So, we took a trip to Massachusetts, and stopped in DC on our way there. We stayed at Krissy and Sin's house and had a great time. I think Krissy and I look alike! We have the same nose, cheeks, mouth, and chin. It is always so good to see family even when it has been so long.
All the kids-Paul, Lucy, Ellie, Mitch and Miles.
Ellie and Kyle at the Jefferson Memorial.
We ran into some missionaries, of course one of them was from Idaho.
The family
Kyle being cute
I was so excited to see the reflecting pool- but this is what it looked like. UGHH. Guess they are re-doing the whole thing. This is happening the day congress is trying to figure out how to balance the budget. Wasn't the reflecting pool fine before? Maybe there was a leak.
The Lincoln Memorial. Paul Ellie and Kyle. At each memorial we told the kids kids a little bit about the history of the people. They didn't really pay attention until I told them there would be a quiz at the end and those who passed could get an ice cream from on of those fun trucks on the street. They started to pay attention after that. Especially Kyle.
Darren and I really enjoyed the monuments. Probably more than the kids. They just don't understand the importance no matter how you try and stress it to them. It is almost a spiritual experience to visit these monuments.
The Vietnam veterans wall. My dad served in Vietnam.
At the end of the day the kids were so tired from walking- LOL I had to take a picture of Ellie who refused to walk anymore- so Darren was kind enough to go get the car and come pick us up. I just had to take a picture of all my kids tired faces.
Kyle's tired face.
Paul's tired face.
Kyle wanted to make all sorts of faces while we were waiting for Darren to pick us up. I couldn't resist taking pictures of all his cute faces:)
Here the kids got their ice cream/Popsicle for passing the test. Even though when I ask Kyle who the 1st president of the United States was he said, "President Monson" close enough.
Kids enjoying the shade and their popsicle.
Another one of Kyle's faces.
We went to Arlington Cemetery and watched the Changing of the guard. Darren and I thought it was pretty cool- the kids, well just look at the picture.
The Changing of the Guards.
Warning: POLITICAL SOAPBOX.
We had such a great time in DC. We went to the museums the 1st day and the monuments the 2nd day. The museums were great, but the monuments were incredible. There is just something so special about the early Founding Fathers. They were men of God. They were men with integrity, honor, selflessness. It makes me angry and sad to now think of the men and women in our government running this great country into the ground. It seems as if all of them are exact opposites of our Founding Fathers,- liars, selfish, etc. They have voted themselves pay raises so they all now make an average of $174,000. plus all the benefits- while the current average military personal makes like $40-$60 grand a year. It makes me sick. And they are currently in session trying to increase the debt ceiling. Yea, I won't even go there. I usually don't talk politics because it makes me so sad to think about what is happening to our country. How can someone be so selfish- to ruin a great country with such a great history, so much potential, so many people, and can keep going for so long- yet they make decisions based on their own benefit so they can have money and power in in their own short 1 person life span. Pathetic. The only thing I find comfort in is knowing that God has a bigger plan. As much as they think they are so powerful and great-they are nothing and have no idea who is really in charge.
Here are some more pictures of DC. This is the Air and Space museum. You know to be honest, it just wasn't our thing. It was worth going to, the museum is really cool, but our kids just weren't that interested. They wanted to go to the gift shop and then leave. oh well.
Ellie being cute.
LOL, Darren is such a great dad.
This is at the Museum of Natural History. My kids loved this museum. It's to bad we went here after the Air and Space Museum- we were ALL so tired. We only spent a half day there and easily could have spent the whole day there. They loved the dinosaurs, animals, ocean, bugs, and we really like the geological section with the jewels and rocks.
This is Paul's specialty. He is such a little scientist. They had little tables around with college students doing little demonstrations and teaching the kids. Paul went to a table where the college girl put out 6 plastic animals on the table. A T-Rex, Plesiosaurus, Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Dimetrodon, and Stegosaurus on the table. She said, "can you tell me which ones are dinosaurs?" Darren and I thought,"this is a trick question, they are all dinosaurs" Paul, however, knew better. He quickly sorted them into two piles, and named each one of them as he separated them, "well, the Plesiosaurus is not a dinosaur because it swims, the Pterodactyl is not a dinosaur because it could fly, and the Dimetrodon was before the dinosaurs- although it was a reptile like the dinosaurs. To be classified as a dinosaur it must live on land, be a reptile, be cold blooded, lay eggs, and lived in one of 3 periods of time- Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous periods. The T-Rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus are dinosaurs." Darren and I looked at each other and started laughing and the college girl's jaw dropped open. She said, "how old are you? You should be the one doing this!" I just said, "thank goodness for the Discovery Channel."
Kyle playing the drums and Krissy and Sins. I think we could have stayed there a lot longer- the kids had so much fun!
Ellie and Lucy got along great!
All the kids again.
We went to this really fun ice cream place. The kids loved the ice cream, and I loved the way it was decorated.
Fun times!
