New Job!

So here's my crazy story of how I got a job. Okay it's really not that crazy. So, I had money saved up for about three months worth of living and I was at the end up of my savings. I was super worried about how I was going to pay April rent because I hadn't had any temp jobs or babysitting jobs for a while. I was dreading having to go work in a restaurant. I had interviewed for a temporary nanny job that I was more than qualified for and I think I would have done an awesome job. I left the interview feeling certain I would get the job. But I didn't. I tried not to worry and just trust that I did the best I could and if I didn't get the job, then there must be something better out there for me. I was stressing big time so this past fast Sunday I fasted that I would be able to find a job. The next day I found out I had an interview for an administrative assistant job in Georgetown. I went in on Tuesday and I think I did a good job in the interview (thanks Doug and Andalynn for helping me practice!). Then they called and said they wanted me to come in for a second interview the next day. I met the big boss and once again I felt certain I would get the job. Then later that day I found out that I didn't get it. The next day I went to the day institute class they have at my church (I assume for people who don't have a job?) Thursday at noon is a random time to have institute. The lesson was on self-reliance and the lesson started out talking about how we should trust in the Lord. I totally embarrassed myself by crying in class. I hate people seeing me cry! But I was definitely humbled and after the class I went home and prayed very sincerely that I would be able to pay April rent. I checked my email and the people that had turned me down asked if I would be interested in doing a temp job for them. It would be enough money to pay rent! I was so grateful! And then on Friday morning I woke up to a phone call. It was the job I had applied for telling me that the person they picked for the job changed their mind and asked if I wanted the job and if I could come in right then. So yesterday I woke up without a job but I ended up at work with a job by 10am. Everything worked out!!! Blessings do come. So now I am a administrative assistant to some property managers at Chatel Real Estate in Georgetown. Yay! I have no idea what I'm doing but I hope I don't embarrass myself too badly in the process of learning my way around my new job.

What I Learned this Year

Well, the day has finally come. I'll all packed and my room is emptied out and cleaned. I'm flying home to Tennessee tomorrow and then I'll be moving to Arlington, Virginia when I get back. This year has been a HUGE year of growth for me. And if you read my posts from earlier this year, I think you can kind of tell that I'm different from when I wrote them. There were a lot of unexpected changes. I learned about some new things that I needed to work on which were different than what I expected to be doing this year. I'm glad the Lord has guided me to figuring out what I need to do to change and has sent people my way to help me make those changes. This year was not an easy year for me. (It was certainly not the hardest by any means!!! No more depression makes life so much easier!). I was completely out of my comfort zone pretty much all year and that has helped foster the growth I've experienced. And now that I'm finally comfortable here I'm leaving (but I'm not moving too far away!). On to new jobs, new friends, a new house. I have a good feeling 2012 is going to be a memorable and wonderful year for me. (I plan on making it that way!) Here are some things I learned this year in D.C. in 2011:


-Sometimes you just have to fake it til you make it. (And also that most cliche's are true!)
-I can be friends with a lot of different types of people. People who aren't the same age, not the same personality, people who view life differently than me. It's nice to know I can make friends with just about anyone (if they're nice).
-I don't like dogs as much as I thought I did.
-That I truly am beautiful. Not only inside but also on the outside.
-That I have a lot more to work on than I thought! But also that I am doing better than I thought I was.
-I am okay by myself. I can handle being alone now.
-I really hate passive aggressiveness. Okay, I already knew that but now I REALLY know that I hate it and it doesn't solve anything. It just makes people (well, me) angry. Honesty and open communication in a tactful and nice way is the best way to interact with people.
-Who Ben Bernanke is. And that he has really yappy dogs.
-That being a mother is going to be A LOT harder than I thought. But I am also even more excited to have my own children.
-A lot about how to take care of babies (specifically twins) and how to best entertain toddlers.
-People notice my efforts and abilities more than I realize.
-It's important to look your best but even more important to treat others with kindness.
-How to ride the metro and navigate around a big city.
-Where all the good places to eat in D.C. are. And that Good Stuff Eatery should really be called The Best Stuff Eatery. I know where the best pancakes are (Market Lunch) and the best kabobs are (Crystal City... which is where I'm moving to!!!)
-That people are mean for a reason. If you get to know why someone is the way they are by looking at their past experiences, you can't help but feel compassion for them instead of anger.
-That complete and true forgiveness is possible even if things are not fair or just (in this lifetime).
-If you try your absolute best and put your trust in the Lord, you will be okay.
-A lot more things that are pretty personal and probably not best to be shared on the internet, and some things that are just boring for you to read. :)


Goodbye Capitol Hill and thanks for an amazing year! I'll be back to visit!

(Where I lived this year)

(My street sign)

Things I Like

-Walking down the street and seeing random cats or dogs staring at you through the window. I don't know why that makes me so happy every time.

-Christmas lights and decorations all lit up as I'm walking home at night.

-Living by Eastern Market.

-Fun craft nights full of chocolate treats (chocolate butter!!!), laughter, and good conversation.

-Listening to music from the 90's. And Christmas music!

-Talking to best friends on the phone and laughing so much that my endorphins make me feel like I can take on the world. Also reminiscing with said best friends and planning when we'll see each other again.

-Being told that I've made a difference in someone's life because I can understand what they're going through. Realizing that my trials really can help me help others.

-Open mouthed kisses from two certain babies. (Will they ever learn to kiss with their mouths closed?) And when they come up behind me and randomly hug my back like a sneak attack hug. So sweet.

-Knowing that I'm flying home in three days!!!

A Tribute to my D.C. Friends

When I moved here on January 1st of this year I was very very nervous. I didn't know anyone and honestly I was almost dreading moving. I was comfortable where I was in Provo but I felt so strongly about moving to D.C. and very specifically that I should be a nanny for the Satterlee family. But I figured everything would be fine because I was sent here and the Lord would provide for me. I should have known not to expect things to turn out the way I pictured. Things didn't turn out the way I thought they would, but the way things happened turned out to be better for me than I could have imagined. Prayers are always answered in unexpected ways. :)

There were two or three times when I seriously considered getting on a plane and moving back to Utah or Tennessee this year. I just wanted to give up. But I knew this is where I needed to be and I'm glad I stuck it out. I know that I would have given up if it wasn't for the friends I made here. All of my friends (except one that I knew from BYU) I met because I went to the family ward. When I moved here there was no question in my mind that I wasn't going to go to a single's ward. I knew I was going to. After all, the Lord sent me here to get married! (hahaha! That's what I was hoping anyway). But once again, things didn't turn out the way I thought and I felt pretty strongly that I needed to attend the family ward. I resisted for a month or two but I finally realized that's where the Lord wanted me. And I'm so glad that I did. My calling in the Young Women's presidency taught me so much and I really grew to love the girls dearly. Not to mention all the great leaders!

Basically what I'm saying is, if it wasn't for my friends this year I would have gone crazy!!! Let me introduce you to a few of them:

Ruth- I actually met Ruth at the single's ward because that's where I was planning on going to church. (I even got my picture taken and everything!) I saw her sitting down and thought "that girl looks really nice, I think I'll sit by her" but then I realized someone had their stuff there so I sat somewhere else. I mentioned that I was here as a nanny and Ruth came up and told me she was a nanny too and gave me her info. Then I decided to go to the family ward instead. I walked in and guess who I saw sitting there? That's right, Ruth! It turns out she moved into the family ward boundaries. We made plans to eat dinner together and realized we have a ton in common. Ruth has been a supportive and uplifting friend who I could call and cry to when I was having a problem. She was the first friend I made here and one of the best! I've asked her advice on many things and plus she has great style! :) I've enjoyed our shared interests and shared profession.

(Ain't she cute?!)



Jill- I would seriously have been lost without Jill this year! She rode the metro with me and helped me figure it out. She told me about the single's wards and answered all my questions about D.C. She was the ONLY person I knew here. She was basically my lifeline. She invited me over to her house several times to dinner and to hang out with her friends because I didn't know anyone. One of the times I was considering going home she metro-ed over to Eastern Market just to come and talk to me and make me feel better. Also, I'm moving into her room because she's getting married. If it wasn't for her, I don't know where I would be living next year! Jill also invited me to Thanksgiving dinner with her and her fiance. I'll say it again: I would have been so lost without her!

(Jill, half of me, and a man's stomach on the Capitol lawn for the 4th of July)



Christine- Christine has been my movie buddy this year! One thing I love about Christine is that she's always up for new fun experiences. Christine has also been a friend that I've been able to have wonderful and meaningful discussions with. She has experienced a lot of things that I've been going through and has been able to help steer me in the right direction with new things I'm learning. Also, we've enjoyed a few delicious cupcakes together! And if I ever need anything all I have to do is mention it to Christine and she's got it covered! :)

(Me and Christine laughing at the pumpkin patch)
Wait... you can't really see her purdy face...

(Here's purdy pic of her purdy face! I stole this pic from facebook...)


Andalynn- I met Andalynn in Eastern Market through people from the ward. She invited me to a movie that night! She was always up for doing something fun and totally accepting of me as a person. She hooked me up with anything I ever asked her for. I did not deserve her as a friend but I am so grateful that we met. :)

(Hot! Once again, I stole this pic from facebook... hope you don't mind!)



I also have to mention all of the Young Women leaders that I've worked with this year have been AMAZING friends and are such wonderful examples to me. Lindsay, Sui Lang, Hannah, Lisa, Sonja, Jjana, Emily, Lindsay, Julie, Rachael. (Whew! that's a lot of leaders!) Also my wonderful home teacher Meredith. :) All of these amazing women have helped me make it through this year and have taught me many amazing lessons.

A Day in the Life of Mary as Seen by Ashley

So, I have a really crappy old camera that I never use because it's not even worth the trouble. But my friend Ashley is here visiting for the week and she took lots of pictures of the area where I live. So I thought people who read my blog should read her blog so they can see pics of where I live and also some fun pics of me and Ash living "a day in the life of Mary" yesterday. To clarify, "a day off in the life of Mary when she's showing her friend around D.C." Haha! But when Ashley kept saying, "this is so cool" I thought yeah it really is, and I live here! I'll never forget my year on Capitol Hill. And even though I decided to move to Arlington, VA it's only a ten minute metro ride away from the district. So I'll still get to experience all the cool things of D.C. Here's the link to Ashley's blog. Read it! The end. Her blog is found here.

Dating in D.C.

Yesterday I went to the single's ward in Arlington, VA. It was really fun and really nice, especially since I've been going to a family ward. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my ward! There is no other ward in the whole world quite like the Capitol Hill ward in Washington D.C. However, it was nice listening to the talks and lessons because these people are in the same stage of life as me and I can relate so well. (I even went to marriage prep with my friend Jill who is engaged! Ha!) The lesson in Relief Society was about desires and also about being happy with your life now and not being sad all the time because we are not married. (Sounds a lot like President Uchtdorf's talk from the day before!) It was a great reminder. We also talked about things we could do both temporally and spiritually to increase our chances of marriage. (I know right?) Well, I for one I have not seriously dated anyone since my divorce. Or anyone besides my ex-husband for that matter... And I'm thinking... that's gotta change! I definitely needed a lot of time (a few years...) to heal and be ready but now I think I am ready to start dating again. I've already had a few offers since I've been here in D.C. The men here just appreciate what I have to offer more than the men in Utah. Haha! Here are a couple of gems:

Story #1:
I was on a walk with the twins and our lovable black lab Spud. We were walking past a huge black guy and I didn't want to show that I was intimidated or nervous (even though he definitely made me feel that way!) so I looked him in the eyes (first mistake) and smiled (second mistake). It was like 11 in the morning and I was wondering "why isn't he at work? What is he doing walking around here? Doesn't he have somewhere he's supposed to be?" You may ask, "well why were you walking around the middle of the day?" And if you asked that I would say to you because hello! It's my job to take the babies out and about every day on our daily walk!!! Duh. Anyway, back to the story. So I looked at him and smiled trying to be brave and he says (looking at the twins), "Can I have one?" and then without missing a beat..."Can I have you?" Well, how are you supposed to react in that situation? Laugh of course! I didn't know what else to do so I just started laughing and kept walking past him. But apparently it wasn't a rhetorical question and he called out "Well?!" I just kept walking and laughing until we were out of sight. I was very grateful to have Spud with us even if he can be a chicken sometimes.

Story #2:
It was a Friday night. I had no plans. So I decided the only thing for me to do was to go to the mall. Not the national mall... but a regular shopping mall. I suppose it would have been cooler to go walk around the national mall but I chose to check out the Pentagon City mall. It's accessible by metro (you don't even have to go outside of the metro to get inside!) So Friday night. Me by myself at the mall because I'm awesome like that. I went into any and every store that looked interesting because that's the right you have when there's no one else with you to say, "oh I don't like that store, let's go here instead". I wandered into Yankee Candle and proceeded to sniff EVERY SINGLE type of candle. And I was enjoying it too. All of a sudden I heard, "I like your earrings". Now to be fair, they were pretty awesome earrings. My friend Rachel Fisher bought them for me and they are super cute owl dangly earrings. As I turned to see who complimented my dangly owls, I had to look down because it was a kind of short scrawny guy. He walked up to me with no shame and said, "How old are you?" I told him I was 25 (and I was not ashamed!) He informed me he was 23. Looking back on it, I guess he was making sure I was "legal" and not under 18 before he went too far. Actually he sort of just ran everything together, "Hi my name is so and so , I'm 23 years old, can I be your boyfriend?" I had the feeling I wasn't the first girl he said those exact words to that night. At least he's trying unlike some guys I know. Haha! I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I (lied) said that I already had a boyfriend. He was concerned that this boyfriend didn't treat me right and kept saying, "but does he treat you right? I'll treat you right!" all the while touching my arm (awkward!). I assured him that my boyfriend did in fact treat me well and I even went so far as to say, "we're very happy together. It's going really well". Haha! Oh man, what was I supposed to say? "No my fake boyfriend I made up not to hurt your feelings doesn't really treat me well"? He tried to give me his number "just in case" but I turned him down and he left me alone to continue sniffing candles. It was a fun night.

My uncle Jason told me to stop being so picky as far as boys are concerned. But I'm pretty sure those guys need a girl who has a little bit more in common with them. Plus I don't date non-members. Sorry guys! Haha!:) And that's been the extent of my dating life here in D.C. Let's hope me moving to a single's ward will have some better results.

Back at the Beginning

So.....basically I'm exactly right were I was around this time last year. I had no idea what I was going to do after I graduated in December. I had a vague idea that I wanted to move to Washington D.C. but I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do there. I didn't know where I would live if I moved to D.C. I was nervous about the future simply because I had NO IDEA what to do! And that's where I'm at again a year later. Sigh. Now, I don't know what I'm going to do after December. I have a vague idea that I want to move back to Utah but I don't know where I would live or what job I would have. I am nervous about the future!!! But even though I worried and worried and prayed and wondered last year, the Lord provided for me. I realized that I should be a nanny in D.C. And I had the opportunity to be offered a job last October to come and live with the Satterlee's and be their nanny. It worked out so easily and so well. So, does that mean next month I'll figure everything out? Will I be handed my next opportunity on a silver platter? Probably not but I sure hope so. The nice thing is, unlike last year, I am NOT taking classes. I am graduated!!!! Yay!!! I keep feeling like something is going to happen soon. But I don't know what. I keep getting really good feelings that something great is going to happen to me here in D.C. in the next few months. But I don't really want to speculate. (At least not publicly on my blog... hehe). Well, I'll keep you posted when I figure everything out!!! Looks like I'll be going to the temple a lot to try to figure things out. Wish me luck!

Adventures on the Metro

Oh boy! The metro the metro... Well, the metro is a crazy place. Definitely not as crazy as the subway in New York, not as crowded as the one in London (I'm guessing?) But the metro here in D.C. is still CRAZY!!! Sometimes amusing, sometimes worrisome, sometimes a little scary, but always crazy! I've been waiting for a while to write a post about the metro because I wanted to get some more good stories. And I think last night gave me all the material I needed. (More about that in a minute). So without further ado here are some fun things that happened while I was riding the metro:
1.) Getting stuck in the door- The metro door (or so I'm told) used to open up again if you happened to be in the doorway while it was closing. I guess people started taking advantage of that too much and delaying trains because now the door does not open up anymore. I've seen a few people get stuck and it always makes me concerned and yet amused. One man with very very long dreds got three of his dreds stuck in the door of the train. He gently tugged on them to see if they would come loose but because dreds are kinda fragile (I think?) he had to wait until the next stop to free them. All the while standing there looking sheepish and embarrased.
I've seen people get their backpacks stuck, one guy had his foot stuck. Another man was so determined to get on the train he pried the doors open (or at least tried). The train driver guy yelled at him over the intercom. The man just told him to "shut up" and he got on anyway.
2.) Close calls aka professional metro riders- Some people have been taking the metro for years and feel comfortable enough to judge whether or not they can make it onto the train or not. They slip in turning sideways as the doors close. They run onto the train at the very last possible second and they don't get caught or stuck. I think these people are highly skilled but I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I will risk getting stuck in the doors.
3.) Getting separated- Sometimes there is a big group of people, especially now that tourist season is starting up. And sometimes someone gets left behind. It's sad! You look out the window and see their stricken face as the train zooms off (okay sometimes it's kinda funny but not if it happens to you!) The craziest/scariest separation story I didn't actually see but I heard about it from my boss. A mom was getting on the metro with her baby in a stroller... the stroller got on but the mom didn't.... But luckily the people who saw it took the baby out and waited at the next station for the mom. But still!!! If you have a baby, you should not try to be one of the "professional metro riders".
4.)Trouble on the metro- Sometimes people get in fights on the metro. Kinda scary. You can look them up on youtube... Also sometimes girls like to gang up on you (and by you I mean me) and call you all kinds of names but you just pretend not to hear them and hope they don't follow you off the train. Yes, this happened to me... Stupid mean girls...
5.)And last but not least THE CRAZY PEOPLE ON THE METRO- There are crazies who take this lovely public transit system. They talk to you, sit next to you, ask you for money, tell you their life story, or shout gibberish. The key is pretending that they are not there. Now, I've seen this happen to plenty of other people on the metro but never me until now... Last night as I was in a practially empty metro station waiting of the train. I sat down on a bench since it was going to be a 15 min wait because it was late at night. I was sitting on the very end of the bench so if someone else wanted to sit down we wouldn't have to sit right next to each other because hello, that's awkward. Anyway, I was sitting at the edge of the bench and this asian man was standing next to it. I was listening to my ipod and the next thing I know the man sits down on the one inch of bench that I'm not sitting on. So basically he sits right on me! I look at him and take out my earbud and I'm like "oh sorry, I'll scoot over". He seems appeased by this. I notice the lovely smell of alcohol all over him. So I scooted over and he starts scooting closer every time! And then he starts talking to me in some asian language (korean??) but even I can tell he's probably slurring whatever he's saying even though I don't speak the language. So I pull out my phone and text several people about what's happening. And I keep ignoring him which is really hard for me because I hate being rude to people. But I've learned when you live in a big city, sometimes you just have to be rude. He keeps talking to me and gesturing to the tracks and all around. I keep ignoring him. My friend Heather calls, concerned for my safety and he gets up and walks away. Well, he didnt' exactly walk away. He stumbled away in a zig-zaggy fashion. I feel concerned that he may fall onto the tracks. After assuring Heather that I am indeed fine, a woman sits down next to me, gives me a huge goofy grin and says hi. Which is kinda weird because people around here don't chat with you, especially not waiting for a train. Then I smell the alcohol on her and understand her cause for extra friendliness. Then my train pulls up and I go home. CRAZY PEOPLE!!! I love riding the metro. The end.

Good Enough

So……In case you didn’t know… Life in D.C. is very different. There are rules to be followed here and if you don’t follow them you can’t prosper very well. Rule #1 Fit the standards of looking and dressing the D.C. way. You have to look good. Looks are worth a lot more here than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. Rule#2 You have to be political and interested in politics. Or working at an internship involving politics. If you don’t follow these rules… what are you here for then? I’m here because I was guided here by Heavenly Father. I knew it might be a little tough but I just KNEW I would make tons of friends in the single’s ward. I didn’t realize or count on the ways in which it would be hard. I am not going to a single’s ward. I have made one new friend here and I know one other friend. Going from having tons of friends and being respected and loved to having two friends and being looked down on is really hard. People don’t respect you and you can feel it. Maybe they think if they’re nice to you, you won’t be able to tell how they really feel about you. But for someone as observant and sensitive as me, I can most certainly feel it. I feel that they feel that I am inconsequential and worthless. I was never picked on in high school really. People respected me there as well. I was well liked, voted Most Friendly and class Secretary and on the Yearbook staff etc. However, this is not a new thing for me as my ex-husband set about making me feel worthless and telling me so. But I always thought, it was just a bad situation, no one will make you feel that way again. Wrong. I thought, mmmm well I’ll just be so nice and kind that everyone will love me because I’m a good person on the inside. That might have worked at good ole BYU but it doesn’t work here so well. People don’t care about that kind of thing here. I’m in a very worldly city my friends. Well, however hard it is, that’s how my life is right now. And I’m learning to deal with it. And the only way that I really can deal with it is to change how I view myself. I can’t really change how others view me right away but I can gain more self-esteem and self-love towards myself. I find myself starting to believe others around me; I am worthless. But I promised myself I would never give anyone else the power to make me feel that way about myself again. (Not after all the damage you did Tyler. You big jerk! Haha). I also realized that I was waiting until I fit a certain picture before I would let myself feel good enough. (aka until I lost weight) But the problem with that is I can't lose weight until I feel like I'm worth something. Otherwise I'm just going to keep abusing my body by being unhealthy because I don't think I'm worth it. I don’t want to base my feelings off of how someone else feels about me. I want to be in control of how I view myself. So I took it to the Lord and I’m going to have faith, A LOT of faith that He can help me. Because even though it may be foolish I feel like I’m a pretty awesome person. And I want to be sure of it. So sure that everyone else won’t be able to change my mind when they look at me in that way or whisper about me or tell me to my face that I’m not good enough. Because I am good enough. So there.