The Capitol - Day 2

This might very well have been the longest day EVER for our family. It was certainly a good day...a very good day. But it was LONG. We were amazed the kids were still so active at 10:30PM. I don't believe we've ever kept all of them up that late. We left the hotel at 9AM and got back a little before 11PM.

As I've been thinking about our trip to DC this week, it occurred to me how big everything is there. Everything is "larger than life." The buildings...the statues...and the Air and Space Museum is no exception. The exhibits they have of satellites and rockets and planes...even the IMAX theater. Our kids look so small next to them.
Museums are an interesting thing. Sometimes people race from one exhibit to the next. Sometimes you hear something like, "Hey, come here! Take a look at this!" Children like to feel and see. Adults like to read. There is so much to take in. While it was fun to go for the kids and watch their excitement build, it would also be nice to go back to these museums without little kids to read and learn. On several occasions, Karen and I both commented how nice it will be a few years from now when all of our kids can use their own strength sufficiently to get around. We would say that after hours of carrying either Eliza or Luke (occasionally Peter) around the museums...or the miles and miles of walking!

But it is so worth doing these kinds of trips now. It's fun to spend time with our kids. And they enjoyed this trip as well.
The Air and Space Museum is very hands-on. And the museum has the latest technologies...I have a feeling our youngest kids are going to grow up without a keyboard.
They learned about flight. They learned about lift and thrust and drag and weight. There was one exhibit that was really fascinating. There was a tube blowing air with a beach ball globe above it. No matter which direction you pointed the tube, the globe stayed in the air.
The kids got a real feel for how a plane flies. James tested his pilot skills at this station.
We went to the IMAX and watched Hubble 3D. It was the first 3D movie any of us watched. I've never been interested in 3D and still don't get all the hype. But the theater only shows movies in 3D...so we got a taste of it. And it was really enjoyable. The kids got a kick out of the 3D illusion. They spent half the movie trying to touch the astronauts and Hubble telescope. We learned fascinating things about Orion's Nebula and how it is a nursery for new stars and solar systems. I got a new perspective of space. I think it will be a posting in my personal blog.
At lunch time, we decided to take a break, grab a bite to eat, and head over to the Capitol. And the 100% chance of rain for the day? It turned out to be a misting for about 3 minutes. The rest of the day was partly cloudy skies and lots of sunshine. Because of the 100% chance of rain, we left the sunscreen and hats in the van. Oops!
Turns out, when you go to the Capitol, the back of it is what faces the National Mall. So after a healthy hike, the friendly security guards directed us to the front of the Capitol. But then the front of the Capitol isn't the "entrance." Once you hike around the Capitol, you have to walk a block away from the Capitol to go underneath the ground and into the entrance. Oh, and I learned why it's called "Capitol Hill." Ya, while we were walking around the Capitol...we were also hiking up quite a decent incline. Boy, was it a long walk. We were resting often wherever we could find shade. The kids were slowing down. The stroller was getting heavier. And we were tired (and only about half way around the Capitol). So imagine the humor as we were resting under a large tree to hear Peter exclaim, "Look! I found an ant!" He was so excited. And it was so cute. And such a good reminder of how wonderful kids are.
So the picture below is the front of the Capitol. I don't think I had ever seen the front of the Capitol before. I had always seen it from the Mall. From the front of the Capitol, you can see the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building. It's a beautiful plaza.
We got passes from our Representative a week ago and toured the House Gallery - the picture below. So we didn't see the original Capitol building (the center part) or the Senate. And it was really probably the best option for our family. The Capitol tour includes a 13-minute film and then a 30-minute guided tour. You can't tour the Capitol on your own. While our kids are well-behaved...they're still very young and get restless easily. We had to go through several security checkpoints and nothing was allowed inside. I mean nothing. There was a cute elderly couple sitting near the restroom enjoying an apple. A security guard walked up, put on latex gloves, and abruptly confiscated the apple. He threw it in the trash and then threw his latex gloves in the trash. I felt awkward for the couple. We went through two different metal detectors at two different times. James set the first detector off and had the guards scratching their heads. He had no belt. And James assured them he had no metal in his pockets. But it turned out that James had a fake penny about 3 inches in diameter that Grandma Christensen had given to him when we visited Lincoln's Tomb in Illinois. He brought it with him because we were going to the Lincoln Memorial that day. It was cute and the guards got a kick out of it. No cameras allowed inside either...so we have no pictures to share.
After our visit to the Capitol, we headed back to the Air and Space Museum. We walked past the Botanical Gardens and it set a nice foreground for yet another picture of the Capitol.
Back at the Air and Space museum, there were a few other exhibits the kids wanted to check out. While we were walking around, we saw the Spirit of St. Louis and had to take a picture.

Luke has been begging to go to Chuck E Cheese for weeks now (more like a month or two...it's the first thing I hear from his mouth every day I walk in the door after I come home from work). So we left DC for dinner and treated Luke to Chuck E Cheese. That part of the day was probably the most exhausting part! But the kids absolutely loved it and got plenty of play time. We headed back to DC around 8PM. We've read that the memorials are beautiful at night. And since the rain had held off all day and the kids were well energized after such a kid-friendly dinner, we decided to make a night of it. And it is true - the memorials are breath-taking at night. Do you like Peter's little salute below?
At the WWII Memorial, the kids all found the state where they were born and we took their picture. They were all cute...but this one of Peter and Luke was especially adorable.
The fountain at the WWII Memorial is absolutely beautiful. Just above Anya and James' head, you can see the Lincoln Memorial. It's about a mile away. But talk about a fun walk! I hope this memory stays with the kids for a long time.
We still had the stairs to climb, but here we are at the base. Did you know there is an elevator inside the Memorial? And there is a visitor center with a ton of information?!?! I had no idea. The elevator was a life-saver since we had the stroller. And I wish we had more time to read everything in the visitor center. The entrance is on the south side next time you're in the area and visit the Lincoln Memorial.
Another cute picture.
Complete family pictures during family vacations are few and far between. We almost missed Eliza's head in this one because she was starting to sink down in the stroller. But we are all here.
"Larger than life." This man certainly was. And I love how these statues and memorials are so HUGE. These men that we honor in reverence and remember with awe impacted all of humanity. Abraham Lincoln lived his life so he could be close to the Spirit of God and be inspired to lead this nation and set an example for the world. He was more than just a man...he was a spiritual giant among men. And the inscription above him speaks truth. This memorial certainly is a temple. And I loved the spirit that can be felt there...especially at night.

The Capitol - Day 1

We're exhausted. I hardly have the energy to post...but if we didn't post each day, one post would be crazy long. So we made the short drive to Washington DC today. They called for rain in the afternoon. But there wasn't a single drop until after we got back to the hotel in the evening.

We started the day at the Museum of Natural History. And I knew it would be a good day when we found an open parking spot on the street right in front of the building! Free parking, free admission to the museum...our tax dollars at work! :)
We rushed through the various exhibits and still managed to spend nearly 3 hours here. We saw how the oceans work and what lives there, crystals and gems, dinosaurs, mammals, lots of models and bones and more bones and a real mummy. Anya especially liked the Hope Diamond that was on display.
Our stomachs started to growl before we could get through all the exhibits. So we walked outside to the car and enjoyed a little picnic on the National Mall. It was picturesque.

And since we hadn't done enough walking already, we decided to do a little more. Actually, Eliza was confined to the stroller for most of the day. So any chance she had to walk, she took advantage.
And she wasn't afraid to play chicken with a large group of school girls three times her size! She went head on and made them clear a path for her. Anya finally pulled Eliza back. It was really cute...and gave the school girls a good laugh.
After the picnic, we went back inside to finish a couple more exhibits.
Mark was especially excited to see a real mummy. But our 3-hour limit for the free parking spot was about to expire...so we had to rush out.
Then we found another free parking spot right between the Washington Monument and the White House. And still no rain. It was such a good day! :)
After we got this shot of the kids in front of the White House, a group of Asian tourists were awestruck at the number of children we had. They saw four and their eyes were huge. Then they saw another....and then one more. They were speechless (probably due to the fact that they spoke no English). They showed us their cameras and asked for permission to take pictures. Eliza was in most of them. One lady tried to lasso as many of our kids as she could to have her picture taken. Peter wasn't too thrilled about it. But Eliza was trapped in her stroller. And Luke put on his best face. It was really kind of cute. And very sweet. Our kids will be in some strangers photo albums for years to come.
It's always a fun challenge to get 6 kids under the age of 11 to cooperate and be photogenic all at the same time. So, while there weren't many, we got as many pictures as we could with all of them.

It's so rewarding to see our kids enjoying these kinds of experiences. We don't have an opportunity to go on any exotic vacations. But that's ok. Because we find as many opportunities around us as we can to enjoy together as a family. And we've been blessed to live in such a historic setting the past 3 years. Our kids enjoy the little things in life...probably because Karen and I have learned to enjoy the little things in life. But being in the Nation's Capitol is certainly no small thing. And we're soaking in as much as we can.

Rip Van Luke

In case you're illiterate like me, Rip Van Winkle is a fictitious character who slept for 20 years. Maybe this is why toddlers don't remember their childhood. Karen and I captured Luke in various sleeping arrangements over the course of a year: from March 2009 - June 2010.

I'm sure all toddlers go through this phase. Luke slept when he was tired of eating.
He slept when we took him on hikes.

Luke slept just for the sake of sleeping.


How in the world could this even be comfortable?

He slept when he waited for a diaper change.
And he slept when he was waiting for someone to open the fridge.



Luke slept and he slept and he slept. But this is the child who refused to take naps. :) He probably didn't want to miss out on anything. He hasn't done this for about a year. I suppose he has grown out of this phase. It was fun while it lasted.

I Love You No Matter What

The Primary children all wrote a simple statement why they loved their mom. And then those reasons were simply listed by "author" in our program for church today. It was very sweet. It was titled, "I love my mom because..." This is what our kids wrote:

Luke - She makes cookies and gets donuts.

Peter - She gives me fun snacks especially donuts.

James - She's nice.

Anya - She helps me stay on the right path.

Mark - She comforts me and talks me through problems.

And I just have to share Mark's letter to Karen last night. It reads:

Happy Mother's day!

I'm glad that every year we kids get to express how much we love our moms. Every fight that we get into, even if I won't admit it, I love you no matter what. I'm glad that we are mother & son. Thanks for being my mom. I love you. (He even drew a flower.)

Mark

Our really good kids have a really incredible mom. And I'm glad I have both! :)

Little Immortals

There is something about two tiny feet sticking out of the blankets that makes a parent take a picture. :) This probably has zero meaning or significance to any one other than mom and dad. But it evokes a flood of emotions for us. Here are those two tiny feet in shoes. Luke wanted to take his sister for a walk. Eliza was happy to follow him.
This is Peter and Luke "hiding." I don't think Luke quite gets the concept. But Peter was showing him how it should be done. Not sure what they were supposed to be hiding from...but they are boys. And boys can make a game out of anything.
Now these three...they can't wait to be young adults and soak in all that life has to offer them. If they knew I was taking their picture, they would have run away. So I had to take the shot from behind. It was a beautiful afternoon. And they decided to sit on the front lawn. They changed positions often...watched the cars go by...and just talked. It was fun to watch.
James bore his testimony for the first time today. It's always a sweet sound to hear your own children bear testimony of Gospel truths. Mark and Anya both got up and bore their testimonies. Several minutes later, I noticed James was trying to stand up. And then he quickly sat down. It happened several times before I whispered in his ear that he could do it. He gave me a grin that only James can give...waited a little longer...and then mustered up the courage to actually leave the pew. It was probably a very long walk for him. But he did it.

It's good to be reminded on occasion that these "kids" are nothing less than immortal spirits in training. Who knows how long their spirits have been alive? Their intelligence has always been. And though they've only been in these physical bodies for 10 years or less...they still have an eternity to live. They'll die for a season, yes. But the glorious truth is that these bodies will rise again and be reunited with their spirits, never to be separated again. And they will remain immortal beings forever.

As sure as the sun will rise again tomorrow, that fact is true. What a blessing it is to know them now. And be a part of their mortal existence.

"I have a family here on earth. They are so good to me. I want to share my life with them through all eternity."

It Really IS The Greatest Show On Earth

Oh boy! Oh boy! Where do I even start? First, I think the circus was made for adults...we just use kids as an excuse to attend. It was SO MUCH FUN! The sights, the sounds...it was non-stop entertainment. After the first performance, Mark screamed over the applause - "We need to come to the circus more often!" I took the 4 oldest - Mark, Anya, James, and Peter. And I think it was a good choice to stop at Peter. It was almost a little too much for his little mind to absorb. But he enjoyed it as much as his older siblings.
I don't know how these high wire acts do what they do. There were standing on each other's shoulders, jumping from one set of shoulders to another...it was amazing. The act below didn't stop with the girl just sitting on the chair. Oh no...that wasn't enough. She stood ON TOP of the chair, then stepped down and let the chair fall to the ground. She stood on the wire resting on the other gentlemen's shoulders while they rode their bicycle's to the other side.
In between each major performance, the clowns came out and made light of the previous act by doing their own stunts. It was really entertaining. None of those pictures turned out especially well. So you'll just have to imagine the kinds of things clowns do for your mental picture.
There were two super strong guys (who were also quite nimble) who tied together two telephone poles and then lifted it up on their shoulders while four women sat in swings at the end of each pole and a clown sat in the middle. It was very impressive.
Then there were these hamster guys. I don't know what else to call them. But they went round and round. They jumped rope and did flips and made them go faster and faster. And they could stop them on a dime. Just amazing!
Mark was giddy about it all. Anya was captivated and Peter thought up was down and down was up. I don't think he's ever seen anything like this. During the intermission, Peter told me he was exhausted and wanted to go home.
But then they pulled out the tigers following intermission. And Peter forgot how exhausted he was.

And what is the circus without elephants?!? Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey know how to make the best circus event ever!

James almost couldn't contain his excitement! They all loved it...and so did Dad. I took a lot of videos. This one below is probably the coolest of them all. It's the human cannonball. Enjoy the show!

It's Great to be Eight

March 30, 2003 - 03/30/03

Wouldn't that be a great day for a birthday?!? Well, it is for James. He turned 8 this year. There is something special about 8 year old kids.

Eight years of age is a special day for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's the age of "accountability" and children can choose to be baptized. Even though James has a severe fear of going under water, he chose to be baptized.
His favorite color this year has been white. How cute is that?

Have you ever been to Cracker Barrel? A year or so ago, we got Mark that game they have on every table. That was the inspiration for James' cake this year. He wanted a cake just like that game. So that's what Karen made!
James has some of the best expressions when he is opening gifts. We captured one of them as he was opening his new Lego set.
Another gift he got was an RC Hummer. The box was big enough that the kids were crawling inside of it. Here's Luke:
James is so good. On his birthday, he was folding everyone's laundry. He made his brother's and sister's bed. He wanted to make sure everyone else was happy. He's thoughtful like that.

He's also very emotional. Over the years, he has learned to better control his emotions. But when he was baptized on April 16, 2011, his emotions got the better of him. And not in a good way! He has a real fear of going under the water. He was scared. And every eye was focused on him. So it was a lot for him to take in. After he was baptized, the emotions were overwhelming for him. And he wasn't happy about it.

Karen and I have learned to remain calm as we talk with him and try to help him in those moments. Fortunately, James kept his composure and allowed me to confirm him a member of the church after he was baptized. Part of me wonders if we should have waited till the next day. But everything turned out fine. After the service was over, James broke down and cried. He was scared and was being brave for everyone else.

He's thoughtful like that.
And we love him immensely! We are so happy for the choices he has made. Happy birthday, James!

Worth Recording

I stayed late at work studying for my next exam. As I talked with Karen on my drive home, she mentioned that Anya was finishing up the dishes. I walked into the house and noticed Anya reading a book while standing in the middle of the kitchen. Dishes covered the table and filled the sink.

I smiled at her as we said our hello's. Then I asked, "Aren't you supposed to be doing the dishes?"

Anya said as well as any bothered teenage girl, "I KNOW."

I looked at her, surprised by her attitude. Then she muttered, "You can be so annoying." I asked, "what?" and she repeated her comment.

I looked at her again with disappointment and bewilderment.

Then she sighed as only Anya can. And she confessed, "it's been such a hard night."

I gave her a big hug as she tried to keep her composure. It was so sweet. She is such a good girl...and even when she wants to be rude and defiant, her tender spirit knows that's not right. It's an internal struggle. But her spirit always prevails.

I love our Anya!