The Land of 10,000 lakes

I obviously can't stop thinking about leaving on my mission--especially during this lame time with school and no spring break.  So I wikipedia'd Minnesota and came to find these interesting facts:
1. Minnesota means "sky-tinted water" in Dakota
2. Minnesota is known for its relatively mixed social and political orientations, and has a high rate of civic participation and voter turnout.
3. Minnesota ranks among the most healthiest states, and has a highly literate population.
4. Minnesotans have low rates of premature death, infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, and occupational facilities, long life expectancies, and a high rate of health insurance. 
5. Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry--high voter turnout.
I just love this place already.  I am so very excited. I honestly can't wait any longer! I'm scared out of my mind, but I know it will be the best experience I will need for my future family.  Oh boy! I love the gospel! I love Minnesota! I love recreation (which there is a lot of in Minnesota--whoo whoo!!).

 This picture is beautiful. I like it just because.

Women are awesome: And other things you (men) need to know.

So recently I had a very good discussion with my roommates about how women are looked down upon and treated horribly in a lot of societies.  It's easy to see in our society as well, although they are disrespected in different ways.  I started reading this book called "Half the Sky." It's about women oppression throughout the world.  It has horrible accounts of women who have been mistreated and their lives in general.  It really opened my eyes to a lot... There is nothing that bothers me more than to see or hear a man mistreat or demean a women in any way.  Pornography is one of those ways.  I can't stand the fact that women are being treated and used as objects rather than people and it bugs me that some women only see themselves as making a difference in the world through their looks.  There is so much more to you than your body! Elder Ballard in a talk I loved said this:

"It is, unfortunately, all too easy to illustrate the confusion and distortion of womanhood in contemporary society. Immodest, immoral, intemperate women jam the airwaves, monopolize magazines, and slink across movie screens—all while being celebrated by the world... Popular culture today often makes women look silly, inconsequential, mindless, and powerless. It objectifies them and disrespects them and then suggests that they are able to leave their mark on mankind only by seduction—easily the most pervasively dangerous message the adversary sends to women about themselves."

Our society almost always celebrates women's sensual side rather than who they truly are as daughters of God.  The misconception and demeaning of women is honestly the one thing that makes my blood boil the most! So, to all you women out there--YOU ARE DAUGHTERS OF GOD. You have every right to be treated fairly.  This quote by President Hinckley will wrap up my rant nicely: 

"There are some men who, in a spirit of arrogance, think they are superior to women. They do not seem to realize that they would not exist but for the mother who gave them birth. When they assert their superiority they demean her...Every woman is a daughter of God. You cannot offend her without offending Him."  

In conclusion, boys/men-don't you dare think about mistreating a women/girl.  You will have to answer to Him. Whenever I am frustrated or feeling the burden of having to be what society says I should be I listen to this song and it puts everything into perspective.  See yourself as your Father in Heaven sees you.  You are important to Him.

On a funny note, my roommate (thanks Taryn) shared with us these funny emails she had from several years ago and they fit so nicely with my rant:

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and
3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play
two sports
and either take music or dance classes.  They will also attend cubs, brownies, sea cadets or similar.

There is no fast food.

Each man must:
take care of his 3 children,
keep his assigned house clean,
correct all homework,
and complete science projects,
also, cook, do laundry,
and pay a list of 'pretend' bills
with not enough money.

In addition, each man
will have to budget in money
for groceries each week.

Eac h man
must remember the birthdays
of all their friends and relatives,
and send cards out
on time--no emailing.

Each man must also
take each child to a doctor's appointment,
a dentist appointment
and a haircut appointment.

He must make
one unscheduled and inconvenient
visit per child
to A & E 

He must also
make gingerbread men or choc chip cakes
for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for
decorating his own assigned house,
planting flowers outside
and keeping it presentable
at all times.

The men will only
have access to television
when the kids are asleep
and all chores are done.

The men must
shave their legs,
wear makeup daily,
adorn  themselves  with jewellery,
wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,
keep fingernails polished
and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks,
the men will have to endure severe abdominal pain, persistent lower back aches,
and have extreme, unexplained mood swings, but never once complain or
slow down from other duties.

They must attend
weekly school meetings, concerts & plays, church, and find time
at least once a week, to spend the afternoon 
in the park or a similar setting.

They will need to
read a book to the kids
each night and in the morning,
feed them, dress them,
brush their teeth and
comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: 
each child's birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size, teachers name, best friends name and doctor's name.
Also the child's weight at birth, 
time of birth,
and length of labor,
each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear and
what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island
based on performance.
The last man wins only if...
he still has enough energy
to be intimate with his spouse
at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win,
he can play the game over and over
and over again for the next 18-25 years
eventually earning the right
To be called Mother!

And my personal Favorite: 

Woman has Man in it;

Mrs. Has Mr . In it;

Female has Male in it;

She has He in it;

Madam has Adam in it;

Okay, it all makes sense now...

I never looked at it this way before:

MEN tal illness

MEN strual cramps

MEN tal breakdown

MEN opause

GUY ne cologist

AND .

When we have REAL trouble, it's a

HIS terectomy .

Ever notice how all of women's problems start with MEN?

And to top it all off: this is what I want to be able to say to my spouse when we are old:

"In our old age my beloved companion said to me quietly one evening, 'You have always given me wings to fly, and I have loved you for it.'" -President Hinckley

(aren't they adorable?!)

The. End.

Story of My Life

Enough Said.