Our Apartment in Pictures

The floor plan.

At the front door looking into the kitchen.

At the front door, looking at the dining room.

At the front door looking into the family room.

Aubree's room (the den), off the dining room.

The family room, viewing from the master bedroom door.

The master bedroom, from the doorway.

Half of the master bathroom that we use.

The other half of the master bathroom that we don't use.

The boys' room, viewed from the door to the family room.

The second bathroom, right off the front door. The second door open inside leads to the boys' room.

The "laundry room" in the second bath.

Happy Birthday, Alissa!

Today my baby sister is 24! I am so blessed to have her in my life. There is an 8 year difference, so we didn't really "grow up" together, so it was extra special to get to know her better while I lived in Arizona. Allie - you are a wonderful sister, fantastic wife and mother, and one of my very best friends. Thank you for teaching me by your example, and being a fun car trip buddy. I love you!!!

Confessions

I have to admit that in the 12 1/2 years that we have been married, I have never been a bed-maker. I would occasionally get in the habit, but for the most part, we climbed into a bed at night that looked similar to the one we had left that morning. It's been the same story with my children. I realized the other day that it has been like this because we would leave the room in the morning, and not see or go into them until bedtime. Well, times have changed. We now live in an apartment where all the bedrooms are visible from the main living area. So, everyday we make our beds. The kids don't always remember in the morning, or have time as they run out the door, so they are reminded when they get home. All the children are good at making their own beds, and it is wonderful to climb into a bed at night that is not all wrinkly from just sitting all day. The things one learns as one grows older (and apparently wiser).

Things that I enjoy in VA

Okay, I posted already about the things that drive me crazy, but there are so many more things that are great here.
-The schools, especially here in Falls Church, are AWESOME!!!
-The people are SO welcoming. This relates to the schools, too. The kids have been so nice to the "new" kids in school.
-Our ward is great! Everyone is friendly, and Aubree and Chris have jumped right into Achievement Day and Cub Scouts.
-The Metro can get us into DC with minimal fuss.
-All the FREE stuff to do! The many Smithsonian museums and National Parks and Monuments are so much fun, and so accessible.
-So many people walk places It's so easy to do, because things are so close by.
-We live in a place where not many family members have been, so we get to host them over the summer!

Things that drive me crazy in VA

While we are enjoying our time here, there a few things that are annoying. Here they are in no particular order:
-TRAFFIC!!!! It is worse here than any other major metropolis I have lived in. Phoenix, no problem. Seattle, annoying. Miami, bad. DC metro area, GAG!!!
-Drivers that honk! I'll admit that the honking is worse in Miami, but here it is even more pointless. I guess it's just a stress reliever for all the people that live in their cars here.
-The mentality of some people here that this is the center of the U.S. While I agree that there are important people out here that make important decisions for the rest of the country, there isn't a good understanding of the rest of the nation. Again, this is only some people - not all.
-POTHOLES!!! The roads here are pretty torn up, and we had a flat the other day that was caused by a pothole.
-Seven Corners. Whose bright idea was it to have 7 roads meet up in one location?