We're home....

My men admiring one of the parts of the Saturn V rocket at the National Air and Space Museum. We had a great week as you will see from the pictures below. Now we are off to do something that interests me a great deal.....soak in some rays at the beach. I will check in with you when we return.

This is the first thing you see as you enter the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Our son has a LOVE of space that has existed since pre-school. When he saw this, he said, "Mom, can we please stay here ALL day?" Absolutely son. It is so neat to see your child absorbed in something that totally interests him. What is the age limit for a mom to chaperon a trip to the moon? Can you imagine being the mom of an astronaut?

Doesn't this look like a postcard? I tell you what - I had so much fun shooting pictures with our new camera. This is actually a picture of the Jefferson Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background. I actually took this as our trolley passed by it on our way back to Arlington Cemetery.

A picture of Old Glory hanging from the entrance of Union Station.

I have seen pictures of this monument my whole life. But to see it in person - it took my breath away. It is so lifelike. It was my favorite and one of my son's too!

My son loves to throw pennies in any fountain that we see. He saw this one at one of the memorials. He said, "Quick Mom, give me some change!" After searching my purse for loose change, he tossed a handful in one coin at a time. I photographed the precious images of him making wishes - then, we both turned to walk away and saw a sign that read: Coins damage this fountain by discoloring the stone it is made from. Please refrain from tossing coins in this fountain. Oppps.....sorry National Park Rangers.

Maybe I have not told you that this was my first trip to DC as well. I have been many other places but just not to DC. I was so touched by the changing of the guards ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony. To think that these soldiers are so dedicated. There have only been 400 guards in the past 45 years chosen for this honor. They must meet many requirements on their level of character and they also must memorize a seven page guide on the history of Arlington National Cemetery and recite it verbatim. They also must memorize the grave locations of 300 of the deceased. They guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24 four hours a day 365 days a year and they have done that since 1945. They pace 21 steps....with such precision. It was incredible to witness.

Okay.....may I just tell you that I had such a moment when I saw this...I am so nostalgic when it comes to antiques and things of yesteryear and I just adored this covered bridge. It was so neat to drive through it and a privilege to take photos of it. This is going to be one that I print and frame for our home.

We stayed at a resort close to this attraction and so we toured the Shenandoah Caverns. I had never done that before and it was amazing to think that we were 220 feet below looking at these rock formations and listening to how they were "millions of years old." Yeah, right. Why can people just not marvel at God's creation without having to come up with their own theories as to how things evolved? Their only explanation as to how old this cavern is was to estimate the growth of the stalagmites and stalactites at 1.25 inches every 125 years and then they counted how many years it would have taken for formations this length to grow. Again, admire God's creation and move on people......it was beautiful and a great lesson in geology for our son who will soon be a third grader.....