I am very happy now

I spoke with my husband and my children about this new tradition i was wanted to make for our family and they are ALL for it!!! I could not be prouder!! I feel a great sense of peace that I have a family that is willing to make these changes with a happy and enjoyable attitude. I was afraid I would wind up having to drag them through this and make them have fun before they realized what a blessing we would be giving ourselves.
I could not be more proud of ALL of my boys!!
I love them so much I can not begin to explain how my heart swelled with pride at there reactions to this up coming change!!! I am sooooo very proud to be a part of my family!!!!
Love You
(Now the hard part breaking to Grandma that we wont be around on Christmas day. Sorry mom, we need to do this for us.)

Making happy family MEMORIES

Now before I get started on this I want everyone who reads this to understand that I am frustrated with many aspects of life in general. I have also not discussed this with my husband, so my idea in theory may sound fine but in actuality it may be a stinker . So keep that in mind while you read further.

I have felt for many years that my family especially, has spent too much time and energy focusing on the wrong things from the holidays. I have found that even though we have scaled back ALOT on our children's Christmas and we don't exchange gifts as a couple that we are still missing the important picture that comes from this up coming season of giving and love, and sacrifices from our Heavenly Father and Jesus.
So my idea is that we don't exchange gifts with each other on Christmas day. We do a FAMILY activity on that day. Just my family doing something we don't normally do through out the year. Something special to get back to basics. It will cost less then going out and buying gifts that will be broken or tossed in a corner or worn out in a few hours,days, weeks, or even months.
I want to give my children the gift of MEMORIES for Christmas this year and every year to come. I want to give my children the gift of FAMILY. I want to give my children something that I honestly don't think they have had before.
* I know that my children have many memories some of them are good. But most of them are of Jason and I making these great plans that never seem to come true. I have disappointed my children far too much over the course of there lives.And now I have come to ANOTHER cross road in my families life and I really have to re-evaluate what I want my children to take away from there childhood. Which the time for there childhood is rapidly running out on us and there's not a thing I can do about it.
I also want to teach my children about giving. I want to do something that requires them to give of themselves to some who is in need. I want them to understand that we don't NEED anything on Christmas but each other. I want them to get that happy feeling when you take someone food who may not have it for Thanksgiving. I want them to understand that money will come and go and that time will pass you and soon you will be an adult and the choices you make in childhood shape who you are as in adult.
I lived in the illusion that "Julie land " was real. That everything Julie wanted was waiting for me there. Also that all I had to do was wait till adulthood. In my adulthood "Julie land became more and more far fetched. I realized that it only existed in my mind from childhood.I have a chance now to make a real " Family Land" Its a chance to make a difference for my children. For myself. I want my children to have everything they need "spiritually, physically, mentally and family"

I don't know if any of this makes since to anyone who's reading it. But I am tired of keeping up with all the trends, telling my children "no you have to wait for Christmas" and then not being able to deliver everything there heart desires. I am tired of trying to budget Christmas in.
And I have come to the point where I just want to say "BAH HUM BUG" I don't want to pass that anger onto my children . I want to pass on something different.Something worth more then money. My time, my love, happy ,fun, memories.
For my sanity, for my children's well being I will not be sending out ANY Christmas gifts this year. I expect those of you who were thinking of sending or giving us something to take that money,or what ever and give a gift to someone in your ward who has the need. Or take that money and do something with your family and make memories of your own.
We have such a short time with our children and I have waisted enough time on monetary gifts. I want to waste what time I have left with them by giving them MEMORIES ;that's priceless.
So please no gifts to us this year . We will share some of our memories in a New Years letter, and your gift to us could be to read it and be happy for the memories we are making as a FAMILY.
I am serious about this. I will find a way to bring Jason over to my side if its that last thing I do.
I love each and everyone of in my own way. I want you to know also that if we can make family memories with you that those will also be PRICELESS as well and we look forward to them. So please have a VERY Memorable HOLIDAY SEASON.
Love you all
Julie

I am OUTRAGED!!!!!

I can not believe how naive I am. I know that I don't follow politics. But I do that on purpose. I usually figure everything out right before elections.

I was at my moms house and, I will admit I was only half listening, I heard the phrase "Partial birth abortions." I looked up to see if I heard what they were saying correctly, and to my horror; I had. I looked at Joe and Trecia with ignorance on my face and asked the dreaded question " what... is.... that?" They both looked at me like I was joking at first and then quickly realized I wasn't and then explained what it was.

For those of you who are as ignorant as I was yesterday;

A Partial Birth Abortion is:

A induced birth after the 20th wk of pregnancy. Its a breach delivery. The "doctors" take a sharp instrument and put it through the skull of the "fetus" and then remove the brain with a suctioning tool to collapse the skull in on itself. And then to deliver the dead baby.(sometimes not dead)

I did use far nicer terms then I heard yesterday. But I am still very angry with this.

You may or may not know that my last child was born and survived after only 28 wks and 6 days. From my understanding of the things I have looked up that some "doctors " are doing this as late as the 9th mnth.

I am ALL for giving people the rights that we all deserve but at what ex pence?

I do believe that one of the 10 commandments is " Thou Shalt Not Kill" I know also there should be a separation between church and state. But religious or not isn't killing someone still killing someone?

I don't care what these people think they are accomplishing but what ever happened to "taking responsibility for your actions NO MATTER WHAT the consequences are" I know that I may not be the most responsible person and I know that I have made mistakes in my past and for those I will be judged and I hope for the BIG things I will be Judged harshly for them because between my Savior and myself we know how bad some of those things were. But I can hold my head high and say that I will take whats coming because I deserve it for my actions. I am not saying that you are a bad person if you have had an abortion. I am sure you had good reasons for what you have done. I am not here to judge ANYONE. I am just hoping that if you have done any of these things that you can live with the choices you made. (no matter what the reasons for them)

I just have a hard time wrapping my head around something like a "Partial Birth Abortion"

I think they should call it what it really is " Population Control" "Murder" "Physical Abuse" "Manslaughter" I could go on and on but I am tired of thinking about this so I will say goodbye for now.

This is just my opinion take it for what it is ; or don't, its your life can you live with it?