Merry Happy

Christmas was so fun, different, and exciting this year. We were home for eight crazy nights, four at my parent's house and four at Brody's and it went by way too quickly, but it was SO great to see so many friends and spend time with our families.

It felt so weird to go home for 'vacation' knowing that we weren't staying. There were moments where it felt like we had never left and were just getting together with everyone for the latest family get together---like the last five months had never happened. To see mountains again and the beautiful, sprawling, Salt Lake valley. To see snow, even if it was only one day in Park City. And oh how I've missed my outlets, one of the definite highlights of the whole trip was going up there, just me and my mom. You know when you walk into J Crew and it's an extra %30 off your entire purchase that it's going to be a good day :) I saw more movies in the theater last week than I had the entire previous year, and for the first time in longer than I can remember, the six Wiseman's got to spend the day together and it was so familiar and fun. There were lunches with old friends and co-workers, late night chats with my girlies, Wii Dancing competitions, Board Games, Red Butte with my sweet parents, Zupa's tomato basil soup, and not nearly enough play time with our nieces and nephews.

It was so hard to leave, and not just because we had to wake up at 4:00 am to make it to the airport for our flight (which was super crowded and the line for security was backed up all the way to the baggage claim area). There's just something special about being home, being around the people that know us best that was so rejuvenating and absolutely wonderful. Thank you friends and family for making our Christmas so memorable and perfect :)

I was having far too much fun to take any pictures, so these are all from last year's Christmas card session ;) I hope your Christmas was meaningful and special, and that you have a great New Year's Eve!

We'll be Home for Christmas

We are so excited to be going home for Christmas! I can't wait to give my sweet nieces and nephews endless kisses on their pudgy cheeks and hug all my family and friends, I can't wait for Zupa's tomato-basil soup, and Cafe Rio that doesn't require half-a-day's planning. I'm SO excited to see my gorgeous snow-capped mountains, and all those hand-made ornaments on my parent's tree, for sleeping in and shopping and outlets galore. For family traditions and parties and riding in cars on quiet streets (it's weird that I'm excited for that I know--but it's a rarity), for Christmas lights and suburbs, and home-cooked meals. Yes, I'm even excited for snow :) Bring on the Christmas!

The Good with the Bad

It's been an interesting week. We've had some wonderful landmarks and some really irritating instances. So, the bad first:

• Last weekend when we went to get our car inspected for our new tags, after not driving it for about two weeks, we found that someone had stolen our temporary tags, and those lovely parking enforcement people had left two tickets on our winshield for not having said tags. Great.
• We then proceeded to the DMV where we got to wait about an hour and pay almost $400 to officially register our car. When we went to put our official plates on the car, the screw was jammed from those lovely theives so we had to stick it in the window til we got home to some tools.
• THEN, when we went to the car to drive for tutoring, there were two more tickets on our winshield because apparently DC requires you to have plates on both the front and back of your vehicle. Our car does not have a place for the license on the front. Terrific.
• We are not going to pay for these tickets. Especially the first two and I'm getting excited at the prospect of Brody being an attorney. Oh yes, and in the midst of all this, Brody was taking finals. Needless to say, I have not been a big fan of the city this week, and was seriously considering just selling the car yesterday. Seriously.

But of course, with the bad, there has been some good and we've had some fantastic things happen this week:

• Brody finished his finals yesterday, which was the greatest news ever. Just to give you an idea of how stressful the process was, one of the kids in his first final had a stress-induced seizure during the test so there's that.... and Brody has been studying about 13-15 hours a day for the last two weeks. So we are both VERY happy that he's done.
• I found out today that I'm getting a little raise for 2012, which is always welcome news.
• We leave for Utah next week and are so excited to see our friends and familiy back home :)
• It was in the 60's yesterday which was crazy and awesome for mid-December.
• I'm going to take Brody out on the town tonight to celebrate being done with finals, yay for date nights!

Happy Friday everyone, and have a wonderful weekend!

Fantasyland Friday: The Family Room

My dream family room (open to the kitchen) consists of lots and lots of comfy seating, throw pillows, blankets, rounded/tufted corners, and hard-wearing fabrics. Perhaps some built-in storage for the electronics so they can easily be hidden when not is use, and soft, relaxing lighting. A soft rug, an oversize ottoman for the coffee table, and a big-ole, deep-set sectional.

Firsts

• The first time I saw fireflies this summer, I was giddy. They were magical, just like that scene beneath the waterfall in Robin Hood. Amazing.
  
• My first sleepover was with Michelle Scoville who lived just up the street. We had pizza and were supposed to be watching Ferngully, but decided we would be cool and watch Poltergeist with her older sisters, which inevitably led to me having horrible nightmares, waking up balling in the middle of the night and my mom having to come get me.
• I remember the first time I moved out of my parents house; I was 18, just starting at BYU and I can vividly remember lying in my new dorm room after a day of unpacking, staring at my roommate's poster of the Beatles and just grinning to myself and feeling oh-so-independent. I still remember the first time I had to wear flip flops to shower...not so fun.
  

• My first time jumping off the high dive, I was little. I mean, maybe 6 or 7. I was wearing my favorite pink swimsuit with sparkly glitter and Roger (from the tennis club) was screaming at me and the other little ones from the side of the pool. I think I was crying....probably. But I did it. Roger didn't even have to throw me in like he did some of the other kiddies. Somehow I don't see him getting away with that anymore.
• My first love, obviously that was Leonardo DiCaprio, I was 13, I saw Titanic seven times in the theater (which is almost an entire day when you consider it's three hours long), I bought a book about him, and you better believe I knew every single word to My Heart Will Go On--still do, come to think of it.

• My first job not working for my dad was in college, Cafe Rio Provo. Life-changing. Seriously, I made so many great friends and had a lot of learning experiences from that one. Who'd have thought...

• My first heartbreak (not counting Leo of course), was so not worth it. Lesson to my single friends: always listen to your friend's honest opinions and heed those red flags.
• My first time outside the U.S. (not counting a cruise stop in Ensenada, Mexico) was Barcelona Spain. It was scary and overwhelming and completely wonderful. Even when our cab driver didn't speak a word of English and we were pretty sure was trying to rip us off.

• My first college test. It was Astronomy. It didn't turn out great...and was a total eye-opener. It's all blurred into one, big seventy-something (Kath that was for you).
• The first time I met Brody---not to be confused with the first time I saw him, which was a year prior when I was at dinner at the Jasmine where he was waiting tables. I was at dinner with one of my favorite friends, who left her number for him on our bill---I'll admit the first time we actually met I thought he was 19 (he's got that baby face) and that his sister was his girlfriend. Thank goodness our very first impressions aren't usually correct.

And there have been so many firsts in the last six months. My first time living outside Utah, and all the firsts that come with that. My first time having to stay at work past 10:00 pm, my first time having someone ask me if Mormons believe in Santa Clause, my first time getting out of a ticket (finally!), my first hurricane and earthquake, the first time I've ever missed snow, and our first time having to fly home for the holidays next week. How is it already mid-December?!

Observations

• That awkward moment when you get on the elevator with the same random guy that you got stuck on the elevator with last time and you really really hope it doesn't happen again.


• Getting off the metro the other day and a hair weave falls out of the girl in front of me's purse and so I bend over to grab it for her and abruptly stop when I realize what it is. Hair is just gross even if it's fake. (Don't worry I had called out to her and she came and grabbed it.)


• Conversation I overheard on the elevator today:
  
  Girl 1: "...So what, am I just not supposed to bend over when I wear
  it?"
  Girl 2: "Well you shouldn't ever bend over, you just bend at your
  knees."
  Girl 1: "Whatever, just stay behind me all night, ha ha..."
  
  Daddy's kicking himself right now for not giving her more attention growing up.
  


• Getting an email from the building manager at work warning everyone that there is going to be a "soft lock down" on Wednesday thanks to Occupy's latest goal of invading K street. Not sure how that's going to help the economy or tax the rich...


• Here's the thing about the homeless; I happily gave what change I had to the guy that politely opened the door for me at CVS. The guy that yells at me outside Subway everyday, "Hey buy me a sandwich!!!! Tuna, footlong!!!! does not get my change.

A Taste of Home

Brody and I were both thrilled when we first heard that there were Cafe Rio's on the east coast. It's a little sad, sure, but true none-the-less. The closest one used to be about a 45-minute trip to Olney, MD, do-able... but not ideal. So you can imagine our excitement when we saw that they had opened one in Falls Church, VA--which according to Google Maps is only a 14-minute drive from our apartment. So on Saturday we met up with Ali and Brian and went.

It was like stepping into some portal that took us back to Utah. The restaurant was crowded with lots of young families, BYU hats and sweatshirts peppered the patrons, and of course the food was just as fantastic as always. It was kind of surreal and was a great little taste of home. Plus, check out the sweet deal they have on Tuesdays...I don't remember seeing that sweet deal ever...

On our way home we stopped at the Iwa Jima memorial to take some pictures for Ali and Brian's Christmas card. It's one of my favorite sites in DC, and has arguably the best view in the whole District. Not too mention that it's usually a lot less crowded than most memorials which is always a major plus.

70 Degrees in November?

The weather was incredible over the long Thanksgiving weekend, sunny every day and in the 60's and 70's all weekend. So amazing, thank you global warming :)
On Sunday we went to the Capitol Hill ward because it was where Brody had spend the bulk of his mission and there were still a lot of members in the ward that he knew and loved. Unbeknownst to us, the chapel is getting torn down and re-built and that was the last Sunday in that building! We got so lucky with the timing on that one.

It's always fun to drive around the hill. There is so much charm and history, and of course the gorgeous Capitol dome, which is just so captivating. I got a little camera happy while we were driving, but we never see it in our neighborhood!


And as promised, here is the new gallery wall in all it's taken-with-my-phone glory. I liked my old black-and-white arrangement, but I think it's a little fresher and unexpected now.
Before's:

After's: