Day Two in D.C.

We did lots of fun things today. First, we visited the National Gallery of Art, which Clay especially loved. After seeing all kinds of art and completing Clay's self-assigned scavenger hunt, we had a picnic in the museum's sculpture garden. Then we made our way over to the National Archives Building, so we could view the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Magna Carta. We also visited the International Spy Museum and later got caught up in a real life police chase on the way back to our apartment. This evening, we had dinner at Capitol City Brewing Company and then stopped in at Dolcezza Gelato and Coffee for an after-dinner treat.

Beautiful entrance at the National Gallery of Art

I loved doing Clay's art scavenger hunt with him!

Feeling the "amor" in the sculpture garden

Having a rockin' good time

The National Archives Building

Ninjas at the International Spy Museum

Salted caramel/Thai coconut milk gelato

Day One in D.C.

We arrived in Washington D.C. late last night and spent today exploring. We walked along the National Mall and enjoyed seeing the capitol and many of the monuments. We also loved seeing the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building. And, we had a chance encounter with Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," which is a book several of us have read and enjoyed. We also spent time in the Air and Space Museum, the Conservatory, and the Sculpture Garden. We ended the day with our annual "Average Birthday Party," which we always celebrate at a Brazilian steakhouse on the average of all the November birthdays and half-birthdays. Technically, the party should have been yesterday, but it just wasn't possible with our travel schedule. It was an amazing day, and we are already looking forward to what tomorrow holds!

Kids at the Capitol

Looking down the Mall

The Reading Room in the Library of Congress

Perfect Picnic

Supreme Court Building

Michael Pollan pontificating at the capitol

Clay found a friend in the Conservatory

Checking out a model of an aircraft carrier in
the Air and Space Museum

Clay thoroughly enjoyed the Sculpture Garden

Washington Monument

A peek at the White House

Looking toward the Lincoln Memorial

What Max has been looking forward to the most

Average Birthday Party at Texas de Brazil

Sunday Fun Day

Sundays are my favorite! It is the only day we usually don't have anywhere we have to be or anything we have to do, so it's always a day of rest and peace and catching up. This morning started with wrestling and giggles and watching our picture slide show. And when we were finally all ready to get out of the house, we headed over to the nursery to buy some plants to make our home more beautiful. Then, we had lunch at Twisted Root Burger Co. before stopping by the library, which is truly one of our favorite places. This afternoon brought naps, movies, laundry, reading, and even some legitimate work. It was a wonderful day, and I'm so thankful I got to spend it with most* of my people!

New roses to start the day

Wrestling with Dad

The nursery is a happy place!

Fun at Twisted Root Burger Co.

This month's breast cancer awareness special at Twisted Root is the Boobie Burger

*Weston is visiting Williamsburg with Nana this week, so he wasn't here with us. We missed him but know he is having a blast!

Sunday Staycation

The nomads are restless, but we are not in a position to travel right now. So, we are invoking Plan B--the Staycation. Yesterday's adventure was a trip down to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful place, and we enjoyed wandering around, taking in the fall colors and participating in lots of fun activities! Afterwards, we had lunch at Off-Site Kitchen, a funky gourmet burger joint in Dallas. We ended the day by carving pumpkins and enjoying "chocolate-covered strawberry shortcake." It was a lovely day, and it really did feel like a mini vacation!

Beautiful fall colors!

Pumpkin Village

Learning about superfoods in the edible garden

A friend from the butterfly garden

Water fun in the children's garden

Gigantic kaleidoscope

Building flowers

Fun in Big D

Off-Site Kitchen

"Pumpkin Lanterns"

"Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Shortcake"

Home Owners

Yesterday, we officially became homeowners again. We've done this many times, but this is the first time we've immediately started a big remodel job on a new house. In fact, I'm not even sharing any pictures of the house, because, by the time we are finished, it will hardly resemble the house we bought. It's interesting and exciting, and we can't wait to see how it all comes out. We will be moving in next week, and hopefully the plastic will be removed from some of the surfaces by then and I can share pics.

My favorite thing about the house is the mature grapevine covering the back porch

The Road to Hana

We arrived in Maui this morning and soon began making our way down the Road to Hana, one of the most famous and beautiful drives in the world. We took our time and had plenty of stops along the way to allow ourselves the opportunity to take in more of the loveliness around us. We did a short, very muddy hike through a small bit of the jungle, and we stopped at the Garden of Eden botanical garden to stretch our legs and enjoy the sights. The pictures definitely don't do the drive justice, as it was infinitely more beautiful than what a camera could ever capture!

The Road to Hana

We really love the rainbow eucalyptus trees!

Garden of Eden, featuring a view of  Keopuka Rock (top, far right),
used in the opening scene of Jurassic Park; a 100-year-old mango tree (bottom, far left);
and countless beautiful plants and amazing views.

Gorgeous waterfalls dotted the Road to Hana. 

Fern Grotto

The last couple of days we've been hanging around the pool and playground, and not doing a whole heck of a lot, though we did manage to work in two trips to Walmart. Because we're living the fancy island life. We did get out for some sightseeing today, with a river cruise on the Wailua River, which culminated in a visit to a beautiful fern grotto. And, we still managed to snag some pool and playground time. There are a ton of little boys staying here, so our boys have been having a ball with all their new friends.

River Boat

Wailua River

Rollin' on the River 

Pretty river debris

Beautiful fern grotto

Missing our girl, but enjoying our day

This house was used in the John Wayne movie, Donovan's Reef,
which we just watched in honor of our visit to Kauai.
It used to be on the beach but was later moved up on a hill overlooking the river.

Coffee, Green Sand, and Volcanoes

Today was full but so much fun! Our first stop was the Greenwell Coffee Farm, because you can't very well visit Kona without checking out the coffee offerings. It was a beautiful little farm overlooking the sea. We got to try several different coffees as well as some honey. We also got to participate in an educational and entertaining tour of the farm. The tour guide was knowable not only of the history of the plantation and of coffee production but also of most of the other plants growing on the property. And, she was so sweet with the younger boys and involved them in every step of the tour.

From there, we made our way to Papakolea Beach, which is one of only four green sand beaches in the world. This particular one also happens to be at the southernmost tip of the U.S. so we got to have two cool experiences for the price of one. I don't even want to tell you how we got out to the beach, because I'm not sure all of it was entirely legal. It was definitely an adventure, and so much fun. The beach is absolutely gorgeous, and we are so glad we made the effort to get out to it. 

Our final stop was the Volcanoes National Park. There are several volcanoes in the park, but the main attraction is Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes. In 1490, the summit collapsed, leaving an enormous crater (caldera) and an almost flat shield volcano behind. But that hasn't dampened the spirit of this feisty mountain, which last erupted in 1983 and continues to actively produce lava. We got to look into the crater, see the volcano's many steam vents, and even see the glow of the lava within the newer, smaller summit caldera. It was an amazing experience! While we were in the park, we also caught a glimpse of the endangered Nene bird. It was such a great day, and we made so many fantastic memories!

Greenwell Coffee Farm
The farm operated for many years without a single coffee plant.
However, Mr. Greenwell shrewdly invested in a roaster and encouraged
all the local farmers to bring their crops to him, so he could provide it to a global market.
The catch is that only roasters get to put their name on the final product, so Greenwell Coffee was born.
The first coffee plants, which are now over 100 years old (bottom right pic), were planted by
Mrs. Greenwell after her husband's death, because she wanted the complete experience.

Papakolea Beach
We really loved this beautiful beach, and while we were there,
we saw a man catch a yellowfin surgeonfish, which was very exciting!

Volcanoes National Park
From left to right, starting at the top:
A large topographical map of Hawaii, with Kilauea at left-center; steam vents;
a 6-ton, Max-sized boulder the volcano spit out when the summit collapsed;
the newer caldera hidden by all the steam; the rare nene bird; our junior ranger;
just crater as far as the eye can see; lava inside the  summit caldera