10 Favorite Americans.

Although this is an incomplete list, here's what I have off the top of my head...

1. Thomas Jefferson.
   
   "Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens . . . are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion . . . No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."
   
   
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
   
   "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today - Let us move forward with strong and active faith."
   
   
3. John Adams.
   
   "I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth. "
   
   
4. George Washington.
   
   "Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected."
   
   
5. Benjamin Franklin.
   
   "Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. "
   
   
6. thru 10. Our American soldiers.
   

Well folks...

I can't really say I ever saw this day coming. Some of you who see this picture may understand what I mean.

A special thanks to Zack & Ana who provided on the scene support (at SeaWorld) just in case... ;-)


This all sounds a little dramatic, I'm just joking around. It has been completely lovely. Follow-up post pending...

Welcome Baby!

Today around lunch time Steve stopped by my desk to say he was heading to the hospital and to standby for further instructions. How can one focus on the tax-return-at-hand after receiving that kind of news?!

Shortly after he left, and before CZ and I left to pick up the kids, I received another piece of news...

My score hasn't posted, but the checklist has been updated as it was after I passed each other section. So I'm hoping this means I am DONE and can submit the paperwork to be a real live CPA. It's so legit and official I don't even know what to say!

When we picked up Mei Li and told her she could go visit her new baby sister she said "Well, or maybe we could stay here and look at a picture of her instead." Haha it was cute to watch their minds wrap around this very unexpected turn of events in their day!
Can you see the sheer excitement on Mei Li's face??
Can you see how nervous I am? At least when they're burrito-wrapped there isn't as much head-neck movement to make me nervous...
Ie Li really makes the whole thing look positively easy. Congratulations SAZband!! And Welcome Baby! You really picked a great immediate and extended family. We're full of good times. :-)

Weekend in Utah!

I was able to sneak off to Utah last weekend and it was fantastic!
I'll even revise history and erase the whole 50 degrees and raining thing.

Here's a recap:
Getting to know Huck at Brenden's baseball game. You should've seen Brenden's hit! Very impressive.
Family dinner. We were lucky to have Darin in town!
I couldn't resist, I just think this one is hilarious.
Time with the kids! Can you ignore the flash issues (in all these photos, ugh) and see that we all have the same eye color? Crazy!

Communal date night. Followed by pie shakes at Sammy's!
Maybe should have chosen P712 but that's ok. Next time...



























A great revival of Up, the card game.


Visiting Grandma, Grandpa & the kids up at Aspen Grove.


I brought a ton of Sweet Tooth Fairy cake bites back to my co-workers which made them very happy today. One guy is seriously considering ordering them in for his wedding in a few months! I should ask for commission...

As always, there wasn't enough time to see all the people I wanted to see, or do all the things I've missed since being away. Hopefully I get to come back again sometime soon!

One of these things is not like the other...

Oh the decisions....

Did you get some sun?

I keep getting this question which must mean my summer skin has arrived. I can't really tell because, as Jill would say, we have full-blown tanorexia.

This past weekend I went camping with some friends at Assateague State Park near Ocean City, MD. I know you're skeptical about the "camping" part, but we slept in tents and made tin-foil dinners. So yeah.

Highlights included:
Getting another chance to use the over-priced chair I bought at Duck Beach. Worth it.
Packing two weeks of stuff for a two day trip.

WILD HORSES ROAMING THE CAMPSITES. Not joking.

Refreshing my love of skee ball. And at only 25cents/game.

Riding home with my feet out the window. Michael's truck's AC needs coolant and because he wouldn't stop to refill it (huh?) it was firey hot down at our feet. So we kept them out the window. Only a couple casualties involving my feet and unsuspecting bugs.

Is neon appropriate for the workplace?

Somehow I became in charge of the "PCS Wall of Fame."

I just couldn't help myself from performing an extreme makeover last night til midnight...

Before

After

Too much?

I don't share videos because they're usually not worth the time...

But this one is good. Very clever ad campaign.

This may sound obnoxious but..

Life is really good.


I don't know how I get so lucky. Today, again, I step back and realize for the thousandth time that I have been greatly blessed. I could list 100 circumstances that are good and wonderful and happy about life, and explain all the "coincidental" ways these things have gathered into my life, but I will not. It is enough to say I am so very grateful.

And, let me add, thank you all for being a part of my life. (I really mean that!) Family. Friends. Acquaintances. My life is full of the cream of the crop.

Image via fffound.

May 30 - Duck Day 2

I have one more post I'll do to show the ambiance and general madness of the area. The beach was PACKED with YSAs. Other families on the beach would stop us and ask where we all came from. When explaining that we are a group of 20-30 year old students and professionals from the DC area they would always say "Oh so you're on a spring break type trip?" The answer to which is no... So so very different from traditional spring break. Clue #1: not a red cup in sight.

Antiquing after church!

Me and Dawn! Sad tan lines she got from VB the day before... but the championship title must be worth it right?
SISTERS!



Great group pic photography by James.
Switching it up a bit.
Crab hunting at night!!! So scary.


See also Court's post.

May 29 - Duck Day 1

Although the weather report was scary...
There hasn't been a cloud in the sky! I could not ask for a better beach weekend.
A glance at 929 Corolla Drive. CZ and I have been scoping out houses all weekend that will fit the entire JAZBAND group. Oh man we found three perfect options so get excited. We WILL be descending on OBX soon, I am using the methods of The Secret as we speak.

Courtney and Kirstin were nice enough to join me! I am SO GLAD they have been here to share in all the hilarious moments.
CZ and me on the sand. She's a big hit out here. Everyone says they can see the resemblance between us and they're excited she's here for the whole summer. Me too!!
I played approximately 7 games of volleyball in the tournament. Our team did pretty well!

Ultimately, we fell to Dawn and Michael's team (and the others I play with on Monday nights). They went all the way and won the golden volleyballs! Woo!!

May 27 - Friends in town!

Founding Farmers is a really great restaurant. You should try it.

Frozen Yo is my favorite. Although, I received depressing news that they will no longer stock Reese's peanut butter cups as a topping. Our relationship might not be as long lasting as I had hoped...
Just in case you need some, H&M is now selling overalls. For reals.

On the way home, the sky was all lit up with the biggest lightening storm I have ever seen! Kirstin and I stopped at the Jefferson Memorial right when the lightening storm turned into a full on rain storm. Her shirt is really only supposed to be one color, but we ran from the car (barefoot) through the rain and got surprisingly soaked.

It was one of those "step back from life and feel overwhelming gratitude for getting to have such a cool life right now" moments. The whole setting was remarkable.

May 26 - On the corner of 14th and G St...

Stuck on the corner, that is.

Out of gas.

Me, Kirstin, CZ, Kelsea, Melissa Richmond.

To be continued...

(PS if you look closely, you can see I scraped out 254 miles from my 20 gallon tank! Do the math. Not awesome...)


Post edit: Yeah, a cab ride and a gas can later we got out of there. Oh what a long day!

May 23 - I love being an aunt.

And these two just melt me!!
Really, you should hear them talk. They are so darling.

Family really is pure happiness to me.
I am so, so lucky.