April?

What a crazy, happy, whirlwind month! The highlights were the seven family birthdays, Easter, John and my 37th anniversary, and having friends Jim and Denise Burton from Utah visit us. 

This is Brooklynn sprinting to the finish line of the mile in track this year. It was fun to go cheer her on!

 For Easter, Devin hired a magician! What fun it was to see the wonder on the kids faces...I wondered too! The Magician got us all involved in his tricks.Mindy is lovely in that hat, don't you think!

 Ella and Bastian

 Charlie making a cookie.

 Millie

 Mollie

Grandpa and I with all our babies in order of age. (Except for Carter, front R corner) wanted to be by his sister Ashlyn)









The original Barry nine!  Below is the original Barrys PLUS Grandma Barry! It is a pleasure having her here in the winters!

Mindy and Ryan's sweet little Carter turned two!

Ella, Adam and Anya's darling girl turned 7 years old. Grandpa, Ella and I had Barrows Pizza and then Ella picked out a Barbie and a Barbie guitar at Toys R Us AND a cotton candy and Oreo Cold Stone ice cream cone! Elle, Rich and Treslee's fun and "I know what I want" girl, also turned seven. She chose a Barbie, sunglasses, Polly Pockets, and Barbie magnetic designer clothes paper dolls at Toys R Us and chik-fillet nuggets and banana shake!

John's 61st birthday was spent in the pool since it was 100 degrees! This little Nina is quite the diver!

Greg's Ande was stylin in her padded suit and gogles!

Looks like Ryan was the mother hen, keeping all the little ones safe on the steps!

Rich and Treslee's Millie!

 Devin and Allison's Mollie!

Adam and Anya's John!

 It was an impromptu swim for some! Isn't that a cute patootie! Below, Greg, John, Adam, Allison and Anya watching over the non-swimmers.

John and I had a most memorable, happy time in Washington, DC for three cram-packed days in honor of our anniversary. Our first stop was the Air and Space Museum. This is Amelia Erhart's plane and the one below is "The Spirit of St Louis" -the first transatlantic flight was made in that. Space shuttles, rockets, nuclear weapons, the Wright Brother's first airplane were also amazing things on display there.

 I loved the National History Museum! I wanted to stay there for more hours than we had! I like history now that I am part of it! (OLD) I took a picture of all the first ladies gowns worn at the inaugurations. This is my favorite...Barbara Bush's. All the first ladies get to design their own china too. My favorite was Nancy Reagan's because it has pizazz-red! Most of the others were gold.

 This turned out kid-of funny...John without legs! It is supposed to be the scarecrow's hat and shoes from the Wizard of Oz.

 The Washington Monument is under construction from last year's earthquake that damaged the elevator so we couldn't go in it, but it sure was a beautiful site in the late afternoon.

 This is the Smithsonian Castle...is it not amazing! It is the oldest building on the mall and we didn't even get to go inside because we just plain ran out of time!








The Capital was calling to us to have a tour and we tried but it was all booked up. So beautiful outside, I wonder what it looks like inside.

Our second day was spent trying to get in all the memorials, which we didn't! We gave a lot of time to Arlington Cemetery where the feeling of reverence is thick! As it should be! We got to see the changing of the guards and see two ceremonies where wreaths were presented to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Taps was played and you could have heard a pin drop even though there were gobs of people!

 Look closely and you will see the nation's capital in the background! We are standing in the burial area of President John F Kennedy and Jaquelin.  I can't believe we actually were in DC. It is the most amazing place. I love our country! If you blow up the picture of John, you will see Pres. Kennedy's famous lines.."ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Something like that!

 Recognize this?!?

 The Korean Memorial was my favorite! This marble wall had all these soldiers carved in it and when you stand in front of it you feel like you are in it! You can see how the sky and trees are reflected on the wall. Also the life-size statues are individually carved and seem to be moving in a field and watching for the enemy. (below)



















 

 Just as we boarded our "On and Off" bus, we were treated to these trumpeters playing a welcome serenade for some dignitaries who were going into the National History Museum. Who? No clue!

Our final day was as incredible as the other two. We went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's residence. It is preserved to the max! Colors and furniture are all the actual stuff...repainted of course! Did you know that he suffocated at the age of 69 from a virus? He had only one tooth left in his mouth at his inauguration! The bone lose was so advances that his cheeks her sunken in! Seeing his house was just a part of the experience! The museum dedicated to his entire life had films and stories of his life with wife, Martha, his experiences in the Indian/French War, and of his Presidential years. He is a man worth studying! His humility and integrity were among the traits that stood out to me.

This is the Mount Vernon china.

Here is cute little Martha Washigton!










Washington wanted to be buried at Mount Vernon. His first burial place was in an old wooden vault overlooking the Potomac River. But he requested in his will to have a better one built and that was done. Her is he and Martha's vault. It is lovely!

 The outhouse, or 'necessary' as they called it has THREE holes!!!  (Pass the Sears catalog, would ya Martha, dear??)

 How glorious the grounds were!

I couldn't go to Washington and not see the temple! We were so confused at having no landmarks to help us that it took us two and one half hours (rush hour traffic didn't help!) to go what should have taken us an hour! But I got to see this much of it! (It was too nerve-wracking for John to stop.)

I would go back in a heart beat! I still have a list of things we wanted to see but just plain ran out of time and energy for!

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