Over Poster

I mentioned early that there seems to be a blogging drought. I realize that not everyone elses lives revolve around blogs. Mine doesn't either...I got a LOT accomplished today. (Pictures coming). Honestly most days I don't. But even though I have gone on two walks, read several chapters in three different books, painted a dresser (pictures coming) and rearranged my living room, I am in the mood to be entertained(PS I am so sick of T.V. I hide the remote in the freezer again.
The way I entertain myself is writing...and thus the blog obsession.
Let me get more to my point.
In the process of cleaning the files on my computer I found a letter I wrote to friends this time last year. It made me laugh. I am usually the best audience for my jokes because I alone think they are funny. I guess the part that I enjoyed so much is seeing the little references I made, and then remembering things that we were doing this time last year.
I spend a lot of time wondering about the future. (Since it is as vague and uncharted...um can't think of anything vague and uncharted, but you know what I mean).
So here's looking at this time last year...ok...almost this time last year:


Hello Friends! June 8, 2007

I have done a horrible job staying in touch with everyone. To expedite my punishment I am self-inflicting a fast to last as long as it takes to write a letter. No food, no water, no sleep, no “So you think you can dance” until this is done…Its not that keeping in touch is so hard, its trying to write about myself that is painful. When you are a missionary everyone reads your letters with eagerness similar to awaiting the next Harry Potter. Even if a missionary were to only write about the weather (because it is always such a surprise -- oh, wait it was hot and humid yesterday too…) they still have an adamant fan club.
So, be forgiving if my life isn’t as interesting as the days I ate cow hoof with my African friends or street contacted a Kenyan Track coach who thought Donnie Osmond had sent us.
This is going to be real quick so buckle your safety belts: I got home from my mission to DC in December of 05. I went to my last semesters at BYU Winter and Spring Semester. I had an awesome time working on my senior project with some of my best friends; including four who had also just returned from missions and one who had been my companion. Two days after finals I got married to my best friend in the Logan temple. We had a reception at our house that night that included, what else, but a dance. It was a perfect day. We honeymooned in Florida (Jason swears we aren’t going back unless it is February) and then lived in Logan for a month. Jason worked at Space Dynamics and I “worked” for my mom. (It was great pay and great benefits! She still keeps Gouda cheese in her fridge, and lets me take book breaks….off the clock.)
Now, this is where the adventure begins. Jason and I drove 17 hours from Utah to Iowa. We learned a lot along the way. For instance, it is worth the $60 dollars to stay at a hotel instead of camping near a lake in Nebraska where three eyed fish swim, and your tent rains on you all night because of the humidity. We also learned that it is also safer to drink less water than to try and find a bathroom in Wyoming that is safe to enter into—much less use.
Once in Iowa we adjusted quite well. Although, Jason will tell you that I had a “hard time” adjusting. Easy for him to say, since he spent so much time doing his homework, I don’t think he realized we weren’t in Utah anymore.
Despite the huge load of homework, Jason has loved Iowa State and his program. He is studying Information Security. This is not to be mistaken with those people who knock on your door to sell you security systems--Quite on the contraire. Information security is like computer forensics and other such topics. I have to admit I don’t understand all that Jason does, other than the small tidbits he confesses like “I hope no one noticed that I am hacking into computers from home…” (It was homework I promise!) The best part of that assignment was that one of the students outwitted everyone. Instead of hacking into the assigned website he made up an email similar to the professors and emailed everyone asking them to turn there homework in. In response half the class sent him all the passwords they had cracked. This is called social engineering…. (Please don’t tell Brooke this…she thought Engineers couldn’t be social!)
Even I haven’t escaped learning more about security because of his degree. I no longer keep passwords that are easy to guess like “ballroom, chocolate, or securepassword” I have learned to shred all of our old bills, important documents, and Jason’s notes for class if he leaves them out too long. I make sure sites are secure before I give important information, and I answer the phone as “Dessler”
if it’s an unrecognizable phone number.
So, for anyone interested in good schools we recommend Iowa State, home of the Cyclones. Not to be mistaken for cylons—
that’s what the engineers watch when they are not staring at their computers--no, home of the Cyclones. Where you can be as happy as a Tornado in a trailer park!
While Jason was in School I worked at a gym teaching aerobics, Pilates and conditioning classes. I loved it! Some of my students were graduating from college before my mom graduated from grade school, but that just adds to the excitement level of the class. I also worked full time at Borders books. Now, I hate complaining but enough of you know I do it so here it goes. Don’t work at a bookstore if you like to read. It’s a bad idea. It’s like working in a chocolate shop when you are on a diet. Except…I cheated and read the back of just about every other book I put away!
Ok, now I am writing too much so I am going to have to go into less detail. After school finished Jason and I went home to Utah, to see my sister Brooke get married. (Congrats Brooke and Ben!!! And then we got to see Jason’s brother Dustin leave for his mission. Which I would just like to say, he got called to the “coolest” (ha I couldn’t say that word on my mission!) most awesome, greatest mission ever; The Washington DC South mission. Go Elder Maughan!!!
After our month long vacation (My mom still keeps Gouda cheese in her fridge) we packed up again and drove 34 hours across the country to Maryland for Jason’s internship. We are now living in Glen Burnie, MD. Jason works at CTU Baltimore and I am a stay at home………drum roll please…….. …..stay at home soon to be mom!!!!
Whew! That was way too exciting. I need a pickle….but I am still fasting so I better wrap this up. I am due in November and I don’t know if it is a boy or a girl yet. I am very excited, but also terrified. (Ok, whose idea was it to make a reality show out of women trying to have natural births!!! There are just some things that should stay a secret-- Like I don’t want to know anything more about anything dilating other than my eyes!)
That ought to be more information than you ever thought you needed to know so I am going to finish right here with a promise. I will try to do better at staying in touch! Have an awesome summer!!!!

Love,
Lindsey, Jason, and Rudy/Sam (The baby of course)