2013--A Look Back

A Year ago, Dec 30th 2012, I was having my 3rd Desmoid Tumor removed surgically at IU Med Center and what a year it's been! Other than the scar and some very minimal stretching limitations I have no lingering evidence of any surgeries. This year, Duste and I took our health seriously--I am 40lbs lighter and 20" skinnier, Duste is an amazing 55lbs lighter and 26" skinner! We got Married--Oct 13th and I c...hanged my last name to reflect this! We went from a 30yr mortgaged to a 15, we finished our upstairs bringing us so close to our home renovation goals and we both got new to us vehicles! Duste got a new job she loves and with all the opportunities they offer it is perfect for our future! I would also like to mention, although she has been there less than a year, she has already moved up 2x's--I am very proud of her. Mr. Eli Joseph Lauyans was born proving there can be more than one cutest little boy in the world! My sister's family moved closer to us--just a few minutes south of our house, allowing us more quality time together! Over all--it's been a wild, crazy, exciting but great year!

A wasted breath on the Duck Dynasty issue--

Ok--this Duck Dynasty thing is all over FaceBook and I have kept silent, except the ONE interview I posted yesterday. Which is, honestly, the first time I really looked into what is going on, because, as we know, we can not trust/believe what we get from just one source--like the news. SO, what I have learned is--the family on this "show" (if you can call it that) are backwoods rednecks. (hmm..no surpri...se there) By that I mean--this family's beliefs are close-minded beliefs of 100's yrs past. (which makes them backwoods) This in itself doesn't bring cause of concern, that comes because this family is on tv, spreading their beliefs like a disease to our young people, minds that are so easily manipulated. ( I could add here that perhaps this was their plan, to spread their message like a plague, disguised poorly as a fun/funny family show) Which, in my opinion, qualifies as Hate Speech, which is not tolerated. Yes, I know all about Free Speech, but Hate speech does not qualify as Free Speech because we are a civilized nation who can tell the two apart. (Example of Hate Speech--anything the KKK and any other white supremacist group has to say--you would never see a family of WS with their own show, I see no difference between the two) This family has infiltrated our lives, our own families, with both their show and propaganda that is conveniently for sale at all major department stores all across the US. (like I said spreading their backwoods beliefs like a plague in our society) This can not go on, because these are changing times and we can not/will not put up with such backwoods ways of thinking. Oh and don't bother telling me the interview or facts were construed in anyway. The truth is-- this is what was said, then later, realizing (uh-oh) this may have a negative impact on their wallets, they tried to sugar coat it. Be a Man and just admit it, you said it and you believe it. Don't try to sugar coat it, don't back pedal now. I'm shouting out to all the supporters, to the backwoods small and closed minded people still living in the dark ages-- Wake up and realize every person, regardless of race, sex and who they love, deserve equal right and to be treated equally and with respect. By supporting this family you are, intentionally or not, saying to the world you support their beliefs--not what I think/hope most of you believe you are supporting, which is their right to have these beliefs. But that is not the issue here--the issue is they have these beliefs and they are on tv. Yes, that is wrong. As I stated earlier, you would never see a White Supremacist family on tv and this is an example of the same thing. It's time everyone came out of the woods, open their hearts/minds and realize people are people and we all deserve the same rights.