Maryland, Virginia & Washington DC

Mindy and Clinton welcomed Emma Catherine on March 14. She weighed 9 lb 15 oz! I had the privilege of going to Maryland the following week for 5 days!

Regardless of Emma's size, she seemed small to me, smelled so good and was so very soft. I've forgotten a few things about babies... how they like to scrunch up and how tricky it is to change their entire outfit. I did love holding her and having her smile at someone, who I couldn't see, over my shoulder or above my head. She and I spent some time walking together in the wee hours of the morning which was actually quite pleasant.

I enjoyed the time I got to spend with 2 1/2 year old Lizzy. She and I have never bonded like that because the times we've been together my children, her cousins, were there too. She wasn't sure about me at first, but we became great buddies and quite enjoyed each other.

It was a real treat to be able to visit with Mindy and Clinton (almost constantly) and get them all to myself. It was delightful to visit about U.S. History and learn things that I'm sure I should've learned in high school, but clearly didn't. It was just neat to be with that little family. They fed me and housed me and drove me around and provided me with a computer so I could check my email. They're great people.

Mindy felt very well so we went on several outings. We rode the rail into downtown Washington, D.C. I was overwhelmed the minute we walked out of the rail station. The buildings were magnificent with columns and quotes carved into the marble. We walked across Pennsylvania Avenue and down to the White House (the president didn't come out and wave to us).

I had read a biography on Abraham Lincoln and George Washington prior to my trip so that I could appreciate more some of the things I was seeing. I am so grateful that I did that. It gave great importance to the Lincoln Memorial which has the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second Inaugural Address, on the walls. We sat at the World War II Memorial for some time and walked past the Washington Monument.

Mindy sat and rested and fed Emma. Clinton, the amazing and most fabulous tour guide, and Lizzy and I did much more walking.

A few days later we went downtown to the National Archives where we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta. Simply amazing.

We took one day and went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's plantation. I wish I could verbalize how magnificent this place is, how blessed we are to live in this country, and how fortunate we are to have the freedoms that we have.

I am determined that we need to take our children to Washington, D.C. It's moved to one of the top three places that we need to vacation!

Jeremy is my hero. He spent a week at home with sick children, got the healthy ones to school on time, got Anna to dance, hosted a late night with some of the neighbor kids, did laundry, managed to work, and keep the house tidy. He is the best.

Thanks to Michelle for planting the idea (that I should go to Maryland) in my head last November, thanks to Mindy and Clinton for allowing me to come and play, thanks to my kids for being great and making me feel like I could go, and thanks to Jeremy for encouraging me to go and being happy that I got to take such a remarkable trip. I'm a lucky gal.

**pictures top to bottom: (1) the girls standing at the WWII Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, (2) Emma and me in front of the White House, (3) Lizzy and me in front of the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building behind that, (4) Mindy, Emma and me at Mount Vernon standing in front of the Potomac River, and (5) me with Emma and Lizzy resting after a fun day