Utah!!

This is where we will be for the next two weeks relaxing and spending time with our family and friends....and of course eating at Cafe Rio!

Temple lights anyone??

Last night for young women we went to the DC temple(which is actually in Maryland) to see the lights. I loved it! The lights were fabulous and we also got to hear the best violin concert. Jenny Oaks Baker was performing at the visitors center and it was amazing! Almost all the young women came and we had a great time.
My ward growing up went to temple square to see the lights in Salt Lake each Christmas and I am glad that I get to continue the tradition all the way out here.

This picture is unfortunately not very clear but these are tulips. Lights that look like tulips, they were adorable!

Neil Diamond+sweaters+mugs=FUN

Matt and Eliza hosted a Neil Diamond Christmas party last night and it was a lot of fun. You HAD to wear a sweater(the grosser the better) and you HAD to bring a mug.
Sterling's high school buddies started this tradition and have kept it going. Lots of hot chocolate and wassail was brewing all night...it was delicious!
I love Christmas parties! I have been to 5 other the last 7 days.
My sweater was from 1997, some of your might recognize it, and since it was from the Gap, more of you probably owned it. I wore it to the Christmas dinner dance my senior year...10 YEAR ago!! Sterling's sweater is one he got for his mission...we clearly hold on to everything!

Edward Cullen anyone???

You are looking at the new face of Edward Cullen! He has just been cast in the Twilight movie as Edward. Stephenie Meyer is "ecstatic" with their choice and after doing some research on him...I am thrilled with him!(as if they care...)
His name is Robert Pattinson and he is best known for his role as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. I love it! Harry Potter and Twilight using the same actor!
I am very excited for the movie to come out and even happier that they are making such great progress.
*And just as a side note...if you are reading this and have not read the Twilight series..get with it!

An answer to prayer...

...Since I have been married, I have served in the primary and nursery. I love the primary and especially have loved my calling in our ward out here. I have been teaching the valiant 11 class which is awesome.
Probably the hardest thing for me right now is that I have a lot of time on my hands. I have been sort of down lately and looking for ways to serve more. I tried going out with the sister missionaries more and that helped a little but I still felt like I needed something else...and then it came..I got called into young women. I am so excited! I served in young women when I first got home from my mission and loved it. This calling is such an answer to prayer for me. I get to serve with fabulous women and work with the girls, which is always a blast! I will miss my primary class but look forward to a calling that gives me a lot to do during the week...

SNOW!!!

That's right we got 2 whole inches of snow and more is falling now! It may not sound like a lot to most of you but this is a huge deal out here! Schools have been canceled, people are leaving work early, and I am sitting at home enjoying my day off! Happy Holidays!!!

August Rush!!!

So I finally saw August Rush and I absolutely loved it! I went with my friends Ann and Eliza. I read numerous reviews and was worried that I was going to be disappointed...but no...the movie was all I thought it would be and more.
Keri Russell was of course one of the main reasons I loved the movie...she was awesome. I have loved everything she has been in(except The Waitress which was awful, she was good, but the movie was not). Jonathan Rhys Meyers was another reason I loved it....(why hasn't he been in more movies???) Robin Williams was of course over the top, I have a hard time taking him serious in anything!! Freddie Highmore is adorable!!
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I LOVED it!!

P.S.-Keri Russell learned how to play the cello for the movie...another reason I think she is fabulous!!

The Christmas countdown is on...

I LOVE Christmas time and cannot believe that it is exactly 4 weeks away!( I have had a countdown going for the last 5 weeks) I put up my Christmas decorations the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I love turning on our tree at night. I am totally in the Christmas spirit. We can't wait to spend it with our family and see some our good friends while we are home. We will be flying home to Utah in three weeks and cannot wait to see you all!

Who wants more turkey???

We spent Thanksgiving at Matt and Eliza's this year and had the best time.

Ann, Sterling, Matt, and Wes enjoying our yummy appetizers.

Mr. and Mrs. Fillmore!!

This is Matt and Eliza's little boy Theo. He usually is sort of freaked out by Sterling, but they had a major breakthrough and are now friends!

Our cute place settings...Eliza has fabulous taste!

The bird in all it's glory! Matt cooked the turkey and did a wonderful job! It was super yummy. Eliza, Hannah, and Rob were also there but I have no pictures of them because our battery ran out. We had such a great time and are truly grateful to Matt and Eliza for hosting and making us feel at home!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I have so many things to be thankful for this day. I love this time of year because it reminds me of how much I have been blessed in my life. Thank you for all of you who have blessed my life, especially my adorable husband who keeps me going! Even though I am not spending Thanksgiving in Utah with family, I am happy we have such great friends to share today with!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Get ready for rolls!!!

I am so excited for Thanksgiving that I did a test run on rolls to make sure they would be turn out. I think they look pretty good and they are super tasty! (Don't worry, I will be making a fresh batch on Thursday.)

Totally tagged!!!

So I have been tagged a few times, and decided to give it a go. Not totally sure how it works but I will try anyway.
The rules: List 6 things about yourself and then tag 6 other people.

1. I have NEVER been on a roller coaster...I know it sounds sort of crazy but I just haven't. I went on Puff the Magic Dragon at Lagoon when I was like 5 and I clearly remember making the guy stop it so that I could get off...which leads into my next one...

2. I am 27 years old and have never been to Disneyland. The fact that I am scared to death of roller coasters might have something to do with this. The crazy thing is that I don't feel deprived! I had an adorable companion on my mission who was a Disney princess and she almost passed out when I told her! She drew me a map of the entire place and walked me through it, and until we have kids, that might be as close as I get.

3. I have the biggest sweet tooth EVER! I could pretty much each candy all day long and be fine. Which is why I went off sugar two months ago. Probably the hardest thing that I have ever done but I feel a lot better.

4. Sterling and I share a cellphone. That's right, we only have ONE cellphone. If you think that's crazy we also don't have TV or cable. We do watch DVDs though so we are not totally out there! I love reading and read a lot without TV.

5. I am scared to death of cockroaches...GROSS! When we were looking for places to rent out here the first question I asked was if they had roaches?!?!? I did find 2 when we first moved in here and I almost packed up and flew home...luckily I have not see one since and go to all extremes to keep them away.

6. I want 8 children if not more. I have always wanted 8 kids and thought that I would be married by the time I was 23 and have three kids by know...not everything works exactly as we plan! Now this sounds nearly impossible seeing as how I am 27 and have not managed to have one yet...but I still want 8. I came from a big family and LOVE it! My family is the best thing ever. My sisters are my best friends, my parents are absolutely amazing, and my brothers are such great examples to me. I married into an equally awesome family. Sterling feels the same way I do, which was one of the things that I LOVE about him! Even without having kids, I am very passionate about motherhood! If I had a soap box this would be it. I loved Sister Becks talk at conference because it described exactly how I feel!

That's all... I hope you learned something new about me. I tag Becky, Jennifer, Laura, Rindi, Brandi, and Tyra!!!!

Do I want long luscious locks???

I have been having this major dilemma lately as to whether I should keep my hair short, or grow it our again. The best thing about short hair is it takes me no more than 10 minutes from wet to dry. The hard thing is that no ponytails for the gym, no cute curls when I want a change, and I sort of feel like short hair makes my neck look really long(someone at work informed me of this...) SO...what should I do????

I sort already know what I am going to do, but I thought I would get some opinions from those who know me best!!!

(My adorable husband really loves it short...little Hema says he likes it long.)

Turkeys anyone???

My mom goes all out for the holidays. This is a picture of my mom's turkey collection. I love Thanksgiving! I always have. I remember when I was little and my mom would be making pies...she would let me make my own in a tiny little pie crust. She never made me feel like I was in the way or anything. Even though I am sure that I always was! The holidays are all about being with family, playing lots of intense games, and eating lots of yummy food. Although we are not going to be there for Thanksgiving, I can't even wait to go home at Christmas and see how she has decorated! Love you mom! (Jen, thanks for the picture!)

Bastilla anyone???

We have so many great ethnic resturants around us. Last night we ate at Taste of Morocco. It was very good but the best thing we had was the BASTILLA. It was delicious!!!! If anyone has the chance to try it......do! You will thank me later. It is this yummy sweet meat pastry thing. I can't even do it justice but it was awesome......

Happy Halloween Sydney Bristow!!

First of all Happy Halloween! It just doesn't at all feel like Halloween today but that just might be because we have nothing planned and are not dressing up. (another reason why we need kids because then we can just dress them up...... like a really cute mummy I know.)

Why Sydney Bristow???? Because I totally miss her on Alias. I am constantly re-watching the seasons of Alias on DVD and I love Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan. I just wanted to make sure their characters are never forgotten!!!!!

See you at Christmas!

We just dropped off Josh at the airport. It was so fun having him out here. Sterling and Josh watched more rugby than I thought was possible......Sterling loved it!
We went by the White House this afternoon. It was the first day this week with no rain so people were EVERYWHERE!We were sad to see him go but so happy that we got to see him at all. The only thing that could have made this trip better is if Laura could have come. We love you Josh! See you at Christmas!!!

He's here.....

My little brother Josh flew in today and will be here till Saturday........YEAH!!! Two family members in one week! (It is not really snowing here, just raining!)

What month is it again???

The temperature has finally dropped and I think fall just might be here officially. It has been so extremely hot and humid here, that I have had a hard time even remembering that it is October. This last day of so it has cooled off and I think it will stay this time......

Time flies.....

I just dropped Marilee and Maren off at the airport. Sisters are the best and I am so lucky to have so many awesome sisters and sister-in-laws. They are so good to me and are my best friends! Hopefully more of them will make their way out east to see us. Here are some more highlights, we had such a fabulous trip....

Need a purse anyone??? Georgetown is such a great place to get a cute purse for a killer deal. My favorite line of the day was....."Do you want your Prada tag on or do you want to take it with you?...." Gotta love it....(we passed on the tags.)
The White House is one of our favorite places to take people.

The leaves are changing everywhere here and it is so beautiful, especially at Arlington cemetary.

Sterling and Maren mostly hung out while we would go in and look at stuff....(he is going to be the most adorable dad.)

Thank you Marilee for coming and seeing us. We had such a great time with you!

Check out our pics from Mount Vernon!

WE LOVE VISITORS!!!!

My sister Marilee and her baby Maren got here yesterday and we are having the time of our lives!!! We spent the day in D.C. checking out museums....and got a tour of the capital. It was fabulous!

They are here through the weekend so check back for more pictures later. (Hope this makes some of you want to come and see us......we are tons of fun!!!)

Maren is such a happy, cute baby! She was a little cherub all day, even though we dragged her all over the town.

SO CUTE!!!

I am obsessed with my new niece Vela! She is so adorable. I don't know if I can wait till Christmas to see her!

Amazing things come to those who wait....

My beautiful niece Vela Amelia Katoa is here!!!

She was born on early Friday morning and Becky and Hema got to go pick her up Saturday afternoon. She is so adorable, I cannot even stand that I am not there right now. It is absolutely amazing how Heavenly Father answers our prayers. We have prayed long and hard for this little angel and now she is here....I made this cute quilt for her and hoped that it would get there on time. It was delivered about two hours after they got home!

The proud parents!!! Becky and Hema are such awesome parents and I am so happy for them. (Becky can finally put to use all those baby girl clothes that she has had for 9 years.)

Vela was my Grandma Hawkins name. She passed away a few years ago. She was an amazing woman who raised an awesome family. She lived the gospel to its fullest and left a legacy that will never be forgotten. I am sure that baby Vela will be just like her!

ADORABLE HUSBANDS ANYONE????

On Monday night, my adorable hubby Sterling surprised me with two new pairs of shoes. He had "noticed" that my workout shoes were worn out. So he went to the store and picked out some cute pink ones for me. He also bought me a cute pair for when we go on walks or check out historic stuff (I always wear sandals or something uncomfortable and then complain that my feet hurt) Unfortunately they were the wrong size and had I had to get different ones because very few shoes come in and 11.....imagine that! I just had to post about it. Aren't husbands that cutest????

General Conference!!!!

So I had a wonderful experience watching conference today.....it was exactly what I've needed lately! There were talks given today that seem to have been directed at me personally. Anyone else feel the same?

Happy Birthday Joseph and Joshua!!

Twenty five years ago today my little brothers were born and although I have no recollection of their birth, they have made a huge impression on me since! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE AND JOSH! They are the best little brothers and I miss them so much. They have been such great examples for me. I love it when I meet someone who knows them and they ask...."You are Joe and Josh Hawkins older sister?....." which is usually followed by how they are so cute, hot, attractive, nice, fun, AMAZING etc. I am proud to be their older sister and happy to watch them grow up and start families of their own. They are both married to the most fantastic girls!!!
Happy Birthday boys!

I just love Lincoln!

I just have to say that the Lincoln memorial is my FAVORITE memorial in DC. I love it so much, especially at night. We live about ten minutes from it so we often drive to it and take a walk.......it's breathtaking! We probably have ten to fifteen pictures in front of it, so I thought I should post one of them.

It's here!!!!

I have finally joined the blogging community! Sterling and I joke that we are usually the last people to do about everything...(cellphones, cable, digital cameras, etc.) Sterling actually has a blog with his buddies, but I am not a part of it, so I decided to start my own! I have so much to catch up on from our summer so they may be old news for some of you. Anyway, here I go..... My little brother Josh got married in July to Laura....who we LOVE! They are such a great couple. I got together with some or my friends while I was in Utah. I miss these girls so much!

We went to Mexico with my family and had a blast! We stayed in a beach house, all 25 of us and it was so much fun! Families are the best! Isn't my mom is adorable!

We went to a National's baseball game.....so much fun! We even got an Abe Lincoln Bobble head out of it!

For all you Stephenie Meyer fans.......eat your heart out! We went to the book signing here in Fairfax and it was a blast. The day started at 9:30 am when we had to drive out to the border to get tickets for the book signing. My ticket number was 131......they had over 1000 tickets!! The signing started and 7pm so we got there about 5 of course. I went with some of my friends from the ward, and one of my clients and her friends.....we had to fight off all the little 14-year-olds who were trying to take over our spot. I made shirts....VOTE EDWARD CULLEN 2008...We were the only ones there old enough to vote so out shirts were very original. Stephenie was the best! Love her! She did Q&A and then we got to have here sign our books........in case any of you don't know who she is, read her books, you will love them! (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse) The whole evening was a blast!