Photos of "Disneyland"

Ok, so just so everyone knows, when I post a picture, I don't see it until it is "officially" posted. What I see before is a bunch of code that magically turns into a picture (I don't know why I can't just see the picture at all times). Anyway, that is why there are no subtitles. So, I will list what I have included and then I'm sure you will be able to match the picture with the name.

1) Washington Monument
2) Lincoln Memorial
3) WWII Memorial
4) WWII Museum
5) Jefferson Memorial
6) The White House
7) The Vietnam War Memorial
8) The Korean War Memorial
9) The US Capital Building
10) The US Supreme Court Building

Life in "Disneyland"

So, I don't know if I mentioned this in a previous post, but I came up with a good analogy for me and Washington, DC...it is my Disneyland! I am fascinated by anything-DC! Call me a nerd (my co-workers did), I don't care. That being said, here is what I have been up to during my stay here so far:

1) Running an academic conference with a mix of good students and children who are raised thinking they are entitled to anything they want and thinking they are exceptions to any rule (thank you parents!)
2) Visiting Capital Hill (more visits to come with just myself!)
3) Visiting the National Mall
4) SPENDING ALL DAY ON THE MALL (I read at the Lincoln and the Jefferson memorials...I even slept at the Jefferson memorial! Oh...it was bliss!!!)
5) Passing the White House in hopes that Pres Obama were taking a little stroll outside (I know, the likelihood of that happening is the same as me becoming the next president!)
6) Best of all...a trip to the Washington, DC LDS Temple

Further plans include the following:

1) A visit to Arlington Cemetery
2) A visit to the cathedral
3) A visit to Capital Hill
4) A quick trip to New York City
5) A Smithsonian or two
6) Another trip to the National Mall
7) Hopefully, a trip to Mt. Vernon

Now, before you all start getting jealous, do not worry. I am now providing some pictures of my fun so you can all participate vicariously :) Enjoy!!!!







PS...because I have so many, I can only upload a few pictures. I will add another post with additional pictures :) Don't worry...I'm always thinking of my loyal readers!

Vacation and Family

To my thousands of avid fans out there, I apologize for the delay in posting. I know you all wait with baited breath for news about me! Well, here we go...

So, I graduated from BYU with my MSW (FINALLY!!!!) It was great! Here are some pictures. NOTICE THE HOOD!!!! That, along with the black robe! (It's very Harry Potter-esque...don't you think? I do!)



Anyway, that was a lot of fun. Shortly after, I took my licensing exam...AND I PASSED!!!!! I then applied for a CSW license (Certified Social Worker) in the State of Utah, which came in the mail shortly afterwards. Now, I can start looking for a job without being denied because I don't have a license (which is what happened, and was a great source of annoyance and frustration!)

After graduation and testing, the fun began! I went to NC to see my sister and brother-in-law. I absolutely love NC! It's green, with trees everywhere, and on the east coast! I had a great time. It was great seeing my sister and her husband and spending time with them. I am still waiting for them to move back to UT (or for me to move out to NC, whatever comes faster!)

In NC, we went to Duke Gardens (I have to go there everytime I'm in NC. I never get enough of it!), New Bern (I guess it used to be the capital of NC. It's an older town and had some of those amazing old houses!!! Also, we went to the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola and had a pepsi!), and an air show. I had a blast!!!! My sister had that new Dyson vacuum (the one that moves on a ball in the center). I begged her to let me vacuum. She relented and I had fun! Plus, her carpet is the best kind to vacuum!

When I got home, we had family who were up for a baseball tournament. We had a houseful, but it was so much fun to see them! I had my first taste of IHOP, which was better than I expected! We also watched the final American Idol (and yes, I still chuckle when I think of the showdown between Kara and DBG!)

I then hopped on a flight to NM to see my brother and his family (we went down to see my niece blessed in church). I had A BLAST!!!!! My oldest sister and her family drove down, along with my youngest brother and his girlfriend and my parents. We had a full house that was overflowing with energy, laughter, and good times. However, we still were not complete!!! My two other siblings were unable to attend.

The next week, it was time for me to head to DC. I was quite anxious about it because I was starting an internship. As most of you know, I have a tendency to worry/freak out/stress/etc over anything that happens. Luckily, after getting to DC, I was able to calm down. Washington, DC is my "Disneyland".

Anyway, I was able to escape from campus every once in a while to see some sights. Unfortunately, my camera was not able to escape (no worries, it now goes with me everywhere!) I did manage to get some photos of the "white house". Here's an eye-feast!!!!!




(And yes, I took them myself!)

Well, you are all up to date. However, things change quickly and I will try to keep you informed. I have many places to go here in "Disneyland" and many photos to take. So, stay tuned...!

My Favorite American Idol Moment

I have to say, I absolutely loved the moment when Dumb Bikini Girl (DBG)was trying to sing "Vision of Love" as Kara DioGuardi came out singing. DBG's face was priceless--thinking she had the stage. I loved seeing her trying to find out where the other voice was coming from. And then, when she saw that it was Kara, her face was dripping with fury and loathing. And yes, Kara was much better singing than was DBG! Oh it was fabulous!!! Kara got the upper hand!!!! Now if only Adam was not on American Idol, it would have been a great series finale!

Spring!

So, I had Stake Conference in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square (it was so fun having church on Temple Square! I felt like a pioneer!) Since the weather was so nice (it had rained the night before and the morning of), I decided to take advantage, so I took my camera with me so I could wander Temple Square and take pictures of the grounds. The weather was perfect--not too hot, not too cold. It also smelled WONDERFUL because of the tulips and the lilacs. Holy Cow!!! Here are some pictures...enjoy!

The Suspense is Over!!!!

To my avid fans out there...the suspense is now over and here you have a new post! :)

So much has happened. To begin with, I GRADUATED!!!!!! I now have a Master's Degree (MSW) and am quite happy to be done with school. I had a great time at the Commencement Exercises where President Uchtdorf and Elder Nelson spoke. The procession was a great experience because we were able to walk past President Samuelson, President Uchtdorf, Elder Nelson, and the faculty. It was a different, but nice, experience compared to the last Commencement Exercises when Vice President Cheney came to speak (although I highly enjoyed that speech!!)

Convocation was great as well. We sat on the front row and Elder Christoferson was attending. As my name was read and I crossed the stage, I was able to shake hands with him, as well as Dean Magleby and Vice President Tanner. All in all, it was a great graduation time!

Sad moments that came with graduation were few, but huge. My internship at the American Fork Hospital came to an end, which was bittersweet for me. It was nice to reach the end, but I had forged some great frienships there and was enjoying what I was doing. In addition, it was hard to become unemployed in this wonderful economic time period we are experiencing, thanks to some highly selfless people. Luckily, I do have a summer job that will help me to enjoy the summer while having some sort of income. Hopefully when I return, employment opportunities will be more abundant (especially now that I have a license!)

Which brings me to my next point...my licensure exam. I was very nervous to take this (and quite the basket case--highly unlike me!) I started studying a week before my test date and took my first practice test, on which I scored a 60% (I need a 70% to pass on the real test). I continued to review, then took the second test on which I scored a 62%. At this point, I started to get somewhat frustrated. I took the third test, 64%, and was about to give up. However, thanks to my determination and my mom's persistence, I continued studying and my scores finally reached into the low 70's. I went and took the test and was very nervous as I hit the "Quit" button. After going through a short survey (which seemed extremely long), I was told that I had PASSED!!!!!! Oh, it was a very exciting day. If you heard someone shouting, it was me! I can now register for a license and then am able to get a job. Oh, happy day!

Now, I prepare for my US tour and am very excited! East Coast, Southwest, East Coast again! In addition, I will plunge into the Harry Potter saga, finish the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series (I highly recommend it!!!!!) and the Leven Thumps series ("The Ruins of Alder" is taking forever to come out!), and read book 4 in the Fablehaven series. After seeing the trailer for "Angels and Demons", I now want to read the book in anticipation of the movie. The best part is...I have no papers to write, textbooks to read, or professors to deal with (although, I do now have a job to find).

Well, that is the extent of what has been occurring in my life. Things are exciting, unknown, and great (except for the unknown part...I hate not knowing!) I hope all is well with everyone! Take care :)

Happy Easter!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter Sunday and that we can all remember the reason for the day!