PB & J

Pregnancy Update

2012-01-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've last updated, I seriously lack the motivation lately. I'm pretty tired most of the time, I hope that's a good enough excuse for everyone. Well I am 24 weeks along now and doing pretty well. I have had morning sickness throughout my pregnancy, but it's starting to get better, not gone, but definitely not as frequent. My belly is growing rapidly, it's really surprising actually. Each week I can't believe how much it's grown. I am feeling the babies kick a lot lately and it's exciting. Just over the last week we've started to be able to see them kicking from the outside of my belly (ALIENS!). Our La-Z-Boy arrived and that has been amazing! It really has saved me during many sleepless mornings and after a long day of work. Speaking of work, Friday was my last day. I'm proud to say I made it that long and that I was able to complete all the work that I needed to. I'm a little nervous about getting bored over the next few months, but this is definitely for the best.

In BIG NEWS, we found out we are having 2 BOYS and a GIRL! We've kind of neglected to announce that on this blog, sorry. We are so excited though and can't wait to meet all of them.

For those of you who keep asking, here's a belly picture.

He did it!

2011-12-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

We just found out that Peter got his first choice of residency! He was accepted into the anesthesia residency program in San Antonio, TX. So yes, we will be moving to San Antonio this summer. I am so very excited for Peter. He has worked so hard in medical school and it's so nice to see that he is rewarded by being able to do what he wants to do. We are excited for the new adventure well. Congrats Peter!

We're Half Way There

2011-11-30T20:30:00.000-05:00

The doctors told us that their goal is to keep the triplets inside of me for at least 32 weeks. So we have made it just over half way and we are doing well. My fatigue is still in full effect, the belly is definitely larger, but we are all healthy and doing well!

Update

2011-11-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

There have been a lot of questions since our last post, so I'll try to answer them here. I am about 14 weeks along. The babies are due May 14th, but the doctors have told us that they will probably come more like March or April, as triplets usually come a little early. They are growing well and right on schedule. I have been feeling pretty well. I am surprised at how quickly my belly has grown and how incredibly tired I am all of the time. But things really have been going well for us. I am still working, only 30 hours a week, and will until middle of January or until I can't anymore, whichever comes first. Peter has been so helpful and has taken over all cooking, cleaning, laundry, and shopping duties. I'm hopeful that I'll get the surge of energy back that I hear that comes in the second trimester, but I'm not sure if it's coming.

Thanks so much for all of the congratulations and excitement you have shared with us. We are so very excited and it's so fun to hear everyone's responses.

0 to 3 in less than 9 months

2011-10-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

Peter and I will go from having zero children to three in the next few months. That's right, I'm expecting......TRIPLETS! This is not a joke, it's the truth. We are so very excited about this news and excited to finally be able to share it with everyone. Peter and I have been trying to have children for a very long time and feel so very blessed to be able to. And to be able to have three is truly amazing. We are definitely nervous for what is to come, but so very excited. Here's a cute picture of our three little babies.

BYU vs. Texas

2011-10-30T17:53:00.000-04:00

In September we had the opportunity to head out to Texas for the BYU vs. Texas game. It was so fun to go to Austin and enjoy the cool atmosphere of UT. I was really impressed by the campus and the kind fans. It was fun to be able to get to spend time with my parents and Peter's two brothers and their wives for the weekend. I didn't take very many pictures, in fact I only have these two of my parents.

It's been awhile

2011-08-28T20:17:00.000-04:00

It's been way too long since I last posted, sorry. We've been busy with work and school and stuff like that. I really haven't made the time to blog. Since we last posted....

We spent 4th of July in downtown DC with our friends, the Hawks. They live in the middle of all the museums and sights of DC so it was so awesome to watch the fireworks from their rooftop. We felt very honored that we were invited. It was just incredible to see the fireworks go off right next to the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building.

Our ward had a 4th of July BBQ. Peter participated in the pie eating contest. It was not his favorite activity.

We also got to go to the Redskins vs. Steelers preseason game. It was a beautiful night and fun to spend time with the Craguns and see the Redskins win.

I don't know if you've heard or not, but we've had an earthquake and a hurricane come through our area in the last week. I've never experienced an earthquake before, it was wild. Luckily it wasn't too strong and minimal damage was done (at least in our area). We came home to this.

Only two things knocked down, not bad. The hurricane didn't come right through town so we just experienced some wind and rain. We've been lucky, that's for sure.

Super Busy

2011-07-03T19:31:00.001-04:00

We have been super busy lately. Our friends, the Craguns are staying with us for a little while so we have been living it up. On Thursday we went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Then Friday night Peter and I spent some time with his cousin who was in town (we always love it when he comes). Then Saturday Peter woke up early to play basketball, then we all went hiking and rock climbing at Great Falls, Costco for lunch, then home to change our clothes and off to play a round of golf. It was a busy day and the next morning when we woke up we were sore and exhausted. Then Sunday we had some friends over for dinner and games.

This last week Peter has been really busy with school and then coming home each night and studying for his licensing exam in a month. I've just been working and trying to keep the house in order and the laundry done. Friday night Josh and Peter went golfing again. Then Saturday Peter and I cleaned, washed the cars, studied, went to the pool, and the grocery store. We spent Saturday evening out with Peter's parents. We went to the lovely Pei Wei for dinner and then saw Mamma Mia at Wolftrap for Peter's Mother's Birthday. The show was really fun. At intermission we broke out the Reese's brownies and candles and sang to her. It was awesome because at one point the whole crowd joined it. It was pretty awesome. She's a wonderful woman and an excellent mother so it was fun to honor her.

So as you can see we've been busy working and having fun!

(Sorry my camera is so bad and obviously I'm bad at taking pictures too because they are so blurry.)

3 down 100 million ++++ to go

2011-06-21T09:07:00.000-04:00

Peter and I were married 3 years ago today. I am happier than ever that we made that choice!

This will teach you

2011-06-21T08:37:00.000-04:00

don't wear your favorite heels walking in downtown D.C.

3 down 1 to go

2011-06-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

Peter completed his 3rd year of medical school last Friday! Horray! He has worked so hard and I am very proud of him. It's great to be just 1 year out from being done with medical school. To celebrate we partied all weekend. On Friday we went to the Melting Pot for dinner with the Hawks, it was super yummy. Then Saturday Peter played basketball, we went to the pool, ate lunch at Chik Fil A (super yummy too), went to the Reston Carnival thing, saw X-Men, and then went to Costco (one of Peter's favorite places). We had a great time! It was so nice to have a weekend where we could just play together and have no work or studying that had to be done. It may have been too much partying though because a little bit after we got home on Saturday night I walked into the office and saw this.....

Then Sunday we spent Father's Day at Peter's parents house. We had an amazing steak dinner and then played a little Settlers with the fam. Great weekend!

Update

2011-06-12T21:16:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know it's been a long time since I've last posted. We have just been busy with school and work. Peter is just finishing up his 3rd year of medical school this week. Yahoo! I can't believe he only has one more year left of school. He'll be applying for his residency this fall. Exciting times everyone! I've been busy working as a social worker in Fairfax County. We moved back into our place last weekend and it's oh so nice! I love having all of our stuff back. I definitely have an increased gratitude for all the things that we have after this last year. So life is good for us these days!

Over Memorial Day Weekend we took a little trip with our friends, the Andersons, up to Palmyra, NY. We loved spending time with them and eating all the ice cream we could! Our first stop was Niagara Falls. I forgot how huge they are and how wet you get on the boat rides. It was really fun though.

Then we headed down to Palmyra to see all of the sites. We spent time at Joseph Smith's childhood home, the Sacred Grove where Joseph had his first vision, the Hill Cumorah where the Book of Mormon was buried, the Book of Mormon Publishing Site, the Martin Harris Farm, and the Peter Whitmer Farm where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized. I am grateful for the events that occurred at these sites. I'm grateful for a loving God that reveals truth through prophets and restored the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon was translated to bring another witness of Jesus Christ to the world.

Baby Claire

2011-04-29T13:17:00.000-04:00

This last Sunday we had the opportunity to attend our friends daughter's baby blessing, baby Claire. We sure love baby Claire and are so glad she has joined us. We also love her family so much and could not help but get some darling pictures of all of them.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2011-04-29T12:57:00.000-04:00

We arrived back in Virginia in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival.The trees were gorgeous this year. We even got to enjoy the parade with the Hawks. We don't have a lot of pictures of the trees or the parade, but we have some of one of our favorite girls, Carolyn.

Go Cougars! Go Virginia!

2011-04-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted last, sorry. We've had a lot of things going on lately, plus I lost motivation to blog there for a while. We're now back in Virginia, but I'll try to catch you up on our last little bit in Texas.

We enjoyed watching the cougars play basketball this year. We didn't get all of the games in our hotel room so we had to venture out to find places that were showing the game. Our favorite was this amazing Irish Pub, Lion and the Rose

We took a differnt way route back to Virginia than tthe way we came out. We decided to head to New Orleans to see Peter's cousin Tory and his family. We of course had to stop at Cafe Du Monde and Bourbon street in downtown New Orleans. It was really cool to see the city in person and not just in the movies. Then we drove through the rest of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and home to Virginia.

It's so good to be back. We are enjoying being in one place, and with family and friends. Peter is busy in the hospital doing family medicine this rotation and I just took a job as a child protective services worker.

You know you're in Texas when....

2011-03-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

the waffle makers are in the shape of the State of Texas. Isn't it great?! It's one of the charms of our hotel and I love it.

And yes, I do realize it's backwards, sorry about that.

Visit with Shelley

2011-03-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

I recently found out that my friend and old roommate, Shelley, lives just an hour and a half away in Austin. So a week or two ago when Peter was on call, I drove up to spend some time with her. I have missed her over the years and it was so fun to get to catch up with her and relive old times. Austin is a darling town! We enjoyed a great Tex-Mex dinner, drove through the city and then enjoyed a cupcake from a food truck on a very charming street.

If we end up coming to Texas for Peter's residency one of the highlights with definitely be Shelley living so closely in Austin.

Our Valentines Day

2011-03-01T17:46:00.002-05:00

Our Valentines Day was sweet and simple. We went to dinner at a great Japanese place and then enjoyed relaxing at home. I love my man!

A Real Life Texas Rodeo

2011-03-01T17:31:00.002-05:00

We have officially been to a Texas rodeo! It was a huge production here in San Antonio at the AT&T center, definitely different from the same Oakley and Folsom rodeos we've attended. After the rodeo, Clay Walker performed a concert. I was so impressed by him and surprised by how many songs I recognized. It was a great night with friends, even though I didn't get lots of pictures to document it.

UVU Women's Basketball Comes to Houston

2011-03-01T16:48:00.004-05:00

Weeks ago Kim's basketball team had a game in Houston, TX. Since we're in San Antonio we could not pass up the opportunity to go see her play. We had such a fun time hanging out with Cousins, Aunts and Uncles, Peter's parents, and Kim. Of course we made signs for our Kim and cheered her team on as loud as we could (seriously, Peter had no voice the next day). The game was so close, but UVU came out with a win (probably thanks to our cheering). It was so fun to see Kim play and get to meet her team and coaches. We are very proud to be her brother and sister in-law.

I'm feeling grateful

2011-01-25T13:28:00.004-05:00

Peter and I are currently in San Antonio while Peter does his surgery rotation. The hotel that they put us up in is also the same hotel where many men and women come to stay while recovering from serious injuries from war. It's humbling to see so many individuals in wheelchairs with life altering injuries everyday. Breakfast is free here at the hotel so every morning people congregate to the breakfast hall. It's there that I really see these individuals and their families. It's so sad to see them and understand that their lives have recently changed drastically. My heart breaks as I watch them with their parents and their children every morning.

The other day there was a young man (under 21 at least) talking to his siblings about how he lost his leg. He described in detail how he stepped on an IED while his siblings were captivated by his story. I couldn't help myself, I wanted to hear his story. He then went on to tell his brother (probably 10 years old) to do well in school because there is so much to enjoy in life. He advised him to get good grades so he didn't have to join the infantry. By this point tears are rolling down my cheeks. It's not fair that this young man lost his leg and that his life has changed dramatically. He's so young! My sadness for this young man and all those recovering here also includes a great deal of gratitude. Although I am so sorry and sad that they have to experience such hard things in their lives, I'm also so grateful that they are willing to make these sacrifices for you and me. They are brave and willing to serve. I'm so grateful for them and hope that Peter and I might be able to serve those who have sacrificed so much.

Happy Birthday to Peter

2011-01-19T21:48:00.002-05:00

Last week was Peter's birthday. Since he was on call the night of his birthday, we had a nice dinner out the night before. We went to Saltgrass( a highly recommended steak place) with some friends. The food was great! The night of Peter's birthday, his intern was nice enough to let him come home for dinner. So we got to spend some time together and he got to celebrate a little with a birthday cake.

I love that I'm the lucky girl that gets to spend all of Peter's birthdays with him for the rest of forever.

Our month in Virginia

2011-01-09T19:17:00.005-05:00

Just before Christmas our time in San Diego came to an end and we headed back to DC/VA for a month. The first week was full of classes for Peter and a conference for me. Almost every night that week we met up with friends to catch up since it's been so long since we've seen everyone. Here's a picture of the sunset one morning of the way to work and pictures of a "Minute to Win It" game our friends Chris and Leigh threw.

Then the following two weeks were spent having fun with Peter's family. All the siblings except for Tommy and his family were in town. It was really fun to be able to spend time with everyone. We spent most of our time playing games, eating, watching movies and football, and playing basketball. We went to the temple one day to see the lights and another day to go inside. We even spent a day in the city viewing some of the museums and showing things off to Kathy. We attempted to go ice skating, but the wait was too long. So we headed over to a friends for pizza and Settlers of Catan. I'm not sure if introducing that game to the Bell family was a good

choice or not. We spent the next several days playing all the time and there were many boisterous games. New Years Eve was spent a First Night in Alexandria

enjoying musical performances throughout the night and ringing in the New Year with a firework show at the Masonic Temple.

The last week in VA was spent saying goodbye to family and some more work and school. We are now in San Antonio for the next 2 1/2 months for Peter's surgery rotation. The weather was about 70 degrees when we arrived, so I think we're going to enjoy our time her for the winter.

San Onofre Beach

2010-12-08T23:40:00.003-05:00

This last weekend my Aunt had the best idea, she suggested we rent the private cottages on San Onofre Beach. So we went with them and my Grandparents for a weekend on the beach. It was so nice to be on the beach and enjoy the sounds and beauty all day and night. We enjoyed bonfires on the beach, reading, and even playing with our nephews who came up on Saturday for a little bit. We're so lucky to be here in San Diego and I'm so glad we took advantage of this opportunity. I think we may have to make San Onofre a family tradition.

Thanksgiving Festivities

2010-12-08T23:23:00.003-05:00

The Thanksgiving fun started the day before Thanksgiving when my mom, brother, and sister in law arrived for the weekend. That evening we celebrated G'pa Hutchins birthday. It was fun to all be there with him, he really gets so much joy out of hearing what's going on with everyone. We're lucky to have him in our lives. We also gave him and G'ma their Christmas present early (from all the kids and grandkids), a Bose Stereo. The picture of my G'ma below is her crying the second she saw "Bose". Amidst her tears she said, "I've wanted one of these my whole life." She's way too cute and so deserving.

Thanksgiving was fun. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and spent sometime at the beach and getting some boogie boarding and surfing in during the weekend.

I'm so thankful for the wonderful family that I have and for the time I'm able to spend with them.

Trip up the Coast

2010-12-07T23:13:00.003-05:00

The Monday before Thanksgiving I went with my G'ma, Aunt Melanie, and Cousins Rachel and Ty on a trip up the coast. It was kind of a spur of the moment trip and it was so fun. We started off taking the coast highway north from San Diego. We stopped at Laguna Beach for some shopping and Newport's Crab Cooker for lunch (childhood favorite). We even stopped at the Santa Monica Pier to check out the popular site and Pepperdine University for the view. Everything was so beautiful. It was fun to see some of the sites that you see on TV and the movies.

We spent the night in Santa Barbara and then explored the town a little bit the next morning. I love that town, seriously, I think it might be my favorite city in the US, next to Boston. We then drove up to Solvang (a danish town) and got ourselves some Ebelskivers (danish pancakes). Then off to Hearst Castle. It was a beautiful drive up the coast and I saw beach towns along the way I'd never seen before.

Hearst castle was unreal. It was the home of the newspaper mogul years ago and it's pretty insane.

It was a really fun trip. It was a great week actually, because the day after we got home the family Thanksgiving festivities began.

Sammy's for Clem's Birthday

2010-11-19T23:59:00.003-05:00

Wednesday all the family that lives in San Diego headed to Sammy's (delicious) for Uncle Matt's birthday. It was fun to be able to celebrate with Matt and the food was so good. They have a shrimp salad that is unbelievable. The funniest part of the night was when they brought out the birthday sundae, G'ma wanted in on the action that she stood up and reached across the whole table in order to get a good bite. It was so great!

Last weekend

2010-11-19T23:48:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was a great one for us. Friday night we attended my old high school's football game (TPHS vs. LCC). We went with my good friend from high school Melissa and her husband, Joey. Walking into the stadium brought back so many memories. It was great getting to see a few other friends as well and eat a California Quiver (fruit ice thingy, used to work there in high school).

Saturday we went surfing with some cousins and enjoyed some Roberto's while soaking up the sun. It was such a gorgeous day for November.

That evening we headed down to Peter's brother, Tommy's place for some BYU football and playing at the park with the nephews. Their boys are beyond darling, it's so fun to get a chance to hang out with them.

You know you're married to a medical student when....

2010-11-19T23:33:00.000-05:00

your husband falls asleep at 6:30 on a Friday night. Awesome!

2010-11-12T03:24:00.002-05:00

I was reading in my scriptures tonight and this passage jumped out at me, "there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord." It just reminded me how true it is that God has a plan for us and has a hand in our daily lives.

Update

2010-11-04T17:24:00.003-04:00

Our time in Hawaii has come to an end. We finished it off by celebrating Robbie's birthday, eating at the Little Village Noodle House (amazing Chinese food), boogie boarding on the North Shore, and SHAVED ICE. What will I do without being able to get shaved ice whenever I want?! It's going to be a hard transition back to normal life. I left Hawaii very rejuvenated and happy.

We are now back on the mainland in the beautiful city of San Diego. We will be here until the middle of December. Peter will be working at the hospital here learning about Pediatrics while I will be enjoying the scenery and spending time with family. We each have a set of grandparents here, plus some aunts and uncles, a cousin, and Peter's brother, Tommy and his family. We are really excited to be able to spend time with everyone.

So far traveling around this year has gone really well. We have mastered the art of microwavable food, living out of 1.5 suitcases each and shared laundry facilities. I love being able to take this journey with my husband and enjoy all the places along the way.

Kim's UVU Debut

2010-11-02T16:56:00.002-04:00

As a freshman at UVU, Kim Bell played in her first college basketball this last weekend..... and she did amazing. She scored 17 points and got 8 rebounds. Check this out:

http://www.wolverinegreen.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/103110aaa.html

We are so proud of her and so excited to see what she'll do next.

You know you're married to a medical student when....

2010-11-02T16:32:00.003-04:00

you go to wake up your husband and he asks you what your blood pressure is in his sleeping stupor. Good times!

Parents came to visit

2010-10-26T17:49:00.004-04:00

My parents came in to town this last week and we had a great time. We spent a day on the North Shore snorkeling, enjoying Sunset Beach, and indulging in fruit from the roadside stands and Ted's bakery. The next day we spent time at the beach in Waikiki .

Another day we hiked to Sacred Falls and then snorkeled at Hanauma Bay and ended the night at Nico's by the pier for some fresh fish. Our days have been busy!

Friday we kayaked to the Moks Islands and then went to Spaghetti Factory and then to the movie, Secretariat.

Saturday was extra fun. We attended the Laie Temple open house. It was such a beautiful temple and I loved the peaceful feeling that was there. It's funny now that I think about it, but our next activity was skydiving. That definitely was not peaceful. My Mom and I actually did it, we jumped out of an airplane at 14,000 feet. It was incredible and hard to describe how it felt. The scenery was beautiful, the rush was amazing, and I'm so grateful I'm alive! So cool. Afterwards we swam out to Chinaman's Hat Island and hiked to the top. I have to admit, my parents are pretty cool to do all of these things. The hike was not easy, in fact we had to climb several rocks that were pretty steep. I was impressed.

Sunday was pretty low key, we went to church and then took a drive up the west side of the island to show them what it's like.

Thanks Mom and Dad for coming to visit. It was really great to spend time with you and do so many fun things together.

Ha

2010-10-18T03:24:00.003-04:00

If you didn't know, Ha is the breath of life according to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We went to the Ha show on Saturday night. It was pretty cool to see the different types of dance and music. You can't come to Oahu and not go to the Polynesian Cultural Center, right?!

The west side and Kaena Point

2010-10-18T02:38:00.006-04:00

Peter got home a little early on Thursday so we decided to explore the west side of Oahu. We started off at the Ko'Olina Lagoons for some snorkeling. We saw a couple really cool fish that we had not seen anywhere else that we've snorkeled. Then we drove up the coast to see that was around. I was shocked at how brown everything was at first. Then I was even more shocked by the homeless communities along the beach. There are these communities of tents all along the beach. It was so surprising to me to see all these people living on the beach and the tents and the trash. It was shocking!

We took the time to hike out to Kaena Point, the farthest point on the island. The hike was long, but you really felt like you were on the edge of the world. It was really pretty and so cool that we were all alone out there. Well, except for the Monk Seals that we say. As we were walking out on the rocks at the point Peter said, "Jen, don't panic, but turn around" he then pointed out several Monk Seals just feet away from us. We had just walked right past them and did not even noticed them. What if I would have stepped on one of them?!

Being the west side, there was a beautiful sunset.

Columbus Day Celebration

2010-10-14T14:56:00.003-04:00

We took full advantage of this holiday Peter had off and saw more of the island. We started off bright and early at Pearl Harbor. It's always so beautiful to be there and it has a way of putting things in perspective and making you grateful.

Our next stop, Sunset Beach on the north shore. The waves were amazing that day so we lived it up. I'm pretty sure all of us caught some of the best waves of our lives.

Snorkeling at Sharks Cove was the next activity. It was really beautiful to see the fish and the rock formation. The current was really strong out there, so there were some times I got a little panicky about being able to get back.

Paddle boarding and cliff jumping at Waimea was a must. I'm really starting to love paddle boarding. Thanks to my cousin Elle's suggestion, we had Thai food at Haleiwa Eats to end off the day. The food was so good and of course had to be capped off with a shaved ice. We were all so exhausted after this long day, but we loved it. I pretty sure I took several naps on Sunday to recover from our amazing weekend.

Kailua and Mok Islands

2010-10-14T14:37:00.004-04:00

Saturday was another really great day. The boys had the day off to Peter, Josh, Jo, Robbie and I rented some kayaks and headed out to Kailua. We kayaked over to the nearby Mok Islands. One of the islands had a beach to dock our boats on. We then set off exploring the island. Around the back of the island were some rock cliffs to jump off of. We had a blast!

We ended the day off with boogie boarding at Sandy Beach (where I got worked by the waves) and a BBQ with some friends. I love Saturdays, it is so fun to explore this beautiful island with Peter.

Point Panic

2010-10-13T20:30:00.003-04:00

Friday was spent boogie boarding at Point Panic. Although Jo and I were out there with all of the surfers and they were giving us "the look" for invading their space. We got some good rides though and had lots of fun.

Kahana River

2010-10-13T20:09:00.002-04:00

Since we already had the kayak, we spent the next day kayaking the Kahana River. It was a very quiet, jungle-like river. It was green everywhere!

Unfortunately, it was a shorter ride than we thought, so we spent the remainder of the day lounging at the pool.

Kaneohe Bay

2010-10-13T19:28:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday of last week Jo and I rented a kayak and set off for Kaneohe Bay. We kayaked over a mile out to the sand bar in the middle of the bay. The water was the most beautiful blue and it was really cool to be able to get out in the middle of the bay and walk around. We also had some visitors while out there, sea turtles! There was one we tried to follow for a while and then we saw two huge ones bop up right in from of our kayak. It was really cool!

Then we kayaked out to an island not too far off, just over another mile. We encountered some waves along the way that gave us a little scared because by this time we were about 2 1/2 miles out from the shore. We felt pretty cool out there in our kayak, while everyone else were out there on their tour boats.

We explored the island and loved it. The rocks were so different and we loved the little creatures we found. The kayak ride back to our car was long, but I felt pretty cool when we got there and realized we had kayaked about five miles that day.

Sacred Falls

2010-10-13T19:08:00.002-04:00

Our last hike was to Sacred Falls. It's located on the Northeast side of the island, just before Laie. This hike was a little hard to find also, but so worth it. The hike portion was much easier and the waterfall was amazing. The cliffs surrounding the stream were unbelievable. This waterfall was definitely the fastest flowing with the biggest pool we've seen yet.

Risky Business

2010-10-13T18:46:00.003-04:00

Last Monday, Jo and I took a hike to some waterfalls not far from Honolulu. It was a little risky when we started because there were dogs blocking the way and they instantly ran towards us barking. I was a little scared, I'll be honest. I continued being scared as we walked down the side of a large hill to get to the trail. The trail followed a ridge up to a set of beautiful waterfalls. The trail at times was pretty tricky, it got really narrow at certain times and many falls were had by both of us. Luckily they were just minor and we didn't end up at the bottom of the ridge. The falls were beautiful. After reaching the first one we hiked up the side of it to see another falls right above it.

This hike was really fun and beautiful, but it was definitely on the risky side!

Waimea Bay

2010-10-04T00:14:00.003-04:00

Peter and I headed up to the North Shore to spend the day with my friend Susanna and her family. Susanna was a mission companion of mine and I have not been able to hang out with her much over the years, so it was so fun. We went to Waimea Bay and did some skim boarding and paddle boarding and of course some catching up. It was a beautiful day.

On the way home we stopped in Haleiwa for some shaved ice at Matsumoto's. We ended the day off with the movie Inception. Peter and I had not seen it yet and we had heard from everyone how it was a must see. It was good!

The rest of the weekend was spent resting, studying (for Peter), watching football, and listening to conference. It was a great weekend, can't wait for the next one!

Diamond Head Hike

2010-09-30T23:53:00.002-04:00

Yesterdays activity was to hike the Diamond Head Crater. It wasn't the most beautiful hike on the way up, but the view at the top was really beautiful. The workout was great though.

practice, practice, practice

2010-09-29T15:54:00.003-04:00

Peter came home last night and practiced his suturing. His skills were pretty impressive. Love that boy!

While Peter is working.....

2010-09-29T15:45:00.002-04:00

I've been here. There is a pool on the beach that we have access to in Waikiki and I've been loving it. Lots of sun and reading while enjoying the sounds of the ocean. Seriously, my life is pretty great!

Peter delivered his first baby

2010-09-29T00:40:00.002-04:00

Okay, maybe he didn't deliver it himself.... but he was there and helping. He also got to participate in a C-Section yesterday too. He is working in the labor and delivery this week so he'll probably get to see a lot of cool things this week.

On a side note, one really cute thing they do at the hospital here is that they play "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" every time a child is born. Love that!

saturday was packed

2010-09-27T16:46:00.003-04:00

Since Peter works 6am to 6pm during the week, we have to pack our Saturdays with activities so that he can have the most fun as possible. So Saturday we woke up and headed out for a hike up to Maunawili Falls. It's a gorgeous hike (REALLY MUDDY) and the waterfall is beautiful. We even jumped off the rocks into the falls. The boys were pretty daring and jumped from the highest rocks.

After the hike we headed to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. I was stunned by how gorgeous the color of the water was. We spent several hours swimming around seeing all kinds of fish and even a sea turtle. I'm still so surprised at how many fish there are since there are so many visitors that visit those waters each year. It was awesome though.

Afterwards we headed to Sandy Beach for some boogie boarding. That was one of the things on top of Peter's list. The waves were decent sized, but with the strong current, shore break, and how tired we already were, we didn't have that much success. It was still beautiful though. We will have to go back when we aren't so tired from the day.

I had so much fun on Saturday and I can't wait for Peter's next day off so we can go play even more.

Friday Fun

2010-09-27T16:27:00.003-04:00

During the day on Friday, Jo and I took a hike up to Manoa Valley Falls. It's a small waterfall located in the jungle wildlife up the hill from University of Hawaii. The waterfall was smaller than I expected, but it was still nice to get out and do something active and enjoy the jungle.

Later that night when the boys got home we went down to Waikiki for dinner at Duke's and some swimming. It is just so gorgeous down there and the sunset was amazing. I loved people watching and seeing the many sailboats in the water.

Dragon's Nostrils

2010-09-27T01:58:00.006-04:00

On Thursday of this week my new friend Jo (a wife of one of Peter's classmates) and I went out for the day. We started out at the beach in Waikiki and then headed east to check out what is called Dragon's Nostrils. The drive along the coast was gorgeous, we even saw the local lighthouse.

Dragon's Nostrils are two blow holes next to each other and when the water comes up, it really looks like a dragon is blowing snot out of it's nose. Plus the noise is really loud and kind of scary. It was definitely beautiful and fun to climb down the lava rock to see the blow holes. There were also some cool tide pools nearby and the waves crashing against the rocks were amazing.

our own private beach

2010-09-27T01:33:00.002-04:00

Two nights this week after work Peter and I headed out to the Air Force base where there are some private beaches to enjoy the sunsets and swim a little.

we have arrived

2010-09-27T00:32:00.002-04:00

We are here in Hawaii! We got her late last Sunday evening and have been really enjoying ourselves so far. Here is the view from our room. We are staying in a hotel on a hill that overlooks the ocean and the city of Honolulu. It's beautiful and so relaxing.

Peter works at the hospital just steps away and I spend my days working (okay, maybe just a couple of hours at the most) and exploring. We are excited to be here enjoying the great weather and amazing scenery. Stayed tuned for our many days-o-fun here in Hawaii.

Next week at this time

2010-09-13T14:23:00.002-04:00

We will be here.....Honolulu, Hawaii for Peter's next rotation. We are so excited!

Fun for the whole Family

2010-09-12T20:53:00.005-04:00

This last Monday Peter and I went to the Air Force Museum as it's not too far from where we are. We saw a really cool IMAX movie about a fighter pilot and then toured the museum. It was so cool to see the evolution of planes that have been used over the years through various wars. We saw planes from those flown in WWI to the Predator and F-22 planes used today. This place was absolutely huge and there was so much to learn. You could literally spend days here, we didn't even see half of it.

Josh and Karee's Wedding

2010-09-11T23:52:00.005-04:00

My brother found the most darling girl almost 2 years ago and she just recently became his wife and part of the family. Josh and Karee were married on August 27, 2010 in the Salt Lake City Temple. I was lucky enough to be there and witness how truly happy the couple is. I'm grateful my brother found someone who adores him and whom he adores as well.

A reception was held up the canyon at the McLean's house that evening. Although we had some struggles while trying to set up the outdoor reception during a rain/wind storm (table clothes in the pond and centerpieces in the lawn), it was a beautiful indoor reception. I loved watching how the couple could not stop smiling and how loved and admired they were by those who attended.

my sister with her two girls, and her fiancé with his two boys

Josh and his friends

The following weekend a reception was held for them in Karee's hometown of Rupert, Idaho. It's such a charming, peaceful feeling town.

the new Mr. & Mrs. Green

the details

the cake

cutting the cake

my parents dancing

dancing in the gazebo

G'ma Hutchins waiting for the opening of presents

The night before the Wedding

2010-09-10T17:17:00.006-04:00

My brother recently got married and the night before the big day we had a little celebration with both families. We went to the McLeans to set up the tables and chairs for the next day, had a great dinner (made by my Dad), and then Mike put on a little concert for us. It was really nice to see extended family and get to spend time with the Jurgensmeiers too.

Then Mike sang a few tunes as a tribute to the lovely couple. It was such a great feeling being in a room with so many people I love so much and hearing music about the importance of love and family. I love my family! I am so grateful for a loving God who gave us one another and allows us to be together forever.

And of course, we ended the night with some smores around the fire. How can a night that ends with smores around the campfire not be great?!

Sister Elle Holmes

2010-09-10T17:07:00.002-04:00

This is my darling cousin, Elle, aka Courtney. She just got her mission call to Russia! I'm so excited for her. She will spend the next year and a half serving others, working hard, and sharing what's most important to her. I'm so proud of her for that! Love you Elle.

Isn't she gorgeous?!

2010-09-10T16:56:00.003-04:00

This is my new sister in law, Karee. We were practicing hair and makeup for the wedding and I could not help not post this picture because she is just way too beautiful. Luckily she's smart, kind, fun, and sensitive as well. I think the Green's got a great new addition to the family.

A little Air Force 1

2010-09-10T16:50:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we were at the driving range here on base and what did we see? Air Force 1 lands on the landing strip just in front of us. I'm not sure what it was there for, I'm pretty sure the president wasn't on it, but it was still pretty cool. Just something you don't see everyday.

Loving Dayton, Ohio

2010-08-19T09:53:00.003-04:00

We have moved on to our next rotation, in Dayton, Ohio. We are absolutely loving the area. It is so green everywhere it's unbelievable. The Air Force base here offers lots of fun too. There are trees everywhere, beautiful brick buildings and lots of activities. We have been to the driving range, checked out free bikes, played racquetball, swam in the pool, and Peter is teaching me to golf. One night we went with some friends to Young's Dairy for some ice cream and fun. After having some great ice cream and friend cheese curd, we hit up the batting cages, petting zoo, and driving range. It was such a beautiful night and such a charming little place.

Peter and I both are so in love with this area. There seems to be a lot to do around here and it's just gorgeous. Plus the people are unbelievably nice. Everywhere we have gone people are smiling and so friendly. We went to church here on Sunday and we were greeted by so many friendly people. I was so touched by the people and the strong spirit of Christ that was in that building.

We will keep you updated on all our fun while we are here.

Our last days in San Antonio

2010-08-19T09:03:00.005-04:00

Our time in San Antonio is finished (until January), but before we left we made sure to have some fun. One night Peter and I went to a free concert downtown. The concert wasn't that cool, but the venue was awesome. It was an old railroad station that has been redone. While we were there we realized that Alamo Dome was right where we were. As we walked around we noticed that the Dallas Cowboys Training Camp was there. So the next day we went back to check them out. Unfortunately, it was a walk through, so we didn't get to see too much action.

The night before we left our beloved San Antonio, we went with the Hawks to take the riverwalk boat tour. It was fun to be outside and get to see the whole riverwalk via boat. We will miss our time in San Antonio and especially our friends we got to spend our time with there.

San Antonio Missions

2010-07-28T21:22:00.004-04:00

Today I went with some friends to experience some fun in this city of ours (for another 1 1/2 weeks). First, we went to Lulu's for the 3 pound cinnamon roll. That's right, 3 pounds. The thing is huge, I'm still in shock.
Next we ventured out to the San Antonio Missions. These are Franciscan missions that were created in the 1700's. There are about 5 in the area, we saw about 3 today. They are so beautiful, I loved it.

El Mercado

2010-07-28T21:11:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday we went with some friends to explore the El Mercado in downtown San Antonio. It's a Mexican market with cute shops of all kinds. After walking around for a while we went to dinner at Mi Tierra. We ate on the patio and had the privilege of listening to the live entertainment in the market. The singing was seriously so bad that it was comical. We could barely talk to each other it was so loud and when one of the singers started, we couldn't help but laugh. I wish I had a recording, it was bad! It all added to the ambiance though and definitely contributed to the authentic experience of the night.

This is my new friend Cati, she is so cute and she makes me laugh all the time.

San Antonio Temple

2010-07-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

A few weekends ago Peter and I went to the temple here in San Antonio. It was gorgeous and we loved the community it is in. It's amazing how it felt so comfortable and peaceful to be there when our lives are currently a little transient. Hopefully we'll get to go back.

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-16T10:33:00.003-04:00

Some people (ok, our Moms) have been asking what our place is like that we are staying here in Texas. Our hotel room has a small separate living space and kitchen. It is cozy, but we like it.

San Antonio Fun

2010-07-13T15:18:00.004-04:00

We've been here just over two weeks now and we are really enjoying our time here. We have a small little hotel room with living space that suites us just fine. It is hot, hot, hot though. I've been really impressed by the size of the bugs here, they are huge! Peter spends most of his time at the hospital learning doctor stuff, but we have managed to have some fun while we are here.

On the night of the 4th we headed out to see a few of the local fireworks. It was in a pretty funny part of town, but it was still really nice to see the fireworks and be with Peter. There was a gorgeous, old church right by where we were too, it makes a beautiful set for the fireworks.

This last weekend we headed out with the Hawks to experience the Alamo and the famous San Antonio Riverwalk. We had a great time, San Antonio is really charming. One of the best parts, the parking was free! The Riverwalk is gorgeous with lights, restaurants, people, and music everywhere. We had a great dinner and walked around a little bit. I can't wait to go back.

Peter is Scrubs

2010-07-13T15:14:00.002-04:00

Isn't he cute? And kind of official?

Don't mind his awkward stance and facial expression.

Playing with Carolyn

2010-07-13T15:03:00.004-04:00

Since being here in San Antonio, we have gotten a lot of Carolyn play time. It's one of Peter's favorite things to do after work, go play with Carolyn. She is one of the first things he asks about on the way home. I think she has a mutual love for him as well. Needless to say, we are loving our time with her, how could we not?!

Weekend with Family

2010-07-13T14:42:00.004-04:00

After my work week in Utah, Peter and I got to spend some time with my family. The night we got up there my cute little brother came home with this really cute girl and she had a ring on her finger. That's right, my brother is engaged. We are so excited for him and Karee, they make a great match.

Then we got to celebrate my Dad's birthday with a fancy seafood buffet, YUM!!

One night we even had Peter's family up for some games, jacuzzing, and some smores.

It was really nice to see everyone. The weather was absolutely amazing, every time I'm there I wonder why I don't visit more often.

Two Years

2010-06-22T10:48:00.002-04:00

Peter and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary yesterday. Since we're in Utah this week, we decided to celebrate in style. We headed to The Roof in Salt Lake for a fancy, romantic meal. It was so relaxing and the creme brulee with fresh strawberries on top was ridiculous. I loved being able to overlook the temple where we were married while we ate. I am one happy girl to be married to Peter. Without getting too mushy, I will just say...... I am luckier today than I originally thought I was two years ago. Love him!

And we're off.......

2010-06-21T14:30:00.005-04:00

Our lives have been a little crazy the last little while, here is what we've been up to:

June 11- Peter took his first licensing test, which he had been studying for for a month.

June 12- We moved out of our home and put all of our stuff at Peter's parents to store for the next year. Sad day, I really love our place.

June 16- We spent the day in the city checking out the Newseum. This museum is so incredible. They have parts of the Berlin Wall and the satellite tower that was on top of one of the Twin Towers. There is way too much for me to continue on, but you should go!

June 18- We drove from Virginia to Nashville, TN. We spent the evening with cousins Brooke and Trent. They showed us a great time in this gorgeous, charming city. I definitely want to go back. And they gave us a place to sleep, which was so needed since we had driven all day.

June 19- We finished driving through TN. Drove through the entire State of Arkansas and ended up in Houston, TX. We had the most amazing meal at Papasitos (a Tex Mex place) with Aunt Donna, Uncle Greg and cousin Emily. I had shrimp and chicken fajitas with a spicy pineapple butter sauce. Ya!

June 20- We awoke at 4:30am in time to catch our flight to Utah. We surprised my Dad for Fathers Day and had so much fun hanging out with my family and relaxing.

This week I'll be working in Salt Lake through Thursday. Peter will get some time to play with his siblings and friends. Then on Sunday we'll head back to Texas, drive to San Antonio, and then Peter starts his first rotation on Monday. Our lives are exciting right now to say the least. I think we're both a little tired, but so grateful to be together.

Virginia Beach

2010-06-21T14:19:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, Corie, Carolyn, and I headed to Virginia Beach for a short vacation. It was nice to get away from the boys constant studying and into the sun. We spent the first day on the beach, introducing Carolyn to all of the fun the beach has to offer. We got some good color and then walked down the boardwalk to check it out. The next day we were treated to a show at the planetarium by Corie's Uncle. Time hanging out with Carolyn and Corie is always fun. Enjoy the pictures of the way too cute Carolyn.

Neighbor of the Month

2010-06-21T13:49:00.002-04:00

My darling husband just received an award from ParcReston (our complex) Association for being the neighbor of the month. That's right folks! During the crazy winter storms we had Peter spent hours and hours digging out people in our neighborhood. The snow was so out of control that it was really difficult for anyone to get out. Peter, being the strongly, manly man he is, just jumped in and helped anyone who looked like they might need it. He's the best!

My most recent masterpieces

2010-05-27T09:40:00.001-04:00

Kim and Katie's prom hair.

And we met Randy from Kleinfelds

2010-05-26T16:48:00.005-04:00

He was hilarious. He walked around telling everyone how gorgeous they are. After they told my sister the price of the dress, I stepped out in the hall to make a phone call. I overheard him talking to some of the other consultants about how great my sister looked in that dress and that he would "knock over old ladies for a dress like that". Love him!

P.S. to those that asked if we were on the show. No we weren't, you have to sign up for that.

She said Yes to the Dress!

2010-05-25T18:45:00.004-04:00

This last weekend my sister and I met in New York for some fun and wedding dress shopping. We did so much and had so much fun that I hope I can capture it in this post. Thursday we met up and saw Rock of Ages on Broadway. It was a funny throw back to 80's Rock. I won the ticket lottery and so we got a great deal on the tickets.

Friday was wedding dress day, after catching Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers at the Good Morning America concert in Central Park (of course). We started off at JCrew and saw some beautiful. Then we went to Kleinfelds. Yes, THE KLEINFELDS from the TV show Say Yes to the Dress. It was fancy and so fun to be there. They had the most beautiful dresses. All of the dresses blew all other dresses that we had seen, even in magazines, out of the water. There was one in particular that was stunning on my sister. She just had to say YES.

We canceled the rest of our appointments and set out to do whatever sounded fun. That night we went to the Little Italy part of town and had some great pizza. Then we decided to be girly and go see Letters to Juliet. It was a really gooshy, romantic movie, a great movie to see with your sister.

Saturday was all about Broadway. We had tried to get lottery tickets to Wicked, both Thursday and Friday evenings, but we unsuccessful. Saturday matinee though..... we won! It was really as incredible as people say it is. I just don't know what else to say. After being blown away by an incredible performance, costumes, storyline, and music; we headed over to try and get lottery tickets to new musical In The Heights. We didn't win the lottery, but we bought tickets anyway. It was another great show with an interesting mix of music, culture, and comedy. Plus who doesn't love Corbin Bleu from High School Musical (he's the lead in this show).

And of course, our days were filled with roasted nuts, Gray's Papaya, Thai food, falafels, Mr. Softy's, Magnolia's cupcakes, etc. Let's just say, we ate too much.

We're not done yet! Sunday we met my dear high school friend and her mother for brunch. It's been nearly 10 years since I've seen her. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. After catching some church we walked the Brooklyn Bridge before heading home. We seriously packed it in. It was one of those weekends that don't happen often enough; a weekend with my sister.

A walk with Carolyn

2010-05-25T18:33:00.002-04:00

Last night we were in the city with the Hawks and went for a walk around the National Mall. It was such a beautiful night. Peter even got the privilege to carry his favorite little girl around.

2 Years Down

2010-05-25T18:13:00.002-04:00

That's right, Peter finished his second year of medical school. This year has been a hard one; full of work, work, work. To celebrate all of his hard work we ate at The Counter, saw Robin Hood, and bought new basketball shoes for him. Then the next day, we went to hit a bucket of balls. I'm really bad at it, but it was fun to spend so much time with my husband. Hopefully I'll get better soon.

Jeff and Kathy Get Married

2010-05-10T21:45:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we headed out to San Diego for the much anticipated wedding of Jeff and Kathy. I headed out a few days early to get some time with my Mom and Grandma. I only got one picture. A silly picture of me trying on as much of my Grandma's jewelry as I could handle. We spent one night having girls chat and trying on all her fun jewelry. I got a little carried away, but it was fun. Friday night was the pre-wedding dinner up in Redlands. We had a great time hearing the funny stories about Jeff and Kathy growing up over the years. The wedding was on Saturday and was preformed by Grandpa Bell. It was a really special moment for the family and it was great to be reminded of our own wedding and how special our day was. We had a great time with family that day. The reception was charming and very personal. I loved seeing how happy and excited Jeff and Kathy were to be together.

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T21:21:00.003-04:00

This last Sunday was a great one. Peter made me my favorite breakfast all by himself. It was really cute, he looked up the recipe online and everything to make it just right. He also got me a beautiful bouquet of red roses to pamper me on Mother's Day. We had Peter's family over for a great dinner. We had his Mom's favorite foods shrimp and steak. We were adventurous and made shrimp and veggie tempura, asian marinaded kabobs, and brownie sundaes.

I'm grateful for all the mothers out there who sacrifice so much for all of us. I'm especially grateful for my mother always being my biggest fan.

The Help- Read it!

2010-04-21T20:55:00.002-04:00

I read this book a little while ago and it is absolutely great. I love it! It is written from such a neat perspective and it truly captivated my attention and my heart. So if you need a good read, go and get it already!

Bathroom Renovations Finally Complete

2010-04-21T15:10:00.003-04:00

Peter and I have been planning for our bathroom to be re-done for some time now, for probably just over a year. Well after figuring everything out and waiting on the work to be done, we are finally done! We had the master bath floor tiled and the shower tiled. Just for kicks we tiled the floor in the spare bathroom also. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. We love it and it's so nice to finally have it completed.

We rented our place out

2010-04-20T17:08:00.002-04:00

for next year. Which means we will be homeless in less than 2 months. Yikes!

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-01T20:49:00.006-04:00

This last week we headed down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for Peter's Spring Break (yes, we still get spring breaks. Lucky us!). It was absolutely beautiful and such a refreshing trip after a long winter.

The weather was still a little cold so there was not a whole lot of laying it out on the beach, but we saw so much while we were there. We saw several different lighthouses, visited beautiful scenery, flew kites, laid in the sun, ate great food, built sandcastles, visited the Wright Brothers Monument, watched sunsets, took lots of walks along the beach, did lots of shopping, and LOVED IT!

Church B-Ball

2010-04-01T20:47:00.001-04:00

Peter's favorite Saturday morning activity. I couldn't resist getting a picture.

Paint Day

2010-04-01T20:20:00.001-04:00

We refreshed the paint in our family room and kitchen a few days ago. Luckily Peter's mom was there to help up.
It was tricky getting some of the angles and so I had to use Peter's shoulder as a chair.

Spring has Sprung

2010-04-01T20:14:00.003-04:00

The blossoms are out and it is so beautiful here. This tree is right outside our back window and it's so refreshing to see it everyday and realize that spring is here. Oh happy day!

another great book: The Book Thief

2010-03-10T10:32:00.002-05:00

I just finished this one and I loved it also. It's about a German girl and her experiences growing up in Nazi Germany. The perspective it's written in is really original and interesting.

Great Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2010-03-03T20:11:00.005-05:00

I just read this book and it's a great one. I was so captivated by the characters that I never wanted to stop reading. I think I read this in less than two days, it was that good!

Met this guy last night

2010-03-03T19:56:00.002-05:00

Little Gunnar is way too cute. He's just a few days old and the child of some dear friends. It was so fun to see how happy his parents are about this little man. There was an overwhelmingly sweet, powerful feeling in their home last night and I'm so glad I was there.

Bell Family U.S.Tour

2010-02-20T11:49:00.004-05:00

Is about to kick off this summer, here are our tour dates and locations:

San Antonio, TX- June 28, 2010- August 6, 2010
Dayton, OH- August 9, 2010- September 17, 2010
Portsmouth, VA- September 20, 2010- October 29, 2010
San Diego, CA- November 1, 2010- December 10, 2010
San Antonio, TX- January 3, 2011- March 25, 2011
Alexandria, VA- March 28, 2011- May 6, 2011
Camp Springs, MD- May 9, 2011- June 17, 2011

Peter starts his medical rotations in June and so the Bell family will be living throughout the country for the next year, starting in June. It should be exciting!

Disney on Ice

2010-02-14T23:59:00.006-05:00

My darling husband planned a fun night for us last night. We went to dinner and then Disney on Ice. It was a very impressive show and so fun to hear the familiar songs and see the amazing costumes. It's always so fun to go into the city and enjoy a night out together.
Thanks, Peter, for a fun Valentines date night!

Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-14T23:40:00.005-05:00

I'm sure many of you have heard about the storms we've had over the last week or so in the D.C. area, but I still have to document it on our blog. Last weekend we got over 29 inches of snow in just two days. Everything was shut down and there was snow everywhere. It took us two hours just to dig out one car. We explored a little bit during the day and even went snowboarding down the street a few times.Then on Tuesday of last week we had another snow storm hit. We still had not quite recovered from the first. I'm not sure how much snow we got in total that day, but it was an absolute blizzard. The news said we were getting 2 inches of snow an hour and the winds were 44 miles per hour. Unbelievable! We could not even see the road outside our window, it was just total white out.So needless to say we have had a fun time over the last week. School and work were canceled for us Monday through Thursday this last week. Isn't that crazy?! There was just no way to get around because the snowplows could not possibly get to all the roads yet, let alone actually keep them clear. It was fun to get to spend so much time together. Hopefully the enormous piles of snow everywhere will melt before summer.

A friendly Surprise

2010-02-04T14:31:00.005-05:00

We opened the door the other morning to go to work and found this on our doorstep! Have I mentioned the missionaries live above us?!

It's really big and I'm not sure how they were able to get it up the stairs, but it did give us a good laugh.

Catholic University

2010-02-04T14:16:00.004-05:00

I had to speak to some social work students at Catholic University the other day and I was reminded how beautiful the campus is. I got my masters there and really loved it. They have some of the most beautiful buildings on campus. It was great to have all of my memories of grad school come flying back to me as I visited.

Cinderelli, Cinderelli......

2010-01-26T09:45:00.005-05:00

Katie played Cinderella in her high school musical this last weekend and did so great! We were both so impressed by her singing and acting the part. She looked absolutely amazing on stage and really stole the show. I'm so proud of her, it takes big guts to get up there and do what she did. Plus she's really talented!Peter wore a sign that said, "Cinderella is my sister." It was a huge hit! It was really cute to watch him though, he really was so proud of her. He got a kick out of people asking for her autograph that he decided to get his own.

Bummer Thursday

2010-01-26T09:30:00.004-05:00

Look what I did to my tire. Lame! I was trying to park on the street and didn't see this jagged edge sticking out from the curb. Double lame!

Double Date

2010-01-26T09:20:00.004-05:00

Two weekends ago Peter's sister, Kim, invited Peter and I to go on a double date with her and her boyfriend to a Wizards game. It was really sweet of her and we had a really good time. We started out with dinner at Chevy's (can't go wrong with that), then took the metro into the city for the game. They were playing the Sacramento Kings, so we would have been happy with either team winning. The Wizards won though! It was great to spend a night out with Kim and John, we are definitely going to miss Kim when she leaves for college.

Learning to use Fondant

2010-01-26T09:02:00.002-05:00

Our friends, Matt and Corie, came out a few Fridays ago to celebrate Peter's birthday and to teach us the art of fondant. We made the fondant and then each couple decorated a cake. It was really cool to learn how to make it and use it. I probably enjoyed it more because Peter had to do all the manual labor behind rolling it and hand mixing the color in. We had a good time though. The theme for the cakes was Peter (since it was his birthday), as you can probably tell. The woman on the cake is me!