Washington D.C. Trip

Friday evening we got in to D.C. and met up with Dan for a late dinner. It was a little sandwich shop beneath our hotel. We stayed at the E'lenfant hotel. We liked that the metro went right to the hotel and that under the hotel was a mall and many places to eat. However, overall we were not impressed with this hotel. So if anyone is going to Washington, don't stay there!

Saturday morning we all went to the Conference and then out to lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.

Ryan saving the capitol building from Dan's anger.

Awww...:)

Washington Monument

World War 2 Monument

They thought they were funny, but it was probably a little disrespectful. whoops.

Team Idaho

 Vietnam War Monument Wall. They put the names in order from when they were killed or missing from the start of the war to the end. It was massive and blew my mind away at how many men and women died in that war that went on for almost 16 years!

The Reflection pool

Group picture with Abraham Lincoln

Comparing sizes

Dan's favorite position to be in and so obviously this was his favorite statue. 

Sunday we had a great time out to dinner with one of Ryan's good friends from high school and her family. Her kids are so smart and so funny. Making us laugh the entire dinner meal. It was great to be able to meet them. And they gave us big hugs good-bye too. So cute! 

Ryan and Amy

After dinner we met up with one of our favorite girls, Deb! Deb came and stayed with us last July for a a few days while Dan was visiting. The first moment we met her we instantly fell in love with her!:) What an amazing person she is!

Group shot

Hurrah for Idaho!

Deb brought a friend named, Happy, with her. And she was exactly what her name means, Happy! It was nice to meet her and hang out with her. I was able to spend a good hour talking with her and we became instant friends! 

Monday Morning the guys went to class and I toured the city by myself visiting a few art museums and the capitol building. Me being a dork and taking a picture of my hat! I love hats.

Awesome tunnel of lights

This waterfall that was really neat...I wish I had taken a better picture of it.  (I am still waiting to replace this old camera of mine for something nicer.)

Memorial Day Parade

Metro

Arlington National Cemetary

J.F.K. and family burial

Tomb of the unknown soldiers. Guards change every 1/2 hour 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! What an honor to be able to do that for our country. 

Hmmm...

I just liked this building

All the FREE stuff Ryan picked up at the Conference.

"What are you looking at, fool?"

Deb came back on Tuesday to hang out with us again.

Eating out at Five Guys Burgers and being our normal selves.

Ouch. 

Loved this building! It was huge too and went on forever!

It was raining like crazy, but it was so fun splashing and getting soaked. The guys were soaked through and my white pants were in bad shape by the time we got back to change our clothes. It was a great though, and something we will always remember.

 Wednesday the guys got out of class early and we went and did more touring around the city and going to more museums. We went to an Aquarium...but it stunk! A waste of $20 bucks. Oh well, live and learn right?

Dan not too impressed either.

IRS building-yuck.

A whale

a dead octopus

Ryan and Dan's close family relative...

The Holocaust Museum (we ended up going there on Tuesday with Dan and Deb too)

Jefferson Memorial

We flew back home Thursday morning and got into Idaho late afternoon. We wanted to go by and see Ethan and it was such a great feeling to be there so close to him. 

It was a great trip away and we had so much fun. Glad to be home though. Not much of a traveler when it comes to planes though. Got sick on the flight home and almost threw up! Nasty, I know. But we made it back in one piece and we were excited to see our girls again. Thanks Mom and Dad and Wendy and Jerry for taking them for us during that time. We appreciated it so much!!!!