Wow! The last week has been a whirlwind. I survived the end of the Christmas season at school, and was rewarded by my brother and his 3 kids coming to visit!!! They are the cutest ever! It's been so fun to have all of the nieces and nephews around (including the 2 that live near here already--also super cute!).
We have gone sledding multiple times, played in the snow at our house, played Scrabble, Barbie, Horse Bingo, dress-up, and any other game they can come up with, watched some classic Disney movies, gone to museums, and made gingerbears, mouse cookies, and painted sugar cookies. It's been a great week.
...and every so often my niece Kendra breaks into the greatest new song we learned from the photographer who took our family portraits...(occasionally with a little prompting) ;)
"What does Grandma kiss, Kendra?"
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Did you know...?
Here is an actual conversation that occurred in Men's Chorus today.
(Student raises hand)
Student: Miss T?
Teacher: Yes?
Student: Did you know that Cher is like 60?
Teacher: What?
Student: Cher. She's like 60 years old.
Teacher: ....
(end scene)
Yep. Men's Chorus has once again left me speechless. I love my job!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
O Tannenbaum!
Ever since I was little I've LOVED Christmas! I love everything about it. And I've always been the one in my family who is most attached to the decorations, traditions, etc. I remember standing outside in the cold and snow just watching my dad put lights in the trees outside our house. And begging him to put lights along the roof year after year...until he finally caved! (Thanks, Dad!)
When all of us kids were little we used to all pile in the car with my dad and head to the tree lot to pick out a Christmas tree. It was one of the best parts of the Christmas season. Mom stayed at home to prepare the living room (and because she liked the scrawny trees and we liked the big fat ones) while we went out in noble pursuit of the perfect Christmas tree.
Then, slowly, each kid got too old to come on the Christmas tree hunt. First Preston and then Meg, leaving only me and Andy. And then Andy got too old for it. Which is a little backward since he's younger than me. Only I remained true to the cause!
So now I'm all grown up, and every year I still look forward to going to the tree lot with Dad in search of a Christmas tree. And this year's tree does not disappoint. It's tall and full and beautiful. And now the house smells like pine. And tomorrow Mom will put lights on it (Thanks, Mom!) so that it's ready to be hung with all of our ornaments.
We've got our tree. It can officially be Christmas!
When all of us kids were little we used to all pile in the car with my dad and head to the tree lot to pick out a Christmas tree. It was one of the best parts of the Christmas season. Mom stayed at home to prepare the living room (and because she liked the scrawny trees and we liked the big fat ones) while we went out in noble pursuit of the perfect Christmas tree.
Then, slowly, each kid got too old to come on the Christmas tree hunt. First Preston and then Meg, leaving only me and Andy. And then Andy got too old for it. Which is a little backward since he's younger than me. Only I remained true to the cause!
So now I'm all grown up, and every year I still look forward to going to the tree lot with Dad in search of a Christmas tree. And this year's tree does not disappoint. It's tall and full and beautiful. And now the house smells like pine. And tomorrow Mom will put lights on it (Thanks, Mom!) so that it's ready to be hung with all of our ornaments.
We've got our tree. It can officially be Christmas!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Moldau
I have a few goals in life. I think that's pretty normal. Some of them are significant, and some pretty frivolous. But nonetheless, I hope to accomplish all of them. More than that--I really look forward to accomplishing them.
Some I've done already:
Graduated from college.
Become a choir teacher.
Climbed the Eiffel Tower.
Heard the bells of Notre Dame.
Seen the Mona Lisa.
Kissed the Blarney Stone.
Seen the Coloseum.
Been in love.
Flown a plane.
Visited Graceland.
Traveled a lot.
A few that I'm still looking forward to:
Having my own dog.
Buying a house.
Finding the lights.
Getting a Master's Degree.
Learn to play the cello.
Travel more.
Visit all 50 states.
Visit every continent. (Maybe not Antarctica...) :)
And pretty high on the list of "still to do" is to see the Moldau. It's a river that runs through the Czech Republic, specifically through Prague. And it is the object about which my favorite piece of music is written. The "symphonic poem" The Moldau (Vltava) by Bedrich Smetana.
If you know me at all, you'll know that identifying a single favorite piece of music is a pretty big deal for me. I love a lot of music! But for some reason this is my absolute favorite. Something about this music--the stories it tells and the pictures it paints--is truly moving for me. I've studied it in classes and performed it a few times. And no matter how rough a day I've had, listening to it always helps.
Often during my prep period at work, or if I stay late to get some extra work done, I'll put it on my big sound system and turn the volume up so it fills the classroom. It helps me work--until I get so caught up in it that I end up dancing around the room or conducting the invisible orchestra around me.
...maybe that's too much information...
Anyway, I need to see the Moldau. Not just the part the runs through Prague, but it seems like a good place to start. I can't wait! So...if anyone is ever headed to the Czech Republic and wants to take me with them, there's a river waiting for me!
Here's a picture so that you can maybe see why a river might be worth all this fuss. :)
Some I've done already:
Graduated from college.
Become a choir teacher.
Climbed the Eiffel Tower.
Heard the bells of Notre Dame.
Seen the Mona Lisa.
Kissed the Blarney Stone.
Seen the Coloseum.
Been in love.
Flown a plane.
Visited Graceland.
Traveled a lot.
A few that I'm still looking forward to:
Having my own dog.
Buying a house.
Finding the lights.
Getting a Master's Degree.
Learn to play the cello.
Travel more.
Visit all 50 states.
Visit every continent. (Maybe not Antarctica...) :)
And pretty high on the list of "still to do" is to see the Moldau. It's a river that runs through the Czech Republic, specifically through Prague. And it is the object about which my favorite piece of music is written. The "symphonic poem" The Moldau (Vltava) by Bedrich Smetana.
If you know me at all, you'll know that identifying a single favorite piece of music is a pretty big deal for me. I love a lot of music! But for some reason this is my absolute favorite. Something about this music--the stories it tells and the pictures it paints--is truly moving for me. I've studied it in classes and performed it a few times. And no matter how rough a day I've had, listening to it always helps.
Often during my prep period at work, or if I stay late to get some extra work done, I'll put it on my big sound system and turn the volume up so it fills the classroom. It helps me work--until I get so caught up in it that I end up dancing around the room or conducting the invisible orchestra around me.
...maybe that's too much information...
Anyway, I need to see the Moldau. Not just the part the runs through Prague, but it seems like a good place to start. I can't wait! So...if anyone is ever headed to the Czech Republic and wants to take me with them, there's a river waiting for me!
Here's a picture so that you can maybe see why a river might be worth all this fuss. :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
It's been nice!
It's that time of year again!
It's a good thing I love the Holiday Season (and especially Christmas) so much. Because looking ahead at the stretch until the Christmas break is becoming overwhelming. With preparing for, scheduling, and performing at several events with the choirs, student council obligations, taking my big ugly test, conducting the orchestra for the musical, etc., I'm feeling pretty buried. I can't even find time to get my hair cut!
This is crunch time for choir teachers, and I am definitely feeling it. So I thought I'd put it out into the universe that I am not intentionally ignoring anyone!! If I don't return phone calls and emails or I don't come to any events, it's not personal. It's just that I have ten thousand things to do, and if I decide to skip any of them it will probably be for sleep. ;) Hopefully I will see you at church or any of my events you might visit...those will probably be the only times I venture forth into the world.
That's it. I just wanted to say it's been nice knowing you. :) See you after Dec. 19!
p.s. As I write this blog, I realize that it may not do me any good. I'm not sure anyone actually reads it. Maybe because I haven't told very many people about it. Hmmmm.....
It's a good thing I love the Holiday Season (and especially Christmas) so much. Because looking ahead at the stretch until the Christmas break is becoming overwhelming. With preparing for, scheduling, and performing at several events with the choirs, student council obligations, taking my big ugly test, conducting the orchestra for the musical, etc., I'm feeling pretty buried. I can't even find time to get my hair cut!
This is crunch time for choir teachers, and I am definitely feeling it. So I thought I'd put it out into the universe that I am not intentionally ignoring anyone!! If I don't return phone calls and emails or I don't come to any events, it's not personal. It's just that I have ten thousand things to do, and if I decide to skip any of them it will probably be for sleep. ;) Hopefully I will see you at church or any of my events you might visit...those will probably be the only times I venture forth into the world.
That's it. I just wanted to say it's been nice knowing you. :) See you after Dec. 19!
p.s. As I write this blog, I realize that it may not do me any good. I'm not sure anyone actually reads it. Maybe because I haven't told very many people about it. Hmmmm.....
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
You're What?
Yesterday I was driving along the Alpine Highway singing my guts out to Love Shack. It was awesome.
Sometime during the song I made a decision: I'm not dressing up for Halloween.
I'm not sure where this decision came from, it doesn't seem to be related to anything in the song or anything I might have seen as I drove. I suspect maybe it comes from the fact that for whatever reason, I felt more like myself while rockin' out in my car than I have in a long time.
But either way, that's the way it's going to be. It's not that I dislike Halloween or dressing up. In fact, I reserve the right to change my mind if a great costume idea surfaces that requires very little effort and stress and which will make me look fabulous and clever. But until then...it's simply not worth the effort to me. And you can call me a spoilsport or a party pooper as much as you'd like. I will party it up for Halloween it my regular clothes. The end. :)
This liberating moment got me to thinking about other things that I refuse to apologize for. Here's some that came to mind.
1. I hate mustard. Yuck. But I like deviled eggs. Yes, I do realize they have mustard in them. I still hate mustard.
2. I hate being tickled. I admit that I have engaged in my share (and maybe more) of flirtatious tickle wars and not totally hated every second of it. But unless you're a boy that I'm trying to flirt with, I'm not a fan.
3. I really love music, but I'm not very good at knowing bands and keeping up with current awesome new groups, etc. Wait...scratch this one off the list. I don't exactly apologize for it, but I do want to do better.
4. I listen to Christmas music all year long!!!! And I love it!!! Nothing puts a smile on my face faster than when my itunes is on random and a little bit of the Elvis Christmas Album comes on. I see no need to wait until an appointed date to feel this joy in my heart.
Okay, that's all for now. Mostly because my computer is about to die and I'm too tired/lazy to get up and plug it in. :) Goodnight folks!
Sometime during the song I made a decision: I'm not dressing up for Halloween.
I'm not sure where this decision came from, it doesn't seem to be related to anything in the song or anything I might have seen as I drove. I suspect maybe it comes from the fact that for whatever reason, I felt more like myself while rockin' out in my car than I have in a long time.
But either way, that's the way it's going to be. It's not that I dislike Halloween or dressing up. In fact, I reserve the right to change my mind if a great costume idea surfaces that requires very little effort and stress and which will make me look fabulous and clever. But until then...it's simply not worth the effort to me. And you can call me a spoilsport or a party pooper as much as you'd like. I will party it up for Halloween it my regular clothes. The end. :)
This liberating moment got me to thinking about other things that I refuse to apologize for. Here's some that came to mind.
1. I hate mustard. Yuck. But I like deviled eggs. Yes, I do realize they have mustard in them. I still hate mustard.
2. I hate being tickled. I admit that I have engaged in my share (and maybe more) of flirtatious tickle wars and not totally hated every second of it. But unless you're a boy that I'm trying to flirt with, I'm not a fan.
3. I really love music, but I'm not very good at knowing bands and keeping up with current awesome new groups, etc. Wait...scratch this one off the list. I don't exactly apologize for it, but I do want to do better.
4. I listen to Christmas music all year long!!!! And I love it!!! Nothing puts a smile on my face faster than when my itunes is on random and a little bit of the Elvis Christmas Album comes on. I see no need to wait until an appointed date to feel this joy in my heart.
Okay, that's all for now. Mostly because my computer is about to die and I'm too tired/lazy to get up and plug it in. :) Goodnight folks!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Too many Thursday nights, a fresh start, and an invader
On Monday I went to work (in a borrowed car due to my lack of tires--another good story) and after teaching classes went to some loooooong meetings, an All-State Choir rehearsal, a voice lesson, and FHE. Needless to say I was pretty exhausted. And as I finally arrived home, I breathed deep and thought "I sure am tired, but at least I only have to work one more day this week." And then it dawned on me...it wasn't Thursday night! It was only Monday.
That is pretty much how the week has gone.
I'm not saying that it's been an awful week. Lots of good things have happened. I had some really good days, some not so good moments, and been very busy. It's basically been a standard week. But for some reason, every night has felt like Thursday night, and I've had to convince myself that I can get up and go to work for one more day. (And ironically, now that I've finally made it to Thursday, it feels like it should be Friday.)
One highlight of the week: A new month started! I have a little tradition for the first day of the month. And yes, I do realize that sharing this makes me sound totally nerdy, but I'm going to do it anyway. On the first day of every month I go through my email at work for the previous month and clean it out! ...(this is me, pausing for laughter and mocking)... I know it sounds lame, but I love it. I actually look forward to it--a lot. For about a week before the first of the month, I'm just itching to get started, I have to really hold myself back.
I think I like it for several reasons.
1. I get to review all the funny/interesting emails from the previous month.
2. I feel like I'm doing something productive, cleaning things out, getting a fresh start, blah blah blah. :)
3. ....It distracts me from other work I should be doing that I don't enjoy as much.
Oh, and P.S. -- I killed a giant spider in my office today. I wasn't really excited.
That is pretty much how the week has gone.
I'm not saying that it's been an awful week. Lots of good things have happened. I had some really good days, some not so good moments, and been very busy. It's basically been a standard week. But for some reason, every night has felt like Thursday night, and I've had to convince myself that I can get up and go to work for one more day. (And ironically, now that I've finally made it to Thursday, it feels like it should be Friday.)
One highlight of the week: A new month started! I have a little tradition for the first day of the month. And yes, I do realize that sharing this makes me sound totally nerdy, but I'm going to do it anyway. On the first day of every month I go through my email at work for the previous month and clean it out! ...(this is me, pausing for laughter and mocking)... I know it sounds lame, but I love it. I actually look forward to it--a lot. For about a week before the first of the month, I'm just itching to get started, I have to really hold myself back.
I think I like it for several reasons.
1. I get to review all the funny/interesting emails from the previous month.
2. I feel like I'm doing something productive, cleaning things out, getting a fresh start, blah blah blah. :)
3. ....It distracts me from other work I should be doing that I don't enjoy as much.
Oh, and P.S. -- I killed a giant spider in my office today. I wasn't really excited.
Friday, September 12, 2008
the sweet smell of success...
I probably shouldn't be allowed to blog when I'm this tired.
But it's been an incredibly long day, and I need to unwind a bit. So I thought I'd share my favorite part of today.
Some crazy part of me keeps thinking I need to get more involved at school. As if I'm not busy enough already. :) So this year, I'm the advisor for Senior Class Student Council. It's so fun and so nuts. And this weekend is Homecoming (which Senior Class is in charge of) so it's been especially stressful. And today was particularly crazy and rough.
But then, all that changed...
As part of the festivities the school has a Homecoming Carnival (thankfully, the one element we're not in charge of!). And one of the booths at the carnival is the Pie-in-the-face booth. ...Which I was asked to help with, so...
Between 5:30 and 6:00 pm tonight, I got 21 whipped cream and chocolate syrup pies shoved in my face by students. Not just thrown--shoved! There was lots of smearing and pushing and laughter as the tables were turned and my students were allowed to torture me. For a mere two dollars they had the opportunity to show me who's boss. I had pie everywhere! And I was the teacher with the most pies purchased and smeared on me--which I think is a good thing.
But despite the pudding in my eyes, ears, and nose (I can still smell it!), it was definitely the highlight of my day. I love my job.
But it's been an incredibly long day, and I need to unwind a bit. So I thought I'd share my favorite part of today.
Some crazy part of me keeps thinking I need to get more involved at school. As if I'm not busy enough already. :) So this year, I'm the advisor for Senior Class Student Council. It's so fun and so nuts. And this weekend is Homecoming (which Senior Class is in charge of) so it's been especially stressful. And today was particularly crazy and rough.
But then, all that changed...
As part of the festivities the school has a Homecoming Carnival (thankfully, the one element we're not in charge of!). And one of the booths at the carnival is the Pie-in-the-face booth. ...Which I was asked to help with, so...
Between 5:30 and 6:00 pm tonight, I got 21 whipped cream and chocolate syrup pies shoved in my face by students. Not just thrown--shoved! There was lots of smearing and pushing and laughter as the tables were turned and my students were allowed to torture me. For a mere two dollars they had the opportunity to show me who's boss. I had pie everywhere! And I was the teacher with the most pies purchased and smeared on me--which I think is a good thing.
But despite the pudding in my eyes, ears, and nose (I can still smell it!), it was definitely the highlight of my day. I love my job.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Tag -- I'm it!
Okay, so this is the first time I've gotten tagged as a blogger. And it may be terribly embarrassing, since my itunes library is sorely lacking. But I'm hoping that maybe if I admit to my awareness of its shortcomings, it makes me a little less loserish.
So I figured I'd be a good sport, and maybe it would help get the blogging juices flowing following my extended absence from the blog due to lack of wireless internet.
So, here goes nothing.
These are the instructions I received:
1. Put Your iTunes/music player/cd player/radio on shuffle.
So I figured I'd be a good sport, and maybe it would help get the blogging juices flowing following my extended absence from the blog due to lack of wireless internet.
So, here goes nothing.
These are the instructions I received:
1. Put Your iTunes/music player/cd player/radio on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT!!! After you've answered all of the questions, tag three other people to do the tag themselves!
(I, like Jodi, cheated on the tracks that were simply numbers...sorry)
Okay, well that was more fun than I thought it would be! And I can feel the blogging enthusiasm returning to me. More to come!
(I, like Jodi, cheated on the tracks that were simply numbers...sorry)
IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Wonderful, Wicked Soundtrack
This is actually kind of fun!
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Hold On, Traditional Spiritual
This week that is definitely accurate.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I Can't Stop Loving You, Keith Urban
sigh...
HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Won't Let You Down, Keith Urban
I hope so.
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Waiting in Vain, Annie Lennox
yep. sad.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Winter Wonderland, Matt Armstrong
Yay for Christmas music all year round!!!
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Say it Somehow, The Light in the Piazza Soundtrack
I'm not sure what that means.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Northern Sky, Nick Drake
I'm not sure how to put it in words, but it's a good thing.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FREQUENTLY?
Ditty, Paperboy
Because I always have a song in my head?
WHAT IS 2+2?
Van Diemen's Land, U2
That doesn't make any sense. But I find it interesting that there are so many 2s involved.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban
aw, tender.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Glassworks: Floe, Philip Glass
This is actually very applicable, but it's hard to describe if you don't know the music. Ask me sometime if you want to know.
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I'm Lit, SHeDAISY
Oh so many options.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
You Look Good in My Shirt, Keith Urban
Enough said. :)
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
See the Light, Jericho Road
Wow. That's Cheesy.
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Elaborate Lives, Aida Soundtrack
They're probably right.
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Oklahoma
I'm sure I'll be thinking that, but hopefully not actually dance to it at the wedding.
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
The Ground Beneath Her Feet, U2
Very cool.
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Deck the Halls, Matt Armstrong
hehe :)
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Angels We Have Heard on High, BYU Choirs
Wouldn't you like to know...
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Never Let Go, Josh Groban and Deep Forest
Maybe the truest of all!
Okay, well that was more fun than I thought it would be! And I can feel the blogging enthusiasm returning to me. More to come!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I don't want to live on the moon.
Tonight as I was driving home I saw the man in the moon.
I was remembering how when I was little everyone talked about the man in the moon and I could never figure out what they meant. I finally asked my mom one night and she pointed out the craters/dark spots that form the face of the man in the moon. I don't know what I was expecting, but for some reason I was totally disappointed. It seemed like it should be more...something.
It seems like that happens all too often as we grow up. Those mystic and magical things eventually lose their sparkle. Which seems kind of sad.
But still...I smiled when I thought of it tonight. :) So maybe it's not so bad.
I was remembering how when I was little everyone talked about the man in the moon and I could never figure out what they meant. I finally asked my mom one night and she pointed out the craters/dark spots that form the face of the man in the moon. I don't know what I was expecting, but for some reason I was totally disappointed. It seemed like it should be more...something.
It seems like that happens all too often as we grow up. Those mystic and magical things eventually lose their sparkle. Which seems kind of sad.
But still...I smiled when I thought of it tonight. :) So maybe it's not so bad.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street!
When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was "And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street," by Dr. Seuss. If you haven't read it, you should. It's about a kid who decides that telling about the horse and cart he saw on the way home is too boring, so he makes us great stories about all the things he wished he'd seen. So when we saw this on the way to the hotel in Newark, I was pretty excited. :) I didn't actually see any elephants or chariots, but still...
So. Now that we're home, here's a quick summary of our adventures.
15 days
8 states
10 cities
5500+ miles traveled
2 rental cars
2 canceled flights
2 standby flights
9 hours in the Atlanta airport
1 "we finally made it to Memphis" flight!
400 million records sold by Elvis
4 Shirley Temples
3 Dolphins
1 enormous scary red spider
3 Lighthouses
1 Colonial village
2 fish pedicures
1 Hope Diamond
1 awesome rain storm
1 very long bus ride
9 pairs of earrings
8 shirts
2 coats
14 pairs of shoes
1 Broadway show
1 carriage ride through Central Park
and Way Too Much Chinese Food!
The end. :)
Monday, August 4, 2008
And now it's 12 and 7
Wow, we have had a busy time the last few days! Let's see...
From North Carolina we drove to Williamsburg, VA. "What's in Williamsburg?" you may ask, (and in fact, someone did). Turns out it's a very cool colonial village. The people are all dressed up as if it were Revolutionary times and you can go into old shops and stuff, and we even got to see a very cool re-enactment thingy. So...Williamsburg. Cooler than you think it's going to be. :)
After Williamsburg we thought we'd continue the patriotic sentiment, so we headed to our nation's capitol, Washington, D.C. We had a great time there and even got to see some long lost friends! Perhaps one of the best moments was the amazing rain storm one afternoon. Why buy a $5 umbrella when you can enjoy the rain?
Yesterday we headed to New York. What was supposed to be a 4 hour bus ride turned into a 6 hour ride, thanks to all the amazing traffic! But eventually we made it to the city, got on a train, and then left the city again to get to our hotel.
Today we had a great day in New York! We shopped, spent too much money (you'll have to check out my amazing new shoes sometime!), wandered the streets, and saw a show. And tomorrow we are going to try to squeeze in a few more things before we leave, including a Central Park carriage ride...and more shoe shopping. ;) And then we'll be home! See you soon.
p.s. I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post. But I get frustrated with adding pictures because I think the way it adds them is stupid. And I'm too tired to deal with it tonight. Sorry.
p.p.s. If you know of an easier way to add pictures, let me know.
From North Carolina we drove to Williamsburg, VA. "What's in Williamsburg?" you may ask, (and in fact, someone did). Turns out it's a very cool colonial village. The people are all dressed up as if it were Revolutionary times and you can go into old shops and stuff, and we even got to see a very cool re-enactment thingy. So...Williamsburg. Cooler than you think it's going to be. :)
After Williamsburg we thought we'd continue the patriotic sentiment, so we headed to our nation's capitol, Washington, D.C. We had a great time there and even got to see some long lost friends! Perhaps one of the best moments was the amazing rain storm one afternoon. Why buy a $5 umbrella when you can enjoy the rain?
Yesterday we headed to New York. What was supposed to be a 4 hour bus ride turned into a 6 hour ride, thanks to all the amazing traffic! But eventually we made it to the city, got on a train, and then left the city again to get to our hotel.
Today we had a great day in New York! We shopped, spent too much money (you'll have to check out my amazing new shoes sometime!), wandered the streets, and saw a show. And tomorrow we are going to try to squeeze in a few more things before we leave, including a Central Park carriage ride...and more shoe shopping. ;) And then we'll be home! See you soon.
p.s. I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post. But I get frustrated with adding pictures because I think the way it adds them is stupid. And I'm too tired to deal with it tonight. Sorry.
p.p.s. If you know of an easier way to add pictures, let me know.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Boys come and go, but a beach house is forever!
Okay, so we've been to two more states. Yesterday we had kind of a lazy day in South Carolina, and today we're in North Carolina. We went out to visit a lighthouse this morning. The Hatteras Light Station is the tallest in the country. We were going to climb up it, but it was closed. :( For some reason they thought that since it was over 100 degrees inside they shouldn't let us climb. But we got lots of pictures anyway.
So, we headed back to the beach for some fun in the sun!
Melissa loves the beach! Although neither of us got much sun (good for me! bad for Melissa) we did enjoy a great game of "Would You Rather" while relaxing on the sand... :) and hilarity ensued!
Unfortunately, this was not my favorite beach. The water was much colder than any other East Coast beach I've been to, which was disappointing, but we still had a great time! And tomorrow we're on to Virginia!!
So, we headed back to the beach for some fun in the sun!
Melissa loves the beach! Although neither of us got much sun (good for me! bad for Melissa) we did enjoy a great game of "Would You Rather" while relaxing on the sand... :) and hilarity ensued!
Unfortunately, this was not my favorite beach. The water was much colder than any other East Coast beach I've been to, which was disappointing, but we still had a great time! And tomorrow we're on to Virginia!!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Georgia On My Mind!
Yep, we're in Georgia now! (Sorry about the blurriness, it was taken from a moving vehicle.)
We drove through most of it yesterday and today we're in Savannah. It's such a beautiful city! We took a historic city tour, wandered around for a while, and then took a haunted tour while riding in a hearse. Apparently Savannah is the most haunted city in America! We didn't see any ghosts, but heard some creepy stories and had some good laughs.
Probably the highlight of the day was dinner at The Lady and Sons. It's Paula Dean's restaurant here in Savannah and it was sooooo good!
These are the fried green tomatoes at The Lady and Sons...AMAZING!!
And now I'm officially too tired to upload any more pictures or think of any other interesting stories. Tomorrow we're headed to South Carolina...I think! :)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Remember that time in the Atlanta airport....
Okay, so this is my first post on my blog. I make no promises that anything on here will be at all interesting. :)
With that said...
Today I accomplished something on my "Things to do before I die" list. It was pretty exciting.
(side note--little known fact about me--I LOVE Elvis. I know...a little weird. It all started my senior year of high school. But that's another story...)
Don't we make a great couple?
Anywho, today Melissa and I arrived in Memphis (an adventure in and of itself). After switching to a new rental car, checking into our hotel, and brushing our teeth--hooray!--we headed to Graceland! We pulled into the parking lot and the parking attendant practically laughed out loud at the two young giggly girls coming to visit Elvis.
Graceland was awesome. The mansion was beautiful and all of the exhibits were so great. If you ever get the chance to go, you should! Even if you're not a huge fan, it's really amazing! Did you know that Elvis sold over 400 Million records??!!! There's also an exhibit of cars that he owned and his TWO personal planes!
After an amazing afternoon at Graceland, we headed to downtown Memphis and Beale Street for some incredibly yummy BBQ and Memphis culture.
The cute man in the straw hat was trying to get people into the club behind him. As we walked past he said "It must be recess in Heaven, 'cause there's angels walking down Beale Street!"
With that said...
Today I accomplished something on my "Things to do before I die" list. It was pretty exciting.
I visited Graceland!!!!
(side note--little known fact about me--I LOVE Elvis. I know...a little weird. It all started my senior year of high school. But that's another story...)
Don't we make a great couple?
Graceland was awesome. The mansion was beautiful and all of the exhibits were so great. If you ever get the chance to go, you should! Even if you're not a huge fan, it's really amazing! Did you know that Elvis sold over 400 Million records??!!! There's also an exhibit of cars that he owned and his TWO personal planes!
After an amazing afternoon at Graceland, we headed to downtown Memphis and Beale Street for some incredibly yummy BBQ and Memphis culture.
The cute man in the straw hat was trying to get people into the club behind him. As we walked past he said "It must be recess in Heaven, 'cause there's angels walking down Beale Street!"
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