The Pentagon

While down in D.C. we also stopped over at the Pentagon to view the memorial built in honor of the 9/11 attacks. It is an outdoor memorial for the 184 people killed in the Pentagon and on Flight 77, not including terrorist.

The amount of detail and thought that went into this memorial is really amazing. To honor the 184 victims, 184 illuminated benches have been arranged according to the victim's ages, starting with Dana Falkenberg, 3, to John Yamnicky Sr., 71. Each bench is engraved with the name of a victim. The benches representing the victims that were inside the Pentagon are arranged so those reading the names will face the Pentagon's south facade, where the plane hit; benches dedicated to victims aboard the plane are arranged so that those reading the engraved name will be facing skyward along the path the plane traveled.[8] About 85 paperbark maple trees are planted on the memorial grounds.[9]

Also just across the road from the Pentagon is Arlington National Cemetery (Section 64). All service members or retirees that were killed in the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon are buried there. Section 64 not only overlooks the Pentagon Building but also the Memorial.

It was really a beautiful day to walk around these memorial benches and reflect on the loss that was suffered that day.

D.C. part 1

Ok, seriously...this could be my longest blog post ever. We took the kids to Washington D.C. last week for vacation. They had the week off from school and Travis had training down in Norfolk, VA (just down the road) so we all jumped in the car and decided to see the sights of our nations capital. It was AWESOME!! We spent our first two days down there walking the city and seeing all the sights and museums we could see. I know the kids didn't appreciate it quite as much as Trav and I did because they are young, but I love the idea that we were able to take them. Someday I hope they remember this trip because I know Trav and I will.

Let me just say that as most of you know, I'm no city girl. I don't love traffic, hoards of people, taking a wrong turn into a foreign neighborhood or the madness but....I do love History. It was my favorite subject in school and I get so much enjoyment from reading about it. So, that made this D.C. trip totally enjoyable for me. As much as I dread the city I loved this city. Washington D.C. is so rich with history and there is so much to read, see and learn. I soaked up as much as I could and I tried to share it with the kids. I know Trav loved it just as much, we were in awe the whole time.

Our first day was spent walking the city and seeing the monuments...These pictures our a recap of our first day.


~Lincoln Monument


The Lincoln Monument was our first stop because it is the first monument on the far end of the mall. Lincoln sits in his chair looking east towards the Washinton Mon. and the Capital builiding. It was so much bigger then I expected and you can feel his grandeur when you enter the building. He was so important to this country and we just happened to be in D.C. on what would have been his 200th birthday.



~Korean War Memorial


The Forgotten War...What a beautiful tribute!




~WWII Monument




The fountain at this monument was not on because its still winter. It was a great representation of all the states and their participation in this war. The kids choose the state of Oregon because that is where they were born.



~Washington Monument





This monument is truly the centerpiece of the area. All other monuments are positioned according to the Washington Monument. Lincoln and Jefferson look at the Monument as does the White House. All other memorials run parallel to it. It was completed in 1887 and stands 555 feet tall. It was build in honor of George Washington.

I had the kids lay down at the base with Trav to look upward. The view looking up let you know how truly small we are.



~The White House




Honestly, the White House wasn't what we expected at all. It seemed larger in our minds then when actually seeing it up close. Plus, as stupid as it sounds I didn't realize that it basically was surrounded by huge commerce buildings. There are no cars even close to the front or back of the White House, only foot traffic but you better believe there are protesters using the "Freedom of Speech" to make their voice heard. It was still amazing to know that the President and his family currently live in that house as with several previous Presidents.

**The last picture of Travi holding a leaf is so funny. There are iron fences surrounding the White House that are at least 10 feet tall. Also there are motion detectors on the inside of the fences for any crazies out there that try to be stupid. So, Travi being extremely brave and daring stuck his hand through the fence without setting off a motion detector and grabbed a leaf. His chest was puffed out as we walked away from the White House as he held up that leaf thinking he had fooled top notch security!



~The Vietnam Wall



We didn't know anyone on this wall, but there were definitely people there who did. The amount of names that are on this memorial is mind boggling. The top picture is of a statue just back from the wall of 3 U.S. soldiers from the Vietnam War era looking towards the wall. The picture of me in front of the wall is where the wall begins and ends. The first casualty of the war was in 1959 and the last casualty of the war was in 1975.



~Memorial Bridge
The Memorial Bridge crosses the Potomac River and it took us towards Arlington National Cemetary!




~Arlington National Cemetery


There really are not words to convey the feeling you get when you visit this cemetery. Knowing that there are over 300,000 people buried here speaks volumes. There are veterans of every single war dating back to the Revolutionary War buried in Arlington. Soilders are still being buried here almost daily. These grounds demand respect and honestly you want to give it as you walk around this cemetery and see the endless tombstones of soilders and their family members. Any service member with an Honorable Discharged can be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Within Arlington National Cemetery lies the "Tomb of the Unknown"...

Of all of the things that we did on our first day in D.C. watching the "Changing of the Guard" at the Tomb of the Unknown was at the top of our list. Trav and I have wanted to witness it for a long time now. As I watched a Sentinel from the U.S. 3rd Infantry (The Old Guard) watch over the tomb, I was reminded about the sacrifice our soldiers make every day and also how so many have made the ultimate sacrifice. There is a Tomb Guard Sentinel at the tomb 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year. It is regarded as a privilege to stand guard in Arlington. The intense devotion and training that these guards show and endure is nothing short of astounding. If you have never heard the details of these Sentinels then CLICK HERE. The tomb is built on top of a mass grave that is the final resting place of 2200 Civil War soldiers. An Unknown Soldier of WWI was interred in 1921, an Unknown Soldier of the Korean War was interred in 1958 and an Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War was interred in 1984. In 1998 the Vietnam War soldier was disinterred because he was identified and his remains turned over to his family. On this day they also did a wreath changing ceremony. As I stood with Travi and listened to TAPS being played, my eyes welled up with tears as I couldn't help but be honored to witness something so beautiful and poignant.




Here Rests In Honored Glory A Soilder Known But To God

Blue & Gold Banquet

Yesterday was the Blue & Gold Banquet for Cub Scouting. This banquet sums up a year of scouting and allows the boys to be awarded their advancement patches. For an 8 year old cub scout this is a huge event. So after having dinner, dessert and a run of other things the boys earn their new patches from the Cubmaster. This year Travi earned his Bear patch. This is his 3rd year in scouting so we are pretty familiar with how this event runs and since Trav is the den leader again we were envolved in alot of planning. Needless to say, I am relieved that it is done. But, nonetheless it was a big night for Travi.

Den 2 on stage waiting for Advancement.



Travi and his good friend Teddy waiting for their traditional face paint and patch from the Cubmaster.



And there you have it...his Bear patch and honorary face paint acknowledging all his hard work. ;0)


So along with his Bear patch he also won an award for his PineWood Derby Car. Remember this post! While Travi did not make it to the finals of that event he was awarded a trophy last night for "most originial" design. He was pretty happy to be called up on stage.





My boys together...Aren't they handsome! I know some day we will look back on these time and these events and smile.


~“The goodness of a person and of the society he or she lives in often comes down to very simple things and words found in the Scout Law. Every society depends on trust and loyalty, on courtesy and kindness, on bravery and reverence. These are the values of Scouting, and these are the values of Americans.”

Guess What....Punxsutawney Phil predicted Spring would come 6 weeks early this morning!



So for the 125th time the groundhog made his prediction. He has predicted a long winter more often then not, so today was especially exciting.

The Northeast has endured a very wet, snowy, cold winter. I'm not complaining because I don't really mind it but I have shovled alot this year. Plus I am looking forward to planting my last garden at this house this spring.

So, thanks Phil...we will see if your prediction hold up or not over the coming months.

Resolution Update...

So yesterday was Feb. 1st which means that Travis and I are one month into our so called "New Years Resolution". Remember this post.

I feel really good about things. We have changed our eating habits to what is called Clean Eating. Basically, we have tried to go back to eating the things that our bodies were designed to consume. It really hasn't been as difficult as I thought. There are things that we miss, namely red meat but we are really managing nicely. Travis has been amazing about the whole thing and has told me numerous times how good he feels and how much he is enjoying the food. Some days I do feel like all I do is prepare food. We are eating 5-6 times a day so it does take some planning but it is going well. The kids I don't think have really even noticed to much the changes I have made. There have been a few recipes I have had them eat where namely Travis looked at me and gagged. I have just tucked those recipes away or plan to try and find a way to make them a little more desirable.

We are planning to head to the Winter Farmers Market this Saturday to see what they have. I am on the hunt for red meat and I have been told there is a gentlemen there that is selling all natural beef and pork from his western Massachussettes farm.. I hope so because if he is I will be buying steaks and pork chops from him. Making the decision to not consume any meat that is not all natural has been an adjustment especially for Travis. That man loves his red meat but thankfully he understand the importance of it. Some day in a perfect world Travis and I would love to live sustainably off meat that he either hunts or that we can find locally. I still dream of buying my family a cow to butcher.

Also the second part of our resolution was to "Live Simply". This one is actually hard. Its about not buying what you don't need and perhaps only want and about knowing what you are buying and the journey it had to make to get to you. Recently we have saturated ourselves with documentaries on sustainability and accountability. Some of our favorites that I would highly recommend everyone see are:

GasLand
The Eleventh Hour
Food Inc.
No Impact Man
180* South

All of these are great flixs that are made to inform the masses about how destructive we really our and what steps need to be taken to make change.

I feel really passionate about this! I feel sad that society has such a sense of entitlement to everything and doesn't need to feel accountable for anything. Then again, its been this way for a long time. People want, want, want and they want it instantly or the quickest, cheapest way possible.

So, Travis and I have recognized that we can do subtle things to lessen our contribution to this way of thinking. Two days ago I realized I needed some new socks. I went to the store and was pleased to find socks made in Vermont. This was exciting...Vermont is only up the road from us. Rather then buy the cheap pair made in China I went for the $12.00 pair that was made in the USA/Vermont. That was a choice and a good one in my opinion.

We will continue to try and tweek our lives to do our best and truly think about things before we act on impulse. It really is that simple.