Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Go-Bama!

Over the last several days, I've had the opportunity to participate in the inauguration festivities. What a fun, exciting, COLD, and crowded weekend it was. The weekend started off right when I purchased my very own, "I Heart Obama" t-shirt. Don't worry, my shirt was well worth the $14.99 I spent on it, as I wore it Friday night, Sunday, & Tuesday.


Sunday afternoon Adam & I headed down to the Mall to participate in the free, public concert at the Lincoln Memorial. There were projector screens, & speakers set up everywhere. We made it as far as the World War II Memorial. The event honored Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and other forefathers of this great Nation. We got to sing-a-long to patriotic songs sung by some of my favorite musicians. Those of you who know me well, know that I get pretty giddy when it comes to singing patriotic music. I love events such as this that bring Americans together to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy today.



Some of the celebs that attended the concert: Tom Hanks (at least we got a classy celeb to pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln)
James Taylor
BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO, BONO!!!! I kind of went nuts when he sang, Pride.
Mr. President himself, Barack Obama. Others in attendance: Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar-Mellencamp, Bob Seeger, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Usher, and singing the closing song, "America the Beautiful, Beyonce.

Monday, we decided to go on a day trip to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. We went on a guided tour of the home. I enjoyed touring the house, furnishings, and learning a little about the architecture. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was indeed an inspired man.
January 20, 2009: Thanks to my lovely roommate, I got a purple ticket for the big event. A group of us left early Tuesday morning, clothed in many, many layers. Despite the low temperature, we were determined to participate in the excitement going on in our city! We didn't have any trouble getting there, however the madness began as soon as we stepped out of the metro. We stood in line for a couple of hours, and moved only a block or two in that time. During our time in line, ambulances tried to maneuver there way through the crowds to attend to emergencies. I couldn't believe how many people were there. Every direction you looked, masses of people stood, trying to inch their way to the National Mall. Unfortunately, our gate closed when we were about 100 feet from the gate. Ticket holders were quite upset. We were a little disappointed, but it was just fun to be down there amongst the crowds of people. What an exciting day in DC!

Adam, Lisa, & Kevin
Lisa, Michele, & Adam
After we found out the gate was closed, we headed over to Adi's office in the Senate building. We attended a Utah Delegation Party, where food, and hot chocolate was served. It was nice to get inside, away from the freezing cold! The coolest part, was when we watched the Marine One fly away from the Capitol. We had a direct view to the Capitol from where we were. Although I am excited for a new Presidency in the WH, it was sad to say goodbye to President Bush, and Laura. I am very grateful for their service and devotion to our country. I was disappointed to hear people booing the former President at the Inauguration ceremony. As Brian would say, "Respect the office, tolerate the occupant!"
Adi took us on a tour of Senator Hatch's office. I was hoping we could have jammed to a little Hatch/JKP medley (Janice Kapp Perry). A special thanks to Adi for the tickets and a fun celebration at the Hart Building.
Let's hope the next four years bring growth, security, and a better America! I am hopeful!!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Welcome 2009!!!

Happy New Year! It was fun to be in DC this New Year's Eve. I went into work on Wednesday, and was told to go home after my 10am meeting! Happy New Year to me! Later that evening, group of friends came over to our place to celebrate. I love my life in DC. I feel very fortunate to have made such fun, and kind friends!



Chels prepared a fun game for us all to play. There were four categories: celebrities, religion, sports, and politics. Magazine cut-outs of people represented in each category, were displayed on poster board. We had 15 minutes to try and guess all of the photographed people. I did alright in the religion, and celebrity category. I was a little disappointed in my sports knowledge!



Later that evening we made crepes. These were not just any crepes. These were Adam's family recipe crepes, and oh so delicious!



What will 2009 hold for you!?!?! Perhaps, "Wine & Dine, in 2009?" or "Find Mine in 2009!"

Sunday, January 4, 2009

"Bye Buddy, Hope you find your dad!"

Why we take pictures on Christmas morning, I don't know! But every year we take plenty of Christmas day shots, and they are always awful! We didn't have the girls this Christmas, so we got to sleep in a little. Sleeping in a little at my house on Christmas morning was 7:45a.m. After we opened gifts, we ate a yummy breakfast, and enjoyed the rest of our Christmas day.


Brian and I did a little fashion show with some of our new gifts. Brian gets nice, new clothes, and I got work-out attire. What are my parents trying to tell me??! Just kidding! I love my new work-out outfit!

I took this picture before Haley left for Utah. A kid in feety pj's is the way to my heart. Isn't she adorable in her Dora pj's??
Dinner & Movie night with the fam! (Dad, Lauren, Mom)

This is our backyard. We don't usually get too much snow in the TC. This winter we got about 8 inches.
It was so nice to spend some time with my parents and siblings. Living so far away from home can be difficult at times. It was nice to go home and get rejuvenated! Thank you mom and dad for a wonderful vacation! How grateful I am for my family!!!