DC Trip

Our trip to Washington D.C.! Beside Skip, none of us had ever been to DC and Madison and I have always talked about visiting! Last week we thought we would try it, and then the blizzard hit! So, we are trying again! Keep checking back for updates on our super awesome trip! I’ll add pictures and fun things as we go!

And as always, THANK YOU for making this happen! We have to use a good chunk of Hope money for insurance but we also have some AMAZING vacations planned and unplanned along the way…

Here we go….

1/29@9... Just stopped somewhere in TN for Starbucks after I drove for 3 hours straight!! I woke up without a headache for the first time in who knows how long, so we thought I should start. Nothing. I was able to focus my eyes, and even talk on the phone a little! I’m so excited I can hardly sit here and type! Dr. Rudnick called along the way and I’m sky-hi on adrenaline. I’m in love.

1/29@2... That was the best rest stop on the planet! We are in Bristol VA! There was a sign for people to come in to play their guitar so why not! The girls both played and got Bristol Pics and then the manager came out and asked if Madison would like to play on their YouTube channel! Lol. So he brought out his little camera and people crowded around and it was super cool! Great place! It's random things like this that make life special. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pmxEvN4H00o

1/29@11:30PM... So we made it! There is a good little bit of snow left too! The very first thing we saw was the Lincoln Memorial and Alana FREAKED! She was so excited! The city reminded me of NY as Skip navigated Spaceball One through buses and traffic! We stopped at the busiest Whole Foods on the planet and stocked up on some goodies and stuff for the week. We got to our hotel and they at first had us in a 2 bedroom, what we wanted except um, it was in the basement. Oh. No. Sorry. So we got a 1 bedroom on the 8th floor down the hall from mom and Warren who just arrived!! Apparently there are 2 10th streets and Ls in the city and they were at the wrong one. Well. Everyone is tired, happy and settling in. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. The snow in the parks already brought back memories of living in NYC and walking in the snow. It was really cool and cannot wait for morning!

1/30 We woke up this morning and took our time. We made a yummy breakfast and then packed our snacks, bundled out and headed on our first adventure! It was a few blocks to the Metro station and the kids were ECSTATIC to ride the subway. Funny how they all smell the same! Had a sweet cop help us buy our cards and off we went. We decided to head to the Smithsonians and figure out which one once we got there. The mall lawn called my name and we gravitated toward it, just for a picture. By now, we had easily walked a mile and off to the Aerospace Museum we went. Skip is our plane man and me loving space, it seemed a good fit. Plus, I knew we could watch a movie and put our feet up! We walked through a few exhibits and then hit the planetarium. I closed my eyes because OH MY the starry tilts and flashes was a bit was a little too much!! We snuck in some snacks as well, and afterward, Alana begged to go downstairs. I think she is going to be like her dad with a love of airplanes and flight. She was begging to go onto/into every plane and was running around like a mad lady. Then we decided to hit the simulations and the girls and Skip flew some simulators doing a million flips over and over and over... I decided at the last minute that 3 minutes of that was likely entirely too much for me so Skip graciously went twice. We had to get the funny pictures at the end. The girls said their favorite parts were that, the planetarium, and going through the planet exhibit, especially the part that showed the sizes of the planets, moons, and the sun. It was pretty awesome. Afterward, we walked over to Plan B Burger, warmed up, and pigged out. I may never eat again, but for sure THE BEST veggie burger I have ever had! We then went to get our daily Starbucks, played a little just out and about in the city and then jumped on the Metro back. We decided to run down to Mt. Vernon Park (which we never found) and ended up trying to make a snowman in a little garden patch. We threw a few snowballs and then headed home. I will say, the mounds of snow will likely be the highlight of this trip and if we did nothing else, the girls wiould be happy with the snow alone. Every step Alana takes you'll see her in the snow, throwing a foot in the now, or running around in the snow. If I said right now, we are going to play in the snow they would BOLT out the door. (We are all resting and chilling) Tongiht we plan to take it easy and get a REALLY good night sleep. I got pelted in the chest with a hard snowball, and feeling that, but otherwise, I feel pretty good. For me, the more active I am, the better. The less my head hurts and the happier I am. I told Skip that yesterday, I would've thought nothing was wrong with me. We traveled for 11 hours and I felt like old times. No weirdness, just a good day. It was so nice. And honestly, other than waking up with a headache, it was the same. I wish this could last forever, but I know too well this is nothing to take for granted. We are super blessed to have me feeling well at the moment, and could turn on a dime. I woke up stressing about Dr. Dunbar again and then was reminded in a new book of Joshua 1:9 and how I am not to be "bullied by my fears and diminished by my insecurities" and that "overwhelming victory belongs to you because you belong to him." (I am yours and you are mine!!) I'm going to have the week of my life with people I love most and not going to let the enemy steal that joy. I've been granted the gift of feeling well and I'm so thankful for that. Walking around this city has made me so very happy and I didn't even mind the cold. Not one bit! Which is HUGE for me. It was lovely. I cannot wait to see what adventure comes tomorrow, but I hope to visit National Community Church started by Mark Batterson. I've been chatting with them today and looks like we have a lot of options! I've always thought their start up was one of the neatest stories, what a blessing it would be to visit.

2/1 Wowzers. Another crazy long awesome day that started right with for me, THE best church services of all time (which will be another post) but we went to National Community Church where it just so happened Mark Batterson would be and what a treat. Alana and I met him and gave him a teamnadine bracelet and I told him I would email him later this week. It was awesome. Oh, did I mention it was in the unreal beautiful Lincoln Theatre?! 

We left there and went to Meridian Park where I was disappointed because all the fountains were turned off. Ok, not totally wasted as we had a snowball fight and basked in the sunshine and warmth. I think it was like 65!! People were out everywhere! 

We later that day took a cab to the Lincoln Memorial and Alana was nuts excited!! We all were. The reflection pool was frozen except for a tiny spot in the middle which I later realized would've been amazing in the sunset. It was so beautiful. Our goal was to make it to the White House before dark and with the 8 million picture stops along the way I was blown away that it actually happened. I was so in awe of the Washington Monument. And the contrast of the dark blue sky and sunset was more beautiful than any camera could ever take in. There were just many moments I just stood. We saw the White House through the gate as it stood in front of a morphing blue to pink to purple sky. Birds filled the trees and would swoop down, even pooping on moms head!! Yikes!

We later ate at Old Emmitts which was a super cool treat and really neat place and then made our way back to the hotel. I figured out we walked around 4 miles today and I feel as good as anyone else here!! So wishing I had my bath and salts but soon. I also need to eat healthier because really, eating out is getting the best of me! Ahh! I'm not sure what tomorrow is other than buying Shawn Mendes tickets, but I do know this... We are sleeping in. 

Monday! We decided to spend the rainy afternoon at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History! What an incredible treat! Alana had been waiting VERY patiently for the Butterfly exhibit to reopen and February first was the day! We headed straight for that area and checked out the insect room while we awaited. I think Madison was a bit freaked out by all the creepy crawly things, Alana and I were in awe. We went into the Butterfly room and I actually had a butterfly land on my head!!!! It was so amazing, one of the neatest things ever in my life. I've now read, that butterflies symbolize hope and many other amazing things I cannot remember at the moment. HAHA! We visited the mineral room which could easily have been an entire day, dinosaurs, we watched IMAX dinosaurs, we walked through the mammal exhibit which was UNREAL. Like a stuffed zoo! Madison wouldn't step foot in. We walked through the underwater exhibit which I was dumbfounded on how many things Alana knew the name of and was rattling off what they eat, do, etc. Thank you Octonaughts!!! Hilarious. I even took a picture next to one of them, because I couldn't even pronounce what the thing was! We took cabs back to the hotel and decided to hit a Mexican joint not far after resting. Let me just say, DC has NOTHING on Atlanta Mexican. We giggled a lot and overall had a nice time. Everyone got to bed early to be ready for our last day of adventures. We probably watched "Descendants" as daily begged to see by Alana, I highly do not recommend, but still nice family time.

Tuesday! Our last day in DC and we made it a big one. We started at the Holocaust museum and the information desk instructed us to Daniels Room first. It's the holocaust from a child's perspective. A survivor. Let me just say, by the end I was an emotional wreck, and could've been good to have just went through that. It was so well done. I have no words the impact that left on my heart. We did decide to walk through the actual exhibit which starts on the fourth floor and meanders down. There was a lot I just held Alana's hand and walked by, there were more things I read that peirced my heart to my soul. Deciding we needed a big break, we skipped the 3rd floor and went out to the finish. It opened up to an amazing reflection room where we lit candles for those who perished. The scriptures on the wall were amazing and it was just beyond anything I could ever describe. I am very glad we went and very glad my girls got to learn it from this perspective. We got some water and decided it was near time for our tickets up to the top of the Washington Monument. They let us in a little early and up to the tippy top we rode. What a spectacular view!! We took lots of photos, Alana freaked at every landmark we could see, and out the NW I found my next mission, the National Cathedral. We were all starving and had decided to go back to the Plan B Burger joint as it was seriously the best meal we had all ever had. It was true again and it was nice to refuel. We took the Metro back and chilled again. Skip and I were able to go on a date night and decided to hit the Cathedral. There was a drum circle that evening. We took a cab and as we approached it may have been the most enormous cathedral I have EVER seen. It was unreal. I did find out there is a Darth Vader face on one of the pillars, not in eye sight, but I think I found it. We went in and there was a rolling thunder. The sound was unbelievable. We found a couple of seats with a couple of drums and sat down. The people watching was amazing. There was every race, ethnicity, every kind of person young to old. It was awesome. They apparently only do this once a year, and there were people from ALL over. They started with some instruction, some guiding, and basically, drum your prayers. Listen to your heartbeat. I cannot tell you how much I prayed or what I even said, but it was cool. I could hear rythms and would try to copy them. Skip is my drummer boy and I loved watching him beat. I think he was letting out a lot of anger or something, because man, he was going to town. He told me later he was waiting at one point for them to start slaughtering calfs and we got a good laugh at some of the weirdness. We roamed around the cathedral at the end and found our way to a prayer room, with candle lighting. I was intrigued by the massive painting of Jesus on the wall. It was beautiful. We sat and prayed for a while and we lit a candle for our family. We finally left and decided to go to Adams Morgan for some adult time. I had to laugh. A friend told us to try a joint called Madames Organ which looked totally cool, but the coffee house next door looked way more inviting and the noise was low. So us old people decided to go there. We had a great cup of coffee and some yummy dessert, I never eat sugar so it was GLORIOUS chocolate chip cookies, and then made our way back to the hotel. We had totally forgotten we were going to leave early and needed to pack, so we did a little and off to dreamland.

Our trip home was long but nice. We stopped what Skip says 825 times for me to pee and 3 times for Alana to poop, but it wasn't that much. I was just doing my duty of being well hydrated before Thursday's chemo. Thankfully, we all made it home, Skip's mom and Warren arrived as well, and other than the stench of some rotting something in my refrigerator a sweet friend had come by to clean our house while we were gone. It was so nice to have everything ready since I just cant do it all anymore. A huge weight lifted during the packing process as I tend to pack, plan and clean for days before our departure. And not complaining, as I love planning, but it was a good burden to be lifted.


Overall, our trip to DC was one of the best trips in my life. Our traveling parents were incredible and told us to "pretend they were our children and that they would just tag along, whatever we wanted to do." Really? Okay. And they stuck to that. It was one of the most peaceful trips ever with some amazing family time. And the business and adventure we had kept me completely distracted from the dread of Thursday's chemo. I wish we could go back and see so many more things, but for now, it was magical, and we will leave it at that. Oh, and the weather, insane perfect. High 40's all the way to mid 60's. Thank you God for the perfect timing once again. Oh and if you need a place to stay there, I highly recommend the one bedroom suites at Eldon. It was close to the metro and a quick taxi ride to the mall, and a full suite for a little over $100/night. Rates likely go up for different seasons, but January/February is low and the museums were basically empty. Just awesome.

I want to say thank you to our Hope supporters because without you, we couldn't take amazing vacations like this. We were careful on how to spend our money and were pleasantly amazed at actually how little we spent. The gift you gave us to travel, and pay bills, is one we could never in words know how to thank you. Thank you for coming along our amazing journeys and let this one be just one of many yet to come.