5th Anniversary

For our 5th Anniversary, Brad's parents agreed to watch the girls for us while we went on a weekend trip to visit our nation's capital, Washington D.C. It was so much fun to just spend time together alone!  It's very rare, and something we both realized that we needed very much.

We arrived late on a Thursday night, and just checked into our hotel. Our tours started early Friday morning: first the Printing and Engraving Building. Brad collects coins and some smattering of other currencies, so it was high on the list of places to go. Our next tour was 30 minutes after the end of the engraving tour on the other end of the capital mall (a mile walk or more) at the Capital Building.  We asked an officer directing traffic for the quickest route and he told us we would never make it in time. We speed walked and made it with 12 minutes to spare!  Go us!

Marie is as tall as $1,537,800 in $100 bills.

Brad is as tall as $1,631,000 in $100 bills.

In front of the capital building.  Our White House tour was cancelled because of stupid political posturing related to the sequester.  One day, we will get to visit the White House... just means we'll have to go back again someday. We didn't even bother walking over to the White House since it was out the the way for the other sights we wanted to see.

We didn't get a Stanley Cupcake... but they looked awesome!

We had lunch at a Hawaiian food truck.  It wasn't the best, but it was still pretty good.  (Man, I miss Polynesian food!)

After the lunch (which we actually ran around trying to find that Hawaiian food truck because it parks in different places everyday and we really wanted poly food) we rested for a bit and planned to go see the Library of Congress (which, interesting fact about Marie: I have a poem I wrote in 7th or 8th grade that was published in some youth poetry anthology that's kept at the Library of Congress) and the founding documents at the National Archives building.  I have always wanted to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States in person.  And I did.  I was so filled with reverence as I read the original documents. I really do believe in the principles those documents stand for, and hope I can teach my children to live those principles and we can all defend them. I truly am grateful to live in the United States and for the freedoms it brings me.  Those documents reminded me that the freedom we enjoy today was bought at a precious price many years ago, and I hope to pass those teachings down to my own children. For dinner we took the metro to the Cheesecake Factory-- I had never been there, ad Brad's parents gave us a gift card for there before we left.  I got in touch with my inner child and enjoyed a delicious, artery clogging mac'n'cheese burger, and we split a mint chocolate oreo cheesecake slice for dessert.

 The second day, we visited the Holocaust Museum.  I think we were there for 4-5 hours.  We got there an hour early and waited in line for 2 hours before going inside.  It was emotionally and physically exhausting, or I just felt physically exhausted because I was so far emotionally spent.  I highly recommend going, but be mindful that it will take time and LOTS of energy to fully appreciate this place.

One of the neat things they do to help you "go there" is give you a little book about a person who lived during the Holocaust and you read their story as you go through each level of the museum. My person's story just got more and more horrific.  Brad's person had a pretty quick story, and we found out early that he survived.  By the last level, when I was supposed to read the last page of my person's book, I was absolutely convinced that she died.  I sat down and told Brad I didn't want to read the last page.  He put his arm around me and encouraged me to read it anyway.  I read that she did NOT die from the Holocaust.  She somehow miraculously survived and went on to become a teacher.  I lost it. Full on bawling.  In public.  That's what this place is capable of doing to a person.  So just, be prepared.

Cuddle time while walking around DC.

I really want to go back someday, but take the kids with as part of a homeschool adventure.  I really wanted to check out the American History Museum, and the Natural History Museum, but we didn't have time and/or energy.  After the Holocaust Museum, we checked out of the hotel, rode the metro to Brad's cousin's (where our car was parked), and met her for lunch at Cafe Rio. Then we headed to our next hotel, which was closer to the DC temple. Checked in, then went to the temple. Visiting the DC temple and doing work inside has always been on my "bucket list," so I made it a major priority to go there.  It was a very special experience, and one that was met after overcoming many obstacles (like forgetting my wallet at Brad's parents' house, in the diaper bag, when we dropped off the girls for the weekend, which had my temple recommend in it, so we had to call our bishop and the temple president in DC). I think we just had a fast food dinner on the way back to the hotel that night... I don't remember, it was late.

 Sunday was a special stake/regional conference, so we just drove home Sunday morning, and made it back to Brad's parents and were reunited with our little girls that afternoon feeling very much refreshed after a long weekend away.  It was a wonderful anniversary trip!  Thank you to Brad's parents for making it possible!