Hey, if Star Wars can do it, so can I! I just wanted to tell you (and to remind myself) of the day before our big trip of a lifetime. It is a miracle we got on the road at all.
The first thing that was irritating was the mower was broken. It didn't happen the day before we left, but I thought I'd just throw that in, because it annoyed us that we couldn't mow before we left.......oh, okay, it annoyed ME that DON couldn't mow before we left. LOL!
So, Don finally gets around to greasing the wheels on the trailer the night before, and discovers his grease gun is broken, or it breaks while he is doing it. At least I think that is what happened. I was so annoyed at him because he waited until the last minute to do it......All the while I am washing clothes at the last minute.....virtually doing the very thing that I was annoyed with him about. LOL So Don goes to Atwood's to get another grease gun and of course gets there right after they closed......AND the water pump went out on the van. He called me and let's just say I was less than friendly......Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my dryer quit. The drum wouldn't turn. So, I had to take everything in the dryer out and go to Mom's and use her dryer. I was there until 12:30 or 1:00 a.m.
I just thought it was a mildly amusing story.....Well, I think that NOW!!!! LOL
The most amazing part of this story is what my family did for us while we were gone. Joey came over and mowed our yard and took our dryer apart to try to fix it. Mom and Dad came over and cleaned and vacuumed our house and washed our clothes after we got home.
One funny thing is, Andy is such a home body. He asked when we were still about three days out from home if we were going home that day. He asked if we could please hurry home. We dropped the trailer at Mom and Dad's since it had rained so much and washed our driveway out. Andy decided to stay there that night. He was laying in bed there and said, "Ahhhh, Home Sweet Home!" We thought it was funny because he still wasn't home!
This trip was definitely a trip of a lifetime for me. There was so much to see and do in D.C. that we barely scratched the surface. So many things there really make you proud to be an American. I am proud that Emily appreciates her country and the sacrifice of the founding fathers and our soldiers past and present. I hope that it is something our children remember the rest of their lives. Life is all about building memories.
Monday, July 14, 2008
HodgePodge of pics
These are mostly from our last couple of days on our trip home. 
This is Emily and Andy in front of Graceland. It was really surprising to me to see how run down the neighborhood around it was (think red light district). And also, the graffitti all over the rock wall in front. We were there too late for the official tour (much to my family's delight), but I think that would have been pretty cool.
Across the street from Graceland is a complex where the Lisa Marie, one of Elvis' two planes are. You can tour it, too.
Included in the complex is a museum of Elvis' cars.
I think we did really well the whole time and only ate out 1 meal a day, and that wouldn't be anything expensive...just fast food. Sometimes we didn't even eat out a single time in a day. So, we rewarded ourselves the last night with a nice meal at Appleby's in Memphis, TN. Don is lookin' all gangsta in this pic. LOL
Across the street from Graceland is a complex where the Lisa Marie, one of Elvis' two planes are. You can tour it, too.
Included in the complex is a museum of Elvis' cars.
I think we did really well the whole time and only ate out 1 meal a day, and that wouldn't be anything expensive...just fast food. Sometimes we didn't even eat out a single time in a day. So, we rewarded ourselves the last night with a nice meal at Appleby's in Memphis, TN. Don is lookin' all gangsta in this pic. LOL
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday
If you blow this one up and look in the middle of the pic, you will see Don "Phooning" Google it. He is a weirdo, LOL. He does have fun, though. :)
This is us on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Pier.
I HATE this pic of me and my spare tire, but oh, well. LOL. This is at the Chesapeake Bay campground, getting ready to leave to make the long trip home.
Chesapeake Bay
This is a flag at the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel Bridge Gift Shop and Restaurant. It has all of the victims of 9/11 on it.
This is us on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Pier.
I HATE this pic of me and my spare tire, but oh, well. LOL. This is at the Chesapeake Bay campground, getting ready to leave to make the long trip home.
Chesapeake Bay
This is a flag at the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel Bridge Gift Shop and Restaurant. It has all of the victims of 9/11 on it.
Thursday
There isn't much order to these pics. After we left Aquia Pines in Virginia, we went to Virgina Beach, then Chesapeake Bay.
This is the tunnel between Virgina Beach and Chesapeake Bay.
This is the end of the day. We were all so tired at the end of each day.
This is the tunnel between Virgina Beach and Chesapeake Bay.
This is the end of the day. We were all so tired at the end of each day. 
This is Virginia Beach. 
Here's another one for you, Greg!
Chesapeake Bay.
This was so funny. On the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, there were sea gulls on every light post. At first, they looked like little statues!
One of the many container ships crossing the causeway.
Andy catching a wave, and in the distance, Emily and Don.
Don and Emily look like they are dancing, LOL.
This is when we were getting ready to leave Aquia Pines to go to Virginia Beach.
Here's another one for you, Greg!
Chesapeake Bay.
This was so funny. On the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, there were sea gulls on every light post. At first, they looked like little statues!
One of the many container ships crossing the causeway.
Andy catching a wave, and in the distance, Emily and Don.
Don and Emily look like they are dancing, LOL.
This is when we were getting ready to leave Aquia Pines to go to Virginia Beach.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday
These pics are in reverse order. This is our last picture at D.C.
Andy got so hot and tired sitting on the top part of the bus. We went later and got in the bottom arr condtioned part of it.
This is the bus. My advice if you are planning a trip to Washington, D.C., is to purhcase a bus ticket for this the first day. It is a really great way to see parts of the city that you wouldn't see otherwise, and they tell you a lot of neat stuff. The tickets seem pricey, but they are good for two days, and you can get on and off anywhere you want to. Unfortunately, we didn't figure this out until the last day.
Okay, when I think of the Smithsonian, I think of things like Archie Bunker's chair and things that have become famous in my lifetime. That would be the American History Museum. Well, guess what? It was closed for renovation. BUT, it said in the brochure that there was a small American History exhibit in the Air and Space Museum with things like Abraham Lincoln's top hat. And yes, it was CLOSED, too. I had to snap a pic of that, because we walked a long way to see this closed sign. GRRR!
This is the Smithsonian Museum of Native American History. I was pretty dissapointed because the None of the Five Civilized Tribes were represented with one small exception. There was one very small area about the Cherokees.
This is a beautiful beaded flag in the Native American Museum.
This is Andy in front of the Boy Scout Memorial. This is the strangest memorial that we saw in all of D.C. The man and woman are naked except for drapes on strategic locations. One of them was holding something that we couldn't figure out. The boy scout in the sculpture was dressed normally, like a scout. Odd.
Andy loved chasing all the birds.
I didn't mean to upload this pic. The White House is behind the stoplight.
The National Church. It is beautiful.
This is a picture inside the White House Visitor Center. President George W. Bush being sworn in.
This is the National Christmas Tree. Makes me wonder.....The National Christmas tree isn't going to live forever....do they have one planted somewhere else to take it's place when this one passes?
Emily and I thought this was funny. This is inside the White House Visitor Center. Notice they use incandescent bulbs.
Is it just me, or does Abraham Lincoln look a lot like Kramer from Seinfeld? Or does Kramer look like Honest Abe?
This is where Abraham Lincoln died, at the house across from the Ford Theater.
This is the Ford Theater....that was....you guessed it!! CLOSED for renovation.
Emily, Andy and me in front of the Ford Theater.
Don, Emily and Andy.
Andy got so hot and tired sitting on the top part of the bus. We went later and got in the bottom arr condtioned part of it.
This is the bus. My advice if you are planning a trip to Washington, D.C., is to purhcase a bus ticket for this the first day. It is a really great way to see parts of the city that you wouldn't see otherwise, and they tell you a lot of neat stuff. The tickets seem pricey, but they are good for two days, and you can get on and off anywhere you want to. Unfortunately, we didn't figure this out until the last day.
Okay, when I think of the Smithsonian, I think of things like Archie Bunker's chair and things that have become famous in my lifetime. That would be the American History Museum. Well, guess what? It was closed for renovation. BUT, it said in the brochure that there was a small American History exhibit in the Air and Space Museum with things like Abraham Lincoln's top hat. And yes, it was CLOSED, too. I had to snap a pic of that, because we walked a long way to see this closed sign. GRRR!
This is the Smithsonian Museum of Native American History. I was pretty dissapointed because the None of the Five Civilized Tribes were represented with one small exception. There was one very small area about the Cherokees.
This is a beautiful beaded flag in the Native American Museum.
This is Andy in front of the Boy Scout Memorial. This is the strangest memorial that we saw in all of D.C. The man and woman are naked except for drapes on strategic locations. One of them was holding something that we couldn't figure out. The boy scout in the sculpture was dressed normally, like a scout. Odd.
Andy loved chasing all the birds.
I didn't mean to upload this pic. The White House is behind the stoplight.
The National Church. It is beautiful.
This is a picture inside the White House Visitor Center. President George W. Bush being sworn in.
This is the National Christmas Tree. Makes me wonder.....The National Christmas tree isn't going to live forever....do they have one planted somewhere else to take it's place when this one passes?
Emily and I thought this was funny. This is inside the White House Visitor Center. Notice they use incandescent bulbs.
Is it just me, or does Abraham Lincoln look a lot like Kramer from Seinfeld? Or does Kramer look like Honest Abe?
This is where Abraham Lincoln died, at the house across from the Ford Theater.
This is the Ford Theater....that was....you guessed it!! CLOSED for renovation.
Emily, Andy and me in front of the Ford Theater.
Don, Emily and Andy.
Greg, this is for you! This is the Washington Memorial Masonic Temple, South of Arlington, near D.C.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday
This, of course is the Washington Monument.
We couldn't get tickets to go inside , and up the endless stairs (Thank goodness!) but we all touched the Monument.
We couldn't get tickets to go inside , and up the endless stairs (Thank goodness!) but we all touched the Monument.
This is the Korean War Memorial. Very moving. The faces are so life like. The guys look tired. The War Memorials really touched me in a way I wasn't expecting. We owe so much to our veterans. There were so many quotes there: "Freedom is not Free," and something about how they fought and died for people they never even meet. If it doesn't bring tears to your eyes and a chill down your back, you need to check your pulse. It makes you so proud to be an American. And very thankful for all that we have. I was also moved by the amount of people there.Emily was complaining that there were people in her picture and I said I am thankful that that many people still care. Thank you, veterans. 
This is at the World WarII Memorial. They have computers where you can look up loved ones who served. I forgot that I had put Granddaddy on that registry. It is the biggest of all of the War Memorials there that we saw. It was huge. There were so many awesome things about it, I couldn't possibly blog it all. One thing that especially stood out to me was a bronze sculptered timeline....the first one was a family gathered around the radio, getting the news of the war. Followed by a group of young men getting their physicals and taking the oath.
I took this picture because it shows more of the Memorial, I wanted to get a picture of the older gentleman. He reminded me of my granddad, and I would bet that he is a WWII veteran, a member of "The Greatest Generation."
This is Emily at the Lincoln Memorial. I have seen it in books and pictures, but there are no words to express what it is like to actually be there. And The Gettysburg Address is on one wall, and his Second Oath of Office is on another wall. It is amazing that a man from such humble beginnings was such a good orator.
This is Andy and Don. Sometime a couple of years ago, Andy saw something, we aren't sure where, about Abraham Lincoln.From then on, he said that President Lincon was his favorite president. So, I HAD to get a pic of him with his favorite president!
This would be the PERFECT Christmas card picture if Andy could have kept his eyes open!
This is at the World WarII Memorial. They have computers where you can look up loved ones who served. I forgot that I had put Granddaddy on that registry. It is the biggest of all of the War Memorials there that we saw. It was huge. There were so many awesome things about it, I couldn't possibly blog it all. One thing that especially stood out to me was a bronze sculptered timeline....the first one was a family gathered around the radio, getting the news of the war. Followed by a group of young men getting their physicals and taking the oath.
I took this picture because it shows more of the Memorial, I wanted to get a picture of the older gentleman. He reminded me of my granddad, and I would bet that he is a WWII veteran, a member of "The Greatest Generation."
This is Emily at the Lincoln Memorial. I have seen it in books and pictures, but there are no words to express what it is like to actually be there. And The Gettysburg Address is on one wall, and his Second Oath of Office is on another wall. It is amazing that a man from such humble beginnings was such a good orator.
This is Andy and Don. Sometime a couple of years ago, Andy saw something, we aren't sure where, about Abraham Lincoln.From then on, he said that President Lincon was his favorite president. So, I HAD to get a pic of him with his favorite president!
This would be the PERFECT Christmas card picture if Andy could have kept his eyes open!
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