Washington D.C.

Tyler and I have returned from our week long trip to Washington D.C. We met Tyler's parents and his sister Chelsey and her husband, Jeremy. My mom and brother, Kadyn flew into town to watch the kids. That was officially the first vacation that we have had away from kids since we had Macy. Tyler had never been to DC, and since he is such a history/political junkie, we pretty much tried to see everything. I went when I was in high school, but I definitely saw more this time, and had much more appreciation. If you have been there you know that everything is concentrated in one area but because everything is so large you walk and walk and walk until you can’t walk anymore, and as a sidenote it is REALLY difficuly to find food. Go figure?

The first day we went to the National Archives (which is the home of the original Declaration of independence and the Constitution, Magna Charta, Bill of Rights and other original documents such as the Emancipation Proclamation and early Supreme Court decisions.) From the Archives we went to the Navy Memorial then to the National Art Museum. After the Art museum we walked to the Washington Monument, World War I Memorial, World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial, at the end of this day, we decided we needed to take it at a bit easier pace, or we would run out of things to see. The next day we saw Ford’s Theatre (where Lincoln was assassinated), it was being renovated so we didn't get to see inside, we toured the home across from the theater, where he died. We watched some of the festivities that were going on for the 4th then went to Arlington Cemetery, where we saw the changing of the guard and General Robert E. Lee’s Mansion. From Arlington we went to Iwo Jima (Marine) Memorial, where we met one of Tyler's friends from H.S., and his family to watch the fireworks. From there you can look down the National Mall. After a few downpours, we watched the fireworks, they went off just above the Washington Monument. We toured the Capitol, Library of Congress, saw the National Botanical Gardens and the American Portraiture Museum. On Sunday, we rented a car and drove to Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home and plantation) The grounds are beautiful and there are gardens and fruit orchards and farms and animals just like there would have been in his day. We drove down Embassy Row to the National Cathedral but it closed just as we drove up so we only got to walk around the outside. The next day we saw the Supreme Court, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving (where they print money and stamps) The National Holocaust Museum, the Jefferson Memorial and the FDR Memorial.

It was an extremely tiring vacation but you come away with an increased appreciation for the Country we live in, our political system, and the sacrifices that so many have made to protect freedom. It is hard to choose favorites but we really enjoyed the Memorials, they were the very inspiring. Tyler's favorite building was the Library of Congress (i.e., the largest Library in the World where they had on display Thomas Jefferson’s original library which consisted of over 6,000 books) I also enjoyed the library, it was beautiful! Tyler's favorite Museum was probably the National Portraiture where they have the hall of the Presidents (paintings of every President and a write up of their accomplishments and failures), he could read every single thing in these places if I would have let him. The architecture of all of these buildings is amazing.

Sorry if you are all bored to death from the recap......Overall we had a great time, I was ready to come home to see my kiddos. Macy missed me, but apparently Keaton forgot who I even was. He screamed if I looked at him all the way home from the airport, and until 20 min after we got home. How's that for being a momma's boy?

Library of Congress and WWII Memorial


Mount Vernon and Capitol Building


Korean War and Iwo Jima


Jefferson Memorial in the background, Me just about to push the Wash. Monument over