easter 2012

it's hard being away from family on easter. easter = family, in my mind. without the resurrection, my family and i couldn't live together forever.
it's even harder when all you want to do is crawl under a rock (or back into bed) and sleep forever (or, at least until the trials pass you by--but i learned from president eyring last weekend that it doesn't quite work that way).
thankfully, good lessons and messages, combined with a kind and mindful Heavenly Father, have driven those feelings away (at least for today).
today, not only am i grateful for the sacrifice of my Savior, for redeeming my sins, and making it possible for this imperfect body and spirit to be reunited once again and live with Him again, but i am also grateful for a) good friends and 2) good guy friends that respect and honor their priesthood so that they can be the hands and the mouthpiece for Heavenly Father's blessings and guidance.

i never really appreciated the priesthood, as i grew up in a home without it. but as i went through college, and was assigned home teachers, and made friends with guys, i learned what an important resource it could be. i think it's still a hard thing for me to ask and utilize it, but the feelings i get and the guidance i receive when i trust and have faith is an extraordinary thing.

i also spent the early afternoon prior to making easter dinner (which was delicious, btw) re-reading my notes from general conference. what inspired messages! even more so when you go into conference with questions, prepared to receive answers and revelations.
and it's funny, because you think, oh, these don't relate to me. but they do! they may not relate to your life right at this moment, but at some time or another, they will. and what peace they bring!

if you want to see what i mean, visit this site and read or watch the talks from modern-day prophets and apostles.

Day 31: i {heart} my brother

{whatever tickles your fancy}


and for many reasons. one is that he makes me laugh. hard. two, he's just so dang cute. (and yes he is 15 years old. to me, he's still a baby). which i think is why i enjoy talking to him. i missed most of his "growing up" since i was in college, but when i moved home this past year, we got to be really good friends. and it amazed me, the things that came out of that kid's mouth. so witty and sarcastic, yet smart and intelligent. he usually has some valid points when it comes to arguments. and he's just a smart aleck, like me.


here's something he said to me last night on facebook (on his status) after he and bri kind of attacked me, and i pretended to be hurt by it.

 "we're family. u don't think god made families just to look good. we're here to knock you down and pick you up any time of the day"

and here's out conversation regarding Harry Potter 7:

Kayla Abilez i miss you brother. i have an idea i want to share with you, so we'll have to chat....soon. not sure when. tomorrow is harry potter. are you going? i am. be jealous if you aren't. i'll call you soon. love you!

12 hours ago ·  · Comment · See Friendship

• • 
    

    Bryce Abilez there have been murmurings of me going but its very doubtful. in a way yes i am jealous because you get to see it first but in a way no not at all because then you have to get together a completely kick awesome outfit that will best all the other harry potter junkies and you have to break numerous laws to get to the theater on time just to get a seat where youre not stuck behind the fat man going as horace slughorn, and blocking your wonderous view of what will be a FANTASTIC movie. Nuff said.
    

    11 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    Kayla Abilez 
    

    wow. that analysis of how most of my midnight harry potter showings have been was almost completely spot on. andddd...i'm probs not dressing up. lame right? mostly because i'm leaving to get to the theater shortly after watching my boys play flag football. andddd, tomorrow is a busy day, so i don't really have time for such childish (yet fun) things.
    also, you forgot that i will be struggling friday at work from a lack of sleep, and as such will not be much use to anyone, much less myself. so yes, you are probably correct in your assumption that my viewing experience has more cons than it does pros. but a free ticket? can't really pass that one up...

    
    

    11 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    Bryce Abilez Free ticket....truly great. But then again paying full price for a perfect seat at an great movie isnt too bad too. and its not like if i dont see it first night people are going to ruin the movie for me...i mean i did read the book right?
    

    11 hours ago · 
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    Kayla Abilez haha true. but apparently there's some added extras that the director felt inclined to add to the storyline. sooo, they MIGHT ruin it for you. and, you have no idea WHERE they are going to stop for the second half. tis a surprise to all. but don't worry, i won't blow it for you.
    

    11 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    Bryce Abilez added extras?? hmm thats already saddening my heart. I already know how things might be a little wack since half of the characters that are muy importante in this book havent been introduced yet.
    

    11 hours ago · 
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    Kayla Abilez yes. my friends and i are hoping they'll do flashbacks and introduce those details that they so heinously left out in the 6th movie. alas, i suppose we will not know until we see it. see it immediately though, so that we can then discuss in full intelligent capacity the fallacies and ignorance of the directors and his creative team in regards to the treasured Harry Potter series that J.K. Rowling so marvelously wrote for the people of the world.
    

    11 hours ago · 
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    Bryce Abilez hmm but do not forget the completely crucial characters and facts that were also left out in the 5th movie. if i were to list them i would easily crash facebook with the never ending list. case in point, Bill Weasly. its truly disappointing that the longest book got the shortest and most butchered movie in the series.
    

    11 hours ago · 
  • 
    
  • Kayla Abilez hmm...you do have a point here my dear brother. welp, i guess we can only hope for the best and see what pertinent points they decided to leave out this time...
  about an hour ago · 
  
  

California's Prop 8

This is the legal documentation following the evolution of same-sex relationships that a member of the congregation (who is a lawyer) from my home ward gave in conjunction with his talk given in church about marriage a few weeks ago. For any and all who feel they are informed about the Prop 8 situation in California, read this before you actually start pointing fingers and calling those who are in support of it "intolerant" or close-minded. Be informed. Do your research.

CASE STUDY - THE EVOLUTION AND LEGALIZATION OF 

SAME GENDER RELATIONSHIPS 

 

 1999 - The Domestic Partnership Registration Act is enacted by the California 

State Legislature, establishing a statewide registry for domestic partners.  A “domestic 

partnership” was defined as “two adults who have chosen to share one another’s lives in 

an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring.”  While stopping short of 

affording same gender couples the highly prized term “marriage” and the full range of 

legal rights and obligations associated with marriage, the Domestic Partner Registration 

Act bestowed basic legal recognition, rights, and obligations on domestic partner 

registrants, including hospital visitation privileges and certain employee health benefits 

of a partner. 

 

            2001 - The next several years saw the legislative expansion of the scope of 

benefits afforded to domestic partners.  In 2001, domestic partners became eligible to 

make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, to utilize employee sick leave to 

care for an ill partner or the child of an ill partner, to use unemployment benefits if 

relocated due to a partner’s job, to use stepparent adoption procedures to adopt a 

partner’s child, and the right to sue for the wrongful death of a partner. 

 

        2002 - The Probate Code was amended to afford domestic partners the right to 

automatically inherit a portion of the separate property of a deceased partner, and the 

Unemployment Insurance Code was amended to provide for 6 weeks of paid family leave 

to care for a sick spouse or domestic partner. 

 

        2003 - Assembly Bill 205, also known as the California Domestic Partner Rights 

and Responsibilities Act of 2003 (Domestic Partner Act), significantly expanded the 

rights afforded to domestic partners 

 

“in order to secure to eligible couples . . . the full range of legal rights, protections     

and benefits, as well as all of the responsibilities, obligations, and duties to each 

other, to their children, to third parties and to the State, as the laws of California 

extend to and impose upon spouses.” 

 

        2005 - The final draft of the Domestic Partner Act became effective on January 1, 

2005, under Family Code Section 297.5, which provides that:  

 

“Registered domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections, and benefits, 

and shall be subject to the same  responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, 

whether they derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, 

government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources of law, as are 

granted to and imposed upon spouses.” 

 

        2005 - Family Code Section 297.5 (b) was added in order to equalize the rights 

and obligations of former registered domestic partners with those of former spouses. 

 

        2005 - Family Code Section 297.5 (c) was also added in order to afford a 

surviving registered domestic partner upon death of the other partner the same rights and 

responsibilities afforded to a widow or widower upon the death of a spouse. 

 

        2005 - Family Code Section 297.5 (d) further provides that the rights and 

obligations of a domestic partner, former domestic partner, or surviving domestic partner 

shall be the same as those of spouses, former spouses, or surviving spouses. 

 

        2005 - 8 months later in the case of Koebke v. Bermuda Heights Country Club, 

the California Supreme Court discussed Family Code Section 297.5 in addressing the 

marital status discrimination claims of a lesbian couple registered under the Domestic 

Partner Act against a country club that denied the couple benefits extended to married 

club members.  In ruling that the lesbian couple had an actionable claim against the 

country club under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, the California Supreme Court stated: 

 

“a chief goal of the Domestic Partner Act is to equalize the status of registered 

domestic partners and married couples.” 

 

            2006 - The California Legislature amended Family Code Section 297.5 to afford 

registered domestic partners another privilege routinely afforded only to married couples, 

to wit, the opportunity to file income taxes jointly or separately for purposes of state 

income tax returns, with the earned income of jointly reporting domestic partners to be 

recognized as community property. 

 

            2007 - The California Legislature passed a law (Cal. Stat., Ch. 567) allowing  

domestic partners the opportunity to change their name to that of their partner during the 

domestic partner registration process. 

 

            2008 - In the case of In re Marriage Cases, 43 Cal. 4th 757 (2008), the California 

Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have the legal right to marry in the State of 

California.  While the decision is widely considered to be a big step, legally it simply 

bestowed the highly prized term “marriage” upon a type of union that quietly albeit 

steadily developed over the last decade.