Our trip to D.C. was the perfect amount of time for me. At first I worried that we couldn't possibly do all that we wanted in the mere four days that we would be there (although Josh was there for 6 days, he was a sweetheart and wanted to wait until I was there to go to D.C., so he stayed on the Virginia side of the Potomac until we were together. I think that took MAJOR self control for him), okay, so anyway I feel like this time was perfect. Not that we got to do everything that we wanted, but having our cute boys at home waiting for us, and missing them, I was ready to go home by our last day. There are so many more things that I wanted to do, but most of them required a car and we were Metroing this trip. The main thing I wanted to do (even though I have done it twice), was Gettysburg. Oh well, we are for sure doing it when we bring the boys back.
We got tickets to the Washington Monument for our last day, well actually I should say Josh got A ticket. He was getting our tickets online right when someone else was and he bought the last ticket. So when we got there he was going to try and get them to give me a ticket...and he did. Whey do I EVER doubt (right Josh?) He is somewhat of a wonder to me sometimes.This monument is amazing. We didn't get to see the inside of it the first time we were in D.C. since it was right after 911 and they were not letting very many people in most of the monuments. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the White House, but we had to go with the Senator's wife and really not very many people got to go in. We felt pretty privileged. The White House tour now requires MONTHS of notice. Since we didn't decide to go to D.C. until about December, it wasn't in the cards.
I love the flags EVERYWHERE in D.C. One thing I love about my husband is his patriotism. He puts our flag out for everything and in the milder months leaves it out every day.
Each day we were in D.C. got progressively colder. I really didn't think that anything could be colder than our third day, but the fourth day added WIND. It hadn't been windy until that day, just bone chilling COLD. We had to wait outside the monument for what felt like FOREVER so everyone could go through security. I don't know if the hood of my coat has ever even been used.
So George Washington was kind of rad. Not just because he was an awesome general and president, but he was an incredible person. He was offered to be king of America, which he turned down and then he was offered to be the President for LIFE. Now how many people could turn THAT down? Obviously he could. There were quotes EVERYWHERE on what a great person he was.
He is definitely on my list of people to hang out with in heaven. I actually left wanting to read a book on him. I will have to read it after I finish the one that I am currently reading on Abraham Lincoln.
Another quote about Washington. I think this is pretty much the greatest thing that anyone could say about another person.
Our view from the top of the monument. You can look out each of the four sides. None of my pictures are great, but it was an incredible view.
I think possibly the coolest thing about this monument however is that on the way down they show you some plaques outside the elevator doors. The frosted glass unfrosts long enough for you to see the plaques and then it fogs back up you down down to another level and it unfogs again. It was cool.
After the Washington Monument we went to breakfast and on the way back to the Mall (that is not a place with stores in it in this case, I was so confused when I first came to D.C. on why some random stretch of grass was called the Mall ), we had one of those random walks where we run into cool stuff. I didn't take pictures of it until we were all of the way through (I think I was getting pictured out, who knew that was possible for me?). This was the view looking back.
We first went to the Museum of American History. I had read about this statue in a book that Josh had gotten to satisfy his D.C. craving before I got there. This was sculpted for the Capitol Building (can you tell who it is?), but people HATED it (and I can see why), and they removed it and put it in the Smithsonian. I guess we just don't want to see our president in a toga. Sort of creepy. If you didn't guess it is George Washington.
Hands down my favorite area of the Museum. The gallery of inaugural gowns. I took pictures of just about every one. Although I was having technical difficulties with my ISO (don't say a word Josh), and had to use my flash. which sort of ruined the pictures. Above is Michelle Obama's gown. Now think what you want about her politics, she is a classy dresser (or she has some awesome stylists).
Of course my favorite gown was Jackie Kennedy's dress.
One of my favorite photographs of all time.
George Washington in the clothing below.
One of the coolest things this museum has is the actual flag that the "Star Spangled Banner" was written about. It is HUGE! It is in a low light room and looks pretty worn and tattered, I got chills looking at it.
Dorothy's famous ruby slippers.
Natstia Liukin's leotard from when she was the gold medal at the Bejing Olympics.
Julia Child's kitchen. I am not sure if I liked this because it was Julia Child's kitchen, or because it was in the movie Julie and Julia. I actually recently read "My Life in France" by Julia Child and LOVED it. That woman seriously remembered everything she ever ate.
This was the part of the museum that Josh and I kept saying which of our sons would like what. It was so cool to see all of the old cars. This train engine was HUGE!
In the Museum of Natural History we didn't see too much. Again, we just wanted our boys to be with us. The great thing is that everything is free, so you don't feel like you are wasting your money if you don't see every single square inch of a place. But we did stop in the precious gems section. So worth it.
The Hope Diamond. The last time I saw it, it was in a different setting. Apparently Harry Winston recently reset it. My picture does NOT do it justice. It is blue and perfect, although I feel like the setting takes away from the actual diamond itself a little bit.
Napoleon gave these pieces of jewelry to his wife. 
I have SO MANY more pictures of amazing jewels, but I decided just to post this. It wasn't the biggest there, but it's color had me in a trance. It was a deep green color and I was in love with it! Where can I get one of those? I kept taking pictures hoping that one of them might do it justice, sadly-not even close.
Arlington cemetery was the last thing that we both wanted to check off our lists when we went to D.C. The last time (am I talking about the last time too much?) we attempted to go to Arlington Cemetery on a day when ironically it was so cold so we baled on the day. Funny enough I am sure it wasn't colder than it was on this day, but it was a day when we were trying to get engagement pictures and I was in a dress, so not really comparable. 
The Eternal Flame. This is John F. Kennedy's grave (along with Jackie, a son and daughter). I have to be honest, I am not a JFK fan. I think he was a so so president, sure he did a good thing or two, but overall he struggled. I was thrilled however to see Jackie Kennedy's grave.
There were graves EVERYWHERE. Most of them military. Two presidents are buried there (the other is Pres. Taft). There are fields and fields of graves. Everywhere you look. It just made me sad to think of how many people have died in war. This isn't even a sliver of the people who have given their lives to protect our country and there are a lot of graves in there! It was a pretty sobering reality. 
This was the house of Robert E. Lee (Confederate general from the Civil War). Did you know that he married George Washington's step great granddaughter. That just seem so strange. The house was actual built by Washington's step grandson as a tribute to George Washington and Robert E. Lee and his wife lived in it. They abandoned it right before Virginia succeeded from the union (aren't you glad for all of the random facts that I give you here?) It was such an interesting house made of pinkish stone. The inside didn't look all that great because they are renovating it and all of the furnishings are in storage. It seemed like a sad house (maybe because anything to do with the Civil War makes me sad).
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This also made sad. All of those men who we don't know where they died, or how they died, or where they are buried. Their poor families. The cemetery was definitely a sobering experience. I was glad the boys weren't with us for this as they would want to run and climb on things and it would have been SO inappropriate. Everyone talked in whispers here even though it was outside. I think people just tried very hard to be reverent and respectful (both things we are working on at our house).
There is always a guard stationed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He was doing drills and looked like he was freezing.It was pretty impressive actually
The sunset that we took off on our plane too was INCREDIBLE. I had to get my huge camera out for just one more picture. It was a little crazy, but captured the color of the sunset. Oh how I loved D.C., now back to real life.
