DC in July

I got a few days off between session at school, so Chip and I decided we needed to get away. We went to Washington, DC for four days. We were there over the Fourth of July. We decided to drive because it was cheaper than flying. It was a 14-hour drive that we broke up into two days on the way there. We pretty much drove until we couldn't drive anymore. Then, once we got there, we walked until we couldn't walk anymore. We stayed at a great hotel not too far from the White House and the Mall. It was about 10-15 blocks. The metro was great once we figured it out. The hotel was in the middle of Thomas Circle.

Driving into the city, Chip was like a child at Disneyworld. He was in heaven! We got to the hotel in the afternoon so we went to see all the monuments and memorials at the Mall.

 On day 2, we went to the American History Museum, Air & Space Museum, and Holocaust Museum. The Holocaust Museum was very crowded. It did not seem very crowded until you went into the museums, but all the people seemed to spread out once you got inside. It was very hard since I am so short to see some of the exhibits. There were a lot of screaming children by the end of the day that were tired and parents that looked very worn out. A great place for children who want to learn, but I guess they have their limits as well.

On the third day, we went to the Capitol building, Library of Congress, and Arlington Cemetery. Chip loved the Library of Congress. He was very upset that he couldn't go into the Library and look at the books. After all the walking we had already done, we decided to take the bus at Arlington. The bus took us to the Kennedy grave site, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Arlington House. It was a little warmer this day so it would have been exhausting to try and walk to all of these sites. If you haven't been to Arlington, it is a huge cemetery and could take all day to walk, we had only an afternoon. For both of us, it was a very serious experience to be at the Arlington Cemetery. We were both shocked at people who were taking their "fun family photo" just down from the Kennedy grave site. It was almost like people didn't really grasp what the Cemetery was all about. Maybe I am just more serious than most...

On the last day (the Fourth of July), I was able to talk Chip into laying by the pool in the morning, then we went to the American Art Museum and to the Mall for the fireworks. We sat next to the Washington Monument to watch the fireworks. It was very exciting to be in DC for the fireworks. There were a lot of people there. After the fireworks, we had to walk back to the hotel because the metro was so crowded that it was impossible to get on.

Then, we drove the 14 hours back home. We made 4 stops and both decided that 9 hours is the max that we will ever try to do again in one day!

Extreme Home Makeover (kinda)

We have now been in our house for a little over a year. Chip's summer project was to build shutters and install cypress columns. These were not originally intended as the first projects to take place in the house. The interior was supposed to get remodeled first. Because we had the very large, 70 year-old oak tree fall on our house in January, we decided to go ahead and do the outside first since we needed a new roof and gutters. Luckily, insurance covered the roof (except for some minor upgrades we made). In April, we cleaned out some old hedges, mulched the flower beds, and planted flowers in window boxes. Chip worked really hard to help save some money and build the shutters himself. Considering he has never really built anything before, he did a GREAT job! My brother helped him with the columns because they were solid cypress. I was shocked at how different it made our house look with new plants, paint, shutters, and columns. The next step will be to put a drive pad in so we don't have to do the constant "car shuffle" at night. Then, we will work on the backyard. Chip was so handy that he is going to work on building a deck next spring/summer. The backyard will have to wait until next year. Here are a few before and after pictures of the house. 

Before

Shutters

After (hedges are gone in front of door too)

After

First attempt at this

So I have been saying for months that I was going to start a blog. I have no idea when I will have time to post on it or what I will post, so this could be interesting. I never thought I would do this pre-kids because what exciting happens in a young, busy couple's life....from the past year- A LOT! If you know me I never have a camera on me (except for my phone). I don't even own a camera. The one we have is Chip's camera that he got for his birthday a few years ago when we were still dating, but I guess since I married him it is mine now too. Maybe if I start blogging now and get used to having to take pictures then our children (still a few years down the road) will have pictures of their childhood. I hope everyone can hang in with me throughout this as I get used to it and hopefully don't forget about it like I tend to these days. Worth a shot right?