Colonial Williamsburg

After returning from Hong Kong, I made a quick turnaround and went to Colonial Williamsburg with my friend Karen to help her celebrate her milestone birthday!  She's a pretty important friend for me to even attempt a switch like that!  It was so good to see her again!
Colonial Williamsburg for Karen's Birthday

November 2016 Highlights

I attended Le Fille Du Regiment, which had a VERY special guest appearance: Ruth Bader Ginsburg - she's third from the right in this picture.  Incredible!

I love this tree that I pass on my running route along Arlington Cemetery.

I had dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill downtown before going to work on Thanksgiving Day.

Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg

I took Jonathan to these places as a belated birthday present, since he is a total history buff.  I think he really enjoyed himself!  Click link for album.

Marine Corps Marathon Weekend fun

Somer and her brother Ben came to run the Marine Corps Marathon, while her sister-in-law came to cheer.  A few days later, my brother came with my nephews and we ran the Marine Corps 10K race.  It was fun showing them all around the city!  Halloween at Mount Vernon was a huge hit, as was Arlington Cemetery.


White House Tour

Marine Corps Marathon and 10K

Bowdrie & Carson visit DC

Trick or Treat?

Preparing for my nephew's visit!

Sur La Table Fried Chicken cooking class

I love living near a Sur La Table store with cooking classes!  It has given me more confidence to try cooking new things and new techniques to make it easier.

Mis en Place: everything prepared, ready to go, remeasured. I have eagerly adopted this so I don't get halfway through and realize I don't have something.

Hot oil!

I helped make that!

Buttermilk biscuits

The spicy chicken

The regular (my favorite)

The finished products!

I greatly enjoyed my time with Jan, who came to visit before heading on to her next destinations.  We were able to go to the Pentagon Memorial on 9/11 and it was especially touching to see all these memorials, and this man who came to honor his friend who worked inside the building.

Cassidy's Visit - day 2 and 3

Today was all about monuments and museums.  The weather was nicer after the rain, and we slept in a bit later than we did the first day :-) (Thank goodness!)
We started with the National Gallery of Art, since Somer is an art genius and could really appreciate their collection.  Cassidy and I worked through the student workbooks for American, French, and Dutch art.  I was very impressed by all the secret learning disguised as fun that they have for kids to do at these places!
After that, we went to see the Hope Diamond, to which Cassidy exclaimed, "I want one!"  Then down to lunch, and off to see the monuments.  She was a little trooper and never once whined or complained and just kept chugging along, walking an impressive distance!  That night: more cheese pizza.

With her new stuffed hedgehog.

Heading out.

Carousel Ride near Smithsonian Castle.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Sunday, we went to church, FaceTimed with her Mom and with Grandma, visited Arlington Cemetery, and then for the grand finale, we went to the Wizard of Oz.  The look of glee and enchantment on her face was too precious for words!  It was the perfect weekend and I miss that little munchkin like crazy!

Changing of the Guard

We're off to see the Wizard!

Cassidy at the White House

At Wizard of Oz

Cassidy's visit - day 1

Cassidy was the only one of my brother's 4 kids that had not had a chance to come see Washington, DC yet (which she mentioned as often as she could), so she got to come see me with her friend Somer.
Here's the video of her finding out she gets to come - basically right before it was time to go to the airport!

Greeting her at the airport... apparently she asked Somer, "What is she WEARING?!" when she saw me, since she's never seen me in scrubs!

Day 1: US Capitol Tour, Library of Congress (to the Young Reader's Room of course, since this girl LOVES to read and wants to be a Librarian), Postal Museum to mail postcards to her family, the Gallery of Art, and some sweets and shopping in Georgetown. Have mercy - she's gonna be an expensive one!

First ride on a subway

In her Senator's office. Unfortunately, he wasn't there so he didn't get to meet this cutie.

Excited for everything!

Riding underground Senate subway from Senate offices to Capitol.

With Jeanette Rankin's statue. 

Outside on the balcony of the Capitol. Special treat!

Our feet in the center of DC

Picking out books at Young Readers Room @ Library of Congress

Reading Olivia books

Diligently working on the handout for students at LOC

Inside Jefferson's Library

Supreme Court + rainy, rainy day!

Writing postcard to Grandma, which Grandma was happy to receive. (Postal Museum)

Her favorite walkway inside Gallery of Art

Always happy to pose in her MT t-shirt

Eating again :-) She's a growing girl!

Uh oh

Heading to my favorite cupcake place in Georgetown

She picked a chocolate brownie

Cheese pizza meal #2/5!