Bubble girl?

virginia is starting to get more and more familiar, but at the same time there are aspects about it that are sooo foreign to me. I have this little bubble of town that i know... the library, walmart, sweet frog, and the ups store. Thanks to my trusty gps we are able to find the movie theater and nice malls but it isn't like Utah where things are in such close proximity. This is the country baby and it definately has "wide open spaces" - filled with trees and trees and more trees. It is such a bizar feeling to not be able to see what is on the other side of the block without driving or walking there. Businesses and homes are tucked away in the trees, only to be labeled or noticed by a driveway, business sign, or mail box. The speed limit is about 45 on the roads here (even in neighborhoods) but it feels like 60 partially because the trees are so thick and intensify the speed and also because no one here goes remotely close to the speed limit. If you go the speed limit you get tail gated or flipped off. crazy!!

I made meat loaf, cheesy potatoes, and caesar salad last night :) hubby loved it. I'm in the market for a nice camera ( the nikon / cannon kind) if anyone knows of one or wants to sell theirs at a good price let me know!

ta ta for now!

Joy

I borrowed a ballet conditioning video from my cousin and tried it out the other day. The girl on the video was smiling the entire time she was working out (as ballerina's do) and at first she was really on my nerves. I couldn't stand how she looked so perky doing her leg lifts. It was almost as she was mocking me as i was dying. But then i tried out her little method and made it a goal to smile the entire time i did the work out. To my surprise i actually ended up enjoying the workout! This reminded me to have joy... a word that starting meaning a lot to me when i was taking voice lessons. When singing, everything is better if you have an expression of joy on your face. Your posture, lift, tone, everything is better with joy. sometimes i forget to incorporate joy into normal things of my day like putting on make up or making dinner or grocery shopping! My goal of the weekend and rest of the week is to remember to wear an expression of joy.

You're never fully dressed without a SMILE :)

Dreams

I had a horrible dream last night. The kind where you wake up and think it was real, and when the time comes that you realize everything is normal, you are so thankful that its not real. I think that dreams are so interesting. Why do we dream? Is it our minds way of wandering, our curiosity, our fears? I find it so interesting. I took a psychology class once and loved every minute of it. I think the human mind is fascinating, science has always been fun and interesting to me. Where was i going with this.... oh, I'm thankful for dreams even though some are horrible. I think they are constant reminders of being different and thinking at new heights. For example, i have a dream that one day we will go to Italy. I have dreams where i can fly if i jump really high. I have a dream that my hubby will sell like no man has ever sold before. I have a dream... haha guess the possibility of watching fireworks on the 4Th of July at the national monument in D.C where Martin Luther King "had a dream" is inspiring this blog post. Hang with me people, cause apparently i have many dreams! :)

Attention Walmart Shoppers

So i went to walmart today (it is the closest grocery store - literally right across the street from the apartments) and i almost got trampled. Not to be racist (i have black cousins), but there were probably 2 million black booties in that store each with a shopping cart, crazy look on their face, and a yearning to be needing what ever i was standing in front of. It is hard to do my job AND grocery shop so when i have to schedule a tech i pull off to the side usually in front of like gross prunes or something that i know will not be touched or needed in the next little bit and do my thing, but today was crazy. Attention Walmart shoppers, what ever the blonde white girl is standing in front of is half off as long as she is standing in front of it!!! ya that's what it felt like haha. It was a good way to make me get in and get out though!

Ps. I know you were wondering... it is 6:00pm and 102 degrees outside. My poor hubby.

The hood

We had the chance to visit the neighborhood where hubby grew up a couple weeks ago. I wish i would have taken more pictures. This is the harbor area of the neighborhood... again are you sure there are no "gators" in there? It's beautiful though, so different from the west. They both have their distinct beauties that are polar opposites of each other.

The neighborhood is a gated area but huge inside with a harbor, pool, multiple parks, and even a historical site called governers island. We went on this walk and saw where rock was quarried to be used in washington DC. Pretty neat!

We had a lot of fun on our nature hike. We even swung from a real long vine like tarzan... i tried to upload the video but after 20 min of it saying upload... i gave up. I will have to show you later :)

A Great Birthday Weekend

I am now officially legal! Its funny to say that when you are mormon because turning 21 really isn't such a big deal. Sure you are one year older and wiser but that's it. I was talking to a mom here and she said that to celebrate her 21st she booked a hotel room under her name and a car and their family went on a trip (guess you can't do that till you are 21). haha But dispite that, i had a really good birthday.

My family sent me these beautiful flowers that brighten the apartment. i got cards from grandparents and friends. I also got cupcakes and a cute belt from my cuz, i love her style.

My wonderful hubby took me to this amazing seafood restaurant saturday night. We had crab, shrimp, potatoes, veggies, key lime pie, and ALIGATOR! yes real aligator... it looked like chic-fil-a and i will never think of those nuggets the same. EVER. We also went to the mall friday and hubby bought me this shirt.

Corbin got 12 of these babies and they stared at me all night. EEWww sick

Yep this is ALIGATOR!!! (above)

My new shirt that i love

Overall it was a fun day :) I'll blog about corbin's hood next time, stay tuned!!

A happy kind of friday

I love fridays. Not just because they are paydays, but something about the weekend finally being here does it for me. Even though my hubby and i work saturday, friday is a good day. This morning hubby and I woke up early to go to the mall and do some birthday shopping!! I found a cute AE shirt that he said "looked like me" and he found some socks for himself :) I will post a picture of me in my birthday shirt after i wear it sunday.

I go through these anti-social moods every now and then where i'd rather just be curled up in a blanket watching a chick flick while eating yummy snacks. Not because anything is wrong, i just have those days where i am content being alone. Who knows why.

We miss our friends and family back in Utah and can't wait to play with them in the fall. My cute friend is prego and i can't wait to see her cute belly! If you are reading this Mrs. P paalleeese post some pictures :)

Lately i've been really into cooking since i'm working from home all day. I'm trying to cook healthy things on a budget... i know, i should totally write a cookbook :) So far i have made Cafe Rio salad, BBQ chicken pizza, quiche, lasagna, and home made mac n cheese.

Ummm i really don't have a lot to blog about today. I will be taking some pictures this weekend so stay tuned :)