I had a soup party over at Carrie's last week you can check out the pictures on FB which I will post soon.
It was attended by
Carrie
Keli
Paul
Kelly
Dorsietta
and
Chad
I brought a broccoli cheese soup that I got at the Safeway in Fairfax, Kelly brought a chicken tortilla soup with chips that she got at Costco.
Carrie contributed her house,a salad and some oranges
Paul made some amazing mocktails, virgin pina colada and pomegranate Crystal Light.
Dorsietta brought some popcorn but we never got around to eating it because we were so FULL.
I made the most AMAZING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER!!!!! if you just google Doubletree cookies then you will find the recipe.
after we ate we retired to Carrie's basement and played games, we played a game called Imaginiff, it is SO FUN. You put everyone's name on the board and then you have these cards and you have to say imagine if this person was doing this and you have different choices. It was so fun and FUNNY!!!
I wont tell you what I accidentally said instead of Elvis's pelvis...but well.. Chad and I laughed until we cried and Dorsietta fell off her chair!!!! pretty funny!!!! :)
Kelly, Carrie, Dorsietta and I stayed up late talking about boys and then Carrie and I stayed up even later talking about boys.
GREAT NIGHT!!!!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Field trip
Last Saturday my friend Carrie, Spike and I went for a hike/walk in Alexandria at a park called Huntley Meadows there was snow on the ground and it was snowing but the weather was not that bad and the snow was not that deep. We had a nice time walking around and taking pictures and talking. I need to be outdoors more! I will put the pictures on FB soon and people can check them out there.
holiday
For New Years Day I was not feeling very well so I did not really do much. I hope that everyone is excited for 2011. Who knows what will happen to any of us this year just make sure that you are happy and that you make good choices. I did set some resolutions, like we all should have.
I want to read 52 books this year. I am on my second one right now.
I want to go to Utah and visit people and also do a session at the Draper and Oquirreh Mountain temples they are the only ones in Utah that are complete that I have not done a session at.
I want to read all the books that Justin's dad wrote.
I want to exercise more.
I want to study and read the scriptures and pray more.
I wish everyone a happy and healthy new 2011... I still don't know what to call it ? I call it two thousand eleven but it seems like everyone else calls it twenty eleven. ..
I want to read 52 books this year. I am on my second one right now.
I want to go to Utah and visit people and also do a session at the Draper and Oquirreh Mountain temples they are the only ones in Utah that are complete that I have not done a session at.
I want to read all the books that Justin's dad wrote.
I want to exercise more.
I want to study and read the scriptures and pray more.
I wish everyone a happy and healthy new 2011... I still don't know what to call it ? I call it two thousand eleven but it seems like everyone else calls it twenty eleven. ..
holiday day 1
for New Years Eve I went and interviewed with my new boss Alicia in the morning, she showed me around the house and I got to know the boys a little bit.
In the evening I went to my friend Elaine's she had a small get together it was attended by about 12 people. Elaine made chocolate waffles with egg nog whip cream and some regular ones too. We played a game called Last Word, watched the ball drop and toasted 2011.
I got home at almost 3AM and there was a HUGE possum on my moms front porch bigger than a house cat! That was scary! I was opening and shutting my Blazer door.. and then I thought there is no sense in scaring it... it will just play dead.. I had on these strappy high heels and I was so annoyed like man if I had my boots on I could at least THEORETICALLY kick it...or have a better chance running from it or SOMETHING...
In the evening I went to my friend Elaine's she had a small get together it was attended by about 12 people. Elaine made chocolate waffles with egg nog whip cream and some regular ones too. We played a game called Last Word, watched the ball drop and toasted 2011.
I got home at almost 3AM and there was a HUGE possum on my moms front porch bigger than a house cat! That was scary! I was opening and shutting my Blazer door.. and then I thought there is no sense in scaring it... it will just play dead.. I had on these strappy high heels and I was so annoyed like man if I had my boots on I could at least THEORETICALLY kick it...or have a better chance running from it or SOMETHING...
Sunday, January 9, 2011
field trip
Over Christmas break I took Bowman and Tenney to the Stabler-Ledbeater Apothecary in Alexandria, VA. My friend Elaine came along with us.
The apothecary is located in Old Town Alexandria they have a gift shop that I could have spent a lot of money in because they had some very cute jewelry in there. While we were waiting for our tour to begin. I talked to the girl behind the desk and she has a degree in museum management....just like that guy at Mt.Vernon remember him? So I asked her if he Obama's had ever toured there. She said the younger daughter Sasha had been on a field trip there with her class but that she was on her lunch break when they came. THAT IS MY NEW QUESTION... I am now going to ask everywhere that I go, Has anyone in the Obama family been here?
Our tour guide was an older gentlemen that I thought did a great job. He showed us how Martha Washington and Robert E. Lee had shopped there. He said that in 1933 that the person that owned the apothecary just walked out and locked the door and left everything as it was. The city of Alexandria bought the building and made it into a museum. The original bottles with the original contents are still there in the same places.
We went upstairs where they had a trap door that the tour guide opened for Bowman and Tenney they had fun looking through it and down on Elaine and I.
We went into a room with a sliding door and it looked like Diagon Alley in there. They had things like Unicorn root ( which is a plant) and Dragons blood ( the pulp of a plant) they even had cocaine, heroin, opium and cannabis, IDK if those things were still full of those things but who knows.
there is another upstairs above that BUT it is not up to code so we were not able to tour that. I had a nice time touring that place and I did get a magnet.
Elaine, Bowman and Tenney also enjoyed their time.
The apothecary is located in Old Town Alexandria they have a gift shop that I could have spent a lot of money in because they had some very cute jewelry in there. While we were waiting for our tour to begin. I talked to the girl behind the desk and she has a degree in museum management....just like that guy at Mt.Vernon remember him? So I asked her if he Obama's had ever toured there. She said the younger daughter Sasha had been on a field trip there with her class but that she was on her lunch break when they came. THAT IS MY NEW QUESTION... I am now going to ask everywhere that I go, Has anyone in the Obama family been here?
Our tour guide was an older gentlemen that I thought did a great job. He showed us how Martha Washington and Robert E. Lee had shopped there. He said that in 1933 that the person that owned the apothecary just walked out and locked the door and left everything as it was. The city of Alexandria bought the building and made it into a museum. The original bottles with the original contents are still there in the same places.
We went upstairs where they had a trap door that the tour guide opened for Bowman and Tenney they had fun looking through it and down on Elaine and I.
We went into a room with a sliding door and it looked like Diagon Alley in there. They had things like Unicorn root ( which is a plant) and Dragons blood ( the pulp of a plant) they even had cocaine, heroin, opium and cannabis, IDK if those things were still full of those things but who knows.
there is another upstairs above that BUT it is not up to code so we were not able to tour that. I had a nice time touring that place and I did get a magnet.
Elaine, Bowman and Tenney also enjoyed their time.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Field Trip
During Christmas Break I took Bowman and Tenney to The National Museum of The American Indian. It is in Washington DC and since it is part of the Smithsonian it is FREE! We took the metro from the Huntington station to L'Enfant Plaza and walked right over to it.
Bowman and Tenney had went there over the summer with their nanny Annie and they were just OK with going there. I had never been there. It opened in about 2004 I think. Outside they had some teepees and other stuff that I took the girls pictures in ..until a guard came and screamed at us and told us they were not for us to take pictures in they were just exhibits.
On the first floor there was a big open area that they use for performances, while we were there they announced that there was going to be a storyteller in that area so we went down there even though Bowman said that sounded REALLY BORING and WHY DID WE HAVE TO GO!!!! I said we are going anyway it could be cool...we got there.. and sat and waited and waited ...no storyteller came... so um yeah...I guess Bowman was right you can't get much more boring then a storyteller NOT SHOWING UP...I did see someone from my ward there, Alicia she had a daughter Genevive that was in the nursery with me so it was nice seeing her there.
On the second floor there was a really cool exhibit called Up Where We belong and it had different native Americans that were involved in music of all different types and kinds. We all got headphones and as we went through the exhibit we pressed different numbers and heard about that artist and what tribe they were from and what they did in music and then we heard a song by them. They had fourteen people and the 14th was Jimi Hendrix they said that there is no proof that Jimi Hendrix has any native American in him but that he did a lot for that culture and appreciated them and honored them by how he dressed. They had a coat of Jimi Hendrix's there so I got a picture of myself with it.
On the third floor they had exhibits of things that native American people had made and large exhibits of native Americans today and things that they are doing and stuff they are involved in. That was interesting.
On the fourth floor they had a movie theater and we went in something that resembled a lodge. it was circular and you had to sit on steps. I sat on the floor. An old Asian lady came and sat very close to Tenney and said thank you honey and hugged her. Tenney said later I can't believe that old Chinese lady hugged me and I just let her keep sitting that close to me...hahahahah so we all sat they had a screen that had three sides so everyone in the room could watch it. We watched a video presentation of Native American way of life for different tribes. the video was projected onto a large white "Indian"blanket what ever was going in the sky was broadcast on the ceiling which was round and whatever was going on the ground was broadcast on a large rock. They also would light up different cases with things that tribe had made when that tribe was on the screen.
After the movie we went to the cafe they had food from lots of different tribes of native American and they don't serve hamburgers there JUST BUFFALO!!! I kinda wanted to try it but I decided against it because I had just had a burger the day before at Five Guys in Frederick so I got some chicken fingers instead. After we ate we went to the gift shop I got a magnet and Bowman got an native American instrument for kids for 5$ and Tenney got a necklace for 5$. I also got a little coin shaped thing that you are supposed to collect from all the Smithsonian's IDK if I will do that but I can tape it in my journal at least. I wanted to get Justin a very cute stuffed beaver that they had but I did not have enough $ for it. Maybe another time.
We walked back to the metro and took the metro back to Alexandria. When we got there Bowman just sat on the car I was like BOWMAN GET OUT OF THERE! The metro man spoke to her to..he was like you need to get out this car I am not going down the line with you in here... I was like Bowman you don't just sit on the metro... you needed to get out of there when Tenney and I did.. she was like well my shoe was off.. I said well when I told you that our stop was NEXT then that is when you needed to put it on and if it was still off then you just needed to carry it out... KIDS!!!!aah!!!! So that is our day at the museum. I think it went well :)
Bowman and Tenney had went there over the summer with their nanny Annie and they were just OK with going there. I had never been there. It opened in about 2004 I think. Outside they had some teepees and other stuff that I took the girls pictures in ..until a guard came and screamed at us and told us they were not for us to take pictures in they were just exhibits.
On the first floor there was a big open area that they use for performances, while we were there they announced that there was going to be a storyteller in that area so we went down there even though Bowman said that sounded REALLY BORING and WHY DID WE HAVE TO GO!!!! I said we are going anyway it could be cool...we got there.. and sat and waited and waited ...no storyteller came... so um yeah...I guess Bowman was right you can't get much more boring then a storyteller NOT SHOWING UP...I did see someone from my ward there, Alicia she had a daughter Genevive that was in the nursery with me so it was nice seeing her there.
On the second floor there was a really cool exhibit called Up Where We belong and it had different native Americans that were involved in music of all different types and kinds. We all got headphones and as we went through the exhibit we pressed different numbers and heard about that artist and what tribe they were from and what they did in music and then we heard a song by them. They had fourteen people and the 14th was Jimi Hendrix they said that there is no proof that Jimi Hendrix has any native American in him but that he did a lot for that culture and appreciated them and honored them by how he dressed. They had a coat of Jimi Hendrix's there so I got a picture of myself with it.
On the third floor they had exhibits of things that native American people had made and large exhibits of native Americans today and things that they are doing and stuff they are involved in. That was interesting.
On the fourth floor they had a movie theater and we went in something that resembled a lodge. it was circular and you had to sit on steps. I sat on the floor. An old Asian lady came and sat very close to Tenney and said thank you honey and hugged her. Tenney said later I can't believe that old Chinese lady hugged me and I just let her keep sitting that close to me...hahahahah so we all sat they had a screen that had three sides so everyone in the room could watch it. We watched a video presentation of Native American way of life for different tribes. the video was projected onto a large white "Indian"blanket what ever was going in the sky was broadcast on the ceiling which was round and whatever was going on the ground was broadcast on a large rock. They also would light up different cases with things that tribe had made when that tribe was on the screen.
After the movie we went to the cafe they had food from lots of different tribes of native American and they don't serve hamburgers there JUST BUFFALO!!! I kinda wanted to try it but I decided against it because I had just had a burger the day before at Five Guys in Frederick so I got some chicken fingers instead. After we ate we went to the gift shop I got a magnet and Bowman got an native American instrument for kids for 5$ and Tenney got a necklace for 5$. I also got a little coin shaped thing that you are supposed to collect from all the Smithsonian's IDK if I will do that but I can tape it in my journal at least. I wanted to get Justin a very cute stuffed beaver that they had but I did not have enough $ for it. Maybe another time.
We walked back to the metro and took the metro back to Alexandria. When we got there Bowman just sat on the car I was like BOWMAN GET OUT OF THERE! The metro man spoke to her to..he was like you need to get out this car I am not going down the line with you in here... I was like Bowman you don't just sit on the metro... you needed to get out of there when Tenney and I did.. she was like well my shoe was off.. I said well when I told you that our stop was NEXT then that is when you needed to put it on and if it was still off then you just needed to carry it out... KIDS!!!!aah!!!! So that is our day at the museum. I think it went well :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Field Trip
In December during Christmas break I took Bowman and Tenney to The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, MD.
Frederick is about an hour and a half from Alexandria. On the way there we drove by POTOMAC, MD famous for being the hometown of JUSTIN RODERICK!!! We also drove by many places Justin went hiking, camping and other stuff when he was a little boy boy scout. I know all of this because Justin pointed all of this out to me one day when we were driving in that direction and he thought I was not listening :).
Our drive to Frederick went very well. We found the museum and parked in a parking garage and walked over. The weather was not to cold or rainy. The museum cost 6$ for me and for Bowman and Tenney it was free ( kids under ten). They had a path they wanted us to follow. I really liked the museum and learned quite a bit. I also learned why I think that it was free for kids under ten...Bowman and Tenney were a bit uneasy in there. They had went there before when they were a couple years younger and got scared when we walked back in they said we have been here before and we got scared. I said well you are bigger now so you wont get scared this time because you know none of your fears will come true. I wanted to read all of the exhibits but both girls were worried that the mannequins were going to come to life..Well Tenney was and Bowman kept perpetuating it by saying "oh I saw that one move" and Bowman gets in moods sometimes where everything that I want to do is LAME.... so whe I was reading she was like lets GO!!... somethings I was able to glean from the museum were
there were SEVEN black civil war surgeons they trained in Canada or other places
there were several lady doctors too.
there were mannequins in different states of war that we could look at and press something and listen to them talk. We listened to a Dr. tell people what to take when they were sick, like this was a re-make of a camp where people were sick. Interesting that most of the stuff that the Dr. prescribed to them back then was is either illegal or a known poison now. We saw a diorama or men being hurt on the battlefield. learned about what they used for medicine. how they helped people wounded in action when action was still going on. there were hospital mannequins and because it was right after Christmas they even had the hospital part decorated for Christmas. There was a morgue part with morgue mannequins. It was very informative. I thought that the girls would like it because there mom is a Dr. and they LOVE gross creepy stuff. There mom thought they would like it and her boyfriend...well who cares what he thinks but he thought they would like it to...but they couldn't wait to move onto something else.
They did not have magnets...BOOOHOOO:(
the girls are VERY into getting french frys while they are out and about so I asked the older lady behind the desk where was a good place to get frys she directed me to a place called Wags. Another lady in the office said isn't that bar??? she said well it is not so much of a bar during the day...So I walked down to Wags and walked down a set of stairs and walked into a BAR... I said no this is a bar...we are not going to eat here I mean it was so dark inside I could barely see... like no I am no bringing kids here sorry... So then we walked over to Five Guys and got lunch. Then walked around by the bridge and looked at the ice. There were a lot of strange people and homeless looking people hanging around by bridge near the center of town. So the girls asked if we could go.
On the way back to the car we stopped an amazing toy store called The Dancing Bear it is all not battery operated. We had a nice time in there looking around
We were almost to the car when Tenney bumped STRAIGHT into a stop sign it went BOING...I said ARE YOU OK???? she rubbed her head and said yes I said do you want me to get you some ice she said no she was OK I said OK SHE DID NOT EVEN CRY... she is SEVEN what a brave little girl. On the way home she said a couple of times to me, Keli my head still hurts I said I know and you may get a bruise. It will hurt for a couple of days but then you will be OK.
On the way back home I somehow got on the wrong road and was headed to Baltimore but I got off in Damascus and found my way back home right in time to hit a bunch of traffic. I dropped the kids off at their dad's house and that was our field trip.
Frederick is about an hour and a half from Alexandria. On the way there we drove by POTOMAC, MD famous for being the hometown of JUSTIN RODERICK!!! We also drove by many places Justin went hiking, camping and other stuff when he was a little boy boy scout. I know all of this because Justin pointed all of this out to me one day when we were driving in that direction and he thought I was not listening :).
Our drive to Frederick went very well. We found the museum and parked in a parking garage and walked over. The weather was not to cold or rainy. The museum cost 6$ for me and for Bowman and Tenney it was free ( kids under ten). They had a path they wanted us to follow. I really liked the museum and learned quite a bit. I also learned why I think that it was free for kids under ten...Bowman and Tenney were a bit uneasy in there. They had went there before when they were a couple years younger and got scared when we walked back in they said we have been here before and we got scared. I said well you are bigger now so you wont get scared this time because you know none of your fears will come true. I wanted to read all of the exhibits but both girls were worried that the mannequins were going to come to life..Well Tenney was and Bowman kept perpetuating it by saying "oh I saw that one move" and Bowman gets in moods sometimes where everything that I want to do is LAME.... so whe I was reading she was like lets GO!!... somethings I was able to glean from the museum were
there were SEVEN black civil war surgeons they trained in Canada or other places
there were several lady doctors too.
there were mannequins in different states of war that we could look at and press something and listen to them talk. We listened to a Dr. tell people what to take when they were sick, like this was a re-make of a camp where people were sick. Interesting that most of the stuff that the Dr. prescribed to them back then was is either illegal or a known poison now. We saw a diorama or men being hurt on the battlefield. learned about what they used for medicine. how they helped people wounded in action when action was still going on. there were hospital mannequins and because it was right after Christmas they even had the hospital part decorated for Christmas. There was a morgue part with morgue mannequins. It was very informative. I thought that the girls would like it because there mom is a Dr. and they LOVE gross creepy stuff. There mom thought they would like it and her boyfriend...well who cares what he thinks but he thought they would like it to...but they couldn't wait to move onto something else.
They did not have magnets...BOOOHOOO:(
the girls are VERY into getting french frys while they are out and about so I asked the older lady behind the desk where was a good place to get frys she directed me to a place called Wags. Another lady in the office said isn't that bar??? she said well it is not so much of a bar during the day...So I walked down to Wags and walked down a set of stairs and walked into a BAR... I said no this is a bar...we are not going to eat here I mean it was so dark inside I could barely see... like no I am no bringing kids here sorry... So then we walked over to Five Guys and got lunch. Then walked around by the bridge and looked at the ice. There were a lot of strange people and homeless looking people hanging around by bridge near the center of town. So the girls asked if we could go.
On the way back to the car we stopped an amazing toy store called The Dancing Bear it is all not battery operated. We had a nice time in there looking around
We were almost to the car when Tenney bumped STRAIGHT into a stop sign it went BOING...I said ARE YOU OK???? she rubbed her head and said yes I said do you want me to get you some ice she said no she was OK I said OK SHE DID NOT EVEN CRY... she is SEVEN what a brave little girl. On the way home she said a couple of times to me, Keli my head still hurts I said I know and you may get a bruise. It will hurt for a couple of days but then you will be OK.
On the way back home I somehow got on the wrong road and was headed to Baltimore but I got off in Damascus and found my way back home right in time to hit a bunch of traffic. I dropped the kids off at their dad's house and that was our field trip.
holiday part 2
Christmas Day I woke up and went home. I made devilled eggs with sausage in them and a salad that was green jello, cottage cheese, whip cream, pineapple, and walnuts. I drove to Danielle's aunts in Manassas and had a nice dinner with her family.
After dinner, Danielle and her cousin Sara and I drove to Justin's and we all went to Mt.Vernon. It is open Christmas Day and it was PACKED. Justin was lucky enough to find a parking space close though. While we were waiting in line a man in front of me had a season pass for two and asked me if I was paying for my ticket. I said that I was going to he then said that he would go ahead and cover it with his season pass!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! What a generous thing to do... I personally think that it is because I payed my tithing.:) The tour now consists of you going in different rooms where different people stand and tell you about that room. It is not decorated for Christmas because I guess they did not do that sort of thing back then but there is greenery above some of the doors and the table is set for Christmas. There was a really neat hedgehog cake on the table. I have been looking for directions on how to make one and have not found them...YET...The view on the Potomac is Beautiful I found out that Mt. Vernon bought the land across the river in MD. so that the view would always be wonderful. We were able to see the third floor which is only open during the month of December and New Years week.
After the inside we walked around the grounds and went and saw the tomb where on veterans day Justin went and put a rose on George Washington's grave. We walked around and saw all the outbuildings.
They have sheep and cows there. The turkey that President Obama pardoned is there. They also have a Christmas camel. During those times it was popular to have exotic animals and Christmas time.
The visitors center is AMAZING! I could have spent ALL DAY IN THERE. they had a gingerbread Mt. Vernon. They had many interactive displays. A couple interesting things we saw a HUGE George Washington head that was a bit spooky that's eyes followed you around!!!... I also found out that artists were able to look at George and Martha's pictures and do age regression and they have mannequins and portraits of what they looked like when they were very young. We were able to see George Washington's teeth which are made out of hippo not wood. We all watched a short movie about Martha and George Washington and how she wanted to keep their relationship private so she BURNT ALL THEIR LETTERS!!!! RIGHT UP THERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR IN THAT ROOM THAT WE SAW UP THERE!!! Martha...Martha...Martha...We closed that museum DOWN...we were the last people to leave..While I was waiting for Justin,Danielle and Sara I was talking to a guy that has a bachelors in history and a masters in museum managment and he said that only THREE letters survived that they had fell behind a desk and Martha did not know they were there and her family found them and did NOT burn them...I was also talking to him about the Mt.Vernon ladies association. What I learned was that there came a time when George Washington's ansecestors could not afford the upkeep anymore and tried to sell it to the state of VA and to the USA neither bought it a group of ladies got together and said if the MEN of this country are not going to save this then it is up to the LADIES!!! they bought Mt. Vernon and continue to run it to this day which is one of the reasons it is in such good shape. This man was telling me that Woodlawn a plantation down the street is falling apart and only open a couple of days a week. That makes me sad. If I am ever rich and famous that will be my charity to donate money to historic sites so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. I also learned that during the civil war the ladies were working on restoring it and troops from BOTH sides could come and visit it BUT they had to lay down their arms and they had to cover their uniforms. George Washington meant a lot to the North and the South because he was from VA and because he was from the USA. The man I was talking to also told me that President Obama has not been there yet. He said that most US presidents DO come and visit but he has not been there. He said that he did give a personal tour to Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama though!!!:) Imagine that as a FB update: just got home from work gave a tour to the first family today :)
I think that we had a great time at Mt. Vernon! We drove back to Justin's and Danielle and Sara headed back to Manassas and Justin and I had dinner and watched Bride Wars a cute movie that is rated PG.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!
After dinner, Danielle and her cousin Sara and I drove to Justin's and we all went to Mt.Vernon. It is open Christmas Day and it was PACKED. Justin was lucky enough to find a parking space close though. While we were waiting in line a man in front of me had a season pass for two and asked me if I was paying for my ticket. I said that I was going to he then said that he would go ahead and cover it with his season pass!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! What a generous thing to do... I personally think that it is because I payed my tithing.:) The tour now consists of you going in different rooms where different people stand and tell you about that room. It is not decorated for Christmas because I guess they did not do that sort of thing back then but there is greenery above some of the doors and the table is set for Christmas. There was a really neat hedgehog cake on the table. I have been looking for directions on how to make one and have not found them...YET...The view on the Potomac is Beautiful I found out that Mt. Vernon bought the land across the river in MD. so that the view would always be wonderful. We were able to see the third floor which is only open during the month of December and New Years week.
After the inside we walked around the grounds and went and saw the tomb where on veterans day Justin went and put a rose on George Washington's grave. We walked around and saw all the outbuildings.
They have sheep and cows there. The turkey that President Obama pardoned is there. They also have a Christmas camel. During those times it was popular to have exotic animals and Christmas time.
The visitors center is AMAZING! I could have spent ALL DAY IN THERE. they had a gingerbread Mt. Vernon. They had many interactive displays. A couple interesting things we saw a HUGE George Washington head that was a bit spooky that's eyes followed you around!!!... I also found out that artists were able to look at George and Martha's pictures and do age regression and they have mannequins and portraits of what they looked like when they were very young. We were able to see George Washington's teeth which are made out of hippo not wood. We all watched a short movie about Martha and George Washington and how she wanted to keep their relationship private so she BURNT ALL THEIR LETTERS!!!! RIGHT UP THERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR IN THAT ROOM THAT WE SAW UP THERE!!! Martha...Martha...Martha...We closed that museum DOWN...we were the last people to leave..While I was waiting for Justin,Danielle and Sara I was talking to a guy that has a bachelors in history and a masters in museum managment and he said that only THREE letters survived that they had fell behind a desk and Martha did not know they were there and her family found them and did NOT burn them...I was also talking to him about the Mt.Vernon ladies association. What I learned was that there came a time when George Washington's ansecestors could not afford the upkeep anymore and tried to sell it to the state of VA and to the USA neither bought it a group of ladies got together and said if the MEN of this country are not going to save this then it is up to the LADIES!!! they bought Mt. Vernon and continue to run it to this day which is one of the reasons it is in such good shape. This man was telling me that Woodlawn a plantation down the street is falling apart and only open a couple of days a week. That makes me sad. If I am ever rich and famous that will be my charity to donate money to historic sites so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. I also learned that during the civil war the ladies were working on restoring it and troops from BOTH sides could come and visit it BUT they had to lay down their arms and they had to cover their uniforms. George Washington meant a lot to the North and the South because he was from VA and because he was from the USA. The man I was talking to also told me that President Obama has not been there yet. He said that most US presidents DO come and visit but he has not been there. He said that he did give a personal tour to Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama though!!!:) Imagine that as a FB update: just got home from work gave a tour to the first family today :)
I think that we had a great time at Mt. Vernon! We drove back to Justin's and Danielle and Sara headed back to Manassas and Justin and I had dinner and watched Bride Wars a cute movie that is rated PG.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
holiday day one
My friend Marian told me once that she thinks my "love language" is gifts and I think she is right. I LOVE TO BUY AND GIVE PEOPLE GIFTS!!! or make them gifts or do nice things for them that is just what I love to do. If I have not given you a gift lately...it is probably just because I am broke... I still love you though:)
On Christmas Eve, my mom and I went out and finished up some shopping. We went to Target first my mom waited in the car. I went in and got Brad some movies and I bought Brad and Justin some food and drink treats.I wanted to get Justin a pair of jeans but the "cool jeans" that were at Target looked they had been ran over by a truck and well that is just way "too cool" for me...
our next stop was Old Navy...WOW they had some amazing sales, so AMAZING that I should have written AMAZING in capital letters...I got Justin and Brad button down shirts or or button up whatever....and I got Justin two vest and a pair of cool jeans. I need to figure out if Justin likes them or if they fit and take them back or something. I got Spike two large light up yellow balls that HE LOVES...:)
my mom and I then went to the $ store where I got a few other fun things. We went home and wrapped all these gifts, Brad and Christina came over. We all exchanged gifts and had a lot of fun.
I drove out to Justin's we went to the grocery store and came back and had taco salad his request. We decided to do presents because I had to get up and go to my friends the next day early.
Justin got me some Britney Spears perfume, a GC to Target and to REI!!!! isnt he WONDERFUL!!!!
We watched It's a wonderful Life.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night
On Christmas Eve, my mom and I went out and finished up some shopping. We went to Target first my mom waited in the car. I went in and got Brad some movies and I bought Brad and Justin some food and drink treats.I wanted to get Justin a pair of jeans but the "cool jeans" that were at Target looked they had been ran over by a truck and well that is just way "too cool" for me...
our next stop was Old Navy...WOW they had some amazing sales, so AMAZING that I should have written AMAZING in capital letters...I got Justin and Brad button down shirts or or button up whatever....and I got Justin two vest and a pair of cool jeans. I need to figure out if Justin likes them or if they fit and take them back or something. I got Spike two large light up yellow balls that HE LOVES...:)
my mom and I then went to the $ store where I got a few other fun things. We went home and wrapped all these gifts, Brad and Christina came over. We all exchanged gifts and had a lot of fun.
I drove out to Justin's we went to the grocery store and came back and had taco salad his request. We decided to do presents because I had to get up and go to my friends the next day early.
Justin got me some Britney Spears perfume, a GC to Target and to REI!!!! isnt he WONDERFUL!!!!
We watched It's a wonderful Life.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night
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