I'm sure everyone has already seen this commercial, but I saw it for the first time today. And of course I cried. Strong genes, ma. Plus I was at the gym. So 5x more embarrassing. Maybe the beginning reminded me of getting up for seminary? Well, I ain't no olympian, so thanks a lot Seminary. Just kidding. ANYWHO, for your enjoyment.
It's a grand day. With it following my birthday, I've always felt a little giddy in anticipation for this holiday. Independence Day 2012 lived up to the gid.
Cute family at the Leesburg Parade
A little cultural diversity at the parade...
A huge plus of living in Northern Virginia (or pretty much anywhere on the East Coast) is that historical sites are plentiful. Little did I know, General George Marshall (as in the Marshall Plan) bought a home in my hometown and retired here around 1945. The preservation society gives tours and whatnot year round, but on the 4th they gave mini free tours. And it was very cool.
General George Marshall's home
TV/radio from the 50's.
One of my favorite things about the tour was getting that feeling that these were real people. I don't know how many hours I spent reading textbooks about people like General Marshall (and him, too) but when I hear "This is where the General and President Truman would take their business after dinner with their families on Sunday. [He was Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense at the time, so there was lots to do]" it makes it more personal and more real, I guess.
Spencer was a goof...
And John followed suit.
[Not pictured: Crashed at home after lunch, naps, and The Music Man on repeat for a few hours. We watched it 3 times today. Probably one of my favorite movies. Ever.
Good ole fashioned hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner with a berry concoction for dessert.]
Then the fireworks.
I am sure that I don't fully understand what an incredible country we live in, because I have experienced very little other than the American way of life. But I do know that our freedom was not free, and I am deeply grateful for those who have and continue to put their lives on the line so that we don't have to. It's a beautiful thing to think of the selfless service these men and women are giving daily.
But on a more local scale, I had an experience a month ago that I hope I don't forget. We were in LA at an In-and-Out, grabbing some lunch. Sidenote: Just like any major city, there are plenty of homeless people, but I was certain I had never seen quite so many as I had there. As we moved out of the ordering line and joined the masses waiting for our food, an obviously homeless woman approached the counter, looking very tired and very downtrodden. She pulled two dollars and a handful of coins from a pocket, searching the menu to get the most of her dollars. Before she could get a word out, the woman behind her tapped her on the shoulder and said "May I treat you?" So treat she did. She bought her the whole shebang, in addition to the huge order she was placing for her family. She didn't hesitate to help this woman. I know everyone tells stories like this, but this was the first time I had seen something like this happen in person, and it hit a chord, I suppose. But most of all, it makes me proud to be apart of a culture like that. The AllState commercial got the idea from somewhere. The people. We are what makes this country so great. Go America.
Phone conversation with the receptionist at Loudoun Internal Medicine.
Receptionist: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Yeah, I was hoping to talk to Dr. Pelkofski."
R:"She's not a doctor. She's a nurse practitioner."
Me: "Right, sorry."
R: "She's not here."
Me: "Oh, ok."
*Click*
I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. Without His sacrifice none of the blessings we now enjoy would be possible. He knows what we are going through. He has broken the bonds of death so that Brett can be whole and live again. So we all can do that.
And I sure do love my family.
The cousins (minus two.)
"So goodnight, sleep tight. Tomorrow's another day till then sweet dreams, sweetheart. May angels up above watch over you and keep you safe little one, till the dawn breaks through."
-Our Grandpa sang us this lullaby as children and has become a tradition of sorts. And according to my aunt Morena, who married into the Barnard family, we love our traditions. Yes, we do.
I realize that my post about leaving BYU was written while I was rather emotional (I'm a Wride girl), so for that I apologize. In the meantime, I've been home, adjusting to life in Virginny. In my spare time, I've been sleeping, ... yup. Working only takes 6 hours of my day, Monday through Friday. So I've had time to read, shop, eat, clean. It's been great.
Speaking of work, I'm actually really enjoying my job. I'm a Personal Aid for a handicapped girl in my home ward, but basically I do whatever her mother needs me to do. It turns out to be a lot of cleaning and other little projects, in addition to feeding, bathing, and watching sweet Hallie. But I've also been helping her mom with dinner and her cake business (a little bit). She's an awesome cook and I've learned a lot already.
I've been spending some good time with family, too. With Madeline Elena's baptism last weekend and John's birthday yesterday, I've had lots of time to catch up.
Every one I've talked to asks how being home is. It's weird. I don't really know where I fit in in the scheme of Leesburg living. I'm no longer in high school, but I'm no where near my college friends. I'm a "young single adult" by definition, but I would rather find myself in the safety of Goose Creek family ward. Its just a little awkward for the time being, but it's my life so I'll figure it out as I go! Something I've been thinking about lately is living in the moment. I had an "aha moment" the other day. I typically live for tomorrow. In the literal sense. "Oh, I can't wait until I get through this day so that I can do _______ later..." What I need to start asking myself is "What good can I find right here, right now?" I think we spend so much time thinking about what we need to do/want to do and don't focus on what we are doing right then. I think that will make me so much happier, right now.
As of right now, I can't get enough of this song. Enjoy.
Say some. Not me. NOPE. I've got the lowest pain tolerance ever. EVER. Blood freaks me out. In fact, it makes me a little hysterical. But that's another story.
So I was going along my merry little pinning ways on Pinterest, when I came across a recipe for a homemade facial mask: 2 ingredients. Ok, I'm down. I'm bored and it's Saturday night. What else would I be doing?
I make it, kind of awful smelling, but then it started coming together. I was feeling optimistic.
It started hardening, like any face mask should.
Then, it turned to stone.
As I tried to take it off, the feeling was akin to ripping duct tape off my face.
"It’s a good thing you can’t see the photo all that well. Do this until you’re all peeled and your face will feel like a baby’s bottom." -talking about a picture of the author while taking the mask off (from the blog post.)
It's a good thing you can't see her lava red face that burns for the next three days.
It's a good thing you can't see all the hair that is pulled from her scalp/eyebrows unintentionally. (So if you see me within the next week and wonder what happened to my eyebrows... you'll know.)
You're face WILL feel like a baby's bottom, however, after the burning sensation dissipates.
Baby's bottom= aka, the skin you had as a baby. AKA IT WILL RIP 18 YEARS OF SKIN OFF YOUR FACE.
You WILL want to cry.
Alright, enough of whining. MORAL IS: DON'T TRUST EVERYTHING YOU PIN.
