DC on a Dime

On the bank of the Potomac River

We had the fortune of being able to accompany Keith on a business trip to Washington, DC. I was thrilled to death to get to take the kids to my old stomping grounds. I used to work in DC for over 3 years, and lived outside of DC for 7 years. It is one of my favorite cities and I was not disappointed at all on this return after an almost 20 year absence. It was clean and beautifully landscaped and the weather was truly Heaven sent. Your patriotic bones get all tingly feeling when you are in the nation's capital. At least mine do.....

I have THE BEST husband in the whole world - he drive the whole trip without any help from me. Of course, if you know me, my driving wouldn't have been much help. It was smooth sailing until we hit some construction. Two hours were added to the drive..... But we made it in one piece and got to the hotel without a hitch. We had a lovely view of the Potomac River and the DC skyline from our 11th floor room.

Tuesday, after room service, (I love room service) we headed for the Metro, which is the only way to travel when in DC. It is easy as pie and convenient and cheap. No traffic, no parking and it's FUN!
Our first stop was the White House. We saw some snipers on the roof and the grounds were gorgeous. I loved looking at the vast variety of plants..... The kids really liked the snipers. Go figure.

Then we headed to the Museum of American history where loads of fun items are housed - Archie Bunker's chair, the ruby slippers, Fonzie's jacket and then a bunch historical items. I had been salivating for months about seeing Julia Child's kitchen, and it was even better than I anticipated. I almost cried....
I absolutely LOVE Julia and was thrilled to be able to ogle her kitchen and gadgets and copper pot collection. It was so delightful! Bon Appetite!

We then hopped in a taxi, which was a first for the kids. I am sure it was not as exciting as they dreamed it would be, but we did it, and they can now scratch it off their list. The driver took us to Union Station, one of our nation's largest train stations. It is just plain fun to go there. The hubbub and hustle and the food court is once in a lifetime fun.

Outside Union Station

We then jaunted over to the Capital and tried to spy the filming of Transformers 3, but they were not filming at the time. I sprinted in and out of the botanic garden, although I really wanted to linger there for hours. Next time, I WILL LINGER AND LINGER! It was total eye candy for the plant enthusiast.... and that would be me.

Our next museum was the Air and Space Museum, but it didn't really seem to thrill the guys much. I thought it was pretty cool, but the largest McDonald's known to man was inside, and made it very fun.

Next, we trekked to the Holocaust Museum, but I really wish we would have skipped it. I knew it would not be a light-hearted visit, but had no idea how realist it was going to be. They tried to make you feel as if you were there, and it worked. I was overcome with grief and emotion. You just wanted to go back in time and prevent it from ever happening. If you plan on going there, you need to prepare for it. It is more than just a few artifacts and pictures, it is so much more....

We ate at several fun restaurants and took advantage of half-price burger night. The guys all agreed they were the best burgers they had ever eaten. I had a reubin and it was the best ever, too. Murphy's, we love you! The nest day, they had 25 cent wings, and they were SO GOOD!!! Bugsy's was equally as tasty!!!

Oh, and I finally got to go to Trader Joe's!!! I loved it! It is way better than Whole Foods and Earthfare. WAY!!! I am hoping and praying we get one in Chattanooga...

The Blue Ridge mountains were in the beginning stages of their fall plumage, and it made the ride so nice. The mountains have a much higher elevation than Lookout Mountain and it was simply gorgeous. Truly, it was a fabulous trip and we did it under budget, thanks to a $100 gift card that Keith got from his boss, and all the frugal things we did, like bring our own water and snacks from home. I hope the kids remember it as fondly as I will!

Monk

Ok, so I am a bit of a lagger. I tend to lag in technology, fashion and almost everything else. We are just now discovering the show Monk. We aren't really much of tv watchers and I never had time to watch tv when the kids were younger when Monk was being broadcast. Thanks to Netflix, we can watch it commercial free. I am noticing some striking similarities between me and Monk. Some of you already know this, but for those who don't, I really don't want to shake your hand, although I will. I especially hate it when you cough all over me, but I love you anyway. I cringe when I see green snot coming out of your kid's nose. I never hold onto the rail on an escalator or other public forms of handles or rails. I do struggle with the desire to count and sort things, but I manage to snap out of it and disengage. Quirky and strange I am sure, but honestly, I remember being like this my whole life.

Having children forces you to give up some of your OCD tendencies, but I think the desires are still there. You just somehow manage to resist the urges and impulses. Most of the time. As I watch Monk and see myself reflected in him, I am awakened to my OCD flaws and hope Monk will help me to smile inside and shake hands warmly, even if you just coughed all over that hand. Maybe....

Mixed Reviews

I thought it would be fun to post some reviews of products I have recently used, and to at least let ya'll know I am still here, just busy.

Here goes - the whole truth and nothing but the truth, at least according to me.

Martha Stewart paint - found at Home Depot. LOVE it! No fumes, non whatsoever! Gorgeous, stylish color selection and one coat is all you need. We recently painted the whole upstairs and the coverage was terrific. Even with using a flat finish, it is still easily wiped clean! Go, Martha!

Sketcher's shape-ups - Bought my first pair about 2 months ago due to a foot injury that was just not healing. I needed more full-range support and my Z-Coils were not doing that. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!! I just ordered another pair. Terrific support and cushion, and they have really helped my foot to get onto the road of recovery. I can't say I am healed yet, but the pain has decreased markedly. I also love how they cause you to get into proper posture formation while you stand or walk. They really help keep your gut sucked in and shoulders back. I was fearful that plantar fasciitis would again rear its ugly head, but so far, so good.

iPhone - Okay, so I am no techie. We never have the latest and greatest techno gadgets, because we just don't have the budget for it, but at only $200 and an 18 year wedding anniversary to celebrate, Keith insisted that I get one. This phone does everything you thought it would do, and many more things I never thought it could do. LOVE it! It is very functional and very FUN! There are so many apps, and so little time. I love the Bible app to get my daily reading in and to search passages. Ebay, Facebook and many other goodies to feast upon. I don't abuse it or get consumed by it, but when I do use it, I am thrilled.

That's about it for now. If you want more detailed reviews, just e-mail or call. We are all doing well with the new school year. We are in prayer about selling our mini-van and going back to a conversion van. We are SO CRAMPED in the minivan, and there really aren't many options out there that will hold 6 people. I am sure we will figure it out, but int the meantime, it is on our prayer list....

Ya'll have a lovely day and stay in touch!

Aunt for a week....

I had the best time having Emily and Connor with us for the last week! It felt so good to be an aunt again! When your family is all spread out, you don't get as many opportunities to be an aunt in person. It was such a blessing, in so many ways!

Emily and I have so much in common, not only in interests, but also in ideologies. We both love to quilt and cook, and now Emily is hooked on basket weaving. We wove a small muffin basket and she was such a natural at it, I barely had to give her instructions. I was able to weave right alongside her, which just made it so FUN!



We did several small touristy things like the aquarium, the zoo and even some antique shopping. Thankfully, Emily was content to just hang out and visit and eat good food. The menu changed daily, and then we would eat the leftovers.... Smoked chicken, homemade rolls, sourdough bread, spaghetti, ....and lots of salads! It was so nice to have a coffee buddy and to have a little boy in the house again!

It was nice to chat about our lives, and it was especially nice that she remembered so many special things about my mom. There have been many years between our last visit, but the years melted away and we felt like family right from the beginning. I also loved hearing about how my sister, her mom, is doing in Idaho and all the things in between. I even told Keith that this was the one of the first times I remember being with someone for more than 3 days a not looking at the calendar wondering when they were leaving. It went too fast!

Connor was adorable and smart and he kept us laughing! His vocabulary is so vast, I don't know if we could write down all the words he can say. He quickly learned the boys' names, which often takes many people months to know who-is-who. It was just so fun being with him and reading books and jumping on the trampoline and watching the chickens, cats and dogs. I loved watching Emily be such an attentive and loving mother. She really is a smart cookie and parenting comes natural to her.



We ended our visit in Atlanta at the Mellow Mushroom pizzeria, where Dan met us. I hope the next few weeks go well for them as Dan continues his training as a federal agent. I am hoping they have to come back again and again!!!


God is so good in His providence, His abundance and His unexpected blessings. I feel like He gave us this special visit as good medicine for the soul. Emily, you have a special place in my heart and I look forward to seeing you ALL again!

Baby Rant

I just have to have this little rant. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but I may explode if I don't write it down and let it out. Here goes: I wish Hollywood and advertisers would STOP making tv shows, movies and commercials that make men look so STUPID! I am so sick of it, I could scream. Actually, in my mind, I am screaming right now.

When tv was first invented all of the men were portrayed as strong, protective and hard working. They were the rock of the family. Beaver Cleaver's dad, Father Knows Best, Mr. Walton, Pa Ingalls, even Howard from Happy Days was a MANLY MAN! The children respected dad, and the wife adored him. I realize that is a fantasy, but must we go in the opposite direction and make men look so dumb? It is especially true in commercials. Obviously, it is because they are pandering to the female shopper, but it is very insulting, especially if you have a wonderful, smart, MANLY husband. One commercial that comes to mind at this time, is the yogurt commercial with Jamie Lee Curtis. There are lots of them, but I am drawing a blank. You know which ones they are. Don't they just chap you?

Ok, I can exhale now. I feel much better.

And for the record, my husband can fix anything, build anything and figure out just about anything. But he also helps me with many things that most men wouldn't. He assisted me in making window treatments for 16 windows at his office. 16! It was a ton of work and he worked right along side me ironing and cutting. Therefore, I am by no means saying men can only do mechanical, greasy things. Actually, it's not even about what a man can do, but what he is. And most men I know are not DUMB!

Back to School

This is our last week of summer. It has been the hottest summer since moving here - I am so ready for it to be over. We attended our annual home school convention over the weekend, and I am armed with new materials and ready for another school year. It is hard to believe we have been educating at home for over 11 years. The time has flown by like a blink, just like so many wise moms warned me it would. It hasn't been an easy journey; often it has been quite challenging, but I wouldn't trade one second of it. The kids have thrived, despite it all, and in the end, what matters most is their walk with the Lord. Really. That is all that matters. The words of men will fade, but the Word of God lives on forever.

I rarely get asked the usual questions anymore about homeschooling. You know the questions, like, "what about socialization?", and "how will you be able to teach them through high school?". People can clearly see that our sons are well educated, not just in knowledge, but in character. The fruit we have harvested thus far from these guys would make any parent proud. They are honest, hard working, caring, giving and obedient. They are patriotic and well versed in our God given rights to pursue happiness.

We pray in our school and recite from the Bible throughout the day. We read living books about real heroes and missionaries and people who have made a difference in this world. People who have sacrificed, so they could give of themselves. They get to choose what we study, and there is no greater joy than learning something we are all interested in, together as a family.

They have all told me how they would like to find a wife who will home school their own children, and to me, that says it all. God bless all of my home school friends as we embark on another year of learning and growing at home.

Happy Birthday, Keith!

Yesterday we celebrated Keith's 49th birthday. Twenty years ago, that sounded so old, not it just seems normal. Funny how that happens.... Anyway, we decided it was best to just cook a special meal instead of spend way too much money eating out. I think the marinated fillet mignon, then cooked on the grill, along with oven fries made with potatoes grown in our garden, salad and a made from scratch milk-chocolate cake was quite enjoyable. We tried to give him a kingly birthday by giving him peace and I even let him win Dr. Mario a couple times.....

Happy birthday, Keith! Next year it's the big one!!!