Last week, we decided (a little bit last minute) to pack up and head up to Washington D.C.
I don’t know about you guys, but spur of the moment adventures are always the best kind of adventures. In our 3 years of marriage we, like many others I’m sure, have lived by the well know “UP” quote, “ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!”
Last week’s adventure has been such a blessing. To get away from our regular lives and get a glimpse of the world again. The beauty of Washington D.C., as I’m sure everyone can agree, is the history. It even holds a little bit of our history. Before we joined the military, Don had just gotten laid off from his job. As we were looking for a new one, my uncle presented the opportunity to work out in D.C. for the summer. With in days, Don packed his bags and drove across the country. Soon after, Everett and I caught a flight out and lived in a hotel the next 3 months.
Do you guys ever hear a song that reminds you of a certain time in your life? “Faded” by Alan Walker was my time in D.C. As the plane landed I thought to myself, what have I gotten myself into. I was full of so many fears paired with excitement. The trees all around were so green and covered everything. I couldn’t believe just how many there were!
The first place we stopped was Arlington Cemetery. Headstone after headstone, it was almost unbelievable. The presence there was soft and the experience was spiritual. This had been on our list to see for a while since we hadn’t gotten the chance the first time around in D.C.
We got to see the Tomb of the Unknown Solder and the spirit there indescribable. Everyone watched in silence as the changing of the guards happened. My favorite part of the whole thing was watching my husband watching in awe as a Marine. If you ever have a chance to visit this, I would highly recommend it!
After Arlington Cemetery, we took the metro over to The Holocaust Museum. Maybe I was already a bit emotional from the cemetery, but going straight to the museum and reading the journals of people who lost everything before losing their lives, really stirred the emotional ‘Shauntel’s about to Bawl pot’.
The thing that really got me, was seeing all of their shoes. My heart absolutely sunk. To think about all of the people who filled those shoes. They had names, stories, and families. They had a favorite color, or a favorite ice cream. And everything was just taken away from them.
I think every now and then it’s good to open our eyes. It’s good to realize that outside of it all, outside of the worries of our regular lives, we have beautiful lives. I have an incredible family that I’m more and more grateful for everyday. And even though I worry about the bills, and I worry about whether my house is cute, or clean for that matter, I know that the important thing is who I get to spend everyday with. I wouldn’t change that for the world.
To wrap up the last of our trip, we walked around the National Mall and saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the White House of course! Everett liked that one! Don and I even got to do a Session in the Washington D.C. LDS Temple thanks to the help of our friends Ashlie and Trevor for watching Everett! That was also a favorite of mine! The coolest part about it was that it was incredibly windy and the power had been out for quite a few hours at the temple and yet, we still got to do a session. It was probably more peaceful and comforting with all of the light out haha.
All in all, I had the best time with my two boys, just enjoying time together! It was a great way to spend time with them before Don goes on deployment.