paper-writing playlist

Sitting at Starbucks.
Working on my final paper.
Sipping caramel hot chocolate.
Listening to some songs.

But don't worry, I'm not distracted....

thanksgiving weekend

Well.  What a fun weekend.  It started with this rooftop view:

After a pizza party at work and a long drive, we strolled the streets of NYC to check out the parade balloons and get some ice cream {for dinner}.

We were welcomed at the Potter residence with some rounds of Mormon bridge and Idiot.  And talking late into the night.  (So obviously I felt right at home.)  The next morning I went on a beautiful run by the harbor.   The rest of the day was spent cooking, eating, and cleaning...and eating.  (McKay and I made an apple pie.)  And playing games.  And talking late into the night again.

Friday we went into the city.  Our first stop was Central Park (probably my favorite), followed by a stroll down 5th Ave, Rockefeller Square, Times Square, and the 9/11 memorial (my second favorite part).  The day went by really fast, but it was great.  We debated trying to get lottery tickets for a show, but considered our odds on one of the busiest days in New York and decided to go back to Darien for food and games instead.  (Good choice on our part.)

 

Saturday, as you know, was spent doing Sandy clean up.  Once we got home, we showered and then went to Post Corner Pizza for a large feast and then spent the rest of the night talking.  (Well, the boys had a ping pong tournament while the girls talked about dating...as usual.)  And today we went to church, ate lunch, and then made the long--and beautiful--drive home.  (Which, as I mentioned, included Christmas music and fun stories....so it went by quickly.)

And that's that.  As we drove into D.C. and all of it's evening glory, I realized how much I love this place.  It is going to be really hard to say goodbye.  I don't even want to think about it.

helping hands

Today I had the privilege to go with McKay's ward to help clean up damage from the hurricane.  It was cold.  It was beyond putrid.  But it was great.  We cleaned out the basements of three homes--we tore up walls, cleaned out mold, pulled up carpet, handled some gross unmentionables, and filled a lot of garbage bags with soggy debris.  But there was work to do, and so it went by quickly.

The first family we helped had four darling little kids, and they were so happy despite all that they had gone through.  (Their cute little 3 year-old was decked-out in pink, head to toe, and had silver nail polish.  She was adorable.)  Another woman that we helped lost her husband to a heart attack the week before the storm hit.  I honestly cannot fathom what life must be like for them having to deal with post-hurricane life.  Even though we helped, we knew that we would say goodbye to the mess and to the awful stench at the end of the day....but these people have to continue on with everything post-disaster as a part of their lives.  They have to clean, rebuild, and pray that it doesn't happen again.

This experience reinforced something that I have been learning during my time at BYU, and especially this last semester: We have been placed in our personal circumstances to serve.  We live in families and in communities because we are meant to help each other.  That is why we each have different talents, abilities, interests, and skills, so that we might build up our own lives through serving one another's needs.  God never meant for us to try to make it through life alone.  He fulfills His purposes and blesses our lives through others, and we in turn answer others' prayers by serving as a tool in His hands.  That's what I got a glimpse of today.  That lesson is why I was privileged to have this humbling experience.  I am so blessed.  And the only way I can thank the Lord and be worthy of these blessings is by serving Him.  

.....And I am really grateful for sanitary masks.  And warm showers.

  

timely scrip.

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

{hebrews 13:15}

visitors

Before I go into all the details of my special visit, I'll tell ya a bit about Friday.  We had class, went to the temple, and then threw a little birthday shindig for our November babies.  It was a blast.

Okay, so now on to the part you care about.  J&T+1.  Here's the basic rundown for Saturdee: they came, we walked up into Georgetown, got cupcakes for lunch, walked around the neighborhood, stared at pretty nature things, went to an estate sale, walked around, went to dinner at Founding Farmers.  

On Sunday, I met up with the couple after Stake Conference and we went to Union Station for dessert and then to the Portrait Gallery.  

Jon said the left one looks like dad, I say the right.

I gave Tricia the best tour of her life on Monday.  Obviously just to impress the future neph, but yeah.  We went to Good Stuff for lunch first, then the tour, and then a few goodbyes.  

Miss them already.  (And "them" includes little Horatio/George/Franklin/Leo/Quinn/Oscar.)  Anyway, I'm gonna go pack and stuff.  I'll write to you after we get home from CT/NY.  Hugs and kisses.