Patti & Kerry's Visit!

A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to have some visitors come see us! Patti & Kerry, Brandon's parents, came out for Kerry's work conference and we were so happy to have our first visitors to our new home. 

First night together, we went to Crystal City and walked around and had dinner at Ted's Montana Grill. It was a tasty feast! 

On Saturday, we drove up to Gettysburg. I was SHOCKED that it was only an hour and half away from us. How crazy is that??

We first walked around the little town and grabbed some lunch. I was very entertained by this mannequin little boy hanging out of this old house. So random!

Then we headed over to the brand new Gettysburg National Museum. It was completed only a few years ago and was fantastic! I highly recommend it for all history fans. 

We loved this statue outside of the museum of my Dad's hero and my favorite president: Mr. Lincoln himself!

Here's all of us after enjoying the movie, cyclorama, and amazing detailed museum. After teaching my 8th graders for weeks about the Civil War earlier this spring, it was so rewarding to go visit this pivotal battle site and see it first hand!

Afterwards we went on a driving tour of the battlefield. It was so pretty seeing the Gettysburg countryside as the sun set.

 

If I remember correctly this is the field where the first day of fighting on July 1st 1863 took place. It looks so peaceful today but certainly wasn't then so many years ago. 

Trying to be artsy...

Sunset over the Cemetery Ridge

It was so neat to see where the fighting at Little Round Top occurred. 

Can you imagine climbing up those rocks to fight man to man??

  

It was seriously such a beautiful night to be there!

Later we stopped by the official Gettysburg Cemetery and went to dinner at a yummy pizza place before heading home!

On Sunday after our early morning church we stopped by the Pentagon Memorial...

With the anniversary of September 11th coming up a few days later, it was fitting to stop by this memorial so close to our home.

If you look closely, you can see where the coloration of the Pentagon is a little off- This is side where the plane hit and its been rebuilt.

The memorial was really beautiful! Very simple but symbolic. They have these ledges going one direction or another in lines to symbolize the victims lost that day. Each ledge is placed according to the year they were born. If their ledge is pointing to the Pentagon they were on the plane and if the ledge is pointing away from the Pentagon they were working at the Pentagon that horrible morning. It was a sobering and humbling place to be but I'm so glad we went. 

Afterwards we went to the D.C. Temple Visitors Center for a musical fireside put on by the missionaries. 

Seriously such a beautiful place!

Another night that week after work & classes & Kerry's conference, we got together for dinner and found a tasty frozen custard place in Alexandria called the Dairy Godmother.

I got a "dusty road" with vanilla frozen custard, hot fudge, and malt powder on top! YUM!

So fun to be together!

On another day we took the tour at Arlington National Cemetery- after all, we do live in Arlington, Virginia and had saved this fun sight-seeing tour till we could go with Patti & Kerry

So pretty in the sunlight! 

I love watching the changing of the guard!

My handsome hubby waiting for the tour bus to depart

Some wonderful inlaws!! 

Nearby Arlington Cemetery is the Marine Memorial. Brandon's Dad is a retired marine and we had to go see this historic statue while he was in town.  

Semper Fi! 

On Wednesday we stayed home and played games- playing Ticket to Ride with the Chlarsons is a favorite tradition of mine! 

Plus Patti & Kerry gave us our own Ticket to Ride board for my birthday! They helped us initiate it in style!

And for our last night together, we went to our first Nationals Baseball game! All the missionaries from both the DC North & South missions were allowed to go to the game and it seemed like it was almost Mormon Night Out!

I LOVED our seats and this amazing stadium!

We also got to go with some friends from Utah! I had so much chatting with Jodi, Abby, & Kaitlin. Jodi and Abby taught with me at Providence Hall and somehow we all ended up together in D.C. So fun to have some friends out here with us!

We had a wonderful time at the baseball game with friends and family! I wish I would have gotten a picture of us with Patti & Kerry on their last night! 

We had such a fun visit with Patti & Kerry and look forward to when you to can come back to D.C.!

Getting Around D.C.

So Brandon & I still can't believe that we're living in Washington D.C., mere minutes away from some of the most iconic and historic sites in all of America! Truly! We live about 4 minutes away from the Pentagon and about 10 from the Mall. (driving wise) 

So when we first arrived in D.C., before Brandon started law school and I started looking for work, we took some time to explore our new home! First up: the standard trip to THE MALL- the Capitol, Washington Monument, & the Lincoln Memorial

We snook a picture of the white house- we need to make a trip back and get closer. But since tours are indefinitely canceled, we'll see when that happens.

On the mall, in between all the big monuments is the World War II Memorial: one my favorites actually. I made sure to find Colorado's plaque. :)

I love how one side represents the battles and serviceman who fought in the Atlantic and the other side represents the Pacific. 

Our first visit to the Washington Monument was a bit saddened by the fact that the entire thing is covered in blue scaffolding. I guess there was an earthquake here a few years ago and it shook something like 5 feet from side to side. So the monument is under extensive earthquake proof construction for... who knows how long. At least into 2014, maybe a whole year from now. Ugh- kind of a bummer to have this beautiful monument partially covered up for so long.

Then of course at the other end of the mall: the stunning Lincoln Memorial! 

(A great place to people watch I might add)

A view of the Washington Monument from the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial...

Brandon looks thrilled doesn't he??

Man I love this President! I can't help it- my father instilled it in me all my life. (see how we celebrate Lincoln's Birthday every year).

Some stranger snapped this pic for us- not too shabby!

We loved the weather that day- cloudy & not too hot! A great day to go sightseeing together.

On our way back down the mall (it's not a short walk by the way, it takes about 40 minutes walking from end to end!), we stopped by the Vietnam War Memorial. Such a sobering reminder of the loss of so many...

On another afternoon we made our visit to the Holocaust Museum. To me it is the one museum every person on this earth needs to go through before they die. Yes, it is terribly sobering. It should be. And it should make you think deeply about both the incredibly positive and negative capabilities we are all possible of. When I was at BYU as a history major, I took an outstanding class entitled Jews & the Holocaust and I will forever be a strong and vocal proponent of learning about this atrocious event in history. It's hard to believe it happened less than 75 years ago.

When Brandon started law school orientation, I got a little on the bored side being alone all day long. So one day I made a little voyage to check out some of the Smithsonians along the Mall. Here's the famous Smithsonian Castle. Not much here in the way of museums, but pretty on the outside.

Then of course I headed to the American History Museum. Found some pretty cool stuff! Like Judy Garland's ruby red slippers from Wizard of Oz!

I also came across an original Sunstone from the Nauvoo Temple. Gotta love that the plaque described Nauvoo as "just one step along the way of a migration..." As if my pioneer ancestors loved being chased and persecuted around from state to state while on their migration to Utah! Ha!

They also had a temporary Golden Books exhibit. Made my think of my mom! These books were my childhood go-to! I think we have over 300 golden books back home. :)

And on labor day, Brandon & I stopped by the Air & Space Museum. This place has some of the coolest rockets, planes, and space gear.

I've started to become more and more familiar with this little guide. The metro is very convenient but definitely confusing for all newcomers. Especially if it's a station with more than 2 lines there. But I think I'm getting the hang of it! 

And most importantly! Brandon has started Law School at American University, Washington College of Law!

Dual degree in law and a masters in international affairs here we come!

Brandon all dressed up for his first day of Law School Orientation. (Doesn't he look so distinguished? For my t-shirt loving boy, I was very impressed!)

And his first day of school! haha He's a goofy one this boy of mine.

Here's a few more pretty shots of D.C. at sunset...

(stupid crane in the way...)

We're getting to be regulars around this place!