this is how we do unemployment.

Cap2Cap 50 mile ride in Richmond, VA.

Our entry in the ride also got us a great BBQ lunch and lots of free samples from sponsors.

Afterwards, we went to colonial Willamsburg and walked around town.

Matching bows with Adriel!

Cheesy flatwork shot.

See, unemployment is all fun and games! Just kidding. It stinks. We are trying hard to find jobs. 

Last week, we went on a 50 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. We left Wednesday afternoon to start in Pennsylvania and finished  Saturday around noon at Harper's Ferry where my parents picked us up and took us back to our car. I <3 the AT.

This next series displays some of the animals we saw that I could catch.

day 1: toad. we actually saw lots of toads, but this was just the first one.

day 2: box turtle!

day 3: baby snapping turtle! this little guy tried to eat me.

Not pictured: lots of big black snakes. Including one in a shelter we stayed in. Maybe that's why there were no mice in that one...

Of course, I forgot the Joby so we had to do these silly self taken shots.

Harper's Ferry, atop Weverton Cliffs

seven

Because I seem to have the inability to produce a coherent thought, here is the mashup of things I have been meaning to share:

- I re-read all 7 Harry Potter books in about 2.5 weeks. It was one of the best decision in my life. Especially as it coincided with the viewing of this video:



- We saw a snapping turtle on Smith Circle. It was scary.

I saw a baby box turtle at the barn and it was the size of a quarter! It was cute.

- We have been house sitting for a few families in the area and it has been tons of fun! If anyone is going away and wants a cute couple to stay in their house, we are up for the job. And we really like dogs.

- Beau comes to work with me on Mondays and we have fun.

- We went to see the cherry blossoms with Zack and Jocelyn and Millie over conference weekend and had a grand time. Jocelyn takes good pictures. I am a little embarrassed at my schleppy appearance in this photo, but not embarrassed enough to not post it.

 
- A few weeks ago, I was teaching a 7 year old girl on her pony Simon.  Everything was going fine until he spooked at who knows what and she ended up falling off.  I went to her to dust her off and put her back on, and much to my surprise I find her with blood squirting out above her elbow and a bone sticking a few inches out of her arm. Hello! The poor girl was very brave and didn't cry too hard while we waited for the ambulance.  Unfortunately, the healing process isn't going as well as predicted and SEVEN surgeries later, she is still in the hospital. I believe she is supposed to come home on Monday.

Blogger is being really slow. Until next time, friends!

sympathy for the martyr

We are still alive! 

Recent thoughts:

- I love rural Virginia and Maryland.  The recent monsoon created a blow down on rt 28 on the way to the barn.

No biggie, the guy in the white truck pulled out his chainsaw and started hacking away before the firemen even got there.

- Beau loves cardinals. He'd never seen one till Virginia, and is fascinated by their bright color. 

- I rode home from the barn yesterday. I think I'll make that a habit.  Plus, it saves money on the ferry ride! I still fail to understand why there aren't more bridges across the Potomac River.  We have also been on a few rides on the W&OD trail, which runs from Alexandria-ish to Purcellville.

- I had my first ever roadkill today. A squirrel. The bump was so insignificant as I ran over the little thing that I wondered if I had killed other animals and not even realized it. Ashley, remember that time you hit a little white dog?

- We got a new windshield today. It had cracked last summer (presumably because of heat, as there was no chip and it appeared on a day we hadn't driven it) and it was big enough to stop us from passing Virginia's safety inspection.  The emissions inspection was a whole other drama- the "check engine" light has been on in our car for as long as I can remember.  When we've taken it in for oil changes and such, they have never been concerned.  Now that we are needing to pass the state emissions, I was nervous about how we were going to fix the problem.  We got a diagnostic and they estimated $800 to fix the problem that they admitted was nothing serious.  After some grumbling, we decided that we'd better make an appointment to get this clunker of a car inspection-ready. Two days later, the check engine light miraculously turned off, giving me the opportunity to get the car checked and passed. Done and done! I felt like I should get a prize. I guess I did, as we didn't have to pay $800.

- Beau's birthday is a week from tomorrow, and mine is two weeks after that! Happy birthdays. 25 and 23.


- I have been reading "Eat, Pray, Love" and I'm surprised how much I enjoy it. I have a weird habit of disliking the norm.  Sometimes I feel like it is a personality flaw, other times an opportunity for expression.  Either way, I was not dying to read the novel as I felt that it was too cliche.  But any book that is made into a movie should be good, right? I'm not finished yet, but I recommend what I've read so far.

- In case anyone is wondering, we are still living in Ashburn with my parents. My job is in Poolesville, Maryland, which is 35-45 minutes away.  We are hoping to find a cheap apartment up there, not only to be closer to the barn but also because the area is just lovely.  Beau is still looking, and may be going the law enforcement route. We are excited!

Welp, this is getting longer than I intended.  Maybe one day we'll have a real life and real jobs and a real update. I hope that day comes soon.

shappy abble earrings and other events

Apparently everyone knows about this but me, but our dear friends at Shabby Apple are giving away earrings if you post (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.) about your favorite dress.  I do love their clothes, it's just too bad they're so dang expensive!

Garden Isle

Whisk me away, Garden Isle dress, to a nice beach where I can lean against a rock and look tragically beautiful.

As for updates on the job front, I am starting work at a nice hunter show barn in Poolesville, Maryland.  There is an apartment on the property that we will probably be moving into in a few weeks.

This week, we went on an overnight hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail.  Beau's first time! I believe I have mentioned the AT before... it is a great trail that runs from Georgia to Maryland, covering over 2,000 miles.  There are shelters all along the way and hundreds of people "thru hike" (hike the whole distance) every year.  I dream of being one of those people.

As usual, I didn't take as many pictures as I should have...

Beau enjoying a sammich

I can start the stove all by myself.

And lastly, want to try something fun? Play around with this time waster.

happy valentine's day/3 years of being a couple anniversary

virginia is for lovers

We are here! Not too much to report on; we're just actively on the job search. I have a few things that may come to pass, so we'll see. I hope that next time I post I will have something to tell about! Here are the photos we've taken recently...

A few of Beau's old roommates had a hard time saying bye as we left Provo.

This is Beau and Guy (his dad) trying to start the car in -10 degree weather.

The car now looks beautiful, a piece of moving art.  As you can see in the picture it is missing its passenger-side fender, and because of the cold, the latch for the hood broke so Beau and his dad had to take off the grill.  The car from the front looks like a smiling hobo.  We're oh so proud of our little Trooper.  We also ended up getting a new battery and were on our way as soon as the storm cleared in the midwest.

 

Beau felt we needed to document our trip. Or maybe he was just bored. Either way, this must have been in Kansas or something because there is a whole lot of nothing.  We made it from Colorado to Virginia in two days- one 14 hour day to Jefferson City (where we stayed with Ashley's parents-in-law) and then a 16 hour day to Ashburn.

This portrait by Beau makes it seem like I did most of the driving, which was certainly not the case.  I think  I did one "shift" (meaning one tank of gas, as that was the only time we stopped) each day. While Beau was driving I kept him entertained by reading books out loud, talking (I can talk for a long time. About nothing. Maybe that was more boring than entertaining...), napping, and quoting these clips:





"Violence at nbc ge.... com?" "What is the internet, anyway? Is it like a bulletin board?"

Upon arrival in Virginia, we were greeted by warm(er) weather and one thing Utah lacks: trees.  I took a run through some wooded paths next to my house.  How did I not know how great these were while I was younger? Oh right, I hated runnning. Foolish Mackenzie.

The girls were a little taken aback by my hair. When I first saw them early the next morning, Brooklee said "You don't look like Mackenzie...". Adriel keeps asking why I cut it (apparently she's on a Tangled kick) and Dallyn told me I look weird.  Oh well!

STUCK (but at least we're having fun).

all of our wordly possessions

 This was us, leaving Utah on Saturday afternoon to head to Virginia. The plan was to stop in Colorado and chill with the Parks for a couple days, leave on Tuesday morn, stay in St. Louis that night, and drive many many hours to Ashburn on Wednesday. Then, leave on Friday afternoon (after a job interview that morning) with my dad for North Carolina to see the the Ottos and the babe.

Sounds like a plan. Right?

We got to Colorado fine and dandy, and saw pending snow storms in the next couple days. We decided to push back our departure one day (so, leaving on Wednesday) to avoid it. Now (Tuesday night) it is looking like there is more warning of severe weather tomorrow, road closures, etc. To top things off, Beau went to the car earlier this evening and it does NOT want to start. It is negative 10 degrees, after all, so the oil is probably nice and thick.

While we do enjoy being stuck in Colorado with Beau's family (much much better than a stinky motel or stranded in our car!), it'd be reeeeeally nice to be able to interview for this job and go to North Carolina.  I have already made it to the pro level in Wii tennis and I'm anxious to consume the SunChips that were designated as "car food", so can we get this show on the road??