All Aboard to Washington, DC!

We took the train! I rode Amtrak! That was fun. It wasn't so fun getting up at 4:00 am to catch our 6:00 train, but the train was so comfy that I was able to sleep. Liz had texted me earlier in the week that riding the train is like flying used to be - "so civilized." Very true. No excessive security, no need to arrive 2 hours early, no crowded rows and LEG ROOM!

We got up at 4:00 so we could change the sheets on all the beds before locking up and saying goodbye to Brooklyn. We caught the train out of Penn Station. Our friend from BYU married student days, Bill Fullmer, picked us up at Union Station in DC. Union station is a beautiful building. The ride was about 3 1/2 hours long, comfy and full of catching up on sleep.

We drove past the temple, took some pictures and went to Fullmer's house in Maryland. Bill fixed his yummy waffles. Yes, I did get his recipe. We ate, then went to church. I didn't realize that Marlisa's parents live with them. Marlisa's mom is a character. She volunteered to bring me and the girls home right after sacrament meeting so the girls could get a nap. Marlisa got home from some training and we just sat on her couch and caught up. Bill is a chiropractor and Marlisa keeps up a chiropractor assistant license in case she needs it. That's what her training was for. Their oldest is on a mission in Peru. The second oldest just graduated from high school. His name is McKay and he is the quiet type that listens. He was a nice kid. Addi is Allie's age and Grace is 10.

Funny thing happened on the train. Allie asked me if our friends are weird. I said I imagined not. They weren't in college. Then she wanted to know if their kids were weird. Again, I don't know; but I don't think so. Melia was relieved that there would be no expectation of her since there wasn't a kid her age. How crazy is that? Well, the kids aren't weird. Bill and Marlisa have not turned weird over the years, so all worked out just fine.

We had ham for dinner and a delicious cheesy hot potato salad. Around 9:00, Bill and the girls took us on a tour of the monuments. Genius idea! It's not hot, not crowded and the monuments are beautifully lit. Unfortunately, we didn't plan out picture taking very well. Allie's camera battery was dead, Keenan's phone was dead (which it usually is), Mel's camera was dead and I had only 15% battery left on my phone. I was able to get pics of the monuments. I ran out of juice just as we got to Ford's Theater, though. So, no pics of where Lincoln was killed. But, I've seen it. Trust me. Also, scaffolding seems to be the theme of the trip, because when we got into town, Bill said "What happened to Washington?!" The Washington Monument, like Trinity Church and Saint Patrick's Cathedral, was covered in scaffolding. I guess they're checking it from an earthquake that hit two years ago. Got to bed around 2:00 am. What a night! Memorable!

waiting for the train

me and Keenan on the train. 

Washington, DC, LDS Temple

Allie and Mel messing around on Einstein statue

Planking on Einstein

The girls with Abraham Lincoln

Allie and the Gettysburg Address

At the WWII Memorial

Bill, Grace and Addi (both girls born in Massachussetts)

CALIFORNIA!!!!

The girls with Jefferson - Bill's favorite monument

Martin Luther King Memorial - Now that's impressive!

We planned to take public transport on Monday, but Marlisa said she would take us around. Bonus! She and her mom, Marilyn, and Gracie took us to the Zoo and the Museum of American History. IT WAS HOT!!!!!!! We almost melted at the zoo. It was nice to get to the museum and spend a couple of hours indoors. I really enjoyed catching up with Marlisa. I got to ride in the front seat while she drove and we talked. I also enjoyed time with her mom. Both of us really liked the food exhibit and how it told a story of a lost art - cooking and dinner time. Things just change, I suppose. Oh, we got to see THE star-spangled banner: the actual flag flying over Ft. McHenry that inspired the song. That was amazing. It was huge. When I entered the exhibit area, I got chills. What a great heritage we have!

On our way home, we bought soda and pizza. We ate dinner then went to a friend's house to swim. That was so refreshing and fun. Ahhh! Again, we stayed up way too late, talking. Mel had been ready to get home for days by this time and Allie was soaking up DC. She absolutely loved it. Every minute. Every monument. Doesn't surprise me. She likes history and she likes to take pictures of great things.

Lookin pretty good for 62!

The gorilla wanted to check out Grace and Mel up close

Really up close!

the three Dippin Dots - Gracie, Melia and Allie

Keenan and Grandma rest and try to cool off in the shade

At last! Melia found Kermit!

Dorothy's ruby slippers from "Wizard of Oz"

Marilyn and me in front of food exhibit

Julia Child's kitchen

JULIA!!!

Mel really wanted this cookbook

Swimming with McKaia 

Tuesday, Bill didn't have to see patients until 2:00, so he took us to see an interesting museum that he and Keenan discovered online. It's right near the temple. It's the National Museum of Health and Medicine. It housed the bullet that killed Lincoln, many skeletons, a fetus of conjoined twins, a fetus of a baby without a brain, a brain and spinal cord, and photos of a civil war veteran's progression with reconstructive surgery on a bad facial injury. In the end, he grew a beard, but it was a marked improvement from where he started. That place was fascinating. Bill, being a chiropractor, loved it. It was a mix between creepy and interesting. Loved it. Then Bill dropped us at the Holocaust Museum before going to work.

Skeletons from 4-month old fetus to 3-year old child

Brain and spinal chord

Just a skeleton

What can you say about that place? It was somber and educational. It's hard to believe that people can be so heartless as to treat other humans in such a way. I do hope history will NEVER repeat itself on this one. I realize there is genocide still and it is just sickening. Why? Anyway, we all enjoyed our time spent in the museum. People are very respectful and quiet. It's a place to learn and give respect.

We took the metro to Ronald Reagan International. The girls were so excited to get Panda Express for dinner. We did that before on a layover. It does have a lot of bang for the buck. Filling, yummy noodles. The flight home was uneventful. Layover in Denver, but not too long. Got home, girls went to see Kobi at midnight, game Kamiko his special t-shirt and went to bed, only to start reality the next day.

On Metro to airport

Ahhh! Food! Noodles!

We love Panda!

Mel found a place to charge her phone between flights

Allie and Mel looking on the iPad. By this time, they refused to look at me for any pictures.

Reality was having house guests. Maria, John and the girls stayed with us til they left mid-day on Friday. We got in Tuesday night, so Maria and I had Wed and Thurs to hang out in between all of her goodbyes.