Sunday, June 30, 2013

Nothing Says DC like the Cherry Blossom Festival

I was lucky enough to be in DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival. It never ceases to amaze me. The trees are beautiful and completely packed with flowers. 



Mom and Dad signed us up to be balloon carriers for the parade and it was a blast. We carried the pink cherry blossoms so we were the backdrop for the opening numbers (including Andy Grammar!) and then were the last ones to walk through the parade.

I love my family!! 

That's a wrap

I can't believe how quickly my time in DC passed. It really is incredible. I learned an amazing amount on a number of different topics and honestly feel like a more well rounded individual. 

This was my desk at ASHA on my last day. 

 Our last day of class. It was an awesome group and I'm going to miss they so much! 

Our last briefing with Senator Harry Reid. That was a really interesting experience. 

This was our last time together for a really long time. It was probably the saddest moment all semester. Elyse is going on a mission to Ukraine and is going to do an awesome job! Catherine is going to Provo to work for a non-profit organization and is going to save all the families of the world. Amy is going to finish up a class, graduate, and then enter the real world of the workforce. Emily is going to stay in DC and work for a representative for the summer and be Hannah's roommate. (I'm so jealous on so many levels!) 

Mom and Dad were super nice and hosted a last day dinner at the condo This is a group of us on the roof. It's a pretty sweet view! I've always wanted to host a party up there. 

And then there were four... We were the only ones left in the city so we raided the Barlow Center and ate all the left over food! 

Friday, June 28, 2013

Nothing More American

It was a perfectly American night; warm but not too hot, smell of hot dogs, baseball fans, in the heart of the nation's capitol. What more could you ask for?! A group of us went to a DC Nationals game. I loved it!


Holiness to the Lord

When I was about 12, I was visiting Washington D.C. with my Dad on a business trip. We took one night to drive up and visit the temple. As we walked around the temple grounds and my dad paused and pulled an Almond Joy out of his pocket. Before we shared the candy bar, he bore his testimony to me about the true joy that comes from the temple. He shared with me his gratitude in knowing that he was sealed to Mom and each of the us kids for time and all eternity. It was at that moment that I decided that I was going to get sealed in the temple, no matter what. Ever since that time, the DC temple has held a special place in my heart. It was a joy to attend any chance I got.


 I will be forever grateful to my parents and the principles taught in our home while we were growing up. I think there was a picture of the temple in each of our bedrooms; we were able to watch as our parents went to the temple together on a regular basis; there was nothing else discussed other than a worthy temple marriage; and in every testimony borne they expressed their deep gratitude for the sealing power which bound our family together forever.



Sunday, June 16, 2013

Gettysburg

 The week following Valley Forge we got to go to Gettysburg which was really interesting. I had forgotten how many monuments there were for fallen soldiers. The museum they have there is really quite interesting and I learned a lot about the Civil War. 

Off the top of Little Round Top 

Touching the lucky nose!


Valley Forge and Philadelphia

As part of the Washington Seminar trip we got to go on excursions to Valley Forge, Philadelphia and later Gettysburg. Before going, I had no idea what happened at Valley Forge so it was really interesting. What I got from it was that it was the place where General Washington camped for the first winter of the Revolutionary War. It was a terrible, wet winter and many lives were lost. 
General Washington's bedroom


The next morning we went to Philadelphia. I had been there a few times with my family but it was fun to just want around and explore the city. It is amazing to think of all the amazing things that occurred in that city and it was especially neat to think that it was all inspired and orchestrated by the Lord. There is no way this country could have been founded and established, if not by the hand of God. 
The Liberty Bell

Constitution Hall

Where the Constitution was debated and signed. 

Carter recommended this cheesesteak place and it was delicious! 

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Adventures at the Smithsonian

One of my favorite parts about DC are all the museums! But the best part about it all was that you could just stop by and walk through one exhibit and not feel like you have to see the whole thing at once, resulting in museum-itis. Sometimes I would just stop by on my way home from work or spend a Saturday. There was so much to learn and so much to see!

The sun stone from the original Nauvoo temple!

I'm not sure who he is but he looked like he deserved a kiss.

The Harry Potter Robe! 

I don't make a very convincing president. Good thing I'm not going into politics!

DC Eats

I always knew that eating was a social event but I felt like we were always going out to eat in DC. There are so many different places to try and so many types of food. Needless to say that we ate a lot! 

At Good Stuff Eatery (Really good burgers and shakes) and We the Pizza. 

At Lincoln's Waffle Shop. It was right across the street from Ford's Theater and run by a cute Asian family that were a hoot.  

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Mononucleosis = Mono = Death by Exhaustion

Right after my trip to Utah, I started feeling super tired. I started falling asleep at work. Once I fell asleep at an Education and Workforce hearing which was pretty bad. I was sitting directly behind the witness so the cameras for CSPAN would stop right on me. It was bad enough that my co-worker told me to get up and get a drink. I would even fall asleep while typing at times. It happened enough that I started documenting some of them...

1. I was making a list of people that had or had not attended a meeting that we hosted. Apparently I was dreaming while typing this one! 
       "No attended the meeting fur have fun while helping children" 
2. This one was actually an email to my boss. What can I say... I have heavy fingers. 
        "I had this in my schedule but just wanted to double check that I can go.       adfsdsdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff" 

I also started getting a really bad sore throat and my lymph nodes started to swell. It looked and felt like I had a golf ball stuck in my throat. 

After New York I decided that I couldn't take it anymore, so I went into the doctor. I was tired enough that I just grabbed a taxi, which is saying something because it cost a pretty penny. The nurse came in and checked for the flu and strep. After he left, I don't know what came over me but I just started sobbing. Maybe it was because I was so exhausted and nervous that they were going to tell me that I would just have to suck it up, but I just couldn't stop. It was pretty pathetic and really sad all at the same time. Both the tests came back negative. The doctor took one look at my throat and said that I had Mono. She prescribed ibuprofen, some steroids for the swelling, and a week of bed rest. I went home (still crying), packed a bag and caught another taxi to the DC condo where I stayed in isolation for a solid week. 

Under loving parental guidance, I drank a few bottles of water plus 4-5 of these bottles a day. 


I can now say that I have had mono and hope to say that I will never get it again! It was quite the experience. 
 

Stephanie and Emery sent me a care package which helped SO much. It included cards with band-aid men and a stuffed animal to keep me company. I LOVED it! 

The Big Apple

As part of the Washington Seminar program they gave us a three-day weekend with no classes or work called an enrichment weekend. My first thought for the enrichment weekend was to just sit home, rest, and go to a few museums. But when I have the option of doing something or nothing, I have always been taught to do something; so I decided to go to New York. Looking back, the low-key weekend in DC might not have been a bad idea. I have been to New York before with my family so I was just along for the ride and was excited to see whatever the group had planned.

We left Union Station at 6:00 am Friday morning and made the four hour journey by bus. I suddenly became very grateful for my gift of sleeping while traveling. We could not have had better weather. We hit the ground running and went straight to Ground Zero. I had not yet seen the memorial built there but it was stunning. I found the two large black fountains stunning and so symbolic of what occurred at that site. I think the place had an even greater impact after visiting the Newseum and seeing their 9/11 exhibit. The event was fresh in my mind and I was truly taken back by the magnitude of the attack and its impact on the entire world. 





Friday night was filled with the Museum of Modern Art and Time Square. When I thought of modern art I was thinking of the super funky art but I was surprised by how many artists I recognized including Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Claude Monet, and Frida Kahlo. I really enjoyed the museum and the variety of mediums displayed. After the museum we grabbed food and ran to a performance of Wicked. I had seen the musical before but it was fabulous.



Saturday was another experience entirely. We started out the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was fabulous. We saw the largest Egyptian temple outside of Egypt and the self-portrait of Rembrandt. I had been tired all morning but during the subway ride towards the Brooklyn Bridge, my body decided that it could not take it any longer and I threw up in the middle of the New York Subway. So gross! I have always passed those throw up accidents in public settings and wondered "couldn't they have made it a few feet further into the trashcan?" It all makes sense to me now. I headed back to the apartment and slept the rest of the day. 


On the way home we went to church in the New York Temple. It was pretty neat!My overall take on New York City was that there were a ton of neat things to do there but I did not like how dirty and crowded it was. I cannot say that I absolutely loved New York City but I cannot say that I regret going. 

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Before the sequestration and cut backs, Ethan got a White House tour. It was actually pretty neat! We had to go through a TON of security to get in and then in every room there were at least two security officers (who also served as tour guides). To imagine that at one point anyone could just walk up and knock on the door - crazy!

Did you know that the president has a whole little village below with a bakery, painting shop, carpenter, barber, florist, etc! He also has a private chef on call and the Obama girls have their own movie theater. We got to see the blue room, the green room, the red room, and a whole bunch of others. 




Matt Kearney

I'm not usually a big concert goer but I have to admit that I enjoy a good concert every so often. A group of us found pretty cheap tickets for a guy named Matt Kearney. I had been listening to a lot of his stuff right before so it was fun to actually go and see him live. Turns out that he went to Elyse's high school! 

Amy, Elyse, Catherine, and I and the people right behind us trying not to photo bomb! 


At the very end we ran down to the front and got a better view. As you can tell, everyone else wanted a picture too! 

An Incredible Woman, Mother, Wife, Grandma, Friend, and Example

My grandma, Betty Jean Christensen, passed away February 13, 2013. She had been struggling for quite some time with various health issues so it wasn't completely a surprise; although the news never comes easy. I was never quite sure how I would handle the news of a loved one's passing away because I had never experienced it. It was remarkable.

My parents called and notified me as I was leaving the office and heading to the temple. As I exited the metro stop there was a street performer on the accordion playing How Great Thou Art. It was perfect timing and a testimony builder for me that Heavenly Father knows where we are. I was able to attend an endowment session and although I cried through a majority of it, I received a confirmation and greater testimony of the incredible plan of our Father in Heaven and that this is not the end. My whole mission I testified of eternal families but I received a witness that night that I will truly see my Grandma again. I cannot wait for the day! 
My parents and Grandpa made it possible for me to fly out from DC on very short notice. Because of prices and other things it was easier for me to fly into Las Vegas and then drive up. 


As a bonus, I was able to stop in Provo and surprise the roommates! It was so great to see them and really hard to drive away. 

The Erickson's, Hannah, my parents, and I all stayed with Grandpa. 

Over the past two years, it became a tradition that the girls would go to Grandma's apartment during priesthood session. One of my favorite memories with Grandma Jean was this night. We got to talk for a really long time, Brittany and Mom taught baby lullabies, and we choreographed a dance. It was a blast and Grandma loved seeing the dance while holding Summer.

All of Boyd and Jean's grandchildren. I don't think we've all been together for a really long time. It was so great to see everyone again. 


The Peter and Toby Christensen Clan!