People who change your life.

So, I know that most of my posts are funny and fun. Not this one. This will be a very serious one. I feel like there are so many people in my life who have GREATLY impacted the life I have. These people have taught me about myself, about the world, basically the important things in life. Most of these people tried to prevent me from making so many mistakes, stayed by my side while I made them, and totally support me now that I am passed them.

I feel like I could never really thank these people enough, but thanking them some is better than none!

First of all I would like to start with my parents. They are both so awesome and have REALLY Truely and Literally made me the person I am today. Growing up, we never really had this glamorous life, and we still dont. I never knew that we lacked anything. We were so broke, but they still made it so fun and so happy. They gave me all the love I ever needed and then some. As an adult I am finally understanding the sacrifices they made and am so thankful for everything they did and continue to do for me!!!

Secondly I would like to thank two of my teachers. I mean...I had a lo of awesome teachers but two stick out more than anyone else. Mr. Cherney was my sex ed teacher in high school, I know...of all classes. He taught me so much about relattionships and love....as well as sex! HAHA! He was a great teacher and he showed me what a man should be like. He loved his wife and daughter so much. His stories just astounded me. The way he raised his daughter, and his relationship with his wife really gave me hope that families do not always have to live in separate houses. He also taught me how to get that, always encouraged me to write down my goals, and wear condoms. When I got pregnant in high school, instead of doing what most people did and told me I made a mistake and shouldnt have done that he taught me how to handle it. He talked to me so much about life and what to expect and how to handle situations. I dont think I would know how to be in a real relationship without him. He is so honest and true to his morals and beliefs without being influenced by anyone. He was also soooo smart. He introduced me to Nicholas Sparks and showed us all REAL pictures of STD's. He wasn't scared to be absolutely honest with us, because he knew that was the only way he could really save most of us from everything that was in our school. He was the kind of teacher that you knew would jump in front of a bullet from you. His classroom was so safe, and he always had his students backs. I don't think I would be able to carry on a normal relationship if he had not taught me what he did. I would honestly still probably be with Lorelei's father, stuck in a dead end relationship if not for his advice and teachings!!!

The other teacher that I am mentioning is Mrs. Hall. She was soooo funny. She was a younger teacher, and taught English and then was also my Journalism teacher. Mrs. Hall was the first person that encouraged me to do more than the minimum. As a junior I had one of the highest grades in her class. Most teachers would have just passed me through and let me go on with regular classes. She encouraged me to go into AP English. Mrs. Hall didn't even suggest advanced English...she skipped to AP. She was such a fun teacher, but still taught me so much. She was one of the only teachers I had that didn't feel a need to yell at us, or belittle us. She is also the reason I am confidant enough to actually try to write a book. I know I may not have it published, or even finish it, but I do know that whatever I come to her with, even today six years after I left her class, she will be honest with me in a way that is encouraging. I am majoring in English because I want to be a better writer, and with her influence on my life I have no doubt in my mind that I can really accomplish anything I set my mind to. She is such an awesome person, and even today...six years later I still talk to her hoping I can absorb some of her knowledge and awesomeness. LOL

Sometimes in life there are people who cause you to take giant steps backwards....usually the closer the person, the more respect you have for them, the farther back they cause you to go. I have had a few people who I THOUGHT I could look up to, and those people have hurt me so much in the past. I have decided to forgive them, only because of the two people who came into my life next. I got to a place in my life where I didn't know who to believe or what was real. I grew up as a Christian because my parents are, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I made the decision for myself. The first church I attended I ended up getting so involved in. I had a mentor and helped with the youth group. I put my whole life into this church only to be betrayed in the end. Coming out of it I was almost positive God was not who I thought he was. I didn't understand how any God could let people like that represent him. I was so hurt and part of me did not feel like working at a relationship with a God that would allow me to be so hurt. I thought it was stupid for people to try and convince me that God had a plan and he was going to use my hurt to teach me a lesson. I didn't like those kinds of lessons. Soon after that I met Pastor Suro and his wife Gloria. They are the pastors of a Hispanic church here on the westside. I went to a few services with a friend of mine and didn't understand most of what was going on, but never felt more welcome anywhere in my life. They didn't judge me because I was a single mom, and helped me through the things I was going through with my old church. We had only just met, but they would drop everything just to meet with me and talk to me. They are some of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met. They not only helped me get through such a rough time in my life but they encouraged me to keep going and to better myself. Everytime I walked in on Sunday mornings, again not understanding much, there was always a seat for me next to Gloria, and I was always welcomed with a hug and a smile. I was invited over on holidays and always welcome no matter what. At first it felt like they moved in and replaced what I had lost in my previous church, but in reality it was so much more. They not only filled the void in losing a pastor and a mentor, they helped so much more. They constantly encouraged me and didn't allow me to ever feel sorry for myself. I am so happy I met them, and could never thank them enough for the impact they had on my life!!!

Finally, I want to thank Juan. Juan is such an amazing man. He came into my life when I was not looking for him. The last thing I needed was another complication, but that is how I knew he is who I wanted in my life. He has continued to stand by my side and support me. He is so awesome to Lorelei, and I could never ask for a better person to spend my life with. He is so patient and so kind all the time. We have so much fun together, whether its watching movies at home or going to the beach on a Sunday. I feel like I really am part of a team and we work together to accomplish not only our daily life and everything it consists of, but also our goals, and everything our future holds. Currently Juan is in Colorado working and getting our apartment ready for Lorelei and I to move there and he is working so hard at it. With this temporary distance we have realised that we may not NEED each other, but we want each other in our lives, and through that we do find that we need each others company and support. He has helped me so much with Lorelei, and with jobs, and going to court...he always encourages me to better myself and allows me to do so while making sure Lorelei is always taken care of if I cannot be there. He loves taking Lorelei out to McDonalds and to play mini golf. He really thinks of her as his own child, and with that he truely care about her and her future. He protects us and always makes sure we have everything we need, and most of what we want. He is so amazing and I am so happy to have him in my life.

Finally, I would like to thank my best friend Amanda. She is the best friend anyone could ask for. She has not only been my best friend, but also babysat Lorelei on a regular basis. Im not sure if many of you know, but I was working at a job that kept me away until 9 pm most nights. These days she picked Lorelei up from school for me, helped her with homework, fed her dinner and made sure she had a bath everynight. Amanda also has four of her own children, so you can imagine her sacrifice. She is souch a selfless person and such a loving person. Her children are all growing up being taken care of by her and her husband and they were both more than willing to welcome Lorelei in on the days I had to work. Now, most of you might think, ok, well that is what a babysitter does anyways...it goes beyond that. I also worked every Saturday and Lorelei was always with her family going to different birthday parties or tball games. When it came time that Lorelei was old enough to play tball she even signed her up with her son and cheered her on like one of her own. If I couldn't make it to a game or a practice she was always more than happy to get her dressed and make sure she had a drink and a snack. Amanda is such an awesome friend, and she means so much to me. Our kids are like siblings, and she is like a sister to me. If I ever have something going on, I know I can always talk to her. Its such a good feeling to know that you can have someone that is always willing to listen to your whining or drama...and someone that trusts you enough to whine and share there drama with you as well. Its a relationship that is so rare that I am almost positive that most people will ever experience. I have 3 sisters, one 12 years younger than me, one who was adopted by another family and one who lives in Colorado...Amanda is the closest thing I have ever had to a close sister. She is the best friend I could have ever asked for, and I am so thankful to have her in my life!

These people I have mentioned are really one of a kind. They are all unique and amazing because of it. I love all of these people for the impact they have had on my life, and I could never thank them enough for the time they have taken out of there own lives to make mine better! Thank you!!!

Recent Activity

So, since I have not blogged in a long time I figured I would do one specifically for catching everyone up on what is going on in my little part of the world. First of all, I just want to say there is some stuff that I cannot post yet, but will in the next few weeks.

I would like to start with what I am most excited about today, and that is the New Moon premier. Its tonight, and I am soooo excited!!!I am treating the bestie for a pre birthday present! She is excited, but is going to have to act excited next week when she goes with everyone else, because they are just not as cool as me. So anyways, the New Moon premier is tonight and I am overcome with excitement. I can't wait to see it all. I want to see how they did the story, if they truly followed it...well you know. I'm just excited.

Also, tomorrow is the girl sleep over at Jessica's, and it too will be great. We are basically going to watch movies and do girlie things. Lorelei is going too, which I know sounds kinda weird, but she will have fun. She likes to hang out with adults.

Now, I am not sure if I have posted anything about this in the past, but I want to let you all know I am writing a book. Its going to be amazing. I am getting stuck a lot though. I just have so much other stuff going on that its hard to sit down and just write. Just blogging is hard, and that only takes a few minutes. But I will overcome and the book with be awesome.

This weekend Lorelei is getting some pictures taken by a friend of mine. Jaime needs to update her photography portfolio and needs a little girl, so she asked if Lorelei would do it. She is very excited, and so am I. I want to get Lorelei's head shots done so that she can audition for movies and such, so this works out really well. Lorelei wants to be in a movie so bad. I'm not sure if its because she wants to do it for herself, or so she can meet Hannah Montana, but we will see. I think she would make a really good actress, and am very excited to see her get started. Of course, I will be right along with her hopefully, making movies as well.

So, now we are to the part of the blog where I cannot give you too many details. But, I will say that I am very excited about some changes that are coming in the next two weeks. This is the biggest change in my life and I am not sure if I am move excited or nervous about it. I will make sure to update you all as soon as I can, and give you lots of details when the time comes.

I also want to preview you all on my book. I am not sure how to do this, but I guess the best way to do it is to leave with an excerpt from my book and you can all reply to this and let me know what you think. Now, I will also say that I am trusting my millions of blog followers to not use this in a book of your own, but be inspired to write your own instead.

"So Richard had called them?" I thought. I looked between him and the approaching officer and wanted to run. Richard had the same look as always and I felt my heart break. Everything I thought I knew about him was a lie. The whole time I knew him he had deceived me. But could I really be sad? I did the same thing to him. I stole money from his company, from him, from his family and kids. Of course he would turn me in. If someone threatened the well being of my family, if they took anything from them I would do the same. I would stalk them to another country and catch them. As I searched my thoughts for reasoning behind what was going on the officer walked up and stood in front of me, searching my face. I stood there, literally frozen in place. If I wanted to run, I wouldn't be able to. I felt my muscles all tightened and my limbs completely useless. Finally the officer, J. Jenks, spoke.



Let me know what you think. I know its not much but I am not giving away anymore until its in hard back....and then I wont be giving it away at all. LOL


Happy reading!!

Side Effects....

So, some of you may know that I get terrible headaches, daily. So bad that its unusual for me to not have a headache. With this I get dizzy spells as well as pressure in my sinuses and such. Something some of you do not know, I do not go to the um...potty...normal. Like, once a week if I am lucky. I also sweat like a man, like a man playing football in the tropics. Yes, its bad. These are things I would typically not tell even some of my closest friends, much less the Internet world.

No worries readers, I have been visiting the doctor and getting this checked out. I do have a neurologist that I have been seeing about this and she has been running some tests. All of the tests so far have come back fine, and believe it or not I have very healthy brain tissue. Ha, of course that doesn't give me much info about the potty problem though, so I plan to talk to my regular doctor on my next visit.

Well, my doctor prescribed Topomax which treats Epilepsy and Migraines. It turns out all of it is related to the constant headaches, and she is going to do more tests to find out what is causing the headaches. Until then we are trying the Topomax, which she said I am a really good candidate for because I have a headache more than I do not have a headache, and she said it is not good to be taking things like Tylenol or Advil and stuff as often as I am. So, she sent me with the prescription and I was off to the pharmacy.

Now, I am someone who has never been on any kind of medicine like this before and to be honest I was a little nervous, so I did some research. The doctor said its very safe and not addictive, but I still wanted to look for myself. So, online I found a few site with all kinds of good information. It is supposed to prevent the headaches not make them go away when you already have them, which is WONDERFUL!!! It can also cause weight loss, how sad...ha!...and if you experience any kind of eye pain or blurred vision and don't have it treated you might go blind. So, you may be thinking, hm..that sounds sketchy, well let me remind you I DO NOT POOP!

I get home, take the first little tiny pill, not really expecting to have results any time soon. The doctor told me that I probably still have headaches for a month or so and she wanted me to go about 3-4 months without any headache and she would gradually take me off of it so it would be like a 5-6 month process, so again, I was not expecting to see any results this soon. Well, I started feeling this weird feeling in my tummy, and I assume its just a coincidence. Over the next 48 hours though I was proven wrong, eight times....that's like 2 months worth for me. Its been the best 48 hours of my life.

In addition to the regular bathroom visits I have been making I also forgot to wear deodorant yesterday to work. Now, for those of you VERY close to me you know that this is a big huge no no for me. The average person can go like 2-3 hours without deodorant and then make a quick run to the bathroom and wipe the pits and be ok, not me. I can go like 20 minutes and then you do not want to be within 20 feet of me. I can wear deodorant and still by the middle of the day need to make a pit stop and reapply. So, I forgot the deodorant, and I kind of freaked out, then was running a little late for work and forgot that I forgot deodorant and didn't remember till later. So, I'm sitting at work feeling bad for Tenesha, who sits next to me, and wondering how I smell, when I remember the last thing I read on my pamphlet, decreased sweating, "It couldn't be!" I though, "I could never be THAT lucky!" That's when I did a pit check, and I got nothing, nothing but laundry detergent. All day I kept doing it, you know, the same check you see on those deodorant commercials where the girl is trying to be inconspicuous but you still notice because its a commercial, and all day I didn't smell anything. So at the end of the day I brought in the opinion of a friend, Annie, from the previous blog (now I can only guess this is a reliable source because she did read the blog and she knows it was about her so we will see) and had her check, she said I smelled lovely, and Amanda the baby sitter said I smelled like laundry detergent. Which are things no one has ever said to me before, things I have never asked someone before.

I will say there have been some negative to this medicine. For one I work in a call center and I will forget what I am saying halfway through what I am saying. The other day I forgot the word popular, and I couldn't remember it, not until I was driving to see my brother for his birthday that night. I also was having a super yummy drink the other night, peach schnapps and orange juice, a fuzzy navel as most would call it, well two sips into this super delicious drink i started getting really dizzy and my eyes started going cross eyed, so considering I have not experienced this since then I am just assuming I will not be drinking until I am off of Topomax. But that's ok, I can have koolade I guess. Also, and this could be the worse part....Juan picked me up for lunch today, we decided to go to Taco Bell, halfway there I changed my mind, and we decided on KFC, and I changed my mind again and we finally went to Burger King, but that wasn't the bad part, even though loss of appetite is a side effect that I have yet to experience. The worse part is that when I ordered my Coke, and I tasted it I was disgusted...I had Juan taste it, come to find out it was Dr. Pepper, which I love, its supper yummy, but it tasted like poooooooo....so I tasted his Coke, it also tasted like pooooo....as did the Mt. Dew we have at home....All tastes like poooooo.....

So, I have come to a conclusion with this medicine. It treats migraines and Epilepsy. One of the non label treatments (which means they can prescribe it for something because it is a very common side effect) is weight loss for people who are obese. Well, I think this medicine is a laxative, I think it changes you taste buds also so that you are not hungry and do not like soda. So this makes you poop out what little bit of food you do eat, and you no longer drink soda so you lose weight. Now because you no longer drink soda you probably over time stop getting migraines and because of the less caffeine intake you could stop having seizures. I get it. I think the reason you get dizzy is because you stop eating and poop so much that you have no nutrients in you and you almost faint. So I am on to you makers of Topomax, I get what you are doing....targeting those of us who suffer from constant weight gain, headaches, sweatyness, and you take it all away.....

But that's ok, I accept it, and I will use your means of headachelessness, forgetingwordness, non sweating, weight loss...I take it and accept it!

Annie's Love Life Blog

So, we all have people in our lives that we go to for advise. This person is usually older, more expeirinced in dating and finances ect. I have a couple of friends I go to . They are very reliable sources, or so I thought. Come to find out they are just as confused as me. I would never consider myself someone to go to for advise. I am 23, unmarried, I have a five year old, have not finished college and am in debt. But, over the past few weeks I have realized that there is someone who comes to me. Very confused by this I started to look at the situation closely. First of all, Annie we shall call her, is a year (or two) older than I, no kids, with college, her own place (sort of), her own car, her own money, no boyfriend and very pretty, smart and has a lot of potential. I dont understand it? Is this what we do? We go to our friends, who are our friends because we have thins in common with, whether its work, home, hobbies, whatever.We go to these people and ask them for advise as though they are in a position of complete happiness/success/contentment. So, lets go a little farther. Annie is single, she continues to look for "the one" so that she can continue her life on her schedule. So, she gets ll dressed up in a cute skirt with a shirt that matches her newest shoes and her new hand bag to tie it all together. Hair,check. Makeup, check. Outfit ,check. Ass...check (of course).She gathers her bestie and heads out to the club. At the club she doesn't show id because she has taken this road to true love more than once. So, she goes into the club, up to the bar and orders her first of many drinks. When she losens up some she makes her way to the dance floor. Because Annie is Annie she is approached by many guys and in her tipsy stupor she gives out a fake name to the guys she finds unattractive and her real name to the one she likes so that she knows who to remember. So "Joe" calls her the next day and after consulting with her friends about what he looked like Annie agrees to meet him for coffee later. They meet, he seems nice, Annie gets excited and they agree to call each other the next few days to set up a diner date. Now, because Annies friend just ended a six month long relationship with someone she continues to have breakup sex with she comes to me for advise. Now, I have been in a relationship for over a year now, never been married....my ex broke up with me fior a guy and my ex before that I ended because we were engaged for three years and still did not have a date. I suppose on some level I am an ok candidate because Im still with someone. I usually tell her to wait for him to call, and she usually just texts him anyways. Afterwards though she promises to wait for him to call and usually removes his number after writing it down at home on a postie note. (she says to remove the temptation). After about 4 days Annie approaches me again, excited because Joe finally called and they talked for hours. It turns out Joe is such a nice guy. He works for some major corporation, over sees hundreds of employees, lives on his own in one of the nicer neighborhoods, never been married, no kids...basically the one she thought was "the one." Over the next week they go out for diner and a movie, she hangs out with his friends, he hangs out with her friends. Annie believes everything is going wonderfully and begins to get more attatched. They have talks and he tells her he doesn't want anything serious, she tells me its getting serious. At six weeks she is ready to be fully committed and he disappears. For a week she wont hear from him, then he texts her saying he is sorry he is out of town. She gets excited again and thinks everything is ok. Then one day, while getting a movie she bumps into Joe and his pregnant wife while he is waiting for his ex wife to drop his kids off so he can take them all back home for dinner that his mom just finished cooking. It also turns out he lost his job from Burger King for being late so often and is currently unemployeed. Since she is already at Blockbuster she decides to 'bump' into hwe ex "John" and invite him over for movies and ice cream. I then recieve a text message saying "John" stood her up. At this point I am so confused because I though John was Joe and Joe worked at Blockbuster and where is Johns wife again??? Now, let me remind you, Annie is a hottie, with a college degree, living on her own, fun, nice, no kids, and this is what she asks me about....should he ask John or Joe to her brothers two weddings? So, I began thinking...is this what it always looks like? Are we, as women, sinking and settleing for less that what we deserve because Joe Blow blew us off? And, are all the guys Joe Blows underneath to some degree and we just don't realize it? After all, any guy you talk to, no matter how long you have been with them will admitt to checkin out other girls while committed to there well off girlfriends while they are at work with the guys. So, this brings me to another point. Who are our "committed" guys committed to? When they are with us its all about us, but what about when they are with the guys. They openly joke about other girls when we are there, but how far does it really go when we are not around? Is Annie not unlucky in love or is she just the one who catches the guy in the act before she gets too attatched? Is the person Annie goes to just blinded by undeserving trust in a guy who is doing the same thing, just better at not getting caught? And if he is not getting caught doing that, what else is he getting away with?

Mr. MJ

So, I have not blogged in a long time but I wanted to take some time to blog about a very big current event....MJ! So, I was never really a big Micheal Jackson fan, the biggest think I knew about him was the Thriller thing, and it totally freaked me out....considering I was like 3 the first time I saw it, and therefore was totally scared of it. So anywho, he, as you know died last week and it kind of, well shook the frikkin world. So, after this happened there were all kinds of fans jumping out of the woodwork. Five years ago there was the whole controversy over whether he should go to jail, and I wasn't there so I do not know, but I know that most of these recent fans were the same people who said he should go to jail. So that kind of makes me mad. Throug the entire ordeal I stayed neutral. I decided I was not in the room so I am not saying what happened. Also, the thing with the baby, everyone freaked out and said it was bad...but its Micheal Jackson and we knew he was messed up so why is everyone suddenly surprised. I will say that I do wonder what happened to him that made him the way he is. I mean to not like yourself enough and to want to change yourself so bad that you actually change your skin color, its really sad, and it really makes me wonder what happened.

So, anywho, to the reason for this blog. Since Mj passed there has been a new bandwagon to jump on, and I have. I went home and downloaded all kinds of Micheal Jackson music and looked up old videos, and basically found what I have been missing out on. In just one week I have become one of his biggest fans....I love all of his music, the new stuff the old stuff. I love it all. My favorite video is the one for the closet song, and no I do not know the name of it. I love Micheal Jackson and am very sad that I am just now realizing the talent he had. I wish I would have taken the time before to see what he has. So, Im pretty excited that there is this awesome music out there that I can listen to, but really sad that I missed out on all of the amazingness when he was alive.

So this blog is dedicated to my new fav. person. Micheal Jackson....

Every office has one...

So, this week at work I have realized that its not that I attract wierd people,its just that every office has them. I have decided to make this blog on the people in every office that people find memorable, or annoying, or both. lol.

First of all lets talk about the infamous 'close talker'. This is the person who starts a conversation at the coffee pot, break room, bathroom, or water cooler. This is the person who choses the wrong time to talk about her son's personal bathroom time, her ingrown hair on her inner thigh, or the last time she had her bikini zone waxed, things you never wanted to hear about in the first place, much less when you are not supposed to be out of your desk, but you are because you need coffee, to pee, water or whatever else you were sneaking away from your desk from. She not only tells you all of these nasty little details, but also stands with her face less than two feet from yours so you feel as though you are going to inhale all of her ingrown hairs, pubic hairs or her lunch that is still on her her breath and attatched to her teeth. This person also has a smile on her face, because she is more than happy to share her odd life with anyone willing....or stuck, trapped in the corner...listening. Now, lets take a second to talk about the smile...it is creepy. Its invadnig. Its one that you will remember for the rest of your life. It will haunt you in your sleep, and it will follow you throughout the day. You will peek around corners, check for feet under the bathroom stalls, and check both ways before crossing the walkway between cubicles. Anything to avoid getting caught within five feet of the smile.

The next one I would like to bring to attention is the "how much do you love me" guy. This is the guy that comes to you whenever he has news, good, bad or wierd news. Before sharing this news with you, whether or not its your business or something you would ever want to hear he prefaces it with "So....how much do you love me?" Usually this makes you feel like you are forced to sat something along the lines of "a lot" or "bunchies" even though you really want to say "not at all" or "over my dead body". This is also the same person that will discipline if you stop entertaining his smug jokes, or act like a child if you dont return the flirts. Usually the last person you would ever think aboutn flirting with or talking to. Also the person that finds his way into management by accident and then makes your life hell by either trying to be overly nice, or powertripping. Either one extremely annoying and could change your best days into days you just want to crawl into a pit and never come out again.

The next person is one that we all have the potential to be, but no one wants to be, or wants to be near. This is the person that talks louder than anyone on the floor. Usually this talk is inapropriate or personal. The volume is usually loud enough that you then have to explain to the consumers that you are not at home, they did get the right number, the person in the background is not your girlsfriend, and this is not a prank. This persons conversations can range from an ex's penis, to how much they hate there job, to singing the newest song from the radio while shaking there tale feathers, to, well just about anything you wouldnt want to hear being yelled out at work. There isnt much to say about this person. They are usually really nice to everyone, and geniunly fun to watch from afar.

So, in an effort to help you figure out which catagory the people from your office fit into, I should also probably tell you that if you don't recognize someone from your office as being one of these people, its probably you. Its possible for one person to take on more than one of these roles, or more than one person to share roles. At which point you will notice them avoid each other, bicker back and forth, and usually act like elementary students when within five feet of each other.

This blog is not meant to offend anyone, merely to inform you that if you find that you may meet some of these charateristics, maybe instead of talking about your toe jam next time you should seriously think about having your coworker help you assess the situation.

Just sharing the truth,
Jessica

This is old from the Electionish times.

The election!
Why I voted for Obama....In the weeks prior to the election I was very anxious about voting. I didnt know who to vote for or who would do a better job. I felt as though I had to chose the lesser of two evils and I did not like that. I began praying for God to help me make the right desicion. I am registered as neither Democrat or Republican, but I usually vote Republican. I am conservative but think our country needs a change. On one hand I had someone who had served in the military, a person who gave years of his life for my freedom, and on the other hand i had someone not so expierenced and whos veiws and beliefs are so different than my own.Let me start with amendments and things first.I beleive in the Bible, I follow the Bible, and I live by it. I know the Bible says only a man and a woman can get married. It also says that God loves us, in Romans it says NOTHING can seperate us from the love of God. Nothing! I believe that! I also know that we are human. I beleve everyone is different and struggles with different thingsand has different morals and beliefs of whats right. I know I sin. I am not always nice, I skip church, i drink, i do bad things sometimes, i am not perfect...no where near and would NEVER claim to be. But I know I need to turn to God, and so does everyone who is struggling no matter what the sin is. I know that Nothing can seperate us from God, I also know that if you are TRUELY a believer and follower of Jesus and the Bible than you know whats right for yourself. I know you know when you are sinning and that you know that you have to turn back to God and ask for forgiveness. I also know that if you are a true believer than the question of "Will God allow someone into heaven who is "gay"?" No one is perfect, accept God, and God knows that. But you have to make the effort to truely give up the things that hinder your relationship with God, and if you are really doing that, yeah, you might stumble, but you will get back up and try again. And he loves us. If you are not a Christian...thats your choice, im not judging you, I love you and im here for you. I amy not agree with what you are doing and you might not agree with me on this. I have my beliefs and so do you and thats ok with me!So, im guessing you can figure out how I voted on Ammendment 2.As far as abortion....Im sorry if I oofend anyone or hurt someones feelings, I do not under ANY circumstances agree with abortion. I know God allows things for a reason and ya, it might suck for a while, but there are always other options. I beleive that if it comes to a health risk, GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!! You have to trust that God will do whatis right, and while you may not fully understand it, God is in control! I know its a touchy subject because there are always the extenuating circumstances where a 11 year old gets raped by a man and she gets pregnant....as hard as it is to say because I have a little girl...GOD is in control!!! If I am in a situation...God Forbid...where I have to make a hard desicion, GOD is in control. Will I react the right way and make the right choice, I dont know, but God is in control, and as long as I am following him and praying constantly and faithfully God IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL!!! Again, we may not understand whats going on, or why God would allow things to happen but as long as you focus on heaven you will be ok!!!!!Now to the Good stuff. I really feel like it was a very difficult election and that a lot of people were stuck in a very hard place trying to make sure they made the right desicion. To be honest when I got my ballot I skipped the president part until the end. Then I prayed to God to show me the right choice. then I flipped it over and filled in the bubble and looked to see who it was, and it was Obama. I am very happy that I voted him. Do I agree with him on everything, no but thats not what is important. our country is in trouble. We need a change! i know a lot of Christians are having a hard time with this election, but no matter what we would have done I know that Obama would have gotten it, becasue that is GODS PLAN!!!! He will make it happen. Will Obama mess up...yeah, we all do he is just under a microscope and every move he makes is being analyzed. I think he is going to do really good. I think he will begin to fix the economy. But like he said, will it be fixed in four years, maybe not, but we need to start somewhere. I think JOhn McCain is very old...no effence to the older readers, but I see how much it aged Bush to be president and I dont think McCain could have really handled it. He began making bad desicions on the campaign trail as far as debates and important issues. He made the "safe desicion" to get the popular vote instead of standing for what he really believed. I read so many different stories about where he stands on marriage. Some reports show him opposing it, some say he left it up to the state. He also didnt want to debate on the economy, and we are in the middle of an economic crisis right now. Its very imoprtant to always be knowledgeable about the events that are going on right now, you wont have 2 and 3 weeks to prepare for a desicion when you are President. I believe we should be in Iraq right now. I think we should be gradually getting out, but not immediately. If we do that we put ourselves at a greater risk and its just not good. Think the board game Trouble, when none of pieces have moved yet, your leaving the whole board to the other players, you have to make sure you can make a move when needed. I dont think Palin was a good desicion for Vice President. I think there were plenty of other more experienced and knowledgeable options. Palin was also making a lot of mistakes. In the middle of an economic crisis she is shopping and spending thousands on clothes, when families are starving beacue the parents cant afford gas to get to work so they arent making any money. I think we should be drilling here at home for oil as well, while still finding other reasoruces for oil and such. I know personally someone whos families living is off of corn oil. They grow corn and sell it to oil companies so they can find new ways to use it instead. That being said, we have PLENTY of reasources here at home we need to use to lower prices here in America.Now, do I think Obama is perfect...no not at all. Number one, and the BIGGEST issue is his stance ..ion. Read the top if you have any questions on that. I also think he is very young. I dont think he really understands what is coming at him...I dont think any President really gets it until they have it. (similar to new parents planning to have kids. you really want it, and then you get it and its soooo much more than you ever expected) I also think he can handle it. He was on his game in the campaighn and that was great. People say you cant really judge a person by how they act on a campaign trail....well lets be honest, what else dowe have to judge them by. I really dont know much about Biden to be honest. I am very impressed with Obama so far. His speech on Tuesday night, the Flat Stanley he sent back to the kids and his promise to his daughters about the puppy. It shows me he really cares in a way most presidents dont. He seems very genuine.As far as the Christians who are upset about the election...dont be. God is in control. I see a lot of people claiming to be Christians suddenly acting very different because they are upset. You cannot be like that. Obama is our next president like it or not. As an American we need to stand behind him and support him. He is representing us and we need to have a united front. We need a change in a lot of areas, Our crime rate is OUT OF CONTROL!!!!! In the past three months I was robbed at gun point, our house was broken into, a kid was murdered less than a mile away, kids are going missing, families are falling abpart, people are starving and we are worried about our candidate not winning. THATS OLD NEWS!!!! Move on. Figure out ways to make this place better!!! I am so proud of Obama. Most of you know Im a little white girl. I have never experienced segregation or rascism or being a minority. I think it is such a good change to see the underdog come up and win. I think it is a new era for our country. I am so proud of him for overcoming all he has and accomplishing this AMAZING postion as the PRESIDENT OF THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!! We need to get over the fact that this was not your candidate and support him and be TRUE CHRISTIANS!!! Besides, if he messes up, GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!! And I would say the same if McCain got elected!God Bless!