If you find my face on a milk carton.....

I woke up Monday morning with flags lining the street. It took me a few moments to realize it was flag day. The local youth for the church does fund raising by offering to put these flags in yards on patriotic type holidays. I love looking down the street and seeing the flags lining the street. I have been very fortunate to see most of this country, there are very few states that I have not been too and Alaska and Hawaii are two of them. My hope is someday when the kids are grown that Adrian and I can travel internationally but in the mean time I have enjoyed seeing the things that our country has to offer. These are a few of my most memorable trips......

We are headed to Washington D.C. again this summer. I am so glad the kids have had the opportunity to go to our nations capital. It has so many amazing things to see. I don't think there is anything that is as amazing as seeing the 4th of July fireworks being set off behind Washington Monument.....AMAZING!!!

This is inner harbor Baltimore. I had the opportunity to live in the outskirts of Baltimore. I genuinely loved this city. It was a big city but had some hometown feel to it. Though inner harbor is a a touristy area I love this area. It is where Camden Yards is at and the new stadium for the Ravens. It has a great aquarium and so many other places to see. I remember going here for the first time when I was in 4th grade and I loved it and I still do.

Yellowstone! If there is one place that everyone should see once in their life it should be Yellowstone. It is everything that is beautiful about the west. On this trip we stayed at a dude ranch that had the best home cooked food and great cabins. On our last day through the park we broke down. DON'T ever break down in Yellowstone! It costs a small fortune to get towed out of there :). What an amazing trip and hopefully we can do it again someday but this time hopefully we won't break down.

This was Galveston Texas. We went with all my husbands siblings and parents to see my mother-in-laws father and sister and my sister-in-law Rachel. It was the first time the girls got to take a plane ride that they could remember. First time they had gotten to stay in a hotel, and to be honest I think that was the highlight of their trip. This was also the first time the girls had gotten to to see any kind of ocean. It was a trip of firsts for them and they still talk about that trip to this day and for that reason I loved this trip because it was special to them

New Orleans...this was taken on my 21st birthday. We had no kids at this point and we decided to get in our car and head south to visit Adrian's grandpa in Mobile, Alabama. New Orleans is one of my favorite places. I loved the food, art, music, and just the vibe of the town. It was so hot the day this picture was taken. I have never felt humidity like that! I will go back again someday...maybe my 40th birthday...without kids again ;).

Have I mentioned before how much I love the west. This was taken at a camping spot in the Uintahs in Utah. One of the best places to camp I think in Utah. The elevation in the Uintahs can give you short of breath and possibly if you live at sea level and are not used to high altitude you may feel like you are dying. The work of god is so evident in this area, it takes your breath away.

Another view from our canyons here in Utah. Though I may be sounding like tourist board I can't go without mentioning the beauty that Utah oozes. It has some of the most amazing scenery compacted in to one state. I am still amazed by the mountains that line the valley. Southern Utah has desert canyon lands that are breath taking. It is a gorgeous place to live...

So I saved the last pictures as my all time favorite place to be. The ocean...I LOVE the OCEAN! Did I say that loud enough? I am one of those people that if I ever walked away from my life the first place you should look for me is along a coastline. This picture was taken in the Keys of Florida and a school of dolphins were swimming in the wake of the boat. Seriously, you will find me with my toes in the sand soaking in the sun on a beach somewhere...

You might find me on this beach in the summer months. This is on the Oregon coast, it is not a swimming kind of ocean and no white sandy beaches but the air is cool in the hot summer months and the pure beauty is enough to make you never want to leave.

Here it is, this is where you will find me...picture it now me and my beach chair, sunglasses, I-pod, and a good book....and my toes in the sand. Realize if you find me I will ask you to put your toes in the sand with me and close your eye's and listen to the waves come rolling in and in that moment you will realize you are never leaving this place either..............