Washington, D.C. Trip

Our family decided to take a little trip to Washington, D.C. We were going to meet up with some of my family and see all the great sights. We spent the first night in St. Louis and let the kids go up in The Arch. The next day we drove through seven states and still didn't make it to DC.

It was very hot and humid and we did a lot of walking everyday. It felt like we walked 10 miles each day. The kids were real troopers. The boys walked everywhere, while Amita and Melody took turns in the stroller, and I packed Reagan.

We saw all the monuments, The White House, The Smithsonian's, and Arlington National Cemetery.

The Air and Space Museum was one of the kids favorite places. While there, Ben got to go up on a stage and show all the clothing an astronaut wears when going on a space walk. Everything from a space diaper to a helmet.

We also went to Mt. Vernon and spent a day.  It was awesome to see the home and life of such a great man as George Washington. The kids got to dress up like kids back them and do lots of other activities.

We decided to spend a day at the National Zoo. It turned out really well because it was cloudy and rainy that day, so we didn't have to endure the heat anymore.  Benjamin's favorite animal and favorite part of the trip was getting to see the Asian Otters.  

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving my brother, Monte, came for a visit. He drove from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky for the weekend. We had lots of fun with him. For Thanksgiving, we were going to eat dinner at my sister Diane's house. There ended up being about thirty people there plus a whole bunch of kids. Diane always does an excellent job of hosting. Below are some pictures of are crazy fun Thanksgiving.

This picture is out of order and I don't know how to get it to the right spot, so just bare with me. It is at Diane's house with everyone dishing up their plates.

Here is Monte trying to get ready for dinner with three kids watching him. Benjamin had fun trying on his hat.

We got to Diane's at two. The house was very busy with everyone getting last minute things done. Here is Diane finishing the potatoes with Marcy and Courtney standing behind her.

In order to fit everyone for dinner, there were tables set up from the front door all the way to the other end of the house. Here is a picture of the kids little table. On the the other side of the table is Carter and Matthew. Then Brooke. Elisa and Aaron have their backs to us. And last is Benjamin.

This is the teenager table. From the left there is Carson, Monte, Travis, Dustin, and Courtney.

Even the younger kids had their own table. Here is Lily and Alaina eating their dinner.

The two youngest there were Melody and Alyssa. They are six weeks apart.

Here is Monte with Melody. She likes to play with his ribbons on his uniform.

And last is a picture of Diane, Monte and me.

Happy Birthday

Today is my little brother's 19th birthday. I am very proud to have Monte as a brother, and I hope him the best in his future.The picture is from my trip to South Carolina to attend his graduation from basic training in December. The trip was lots of fun. Right now, he is stationed in George going through training. Good Luck with your classes Monte.