Merry Christmas!

Just Out for a Row

Inspired by Liberty

by Ruthie

Hiking: Pohick Loop Trail

 I love this boy.



 Dragging a log.  You'll see why in a minute.

Back whenever we had that tropical storm and lots of flooding, the bridge on this trail was washed out.

We picked a spot and built our own bridge so we could continue our hike.

 After we crossed back, we made a flag to mark it for fellow hikers.

 Can you see it?

Can you still see it?

Ruthie's Toothie

Our big girl lost her first tooth the week of Thanksgiving. It was an ordeal- hanging in there painfully when it seemed ready to come out while her new tooth was already coming in behind it. 

You can see the new tooth is almost all the way in but behind where the baby one came out.  Crazy!  Braces here we come...

The Zoo

I love the entrance to the reptile house.

The Zoo is so much fun with cousins! 

Harry Bear

What's Up, Cuz?

Fall Fun in DC

It was a cool November day, the sky was the color of granite...

We visited TJ...

If only Pete was showing.

 See the White House in the middle?  That is what Jefferson is looking at, across the Tidal Basin, across the mall.  He's gazing at it.  Wonder what he's thinking?

 Petey and I had fun in cool checkered floor ladies room in the Jefferson Memorial. 

 Hark!  What be that that striketh my eye?

 The newly opened MLK Jr Memorial.  (The inscription is on the side)

I love this pic of the cousins.  No way to stage a picture like this with 5 kids.  They did it!

We Gather Together

We were blessed to have family with us this Thanksgiving.  No, not the wild turkeys below.  I post them for Paw Paw.  I know his fingers are itching for a gun when he sees this.  (We saw these in NC, right off the Blue Ridge Parkway.).....Jay's brother Greg and family, wife Kelli and cousins Jackson, Alli and James Michael made the amazing journey to celebrate with us. 

 Gobble Gobble Gobble

 One little, two little, three little Indians...

 And a pilgrim joined us too..

Our after meal walk down through the woods.

An afternoon at the Capitol

This being our last year in the DC area (unless we are strangely surprised) we feel the impetus to see and do in the area.  I emailed Senator Jeff Sessions's office (we are still Alabama residents) to arrange a tour of the Capitol and the White House this fall.  Today was the Capitol tour and it was very informative, and yes, very stirring for the patriotic juices.  I mean, we have an amazing heritage...amazing.  At the same time patriotic fervor stirred my soul, I felt a sadness at how far we've strayed as a nation....but that I won't go into here.  Maybe later. 

Here's the crew!  We metroed in- always a highlight for the kids.  In fact, they could probably just skip the whole historical tour thing and only ride the metro.

 The Capitol is a veritable treasure trove of statues.  Each state has sent two statues of their important historical figures, and they are sprinkled throughout the building.  Here is one from Alabama; Helen Keller. 

Looking up inside the original House chamber. 

Ronnie

The beautiful rotunda

This white spot is the exact center of Washington, DC, based on the architect's plans.  Neato!

This statue is a replica of the one on the top of the dome.  The Statue of Freedom.  Maybe she is Lady Liberty's sis. 

Dinner with Friends

Donna and Marc, friends from Alabama, were in town for a convention and we were able to meet them for dinner.  It was so sweet and refreshing to catch up with them.  Alabama folks.  Sigh.