Brett and Deni in front of the United States Capital
Washington DC Temple
Uncle Doug, Brett, Deni and Uncle Ken
Drew, Kara, Brett, Deni, Shannon, Aunt Tricia, Uncle Ken, Uncle Doug
Monday, April 20, 2009
Pic from DC
Here are the final Pictures from our DC trip. We had such a nice time and are grateful for our hosts. (Uncle Ken and Aunt Tricia.... and for Shannon giving us the Tour of Downtown.)
Brett and Deni in front of the United States Capital
Washington DC Temple
Uncle Doug, Brett, Deni and Uncle Ken
Drew, Kara, Brett, Deni, Shannon, Aunt Tricia, Uncle Ken, Uncle Doug
Brett and Deni in front of the United States Capital
Washington DC TempleUncle Doug, Brett, Deni and Uncle Ken
Drew, Kara, Brett, Deni, Shannon, Aunt Tricia, Uncle Ken, Uncle Doug
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Lake House
Friday night, we headed down to the Lake House on Lake Anna, Virgina. We left after dinner (and rush hour). It's about a 90 mile drive, but takes about 2 hours. We stayed Friday night and all day Saturday, coming back to Maryland on Sunday afternoon.
The Lake house is beautiful. Wow. Here's a picture I took from the dock. (This is the back of the house).
We didn't have a schedule or anything that had to be done. It was great to visit and veg with Uncle Ken, Aunt Tricia, and Shannon. I slept in until 9:30am EST (which I guess isn't that big of a deal as it is only 7:30am MST) After two fun filled busy days of sightseeing in Washington D.C., it was a good break. We visited, fished, boated, etc.
Here's a pic of Deni out on the Lake. We didn't bring our swimming suits as we didn't think it was going to be that warm, however it was in the 70's. Perfect weather for boating. The water was cold, but not cooler than the stuff we swim in Utah. I would have been really tempted to try skiing, despite the cooler water, had I had a swimsuit.
Saturday afternoon, my Uncle Rich and Aunt Andrea, along with their Son Matt, wife Gabe, and daughter "Lotty" came down to visit. It was good to visit with them.
Sunday was also a lazy day. Very relaxing and enjoyable. We packed up and headed home in the afternoon. On the drive home, we stopped by my Uncle Rich's "new" house in Culpepper, VA. They've lived there for a few years, but I haven 't been to it.
We got a taste for my Uncle Rich's commute (on a Sunday afternoon) and I think I'd have to find a new job. It was a painful drive. Makes me thankful for my 15 minute commute.
The Lake house is beautiful. Wow. Here's a picture I took from the dock. (This is the back of the house).
We didn't have a schedule or anything that had to be done. It was great to visit and veg with Uncle Ken, Aunt Tricia, and Shannon. I slept in until 9:30am EST (which I guess isn't that big of a deal as it is only 7:30am MST) After two fun filled busy days of sightseeing in Washington D.C., it was a good break. We visited, fished, boated, etc.
Here's a pic of Deni out on the Lake. We didn't bring our swimming suits as we didn't think it was going to be that warm, however it was in the 70's. Perfect weather for boating. The water was cold, but not cooler than the stuff we swim in Utah. I would have been really tempted to try skiing, despite the cooler water, had I had a swimsuit.
Saturday afternoon, my Uncle Rich and Aunt Andrea, along with their Son Matt, wife Gabe, and daughter "Lotty" came down to visit. It was good to visit with them.
Sunday was also a lazy day. Very relaxing and enjoyable. We packed up and headed home in the afternoon. On the drive home, we stopped by my Uncle Rich's "new" house in Culpepper, VA. They've lived there for a few years, but I haven 't been to it.We got a taste for my Uncle Rich's commute (on a Sunday afternoon) and I think I'd have to find a new job. It was a painful drive. Makes me thankful for my 15 minute commute.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Day two in DC
We didn't have time to see everything yesterday, so we decided to head into DC once more. This time it was just Deni, Shannon and I. We left a few minutes after 9am and headed to the Metro. After parking, we bought day passes ($7.80 per person) to ride the metro as much as we wanted that day. When we went to use them, we found out that they couldn't be used during rush hour, which ended at 9:30am. Luckily, it was 9:20am, so we hung out in the Metro station for 10 minutes.
We headed straight to the Holocaust Museum. For most places in DC, you need a ticket. Tickets are free, but you have to go to the place, stand in line, get a ticket and then come back at the specified time on your ticket. (Kinda like a fast pass in Disneyland.) We got to the Holocaust Museum at 10:30am, got in line and got a ticket for 12:45pm.
With our tickets in hand, we decided to head to the Capital Building. We jumped on the Metro and headed to the Capital building. We took this picture, then headed back to the Holocaust Museum.
We had lunch in a park by the Washington Monument and then went into the Holocaust Museum. We spent about an hour and a half in the museum. It was a very sad place. Not a place for kids to visit, although they had a kids section that was very appropriate for kids.
Shannon has a friend that is interning for Utah Senator, Orin Hatch. Shannon texted her and got us a tour of the Capital. So we headed back to the Capital Building. We rode this little cart that the senators take from their office to the Capital building underground.
The tour was great. We had another family from Utah show up and take the tour with us.
On the way home, the metro we were on broke down and all passengers had to get off the train. It was Friday rush hour and took us about 30 minutes to get back on a train, but we finally make it home safe and sound.
Drew and Kara came over for dinner. It was fun to visit with them during dinner. After dinner we headed to the Lake house.
We headed straight to the Holocaust Museum. For most places in DC, you need a ticket. Tickets are free, but you have to go to the place, stand in line, get a ticket and then come back at the specified time on your ticket. (Kinda like a fast pass in Disneyland.) We got to the Holocaust Museum at 10:30am, got in line and got a ticket for 12:45pm.
With our tickets in hand, we decided to head to the Capital Building. We jumped on the Metro and headed to the Capital building. We took this picture, then headed back to the Holocaust Museum.
We had lunch in a park by the Washington Monument and then went into the Holocaust Museum. We spent about an hour and a half in the museum. It was a very sad place. Not a place for kids to visit, although they had a kids section that was very appropriate for kids.
Shannon has a friend that is interning for Utah Senator, Orin Hatch. Shannon texted her and got us a tour of the Capital. So we headed back to the Capital Building. We rode this little cart that the senators take from their office to the Capital building underground.
The tour was great. We had another family from Utah show up and take the tour with us.
On the way home, the metro we were on broke down and all passengers had to get off the train. It was Friday rush hour and took us about 30 minutes to get back on a train, but we finally make it home safe and sound.
Drew and Kara came over for dinner. It was fun to visit with them during dinner. After dinner we headed to the Lake house.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
A day in Washington DC
We caught the metro into Washington DC and spent the day seeing the sights. We did lots of walking and had a great time seeing the sights.
Arlington Cemetery Entrance
Graves at Arlington Cemetery
Brett and Deni at Arlington Cemetery
The Eternal Flame at Arlington Cemetery
Unknown Solider 1
Unknown Solider 2
White House
Washington Monument
Brett and Deni at the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Deni reflection
Roosevelt's Dog
Front of Jefferson Memorial
Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial
Arlington Cemetery Entrance
Graves at Arlington Cemetery
Brett and Deni at Arlington Cemetery
The Eternal Flame at Arlington Cemetery
Unknown Solider 1
Unknown Solider 2
White House
Washington Monument
Brett and Deni at the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Deni reflection
Roosevelt's Dog
Front of Jefferson Memorial
Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Surprise
After 12 years of marriage, Deni surprised me, no she more than surprised me, she shocked me.
Today was like many other days. Got up, went to work. Worked through lunch.
Before I continue, let me take a step back one day. Yesterday I got an email from Deni that said "Prepare for a surprise in 29 hours." I immediately starting thinking about it. Couldn't stop thinking about it. I texted Deni asking if I could look in her email and Credit Card to get a clue. She agreed that I could. Hmmm Sounds like she's covered her tracks well or she is just pulling my leg. When I got home, I asked Deni if the kids knew about "the surprise". She said they didn't but I asked them anyway. They didn't seem to know, smart Deni.
Back to today. Deni had also asked me if I could come home around 2:30pm, I agreed I would. So my plan was to work through lunch, exercise and then head home. As usual, things took longer than expected and at 2:00pm, I decided it was getting late and that I needed to exercise and get home. Amazingly enough, about this time a co-worker of mine (Kevin) showed up. We talked for a bit and I headed off to exercise. As the two of us walked down the stairs, Kevin said he wanted to show me something. I followed him to his office and then proceeded to go through quite a few of his photos and video clips. I gave him a hard time that he should have put all that on his blog. They were great photos of a Jazz game he attended, however I'm not into Sports, nor do I really care about the Jazz, but I have to admit, they were great photos (2nd row pictures). About this time, he then got a call on his cell. I thought it was a little odd, but didn't pursue it. Next he pulled up a video of the Amazing Race (a show I love to watch). He said - you know how you never see the Camera guys in the TV show, well I found one. He then pulled it up and found the spot. Sure enough, there's the half second clip of a camera man attempting to stay out of the shot. We watched 3 times attempting to pause it in the exact place. Finally I decided that I had to go, as we walked out, he said he had one more thing to show me and started walking towards the exit. Again, this was very odd, but I figured he had something in his car. As I came around the corner, I could see my kids peeking through the window. That's odd.
As I opened the door, Ryan is holding a sign that says "Maryland or Bust." Sydney had a sign that said "If you love them, leave them." I look up and Deni's sitting in the van waiting for me. I walk to the van and Deni's parents were in the van. Our 12 year wedding anniversary is coming up and Deni decided to surprise me and celebrate early with a trip to Maryland. The bags were packed and we were headed to SLC airport.
Good job Kevin. Great stalling techniques.
It was 2:30pm. Our flight left at 5pm.
It's been a while since I've flown, as demonstrated by my attempt to walk through the metal detectors with my shoes, jacket, and cell phone in my pocket.
We made it to the gate in plenty of time. Plane left at 5:02pm. The first 15 minutes of the flight was horrible. I thought I was going to lose my lunch, but things stabilized after we got up at our cruising altitude.
Since when did planes get TV's on every seatback? I was amazed at the options I had at my fingertips. I enjoyed watching Scrubs and The Colbert Report at 39,000 ft in the air. Satalite TV, current music albums, map with current plane position, much better than the flight options we had a few years ago. I enjoyed watching a "pre-flight" moving instead of having to watch a stewardess at the front of the plane explain seatbelts and emergency exits.
We had a great flight and arrived in Dulles airport a few minutes before 11pm EST. My Uncle Ken and cousin Shannon were there to pick us up.
States we few over:
Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington D.C.
Cruising altitude 39000 ft
Cruising speed 550mph
-74 F outside air temperature
about 2000 miles
Today was like many other days. Got up, went to work. Worked through lunch.
Before I continue, let me take a step back one day. Yesterday I got an email from Deni that said "Prepare for a surprise in 29 hours." I immediately starting thinking about it. Couldn't stop thinking about it. I texted Deni asking if I could look in her email and Credit Card to get a clue. She agreed that I could. Hmmm Sounds like she's covered her tracks well or she is just pulling my leg. When I got home, I asked Deni if the kids knew about "the surprise". She said they didn't but I asked them anyway. They didn't seem to know, smart Deni.
Back to today. Deni had also asked me if I could come home around 2:30pm, I agreed I would. So my plan was to work through lunch, exercise and then head home. As usual, things took longer than expected and at 2:00pm, I decided it was getting late and that I needed to exercise and get home. Amazingly enough, about this time a co-worker of mine (Kevin) showed up. We talked for a bit and I headed off to exercise. As the two of us walked down the stairs, Kevin said he wanted to show me something. I followed him to his office and then proceeded to go through quite a few of his photos and video clips. I gave him a hard time that he should have put all that on his blog. They were great photos of a Jazz game he attended, however I'm not into Sports, nor do I really care about the Jazz, but I have to admit, they were great photos (2nd row pictures). About this time, he then got a call on his cell. I thought it was a little odd, but didn't pursue it. Next he pulled up a video of the Amazing Race (a show I love to watch). He said - you know how you never see the Camera guys in the TV show, well I found one. He then pulled it up and found the spot. Sure enough, there's the half second clip of a camera man attempting to stay out of the shot. We watched 3 times attempting to pause it in the exact place. Finally I decided that I had to go, as we walked out, he said he had one more thing to show me and started walking towards the exit. Again, this was very odd, but I figured he had something in his car. As I came around the corner, I could see my kids peeking through the window. That's odd.
As I opened the door, Ryan is holding a sign that says "Maryland or Bust." Sydney had a sign that said "If you love them, leave them." I look up and Deni's sitting in the van waiting for me. I walk to the van and Deni's parents were in the van. Our 12 year wedding anniversary is coming up and Deni decided to surprise me and celebrate early with a trip to Maryland. The bags were packed and we were headed to SLC airport.
Good job Kevin. Great stalling techniques.
It was 2:30pm. Our flight left at 5pm.
It's been a while since I've flown, as demonstrated by my attempt to walk through the metal detectors with my shoes, jacket, and cell phone in my pocket.
We made it to the gate in plenty of time. Plane left at 5:02pm. The first 15 minutes of the flight was horrible. I thought I was going to lose my lunch, but things stabilized after we got up at our cruising altitude.
Since when did planes get TV's on every seatback? I was amazed at the options I had at my fingertips. I enjoyed watching Scrubs and The Colbert Report at 39,000 ft in the air. Satalite TV, current music albums, map with current plane position, much better than the flight options we had a few years ago. I enjoyed watching a "pre-flight" moving instead of having to watch a stewardess at the front of the plane explain seatbelts and emergency exits.
We had a great flight and arrived in Dulles airport a few minutes before 11pm EST. My Uncle Ken and cousin Shannon were there to pick us up.
States we few over:
Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington D.C.
Cruising altitude 39000 ft
Cruising speed 550mph
-74 F outside air temperature
about 2000 miles
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
Easter trip to SLC
My sister-in-law, Kati and her husband Boston came to visit us over the Easter Holiday. It was fun to have them here. While they were here we took them to SLC to see the sites. It's funny we've lived here for a long time and never really taken our kids to the sites of Downtown Salt Lake City. We saw the old Tabernacle and the new Conference Center Root Tour. Pretty amazing place.
We caught a quick family portrait in front of a beautiful fountain that stopped just as we were getting pictures.
We also went and saw the Christus at Temple Square. I caught this picture of the kids. I really liked it.
We caught a quick family portrait in front of a beautiful fountain that stopped just as we were getting pictures.
We also went and saw the Christus at Temple Square. I caught this picture of the kids. I really liked it.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Making Brakes
The kids and I watched the movie "Marley & Me".
Before we watched it, Sydney was so excited. She had seen the commercials for it a number of times and was very excited to watch it. It's about a unruly dog called Marley and in the TV commercial, Owen Wilson is hanging out the window of his car holding on to the back part of the dog while Jennifer Aniston is slowly driving down the road. Owen's character says "Marley's making a break for it". Anyway, as I said Sydney was so excited and said was attempting to quote the commercial and said "Marley's making brakes". It was funny and cute.
Deni had a meeting tonight so I watched it with the kids. As it ended, I told the kids they couldn't say ANYTHING about the movie to Deni, as I knew one of them would say it has a sad ending, which would ruin the movie.
Before we watched it, Sydney was so excited. She had seen the commercials for it a number of times and was very excited to watch it. It's about a unruly dog called Marley and in the TV commercial, Owen Wilson is hanging out the window of his car holding on to the back part of the dog while Jennifer Aniston is slowly driving down the road. Owen's character says "Marley's making a break for it". Anyway, as I said Sydney was so excited and said was attempting to quote the commercial and said "Marley's making brakes". It was funny and cute.
Deni had a meeting tonight so I watched it with the kids. As it ended, I told the kids they couldn't say ANYTHING about the movie to Deni, as I knew one of them would say it has a sad ending, which would ruin the movie.
Thanks Disney Channel
Sydney and I were watching Disney Channel a few days ago and they gave a suggestion for an April Fools prank. They said to switch the insides of two cereal boxes. Sydney and I looked at each other and decided to try it on April fools day with Ryan.
As I was helping get Ryan ready for school, I asked him what he was going to have for breakfast (so I could make the switch) and he told me, then went on to get dressed. I quickly switched the Captain Crunch with the Corn Chex.
When Ryan came to eat breakfast, he almost caught on to us. He picked up the Corn Chex, shook it and said, "Hey who ate all the Corn Chex", not knowing I had switched it with Captain Crunch. Sydney was doing all she could to not laugh, which meant she had her hand over her mouth and almost gave it away, luckily Ryan hadn't remembered it was April Fools day. Ryan sat down and began to pour his "Corn Chex" into his bowl and all of the sudden - Captain Crunch came out in his bowl. We all started laughing. April Fools.......
So, Thanks Disney Channel for helping us pull an April Fools prank on Ryan.
As I was helping get Ryan ready for school, I asked him what he was going to have for breakfast (so I could make the switch) and he told me, then went on to get dressed. I quickly switched the Captain Crunch with the Corn Chex.
When Ryan came to eat breakfast, he almost caught on to us. He picked up the Corn Chex, shook it and said, "Hey who ate all the Corn Chex", not knowing I had switched it with Captain Crunch. Sydney was doing all she could to not laugh, which meant she had her hand over her mouth and almost gave it away, luckily Ryan hadn't remembered it was April Fools day. Ryan sat down and began to pour his "Corn Chex" into his bowl and all of the sudden - Captain Crunch came out in his bowl. We all started laughing. April Fools.......
So, Thanks Disney Channel for helping us pull an April Fools prank on Ryan.
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