Krista's Engagement Party

An Engagement Party weekend wouldn't be complete without a trip kayaking before the actual preparations began :)

 So kayak we did down in St. Mary's county near where Krista lives. Isn't it a pretty little place?? This is near to where Krista will actually be married, so it related...mostly :)

 The intrepid kayakers :)

 As fun as kayaking was, we did end up also throwing the party the next day for Krista and Ryan. We spent the morning gathering fresh foods from the Amish market and then cutting up a feast!

 The happy couple. I made it my job to man the kitchen so they could socialize. Win win for all :)

The coworkers who made the long drive to Krista's and partied with us. It was a fun group! I even won a round of post party beer pong...could have been cuz I was the only sober one at the time, but the victory still stands! Thanks Krista for being a great friend and I can't wait for your actually marriage!

Next Stop...Chicago!!

My next summer trip took me out to Chicagoland to visit Naomi, Kevin, Brooklyn, and Lily!! I was pretty bad about taking pictures (like always) but I handed the camera to Naomi for Kevin's triathlon and she did much better :) Although, I never did manage to get her in a photo this time around...

 Kevin before the start of the race. He did awesome and it inspired me to start running more again....eventually :P

 During the race I spent my time with Naomi watching the girls and cheering for Kevin. The wind and humidity made my hair do such wonderful things that day.

 Love the faces of my cute girls....

 Even when they're not looking so photogenic.

 And this...yup. Gotta love em :)

Loved getting to spend several days with my 3 girls, and Kevin too :) I wish I could have stayed longer. We had so much fun and I can't wait til I can come back again!

And So The Summer Trips Begin...

With a trip to Utah for Jenny's graduation! The whole family, minus Phil who was still at officer training, was there and it was so fun spending some time with them!

 So proud of Jenny for finishing her degree!

 I got to spend a few days with my AZ dwelling fam. I wasn't the best at taking pics, but I managed to get a few with the boys. Love my Greg!

 Spencer also got his mission call that week to Salem Oregon, Spanish speaking. Going to miss him!

 And here's a random one of Shelly and Ben. They're fun :)

 I also got to see a few friends while I was there. I didn't remember to take pics with everyone (my bad) but I enjoyed time with each of you. And I'm so happy that Kara's coming closer to me soon :)

 Managed to catch the MPSF finals wherein BYU scored a sweet victory. Being in the fieldhouse was like coming home. Ahh, men's volleyball. Need I say more?

 Dawsha was fortuitously in town for her friend's wedding. We had a sweet excursion to Tucanos. Soooo yummy!!

Shelly and Ben were also nice enough to make the drive with me to Meadow, Utah and some natural hot springs. It was more crowded then usual, but I love that place and find such peace just soaking in the warm water and watching the stars come out. All in all, a great trip. Big shout out to Uncle Glenn and Aunt Connie for letting me crash at their house so much. Loved being back home!!

Spring Is Here!

 ...And that means I finally get to play outside!! I started with a field trip downtown to see the cherry blossoms. It was lovely just to be in the sun, walking around and enjoying nature.

 Krista and I also took advantage of a beautiful day and went down to a pier at Piney Point, MD. It was a great day to sit, eat, and soak up the sun!

 Great company, the sound of water laping against the sand, and fresh lemonade. Nothing better!

 This last Sunday I went downtown again with Rosie to see the last days of the cherry blossoms. Truth be told, the tulips caught my attention a little more. They are gorgeous!!

 So many colors and so many shapes! I love nature and so thankful that God put beauty into everything :)

 I especially loved these. Aren't they amazing??!

 Loved being able to spend time with Rosie :)

I also had a free day mid-week, and so I took myself down to Mt Vernon, George Washington's home along the Potomac in VA. I must admit, for the first time since I've lived here, I decided I didn't want to leave. It was breathtaking! What an amazing view! The camera doesn't do it justice.

The grounds are quite extensive with farmland, gardens, and unspoiled nature throughout the 80 acres. Such an amazing place. So glad I was able to visit!

Some Winter Fun Times

Just a few fun moments from January-

 Ward Ice Skating activity in Georgetown. Never mind that it was outside on a fairly warm day so it was more like ice swimming, I still had tons of fun twirling circles and gliding along :)

Best part of the month was a visit from my best friend, Naomi. Knowing that I'd been having some fun trials, she flew out for a weekend of girl time that I desperately needed! Despite some food poisoning mishaps, we had a great time just hanging out together. Mad props to the Riggs household and Kevin for handling extra kids for a weekend! You rock!!

Loved my Omi fix and looking forward to some more winter fun soon :)



December 2012

Yay for December!! It's Christmas time and the New Year is coming. I enjoyed celebrating the end of the approaching year with family and friends. Great times for sure :)

 I drove down the MD peninsula to my friend Krista's house and spent and day with her and her family. At the end of the day we went to this farm that goes all out on lights and has different animals for people to see. Loved it!

 My roommate and I also visited the zoo lights in DC. It was fun seeing the different animals portrayed via christmas lights :)

 This coyote definitely helped me feel my western roots!

 Krista and Ryan also came up on night and we went and saw the DC Temple lights. So much fun spending time with them!

 I got to go home to AZ for the week before Christmas. While there, I got to meet up with Caitlin (I forgot to take a picture-sad!), and also my old roommate and friend Dawsha.

 The rest of the time was spent being with my family and I loved every minute of it! It was fun to see how much my little brothers had grown- literally! Spencer's so tall now!

 And of course I was spoiled rotten by my Mom and Dad. I kinda got used to that. Um, can I go back home and have that happen all the time??

I'm so lucky to have the parents I do. I sure do love them!!!

Pretty much I have the best family in the whole world. I missed spending time with Phil and Jenny and Shelly and Ben. But I loved shooting hoops with the Greg, talking with Lydia, and hiding the boys stockings on Christmas morning and watching them hunt for them. I loved playing games and doing puzzles with Mom and Dad and learning more about my family history. I wish vacations didn't have to end! But I'm back in MD and delivering New Year's babys. So bring on 2013; it's gonna be a great year!

A Few Pics for Fall

Well I've been a blog slacker and so here's a quick look at my fall through pictures!

 Bethany and I when I was in Provo in August.

 Climbing trees in Kiwanis Park :)

 Pool games with Ben, Shelly, Phil, Jenny, and Spencer.

 Hiking in Provo Canyon in Sept. Love the colors!!

 Me at my favorite spot up Provo Canyon :)

 Andrea and I went camping in Sept in MD. Lots of bugs :P

 And the next day we went hiking. Love the outdoors!

 RS appreciation dinner. Love these girls :)

 Went to NC to visit Eric and Kayla and visited downtown Winston-Salem.

 And played frisbee golf with them for the first time ever. Addicted!!

 Had a goodbye lunch with Andrea :( Gonna miss her cuteness at work!

 Took myself hiking in the Shenendoah's at the end of October.

Got a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my birthday from my parents :) I shall endeavor to do better in the picture taking department for the remainder of the year. Happy Fall!