Trying to get motivated...

Last January Ken and I got really motivated to lose some weight. We both did well. Ken lost 20 pounds and I lost 25 pounds. However, somewhere around early June we ran out of steam. We both gained back a little over the next 6 months, but not too bad.

This January we thought we would give it another shot. I am having a difficult time getting motivated when I am hoping to get pregnant soon. But I thought I might as well work on it while I can. We just finished the first week of phase one of the South Beach Diet. We both lost 5 and a half pounds. Not too shabby, says I. I am now lower than my low of last year. In fact, I am at my lowest for the last about 4 years. Now I just have to keep it up. I know it will be a long process to get down to where I really want to be (Ken will be there in a few weeks -- ugh!) but I just need to keep heading in the right direction. That is the goal, for now.

Now I just need to find time to work out. Any tips from you busy moms on how to find the time?

Debate tonight...

...on CNN at 6:00 (my time). Should be interesting. Make sure you tune in.

I am bummed...

Well, last night was tough. A big blow to the conservative movement. I pray (literally) that Mitt can rally and that conservatives will rally around him. His message is right on about changing Washington. We need him in the White House!

One thing this election has made me realize is how conservative I am. I always knew I was pretty socially conservative, but now I am beginning to understand the genius of Reagan -- strong family, strong military, and strong economy.

For those of you in the Denver area, Mitt is having a rally on Friday. It is at 2:00 down in Aurora. It will be incredible to see and hear him in person. Let me know if you want more information. I am sure we will also have a couple cars from this area going down, if you would like to carpool.

Mitt in '08!!!! (more than ever)

President Hinckley

My eyes are red and tender from crying. We found out about an hour ago that our beloved President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away this evening. I love him so very much and I will miss his wisdom, testimony, and humor. I thank him for all he has taught me. How blessed we have been to have this dear man as our prophet. I have a strong testimony that President Hinckley was called by God to lead His church on the earth. I sustained him as a prophet, seer, and revelator. I will miss him but rejoice that he is now reunited with the love of his life, Marjorie. God be with you until we meet again...

Not quite as bloody as I thought it would be...

Almost done with my second time through tonight's MSNBC Florida debate. First off, Mitt hit it out of the park. When even the liberal pundits talk about how good he was, you have to realize he was superb! He had a great balance of some fantastic sound bites ("General Hillary," "Can't imagine Bill back in the White House with nothing to do...") with detailed policy. He answered the questions clearly and really sold his message. On the economy he was amazing, as I would expect him to be. His prowess in that area contrasted significantly to McCain's lack of knowledge on the subject -- he totally looked lost at some points.

I was really impressed with Mitt. I was somewhat surprised that the other candidates didn't take him on more. Apparently Brian Williams and Tim Russert also wanted a little more blood and then asked Mitt three questions in a row (spending his own money in his campaign, the "Mormon question," and taking on Bill and Hillary in the fall). Seriously, look up the transcript or watch it on on youtube.

The winners (and losers) as I see it...
1. Mitt
2. Rudy
3. Ron Paul
4. McCain
5. Huckabee (this guy talks more and says less than anyone I can think of!)

Florida is in just a few days. It has got to be "go big or go home" time!

It's official...

Fred's out.

Maybe Ken is right...

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I'll say it again. It takes a lot of time to be informed. That is the case in both politics and keeping up with my wonderful blogging friends and family.

Something other than politics...

I had a friend wonder if I was going to write about anything other than politics. I guess I am pretty focused on the presidential race. I believe this is such an important election that I spend a lot of time on the computer reading everything I can get my hands on. As I tell Ken, when he mentions my "addiction," it takes a lot of time to be informed. :)

In any case, I am still doing many things other than sitting here in front of the computer. Besides teaching 20 voice students I am still taking lessons myself. I am really enjoying that and having so much fun discovering my voice. I had been wandering in that area for a long time (12 years or so). Mary Ann is a wonderful teacher and I am so grateful for her help and feedback. I feel I am making progress. I hope it will get me closer to my plan of getting back on the stage when my kids are a bit older.

My last lesson I got the chance to do several songs from Wicked. I have been working on "The Wizard and I" for a few months. I am almost there and getting to the polishing point. My mix is coming much easier and I am starting to feel more comfortable on the piece. I am now starting to work on "Defying Gravity." To be honest, that song is pretty scary to me, but Mary Ann thinks my voice will be great in that song. I'll keep you updated on how it is going...

I also had the chance to do my favorite song from Wicked, "I'm Not That Girl." This was the first time I got to do it for my lesson. When I first started the song I was "channeling" (as Mary Ann said) that sweet voice used in the recording. She then helped me get more connected and sing with my full voice, nice and easy, but still connected down to my chest. Here is a link so you can listen to that part of my lesson. (I'm sorry I have not figured out how to get it into an audio player. I will continue to work on that.)

http://www.mediafire.com/?czysvjyn4tj

I totally love this song! I know exactly how Elphaba feels here. I mean, what girl doesn't know what it feels like to have the boy she loves, choose someone else? I remember what that feels like and it is so easy to let that emotion show through while I sing it. It breaks my heart and I can totally connect with that emotion. It is not a showstopper like some of the other songs in the show, but it is my favorite.

Exciting weekend...

Saturday was a great day! Romney was able to win the Nevada caucus with a stunning 51% of the vote. Can you say landslide? I am hearing a lot of spin from the MSM that his win, that includes more delegates that South Carolina, does not count as much as McCain's win in SC. I don't really get that. They keep saying it was uncontested. Bologna! McCain is from right next door. I take it as the sign of a smart campaign that would go where the delegates are. This contest is unlike any that we have seen. It is really looking like it is coming down to a battle for delegates. Romney went for the delegates, plain and simple. I say smart move! (Thank you to my Nevada friends and relatives that went to caucus and supported Romney. Hopefully, my reminder email helped you get out and vote.)

With the results in South Carolina, I think this will be a very interesting week for conservatives. I think Huckabee and Thompson are bleeding. Huck has shown that he can not expand his base beyond evangelicals. I think he is done, other than trying to hurt Romney as much as possible so he can vie for a VP spot. I would be very surprised if Thompson stays in the race too much longer. I would not be surprised at all (though slightly disappointed) if he endorses his good old buddy McCain. In fact, some quotes from people within his campaign seem to be offering him as a good VP choice. I believe and hope that many of Fred's supporters will become Romney supporters. Both Mitt and Fred are good conservatives and I think their base have a lot of overlapping issues. It would be a good fit for them. In any case, I think there will be movement among conservatives to begin rallying to Mitt. And seriously, with the economy the way it is, is there anyone better than Mitt to take the helm?!?

I am hopeful for Florida. The Rasmussen poll that came out today had Mitt in the lead by 5 points. I think it will be an exciting battle! I am very much looking forward the debate on Thursday night. Go Mitt!!!

Updated numbers...

Race At A Glance

Total Primary Votes:	Romney	McCain	Huckabee	Giuliani	Thompson
Iowa	29,494	15,559	40,841	4,097	15,904
New Hampshire	75,202	88,447	26,760	20,387	2,884
Michigan	337,847	257,251	139,699	24,706	32,135
Nevada	22,649	5,651	3,521	1,910	3,521
S. Carolina	64,970	143,224	128,908	9,112	67,897
Total	530,162	510,132	339,824	59,312	103,553
Total Delegates:	59	32	38	1	4

My Haircut...

Nothing like a haircut to make you feel fresh and spiffy. I keep cutting off more hair. I usually try to keep my hair longer in the winter to cover my neck and ears (I have very sensitive ears) but this time I thought I would step outside the box. I went to Erica this week and told her to fix me. Of course, she always fixes it better than I ever could, but I thought I would let you see how my "20's bob" turned out.

The sweet taste of VICTORY!

Last night I stayed up watching the news until the results of Michigan's primary was 100% in. Mitt won with a very convincing 39% of the vote. What else was interesting to note was the results of the exit polls. He won in almost every area, even beating Huckabee among Evangelical voters! Check out the exit poll numbers at www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#MIREP

I love that he has "found his voice" and is again focusing on the idea that Washington is broken and he is the man with the skill set and integrity to fix it. This is the part of his candidacy that I find the most exciting! He has shown over and over that he can take on tough problems and turn them around -- many businesses, the Olympics, and Massachusetts. There is no one in the race that is even close to his credentials. I hope he rides this message all the way to the White House. He is making many promises, but he kept all 100 he made in Massachusetts and I think he will do the same when he gets his hands on Washington. (The idea that a Washington insider and lifelong politician can bring about real and meaningful change is laughable -- that means you McCain!)

Now on to South Carolina and Nevada! My Nevada relatives and friends be warned. I will be contacting you to make sure you are going to caucus on Saturday for the best candidate, Mitt Romney, of course!

A few numbers taken from Hugh Hewitt's site:

Race At A Glance

Total Primary Votes:	Romney	McCain	Huckabee	Giuliani	Thompson
Iowa	29,494	15,559	40,841	4,097	15,904
New Hampshire	75,202	88,447	26,760	20,387	2,884
Michigan	337,847	257,251	139,699	24,706	32,135
Total	442,543	361,257	207,300	49,190	50,923
Total Delegates:	52	15	22	1	6

They have called it!!

Woo hoo!!! Romney is now expected to take Michigan! I will have updates with all the numbers as they come in!

The big question...

How many democrats and independents will come and vote in the republican primary today in Michigan? That totally does not make sense to me. Sadly, it could be the difference between a victory for Mitt and a close second to McCain. That has got to be difficult to poll. We'll begin to see in just under 4 hours.

Go Mitt!

Pretty cool...

I just found out that the Interfaith Choir concert was recorded. The quality is not perfect and there is some distortion, but it is great to hear what we were able to do. It would have been nice to have a few more rehearsals to really polish our numbers, but I think we did a good job with the few rehearsals we did have. Hopefully you will like what we were able to do.

Away in a Manger
http://www.mediafire.com/?cj5ortmxdm0

Good Christians All, Rejoice
http://www.mediafire.com/?3f5ne9grmpm

This is the Christ
http://www.mediafire.com/?cdztkluz1a9

Silent Night (the big group number)
http://www.mediafire.com/?01gyzmoucd4

Wrong again...

To be honest, I am pretty upset. I thought/hoped Romney would pull it out. The polls for him were on the rise and I think he could have won if there had a few more days. I think the independents swung for McCain (who could not have had a drier and more boring winners speech!) rather than Obama. Oh well. On to Michigan.

On the bright side, regardless of who is on top, I am excited for the numbers of people getting involved. There are people voting and going to caucus that have never done so before. I can't help but think that is a victory in and of itself.

I will be confident that as more hear Romney's record and learn about his stance on the positions that more people will want to support him because he is the most qualified person to be our president.

You can take this with a grain of salt...

But Mitt was a rock star tonight! He totally rocked tonight's debate. There was more substance from all the candidates, but Mitt blew everyone away with his depth of the issues. I totally agree that Washington is broken and someone that has a record of turning things around is just the one to do fix it. I also like how he calmed down a bit, spoke a little slower, and really did a great job communicating his ideas and why he is in the race. I love it! What a great performance!

P.S. I sure hope that Luntz's focus group is right on. (Although only 3 people were supporting Mitt at the beginning of the debate, an overwhelming majority said they were supporting him after the debate.) I hope enough New Hampshire voters were watching!

winners and losers...

Last night's debate was, so far, the best one by far. Here's how I saw it:

Mitt won: He, far and away, had the most substance. He was the most well versed in policy and specifics. The guy is so incredibly smart. That being said, he did get beat up a bit, but other than getting a bit flustered, he stuck to his message. He stuck to policy and differences in record. He certainly took the high road and did not attack back personally.

Fred won: Okay, I know I gave him a hard time at first, but he has become my number two. He stands for conservative principles and can be charming. I wish he could be a little more dynamic.

Rudy: he did fine, except what is this "they can pay a fine and it is not amnesty." In my definition, if an illegal immigrant can stay here indefinitely, it is amnesty.

Ron Paul: I wish the guy weren't so nuts, because he sometimes has some good ideas.

Huckabee lost: He disappeared for long stretches of the debate and when he did speak he was long on feel good rhetoric and short on substance. Other than his childish barbs, he was essentially a non factor.

McCain lost: I was really disappointed in him. I have been trying to look for his good side, but it is getting harder to see. He came off as a mean, bully picking on the smartest guy in school. (Hint: don't chortle at your own jokes.) Other than foreign policy, his substance is very lacking and I cannot trust a word that comes out of his mouth. And seriously, if he calls me "his friend" one more time, I am going to vomit!

I get frustrated with everyone climbing on the "Mitt is a flip-flopper" train. At some point in the debate everyone (except Ron Paul) made a crack at his expense. That is where everyone is on thin ice. Everyone on that stage has made changes in their tune. Huckabee was talking during the debate how you can shift your policies. McCain was saying he has learned from his mistake on illegal immigration and that now he thinks about it differently -- how so, I cannot tell. The point is, they are all pots too and should stop calling the kettle black, it just might come back to bite them.

I am really looking forward to tonight's debate. Fox news channel. 6:00 -- my time.

Saturday mornings...

I love Saturday mornings. Sometimes the kids let us sleep in a little. That in and of itself is fantastic, but then a little later comes the best part. Ken sits down and starts to play the piano. This is when I know it is Saturday morning. Sometimes he plays while I am lazily - and very slowly - getting out of bed. Sometimes it is after we have had breakfast and he plays while I am cleaning up. Sometimes I go in and just watch and listen to him play. Sometimes the kids come in and dance while he plays. Sometimes it is just us. I also love that I can make requests!

I am always amazed how strong and agile his hands are. Not only are the notes beautiful, but more importantly the music that comes out of his soul is so meaningful. I think I really SEE him when I listen to him play. It really is incredible. One thing that I always do, is reflect how gifted and extraordinary he is. I am so lucky I am that he chose me and that I get to hear the Saturday morning recitals.

It was a rough night...

I can't pretend that I am not disappointed by last night's Iowa caucus results. It was a hard night and Mitt is down, but not out. I think the thing that I am most upset about is how so many people would choose style over substance, one-liners over policy. They fell victim to the classic ploy; "I'm one of you, I feel your pain, and oh, I play in a band." I take some comfort in the fact that Huckabee's record will be shouted from the rooftops. How he substantially increased spending and taxes, made many questionable pardons, was weak on illegal immigration, and had many ethical problems while in the governor's triple wide. He is a smart and slick politician, but I hope people start to see through his nice-guy persona.

Governor Romney has the substance needed in the white house. I want someone who will cut spending and lower taxes. I want someone who has the ability and skills to streamline government to make it work better for us, the people. I want someone who has a common sense approach to illegal immigration and stop the magnets that encourage people to come here illegally. I want someone that has an good understanding of foreign policy (and knows where Pakistan is on the map). I want someone who is conservative socially AND economically. I completely maintain that Governor Mitt Romney is that man and I will continue supporting his effort and presidential bid!

On to Wyoming, the Sunday debate, and New Hampshire.

I will continue working hard here with the grassroots effort in Colorado. I am learning a lot and doing things outside my comfort zone. I am grateful I decided to take a chance and get involved. I want to make my voice heard.

That being said, I will exert my will-power and not sit here reading everything I could possibly find on the election. I am going to take my kids to the WOW Children's museum and do something FUN with my cute kiddos!

Big day...

Today is a big day. Let's hope the good people of Iowa get it right. I wish I could be there right now helping out, sadly I couldn't make it work. I am looking forward to attending a Colorado call night/returns party tonight. Maybe in some small way I can help the cause here in my state.

I thought Huckabee (or Schmuckabee, as I prefer to call him lately) did a nice job on Leno last night. As I have said before, he is a very likable, funny guy -- that is NOT a reason to vote for him to be leader of the free world. Between his record in Arkansas, his gaffes, and especially his ridiculous publicity stunts, I could never vote for him. A fiscal liberal in sheep's clothing.

Mitt Romney is the man to bring change to Washington! He has a proven record of turning tough situations around and governing as a conservative. Mitt Romney has my vote!

Mitt in '08!

Cyle's Commissioning...

In December we had the opportunity to go to Utah and be there for my little brother's commissioning as an officer in the Army. I am so proud of both of my brothers and their desire to serve their country.

We had such a blast staying with all the family that came to stay at cousin Beverly and Homer's beautiful home in Lindon. We all wanted to support Cyle; we made the trek from Colorado, my parents drove in from Oklahoma, my grandmother from Reno flew in, and "Aunt Bamma" and "Uncle Snort" and their family came up from Vegas. It was so great being all together!

The ceremony was in the brand new, BEAUTIFUL Hinckley Alumni building. There was a great speech by a retired General. My father was able to give Cyle the oath (the only one to do so from memory). Some of the best advice I heard was to the newly commissioned officers reminding them that no matter what rank them someday achieve, their wife outranks them by one. :) Love it!

Here are some pictures from the event...