No, We Are Not Dead....

Despite popular belief, no horrible accident has taken Isaac and Lexie from the earth. We are just busy... and don't have access to internet all the time.

So, for a quick update, Isaac is busy working on his final year at USU. I think he is beginning to transition into real life. He is currently working on his senior design project, an algae raceway. I'm sure he'll want to post pics when he's done building it. I think that the "I hate engineering" days are over. He even came home yesterday wearing a shirt that said "Engineers are Sexy", but the "sexy" was written in Greek letters. Ha ha.

As for me, I continue at Head Start. It has basically eaten my life. It does keep me occupied, but it can be stressful too. I do enjoy it though. I never thought that I could learn so much about life and relationships from preschoolers. But, there you go!

In the near future, I will be posting pictures from what we've been up to. I do apologize for the lack of writing. It's just hard to not be at school and have internet at my disposal. Needless to say, I don't use it at work!

Lexie Gets a REAL Job

Well, I don't know what it is, but I seem to get big news in the weirdest places!

Earlier this summer, I applied with Head Start (a federally funded preschool program for low-income families) in Logan. I called to check up on it, and they told me that they would call when they had some openings. I heard from them 2 days after we arrived in VA. Needless to say, I was disappointed. About a month ago, they called again but were unable to use me since I was so far away and not coming home until the 23rd. So, last Monday, I got another call. There were two positions open. I interviewed for both positions over the phone. Last Wednesday, I had a second interview. On Monday, they called to offer me one of the positions! I am SO excited! Isaac even let me buy my first suit in commemoration! The position a substitute that will fill in when someone is sick or a position falls vacant. It only pays around $10.00 an hour, but, I WILL GET FULL BENEFITS!!!! This is literally the best news I've had in a long time!

The greatest thing about all of this is that I can see the Lord's hand in it. I feel that Isaac and I have been so blessed for the measley efforts that we put forth! I will get to Utah with a job and not have to look for one. I think that I may be one of the few people to ever get offered a job without the employer ever having met me! Thanks to our friends and family for your prayers and words of support. You bless our lives so much, and we love you!

Isaac In Front of Jefferson
Lexie finding out she got a job in Utah!
Hanging out at the Hershorn Sculpture Gardens
Soaking our feet in the WWII Memorial

Well, today or tomorrow, we are leaving for Salt Lake from Virginia. It has been a long summer full of new experiences and fun. We have loved getting to be with family, but it is time to go to school and to be on our own. The Lord really has watched over us throughout the summer. He has tested us, and our cup runneth over with undeserved blessings. We are both blessed with great families. Even though they may drive us absolutely crazy, it is a joy to be with them.

The last few days, we were able to spend time with both sides of the family as Angela and Liz (Isaac's Sister and cousin) came out to see the sites. Probably the most memorable experiences were at Mount Vernon (George Washington's home). Twice a day, at the tomb of George and Martha, there is a small ceremony where they say the pledge of allegiance. Then they let one person take a wreath made of the plants that grow there, into the tomb between the caskets. It just so happened that Isaac got to take in that wreath. It was humbling to do something on a personal level for someone who made such a difference for so many people. On a tour through the house, we would go from one room to another with a new tour guide in each room. One elderly man was the guide to the room where George Washington died. He gave some famous quotes from people who knew Washington and he got all choked up as he said them. It was amazing that even though he probably had given that tour many times, he still had that humble reverance for a great man.

The People We Live With....

I think that everyone thinks that their family looks strange to the outside world. I have officially decided that my family is the weirdest. I love them, but sometimes I wonder. Notice the picture above. Courtney was eating a peach, and then made a face out of the bites. Then Quinn decided to take a picture of it in the fridge like it's somthing alive that will eat all the rest of the food. Does you family do this? I think not.

Also, on Sunday was Lance and Melissa's anniversary, so we played the Newlywed Game....it was interesting. L & M won of course, it was a landslide victory. But, wome interesting things came out of the game. Such as, Lance picks his nose when nervous....does anyone in your family do this? Probably not. The question is, how do I fit into this wacky bunch? I think that I have come up with an answer: I provided them with Isaac who seems to fit in just fine! See picture above as a reference. I also seem to have a strange fascination with vampire books and sappy romances, so who's to say I'm not a freak too? Well, I guess it's a good thing that Isaac and I are at least surrounded by people who seem to accept our weirdnesses too.

Slugs and CDs

I feel weird typing in third person, but since Lexie always makes me the third person, I'll give it a try.

Today, Isaac had a real job. It was in downtown DC (Georgetown). He (meaning me) woke up at 6:45 am (4:45 SLC time) and got in a car with a random lady for what's called the "Slug Line". The way it works is, there are people who want to drive to work, but are alone. So, you stand in line and they yell where they are going out of the window and if you happen to be going to the same place, you get in their car and they drive you FOR FREE! Yay! Isaac worked at an architectural firm called Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK). He was in charge of organizing 500+ CDs of the company's data files. Do you have any idea how fried a person's brain can become, after trying to sort out hundreds of random CDs? Well, Isaac does. After 10 hours of that, he got to brave the Metro...alone. He almost could have gotten mugged! Good thing that he got to have lunch at Five Guys with Lance and Melissa. That pretty much made the whole day worth it...that and having Lexie pick him up at the Metro station.

I can now start paying more attention to Isaac. On Friday night, we went to Barne's and Noble and bought Breaking Dawn (Not Isaac's favorite). I was in the very front of a line full of teenage crazies. Stay tuned for my review of the book. Please comment if you have read it! (That part was written by Lexie). They had a poster where you could write your predictions for the book, and Isaac wrote, "Edward sucks!" Get it?! He also drew a pair of vampire teeth Hehehehehe!

Last week, Isaac went to the Jim Hensen Exhibit downtown. He wasn't supposed to take pictures, but he did. Oops. Good thing he runs faster than security guards.

Basically the rest of July....and into August

Well, I have done it again. I just get too busy with things and I neglect our blog!
Our big news is that I have a job! I decided to bite the bullet and go back to Michael's, purely for the money. It has actually been a good experience. My family are basically celebraties there since both Quinn and Meesh have worked there. I have gotten to tell tons of people about Meesh's mission and when she will be coming home. I love that there are so many missionary opportunities here!

Earlier in the summer when we were all unemployed, I decided to take up sewing again. My mum tried to teach me when I was younger, but I basically hated it, so I never did it again really. Well, I started a jumper, and yesterday I FINISHED IT!!!! Ange and Liz will probably get to see it when they come! I was so impressed with myself that I started a new project last night...another jumper.

Last week was an incredibly full week! On Monday and Tuesday I worked and then on Wednesday morning we headed down to Blacksburg, VA to visit Annie and Tyler and help them move into a new place. We had a great time! Despite being a very small town, Blacksburg is beautiful and it was great to celebrate the twins' birthday with Annie. I think she misses her family, but is enjoying married life. We ate at a buffet for one lunch...I think that Chuck-A-Rama has a close contender! They had true southern items like fried chicken, fried okra, and the mac and chesse was pretty much to DIE FOR! For dinner on Annie's birthday, we went to Texas Roadhouse and Tyler told the waiter that it was his wife's birthday. She sat on a saddle and had to say "Yeehaw" and all of that. During dinner, we got the news that we are going to have a new neice! We are SO excited, though that poor girl is going to have 3 higly protective older brothers....Ooh! Maybe I can make her dresses with my new sewing skills!

We got back from Blacksburg on Thursday afternoon and then, after work on Friday drove dowm to Richmond to see Courtney's family, go to the beach for her dad's birthday....and get Breaking Dawn! We were the first in Richmond to get our books! We spent Saturday playing in the water, eating junk food and reading the new book aloud. We had a great time....Quinn and Isaac buried Courtney's brother, Lincoln in the sand while we read. Her family is so great. They are truly southern. Everybody gets hugs and kisses, and you get to take turns waiting for the one bathroom in their 100+ year-old house. I think that whenever Isaac and I build a house...I want it to look like it could fit in Richmond. Sometimes I think I should have been born in Atlanta, not Logan. Hahahaha.

A More Current Update

I finally bit the bullet and have started working at Micchael's in Springfield. I also had a sort of phone interview with Head Start in Logan. I would really like to have something lined up for when we get back to Utah.

Isaac (in addition to helping Keith with the other house) has been fixing up some motorcycles and they are now just about ready to sell. He has learned a lot, I think, about motorcycles and the area around here. For his birthday we got a Garmin GPS navigator. We love it! It has helped SO much! I really think that if and when we end up in an area that is not familiar to us, it will really come in handy. I don't know that we will need it as much in Logan, but I think that it would help me in Salt Lake too. We can hardly wait to use it on our road trip back at the end of the summer!

Here are some pictures of the bike Isaac is ready to sell....he did the paint job on the tank and sidecovers himself....sometimes I wonder where he came from!

This is a monument to all of the 50 states. We are standing in front of the Atalntic section, and you can almost see Virginia behind us.

This is in front of the Washington Monument. During the fireworks show, we would have gotten ash and falling debris on our heads had we been standing in this same spot.
To keep Isaac occupied during the day we walked around DC (to the areas that we open). While walking there was a pro-Marijuana march. It is not in this picture but it was pretty funny. There were all of these pothead looking people who were chanting things like "Pot, the Anti-Drug" and "We smoke pot, like it or not!". It was one of those moments where you know you're in the most highly politicized areas of the world. Good news is, I don't think that Congress will make it legal anytime soon.

This is our view from our sears, you can almost see large orange rectangles on either side of the pool. These are the actual fireworks. They all went off right above the Washington Monument.

This is me, and the policemen who all ride horses. It's a little like Central Park.

You would think that Elise would have thought not to wear jeans. It was SO hot! I think that she looks like a gangster in this picture.

Isaac in the sweltering heat. His first picture as a 26 year-old!

Jumping

These pictures are of Isaac and Elise jumping in front of the Washinton Monument. They tried to get me to do it, but I wouldn't....yes, I was being a poo. They turned out well, though, I think. Weesie's reminds me of High School Musical.

July 4th on the Mall

Hello Friends and Family!

We have been meaning to update our blog forever! So, don't mind if there are few different posts with different pics on each one.

As most of you know, Isaac celebrated his 26th birthday on the National Mall this year - for the first time! We left Lorton at about 11 am and the fireworks didn't start until 9:11 pm. Needless to say, I thought that Isaac would go out of his mind with boredom. Isaac relax and read a book!? Hardly. It was a very hot and humid day, and there was security everywhere! We had to walk about 10 blocks from our car to the Licoln Memorial where we saved terrific seats.

In the afternoon it rained a TON! It was really lucky that Quinn and Courtney bought a huge tarp (30' x 18') before they left Provo! We all huddled under that tarp like a tent and we all stayed pretty dry. When the rain stopped and we all emerged from under our shelter another family was like. "Whoa, I didn't know there were so many people under there!". Needless to say, people here are not accustomed to our large Mormon sized families.

When the fireworks finally started Isaac was amazed. I wish that we could have caught some of the show, but even then, it cannot acurately capture how amazing it is. There were ducks in the reflecting pond (it is between the Washington and Licoln Memorials) and they all huddled in the middle of the pond for cover and some even flew away confusedly during particularly spectacular displays. All in all, I think that Isaac won't forget his birthday fireworks this year!

Pictures...and an update

Well, I think that I finally figured out how to get pictures off of our camera and onto the computer! But, I guess we should explain them just a bit. You should find pictures from graduation, our trip across the country and some from Annie's wedding. I hope that you will all have fun checking them out!

In other news, we have been very busy since we got here! Lexie's parents are trying to sell a home that they own, and there has been a lot of work to do on it. Isaac especially has been working out in the humidity and heat doing yard work and other manly stuff. Lexie has been working in the house mostly (but some sweating too) painting, cleaning and organizing. There is an open house today and we are all hoping it will sell.

Tuesday night we all went to Shenendoah National forest for Brent's birthday. We drove up this beautiful highway called Skyline Drive. We just had a picnic and relaxed. Millie decided to bark at another dog and almost choked herself, so Isaac decided to take her on a little walk. Little did he know that a black bear had been sighted just above our campsite! Isaac ended up being face-to-face with a bear (he had said earlier in the evening that he wanted to see one up close, who wants that?!). I think that it actually freaked him out because he was really quiet and a little shaky for a while. Too bad we didn't get a picture of the bear!

New Template!

A big thanks to Jenny for our beautiful/manly blog template! We love it WOOHOO!!! The Transformers are a nice touch, don't you think?

Take Us Home Country Roads....

Well, we are in Virginia for the summer! Isaac and I left on Sunday morning, and got here Tuesday. We made good time, and made stops for the night in Lincoln, Nebraska and Dayton, Ohio. It was a great trip. We stopped in Nauvoo and Carthage, IL to see some of the sights and enjoyed wonderful weather the whole time. I really was excited to post our pictures, until Isaac pointed out that we may not have the Nikon software from our camera to download them here! BUMMER!

Plans for the wedding continue, and Annie seems ready to get married. We still have not met Tyler yet, but I guess he has to take some classes this summer. We totally know how that goes! Isaac has been laying some stones down for a back patio here and he puts the rest of us to shame! We are glad that he is working so hard, though he does sweat a lot in the humidity.

Well, we definitely enjoyed the hot tub last night! Wish all of you were here!

Graduation

For all of you who were not able to attend, Lexie graduated on May 3! Her degree is in Family, Consumer and Human Development from Utah State University. She was happy that so many of her family members were able to come (all the way from VA!!). It feels good to be done, and we are excited for Isaac to finish in a year. We hope to have pics up soon including video of Lexie receiving her diploma!

We're joining the blogging world!

Just wanted to send my first post to our new blog. Isaac and I have been considering doing one for a long time, and I finally had time to do it. I will try and update regularly to let everyone know what is going on in our oh-so-exciting lives!