Embracing the Adventure

We have received our first assignment, where we will be headed in November. We're going to Manila, Philippines!! This picture was taken at the ceremony where each person's destination was announced and they were given the flag of the nation they were headed to. We are DELIGHTED to be going to the Philippines! None of us have ever been to East Asia or the Pacific at all, and we can't wait for this new adventure in our life's journey!

School starts MUCH later here than in Kentucky! So although we have enjoyed our extra month of summer, Elias is excited to be starting fourth grade here in Arlington! This is the first time he has started a new school since kindergarten. I'm so proud of my big, brave boy!

We took a Sunday afternoon to visit Mount Vernon, the historic estate of George Washington, and it was a marvelous day! We were pleasantly surprised at what a neat place that was to visit and how well-maintained it was. A lot of time and effort has been put into making this a really great place to visit! Elias posing with statues of George and Martha, and Martha's two children: Mount Vernon was a productive farm, and there are some great models of what it used to be like. Elias loved the animals! They had a reproduction of the way the Washingtons used to thresh wheat. They would trot their horses around this circular building, and the wheat grains would fall through small slits in the floor, while the larger hay was kept above. Cool! There is a marina there that also has a boat tour, but we didn't have a chance to do the boat tour... Next time!  Mount Vernon also houses the tomb of George Washington. The estate had delightful gardens, bo...

We snuck in one last morning of sightseeing before Grandma went back home. We toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and saw how they make money... It was SO COOL! They don't allow pictures inside, but we took some pictures outside and in the gift shop. Then, on our way down 15th Street, Grandma and Elias stopped to take a turn holding up the Washington Monument! :) Our last stop was the White House Visitor's Center. Tours of the actual White House have to be arranged months in advance... We're still working on seeing if we can get one of those while we're in the area. However, the Visitor's Center itself is worth seeing, with lots of neat personal information about all the presidents who have lived in the White House.  Thanks for visiting, Grandma! We had a blast with you!