The Scribble Pad: April 2008

Matt and Anna Buchanan

Last weekend Mark and I had the privelage of attending Matt and Anna's wedding. The weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding, the setting was beautiful, and the food was delicious. Each moment was wonderful. We were able to spend time with Matt and Abi Chapman and John and Anna Carpenter, two couples who we do not get to see often enough!

Pope Benedict XVI

It was my privilege to attend Pope Benedict XVI's address at the White House today. If you would like to read the remarks, they are available on the White House website at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080416.html

Gordon Roadtrip

Mark and I hit the road to Gordon this weekend for two home lacrosse games and a women's alumni BBQ. We had a blast visiting old friends and continuing to make new ones through the lacrosse program. We had quite the turnout from the '05 and '06 classes, but unfortunately pending rain and the men's game ruled out an alumni match. This was probably for the better as we all were able to return home without bruises. After the guys game, we went to the Mastersons' house for BBQ round two! Here are some pictures from the girls BBQ (coming soon!)

It was wonderful to be able to stay with the Collins family, visiting with Matt, Honey, Hull, Nora and Muddy. We were fortunate to catch up with Kyle, Courtney, Elisha, and Lydia (three different times!) Ryan Smith and John Willis recently moved into a new apartment and hosted a party with perfect timing - it was great to see everyone all in once place. On Sunday morning after church at First Congo, we were able to spend a good amount of time with John, Stacey, and Gus Gus (the dog) on Sunday. Visiting with them is always great and we were very reluctant to leave their house to begin our return trip.

All in all, it was an excellent weekend. However, there were two random events: 1. On Saturday night, we hit a deer (the deer got a haircut from our front hood, but in the end both the car and the deer were okay) 2. A Sunday lunch stop at Chebacco Market led us to find a pickle in a bag (and of course, Mark got one to go with his hoagie - he split it with John Backiel).

Boston

Work brought me to Boston on Wednesday. The work events went well but the highlight of my trip was most certainly visiting the Republican Leader's Office (RLO). It is always fun to catch up with old friends and visiting the State House. I am so fortunate to call these former coworkers friends. They truly are great friends. It is wonderful to be able to visit them on a work trip, as is not something I can easily accommodate on a trip to Gordon. This is the second time work has enabled me to visit the State House - and it is always refreshing to go back and visit the people who helped me start my career.

Oh Sarah

Last weekend Sarah came to visit! Much to her surprise, the weekend revolved around basketball. We drove out to Virginia to watch a tournament Brooke was playing in and met up with my family after the tournament to watch the Final Four at Union Pub. The highlight of the evening was when 15 year old Brooke, deciding what she wanted to drink (always a long process), asked the bartender: "So how is your grapefruit juice?" Probably not a question the bartender was expecting. Here is a picture of us at the pub:

Amidst all of the basketball hoopla, we managed to squeeze in some non-basketball related activities for the sake of Sarah's sanity. With the warm weather we were motivated to get out and ride. We rode down the hill, around the mall, past the tidal basin, and back again with a brief stop at the Native American Museum for some delicious food. It was a whirlwind tour of DC fighting crowds on wheels. I almost wiped out - twice. We had a blast! Somehow Sarah and I always manage to get the most unflattering pictures with each other in helmets. Here are a few:

On Sunday we had a delicious brunch at Bread and Chocolate of a breakfast panini and peach German Pancakes. Yum! We spent the afternoon house hunting - checking out the interiors of the gorgeous homes that make up Capitol Hill. After church at GraceDC in the evening, it was sad to see Sarah go. We cannot wait for her to come back and visit again!

Cherry Blossoms / Camera

I love my new camera. However, I do not have enough time to take all of the pictures I want to take. As you can tell I have been taking quite a lot, and some are getting posted, but it doesn't seem to be enough. The other problem that I run into is that my favorite time to take photos is early morning (sunrise) or late evening (sunset). Quite frankly, during these hours that I would rather be in bed! So I face quite the dilemma. Nevertheless, here is my favorite photo from my Sunday tourist jaunt with Mark and Amanda.

Amanda!

Amanda came to visit and we were tourists!! After picking Amanda up at the airport, Mark drove us around the monuments and big attractions for a nighttime tour. Saturday we ventured to Eastern Market and then hit the road to Annapolis. Georgetown and Navy played a very exciting lacrosse game with Georgetown winning in a nail biting overtime. Navy played hard, and came back in the fourth quarter, but were unable to put the ball away for the win despite several attempts on goal. Here is a photo of Amanda and I at the game.

Sunday we strolled around the tidal basin and reflecting pool for hours, taking in all of the sites. The weather was perfect for a walk and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Here are some of the best pictures: (we took TONS!)

The evening was capped with dinner at Matchbox and church at GraceDC. On the walk home I was able to capture the Capitol building at dusk.

The weekend was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with Amanda, but it made us realize how much we miss each other. After she left Mark and I realized that there was a noticeable void - no Amanda! Now we are on to our next project, Operation find Amanda a job in DC!