Update for Ellen and Family

Love Ellen's updated for June on social media! 

June may have been the busiest month of my entire life!

My favorite photo of the month - Evan and I cleaning up Tuacahn in prep for the Patriotic Service I planned to celebrate flag day! I got to organize an amazing MC Justin Prince and a ton of fantastic local talent to perform at a free community event for Liberty Village.

We started the month with a camping trip to our favorite Crazy Cow Farm Adventure Official in Malad, ID! We played hard and had lots of fun with family and at the camp site!

When we got home we had a surprise in the mail - t shirts from @shibatetu_train from Japan! They are now the kids’ favorite shirts and they wear them constantly!

After camping I made a quick pit stop at home to change out my bag then flew to DC for the premier of Young Washington at The Kennedy Center where I organized a reception for Liberty Village guests before the movie started. I got to spend some time sightseeing and loved every minute of the one million miles we walked!

I took the kids out to Liberty Village to see their commemorative brick. I’m so glad that their names will always be apart of a place I love so much!

Next up - our annual Father’s Day Flee vacation with Jase’s family! We had a fun staycation this year that involved watching Tuacahn Center for the Arts Finding Nemo and lots of loving on dad. The boys LOVED their first play (and love their dad)!

When Father’s Day Flee ended my development director and I jumped into finishing the final details of the United We Pledge golf tournament! I had my first helicopter ride - to throw golf balls into a golf hole as part of a fundraiser we ran at the golf tournament!

I didn’t even get to shower post golf tournament before jumping into the car to head back up north. In Salt Lake and Provo areas I got to celebrate my new sister in law Savanna Manuela at her bridal shower then celebrate my cutie college roomie Lynae Richardson as one of her bridesmaids at her wedding! So much love in the air!

Jase Post (taken from Facebook)

Tonight Ellen and I celebrated our 5th anniversary! I already told her I wanted to do something big for it, but being the poor planner that I am, we didn’t end up booking any trips. However, the past two weeks have been a complete whirlwind for us as Ellen applied to, and received a job in St. George for a Director of Marketing position at a non-profit organization called Liberty Village. Since then, we’ve made plans for me to quit my job and started packing up our house to move back to St. George. Tonight, we went to dinner at Sakura to celebrate not only our 5th anniversary, but Ellen’s first week at her new career as well. I’m so proud of what Ellen has accomplished so far and I love watching her become so great. She is truly amazing and I’m so glad I married her 5 years ago.

For me, it’s time to channel my inner dad energy as I transition into being a stay at home dad for our 3 kids. I’m going to need a lot of training for this new job! If you saw me at the grocery store today with my 3 littles all 3 years old and under along with two shopping carts just trying to get through the shopping, you could probably tell that I have a lot to learn.

That said, I am so grateful I get this opportunity to spend more time with my kids. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come back to St. George and see our many family members and friends. Most of all, I’m grateful I married someone who never ceases to amaze me with all she can accomplish. Ellen, thank you so much for choosing to marry me 5 years ago and for bringing me along on this journey of making all of our dreams come true. I love you!

(Ellen Post) Five years with my love! I am so grateful that I’ve been able to experience all the joys of the last five years with you (some pictured ). I am even more grateful that I’ve had you by my side through the hard times. Thank you for being my rock at the beginning and end of every day, as well as every moment in-between. You are the best husband and best dad. I love you!!  Facebook Post

Elsie's Birth Story (Ellen's Post)

Elsie's Birth Story 

(Snagged from Ellen's Blog: As Mama Sees)

Elsie girl! I’m so glad you’re here with us, healthy and strong! I love you so much. I’m working on this after Dad left the hospital for the night. You look adorable sitting in your little bassinet beside my hospital bed! You just had your first bath (on Jan 11th) and are so cute snuggled up in your blankets.

01.09.2025

38 weeks and 5 days gestation

    I had a prenatal appointment with Dr. Katherine Peacock where she swept my membranes to hopefully induce labor! At the appointment, we also talked about scheduling an induction closer to my 40-week mark, as a backup if I didn’t go into labor on my own. I was dilated to 3-4 cm and experienced some light contractions for a few hours following the membrane sweep.

    I started experiencing some painful contractions around 10/10:30 pm but was able to lay down and get to sleep around 11:00 after they calmed down some.


01.10.2025

38 weeks and 6 days gestation

    I woke up around 12:30 in a lot of pain from my contractions! I expected them to calm down again, so I rode them out for about an hour before I woke up Jase. They were intense and close together. I woke up your dad with my movement around the room, and once I decided I was in too much pain to sit around and wait any longer we loaded up into the car and got to the hospital! Your dad laughed at me because I booked it when walking around the house and into the hospital anytime I had a break between contractions. I wanted to get to my epidural as fast as possible!

    We got to the Riverton Intermountain Hospital around 2 am. I was quickly checked in triage and was found I was dilated to six cm! They got me moved to a room and ordered an epidural for me; I was still in a lot of pain anytime I had a contraction. You gave me the most painful contractions I’ve ever had! The anesthesiologist arrived quickly and got my epidural in nice and quick. When he was giving me my numbing shots (before placing the epidural catheter) I told him that I loved what I was feeling, because I knew that I wouldn’t be feeling anything pretty soon! I didn’t have any contractions while getting my epidural placed until the very end of the process when I was getting my back taped up. I was super grateful because they were coming about every 30 seconds to four minutes since they had woken me up.

    After getting my epidural placed my nurses finished all our admission paperwork and I settled in to try and get some sleep. Around 4:45 am the on-call doctor came to check me and break my water. I was dilated to 8 cm, so Jase called Auntie Lexie and my mom to come to the hospital and get ready for your arrival! They got to the hospital by 5 am, ready to entertain me. Auntie Sophie was going to come, but was out of town when you decided to come!

    Auntie Lexie and Grandma arrived quickly and we all hung around the room for a few hours while we waited for you. I started feeling pressure in my bum around 8:30 and called my nurse to check my cervix. I was dilated to 10 cm and the nurse gave Dr. Peacock a call, who in turn asked for me to do some pushes to make sure you were descending like you should be before she came in. I wanted to try pushing on my side so I laid back and we started pushing through a contraction. My epidural made my whole evening super comfy and painless, but I was still able to move my legs plenty; so I was able to move around as needed. Unfortunately, you were not happy when I was lying on either of my sides or my back (I had spent the previous two hours in the “throne position” where I was essentially sitting up, but reclined and comfy), and your heart rate dipped a good amount. We pushed through two contractions, one on each side, but you weren’t having it. The nurse called Dr. Peacock to come in right away because of your heart rate and I sat back up while we waited, which made you happy again and got your heart rate close to where it needed to be.

    When Dr. Peacock arrived she checked your position and you were at 3+ (meaning you were as low as you could get and it was push time). I reclined more but didn’t lay all the way back this time, this kept you happy enough while I pushed. I pushed through five or six contractions (I pushed three times, for 10 seconds per push, during each contraction), and you made your arrival! The hospital had a mirror mounted on the ceiling, so I was able to see your head getting closer and closer to being out while I worked on pushing. On the last contraction, you were so close that I pushed two or three more times after it was finished and you popped out! You were born at 8:49 am. You got placed on my chest right away, then we waited for your umbilical cord to stop pulsing before I cut it myself! You took a second to cry and looked like a little blue smurf, but you adjusted to your new world quickly. Your APGAR score was 8 at the one-minute mark, then 9 at the five-minute mark. I got to hold you while they did all their assessments and then got to do golden hour! Dad held you as well, and then we got you weighed and measured. You were 5lb 8oz (in the third percentile for your weight) and 18 inches long.

    About an hour and a half after your arrival, we moved from Labor and Delivery to the Postpartum Unit. They loaded me into a wheelchair, then I held you while we were wheeled over. They play a cute lullaby to celebrate each delivery when the mom and baby are wheeled to their room. I’ve never been able to bring my baby to my postpartum room with me so I cried the whole way. I have adored having you with me!

    I didn’t tear at all while I was pushing, so this has been the easiest recovery out of all of my births. Evan and Eli came to meet you right after lunch on the day you were born. Evan loved holding you and Eli liked the lights on my hospital bed. Your dad has been in and out of the hospital, spending some time with your brothers at home and some time with us. We got put in an isolation room because every other room in the maternity ward was full when we came over from Labor and Delivery. It’s a little bit smaller than a normal room, so there isn’t a couch for your dad to sleep on. He wanted to sleep at home anyway though, and your brothers were glad to have him. Other than that the only difference between our room and a normal one is that we have a heavy door with a window.

    After your birth, we had to be careful with your body temperature and your blood sugar, because you’re such a small thing. You had a couple of low blood sugar readings, so the nurse fed you some sugar gel before two of your feedings, and then you ate by bottle. Your blood sugar went right back up. Other than that we’ve breastfed and now your blood sugar has been good long enough that we don’t have to check it anymore. The only time you had issues with your body temperature was right after delivery and golden hour. Once we got you warmed back up we kept you bundled up and you did great. I love to take your hat off and see all your cute dark hair though! Your pediatrician said he saw the low blood sugar and low body temperature alerts and thought, “Another tiny Jensen!” He got to see you on the 11th, the day after you were born because they round on patients in the mornings.


Other Dates:

Oct 11th (25 weeks and 6 days) - We celebrated you with a Halloween-themed baby shower!

Oct 22nd (27 and 3) - Went into Riverton Labor and Delivery to check on contractions. I was dilated to a “tight” one cm. I received a shot of Terbutaline to stop contractions. I got to go home from triage after four hours.

Oct 28th (28 and 2) - I had some light contractions over the weekend, Dr. Peacock checked my cervix and it was still a “tight” one cm. I got my TDAP vaccine and got my first Betamethasone shot to help your lungs develop if you come early (got the second shot on Oct 29th). The Dr. changed my appointment schedule to start meeting with her weekly.

Nov 14th (30 and 5) - Went into Murray Labor and Delivery to check on contractions. I was still at one cm, so I got to go home after a few hours in triage.

Nov 18th and 19th (31 and 2-3) - I received my second dose of Betamethasone.

Dec 1st (33 and 1) - Went into Riverton Labor and Delivery to check on contractions. While I was there I progressed from one cm to “one and a wiggle,” but didn’t progress anymore so I was able to go home again!

Dec 28th and 29th (37 and 1-2) - I got admitted to Riverton Labor and Delivery overnight. I was one cm dilated when I was first checked, and still at a one after 20 minutes. My contractions were still good and I was full term, so they had me go walk the hospital to see if we could get things to progress. My contractions were really painful while I was walking stairs and doing laps around the offices. I had progressed to two cm by the time I got back. My contractions were strong enough that they wanted to admit me, but as soon as I was settled in a room they calmed down. I went on another walk, but I wasn’t in nearly as much pain and things didn’t progress further. The on-call Dr. decided to wait for Dr. Peacock to start her shift the next morning before making the call on whether they wanted to start Pitocin to get labor progressing. I went to bed around 4 am to wait. Dr. Peacock decided to send me home, so we packed things up and I took a long nap once we were home to catch back up on some sleep.

Ellen's Baby Shower

Ellen's sister, Lexie, threw her a baby shower tonight and she went all out! The decorations were SO cute! It was Halloween themed. They had witch hats hanging from the ceiling, blue lemonade with "eye-balls" in it, darling intricate baby and halloween themed cookies, food served in cauldrons, a huge balloon bouquet and more. They had advice cards, a jar filled with candy corns for guests to guess the number, cards to guess when baby Elsie would arrive, and cards for guests to guess how many inches her belly was. So fun! Great job, Lexie! 

Jenna and I had left St. George at 2:00 (much later than we had planned), and were making a stop in Highland to drop off our food and pick up Grandma Westra. But there were a couple of accidents on the way holding up traffic and then traffic was really bad getting into the area, and so we were running late. We went and picked up my sister, Jen, in West Jordan, and so it was fun to get a chance to visit. I was glad that she and my mom could come! From our side of the family we had me, Jenna, Grandma Westra, Jen Blackham, Janika, Hallie, and Janelle. There were quite a few from Ellen's side too. She received lots of really nice gifts! We are praying that all will go well with Ellen's pregnancy, and that baby Elsie won't come as early as her two brothers did when they were born!! 

This was Jenna's card. She wrote: 

I hope you love: Your Aunt Jenna 

I hope you become: My best friend

I hope you aren't afraid of: Anything

I hope you learn: To walk

I hope you respect: Your Parents 

I hope you never forget: That I am your favorite aunt

I hope you always: Are happy 

With love, Jenna 

Jase showed me the changes they had made to the house (painting the master bedroom, the bathroom, and the boys' room.) They also had a Jensen Family mission statement hanging on their wall with their family goals, which I thought was so cool!! What a great idea!!  

Crazy Cow Farm Adventure: Jase and Ellen

Facebook post

Zion's National Park

We went to Zion's National Park with Jase, Ellen, Evan, and Eli. I think the last time I went hiking at Zions was in 2016! A lot has changed since then! It was crowded back then, but now it was insane! As we drove up there were signs saying that there was no available parking in the park and that visitors needed to park in Springdale. In Springdale there are hotels and restaurants with available parking, but each place was charging $25.00 just to park there. There were several kiosks with which to pay. So not only do you need to buy a pass to get into the park, you also need to pay another $25.00 just to park! It is ridiculous! 

After parking you need to ride a huge shuttle bus into the park -- which was crammed with visitors squished in with every seat taken and then everyone else standing with very little room. The driver announces interesting landmarks, but it is so crowded you can't see much of anything. The bus drops you off at the visitor's center and then you catch another bus to get to your desired trailhead. All of this took a long time. Two of the trailheads were closed. There were intercoms making announcements making it feel more like an amusement park rather than a national park. 

We finally got to the trailhead of a very short hike, since we Evan and Eli wouldn't make it very far. It was basically a half mile walk to a picnic area. That is as far as we got into the park! Then we ate some snacks and then rode the long bus back! After we got to our cars we went to a nearby park so that the boys could run around and so that we could eat our picnic. This was the most pleasant part of the journey! It is sad that Zions has gotten so overly crowded! 

We departed ways since we had the 40's dance tonight and Jase and Ellen and their boys went camping at a place they had found a ways outside of the park. Luckily it was a wide open space with nothing but land for the boys to run around! I am sure it was difficult camping with two young boys, but they said that it went well!    

Ellen's 25th Birthday

Jase and Ellen's family and Janika and Brandon's family all came down for the long weekend (MLK Day), so that was fun! Jase and Ellen were able to celebrate Ellen's 25th birthday while they were here. They played laser tag with friends Friday night and then went to the temple Saturday morning and to Sakura that night. We got to spend lots of time with the boys over the weekend and enjoy some outside time at the park!  

President's Day Weekend!

Thursday night after interpreting at SUU I brought Jaiden back home with me. Then Jase and Ellen came down later that night. Jase had a presentation at Utah Tech University on Friday and also on Tuesday. Friday I worked all day. Saturday Jase and Ellen went with Rick to the Parade of Homes while I watched the boys. We enjoyed a nice walk to the park. That night we had a nice family dinner and Jared came over and joined us. Sunday we all went to church. Jaiden was supposed to sing Sunday, but I bumped her a week since another college student was in town and it worked out for her to sing this week. Monday Jenna and I brought the boys back to the park for a walk. Monday night Jase and Ellen went to Sakura while Rick and I watched the boys. I was glad that we had nice weather for their weekend because the next week brought cold and snow! 

Blessing of Eli Dean Jensen!

Baby Eli was blessed today! Their ward was at 10:30 in Herriman. It was estimated to be 35 minutes away from where we were staying in Highland, but we left early to play it safe. It is a good thing we did because it was snowing and the roads were terrible. The drive was a big nerve wracking and I was worried for Gerilyn and Grandma Jensen who were coming clear from Ogden. They said that their drive was very scary, but thankfully everyone arrived safely without incident (although there was a scary close call with Jared, who was taking Jenna, Jaiden, Adria, and Rella). Josh was with us and we also had my mom and dad drive with us, since we were worried about my dad driving in the snow.

I offered many prayers on the way there and thankfully those prayers were answered! It was a very good sacrament meeting and I really enjoyed all of the talks. Jase gave a beautiful blessing and I was grateful that we could all be there for it. We all went to Jase and Ellen's basement apartment for brunch afterwards. Thankfully their apartment is quite big, because there was a lot of people who came! After the blessing we headed back to Shane and Alicia's and changed our clothes and headed home. The roads were bad part of the way, but not too terrible. The wiper fluid in my car stopped working and so that was frustrating and scary because I felt like we couldn't see well. I am so glad that I live in Southern Utah! I wish all of our family lived there too, ha ha! 

Jase, Ellen, and Evan

Friday, October 15: After doing baptisms at the Draper Temple we went to Chick-Fil-A with the Williams and then Josh, Jenna, Rella, and I went to go visit Jase and Evan and see their new place. We weren't able to see Ellen because she was still in the Murray hospital. She and Jase had gone to the Murray hospital last Monday (at 31 weeks) because she was having contractions. The next morning she was dilated to a six and they had given her an epidural, expecting imminent delivery. We were all very nervous about this and praying hard for her. Then a few hours the contractions slowed way down and then dilation did not continue, and so they ended up taking out the epidural and eventually moved her out of labor and delivery. So she was still in the hospital, but it was Jase's day off and so he was taking care of Evan. 

Jase gave us a tour of their new place in Herriman. Below is a picture of the house (they are in the basement apartment). It definitely has some quirks (notice the picture of the outlet -- they are all like that, ha ha), but is spacious and roomy -- 2000 square feet! They seem to like the area and ward, and the  landlords who own the house and live upstairs have a couple of young boys and so they get along well with them and have been able to trade babysitting. Jase and Ellen have enjoyed living there and are exciting to finish furnishing it when they can. They have a lot on their plate right now! 

Maryland

Rick and I left for Maryland Tuesday morning at 8:00. Rick drove us to the airport and Jaiden came with us to drive the car home. We ran into Susan and Doug Howard at the airport and enjoyed visiting with them. Several of their children were in our caroling group through the years (they are all married with children of their own now). Rick and I flew to Denver where we had a layover for a couple of hours and then we flew to the Dulles airport in Virginia and then drove an hour to Baltimore to the apartment where Jase and Ellen have been staying all summer. It was down Maryland Avenue -- a very narrow one way street with lines of cars parked on both sides of the street, putting Rick's parallel parking skills to the test! We arrived at 9:00 p.m. Evan had woken up and so we were able to see him for a few minutes before he went back to bed. 

Jase and Ellen gave us a tour of their temporary home. It is very different -- and very old! From the street you walk up the cement steps to an extremely weathered looking door into a little hallway which leads to another door which opens up to their apartment (Airbnb). The hallway also has a staircase which leads to the apartments above theirs. When you open the door to their apartment, you walk right into the "family room," where you are greeted by a couch and a queen-sized bed! We aren't sure why the queen bed is in the family room instead of the bedroom downstairs. The family room also has a fireplace and a couple of couches, which open up into beds should the need arise. 

The room also includes a narrow, steep staircase which lead to a door at the bottom of the stairs, which is where the majority of the apartment is. This opens up into a roomy kitchen, with a kitchen table and chairs. There is no dishwasher or disposal -- but there IS a washing machine (right there in the kitchen so you can cook and do laundry at the same time, ha ha) -- no dryer though. There is only one bathroom in the apartment, on the other side of the kitchen. There is this random open area where two bunk beds are placed. The open area has several doors -- one leading to the kitchen, one to the bathroom, and one to the bedroom. The bedroom is big and has a closet and two couches that open up into bed. This would be a much more ideal place for that queen bed. Evan slept in that room in his little pack and play crib and Jase and Ellen slept on the couch beds that opened up into a bed and they gave us the queen bed upstairs. But normally they have the queen bed and they can hear Evan through the baby monitor. Pictured below is the door leading into their apartment. 

Wednesday morning Rick and I brought Ellen grocery shopping at Walmart. They have been here without a car and so shopping has been difficult. Ellen walks to nearby grocery store a couple blocks away with Evan in the stroller and so she can only get a few items at a time. So we loaded up the cart with tons of food that should last the whole time we are here and hopefully longer for them to use after we leave. When we got back we fixed lunch and then went for a walk nearby Johns Hopkins campus, past the park where Ellen takes Evan, and to the Barnes and Noble bookstore. We met up with Jase at the book store after he had finished his internship for the day and he walked back with us. Rick and I then fixed dinner -- yummy tacos! Then Rick cut Evan's hair. He was NOT happy about that and was mad at Rick for days! 

Thursday (July 28) was our anniversary!! 28 years!! (I am just now realizing that it is 28 YEARS, on the 28th DAY of July -- ha ha.) Ellen and Evan and I walked Jase to the bus-stop where he catches the bus to go to Johns Hopkins Medical School. When they said they were only a half mile from campus I thought that they meant they were a half mile from the Medical School. But I guess this is the regular campus and the medical school is a few miles away. So he walks to the bus-stop by the University and catches the bus to the medical school for his internship. When we got back I worked out and then we had lunch. 

Rick and Ellen and Evan and I went to go visit Fort McHenry -- birthplace of the National Anthem. We watched a touching movie on the history of the war of 1812 and the National Anthem. It was well done -- I cried! At the end of the movie the screen goes up, revealing a beautiful view of the hills and sky and the American flag waving in the breeze, as the National Anthem plays. It was very touching. We took a tour of the Fort -- which was neat -- but cost $15.00 a person. It is really too bad that they don't make this available to everyone for free. We enjoyed it -- but it was fairly hot. Evan did great though and didn't cry at all. He was happy to be pushed around in his stroller! 

We dropped Ellen and Evan back off at their place and then Rick and I headed to a bed and breakfast to celebrate our anniversary. We found a quaint little place called the 1840's Carrollton Inn and we really enjoyed our stay there. We checked in at 3:00 and cuddled up to watched a movie (The Accidental Husband -- it was cute). We took a nap and then went for a walk to find a place to eat. We were just a block or so away from "Little Italy," which is basically a whole street with various Italian restaurants. We chose one and there was a half hour wait and so we walked around the inner harbor, which was fun, and then went back to the restaurant. This place had gluten free noodles and the dinner was delicious. Then we watched a fun movie called, One Small Hitch on Amazon Prime. Neither of us watch movies very often and so we enjoy watching a movie together when we have an over-night stay somewhere.

The next morning (Friday) we ate a full breakfast outside in the pretty courtyard. I usually don't eat breakfast, but made an exception, ha ha! We tried out the jetted tub and then headed back to Jase and Ellen's place.

After we returned, Rick and I went with Ellen and Evan to the Maryland Museum of Art. Evan must have loved the acoustics, because he kept wanting to yell out, ha ha! We didn't stay very long before heading back for a quick dinner. We saw lots of homeless people in Baltimore. In fact, there was this big median with grass in between two sides of a highway and there were tents along the median with piles of clothes and other belongings around them. I was surprised that homeless people were allowed to live right there on the median. It is sad to see so many people living like that. Several people could be seen holding up signs asking for money as they walked in between cars at a stop light. At one of our stops there were also children who would walk through the line of cars and try to sell water bottles to people in their cars. 

We were planning on going to the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor tonight, because it was half price on Friday nights from 5:00 to 8:00 ($20.00 a person instead of $40.00) Still expensive though! After Jase got back from his internship we had a pizza dinner and then headed out. We had decided to take the bus so that we wouldn't have to pay for parking. We walked a couple of blocks to the bus stop and it was starting to drizzle. Jase said that it would be a full thirty minutes before the bus got there. We talked about walking back to get the car, but by that time we would only have one hour left at the aquarium and Rick didn't want to spend $100 for one hour (for tickets and parking). So we decided not to go. I was really disappointed though because I was really looking forward to it. Instead we drove to this really nice mall in Towson. It was a really pretty drive and Rick and I were glad that we got to see another part of the area that was so different from where we were staying. After the mall Rick took us all out for ice cream at Baskin Robbins. 

Saturday we were planning on going to the beach. We got a late start though since we all slept in and ate and it took a while to pack everything up. We were planning on going to Sandy Point State Park and drove an hour to get there, but the park was full and so they blocked off the entrance and waved everyone on. So that was disappointing! We drove around looking for other beaches, but they were apparently on private property. We stopped at a library to ask for directions and let Evan play in the play area. The librarians were very nice and helpful and printed off a few maps for us. We finally decided to go to the Tucson park in Annapolis. I was disappointed that we couldn't go to the beach, but Evan probably had a lot more fun at this pool and splash pad anyway. The water felt nice and I swam laps in the big pool. We stopped at Chilis on the way home and that was fun. 

Sunday we drove to Washington D.C. to go to the Deaf Branch. Rick had contacted the Bishop there to tell him that he would be in town if they wanted to get together to discuss the seminary program for the youth in his branch. The Bishop was excited that Rick was coming and arranged for Rick to come to their Ward Council before church. The Bishop also set up a Linger Longer after church with cookies so that Rick could meet with all of the youth and tell them about the Seminary and Institute program for the Deaf. We had been excited to meet our college friends, Heather and Billy Kendrick, who attend that ward, but they were home isolating because of Covid and so we weren't able to see them, darn it! 

By the time we left the church it was around 4:00. I wanted to see the monuments, but it was starting to drizzle and Rick and Jase wanted to just go back to the apartment. I had already been disappointed about missing the Aquarium on Friday, the beach on Saturday, and didn't want to miss the monuments today! We only had a couple more days before we needed to fly home. So we ended up going. Apparently parking is free on Sundays and we were able to park fairly close. We enjoyed walking the loop to see the monuments and the light rain didn't bother us. When we were close to the end, however, it started raining harder and harder and so we were forced to leave and by the time we got to the car we were completely drenched!! Oh well, it was an adventure! 

Monday we slept in and said goodbye to Jase and then later ate lunch and said goodbye to Ellen and Evan and headed back to Washington D.C. to see more of the sites. We decided to go on our own and get a hotel that night since we would be flying out of the Dulles airport near DC the next day and we didn't want to have to drive the hour to Maryland and back. 

First we went to visit Gallaudet University and a student there gave us our own private tour of the campus (in ASL of course!) So that was fun! The only thing we did not like was that they required masks inside the buildings, which is ironic, because the deaf of all people have a strong reason to NOT wear masks, so that they can read peoples lips and see the grammar of ASL on the face. They had masks available for us and they were very tight and uncomfortable -- I could hardly stand wearing it and wished I had brought my own! Other than that, it was neat to be able to see the campus and we saw the room that is named after our friend, Ron Burdett, from St. George, so that was cool! 

Then we headed to our hotel -- the Comfort Inn in Washington DC (we stayed on the 7th floor!) Rick went and parked our car in the hotel's parking garage a couple of blocks away. He got lost trying to find it and took forever getting back and I was starting to get worried! We took a little nap and then decided to walk to the monuments, instead of drive, so that we wouldn't have to move our car and pay parking again. It was about a 2 1/2 mile walk. So by the time we walked there and then walked around the monuments, and then walked back my feet were really starting to hurt! On our way back we ate at a restaurant called the Shake Shack and Janelle called for her weekly zoom call. She normally calls on Sunday nights, but her p-day was changed this week. It was fun to talk with her, but difficult to hear in the noisy restaurant! We continued talking with her on our walk back. Janika got on the call too and even Jaiden did while working at Tuacahn! (She was working the indoor show and was the only worker and so she had a minute to call). 

Tuesday (August 2) we decided to take a tour of the Arlington Cemetery. It was a "hop on hop off" tour where you ride a shuttle and the tour guide gives explanations and then you hop off and look around the stop for as long as you want and then hop on the next shuttle bus. It was really interesting (and sad) to learn more about the civil war and see the hundreds of grave markers. We were glad that we decided to do the tour. 

Then we headed to the airport and waited for our flight to Denver. We had a two hour layover and ate at the Chick-fil-A in the airport and then caught the flight to St. George. We ran into one of our friends, Janene Gough, who was also flying into St. George, so it was fun visiting with her. I slept on the plane, which was nice. We arrived about 10:00 p.m. and Jared picked us up from the airport. It is SO nice flying straight into St. George instead of Vegas and then having to face a two hour drive home after a long day of flying. I guess Vegas had a ton flooding this week and loads of flights were cancelled and Rick kept saying, "I am SO glad that we are not flying into Vegas!" Anyway, it was a nice trip. We are glad that we got to visit with Jase and Ellen and play with Evan and see where they have been living all summer! It was also humbling and awe-inspiring to visit the historical sites and ponder the sacrifices of so many who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today!