7-26, Bye Bridget

It's amazing how quickly Bridget's 12-day visit flew by. We enjoyed having her here with us and we hope she enjoyed her time with us as well. It was nice to balance out the masculine energy in this house by having another woman around!! It's hard to believe that little girl I met all those years ago (just a little bit older than Nikolas is now) is 18 already!! Good luck as you head off to college, Bridget! Come again when you can!

7-25, Arlington National Cemetary

For Bridget's last full day with us, we drove to DC (yes, again...). We went to Arlington National Cemetary. I had been there (remember our trip there, Mom and Dad?) during the Academy days, but Sven, Bridget and Nikolas had not. We walked around and read some of the headstones. We found several "Gardners"-- my mom's maiden name. We saw the gravesites of JFK, Jackie Onassis, and RFK. No visit would be complete without seeing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Gravesite of JFK and family

Gravesite of RFK

view of DC from JFK's resting place

Our last stop of our mini-tour was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We stayed and watched the changing of the guard. After that, we got to see the ceremony for changing the wreath as well. The newest one was presented by the International Military Officers. There were representatives there from Iraq, Kuwait, and Russia to name a few. It was very "awe-some". We just couldn't imagine being the guard on duty to stand at attention and march back and forth for hours on end in full uniform during extreme weather. The discipline and bearing-- amazing.

It was very thought-provoking to see the International Military Officers presenting a wreath to be displayed before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I don't know if there is a sound in this world more somber than that of Taps on a lone bugle.

7-24, Date Night in Baltimore

THANK YOU, BRIDGET!!

What-- a date?? What's that??! Bridget generously offered to watch Nikolas for us so we could have our first date since Silverdale. It couldn't have come at a better time. Stress levels have been high and together time low. It was great! We went to Baltimore and had dinner in Little Italy. I got my long-awaited gnocchi (my NY days favorite). It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed walking around Little Italy after dinner and strolling around the waterfront. Thanks again, Bridget!!

This is the house where Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag-- how cool is that?!

Rocco's.....you just can't get more authentic (stateside anyway) than that!

Baltimore's Little Italy is nowhere near the size of New York's and it doesn't quite have the same ambiance, but it is very neat. It's very clean and charming.

This is a lighthouse that was moved from the Chesapeake Bay and now sits on the shores of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

7-20, DC Museums

On Bridget's wish list of things to do was to see the Vietnam Memorial and the National Gallery of Art. Enduring the 100+ heat index day, we set off for the planned cultural activities. We saw the wall first and found the photo of a boy from Kalispell who had been killed on that exact day 43 years ago.

After seeing the wall, we stopped on a grassy spot by the car to have a picnic lunch. You wouldn't believe some of the stares we got.....maybe they were all just jealous. Hee Hee. It was so hot we used the cooler's frozen inserts to keep cool.

It's a good thing we had that rest at lunch because it was a long walk to the museums! We took a scenic detour around the Washington Monument.

While Sven and Nikolas toured the National Air and Space Museum, Bridget and I enjoyed seeing the works of the world's most famous artists. Bridget's love of art was obvious as she gazed in wonderment at the pieces. As for me, I have loved Monet's work since I first got to see it at the Met in NYC during my academy days. I was thrilled at the chance to see Monet's beautiful art again.

Van Gogh's Roses weren't too shabby either....

Even the museum's architecture was impressive.

We met up with Sven and Nikolas at the Sculpture Garden. We were quite surprised (and thrilled) to find this huge fountain. It was very odd to see people lounging around it with their feet soaking in it. So OF COURSE we had to join them! Boy did that feel nice on a hot, hot day. And when the fountains got higher and higher, we were misted by the cool water. Whew!!

Well, the instructions of "don't get your clothes wet" weren't followed too well, but I guess there are worse offenses!

We knew something was up at the White House when the Navy fire truck came on scene, the pedestrian traffic cleared from the front of the White House and the Front Lawn came to life with the Press Corps. So, like any tourist would do, we sat and watched and waited....and waited....and waited............

Until FINALLY came the helicopter....then the 2nd.....and then the 3rd! It was quite awesome seeing the Presiden't helicopter land on the front lawn right before our eyes.

Boy, I just don't think you can pack anymore into a day than that!!

7-18, Bowie Baysox Game

Sven's sister, Bridget, is visiting us for a few weeks. We wanted to share with her one of our new favorite activities-- local baseball games. The Bowie Baysox is the local minor league team. The tickets are cheap, the festivities family-friendly and the game captivating. It was a great game with the Baysox pulling through to victory. Yay!! After the game, there was a SPECTACULAR fireworks display.

As late as it was after the game and the fireworks, Nikolas still wanted to run the bases with the other kids. So down we went and waited in line (for half an hour!) so he could do it. He ran like a champ who'd just hit a homerun! Way to go Nikolas!