#Natitude

This weekend I was SO lucky to be given my boss's season tickets to the game on Saturday! Not only did I get the 4 tickets, but I got his parking pass as well, which by the way just happens to be covered parking RIGHT NEXT to the stadium. We could not have gotten ANY closer!

The weather was beautiful for an afternoon at the ballpark. Beautiful! It was perfectly sunny, warm (80s) but not humid. I worked out in the morning and then got ready. We met at 11 AM b/c there was traffic, but that just added to the experience! I loved driving there and not having to take the metro, which I have always done in the past.

One of the others who came with us (Cortne) had been a guest of someone with similar tickets in the past. She knew all about the ADDED bonus of the Diamond Club! This is an exclusive private club just above our section of seats in the stadium. You show them your ticket to get in the door. Then, they give you a wrist band to wear so you can come and go.  AWESOME

As soon as you enter they have a table with yummy candies. How can you go wrong with that? Then, there is a full bar with every kind of drink you can imagine to the right and rows of tables. In the back there were 6 or 7 of these stations with yummy food of all kinds! This picture doesn't do it justice, but who has salmon, steak, shrimp and other similar dishes when they go to a ballpark? Hah! Me - never. Until this past Saturday that is :)

 Even though the club was air conditioned, we took our plates to our seats. Why not? I've never been so close to the players! We were seated right behind their dugout. Like 4 rows back. CRAZY. he scary part was that you really couldn't look down when someone was up to bat because we didn't have the netting in front of us. It ended just about 5 feet before our seats!

  I love this panoramic picture a friend of mine took. It's amazing what you can do with camera's these days!

Screech, the Nationals mascot, came to visit our section. Everyone was getting pictures with him. I was a bit of a chicken at first....

 but then figured, why not?! This opportunity might never come again! I went up to ask him and he kept *Screeching* at me! I was confused at first and didn't know how to reply, but hah! That's all he can say. So Cortne and I got in it!

 Here's our little group at the end of the game. The Nats lost like 7 to 0 or something crazy like that. It wasn't a very exciting game, but the food (unlimited visits), the trips I took just to cool off from the hot sun in the air-conditioned club every now and then, the weather, the people I was with, seeing Screech, standing and singing the National Anthem, watching them honor some of our troops while singing "Proud to be an American", and really - just being with this group of people... all combined to make it such a fabulous, fun, relaxing experience. I was so grateful for it and had such a GREAT time!

 This was the sea of people heading to the metro after the game... we just took the elevator up from our seats to get to our car.

Now that's how you see a baseball game :)

I wonder if I can get these tickets for another game sometime soon!!!

All in just three days!

It's been an eventful month! Here's another posting of things I've been doing...

and this was all in a matter of three days!

Spring/summer has come and with that means some awesome thunderstorms.

I LOVE thunderstorms (as long as I am not out walking in it!). And, I happened upon this beautiful rainbow after a pretty big storm as I was driving home from work one day!

So pretty! I had to pull over and take a picture to remember it

I wonder where the pot of gold is though... :)

At the end of May, I went to PA for a day to finish clearing out the storage sheds we had used to stuff all the things from my mom's house that were still in there when it sold. We had cleared out most right after her funeral and had placed stuff in one bedroom that each of us (my brothers and I) had wanted to save. But, there was also quite a bit of *crap* that had just never made it to the trash. Well, when my little brother showed up at the house an hour before closing and noticed all the things still in there, he called a good friend and they loaded it all and stuffed it in two storage sheds in town. Months later I got the task of emptying out these sheds. It just so happened to be one of the most humid and hot days of the season thus far. And, lets just say the storage sheds had NO ventilation. 

It was pretty bad. But, I was so fortunate to have a good friend offer to take the day off of work and drive with me. Thank goodness for angels like her! It was so nice to have someone there to help sort and chat with as well. 

She happened upon a box of clothing my mom had saved from when we were kids. And... look at what I found! My kilt from NDA. Happy to say that it still fits! This must have been one I never wore though because I never had them this long!

We cleaned out the sheds in time to also take a little detour and visit my mom's grave. They had recently put the stone in so I wanted to check it out. It had been such an ordeal to get it approved, etc., but I am pleased with the way it turned out. 

 She's buried next to her parents. The stone cost a couple thousand and we honestly thought it would have been similar to theirs, but it's kind of teeny in comparison. I need to contact them to make sure we got the right one! Not that we would now pay for another bigger stone... My mom would not want that! But, just to make sure we got the right one.

Cemeteries are interesting places. I think they have a lot of beauty and it's neat to think about the lives of all those buried there, but at the same time I think they're kind of morbid and don't like spending much time in one. We didn't stay for very long in this one :)

I wanted to move on what the day and get to our final destination - Annapolis!! We were going to spend the night in Annapolis in order to run a half marathon the following morning! My brother let us use his hotel points so we were able to get a suite in the Sheraton. Kate met us up there.

The Sheraton treated us well. We were privleged to get appetizers and dessert in the private club lounge and the rooms were very, very comfy. We went to dinner at Macaroni Grill and carb-loaded. I had a very yummy whole wheat pasta with a meat sauce and was filled!

Race morning came way way way too early! It was sunny - but hot and humid at 7 am when the race started! I told the others we had to take a "before" picture because I knew I wouldn't be looking decent at all after!

The course was beautiful. Much more hilly than I had been informed, but I did suprisingly well on it! The last two miles were truly hard since I had never trained more than 7 or 8 miles... but I was determined to finish and not to stop. I was all sweat. My music helped me a lot to keep going, as well as pouring water over my head at every station. But, I have no doubt the Lord helped me keep going as well :)

I loved that they had inspirational quotes along the way. Mile marker 12 was one from Pres. Hinckley, even though they spelled "weeks" instead of "weeds"! We passed this one three times. The 2nd time I really thought it was mile 12, but I was shocked and saddened when I found out it was only mile 1-.5 and we still have much more to go!

 I crossed the finish line and was SUPER happy! I needed food, which I got right away, and then went back to the finish line to stretch and wait for Miriam and Kate. We were all VERY happy to be done with the race.... and as you can see, we were still smiling at the end!

We did it!

On the way out we had to stop and take a picture of the naval academy stadium sign with our "Yippee! I did it" poses :)

After the race it was off to the pool. So much fun!! But, I can wait a few months before doing it again :)

Spring in DC Part 2

 May was a busy month! Or, at least it was picture worthy :)

May is filled with graduations and the end of a school year for many. It's an exciting time, but it also means that it's a time to say goodbye to those who are moving on to bigger and better things!

Braden graduated from Georgetown and is now moving on to bigger and better things so we had a little farewell dinner for him earlier in the month. It was fun to share stories about times shared with him and some of the funny things he's done/said. He's been a great friend/home teacher and I'll definitely miss his humor! It's been fun getting to know him these past two years, but I am sure will fit right in with life in NYC!

 Then the next Sunday we celebrated Camille's birthday with another Sunday dinner. I love having people over for dinner and I love celebrating birthdays! A win-win combination! Happy Birthday Camille!

 Then, the next big happening in May - The Gregory's got a dog. 

Yep - a dog

 Meet Gus

Ava is all smiles, 

but let's just say the dog and I have a strained relationship thus far :)

One day last week I was out doing errands and I saw this car. 

I literally could NOT stop laughing and thought it was so cute! 

I had to take a picture and text it to some friends. 

The funny thing was that I was surrounded by three men 

also taking pictures of it for their wives/girlfriends. 

It's sometimes the little things in life that completely make my day!

This past weekend was Memorial day weekend and we celebrated the men and women who have fought so hard for our freedom. I was glad I was able to go to Arlington National Cemetery and walk around. Seeing all the flags placed in front of the tombstones is humbling. Rows and rows of men and women who gave their life for me to be able to have the freedoms I do.

 One of the other things I love about Memorial day weekend is that the Rolling Thunder come in to town and have a rally at the Pentagon. The Rolling Thunder's mission is to educate, facilitate and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War. And, they all come in from all over the US on motorcycles!! All weekend long you can hear the roar of their engine and see groups traveling by motorcycle everywhere!

I LOVE IT!

So, I made a point of attending one of their events at the Cemetery. I didn't quite fit in with their outfits and such, but I was in heaven. I love their bandanas and jackets... like this one below.

 I stayed to watch the ceremony as well as the usual guards and changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. It was beyond cool! Such precision. Truly mesmerizing. How fortunate I am to live so close by to this and to be able to participate in such an honorable event!

 I counted the seconds and number of steps this soldier took. 

A theme was definitely the number 21.

They take a measured 21 steps in 21 seconds. 

Stop. Turn.

Then do the same thing back. 

They can't look to the left/right, up/down, or change facial expression.  

After each turn, the Guard executes a sharp "shoulder-arms" movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the visitors to signify that the Guard stands between the Tomb and any possible threat. Twenty-one was chosen because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed -- the 21-gun salute.

 Did you know the following:
1. Some of the training these men and women do before becoming a guard is to walk the curbs of the cemetery for hours/days on end. The curb is about 4 inches wide and you have to walk without looking down and without falling

2. Another task is to stand beneath a flagpole in the Army’s parade rest position for hours and hours and hours.

3. Once you pass the physical tests, a guard candidate has to memorize a notebook about as thick as the Washington phone book that is filled with facts and figures of the cemetery and guard ceremony — such as how many rivets are in the rubber mat the guards walk on in front of the tomb. There are 163 rivets in the mat and 2,002 links in the chain around the tomb plaza.

4. The tomb is never unguarded or unwatched. Even with the guards walking back and forth, other guards are watching via cameras to keep an eye on the on-duty guard as well as the plaza around the tomb itself.

5. The guards work 24-hour shifts with a day off in between another 24-hour shift. During the winter, they guard for an hour, take an hour off and return. In the summer, due to the heat, the guard shift is shortened to 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off.

DC SUMMERS CAN BE HOT!

 But yet, these guys are out there in full uniform

WOW

 “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

On the hour, the guards changed. 

It required 3 total guards to do the ceremony. 

All with precision and 21 was the theme yet again

 I love this picture of the 3 walking perfectly in line with each other

And just to think, they do this 24 hours a day... no cheating or slacking on the ceremony just because no one is watching! I would be SOOO tempted to!

After the guards changed, they did the wreath laying for the Rolling Thunder group.

 I loved it all. Then, on my way out, I saw this. 

A beautiful scene if I do say so!

 Sunday was a beautiful day. Loved church and loved hearing the roar of the motorcycle engines out my window :) But, in the evening I had the opportunity to head out to Wolf Trap and see "The President's Own" US Marine Band concert. We took a picnic dinner and it was SO yummy! These guys and girls are awesome cooks! We had fun chatting before the concert and then got to enjoy some great music and FIREWORKS! I loved it. I had never been to Wolf Trap before, but I really like the venue and will most likely be back soon!

 Such a great group of people!

And, I love this picture of Miriam and I!

What an amazing friend she is!

I didn't realize until after the picture was taken, but we're kind of twiners in our outfits!

Spring in DC Part 1

 I love Spring! Just love it. Here are some of the reasons why:

 1. The flowers... esp the flowers at the Temple.

 Gorgeous

 It was such a beautiful night. 

I love how it's still light out at 7 or 8 pm!

 And, it was even better b/c I found out when I got there that 

a friend was going to propose to his girlfriend there later on 

that night. I even got to see the ring before she did!

I love to see the temple, but I love to go inside more!

2. Crossing off things on my DC bucket list. So much easier and more fun to do in Spring!

 Me and Theodore Roosevelt. I look like a midget!

 There were these large pillars with some of his inspiring quotes:
On YOUTH
"I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you brave and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender.  Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground.  Courage, hard work, self-mastery, and intelligent effort are all essential to successful life.  Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike."

 On Manhood:
A man's usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals insofar as he can. It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. All daring and courage, all iron endurance of misfortune-make for a finer, nobler type of manhood.
Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life and the duty of life.

It's a pretty island, small, but pretty. It's situated right in between VA and DC with a bridge connecting it to the VA side. Great views! And, a nice, quiet walk around the island. Peaceful. 

 This is looking at Georgetown

 This is Rosslyn

 Another weekend I needed to get out of town so I went to the Shenandoah Cheery Blossom Festival and parade. It was awesome and such a perfect little escape for a day trip. The weather was fantastic too!

 I had great seats for the parade and what's not to LOVE about a man in uniform?!

 I literally could have walked up and gotten his autograph. 

Closest I have ever been to an NFL player!

 And, of course, we bring out the Irish and Scottish heritage in the parade!

 The next weekend I got tickets to the Folger Shakespeare Research Library tour. This was pretty cool b/c they only do one tour a week for 15 people. And, I got to go in! I had never been to the Library before. It's filled to the brim with everything Shakeaspeare. But, the best part about this tour was getting to see documents and things from the 1600s and such! Awesome!

 Shakespeare above and a stained glass window 

of his Seven Stages of Man below

Slowly, but surely, crossing things off my DC bucket list!