THE WEEKLY READOUT

Busy time, sister time, Operation: Nesting

Papers, Essays, and Applications: We were pretty busy this week, as KA finished her paper that was due Monday, Clint filled out applications to three schools, and wrote eight different essays. It’s hard to determine whether Clint is happier to have made it through the week, or KA.

Roll Tide: Congratulations to KA’s coworker Fred and Ryan’s girlfriend Heatherly for the Crimson Tide’s victory Monday in the BCS National Championship. We enjoyed seeing pictures of Clint’s family dressed in Alabama gear for the game, and hearing a complete pregame analysis from Fred.

Speaking of Fred, Clint watched KA whip up a deluxe Texas Sheet Cake to celebrate his birthday on Wednesday. In the Chaffetz office, each staffer has a “birthday buddy”- one assigned to bring a treat the day of their buddy’s birthday. Is there any wonder why everyone wants KA to be theirs?

You know it’s a slow week when. . . you get to have lunch with your sister four times in a single week. Just ask KA and MJ.

You know it’s a bad trip when: You arrive at the airport only 30 minutes before the flight, are forced to get your ticket at the counter because the system wouldn’t allow it online, arrive at the United counter only to find that—since US Airways is operating the flight, you need to go to their counter, and-- finally making it through security, leave the checkpoint at a dead run…only to realize your gate was in the opposite direction.

Clint somehow still made his flight from Detroit.

Hanging out with the girls: Clint returned home from Detroit late Wednesday, only to leave for Cleveland early the next morning. KA made the most of his absence, attending a bridal shower for our friend Bethany, and buying supplies to make a special baby blanket for Baby Girl Satterthwaite.

Speaking of blankets: We were overwhelmed to receive a package in the mail from Grandma Calder packed with handmade blankets for Baby Girl. We loved them!

As it turned out, the blankets came at a fitting time, as KA has been working hard this week on a little something Clint likes to call:

OPERATION: NESTING

Saturday- Arlington, Virginia

0630: In contrast to her usual struggle to sleep, KA slept like a baby on Friday night, which meant she was wide awake when she turned to anxiously ask Clint what he wanted to do that day. Clint rolled over.

0655: KA asks Clint if he’s awake yet.

0730: KA gets out of bed and begins getting ready for the day. Clint stirs in bed.

0800-1000: Clint leaves to register his car; KA lays detailed plans for Operation Nesting.

1000: KA arrives at Macy’s as they turn on the lights—their first customer of the day. She procures essential makeup items, chatting briefly with the clerk, but deep down maintaining focus on the mission at hand.

1100-1200: Departing from Macy’s, she travels south to Buy Buy Baby, procuring a stroller frame using only gift cards and a 20% off coupon. Shortly thereafter, she arrives at Ashley Furniture, where she tests a variety of rocking chairs and judges their coloring for how it will match their living room. Having identified the target chair, she departs, knowing they can get a better deal from their local furniture discounter.

1230-1315: Breaks at Wendy’s Hamburgers to refuel and debrief the morning’s successes with sister Emo and Clint.

1345-1430: Hits up the local Target, where she uncovers plastic storage bins of the precise width of the closet wherein she plans to store Baby Girl’s things. Don’t worry: she used the measuring tape to gather the dimensions, so that no error of estimation would get in the way of Operation Nesting.

1445- end of day: Returns home triumphant, and sets about assembling the stroller and rearranging the house to make space for Baby Girl. Clint watches in puzzlement (and silence;) as Baby Girl is allotted closet space that nearly outmatches his own.

OPERATION NESTING: ACCOMPLISHED.

Date Night: Amidst the busy schedule and our preparations for the baby, we had the opportunity to go on a date Friday night to the Cheesecake Factory. While things were temporarily side-tracked when KA found a Gap Maternity store in the adjoining mall, our half hour detour was rewarded by scoring three shirts for $23.91.

We enjoyed a nice dinner together, and returned home to top off the night with a double episode of The West Wing. What a great way to end the week!

Finally, an update...

THE WEEKLY READOUT

January 8, 2012

Back in DC: On Tuesday of this week, we returned from a fantastic holiday break spent with our families in Utah. Before we share the happenings of this first week of 2012, here’s a recap of the highlights from the previous weeks:

Scramble to leave: The week before Christmas was hectic trying to get everything ready to leave. Thankfully, we made it through Clint’s big stressor--taking the GMAT, on Wednesday morning (yes, we celebrated at Café Rio), and took care of KA’s big stressor (packing for the next week and half) later that night and the next morning. Phew: ready, set, Utah here we come!

Family Time: After arriving late Thursday night (thanks to Nate for the ride home), we spent Friday going to the Mount Timpanogos Temple and enjoying lunch at Thanksgiving Point. At that point KA and her siblings returned home with Mom Henshaw, while Clint and Dad Henshaw ventured to a temple of a different kind: Cabella’s. It was a memorable first trip to the store for Clint. Suffice it to say, the shirts and ties they wore didn’t fit in with the camouflaged styles that most shoppers were sporting, causing one shopper to inquire: “are you guys from around here?”

Christmas Eve at the Satterthwaites: On Saturday afternoon we ventured north to Fruit Heights were we had an amazing dinner with all of Clint’s family. Afterwards we separated to different corners of the house to wrap presents in anticipation for Christmas the next morning.

Merry Christmas: Sleeping in the basement, we awoke Sunday morning to the pitter patter of some very excited feet coming to see what Santa had brought them. By the time we ventured up the stairs, Clint’s little sisters had finished round one of Christmas, and were eager to show how Santa somehow brought “exactly what they asked for.”

We attended a beautiful Christmas program at church, then returned to open presents and eat a Christmas morning brunch. We loved our gifts to one another (KA a camera lens, Clint new slippers), but really loved the gift that Clint’s sister Ashley gave to his parents: the announcement they are expecting a baby boy! Cousins for baby girl Satterthwaite!!

Dinner, Family Theme, and Video: We returned to the Henshaws where we had Christmas dinner, opened presents, and—with KA’s brother Gus and family linked in via iPhone Facetime, learned of the 2012 Henshaw Family Theme: Painting with Integrity.

Afterwards, we watched the three-part 2011 Family Video (a lot happened this year!). We shortly relived our wedding for a portion of the video, but thoroughly enjoyed looking back on the many adventures our family had been on during the past year. Mom Henshaw may have a future in movie production yet!

Julie B., and fun FHE: Thanks to modern technology, we learned that our friend Julie Bradshaw was engaged, and made time Monday to visit her in Provo and rejoice in the good news. Later that night Uncle Bob and Aunt Jane came by for dinner and FHE, which included a discussion of President Monson’s message on goals, the life of President George Albert Smith, and some ukulele sing-alongs for our hymns.

Maintenance Day: We divided and conquered on Tuesday; KA stayed in Utah Valley to get her hair cut and enjoy lunch with Nauvoo friend Scarlett, while Clint went north for an (involuntary) visit to the dentist and lunch with high school friends. We ended the day getting dominated in Farkle by KA’s little niece Sedra. Sigh.

Calder Family Christmas Party: Wednesday was a big day, as KA and Mom took Dad Henshaw to (involuntarily) purchase new Levis. The whole family (including Vern) looked great at the annual Calder Family party. All enjoyed a great meal, talent show, and game of speed. KA impressed everyone with a rare show of basketball skills, causing MJ to wonder where those had been back when she played ward basketball…

Return north: After multiple trips to Central Bank, one trip to America First, and nearly a year of marriage, we’re pleased to report we’re now joint bank account holders. With that detail out of the way, we returned to the Satterthwaites where we enjoyed quiche with the family, and were introduced the television series “Once Upon a Time.”

Party Time: On Friday we made the rounds shopping for maternity clothes (Utah has a better selection), stopping for shakes at Jamba Juice, and visiting Clint’s brother Ryan at work. At night we attended a party with Clint’s high school friends at Josh and Jamie’s new house, and enjoyed catching up on life with them.

Bigger Party Time: Saturday Clint’s Mom hosted a baby shower/New Year’s Eve/birthday extravaganza…a fitting way to end the year. Clint’s Aunt and Uncle brought their entire family by, and the Satterthwaite’s good friend Megan also came to congratulate KA on our soon-to-be born baby. Allison, Clint’s cousin’s wife was celebrating a birthday that day, so birthday cupcakes were also in order.

Thankfully for Clint’s brother Ryan, the UofU won their bowl game in the middle of the party (we had to temporarily pause opening baby gifts when the game went to overtime), so everyone walked away from the party as happy as could be!

Happy New Year: We made reservations at Macaroni Grill in Salt Lake, and with Clint’s sister Cami Jo enjoyed a great meal, a performance by Big “T” Thurl Bailey and Marvin Goldstein at the Salt Lake City Tabernacle, and seeing the Christmas lights with Clint’s friends. We uh, didn’t quite stay up until midnight, but felt good about the night all the same!

Saying Goodbye: Sunday we went back to the Henshaw to attend church, eat dinner, and say goodbye to everyone there. We also managed to fit in some long naps in the afternoon—being on vacation is tiring!

Monday we were back at the Satterthwaites, and had a fun time eating lunch at the Lion House with Clint’s parents, Cami Jo, and his little sisters, then shopping at the Gateway while Aleyah Jai and Jayci Jade played at the Discovery Center. As an aside, ask KA about her new skirt!

Leaving on a jet plane: Tuesday we woke up early, said our goodbyes to Clint’s family, and returned to what was a very chilly Washington, D.C. Perhaps as a psychological tool, we went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, though the weather didn’t get any warmer.

Return to Work: Returning to D.C. meant returning to work. Thankfully, Congress is in recess which meant a slower week for KA and time to catch up for Clint.

Doctor says Good: KA visited the doctor on Wednesday, and everything is going well. As an aside, we thought it may be helpful for all those who interact with pregnant women (ie KA) to learn the “what to say and what NOT to say to pregnant women”

Don’t say: ‘My oh my girl! You got a big belly!’ (courtesy of the Target checker)

Do say: You’re pregnant? Where are you hiding that thing?! (thank you Sterling)

Don’t say: ‘Oh my goodness, I was sure you’re already nine months!’ (dry cleaning lady)

Do say: ‘Oh my goodness! I just realized you’re pregnant—I could hardly tell!’ (random lady in Denver airport)

Dinner Group: We met our new dinner group’ies’ Deisie and Calman for Thursday dinner and enjoyed gourmet lasagna, followed by a special musical performance by Calman.

Date Night: We had a special date night on Friday, eating homemade pork sandwiches and buying a car seat and crib for the baby. We’re making a home for her yet!

Writing Day: We spent the better part of Saturday writing- KA her War College paper, and Clint his business school application essays. The day of staring at a computer was thankfully interrupted by Wayne Bradshaw, who shared the sad news that he’s moving to Utah, and Bethany Cole, who redeemed the day telling us how excited she is to get married.

Sunday: With our church being moved back to 3pm, we’ve had a slower morning which allowed for a walk around the neighborhood and the writing of the update. Ask us at 6pm tonight how we feel about, but at least for now we’re enjoying the new schedule!

THE WEEKLY READOUT

June 24, 2011

Things were a bit cooler last week in DC, and boy did we need it! We had a fun celebration, met some amazing people, as well as a near-miss adventure that turned out alright anyway!

Happy Flag Day! On Tuesday we celebrated Flag Day, which means Monday night KA was busy making a special treat for her office. The creation of the day was a white cake with strawberries and blueberries on top in the design of the flag. Tasty and patriotic!

Part of being married means running errands together. On Tuesday we enjoyed one another’s company by visiting the mall, Costco, and FedEx Kinkos. Maybe not the most glamorous evening on the town possible, but you have to smile to yourself when you can enjoy spending time doing simple tasks like that.

We’d like to thank the people at: Speaking of FedEx Kinkos, they sent us a special package on Wednesday, the wedding Thank You cards we’re going to send to everybody! That’s right: watch your mailbox;)

Special Visitors: Thursday two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stopped by KA’s office to visit with her boss, Congressman Chaffetz. She said it was a great experience.

The Adventure: As some of you may know, one of our wedding gifts was a tent. Being such, it is also one of the few items we have yet to use. So you can imagine we were pretty excited as we planned the inaugural Satterthwaite Camping Trip to Prince Williams Park just south of Woodbridge.

Being the wise campers that we are, we paid particular attention to the weather forecast—not necessarily to Weather.com, mostly to our friend Scott who is an amateur meteorologist. There was an admitted 50% chance of rain, but we were warned that “those low pressure systems are really destabilizing, and can wreak havoc if you’re not careful.”

As you can guess, we were within 2 miles of the exit when the first, second, and third raindrops hit the windshield. Three seconds later, the sky let loose, as a torrential downpour dropped more than an eighth an inch of rain.

Suffice it to say, these campers weren’t about to endure rain like that, so we pulled off the exit, found ourselves a Famous Dave’s, and ordered BBQ. We think that’s the next closest thing to roughing it in the rain, right? . . .

BTW- we’re still going camping sometime. Stay tuned!

Cruising the Parkway: Saturday we took advantage of an amazing opportunity in D.C. Every weekend, the National Park Service shuts down major sections of the Rock Creek Parkway, a narrow two way road that wends its way up through Rock Creek Park, one of the most beautiful and scenic places in D.C.

We parked our car at a lot just beyond the closure, and rode our bikes for a good 15 miles. It was filled with other runners and bikers, but in no way crowded, as we shared a two lane road rather than a narrow bike path. Plus, it was super peaceful riding next to the river. We highly recommend it!

Honoring our Fathers: Sunday morning KA made some amazing muffins for breakfast, and we each called to wish our fathers a Happy Fathers’ day. Thanks for being the best!

Dinner at friends: Later that night, our friends Jill and Jeremy invited us and another couple over to their apartment for dinner and games. We had a great time, and particularly enjoyed watching their little girl play. Supposedly CJ (their new baby) has been labeled a “recruiter baby,” one that is so well behaved that other couples become convinced that they too want to have kids.

That said: don’t mistake our words when we say, she was a really cute baby!

REST OF THE WORLD:

Record set close to home: The 111^th Annual U.S. Open Golf Tournament was hosted at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland- not too far from where we live. Rory McIlroy, a 22 year old golfer from Northern Ireland dominated the tournament, recording a record 16 under par to finish with the lowest score in U.S. Open History, and became the youngest player since Bobby Jones to win the tournament.

JUST FOR FUN:

Trivia Games on Sunday: Clint won’t tell you the result of the boys versus girls games, but he will tell you the guys were “generous” to their wives, and on Fathers’ Day to boot! Cough, cough.

What a person! On Sunday KA’s visiting teacher came by. She books events for Wolf Blitzer, a well-known news anchor on CNN, and just happens to be one of the most delightful—not to mention fast-paced people we’ve met. She and KA talked for the better part of an hour. Who knew visiting teaching could be so much fun?!

THE WEEKLY READOUT

June 15, 2011

Dome tour, decorations, darn hot weather…and MJ’s birthday

VIP to help the VIP’s: Monday KA gave a dome tour, a privilege customarily reserved for Congressman. She did an excellent job, climbing over 380 stairs from the Capitol Crypt up to the dome.

In true KA fashion, when a slot became available on the tour, she quickly thought of whose day she could brighten, and made a phone call. Our friend Cristi jumped at the opportunity, zipped across town, and reportedly was beaming for a full two days. A “once in a lifetime experience” she reportedly called it.

Sprucing up the Satterthwaite’s: Clint can hardly believe how good he has it. Granted, when you move from a bachelor pad, you don’t come with high expectations when it comes to décor. So it has been with some amazement that he has watched our little one-bedroom apartment turn into a home.

As a final touch to the effort, last week KA set out to make curtains. Not only did she succeed, but a pillow came from the effort as well!

A very important day: There are few people in the world who-- in making their birthday wish, would acknowledge to themselves that all they want for their birthday is attention. Fewer still, who would say as much out loud.

Thankfully, we’re related to one of them! MJ celebrated her 27^th birthday in style, with rice and beans (Clint’s recipe), amazing Café Rio chicken (made by KA) as well as a whole spread of food, and an amazing night of entertainment. Suffice it to say, rice and beans weren’t the only thing Clint had cookin’.

We loved celebrating with MJ, and wish her a very happy birthday.

Escape from work: To truly make the most of her birthday, MJ went shopping, and KA—being the loving sister that she is, couldn’t help but support the cause. They found some serious deals, including the last dress of its kind on the East Coast. Yup- just ask KA how she knows that. . .

Relaxed Friday: After a great dinner at the hip Busboys and Poets Café, we shared pie, ice cream, and a lot of stories with MJ and our good friend Miranda. Nothing like spending a summer night on a screened-in (ie bug-free) porch.

To the races: Saturday we awoke early to go for a ride down to Mount Vernon on our road bikes. The morning was still cool outside-- a significant departure from the high nineties we had been experiencing all week! We were pretty bummed then, when just as we turned the corner to park our cars and get out our bikes at the trail, a torrential rain storm came out of nowhere. We couldn’t help but laugh as the rain pounded on our windshield, leading us to question why we had tried at all.

Luckily, the rain left as quickly as it came, and before 15 minutes had passed, most of the standing water had run off, allowing us to have a great time. It was no Tour de France, but we moved pretty well!

Friends and Games: Both Saturday and Sunday we were able to host friends at our house for dinner and games.

Saturday was Clint’s sister Cami Jo, as well as Hannah and Neil, and their adorable baby Gideon. Sunday, Alan and Marci came by for a teriyaki chicken feast, then a round of a game called Like Minds. We love our friends, and really enjoy when we can have them over to our house!

REST OF THE WORLD:

Can’t beat the heat: As previously mentioned, a heat wave swept across parts of the country, and bore down particularly hard on the East Coast. Tuesday saw Washington D.C. tie the record for the hottest June day ever with a sizzling 102 degrees. Yikes.

Strained relationship: CIA Director, and Secretary of Defense designee Leon Panetta wrapped up a disheartening visit with Pakistani military and intelligence officials last Thursday, less than three weeks after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had gone on a similar mission seeking to repair the damaged U.S.-Pakistani relationship. The frequency of such high level visits suggests all is not well between Washington and Islamabad. Such trouble becomes all the more problematic when considering the significant role Pakistan plays in a region where the U.S. is heavily invested, and where such much stands to be lost.

JUST FOR FUN:

Matching: KA Showed up to work on Friday and noticed that she was matching with one of her co-workers.

We’re so good to each other: It has been suggested that we can be competitive with one another. So let it be said. It was then, really impressive when we ended a nine-round game of Quiddler…with the exact same score. Odds are, that’s not a very common thing. We’ll just take it as evidence that we really love and care about each other!

Oh, and for you doubters out there, we even took a picture of the score sheet—crazy, huh?!

Dome Picture: Clint happened to photograph KA while she was up on the dome and he was on the ground below. It’s not very high resolution, but to help, Clint says she’s the cute smudge on top!

THE WEEKLY READOUT

June 8, 2011

Mom Henshaw is in town which means some amazing meals (ask Clint about the roast and potatoes he ate at midnight on Wednesday), great company, and an added reason to go see people we love (Gus, Jenny, and Lilly)!

Dentist nothing: On Thursday KA ventured to the dentist for a checkup. What is usually an uncomfortable experience is made worse when you haven’t been for a while (long time since last visit = increased likelihood of cavities).

The result? Not a cavity in sight! Too bad they don’t hand out stickers as a prize anymore. .

Community party and dancing: Friday night we picked up MJ and headed out to Gus and Jenn’s, where we attended their apartment’s “customer appreciation night”—ie it’s amazing how far a picnic table, a couple of speakers, and free refreshments can go!

In all honesty we had a blast. They had dancing, and KA and MJ couldn’t help but join Lilly on the dance grass. Turns out the music catered a less to the young crowd and more to us: “I’m a Barbie girl” and “YMCA” don’t quite target the Miley Cyrus demographic, but it made it fun for us!

Bridal shower: Saturday morning was our friend Kate’s bridal shower. KA was able to reunite with old roommates (check out the picture!) and celebrate Kate as she prepares to marry Clint’s old roommate, Kaleb.

Bike ride: It was such great weather that we decided we couldn’t pass it up—after the shower, we strapped on our helmets and took off for a bike ride around town. It was so much fun. We were impressed by how many other people were out running and exercising—guess it’s that time of the year!

When it rains, it… probably means we just washed our cars. Sure enough, we gave the twins (we both own silver Honda Accords) much-needed baths, only to sigh when rain started to fall over Arlington later that night. At least the inside is vaccumed!

Mexican date night: KA humored Clint and went along with his “great new idea” for a date. Living near a soccer field, we often see taco stands/burrito trucks parked across the street from us, servicing the Latinos that come to watch soccer there. Clint decided it was time to try out the “Burrito Express” (the green truck that had a longer line than the unmarked one), and catch an amateur soccer game after that.

As it was, the burritos were excellent (no food-borne illness) and the sweet lady from El Salvador working the truck was so friendly we felt as though we had stepped into her kitchen. KA also had the chance to try her first pupusa (think stuffed tortilla, but really good).

Baby blessing and advice: We stayed after our ward on Sunday to witness the baby blessing of our good friends. It was a sweet experience, and we were so happy to then listen to the testimony of (among others) Lindsay, the wife, as she recounted how impressed she was at the depth of love she felt for her newborn son.

It just so happens that her father is an area authority Seventy, and was the source of some great (if not jarring) advice. Relating an experience he had with Elder Bednar shortly after being ordained to the Seventy, he told how he did a “poor job” of bearing his testimony at a meeting of Stake Presidents that Elder Bednar also attended. Later, when sharing the story with his wife, she assured him that “no one was listening- they were there to hear Elder Bednar!,” but his disappointment remained.

The morning after the meeting, he found himself with the assignment to pick up Elder Bednar and take him to a speaking engagement across town. Before they left, the Apostle pulled him aside, and said he wanted to talk about his testimony.

The new Seventy was quick to apologize, acknowledging he hadn’t “done as well as he’d liked.” Then came Elder Bednar’s gentle but firm rebuke: “we didn’t ordain you a Seventy to bear testimony like that.”

This great Seventy described how he committed then and there to work on his testimony, and then bore powerful witness of the mission of Jesus Christ, and of his resurrection.

What a reminder that perhaps we are living beneath our privileges—whether it be with respect to our testimonies, or the way we live our lives. The Lord will reprove us and help us become what we are to be!

REST OF THE WORLD:

Economic uncertainty heightens: A poor employment report, coupled with the announcement of a new low in home prices raised fears that the economic recovery is much weaker than everyone had hoped. Stock prices fell sharply in response to the news.

Wildfires burn across Arizona: In what is now the second-largest wildfire in the state’s history, Arizona continues to battle a blaze fueled by dry conditions that has already consumed more than 300 square miles, an area 21 times the size of Manhattan, spreading smoke as far east as Iowa.

Uncertainty in Yemen: What began as civil protests has unraveled into a deadly situation in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen. With their president having been evacuated to Saudi Arabia for injuries sustained in an attack on his palace, Yemenis are demanding a new government.

This is a significant development for the United States, as Yemen has proved a hotbed of Islamic radicalism, and the home to a dangerous branch of al-Qaeda’s, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

On a happier note. . .

JUST FOR FUN:

Clint asked for some tips: Friday night at the community party we met Hayden, a two-year old neighbor to KA’s niece Lilly, and an apparently not-so-secret admirer of her. He followed Lilly around most of the night, and flashed a heart melting smile anytime he got the chance.

He proved so debonair that KA and MJ got in on the act, gushing as this sweet boy played with Lilly and tried to sit next to her. Check out the picture—you’ll see what we mean:

Sister night: One of the great things about having Clint’s sister Cami Jo out here is we can have “sister nights” over at our place.

Sunday night MJ and Cami Jo stopped by for some of KA’s delicious enchiladas and also made the most of our washing machine (having both lived at Crystal Plaza, we sympathized with Cami Jo’s desire to do her laundry somewhere else!). We love our sisters, and are enjoying this time we have together with them.