White House Correspondents Dinner.

Saturday afternoon, G, Caity, Becky and I went to the Nats game. While we were basking in the beautiful spring sun, we started talking about the White House Correspondents Dinner, aka nerd prom, that was happening that night at the Washington Hilton hotel. I LOVE the WHCD-it is my DREAM to go one day. And this year, I was especially excited because my "Scandal" stars were going: Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington, along with the creator Shonda Rhimes. We decided that we were going to go stand on the curb and try and get a glimpse of our favorite celebrities/media types/politicos. Because you know, that's how we roll.

The adventure was already off to a good start because I got SERIOUS princess parking-16th and S Streets. We didn't have to spend any time looking for a spot-It was magical.

The cops kept expanding the perimeter and making us move because POTUS/FLOTUS were due to arrive soon. We finally ending up on the median of Connecticut Avenue but we had a good view of the curb where the suburbans/town cars were dropping off the guests. Britt and Becky were in charge of taking pictures, and I was in charge of making a list of everyone we saw. Most everyone was friendly and waved at our little group on the median.

Newt and Callista Gingrich (literally were 5 feet in front of us before we had to move to the median)
Jay Carney (Britt loved that he popped a mint like a normal person)
Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie
Michelle Dockery
Gerard Butler and Piers Morgan (OMG YOU GUYS. GERARD IS GORGEOUS)
Tracy Morgan
Barbra Streisand
Hayden Panettiere
Willie from "Duck Dynasty"
Bret Baier
Michael Douglas
Jon Huntsman
Rahm Emanuel
Michael J. Fox
Bradley Whitford (I WAS SCREAMING)
Matthew Perry
Chris Matthews
David Gregory
Sanjay Gupta
George Lucas

Matthew Perry, Newt and Callista, Michael J Fox, Gerard Butler

Jay Carney, Michelle Dockery, Gerard Butler, Bradley Whitford/Matthew Perry

Ok. Bradley Whitford. aka Josh Lyman from "The West Wing". I was freaking out. FREAKING. He is my favorite.

It almost made up for the fact that we got there after Tony and Kerry had arrived :( I was soooo sad. But don't worry-our fake POTUS was still as handsome as ever. Seriously Tony... you are not real.

Tony and Kerry, just stop with your beautifulness. 

One more...i love this-doesn't he look like he's receiving a briefing from Admiral Winnefeld, Vice Chairman of the JCS?? hahaha

One year I will actually make it inside but for now, the median of Connecticut Avenue was enough.  (Seriously, still freaking out about Bradley Whitford.)

#travel2013: Mesa.

My 2nd nephew Noah turned 12 on April 11-which meant it was time for him to be given the priesthood and ordained a deacon. I have separate and distinct bonds with each of my nephews, but Noah is very special to me. There was NO WAY I would miss his big day, even though I couldn't take a day off of work and would only be in Arizona for 36 hours. It was worth it to be able to see my family for a while.

Shoutout to Rebecca for having a "BE A FENCE" sign at the airport. ("Scandal"/Tangela fans will get that)

Saturday morning, Noah's dad and his family came over as well as the 1st counselor of the bishopric and my dad ordained Noah a deacon. I was given the task of keeping Jack quiet so he wouldn't be irreverent-I promise I'm not choking him.

After the luncheon Rebecca prepared, I decided it was time for a nap. So Jack and I took over the couch (sorry fam) and all the nephews went outside to ride scooters (Gavyn watched).

Sunday we went to church before I had to leave for the airport. Somehow I made it all three hours-I don't know what it is, but I have been STRUGGLING to make it through Relief Society lately. It may have something to do with the fact that we don't go to church until 3pm, but whatever.

Love my sista! We stayed up late Saturday night watching Tangela recaps on youtube and trying to supress our laughter. Seriously, that woman is hilarious. LOVE. HER.

It was nice to get out of town for a couple days, see my fam, and be there for my little Noah as he made this big step in his life. <3

The George W. Bush Presidential Library Dedication.

So I had an emotional moment this week...by now you are well aware that I am what you may call a presidential nerd. I absolutely LOVE learning about presidential history; in 2011 I made a goal to read a biography on every president before the end of the year, and I finished...On December 31. I have president documentaries and trivia books and picture books and pez dispensers...I even made a quote binder with a page for each president's memorable quotes. Yes. Really, I did. The cover is a collage of presidential portraits. #nerd. When i'm getting restless in church, most often you will find me making a list of all the presidents, from Washington to Obama.

I am fascinated by it. By the fact that one man, the most powerful man in the world, represents an entire country, with so many diverse people and beliefs. The fact that this man must wear so many different hats as president...commander-in-chief, chief executive, head of state...Reading a biography of every single president, yes even Fillmore and Buchanan, really opened my eyes. There are so many countless things a president endures every single day, and no matter what political party they hail from, it is hard. It is definitely, NOT easy being president. It made me realize that our country truly is diverse-and it is okay to disagree. It is normal. It is expected. There will ALWAYS be opposing viewpoints. But we can always be civil. We can always be kind. We can always be as understanding as possible, even when we don't agree. I feel like we have the responsibility to do this, for all those who sacrificed so much that we may even be here. Most importantly, we can always respect our president, no matter who is-because while you may not agree, he is doing what he thinks will be best for the country.

Volunteering at the Bush White House in Summer 2008 was a remarkable experience for me. I learned so much. I met wonderful, amazing, talented people. I went to my first Catholic funeral mass, when former press secretary Tony Snow passed away-it was at the National Shrine at Catholic U, and I was awestruck by the whole experience. I made a lifelong friend (love you Hannah :)) and will never look at a polar bear the same way again. I ate lunch in Lafayette Park every day watching tourists who were experiencing my home for the first time. I got to go to a Marine One arrival on the South Lawn, and got a wave from our president. I grew up-I was exposed to the real world and loved it. Most importantly, it was confirmed to me that the White House, the presidency, was where my interests laid.

And of course, I got to serve 43, a man I am proud to say I admire. Like any president, I do not agree with every decision he made while in office. But I do know this...on 9/11, I was living 25 miles from where a plane crashed into the Pentagon and I was terrified. I had friends who had parents who worked there and did not yet know if they were alive. My dad worked downtown, at the Washington Navy Yard, and who knew what else was being targeted? I went home and paced around our living room, crying because I had no idea what was going on, or what was to come. And that night, I listened to our president speak to the nation from the Oval Office-and I was comforted. I will never forget how I felt listening to him speak that night-I truly felt just a little bit safer, knowing that he was determined to keep our country strong and free.

I love so many things about George W. Bush. He is not a great speaker. He can come across being a "cowboy" and "dumb". But he is smart. He respects the office of the president: he was never late, never on time-always early. He did not allow jeans in the West Wing and if you were going into the Oval you better have your suit coat on. He loves his wife and his God. He loved reading, and went through many, many biographies, etc. while in office. He respected and honored our military.

Only time will tell how history will judge this man. But I know how I will see him.

Following the dedication of his library on twitter this past Thursday was a very emotional moment for me. First off, Hannah and I weren't there when soooo many people we knew were (we are still not over it). And also, all five living presidents were there: 39-Jimmy Carter, 41-George Bush, 42-Bill Clinton, 43-George W. Bush, 44-Barack Obama. Only these five men know what it is like to be president-it is sometimes called the world's most exclusive club. And how amazing it is that while they disagree on so many different issues, they all agree that being president is not by any means an easy job. They share a bond that can never be broken.

And I think it is just amazing. May God bless them all.

(Here's a couple photos I took from twitter. Enjoy them, because there's a good chance this may never happen again.)

(love this one)

Cherry blossoms.

Its common for people to correlate Washington with corruption, inefficient bureaucracy, bickering, selfishness, and being out of touch with the average American. And to be fair, they would most often be correct in their assumptions.

However, for one week in March or April, thousands and thousands of tourists joyfully swarm the city to see the famed Japanese cherry blossom trees lining the Tidal Basin/Jefferson Memorial and other spots on the Mall. They are always stunning and beautiful and worthy of all the attention.

Last year, we had a week in mid March where it was 80 degrees so they bloomed weeks ahead of the "peak bloom" period. This year, the temperatures were below average forever and ever and ever (it seemed) so they bloomed weeks late. Finally, early this week, they popped and the Tidal Basin became gorgeous. The weather has been PERFECT also-it has been nice to walk around in warm weather enjoying the trees.

G ran the Cherry Blossom 10miler on Sunday so naturally I made a giant G and went to cheer him on.

Britt, Caity and I went down Monday night to see the trees. Caity had a tender moment with a squirrel. Precious. #bestiesandblossoms

Seriously, how beautiful are they?

I have a strange love for ducks, so this little mallard couple made me happy.

The pics i took last year were better. And there wasn't scaffolding on the Wash Mon. (seriously, bad time to do earthquake repair)

Most beautiful time of the year in DC. Even if it is only for a week.



Okay, I can't resist posting this pictures of my nephews at the doctors office. Don't worry, Daniel and Joseph are going to kindergarten in the fall. WHAT??

And this from 'The Simpsons". I dare you not to laugh.

Opening Day!

Life begins when the season starts.

You know that feeling you have when you've been waiting for something for so long and it happens and its disappointing? I did not have this experience with Opening Day.

As soon as we lost Game 5 of the NLDS, I was counting down to April 1st, Opening Day at Nationals Park. The Nats have high expectations to live up to this year: they looked ready to compete in Spring Training and have been called the World Series favorite (which makes me nervous). So, OF COURSE IM EXCITED. I would be excited even if they sucked.

This year R and I went with my mom. G was in Myrtle so he couldn't come, but we OBV still had fun. There were some new additions to the park, mostly related to the NL East Division Championship. I especially love the huge pic of Werth crossing home plate in Game 4 after his game winning homerun. Ugh, best game ever. We got to watch the banner revealed that is over the scoreboard, which was exciting.

We also ran into the team organist, which we loved because G is always telling my mom she needs to do it. lol

Loved watching people stream into the centerfield gate.

They added a new racing president to George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy. Its Howard Taft, who is supposed to be a rival to Teddy, since they were rivals in the 1912 election. I understand why they chose him, but at the same time, Howard Taft??? In the same group as George, Tom, Abe and Teddy? Whatever.

We had such a great time, and they won :) I am so excited baseball is back. I feel like I'm alive again.

Also, another TG pic, just because. Hi.

Spring.

"For The Lord thy God is a merciful God." -Deuteronomy 4:31

..because eventually, if you live in a pretty temperate climate, WINTER ALWAYS ENDS. IT DOES. THANK YOU MERCIFUL GOD.

It's no secret I hate winter. I hate being cold. I hate wearing pants. I hate that the trees look so ugly. I hate snow. I hate that there's no baseball. I hate wearing coats and having to bundle up everywhere i go. I hate that it's only light outside for 10 hours. And to make things worse, due to poor circulation, I have freezing cold hands and feet all year long, even when it's hot outside. I like maybe only one thing and that's the holiday celebrations. And even those aren't even my favorite holidays so, eh.

But spring/summer, I just love. I feel a certain rebirth when it becomes warmer and I can start to feel myself getting happier. We celebrate Easter and the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ-Easter is one of my favorite holidays because it is so joyful and warm. And then theres General Conference the first week of April, which always boosts me up. This conference I especially loved Elder Cook's talk on peace. Maybe it's because I spent all week silently freaking out about North Korea, but I felt like he did an excellent job of being comforting, intelligent, and realistic at the same time. He's becoming one of my favorite speakers. I also enjoyed President Monson's closing remarks-how he encouraged us to be tolerant, kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs. We could all work on that.

AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON BASEBALL RETURNING AND THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS POPPING. I will deal with those in another post.

Oh, hello spring/summer. I love you. I love the warm weather and feeling sun on my skin. I love air drying my hair. I love wearing casual skirts and flowy sundresses everywhere I go. I love wearing sperrys all the time (oh wait, I do that year round). I love baseball, and Nats Park, and sitting in the stands with the people who mean most to me. I love that our house is no longer freezing. I love popsicles and milkshakes and slurpees. I love walking leisurely down the Mall with friends, laughing and enjoying our fun life in our Nation's Capital. I love that the sun goes down at 8 or later. I love beach trips and road trips and all other trips. I love happiness.

I also love Tony Goldwyn, but he has nothing to do with summer. Here's a picture anyway (how will I survive a summer without "Scandal"?? That's the one downside.)

Have a (warm) historical day :)