Are you an organ donor?

Have you checked that little box saying, "yes, I am an organ donor!"? If not, go here. https://www.yesutah.org/

The Main Public Library downtown has a new(ish) organ donor wall that displays names of Utahns that have donated their organs to those in need.Go check it out (especially if you know someone that has donated, their name is probably there).

LSAT

Good luck to my hubby who starts his LSat prep class tonight!! He will surface again December 12th, after the test is over.

P.S. Pictures to come of our last weekend in Maryland soon! (Once my classroom is all set up).

Homeward Bound

It seems like every summer seems to go by faster than the last. This has definitely been the case for this summer. Tomorrow we head home after our summer adventure in Washington, DC/Virginia/Maryland. It has been such a great experience for us (we've spent more time as a married couple out here, than we have in SLC!). Don and I have had fun sight seeing together, exploring new places together and being away from "home" together. We had fun making new friends, seeing old friends and welcoming visitors! Don has really enjoyed his internship at the RNC and it has been fun to hear all of his stories and adventures. I learned this summer how to relax (this was my first summer not working or being in school in SEVEN YEARS!!!!!). I am not very good at relaxing, and tend to "overbook" myself, so it was an adjustment at first having so much spare time. But now, I feel rested and ready to head back to work on Monday and then welcome my new batch of third graders on the 25th. I just hope that Don will have some time for some little r&r before he heads back for his LAST year at the University of Utah.

Susquehanna River Road Trip, Part 2

On our way home from the Susquehanna, we decided to stop in Hershey, Pennsylvania aka Chocolate World! It was a great way to break up our drive, and plus who doesn't love a city totally devoted to chocolate? We had alot of fun going learning how chocolate is made (thanks to the dancing cows on the tour), looking around at the gift shop and eating chocolate. Yum! Next time we're in the area, we want to stop at the amusement park.

Chocolate Factory

The street lights are kisses!  I was excited about that.

The dancing cows

Susquehanna River Road Trip

Our good friends, the Isaacsons, have been letting us live in their apartment in southern Maryland for the last half of Don's internship. While we loved our time in Virginia, we were excited to be able to see our friends and spend some time with them. This is the second summer I have lived with the Isaacsons, and have been out to visit nearly every summer since I was 16. Ginny and Tom have three boys--Josh, Mason (8) and Luke (3), I can't believe how old they're getting! Part of what makes our friendship with the Isaacson's so special is that my dad baptized Ginny's family when he was on his mission 32 years ago! Ginny was only 4 at the time, but our families have stayed close since her parents, the Tates, were baptized. Several years later, Ginny went to law school at BYU where she met Tom (and later married), who happens to live in my family ward in Salt Lake. So as you can see, we have a special bond with the Tate/Isaacson family.

Last weekend Josh and Mason were baptized in the Susquehanna River in Harmony, PA. Don was able to take a half day off work, so we headed up to the baptism to meet up with the family. In our time being engaged and married, we have driven to California twice to visit Don's mission, but it was fun this time to take a little road trip up the east coast. We were making great time, until we hit horrible traffic! By the time we finally got out of the traffic, it was getting close to the time of the baptism, and we were still an hour away! Thanks to a toll road, we were able to make it to the river in the middle of the last talk (also lucky for Tom since we had his white pants that they had left at home). We made it just in time for the baptism--good timing!
It was such a spiritual experience being able to watch the baptism of these two little boys, on the banks of the river where Joseph Smith was baptized and the Aaronic priesthood was restored. It was an unforgettable experience.

Susquehanna River

With President and Sister Tate (and Luke) who just returned from being Mission Presidents in the Birmingham, AL mission. 

Because we were in such a rush to get to the baptism, we didn't get to stop and see the Restoration site, so we went back the next morning to look. Again, it was such a spiritual experience to be able to see the site where Joseph and Emma Smith's house was, and the site where the Aaronic Priesthood was restored.

Is this how the missionaries entice you to stop?