DC//post two.

Next stop was the Smithsonian of American History! We were here a couple years ago but they change things up so often we checked it out again. And sure enough there was tons of new stuff!

Top left: Sandstone sun from the Nauvoo Temple! The Church owns the other one that survived.

Top right: He needs no introduction!

Middle: The chairs sat in during the Greensboro sit in 1960 (!!)

Bottom left: Kid you not, an Apple computer from 1980. Sure have come a long way.

Bottom right: THE ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz *mind blown*

Top: progression on electricity 

Left: progression of the $5 bill from 1899 to present

Right top: me voting to keep the penny : ]

Right middle: electricity span 

Right bottom: part of the L! The chicago train we have come to love.

Left: a really cool self-propelling bird art piece

Top right: replica of the Titanic

Middle: a cool boat...haha didn't read about this one!

Middle right: the smallest WORKING steam engine!! what!?

Bottom right: the original "muppets" who had extremely weird names. Kermit was the only one he saved and continued to work with.

Us being tourists.

Kimball with the Capital and me with my favorite popsicle :) Typical.

Final DC post coming right up!

because i am blessed.

DC//post one

Our first Sunday in Virginia we had a great lesson in Relief Society. The teacher opened by showing us a book of amazing pictures from the Library of Congress and explaining the enormity of the library, how many different items they get daily (10,000) and how widely visited it is. She then quoted George Albert Smith, saying 

"We may not possess a library of two or three thousand volumes,

 but we may possess at small cost a priceless library..."

He previously states that this library consists of  The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. I looooove books so the lesson really helped me gain an understanding of how vital it is to have our scripture study above all other reading. 

Anyway, long introduction! After the lesson I told Kimball I really wanted to go see the Library of Congress so we made it our first stop in DC the following week.

True to myself, here are some pictures.

We were not aloud to take pictures of a collection of Jefferson's books or any of the exhibits on hand as they were extremely delicate and of course we were not aloud to take pictures overlooking the actual library. I strongly suggest to anyone near or going to DC to check it out, it is full of history and amazing architectural details! 

Kimball has a friend who works for VP Biden who was able to get us a West Wing and East Wing tours! (Thanks Billy!!) It was AMAZING to see the rooms we see in pictures and even on tv in person. (Spoiler: they are so much smaller than you'd think! But very cool nonetheless). Of course we aren't supposed to take any pictures in the Oval Office or Rose Garden, etc but Billy let us take a couple in designated areas and was a trooper photographer. 

Left is just outside the side doors and right in in the Press Conference Room (which is tiny but where the cameras are located it looks huge). Every chair has a name or a company name on it, seniority gets the closer seats.

Random Fact: The conference room is built over a pool that was installed by Roosevelt for his Polio therapy. It was then changed to a fun kids in-door pool and eventually Nixon covered it for the conference room. There is a small hatch on the floor that opens so you can see in and the White House Correspondence sign the pool side when they retire. 

It was a crazy experience to walk the halls we've seen so many presidents walking and hear the history behind plaques and furniture, paintings and even candlesticks! 

We were so lucky to have connections! We even got a little swag bag of neat stuff (including cuff links that say "Vice President of the United States of America" that Kimball will definitely be rocking --though he was wishing they'd said President hah)

More DC pictures to come!

because i am blessed.

Courtney plays Aurora

While in DC I finally was able to see my sister in law, Courtney, dance live! 

She is a beautiful dancer in every genre but ballet is her definite specialty. She's coming to BYU right as we leave (sad) and is going to try out for the BYU ballet team in a few short weeks!! 

Her final performance was Sleeping Beauty and she was none other than Aurora (my favorite princess). 

Courtney did a beautiful job and I had to pick just a few from the hundreds of pictures I took to show her off. During the show my father in law and I were like the paparazzi snapping picture after picture to get every moment and though the flash was off the "click click click click click click" coming from both of us could not have been super pleasant. Luckily, there were plenty of others doing the exact same so we didn't get any dirty looks {that I was aware of at least..}

So here are a fraction of the pictures I got of her.

It was so great to see her dance live and I know she is going to rock it here at BYU. 

Love you Court!

because i am blessed.

i'm lovin' on...

I know what you're thinking.

"i'm lovin' on...? really, it's been like a year kels!"

Well, I can't stop myself from throwing up a post and it's friday and i'm lovin' on this!

So after a long break from "i'm lovin' on" here we go!

We're in DC right now visiting Kimballs family and the boys are out fishing all day so I hit up Tysons Corner. I've been looking for a cute jean jacket off and on lately but haven't had any luck. They either don't have it in my size, the torso is too short (not so crazy about super short jackets) or it's not the right wash. The list of why it's not perfect goes on and on. I was to the point where I didn't mind paying a little extra if I found the right one. 

So here's the success story:

I saw a jean jacket in the Old Navy window shop. It was a bit darker than I was looking for but I figured I'd go in and see if there were others. Finding no jackets in sight I meandered through the store and finally found myself at the back in the children's section. BUT WAIT! There it was! Not the one in the window but a different, perfect jacket sitting right in front of me. Grabbing a couple of the larger sizes (i love that they have big little girl sizes) I ran to the closest mirror and boom it's perfect and only $20! 

Sold. 

Persistence and waiting for the right deal paid off in this situation. And now I have my cute new jean jacket. Happy girl over here.

because i am blessed.

Poor Baby Big Toe

Remember at Disneyland when I said a possible broken toe? 

Well I was almost right. After walking on the foot for another three weeks we determined the pain probably wasn't going to just go away magically. (Though because the injury happened at the most magical place on earth it seemed a logical thought) 

I went back and forth about going to the doctors but after I concluded the likelihood of my doctor calling me a baby was slim, I decided to go. It was great! He pulled and prodded and we heard a few pops (ouch? we already know it hurts, sir!) and got some x-rays. Which looked great! I was so relieved. After further examination he told me I had strained a tendon and taping it up in a very specific way (I will never understand how they remember how to tape up all the different injuries) and wearing this very fashion-forward boot along with some anti-inflammatory meds would have me better in no time! That's my kind of injury!

Maybe this is just me but generally my biggest fear when facing a doctors appointment is that the doctor will tell me I'm a wuss, to suck it up and stop being a baby. My other fear is that there is something wrong that will take a long time or a induce a lot of pain. So when the conclusion is like the one with my foot I am a happy girl! Yes, we acknowledge there is a problem. No, we will not amputate your foot. Good and good! 

Is anyone else like this?

Anywho! Glad it's figured out and glad I only have to take baths with my leg slung over the bathtub like a crazy person for only a bit longer. 

because i am blessed.

Harry Potter

I am twenty-two years old.

Before a couple weeks ago I had not read the Harry Potter books.

Don't hate me.

Now I'm basically obsessed and CANNOT WAIT to watch all the movies!!!!

I really feel like I'm a 10 year old

(and i'm okay with it.)

What should I read next?! 

I love fiction and am unashamed to say I love children's books and young adult books as well as adult novels so bring it all on!

because i am blessed.

ARIZONA! YOU'RE 100!

My family moved to Arizona when I was barely a year old and I never lived in another state until I graduated high school and went away to school. I'll always be an AZ girl at heart and the dry dry heat will always be my favorite. This February 14th my Arizona turned 100! On our visit we did some of the things that say "arizona" to me. Bahama Bucks, lots of swimming, bbq's, kat and myles time, time with family and a trip to the Tonto Natural Bridge was in order.

This beautiful natural bridge was found by a man running from Indians and he saved himself and his family by hiding up in one of the caves (props for the resourcefulness). If you're in my family you've heard this story numerous times as my dad never fails to retell it when we come but this was Kimball's first time so it made it a little more fun :).

We had a blast despite the wind and getting soaked by the baby waterfall! Though I remember being able to climb around like a chipmunk when I was little, this time I realized how slippery and steep portions of the cave were!! No one slipped too bad and we all had wet bums so being embarrassed was out of the window.

Memorial Day we visited my grandma hendry and grandpa mckinnon's graves. It's always good to go there and remember them in my little childhood memories. I love watching my parents when we visit their parents graves. It makes me love them more and helps me remember that they are kids to someone too. I love my family!

And what's a trip to the Az without stopping at Bahama Bucks? I have yet to find a shaved ice place that has captured a Peach flavor that actually tastes like Peach as Bahama Bucks does. I've ordered the same thing since I was 5 (small or baby watermelon and peach, side by side, no cream) Don't fix what ain't broken! mmm.

Arizona was so fun and the best part was we were able to spend SO much time with my siblings! Usually we come at a super random time when everyone is crazy busy but with summer in the air everyone was ready for a bit of fun. So happy we were able to have this great trip and spend quality time with them before moving to Chicago.

because i am blessed.