explanations--this post is rated PG

I've had lots of questions, so I feel that I owe some explanations about a couple of the following posts.

First, regarding this one. This is a picture of Natalie, Carrie, me, and Christine toilet papering our friend Heather's home last Saturday night during our crop. She's a scrapper and she'll come to our crops, but she refuses to bring any stuff to scrap with because she can't crop without all the stuff in her scraproom! Balderdash!! So we 'punished' her, and had a great time doing it! It was mine and Christine's first time TPing someone's home. Our other friend in attendance, Christy, took the pictures. We were laughing and looking out warily for witnesses. In fact, dogs were barking and our cameras were flashing, so we were surprised not one person from Heather's home (or any of her neighbors) came out to see what all the commotion was about. When we were done, we ran back to Carrie's house, and that was probably the funniest part! Natalie can book it!!

And second, regarding this post and my mention of a tongue bar. OK, here's the story. A tongue bar is a tongue piercing (or tongue ring, it's sometimes called). Yes, I had my tongue pierced when I was in college. But let me say, I was not some rebel or a wild child or whatever. I was just dating this guy who was showing me pictures when he'd had one a couple of years before. I was making light of it, saying it wasn't a big deal. He said, "You'd never do it!" And I said, "Sure I would!" So he decided we were going to do it. We called around, and got our tongues pierced (he had tears rolling down his face, I noticed with satisfaction!, but mine didn't hurt that bad, it was just swollen) and then we went to a John Bytheway concert. Yah, a magical evening.

Let me just say that my opinion on piecings at the time was as such: I figured if piercing your ears was ok, then piercing any other part of your body couldn't be any different, salvation wise (lol!). Plus, it's not permanent--I would NEVER get a tattoo for a plethora of reasons. But piercings, you can take out. Anyhoo...within another month or so I got my belly button pierced as well and then a couple of months later my cartilage at the top of my ear with two of my future sisters-in-law.

For those who are curious, the belly button was the most painful one and I do not suggest it. Mine never really healed right, I was always worried about it getting caught on my pants or belt, and I don't have the flattest tummy to begin with so...ehhh...that one wasn't great. As for my ear, the cartilage, it never really healed either. I couldn't sleep on that side of my head, and my hair was constantly getting stuck in the stud, or my brush in the hoops. So I took both of those out shortly around the time that Danny and I got married.

But the tongue--that one healed just fine, and it was so fun, and a great conversation piece! I ate fine, my dentist worked with me fine, I cleaned it well, etc etc.

HOWEVER.

Somewhere around a year after we got married, I happened to hear a conference address or some talk from members of the general presidency of the church. To make a long story longer, they said that ONE piercing in your ears was fine (I had two, plus my cartilage) and that was it. And by golly if that's what the Prophet said, then that's what I would follow. So everything else came out. I now have one lone set of earring piercings in my head.

Way too much information, right? But there you have it. Now, go back to believing that Miss Amie is a perfect little Mormon girl. Go on! (and kids, make sure you get mom's and dad's permission before getting any kind of piercing)