D.C.

The background picture is the U.S. capitol with my mom and Aunt Lorene in front. Top left is me in front of the D.C. Temple. Directly below that is me with Laura and Bridget in front of the Mesa Temple. Bottom left, me with the Washington Monument in the background.
Top right two pictures are me at Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home/farm etc. Below that we are in the Library of Congress. Below that my parents and me in front of the National Cathredal. It is huge and we couldn't get any pictures this close of the whole thing. The bottom right picture is of us on a WWII army truck that was water and land ready.

Highlights of my trip to Washington D.C.:
-The Temple, I'm always so excited to see a new one, but most of all I just love being there. There isn't anywhere on Earth I'd rather be.
-spending time with my mom and aunt.
-Fiddler on the Roof-we saw it at the National Theatre. It was well done and moved along quickly. Much shorter than the movie. I hadn't really caught the story line before. I felt a little saddened at the loss of tradition they experienced, even though I don't agree with the practice of choosing spouses. I'm sure grateful I was able to choose my spouse!
-Amazing tour guides. We went on a lot of tours. They talk the whole time you are with them so it's impossible to remember all they say. I gained an appreciation for new ideas, many sacrifices from the founding fathers and others througout history. The night time tour was particularly amazing.
-The Lincoln Memorial was a favorite, he is an inspiring man. I'm excited to learn more about him and his life.
-Mt. Vernon-George Washington's farm and mansion.
-Holocaust Museum- so much to see there and too much to read and think about on one visit.
-Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was shot
-Korean War Memorial
-Arlington National Cemetary- we saw a changing of the guard and wreath ceremony. It was amazing. The cemetary seemed quieter than sacrament meeting. I probably wouldn't take my young children there anyway. It's a special place. I wish we would have had more time to walk around there.

I spent a really fun day with friends in Arizona. I had a big layover. We went to the Temple in Mesa and visited a lot. It was so nice to be able to see them and enjoy the beautiful warmth of Arizona in springtime.

I'm overwhelmed with the amount of things I want to study! What a wonderful time I had. I enjoyed some time away from the kiddos, even though I missed them. I came back refreshed and ready to begin again. Thanks to my wonderful husband who made this trip possible and for my parents for inviting me along!