Beach Pic

This picture was kind of a fluke. It was a beautiful clear morning, not hazy at all, but I accidentally used my flash. I think it looks pretty cool!

Birthday Girl

I celebrated my b-day on Thursday at the beach. I can't think of a better way to spend a birthday than laying on the beach. A few weeks ago I posted a picture of a big package with the words...Happy Birthday to me, thanks Mom. Let me explain a little bit. As long as I can remember, I have had what I refer to as an hour birthday. I'm not sure how it started, but probably because I was so impatient and didn't want to wait until my birthday party in the evening to open my presents, my mom started spreading out the presents all day long. Starting in the morning and going til the evening I receive a present every hour with a little poem attached. They aren't necessarily big presents, I'd receive cereal, snacks, coloring books etc. but it's a fun way to celebrate. I highly recommend this to all of you, especially those of you who have kids.

Crabbing

I just got back from a week long vacation in the Outer Banks, NC. There is nothing better than sitting on a beach for 7 days straight. Luckily I remembered the sunscreen this trip and got back with a nice little tan. Yay for me. The great thing about the Outer Banks is that there isn't much to do other than go to the beach. For me, because of an unexplainable fear of the water it meant sitting on the sand and watching people eat it in the rough water. One night we took the kids out to the beach for a little crabbing...it was pitch black except for the flashlights. There are crabs all over and you catch them by throwing a towel over them and putting them into a bucket. We had a little bug catcher where we'd put the biggies. The kids had a blast. Here are some pictures...

PRESENTS!!

Happy Birthday to me!! Thanks Mom!!!

My Compass

I must really be missing my job as a tour guide because the previous posts are a mini tour of the Capitol building. I hope you learn something new and exciting! I love this building and miss it lots!!

The Apotheosis of George Washington

This is the Rotunda, it is quite amazing!! The ceiling was painted by Constantino Brumidi and each figure stands about 15 feet high. That chubby cheeked shadow in the front is me :)

Senate Rotunda

These are details of the Senate Rotunda. I LOVE the mosaic on the floor. Don't you love the tacky green, pink and gold flourishes on the columns? I can't imagine who might have thought it looked good...

Patriotic

This flag is a relatively new addition to the Capitol building. I took this picture from the Rotunda, which is where President Reagan held his second inauguration and is where President Bush's would have taken place if the weather was too bad. They hung this flag from the ceiling so that in the event the inauguration did take place there, there wouldn't be an ugly light fixture and window in the background.

Dang She's Tall!!

This is the plaster model of the Statue of Freedom that stands on the top of the Capitol building. It is the tallest statue in Washington DC standing 19 and a half feet tall. It faces east, which means that the only time I know which direction I'm facing is when the Capitol is in view.

Brumidi

These photos were taken in the Brumidi Corridors in the Capitol. They were named after Constantino Brumidi, "The Artist of the Capitol" who spend the majority of his life painting the halls and ceilings in the Capitol.

Abe

This is a bronze plaque that indicates where Abraham Lincoln sat when he was in the House of Representatives.

I have good news and I have bad news

The good news is that the sunburn on my legs has gone away. The bad news is that my human skin has been replaced by that of an alligator.

As seen in a US Capitol cafeteria

Back when the war started I had heard jokes about this, but didn't think it was true...

Weekend Update

I am learning that my parent's aren't the only ones reading my blog, so I'm feeling the pressure to keep it up and to write more frequently. We're in August recess right now so work is DEAD! As I told my boss, oh so diplomatically, things aren't boring...they're just slow. There has been an average of two people in the office at any given time but last Friday I was the only one here. It was an awesome day! I had purchased an IPod the night before (my birthday present from my parents and grandpa, although they may not know it yet) and spent the whole day uploading songs. I also took a three hour lunch and visited my old office. It is amazing how much things change in such a small period of time, if only our perception of things. For some reason the office feels brighter and bigger. Probably because when I worked there I felt confined and suffocated. Not really but it makes sense. I was also able to go to the Capitol and take some pictures. I miss that place so much. I keep forgetting my camera but will post pictures when I remember to bring it to work. On Saturday I went with my ward to Lake Anna, which was created in the early 1970's to cool down the nuclear power plant nearby, so as a result the water was incredibly warm. I was wondering why I kept seeing three headed fish in the water though... I still haven't tried waterskiing and probably never will but I did go tubing behind the boat. What a blast! I could do that all day long. Luckily my fear of being thrown out of the tube was never realized.

DC at Night

Me with two of my four roommates, Katie and Rachel.

TJ

Here are a couple shots of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial at night. If you ever come to DC, you NEED to see the monuments at night, it's the only way to go!

The Monument

Here is the Washington Monument at night. The light blob in the middle of the top photo is the White House. It's just slightly blurry. I really need a tripod!