JUNE!

Oh, the month of June! It was a good month.
I went up to DC and visited my friend Ginger. We visited the monuments at night, explored the metro, visited Arlington and spent a wonderful two hours at the Museum of American History.

GOOD STUFF EATERY!

  My first visit to Arlington was memorable and so beautiful.

 Julia Child's kitchen! That was a real treat.

Jefferson: Possibly my very favorite monument. 

I went with my siblings to visit my Grandad and ask him questions about his life and our family history. Oh my goodness, what an honor to be one of his Grandchildren, and what a treat to sit in their beautiful home and hear such wonderful stories! (This photo is from several years ago. I need to remember to take photos next time I go and not just videos! Isn't this a great photo though?)

And oh, Kathryn and I just went to an Avett Brother's concert. No biggie. It was her first concert (EVER!) and my third time seeing the Avetts. This also met goal #79 of my 99 in 999. We both left this concert even more in love with them. They are fantastic. See how happy we are?

My friend Melba inspired me to finally visit Foamhenge. That's right, Foamhenge. It's a legend in my home County but, even after almost 16 years, I had never been there. Now I finally have, and it was a beautiful day!

I drove to Richmond and then Virginia Beach with some of my dearest friends from College. It's truly amazing to me to think about how we've seen each other through so many phases of life. Now one of us has two children, one has a baby on the way, one has a new husband, and one (me) is pursuing the career of her dreams. Yet, even with all those different roles we're playing, we could still have each other laughing and learning and growing. It was an absolute blast. I love these women!

Aaaaand this. That's a chubby little two-month-old hand. I have the best job ever.

Also, my 99 in 999 is still moving along. I have officially accomplished #85. And here is the proof! (The delicious proof.)

 I also managed to accomplish #24, 26, 27 and 28. (You don't get a photo of my new underwear. You're welcome.)

Due to goal #68 my little apartment has looked like this for a month. The pile towards the front of the photo is all stuff I'm getting rid of. The rest are things I need to sort through and store. This project has been, and continues to be, a lot of work. But it feels so good to see my belongings shrink!

This incredibly cute and wonderful and creative and useful and darling thing that I made is one step on my way to completing #96. I'm a little proud of it.

Thank you June for the memories and the laughs and the plentiful naps!

Love,

Elizabeth

And I'm a human.... I mean Mormon. Also a human.

I completed my first 99 in 999 goal!

46. Update Mormon.org profile

It took longer than I thought it would. I feel like that's a bad omen...

My religion is something that's very important to me, but I've been thinking about it even more lately. I think it's probably because I've been a little sleep-deprived and spending time with a brand-spanking new baby. Both of those things get me thinking about the topics deep in my soul, but those two things combined really open me up. Babies and no sleep: An awesome way to live (for a little while).

The thought I keep having is that I am very happy with the way my religion impacts me everyday. I believe that I have been offered truths every Sunday for the past 28 years. I believe that the temple is a place full of eternal simplicity and I love it there. I don't know if my convictions will always be as strong as they are now, but I plan on working daily to keep them that way. I sincerely hope that I believe in these things for my whole life.

I've been so blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by people who are inquisitive and self-evaluative. I've been able to have incredible conversations with people who have helped me see things in ways I know it would have taken me decades to see on my own time. I am so grateful for my friends, those who are mormons and those who are not, who are good and inspiring and supportive. I'd be a very different person if it weren't for the fact that I've had people around me who were willing to share what was important to them and hear what is important to me. I love humans!

So here is something important to me.   Elizabeth's Mormon.org Profile

Here's to convictions that reach beyond ourselves!