Washington DC-continued

Ok, I should be cleaning, but really...I'm so behind on blogging...

that it must take a priority today!

Here is a view of the Capitol from Washington Monument, I think...there was some revival going on The Mall. We saw a 'prayer' that was very 'enthusiastic' let's just say.

We went to the National Archives and after standing in line for an hour (I think..could have been longer), we got inside to see the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, andConstitution (no pictures) (Mikey correct me if I'm wrong). We kind of didn't stay in line and looked over people's shoulders because it had been such a long wait! We did look through the other exhibits and I feel like you could spend at least half a day here if you had the time. I think this is where we saw George Washington's denture teeth! They looked so uncomfortable!! They were some type of metal and the teeth were horse teeth and I think some were wood. Anyway, UGH! Poor guy! I can't imagine how he even kept them in his mouth! (they wouldn't let us take pictures).

Then, we went to the Air and Space Museum. This place is really cool and really crowded. I'm sure it's a favorite of kids. There were a lot of field trip/youth trips while we were in Washington. Probably getting them in before school let out. Wouldn't that be cool? Our kids just get to go to the zoo! Here we saw the plane that the Wright Brothers flew that started the era of flight. It was quite incredible. They have replaced the fabric, but the sign read that it is the actual plane.

We then met up with Doug & Cath and went to the WWII Memorial. This is a beautiful tribute to 'the greatest generation'. It is amazing how it was placed between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial and it doesn't detract, but definitely adds to the beauty of the view.

Inside the anchor pillars.Each of the pillars represents a state and a few others...I think like American Samoa.

The waterfall is in the middle and there is a shallow pool in a huge oval. People come sit, put their feet in the water and meditate or enjoy the sun. ? It would have felt great that day, but neither Mike or I wanted to put our sneakers back on after having wet feet...is that weird?

Can you see Cath & Eliza with their feet in? Cath is wearing a pink shirt in the middle of the photo...it's like Where's Waldo? How about Where's Eliza?

One of my favorite quotes on this memorial was that the women were also critical in fighting this war. Because 'it was everyone's war and everyone was in it.' This war touched everyone. Think about the war we are in now...we all may know someone who has been deployed or served in some capacity, but it doesn't effect us nearly as much as I think WWII did. Although, it may someday, right? We spent a long time here and it was quite peaceful despite the crowds.

Next, we went to the Vietnam Memorial. Mike's Dad's brother is on this wall. We found his name and I think it was quite sobering for Michael.

We then walked down to the Lincoln Memorial. I have always loved this memorial. About this time, our little nieces needed to get some energy out! So, a quick run around, with the twins trying to walk and Eliza trying to climb the pillars was in order! These kids were troopers!

Isn't this a beautiful picture? Good job, Mikey!

Then, we headed to the Korean Memorial. This is quite a moving memorial as these larger than life soldiers 'march' up the hill. 'Freedom is not free'

About this time, the our nieces needed to get home. And we were worn out, so Mike and I decided to drive to Iwo Jima's Memorial. Thank goodness for the GPS, because this monument is hard to get to, even though you can see it from the freeway exit! We couldn't even get out of the car! My feet were hurting so bad! It's hard to get old! Ha, ha! Anyway, this is beautiful and I was surprised how big this monument is.

It's nice to visit places to gain perspective...in more ways than one.
It was Green Week in American the week we were there, so many of the lights on the buildings were not on at night. It was kind of sad to not see the White House or Capitol Building all lit up. But, the biggest disappointment for me was that when Mike and I went to see the D.C. Temple, it was only half lit up! That stunning view you get of this building from the freeway was still beautiful, but not as stunning as I remember it. Mike was still loving it, though, since he hadn't ever seen it. We drove up to the Temple and hung out for a minute. What a magnificent temple.

Saturday night, we went to dinner with D&C and the girls. We sat out on a patio in the great weather and watched the girls scamper around. It was quite funny feeding the twins as they could the food we were trying to feed them, grab it and throw it on the ground! It was quite a kick!

Sunday, we just got up, had a great breakfast from Catherine and headed to the airport. We were exhausted, but happy and ready to see our kids again. Our plane ride was quite turbulent and so we weren't allowed to get out of our seats. The planes were also full this time around and so I was in the middle seat...yuck. As a result, my feet and ankles swelled more than I have ever experienced! They were still swollen Monday and still a little on Tuesday! By Wednesday, I finally felt myself again. Again...it's the getting old thing.

We had a fun surprise when we got home. Our kids had turned into 'geeks!' They came to the door with Harry Potter glasses on, pants pulled up to their chests so they were wearing floods and snorting. Even Papa Arv did this, and looked amazingly normal! jk. They also made us this cute Welcome Home sign. Thanks to Renae & Jim for watching our kids and for the dinner on Sunday night. We had a great time and can't wait to get back. We will love to take our kids there someday. Thanks to Doug & Cath for being such great hosts! It was so much fun to hang out with you guys.

So there! I have finished! Here is a picture of how much the kids enjoyed the gifts we brought them! Doesn't Brando's face just say it all?