Washington, DC Adventure

We had a wonderful time in Washington, DC last week!

Here's a run-down of our adventures in the Nation's Capitol:

Day 1 -- Travel and National Mall
Mom, Megan, and I caught a 6 am (i.e., waaayyy too early) flight to DC via Dallas/Fort Worth. Our trip was uneventful, and we were very excited to meet up with Kenzie who arrived just before we did from Columbus, OH. We set out to ride the Metro for the first time (this would be our primary form of transportation for the duration of the trip). After we checked-in at the hotel, we set off (at first in the wrong direction) for a walking tour of the National Mall. Now being from the laid-back wild west, we were initially a bit caught off guard by all of the honking, fist waving (among other r-rated hand signals), and the overall general crazy rush of this east coast city. We were known to have exclaimed a few times "Everyone needs to just calm down a minute!" and "We're about a 9 on the tension scale!" throughout our first evening! Anyways, we enjoyed a very informative and interesting tour of all the memorials along the National Mall which included the Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial. I was also able to fit in a mad dash into the Museum of Nature and Science to visit the dinosaur exhibit on behalf of Jacoby and pick up a few treasures for my wee ones. We ended the evening with dessert in Chinatown on our way back to the hotel.

Our first view of the Capitol...and rush hour

T-Rex in the Museum of Natural History...for Jacoby

The World War II Memorial...I think my Grandpa Haggerty would have been satisfied with this tribute to him and his fallen comrades.

Wall of 4,000 gold stars...each star represents 100 lives lost during the war

Washington Monument

Lovely ladies

Vietnam Memorial...one thing that impressed us here was how quiet everyone remained as they walked along the memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial...a not-so-quiet place.

Day 2 -- Arlington National Cemetery and the Smithsonian Museums
We headed across the Potomac for a walking tour at Arlington Cemetery. It's truly a beautiful, sacred, and sobering place full of history. We saw notable grave sites and memorials, toured Robert E. Lee's home, and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We made our way back to DC to spend the rest of the day at the Smithsonian Museums. We began at the Museum of American History and were able to see the flag that inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, the gowns of all of the First Ladies, an original steam engine, Julia Child's Kitchen, among other things. We spent part of the afternoon at the National Gallery of Art, wandering amongst beautiful paintings and sculptures. After a much-needed gelato break, we headed over to the Air and Space Museum to take a quick peak at all of the planes and machines that travel in space before heading over to the National Archives. At the Archives, we waited in line to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. They were well worth the wait and one of my favorites of the trip. We enjoyed drinks and appetizers at a wonderful restaurant near our hotel (thank goodness--I'm not sure our feet could have survived any more walking).

JFK's grave site with an eternal flame

Robert E. Lee's Home

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is guarded 24-7-365 (even during 9/11). Interestingly, because of DNA testing, there are no more unknown soldiers.

Changing of the Guard. This occurs every 30 minutes in the summer and every hour in winter.



View of DC from Arlington

We enjoyed the First Ladies exhibit at the Museum of American History. They have all of the inaugural gowns back to Martha Washington. This is Michelle Obama's gown.

A much-needed gelato break.

Inside the Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian Castle

Resting weary feet in an ice bath

Day 3 -- Capitol Tour and Wicked

Day 3 was probably my favorite day. We visited Union Station before walking over to the Capitol for our tour. The visitor's center at the Capitol was quite impressive and our tour took us into the rotunda (beneath the dome), the crypt, and into the room where the House of Representatives used to meet (before becoming too large as more and more representatives were added as our country grew). We then walked over to the Supreme Court for pictures and then visited the Library of Congress. The Library was probably my favorite building, maybe because I love reading and the library but mostly because it was truly beautiful inside. We were able to see the main reading room (no pics were allowed, unfortunately, because it was an amazing room), the Gutenberg Bible, and then wander the halls to view the lovely artwork. If it weren't for the fact that the Library is in DC, I'd probably be plotting a way for my other half to get a job in that marvelous place. (: Our final stop was the East Market--a fabulous farmer's and art market. We headed back to the hotel for a rest and to change into our evening finery before going to dinner and the musical. We dined at a wonderful little Italian restaurant and then walked over to the Kennedy Center to see Wicked (a musical about the witches of Oz), which was amazing both for the hilarity of the story and characters and for their musical talent. A few of our favorite quotes:

"Yes, I was born this way. No, I'm not sea sick. And no, I did not eat grass as a child". - Elphaba (the "wicked" witch) explaining her greeness to her classmates
"The artichoke is steamed!" -- Glinda (the "good" witch) in reference to Elphaba's temper

"Because I knew you, I have been changed for good" -- a duet by Glinda and Elphaba (who were actually good friends...or so the story says)

US Capitol

On our tour

Inside the Capitol Dome

The Supreme Court

The Library of Congress

Library of Congress

So tired...waiting for the Metro

The Kennedy Center

We loved Wicked!

Day 4 -- Holocaust Museum and the National Cathedral

On our final day, we visited the White House Visitor's Center and saw the White House from afar. We walked a ways to the Jefferson Memorial, which sits on the edge of Tidal Basin. And then we visited the Holocaust Museum, which is quite stunning and remarkable. Reagan's quote outside the museum resonated with me: we have to see the evil to make sure it never happens again. After our sobering time there, we made our way to the National Cathedral and were blessed to arrive in time for Evensong. We listened to the choir and organ inside a beautiful, glorious, sacred space and it was the perfect ending to our day and our time in Washington, DC.

The White House. A sharp-shooter sits on the roof and can reach a target up to 2 miles away...so, we were on our best behavior.

White House Garden

The Jefferson Memorial on Tidal Basin

Thomas Jefferson

Quote on the Holocaust Museum entrance

The US Holocaust Museum

Washington National Cathedral

I had a wonderful time with my mom and sisters, and our trip together went just about as perfectly as we could have hoped. I think it was the best way to celebrate my mom's upcoming 60th birthday, and spend some time together. We look forward to doing this again in a few years (about the time it will take to recover and grow new nerve endings in our feet)...New York City, anyone?!

Last week we were busy getting back into our routine with preschool and work for Mommy. The boys are having a great time with all of the summer activities at school. Jacoby's class has merged with the Pre-K class this summer, so they're getting a head start on the transition into the "big kids" class. They're doing a lot of field trips and special projects. I think a combination of new teachers, new activities, and just feeling great has really helped Jacoby blossom in the class, and much of the behavioral issues we were dealing with (that I was having a hard time figuring out why my son was doing some of the things reported to me) have gone away completely. He and his classmates rode the city bus to the library today. It was his first field trip without his parents, and Jacoby told me on the way home tonight that "I didn't even need you, Mommy!". I can't believe he's going to be in Pre-K and Morgan in Preschool I in August already!!

We welcomed Grandpa Michael, Grandmanette, and Uncle Jared for the weekend. Grandmanette and I went to the best garage sale I've been to in quite awhile and scored some great treasures. We took a drive to Rocky Mountain National Park for a quick (and chilly) visit to Bear Lake. The boys have enjoyed our visitors and are especially enjoying time on Grandmanette's iPad. It's impressive how skilled they have become with some of the games and apps. We spent a quiet Father's Day at home and made Daddy his favorite homemade pizza for supper. Justin went skiing on Friday as part of his Father's Day gift up at Arapahoe Basin...one of several mountains still open for skiing because of the huge spring snow that arrived after the regular season. Most will be open until July 4.

Grandma Pam and Aunt Megan arrive on Wednesday before we embark on our girls-only Washington DC trip. We are beyond excited and I can't wait to spend time with my mom, celebrating her 60th birthday, and the sisters. We have a full itinerary planned to see many of the memorials, Arlington Cemetery, parts of the Smithsonian, the Holocaust Museum, Wicked at the Kennedy Center, the Capitol, and some other things I'm forgetting. I visited DC way back in '98, so it's great to get to go back and have the experience with my mom and sisters.

Notable quotes:

**Jacoby to Mommy: "Mommy, you have a booger in your nose"...which may or may not have been true, but it's nice to know that someone is watching out for Mommy's appearance!

**Jacoby and Mommy talking about her trip to the big museum of dinos in DC: "Mommy, if you find a dinosaur t-shirt, you can buy it for me."

**Morgan telling Grandmanette about Mommy going on a trip: "I miss her."

**Jacoby: "Mommy, how old is Grandmanette?" M: "Well, you can ask her but I think she's 5*." J: "I think she's probably 33."

We hope you all have a good week!

Reading with Grandmanette

Playing with Grandpa's iPad

Having a snack in the car

Hitching a ride from Uncle Jared

The boys playing soccer

After a really good supper...

Daddy's special place

Yummy homemade pizza

Playing with the iPad

Jacoby being a paleontologist and putting "bones" together with the adult puzzle pieces

Anniversary Trip

Well, we did it! We managed to get away for the first time without our boys to celebrate our 10th anniversary (which is officially on Sept 1). We had a great time! After spending a fast and furious couple of hours with Grandmanette, imparting to her all of our parental wisdom, tips, and tricks pertaining to Jacoby and Morgan, Justin and I headed to the Oregon Coast on Saturday morning. We stayed at the same bed and breakfast where we honeymooned almost 10 years ago. It was a wonderful, restful, relaxing time for us and I'm so glad we were able to get away. It was even more special to go after Justin completed his third and final exam just a few days before our departure.

Here is a run-down of our trip with a few pictures (they're small, click on them to enlarge):

Day 1 -- Travel

We flew to lovely Portland, OR, rented a car, and headed out to the coast which is almost 3 hours away. The drive is beautiful and winds through wine country and some of their huge forests. We arrived at Ocean House in Newport, OR safe and sound, checked in, and then headed to dinner. We ate at a great pizza place and I had what probably was the best margarita I have ever had! (:

The Great Room

I love how cozy and warm this room is

One of the dining areas for breakfast

Day 2 -- A drive south to Florence

Breakfast is served at 9 am. And on a typical day in the real world, I've gotten up, gone for a run, made up the boys' food for the day, gotten them ready for school, dropped them off, and put in an hour or so of work by this time. On vacation, I used the time to read my book and drink coffee by the ocean. And Justin and I would take walks down to the beach. When it was time for breakfast, we would put on our extrovert hats and dine with all sorts of interesting people over a very yummy meal. We met folks from Canada, England, Ireland, and all over the States. They were great company, and we'd compare notes on restaurants and things to do.

Justin and I headed south from Newport towards Florence about 50 miles. We stopped at several scenic areas along the way including Hecenta Head Lighthouse, Cape Perpetua, and the Sea Lion Cave. It is truly a beautiful drive, and we enjoyed meandering along, taking in the lovely coastline. We were back in Newport for dinner and ate at a great steak/seafood place that had the most scrumptious brownie sundae! (:

Tide pool

View from Cape Perpetua...about 800 ft above the coast

More of the coastline

A stone lookout built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1920s

Handsome guy on top of the lookout

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Sea Lions

Oregon has many beautiful bridges. This was near Heceta Head.

Heceta Head Light House

Day 3 -- A day in Newport

We spent a day wandering the historic bay front in Newport. It's a large fishing community, so there are many boats to see. Sea lions take up residence on one of the docks, so they're always fun to watch. We decided to take a boat tour in the afternoon. The tour went around Yaquina Bay and then out onto the ocean. We were lucky enough to see a whale before heading into the harbor. We ate fresh fish and chips at a local seafood restaurant that evening.

Newport harbor

Sea lions on the dock

Newport Bridge

Sea lions on the buoy

A couple of land lovers trying to keep our sea legs on the boat

Day #4 -- Drift Creek Falls and Yaquina Head Lighthouse

We headed to Yaquina Head Lighthouse for a look at the tide pools and lighthouse, and then we were off for a hike to Drift Creek Falls. Drift Creek is in the midst of some of Oregon’s huge forests, and they’ve received plenty of rain this spring so everything was overgrown and very lush. To get to the falls you have to cross the suspension bridge which is about 75 - 80 feet above the creek. We ate at a nice restaurant overlooking the ocean and then treated ourselves to one last brownie sundae. (:

The view from our room

Some of the beautiful gardens at the bed and breakfast

A sizable stream runs along the beach since the tsunami hit Japan a few months ago. To actually get to the beach you have to wade across the stream or sacrifice your shoes. This is Justin trying to build a driftwood bridge to cross over to the beach.

Tide pool at Yaquina Head

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Suspension bridge

Drift Creek Falls

Day #5 -- Travel

We headed back to Portland right after breakfast and caught our afternoon flight back to Denver. It was great to see our little boys again and hear about all of their adventures. They did so well while we were away and we were very proud of them!