A whole new world

So the reason it took me so long to update the blog is I really hate these kinds of posts--they're so boring both to read and write. So I took pictures and compiled lists so that I don't have to go all travelogue-y on you. You're welcome.

Things I miss about Utah:

•  Zupas

•  Cafe Rio [Though you might notice there is one now in MD. It's a bit of a drive, but we found it to be worth it. And yes, we have already been there. Along with probably all of the Mormons in the DC area and anyone else who's been out to Utah in the DC area.]

•  the dollar theater

•  friends

•  my books [most of which are currently in storage--what was I thinking?! I guess I need a Kindle . . .]

•  being physically present at my writing group

•  all our blankets [we only brought two, and I wish we'd brought them all]

•  the majority of our kitchen stuff, since we brought about five things and the stuff already here is scanty

•  my shoes [I was a little too selective.]

•  the Provo temple and working there

•  my friends' kids

•  our ward(s)

   

Things I'm sad I've missed in Utah:

•  my BFF's new baby's blessing

•  Shannon Hale and Jessica Day George doing a book signing/panel discussion

•  Ally Carter on book tour in both Provo and SLC [though this is a future sadness, as she won't be there until June. Bah.]

•   Going to see Thor with my other BFF

Things I would miss if the equivalent here weren't just as good (or better):

•  Provo library

Things I'm not that thrilled about in DC:

•  humidity [but at the same time, it's comforting--like home.]

•  how it's not possible to even go to Costco without paying for parking. Really? Really?

•  how I am getting taxed by the city for owning a car. Like car payments aren't enough.

 

Things I'm crazy about in DC:

•  the libraries

•  trees [I feel like I've come home--it feels so much like New England here. I love it.]

•  houses/architecture [again--New England flashbacks]

•  Panera [I haven't had the luxury of a Panera close by--though back in the day close was relative--since high school.]

•  no snow and thick rainstorms and shuddering thunderstorms

•  no billboards along the highway

•  having my view of the sky limited by all the trees [swoon]

•  our windows and dishwasher

•  our pool [yeah--it's totally open]

•  dog parks [Fin's personal happiest place on earth]

•  our beautiful new car

•  stores within walking distance

•  my SmartCard--I feel so cool whenever I used it

•  how Cafe Rio followed me out here

•  my new friends

•  our king-sized bed

•  the sights, though we haven't seen many yet

•  our new ward

I think there are more in each category, but I can't think of them at the moment. But I guess you could say I'm wildly happy here. Sam's a little homesick, but he's enjoying it out here, too.

Now for the pictures.

I am obviously very excited about being at the Capitol.

Yes, this is all the sightseeing we've done so far. Don't judge.

Fin also is very happy to be here. As far as he's concerned, there has been no change. We have a very chill dog. Unlike these dogs. And he's in love with the dog park by us.

We pass by this little sign every so often while on walks. She actually has a few along where the sidewalk boarders her lawn. And every time I see it I have to squelch the desire to give Fin the "pit stop!" command. I guess that makes me a bad person?

I've loved the spring colors! There are so many beautiful, remarkable colors--hot pink, magenta, brilliant red, pure white . . . they've been breathtaking. I'm sad they're all disappearing.

Here's an example. My phone really doesn't do them justice. They're so, so stunning.

This glove was in the gravel driveway of a house we pass by fairly frequently on our walks. It was there for over a month--and every time we passed by Fin lunged for it, since it was within reach--so finally I got fed up and tossed it in here. Now, every time I see it, I feel like Boo Radley. Only as far as I know no children have found it interesting. [Yet!]

Fin is the best-behaved dog in the world if he has a stick to carry around with him on walks. It gets him lots of smiles from anyone who sees us, since I guess most dogs don't walk around with huge sticks/branches in their mouths. Speaking of Fin, everyone here is so interested in him. In Utah, most people didn't really care. Here, though, we're always being stopped or having people tell us what a beautiful dog he is. I think it's because here people generally have dogs long before they have children (if they ever do), so it's customary to ask about one's dog the way one would ask about one's children in Utah. That's my best guess.

Sometimes his selections are a bit much for him, though.

And we'll end with the random little garden/grass gnome collection I saw the other day while walking Fin. I'm not sure what they're encircling--probably some blood sacrifice that was interrupted by dawn's light--but I'm intrigued nonetheless. Plus, one of the figurines is a T-Rex (or some form of dinosaur), which sold me.

Our apartment

And now, for the series of posts you've all been waiting for. [And I don't need any comments about how this was all promised two weeks ago--don't be haters.]

We will start with our apartment. [This is sort of the royal we--I guess I'm trying to sound grand or like a documentary narrator. Who knows. I'm tired.]

Here are the best parts of our apartment, hands down:

Yes. A dishwasher. This is the first time in our marriage that we have had one, and it's been like heaven. It makes cooking ok because I don't have to worry about hand washing all the dishes I get dirty. And speaking of cooking, I've become a regular housewife. Meals waiting for Sam when he gets home from work every day (mostly)--and from scratch, even! Who knew, right?

The window in our front room. Yes, it takes up a whole wall, practically. It leads out onto a pretty decent sized balcony, which is Fin's favorite part of the apartment. He could sit out there for hours with his head poking out through the bars, looking at all the cars passing by and the people walking through the parking lot. He is also typically content to just look out the window if it's too hot or cold outside for the door to be open.

The window in our bedroom. This may not seem like a big deal, but if you'd lived the past three or four years in a hobbit hole, however comfortable and loved, with three windows with the dimensions 1' x 1', and no window at all in the bedroom, you'd be rejoicing, too. We've been here two months and still get excited about all the natural light flooding our home.

Fin's second favorite place is the shower, as shown. While he fights to get out of it when we're giving him a bath [and by we're I mean Sam, since I'm usually in charge of the blow drying aspect of bathtime] [and it has sliding doors, so he's trapped in there once they're closed], if the bathroom door is ever open he almost always goes in to explore. He even goes to explore the shower before he goes to explore the trashcan in the corner, which I think is really saying something.

Other highlights of our apartment include Dish TV and a flatscreen TV in both the living room and bedroom. Shazam. I love our glorified hotel.

Promise of things to come

Happy Easter!

So, I'm sure there are those of you who are curious about how Sam and I are settling into life on the East Coast. For whatever reason, you care about us.

The problem is that since I've become a full-time writer I've become very selfish with my time, so I've avoided blogging pretty much altogether.

This will come to an end. I've actually uploaded pictures onto my computer from my camera, so the guilt's been weighing me down. So while I don't have time to do a legit blog now, I'll cross my heart to make time this week and follow through.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you some informational videos about my new location. My friend Margaret, who's from this area, shared them with me pre-departure so I could know what to expect from my new home. I found them to be very educational and helpful, particularly insofar as the Starbucks are concerned. So here you go.

About Arlington:

About the Metro:

xoxo

I have a library card now, guys. Nothing says settled like having access to the local public library.

And the best part? It's very much comparable to Provo's. Shazam. We're in a good place.

Glorfindle the Elf Dog (more commonly known as Fin)

I have heard it said that blogs become substantially less interesting once the blogger has had a baby. I don't have a baby, but I do have a dog. Hopefully that little difference won't change my blog from readability to unreadability. I'll try to keep it humorous for y'allz.

So, as you might remember, Sam and I got a puppy for Christmas. I have been remiss these last few months in not posting any pictures since the first blurry one, nor any videos. I'd like to say we have a couple hundred, but I'll own up to being an awful picture-taker, in that I never remember. Anyway. Here is how and what Fin has been doing these past two months or so:

December

Fin loves watching movies with us. For a while we very rudely had his kennel blocking his view of the TV, so he had to resort to desperate measures. It always reminded me of the puppy in 101 Dalmatians that is always in front of the TV. He usually only watches a few minutes at a time, but he was enthralled by the Planet Earth series--I think since each segment was only a few minutes long, then there were new sounds and new animals. He was a big fan.

Isn't he such a handsome puppy?

That is Fin's favorite toy, creatively named Bunny. It squeaks, which he thinks is the coolest. He actually played with it so much the first few days he had it that he wore the squeaker out. Never fear, however. Fin is a clever dog, and he's got Bunny squealing with pleasure again.

I can't believe how little he is here! It's hard to see the day-to-day differences in him, so I forget how much he's changed.

January

Sam is far and away Fin's best friend. You see them here, interrupted by the camera while enjoying Lord of the Rings. We began teaching Fin about his elfin heritage soon after adopting him. He's a big fan of Legolas but is disappointed that his namesake didn't happen to make it in the movies.

Fin loves playing with the rope toys his Aunt Michelle so kindly gave him. He's just sad he has yet to meet Michelle as well as his cousins, Choco and Sammy. One day, though. One day.

He smiled for the camera, because he's a cutie like that.

The non-fluffy Fin. This is a side of him we typically only see at bath time. It reminds us that he is, in fact, quite scrawny under all that fur. He likes bath time, but he has yet to be similarly thrilled by the subsequent brushing and blow dryer time. We're trying to teach him not to eat the blow dryer. Luckily it's too big for him to swallow.

And here he is as the fluffy, soft monster we love. His shampoo is sunflower scented, so usually when he is clean and fresh like this Sam rudely calls him Sunflower. I think Fin retaliates by laying in the dirt and reapplying his usual dog scent as quickly as possible.

Sometimes he has to be persuaded to do what we want him to do, so we pick him up. Like Jed in Night at the Museum, Fin takes offense to being "manhandled," but he usually bears it patiently. You'll notice here he's nearly as long as me. Wowzas.

Fin is a big fan of the snow. He wasn't too sure of it the first time it snowed, but he quickly determined it was a thing of great fun. His favorite thing to do in the snow is to snow plow. He gets his nose right to the ground and sniffs, pushing the snow along as he explores. This picture is typical of how he looks after a good snow plow.

We took Fin up to Bridal Veil Falls on a walk/hike on President's Day, which was great fun for all involved. He got to meet lots of people and dogs, which is always the highlight of any walk, and play in the water. You'll notice all the snow, meaning the water was more than likely ice cold, but he didn't care. Or, he didn't care until he accidentally went in a bit deep, but that might just be because he's not sure about swimming yet.

I called Fin to try to get him to look at the camera, and he decided he needed to come bounding over to me. That is why Sam is restraining him.

This is Fin, the headless dog. Sometimes his toys go under the couch, and Fin valiantly takes it upon himself to retrieve them. It's pretty funny. Sometimes we stick things under the couch just so we can see this. He used to be able to get more of himself under the couch, but he's too big now for more than his head and paws.

This is the under-the-couch view.

This is Fin running. We call it "barreling," since it's more of an all-out gallop. He looks like a little buff-colored blur.

The Many Sleeping Positions of Fin

Fin's a big fan of sleeping on his back. It's probably comfortable for him, but he looks so funny.

This is one of Fin's favorite lounging positions. It looks dang uncomfortable to me, but it's his first choice. Unfortunately, he had not been able to lay like this these last few days, due to being neutered, but he's sure to pick it up again once he's fully healed.

Again with the back. If he's sleeping in his kennel, it's almost always like this.

Here is the classic back, but with a twist. Sometimes I wonder if his spinal cord is shaped differently than mine.

And that's Fin! He's been a lot of fun--and a lot of work and time, of course. He's still very much a puppy, but he's learning the rules and shaping into a very good, well-mannered dog. I'm so glad Sam brought him into our family.

xoxo

We've been approved for adoption! Check out our incredibly awesome adoption profile at https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24950903/ourMessage.jsf.

Fin's adventure today

This is the message Fin (our dog, in case you don't remember) would like me to send out to the world on his behalf today:

Dear manhood,

RIP. You kept getting me into trouble anyway.

Sincerely,

Fin

I'm not sure if he's as excited as Sam and I are excited for him to be neutered, but he hasn't said otherwise so I have to assume he's thrilled. Congrats, Fin, on no longer being a menace to society!

Another post on adoption

Using my quasi-stalking post as a jumping off point, I was going through my Google Reader some few minutes or so ago and read the most recent post of a birth mom I blog stalk. Maybe I'll comment on one of her posts sometime so I'll go from stalking to following.

Anyway.

In her most recent post, she referred to the post of a friend of hers, who referred to a post from September 2008 on the Families Supporting Adoption: American Fork blog. Apparently Glenn Beck and his wife, Tania, were the keynote speakers a the 2008 FSA conference, and the post is the transcript of their talks. [Speeches? Addresses? What should I be calling it? I just don't know.]

So anyway, whether you love Glenn Beck or hate him [I, personally, am rather indifferent], you should read the story he and his wife shared. It is so beautiful. I was very touched. These were the parts that were particularly meaningful to me:

"The great thing about the Lord is, He’s predictable. I mean, all you have to do is read the scriptures and it’s the same story over and over again. . . . Before blessings, before real blessings, the Lord just pounds you into the ground. . . . He takes you and puts you out in the desert, and He just pounds you into the ground. . . . And in that trial, you can be saying one of two things: “Water, water! Help me! Why me? Why me? Help me, help me! Water!” Or you can be saying, “What is it You want me to do? I will do, I will give. I give! Just point me there. The water may be a long way away, but just show me, Lord, which way to walk.” And when you get there, eventually He’ll give you the answer, and then He will so richly bless your life."

and:

"I know with everything in me that our children selected us in the premortal existence. I know that we stood around and we were honored when that soul looked at us and said, 'I want you as my dad, and I want you as my mom. Somehow or another we’ll find each other.' It’s not just getting any child. It’s sometimes waiting for that soul who is trying desperately to fulfill their side of the bargain and to fulfill what you guys set out to do in the first place and to be reunited with his family for time and all eternity. But getting there sometimes, you have to walk through the desert. But once you get out of the desert, water has never tasted sweeter."

and about his son's birth mom:

"This little girl was a hero. She was a remarkable superhero. Raphe doesn’t need Spiderman or Superman; he’s got his natural mother as an example of what real superheroes do. Real superheroes don’t think about themselves. Real superheroes don’t make their life all about them. Real superheroes do the hard thing, and I can’t imagine anything tougher than giving birth to a child and giving that child away and then wondering your whole life what’s happening in his day." 

I love his words and how he told his story and expressed his feelings on adoption. I hope you guys have the chance to read the entire transcript, because it is really touching.

Something else that really touched me today was this:

 

One of the things that touched me so much was how many countries were celebrating this temple. Sam and I have been so blessed here in Utah to have a church just down the street and a temple 10 minutes away. It makes me shiver [in an excited, thrilled kind of way] to think that in just a few months we could be in an area like this--where the church is so small and temples are so rare. I just think of the incredible work we have ahead of us, and all the things Heavenly Father has ready for us on our path, and I can barely stand waiting. I'm so beyond excited.

xoxo

We've been approved for adoption! Check out our incredibly awesome adoption profile at https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24950903/ourMessage.jsf.