Papa Cito

A week ago, my dad, whom I frequently call Papa cito - I'm fairly certain that's incorrect Spanish, but oh well - came to visit me. It was the first time that a family member has made the trip out here to the DC area since I moved out here a year ago.

It was great to see him. I had had the idea that maybe he could come a couple of months ago. I had been thinking about making a trip out to Utah to visit before school started, but it just did not look practical from most any angle I looked at it. I simply did not have the time or means to make it happen. When I realized that, I decided to ask my dad if he would come out and see me. Judging from his reaction, it was like I had given him a Christmas present (not just the usual, but one he actually liked :) He made the arrangements for his flight and worked hard to get his work schedule under control so that he could take the time away.

I had a great time with him here. I got to take him over and show him around George Mason Law. We also took a trip to the National Archives and looked at the Consitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. After that, we went and got some grub and watched Get Smart (which both of us found to be much funnier than we had anticipated - I would recommend seeing it) On Saturday, I took him to the Maryland side of Great Falls. We took some pictures and watched the kayakers that were negotiating the Potomac right there. We also got to see a demonstration of the lock system on the Chesapeake/Ohio canal that runs parallel to the river. That was actually pretty cool. Saturday night we relaxed with some hefty servings of ice cream and watched the Olympics.

On Sunday, my dad gave me a blessing before church. That had been one of the main reasons I had asked him to come. I have received a blessing each year of college and did not want to embark on my law school journey without the added strength and comfort that comes from a priesthood blessing.

At church, my dad spent a couple of hours helping me get the clerks' office into a workable state. I could not have done it without him and was sorry he got dragged into it, but grateful for his help.

After church, we went over to Bronwyn & Emma's house for dinner. I had invited a bunch of friends and B & E were gracious enough to allow me to host the dinner at their place ( I don't really have a dining room at my place) Anyway, I was in charge of the main entree which was a dish called Saucy Chicken. The recipe is a favorite of mine that my mom makes. She got it from Aunt Renee. Anyway, things were going well with making the food until I noticed the cook time in the oven was supposed to be 2 hours! Steve heard that and went to Brad's for pancakes ( I would have joined him if I wasn't hosting :D As a result, we had plenty of time to sit and talk until dinner was ready. Overall it turned out good with the Saucy chicken, egg noodles, baked potatoes, salad, bread, and yummy dessert. I was stuffed to the rafters! After dinner we all hung out and talked. It was a lot of fun. It reminded me how lucky I am to have such good friends! Oh, I almost forgot; I looked hot in my chef's apron :P

On Monday, my dad and I visited the Masonic Memorial to George Washington and Christ's Church in Old Town Alexandria. We made a quick visit to Five Guys before I took him to the airport. It was a quick trip, but I was so glad he came.