For Sale!

Hello friends.

Ever make a purchase that you think you are head-over-heels about and then a month later you find {and purchase} nearly the same thing that is half the price and looks even better on you?

Hmm.

Well that just happened.

So to make up for it I'm selling this hat. It's about a month old and I've worn it once.
It is ivory straw with a black ribbon. And the quality is pretty freaking awesome.
I wish I could say I could just return it, however it was purchased at the airport.
The price is 100% negotiable. You make me an offer!

Just email me at apete14{at}hotmail{dot}com!

What Our Last Few Days Were Like: {D.C.}

Our last few days in D.C. were spent checking off all the things that we hadn't done {and even a few that we had} from our tourist to-do list.

Ford's Theatre {where Lincoln was shot}

The house where Lincoln died {that right there is the bed that he died in. couldn't decide if we should smile in this picture or not. but we went for it.}

Mount Vernon

Library of Congress

Vietnam Memorial 

World War II Memorial

 

 

It was the chance of a lifetime to be able to go to Washington D.C. for the Summer. I am so proud of my husband and how hard he worked to be able to have an opportunity to do something like this. It was so fun to be able to have enough time to see all the sites that Washington D.C. has to offer.

 

I am also very glad to be out of that city. I am grateful to be able to go out past dark. I am grateful to be out of the humidity. And to have not just my entire wardrobe back, but actually be able to wear my entire wardrobe! That darn D.C. forced me to wear skirts, boy shorts, and light colored shirts every.single.day. I am glad to have a car. And I'm very much glad to not live in a city.

 

It's always good to have opportunities like this...now I'll never wonder if maybe the city life is the life for me. Now I know I am as suburb as they come.

What I Need to Clear Up: {Mormon's and Caffeine}

So did anyone else watch Rock Center with Brian Williams last night on NBC? They did a special called Mormon's in America.

Being a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I am always interested to watch what the national news has to say about us. There were some parts that I thought were done extremely well. And I was proud in the way they represented the church in which I belong to.
Unfortunately, there are always some ways in which the church is misunderstood. And because of some questions and comments we received while living in Oklahoma, I feel the need to address a particular comment made on the show.

They were interviewing a woman that was a member of the church. She is a regular church goer, raising her family in the gospel, morning scripture study.....and all that jazz.

She said that Mormon's don't drink caffeine.

This is completely untrue.

There are some Mormon's that don't. But there are plenty that do. And maybe I feel strongly to write about this because I am an avid Diet Coke drinker, or maybe its just that I want to clear up a piece of my religion.

Never once, to my knowledge, has a prominent leader in the Mormon church ever said that we cannot drink caffeine. I do understand that some people connect not drinking caffeine to not drinking coffee. Yes, we do not drink coffee. Which we have been directly told not to do.

When we lived in Oklahoma, we got quite a few questions about caffeine and whether or not we were allowed to drink it. There were a few of Mormon's in Mike's law school class, one of which drank caffeine on a regular basis. There were several people that asked Mike about it and why he was drinking caffeine. Mike had to clear up that we can drink caffeine, it's the addiction to caffeine that would be the sin.

Drinking caffeine is fine. But if you are addicted to it, that is where the problem lies. Obviously. But, Church leaders have left the decision of drinking caffeine up to the members.

And the day that one of our General Authorities came out and said that we can no longer drink caffeine, is the day that I'll stop. But for now, I have never been told I can't, and as long as I steer clear of addiction, I am okay drinking caffeine. Some people may frown on it, like the woman on the show this evening, but that is her representation, and is in no way church doctrine.

What Pictures Look Like: {With a 2 Year Old}

Taking pictures with a 2 year old can be difficult. Especially when waiting in the line at Ford's Theatre. Outside. In the heat.

He loves to say "cheese" but has no desire to look at the camera while saying it. I'm just gonna throw it out there, he gets his stubborness from his mama. It's our family trait.

But don't fret, as soon as no one is watching, that kid will throw in the towel. Yep, he's on board, you just have to give it some time.

Unfortunately for my sister and I, a little bit of time for him is just a little bit too much time for us. Yawn.

What Those Monuments Are About: {A Picture}

A picture is all I can muster. I have no time to blog. And when I do, I have no energy.
This is a picture taken at the FDR monument in D.C.
My favorite of all the monuments.

Today, a picture is all that's needed.

What We're Getting: {Visitors!}

My sister, her husband, and their sweet boy are on a plane rightthissecond to Washington D.C.
Yep, we are getting our first and last visitors we'll get while we are here!
And we are so excited!

By way of information, Mike finishes up his clerkship this week and then we're headed back to Utah....for good! Well we hope so anyway. We haven't quite figured out what the plan is once we get there. But I guess that's just another part of our adventure.

How I Exercise: {Run}

Today I went for a run. Many would say this is insignificant. I work out regularly. How is this any different?
It is different. This was my first real run in four months. Yes, you read that correctly. I have done several short 15 minute runs. Several long walkruns with the emphasis on the walk portion.
But today. I ran. In Washington D.C. All by myself. Over the brick laid sidewalks. Through the brownstone neighborhoods. I ran to Mike's work. And I waved to him through his fourth floor window and blew him a kiss. And then I kept running, through the tourist congested sidewalks. Past the man that sits outside on his bench and everyday says as you pass "have a great day" without making eye contact making you wonder if he was talking to you or the person in his head. Because talking to yourself is just that common here. I ran past the cafe that Mike and I are convinced you must be member of the hipster club to enter. Sitting outside sipping their cappuccino's reading the latest and greatest novel or looking busy on their Apple device. Come on, who wears scarves when its 100 degrees outside?
Speaking of hipsters.

No I did not take this picture. Saw it on Pinterest. Super funny borderline inappropriate. I accept that.

But after all my mockery, I still love that little cafe on the corner. I would never go inside. But I enjoy walking past it. Or in today's case, running. 

Running.

I wish I could say I banked a six or seven miler the way I could four months ago. 

But that is the unfortunate thing about running. Taking a hiatus only means losing everything that you have worked for. All that endurance and strength. I had my reasons for taking those four months off. And I'm glad I did. 

Who would have ever thought that I would be a runner? In high school I was on the lacrosse team. I joined because my best friend joined. And then she ended up getting injured for two straight seasons. So I spent much of the time making new friends. But what lacrosse actually brought me was the mental strength and power that I needed to be fit. And I will be the first to tell you that I spent most of my time on the sidelines, cheering on the starters. The girls who played lacrosse as a side sport to running track and cross country. And at the time, it was frustrating. But I look back and think, who really cares? They were better and faster. They should be the ones on the field. I didn't need to be a starter to still be a part of the team. The value came from the exercise. And it transformed me. 30 pounds melted away and I've been a runner {on and off} ever since. One day my knees and low-arched feet are going to throw in the towel and tell me no more. But I'm going to keep going until I reach that point. Because even though running is hard, it makes me feel oh so good. 

What I Am 100% Confident the Castle in the Clouds Looks Like: {DC Temple}

I can't even explain to you the beauty of the Washington D.C. Temple. As soon as we rounded the corner, it's beauty took my breath away. And then I mumbled something about it not even looking real. Because it doesn't. {I wish pictures could do it justice, but really, they just don't}

If you would have told me I was in heaven, I would have believed it. The spirit there is incredible. As it is at all LDS temples. But there is something different about being on the grounds of one that is so breathtakingly beautiful.

Hands down would have been married there if I would have lived on the East coast. Oh the wedding photos....

And then we kissed in front of the temple. 

It must of been the jealousy of the brides and grooms having their pictures done or something.

What Today Is: {FridayFreeForAll - A Little Inspiration For Us Regular People}

Happy Friday friends!
Have you seen this commercial yet?



Thank you Nike, for finally showing the world that not all of us are Olympic athletes and we're just trying to take it day by day.

I love this so so much.

If You Really Knew Me: {1st Edition}

You would know that I love to read. But I don't get to do it very often. Not too mention it usually puts me to sleep.

You would know that Diet Coke is a daily ritual for me. And you would know that I am ashamed of it.

You would know that my sole purpose of exercise is so that I can eat good food. Yes, the sole purpose.

You would know that I have an obsession with sweats. I can rarely make it the entire day in real clothes.

You would know that I was overweight in my early teenage years. It was an extremely difficult on me. My friends became insulting and rude and the summer before high school I lost all but one of my friends. Starting high school with no friends sucked.

You would know that I shy away from social situations. You would know that I never go to "girls night" and that if I am around friends, I prefer it to be just the two of us. I have not always been this way. But girls are too dramatic and it stresses me out.

You would know that I love to sing.

You would know that I would rather hang out with Mike than anyone in the world. Every.single.time.