Favorite Picture Today

TJ agreed to let me take some pictures with my new lens if I gave him a bag of chips.  He wanted me to take a picture of him jumping.  This is my current favorite picture.  It makes me LOL.  But, shhh... don't tell him I posted this picture!

Update:

Then Paul found there were chips to be had.  My price was the same: pictures.  This is my favorite of Paul.

15 Years

Coker and I have been married 15 years.  Paul took some pictures for me on Saturday.

Happy anniversary, Coker!

D.C. Vacation July 8

Friday we had time to visit a museum, so we decided on the Museum of American History.  My favorite exhibit was the dresses of first ladies, of which I took no pictures.  So, here's Prince's guitar.

The hat worn by Abraham Lincoln the night he was shot.

An old boat

TJ poses with a British soldier looting a colonial home

George Washington's uniform

A Vietnam-era helicopter

 Lunch was at Zaytinya.  TJ loved his wrap.

Paul with a gyro.  You can see the rice and hommus from my meal.

Coker had soup.  It was all delicious; I wish I'd taken a picture of the Turkish Delight.

The flight home was first class.  Nice way to travel.

D.C. Vacation July 7

Thursday was a day for tours.  We began at the Library of Congress after brunch at Founding Farmers.  Paul did not care for the idea of combining two meals.

The Library of Congress was built to impress, and it does.  Ask Coker about its architecture and the triumphal arch below.

The Gutenberg Bible across from the Giant Bible of Mainz, both from the 1450s

Putti: this one is an engineer

The ceiling 

Next up was a tour of the Capitol, led by one of Kenny Marchant's staff.  We met her at our Congressman's office in the Sam Rayburn building.  There's a tunnel to the Capitol, so that was one less walk in the heat.

A marker for the cornerstone laid by George Washington in the Capitol

 A column of corn?

The old Supreme Court, which was a hand-me-down room previously occupied by Congress

 This had been a long week, so we left early.  Two of our party were not feeling well.

That evening, we had dinner with Cody and Mariela at their home in D.C.  It was delicious and fun, but I forgot to take any pictures. We Uber-ed back to the hotel after a ride with a grouchy cabbie. Uber is so much better than taxis!

D.C. Trip July 6

On Wednesday, we visited Coker's cousin, Lee and his family.  We took the train.  Paul looks excited.

TJ rested.  He's not sleeping.

Lee fetched us from the train station's 'kiss and ride.'  The guys found that strange.

The Fonz says, "ayy"

Coker holds Lynlee.  She's 3 weeks old and so beautiful!

 My boys loved playing with cousins Cole and Jericho

TJ rides with Jericho.  We visited Alecia and Lynlee, then went out for CFA.  Paul played the Tim Hawkins' CFA song, but the kids were too excited to listen.

After lunch, we went to the Air and Space Museum in Virgina.  It holds an amazing number of airplanes and other flying machines, including the Enola Gay and a replica of the 1903 Wright flyer.

We looked at everything.  TJ and I took a simulator ride; I was the pilot and he was the gunner.  We only did a few barrel rolls.  Everyone watched an IMAX movie about flight called Living in the Age of Airplanes.  Jericho made sure we didn't eat the popcorn before the movie with stern reminders.

Coker and Lee

 Dinner in the nest at Nando's Peri Peri

Seeing cousins was the best part of the trip!

 Let the wild rumpus start

D.C. Vacation July 5

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt.  Here we are ready to see monuments and memorials.

 It was HOT on the Big B Bus.

 TJ loved the bus.  Did I mention I was hot?

 In front of some Washington building.

 In back of some other Washington building.

 They were good sports for pictures.

Lunch.  Can you see the Washington Monument over Coker's right shoulder?  No?

 Washington Monument

 Lincoln Memorial from the Washington Monument

 A helicopter landed on the White House lawn while we were on the National Mall.  (Paul kept asking if there was a Dick's Sporting Goods at the Mall.)

 WWII

 Prepared to run up the steps at Lincoln

 Prepared to walk up the steps at Lincoln

 Lincoln

 Some guy walked in front of my shot

 I guess I'll get his face

 TJ and I went to the Natural History Museum

 We had dinner at Carmine's with Cody and Mariela.  TJ finally got some ice cream!

That night, TJ fell out of bed on his head without waking.  Paul reported the problem immediately, but only because TJ took the covers with him.