12-21, Mount Vernon

Sven's mom flew in from Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 20. Only having one full weekend day here, we decided that Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, was a great way to spend that day. Mount Vernon is about an hour from our house. It's quite neat but very commercialized. I personally liked his birthplace at Popes Creek Plantation better. It would take more than a day to see everything. We were there for 5 hours and still feel that there was much left to explore. But, with the temps being in the mid-30s, we'll explore a warmer time!

This is his beautiful home that he and Martha lived in for 45 years. During the Revolutionary War, he was away from Mount Vernon (and Martha) for 8 years with only one visit back home during that time. EIGHT YEARS.... can you imagine? And it's not like they were able to email each other during that time. I can't even imagine.

this if the front of the "house" (below)

the side, rear of the house (below)

the back of the house looking up the hill (below)

imagine having this view from your back porch....

Look at this gingerbread replica of Mount Vernon!

Some pretty fancy wheels, eh?

This was the original tomb for George Washington and his ancestors. He specified in his will that a new tomb be built on a different site on the grounds. It took 30 years to carry out his wishes, but a new tomb was eventually built and this one now stands empty.

Sven and his mom

12-14, Thad's Dulles Layover

Well, we're not fortunate enough this year to have Thad spend Christmas with us, so I guess a layover at Dulles the week before Christmas will have to do. We're glad that it was on a weekend so all of us could drive down and see him. We did a quick walk through DC and then had dinner out. Yet again, short and sweet!

The Washington Monument

The American Red Cross decorated for the holidays.

The White House Christmas tree display with the Washington Monument in the background.

There's that Bitterroot Capitol Christmas tree again and look....we found another Montanan to pose with us!

12-2, Capitol Tree Lighting

Ok.....I'm REALLY starting to like living near DC. I can't tell you how many times Sven and I have asked ourselves...'where else could you...'. So if you thought I was excited before about getting to see the MT tree up close and personal over the weekend, you can only IMAGINE how psyched I am about yesterday's course of events. Long story short, we got invited into the "inner circle" after the tree-lighting ceremony at the Capitol last night and THEN we got invited to a private reception at the U.S. Botanic Garden afterwards. It was AWESOME! We got to see Senator Max Baucus (again....last time was in 1995 when I was still at the academy) and thank him (again) for my nomination from him to attend the USMMA. (And, yes, Thad, I DID thank him for you as well for your nomination from him to attend USAFA!). We were only feet away from Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. In attendance also were the Governor of Montana, (Brian Schweitzer), the Lt. Governor (John Bohlinger), Senator Tester and Congressman Rehberg. How's that for hobnobbing in the DC scene? =) And yes, Nikolas did attend it all with us. We tried explaining how this was a 'once in a lifetime' type of event.... yeah, a 6-year old doesn't really get that concept. =) Sven was just thrilled that he got some "Moose Drool" =).....that's beer for you non-Montanans!

Nikolas, me, Senator Baucus and Sven

Thanksgiving 2008

We had a FABULOUS Thanksgiving!! We're very grateful to our friends, Chris and Delisa, for making the trek from Fayetteville, NC, to MD to spend Thanksgiving with us. We are so happy to have such wonderful, long-time friends (we've been friends with Delisa since we were first stationed on Whidbey 10 years ago). It was a complete joy to meet their new baby, Nathan, who is now 5 months old and just about the cutest thing you've ever seen. This child is BUBBLING with personality. It was such a blast to have a baby in the house.....and such a happy one at that!! Nikolas was SO GOOD with him. He obviously adored baby Nathan and it was a sad, quiet house when they left on Sunday!!

Delisa and I discovered a great way to spend Thanksgiving morning....taking a short walk through the neighborhood. The smells wafting from the houses were incredible.....really worked up our appetites for our wonderful Thanksgiving feast! Doesn't Nathan look great wearing the hat that Sven's mom bought for Nikolas during her first trip to Seattle to meet baby Nikolas in 2002? She bought it at the Pike Place Market....who more fitting to pass this hat onto than another Washington baby?!

Sven's Thanksgiving meal was DELICIOUS! Thanks for all of your hard work, honey! =)

We walked off our turkey by going to DC not only Friday but Saturday as well. We enjoyed ourselves so much the first day that we went back for seconds (isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about....going back for more?!).

The highlight of Sunday for ME was getting up close and personal to the infamous Bitterroot tree gracing the Capitol lawn. It was an amazing feeling to look at this beautiful tree that had traveled over 3,000 miles from our old camping grounds in MT to our nation's capitol. HOW COOL IS THAT?! After a little friendly chat with the people "guarding/decorating" the tree, I enjoyed browsing through the boxes of ornaments that had been sent from all across Montana. I even found a photo ornament of a 1st grade class from Corvallis (my alma mater!). It was great, truly great. And of course our budding photographer son took this wonderful photo for us. =)

Visiting the U.S. Supreme Court was on the wishlist for Chris and Delisa-- both lawyers! What an impressive building!

Next stop on our tour was the National Archives.... home of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, etc, etc. We were NOT the only ones who wanted to see these things!! We had a pretty significant wait in line to see them. It's amazing to think of al the history housed in the Archives!!

It was very late when we got home from DC on Saturday evening (well, late from the kids' perspective!!). Is there anything more precious than seeing your 6-year old (who's just learning how to read) read a story to a baby who's so inspired that he's trying to imitate the bigger child? What great buddies these two are going to be (those military brats have to stick together!!).

Thanks again, guys, for making this such a special holiday for us!!! Let's get together soon!!!

11-15, The White House BABY!!

With a little money and a little motivation (ok, maybe more than a little, but it was WELL worth it), we had us a girls weekend. It was my very first girls weekend and Sven's very first weekend as Nikolas' sole caretaker. (Could that even possibly be after SIX YEARS?!) I headed south to DC and Sven and Nikolas headed northwest to Pittsburgh. I spent the weekend with the girls and they spent the weekend with his dad.

For the girls, it was a reunion of sorts for my friend Melissa and her bridesmaids from 5 years earlier. The gang included: Melissa (from Chicago), Rita (from Mississippi), Alison (from Virginia) and Amanda (our local DC girl). We had a great hotel a short distance from the White House and walking distance to Georgetown. It's not so much WHAT we did (shopping, eating, drinking, and generally being merry) but how much fun we had DOING it. Ok, maybe that's not true for Sunday-- it was ALL ABOUT what we did......a private tour (thank you, Amanda!!) of the White House's West Wing!! REALLY!! Could it get any better than that?! (Sven's thinking 'yes, it can' as he was insanely jealous and is hoping for his turn soon). Amanda was Melissa's college roommate, New Orleans roommate (during the time of my life when I also called NOLA home), and now Ms. Big Wig with her very important, top-secret job working for the National Security Council. WOW, huh?! We can't thank her enough for taking time out of her busy-- major understatement-- schedule to plan and execute such wonderful plans for us.

All in all, the weekend was a huge success. I can't remember the last time I felt so rejuvenated and motivated. It reinforced what I've been saying all these years, "I do have friends....they just live everywhere else!!" Thanks girls for a FABULOUS weekend!!!

Me, Missy and Rita

Amanda tooks us to some amazing consignment boutiques. I saw labels I'd never seen before! The girls had to pretty much pry me out of this Armani wool coat so we could leave. It was a little snug between the shoulders and it was a sad, sad day that I had to leave and the coat had to stay! =)

Melissa, Alison and Rita chatting.
On our way to lunch.... no kids, no husbands.... WOO HOO!!

Ok, Missy....how is it that I look more perky than you?? That has NEVER happened before!!!

This is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building that is next to the White House. This is where Amanda works.


And this is Amanda, our gracious tour guide! Look at how many cameras she's holding....and she doesn't even have mine or else I wouldn't have been able to take the picture of her!!!

The following photos were taken inside the Executive Office Building (if only I can remember the names of all of the rooms....):
The view of the White House from the Executive Office Building......

The President and his wife were there to greet us as we began our tour.....ok, or maybe it's just a photo in the waiting area of the West Wing. =)

This is the last photo we were allowed to take before beginning our tour. Sadly, we weren't allowed to take any photos inside the White House. I tried to etch as much into memory as possible! I can tell you that the Oval Office is awesome. It's so bright, tidy, serene..... you'd never image what goes on in there, I suppose. And I'll bite my tongue at what I was going to type next, but you girls know, don't you? Laughing with me or at me.....I'm not sure! =)

As we were waiting our turn to go out and see the Rose Garden, a girl was gleaming with joy as she bounced up the hall, "I JUST GOT ENGAGED!!!!" Now that's a story for the grandkids!!

I'm glad we were able to use our cameras in the Rose Garden so we could capture how beauitful it was.....and prove that we really DID get to see the White House!

It was like a little kid waiting for Christmas....and then all too soon it was over. This is plaque hangs above the door we exited.

This is the area where the media is allowed to be. Amanda said that NBC gets the prime spot because they've been there the longest. Obviously there was going to be some sort of coverage there that afternoon with all of the equipment out.

This is the press briefing room. Familiar, isn't it? Too think of how many presidents have stood behind that podium and addressed the nation......very cool.

On the news, isn't this where you always see the important people getting into their limos, waving, before they drive away?!


Well, I hope you enjoyed your tour of the White House as much as I did. AWESOME. VERY AWESOME!