No Labor Here

When the Hoggards invited us on a last minute trip to DC, we couldn't resist. We placed a call and had ourselves booked into Hotel Critchfield and on our way in no time.

Kale is very safety conscious.

The George Washington Masonic Temple - my Dan Brown knowledge didn't carry me as far as I hoped.

George Washington in all his masonic glory

Old Town with an old friend!

George is a fan favourite in DC.

Prince Street in Alexandria - the original cobblestone has been untouched. It made for a beautiful  albeit very bumpy ride. 

Thomas Jefferson - my favourite founding father.

The Jefferson Memorial makes for one beautiful backdrop, and we don't too bad at making a good frontdrop.

This is what is left of Apollo 11. We learnt that Astronaut Michael Collins picked the short straw and was left in this tiny capsule for a day or two orbiting the moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin got to go play on the moon. If you could see how small this capsule was you would agree with me that Collins is one of America's unsung heros!

This poor little guy (now freeze dried) took part in a test to see if anything could survive in space. The poor thing was strapped in tight in his little chair - my smile was purely for the camera, I was hurting on the inside.

Space Lab - Seems like it would be a fun place to hang out in space. The white capsule to the left behind us was their shower. They zipped themselves inside and hoped the water didn't float away. I wish I had been the one to invent the toilet hoover system.

Kevin was having the best time. He insisted on going through every single exhibit. We saw one of these drones on our drive from AZ and he has been obsessed every since. He was so happy when he found them hanging from the ceiling.

No museum visit is complete without a trip to the gift shop!

We loved the National History Museum

This rock is gneiss (pronounced nice - geology humor rocks)

He's a lover not a fighter.

Scartching swimming with Great Whites off my bucket list.

No trip would be complete without a trip to the White House. Keith brought a frisbie so we could say we played outside the White House. By this time my feet were too tired to do anything but sit, so I am proud to now say, I have sat outside the White House.

Seriously can't take him anywhere.

Cafe Rio!! We couldn't have been more excited.








We also got to go to the National Archives where the Declaration and Constitution are kept. They are starting to fade quite badly so no cameras are allowed, and with all the secruity standing around I wasn't about to chance it! I did have a nice chat about National Treasure with one of the guards. He had never even seen the movie! I would have thought it was a requirement.

 

We came home feeling exhausted but oh so cultured and perhaps even a little smarter.

Mud Run

Growing up there was nothing I enjoyed better than going to play in the mud. I loved when it rained and we could put on our wellies and go run in the forest or when we went mud squelching in San Luis, so when I saw a mud race coming to Orlando I just had to do it.
The race was so much fun. It had us going over low walls and high walls, up and down mud hills, through mud tunnels, swimming in swamps (and praying for no gators) swinging on monkey bars, up a hay bale tower and the whole time getting as muddy as possible!

The best part of the whole race happened right at the beginning. We had just gone through the starting gate and there was no mud around except for one muddy puddle. Everyone was running around it trying to stay clean. Not me! I went full speed to that puddle and jumped both feet in, spraying everyone around me. It was brilliant!

So fresh and so clean - I didn't get the all black/all white memo. No one tells me anything.

I cut my hand open crawling through a tunnel. I was trying to get it cleaned out - needless to say it hurt.

Thankfully I can always put on a brave face for a camera.

Half way through. I intend on having words with whoever left those handprints on Kevin.

A face only a mudder could love.

Jumping over a low wall. By this point my hand was seriously hurting, so admittely I did just walk around all these obstacles.

Proud finishers! You end the race by going down a slide and being dumped into a pool of water. Made for a very refreshing end to the race.

My war wound - after lots of water and hydrogen peroxide.

The camera loves us.

Team work on the Monkey Bars.

Mud beard on his real beard.

 

Angie's and Meghan's faces kill me in this one.

 

We can't wait for next year!!

Olympiad

I was feeling a little down about not being able to go home for the Olympics, so to cheer myself up I hosted my own Olympiad. Like all good Olympics, we had multiple games; accompanied with winners and losers (lets be honest, Silver and Bronze are glorified losers), intermixed with nail biters and topped it off with some tears (It makes for better ratings, just ask NBC)

You don't own a set of Olympic rings?

Fencing - USA v. China

Javelin - Excellent technique as demonstrated by South Africa.



Trinidad and Tobago - Game Face



Water Balloon Shot Put. Beautiful throw from the Canadian, eh?





Team GB got caught up in a Javelin incident, receiving "sympathy" from T&T, and what appears to be laughter from Australia and South Africa. Stupid Southern Hempishere, it hurt!



Discus - Argentina and France hoping for Gold.

Our podium encouraged building international relations.

After noticing a podium pattern, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) agreed that Equestrian should be the only Co-Ed competition.



Someone was a little too pleased with their gold.



Not sure whether I should boast about this or not, but the only game I won gold in (or actually placed in for that matter) was the Academic game of: Name That Flag. 

And then we all went and partied the rest of the night in the Olympic village.