June was PACKED with fun things. While organizing this post and getting it ready for you, I was amazed at how much we did in one 30-day period. It was a fun month and getting to re-live it while writing was so much fun. I hope you enjoy it!
June 1 - Steve and I finally had time to do one half of a project we have had planned for 2 years now. With so many cars parked in the driveway, we have to swing really wide to avoid hitting another vehicle which has left divots on both sides of the driveway. The are huge eye sores and our plan to put pavers in to extend the size of the driveway finally got started.
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| Looking good! |
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Now to get the other side done. It is going to look so nice!!
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June 5th and 6th I cleaned all the carpets in the house. They really needed to be done and it made a huge difference once they were done. I also got the bathrooms cleaned and the floors mopped downstairs. It was a productive two days.
June 7th Avian got to dress up in their cap and gown and go help with carpool at Highland Creek Elementary with all the other graduates from LNC that had attended HCE. They also got to visit their teachers and give/get hugs.
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| Where is all started. |
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| Avian with their first grade teacher, Ms. Stinson. |
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| All of Avian's LNC classmates that were also HCE classmates. |
Later that same day, as I was running errands, I had a lot of questions floating around in my head. With two children who do not want anything to do with the church in which they were raised, I was doubting myself and trying to understand their point of view so I could be a better parent to them. I was so confused and frustrated and didn't know where else to turn. My faith felt very fragile. All the things I had been raised knowing were in question. Was there really a God in Heaven that knew me and listened to my prayers. Would I really return to HIM after this life was over. At a stop light, I just started talking to my dad. "Dad, I need to know what you know." I immediately felt prompted to open my Spotify and select "random". Of the 15 hours and 42 minutes of songs I have on my Favorites list, this is the song that started playing. I had my answer!!! Thanks, Dad!
He Sees You, by Terrain
I'm not perfect
Even at my best, I don't deserve Him
When everything's a mess under the surface
He never makes me feel ashamed
When I'm hurting
He handles every question in my searching
Even when I wonder if He's working
He takes all of the fear away
So when you think that you're stuck
In the place you're standing
He sees
Everything that you're gonna be
He's healing every lie you believed
He sees you
He sees you, oh
And He knows
Your future, so He's pulling you close
He is your defender, I know
He sees you
He sees you, oh
Different voices
Have tried to label you just by your choices
But I am here to tell you that you're chosen
His love's calling out your name
So when you think that you're stuck
In the place you're standing
He sees
Everything that you're gonna be
He's healing every lie you believed
He sees you
He sees you, oh
And He knows
Your future, so He's pulling you close
He is your defender, I know
He sees you
He sees you, oh
Bring your burdens (bring your burdens)
Bring your shame (bring your shame)
Lay it down (lay it down)
At his feet, oh (at his feet)
You are a child of the living God
Of the living God
Bring your worries (bring your worries)
And fear of failing (and fear of failing)
Lay it down (lay it down)
No more waiting (no more waiting)
You are a child of the living God
Of the living God
He sees
Everything that you're gonna be
He's healing every lie you believed
He sees you
He sees you, oh
And He knows
Your future, so He's pulling you close
He is your defender, I know
He sees you
He sees you, oh
Hmm, He sees you
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| A commission Avian completed for a friend of ours for Father's Day. |
June 8th - While Avian attended Emma's graduation party, Steve and I were packing up both vehicles with all the beach stuff and things we wouldn't need until we got to the beach. Nick stopped by to go on a bike ride. It was good to see him before we left. Avian got back and helped pack a little bit before heading to Summer's graduation party. Steve and I paused the packing to attend a neighbor's (Lili Booker) graduation party and then a wedding reception of one of his scouts (Kevin Vizcarra). It was a nice break from packing and we finished up really quickly once we got home. We were ready to leave bright and early the next morning.
June 9th - Driving day. As always, we stopped at the Scuppernong to use the facilities and stretch our legs. Leah, Chiara and Rose loved seeing all the insects and animals that were on the Scuppernong. Leah held so still some of the dragonflies landed on her. We also saw a baby turtle. It was so little.
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| I have taken a picture similar to this one every time we stop here. I love the view. |
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| Stretching our legs on the path. |
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| Leah holding a dragonfly. They really liked her. |
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| Tiny baby turtle. He would fit in the palm of your hand. |
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| Hello, baby turtle |
The traffic was REALLY light going up Highway 12. It was weird and nice at the same time. We stopped at Scarborough to kill time until we were notified that the house was ready. It wasn't long before the text came and we all piled into the vehicles and headed to the house. It was fun to watch the girls explore the house and choose their rooms. Once everything was unpacked, I Zoomed with Mom and Kathy and then took a walk on the beach. The dolphins are back. There is a whole pod of them this time.
Arrived at house. Kids loved it. Zoomed with mom and Kathy. Dolphins are back, a whole pod of them.
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| Sunset over the dune. |
June 10th - It was a relaxing morning. I took my morning walk and watched the dolphins playing in the waves. They were jumping and splashing. It was fun to watch.
When I got back to the house for some breakfast, the girls were just rolling out of bed. While everyone ate, Avian asked if I would try to crack their back. I was sitting on Avian getting ready to crack their back when they said, "Wait a minute" and then every muscle in their body tensed. I said, "You are not going to fart, are you?" which got them laughing which got me laughing which made them laugh harder. It was cycle of laughing that had everyone in stitches. We were both crying by the time we got ourselves under control.
After breakfast, everyone wanted to check out the shops at Timbuck II because it was still a little chilly to get in the water. After a couple of hours looking around the shops we were all hungry and so we headed back to the house for lunch. Rose and I stayed with Jeremy who needed to watch a movie for his college course that night, while the others headed out to play on the beach. At the end of the movie I walked to the beach to see what everyone was doing. They were having a lot of fun.
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| Avian and Chiara boogie boarding |
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| Enjoying a moment to relax and watch the waves. |
Back at the house, Jeremy was excited to tell us that he got the job at Earthbound pending a background check. It was good to see him happy and smiling.
Avian, Rose and Steve went to Wings to look at swimming trunks and so Leah and I broke out the crocheting. Chiara wanted to learn so Leah and I showed her some basic stitches and she caught on really quickly. She is a natural.
We had a dinner of baked potatoes and simple toppings. I had asked Chiara what food she was really missing from home and she said she missed the simple flavors and food. In America we season our food a lot. It turned out to be the perfect dinner for all of us. After dinner, we all walked to the ice cream shop for dessert.
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| The sunset from our front porch. |
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| The sunsets never get old! |
After Jeremy finished up with his class, later that evening, we went to the beach to see the ghost crabs. The girls really liked it and were fascinated by how fast the crabs move and how many of them were out of their holes. Jeremy tried to show them how to pick up a crab and underestimated the reach of the crab's claws and was surprised when the crab pinched him. Although, he was not as surprised as the crab that then got launched 30 feet when Jeremy shook him off. It was a fun night.
June 11th - We were all up early to see the horses on the beach. There were two large groups of horses on the beach. It was amazing. The girls all sat in the back of the truck and got some good pictures. Just as we were about to exit the beach and return to the paved road we got pulled over by the beach police. He told us to put the tailgate up before driving any further. Thank goodness it was only a warning and we didn't get a ticket. All in all, it added to the adventure of driving on the beach.
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| Off to see the horses. |
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| I don't know why, but I think the old stumps sticking out of the water are really beautiful. |
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| I had to take this picture because the pictures I get make it look like we are the only ones on the beach with the horses. This shows all the people truing to get pictures. Poor horses. No wonder they go and hid in the neighborhoods during the day.. |
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| These are seagulls. My sanderlings are absent again this year. |
After our drive on the beach, we explored the Historic Corolla Village and Whalehead Club grounds.
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| View of the lighthouse from the playground. |
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| Playing on the dragonfly teeter totter. |
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| Jeremy chilling on the circle swing. |
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| He took a little nap. |
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| Leah doing the Karate Kid pose. |
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| Avian taking a nap on the back of a giant goose. |
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| Steve found an egg to sit in while the kids played. |
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| Rose, Chiara, Leah, Avian and Jeremy in the cool tree. |
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| We walked over the to gazebo on the Sound side and watched the wildlife. Jeremy is in his element. |
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| The view of the Sound from the gazebo. |
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| Watching the heron fish for his lunch. |
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| Rose struck a pose for the camera. |
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| Now Avian struck a pose for the camera. |
After watching the wildlife we headed towards the lighthouse to check out the grounds.
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| The lighthouse is 185 feet tall. Leah, Chiara, Avian and I wanted to climb it. |
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| The staircase curved all the way around all the way up. It was fun. |
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| The view from the top was stunning. Here is the Sound side. |
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| Avian, Leah and Chiara checking out the view from the ocean side. |
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| Our view of Steve and Rose from the top. |
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| The Whalehead Club grounds view from the top. |
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| The groundskeeper's house and the gift shop. |
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We chilled back at the house for a little bit and then headed to the beach for some more fun. I got to hang out in our new hammock chair.
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| Steve rode the waves |
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| Avian chilled |
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| Rose and Leah made a sand castle |
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| Chiara made a mermaid's tail. |
That night for dinner the girls chose Chinese food and we made orange chicken and steamed veggies. It was a yummy dinner.
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| Steve and I took a walk on the beach after dinner and discovered this cool hammerhead shark sand sculpture. |
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| I love the ghost crab holes and the tracks they leave coming and going. |
June 12th - Leah and Chiara got up early to watch the sun rise. I took my morning walk on the beach. Later in the morning, the kids went to play miniature golf. Rose and Chiara each won a round of mini-golf. Chiara had never played before because they don't have miniature golf in her town in Italy. Jeremy came in second both rounds and was pleased because "at least I am consistent".
While the kids were miniature golfing, Steve and I went to find Mom's monthly puzzle at our favorite puzzle and games store and then to find a fun way to display shells.
All of us chilled at the house for a little bit. I went for another walk and the dolphins were up really close to the shore. It was fun to watch them play so close.
Back at the house, the girls wanted to go back down to Scarborough and check out the shops before heading to dinner at Kill Devil's. Steve and I found a little shop that had always been closed the other times we have been there and it was open this time. It was filled with knick knacks and antique jewelry. We had to go visit our other favorite shop and the shop owner remembered us and told me she had some new pants. I got a pair of peacock pants this time and we talked with the owner for a bit.
We hit the sweet spot for dinner at Kill Devil's. It started to get really busy just as we were finishing our dinner. They make the best burgers that taste even better because we are at the beach.
Back at the house, we tie dyed our shirts and then headed to the Whalehead Club to watch the sunset. At least that was the plan. We didn't leave early enough and missed watching the sun go down, but did get to see what one of the locals called "the prettiest sunset they had seen in a long time. We also got to see a Nutria swimming in the shallow water. Chiara knew exactly what it was. She said they had them back at home.
That night, just as we were all winding down and going to sleep, a very excited Avian burst into our bedroom and showed us and email from Scholastic that had gotten lost in their spam. They had gotten both a gold and a silver medal for two of their pieces!!!! They were so excited. There is a possibility that the gold medal winner will be chosen to be displayed at the Met Museum in New York. They notify us in July or August if that is the case. It took us all a while to calm down after this excitement.
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| This is the silver medal winner |
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| This is the gold medal winner |
June 13th - The morning was gorgeous and we knew it was going to be the perfect beach day. Steve and I took our morning walk on the beach and then went right back to set everything up for the day. We played all day on the beach and in the water. Chiara had a blast playing in the waves. She said the beaches around Venice are not as nice and clean as the OBX and so she hadn't really played in the water like this before. At one point in the day, the Coast Guard was doing a water rescue practice just down the beach with a helicopter. Chiara loved watching it because that is what her dad does for a job in Italy.
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| Rose and Avian adding the sphinx to Steve's pyramid. |
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| Avian sculpting and Rose getting more "materials" |
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The finished product.
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| They made one of the sphinx in the shape of a penguin just for me. |
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| The other sphinx was a cat. |
Rose didn't want to be in the water and asked if she could be in charge of the camera for the day. She had a blast capturing all the fun that was had in the water. She is definitely hired for all future events.
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| Avian, Chiara and Steve riding in the perfect wave. Chiara was a natural at boogie boarding. |
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| All of us enjoying the water. |
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| Surfer girl, Leah! |
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| All smiles from Chiara after every great wave. |
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| Chiara and I played in the waves for hours. |
Avian had to do the running into the water tradition - The series is below.
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| Avian body surfing and Steve boogie boarding. |
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| Some good 'ol family fun. |
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| Avian and Steve having some fun together in the waves. |
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| Leah loved digging holes |
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| But she also loved boogie boarding. Leah loves everything! |
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| Very artistic photo |
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| Leah and Chiara |
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| Leah and Avian on top of the water - Chiara's legs in the air. |
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| Rose even caught the rare Jeremy sighting with photos. |
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| Jeremy photo bomb. |
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Leah and her mom riding the waves. Ana came and spent some time with us on the beach while Eddy went crabbing. It was fun to have her with us.
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Around 2:30 everyone was ready to get cleaned up for the day. Back at the house I rinsed out all the tie dye shirts. They all turned out amazing. Steve took the girls to Goodwill to find some pants they could decorate. Jeremy and I went and bought the seafood for dinner. Rose came and helped us devein all the shrimp and get everything ready for dinner. She can come on our family vacations every year!
We started cooking everything and Eddy and Ana came with crabs he had caught, and a few they had purchased. Crabbing was not as good as he had hoped. The food was all amazing. We had shrimp, lobster, crab, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, hushpuppies and kielbasa. Eddy had worked in a seafood restaurant up north and showed us all how to get the meat out of the crab. It was pretty cool, but I will say he made it look a lot easier than it was.
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| Rose posing for a picture so I could send it to her mom. |
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| We put a serious dent in all the seafood - it was most excellent!! |
Once again we headed to the Whalehead club to see the sunset and just barely missed it. We all vowed that we would leave extra early the next night to make sure we got to watch the sun go down.
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| Avian, Chiara, Leah and Rose. |
Back at the house we took Leah's parents down to the beach and let them have a ghost crab experience. Eddy loved catching them and putting them in a bucket. Ana and I were both happy to get off the beach where we didn't have to worry about stepping on the crabs.
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| It only took Eddy about 5 minutes to catch all of these little guys. |
June 14th Steve and I were up early to walk on the beach and then get everything set up for the day. Everyone was up and eating breakfast earlier than usual because we were all excited about another beach day. Ana and Eddy joined us for most of the day and we had a great time playing in the waves and watching the dolphins play.
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| Avian and Steve waiting for the perfect wave. |
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| Caught it just right. |
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Leah's dad and Steve enjoying the waves.
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Leah's dad just floating in the waves.
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| Chiara, Rose and Leah tackling the waves. |
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| Avian, Chiara, Rose and Leah. |
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| Body surfing |
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| The pelicans were out fishing. |
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| The dolphins were splashing and playing. |
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| Rose enjoying playing in the waves. |
We cleaned up about 2 and went back to the house to clean up and go to the Lighthouse Bookstore. Leah found a turtle in the middle of the parking lot and gently guided it to safety. As soon as it got into the bushes, it started digging a hole in which to lay its eggs. It was pretty cool to watch.
After the bookstore, we went to find Rose a sweatshirt to tell her thank you for all her help with dinner and everything. Avian found a pelican windchime to go with Percival on the front porch.
Back at the house we had a dinner of all the left overs from the night before. We finally finished all of the food. It was just as yummy the second day.
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| Chiara was hard at work trying to finish a granny square bag she had started. She really learned fast!! |
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| Leah and Rose decorated the pants they bought at Goodwill. Avian worked on finishing up their sketchbook. |
To see the sunset, but first Food Lion for ice cream and Italian ice. Toy store so Leah could get a duck.
We left the house really early so we would have time to stop at Food Lion and get some ice cream sandwiches for everyone and then headed to the Whalehead Club to FINALLY see the sun go down. We got there with plenty of time to get a good spot for the show.
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| Jeremy headed for the gazebo so he could watch the heron catch his dinner. |
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| Leah and Chiara went out to the point for a different view. |
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| Steve was ready on the end of the pier to catch it all with is phone camera. |
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| The whole group of us with the sunset in the background. |
I handed the camera to Avian and let them take pictures as the sun went down. They did a fabulous job of catching everything.
As soon as the sun was down, Jeremy and I jumped in the truck to get him back to the house so he could finish a paper that was due for class that night. The rest of the group took their time getting back to the house.
It was the perfect day!
June 15th - Eddy and Ana came and got Leah and Chiara early the next morning so they could be back in Charlotte to spend the day with family on Father's Day. The rest of us had breakfast and then Steve and I set up the stuff on the beach and enjoyed the sand and waves for a little bit before packing it up and heading back to the house.
Jeremy, Rose and Avian were all watching a show and weren't in a beach mood. Avian's back was hurting a little bit and they all decided to take it easy on our last day. Steve and I rode or bikes to the seafood store to get slushies. We saw the kids coming up to do some last minute shipping. Back at the house I relaxed in the hammock chair for a bit and then Steve and I decided to play in the waves one last time before the day ended. The waves were bigger than usual and looked like a lot of fun. I had to time it between big waves to get out in place in order to not get totally knocked over. I got in 5 or 6 good rides before getting totally plowed by a big wave. I was just standing up from riding a wave in and didn't see the next big wave coming in. It knocked my knees out from under me and then came over the top of me pushing me down. When my heel touched my behind (which it has not done in years because of scar tissue and intermittent swelling), I knew I was in trouble. As I was trying to rebalance myself, the wave started coming back and pulled my arm, which was holding the boogie board, back around twisting my body. Now my shoulder, hip, knee and ankle were involved. I just kept saying "no no no no no" while pulling myself out of the waves with my one good leg and both hands. I was able to stand make it back to the chairs, but I could tell I was really hurt and starting to go into shock. I limped back towards the ocean to signal Steve that I was done and needed to get back to the house. We quickly cleaned up and I made it across the sand, but couldn't use my right leg to climb the stairs. I ended up hopping the rest of the way back to the house. I rinsed off in the shower under the house and then headed for the hot tub to see if that would help. I helped a little bit with the jets on my shoulder and hip. I made it into the house and got myself cleaned up in the shower. I had brought the first aid kit and there was an Ace bandage in there which we used to wrap my knee. We got me settled on the couch with some ice on my knee.
During this whole time Avian and Rose had been out shopping for a birthday present for Anthony. When they got back and saw me on the couch with ice on my knee all they could do was shake their heads at me. The only comment Avian made was "Well, now you have to see a doctor about your knee pain." I have been putting it off for too long apparently. They helped pack up the house while I sat on the couch. Steve picked up some pizza from a new place up by the lighthouse that is now our new favorite. We were all ready to go home the next morning.
June 16th - Avian drove the whole way home so I was able to keep my leg elevated. Every time we had to stop for something, Rose and Avian were right at my side helping me limp/hop to where ever we needed to go.
Back at the house we got everything unloaded. I was happy to have the crutches so I didn't have to walk on it anymore. It was really swollen and really hurting. Mr. Licastri and Tess came and picked Rose up. We talked for a bit about how much we loved Rose and that she could come on vacation with us any time. Steve took the bikes back to the Sturts while I kept my leg elevated. I slept really well that night!!!
June 17th - I woke up on Monday with a really stiff knee that was still really swollen. We didn't want to wait too long to find out what I had done since we still had our DC trip coming up soon. I was able to find an appointment that same day. He examined my knee and took some x-rays which showed arthritis in both knees. There was something on the x-rays that looked like either really advanced arthritis or a tibial plateau fracture. He was encouraged after the the laxity test in that he thought all the ligaments were intact, but there was still a lot of swelling. He put me in a knee brace, ordered an MRI and told me to keep the knee nonweight-bearing until diagnosis is confirmed. We got the MRI appointment set for Sat, June 29th because it usually takes 8-10 days before they hear back from the insurance and they won't do an MRI until it has been approved.
Avian and I headed to Walmart to shop for the Father's Day dinner that night. We had postponed it so Nick could be with us. I was stupid and thought I could crutch all over Walmart. My pectorals were on fire by the time we were done. Crutches at age 21 are TOTALLY different than crutches at 54.
While we were shopping, Steve was at the McOwen's house helping get some home projects finished. He was happy playing with friends and power tools.
Father's Day dinner was yummy and it was nice to all be together as a family. We had rootbeer floats for dessert and then everyone went to bed.
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| It is really swollen. I can still bend my leg though. |
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| My new knee brace to add to my collection. |
June 18th - Being on crutches was limiting, but I quickly started remembering how I dd things while on crutches so many years ago. Little by little things from the trip got put away. I got everything ready to mail and Avian said they would be my chauffer to the post office. While we were out, we went to Hobby Lobby to get some new sketch books for Avian. The manager of the store saw me crutching across the parking lot and met us at the door with a wheelchair. I really appreciated this as my shoulders were really aching.
June 19th - As is usually the case with working out, the pain really sets in on day 2. My pectorals were on fire today. I am definitely using muscles that don't get a lot of use regularly. I crutched too much the last two days. I spent the day doing things that did not require moving around too much. I got the checkbook balanced while Steve worked. Avian went to Target to use some of the graduation money they got to purchase things for school. That night Sandra brought dinner, and we got to hear all about her Alaska cruise. It sounded like an amazing trip.
June 20th - Jeremy drove Sandra to the airport for a quick trip to Florida. Right before we left to pick her up, I got a call from our insurance that the MRI had been approved. I was so excited!! After we dropped Sandra off, I called the MRI scheduler to see if we could get the MRI moved up. They had an appointment for that night, and I took it. Jeremy and I went to celebrate with shakes at Cook Out. During all of this, Avian had gone into work for a luncheon in honor of a co-worker who was leaving. We will miss Aissatou. That night, at 8 p.m. Steve and I drove to South Charlotte to get my MRI done. We were hopeful that the results would come in before heading out to DC.
June 21st - I did some work in the morning, cleaned the pantry and then took a rest, Steve came back from his quick lunch time drive (1 hour later) and said 485 closed due to HUGE accident. Avian and I went to the pool to cool off. It was nice to be out of the house and in a weightless environment. Back at home I finally finished my granny square sweater. After work, Steve fixed his chainsaw and had a great time cutting up some wood he got from the neighbor's downed tree. Jeremy went to a concert with some friends from school. That night on the news we saw what had closed both the inner and outer loops of 485 for over 10 hours. A semi had gotten cut off by a smaller car weaving in and out of traffic, had lost control and gone across the median where it collided head-on with another semi. It was a horrific accident. The driver of one of the semis was pronounced dead on the scene and the other was in critical condition at the local hospital. There were several other small vehicles involved but no serious injuries for those drivers. Slow down people and stop swerving - SERIOUSLY!!!
June 22nd - As a favor to a co-worker who was out of state planning her father's funeral, Steve and I went to visit her mother who is in a nursing home in Concord. After hearing so many stories about her during lunch, it was nice to finally meet her in person. She was very nice and we had a great visit. We had to get back home as my ministering sisters were coming over to visit. Eden and Ana are very sweet and wanted to make sure I was doing okay. While they were visiting, Steve took the opportunity to go run some errands and then pick up the wheelchair from the church. With the DC trip coming up we knew I would not be able to crutch all over town. Bishop Romney said we could borrow the church wheelchair so I could still be there with Avian on their special day. That night Avian went to a Modern Alibi concert. Leah's brother is the drummer and all Avian's friends were going to be there. I really wanted to go, but ultimately decided it was not a good idea for me to be in a crowd that would be dancing around. Avian said it was super fun.
June 24th - We got the results from the MRI and I would be fibbing if I said I did not cry when I saw them. I wasn't expecting such an impressive list of injuries. I was also secretly hoping it was not a tibial plateau fracture. NOPE!!!
June 25th - Steve and I spent the morning pimping out my crutches since I am going to be on them for at least 6 more weeks. I now have a place for my phone and wallet in my new crutch pouch we designed using an old Carnival water bottle holder from our cruise years ago. Matt, the PA, called later in the afternoon to talk about next steps. He said that the tibial plateau fracture is the biggest concern. and we needed to start with that injury. My ACL looks like it has been gone for a while - this is normal for donor ligament. We will watch and see what happens during physical therapy and will decide if we need to replace it at that point. I will be on crutches for at least the next 4 weeks until I can see him for a follow-up appointment, and we can re-evaluate the plan based on x-rays and how well the fracture is healing.
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| We pimped my ride. It is perfect for my wallet and phone. |
June 26th - We left for DC at 7 am. It was a nice drive until we were about a hour out of DC and then the traffic really picked up. The traffic in DC was really heavy for 3:00 on a Wednesday. I would not want to be out during rush hour. We found our hotel after having to circle around (which took WAAAAY longer than it should have). Steve was so stressed he said we would not be driving ANYWHERE during our visit. We would walk or take the Metro. I was okay with that. We got settled in the room and then Steve and I went out to explore and find the nearest Metro station. It was only a short 10 minute walk from the hotel. Perfect!!! At this point we were getting hungry and Steve did not want to have to push me back up the hill to the hotel, so he left me in the lobby of the Marriot and went to meet Avian who was walking down from the hotel. We had dinner at Mo's and then walked back to the hotel. On the walk back, one of the armrests fell off the wheelchair. We found the screw and got it semi-fixed (good enough) for the next day. We will worry about a better fix when we get back to Charlotte. I texted with Amanda to find out when they were going to be at the Captiol the next day so we could at least see each other. She and BreElle were in DC for an FFA conference. What are the odds of both of us being in the same place the same week. We were not going to pass up the opportunity to see each other. We got all the plans set for the next day.
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| My view from the back seat of the truck while driving. |
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| View from one of our hotel windows. |
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| View from the other window |
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| I zoomed in to get a closer shot of the Smithsonian Castle. So cool! |
June 27th - We wok up early and had breakfast at the hotel. There was a shuttle leaving that would drop us off at Union Station and we were lucky to get seats. It was crowded. We walked around Union Station so Avian could see it. The architecture is stunning! I remember the first time I saw it during my last trip to DC. I was completely overwhelmed by the size and beauty of the building.
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| From Union Station it was only a short walk to the Capitol |
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| Strolling through the park on our way to the Capitol. |
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| View of the Capitol through the trees. |
Once at the Capitol we had a little bit of time to walk around and explore before meeting up with Amanda and BreElle.
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| View of the Capitol from the Visitor Center entrance. |
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| Avian took this one just as we were approaching the Capitol. I am always in awe of how beautiful the building is. |
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| The rotunda from the outside is beautiful |
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| I love the statue on top of the building. |
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| We were able to find Amanda and got to talk with her for a little bit before she had to go with her group. We made plans to meet up later in the day when everyone's schedules were a little more open. Hugging her felt like being home. I miss being able to see family more often. |
We decided to take this opportunity to go see the Museum of Natural History. It is the one that Avian really wanted to visit and we didn't have much time until we needed to meet Congresswoman Adams in her office. Once in the museum, Avian took off on their own to see what they wanted to see.
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| We found proof that you really can go snipe hunting and this is not just a prank that is played on all first year campers. |
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| If this shark was still in the ocean I would NOT go in! |
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| It was massive!! |
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| View from the upper gallery |
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| Avian went to check out the rocks and gems section |
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The main gallery entrance.
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| The Smithsonian Castle. |
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| I got a pass as well. |
One of the interns walked us from the office building to the Capitol and showed us where we needed to be for the luncheon. As soon as we exited the elevator there was a photo opportunity set up. One of the congressional interns was taking pictures for everyone.
After pictures, Avian and I picked out our lunches from a wide choice of bagged sandwich lunches. Finding a seat was difficult as there were so many people. We loved watching everyone and being a part of the group. After lunch, while we were heading towards the presentation room, we ran into Congresswoman Adams. She apologized for missing our first appointment and asked us to please come back at 2:45 so we could meet with her in her office. One of the official photographers asked if he could take our picture with Congresswoman Adams quickly before she had to head back to the House for another vote. We then headed to the presentation room and found a seat. Being in a wheelchair really had an advantage here in that Avian parked me on the back row of the lower section and was able to sit in a really comfortable chair next to me. The two congresswomen (Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D - Nevada) who headed the art competition spoke and welcomed all the artists and their guests. They then turned the time over to the keynote speaker and guest artists, Sonya Terpening. We had to leave a little early to make our appointment with Congresswoman Adams.
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| Sonya Terpening was the keynote speaker. She talked about how she came up with ideas for her paintings. It was fascinating to hear her thought process. |
While we were at the lunch and presentation, Steve used the pass he was given to go to the gallery and watch the voting process on the House floor. As he was exiting the gallery, he asked about a Capitol tour and was told that one was just starting. He said it was amazing to see the Capitol Rotunda and all the statues and art. The pictures he took during the tour are below.
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| Each window in the Rotunda has a shade that can be drawn if necessary. |
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| The ceiling of the Rotunda. |
Avian and I left the presentation early in order to get to Congresswoman Adam's office on time. The only thing we missed was the slideshow of the winning art which we would get to see when we went to the Cannon Tunnel. It was worth it! Steve met us there and we spent a half an hour talking with Congresswoman Adams and her staff. Her office had a completely different feel when she was in it. It didn't feel empty anymore. She filled the space just by being there. She told us all about the art in her office which she had collected over the years and asked if Avian would be willing to sell their picture to her at the end of the display year. Avian said they would think about it. We felt very fortunate to have spent time with her as she is a very busy lady and had to get back to the floor after meeting with us.
Amanda had texted me while we were leaving the presentation to tell me she and BreElle had stayed in the area instead of going back to the hotel and wanted to know when we could meet up again. I told her about going to the Cannon Tunnel to see Avian's art and they wanted to join us. Edna went to the lobby and got them so they could join us. It was fun to get to take all the back hallways and secret passages that are used to get from the office buildings to the Capitol. We got to go places that not everyone gets to see.
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| Following Edna through the hallways to the Cannon Tunnel |
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| The hallways underneath the office building. |
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| There were so many people there looking at the art - all of them were the winners and their families. |
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| Avian's art with the other winners from North Carolina. |
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| We took awhile to just soak it all in. |
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| Amanda and BreElle added so much to our time in the Cannon Tunnel. They especially loved seeing the congressmen and congresswomen coming back from their session at the House. |
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| The hall is lined with all the art. It was exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. |
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| A view from the other direction. It was a curved hall so I couldn't get a picture of the complete length of it. |
Avian would explain the art and technique used to create certain pieces and why some were more impressive than others. It made you look at the art in a completely different way. I learned a lot about art appreciation.
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| This was my favorite - after Avian's of course! It is an oil and looked like a photo. Avian pointed out that the color palate was limited which increased the difficulty. I thought it was stunning. It is called "The Glisten of Crimson" By Violet Breland (Oklahoma) |
We stayed until they were closing the hall down for the day. Afterwards we decided to head towards Union Station to get some dinner since we would both need to catch a train to our hotels. Amanda pushed the wheelchair to give Steve and Avian a break which was a win for me as well because we got to talk while we walked. BreElle and Amanda had not been to Union Station yet and it was fun to watch them see it for the first time. The building is truly magnificent. They didn't expect to find a mall and food court inside. We spent some time in some of the shops and then headed to the food court for dinner. I loved talking to BreElle and hearing all about their new house in Mallad and how much she likes it there. She is also training a mustang named Oscar, and we got to hear about that. Amanda filled us in on what has been going on with the new house they are building and how much they love living in Mallad. I am so glad we had the time to meet up and catch up. I am grateful that Amanda and BreElle were able to make time in what sounded like a jam-packed schedule with the FFA convention. It was an amazing day all around.
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| In front of Union Station |
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| Avian and BreElle on Grandpa Weenig's lap. Avian is the youngest grandchild and BreElle is the oldest great grandchild. |
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| Avian and BreElle 14 years later. |
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| One last picture before hopping on the Metro and heading back to our hotels. |
Meanwhile, back in Charlotte, it was Jeremy's first day of work. He said he really liked it.
June 28th - Our thought was if we were up and ready to go by 10 we would avoid the rush hour traffic. HA! HA! HA! HA!. I don't think there is a good time to drive in DC without traffic. We did get to see the Pentagon and Jefferson Memorial while driving out so that was a plus. We also decided to take a different route home so we could stop in Lynchburg and say hello to Aleena. It was a much prettier drive and more relaxing as well. Once we were back in Charlotte we had Jeremy meet us at Panda Express for dinner. He caught us up on everything that had been going on while we were gone and we told him about the DC experience. While Avian and I got things unpacked, Steve fixed the loose armrest on the wheelchair and got it back to the church.
June 29th - Laundry day! I also got to go visit Cindy's mom again, this time with Sarah Johnson. Steve had a day to do what he wanted after having to be my chauffer for several days. Nick came up to get his hair cut and to take a long bike ride on one of his favorite routes. We also got the taxed paid on his car so he can get the renewed sticker. Avian went to Anthony's birthday/graduation party and had a fun time.
June 30th - I got to go to the newly formed Landis Ward for their Ward Conference. It was all in Spanish and I was encouraged by how much I understood.
June is over! I am sad. It was a month filled with so many things. July will be a month of turning our sights toward getting Avian ready to go to SCAD in September. I am going to take a moment to relax before everything gets going again!
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