DC Trip: Part Two

Day 4: Monuments

By Day 4, we were starting to wear down a bit, but we had an appointment at the Washington Monument at 10 a.m. We decided to stop for breakfast beforehand at a restaurant in our neighborhood, The Coupe. We loved the coffee and the atmosphere and the food was alright. The best part for Quinn was the patio where several people sat with their dogs. I love how pet friendly Maryland is! When she started getting restless, we walked out there so she could meet them all. She wanted to hold each one. So different from her brother!

Asher's favorite part was the playground just across the street. Finally something meant for kids! We let them run out some energy before we headed out for more sightseeing.

Too busy to pause for pictures. 

Asher had been asking where all the kids play, so I am glad we found this spot. City life didn't seem that appealing to him. :) 

Some of the sights on our way to the metro. 

First stop was the Washington Monument.

With a view of Lincoln and WWII.

It was a beautiful day and warmer than we expected. Most days it was in the low 80s or high 70s, which was great for sightseeing but totally unexpected.  All those scarves I packed went to waste!

The marble benches were cool, so Asher decided to nap with his lemur while we waited in line.

Views from the top. 

Our trip was plagued by construction so the National Mall was less than impressive from way up high. 

The displays at the top kept Asher entertained. 

He was so excited to finally be able to touch something! 

They turned off the lights on the way down so we could see stones donated by different states.

And then we busted out of there for a little mischief outside. 

They love their Grandpa! 

Next up was Dad's favorite, the WWII Memorial. 

Oklahoma! 

It was hard to understand why coins weren't allowed in the fountain. 

The kids had their fill by this point, so we ventured on to the Lincoln Memorial. 

Quinn LOVED the ducks in the reflecting pool and said "duckies" whenever we passed a body of water for the rest of the trip. 

Poor Mom had a foot injury and had to wear a boot the whole time. She kept up very well,  though, and didn't complain one bit. 

We made it! 

Asher needed a partner in crime, so we left the others behind and explored the Lincoln Memorial together. 

The 5th grade version of myself who named her horse animal purse after good ole Abe was so excited! 

The skies started getting dark and sprinkles began to fall, but we still have the Korean War Memorial to visit. 

I expected to see all the pretty fall colors during our visit, but only a few trees were changing. 

This was such a cool one but we didn't have much time with the rain picking up. 

So we stopped for a bite to eat and took shelter under Mom's umbrella. 

We decided to have our next adventure indoors at the Air and Space Museum. 

I had heard so many great things about this one, but we spent most of our time in the kid area, where Asher and Quinn had a blast. 

Once she was not longer glued to the phone, that is. 

This girl is so silly and she has SO MUCH energy. She spent nearly the whole time running up and down a ramp, laughing at herself the whole way. 

The kids eventually tired and before Dad was finished exploring the upper levels, they had a bit of meltdown.

We should have called it a day then and there, but we attempted to squeeze in a visit to the National Archives. 

We dropped Mom and the kids off at this grassy area near the Museum of Modern Art and Dad, Stacy and I went to get in line. 

The building was barely in sight when Mom called to say Asher needed to find a bathroom. 

So we detoured into the sculpture park while we waited on him. 

And gave up on our constitution dreams for the day, heading home. But not before Asher managed to talk Stacy into a Ninja Turtle ice cream. We had to go to two different vendors to find one and it just so happened to be Donatello, his favorite. 

Day 5: Matrimony

Day 5 was a welcomed change of pace for us. We had originally planned our trip to DC before Zach proposed to Maegan. But when they broke the news of their engagement, I was hoping they'd decide to get married while we were there. Lucky for us, they did! 

Ty was able to meet us for Zach's wedding. He flew out the night before and the guys were able to go out for some bachelor party fun while us girls ordered in and recuperated from the busy day. When the morning of Saturday, October 10, arrived, we took our time getting around and then headed to Zach and Maegan's apartment to kill time and get ready before the wedding. 

The bridal party was out getting their hair and make-up done but returned before we were packed up. So they had to hold Maegan hostage in her car while we gathered our things and hurried out to the chapel. 

Zach and Maegan chose the most quaint little chapel for their wedding. It was the perfect setting and the scenery on the way out there was beautiful with all of the trees. 

They wanted a simple, small wedding with less than 50 guests. They asked Dad to officiate and Asher to be the ring bearer. The ceremony was short and sweet, and we had time to mingle with Maegan's family and their out-of-town guests afterward while they were busy smiling for pictures.

I loved the windows and made Zach pose for me. He didn't appreciate it.

Getting some last minute instructions. 

This girls was a mess. Somehow in the crazy rush to get to the church, we left Josh and Stacy's shoe bag, so boots were the only option for Quinn and her mommy. She preferred going barefoot and wanted to splash in puddles while she waited on the bride to arrive.  She didn't appreciate it when we told her no!

Grandpa entertained Asher by exploring the woods behind the church. 

And he of course brought some mixels along. He was obsessed with these during the trip. 

Before we knew it, the bride was walking down the aisle and it was time for this wedding to start! 

They're married! This is one of the photographs taken by Zach and Maegan's friend who served as their photographer. Here are a few more from her: 

After the wedding, they stopped by the apartment to let the dogs out. And to take some adorable pictures, of course. This is Sampson, their eldest doggie. 

And this is Lola, their new puppy! 

After the wedding, we headed to Savage Mill for the reception. I was a pub set in an old mill, so it was a really cool place. We had a large area just for the wedding guests and enjoyed a buffet before Zach and Maegan cut into the cake.

The wedding guests. 

Time to cut the cake! 

Things got a little messy... 

And not just for the bride and groom! 

It is still sometimes hard for me to believe Zach is married, but I am so glad that he's found the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Maegan is so comfortable around us, and we are very glad to have her as a part of the family! Congratulations, Zach and Maegan. I can't wait to see what life holds for the two of you. Thanks for letting us be along for the ride!