Austin got to go a Learning Forward Education Conference in Washington, D.C. and I invited myself to join him. We flew out of Calgary to Minneapolis, and then from Minneapolis to Washington, D.C. We had some excitement as we were leaving Minneapolis. We had left the gate and were starting to taxi out to the runway. A lady right in front of me told the flight attendant that she was sick and couldn't fly. So we had to return to the gate. The lady got off the plane, and then the flight attendant came and searched her area. Then about 20 minutes later the captain came on the intercom and said that when someone gets off a plane, it raises a safety concern. So they had us all get off the plane again and take all our stuff with us. They even brought in dogs to check for bombs. Everything was clear, so 2 hours later we flew out.
Cody Toone, Austin's vice principal, had flown out 2 days earlier and had rented a car. So he picked us up. The convention was at the Gaylord Convention Center, and we stayed right across the street in the Hampton Inn. It was perfect. We were right next to the Potomac River, and there were Christmas trees and lights everywhere.
They went to their conference in the day, and then we were tourists. The first day we went to Mt. Vernon where George Washington lived. George was a great leader and a great man. We need more leaders like him.
We drove to a parking lot and got on the subway. We rode to Arlington Cemetery. The lady at the Visitor's Center said as we got there, if you hurry you can make the 4 o'clock changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. So we grabbed a map and started walking. It was a little farther than we expected. As it got closer to 4 pm, we started to run, but we made it just as the clock tour started chiming. It was worth it. I love watching their precision and respect. It was one of the memories I had of Washington D.C. when I went with my family when I was 14.
Next we walked to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
On our second day of being tourists, we drove to Annapolis, Maryland to the US Naval Academy. My Uncle Boyd and Aunt Jeanene work there. Luckily we got to meet up with them and have a short tour. Austin had actually never met my aunt. It was awesome to have a tour and see the beautiful buildings and the flags the Navy has captured.
Next stop was the Washington DC Temple. It is beautiful every night but especially with Christmas lights. We met up with David & Pat Mudrick, friends of Austin's dad. After we walked around the Temple visitor center, we went to eat with them in a little sandwich shop where locals eat. It was yummy!
Austin and Cody went to class on Wednesday morning. And then it was time to fly back home. Our first flight from Washington DC to Toronto was on a small plane. We had to ride in one of these buses out to the plane and climb right on the steps to the plane. We were on the front row of the plane. We pretended we were first class. Then before we took off, the flight attendant said he needed one person from the first four rows to move to the back four rows so the plane would balance out. So Austin volunteered to move back.
We made it safely back to Calgary and then our drive home to Cardston.
Ours kids rocked it while we were gone. They just took care of each other, and Jill got everyone where they needed to be. They did need a little help from neighbors and friends to get everyone where they needed to be. They even fasted on Sunday!
This was a picture of them all ready for school on Monday.
They also had a photo shoot before church!
No comments:
Post a Comment