Cherry Blossoms

Washington DC day 2!! (Thursday April 7th)

This was a day full of sunshine and cherry blossoms- a nice change from a few days earlier. To see spring in full bloom, while it was still wintery in Michigan, was such a treat. Add the tour of wonderful monuments of our Nation's Capitol- and it made for a wonderful day! Sigh- I wish our "camera" was better - - we only have Jon's iphone because our other camera was lost last fall. The pictures just don't do the sights justice.

We started the day with a free walking tour, and ended up breaking off later so we could eat lunch and see what we wanted to a little easier. We were having a hard time hearing the guide while chasing our little ones . . .

Anyway, we started with a view of the White House (we didn't walk down to see it closer).




I think my favorite picture is this one of Tyler looking at the White House!

Next was the Washington Monument. I had forgotten just how tall and big it is! Marcus was especially excited as he went up to it and reverently touched the base while looking up.






We then moved on to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms and the memorials that direction and have lunch- this was my absolute favorite part of the day. The Blossoms were gorgeous, the weather mild, and the sights amazing! We watched the building of the new Martin Luther King Memorial, and walked all the way down to the Jefferson Memorial.


Jefferson Memorial in the background . . .









The FDR memorial:



At the Jefferson Memorial- it's a lot larger than it looks from the main part of the National Mall!




I think one of my favorite images was Marcus and Cynthia standing below one of Thomas Jefferson's sayings (which are carved in huge murals on the inside walls of the monument), looking up and reading some of his amazing words. I hope they will always remember what they saw and learned this trip!

The Lincoln Memorial:




Marcus even earned his Jr. Park Ranger Badge for the National Mall! Another one for the collection!



We spent the rest of the afternoon at the National Zoo. It is free, but the parking isn't! It was still fun and worth it, although we were REALLY tuckered out by all the walking we did all day. Thank goodness for that wagon- I don't think our kids would have lasted without it!







The Pandas WERE pretty cool!
We felt like this sleeping panda after this exhausting, yet amazing day!


We ended the day by driving up to see the Washington DC Temple. The traffic was HORRIBLE (shudder- I am sooo glad I don't have to drive through traffic like that on a daily basis!), but completely worth it.

Spring Break trip: Visit with the Wakeman's

Back to our Spring break trip! Between our two WA DC days, we had a rest day to hang out at the resort (visit the arcade), and we took some time to visit the Wakeman's who live just north of where we were staying in the Shenandoah Valley- in Woodstock. LeAnne Wakeman, is Jon's mom's cousin- - making Jon a step cousin once removed? Anyway- that whole side of the family is very close and it was so fun to get a piece of the "clan" as we live in the East. We had so much fun visiting them. I think the last time I saw them was in 2002 at Jon's grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary, so it was awesome getting to spend time with them. Anyway, they were wonderful and showed us around that wonderfully beautiful part of the country.

They took us on a wonderful little tour of the area and then back to their house for dinner. We started by driving up on top of the nearest ridge to the Woodstock Tower- to see the most amazing view of the area! It used to be the road they took to get over that particular ridge- and you could even still see the wagon ruts from the times of George Washington.







We then took a lovely walk along the river to the foot bridge used when the road is washed out. Oh, it was a beautiful afternoon! The sun was shining, the grass was sooo green- and the flowers were popping out everywhere. The kids had a ton of fun finding little shells by the water's edge and of course going on the foot bridge!














We ended the day at their house with dinner- thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon and evening! It was so fun to get to know you better!

"Supernal Joys of Life"

This week was a difficult one for me. For some reason I couldn't really put my finger on, I felt very homesick, anxious, and stressed out. Maybe it was because of Jon's grandpa passing away- we feel so far away, or because our future is not settled as Jon looks for positions for next year, I haven't been getting enough sleep and the school year here is nearing the end. I don't know. I found myself stressing out over things like finances and our uncertain future (stuff like- what if the position he gets won't pay for the relocation? Or- what if we can't afford to buy a house?). Jon and I were usually up late going over jobs and applications, or planning our upcoming little church history trip (which is exciting- but again, I feel a twinge of guilt because of finances - - and on the flip side I know that this is our CHANCE- we only live 6 hours from Palmyra, and 3 1/2 from Kirtland!). It is GOOD business, so it was hard to figure out why I felt stressed out about it. My life isn't half as hard as some of the past years with Jon last residency program, and our major change last year as Jon had to switch programs - - He is home so much more and we do wonderful things together as a family. Oh- there's the ins and outs of raising four children and the ups and downs that go with it, but nothing too terrible right now. I finally figured out that change is scary for me. Although it is a change we have been working toward for SOOOO long and I can't wait for it- it is still CHANGE and there are uncertainties that go with it, and I think deep down inside I am like Repuzel on "Tangled" when she talks about being terrified right before fufilling her dream of seeing the lanterns.

All in all for those few days I just felt emotionally OFF. My patience was really thin and I wondered if I was really cut out to be a mom. This is what I chose for my life- to dedicate myself to my home and family - - but it was one of those weeks where every time I heard "MOOOOMMMMM!!" I just wanted to run and hide. After a particularly hard day of cleaning up smashed goldfish crackers (and more), trying to reason with complaining children, picking up several peed-in pants, and scrubbing makeup out of my carpet, all while worrying how we were going to pay our credit card bills (after having to pay $1000 for Jon's boards at the last minute), I just didn't want to deal with it anymore, and WHY do my children have to be so demanding? One morning I was reading Elder Scott's General Conference talk and one particular part really hit me strong.

" . . .about 4:00 am, I was awakened as I felt two little arms around my neck, a kiss on the cheek, and these words whispered in my ear, which I will never forget 'Dad, I love you. You are my best friend.' IF you are having that kind of experience in your family, you are having one of the supernal joys of life."

Immediately images of countless times that my girls have wrapped their arms around my neck and said those very words, or times like mother's day when Cynthia said she was so blessed by me. I thought of the many heart to heart conversations which took place while I sat on the edge of Marcus' bed, and Tyler snuggling into my shoulder and patting his little hand on my back, or his giggles and smiles when I play with him. I thought of the countless pictures drawn saying I love you mom, or the times we have laughed together. I thought of Lillian bringing me her "little blanket" (she can't sleep without it) to make be feel better when she saw me crying one day- saying "you can have little blanket to help you feel better".

I realized how much I AM experiencing one of the "supernal joys of life". Life would be so empty without my children. Simpler and easier, YES- but I can't imagine my life without any one of my children, and especially without my beloved husband. Truly, I am so blessed!

Grandpa Marsh

I interrupt my narration of our trip and other events to write about Jon's Grandpa Marsh. He passed away on Tuesday night, May 10th, at age 77. Although they were Jon's "step" grandparents, Roy and Bev Marsh always loved Jon just as they did all of their other grandchildren. Grandpa Roy was always there, quietly enjoying his large family- what a legacy he has left! I will always remember the pop can airplanes and bird houses he made as a hobby- Marcus has one in his room. Thank you Grandpa, for your love for our family and for your wonderfu life. We will miss you.

Jon is currently in Spokane to be with his family during this time. It has been since the fourth of July last summer since we saw anyone on Jon's side of the family (besides the Wakeman's during spring break)- - so this will be a really nice trip for him. I am so glad he will be able to be there. It is during times like these that I feel so far away! It just brings home how much we want to live close to Spokane. BOTH sets of parents are there, we are finding lots of opportunities there for possible jobs- so we feel this is a good route to go when he gets done with Residency! IF the Lord is willing, and it is the right thing for our family, this time next year we may be there. This is my hope and prayer!

At this moment, my heart goes out to the entire Marsh clan for their loss. I love you all and miss you!

The Marsh Family:

(from the left: Ken Marsh, Nola Sewell, Cheryl Wilson, Judy DeLamatter, Ron Marsh and in front Roy and Bev Marsh)

Adventures in Washington DC!

I am so glad our family was able to experience our nation's Capitol- what an amazing experience for our family!

Day 1: Tuesday
Wouldn't you know it - the day we had scheduled to go to DC it was raining, windy and cold. Luckily the second day we went (Thursday) was gorgeous, so it all worked out in the end. BUT- for the first half of our first day there- I had some pretty miserable kids! We certainly had a bit of an adventurous day. Even though we planned to do the indoor things, we still had to do quite a bit of walking around outside. So- note to self- don't go to DC on a rainy day unless you really are willing to brave the wetness. The one advantage was that we were able to get tickets for the ever popular Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which is hard to do on a normal day unless you are in line early. On this rainy morning, there was NO line.

Anyway, we decided to ride the metro into the city (though looking back, driving in would have been better this day). The kids loved it! They thought it was so cool to ride the subway. Going in was great, but coming home was a bit of a nightmare, during rush hour- I have never seen so many people crammed into a small space. Shudder- I am so glad we don't live in a place like that- later when we drove in, the traffic was aweful.

Riding the metro- - and we even got a great picture of Tyler "reading" the paper on the trip in . . .



Our adventure (to put it nicely) began as we rode the escalator up into the rainy streets of DC. We walked to get tickets to the Bureau of Engraving and printing and back to the metro to ride over to the Capitol, thoroughly getting SOAKED in the process.

The "James Wilson" arch we saw on the way!!


I am realizing how poorly I planned things out this day, not knowing how it would be to walk around DC in the rain with little children. Looking back, I should have sent Jon to run to get tickets, while we waited in the metro station - - but I guess we were all anxious to start seeing the sights. Just the city itself and the classic historical buildings are cool to look at. The next part of our journey was probably the worst part of the day- - and where my planning should have been better. It was lunch time, and knowing that there really isn't any place to eat along the National Mall or Smithsonian that costs less than $10 per person (for a hot dog and chips, none the less), I packed our lunch in a backpack. The biggest problem, is that instead of taking time to make sandwiches ahead, I packed all the makings for the sandwiches (which usually works great- who wants a soggy sandwich anyway!). I realized once lunch time came around, that there was NO place to sit and eat that lunch. It was pouring rain, and there is no food allowed in the dry metro stations. Even when the rain did stop, there aren't nice picnic tables- just soggy grass and maybe a few wet park benches. Not knowing what to do- we truged over to the Capitol, since that was next on our list, hoping to be inspired as to what we should do about lunch. We get to the Capitol Visitor Center, and realize we can't even go in there because of our packed lunch. It's like the airport security- no liquids or gels (that includes pudding, yogurt and condiments I had packed in our lunches), or even food at all. Hmmm- so now what- of course there aren't lockers or something like that to store things while you go inside. At about this time, no one was having fun- the kids were all crying and I was so disappointed about not being able to see the Capitol Visitor Center (which I heard was awesome), and embarassed at not planning better - - we almost called it a day. So- we ended up just getting a few shots on our camera outside and continued on.



Luckily we pushed on and the day got MUCH better, especially once we were able to eat our lunch! The very first thing we came to after leaving the Capitol Grounds was the National Botanical Gardens. This looked cool, but wasn't on my MUST SEE list. At that moment, we just wanted the first place that would get us out of the cold rain, and we weren't disappointed! It was BEAUTIFUL, green and warm. We picked a quiet corner and made/ ate our lunch. I don't know if we were supposed to eat in there or not, but since we didn't see any signs, and were a bit desperate, we did it anyway. We all felt much better after eating and getting out of the cold.



By the time we came out, the blowing rain had at least stopped (though the weather still wasn't great- just tollerable). The rest of the afternoon we popped in at a few of the museums - mainly the National Air and Space Museum, and the Museum of Natural History. We didn't have much time at either of these- just a peek was still pretty cool, though really crowded! Since there was no food or drink allowed (and we still had condiments and more left from our lunch that I wasn't willing to throw away), AND they were super crowded and hard to navigate with at stroller, we just took turns- one parent would go in, and one would sit out and wait with Tyler and the back pack. My biggest complaint about the Smithsonian museums, is that there are no lockers to store items that can't be brought into the museums. The museums are free, but you still have to wait in line to go through security and have your bag checked.

Treats outside the National Archives:
(only kids would want POPCICLES on a day like that!)



We then rushed back over to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for our ticket time. It was almost worth the crazy day of rain to be able to see this! The kids were facinated by watching money being printed- so cool. It was a great way to end the day.

A million dollars in $10's in un-cut sheets:


Could you imagine having this bill? They said it is actually illegal to have one- they only use it for in-house purposes:


How tall are YOU in dollar bills?



** MORE TO COME!!! We spent another AMAZING day in DC during spring break!


Lessons learned and notes for anyone else planning on visiting DC:
1. Don't go in the rain, if you do- drive in or plan to take taxis or buses around the city. There is a lot of walking you still have to do outside, even if you ride the metro!
2. Pack a lunch (the little consession stands are REALLY expensive) - - BUT plan to eat it before going in any museums or buildings. Have everything made in advance, so you can easily eat it as you walk, and throw away your left overs. I am guessing a few small snacks in a purse or something is OK to keep while going into the buildings, but not a huge packed lunch.
3. Driving in wasn't as bad as they say (we drove in the second day we went). Riding the metro is just as crazy- parking at the metro stations is also really hard to find. Sure, traffic was HORRIBLE, but with little children driving in was so much easier. There is free parking around the mall, but some of it is only 3 hour parking, so we just had to move our car a couple of times. It helps that Jon is a good runner and could run back to our car and move it.
4. The best thing to do is plan months in advance when you are going to go- - so you can contact your Senator or State Representative's office to get tickets for things like touring the Capitol or the White House. Marcus was disappointed that we didn't get to do those things.
5. Remember that the Zoo is free, but the parking is NOT (it was $5 an hour this time)- - if you plan on riding the metro in at all- that would be a good day to see the zoo since there is a station right by the zoo.
6. Another tip about the zoo- start at the TOP (the north west end, I think? Off Conneticut Ave- parking lot A, the entrance by the visitor center) and go downhill. We started at the bottom and walked uphill the entire time. At the other end, Jon ran and got the car to pick us up because we were so exhausted. It would have been so much better if we had done it the opposite way- the way it was intended, I think!
5. Overall, plan for crowds- and enjoy the amazing sights! It really is worth it!

Happy Mother's Day- and welcome spring!

I am going to take a little break from blogging about our Spring Break trip to say Happy Mother's day! I have to pay tribute to my wonderful mother who not only raised me to be who I am today, but is also my best friend. I will forever be grateful to her for her love, and for the wonderful mother that she is. Thank you mom, for everything! I can't wait to see you in July!!!

What a wonderful day it has been. My children all worked hard to make it a good day for me. Cynthia was so cute- she went shopping with Jon last night and came home with a candy bar that she bought for me with her own money. And then today during church, one of the speakers said that she was so blessed because of her mom. Cynthia turned to me, totally catching me off guard (since I wasn't even sure if she was listening to the speaker) and said "I'm so blessed because of MY mom", and gave me her big doe eye, melt your heart look. Totally brough tears to my eyes. I guess my kids do somethimes appreciate me, in their own way.

It was a wonderful day. I realized that last year I didn't get a mother's day. Jon was on one of his 30 hour shifts, so I didn't even see him at all. This was also during a really stressful time, only a few days later is when he came home with the news that he was done at CWFM for good. Sigh- things are soooo much better here!!! Although Jon was on call this weekend so had to do rounds in the hospital this morning (meaning I had to get everyone ready and to 9 am church by myself- - joy), he was able to make it to church only just a bit late and we had a wonderful day. He only really has to be on call one week out of every other month or so, and even that is super easy- just taking a few of the after hours phone calls and doing rounds on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Anyway, taking a nice long nap after church, and not having to make dinner- AWESOME for this mom! Jon even grilled up some wonderful steaks- such a huge treat for me since we never splurge for them. We went for a wonderful walk at Metro Beach and enjoyed the amazing spring weather we are having now.

Ahhhh- spring- - it is FINALLY, truly here!!! It took until MAY to see any leaves on the trees (and it is still pretty sparse- the leaves are JUST now popping out). This week the trees burst into bloom and the tulips opened their petals. We have had a truly WET few months, so the grass is super lush and green. We have also had a couple of sunny days this week and it was GORGEOUS. For the last 6 1/2 months or so, besides no leaves on the trees and everything looking really barren, we have also rarely seen the sun. Occasionally, the sun would peak through the cloud cover, or we would have a clear sunny day. In March and April that was MAYBE once a week. At least all the rain has a trade off- things ARE really lush and green and WHEN the sun does finally come out it is amazingly beautiful. The winter sure seemed long here- more than half the year without leaves on the trees . . . . thank goodness spring is finally here for real.