Marriage: Between a Man and a Woman

I don't usually like to post about politics, but I am glad Proposition 8 passed in California. There has been so much controversial conversation going on about this, both with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and nonmembers, and I wanted to clarify for anyone out there that is confused about the Church's stance on same-gender attraction. This article states exactly where the Church stands, and I stand by it 100%. The issue isn't about gay rights, it is about protecting the sacred institution of marriage between a man and a woman.

This quote comes from an article published today by the church news and gives an accurate description of the true stand on the issue:

"Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the Church were and are simply wrong. The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians. Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."

DANG IT.

(insert picture here of Barak Obama) 

At first I posted an actual picture but I couldn't stand to have that face on my sacred blog. Hopefully I don't offend anyone, but I am genuinely afraid for what may happen to our country. Not that either candidate was really such a sparkling option... i am bummed out overall. The next scary decision of today? Prop 8. We are really hoping it passes, as i'm sure many of you are too.

Okay so maybe this is nerdy...

...but i found a link to this blog and once i started reading I got seriously sucked in and read for an hour straight! Its basically a blog-novel about this girl who's in love with her best friend... it was a way fun read. Check it out but be ready to waste some time. It's good stuff! Here's a link to the real author's blog.

Staff Play Day

I love these women. They are what make work enjoyable. They are my friends! We also have an amazing boss (maybe i'm bias) who takes us to lunches and conventions and makes sure we have a staff play day twice a year. This time was a BBQ, hike and games at the cabin.


Three amigas

Aubrye's princess hat fell in the mud! No!




Lindsay is a supermodel. Lindsay moved this week. I can't really talk about it yet. How can you say goodbye to someone so wonderful? She is a beam of sunshine and I'm grateful to have her in my life. (And i hope she always is! Hint: stay in touch Linds! ;) She will really be missed, for a lot of reasons. She's a great worker, but more than that I'll miss her contagious laugh, fun girl talk and her innate ability to make you feel like you're her best friend in the world. Linds is a lover. She's bubbly and outgoing and will call you "sister". I love Lindsay. She is my sister! Miss you Linds!

I Love to See

I love the Provo Temple. Well, any temple, really. But this one feels like "ours". I get to see this view driving home every day (except maybe not with the sky looking so photograph-worthy). I can’t believe how lucky we are to live within two minutes walking distance from the House of the Lord. How many people in the world can say that? I’m sure the odds are slim. I read an article in the Ensign about a man who walked a ridiculous distance every Sunday just to go to church. I bet he had never even seen the temple, but he knew the gospel was true. I hope I would have that kind of faith if living the gospel wasn’t easy and all around me every day. For now we’ll take advantage of the opportunity to walk across the street and enter the temple to learn the things of eternity and feel the peace and love of our Savior.

Fall Leaves = Joy

I seriously have the cutest nieces and nephews ever. After I took some family pictures of the Smiths on Sunday, the kids had to take advantage of the leaves in grandma's yard. I love these kids. They are hilarious. I couldn't get a picture of Ethan without him pulling some crazy face, and they were so funny throwing the leaves in the air and having us bury them. Until we have children of our own I am totally satisfied to play with these kids. I love them!
(Click the picture as usual.)

I Ran for Nie

I recently stumbled upon the most beautiful blog. It’s the blog of Stephanie Nielson, all about her love and passion for life and her family and her husband. She writes so beautifully, posts gorgeous images, and creates this magical fairytale life out of the everyday occurrences of being a wife and mother. It’s fabulous. Two months ago NieNie and her husband were hospitalized after a horrible plane crash. Now her family reposts favorite posts of Nie’s and get people to donate to her recovery fund. I highly recommend checking it out, whether you plan on donating or not. Her outlook on life and lovely posts will at least be uplifting to read. It is amazing.



This morning I participated in a 5k “Run for Nie” on Grandview. I ran and appreciated the ability I have to do so. I was grateful for my health and prayed for Nie, her recovery, and her family. It was touching to see so many people come show their support. Her sisters and mom were there. I am pretty sure I saw Mindy Gledhill as well, who knows Nie and is doing a benefit concert in Mesa next weekend for her. I was a little starstruck by the LDS singer and blog-stars. :) Before the race, I made friends with a nice girl named Brooke. We talked a bit, but when we started running we parted ways. Brooke, thanks for talking with me so I didn’t feel like a loser standing there by myself. I saw you cross the finish line as i was getting in my car and I cheered for you!

Tonight, pray for Nie.

Today, I...

...listened to every song i have by The Weepies. Skipped working out on purpose, even though i had time. Read my latest favorite blog. Did some work and spent most of my day on a project I will describe below. Made enchiladas for Klane and his team.

It is fall break for me and UVU, and Klane is busy busy busy. He's on multiple teams at the ad lab and everything seems to be due monday. The timing couldn't be worse for my mid-semester break but it has been nice to not have to get up early to run between school and work all day. I decided to take Elder Uchdorf's advice from the General RS Meeting to create something. I headed to DI to get some cheeeeeeap frames, Home Depot for spray paint, my computer for my favorite pictures, and set to creating. Before/After pics follow:





I was loosely basing it off these images from Pottery Barn:



The best part? On ten new frames of all sizes, plus paint, I spent a total of $22.50. The price of one 4x6" frame from Pottery Barn? $29. I feel like I've won some sort of competition: Angie versus the overpriced home decor industry.

On another note, this lyric caught my ear today:

Let me assure you friend

Every day is ice cream and chocolate cake

And what you make of it, let me say

You get what you take from it so be amazed

And never stop, never stop, never stop

You gotta be brave

'Cause all this beauty

You might have to close your eyes

And slowly open wide

And watch the sun rise

-All This Beauty, The Weepies

Family

On Sunday we got together with our best family friends, the Markhams, for our Alaska reunion party. We go to Alaska with them every August and then try to get together in the fall up at the cabin. They also have a cabin just a few up from us and are the reason we built ours where we did. Now we are cabin neighbors! We love the Markhams, they are like family to us. Whenever we get together there is always great food, good conversation and a lot of laughter. This was no exception and we had such a fun evening. We decided it would be fun to take some family pictures for Christmas cards, and I think they turned out great! It was freezing but you can't tell looking at the pics. Click above to check us out.

Sundance Weekend

Klane and I headed to Sundance for a nice little overnighter a couple weeks ago. It's always nice to escape up there; there are less distractions and you feel kind of secluded. Any time of year, it is always beautiful at Sundance. We took a hike to see the fall leaves and play with the camera. Click for pics! It seems like the fall leaves never last as long as you want them to. But each season is new and different. Bring on the snow!! (Which seems to be coming quick!)

Mike + Sara

It finally came! Mike and Sara were married this weekend. It was such a beautiful temple sealing and a perfect day; everything about the wedding turned out gorgeous. Their awesome photographer, Dan Hixson, was nice enough to let me follow him around and take candids of the lovely couple. We absolutely love Mr. and Mrs. Harding and we are so excited for them. Click the picture for more from their big day.

I heart NY

Klane is starting to compile his portfolio to apply for internships this summer. We will be spending 6-12 weeks living in either Chicago , LA or NYC. Can you guess what my vote is? :) Really we would be super excited for any option. If they offer him a job at the end of the internship we may end up being out there longer, but we'll jump through that hoop when we get to it. Applications are due Nov. 3 and we will find out by December where we'll be going. What an adventure! We can't wait to explore a new city, see the sights, try the food, meet interesting people and if we go to New York, SHOP.

It's all in the details...

Oh, fun! We threw a beautiful bridal shower for my wonderful soon to be sister-in-law, Sara. I love you Sara! Can't wait to be officially related to this girl, and officially neighbors at Wymount. Anyway, when I say "we" threw a shower, really a lot of the credit for the amazing beautifulness of the whole thing was thanks to the dynamic party planning duo: Kaylene and Monette. Put these two together, along with the help of Lauren (official party planning goddess) and something amazing will always result. It was just that, and everyone had a great time. Delicious food, beautiful decor, awesome "get to know your fiance" game by Annie, and good company. The secret to beautiful party planning success? Details, details, details! Check out the pics to see what I mean.

Quick Powell Trip

I've never been to Lake Powell on an overnighter, so this past weekend was a first for me! We ran down to the lake with my family on Friday morning to ski and surf for the extended weekend. We had a blast while the weather lasted, but after listening to the weather report Friday night, we decided to head home the next day. There were thunder storms from Saturday night to Monday afternoon! Shoot! But we made the most of our time there and it was really a blast. We relocated to the cabin where we spent the rest of the rainy but beautiful weekend.
Click the pic for more.