So apparently blogger has a new way to insert pictures--FINALLY-- and the way I've been doing it for the past three years is obsolete. The good news is that all the pictures downloaded much more quickly than they used to. The bad news is that I no longer have to post my oldest pictures first so they'll end up on the top. It used to be that the first picture loaded was the last picture on the blog.
This blog post is consequently backward, because the first picture I downloaded is at the top instead of the bottom where it used to go. That means this blog post will start with the happenings of the end of September and go back to August, instead of the other way round.
In September I organized a group of Relief Society ladies from our ward to visit the section of DC known as Georgetown. Below I'm standing in front of the Old Stone House, which was built in 1766 and is the oldest home in the District of Columbia. It's now run by the National Park Service.
Our first stop of the day was to buy cupcakes at the famous Georgetown Cupcake shop. We were very fortunate to get there early in the morning so there wasn't a line.
Also in September was the National Book Festival on the mall in DC. This was the first year Kent came with me. We went to hear David McCullough speak. In the picture below the author behind Kent is Garrison Kellior. He spoke at the same time David McCullough did, so we didn't get a chance to listen to him speak. He talked longer that David Mc. so we just stood on the outside to see him.
Also in September the Relief Society put on on luau for the adults in the ward. There was lots of good food, good decorations (for once I didn't decorate, so I can say that!) and we learned how to dance the hookie lau.
At the end of August I spent five days with Lissa and the girls while Jason was on a business trip. It was so fun to see Savannah smiling already! I spent lots of quality time with Kiera so her Mommy could take care of seven-week-old Savannah,
I took Kiera to the neighborhood pool one evening.
I took these pictures of the girls one morning when we were letting Mommy sleep in.
T
This is a shot of the Washington monument from the airplane as I was landing in DC on the way home after a fun time in Katy.
I know this doesn't look like much, but here's a picture of the homemade salsa I canned with tomatoes and peppers Kent grew in our garden.
I had fun getting fancy making some designer cupcakes as refreshments for my book group. The top ones are mint/chocolate and the bottom are peanut butter/chocolate. I'll humbly say that I think my cupcakes looked and tasted as good as the $3 each ones from Georgetown Cupcake!!
My sister, Jill, came to visit for a few days in August, and I took her to see Thomas Jefferson's home in Monticello. It's about a two-hour drive away. In the five days she was here we had an earthquake (no damage at all to our house) and a hurricane, so she got lots of bang for her buck while she was here.
The first event of August was a day trip I organized for the Relief Society ladies to visit the Governor's Mansion and state capitol in Richmond, Virginia. It was VERY interesting and informatiive. I learned that eight presidents of the US were born in Virigina, and that the Virginia capitol building was designed by Thomas Jefferson.
This statue of George Washington was in the hall of Presidents. There were busts of the other former US presidents.
The dome is enclosed and isn't visible from the outside. The VA capitol was the first neo-classical building in the United States and was very unique for it's time. Jefferson was inspired by his years spent in Paris.
The Governor's mansion looked small from the outside, but seemed bigger once we went inside. It's also an historic building, which is why it's not huge.
The dining room rug was brand new and had been custom designed for the room with seal of the great state of Virginia.
Yes, that's a portrait of Robert E. Lee. He's almost as beloved as Washington and Jefferson to Virginians.
T
