I have to apologize up front for this post because of all the pictures to follow. The time escaped me after Grandma Minnesota’s visit make it almost impossible to report on her time here until now. Shortly after her visit the Smith family (Mike’s sister Jenni, her husband Travis, and daughters Morgie, Rozzie, and Maddie) came for the Thanksgiving holiday. More on that later.
A visit to the National Arboretum during Kathy’s visit was essential since she frequents her local arboretum almost weekly (sometimes daily during spring/summer months). The girls enjoyed romping around in and amongst the various foliage. We probably were too late for the prime fall colors, but there was still much to see. Poison ivy was even spotted. The coolest part of the visit was the Bonsai Tree Museum with some of the trees dating back to the 1600’s. The place was throroughly impressive and with free admission, too. We’re going to try to go back this weekend with Matt and Trang for some Christmas card pictures (it’s not too late is it). Wish us luck! Make sure to check out the pictures we took on the memories page under “Nat’l Arboretum, Nov 2006”.
As mentioned before, the Smiths stopped by for a few days. They took off Tuesday evening and managed 6-7 hours of driving that night. Optimistic that the rest of the drive would only take about 5-6 hours, the Smiths took their time getting started the next morning. Those poor souls were stuck in traffic on several instances and driving through rain most of the day causing their trip to take another 10-11 hours. They did finally make it just in time for dinner.
Thanksgiving 2006 set forth a new tradition for the Hawley family. The feast took place in our home among family and friends alike. Instead of the customary, baked turkey, we opted for southern, fried courtesy of Tiger and Leah. It was not “eww” as Annie would say. The Smiths drove in the night before to celebrate with us. Also joining us for the feast was Matt and Trang and, of course, Uncle Tiger and Leah. Some of the dishes accompanying the turkey were stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, corn casserole, carrot souffle, sweet potatoes, and squash buns. Matt and Trang also offered up some awesome appetizers, bruschetta with either cream cheese and marinara or olive spread. Very yummy! Everyone was stuffed, but most managed to fit in a slice of either apple or pumpkin pie with homemade crusts. Could you ask for anything more? By the end of the night, each of us was nearly comatose. Please feel free to view the pictures from busy day on the memories page under “Thanksgiving 2006”
During their visit, the Smiths couldn’t resist spending a day seeing the local sites. And when I say a day, I mean the WHOLE day. My feet are still killing me. We managed to squeeze in several monuments and historical sites including Ford’s Theatre and the National Archives. The Smith family inspired our own family to start a tradition of filling up our “passports” with stamps. Apparently, there are National Park Passports that can purchased to keep track of visits to national parks. Most parks will stamp your passport with a “cancellation” stamp upon entry. After a day spent in downtown D.C. we managed to fill our books up with about 20 or so stamps. Whew! Morgie, the Smiths’ oldest, will return in a few months for a school trip. After her visit here recently, she’ll be able to head up her group as the tour guide. Everyone was pooped when we got home. Mimi was so tired that she skipped dinner and went straight to bed. I half expected her to get up in the middle of the night ready for the day, but she slept on through until 8:00 a.m. Lucky me! Take a look-see at the pictures from the day on the memories page under “D.C. – Nov 2006”
The Smiths’ trip to D.C. was topped off with a visit to the Washington D.C. Temple. It was a perfect day for the occasion. Mike and I wish we could spend more time there, but the school load doesn’t allow for it. We were able to catch a showing of “Joseph Smith, The Prophet of the Restoration”. It was very inspiring and educational. Surprisingly, Annie and Mimi behaved themselves quite well. Mimi got a bit restless at times, but Mike and I managed to keep her mostly calm. At the very end of the movie Mimi asked, “What happened?” It was the first time she ever said such a thing. Oh, we love her so! The pictures we took can be viewed on the memories page under “D.C. Temple – Nov 2006”