FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW

A little while ago I wrote about how Braden (my fiance) and I met. He insisted that he share his side of the story because he calls is the "accurate" version. So ladies and gentleman, here it is. Take from it what you want but remember... here is the REAL version. 

The accurate account of one’s meeting to another.

A few years back I was heading down to Moab. This was a regular, and reoccurring, trip throughout the summer. (I think I made it to Moab ~10+ times that summer.)  This weekend was going to be the MMT (Massive Moab Trip.)  What a prime event for finding friends (aka: attractive women to date). I invited a few jeeping buddies that didn’t want to stay with the massive group of 500+ college students. One of my jeeping friends had brought a few people in his jeep. I first saw Maddie in the city market parking lot, flirting and being flirted with by her "boyfriend" or so I thought. I didn’t think much of it, I thought she was attractive, and seemed to be fun. On a later trail, I talked a little to her and her friend Alli. I remember that Alli was into climbing, but I didn’t talk to Maddie much, as I was told she was dating the guy she came with. Later on after the trip, Maddie and I became FB friends.  We didn’t talk much, if any after that. We were mere acquaintances. 

A few years flew by, and it was about time for MMT again. As the trip approached, my friends would invite everyone they knew. I used to invite so many people, but for some reason, I was more interested in having an empty jeep than have a jeep full of 19 year old college girls that would be disappointed because we weren't planning on rolling. I removed my back seat, and placed my spare tire inside. Problem solved. I can only take 1 person, and young college girls can’t do anything without (what they call) their bff’s (or bae’s).  Now I’ll likely have a nice quiet jeep. My buddies had bets on when I would put my back seat in… and they were astonished that I held through with no back seat. There I was, ready for a fun trip full of jeeping and making friends (really, only friends…girls were just trouble).  MMT was only about a week away and I paid Rico for the MMT fee. Seconds later I got a notification that this Madeline Millburn ‘liked’ my payment.  Madeline Millburn….I remember her, I thought to myself. After a few seconds of some basic Facebook stalking, I decided I had no choice but to message her. She gave me an opportunity to contact her by liking my payment. This might be my only and last chance to say something without coming across as a major creeper.  If you listen to Maddie's story, she claimed I had no game… (really? then why are we engaged now? ;) ). I quickly messaged Maddie on FB. After some welcoming and charming messages, she replied with: 

“Sounds so fun! I will see if I can figure stuff out with work and two of my girly friends. I want to jeep and rock climb! I rock climbed outside for the first time last week haha.. But it was so fun! And I miss jeeping! I haven't been for a while. Keep me posted on your plans. My number is 801-918-9227!” 

Wow. That worked better than I though. Somehow I didn’t even need to ask for her number, just let her know that I would make sure I had a spot for her and her besties in the group I was caravanning down in. And she was throwing her number at me. Cha-ching.

I took advantage of having her number and texted her the next day. Somehow we concluded that we were getting married and for an engagement gift, I was going to give her a white Jeep. With power everything.  (Ha. Now we are engaged….hmmm, about the white jeep... well, I guess it will have to be a late engagement gift... like years late.) Haha.

After some complicated discussions about who is riding where… we finally were off to Moab. I spent as much time with Maddie as I could. I promised her my front seat for the whole trip, besides one trail where I promised someone a ride.

We had so much fun. Even when I was completely distracted by her beauty, causing a front roll over in the jeep.  Crunch. Ha. We were sitting upside down and she yelled out “I’m okay!!!” before I could say anything. I looked at her and had that feeling that I should kiss her! Well, I didn’t make a move.  After, I was regretting that.  But don’t worry, there was another opportunity on this trip – and I was shot down.  We were on the top of Gold Bar Rim at like 1:30 a.m… Starry eyed, I moved in for a kiss.

“Um…I’m not going to kiss you. You haven’t even taken me out on a date.”

Hahaha. She felt a little bad, and was worried I was going to be upset.  I wasn’t at all. Shortly after, she grabbed my hand.  Don’t worry, our first date was that night, at 3 a.m., at Denny’s.  The first kiss didn’t happen on this trip… That’s a story for another time.

The weekend was coming to an end, and everyone was starting to make their way back home.  Back to the complicated part, arranging who rides with who.  I was going to do everything in my power to have Maddie ride home in my truck.  Somehow the drive home resulted with just me and Maddie in my truck! That was the fastest drive home from Moab I have ever had. We couldn’t stop talking, smiling, laughing, holding hands…. It was perfect. 

After that drive home, I knew I wanted to spend as much time as possible with her, and even with her living in Logan, that wasn’t going to stop me! 

The weekend after MMT, I drove up to Logan to spend the weekend. 9 months later, here we are, engaged and getting married on June 25th.  I’m so grateful to have Maddie in my life. I love her with all my heart. I’m so excited to marry her and build a life with her. She is my best friend.

----- Oh hey, it's Maddie again. I promised I would publish his version even though it irks me to read. It's soo not accurate and he left out some VERY important details. But there it is. Written for everyone to see. 
Even though his memory must be failing him at the young age of 27, I remember what REALLY happened and have it written down so we never forget. Call it a "Notebook" type situation if you will. 
Even if he is bonkers, I love him unconditionally. I am so blessed to have him in my life. 

Why Girls CAN In Fact Have Multiple BFFs

Men just don't understand.
I am writing this post for all the boys out there who just don't get how girls can have MULTIPLE best friends. 
Braden and I will often have conversations about friends and whenever I refer to a friend he doesn't know I say something along the lines of, "She's like one of my best friends." Almost without fail, he makes a snide comment about how he thought he was my best friend and how all my friends can't be my best friends.
But, they are! Most people I talk to him about ARE my best friends. I have multiple best friends. They're all the "best" friends for me in different ways. 
1.  I have the best girl friend that provides emotional support about boys, friends, or family drama. The one I can tell all my secrets to and who shares the same opinions and views. She is the one who helps validate my feelings. The one I open up to even when it's hard.
2.  I have the best friend who I've been friends with basically FOREVER! The one I do everything with. The one who will shop with me until I drop,  stay up late at night with me rambling about whatever, the one who knows my style and my personality in and out. The one who loves me even when I'm a brat. 
3. Let's not forget about the best friend who provides the best spiritual advice. The one who always makes me feel good about myself and keeps me on the straight and narrow. The one who influences me in the best ways. The one who is crazy and adventurous and always up for a good time. The one who will stay close to me even with distance. 
4. I have my best friend that makes me feel like we are the funniest two people in the world. I've never laughed harder with anyone else than him. We could sit and talk about old stories for hours and never get bored. 
5. I have the best friends that I had all through high school. The ones I made more memories with than any other group of friends. The group that was inseparable and hung out together every night. They are the friends who stuck with me through high school, college and beyond. They're the group I would spend time with over anyone else. I can honestly say that every person in that group was so close to me and I would always call them my best friends. 
6. I have the best friends who got me through the best and the worst times in college. The ones that live far away from me but always will have a special place in my heart. The ones who I laughed with and stayed up all night having dance parties with. The ones who would get McDonalds with me at 3 a.m. and who knew all the secret boy drama. The ones who would laugh with me about bad dates and tell me I'm being ridiculous when I need to hear it. 
7. Lastly, I have my best friend who is there for me through EVERYTHING. The one who is all of those and more. The one I want to marry someday and the one I want to spend all of my time with. The one who has literally seen me at my worst and still loves me. The one who is always willing to work through everything. 
So now you see that there are so many different types of friends but they're all BEST friends. So next time you say that a girl can't have more than one best friend. Think again. I guarantee we all do. 

Blessings Coming Into Play

Well...
I'm going to be a florist! I got hired as a florist and I can't wait to get started! I have always wanted to get experience in the floral industry but I never knew when or how I could get my foot in the door. Right now is the perfect time. I am in a transitional phase between graduating college and starting my career. While I'm hunting for the right profession, may as well be learning something. 

I took this photo last spring on the front porch of my house in Logan.

I love flowers. The way they look. The way they smell. Basically everything about them. 
Who knows, if I love it, I may stay in this industry and start my own floral business. And how fun would it be to do my own wedding flowers?

I am so excited to be following my dreams and learning another skill. I know it's a blessing to have this opportunity right now in my life. It's something I've always wanted to do and now I'm going to! Photos of my arrangements to come soon! 

My 2014 Reflection

As it's now the beginning of 2015, it's time to reflect on the good and bad of 2014. Instead of bombarding my blog with new years resolutions, I'm going to reflect on the positives and negatives of last year. 
***Side Note****
Often times, social media can make us think that people don't have bad times. For women, we think the girls we follow have perfect lives because they're gorgeous and get so much attention from their looks. Expensive clothes, fancy make up and professional photographers make us believe they live such better lives than us. WRONG. Social media shows the best of the best of everyone. I mean really, does anyone ever post a photo of themselves having a break down because of financial problems? Or the feeling of heartbreak from a troubled relationship or marriage? How about battling with self worth or self esteem. We all go through things yet, we don't post photos of our hardships because we don't want others to see us struggle. It's natural. 
But, if I've learned anything, it's that I can't judge myself and my life off other people's social media profiles. I don't need validation from Instagram to know that I live a great life. I don't need to see other people's struggles to know that they're there and I'm not alone. 
**End Side Note**
To start, I don't publicize my struggles for attention or for sympathy. Only to show that they happen and they're real. Often times, struggles lead to great accomplishments, and that's exactly what I experienced in 2014. 
I graduated from college in December but oh... there were constant struggles along the way. For starters, there were times I had less than $20 in my bank account. I would give myself $2 a day for food until I got my next paycheck and I would try to eat all the canned food from freshman year when my mom stocked me up. I literally would have cereal and canned green beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
The last semester I spent in Logan, I lived with 9 girls. That was the HARDEST living situation I ever experienced. It was always a mess, my things would get trashed, it was so loud when I had to go to sleep early, the internet sucked and needless to say, the struggle was real. 
Along with early mornings and living with so many girls, I struggled with school. I took 24 credits and was constantly stressed out with the thought that if anything goes wrong, I'm stuck in Logan for another semester and can't graduate. I am a person that thinks a lot of "what ifs" and that never helps a stressful situation.
What's next.. 
Oh, yes. The Tahoe. 
Up until 6 months ago, for years I drove a 1995 Chevy Tahoe. It didn't have working air conditioning, it had 200,000+ miles, it took a pint of oil every hundred miles, the doors took every ounce of human strength to open, it felt like a thrill ride with the shaking while driving on the freeway, the back windows didn't roll down, the exhaust pipe had fallen off on me, the tires were bald and it was actually embarrassing to drive. (I know I mention the Tahoe in many of my posts.. but it was a rough time.) 
During the summer, I would sweat from every single inch of my body and get delirious from the heat. No amount of icy water would cool me down because it would melt instantly.  It was miserable. It may not seem like a big deal, but commuting down to Salt Lake to see family and my lover was the longest, hardest drive in the world. Even going five minutes away to work was miserable in 105 degrees. My clothes were completely sweaty and I would have to change upon my arrival no matter where I went. 
Enough about the bad times, although I could go on. I want to share with you some good times that came from the bad.
Because I put in the hard work and stress, I was able to graduate from college and be finished! The feeling of being finished with college is unlike any other. It's the greatest accomplishment in my life thus far. The feeling of putting in the work and finally being done is more than satisfying. All the stress and hard work eventually paid off with obtaining my degree. It turned into a blessing after all. 

One of my last nights on campus of Utah State University.

Because I lived with 9 girls and put up with them, I learned patience and got close to girls I wouldn't have met if I only lived with a few people. At first, I knew two of the girls well, and I was a bit skeptical of living with the other 8 girls that I didn't know. But many of them became my good friends! I bonded and became close with the girls that I had a hard time with at first. I even missed them when they moved out and when I left Logan. Although I didn't click with ALL of them, the great times and living with my best friends was worth it. 

My eight roommates and some random little girl from the park.

Because I drove the Tahoe for a few years longer than I wanted, I was able to afford to buy a newer nicer car. Now I have a wonderful Elantra that does the job. I think another reason I drove the Tahoe for so long was to learn humility. I learned to be humble and love what I have. I sometimes look back and think, "Oh, that wasn't so bad." Why was I embarrassed to drive the Tahoe? At least I had a car. I needed to learn a valuable lesson before I could move on and purchase a new car. 

My Elantra and the old Tahoe in the background.

So there you have it. A very brief reflection of 2014. This year I am taking risks to make 2015 my best year so far. I'll be sure to keep you in the loop so be sure to subscribe to my blog posts! You can do that by entering your email address and pressing submit in the right side bar! 

Our Unadulterated Story of Love

How two people come together in a world full of adversity is a mystery to me. All I know is that we found each other through a tangled web of events that began a few years ago.

It all began on an adventure trip in Moab, Utah. I was with a small group of friends, one who mutually knew Braden, and he was with a group of friends (girls mainly.. although he swears there were boys there too.) I first noticed his dark hair and big jeep when he made it nearly impossible for me, or anyone else, not to. Hot doggin' in his jeep with a new girl in the front seat everyday made him stand out to most of the females in our group, although not in the best way. The trip came and went and we exchanged names. Later we became friends on Facebook and followed each other on Instagram, but that was the extent of our relationship. Every now and then I would see a picture in my feed about him traveling to China one week and Costa Rica the next, thinking to myself that he was just an arrogant playboy.

Years passed and another Moab trip approached at the start of the summer. It's called the MMT-Massive Moab Trip. Hundreds of adventurous people go to engage in every outdoor activity imaginable with people who share similar interests. Every year people into jeeping attend, and naturally Braden would be there. I hadn't thought of him in what felt like ages until I stumbled across his payment on Venmo. (Venmo is a money transferring app that connects you to your friends on Facebook. It's great for paying a few dollars here and there to contribute to bills, pizza, gas, or to pitch in for any group expense. You can also see a feed of your friend's payments and like them or comment on them.) Because Braden and I were Facebook friends, I could see his payments. As I was creepily scrolling through the payments after paying my portion of the utilities bill, I saw he paid his fee for the MMT and I liked it. The next thing I know I got a Facebook message from Braden with some cheesy comment alluding to the idea that he didn't know he was going to get to talk to a cute girl today. Blah, blah.. It was crap to me at the time.

He invited me to the MMT with him and his friends. I accepted. Of course with the condition that I could take two of my best friends.

On the third day we jeeped to the top of a mountain late at night to see the stars in a caravan of vehicles. Everyone in the group admired the stars for a while and when it was time to leave, we all went back to the jeeps. I was the copilot in Braden's jeep. As I sat in the passenger seat, he began to flirt, and I mean hard. He was intense and I knew where it was going. I let him lean in and I even leaned in a bit. I let him go further. I stayed put. He went further and when I could almost feel his breath I asked in my sassy tone, "What are you doing? You haven't even taken me on a date yet!!"

Dumbfounded and slightly uncomfortable, he looked at me and smiled an awkward smile. He pulled away and put his jeep into gear and proceeded down the trail. A few minutes later I realized what I had done and timidly asked, "Are you mad?"

"Not at all," he said.

I was so relieved. I can't remember who made the first move next but I knew we were holding hands and we held hands every second we could from that moment on. While the caravan was taking forever, and I mean forever, Braden and I were dying of hunger. We ditched the group, took off and headed to Denny's. Thus began our first date. Eating hashbrowns and eggs at 3 a.m. has never been so fun. We talked and laughed until we couldn't keep our eyes open a minute longer.

After the Massive Moab Trip ended we both returned to our homes. PLOT TWIST! I lived in Logan and he lived in Spanish Fork. That's a 2.5 hour drive from one place to the other. So that was fun... NOT! Braden came up two to three times a week for the next few months until I graduated from college and moved back down to Salt Lake City. He saved my life that summer. I lived with 9 girls and my room was over 100 degrees with a major Box Elder Bug infestation. Braden provided me with an air conditioner and vacuum that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. He helped me find the perfect car within my budget instead of my 1995 Tahoe with no a/c that got 10 mpg and took a pint of oil every hundred miles. He helped me push through my last semester of college taking 24 credits and he kept me sane while waking up at 4 a.m. for work.

Braden is a blessing to me. He is my adventure partner and my emotional support. He helps me practice patience and solve problems in every aspect of my life. We have been blessed with opportunities to travel together and explore new things. I even conquered my worst fear with him by my side. My biggest fear is heights and a few months ago I rappelled myself off the edge of a 120 foot cliff with him easing me through it.

All in all, Braden is my best friend. He's my companion and my confidant. He's the biggest gentleman I know and I never doubt his ability to get through a situation or protect me. He's burly and manly yet he's sensitive and sweet. He's kind and selfless to everyone he meets and he's one of the hardest workers I know. He supports my dreams and helps me make them realities.  I am whimsical, he is logical. I am emotional, he is reasonable. I am the dreamer and he's the achiever. I am his and he is mine.

We are opposites that fit perfectly together.

J.O.Y.

Today Choose Joy is more than just a phrase about choosing to be happy.  It's more than a blog to rant about my life. 
It's about becoming a better person and always trying to progress. It's documenting my journey to finding myself and hoping someone is inspired along the way. 
It's about choosing JOY to find happiness and bring it to others. We receive joy and happiness by serving first Jesus, others, and finally ourselves. 

I hope by following with me along my journey, you will be one step closer to finding joy. 

So.. I GRADUATED!

Hey guys! Yep, you read correctly. I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE! It's a crazy feeling being done with school and not going back in a few weeks. But it feels so good. Like I finished something I started.

It's comparable to that feeling you get when you have been reading a book for a long time and you finish the last page.. you close the cover and reflect for a moment..then you move on. I guess that's sort of how my graduation from college was. It was as if I just finished, reflected for a moment and now I'm moving on. -- Graduating in December is anticlimactic.

** Disclaimer- This post is long, sappy and slightly dramatic. Continue at your own risk. **

I haven't decided yet which career path I want to take. I've been praying about it and I'm trying to put my trust in the Lord to know that whatever happens next will happen for a reason. There's quite a few things I'd like to do and it would be ideal to get a job doing something I love. Right now I'm figuring out with direction I want to go. Finding my niche.

I moved away from Logan and I've been having a hard time being gone. Logan became my home and it was hard to up and leave my life up there.. I miss the town and my friends and even Utah State's campus. I miss how quaint it was. I miss how close and compact everything was. I miss how social it was. I miss everything about it.

Since I began college in Logan, I've formed hundreds of friendships- big and small- and I know they'll never be forgotten. After we have all passed away, I look forward to seeing everyone again and talking about old times. I am excited to watch my life movie and be reminded of the happiness that came from that chapter of my life. Part of me wishes it didn't end so soon.

I left behind best friends. Old roommates and constant support systems. I left behind my yoga buddies. My sushi dates. My painting partners. My study groups. I left my routine and my hobbies. I am now recreating my routine and finding new places to continue my hobbies. I am strengthening old friendships and trying to keep my life going at a pace I feel comfortable with.

Phorist, my yoga buddy and me. 

If you didn't know, I graduated with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Multimedia. I am eternally grateful and so blessed to have had the opportunity to attend and graduate from college. I know it's not a possibility for everyone and I consider myself very lucky to have made it through. I loved college. So far it has been the best years of my life. I was the happiest I've ever been in Logan. I didn't take it for granted. I lived to the fullest and took advantage of every opportunity I had while I was there. I'm so glad I did.

I'll tell you what though. I won't miss homework or wasted time with professors that don't know how to teach. Or paying for the spot you left your car in for 10 minutes while you dropped off a paper. Or buying food on campus that costs a million dollars.. but you have to buy it becuase you're STARVING. Or living paycheck to paycheck and barely making it through (even though I'm still doing that.. except I'm not getting paychecks now haha.)

But, I will miss being around people that relate to me. People that are in the same phase of life as me. People looking for friends and finding themselves. I found myself in college. I found what kind of person I wanted to be and would strive to be for the rest of my life. I found new hobbies and interests. I found a list of things I need to work on to become a better person. I found my struggles and my weaknesses but also my strengths.

I learned more about myself and how to grow up and live on my own then I did actually attending classes. I KNOW I went to Logan for a reason and that Heavenly Father blessed me so much while I was there. I want everyone to experience college as I did. I want everyone to have the happiness and laughter that I had up there.

I had hard times too. I had constant financial struggle. I had jobs I disliked and roommates that were hard to live with. I had boy drama. Oh did I ever have boy drama. I am blessed that I had the opportunity to date as much as I did. I made so many friends from dating and I met some of the neatest guys. I also met dirt bags and divas.. but I wouldn't trade them for the world. If I didn't date as much as I did, I wouldn't know what I want. I wouldn't know how a guy should treat a girl and how I deserve to be treated. I wouldn't know what ambition and hard work looked like.

Friends and I at Hyrum Dam for a summer BBQ. (I'm the second from the left.)

I'm happy to be graduated and I'm thankful for my parents who helped me along the way. I'm thankful for my friends and my employers and everyone who has been a part of my life. I'm so happy to be graduated and I'm excited to get started writing the next chapter of my book down here on earth. Cheers to a bright future!

Here are some pics of my closest friends and I this past year.

John, Jashon and I ate this whole pie during "Friends night." Every Tuesday was friends night. 

Natalie & Ryan Humpherys at my birthday celebration.  

Natalie and I standing outside our freshman dorm the week before I graduated. 

My freshman roommate Amanda. She was also my roommate my junior year.

My favorite roommates. Amanda, Amber and Jess. 

Jess and I getting frozen yogurt. 

Jess and I saying goodbye after I moved out. 

Mairen and I making tinfoil dinners in our make shift fire pit last summer. 

Amber and I at the concrete jungle in Logan canyon last summer.

Hayden, me and Mitch in California during the 4th of July. Best. Vacation. Ever.

FALL 2014 BUCKET LIST

Because fall is the best season ever, Braden and I have been thinking of things to do this year! Here is our bucket list! Feel free to print it or do whatever you want with it! Hope you enjoy!

Sorry that it's a jpg. You may have to convert to pdf if necessary. My computer was going crazy and it wouldn't open as a pdf. 

Did You Serve A Mission?

I'm assuming you read my post's title... and if you didn't... I don't know why you would end up here. So lets all rhetorically answer that question. Did you go on a mission? If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints you know that this question is one of the first asked to all men and nowadays increasingly more women.

I think missions are an amazing thing. I think they teach people life lessons and help them learn knowledge they may have not learned elsewhere. I know missions have changed the lives of millions. Not only the missionary but the people and families all over the world who have been served and touched by missionaries. Missionaries even learn languages oftentimes in just a few months, and if that's not amazing enough they have to adapt to new climates and cultural lifestyles. 

Many of my close friends have served missions and it's incredible to listen to their heart softening stories of converts and even stories of self conversion. Return missionaries have so much to offer and have done so much good... but what about those people both men and women who haven't served a mission?

For the sake of the cause, lets call the question of if one has or hasn't served a mission, DYSAM (did you serve a mission) because I will referring to it a few times. 

People often get caught up in the yes or no of  DYSAM rather than the intentions and heart of the individual. I feel strongly about this because over the years I have dated many, many men.. some who have and some who haven't served missions. Here is what I have found.

I have found that the men who have served missions are AMAZING guys...but guess what? The LDS men who haven't are still AMAZING guys! They have high standards, attend church, have testimonies, want to get married in the temple, etc.. I could easily say their character and spirituality is based on the present, on the now. It's not solely based on DYSAM because yes, that's wonderful but what are they doing now? Have they fallen away? Are they still reading scriptures, praying and attending church? I know some have fallen away, some have stayed strong. 

As mentioned before, I think missions are SUCH a positive thing. When I have children, I will encourage all of them to serve missions, especially my boys (if I have boys..) but what if they don't? I'll love them unconditionally. They are still perfect and will still have every chance to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. 

Does it mean you're a bad person because you didn't serve a mission? Absolutely not! There are many reasons one doesn't serve a mission. Sometimes heath issues prohibit one from serving. Other times anxiety and nerves deter someone from going into the mission field. Maybe they are taking care of prior sins and going through the repentance process? Lastly, sometimes a person doesn't yet have a strong enough testimony to withstand a mission- and that's not necessarily a bad thing. All that means is that the person needs to search, pray and build a deeper conviction for them self. Who's to say they won't go later?

I know that there is a time for everyone. It could be at age 19, it could be at age 50. We can all be missionaries regardless of DYSAM. That yes or no doesn't mean we can never be missionaries or that we don't have to continue to be a missionary. We are all eternal missionaries, some have more experience than others and some are still growing their testimony. 

Instead of focusing so much on DYSAM, let's focus on the now. Let's focus on what each individual is doing in their life currently to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Let's use those wonderful missionary experiences to learn and grow but also realize we are all at different spiritual stages of our life. We are all special and we can all be missionaries. 

What are your comments? 

Top 5 Ways to Experience Washington D.C.

Washington D.C is one of the most interesting and culturally rich cities I've been to in the United States. It offers something for everyone. Around every corner is incredible architecture, a new museum to explore and hundreds of new restaurants to try.  Braden and I decided to go over Labor Day and we were extremely surprised to learn that there was so much to do and we wanted more time! I put together the top 5 things you have to do in Washington D.C. that we learned from our trip and hopefully you'll get to experience them too! 

1. Rent Bikes from Capital Bikeshare

If you've never been to Washington D.C. you'll learn quickly that your poor feet will hate you from all the walking you'll do during the day. If you've been there, you already know this. I didn't bring the best shoes because "uhm hello, tennis shoes don't match my dresses." Psshh, doing it over again, I'd bring those tennis shoes, wear them proudly and sacrifice gallivanting around in my dresses.

Joyriding around D.C. with Capital Bikeshare bikes

Around day 3, Braden and I talked to some of the locals that lived in the D.C. area. They told us about the bikes all over town that you can rent. The bikes we used were called Capital Bikeshare. The reason we chose these bikes were because they have rent stations literally all over the city. You can check one out and return it to any other rent station in the city.

TIP: These bikes have a small rental charge for 24 hours or 3 days. They are always free for the first 30 minutes. There is a fee for ever 30 mins - hour after that. Braden and I never paid over the rental charge because we would return our bikes to a new rental station before 30 minutes was up. We always had enough time to get from place to place in that amount of time.

Here's how it works.

a. You swipe your credit card and choose between a 24 hour rental or a 3 day rental. The 24 hour rental is $7 and the 3 days is $15.

b. Accept and acknowledge that the company will take a $101.00 hold out of your account to ensure the bikes are not stolen or lost.

c. Agree to the terms and conditions.

d. Print your 5 digit code.

e. Punch your 5 digit code into the numbers just left of the bicycle you want to rent.

f. Return bikes before 30 minutes to a new bike rental station.

g. Understand that you will be given back $94 per bike unless you are charged more with the time.

TIP: Download the Capital Bikeshare App to find all the different bike rental stations. Map out where you want to go and find the station closest to your destination. You will most likely make it in the free 30 minutes if you're touring and sight seeing.

Bikeshare stations

2. Take a Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour

We went through the company Big Bus Tours and it was so convenient. They have four day routes that take you everywhere and anywhere you would want to go to sight see in Washington D.C. Braden and I purchased a 48 hour pass and allowed us to hop on and hop off the buses all day for two days. The first day we took a few routes for almost the whole loop to sight see and learn facts about the city. We then used the map Big Bus Tours provided and circled the interesting places we wanted to return to. It was so easy to navigate and hop on and off the buses at the stops we wanted to go. The bus tours are also great for resting your feet.

TIP: The buses are double decker buses so sit on the top for the best view! Make sure to bring a jacket or umbrella for inclement weather.

Our 48 hour bus ticket also included free tickets for many other activities. It included a river tour on a boat in the Georgetown Harbor, admission to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, admission the Crime & Punishment Museum and admission to the Washington D.C. Zoo. Braden and I went to the zoo and did the boat tour and it was a good time.

View of the Lincoln Memorial from the river tour

3. Visit Georgetown

Georgetown is full of many historic neighborhoods and buildings as well as restaurants and shopping. If you love quaint towns and gorgeous buildings, you will adore Georgetown. It was one of my favorite places in D.C for sure. We went once during the day and even went back one evening because we loved it so much. 

Amazing shops in Georgetown

There are dozens of restaurants to chose from as well as dozens of stores to shop. We were told before we went that we had to try Baked&Wired, a local cupcake shop. We searched it on Google Maps and when we found it there was a line out the door; but, we waited and were NOT disappointed. The cupcakes were delicious. They were large and moist and basically the best cupcakes we had ever had.

With so many restaurants to choose from in Georgetown we narrowed it down by the ratings online and the type of food we wanted to eat. I suggest using Yelp and making reservations if you're going for dinner. It gets really busy in the evenings.

I mentioned Georgetown has shopping didn't I? I may have spent some time in H&M because I have a slight addiction to that store. I splurged and got some clothes for fall. Shhhh... don't tell. They basically have any store that you would need if you were to take a shopping trip there.

One of my favorite parts of Georgetown was the harbor. The waterfront is just gorgeous-- especially in the evening. There are multiple restaurants along the water that if we had time, I would have loved to go to. I suggest trying one out.. and letting me know what you think! You can also take the boat tour, like I mentioned above, at this harbor.

The harbor in Georgetown

4. Walk the National Mall

The National Mall starts at the Lincoln Memorial and ends at the Capitol-- it's about 2 miles long. I would spread it out into a few days if possible because there is a lot of walking with much to see. Start at one end and make your way to the other. Braden and I started at the end with the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and got to explore that end of town first. 

Braden and I at the Lincoln Memorial

We then made our way to the row of Smithsonian Museums but couldn't get through them in one day. Spread out the museums and take a few a days if possible so you don't burn yourself out. Along the National Mall you will also get to see the front and back of the White House. 

The White House

Further along, after the museums, you will see the Capitol building and the Library of Congress as well as many other government buildings. You can get a free tour of the Capitol when you arrive or you can schedule one in advance.

TIP: The capitol tours take about 45-50 minutes and take you into the rotunda among a few other rooms that used to be used by congress.

The Library of Congress is an extremely beautiful building on the outside and even more extravagant on the inside. I would highly suggest vising this while you're at the Capitol. The Library of Congress is directly across the street.

TIP: Get a map with all of the monuments, museums and sights and circle which ones you want to make the priority just in case you don't get to everything in time.

View of the Washington Monument

5. Take Advantage of the Smithsonian Museums & Zoo

In Washington D.C. there are 19 Smithsonian museums and art galleries all fairy close to one another. If you didn't know, each Smithsonian museum is free to the public. It's AMAZING! There are so many interesting ones. You can spend as much or as little time as you would like in each museum which makes it great for managing your time. Braden and I had a list of priority museums that we wanted to go to and we spread them out over a few days.

The first day we did the Holocaust Museum and spent 3-4 hours reading, watching and listening to all the eye opening facts and information. It was a sad experience but a place I think everyone should visit. I would definitely recommend it.

The second day we went to the Air and Space Museum as well as the National Museum of Natural History. Both were incredible but only took us an hour or two to walk through. The Air and Space Museum had a lot of information of early flight systems as well as dozens of planes to look at. A few of the planes even allowed for you to go inside. The Museum of Natural History had everything from ocean exhibits to early human evolution to birds and all size mammals. The dinosaur area of that museum is currently closed for a few years due to the assembly of a new T-Rex.

If I had more time, I would have loved to visit some of the beautiful art galleries and gone to more museums.

I always knew I wanted to visit D.C. but I didn't ever think I would love it as much as I did. No one ever told me there was soo much to do and see. I hope my favorite things from our trip help you in your ventures to Washington D.C. 

If you've been to D.C., what were some of your favorite things? 

I added a bunch of extra pics... so if you don't want to see our touristy iPhone photos, stop scrolling now!!!

Photographing the Washington Monument

Dinner downtown at a quaint little Italian restaurant 

Continuing our touristy adventures

Breakfast at the Wicked Waffle shop- the ladies there were so nice!

Inside a hallway of the Library of Congress

Dinner for a whole family.. that's what it felt like!

Lights in Georgetown