Pictures of People in DC!

The kids call this my paparazzi shot.





















Lauren, in between uncontrollable laughter and sobbing uncontrollably. JK. It was a long day folks. What a ragamuffin. :)






















Sarah at the National Cathedral.

















Did I forget to mention we were at an Interstate Batteries Convention? Isn't that limo kewl? No, we didn't get to ride in it.

















Hannah at the Smithsonian gardens.





















Dani at The National Zoo.





















Dave, James and Hannah on the Metro.





















The whole fam with Mr. Lincoln. Hmmmm, who took this picture?

For Donna

Your Matthew and Melinda.

A delightful young couple.

***********

Goodnight.

Arlington National Cemetery and Company is a Comin'

I hope you're not getting terribly bored with these posts. I've decided to continue posting pictures of our trip as an online scrapbook for my family.

I'm so glad we paid a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. It was an incredible (visual) reminder of all of those who have given their lives for our freedom. We did our best to talk to the kids and help them realize the significance of where we were and what was before us. The lines of headstones is humbling, to say the least. Really, there are no words....just a heart full of gratitude and thanks to those in the military, past and present.

I thought the cemetery was mostly flat (I'd never been in that part of the country before) so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the beautiful, green, rolling hills with the headstones lined neatly in a row. It was breathtaking and beautiful all at the same time.





























This is one of the older areas in the cemetery.






















The Tomb of the Unknowns.

The changing of the guard was really incredible to watch.

**********

It's 1 PM here in Arizona and I am waiting to hear from Donna's son Matthew and his wife, Melinda. They are returning to Phoenix from a missions trip in Mexico and will be spending the evening with us. We are so excited to meet Melinda and see Matthew again. They also have 5 or 6 other folks with them and they too are coming for dinner and swimming.

I'm serving Lasagne, Spagetti, salad, green beans, garlic bread and for dessert we'll have key lime pie and/or strawberry shortcake.

We are very busy cleaning house right now.

I'll take pictures and post them soon.

UPDATE 1:25 Just got off the phone with Melinda. They are back in the U. S. of A. and they are safe and sound. I asked her if they were hot and she giggled and said YES! She also said I sound just like Donna. (only I don't say "eh" and "take off hoser") LOL. I love it that she said I sound like Donna, that made me smile. They'll be here at 6 o'clock. :)

Thank You and Now, Mt. Vernon!

Donna gave me a gift this morning while I was sleeping. She sent her faithful and wonderful readers my way to see my Washington D.C. pictures and leave me a comment. When I woke up I had 17 comments and I was just sure they were spam. Boy was I surprised to read real comments from real ladies.

THANK YOU TO DONNA'S SWEET FRIENDS!

THANK YOU DEAR, PRECIOUS DONNA!

**********

Mt. Vernon

We rented a van and drove out to Mt. Vernon last Tuesday. It was a nice break from the Metro and city touring and the weather had cooled off considerably.


















George and Martha's beautiful Mt. Vernon






















One of the many out buildings.



















The kitchen. There is a washing area and a storage area inside this building. The cook lived upstairs.























The outhouse aka The Necessary.


















The view from their back porch chairs. The Potomac River where George Washington fished for herring and made a fortune. He also made money growing and selling tobacco and wheat but it was the herring that made him the most money.






















The girls fell in love with this guy! He was a very, very big mule.

Our visit and time spent here was probably my favorite part of the trip.

The United States Capitol

I called Congressman Trent Frank's office in April and they organized a tour for our entire group.

We had a very sweet tour guide that attends ASU and is doing a summer internship in the congressman's office. Here are a few pictures:


















The magnificent rotunda's dome.
Painted by Brumidi in 1865.










































Statuary Hall.
Isn't that pink color just beautiful? Click on photo to enlarge.





































Supreme Court Chamber from 1810-1860
I love the blue paint in this room.
Also note the fireplace in the back.

See the 'tiles' on the roof. Can you guess what that is on each tile? These 'tiles' (for lack of better word) are also in the rotunda and statuary room.

Safe and Sound/The White House

We arrived home on Thursday evening and as usual I hit the ground running. And I'm not talking about doing laundry, that is just getting started today.

We had a wonderful trip to DC. My family remained in good health and we had a very fun and eventful time. Thank you for praying!

Donna called me yesterday to find out when I would write a post about our trip. I told her I was overwhelmed and didn't know what to post first. So, here it is in bullet form and then I will just post pictures over the course of a few days. Let me just say that this was a trip of a lifetime! I was in awe of the city and history and gigantic buildings and monuments. Everything was sooooo BIG.

I felt like I was 21 again and traipsing through Europe; running after subway trains, standing on street corners with maps in hand, walking until I could walk no more, getting lost, thinking the next stop was 'just around the corner', etc....

Here's the list of sites we visited in no particular order:

The White House (tour of South Lawn!)
The Capitol (tour)
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Washington Monument
The Holocaust Museum
The National Zoo
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (gems!)
Smithsonian Castle
National Art Gallery
Arlington Cemetery
Mt. Vernon
The National Cathedral
Bureau of Engraving and Printing ($$)


The White House
Our first stop















































We had already been to the White House but on Saturday they opened the south lawn to visitors. It is something they only do four times a year. One of our employees was down there and called us so we hurried down town and got to tour the grounds. Aren't we blessed! If you are interested in touring the inside you better call your congressman's office six months to one year in advance or have major connections.
























Do you see the wicker chairs on the balcony? Do you think the President and First Lady relax there and have a cup of tea and enjoy the view. I would!

















The beautiful rose garden.


















The Oval Office.


















Do you see the difference in pavement in the bottom of this picture? The kids are on the President's jogging path!

Off Like A Herd of Turtles

The title of this post is one of my favorite sayings!!

I think it very accurately describes my large family when trying to get out the door for a major event or vacation.

I ALWAYS say it as were pulling out of the driveway. It probably annoys my teenagers but trust me, they'll say it too some day. :)

So we are off the Washington DC in a few hours. Super Shuttle is picking us up at 10:00 and because we are 7 we get the whole van to ourselves with no stops. Kinda like a limo only NOT. Instead of a stretch hummer we get a blue van with obnoxious yellow writing. Hey! The price was great and we still get door to door service.

Everyone is healthy at this hour. Will you pray for continued good health and safety for us?

This is the first time all 7 of us have travelled on an airplane. Um, I'm thinkin' you should pray for that too. :)

Thank you, dear friends.

I'll be checking in on occasion if our room has free Internet service.

TTFN

I'd Like To Thank The Academy

Er, I mean the good folks at Costco for carrying THIS fabulous product.

I sincerely believe it is why my cholesterol is down 40 points!

I am not the best at taking my vitamins on a regular basis but the truth of the matter is...I have managed to finish this entire bottle of Flaxseed Oil over the course of a year or so and I think it has benefited my blood chemistry! WooHoo.

The only other thing I can figure is that maybe the Lemonade Cleanse worked it's magic and truly cleansed me. Ew.

One thing is for sure....Chipotle burritos and salads, while they are delicious, do not lower cholesterol. See, I'm very scientific.

All kidding aside, I was very excited and thankful to receive my lab report last week. Good news, indeed.

So, Tell Me

Have you tried one of these?

You can usually find them at Walgreens, I've heard.

And I've also heard they are delish....I'm just sayin'.

Now fess up!

Wow!

Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is giving away a whole lot of music!!

By putting this link on my web page I am entering her contest and I really, really, really think I'm going to win this CD collection. Ha!













Wish me luck.

So Excited!

We are heading to Washington D.C. one week from tomorrow!


















Our family is attending an Interstate Battery national convention. All seven of us will be going, my mother-in-law and four employees and their families. Interstate Batteries has always kept their conventions very family friendly and very fun!

I have been busy reading books and web pages to prepare myself and the children.

Can you give my any advice?

We will hit the most obvious tourist sites and we also want to go to the International Spy Museum and the National Zoo.

The company that makes our batteries, JCI, is throwing a huge party at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum ! How cool is THAT?

We are scheduled for a Capital tour. Could not get in to the White House tour. You need to call six months to one year in advance for reservations. Wow.


















So, tell me. Have you been to D.C.? And what should we NOT miss?

Oh, we're also going to rent a van and go to Mount Vernon!

Speaking of Chickens

I recieved this in an email yesterday.

Thought I'd share.....

Enjoy the laugh.


Why did the chicken cross the road?

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure – right from Day One! – that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn’t about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where’s my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he’s guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer’s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can’t you people see the plain truth? That’s why they call it the ‘other side.’ Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like ‘the other side.’ That chicken should not be crossing the road. It’s as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra…#@&&^(C%..........reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

A Promise Is A Promise

Last year I promised Lauren that when she learned to swim I'd take her out to lunch and to Build-A-Bear. I was hoping that would be motivation to learn immediately but that was not the case. She did, however, learn to swim two weeks ago and she if off like a little fish! She is very proud of herself and I am very happy too. I am relieved to have five safe swimmers this summer!



















































At first, I tried to talk Lauren out of the yellow chick. I was thinking of a more bearish Build-A-Bear but then I remembered that this was not about me and my box. :) It's about what Lauren wants!! I encouraged her to take a few more minutes to look around and she settled back at the bright yellow chick.

I'm so glad she picked the chick.

Isn't she adorable?

And bright!











































I thought the swim gear was darling and Lauren agreed!

LOOK AT THE GOGGLES!










































Congratulations Lauren Paige!

I'm so proud of you.

Meme Time

I thought I'd do the Two Word Meme to get back in to blogging.

The last week of school was crazy busy and then we went up north for four days.

I'm home now and some of the laundry is done so I can do this...

1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen table
2. Where is your significant other? back yard
3. Your hair? clean, same
4. Your mother? kind, loving
5. Your father? loving, silly
6. Your favorite thing? happy children
7. Your dream last night? don't remember
8. Your favorite drink? diet coke
9. Your dream/goal? happy family
11. Your hobby? reading, blogging
12. Your fear? dying young
13. Where you want to be in 6 years? thin, healthy
14. Where were you last night? home, laundry
15. What you're not? organized, late
16. Muffins? yes, banana
17. One of your wish list items? remodel kitchen
18. Where you grew up? wheaton, minocqua
20. What are you wearing? khakis, polo
21. Your TV? not interested
22. Your pets? dogs, guinea's
23. Your computer? hp
24. Your life? blessed, fun
25. Your mood? content, happy
26. Missing someone? sisters always
27. Your car? white suburban
28. Something you're not wearing? lipstick?
29. Favorite store? target, coldwater
30. Your summer? DC, Jackson
31. Like someone? blog readers :)
32. Your favorite color? red, pink
33. When is the last time you laughed? watching this
34. Last time you cried? laugh/cried:

Tragic Loss

Please pray for Steven Curtis Chapman, his wife and their children.

Their 5 year old daughter was killed in a tragic accident at their home yesterday.

You can leave a message here for the Chapman family and please take time to watch the darling video of precious little Maria.

I'm thankful they have Jesus.

Ouch!

Tuesday






110°F | 76°F

It was 110 yesterday. That's 14 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

We're used to The Furnace Feel in late July and August but whoa, IT'S MAY PEOPLE!

~~~~~~~~~~

In other news:

If you drive on the streets of Glendale/Phoenix consider this fair warning.

HANNAH'S A DRIVER NOW!

Woo Hoo. She did it.

~~~~~~~~~~

More breaking news:

We have our first Cheerleader in the house!






















Danielle participated in an eight week clinic with a great Christian group called Impact.

AND

She made the Junior High Cheer Team!!

HOORAY!!

Rah Rah!!

Congrats to Dani.

Birthday Girls!

HANNAH!
Sweet Sixteen

DANIELLE!
Teenager



















~~~~~~~~~~

I'm blessed with two angels,
Like heaven might send,
I call her Hannah,
And I call her Danielle,
My daughters and friends,
Have a lovely Birthday
~Author Unknown and Janet (Mom)

~~~~~~~~~~

A mother's treasure is her daughter.
~Catherine Pulsifer

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend.
~Author Unknown

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.
~Author Unknown

A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer.
~Author Unknown

~~~~~~~~~~

God's goodness to me is unfathomable. I am blessed to have you two. You are both precious and dear to me. I love you and thank God for you.

Have a great day girls. :)

Yipee!

Ligonier Ministries is holding their West coast conference in Scottsdale!!!

I'm so happy.

I finally get to attend a conference and it's right in my back yard!

~~~~~

The sessions are titled:

Has Science Disproved the Existence of God?

Why Does God Allow so Much Suffering and Evil?

If God is Sovereign, How Can Man be Free?

Is Jesus the Only Way?

What is the “Gospel”?

~~~~~

We will take our teenagers to this conference.

What wonderful, rich teaching from faithful men!

You should come too and then we could finally meet.

Keith and Tammy

Groom, Keith and his mother.





















My handsome groom.





















My nephew Eli. That tux! :)

















Mr. and Mrs. Keith Walworth





















You may kiss the bride!

Keith's life and this marriage is a testimony to God's grace and goodness! He wouldn't mind me telling you that less than three years ago he was in a very bad physical, emotional and spiritual state. With the help of his family and God's miraculous and saving work he is a new man.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!


PRAISE THE LORD!