BEST NEWS!!!

Here is some great news-


WE ARE COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

I of course am beyond ecstatic! We are so grateful to our parents who are helping us fly home for 2 1/2 weeks. We leave the 12th- hurray!!!

Phillies Fans

Today I wanted to write about the UNBELIEVABLE Phillies fans here. My friend Mindi tried to warn me but I had NO idea. So the big game was Wednsday night (also the debates but I don't think anyone but us were watching those). People were up VERY late and partying about the big win. The fans are so crazy that they just made a law here that if you have any open container of alcohol on the streets you will be fined. They were outside, which means that by them being in their front yard they are pretty much in ours because the streets are so small. (I am still trying to catch up on sleep.) Then I was watching the news last night and the very 1st story is about how the shops in Center City have almost no Phillies paraphenilia left. I looked at the clock and it was 10:05 and they were still carrying on about this. Then at 10:15 the story was about a Grandma and a 2 year old shot on a crosswalk and they spent the entire story about how they caught the guy who shot them. (sorry to scare you Mom but yes, that kind of thing happens all the time here). I was like really, really that story deserves to be like 3rd and the Phillies team apparel is 1st? Priorities? Basically that is what it is like here- EVERYONE is a fan and if you are not- you better not mention it or you could be in the #3 news story for the night!

Adventures with Kristi and Acadia!

The last few weeks my sister Kristi and I, (along with Acadia and Aubrie) have had a few fun adventures. We had a chance to go see Gettysburg. It was surreal, very humbling and full of history. I really am enjoying all these historical sites- this is my kind of thing! (I think that ever since I read Gone With the Wind and the sequel I have been interested in the Civil War.) Kris also came to visit us in Philly last week and we had a great time. My favorite part of that was the
Ghost Tour
that just Kris and I went on. It was so cool. I was terrified to go but she talked me into it. I am so glad that I went. We spent 90 minutes walking around Center City by the Liberty Bell, graveyards etc... with this very dramatic guy telling ghost stories. (I didn't take any pictures because I am chicken...) If you ever get a chance to go on a ghost tour- do it!!! It has been fun getting to know Kristi again since we haven't seen much of each other for a long time. I LOVE having some family out here and she is surely terrific and a lot of fun to be with.

My Cute Row House

Here is our front room - Aubrie wouldn't smile for the picture! I have a fireplace! (does it work???) Here is the dining room, it has this cute little arch alcove thing on the other side.
This is our little "sun room" it is what is there when you open the door.
Kitchen- notice the counter space- it is unbelievable to actually be able to put a cutting board down on a counter and have it fit!
This is the other side of the front room- Aubrie's latest favorite movie (The Wizard of Oz) is on.

This is a just moving in shot- don't you just love unpacking!
Here are a few pictures of Aubrie's room. Everything is basically courtesy of IKEA. (Brent's poor hands from putting it all together).
Here is a shot of the hallway at the top of the stairs leading to Aubrie's room and off to the right is the office.

This is our bedroom- it looks small, but compared to the village it is a freakin' mansion!!! I missed a few rooms (like the office and the basement ) but basically because there is nothing to see but spiders and mice (yes we have mice!!!)

Phone Pics!

I left my phone at my sister's house (well actually Brent did but lets not get into that), however here are a few phone pictures that I have taken. The first is Aubrie on our trip- I did various prizes to keep her from hating the trip and this was when she opened the princess bandaids. (FYI bandaids are a GREAT bribe!)I was also thinking about it and basically this picture pretty much sums up our great trip across the country- you know - in the car!

Next is the LOVE fountain in downtown Philly- after visiting this day I really wanted to go home.

Here is Aubrie on a carousel ride- her and I got dropped off at Franklin Square in Center City last week and we spent the morning playing in the really beautiful park.

Today we went to Reading Terminal in Center City. (sorry no pics I was too scared to take my phone out!) It is pronounced "redding" I know you are thinking Huh, it is spelled reading like reading a book. But no- just like any new place you have to be careful how you pronounce things or you will sound like a tourist! We took the bus and actually had a fun day. It is this HUGE market place with every kind of food available and fun shops. I will definitely be going back.

Driving In Philadelphia

Just so you are not surprised when you notice the voice of the posting changed, this is Brent writing. Julie has been bugging me to write a post since she started this blog. I was repremanded last week when I gave out our blog to a friend, because I actually did not contribute to any of the postings. So here I am!
So, Driving in Philadelphia. Before I explain the unwritten rules of traveling via vehicle in Philly, I want to say a few things. Since we have been here, I have almost been in five accidents, and almost hit two pedestrians. I say I because Julie has only driven once or twice. This place is flat out crazy when it comes to driving. Just the other day a local admited to me that people in Philly just suck at driving.

Here are the rules (unwritten rules mind you) of how to drive in Philly:
1. If you haven't started driving before the light actually turns green you will get honked at (actually it's ok to go while it is still red).
2. It is not necessary to look in your rear view or side mirrors before changing lanes (we get cut off all the time).
3. What is the purpose of a blinker. I think that every ones cars are out of blinker fluid here.
4.When turning left, it doesn't actully mean that you are going to turn left, because you have several options. You can vere left, turn left, sharp turn left, or actually change your mind and go strait.
5.If you don't know how to us a round-about here ,go back to Utah or drivers ed, which ever works best.
6.Pedestrians are not required to look both ways before crossing the street. In fact if you almost hit them they will lash out at you, saying that you are in the wrong.
7.If you don't know how to parallel park, you had better figure it out fast.
8. We will probably add a great deal to this list, for we have only been here 3 weeks.

How we've spent our days

Unfortunately I have yet to locate my camera, so I don't have pictures to accompany this blog( boring I know)! We have managed to do a few fun things since we got here. We went and saw my sister Kristi in Virginia. She has a beautiful house and a new dog (Acadia) - after seeing him Aubrie has decided that all of her stuffed dogs are also named Acadia. We visited Harpers Ferry while we were there -my favorite part was actually the beautiful drive through Virginia- places like Leesburg. I went to the New Jersey shore with some girls in my new ward last week. I say Shore because that is what they call it here (not the beach!) It was amazing and absolutely breathtaking. Aubrie was so scared at first but soon realized waves are fun- I had a tough time getting her to leave. Both Brent and I have gone out with the missionaries. What an adventure there. The lady I taught with the missionaries kept offering me drinks. We have also had them to dinner. There are like 4 sets of missionaries just in our ward. So different than SL.
On Saturday hurricane Hanna was felt here - it was insane to drive in - not like the rain in Utah that is for sure. (Our bathroom ceiling is cracked and water was coming in - this place is ancient!)
Today we headed downtown(City Center) to see the sites. $15 to park for 2 hours (ouch!) We saw Independance Hall and the Liberty Bell - and then.... another downpour of A LOT of rain. We were so drenched in an instant. Of course that ended our tours for the day. It was raining so much that really all we could do was laugh. Aubrie just kept sticking her hand out of the stroller saying, "It's raining!"
We are finally all moved in and I promise to post pictures soon. I LOVE having a basement to store my stuff. I HATE the wood floors (it's just because they creek and I am way freaked out because you hear everything and everyone). We got some of our $ refunded from the moving company- its kind of a long story but I had to call and yell and threaten (Philly style) to get something done. Don't ever use WE-haul (ABF) or Roadway moving company- they are dishonest, expensive, and rude!
I am doing better than last week. It makes it easier to know that I have the support of my friends and family. Especially now that I am one year older(my b-day was Tuesday). Someone asked me how old I was Saturday when I was with the missionaries and I told them- they were shocked and told me I didn't look a day older than 22! Nice! Maybe I should lie about my age here? No one would know!