I am taking a break

So I had written a long post explaining why I am taking a break from blogging, maybe you saw it maybe you did not. However, it seams to have come across as a pity party or a poor pitiful me routine, I assure you this was not my intention.

So to put it much simpler, I am going through some things - and I am not blogging for a while - but no worries I'll live.


bye.

Happy Halloween!

Hope Yours is Fun & Spooky!

This is a picture of my Aunt Suzanne's Halloween Decorations in Swan lake Idaho -Yep that's a hay bail - Love It!

A Buick

LB, my husband, wants a Buick! Which I happen to think is a grandma car - probably because my grandparents have owned one since as long as I can remember. In fact Bob and Gwen (aka: my grandparents) recently purchased a new Buick and ever since LB drove it, he has been in love. Well tonight he saw a commercial for the new Buick LaCrosse and he jumped off the couch with excitement - the man has found his dream car, that is he and every 80 year old out there!

$92 Dollars!

$92! That is what it will cost you in the state of Virginia for having your car windows tinted darker then the "legal" limit; even if you are new to the area and had no idea that you were breaking the law.* What I really don't get though is why the state has the right to tell me how dark my car windows can be? Its not like if I am a bad guy and I am smuggling drugs or dead bodies the no dark car windows law is going to keep me from my illegal activity! Needless to say I will be having my day in court, again.

*It should be noted that the "I'm new to Virginia, and I had no idea" excuse did get me out of an HOV violation which would have cost me $200 (I really had no idea though)!

79 Days & Counting...

Brit, my bff/sister I never had, is coming to visit! I am so excited I can not even tell you, now if we could just fast forward the next two months. When Brit gets here we seriously need to take some pictures since this is the only one I could find and it is from way back in our ballet days. Anyway I am so so so excited to see her, I can hardly wait!

Now if the rest of my family would come visit...hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

Halloween Costume

So on our trip across the country we listened to LB's favorite book, Atlas Shrugged on tape (MP3 actually). And ever since then I have been fascinated with the heroine of the novel, Dagny Taggart - so much so that I really want to be her for Halloween. I mentioned this to LB and he told me that no one would know who I was - mostly I just want to dress up like a stylish 1940's brilliant business woman who has all the great men in love with her.

Anyway we need costumes for the Ward Halloween party as we are officially on the activities committee and in charge of keeping the cider and doughnuts well stocked! Any ideas??

check out the hair...

Marsha (aka mom), Ian, Alex, and Me

This picture showed up in my inbox this morning (thanks Thoma Lee). I just love our hair-dos, all the denim I am sporting, and the fact that Alex's socks perfectly match his jacket!

Family History

How cool is this, I found this picture online the other night - it's a picture of Swan Lake Idaho, the town my ancestors founded over a hundred years ago. Finding this picture has sparked my interest in Family History. So I am setting a goal for my self to begin to learn about my ancestors especially those on my fathers side who are from east coast - after all being in DC is the perfect opportunity to find and learn about them. My hope is that by posting my plans I will actually follow through!

Summer Adventures

Way back in July we went on a great backpacking trip with our friends Mel, Jim, & Sunny the dog. We backpacked into the Naturalist Basin and practically had the whole place to ourselves - it was amazing. However I have discovered something about myself - I am terrified of being attacked by a bear! I did not sleep the whole time we were camping, so I have decided that I am not going backpacking again until I buy a gun or bear spray or both.

White Trash Bistro Set

Dude! Check out my super fabulous WT Bistro Set. We have a balcony and since it count towards the grand square footage of our apartment (708 sq ft) I decided it would be great if we could use it. So I started looking for plastic lawn chairs and after searching the greater Northern Virgina area to no avail I gave up and went to WalMart (heaven bless them) and TaDa - WT Bistro Set, complete with cup holders, for the grand total of $28.57!

So now I can sit out on the balcony and enjoy the amazing view - Damn I miss the mountains!

Interesting enough that building is the National Science Foundation - to bad LB gave up Physics

Getting Crafty!!

So we did a little project this last weekend. LB helped me turn a broken gold mirror that we brought all the way from UT into a cool cork board. I was hoping that it would look somewhat retro to go with my amazing quilt but I am not sure if it hit the mark. I am pretty proud of it, I think it is the most crafty thing I have ever done.

The Coolest Gift Ever!!

Before I left Utah my Mothers best friend ThomaLee gave me the most wonderful gift! A "Stephanie" inspired quilt. ThomaLee and my Mom found these very clever retro styled dish towels in a little shop in Washington and ThomaLee just knew they would make the perfect quilt for me. The quilt is absolutely amazing and was supposedly a two year project. When they gave me the quilt ThomLee told me I had to use it but I fell completely in love with it and had to hang it on the wall. So here it is, I wish you could see it up close the pictures hardly do it justice.

"You say I'm a witch like it's a bad thing"

(The B has been covered up with a W so that future little eyes won't get ideas)

I will treasure this quilt forever - I love you ThomaLee!

Christmas Again?

It is no secret that Christmas is not my favorite Holiday, love me some Halloween and Thanksgiving but I could really skip right over December 25th. Every year you have the trauma of deciding which family to visit, what to buy, how to afford it, and the unachievable goal of not fighting with anyone. Well as previous Christmases go my Father usually calls in September to ask his famous question "What do you want for Christmas?" - Now don't be fooled because somehow this simple question is way more complex then one might think. In the past I would mention a few ideas, none of which he would think were "Christmas Present" worthy and then the conversation would turn ugly, I would cry and we would not speak again until December 24th - lovely family tradition we have going don't you think?

Now for the Story - So last night Marsha called (aka: my mom) and while we were chatting she said "Your Father wants me to ask you What You Want For Christmas". See Marsha has to ask now because my Father is not so thrilled with my life choices, apparently becoming LDS, getting married, moving to DC for grad school and attaining financial independence are just not the best things so according to him I suck!

Well by this year I have learned my lesson when it comes to answering this question because no matter what you tell dear dad that it is you want for Christmas you will get something different so what is the point, but you still must say something. So this year I am turning it into a game.... so I asked for this!

A Snuggie - the blanket with sleeves!

Only 19.99! I hope he thinks its "Christmas Present Worthy"

** LB does not see the point of a Snuggie - He told me to just ware my bath robe backwards and save the money.

A day at the beach

On Labor Day we took a road trip to Bethany Beach in Delaware with our friends the Speers. We had a great time, I love the beach and Delaware was beautiful. It was full of farming communities, fruit stands, and corn fields - which is right up my ally - and then you have the beach, what could be better?

Caden - aka: coolest/cutest kid in the world

Got to love a Funnel Cake - We should have shared!

Only down side of the trip was the 5 hours we sat in traffic on the way home - next time I think we should just say the night.

It's not broken, I'm just stupid!

So before I left Utah my mother and grandmother (aka: the sewing wonders) gifted me a sewing machine. Now mind you I don't know how to sew, you see in my early years I was to busy ballerinaing it up to learn how. However, I decided to give the whole sewing thing a try, after all how hard could it be.

So while at WalMart (aka: Gods gift to poor college students and Mormons with 50 kids) I bought myself a pattern and some material and following a pep talk from Mother I was ready to go. I pulled out the Sewing Machine and remembering the brief tutorial my mom gave me a month or so back I attempted to thread the damn thing...well my friends it all went down hill from there.

The machine would not thread, in fact the round thing on the side that moves the needle up and down would not rotate forward. So I called my mom, explained the issue, she had no idea what could be wrong after all she had just paid to service the machine and had used it only a few weeks prior. So then I took the damn thing apart (because after all I have a college degree in Health Promotion which is clearly applicable to sewing machine repair) and could not figure out what the issue could be. And then I gave up and cried!

LB came home and suggested I take it in to be fixed, I dramatically claimed that it would cost way too much but that I would call around anyway and see. So I found a repair shop in Alexandria that said they would look at it for free and then let me know how much it would cost and if it was even worth fixing.

So yesterday I drove to Alexandria to the Sun Sew Vac shop to have my sewing machine looked at. And big surprise there was absolutely nothing wrong with it! The idiot that is me just had the damn thing switched to fill a bobbin and not to sewing mode. The gentleman at the shop was very sweet, he took the time to show me how to use the machine, and how to push the little lever over so that the machine would work. I told him that my mother would be mortified to find out that I was this domestically stupid. He claimed that I was not dumb and that the only way one would know to push the lever was if they used the machine a lot. After the brief lesson he carried my sewing machine out to my car and told me to come back if I had any other problems. I am sure he had a good laugh after I drove away... after all if the rolls were reversed I would have been rolling on the ground.

Come to find out the little shop offers a class titled "Getting to Know Your Machine" and if I get up enough courage to show my face again I will be signing up!

UT to VA

So we made it to Arlington, VA. We packed everything we owned into the back of our Jetta and drove for 4 days. Well actually I should clarify LB drove, I sat am complained that my tail bone hurt. I was not allowed to drive because if we put the seat forward then things would shift around in the back and I guess that some how that would have been a bad thing. So LB drove and I sat on the cramped side of the car with stuff at my feet and on every side...it was a very long 4 days!



It was my plan to document our trip across the United States but early on I realized that there was not a lot to photograph on I-70 and after St. Louis I gave up completely. But I will give you a quick recap of the trip:



We drove to Colorado and stopped and saw our friends John and Katie - It rained really hard and water leaked into the car by way of the car top carrier straps.
We drove through Kansans and about the only thing to see in Kansans was one sign after another letting travelers know that "Jesus Saves".

Then Missouri - we saw the Arch.

Then Illinois - I think I was asleep.

Indiana came next - it was beautiful I think I could live there.

Then Kentucky - which was just plain scary and I am pretty sure that the hotel was haunted.

Then West Virginia - fried bologna sandwiches need I say more.

We then drove on to Maryland and then to Virginia.

Leaving UT - as you can see the car was bursting at the seams.

St. Louis Arch from the Freeway.

Things learned on the trip:

1. If you only spend $50 a night on a hotel expect it to be dirty and sketchy

2. Don't pack a cooler if the only place to put it is on your lap - just eat fast food

3. Stop and see the 3000 lb prairie dog in Kansans and the Wizard of Oz Museum -wish we did

4. Pay a company to move your stuff and then take the long route - that is if you can afford it

5. Take pictures, lots of them

6. Crying is useless

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we start our trek across the country. We have packed nearly everything we own into the back of our VW Jetta and shipped the rest. We will miss Utah (me more so than eric)! I hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer. So goodbye for now - I will be back in September with pictures and stories of our new great adventure east coast style!

The Sofa That Came to Stay!

Green Sofa Story:

So over three weeks ago while we where napping after our backpacking trip there was a knock on the door. The Air-conditioner had been broken so we thought it might be maintenance so I jumped out of bed grabbed a bathrobe and ran to the door. However, rather then finding the slightly stinky maintenance guy on the other side there were 4 men holding a GIANT sofa - and even worse then wanted to come in. The giant sofa which could easily seat 7 obese adults and was longer then my apartment is wide would not fit up the 1950's designed stair well, go figure. However, the men were sure that if they just brought it in a few feet they could turn it and then take it up to the 3rd floor. So being the nice neighbor that I am I said sure and in came the sofa; however the couch would not fit up to the 3rd floor, again go figure. So the men decided to take in back down the stairs, but oh now they could not get it back down the stairs so the only logical thing to do was leave in in MY apartment for 2 days until they could get maintenance to open the other neighbors door so that they would have more room to finagle the sofa. Well 3 weeks later we still had the giant green sofa but the neighbors did not leave us with the cushions so we could not sit on it (not that I would have anyway, you know bugs and such). So the neighbors said they would be coming to get their sofa but they did not, and then they said they would come and they did not, then I contemplated pushing the sofa out the window. Then when I was at my wits end and about to barrow a chain saw to cut the damn thing in half and have it hauled off I came home and the sofa that came to stay was gone!

Moral of the story don't let random people leave furniture at your house and if you do change a handling fee! Neighbors you owe me $150!

Oh Sofa!

I suck as a blogger as of lately - maybe that is because I can't deal with my life at the current moment so I am just ignoring everything. Great coping mechanism I know! So while I have been ignoring life I have also been shopping and I bought a sofa. This Sofa! - in seafoam blue (sorry could not upload a picture) and the best part is it will be delivered to our new apartment in Arlington shortly after we arrive. This is the first real and most expensive piece of furniture that we have ever purchased - oh the fun of being an adult.

Since I am slightly behind on the blogging here is a list of updates:

• Went backpacking with Mel and Jim, had a great time, lots of bug bites - pics to come.
• Went to the Ranch to play cards with Bob and Gwen (the grandparents).
• LB's family had a reunion - I had to go in a cave, it was cold - enough said!
• Marsha (aka - Mom) is visiting - she made me pack, I threw a fit, stomped my feet and then gave in - then she took me shopping and helped me with the sofa purchase.
• Got car fixed, it cost a #*%! load of money, then broke again the next week - 2nd repair was free.
• Random neighbors deposited their extremely large sofa that smells like curry in my current apartment 3 weeks ago and they have yet to retrieve it (its a long story) - I'm Pissed!
• Sold LB's car - now a one car family - it sucks!
• Locked ourselves out of the house on Sunday - 2 college degrees and we are still stupid.
• I still don't have a job in DC - lets hope Arby's is hiring.
• Oh and since my life is not crazy enough I am running another 1/2 marathon on Saturday which I am so not ready for.

One Month To Go...

The student load has gone through, the apartment has been rented and all the furniture has almost been sold. Now all I need is a job and to pack the Jetta!

bff

On our recent trip to Virginia my most wonderful friend Chira let us stay with them for a whole 7 days - lets just say the girl is a Saint! I am pretty sure Chira and her husband Chris have fulfilled their service quota to the next year just by helping us with all of our moving drama!

Thank goodness for 8th grade Orchestra and being seated as "stand partners" - I really don't know what I would do with out this girl!

This is Caden, the coolest little boy in the world. He put up with us haling him all over DC for days on end, and was super excited for just about everything including Popsicles outside!

Caden's rap/thug face.

The New but Expensive Digs

So I am finally posting pictures of our soon to be apartment. This is what our one bedroom apartment in Arlington, VA will look like. And since we have sold all of our furniture and won't be able to afford to buy more this is pretty much exactly what it will look like.

Kitchen

Living room/Balcony

Bathroom

Closet

Bedroom

Dear...

Dear Sweet Family from Detroit we met in DC,
Thank you so much for noticing us standing with our lunch trays frantically looking for a place to sit and waving us over to sit with you. And thank you for being forward and gutsy enough to come right out and ask us if we were Mormon, we knew you were thinking it when we said we were from SLC and your approach was refreshing. Eating lunch with you was one of the high lights of our very stressful trip!

Dear Cute Guy at Barns and Noble,
Thank you for steeping aside and holding the door for me even though you were with your very attractive girl friend and it would have been all to easy to just keep walking. Your mother raised you right!

Dear Nice Lady in our* Weight Loss Class,
Thank you Thank you Thank you for telling me my hair was cute - it is the one thing that I am majorly self conscious about. And Thank you Thank you Thank you for telling me I look like a ballerina!
*I was there helping a coworker

Dear Dude in the Black Pick Up Truck,
Why would you hang a giant plastic scrotum (aka - balls) from the hitch on your truck? Are you compensating for something? Because that is what we women think when we see that; this is just a guess but I am betting you don't have a girlfriend, but then maybe I'm wrong. After all nothing says: well educated, handsome, polite, all around good guy who happens to be great in bed like giant testicles on the hitch of a truck. I'm sure your mother is just so proud!

Our New Hood

900 N Randolph St., Arlington (Ballston Neighborhood) Virginia

As of August 21st this will be home - looks ghetto right?

away we go

We are off to Washington, DC in the morning to find an apartment and for a job interview. So send some positive thoughts in our direction!

No worries friends and fam this is not good bye we will be back in a week.

"Kids" BBQ

Saturday was the annual "Kids" BBQ in Springville, UT. This is where a group of high school friends gets together every year for a mini reunion and to celebrate their super coolness. Lucky for me these awesome people let me hang out with them in high school and now they can get rid of me.

me, heidi, & mel

Now you may think your BBQs are cool but do they include a concert by Viewers Like You - the coolest band in Cash County and all of Utah for that matter?

Viewers Like You - Jer, Mike, Devin, Chris, and Trumpet Dude

4 years

"To get the full value of joy
You must have someone to divide it with."
-Mark Twain

Attitude Adjustment in Progress

Things don't suck so bad after all...

I still don't have a job in DC but that is ok, I will eventually...I do rock after all!

I am loving my new mini laptop, its fast, little, and cute - lets name him Gus!

I am starting to get excited for our scouting trip to DC but I am a little nervous about my hair and the humidity. I am also starting to get really excited to discover a whole new city with LB - if you have recommendations for things to see, do, and eat while in DC let me know!

I am still working on selling all of my personal belonging - does anyone need a washer, dryer, bed, mattress, desk, dresser, kitchen table, microwave, TV, tv stand, etc.? Let me know I will give you a great price!!!!

I also want to say thanks for all your words of encouragement left after my last post - thanks for loving me friends, heaven knows I don't always deserve it!

Sucks........

-job hunting sucks especially when you are perfectly happy and content and fulfilled with your current perfect job
-moving sucks and the need to see everyone that you possibly can before you can never see them again
-saying goodbye to your best friend who lives in Texas that you won't see for like 4 years really really sucks
-selling all of your personal belonging because they won't fit in the back of your piece of #!*@ VW Jetta sucks (don't by a VW even if it is the last car company not being bailed out by the government and they are selling cars for a penny - get a bike instead it will be more reliable or try walking)
-seeing children sunday after sunday fighting cancer really sucks even if its a church calling and the kids are amazing little angles
-working every single night of the week and on saturday sucks, even when you love your job
-needing a attitude adjustment really sucks

vocab

i have come to the conclusion that there are a few words in my vocabulary that need to be eradicated. Now while I should really be trying to avoid saying such "bad" words as damn and hell

a monumental day of sorts...

Its a monumental day of sorts - 5 years ago today LB and I had our fist date, a blind date that is. A girl at work offered to set me up with her brother, she said he played the guitar (which was not really true), that he was going to be an engineer, and not going to BYU-so I thought "hey,why not - free dinner" plus nearly every friend I had was on their honeymoon. So we went to dinner with Kristina (LBs sister) & and her husband Todd and then played putt putt golf. LB was smitten from the get go and could hardly wait 2 days to call me again - after he call and asked for a 2nd date I screamed and then tackled my roommate out of excitement. After that shall we say the rest is just history.