DC--The finale

Eat..quickly. Too much to do.

Pray...we can endure.

Love...our nation's capital!

We arrived back in D.C. again around 3am. Whew! The logical start was the annex to the Air and Space Smithsonian as it was a few miles from our hotel. I admit, I was not as excited for this stop as planes are a means to get me to and from a destination; however, I was pleasantly surprised. It is great to get a perspective on the size of some of these machines.

The SR-71 Blackbird was very cool!

Two men gave us a 30 minute lesson on the Wright Brothers and their journey through trial and error. What an amazing story!


The shuttle!

Museum of American History! AWESOME! They have C3PO's real costume, an original Dumbo car, Kermit the frog, Dorothy's ruby slippers, and much more!

This is a snapshot of Evan's voice. Alexander Bell had deaf parents and wanted to show them what his voice looked like, so he developed this a machine like this for them to visualize. I had no idea this is what drove him to invent the telephone system.

This scientist sent an electric pulse through the circle of people holding hands. What a shock! None of us were expecting the magnitude we felt!

The original George Washington Memorial.

Inside this exhibit was a portion of the flag that inspired our National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." What a reverence through that room!

The Washington Monument

World War II Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

The Vietnam Memorial Wall

Abraham Lincoln Memorial

I just love him!

"The Mall"-not what Emma was expecting. :)

Korean War Memorial

WWI Memorial

When asking the boys what highlights they wanted to see in D.C., they all agreed on the Spy Museum. So we started our last day of fun with our top priority.

It is such a blast!

Across the street is the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery. Very Cool!

Edison. I think Evan has an idea.

Joseph Smith!

Lizzie got a lot out of this museum. :)


My favorite exhibit was a collection of George Lucas and Steven Speilberg's Norman Rockwell paintings. Unbelievable! I love how he captures everyday life! Steve and I laughed at this one and felt it was very fitting for this family vacation.

Our final stop was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Being at our last memorial made me sad. Granted, I was ready to sleep in my own bed without Lizzie stuck to me, but we saw so much and learned a ton. I have come away with so much appreciation for our founding fathers, their drive, their conviction. I am in awe that the Constitution got passed. I am so grateful for all the soldiers and their families who have given so much for my freedom and the freedom of others. I am proud to be a citizen of the United States and the principles it's founded on. What an inheritance!

On the way home...