A Little Visit to DC

Bob and I took a little trip to our nation's capital on Mother's Day weekend. 

{that little sentence just cost me about 10 minutes search to see if I should use capital or capitol.  I think I have it right, but I won't bet the farm on it.  I will only admit to being an elementary school teacher ~ of the lower grades.  I'm obviously getting weaker all the time in spelling and grammar.  But I do remember that the principal is your PAL ~ is there a little ditty for this dilemma?}

Any hoo, we headed off to DC {easier}  for a wedding of Bob's coworker.  They had booked us into a hotel in a newer area called National Harbor across the street from the Gaylord Hotel.  This is the view out of our window looking at the edge of the Gaylord and the Potomac River.  National Harbor seems to be a small area on the river with some hotels, lots of restaurants and shops. It wasn't too far from Reagan airport, and you could take water taxis from that dock in the picture.

After our adventure exploring the freeway and bridges, using both the GPS in the rental car and my IPad, we arrived at our hotel in time for the western themed rehearsal dinner hosted at the hotel by the groom.

{Gotta love that talking GPS and I quote "keep to the right and keep to the left as you exit ~ Huh?  We kept to the right and to the left and crossed the bridge next to our lane and could see our exit but were prevented by the concrete barrier from actually exiting.  We adapted}    

Saturday was the wedding, but we had the morning and early afternoon to explore.  We have been to DC before, and "done" most of the city sights so we decided to get back on the highway and head to the Chesapeake Bay.

There is a really big bridge not too far from Annapolis that crosses part of the bay.

I'm not so crazy about these big bridges.  And my husband is a bridge engineer.  I close my eyes, luckily he's driving.

The wedding was Saturday evening.  We boarded a boat and went up and down the Potomac.   It was so beautiful to see the buildings lit up at night.  The wedding was small and intimate and just so special being on the river. 

Sunday morning we headed to Mount Vernon.  We'd never been before.

Now that's a lawn.  How did they mow that back in the day?

What a beautiful home. 

This was the greenhouse or summer house.  I guess I should look in that book we bought in the gift shop.  The gardens around it were so pretty.

Approaching the main house.  You can just glimpse the river in front of the house.

After we had we toured the museum, gift shops, and had lunch we were ready to go to Part 2 of our Sunday adventure.

When we were trying to decide what to do on Sunday, I knew Mount Vernon would be the first thing but then I was stumped.  So I just looked at the map and Manassas VA just popped out at me.  I know very little Civil War history but I did recognize this name and the battle of Bull Run.  { I hate to admit it but I think it is from Gone With the Wind, the only Civil War book I've read a million times.}

We did the driving tour of the battlefields and it was very interesting.  I must confess that I was confused when I'd read the little signs, because they would mention various Generals etc, and you could tell that they assumed you knew a little about the outcome of the battles.  I didn't know if a general was from the north or the south, although, as I texted a TX friend who IS a big war buff, at least I know who WON the war;-)

A terrible battle was fought at this peaceful little spot.  It was terrible to remember how much blood was shed here.  It really is hard to even imagine it.

So many have paid for the life we have today.

 And are paying.

Virginia is a lush, green, beautiful state.

So glad we had the chance to go back.

We will come again.

Memorial Day

~Freedom isn't free~

Thank you to all of our service men and women.  

All of these pictures were taken by me at the American Cemetery, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.  It is a profoundly moving place, and absolutely beautiful. 

*post from last year ~ the sentiment remains the same!

Weekend Fun

Elizabeth and I like to have tea parties.  We have been having them since she was a little girl.  We also like to read books together.  We have been reading the Brambly Hedge books recently and she loves them.  So in honor of her recent birthday she and I had tea.

We are in the midst of the floor mess, but I set up this table in the corner of the living room.  I wasn't even going to do a tea party this year because of the floors, because I tend to like things "done a certain way" and that wouldn't be possible with the mess the house is in.  But Laura told me Elizabeth had been wondering about her tea party and so I knew I would have to let go of my perfectionism and just do it.  I know she will just  remember that she and Grandma had tea on the Brambly Hedge dishes and read some books.  She won't remember the taped up walls and the rugs all rolled up and the furniture covered in plastic.  I think there is a lesson in there for me!

So here is our table, I had Elizabeth put the names on the place cards when she arrived. 

Of course she gets the birthday plate!  {Wish I had the cup ~ I'll have to search ebay for it}

She noticed the plate right away and even remembered the story it came from.

{Hmm, with her memory she might remember the plastic!}

The invitation was from me and my American Girl dolls to Elizabeth and her AG dolls.

{ I have 2 :-)  She has 3:-) Her cousin gave her her old one, I gave her her mom's old one this year for her birthday, and she got her very own, Elizabeth, for Christmas. }

When Elizabeth came she helped me make some treats for our dolls.

We made cakes and donuts and flower pot pudding.

I didn't take a picture of the donuts, but they are on a little plate below.  They are cheerios dipped in icing and then in colored sugar.  Very cute and tasty.

     When you eat at the American Girl Store in Chicago you get a dessert in little flower pots just like these.  I bought these there about 3 years ago and saved them for a very special day.

These are the little cakes we made.  Elizabeth made these and you can't tell, but the dolls initials are on them.  These are oreos and icing.  They are on little doll plates I found in a thrift store and sometimes use to put under votive candles.  They were perfect for these little cakes.

On Saturday evening our local town held an art fair and band concert on the lawn of the town center.  I stopped and picked up sandwiches and we all met for a little picnic.  It was such a beautiful evening.  Not too hot ~

Dancing with the band!

And there you have a few May festivities.  I have been upstairs for DAYS while they coat my house in dust rip out tile, install wood, and now finally sand.

Can't wait for this to be done!

Joining Richella for Grace at Home

Someone is 7

Someone very special had a birthday in April.  I can't believe Elizabeth is 7 years old!

Where did this little doll go?

Well, here she is silly ~ enjoying her princess lunch with grandma the day before her birthday.  I am so glad she still likes to do this, it is so fun to sit and listen to her chat with her friends.

  {and educational too}

I would share picture of her fabulous birthday party, but I forgot my camera and her mom SAID she would email them to me but ... perhaps I can add them in?

She had a great day ~ and so did we ~ celebrating a wonderful little girl ~ our Elizabeth Ann.

We love her so.

Easter

Just a few shots of our Easter Sunday.

I love my matching boys and hope we can continue this a few more years.  Elizabeth had a lovely green stripe in her dress to coordinate.  And she is sporting her very first pair of "heels".  We took her shoe shopping and these caught her eye immediately.  Her mom pointed out some more practical sandals, w/o the teeny heel and because she loves her mom and does not like to disappoint she was trying those on.  It's hard to explain her personality, she is a delight, but she is very serious ~ and I could just tell that she really preferred the heels.  Even though she kept saying" I really like them both".  There was that little smile when she tried on the pumps and a little lingering look in the mirror.  So, after both of us coaxing her to make a decision and that she could get whichever ones she wanted ~ she got the heels.  And they were the perfect, very unpractical choice.  {Her mom is practical}{but Grandma was buying:-)}

and so...

I thought by getting a new camera I would eliminate my orange photos.  I guess not;-(

Laura's family

Jessica's family

The hunt is on!  And mostly blurry.  This was our very first indoor hunt in Texas.  The rain began as we left church and really started to rain hard by the time we got home.  

WOW

Action shot

As you can tell, the kids each get their own color eggs.  It makes for no tears, and actually a lot of cooperation as they call to each other that they found a PINK egg or whatever.  I did this always ~ even when my girls were little.

They had a lot of fun hunting, and I wish I had a video of the hunt for the "big" kids.  They did NOT have their own color ~ all the eggs were purple and there was only cold hard cash in those.  It was fierce competition and I think Jessica and Ryan came out ahead.  

And, lastly, a little Easter vignette in my kitchen.  The lamb was a flea market find, and the little cross on the vase was crocheted by my bible small group leader.

The Lamb of God, represented by white flowers for purity and holiness and the purple signifies the royality of Christ our King. 

It was a happy Easter.

Blessings to all of you.

"Cooking" with Ben, and Cooper's School

During the week between Palm Sunday and Easter I had a little visit from Ben.  I don't often see Ben without his sister or his cousin Cooper so it was a special time.

He beat me twice at Go Fish, which was very exciting for him ~ 

and we did some "cooking" for Easter.

Isn't he so cute?

And our cookies ~ he only made 5, one for each grand on Easter and one for himself that day.  These are the easy crushed corn flakes, chow mien noodles, and white chocolate bird's nests.

Yum.  

Another day Holy Week, I went to Cooper's preschool for his Easter Egg Hunt.  I got to shadow Jackson.

Here his basket is full of treasures from Grandma's car.  That baby in the basket lives in my car and was my girls' when they were little.

My 2 sweet "fake smiling" boys.

They very sweetly let Jackson be a "big" boy and do the activity with his brother.  Here we are trying to make a bunny cupcake.

Then on the Saturday evening before Easter, Elizabeth and Ben came over to color eggs and take the first swim of the season.  The water was COLD!

They didn't seem to mind.

It was a fun and busy week and I am so glad that I finally got this blog post together before I forget any more details.  I seem to forget to take my camera with me most places, and if I don't have a picture I don't seem to remember what we did.  

We are doing a little work on our house and so my blogging is so sporadic.  Once the dust has settled I hope to be back to regular posts again.  Which for me is about once a week:-)

Happy May!