First Snow and Building a Snowman

 The kids were excited when it snowed for the first time this season. We had to get out fast though, before it all melted. They really wanted to build a snowman, but the snow didn't want to stick together.

A week or so later, we had a better snowstorm that left us with about 6 inches of snow. The kids had fun making snow angels, and throwing snowballs.

 

This snow was perfect for building a snowman! We built a nice looking snowman and P1 named it after himself.

 

 

The kids loved their snowman so much that they had to give him a hug.

#LIGHTtheWORLD Paper Chain Countdown to Christmas

The #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign is meant to bring more light into the world during this Christmas Season. It gives us specific ways we can follow Jesus Christ in 25 ways, over 25 days.

I made this double-sided paper chain countdown for my children. My 4 year old son keeps asking how many days until Christmas, and this works out perfectly! At the beginning of each day, we will take one off and read the back. We will look up the scripture and think of what we can do that day to follow Jesus. If we need ideas, then we can go here.

Here is the printable pdf you can download:

Thanksgiving

We made our Thanksgiving Tree again this year. The kids really like getting a leaf each night and deciding what they are grateful for that day.

P1 leaves included: Thomas, Christmas, Mom, Food, Drinks, Bucky, Jesus toy (Nativity), Dad fixing Jake, Treats.

P2 leaves included: Thomas, Going Potty, Sofia toys, Food, TV, Jolly Roger, Thomas (again), Dad, Jesus.

We had a laid back Thanksgiving at my parent's house. A few of my aunts, uncles, and cousins were there. The food was delicious as always. P1 didn't eat much, so he didn't get any pie. But he was too busy playing to care. It was nice not to have to cook a whole Thanksgiving feast from scratch this year.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Campaigning

Well, I have never much cared for politics and would never have guessed how involved I would get this year. But I had a really good experience. In an election that was filled with darkness, I found a presidential platform that filled me with hope and joy.

My aunt invited me to a small gathering at former Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell's home where we meet Evan McMullin in person. It was an honor to meet him. 

How Did It Come To This?

The results of our Presidential Election shocked the world. A Trump presidency will begin in January. Many are wondering how did it come to this?

Trump tapped into the built-up anger that currently resides in many Americans. So the real question is why are our citizens so angry, and why has it been allowed to fester?

I believe that the 2 party system is at the root of our anger. Our current system consists of the Republicans and the Democrats vying for control each election cycle. When the Republicans are in power, they force their agenda on all of America. Likewise when the Democrats are in control, they force their agenda on all Americans. This means that about half of the citizens are angry at the government at any given time.

Contrary to popular belief, the solution is not to wait until your party is in control to make things the way you want. That only continues the cycle of anger which has led us to a Trump presidency.

The solution is to bring power back to the States where it belongs according to the 10th amendment. Trying to force  one-size-fits-all policies on 325 million people has led to anger and resentment towards the government. It doesn't work.

Liberty creates diversity, and so we are a land of both. We have to recognize and embrace the diversity that exists in America. When the power is brought back to the States, it gives citizens the opportunity to work together towards solutions that work best for their communities. This empowers the citizens and reduces the anger towards government.

We embrace diversity when we seek a fairness for all approach in our communities. We listen to understand what is important to our neighbors. We ask questions. We show respect and kindness to all. We never assume that our way is the only right way.

A new conservative movement began 3 months ago when Evan McMullin entered the presidential race. It did not end on Election Day; we will continue to stand up for liberty and diversity. This movement embraces these ideas that our country so desperately needs. I encourage you to join the effort and help it spread across the nation.

Let us show Trump that we are a united nation that he may lead but not control. Let us stand up together when any citizen is attacked. Let us make America kind again.

United

My generation (yes, I am a millennial) has a lot of apathy for politics. Most of us think the system is broken and that our voice won't make a difference. We want a restart, a new generation of leaders. We recognize how corrosive, divisive, and even childish the 2 party-system has become. Yet the 2 party-system has also convinced us that we are powerless, that our votes belong to a party not to ourselves. All of this combines to make many millennials not even want to vote. At best, we are reluctant participants.

But the McMullin campaign has tapped into millennial voters. Many, if not most, of his supporters are millennials. And they are excited about it!!! They are the ones that gathered signatures to get Evan McMullin ballot access. They are the ones funding billboards all over the country. They are the ones knocking on doors, handing out fliers, donating their money, and making phone calls. They are the ones creating videos and images and sharing them all across social media. This campaign is truly a grassroots campaign. Others may claim that (Clinton for example), but this is what a grassroots campaign is all about. It is about the people.

What has us so excited? It is the message of this new conservative movement.

Imagine a political party who's platform consists of 3 things:

• First and foremost, we believe in the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 
• Second, we believe that liberty creates diversity and so we must pursue a fairness for all approach. We are willing to sit down, listen with respect, and reach across the table to find solutions that are fair to all in our communities. 
• Third, we believe that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people (10th Amendment). Power at the State level is more accountable to the people.

That's it. Three central beliefs.

At my last caucus meeting, we had to read through our platform. Page after page after page was read. Detailed positions on immigration, taxes, education, abortion, environment, etc. But the problem is that very few people believe in every position that their platform states. We are just supposed to pick which of the 2 parties best aligns with our beliefs. More and more, the Republican Party is simply anti-Democrats, and the Democratic Party is anti-Republican in their positions. It is dividing our country and holding us back. It is time for our politics to grow up and stop this childish nonsense of "my way or the highway."

McMullin's views on issues may or may not agree with yours. But the great thing is that they don't have to! He is advocating for the power of government to be given back to the people, back to you. So that your views can be heard and incorporated into solutions for your community.

Why do I support Evan McMullin? Because he has helped me to see a brighter future for our country. One where we are united as one nation with liberty and justice for all. I see a new party on the horizon, and I hope they call it United.

Halloween

We visited Great-Grandma and went trick-or-treating at her assisted living center. P1 dressed as Jake, and P2 dressed as Tinkerbell.

 Our ward had a fun Halloween party, complete with a trunk-or-treat. We had a chili cook-off, and we brought a muffin tin to sample all the different chilies. Everyone thought that was a great idea. This time P1 dressed up as Peter Pan.

On Halloween night, we went trick-or-treating around our own neighborhood. And our neighborhood is AWESOME at Halloween. There was one neighbor who grill hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone. They have a bonfire and music playing. All the neighbors seemed to congregate there, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. There were lots of families out trick-or-treating and we were worried we would run out of candy! All in all, it was very enjoyable!