex), "Mommy, I try to go potty in the toilet, but sometimes I have accidents." To which Alex promptly replied, "Yeah, me too, Daddy!"
