Hello from Rachel

Hi ladies! Melissa A. told me about this blog a little while ago, and I’m so glad that I have been able to read up on all of your lives. Everyone seems sooo happy and involved in so many different things. Melissa and Kristen, your trip to Africa made me so jealous. It sounds like your trip was amazing. Kristen, I love how involved you got with the kids and I'm sure they loved you. It’s always an overwhelming experience to see how excited children from other countries respond to that kind of attention. A little bit of nail polish goes a long way.

Lyndsie, your little Zac looks like he could be Nathan when Nathan was little. He looks just like an Olsen. After looking at this blog, I felt like I needed to get more hobbies, take more pictures (you guys are all great photographers), and try to go on an adventure…sooner rather than later.

I thought I’d fill you all in on where I have been for the last 7 years. Who would have thought I would have stayed in Washington, DC for nearly 7 years now. I thought I’d be living in sunny California with a beach cruiser bike and a surfboard enjoying the outdoors and the beautiful weather. Yeah, not so much. Other than the awful humid humid summers (not so good for the complexion and the hair) and the fa-reezing winters (snow-less of course, so I watch movies and eat a lot of treats), and the crazy expensive rent for a shoebox of an apartment, I really like it here. I've had a lot of fun adventures traveling to Bermuda twice, Guatemala, Costa Rica twice (I actually got an apartment and lived there for a few months), Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Mexico, and Cuba. I’m definitely due for another trip after seeing Traci’s pics in Portugal and Melissa and Kristen’s trip to Africa.

I moved to DC at 19 and have been surrounded by people 8-10 years older than me ever since. It’s definitely different out here. Everyone has post a graduate degree..or two and is involved in some kind of really intense cause.

I used to have a really cute black convertible vw cabrio but I lived in a bad neighborhood in DC and all of the windows were smashed in and the roof was slashed. So sad. I was really tempted to set up shop inside my house with treats and a bb gun, to catch the guys who were doing all of the vandalizing. The best part about it was that I had a ticket on my car for parking within 5 feet of an alley way. No charity here. Awesome.

My mom passed away in November of 2004 at only 54, which was really awful (and is still pretty rough). I have a strong family and we’ve stuck together through everything though. Jimmy has been great at being a loving and supportive as well.

I got married in August of 2006 to Jimmy Jeffries, from L.A. I dated Jimmy for 3 years before we got married. He is 6’4”, so when we have kids someday, they’ll have a good chance at being taller than 5’4” (my family is full of munchkins). I love being married…except that everyday feels like a sleepover party and I just keep eating and eating and eating (I blame the results of weight gain on birth control). Don’t worry, I’m trying to get a grip now and I’m calming down. Jimmy and I love to play tennis together a few times a week…which is so fun because it’s a great workout, but you don’t want to pass out while playing. I wish I would have played tennis in high school! It’s so much fun and I can’t seem to get enough. Too bad I don’t have Kristen and Melissa H. around to give me tips.

Jimmy has been a speech writer on Capital Hill for 2 congressmen for the last 5 years and decided to quit to start his own business in construction. He does the business side and his partner looks over the construction work. It’s kind of a random change, but he loves being his own boss. I do the interior and exterior design work for them as well as nanny a 7 month old boy. My sister still lives out here too, so I have had a ton of fun with her and her 4 kids...3 boys and a girl (the pic is of her little girl, Sienna when we were at the beach).

Wow, this is much longer than I should have gone on for. If any of you get a chance to come to DC or NYC, make sure to give me a call! I’d love to see you girls. Much love, Rachel (Hardie) Jeffries