Sunday, October 2, 2011

Washington D.C.

Steve took the kids to Utah for about a week and half during their last track out so that meant I was a free woman with no responsiblities.  During this time, I decided to go spend this time in Washington D.C.  I have been there a few times with my parents but have never really spent any time in the city.  A good friend from college let me stay at her place while I was visiting.  My plan was to hit up as many sites in the D.C. area that I have always wanted to go and visit.  The longer I was in the city the more I realized you could never see everything.  A few of my highlights were: tour of the White House, tour of the Capitol, Ford's Theater, seeing all the monuments on the mall, riding the metro, hanging out with friends from NC, seeing friends from my college years (doesn't that make me sound old), saw the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the US, saw the flag that inspiried Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner during the War of 1812, Portrait Gallery Museum, Holocaust Museum, etc.  It was a wonderful trip.  Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment!

 View of the Washington Monument from top of the Old Post Office Tower


 This is the booth that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in.
 One of the rooms in the Library of Congress! It is a beautiful building! (There are actually about 8 libraries of Congress)
 Pie from Kramer Books at DuPont Circle
 The new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
 Arlington Cemetary was probably one of my favorite places I visited. This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
 Here are my NC friends that I got see while in D.C. - Jaclyn and Dan
 No pictures allowed inside the White House so I just got the classic one from outside.  I felt like I was in a museum when I was going through it.
 I took this picture just to prove that I was actually in D.C. This fountain is in the Sculpture Garden.
 Arlington Cemetary
 I also had a chance to to go visit a college roommate up in Baltimore and she and her cute son spent a day with me at Gettysburg. This is a picture from the top of Culp's Hill looking over the cemetary.
 Within the battlefield, there are over 1,300 monuments built and dedicated to the men that served and died during that three day battle. Here is the one for the men from North Carolina.

 This is Fort McHenry with Tara and her son.
It was a wonderful trip!!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

S&T Soda Shoppe

For Steve's birthday this year, we went out for ice cream at the S & T Soda Shoppe in Pittsboro.  They serve a banana split that is large enough to feed a small army and ours is always up for the challenge.  The kids always love going and I think Steve and I gets just as excited.  Here is the proof of our enjoyment of the banana split!!!




2001-2011

It is hard to believe that I graduated from high school 10 years ago!  It has been a great 10 years - some things have gone as planned and others not so much.  All of it has been an adventure with lots learned.  I had the opportunity to see a handful of my classmates this summer at our high school reunion.  It has fun to catch up with everyone that attended!



ZOO!

In July, Aunt Elizabeth came to stay with me in North Carolina. She actually came and watched the kids for me for a couple days so that I could go to New York City with a few friends.  I am ever so grateful for her help.  Once I got back, she stayed a few more days and during her visit we went to the Asheboro Zoo for the day.  It was so much fun.  It is a very nice zoo with lots of fun animals to see. 

One of our favorites from the day: polar bear
 Climbing the spider web!
 A special exhibit: albino alligator
 Aunt Elizabeth with the kids
 The kids pretending to be asleep at the end of a long, enjoyable day!