Nauvoo & Canada

A few months ago (April) Mitch and I went to Nauvoo to see the Sacred Grove and Joseph Smith's home.  It was a remarkable experience.  After a quick visit to Nauvoo we went to see Niagara Falls.  It was amazing and so incredibly cold.  We stayed in Niagara Falls for the night and headed up to Toronto to visit my cousin Adam.  We went to this fabulous market in Toronto and we had the best spaghetti sauce in the entire world.   It was red sauce mixed with pesto and I wish I had more.

Mitch at the Sacred Grove

Me in the Sacred Grove

Niagara Falla, view from our hotel room

Weekly Menu

Sunday:  Shrimp Pineapple Tacos with Black Bean/Corn/Basil Salad with Peach/Mango Homemade Ice Cream and Zucchini Brownies
Monday:  FHE - Leftovers or go out
Tuesday:  Zucchini Waffles with Strawberries and Turkey Bacon
Wednesday:  Spinach/Tomato/Pea Pasta
Thursday:  Homemade Pizza with Spinach Salad
Friday:  Fly to Utah!!

Zucchini Brownie Recipe:
2 Cups Zucchini Finely Shredded
2 Cups Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa
1/2-3/4 Cup Applesauce
1 1/2 Tea Soda
1 Tea Salt
2 Tea Vanilla
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 Tea Flax Seed (Optional)

Directions:
1.  Mix zucchini, applesauce and vanilla
2.  Add dry ingredients
3.  Add chocolate chips (the batter will be thick!)
4.  Bake in a 9x13 glass pan for 30 minutes at 350 Degrees

Spring in DC

Spring might be my favorite season in DC.  I love the Cherry Blossoms and just walking around outside.  I kind of became obsessed with the Cherry Blossoms and went almost every day to see them when they were blooming.  Lucky for me I could ride/run during lunch and after work.   Beth and I also ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler which was the perfect race for Spring in DC.

This is always the first tree to bloom.  It's right by my work.

Lunch time walk around the Capitol.

Run around the Tidal Basin.
Can you see the Washington in the background?

Tidal Basin and MLK.

Waiting for class I took this picture.  It's the last of the blossoms.

Backyard at work.  My work is really an amazing place.

Mitch and I on my way to work.

 If you can't tell I am obsessed with the Cherry Blossoms.

New York

We went to New York over Easter to visit Abby and Jason, it was the perfect trip.  I could go there a thousand times over and over again and still love every single moment.  We basically ate the entire time, what we do best in New York.  We also spent most of our time in Brooklyn, which I loved.  Just to name a few, we went to the Meatball Shop, the Donut Shop, Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery for Banana Cream Pudding (I think it's better than Magnolia's), Ample Hills Creamery, and Ippudo Noodle Bar.  WE LOVE to EAT!

Eating at the Meatball Shop in Brooklyn, I love the pesto and chicken!  

We Love BROOKLYN.

Ippudo Noodle Bar.  It was delicious.

Mitch is handsome.  Can you see the Statue of Liberty?
I love the Staten Island Ferry.  

We went to see Once and both loved it.

I heart Detroit

I finally made it to Detroit with Emily to see Sarah.  It was the perfect trip, just a little too short.  I can't wait to go back and explore some more.  Detroit is an amazing city and I am fascinated by the history.  Thank you so much Sarah & Co. for a perfect trip!

Puerto Rico

We went to Puerto Rico at the end of January and it was fabulous.  We went with some friends and totally enjoyed ourselves.  It was totally last minute and it totally exceeded my expectations.

We went hiking in the jungle.
It rained almost the entire time.  It as so much fun.

We went to the island Vieques and found a fabulous beach.

That little boat behind us is a boat and a plane.  Basically one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
 It flew right over us and landed in the water and then took off a few hours later.

Kevin, Bree, Mitch, Bobby, & Danielle

We went kayaking in the Bioluminescent Bay one night and the water was amazing.
It was bright blue!

This was the van that took us to the Bioluminescent Bay
and I thought we were going to die on the drive there.
Not joking one bit.

 Thank you to the Harrington's and Ahlstrom's for a wonderful trip.

January Randomness

January went by in a blink.   

During the middle of January we went with some of Mitch's classmates skiing at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia.  Totally different skiing from the west (super icy!), but it was so much fun!

It snowed 7 inches the day before we got there!  Lucky us.

Emily and I went to Inauguration in January and I failed to take any good pictures.  It was pretty amazing to attend an Inauguration, but it was SUPER freezing and we couldn't get on the metro when it ended, so we walked home!  Thank goodness we only live 5 miles away.

We were really far away.

 January also brought some fabulous weather,
I was even able to ride my bike a few times to work.  

I love my work, I am really going to miss it starting in Mary.

 And how could I forget Mary Kate.  She is the absolute cutest.