Harvard at Brown

After last week's lackluster performance against 1-2 Stonybrook, I was a little worried that we might get trounced by Harvard, who is rumored to be pretty good. They were giving out free seat cushions for the first 1500 fans, so we left earlier than last week, there was also a significant chance of heavy rain thanks to then Tropical Storm, now Hurricane Kyle, so we drove the 1.2 miles to the stadium after swinging by Rite-Aid to buy Sara a youth-sized poncho and some snacks. These two choices combined to get us there about 20 minutes before kickoff and in plenty of time for free seat cushions.

Sara makes tries to blend in with the "W" in the BROWN sign while modeling her Rite-Aid youth Poncho. Sara had to tear the neck to fit her head into it because she's not 8 years old any more.

We started the game by going 3-and-out before pinning them inside their own twenty. Only to watch get a few first downs and then score on a 53 yard bomb. They missed the extra point, but the way their offense moved the ball I wasn't sure that it would matter, and least I had seen the score after missing all of them last week.  On our 2nd drive we turned it over in the Red Zone and they drove right back and went up 13-0.  Things weren't looking too good as the rain started coming down harder.  Luckily, my wife encouraged me to buy a poncho once we got to the game, it was paying off now.

Me modelling my Brown University adult-sized poncho.

On our third drive we again were moving the ball well, as we marched down the field and this time punched it into the endzone with a 25 yard TD pass. Yay! I had seen Brown score a touchdown. It had taken 4 quarters, but I'd seen us score. Sara asked me if I thought Brown could win this game, I said, "yeah if they fumble this kickoff return."

They did. But on our first play after the fumble recovery they blitzed and drilled our QB just as he released the ball that was picked off around the 10 yard line. But on Harvard's first play after the interception, they fumbled again and we recovered it. 3 plays, 3 turnovers, I know it's raining pretty hard, but I'm sure Harvard's coach is livid. We score and make the PAT to go up 14-13. The half ends that way.

At halftime, Harvard's non-marching band takes the field as their PA announcer pithily insults Brown. Then Brown's band takes the field and our PA announcer makes fun of Harvard. At this point, I remember that Brown's PA announcer did the same thing last week, making fun of the Stonybrook. Apparently, this is some kind of Ivy League tradition. Whether for the whole league or just Harvard and Brown remains to be seen, but it's kind of funny to hear the PA Announcer at a football game ripping on the opposing school because their newspaper made up a word, or their students were complaining about the new lunch policies.

In the second half we exchanged scores and we were up 24-16 until Harvard scored a TD with 1:03 making it, 24-22. How big is that missed extra point now? 

After starting out docile, the Brunonian fans got a little more into it as we started to score.  Now they're going absolutely crazy, the stadium is loud, though that could be from the sound of heavy rain drops beating on tons of umbrellas more than the cheers of the fans themselves.  Either way, it's loud as Harvard goes for two and fails.  We recovered the onside kick, downed the ball several times and everybody was cheering and happy as we exitted the rain.  Final score Brown 24, Harvard 22.

 

The teams shake hands as we file out of the stadium.

As we walked to the car I thanked my wife for being brilliant enough to insist that we drive to the stadium.  Our clothes that weren't quite covered by our ponchos are still drying out from the deluge 12 hours later.

Stonybrook 7 - Brown 17

Last Saturday, I took a little break from my studies to accompany my wife to see Brown's 2008 season opening football game against the Stonybrook Seawolves.

We were running late and so we missed the first 18 minutes of the first half. When we got there Brown was already up 17 - 0. So we thought maybe we'd see a blow-out. The stadium itself is tiny when compared to BYU or even Utah State's fields, (It seats 20,000) and I was disappointed to see that there really weren't many people there either (I'd guess around 6,000). The stadium kind of reminded me of Jefferson County Stadium where my high school team played their games, although it was quite a bit bigger than that.

The nice thing about there being few fans was that we could sit wherever we wanted. We decided to sit at the 50 yard line, about half-way up the bleachers for a better view for the first half. When halftime started we moved up to the top row so we'd have back support and the view was even better from up there. The stadium is surrounded by tall pine trees so that even from the top of the bleachers where we were, you can't really see any of the neighborhood around you. It makes it feel like you're playing in the middle of the woods, sort of a lumberjack's field of dreams. There is no jumbo-tron, nor any-kind-o-tron, and if it weren't for the fact that you can watch Brown Football on the Internet I'd question whether there were any cameras aside from those used for football film reviews. The scoreboard does actually display the name of the visiting school instead of just "Visitor" though, so I we're not totally technologically starved. And without the technology you get to enjoy the little things more, like the bell behind the end zone that gets rung every time we score, the Ivy League flag blowing in the wind, the little bits of Ivy intertwined with the big "B" at midfield, and of course the beautiful forest setting.

But back to the game. With just minute left in the first half, Stonybrook had a First and goal from Brown's 2 yard line. Brown stuffed them on 1st and 2nd down run attempts, and then on 3rd down Stonybrook's Quarterback rolled out and tried to dive into the end zone, leaping into the air with the ball held out, only to be smacked right in the chest by a Brown defender. The hit led to a fumble and the end of Stonybrook's scoring chances, and end the half at 17-0.

At halftime we watched Stonybrook's marching band perform while Sara told me how USU's marching band moved around so much more. She also told me that Stonybrook's flag team was tamer than her sister's winter guard routines when they were in elementary school. I always thought of the colorguard as something to be ignored so I hadn't even noticed that they did almost nothing during the performance. (The fact that I think this way of colorguard probably dooms me to have kids in the colorguard some day, so perhaps I'll pay more attention so as to avoid that experience later.) But Brown's band wasn't even a marching band, they ran out onto the field and played their songs without marching, but they were pretty good.

The Brown non-marching band acts silly on the B.

The third quarter was evenly played with neither offense really able to move the ball too well. Brown drove down the field a couple times only to stall inside the 30 and give up the ball after going for it on 4th down or turning it over. At the end of the third I went in search of food but only found ice-cream as everything had already shut down. But being the dutiful husband that I am, I brought that ice-cream, an Awful-Awful (milkshake) and a Super-Chipper (ice cream sandwich made out of cookies) to my wife at the top of the stadium. After I sat down I realized that it was now 17-7. Sara informed me that Stonybrook intercepted a pass and ran it back for the TD. The rest of the quarter resulted in zero points and so I saw my new team win their first game without seeing any scoring in a 17-7 game.

We didn't look too good in that game, and Stonybrook (a State Univerisity of New York school located on Long Island) had just moved up to Division 1-AA last year, so I'm a little worried about our homecoming game Sept 27th against rival Harvard.

Albuquerque and Auntie K

This past Spring, my sisters began talking about a road trip to visit our Auntie K in Albuquerque (this makes me want to play that alphabet game where you say... my name is Auntie K, I am from Albuquerque and I sell asthma inhalers... my name is Bertha, I am from Bermuda and I sell brains... ... ...). I invited myself along and then, we invited our Grandma Rudd to join us. It may not have been what Megan and Becca originally had in mind, but we had a wonderful trip and hopefully it will be the beginning of many girls' trips to come. (Coming to the beach next summer ladies?)

I arrived first in Albuquerque (from DC) and picked up the rental car. Then, I talked the Delta reps to let me go back through security to help my sister who was traveling (from SLC) with her baby and our grandmother. I met Becca, Sam and Grandma at the gate and we successfully found all of the luggage and made it to the car. Megan should have arrived right about then as well (from SLC) as well, but her flight was delayed. We found Auntie K's beautiful house and unloaded, then went back for Megan a little later. From the second we arrived, the hostessing was amazing. Almost as amazing as the food. I was introduced quickly to two of my new favorite treats - apples with hummus and Hansen all natural sodas.

As I was writing this post, I realized that Becca had the nicer camera and got the better pictures of this trip. But, enjoy my highlights and the pictures that I do have. The greatest highlight, for me (probably no suprise) was the amazing food. DC lacks excellent Mexican food and the New Mexican cuisine treated me very well. Another great was playing the Wii with Grandma Rudd. She is quite the bowler.

Yet another greatest highlight was definitely spending time corrupting my nephew, Sam. I taught him how to go in and out of Sheba's dog door (much to her chagrin). I gave him a sucker, ice cream, and all types of other bad things for him against Becca's will. I also helped him learn how to go down stairs, effectively erasing his fear of stairs, creating a new fear for his mommy. Thanks Becca!

And, some highlights with pictures:

Friday morning we took the tram (longest in the world) up to the top of Sandia Peak. It was amazing other than the fact that Grandma was both scared and dizzy. Who knew there were such mountains in the desert that is Albuquerque?


Saturday, Auntie K took us on quite the tour. We went to Bandelier National Park where we hiked all over Native American cliff dwellings, to Los Alamos (home of the National Lab) and to Santa Fe jewelry shopping. It was amazing and by the end, we were worn out!

Bandelier National Monument

Sunday, we went to church, stopped by the temple, and then went on a drive to Madrid, NM. Madrid is the city where the movie Wild Hogs was filmed and it was one of the most eclectic places I've been. We got in touch with our inner hippies there. And (of course, back to the food), Sunday evening Sandy and Auntie K put on an amazing barbecue for us.

I know this picture at the temple doesn't look like me, but it does show how long my hair is (even longer since then).

On the way to Madrid, we saw a Mormon Battalion Monument. I had to include this picture because I have very few with Auntie K. I need to steal some from Becca.

And, on Monday morning before we flew out, we visited the Albuquerque zoo which was exceptional. I highly recommend it if you're visiting Albuquerque. One fabulous thing about it is the amount of shade. It was planned very well. My favorites had to be the bears, the apes, and, of course, the hippos.

Here I am with Sambino and the hippo! (thanks Becs for the photo)

CTR 5A

When we moved into the Falls Church, Virginia Ward shortly following our marriage, we were told that because of the large ward numbers (780+ prior to some boundary changes last month) and the transient nature of our ward (a lot of student and foreign service families) we probably would not get a calling for a while. With everything going on in our lives at that time, we probably sighed our sigh of relief a little too loudly because two weeks later we received a calling.

(For readers that don't attend the LDS church, I apologize for the LDS-lingo-heavy post.)

We were called to teach CTR 5A which is sunday school for four-year-old kiddos turning five during the calendar year. I was very excited to work with children and Will was, to put it lightly, nervous about teaching little ones. We started teaching in January and by the time we left, the children we taught were some of our best friends. We didn't know many adults in the ward, but couldn't have had better friends.

During the eight months, we had between eight and ten children in our class, each with very unique personalities and a ton of energy. Our hearts were broken watching the hard life of one young girl living with struggles way beyond her age. We watched in amazement at the teaching and training done by the parents of these brilliant children. I was blown away with Will's teaching skills and the way he related to and paid individual attention to each child in the class. He was also extremely patient with my procrastination in preparing lessons. We didn't have church until 1, so Sunday morning was perfect prep time for me.

It was such a blessing to help our children learn more about our Heavenly Father's love for each of us and that choosing the right does make us happy. Will and I also learned a lot from lessons such as "I can make right choices," "We have special families," "I can share," "I can show gratitude," and "Jesus Christ loves me." The truths of the gospel are so simple. Teaching four-year-olds was a great reminder of that. We loved it when parents told us stories of the kids sharing what they had learned and when they remembered things from lessons long past. One lesson that came up over and over was the nature of the Holy Ghost. One child was riding in the car with his parents and shouted "Stop!" When his parents asked him why, he said, "The Holy Ghost is hear with us, right now!" He was very excited and I think they all learned that the Holy Ghost is one ghost that a) is not scary and b) we want to be in our room at night. Another favorite was acting out the parables of Jesus. We built boats out of the chairs in our room more than once and acted out the parable of the good Samaritan enough times for all eight children to be the good Samaritan (and so each could be the donkey that the good Samaritan used to take the sick man to the inn).

In addition to teaching them, we played with the kids. Instead of bringing treats to class as reinforcement for reverent behavior, we filled up a "reverence" chart with stickers. I was amazed that it worked as well as it did, but the kids worked hard to put a sticker on the chart. They filled up all 32 spots in mid-June (1 chart worked for six months!). The prize they chose to earn was a pizza and brownie party at our apartment. And party we did! Seven kids came and the favorite activity was definitely swimming in our hot tub. It's amazing how long they entertained themselves in so little water. But, they had fun. We also ate pizza and brownies and played a few games.


It was such a fun time that when we found out we were moving, we had another party that was also very fun. (Those pictures are on my camera which I need to pick up at the post office tomorrow from it's little jaunt west. Thank you Meg!)

And, just in case you're doubting Will's enthusiasm for CTR 5A, I give you proof:

We miss the children and our ward, but are having fun getting to know people in our new ward, which is much smaller and much more diverse. We like it!

Providence/Boston/Albany/Syracuse/Palmyra/Ithaca Weekend Trip

When Will found out that he was accepted and received a scholarship to Syracuse University, we decided that a road trip was in order so that we could check SU out. While at Will's parents' house for the Fourth of July, we discovered that one weekend that worked out for us was a weekend of the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Will's dad, Bill, served his mission in the Eastern States and participated in the pageant, but neither Will nor his mom, Marie, had seen the pageant. So, we decided to plan our trip for that weekend and that Marie would come with us.

We had planned to depart on a Thursday, stay Thursday night at Bill and Marie's and then drive to Syracuse Friday morning. But, the Tuesday before we were to leave, Will received notification that he had been accepted to Brown. So, we quickly called Brown and changed our travel plans.

(A little tangent - it was a really crazy week for us because Will had lasik eye surgery on Tuesday. I think he ended up working a day and half and I worked one day that week. It was a little tricky because he hadn't told anyone at his job yet that he was thinking about leaving to go to school.)

Here is the summary of our jam-packed weekend (most of the pictures are going to have to come in subsequent posts or I'm going to have to figure out a slide show or something because there are a lot):

Wednesday

• After work, drove from Falls Church to New Hope, PA (188 miles, 3.5 hours) - went to bed late at the Bill and Marie Bed and Breakfast
  

Thursday

• Woke up at 3:45 to leave New Hope at 4:30 am to drive to Providence, RI (251 miles, 4.5 hours)
• Toured Brown University, Will met with professors and grad students in the CS Department
  

• Drove to Boston, MA, (52 miles, 1 hour) strolled through Faneuil Hall Market, ate at Legal Seafood, and looked at the boats

• Received a speeding ticket 6 miles from our hotel in...
  
• ...Albany, NY (169 miles, 3 hours)where we slept well but not nearly long enough

Friday

• Drove from Albany, NY to Syracuse, NY (146 miles, 2.5 hours)where we toured campus. Highlights included the Computer Science Department labyrinth and Carrier Dome
  

• Drove from Syracuse, NY to Palmyra, NY (69 miles, 1 hour)
• Attended the Hill Cumorah Pageant

Saturday

• Toured the Joseph Smith home and Sacred Grove
• Did a session at the Palmyra New York Temple

• Visited the Grandin Bookstore and downtown Palmyra as well as the Whitmer Farm and home
  
• Drove from Palmyra, NY to Ithaca, NY (78 miles, 2 hours) where we drove around Cornell University in the rain (Will wasn't considering going to school there, but at that point we were having university campus withdrawal)

• Drove from Ithaca, NY to New Hope, PA (219 miles, 4 hours) where we slept for a few hours

Sunday

• Drove from New Hope, PA to Falls Church, VA (188 miles, 3.5 hours) in time to teach primary

Just in case you're counting, we were in nine states (VA, MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA) and drove 1,356 miles (25 hours) in 3 1/2 days. And, partially because Will had just had eye surgery, but mostly because I'm stubborn, I drove the entire way.

My Amazing Husband

Not long after Will and I met, he started talking about wanting to go back to school. As I am a strong advocate of education, I encouraged such talk. As our relationship progressed and we began to plan for a future together, he started to talk a little more about going back to school sooner rather than later... Not long after we were married he started looking at schools. I of course encouraged him but tried not to be too pushy. Honestly, I thought it would happen, but not this year. And, that opinion was reinforced when we moved into late Spring and Will still hadn't applied to any graduate schools.

Then, Memorial Day weekend happened. We spent the weekend at Will's parents house in Pennsylvania. The night before we left, I decided to buy (literally) into the trend and purchased the three Stephanie Myer novels in the Twilight series. While I read away the weekend (three books in three days), Will, out of frustration for my lack of attention or otherwise, applied to eight graduate schools. Yup, you read that right, my amazing husband completed applications to eight graduate schools in one weekend. The next week was a flurry of requesting transcripts and recommendations and then we waited... and waited... and waited. While exciting, it seemed a little unreal because it happened so fast.

By July we started to hear back from schools. My amazing husband got into seven of the eight he applied to and the eighth didn't even wait for the complete application, so it appears that there were no spots left. He also received scholarships at at least three of the schools.

In mid-July, we visited two schools, Syracuse and Brown Universities (more details of the packed weekend road trip coming in the Providence/Boston/Albany/Syracuse/Palmyra/Ithaca Weekend Trip post). After visiting the programs, the right choice was pretty clear to us (even though I still pushed for USU). With less than a month to get ready and move, Will decided to attend Brown University.


Brown University, an Ivy League school, was founded in 1764. At the time, it was the only one that welcomed students of all religious persuasions (following the example of Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island in 1636 on the same principle). Brown remains dedicated to diversity and intellectual freedom. The unique curriculum harks back to a philosophy shaped by Brown President Francis Wayland. In 1850, he wrote: “The various courses should be so arranged that, insofar as practicable, every student might study what he chose, all that he chose, and nothing but what he chose.” That means that Will doesn't have a set program of study and gets to choose his coursework, along with every other student at Brown.

Attending Brown University is an amazing experience for an amazing man. I will let him post about the excitement of returning to school after five years in the working world and how "shopping" for classes is going.

Race Like There's Nobody Watching

On June 7th, a group of friends and colleagues of Lois Taylor, my "DC mom" and former boss, gathered on one of the hottest and most humid days of the summer to walk 5K in the National Race for the Cure. We walked as Team Lois' Legacy. Our team was 41 strong and we raised $6,308.00. A special thanks to my family and friends that helped me raise my piece of that. The race was a neat experience and it was wonderful to do it with Will. It's amazing to see how Lois continues to bring people together and create a spirit of unity among her friends and colleagues even from beyond this earthly life. I miss her.

Here are some pictures from the fun (and humid) morning:

Hrach, Judy, Patty, Bobbi and I

Bobbi and I showing off our Lois' Legacy tshirts (that I designed on zazzle.com)

This picture is to show two things - the massive numbers of people (10,000+) and the humidity (so bad there was limited visibility)

Jim, Ruth, Meredith and Dre

Sheryl with Frank, trying to keep everyone together (before we gave up)

Sheila and Susan

Larry and Kristen

And, last but definitely not least, Will and I.

Posting these pictures tugged a little on my heart as I probably won't be seeing these wonderful friends and colleagues for a while. It's starting to sink in that we've moved and while I'm excited for our new adventures, I will miss the people that were my DC family for five years. I'm grateful to be able to keep their friendships with me.

Blogging

While my mom and Megan were here this past week they pointed out multiple times what a horrible blogger I've been. I had to agree with them. In an effort to motivate myself to be a better blogger (or maybe just to spend time blogging without really blogging), I worked on the layout tonight and even started a few (non tag/survey) posts. My big excuse for this weekend is that I accidentally sent my camera to Utah (in Megan's purse) so I don't have pictures of the move. But, the truth is that I have a lot of pictures on my computer that I haven't posted yet. So, posts to come in the next few days include:

Race for the Cure
My Amazing Husband
Providence/Boston/Albany/Syracuse/Palmyra/Ithaca Weekend Trip
CTR 5A
Albuquerque
Houseguests
Best of DC
Lancaster PA
New Hope w/Brett
Farewell to DC
Welcome to Providence, RI

Okay, maybe I'm over committing myself for the next few days, but I really do have a lot to blog about, so check back often.

Happy Birthday Sammy

DSC05298
Originally uploaded by allthegoodemailnamesaretaken

Our nephew Samuel just turned 1 year old today. He's been kind enough to wish us a happy birthday on our birthdays via a sign, so we thought we'd do the same thing.

Happy Birthday Sam! We love you and miss you, get your Mom and Dad to come visit us at Brown!

Will's Mosaic

My Mosaic
Originally uploaded by allthegoodemailnamesaretaken
(Click to see image sources.)

I thought Sara's mosaic post was kind of cool, so I did one myself.

1. What is your first name? (Will)

2. What is your favorite food? (Monte Cristo)

3. What high school did you attend? (Chatfield)

4. What is your favorite color? (Blue)

5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Natalie Portman)

6. Favorite drink? (Freckled Lemonade)

7. Dream vacation? (Antarctica)

8. Favorite dessert? (Cookies)

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Dead - Just not for a while.)

10. What do you love most in life? (Sara)

11. One word to describe you. (Steady)

12. Your Flickr name. (allthegoodemailnamesaretaken)

Who I Am

I promise some real posts, with real pictures, are coming soon. Keep stopping by. :)

The "Who I Am" Mosaic:

If you want to play too, type your answer to each of the questions below into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows). Leave a comment if you play, so I can have a peek.

The questions:

1. What is your first name? (Sara)
2. What is your favorite food? (Mac and Cheese)
3. What high school did you attend? (Mountain Crest)
4. What is your favorite color? (Turquoise)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Michael Phelps)
6. Favorite drink? (Raspberry Lemonade)
7. Dream vacation? (Antartica)
8. Favorite dessert? (Macaroons)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Mother)
10. What do you love most in life? (Will)
11. One word to describe you. (Compassionate)
12. Your Flickr name. (sdoutre)

Picture Credits:

1. Sara dans la Brume by Nicolas
2. I Love Macaroni & Cheese by boopsie.daisy
3. Black Mountain Crest Trail by stusic
4. Parasol by manganite
5. Michael Phelps by CoachCashMoney
6. something refreshing... by woolloomooloo
7. Antartica Glaciers at Sunset by Gilad Michael
8. Heeeeey, Macaroon-ah by Daffodilious
9. Portrait of love by roseinthedark
10. "I Will Always Remember" by Digital Agent
11. A Compassionate Touch by [ CK ]
12. Angers la doutre by mellesolluna

I Can't Believe It's Been Two Months!

Welcome to the August 1, 2008 edition of getting to know Sara Menlove Doutre. I can't believe it's been two months since I posted. I was just writing this in an email and thought I should post it. Hopefully it will get me going and I'll post some pictures from our recent adventures and some details about our big move!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:00; it was Friday so I didn't have to work, but I couldn't help it. :)

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds, lots and lots of diamond (but I think I own more real pearls).

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with Will, Bill and Marie over Memorial Day.

4. What is your favorite TV show? Currently, So You Think You Can Dance. The art form of dance, the talent, and the emotion amaze me. I cry.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Fiber one bars, yogurt, or oatmeal.

6. What is your star sign? Scorpio

7. What food do you dislike? Clam Chowder

8. What is your favorite CD at moment? The only CD I listen to is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir one that I switch to on Sundays. Otherwise, my radio is always tuned to NPR. Love it. Can’t handle driving without it.

9. What kind of car do you drive? Volkswagen Jetta

10. Favorite sandwich? Chicken Salad on a Pita with Avocado, Cucumbers and Tomatoes from the random café in the courtyard of the FCC.

11. What characteristic do you despise? Apathy.

12. Favorite item of clothing? My Ronda Rudd Menlove election tshirt.

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? This week, Bear Lake. When I’m feeling a little less homesick, Mongolia.

14. Favorite brand of clothing? Ann Taylor Loft

15. Where would you retire? Somewhere with Will, four seasons (as in spring, summer, fall, and winter), and a large body of water (don’t really care if it’s fresh or salt water, but water gives me energy).

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? My 29th – first one married (just a continuation of the honeymoon) and I got to spend it with my adoring husband and his parents.

17. Favorite sport to watch? Hockey. Thanks Will!

18. Furthest away place this will be read? At least Russia.

19. Person you expect to notice it first? Megan, Becca, Ross or Will

20. When is your birthday? Nov 21

21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Both. It makes sleeping a little tricky.

22. What is your shoe size? 7, 7½ or 8. Depends on the shoe.

23. Pets? A beta fish that will not die. Seriously. I hadn’t fed it or checked on it for a month or so and did today. It’s as healthy as ever. I’m looking for an adoptive home when we move.

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? We are moving to Providence, Rhode Island on August 20th.

25. What did you want to be when you were little? An astronaut, a teacher, independent, …

26. How are you today? Okay. I had dentist appointments yesterday and today so my mouth isn’t too happy. I’m really excited about our new adventures coming up in less than three weeks. I’m a little scared too.

27. What is your favorite flower? Daisies

28. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? August 29th or 30th. I get to see my mom.

29. What is your full name? Sara Ann Menlove Doutre (The Ann is legally gone now, but I still claim it)

30. What are you listening to right now? Be Kind, Rewind. I like to multitask while Will watches movies. He doesn’t like it like I do.

31. What was the last thing you ate? I made BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas for dinner. They were really good.

32. Do you wish on stars? Nope

33. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Cyan

34. How is the weather right now? Hot and humid

35. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My dentist’s receptionist (because traffic was awful and I was running late).

36. Favorite soft drink? The grapefruit fizzle stuff from Chipotle.

37. Favorite restaurant? Thai Noy

38. Hair color? Brunette

39. What was your favorite toy as a child? Cabbage patch

40. Summer or winter? Winter

41. Hugs or kisses? Both

42. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

43. Coffee or tea? Tea, I have quite the collection of fun herbal teas. I got some new peach tea in NM in June but it’s been to hot to drink it.

44. Do you want your friends to comment on this post? Yes!

45. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday, see the question about my favorite TV show.

46. What is under your bed? Guitars and pillows.

47. What did you do last night? Watched Baby Borrowers and SYTYCD and went to bed early. My face hurt.

48. What are you afraid of? Being without internet access. Actually – I just made it for a week without any email at all at girls’ camp.

49. Salty or sweet? Sweet

50. How many keys on your key ring? Too many. I can’t count right now because Ross has my car.

51. How many years at your current job? Five. I can’t believe I’m leaving.

52. Favorite day of the week? Sunday. We teach some amazing four and five year olds and I look forward to it all week.

53. How many towns have you lived in? Let’s see. Maybe I can list them all. 1 – Kearns, UT; 2 – Stansbury Park, UT; 3 – Dugway, UT; 4 – Randolph, UT; 5 – Logan, UT; 6 – Providence, UT; 7 – West Fielding, UT; 8 – Zelenograd, Russia; 9 – Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; 10 – Moscow, Russia; 11 – West Jordan, UT; 12 – Salt Lake City, UT; 13 – Falls Church, VA; 15 – Arlington, VA; 16 – Mclean, VA; 17 – Alexandria, VA; 18 – Providence, RI. Wow.

54. Do you make friends easily? Yes. I’m very blessed to have great friends from so many different times in my life. It’s hard to keep up with them all. Blogs and facebook help, but also make me realize how many people I want to actually talk to and catch up with.

My Garden

In April, as Spring was springing, I decided to plant a garden. Megan was in town for the weekend and we went to Home Depot and got all the supplies. When we got home, Will was a little surprised that I was serious about planting a garden, but I did! Most of our little backyard is paved with bricks and filled with our hot tub. so, I just had a couple flower beds where I could plant. I chose tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and a watermelon. Unfortunately, with all of the rain we've had, and the clay-like soil, the watermelon washed away. But, my strawberries, peppers and tomatoes are growing! Just this morning I noticed our first tomato, so I decided it was time to take a couple pictures. I was nervous to before, just in case nothing grew. :) So, here are the pictures.

The tomatoes and peppers. I can't believe how tall they are getting.

The strawberries, with the cute windmill Will got me.

A closeup of the strawberries - can you see them growing?

And, the first tomato growing quite healthily!

I also meant to post a post about how I've been cooking a lot lately and loving it. But, I haven't gotten around to it. This isn't a super exciting meal, but I took a picture because it was breakfast in bed for Ross' bday. Fresh fruit, mini sausage and veggie frittatas and homemade cinnamon rolls! Yum.

And, along the lines of cooking, this morning Will and I did some grocery shopping at the Falls Church Farmers Market. It was fun and I'm excited to use the fresh vegetables and local bison meat and free range chicken for some great meals this week.

Other News

Somehow I seem to have led people on that some exciting news is coming.

Let's see. What is exciting in my life right now? Oh yeah, Ross moved out here this week! It's so fun to have an automatic family of three, and a new family member that entertains himself, makes his bed, and even does dishes is great. We're happy to have him.

I also planted a garden and my tomatoes and peppers are growing very well. We have some green strawberries and the flowers got a little pummeled by rain this week. The only thing that doesn't seem to be thriving in all the rain we're having is my watermelon. I think it actually washed away this weekend, but haven't searched that hard yet.

And, today I got another calling! I am going to be the Stake Young Women's Camp Leader for the second year girls. I love girls' camp and am excited to get to know some new people, even though I love our four-year-olds!

So, that's all the news for now. Hope it was worth the wait. :)

Book Tagged by Holly AND Camilla

Guess you really have to do it when you're double tagged.

So here it is
A) pick up the nearest book
B) turn to page 123
C) find the 5th sentence
D) post the 5th sentence
E) tag 5 (or more) people

The nearest book was Confessions of a Carb Queen by Susan Blech. The book is a little over-the-top, but a good deterrent when I want to carb out. I think Will was reading it and that's what it's doing in the front room.

Page 123, sentence five:
"She's been to Baltimore before, and she knows where she wants to go."

I tag my Mom, Marisha, the flipflop fed, Angie and Marla

Kennedy Center Sunset

A few weeks ago, Will and I got last-minute, free tickets to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. We had a great evening and enjoyed hearing some Russian composers' music. The conductor was young (32) and amazing. We arrived at the Kennedy Center before the show and were able to see the most amazing sunset. I love sunsets. I have some other good ones that I might have to post sometime soon.

That's Georgetown University in the background. We would have loved to have been on the boat on the Potomac. It looked fun.

This picture is of Georgetown (the part of town). You can see the National Cathedral in the background and the Thompson Boat House, where I learned to row, right on the river.

This sunset was beautiful. Beautiful sunset, beautiful music, a beautiful husband.
It was a great Spring night.

Walking for Lois

June 7, 2008 is the National Race for the Cure in Washington, DC

I will be walking this year in loving memory of Lois Taylor, whose life breast cancer cut short this past December. Lois was my friend, my boss, my sister, and my DC mom. From the first day I met her, I knew there was something special about her and I know that she was one of the greatest reasons I came to DC. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to be served by her for years and that I was able to serve her during the past year.

If you are interested in learning more about the National Race for the Cure or in making a donation to our walk in honor of Lois, please click HERE.

This is definitely not a favorite picture of me, but is one of my favorites of Lois. We are at Old Faithful, on a fabulous trip we took for work and play in 2004. It's funny, we had known each other less than a year and we flew to Utah to go on a fun road trip in advance of a work trip. She was that type of friend. The type of friend that you could be yourself around and do anything with. She was up for anything and everything. I miss her.

Six Months

Saturday was my and Will's six-month anniversary. The last six months have been some of the hardest, best, saddest, and happiest of the last few years and I am so glad that I've lived them as Mrs. Will Doutré. I truly believe that my Father in Heaven is watching over me and made sure that I had Will in my life right now. I'm still amazed at how content I am to just "be" with Will. Just "be"ing and not "do"ing something all the time is still quite new to me, but I like it. I love playing games on Sundays, sleeping in on weekends, and everything else we do together.

So, Saturday, to celebrate, we went to the temple and did a session. It was nice to be there and to reflect on the past six months. We had some spare time before our dinner reservation, so we went to visit the newest Washington monument, the Air Force Memorial. It was fun to see it at night, it's a beautiful monument and from it, there is a fabulous view of the city. Then, we ate at one of our favorite spots, the Melting Pot. We first ate there last Valentine's day. We thoroughly enjoyed the Carribean-themed special - who knew that cheese with pineapple juice was so tasty? We finished up the night with an amazing bananas foster chocolate fondue. I was a little nervous because I'm not a huge white chocolate fan. But, add some bananas, cinnamon, and dulce de leche and it quickly became my new favorite. If I had a little faster metabolism and unlimited funds, I would definitely visit the Melting Pot more often. Maybe I need a fondue pot to try the deliciousness at home. :)

Enjoy some pictures of the temple and the Air Force Memorial.

Tagged or something

So, my wife "tagged" me in a post, and i guess according to the pyramid nature of tagging that means I must post. Since I haven't posted in a while, I'll indulge her...

Where were you born? Earth.

How old will you be this year? 22147. / 700ths at some point this year.

Nicknames: Tex, Wilbur, and all of my wife's names for me...

Are you taller than your mother or father? Yes, both.

Do you cry often during movies? Nope

What is your biggest pet peeve? Pyramid & pass-along schemes, particularly emails that tell me to forward stuff on to my address book or blog posts that tell me to do something. I have enough things in my life requiring my attention without my relaxation media calling me to tasks of dubious worth.

Favorite color: Blue, no...

Favorite foods: Steak, burgers, Monte Cristo sandwiches from C.B. Potts

Favorite restaurants: Hard Times Cafe, C.B. Potts, Beau Jo's

Favorite beverage: Crystal Light Classic Orange

Favorite cold cereal: Little Chocolate Donuts - The Breakfast of Champions

Favorite smells: Coca Cola, fresh-baked bread

Favorite time of day: Sleepy time.

What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Pert Plus, Shampoo + Conditioner in One!!

Favorite make-up products? Flowers and apologies, do those count as products?

How many pillows do you sleep with? 1

Do you play an instrument? Nope

Have you ever been skinny dipping? No, but then I've never really been skinny.

Did you do any sports in High School? Football, Wrestling.

What was the last movie you saw in the theater? Jumper

What is your favorite article of clothing? Some woman obviously came up with this question... I like long shorts with cargo pockets because of their utility, but don't play favorites with my wardrobe.

What is your dream vacation? Anywhere scenic without time commitments.

What was your first impression of your spouse? Hmm... she doesn't seem too concerned that I look like I was in a brawl earlier today. Unflappable, I like that...

If you were an animal what would you be? I already am an animal, a party animal... is what I would say if I were outgoing....

What is your favorite "me- time" activity? I guess computer games, but I'm not sure if they're an activity.

Favorite TV shows: I can't remember anymore because the writer's strike killed them all.

What is your dream car? I believe that if you dream about cars then you don't understand the whole point of cars in the first place...

What is one of your weaknesses? Providing simple answers.

What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? Is this like that, "If a tree falls in the forrest and there's nobody around to hear it..." question?

If you could live in a different decade/era which one would it be? Paleolithic, because it's fun to say, Pay-le-yo-lith-ic.

What is the emotion you feel the most? Peace

Do you consider yourself outgoing? No

What is something you are constantly working on? Not being outgoing.

Any hidden talents? If I told you, I'd be outgoing.

What is a word or phrase you overuse? Meh. Which is a word, a phrase, a sentence, and a state of being depending on the context.


What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? Getting Married

What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? Due to possible readership of this post it's probably best that I not answer this question at this time.

The best piece of advice you learned this past year? "Meh!"

Who are the 7 people you are going to tag to do this survey? I hate pyramid schemes of all forms - see pet peeves.

At the end of the survey post a picture of you that was taken within the last week! Um... no.

Tagged.

Thanks Becca for tagging me. And, thanks Holly and Jacque for filling it out too, you inspired me.

Where were you born? Salt Lake City, LDS Hospital.
Middle name? Recently switched from Ann to Menlove. I'm missing Ann a little, but couldn't get rid of Menlove and four names seemed like too many.
How old will you be this year? 30 and I'm a little scared. It's not very rational, but there are so many new things in my life, I feel like I'm just starting out and I'm already 30.
Nicknames? Sara-bara, Sara-girl, Honey, Baby.
Are you taller than your mother or father? My mom.
Do you cry often during movies? This is slightly embarrassing, but I usually find something to cry about in every movie. The last three movies I've seen in the theater were I am Legend, 27 Dresses, and Juno have all been criers. I also cry during TV shows - Trick my Truck, anything on HG TV, especially Deserving Design, every episode of American Idol... Seriously, this might be a problem.
What is your biggest pet peeve? Slow drivers.
Favorite color? Pink and blue.
Favorite foods? My dad's macaroni and cheese, fresh fruits and veggies, and ice cream/frozen yogurt.
Favorite restaurants? Thai Noy (see my post on Mangoes and Sticky Rice), Metro 29 (awesome french toast), the Melting Pot, Lebanese Taverna, anything new and adventurous.
Favorite beverage? Ice water with lemon, hot chocolate, any fresh juice (even carrot - I don't like raw carrots, but I do like carrot juice).
Favorite cold cereal? Honey Graham Ohs, but I prefer hot cereal - rice cereal, cream of wheat, oatmeal, cracked wheat.
Favorite smells? A roast cooking in the oven, fresh rain, fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Favorite time of day? I really like early morning, but only if I get to bed at a decent time. If I don't go to bed at a decent time, I find 2:00-4:00 am to be my most productive hours of the day (but it does compromise my productivity the following day).
What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Matrix Biolage, Herbal Essences, BedHead, or anything new that looks and smells fun that I decide to try.
Favorite make-up products? This cool blush brush that slides in and out of its case - I love keeping it in my makeup bag and clean. I also love really nice mascara (probably because it's the only make-up I wear consistently); my current mascara is Dior - Diorshow Blackout. I also love lip gloss. My current favorite is the Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush that Dave and Alecia gave me for my birthday.
How many pillows do you sleep with? Okay, this is a weird thing. I have always loved pillows, and "nesting" in them. Before we got married (and until we got our new bed) I slept with at least six pillows, all around me. Then, we bought this amazing tempurpedic memory foam bed. Now, I can't sleep with a pillow, or my neck is sore. So, no pillows! It's a little sad because it means that 7 of the 8 pillows on our bed when it's made go on to the floor when we get in bed.
Do you play an instrument? I play several. I haven't played french horn for a few years, but I think I still could. I did play my bass guitar in the pit of "Joseph" for a stake musical last year. I also play the organ, the piano, and can bust out Twinkle Twinkle on several other band and orchestra instruments.
Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yes. Funny story. One time, my friend Shannon and I decided to go skinny dipping in the middle of the night (3 am-ish) at Bear Lake. We hadn't even done our thing yet and her car got stuck in the sand. We had to walk to a friend's, get dug out, and then go skinny dipping. Another time, I took some younger cousins to the lake to swim in the dark. We swam, and then were driving along the beach and our headlights found a whole bunch of nekkid boys. They were running scared so fast we didn't see anything, but that is excitement!
Did you do any sports in High School? Does marching band count? One time I hyper-extended my knee at practice and had to go hang out with the trainers and all the football players. It was embarrassing.
What was the last movie you saw in the theater? I am Legend. I liked it. Just scary enough, and just tender enough. As mentioned previously, I cried.
What is your favorite article of clothing? Yoga pants. I look forward to coming home and putting them on in the evenings (to relax, of course - don't start thinking I work out every night.)
What is your dream vacation? To take the Trans-Siberian railroad from Moscow to Beijing, with a little side-trip to Mongolia.
What was your first impression of your spouse? That he was nice, but a weak hugger. (Can I say side-hug with patting?)
If you were an animal what would you be? Would anyone believe me if I said anything except hippo? The one thing I don't think I could get into is the projectile pooping. If you've never heard of it, you might want to watch this video on YouTube. It's one of the strangest defense/territory marking strategies I've seen.
What is your favorite "me- time" activity? Either vegging on the couch watching TV or getting a pedicure.
Favorite TV shows? I admit, I'm a reality TV junkie. I like American Idol. I love The Biggest Loser (I've even considered trying to gain a few more pounds so I could try to get on it). I also watch Medium, House, Grey's Anatomy and a lot of HG TV. If we didn't have Tivo, I wouldn't watch nearly as much, but having it means that shows take a lot less time and I can watch them while I'm doing other things a little easier (like when I'm working at home).
What is your dream car? I really love my car. It's sporty, fun, and has heat seaters. But, someday I know I'll have to grow up. So, for then, I actually like wagons. As in an Audi A6 wagon (not all wagons). I also wouldn't mind a Suburban, depends on where we live when it's time to upgrade.
What is one of your weaknesses? I have a really hard time saying no. I also hate working out, even though I know it makes me happier and gives me energy.
What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? Wendy's. It's about 500 yards from our apartment.
What is the emotion you feel the most? The past few months, overwhelmed. I've been overwhelmed with the miracle of finding the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with and it actually working out. I've been overwhelmed with the blessing of being married in the temple. I've been overwhelmed with the newness and responsibility of being a wife. I've been overwhelmed with the loss of a dear friend. But, things are calming down. I'm feeling more peace and content, and I like it.
Do you consider yourself outgoing? I consider myself much less outgoing than I used to be. I feel like I become less outgoing every year and I'm okay with that.
What is something you are constantly working on? Living a healthy lifestyle. As busy as we are, it's really tempting to eat out a lot and really hard to find time to be active. I am trying to focus my diet on fresh fruits and vegetables
Any hidden talents? They're hidden for a reason. :)
What is a word or phrase you overuse? Mine.
What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? Helping Lois live the last year of her life with cancer as fully as possible, and die at peace. Losing her has been devastating, but so much less devastating than watching her suffer.
What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? Marrying Will, absolutely.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? I want to do the 3-day, 60-mile Breast Cancer walk in October.
The best piece of advice you learned this past year? "Let go and let God." - Unknown
Who are the 7 people you are going to tag to do this survey? Um. Will? Mom? I'm pretty sure everyone else who knows about this blog was tagged by Becca.
At the end of the survey post a picture of you that was taken within the last week! I don't have a picture of me taken within the last week. I will take a picture of us when we go to dinner tonight and post it this weekend.