Meanwhile back at home.....

While we were in DC BB and Poppy had fun, fun, fun with the crew. They talked BB into musical beds at night and even had a camp out in Sissy's room one night. They were so excited- here they are all bathed in jammies-



Marky loved it and slept like a log in his sleeping bag-



Tuck Tuck was just too excited and kept laughing and saying "I sleeping in a bag!"-



BB ended up having to put him in his bed where he knocked around and finally fell asleep-



Sissy and BB slept in Julia's bed, which is unquestionably the most comfy bed in house-



The kids also baked brownies with BB and Poppy-





This is BB thinking, "things were different raising an only child...." :)



Tuck Tuck and Charliehorse didn't cook, but they enjoyed the festivities all the same-




There's my sweety smile-



When we got back they had picked up BBQ and a birthday cake and we all had a birthday party for Marc- each kid made a card- they were precious! Tucker is telling me, "I want to eat this cake."



Marky's card was hilarious- it was the lyrics to "what's up with that" from SNL-



Opening presents-



Julia said, "you will love this Daddy!"- it was a thing to fix the potty that runs all the time- thanks Poppy!



Marky got him a nice, new rake. "One for me to use with you, Daddy..."



And BB and Poppy got him a new CORDLESS leaf blower! Yay! It was pointed out that it is perfect for cleaning out the trampoline.



A fun party with a yummy cake-



And yes, Tucker finally got some of that cake that he stood over for so long!



And before I go- I just have to say how sweet I think this pic of Julia smiling at her Daddy is-


She LOVES him so much. She has always just adored her Daddy and I assure you the feeling is mutual. You are such a precious, joy to raise sweet Sissybug.

DC- the rest...

After the morning in the art museum I had lunch at the hotel while Marc went to a luncheon.
Then we met up and rode the Metro over to Catholic University to see the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is the largest church in all of North America and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. Definitely worth a visit- Catholic or not! It's beautiful- a Byzantine-Romanesque style church with some 70 chapels and oratories inside. We took a guided hour-long tour which I definitely recommend. You don't know what you are looking at without some help! (It was raining when I took this pic- the dome and high tower on the left are a nod to Washington DC- the dome reminds you of the capital and the tall tower of the Washington Monument).


In the basement is a "crypt" church that reminds you of the catacombs. I didn't take pictures in there because the Blessed Sacrament is there- but it was a very holy place. Also downstairs are several chapels- here is one in honor of the builders- it has a Celtic crucifix with the Irish saints to both sides-



Also downstairs are statues of all the famous American saints- including Mother Theresa, who was included because she was given honorary American status-



The Melkite chapel shows the different style of the Eastern rite Catholic Churches. They worship using a screen with icons and the center "Beautiful Gate" that only the priest may enter through, on which has icons of the four gospel writers. Icons of Christ and the Theotkos (God Bearer) are always present as well. Mary represents His first coming and His icon represents His second coming and everything happens between them in the royal doors. Nothing is coincidence in these churches! I love the symbolism-



My favorite chapel was the Irish Chapel- it was on the main floor and so peaceful. The green door is supposed to look like the door to an Irish King's palace. They had a beautiful chandelier that was supposed to look like the sun and rain that occur in Ireland daily-



Now we enter the main upper Church- (blurry)-



The back view of one of the two huge pipe organs and a scene depicting the "universal call to holiness."



One of the gorgeous mosaic domes (there is still one yet to be done based on the Trinity). This dome has the theme of the Incarnation and has John 1:14 around the edge, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." You see the scenes of the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Wedding at Cana and the Crucifixtion. The three prophets Micah, Isaiah, Jermiah as well as the Matriarch Sarah are on the corners.



The second dome is the Redemption Dome. It depicts four redemptive acts of Jesus including the Crucifixion, the Descent into Hell, the Resurrection from the Dead, and the Temptation in the Desert. The verse is Rev. 5:9- "And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." On the four corners are "Saint Lazarus" (in burial cloths), "Simon the Cyrene", "Saint Mary Magdalene" and Joseph of Arimethea.



One of the side domes depicting the revelation to John- the last judgment-



The Visitation-



In these side chapels- whatever is happening in the top New Testament picture has a corresponding Old Testament picture on the bottom- here we see Mary coming to see Elizabeth and below the Ark of the Covenant coming to David. If you've never seen the amazing similarities b/w these events- and the idea that Mary is "ark of the new covenant"- here is a brief explanation.


The main dome behind the high alter has Christ in Majesty- seated in judgment with His angels-



Beautiful, beautiful. So glad we went and took our time! Marc had a dinner Thursday night and I stayed in a rested- just what I wanted to do!

Friday we got up and met a good friend of Marc's for lunch. He works in DC and took us on a tour of the Dept. of Justice building- it's interesting- very unusual murals throughout. After the Dept. of Justice tour we went to the International Spy Museum- VERY COOL! They don't let you take pics- but I did get this one a replica of the hanging of the statue of the founder of the KGB in USSR-



The museum has fascinating gear and info on all types of international espionage. Lesson I took away- if you heard a rumor that someone was a spy- they probably were. It was/is rampant!

After the spy museum (where we spent hours!)- we ran by the Smithsonian's portrait gallery so we could see the presidential portraits- together Marc and George can change America!



And you know we aren't leaving without a picture with the Gipper-



That night we were able to meet up with some of my old college friends at Vidalia- a nice restaurant described as "high brow low country food". :) So much fun to hang out with you Jay and Merrill!


Jay and Marc posing with their teeny, tiny hoity toity desserts-



Such a fun trip- thanks BB and Poppy for keeping the kiddos! We had a blast!

DC Trip

Marc goes almost every year to a lawyers conference in DC in November and I have never gone. This year, at the last minute, we decided that I should go and we could have a little 40th-birthday celebration at little cost to us. :) I consulted my DC friends and tried to fill my time by going to things I would NOT do if my kids were with me.

So Thursday morning we got up and had a big breakfast in the hotel and then headed to the National Gallery of Art to make their 10:00 tour of the west wing. It was AMAZING. The building is HUGE- I had no idea we had an art gallery that big and right when we walked in the big dome I knew it looked just like the Pantheon that we had been to in March. So when the guide said, "this building is modeled after another famous building- does anyone know?" Marc and I said "the Pantheon" and felt muy intelligente. :) Traveling makes you smarter!



Almost all of the art before the 1700s was religious- it was just gorgeous! This was from the 1300s and shows how artists began to make the Madonna and Child relationship more tender than previous icons had been-



David standing over Goliath's head- yikes!-



I thought the lighting in this was amazing-



St. John on the island of Patmos receiving the revelation-



Marky's favorite- St. George and the dragon!



This beautiful piece had scenes from the crucifixion-



My favorite was this one just after the crucifixion where Christ preaches freedom to the captives- open the gates for the King of Glory!



This Daniel in the Lions' Den was HUGE and so moving-



I just loved this one- I think it was called "Baby Playing" (I need to find striped knee socks for Charlie)-



This is a 3rd century mosaic floor FROM ROME showing the Roman god of wine and debaucchery- Bacchus- I got a pic for Marky we are studying how Marc Anthony thought he was Bacchus and would dress like him and run around Rome-



The collection was SO full- I saw in person paintings by Da Vinci, Matisse, Degas, Picasso, Monet, Homer, etc. All the greats are represented. There are also a halls of sculptures that are gorgeous- (as I walked through I felt like Elizabeth touring Pemberly- my Jane Austen gals know what I'm talking about)-







I love the chubby-cheeked baby Jesus- precious-





And this painting of St. Francis of Assisi was soooo real and his eyes were so penetrating and desperate I stopped cold and almost said aloud, "Can I help you?"-





A wonderful morning. Marc went with me for the tour, but then he left to go to meetings. I stayed a couple more hours and had lunch. I would NEVER have done that if my kids were with me. Such a treat to really enjoy it.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is Marc's birthday- his 40th birthday. I had HUGE plans for this day- I was going to have a HUGE party at The Club with a DJ and catering and it was going to be amazing. Then life happened and we ended up buying a new HVAC and master bathroom shower this fall as well as other things and we just got too busy to plan it. I went to DC with him for his conference as a sort of "couples trip" for his birthday, but truth be told I was a little tired and probably not the best traveling companion. HOWEVER- I don't want this day to pass without saying Happy Birthday and thanking God that 40 years ago today He brought the most precious man into the world to take care of me and be my partner for this life.

Last night I went to see My Fair Lady with some girlfriends and when Eliza is daydreaming about her Mr. Right she sings the song "wouldn't it be lovely?" I sat and thought about 20-year-old Donna and how much I longed to meet the "perfect guy" that would be gorgeous and Godly and smart and love me to pieces and we would live happily in a pretty house full of children. And I actually found him! I found the guy that made ALL my dreams come true. He's actually better than I dreamed- he is a servant of servants and despite his busy, demanding, successful career no one could ever accuse him of not putting his family or his faith first. He loves us to pieces and we all love him too. Happy Birthday to my dream come true!

Off and away....

I just spent the morning touring the National Gallery of Art in DC. Marc and I are enjoying a little getaway -he is working and I am playing! I'll post pics later!

This and That and Charliehorse

Have you seen my boyfriend? He really thinks I'm funny-



Everytime he smiles at me I say, "Thank you, I love you too..."



Because he tells me everything I need to know with those big, brown eyes-



And I already know he's going to be a thinker....



In other news- I have a movie rec to pass on- OCTOBER BABY by the Erwin brothers. Please go out and support this movie- it's supposed to be awesome and expresses the dignity and beauty of every life. And it was filmed locally to boot.

Do NOT go see Footloose. And whatever you do- don't let your kids see it. Yuck.

And- we are experimenting now with "Once Upon a Time" on ABC- they had me when they said, "FROM THE WRITERS OF LOST". I mean, Lost was amazing- surely they can do it again? So far I've seen one and a half episodes and I'm liking what I see. Too soon to recommend it, but let me know if you are watching too. :)

I noticed tonight that at least three or four times a week I open a giant can of fruit cocktail, pears or pineapple slices and put them on the kids' plates beside the real meal. I think when my kids are grown they will see a can of fruit and think of home. :) Not sure that's what I want them to remember about my "cooking". :)