Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Anniversary/Graduation trip to Washington, DC

Jim and I took advantage of a school holiday to leave the kids with my parents and enjoy some together time in our nation's capitol. It was a much needed hiatus after the completion of 6 yrs. of school completing Jim's Civil Engineering/EIT degree. And, a nice way to celebrate the completion of 7 years of matrimony as well.
We dropped the kids off on Thursday morning and made a trip to the temple for some initiatory. Then, we stopped for lunch at a Bolivian restaurant in Falls Church, VA for some saltenas. Yum... From there, we headed into DC to check in at our hotel. The Hilton Garden in just 3 blocks from the White House. The remainder of the day was spent with a visit to the Crime and Punishment museum where America's Most Wanted is filmed and dinner at Fuddruckers.
Friday, day 2, we started the day with breakfast at a French bakery near the hotel, then we toured the Capitol and visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum (stopped for lunch mid museum visit). We also finished out the museum visit with an IMAX show. From there we returned to the hotel and ordered a pizza for dinner before getting ready for an evening at the Kennedy Center watching Shear Madness.
Saturday, day 3, we awoke to snow. The snow blew in our faces and my hands were freezing by the time we reached the American Indian museum from the metro stop. It is an interesting, if not slightly strangely laid out museum. From there we had a few more blocks of snow walking and another metro ride to Chinatown for some freshly made chinese noodles. Also of note, twice that morning we encountered someone from our church congregation out in the Shenandoah Valley when getting on the metro. He was there with a friend for a car show. What are the odds that that would have happened not just once, but, twice in a day? Anyway, my legs had gotten rather achy from all the walking around and it was snowing out and not pleasant to be in, so, we headed back to the hotel for a break and time to come up with a snowy weather planning. In the end, the mall at Pentagon City seemed the best option because the metro stop was right underneath it and required no extra walking in the snow. We wandered the 4 levels of shops and found a good deal on some needed sleepers for the baby, then, ate dinner in the food court and got some bagels for breakfast the next morning and returned to the hotel.
Sunday, we slept in a little, had our bagels for breakfast and then got ready and checked out of the hotel. It was cold, but, a nice, rejuvenating, weekend away.

8 of us

Chante and her 2 girls moved in on Jan. 23rd. They occupy the guest room, half of Jim's office, and the downstairs bathroom. We take turns with the laundry and share the kitchen and playroom.
So far so good. She pays for their share of utilities and helps with buying and preparing food. We help her out by offering a cheap place to stay and occasional babysitting, which should help her save enough money to get established on her own elsewhere. And, the kids all have extra playmates every day. Her goal is to be set for independence by the end of the school year.