My Personal Opinions

So a few days ago I was reading an article on the issue of Gay Marriage, and what was going on w/ a court case out here in California. I was thinking about posting a blog about my opinions on the matter, and decided against it. Yesterday I was disgusted when I read an article about a 14 year old wanted by the cops for stabbing his 13 year old girlfriend. I thought that was bad enough until it also stated that the "couple" has a 1.5 year old daughter together. That makes her prego at 11!!!!! So today while painting my new entertainment stand, I was thinking the two topics over in my head and decided, I'm going to post a blog about both. Here it goes, and please remember this is just my opinion.

Gay Marriage doesn't really concern me, and I think more people should really mind their own business about it. The current arguement is that gays aren't recieving their full american right because they can not choose to get married. Others say that it is a moral issue, they are concerned for the children, etc etc, WAKE UP PEOPLE.... I think this is really the least of our worries as a society. You want to say that gay marriage is going to affect the moral make up of society...umm You have 11 year olds getting PREGNANT right now ...I think morals have already gone out the window. You say that its going to affect children.... really? straight people, married or not married already are f**king up our children. Where were the parents of these two teenagers that they could have sex at age 11? or that he could stab her in your own home?
This is my biggest one... how about SEPERATION of CHURCH and STATE. I want to hear one arguement on why gay marriage should not be legalized w/o anyone using any religious or moral reasoning; because would there be anything such as morals w/ out the existence of religion? If your "religion" doesn't allow gay marriage...then thats ur religions beliefs and they aren't trying to get married in your church. But your religion shouldn't be able to dictate what goes on down at the court house. That would be like a county D.A. coming and saying oh you can't be baptized, I don't think that would fly.

As for Gay Marriage/couples and children... I say go for it. I think it's great, for multiple reasons A) they are choosing to have a child, and going thru a much tougher process then just sex to achieve that goal. I think that makes it more likely for them to be good parents then the couple that got drunk, or just didn't use protection, and now are "staying together for the child". Trust me on this one, that one probably isn't going to work out too well.
B) more people in today's world need to be taught to respect others, no matter what the differences and to accept that everyone is different. I think a child raised by a same sex couple will learn those lessons everyday and be a better person for it, a more understanding, compassionate person.
C) There are so many children out there that need to find a good family to take them in, love them, and raise them. Why are you now witholding that opportunity from a deserving child just because the parents would be two people of the same sex? I don't find that to be very moral.


Now this 13 and 14 year old situation got me thinking. It is illegal for someone over the age of 18 to have sex w/ someone under the age of 16; and similarly 21 to 18. Why not just make it illegal to have sex until your 18???!???
You can't drive a car until your 16; you aren't a legal adult until the age of 18, why are you allowed to have babies under the age of 18?
Some are going to argue that there is no way to enforce that law. Well how do they enforce the laws regarding sex w/ a minor?
I think that those CHILDREN should have been required to give that baby up for adoption. And I think that the PARENTS of those CHILDREN should have been punished, and had their kids taken from them, and hopefully given to someone that can teach them not to have sex at 10 and 11 years old.
I blame society and the government on this one, along of course w/ the parents; and it all leads back to money. Everyone wants to make money, be rich, blah blah blah. And because of it, education is suffering, schools and teaching stinks. Teachers are losing jobs left and right. You cannot take away the education of children and expect our world to go anywhere in the future. I think education and learning should be where the majority of the money in this country is going. I don't think gov't officials should make six figures. As a gov't official you should be working for the people, with the people, not living a lavish lifestyle at our expense.

I had to do a project in fourth grade, stating what I would do if I was President of the United States. Of course at that age I gave everyone candy, and extended kids' bedtimes. Now, I would put a salary cap on all gov't workers so no one would make more then 100k a year, including the President. We would not be paying Presidents for the rest of their lives, or providing them w/ bodyguards. If you have to worry about assassination after leaving office, then you probably sucked as President. Welfare would be revised and become a limited time deal. Abortion would be illegal except in cases of rape, and medical emergency. Education, Education, Education!!! not to be corny but the children are our future and right now it's looking bleak from where I'm standing. Military wise, I'm not trying to be everyone's mom, other countries need to stand up for themselves. Or if we are going to be the big bad bully that keeps everyone in line, then you better start giving us lunch money cause it's not cheap and our protection isn't free. I'm tired of being in everyone else's business and trying to help out everyone else. There are enough issues going on in our own country that we need to take care of before we go helping everyone else. This needs to be a working man's world, not a rich man's world.


ok... well I think that's it for now... please feel free to comment and post your opinions. I always like a good MATURE discussion.

Baby # 2???!!??

So I'm in a tough spot. Should I have another baby right now? Shawn and I really want another. My heart is saying yes, my head is telling me no. I am as always overly analytical. There are a lot of reasons to not have one right now. Money, school, jobs, the economy etc etc. But whatever is meant to be will be right? If I am meant to have another baby right now, as Shawn gets ready to deploy then it will happen. Should I stop preventing things? and just leave it in God's hands to decide if I should become pregers or not???? My biggest concern is to let my head overrule my heart and have something happen. If something, God forbid, happened to Shawn, and I gave up the chance to have his child, I don't know how I would forgive myself.

What would you do if you were in my situation????

MY MAN

So this post may be a tad long...but the topic is so worth it! I've basically been doing a lot of reflecting on my life, and in efforts to remain positive and moving forward, have been focusing on all the great things I have in my life. The main one, other then Madelynn, being Shawn! This is also a result of starting to process our upcoming Deployment. I do want to discuss my emotions for this big event, and what it means to me, but I am going to save that for another blog.

Growing up I've had various examples of good and bad relationships. I've created my own opinion on what makes a good significant other and a lasting relationship by combining bits and pieces of things I've seen, experienced growing up, and have learned by being proactive in doing retreats, reading books, and examing myself for who I truly am, what I need and what I have to offer. I think the strongest lessons to come w/ me from my childhood is that a great man will cherish you, respect you and treat you like a WOMAN. To look for someone w/ good morals, and that was raised to be a gentleman. However my favorite advice of all is " The best thing a Father can do for his children, is love their mother". That all being said... onto the real reason I am writing this.

I'm going to be honest and call myself out on this, it is so much easier for me to pick out and voice my annoyances or dislikes. I am determined to stop this, we have really been working lately on using good communication and forming good habits for expressing ourselves thanks to a wonderful couples retreat we recently attended. This is my motivation for writing this. I don't know if I can actually express enough how grateful I am for Shawn and everthing he does, but I want to attempt to do so right now.

Without knowing it, without looking for it, I found the guy that I was told about growing up, and had been starting to think didn't exist. We are so opposite sometimes it's frustrating, but in truth it's the only way it could work. I never pump gas or carry anything when he is with me(unless I'm in my stubborn, I am woman hear me roar mode). I cook dinner, he does the dishes automatically. If I am working around the house, he's in my ear asking me over and over what he can do to help until I give him something to do to get him out of my hair! =)~ He loves being toasty warm when sleeping, but sleeps w/ the windows open cause I hate being hot. He understands that I am OCD, that I need to be in control of certain aspects of my life, and ours together, and just says Ok, whatever makes you happy. He respects me enough to want my opinion in his career decisions. He supports me in any decision I make and wants me to do whatever makes me happy. He is everything I want, and didn't know I needed in my life.

Shawn's selflessness, committment to our relationship, acceptance of all my good and bad qualities, unconditional love for Madelynn and I, and his positivity when facing any obstacle we may be presented with, ASTOUNDS me. I am so blessed to have such a man, and can only hope to be deserving of him and an equally great partner for him. I told him recently that I don't think I tell him enough how much he means to me, and how much I appreciate him. So I wanted to shout it from the mountain tops and put it into words for all to see.

So here's to SHAWN! for everything he does and the man he is for me. For making me part of that great group of women who have found an AMAZING MAN that loves and cherishes them. I love you, you are imprinted into my life and heart forever. You are my other half, you have filled that hole that's been in my life/heart and now, without you I'd be lost. MUAH!

Starting MY Deployment "Workups"

And so it has begun, I've started the deployment cycle of emotions (if you don't know what that is please contact me for the next LINKS session! haha). I have countdown's on my computer desktop, which is really kind of sadistic if you think about it. Here's something thats coming that I want to keep pushing back but I'm counting down the days, why do I torture myself?
Today we spent the morning at the indoor play place called playwerks in Carlsbad. Shawn invited his buddy to go w/ to chase Madelynn thru the tunnels, fantastic for me cause that means I can sit on the couches, not get sweaty and take cute pictures whenever the opportunity presents itself. But now we are home, and they are playing Mario Cart...whooohoo!! Did he not see my facebook status saying we only have 10 weekends together? For gosh sakes, Madelynn is napping right now, we could be doing so many better things then playing Mario Kart... like... giving me a back massage! since I will soon be deprived of them (please note that most of this is my sarcastic funny side, and I'm not really all that upset that his friend is here, or that he's not slaving away over my poor achy back muscles! =))
So now I've decided that I'm going to go get a pedicure since he is otherwise occupied, then I will use them as babysitters and have some peace and quiet while being pampered (yet I still sit here typing this blog). Except I am going to go ahead and continue to punish myself because after going on the Barnes n Nobles website, and looking up some great books about being involved w/ a military man and going thru a deployment, I am going to take my book "while he's away" that I can't get thru chapter 2 of w/o crying w/ me to get my pedicure.
This is my sick and twisted way of torturing myself and facing reality. Toughening me up you can say for when it actually happens. And see this all backfires cause then I act all tough when I say goodbye to him, watch him walk away while staying strong, just so I can sob into my steering wheel and wonder if I remembered to tell him I loved him before he left. (or at least thats what I did when he left for a MONTH for Korea.... what a wuss)

This is not my first deployment, I'm not a boot, to use one of Shawn's favorite words! haha. But it is my first one w/ a child, which I don't know why that should matter, cause I did the first eight months on my own, so now I'm thinking I'm just super super spoiled cause I've had help for the last year and I don't wanna go back to being a single parent!!!!!!! Ok really...I'm quite confident in my ability to power thru this wonderful journey that the Marine Corps takes us on. I'm a bada** chick, but I figure I might as well take advantage of my free "have some sort of breakdown or cry fest" card that every military significant other is entitled too at some point if not for the majority of various deployments.

On a good note for today, a Marine buddy who's getting restationed at Pendleton is more then likely moving into our Apartment complex. This is fantastic because I am so overly paranoid w/ severe anxiety of being robbed or something. Really to see inside my head when I'm having these episodes....it's crazy. I will have to save that topic for another blog! Please look for it cause it's sure to be comical. So at least now I know that I may have someone a building away to come scare away the monsters!!! For Madelynn of course!

All right well... off to the nail place for my relaxing pedicure w/ my sobby emotional book. I'm sure it will only give me more to add here later!!! =)

My First Blog

So first and foremost I feel that I must thank my new found KOOKY friend for giving me the idea to start a blog, I have left her nameless for her safety just in case a few of you end up wishing I was never given the idea to do this! =)~

I must also warn that, in case you don't know me very well, I am extremely opinionated. I feel that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that certian places, i.e Facebook status's are not the place to express some of them. So I have decided that I am going to express myself here, and you then have the option to read or not read it.

I would like to explain the name of my blog. In college, my freshman year at Indiana State University, I had the priviledge of living in "the Burf" or Burford hall. I lived on an all girl floor, and over the course of the year created what was called "Story time w/ Tracy" w a few girls down the hall. Story time w/ Tracy usually took place once or twice a week, depending on what was happening w/ me at the time, and how much free time we had to spare. We would set up a stool in the middle of Jordan and Meghan's dorm room where I could sit and talk for usually hours about the crazy going ons in my life for that week. It's one of my favorite memories for me, and I have to admit I am quite a story teller. So I've decided to re-create Story time w/ Tracy and hopefully it will end up as amusing and fun now as it was back then.

Well...here we go!