There Is A Lady In My Ward That Lived In New Zealand Awhile Back.

Her and her husband just decided they were sick of Utah and they needed to take themselves a little break. One day her husband comes home and says, I think we need to move to New Zealand. And so they did. How amazing is that? And how brave. How many of us would pick up and move to the opposite side of the world? They had no jobs, no connection, nothing for them when they got there. Except pure freedom. Peace of mind. I don’t recall how long she said they lived there. It wasn’t for very long. And then when they decided it was time to come back, they took the long way home. Stopped and traveled along the way.

 

For some reason I have been reflecting a lot on our time in DC last summer. I have found myself missing it. Because as much as I hated the droplets of sweat dripping down my back as soon as I walked out the door, what an amazing city to live in. To be surrounded at every turn by the things that built this country. Maybe it’s the itch of needing a little bit more variety in my life. Since we all know how much fun getting up and going to work every day is.:) Does anybody else get bored as quickly as Mike and I do? Maybe it’s the product of being on the go go go since we have been married. Things sure do slow down once school is over. And yet, in all my boredom, how nice it is to be settled. To be able to make plans. To be able to have stability. To be able to see the product of all the work that we put in. I feel so lucky to be where I am. We worked hard for this settled, stable life. I guess maybe I just need a few more picnics in the park and kitchen dance parties to keep things interesting

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 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 We Did: {The Most Important Parts}

This weekend...

We drank ginger ale on an airplane.

We ate 25 chocolate chip cookies in less than 24 hours.

We got told we were a "cute couple" by a lady yelling out her car window while we walked home from church.

We convinced my sister that she and her family should hurry and take a trip to DC while we are still here. And it worked! They come out on the 8th.

We watched and watched and watched the Olympics.

We stayed in bed until 10 AM.



This week...

Mike took the bar.

The rest is moot.

What Our Fourth of July Looked Like: {D.C. Style}

Let's just start out by saying that D.C. is ca-rowded on the 4th of July. Everyone and their dog is there to celebrate the nation's birthday in the nation's capital.

Which by the way? Is it capital or capitol? Mike and I had a full on discussion about this as we lay on the west lawn of the capitol. Capital. We came up with the conclusion that its capitol when you are speaking of the building and capital when you are speaking of the city. Yes? No? {Capitalization of the word is a whole other confusion that I just don't wanna discuss.}

It was a crazy hot and humid 4th for us. We spent the day walking, museuming, shopping and watching the parade, and the evening on the west lawn of the Capitol listening to the concert, A Capitol Fourth {completely out of eye shot of the stage and the 3 large screens. Gotta love crowds}.

And Apolo Anton Ohno was on stage for like a second. Oh, I love him.

I do have a bone to pick with those capital 4th of July party planners though. If you open up the entire west lawn to the public for the concert, can you please simply stick a sign in the grass saying whether or not you can see the fireworks from that spot. A whole freaking herd of us had to get up and move because the trees were blocking our view. But then when we moved the stupid construction was blocking our view. A 17 minute firework show and we saw about half. However, what we did see was beautiful.

Hope everyone had a happy 4th!

That my friends is The Hope Diamond, via American Museum of Natural History

What I'm Doing Today: {Escaping}

26th birthday.

Independence day.

And today?

Travel day!

I'm headed home!

Escape this goshdarn humidity and give Mike a little studyforthebaralonetime.

Spa days, girl time, and shopping malls....here I come.

What this Week Is: {The First Week of July Which is the Best Week of the Year!}

In between the 106 degree weather, here is what happened around the D.C. area this weekend.

Good gosh, you'd think we were still in Oklahoma.

In other news, we went to the Holocaust Museum this weekend. Fabulous, if you ask me. {Assuming that something that is super somber can be considered awesome at the same time.} 

Oh and my birthday is tomorrow. 

And the 4th of July will be spent down with the tourists, doing all the touristy things. Must haves will be really good walking shoes, sunscreen, and fried chicken.

What We Saw: {A Dad Moment}

Before I was born, my parents took a trip to Washington D.C. 

When my parents found out that we would be living here for a little while, they told us about some of the things that I enjoyed seeing while they were here. 

My mom loved Ford's Theatre, Mount Vernon and the Library of Congress. 

My dad?

Archie Bunker's chair. 

I'm sure there were plenty of things that he enjoyed seeing in addition to that. But for some reason, that is one of the main things that he remembers from when he came here. 

Aren't dad's just the quirkiest?

So dad....this one's for you!

I blame the strange pose on the fact that Mike was struuuugggggling taking this picture and people were waiting for us to get out of the way and things were feeling suuuuuppper awkward.

But that wasn't even the best part!

You guys! I had that moment. You know, the same moment that my dad had 30 years ago when he saw Archie Bunker's chair!

I saw the Hogwart's Cape that Daniel Radcliffe wore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! And in 30 years when my kids decide to go to Washington D.C., I'm going to tell them all about it!

Yep, there were even some thumbs up going on because I was so excited. 

Oh and we saw a piece of the Berlin Wall. And a dress that Jackie Kennedy wore. I love her.

And tons of other pretty awesome stuff.

{National Museum of American History}

We also went to the National Archives where the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution are housed. But you can't take pictures in there. So here is our single picture to remind me in 30 years that I actually did go there.

 

What I Crossed Off the Bucket List: {East Coast Camping}

Girls Camp is fun.

Canoe races in the pool, hiking, fires, s'mores, testimony meeting, staying up until the wee hours of the morning chatting with the other leaders like we were 14 again.

It was a blast.

But East coast camping is different. It's hot. Really hot. The bugs are huge. Moss grows all over everything. And the fires are hard to start because the wood is wet. And I don't really wanna go east coast camping again.

But I am so glad I did! I'm so glad I was randomly called to be the Assistant Girls Camp Director. I'm so glad I was able to build a relationship with the girls and leaders. I'm so glad that I am able to cross another thing off my bucket list that I didn't know was on it.

What Our Weekend Looked Like: {DC Sites with a Sundae on Top}

Our weekend was filled with sunshine, each other, and walking. And walking. And walking. 

And we were able to cross a bunch more DC to do's off the list!

Above pictures: Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and new bacon sundae from Burger King

Included sites were: Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. 

I love seeing all these wonderful sites around me. And its even more fun to get to see them with Mike. Oh how I cherish those few hours on Saturday of attention!

Aaaaaannd since I know you are wondering, the bacon sundae from Burger King is....okay. I, myself, enjoy a little salty twist to my sweet treats, but I would have much rather preferred a nice sprinkling of peanuts on top than chunks of bacon mixed throughout. However, the fudge and caramel swirled through this soft serve ice cream was so delicious, it made it all worth it. Oh and we shared it. So only half the guilt.

And I told Mike I want a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee for my birthday, so we'll see if he delivers. 

I leave for Girls Camp tomorrow. I still can't believe I got wrangled into this, but even though I haven't memorized a single girls name, I'm weirdly excited. I can assure you that none of that excitement stems from getting to sleep in cabins and take regular showers.

What I Do: {My Daily Life}

With Mike working 8 1/2 hours a day and studying for the bar another 4 to 5 hours, I spend most of my day alone. And as much as that sounds like I am looking for pity, I am actually pretty good at filling my days.

I've been doing these workouts. This girl is tough. She makes me sore. And that makes me happy.

I watch a whole lot of HBO.

I read {currently reading Killing Lincoln}.

I watch the maids. Yes, we have maids. And its very awkward to sit here while they clean. But on the flip side, I'm not leaving cuz I plain have trust issues. But yay for a clean house!

When I feel excited and like I want to get downright sweaty, I actually do venture outside. Sometimes I'll go down to the mall and hit up a museum. I frequent the grocery store a few times a week. I regularly walk down to Mike's work at quitting time and walk back home with him {that's my favorite 30 minutes of the day}. We walk everywhere {except church}. Which is actually pretty awesome. It gives us more time outdoors. Once you make peace with the fact that you just kinda always have a stench and a small stream running down your back, the walk can actually be quite pleasant.

I eat delicious food.

I play with my blog template. Which you may notice is a bit different today. And don't be surprised if you see some pretty constant tweaks here and there. I have a lot of time on my hands!

So what may seem like a really boring, unemployed life, is actually very scintillating to me. I enjoy my days so much and I am really having a blast here in Washington D.C.

Many of these pictures were taken via instagram. You can follow me @abbys14.

What I Saw: {The Work of a Few Famous Guys}

No big deal or anything, but here are a couple things I saw today...

Claude Monet

Leonardo da Vinci

Raphael

Vincent van Gogh

Pablo Picasso

Thank you, National Gallery of Art, for giving me a solid few hours of pure viewing pleasure.

What We Splurged On: {Grocery Shopping D.C. style}

Well we caved. We bought ourselves a grocery cart.

I honestly don't know how else you are supposed to grocery shop in this city if you don't have a car.
And I have absolutely no idea how we are planning on getting this cart on a plane in a few months when we leave D.C.
And for now, I really don't care.
All I know is it only cost me $24.99 to make my life a million times easier.
It's the simple pleasures in life, really.

What a Mormon Church is Like: {The D.C. Version}

Church in Utah: Less than a 5 minute drive to the church around the block.

Church in Oklahoma: A 20 minute drive to the church in a neighboring city.

Church in D.C.: An hour long commute via walking to the Metro, taking the Metro, and walking from the Metro to the church in a neighboring state. {But now I can officially mark Maryland off the list of states I've been to.}

They say the church is the same everywhere. But please, let me clarify, the gospel is the same everywhere...the church however, is definitely not the same everywhere.

I was grateful for fast Sunday on this particular Sunday. Isn't it so much easier to fast when church isn't until 1:00?

We successfully spotted a few other Mormons on the train, making it easy for us to once again, find our way in a foreign land. 

And lets just throw it out there. Isn't going to a new ward the worst? Or a new anything really...a job, a class...

We walk in and quickly find a seat, hoping that we didn't just steal someones 'regular' spot. 

While we sit and wait for the meeting to start, I hear a member of the bishopric approach the gentleman sitting behind us and quickly ask him if he would be "...the assistant to the Executive Secretary."

Umm...okay. Yes, his response.

Seconds later the meeting starts and he is sustained into this new calling. Wow, and I thought the ward in Norman was bad {calling speakers the night before to assign them talks.}

But to each his own. 

The meeting continued on just as normal. Or should I say Utah normal, as I was about to find out that things are run a little differently in this D.C. ward. 

First testimony bearer gets up, starting out: "Good Afternoon Brothers and Sisters."

Congregation: "Good Afternoon!"

Hah. What just happened?

Next testimony bearer gets up: "Good Afternoon."

Congregation: "Good Afternoon!"

Oh dear. 

You should have seen the reaction when the young teenager got up and said: "Hi."

That poor crowd had no idea what to do with it. A chuckle was about all this extremely vocal congregation could get out. 

Then there was the older black lady that got up. She was adorable. She begins her testimony like normal {or should I say D.C. normal}, but then takes a drastic turn by asking everyone to sing with her saying, "I know you know the words."

I definitely did not know the words. Pretty sure Mike and I were the only two in that room that didn't though. 

And it was definitely not a hymn.

I looked at Mike, "What just happened?"

Mike's response?

"That was awesome."
I still have no idea what song they were singing.

So several more Good Afternoon's later, the bishop gets up to end the meeting and then says, "After the prayer has been said, please stay in your seats and we will introduce the new people."

Did I mention that I kind of hate going to new wards?

And sure enough, after the prayer, we went around the room like on the first day of school and introduced the new people. Of which there were quite a few. 

And THEN {I know, its like it never ends} we got up to go to Sunday School and were intercepted by a member of the bishopric. He introduced himself and just asked why we were in D.C. and what our story was, when I told him that I wasn't really doing anything this Summer, just kinda following my husband in his adventures, he says, "Do you want to be our Assistant Girls Camp Director?"

Umm.

I'll be in Utah for the month of July, and so I was thinking that I would not be there for camp.

Nope.

Camp is in June.

So guess who is going to Girls Camp?

Bahah. 

I did not even know that this could happen. What in the world.

But I'm still really excited for the opportunity, and it will be nice to have something to do for a few days. 

Random.

Did I mention that in Relief Society we sang "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.....".
More than once I questioned whether or not I was in a Mormon church.
And now I just think about it and laugh.

Did that really just happen?

What A Snapshot Looks Like: {Our Stint in D.C.}

4 suitcases, a large duffel, a backpack and a laptop bag later, we find ourselves in a small ground floor apartment that smells like a dog in the heart of Washington DC. Where the bedroom is through the kitchen, the back door exit is through the bathroom and the laundry detergent and a bottle of wine are included in the rent.

At the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

In one hand I carry my mace and in the other hand I turn my wedding ring to the inside whenever I see a person that makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm a young, white girl from the suburbs and this little bit of a city life that I am currently living occasionally makes me feel very vulnerable. 

At the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Today I received one of the best arm workouts I think I can get in DC by carrying our groceries from the store back home. Mike insisted we get a case of water, so between that and a gallon of milk, that poor guy was literally drenched in sweat by the time we got home. We were grateful for the clouds and the occasional breeze. 

If you came to my house for dinner tonight, I could offer you mac n' cheese, PB and J, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Ramen. Epitome of health, we are.  

And as my arms still shake while I type this, I laugh at my life, learning how to appreciate this current random adventure that we are living. 

{And it JUST occurred to me that it is Friday, and I should be posting a FridayFreeForAll but to be honest with you, I can't keep track of the days of the week since I stopped working and so I'm just gonna bypass this Friday if you don't mind...}

What We Did: {Moved}

Over 1200 miles and 20 hours later, thanks to our folks, we made it back to Utah. With nearly all of our possessions intact! {We did have a pair of sheets that decided to kick the bucket.}

It was once again brought to light that Abby is quite the crazycontrolfreak. Moving is rough for me. So hopefully we can keep this moving across the country thing to a minimum.

It has been so wonderful to be able to spend so much time with family since we have been back.
I love them.

However, even though we know this place like the back of our hands, it still doesn't feel like home. Oklahoma still feels more like home. But I don't live there. And I don't really live here. And in a week we move temporarily to Washington D.C.

Just call us nomads, for it is what we are.