The Beach (well...kind of)

We went to the Beach (a water park) in Ottumwa, IA and met up with one of Nathan's friends from high school, Danny Jewell. The Jewells were in town from Idaho and we all wanted to get together so that we could catch up. The water park consists of 2 slides, a wave pool, and a kids pool (not much...but this is Iowa). Nonetheless we had fun and the weather was relatively good. Muggy...but good. Enjoy the pictures!

Old Friends: Nathan and Danny

Here is Nathan going down the big slide. I love the facial expressions. It was a little scary at the end. He started going sideways and it looked like he was going to bounce out, but he didn't.

Also...does this house look familiar?Well...look at the picture of this painting and maybe you'll recognize it. The house that stands behind the people in the American Gothic painting by Grant Woods is located in Eldon, Iowa. We made a quick stop on our way down to Ottumwa and took a picture of it. So now every time we see that painting we can say "I've been there!"American Gothic art picture courtesy of Google: www.greenstudios.co.uk/Blog/files/American_Gothic.jpg

Compare and Contrast

So...here was our weather forecast for today (June 22).

Here was our weather forecast 6 months ago (January 15).

What a difference 6 months makes. Apparently there is a heat advisory for tomorrow. I'm sure glad that I work in doors with air conditioning.

Washington D.C. Part VII

Friday June 5--our last day

1)We rented a car so that we could go to the Washington D.C. Temple. We were told by many friends to try and make it to the Temple, so we took their advice and are glad we went. Just like every other temple...it was Heaven on Earth and it is a glorious building.

As you are driving on the freeway and are approaching the exit for the Temple, out of no where the golden spires burst out of the trees and you get a first glimpse of the Temple. Then, as you drive up a little windy road covered by trees on both sides, more of this brilliant structure is revealed. And finally, as you drive into the parking lot, you see the Temple and all of its glory! The inside is just as beautiful as the outside too. If you are ever in the D.C. area and have time, we highly recommend attending the temple.

2)After the Temple we made a quick stop at the National Cathedral. We couldn't spend much time here (or take many pictures on the inside) because there was an 8th grade promotion that had just started. Plus we had to return the rental car and time was of the essence. It is a magnificent looking building...but the Washington D.C. Temple is better (so we think).3)Enterprise dropped us off at Union Station so that we could get on a train and travel North to Baltimore for our flight that left at 6:00 am the next day. Union Station is enormous! It was neat as we walked through this old building. It's still a busy train station today and we wondered if it was just as busy in the olden days.

Well...that's our trip. We had a wonderful time and already want to go back. There is still so much that we didn't see. As you tour the city, you feel like you are stepping back in time and are being a part of our Nation's history which is a really neat feeling. You also can't help but feel patriotic as you visit the Memorials. All in all...Washington D.C. was AWESOME!

Union Station picture provided by Ad Meskens.

Washington D.C. Part VI

Thursday June 4
1)Went to the Postal Museum. We were told that this is a neat place to go in D.C. However, we did not think it was that neat. But we did find a few things that were interesting. We saw an old altered car decked out in winter gear, and an old dutch post box. Nathan particularly liked the old mailbox because he served his mission and the Netherlands.2)Went over to Ford's Theater. This is where President Lincoln was shot. He actually died across the street at the Peterson home in a back bedroom. Ford's Theater is part of the National Park Service and our tour guide was a "ranger." He told the story of what happened the night President Lincoln was assassinated and he did a wonderful job. We are really happy that we went to Ford's Theater because it's such a historic place that we felt like we had stepped back in time (except for all the tourists).
3)After Ford's Theater we decided to try (for the third time) to head over to the Lincoln Memorial and we FINALLY made it. Lincoln's Memorial is truly inspirational. You can't help but feel an enormous amount of gratitude for what Abraham Lincoln did for our Country. Plus, you have a gorgeous view of the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Library of Congress. 4)Walked over to the Vietnam Memorial. This Memorial is very moving. It honors the men and women who fought and died during the war. ALL of their names are etched in the black granite wall. The reflective nature of the black granite makes it so that visitors see their own reflection as they read the names that are engraved on the memorial which symbolically brings the past into the present.5)Walked across the street to the Albert Einstein Statue and met a fun couple who we swapped picture taking with and gave us a few good pointers of lesser known places to visit in D.C.
6)Went back to the Lincoln Memorial to wait out some more rain...ugh! Oh well...at least we had a beautiful view.
7)Walked over to the Korean Memorial. This memorial is also very touching. There are so many people that have died serving our country and you can't help but feel gratitude for all the men and women.
8)Attended a Washington Nationals Game. They played the San Fransisco Giants and we saw Randy Johnson (a very famous pitcher) get his 300th career win. We're not Nationals fans, but we like baseball and the Orioles were out of town. We thought the game was going to be cancelled due to the rain but we were proven wrong. As you can see...the stands were almost empty. And we made our best investment that week as we purchased $6 worth of ponchos.

9)Went back to the Washington Monument and went to the top (well...500 feet at least). This was really neat! We tried to go up to the monument during the day but the tickets go so fast that it's very difficult to get them. And even if we did go during the day, the weather was overcast so we wouldn't have seen much anyways. But the nighttime skyline was inspirational and it was worth it...even in the rain.

Washington D.C. Part V

Wednesday June 3
1)Went to the National Zoo. Rachel LOVES animals so if we travel where there is a zoo...we go to the zoo. We had a good time and the animals were VERY cooperative. Our favorites were the Panda Bears, the Red Pandas, the Lion, the Tigers, the Sea Lions, and the Cheetahs.
Rachel adopted a cheetah (well...kind of). You can adopt animals that are endangered through the zoo and your contribution helps fund that specific species throughout the world, and that animal's research in the zoo. So Rachel now likes to say that she has 2 cats: a house cat and a cheetah. Here is a picture of Rachel with "her" cheetah.
2)Tried to make it to the Lincoln Memorial...but got caught in a torrential down pour! We got stuck at the WWII Memorial (between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial) and had to wait for the rain to let up...but it never did. We were soaked to the bone! Our main goal was to protect our new camera that we had just purchased. We were a little embarrassed as we walked back into our hotel dripping water all over their marble floors. Sorry Marriott Hotel...but that's what you get for not giving us Wi-Fi!