Spring in DC Part 2

 May was a busy month! Or, at least it was picture worthy :)

May is filled with graduations and the end of a school year for many. It's an exciting time, but it also means that it's a time to say goodbye to those who are moving on to bigger and better things!

Braden graduated from Georgetown and is now moving on to bigger and better things so we had a little farewell dinner for him earlier in the month. It was fun to share stories about times shared with him and some of the funny things he's done/said. He's been a great friend/home teacher and I'll definitely miss his humor! It's been fun getting to know him these past two years, but I am sure will fit right in with life in NYC!

 Then the next Sunday we celebrated Camille's birthday with another Sunday dinner. I love having people over for dinner and I love celebrating birthdays! A win-win combination! Happy Birthday Camille!

 Then, the next big happening in May - The Gregory's got a dog. 

Yep - a dog

 Meet Gus

Ava is all smiles, 

but let's just say the dog and I have a strained relationship thus far :)

One day last week I was out doing errands and I saw this car. 

I literally could NOT stop laughing and thought it was so cute! 

I had to take a picture and text it to some friends. 

The funny thing was that I was surrounded by three men 

also taking pictures of it for their wives/girlfriends. 

It's sometimes the little things in life that completely make my day!

This past weekend was Memorial day weekend and we celebrated the men and women who have fought so hard for our freedom. I was glad I was able to go to Arlington National Cemetery and walk around. Seeing all the flags placed in front of the tombstones is humbling. Rows and rows of men and women who gave their life for me to be able to have the freedoms I do.

 One of the other things I love about Memorial day weekend is that the Rolling Thunder come in to town and have a rally at the Pentagon. The Rolling Thunder's mission is to educate, facilitate and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War. And, they all come in from all over the US on motorcycles!! All weekend long you can hear the roar of their engine and see groups traveling by motorcycle everywhere!

I LOVE IT!

So, I made a point of attending one of their events at the Cemetery. I didn't quite fit in with their outfits and such, but I was in heaven. I love their bandanas and jackets... like this one below.

 I stayed to watch the ceremony as well as the usual guards and changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. It was beyond cool! Such precision. Truly mesmerizing. How fortunate I am to live so close by to this and to be able to participate in such an honorable event!

 I counted the seconds and number of steps this soldier took. 

A theme was definitely the number 21.

They take a measured 21 steps in 21 seconds. 

Stop. Turn.

Then do the same thing back. 

They can't look to the left/right, up/down, or change facial expression.  

After each turn, the Guard executes a sharp "shoulder-arms" movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the visitors to signify that the Guard stands between the Tomb and any possible threat. Twenty-one was chosen because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed -- the 21-gun salute.

 Did you know the following:
1. Some of the training these men and women do before becoming a guard is to walk the curbs of the cemetery for hours/days on end. The curb is about 4 inches wide and you have to walk without looking down and without falling

2. Another task is to stand beneath a flagpole in the Army’s parade rest position for hours and hours and hours.

3. Once you pass the physical tests, a guard candidate has to memorize a notebook about as thick as the Washington phone book that is filled with facts and figures of the cemetery and guard ceremony — such as how many rivets are in the rubber mat the guards walk on in front of the tomb. There are 163 rivets in the mat and 2,002 links in the chain around the tomb plaza.

4. The tomb is never unguarded or unwatched. Even with the guards walking back and forth, other guards are watching via cameras to keep an eye on the on-duty guard as well as the plaza around the tomb itself.

5. The guards work 24-hour shifts with a day off in between another 24-hour shift. During the winter, they guard for an hour, take an hour off and return. In the summer, due to the heat, the guard shift is shortened to 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off.

DC SUMMERS CAN BE HOT!

 But yet, these guys are out there in full uniform

WOW

 “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

On the hour, the guards changed. 

It required 3 total guards to do the ceremony. 

All with precision and 21 was the theme yet again

 I love this picture of the 3 walking perfectly in line with each other

And just to think, they do this 24 hours a day... no cheating or slacking on the ceremony just because no one is watching! I would be SOOO tempted to!

After the guards changed, they did the wreath laying for the Rolling Thunder group.

 I loved it all. Then, on my way out, I saw this. 

A beautiful scene if I do say so!

 Sunday was a beautiful day. Loved church and loved hearing the roar of the motorcycle engines out my window :) But, in the evening I had the opportunity to head out to Wolf Trap and see "The President's Own" US Marine Band concert. We took a picnic dinner and it was SO yummy! These guys and girls are awesome cooks! We had fun chatting before the concert and then got to enjoy some great music and FIREWORKS! I loved it. I had never been to Wolf Trap before, but I really like the venue and will most likely be back soon!

 Such a great group of people!

And, I love this picture of Miriam and I!

What an amazing friend she is!

I didn't realize until after the picture was taken, but we're kind of twiners in our outfits!

Spring in DC Part 1

 I love Spring! Just love it. Here are some of the reasons why:

 1. The flowers... esp the flowers at the Temple.

 Gorgeous

 It was such a beautiful night. 

I love how it's still light out at 7 or 8 pm!

 And, it was even better b/c I found out when I got there that 

a friend was going to propose to his girlfriend there later on 

that night. I even got to see the ring before she did!

I love to see the temple, but I love to go inside more!

2. Crossing off things on my DC bucket list. So much easier and more fun to do in Spring!

 Me and Theodore Roosevelt. I look like a midget!

 There were these large pillars with some of his inspiring quotes:
On YOUTH
"I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you brave and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender.  Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground.  Courage, hard work, self-mastery, and intelligent effort are all essential to successful life.  Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike."

 On Manhood:
A man's usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals insofar as he can. It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. All daring and courage, all iron endurance of misfortune-make for a finer, nobler type of manhood.
Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life.

It's a pretty island, small, but pretty. It's situated right in between VA and DC with a bridge connecting it to the VA side. Great views! And, a nice, quiet walk around the island. Peaceful. 

 This is looking at Georgetown

 This is Rosslyn

 Another weekend I needed to get out of town so I went to the Shenandoah Cheery Blossom Festival and parade. It was awesome and such a perfect little escape for a day trip. The weather was fantastic too!

 I had great seats for the parade and what's not to LOVE about a man in uniform?!

 I literally could have walked up and gotten his autograph. 

Closest I have ever been to an NFL player!

 And, of course, we bring out the Irish and Scottish heritage in the parade!

 The next weekend I got tickets to the Folger Shakespeare Research Library tour. This was pretty cool b/c they only do one tour a week for 15 people. And, I got to go in! I had never been to the Library before. It's filled to the brim with everything Shakeaspeare. But, the best part about this tour was getting to see documents and things from the 1600s and such! Awesome!

 Shakespeare above and a stained glass window 

of his Seven Stages of Man below

Slowly, but surely, crossing things off my DC bucket list!

Choosing to have a positive attitude

I've been thinking a lot about this recently. There have been many times when I've just had a sour attitude... just because I wasn't happy about something. In reality, most of the things have been just small issues/annoyances, and I let them get the best of me.

Why? I ask myself this all the time. I don't like feeling this way. I dread it actually. So why do I do it?

I am taking steps to change that and to focus on the positive. I love this quote by our prophet, President Monson... if I change the way I look at things, I can change the outer aspect of my life.

PROFOUND

I have been given so many blessings and have nothing, absolutely nothing, to complain about.

I need to embrace that more every day. Here's the quote:

President Thomas S. Monson noted: “William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher, wrote, ‘The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.’

“So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment. “Charles Swindoll—author, educator, and Christian pastor—said: ‘Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.’

“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude” (“Living the Abundant Life,” Ensign, Jan. 2012, 4).

Faith - NOT Fear

A friend recently passed on a blog to me with the following quotes from Max Lucado. Obviously, I don't follow him or am a member of his congregation :), but I really do love his quotes on faith/fear.

“Can you imagine a life with no fear? 

What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats?”

“Feed your fears and your faith will starve. 

Feed your faith, and your fears will.”

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. 

It is the belief that God will do what is right.”

So often, I let fear of the unknown, or fear of "what MIGHT happen" get in the way of me acting in faith and REALLY living life. I worry about things... about what might happen... what others might think of me... all these "MIGHTS".

But, recently I've also been following THIS blog. Mara is just awesome!! And, so is her husband, Danny, by the way. They are so insightful!! But, lately I feel like a lot of her posts have been about becoming who YOU are... not what someone else thinks you are. AND, finding your own happiness... becoming complete and whole on your own. I think this is so powerful. I don't want to be at the mercy of someone else's moods to determine my own moods/reactions... or to determine how much I am enjoying my life. I want to be ME!! And, I want to be the best ME possible.

I know this will come through study, prayer and having 

FAITH - NOT FEAR!!

Easter dinner & Cherry Blossom Japanese Festival/Fireworks!

 Spring is a really fun time in DC. Temps begin to warm... blossoms bloom... and there's always a lot going on!

I had a wonderful Easter. Such a wonderful time at church and then in the afternoon with friends. I didn't get many pictures of it, but I did get the before-meal picture of how nice Joni made it for us! We had treats on our plates! And, after a yummy meal we then went on an Easter egg hunt. It was AWESOME!

 Then, this weekend was fabulous as well! It was General Conference weekend and I really look forward to hearing the messages shared from our church leaders and prophets. They're always such great reminders of the many blessings we've been given and a renewal of energy to go forth in doing our best work!

So, Saturday was filled with conference, but in the evening, when all the guys are at the priesthood session, girls go out and play :) Fortunately, this was the same night of the Cherry Blossom Festival and Fireworks on the Potomac! We had a group of about ten awesome sisters with us and luckily found AWESOME parking down on the waterfront.

We got there just in time for these Japanese drummers to perform. I watched in awe of their strength and how much they "felt" the music and its meaning. I think that's a sign of the true performer. The members of this group studied the history and background of their ancestors and the pieces they performed. They wanted to share this knowledge with others and I loved that! It was so crowded, but it was well worth the time spent standing to see it!

 It's hard to see their feet in these pictures, but they're wearing slipper/sock flip flops!

 This picture also doesn't do their performance justice, 

but they're straddling that drum and pounding hard and fast!

 I looked around at the view as the sunset over the Potomac. 

It was so pretty. But, as I looked to my left I saw the 

American Flag blowing in the wind...

 I then looked to my right and saw the Japanese Flag blowing

 I felt an overwhelming sense of pride for my country, but also a respect for Japan. For it's people, culture, and history. I also was grateful that even though our countries have had its differences over the years, we have now come together and can stand side-by-side in harmony.

There were some crew boats out on the water... awesome!

 Then, out of the blue, these Japanese Fish boats started swimming around. They were only two or three feet above water and about 5 feet long or so. Kind of scary looking, but I really wanted to ride in one! I could not figure out what their purpose was and even googled it to try and find the answer. No LUCK! Open to the imagination!

 Then the highlight - the fireworks!!

 So pretty!

 I love how they light up the sky!

 But, the best part of all is that I was there with friends... Mer and Athelia were there too... just not in the picture! I am so grateful for my friends and for their support! But, really for the fact that they just bring JOY to my life!

Boston... and my nieces!

This past Thursday and Friday I was able to take a quick trip to Boston to see Evan, Madison, Holland and to meet little Mary who was born in January! It was quick... but so much fun!!

On Thursday I just hung out with Madison and the girls for a bit... took a quick shopping trip to H&M in downtown crossing... and enjoyed seeing some of the city! I babysat for Evan and Madison at night so they could go out to dinner. OH MY WORD... I have a new appreciation for mom's of infants... especially infants close in age. It was non-stop. How do they get anything done in life besides something directly related to childcare? It was a true test for me... I was only with them for about 2.5 hours alone and I was very grateful to see Evan and Madison walk through the door again!

On Friday, my dad came up from RI and we all had a great day together! I love this picture that Madison took of Pop-pop and Holland hanging out in the apartment!

Her smile is sooo cute!

And this was Pop-pop's first time meeting little Mary too!

Holland is all personality. She isn't really afraid of strangers and will jump in to the arms of practically anyone who offers to hold her and shows affection to her. A little scary for her parents, but a joy for an aunt that doesn't get to see her very often.  She loves to be held and cuddled... and so do I :)

Holland has been really good thus far as a big sister. I imagine it's quite a change going from only child, to being a sister and not getting all the attention anymore. Madison said that Holland is learning how to be gentle with Mary, but it's a process :) Holland also loves climbing in Mary's little baby seat when it's not in use. I think she might get a little jealous of Mary's attention at times too :) But, Holland is just so dang cute. Her smile makes you smile. And, so does her laugh! She's just a genuine happy, friendly and fun little girl! I also love that she can play by herself and keep herself entertained by simple things... like her love of playing with Costco boxes. She's definitely NOT a high-maintenance child!

To give Madison a bit of a break, we took Holland to the Boston Aquarium. Holland loves to walk, but it was so crowded and most things were not at her eye level so we held her for most of the time. It was fun! But, tiring!

The colors in many of the exhibits were awesome. Holland loved it!

I just love her little face!

She REALLY loved this one exhibit. It was close to the ground so she could stand and see it on her own and there were a gazillion little blue fishies in it. She got very close to the glass and just started talking to them in her own language (she's not too good yet with words.) and then got really excited every now and then! She did this for a long time. It was precious!

Holland's bottle is definitely for comfort. She doesn't even drink it that much. 

She just loves holding it!

After the aquarium we went back to the apartment for her nap. Evan got off early and we just had a great afternoon chatting, eating and such. I also love going back to visit Boston. It brings back so many memories... good ones. I don't think I could ever live there again, but definitely a fun place to visit!

I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!

Can't wait for my return!