tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80039386455992252652024-02-19T18:39:24.763-05:00steve and jessieWe met at Freshman Orientation in the Fall of 2005, and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 19, 2009. Who would have thought...?Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-25726338854604399662014-04-04T17:02:00.004-04:002014-04-04T17:02:58.824-04:00spring in DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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this time of year always makes me reminiscent. 3 years ago we were packing up our provo apartment, graduating from college, leaving jobs, friends and family behind and trekking to dc with hopes of something great on the other end. 3 years ago steve & i were about to embark on the best thing that has ever happened to us. there's something about taking a leap of faith and leaving the only state you've ever known with nothing but your personal belongings and your best friend in hopes that something better is coming. of course we had plan B in case this whole adventure didn't work out but neither of us spent much time entertaining it because we so badly wanted plan A to work. not a single day goes by that i'm not grateful that our plan worked out in such a seamless way. we couldn't have planned these past 3 years better if we tried. this doesn't mean that everything is perfect because there are still things about this place that kick my butt everyday (whyyyyyy is it so far away from family?), but it means that this year, unlike every other anniversary of us moving to dc, i hope we stay here for a while. i finally feel like dc is my home and that i could really see another 10, 15 or even 30 years here (no matter how ridiculous the real estate market is). 3 years ago i never thought i would utter those words.Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-63707627543719919142014-03-28T16:04:00.000-04:002014-03-28T16:04:16.398-04:00hello again!it has been too long since i last posted. it's been a fun and busy winter. loads of snow, lots of basketball and even more work. welcome to the pierce family! we spent the holidays in nashville and utah with family then returned to DC to dive into our 2014 goals and resolutions. every year we try to instill a theme or phrase in our home. 2013 was the year of trying new things, and try we did! i tackled watercolor classes, lots of new recipes, a new approach to healthy eating, new work out routines and new colors into my wardrobe (hello, black). steve took on a new job, a new approach to traveling to new places (the introvert in him is a bigger fan of the familiar), first time on the radio to talk about byu basketball and trying new-to-him vegetables. we decided our 2014 phrase would be "not every hill is worth dying on" - which is more for me than steve, but we are both working to keep the bigger picture in mind at home, at work and in life in general. it's be very positive so far. oh how i love new years and new goals.<br />
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in january steve started his last 2 classes for his masters degree. i think he's been counting down till graduation since the beginning and i'm so proud of him that he is almost done and that means no more tuition. oh that's been hard to fork over a lot of money every semester for the past few years, but i'm very grateful that we've been able to do it on our own, debt free. graduation on may 17th can't come soon enough!<br />
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in february we met up with our best friends in philly for presidents day. we had the best time and just learned that they are moving to baltimore this summer, we can't wait to have them closer to dc! we also visited friends in charlottesville and ate the best chinese food ever.<br />
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at the end of february steve spent a few days in baltimore for his company retreat. while he was somehow singing karoke with the owner of the Orioles at a dive bar i traveled to utah for one of my best girlfriends weddings. rachel was the happiest bride i've ever seen! she was beautiful and the day was perfect and her new husband seems like the greatest. it was such a fun weekend to be apart of.<br />
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<span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>march was filled with snow days, girl scout cookies and steve's birthday. he wanted to watch the ncaa tournament and eat fajitas and pie for his birthday so that is exactly what we did. we took the day off work and had a basketball watching marathon weekend. <br />
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we are looking forward to a fun spring and summer with lots of traveling and time with family!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is what we call "steve works past 8pm and his work pays for dinner" </td></tr>
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<br />Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-623584179046026892013-09-06T17:26:00.003-04:002013-09-06T17:30:55.917-04:00summer recap<div style="text-align: center;">
school has started and i've been slacking at blogging, so here's a crash course summer recap:</div>
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<b>JUNE</b></div>
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-now that we've retired from nursery the kids really miss steve. just last week we were at cafe rio and ran into one of our favorite nursery boys and he said "jessie you come to nursery this sunday, ok" i told him i would (because i often do now that i'm in the primary presidency and over nursery) and then he turned to steve and said "you come too steve" it was cute. since we have retired we've started occasionally babysitting the kids so their parents can enjoy a night away, and of course we don't let them pay us. it is so much fun to spend a saturday afternoon or evening with these kids.</div>
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-four year anniversary! of course steve happened to have class the night of our actual anniversary... is grad school over yet?</div>
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-went to the nike store in georgetown to meet kevin durant, and steve just needed to have his latest basketball shoe.</div>
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-we made a valiant effort to go to the smithsonian museums that we hadn't been to yet. we still haven't seen them all, i just love dc.</div>
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-our bestest friends came down from brooklyn for the weekend. gosh i love it when they come to town</div>
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<b>JULY</b></div>
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-4th of july fireworks at the national mall with friends from our ward</div>
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-day trip to gettysburg on the 5th of july during the week of the 150th commemoration. it was a loooong day because there is so much to see, but we had the best time and learned a lot</div>
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-i had a root canal! it was awful, well not the actual procedure, but the infection i got in my tooth. yikes. so far we are at 2 crowns and 2 root canals for the year, and counting... (probably getting another next week.. no!!!)</div>
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<b>AUGUST</b></div>
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-jay z and justin timerlake... amazing.</div>
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-steve's family came to town and we spent the weekend in a small town in southern virginia. naturally we went to a animal feeding farm. the pictures show exactly how much fun steve had with the animals. </div>
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-i chopped 9 inches off my hair - pray to the humidity gods that they go easy on us washingtonians the rest of the summer!</div>
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-georgetown date nights, found a new favorite dessert place called pie sisters. super cute and amazing pie!</div>
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-roadtrip to charlottesville to visit some of our closest friends who just moved their for law school and to see byu v. uva - aka: east coast general conference, every east coast mormon was there!</div>
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...tonight we are going to a korean bbq karaoke place for a friends birthday, wish us luck!</div>
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Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-32268144911412879642013-08-24T09:18:00.000-04:002013-08-24T09:18:09.379-04:004 years and the outer banksto celebrate our four year anniversary we headed to the outer banks to spend a relaxing weekend at the beach. we had the best weekend with just enough beach time, and still got to explore the area and see some cool things. we went to jockey ridge state park at sunset, cape hatteras lighthouse and the wright brothers memorial. we also ate at some amazing restaurants (currituck bbq twice!) and really had the best time. i can definitely see the obx becoming a summer vacation tradition since it's only 5 hours away. there's something so charming about this place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we stayed in nags head - take 10 steps from our hotel & you were at the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jockey ridge state park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">steve with the panda kite, best target buy ever</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eDGli1Cc6eFyKl84UxwVprJLzXNfG-PVqsUV6J0H0XaLpPgjeAtTp_HlanKfSPRjXkI5r3QUDEIfF9PtcidTW8GpNMHe8al3LN7x2_uGKeMnQaOH01zW522scmyqdvyOpNwEgR8pdXo/s1600/inside+lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eDGli1Cc6eFyKl84UxwVprJLzXNfG-PVqsUV6J0H0XaLpPgjeAtTp_HlanKfSPRjXkI5r3QUDEIfF9PtcidTW8GpNMHe8al3LN7x2_uGKeMnQaOH01zW522scmyqdvyOpNwEgR8pdXo/s525/inside+lighthouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">climbing the lighthouse. i loved the black and white floors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">about 30 years ago they actually had to move this lighthouse because it was too close to the water and on unstable land. they moved the lighthouse about a mile inland to where it is today. it was so fascinating to learn about how they moved it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sand for days. some points of the outer banks are so skinny that all there is room for is a 2 lane highway. the ocean is just outside this photo on both sides!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eDjmwd97K1Zpaw3m6w7qjs-6Rwdbv6F5jlsdbW7Ob57r0rSpyq5fpoXBYKJr6pfAeOFSA6i0Zp-aRqksk74PWaOQBzWM8ZcrJQ6I5gBX3kOnDjeAQhXX-EvMV3a_CrLti41hIndLqtQ/s1600/wright+bros+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eDjmwd97K1Zpaw3m6w7qjs-6Rwdbv6F5jlsdbW7Ob57r0rSpyq5fpoXBYKJr6pfAeOFSA6i0Zp-aRqksk74PWaOQBzWM8ZcrJQ6I5gBX3kOnDjeAQhXX-EvMV3a_CrLti41hIndLqtQ/s525/wright+bros+(1).jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the field where the wright brothers first took flight.</td></tr>
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Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-12182181765178177362013-06-07T10:46:00.000-04:002013-06-07T10:50:11.359-04:00that one time we went to a kenny chesney concert....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIQH8-5CsgBe0SMxged6wk8EQT2CCnrXgRXTbzSQTTaod8a6rDIBc8_wmt5YY7wBJzOz9RugPX_5CB1ytaMYmQdj4DbHerIsNw7trHPv2TBchn_UHXZ5OKX8t3kyXZ57gUCEtLQYW02E/s1600/kc+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIQH8-5CsgBe0SMxged6wk8EQT2CCnrXgRXTbzSQTTaod8a6rDIBc8_wmt5YY7wBJzOz9RugPX_5CB1ytaMYmQdj4DbHerIsNw7trHPv2TBchn_UHXZ5OKX8t3kyXZ57gUCEtLQYW02E/s400/kc+2.JPG" width="300" /></a>a few weeks ago 2 tickets to that night's kenny chesney fell in our laps. neither of us are kenny chesney fans, but we never say no to live music. we trekked out to the end of the blue line to fedex field (home of the washington redskins) and had a fun night. this was our first experience with the country music scene, because lets be honest, taylor swift doesn't count. it was interesting... the tailgating, the amount of beer that was consumed, the people watching... it was entertaining. steve and i have been to our fair-share of shows; from large arena shows like jay-z & kanye, taylor swift and katy perry to smaller venues and our personal favorite, small bars where some of the best bar bands play. what i'm trying to say, is this was nothing like any of those shows... it was hilarious and bizarre.<br />
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before the show started we wanted to find a good restaurant for dinner. we never go to landover, maryland so we wanted to find somewhere good. we ended up at a southern comfort food diner, which in steve's eyes, is heaven on earth. the place was packed. we knew it'd be good because we were the only white people in the whole place the entire time we were there. the mac & cheese wasn't my favorite, but everything else was awesome. highlight of the day was when we got our food steve said "i didn't burn 850 calories at the gym today for nothing!"<br />
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as fun as it was, i think that's our last country concert for a while. next up: jay-z and justin timberlake later this summer. i'm already counting down.<br />
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<br />Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-19106483090703634842013-05-16T12:17:00.001-04:002013-05-16T12:17:39.874-04:00some nightssome nights i have primary meetings and steve works until 11pm<br />
some nights we are both home at 6 and make the best dinner together (my favorite!)<br />
some nights we catch up on our favorite shows<br />
some nights we crash and are both in bed by 8pm <br />
some nights steve has school and i go shopping, or do laundry<br />
some nights cafe rio is necessary<br />
some nights we go for a run on the national mall at 10pm<br />
some nights steve stays up till 2am watching and writing about basketball <br />
some nights we go to a movie on a tuesday, just because<br />
some nights we decide over dinner to go to the OBX this summer and book a hotel right then<br />
some nights we go to concerts <br />
some nights i actually wash my hair while steve plays basketball<br />
some nights we explore the district to find new restaurants<br />
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i'm loving these nights right now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on our way to church on mothers day - to talk in sacrament meeting!</td></tr>
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<br />Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-58335236379144091152013-04-27T09:23:00.000-04:002013-04-27T09:23:29.384-04:00april: the best month to spend in washington dc<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuHZZFtnzMD-CNP-ejNjHzAzZT252L0YM5KnxL5fMuXl0zp3i9LEdAxGdQGE-K_mTcAGXGGetMFPGFlb0Y0U7MhwWcIBTKUw18yOxqzH84Zf7TZNEvemmmQgghuklxJIN3zB_GdQ-kqA/s1600/barnes.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuHZZFtnzMD-CNP-ejNjHzAzZT252L0YM5KnxL5fMuXl0zp3i9LEdAxGdQGE-K_mTcAGXGGetMFPGFlb0Y0U7MhwWcIBTKUw18yOxqzH84Zf7TZNEvemmmQgghuklxJIN3zB_GdQ-kqA/s400/barnes.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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april in dc is amazing. the green on the trees starts growing back, cherry blossoms are in full bloom, restaurants open their patios up, the memorials with water fountains get turned back on, and the humidity of summer hasn't kicked in yet. it's perfect.<br />
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we've had a fun april so far. some of our closest friends came down from booklyn and stayed with us over conference weekend. michael & jess are two of the coolest people we've met. while we wish they still lived here we love that we get to see them from time to time. whenever we spend time with the barnes it means one thing... brunch!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC2MkyvbI4JDgNYk0OYGjUWahUXNylznh2oLPcHSmzy0pJBmfWl0s7LEHNu-Ig-mAfNkpPYxngB0u6F_2ccf3JNtjit4B2P21a9pS2tjjy_Y70Cbsm54B4S-2cXK6x_fGD37PYXinNnE/s1600/msg.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC2MkyvbI4JDgNYk0OYGjUWahUXNylznh2oLPcHSmzy0pJBmfWl0s7LEHNu-Ig-mAfNkpPYxngB0u6F_2ccf3JNtjit4B2P21a9pS2tjjy_Y70Cbsm54B4S-2cXK6x_fGD37PYXinNnE/s400/msg.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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of course we had to take a quick trip to nyc to watch byu play in the mit tournament at madison square garden. i thought it was a great idea until we got back to dc at 6am and had to be to work only a few hours later! it was fun though, new york is always an adventure, even if it's only a 13 hour round trip...<br />
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andrew mcmahon (steve i's favorites of. all. time.) came to town the night before my birthday so we HAD to go. it was the best way to start my birthday celebration. [major bonus: his newest song is amazing - listen <a href="http://blog.music.aol.com/2013/04/26/andrew-mcmahon-learn-to-dance/?ncid=edlinkusmusb00000001&ts=1366988395">here</a>] steve had a super busy week with work and school but luckily we celebrated all week between eating at new [amazing] restaurants in dc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtrB9qZm-VwoaAe-FRW6tUv92JC8L5rJZZ_S8Yaw6D8pwZ6emvvH14HjemSmQHVZBR0f66N1YPgcTY29cmM024AeULJZkaOr3D2WI-PJPgtD6C2exxVndauCOXfFKjg2BQfqSVZxcTe4/s1600/vangogh.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtrB9qZm-VwoaAe-FRW6tUv92JC8L5rJZZ_S8Yaw6D8pwZ6emvvH14HjemSmQHVZBR0f66N1YPgcTY29cmM024AeULJZkaOr3D2WI-PJPgtD6C2exxVndauCOXfFKjg2BQfqSVZxcTe4/s400/vangogh.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9CtZ5-oUX8SygQ3DhUxSkQW7WHKeVfaBSvGN6uVMKzJ5tW1W6bxC8OhN9vBAM5EQXK7-G3QJf6c0gluOvw0q5OA6rA3ARq_uWFZoJzBOKU2Qo_bthlVHueTKWy-B3pZBvOd4PzESnAU/s1600/feet.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> the past few weekends we have put on our tennis shoes and been tourists in our own city! it has been a lot of fun to see things that we haven't seen yet. it's crazy how much there is to see in this town and almost all of it is free. although the tourists can get annoying sometimes (they don't get public transportation, or how to walk on a sidewalk) it's fun to explore new things. [this photo is from our visit to the national gallery of art, the van gogh and monet paintings were our favorites!]<br />
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the rest of our april has been filled with....</div>
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three crowns and one root canal later, my teet areis starting to recover! </div>
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steve is a master sunday school teacher and i am loving all the kids in primary</div>
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steve's favorite time of year has begun - nba playoffs are in full swing.</div>
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i finally have a front porch where i can plant flower pots!</div>
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this weekend is the white house correspondence dinner, so we will be on the lookout for celebrity sightings all weekend AND steve and i have been invited to the buzzfeed white house correspondence dinner party.</div>
Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-27830440809976150572013-03-22T14:18:00.001-04:002013-03-22T14:18:51.647-04:0026<div style="text-align: center;">
this one turned 26 yesterday! it was so fun to celebrate with his favorite things all day with two of his closest friends. a few months ago i had this <strike>crazy</strike> brilliant idea to fly two of his closest friends to town for the weekend so they could hang out and watch the first weekend of the ncaa tournament together. they've been here for 24 hours already and i'm realizing it was the best birthday present ever. the kid never takes time out of his busy schedule for himself so i
figured this was the best way for him to slow down and enjoy the
weekend. needless to say, steve is loving life right now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ABw6_hcVM9QHbEvHTfrhs76xRAootP-tfE-sZ_yNChE2rzNDpeBEDZc4o1hkaSkVrYLuHry9hmMoPFE_d5ld9uHI6cyC1K2WJDyLcZMkml-JQZhtfAuu8CRn3CD9__pBoCWmBIZhhqA/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ABw6_hcVM9QHbEvHTfrhs76xRAootP-tfE-sZ_yNChE2rzNDpeBEDZc4o1hkaSkVrYLuHry9hmMoPFE_d5ld9uHI6cyC1K2WJDyLcZMkml-JQZhtfAuu8CRn3CD9__pBoCWmBIZhhqA/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
i think this photo totally captures steve at 25:</div>
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iphone</div>
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headphones</div>
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work bag</div>
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tired face</div>
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metro ride home from work </div>
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<br /></div>
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to quote justin timberlake's newest single, mirrors, "you are you are the love me life, you are you are the love of my life, you are you are the love of my life" :) happy birthday my dear!</div>
<br />Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-16240911054467205062013-01-31T16:18:00.000-05:002013-01-31T16:19:44.245-05:00a post with a lot of words and only 1 photobefore diving into 2013 i think i should wrap up 2012 with a top ten of the year:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>top ten of 2012:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
cafe rio opened 5 miles from our house, we take taco tuesday very serious in our house.</div>
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lots and lots of visitors (we love visitors!)</div>
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jessie trip to nyc while steve slaved away for the election</div>
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first cherry blossom season in dc, absolutely breathtaking</div>
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moved to a bigger apartment, yay for more closets & hardwood floors</div>
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disneyland and the beach with some of our favorite people</div>
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billy elliot, memphis, newsies, momma mia! the year of many musicals</div>
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hottest DC summer on record. yikes</div>
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anniversary spent in utah, thanksgiving in new jersey and christmas in texas </div>
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celebrating the 2012 election on november 7th at 3am - about sums up steve's year</div>
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<br />
<br />
2013 started out busy and hasn't slowed down since! we visited friends in brooklyn for a weekend and spent the weekend laughing, eating and visiting the basketball hall of fame. we had the best time! steve had some great job interviews and got 2 job offers in a 12-hour period then had to decide in the following 12-hours what job he wanted to take. it's tiring just thinking back to that 24 hour period... yikes. while both were really great opportunities and we felt incredibly blessed to have the option, (even though sometimes i would prefer to not make a choice, i'm awful at deciding anything and everything). i was so proud of steve for putting a lot of thought into it and taking the offer that will be best for our family and his future. he said farewell to the campaign trail and joined the dc consulting world! the day after he made his decision we left for vancouver for steve's grandpas funeral. while the purpose of the trip wasn't ideal, it was fun to see and spend time with family. steve's been busy with another semester of grad school and i'm keeping busy with primary and deep cleaning/reorganizing/redecorating our apartment! this is my favorite photo (and moment) of 2013 so far. we purchased this chair and of course we thought it would fit in our car and of course it didn't so instead of getting a truck we decided to shrink wrap it to the top of our car. of course this we did this during one of the coldest weeks of the winter. driving home during rush hour with the windows down and this on top of our car was probably the most beverly hillbillies moment we've had. and that is saying something because we do these kinds of things all. the. time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWWbTnEyKkjcG-daDchsSKafejTaMKqF3NI2zIBw12kAJNuclimEp1-7xnQVYcbGvq9DQfSidqxQCPslkXbRVr_ePz-FfwcjGyh5xIVGWh8sOhz3fvRl0GUipVXCyp43t-iXWA0ip_FU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWWbTnEyKkjcG-daDchsSKafejTaMKqF3NI2zIBw12kAJNuclimEp1-7xnQVYcbGvq9DQfSidqxQCPslkXbRVr_ePz-FfwcjGyh5xIVGWh8sOhz3fvRl0GUipVXCyp43t-iXWA0ip_FU/s400/photo.JPG" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
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Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-39193649765183601372012-11-21T13:10:00.001-05:002012-11-21T13:11:52.359-05:00very thankful<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQDk5xJAS8xVWG6UBrb424wXpY2Kqa_JhsYkZmzJvpBm8DHomI6zW5DOLuBqKvKUQvLvACY-yd-0v53j_4b357mxAELurOo7LCaSBEbImAf8KcpXM5GM8WVUWzQ-Wd_lVRcHFKOxsh3Q/s1600/15410823694989463_MAqPzBoT_c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQDk5xJAS8xVWG6UBrb424wXpY2Kqa_JhsYkZmzJvpBm8DHomI6zW5DOLuBqKvKUQvLvACY-yd-0v53j_4b357mxAELurOo7LCaSBEbImAf8KcpXM5GM8WVUWzQ-Wd_lVRcHFKOxsh3Q/s450/15410823694989463_MAqPzBoT_c.jpg" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i love the month of november and i love thanksgiving.</div>
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there is always so much to be thankful for, and this year isn't any different.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
while we are always thankful for the more obvious things in our life</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
our warm home, great jobs, loving family & friends</div>
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this year i've tried to focus on the smaller things, because they matter too!</div>
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<br /></div>
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i am thankful for a husband that gets up first on weekday mornings. i like to think it's because he takes twice as long to get ready as i do, but i know he does it to let me sleep a few extra minutes</div>
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<br /></div>
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i'm thankful for a niece that says "i lope you" in the sweetest voice that just melts our hearts, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
even from 2,700 miles away</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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i'm thankful for to do-lists & felt tip pens, because they make the work day so much better</div>
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<br /></div>
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i'm thankful for simple traditions steve & i have started, like sunday walks and tacos on tuesday</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i'm thankful to have returned to a normal dinner time since november 6th</div>
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<br /></div>
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i'm thankful for a church calling that has pushed me out of my comfort zone &</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
gives me the opportunity to serve </div>
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<br /></div>
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i'm thankful for a level-headed sister that always gives the most level-headed advice</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
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<br /></div>
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i hope everyone will take time this weekend to give thanks for the simple things!</div>
Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-20955666225492952652012-10-30T18:45:00.000-04:002012-10-30T18:46:58.166-04:00another election (almost) come and gone....we are 7 days away! and even though the chaos doesn't necessarily calm down right after election day, it will be nice to return to a more normal dinnertime.<br />
<br />
while it has been a busy few months and not always ideal, we've been incredibly blessed. this sounds funny, but it has been a dream come true for Steve to be on the battle grounds this election cycle. every night when i ask him how his day was i will follow up with "are you sick of it yet?" and he always always always responds no. while i got sick of all the banter surrounding the election weeks ago, he loves it, and the fact that he is happy makes all of this worth it. he enjoys the copious amounts reading and research, the sometimes difficult people and the long days. although i would love to live closer to family, friends and in a (slightly) cheaper city where we might own a home sooner rather than later, it all is worth it to have a husband that loves his job. <br />
<br />
this election cycle has continued in the tradition that we have learned so much about ourselves individually as well as in our relationship over the past months. and while it is easy for me to countdown the days until it's all over, i am a little sad to see it go. the idea of moving onto something new, whether it still be at the DCCC or somewhere else in washington, it's a little scary. this whole election cycle/transient job thing is something i will ever get used to, but the way steve handles it with confidence makes it easier.<br />
<br />
so in the case i don't blog again until after president obama (hopefully) wins another 4 years,<br />
see you later election of 2012, you were incredibly good to us.<br />
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Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-62340916381184444912012-10-05T00:02:00.001-04:002012-10-05T00:17:15.695-04:00a busy weekwe had a busy 7 days last week. while steve was working 24/7 my parents decided to come to town and keep me company. we first went up to nyc for 4 days then they came back and spent a few days in dc.<br />
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while in nyc we went to david letterman, saw mamma mia! and newsies, ate great food, carriage ride in central park, 5th ave, rockefeller square, union station, brooklyn bridge, downtown and 9/11 memorial, and my favorite, empire state building at night. thanks again for such a fun trip mom and dad!<br />
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while in dc we saw the fdr and jefferson memorial, dinner at our favorite restaurants, trip to charlottesville to see jefferson's estate at monticello as well as university of virginia, as well as a trip to annapolis to see the naval academy. the highlight was definitely going to the nationals baseball game the night they clinched the division championship. time for the playoffs!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my dad & i with fdr's dog, fala, at the fdr memorial</td></tr>
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<br />
a huge thank you to my dad for helping us paint the stairway and entryway in our apartment as well as fixing everything else around our apartment.<br />
<br />
there's something great when parents visit.<br />
<br />Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-14463422211668756412012-09-18T10:57:00.001-04:002012-09-18T11:07:00.085-04:00keep your eyes on the stars but remember to keep your feet on the ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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the weather this past weekend was incredible. for any of you that have never experienced summer in dc, it is miserable. so humid, so hot and so sticky. luckily, i think we've said goodbye to the extreme humidity for the summer and have happily welcomed the cooler temperatures. sunday night steve & i decided to check out yet another cool dc spot that we hadn't seen yet. i love that there are a million things to do in this city, and even after 16 months we still haven't seen or done them all. roosevelt island is nothing but trees and running trails and was absolutely incredible. in fact, while we were walking the island i kept telling steve it reminded me hiking in utah (which i always miss, steve not so much). steve was in heaven because a few of the lookouts gave a perfect view of his favorite dc bridge (the bridge to georgetown). needless to say it was an enjoyable sunday night and the teddy roosevelt memorial was amazing as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our only complaint - where are his glasses?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the memorial had these massive stone manoliths with all of his most-famous quotes. of course my favorite being the title of this post.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_oHi1ODOXpuRuNt_8hOQ95q8ZbuF1my-lKmsbc3VQRcZmHeIW-4bX9V3cFyM2douKWmxHjrj1T7NkIceOG3Wsq_AFQt_e5bVFRRYyenMVA8cwE0RKB330C7-RqSgCdKRdtgRzWXbLxo/s1600/IMG_2535.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_oHi1ODOXpuRuNt_8hOQ95q8ZbuF1my-lKmsbc3VQRcZmHeIW-4bX9V3cFyM2douKWmxHjrj1T7NkIceOG3Wsq_AFQt_e5bVFRRYyenMVA8cwE0RKB330C7-RqSgCdKRdtgRzWXbLxo/s580/IMG_2535.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">as we were leaving there were 50 or 60 people kayaking in the potomac. it was super cool and another reason why i am really starting to love this place :) </td></tr>
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Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-33059072078815094762012-07-19T22:59:00.000-04:002012-07-19T22:59:33.574-04:00latelyit's been a crazy month. steve's younger sister came to visit and i'm pretty sure we all almost died of heat stroke (no joke was over 100 degrees and humid everyday she was here), we moved 1/2 mile down the road to a new apartment (while gaining 220 square feet - a hot commodity here in DC), steve has been in summer school and election season is already beginning (no more time off until december!), and i'm trying to get settled and make sense of our new apartment (first thing to go was the pepto pinkish/peachish walls in the bathroom). photos coming soon!<br />
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today i was pleasantly surprised when i got home from work and found the photos from our shoot in utah in the mail! jordi (our photographer) is pretty much family now that we've done engagements/groomals/wedding day/family photos in 2010 and now these with her. she's the best and we always love catching up with her!<br />
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We spent a fun five days in Utah this past week! It was Steve's last vacation before the election season picks up (note: election season goes through recounts into December... yikes). It was fun to see family and friends. There is something so soothing about Utah in the summer. the dry heat, summer nights, beautiful mountains and sunsets. It's pretty great. Between eating (a lot as always), dinner up in the mountains with family, nba playoffs with friends, playing games, doctors and dentist appointments, hair cuts, family pictures, staying up way too late and waking up way too early, a trip to Provo to see BYU and Mckay & Brooke's sno cone shack, a birthday party for a cute little 5 year old, seeing Brave (super cute), playing with the little kids we stayed busy. </div>
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Utah, we can't wait to visit again.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">best donuts in utah</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">steve showing us his haitian skills at dominos from his mission</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once a BYU Cougar, always a BYU cougar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first time s'mores for the girls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hotdogs and roasted corn on the cob</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9bOy4hfkxlvZPRINkkv7zKZz66LxHdQvgLJanD3myPnyHK3_zzFDC3_BlOQW17hq1FgsRB-wndW4vb0zbjAuO8q7NEnkAyhBvngNj3Sp_SSrlTj_Sy2O3eqdh4N0WqTHDEslvDw3uEQ/s1600/steve+and+kiki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9bOy4hfkxlvZPRINkkv7zKZz66LxHdQvgLJanD3myPnyHK3_zzFDC3_BlOQW17hq1FgsRB-wndW4vb0zbjAuO8q7NEnkAyhBvngNj3Sp_SSrlTj_Sy2O3eqdh4N0WqTHDEslvDw3uEQ/s400/steve+and+kiki.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">goodbyes are never fun, she wasn't happy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-34052442020824961882012-06-19T20:44:00.002-04:002012-06-19T20:45:42.854-04:00anniversary number three<div style="text-align: center;">
happy anniversary to my love!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
from meeting at freshman orientation in august 2005</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to getting married on june 19, 2009</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
you are the best thing that has ever happened to me!</div>
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even though this anniversary is being spent with you sleeping off the flu,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
there's no where else i'd rather be.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
you are so loyal, patient, funny, understanding and the hardest worker I know,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do!</div>
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</div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-55431631773017204172012-05-04T11:31:00.001-04:002012-05-04T11:31:32.195-04:00they love each other<div style="text-align: center;">
A few weeks ago we went to California to spend time with my sister and her family and we were lucky enough to have Mckay and Brooke join us from Provo. Of course there were a million reasons to go: it's likely they will only live in CA for another year so of course we should visit Disneyland while they do, it's always a fun to spend time with your newly-married older brother and his amazing wife, and Steve had to use his vacation time before the election gets closer. So we figured we'd take advantage on the cheap(er) airfare and go!</div>
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From the trip I realized little Kiki and Steve love each other even more than they did </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
just a few months before over Christmas break </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqVrT_p1alb9HJ79498eAalwd3yoezDrHlxbvzTZN0ifJcIM2R4JOQUjDhWMo_mh_b8BnKZdcb3ilOCixJ_ZMzNL1RjsrBYCHYvCSPZ-lbLEYRBC3uTznZ80fmX_07Z6dQejC6yMCbI0/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqVrT_p1alb9HJ79498eAalwd3yoezDrHlxbvzTZN0ifJcIM2R4JOQUjDhWMo_mh_b8BnKZdcb3ilOCixJ_ZMzNL1RjsrBYCHYvCSPZ-lbLEYRBC3uTznZ80fmX_07Z6dQejC6yMCbI0/s450/photo+(3).JPG" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">whenever we were in the car he HAD to sit next to her and hold her hand</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Since the trip, we were Skyping with the kids and of course Uncle Steve </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
HAD to be on the screen at all times or Kiki would ask "Unkl Steep, where are you?" </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(as she would try to look around the corner of the computer screen)</i>. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then the best part is when he was on the screen she would just scream,<br />
"Unkl Steep, Steep, Steep!" the. whole. time.<br />
It made it hard to talk to anyone else, but the entertainment was worth it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxKoQR3OqNfrzXYZ2U4JKb8-P7DLY7g78rGpqLzqct3dhFP0XhqIYx5iu8tk2uzFweQjs5vPUdtG3yyX_EXg3gal23i7GCnd8RaWc3QoxVHETPCin_7cQhYtaGSo4Xqt4w30grbnKM60/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxKoQR3OqNfrzXYZ2U4JKb8-P7DLY7g78rGpqLzqct3dhFP0XhqIYx5iu8tk2uzFweQjs5vPUdtG3yyX_EXg3gal23i7GCnd8RaWc3QoxVHETPCin_7cQhYtaGSo4Xqt4w30grbnKM60/s450/photo+(11).JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve's #1 reason for wanting to go to Disneyland. Star Tours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thunder Mountain Railroad was the best ride of the day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken at hour 9 or 10. <br />Kids still happy and Abbie not even tired even though she's pregnant. <br />I don't know how you do it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ariel at the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiki loved Brooke's hair because it was just like Rapunzel's. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmUiDg3HxIrtpDzVRQbGSuSRiypJHy-L3bWs4BkKdHJJp6uSyQWNDApJK2QhzYoi9Nz0GbnJwU_3Q2uD65R0CEi9jN9d60BPzTfAjq0z7dn_3L0u4_CsXZC34QTIS3V3xt4Sjze8ioxU/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmUiDg3HxIrtpDzVRQbGSuSRiypJHy-L3bWs4BkKdHJJp6uSyQWNDApJK2QhzYoi9Nz0GbnJwU_3Q2uD65R0CEi9jN9d60BPzTfAjq0z7dn_3L0u4_CsXZC34QTIS3V3xt4Sjze8ioxU/s450/photo+(9).JPG" /></a><br />
Thanks again to Abbie and Josh for letting us crash at your house, eat your food, </div>
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rile up your children before bed, and making us feel so welcome! </div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-78040940229345655732012-04-12T20:21:00.001-04:002012-04-12T20:21:44.543-04:00optimismi think optimism is one of the most underrated qualities in a person. it's easily overlooked, taken for granted and never appreciated like it should be. and now you are probably wondering why this deserves a blog post? well this past weekend my appreciation for optimism grew {again}. being under the same roof as my husband and my mom for 3.5 days made the realize that these are the two most optimistic people i've ever met.<br />
<br />
steve is the epitome of optimistic. just take one look at his career choice and this becomes extremely evident. he sees the possibilities this country can achieve and has decided to dedicate his career to this work. i remember when he first got back from his mission i asked him if politics he was sure that politics should really be a career choice rather than a hobby (like it is for most people) and he said that the best way for him to make a difference and a create a good future for our family is by choosing a career in politics. this kind of optimism has always been something i have admired. the approach most people take of "there's nothing i can do..." in any situation has never been an option for him. he always turns any frustrating, disappointing or rocky situation into a positive one. i give steve all credit for being able to up and leave what we knew was familiar a year ago and move across the country with no jobs, friends or family on the other end and stay positive through it all.<br />
<br />
my mom defines optimism. everything is so uplifting and positive when she is around. after picking her up from the airport and going to our apartment it didn't take 5 seconds for her to start complimenting everything about our new home and neighborhood. even the quirks and weird things that I don't like about our apartment became minor in her eyes. this optimism didn't change all weekend, whether we were out to dinner, grocery shopping, site-seeing or doing laundry she was so positive and optimistic. although she has always been like this, it becomes more evident when you move away and spend less time together. she couldn't give enough compliments about steve and i's new phase of our lives and really confirmed for me that we are exactly where we are supposed to be right now. and that, my friend, is exactly what a mom is for.<br />
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you can just imagine that a weekend with these two was the most enjoyable thing ever. </div>
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mom, thank you for coming and for all you did for us while you were here.<br />
{including gift us with a gorgeous coffee table book of of our wedding photos,<br />
even though it's been almost three years - so thoughtful!} </div>
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<br />
please come again {soon}!</div>
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a few photos of our weekend...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhZrq46W6kOmF5J2ReFDO6df7PtylREafz66cGK9c4n0QHr1pP1k0lUXVHUS3rktyDhqVGRUc1BlV85b9k9R3mcAkwzvU6oNuqwtSUY8ndNuuGAAMrWojcTY91p1dY3yP9BUTJHlq7MA/s1600/fordslincoln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhZrq46W6kOmF5J2ReFDO6df7PtylREafz66cGK9c4n0QHr1pP1k0lUXVHUS3rktyDhqVGRUc1BlV85b9k9R3mcAkwzvU6oNuqwtSUY8ndNuuGAAMrWojcTY91p1dY3yP9BUTJHlq7MA/s600/fordslincoln.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fords theater & the coolest portrait i've ever seen of president lincoln (at the national portrait gallery)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwndJOb02F5xOGndj-uy3gqxUjwNXFx5TblPE0eFb47U-uXleiUfySZXZ_ihXPD9zkXcUvag11N4AIMjxlqrBjKucoPZY-y1QAR1yOg_aT5u37-SYd20TWj9sdEWAa_xtVwqxn0Wno0-M/s1600/capitol+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwndJOb02F5xOGndj-uy3gqxUjwNXFx5TblPE0eFb47U-uXleiUfySZXZ_ihXPD9zkXcUvag11N4AIMjxlqrBjKucoPZY-y1QAR1yOg_aT5u37-SYd20TWj9sdEWAa_xtVwqxn0Wno0-M/s600/capitol+%281%29.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the view of the [back of the] capitol from the library of congress </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0_kmfpShfNHB3zD8GH1cE_T-jYYVT9MVIOluW24Xqq5sdsTUDFykoTnUp9lsLl31p7l7pdWIMTxcsBI_Y3Vjf8NFptiMypkdJv16YY2qB-Wa6KdRNY4r8rXE1WLaimvezTUO25K8UWw/s1600/whitehousemom+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0_kmfpShfNHB3zD8GH1cE_T-jYYVT9MVIOluW24Xqq5sdsTUDFykoTnUp9lsLl31p7l7pdWIMTxcsBI_Y3Vjf8NFptiMypkdJv16YY2qB-Wa6KdRNY4r8rXE1WLaimvezTUO25K8UWw/s600/whitehousemom+%281%29.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the white house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL282bY9EyRAMzohWfekeBs67ciOqxLmudcytLiBIMEdJi13TOg1ySk0CK0F_MaRuTWvsXBfOsjLIB7VVNrof5VF-8C08J5xy73wHJfNUnjGM2-eeH6L1AAOKimtskIP2skm941k6Em7k/s1600/peeeeps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL282bY9EyRAMzohWfekeBs67ciOqxLmudcytLiBIMEdJi13TOg1ySk0CK0F_MaRuTWvsXBfOsjLIB7VVNrof5VF-8C08J5xy73wHJfNUnjGM2-eeH6L1AAOKimtskIP2skm941k6Em7k/s600/peeeeps.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">most random highlight of the weekend: the peeps store at national harbor. steve was thrilled at the idea of a mike n' ikes wall - three pounds later, a happy boy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtzczhzzEuoPXX9M-8ON5VJK0bickjOSZFyAFFsesm9_Xtl4W5WcAKI4G-pikNAJy7kHGFias1aIKO3Gvq0IUpsUrkn3pxxXezuFgJFqR7NTF7JubvSmK71ZQ0gmozigvHRpL8qNrcmI/s1600/tombcollege.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtzczhzzEuoPXX9M-8ON5VJK0bickjOSZFyAFFsesm9_Xtl4W5WcAKI4G-pikNAJy7kHGFias1aIKO3Gvq0IUpsUrkn3pxxXezuFgJFqR7NTF7JubvSmK71ZQ0gmozigvHRpL8qNrcmI/s600/tombcollege.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">arlington cemetery and the tomb of the unknown solider. incredible<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5eaXxaYVV2_wYdAQ8zl0jEB-lgWr8ekWFT4fnyAKg4QyyZE3seOfDGy0v8no0VV3eVWj_8N1hHym5q6pWTh3l4VPbQ8ATnItY6SSacXHhOzDnv9NJMGHmbRKbGkjpAeuM1ETp-PJaAw/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5eaXxaYVV2_wYdAQ8zl0jEB-lgWr8ekWFT4fnyAKg4QyyZE3seOfDGy0v8no0VV3eVWj_8N1hHym5q6pWTh3l4VPbQ8ATnItY6SSacXHhOzDnv9NJMGHmbRKbGkjpAeuM1ETp-PJaAw/s600/blog1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the library of congress is amazing. the best part: thomas jefferson's personal library</td></tr>
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</div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-3209742594339468162012-04-04T00:07:00.000-04:002012-04-04T00:09:11.705-04:00update overloadit's so hard to blog when there is so much to catch up on. here's a quick rundown of what has being going on in our lives over the past few months:<br />
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cherry blossoms (love that i made steve walk the tidal basin with me, all while he was complaining about "being tourists" especially because i was carrying a water bottle with me, very funny)<br />
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the pierce's came to visit us during spring break and lucked out with perfect weather while they were here, of course we did all of the tourist things and watched lots of march madness, so fun to have visitors!<br />
<br />
too many extra hours at work for steve... boooo to election years.<br />
<br />
a 25th birthday for him (a few weeks ago) and a 25th birthday for her (in a few weeks).... 25's all around this year, although we aren't doing anything extravagant like a trip to the bahamas or another tropical island, we are certainly enjoying ourselves and making the days extra special <br />
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beautiful spring weather perfect for walking around embassy row right near the naval observatory (and vp biden's house)<br />
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lots of basketball for him and running for her<br />
<br />
apartment hunting, still trying to decide if we want to move to another apartment in the area or stay where we are at for another year... why does real estate have to be sooo expensive, can't we just buy already? oh wait... still have grad tuition to pay for each semester! maybe in 2014?<br />
<br />
cooking, cooking and more cooking, have i ever mentioned how much we love to cook at our house? <br />
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rediscovering our love for boy bands, particularly our new favorite... one direction. i just love those 15 year old boys (in a non-creepy way)<br />
<br />
looking forward to more visitors this weekend, my mom!<br />
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the itch to spring clean, redecorate and completely revamp our apartment.... too bad we don't have more square feet or else this could be incredibly dangerous.<br />
<br />
lots of okc thunder basketball. we are big kevin durant/russell westbrook/nick collison fans in this house, actually big fans of all the thunder players. it's impossible to not be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cherry blossoms around the tidal basin and the jefferson memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">steve with winston churchill & the british ambassador's residence</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there are the most beautiful tulips by the tidal basin, took this photo for my mom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkd0M1RsrHbC8Yf8LpUCp2r4MF8C-aVHswxGT0RLTOvNljPQ0_J1aEu62rGpMKw_-1fIHt93dJuvYmEYKZvvZhhhbBid7dosG5jZA2uQobm-pciFFZHC9EZ9reQCFNyMKNhJJ7gp-pi8/s1600/photo-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkd0M1RsrHbC8Yf8LpUCp2r4MF8C-aVHswxGT0RLTOvNljPQ0_J1aEu62rGpMKw_-1fIHt93dJuvYmEYKZvvZhhhbBid7dosG5jZA2uQobm-pciFFZHC9EZ9reQCFNyMKNhJJ7gp-pi8/s600/photo-48.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">steve's favorite: the franklin d. roosevelt memorial (missed the "t" on "third:)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZWa9KLWwIC-yJL6jW5DmSSjbzAKuvgFOvGNtpBLZ0JVa2Fd-5W-waJzjNa24LRqguLvJuekAznlW7-qXGkOy11C8NI9f1gCRJZd2RM8IcrYuM9flzhIGGj0UxD2aC0E2DAN5UkFbXfA/s1600/photo-59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZWa9KLWwIC-yJL6jW5DmSSjbzAKuvgFOvGNtpBLZ0JVa2Fd-5W-waJzjNa24LRqguLvJuekAznlW7-qXGkOy11C8NI9f1gCRJZd2RM8IcrYuM9flzhIGGj0UxD2aC0E2DAN5UkFbXfA/s600/photo-59.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is my favorite area in the district, the view from the back of the lincoln memorial overlooking memorial bridge and the potomac, across the bridge is arlington cemetery</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we love our nursery kids, steve especially loves <i>wheels on the bus</i> during singing time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ-kkKCB9O4az_UZggHhMJWWjdYAGb0v3kfJHEPJLbOxiPY1oD3q-mfQeoPLYwAtpyPE2uD9fRSsrbUTR7QJK2FoeFZ34b78iI96fI2ZCXkVsGixOHt83-4Ypt9YIDOjnyF2IWSGyWb4/s1600/lottery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ-kkKCB9O4az_UZggHhMJWWjdYAGb0v3kfJHEPJLbOxiPY1oD3q-mfQeoPLYwAtpyPE2uD9fRSsrbUTR7QJK2FoeFZ34b78iI96fI2ZCXkVsGixOHt83-4Ypt9YIDOjnyF2IWSGyWb4/s600/lottery.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">of course we had to participate in the mega millions lottery last weekend - $10 well spent even though we didn't win, count it as a $10 donation to the public school system</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAhuQ7pc32KDH2EE-P2pn-sU6cE6s5-x2bzZ0cXE82Ypk8HMviamstrT5vpfRQFX3KoMbRGodpcl6RTkeSmUyamBCtnCxAvQGmdDVQEtM7HMsD8h-sgqfsNE4DJDDXKlfeK1HrvQXWpw/s1600/lastone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAhuQ7pc32KDH2EE-P2pn-sU6cE6s5-x2bzZ0cXE82Ypk8HMviamstrT5vpfRQFX3KoMbRGodpcl6RTkeSmUyamBCtnCxAvQGmdDVQEtM7HMsD8h-sgqfsNE4DJDDXKlfeK1HrvQXWpw/s600/lastone.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vietnam memorial and washington monument at sunset on a sunday walk- independence hall in philadelphia at 1:30am on our way home for a concert downtown philadelphia</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-72937768168248421192012-02-17T10:02:00.002-05:002012-02-17T10:02:36.196-05:00[lately]not working in the restaurant world on valentines day is the best invention ever. i have a new found love for the holiday. steve went above and beyond [again] this year, and his valentines tradition [previously mentioned <a href="http://steveandjessie.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-2011.html">HERE</a> and <a href="http://steveandjessie.blogspot.com/2010/03/valentine-review.html">HERE</a>] did not disappoint. on top of that, he always asks exactly what i want to do for the day and plans just that. although he would rather eat at a really amazing restaurant it's just not my style. i would feel so bad for the employees while i was there.<div>
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my love for adele was rekindled during the anderson cooper 60 minutes interview<br /><div>
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steve has been super busy at work focusing solely on the man that we call grimmies at home - see <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/nyregion/rabbis-followers-say-money-given-to-grimms-house-race-broke-the-law.html?pagewanted=all">HERE </a>and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/nyregion/michael-grimms-business-ties-are-at-odds-with-upright-image.html">HERE </a>which lead to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/nyregion/romney-campaign-distances-itself-from-congressman-under-scrutiny.html">this</a>. although still a press boy at heart, steve has become quite the researcher. </div>
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although we'd much rater spend the upcoming long weekend traveling, it is going to be spent catching up on everything else in our lives, doing our taxes, spring cleaning and [hopefully] re-decorating the bathroom. i just need to find a killer shower curtain.</div>
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i don't know how we survived before we had a cafe rio 5 miles from our home.</div>
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i am hoping it stays relatively warm and sunny this weekend so we can walk embassy row.</div>
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making exciting plans for this summer, i am certainly hoping this involves a trip to disneyland with some of our nieces, i seriously love the tea cups.</div>
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</div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-18151327380814011862012-02-06T00:49:00.000-05:002012-02-06T01:09:12.237-05:00date to the art museumsaturday dates to the art museum are always the best. especially when they are followed by a trip to cafe rio. i'm fairly confident in the fact that i have the best husband around for taking time out of his busy schedule to take me out :)<br />
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<br />Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-79325724687638495962012-01-21T11:37:00.000-05:002012-01-21T11:37:12.615-05:00christmas break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Better late than never, right?</div>
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Our Christmas this year was perfect. Too perfect that it was really hard to come home after 10 days of no work and quality time with family and friends. Between gaining the most-amazing sister-in-law ever, late night Mario Kart tournaments, 3-day road trip with the two of the cutest kids ever, dying and cutting my sister's hair, eating, eating and eating, the annual Pollei Family bowling night, meeting up with some of my best high school friends, and quality time with family, I think it's safe to say it was a much-needed break.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfd_m72Zx_jjbxkqgIhwiuMM4HG5wGJZDU_dGt7j01N6ru3ezHAIi_nz8LK7x48Uh-wvirv5J3EleNgQ-FdmJdkTA7LcEPQ0uQwc4RfTSX7C5r3YRMe2fF-K5tIZ9KZsNEN2E5NOktuE/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfd_m72Zx_jjbxkqgIhwiuMM4HG5wGJZDU_dGt7j01N6ru3ezHAIi_nz8LK7x48Uh-wvirv5J3EleNgQ-FdmJdkTA7LcEPQ0uQwc4RfTSX7C5r3YRMe2fF-K5tIZ9KZsNEN2E5NOktuE/s576/photo1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Christmas Eve nativity & pinata, so funny to see Kiki dive for the candy</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQu4rTJkocK9J5TgZm4lW4fu6e_xWymDWrWoC5QcQxlP-ZoKzPYMrbMOAkFkriunNC-0GkECZtY7IQBrnaZW37A5Zn1bMqp-eykfKNgJxeuV66kbptM0kqEaWWecw3KSo_vnq1va3Ujo/s1600/DSC_0412+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQu4rTJkocK9J5TgZm4lW4fu6e_xWymDWrWoC5QcQxlP-ZoKzPYMrbMOAkFkriunNC-0GkECZtY7IQBrnaZW37A5Zn1bMqp-eykfKNgJxeuV66kbptM0kqEaWWecw3KSo_vnq1va3Ujo/s576/DSC_0412+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>I don't know who loved who more... Kiki didn't leave Steve's side all break, </div>
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then again, neither did Steve.<br />
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Trip to Temple Square to see the lights. Always incredible.<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28L9D9yRcQnonithnnaBjmzk1KVuxLQ8uBAFKY1m9CELsXZ1KjJQHoTzJ3ejL0ZRZDwgxhVfveqdZRvCMFcoHED1OxPvhEGGBH7Vs9jbSSn-dkUgU0FyDxkcToDDHeQRc-vVb6iqTnso/s576/templelights.jpg" /></div>
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The kids loved tracking Santa on Google Maps on Christmas Eve!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6vRBj33SFEQJvRmV2lBg3z9jUpi2lGOMJttIEyTmoPPCfsUCYqJSgWq63Ei181ACaSptCakVSFNJSVfi2mm-uGqpB25DZns0xkQYHafGj-e7tUWDWtXiYXyWCQz_lj5EHpC4J5RY7Z8/s576/photo5.jpg" /> </div>
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Until next year!</div>
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</div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-48483389117829914662012-01-04T23:03:00.000-05:002012-01-04T23:03:36.847-05:00The month of December in Washington, D.C.<div style="text-align: center;">We have had a lot of fun lately.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nothing out of the ordinary. </div><div style="text-align: center;">But this place is really starting to feel like home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We feel so blessed to have the jobs we do, </div><div style="text-align: center;">for Steve's opportunity to go to the school that he does,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and to live in such a beautiful city.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">This doesn't mean it wasn't terribly hard to leave Salt Lake last weekend,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but it means we are really starting to feel settled.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Spending our first holiday season in the District was very fun.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Although Steve's 1st semester of finals kept us from enjoying the first half of the month,</div><div style="text-align: center;">we certainly did a lot the week before we went to Utah for the holiday.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">We went to the DC temple to see the lights and festivities, </div><div style="text-align: center;">window shopping around Georgetown, </div><div style="text-align: center;">visited the Botanical Gardens (absolutely AMAZING - so many poinsettias!),</div><div style="text-align: center;">checked out the White House tree and walked historic neighborhoods,</div><div style="text-align: center;">enjoyed festive baking, eating out, listening to Christmas music, </div><div style="text-align: center;">and celebrating our Christmas on December 21st before heading to Utah.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF64fyACmd2H6B2yHKIxeZUYxV-XMVpCILeLZ9BTlaOFIm42hQg16yq276UJ1AnVYkpfHom-BbzVeRqFLNasw3eqZmF-248zdj7W6XeaDiyFn16RalmbsxcUbCdg26IGfmUtOcFcczNB8/s1600/whitehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF64fyACmd2H6B2yHKIxeZUYxV-XMVpCILeLZ9BTlaOFIm42hQg16yq276UJ1AnVYkpfHom-BbzVeRqFLNasw3eqZmF-248zdj7W6XeaDiyFn16RalmbsxcUbCdg26IGfmUtOcFcczNB8/s576/whitehouse.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNkXB8qHKFb4vm-nJ-Z4bNzS2aZhPd5N7O3xJYodjo2GqOsaL3-hraCLAUQ-OiTZrKitcIpdnpcuSKAi1uixtMk1vH_xswsCg_nEJiTThYNnXUxHNdSS6xh84IaeRJc4L7REGmwureoM/s1600/templecards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNkXB8qHKFb4vm-nJ-Z4bNzS2aZhPd5N7O3xJYodjo2GqOsaL3-hraCLAUQ-OiTZrKitcIpdnpcuSKAi1uixtMk1vH_xswsCg_nEJiTThYNnXUxHNdSS6xh84IaeRJc4L7REGmwureoM/s576/templecards.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDBVM0VaB8myDkwOk0L97V-okSIKq_1IHb-Xc5oL8op4Uir0q25vfKlsY6wOzAgudSCyI3XizAgjtkIFIZGIe8Y-4wnBXzNocpkGufEhrRdWKvrOyyduFm5yU7reXRlisBaZ0b7yACOg/s1600/holiday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDBVM0VaB8myDkwOk0L97V-okSIKq_1IHb-Xc5oL8op4Uir0q25vfKlsY6wOzAgudSCyI3XizAgjtkIFIZGIe8Y-4wnBXzNocpkGufEhrRdWKvrOyyduFm5yU7reXRlisBaZ0b7yACOg/s576/holiday.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz61uQfpMJhPkzpneCGiCY2Xz3NOyLZOTOx5JZN07J-f2W0mpilOGFaSZWbcoCMGmsiNnJOWczF2gaP2ijH68AJhylbzRLC9hgGHONym3SUgGNrQ8dDa9-AyELV4CuG7GQk7-WNn6usxA/s1600/pgt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz61uQfpMJhPkzpneCGiCY2Xz3NOyLZOTOx5JZN07J-f2W0mpilOGFaSZWbcoCMGmsiNnJOWczF2gaP2ijH68AJhylbzRLC9hgGHONym3SUgGNrQ8dDa9-AyELV4CuG7GQk7-WNn6usxA/s576/pgt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-77997610939197104822011-12-06T16:40:00.003-05:002011-12-06T16:41:43.567-05:00the car washFriday, May 6, 2011 - After traveling for 3+ days across the country Steve and I arrived in Washington, D.C. With bugs, birds and who knows what else on our car we decided to familiarize ourselves with our new home and find a nearby self-serve car wash to clean our car. Easy right? Wrong.<br />
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After nearly 3 hours of searching for a car wash there wasn't a single one to be found. We were so confused and thought this was the most bizarre thing. After scouring the web for the answer to this bizarre question we read that car washes don't exist in Northern VA. Something about harming the Potomac..? Who knew. Anyway, this has become quite the joke with Steve & I due to my impatience with a dirty car (inside or out).<br />
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So guess what was at the top of our "to-do over Thanksgiving in Nashville list"?<br />
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</div>Visit a self-serve car wash of course.<br />
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This Thanksgiving we were thankful for the simple things...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sDldoInJOYsths9a7wbV9BcVU9KLC4gKH8AJwfBFWvkIf1K5TNKmJWRFTJaNQCgza7dAjdbdfhoM6Kact1O2dB7nV2eb4ZXXE_zzRgIySkj3fFBu7YyZfSkp5pJVdMBDnzsnTeaEsc0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="00" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sDldoInJOYsths9a7wbV9BcVU9KLC4gKH8AJwfBFWvkIf1K5TNKmJWRFTJaNQCgza7dAjdbdfhoM6Kact1O2dB7nV2eb4ZXXE_zzRgIySkj3fFBu7YyZfSkp5pJVdMBDnzsnTeaEsc0/s576/photo.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8003938645599225265.post-3231803443729805662011-11-15T21:23:00.000-05:002011-11-15T21:23:08.272-05:00Saturday in Philadelphia<div style="text-align: center;">A few weeks ago we went up to Philadelphia to see some of my best friends from high school. Rachel Brubaker was the best host and tour guide, and it was so good to catch up with Cameron who was in town for work. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course we started the day with cheesesteaks, ended the day with a walk along the Schuylkill River to the Rocky statue and steps. Yes Brubaker was played the rocky theme on her phone as she dared Steve to run up and down the steps, like Rocky. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It was comical. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We also stopped by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, Rachel's amazing work (Anthropologie), drove around the city and admired the amazing architecture. </div><div style="text-align: center;">There's something about the industrial feel to Philly that is incredible.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We can't wait to visit again! It's so great to have close friends just 2 hours away!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8U8-GzAaErTT2oY3hDCjvwp1rGK4L9BDpynxHJro5u2W9o8JgKC6pRMxQWyHXuEp_e2iOJYzdzecCOCjsH8spiFROZKCIghYzYViqW0Zz8Lw_gtzio0-2QKkKf5bku6HK4rhKM9FZShg/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8U8-GzAaErTT2oY3hDCjvwp1rGK4L9BDpynxHJro5u2W9o8JgKC6pRMxQWyHXuEp_e2iOJYzdzecCOCjsH8spiFROZKCIghYzYViqW0Zz8Lw_gtzio0-2QKkKf5bku6HK4rhKM9FZShg/s576/IMG_0659.JPG.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX32OoDK8m5zz5SvLSFaV4SqylqA6J6yErZaRs0HQb0AKYnVajHQSN0MkCK69i8s5YuXqFxrcSDYfODEjXLPFFwmRpm77AniApb_juftXv5h_R6EhQ94INLspLXVbkH1X3DTV9Bv1_jU/s1600/IMG_4029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIF5AmgruxnRhEWg4UwNzEB3zVrC-d_AR7vurYkEZpKnqH-oDRvWqS-S30AvvaYe2OMgtfrnFCk044KvYcLdoTWV3hGXd-wQRXHpq4RqfyaCJI0pGN-s_FfL6EByF265Z2oRW8kVSecg/s1600/IMG_0661.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIF5AmgruxnRhEWg4UwNzEB3zVrC-d_AR7vurYkEZpKnqH-oDRvWqS-S30AvvaYe2OMgtfrnFCk044KvYcLdoTWV3hGXd-wQRXHpq4RqfyaCJI0pGN-s_FfL6EByF265Z2oRW8kVSecg/s576/IMG_0661.JPG.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The real cheesesteak test - Pats vs. Geno's</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cameron & Steve had to try half of each.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX32OoDK8m5zz5SvLSFaV4SqylqA6J6yErZaRs0HQb0AKYnVajHQSN0MkCK69i8s5YuXqFxrcSDYfODEjXLPFFwmRpm77AniApb_juftXv5h_R6EhQ94INLspLXVbkH1X3DTV9Bv1_jU/s1600/IMG_4029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX32OoDK8m5zz5SvLSFaV4SqylqA6J6yErZaRs0HQb0AKYnVajHQSN0MkCK69i8s5YuXqFxrcSDYfODEjXLPFFwmRpm77AniApb_juftXv5h_R6EhQ94INLspLXVbkH1X3DTV9Bv1_jU/s576/IMG_4029.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKjOvhXBQl4YKQh2FPJgd6RsIYIItOrJqta6ZqKgM0Q6PwcR7SGdICOjr0rOpUKEj-OTYCDaCDS8sOYjcpSSQKrowFIMsnJTpPfCBBwln4dhu9Y5jLIzHVTdLRUURfK8H-RR2EF39AE8/s1600/IMG_4031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKjOvhXBQl4YKQh2FPJgd6RsIYIItOrJqta6ZqKgM0Q6PwcR7SGdICOjr0rOpUKEj-OTYCDaCDS8sOYjcpSSQKrowFIMsnJTpPfCBBwln4dhu9Y5jLIzHVTdLRUURfK8H-RR2EF39AE8/s576/IMG_4031.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Rachel gave us a tour of the incredible Urban campus. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This photo is of the apparel part of Anthropologie.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have to say the Anthro home area was <i>amazing!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcVrbIQqIYudAr8CXs0KDoMeGeNagRLqFn84sfqgmx5T36LVt1qtoPsafSlSdsvRqV8M8ax6KMo3oWWQ4ALxrxrLyZGlL-34A8NqoE2Vhgmapnvw2X864xRGl4Er_JwfxcKoBfFJAQzM/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcVrbIQqIYudAr8CXs0KDoMeGeNagRLqFn84sfqgmx5T36LVt1qtoPsafSlSdsvRqV8M8ax6KMo3oWWQ4ALxrxrLyZGlL-34A8NqoE2Vhgmapnvw2X864xRGl4Er_JwfxcKoBfFJAQzM/s576/IMG_0663.JPG.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Urban campus is on an old navy yard...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Steve was in love with all the old aircraft carriers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_BHKt3TFSQ-BgaxYK-C6sd8IC25rWH3_il5cyJl39jGCxqUSDZLjDK47kmLEmU1mebnxlGLwRuZW7JMT5SpTd-NgSZNQtu5ltOkLibhz9CGHDu-4in7lygMj6x1RI4QfxUXfei254Xg/s1600/IMG_4040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_BHKt3TFSQ-BgaxYK-C6sd8IC25rWH3_il5cyJl39jGCxqUSDZLjDK47kmLEmU1mebnxlGLwRuZW7JMT5SpTd-NgSZNQtu5ltOkLibhz9CGHDu-4in7lygMj6x1RI4QfxUXfei254Xg/s576/IMG_4040.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNHfr_dp9DGJ1O_PKIkBRiG4X2lMJrWQB7xobCqcUzQiBzjdAcKdEi5Ih7QfC9gE_kYBc9pgSF16IGpR7R-iRBZXaFV8GWjy75K08xfIRV20meEwLAzJNAZgJWWZFkJhGKbxIWezzIP8/s1600/IMG_0675.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNHfr_dp9DGJ1O_PKIkBRiG4X2lMJrWQB7xobCqcUzQiBzjdAcKdEi5Ih7QfC9gE_kYBc9pgSF16IGpR7R-iRBZXaFV8GWjy75K08xfIRV20meEwLAzJNAZgJWWZFkJhGKbxIWezzIP8/s576/IMG_0675.JPG.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i>This whole idea of east coast in the fall is really gaining a special place in my heart :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGX1H8FY4h7oZscljMcvv4vnfdDFkvY1ILTzSmqcreZ90bcM6CRVglYU7_IwUu-_8kiBpgkHuwm8MpSGnZVQcDioYWetp21G9nvJq8YtbQRer743enEKMG9c4ZyNbjCd5krrGnaWpbDE/s1600/IMG_0690.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGX1H8FY4h7oZscljMcvv4vnfdDFkvY1ILTzSmqcreZ90bcM6CRVglYU7_IwUu-_8kiBpgkHuwm8MpSGnZVQcDioYWetp21G9nvJq8YtbQRer743enEKMG9c4ZyNbjCd5krrGnaWpbDE/s576/IMG_0690.JPG.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3iExbdrXvDROioNLuKE-8Oo0GKA82At0gPr8rvGKQlnGUVu5j2ECmVNIqqooOLqnI1qOfFg3P9p9EW7amIt6hfOfXF2AYrEfQX6XwvklE1D6Da17AGNyPAGrjm3A3IDm2kVXuenGvKw/s1600/IMG_0691.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3iExbdrXvDROioNLuKE-8Oo0GKA82At0gPr8rvGKQlnGUVu5j2ECmVNIqqooOLqnI1qOfFg3P9p9EW7amIt6hfOfXF2AYrEfQX6XwvklE1D6Da17AGNyPAGrjm3A3IDm2kVXuenGvKw/s576/IMG_0691.JPG.jpg" /></a></div>Steve & Jessie Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16528839292407686827noreply@blogger.com0