Ultrasound!

Hi Gals! We went to our 20 week ultrasound today. It was SO exciting to see our little baby! I just had to post a pic for you guys to see.

We had the Doctor write the baby's sex down on a piece of paper and we'll open it on Christmas day. I'll let you know when I find out! :)

My girls

I've thought of a lot of different things I could put in reference to one of my memories of our times together. Recent events, however, have made me think that what I will always remember most fondly is simply our friendship. Just talking and listening and laughing and knowing that at least one of you was always there to welcome me home. I specifically remember Kristen on her bed at least three feet higher than mine cleaning her face and talking with me until the late hours of the night. I remember everyone ending up in our bedroom sitting on the beds and the floor, having homework and having no desire to do it.
I could go on-but yeah that is what I most cherish-the memory of some of the dearest friends ever. And thanks-thanks sooo much for your recent help-love ya all!

Good Times

I have so many memories of those years - Our first grocery shopping trip to Walmart that took hours, impromtu dance parties, sleepovers, taking a 'family' picture the first and last Sunday of the semester, spying on boys from our many windows, singing the 'Beach Boys' at FHE, sneaking cookie dough from Heidi's cookie batches, downing cheesecake for breakfast...

Good times, good times...

I loved the Little Things

i loved that we did so much together. We really were like a family. We had something so rare that it made college an entirely different experience. I loved having home cooked-meals every night.

I loved playing sports and working out together. What good sports your B-ballers were with my lack of skill.



I loved our random activities that we thought up which were looney and corney, but so much fun!



I love our attempts to create tradition and love in our apartment family.



i loved our obsession with dancing and how we found every excuse to go to a dance. Too bad we never really got any stellar dates or boyfriends out of it.



I just loved that we were a family and that we loved each other so much!!!

Ribbon Dancing-for Randilyn's post

Mayday celebration?

Ok, I know my incessant mandolin playing and all the folk music weren't always the funnest for y'all to put up with (you were such great sports), but I have the GREATEST memories of Beast coming out with scarves/sashes and doing ribbon dancing to my music! She got us all doing it--including Brad, Aldee, and Dan if I remember correctly... Hahaha! Makes me smile just thinking about it... (Wish I knew where the photos are that document this, but alas... I brought less than a third of my belongings with me here to DC...)

Memories!

Hey Girls,

Let's all post one specific memory we have of when we were all at BYU together! :) Just whatever memory comes to your mind. I know I have a lot to choose from...

FYI

Yay Prop 8 passed!! I am so glad that I went home the weekend before the election to help out. Our ward alone had 3,300 door hangers to distribute and many other things to help out with. On Sunday bishops and stake presidents were asked to say the closing prayer in sacrament meeting and "call down the powers of heaven" so that voters might vote to preserve the divine institution of marriage. It was amazing. I feel like I learned so much about faith, tolerance and enduring to the end. With all the turbulence that has occurred since the election and the passing of Prop 8 I am reminded of the principle of enduring to the end and how much there still is to do and how prepared we need to be to wholeheartedly help with whatever we may be asked to do.

I have thought this quote by Elder Maxwell over thirty years ago is so very applicable now.

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat." (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, BYU devotional address, Oct 10, 1978)

Okay, so here is the update of my vida:
I am enjoying the University of Arizona and the MPA program here. It is definitely stretching me but I am glad. I am also interning at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the employment office. The IRC resettles refugees and the employment office specifically helps them with employment opportunities. I have met so many extraordinary people from Iraq, Cuba, Nepal, Ethiopia, etc. It has been a great experience thus far. I am hoping to intern in DC again this summer with another organization focused on international needs.
I am dating Jay right now and he will be visiting AZ in about 2 weeks. Then just one more week and I will be back in San Diego for Thanksgiving with my family. Hope to continue to hear from all you soon!

Cuidanse muchachas!

Proposition 8

Hi girls,

I was just remembering how everyone always used to refer to as "The California Apartment." I don't know who still may or may not be registered to vote in California but please remember CA voters in your prayers tomorrow so that they will vote to preserve traditional marriage.

I had the opportunity to go home this last weekend during the "blitz" before election day. There really is an intensity about this issue. I learned a lot about faith and I know that this is so important.

I am including some links just in case you haven't already seen them.

http://www.protectmarriage.com/

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/same-sex-marriage-and-proposition-8

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-readies-members-on-proposition-8 (Clips from the broadcast to members in CA by Elders Ballard, Bednar and Cook)

YES on 8!

My Turn

Well, I guess I should take my turn in telling what I'm up to these days. As a catch-up: I interned in DC (love the Smithsonian!), lived in Palmyra NY for almost 2 years working at the Palmyra Inn, graduated from BYU, and married Joseph Hayes in the Rexburg Temple in June. As for now: I'm living in Rexburg, ID (yep, it's cold) while my hubby goes to BYUI. I'm working at a local company writing training manuals for their hotel software - it's nice to actually use my major! My 'typical' day pretty much is work, clean our apartment a bit, and try to find things to eat that won't make me want to throw-up (oh, I'm 12 weeks pregnant- did I mention that? :) That's pretty much my life for the moment. Turning the big '24' on Sunday - wow, kind of feeling a bit old... when I go to the gym and the machine asks for my age I automatically type in 21 and then feel ridiculous that I forgot how old I am!

Hello lovely ladies!

Hola mis amores! I am so excited to be an official blogger now! This will be a fun way to keep up-to-date on each others lives. Since this is new to me, it might take me awhile to get the hang of it...

So here I am, living in Alexandria, VA. I never imagined that I would be an East-coaster, but I guess I had to follow the leads of Beast, Kristen, and Heidi and take my turn out here. Like you all know, it is definitely a change from the California lifestyle, but I like it :) Right now we are in the middle of tree-color-changing season and it is absolutely gorgeous! The man in my life right now, Danny, and I went to a state park on Sunday to enjoy being outside and away from busy city life. I LOVE that you can drive for 20 minutes and retreat to places like this. Ahhhhh.....

One of the first questions people always ask each other out here is, "So what do you do?" I always respond to this query with, "Just living life!" I really am enjoying it out here, and yes, I do have a job, but it is in no way glamorous and I definitely don't want to be defined by my job... I work in Arlington, VA (Crystal City) and am an "Executive Receptionist" at a commercial real estate office. My goal at work to try to make everyone who comes in smile :) It makes me feel like I am doing something good in the world. My job does afford me a lot of time to read, study (for the LSAT which I plan on taking again in Dec.), g-chat, blog... haha, you get the idea.

Well, I guess that is good enough by way of updates... I miss and love you all! Besos!

What a great idea!!!

What a spectacular idea! I will love hearing what you all have to say. I guess Natalie's emails will have to suffice as her contributions for now. The Henderson Family has been sick all weekend. Kevin had a 5 day weekend, so of course he got sick. Isn't that what everyone does on vacation?

What are we up to. Here are some highlights of my normal mommy/wife life.

Everyday I wake up to Ethan's bedroom door creaking open. Then there is a pitter patter of little feet running down the hall and at last our bedroom door cracks open. Some mornings he gets in bed and cuddles for a bit, but most of the time he is ready for action. He brings cars or a book with him so that mommy can play right away (he has attempted to gain daddy's attention in the morning, but to no avail, which is why he always comes to my side of the bed). The time of his arrival varies between 6:30am and 8:00, even though he does to bed at 8pm every night.

Another big part of our life is of course the preparation of meals (you all know how much I love to eat). Ethan loves to help mommy in the kitchen and sometimes I convince him to cook in his pretend kitchen so that I can make dinner more quickly. But, most nights, we get out his step ladder and he pours, mixes, and stirs whatever he can get his hands on (not a good picture of me, but you get the idea). While he would love to use a knife, I have decided that would not be a wise action at this stage in his life. This weekend he made Chicken Pot Pie, carrot cake, cookies, and lots of pretend pancakes. We also watched Ratatouille, which is an adorable movie about a mouse who wants to be a chef ( I highly recommend it).


That is all for now. I cannot wait to hear from the rest of you!

TARA

Hi Gals!

Hi Gals!

I find myself thinking of those good 'ol days back at BYU all the time. I have such great memories... dinner group, dances, movie nights... the list goes on. I miss you all so much! I'm always wondering what you're up to, etc. So I decided to make our very own 'Apartment 23' blog. Let's all keep in touch, and post what we're up to, so we can 'stay friends forever' :)