Marshall Trap

I'm pretty sure I've blogged before about the infamous "Angela Trap".  It's basically any cat I come across outside that lets me pet it.  John noted very early in our relationship that if someone wanted to trap me, all it would take is a friendly cat and I'd be gone.  So every cat I randomly come across is an "Angela Trap".  Today I realized they are also "Marshall Traps".  He has inherited my absolute need to pet any cat that holds still for 2 seconds.  We've been coming across an adorable orange cat recently that lives somewhere in our complex and it is very difficult to get Marshall to focus and continue walking when we come across him.  And to make matters worse, I've officially retired the monkey leash so I often have to grab his hand to drag him away from the trap.  And he's chased the cat into a few bushes.  Probably under some cars.  It's like he has magnets in his hands.  It's adorable.  And frustrating cause we got places to be. 

It's interesting to see the behaviors I'm passing on.  Most of mine are going to Marshall.  He loves stuffies.  And Moana.  And cats and cuddling and making faces at when people tell him he's cute.  He even loves pink.  He's a mini-me. 

This is the only picture I've managed to get of the trap.  The other times I was too busy petting him.

Decor

Christmas is officially over in our apartment.  Our tree finally came down this weekend.  It would have come down earlier but John was sick AND doing overtime.  And I'm not tall enough.  I bought a 9 foot tree which makes me pretty useless at assembly/ disassembly.  I've tried to use the word "desembly" a few times before figuring out it's not a word.  I feel like it should be.  Maybe if I use it enough, it will become a word.  That's how it works right? 

Anyway, my point is, our apartment is now sad and decoration-less.  I mean besides the family picture wall and Game of Thrones banners.  Maybe I should add some more decor.  Except every time I start a project, it never gets finished.  I have so many craft supplies and barely finished projects in my room.  I need a crafting partner.  I'm terrible at self-motivation. 

We replaced our Christmas tree with a coat tree.  It looks a lot neater in here now that our sweaters aren't all over the desk and coach.  And now that the kids have bunk beds, it looks like we actually fit in this apartment instead of being stuffed in with all our oversized beds.  It's still pretty messy though.  Doesn't matter how much room we have, that'll never change.  We are not neat people. 

Believer

So originally I had planned to write something deeply profound and personal but then I saw a movie yesterday and thought "I want to write about that!"  Personal stuff will have to wait.  How long?  Depends on how long I can distract myself and find other topics to write about.  Writing personal stuff is hard.  I believe its important but it's not easy.  On to distract-ier things!  Yes spellcheck, I know that's not a word.  Don't stifle my creativity! 

The topic of the movie is pretty serious, it just has nothing to do with my personal experience.  Although I can relate to the protagonist.  It was a documentary called 'Believer' about Dan Reynolds struggle to create an atmosphere of acceptance in the Mormon community regarding LGBTQ individuals.  Reynolds is the lead singer of the rock band Imagine Dragons.  They're kind of a big deal. 

I had heard before I watched this movie about Reynolds doing the Love Loud festival and speaking out for gay rights.  What surprised me the most was just how completely Mormon he is.  I guess I just assume whenever I hear about the religion of any rock star that they don't actually care about their religion.  I imagine someone who was raised a certain way and then branches out into the world and then disregards their beliefs or holds onto those beliefs in a marginal way.  Dan Reynolds grew up a devout Mormon in Utah and still defines himself with those beliefs. 

He talks about how at first he saw gay rights as not his problem.  It didn't affect him, it wasn't his fight.  I remember thinking the same thing when I was high school age when my feelings conflicted with what was written in scripture.  Something didn't feel right but who was I to go against the word of God?  Then Reynolds started to see how the church doctrine affected his brothers and sisters who were gay and struggling to be faithful.  Many of those struggles ended in suicide.  That must be the loneliest place in the world.  To feel so completely isolated and rejected that you don't even want to be alive.  It's painful to even imagine someone feeling this way. 

So he used his fame to do something about it.  To show those who are struggling that they are not alone.  To change enough minds and make enough noise to change church doctrine.  It's an inspiring story about someone willing to follow God and having the courage to break the rules even if it means excommunication. 

I think a lot of faith communities can learn from his story.  I think a lot of Christians feel the way Reynolds did in the beginning: uneasy about exclusion but afraid to break the rules and get kicked out of the only community they've ever known.  My personal journey seems downright easy compared to this.  Faith is much more individualistic where I live and we church hopped somewhat when I was growing up.  I have the luxury of staying in my community and going to a church that's openly accepting of LBGTQ.  The feeling of inclusiveness I feel there is unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life.  Even though I'm not gay, I'm able to be the most authentic I've ever been inside a church.  I'm able to stand before God with no filters or masks.  It is a freedom that is nothing short of divine. 

This is my prayer for churches everywhere: for freedom, inclusion, and complete authenticity.  That is where God lives. 

PS - This took a very personal turn.  Maybe I am ready to write that personally profound blog. 

Post-holiday

Vacation is officially over.  Bishop went back to school today.  Now I get to wake up early and hang out with Marshall all day.  His vocabulary is expanding every day.  Soon I'll have a formidable conversation partner.  We can have philosophical debates.  Or talk about poop.  Kids seem to enjoy gross topics.  Bishops about 50/50 between extremely curious and saying everything has poop on it. 

We got the kids bunk beds for Christmas.  Yesterday we dissembled the queen bed and it was like Christmas morning all over again.  There were toys under there they probably haven't seen since we moved in here.  Also one of Marshall's missing bottles that was probably growing something toxic and a pile of baby wipes Marshall threw behind the bed at some point.  I'm so glad the bunk beds are light enough to move around so we can clean under the bed more than once every 2 years.  Kids are gross.  Just like their sense of humor.  This is exactly why God made them so goddamn cute. 

So for Christmas, the only thing Bishop asked for was a lego x-wing.  Since his list of demands was so small, I wanted to make sure he got it.  But the full size lego x-wing is a little expensive for something a 5 year old will be playing with and probably losing all the pieces within a few weeks.  So I decided to get him the small one for under $10 and hope it was good enough.  I also got him a small lego millennium falcon and a small lego spider-man set just in case he was disappointed with the small x-wing.  So Christmas morning he opens his tiny lego x-wing and he jumps up and down and says "It's exactly what I wanted!".  Blew my mind.  And thank God I didn't get the bigger one.  He probably would have loved it but it would have been such a waste.  I'm so glad he was happy with what he got.  I love seeing that little jerk excited. 

Last night was their first night on the bunk beds.  Here they are settling in. 

Marshall's hiding in the shadows