Pittsburgh

Before I jump on into the good stuff, I need to explain the last post. My sister thought it would be funny to post that poem about how much I love my sister. I do love my sisters, but would NEVER post a picture or poem like that up to express my love for any one of my sisters. The poem would be much cheesier and the picture would be a little bit more attractive.... thanks Meg!

This last week was a busy one! My parents moved Emily down to BYU. It was fun to see her get settled into the dorm life. Not much time had passed and Emily's number had been given out to several guys... this should be fun! Sean came on Thursday to drive back with me to Pittsburgh, and we had dinner with both of our families the night before we took off. Thanks mom and dad for bringing all that crab and sturgeon.

We left Salt Lake City at around 4:30 am. The drive wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. That doesn't mean that I would be happy to go retrace my steps in Wyoming or Nebraska. The first night we stopped and stayed with some mutual friends (Rhett was Sean's college roommate, and I grew up with his family), who are in medical school, in Des Moines, IA. It was fun to catch up with the Andelins! Rhett and his wife, Crystal, have three adorable little girls- yep, Rhett is a ladies man!



We stopped in Carthage and Nauvoo, Ill. Both were beautiful places, but I am still a bigger fan of the Sacred Grove. We crossed both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers- the Mississippi looks like chocolate milk, so murky. It was fun to go through and do a session in the Nauvoo temple.


The original door that held the four men, with the original bullet holes.


Just a bit blurry- the window Joseph fell through to the ground.


Below the window Joseph fell through




Beautiful Carthage




Gorgeous Nauvoo temple over looking the Mississippi River (which looks like chocolate milk)


Where Joseph, and some of the other Smiths, are buried (to the left- Hyrum, to the right- Emma)

We cruised from Nauvoo to Pittsburgh in about 14 hours or so. It was rough to drive through the night, but worth it to get the trip done with! Start to finish, the trip lasted from Friday at 4:30 am- Sunday at 11 am.

Even though I am far from my family and close friends, it feels like home here. I know this is where I need to be right now, and love that I get to spend solid amounts of time with Sean- without being tied to the phone. I am grateful for the wonderful roommate I have, Kerri, and her amazing hospitality. I am also grateful that the ward, and Sean's dental friends have welcomed me with open arms. I am excited to see what the next year has in store! I will post pictures of my place soon, but here are the ones from the trip!

My favorite person in the whole wide world...

You are my guiding star
You are my shining light
You are my everything
what helps me through the night.
You are my heart
You are my soul
You are my savior
what makes me feel whole.
You are more than my sister
You are my best friend
You are the one that will be there
when my heart needs to mend.
I love you sister
more than you will ever know
You are my other half
with you i am whole

Disclaimer

Just a little one about the post below. Yesterday I tried on all of my shoes and decided to get rid of 10 pairs (so that I don't have to cart them off to Pittsburgh with me). I thought it would be fun to post about one of my favorite secrets. I forgot to say that I am not a die-hard shopper, especially under the economic circumstances we are in. I just thought it was practical to buy the same shoe, knowing that I would be wearing them completely out. I bought each on sale and didn't pay more than $18 per pair.

Just thought this might clear up the feelings I am having about being materialistic. Not quite sure if it worked. Oh well.

Issues

Some people might say I have them, especially when looking at these pictures.




Let me tell you what is right about these pictures.

Heels
*tall enough to give me confidence
*short enough to keep my ego from expanding
*pants don't drag
*pants don't look like they are expecting a flood
*the heel is thick enough that I don't wobble
*the heel isn't too thick, making me feel like I am walking on a brick


Straps
*the main reason I am in love
*they keep my foot in place
*there is no dragging of the shoes
*very helpful since my right foot is a half size larger than my left and I am forced to buy a size larger to compensate-- again, both feet stay comfortably in place.
*the strap doesn't have a buckle, it has a button that is user-friendly

Toe
*it isn't pointy (like a witch shoe), just nice and round
*Sean can't call them witch shoes
*Sean can't hum the wicked witch song to me when I am wearing them

Versatile
*i can wear them with pants
*i can wear them with capris
*i can wear them with shorts
*i can wear them with skirts
*i can wear them with dresses

These reasons are why I have them in four colors: Chocolate, Red, Black, and Tan. It all started with the tan pair. I realized I was finding reasons to wear them constantly. I loved how I could wear them all day and not have throbbing feet, at work. They will work in the winter and the summer.

For these reasons I am in love and have no issues. Well, maybe a couple.