Fourth of July

Well, July 4th in the Nation's Capitol.  What more could we want? Right? Wrong... If anyone knows me very well, you'll know that I have some anxieties about large groups of people.  And then combine that fear with public transportation and I'm a nervous wreck, literally.  So this year for the 4th of July, I did not want anything to do with going down to the Mall or any of the festivities in that general area.  Well, Kyle, my fearless husband, thought I was being ridiculous and really wanted to go.  So we went...

We left at about 9am and made it to the National Archives for a reading of the Declaration of Independence.  Very cool, but we didn't actually get to see anything, we just heard Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and various others.  Luckily, we were able to snag some prime seating for the Parade.  Lots of fun, too.  I haven't been to a big parade with big inflatables and a dragon with men running underneath it to make it wave.  The parade was very entertaining but the sun was not.  We were so hot!  It was actually a relatively cool day, in the lower 80s, with a nice breeze, but the sun was killer.  We had the umbrella out quite a bit for shade.

After the parade, we went to our new favorite sandwich shop, Potbelly.  Thanks, Jenni for introducing us.  Kyle was just about ready to call it quits, and head in the direction of home, (yeah!), but we received an inspiration call from Mom and Dad Griffith.  There were lots of good reasons why we shouldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate the Fourth in downtown DC.  So we ended up going back to Ford's Theater.  This time we got a tour of the theater and got to see the museum under it.  So glad we went a second time.

After Ford's Theater, we headed to the Capitol building to get a spot for the concert to take place later that night.  We had heard that only so many get in, and so if we weren't able to get it, we were going home (I was crossing my fingers!)  Well, we were literally the last few to get in.  Which of course, made me the most pleasant person to be around. (I was so anxious about the crowds on the metro later that night.)  We found a spot for our blanket and settled down for the 3 hour wait till the concert started. Right?  That's just plan crazy!  But we made it and the concert was super fun.  I was so glad we had stayed.  We ended up not really being able to see many of the fireworks, so Kyle was nice enough to let us leave early.  (we still had to beat the mobs on the metro).  But, of course, there were no mobs on the metro. We beat everyone there, and the ride home was pleasant and easy.  Overall, it was a super fun Fourth.  We slathered on sunblock, so we made it through without being fried or even too tired.  Kyle was right, it was so worth it.  :)

The start of our day!  Outside the National Archives.

Sign in the Ford's Theater Museum about Iowa.  Specifically Burlington where Kyle was born.

Life sized Lincoln.

The gun that shot Lincoln.

The restored box where Lincoln was shot.

Our long wait for the Capitol Concert.

Gilbert Visit!

It was so fun to have Jenni, Harrison, Truman and Lincoln stay with us for a few days.  The first day we went to the zoo.  The boys especially loved the bus ride and then train ride. The second day we left the house at 7:30am and didn't get home until 7:30pm!  We were able to see a lot of fun new things.  So fun to have family here to share it with!

First trip on the Metro for the Gilbert boys!

We ended up having pretty perfect weather for being out all day in June.  We got rained on in the morning but it stayed dry and cool the rest of the day.

New pictures in slightly different places.  :)

Yes, that was as close as we go to the White House.

We ended up going to the Ford Theater where Lincoln was assassinated.  It had a really cool museum across the street at the Peterson House, where Lincoln was taken after he was shot.  This picture shows a column of every book ever published about Abraham Lincoln. 

Early afternoon found us at the Natural History Museum.  At this point we were all exhausted and did not want to be standing another minute.  So we got tickets to see an IMAX 3D movie.  This is my fail at a model pose.  Looks more like I'm pouting.  But Kyle totally pulls it off.

The reason we stuck around all day was because we had waited in line in the rain to get tickets to  go up the Washington Monument.  It was spectacular!  So glad we had the opportunity to do it.

Trip home, and we still look pretty happy!

Seeing Sights!

Well, we have a fun Summer ahead of us!  We stayed with one of my sister-in-law's family in Springfield, VA for 2 weeks.  That was a lot of fun.  I pretty much hung out with Allison's mom and 2 two sisters most days.  They were hilarious and it was fun to go back and visit them on Saturday.  We then moved in with a family in Bethesda, MD.  I am working as a nanny, watching their 3 girls.  So far, it's been fantastic.  I walk the two oldest to school in the morning, then hang out with a four year old all day.  What a blast!  So far my duties include doing hair and painting nails.  What more could I ask for?  No, also clean and am in charge of dinner two nights a week.  It really is an amazing arrangement, and I feel truly blessed that we were able to work this out.

Of course, we've done some sight seeing.  That was the whole point of me blogging.  So here are some pics:

First time for me on the Metro!  

Washington Monument.  We tried to get there pretty early so we could get a ticket to go up to the top, but that didn't happen.  Still very cool to see.

We visited the Memorials on the Saturday before Memorial Day, so at the WWII Memorial there was a presentation, and we got to hear a band from the Navy.  Very neat.

Korean War Memorial.  We thought a lot and talked about Grandpa Griffith.  Thanks Grandpa for serving our country!

A view from outside the Lincoln Memorial.  I think the Lincoln was my favorite.

Outside the Whitehouse.  We went around to the other side too.

 We only went to one Smithsonian that first day.  This was the American History Museum.  My favorite part was the history of the first American flag.

At the D.C. Temple!

This pas weekend we went to George Washington's home, Mt Vernon.

His home overlooks the Potomac River.

Crazy May!

Our month of May has been a hectic but exciting month.  Kyle finished his first year of grad school with outstanding grades.  He had a few classes this semester that were really tough, and he worked really hard.  Between year one and year two of his program, there is an internship, usually in DC.  Well, Kyle did really well getting his applications in and was offered several positions. He ended up accepting a position with the Department of Homeland Security.  Sounds impressive, right?  Normally the wives of the program don't go out to Washington, D.C. with their husbands, but we felt strongly that we should make it work and that I should go too.  I was inspired to post an 'ad' on a listserve to be a live-in nanny, allowing that Kyle could stay too.  We were immensely blessed to have a family interested in having us for the summer (we move in there in a week).  So we started our preparations to head East for the summer.

My little sister, Amy, had planned her wedding for May 17th. This was perfect timing for us.  We had originally planned on being in the D.C. area by June 2nd, so that would give us plenty of time with family in Iowa.  Unexpectedly, Kyle was informed that his internship started May 19th.  So all of a sudden, we were super pressed for time.  We ended up leaving Idaho at about 4:30 on Tuesday, May 13th.  We got to Kyle's parent's house the next day (Kyle drove most the night, I took over at 3am and only drove for 5 hrs. What a good husband I have!) We headed to my parent's house on thursday, so that I could attend Amy's bridal shower.  We went to Nauvoo on Friday afternoon, to prepare for Amy's wedding the next morning (we ended up staying at the Hotel Nauvoo, cutest but tiniest room ever). Amy's wedding was gorgeous, she was gorgeous and the weather was gorgeous.  (Pics at the end of the post). We left an hour or so after the festivities on Saturday, stayed at a super sketch hotel in Dayton, OH and arrived in Springfield, VA Sunday afternoon. (We slept in 7 different locations 7 nights in a row, no wonder I had so much trouble sleeping!)  Kyle started his internship on Monday!

So far, it has been a fairly relaxing start to my summer (once we got to VA, of course).  We are staying with my sister-in-law, Allison's mom and sisters.  They are so nice and so fun to hang out with.  I have battled my fear of driving in the area, and have conquered my little part of DC.  I plan on never driving downtown or during rush hour.  I went to Georgetown Cupcakes this week (from the TLC show DC Cupcakes).  The cupcakes really are amazingly good.

We have big plans for tomorrow to start seeing some of the sights.  I'm excited for our DC Adventures!

Here are some pictures of May, so far!

So excited that my cousins Megan and Caity came down from Michigan.  Love those girls!

The 'original' Lasley sisters!

The bride with the Lasley brothers!

My studly husband.  I made my dress for the wedding.

The redheads and red-beards!

Me with my mamma!

The beautiful bride!  (I made her sash.)  :)

The bride and groom with the Lasley parents!

Two of my sweet nephews, Eli and Jet

Guy and Allison!

Wade and baby James.

Lovely sisters after the wedding, Beth, Melissa and Emily.

With my dad!  

Jet is seriously the most smiley baby I have ever seen.  Adorable.

In front of Georgetown Cupcakes!

Happy Easter!

Here's another picture of the two of us on Easter today.  Kyle bought me those carnations.

Kyle and I went down to Beth and Wade's on Friday and Saturday.  It was so fun to hang out with them and Baby James.  On Saturday when Beth and I went to the store, she picked up a few more things for the Easter bunny to bring, and I realized that I hadn't really done anything to celebrate Easter this year.  I didn't put out any decorations, the Easter bunny didn't stop by, and I haven't decorated eggs.  This month has just been so busy for both of us.

We did make time to go through The Walk With Christ.  Our stake decorated the stake center and then acted out parts of the life of Christ, starting at his birth, Ministry, Last Supper, Crucifixion and then Resurrection.  It was beautifully put together, and we both felt the Spirit there.  We have commented several times to each other that we were glad we could go.  In a way, I'm glad I didn't ' do' the traditional Easter this year.  It's been a nice time for us to remember our Savior and strengthen our testimonies.  Maybe in a few years when we have a kid or two, we'll bust out the Easter baskets again.  :)