tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65704579707808421482024-03-13T03:39:59.232-04:00In the DistrictSarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-61289168033388699862012-03-24T16:26:00.000-04:002012-03-24T16:26:10.913-04:00Holidays and more holidays.A lot of holidays have passed since I last blogged so here is a summary in pictures.<br />
<br />
<b>Halloween.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCRaIGdQZlAzJ8ugAWr30GC0Rr4XNaUyhSlJzCSOekURuZS3j8d4Bl3PPeVPaXXvqOBq3ZnkUVHbIAKRABbK5GAQ173Vsfxbwu3OV4Lbw_HEVE8MYHbZU2ZGTQ2jepbY6mZscSbqpLKFl/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCRaIGdQZlAzJ8ugAWr30GC0Rr4XNaUyhSlJzCSOekURuZS3j8d4Bl3PPeVPaXXvqOBq3ZnkUVHbIAKRABbK5GAQ173Vsfxbwu3OV4Lbw_HEVE8MYHbZU2ZGTQ2jepbY6mZscSbqpLKFl/s320/Raven's+Stadium+070.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglW3nTi09CukmoS7n3nx-tW3jHkFEhBxck-BNAMYtY9T0eBce2G789qy3mfy-iOJFXAJmAmcyDb2hec5lwKo2U4i59GEDQBdha5IK0ftOjEs9aF5kIKmZcFkKVHi2TE50i1rA0CcOMJrD9/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglW3nTi09CukmoS7n3nx-tW3jHkFEhBxck-BNAMYtY9T0eBce2G789qy3mfy-iOJFXAJmAmcyDb2hec5lwKo2U4i59GEDQBdha5IK0ftOjEs9aF5kIKmZcFkKVHi2TE50i1rA0CcOMJrD9/s320/Raven's+Stadium+072.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>I was the female version of Where's Waldo and Mike was Paul Bunyan. We had SO many trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood that I ran out of candy and had to turn our lights off. I considered handing out snack packs and that point because I felt so bad, but Mike told me that was weird.<b> </b>I thought it was a great idea, I would have loved to get a snack pack in my bag of candy :)<br />
<br />
<b>Thanksgiving.</b><br />
My mom and dad came to visit us for Thanksgiving. They were our first over-night house guests. It was so much fun to show them around our new town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKsmKU75I7T6tMD2f6yrXYf8-seCSZQJ37I5_4OgFet1VCP2wLYEA_1ER1ugYN_O6u6N-xVn6VE5icyZyhhPHCqgcYDv3FO-5xPLsuW7sb68ATqaas6xUk-72QzJgVGFTa_8RGu0MwMXW/s1600/IMG_7193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKsmKU75I7T6tMD2f6yrXYf8-seCSZQJ37I5_4OgFet1VCP2wLYEA_1ER1ugYN_O6u6N-xVn6VE5icyZyhhPHCqgcYDv3FO-5xPLsuW7sb68ATqaas6xUk-72QzJgVGFTa_8RGu0MwMXW/s320/IMG_7193.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, how I love my mom's famous Thanksgiving stuffing...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkaCGzi79WZir6iPFn0rLQA_AXBhSBp51hpwe8nX7IAUMmk5qu50iB88bj8Dziy9dhlBtlSZC3LWP8P9EjHjb97Bhl4007T72SIHJqK615el6mcyhgiVNh7UNJqbqzJUqo-8AwUriOzyP/s1600/IMG_7204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkaCGzi79WZir6iPFn0rLQA_AXBhSBp51hpwe8nX7IAUMmk5qu50iB88bj8Dziy9dhlBtlSZC3LWP8P9EjHjb97Bhl4007T72SIHJqK615el6mcyhgiVNh7UNJqbqzJUqo-8AwUriOzyP/s320/IMG_7204.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_t8G_AMIkt_9HHMhYbR6kDT309Akkbt_bbvWHFex0czvg0d5vMBCVTqS9z4YutiyoTczCZanVy8CMVuoGc2aUGjOuVx2XSODob6uz079niJvEjEahdTjz08IxJT3-FSBnsakqnir_bD8d/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_t8G_AMIkt_9HHMhYbR6kDT309Akkbt_bbvWHFex0czvg0d5vMBCVTqS9z4YutiyoTczCZanVy8CMVuoGc2aUGjOuVx2XSODob6uz079niJvEjEahdTjz08IxJT3-FSBnsakqnir_bD8d/s320/Raven's+Stadium+157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5wQ4-higMCSnOIO6tsGw4upBsXvT8nL4MDvlMbftP47RumkRHhH9GLdsyyqVaqo5tZIv7ZlY0y_Cu7aVIzleFDZAjLp-KhhkjjAnL4h7PzMH7Vf5EqLN8NOZ1eTPaSd_a1co1aoEr4ae/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5wQ4-higMCSnOIO6tsGw4upBsXvT8nL4MDvlMbftP47RumkRHhH9GLdsyyqVaqo5tZIv7ZlY0y_Cu7aVIzleFDZAjLp-KhhkjjAnL4h7PzMH7Vf5EqLN8NOZ1eTPaSd_a1co1aoEr4ae/s320/Raven's+Stadium+165.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRW22bCMFWhqsGHIeN03vfMBkgKYHN085WAKiHcbtp7USAVkkkONX9bWLPRD9pTwsXpvn0rw-9GN28XUAjpaLOxpAbO4o-vV4I8OjuMzxtZs2gbBj6mFlabEmRi97IBvv8RBXz31uUkUH/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRW22bCMFWhqsGHIeN03vfMBkgKYHN085WAKiHcbtp7USAVkkkONX9bWLPRD9pTwsXpvn0rw-9GN28XUAjpaLOxpAbO4o-vV4I8OjuMzxtZs2gbBj6mFlabEmRi97IBvv8RBXz31uUkUH/s320/Raven's+Stadium+166.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<b>Christmas.</b><br />
We went to La Center, Washington for Christmas to see Mike's family. It was great to relax and spend time with the Barnetts. This was the first time we had seen Mike's sister Kellie and her husband Kyle since our wedding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrbdviC46X-fcW_mHJXTpa0r24zohVwBfK_YtDL7GpOwGOC5WaI91dPL_mVk-dzLSn0EEMt4alRXd1R1oAFwznnRW9S-CefBKyfcxuNa_Y3Pr0C2oZHKkrn6UTVkS1ugKMR4F_zCfqtMz/s1600/Christmas+&+More+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrbdviC46X-fcW_mHJXTpa0r24zohVwBfK_YtDL7GpOwGOC5WaI91dPL_mVk-dzLSn0EEMt4alRXd1R1oAFwznnRW9S-CefBKyfcxuNa_Y3Pr0C2oZHKkrn6UTVkS1ugKMR4F_zCfqtMz/s320/Christmas+&+More+004.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My company's Christmas party at the Ritz Carlton.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxSCkZaZGTGeNamor3RLZmqwlz8YwEZjjsO3HACeJqBSk9Gc2ae36cFYfWyNlQEunj3rVsCp3vIAuqPqcMrATr8o6TycQX2haR2hN8yyCgVxbUeA0lavw3b7ntZSrFVgw8ruV0rw550ip/s1600/Christmas+&+More+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxSCkZaZGTGeNamor3RLZmqwlz8YwEZjjsO3HACeJqBSk9Gc2ae36cFYfWyNlQEunj3rVsCp3vIAuqPqcMrATr8o6TycQX2haR2hN8yyCgVxbUeA0lavw3b7ntZSrFVgw8ruV0rw550ip/s320/Christmas+&+More+005.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very first Christmas tree!!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhujgwzpGdhZzDDfzbvFTrcpYZOrmz2I5FVun0iRvsLsBaMJD658LLL7VIdKDKsXduN3_l0L378l5B2Q7G-eX0G5hSFdM6OQ9RVM2m2s8Ijn5VMkQV-FZQ2o5WAt9QnZHXZB-1_vjGcaS/s1600/Christmas+&+More+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhujgwzpGdhZzDDfzbvFTrcpYZOrmz2I5FVun0iRvsLsBaMJD658LLL7VIdKDKsXduN3_l0L378l5B2Q7G-eX0G5hSFdM6OQ9RVM2m2s8Ijn5VMkQV-FZQ2o5WAt9QnZHXZB-1_vjGcaS/s320/Christmas+&+More+014.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>New Years.</b><br />
When we got back from La Center, we decided to head to the Eastern shoreline and spend a few days in Ocean City, Maryland. Although the weather wasn't ideal for the beach, it was so great to put our toes in the sand and watch the sunset. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTqM-S1_EtTa4DpcwZsceqK7vX8U9YQvUDEp6nvI-gq8c2yw6e218hWyEJLi2t3aK_zgbV4xklWUoVlAaRwBDLq40HO7cljP6VD9WZnb3fKZir-Ax7cOPXqZqimKy3CQVf5qmiDTnkGsY/s1600/Christmas+&+More+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTqM-S1_EtTa4DpcwZsceqK7vX8U9YQvUDEp6nvI-gq8c2yw6e218hWyEJLi2t3aK_zgbV4xklWUoVlAaRwBDLq40HO7cljP6VD9WZnb3fKZir-Ax7cOPXqZqimKy3CQVf5qmiDTnkGsY/s320/Christmas+&+More+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEh5kX8miWrJCKkjA-nFhKy9Mi15L4mbA_45SKj6iUCSodqJSbEURCdsNLEnYxm0tYKZNJZg1KrxWrMNfz5IsDXjsWw2w3ZyGRWSorp-ORMp6ZMTL8zMW9BCKF9XlRDTbojdA2z5-AvHn4hW/s1600/Christmas+&+More+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kX8miWrJCKkjA-nFhKy9Mi15L4mbA_45SKj6iUCSodqJSbEURCdsNLEnYxm0tYKZNJZg1KrxWrMNfz5IsDXjsWw2w3ZyGRWSorp-ORMp6ZMTL8zMW9BCKF9XlRDTbojdA2z5-AvHn4hW/s320/Christmas+&+More+022.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You better believe I schooled Mike in skee ball.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArjlpgffKI9LqHlgMEe6qFD1hZRL8VBexM7BCmB0v0XVlAela51G2Bio0ExWGhp7N3l7dQBdPrMs0MbBoTAXMuN4xveQG36YiDuShRxTAzL77xyfg_I0zOnY3f7jtCt_cg6XQgGm33VIP/s1600/Christmas+&+More+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArjlpgffKI9LqHlgMEe6qFD1hZRL8VBexM7BCmB0v0XVlAela51G2Bio0ExWGhp7N3l7dQBdPrMs0MbBoTAXMuN4xveQG36YiDuShRxTAzL77xyfg_I0zOnY3f7jtCt_cg6XQgGm33VIP/s320/Christmas+&+More+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPe96X8UQhU_Ot9DonzmNILJNeEceu1DZxvaGf9i2h1zD4j0Hji8kLmsZVOS2L-lZfczTQd1LkjOlzpJOOBkYZrUebRKnzPz0c9U7rj9Bn5lHsBQ4OTk1OB_dntotQonRVGn1e3O6yWb3/s1600/Christmas+&+More+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPe96X8UQhU_Ot9DonzmNILJNeEceu1DZxvaGf9i2h1zD4j0Hji8kLmsZVOS2L-lZfczTQd1LkjOlzpJOOBkYZrUebRKnzPz0c9U7rj9Bn5lHsBQ4OTk1OB_dntotQonRVGn1e3O6yWb3/s320/Christmas+&+More+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqwIhBqOqMIFEck3zHRTyDiO2uPEmOMdQv5PsG4YfyL491hCROn0T5AtcxZ3MnCRg20_ABAnYw13f5q41d87fsxF407rvzZy7r0rLPjSjOapHADlNtwzZxXGpm-hbFMDc5ftFlVx7ePvA/s1600/Christmas+&+More+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqwIhBqOqMIFEck3zHRTyDiO2uPEmOMdQv5PsG4YfyL491hCROn0T5AtcxZ3MnCRg20_ABAnYw13f5q41d87fsxF407rvzZy7r0rLPjSjOapHADlNtwzZxXGpm-hbFMDc5ftFlVx7ePvA/s320/Christmas+&+More+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeRcSZVhavHQsfD5-VLlsm4Op-9tqZ86c9jta0WSArt5_YJONCVLHPPzeRwSkubdjm6OUFmfIJS5pbqjTREWlUXSRsfnfmP5nENBNfo1yri5h0axzn0HrrhRtablw-xva4t-mP5eEcb1b/s1600/Christmas+&+More+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeRcSZVhavHQsfD5-VLlsm4Op-9tqZ86c9jta0WSArt5_YJONCVLHPPzeRwSkubdjm6OUFmfIJS5pbqjTREWlUXSRsfnfmP5nENBNfo1yri5h0axzn0HrrhRtablw-xva4t-mP5eEcb1b/s320/Christmas+&+More+044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEhZaWIfa0gBLn2s6OiY1f-xlanPh2MuGZi3W-FdBf0lp73rBWnnEjU93nfNq4_Jbo0LUUKLJi3YHFj3B4yKFCNDBO9nGlIOLU4_OrnRel0rO8z8vk0ol-HTSE34tYuxp_EveKf4Ko8hLjVd/s1600/Christmas+&+More+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaWIfa0gBLn2s6OiY1f-xlanPh2MuGZi3W-FdBf0lp73rBWnnEjU93nfNq4_Jbo0LUUKLJi3YHFj3B4yKFCNDBO9nGlIOLU4_OrnRel0rO8z8vk0ol-HTSE34tYuxp_EveKf4Ko8hLjVd/s320/Christmas+&+More+061.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GJ_qI6e2DDVz4EnQkfmfqrrRVBJ2fbgsARaeLCMlngXMzxg03JbKuhn3XSv6kPjAJ0gU88nKpwS_aoAHcgmU6wETX3-KlgCAaBwvjuKVUci79B7oTCpeee6LwX7fNzdrowNI5l9yYz7c/s1600/Christmas+&+More+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GJ_qI6e2DDVz4EnQkfmfqrrRVBJ2fbgsARaeLCMlngXMzxg03JbKuhn3XSv6kPjAJ0gU88nKpwS_aoAHcgmU6wETX3-KlgCAaBwvjuKVUci79B7oTCpeee6LwX7fNzdrowNI5l9yYz7c/s320/Christmas+&+More+060.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went out for some famous Maryland crab and they gave us these wooden hammers to use. I guess I'm not very cultured because I had NO idea how to get the crab meat out of the shell. Our waitress walked by right as I was hitting the shell with my hammer as hard as I could, and she asked if we needed an explanation. Obviously, we did.<br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjxRMuv9wyjUKlyuXewN1pfFdRkWvIRlX1Tam0KZSjacGi2I9pJTRDrmwL1TEMHF5YkHjdRXRfiopJCrD-n2OiPnEfn-PINX8iutHa7Ee9XG-FqS2AQ1SyzxpguGEUFk-L_LD4QWxF2Ev/s1600/Christmas+&+More+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjxRMuv9wyjUKlyuXewN1pfFdRkWvIRlX1Tam0KZSjacGi2I9pJTRDrmwL1TEMHF5YkHjdRXRfiopJCrD-n2OiPnEfn-PINX8iutHa7Ee9XG-FqS2AQ1SyzxpguGEUFk-L_LD4QWxF2Ev/s320/Christmas+&+More+052.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>We can't wait to go back to the beach now that the weather is warmer, but next time we are going to try out Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. We drove through this town on our way back from Ocean City and it looked like such a dream.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-26183504531208860662012-03-24T15:30:00.000-04:002012-03-24T15:30:24.333-04:00The Road to Mt. Vernon.Back in October, I did something really crazy. I decided that I would try out a 16 mile bike ride to the Mount Vernon Estate. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am NOT a great bike rider. If I have to ride up any sort of incline, I give up after 15 seconds and start walking my bike instead. Pretty pathetic, I know.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpdN8o7fSGtuPW2dJ5i80aWmbYNmZOwjH9usqfYV97a1g4tZtvb2Lhm77woZkHxxFTIhSiEO_sckzUXVYO3nkpRpZXHjaYQlutuSfeIl8A_RixfKbVPeP8C5jqHWA0WAefc4wgpO49c9L/s1600/m_gwpkwy+1.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpdN8o7fSGtuPW2dJ5i80aWmbYNmZOwjH9usqfYV97a1g4tZtvb2Lhm77woZkHxxFTIhSiEO_sckzUXVYO3nkpRpZXHjaYQlutuSfeIl8A_RixfKbVPeP8C5jqHWA0WAefc4wgpO49c9L/s1600/m_gwpkwy+1.GIF" /></a></div> Here is a map of the Mount Vernon Trail. We started where the blue arrow is at Belle Haven Park.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWpZ9bBC-GKnb9T-rFuKs-SYrTLR7vQRl7GjslXfEHI8tUUjj3p5XH6bshn1kStY8AG_vBzRLnxqa4cnVCsgvVCE6oae8AM_a5cIMZBA7FdpvmfeThLvO0HNY6dSPOg1c9D5Sra2cyNV7/s1600/IMG_8478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWpZ9bBC-GKnb9T-rFuKs-SYrTLR7vQRl7GjslXfEHI8tUUjj3p5XH6bshn1kStY8AG_vBzRLnxqa4cnVCsgvVCE6oae8AM_a5cIMZBA7FdpvmfeThLvO0HNY6dSPOg1c9D5Sra2cyNV7/s320/IMG_8478.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtejDf-gaCI761C4ScyXq4PxDdYH5Vh42EWbVU__D2ex_ID31XsbLts8fvun5oHDVQwX9uRnsqykx0ZInFzcxDOabm7OcKT3Dpr9mzthjeepVZReJvpK7sxGdZlvWvmEm7htfkyf_Ho31/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtejDf-gaCI761C4ScyXq4PxDdYH5Vh42EWbVU__D2ex_ID31XsbLts8fvun5oHDVQwX9uRnsqykx0ZInFzcxDOabm7OcKT3Dpr9mzthjeepVZReJvpK7sxGdZlvWvmEm7htfkyf_Ho31/s320/Raven's+Stadium+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPJnRF1_mGdaKV-hJFHUT1rpBKaGhP3PHbLB63e44-yF0Lj2NbuKziFi6gZjZWYfo9JSFN42NcDC3BbA9tjKvn2kFiXKnnYxrur5OW4E3hgl2IYPTljyef9jYYIJjQJ1mC6MF_l71rMxQ/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPJnRF1_mGdaKV-hJFHUT1rpBKaGhP3PHbLB63e44-yF0Lj2NbuKziFi6gZjZWYfo9JSFN42NcDC3BbA9tjKvn2kFiXKnnYxrur5OW4E3hgl2IYPTljyef9jYYIJjQJ1mC6MF_l71rMxQ/s320/Raven's+Stadium+062.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEjl7o2km3eByHkEshEOP92j93qaTDlmodM6wlL-h91kb6XpUIj8SMzLjS2-L1PN8BxdFvqCkaOxHBZnaBGBlRsA3WtYT95x7pOLGQJfS_DHIrnXa-pEbksT3fxBaIU4MR80pmUBwj3kylQs/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7o2km3eByHkEshEOP92j93qaTDlmodM6wlL-h91kb6XpUIj8SMzLjS2-L1PN8BxdFvqCkaOxHBZnaBGBlRsA3WtYT95x7pOLGQJfS_DHIrnXa-pEbksT3fxBaIU4MR80pmUBwj3kylQs/s320/Raven's+Stadium+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view of the Potomac River.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We did the bike ride with our friends Spencer & Taylor. It was really fun, and the scenery wasn't too bad either.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqPElREg2vIK9Nfte80FH4P9iD1Qq6MZeKL20w-amaQJR9_8gZWsqUub-x7yqsiga5OdSJ8RJfXQn705XiZbDuGHARVUX0_WyAmcPm1jJlFYgY4bjWr1OnY8EEwqmL4964IkDKNDn9yLD/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqPElREg2vIK9Nfte80FH4P9iD1Qq6MZeKL20w-amaQJR9_8gZWsqUub-x7yqsiga5OdSJ8RJfXQn705XiZbDuGHARVUX0_WyAmcPm1jJlFYgY4bjWr1OnY8EEwqmL4964IkDKNDn9yLD/s320/Raven's+Stadium+056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is Mike's super cool bike that he bought off of Craigslist. (Don't worry Mom, this was before we knew about the Camry fiasco.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CdF8rwjmucxB6lMC2I7cCPCbQA46G1IK_7YHHAy3TxyQFdvL7knCkuZwWFk20EPTLXOBsa8qGzfsrkC0Zp7NGOGAuBoeo74azrLySS9z6m6ycNRbSobc_ox1kQre_D8OS2OQoAF8EsHj/s1600/Raven's+Stadium+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CdF8rwjmucxB6lMC2I7cCPCbQA46G1IK_7YHHAy3TxyQFdvL7knCkuZwWFk20EPTLXOBsa8qGzfsrkC0Zp7NGOGAuBoeo74azrLySS9z6m6ycNRbSobc_ox1kQre_D8OS2OQoAF8EsHj/s320/Raven's+Stadium+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The best part about the whole experience is that everybody else was riding nice road bikes, and I rode this dorky mountain bike. On the way to Mount Vernon, I struggled A LOT. Like usual, I had a really hard time going up any sort of hill. My legs were burning and I was out of breath. I think Mike was sort of embarrassed in front of our new friends. When we were about 1 mile from our destination, I stopped because I thought my legs were going to fall off. Mike and Spencer started examining my bike to make sure everything was working correctly, and it turns out that the back break was rubbing against the back tire the entire time. This obviously created a whole lot of friction and made me put in twice the effort to get my bike going. I couldn't believe it. Needless to say, the ride back was a breeze! And I guess I'm not as terrible of a bike rider as I thought I was.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-31817997029033756292011-09-22T23:00:00.000-04:002011-09-22T23:00:04.926-04:00Two Years.Exactly one month ago, Mike and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. I think about our wedding day often. It was the funnest day of my life. If only we could re-live it every year...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg1mY97o2dO0bPbjTlmks4ECZmqIoLQprUItpiuSecoIBrDR8cEkVMF2qXDgaCWjExJ0YEZThzMbEmEGDzldj1gfdvxZXVNsjBlfIZCMz2EqXMm6xsnrVUq3PZXHGsoyRo0SOgDo1Kyw2/s1600/_MG_1333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg1mY97o2dO0bPbjTlmks4ECZmqIoLQprUItpiuSecoIBrDR8cEkVMF2qXDgaCWjExJ0YEZThzMbEmEGDzldj1gfdvxZXVNsjBlfIZCMz2EqXMm6xsnrVUq3PZXHGsoyRo0SOgDo1Kyw2/s320/_MG_1333.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVYqZonC-e50aKmBZeY2R9-1nt6BJWzHFqIBYVw61PhCuyOkQVnWIOrWNpBzFUxTHi9J5q7672mUmN-vHJ1dVEUQIWlIpRZxDLx2IUrrAFvE-9VjQYyUHQu4WdLMwm64coNN7rvcz3yUG/s1600/_MG_1342_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVYqZonC-e50aKmBZeY2R9-1nt6BJWzHFqIBYVw61PhCuyOkQVnWIOrWNpBzFUxTHi9J5q7672mUmN-vHJ1dVEUQIWlIpRZxDLx2IUrrAFvE-9VjQYyUHQu4WdLMwm64coNN7rvcz3yUG/s320/_MG_1342_0001.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>We celebrated by going to the temple and the National Museum of American History, and then enjoying a nice dinner at a french restaurant called Bistro d'OC. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyPsdnkeLM3Cv-XFbgnPsQgzehRECKI9yJ7gj8v9G9p1mCFyWKyINv1ubpssNEH62ceNiW5YMU1Gjf7RcckigouGJwvwOZkrzoaElU2lA-lSW0aNN8KNnR5anStOSi5B8-kxAbBksaO9s/s1600/2011+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyPsdnkeLM3Cv-XFbgnPsQgzehRECKI9yJ7gj8v9G9p1mCFyWKyINv1ubpssNEH62ceNiW5YMU1Gjf7RcckigouGJwvwOZkrzoaElU2lA-lSW0aNN8KNnR5anStOSi5B8-kxAbBksaO9s/s320/2011+008.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7uXyPHGS6OcIxHUAqXuCFKqx55_trfhIX51cVFUsFCfr0c50ieFz0WRf-1TzqxEhTd2BFIXuwstQf6dFhstpt3wN9JGJepeoYBIGFJF7oPWIMVLYgfcA5u43bnpYKbl9Rlx6_sKOmnjg/s1600/2011+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7uXyPHGS6OcIxHUAqXuCFKqx55_trfhIX51cVFUsFCfr0c50ieFz0WRf-1TzqxEhTd2BFIXuwstQf6dFhstpt3wN9JGJepeoYBIGFJF7oPWIMVLYgfcA5u43bnpYKbl9Rlx6_sKOmnjg/s320/2011+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1HA7POCAl-bqdv3ny5dvAWb45h50_06GPSPwXt7fyEU6opUZ1witQcF_8H4yD_yyqOg0noFihFdNM-vn9160sTCWM6YF9QOVTG_rrlLoEVioHiqvJB4VdXAJ7JbeJeMWVWGFa-WGBcGs/s1600/2011+018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1HA7POCAl-bqdv3ny5dvAWb45h50_06GPSPwXt7fyEU6opUZ1witQcF_8H4yD_yyqOg0noFihFdNM-vn9160sTCWM6YF9QOVTG_rrlLoEVioHiqvJB4VdXAJ7JbeJeMWVWGFa-WGBcGs/s320/2011+018.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEgRcXTB1sxVcuQoAPyhOLC4di8bPT8nbii-YEkyyXhisKt2qrjqb8807QOPBYZq6xRlza4iHhY1s73E8M38YF6__uoU9LM95y87Z-s140aqnf0sl7xIfkt3DAXMlXFvwKjwzNcrmSO3aPAC/s1600/2011+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcXTB1sxVcuQoAPyhOLC4di8bPT8nbii-YEkyyXhisKt2qrjqb8807QOPBYZq6xRlza4iHhY1s73E8M38YF6__uoU9LM95y87Z-s140aqnf0sl7xIfkt3DAXMlXFvwKjwzNcrmSO3aPAC/s320/2011+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was part of an exhibit in the American's at War section of the museum. I especially enjoyed the poster on the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4V9eBn3NzdomrRXPbQ6Wtkil4QcU6YLrpZ_A7OqQksJnERKtUjrtczetxI_0GhygCaJTVHSSmiEC-wLmjup7Ak3X38_pdKjsRnEVJVXEMlMb4SS3bWnv9rvYfZ1Tj2MN7uzSlTPL-QTB/s1600/2011+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4V9eBn3NzdomrRXPbQ6Wtkil4QcU6YLrpZ_A7OqQksJnERKtUjrtczetxI_0GhygCaJTVHSSmiEC-wLmjup7Ak3X38_pdKjsRnEVJVXEMlMb4SS3bWnv9rvYfZ1Tj2MN7uzSlTPL-QTB/s320/2011+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-3xKqTvV6oZ3qjM35SlBDSOTKCCTMnx6IrW7m5E4gUN5rIObAnGjSpsa-LJEqLiWLmcOCnEghxVrZ7N_6QJTKQ3gLOfAJx_NO-kZytis_iJnTjZOMZixVu8Q9dDiKaAvc6dSmyERr73s/s1600/2011+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-3xKqTvV6oZ3qjM35SlBDSOTKCCTMnx6IrW7m5E4gUN5rIObAnGjSpsa-LJEqLiWLmcOCnEghxVrZ7N_6QJTKQ3gLOfAJx_NO-kZytis_iJnTjZOMZixVu8Q9dDiKaAvc6dSmyERr73s/s320/2011+016.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vote for me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZtU_bXp5Rymxp8A6ywRQ083NwpxtnSW0rIZxw07lRnqfK8yseImacrFSryBzDXuaAcZ2NbuDxugwjc-Mk3kcW5Wm3GDpJmUpwz8DTpbz4UkShuXmUV5zqBXQvm-uAmPNHrUkY_oWiuG1/s1600/2011+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZtU_bXp5Rymxp8A6ywRQ083NwpxtnSW0rIZxw07lRnqfK8yseImacrFSryBzDXuaAcZ2NbuDxugwjc-Mk3kcW5Wm3GDpJmUpwz8DTpbz4UkShuXmUV5zqBXQvm-uAmPNHrUkY_oWiuG1/s320/2011+017.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jKJKdRaFJgx8JQp1Oo5eATC1qfwcyH0Jnc6EF52tM0rCvXftf3URpcRXSk15z3Ece3iY_18QhfWy9jurZv3qKdiUHRgdwRvshFzQaGi0rQhlH-X6H9kAvPXQhsDa1Gmx30BP74hvwnV5/s1600/2011+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jKJKdRaFJgx8JQp1Oo5eATC1qfwcyH0Jnc6EF52tM0rCvXftf3URpcRXSk15z3Ece3iY_18QhfWy9jurZv3qKdiUHRgdwRvshFzQaGi0rQhlH-X6H9kAvPXQhsDa1Gmx30BP74hvwnV5/s320/2011+020.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeu80Uy5q_AJS2bvKCvt65zYeaSn9P838wxokX4sWiA3vWLdVkYY5HqEAYrVmugWbYp8LopepaIgop85Fb2NqltDgHlmFGv3POBB0yl8NUXCeUQmDjnfClONDOjFdYsxeC63GP8J22lJ-/s1600/2011+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeu80Uy5q_AJS2bvKCvt65zYeaSn9P838wxokX4sWiA3vWLdVkYY5HqEAYrVmugWbYp8LopepaIgop85Fb2NqltDgHlmFGv3POBB0yl8NUXCeUQmDjnfClONDOjFdYsxeC63GP8J22lJ-/s320/2011+022.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>To many, many more years....Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-75678534468972287042011-09-22T21:40:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:40:57.355-04:00New Couch.Yesterday was a big day in the Barnett household. We finally got to put away the air mattress because our new couch came!!! And I love it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQUl01h_Zc08TBnbPEGVWqGPHZvkAEED_XiPyzOQ_o2YY90IoM4-6QbaUYAOPoD_SqUbnDuLGMPcecV8YAIZ3f9T_EeOFjuSkwrOqqkwUH_yRBsFuAYGrCxlh1ucf2vt_NYvUEfaGVjv8/s1600/Raven%2527s+Stadium+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQUl01h_Zc08TBnbPEGVWqGPHZvkAEED_XiPyzOQ_o2YY90IoM4-6QbaUYAOPoD_SqUbnDuLGMPcecV8YAIZ3f9T_EeOFjuSkwrOqqkwUH_yRBsFuAYGrCxlh1ucf2vt_NYvUEfaGVjv8/s320/Raven%2527s+Stadium+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzLSFKQq5jjE9eowGLb6AzpD0WaOc595Ek9liO9XDxj7lsNHkJxL8weWet1lQmtlqGy-eMkvClXjTZojH-stlX5iZbCsgjXIOwpgj72NCOSBnWgQy_FAwYwWUUBIPiV9iK2E9Iy5-Js2/s1600/Raven%2527s+Stadium+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVzLSFKQq5jjE9eowGLb6AzpD0WaOc595Ek9liO9XDxj7lsNHkJxL8weWet1lQmtlqGy-eMkvClXjTZojH-stlX5iZbCsgjXIOwpgj72NCOSBnWgQy_FAwYwWUUBIPiV9iK2E9Iy5-Js2/s320/Raven%2527s+Stadium+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzZEDWoSjdK0F0wZfylKOw8b3nKbh_vikbJezRCWhS8rlQLpGjIBtgU5dRGDBlLQt83qPAYLjB4QLc5nbAHDFhIF6FxoCw1SEOUlJC388ubNdSMepgSPA-R1svBgp5jOdzvqluaEwKTp0/s1600/Raven%2527s+Stadium+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzZEDWoSjdK0F0wZfylKOw8b3nKbh_vikbJezRCWhS8rlQLpGjIBtgU5dRGDBlLQt83qPAYLjB4QLc5nbAHDFhIF6FxoCw1SEOUlJC388ubNdSMepgSPA-R1svBgp5jOdzvqluaEwKTp0/s320/Raven%2527s+Stadium+031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><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/AVvXsEiRLYm7Jq96d7EgaNJyZ7P0P8aCkXTZhjdBXYX6IZup_fojpaySNFS4gkibuZvNoOtJt3OKkmlpVQpVcjw644P3ehnpwvDdAByAJzJXXS30hrKNYTsACoLG6zZ2vBrCP-xNHLALRHwvcART/s1600/Raven%2527s+Stadium+036.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLYm7Jq96d7EgaNJyZ7P0P8aCkXTZhjdBXYX6IZup_fojpaySNFS4gkibuZvNoOtJt3OKkmlpVQpVcjw644P3ehnpwvDdAByAJzJXXS30hrKNYTsACoLG6zZ2vBrCP-xNHLALRHwvcART/s320/Raven%2527s+Stadium+036.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're so happy to finally have a place to sit.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-82815741222986120622011-09-11T20:39:00.000-04:002011-09-11T20:39:43.401-04:00The National Mall.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our favorite part about living in D.C. is the endless amount of activities and things to see. We've set a goal to try and see at least one tourist attraction each weekend, and with the exception of the hurricane Irene weekend when we didn't leave our house, we have been successful. Our first weekend here we decided to hit the National Mall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiuOpp7CrhKpLI8brBfGcPI1IYjTEMgWU126VpzMlI6YTAjDE4ufv0bb9EtSH6wYHYGWp9KqBDtvcoxuKZ03UHo0TnwXQuls0odVGbplEtw-LNFoVtSxwT9R10luRj04FRM2WtXnqXpaJ/s1600/2011+447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiuOpp7CrhKpLI8brBfGcPI1IYjTEMgWU126VpzMlI6YTAjDE4ufv0bb9EtSH6wYHYGWp9KqBDtvcoxuKZ03UHo0TnwXQuls0odVGbplEtw-LNFoVtSxwT9R10luRj04FRM2WtXnqXpaJ/s320/2011+447.jpg" width="239" /></a></div> I like to do all the dorky tourist things like pretend to push the Washington Monument because Mike gets so embarrassed! I think it's pretty funny.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hKQmpzeXudzM-Gke-6Kmq3nqBvsmfubT8kvQsPLhcvQAvYEKUAdeL25Wc1fpgwjk4Qhl2NKHrKBuhjEbqRyZqAKPXum6fJKny_URlCst4h4Nsg5Us3FsNYo0Y3zVt0GGDw9NgAi4yqiU/s1600/2011+449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hKQmpzeXudzM-Gke-6Kmq3nqBvsmfubT8kvQsPLhcvQAvYEKUAdeL25Wc1fpgwjk4Qhl2NKHrKBuhjEbqRyZqAKPXum6fJKny_URlCst4h4Nsg5Us3FsNYo0Y3zVt0GGDw9NgAi4yqiU/s320/2011+449.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBmdZbTrJwksX_Kjr64bEVMYvmFl4-EcFpfNcxXi7yo_GHr8qMQPCgwhbacYLqc_yQ0JIzmFdisdDKnnKhfewfdfjiIoX0UJEvyG2pXrkN7rtGIHmP2TodOPYNFlOpfP7tHIlnahSkj5D/s1600/2011+450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBmdZbTrJwksX_Kjr64bEVMYvmFl4-EcFpfNcxXi7yo_GHr8qMQPCgwhbacYLqc_yQ0JIzmFdisdDKnnKhfewfdfjiIoX0UJEvyG2pXrkN7rtGIHmP2TodOPYNFlOpfP7tHIlnahSkj5D/s320/2011+450.jpg" width="239" /></a></div> This soldier proposed to his girlfriend in the middle of the World War II memorial. Everybody clapped and cheered for the happy couple. Can you get any more cheesy? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDVSw-mwjfaMLKtS8x4fglPTIl4WAKdXCOl-e3xMwxXzqRvw4IoKQhWfJQRrw72whmEwpCQnM2nwniKK_Hg3wFdV5L5z8JlFZHg-oPKsVw0ySBExj0d7iPoIUUuJQdpEsT9X6uSGHzrn6/s1600/2011+453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDVSw-mwjfaMLKtS8x4fglPTIl4WAKdXCOl-e3xMwxXzqRvw4IoKQhWfJQRrw72whmEwpCQnM2nwniKK_Hg3wFdV5L5z8JlFZHg-oPKsVw0ySBExj0d7iPoIUUuJQdpEsT9X6uSGHzrn6/s320/2011+453.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysln0Viio3XNdik-GOYtaWpqI7NvegE0oi3rQMQSmUSS5_6nHTpoVVuwTj2qX_B38Z7t5K_1vmHRNMTLGU4rP67wV7y6SOMnpjIZrnU8mXGCGbX2LAhO2fvU3Y_KLX1JSnnBNPkpMvQCV/s1600/2011+454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysln0Viio3XNdik-GOYtaWpqI7NvegE0oi3rQMQSmUSS5_6nHTpoVVuwTj2qX_B38Z7t5K_1vmHRNMTLGU4rP67wV7y6SOMnpjIZrnU8mXGCGbX2LAhO2fvU3Y_KLX1JSnnBNPkpMvQCV/s320/2011+454.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfZX1slZCYmzrxQ6uOmDHFwmbdudXO8-RxZEEwyukwi1GYNTGmQ2maGH9wKi2vgItUjzkgi2_982Cs7DwoWubxxfGU55fpstqYz7N4bCh6nX6U_nd2LGveK0UYtGu3lLsHBWFN06WWsd1/s1600/2011+457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfZX1slZCYmzrxQ6uOmDHFwmbdudXO8-RxZEEwyukwi1GYNTGmQ2maGH9wKi2vgItUjzkgi2_982Cs7DwoWubxxfGU55fpstqYz7N4bCh6nX6U_nd2LGveK0UYtGu3lLsHBWFN06WWsd1/s320/2011+457.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nmc2FZHeol7UhvawJbeZGinaXWxju74fZaxqBqHaTeEGLDU_Cl57yA3z_PnfVCk2GXVaSL97XKsqTZkFtz_L4LKHeNG3D3giPsuC6fJlRAvQ5c7HuJy_cEA5stF3XGpPLKEw-ssrS-0L/s1600/2011+459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nmc2FZHeol7UhvawJbeZGinaXWxju74fZaxqBqHaTeEGLDU_Cl57yA3z_PnfVCk2GXVaSL97XKsqTZkFtz_L4LKHeNG3D3giPsuC6fJlRAvQ5c7HuJy_cEA5stF3XGpPLKEw-ssrS-0L/s320/2011+459.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvYON9Q9FHwOo7GKm-NS4sbJgZ9vRD4O4NCHDmzsiM7p6d2gAXzN313a9LMtZ1HJWGVHQIRhzLXIbPRJAOR3pY9DvQ6Gqx5w9tYk-uxraVbjTVmStJUXUDcitew9X_RDChlyqKeY_Epvh/s1600/2011+460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvYON9Q9FHwOo7GKm-NS4sbJgZ9vRD4O4NCHDmzsiM7p6d2gAXzN313a9LMtZ1HJWGVHQIRhzLXIbPRJAOR3pY9DvQ6Gqx5w9tYk-uxraVbjTVmStJUXUDcitew9X_RDChlyqKeY_Epvh/s320/2011+460.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYTua049voN1z90EUA2LoRGllM1O76EUUggNOi0OrBVfpMLO_gAZo1axoaM5c4vDxkVq-q6Aenxe8JyE6aVGes8yWWyxLTjj2BSIrYROjtaprLo6YIx49_uhSAKENvyJuUwhKy6FWiKjU/s1600/2011+461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYTua049voN1z90EUA2LoRGllM1O76EUUggNOi0OrBVfpMLO_gAZo1axoaM5c4vDxkVq-q6Aenxe8JyE6aVGes8yWWyxLTjj2BSIrYROjtaprLo6YIx49_uhSAKENvyJuUwhKy6FWiKjU/s320/2011+461.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> There is always a sense of reverence at all the memorials and monuments. I love it because it gives me a chance to reflect on the many people that have done so much for this great country.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisJgSE1qwgFTo3ZDjQT34zlX0Ku9Fe7_jyfoYcZoB5c0Xafu5x30rFb_epzzBE2w36ArZAF3EpJR-3qFUOXtUMUXCgan-0DOzDbgYBK5l7iw6O9ouS-Ckw9IWlP33Ay9rRzUAWkH6_H_c/s1600/2011+463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisJgSE1qwgFTo3ZDjQT34zlX0Ku9Fe7_jyfoYcZoB5c0Xafu5x30rFb_epzzBE2w36ArZAF3EpJR-3qFUOXtUMUXCgan-0DOzDbgYBK5l7iw6O9ouS-Ckw9IWlP33Ay9rRzUAWkH6_H_c/s320/2011+463.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsS1d_fboABq9mNDpsVUvwHnFi9MB-gxeU30lmKYrBTdCc9hsSLHemurFDbKPrP6zC7vbUW3BlVVJKOZ-C3h0FxEA142pHkoMgAM4yytR5BJQPvCU3YObCKxCAss8KuKBmY8tuSb24hYb/s1600/2011+466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsS1d_fboABq9mNDpsVUvwHnFi9MB-gxeU30lmKYrBTdCc9hsSLHemurFDbKPrP6zC7vbUW3BlVVJKOZ-C3h0FxEA142pHkoMgAM4yytR5BJQPvCU3YObCKxCAss8KuKBmY8tuSb24hYb/s320/2011+466.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHk42viJf8pkJ6s0MtP8C2sApGt7KLFbDSQyS2hPXhXQ6uf3Lp_Ca7_nJrld3cqEhsQQFuJK9CMPAwLA_RZVYmClR4nfbAKyn0gL9lLs-aKO_kJo0QCs6zNPqp_mQ_gfnt3bHNs5UYBEV/s1600/2011+467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHk42viJf8pkJ6s0MtP8C2sApGt7KLFbDSQyS2hPXhXQ6uf3Lp_Ca7_nJrld3cqEhsQQFuJK9CMPAwLA_RZVYmClR4nfbAKyn0gL9lLs-aKO_kJo0QCs6zNPqp_mQ_gfnt3bHNs5UYBEV/s320/2011+467.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>For some reason I thought this would be a good pose to do in front of the White House. But, what am I DOING? I look like a fool. If you look in the background, there is a girl doing an equally embarrassing pose. I guess the White House just makes you want to strike a pose :)Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-25590987784906939092011-08-31T12:43:00.000-04:002011-08-31T12:43:09.361-04:00Staying Classy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMEDP5cpjTGBWh4a5HB6ODQZ4PJ64fMUNMD1Ur0h7au3Wc5KgeaHOHfwbchm_yJocAwBfuT-dSeUY_oCN-LkR7zoMKUrwkDVIAsnH8ChQeYQ23O7QTRornzq8h9lHXAMA9vib42DMAPy-/s1600/Fur+Shop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMEDP5cpjTGBWh4a5HB6ODQZ4PJ64fMUNMD1Ur0h7au3Wc5KgeaHOHfwbchm_yJocAwBfuT-dSeUY_oCN-LkR7zoMKUrwkDVIAsnH8ChQeYQ23O7QTRornzq8h9lHXAMA9vib42DMAPy-/s320/Fur+Shop.JPG" width="213" xaa="true" /></a></div>Chinchilla and sheepskin. We should have bought these coats..... Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-67177609465205234252011-08-28T21:49:00.000-04:002011-08-28T21:49:49.958-04:00Come on Irene.There's never a dull moment when you live on the East Coast. This is something that we learned really early on, and this week was definitely no exception.<br />
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The excitement all started on Tuesday, August 23. Right around 1:50 pm the ground began to rumble...I was sitting at my desk at work and I knew it was an earthquake RIGHT when the ground started to shake. It was very subtle at first, so I looked around at my co-workers to see if any one else was feeling it. Heads started to turn when the rumbling got stronger and that's when I dove under my desk. I tried to calmly tell everyone else, "This is an earthquake, you might want to get under your desks." BUT, they all just stared at me like I was the biggest weird-o. Bunch of idiots, I would have been the only one to survive if the earthquake was bigger :) <br />
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This will come as no shock to people that know my dad, but literally about 2 minutes after the earthquake happened, I got a text from my dad asking me if I felt the earthquake. How did he already know?? Well, he is ALWAYS watching the news and he'll tell you news that's happening by you before you even know it yourself. This made me laugh.<br />
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Shortly after the quake, I was evacuated from my office building and told to go home for the rest of the day. Booya! You don't have to tell me to leave work twice!! I couldn't get a hold of Mike because cell phone service was so backed up in our area, so I called my dad to tell him that I was sent home from work, and we both just laughed at how dramatic people are out here. If we were in LA and a 5.9 earthquake happened, we would just keep on working. NO BIG DEAL. <br />
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Well, Mike was also sent home from work (along with every other person in the entire area), so as you can imagine, the streets were NUTS! The metro was still running, but at reduced speeds, and the trains were packed. After only taking the metro for one stop, he decided it would be faster to just run. So poor Mike had to RUN home from work. Fortunately, he had work out clothes with him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKj9m8Oy7kO5xL2Y07NZc-z85hkNKYfgTApgtBOC7rgMxZyH2hVSkSq-0pHhr5FfDevvUuGqqZK1riNKRbyPiQQpIHkD4Jkr2sSoEWjXIcOXEB5WwcENpEM9VBEQEoHGmDHN9UlP3hXfC/s1600/2011+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKj9m8Oy7kO5xL2Y07NZc-z85hkNKYfgTApgtBOC7rgMxZyH2hVSkSq-0pHhr5FfDevvUuGqqZK1riNKRbyPiQQpIHkD4Jkr2sSoEWjXIcOXEB5WwcENpEM9VBEQEoHGmDHN9UlP3hXfC/s320/2011+040.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>He was sooo exhausted when he finally got home. Running in the middle of the day with the ridiculous humidity here would normally be a TERRIBLE idea, but under these circumstances it was the best option he had.<br />
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After all the dust settled from the earthquake, Mike and I went shopping and enjoyed an afternoon when we didn't have to be a work :) It was glorious.<br />
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Well, it was one natural disaster to the next...hurricane Irene was making its way up the East Coast and EVERYONE was talking about it. I can't even tell you how many grocery/drug stores Mike and I went to in an attempt to stock up on water, flashlights, and batteries. Couldn't find anything anywhere! It was actually really frustrating. We finally were able to get the supplies that we needed and we were ready for Irene.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC_FNWwYZ4Y2tWUidzj7-5Ibbdqbkox11g-crphwd1JlusCvwF27Hj2ipj1Wl631mo1evWRXjqebUGJd3C91xMn3JkHnXcWpOozEjN0b9D6jypADLI5FXcyIXMoWO5hfRKlC8nozJEBb5/s1600/2011+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC_FNWwYZ4Y2tWUidzj7-5Ibbdqbkox11g-crphwd1JlusCvwF27Hj2ipj1Wl631mo1evWRXjqebUGJd3C91xMn3JkHnXcWpOozEjN0b9D6jypADLI5FXcyIXMoWO5hfRKlC8nozJEBb5/s320/2011+042.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>This is what the sky looked like on Saturday morning as we were making our last-minute preparations. Kinda SCARY! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFtkOZcL8hMP_VtwvNWsC_5jjUlTyaPvENWlgi6pcRaxXxF3AusjR7JSWHVCZ-G-swInMKNhtBULwO3qWelSW32SkuGED_lrrQvJ8FLJ0FdMk5rj6VCosIwVqtMDT9FQ2MkKCm2F_nJa6/s1600/2011+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFtkOZcL8hMP_VtwvNWsC_5jjUlTyaPvENWlgi6pcRaxXxF3AusjR7JSWHVCZ-G-swInMKNhtBULwO3qWelSW32SkuGED_lrrQvJ8FLJ0FdMk5rj6VCosIwVqtMDT9FQ2MkKCm2F_nJa6/s320/2011+045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This was our water supply. We didn't have to evacuate or anything , but we were told to be ready for power outages because I guess the power goes out pretty easily in our area (sometimes even when it gets too hot in the summer).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLuunfZauiI3G4XY0P1quAqV0G-5fFh-62y9IPQizSWDbZs8Eg0-202RIjb8_a3fknXRWY0wryMywhqaBBRDVRjdsq9LoMNOmegflPJPUgKMUnoA2nvrORIAIqea2qCJ-baPrsWvGzKT1/s1600/2011+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLuunfZauiI3G4XY0P1quAqV0G-5fFh-62y9IPQizSWDbZs8Eg0-202RIjb8_a3fknXRWY0wryMywhqaBBRDVRjdsq9LoMNOmegflPJPUgKMUnoA2nvrORIAIqea2qCJ-baPrsWvGzKT1/s320/2011+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Mike was on storm watch and I was in charge of making treats and keeping us happy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5mkNifL4taTPahdIl9Rxk0j67MT6v58-8qp63Z50EU6a_e72pOzVSrDg1lr8RbqfJ2r6eyYAdWNE4pwfzd9JRhr-8SUrtq9bptyMu3Hz3QKIZvOFn31kK2M8Y9lCCOat6cgsnxKk73Ge/s1600/2011+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5mkNifL4taTPahdIl9Rxk0j67MT6v58-8qp63Z50EU6a_e72pOzVSrDg1lr8RbqfJ2r6eyYAdWNE4pwfzd9JRhr-8SUrtq9bptyMu3Hz3QKIZvOFn31kK2M8Y9lCCOat6cgsnxKk73Ge/s320/2011+052.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwuUitGrPhSU0eUz9HnN8Ne0oLMJhYwEhP4_fHmFOVY5z_eHacR7Lcd8TDKUduBKlvzWTrOusTepuDoo697R7_57oMg8NtAmUgzE60AT9DLdbP-I9YwXJ-4oivMhYzbSSvJD8qSHC3FKg/s1600/2011+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwuUitGrPhSU0eUz9HnN8Ne0oLMJhYwEhP4_fHmFOVY5z_eHacR7Lcd8TDKUduBKlvzWTrOusTepuDoo697R7_57oMg8NtAmUgzE60AT9DLdbP-I9YwXJ-4oivMhYzbSSvJD8qSHC3FKg/s320/2011+050.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>We don't have a couch yet, so we just layed on our air mattress all day and night. The news stations kept telling everyone to "hunker down". I've never heard of "hunkering" in my life, what does that even mean?? Well, we didn't leave our house from 3 pm on Saturday until about 3 pm on Sunday. (I think we did a good job trying to hunker.) Our church meetings were canceled because of the hurricane, so we just enjoyed a nice relaxing day at home because nothing even happened to us. Not even a flicker of the lights! Millions of people lost power in Virginia, so I guess we were some of the lucky ones. The only damage Irene did to us was make our backs hurt from laying around for hours :) We survived!<br />
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Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-31540913532234672032011-08-28T19:09:00.000-04:002011-08-28T19:09:17.801-04:00Cross country roadtrip.I want to go back in time a few weeks to talk about our roadtrip across the United States because it was actually a pretty fun (yet exhausting) experience. (I know my brother Tim was jealous.)<br />
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<b>Day 1 [August 2, 2011]</b><br />
Destination: Omaha, Nebraska <br />
Distance: 926 miles<br />
Hours in car: 13<br />
States driven through: Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska<br />
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Let me tell you, Wyoming and Nebraska are NOT exactly the most exciting states in the U.S. We got so sick of looking at corn fields, so we had to rely on our iPod, our snacks, and each other to stay entertained. I drove the first leg of the day, and by the time it was Mike's turn to drive I found these awesome self-portraits on my phone.<br />
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<b>Day 2 [August 3, 2011]</b><br />
Destination: Chicago, Illinois<br />
Distance: 475 Miles<br />
Time in car: 7.5 hours<br />
States driven through: Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois<br />
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We decided to take it a little easier on day 2 to make sure we made the whole experience an enjoyable one. The drive to Chicago was also full of LOTS and LOTS of corn fields, but it was definitely a cool feeling to drive across the Mississippi river.<br />
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You can't really tell just how big the river is from these pictures, but it is BIG.<br />
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Soon after crossing the Mississippi, we arrived in Chicago. Mike and I both LOVED Chicago. It is such an awesome city. We tried to cram in all the classic tourist attractions in the short time we had there.<br />
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We took the short train ride from our hotel into the city and started with Millennium Park.<br />
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The Bean!!! <br />
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There was an outdoor symphony performing that evening, which definitely added to ambiance of the park.<br />
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Next, we ate some Chicago-style pizza for dinner at Giordano's which was recommended by my sister Carin AND the concierge in our hotel. It was delicioso.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVSKtvbynwgfTCik0-alUkxItgqmy3RVwxJOL16Vn6VrHj4ANYYrvvK0B1dUpRzdKUAPI7LlgDSOSCzrBhbHni-sKLryW0rtW8kDeVa8V8Qq4AooCgY8K8IfsvVmG548e_dcWHbaSuH_7/s1600/2011+416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVSKtvbynwgfTCik0-alUkxItgqmy3RVwxJOL16Vn6VrHj4ANYYrvvK0B1dUpRzdKUAPI7LlgDSOSCzrBhbHni-sKLryW0rtW8kDeVa8V8Qq4AooCgY8K8IfsvVmG548e_dcWHbaSuH_7/s320/2011+416.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDs1pTeNA5LSQOGjgz6BK9dEk_ZphKscLagY39vkAGqs0btLRXkxRo57Wmttn-Dfv_BcZocCPPWmlS0Dze38BBQAv7y4adpBbxwvd9BsTo8gN_X7LIRoQzPPKW3g9IdBs1HCkaDE2-FB1/s1600/2011+418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDs1pTeNA5LSQOGjgz6BK9dEk_ZphKscLagY39vkAGqs0btLRXkxRo57Wmttn-Dfv_BcZocCPPWmlS0Dze38BBQAv7y4adpBbxwvd9BsTo8gN_X7LIRoQzPPKW3g9IdBs1HCkaDE2-FB1/s320/2011+418.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>After dinner we enjoyed a banana split in the park and then walked down to the Buckingham Fountain. By this time, we were beat, so we decided to head back to our hotel to relax and gear up for the next LONG day of driving.<br />
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<b>Day 3 [August 4, 2011]</b><br />
Destination: Gaithersburg, Maryland<br />
Distance: 754 miles<br />
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Time in car: 12.5 hours<br />
States driven through: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland<br />
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By the third day of our trip, I was EXHAUSTED. Luckily, Mike still had energy to drive so I let him do just that. Mike drove 3/4 of the distance on this day and I was sooo grateful. The scenery was much more exciting, especially as we got to the eastern part of Ohio and into Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Lots of HUGE, green trees. Beautiful.<br />
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My sister and brother-in law, Kari and Matt's friends, the Peo's, were kind enough to let us stay with them for a few days. However, the situation was complicated by the fact that Mandi was 9 months pregnant at the time! We were very fortunate to find our house, AND move in on the FIRST day we went out looking. So things worked out perfectly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWoBKZM46fY97jatDhKgu8S7scusKlvCPSNtZ-WiE2-K8jOAlhV3PXBnblTbJsbwynFLjvVPUz_PvO72li1_dbouO72M9CTB32SI1dVVIp2YCDpv4LtTF7YQ-YS5QO7BGLrolFl3a0XN-/s1600/2011+430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWoBKZM46fY97jatDhKgu8S7scusKlvCPSNtZ-WiE2-K8jOAlhV3PXBnblTbJsbwynFLjvVPUz_PvO72li1_dbouO72M9CTB32SI1dVVIp2YCDpv4LtTF7YQ-YS5QO7BGLrolFl3a0XN-/s320/2011+430.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This was our speedometer when we finally arrived in Maryland (which is only a 20 minute drive to our place in Arlington). That is a whole lot of miles to drive without getting lost (not even once) or having car problems!! What a blessing. Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6570457970780842148.post-67533186486769226712011-08-28T17:16:00.001-04:002011-08-28T17:52:28.567-04:00Something to blog about.I've been meaning to start a blog since Mike and I got married, but I've always had a hard time figuring out what to talk about in my posts. Well, as most of you know our lives just recently got more exciting since we moved to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. However, everyone who lives in this area refers to our Nation's Capitol as simply, "The District". So in an attempt to be cool and to not act like a tourist, that's what I titled our blog.<br />
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We moved to Arlington, Virginia (exactly 5.5 miles west of President Obama's house) a little over 3 weeks ago, and we've definitely had a VERY eventful 3 weeks to say the least. I'm planning to talk about all our exciting events in later posts, but in the mean time I'll post a few pictures.<br />
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We were lucky enough to find this cute little yellow house to live in.<br />
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Mike found the house on craigslist, and I fell in love with it immediately. It was built in the 1930's, so it definitely has some outdated parts about it, like the kitchen for example, but it's in a great location and it has this cute fireplace that I just couldn't resist.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD0h8d2gLyrjC5ScVM-ehndVxtmYMiGtmhp_O9ZKn4NGXp9lipBkYR7g32pnOo72eH4r_UpJQc3rZJ6jfc8GhtgOnNcTrKRTIEV_LUIqoU_YQhmWhjcX3AdEXcBa3vpHrAt7k_NDKEjom/s1600/2011+431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD0h8d2gLyrjC5ScVM-ehndVxtmYMiGtmhp_O9ZKn4NGXp9lipBkYR7g32pnOo72eH4r_UpJQc3rZJ6jfc8GhtgOnNcTrKRTIEV_LUIqoU_YQhmWhjcX3AdEXcBa3vpHrAt7k_NDKEjom/s320/2011+431.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>We only have the main level. There is a man that lives in the basement and a young girl that lives on the 2nd floor. Everyone has separate entrances and separate kitchens, so don't worry it's not awkward or anything. The only thing we share is the basement which has plenty of storage and....A WASHER AND DRYER. I can't tell you how exciting it is to be able to wash our clothes every week without having to go to a laundry mat and use quarters. I think I finally understand why Grandma Donna and my dad love doing laundry so much. There is something so rewarding about putting on fresh, clean-smelling clothes every Monday morning. <br />
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Anyways, Mike and I are very exciting about this opportunity we have to be living in such a historic part of our country. We already love it here and hope that things continue to go well for us!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaBCpOVeAxd-CtlThxqNHmGxnhx3X4h0DDeLXeKdFa2AQL97bDnDYANdNgxBEyvnvV84WODWJJtW-DIPI5l7QoESk50jS6NYwXfGdooKUHykHIZpgvZcL5WgQlQ8vVqxnWn-JmXHhrtqg/s1600/2011+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaBCpOVeAxd-CtlThxqNHmGxnhx3X4h0DDeLXeKdFa2AQL97bDnDYANdNgxBEyvnvV84WODWJJtW-DIPI5l7QoESk50jS6NYwXfGdooKUHykHIZpgvZcL5WgQlQ8vVqxnWn-JmXHhrtqg/s320/2011+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We miss and love you all.<br />
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Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16645067858783671018noreply@blogger.com2