I'll just call it Halloween and save you from all the cheesy titles that crossed my mind

Justin & I had a fun pumpkin carving night. He'd never carved anything but boring old pumpkin faces, so I had to show him how to do a cool pumpkin. We happen to think it turned out pretty well, especially when it's all lit up. Now if only we had a front porch...

Traveling daydreams...

If I had a million dollars:
I would visit
China
Italy
and Paris

But since don't
my current top travel destinations are
Palmyra
Monticello
and Liberty Hall

Just needed a chance to daydream and plan... although it's an interesting adventure never knowing where the extremely blurry line between my plans and daydreams begins and ends.

Tears and sunshine

*Tears are an important way to release emotions of which I have no idea how to otherwise express.
*Emotional pain can sometimes feel like an actual physical wound, with the same capability to heal over time.
*Children have an amazing capacity to pull adults out of their own self pity or laziness and into the sunshine of innocent energy and laughter.
*God asks hard things of us. He does that because He wants to give us even more capacity to love, to obey, and to trust.

Provo isn't boring

Now that I'm no longer a resident in P-town I've tended to view my former social life there rather pessimistically. But when I called up a few friends last weekend while I was in town and then realized they were still my friends, I started to conceed that friendships formed during the single years aren't necessary as shallow and contrived as I've made them out to be. I didn't get the chance to actually spend time with any of my old friends, but it's nice to know they would have spent their friday night with me.

Another reason to be optimistic about Provo last weekend is the fact that I wasn't dissapointed by the football team. Not sure the top row of the bleachers in the sun is a better seat than the couch in the living room but...it was fun.


I'm aunt... I have a nephew named Atticus who isn't anymore photogenic than I am in this picture. Oh well... when he's actually moving and breathing in real life he's cute. Hope you can say the same for me.

utah trip part 1

I fell in love again with the beautiful valley I live in. Mountain Green is so beautiful, the fall weather was amazing, and it was a nice change from the city.

I completely enjoyed spending a morning at the Bountiful temple. I love everything about that temple!! but especially how much more meaningful and peaceful life seems there.


My parents bought a GMC truck. I felt so Utahan driving it home from the restaurant that I had to take a picture.

smorgasbord of DC

Those words you can't really read on that building are actually the first amendment on a mueseum that our "tour guide"/ friend in the ward told us was the news museum. This picture begins my entry today because the first amendment is a constitutional right a whole lot of people in Washington were exercising today...
a rally of Republicans/ conservatives/ Americans who happened to pick the same day to have a rally that we picked to have enrichment at the Library of Congress.
this is the afterthought... oh I need a picture to prove I was there. This really just a few of the protesters heading to the metro/ home/ to eat lunch.


Well the protesting scene isn't really my thing. I enjoyed the art street show we went to next a lot more. This is a cute baby in the crowd there.


These two are some SWEET Washington meets Van Gogh pictures that fall into the "if I had more money, I would definitely buy these" category that grows larger by the day.


This is the only pic I took at the Library of Congress because all the cool things we saw (like the Gutenberg Bible and the spectacular meeting room that is on National Treasure 2 but was definitely cool before that, and the collection of Thomas Jefferson's books) are all not allowed to be photographed.


Since I first knew what Classical art was, I've loved Monet. He, however, does not fall into "when I can afford that" list because we all know that will never happen. oh well. I'm fine with the goal of one day owning a $200 work of art.

To finish up our DC tour, I've included the only pics I took that aren't horrible from the National Art Gallery. Jeff's hoping his company gets the contract for renovations there. I hope so too 'cause then he'll be driving less to work and hopefully have more time for me :) At least he's not in Baltimore.

navy band!