D.C./Maryland trip...part 1

 We stayed in Fredrick, MD., it is close to Ft. Detrick where David was taking a class. Fredrick is know as the "city of spires" so we decided to go downtown and check it out. We didn't see very many spires, but we did find this nice area to walk by the creek. It was very pretty.

Nathan loved crossing the bridges

Playing in the grass

While we were there we celebrated Anderson's first birthday!

Executive building

That Friday we drove into D.C. after David got out of class. It was so neat to see all of the history there.

I thought it would be bigger.

 Nathan loved the statues.

 Capitol building (from Washington monument)

Back of the White house

 As a side note, Nathan is really into "not being a litter bug" and picking up any litter he finds on the ground. We left the WWII memorial with a stroller full of trash, trying to find a garbage can. You could say we left it better than we found it.

Wow

 

Cute

The Chineese that LOVED Anderson.

 

It started at the Lincoln Memorial. AJ was just sitting in the stroller when all of the sudden, this lady come running up to him and starts taking his picture. Then more people, then pictures of them with AJ, all saying "Ni hao". Since Nathan likes the show Ni hao Kai Lan, we know that it means hello in Chineese. Nate Says "Ni hao" back to them and they love it.

This was the first of many incidences like this throughout our trip.

 Nathan with "honest Abe".

I asked a girl to take our picture, she didn't get the Lincoln statue at all.

Washington Monument

silly boy

Vietnam Memorial

While we waited for our car from the parking garage, we got to see the VP's motorcade go through town. Apparently this happens every night, they shut down the streets for his escort home.

After we toured the National Mall, we decided to make a stop by the D.C. temple on our way back to Fredrick. It is beautiful...and gigantic!

D.C./Maryland trip...part 2

 They had a "Roads and Rails" museum in Fredrick that I took Nathan to. In the front they had a Lego train display that one of the men there made, Nathan was in awe.

 Then we went into the "museum". It was a gigantic train set-up. It took 5 men 4 years to make it all. It was very impressive. Nate loved it.

 Anderson loved pushing the buttons, and there were lots of buttons to push!

 After we finished pushing all the buttons, I asked the guy where the "road" part of the museum was, and he told me that it was coming in 2013 or 2014.

 Smithsonian Natural History Museum

We had a great time at the NHM. Nathan and David loved it. There was so much for both of them to see and enjoy.

 I think this part was Nathan's favorite. There was a big earth in the middle of this room and Nathan thought it was awesome. They played a movie on it and during it Nate asked "are we in space"?

It isn't a good picture but it captures all three of them watching the earth video

Being a caveman statue

 They were having a huge book fair the next day, and Nathan got to take his picture with this Daniel Tiger cut out. (Daniel Tiger is a modern Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, it takes place in the land of make believe. It is a cute show).

Nathan with the tigers he got from the museum.

Samantha and Steven with little Steven at his baptism (from a few months ago)

After we got out of the museum we were going to go pick up our friend Steven from work and go to the Washington Nationals game. When we got to where we parked the car, it wasn't there. Crap.  Wait, what's that over there, our car. Hmmm, we didn't park over there.

They towed our car...to the other side of the street. We got two tickets, one for being parked after 4pm and the other for the towing...$100.00 each.

We got lost with our phone GPS because we kept losing signal. We went to the wrong place. We drove past the Pentagon 5 times. 

We ended up meeting Steven, Samantha and little Steven at the stadium.

Nationals stadium is HUGE, and it was packed. We had a fun time at the game. After, we headed back to the Hampl's to stay the night before another long day in the morning.

Thanks Hampl family, it was so great to see you!