Washington, DC; Last Day

Thanksgiving was a beautiful day in the city. We cooked and ate together for most of the day, then headed out to the monuments at sunset to soak it all in (and take family pictures for the Christmas card).

Us with Abe.

We parked our car near the MLK Memorial, so we got to see it, too, then decided we might as well head over to the Jefferson Memorial, too. Such a memorable night!

The next day, we spent a little bit of time at the Air and Space Museum, then checked out the Arboretum before heading out to the airport.

So long, DC!

Washington, DC; Day Four

On Day Four, we did some walking around looking at things like this: The President's Dogs! President Obama was nowhere to be seen, but his dogs were taking a stroll with the Secret Service guys on the White House grounds.

Next, we headed over to the Capitol Building for a tour. It was awesome. We were in DC just after they took down gobs of scaffolding that had been covering the interior and exterior of the Capitol Building. Lucky us! We had a fun tour guide and saw some cool stuff.

We didn't have time to stop at the Supreme Court, we'll have to save that for next time. That, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Library of Congress, etc., etc. So much to see! We Uber-ed back to the Air BnB, where we hung out with cousins the rest of the night.

Henry fixing Ben's hair. :)

Washington, DC; Day Three

We had lots of cool experiences on Day Three of our trip. We met up with our nephew, Ryan, and his family, at the National Zoo, then had lunch nearby.

Next, we met up with our old home teacher, Air Force Colonel Max Stitzer at his workplace: THE PENTAGON!

Wow, this place was amazing. We were not allowed to take many pictures, but here we are in the Joint Chiefs of Staff press room.

We were all really impressed by the feeling we had at the Pentagon. In particular, I felt very confident in our security and the capability of our armed forces. These are the best people, and they are working every day to keep us safe and to promote American ideals. Yay America!

Outside the Pentagon, on the side that was affected by the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01, was the solemn Pentagon Memorial. We had the place to ourselves, just as the sun was setting.

Washington, DC; Day Two

Day two was also our wedding anniversary! Yay for eighteen years! We spent the day at Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, and Ford's Theater.

 The kids, with Henry and Sophie, on the porch overlooking the Potomac River.

At the front door.

Eighteen years!

 Arlington National Cemetery was beautiful and peaceful.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Looking into Lincoln's balcony.

Washington, DC; Day One

We had such a fun time visiting Julianne's family for Thanksgiving. It was made even more fun by the fact that my parents and Elliott's family were also in town for the holiday! On the first day, we hung out in Takoma with the Weises and got settled into our Air BnB house, just a couple of miles away.

Miles came for the babies. Sweet Helena was blessed while we were there.

We had fun with Ben at the playgrounds.

Piled in the back of Julianne's car.

We attended an evensong service at the National Cathedral. It was gorgeous!

Helena and Pa

A chilly day on the mall, in between some museuming.

Back to some snuggling with Helena.

Longhorn Council Scout Camporee

Neal and Parker attended the Camporee event at the Texas Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday. Apparently, they had a good time! It was a Highland Games-themed event, so they participated in activities in the Scottish tradition. Here are some pics!

Parker attempting a caber toss.