Beach adventure

We finally made it out to the beach and now we are wondering what took us so long! We had a fabulous time.
Unlike the icy coast of the Pacific Ocean, the water is perfect! It isn't too warm, but warm enough that even I can stay out there for a good chunk of time (and we could even feel our legs after...)
The excursion was Eva's first adventure and even though she slept the entire time, I think she enjoyed it. (Maybe she had better dreams or something.)



- Relaxing and getting some sun -


- Luke. Just plain Luke. -


- Sweet dreams -

A visit and a new baby

For the last two weeks, Mom has been here to visit us and to help Heather with Eva. Mom arrived on the 5th and was able to stay with Luke and I for about a week before Eva arrived. We had a great time together and we were able to show her some of the sites of the area.

Eva Madeleine Small arrived Sept. 11, and since then we've been helping Heather adjust to being a new mom. Eva, like most new babies, had her days and nights mixed up for the first week, but she finally had a good night last night, so Heather and Troy are crossing their fingers that it will stay that way.

Here are a few pictures of sweet Eva (courtesy of Troy):



Her "I'm going to cry unless you fix something" face.

Lefty Loosey, Righty Tighty

We found a quiz that tests you for right or left brain dominance...and here's the results...
Try it. You might be surprised.

Me (Luke):

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

Give or take 15% :)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Emily:

You Are 60% Left Brained, 40% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Paddle boats, metro stations and an amazing city

Washington D.C. is an amazing place. No matter how long you are able to explore, you still feel like you've only scratched the surface of what there is to see. Luke and I tried our best to fit as much as possible in this weekend, but we left feeling like we'd like to come back very soon!

We have tons of pictures, so this post might be a little long -- but hopefully not too tedious.
Here are the highlights of the weekend:

Saturday:
1) Attending a temple session in one of the most beautiful temples in the world (it is as breathtaking inside as out)
2) Visiting the Smithsonian Natural History museum
3) Walking The Mall end to end and seeing all the monuments (we especially loved the FDR memorial and the new World War II memorial)
4) Renting a paddle boat at Tide Basin (This was a great idea because for a mere $8 we got to see the Jefferson memorial and some of the other sites by water -- also, we got to rest our feet because by that point we'd already walked over 6 miles...)

-Washington D.C. temple -



-The view from the top at the Museum of Natural History -




- Luke with a gigantic elephant in the entry way of the museum -



- This is a hilarious picture that we saw in the photography section of the museum -- check out that stiff-arm -



- Luke thought it would be funny if it looked like I was being slobbered by the giraffe (although if that was really happening, I don't think I'd look so happy) -



- In the gemstone section, they had amazing rock and gem formations and gemstones that were up to 50 carats! -



- The Washington Monument -



- The new World War II memorial -







- Each state is represented at the WWII memorial -- so we had to pay tribute to Texas! -



-We took this ourselves -



- The Lincoln Memorial -





-The Washington Monument and Reflection Pool -



- The FDR memorial -



- The Jefferson memorial -





- Views from the paddle boat -







Sunday:
1) Visiting the Washington National Cathedral
2) Scoring sweet tickets to a Nationals major league baseball game from a friend of Val and Alice's
3) Dinner with Julie and Karl and Heidi

- The stained glass Rose at the National Cathedral -



- A small chapel in the basement -



- The carvings and statues on the outside of the cathedral are so detail oriented and intricate -- no wonder it took over 200 years to build! -



Monday:
1) Visiting the incredible art collection at the National Art Gallery with Val and Alice
2) Nationals game -- Our seats were on the 4th row, right behind home plate! Incredible!
3) Seeing the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and other cool documents at the Archives museum
4) Dinner at an amazing Mexican restaurant (best mexican I've had in years!)

- One of the many atriums in the National Gallery of Art -



- We were right by the action at the game -- I'm pretty proud of this shot -- Maybe I did learn something in photography class!! ;) -





- The archives museum -





The city is just chalk-full of history and I think you'd have to live there for a lifetime to see everything it has to offer -- but we came back very happy that we'd had an opportunity to visit. Even if it was just for a few days. All in all, it was a fabulous way to celebrate our second anniversary.