tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20228497581442825462024-02-18T23:11:34.941-08:00Cartwheelingdown the aisleLydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.comBlogger526125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-70655637916999926362016-09-09T16:22:00.000-07:002016-09-09T16:38:13.248-07:00Settling InSo we had a <a href="https://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/we-survived-the-move-in-case-you-were-wondering/">big move back in July</a>. And between unpacking, seeing Andrew safely into his new job and flying off to visit my mom, we hadn't had too much of a chance to settle in yet.<br />
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As soon as I got back though, I set about making it feel more like home and nestling in, and you know what, it was good to be home -- even if said home had only been our home for a few weeks!<br />
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I thought the small-town life would be a difficult adjustment but so far it's been just lovely. Certainly it's a little frustrating that I can't just run to the store when I'm out of something (mostly household products) since we only have a small neighborhood grocer in town. But you adapt and learn to plan in advance -- and you love Amazon Prime even more!<br />
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And we have a little farmer's market in the summer, plus a farm store that carries nearby local produce through Halloween and it is delightful. FINALLY some good peaches!<br />
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Adelina particularly enjoys the library... for its literary value, of course. Ha! Ok, when we're there she just wants to play with all the fun toys, but I've started checking out a few board books for a week or so at a time and it's nice to have a few new ones in rotation. She's finally starting to "read" on her own sometimes, and it just warms my heart to look over and see her so interested. I can't wait to share my love of reading with her as she grows up!</div>
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Other than that though, who needs "things to do" when you have a family anyway? Andrew is busy at work, I'm busy with Adelina and our soon-to-be baby boy, and we get to actually hang out together on weekends. Honestly, it's been great, and I'm starting to really like this place. We're starting to settle into this new SAHM routine, and Adelina is working on "independent play," A.K.A. "don't interrupt mama with a request every five seconds" ha ha. She's getting great at it and I'm so encouraged, because heaven knows I'll need a little extra space with this baby on the way!<br />
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We have a library and a little museum, nice places to walk, and we've been really well welcomed by our ward so far. People out in the community have been really friendly too in general. A few people in particular have made some real efforts to reach out and befriend us and I am so grateful for that. Heck, we're even starting a Power of Moms Learning Circle this month!<br />
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Walking to church :)<br />
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Our post office is the cutest historical building -- check out those sweet mailboxes!<br />
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We went to our first high school football game -- go Rangers! -- the week we got back from D.C. and it was really fun. There were a lot of people there and even though we lost badly it was just a fun atmosphere. The hint of fall in the air didn't hurt either :)<br />
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A friend from Casper who is very close to a sister in our ward here had given us Rangers gear for Adelina and baby #2 before we left -- so thoughtful! -- so we fit right in ha ha.<br />
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Another thing about this place is that while it may be small and rural, it's actually a lot closer to a lot of interesting places than Casper was. There, it was a minimum 4-hour drive to get to a big city or point of interest, whereas here we are not even an hour and a half from Bear Lake, not too far from Yellowstone, close to several other western Wyoming towns, and about an hour+ from the soon-to-be-dedicated <a href="http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/starvalley/">Star Valley Temple</a>! And go figure, Adelina's sitter and her family just moved not too terribly far from us so we'll get to see them soon as well! I felt so bad about tearing Adelina away from her "second family" of sorts, I'm glad we'll get to continue that relationship in real life. Oh and the best part: we're only 2 hours from Salt Lake City, and 6 hours from St George! (which is a good thing considering <a href="https://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.wordpress.com/2016/08/30/our-extra-special-second-baby-gender-reveal/">baby #2's poor club feet</a> that will require a lot of medical care in SLC -- I'm so grateful we are this much closer to world-class specialists)<br />
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Two weeks ago we decided to take advantage of those fleeting last moments of summer and go meet up with a friend from France at Bear Lake. She is married to an American and now lives in Logan so it's fun to have French friends nearby!<br />
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It was the PERFECT day, and I was a little nervous about spending so much time on the beach but Adelina was in heaven -- for four hours.<br />
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We severely delayed naptime that day ha ha. But it was worth it. And look at those sweet little friends!<br />
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We came back tired and a little sun-dazed, but so happy for the good company and peaceful sand and water. With that... I'm pretty sure summer is officially over. Bring on fall!<br />
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<br />Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-73761348273816130282016-09-08T19:46:00.002-07:002016-09-09T11:12:51.680-07:00Virginia Trip<span style="font-family: inherit;">It has been a pretty crazy summer between moving, changing/quitting jobs, the pregnancy... and then we threw in a last-minute vacation. I figured Andrew would be busy starting up his new job once we were moved in, so I took the opportunity to go visit my mom while two of my sisters were staying with her this summer. Amelia, my second sister, had never met Adelina! She left for her mission to Paris/Brussels right before she was born. And Marina, the youngest, was preparing to go off to college, so I figured between all of that and before school started up for my mom, it was as good an opportunity as any.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I didn't account for was how pregnant I was... and how big Adelina is. So those plane trips were not fun. I would NOT recommend traveling with an "infant" in arms while pregnant and alone, ever. But we survived, and I'm glad we made the trip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived just in time for Amelia's birthday, which we celebrated with a picnic at a beautiful nearby park. Check out those awesome falls!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We spent a lot of time at the pool... this girl cracks me up!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQwwXE1ckfvYTYCw9ss2f_ByFRCves3gtg76Vrf08oerE3AhSeHYWKWwmRiZv-oWLOlz3Gja72eUaL6Muv6RhFhP_uBGE_cfRhWaQfzuYUPUQvDCYPK-gN9T5LhU8-JeCX8rrOBVCVwg/s1600/IMG_0356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQwwXE1ckfvYTYCw9ss2f_ByFRCves3gtg76Vrf08oerE3AhSeHYWKWwmRiZv-oWLOlz3Gja72eUaL6Muv6RhFhP_uBGE_cfRhWaQfzuYUPUQvDCYPK-gN9T5LhU8-JeCX8rrOBVCVwg/s400/IMG_0356.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also fit in some time to head over the D.C. Temple. When I was a little girl living in the area, I remember making many trips to the grounds, but I had actually never been inside! We took turns going in, Amelia and Marina first, then my mom and I, while the others watched Adelina at the visitors' center. Poor girl, she passed out shortly after my mom and I went in!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was fun to walk around the visitors' center, but Adelina wasn't too terribly cooperative for photos ha ha. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBvysI18kMYVty-3FhzlIyEYONoGL-zh9ESlyiuVXWZuiD2iKTR2zS32Yp8E30_QPVr2_FYyIbY75KHOuKkPwuleLr5YSbVA5k6o23s9Nh0kGVZ7aOzmCoBT6ES7a8XqSveEn55FAks8/s1600/IMG_7024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBvysI18kMYVty-3FhzlIyEYONoGL-zh9ESlyiuVXWZuiD2iKTR2zS32Yp8E30_QPVr2_FYyIbY75KHOuKkPwuleLr5YSbVA5k6o23s9Nh0kGVZ7aOzmCoBT6ES7a8XqSveEn55FAks8/s400/IMG_7024.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She loved this cute little fake house setup though -- inside it's decorated like a beautiful, cozy living room and there are videos about eternal families, etc. It's lovely!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjFIprOWkAg854mI_XrgE8iSa5zU9Eky2CEy1aElZWvKGANM0Y-poMCP8rR-WOIOQ_6NNyLOYAjKP1sr8JLEVyrAhFxAkTN8O3MNU7JpTWKM-x3vBb3pDAGCiRVwlpLGcOcNUXBcrafM/s1600/IMG_7029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjFIprOWkAg854mI_XrgE8iSa5zU9Eky2CEy1aElZWvKGANM0Y-poMCP8rR-WOIOQ_6NNyLOYAjKP1sr8JLEVyrAhFxAkTN8O3MNU7JpTWKM-x3vBb3pDAGCiRVwlpLGcOcNUXBcrafM/s400/IMG_7029.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We did manage to get one group photo at the end though!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGNQOiwc5Md3ACd6XqfG1KKY8oVpPZMuz04kJ84m0lJ9wyK5sOpJ958ukhYaiBeI9V702nG6xgknEGBR03YARbv2ojgCDHR_jaoBDtEW9jNKG3vd13h7FuCfdm3RdJ0H2PP768hG7GF8/s1600/IMG_7149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGNQOiwc5Md3ACd6XqfG1KKY8oVpPZMuz04kJ84m0lJ9wyK5sOpJ958ukhYaiBeI9V702nG6xgknEGBR03YARbv2ojgCDHR_jaoBDtEW9jNKG3vd13h7FuCfdm3RdJ0H2PP768hG7GF8/s640/IMG_7149.JPG" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's funny what living in the mountain west will do to you -- the heat and humidity hit us like a wave as soon as we stepped off the plane! And we were lucky to arrive in the middle of a heat wave too... I survived, somehow. Not without a lot of breaks to sit and breathe ha. Luckily our second week was much more pleasant weather-wise, or I might have been tempted to hide out at my mom's the whole time! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were also treated to a Virginia downpour, and poor Adelina didn't quite know what to do with all the lightning and rain just falling from the sky. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfnpw7G7EOV8ILBS6Fa0I4Wt5M3wZmEu-f7I9-Cx2l8YFBCwBhcCDSlKM0_pIkfy140F8rYDUYhdwM8TlHbaezxmljb-Y0cp9RdoAGXLvGYhvqV0vz_T67tAMMhW4vqe1dYELdRvFrHk/s1600/IMG_7498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfnpw7G7EOV8ILBS6Fa0I4Wt5M3wZmEu-f7I9-Cx2l8YFBCwBhcCDSlKM0_pIkfy140F8rYDUYhdwM8TlHbaezxmljb-Y0cp9RdoAGXLvGYhvqV0vz_T67tAMMhW4vqe1dYELdRvFrHk/s400/IMG_7498.JPG" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amelia tried to help her enjoy the rain :) Usually in Wyoming when it rains, it's not so much of a dumping -- plus it rains diagonally anyway ha. She also loved cooling off on the balcony when she could: she loves just pouring things in and out of cups, bowls, etc. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUyVNXYq9IA2fz4Hyer2-wdgGxoL2RgZHdZpDcE8W4tkL3ULJaMztlvQCVEfCz7GMhvuyfbP1oCxckLd41sgYdM3_MyWPHvnmp4YTPdNRltoLdDa5_zTrtacqtKAfZ5jQLt2mF5rZ7Vo/s1600/IMG_0393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUyVNXYq9IA2fz4Hyer2-wdgGxoL2RgZHdZpDcE8W4tkL3ULJaMztlvQCVEfCz7GMhvuyfbP1oCxckLd41sgYdM3_MyWPHvnmp4YTPdNRltoLdDa5_zTrtacqtKAfZ5jQLt2mF5rZ7Vo/s320/IMG_0393.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway. We celebrated Amelia's birthday for several days actually -- the picnic at the park and falls, then sushi with my aunt Jan (YUM! I had been craving that for a while... don't worry, I only ate the cooked stuff. It was fabulous and I stuffed myself silly. Plus the company was excellent!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wcb45vHT-an-Q7O9gG9PFLfp0Ce3jkzcw-wLg_JpViGrmHHRj0hKf74QSZ2ubaAy6gDHYt6Cz1dKouGArJUMMIyNHycQyLIb3beeYz_oXHv_I9IXhBMGMVRZRDYPmGuJiKuRsCzjyFc/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wcb45vHT-an-Q7O9gG9PFLfp0Ce3jkzcw-wLg_JpViGrmHHRj0hKf74QSZ2ubaAy6gDHYt6Cz1dKouGArJUMMIyNHycQyLIb3beeYz_oXHv_I9IXhBMGMVRZRDYPmGuJiKuRsCzjyFc/s320/IMG_0369.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then the next day again with more extended family, including my grandpa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid19panVp4jZo3kYo14kwEWyOM6yBkH522o6hvXqhcMCvJjKcMkpxzPnbS4UgGuXgu_SocOn2iaJ7GhIzQ09IQme1yJdAbSgaef6xqVwkO3gTsV76kni0d6aP3nRYNzmMrX2XIdEVcQdQ/s1600/IMG_7176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid19panVp4jZo3kYo14kwEWyOM6yBkH522o6hvXqhcMCvJjKcMkpxzPnbS4UgGuXgu_SocOn2iaJ7GhIzQ09IQme1yJdAbSgaef6xqVwkO3gTsV76kni0d6aP3nRYNzmMrX2XIdEVcQdQ/s320/IMG_7176.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My grandpa is pretty incredible -- he fought in the Pacific with the Marines during WWII and spent most of his married life traveling the world with his wife. That was their favorite thing to do -- oh, and flying planes! And only recently with some health concerns has he been forced to stop traveling, but otherwise there would be nothing stopping him. He writes letters to all his grand-kids at least every month, and he's never missed a birthday or special occasion. Just today, he sent me a letter and included a full list of every place he has ever lived -- quite the record-keeper! A lot to look up to.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Uv2FNJ-Zbd5nsBD8EvFiqW2cc7hKVeb-vxQLqxTEDLCKhxNOfW8iYlVlMxjdL5eQD_2fFMNg7ZtOhDCl9z-C31FyCWc9NKLuqzTjBWwubB2bITtoFk1Ye3FX-mxFZ1AAawdHVchBff0/s1600/IMG_7178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Uv2FNJ-Zbd5nsBD8EvFiqW2cc7hKVeb-vxQLqxTEDLCKhxNOfW8iYlVlMxjdL5eQD_2fFMNg7ZtOhDCl9z-C31FyCWc9NKLuqzTjBWwubB2bITtoFk1Ye3FX-mxFZ1AAawdHVchBff0/s400/IMG_7178.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He was a really silly grandpa growing up: every time he came to our house he would make sure to buy ice cream, because "there should always be ice cream in the freezer!" So naturally, we thought he was the greatest ha ha. And he always played silly games and teased us. It was so cute to see him do the same thing with Adelina, and she really went with it too! Watching her play peekaboo with him was the sweetest thing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII-WyN_4ssGFbAIWpYyXX01gKpiW6Szad79r4D3juQurlYez8QvRQo1BqVji347y5ndtxgwecJ6OcX2xf8Vgeez0qBGF3blJARqQnDmD4sOGUZqiP9JoDoj45MtKrV0-0vX4xK8Afktw/s1600/IMG_0410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII-WyN_4ssGFbAIWpYyXX01gKpiW6Szad79r4D3juQurlYez8QvRQo1BqVji347y5ndtxgwecJ6OcX2xf8Vgeez0qBGF3blJARqQnDmD4sOGUZqiP9JoDoj45MtKrV0-0vX4xK8Afktw/s640/IMG_0410.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh and check out what I found in his room -- Mini Lydia! #favoritegrandkid? Ha just kidding, but I hadn't seen those photos in a while!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adelina got lucky this trip... she was spoiled with shopping, lollipops for breakfast... ahem. Silly aunts! And overall plenty of new experiences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the "touristy" things I really wanted to do was check out the Newseum. If you couldn't tell from the name, it's a museum of news -- the men and women and organizations who shaped and told the news -- and risked their lives for it. It did not disappoint! It's not cheap (too bad I didn't get a discount for having sold my soul to the news biz for four years ha), but it is absolutely worth it. We were lucky to have a beautiful day too, so walking around outdoors to get there wasn't unbearable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This section below was about news coverage during the cold war, specifically surrounding the Berlin Wall. There's actually a whole chunk of the wall on display, along with an "angel of death" tower that sentinels kept watch in -- and frequently shot down defectors from.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was interesting to hear about how on one side of the wall there was a free press and relatively open and free-flowing information, while on the other side it was state media only. And yet, a wall couldn't keep out radio waves! (The displays in this museum are really cool and very interactive. On each side of the wall, round stickers on the floor described the press content and quality. It was a little chilling to cross over around the other side and see the difference. And I had never realized this, but you see in the historical photos how much graffiti and art there is on the wall, but on the East side -- totally blank. Public art was not tolerated and there was hardly a marking on that side!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The displays also told the story of a young man who was running the AP bureau, fresh out of college and all by himself, and he got an anonymous phone call one night saying "don't go home tonight." Intrigued, he went to cross the border between East and West Berlin around midnight and found a barricade with soldiers who told him the crossing was suddenly closed. He called in the information and was the first to get out the news on the beginning of the building of the wall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There were also displays on the FBI, 9/11 coverage, coverage of the Vietnam War (with lots of videos and documentary clips too), etc. It was shocking to see some of the correspondents' stuff: one guy embedded with troops carried around a "portable typewriter," which was still huge of course, not to mention camera, recording device, etc. Another one that really struck me was an AP photographers' papers: there was a big fat envelope that said "DO NOT BEND," and was covered in a whole crapload of stamps -- this was how he sent his work back to the office in the states to be published! It's unreal to think about those sorts of details in our age of instant feedback.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another room that was really neat was the history of newspapers. Basically imagine a whole room full of pull-out displays of original, important newspapers throughout the ages. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It starts with engravings that depict the French religious wars complete with captions and numbers that show what's going on in the image, sort of pamphlets that would be distributed and were an early precursor to newspapers. And then a whole bunch of front pages that were history in the making. It's so cool to walk around and pull them out and read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Star-spangled Banner was printed in the paper when it was originally written -- kind of cool that this is how people discovered the words!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There was also a really cool Election 2016 center with all sorts of interactive screens where you could pull up polling and voting data, look at real-time internet mentions of the candidates, etc. Very futuristic! And at the end there's a fun interactive newsroom where you can sit at an anchor desk and do a little green-screen live report, complete with teleprompter and your name on the screen. It was fun to parade everybody up there and watch them. Adelina wanted to try it out too, and this is just the cutest thing ever! She totally gets it ha ha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think, I'm betting she's following in her mama's footsteps ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(There is a balcony at the top of the museum where have quite the view. I didn't have the energy to walk all the way up to the Capitol, so this is as good as it gets!) And then after 3.5 hours in the museum, the poor girl finally passed out on the way home. I can't say I don't blame her!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh this was funny: there were tiles in all the bathrooms with newspaper misprints and corrections -- what a clever use of the space!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As with every sister trip, there were plenty of clothes swaps and makeovers, of course. We also made some delicious lemon bars and ate lots of ice cream. My mom lives right by an amazing Pho place and I was super excited to try it out. Go figure, the kid manning the register was actually from France ha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Marina was getting ready for college at SVU, so there was a lot of preparation, sorting and packing, and last-minute shopping trips. And off she went!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I took advantage of my mom driving her down (no room in the car with all her stuff, and it's a three-hour drive!) to go visit my dear friend and former roommate, Allie! Her youngest and Adelina are close in age so it was fun -- plus three kids means lots of fun toys, so Adelina was in heaven! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also headed over to a park and tried our best to get those two in a picture together... it's tough with toddlers. Hey, I got one smile!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTazCbNaBVMtYD5p26bVoZAMThrqB7FsjcbYY6f3NJlRSPuYDclYm5_eusGZo59lmFDVjpvahCx9gy2msqUFmY3T4pBl5T6IYh2A6p-2jBm4F-v6jAw6INwLv94vIQCg__GBAc8lflHw/s1600/IMG_7387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTazCbNaBVMtYD5p26bVoZAMThrqB7FsjcbYY6f3NJlRSPuYDclYm5_eusGZo59lmFDVjpvahCx9gy2msqUFmY3T4pBl5T6IYh2A6p-2jBm4F-v6jAw6INwLv94vIQCg__GBAc8lflHw/s400/IMG_7387.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also had a chance to visit with a cousin of mine who's about the same age and just had a sweet little boy. Hearing her talk about not sleeping at night gave me flashbacks and reminded me of what's to come... oh boy. I need courage come November! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXZzFDIvWt1r7QSnm3eWzQ5GTdMZGlBf4UZm8IpuChagCT-ouPty88laXU16WYd7i5v_PiXQrekDWSNklStiRoeYBGRyFnXVtk1MT1JX_i3QrPHIR1jKD019djvsnLjQtyf9DQ2V3OhQ/s1600/IMG_7667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXZzFDIvWt1r7QSnm3eWzQ5GTdMZGlBf4UZm8IpuChagCT-ouPty88laXU16WYd7i5v_PiXQrekDWSNklStiRoeYBGRyFnXVtk1MT1JX_i3QrPHIR1jKD019djvsnLjQtyf9DQ2V3OhQ/s400/IMG_7667.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But it was a lovely day and we met up at a gorgeous park. Adelina even made a little friend and it about melted my heart to look up catch them holding hands around the playground! (I was trying to capture this sneakily so as not to break up the magic... see them in the background?)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYm9BG4yBVIIFKd8oK_Nilxe6wH6JWiYWBEvOeZEFGZMDx6nnLwFhH87TRlnu-DWdyF4NN7B8n_xH6ZNEFxz2txDi7tGAEMBP28Ra0XVhzS6fX9tiWdf3V7iZ6xUb0oFT7lTeRPd9joU/s1600/IMG_7665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYm9BG4yBVIIFKd8oK_Nilxe6wH6JWiYWBEvOeZEFGZMDx6nnLwFhH87TRlnu-DWdyF4NN7B8n_xH6ZNEFxz2txDi7tGAEMBP28Ra0XVhzS6fX9tiWdf3V7iZ6xUb0oFT7lTeRPd9joU/s640/IMG_7665.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also took a little trip to a nearby farm our second week, and that was really fun (Frying Pan Park if you're ever in Fairfax County -- it's free too!). Adelina was fascinated by the animals for a while, but then she saw that there was a playground and it was pretty much over ha ha.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Plus, a mean ol' biddy pecked her finger! Poor girl. Luckily, I had a band-aid on hand (am I turning into a mom or what?!).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8ttCeTaN2Qf_wATBoVZlOuOhxIrpnpsYH5K1kO_bTZB0n5rkzZ7otIVC_zS_tcDU-_6d9tbGo1ww_rq4dCfisatC1i6UJfXDXhQRXgVYX8CjBzsLsEbQRPXlpppdIrUc0z7C7qPdruY/s1600/IMG_7613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8ttCeTaN2Qf_wATBoVZlOuOhxIrpnpsYH5K1kO_bTZB0n5rkzZ7otIVC_zS_tcDU-_6d9tbGo1ww_rq4dCfisatC1i6UJfXDXhQRXgVYX8CjBzsLsEbQRPXlpppdIrUc0z7C7qPdruY/s640/IMG_7613.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We took a little wagon ride tour of the farm as well, but she was a little concerned about leaving the playground. It was still plenty of fun though, I just had to bribe her with a few snacks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HDsrwmRmqlOpKlrQRVWh3iVUMUdlDJDgLS_LhY2onEJWOD1b4TDshy3U1vWTTRGCDcz5fLueenCRLqwUwIW8WxuOAE8TqXwhQT2rGm4gDaAvTOkhXQEoR5EU6AFU3iByqLRee7HBDbY/s1600/IMG_7647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HDsrwmRmqlOpKlrQRVWh3iVUMUdlDJDgLS_LhY2onEJWOD1b4TDshy3U1vWTTRGCDcz5fLueenCRLqwUwIW8WxuOAE8TqXwhQT2rGm4gDaAvTOkhXQEoR5EU6AFU3iByqLRee7HBDbY/s320/IMG_7647.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, I fit in plenty of baby clothes shopping too... it is really hard to shop for little boys, so many of the clothes that are made for boys are just plain tacky! Logos, trucks, dinosaurs, sports, and lots of garish colors. Why can't designers just make stuff that's simple and with some more soothing colors? But I did make some great finds, and those tiny little clothes just made me so excited to meet our babe in just two short months (!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3drQIpN-jT3JPbbPI8nH_1pue5RCdHxB8Mc0A9I8ougZEPZcKfB8WD8tPAKTT3GP2_ZHSVwf2f9pusW9hRHhyphenhyphenhL1tYU6zWOJyJwZSV9UrXMEPLmEfb1KqyB0G7rHxatw_yoU7qUAfb5U/s1600/IMG_0435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3drQIpN-jT3JPbbPI8nH_1pue5RCdHxB8Mc0A9I8ougZEPZcKfB8WD8tPAKTT3GP2_ZHSVwf2f9pusW9hRHhyphenhyphenhL1tYU6zWOJyJwZSV9UrXMEPLmEfb1KqyB0G7rHxatw_yoU7qUAfb5U/s320/IMG_0435.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xig0fYVJi55T0W0CMsFF_dSCwWMCPxCrGDu_MMqBjOHoleNm4E2kudVkdtMYeKiYKrEnZnStsdsnOUiehpn-eWo74vvpUYd74MuBsMI5vwQDpj9FlZb1FLJRSE2Y1lw6fdnr4wC_EqI/s1600/IMG_0536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xig0fYVJi55T0W0CMsFF_dSCwWMCPxCrGDu_MMqBjOHoleNm4E2kudVkdtMYeKiYKrEnZnStsdsnOUiehpn-eWo74vvpUYd74MuBsMI5vwQDpj9FlZb1FLJRSE2Y1lw6fdnr4wC_EqI/s320/IMG_0536.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That beanie!! <3 p=""></3></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And of course Adelina got plenty of playtime with her Nana, who is an elementary school teacher so of course she has all the awesome educational playtime ideas. We finally determined whether or not Adelina can tell the difference between colors! (I had kind of been wondering honestly.. she didn't seem to care much for sorting them or differentiating!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ao40z6gNx8c4SUm5qVCkMU3Qp65N7kuuahT0UlhuItiTRI1XKoRc0qeN9apSh00zuXFavthxn9nkY4O476KmgexQVbz_N3Y0gQcr6gh5fypZ30ody4MVaaQd4qvXd_riE4Tyt-VSQ0U/s1600/IMG_7407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ao40z6gNx8c4SUm5qVCkMU3Qp65N7kuuahT0UlhuItiTRI1XKoRc0qeN9apSh00zuXFavthxn9nkY4O476KmgexQVbz_N3Y0gQcr6gh5fypZ30ody4MVaaQd4qvXd_riE4Tyt-VSQ0U/s640/IMG_7407.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTEThwnU_jpMoCbrrOSaVl1O-Zu_t7KT8wD74wVyQR0DV3wjg2MMqTYh5Dk46H51wqlQvFQ6kuLTCUW7E5Vz7zIXYLNHPU8NrC9ftWEcvxOcGRnB_84998Yjv_gakMJme87ze0Sfa-8w/s1600/IMG_7417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTEThwnU_jpMoCbrrOSaVl1O-Zu_t7KT8wD74wVyQR0DV3wjg2MMqTYh5Dk46H51wqlQvFQ6kuLTCUW7E5Vz7zIXYLNHPU8NrC9ftWEcvxOcGRnB_84998Yjv_gakMJme87ze0Sfa-8w/s640/IMG_7417.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also tucked my mom into her new job at a bilingual school, I'm so proud of all her hard work! Here's her classroom for the next school year. The school was lovely and so were all the people she's working with.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelqiK7y42ua9k-MgAgU2iNJ944Ap3z7O-HzRDGOIplpus4Ru_-BCiFAGYZJuYkwp5bgrS5CsYqA2r8FDudm4ilmWLOgg5b8x3FqeryfVY1v27yLU8FRQj7HP5sUZC-BgMgroif6_S1gs/s1600/IMG_0566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelqiK7y42ua9k-MgAgU2iNJ944Ap3z7O-HzRDGOIplpus4Ru_-BCiFAGYZJuYkwp5bgrS5CsYqA2r8FDudm4ilmWLOgg5b8x3FqeryfVY1v27yLU8FRQj7HP5sUZC-BgMgroif6_S1gs/s400/IMG_0566.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the grounds around the school were beautiful -- as was EVERYTHING in Virginia. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpYC2zj1yO_vNlJzq52492TiBMx2TFnPf0onAN-Q3nSlGgzkq1w0YzMfi7x1jRC5h4mleNDkD8lWlUc36JhXZ62nR4vgjsFJyGXNpxGoW9pWpXlJqiwwxEM3jwUD1yCNMhlMsNHqQLAE/s1600/IMG_0569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpYC2zj1yO_vNlJzq52492TiBMx2TFnPf0onAN-Q3nSlGgzkq1w0YzMfi7x1jRC5h4mleNDkD8lWlUc36JhXZ62nR4vgjsFJyGXNpxGoW9pWpXlJqiwwxEM3jwUD1yCNMhlMsNHqQLAE/s640/IMG_0569.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It may be humid but man... it pays off. Everything is so green, and the architecture is so lovely and colonial. I just couldn't resist taking pictures everywhere we went to send to Andrew!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9X-01yNoSEKKNwQni02U4jlzzxslg1rIh48H6FCmil2YR-JcoVuVLMH3kUDjdkTmZHTROZYT0jNua42vKZ-NRhHEPf_VJR1qjMKxMMzkql10pcJThLKAIUWx8QHJLBJInQ4eY8bCseY/s1600/IMG_0571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9X-01yNoSEKKNwQni02U4jlzzxslg1rIh48H6FCmil2YR-JcoVuVLMH3kUDjdkTmZHTROZYT0jNua42vKZ-NRhHEPf_VJR1qjMKxMMzkql10pcJThLKAIUWx8QHJLBJInQ4eY8bCseY/s400/IMG_0571.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And with that, our visit was over. It was back to the airport, which went quite well (she LOVES popcorn and happily munched away throughout our wait), and the airplane, which was really rough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwzf06QskvkpWXLofHsCBX6yjlpSC_91P4fnGYRTWaV7222DJfiTSauyipp-ayPDGp4cEP33z5SY60Wi7bw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But on the second leg of our flight, we had a small miracle: a kind soul offered to switch seats so Adelina could sit on her own. Hallelujah! She was ecstatic to have her own space, and I was ecstatic to not be elbowed in the stomach every five seconds (not an exaggeration)! Bless you, lady who moved! (I am never flying with a toddler in arms while 6mo pregnant ever again...) After a delayed flight and a loooong three-plus hour flight in cramped quarters, this was heaven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that's a wrap! I'm so glad we made this trip happen, it was good to get my mom and (most of) my sisters all in one place, I'm not sure when that will happen again in the near future. Now we get to pick up my third sister Sylvia down in Provo (heading to UVU) next week! </span></div>
Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-76059728750613203812016-09-08T19:46:00.001-07:002016-09-08T19:47:20.661-07:00Virginia TripIt has been a pretty crazy summer between moving, changing/quitting jobs, the pregnancy... and then we threw in a last-minute vacation. I figured Andrew would be busy starting up his new job once we were moved in, so I took the opportunity to go visit my mom while two of my sisters were staying with her this summer. Amelia, my second sister, had never met Adelina! She left for her mission to Paris/Brussels right before she was born. And Marina, the youngest, was preparing to go off to college, so I figured between all of that and before school started up for my mom, it was as good an opportunity as any.<br />
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What I didn't account for was how pregnant I was... and how big Adelina is. So those plane trips were not fun. I would NOT recommend traveling with an "infant" in arms while pregnant and alone, ever. But we survived, and I'm glad we made the trip!<br />
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We arrived just in time for Amelia's birthday, which we celebrated with a picnic at a beautiful nearby park. Check out those beautiful falls!</div>
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We spent a lot of time at the pool... this girl cracks me up!</div>
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We also fit in some time to head over the D.C. Temple. When I was a little girl living in the area I remember making many trips to the grounds, but I had actually never been inside! We took turns going in, Amelia and Marina first, then my mom and I, while the others watched Adelina at the visitors' center. Poor girl, she passed out shortly after my mom and I went in!</div>
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It was fun to walk around the visitors' center, but Adelina wasn't too terribly cooperative for photos ha ha. </div>
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She loved this cute little fake house setup though -- inside it's decorated like a beautiful, cozy living room and there are videos about eternal families, etc. It's lovely!</div>
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We did manage to get one group photo at the end though!</div>
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It's funny what living in the mountain west will do to you -- the heat and humidity hit us like a wave as soon as we stepped off the plane! And we were lucky to arrive in the middle of a heat wave too... I survived, somehow. Not without a lot of breaks to sit and breathe ha. Luckily our second week was much more pleasant weather-wise, or I might have been tempted to hide out at my mom's the whole time! </div>
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We were also treated to a Virginia downpour, and poor Adelina didn't quite know what to do with all the lightning and rain just falling from the sky. </div>
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Amelia tried to help her enjoy the rain :) Usually in Wyoming when it rains, it's not so much of a dumping -- plus it rains diagonally anyway ha. She also loved cooling off on the balcony when she could: she loves just pouring things in and out of cups, bowls, etc. </div>
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Anyway. We celebrated Amelia's birthday for several days actually -- the picnic at the park and falls, then sushi with my aunt Jan (YUM! I had been craving that for a while... don't worry, I only ate the cooked stuff. It was fabulous and I stuffed myself silly. Plus the company was excellent!)</div>
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Then the next day again with more extended family, including my grandpa. </div>
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My grandpa is pretty incredible -- he fought in the Pacific with the Marines during WWII and spent most of his married life traveling the world with his wife. That was their favorite thing to do -- oh, and flying planes! And only recently with some health concerns has he been forced to stop traveling, but otherwise there would be nothing stopping him. He writes letters to all his grandkids at least every month and he's never missed a birthday or special occasion. Just today he sent me a letter and included a full list of every place he has ever lived -- quite the record-keeper! A lot to look up to.<br />
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He was a really silly grandpa growing up: every time he came to our house he would make sure to buy ice cream, because "there should always be ice cream in the freezer!" So naturally we thought he was the greatest ha ha. And he always played silly games and teased us. It was so cute to see him do the same thing with Adelina, and she really went with it too! Watching her play peekaboo with him was the sweetest thing.<br />
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Oh and check out what I found in his room -- Mini Lydia! #favoritegrandkid? Ha just kidding, but I hadn't seen those photos in a while!</div>
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Adelina got lucky this trip... she was spoiled with shopping, lollipops for breakfast... ahem. Silly aunts! And overall plenty of new experiences.</div>
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One of the "touristy" things I really wanted to do was check out the Newseum. If you couldn't tell from the name, it's a museum of news -- the men and women and organizations who shaped and told the news -- and risked their lives for it. It did not disappoint! It's not cheap (too bad I didn't get a discount for having sold my soul to the news biz for four years ha), but it is absolutely worth it. We were lucky to have a beautiful day too, so walking around outdoors to get there wasn't unbearable. </div>
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This section below was about news coverage during the cold war, specifically surrounding the Berlin Wall. There's actually a whole chunk of the wall on display, along with an "angel of death" tower that sentinels kept watch in -- and frequently shot down defectors from.</div>
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It was interesting to hear about how on one side of the wall there was a free press and relatively open and free-flowing information, while on the other side it was state media only. And yet, a wall couldn't keep out radio waves! (The displays in this museum are really cool and very interactive. On each side of the wall, round stickers on the floor described the press content and quality. It was a little chilling to cross over around the other side and see the difference. And I had never realized this, but you see in the historical photos how much graffiti and art there is on the wall, but on the East side -- totally blank. Public art was not tolerated and there was hardly a marking on that side!)</div>
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The displays also told the story of a young man who was running the AP bureau, fresh out of college and all by himself, and he got an anonymous phone call one night saying "don't go home tonight." Intrigued, he went to cross the border between East and West Berlin around midnight and found a barricade with soldiers who told him the crossing was suddenly closed. He called in the information and was the first to get out the news on the beginning of the building of the wall. </div>
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There were also displays on the FBI, 9/11 coverage, coverage of the Vietnam War (with lots of videos and documentary clips too), etc. It was shocking to see some of the correspondents' stuff: one guy embedded with troops carried around a "portable typewriter," which was still huge of course, not to mention camera, recording device, etc. Another one that really struck me was an AP photographers' papers: there was a big fat envelope that said "DO NOT BEND," and was covered in a whole crapload of stamps -- this was how he sent his work back to the office in the states to be published! It's unreal to think about those sorts of details in our age of instant feedback.</div>
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Another room that was really neat was the history of newspapers. Basically imagine a whole room full of pull-out displays of original, important newspapers throughout the ages. </div>
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It starts with engravings that depict the French religious wars complete with captions and numbers that show what's going on in the image, sort of pamphlets that would be distributed and were an early precursor to newspapers. And then a whole bunch of front pages that were history in the making. It's so cool to walk around and pull them out and read.</div>
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The Star-spangled Banner was printed in the paper when it was originally written -- kind of cool that this is how people discovered the words!</div>
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There was also a really cool Election 2016 center with all sorts of interactive screens where you could pull up polling and voting data, look at real-time internet mentions of the candidates, etc. Very futuristic! And at the end there's a fun interactive newsroom where you can sit at an anchor desk and do a little green-screen live report, complete with teleprompter and your name on the screen. It was fun to parade everybody up there and watch them. Adelina wanted to try it out too, and this is just the cutest thing ever! She totally gets it ha ha!</div>
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What do you think, I'm betting she's following in her mama's footsteps ;)<br />
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(There is a balcony at the top of the museum where have quite the view. I didn't have the energy to walk all the way up to the Capitol, so this is as good as it gets!) And then after 3.5 hours in the museum, the poor girl finally passed out on the way home. I can't say I don't blame her!</div>
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Oh this was funny: there were tiles in all the bathrooms with newspaper misprints and corrections -- what a clever use of the space!</div>
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As with every sister trip, there were plenty of clothes swaps and makeovers, of course. We also made some delicious lemon bars and ate lots of ice cream. My mom lives right by an amazing Pho place and I was super excited to try it out. Go figure, the kid manning the register was actually from France ha!<br />
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Marina was getting ready for college at SVU, so there was a lot of preparation, sorting and packing, and last-minute shopping trips. And off she went!</div>
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I took advantage of my mom driving her down (no room in the car with all her stuff, and it's a three-hour drive!) to go visit my dear friend and former roommate, Allie! Her youngest and Adelina are close in age so it was fun -- plus three kids means lots of fun toys, so Adelina was in heaven! </div>
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We also headed over to a park and tried our best to get those two in a picture together... it's tough with toddlers. Hey, I got one smile!</div>
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I also had a chance to visit with a cousin of mine who's about the same age and just had a sweet little boy. Hearing her talk about not sleeping at night gave me flashbacks and reminded me of what's to come... oh boy. I need courage come November! </div>
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But it was a lovely day and we met up at a gorgeous park. Adelina even made a little friend and it about melted my heart to look up catch them holding hands around the playground! (I was trying to capture this sneakily so as not to break up the magic... see them in the background?)</div>
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We also took a little trip to a nearby farm our second week, and that was really fun (Frying Pan Park if you're ever in Fairfax County -- it's free too!). Adelina was fascinated by the animals for a while, but then she saw that there was a playground and it was pretty much over ha ha.<br />
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Plus, a mean ol' biddy pecked her finger! Poor girl. Luckily, I had a band-aid on hand (am I turning into a mom or what?!).</div>
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We took a little wagon ride tour of the farm as well, but she was a little concerned about leaving the playground. It was still plenty of fun though, I just had to bribe her with a few snacks!</div>
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Oh, I fit in plenty of baby clothes shopping too... it is really hard to shop for little boys, so many of the clothes that are made for boys are just plain tacky! Logos, trucks, dinosaurs, sports, and lots of garish colors. Why can't designers just make stuff that's simple and with some more soothing colors? But I did make some great finds, and those tiny little clothes just made me so excited to meet our babe in just two short months (!)</div>
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That beanie!! <3 p=""></3><br />
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And of course Adelina got plenty of playtime with her Nana, who is an elementary school teacher so of course she has all the awesome educational playtime ideas. We finally determined whether or not Adelina can tell the difference between colors! (I had kind of been wondering honestly.. she didn't seem to care much for sorting them or differentiating!)</div>
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We also tucked my mom into her new job at a bilingual school, I'm so proud of all her hard work! Here's her classroom for the next school year. The school was lovely and so were all the people she's working with.</div>
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And the grounds around the school were beautiful -- as was EVERYTHING in Virginia. </div>
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It may be humid but man... it pays off. Everything is so green, and the architecture is so lovely and colonial. I just couldn't resist taking pictures everywhere we went to send to Andrew!</div>
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And with that, our visit was over. It was back to the airport, which went quite well (she LOVES popcorn and happily munched away throughout our wait), and the airplane, which was really rough. </div>
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<br />But on the second leg of our flight, we had a small miracle: a kind soul offered to switch seats so Adelina could sit on her own. Hallelujah! She was ecstatic to have her own space, and I was ecstatic to not be elbowed in the stomach every five seconds (not an exaggeration)! Bless you, lady who moved! (I am never flying with a toddler in arms while 6mo pregnant ever again...) After a delayed flight and a loooong three-plus hour flight in cramped quarters, this was heaven.<br />
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And that's a wrap! I'm so glad we made this trip happen, it was good to get my mom and (most of) my sisters all in one place, I'm not sure when that will happen again in the near future. Now we get to pick up my third sister Sylvia down in Provo (heading to UVU) next week! </div>
Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-45673324265862230342016-09-07T07:52:00.003-07:002016-09-07T07:52:54.605-07:00Hello Again...Long story short: I'm not ready to pay to host my own blog, and apparently there's an upload limit on Wordpress for their free accounts. I've hit that limit now :/<br />
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AND, now I'm having trouble importing my content of the last four years back here... and it's extremely frustrating. I'm working on it, but in the meantime, I'm going to continue blogging here until it's all sorted out. Please forgive all the back and forth!<br />
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If you're looking for something written between 2012 and 2016, search <a href="https://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.wordpress.com/">my wordpress blog here</a>. Otherwise, stick around!<br />
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Thanks for your patience!Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-26514364524623825822016-08-25T20:30:00.000-07:002016-09-08T19:42:23.898-07:00Small MiraclesI have a lot to be grateful for as I lie on our living room couch waiting for my poor husband to go find his uncomfortably pregnant wife some ice cream. It's been about a month now since we had to drive down to Denver for a special ultrasound to confirm baby boy's club feet. I've been waiting (and bracing myself) for the bill, but had yet to receive anything, and I finally remembered to call and check up on it today. So far, incredibly mundane stuff, but then came the shocker.<br /><br />Someone in billing called me back and told me our balance was $0 -- our previous insurance (from Casper, which was not the best...) had somehow covered the entirety of the $1100 bill! Let me tell you right now we had NOT hit our deductible yet, and had been paying a pretty penny for the ultrasounds we had been having with our OB in Casper. This was our second "extra" ultrasound, out of state, with a fancy specialist, and somehow our insurance company decided to just cover it entirely (minus the copay we had already paid at the time of the visit). I don't understand what happened -- I'm completely flabbergasted -- but I do know that we have a lot to be grateful for. Maybe Heavenly Father decided we'd had enough to deal with between moving, uprooting our lives and preparing for an extra-special baby in a small apartment. I don't know, but I'm just immensely grateful tonight. God is good.Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-61151888881424273882012-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:002012-06-29T08:35:21.543-07:00MovingHello friends!<br />
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For a number of reasons I have finally decided to switch to WordPress. I’m still in the process of transferring, so please forgive me if there are a few glitches along the way. The <i>good</i> news is, my blog is public again! With WordPress I can make only specific posts private, so ask me for the password if you run across one (the password will always be <i>Lydia -- </i>easy!). There are just certain things that probably shouldn't be shared with the whole world for now.<br />
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So if you're following me, please make sure to change your reader to the new blog:<br />
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<a href="http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.wordpress.com/">http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.wordpress.com/</a>
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Welcome, and thanks for reading!Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-50668041415085444942012-06-28T10:53:00.000-07:002012-06-28T11:01:47.828-07:00Ruffle top revisited<span style="background-color: white;">A friend of mine is doing a </span><a href="http://matthewandiris.blogspot.fr/2012/06/so-you-think-you-cant-craft.html" style="background-color: white;">craft challenge</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and she asked me to feature a project, so I'm revisiting <a href="http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/2010/11/ruffle-top.html">this guy</a>:</span><br />
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<a href="http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/2010/11/ruffle-top.html"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMPaOF6NOooPNQR20P3n1MA3rkm0TEDzNGMyvSAmrI09X5LaltdcmBfEw3Y2uX5GVacfyeLsGih-R7NeYmO7mHGw9nYfx2qee7lug5OXouKPVquQDBNqKEjR8hPlMrmQrRqikNr72SyQ/s400/ruffles+main.jpg" width="345" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Yes, you can make this!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The challenge is to make it look simple, it's a competition to inspire people who feel they aren't "crafty" to do something. And this one is crazy easy, so what a good place to start! It's also a great way to learn a little more about your sewing machine.</span><br />
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<a href="http://matthewandiris.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Married Life" src="http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii523/Irisandmatthew/ButtonChallengeSYTYCC.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><u>For this ruffle top, you'll need:</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">- one tank top/halter top (this will be your base shirt)</span><br />
- another old shirt with similar fabric that is the same color<br />
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<u>Now for the execution: </u>it's as easy as <b>one-two-three</b>!<br />
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<b>1) Cut up the old shirt into strips</b>, about three inches wide.<br />
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<b>2) Now we ruffle them.</b> Don't be afraid of changing the settings on your machine, it's really simple: <span style="background-color: white;">It's also the coolest part, because you essentially don't have to do anything except adjust your machine. So to gather the fabric, simply set your machine to a <b>longer stitch</b> and <b>maximum tension.</b> </span><br />
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Make the stitches longer but not the longest setting--they'll be way too tight. The top number is the <b>stitch length</b> on my machine (It's probably indicated by something like this design - -- --- ---- ----. Otherwise, look it up in your machine's manual)<br />
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<b>Tension </b>is the little wheel at the top. Set it to the max: now the machine does all the gathering for you!
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<span style="background-color: white;">You might want to play around with scraps before doing the real thing so you can get a hang of it.</span><br />
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Sew the strips about a 1/4 inch from the edge.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Don't cut the thread too short-- leave a nice long tail so you can adjust the ruffles by pulling on the thread if they're too tight or too long. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">If your strips are about 1 1/2 times as long as your shirt is wide, you're good. Now l</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">ook at all those lovely ruffles!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;">(Don't forget to put your machine's tension and stitch length back to normal after making all your ruffles!)</span></span><br />
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<b>3) Now tack them on with pins and start sewing them on</b> (go ahead and sew over the same line) from the bottom up. You want them to overlap by about half an inch to an inch.<br />
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The top ruffle may need to be smaller depending on the neckline, etc. so adjust as necessary.<br />
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<b>All done! </b>I like it with a cardigan for some structure, but a blazer is nice and slimming too.<br />
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Now go have some ice cream, you just made yourself a new shirt! <span style="background-color: white;">And go check out Iris' blog for more projects in the future, and enter the challenge if you feel </span><span style="background-color: white;">so</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">inclined.</span><br />
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<center><a href="http://matthewandiris.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="The Married Life" src="http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii523/Irisandmatthew/ButtonChallengeSYTYCC.jpg" /></a></center><br />
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</div>Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-5797290738047824462012-06-27T16:31:00.000-07:002012-06-28T09:22:00.751-07:00A little tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know you're all thinking "<i>Sure</i>, Lydia, you'll get a job <i>any day now</i>... which is why you've been there for nearly two months." No really I promise, it's just around the corner, I just need to be patient :)</div>
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So in the meantime, I'll give you a little photographic tour of our current home. Well first, Andrew's first day of work!</div>
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And now: the Miller House. We live with 5 other people -- it's all kinds of fun. <span style="background-color: white;">The house is actually pretty modern inside, other than the complete lack of air conditioning... yeah, it's miserable on hot days.</span><br />
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I'm convinced this dumpster actually has my name on it, underneath that sticker.<br />
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And on into the backyard:<br />
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Dock #1 and dock #2. The one on the right is pretty nifty for getting the raft into the water. The one on the left... was a failure.<br />
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And our makeshift fire pit! Andrew's eagle scout skills have come in quite handy since living here.<br />
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Meet the roommates (well, mot of them)</div>
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Well that's it for now ladies and gentlemen, have a lovely evening!Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-74384029115095623182012-06-24T21:20:00.002-07:002012-06-24T21:20:31.330-07:00We really like raftingOr just floating.<br />
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Of course, we never plan to flip our boat in the biggest rapid on the river...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">At least the water cooled us off on a hot day!</span><br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-91777792681394315282012-06-24T21:03:00.003-07:002012-06-24T21:09:06.658-07:00Sunday devotional - scripture studyI started a new "thing" (as I have a tendency of doing).<br />
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I actually learned this from a <a href="http://beinglds.blogspot.com/">favorite blogger</a>: having a scripture journal. Ok, I'd heard of it before, but one post in particular really got me thinking about it. And then I read <a href="http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-battle-in-our-brains/">this recap</a> of a presentation about scripture study called "the battle in our brains" which essentially said that we need to create the same positive associations in our minds with the scriptures and gospel study as we have with say Facebook or anything else we do regularly -- there's nothing inherently wrong with checking email frequently, but we need to create that sort of dependency on the scriptures too.<br />
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So I thought to myself: I need to be a little more serious about this. And I started a scripture journal, and so far (day one) it's been pretty cool.<br />
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I only studied one chapter but I wrote out some thought processes, as questions came up. It was nice, and I felt very involved. I like this method.<br />
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And by the way, the sister who gave that <a href="http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-battle-in-our-brains/">presentation</a> will be giving it again this Friday at the <a href="http://mormonwomen.eventbrite.com//">Mormon Women Project Salon</a>, so if you're near Salt Lake you're one lucky lady! I <i>so </i>wish I could go :(<br />
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Otherwise, church was good today, and Andrew and I are making nice progress on a musical number for two weeks from now: I'm excited! It's such a beautiful piece. We'll record it when it's ready so our family (and friends who may be interested) can hear it too :)<br />
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Oh, and I unearthed this little gem: <a href="http://www.lds.org/ensign/1973/04/guidelines-for-writing-latter-day-hymns?lang=eng">Guidelines for writng LDS hymns</a>. I guess there was a big push for members to submit new hymns in the 70s, but frankly everything he says could apply to us. It's basically an exhortation to create new content -- what a cool way of being part of the process! I'm thinking Andrew and I should try our hand at it. We'll see what comes of that! And speaking of hymns, I may have sniffed out a really cool story on the origin of the "Souviens-toi" French hymn, and I'm in the process of verifying it with the woman who I believe wrote it. I'll keep you updated :)<br />
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Have a lovely Sunday evening!Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-44013966312923606372012-06-22T21:33:00.002-07:002012-06-28T09:21:44.645-07:00On the luxury of having too much to chose fromSigh. More female dilemmas. Nothing new, but a few recent articles have stirred up the debate and continue to make me think.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/1-percent-wives-are-helping-to-kill-feminism-and-make-the-war-on-women-possible/258431/">1% Wives Are Helping Kill Feminism and Make the War on Women Possible</a>, according to this author.<br />
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Ouch! I see some pertinent points here, but I'm not sure I agree with her premise that feminism means raw wage equality. I've always seen feminism as giving political and social equality to women but especially valuing femaleness as much as maleness, which to me entails that a woman doesn't have to do exactly the same thing as a man in order to have the same "value" in society. And w<span style="background-color: white;">hile she starts off talking specifically about "one percenters", her arguments are really stretched out to include any woman who has a choice. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I find her basic assumption scary because it means that, basically, she would love to see all women forced to work full time and earn their own keep.</span><br />
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I agree with this:<br />
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<i>"Who can possibly take feminism seriously when it allows everything, as long as women choose it?" </i><br />
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There has to be some sort of standard: Becoming a porn star is a bad feminist choice. Being a mother who forces her daughter to marry at 14 is a bad feminist choice. I'd say dropping out of high school is a bad feminist choice. And she's right that mothering is not the same thing as salaried work, BUT that doesn't mean it doesn't have value: I believe being a stay-at-home-mom has immense value and it should be viewed by all as a valid--and valuable--life choice.<br />
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She has a point about women being financially dependent on men -- it's a dangerous position to be in, and that's why education is still very important, at least having the POSSIBILITY of being able to support yourself should (heaven forbid) anything happen (which has incidentally been taught by prophets). But otherwise, her tone is pretty crappy and I'm sure she's going for controversy here... not everything of value in life is measured in $$ signs. <span style="background-color: white;">She's like the people who want to <a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/06/21/2189078/protests-notwithstanding-laura.html">prevent Laura Bush from receiving the Alice Award</a>, which honors a woman who has advanced the cause of women: I refuse to let a few individuals define feminism in such a narrow way.</span><br />
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Then there's <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-can-8217-t-have-it-all/9020/">this article</a>, which is spot-on. It also depresses me, because it is so true. I get incredibly frustrated sometimes that the media industry wants to force me to decide between family and a career -- it's still very much all-or-nothing in journalism, and frankly I'm sick of it. There are no true role-models in the media for me, no woman that's figured it all out. <span style="background-color: white;">I don't want to give up my prime child-bearing years only to be chewed up and spit out as soon as I get a wrinkle or two.</span><br />
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There's another dilemma in all this, as a Latter-day Saint woman: we absolutely have benefited from women entering the workplace in many, many ways. Family-friendly corporate policies for example (for women AND men), or domestic policy that benefits children and mothers. It is important for women to hear their own viewpoints and opinions expressed in the marketplace of ideas. I think female reporters (and not just single career women, either) are necessary, crucial even, because they will have an eye for certain issues that may not be brought up otherwise. And we can bring qualities like empathy and (as mothers) a common understanding of education/health/family issues.<br />
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But that brings up the question: how many LDS women <i>should </i>chose a non-traditional path? It's a hard question to answer, especially when I'm pretty sure EVERYBODY I know is sort of wondering why we don't have kids yet. And yet Jimmer didn't serve a mission. Steve Young played football on Sundays. Valerie Hudson isn't a full-time stay-at-home mom. Mitt Romney spends a lot of time traveling away from his family. And nobody gives them any trouble about it, because these people make valuable contributions and also give a positive image of the Church to the world. (Well, Romney arguably not, since liberals don't like him) The irony is, we sort of need more Mormon women in the workplace and the public eye in order to push back, to change the workplace to fit better into Mormon women's lives, if that's what they want. But doing that takes sacrifices.<br />
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So how do you know you're supposed to be a norm-breaker? At what point do you know your contribution will be worth the concessions you might have to make? Who will be the next one to place themselves and their family on the Sacrificial Altar of Progress?Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-10527247190999880712012-06-18T19:40:00.002-07:002012-06-18T19:50:38.615-07:00Another graduationJust a quick update after this weekend: my sister made it across the stage and accepted her high school degree with dignity, and she sang the national anthem beautifully in front of thousands of people!<br />
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And of course I had plenty of fun with Andrew's parents. We cooked, we shopped, we sewed, we watched movies... good stuff. And I slept so well with air conditioning that I'm a little bit sad to be back. But not sad to see Andrew again!</div>
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<br />Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-60135475043511237582012-06-09T23:13:00.000-07:002012-06-09T23:14:55.925-07:00RaftingI wish I had more pictures, but as you can imagine I'm not 100% comfortable bringing a camera on a raft that was bound to get very wet as we went through the rapids. But it was awesome. We got the raft in the mail yesterday during the day, and of course Andrew had to come home for lunch to check it out and inflate it :)<br />
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I had to find something to wear that was water-appropriate, and we found the perfect fit at our local Walmart. (Actually, we have <i>two</i> in Casper, that's how fancy we are)<br />
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Yes, they're Hello Kitty... from the children's section (it's a miracle I could even fit in them, although they are pretty stretchy). Hey, they were just perfect for my needs! And no worries, we have life vests too.<br />
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When Andrew got home from work at 5 we set out for an hour-long ride down the North Platte. It was still very hot outside, and the scenery was beautiful. We felt like real adventurers! The rapids part was pretty fun (it also filled the boat -- and my face -- with water... I need to improve my rowing skills). The dismount was less than graceful. Let's just say we kind of overshot the landing zone and had to get out in lots of weeds and up a hill. But we have learned from our mistakes :) We're just regular Huck Finns<br />
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And then today we tried to construct a mini-dock out of some leftover wood and a pallet that were sitting around, but we kind of failed. I won't even post pictures it's so ghetto. When our contractor roommate returns from his weekend he's going to have a heart attack!<br />
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But the raft? Safe and sound. Anybody wanna come play on our river?Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com1Casper, WY, USA42.866632 -106.31308142.773528500000005 -106.4710095 42.9597355 -106.1551525tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-5945595420990146132012-06-07T21:23:00.001-07:002012-06-09T17:45:30.938-07:00Life continuedStill no jobs news, but...<br />
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We've been to an arena football game <br />
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And played some music.<br />
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We're waiting for a raft to arrive so we can go float the river that goes through our backyard. We've made s'mores and hiked up to see a waterfall. It's not a half bad summer, all in all :)Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-67991338986342691802012-05-30T16:43:00.001-07:002012-05-30T16:44:34.335-07:00No place like homeSo. We visited another apartment unit today.<br />
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It was really ugly. The outside is actually nice, the grounds are lovely and well-kept, there's a pool and it seems like a nice place, but the apartment? Hideous. Ugly, dark brown cabinetry and woodwork everywhere, and one tiny window for the entire living room/dining room/kitchen area. The fixtures are all straight out of the 70s and don't even get me started on the kitchen.<br />
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But it's cheap. And clean. And much cheaper and bigger than the other place that's brand-new.<br />
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Being a responsible adult is lame.Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-42313538688665866132012-05-24T09:15:00.001-07:002012-05-24T09:16:26.454-07:00Sex and world peace?Read this.<br>
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<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/24/what_sex_means_for_world_peace?page=0%2C0">http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/24/what_sex_means_for_world_peace?page=0%2C0</a><br>
<br>
It's the truth.<br><br>
<i>Men who see women as beings to be subjugated will themselves continue to be subjugated. Men who see women as equal and valued partners are the only men who have a true chance to win their freedom and enjoy peace.</i>Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-10900941004921290292012-05-23T21:09:00.000-07:002012-05-27T11:07:08.513-07:00AdjustingI'm really glad I'm still working as a contractor for my former employer (translating), because otherwise I would definitely go crazy. It's hard to have a sense of purpose while waiting around for a job to open up. Good news is the station just posted an opening today, so hopefully things will speed up now. To be totally honest, I'm still a little bummed about not making the final in the Hearst competition. I'm just feeling it more tonight. Thank goodness for the county library! I officially have a card and have been reading a lot. Although I'm going to have to cut back on the dramatic books because I had awful nightmares the other day...<br />
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I bought a good windbreaker/rain jacket today, because I'll definitely be needing it here. The wind is crazy!<br />
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It's kind of ominous-sounding at times, honestly. This place is just so wild. Yes, there's a 55,000-people city, but it feels like nature is bent on pushing back just as hard as it can. At least we don't get tornadoes! Although given our proximity to Yellowstone we'd probably be the first wiped off the map in a catastrophic event. Do I sound grim enough for you? :) (sorry, we watched 2012 last night)<br />
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We're starting to make friends, slowly but surely. I'm hoping I'll be able to volunteer at the YW camp because that sounds like fun. Ah, and I'll be flying to Las Vegas for my little sister's high school graduation! I'm excited for her: she's singing the national anthem (which is kind of funny considering I'm pretty sure she'll have to learn the words... Growing up in a foreign country will do that!) But I'm sure she'll be fantastic. <br />
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Andrew is playing basketball with people from our stake right now, I'm glad he's making friends :) speaking of friends, it never gets old seeing cottontail rabbits in our yard. A big fat turkey even waddled through the other day! Pretty crazy.<br />
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And that's about it. Unfortunately I don't have anything very exciting to post about. Maybe I'll put up pictures of our temporary cozy country home :) We visited a SWEET apartment the other day. You guys, it has a fireplace! It was dreamy. And pricey. But man, I dream of cuddling up by the fire on those cold Casper winter days...Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-8912104002141903212012-05-18T10:02:00.002-07:002012-05-18T10:08:19.003-07:00Good readingHere's the thing: I actually rather like "mainstream" Christians. (I'd like them a whole lot more if they weren't so obsessed with telling Mormons we're not Christians, but that's a debate I'm frankly sick of.) But generally I enjoy discussions with fellow Christians. I find them to be inspiring people, and I think we can learn a lot from each other.<br>
<br>
So here are two blogs I've been following more closely these days.<br><br>
<a href="http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/">Her.meneutics</a> is one I've come across several times in various research, and I typically appreciate the viewpoints. Besides, I like women getting together to discuss faith. While we may have theological differences with "traditional" Christianity, we also have much in common and there are some very good articles on there. <br><br>
(I'm sarcastically using the quotation marks because born-again baptists getting to call themselves traditional is ridiculous. The only churches that could call themselves traditional, in my view, are the roman catholics and eastern orthodox Christians. Even then, they have morphed so much since their founding (and again, they weren't really Christ's original church to begin with if we're being nitpicky...) that it's hard for anybody to stake a claim to being "traditional")<br>
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<a href="http://ontoberlin.blogspot.com/">Another one</a> is a nice mash-up of Christianity and feminism. Good stuff.
<br><br>And now I must get back to work.Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-7787709847223436652012-05-16T15:57:00.002-07:002012-05-16T16:00:36.297-07:00The trek West -- or North-East, rather. It certainly feels more Western though.We are alive and well in Casper, Wyoming. It's still a little odd to think that this will be our home for the next three plus years... the city has 55 000 people, but it's the only real city for hundreds of miles around, so every once in a while if you look up you realize how easily nature could just press in a little more and snuff out any trace of civilization. No, I'm not being dramatic...<br />
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But let's start from the beginning. We were sad to leave Provo :(<br />
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The drive itself went quite well, other than the fact that the moving van Andrew drove couldn't go over 50 mph -- we were kind of slowing down traffic. Oh well. Communicating via walkie-talkie was fun though :) And I'll add that it was quite necessary because we didn't have any reception for a large part of the trip!<br />
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This is what the last third of our trek looked like:<br />
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We started to worry we were moving to a complete desert, but then we finally rounded a few bends (they call them mountains but they're more like hills) and arrived in Casper. It's not bad at all, quite green especially on the mountain, and it's almost always sunny. The North Platter River runs throughout the city and there's a path for several miles so we're itching to get some bikes now.<br />
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All sorts of critters live in our backyard: squirrels, rabbits, geese... it's a bit dusty, but the river makes up for it. We're excited to go rafting and also explore Casper Mountain. The city's not huge, for sure, and the lone mall is a bit... well, dead. But there are worse things. Hey, at least we have a Target!<br />
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Right now we're living in a house that belongs to the city - they rent out rooms to interns and incoming employees. So far we only have two roommates (another couple) and they're very nice. It's a bit on the edge of town but it's only a five minute drive anyway, and we're kind of liking living in the wild - it's very peaceful. As soon as Andrew signs a full-time contract though we'll get into an apartment (or potentially rent a house, but I hear that's near impossible to find around here). We have one place in mind that we really like, but for now we need to wait and see. </div>
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Andrew started his internship on Monday and things are going well so far. He gets along just fine with the people in his office and he also found out there are more full-time positions opening up soon, so his chances of getting a full-time position just got better -- and he could have more options.<br />
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We went to city council meeting last night and boy was that fun!<br />
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It was the first hearing for a proposed smoking ban (an extension of a current public smoking ban) and some interesting characters came crawling out of the woodwork. Hitler and God were both brought into the discussion, and one lady accused the city council of using the same methods as Nazi Germany... there were reasonable people there too though, and honestly it was kind of fun to get a glimpse at the heart of Casper.<br />
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And you're probably wondering how my interview went. I think it went well. I could have maybe said more or something, but I believe I got my point across and he seemed impressed by my resume. I said one thing that may have come across awkwardly but otherwise it wasn't bad. He was very friendly at least. I left him my material and told him I was ready and just waiting to get to work... he seemed to like the fact that Andrew and I will likely be here more than just two years, too. There aren't any openings until July though, so now I just sort of have to wait... forced vacation I guess! And here I was all ready to get going. In the meantime I'll keep translating from home, and then call back as soon as they officially post the opening.<br />
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So overall, not a bad start. We're settling in nicely, and we really enjoyed church on Sunday - the people were very nice and welcoming, and it's just awesome to be in a family ward, finally. Well, I will add that we giggled when one lady quoted Mitt Romney in her talk...<br />
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So bottom line is things are not bad at all here. It still feels kind of small-town ish, which is a bit scary to me, but things couldn't be going much better for the both of us at this point, so it's all good. And we're going to have so much fun this summer rafting, hiking, biking and generally experiencing the great outdoors! (Let's not talk about winter yet, ok?)Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-8808949971125784252012-05-06T18:29:00.000-07:002012-05-06T18:29:22.054-07:00Wisdom teethI have none. At least not as of Thursday! I had a great experience actually. The dentist was really nice and he even threw in happy gas for free :)
I was a little nervous but it went pretty smoothly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the big bad culprits</td></tr>
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After we got home I passed out on the couch for a couple of hours (according to Andrew, he had to stay up with me to "make sure I wasn't dead") I didn't get the chipmunk cheeks, and in fact I've been feeling pretty good. No severe pain, more like a dull ache.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">day of</td></tr>
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I'm certainly very grateful for effective painkillers.
Otherwise, moving hasn't progressed very well but it shouldn't take too long once we get rolling. We've washed the car, packed some boxes, etc.<br />
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Andrew and I went to get our hair cut together yesterday, that was kind of fun!</div>
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Hey look, a bare shelf! We're getting somewhere!</div>Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-71836300143447126252012-05-02T14:27:00.001-07:002012-05-16T11:36:49.889-07:00Might as well tell you nowI didn't make it to the top five in the Hearst Journalism competition.
At least they threw in some cash to make it worth my effort. That certainly helps.
And top ten isn't too shabby... But I really wish I could've gone to San Francisco.<br />
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Lame.<br />
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<b>UPDATE (later today):</b> I'm pretty bummed about this. It sucks to have worked so hard only to not make it another round. But I really don't want to be negative about it. I <i>forced </i>myself to be positive, in fact, by responding to the email. That's something Bitter Lydia would never have done (I mean they just rejected me, what am I supposed to say?) but I wanted to be a good sport.<br />
<br />
<i>Dear ----, </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Thank you for notifying me so soon. Of course, I am disappointed to not advance to the final round, but pushing myself to create new pieces for the semifinal has helped enrich my portfolio. I am also extremely grateful for the monetary prize - as a freshly graduated student setting out towards an unknown future, it's nice to have some added security. Finally, it was an honor to be invited to participate in such a prestigious competition. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Sincerely, </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Lydia</i><br />
<br />
And I really did mean it. I truly am grateful. That a group of important people would decide to give me money just for doing what I do best is incredibly generous. It kind of blows my mind.<br />
<br />
The lady from the Hearst Foundation responded and she was really nice, she commended me for being positive about it. <b>
I <i>am</i> so happy for how far I've come.</b> I just need to remember that.<br />
<br />
And go splurge with that award cash. (kidding!)<br />
<br />
UPDATE: Here are the <a href="http://www.hearstfdn.org/hearst_journalism/press_release.php?id=118">final results</a>. It was really an interesting mashup -- two of the fourth-place winners made it, but the top two finalists in the features category didn't. Oh well. Grumble grumble.Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-36576024237317284212012-04-29T20:29:00.000-07:002012-04-30T11:04:16.938-07:00Life as of lateI'm just loving it these days. Things haven't exactly turned out the way we expected but it's good. It's great even. Not being in school the last week has been awesome. We're just enjoying having very few responsibilities for the last time in a long time. Graduation was just as exciting as I had hoped it would be, and then the fun was extended for another week with Andrew's parents staying in Utah. My mother-in-law and I went to <a href="http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/index.cfm">women's conference</a> at BYU and it was just fantastic. I had always wanted to go -- all those ladies storming campus with their cute raincoats, holding little notebooks and travelling in groups of two or three looked like they were having the time of their life. Now having done it myself, I can say it was definitely a blast. I'd make this a yearly tradition if I could. Maybe someday.<br />
<br />
We attended classes on "avoiding the entitlement trap", virtue and chastity for adults (we actually kind of fell asleep in that one... ahem), true beauty, bridging differences in marriage... this one was one of my favorite: it was`taught by a marriage therapist from Utah and her husband, a pioneer in the Church in Ghana. They certainly came across a lot of challenges together, and they had some great stories and advice. My favorite part in that session was the wife's answer she received to the question of whether or not they should marry: "if the Gospel of Christ is your culture, your marriage will thrive."<br />
<br />
We also attended one session called "You can either laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache" - it was plenty of fun. It was essentially about meeting life's challenges with humor, having a positive attitude about things. Of course, we laughed a lot. We also attended a service night, where I tied my very first fleece blanket.<br />
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And some poor kid is going to have a messed-up blanket...<br />
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Whoops... I guess it's the thought that counts? Then there was a concert on Thursday night, and that was tons of fun. One thing is for sure: Mormon women love Alex Boyé!<br />
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It was hilarious, the crowds went wild! And we also got a surprise visit from Eliza R Snow herself :)<br />
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I think my absolute favorite talk though was one that Lisa & Matthew Richardson gave (<a href="http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,8682-1,00.html">Br. Richardson</a> was just called as a counselor to the general Sunday School Presidency). They spoke together as a team (with those little mics that attach to your ear) and the way they played off of each other was hilarious. They were so much fun! And their enthusiasm was contagious. They spoke about being "armed with principles that never change." They also talked a lot about how work is actually a good in and of itself, not just something we do to get out of the way. That was kind of a theme I got from the whole conference in fact, that work is a blessing not just a duty. They used the example of Adam and Eve's marriage and life throughout the talk and Sister Richardson said something that really struck me: they were talking about how Satan told Adam and Eve to hide themselves when they had eaten the fruit, because they were naked. God comes and asks "who told thee thou art naked?" They didn't even know they were supposed to be ashamed, really, until someone pointed it out - and she paralleled that with today, when we are ashamed of our choices or feel inadequate because of what we think others expect us to do or be. Similarly, she asked the following question: "Who told thee thou art inadequate? Who told thee thou art not enough of that or too much of this?" We shouldn't be looking for the World's approval, we should be thinking about what God cares we do. I suppose I knew that, but putting it in those terms really hit home for me.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #666666;">Who told thee thou art inadequate?</span></i>
<br />
<i><br /></i><br />
What an incredible reminder of who we should really strive to please, where we should set our sights. I'm posting my notes from the conference <a href="http://cartwheelingdowntheaisle.blogspot.com/2012/04/womens-conference-2012-notes.html">here</a>, if you're interested -- they're kind of all over the place but there are some good bits :) This conference was a wonderful experience; the talks were inspiring and reinvigorating, and the company was absolutely delightful!<br />
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In other news, if you're still reading: I'm getting some dental work as well as getting all four of my wisdom teeth taken out Thursday. Wish me luck. The dentist promised happy gas, so at least the operation itself won't be too bad; it's the aftermath I'm really scared about. Voilà!Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-66800657239176862982012-04-29T20:04:00.000-07:002012-04-29T20:08:49.763-07:00Women's Conference 2012 Notes<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This is all over the place. If this is of use to you, great, if not, just ignore it. Quotes may not be perfectly exact, so don't quote me on this. You just had to be there :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Women's Conference 2012</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Theme: 1 Nephi 14:14</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Avoiding the entitlement trap</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Julie Barfuss</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Entitlement = deserving things just because, selfishness</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">God's ways vs entitlement - we are all indebted to God</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">World has forgotten where our blessings come from</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Stop and remember our Savior</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Entitlement is Satan's plan in the pre existence</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sometimes we get so close to the situations we're in, focused on details, we need to step back and look at the big picture - perspective of our lives is important.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Is this the path I need to be on or am I on the path the World want me to be on? Ask God</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Work, gratitude and service - to fight entitlement</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Work is a gift from God - many blessings require more work (boat story)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"It is better to dig a hole and fill it back up again than to do nothing at all" - BY</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gratitude is a precursor for humility</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nephi and Laman and Lemuel viewed their trials drastically differently. OMG.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are here to love, encourage, strengthen to bring each other back to HF</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Google service ides :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"The Lord can only guide our footsteps if we move our feet" - Marion G Romney</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One step at a time</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Motherhood isn't just a season of our lives - it's eternal</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Open the scriptures and teach them the words of the prophet</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Millie Dadson</u> - from Ghana</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anansi the spider stories</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are entitled to God's blessings and power and spirit</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But we are also responsible to obey - it's conditional</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Generation "Y not"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sense of entitlement is greatest threat to our children</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The more we have the more we want.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A faithful steward is responsible for his own</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are only stewards and caretakers of all that we have</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Those who work hardest at finding themselves will continue to wander</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Pride cycle</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How to fight entitlement:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Pray for gift of Charity - the more we share it the more it grows</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Fill the void - entitlement creates an appetite, replace w love of God & others, service therapy, and wise denial</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2 Nephi 9:51 - feast upon that which perisheth not</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Extend our sphere of influence</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Serve for what we give, not what we get</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Live in thanksgiving daily - humility</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For kids:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heaping presents at Christmas doesn't help our kids; helps develop the "gimmies"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Recognizing rewards for doing good things (point them out)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Teach that they may not be the best at everything in this world - they may feel entitled to be good at it, and that it isn't worth it if they can't be perfect at it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Encourage them from time to time to serve each other in chores rather than each do their own bed only</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Indiscriminate compliments are bad: "oh you're so awesome" just gives them a reward for existing. Rather, compliment specific actions.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Teach them to which source they may look for redemption</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Avoid living on the edge: Strengthening chastity and virtue in adults</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Shelley Nash</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What we do in our everyday lives helps us to be women of virtue</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You are the guardian of your heart</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Evaluate how much time we spend on media - it can damage/replace family relationships - can intrude in a sacred place: our heart</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Modesty is also important - be modest as an example for our children</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Leave the television off sometimes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Guarding our hearts from the things of the World - we will come to a point where we have no more disposition to do evil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wise virgins: took the holy ghost to be their guide</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Spiritual promptings will never lead us to do anything that will make us feel uncomfortable, afraid or ashamed</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Courage to leave movie, put down book</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Virtue brings light, indulgence brings fog</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Line between Lord's territory and Devil's territory. Which side of the line am I on?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Banana pants! - alternate swear word mom came up with when daughter blurted out her mother's language in primary :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lines are there to keep us safe</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Fill our lives with goodness - choose to be virtuous: we will find more charity and stop focusing on ourselves so much</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"I'm so glad it's not about me!" on bad hair days</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Jana Staples</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">World today teaches the gospel of ease - causes discouragement</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This life is meant to prepare for the dream, not be the dream</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We have a god-given identity, embrace it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Media, clothes speak of who we are inside, testifies of our level of conversion</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Avoid things that would draw the Spirit away</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How do we spend our discretionary time?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Evaluate activities and simplify life with priorities - place emphasis where rewards will be the greatest and the most enduring. - sis Belle Spafford</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sometimes we are content w being a wood chopper. Stop focusing on chopping wood, focus on the most important things</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are expected to be a self-correcting people, because our worthiness is between God and us</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It is for you to lead the world in everything that is uplifting</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Afternoon general session</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Lisa & Matthew Richardson</u> - Armed with principles that never change</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Spoke together as a team :)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Most things in the world change, but some things never change, like the divine principles of salvation</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">God gave to man to act for himself - agency is God-given responsibility</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Satan's plan is to destroy man's agency - focuses only on the choosing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Fear not to do good - whatsoever ye sow that shall ye reap - law of harvest</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Doubt not, fear not and proceed in faith</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">choosing the right is the ultimate goal - "choice is a method, not a goal"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What one person feels is right for herself can not be judged wrong or sinful by another</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. (Doctrine and Covenants, Doctrine and Covenants, Section 58)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Adam & Eve had the power to act even before they had mortal bodies</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You have the capability to bear hard things</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Christ knows it's hard, yet still asks us to move onwards and upwards - he knows we have the power within us</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sorrow also means toil - having children isn't sad, it's hard work</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Work brings a lot of glory. It brings change for good, strength and character</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Don't remove the blessings of toiling from your children!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do we wear the worker's seal?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Some must push and some must pull - pioneers</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"I can truly say I never felt to murmur, for my Heavenly Father has given me strength" - pioneer ancestress</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Never-changing principle of work</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"not so bad, not so bad" is the Czech translation of "all is well, all is well" in "Come come ye saints" hymn!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We value our marriage because we work at it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We value our testimony and the gospel because we work hard at it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Set our feet irrevocably upon the path He has marked - Pres. Kimball</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Who told thee thou art naked?" (Adam and Eve looked to Satan for an opinion/counsel, they tried to please him. Similarly, don't we look to the world?)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Who told thee thou art inadequate? Who told thee thou art not enough of that or too much of this?"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Heed the counsel of the prophets, no matter how simple it may be. Face the voice of the Lord and away from the voice of the World.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Teach AND live the principles of the Gospel</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Be a man of your word"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Don't you dare give up on teaching, edifying and supporting your family</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"strengthen thy brethren" applies to family, friends, etc.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Always stand for truth and righteousness, you are special" Sis Ardith Kapp</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Stance of exaltation with enthusiasm - pioneer woman painting</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hosanna = "save us"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our only hope is to be armed in Him - we must act as Christ acts</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Friday session</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Sandra Rogers</u> - BYU Women's conference committee & Relief Society Board Chair</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When answering a reporter about why the Church doesn't use crosses as a symbol: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"The lives of our people = the symbol of our worship" President Hinckley</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">To follow = to accept as an authority, to use as an exemplar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our discipleship is manifested in the things we do and the traits we develop, in the way that we are the Lord's instruments</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We're trying to be like Jesus</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mary and Martha cooking vs listening - Jesus understands women. He knows they'll be happier if they chose the good part</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When the world tells us we're nuts for doing everything we do to follow the Gospel, (raising children at home) all we need to remember is the Lords words: "them that honor me, I will honor"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As hope endures, faith increases... We begin to experience a change of heart, then receive His image in our countenances.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jesus saw a need and responded.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Disciples invest in others when they meet needs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">True disciples do anything to find a way to be obedient</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Charity = Simply give each other the benefit of the doubt and be quiet, expect the very best of each other</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Capacity to have mercy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Unmerciful servant story</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Disciples never think they have it made</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Preach the Gospel in the way we live each day</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We're never off-duty when it comes to being disciples of Christ</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Karen Whiting</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Just go home and don't worry about it"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Reece's rainbow: </span><a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://reecesrainbow.org/</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do random acts of kindness - it's important</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Find something that makes you happy, then throw yourself into it"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Laugh about things that may be frustrating or embarrassing or event terribly awful</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It takes thunderstorms to see the rainbows</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Duella Williams</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">BMW = Big Mormon Wagon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mr What-you-ought-to-do</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Enjoy the scenery</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"The reason we have traditions is to know who we are and what God expects us to become" Tevye, in Fiddler on the Roof</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1) don't sweat the small stuff 2) it's all the small stuff</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Kids rolling down hill in van - stopped by rock that has now fulfilled the measure of its creation :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Reset your gauge but keep your family intact</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Life is to be enjoyed and not just endured</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Some things we have learned together: Bridging differences in marriage</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Thomas & Katrina Appiah</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(she is a relationship therapist, he's a financial consultant, pioneer in Church in Ghana)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's their wedding anniversary, he gave her a gift! - a check! (ah, it's a reenactment of their first anniversary)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The best gift ever in his family! But she didn't really appreciate it, and ripped it up.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Understand and embrace differences</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sis Appiah was impressed to say two things: give a sense of hope, as well as some perspectives, skills and principles that will help us to cope and succeed in our marriage</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bridging differences, not avoiding or eliminating them.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A bridge connects two different locations, opens up a new world.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">John Gottman - excellent source for strengthening families and marriages </span><a href="http://www.gottman.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.gottman.com/</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Be open to the influence of your spouse- Gottman</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"You can either be right all the time or you can be happily married"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Positive sentiment override" - focusing on what you love, admire, appreciate about your spouse. Take a 3x5 card and write down what you love about your spouse.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Find something positive in that which is irritating</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Punctuality story - he is extremely punctual and never waits past five minutes :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Focusing on what you love about your spouse increases your love for him</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Happy and unhappy couples have the same number of disagreements, but the difference is in how they resolve conflict (or it doesn't even go to conflict stage)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">First: extend and make attempts to repair the relationship, and accept your spouse's attempts to repair it too - no matter how botched those attempts.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You must be willing to make e change first.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Second: address issues gently - make the time and find a place. Schedule a time for your disagreement, rather than letting it crop up in the midst of emotions, uninvited</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Recognize that in every relationship, there will be perpetual disagreements</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"As long as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is your culture, your marriage will thrive"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micro-iniquities/micro-</span><wbr style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></wbr><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">righteousness - small acts that, added together, cause great pain or bring about great good.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micro-iniquities: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Judging your spouse without looking to understand their point of view, gossiping about him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Knowing who you are and extending that same love to all around you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Building a relationship on honesty, trust and love will help us bridge any gaps.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thus, Experiences in your marriage will make you better, not bitter. One letter separates the two: i-internal perspective vs e-eternal perspective.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Whether or not you are exalted depends on the man who stands at your side and the relationship you establish with him. (And vice versa) Treat your spouse with respect and even reverence, because your very life depends upon it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>"Good looking" is a verb, not an adjective</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Michael Adams</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(psychologist - BYU)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Negative body image is an effective tool for Satan to distract us with our small imperfections so we can't focus on the things of eternal importance.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Three Cs, Comparison, competition and criticism keep us distracted</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">First step is seeing the lie for what it is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There are healthy perfectionists and unhealthy perfectionists (high shame and low pride or vice versa)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Righteous pride helps us recognize our beauty by seeing the divinity within us</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Cultivate caring - Jesus is the prime example (adulteress brought before Him)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">To treat yourself kindly: how would you comfort a friend? Apply the same method to yourself then!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Self-compassion: being touched by and open to one's suffering</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1) show kindness to yourself rather than harshness</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On judging: "Sometimes I wonder if the final judgment will be a breeze compared to what we've put each other through here on earth." Sheri Dew</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2) be aware of imperfections, but not over aware</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">D&C 64:2</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Diane Robison</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">YW General Board</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"The beauty of holiness" Psalms 96:9</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1 Corinthians 13:11-12 we see through a glass darkly</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Virtue = Beauty</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sis Dalton beauty video </span><a href="https://www.lds.org/youth/video/deep-beauty?lang=eng" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">https://www.lds.org/youth/<wbr></wbr>video/deep-beauty?lang=eng</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Spirit of the Lord is the Mormon beauty secret</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's right and proper to want to be beautiful</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The death of pretty - Catholic blog post </span><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/the-death-of-pretty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.ncregister.com/<wbr></wbr>blog/pat-archbold/the-death-<wbr></wbr>of-pretty</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The most dangerous message the adversary sends to women: that the only mark a woman can make on mankind is through seduction.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The end of innocence: the cost of sexual king kids </span><a href="http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/#!/entry/the-end-of-innocence-the-cost-of-sexualizing-kids,264" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.deseretnewsservice.<wbr></wbr>com/#!/entry/the-end-of-<wbr></wbr>innocence-the-cost-of-<wbr></wbr>sexualizing-kids,264</a><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"You can't lead your life worrying that the world is staring at you" Elder Holland</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"One would need a great and spacious makeup kit to compete with the beauty portrayed in the media around us" Elder Holland</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mormon women need to be lionesses at the gate of our homes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chewie the cat</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How to transmit this to YW: Teach, exemplify, love</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- Teach the doctrine by the spirit (vs speaking of behavior and hemlines)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"you have a HF who loves you and a Savior who died for you, your body is a temple, you were created in his image" teach it over and over and over</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- Exemplify. BE the virtuous women. We have to radiate so they can't misunderstand who we are. Show we can be beautiful on our own terms</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- Love. Tuck them close to you. Express you love. See them with clear spiritual eyes</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Closing session</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Elder & Sister Andersen</u> (Apostle. Former Bordeaux mission president!)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Musical number performed by Dallyn Vail Bayles - Oh hey, I found it on youtube!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Elder Andersen</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Young men speak of the future, because they have no past. Old men speak of the past, because they have no future."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">All that we have is dependent upon the goodness of God</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"We're neither traditionally Christian nor straightforwardly secular. Instead, we’re a nation of heretics in which most people still associate themselves with Christianity but revise its doctrines as they see fit, and nobody can agree on even the most basic definitions of what Christian faith should mean." (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/opinion/sunday/douthat-in-2012-no-religious-center-is-holding.html?pagewanted=all">New York Times editorial</a>)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are all enlisted <u>'till the conflict is over</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">While the battle rages, we need not fear</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You are absolutely critical to the cause. Your talents, your faith, your unselfishness and your discipleship are needed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">You can speak about the future with optimism, joy and confidence.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Things will get better and better and better as we spread over the earth.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As darkness increases, the sunlight of the gospel will grow brighter and brighter.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He will not forsake us if we do not forsake Him" - President Hinckley</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Heaven's blessings await us" - President Monson</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Sister Andersen</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"it's kind of like primary"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our prayer for our granddaughters is:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That they will be armed with the power of God, and that they will know throughout their lives that their Hd knows them and cares for them</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That they will believe and have faith in the words of those called of God</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hadley, little girl born without ears, to little boy in a wheelchair without legs: "when Jesus comes, I will be able to hear, and you will have legs. He will make everything right."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Elder Andersen</u></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As you devote yourself to Him, His reality will burn like nothing else inside of you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I bless you, with gifts of teaching the gospel, that this conversion of Christ will sink deeply into those around us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Look forward with faith, be worthy to bear His name.</span>Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-3645225385160483232012-04-22T09:30:00.002-07:002012-04-22T09:38:36.184-07:00GraduationWell we did it. We walked, and we got our pictures taken, and we threw hats.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeWzRSb2EG6ndNalzxK_ky1PM9JU85RZtnaGA86a1BeJmmwlTFPDtuYE7RPUbjrXTXdwBvmxnIjoyRsCu_t5p_Nu46ickMt3_UvkPX1jiZcC0Bi0iKJ_OWx8wE6F4SI36R_hMadbN-58/s1600/DSCF1054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeWzRSb2EG6ndNalzxK_ky1PM9JU85RZtnaGA86a1BeJmmwlTFPDtuYE7RPUbjrXTXdwBvmxnIjoyRsCu_t5p_Nu46ickMt3_UvkPX1jiZcC0Bi0iKJ_OWx8wE6F4SI36R_hMadbN-58/s320/DSCF1054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broadcast people - before the majestic climbing of the walkway.</td></tr>
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We also ate a lovely dinner and enjoyed the company of friends and family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magleby's -- they catered our wedding, it's only fair<br />
we have graduation dinner with them too :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm going to miss the Heaps!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2yxNagrefvu_JihB8B9xn5UgYmLGgHPmHYq3FCl_giK-jIfybjKWUSsj59xZ3xrTqftnD9nYWjlI6auoEZgD3UhhZVldub0D_nVV21tgxVsy1ILay8V0d4QMrsaC8gWbELUdJVAPJGQ/s1600/Haleigh+Farewell+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2yxNagrefvu_JihB8B9xn5UgYmLGgHPmHYq3FCl_giK-jIfybjKWUSsj59xZ3xrTqftnD9nYWjlI6auoEZgD3UhhZVldub0D_nVV21tgxVsy1ILay8V0d4QMrsaC8gWbELUdJVAPJGQ/s320/Haleigh+Farewell+(7).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Last silly time with Haleigh for a long time :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_423954224"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafGs4N-Vg1WnrGsztg-TUITz3ccxZdJUbZ0vC2RVoqU-aww1gmfPqlzk0H1gXKIJQ-gcKJtMWXyHmtxlsYFl8gm8wrJxLN0i-3V8YoQ3VBs-sykngcqJADPUWUuDyF1Mi5Y2grs4UdW8/s400/papa+nelson+camera+(19).JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/62271/2012-BYU-commencement-exercises.html">Elder Oaks</a></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>"The mark you receive as a BYU graduate is neither involuntary nor self-imposed. You sought this mark, and it is put upon you by proper authority. After today you have more than a new line on your resume. You have been marked. As a BYU graduate, you are, as we say, a marked man or woman.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>“We all have marks or labels upon us. Our names and many characteristics of our appearance, such as family similarities, are marks. So is our speech. These marks are involuntary. Other marks are voluntarily assumed, like religious symbols that various faiths use on their apparel, which we honor, and tattoos, which we discourage. Our Savior is the model for the self-imposed mark of the utmost significance.”
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>‘You all have a mark upon you after today — you will be known as a graduate
of Brigham Young University, which is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The people who know you and see you will judge the Church by you. Your great mission is to hold the banner high.’"</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kkivfUf8Aijbu145lrtCQTnHNQde2WXjcr28RjUUaclCDvaJ6jKjvuEqk2aaZ6JjH40FlgImIkDElNfzyMSbbnJCZ4eHCs6dkl41xUJG36apqMfiayAL37G5MDAfOxlTrDFaYodTgRI/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(133).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kkivfUf8Aijbu145lrtCQTnHNQde2WXjcr28RjUUaclCDvaJ6jKjvuEqk2aaZ6JjH40FlgImIkDElNfzyMSbbnJCZ4eHCs6dkl41xUJG36apqMfiayAL37G5MDAfOxlTrDFaYodTgRI/s320/papa+nelson+camera+(133).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq3t9Wha-9wbvcNZ_SKS3JG1D3r43O0ZEpIvEUn4oEBQCJGCgX4UA0vfeXZAN8VwLyAwYQxNlpnawqxJ6S4wGx9bozLJ6EOx7cDJDCoV54S9njw1wtgpKmYYBS91EjFtQ6sWwTYO2WM0/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(67).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq3t9Wha-9wbvcNZ_SKS3JG1D3r43O0ZEpIvEUn4oEBQCJGCgX4UA0vfeXZAN8VwLyAwYQxNlpnawqxJ6S4wGx9bozLJ6EOx7cDJDCoV54S9njw1wtgpKmYYBS91EjFtQ6sWwTYO2WM0/s400/papa+nelson+camera+(67).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just striking a pose, you know</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPMYR6zFdx0aEt3mfeQOFGv4Vfg4HVMTGGOjdAmeCqROoWwMNv1Tb8eYs5vkLjNMqEP-ywjFXIC2k2Af6vdqGPWPiK7AyyeMnqGooRG3Y-CCETdpkYpFteTcGGnxBSeai7oUOI7ATA1w/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(72).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPMYR6zFdx0aEt3mfeQOFGv4Vfg4HVMTGGOjdAmeCqROoWwMNv1Tb8eYs5vkLjNMqEP-ywjFXIC2k2Af6vdqGPWPiK7AyyeMnqGooRG3Y-CCETdpkYpFteTcGGnxBSeai7oUOI7ATA1w/s320/papa+nelson+camera+(72).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did it Ma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdiNmZ3ZfyNYsnvLGdx171BDwNfrxXivZ4Jd54zXK3lTi3sQ-_miiKCKlj8bqXSISsC8J5Q508GKlasJ9Z9gJkd5V3dpMkd-crcrKuWb1t9Elq8G6ETotvTJnMcUV47a54bggxJJ3P7w/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(41).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdiNmZ3ZfyNYsnvLGdx171BDwNfrxXivZ4Jd54zXK3lTi3sQ-_miiKCKlj8bqXSISsC8J5Q508GKlasJ9Z9gJkd5V3dpMkd-crcrKuWb1t9Elq8G6ETotvTJnMcUV47a54bggxJJ3P7w/s400/papa+nelson+camera+(41).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Where's Andrew?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzD2r-1WsuARNjJnCSzoz8WEamxCQK9SO_hAuOE64H6LYQRmcyY9NRj6teyl9NbxzYYtxe1ncJ4ngwvLksIE3MmhLWlwktI2UOpBh68-6mEXFtPbSnXrGxdZvUhsJqamlRU9qM9uH2q8/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(174).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzD2r-1WsuARNjJnCSzoz8WEamxCQK9SO_hAuOE64H6LYQRmcyY9NRj6teyl9NbxzYYtxe1ncJ4ngwvLksIE3MmhLWlwktI2UOpBh68-6mEXFtPbSnXrGxdZvUhsJqamlRU9qM9uH2q8/s320/papa+nelson+camera+(174).JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's <i>Master </i>Andrew to you!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ttrjvP9UympVbsEwWM1DJtR9tgY3WzJRZzIM4jRHs36pw60MnthIK2IgB9FRMpQHe4YNWSFefHbVCQNSEFsfOYhntvgMue4dKBWBBvXTFimQeEgYo2omiAAijV-5YVumwupr6sX31Gg/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(108).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ttrjvP9UympVbsEwWM1DJtR9tgY3WzJRZzIM4jRHs36pw60MnthIK2IgB9FRMpQHe4YNWSFefHbVCQNSEFsfOYhntvgMue4dKBWBBvXTFimQeEgYo2omiAAijV-5YVumwupr6sX31Gg/s320/papa+nelson+camera+(108).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother Curtis, News director extraordinaire</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">And best of all: we graduated!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qjA1MCPSmfOeF7Lnc2jXPp5zjxiILE2s2nHpEPSMmQzlifU5LlCehyphenhyphencpDUEPEhyqimlQoHLJtGca5iZKbL_841tfgLTrj8Zik9JLlxUY-gNYY7uQTHDQJKylbx_70ddQ6jF8QpCkVW4/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(104).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qjA1MCPSmfOeF7Lnc2jXPp5zjxiILE2s2nHpEPSMmQzlifU5LlCehyphenhyphencpDUEPEhyqimlQoHLJtGca5iZKbL_841tfgLTrj8Zik9JLlxUY-gNYY7uQTHDQJKylbx_70ddQ6jF8QpCkVW4/s400/papa+nelson+camera+(104).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHoydgGMpdtZBJSEbiN3OHhVzJGismP1EbSM6Mp29dNoIUkwpWYYDQDD685lEvDRa2mkfgUmZp6vkgCBgnjkV4lAtnrGddnnNN1-7PrKRT6OUWrWc2zApKvHe6Wm9ykFcXxI0U143b70/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(194).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHoydgGMpdtZBJSEbiN3OHhVzJGismP1EbSM6Mp29dNoIUkwpWYYDQDD685lEvDRa2mkfgUmZp6vkgCBgnjkV4lAtnrGddnnNN1-7PrKRT6OUWrWc2zApKvHe6Wm9ykFcXxI0U143b70/s320/papa+nelson+camera+(194).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Are we done taking pictures yet?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3fnfQ929U7AVHuCl06L0HW6YcYYE9T54y_HonIEhaXxBo6pZJnezzS7cCiLNh7TlcftKDRfbcKniiwqGDquoCiuH3nGLzjf1pa-4m2fUNET07iHNwsEynjSmeDmWidOaOEp_vERq45w/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3fnfQ929U7AVHuCl06L0HW6YcYYE9T54y_HonIEhaXxBo6pZJnezzS7cCiLNh7TlcftKDRfbcKniiwqGDquoCiuH3nGLzjf1pa-4m2fUNET07iHNwsEynjSmeDmWidOaOEp_vERq45w/s320/papa+nelson+camera+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No way! Yay pictures!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwTa2ccn5tqz7Rcs_CU-0MLs9F0Uv0qHW3WAPby8O-tED2RJIrJddsPSYOGMUZD2RPIu6ggdL8WNnuKDQ1sS52kdelpjyq8kvyle9XMixDYwXenL6reVm3-wBTzW5UhQRXF1O1cRYmN4/s1600/papa+nelson+camera+(91).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwTa2ccn5tqz7Rcs_CU-0MLs9F0Uv0qHW3WAPby8O-tED2RJIrJddsPSYOGMUZD2RPIu6ggdL8WNnuKDQ1sS52kdelpjyq8kvyle9XMixDYwXenL6reVm3-wBTzW5UhQRXF1O1cRYmN4/s400/papa+nelson+camera+(91).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022849758144282546.post-744221310562527892012-04-19T10:36:00.001-07:002012-04-19T10:41:38.356-07:00Here we goWell, here we are: commencement day. Tomorrow, we get our degrees and then it's off to...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lBMuSWTapqme8r1M_YkOAzWeGGefA4up2hvAErDf8h51rkvWmtvUwBFntzXtBClmmFUNxE0awOvXykHFXum_BofXhl2hmM3Ri_xDl160A0EUrPFpiLNpd7MtJ-DxsQApfCPoE4izhRI/s1600/casper.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lBMuSWTapqme8r1M_YkOAzWeGGefA4up2hvAErDf8h51rkvWmtvUwBFntzXtBClmmFUNxE0awOvXykHFXum_BofXhl2hmM3Ri_xDl160A0EUrPFpiLNpd7MtJ-DxsQApfCPoE4izhRI/s400/casper.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
That's right: Casper, Wyoming!<br />
<br />
Andrew accepted an internship with the city's budget office that they very strongly suggested will turn into a job offer at the end of the summer. And I'm going to haul myself on over to their TV station and demand a job.<br />
<br />
Is it out in the middle of nowhere? Yup.<br />
Is it somewhat... savage country? Yup.<br />
And don't start me on the fact that Casper, Wyoming is ranked at the very bottomy-bottom of the reporting food chain.<br />
<br />
BUT considering the fact we wanted to go somewhere we <i>both </i>have job opportunities, it's actually not a bad deal. In fact, it's not a bad deal at all: we'll have jobs in the same city (which is AWESOME considering what we were starting to look at) and it might be kind of fun to live it up with the cowboys for a while. You gotta start somewhere! We also just found out what Andrew's starting salary would be, and we're both feeling <b>really </b>good about that... :)<br />
<br />
Off we go to the Wild Wild West!<br />
<br />
Hey look, we're grads:<br />
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<br />Lydiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13212680321367846851noreply@blogger.com0