Thanksgiving...

This Thanksgiving I spent time with my family at my sister's house in Lewiston, Utah. It was a nice low-key dinner, and on the drive up there and on the way home, I began thinking about the things that I really am thankful for. Though it would take too long to list everything, here are a few of the things that came to mind:

1-My Religion-being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly a wonderful blessing in my life. Because of my religious beliefs, I feel I have a strong understanding of who I really am. This life can be so confusing sometimes, with so many different entities clamoring for our attention and trying to persuade us to define ourselves a certain way, I am thankful for an understanding that I am a daughter of God. He knows who I am, He understands what I am going through, He knows what will bring true happiness to me in my life. Though sometimes it is easy to believe what many people in the world say about what is or is not true or important, I have found that I really am happiest when I spend time pondering my relationship with my Father in Heaven. Yes, there are some lifestyle restrictions associated with my religion. I don't drink alcohol. I don't have sexual relationships outside of marriage. I go to church almost every Sunday, I pray, I read the Bible and other revelations from God including the Book of Mormon. I live a lifestyle that is different than a lot of people my age throughout the world. But I am happy. I am confident. I know what to expect when this life is over, which makes me cherish and value the time I have here on earth. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he is my Savior, that he can help me overcome my mistakes, and help me through any trial or hardship I may have to face, and this belief has made all the difference in my life.

2-My husband- I dated Lucien for one year and was only married to him for 8 months before he died, but the short time I was blessed to spend with him taught me so many things about life and love that continue to have a profound influence on me even now, more than 5 years after his death. Our 6 year wedding anniversary came and went about a week ago. Though I missed him terribly, I couldn't help but feel so thankful that I had the opportunity to experience with him some of the sweetest moments life has to offer. Before I met him it was as if I had been living life in grayscale, and when Lucien entered my life, suddenly his personality and his presence illuminated the world around me in such a way that I was able to see the vivid, bright colors that had been surrounding me all along, but were now enhanced and seemed so much more beautiful than before. There were so many things I experienced for the first time with him: Sushi, Virginia, Betos, a really good kiss, doing donuts in the church parking lot. After he passed away, part of me felt that all of those things had passed away with him. As more time has passed, and as I reflect more upon why it is that I loved him so much, and what it was that I loved, I realized that though I thought I was falling in love with him, he was really showing me how to fall in love with life. He showed me that life should be lived on purpose, that dreams can and should be achieved. When you long to soar above the clouds, you grab a plane by the yoke, spread your wings, and learn how to fly. There might be some strong headwinds. Your engine may stall. You may be forced to make a few bumpy landings. But all those things are part of what makes the moment that you break through the clouds that much more thrilling. When you look down below at all the things you've risen above, you realize that with enough persistence and the right equipment, life's gravity has had little power to hold you down. Though our dreams may not always play out exactly as we expect, we can still choose to make this life a unique and wonderful experience.

Though I sometimes wonder how I can ever love anyone as much as I loved Lucien, I know that there are still many more "firsts" to experience in life. Among other things, I've still never walked along a white sands beach, visited New York City, or held my own newborn baby. And there are plenty of sweet moments I would love to experience again, like waking up next to someone I truly love, laughing until my face hurts from smiling, and of course, a really really good kiss! ;-) Though I am sad that I can't experience all of these things with Lucien (at least in this life), I know that he wouldn't want me to not be able to experience these living jewels because of his absence. When the time is right and with the right person, I believe I will be able to open up my heart again to give and receive the kind of love that Lucien and I shared. But even if that never happens, I will consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to have already had so many treasured moments. Many people go throughout their whole lives never knowing what it is like to really be loved. Now THAT would be a real tragedy.

3-My family-Though none of us are perfect by any definition, I must say that I do have a pretty good group of folks to call my own. We all have our own little quirks, but in all, I'm glad to be a part of this family. My parents are two of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. My brothers and sisters are all pretty well educated and pretty successful. We all have different personalities and different interests, but growing up and working together on our family farm has given us an understanding of each other that nobody else quite gets. And when I talk about loving my family, its not just my blood relatives either. My in-laws are pretty great too. I hear a lot of people complaining about their in-laws, but my sisters-in-law are two of my best friends, and my mother-in-law is one of the most caring people I know. Even though I don't get to see them as often as they or I would like, I'm thankful that we have been able to stay as close as we have even after Lucien's death. I read a quote recently that sums this all up pretty well: "Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts!"

Anyway, there are plenty of other things I am thankful for and which I could expound upon, like my job, education, the country I live in, my dog, and chocolate, but even if I had nothing else than what I have listed above, I would consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world! Life is beautiful, isn't it?!

Fun In Wisconsin

Here are a few photos from my trip to Wisconsin. I had a lot of fun with Bridger and Carter and learned a lot about kids. I learned that there are a few things you just learn to get used to when children are involved. For example....

With 2 kids under age 3, it doesn't take very long for a house to go from looking like this....

to looking like this!

Although I'm not a huge fan of kids watching a lot of tv, after all the ideas you have to keep them entertained were met with failure, and it's only 10:00 am, sometimes a 20 minute dvd can be your best friend! Look how captivated they are! Sometimes I used Charlie Brown to buy a few minutes to actually get myself dressed and cleaned up for the day. I no longer wonder why some moms look like they didn't look at themselves in the mirror before they walked out of the house. Who has time for indulgences like showers and makeup?

Despite all your efforts to please, kids can always find a way to be unsatisfied. After watching "Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Dinner" Bridger wanted to make pumpkin pie like Snoopy. Thinking that he actually wanted to eat it too, I found all the ingredients and we went to work. Bridger had fun smashing the dough and stirring ingredients together.

However, although Bridger had seen all the orangy pumpkin stuff we put in the pie, when it was finally done and it was time to eat it, he took one look at the pie, stuck his finger in it, stared at his finger with a disgusted look on his face and said, "I don't like this orange stuff. Its yucky!" and then refused to eat it.

Carter, on the other hand, wolfed down the pie like it was going out of style! He probably ate more of the pie over the course of 3 days than I did!

On another note, one night right before heading to the neighbor's house for dinner, I quickly ran downstairs to check on some laundry. Bridger and Carter were playing in the big room downstairs when Bridger said "Hey! Its wet!" At about that same moment, I looked down at the carpet and saw a shallow but large puddle of water that covered about half of the basement. Being a little panicked, I looked around to see where it was coming from while I frantically called Mona and said "Your basement is flooding!!" I found out that the water heater was leaking and was soon getting directions from Ben on how to remedy the situation. I brought the kids over to the neighbors where they could be watched while I took care of the mess. (Thanks Jamie!)

Luckily, some of Ben & Mona's friends were able to come over that night to help clean up the water and get some fans going to dry out the carpet. A plumber came the next day to replace the broken water heater.

Here are some photos of Halloween. We had a great time! Carter was dressed as Elmo, and Bridger was a fireman. I took them to the mall to go trick-or-treating, and a bunch of Japanese people saw Carter and started pointing and laughing and taking pictures of him. He just stared at them wondering why they were talking funny and what all the commotion was for. Bridger got scared of the people dressed in funny clothes, so we didn't stay for long. When Ben and Mona got home that night, we went trick or treating again down the street they live on with the neighbors and their kids. I couldn't have picked a better way to spend Halloween. I didn't really want to come home, and I guess I could have stayed, since my wallet got stolen while I was there and I didn't have any ID. But after a series of questions and some extra screening by airport security, they finally let me board my plane and I had to fly home and get back to life as a student. I miss my nephews and all the fun we had and can't wait to see them again!

Precious Moments….Mostly!

While my sister and brother-in-law, Mona and Ben have been away doing second interviews for Ben’s job, they have entrusted me again with the care of their two precious little kiddoes, Bridger and Carter. I must be getting used to this nannying business, because last time I was here at the end of August, I was completely exhausted by noon and would crash on the couch as soon as I had put the boys down for their naps while praying they would stay asleep for a long time. This time around, when its naptime, I still have energy to clean the house, check email, and even get in a little bit of LSAT studying time. Also, last time I was here, my back would be aching so bad at the end of the day, I would have trouble sleeping even though I was so tired, and I had to rely on Ibuprofen to get me through to the next morning. This time, I prepared myself by doing some back exercises starting a couple of weeks before I came, and I also learned some great stretches to do that help relieve the tension in my back. It also helps that Carter is walking now, so he doesn’t have to be carried everywhere, although he still wants to be held and carried every once in awhile.

Being around these two little angels has definitely had a variety of moments ranging from those filled with laughter to those filled with frustration, from thinking this is the greatest job in the world to wondering how the heck parents do this every day. Here are a few examples:

-After banging Carter on the head with bath toys, and then having Carter return the favor, then both of them bursting into giggles and hugging, Bridger proudly smiled up at me and exclaimed “We be’d not kind to eachother, Aunt Val! We be’d MEAN! And now we’re kind again!!”

-Carter’s favorite thing to do is to blow “berzerts” on any amount of bare skin he can find. This surprised me the first time it happened because after watching him running around giggling and playing with toys for a few minutes, he looked at me with his shy little smile, walked up to me quietly and opened up his arms as if he wanted a hug. I proudly picked him up and held him close, thinking it was a kind guesture of his affection. I snuggled him in my arms, he buried his head in my neck, and the next thing I knew he was blowing loudly on my bare neck! This caught me completely off guard, and set me off laughing, which in turn made Carter giggle hysterically and then he repeated it over and over again. Now, any time he sees any bare skin (i.e. the skin of my lower back that happened to be exposed while I was bending over picking up toys!) he tries to blow as loudly as he can on it and then bursts into giggles. He even tried to do it on my legs through my nylons as he sat on the floor beneath the bench at church.

-While naptime usually proceeds without much more than the normal weak protests, today was especially chaotic. About 20 minutes after putting Bridger down, I heard him bawling and sobbing and screaming. I opened the door, worried, and asked him what was wrong. He looked at me with huge tears running down his little cheeks and sobbed “I WANT MY DADDY!!” and then continued to be unconsolable. I sat down on his bed next to him and hugged him and tried to calm him down, telling him that Mommy and Daddy would be home on Halloween, that they loved him, that Daddy was busy talking to people at the hospitals. I asked Bridger if he loved his Daddy, and he said “Yes.” Then I asked “What does your Daddy do for you that you love?” and he answered “He paints the door.” Surprised at his answer, and trying not to laugh, I asked “What else does he do?” Bridger replied, “He…(sniffle)..mows (sniffle) da yawn.” Then, I heard Carter screaming from his room. I got up from Bridger’s bed, went to Carter’s room and opened the door to see one of his legs sticking through the slats of his crib, jerking violently. Somehow he had stuck his foot through the slats then turned his leg so he was unable to get it back out again, so he was stuck all the way up to his thigh. I gently maneuvered his foot out, and of course, as soon as it was free, Carter jumped up and held up his arms while sobbing. I picked him up and hugged him, tried to calm him down, picked up his bottle and carried them both to the kitchen so I could fill up his bottle again and put him back down. After doing that, I heard Bridger crying for his daddy again. I went back to his opened door, peeked in, and he looked up at me and sobbed, “Wet!” I looked at the puddle on the sheets beneath him and then remembered that I had forgotten to make him go potty before giving him his nap. With both children still sobbing and screaming I decided to abort the naptime mission. We got Bridger cleaned up, changed his sheets, and then decided to go to the store instead, which wasn't necessarily a less chaotic activity, but it cheered us all up anyway.

-Carter can’t talk yet, but he is learning a little bit of sign language. Over the last few days, Carter has learned how to say “dog,” “All done,” “baby” and “fish” in sign language. It is adorable to see him proudly smile each time he successfully makes a sign that I can recognize.

And most rewarding of all…

-After playing with some pots and pans on the kitchen floor, Bridger stood up, smiled at me and then said “I love you!” then began dancing around the kitchen while repeating it over and over in his sweet, musical, sing-song voice “I love you! I love you! I love you!” Suddenly, wet beds and aborted naptimes don’t seem so bad anymore, and I understand why parents do what they do day in and day out. :-)

Mommy for the Weekend

Last week, my sister, Mona, and her husband, Ben had to take a trip to Spokane, Washington for a job interview. While they were gone, I had the lovely opportunity to babysit my adorable nephews, Bridger, (2 1/2) and Carter (1 year) at their home in Madison, Wisconsin.

I arrived in Madison on Tuesday, August 25th and stayed there for a few days while Mona and Ben were still around. They left on Saturday and returned the next Tuesday. Though I was only

on my own with the kids for about 4 days, it was definitely long enough for me to gain a new appreciation for motherhood and what moms do every day.

I thoroughly enjoyed what Mona's neighbor, Jamie, described as "Moments of fun surrounded by chaos!" The little moments of giggles and laughter, singing, jumping, and playing were definitely worth getting through the just as numerous periods of crying, pooping, whining, daiper changing, and endless questions like "Can we go pick up Mommy and Daddy from the 'Olport' (airport) now?"

Bridger is at that adorable stage where he is fascinated with the world around him, and his favorite question is "Why?" which he repeats thousands of times a day. Though the endless

"Why?"s did get old after a while, it did force me to get a little creative with my answers:

Bridger: "What is that man doing with his dog?"

Aunt Val: "He's taking it for a walk."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "So his dog can get some exercise."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "So his dog doesn't get too fat."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Because if his dog doesn't get exercise, it will get so fat it won't be able to leave the house."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Um.... Because.... he will get SO big from eating his food and not exercising that he won't be able to fit through the door anymore."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Because they don't make doors big enough for fat dogs that don't get exercise."

Bridger: "Why?"

Aunt Val: "Um...(sigh of annoyance and slight frustration)...Because.... Oh wow! Look at that!"

Bridger: "What? Where?"

Aunt Val: "I don't know, did you see something?"

Bridger: "Why is that dog pooping?"

Aunt Val: "Oh dear."

In all, I was actually quite impressed with how well the kids behaved while their parents were

away. Mona has spent a lot of time and energy helping them become accustomed to a regular schedule and it really paid off while she and Ben were away. Whenever it was time for naps, as long as I made sure to go through the regular routine before naptime, the kids went right to sleep without any more than the usual protests or requests to "read just one more book?"

We had a lot of fun making popsicles, finger painting, going to the park, kicking the soccer ball, playing with bubbles, eating, singing songs, watching Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang, and what Bridger enjoyed most of all was "playing airplane" where we would "fly" to Spokane, Washington and then fly back to Wisconsin.

It wasn't all fun and games, though. Bridger kept wanting to play with his dad's golf club and would swing it all over the place, making me worried that he would whack Carter in the head or break something. I finally decided to put his interest to good use, and told him to beat out the rug with the golf club, which he was more than happy to do. :-)

Needless to say, Bridger was very excited to go to the "Olport" to pick up Mommy and Daddy on Tuesday night. Carter, on the other hand, hardly recognized Mona and turned away his shy little face every time she would look at him. After a few minutes he finally warmed back up to her.

It really was a fun experience and I'm so thankful I was available to do this for my sister. The enjoyment I got out of my time spent with these two little boys was probably worth more to me than what my sister would have had to pay for a babysitter. Though my back was very sore by the end of the 4 days from lifting 25 pound blobs of squirming little people, picking up toys, and wrestling Carter into his car seat, I must admit, that I missed being with them as soon as I got on my plane to leave. I am a little envious of mothers who get to spend all their time with little angels like these. I am looking forward to the day (someday) when I can have a few little munchkins of my own to keep me busy, tired, and thoroughly happy.

Takin' it Easy.... sort of!

So, I haven't updated my blog recently, mostly because there are not too many exciting things going on. Well, I guess that could be an understatement. Mostly there are not a lot of things going on that I take pictures of. Since I got home from Washington DC, my days mostly consist of working out in the yard, doing homework, studying for the LSAT, and dancing.

I am trying to finish my last few classes at BYU so I can officially graduate. I am doing all my remaining classes through Independent Study, which is nice because I can go at my own pace and I don't have to go to campus unless I really want to. However, it is taking me longer than I expected to finish my classes. I have one completely finished, I'm about 1/3 of the way done with another, and then I will have 3 more. I am also taking an LSAT preparation class. Yes, I am thinking about going to Law School. Although when I really think about having 3 more years of school to go through, part of me wants to vomit, but another part of me thinks it would be a very rewarding challenge. We'll see how things go.

One of my other goals this summer was to learn how to dance better. I absolutely LOVE dancing! I started doing country swing dancing when I was about 16 years old. Between the ages of 19-21 I took some dance classes at UVSC and went dancing frequently on the weekends. Over the last couple of years I have dabbled in it a bit more, but now I want to get more serious. My favorite dance so far is West Coast Swing and I go at least once a week, if its a good week I can go three times on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. There are some really good dance clubs around here that teach great lessons and I feel like I am improving, though I am not nearly as good as I want to be. I also started going to the BYU Swing Kids Club, which is also really fun, but they do more Lindy-Hop, which is actually becoming a very close second in my preference to West Coast Swing. I will be attending a dance competition/workshop weekend in Denver this month which I hope will help me improve my skills, and it will be fun to watch the pros dance in person.

Thats about it for now. Sorry I don't have photos. I'll work on that for next time!

Graduation!!

Although I am technically not graduated yet (I still have 4 more classes to finish) I was able to participate in Commencement ceremonies on April 23rd with my brother, Ammon who graduated in Mechanical Engineering.

Graduation was a fun experience. A lot of my family members were able to be there and we were able to get a photo of all the 5 BYU graduates in our family.

Dressing up in the cap and gown, walking through the Marriott center and across the stage at convocation, and listening to the wonderful speakers who gave great counsel, all helped me realize what a blessing it has been to be a student at Brigham Young University. Reflecting back on the last 3 years, I have definitely learned a lot, and not just academically speaking. I have been able to develop some wonderful friendships, I have learned more about myself, my talents, my likes and dislikes, and I have learned to appreciate each moment of this phase of my life with all of its ups and downs. I have absolutely loved studying Humanities which has allowed me to be exposed to some of the greatest minds this world has seen. I have learned to look for and appreciate the beauty that is apparent everywhere and I have been able to develop and strengthen my own opinions about various topics.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and one whom we revere as someone who recieves revelation from God, was the speaker at our Commencement exercises. He encouraged us to do the following as we continue our journey through life:
1- Use time wisely
2- Continue to Learn
3- Always Seek inspiration from the Spirit of God

Elder Russel M. Nelson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of our church, also spoke to us and gave us this wise counsel:

"The end for which you should strive is to be the person that you can become — the person that God wants you to be.

"Much more important than what you have done for a living is what kind of person you have become. On your final graduation day … what you have become will matter most."

(To see what else we were told at graduation exercises, please see this link: :-)http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705299300/6192-at-BYU-celebrate-graduation.html )

As I finish up this last semester of my undergraduate degree, I am considering what my next steps should be to help me become the kind of person God wants me to be, the kind of person I want me to be, and what paths I need to take to reach that goal. I have always pondered upon this question when I reach certain points in my life that require decisions about my future, and when it comes to a career, for the last several years there has been something in the back of my mind that has told me that Law School is an option that I should consider. So, as I finish up my classes, I am also going to have to make time to study for the LSAT. Depending on how well that goes, I'll let you all know where I go from there.

Goodbye Barlow...Hello Shenandoah!

After almost 4 months in Washington DC, my internship is almost over, and my days at the Barlow Center have come to an end. My internship technically doesn't end until April 30, but the Washington Seminar program is over and it was time for me and my friends to move out so the new students could move in. Between now and May 7th when I head back to Utah, I am staying with my grandmother-in-law, Stasia (Thank you!!). On one hand, I am excited to have my own room again (Yipee! No offense, Ruth), but on the other hand, I am sad to leave the friends I have made and I will miss being conveniently located in the city close to the metro, shopping, and beautiful, picturesque Georgetown.



My last weekend before moving out was spent with some friends hiking "Old Rag" mountain in Shenandoah National Park. My father-in-law, John (whom my friends and I came to refer to as "Papa John") was kind enough to let us stay at his place overnight and let us borrow his jeep so we could go hiking. John and I have had an ongoing disagreement about which mountains are "better:" The Rocky Mountains or the Appalachians? John thinks the Rocky Mountains are big and menacing, and I have argued that the Appalachians are small and wimpy. Well, after hiking Old Rag, I have conceded that though the Appalachians might be older and lower in elevation, they are definitely not wimpy, and they have a certain mystery, beauty, and romance about them that is equally as impressive as the height and majesty of the Rockies. I was hiking with 3 of my good guy friends, and several times I had to ask them to slow down a bit because I was having a hard time keeping up.

Though it was cool and cloudy all day, the hike was actually really enjoyable. There is a "rock scramble" section of the hike where you have to climb over and around a bunch of big boulders, and there are natural staircases carved into the granite from erosion. Though our views of the valley from the top were partially blocked because of the weather, the clouds near the summit of the mountain created a foggy effect that added extra mystery and intrigue to the hike. Before and after our hike, we drove through Shenandoah National Park along skyline drive on the top ridge of the mountain range. On the way up, the clouds didn't permit much of a view of anything, but on the way back down, we were able to see the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains and fertile farm valleys in between. We even had a close encounter with two friendly and curious deer! As much as I love Washington DC, it was really nice to get away from the city for awhile, become reacquainted with nature and wide-open spaces, and breathe in the clean, fresh mountain air.

Cherry Blossom Festival

My inner flower-child has blossomed!

One of the main reasons I decided to come to Washington DC during the spring is so I could be here during Cherry Blossom Festival, and I'm so glad I did! It was so beautiful to walk around the Tidal Basin when the trees were at their peak. The Magnolia trees around the Smithsonian Castle were also at their peak around the same time. I also was able to take a "wildflower tour" on Theodore Roosevelt Island where I learned about the native and non-native species in the area. Springtime in Washington DC is beautiful! The weather has been typical of springtime anywhere: cold and rain one day, warm and sunny the next.

If you want to learn more about the history of the Cherry trees in DC, check out this link:
http://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=574

One of the funnest parts of the festival was going to the Parade on Saturday morning. My friends and I found a great spot by one of the museums right at the beginning of the parade where all the participants line up before turning onto Constitution avenue for the official start of the parade. Alex Trebec was the Grand Marshall, and I was able to get my picture with him! I know, I look like a five-year-old on my birthday, but it was pretty exciting stuff!

After watching the pretty horses trot on by, I decided that one of my goals in life is to ride a horse in a parade at least once before I die. Despite my ability to adapt to an urban lifestyle, the truth is, I've always been a cowgirl at heart. :-)

Adventures of the Week

Here is a brief photo recap of my adventures from the last couple of weeks:



Became a true American by purchasing food from a street vendor. Yes, to be a TRUE American, I should have bought a hot dog, but I just couldn't bring myself to eat what looked like a slightly warmed over stick o' mystery meat slathered with room temperature mustard, ketchup, and relish.... so I bought a pretzel instead! :-)

Experienced Jackson Pollock in person at the National Gallery of Art's east wing.

Rocked out Irish style at a St. Patty's Day party. I also cooked Corned Beef and Cabbage for the first time.

Visited the National Zoo and was convinced that though apes DO have very human-like attributes, there is no way I could have descended from an Orang-utan or Gorilla!

Oooed and Aaawed at the perty flowers at the Botanical Gardens.

Took a tour of the capitol building....

and snapped a photo with good ol' Brother Brigham Young



Learned more about our Judicial system by listening to an Oral Argument at the Supreme Court.

Shed a tear or two and pondered on the meaning of the thousands of lives lost in the Civil War during a visit to the Gettysburg battlefields.

Spent the weekend with the in-laws for my birthday weekend. Rebecca, Taia, and Baby Marleigh even got to be there!!! What a great family I have!

Learned about early American architecture and new trends to build more environmentally friendly communities during a visit to the National Building Museum.

For those of you who care to read and have the time, interest, and attention span, here is a longer more detailed journal of this week (March 15-21, 2009):

This week was another one full of adventures. On Sunday I spoke in Church about trusting in the Lord during our trials. I shared some of the things I have learned from being a widow. I was a little nervous about being too personal in sacrament meeting, but many people told me that they really appreciated what I said. I am very thankful for the lessons I have learned from my experiences, and I hope that I can use what I have learned to help others.

St. Patricks day began with my front tooth breaking when I took off my retainer that morning. Actually, it wasn't my tooth, it was the cosmetic veneer on the top of my front tooth that my dentist put on a few years ago after I got my tooth knocked out. Luckily, my supervisor at work knows a good dentist that was able to get me in right away and fix it up. Later that evening I had an Irish feast of Corned beef and Cabbage with my friends. It was my first time making it, but it turned out pretty good.

On Wednesday I saw a show about planets and galaxies in the Einstein Planetarium at the Air and Space museum.

On Thursday I had a tour of the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art. I saw some famous works by Jackson Pollock and Jasper Johns.

On Friday we had 3 great lectures in the Washington Seminar class that I am taking. Elder Hardy from the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us about his experiences in Washington DC and how his membership in the church has been a great blessing in his life. (For those of you who are not a member of the LDS faith, "Elder" is a title that is given to men who hold a certain office in our church. A Quorum is an organization within our church. Click here to learn more: http://www.mormon.org/ )

We also had a lecture from the Syrian Ambassador who gave us a different perspective on the conflict in Israel and the Gaza strip than what we usually hear from our media. I have a lot more sympathy for the Palestinians because of the crimes against Humanity that have been committed against them by Israel. As the Ambassador said, no country should have the right to dominate the lives of citizens in another nation. Right now the Palestinians in the Gaza strip and the West bank are being held captive in their own neighborhoods. Israeli soldiers often occupy the homes of the Palestinians, prevent them from traveling between checkpoints even within their own neighborhoods, and have cut them off from outside resources. The Palestinians have been driven to despair by the suffocation of Israel's control. It is no wonder that they have been driven to extreme measures to the point of firing makeshift rockets into Israel as a sign of protest. Hearing the atrocities that are going on in places around the world like this makes me so thankful that I live in the country that I do. The United States is not perfect by any means. There are many problems here that need to be addressed. However, I am thankful that we are able to enjoy the basic freedoms of life. I think this is something that we all take for granted.

The third lecture we heard was given at the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia by Judge Griffiths. We were able to sit in his courtroom and learn more about what he does and about the opportunities there are for us if we want to go into a legal career. I am always amazed at the talent and intelligence of many of the people that I get to listen to. Being here has totally opened my eyes to how many opportunities there are to make a significant difference in this world.

On Friday night I went to another performance of the National Symphony Orchestra with my friend Jason. He has a sweet hookup where he can get free tickets to NSO performances. I love being able to participate in amazing cultural experiences without having to pay a dime!! Later a bunch of us went to Hard Rock cafe, where I had a less than favorable experience with my beef fajitas. I have been to Hard Rock a couple of times before, and I am always disappointed with their food. For some reason I forget how bad it is until after I'm already there and my plate is sitting in front of me waiting to be eaten and I am again disappointed. oh well.

On Saturday I had a tour of the Capitol building. I re-learned a lot about our system of government and once again was amazed at the genius of our Founding Fathers. I picked up a copy of the Constitution on my way out and have been reading it. I am embarrassed to say that I think this is the first time I have actually read the whole Constitution. I used to not be able to understand the language and would lose interest soon after the famous preamble of "We the people...." Now that I am in DC and have actually seen the buildings where much of the work of our government takes place and have listened to senators, congressmen, judges, and lobbyists who actually do a lot of that work, I understand it a lot better.

After the Capitol I had a tour of the National Building Museum. Its a really cool building inside, but theres not that much to see.

Thats about all for this week. I know I've missed a few weeks of blogging, but with so many adventures to be had, who has time to blog?

So much to do!!!

So, I have to apologize because I keep telling people that I will update my blog, but I haven't gotten around to actually doing it until now. I have been having so much fun here in DC! I am falling in love with this city one adventure at a time. This is such a perfect place for me to be, I mean, really, where else could I begin the day with a briefing from an expert discussing the foreign relations and nuclear policies between US and North Korea, then meet at the national headquarters of the American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC), then stroll through a museum filled with amazing works of art by the likes of Da Vinci, Francisco de Goya, and Thomas Cole, then watch an IMAX movie about Dinosaurs in 3D, then see the Hope Diamond, and top it all off with an amazing performance of Dusapin's "Apex," Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major followed by Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique by the National Symphony Orchestra!! And the best part of all of this: IT WAS ALL FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does life get better than this?

There are so many diverse cultural and educational opportunities here. It would take way too long to give details about everything I have done over the last few weeks, but here is a short list of what I've done to recap:

-Wandered through Gothic hallways and Creepy Crypts at the National Cathedral

-Enjoyed a 7 course dinner at a Morrocan restaurant with a belly dancer for entertainment

-Devoured Devilishly Delightful Desserts at Chocolate Festival in Fairfax, Va.

-Wondered in awe at the amount of knowledge contained in the books at the Library of Congress

-Basked in the Golden Glow of James McNeil Whistler's Peacock Room

-Perused Presidential Portraits (including the new one of Obama) at the National Portrait Gallery

-Wondered if I was the only Mormon on campus while taking a test for my independent study class at Catholic University of America

-TOTALLY rocked out at the Ben Folds/Jason Mraz concert at GWU

-Spent WAY too much money getting my hair done, but man, do I look good!! (;-p)

-Laughed at watching my life unfold on the silver screen in "He's just not that into you"

-Lived it up wild style dancing at a bar in Adams Morgan. A creepy drunk guy tried to touch me, but my friend slapped his hand away. (Thanks Ashley!)

-Paid my penance for the night at the bar by going to church and becoming spiritually enlightened at a "Why I believe" Fireside at the DC temple visitor's center.

(Okay, this photo isn't from the visitor's center, its from the national cathedral, but I thought it was funny and just had to include it)

-Learned about one of the most amazing men in history at George Washington's Mt. Vernon estate.

-Found a room made just for me at Mt. Vernon-It even has my name on it!


Now, I don't want to give the wrong impression that its all fun and games here. There have been lots of non-adventures in between, like getting sick, doing homework, actually going to work to do my internship, etc. But overall, I am enjoying myself thoroughly and I'm so glad I decided to come.

I love all y'all and hope life is treating you just as well as its been treating me!

Peace out!