Ode to Trail Mix

O Trail Mix, how I love thee!
You are my favorite snack in the world.
A perfect blend of sweet and salty.
If I had to eat only one thing for the rest of my life,
it would be you.



Ok, this might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, I love this stuff. What did I have for dinner Wednesday night? Trail mix. What did I have for lunch on Thursday? Trail mix again. I didn't plan it that way, but that's what happens when you're on the road I guess. Thursday was a long 12+ hours on the road from Provo, Utah to Santa Cruz, California. Whenever I take these long drives by myself I have the tendency to just get them over with as soon as possible. This means that I don't make very many stops along the way and I try to avoid buying food too . . . so I resorted to the bag of trail mix in my car along with a few granola bars and some Ritz crackers. Nothing like a balanced diet!

My poor old car doesn't have a CD player and I do not own an ipod either. Hence, I was forced to listen to the radio the whole way. It really wasn't as bad as I thought. And I always enjoy my time alone in the car so I can sing out loud. And by out loud I mean really loud. Let's just say that a camera carefully and secretly placed in my car would have resulted in 12 hours of serious blackmail.

My first stop was in Wells, Nevada where I had to fill up the car with gas. Well, me being the smart person that I am, I locked my keys in the car. I searched my purse in vain for a spare. Luckily the gas station had somebody come and help me. He wedged the door open a crack and slipped a wire inside to push the unlock button.

When I finally arrived, sore and tired, my Aunt Stacie was there to greet me at the door. She proudly showed me that in preparation for my stay she had bought two new cereals (see Soggy Love entry)! Unfortunately, these cereals are extremely soggy resistant.

Now I'm hanging out in California with my sister and Stacie. Three redheads cruising the town. Watch out! Unfortunately I have been bad about taking pictures, but I promise that I will take some so be watching for them in future posts.

Kayaking on my birthday!

On my 22nd birthday I got to try my hand at kayaking for the first time. I loved it! I love the fact that there is so much to do in this life, that I will still be trying new things when I'm old and gray; still discovering new hobbies and talents that I never even knew I had!

At 10 a.m. some friends from work and I met down at the docks near Georgetown and went out on the Potomac River for a little over an hour. It was awesome to row down the river and see the Kennedy Center, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and Arlington. I also rowed past Teddy Roosevelt Island and underneath two bridges. The weather was perfect: blue skies, the sun shining, and not too hot and humid. I enjoyed chatting with some people, particularly Elaine and Brian, but I truly enjoyed going off on my own. I found it relaxing, soothing, and almost meditative to find a rhythm with my oars and just go. I soon picked up speed and got ahead of the rest of the group. With the breeze blowing in my face, I listened to the sweet sound of the oars dipping into the water.

Elaine and Brian

Susan

Ali and Emily shared a kayak

Brian took this one of me in front of the Lincoln Memorial

Hakeem

Teddy Roosevelt Island

I would go kayaking again in heartbeat! I just don't know that I am ready to try any white water or rapids. I much prefer the calm, warm waters of the Potomac.

Baby Eli

I finally got to meet my little nephew today. He is so sweet!

Am I baby hungry?

. . . maybe just a little.

Sweet is the Peace

Exactly one week ago, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful Washington, D.C. Temple one last time before leaving. As I approached the temple, I marveled at the beauty of its grounds; soaking up the sunshine, enjoying the colorful flowers and butterflies. With my friend Ben singing hymns in Italian in the background, I wondered if this moment was a taste of what Heaven might be like. I relished the experience and the peace that was there.


All things denote that there is a God . . .

To escape the almost unbearable heat outside, my friends and I wandered over to the Visitor's Center. It too had a welcoming, peaceful feeling inside. Right now, it has a special exhibit of photos from the Hubble Telescope in which pictures such as the one below are displayed, along with several scriptures concerning the creation. I can't imagine a better explanation than the fact that there is a loving God who created us and the universe we live in. I stared at these pictures in awe of everything that our Father in Heaven has created and the extraordinary vastness of it all. It is beyond all comprehension.


Not only in space can we see the magnificence of God's creations, but we can also see and enjoy them every day on this Earth. I find myself marveling over the wonders of this planet, particularly in nature. One of my most spiritual experiences in D.C. occurred when I took my favorite walk around the Tidal Basin. When you stop to admire the cherry trees, or the reflections in the water, or the movement of the clouds; when you stop and take a deep breath and feel the sunlight on your face, you can't help but feel the presence of God and His son Jesus Christ, and feel their love for you. My favorite primary song says, "I feel my Savior's love in all the world around me. His Spirit warms my soul through everything I see." These words perfectly describe the way I feel. I offered up a small prayer of thanks in my heart as I walked along the water that day.

That day, as always, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for my membership in His church. It is not just something I belong to, it is literally who I am. And because of it, I have been blessed beyond measure.

"O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed; Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee, How great thou art! How great thou art!"

Butterflies

The National Museum of Natural History currently has a special butterfly exhibit open on the second floor. Visitors can walk through an enclosed space that is about 85 degrees with 80% humidity, and see dozens of butterflies of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I wanted to go ever since my first visit to the museum. The only thing is, you need a ticket to get in. I found out that tickets were free on Tuesdays, so I decided to go then. I usually only worked from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesdays, so I figured that I would have plenty of time to get down there and get a ticket. Well, it took me four tries but I finally got a ticket! As you can see, it was well worth it the effort. . .

This was the biggest butterfly I had every seen! It was seriously the size of both my hands put together.

As you left, they had a room full of mirrors where you could check yourself and make sure that no butterflies had landed on you and were trying to hitch a ride out of there! One large blue butterfly tried to escape as I left and a museum employee had to come catch it with a net and take it back inside.

Random Pics

A splendid D.C. sunset.

Nest at Mount Vernon

T-Rex!

These balls (for lack of a better word) were at the Van Ness metro stop where I would get off every day for work.

There were tons of squirrels all over D.C., and they are used to people so they get right up close to you. This one kept me company while I sat on the grass in a park and read my book.

This is the United States Supreme Court Building. Engraved above it says "EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW."

There's nothing like the shade of a beautiful Magnolia tree.

I believe that's a statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse. In the background you can see the White House and the very tip of the Washington Monument.

There's no place like home

Wednesday was a long day, my emotions fluctuated between sadness and complete excitement. It all started at 5 a.m. when I woke up. David was nice enough to drive me to the airport so I didn't have to cart all my luggage on the bus and the metro. I started tearing up as I said goodbye and approached the counter to check my bags and get my tickets. It had all ended so suddenly. My internship/D.C. summer had come to a close and I would never get it back.

After two different flights totalling about 4 1/2 hours with a pit stop in Denver, I finally made it to Salt Lake City. Hello mountains! As I was standing at the baggage claim, I spotted a shock of red hair and it took a second to register that it was my sister. She and Colter ran up and gave me a big hug. I was so excited to see them!

After that, we had another 4-hour drive back to Rexburg. I was chatty for most of the way, telling stories about experiences I had and people whom I had met. It was so good to finally arrive; to see the temple, and all the other familiar places that I love. I forgot how beautiful Idaho is. Needless to say, I was completely exhausted by the time I went to bed at 12:30 a.m. (21 1/2 hours straight!)

What I love about being home:

I can play my piano, a real piano, anytime I want

I have a car (although I haven't driven it yet)

Idaho water - it's so much better

Late night talks with my mom

I can wear a jacket, because it's not hot and humid

Since I didn't take very many clothes with me to D.C., my wardrobe has tripled in size

And best of all . . . I get to be with family and friends whom I have not seen in a long time