Welcome baby Walker. 
Jake with Will and Greg after swimming in the freezing pool.
Monticello and Carter Mountain Orchard!!
Wednesday- Playing with the cousins-waterfight-Reston visit
Travelers gotta eat to. At the gateway to Shendoah, unfortunately there was not time to drive through the mountains. 
Old cemetery -looks like Ireland-
D.C. Trip 2015 -
Monday, June 29: Our plane scheduled to leave at 11:50 took off around half past midnight. We were all happy to try and settle in for a red-eye sleep. Ally was the most successful and knocked out quickly. Tyler did pretty well too, a bit of tossing around but after he settled in on my lap next to Ally he was pretty sound asleep. Carter says he sat there with his eyes closed but didn’t do much sleeping. I tried but failed miserably in the sleeping department. It was a long hard flight to FLorida. Layover was long, 3 hours. We ate breakfast and looked around for a bit then found a TV playing Scooby-do. The flight to DC was thankfully shorter and we were so glad to land.
We found our luggage and our rental car and were very quickly lost in D.C. I could not get my phone map to get us to Arlington Cemetery. We were going around and around and running into a military base and it kept telling us to drive through it but we couldn’t. I was finally able get Carter behind the mapping and he was able to get us there.
The walk through Arlington Cemetery was special. The kids did a good job being quiet and listening to the little I know about Arlington Cemetery. Luckily I had been watching American Ride and had learned or re-learned that the home in the cemetery was General Robert E. Lee’s estate and as an insult the Union started burying their dead soldiers on his property during the war. After the war Lee’s son sewed to get the property back and he won. He then sold it back to the U.S. and they turned it into a burial ground for soldiers from both sides of the war and it has evolved into what it is today. I learned they buried people from the Twin Towers attack there and some police men who were recently killed in the line of duty. It really is a very sacred and special place.
We watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the unknown soldier. It is a privilege to be able to witness an event like that. The kids really thought it was neat. Carter noticed the ground where they stand had been worn down from the soldiers standing in the same place for so many years.
Quickly or more like for two hours we stopped at Hollie’s home to see this new baby Walker and drop off little presents. He is a dream boat baby. Lots of dark hair and the cutest little puckery lips you have ever seen. Such a sweet boy. Ty bought him a cute teddy bear and designed an Ewok costume for the bear to wear. We have decided Walkers nickname must be Ewok, Ally thought it up. Tyler proudly presented his gift and it was gladly received. He even hand stitched with leather string around parts of the costume to give a more authentic appearance. He really did a good job on it. Sadie got a cute jaguar Beanie-Bo that Ally picked out and Jozika got a red sports car he is in love with. I crocheted a blanket for baby Walker which I think turned out darling. Fun times visiting with our “excited” cousin Sadie. She has been bursting on Skype when we have talked with them lately before the trip with excitedness. Parting is such sweet sorrow when you have so recently been reunited but we headed off to Jake’s to visit with the other cute cousins.
Heading out of Arlington and towards Leesburg was another adventure. I forgot how expensive the tolls were and five bucks later we made it off the freeway. Jake’s crew were all sorts of riled up when we got there. Marie had her four plus her brothers three girls at the house still. That was a lot of little excited people.
A family trip to the pool for family home evening had been prescheduled but Rob wasn’t able to pick up his girls due to car troubles so we were going to split up and conquer when Hillary his wife made it over to get the girls. The four boys were so excited to show us their neighborhood pool where they have swim team. The water was a frigid temperature or maybe it just wasn’t very warm outside but I was not so excited to climb into it. The kids didn’t mind. Well, Jake did have to toss in Tommy since he wanted to swim but wouldn’t jump in. Greg was a little leach on Jake’a back and hung on for dear life while Jake wrestled with all the other kids. Will was happy to hang with Mare and I in the shallow pool, or the hot tub as I called it. It was at least ten degrees warmer than the big pool.
We were exhausted when we got home but the adults stayed up chatting into the night until I could not longer keep my eyelids open. It is so nice to spend time with my little brother! I just love that kid.
Tuesday June 30 - Morning came quickly but a good nights sleep does one a lot of good. We quickly got ready, as there were already seven kids in the house plus my three which adds up to a lot of children. Cold cereal and departure at 9:00 when Marie’s kids head off to swim team. We were off to Monticello. We stocked up on fruit, gatorades, snacks and sunblock at the local Giant. The drive to Monticello was gorgeous. Lush green expanses of gorgeous lawns with white country houses. Tall old forested roadways arching over the top of our car stories above us. It is something we just don’t have in Utah. The beauty of the Virginia countryside is something special. I also love the air when it is thick and opaque. It looks like you could cut it or suck it up in your vacuum it is so thick. The drive felt long, very long. The kids got along well though and took naps while we cruised along at a slow 60 mph.
Monticello took forty years to complete. Jefferson was his own architect and designed the entire structure. It also was remodeled during the forty years. My favorite element is his private wing with a library, a aviary/green house an office and his bedroom. He even used the space in the rafters to store his off season clothing. He lived there with 26 of his closest relatives but not his wife Martha for long as she bore him six children and died in their tenth year of marriage. I believe only two of those children lived to adulthood. Lively Jefferson did take up with Sally Hemings later in his life though so he wasn’t always lonely. She bore him a few children as well though he couldn’t claim them during those times.
The kids enjoyed the tour but I think the liked the gift shop the best. Jefferson is said to have said, “I can’t live without books.” Carter took to that quote and was on a mission to find it on something he could bring home with him. We got it down from a $125 dollar wooden sign to a $8.00 small wooden plaque. He was thrilled with the decreased price.
Tyler was very enthralled with the pocket watches. He found a nice one with a coin inlay. He has not been separated from it since his $30. purchase took place. He says he is now collecting pocket watches and has been checking all the gift shops for another one. Ally found a stretch frog and has had frog obsession the entire trip. That girl gets something stuck in her head and it won’t leave. She has been looking in every soggy spot to check for frogs.
Spotting Carter Mountain Orchard on our way up to Monticello was thrilling for me. I made the kids jump out of the car for a photo with the sign. We spent time there when the boys were younger picking apples and have fond memories. On our drive out of Monticello we drove to the orchard to do some pick your own peaches but they had already cleared their trees so we just bought a few peaches, and apple donuts, and apple cider slushies and a t-shirt for Carter. Byron called later to tell me the credit card had been put on hold. (oops) Amex really doesn’t like it when we travel. It pretty much puts a hold on our card once a month, though last month there really were fraudulent charges so good for them and good for us.
We found a little pizza in Madison on our drive home. The restaurant was called “Pie in the Sky” and was just before a turnoff to Shenandoah Skyline Drive. Oh how that road was calling my name but alas, we needed to get back and play with Jake and his kids a bit more. We did stop in the antique store next to the pizza place and Carter found a few glass figurines to take home with him. A set of owls, and an elephant were his exciting purchases. He purchased the owls first and after much deliberation and vexing he returned before they closed to get the elephant. He has a great little collection of glass pieces put together from all his travels.
Interesting bits about Jefferson-he was a thorough journal keeper, he tracked the weather, temperature and all of his purchases daily. He wrote down every book he ever bought and he was a great collector of books. When the library held in the capitol burned down in 1812 he sold the US his entire library so his nation would have a collection of books. He was also heavily in debt so the money probably didn’t hurt. He died severely in debt and his grandson had to sell off everything. They had a large estate sale on the front lawn to try to pay down debts he owed. They even had to sell Monticello to try to clear debts. Jefferson was the architect and founder for the University of Virginia located there in Charlottesville. We tried to drive through the old historic district of Charlottesville but I never could really find it following their little street plaque signs pointing toward it. I finally gave up deciding we had a long drive ahead of us and I was the only one interested in seeing more cute little old houses. More about Jefferson….oh this isn’t about Jefferson but funny I think. Ty took to calling Thomas Jefferson old TJ. TJ did this, TJ said that. On our bus ride down from the property we decided Thomas Jefferson and Carter had a lot in common: (avid readers, scientifically minded, inventors, thinkers, observers, etc.) so we should call Carter CJ from now on. Tyler pipes in and says yes like “Carter Jesserson.” This is a crackup if you know Carter’s middle name is Jess. So CJ is it.
Somehow I managed to drive us all home without falling asleep. I was so exhausted from our no sleep on our flight to VA. I think we were blessed on our drive home as when we got to one of our turn offs to head closer to Leesburg we were circling around the roundabout and our road was entirely closed. Two police cards were blocking the entrance. I went nice and slow trying to think of what to do and noticed the policeman was starting to pull up his barrier. I circled around the roundabout again and thankfully timing was good as the police were loading to pull away. I slide my car over to the right and waited for them to open the road again. About a mile down the road a giant tree had fallen and blocked passage since we had come down it that morning. I guess it happens with all the gorgeous old trees about but I have never seen a road closed due to a tree over path. I am so grateful and feel very blessed that our timing was just so. A major delay or re-routing of our path would have really thrown me. I was very tired at this point and just wanted to get back to shelter and a bed.
Of course Jake and Marie and I stayed up chatting into the night again. Marie was working on a cute Fourth of July wreath for their door and Jake was up giving her a hard time about it. He really does like to tease. We eventually headed up and ended our fun day.
Wednesday July 1 - Morning comes early at Jake and Marie’s home. The kids skipped swim team and played on the sip and slide and launched water balloons in the backyard with my kids until 11:00. Those nine children (Will had preschool or it would have been ten) had a great morning out playing water games, and wrestling along the slip and slide. Carter said he was tired from Mr. Greg hanging off him all morning. Greg took a liking to Carter and was a little monkey all morning. There was also much swinging and a little drama over the mosquito larva in the home-made frog pond. So fun to watch the kids goof around and enjoy the sunshine and the company of their VA family. Tommy did great out with us in the yard for a bit and then needed a break so he went in for a bit of mind craft research on the computer. At some point he decided that locking us all out would be a wise decision so surprise. We were locked out but only for a few minutes. The smart boy opened the door before his Mom could get to upset. We had cookie sand chocolate milkshakes for a snack. Huge hugs and kisses all around and off we went on another days adventure.
Marie gave me some good tips on things to see in historic Leesburg so we drove into town. Unfortunately the houses were closed on Wednesdays so we just got to check out the outsides. We cruised around Leesburg as best as we could and my cell mapping devices on my phone quit working. Yikes! Not good. I did manage to get us back to route 7 and into Reston okay.
We did the old neighborhood tour. Saw the old elementary school, the park in the middle, shaky bridge park, the old pool on the corner where Carter met Jenny.
Knocked on a few doors and chatted with Barbara DeGoey, Michelle Miller and her boys Aaron and Timmy, Elizabeth Metcalf-Miller and her kid Caroline and Nathan, (Aaron was at his cousins), Knocked on Julie Koffed’s door and gave her the surprise of her life she says. We played in the back yard with Jenny and Banjo. Julie and I caught up while the kids played on their giant tree. The boys were up it in no time and had a fun adventure. Rope swing and all. Nobody fell our and died so it was a great visit. Jenny is a doll and just so cute. Carter said it wasn’t to awkward hanging out with his first girlfriend. They really were quite inseparable when they were little five year olds heading off to kindergarten with Ms. Kim. Such fun memories. We went down to the creek where Carter cracked his head open and Ally caught a ginormous frog. She was thrilled. It hopped off much to soon but the delight was still had by all. After our grand neighborhood adventure we headed to Hollie’s house for a few nights.
Unfortunately for me the map app on my phone continued to not work. I was very frustrated and tried to figure out an easy way to get to Reston from Hollie’s house. Knowing I was going to be late since it took me an hour and a half to get to Alexandria from Reston I headed off hoping the freeway would be better than the Route 7 option I took earlier. Of course I ended up getting on the freeway heading in the wrong direction and spent a considerable amount of time in rush hour traffic trying to get off and back on again going in the correct direction, which is West, by the way. Don’t ask me why my brain couldn’t figure that out in a split second as the freeway was splitting. You'd think I could at least remember that much. So left the kids with Nana, Hollie and Jozsef and once i located my ladies we had a grand time. They are all discussing their kids heading of to college and the recent high school graduation. I can’t believe how things have changed in nine years. We ate at a place called Vapiano’s, maybe or something close to that. It was in the Reston Town Center. I have missed my girls so much and it seems like absolutely no time has passed but somehow nearly ten years have melted away. Time is a wonder to me.
Driving home seemed compared to my nightmare ride there easy and not nearly as overwhelming. I managed to get myself back to Hollie’s house. The guys at the apple store, I stopped in right after eating said it was an At&t satellite problem and they couldn’t fix it for me. First time the geniuses have failed me. I cried inside and hurried on my way. Wish the kids were all tucked into bed when I got home but alas we had to heard children in to their stalls for the night. Ally is happily sleeping on the floor in Sadie’s room. Sadie is bunked up with Nana on the bottom, Sadie up top. It is a fun girls sleepover in that room! Jozsie wins his own room as he is the stubborn two year old and must not be disturbed in his sleep. We are all in agreement on this. This afternoon he was stomping around scaring Ally while he was acting like a dinosaur and growling. When she growled back it was him who was really quite scared, for real, and Ally had to smile at him to let him know she was only kidding. Quick recovery. He also stuck his head in-between the railings above the stairs today and gave us quite a fright. Himself included! We were able to squish his ears in and get him gently retrieved from his prison. Hollie said he does this about once a month. He was really quite upset and needed reassuring from his Mama before he was fully recovered. Kids are hard to round up and get to sleep when they are watching Star Ward until eleven o’clock at night. The TV was about thirty decibels louder than I thought necessary but the kids had enjoyed a fun night watching their movie and eating dinner with the cousins and Nana. I was emotionally and physically exhausted and couldn’t have lasted another minute by the time we got all tucked in and I retired.
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