What we did this summer: Washington D.C.

We went on a family vacation this summer, all the way to Washington, D.C.  I had never been to D.C., so it was really cool to visit, since I was a political science major, and then did public policy.  We got to town late on Friday, and then spent Saturday afternoon in the city. 

The subway was undergoing some construction, and so would stop for extended times unexpectedly. 

When our subway car stopped, we were only a couple stops from where we wanted to be, and we figured out we were in walking distance of the White House. 

(Emily was about to have an emergency, so we had to get off anyway).  We hadn't planned on walking to the White House, so it was actually a good thing the subway was being slow.

We also saw the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.  The Lincoln Memorial has a bookstore inside it (it is very small). 

Dan and I both saw lots of things my brother John would have loved.  I got a book about Harriet Tubman, spy for the north, and Emily got some Southern plantation dress up magnet dolls (complete with Confederation uniform for the dad).  Ah, the irony.

On Sunday we met my former roommate, Kristi, and her family, at the temple.  She was nice enough to take some pictures of all of us. 

Mostly Kristi and I sat around the visitors center and talked (it was really hot outside).  After 3 hours, her husband said they had to go, since they lived a couple hours away.  But it was really nice to see her and catch up.

The next day we drove down to a resort in rural Virginia (after Dan and I went back to the Temple, since one of us forgot William's diaper clutch there, and since were in the area, we went to the lds bookstore around the corner). 

Jeanie came in on the train from New York City that evening, and we spent the rest of the week with her.  Emily got to share a room with Jeanie.  She loved it. 

There were horses and ponies at the resort, and kids all got to go on pony rides.  Even William.

Dan tried to plan a horse riding outing for the grown-ups, but it never happened.  We did go on a wagon ride with everyone.

Mostly it was really hot and humid, so we also spent some time by the pool.  It was really beautiful out there in Virginia.

Saturday we said good-bye to everyone, and drove back to Michigan.  We got home late, but our neighbor, Ron, who watched our dog free-of-charge for a week, was waiting for us on our porch.  He had also cleaned up some branches that fell during the storm that happened while we were gone.  We have really great neighbors.