Washington DC...a Fun Trip!

Hello and Happy Summer! 

I am on summer break and couldn't be happier! The last few weeks of school are always a whirlwind and I am happy to have a few weeks off now. My first week of summer break was spent in Washington DC with the Safety Patrol Groups from our two elementary schools. There was a spot open and the trip didn't cost me anything, so I decided to go! 

I will share some of the photos I took with my iPhone. I did not take either of my cameras as I didn't want to keep up with them and I have been to DC twice in the past so I already had lots of photos. I did want to snap a few to share though, so here goes. 

First up is a photo of the Pentagon I snapped out the bus window. This building is so massive....over 27,000 people work inside! WOW! We only saw views of it out of the bus windows but one of the days we were close enough that our tour guide pointed out the spot where the plane hit on 9/11 and where it was repaired.

The first day we were in DC all day and saw several of the monuments and the Capitol. Every monument is absolutely beautiful and they are all so unique. The first one we saw was the Korean War monument. It has a scene etched into stone like a holograph.

These soldiers are also part of it.

Next up was the Lincoln Memorial...a favorite of many.

Here is President Lincoln in all his glory.

The Gettysburg Address etched on an inside wall.

The view from the Lincoln Memorial.

Next up was the only statue that is allowed to be touched and climbed on.....Albert Einstein. It is said if you touch his nose, you will be smarter. So...some of  our kiddos decided to go a step further and pick his nose...lol!

Such a neat statue.

I did not snap a photo of the Vietnam Wall for some reason...but it was next on the tour. After that, we went to have our group picture taken in front of the Capitol. It is currently in repair as you see in the photo below. Still beautiful though!

I thought this statue of Helen Keller was really pretty. It is displayed in the Visitor Center of the Capitol.

Unfortunately the repairs were also going on inside and this was all you could see of the beautiful rotunda.

Repairs are necessary to keep this beautiful building in tip top shape though. 

This was too pretty not to take a picture of. This room, called the Whispering Hall has a really cool story...you can read it here. Our guide demonstrated for us and it was so cool!

Next up, our kids got to meet a Secret Service Agent (whom one of the parents on the trip knows). We also waited for a motorcade that was going to come through with the Prime Minister of India but apparently there was an issue with President Obama's daughter being stuck in the traffic and the motorcade was postponed a bit. This was one of the pretty buildings near where we were waiting.

We took the kids on a Subway ride to Arlington National Cemetery. Many of the parents had never ridden a subway before so this was a fun experience for everyone. The first one I ever rode was in DC when my daughter went on her Safety Patrol trip many years ago. Since then I've been on the NYC Metro system and of course again in Prague.

It is always an honor to get to watch the changing of the guards. 

Day 2 was partially spent at Gettysburg. This was my second trip there and it had a new feature that wasn't there when I went with my son. It is called a Cyclorama which is a 360 degree painting. You can read about it here. It was so interesting. The painting surrounds the room and they have extended the scenes with real life objects . It is very hard to explain, but so very neat. They tell the story with lights and sound effects that interact with the painting. This was a highlight of the trip for me since I had not seen this before. 

In this photo, you can't really tell where the painting ends and the display begins but that cannon in the front is not part of the painting. If you are a history buff, I highly recommend a trip to Gettysburg. The countryside where the battle took place is absolutely breathtaking. It was rainy and cold the day we went so I didn't get any really good photos to share. Take my word for it though...it is just beautiful!

This display of the buttons and other hardware from the uniforms was really interesting. 

Here is Florida's button.

After Gettysburg, we returned to DC and went to see the Law Enforcement Memorial. On one end of the wall of names is a male lion and the other, a female to represent male and female officers. Across from the lions are cubs that represent the civilians that the officers protect. I had not seen this memorial before but we made a special trip to it since one of our students on the trip lost his dad a few years ago to a fatal gunshot wound in the line of duty.  

Officer Reed was actually related to me. He was a distant cousin and younger than me so I didn't really know him. Such a tragedy in our small community.

This cathedral was so pretty. I took this from the bus...sorry for the reflection in the window.

We rode by Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was shot). We didn't go inside, but I had already been inside when I visited before.

Beautiful picture of our American flag and the flag of the District of Columbia. There are hundreds...if not thousands of flags in DC. So pretty!

Next up was a trip by the White House. This is the side that faces Pennsylvania Avenue. 

After we visited the White House, we went to see the Jefferson memorial...one of my favorites.

I love the green patina from the bronze emblem on the wall that runs down over this part of the Declaration of Independence. Four giant walls have the Declaration carved into them. So beautiful!

These memorials are so majestic. If you have never stood near or inside one, it is hard to comprehend how massive they are. I love how you can see them from so many places around the city. DC doesn't have really tall buildings due to the Height of Buildings Act which enables you to see across the city much easier.

I can't remember which president it was, but see the break in the trees in the photo below? That is the White House in the distance. One of the presisents wanted a view of the Jefferson Memorial so he asked that a few of the Japanese Cherry Trees and other trees be cleared so he would have a view from the White House. It is barely noticeable but our guide pointed it out. 

A stop by the World War II Memorial was next. It is difficult to get a photo here but this is one side which is represented by the tall structure in the middle which is the Atlantic and 25 state structures. I am standing near the Pacific structure on the opposite side which is also surrounded by 25 state structures. It is in a circular formation and very large. it is a beautiful place and the fountain sounds are so peaceful.

This is from the outside although not all of it shows.

Last stop for this day was the Iwo Jima Memorial.

This structure is very large. 

The men are over 30 feet tall and their helmets the size of a bathtub. 

Day 3 was spent in DC and was a free day. We had no guide so our group split up so we could each do what we wanted. My co-worker, Kaycee and I, along with the little girl we chaperoned set off to the Washington Monument. On the way, I snapped a photo of the Smithsonain Welcome Center. 

So pretty!

I have seen the Washington Monument before but this was the first time I got to go up to the top. If you look closely, you will see two windows near the top. There are two windows on each side allowing you to get the city views from the north, south, east, and west. It was very cool! 

In this view you can see the Jefferson Memorial.

Here is the Lincoln Memorial.

Here is a view of the White House from the other side. I shared the Pennsylvania Avenue side earlier. This is the pretty side though. The view from the top was a definite highlight of the trip! 

After we finished, we went to get some lunch. I had a hot dog from a food truck. Yum!

This little guy wanted us to share. :)

After we ate, we walked to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to end our day before we met the bus to head back to Florida. This was one of the pretty buildings we saw on the way.

Inside the museum, I was captivated with the gemstone displays. Isn't this beautiful?

My favorite color!

So interesting!

A shot of the ceiling in the main entrance. This is a gorgeous building. Of course, DC is full of gorgeous archutecture. Always my favorite part of a trip...swooning over the architecture!

And that my friends, wraps it up! I had a busy weekend when I got back home and have been trying to recuperate from the whirlwind that was the past month. LOL! This evening I start working out with a personal trainer. I will be doing this 3 days a week and trying to walk or bike ride the other days. I pray I will stick to it. I need to lose some weight and get stronger. I have terrible arthritis and I am hoping this might help. Miranda arrives in Orlando from Europe Saturday evening and I am so excited to have her home with me for a while! She and I, along with the hubby are also going to Charleston, SC in July for a few days. I am super excited about that! And I have more than enough to keep me busy all summer around the house and working on a few school projects. I also have a 3-day workshop in Orlando at the end of this month that I am looking forward to. So...life is good and I am blessed! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Until next time.....

Blessings, 

Vicky

 

 

May...Captured on Camera

Hello friends! Did  you think I had disappeared for good? It has been a month since I last posted  so I thought I better take a few minutes to share what I have been up to. The last time I posted was May first and today is June first, so I thought I would share my month of May in photos. 

The beginning of May was teacher appreciation week and we had lots of special treats and events at school. One of my little sweeties bought me a bottle of Bath & Body Works hand soap with this cute note attached. He wrote it himself. :)

I bought myself a pretty miniature rose at the grocery store after work.

I made my own planner for school. I created all the inserts myself. I am loving it and can't wait to use it next year. I will share it soon. Here's the cover.

We had a really cool morning earlier in May. It has been really hot already, so this was nice!

I have a teacher's aide for an hour each day to help with literacy centers. She gave me this sweet cross made by another co-worker. 

This is a common sight where I live. I love fields full of hay bales and the wildflowers growing in the ditches complete the perfect picture.

The hubby and I had a yummy lunch out at Longhorn.

I bought myself some beautiful new washi tape.

I spent a lot of time with my fur babies! Rooster is growing like a weed!

I participated in the Relay for Life. One of the groups that participated had shirts made in honor of my friend Heather who has been battling Stage 4 colon cancer for 2 1/2 years. She is currently doing great! Tomorrow she goes in for a PET scan and I'm praying she gets good news again.

The day after the relay, I had a family reunion at Shired Island. This is a local Gulf of Mexico beach area that is enjoyed by everyone.

My sister and I had a girl's day out the following day and went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. blackberry French toast, YUM!

My kiddos had Field Day at school. I had several kids win various events. They had a blast!

My kinder team and I took a day off work to get together and plan for next year. We were excited to get to go out to lunch together off campus that day. A rare treat! We went to a Greek restaurant. I had Spanakopita which is a savory pastry filled with chopped spinach, feta cheese, onions or scallions, egg, and seasoning. It was tasty!

I made a new fruit salad when my friends came out for planner night. We try to get together every week or two and work on our planners and visit.

I also made homemade guacamole to go on the wraps I made. I have actually made this several times this month. I love this stuff!

I captured an adorable picture of Rooster asleep on the couch (which he is NOT supposed to be on...lol). He is not very modest!

My gardenia had tons of blooms in May. I imagine heaven must smell like a gardenia. 

I went to the dermatologist for the first time and afterward I took Mama out to lunch at Chili's. We shared some Southwestern egg rolls. 

My nephew Nathan graduated high school. So proud of this kid!

My Aunt Loretta invited my sister and I to eat a good old southern supper with her last weekend. I promise I don;t just eat all the time...but I do like to photograph my food at times. :)

Speaking of my sister...check out her beautiful hydrangea and hibiscus. 

I caught Rooster in my chair.....again! He loves my chair and sneaks up there every chance he gets. LOL! That white spot on his head is his recently acquired scar. He is a klutz and ran into something under our truck and cut his head. Silly boy! He falls up the steps constantly!

I put together a little parting gift for my kinders along with a DVD of pictures set to music for our year together. I cried and cried looking at them. My how they grew up over the past 10 months.

Yesterday was out Water slide party day. The fire truck came and sprayed the giant water hose for them to play under as well. Out kids love this day and look forward to it each year. 

After we came back inside and changed into dry clothes, I let them play. They were allowed to write on the whiteboard and I found this sweet message. It is supposed to say...Thank you for teaching us. Great job considering at the beginning of the year, some of these kids couldn't even write their name! 

And, last but not least, I made this for the teacher's aide I referred to above. She was a true blessing to me this year. I will miss her next year but I have another awesome aide coming to help. Excuse the background here but I almost forgot to snap a picture of it, so I stopped in the hall on the way to her room and took a picture to share. 

This takes me to today! Today was the last full day of school. Tomorrow is the last day and a half day. Most kids won't be there...in fact, I only had 6 today. We are having a breakfast for some faculty and staff that are transferring to other schools or moving away. I have been busy putting together some french toast casseroles for that. I am looking forward to tomorrow evening because I will be getting together with my sister and friends, Jeana and Heather to celebrate my birthday a little early. June is a busy month for all of us and this was the only day we could do it. We will be having dinner and swimming at Jeana's. She had a beautiful new pool put in last year. Sunday is my birthday and I leave Monday to go to Washington DC with our school Safety Patrol kids. I am super excited! So, chances are I will not be blogging for a week or two, but I will as soon as I can. I am looking forward to summer to catch up with blogging and some other things. Have a beautiful rest of the week!

Until next time.....