The past two weeks...

I am again going to apologize one again for your not being able to enjoy insight into my life. Over the past two weeks we have had a rather amazing life....

Last Saturday we left for Washington DC. I have posted the slide show without any explanation..so here goes-(Que Drum Roll). We went to DC for the internment of my father in law. He was buried last Tuesday in Arlington National Cemetery. More on that later. We headed to DC early for some education. The kids learned about and saw the following: National Air and Space Museum, Museum of National History, Museum of Natural History, WWII Memorial, Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Union Station, Chinatown, Washington Monument, EOEB, White House, Vietnam Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, Iwo Jima and Arlington and all the street, sidewalks and metro rail lines in between those points. Please keep in mind that we saw and experienced all of this via foot, and metro. We managed to fit all of this into 2 days. I must say, I love Washington DC! I loved the time that I lived there and I love being able to take my kids to enjoy that same city.

I really liked the fact that no matter how many times I tell the kids and my kids I mean Nathan, Ethan, John and Brandi (my niece we took) not to look at the bums, not to talk to the bums and don't EVER make eye contact with them! No matter how many times I gave them that advice, Nathan always got stuck with a bum. We had a bum talk to Nathan for an entire Metro ride, complete with kids asking "what is wrong with that guy?" mid conversation! We had one dude follow us talking to us and yelling directions to me for 12 blocks. DUDE I LIVED HERE! Shut UP! Nathan just walked and talked to the crazy dude! Holy cow! Bums have never been a problem for me because I ignore them or look the other way or tell them a firm NO! Nathan is a bum magnet. Is he afraid that he is going to hurt their feelings? Lordy mercy~

On Tuesday we laid our sweet Daddy T to rest in Arlington. Daddy T died in July and the wait is a long while to be placed in Arlington. Wait or no wait, it was a beautiful day, the type that Daddy T would have loved, nice cool fall day complete with sunshine. Perfect. We started services at the Old Post Chapel in Arlington. Then Daddy T's casket was loaded onto a horse drawn Caisson with 6 horses, 3 were riderless. There was also a riderless horse - with the boots turned backwards. There was a band that played all the way to Daddy T's final resting place. We were joined grave side by all of the Tomb Guards that were not on duty, two regimes of guards in formation, a bagpiper --it was a moving send off. He would be humbled. It was an amazing experience. I believe that if everyone in America and the world could have the amount of pride in our country that we had that day, I dare say we would not have many of the problems that divide our country.

What struck me the most was that most of the people that are around Daddy T in the Cemetery are younger that I am. They are in their 20's and have already died. The hardest part was after we were done at the grave site, we stepped away. Once we had cleared away, a young widow came to visit the site of her loved one. She sobbed her eyes out, she lost so much! My heart hurt so much for her. She has lost more that I hope to ever lose and she is just one person. The loss that is shown in the one small place in out little country is so profound that words cannot begin to explain all the emotions, memories, and images we saw and the loss that we as Americans that are "left behind" feel. So sad!

We returned home on Tuesday night. Spent most of last week recovering from my day in heels-hello blister! I did not hit the gym last week. Slacker I am! Today I am back at it. We had a weekend of visitors for the Middle Tennessee v. Mississippi State game (we lost). We were joined by my brother and his family from Texas. We also had some dear friends in from Mississippi. We had such a wonderful time --I go to love on 5 kids, that were not mine!

Speaking again of my kids, they - along with my hubby headed into the woods for Cub Scout camping weekend. They had a GREAT time camping...however cold it was. Good Times!

Well that is all for now. I promise once something happens that is fun and interesting I will write again...promise.