Home :)

     Well, Saturday was filled with traveling. It was a long 22-hour day, but I happily survived because it meant I was home and with my family :) My plane landed around 1:30, and by the time we grabbed my luggage (which weighed 44 and 49 pounds, I thought they weren't going to be under 50!) and made our way to the Denny's we traditionally grab a meal at after the airport it was 2:30. We quickly ate and dad practically flew home to do chores really quick and then turn around and head to Stephanie's graduation. There are three of us this year graduating on each side of the family, technically, if you count Ethan and I each time. Saturday was Steph's turn, the first of the four ceremonies for my family. She was given the honored opportunity to give a valedictorian's speech, and did very well!
     Sunday I was able to see the majority of my local 4-H family! Our club had a meeting and potluck, and it was fantastic to get hugs and catch up a little with everyone. I almost died a time or two from kids running to give me a hug, but it was totally worth protecting my camera, haha.
     Since then it's just been time to catch up on life, for the most part. Monday I went to Central and bought my parking pass, picked up my graduation gear, and checked in at the Admissions office for work which will start next week. Tuesday I went to Othello Middle School and taught a quick Pythagorean Theorem lesson to a group of 7th graders. I interviewed for the position a couple weeks ago, and they asked me to come in and teach when I got back. It went well, and I was especially glad they noticed that I tied in a real world application. The Pythagorean Theorem deals with triangles and finding the third side length of a right triangle using a formula. At the very end of my lesson I talked about the position of the Capitol Building, Washington Monument and White House, which create a right triangle. The distance from the Capitol to the Monument is about 1.25 miles, and then from the Monument to the WH is about .75 miles, I asked the students to find the distance to walk from the Capitol to the WH along Pennsylvania Avenue, which is actually possible. I got compliments on it so was very excited inside as we sat in the conference room :) When I came back from Othello I had lunch with Grandma Joy and Aunt Robin and then came home for a nap interrupted by an attack from Ethan. We then went to his scholarship night where he was awarded 6 scholarships, two of which he was not expecting, so it was a good night. Today I've just been lazing around, avoiding work altogether.
     Between now and Friday night at about 6 I have to get my act together and get some things checked off my to-do list, although writing this will help. Still have a few things to do though, including finishing a few things for friends for graduation, getting my hairs trimmed, and I can't remember what all, haha.
     Here's pics!

My group's last big adventure included going through Petersen House where Lincoln died, and this is the bed where he was. 

They've attached a museum onto Petersen House since the last time I've been there, and it's a great addition! When you go to DC, make sure to go to the Ford's Theater/Petersen House museums, fantastic. This is a book "tornado" as my students and I named it, all about Lincoln. They aren't real books we discovered, but fake ones with appropriate covers and whatnot. 

Part of the museum is a section to generate ideas about qualities of leaders/leadership. It's a great area of the museum and I'm going to have to try and recreate it for 4-Hers and students here at home. 

Char and I ventured to Nationals Park Friday night because they were supposed to play, but just as we were eating they called the game off. Not sure when they made it up, but I missed it at any rate. 

Here's the field, there were guys out there vacuuming up water off the field....just crazy! Of course being a native to the Safeco I was puzzled as to why there wasn't a roof on the stadium, you'd think it'd be just as much of a standard there in DC as in Seattle...right?

Washington State mountains :) 

Steph's speech

Brian and Steph

Steph and her parents

Cousins! Our only complete cousin graduation picture for the year because Emily won't be at Ethan's and Ethan won't be at mine...

Ethan gave me a tour of all the updates and whatnot Sunday morning. Here he's talking to Daisy across the bridge they made that crosses the ditch and makes it easier to put the goats out to pasture on the hillside. 

My welcome home sign from Aunt Robin. 

Pretty flowers up at the Gylling's after our meeting. 

Sneak peek of my cap/gown. The silver tassel is magna cum laude honors, and the black and red is the normal tassel. I also have cords for being a part of the Education honors club, as well as for my community service through student teaching. Can't wait til Saturday!