April 26, 2009 Sister’s Weekend

Dear Family and Friends,

What a great week we have had! It was fantastic! We have had so much fun, and had so much family here that I have had to pinch myself several times to make sure that it was really happening and I was not just day dreaming. Here is our week in summary…

Monday...

· L not feeling well

· B-man following E and L around

· All of us doing a little cleaning and a lot of fun visiting

· FHE where B-man taught the lesson on being helpful (M helped him a lot.)

· I had a blog meltdown. I have decided that I can no longer try to blog after 11:00 p.m. It’s like trying to discuss something serious with your spouse. It’s better done when well rested…

Tuesday…

· Do the last of the cleaning and laundry

· B-man had preschool.

· Visited an antique shop with L and E. B-man somehow managed to leave the shop without touching every single thing in the store.

· Had a fun dinner at a place called “The Spicy Pickle” and they have very spicy pickles with their sandwiches. M met us there for dinner. We had free coupons which made everything better!

· Ma went to test drive vehicles and we went to pick up M’s mother from the airport. (We brought her food too…)

Wednesday…

· B-man wanted to wake everyone up from sleeping just to be with them.

· Shopping trip for necessary food and supplies.

· Made my first batch of whole wheat bread. Mom showed me how and made it look really easy. It was delicious.

· Picked up A from the airport. Let the Sisters’ weekend begin!

· After dinner we picked up magazines and started working on a fun craft project.

· We distributed the “Favorites” gifts. I gave magnetic measuring spoons. They are fantastic! So fantastic that Mom brought the same thing… Luckily she was over doing it so she had about three other things to give us all. I love hearing why everyone chose their items; there is ALWAYS a good story.

  Thursday…

· B-man and I were up early. He went to preschool to have fun and learn.

· Everyone else got up ate breakfast, made lunch, and then we were off to D.C.

· We stopped first at the Holocaust Museum. What can I say? It is horrifying and sad, and raises all sorts of questions about what I would do if I had been in that situation. I hope I would have been one of the amazing people that helped those that were in trouble.

· In the meantime B-man and M were having fun at the library and test driving cars.

· E had been in charge of the car while we were in the museum, so when we left we walked across the mall to where she was parked and had a delightful picnic next to the car.

· Walked to the American History Museum for postcards, and to see the “Star Spangled Banner” flag.

· Had another delicious dinner and worked on our ongoing craft projects. And made another batch of bread!

· M had a Stake Priesthood training meeting.

Friday…

· Took tulips from my yard to a sister I visit teach. It was her birthday.

· Took B-man to a friend’s house so that she could watch him. M had a meeting at work and couldn’t get home until a little after lunch

· The ladies packed a lunch and then headed into D.C. again. After a short detour we made it to Arlington National Cemetery.

· Loved the beautiful weather and the walk to the “Tomb of the Unknown.”

· Got to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony, and there was even a problem with the new guards gun. So he got sent back to fix it. Apparently that is rare.

· Also got to see a ceremony where they lay a new wreath of flowers on the tomb, and play “Taps.”

· Saw the grave for President Kennedy.

· Walked to the back to the Visitor’s Center for postcards and other information. Then to the car for a picnic in the car while driving.

· Drove to The Mall and found an awesome parking spot. It was such a great one!

· Walked to the Vietnam War Memorial. Loved reading the letters from students in fifth grade. They had found written a letter and poem to a fallen soldier, and then had put it on the ground where their name was inscribed on the wall.

· Continued on to the Lincoln Memorial where there were hundreds of people enjoying the view and cooler temperatures in its shade.

· Walked back to the Vietnam Memorial and then while I got the car to avoid a ticket; the rest of the group went to see the World War II Memorial.

· Managed to leave the district without a problem but got a little lost on the way to Fort Belvoir. After asking a man who spoke very little English we were able to get back on the road the right way. Somehow his directions came across. We were all amazed.

· Tried to get into Fort Belvoir through three different gates. The third time was a charm and we were allowed to enter the base.

· Drove to the hospital where M’s mother was born.

· Tried very hard to get into the PX for postcards, and then tried another spot on base without success.

· Got back in the car for the rest of the drive home. We had some great conversations in the car while doing all that driving.

· Had a late but great dinner. Worked on more magnet crafts, and went to bed.

· During this time M and B-man had a great time. They played at the park, went to a gun show where they walked for hours, and then M was asked to help give a blessing. B-man was so tired he practically collapsed into bed.

Saturday…

· Woke up early to get M’s mom and L off to the airport. It was SO sad to see them all go. It just wasn’t enough time. I think time speeds up when you want it to slow down the most.

· Took A and E garage sale hunting while M and B-man cleaned the church. We all found a few great things.

· Came home and A got ready to go. Took A to the airport with B-man and E. Once again we were sad, sad, sad to see her go.

· Spent the rest of the day trying to escape the horrific heat! (95 Degrees!) We did a few errands, and then had dinner at some friends. B-man LOVED playing in the little pool on their deck. We all loved the freezing water on our hot (and in my case swollen) feet.

· Decided a/c wasn’t optional in this weather, and turned it on.

· Transplanted a hydrangea from the front yard to the back yard. Left the hose on with a timer to automatically turn off.

· Waited up with E for my sister R to arrive! She will be working close by for the summer and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Sunday…

· B-man slept in! That meant M was almost late to his meetings. B-man is usually a great alarm clock.

· Woke up E and R to have pancakes.

· The girls left for church. Worked on my lesson.

· Went to church and enjoyed the meetings. B-man thought it was great that we had brought a woman that we see all the time in Costco. (She’s a sample lady…)

· Had twenty minutes to teach a lesson that was actually two lessons combined.

· Came home to a very empty and quiet house! That was a sad change from the last week.

· Home teacher came over. Discovered the “timer” had completely failed and the hose was still on! So much for fifteen minutes! (No damage to the yard, but we’ll see what happens to the plant.)

· Simple but tasty dinner, and then I went to a Youth Fireside at the church.

· Came home to a clean kitchen and a child in bed!

We love you all!

R, M, and B-man