I've Finally Seen West Philadelphia

**Special thanks to Sisi and Rebecca for letting me use their pictures on my blog because my camera ran out of batteries!

The weekend of May 8-9 the whole Washington Seminar group of interns was able to visit Valley Forge and Philadelphia together. We left early Friday morning on a bus for Valley Forge.

This is a picture of us in the cramped bunks that the revolutionary soldiers slept in. We're laughing because the bunks were creaking when we were lying on them and we were afraid they would fall down on top of us!


This is a picture of most of the group standing by a cannon. Although, I don't think you can actually see the cannon in this picture.


Later that night we were visited by Thomas Jefferson. The real Thomas Jefferson. At least he seemed real. Apparently the speaker is a Thomas Jefferson expert and he has been on several TV shows like the Colbert Report. His job is to read and research about Thomas Jefferson all day so when he does his reenactments, he can answer just about any question about Thomas Jefferson's life. One student raised his hand and asked about a quote that he paraphrased. TJ, what we called him, came back with the whole direct quotation. Cool! And nice costume :)


That night we had a stink bug infestation. I know you can't see it in the picture but I'm pointing to one of many stink bugs all over my bed! One of the worst things about them, besides that they stunk, was that they blended in with the bedding and carpet. I tried not to be dramatic, but I just cannot handle sleeping with insects. I wasn't feeling it. So we created a mosquito net out of sheets and placed it around the bottom bunk and my roommate and I slept in there together. It was hot, but there were no bugs! The second picture is of the hay that was coming out of the wall. We were grateful to be staying there for free, but it was definitely not high quality.


On Saturday morning, we drove in to Philadelphia. I like this picture because it shows the historic independence hall with modern Philadelphia in the background.



We were able to see the liberty bell. Besides playing an important role in the film National Treasure, the liberty bell also was taken around the US as a symbol of liberty by the abolitionist. It also allegedly was rung to call the people of Philadelphia together for a reading of the Declaration of Independence shortly after it was signed.



That morning we were able to attend the National Constitution Center. Our visit there began with a presentation about the Constitution and its uniqueness and value. I was skeptical at first, but I ended up loving it. It reminded me of how wonderful it is to live in a nation that was founded on fundamental principles and that, though imperfect, is still striving to live up to those ideals. The rest of the Constitution Center was nice too. There were interactive exhibits that taught more about the constitution and politics in the United States Today.

Near the exit of the center were life-size statues of all of the framers of the Constitution. This is me posing like George Washington. I liked his stance. So dignified!


We were also able to visit Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was framed. Here is our tour guide in that room. If anyone has seen A More Perfect Union, this room should be familiar.

In the afternoon we had free time and because I was the only one interested in visiting the University of Pennsylvania, I headed over there by myself. The subway in Philly was not my favorite, but UPenn's law school is great. The building was beautiful and I really enjoyed the tour, though not as much as the University of Chicago. We'll see.

After my tour of the law school I headed over the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the amount of time I had didn't warrant going inside, but the outside of the building is spectacular and the view of the city from the front and of the river from the back is beautiful. I was also able to run up the Rocky Steps. I highly recommend visiting the museum if you ever go to Philadelphia.

I took the bus from the museum down to the center of the city and was able to see several other parts of Philadelphia along the way. I think the bus rides might have been one of my favorite things I did in Philadelphia because I was able to see a lot of the city that way so I would recommend it to anyone else traveling to Philly or any other city for that matter.

I included this picture because it makes me smile. Read Rebecca's shirt.

What I Love About My Mother

My mom is an amazing woman. I attended a family ward on Sunday where the Primary children sang a few songs for Mother's day. For some reason, every year when the Primary children sing, I cry. Every year. I think it's partially because I see how much those children love their mothers and I think of how that love will grow and mature as they grow up. Also, I feel the smallest portion of the future joys of motherhood. For whatever reason, it reminded me of how much I love my mother and I came up with this list in Sacrament meeting. Aren't mothers wonderful?!


1. Mom has unconditional love. Even when I have messed up or been unkind to her, Mom never removes her love and is quick to forgive.

2. Mom listens. I am amazed at her seemingly endless capacity for listening to others including my friends and other women. Sometimes we'll be on the phone and then it will go quiet. Yep, Mom has fallen asleep listening to me again. :)

3. Mom is interested. I remember once in high school, I came home from being out with my friends and my mom was asleep so I didn't wake her up. Mistake! She was not happy the next day because she wanted to hear all about it. No detail is too unimportant; it doesn't matter if it's what I'm having for dinner or what I'm going to do after I graduate, Mom wants to know.

4. Mom is honest. She calls them like she sees them and is not afraid to tell me when I am wrong.

5. Mom trusts me. I know my Mom believes in me and my ability to make good choices and succeed.

6. Mom is intelligent. I remember when Mom went back to school and got straight As. Go Mom!

7. Mom has a deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. I have never wondered if Mom really believes what she teaches because she lives it every day. Even when it is hard, my mom chooses to believe.

8. Mom is thoughtful. Almost every day I get a text message from Mom just saying something like, "Hope you had a good weekend," or "I love you."

9. Mom has a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh. She is funny and she is not afraid to let loose. Sometimes she laughs at her own jokes.


10. Mom can be intense when we play games as a family. Don't even try to cheat.

11. Mom is always the first one asleep. It doesn't matter if we're in the movie theater or on the couch. If a movie is playing, Mom will fall asleep.

12. Mom holds me to high standards. I remember when I found out about my scholarship deadline the day before it was due. I was distraught and was ready to give up when Mom told me, no way! So with her support (and my dad, and my bishop, and my teachers, and my young women's leader) I was able to write three essays, put together a resume, fill out all the forms, get a bishop's recommendation, two academic recommendations, and one personal recommendation. All in one day. Things like that have happened throughout my life. Mom believes in me.

13. Mom is welcoming and inclusive. I called Mom on Mother's Day (of course) and she couldn't talk to me on the home phone because the missionaries were over talking to their moms. I can't remember a month or major holiday growing up when we did not have the missionaries or a new family in the ward over. And no one was too unimportant to eat at our house.

14. My friends love my mom more than they love me. I'm convinced that in high school, my friends only came over to talk to my mom. When my mom volunteered at my elementary school, all my friends wanted to be in her group. Thanks mom for making it possible for me to have friends. :)

15. Mom is a hard worker. Mom is always the first one awake. She has taught seminary, directed camps for children, volunteered at our schools, served in the Church, been a college student, worked full time, supported her children in all their activities, and the list goes on.

16. Mom sacrifices, but doesn't make it known. As a child I did not appreciate all that my mom gave up for my brothers and me. But she has quietly sacrificed so much to be there for me whenever I needed her.

17. Mom is talented. Not only is she talented, but she used those gifts to bless our family. Mom is an excellent singer and she used to belt it out around the house. I loved to listen to her recording of The Ark which is a musical that she was in the original cast of. I wanted to be like her and sing on stage and because of her example, I was able to fulfill that dream in high school.Now Mom, Cameron, and I can all sing together (Dad and Chris could sing, but they choose not to). Cameron is even a music major with an amazing voice and a passion for all things music.

18. Mom is patient with me. I was not an easy child. Yes, I have an extremely fiesty side and my poor mom has had to deal with it for years. But she has never given up and now I am... slightly less fiesty.

19. Everything I know can be traced back to Mom. I like to look back at old home videos where I can see our bedrooms where Mom put up posters with numbers and the alphabet. She taught me to be kind to others and shaped the way I see the world. She taught me about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

20. Mom makes me want to be better. I always say that my mom is a saint, because she is. But her goodness isn't discouraging or condescending, it makes me want to be like her.

I love you, Mom.

Washington: Week One

Wow! Our schedule this week has kept us busy almost every minute of every day.

After FHE on Monday we went on a walk down to Washington Harbor and over to the Kennedy Center. Here is Juliana, Meghan, and me next to a fountain at the Kennedy Center. Below, Alicia (my roommate) and I are copying JFK's great facial expression.



Tuesday was the first day of work. I'll post another entry later about my internship and what I do there. Let's just say that I love working at Child Trends, a research organization for children, and I especially enjoy working for my boss. She is one of the most productive people I have ever met. I know that I will learn a lot from her this summer. The only problem is that she is brilliant and has had her PhD and been working as a researcher for 30 years. Sometimes it is hard for me to catch up with her!

On Thursday a group of us headed down to the Mall. Not the shopping mall, The Mall. Alicia and I were still eating dinner when everyone else left so we met up with them at the Lincoln Memorial. Here is an excert that Alicia wrote in her journal when we got home late that night: "We left after the others and had to play catch up - but we played it together which made it better." We had a big laugh the next day when she re-read it to me. :)

This is me at the Lincoln Memorial with a penny... because the Lincoln Memorial is on the penny... It was nice to be there right at twilight when everything is saturated in that characteristic deep blue color. There were, however, a lot of tourisits crowding around. I think I'll try to run down by the memorial in the morning sometime when there are fewer people around.


Sorry this picture is blurry. It was the best one that I got of the inside.


We also stopped by the WWII monument. I had to take pictures in front of the engravings for my two most recent homes.



Our room is freezing and nothing we do seems to change the temperature! Here is Alicia in her warm jammies after adding a few blankets to her bed. I was never cold before Alicia started to feel cold and now I am constantly shivering in the room. Is it really cold in here or is it psychological?


After class on Friday a group of us headed over to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. It's a pretty fun place and I'm sure Dad would love some of their newer exhibits. Alicia, Sisi, and my favorite exhibit was the History of Western Cultures. There, they chronicled Western history from before the Ice Age to ancient Rome. We loved comparing and contrasting our experiences today with people who lived thousands of years ago.

After the museum we headed up to Chinatown. DC's Chinatown is kind of lame (one block of Subway and McDonald's written in Chinese characters...), but we did find a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant for dinner. In the picture below you can see the nice decorations. The bathrooms were frightening, but luckily that adds to the atmosphere of Chinatown.

Here is most of the group in front of the Chinatown gateway (L-R: Me, Taryn, Audrey, Marie, Matt, Ericka, Michelle, Genevieve, Sisi, Matt, Jason, Alicia, Erik, Linda, Juliana).


Saturday we went on the Passport DC tour of some of the embassies in town. We started with Colombia and went on to Indonesia, the Bahamas, Haiti, Korea, Iraq, and Nepal. The Indonesian and Colombian embassies were especially beautiful. Here is me, Michelle, and Mindy at the Indonesian embassy.

The Indonesian embassy had a gamelan group! We learned all about this in my World Music Cultures class so it was fun to see an authentic group performing live! I dazzled (or bored) everyone with information on gamelan music and it's cultural significance. If you get a chance, look up Gong-Kebyar gamelan music on YouTube.

The Iraq embassy was awesome. This is me by the plaque right before we went through security. Iraq has a long and interesting history. Many events in the Bible took place there. All of the people in the embassy were very friendly and the ambassador to the US from Iraq was just standing around greeting the guests.

The backyard was the best part of the Iraqi embassy. This is a video shot from the balcony of some of the embassy employees performing traditional dance and singing Iraqi music. They also provided a sampling of Iraqi food.



The National Cathedral is HUGE! I have been to Cathedrals before and I'd seen pictures of the National Cathedral and I thought it looked beautiful, but I did not realize how massive it is (the 6th largest cathedral in the world). The St. Paul Cathedral does not even compare to this. In this picture I am still a pretty good distance away. Let's face it, you need to visit it to appreciate how large it is. It's a good excuse to visit me this summer!



The inside is also beautiful. There are high vaulted celings with four large stained glass rose windows.


Sisi and I went up the elevator to the seventh floor of the tower. You can see all around DC from there. From this window, you can see the Washington Monument.


Here is a small part of the group on our way back home (L-R: Erik, Marie, Sisi, Michelle, me, Matt).


We were also able to listen to the choir practicing. Cameron and I have attended midnight mass a few times on Christmas Eve and I have always loved cathedral music. It has such a pure, vibrato-less timbre. The organ also has a powerful presence in the building. The day started with the gamelan music and then onto Iraqi music and ended with the music in the cathedral. They were all very different styles, but it was interesting to see the similarities in place music plays in these cultures.



Okay. That was my week in review. Stay tuned! Next week we're going to Valley Forge and Philly.