Spring Break Vacation!

Friday, March 12

After driving to Anchorage Thursday after school, we got up EARLY Friday morning to take a shuttle from our hotel to the airport. We flew Alaska Airlines departing at 6:20 a.m. to Seattle and finally to D.C. by 10 p.m. Eastern Standard time. They boys did great ... a DigE player is pretty nice for movies to pass the time, but we all (Sheldon included) finished books, too! Uncle Jeff picked us up and we were so glad to stretch out in their place!

Saturday, March 13

Breakfast at their apartment before heading out to see the rainy city sights...

Football in the "park" outside their place!

White House, Pennsylvania Avenue

Smithsonian Institution: National Air and Space Museum...

and one flowering cherry tree!

LOTS of airplanes!!! And a cool room of hands-on experiments!

Clayton wanted me to delete this photo, but by the time we got to the Wright brother's original craft, he was TIRED. Pretty cute. :)

The Capital Building

AMAZING architecture, art, and tour... one of our favorites!

Library of Congress

National Archives Building

Train Station

Twister before pizza!

Sunday, March 14

Smithsonian Institution: Museum of Natural History

Feeding the tarantula

Gem Collection

Dinosaur Hall

Smithsonian Institution: Museum of American History

American flags and locomotives,

homes,

ships,

and Presidents. Proud to be an American!

The Old Post Office

and view from the clock tower! Very interesting city in that no building can be higher than the Capital, so the skyline is consistent... and then there's the Wahington Monument!

Catholic Church for Sunday night mass.

Monday, March 15

Jeff and Janelle went to work, so we were on our own for the day's sightseeing! We walked a couple blocks and rode the Metro subway, and some of the world's longest escalators down under. (My boys' favorite part, of course.)

Arlington Cemetary

Kennedy's flame

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The National Zoo!

Pandas

Walking home after walking all day... TIRED feet! Jeff took us on his running path and by the cupcake store for a sweet treat. :)

Tuesday, March 16

The sun came out! Time for the Mall and Memorial tour...

The Washington Monument

Jefferson Memorial

Pretty cool to watch my husband read the paragraphs of inscriptions everywhere, "We're a country founded upon GOD!" he declared.

Roosevelt Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Korean War Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Rubbing a soldier's name for a family keepsake

World War II Memorial

Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

Irish Dance

Our "last supper" with Jeff and Janelle... baked potatoes!

Wednesday, March 17

We flew out of D.C. to New York City, and then to Tampa, FL

Thursday, March 18

Wasting no time, Kayla was ready to ride the roller coasters at Busch Gardens! Sheldon rode this first one with his eyes closed the whole time and had to put his head down afterward. :)

Friday, March 19

Fishin' on Grandpa's dock in the backyard canal

and swimming in their pool!

Meeting the Brubaker girl cousins (and their pet goats!) in Sarasota

Back to Charlotte to see the Yankees play the Rays in Spring Training!!

Clayton and Grandpa DIDN'T cheer for the winning home team. :)

Saturday, March 20

A beautiful day for a boat ride to the beach!

Cold water!

Back to Sarasota to see Logan play baseball and eat pizza with the cousins.

Sunday, March 21 - Thunder storms and rain. Church, tomato soup, and naps while Sheldon and Sam drove to Jacksonville to see Duke play in the NCAA tournament. Cool!

Monday, March 22

Clayton got a motorcycle ride with Grandpa before they packed up to return to Homer to be with Vernon and Valerie Byrd in her last days of fight against cancer. :(