Happy Birthday, America!!!

Duane & I are very fortunate to have such good friends.  It is tradition to spend Independence Day at Rob's Lake Limestone house.  We always have a good time, but it isn't always fun and games.  This year, we worked on the deck.

First, came DESTRUCTION!!!

There is always a bit of cleaning to do!
Good times with good friends!
All work and no play makes Aggies very cranky, so (of course) we had to squeeze in some lake fun!!!  How many Aggies does it take to blow up a raft?????



Hold on, Casey!!!

And now, CONSTRUCTION!!!
Noah was VERY interested and watched all of the deck work!


Finally, time for a rest!
And food!!!
Bombs Away!!!
Noah love-love-LOVED the fireworks, and told me, "Pretty Cecie!!!" over and over again!
Beautiful!!!

On Sunday, after a couple more hours of working on the deck, it was finally time for a bit of relaxation, but even that is strenuous!!!  Here, Jeremy schools Duane on a Wii bit of Punch Out!

And, Noah takes a turn around the track in Mario Cart!

Another wonderful holiday at Lake Limestone!

Good Food!  Good Friends! Good Times!!!

Happy Independence Day!!!!!!!

In honor of our Nation's birthday...

John Hancock's signature on the Declaration of Independence

Signed July 4, 1776

Arlington , VA Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,

Revolutionary War

The Constitution of the United States

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Arlington National Cemetery

The Original Star-Spangled Banner

From the Battle at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812

Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery

In front of the White House

The Washington Monument

As seen from the Lincoln Memorial

We hope you have a wonderful and safe Independence Day Weekend!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Happy Father's Day, Dads!!!!!!!

We were lucky enough to spend Mother's Day with both of our Mothers, Duane's grandmother, and Aunt Frances. Sadly, local commitments kept us from honoring our dads in the same way. We just wanted to take this opportunity to say how much we love & appreciate our dads for everything, and that we hope they had a VERY HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!! (And a very Happy Father's Day to all of the great dads out there!!!)

The Princes

The Kerstens

Washington, DC--Day 4!!!

Monday was another speedy day, and then it was time to come home. We saw the National Archives, which houses the Magna Carta, Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution.  They were amazing to see!  We also visited the National Museum of Natural History; I have added the Hope Diamond to my Christmas List, but I don't have my hopes too high!!  Last was the National Museum of American History, which was celebrating all things American, from presidents to pop culture.  Then it was time to load the bus for the final time as we headed for home.

It was a GREAT trip! The kids behaved beautifully, and our tour guide & bus driver were top notch!!!  EVERYTHING was well planned by Smithsonian Student Travel and went off without a hitch.  I hope everyone had as much fun as Duane & I had!!!!!!

Washington, DC--Day 3!!!

Busy doesn't even begin to describe today!!! We started off at the White House, then went to Ford's Theater to hear the story of Lincoln's assassination. Next came the Holocaust Mueseum, two Smithsonian (Air & Space and Native American Indians), and last (but not least) the FDR Memorial and Jefferson Memorial. We had an added bonus today: Eleanor & Jason (some friends of the Prince Family who now live in DC) were able to join us as we meandered our way (at 90mph) through the Smithsonian Museums. Since they moved to DC, we don't see them nearly enough, so it was GREAT fun to visit with them as we took in the sights!!!

We head home tomorrow, after our last bit of sight seeing (National Archives, Natural History, & American History museums). Washington, DC is a BEAUTIFUL city that we have thoroughly enjoyed. The kids have been great! The adults have made it (so far), and the city has been wonderful.  This is my third trip to the city, and I could come back again and again!!!

  

Washington, DC: Day 2!!!

Another busy, busy day of sightseeing!  We saw Arlington National Cemetery & the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown, Embassy Row, Mount Vernon, and Old Alexandria.  We did LOTS & LOTS of walk-walk-walking today, but it was all worth it!!!  Our tour guides have been amazing; they have done a fabulous job of telling us about everything we see.  The kids are full of energy and are taking it all in.  The adults have less energy, but are enjoying things as well. The weather is great, mid-80s & clear.  We're looking forward to more fun in DC tomorrow!!!

Washington, DC--Day 1

Today was a whirlwind day in DC. Capitol building, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, & Vietnam Memorial. We're having a great time, and are VERY tired! The kids are settling down for the night (hopefully!) and the adults are collapsing into bed.  The kids have all been GREAT, and WOW! is a common sound coming from our kids. The adults are making it; the beautiful sites & keeping up with the kids is a huge motivator!  

Go Astros!!!

Duane and I went to watch the Astros beat up on the Rockies.  It was a great game, and we had a SUPER time!