Day Three in D.C.

We had the great privilege to visit Lincoln's Cottage this morning. It is one of the lesser known attractions and most people don't make the effort to get out there, even though it is only three miles from the capitol building. We really enjoyed the tour and museum and appreciated how our tour guide made Lincoln come alive for us.

Lincoln's Cottage

Max was so excited to "meet" his favorite president

Cannons are always a big hit with boys

After our tour of the Cottage, we headed over to Annapolis to tour the Naval Academy. The campus was lovely, and it was so interesting to learn about midshipmen life. When we finished up at the Academy, we made our way down to City Dock for lunch at Middleton Tavern.

Honoring America's first Navy hero

I loved this event building!

The Navy's first plane was built by the Wright brothers

The dorm building was designed to look like the Palace of Versailles in France

The kids really loved seeing the crypt of John Paul Jones

Clay being "Bill" the goat

Middleton Tavern

Eventually, we made our way back to D.C. and stopped by the Jefferson Memorial to pay our respects to another great man before heading back to our apartment to watch the Aggie game.

The back side of the Jefferson Memorial and the beautiful fall colors

Tribute to Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson Memorial

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

Super Saturday

This is the first Saturday since late August that we haven't had a kid's sporting event to attend. We enjoyed sleeping in, and since we aren't all going to be together on Weston's birthday in a couple of weeks (or on his birthday party day a couple of weeks after that), we decided to go ahead and celebrate his birthday today. His main request was Krispy Kreme doughnuts, which we don't have in Flower Mound. So, the men headed over to Roanoke to pick up the doughnuts, while Ruth and I went to workout. (For me, this is working out in the very loosest sense of the word, but I'm thrilled to be cleared to do anything that even resembles exercising!)

All the doughnuts!

Later, we gave Weston his birthday gifts, which included tickets to the OU/TCU football game in Norman, OK this evening. He did not see this coming and was thrilled about every part of it: football, TCU, two top-ten teams, going to another state for the game, and the fact that it was happening this very day. It was awesome to watch his face light up! I just love to give gifts that truly make the recipient happy! And, experience gifts are the best!

A new "Saturday shirt"

I can't tell you how happy this face makes me!

After that excitement, we headed over to Denton for the Pistons and Paint Car Show. It was so fun to see so many cool cars! But our favorite part was seeing Junior Brown, who is one of our all-time favorite musicians, perform live. Jeff and I have been trying to catch him live for more than a decade, but it just never worked out until today.

Max's favorite!

Clay asked several times how someone could get up in this

Weston's dream vehicle

I loved the pink Cadillac!

Junior Brown doing his thing

When we left the car show, Jeff and Weston took off for Oklahoma, and the rest of us came home for Clay's first Star Wars movie viewing. For all the other kids, we had decided they could see the movies when they turned seven, but since the new movie is coming out in December, the older kids voted unanimously to let Clay into the Star Wars Club at 6 1/2. And, they want him to get all caught up with the previous movies before the new one hits theaters next month. Clay was ecstatic!

The last thing on our Super Saturday agenda is tacos from Taco Ocho, and you can't ever go wrong with that! I'm so thankful for this happy day and the time spent with my people doing things that make us smile. 

Unbound

One week ago, I was set free from my hip-to-ankle knee brace prison, which broke my entire leg out in a rash and which had to be locked into the straight position at night, making it impossible to get a full night's sleep. That freedom came six weeks after I had my knee surgery, but in the four weeks before the surgery, I was held hostage by lesser contraptions, for a grand total of 80 days of varying degrees of immobility. Truly, though, it felt like a much longer period of time, and I often wondered if I would ever emerge on the other side. (They tell me that, even though I am free of the brace, my full range of mobility will not return for at least another six months. But, just having the brace off makes me feel human again, and that's definitely a good feeling!)

When the brace came off, I felt a wave of freedom shake me from head to toe. It seemed to go deeper than the bending and straightening my knee. So I started to probe a bit to see if I could figure out what was going on inside my own head. And it wasn't until that day that I realized just how deep my bondage was. It certainly wasn't just physical. The injury, loss of freedom, lack of sleep, pain, and knowledge that life can turn on a dime congealed in my mind to create an atmosphere of fear, anxiety, depression, negativity, and insecurity. I lost all interest in my Year of Firsts (though I kept doing them, out of a sense of duty I suppose), and every new thing (and quite a few old-hat things) I faced seemed like they had the potential to be the RipStik all over again. I struggled to muster up the courage to take any risks, no matter how small. I honestly felt paralyzed in so many ways, and I wasn't fully connecting the injury to my mental state. But, when the brace came off, I instantly felt clarity in the situation and recognized it for what it was.

This week has been full of freedoms in mind and body, and I feel much more like myself. I feel like trying new things and embracing challenges again. And I don't feel afraid or anxious of every single situation. In order to ditch the brace, I had to prove to my physical therapist that I could push through the pain and that I could build up the appropriate strength. To be truly unbound in my mind, there are similar hurdles to overcome.  I suspect this knee injury isn't yet finished with all the lessons it has to teach me, and I hope I have the grace and open-mindedness to receive them well as I work to make my mind stronger and more fit, just as I continue to work on physical strength and fitness.

6 1/2

Yesterday we celebrated Clay's half-birthday with lots of things that he loves. He requested all the chocolate for breakfast, so we indulged in chocolate donuts, chocolate muffins, and chocolate cupcakes. We gave him some art supplies and a gift card to an art store, which he had subtly suggested by bringing me the ad for the store, pointing out exactly what he wanted (and making sure I realized it was "only $5"), telling me he wished he could sometime get a gift card like the big kids often get, and then strategically and overtly leaving the ad on my dresser where I would be sure to see it every day. 😊  Then, he spent some time doing chalk drawings with Max and his cousin, Victoria. Another request for the day was to watch a movie and order pizza, so we did that at lunch time. And later in the day, Clay and Max competed in Ninja Warrior contests at the gym where Max takes gymnastics. It was such a fun half-birthday day. I can't believe this kid is getting so big! I'm so proud of him and just love him so much!

Chocolate Overload

Proud of his gift card

Chalk Drawings

Movie Time

Ninja Clay

Where one season ends and another begins

Today was Ruth's last cross country meet of the season and her first horse show. She had very little time between the two events and literally had to change clothes in the car. She pulled off the transition flawlessly! We are so proud of all her hard work during the cross country season and for the ways she has improved and the friends she's made. The riding season got off to a great start, and we look forward to all it holds.

A strong finish to the cross country season

Ruth and Charming in the Walk/Trot class

Ruth and Blue in the Walk/Trot/Canter class

2nd in W/T and 4th in W/T/C