Victory!!!

I just wanted everyone to know I did it! I caught the toad all by myself!!! We kept him only long enough for Ethan to see him and for us to take a picture and then we let him go.

Six Flags

We spent the whole day at Six Flags. We hit the roller coasters first which turned out to be a good thing because all of the crowds stayed in the water park during the day because of the heat. We ran as fast as we could to the biggest roller coaster in the park but got sidetracked because Ethan saw the train.

After a painfully slow train ride (Ethan liked it) we jumped onto the Ride of Steel. The Superman drop. :) 200 foot drop and speeds that reach 75mph. (pictured on the left) I've never been on a ride like that. I love roller coasters but that was insane. I could barely walk when we got off. We hit The Joker next which was low key but still a lot of fun and then we took Ethan over to the kiddy area where there were rides a plenty for two year olds.

He went on a Roadrunner ride which turned into the highlight of the trip. It's a small roller coaster and has no big drops or high speeds but the look of terror on his face was hilarious as the ride started. (pictured on the right you can see David and the top of Ethan's little head. The third seat back) David kept his hand on Ethan the whole ride to make him feel more secure but he had never experienced anything like that before. At the end Ethan said, "Whoa!" When David asked if he liked it he answered yes but when David asked if he wanted to do it again he said no. :)

Around 3pm we headed over to the water park to cool off. (pictured below is Ethan playing in the water and my legs in the background) I spent the next few hours catching Ethan at the bottom of the water slide and watching him splash water in his face. I loved just sitting in the water and doing nothing after so much running around. Just to end the day on a good note David and I ran over to the last big roller coaster in the park called the Mind Eraser. It's one where your feet dangle and the wind gets knocked out of you because you'er going around in such tight circles.

Because everyone was at the water park the longest we waited for any ride was about 10 minutes. Now that we're home (Just in time too. Rain.) we're making homemaid funnel cakes and reminising about the strangled look on our faces during the Superman ride.

Toads, toddlers, and botanic gardens

That's right! We have toads here in our Maryland yard! I went to take the recycling to the curb and almost stepped on a toad. I ran inside and grabbed Lins so she could see the creepy little guy. Linsay and I snapped a picture but by the time we decided to catch one they had disappeared. We searched through the bushes with flashlights and sticks but came up dry. I'm going to go out searching every night until I find one...just not in the backyard. I'm still too afraid of getting a tick. I only want to keep it long enough to show Ethan and then I can set it free. :)

The Botanic Garden
This morning we headed out for the Botanic Gardens and having only looked at a rough map got very lost. We ended up near the water front and had to walk about a mile and a half to get back towards the capitol. By the time we got to the gardens it was the heat of the day and things started to drag. I was the one who decided that the gardens would be fun because I thought Ethan would like running around and seeing all of the flowers.

Unfortunately Ethan hated it because he couldn't pick any of the flowers, play in the water, or keep the sunscreen out of his eyes. The heat and humidity eventually got to be unbearable so we headed home. Just in time too. It has been poring rain all day and it's expected to continue until late tomorrow. I love east coast weather. They don't mess around with rain storms here with droplets the size of golf balls and thunder that shakes the roof.

I'll keep you updated on the toad hunt and post pictures when I catch one.

Other Maryland delights: Our neighborhood ice cream man plays Christmas music and drives super fast down the streets. Ethan thinks deer are called "little guys" (For the full story see teammabey.blogspot.com). Fireflies are totally gross in the daylight. Metro stations make it impossible for people with strollers to get around.

Purpose and Meaning

Want to find purpose and meaning in your life? Follow my advice: It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe it.

Sidewalk chalk, sad sheep, and single's ward

Summer is here! Fireworks, corn on the cob, and swimming pools. Ethan loves to play in the water and tries his best to splash me but usually ends up just throwing the water in his face. Some gardening has started and the misquitos are out.

About a week and a half ago Linsay and I took Ethan outside to use his sidewalk chalk. While Ethan scribbled I promply decided that grown ups need play time too and took to drawing a sheep. Linsay immediately joined in and drew a lightning bolt. I asked if the bolt was in honor of the approaching Harry Potter film. She replied,"No. Your sheep is about to be struck."

She thought she was hilarious. I finished my sheep with a sad face because I figured being hit by lightning probably wasn't very fun.

Ethan was so cute with his corn on the cob. I'm afraid that I've been spoiled with Utah corn from the Harward Farms stands and I wasn't terribly impressed with the farmer's market corn here in DC. The only corn I've tasted that is better than the Harward Farms was in Kirksville, Missouri when Larissa and Jeff lived there. Still DC corn is better than no corn at all. For what is summer without butter on your chin and a nibblet wedged between your front teeth?

I've heard several complaints about how dry the heat is this summer in DC but I love it. I can handle the dry heat. It's the combination if humidity and heat that drags me down but so far while I've been here I've only had one day that was particularly sticky.

Summer is always fun but I can't wait to come home to Utah in the fall.







Something I've noticed about my east coast ward is they seem to be much friendlier than Utah wards. My first week in church was at my sister's family ward and by the time the block was over about a dozen people had introduced themselves and tracked us down to say hello. In my single's ward I shook hands with just about everyone in the ward (about 50 people), had an invite to go to the beach on Saturday with a group of girls, asked to played volleyball on Monday and had 3 guys ask for my phone number by the time the "linger longer" was over. I definitely love this area of DC and the ward that goes with it. I guess there are perks to being the freshest meat in the market. :)

Curse the Lybians!

How could our world have become so obsessed with making money?

Everywhere I go I hear people talking about how they can make the most amount of money possible with the least amount of work on their part. People are obsessed with getting rich quick and no one seems to realize that you can be perfectly happy without piles of money to roll around in and that the rewards are sweeter to reap when you know that you worked you butt off and deserve them.

Money. I know that, thanks to the Lybians (they invented the concept of money), we can't do without it. I understand that people have to survive. We buy food, gas, health care, clothing, houses, cars, cell phones, education, and the occasional vacation. Undoubtedly life would be a struggle without enough money to get by but then I know of so many people who have nothing and still find happiness in families and friends.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't mind not working for the rest of my life because I had just come into a lot of money but honestly I believe that if you want something then you work your butt off and sacrifice and that is when the rewards come. I think it is a good thing to have to work hard in order to get to the pay off. Honestly, I think that people have forgotten how to work hard or perhaps their parents never taught them a good work ethic in the first place.

And honestly everyone with half a brain knows that while money may bring more comfort to your life, it doesn't bring happiness. The things that bring true happiness take work. Family, true friends, purpose. None of those things can be bought. My money role model is the father of a close friend of mine. Mr. Ashby has extensive education and could have qualified for any pharmacy in the U.S. but what does he do? He sells guitars and DJs at dances. It is enough money to support his family and his missionary but more importantly it is a job he loves, works hard at and gives him plenty of time with his family.

Look at all of the movie and rock stars. Do you honestly think they are happy? Some are. But not because of the money. Because they have families to come home to. They walk off the set and have people who can't wait for them to come home. Some just think they are happy and I feel sorry for them. Because if their supply of money was ever interrupted they would have a sad awakening. They would realize how very alone they really are. They would see that all of their "friends" that are now gone were only there for the money. And that wife that was stunningly beautiful has left for someone else who still had a bundle in the bank.

Family. Friends. Purpose. Find the true and loyal ones and hold on to those people. That is happiness. Let me say it again: Money will not make you happy. Why focus all of your energy on schemes that rarely work and won't bring you joy?

I've been incredibly blessed to have an amazing family and close friends who care about me and wonder how I'm doing. That's what it's about. Get out of the world, people and into a home. Stop putting forth the minimum amount of effort and try working. 

Maryland Mayhem

Well, it's been a while since I've made a blog post because we didn't have internet here in MD until now so let me catch you up on what's been going on here.

I've visited the National Zoo and thought the Panda bears were sooooo cute. My favorite. Ethan had a great time in the bird house and then we had to leave for Ethan's nap so we didn't see the big cats or the monkeys. Next time.

The 4th of July celebrations started with a parade full of liberal ideals and even a float that said, "Arrest Bush!" (pictured below). We had a BBQ with David's family and then headed downtown to see the fireworks. Ethan hasn't stopped speaking of fireworks since then. We sat right in front of the Washington Monument and had an amazing view of the show.

Today we went to the Aquarium. My favorite part was the dolphin show and the shark exhibit.

Other than that life had been fairly calm. The house is almost set up and we even bought paint to cover up the florescent blue shutters. I'm starting to get a feel for the streets and the metro and now that I'm all settled in I shall begin my explore of the city. Not much to blog about today but stay tuned for the amazing explorer journal of Elyse the Magnificent as she ventures forth into the great capitol of the U.S.