I have a theory

I love living in DC. I love everything about this city. I love that I'm finally moving into my very own apartment, and can end this two month streak of living out of a suitcase (although I'll miss living with my brother and sister in-law). And best of all, I love getting to be a tourist when good friends come to visit. So, needless to say, this has been a week of love. Thanks to Erin for letting me play tourist.

Utah, a place I'm supposed to be missing, but having a hard time doing so. Pictures speak louder than words, so I'll let them do the talking, (although a few explanations may be provided.)

We had a lovely tour of our nations Capitol, thanks to Peter and John. Then, it was off to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to watch millions and millions of dollars get printed that will never be ours, or will it?


Apparently the U2 3D Imax concert is supposed to change your life. Although, maybe not so much the second time around. However, sitting on the back of the Lincoln Memorial to watch the sunset, will change your life.



Now that I'm posting pictures, I'm realizing how much we did that didn't get captured...what kind of tourists were we?

Saturday had to have been my favorite day by far. Following a trip to Eastern Market, and a few Smithsonian's, we ended the day with some crazy four-wheeling that left us covered in mud...it doesn't get better than that. Plus, I saw my first firefly EVER...if there is such thing as the coolest insect, the firefly wins my vote.



To finish it off, I made a great Sunday dinner for all of my siblings...aren't we just cute?



I have a theory...you either love the east coast, or you don't.

They Call This News?

Usually after reading news articles, I walk away feeling somewhat more educated on the happenings in the world. Today, that wasn't quite the case. I was reading on msnbc.com tonight, catching up on the latest health articles, when I stumbled across some of the most ridiculous articles I've ever read. All I can think is, some people have lost their minds, and some are just plain stupid. Let me summarize my two favorite (or not so favorite) articles I read tonight.

The first article: "700-pound man's birthday wish? Marriage."
I thought about adding the picture of this man, but quickly realized that for the sake of my blog, his picture will not be displayed.
This article is about a man who once weighed a half ton (1,235 pounds to be exact) and is now down to 700. His birthday is today, and the only wish he has for the upcoming year is to lose enough weight to walk his fiance down the isle at their wedding. He hasn't been able to leave his bed for the last six years, and the one attempt he tried to make in leaving his house, and I quote "failed when a flatbed tow truck brought to transport his reinforced bed got caught beneath an underpass." Isn't that unfortunate? He blames America for gaining so much weight. He moved here from Mexico and began eating a consistent diet of junk food and soda.
My first thought is, HOW? How in the world do you let yourself reach that weight without realizing something needs to change? How do you even get to 500 pounds without realizing something isn't right? My second thought is, how do you fall in love with someone when you haven't left your bed in six years? Have they even been on a date? Maybe she's the one that feeds him since he can't leave his bed and is partly to blame for his obesity? Go figure

The second article: "28 million women face unwanted pregnancy" just made me laugh.
Apparently half of American women will wind up with an unintentional pregnancy, due to a lack of proper protection. Well, obviously if you aren't doing anything to prevent a pregnancy, you'll likely end up pregnant. If people only thought before they acted, maybe the pregnancies wouldn't be so unintentional after all. Just a thought.

Got to love the news...or the people that create it.

Happy Father's Day

I don't even think my Dad reads my blog. To be honest, I'm not even sure if he knows I have a blog. Maybe he doesn't even know what a blog is? Regardless of whether or not he sees this, he's amazing, and I love him! I feel lucky to be his little girl who's not so little anymore. I wish I could go back to the days of being little. I loved being little, I loved when he'd hold me, when he'd tuck me into bed at night and help me say my prayers, and I loved when he'd do his "funny laugh"for me even when it hurt his jaw. Can't I just be little again? Life seemed so carefree back then. The only thing I worried about back then was keeping up with all of the boys.
Well Dad, I love you. I've always told him if I can marry someone half the guy he is, I'd be one lucky girl. Some of my favorite memories with my Dad are:
1. Having him coach my Jr. Jazz games
2. When he sang supercalifragilisticexpialidocious on the bus with all of the first-graders after our field trip to Wheeler Farm (I thought he was the coolest Dad after that)
3. Getting to go to California with just him and Shawn and Jeff Lowder
4. Playing basketball every night before dinner. I couldn't go in for dinner until I'd make three baskets in a row
5. The night he came into Joe Morley's by himself while I was working and just sat and talked to me. We laughed, we cried, and we ate some good BBQ
6. When he left work early to drive me to Idaho just in time for class, because my carpool had to leave without me
7. When he called me out of the blue one day, while I was at BYU-Hawaii, just to tell me he loved me
8. Running in 10K races with him (even though he ALWAYS beats me)
9. Going to Giants games with him for our birthday's
10. Having him always wash my car and fill it up with gas every time I went home (which was practically every weekend I was at BYU)
The list could go on and on, but I don't want everyone reading this to be too jealous that they don't have my Dad as their own.

If Only

I have amazing parents and incredible siblings. A perfect family? I'd say so. However, we haven't always been so perfect. FHE was always a struggle in our house. But, I think our nightly family dinners were a fair compensation for a Monday night lesson. If only my parents had taken us to Giants games for FHE, there never would have been an ounce of complaint from any of our mouths. I guess it's true that with age comes wisdom...and wow, how wise us kids are now! We're having FHE all on our own.Here are my siblings and I (Brittany where are you?) enjoying the last game of the Giants sweep over the Nationals. Go Giants! FHE doesn't get better than that.

Livin' On a Prayer

Well, I've officially been welcomed to D.C., and I almost died in the process. Sure, call me a drama queen, but I'm going to call it "livin' on a prayer".
Everything was normal when I walked out of the office at five o' clock yesterday, minus the previous monsoon that I thought had quickly swept through the District. Boy was I wrong. All I wanted was to get home, change my clothes, make dinner, eat (of course), and go work out. Instead, I was informed that the Metro would be stopping ONE stop short of my destination due to a power outage. Therefore, EVERYONE on the Metro would have to exit, catch a shuttle that would take us to the next Metro stop, and continue on to the desired destination. Everyone quickly exited the Metro hoping to run and catch the shuttle and get home. Boy were we all wrong in thinking that would happen too. Thousands of people were crammed into the Metro station trying to catch a shuttle so that our work day could finally end. One problem, for the first twenty minutes there was only one shuttle bus, and it only carried 12 or so passengers. I was now standing with a thousand + angry people who were pushing and shoving to be the next to the bus. Our cell phones didn't work, it was pouring rain, and we all wanted to be home. In the back of my mind I thought my life was going to end right then and there. I felt like I was on the Titanic and was hoping that I'd be the next passenger off the ship before it sunk, and I was left to drown. I felt like another number. I felt like the world was ending. Thank goodness for answered prayers because miraculously the Metro started working again, and I was able to slip through the crowd and catch the first Metro out of East Falls Church. Finally, I had made it to my long and awaited destination, but the fun had just begun. Running in heels from the Metro to my car in the torrential down pour, I nearly got struck by lightening. I had no time to think, only time to realize that a bolt of lightening virtually blinded me, so I ran faster and harder hoping to avoid being electrocuted. I was now drenched from head to toe. I ran up to the fifth and last floor of the parking garage, only to have to run in the rain one more time to get to my car. I was now shaking, completely soaked, carrying my heels, and praying that tonight wouldn't be my last. I began driving out of the parking garage, only to come to a sudden stop on the third floor. And there I sat, in a puddle of water from being so wet, for over a half hour, never moving more than two feet, wondering when this day would ever end? And it didn't for a few more hours. My dear sister and her friend said they'd come pick me up, the car could stay parked at the Metro for all I cared, I just wanted to go home. I parked the car, took my heels off, and began walking to meet them so that they wouldn't get caught in the massive Metro traffic jam. Trampling through mud puddles with no shoes on and rain for over a mile, I was finally rescued. They informed me that the power was out at the apartment so, we decided to go out to eat, but everyone else in McLean had the same idea in mind. We bagged that idea, and it was homeward bound at last . What should have been a five minute drive home took over twenty. With all of the rain we couldn't see out the windshield and the power outage had wiped out all of the street lights. Nothing in this town was working. Now, over three hours since I left work, we FINALLY made it back to the apartment, where we had to function by candle light. A few hours later my sister and I decided to pick up her car. Having seen"I am Legend" I think I can now relate to how Will Smith felt when there was NO ONE left but him. I'd never seen streets so empty, so dark, and torn apart by the storm. Apparently in the combustion of the storm three tornado's had touched down in the D.C. area, one almost right here in McLean. We were informed that that power would most likely be out for two or more days. So, this morning I had to have an ice cold shower by candle light. Luckily it only took a little over 24 hours for the power to start working again. Just in time for the first night of the NBA Finals. Thank goodness prayers really do come true.

Doctor Doctor Give Me the News, I've Got a Bad Case of Lovin' You

There are a few things in life that I absolutely hate, mainly dishonest or deceiving people, bad weather, and being hungry and having no food. There are also lots of things in life that I absolutely love, like my family, friends, the church, learning new things, getting lost in a good book, deep conversations, long runs, good food, and spending the entire day at the beach. But just recently, I realized I also have a few obsessions...and they need help. So, any advice you can offer me on how to overcome these obsessions will be greatly appreciated.
The obsessions include (but are not limited to):
1. Dark chocolate. Not milk, not white, just dark, and I'll eat anything that has it in it
2. Any dessert...especially if it's made with dark chocolate. I always want dessert after every meal I eat (even breakfast)
3. Food. Even if I just had a big meal, I'm always ready to eat again (that's not normal)
4. Sleep...as soon as I wake up, I'm ready for a nap again. I think I'm capable of hibernating, which is a new feeling for me. Normally I don't/can't sleep
5. Chips and Salsa...it will satisfy me for any meal and besides dark chocolate, It's all I ever want
6. Working out. My day doesn't feel complete unless I've done it. Plus, with how much I like to eat...enough said
7. Spandex. If I could wear them all day long, everyday of the week, everywhere I went, I would. They're just so darn comfortable
It's kind of sad that almost all of my "obsessions" have to do with food. So, maybe I answered my own question on how to overcome these obsessions...it's called self-control. Maybe that's where my struggles lie.