Arranged Marriage

I now that I know some of your thoughts on blind dates lets talk about arranged marriage. In college I took a class on marriages across cultures and throughout the world. The concept of arrange marriages is a big part of many cultures. It seems that thoughts about marriage have changed over the years.

Marriage was about working together in order to survive. Not so long ago pioneers married in order to ensure their survival. Today marriage has been commercialized and for the unmarried the focus is on the wedding. This is probably because the world can guarantee a perfect wedding day...it most certainly can be purchased. So no matter where you in the economic market we begin to fantasize that if we can have romantic moments like in the movies and in the novels at the market then our happily ever after is ensured by the perfect wedding dress.

Arranged marriage is different than forced marriage, which is what people believe arranged marriage to be. Arranged marriage is taking the knowledge and opinions of the family and nobles in the community and making a decision on how two people can work together in order to survive.

Romantic love can certainly cycle through great marriages. I can come in long and short phases in weekend and moments. It is a spark that keeps things exciting. But it is not what keeps people together.

So what do you think...is there something to arranged marriage?

The Prayer of a Single Woman

Today my niece Sarah Rose was blessed. These events are amazingly filled with love. With all that is wonderful I don't want to dampen the wonder of this event, but to add some perspective.

Well to add my perspective to the day. There is a very real ache in the core of my being. It is more than a biological clock, and more than a spiritual pull. There is an awareness of the emptiness of my .... I don't know what to call it. I have a family, I have a life, I have things that fill my heart, I have things that make me think and cause me to grow, so I don't know what it is that is empty, but it is something.

So here is my prayer today...

Thank you for my family, especially the many children that fill my arms and my heart
Thank you for my understanding of the gospel, even if it adds to my awareness of those things that I don't have.
Thank you for my trials that allow me to come closer to Christ.
Thank you for finding other ways for me to learn compassion, patience, and love
Thank you for teaching me about consecration, and allowing me to give of myself.
Thank you for hope, and faith, and blessings I can trust in.

Easter Basket to go!

I have a friend who is on a mission and I am working on putting together an Easter Care Package.

• Jelly Beans
• Parachute Rabbits
• Finger Bug Flinging Toys
• Camouflage Easter Eggs
• Jelly Crabby Patties
• Minuture Flying Footballs

You know it is too bad that care packages are left for the YOUNG Adults...because they are so much fun!

Blind Date Survey

I am taking a survey of what you think of blind dates....what is your opinion?

Waffer Cookie Confession

So I have a confession to make. On the car ride....we are talking 800 miles or so twice in the last two weeks I have consumed Wafer cookies. Mom and I tried really hard to eat travel food that was good for us.

• Light tuna
• Whole wheat crackers
• Lots of fruit
• Yogurts

but still, when all was said in done we loved us some ...

WAFER COOKIES

What if your favorite travel snack?

Thanks Mommy

I recently returned from Washington where I visited with my sister's family. It was a wonderful trip. Still today as I unpacked and was trying to think what would be interesting to you my faithful friends I decided to tell you about my mom's destressing activity that has changed my...well options.

Many of you will remember that I had Lap Band sugery awhile ago, and therefore I have had some trouble finding things to eat that don't...uh...well...make it through the band test.

My mom has this thrift store nears my Sister's that she loves...and she came home with a food grinder for me. It makes regular food like baby food...and it goes down so nice.

It still happens in small portions but none the less it helps me eat what the rest of my family eats at family meals!

This is a little what it looks like...

The Fiction about the Bottom-head Brothers

Long ago on a hike through the mountains on a normal summer day I stopped under a tree to cool down. While sitting under this tree I feel asleep...it was just that kind of hot day. When I awoke I noticed that in the bushes were strange white half moons bobbing up and down. I sat and watch to see if I could identify the objects. It wasn't a flower, there were no petals. It wasn't an animal they were unaltered by noise....

It was the men in the family running around with underwear on their head....and so the Bottom-head Brothers came to be many many moon...uh...not that kind of moon...ago.

The Dirty Sole Sisters

Yes it is true the bottom-head-brothers have officially met their match in the dirty-sole-sisters.

You know you are in Seattle when...

I am lucky to be visiting my sister in WA. The trip is always a little long but mom makes it very pleasant, and even more fun than she would want me to report.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I have gotten more hugs...and squeezes (which differ from hugs) in the last 24 hours than the last two months combined. This is surely Jarom's talent.

I really wanted to take the kids to the zoo today (my local zoo membership gets me in free to over 100 different zoos across the country) but I woke up and it is raining...oh well, when in Seattle enjoy the rain.

So this morning we cleaned up the boys room while I sang them Silling Songs by aunt Jen, I have not mastered Larry's skill yet, but I am working on it!

Game Night in the Curtis Home

Last month my mom and I were able to go to Bremerton Washington to visit my sister and her family. Friday night we introduced my mom to the WII. It was a big hit. This is Alicia and Mom with some mad dance moves.

Disco Fever!

Here is the future game designer showing the kids how it is done. Blaine, however has some other thoughts.

Caleb Michael likes to be in the action, but…

Blaine is very insistent.

I think mom needs a WII for her home!

P.S. I didn’t take pictures of the “Butt” Surfing.

The Parable of the Bread Pan

This story is from Elder Dallin H. Oaks book "The Lord's Way"

I was helping my wife wash dishes on one occasion, (she would say one rare occasion.) She had baked nut bread. When I got to the pans, she said, "Don't try to wash those pans before you soak them in water. The residue is cooked on."

He goes on to say

Many of our erroneous ideas about the things of God and the procedures we should follow to accomplish his purposes are also "cooked on" by heat and pressure of worldly tradition and professional practices. Those ideas will not yield to cleansing until they have been soaked in the living water of gospel principles.

1 Ne. 11: 25

And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

My DEEP rooted spelling issues

Once upon a time...well when I was in the second grade I entered a spelling bee. At the time I was quite the expert speller and it came down to me and another girl...she is probably an editor now, but none the less our paths crossed that day. It was the last word....I proceeded with confidence

A-T-H-E-T-E

"I am sorry that is incorrect"

little miss editor in the making proceeds to attempt the word.

A-T-H-L-E-T-E

"That is correct"

That day will forever mark the day I started just not caring about spelling....I mean that is what spell check is for. Anyway I want you to know that with all the other things that I am good at I have just accepted that some childhood experience shape our lives.

I admit it I am a lazy speller, I hate to proof read and I accept the consequences of this in my life.

PS. This dedicated to you Kimma.

Bored does not equal not Busy

The other day I told my friends that I had a boring life. It is true, but not because it is not busy. I am employed full time and have five clients who all have "CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT" mental health issues (note I didn't mention any family members with "clinically significant" issues), I am in GRAD school full-time, and I have all the little things that go with my life

That is the boring but busy part of my life!

Don't cry for me friends...just because I don't have my own crazy household to take care of just yet does not mean I am not happy. My sisters are always willing to share their not so boring lives....aka my adorable nieces and nephews

It is the quite ones you have to be afraid of....

So this week my Sisters (minus Alicia) and their kids took my car...the POSSE mobile to California. You think I am joking...but those who have seen my car know that my car is properly marked :)

Anyway on Sunday the quite members of my family had a gathering (Matt you were missed and your presence in the quite group is noted). By quite I mean the less social members of my family. This includes my parents who are capable of socializing, but truly enjoy their quite time. My brother Seth who was VERY social in high school and then was like Peter Pan leaving Neverland when he went on his mission. (April is his Tinkerbell wife and has been taking him back to Neverland on a regular basis, that makes their four kids the lost kids). Then there is me...some of you may think I am social, but it is just not true. I am blunt and vocal, but not social.

It was a good time. I can't tell you what we talked about because that is top secret club business ;)