Our D.C. Diary: June 2013

Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present. ~ Roger Babson

It seems absolutely crazy that we are moving home NEXT MONTH! We bought tickets and fly out of DC Reagan Airport on July 31st and pull into our home in Bellingham on the 1st of August. Between now and then I am feeling great pressure to make sure we live it up and make the most of every single day. We are starting to feel the end approaching and are sooooooo excited to see our friends and family back home soon...however we are also starting to feel sad and have a sense of closure approaching as we end this amazing journey. I really can't believe we have been here for a year, but, man, it's been an incredible family adventure!

Job Update: I had a new experience of having a FaceTime interview with the Bellingham School District and somehow landed a continuing social studies position at Squalicum High School for next year!!! This makes going home so great (and I get to work with Suzy!!!). Steve will be beginning his administrative program when we return...therefore we are very grateful and excited for what our future holds when we go home this summer!

These last few weeks have been really fun as we try to enjoy our daily routines and the ease of living in such an amazingly accessible city. We spent Memorial Day downtown and came upon the National Memorial Day parade. We also visited the Vietnam Memorial and WWII Memorial to get the kids to really understand the meaning of the holiday. It was emotional and memorable for them to see so many veterans and their families coming together to visit DC. I think they have a deeper of understanding of the sacrifices so many Americans have made over the last century. Seeing the people's faces and the number of people memorialized on the wall is quite a moving event on Memorial Day.

Here are some pictures of our last couple weeks...

Sawyer checking out the Vietnam Memorial.

I had the great opportunity to help Steve during his big Noyce conference he organized here in DC for young teachers who have received grants from the NSF. I got the dreamy job leading a group by the Capitol building and into the Library of Congress for a "behind the scenes"tour with a woman how has worked there for over 45 years. It was amazing to visit the "top secret" Congressional Meeting Room (pics below) and walk through the stacks of bazillion books that are not open to the public. I was so excited!!! I have just finished Dan Brown's silly book, The Lost Symbol, which takes place in these rooms...so I kind of felt like a spy. My dream.

Library of Congress SECRET Congressional Meeting Room. I would love to know what sorts of things have been discussed in this room!

My city girl!

We had to say goodbye to TONY...of our favorite people in our morning routine. Tony works in the store in our building and is off for his own adventures. Tony has helped the kids learn some Mongolian and been a fun person to get to know...we will miss him greatly!

Spring roll night! Happy kids!

Natalie and her buddy Sakura ready for their school play!

Learning about the Powhatan.

"Legend of the Blue Bonnet" Mrs. Adams' 2nd grade school play.

One of the hard things about leaving is that we meet new and amazing friends and then have to say goodbye in a few weeks. So are making sure to enjoy all of our moments with all our great friends!! This weekend we visited the White House, Renwick Gallery, and the Corcoran Art Gallery for craft activities, exploring art and enjoying friends! This made for some happy kids and moms!