Washington D.C.---- August 16, 2008 (Day 1)

It only took two years, but we finally made it back to Washington, D.C. We haven't been there since moving to Philadelphia in 2006. My brother and his family live there, but we just haven't had the time and money to go until now.

We left around 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16. This time we had our GPS so we arrived safely at the park where my nieces were having a combined birthday party. We arrived early enough that I was able to do hair and some last minute touch-ups on the girls. Doug then played with the girls on the toys while I helped my sister-in-law set up for the party. My niece that is a year younger than Miriam kept insisting that she wanted to sit and play with Miriam. It was nice to see that they enjoy being together. Part of it could be because they don't see each other often enough to get sick of each other. It reminds me of my cousins and how we used to write letters to each other. I especially loved writing and receiving letters from my cousin Kendra.

All Gussied Up

This is the life, especially after being in the car for three hours!

Shaylynn's new way of throwing a fit: "Stop looking at me, fine, I'll turn around and not look at you!"

Shaylynn was happy because there was a stray dog wondering around the park. Thankfully my children have not inherited my fear of dogs. Yes, I am afraid of dogs. Always have been, always will be.

After the party was over we stuck around and helped clean up and then visited for a little bit. It was too early to check into our hotel so we were trying to kill time by deciding what to do next. Finally we decided to go to the hotel and see if they'd let us check in early. Thankfully they did, so our next step was to get unpacked and relax for a minute.

After sitting down for a few minutes and getting our shoes changed we decided to go to Arlington Cemetery and the Washington, D.C. temple. The plan was to walk around the Cemetery first because we could rest our legs on the drive to the temple.

All of our trips until now have been for Doug and me. My favorite part of this trip was the fact that Miriam could understand some of the meaning behind what we were seeing. She was fascinated and saddened by the tombstones at Arlington Cemetery, and tried to stand very still during the Changing of the Guard. I was so proud of her for trying to understand our country's history. It was enjoyable trying to answer her questions about war, death, and a plethora of other things.

The rows and rows of grave markers!

The Eternal Flame at the John F. Kennedy Gravesite

Each time I've been to Arlington Cemetery I have a hard time keeping my emotions in check. Not only do my legs burn from all the walking (part of the reason for the tears), but I am just so grateful to those who have served and are currently serving our country. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier always brings a flood of tears.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

After visiting Arlington Cemetery we headed to Maryland to see the Washington, D.C. temple. We got stuck in a little bit of traffic, but didn't mind too much since our legs were still burning from the aforementioned walking.

We walked through the Visitor's Center, debated on watching the Joseph Smith movie, but decided against it because of the time. One of the sister missionaries is from Rexburg and knows two of my brothers. We found all this out while she was taking our picture in front of the Christus statue. I felt sorry for her, she kept trying to get one with Shaylynn smiling, but that would have taken a miracle.

Washington, D.C. Temple

In front of the Christus Statue

After driving back to our hotel we spent about on hour trying to find somewhere to eat. Our GPS kept saying there was a Subway near us, but we never could find it. Finally we settled on Pizza Hut and bought cups and plates at a nearby 7-Eleven. Had we gone just a little farther down one road, we would have found a McDonalds. Sheesh!

After eating it was time for baths and bed. We had a big day planned for the next day.