Virginia and Washington DC -- 21-27 February 2014

               For the three of you who actually know I have a blog and are following me--I am making an attempt to catch up on some major events from this year. This is going to become my new scrapbook in the hopes of documenting my adventures (and non-adventures) as well as organizing all of the pictures that keep collecting, much neglected, in a folder on my computer. 

We spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday with the Clayton clan. It was oh so fun. 

This was all at the James River Park. They had some fun actors that would act as if they were still living in the 1860s when the Civil War was happening. This lady was making bullets, and she enlisted the kids' help. 

There were lots of houses like these on the streets of Richmond Virginia. I think they are really beautiful and kinda fun. 

Mom and sweet Brielle in the Clayton home.

I love Kaden's cool face in this picture. He really is the man. We've got super tower building skills.

We love to play games!! Bananagrams and Headbandz were among a few of the games we played together.

My favorite part of the trip was just being with the Clayton's. I loved making dinner together and cleaning up together. Jill and Chris made these AMAZING kebabs...they seriously are to die for. We cooked them on the grill and we all just about died and went to heaven they were so good. I'm very glad I got the recipe for the glaze and marinade they used.

Kaden and me at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. You could spend literally days in that museum just reading about and looking at the different artifacts they have collected. Countries all over the world are represented, so it's super diverse. It was a really neat place.

Mom and I hung out with the kids while Jill and Chris went to the DC temple. We spent some time in the Visitor's Center while we were waiting. I love this picture of Kaden and the Christus. 

We were able to meet up with the Poulton's at the Museum of Natural History. That was a lot of fun to do with the kids. Mom and I are sporting our cute matching headbands, which we never removed from our heads, even when indoors.

Sights in Washington DC

Tour of the White House!

Knowing a congressman has it's perks! We got a tour of the Capitol building by Rob Bishop. He shared some things with us that he mentioned aren't shared in the general tour. We also got permission to venture out on the balcony and see the view of the city at night from the hill.

The Monuments

Inside Ford's Theater. The place where Lincoln was assassinated.

Something I think I have learned before but remembered again as we were going through all the museums and monuments and stuff is that you really have to understand the history for those things to have any meaning. And the more history that you understand, the more meaning those things are going to have. I wish we had had more time to read all the info on all the exhibits because I felt that I was missing so much of the meaning as we went through. They are incredible!! I especially loved the monuments.

 The Library of Congress was also among my favorites. Such an incredibly beautiful building.

I am in love with the United States Botanical Garden. It was like a tiny paradise. I could have stayed in there all day! It was probably one of my favorite things we did in DC. That is only the smallest degree of what the Celestial Kingdom will be like, I’m sure.

Yeah, that's Dad down there.

George Washington's Stomping Grounds. We got to tour the house and meet George's wife!

I do have a resolve to study a little bit more of American History so that I can keep the wars straight and at least understand the basics about how our nation came to be. I am so grateful for men like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, who knew God and they gave Him credit where it was due. They really tried to do what was right and good.

It was a good trip, although we did freeze our buns in the cold and wind! I am definitely going to have to come back at a time that is warmer and greener! We also didn’t get to see everything, so I have plenty of reasons to come back, with the most obvious and best reason being JILL and family. 


Goodbyes are sad. Thank goodness for FaceTime!! (although it definitely can never replace spending time together)