Utah Highlights

Being at this house. Waking up to mom's whole wheat banana pancakes.


Morning runs with mom; breathtaking mountain views.


Preparations for the shower, hanging out with the girls being creative and chatting






Oh and watching Brandon pipe frosting. That part was awesome.



BYU Volleyball Game - beating #1 Pepperdine


Jazz Game with Dad, Mom and Brandon





Catching up with family (WHY didn't I take more pictures of people?)



Lunch with the girls at the office (no pictures...)

Shopping and just hanging out with mom


It was such a perfect trip. I was able to see all the people I wanted to see and do everything on my list. It was really great. I loved every moment spent with family and attempted to get my fill of niece/nephew hugs (could I ever really get enough?).

This was the first trip to Utah since we moved that I haven't cried when I went home to New York. This time I was excited to go back! Coming home to Klane was really wonderful. He really missed me, and I think the effects of malnutrition and lack of sleep were really starting to set in. He needs a wife. ;) I missed him too. Things just aren't the same without him by my side. He met me at the airport with flowers. I loved the gorgeous view of the city skyline on our bus ride across the Triboro Bridge. It's good to be back!

our last day in DC, or a bunch of random photos

It's hard to find words to describe the Holocaust Museum. But here are a few:
Disturbing. Moving. Educational. Horrifying. Life-changing.

After that we hit the Museum of Natural History.




And now, a series of pictures in which
we have wayyyy too much fun in the mammals section:








We stopped by the National Archives to see the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, etc.
It was incredible! I felt like I was in National Treasure.





And then we collected our bags and hopped on the bus back to NYC! What a fun trip we had, just the two of us. I didn't realize what a great thing it would be for us to get away together. We're definitely going to make mini vacations more of a priority from now on.

national symphony orchestra at the capitol

The National Symphony Orchestra played a free Labor Day concert on the lawn in front of the Capitol on Sunday night. After a long day on our feet it sounded like the perfect way to end our day.

Right when we got there it started raining and most people left their spots and hid under the trees. We didn't have umbrellas and knew we couldn't avoid getting wet, so we walked right up near the front and got great seats! By the time the rain stopped and the crowd came back, we were completely soaked. It was chilly but fun!

The rain stopped for about an hour and the symphony orchestra played until it started again. It was so cool to hear them play the National Anthem while everyone stood and faced the flag on top of our nation's capitol with our hands over our hearts. Other highlights included when they played a few John Williams songs, including a Star Wars medley.

Then the downpour resumed, the concert was postponed, and we ran back to the hotel! We were chilled and exhausted and crawled into our warm bed very happily. It was such a great evening.

georgetown

Georgetown was definitely one of our favorite parts of the trip. We spent hours walking around the streets, shopping, taking pictures, eating in little restaurants, and admiring the gorgeous buildings. An afternoon well spent.




Goofing around in Restoration Hardware:




One of the main streets with shops and restaurants and tourists. I loved the flower baskets.