Arlington National Cemetery

A couple weeks ago, the Poulton's and us decided to go and visit Arlington Cemetery. You wouldn't believe how big Arlington is! 612 acres. There are headstones everywhere you look. It was a really neat place to visit, with a really cool story behind it.

It was a very patriotic feeling seeing all the headstones, and just thinking how many people have fought for our freedom

 Arlington Cemetery was basically stolen by the government from Mary Custis Lee. George Washington Parke Custis was the original owner of the land, George Washington's adopted son. George Washington Parke Custis only had one surviving child, which was Mary Custis Lee. She, of course was married to General Robert E. Lee.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soilder

During the civil war the Lee's had to leave their home on Arlington, and the government seized this opportunity to take over the prized land. The congress passed a law that all property taxes must be payed in person. Of course, General Lee couldn't just march over and pay his taxes on enemy ground, and Mary Custis Lee was crippled by arthritis. So, for $92.07 the government took their land.

Crazy story, all that prime land right in the middle of DC for ninety-two bucks!

So, it was a fun little tour. We rode a bus around the grounds, it is way too big to walk around. They dropped us of at the Kennedy's grave site, the changing of the guards, and the Lee's original house.

They Kennedy Family Gravesite

The Changing of the Guard Ceremony

The Lee's house had the best view in DC

How cute:)

  Well our time here is winding down! Only about a week and a half till we head for home! I am really excited! Although I will miss the Poulton's, I am ready to come home. I was not made to live on the east coast, or big cities for that matter. Utah is great, I took it for granted. I am also really excited to start nursing school too! I know that I probably will be stressing out over the workload a few weeks into it, but for now I can say I am so excited to learn!

July 4th in New York

Last week my amazing hubby took me to New York for my birthday. He knows that I have been wanting to go there, and he also knows how much I love fireworks, so we went to New York to see them for the forth. We met up with my parents there. It was a lot of fun, and so good to see my parents. I have never been away from my family this long!
The trip started with a metro ride into DC, then a 4 hour bus ride to New York. It turned out to be pretty cheap and worked out well. The bus took us right into Times Square, which is where our hotel was. We met up with my parents and walked around Times Square for a little bit. I have never been in such a big city. It was crazy. Buildings everywhere!

The next morning we got up and had bagels for breakfast, then off to the subway. We rode the subway to the 9/11 memorial. This was one of our favorite parts. It was so neat to see the World Trade Center being rebuilt. It was just proof that America doesn't stay down. We get right back up.

After the memorial we headed off to Chinatown. Chinatown was crazy! I guess in 2007 the police came through and raided the whole place and took all of their fake merchandise. So now they are super sneaky about it. I felt like I was in The Bourne Identity, following different people, down random street and in secret doors all for a purse. The full story is really funny, let me know if you want to hear it!

Bleeker Street Pizza was our next stop. If you haven't heard of it, it is supposed to be the best pizza in New York, and it was delicious.

Our fourth of July night was perfect, well besides the blistering heat. Once the sun went down it was great. We got on a tour boat and toured the city from the water. We saw the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and just the city from the water. After the tour we settled in the Hudson to watch the fireworks. Seeing the fireworks against the New York skyline was beautiful. I loved it.

The next day we went to Central Park. I never realized Central Park was so big! We rented bikes and biked around the park. Then we wanted down 5th Ave and saw every fancy dancy store known to man. What would it be like to be able to have a shopping spree down that street! That night my parents went and saw Wicked so Nick and I just toured around Times Square a little and got some delicious New York Cheesecake.
It was a great trip. New York was awesome, however, never somewhere I would want to live. Too many people. Made me miss the good ol' Valley.
All in all my birthday was wonderful! Thanks to my sweet husband. People always say that marriage is like game over, and it kind of has this negative connotation. I don't know where they come up with this stuff because I love being married, it is so fun everyday! It really is the best decision I ever made. I love my life with Nick, I couldn't ask for anything better. So thanks for a good New York birthday trip to my sweetheart and my parents. Love them.

Little Update

Well there hasn't been too much new going on here lately. Nick is just working everyday still, and I started my job as a lifeguard. It is pretty fun, just sit in the sun and yell at kids all day! It's called the Water Mine, it's a kids park, but pretty big. It has a lazy river, and slides, and other fun features. It gets super hot and humid here. Lucky I get to swim around on my breaks!

 On another note from back home, about a month ago my cousin Dalton Wheeler was diagnosed with leukemia. He has started treatments at Primary Children's. Keep him in your prayers. I did get good news from my mom though last night. Dalton's first stage of chemo shows a remission! The first four weeks were crucial so this is very good news! The prayers are working!

Getting his head shaved

My brother and Dalton

Taylor, Dalton, and my other cousin Sarah just had their graduation! Congrats to them, on to the big life! Wish I could have been home to go. We do miss home, our friends, and our family.  Next week my family is going to Lake Powell. Nick and I are trying to act like we aren't jealous. It is good for Nick though. For those that don't know, Nick just had two shoulder surgeries last fall. He also has a great love for wakeboarding, so it is good to get him away from boats and water. Those shoulders need a rest for awhile.

More fun with Bridger

Well, kind of a short boring post. Hopefully we will get to DC again soon to do some fun stuff!

our CAPITOL

Here goes round two!
Still just getting used to this new city out here. It's really weird, in Utah there are mountains to orient you to which directions are which. Here, there is nothing. Just lots of trees and green. I kinda feel trapped. Whenever I go anywhere it is totally at the will of our GPS.

But it really is beautiful. Just driving down the freeway is way pretty. We have made a couple adventures into DC so far, and we have loved it. The first time we went was to go to the DC temple. We went with Devin and Mckell while Gregg and Julie watched the kids. Nick's parents were in town for one night before a Europe trip so it worked out pretty good. The temple was so pretty! It was a really good experience. 

Nick's birthday was yesterday so we have been doing fun birthday stuff for him. We did a week of birthday. So everyday for a week we did a little bit of a surprise. One of the things that we did was go to the National Air and Space Museum.

 They had the United States Discovery space shuttle there. It was huge! It can fit a whole school bus in it. In all it's trips to space it has spent 365 days there, all it's trips combined.

Bridger flying the Cessna with Uncle Nick

We also went to sight see the national mall this week. I was really neat to be there. I have never been back east before and it was cool to see all the history. EVERY government department building is there! Pretty neat. It was also our first time on the metro and I liked it a lot for some reason. Just so convenient!

The capital

The Washington Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

The National Archives
Got to see the Declaration, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution.
It was neat to be able to see the actually documents that I used to have to memorize in school. 

Our favorite thing to see was the Lincoln Memorial. On the sides of the walls there was two quotes from Abraham Lincoln. They were the Gettysburg Address and The Presidents 2nd Inaugural Address. If you feel like reading something inspiring you can read the both HERE. Presidents just aren't like that anymore. They aren't that inspiring anymore. Here is a great quote that really stood out to us,  

"It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.'" 

Everything in the memorial pertained to God and His purposes. Lincoln was an awesome leader. We need leaders like that today. Seems like everything now a days is trying to take God out of the equation, when that is what our founding fathers built this country on. Nick and I were wondering what the founding fathers would say about the way our country is now. We definitely got a new found respect for Lincoln and all the founding fathers. 

The Newlywed Game

Well,
I guess I am starting a blog. I think that is just the thing to do once you get married! Plus we are living in Virginia so this is a good update everyone at home.
I named this post "The Newlywed Game", cause that's what we feel like it is, a game. Learning and growing with each other is awesome, we love every minute of it. We'd have to agree that one of the best parts of being married is not having to drive home at night. We both got real sick of driving to and from the Valley and North Ogden every day. Nick is just amazing and had the best idea ever of how to ask me to marry him, but that is a long story. Maybe for another blog post.

Anyways, long story made short, our wedding was amazing. We had our reception first, and we loved it that was. Our reception was Friday night, then our wedding was Saturday morning. It made it so much less stressful. To me, driving to salt lake early, then to a luncheon, then to the reception is just way to long of a day for me, and for everyone else in the wedding party. So it worked out nicely. Our reception was beautiful, our wedding day was even more beautiful. It was the perfect sunny day outside, and the sealing in the temple was amazing. The perfect beginning to our eternity together. We then had our luncheon and then hopped on a plane for California for then night. The cruise ship was awaiting us the next morning. The honeymoon was a week of heaven, I never wanted it to end.

I do miss my bros...

and our families

the crepes at our reception

the castle..

me and the super-sexy trio

bridesmaids. Did I mention my best friend Kassie came out for my wedding? It was great. Loved having her there.

Now we are in Virginia on our first adventure together. We have only been here for a week so far, but it has seemed much longer than that, for me at least. Probably because I went from going from working full-time for the past 9 months, and planning a wedding, to nothing. I guess I should probably enjoy it though while I have it.
I actually just started nannying for a little girl for a few hours a week, just till I find something more permanent. She is the cutest little girl, 4 months old, and easy to take care of.
Other than that Nick works every night from 1-9ish. He is doing good so far, and will only get better at selling as time goes on. I have been hanging out with Mckell and the kids while Nick is at work. They are life savers. I would be going crazy with boredom without them.

our cute apartment building. Everything in Virginia is so green and there are trees EVERYWHERE!

I am learning stick shift for the first time!

my cutest husband posing on our new car
first car bought together

this little guy is just the cutest
famous for green smoothie staches

he loves the caboose

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Well, I have a goal to see as much as I can while we are living back east in all this history. So we will see what we can make time to go see this week. I will try to keep up to date!