We have been in our house for 2 years

We moved into our house 2 years ago. We have done so much to it in that short time.  It is definitely Sam's labor of love!!!!  We have done a lot to the inside, but the outside doesn't even look like the same house any more!!!!!

July 2015

July 2017

Day 5 in D.C.

We have no "Day 4 in D.C." because I was at my meeting all day on Wednesday.  Ben and Madelyn went to the Capitol and got tickets from Clare McCaskill's office to sit in sessions at the House and Senate.  Ben was excited that he got to hear Paul Ryan speak, plus listen to all the trivia going on.  They walked 7 miles in the heat, glad we were not with them!!!!
Took a picture of Ben lying in bed on Wednesday evening.  Life of a teenager-lying in bed, checking his phone, drinking soda and eating junk food!!!!

My meeting was over at noon on Thursday, so we checked out of our hotel room, left our bags at the hotel and trekked back into D.C. again.  Ben and I walked back to the Capitol because I had never walked over there before.  We walked past the Smithsonian Castle but didn't go in.

Daily picture of Ben and his "Trump thumbs"

Capitol Building

I thought this was a pretty cool lamp post

Anyone who knows me will know that I am not a fan of crepe myrtle trees, but this one could change my mind!!!!  Might be the best one I have ever seen.......

There was a big protest outside the Capitol about forced organ harvest in China.  

We went to the National Museum of the American Indian.  It was very interesting.  They had a great restaurant with different Indian foods.  I had to have some fry bread.  Ben had a buffalo burger-for once he ate better than I did!!!  There was an excellent exhibit on the Inka empire, I had no idea how amazing it was.  I told Ben that this museum is essentially another holocaust museum, we just don't talk about it in the same way (maybe because it happened much longer ago)

We stopped by the National Air and Space Museum.  Last stop on our trip.

Ben sitting on the steps enjoying the sun before we headed back to the hotel, picked up our bags, and headed home.....

All-in-all, a great trip.....

Maggie's trip to Michigan

Looks like Maggie had a great time in Michigan with Jan and Julie.  Jan sent us pictures and a report every day

Playing cards with Julie

Sitting with Will

Looks like they are playing Clue

Nothing like a good camp fire.....

Reading a good book

Looks like it was pretty cool the whole time she was gone.  She bought this jacket and wore it a lot...

Leaving on a breezy day to come home.....

Day 3 in D.C.

We went into D.C. with Nicole and Madelyn today.  Here's our daily picture of the Washington monument!!  Ben is doing the Trump thumbs pose

We went to the National Museum of Natural History

We went through the Oceans exhibit

Then we did the dinosaurs

Then we did the Mummies, always everyone's favourite wherever you go

The elephant is a great central feature

We walked back to the White House because Nicole and Madelyn hadn't been there yet.  They were clearing everyone out of there as we got there, they must do that all the time

I love the Sun Trust building

And the PNC bank building is cool too

We walked around to the front of the White House

Ben went with Nicole and Madelyn to look at George Washington University.  I had to come back to the hotel for the meeting.....

Day 2 in D.C.

 Day 2 started early in the morning.  We got the Metro down to the Smithsonian stop and came out by the Department of Agriculture.  Some of these buildings are huge...

 We walked past the Smithsonian Castle

 Ben standing in front of the Washington Monument

 It was way quieter by the monument than it was on Sunday, so Ben got his wish to touch it!!!!

 Curious way of sunbathing

 We walked down to the Lincoln Memorial

 We spent some time in the WWII Memorial 

We met some people from Missouri taking similar pictures!!!

 Everyone was taking this picture!!

 I'm probably the only person that took a picture of the ducks in the Reflecting Pool!!!!

 We went to the Vietnam Memorial wall.  

 Lincoln Memorial

 Reflecting Pool is reflecting

 Abe and Ben

 Ben realized that Marine One was on the White House lawn, so we had to hoof it over there to get pictures

 The African American museum really does dominate the landscape, it's a really cool looking building

 We went to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.  It was very well done

 Most poignant part of the museum

 We met Nicole and Madelyn at the National Museum of American History.  We didn't stay too long as they had already been there a while, but I did get this picture of Washington....

We made a quick trip into the National Museum of Natural History.  We only had time to do the gems section-Ben wanted to see the Hope Diamond

 Then it was time to leave.  Came out by the Department of Justice building

 Past the Trump Hotel-I was NOT allowed to get coffee at this Starbucks!!!!!