Week 2

Started out the week by going to Medieval Times. It was so much fun for the kids and that makes it so much fun for the adults. It was a dinner and tournament, watching horses and knights perform skills that were really quite impressive. I was really impressed with the horsemanship. Our boys LOVED that all throughout dinner they could eat with their hands, yell and cheer, and watch a show.

Went in to DC two different days. Learned QUICKLY that there is no parking. There is plenty of parking spots on the street, but you can only park there for two hours, then you must move your vehicle to a new spot. There are garages and some underground parking, but all have such low clearance that I couldn't park in any of them. So I tried the train later in the week. The first trip we ended up spending the day at the National Zoo. It was the first time I tried getting all the kids around all by myself. I strapped Dahlia to me with our snugly, had Isabel in a stroller, and Peach/Tate traded off on who would be at back of the sit/stand stroller. It worked better than I thought. Quite a workout when going up the hills of the zoo, but for the most part great. The zoo was fun. The weather was a perfect day for this kind of activity. The second trip we didn't get to see much other than the train station. It was such an ordeal to get to DC that we ate and then started the trek back to our apartment. Even then, we weren't home until 10 o'clock that evening and the kids and myself had more then enough.

Emily went home so I am major bummed about that. I had much higher dreams of what my summer would be like with her here, but will have to settle with working full time and not going anywhere. Defiantly not my ideal summer but the way it turned out.



Side note: My neighbors in Utah have threatened a legal battle over our joint fence... I wonder how crazy this will get.

Week 1 in Baltimore

I left Utah last Friday and arrived in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon. It was a long drive, by Emily made it great. This week was spent just trying to get my bearings. There is always office stuff to deal with. We needed to get another apartment (since we had three new guys come in yesterday and two more soon) Then just watching numbers and hoping our guys do well.
I have already been to DC, but only to the Platinum office there. I did see IKEA, but the kids did not want to go in, so neither did I.
Our apartments are amazing! They are big and the area is beautiful. The pool looks fun for the kids. Kids are working on keeping their voices down and doing what they are asked. I am working on not getting my feelings hurt so easily and getting the laundry, dishes, and dinner ready by the time Gentry gets home.
I am so glad Emily (my sister) will be here for the summer. I hope we don't drive her crazy.
So..... not much to report. This next week is going to be amazing, so stay tuned.

And away we go!

This is it!!! The week we move. It is the last week of school for my two boys, both of them have birthdays (Happy Birthday Court and Tate!) I have to meet with the couple that is house sitting for us. We are going to the Planetarium. I planned out options for each day of driving, full of treats, car activities, and movies to watch. I will need to have every stick of clothing washed, folded and put away, along with every piece of linen. My house cleaned. Bills paid. Run to the bank. And I need to be prepared for Dahlia with bottles and diapers.
I have missed Gentry. I get frustrated so easily at him, I wish I didn't. I try to not let it show but I have NEVER been good at covering my emotions. I think being away is what is hard on me. He has never been a big phone conversationalist (I may have just made that word up) and he is eat, sleeping, dreaming about work so we don't talk about anything else. I think of myself as fairly independent, but with five kids I can't just do something on my own, I have to haul everyone with me and I find myself longing for my partner.
I am already missing my mom and dad, ward, house, BED, yard and life back home but also looking foreword to the adventure that lies ahead.
If anyone lives along I-80 and is dying to see me and my gaggle of kids, drop me a line. I would love to have something to do along the way.

BALTIMORE

This summer we will be hanging in Baltimore MD! We are all so excited. Gentry thinks his guys will do great. Court is looking foreword to seeing all the places he has learned about this past year in history. Tate just wants to do all the things we did last year (mostly the water slide). Peaches wants to see the "summer house". Isabel keeps bringing me her swimsuit and telling me to put it on her. I love it all!
I've spent the day researching the city and surrounding areas and would love to fill you in.

Baltimore played a key part in the American Revolution. In 1814 after burning Washington, DC the British attacked Baltimore where troupes successfully defended the city. Francis Scott Key witnessed the battle and later wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner", a poem recounting the attack.

July is typically the hottest month of the year with temperatures typically between 91 and 73 with high humidity. May will probably be the best month with average temperature being 77.

Baltimore has a light rail system. Its airport is the Baltimore-Washington International Airport and is about 10 miles South of down town.

As I do every year I have started compiling a list of some "must see". Here is what I have come up with so far:

The Baltimore Harbor, John Hopkins University, Baltimore Orioles is the MLB team, Colts are the NFL team, Historical Ships, Maryland Science Museum, the National Aquarium, American Visionary Art Museum, Fort McHenry, the Inner Harbor in Fells, The Baltimore Zoo, Washington Monument, The Enoch Pratt Library, Lexington Market, St. Mary's Park Island, Walters Art Gallery, Tyson Street, Antique Row, and Edgar Allan Poe Grave.

In DC I will be going to the Smithsonian, Holocaust Museum, International Spy Museum (Court wants to rob banks when he grows up so he will LOVE this), National Cathedral (sixth largest in the world), and a visit to the White House to name just a few.

Not to mention its location in the East.

I googled how long it would take me to get from Baltimore to a couple places and these were the results:

Washington DC 1 hr 3 min

New York NY 3 hr 30 min

Philadelphia PA 1 hr 55 min

Virginia Beach VA 4 hr 43 min

Warwick RI 6 hr 20 min

St Cloud FL 15 hr 23 min (hint hint Chad and Teri)

Fort Walton FL 17 hr 41 min (hint hint Sean and Spring)

Bethlehem GA 11 hr 14 min (hint hint Doug and Joanna)

If you have ever been , please let me know what I should do while there. And for anyone of you that have ever wanted to go, I know we could make room in our (actually quite large) apartment. We haven't had many visitors during the summers and I would love some!