Peace out, hardest semester ever.

Finals are finally over. This semester if finally over. Next time, remind us not to take all of our hardest classes in one semester. Thanks.

AJ and I made a list of projects to do over the break just in case we can't remember how to relax. We have frames to repaint, a disaster of a back room to reorganize, clothes to refashion,  business websites to build, books to read, and Christmas shopping to do. We finished Downton Abbey a while ago, or else that'd be at the top of the list.

Last night I dreamt about homework and for the first time didn't wake up to a pile of real homework on the nightstand. That's what I call a good start to a good break.

Just one of those things.

We've been busy. It's just one of those things. So here's a quick list of recent and not-so-recent happenings:

We took a trip to NYC.
Our summer in DC ended.
We moved back to Provo to finish our last year of school.
We lived with Grandma Baird for a week.
We graduate in April.
We do class, homework, meals, and Downton Abbey. In that order, unfortunately.
Our scooter is our only mode of transportation.
We went backpacking in the Uintahs. My first time.
We finally got a real bed after 2 months of sleeping on a foam pad.
I turned 23.
I sewed my first shirt from scratch.
AJ works two jobs and does school full-time.
AJ is the smartest in all of his classes.
I had the highest grade in my math class for almost a week.
We're developing grown-up tastes. Ramen noodles finally don't sound good anymore.
We want to start a business.
I want to get a Masters degree.

No part of me wants to shrink this next update into a one-liner so here it is:
I mention both offers because AJ is really smart and I want you to know it. I have no shame. Both Cornerstone Research and Bates White wanted AJ for a full time position after he graduates. Cornerstone -- Bates White. San Francisco -- DC. Two great companies, two awesome cities. Cornerstone did everything they could to get him to accept their offer. They flew him out, came out here, took us to dinner, offered huge benefits, everything. In the end we still felt like Bates White was where we needed to be so we declined Cornerstone's offer and accepted Bates White's. So next summer we'll be packing up our bags (and this time our apartment too) for the East Coast. For good! And for who-knows-how-long. And we couldn't be more excited.

So there's the update. We're super busy and super happy. We love going to school, love where we are, and love each other. Here are a few pictures to sum up the last few months.

I wish I were better at this. Thing is, we rarely have free time and when we do meals and Downton Abbey usually win out. Like I said, I wish I were better.

Welkers Come to DC and AJ Has a Birthday

If you think two makes a crowded studio, try five. Last week we hosted our first set of guests. My Mom, Grandma, and sister Kristin stayed with us for a few days before we all went up to Penn State to visit Adam, Liz, and Redder. It was a fun albeit tight squeeze.

For obvious reasons we didn't say anything but we found this guy crawling around our apartment the night before the crew arrived. I'm exaggerating only slightly when I say he was as big as the shoe that killed him.

It was so fun having my family here. AJ was the only man for several days but he took it like a champ and I love him for it. For some reason we don't have many pictures of this trip. We probably worried that the addition of three more cameras would make for picture overload but now I'm thinking we overcompensated. Here's what we have: Our tour of the Capitol (where Brigham Young's statue represents Utah), Thomas Jefferson's library at the Library of Congress, and another tour of the monuments. It was fun to feel like experts of DC and play tour guide.

On Wednesday we rented a car and drove to State College, PA., to stay with Adam and Liz. AJ came up on the bus Friday after work. We logged several hours of Olympics, ate lots of hot tamales, toured Hershey Park, the city of Lancaster - home of the Amish, hiked Mt. Nittany, and explored Penn State campus. The only pictures we took are from the hike, naturally. The view overlooked all of State College!

On our way back to DC we stopped in Gettysburg, PA. AJ is on a real Civil War kick right now and just finished Team of Rivals, and 800-something page book about Abraham Lincoln. This monument dedicates the location of the Gettysburg Address. AJ was so happy I thought he might cry.

 Here we are celebrating AJ's birthday for the second time. This is after my family left. We were in State College on his actual birthday and celebrated with some early morning shoe shopping, dinner at the local pizza joint, and dessert at Adam and Liz's. After my family left for the airport on Monday I took him to a charming little restaurant near our apartment, Local 16. I don't have a picture but you better believe one of his presents was a statue of Abraham Lincoln.

Happy Birthday to AJ and thanks to my family for making the week they were here such a fun one!

Happy Half-Year

Yesterday was our six month anniversary and to add to the excitement, it was Friday the 13th! That date has been good to us. The plan was to attend a temple session and go to a fancy restaurant. We rode the red line all the way to the temple (a long and relatively expensive metro ride) just to find out it was closed. Naturally, as things never go as planned. So we hopped back on the metro and stopped in Silver Spring instead, found what may have been the best mexican food I've ever had and caught a showing of the Amazing Spider Man. We'd recommend BOTH to anyone. Is it terrible to say I'm almost glad Plan 1 didn't work out? Almost glad. 

 AJ, thanks for being the best husband ever.

4th of July

Independence Day in DC is one-of-a-kind. We might come back every year just for the fireworks.

We started the day with a pancake breakfast. It's something of a family tradition but also, we've made pancakes every non-working day since we got here and wanted to be consistent. After breakfast we went to the National Parade on Constitution Avenue. It was full of fancy cars, giant floats, and old people line dancing. We were especially glad they decided to also include a marching band from what seemed to be every high school in the nation.

We had dinner plans later in the day so to kill time and cool off we explored one of the art museums. Our first choice would have been the Archives to see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution but that line was 2 hours long and outdoors in triple digit heat. 

We met up with our friends Hannah and Wes, a way fun couple we met at church a few weeks ago, and drove to Virginia for a good old fashioned barbecue. We are so grateful to them for inviting us. It made for a perfect day to be surrounded by good friends enjoying hot dogs, potato chips, and good conversation.

We ended the night with fireworks on the Mall. The music couldn't have been louder, the crowd couldn't have been larger, and it couldn't have been more fun.

Another one bites the dust.

If we ever feel like we've seen enough of DC we might branch out to New York, Boston, or Philly. Until then, here's another week in our Nation's capital.

Jazz concert in the National Sculpture Garden.

The National Zoo. Two Saturdays ago we walked to the Farmers Market, realized we were halfway to the Zoo, bought a few ears of corn and kept on walking. Again, forgot to take any quality pictures.

Bens Chili Bowl. Looks like cat food, tastes like Heaven. Free meals for the Obamas and Bill Cosby only.

The Washington, DC temple. If we ever re-did our wedding, we'd do it here.

Our Saturday Mall Marathon. Part way through we met up with Matt Masters (in yellow and one of AJ's closest friends) and his friend Nate. Both are here for internships through the Air Force Academy. This summer has been fun because we get to see Matt so often - every Sunday at church, sometimes for FHE and occasionally on our Saturday outings. That's more than we've ever seen him in Utah!

This family may have been Amish. We'd never seen anyone react to an escalator in that way. We're not rude, just curious.

Me, AJ, Nate, Matt.

FDR Memorial.

Today we're going on a competitive scavenger hunt with the interns at AJ's work. We're supposed to run all over DC while it's 104 degrees outside. Despite the heat, we're actually pretty pumped. Im excited to meet the interns, have some competition, and see more of DC. And did I mention the free BBQ? Yeah, we'll be there.