My internship adventures

Right now I am working for BYU as an intern in the Flourishing Families Project in the School of Family Life. Being a part of this project has been a huge blessing in that it has enabled me to work and get school credit while I have been so sick with my pregnancy. This experience will also open doors for me to go to grad school and to have several excellent contacts and points on my resume that can help with job applications and such in the future. It is also a blessing because most internships not only do not pay for all the work put in, but you often have to pay to participate. I was one of ten students who were chosen out of many that applied to be on the Provo team of researchers. We are collecting data from 200 families in Provo and 500 more in Seattle. Staying here has enabled both Russ and I to continue our schooling during the summer months, and not move or change jobs etc.
This internship is also great because it allows me to get hands-on experience and apply the things I have been learning in my classes. The job includes several different responsibilities, but mainly my research companion and I are in charge of contacting, setting up appointments and collecting data from about 40 families during the summer. When we go to each home, the parents and the specific child in the study fill out a rather lengthy survey and discuss a subject of conflict for 5 minutes while being video recorded. Then we take the surveys and video and check them for mistakes, scan them and put them in the computer system and on a dvd for them to be coded and entered into a statistical program for future analysis.
My favorite part is interacting with the families. Each one is so different and I enjoy seeing how little differences can completely change the atmosphere of the home and the dynamics of the family's interactions.
I am also working on a special project with one other girl on the Provo team as part of our responsibilities that enable us to get credit for the internship. We are creating a book of remembrance to document how the project got started, what the project does, and why it is so important, among other things. We are just getting started, but this is something I am very excited to do.
All things considered, this internship is a huge blessing and I am so grateful to be a part of and make a difference!

a segment of my media letter

I write to you as a consumer of internet advertisements and website information with concerns about the advertising practices of pornography companies. My intent is to find solutions to a destructive epidemic that is plaguing individuals, families and communities all over the world. My plea is for action to be taken to protect the innocent from exposure to the harmful effects of pornography on the internet. Websites with pornographic material could be avoided by those who wish to stay away from it if these sites had an identifying element such as “xxx” on the end of the web address or a pop up warning for advertisements with pornographic content that gives the viewer the option of closing the page. “Hulu”, a website which supplies television programs to viewers through internet streaming, has pop up warnings requiring a password for access to “R” rated shows, allowing consumers to decide if they want this content to enter their mind. A similar method could be employed with pornographic sites and advertisements to facilitate avoidance of this material for those who desire it.
Our country is founded on the rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for each citizen. The freedom to know, and therefore choose, what media we will partake of is a liberty that should be facilitated by our government for both individuals who desire to view pornographic material and those who do not. The liberty to consume pornography should not, however, supersede the right of life and liberty to children who are often the victims of sexual criminals, addicted to pornography or of dysfunctional families torn apart by the destructive forces of porn. The innocent of this nation have rights as much as the powerful and deserve protection as future citizens and leaders of our country to pursue and live happy lives, with out pornography. My request is that we may pursue a path that leads to the happiness of individuals, families and nations through avoiding the exposure of the innocent to the insidious clutches of pornography through simple regulatory means such as content warnings with password access to advertisements and requiring identifying endings for pornographic websites.

Family tradition of watching "the game"

My family is not huge into sports, but the one time every year that we all get together and watch a game is during thanksgiving when the big BYU verses UofU football game is one. I love watching this game and getting all pumped up and excited for us to win. It is something that allows me to connect with some of my male cousins and my uncles etc who love sports while I am not into them that much. I had a great thanksgiving with my family and being able to watch the game made it even more special!

Anne of Green Gables: Intrigue without the sex!

On Sunday my hubby and brother in-law went to a priesthood meeting while I watched a "girl movie" with my sister in-law. Our movie choice? Anne of Avenly from the Anne of Green Gables series! I had not seen this movie since high school and I forgot how much I loved it. This movie is all about Anne going through emerging adulthood and falling in love with two different men and then realizing what she wants. It has nothing even remotely referring to sex and is one of the most intriguing love stories ever written. These movies are so wonderful to watch because they stir the emotions and leave you uplifted and wanting to be a better person!

NEW MOON and socializing

I have to say that New Moon was ten times better than twilight and now I am going to have to actually read the books. I was considering starting over the break, but then I would only be able to get through like one with all the family stuff I am doing and that would be bad with finals coming up because I heard that the books suck you in! I enjoyed watching the movie not only because it was good, but because I feel like it helped me to connect with my husband's family because we watched it as a huge group in celebration of my sister in-law's birthday. they are all really into the books and now I can sort of have an intelligent conversation about the plot and it is nice to not feel excluded from the excitement I guess. This was a real life example of the theory of one of the self gratifying uses of media being to socialize.

Oposition in all things

The last post I wrote was about the blessings of all the new technology and it got me thinking about all the conversations and lessons I have had lately concerning the dangers of these inventions. My family processes class had a lecture on infidelity and emphasized the growing prevalence of emotional affairs, especially through internet chat. Our class spent over half the time with personal stories of good LDS families, sealed in the temple who were torn apart by this type of unfaithfulness. My husband and I had a very good discussion about what boundaries we want to have when it comes to internet use in order to avoid Satan to destroy our relationship in this way. It is such a testimony to me that we are in the latter days to see his insidious traps ensnaring families all around me and makes me hold to the truths of the gospel ever tighter for protection.

Facebook and twitter infestation

So lately school has made life super busy and not much time has been available for watching tv or movies, but the shows we have seen have had references or plots that involve facebook and twitter. It made us laugh to see that those programs have become so popular so quickly that even public television includes them. We also had a discussion with my husband's older brother and his wife about what technology was big when they were in junior high through college and it is amazing how quickly things have changed. During this thanksgiving season it made me grateful for the internet and how "easy" it is to write research papers now compared with my parents and those who only had books to research in and type writers to complete their papers with. We have it so much easier!